DON'T PRAY TO ME

04 - Drazeydan

Rachel is curious about Slade. Not only because he saved her, but also because of the strange dream she had of him last night. In her dream, she gave Slade her Aneim Stone, a key part of performing a Vinslatum for a Deir. Rachel figures it's because she thinks very highly of Slade. Which she does. Not only he helped someone low ranking like her but someone who is not even his kind. Rachel has never met anyone as generous as him. She has the utmost respect and admiration for the boy who saved her. But she doesn't know anything about him. Rachel has always been far removed from the school's social life. She only knows the popular kids from her year in the Deirci wing because they often bully her. Other than that, she doesn't know who is who. From the way Thomas instantly recognized Slade, Rachel believes Slade must be well known in the school. There's one person Rachel can talk with to learn more.

After the third period, Rachel finds Penny at the locker hall. "Can I talk to you for a second?" Rachel says. Penny smiles widely. Penny had always wanted to be friends with Rachel, but because of Rachel's reclusiveness and Penny's fear of Mithria, Penny rarely gets a chance to hang out with Rachel. Rachel and Penny sit down with a cup of coffee each at the cafeteria. The place is relatively empty, save for a couple of junior students. "That day," Rachel begins, "Thomas and his friends ran away after seeing a Dhamen boy. That's how I was able to escape." "A Dhamen boy?" Penny asks, surprised. Rachel nods. "I accidentally ran into the Dhamenci wing." "Oh no! Did you get into trouble with them?" "No. I didn't go in that far. Only this boy saw us. And he didn't do anything to us. But Thomas was very scared. He called the boy Slade," Rachel says. Penny gasps and covers her mouth. "The Slade?!" She whispers loudly, both unable to contain her shock, and at the same time scared to say the name loudly. "Who is he?" Rachel says. "You don't know who Slade is?! But... I guess, it's possible in your case. You didn't even know who Ariek was until your second year. Slade Drazeydan is the most popular boy in the history of Erno Schola."

Drazeydan, that's a name Rachel does recognize. It's the name of this most legendary Dhamenci clan Rachel had learned in one of her early Surtan History classes. "Like the Drazeydan from the Kingdom of Rauk and Surtan?" Rachel says, wide-eyed. "Yes, that Drazeydan. Slade's father is the chief of the North Dhamenci army." Rachel slumps back into her seat. No wonder she thought she was getting burned by Slade's presence. He must be unimaginably strong compared to someone like herself, Rachel thinks. Penny continues, "Slade is supposedly the most powerful in his clan. People think he's more likely to be the next Dhamenci King." Rachel's eyebrows rise. Penny nods. "He's also extremely handsome!" Penny says, "Even the Deirci girls drool over him. He's as popular among us as Ariek is." Ariek. That's a name Rachel doesn't want to hear. "Is that why Thomas was scared of Slade?" Rachel says. "Anyone would be scared of someone that influential. But it's not just that. Slade is one of the topmost fighter in our school. Just as Ariek." "He's nothing like Ariek," Rachel slips out before she could stop herself. Penny doesn't notice the bitterness in Rachel's words and says, "Well, Slade is a Dhamen after all. He's destructive. Bad news. I'm happy you escaped him, too, that night!" Rachel stares at her fingernails refusing to believe Slade could've hurt her, or even any girl for that matter. "Why?" Rachel says, "Has Slade ever hurt a Deir?"

Penny tries to think. "I wouldn't say anything serious ever happened. But that's only because we keep away from each other's territory. But I've heard of an incident where he beat up some Dhamenci boys a couple of years ago. I don't know what the reason was." Rachel thinks it's because those boys must've done something bad, but she doesn't say it out loud to Penny. "I also heard he's a playboy," Penny says with a sideway grin and wink. That... Rachel can believe. Slade indeed looked very handsome, and he must be getting attention from all the Dhamenci girls over there, the same way all the Deirci girls here swoon over Ariek and his popular friends. "He also hates Deirci," Penny adds. Rachel swiftly looks up at Penny. "He looks down on our kind," Penny says. Rachel feels down. This explains why he seemed very annoyed even though he was helping her. He had to force himself to be there for her even when he didn't want to. But she's grateful he did. "I can't blame him though," Penny says, "Deirci and Dhamenci are meant to hate each other. It's not like us Deirci are fond of their kind, either. I feel my skin crawl if a Dhamen is around." Rachel tries to remember her own feeling when she saw Slade. It was more like her skin burned. But, at the Tepper Liber stall in the market, Rachel did feel something close to what Penny described, and now she feels guilty for feeling that way when those men were just minding their own business at the printing press. Although the guy who handed her the books did seem like he had something against Rachel. "Anyway," Penny says, "Don't tell anyone about seeing Slade there. I don't think Thomas and his guys mentioned Slade either. This is the first time I'm hearing about it." Rachel nods. The girls finish their coffee and leave for their next classes. When they separate at the hall, Penny says, "Why don't you also try the SSCN site? Although Slade doesn't post often, he has a huge number of followers. Even some of us follow him using secret accounts," Penny says, giggling. "It's okay," Rachel says, "I was just curious who could scare away those boys like that."