Triumphant
Chapter 1 :
My eyes fly open at 6 as usual. At 15 I guess I'm a bit unusual. I get up early, but I'm never completely on time for anything, whether late or early. I try to keep my room tidy, but it always seems to get messy, and soon I'm in such a rush I don't have time to clean it. I get up and go into my bathroom at East Academy. I tug through my long straight hair parted into 3 and lightly comb through my jaw length side fringe. My eyes and hair match in colour…the blue shade of azure. My lips are a darker cherry kind of colour and my nose is like any other. I guess unlike most 15 year-olds, I don't exactly…well… talk that much.
You see, I only speak when spoken to, like to a teacher, but I'm not exactly good at making friends. At all. The only person I can remember in my whole life as being a friend was my brother. But he's 23, 8 years older than me and left as soon as he graduated to travel the world. He works for a duelling cooperation that helps kids learn how to duel in the less fortunate and populated places in the world. He's one of their main people. I miss him loads, but I suppose I've gotten used to him not being around. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him.
Tomorrow's the day of the duel tournament held between the 5 main divisions of the Kaiba duel academies. Each school choses 8 of their best students to go and compete. I'm proud to be one of them. I'm a freshman student, so I was amazed when they chose me. I haven't lost a duel for the 3 months I've been here, but I've never actually challenged anyone. Which means, none of my opponents have been exactly that good at duelling, and there have only been 4 or 5 opponents. To be honest, I couldn't care less about representing East Academy, I just want to duel.
Duelling has always come easy to me, especially since I've never let any opponent get inside my head. It's one of the main parts actually, if you lose your head, you lose the duel. My brother taught me that.
I quickly change into my navy shorts, a murky blue t-shirt and my beloved azure coloured coat. After I finish packing I slip my tall navy boots on and head out the door.**CRASH**
I find myself falling to the floor and looking up at someone I couldn't recognise at first sight, but then realised as soon as I saw the smirk.
"Better be careful there, you don't want to be late for the boat ride to duel academy! I'm sure Professor Hutton would be fucked off with you." Lisa sneers down at me. She's an upper-class man, with a little brother in my year. Apparently I took his spot in the tournament. I don't reply but just slowly stand up, leaning on my suitcase. She's about to say something else, but I'm already too far away to hear, and definitely too far to care.
"Miss Roarke, you're 2 and a half minutes late!" Professor Hutton barks at me.
"Sorry Professor Hutton, it won't happen again." I say quietly, trying to avoid the looks. I told you I'm never on time.
"Right then, with Miss Roarke, we're all ready to board the ferry!" Professor Hutton shouts over the small crowd of East Academy. I walk onto the ferry silently, blending into the rest of the students coming to cheer their classmates on. Once I'm on board, I find the seat closest to the corner and start reading my book.
As I hear the horn blow I look up from my book at the end of the 5 hour journey. So this is duel academy. The island is full of forest, with a large sphere shaped building in the centre with various paths leading to a large white castle look alike building, a yellow coloured block building, and a small brick red coloured building. I have to say, it's an awesome island, and a pretty cool academy.
"Hello East Academy! I'm Chancellor Shepard of Duel Academy, it is a pleasure to have you here. There will be a gathering with all the other academies in about an hour's time, so if those not competing can follow Professor Banner to your dorms for the tournament, while the 8 competitors follow Dr Crowler to your quarters in the obelisk blue dorm. We hope you enjoy your stay." A large man wearing a burgundy coat welcomes us to duel academy Professor Banner, an odd looking man with black hair and an orange cat on his shoulders starts to walk away with the rest of the students following. I look to Dr Crowler, a… well I think he's a man… though he looks like a woman with that lipstick… oh well. Dr Crowler starts walking to the castle-like building.
"You as competitors will be staying in the beautiful quarters of the obelisk blue dorm, which holds the best of our students here!" Dr Crowler says boastfully…yet kind of creepily. He must be an… unusual teacher. He walks us through the doors of the blue and white castle and instructs the boys to go into one room while Lisa, Camilla and I will be sharing a dorm opposite. In our room there are actually 3 pairs of bunk beds. Lisa and Camilla take the bunk closest to the door, so I take the one furthest away, next to the window. I put my suitcase on the bottom bunk and decide to sleep on the top. This was going to be a long trip while staying with these two bitches.
After unpacking the few things I needed, I put my hair in a side braid, put my personalized duel disk in my pocket (My brother gave it to me, he bought it while in some random country, it shrinks so it can fit in my jacket pocket), and start to head to the main hall. I quietly pass Lisa and Camilla, still chatting comfortably and walk down the corridor and turn to go down the stairs. As soon as I turn I bump into someone. Great, for the second time today. But this time, whoever it is catches my arm and steadies me before I can get to the floor.
"Are you alright?" Whoever it is asks, while I'm still looking at the floor, recovering.
"Yeah, sorry, I should be more careful walking round corners." I answer shyly, looking up. It's a boy, I'm guessing older than me, with teal hair parted into three, with the same teal blue eyes, and an expressionless face. He's dressed in the white obelisk blue uniform, unlike most of the boys who dress in the blue-er version.
"No need to worry." He says shortly, still looking at me curiously.
"Thanks, normally I fall to the floor. Sorry again, but I better get going to the tournament welcome." I reply shyly and quietly, and bow my head slightly, then carry on walking down the stairs. I look back and the boy's already gone, leaving a slight tingly feeling in my stomach.
Once seated in the far corner of the main hall, I begin to look over the rest of the students. The duel academy is separated into three sections, Slifer red, ra yellow, and obelisk blue, named after the three legendary dragons. They're quite evenly spread out, no more yellow than red, no more blue than yellow. However, after listening into a few conversations, the obelisk blue dorm have some… difficulties accepting the slifer reds. They're all very competitive, but they still mix together, not separated in their dorms. After 13 minutes of my being there, the hall has filled up and I see Chancellor Shepard going up to the podium in the centre of the room to speak.
"Quiet down students." He starts, and the pupils sit down and stop talking. "It is my honour, to welcome every single one of you to our first duel tournament this year. Welcome, especially to those of you from North, East & South. As you all know, 8 students have been selected from each school to compete in this tournament, however many others have come to watch, and I hope that all of you will be able to get some duelling done during the time of this tournament."
"After saying that, I must introduce you to all the competitors. From duel Academy, Alexis Rhodes, Chazz Prinston, Thomas Vinter, Tracy Irvin, Peter Covac, Bastian Misawa, Mark McNamara, and Jaden Yuki." 8 students, 5 from Obelisk blue, 2 from Ra yellow, and one from Slifer red, stand up and head up to the stage. The one in the red jacket, Jaden Yuki, catches my eye. He has a duel spirit floating next to him! A winged Kuriboh! How unusual!
"From North Academy, Czar, Lucien Grimley, Aliyah Llanwelyn, Kristine Haas…" Rough looking students, wearing a variety of murky browns, greys, and dull colours swagger up to the stage. They all have a tough look on their faces, all have tough builds, and all look extremely egotistic. "From South Academy, Sandy Scheck, Fred Ankler, Buster Carmody…" Another bunch of students walk up, this time all looking laid back in colourful summer clothes, yet with an edge of mystery in the air.
"Unfortunately west academy weren't able to join us this year, but never the less, they will be back fighting next year."
"From East academy, Lisa Purcell, Cleve North, Bartholomew Dickson, Owen Hume, Camilla Wilson, Ronald Brandon, Landon Brescott, and finally our youngest competitor… Azure Roarke." Oh yeah, did I forget to mention? My name's the colour of my hair and my eyes, and some of my clothing I guess. I stand up weakly, walk onto the stage after Landon Brescott, a talented second year and stand absolutely still, finding my eyes glued to the floor.
"Now, I will present the rules! The competitors will be jumbled around, and will face off in the first round. They may be duelling someone from their own school, but it will not matter. After that, they will be jumbled again, and the remaining competitors will face off in round two. Then comes the quarter finals, then the semis, and finally the ultimate final. The winner of the tournament will be crowned the victor of the tournament, and will be put in the book of records here at duel academy. They will be presented the trophy by last years outstanding victor himself, duel academy's own third year obelisk blue, Zane Truesdale!" The crowd applaudes loudly, as I manage to lift my hands for a small clap and look up to see the last victor nervously. And it hits me out of my shell.
It's the boy who I bumped into earlier! The one with the teal hair, the one who for once stopped me from falling. I should have known he was royalty…I mean third year obelisk blue, who could expect less. That's odd, he's just standing there, looking up at the crowd. No waving, no grinning wildly or slicking his hair for the screaming girls calling his name desperately. I stare intrigued into his hard teal eyes, just when he looks straight back at me. I flinch and look away nervously, clapping less loudly and not daring to look up. Yet I can still feel his gaze on my back. As I start to panic and feel faint, I sneak to the back door and slide out the door, invisible, just as I feel him look away.
How could I let this happen? Of course, make a fool of yourself in front of the former victor, and obvious top duellist at duel academy. I take a deep breath and lie back on my top bunk, clearing my head with the peace and quiet as the assembly finishes. Nothing to worry about. Why am I even worrying/ It's not like he could do anything to stop me winning or even competing… that is if I'm good enough. I can't do better than my best, I've always known that.
"I know, right, he's so amazing, remember him last year? Astonishing. I can't wait for the opening dinner tonight, not only do we get to find out my first victim, but we also get to socialise and maybe even flirt with some guys… if you know which ones I'm talking about." Lisa says, I'm guessing to Camilla as I hear them come through the dorm door.
"Definitely. If I know you- which I'm pretty sure I do – that guy won't know what's hit him." Camilla replies.
"Hey! Invisible girl! We know you snuck out of assembly, but we'll do you a favour and not tell. You might want to put on your invisibility coat on before heading to the dinner at 7. Professor Hutton said to dress smartly, as the other kids have uniform." Lisa sneers. I look at her, still not making eye contact and nod subtly.