The Oracle

Chapter 8: Drenched in Scarlet

SORA

"Geez," I sigh and scratch the back of my head as I exit the headmaster's office after finally being stuck inside there dealing with Carmin for two hours. "What's it take for a guy to get a schedule around here?"

"Tsk," I glance off to the right upon hearing a scoff to see a person who looks almost exactly like Shae leaning against the wall by the headmaster's office with his hands in his pockets. "Can I go in now or what?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess?" I shrug and he kicks himself off of the wall and walks towards me, his shoulders slightly slouched.

"Good, 'been waitin' out here for damn hours. No good Carmin and his dumbass rules," he mutters and rips open the door to the office before he slams it shut, the door nearly jolting off its hinges.

"What's his problem?" I sigh to myself before I frown. "More importantly, who was that?"

"He has a lot of problems," Kit says as she stands in the hallway with a soft green tank-top and pale blue shorts with white trim and white boat shoes on, a small towel around her neck and her long reddish-pink hair pulled up into a ponytail with a hair tie that matches her shirt. "I wouldn't let him get to you."

"Yeah, but who--" I start.

"Shae's twin brother, Sander. He's Temperance," Kit shrugs and adjusts the hair tie in her ponytail by pulling it tighter while my eyes widen at her words.

"He's Temperance?" I raise my eyebrows and glance back to the door briefly.

"Yeah," Kit sighs. "No one else really gets it either. I see you've got your schedule, then?"

Kit nods to the card in my hands and I nod in return.

"Yeah," I sigh. "Guess so."

"That's good," Kit says. "Hey, I'm going to go watch the battles. You want to come with me?"

"The battles?" I question and Kit smiles.

"Yeah. We like to have little competitions every now and then for fun. It's a way to motivate everyone, you know?" Kit explains. "One's going on right now. The first round should be in progress. This time, it's a competition of doubles."

"You mean like two on twos?" I ask.

"Yeah," Kit nods. "Well, you coming or what?"

"Sure," I shrug. "Why not?"

"Okay, cool," Kit smiles. "Follow me then."

Kit and I make our way back to the training area I was in earlier where I received my staff, but this time she takes me to the stone area directly opposite of the door. Once we step through the threshold, the scenery around us changes to one of a coliseum type area. The two of us are standing in the doorway to rows of seats on the very bottom balcony of white stone, five more rows being above us and the battle field being off to the right, as well as more seating being beyond that on the other side of the battle field. Kit weaves her way through the crowd and I follow after her, listening as the crowd goes wild while sounds of battle clash off to the right. She picks a spot on the fourth floor and I sit next to her, finally taking time to notice the people in the arena as Kaito, Shae, Raciel, and Gambit.

I watch as Kaito draws his arms in together so that his armblades form into a shield after a burst of bright red energy just as Gambit runs off to the left and leaps up into the air. Gambit lands on Kaito's shield and pushes herself off to propel herself through the air as she draws her right fist back, purple energy radiating around her fists and her gauntlets as she grins. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the arena, Shae stands guard with his white with golden trim sword and shield, his shield also having a salmon colored crest in the center. Beside Shae, Raciel yawns and stretches his arms over his head and I sigh, unsurprised.