All morning the four of them had been sparring on and off, Ellie had introduced it that morning as a team building exercise, but so far all they had done was get pummeled by their mentors. The onslaught had kept going right through Roland’s scheduled lecture time, which had obviously annoyed Roland, but he had given up arguing with Con and Ellie after their first week. Now, he just stood and watched from the literal sideline that Con had drawn on the floor near the back of the warehouse. It was their ‘training circle’ and once you were in, you weren’t allowed to leave until told.
Sky was at his limit, which was amazing considering he thought he would never tire of fighting. Ellie was just too far above his level, it was no wonder she had landed a hit on Con – she was a far superior fighter. In fact, he was pretty certain she could wipe the floor with Con.
“Enough.” Roland announced with an eye on the time, “Wrap it up. You’ve got Fundamentals of Trig coming up.”
“All right.” Ellie looked disappointed and stepped back. “Lesson’s over.”
Sky let out a sigh of relief and dropped to the comfort of the concrete floor. He stretched out on his back, heaving in breaths of stale air. “Thank the Havens.”
“Nice work kids.” Con clapped his hands, “Sky, what did you learn?”
“Never make Ellie mad.”
“This wasn’t a lesson of skill or technique - it was a lesson in observation.” Ellie walked past Sky, glancing down at him only briefly. “Sara, explain to me how Sky fights.”
Sara snapped to attention at the edge of the circle, “Yes, sir. Sky is a sloppy fighter. He rushes in without thinking and relies mainly on his strength and ability to take a hit, but, aside from those faults, he does seem able to think quickly in the midst of battle and he is able to pinpoint an attacker’s weak points and openings. His form is unrefined and off balance, but has promise.”
Con nodded with a smile, “Very good. I would say that is pretty much spot on.” He looked between Ellie and Roland who both nodded in agreement, “And now, Sky.” Con walked over to Sky and extended his hand towards him. “What did you observe about Sara?” He asked as he hoisted Sky to his feet.
“Uhhh.” Sky scratched at the back of his neck, everyone looked at him in a way that told him they didn’t expect him to have an answer. Screw them. “She’s a timid fighter. She overanalyzes everything - she’s so worried about her next move she doesn’t concentrate on the moment. She has strength that she doesn’t use and she has height that she doesn’t take advantage of.” He said, keeping his eyes low and focused on the ground. “But over all, she’s got a solid base of potential.”
“Very good.” Con slapped him on the back. “Now that you know how one another fights, tomorrow you will fight together. Hopefully you can make up one another’s short comings and learn a little something from each other. Understood,” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Good, now go and get ready for class.”
Sara glared at him as he limped from the circle and he realized he hadn’t fully thought through the repercussions of what he had said. He disappeared as quickly as he could inside one of the side rooms they designated as changing areas. A quick spray of the evaporator whisked all the sweat off his body and left him feeling refreshed and a bit more human.
Did I really have to say that about her? He could have just glossed over her shortcomings and emphasized the good stuff, most of which he had forgotten to mention. He pulled the jacket of his uniform back on and picked at the pin on his jacket. He could have said anything. He could have said she was quick for someone so tall, he could have mentioned her sheer brute strength, he could have said anything other than what he did. It was just more fuel for the fire she had against him.
Sky pulled his bag up from the floor and slunk back out to the main room.
“A solid base of potential, huh.” She was waiting near the door and let a calm and creepy smile turn up the corners of her mouth.
He had no choice but to walk towards her since she was blocking the only exit, “I was being honest, not mean, same as you.” But he could have been nicer about it.
“I was being mean.” She shrugged and pushed open the door, letting in the afternoon sun.
“So, you don’t think I’m sloppy?”
“No, you’re a mess, but, you’re a good fighter, you just need to settle down and think things through more.”
He didn’t understand her. Was she being nice to him right now? He couldn’t tell since she wouldn’t look at him, but she was technically talking to him, and no one was making her.
“I’m only saying this since we somehow have to manage to work together and be a team.” She stopped at the door, glancing back at Con and Ellie. They were talking quietly together back over by the desks, looking comfortable together, talking and laughing without any malice between them. “We will be comrades,” She shifted her eyes to him coldly, “but never friends.” She snapped and walked out the door.
He followed her out into the courtyard, but kept his distance as they walked along the path towards the administration building.
“Why do you hate me so much?” He had wanted to ask it since that first day. At first he had thought she was just spiteful to everyone, but that proved to be untrue. She was kind to Al and seemed a little too friendly with Lee, she admired Ellie and showed the respect to both Con and Roland. So what did he ever do to never deserve a chance? But she didn’t answer. She just kept walking.
“Whatever.” He shoved his hands down into his pockets and took off across the grass.
“You can’t go that way, you’ll be late.” She shouted after him.
He ignored her and continued towards the dining hall. Stealing a look back once he was far enough away he could see she had already disappeared, scuttling off to class like a good little girl.
Al should have been on a break, which meant he was either at the library or eating, and judging by the time, the Dining Hall was the better bet.
Sky jumped up the steps and inhaled the hot fumes of convection cooking. He usually ate alone in the courtyard since their lunch periods didn’t line up, but it would be nice to sit down with Al for a bit and catch up. With all the craziness of the first few weeks, they hardly spent any time together, aside from their commute to and from school.
He walked casually down the hall, running a hand along the curved brick wall. He had only been in the building once before and didn’t like it. He didn’t like the crowds, the noise, the heat, and especially not the smell that came along with such a variety of different food. But if Al was in there, he would put up with it all.
Rounding the corner was like a slap in the face as the hallway opened up to an enormous room filled with hundreds of loud, hungry students. He scanned the crowd, looking for that mop of bright yellow hair, but his eyes were instead pulled to a neatly braded mass of red that hovered a good foot above most of the other heads. Lee sat with as much stiffness as when he stood, and next to him was Al. Judging by the way Al’s hands were wildly gesturing through the air, the two of them were engaged in an intense conversation. And it wasn’t just the two of them either. Al had commanded the attention of the whole table. Some of the other students were nodding along with whatever he was saying, while others had looks of astonishment.
A stab of jealously overtook him, and that was soon followed by the twist of sadness. Al was doing just fine on his own. He should be happy for him. Al looked so natural there; finally surrounded by people who were as smart as he was, and who might actually get what he was talking about. But, it hurt just the same.
Sky stepped back out into the hallway, there was no way he could just stroll in there and sit down like he belonged. With one last peak around the corner, he silently hoped that Al had tired of the conversation and was no longer the center of attention…but no, all the kids at the table were roaring with laughter, with one fellow slapping Al on the back.
His shoulders dropped in defeat; maybe he could still sneak into class without being noticed.
>
“What are we looking at?” Con whispered beside him.
Sky jumped and stood up straight, nearly knocking the back of his head into Con’s nose. “Holy moldy, where did you come from?” Sky tried to calm the sudden rush of adrenalin.
Con chuckled and leaned back into the wall. “A little jumpy there, eh kiddo? You really live in your own world, don’t cha.”
Sky tried to laugh it off, “Yeah, sometimes.”
“So…skipping class, hmmm? Don’t worry, I’m not going to rat you out, just don’t make a habit out of it.”
Sky stepped away from the wall, into the center of the hall. “I won’t, I just needed to, I don’t know…”
“No worries, sometimes I think with my stomach too. Come on, I’ll sit with ya.”
“Ah, no, I was just leaving, it seems pretty crowded in there.”
“So what, we’ll make room.” Con pushed him towards the cafeteria. “You can’t let a little crowd scare you. One thing you will never be able to avoid is people.”
Sky reluctantly led the way into the open room, heading for the closest food line. “I don’t know. I’ve done an okay job of avoiding most people my whole life.”
“Ha. The trick is to assimilate and not be noticed, not to avoid.” Con pulled on his sleeve, “Not that line, that food smells like moldy cardboard, this way.”
“I’m not good at blending in.” Even when he tried.
“Well, consider this a lesson.” Con guided him to one of the longer lines. “Being able to adapt to any situation will be crucial when traveling to other Levels. If you’re not good at blending in, then stand out, but stand out in such a way that you command a room, that way no one will mess with you.”
That sounded harder then blending in.
“Geeze, you Regan boy’s sure lack confidence, what’s with that? I mean seriously, there is no good reason either of you shouldn’t have been the most popular kids in your school. You’re smart, good looking, tough, and yet you somehow lack any sort of self worth.”
Sky shrugged, he never thought of it like that, “So, Soul is still real shy then, eh?”
“He was, at first,” Con looked down the long line of students, “but not anymore.” He turned back to Sky, “At Arche – if you don’t value yourself you won’t survive.”
“So, he’s popular?” That was hard to imagine.
“You could say that.” Con shrugged, wobbling his head from side to side. “Popular in the sense that everyone knows his name.”
“What does that mean?” Everyone knew their names at their primary school too, only because it made it easier to pick on them.
“It means he became so good at everything that every student and professor in that place knows to fear and respect him.”
“Fear him?” He couldn’t mask the cynical laugh that followed those words.
Con nodded as they advanced a few steps, “In combat, Soul exceeds us both Ellie and me.”
Sky’s heart sank even lower. “Good to know. If I ever see him again, I’ll be sure not to fight him.”
They had moved maybe five feet, but still seemed miles away from getting anywhere.
“Probably a good idea.” Con laughed. “And it’s not a matter of if you ever see him again, because it’s inevitable, the school isn’t that big.” Con turned just enough to slap him on the back.
“Fine. It’s not a matter of if I see him then; it’s a matter of whether or not he’ll talk to me.” All the talk about Soul and his awesomeness was leaving a sour taste in his mouth.
“I told you, he had his reasons, and they were good reasons too. Sometimes you have to let go of what you know to learn something new. He just needed, you know…space.”
“He can have all the space he wants.” Sky crossed his arms and turned away, looking around the room. He stole a look over to Al and Lee. They hadn’t noticed him at all and had started packing up their stuff to go. It was fine. The truth was, Sky wasn’t part of REALM and in a few months was leaving for Arche anyway. It was better this way. Better to grow apart than just be cut off.
“Allen Kane. Do you know him?” Con had followed his line of sight.
“Yeah. You know him?” Sky didn’t know what to make of the look on Con’s face.
“Not specifically.” He answered absently, casting a suspicious eye over to Lee. “What’s he doing with that Angonian I wonder…?”
“That’s sort of rude, you know.” Sky watched as Lee scanned the room with a military precision. “Lee’s a nice guy, and you can’t just call him an Angonian because he’s like a hundred feet tall and has red hair.”
“Yes I can. He’s the fifth in line for the Brunsalen District throne.” Con’s eyes narrowed. “Why would he be here?”
“Uhhh, to go to school.”
Con just watched quizzically as Al and Lee headed for the door. “Interesting.” Was all he said.
“Ugh, this line is going nowhere. I don’t know if I’m even hungry anymore.”
Con nodded and looked around to the other food stations, “Another good lesson for you is patience.”
Sky groaned and shuffled forward a few more inches.
“So Allen Kane, you’re his friend?”
“What? Yeah, we’ve been friends since we were little. How do you know him?”
“I never said I knew him. I’ve only heard about him. Half Telic’s are rare.” He shrugged, “Wish he would have applied to Arche instead, we would have snatched him up.”
Sky winced as the boy in front of him stepped back onto his foot. The kid didn’t even turn around to apologize. “So, who is on this team of yours that you keep talking about?”
“Only the best. We’re called, The Powers, and are the strongest team in the Choir.”
“So, Soul must be a Power.” Sky said it sarcastically, not expecting Cons boasting smile.
“You catch on quick.” Con let out a deep laugh, “He’s our trump card. We got me for long range fighting, Ellie for close range fighting, our little creeper Seth for strategy and Soul for everything and anything in between.”
Sky stared at Con’s beaming face. “Are you serious?”
“I rarely am, but this time, yes. And we all really want you as one of us - that’s why Ellie and I jumped at the chance to be your mentors after the other two dropped out.”
“What about Axis? I thought I wasn’t really part of the normal system.”
“I’m not really worried about it.” Con smirked oddly, gesturing for him to move up a few more inches. “Axis is a hurdle, one we thought we avoided when Soul turned the position down, but now, with you a part of it, we just have to work around it.”
“I guess I don’t get it.” Sky didn’t know if he was worried or excited or both.
“You don’t need to yet.” He patted him on the head, “All in good time.”
By the time they got to the front of the line the bell had already tolled. Sky had his actual break, but Con had to run off to make his reports to Blanks.
“See you next period.” Sky jumped out of line as well. None of the food looked or smelled appetizing anyway.
“Probably not, I’ve got some other stuff to take care of. But, if you want, come by the warehouse after school today, I’ve got some extra lessons planned.”
“Okay. See you later.” He waved a goodbye as Con disappeared around the corner.
He stood there, alone in the hallway, wondering what it all meant. Soul wants me on his team? That can’t be true. He figured, with his luck, it was probably all a big joke. Well, whether or not that was true, he had no real choice. Just keep your head down and play along. The story of his life.
Chapter Ten
As Sky slunk into sixth period he was ready for an opened eyed nap. The History of Levels class was one of the more interesting ones, but as the biggest lecture he had on his roster, it was a prime candidate for a completely unnoticed zone out.
He located the largest herd of scribblers and settled into a seat just behind them. The s
cribblers never drew attention, they never asked questions and they would be so busy transcribing the lecture to ever notice him.
“Welcome young, eager minds, to the History of Levels.” Professor Finley announced loudly to the class.
Her booming voice jolted him up out of a near slumber. He looked around casually as he tried to remember which class it was again.
A resounding clap from Professor Finley brought the glass board behind her to life. “Now I know that the last few weeks may have been a lot of tedious information that most all of you already knew, but in my defense I was just trying to level the playing field. Information often gets lost in translation, misinterpreted and even exaggerated.”
Professor Finley looked around the large circular room, her owl shaped face was nearly lost in the mass of brown frizz that surrounded her head. “But now that we’re all on the same page, we are about to venture into the heart of the history and I’m certain that I’m bound to say a few things that you’ve never heard before.” Professor Finley gave them a coy smile and gestured to the board behind her. “Let’s start over - from the very beginning. What is a Level?”
All hands in the room went up instantly; she smiled and pushed her glasses up her slender nose. “That was just a rhetorical question, but thank you all for your eagerness.” She laughed as her large eyes widened excitedly behind her glasses. “As you all know, Levels are what we here at REALM call the different ‘dimensions’. There are many reasons for this, but mainly it fits nicely into our anagram, otherwise we might be called READM.”
She seemed pleased at the chuckles she received. “Now, there are three parts to this whole: Realm of the Havens, Realm of the Living and the Snow in between. Let’s pretend, just for now, that this room is everything - it is existence. Now, within existence, there is this.” she took out a loaf of bread and set it on her desk with a thud. “This is the tangible reality that we have labeled the Living Realm. The Living Realm was once as whole as this loaf of bread.”
She slowly brought out a long, serrated knife and held it for the class to see. “Now, what eventually happened - whether in an instant or over millions of years - this whole loaf became sliced. Each slice is a separate reality to our own, each slice is what we have labeled the Levels.”
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