The Esoteric Design: Civilization Lost

by A. R. Crebs

  A series of beeps gathered his attention. The students all clicked on their bands once again.

  “You don’t use books?” he asked.

  “Digital, Dovian,” Lita said with a laugh. “Old man.”

  He slumped further against the desk, threatening to melt into its surface.

  “I’d much rather use a real book,” he dryly muttered.

  Dovian moved toward the bookcase, his fingers sliding over the tomes as if his fingertips could read. As he searched for the proper title, one boy in the corner of the room raised his hand. Dovian didn’t see the gesture, but he heard it from the movement of his sleeve.

  “Yes?” he casually asked as he continued searching for the book.

  “What business, really, does a Scarlet status have teaching a class such as this?” the boy asked.

  Now that was a bit unexpected. Dovian was used to teaching rooms of obedient and quiet children. If there were any rebels, they quickly learned to respect their instructors. Dovian looked over his shoulder. The boy had curly brown hair. His eyes were a strange mix of plum and chocolate. His robes were white and black with only a hint of emerald. This told Dovian that the young man had not mastered his status yet. Still, there was no excuse for his rudeness.

  The boy took Dovian’s silence as permission to continue. “You clearly are not comfortable being here. You seem completely uninterested in the topics outside of arguing with this dimwit.” He gestured toward Lita to which she loudly opposed.

  Dovian opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by another voice interrupting—the girl beside Lita.

  “This dimwit is top of the class, mind you. And that man,” she pointed to Dovian, “is her cousin.”

  The boy shifted his gaze back to Dovian, his expression unreadable.

  “And not only that, he is an advanced warrior. His knowledge of the world greatly outweighs yours, and I’m sure we all could learn a thing or two from him. Regardless of the color of his robes, he’s still your instructor. Show him your respect! If not, I’ll be sure to report you to the headmaster.”

  The boy tightened his lips. Dovian could tell he wanted to protest more, but he thankfully decided to keep quiet instead. Grabbing the desired book, Dovian strode back to the front. The girl watched his every move, and he analyzed her a moment. Her brown hair, her violet eyes, her mannerisms, they all seemed familiar, and now that he heard her commanding voice, Dovian recognized her.

  “You’re from Narita’s lineage,” he said.

  The girl looked shocked as she quickly nodded. She even wore purple robes, her status chosen but not mastered. She was advanced and well educated despite her age and was born and bred to become an Elder. The young woman was of a rare breed.

  “I am,” she said in a quiet tone. “She is my great-grandmother.”

  “She’s a very articulate and proper woman. I can see it runs in the family.” Dovian flipped through the pages of his book. “Chapter 17,” he murmured. He looked back to the girl who was blushing. “You like to read?”

  She nodded, composing herself.

  “Would you like to lead in today’s reading…uh….” He realized that he didn’t know her or any of the student’s names.

  “I’Lanthe,” she replied.

  Dovian smiled. “I’Lanthe. If you don’t mind, please begin on page 294.”

  I’Lanthe quickly pulled up the requested page on her band. With a proper tone, she began reciting a lengthy essay comparing love and war. Dovian looked outside, watching as the birds flitted and danced from the trees to the windowsill. There was something about the woman’s voice that soothed him. Her voice alone seemed poetic. And Dovian uncomfortably shifted as he realized his thoughts. Of course, she was to be Violet status. I’Lanthe had to be well versed in words, art, and eventually war tactics. Still, he wouldn’t mind listening to her read all day, and that was odd to him. After a couple of pages, he noticed she paused.

  “Did I miss something?” Dovian asked.

  I’Lanthe cleared her throat. “Did…did you want me to read the entire thing, or are we going to switch readers eventually?”

  Dovian straightened up. “Let’s go page by page, moving back.”

  I’Lanthe looked at the student behind her, who promptly carried on. Her violet eyes never left Dovian. He swallowed thickly, his hands clasped at his waist. Were these kids always so awkward? No wonder Sir Bayerd was quick to accept his assignment. At this point, Dovian would much rather be in battle than tending to overly-proper and snobbish children.

  He heard a quiet snicker from Lita. Dovian caught her eyes. She must’ve read his thoughts. Dovian smirked, trying to hold in his own laughter. At least Lita agreed with him.

  While Sorcēarians could read human minds, they could not read each other. However, Lita had the strange ability to know what Dovian was thinking. As for how detailed her connection was, he hadn’t the slightest clue. Still, the trait often led to many secret jokes between the two of them along with several embarrassing situations for Dovian. Lita found it all to be incredibly humorous as she could read Dovian, but he couldn’t read her.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the bell chimed. The student, who was still reading, quickly spouted the last few lines of the chapter as everyone jumped out of their seats and gathered their things. Dovian raised his head and rubbed the back of his neck, realizing his lazy sag wasn’t the best posture to hold for so long.

  “Was it so boring that you couldn’t at least pretend to stay awake?” The same boy who had mocked Dovian before sneered. “Or are warriors surrounded by so much carnage they can’t appreciate the beauty in this world?”

  The entire class stilled.

  Dovian’s nostril wrinkled. “As love often is the cause of an act of passion, and an act of passion can lead to an act of violence, love can cause the soul to feel either triumphant or broken. Such is the same with war. Broken hearts and broken swords, they both wound. But with continuous love, one can heal, one can rejuvenate, one can become triumphant again,” he recited the end of the literary work with as little passion one could. Still, he recited it correctly.

  The boy glared. Dovian scowled back. Many of the students remained frozen in their places, gaping at the two.

  Lita scoffed, shouldering her bag. She snapped her fingers at the boy. “Dovian hears all, even when he’s asleep! You can’t keep any secrets from him.” She winked at her cousin. “And sometimes all it takes is for him to whisper a spell and he can send you soaring out that window!”

  The boy folded his arms, lifting his nose into the air. “And lose his position as an instructor, no doubt.”

  Dovian slammed his hands against his desk, shaking his head. He had enough of the boy’s disobedience. Lita was right, he could easily send the scrawny young man through the window without much more than a breath of air, and it was taking all he had not to do it. His warrior students would be able to handle it, but he was sure the boy was too soft to know how to guard against such a blow properly. Still, it was tempting. At any rate, Dovian could at least scare the brat.

  With a whoosh, obsidian wings flowed from behind Dovian’s back. The wingspan took up nearly half the classroom. The students jumped, even a few shouted. Dovian looked fiercely upon the boy with eyes crackling like lightning.

  “Tell me, boy, how an instructor of Scarlet warriors will be fired from his position by merely flinging a child such as you through a window? I live my days dealing with ruffians. Take your words of flowers and love and speak them upon a man who has seen his brethren die. Or better yet, use them on your enemy before he cuts you down. Though your silver tongue has its place in society, don’t doubt for one second that I would allow you to continue with contempt for any other Sorcēarian in this land. Remember, I’m a top healer as my mother was. I could quickly mend your injuries but not before you felt any of them.”

  The boy struggled to hold his breath, sweat beading on his brow. He subconsciously moved away from the window and toward the bookcas
e at the back of the room.

  Lita covered her mouth, feigning a gasp. “Oh, now you’ve done it.”

  The boy swallowed hard, watching Dovian with an expression like a trapped animal soon to be slaughtered. Dovian’s posture sagged, his wings folding comfortably behind him. “Now…how did that make you feel?” he dryly asked.

  The boy looked left and right, his face falling into a baffled expression. All the student’s eyes were on him. “Uh, a bit…a bit frightened, sir.”

  Dovian nodded, cracking his knuckles. “Good. Then that brings me to your next assignment—how words are used to instill emotion within others. I do believe your assignment is to read, ‘Words as a Weapon.’ Do this, and we will begin planning our writing assignment tomorrow. Think of a topic you’d like to present to the class that evokes emotion. It can be any emotion of your choosing, but you have to try to convince me with your words.” Dovian clapped his hands together and smiled. “Class is dismissed! Better hurry, or you’ll be late for your next course!”

  The students quickly fled the room, the boy not making eye contact with Dovian. Lita and I’Lanthe lingered behind, giggling quietly. Lita grabbed Dovian’s shoulder and gave him a little push.

  “Brilliant!” she cheered. “I bet he has to change his robes after that show! Really, Dovian, you should join the theater group. You’re so dramatic!”

  Dovian snorted. “Quite the impudent child, is he not?”

  Lita laughed aloud, eyeing I’Lanthe. The young woman nodded.

  “He’s always been that way,” I’Lanthe said.

  “You’ve known him long?” Dovian asked.

  I’Lanthe chortled, her fingers touching her collarbone. It was such a light sound. Though she was very similar to Narita, I’Lanthe’s voice was much softer. “Of course I have! He is my brother!”

  Dovian’s face fell. “My apologies, then. I did not realize.”

  I’Lanthe shook her head. “That is how Martelle is. He’s got an ego far too large to back up. I’ve been working with him, but he sometimes needs to be put in his place by others. I’m afraid he’s a bit spoiled.”

  Dovian gave a short bow to the beautiful young woman. “I understand, but my actions may have been a bit harsh considering it’s my first day with you all.”

  I’Lanthe clasped her hands and cocked her head to the side. “No need to apologize, sir. Tactics from a warrior such as you will only educate them more.” She paused, giving a nervous laugh. “Though you are a perfect example with your own actions.”

  Dovian gave her a wondrous look. “How so?”

  “Though you used your threatening posture and speech as a way to scare him, did his words not first affect your emotions?”

  The man chewed on his lower lip, giving a low chuckle. She was a clever little one. “I am no better than the mouthy student. Alright, you have put me in my place.”

  I’Lanthe gasped but kept her keen smirk. “My intentions are never to hurt or judge, but rather to educate. If not for you, then myself. I learned more today by watching your actions than I have in years.”

  Lita looked back and forth between the two, her eyebrow raising.

  I’Lanthe extended her delicate hand. “It’s a pleasure to have you in the classroom, sir. I look forward to our next lesson.”

  Dovian carefully grasped her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “A pleasure meeting you. Don’t allow Lita to get you into too much trouble.”

  Lita by this time tugged on I’Lanthe’s robes. She wanted to get out of the classroom before Dovian started lecturing her once again on her bad behavior.

  As I’Lanthe slowly turned to follow Lita, she looked over her shoulder and gave Dovian a look most mischievous. “I keep her by my side because she keeps me out of trouble, sir.”

  Dovian watched as the two girls exited the room. Lita whispered in I’Lanthe’s ear, causing her to gasp.

  “Lita!” I’Lanthe shouted. They both laughed in high-pitched tones.

  Dovian stayed by his desk, watching the remaining stragglers rush to their next class, and then he looked over the empty desks in the room. Taking a deep breath, he noticed the scent of orchids and sweets. Dovian reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a small piece of hard candy. Shaking his head, he chuckled quietly.

  “It’s going to be a long semester.”

  "I’Lanthe"

  Chapter 6

  The week passed quicker than Dovian had anticipated. With each passing day, he grew more comfortable with his students and developed a taste for strong coffee since he hadn’t quite figured out when to nap. Martelle established a more obedient tone but still gave Dovian some guff. At times it was playful banter, but Dovian could tell the boy was still sour about their first meeting. He had to admit; he was interested in seeing what Martelle had prepared for his speech. Dovian was sure it was going to be abrasive. Though he was unexpectedly looking forward to his literary class, Dovian had a rather frustrating situation to deal with first in his genetics course.

  “Lita?” Dovian approached the lavender-haired girl, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

  Lita’s head rested in her arms. Not far away sat an incubation chamber housing a large egg. The creamy-white shell remained motionless. Dovian detected no signs of life contained within and gave a disappointed sigh to which Lita replied with a similar noise of her own.

  “Doesn’t want to hatch, does it?” he asked.

  Lita nodded without lifting her head. She sank further into herself, tugging her hair. Dovian scratched his head. Year after year, every student’s egg hatched. In fact, he was unaware of anyone failing the introductory genetics class before, and this was Lita’s fourth time taking the course. He pitied the girl, but what could he do? Without a lizard, Lita wouldn’t pass. And it was a basic genetic recipe. Dovian even went through the entire process by her side. Lita made no mistakes. In fact, she had the steps memorized, could replicate the procedure with her eyes closed. To be sure, she created three eggs this time. Dovian eyed the other domed chambers. One egg was cracked. Another was hollow. And the one before her appeared just as lifeless.

  “Where is your light, Lita?” Dovian leaned forward, scrutinizing the shells.

  Lita sniffled. Dovian’s frown deepened. His heart ached any time she cried.

  The girl finally lifted her head and tapped the glass. “I dunno. I did everything exactly as you said. I did what everyone else did. They just won’t hatch! And that one,” she pointed to the cracked empty egg, “that one hatched, but there’s nothing inside! Tell me, how does that happen?!”

  He eyed the rest of the class. As expected, everyone else had successfully grown and hatched their eggs. Some had babies a week before. His students joyously swooned over their tiny reptiles. The lizards would become their pets, a symbol of responsibility and pride. In the future, the students would decide to either keep the offspring or set them free in the wild. Everyone smiled except for Lita.

  Dovian ran his hand over his face, giving an unsure groan. “Your predicament is certainly a strange one.”

  “It’s not strange! It’s pathetic! I’m going to be known as the only Sorcēarian who couldn’t figure out how to make a stupid lizard!” Lita groaned. A few of her classmates looked over their shoulder. They all knew of Lita’s situation and laughed in the beginning, but by her fourth attempt at taking the class, everyone felt sorry for her.

  “What an odd pair you and I make. My reputation isn’t all the best.” Dovian tried cheering her up.

  Lita gaped at him. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? That you and I are weirdoes?”

  Dovian’s lips twisted into an unsure frown.

  Lita wailed with an over exaggerated sob; her middle fingers raised in a rather profane gesture toward her eggs. Dovian quickly lowered her hands. The girl slammed her forehead against the metal table, moaning dramatically.

  “Lita, if this egg doesn’t hatch, I’m going to have to fail you…again.” Dovian pointed to the egg in front of her. />
  She gasped, her jade eyes shimmering with tears. “No! If I fail again, dad will never let me become a warrior!” Her lower lip trembled as she inspected her chambers. “If I can’t even hatch one stupid egg, how could I ever become a warrior? Oooh! Dad is going to be so pissed!”

  “Let me take a closer look.” Dovian reached for the chamber.

  Lita grabbed his wrist. “No! What are you doing? Don’t open it!”

  He gave her a tired stare. “Lita, we know it’s not going to hatch. I need to take a closer look to see what, exactly, you’re doing wrong.”

  She folded her arms. “I’m not doing anything wrong! You even helped me with this one! Maybe it’s your teaching that’s wrong!”

  A flurry of gasps echoed around the room. Dovian signaled to his students to keep working and mind their own business.

  “Child, I swear, your mouth is going to get you into trouble one of these days. You’re lucky I’m your professor in this course.”

  Dovian grasped the domed container, flicking open the side hatches. Carefully, he scooped up the fragile shell. It immediately cracked, nearly crumbling to pieces. Reaching into his coat pocket, he retrieved his optical viewer and scanned the shell, gathering bits of data. Sure enough, Lita correctly followed the procedure. By all rights, there should have been an embryo. He peered inside and frowned. There was, except it was dead. In fact, it was never alive, to begin with. Dovian turned away, not allowing Lita to see the fetus. She had managed to create organic material, but something remained amiss which prevented it from reaching the final stages.

  “One moment,” Dovian murmured. He pressed his wristband. “Orin? Yes. Are you nearby? Genetics, correct. It’s not an emergency, but the quicker, the better. Great.”

  Lita leaned to the side, trying to peer inside. “What’s Orin got to do with it?”

  “I have a theory.” He held the egg toward the light. Doing so allowed Lita to see the silhouette of a slightly developed baby lizard.

  “Ah! I almost got one!” she cried out. “But…he’s not alive? Aw! I killed it?!”