Phantom Thunder

Chapter 12

We walked back across the again silent lawn to the Academy's front door. The afternoon sunlight lit up the grass it sideways streaks, and the long shadows seamed to stretch everything out. A chipmunk darted across our path and scampered into one of the trees.

"Squirrel" Seth said, and they all turned their heads to follow the tiny animal.

"That's a chipmunk" Blake replied, unimpressed.

"Same thing" Seth muttered.

"Hmm not exactly" Lilian stated, pushing the academy doors open.

"Squirrels are bigger" Spark said. "And they have bushy tails and are one plain colour."

"Seth that's like saying 'what's the difference between a chipmunk and a murderer?'" I said.

We joined the masses heading towards the banquet hall.

"Well chipmunk and murderer, many differences, squirrels on the other hand..."

"My point exactly" I said. Spark laughed. His laugh added to the playful light and noise that spilled from the banquet hall. Just as we stepped through the doors, I glanced up and saw Pluto exactly as I'd seen him that first day a week ago. He was leaning against the door frame, his shaggy hair almost obscuring his bright green eyes. He held a chicken leg in his one hand. I couldn't pull away from the group. The sea of people was sucking me into the banquet hall like a rising tide.

"Ghost?" Spark asked.

I turned to look at him. "What?"

"Never mind, you just zoned out for a second, and didn't seam to hear me."

I quickly glanced back over my shoulder, and saw Pluto turning away and going back into his dark classroom, alone. I sat down at the end of the table across from Spark and joined their debate on how murderers evolved from pesky rodents, but I was only half listening.

-

The Academy schedule is based off of routine, so the next morning we were back where we'd been exactly a week ago. The thud of projectiles filled the room as I tried to focus, and control how the energy left my body to create a sphere rather than a blob. I was mostly successful, which left me with a tired grin on my face as I stumbled to my seat next to Seth at the lunch table.

That afternoon Spark was assigned to be my partner and personal tutor. He created his sword, and I used the one I'd picked out the week before. He promised to make me into a killing machine, and by the time the old church bell rang we were both drenched in sweat and hit the showers.

That evening, the boys came and crashed in our dorm. No one really cared. Girls sometimes hung out in boy's dorm, although any girl could have simply told the boys to leave, and they'd have to.

"Things don't get a little... Inappropriate?" I asked awkwardly.

"Boy and girl alone in dorm never too good, but that rarely happens."

Since Spark hadn't been too bad of a sword teacher, I asked him to teach me how to reach my way to third on the list for challenger.

"Third on the list implies you have to beat me" he said with a sly grin. "And that ain't gonna happen."

"Teach me how to get as good as you."

He sighed dramatically. "Finne."

I rolled out of out bed with a grin.

He took a ready stance across from me and grimaced awkwardly. "I feel like most everything I can teach you is stuff you already know."

"Pretend I know nothing."