After a second, the hidden stone wall door slid to the left, and the entryway was made clear. Not just anyone could enter the school or for that matter the land of KiGa, they had to be accepted by the universe. She was the one that deemed them worthy of entrance into her land and school, rarely had she turned a child away and that was the case now.
Every one of the children, Sentinel and Vampire alike, passed through the entryway without any hindrances. In KiGa's eyes, all beings were allowed entrance as long as they were individually worthy, and all the creatures of the universe could reside in KiGa without prejudice.
The school and land was breathtaking, lush, and thriving, the school stood at its center. Easily the size of a small town, the school expanded under the entirety of the land, through tunnels and small cave systems, which allowed for safe travel in times of bad weather and danger.
Because there were so many Sentinels, and none would have been turned away if they were worthy of entry, the school and surrounding town, could house all the Sentinels in existence.
Grayson looked around with a huge smile, and turned to the children, Harry, and Yoshihiro.
"Follow us children," Grayson said and turned, leading the way up the long path that lead to the school's front doors.
It didn't take them long, and by then the children that were outside playing and the adults that were with them had taken notice of their large group. Grayson smiled at them and waived, but their reactions were not what he expected.
The closest and by far the largest Sentinel outside glared at them and charged at Grayson who was at the front of the group. Grayson didn't move knowing if he did, he would have full access to the children, Harry, and Yoshihiro. However, the large Sentinel, named Marcos, who had a good four inches on Grayson, did not expect Grayson to react the way he did either.
"Stop, you will not win against me Marcos, I have not come to fight, this is a haven for all Sentinels, and their children, whatever species they may be. Since Harry and I are now responsible for all these children, you would do well to step aside and let us pass. I am not in the mood to deal with much more today," Grayson said, using his Sentinel voice, the same he'd used on Alexi.
Though it would not cause him pain, since Grayson did not wish it so, Marcos recognized the voice of a top level Sentinel. Marcos was a young Sentinel, with a new soul, he was not one that Grayson, Harry, or Jo had created, he was more like Sheila, born of a Sentinel, with a new soul. Marcos was over 567 years old, but he didn't look a day over 25.
He stared at Grayson with wide astonished eyes, then turned to Harry and then focused on Yoshihiro. When he glanced over Yoshihiro and the Vampire children, his frown and anger returned.
"Vampires are not allowed on the school grounds! Leave now before I call for the headmaster, you will have no luck with him like you've had with me," Marcos said; Harry was the one to respond this time, and his anger dripped from every word.
"This school was created for children to learn safely without the worry of a threat, no child should ever be turned away, Vampire or not. I do not care who the headmaster is, if he does not agree, I will remove him, now!" Harry said angrily.
His angel glow had returned and as always, he was breathtaking in his anger, which caused Macros to take a step back when he saw Harry's anger.
"Baltos Homack is the current headmaster; he has been for the last 400 years. He will not be pleased about this; even in your anger, I do not think you strong enough to take him on. He is just too powerful; if these children are indeed in need of a safe place to stay, I will do what I can to help. Please do not anger the headmaster, he will take it out on all of us after you are gone," Macros pleaded.
His tone had changed, and Grayson could tell from reading his emotions that, not only did he mean well, he had been trying to protect the children and them, from the headmaster. Well that would be changing in a second, especially if Harry had anything to do with it. As Grayson expected, Macros' words only angered Harry more.
"You clearly have no idea to whom you are speaking; and who was the idiot that put Baltos Homack in charge of the school? That incompetent moron couldn't tie his shoes properly, let alone run this school efficiently. What happened to headmaster Gulliory?" Harry asked angrily.
Macros looked confused as another booming voice sounded from the front doors of the school, Baltos stood in the doorway, looking murderously at Harry. Grayson wanted to tell him angering Harry at that precise moment was entirely the wrong move, but he decided to let him find out on his own.
This was the Sentinel that had trained at KiGa and had come in at the bottom of every list. He had been a disaster until Grayson had taken him aside and trained him personally. He had needed some patience when being taught and most of the teachers had lost their patience with him a long time before Grayson taught him himself.
"Are you challenging me youngling? It is you, who clearly do not know of whom you speak! You shall lose if you fight me, I was trained by none other than the First himself," Baltos boomed.
Harry glared at Baltos, and Grayson couldn't help himself, he started laughing; it was simply ludicrous that Baltos was using his training him as his ace card. That was so long ago, and he hadn't trained him so that he could use it to better his status. Of course, no one knew what Grayson was thinking, and they all looked at him as if he'd lost his marbles.
"Sorry, it's just ludicrous that you're using the training the First gave you as a way to get yourself some status. I remember when you were just a tiny little thing, and you wanted to be just like your Father. If I remember correctly, he was a one of the better soldiers the First and Second had. Of course the best will still always be Gamma," Grayson said conversationally.
He was starting to get fed up with this; he was tired and wanted to go home. Yet he had to deal with this subpar Sentinel, who should have never been in charge of the school. Yet Baltos glared at Grayson once he'd finished speaking.
"Gamma?! Ha! Gamma was nothing but a waste of space, one of the most useless Sentinels I have ever had the displeasure of meeting! If she were here-" Baltos' disparaging remark was cut off by Grayson's hand, which was wrapped around his throat.
Grayson had run up to him and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up in the air, his humorous expression completely gone. Grayson knew the expression he wore now was one he'd been fighting with all day not to show, but he had reached his limit, and he would not allow anyone to bad mouth Jo.
"I would not advise you to finish that sentence, I will not allow you to speak ill of my third in command Baltos; you would do well to stop speaking altogether. I am ashamed of what you have become Baltos, I did not train you so that you could use it against me in a future incarnation. Shall I test you now to see if you have continued with your training? I can assure you I have," Grayson said in a dangerous voice.
Baltos stared at him with wide scared eyes, he could feel the heat radiating off of Grayson and he knew Grayson spoke the truth. Baltos swallowed with difficulty and began to shake. Grayson looked at him witheringly and released his hold on his throat, dropping him on the ground. He crumpled on the ground, and looked up at Grayson with fear in his eyes, then tried to speak to Grayson but only an incomprehensible gurgle came out. Grayson gave him a scathing look and shook his head.
"There was a time when I felt upset at how you were treated, yet when I show up so many millennia later you are worse than those that mistreated you. You are not worthy to be headmaster of this school. I hereby revoke your position as headmaster, I will appoint one that I feel is not only worthy of the title, but one that has all the qualities that make a good educator and leader. Marcos, come here!" Grayson yelled back at Marcos.
He'd had enough, he knew that dismissing Baltos might have repercussions, including the fact that might very well go to the Void and make him aware of the fact that Harry and he were back. Yet, this sort of behavior was beneath a Sentinel, this bigotry was unacceptable, and it was a quality that no Sentinel could afford to have.
To be a Sentinel was to be fair and just, to weigh all the facts before making a judgment; their job was not to sit on a throne and look down on others because they thought themselves better than everyone. What Baltos had done at the school was wrong, and he wouldn't stand for it, plain and simple.
Marcos stopped short right next to him only a split second after Grayson had called him, looking at him with awe and shock on his face.
"Please get someone to help Mr. Homack pack his things and see that he leaves the school property before I have finished looking for an appropriate replacement for the position of headmaster. And Marcos, I don't plan on taking longer than half an hour to find someone," Grayson said then he turned back to Baltos.
"You might think my punishment harsh Baltos, but it is, by far, the least painful and aggressive punishments I can dole out at the moment. None of us are above anyone else, regardless of the fact that we are Sentinels. Sentinels must remain neutral, open-minded, and fair, you have become corrupt because of your position. I never taught you this, and to see you like this now makes me, more than anything, angry. You shall learn once again what it is to be a Sentinel, even if I have to pound it into you," Grayson said.
Baltos nodded his head but remained silent; he looked lost, angry, and guilty. Grayson sighed and turned as he felt Harry's hand on his arm.
"Gray, where is he going to go if you kick him off the property?"
Harry's voice held a tone of worry, though Grayson knew Harry was not pleased with what Baltos had done at the school; he was still the kindhearted Harry.
"Is this your only residence Baltos?" Grayson asked looking down at Baltos.
Baltos once again nodded but remained silent, then looked down at his lap; Grayson growled in frustration in his head then turned to Marcos.
"Marcos, it has been a while since I was in KiGa, where can Baltos take up residence for the duration of his reeducation?" Grayson asked.
Though he was not trying to, he saw the information in Marcos' head, and knew what the answer was. Originally Grayson and Harry had set up KiGa so that all residence of KiGa were given one home and a plot of land to own, live off of, and manage themselves. This rule had remained intact and all Baltos need do was to apply at the appropriate office. It took only a few days' time to set up and Baltos would have his own home.
Grayson nodded before Marcos was able to tell him this information.
"Thank you Marcos. Baltos, you will apply for a home at the home and land office immediately, until your home is ready, you may remain in one of the unoccupied rooms. I will be back in a few days to check on the progress of your home and training. Marcos please have everyone gather in the assembly room immediately," Grayson said, looking at Marcos.
He nodded and walked into the school, after a second Grayson heard a loud chime, and all the people on the grounds returned to the school building. Grayson turned to the children, Harry, and Yoshihiro and waived them forward.
As they were passing by the still crumpled form of Baltos, Grayson looked down at him and spoke quietly.
"Baltos, you should go up to your room and gather your things, it will not take me long to give my speech. You look fearful of me Baltos, you shouldn't be, had I wanted to give you a harsher punishment I would have already done it," Grayson said, then walked toward the assembly room where everyone was already gathered.
Once everyone was sitting, Marcos stood at the front of the assembly, waiting patiently for Grayson and Harry to approach. When Grayson reached the spot where Marcos stood, Marcos stepped back and allowed Grayson to take the podium and speak.
Grayson did just that, looking around at each face then back at Harry, who sat at the very front, next to Marcos, and smiled at him serenely.
"Hello, I am Grayson Phillips, also known as the First; I have gathered you all here at the moment because I have an announcement to make. I am replacing Baltos Homack as the headmaster; I will be appointing one of the adults in this room unless there is someone you may think is better suited for the position of headmaster. If you have any such suggestions, now would be the time to speak up. Do not worry about what anyone else thinks, at the moment, Harry, the Second, and I are the last word on this, so please feel free to make a suggestion. Does anyone have any suggestions?" Grayson asked looking at every face in the assembly room.
A lone hand rose into the air; it belonged to Felot Guro (a 12-year-old boy who had been one of Grayson and Harry’s top soldiers). Grayson nodded at him and waited for his response.
"I nominate Marcos Nuvall, I believe he would make a good teacher and leader," Felot said.
A murmur spread across the congregation in front of Grayson and most nodded their agreement. Grayson turned to Marcos who had turned red at the attention and waved at him to come over. Marcos turned even more red and stood up shyly, walking over to Grayson and stopping next to him.
Grayson looked at Marcos in the eyes and spoke evenly.
"Marcos, do I have your permission to see into your mind?" Grayson asked him.
Another murmur spread across the group; Grayson could tell they were confused as to why he was asking for permission. Grayson felt a spike of anger at the way Baltos had treated them and taught them that they had no say in who entered their minds. It was an invasion of privacy, and it was not the way things were supposed to be done; that was not the way he had taught his Sentinels to be.
Marcos nodded, giving Grayson permission to delve into his mind once more. With his permission, Grayson accessed Marcos' mind, his life filled Grayson's mind, and he saw the type of person Marcos was. He took after Harry more than most, he was kind and thoughtful, and in most cases, he was quite, reserved, and sometimes shy. However, like Harry, he was quick to his anger, as he'd done before, although his anger had been caused by fear of what Baltos would do to them.
He was fair, and just, he kept an open mind about him, and he was always willing to go the extra mile to get things done the right way. He was an excellent example of what a Sentinel should be. Felot was correct, Marcos would make a great teacher and leader, and Grayson could tell he would make an exceptional protector.
Grayson turned to Harry and let him see what he'd seen in Marcos, and with the slightest nods, Harry agreed with Grayson's decision to appoint Marcos as headmaster. However, to be headmaster of this school came with quite a bit of responsibility, and he needed to agree to the position. It wasn't simply saying he was responsible, Grayson would be connecting him to every single person in the school, and every Sentinel in need of safe haven. Marcos would feel their need, their pain, their everything so that he could get them to safety.
It was not a position that everyone could manage because he was the ultimate protector of those in need; his role was one that was vital to the Sentinels in the land of KiGa, and all other worlds they protected. Though he was not as powerful as Grayson, Harry, or Jo, his position would be no less important. He would have not only the blessing of KiGa, but of Gaia, and all the other gods and goddesses.
To be headmaster of this school meant great responsibility, and great honor; and the ritual performed to appoint the headmaster was a powerful one, blessed by Grayson, Harry, and all the gods and goddesses.
"Marcos, do you accept the position of headmaster and all that comes with it; do not take this question lightly, it is a position of great responsibility and honor, but it is by no means an easy position to fill. If you accept, you will be responsible for all those in need of safe haven, not only education. Do you accept this responsibility?" Grayson asked, as Harry stood up and walked over to where they stood, taking his spot next to Grayson.
Marcos swallowed nervously and looked from Harry to Grayson then to the rest of the assembly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath then opened his eyes, his decision was made; no doubt or nervousness remained in his eyes.
Marcos looked at Grayson in the eyes and nodded once then looked at Harry before he kneeled down on one knee and bowed his head. Without further hesitation, G
rayson and Harry placed their hands on Marcos' head and spoke words they hadn't spoken in over 5000 years.
"KiGa, we call upon you to bless Marcos Nuvall. We appoint him as the headmaster to your school. Protect him and bestow upon him the power he needs to fulfill his duties as a safe haven and protector of this school, this land, and that of all worlds under our protection."
Grayson and Harry created an eerie echo as they spoke the words. The lights in the assembly room flickered, dimmed, then went out completely as Grayson and Harry gathered their own power and chanted old words of summoning.
A small glow shone in the darkness where Marcos, Grayson, and Harry were, growing in intensity. The light manifested physically, tangible and powerful, as it began to throb and spin around them. All three glowed brighter than any of the lights in the school could, then a beam of light shot straight up and down, a beacon for everyone to see. The tangible energy grew exponentially increasing until it became hard for everyone to breath.
Suddenly the power circulating and throbbing in the room seemed to explode outward, and then, faster than before, it was sucked back into Marcos, Grayson, and Harry with twice the force. The power had equally blessed them and bonded them to each other. If Marcos were ever in need of their help in an emergency, he would be able to call on them faster than most other Sentinels would.
Though Grayson and Harry had the ability to see everyone, there was much to watch, and this was a direct link to either of them which would allow Marcos to get their immediate attention. However, KiGa had not only blessed them as protectors, she had blessed them as the First and Second. She was welcoming them back, and it seemed she was happy they had returned.
For a second, after the energy had been absorbed into Marcos, Grayson, and Harry, they glowed brightly, and Harry's angel like qualities shone brighter than they had before. He was more magnificent than ever; Grayson couldn't help but gaze at him and admire, and he wasn't the only one, everyone gasped when they saw Harry's beauty, and how he glowed like a radiant star.
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