“Done.”
Ripp opens a portal to a sandy area that is open enough for everyone to move comfortably, but also seemingly remote. Stefani runs to her room, returning with her pair of claws in hand.
“Why is everyone so prepared for this?! Ripp where does this portal even go?”
“I have been scoping out the surrounding islands. It is not even on this one so no one from the resort can blame us for damage.”
Resigned, Phavian walks to Anaar somewhat downtrodden. “Why do you get out of this, but everyone is making me participate?”
“That’s what you get for being at the top.” Leaning in with a whisper, “Plus who is going to help Zenia heal people when Ripp shoots or stabs someone?”
“Are you willing to expose yourself?”
“I don’t need to expose myself to heal them.”
“Since when?”
“Since ever. It just makes it easier with a physical connection.”
“So this whole time you have been laying your hands on me just for show?”
“Free grabs and squeezes.”
“Oh you dirty…”
“As much as I am not on board with this, Stefani is actually quite powerful too. I her music acts like a regenerative Medic.”
“What can’t that girl do?”
“Seriously starting to wonder. In any case try not to freeze off any limbs.”
Everyone headed through the portal, making preparations as they took up their most advantageous positions. Zenia and Anaar both found a place away from the action, but still within sight just in case someone went down hard. After making it clear they should not be doing anything overly reckless, Anaar sends everyone a signal by way of a small explosion in the air, which began the match.
The fight began with Maggie hitting Jesus so hard he went flying into the water nearby. Not one to miss an opportunity, Codi immediately electrifies the water leaving him in a daze as he floats to the top of the water. To make sure he did not slip below the surface and possibly drown, Anaar modified the buoyancy of the water so that he was sure to float, and even wrapped him in a barely visible cocoon that healed him.
Pleased with her victory, Maggie left herself completely open, finding herself in a takedown by Pryshka. Though she managed to recover well, the resulting fist fight was completely one sided as Pryshka though known most famously for her use of her unique sword, she was peerless in hand to hand combat. Particularly the longer she fought, the more proficient she became.
Maggie being down for the count, Anaar quickly ran to recover her, healing her as she was in his arms on the way back. Phavian had engaged Pryshka in hand to hand combat, faring much better than Maggie, but still finding himself being pushed back by the girl’s amazing skills. Surprisingly to everyone, Ripp had not shot anyone yet, but she had finally gotten fed up with Dan who was being quite a nuisance, finally releasing a few shots in an attempt to stop the pressure he was putting on her between the oddly strong stick figure construct made of paper, and Dan coming at her with a katana he had fashioned.
Codi found that Stefani was much more formidable than the last time she had seen the girl in action, as her uncanny speed made it very difficult for her to aim her powers. No slouch herself the two managed to take each other out as Stefani made a dive for Codi, only to be viciously shocked as soon as the two made contact. With them both on the ground, Codi having the defenses of wet toilet paper, and Stefani not being able to withstand the sudden shock, Anaar left them as they were far enough from the others to not cause a problem.
Ryn had gone essentially unnoticed, likely due to the fact no one found a Defender to be a threat. Though she was a proximal Defender, what people often failed to realize was that just because their shields were focused around them, it did not mean they had no range at all. Once she was close enough, she created a barrier nearby Ripp and Dan, both of them completely oblivious to what she was doing. Forcing the barrier to become violently unstable, it exploded, taking both of them out as they had completely underestimated what a Defender of Ryn’s caliber was capable of. Looking around, she found there were only three of them left. Seeing the absurd level of ability displayed by Phavian and Pryshka as they fought it out, she simply forfeited the rest of the match, moving to sit next to Zenia and Anaar in the sand.
“Zen, don’t you need to go tend to the wounded?”
“I didn’t tell them to do this dumb shit. They’ll be fine. If someone was really in trouble I’d jump to. From the looks of it you only managed to knock out Dan and Ripp, so they may hurt, but they aren’t in any danger.”
Seemingly comfortable with the response, they continued to watch the fist fight, neither really doing any damage, but Pryshka constantly moving better, punching faster, and evading everything Phavian threw at her. It was when she had finally scored the first hit, a split which flowed into a punch to the gut that Phavian clearly had not expected, as he had not negated the energy, that the pace of the fight began changing even further in her favor. More and more hits landed, which seemed strange to the onlookers since they had been so evenly matched before.
Though Pryshka was a Regenerist, there was nothing for her to regenerate, so for all it was worth, there should be no reason she was suddenly doing much better. Phavian did not seem to be slowing, it was almost as if Pryshka was always three seconds ahead of him. Interested in how it would play out Zenia, Ryn, and others that had come their senses watched intently. Only Anaar knew that though Pryshka was not someone you wanted to meet in any extended engagement, Phavian had not even attempted to use his own offensive abilities. It was when he could tell Phavian was over the entire thing that he watched as Pryshka visibly slowed down, leaving herself much more open. With a final deliberate blow Phavian knocked her to the ground ending the match for everyone.
Still considered the undisputed champion, Phavian helped collect everyone who was still laid out on the ground, as Anaar and Zenia checked on everyone else. Once Ripp was back awake, she was not at all happy that she was taken out before she even had the chance to fight against Phavian. She had heard of new, or bad Defenders having unstable shields, but never had she heard of a Defender purposely detonating their shield. It was not something that was typical, but no one on this trip could come close to being considered typical.
Though she thought she would be settling a score she had some lingering resentment about, Ripp found that her incapacitation gave her something far more valuable. She had always been a shining beacon to bring awareness about pigeonholing people simply because of their ability. In all her work and advocacy, she realized that she did the same thing herself. By disregarding someone who typically is known to protect, she failed to see their power to destroy.
She came to realize that the reason she felt so upset was because it seemed people expected her to lose. With the roles reversed, she now saw just how easy it was to fall into the trap, and could not hold it against others as much. Even though the journey was not what she expected, the destination ended up being the same. With a renewed sense of peace and awareness, she gathered everyone to bring them back to their bungalows.
With the gloom being dispelled from Ripp, she was able to truly appreciate what Stefani was trying to do with the trip. As a result, she became much more active in events with everyone, and even smiled quite often, enjoying her final days as a student of Sophangence, and passing the torch on to the new generation.
She had been so obsessed with her own legacy, that she had been blind to how much talent was gathered not just in the group on the trip, but the entire school. The subsequent days flew by with everyone being filled with laughter and cheer, but also working with one another to praise and critique things they did in their brief sparring session. As they prepared to leave, Phavian could not help but gather everyone for one final message before they returned to campus.
“This has been the most prodigious trip I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. From the location, to the activities, to the people, t
o even the method of transit, this has been an experience and a sendoff like no other. So let’s first thank Stef for the idea and planning, and Codi for picking up the food and drink tab for us bums!”
Everyone shouted and cheered as Stefani simply blushed, but Codi jumped up onto the nearest table to give a grand bow. Once things had died down, with Pryshka finally pushing Codi off the table, Phavian continued his speech.
“This trip has made clear what can be achieved, and what the world would look like if we all understood our history, where we stand now, and how we can use our advantages to elevate, and celebrate one another. We have all affinities represented, harmoniously at that. We have Ripp who used her awesome powers to get us here, saving us crazy amounts of time and money. We have Stefani who paid for the accommodations and planned it out, and we have Codi bankrolling us all getting wasted. They used their privilege to ensure we all had a great time. That is so abnormal in this world. I simply hope that when we return, we can keep this same energy, always looking at how we can extend a hand, or make someone’s life better since we are all pretty fucking privileged. Everyone, stay amazing, grow closer, and make sure we give Ripp nothing but shit for her last few weeks on campus!”
Loading up for their jumps through space, Phavian and Anaar took hold of Stefani’s luggage as she took up her flute to play them off. Pushing herself even further than she expected, Ripp was able to complete the journey in one less jump than their trip to the islands. Returning back in the dead of night, everyone said their final goodbyes to one another, many taking extra time to thank and congratulate Ripp, just in case they failed to have the chance in the future. Though everyone thought they would simply have a fun trip, everyone person who went felt changed for the better, if only to a small degree, as they looked forward to what the coming days of school had for them.
35
Stepping out of his taxi that brought him from the airport to the school, Peter Gilchrist looks around as he surveys his surroundings as the newest class to grace the splendor that is Sophangence. As he is not the only new student arriving, his driver, experienced in this process, pulls forward to assist him with his belongings. Despite his size, he has a wealth of large bags, some of which were threatening to overtake him in size. His family, no stranger to this situation, had already planned in advance to have someone assist him in his journey to his new school.
Trying to be as helpful as he can, Peter finds he is drawing a number of stares from others nearby as they watch the small man maneuver his luggage that he could easily fit in. This was not a new experience for him, as being a dwarf had always garnered attention whether he wanted it or not. His entire family, with the exception of his older sister, had the trait that caused them to be much smaller than the average person their age. Because of this, he was uniquely prepared to handle the stares because his parents and grandparents before them had all gone through the same thing. They had always made him feel normal and special at the same time, something that was often difficult for someone in their position.
Once everything had been loaded onto the cart, the driver helped Peter with it as they were greeted by the smiling faces of the staff dedicated to welcoming new students. He noticed it was surprisingly hot on the July day, something he was not expecting since his home of Portland was much more pleasant when he had left. From the moment he interacted with the staff, he saw a very familiar scene play out in front of him.
“Hello! Welcome to Sophangence! I’m Holly. You definitely look a bit old to be a new student!” Looking from the driver to Peter, “Isn’t this great, helping out your family! It is very rare people arrive with their family in tow, as it is discouraged, but you are just so darn cute I think we can look past it! So who are you here to help, and where are they little guy?”
Frowning at how cheerily offensive the woman could be, Peter readied himself to educate people on their missteps as he often was tasked to do. He found it so peculiar how he was always being mistaken for a child despite his demeanor. There was surely something to be said for his hairless, extremely boyish features, this was something that surely did not help his case. He had often thought if he could only grow a beard, he might not be mistaken for a child so much, but it seemed it was not meant to be considering he had never even sprouted peach fuzz on his face.
His extremely childlike and round face aside, he took particular care to style himself accordingly, more often wearing more business casual attire, and never shorts as they only gave him an even more youthful appearance. His strikingly blonde hair, naturally almost platinum in color was always painstakingly coiffed in a stylized swoop that just did brush over one of his deep blue eyes. Carrying himself with dignity and poise, careful not to so much as slouch, nothing about him that he could control projected a child. Quite the opposite, he was much more an adult than most people twice his age, but his small stature, boyish looks, and slightly higher voice made all of his efforts in vain.
“I would appreciate it if you would not refer to me as ‘little guy.’ I find it quite literally belittling, and only exhibits your ignorance. My name is Peter Gilchrist. I am representing myself, as I am a new student here.”
The woman immediately flushes deep red in embarrassment, as they were even told to expect someone who may appear to be a child but was not. The pale, light haired man stared at her intently as she found herself at a loss for how she could salvage the situation. When it was mentioned he would be small, no one mentioned he would be smaller than her own children. She did not have experience with people with Dwarfism, but it became clear to her that she had made a mistake many others had fallen into in the past.
“I’m terribly sorry! Accept my deepest apologies, I genuinely did not mean any offense! Let me just look here at the roster…” Fumbling with her Vizer, she was taken aback when she saw the information on her screen. “Oh my! You are the top scorer on the entrance exam for your class. Congrats! Let us get you started here. It seems you are in 2101 in Tempest Tower. That is right near the top. You will have amazing views! Are these all the belongings you have brought with you at this time?”
Looking back at the large cart, laden with luggage, and the driver who stood dutifully by to assist, “Yes, this is everything I have for now, is this going to be a problem?”
“Not at all, it is a bit more than normal, but still within the range of expectation. Most people don’t go back home for some time once moving to Sophangence. We will have someone take your items to your room so that you may immediately join the next tour that is headed out.”
“That would be lovely.” Handing the driver a crisp bill, he thanks the man for his help as he moves to return to his vehicle.
“I’ll get someone over here right now for your things, so if you would just make your way over to that small group right there, your tour should be starting briefly.”
Nodding, Peter takes his leave from the woman, finding her much more pleasant once they had gotten past their awkward introduction. Striding confidently over to the group of five other students, he ignored their horrible attempts to prevent themselves from gawking, standing quietly to himself just off to the side. As they waited, one of the students began to complain, which pulled him into the conversation.
“How much longer do we have to wait? I feel like I have been standing here forever. Why do we need a tour anyway? Just give me a map and let me figure it out.”
Clearing his throat, Peter provides a response to the griping man. “This school is a self-contained city. With its official size being listed at 93.78 square miles, it would not be practical, nor wise to let new people simply roam around the campus with no clear objective. Even if you meant to go directly to your room, you could not enter without a Vizer, with is the signifier of a Sophangence resident. The living quarters are also at the other end of campus which would make for quite the journey in this heat.”
Looking down at him with scorn, “Who the fuck brings their family with them to move in day? Why is this little prick tryin
g to act like he knows so much? Where is your family?”
“I am a student here just like you, however it seems that despite our size differences, you are the one who much more closely resembles a child. It is an honor and a privilege to attend this school, yet you complain before knowing anything. If you must know, these tours are scheduled by the hour. As you can suspect, it would take quite some time to make it through a campus that is the size of a city.”
“Why are you still talking? You say that you go here, but I’m sure they don’t let in little kids. Then you talk down to people like you are hot shit. Judging by your squeaky voice, I guess your balls haven’t dropped, so you think you need to be a show off to compensate for having a tiny cock. You wouldn’t know what to do with the meat a real man like me is packing. Maybe I should let you get a feel so you know what you will never have!”
As the man laughs at Peter, he simply shakes his head slowly side to side, smirking knowingly. “I suppose we both have the need to compensate then. You couldn’t be lying more about your, attributes. Perhaps if your penis was a small fraction of the size of the lies you tell, there would be no need for you to be a false braggart.”
Turning red with anger, “What the fuck did you say to me midget?! Now I’m going to be seen as the guy who beats up on midgets, but this is your own fucking fault!”
Lunging at Peter, it was clear the man not only had no formative martial arts training, but he was not at all used to dealing with someone of Peter’s size. Sidestepping with ease, Peter unleashes four quick strikes to the stumbling man’s midsection, each with increasing force. As the man fell face forward to the ground, Peter finishes up with a sharp elbow to the back of the neck once he had fallen far enough to the ground. Stepping back, brushing himself off, disinterested and not even deigning to glance at the now incapacitated figure, he looks forward, back straight, his poise back to his normal, dignified in stance as the guide approached the group.
Divulgence (Song of Sophangence Book 2) Page 44