However, it wasn’t nearly as much news as when members of the Lanfear Pride got into trouble.
Personally, I felt the other Prides simply had a grudge to bear against the Lanfears. After all, when it came to Fragments, the pieces possessed by the Lanfear Pride were by far the coolest, yet hardly the most dangerous of them all.
Chapter 4.
(Caelum)
It wasn’t the most auspicious start to my Academy life.
It wasn’t the best of weeks either.
First Semester, Week One.
Let me describe it.
After class, I would travel with Caprice to the training center where both our performance and that of our Fragments was studied and measured by Lanfear Pride’s researchers.
Locations in Pharos were identified as follows: by Island, by habitat, then by district.
Galatea Academy resided in Island Three, Habitat One, District Four.
The training center where Caprice and I worked out at was located in Island Three, Habitat Two, District Two, which happened to be an entertainment district.
I say ‘entertainment’ not ‘red-light’ district.
The region was full of clubs, gaming centers, drinking establishments, and VR houses providing a plethora of virtual experiences.
The training center was situated underground, beneath a nightclub that hosted a healthy patronage even on school nights.
To arrive at the club, Caprice and I travelled by mag-lev. Not only could the trains travel at high speed through tunnels connecting the habitats, but they were pressurized and designed to travel between the Islands. In other words, they could handle the extreme vacuum of space. Running on flexible mag-lev rails, the trains were like rocket powered caterpillars running along vines between trees. They would exit one asteroid island, run along the mag-lev track and then enter a second asteroid island.
Even if they were pressurized, there was always the uncomfortable sensation in a person’s ears upon exit and entry of an Island.
It was only a little less bothersome when exiting and entering a habitat.
Caprice and I would enter the club through a side alley. A big, metal door resembling a fire escape exit intersected the permacrete wall of the club building. But it wasn’t a fire escape and the only way to open it was press one’s palm against the metal.
A smart door.
Very smart, indeed.
After recognizing either myself or Caprice, the ‘smart’ door would unlock for us.
From there we walked down a stairwell to the underground levels. The doors that greeted us at each level were dumb doors and were kept unlocked. Even if they were locked, Caprice and I had a key for them.
The training center was much like a gymnasium or fitness center, except built under a nightclub. However, this ‘fitness center’ came complete with medical scanning equipment and our very own researcher. I felt like a lab rat whenever I came here, which was to say almost every day for the past seven months since my Awakening.
For two hours we would perform physical training, then spend a good thirty minutes sparring with each other. Most days we trained without the use of Fragments. Most days, Caprice received training from a personal instructor or a holovid program who put her through a regimen of either capoeira or Jun Fan kickboxing. This suited her Fragment, the Valkyrie Legs, quite well. I had tried to follow along with her during these sessions, but found myself many, many months behind her. As a result, I didn’t get nearly as much benefit out of them as she did.
To me, it felt like there wasn’t a fighting style suited for using a shield-blade like my Gauntlet. I had the suspicion I would have to develop my own fighting style; a style that wasn’t found in the books. But was I good enough to do that?
The last fifteen to twenty minutes of our sessions were spent having a researcher or medical technician scan our bodies and analyze the results before allowing us to venture back into the outside world.
I felt our researcher had an appearance at odds with the image presented by the other Lanfear researchers I had encountered. Sure, he wore a white lab coat with the freshness of having been dry-cleaned every day, but everything else about him contrasted sharply with that coat.
Allow me to explain.
After I was ‘diagnosed’ as a Familiar, Arisa arranged new accommodations for me. I was allocated an apartment in the same complex Caprice lived in. In fact, Arisa made sure our apartments were next door to each other. A short while after I moved in, Caprice began making it a habit to watch old ‘movies’ at my place rather than hers. These were recordings made pre-Cataclysm.
At this point I will state for the record that at no point in time did I ‘invite’ her into my apartment. She had key to my apartment given to her by Arisa, courtesy of building management. As such, I was helpless to stop her.
One such recording I was forced to watch was a fictitious account of a Terran vampire by the name of Count Dracula who went to a land known as England in search of a worthy mate.
The point I’m trying to make is that the actor who portrayed the Count bore an uncanny resemblance to our resident researcher, from the long straight hair down to the round glasses he wore. I had a sneaky suspicion he had modeled his look after that actor from a bygone era.
As a side note, I should point out that Caprice’s fascination with vampires and vampire movies was one of the reasons I picked up on Simone’s name – Alucard spells Dracula in reverse.
Dr. Van Deeman – whom I ‘affectionately’ called Van Demon behind his back – supervised our training regimen. By this I refer to the physical training, not the combat training. Whatever insights he gained into us Familiars he kept to himself. I wasn’t privy to the data, except when he chose to comment on our development.
That’s the part that worried me.
Our ‘development’, as he put it.
To me it felt like a word with hidden connotations whenever he used it within the context of Familiars.
However, every night he would nod approvingly and successfully sidestep most of my questions.
Caprice rarely spoke to him. It seemed she’d given up trying to get a straight answer from Van Demon. Instead, she would confront Arisa whenever she needed an answer.
Speaking of Arisa, I hadn’t seen her in weeks. She attended the university in Island Three, Habitat One, and was majoring in business. Needless to say, her absence troubled me a little, but I did my best to shelve away my concern.
I had enough problems to deal with.
Let me turn back the clock a few days….
#
(Caelum)
Lunch break.
First week, day two – Tuesday.
I sat across from Caprice at a table in the cafeteria on the second level.
First level was allocated to the first year high schoolers.
Second level to the second year students.
Third level to the white uniformed seniors.
The good thing was the table was beside the panoramic windows overlooking the sporting fields of Galatea Academy. I was munching on fries while admiring the girls from the Track-and-Field team running laps during the break.
I found their dedication admirable.
Their skin glistening with sweat.
Their running clothes moist and clinging tightly to their young nubile bodies.
Their firm, bouncing breasts held securely by the latest in sports bra design.
I reached out for my drink and found it missing.
Unable to tear my gaze away from the sight of so many well developed female bodies, my right hand was forced to fend for itself, searching about blindly for the drink cup.
Then a sharp pain stabbed it.
“What the—?”
I cradled my hand with my left, studying the puncture wounds that were quickly healing. I looked sharply at Caprice.
The fork in her hand was tipped in red.
“What was that for?” I asked in astonishment.
“Your hand wa
s wandering over my tray,” she replied flatly while wiping the fork clean.
“Oh…I’m sorry.”
Spotting my drink cup I reached for it and took a long sip through the straw. I dare anyone to allege real men don’t drink through a straw. Anyway, I turned back to the view out the window. “I’m surprised they’re training so early into the year. School started only yesterday.”
Caprice didn’t bother looking up from her tray. “Most of them would have been first years that are now on the team as second years. Galatea has won the Pharos Inter-Island Championship four years running. They’re favorites to win this year too.”
“You ever compete?”
“That’s a stupid question. The sports teams are dominated by Aventis. The Regulars play too, but when it comes to competition time there is simply no place for them. All they can do is cheer and keep the benches warm.”
She sounded bitter.
I knew what she meant.
A Regular human teenager possessed far less than half the physical prowess of a teenage Aventis. There was no point in competing against one. As a result, the Regulars that joined sporting clubs did so without any intention of competing in the various championships. They played sports for the fun of it, and more often than not teamed up with other Regular humans. You could say there was no fun playing against a ‘superior’ species and getting your ass handed to you in a ‘friendly’ match.
Everyone had a place in society as governed by the Prides. For Regulars, that place was one long step below the Aventis.
For Familiars like Caprice and I, our place was somewhere in between the two benchmarks.
When compared to a Regular teenage male of my height and body build, I was clearly stronger and faster by more than half – perhaps as much as three quarters. This was courtesy of the changes my body had undergone at a genetic level.
But in comparison to an Aventis of near age, height and weight, Dr. Van Demon was prone to point out I fell well shy of what the weakest male in that category could achieve.
In other words, I was stronger than a Regular, but weaker than an Aventis.
Looking at Caprice, a girl with exceptional stamina, strength and co-ordination, I wondered how she would fair against someone like Haruka whom I knew was a complete klutz. At least, that was before she joined a Pride and left the lowly ranks of being a Regular.
I had no idea if her co-ordination had improved.
Thinking of Haruka made me sigh inwardly.
I had no idea how I was going to deal with her, and my lack of a plan was killing me slowly.
Suppressing a second sigh, I rephrased my question. “Sorry, I meant to ask, did you ever hope to compete?”
“Yes. Even after I became a Familiar, I still had hopes of competing.” She shook her head slowly. “Then I learnt about Fragments and Artifacts and what we could do with them. Arisa hijacked my school life.”
I glanced around. I didn’t feel comfortable talking of Fragments and Artifacts with so many Aventis around.
I sipped the remainder of my drink through the straw, then placed the empty cup on my tray.
I’d eaten very little of my food.
I just wasn’t hungry.
You could say I had too much food for thought.
No, that analogy didn’t sound right.
I looked out the window again but a few moments later I saw the reflection of someone step up to our table. Turning to face them, I saw it was a slender girl with long brown hair. She wore the white uniform of a third year senior, and she looked familiar.
Caprice was staring at her like a wolf eyeing a tiger.
I asked the girl, “Is something the matter?”
“Caelum Desanto?” she asked.
I nodded politely. “What can I do for you?”
“I have a message for you.”
“From whom?”
“Would you please stand for me?” she asked.
“Huh? Ah…sure.”
I ignored the sight of Caprice narrowing her eyes. Pushing back my chair, I stood up smoothly beside the table. I noticed I was a few inches taller than the girl.
The girl took a couple of steps back and indicated where I should stand.
Frowning a little, I stepped up to her as requested. “You said you had a message?”
She nodded.
Whap!
There’s really no other way to describe the sound of her palm striking my face.
Of course, being an Aventis she hit me with enough force to knock me off my feet. I thought my neck would snap from the blow. However, my head managed to stay on.
Rising to one knee I stared up at the girl in abject shock. My ears rang a little and my face burned.
“What was that for?” I cried out, rubbing my cheek and jaw with a hand.
“That was the message,” the girl replied.
My hand stopped moving. “Huh?”
“I have delivered the Princess’s message.”
She bowed politely, spun on her heels and quickly walked away. She cast a few glances at me over her shoulder, probably worried I’d chase after her. However, I was too busy kneeling on the floor to make any attempt to pursue her.
I stood up slowly and followed the girl’s progress with my eyes. She climbed up to the third level and sat down at a table with three other girls in white uniforms. Their table was next to the balcony so they had a clear view of me, and I of them.
I sat back down on the chair I’d vacated.
Caprice studied me for a moment. “I have some analgesic cream in my apartment that might help. I’ll loan it to you.”
I pressed a palm to my ginger face. “Ah, thanks….”
“On second thought, I’ll just give it to you.”
I gave her a surly look.
Her voice was as flat as her expression. “There are four of them in total.”
“Huh?”
Caprice inhaled deeply. “I said, there are four in the group. That was number one.”
“Number one what?”
She held up four fingers for me to see. “Message number one. I’m sure messages two, three and four will follow.” She patted her cheeks. “That’s why I’ll just give you the cream.”
I glared at her. “Don’t bother. I’ll buy my own on the way home.” I turned away and looked out the window. “Besides…it doesn’t really hurt that much.”
I wondered how hard the other girls were going to hit me.
So far I was getting the message loud and clear.
I needed to atone for offending Prissila Ventiss, the Princess of the Third Year student body.
Then Caprice said something that actually sent a chill down my spine.
“Getting hit by Aventis girls is one thing, but getting struck by Aventis males is another.” She was studying me carefully. “You should prepare yourself for that eventuality.”
“What do you mean?”
Caprice sighed. It sounded as flat as her tone. “The Princess has many ardent male followers. Your antics are sure to have offended them as well.”
She dabbed at her lips with a paper napkin.
“However, you won’t be able to rely on your Fragment when the time comes.”
There was nothing I could say to that.
I knew exactly what she meant.
Use of Fragments without express authority from the Pride was prohibited. The situation would have to be dire in order for a Familiar to call upon their Fragment. Using them against high school students was a no-no. I was going to have to rely on my training if Prissila’s followers decided to express their grievances with their fists.
“I’m in trouble,” I muttered.
Caprice nodded. “When the time comes, give me a call.”
“Huh? Why? This is my problem.”
Her face betrayed no emotion. “It’s my problem too.”
I shook my head at her. “I reap what I sow, remember?”
This time her gaze hardened. “You’re my partner. We face our problems
together.”
My mouth fell open. A heartbeat later I closed it quickly. A sense of shame welled up inside me. “Sorry.”
Caprice shrugged faintly.
The need to change the subject was overwhelming. “Caprice, what are your thoughts on the matter regarding Cee Cee?”
“Cee Cee? Oh, you mean them.” She put her utensils down. “I agree with the Countess. It’s disappointing to think Familiars are working with them.”
I frowned. “Who’s the Countess?”
“Simone,” Caprice explained. She sipped her diet soda.
I had no idea why she drank the stuff. Considering the after school training we were subjected to, it was unlikely she was going to gain weight from drinking a regular soda.
I glanced away for a moment.
Come to think of it, I’d never seen a fat or overweight Aventis.
I glanced around the cafeteria, looking for a heavyset student and not finding one.
Caprice’s voice garnered my attention. “I don’t relish the prospect of having to face Familiars in battle again.”
I planted my chin on a palm. “I guess knowing that Familiars are working for the enemy doesn’t help our case very much. The Primogens and the Prides are just going to trust us even less.”
“True.”
I looked out the window. “I wonder what other Fragment Cee Cee has in its possession?”
“I’d like to say it’s not for us to worry over,” she said softly, sipping the last of her soda and then placing the cup on her tray. “But I fear we’ll be the ones on the receiving end of those Fragments.”
I harrumphed under my breath. “You’re probably right.” I glanced at her. “Have you spoken to Arisa?”
“No.”
“I get the feeling she’s avoiding us….”
“Arisa has her own troubles to attend to.”
That may be, but I was starting to feel she’d cut us high and dry. In fact, I felt like she’d dropped us into the hands of the Student Council.
Into the hands of Simone Alucard Raynar.
The lunch bell sounded.
Time for afternoon classes to resume.
I caught a glimpse of Haruka leaving the cafeteria second floor in the company of two girlfriends.
I pushed past the empty feeling in my chest.
Pride X Familiar ReVamp (Pride X ReVamp Book 1) Page 10