Beyond?

by Andur

  I see Azir's eyes twitch and immediately recognize that he is annoyed. He tends to do that before he does something nasty! Without thinking I jump forward and grab his left hand which was pointing at Olivia.

  His right hand is caught by Stella who is also good at judging his tempers. Our group got used to his outbreaks and we are trying everything in our might to stop him from doing unfortunate things which could affect our whole group.

  “What do you guys think you are doing?” He looks left and right while we are both holding onto his hands.

  Stella calls out. “You were about to attach a nasty curse to her! Think about what the teachers would say!”

  “I don't care! She came in here and declared war! Naughty children have to be educated while they are still able to learn! It's too late once they are older.” He tries to pull himself free, but I don't let go.

  “Help us! Talia! Karsen! We have to restrain him! His mother surely doesn't want an incident with the Veit right now!” All of us throw themselves onto Azir to restrain him. A wild scramble enfolds and all of us go to the ground. Only Karsen doesn't help and stays out of it.

  “B...B...B...Brother!”

  We turn and find Valeria in the entrance to the classroom. Then I realize what our current situation looks like. I am leeching on to his left hand with my legs around his waist while Stella is holding down his right. Stella's tail is entangled around Azir's legs. Talia is sitting on top of him to keep him from getting up.

  Then Valeria bulldozes into Talia. color: “Don't rape my brother! Not allowed! T... Too young!”

  Wait? Does that mean she is fine with it once we are older?

  14. ~Bad Omen.~

  “The Gejene's power of transmutation is one of the most versatile ones. It's said that their influence is based solely on their ability to transmute worthless materials into valuable ones. But their ability goes actually a step further. The talented individuals of this clan are actually able to transmute their bodies. Imagine someone being able to transmute their skin and clothing into steel. Or changing into a liquid form to negate physical attacks. Depending on its use, this ability can change the nature of a magical fight.”

  -Sam Eddins, Librarian

  Free City States of Nict, Nict

  Azir

  “Karsen. I swear it. Those girls are confused in their heads!” I complain while I study an interesting book about alchemy. We are in our classroom and enjoy some free time from the lessons. We have just a few weeks left before we can choose our next path of education.

  And then I'll finally get access to this rumoured library!

  “Are you talking about Olivia or Annice?” He asks, looking bored while doing his homework. “And are they the reason why you are hiding under the table.”

  I am helping Karsen by telling him the answers once he gets stuck. “They don't know when to give up. And I am not hiding! I am avoiding contact with the enemy! That's something else. If you know that a fight doesn't benefit you, you avoid it!”

  Karsen sighs. “Just beat Olivia down like you always do. It's not like she can offer a real challenge to you. As for Annice... no, you are actually right to hide from Annice.”

  I turn the page. “But Olivia is like a fucking tumbler! No matter what I do to her, she always gets up and tries again. Yesterday I broke both her legs and left her lying in the hallway! I thought that had finally done the trick. But today I saw her searching for me in the canteen!”

  He clears his throat. “Breaking her legs sounds a little extreme, but now that you mention it, I heard that one of Olivia's friends is an Eddin. They can fix someone up in record time with their healing magic.”

  That's cheating! What point is there in hurting her if she has her personal healer? “She used deadly force against me. Didn't you see the holes in the walls on our corridor? Those were made by her fists! If she hits my head like that it will simply go *pop*!”

  Karsen drums with his fingers onto the table. “Then how about trying another route? Freak her out by doing something totally unexpected!”

  That might even work. I frown. “Like?”

  “Kiss her! I promise, she won't come within ten metres of you again.” Karsen looks under the table and grins.

  “Idiot! Annice's advances are bad enough!” That's an absolute no go.

  “Haah. I wonder what you'll do at the party then.” Karsen returns to doing his homework. I hear the scribbling sounds of his pen above me.

  “Which party?” Party? I don't remember anyone inviting me to a party.

  The scribbling sounds stop and Karsen's face appears again. “Don't tell me that you don't know.”

  I hit his leg. “Tell me!”

  “The party at the end of the year? Our graduation ceremony? The dance all males on this academy fear!? The day when the hunt starts?” Karsen looks at me with an open mouth.

  I just look at him, understanding nothing at all.

  He sighs. “You see. There is a dancing party afterwards. And who dances with whom? Boys with girls. And who is in the minority on this academy? You get it now?”

  I slowly close my book. “You want to say that Annice will become even more annoying?”

  Karsen snickers. “Not only Annice! All of them! Which girl doesn't want to dance at least once before the real university life starts? And they'll try to bond with you for other reasons. That means unless you find a shield until then...”

  What's a shield? “Shield?”

  He sits up straight again. “Take me and Talia for example. I promised to spend the entire evening with her. So she'll naturally repel all the annoying bugs who'll surely try to sting me.”

  The gears in my head start turning. “That's fine. I'll hide behind Stella.”

  Karsen snorts. “Don't do that to Stella! The girls at the school are already eyeing her with ill intent because she is close to you! And she has no backup from one of the big clans! They'll tear her apart.”

  I purse my lips. “Then Louise?”

  “You could try to ask her.” The scribbling starts again.

  Free City States of Nict, Tri

  Annice

  “~Hmhmhm.~” I step into the classroom. “Hi, Karsen! Have you seen my destined one?” He should be here according to my informants.

  Karsen shakes his head. “He just left. I think he has a special sense to detect your approach. It's actually becoming a little freaky. Ten seconds before you appear, he jumps up like something bit him and then he teleports away without a word.”

  “Tch! I am starting to believe so myself.” I look around, but there seems to be nobody else in the classroom.

  “Why are you so focused on him? Aren't your families enemies?” Karsen looks up from his work.

  “That's because we are bonded by fate! It was when we first met that I simply knew that he is the one!” I form a fist in front of me to emphasize my point. “And I didn't find a better guy up until now. So there is no reason to change my target.”

  “That doesn't sound like love.” Karsen states with an emotionless voice.

  I make a dismissive gesture. “Who cares about love. It's destiny! That's wrong by the way. The Treburü attacked our southern border in the year seven hundred and forty three.” I point at the page he is writing.

  “Oh? Thanks. I don't understand why we have to know about all these attacks on our borders. There is no point in it. And why are these small countries even trying?” He corrects his mistake.

  I frown. “It's to show us that reasoning with them isn't possible. That's why we have to learn the whole history. And they are attacking us frequently because every warlord who gains control over three or four small nations tries his luck with Nict once he becomes cocky. Then he dies and the next one takes his place.”

  It's a never ending story of rising to might and experiencing their downfall. “I'll go then. The day is still young and I have some time left to search for Azir.”

  15. ~Party.~

  “I, Saudon, conquered my home c
ountry Fenes with ease. Then I attacked our neighbours. All of them had to bow their heads to me in time. The steps of my armies shake the ground and all I see from one horizon to another belongs to me. My fame will be eternal!

  So I march my armies against the only enemy left. The mysterious country of Nict. It's said to be rich in treasures and people. So we travel through its lands, but there is no resistance. The few small villages we find are abandoned and void of people.

  Finally we arrive at the city Tetra. It is he first stepping stone to me becoming a legend. The walls of the city are high and strong. But my army of a hundred thousand will take it. We ground the walls of similar cities to dust.

  Now they are opening their gates. It seems like they realized that nothing can stop my advance. But I can't let them capitulate. I need a glorious battle to increase my fame.

  My advisers tell me that an army is leaving from the gates. Seems like those fools intend to attack us. Even better. Just as I wanted them to.”

  -Saudon, The King of All

  There is no end to their numbers. They keep pouring out of the city like ants from their hill. A city of that size can't hold an army that big! This is sorcery!

  My army was crushed by their spells and for everyone we killed ten others took their place!

  They won't let us retreat. The bridges were destroyed behind us and we are caught.

  This will be our last battle.

  -Captured document from a southern warlord.

  Free City States of Nict, Capital

  Azir

  It's done. My time as a normal schoolboy is over. Our group is standing in front of the big ballroom in which the farewell party is being held. In the end I didn't dare to ask any of the girls to play my shield. Annice and Olivia are out of the question for obvious reasons.

  Karsen was right that it would be unfair to Stella if I asked her, so I didn't involve her. And I didn't ask Louise because she could've misunderstood my intentions. All of them are my friends, but I am not stupid enough to underestimate the power of hormones. And we are turning into adults after all.

  I'll simply have to survive this evening somehow. It's just one party for god's sake. I survived the last ten years! From now on it can only get better! Student life, here I come! No more having to listen to the stupid preaching of our teachers.

  All my time in the ice didn't prepare me for the hell I was going through these past ten years. “It's over...” It's finally over. Can anyone imagine what it does to a sane adult mind if you have to listen all day long to stuff you already know? And you aren't allowed to talk back or correct the idiot at the chalk board? It's torture I tell you! “It's over...”

  Suddenly Stella wipes my face with a handkerchief. “You don't have to cry Azir! We'll always stay together. Entering the university doesn't mean that we can't see each other any more!”

  “Yes! No reason to have an emotional breakdown! Our friendship can't be broken that easily.” Karsen pats onto my shoulder while Talia nods beside him.

  Louise gives me a thumb up. “We'll still have some classes together. This isn't the end of the world.”

  NOOO! YOU ALL MISUNDERSTOOD ME!

  Whatever. “Let's do this.” We walk together into the ballroom where the other students are already celebrating.

  Upon entering the room, Louise grabs my hand and pulls me onto the dance floor. “I'll take the honour of the first dance!”

  I manage a wry smile while I look around at the glaring eyes on me. It feels like I just stepped into the den of a group of predators and I am the prey! Louise hugs me and we start dancing to the music. I simply close my eyes and let her take the lead. That way I don't have to look at the glaring eyes around me.

  We spend half an hour on the dance floor. When we step down Louise presses my hand into the waiting hands of a girl I never saw before. “That's Amy. She helped me with something and asked me if I could introduce you two in return. Please dance with her at least once.”

  “What?” My eyes wander back and forth between Louise and Amy. “Did I just get sold?”

  Louise snickers and pushes me onto the dance floor while Amy pulls from the other side. “See it as apology for what you did to me in our first year!”

  I try to resist, but Amy is really strong. No chance without using force! “That was ten years ago!”

  Louise shows me her tongue. “Nine years, three hundred and forty seven days and thirteen hours ago. It lasted for thirty seven minutes and I hung on the statue for two hours and eight minutes. I'll remember it all my life.” She waves with her hand. “~Perfect memories are a bitch.~”

  Damn! I turn around and force a smile onto my face while looking at Amy. No choice. I told myself at the beginning that I'll simply have to endure it.

  ★

  My feet feel sore. After Amy was Annice, after that came Clarissa, then it was Curlyhair, Bigboobs, SmallCutie, Musclemonster, Beautydot, Flatchest, Lustyeyes and whatnot else. I don't care about their names.

  At last I managed to sneak away thanks to the appearance of my little sister. After she danced with me for half an hour I managed to persuade her to distract the waiting crowd.

  Right now I am hiding on a balcony with a set of potted plants. They block the view from inside the building.

  “You had a hard time?”

  I wince and turn to find Stella at the door of the balcony. “Don't sneak up on me like that! I already intended to jump in order to get away.”

  “Hahahaha. Don't do that. It's the second floor.” She sits down beside me and hands me a plate with food. “I thought you might be hungry.”

  “Oh, thanks! You are the best of all of them.” I take the food and start eating. Honestly, she is the only one who brought me food. I take a big bite from the pancake roll she brought me.

  “R... really? Thanks.” She starts to fumble with her fingers. “I don't want to sound like them you know? And my standing doesn't really allow it. But could we dance too?”

  Ehm. “I don't get what you mean by standing, but sure? How about going up onto the roof. There should be enough place there and nobody can disturb us.”

  “Really?” Stella grabs my hand, runes glow up all over her body. I feel myself becoming light. Then she jumps!

  “Wawawait! We could've used the stairs!” I activate levitation magic to soften our landing and we both touch the ground smoothly. I almost lost the precious food.

  “Too dangerous. They've put up their watchdogs at all exits.” Stella shakes her head.

  “W... watchdogs?” I stutter while I am eating the rest of the pancake.

  “The other girls. They are obviously searching for you.” Stella takes my hands and we start dancing to the dulled music, which can be heard from the ballroom. “Thanks for the good time. The years with you guys were great.”

  “Was it that good?” I guess for her it was just a normal school life?

  “It was infinitely better to what it could have been. You were the only one who treated me like a human.” She hugs me tighter and I feel her blossoming chest on me. Aaah... thanks for the treat. No! We are still youths. What am I thinking?

  I try to reassure her. “It wasn't a big deal. Didn't you become good friends with Talia, Louise and Karsen?”

  “But you kind of forced them to talk to me. You were the deciding factor. Misuse of authority, you called it?” She starts to giggle. “If you weren't there I would've had to sit in that class and endure their pranks for ten years. I would've had nobody to talk to except my parents in the evening.”

  “I feel a little bad if you put it like that.” I take a look at her strange hair. After all my time in this world I really didn't find a single other person with two hair colours. “Now that you mention them, I really don't know anything about you after all this time. I haven't seen your parents even once. You never talk about your home at school.”

  Stella buries her face in my chest. “Ah, that's no wonder. There is nothing much to talk about. My father is a merchant a
nd he is never at home. Only for short visits. My mother is a housewife and one of those commoners who worship magicians like gods. I've no siblings, so I will be glad if she doesn't kneel to me once I get home from school.”

  I force a smile onto my face. “Is it really that bad? I admit that I am a sheltered person who didn't concern himself much with the ways of the world.”

  Stella sighs. “They live good lives, but they still looked at me like I wasn't their daughter when my magic was revealed.”

  “Then how about visiting them with our friends and showing them that magicians are no different from other humans!” I announce.

  “Haah... no. That won't be necessary.” Stella shakes her head vehemently.

  “No? Are you sure?” I am a little disappointed. “You don't like it?”

  Stella nods. “I just want to spare them the awkward situation.”

  I look down into her eyes. “So you like them.” Her eyes are of a dark brown in their centre with a ring of gold around the iris. Somehow they are fascinating. I didn't look at them from so close before.

  Maybe I shouldn't? But I want to. Just one innocent kiss. My head lowers itself like in a trance and our lips touch.

  Stella reaches up and holds my head between her hands while we kiss. Suddenly I feel something parting my lips! What!? What is going on?

  I try to pull back, but Stella's tongue is inside my mouth and somehow I don't want to stop this? Was her tongue always that long? We are still dancing and distracted by this sudden attack I trip over her feet and we both fall to the ground.

  “MmmmMM!?”

  This was supposed to be an innocent kiss! Why is her tongue in my mouth and dancing Razzle-dazzle!?

  Finally I manage to free myself and gasp for air while rolling away from her. Is that really Stella? Did I get deceived by some kind of illusion magic!?

  I cover my mouth and turn around to face her. She is just sitting there and grinning at me with slightly flushed cheeks. Her tail waves, pleased, left and right. “That was pure ecstasy!”