BLACK & WHITE

Chapter 10 : Who Are They

      It was a dark, cloudy, and stormy day, Ella, Jeff, King and Roland stood outside a medical wing, watching as two medical bishops were trying to bring three unknown people back to conscious.
      The expression on the face of Ella and her friends were of confusion. The three people laying in the room were definitely human, but their outfits were what was confusing.
       They were laying opposite each other, the first was a very muscular dark skinned girl who had rough green hair, and was wearing a furry armored bra top, furry armored skirt, and furry armored knee length boots, and at the right side of her bed, was a large sword.
       The second person was light skinned boy with long black pony-tailed hair. He was wearing a dark blue kimono, and at the left side of his bed, was a black bladed kitana.
       The third person, was a brown skinned, skinny looking boy with short white hair. He was wearing a white long sleeved and hooded robe, and unlike the first two, he didn't have a sword. At the left side of his bed, on the top of a stool, was an ash colored waist pouch, a pair of glasses, and a white faceless mask.
     All their clothing's were different, but the  problem with them was with the fact that Ella couldn't recognize them. They were not related to any of the tribes or Kingdoms that Ella had ever read of, and she had read of a lot of tribes and kingdoms, that is except for the second boys clothing.... Its was something had seen in a fictional book she read recently, which made her question why someone would travel in a fictional attire.
      "So you said you couldn't recognize what they are wearing?" Asks Roland
     Ella tilts her head to the right to look at Roland. He was a light skinned boy with short maroon colored hair, and brown eyes. He was wearing a dark green long sleeved shirt, black combat trousers, and green boots.
       "Yes. Roland, yes" says Ella with a rude tone, "for the hundredth time"
       "So where do you think they're from?" Asks Jeff
       "It is possible that they came from over the great divider.... You know, they could be dark humans" Suggests King
     "You're right King" says Roland feeling like he just solved the worlds greatest mystery, "they could be spies sent---"
      "They definitely are not" says Ella cutting Roland off, "their spirit energies, their not dark, they're light.... Except for him" Ella says pointing at the third boy.
      "What? Is it dark?" Asks Roland
      "Its gray guys....gray" says Ella in an uncertain but stern tone.
     As they try to understand what Ella had just said, Miss Stella walks out from a corner.
       "Hey, you four" she yells, "you're not supposed....to be here" she says in a strict tone as she jogs towards them
       "Miss Stella?" Says Ella trying to act surprised, "we didn't think we would see you here"
       "YES, EXACTLY" the three boys say together.
       "Of course you didn't" says Miss Stella, "you're all criminals, breaking the law"
       "The law?, criminals?" Says Jeff.
       "Miss Stella, I must admit, that was little bit too harsh, even for you" says King.
       "Oh keep quiet.... You've heard worse from your mom" says Miss Stella.
     While Miss Stella was busy talking with the boys, Ella was still staring at the third boy in the medical wing.
        "Normally, I wouldn't care what the four of you were up to, but your parents made it clear that they didn't want you here...... So please don't stress me more than they already have and move out..... Now" says Miss Stella.
       "Yes Ma!" The three boys say
       "Come on Ella" says Jeff, "Miss Stella wants us out"
       "Oh.... OK..... Sure" says Ella.
     They all walk out from medical wing into the school grounds.
       "Did you hear what Miss Stella said?" King asks
       "What?.... I wasn't listening" says Ella
       "She said our parents didn't want us to see those three" says Jeff
       "They must know something we don't" says Ella.
       "At times like this, I'm happy I'm an orphan" says Roland.
     They all go quiet for a while, and then the school bell rings.
       "What class are we supposed to have now?" Asks Roland.
       "Its a general class.... Its your moms right?" Says King.
       "What?" Asks Ella seeming to have been lost in thoughts.
       "We have control of spirit beasts next right?.... Your moms class?" Asks Roland.
       "Oh.... Yeah... Yes we do" says Ella in a hushed voice, "let's hurry then"
      They all move down into a hallway filled with pictures of well respected bishops who have taught the control of spirit beasts class in the house of bishops, meeting a picture of the current teacher, Ella's mother, Mrs Tilda, as the other students would call her. They take a left turn into another hallway containing statues of different spirit beasts, arranged on opposite sides of the hallway.
      They pass a pair of a wind turtle and a tree tiger, then, a dragon, and a phoenix, a winbitt, and a horned cabat, and a few others.
    They got into the class, to find a very different, but familiar sight. The class room was large, with chairs arranged in an elevated circular manner, to allow students to see the center of the room.
    At the center stood Ella's mother, with a large cage covered with dirty cream colored clothing behind her.
      "Well that's a first" says King
      "Wonder what she brought to class" says Roland.
      "Settle down class" says Tilda
    The four friends find separate seats in the class.
      "Most people, think...., that the use of spirit beasts, are specifically for bishops, because of our limited forms of attack, but they couldn't be more wrong" says Tilda as the students settle down. "A bishop in a healthy state, is as useless, and as useful as a knight, or a rook, or even a king.... It all depends on how you utilize yourself" she takes a pause, "but that's not for me to teach now is it?" The class laughs. "Today.." She continues, as she takes of the clothing from the cage "We shall be practicing spirit beast- human connection.... This here, is a universal spirit beast.... a Grindgrow"
     What stood in the large cage was a small porcupine looking creature with scales, mole like claws, eyes of a cat, and a  nose that made it look super cute.
      In a matter seconds, it grew to be very large, and looked like a monster, such that one would argue that it was a different creature. It had large teeth, its pines turned to retractable spikes on a hard shell.
        "This here...." Says Tilda with a smile of satisfaction on her face as all the students looked both scared and amazed "is a spirit beast mostly used by humans with spirit energies affiliated to the element earth" she continues as the grindgrow goes back to its original size, "in this size, it can bury itself underground, or even move underground, for a stealth attack.... And in the other size, it can aslo move underground, but this time, with an addition of creating tunnels that its user can follow incase of a need to escape a battle. Its spikes can be fired in rapid successions, its hard shell can block some attacks, and my favorite, is its roll-up ability. Both in its small and large size, it can roll up like a ball and move".
    The students all look amazed and begin to converse within themselves.
       "Now, the purpose of this class, as I said before, is to practice a spirit beast- human connection. As rear as this creature is, it can connect with anybody, regardless of spirit energy level, or if its a child or an adult.... Most cases of beast-human connection actually occurs with children" Tilda takes a pause, "all you need ia a clear mind and pure emotions..... Note! Pure not mixed.... Mixed emotions could trigger an attack. So one by one, you all will come to the front of the cage and try a connection. This process will continue for a while till everyone gets it.... In other words, it doesn't matter if its today, tomorrow or next week, you all must get it" Says Tilda.
      The process goes on for over an hour, till the class ends, and only a few students managed a connection. Ella, Roland, Jeff, and King all sit outside under a guava tree.
     "Is something wrong Ella?" Asks Jeff.
     "Why do you ask?" replies Ella not even paying attention to Jeff.
     "You've been off since we left the medical wing.... What did you see really?" Ask Jeff
      "He's right Ella" says King
      "And I'm sure it has something do with that gray color you saw in that boy" says Roland.
      "Yes guys.... I can't seeing what I saw" says Ella
      "So what did you see?" Asks King
      "That boy, his spirit energy wasn't gray.... Or it was.... But its not the color that got stoked.... I thought about it, it was mixed.... Black and white" says Ella.
       "But how can a human have mixed energy, I mean both black and white?" Says Roland.
       "Thats what I don't understand" says Ella, "but from the way my mum and the rest are hushing it up, means they know what it is".
       "Yes... Even my dad, who hasn't been involved with any official business for years went to the royal capital with your mom and the rest.... Something is definitely up" says Jeff, "and I'm sure the king and queen have refused to give you any information, right king?"
     "Yup" says King, "I think we should let it rest for now guys"
     "I agree, let's forget it, I can't be stressing over these things" says Roland as he lights a cigarette.