Defying Equilibrium

Chapter 1: Oscar and Dare

If you asked Oscar what he wanted to do when he finished his education, you would receive a very simple answer. I want to save lives, he would say. Become a doctor. This is the polar opposite of what his best friend Dare would say. I'm going to train to be a Shielder, would be Dare's answer. The two boys could not be more different and yet they could not be more alike. Maybe that's why they were such good friends.

The teacher's shoes made harsh clacking sounds that echoed around the small silent classroom as he paced between desks. Apart from the teacher's shoes, the only noises that could be heard were the scratch of quills on paper as the students worked. Then all of a sudden, there were a string of curses from the back of the room. The students all turned and stared in shock, and Oscar groaned inwardly.

The teacher's face had gone from expressionless to furious in no time. “Sidney Dare!” He practically spat. “What on this earth could possibly constitute such vile language?!”

Dare looked up at the teacher. “Sorry, professor,” he replied nonchalantly, “it's just that I've gone and spilt ink all over myself.” And he had. It was everywhere, all over his hands, arms, shirt and jacket, and even his face too. How it had managed to evade gravity and spill itself on Dare's face, Oscar had no idea. And it stained his desk and books too, but Dare wouldn't give a rat's arse about that.

Three hours later, Oscar found himself waiting outside the main office of the school for Dare to come out of his detention. He finally strolled out the door, looking like he'd just been for a walk. Together they walked off the school grounds.

“So what was it this time?” Oscar asked.

Dare grinned at him. “The usual punishment;” he laughed, “nothing.” Dare was by far the smartest kid in the school, not that he even tried at schoolwork. He got away with whatever he wanted, because the head teacher would not punish his star pupil and risk him moving to another school. And because of that, Sidney Francis Dare could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. It drove everyone insane.

Oscar was smart too, but in a different way. Less book smart, more street smart. Growing up in the poorest part of the city would give you that, ask any kid from the North-East region of Damakis City.

The two boys did not look anything alike. Oscar was tall and thin, with shaggy black hair and deep amber eyes. Some may have called him handsome, but he was striking more than anything. Dare was sixteen, and Oscar was fifteen and a half. Dare was not as tall, but more athletically built. His eyes, surrounded by a smattering of freckles, were a brownish-greenish colour that changed with the weather. His brown wavy hair hung in a long plait down to the middle of his back, and he liked it that way. He absolutely detested cutting his hair.

The boys had never not been best friends. Oscar could not remember a time in his life when Dare was not by his side. They were like brothers. This sometimes meant that Oscar got dragged into any trouble that Dare might get himself into, which was often, but Oscar didn't mind. It also meant that Dare had to often be the object of Oscar's rare but fierce bouts of anger, but Dare didn't mind either. That's what it meant to be a brother.

Dare had sensed that something was up with Oscar the moment he stepped out of the classroom. Dare was usually one of the most unobservant people in the whole city, but he could always tell with Oscar. It was little things – his gaze was a little jumpy, his right hand was shaking (which had always been one of Oscar's tells) and his speech was a little quicker than usual.

“What happened?” he asked as soon as they were out of earshot of anyone within the school.

Oscar took a deep breath before answering. “Louise thinks she's going to be scripted,” he replied. This didn't come as a huge shock. Oscar's older sister Louise was incredibly smart and a talented fighter, like her younger brother. It's only natural that she would be selected by the Shielders Militia. But Dare knew that Oscar hated the militia with a passion, and if his sister was taken he would be enraged.

He could see Oscar getting more and more worked up over this as they walked in silence. Dare knew what he had to do. He stopped walking, and when Oscar turned around in confusion, he dropped his bag and books onto the ground and grinned.

“Come on,” Dare beckoned. “Let's get this over with.” Oscar understood then.

“Dare...” he groaned. “I'm fine. Let's just go home.” But Dare shook his head and grinned. He wasn't going to leave until Oscar had got the rage out of his system. It was for the best that Oscar didn't take his anger home with him.

Oscar sighed. “Alright, but you asked for it.” And then he lunged.

The two boys kicked and wrestled on the damp earth. They were both skilled opponents, and had fought so many times that they could predict the other's next move. Oscar would land a few good kicks to Dare's side, but although Oscar was faster, he was no match for Dare's strength. After a good seven minutes of all out fighting, Dare kicked Oscar's legs out from under him and pinned him to the ground. Dare had won this round. He got up and then lent Oscar his hand and pulled him up.

After a moment to catch his breath, he asked, “Better?”

Oscar grinned, much calmer now that it was out of his system. “Much better,” he replied. Dare was very quick-tempered, but quick to cool down, unlike Oscar. Oscar did not get angry very often, but when he did he was dangerous. Dare had known him long enough to know that by now and the best way to let him vent his anger was to fight him, one on one, hand to hand. It made him think that Oscar would probably make a very good Swordsman, all that anger concentrated into lethal blows. But no one from Damakis City would ever be a Swordsman, not in a million years. This was Shielder territory, and all Swordsmen were enemies, and that's the way it would be for all of eternity for one very simple reason – the rule of Equilibrium.