DRAGOON HIGH
By:
Cordero S.
Hi again. This is the second chapter to my FanFic "Dragoon High". This story puts the characters of The Legend of Dragoon in the hectic environment of high school. As of yet, I have no idea how long it is going to be, so stick with me here. If you have any questions or comment, please e-mail me at smith_. Thank you for your support.
Chapter 2:
As the Day Goes By
As the three teens walked down the hallway together, Dart found himself fascinated with Shana. In the few moments of conversation they shared, Dart felt as if they had known each other forever. She was funny, smart, well-spoken, and extremely easy to talk to. He took an immediate liking to her. Miranda on the other hand was another story. The girl seemed to enjoy interrupting Dart's attempts to get to know Shana. She was short-tempered, pushy, and down right unpleasant to be around. He was beginning to severely dislike the girl (and her cock-blocking ways).
"So, if I may ask, why is a Princess taking Master Tasman's class?" Shana looked up at him smiling. Before she had the chance to speak, Miranda interrupted again.
"The same reason you are," she said. Dart cocked his head, his irritation peaked. He stopped and turned to face the tall redhead.
"Please Miranda, would you elaborate on that for me, if you don't mind," Dart asked, her attitude was finally starting to get to him.
She answered him with a thin humorless smile, "Of course not Dart, I would be more than happy to." Then she took a deep breath, and Dart immediately regretted asking his question.
"The Princess comes from a warrior family. Her father, the late Admiral Irving DeAmos, served as Commander of all Naval Forces in the Mille Seseauen Navy. His family members are all distinguished members in the military, and have served the country many times over. They are national heroes who are highly respected by the citizenry and nobility. Shana's mother, Queen Theresa Nisalis is the heiress to the Nisalis bloodline of Warrior Queens. Every Nisalis lady is trained at birth to be able to defend and lead her homeland in times of need. Every generation of Nisalis is also expected to know how to fight, in order to be able to prove her dominance if her birthright should be challenged by a rival. So, Princess Shana too is being trained in combat. She's a highly skilled Archer and is proficient in the martial arts," Miranda said proudly, staring at Dart. His jaw was slightly ajar, as he took in all of Miranda's impromptu description of Shana's family heritage.
"Wow," was all he managed to say. Miranda seemed pleased with herself, until Dart glanced over at Shana who was blushing heavily. He smiled wickedly and pointed a thumb towards the redhead.
"What do you do, pay this broad to spout out your families' history to everybody?" Miranda's smug expression disappeared as Shana eyed them both nervously. He smiled, silently looking the tall girl over. Her face was so red it almost matched her hair. Shana trembled slightly as she stood between Dart and Miranda who was giving Dart a death glare. He simply smiled at the girl.
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean, you son of a bitch?" Miranda spit vehemently. Dart cocked an eyebrow.
"It means," he began," that I didn't ask you to tell me all about Shana's history. If I wanted to know that I would have asked her. All I wanted to know was why you guys wanted to take Tasman's class. I did not want to know what position Shana's father held in the Navy. I did not want to know that every member of Shana's family were warriors. All I did was ask 'Why are you taking Master Tasman's class? That was it! That was all!" He and Miranda glared at each over Shana's small form as she pushed them away from each other.
"That will be quite enough!" Shana groaned as she separated the two teens. She stared exasperatingly at Miranda, her anger with the girl more than evident. She shoved the girl away from Dart, just far enough for him to not hear their conversation.
----------------
"What is your problem," she angrily whispered. Miranda looked down at her shoes avoiding Shana's eyes.
"That boy is a member of the Prince's Court. Here you are, the First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau, my personal bodyguard, getting into an argument with a Basilian Noble of all people. Is this how you show your respect for my mother?" Miranda immediately looked at Shana her eyes brimming with tears.
"No of course not, Your Highness." Miranda said softly. Shana did not let up her assault on the Sacred Sister.
"We are supposed to be here to represent our people Miranda, and you are acting like an immature child. This morning was understandable, but what you just did is not. You have embarrassed yourself. In fact," Shana lifted her hand and Miranda flinched ever so slightly. Though she took note of it, Shana did not stop as she started counting things off on her fingers, "you embarrassed your other Sisters, you embarrassed our people, you embarrassed our country, you embarrassed my mother," she stopped. Although she tried to hide them, Shana could she a constant stream of tears falling down Miranda's face. Shana reached up and grasped the girls face and lifted it so that they were eye to eye. She spoke tenderly, "And you embarrassed me. Your best friend." Shame and regret flooded Miranda's eyes.
"I'm sorry," she bellowed. Shana smiled, knowing that she was.
"I know, but you cannot keep doing this. You cannot turn every new person you meet into an enemy. Dart is a good guy, and you are ruining your friendship with him before it even starts. Okay?" Miranda nodded her head wiping her tears from her face.
"Now go apologize. And be sincere," she added with chuckle. Miranda smiled and walked over to Dart who had evidently cooled off as well.
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"Sorry I went bitch on you," Miranda said softly. Dart smiled at her.
"Aw, don't worry about it. You just got 'First Day Jitters'. It happens." Miranda smiled at him, surprising Dart with how pretty she was when she wasn't scowling. The first bell sounded then as the last few stragglers ran down the hall towards their classes. Dart groaned and motioned for Shana to come over quickly.
"We need to hurry and get to class. Master Tasman has a strict policy and we are not following it." He turned and began to sprint down the hall, forcing the girls to keep up his pace. Shana couldn't help but be impressed with Dart's running. His feet barely seemed to touch the ground as he ran down the hall. Miranda kept up Dart's pace easy as she gracefully bounded through the halls like a deer. Neither seemed to be running out of breath and were even able to talk about Master Tasman's class.
"So, what is this policy," Miranda asked in between breaths. Dart looked over at her a little smirk on his lips.
"Oh, you're going to love this. 'To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is to get my foot jammed in your ass." He finished with a chuckle. Miranda laughed a little.
"He sounds like a real hard-ass," she said. Dart shook his head.
"No way, Tasman's an icon around here. He's the best in his field. To get his class is small blessing from God." Dart turned a corner with Miranda right on his heels. Shana trailed behind, still in ear shot of the other two.
"Why...do you...say...that," she panted. Dart looked back at her, slowing his pace just a little. He smiled.
"Because his class has a waiting list."
"A waiting list," Miranda asked.
"A huge one, students start applying in the 8th grade just to get in. Most don't. I'm actually a little surprised that a couple of newbies like you two were able to." Dart began to slow down some more once they turned the next corner. He smiled broadly as the two girls stopped beside him. He turned and looked at them.
"We're here," he said taking in a quick relieving breath. And only a minute late, he thought. He gave himself only a moment to gaze up at the two large old wooden doors before he walked towards them. He looked at the two girls as he put his hands on the cold tarnished bronze door handles.
"What?" Both Shana and Miranda stared at the ugly old doors inquisitively. It seemed strange to them that such an important class would have such a distasteful looking entryway.
"Well," Shana chimed, "It's not what I was expecting." Dart smiled.
"Don't let the doors fool you," he chuckled as he wrenched them open. The two girls' squinted as a burst of bright light erupted from behind the double slabs of old wood, blinding them.
"Welcome to Master's Hall," Dart said before walking though the doors. Shana and Miranda followed behind.
*****
"Where is Dart," a curt girl with raven black hair asked Lavitz as she sat down in a seat next to him on his right. The short haired blond looked over at the girl who was staring at him, waiting for a response. He sighed, as he lifted his face from his hands, a thin little smile on his face.
"Hello Rose, my little ray of darkness. How are you today?" The girl cocked an eyebrow at his teasing. Lavitz's smile grew as he saw a hint of humor in the girls' dark blue eyes, though her face still remained impassive. Rosaline Slade (a.k.a Rose), age 16, was a beauty. Her dark hair fell down her shiny alabaster skin adding shadow and mysticism to her gorgeous face. Her blue eyes sparkled dully with wisdom beyond her years. On her fingernails she wore black fingernail polish which glistened in the light. Much like Dart had his headband; Rose wore a silver choker around her neck that she was never seen without which glistened from underneath the collar of her dress shirt and tie.
"Dart is-" Rose said strumming her fingers across the long table they were seated behind. Lavitz chuckled as he answered.
"-Talking to Principal Lee. He might still be in the office."
"Why does Haschel want to talk to him," she wondered. Lavitz shrugged.
"Damned if I-" he stopped talking. His attention had been diverted to something behind Rose. She turned to see what was wrong, and found herself facing a boy who was sitting next to her. He looked at her as if she should have been fawning all over him; a tiny spark of annoyance immediately went off in Rose's mind.
"Excuse me, dude," Lavitz said. The guy turned his attention on Lavitz. "I don't mean to be rude, but all the seats at this table are taken." The boy looked over at Lavitz menacingly.
"So," Lavitz was taken aback by his disrespectful response to such a minor thing as a seat. Rose on the other hand, saw a chance to have some fun.
"So," she said to him, "get your ass up and move." Her low pert voice somehow resonated through Master's Hall, causing everyone to look at them. The boy, realizing he was at the center of attention, tried to make a spectacle of the argument. He jumped up, thrusting his hands up as if accepting challenges.
"Or else what? You gonna to make me bitch," he asked loudly. There was a unified collective of "ohh's" emanating throughout the Hall. Lavitz had recovered from his surprise of the boys' attitude and had become thoroughly pissed with the boy's disregard of his friend.
"No, she won't," he stood as well and faced the boy, "But I will." Lavitz's balled his fist as the boy shivered in mock fear. Rose grabbed her friend's hand. Lavitz looked down at her, a thin little smile on her face and an evil glint in her eye that immediately made Lavitz realize she had something planned.
"Sit down," the words were chillingly cold and equally frightening. Lavitz slowly sat down, not breaking eye contact with the asshole in front of him. The boy laughed.
"You see that, big bad Lavitz Slambert takes orders from a bitch. I guess all the balls in your family died with your old man, huh," he laughed even harder while no one else did. Lavitz turned beet red. Rose stood, her thin smile still plastered on her face. The boy looked at her, smirking.
"What?" Rose's smile suddenly disappeared and was replaced with the scariest expression ever seen on the face of a human being. The boy's smirk receded as he began to understand the massive mistake he had only seconds ago made. What ensued after that was the greatest (albeit the shortest) ass whooping ever seen in R.B.A history. So amazing was this ass kicking, that it is impossible to even write a description of it. So spectacular was this assault, that it remains legendary to all those who attend R.B.A. even today. After it was over the boy was laying on the floor, gripping what was left of his manhood, blood spewing forth from his nose and mouth, and crying like a child. Rose stood over him panting, a content look on her face. Lavitz had doubled over and collapsed from laughing so hard, as most of the class had as well.
Rose bent down until she was eye to eye with the boy. He squirmed as stared into cold blue eyes.
"Well, who's the 'bitch' now," the boy whimpered like a dog as everyone stared. "I hope you learned a valuable lesson today," Rose said to the boy on the ground, "When someone tells you to move...MOVE!" And with that Rose viciously kicked the already injured boy in the ribs. Rose smiled thinly.
"Now, go sit where you did last year, just like everyone else has. Go on, remove yourself," Rose said pointing towards the third long table on the far right side of the Hall. The kid slowly crawled away, as everyone pointed and laughed at him as he went to his seat. Rose sat back down next to Lavitz. He stared at her with a small smirk on his face. She glanced over at him.
"What," she asked. His smirk grew.
"You know," he finally said after a moment, "You are evil!" Rose thought about that for a moment then smiled nastily.
"Only a little," Lavitz laughed and Rose chuckled softly. The two teens talked to each other as the seats in the room quickly filled. The last few stranglers rushed in class and took their seats. Lavitz looked down at his watch. The hands on its face read 8:20. Dart was now officially tardy to Master Tasman's class on the first day of school. The instructor was not going to be happy about that. At the same time this was happening, the door to Master Tasman's office opened and out walked the man himself.
Master Tasman was an amazing man. Wearing a gray suit with a gold silk suit vest with matching gold silk tie, Master Tasman looked younger than the 42 years he really was. Under the lines of his clothes you could see his bulging muscles, which took years of hard conditioning to create. His graying auburn hair flowed wildly down to his shoulders; his short beard carried with it a single gray strip under his lip. Everyone became silent as he walked to the front of the class to begin his lesson.
He looked around the class, searching the faces of his students, identifying them. As he got to the center of the room, his eyes landed directly on the three empty seats next to Rose, one of which usually housed Dart's butt. Tasman instantly zeroed in on it. Lavitz and Rose looked at each other, already aware what was about to happen. Sure enough, it did. Master Tasman cleared his throat, then looked back up at Lavitz and Rose.
"Slambert, Slade stand up," the tall man ordered in his deep voice. The two stood instantly. He looked at them both.
"Where is Feld," there was a slight tone of exasperation in his voice.
"He went to the Principal's office, sir," Lavitz spoke up quickly. Tasman looked at him sharply, then turned his gaze towards Rose, who wasn't frazzled in the least.
"Is this true Slade?" Rose nodded.
"Yes, as far as I know." He nodded then motioned for them both to sit back down. Lavitz sighed heavily as he did so, glad to return his ass to its rightful place. Rose didn't seem to care as she indifferently yawned her way back into her seat. Master Tasman looked back in the general direction of the class.
"Well then, with the exception of our late student, I trust everyone who is supposed to be in this class is here," he waited for a moment before he continued.
"Good. Then for those of you who do not know me my name is-" At that moment, the doors to the Master's Hall were flung open. Everyone turned in their seats and looked up at the doors to see who could possibly be entering.
*****
Shana and Miranda both gasped in awe as they entered the Master's Hall. Behind the old, splintered wooden doors and tarnished brass handles was the one of the largest and most spectacularly beautiful rooms either had ever been in. Along the front and side walls of the Hall were beautiful paintings of epic battles that happened long ago in Serdian history. The paintings were so well done that it seemed as though the portraits were moving, actually fighting the battles that they were supposed to be portraying.
If at all possible, the ceiling of the Hall was even more beautiful than the walls. Up above, etched into the dome shaped, marble ceiling were two massive carvings. One was of the united Serdian Crest, the other was the Basilian Crest; both in made of gold and shimmered brilliantly in the bright light. Surrounding each of the crest were images of the many weapon skills employed by the Basilian Army. These were so skillfully cut into the marble that at first glance, a person would have thought they were already in the marble when it was taken out of the quarry.
Back on the ground, surrounding the three marble staircases were some of the most amazing statues ever carved. Each of the statues were cut with absolute life-like precision, all of which were devoted to the many heroes of Serdio. The spectacular carvings were all in some pose or another, standing as though at any moment, they would come to life and walk amongst the students. To give the marble show pieces an even greater edge, each one was adorned in the same armor and weapons the ones whose images they bore carried with them in life, refurbished and polished till they glistened in the light of the many torches that illuminated the Hall.
Down the three winding staircases, were dozens of long tables, behind which a number of eyes stared at the teens as they entered. The bases of the tables were made of the same marble that the floors and ceiling was made of. The table tops were made of aged mahogany wood. It was quite surprising that in all the years the hall had been in its place, no one had tarnished the beauty of the wood by carving their names or sticking gum under the tables. It showed how much the students respected the environment that they had found themselves in.
Down the dozens of rows, was a podium, behind which stood a very stern looking man with auburn hair, a graying beard and wearing a silver suit and matching gold dress shirt and tie. He stared up at Dart and the girls as they descended down the cascading stairs lightly rapping his fingers across the stand.
"Feld," he said shortly, "Front and center, now." Dart doubled his pace as he ran down the stairs towards the instructor. As Shana and Miranda followed behind, the teacher raised his hand motioning for them to stop.
"I called for Feld, not you two. Stay where you are until I ask for you to come forward," he commanded. Shana immediately caught a hint of Miranda's anger surging out. Just as the girl opened her mouth to yell at the old man, Shana stepped on her foot, silencing her before she got them into even more trouble.
*****
As he ran down the stairs towards Master Tasman, the only thought rushing around in Dart's head was, this is the worst fucking first day of school ever! He stared straight ahead as he descended into the "Pit" as everyone called it. He realized that he was fast approaching the row that he usually sat in. Sitting in his seat by the aisle was Lavitz with a look on his face that seemed to say, "You fucked up royally today my friend." Next to him was the raven haired beauty Rose, who had a smug look on her face. When he sat down he knew he was really going to have to get into both of them, assuming Tasman didn't make him scrub and polish the armor on the 117 statues surrounding the Hall. As he got closer to them, Dart quickly yanked off his backpack and threw it over to Lavitz, who passed it to Rose, who sat it in the empty chair next to her.
After another three seconds of running, Dart found himself face to face with the fierce Master Tasman. They stood in the front of the class, staring each other in the eyes for a few seconds. It was silent, as the class waited in anticipation for what punishment would be inflicted on the tall blond. Master Tasman spoke first.
"Mr. Feld what time is it," he asked already knowing the answer. Dart quickly looked down at his time piece, then looked Tasman back in his eyes.
"It is exactly 8:22 a.m sir," Dart answered. Tasman nodded his head, his gaze never leaving Dart's face.
"By what time do I ask that all my students to be in class," he asked. Dart groaned little before he answered.
"8:20 a.m. sir." Master Tasman nodded again, then moved around from behind his podium. He walked toward the front row and stood in front of them before he turned to Dart, who had his back to him.
"Well, since you obviously know what time you should be in class, would you please tell me why you are late," he asked though he already knew the answer. Dart spoke loud enough for Tasman and the class to hear.
"I was in Principal Lee's office, sir."
"For what reason, Feld," Tasman asked, his thoughts immediately centering on the two girls who walked in with the blond. For merely a moment Dart hesitated on his answer before he spoke again.
"I was asked to escort Princess Shana Nisalis and Sister Miranda Stokehaven of Mille Seseau to their classes for the week, sir," inwardly Dart groaned at his response. He knew that there was no point in trying to hide the identities of the girls' since Isha was probably going to spread it around anyway, but he still would have preferred having them introduce themselves. Though he could not see it, he heard the sound of many heads turning to face the two girls in the back of the room. His face turned red as he unwittingly embarrassed his two new friends. He turned his head slightly, just enough to see his instructor's face. There was no expression on his face, while internally the gears in his brain turned. So it is true. He continued on Dart.
"I trust you have a pass." Dart reached into his pocket and tried to fish out his pass. Dart sighed before he set the pass on Tasman's podium. Tasman looked at it before he spoke again.
"You can take your seat, Feld." After hearing those words, Dart turned, quickly bowed, then sprinted to his seat. While he ran up the flights of stairs, he heard Master Tasman's voice below him.
"Ladies, please come forward."
*****
Shana and Miranda looked at each other as they realized that Master Tasman was talking to them. They quickly rushed toward him not knowing exactly what to expect from the older man. From what Shana could see, the man was fierce, and she found herself a little intimidated by him. Miranda too felt a little anxious about the meeting. She hadn't met anyone who had could make a student scared by just looking at them. The mere thought of it made almost her want to rethink her "badassousity".
The two girls' averted the stares of their new classmates while they made their descent towards the stern looking man below. Shana was soon nearing the row where Dart was sitting. As she passed him the two made eye contact and Dart smile at her reassuringly. She felt herself relax a little that is until she looked at the black haired girl who sat next to him. She stared coldly at Shana, her dark blue eyes boring deep into Shana's soul. A chill went down her spine as she quickly turned her head back towards Master Tasman. Something about that girl scared Shana to death, and she hoped never to find out what that something was.
The girls finally made their way to Master Tasman, his annoyance of them evident by the expression on his face. He looked at the two of them shortly before speaking.
"Alright ladies", he said gruffly," My name is Artemidor Tasman, better known as Master Tasman. And that is what I am." His eyes were sharp as daggers as he stared at the girls in front of him.
"I am a master of 17 different forms of martial arts, a master swordsman, a Level 7 Magician, and the founder of the Golden Hearts Mercenary Group. I have fought in hundreds of wars in places that you two have never even heard of," there was a hint of displeasure in his voice as he spoke to the girls. He stared at them with a mixture of annoyance and disgust.
"I have personally trained hundreds of the finest soldiers and knights this planet has ever seen people who earned their right to train under me." Miranda's eyes bulged slightly after this statement. This time Shana wasn't able to hold her tongue.
"So what, you mean to say we're not worthy to be taught by you?" Master Tasman walked up quickly to the fiery redhead, who buckled under his furious stare. He spoke slowly like he was speaking to a child.
"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying." He stared coldly into her eyes as he towered over her. Miranda suddenly felt very small as she stared up at the man fearfully.
"Just checking," Miranda squeaked as she gulped down the bile that had risen into her throat. Tasman withdrew himself from in front of her. He then turned his back to both of them as he went on, the class listening silently.
"Under normal circumstances it takes a student three years to even be considered to be a part of my class. I am highly selective of my students and only chose the cream of the crop. Which is why I have a problem with you two," he turned back to face Shana and Miranda, both of whom were red with embarrassment.
"I didn't chose to have either of you to be in this class," the irritation he felt was obvious in his voice, "You two were forced on me by the administration, something that I do not appreciate." He stared at the two nerve-racked girls for a long moment, then he looked at the class positioned behind him.
"Slambert, weapons shed," he yelled out. Both Shana and Miranda watched as a stocky, short haired, blond boy ran down the stair case towards a door on the opposite side of Master Tasman's office. A moment later, the tall blond emerged from the shed carrying a large rack of weapons. He pushed the rack to Master Tasman stopping beside the stern teacher. Lavitz bowed, then returned to his seat. Tasman turned his back to the girls once again, then walked to the back of the room and placed his hand on the marble wall. Before Shana and Miranda's eyes, the wall opened up to reveal a massive training area. The room was unbelievable to say the least.
Within it lied a full Olympic sized track, state of the art work out equipment, a sparring mat, a magic training center, and what appeared to be a shotting range. The girls gaped at the expansive space in front of them, not sure what was happening. Tasman turned back to the two of them, his face now void of emotion.
"In order to make space for the two of you, I had to get rid of two other students. Good students who had worked hard for their place in this class." He pointed over to the weapon rack, his eyes never looking away from the girls'.
"I understand that the two of you are apparently archers. Pick your bow, and grab 5 arrows, then approach the shooting range." Shana and Miranda hastily did as they were told, awaiting Master Tasman's next order. He walked up behind them and spoke again.
"Alright, here's the deal girl's," he said briskly, "There are 5 targets in front of each of you. If you look real closely, you'll notice that my targets aren't like the one's you're used to." Shana and Miranda squinted their eyes, as they looked at the targets. They were surprised to see that within the small red spot known as the bull's eye, there was an even smaller black spot in the center of the bull's eye.
"That ladies, is simply called "The Mark". It's how I test the skill of my archers. To hit the dead center of that spot means that you are one hell of an archer." He stared at them, then move to his podium. He pressed a button and the targets that were just in front of the two girls began to move, stopping at multiple distances the last one at 15 yards (Yeah, the training area is that huge).
"Since I haven't had the chance to assess your skills, I have no choice but to test you now. If I am not satisfied in your abilities, I'll be removing you two from my class."
"Master Tasman, that hardly seems fairs." Everyone looked back, to see Dart standing. His face was deeply serious as he stared down at his mentor. Tasman stared back up at him.
"When is combat ever fair, Dart?"
"That's hardly the point, sir. It's not right forcing such a situation onto them. It wasn't their fault that the school removed Dante and Verelo from the class. You shouldn't punish them for that." Tasman smiled. This was one reason why he liked Dart. The boy didn't mind standing up for what he believed in.
"True, but I can't determine where I'm to start with them if I don't test them. Now can I?"
"But-"
"Its alright Dart." Shana said. Tasman turned to face her, interested in what she had to say.
"If Master Tasman thinks this is necessary, then we are not going to complain. Right Miranda?" The tall red head smiled.
"Of course not. Its not in my nature to back down from a challenge." Tasman glanced back at Dart.
"Satisfied?" Dart looked at the two girls worriedly then sat back down. Tasman returned his attention to the two foreigners, and gave them their instructions.
"Okay," He started, "I want arrows in the dead center of all of those targets...You have 10 seconds," He looked at his watch, "Starting now. GO!"
Immediately, Shana and Miranda assumed the customary archer's pose, and began to fire their arrows. The room was quiet as the two young noble women fired off a series of shots so fast and so precise, you could almost see the arrows cut through the air as they hit their marks. 6 seconds later, the two girls lowered their bows and turned to face their instructor and the rest of the class. Everyone's faces (including Master Tasman's) were masks of surprise and amazement from the spectacle they had just witnessed. In the entire history of the class, only three people had ever been able to hit the black "Marks" on the targets...Shana and Miranda had just become the second and third ones to do it. For a moment, no one spoke as they all tried to process what they had just seen. Master Tasman was the first to recover.
"All right then. Nasalis, Stokehaven, welcome to the class. I believe there are two seats available next to Feld. Take them, they belong to you now." The class cheered as they welcomed their two new classmates. Shana blushed a deep scarlet from all the attention, while Miranda just shrugged her shoulders and began to walk towards her seat. Shana followed suit. She smiled as she sat next to Dart, who beamed with glee at the thought that he'd be spending more time with her.
"Oh right," he said, "Let me introduce you guys to some of my friends. This is Sir Lavitz Slambert. He's also in Albert's Court." he pointed to the stocky guy who brought out the weapons. He smiled brightly and held out his hand.
"Hey, nice to meet you." Shana smiled back at him and shook his hand. Miranda did the same though she didn't actually smile.
"And this," he pointed to the raven haired girl next to him, "Is Rose Slade."
"Hello," she said curtly. Shana said "hi" back, though the dark haired girl still intimidated her for some reason. Miranda, on the other hand, ignored her completely and continued to speak to Lavitz.
"Slambert? That name sounds familiar..." Lavitz chuckled.
"Does Servi Slambert mean anything to you?"
"Yeah, I have one of his books The Articles of Service. Are you related to him?" She asked.
"He was my father."
"Oh, what an honor!" She exclaimed.
"It's an honor to be the son of a man who was stabbed in the back by one of his own men at his peak? That's a pretty stupid thing to say...Then again," Rose said looking Miranda over, "You don't look all that smart anyway." Dart smacked his forehead in disbelief. Lavitz groaned as he tried to hide his face behind a book. Shana looked carefully over at Miranda, whose face showcased her obvious annoyance with the dark eyed girl.
"Well, pardon me Miss 'My life is so shitty I have to put other people down in order to make myself feel good' for thinking being the son of a man who brought chivalry into the modern age was an honor. I'm so depressed! Maybe I should paint my fingernails black, put on some dark eye shadow, cut myself in order to bleed out the pain in my life, and cry myself to sleep tonight? Perhaps you could help me out with that?"
"Or maybe I can just find you a nice little lesbo for you to clam dive on? Maybe having a face full of pubes will help what's left of your poor brain cells function properly...Oh wait, hold on," Rose pulled out her black skull covered Razr cell phone, opened it and put it to hear ear, "Hello? Oh, what's that? Really? You don't say? Oh, that's horrible. Yeah, I'll let her know. Okay, bye." She hung up her phone and glanced over at Miranda. There was an expression of mock sadness on her face as she spoke.
"Sorry, looks like that won't work. Your last brain cell just committed suicide. Said it couldn't stand living in the head of some dumb bitch any longer. Sorry. Actually.......No I'm not." There was silence in the group. Dart was shaking his head as he wondered whether the universe decided that today was "Fuck Dart In The Ass Day" and forgot to tell him about it. He looked over at Miranda, who appeared ready to shoot back a retort to Rose's latest assault. Dart held his arms out between them.
"No. We're done with this. Now. We clear?" He looked back and forth between Rose and Miranda. They glared at each other for a moment, then turned and faced front. Lavitz sighed.
"It's gonna be one hell of a school year," Lavitz said as he opened his notebook, and started taking notes for Master Tasman's first lecture of the year. The others did the same and all was quiet. For the rest of class, neither Rose nor Miranda uttered so much a syllable.
*****
"Alright! For homework, I want you all to memorize the Decadrie Doctorine! I'll be randomly calling people out to recite it, and you don't want to know what I'll do to you if you don't know it," Master Tasman yelled over the ringing of the period bell, "Class is over! I'll see you all on Monday! Nasalis, Stokehaven; front and center please."
Dart and the others look down at Master Tasman for a moment before heading down to the front of the class. He looked over at the two girls.
"We'll meet you outside, in a sec." The two nodded and started down the stairs. The three other teens walked out of class and waited by the door.
"What the hell does Tassy want with them now?" Lavitz asked.
"I don't know, maybe he wanted to tell Shana that she has shitty taste in bodyguards." Rose said softly. Lavitz chuckled while Dart looked at her with disdain.
"What the hell was that all about any way? You just meet Miranda and you're already at her throat." Rose thought for a moment, searching for a proper answer.
"I don't like her hair." Dart and Lavitz stared at her, not sure what to say.
"Her.....Hair? You don't like her hair? That's it?" Dart said.
"That's sick." Lavitz shook his head. Rose shrugged.
"As for her, I don't know what her problem with me is."
"Maybe it was your 'lesbo clam diver' comment? You think that may have done it sweetheart?" Lavitz said angrily.
"Who's a lesbo clam diver?" The group turned to see Albert and Kongol standing behind them. Dart chuckled as he began to tell them the story of how Rose made a new enemy. While Kongol had doubled over with laughter, Albert looked absolutely horrified.
"You said this in front of the Princess of a country who cooperation we need?! What the fuck Rose?" Rose shuffled uncomfortably on her feet.
"Rose for the love of the sky, you know what's been happening around here. We're nearly at a state of war right now and having the Mille Seseau military as an ally could deter that. Please, for me, don't start a major geopolitical catastrophe...Okay?" Rose, stared at him and sighed.
"Fine. But that bitch better not annoy me." Albert stared at her exasperatingly.
"Everyone annoys you Rose."
"Yeah and that's their faults." Dart chuckled while Albert raised his hands in exasperation.
"Just don't make me have to go to war with two countries instead of one, huh?" Rose smiled softly.
"Now that's a deal." She held out her hand and Albert begrudgingly shook it. Kongol walked up to them and rested his massive arms on their shoulders.
"Aw, now we're one big happy family again." The doors to the Hall opened and out stepped Shana and Miranda. Rose and Miranda stared at each other heatedly for a few seconds then Rose walked away. Miranda scoffed. Dart looked at Albert and Kongol and then turned his attention to Shana.
"Right. I should introduce you now. Princess, Miranda, this is Kongol," Kongol smiled and waved. Dart turned his attention to Albert. "And this is Prince Albert, the ruler of our country." Albert smiled as he walked over to Shana.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Shana smiled and was about to bow before Albert stopped her.
"Please, don't. It's not like we're at some formal dinner or anything. We're in school. Relax!" He said with a laugh. As he laughed, Miranda's face began to glow a soft red. At that moment, Albert's attention turned towards her. She blushed even deeper as Albert began to talk to her.
"I'm sorry. I hope it didn't seem like I was ignoring you. I'm Prince Albert, but you can call me Albert or Al. Your name is Miranda right?" She nodded clumsily. Albert smiled brightly at her. Good Gods he's gorgeous Miranda thought. He looked over at Rose who stood skulking up against a wall.
"I hope you she didn't upset you too much. Rose has a very....unique personality. She can be a bit of a handful but once you get to know she's not so bad." Miranda just blushed and smiled.
"Good lord Albert! I think you broke the poor girl." Kongol said loudly. Miranda fell out of her trance at once and shifted uncomfortably on her feet.
"I'm just fine thank you!" she said. Shana looked at her and smiled.
"Aw, Miranda! I've never seen you look so cute before! If we keep this up, I might actually be able to see you in a dress before I turn 90!" Everyone (including Rose) laughed. Miranda pouted and walked away, choosing to lean against the wall opposite Rose. They stared at each other for a long moment, until Miranda looked down at her feet. She beamed as she stared at Rose's boots.
"Are those Mad Madison Dead Enders?" Rose looked at her in surprise.
"Yeah, they're vintage versions from the 90's though. I don't much care for her newer designs." Miranda nodded.
"The new designs are way too mainstream and poppy. I was done with those when I found out she made Avril Lavigne a pair of originals. I was like 'What the fuck? Didn't you say you hated people like that poser a couple years back?" Rose beamed.
"That's exactly what the hell I said! Ever since then, I only buy my Mad Maddy's from thrift stores. At least that way, the bitch doesn't get any of money." Miranda nodded in agreement.
"Amen to that." Rose smiled, and the two continued to talk about underground fashion crazes. Dart, Lavitz and Shana stared at them in confusion.
"Weren't they just angry at each other like two seconds ago?" Shana questioned. Kongol smiled and laughed heartily.
"That's the thing about women, you people start talking about fashion and you and your worst enemies are now best friends." Rose and Miranda burst into laughter. Dart shook his head and turned towards Kongol.
"Speaking of friends, what are you two waiting here for?" Albert chuckled.
"Oh, we have Tasman next. You guys just got out right?"
"Yeah, and we should be heading to our next class. Right Darty?" Lavitz prodded. Dart caught what he was trying to say in an instant. "TAKE THE PRETTY PRINCESS TO HER NEXT CLASS YOU DOUCHE!!!" Dart smiled at him and Lavitz winked back at him.
"Yeah, I have to escort Shana and Miranda to their next class. Sorry guys." Albert nodded as Kongol moved so that the three could squeeze through. Rose and Miranda watched them as they walked towards them. Almost simultaneously they pushed off their respective walls and began to walk behind their friends. Albert called after them.
"Oh, before I forget. Shana, Miranda you guys eating with anyone at lunch?" Shana and Miranda looked at each other and shook their heads no
"Then eat with us! Lunch is after fourth hour. You'll get to meet Meru!" Kongol said. Rose sighed.
"We're trying to be their friends Kong, not scare them away with terrorist tactics. Meeting Meru should be the last thing they should get excited about." The tall giant pouted at Rose, who smiled softly at him, before turning her attention towards to two new girls.
"You guys should eat with us. Lunch is hectic as all hell. You'll need to be around people like us who know what they're doing." Rose said in a tactical manner.
"Yeah, we'll be able to get to know you guys better. Plus you don't want to get stuck eating with the cheerleaders" Lavtiz added. Shana and Miranda watched as all the others cringed at the thought. She didn't know why it was bad to eat with the cheerleaders, but she figured she'd learn later. She looked at Miranda who shrugged.
"They seem like good people," was her response which was the closest thing to an outright "Let's do it!" as Shana was going to get out of the girl.
"I'd really like it if you guys joined us," Dart said. Shana stared at him as he gave her one of his patented charming smiles. She sighed.
"Okay, we'll join you guys! Happy?" The group laughed as Albert and Kongol walked into to the Hall.
"See you in a two or so hours."Albert waved back.
"Later guys," Kongol said as he followed behind Albert. Dart and his group walked on towards the main hallway. After looking at their schedules, Rose and Lavitz walked away as they headed for their next class on the eastern side of the school. Dart, Shana, and Miranda head north towards their next class "Curative Magics". As they walked and talked Dart asked about why Master Tasman wanted talk to them.
"Oh," Shana gasped forgetting all about the conversation she had with Tasman, "Master Tasman wanted me to ask you about something called 'Y.H.G' and joining it." Dart's face was a mixture of surprise and joy.
"It's a student organization here at the school. It's supposed to better prepare kids who want to have a career in combat. We're kinda like a sports team, we go to tournaments and all that, but we also get the chance to get ourselves hired by highly important companies or groups early in our lives. I'm the president of the organization. And I'm pretty sure Tasman isn't asking you guys to join, he was telling you that you are joining. He probably already has you on the members list." They stared at him in confusion. Dart smiled, "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice...Welcome to the Young Heroes Guild. Our first meeting is after school today. You'll be there."
For the first time, Shana had a chance to see what the warrior Dart may have looked like. His pupils had somehow transformed and became long and sharp like snakes. His demeanor, his footing, the way that he was moving was totally different from his normal personality. Even his smile, which had earlier seemed warm and inviting, had become fierce and intimidating. Miranda had subtly moved in front of Shana, though she herself had found her heart beating uncontrollably. I think I'm afraid of Dart she realized. Dart's grin widened.
"I can assure you both of that much," his voice had become chillingly cold. As suddenly as this new side of Dart appeared, he blinked his eyes and he was back to his old self. He turned away from them and began to walk away.
"Well come on guys. I need to get you both to your class before the next bell rings. I don't want you guys being late twice on the first day. Let's go." And with that, the three walked on, continuing on with their education.
********
End of Chapter 2