It was still silent. A minute had passed and the directors all seemed amused. It had to be a joke. That was the only explanation.
“Aha, you got us, Grand Director Poicus,” Toshik chuckled.
Poicus fixed his eyes on the tall swordsman. “I’m serious.”
Toshik’s face twisted a bit. He seemed to be offended, but before he could speak up again, Agnos interrupted: “It makes sense. Grand Director Poicus, you made it very clear yesterday that our success won’t rely solely on strength or speed or smarts. There are other factors to consider.” He looked at Olivia and a shocked Bryson before adding, “They displayed the least talent, but that doesn’t mean they are any less important to the group. I am going to make the assumption that this is going to be a test of our loyalty and camaraderie. You want to see if we can still push forward without discrimination. Am I correct in saying this?”
Poicus smiled. “A student who makes more sense the more he opens his mouth. I wasn’t aware such a specimen existed.”
“I appreciate that, sir.”
“Everything Agnos said is correct. This is why Bryson and Olivia will be the captains. Every single one of you will have no objections to this.” He paused and scanned their faces. “Is that clear?”
Not everyone answered and Toshik was still visibly upset, but Poicus ignored this. “Good, as for the teams, they were chosen at random earlier today. Also, we decided to keep the team names simple. Team Bryson and Team Olivia.” Toshik rolled his eyes.
Poicus instructed the newly appointed captains to stand at two separate spots on the floor. Bryson felt ridiculous, yet a part of him was excited to prove something.
Pulling out some parchment, Poicus cleared his throat before announcing the rosters. “Joining Olivia will be Yama, Tashami, Agnos, and Lilu.”
Bryson’s heart sunk when he heard Lilu’s name. As he visually followed her dazzling smile toward Olivia, he noticed the flower in her hair today was a lily, and of course the rest of her elegant outfit matched its brilliant white color.
Fortunately, there was a silver lining with Toshik’s name not being mentioned. At least the two of them would be separated.
“As for Toshik, Jilly, Rhyparia, and Himitsu, you four will be joining Bryson,” Poicus said.
Bryson made an effort to read their body language as they walked toward him. To his pleasure, Himitsu, Rhyparia, and Jilly appeared elated to be joining him. Rhyparia wore a wide smile, Jilly skipped pleasantly in his direction, and Himitsu gave him a creepy wink. Toshik, on the other hand, was noticeably reluctant, as it took him a few seconds before he decided to lazily push himself off the wall and disgruntledly walk toward the group. It was a rather snobbish and unattractive look, but Jilly put an end to it when she hopped up and flicked him in the ear.
“Dammit, Jilly!”
“Be nice!” she snapped back.
“Wise words from your Charge, Toshik,” said a deep voice. It was the Adren Director, who was normally a very quiet man. “You’re coming off as prissy, which is the complete opposite of what our kingdom is about.”
Toshik’s face deepened to a cherry red.
“Take a look at the four people standing with you,” Poicus said. “During the beginning of your tenure as a Jestivan, your team will be your family. Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t mingle between groups. In fact, we encourage you to do so. The groups are simply there for mission purposes. These will be the people you carry out tasks with.”
As he took a look at his group, Bryson felt confident. He liked his lineup. Toshik was going to be stubborn, but he was still very skilled with a sword. Himitsu had assassin blood inside of him. Black flames had always symbolized an elite killer. While Jilly didn’t have full control over her wind, she still demonstrated good power with it. And her personality was the icing on the cake. Then there was Rhyparia. She claimed to not know anything about her Ancient, but there was reason for doubt. But with that said, she was the only person—outside of Olivia and Himitsu, whom he had known previously—he had gotten to talk to, so he felt comfortable with her.
Olivia’s group was probably even more formidable. She had Yama—perhaps the scariest Jestivan in regards to technique, speed, and fighting ability. Bryson could recall not blinking once during her test. Then there were Agnos and Lilu—the two most intelligent of the Jestivan. Agnos had a different sort of intelligence. He was wise. Lilu was factual. However, Agnos’s downside was his uselessness in battle. Her final member raised the biggest question mark. Bryson struggled to remember his name … Tashami—that was it. He demonstrated decent control of his Spirit Energy, but everything about him screamed “decent.”
“That’s it for today,” Poicus said. “I insist that all of you get to know each other over the next four days. Training will start next week. We will not meet down here, but back above ground.” There were a few sighs of relief in response to the last statement. It did feel sort of claustrophobic down below the sea.
“And you will be meeting with your specific Energy Directors,” Poicus continued. “We won’t meet as a group. Any questions?”
“Why are we getting four days off?” Lilu asked.
“Two reasons. One, we want you to get to know each other without distraction. Two, training will not be an easy task—physically or mentally. All of you, as well as the directors, need time to prepare for what is to come.”
And with that, he gave an evil grin before dismissing them.
8
Lilac Suites
The plan for Bryson’s team to stick together and hang out for the night didn’t last long. Before fifteen minutes had passed, Toshik peeled off to meet up with one of his many lady friends. To be honest, Bryson didn’t mind. The only thing that bothered him was that he could sense Jilly’s mood dampen a bit when he left. She did well in masking it, but it still showed.
Bryson, Rhyparia, Jilly, and Himitsu were walking around the lively perimeter of the school. Phesaw’s campus was continuously bustling with activity, for there was no curfew inside of the grounds. While a fair amount of the students, such as Bryson, commuted to and from school, most were housed in dorms. Because of this, there were many fun attractions and areas of interest circling the school, including the different dorm buildings.
The group had just entered Phesaw Park, a serene field of rich green grass blanketed in patches of pink petals that had fallen from the cherry blossom trees scattered throughout. These canopies stretched for miles, drowning the park in a cooling shade.
Jilly’s red kimono flowed with each bounce as she hopped from one clear spot of grass to the other, careful to not step on any of the petals on the ground. She claimed they were lava and shrieked in fake horror each time someone stepped in it. Himitsu made a point to purposely and teasingly step on every pink spot they passed, and he would make sure to accompany it with a sinister smile. She retorted that he was a, in her own words … a “big butt face”.
Bryson soaked in the environment’s beauty. Typically, he didn’t like this sort of scenery, but with friends, it felt different. He glanced to his right and, for some reason, finally realized just how gorgeous Rhyparia was. Her umbrella was open and resting on her shoulder. He couldn’t find the logic behind it being open while walking through the shade, but he didn’t care. It was an elegant look for someone wearing clothes comparable to rags.
They approached a stretch of the park that was clear of cherry blossoms and took a seat in soft grass that felt more like clouds. This was a popular area, as students would come here to participate in playful duels after school. Their timing was perfect, for two students were mid-brawl with a couple friends from each side cheering them on.
One was using electricity—an Intel student. The other was using wind—a Spirit student. Bryson was impressed by their fighting ability. They demonstrated more skill with their energies than Bryson ever could—and he was supposed to be a Jestivan.
However, they weren’t capable of emitting their energies through space. In
order for their abilities to strike home, they had to use hand-to-hand combat. Although it was still a notable skill, it was common and expected from an advanced student at Phesaw. Expelling their abilities through space was something that only a handful of students could accomplish.
They also lacked quickness, making their movements slow and predictable. Bryson couldn’t use his electricity in combat yet, but he had elite speed. He had Debo to thank for this. Debo always taught him speed and technique first; the energy would come later. In fact, the Intel Director pointed out that not even he used his electricity in fights. He had to be pushed to his limit before turning to his Intel Energy. It was a last resort.
As Bryson observed the fight, he thought of something funny. “I would pay to watch Yama fight one of them.”
“I think you meant eat one of them for breakfast,” Himitsu said.
Jilly frowned. “Don’t say that. Yama would never eat anyone.”
Bryson slapped his face. “Jilly … sarcasm.”
Jilly ignored him, stood up, and yelled, “Let’s go, boys! I believe in you!”
The two duelists’ eyes lit up as they saw who it was. When they started fighting again, they turned the intensity up while their friends whispered and glanced in the Jestivan’s direction.
The students knew who Bryson, Jilly, Rhyparia, and Himitsu were. Of course. After the spectacle yesterday morning, who wouldn’t?
Fists were thrown harder and kicks were narrowly dodged. The Spirit student swung a kick that had a hefty gust of wind following it. His opponent ducked under the kick, but he straightened up too quickly and the whiplash of wind struck his face. It was a common mistake with amateur fighters—loss of awareness.
The Intel student hit the ground with a thud, and his friends quickly hurried in his direction. “That’s enough!” Rhyparia shouted. “There’s no need to try to knock each other out for our entertainment. You’re not here to hurt one another. You’re here to have fun and practice.”
Himitsu pouted. “Spoil sport.”
Rhyparia gave him a stern look. “You’re twisted if you found that fun.”
“Why thank you,” Himitsu said. “But since when is suffering a minor wind burn equivalent to getting hurt?”
“Look at him. He’s lying on the ground in pain. He’s obviously hurt,” she said.
Himitsu nonchalantly leaned back on his elbows. “He’s weak. Him being hurt is a byproduct of him being weak.”
Bryson smirked at the intriguing logic.
“You’re as big a poop as Toshik,” Jilly said.
Bryson found himself amused more by his fellow teammate’s bickering than the duel he’d just witnessed. In an odd way, the bickering was a good sign. You don’t bicker unless you feel comfortable with the people around you. Constantly being nice is fake—something only needed when dealing with simple acquaintances.
As late afternoon progressed into evening and the sun began to sink below the horizon, the group decided to visit the dormitories of the Jestivan who’d chosen to live on campus this year.
It turned out being a Jestivan came with many perks. Their rooms were in the most lavish of dorm buildings, the Lilac Suites. Violet-shuttered windows lined each level of the four-story brick building, and the glass doors on the fourth floor led to private balconies.
The Lilac Suites sat in the most beautiful—and expensive—section of Phesaw’s campus; northeast of the school. Four perfectly laid cobblestone paths converged in front of the building, one of them exiting from Phesaw Park. It was a place where nothing came cheap, and it only took a few minutes of exploring to learn this. Even Tabby’s, a quaint gift shop, stocked nothing under twenty pintos—not even their chocolates. This was probably because their chocolates came from the plantations of the Passion Kingdom’s western volcanoes. The bar wasn’t really a bar. It was more of an elegant lounge with a band of string instruments as entertainment.
This part of campus was referred to as Wealth’s Crossroads, and it had a reputation for representing the snobs of the school. Bryson wanted to dismiss this as just a stereotype, but to be fair, he’d been told that this was where Toshik lived for the past several school years.
When they walked into the Lilac Suites, they were greeted with a relatively empty lobby. It wasn’t late enough for most people to have come home yet. Students were either training, attending afterschool activities, or hanging out with friends.
The lobby was expansive. A piano sat to the far left, and next to it was a small indoor pond with a miniature waterfall crashing into it. A bar sat at the center of the back wall with several tables and chairs scattered in front of it. The receptionist desk was to the right along with some very luxurious violet-colored furniture.
The interesting thing about this building was that even though it was four floors high, the lobby’s ceiling extended to the roof. As Bryson gazed upward, he could clearly see every level. Each floor circled the perimeter of the building’s walls. Ivory white railings ran along the edges, so a person could lean over and look down into the lobby from above. However, the most stunning aspect of the Lilac Suites was the massive, sparkling white chandelier that dangled from the ceiling, passing all three floors until it stopped directly above the lobby.
Rhyparia looked around, then bounced her fists against her hips. “I think it’s a smidge too much.” She glanced down at her clothes and smirked ruefully. “Then again, I also wear this rubbish.”
“I tried swinging on it yesterday, but the receptionist yelled at me,” Jilly said, waving her arm in the direction of a young lady at the counter to the right.
Bryson gave Jilly a dumbfounded look but decided to not question her common sense—or lack thereof. He scanned through the few people scattered throughout the lobby and spotted two Jestivan sitting at the bar—Agnos and Yama. Neither of whom looked to be enjoying themselves. Bryson couldn’t hear what they were saying, but their aggressive postures made it obvious that it was not a pleasant conversation.
Jilly followed Bryson’s eyes and opened her mouth to shout a greeting, but he alertly covered her mouth. He wanted to know why they weren’t with the rest of their group. He pointed to the farthest table from Yama and Agnos. “Sit down. Don’t draw attention to yourselves.”
To Bryson’s surprise, they obeyed. Jilly whispered a hearty “Yes, sir!” which he found amusing.
This was when Bryson’s problem with always being cold came in handy. He wore a hooded jacket wherever he went, which he put up now to conceal himself. He silently made his way toward the bar and took a seat on a stool a few spots down from the arguing duo. When the balding barkeep approached him, Bryson waved the man off. Bryson cinched the drawstring of his hood as an extra precaution. He had no need to look in their direction. He only needed to hear them, so he leaned to his left a tiny bit.
The first voice he heard belonged to Yama. “I told you. It can’t be him. It’s not him.”
Agnos responded in an irritated tone that Bryson hadn’t heard from him before. “He works there, Yama. Get that through your thick skull.”
“So what if he works there? There are plenty of people who work there.”
“You don’t know him like I do. I was his best friend for years. He was only your Charge … which was unfortunate for him. Toshik protects his Charge better than you could.”
Then glass shattered, for Yama had squeezed her glass to its breaking point. She had lost all awareness of where she was or she simply did not care. “Stop blaming me for what happened, prick,” Yama hissed. “I had no control over that. He chose his own way.”
“Incorrect. He chose that woman’s way, and you allowed it. Once she came into the picture, he completely changed. I know he robbed the Archaic Museum yesterday. And I know it was because of that woman.”
“Anyone in Kuki Sphaira could have robbed the museum.”
“False,” Agnos said. “The only way that place could be robbed during the night hours is by someone inside. There are far too many im
portant Ancient Pieces in there.”
The constant denial of Yama’s rebuttals pissed her off more. “He has no need for such a dark relic.”
“That was once true—back when he was someone I looked up to. Then you came in and failed at your job. And you’re the reason why he’s gone. He is no longer the Toono we knew.”
Bryson braced himself for the retaliation, but he didn’t hear one, so he decided to take a subtle peek. Yama simply sat there, looking blankly at the bar in front of her. The bad-ass woman was now struggling to hold back tears.
Agnos seemed unconcerned. He put money on the table for the barkeeper and walked away.
Bryson slipped out of his seat and retreated to his group’s table, welcomed by the inquisitive glares of his teammates. He could tell that Jilly was really battling hard to not run to Yama’s rescue.
“Go ahead, Jilly. She could probably use a friend,” Bryson said in a deflated tone.
“Thank you.” She said it without a smile. It was his first sighting of a serious Jilly.
Jilly took a seat next to Yama and put her arm around Yama’s waist, pulling her inward slightly. Yama’s head rested on Jilly’s shoulder, her purple hair falling next to Jilly’s golden tresses.
“What’s this I’m hearing about the Archaic Museum being robbed yesterday?” Bryson asked.
Rhyparia looked at him, stunned. “Is that what they were arguing about?”
Bryson nodded.
“Agnos shouldn’t be discussing that with her. That news isn’t to leave the Archaic Kingdom,” Rhyparia said with disgust. “Reckless.”
“And why is that?” Himitsu asked.
Rhyparia fidgeted for a moment before leaning in and whispering conspiratorially, “An ancient piece was stolen from the Archaic Museum last night, which is news in itself.” She leaned in closer. “However, such a big uproar was made about it that people are beginning to speculate that it was a relic—a very dangerous relic. But that’s all there is as of right now … speculation. Only the museum’s higher staff knows exactly—along with Archaic King Itta.”