Alkalians

by Caleb S. Bugai

  “Because, I didn’t think it was such a big deal, and I was keeping Or, er, Prof. Serpanz waiting! I figured I would tell you guys later.”

  “Pff, well, it was a big deal for me! How could you, keeping Matt in the dark like that. He should have known what he is a long time ago, from the moment he could first morph! Plus, that means we wasted a trip to the library.”

  As Sean calms down with a pout and sits back in his seat at the kitchen counter, Matt says, “Uh, that’s not all. While we were training, Dante Goros showed up and challenged me to a duel. And, well, I beat him.”

  “You did!? Wow, well done, Matt! Was it a close match?”

  “Hah, far from it! Matt literally impaled him and sent him crawling to the infirmary, with him spitting up his own blood! Heh heh, serves him right, I’d say, thinking he’s so cool and perfect.”

  Rather than giving Sean another dirty look, Rose becomes concerned and asks Matt, “You mean you actually injured him? Will he be all right?”

  “Oh, uh, yeah, I guess. He was able to walk himself, rather than crawl as Sean put it, back to the college. He said something about a good night’s rest was all he needed.”

  “Ah, that’s good.” Looking back to Sean, she asks, “So, is Dante a boss student?”

  “Hmm, a good guess, Rose, but not exactly. He’s got a small group of guys loyal to them, but he’s not as, oh, motivated as the other boss students. He’s more laissez faire.”

  Matt tries to repeat the words. “Lay, lay what?”

  “It means he’s lazy, nonchalant, unmotivated. He’s not into the whole deal of trying to ‘rule the school.’ ”

  “Is that so?” Rose asks. “Well, then, just who are the boss students?”

  “Ah, yes, now I can tell you! Where to begin? Okay, from what I’ve noticed already, and remember from last year, there are a total of five boss students at the college this year. Probably the most popular, and notorious, of them is Cain Incarein. He’s rich, spoiled, and cruel. He’s so bad-natured and hot-tempered, even other seniors, as well as the other boss students, stay out of his way. So, if you see this guy, with brown, gelled hair, a nice, expensive green suit, and evil green eyes, either be as unnoticeable as possible or get as far away from him as you can. Oh, and you’ll want to watch out for his goons. The most of them act as volunteer officers for the college, which gives him all the more power over the student community.”

  “Wait, you mean he can use the school officials to bully other students around? That’s awful! Wouldn’t the college’s administration do something about that?”

  “Eh, well, believe me, they wish they would. However, the student community is so affected by his influence that they don’t fess up to the scandals he and his cronies commit, nor could anything be proven if someone told on them. Plus, he’s from a noble, wealthy family up in Tirez, so the school staff and actual officers have to be lenient with him. All-in-all, he’s got control of the student community through collaboration and intimidation.”

  “Uh huh. So, I guess we’ll just have to avoid causing trouble with him,” Matt complies. “What about the other boss students?”

  “Well, let’s see. Then there’s Cain’s cousin, James Iroshen, another noble from Tirez. In fact, he’s got a higher place in the family than Cain does. He’s the son of Tirez’s prime minister, and his good looks and charm get him much of the women and school staff’s support.”

  “James Iroshen?” Rose asks. “Blue suit, long purple hair, blue eyes?”

  “Yep, that’s the one! How’d you know?”

  “Because Matt and I have already seen him. He’s in our alchemy class.”

  “Alchemy, huh? …Oh! Yeah, makes sense he would be in that class again. What, with his reputation in the community.”

  “Reputation?”

  “Yeah. See, with his noble background, looks, and charm, he has a way of infatuating the ladies. He could hook up with a girl one day, dump her for another the next day, and then pick her up again the day after! Oh, and you’ll also want to know that he likes going after the, uh…” Sean directly nods at Rose to include her as he says, “Pretty ones.”

  Smirking at his attempt to get on her good side yet, Rose replies, “Of course. In other words, he’s a womanizer, right?”

  “Exactly, so you in particular gotta watch out for him, especially since you both share a class! Anyway, another boss.” Sean thinks a moment. “Ah yes, then there’s Cynthia Volvaron! While James gets all the ladies, she’s a temptress of love for the men. Red hair, red dress, pink eyes, tanned red skin. She’s the living incarnate of a ruby, beautiful and priceless! Oh, and she comes from the same family who owns the famous Volvaron Resort down in Saratu, so that gives her some perks as well.”

  “The Volvaron Resort?” Matt asks. “My parents and I have gone there on vacation a few times. I wonder if I may have seen her there before.”

  “Oh, trust me, Matt, if you’ve seen her, you’ll have not forgotten her! Now, my advice for you about her is to not make the same mistake I did.”

  “Oh, and what would that be, Sean?” Rose asks with a malicious smile on her face.

  Understanding she already had the idea, he sighs before explaining to Matt, “See, when I was here last year, I took one look at her down the hall and nearly flipped head-over-heels, or more correctly, dropped my books and those of every student crowded around me when I bumped into them on my way to the floor. I had been smitten by her dazzling, red-hot beauty. It was love at first sight, a common epidemic around these parts.

  “But anyway, it took me a long time, over the rest of the school year, to gather up the nerve. I had even practiced on other girls, with a good number of them going quite well, before I came up to her and asked her out. She took one look at me, and laughed wickedly, saying there was no way she’d go out with me. I swear, I was laughed right out of the cafeteria by everyone around me. And later that day, after classes, as if adding salt to the wound, the girls of her gang and some rich guys who would want to ask her out surrounded and pounded me into the ground in our morphs. If it hadn’t been clear before, the message had been beaten into my skull. Never ask Cynthia Volvaron out if you’re not good enough for her.”

  Once excited to hear of his failure to ask her out, Rose then feels sorry for him as she says, “Aw, Sean, that’s, that was so wrong of them to do to you. I mean, wasn’t it enough that your heart had been broken?”

  “Pff, nah, for them it wasn’t. See, they didn’t want any other silly, backwater, freshman nobody getting the idea of flirting with a girl like her, especially since she’s also a boss student. So, Matt, take this advice seriously. When you see her, don’t even think of talking to her. She is well beyond mine or your reach. Got it?”

  “Uh, yeah, I’ve got it.”

  “Good, good. Um, who else is there? Ah, yes, speaking of female boss students, there is Lyn Arcterus. If you asked me, or the most of the other students in the community, we’ll tell you that she’s the nicest of the boss students. Rather than picking on the most of us, she and her troop are the ones who usually cause friction with the other boss students and their gangs. Also, she’s impossible to go by unrecognized. She and her girl friends go around in their own, striped uniform suits, but she’s the one in a white suit, with blue hair, and, uh, eerie white eyes. The reason students try to stay out of her way is not just because how unsettling those eyes are, but, since she’s not afraid to cause trouble with the other boss students, they don’t want to get caught in the crossfire, you know what I mean?”

  “Um, yeah, we know what you mean,” agrees Matt while glancing to a nodding Rose. “But wait, did you say her last name is Arcterus? Would she happen to be related to a guy named Fenrir Arcterus, from Tirez?”

  “Hmm. Maybe. Why do you ask?”

  “Well, my father knows this guy, Fenrir, as they are both state rangers who will often pass by each other while scouting the border between Minari and Tirez. So, I can’t help but wonder if me and her already kno
w a little about each other if she happens to be Fenrir’s daughter.”

  “Heh, that would be interesting to know. But, we’ll worry about that later. Another thing Lyn Arcterus is known for is her hot temper, a temper that could match Cain’s, and her distaste of men ever since she got dumped by James, so, I don’t think you’ll want to, oh, walk across that thin ice just yet, you know?”

  “…Right.”

  “Right. And, the last, but not the least, of the boss students is known as Buster Harmada. The reason he’s got such a high standing in the community is not only because of his relation to the Harmada family of Riaquen. It’s also because he can kick just about any student’s butt in battle. Not only does he already have a powerful battle morph to begin with, I believe it’s called a MechWarrior, but he’s also so skilled and versatile with it that very few students here at the college have managed to even match him in combat. Although, he’s also not that bad of a guy to be around. He’s actually a rather jolly fellow, loves to party and goof off, so as long as you don’t give him a reason to fight you, you should be okay with him.”

  “I see,” Rose says. “But he’s a Harmada from Riaquen, right? That would mean he’s related to General Draco Harmada, right?”

  “Ah, yes, that I do know! Yep, the general is his uncle. They’re kinda close back home, or at least that’s what Buster will tell anyone who asks about them. So yeah, the most of the students who are from Riaquen as well are unified under Buster’s command. Seeing as he’s related to one of the strongest Alkalians in Riaquen, maybe even the whole nation, they’re pretty much inclined to obey and respect him.”

  “Hah, yeah, I wouldn’t blame them on that. We are raised that way in Riaquen, after all. Perhaps some time I’ll go meet him and have a nice chat with him, since we’re both from famous families in Riaquen.”

  “Eh, I suppose you could get away with that.” Yawning and stretching his arms as he sits up from his chair, Sean says, “Well, that’s all the sage advice I’ll give you two for now. We can talk more about how the student community works later. If we have the time between all the homework we’ll have, that is. So, I say we clean up and tuck ourselves in early for the night. Tomorrow’s gonna be the real first day of school, where our studies will get serious and the professors will not play nice with us! Therefore, if there is nothing more to say, then I bid you good day!” As he turns and heads for his bedroom, he stops and turns back to correct himself, “Er, night, good night, I mean!” before opening the door and closing it behind him.

  Once Sean is in his room, Matt and Rose look at each other, and he asks, “So, what do you think of all this boss student stuff?”

  “Hah, honestly, I really don’t care whatever role they play in this ‘community’ on campus.” Rose gets up and goes over to the kitchen sink, fetching a glass and filling it with water. “Although, the fact that a Harmada is a student here is interesting. I do mean to go meet him myself, and see just how much Sean was exaggerating about him.”

  As she gulps down the water, Matt chuckles before saying, “Yeah, and I can’t help but want to meet Cynthia and Lyn. Sure, maybe Sean’s got something against them, but I may already have, oh, how do you put it? Connections, with them.”

  “Yeah, you just might. However, let’s just hope you won’t react around some ‘pretty girls’ like Sean must have!” After they both laugh at the thought, and hear a thump from behind Sean’s bedroom door and him shouting, “Hey, that’s not funny!” she then says, “Well, I’ll go use the bathroom first. I’ve gotten so sweaty and stinky in my clothes after Prof. Serpanz’s workout, I’ll want to use the shower tonight.”

  “Alright, then. I’ll just wait in my room until you’re done.” He gets up, nods good-night to her, and heads upstairs to his room while she crosses the living room and enters the bathroom.

  ***

  The next day, school is in full-swing as the morning classes fly by, and Matt soon finds himself in the cafeteria, getting his meal at the buffet in line behind Sean. As he gets himself a bowl of soup, Matt asks Sean, “So, explain this to me again. How is it a good thing that we got detention with Prof. Kaloss?”

  “Hah, it is quite simple, mi pico amigo! You see, we shall have a whole two hours in the professor’s company, alone, working on or studying runes. And he absolutely despises our, well, my company! Therefore, rather than us suffering through the detention, it will be him suffering through the detention! Isn’t that great?”

  “Uh, I guess. And what does ‘mi pico amigo’ mean?”

  “It means, ‘my little friend’! Yeesh, are you sure you were raised in Minari? That’s one of our native languages!”

  “Oh, well, as I’ve said, I live in a remote area, so I guess I didn’t get to learn our ‘native languages’. Anyway, I don’t know if I’m going to enjoy detention as much as you will.”

  “Eh, yeah, I will admit, it’s unfortunate you got dragged into my mess. I probably shouldn’t have left that smoke rune on your desk, just as Kaloss was walking by, and then it went off right under his face. But hey, just be still and quiet, and he’ll probably let you go early. As for me, I can’t wait for what runes he’ll ‘discipline’ me with!”

  “Wait, hold on, you’re actually going to enjoy his punishment?”

  “Oh yeah, you bet I will! I think it’s all hilarious! Sure, for a while last year I did take it as punishment. But then, as I would get it constantly, I just decided to laugh at myself through it. And then, I started laughing at the whole thing! I’ve thought it’s a fun time ever since!”

  As they depart from the buffet and walk through the rest of the cafeteria, Matt only shakes his head and says, “You know, Sean, I’m starting to wonder if you really are crazy.”

  “Hah, are you kidding? Crazy is my middle name!” After Sean laughs at his own remark, he points and says, “Oh hey, there’s Rose, already over at the table from yesterday. I’ve got a good feeling that’s going to be our lunch spot for the whole year! C’mon, Matt, let’s join her.”

  Instead of following Sean in the direction towards their table, Matt has his eyes set on an area to the far corner of the cafeteria, where a group of women in very similar uniforms are sitting, eating and chatting. “Hey, Sean. Would those women over there be part of Lyn Arcterus’ group?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah, that’s them. Why do you…” Then figuring out why Matt is curious about them, he changes tone. “Ah, heh heh, trust me, Matt, let’s not worry about them, and just join Rose for…”

  “No, it’s okay, Sean. I just want to meet Lyn herself. That can’t be bad, right?”

  As Matt heads through the cafeteria, straight for the women, Sean tries grabbing after him, saying, “No, Matt, don’t do it!” but misses him. He sighs before telling himself, “And I’m the crazy one,” and making his way to Rose.

  A moment later, Matt, silent compared to the noises of students eating and conversing loudly around him, is almost to the table of women. While they have varying hair lengths and colors, they all wear the same kind of uniform, gentlemen-like black suits consisting of a top, short-sleeved vest with colored stripes on their sides and matching black pants. Whatever discussion they were having pauses when they notice him warily approach. After an awkward moment of the women eyeing him curiously, and him trying to find words, he gulps and asks, “Um, sorry to interrupt, but, which one of you is Lyn Arcterus?”

  While his nerves tell him they are going to act snobbish and shoo him off, they instead giggle a little as they softly smile at him or each other, and one of them, tall with long brown hair and green stripes along her vest’s sides, stands up from her chair to face him and informs him sweetly, “I’m sorry, but Lyn isn’t here yet. Her last class is on the far side of the building, so it takes a while for her to get here. However, whatever you may be asking for, I can pass it on to her for you.” Extending her hand, she says, “I am Amelia Rotin, Lyn’s second-in-command.”

  Not only surprised by how sincere the women are greeting him, but
also startled to realize, as he directly faces Amelia’s chest before him, that they all do not have any undershirts beneath their vests and he can clearly see her cleavage, he has difficulty responding as he sets his tray aside and takes her hand to shake it. “Uh, I’m, I’m Matt. Matt Calamos.”

  “Oh, so you’re one of the freshmen! Please, you need not be frightened of us. We and Lyn want all students to…”

  “What’s the matter, kid, never seen a pair of hooters before?” The rude interruption by a male voice nearby causes Matt and Amelia’s heads to whip around to its source, where they see a man in a blue suit, wearing dark sunglasses and rough side-burns on his face, strolling up to them, getting in close to Matt to leer down at him. “Sorry, kid, but if ya can’t keep your cool when a good-looking piece of meat’s in front of ya, you’re nowhere near ready enough to be around it.”

  While Matt is speechless, even shaking, from the man’s creepy attitude towards him, Amelia shoves the man back and snaps at him, “Hey, back off, Ryan! We don’t need the likes of you scaring a freshman!”

  “Hey, take it easy, sweet thing! I’m only doing what you lovely lasses do. I’m just trying to show the kid the ropes around here in school. And one of them is…” Turning to Matt, he gets back in his face with a cruel sneer to conclude, “How little boys shouldn’t be caught hanging around with women clearly out of their league.”

  As Matt shrinks away from Ryan’s glare, a hand suddenly grabs Ryan’s shoulder and spins him around for another hand, a fist, to collide with his face, sending him to the table the women are sitting at and causing them and other students observing nearby to jump out of their seats in gasps.

  Before he can lift his face up from the table, his head is pressed down hard against it by another hand, as a new woman, this one in a white uniform with blue stripes on the vest’s sides, growls into his ear in an icy voice, “Last I recall, it’s not a piece of trash’s job to educate the next generation around here. That’s my job. You got that, you disgusting worm!?”