"The stars really are different with no artificial light." I murmur looking at the cosmic tapestry. I watch quietly as it burns, replaced by the sun.
Once again I couldn't sleep. The Lady of the Night seems to have cast me out. Some nights I just lay there reminiscing about the past, others I climb up to the top of the dorm building and watch the stars slowly move. As the sun rises I watch it slowly ascend the steps of heaven. I get up, jump over onto the nearest tree and quickly descend.
Running away from the light.
I quickly pace down the hallways and find my dorm room, silently slipping in.
And into a wall.
"You didn't sleep again tonight."
"Yeah…" I reply looking away.
Expecting a reprimand.
"I was like that too."
He taps me on the head softly with a finger.
And just like that he drifts to the bathroom for a shower.
I stand there for a while.
The sound of the water running drowns me back into reality.
I grab my towel and while I wait preview the schedule. Again.
8:00: Changed/Padre 101
10:00: Celestial History
12:00: Lunch
1:30: Basic swordsmanship
The old man told me he'd made the schedule for my first term "As easy as he could." Because "Idiots need to feel the shallow end before touching the ocean." However I was pretty sure I could handle anything those teachers could toss at me.
How bad could it-
Damn it. I jinxed it didn't I?
— — —
8:00 Changed 101.
We're playing dodgeball!
The teacher- a man with a voice of a megaphone, the grin of a drill instructor that enjoys his job way too much, and the appearance of a high school football coach- didn't call it that, the balls weren't really balls, and you didn't get out if you were hit.
You died.
So you can see why I'm trying my damned best to stay in.
That however was proving a challenge.
The dammed teacher instead of splitting us all into fair teams, made it Padres vs Changed.
God bless his heart.
You probably could guess how it went.
Napoleon was the first one out. I held him in my hands as he died and swore vengeance.
He dissipated into the air and appeared off the field. The "dead" man waved at me, almost happy to be done with it. To call what happened to the eliminated players death is a slight exaggeration. It just felt, looked and sounded like you were dying. I picked up one of the "balls" ie. glowing death orbs and used it to parry another ball.
We fought bravely.
We even took down some.
But it's hard for "mutants" to beat "god's" chosen soldiers. So like some sick holy war, the demons were purged by the heroes. Hark and let the banners of victory fly!
Eventually it was just me left against six of theirs. The other soldiers of the Changed Army had already given up on me.
"Rio! Let them take you out so we can get one more game!"
"Are you insane?! I'm not dying for that!" I shout back while weaving balls from the laughing padres.
"Look at him move! Pretty much the opposite of his blue tower friend!"
I payed it no mind. I was used to the prodding at this point. I was just planning on stalling out the clock and getting a draw.
But then I hear it.
"You know, my cousins had a slave that looked exactly like him! We used to use it as a horse. Maybe their relat-"
Sadly the poor bastard never got to finish that sentence.
I watched them. Their form. And so I learnt. How to throw the orb perfectly, how to twist the wrist to release it in a way that guarantees that the lucky recipient would never see coming.
Our lucky winner dissolves into air as he fell. By the time he hit the floor he was no longer of this world.
Damn shame.
I grinned at his fortune, until I looked up and cursed mine.
Their mocking grins had disappeared. What replaced them was anger. And I was the one person left to vent to.
"Now guys," I say bending down to pick up another orb and stepping back. "You can't seriously be mad at me for playing the game? I know you gentlemen are better than-" a flaming ball wizzed past me. I turn to see a hole in the wall. "Has someone ever told you that you have one hell of a pitch? You should be scouted!" I say desperately trying to throw them off their game.
The ding and "Your move is not very effective!" suddenly appear in my mind. I race my mind desperate for something, ANYTHING to get me out of this mess.
And then I found it.
My solution.
"I surrender."
Everybody stares at me shocked.
"You can't do that!" Some pompous blonde kid says.
"Who says I can't?"
Another kid chimes in "We won't let you!"
"Are you not accepting my surrender?" I ask glancing at the clock behind them.
"F*CK NO!" The blonde kid yells. And he throws another fireball at me.
It's clear that I can't dodge it.
But I don't need to.
"Teach call it!"
Seconds before the ball hits me, he says "Time!" And the ball deactivates harmlessly falling into my arms.
"Dishonourable prick." I say grinning at the blonde guy.
He just glares at me, hands shaking visibly.
I know not to provoke him, I know it's petty but I just can't resist the temptation.
"Aww mommy and daddy didn't train you to lose like a bit@h did they?"
He looks like a damn cartoon character with literal smoke blowing out of his ears.
I shake off the high and rush off to be welcomed by my teammates.
But my instincts send a signal.
A signal that says "You might've gone too far."
I turn to look at him for a second.
"That kid couldn't do a thing to harm me-"
Damn it I did it again didn't I?
I really need to work on that.
— — —
"I WILL KILL HIM!" I yell burning another pillow.
"Nero, relax. He didn't even do anything that bad. He's just some change-" my older sister says trying to put the flames out at the same time.
"NO! I will NOT let some charcoal looking, ashen looking,CHANGED BASTARD, disrespect me and our family! He will DIE for what he's done to me. And then when he's burning in HELL I'll descend down to him just to BURN him again!
"He's been like this for the last five hours." My roommate, Augustus said casually leaning into my room.
He had given up on cooling me a while ago, and left to get my older sister, Cleo. She's an upperclassman and one of the few people I respect. Augustus comes in holding an ear of popcorn corn and a bowl. Putting the corn to my head, the popcorn corn started popping and falling into the bowl. With each pop I felt my blood boiling just a little more. My sister covering her mouth quickly stepped out of the room.
"Pop."
"POP."
My fists ball up.
"POP!"
I look him in the eyes and the room temp increases.
"POP!"
It slows down and eventually stops.
Augustus stares at me fondly. "Thanks man."
My burning anger cools, along with the room.
Without thinking I say "It's nothing."
And just like that he drifts off.
Cleo leaning on the door with a grin steals some popcorn from Augustus.
"You've mellowed out a little?"
"Yeah. Thanks for coming."
"What do you plan to do?"
"Make him regret ever saying that about her."
She sighs.
"I pray you find the error of your ways."
I roll my eyes. "Says the Changed-loving coward, banished from her own home." I say teasingly.
"Hop off it." She replies grinning.
You'll realize that they're more human than us."
And with this odd line she too left, off to do her own work.
I sit there letting that line settle.
Was there something I was missing?
Something worth abandoning titles for?
Maybe…
"…as if! Sometimes she's such an idiot."