CELESTIA

by Yumoyori Wilson

  "Shut it," Finn replied, walking to his locker that was two down from mine.

  "What class do you have, Finn?" I asked. I didn't need the books that were in my locker since my next class would be training in the fields.

  "Advanced Spellcasting and Design," Finn replied, retrieving a book and closing his locker.

  "Same," Theo announced.

  "I have Field Training. Probably some basic teaching focused on using a specific weapon," Hunter stated.

  "I'm with Hunter," I announced.

  "Alright. What's after this, lunch?" Finn asked.

  "Yup. Are we eating back at the dorm?" I asked.

  "Yep. The twins are awesome cooks. I picked up some groceries this morning before you guys woke up so we have plenty of time to make something," Finn explained.

  "Sounds like a plan. Cafe food is meh here," Hunter revealed.

  "How do you—OW," Theo began, but a vine slapped his head.

  "FINN! I will fucking—" Theo began, but Finn just gave me a quick pat on the head and began walking away.

  "We're gonna be late, Theo," Finn called out, waving his hand.

  "Fucking plant boy!" Theo called out, before following him. He stopped for a moment, turning around. "See you two at lunch!" he called out before sprinting to catch up to Finn.

  I looked at Hunter who had a blank expression on his face.

  "Hunter?" I asked.

  He blinked, meeting my curious gaze.

  "You okay?" I inquired.

  "Yup. Perfectly fine. Let's go. Don't want to be late either. Ms. Arcadia seems like a harsh woman and we don't want to get on her bad side," Hunter suggested. He slipped his hand in mine, pulling me down the hall.

  I grinned at our joined hands. Theo had done the same thing. I didn't get why they were so comfortable with holding my hand, but I didn't mind it. In fact, I loved their touches. It was something I'd never gotten the chance to experience when I was younger.

  I hoped I'd get the opportunity to learn more about Hunter as I did with Theo in the last class.

  Maybe then I'd figure out what's troubling him.

  I can't hit it. Why is the target so far away? When will we use this in real life?" I huffed, lowering my bow.

  Training class with Ms. Arcadia was hardcore. A few students had tried to cause a scene because they were late and bam! Ms. Arcadia snapped her fingers and they turned into a group of cats.

  We'd spent the first two hours after that interruption learning about various weapons and how each weapon could be used to destroy Forsaken. Even a knife could defeat a ten-foot Forsaken if used properly, and it was her duty to teach us how.

  During the last hour of class, we were each assigned a weapon and an area to practice in. Ms. Arcadia had brought Hunter and I over to the side, telling us that we could have leisure time instead. She must have been informed of what had occurred during our exam from Othello. He and the other Council members didn't want to push us until we'd fully recovered, which for some took weeks.

  We reassured her we were fine, but took her advice to go easy for today. Hunter and I were in a secluded section of the training grounds, practicing archery. While Sia excelled at it, it was one of my weak points. Although I had decent aim, my arrows never reached the target.

  "My bow is defective," I declared, glaring at the black contraption.

  Hunter grinned, walking over to take the bow from me. He took a second to analyze it and grabbed an arrow.

  He went into a wide stance, taking only a second to aim before letting it fly. The arrow soared straight into the center of the target.

  "Now that’s just favoritism," I grumbled.

  He laughed. "I was unaware of inanimate objects having favorites," he replied, lowering the bow.

  "I just suck at it," I admitted.

  "Here. Show me what you're doing." Hunter gave me back my bow.

  I went into a stance, lifting the bow and pretending to have an arrow in place to shoot.

  "Your stance isn't wide enough and your back needs to be straight," Hunter critiqued.

  "I'm not going to do the splits in an attempt to shoot an arrow," I replied.

  He rolled his eyes, walking around me as he continued to inspect my posture. "You don't have to do the splits. I didn't need to," Hunter pointed out.

  "You have longer legs than me," I countered.

  "Ms. Arcadia is barely five-feet and she shoots an arrow better than you," Hunter declared.

  "Hmph. She's a teacher."

  "And all I'm hearing from you are excuses," Hunter replied.

  I groaned. "Fine, fine. I'll try again," I grumbled. I lifted the bow back into position.

  "Wait," Hunter walked up behind me; his hands adjusted my arms and slid down to my hips. "Widen your stance."

  "Splits," I replied, trying to ignore the way my heart raced from his electrifying touch.

  He grinned, his body pressing against my back. "I'll catch you if you slip," he whispered into my ear.

  I nodded, trying to focus on the target and not on the way his hot breath brushed my neck, tickling my flesh. "Okay," I replied, my voice sounding husky and out of breath.

  I took a deep breath, turning my attention to the target and readied my bow.

  "Slow your breathing. Focus on the target's center and keep your back straight," Hunter coached.

  I nodded, following his instructions. I pulled back on the arrow, taking a moment to steady it in place against the string before I let go. The arrow soared through the air quickly, reaching the target in seconds. It hit dead center, splitting Hunter's arrow in half. I gawked, staring at it before I squealed.

  "YES! I did it. Hunter! Hunter! Did you see that!" I jumped up and down and turned, moving right into Hunter's personal space. He didn't seem to mind, nodding his head with a wide grin.

  "Yes. I saw you split my arrow, Celestia," he confirmed.

  "I need to do that again. Hunter! Help me again," I asked.

  He nodded with a smirk. "Of course."

  "That was awesome. I can't wait to show Magnor when we get to go back home for break. He'll never hear the end of it from me," I vowed, placing the arrows back in their section of the shed.

  "When we have a break, you'll go back home?" Hunter asked.

  I turned and watched him place the bows away, waiting till he was done so we could both exit the shed. We walked out, closing the wood doors and using the spell Ms. Arcadia showed us to lock it.

  "Most likely. Magnor would be lonely if I didn't come back and bother him. He tries to act like I'm a nuisance, but deep down I know he misses me. Just like I miss him," I confessed.

  After the exam and discussion with Othello, Magnor and I hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk. During the brief moment we’d had together, he had revealed he was glad I was okay and didn't get seriously injured. He was also extremely impressed by my performance and for destroying the Forsakens single-handedly.

  He'd said the other Council members watched the recording and were very impressed. I didn't know what the final outcome of that would be, but Magnor assured me he'd keep me posted.

  "That's nice," Hunter whispered.

  I frowned at his sad tone, glancing over to see his dark orange eyes seeming far away. "Hunter?" I asked.

  He didn't reply, looking deep in thought.

  I slid my hand in his and blocked his path from walking forward.

  He blinked out of his daze, looking down at me. "What's wrong?" he asked.

  "I should be asking you that question," I retorted.

  "Nothing's wrong," he countered.

  I stood my ground, looking into his eyes. "Hunter. When we were talking about the Forsaken, you sounded as if you knew something. And you walk around the school as if you've been here before," I pointed out. I hadn’t wanted to bring it up when I was with the others, but now that we were alone, this seemed like the best opportunity.

  He was silent, looking everywhere other than at my scrutinizing gaze.

  "Hunter," I
used a sterner tone, narrowing my eyes.

  He sighed. "Can we sit down at least?" he asked.

  "Fine," I agreed.

  He brought me to a bench a few feet away from the archery section; the bench faced a small pond. I smiled at the two swans that were gliding across the calm clear water along with a few lilies that floated aimlessly.

  We sat in silence, but my hand lingered in his as we stared at the peaceful scenery. I wouldn't rush him to tell his story. From how tense his body was, I knew whatever had happened had been hard on him and I didn't want to be inconsiderate.

  "My older brother attended Aslan," Hunter began.

  "Is he your only sibling?" I asked softly.

  He nodded, a thoughtful smile formed on his lips. "Our parents graduated from Aslan and work in a different dimension. My brother took care of me until he got accepted at Aslan. He brought me here on multiple occasions and showed me everything, stating I'd one day be a student at Aslan like the rest of our family and at least I'd be a step ahead after being here," Hunter explained. He squeezed my hand, looking up at the sky.

  "He was in his final year and they had an exam in Omako Forest. It wasn't supposed to be difficult, and because he didn't want me home alone that weekend, he used our family connections so I was allowed to watch. I was twelve at the time. It wasn't like our entrance exams where they were competing against one another. It was based on different challenges and obstacles they had to overcome in a certain time limit," Hunter explained.

  "Did something go wrong?" I asked. This already sounded like it had a bad ending.

  "A Forsaken appeared. It was the first time it had ever happened and everyone was shocked. It was the weekend and there weren't any hunters or huntresses on campus. By the time a few Council members had arrived and taken down the Forsaken...it was too late. My brother had fought to survive, but eventually succumbed to his injuries. Even if he did survive, the darkness would have had an effect on him and he would have either gone insane or eventually become a Forsaken himself," Hunter admitted.

  "They don't talk about it because we're students. I wasn't supposed to hear the discussion. My brother had taught me to hide my presence when I was really young and I'd perfected the skill to the point that even my parents couldn't tell when I was hiding nearby. I listened to the entire conversation when they informed my parents of my brother's death. I still don't know if what they said was true. It’s possible they only said it to ease my parent's pain, but there were four other High Council members and they all vouched that my brother would have eventually been taken over by the darkness and would have become a threat to us," Hunter explained.

  "But couldn't they have done something? Like create a spell or serum or anything else? How could they brush off his death like it was nothing?" I argued, feeling furious.

  "Who knows? Since then, there's always at least one council member on campus at all times," Hunter replied.

  "But when we fought the Forsaken, no one came to help us," I pointed out.

  "That’s true. I did sense someone lingering on the sidelines, but that could have been Magnor seeing as he was the first to approach us. Maybe he wanted to show the Council what we were made of? It's the first time any students have been able to beat a Forsaken. And one of Aslan's mottos is that anything can be a test of skill," Hunter justified.

  "Hunter...I'm sorry," I whispered, squeezing his hand still entwined with mine.

  He smiled. "You don't need to be. It's not your fault," he replied.

  "Just because I didn't cause it, doesn't mean I don't feel for you. I'm apologizing because you went through that alone, right?"

  He took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "Ya," he whispered.

  "Then I'm sorry you had to go through that alone. Death...is hard to handle by yourself. I can see why you were angry before," I muttered.

  "I was angry because you could have gotten hurt," he stressed.

  "But, you barely know me, Hunter," I countered.

  "Why should that matter? We're a team, Celestia, and there will be tons of time this year to learn about each other. The others and I are acquaintances, some of us already having strong friendships within our group. You can tell Finn and I are best friends. He was there for me a little after my brother's death and he's always been there for me since. Theo and the twins have known each other for a couple of years and Orion is a recent addition to our group. We still don't fully know one another's pasts, but I wouldn't hesitate to throw my life on the line to protect any one of them. The same goes for you," Hunter declared.

  "You guys are so protective," I mumbled with a smile.

  "Maybe cause you're the only girl in the group. Don't want you breaking a nail or anyth—OW," he began, but I elbowed his side.

  "Oops. Sorry, didn't want to break a nail by poking you. Elbowing seemed like the better option," I replied.

  "Ugh. Females, I swear," Hunter groaned, holding his side.

  "Hunter."

  He stopped groaning, looking up to meet my serious expression.

  "Your brother didn't deserve to die and I hope we can figure out who planted those Forsaken remnants in the Omako Forest or whatever it was they did. Anyway, I believe your brother would be proud of you," I proclaimed.

  He sat up, staring into my eyes. His amber eyes softened; a wide smile formed on his lips. "Thanks, Celestia," he whispered.

  We returned to staring at the pond in a comfortable silence. I was happy he was able to share something as sorrowful as his brother's death. It proved he trusted me and I knew our friendship had blossomed.

  I just hoped I could always be there to help them whenever problems emerged.

  Orion," I called out, noticing a tall male with white hair turn the corner. He stopped, taking a step back and looking over his shoulder. A small smile formed on his lips at seeing me and Hunter.

  "Hey," he greeted when we got closer.

  "I haven't seen you since this morning," I pointed out.

  "I know. Definitely a shame," he replied, pulling me into a hug.

  I blushed, not used to such intimate gestures, but hugged him back.

  "Orion, share," Caio called out.

  I pulled back to see Caio, Cairus, and Theo walking toward us.

  "Lunchtime, Dearest Celestia." Cairus came up to us, patting my head.

  "What are you guys making?" I asked.

  "Pasta," Caio replied, walking over to the other side to ruffle my hair.

  "Ugh, don't do that. It's gonna get all frizzy," I complained.

  "Finn said you didn't like that," Theo reminded.

  "Where is Finn?" Hunter asked.

  We were near our lockers in the middle of a crowded hall, but Finn was the only student with pink hair. It shouldn't be hard to spot him in the crowd.

  "He said he'd meet us at the lockers after class," Theo recalled.

  "Hmm. Why don't you guys head to the house? Orion and I can wait for him," I suggested.

  The others exchanged glances before nodding in approval.

  "Okay. We'll see you three in a bit," Theo announced, walking forward to give me a pat on the head before he and the twins began to make their way down the hall.

  "You guys will be fine?" Hunter asked.

  "Yup," Orion replied casually.

  "We'll be alright Hunter. If Finn isn't here in ten minutes, we’ll look around for him," I explained.

  He nodded. "Okay. See you back at the house." He patted Orion on the shoulder and began to walk away; the others waited for him at the end of the hall.

  They all gave a final wave and turned the corner, disappearing from sight.

  "I should get my books now so we don't have to come back here before afternoon classes," I suggested to Orion.

  "Okay," Orion replied.

  We walked over to my locker and I placed my hand on the lock using my magic to unlock it.

  I lifted my hand to open the door, but Orion pressed his hand over it, preventing me from opening it. I looked up at him in confusion.<
br />
  "Orion?"

  He narrowed his eyes at the locker, a displeased look on his face.

  "Don't open it," he advised.

  "Why?" I asked.

  "Why does Orion look like he's going to murder someone?" I looked to my left and saw Finn approaching us; the once busy hall was now empty.

  "Um...I'm unsure," I replied, looking at Orion who still hadn't budged.

  Finn reached us, glancing at Orion and then the locker. His eyes narrowed on the metal locker; his expression went from confused to enraged. "Celestia, come here," Finn instructed.

  I looked back at the locker, not sensing anything, but I did what he asked, moving to stand behind him. Finn looked around, snapping his fingers. A green barrier engulfed us and spread to section off the rest of the hall, boxing us in.

  "Finn?" I asked.

  "The barrier will make it so no one else sees we’re here. It will also ward against anyone coming our way," Finn explained.

  I noticed two girls heading our way. They hadn’t even gotten within ten steps of the barrier before they turned around and went back the way they came, talking about the hall smelling horrible.

  "What's in my locker?" I asked.

  "About to find out." Orion lifted his left hand; an ice wand formed in his grip. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

  "Revalandra Freezano!" he chanted before opening the locker.

  Five black snakes shot out, but were frozen in seconds. I gawked at the serpents, shivering at the dark presence that leaked from their frozen bodies.

  "Celestia. Summon Arielle and ask her to get Othello," Finn commanded.

  I nodded. "Arielle!" I called out, using my magic to enhance the command. Within seconds I heard the flapping of her wings and she appeared from the corner flying over our barrier. I looked up at her.

  "Go retrieve Othello. It's important," I stressed.

  "Bru-REE!" she replied, soaring quickly away.

  "Someone's targeting Celestia then," Finn confirmed.

  Orion nodded. "That Forsaken attack wasn't a setup or for the other teams. It was on purpose and whoever set it up wanted Celestia's team to face it," Orion declared.

  "With the assumption that we’d die," I said in a hushed tone.