Arcane Academia

Chapter 8

" I want to see everyone in my house on that podium graduating and great warriors," Zandar says standing on the trainee arena stage. It had just turned five-thirty a.m . Two years ago, this hour would've awoken the zombie in me. But after a year or two , you learn the essence of life, discipline.
" Yes...coach, I say stifling a yawn. Oh, how I do love sleep.
" Good," she says ," now train!"
We all disperse.
As I head to the punching bags...
" Reia, a word?" Zandar calls beckoning me to the railings overlooking the training space.
" My time has come," I tell Marke.
" Good luck Oogway," he says.
" Don't make us look bad," Fiore says carrying ropes.
" I don't have to try," I say jogging to the stairs as Clarice glares at me.
I wave at her as I climb the stairs.
" Finally, you've made it," Zandar says as I join her at the rails.
" Foot traffic ," I say.
" How are you holding up Reia? I know these past days were quite...exciting, " She asks facing me.
" I'll live," I say not meeting her eye.
" Nothing you want to tell me?" She asks not tearing her gaze from me.
My mind flashes to my my eyes and the purple crawling through my skin...
" No," I say my mind squirming at the lie. It was probably just the side effects of Nightmorph that creature Cary threw at me.
Zandar, a mother to all says, " Reia, remember the first thing I told you when I enrolled you in, you have potential kid, now you've proven that to everyone , so if there's anything you want to spill, I'm all ears."
I smile," Nothing coach."
She sighs," your dismissed, oh and have some energy drink, you look like death on a stick child."
" I'm still your best pupil," I say heading downstairs.
---
" What was that about?" Lyra asks as I join her on the treadmills.
"Just teacher's pet stuff," I say sprinting.
Lyra rolls her eyes.
" She wanted to know how I was holding up," I say, " can you blame her."
" She's not wrong, looking a bit deathly," she says.
" Hey I'm trying a new tan," I say looking down at my hands. Yikes, my gorgeous bronze skin's glows a sickly white.
" Sure sis," Lyra says just as the training doors open and the prefect's walk in and join Zandar.
"Ooh, what happened to privacy?" I ask Lyra.
" Students, as you all know, the tournament's in a month, due to a lack of lieutenants, the academy's decided, your prefect's will be stepping up. This means, if you all make it past the tournament you will all be placed into teams of warriors based off of your rankings in the Labyrinth. The prefects will be your leaders.
They're here to observe you all, any questions?" Zandar asks leaning from up the railings.
" Who ranks the prefects?" Chloe Smitchz asks.
" The Labyrinth, only a higher level than yours, any other questions? " Zandar says tapping her foot," No? Good, train away!"
I head to the knife chucking space. I close my eyes, shoot straight.
1,2,3...
The targets move, raising my arm clockwise I stare at my targets head, I vision the sword through it. I fling the blade. It pierces through the target. I smirk, still got it.
Next target I repeat, fling both my daggers, satisfying thuds. I'm on a roll.
"Oh, you do have talent besides attention seeking," Ethane says observing me from above. I flip him off.
The next throw I make only barely hits my target.
" Jackass," I say. He jumps off the railings and lands in front of me.
" Fiore that wasn't an earthquake, just bigfoot here," I tell Fiore who's on the treadmill watching us.
" I see cracks ," she calls back.
I smirk at Ethane.
" I'd argue back but I wouldn't want to carry you back to the hospital wing in tears again," he says.
" Ew, you carried me, no wonder I've never smelt the same again," I say.
" Gratitudes hard for the weak," he says aiming at my target and chucking the knife right through mine," especially the amateur."
I pick up a knife and chuck as it pierces through his knife and ego.
" Do run along and play with your friends , oh wait they don't exist," I say walking away.
People need to stop trying so hard to get noticed by me.
" Wait," Ethane says, " I challenge you, duel me on the ring, if I win, your my personal assistant.."
" And if I win...I get one of your swords," I say pointing at his sword/ staff thing. Prefects get access to Arcaneless weaponry.
"Deal," he says.
" Right, go...shove it," I say.
"Scared?" he asks.
" Of losing my hygiene? Yeah," I say continuing my stride when-
" Reia, halt it," I look up to see Zandar observing us," I approve of this friendly competition, both of you to the ring," she says shooing us both.
" But he's a senior," Fiore says getting off the treadmill, everyone else joining the scene.
"And Reia's the highest in class," Zandar says," besides Reia, you did say you feel just fine."
Fml, " touche coach," I say.
Everyone looks at me in anticipation. Not that I care.
" I agree, BUT no terms for you as you aldready have an additional advantage, instead if I win, I get that sword and my name in the next firework show this weekend," I say, because why not celebrate me.
He hesitates before," agreed. "
Lucky bitch.
---
" Battle!" A prefect calls. I climb the stage, mentally exhausted aldready, but its Ethane, I've been waiting for this for years.
I size up the guy. He's tall but I'm fast. Focus Rei, just kick ass.
I raise my fists as he throws a kick that I duck to with ease. I aim for his face only to be dodged.
" This is too easy," he says as I kick him in the gut.
"Sucker got punched, " I say as the crowd roars. And then the jackass kicks my legs and I lose the ground beneath me.
"Pathetic, " he says as I hit the blue floor hard.
Oh it's on bitch.
I launch myself back on my feet. I aim, he parry's, he kicks I dodge.
All of a sudden the floor tilts ever so slightly and I lose focus. Ethane seeing the window aims for my leg and I fall on my side my black hair covering my face just as he throws another kick that I dodge in the last second.
Purple starts clouding my eyes. Breathe Rei, breathe.
It vanishes and I look up to see Ethane squinting at me, his blue eyes comfused, almost expecting something. Good. I smirk.
I sweep a kick and he falls hard. The clock dings
" And stay down jackass," I say getting up, ignoring my pain. The crowd gasp. Ethane's the top of his class. Well, he was.
For a moment his eyes lock on mine and I pierce mine through his...he grins.
" Didn't suck ," he says.
" Hit your head too hard?" I ask," It was divine."
The crowd cheers...

" Again!" A voice echoes. Wth. I turn, its
Candor, the vice principal. Also head of training.
" What?" I ask bewildered. Hell no.
"No we're good Sir," Ethane says arranging his hair," a deals a deal, meet me at the armory tonight after dinner. "
He leaves and I exhale.
" I just did that," I say dropping to the floor. My friends applaud joining me on ring
" Girl, that was pretty badass," Lyra says.
" Nothing new ," I say stretching my legs," honestly, I was half asleep doing it."
" Wierd though," Fiore says sitting next to me.
"What?" I ask
" All of it, when has Zandar ever made juniors battle seniors, and that whole Candor thing..." she says.
" Kinda sus," I say. Something's not right. But I'm too on a high to care
" Oh well," I say getting up.
" Whatever it is, your brother got some balls standing upto the principal, " Lyra says as I give her a hand standing up.
" Ew, half-brother," Fiore says.

After dinner at the dining hall I head to the Armory. I turn the doorknob to find it unlocked. I enter. The smell of fiery metal enchants me. I breathe it in. There's an array of weapons, from guns to swords to staffs to, " Damn," I say. Arcane guns.
My fingers get a wierd , fiery feel.
" And then she woke up," Ethane says.
Ugh feelings gone. I stare at it once more. It will be mine.
With an eye roll I turn to see Ethane leaning against window.
" Creep, " I say," so where is it?"
He opens a drawer and inside there's a line of staff/ sword thingies.
I run my fingers through all three. My fingers stop at the centre one. It's got two swords at each end the blade has a streak of blue on either side.

I lift it up, it's just right. There's a mirror at the end of the room.
I walk to it and lift the blade up and do a battle stance I had learned all these years in combat class.
For the first time in years, a thrill runs through my veins. I feel alive, also, I look hot. I grin.
" I'll take it," I say.
" Right, what's it called black widow ?" Ethane asks me.
" Mine," I say still holding my true love.
He sighs," it's called a double-edged blade."
" Okay, ew," I say staring at my love.
" Vipress," I say running my finger over the blade.
Ethane stares at me and for once speaks the truth," looks good on you."
" I know," I say still in awe. He grins.
The door opens slams open.
Candor walks in and barks at Ethane, " a word boy, Reia, head back to your dorm."
Who put a stick up and where.

I race up through the Academy grounds  doing battle stances at every window because I look fine. Upon reaching the stable it hits me.
Well shit. I forgot my sheath.
I turn and head back to the Armory finding the door ajar.
" You had one job boy!"
I stop dead in my tracks.
" I only agreed to one match with Reia," Ethane says. I suck in all the oxygen in the academy.
" I should've known better than to trust-
," Candor says getting cut off.
" She would've known something was off sir, it would've been irresponsible" Ethane says.
" Well we're running out of time," Candor says ," we need to know if the girl's a-...."
The door slams shut and they're voices are cut off.
I release a shaky breath. My heart pounds rigidly through my ears.
WTF.

Dearest fanbase,
Pardon the cussing, helps my mind sharpen , but yea...Drama...
Stay tuned, XOXO
Moi