Chapter Nine
The morning air is cool, and my breaths form mist with each exhale. Warm, prickling sunlight blankets the academy's courtyard, keeping the cool air from becoming biting, especially under the thin workout clothes we wear. Our sub-level loiters near the fountain, divided into our two respective cliques as we wait for Fairfax.
My neck and back ache from sleeping in such an odd position, amplifying the soreness of my shoulder. I rub at my neck anyway, trying to work out the knots as I suppress a yawn.
"You okay, Aria?" Alex asks, the morning light making his long blond hair shine. "You look more pale than usual. No offense."
"None taken," I say tiredly with a small shrug. "I must of slept weird or something, that's all."
"Nightmare, huh?" he says, looking pensively at the sun. "Yeah, I've had a few of those recently too."
"I bet I could come up with a potion to help with that," Xander ponders aloud, scratching his hair thoughtfully.
I frown at him from where I stand. Something looks off about him, or at least different. Sure he has a few more bruises, but something else looks odd.
"Finally notice, did you?" Molly whispers from next to me, her voice teasing.
"Didn't his hair used to have green tips?" I ask her in quiet realization, as Alex inquires about Xander's potion idea. "When did it become just white?"
"I told him the green looked weird yesterday," Molly giggles. "Oddly enough, it was gone this morning."
"Gee, I wonder if he likes you," I tease.
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Molly says, composing herself with a determined look in her eyes.
"Asking him directly?" I whisper, surprised.
"Continued testing," she answers, flipping some long blond hair behind her shoulder.
"Don't you mean teasing?" I ask pointedly, and she looks at me with an amused look.
"One and the same, my dear Aria," she says with a wink, and I let out a short giggle.
Xander's attention shifts to us, his green eyes looking between the two of us curiously. He opens his mouth to say something, but the sound of a door opening and armored footsteps interrupts him, and I turn to look.
Fairfax walks out from the shadows of the Academy's entrance, armor clad as always. Something about his demeanor seems off to me, like he's more tense than usual. He approaches our group, but instead of stopping, he walks past us without a word.
"Follow me," he says curtly, waving for us to follow.
It's not a request, and I find myself walking directly behind him, the footsteps of my classmates behind me. We walk down the main road, and I see a flurry of activity from the military's section of the compound on my right. Tents are now sprawled out haphazardly among the permanent brick buildings, and soldiers train in the empty areas. We turn onto a dirt path to our left, and we leave behind the chaotic noise of the soldiers, heading straight towards the forest.
It looks a lot less threatening than it did two nights ago. A note under my door had told me not to come last night. Maybe Fairfax thought I needed time to heal with my shoulder. Or maybe it has something to do with how tense he is today.
"Listen up," Fairfax says, his monotone voice ringing through the air. "It has been decided to accelerate your group's training to the next phase in an effort to catch you up to the other floors. Because of this, today will be a free day after I show you the new training exercise you will be doing every morning starting today."
Something in Fairfax's voice sounds, I don't know, reserved, maybe? Whatever it is, it gives me goosebumps. I doubt anyone else notices, but something's bothering him. I look around warily, but I only see a few soldiers jogging on some different paths. Maybe it has something to do with our training being "accelerated."
"Phase two is going to have a similar schedule to phase one," Fairfax continues as we draw closer to the forest. "You will start out the morning with breakfast. Afterwards, you will have from nine until noon to run five miles in this forest. Pace yourselves accordingly. After lunch, there will be three hours of training with Dumont and then two with me. The duels will take place afterwards."
Excitement floods through me, and I fight down a smile as the wariness fades. Fairfax may be tense about something, but worrying about what it is now is going to do nothing for me. Besides, whatever it is, he'll handle it. I let myself relax and look forward to being able to run. It certainly has been awhile.
We reach a small clearing where the forest opens up, the path we stand on splitting to the left and right through the woods, and Fairfax comes to a sudden stop. I take a step slightly to the right, peeking from behind Fairfax, and my eyes widen. Our group stands almost perfectly still, and I feel the tension come back.
Almost twenty students lay in the clearing wearing the same lightweight workout clothes we have on. Almost all have discarded their jackets, leaving them in their thin, sleeveless shirts. They lay gasping for breath, sweat dripping down their brows and staining their clothes. A man wearing a loose black robe with a red swirls watches them, but upon seeing our approach, he walks over to us, clapping his hands slowly. He stops a few feet from Fairfax and lets his hands fall to his sides.
"Oh my," the robed figure says with pantomimed surprise. "I didn't realize the third level had made it this far already. Looks like I'll have to start them running their ten miles earlier. I guess a mile every ten minutes is a little much for them after all, even if they couldn't stop for water."
Fairfax makes no response to the man's cold voice except to place his hand on the pommel of his sword, tapping it with his fingers lightly.
"Oh, lighten up," the man laughs, almost hysterically. "You may think my methods are harsh, but we'll see which level succeeds in the end, won't we?"
The teacher starts walking forward, almost brushing past Fairfax, but he stops when he's in line with him, and his hood tilts in my direction. I keep my eyes on the ground, not looking at him, but the intensity behind his gaze makes my heart stutter.
"Nice pet," he says with an amused chuckle, a few snickers joining in from behind me, and I feel my face get warm. I expect Fairfax to do nothing, so I do the same, forcing myself to ignore the anger.
Fairfax's hand shifts to his sword and pulls it microscopically out of its sheath. The tension rises, and no one moves. The teacher's hood shifts back so he's looking forward, and he continues walking, letting out a crazed, high pitched laugh once he's a few steps away. He throws his hand up in a wave, never glancing back, and leaves. Fairfax doesn't move for a few seconds, but his hand slips from his sword.
"There are water stations manned by soldiers throughout the forest every half mile," Fairfax says slowly, his voice controlled but still monotone. "You are allowed to use them. If any of you don't have a weapon at the academy, come see me sometime today. We'll be training with them tomorrow. That is all."
He turns around and walks back toward the academy, leaving us in the clearing with the exhausted students. By now, some of them have started to stand and help others up, while others work their way back to the academy alone. None of them give us more than a glance as they go.
Edward, Elizabeth, Cody, and Jackson stride in front of our group and take the path leading to the right, walking slowly into the forest. The rest of us stand still, looking at each other in surprise.
"Didn't think I'd ever say this," Alex says, looking at the half-dead students around us. "But I'm really glad the Captain is in charge of our level."
"I concur," Xander says raspily.
"Ten miles with no water," Seth says solemnly, and I see him clench his hands into fists.
"And doing a mile on rough terrain that fast?" Alex says, shaking his head. "I'm surprised they can handle that much. I guess that shows just how far ahead of us they are, though."
Silence settles on us as a group of two dragging a passed out third person walks by, their ragged gasps for air still quick and desperate.
"We might want to get going," Xander says timidly after another few seconds. "I guess we'll meet up at lunch, then?"
"Yeah," Alex says, nodding a little too quickly. "Let's go at our own paces. We can hang out later."
Xander begins jogging into the forest, and the others follow, some already noticeably faster than the others. I let them pass, and I slowly stretch out my arms. They may be fine running right away, but I'm used to doing a few warm up stretches. I do my best to ignore the stares and glares of the students around me. They seem content enough to leave me alone though. That, or they're just too tired to care.
As I move to stretch out my legs, I notice Molly standing behind me, and I realize she hadn't jogged ahead with the others. She stands still as a statue, her blue eyes wide and mouth open in surprise. She stares at one of the students walking towards the two of us, and her mouth moves but she makes no sound. I follow her gaze to the student.
The girl is skinny, with medium length black hair kept back with a brown hair band. She has a soft face that makes her look more cute or pretty than beautiful, but her sky blue eyes have a sense of intelligence in them, and she has a smile on her face. She almost passes by Molly and I, but her eyes flick up briefly, and when she sees Molly, she freezes in place, still smiling.
"Molly?" the girl says in a soft, confused voice.
The girl's legs wobble, and she begins to fall, but Molly grabs her and gently lowers her to her knees, dropping down with her. I look to the forest, but the others have already disappeared into it. Leaving Molly alone might not be a good idea, so I decide to stay, awkwardly standing off to the side as the the girl lets out a laugh full of mirth from where she sits.
"I can't believe I've gotten to see you already," the girl says, clapping her hands together in happiness. "Talk about luck!"
"Y-yeah," Molly says, still shocked. "It's been awhile."
Molly's helps the girl back to her feet carefully, and looks around with glazed over eyes. Molly seems to finally notice me, and her eyes sharpen up as she grins widely.
"Aria!" Molly says, letting out a little laugh. "This is the friend I was telling you about! You know, the one who always took me out shopping? This is her!"
"Her has a name, you know," the girl says, her gaze wandering over towards me, "which is Anna, by the way. Well, my friends call me Ann, and any friend of Molly is a friend of mine. So call me Ann. Well, if you want."
Ann looks at me for a few seconds with a wide smile, and then she tilts her head, scrunching her eyebrows in confusion.
"Am I hallucinating, or are you actually Ionian?" she asks, pinching herself a few times. "I mean I know we're in Ionia, but, well... you know... don't you?"
"You're not hallucinating," I say, lightly smiling. "My name's Aria. It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," she says, grinning even wider.
The rest of the exhausted students are standing up by now, lurching their way back to the academy. One of them opens his mouth to speak but only coughs. He manages to motion at Ann to come with after a few painful attempts. Ann looks around at everyone with a distraught expression before stamping her feet in weak frustration, giving Molly and me a disappointed look.
"Awww! I can't believe I'm doing this, but I really have to get going. Let's talk some other time, alright? I'll come find you when sometime when our instructor isn't looking. Promise!"
Ann hurries off, waving to us as she wobbles away. Molly stares after her wistfully for a few seconds, biting the bottom of her lip. It must be hard for Molly to know Ann has such a tough teacher, even if she did seem to be coping well enough.
"She's quite the character, huh?" I say, and Molly nods slowly.
"Yeah," she sighs, her shoulders sagging. "You know what the worst part about this is?"
"What?" I ask gently, shivering in the cold.
"Without her to talk to, I have no excuse for putting off our run."
I laugh, flashing her a quick smile. "I guess I should get going too. See you on the other side?"
She nods, waving me away with her hands, and I turn to the forest, breaking out into a run. Spending any more time stretching would only set me too far behind everyone else. Besides, the cold would prevent my muscles from warming up without actual activity, so I run, following the path into the forest.
The shadows of the trees shroud me quickly, and I shiver once again as I begin to find my normal pace. By the time I hit my stride, I reach a small area in the forest with two soldiers loitering around in full crimson armor, buckets of water at their feet. A small wooden sign declares the path as a mile long, and I rush by the water station without stopping. Drinking so soon would only upset my stomach later, especially if I had to run five miles.
The path through the forest proves to be fairly easy to traverse, but I still feel the nostalgic ache of my muscles and lungs working to keep up. I smile. With my sickness, it made me especially frail, but I hadn't allowed that to make me lazy. Akira and I had done run through the cities almost daily with distances ranging from half a mile to three or four. It kept me in shape and helped me build stamina for casting spells, not to mention it was a pretty practical thing to practice, especially in a city full of Noxians.
I feel a slight pang at the thought of Akira, and my pace falters for a brief moment. I force myself to think of other things, which isn't hard. The light peering through the leaves and branches around me throws stunning shadows throughout the forest. The birds sing happily, and I feel myself relax as the running takes over. I let my focus slip, and my mind gradually begins wandering.
My pace finally settles into a constant run, and my feet fly over leaves and roots easily as I pump my arms. Exhilaration flutters through my belly as I jump over a small protruding rock, and I let myself smile. I didn't realize I missed running so much.
I pass up the second water station fairly quickly, and I see a soldier come jogging out of the woods holding a water bucket. When he arrives, another picks up an empty one and heads off in the direction the other came from, jogging away. The other two scowl at me as I pass, and I wonder if it's part of their training, or if they're being made to bring us water as part of some punishment. I don't see any other reason they would be doing this for us, especially in their heavy armor.
I finish my first mile without too much effort on my part. The burning in my lungs is more nostalgic than anything else, and my legs only feel sore when I stand still. I slow down as I approach the soldiers, and I apprehensively walk up to one of the buckets, but they ignore me as I dip in one of the cups.
The water is fresh and heavenly as it goes down my dry throat, and it's all I can do to force myself to take slow and small sips. I finish the cup and reluctantly begin running again, wiping my mouth on my sleeve. I hear one of the soldiers mutter something as I pass, shaking his head, but soon enough I'm past them, flying through the forest.
The rhythm of my steps and breathing, the now familiar forest pathway, and the constant exertion make me feel nostalgic, and I feel myself begin to relax. There could be a hundred things I could be worrying about, but right now, I let myself get lost in the running. Even the light pain and soreness feel good in their own way, and I force myself to go faster and faster, pushing at my limits.
The miles go by quickly, and I start passing by my classmates. Xander tries to keep up with me for awhile, but eventually gives up with a groan. Jackson and Elizabeth glare at me from a water station, and Cody ignores me as I pass him soon after. Edward and Alex are next, and I'm slightly surprised that Edward isn't still ahead of me until I see him rubbing at his knee.
Maybe I should feel bad for hurting him yesterday, but I don't.
I'm a little more than halfway done with my fourth mile when I spot Molly. Her run is more of a wobble than anything else, and as I catch up to her, she suddenly covers her mouth with a hand and runs off to the side of the path. She doubles over, and I sprint to reach her. When I do, I grab her long hair and pull it back behind her head. I'm careful to keep my hands covered as I do, just in case she can't keep her lunch down long enough.
Molly throws up the second I get her hair out of the way, and it takes a few heaves before she's done. I keep my eyes trained on her back and try to ignore the smell. She remains bent over for a few more seconds before she finally straightens, still gasping for air. I let her hair go as we take a few steps back, and she nods at me, smiling at me weakly. She looks really pale.
"Thanks," she says, her legs shaking slightly.
"You don't look so good," I say softly.
"And you look fine," she laughs breathlessly. "I mean, you haven't even taken off your jacket. Way to make it look easy, Aria."
"Come on," I say, smiling. "I'll run with you for a bit."
She gives me a shaky nod and starts jogging, and I run at her side, staying just slightly behind her. Her run is slow and I have no trouble keeping up with it, but I can tell Molly's pushing it to keep even that pace up.
We reach the water station marking the end of my fourth mile, and the end of Molly's third. She stops at the buckets and drinks greedily as I walk back and forth to keep my muscles warm. Molly finally finishes and walks to me, shaking her head.
"You really don't have to run with me," she says, her voice not sounding convincing at all.
"Yeah, well, you haven't seen yourself lately," I say. "You look like you're ready to keel over at any moment."
"That's because I am," she says, exasperated. "But that's not the point. The point is I'll only slow you down."
"I guess it's a good thing we're not timed then," I say slyly, and she gives me a pointed look.
Footfalls interrupt our conversation, and Alex comes running into the water station, his pace nice and easy. He flips his long hair nonchalantly, ending his run at us in a smooth walk. He opens his mouth to speak, looking smug, but then he starts coughing uncontrollably. We wait as he alternates between gasping for breath and coughing, and Molly and I laugh as he finally regains control only to start coughing again.
"Wow, so not cool," Alex rasps, clearing his throat. "Anyways, what I was trying to say was that I'll run with Molly. I'm not doing too good myself, so we should be about the same speed.
I look at Molly questioningly, but she gives me a nod and makes sweeping motion with her hands.
"Alright then," I say, nodding at them both. "See you soon."
I ignore the burning sensation in my legs and get back into my pace. The other two begin jogging at a leisurely pace, and it looks like they're talking about something. I turn a corner, and then they're out of sight. I let my focus shift back on to nothingness, and the trees pass by in a hazy blur.
The fifth mile is rough, mostly because of the sheer amount of exertion. My shoulder throbs in pain, and a small ache develops in my side. I manage to keep up my pace though, and soon enough I'm finished. The only other people to see me stagger in are Devon and Seth, and I manage a nod and a quick smile before I grab a cup of water and gulp it down. It washes down my throat and feels like heaven to my dry mouth. I set the cup down after a few more sips, and then I wait.
People start arriving soon after. I watch the nobles carefully, but they seem too tired to even notice me and walk back to the academy almost immediately after they finish. Eventually, Molly and Alex come running in, and I see a look of despair briefly cross Molly's face as she looks around at all the people who are done already. She hides it pretty well, and after a quick drink, runs off into the woods.
I stare after her for a few seconds, biting my lower lip. After a second of hesitation, I run after her, running quickly to catch up. One more mile won't be too bad.
Molly gives me a surprised look when I catch up to her, and then flashes me a weak smile.
"Thanks," she gasps in between breaths.
"No problem," I say. "I was slacking a little on the last one anyway."
She grins, and we run the last mile together, both of us keeling over and gasping for breath by the end.
The shower feels just as good as the first time I used it. The warm water relaxes my sore calf muscles, and even the slight throbbing in my shoulder doesn't feel uncomfortable. I let out a sigh, turning off the water after a good thirty minutes. I dry off and then dress in my uniform, placing my dirty clothes into the little slot and stepping out of the shower when I finish.
Elizabeth stands in front of the exit with her arms folded. I almost take a step back in reflex, but I force myself not to. We stare at each other in silence. I carefully reach out to my magic, drawing some energy out just in case.
Elizabeth sighs and lowers her head, her long curly hair shrouding her face.
"How much?" she asks quietly through clenched teeth.
I stand still, confused and slightly stunned. Her hands are clenched around her arms, and her sullen voice is vastly different from her normally boisterous attitude. She seems frustrated, almost.
"Well, how much?" she asks again, her voice getting a little strength this time.
"What?" I ask back, eyes searching her defeated poise for any clues.
"How much money do you want to leave this academy?" she spits out.
I rock back on my feet a little. She wants to pay me off to just leave? What happened to all the threats? Her brother personally assured my destruction, so why was she backing out now? Is it some kind of trick?
Elizabeth lets out a bitter laugh as her blue eyes glance up at me.
"You can't figure it out, can you?" she asks, shaking her head slightly. "You probably didn't even notice, did you? The fact that Edward is still limping after your duel yesterday even though they healed his knee with a potion. Phantom pains, I guess. So congrats, you've proven you're strong."
I blink at her accusatory tone. Well, what did she expect me to do, just sit back and let him beat me to a pulp? Actually, yeah, she probably did. They probably aren't used to people standing up to them, being nobles and all that. So is that why she wanted me to leave? Because she's worried about her brother?
"Why?" I ask steadily, and she looks up surprised.
"Isn't that obvious? He may be a jerk, but he's still my brother. I can barely stand seeing him get humiliated, and now you've gone and maimed him. Do you know what that feels like?"
She takes a second to calm herself down, taking a shaky breath. Her body shakes, and her voice is filled with raw emotion. Her words strike deep into me, and they seem completely honest.
"Look, you don't want to even be here, so how much money do you want? I'll even give you enough to find a ship to unoccupied Ionia if that's what you want. My brother will keep challenging you to regain his honor, and I know you'll end up hurting him even more. If he gets anymore permanent injuries… I just…"
Her voice breaks, and she looks back down at the ground, clenching her hands into fists. Everything about her words seem genuine. That's how I know she's lying to me. She's an amazing actor, but still an actor. She's trying to pull a game of some sort, and by playing on my guilt and sympathy, she probably hoped I wouldn't figure that out until it was too late.
Typical Noxians.
"Did you practice that in front of the mirror before you came in here?" I ask steadily.
She looks up at me, her eyes wide in surprise, and I see a few tears ready to fall. She keeps the face for a few seconds before it changes into a neutral mask, a slight smile appearing. She wipes away the tears with her fingertips, her eyes becoming cold and calculating.
"Only twice," she says, her haughty tone returning to her cultured accent. "You don't feel bad about maiming him at all, do you?"
"Why would I?" I ask, tilting my head slightly. I wonder if it's bad that I seriously don't know why I should. I probably would have felt bad at one point.
"Oh my," she chuckles, putting a hand up to her mouth. "You're tougher than I thought. Or at least colder, anyway."
"Do you actually care at all about your brother?" I ask, ignoring her.
Her eyes look at me almost lazily, and her grin vanishes from beneath her hand.
"Of course I do. In fact, I should be thanking you. The imbecile has always thought he was better than me. Now that everyone knows I'm better at magic and that he lost to an Ionian that I beat, any standing he had over me is gone. The continual pain is a nice touch, too."
I shiver, and she laughs, walking towards the mirror off to her side and adjusting her hair.
"Well, I guess this just proves my suspicions. I thought everyone was crazy for wanting to take you down so bad, but now I understand. I guess I'll have to give my consent to the plan now after all. I would say I'm sorry about what's coming, but I'm honestly kind of curious as to how you hold up."
"Why are you doing this?" I ask, ignoring the slithering fear in my belly.
She turns her head to me very slowly, annoyed.
"Because this is war, you pathetic wretch. You can lie to yourself all you want, but the war never ended, and it never will. Noxus will alway get whatever it wants."
She walks up to me, her eyes fiery hot and a hungry smile on her face. I stiffen as she leans close to me, whispering in my ear.
"And right now, Noxus wants you gone. So we'll just see how this turns out, shall we?"
Elizabeth leans back away, still smirking, and then turns on her heel, and stalks out of the bathroom.
My heart beats surprisingly steadily, and I frown to myself slightly. I should probably be scared, considering everything she said, especially if she was against whatever plan they had until now. For some reason though, I feel oddly calm. Maybe it's because I've forced myself to be constantly vigilant so far. This really changes nothing.
I walk over and stare at my reflection in the mirror, searching my own eyes. Nothings changed. She just came here to see how strong my will really was. The charade was probably to get me to show some sort of weakness, just so she could tell the others that I really was frail. Too bad for them I'm not, and the only one they have to blame for that is themselves.
I walk out of the bathroom, heading towards our sub-level's common room. My groups had decided to meet there and spend most of our time studying League matches and magic after we finished running. I doubt I'll see any of the nobles around. They're probably too busy listening to Elizabeth's report and planning their next move.
I wonder if this really is war. No. I'd have to hate them just as much as they hate me for this to be a true war. This is just another elaborate beatdown. All I have to do is keep standing back up. I won't actively try to hurt them, but I will defend myself.
I turn the knob and open the door.
The common room is the same room Sadon pointed out to us on our tour, the one right before the training room on the left wall. It's long and filled with tables, chairs, and a few couches. Everything about the room looks comfortable, and even the lanterns seem to burn slightly dimmer. A pane of glass is built into the far end opposite the door, and a League match plays out on it in intricate detail. I wonder if that's easier to power than the viewing orb or if it's about the same. Not that it matters, considering it's built in and powered by a ley line.
I shake my head, dispelling the random thoughts and walk over to the viewing screen where everyone else is. They all looked relaxed and contentedly exhausted, and they take little notice as I take a seat in a big cushioned chair. I look around at everyone, wondering what they're going to be doing for their training today.
Xander has a stack of books and a notepad that he splits his attention with, also glancing back up at the screen every once and awhile. Devon sits in the corner with a neglected book, and Seth appears much the same, frowning at the match going on. Molly seems to be asleep on the couch with a pyramid of actual scrolls next to her, and Alex sits at a table with a stack of books, flipping through their pages quickly.
They seem to be mostly worried about their magic, then. That's ironic, considering the only actual way to lose points right now is through duels. Although to be fair, they probably don't have to start worrying until I lose enough to get kicked out. Until then, I sort of sponge up the nobles' attention.
I return my gaze to the League match as one team manages to score an ace, killing the entire enemy team in a nicely laid ambush. They rush frantically to try and destroy the enemy's base, but they don't end up getting too far before the enemy respawns and repulses their attack. They should have gone for the map objectives, especially because of how low they were on health and mana after the fight. Now the enemy team has map control, and it could go either way.
Looks like it'll be a good one. I curl up in the chair, making myself comfortable. I let the time go by as I watch the match finish and another begin, my eyes slowly glazing over. I let them close, only opening them to see what's going on when the match announcers get excited. Nothing beats a nice easy rest after a long run.
I hear an aggravated sigh, and I turn my head to look at Alex, who has his head in his hands. He looks at the dozens of books on his table with exasperation, totally overwhelmed.
"Bought too many books at the store, did you?" I ask lazily, and he looks up at me.
"I just can't make heads or tails which ones are worth reading first," Alex says, scratching at his long blond hair. "I'm trying to be efficient and read them in the most logical order, but it's a little hard when they all have titles like Symbolic Runic Geometries and their Quantitative Importance in Metaphysical Magic."
"Pssh, that one just sounds complicated," I say rolling my eyes. "It basically just explains how symbols help out with doing ritual spells. Magic is all imagination, so if you have visual and physical aids, you have less stress on your mind."
"Wait, you've actually read this?" he asks, his deep green eyes going wide.
"Well… yeah," I shrug.
He lets out a groan, and his head falls against the table. He pushes the stack of books over in my direction.
"Please help me translate some of these, will you?" he pleads, his voice muffled from the desk.
"Sure," I say, getting up and sitting at the table, opposite of him.
I start taking the books one at a time and, after reading their titles, either stack them in a pile or toss them lightly onto the floor. Alex seems to have picked books on dozens of different subjects from elemental magic to potion brewing. I frown slightly.
"Why did you get so many of these?" I ask, tossing a book about alchemy onto the ground.
"The owner of the store had a used book section," Alex says, his voice still muffled. "So I kind of bought most of the books he had there. I mean, they were pretty cheap, after all."
"Well that's good," I say slowly, "because most of these are going to be completely useless to our training here. I mean, books on transdimensional summoning aren't really…"
I trail off when I see the next books cover. Every sound disappears except my heartbeat, which begins to pound faster and faster. My hand shakes as I slowly lift up the book to my eyes, and I feel cold droplets of sweat forming on my skin. The worn book feels unbearably heavy in my grasp, and I shiver as I look at its title.
Runes, Marks, and Sigils: A Complete Guide to Every Type of Magical Seal.
It has to be a coincidence. It has to. I mean, of course the book would have been returned afterwards. It's not like it had any other use or interest, after all. But why did he have to pick up this book? Why now?
I swallow hard and shove the book into the pile of other useless books, my hand shaking as it falls to the floor. There. Now it won't be a problem. It's just a coincidence. I just need to breath.
I quickly stack the rest of the books or slide them onto the floor as my heart continue to pound in my ears along with a slight ringing sound. When I finish, I look up at Alex who is staring at me with a concerned look.
"What?" I ask, trying to sound confused. It comes out weak and shaky.
"I asked if you were alright," Alex says, his green eyes soft.
I swallow. I shouldn't have freaked out so much. It's just a book. I take a deep breath, and put my hand on my head.
"Yeah, I'm just feeling a little tired. I think I'll rest in my room until lunch," I say, getting up quickly.
"Alright," Alex says as I walk towards the door, sounding slightly doubtful. "I'll come knock on your door when it's time."
"Thanks," I say, hurrying back to my room.
The nap does me wonders. I manage to calm myself down and get through the rest of the day with no problems. The nobles don't show up in the common room either, which is a major bonus. I take advantage and watch the league matches going on with all my attention, only diverting it to explain some magical terms to Alex or what is going on in the match to Molly.
Before I know it, I'm exhausted and ready for bed. I make my way out silently, careful not to disturb anyone as they study their books intensely. I softly open and close the door as I leave, and then turn to head back to my room.
As I'm turning, I see something in the corner of my eye. I turn towards the stairs, and I see that the door to the storage room is slightly open, a soft green glow escaping from the opening. I frown as I find myself walking slowly towards the door, and I gently pull it open. The green glow intensifies, and the strong smell of chemicals hits me. I scrunch my nose and blink my eyes a few times, opening the door further.
The storage room is rectangular shaped, with tables set up along the entire length of the walls. Green glass tubes line the corners of the ceiling, providing the odd lighting. Test tubes full of chemicals and jars of ingredients line the entirety of the storage room, and I even see a few bubbling vats. At the furthest end of the room is a figure wearing a white lab coat, sparks flying from the table he stands in front of.
"What the…?" Alex says from right next to me, and I almost jump out of my skin.
The figure jerks in surprise too, and he flips his head towards the sudden sound. His spiky white hair reveals him to be Xander, but giant brass goggles cover most of his face. We both look at Alex, who stands just behind me, peering into the room. He blinks at the both of us.
"Sorry," Alex says, smiling slowly. "Didn't mean to scare you both. I was just wondering what was going on in here."
"You like it?" Xander asks, grinning from ear to ear. "Fairfax said I could use this room to do some, ah, experimenting in, so I thought I'd take him up on that."
I step into the room slowly, and as my eyes adjust, I see schematics are plastered to the walls. I try to make sense of them, but the sketched lines and numbers look like gibberish to me. Alex walks in and picks up a vial of clear liquid, eying it suspiciously.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Xander says quickly. "It's highly toxic if you ingest it. Or smell it. Or probably touch it."
Alex sets it back down with wide eyes and backs away slowly.
"What is all this for?" I ask, looking at him as he adjusts his goggles.
"Well," Xander says with a smirk. "Fairfax told us to get our weapons ready, so I thought I better get started on making mine."
"Making yours?" I ask curiously, and Xander shifts his body, showing us the table at the far end of the room.
"What…" Alex says in awe, slowly approaching the bench. "You've got to be kidding me."
"That's your weapon?" I ask, running my eyes down the serrated blades.
He nods with a large smile on his face. "I made it myself. Highly adaptable, highly dangerous, and incredibly hard to use."
"Well," Alex says after a few moments of silence pass. "Tomorrow sure is going to be interesting."
All of us sit in the classroom the next day, looking tiredly at Dumont as he enters the room. He takes a second to looks us all over before he gives a little nod and folds his hands behind his back.
"Today, you shall all be learning the summoning process, how and why it works, and, of course, how to do it. By the end of our instruction time, you should all be able to pull off the summoning spell. Questions?"
Everyone seems to brighten up in anticipation, and no one raises their hand. I settle in my chair and try to get comfortable. I'm kind of a big nerd when it comes to this sort of thing, so I already know most of the process. It's kind of surprising how many misconceptions there are about what actually happens.
"Basically, a summoner, in this case us, casts a spell on another person, the champion," Dumont begins, launching into his explanation. "The spell is designed to scan the champion to give an accurate readout of every one of their stats like strength, speed, endurance, mana, and so on. The next step is recreating those abilities in a 'clone' of the champion, a magical construct that looks exactly like the champion. These are called Shells."
"Then things get sort of complicated. See, normally at this point the summoner would transfer the champion's consciousness from their actual body to their Shell. The problem is, at any one point, thousands of League games are being played, some just for entertainment and others for actual stakes. So, of course, it doesn't make sense that one person's consciousness could be in different places at any one time."
Dumont pauses for a second to let everyone work their way through his explanation. Then he continues, his voice taking on an aspect of awe.
"This is where the summoners who created the League truly became ingenious. They figured that if they could copy someone's physical abilities, then it would also be possible to copy their mental abilities. So, they make every champion who joins the League have their mind examined. As the summoners go through one of their memories, usually their most intense one, they create a mental profile of how the champion acts and thinks and put create an artificial personality from it. An Artificial Soul."
"This allows champions to go about their everyday lives without having to be constantly summoned. What summoners are actually working with is an artificial copy of the champion, not the real deal. The actual champion's consciousness is only ever summoned for big time events and battles where the stakes are high."
Everyone looks a little stunned, and I suppress the hint of a smile. It's the only thing that really made sense. I mean, honestly, how did they think two of the same person could be summoned and fight against each other? Magical constructs of their personalities were the only thing that made sense.
Yeah. Come on guys. It's obviously the only thing that makes sense. Geez. No wonder Akira gave me those confused looks when I tried explaining it to him.
I feel another pang, and I swallow.
"So this is where the summoning orb comes into play," Dumont says, snapping everyone's attention back to him. "Creating a physical and mental construct is an incredibly difficult task, so the Orbs were created to act as focus items. They have spells built into them that let them connect to a central crystal at the Institute of War, the headquarters of the League, forming a system where Artificial Souls, and the appropriate Shell can be accessed."
"So, once the champion is created artificially, all that is left is summoning them onto the battleground, the Field of Justice as it is called. Each Field of Justice is also a magical construct, created by Adjudicator of the match, the referee. They use a Ley Line to maintain the construct and the Nexus shard at the summoning location has the spell to create the field. The field is actually created in a place wizards refer to as the Aether, a sort of inbetween world that can only be accessed by magic. Because it is created in the Aether, any damage or spells used don't adversely affect Runeterra and everyone can fight to their heart's content."
Dumont claps his hands together with a satisfied look on his face, and I look around at my classmates. They seem to be mulling over the information pretty well, which isn't surprising. They are, after all, supposed to be Noxus's best candidates for becoming summoners. Or some of the best, at least.
"Now, I'm sure many of you are confused about everything I just said," Dumont says with a small smile. "Don't worry too much if you are. You'll understand once you have a chance to practice the summoning spell a few times. So if you would all follow me to the training room, I'll show you a few basic principles in summoning and how to properly maintain your focus."
We spend the rest of our time with him practicing our summoning. He has each of us practice creating Shells of ourselves on a Field of Justice, but he doesn't have anyone create Artificial Souls, which I'm thankful for. Creating an Artificial Soul requires someone to look through another's memories, and while having a Noxian poke through my brain sounds like a great time, I think I'll settle for just creating Shells.
I feel weird, staring through the summoning orb at the seventh Shell I've created. It looks exactly like me except for its eyes. They look cold and empty. They look hollow. It looks wrong, like I've created a picture of myself but without any of the emotion.
Or maybe that's the part that bothers me. The fact that it looks exactly like me. Even the eyes.
I shudder and let the Shell dissipate. It's probably just the fact it has no soul in it, artificial or otherwise that makes it look so empty.
Yeah.
Sure.
Maybe if I keep telling myself that I'll start believing it.
I throw myself into creating another Shell.
Dumont tells us it's time to switch with Fairfax a few minutes later, and I leave the personal training room in a hurry, not looking back at the glass orb as I leave.
Fairfax waits for us to gather up before he starts speaking, his dark eyes observing us deeply.
"The next phase of the training will bring with it new duels," Fairfax says, his voice level. "You will now start dueling each other first with fists in the arena, and then with weapons here. You will be using the new magic you've just learned to create a Shell. Dumont will then transfer your consciousness to that shell, and you will fight each other. To the death."
I stare at Fairfax. He looks back at me, emotionlessly.
I clench my fists, but I don't stop shaking.
"When you die, your consciousness will be transferred back to your body. I should warn you, however, that anything that happens during the duel will feel absolutely real. That is all. I recommend you all practice with your weapons tonight. Tomorrow will mark the beginning of the duels."
He turns and walks away.
The tension in the air rises to almost a palpable level. Tomorrow we will fight each other with weapons. We'll be trying to kill each other. And when we do, it will feel absolutely real. Our consciousness will be inside the Shell as it dies.
I wonder what a blade piercing through my skin would feel like.
I bet the nobles are wondering the same thing.
I hurry out of the room, taking quick steps away from my classmates. My enemies. Someone calls out to me, but I ignore them. It isn't hard to pretend I didn't hear them over my pounding pulse.
I open my door, and just before I slam it shut, I see a note on the ground.
I force myself to take a deep breath and shut the door calmly. I carefully pick up the note and unfold it, trying to breathe deeply.
Meet tonight. No training, just talk.
I crumple the note in my fist. Yeah. We're going to talk alright.
My bed beckons me, and I lay on it after I set the alarm clock to just before midnight. Then I close my eyes. And I wait fall asleep.
The image of Cody stabbing a sword into me with his sadistic grin flashes through my mind, and I shiver underneath the covers, curling up into a ball. I try to push similar images out of my mind, but it seems to be no use. I roll over to my other side, waiting to sleep.
A brief memory suddenly hits me. The smell of wet soil after it just rained, clear blue skies, and the warmth of sunlight prickling my skin hit me all at once. I see Akira and Zane play fighting in the dirt. Zane's foot slips from underneath him on the wet soil as Akira lunges forward, and they both down, splashing mud all over their uniforms. They break apart and look at themselves for a second before they both break out into laughter. It sounds light and clear, and it echoes through my mind.
I feel the tears running down my face, and I don't bother trying to wipe them away. I just squeeze my eyes tight, hoping it will pass soon.
What seems like moments later, I hear the alarm clock going off, and I blearily sit up and turn it off. My body feels heavy and sluggish, and I let out a yawn. Then I quickly get up, change into my workout clothes and sneak out of the academy.
It sounds so exciting, sneaking out of the academy. In reality, all I have to do is climb some stair quietly, open a door, stick to the shadows, and then get to the forest. Still, it makes my heart run a little faster in anticipation.
I raise my hand to the door, just about to turn the handle when I hear the faint sound of voices. I frown and carefully turn the doorknob, pushing the door open just enough for me to peek out.
Alex and Seth stand in the hallway, facing each other. Both have a serious expression on their faces, and Alex has his fists clenched, but his face appears calm as stone.
"Are you accusing me of something?" Alex asks, his deep green eyes slowly scanning over Seth's stiff form.
"You got something I should be accusing you of?" Seth asks, his brown eyes looking tired.
"Look, I don't know what games you're playing," Alex says, his voice quiet and angry. "But I'm just trying to survive here. You know, by making some friends. Maybe you should try it sometime."
Seth looks unfazed by his words, but I see him squint over Alex's form.
"Just remember," Seth says, his voice clear and emotionless. "Stay away, or I will destroy you."
With that, Seth brushes by Alex and enters his room. Alex stands completely still for a few seconds, lowering his head and taking a few deep breaths.
I don't know what the problem between Alex and Seth is, considering they've been friends since we got here. Well, not friends, but they both hang out with me and they aren't hostile to each other, so what was this all about? Why was Seth being such a jerk suddenly?
I bite my lip softly, as I consider walking out and asking Alex. I should, but something keeps me back.
Alex's shoulders begin to shake slightly, and my eyes widen.
Is he crying?
"Alex?" I find myself saying as I step outside of my room. "What's wrong?"
His head snaps up to me, a look of surprise on his face and water in his eyes.
"Oh, um," he fumbles, his voice betraying nothing as he wipes at his eyes quickly. "Nothing. Just a little disagreement, that's all."
I walk over to him, stopping a few steps away. He looks embarrassed, and his eyes shift when I try to meet him. I should say something, anything really, but nothing seems right. I look down at my feet.
"Aria?" Alex asks softly, so soft I almost don't hear him.
I look up at him, and I see he has his jaw clenched and is blinking quickly.
"I know he's your friend," he says, his voice full of emotion. "But be careful. Please. Just… be careful."
He turns and walks away, towards his room, wiping at his eyes when he turns his back and taking a few shaky breaths.
"Why?" I find myself asking quietly as he opens his door.
He slowly looks at me, and his eyes look haunted.
"Because," he whispers back, "he scares me."
He closes the door behind himself, and I'm alone.
No. That's not right. I've always been alone. That's what my dreams have been trying to tell me. I've been too trusting of people, and now I'm starting to see who they really are. I don't know what happened between Seth and Alex, but I know what fear looks like. I see it in the mirror too often to not recognize it.
Alex is scared. Maybe it has to do with something Seth did when they were classmates at their old school, before they were sent to the academy. Or maybe it has to do with something he's doing here. Or planning to do.
The weirdest part was his warning. Be careful. Most Noxian's would have gone with don't trust him or look out, and they would try to make me suspicious of the other person. But he just said be careful, like he didn't want to hurt my image of Seth. Like he cared.
Why is he so different from the rest of them?
I shake my head and turn to head outside the academy, but the words ring through my mind again. I quickly go back to my room and pick up my katana. Might as well start following his advice now, I suppose.
I take one last look around the hallway, and seeing that it is now vacant, I head out.
Once again, there are no guard in sight as I sneak my way out, except for a few patrolling the military zone in the distance. I make it to the forest and wait in the same spot we met before. I don't have to wait long before he appears, once again wearing a shrouding half-cloak and dark, ragged clothes.
I step out to meet him, and we stare at each other for a few seconds.
"Aria," he says simply, his voice deep and once again reverberating.
"Why did you bring me here?" I ask bluntly, squeezing the wooden sheath in my left hand. The glossy wood feels cold and steadies me.
"I thought it would be prudent to discuss tactics for tomorrow," he says simply.
"I mean to the academy," I ask, clenching my teeth. "Why did you bring me here?"
"I do not understand," he says, tilting his head microscopically.
"Don't you?" I shoot back. "Look, I know why I came here now, okay? I figured it out, and yes, thank you for helping and all that, but why did you bring me here? What's in it for you? Entertainment? Some special scheme? Or are you just trying to pay back your 'debt' to me? If you are, you certainly have a funny way of showing it."
I somehow manage to keep my voice no louder than a whisper, but I see Fairfax rock back slightly on his heels at my words. He stands eerily still for a moment.
"Aria," he says, his deep voice sounding slightly raspy. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Answer the question," I say plainly, squeezing the sheath tighter and tighter.
I can feel his eyes staring at me from beneath his hood, and I force myself to remain perfectly still, not backing down.
"I guess-" he begins, and then suddenly stops, holding up a hand.
Voices drift down the path, and I hear a short laugh. I crouch low to the ground and start fast walking as silently as I can towards the trees, and Fairfax does the same. I make it up a small hill and slide myself behind a tree just in time as I see two figures appear. Fairfax crouches down a few feet away from me, so still I almost mistake him for a shadow.
I squint at both figures. They wear long cloaks that cover their bodies and faces. One appears to be hunched over slightly and limps while the other stands tall and proud.
"So everything's going as planned?" a whispering voice asks, and I see the limping one gesture.
"Everything that you've planned, yes," a deep voice says back. "Of course, you've received my reports on what I've been doing. Things not going as I expected has proven… entertaining."
"Focus on the goal," the limping one warns. "If this distraction becomes an annoyance, I expect you will deal with it. Immediately."
"Don't worry," the other chuckles. "I have plans in place. Oh yes."
"Good," the limping one says with a curt nod. "And what about the other front?"
"Working as planned. Everything is in place. Using the caravan saved us a lot of time."
"Indeed," the limping one says, stopping to turn to his friend. "I expect there is no suspicion on what is really going on?"
"None," the deep voiced one states factually. "The news hasn't even been made public yet, so no one has had time to spy on anything. No. So far, no one has an inkling of what's going on."
"Just make sure it stays that way," the limping one says, continuing to walk. "If we pull even one part of this plan off, it will start a new age for Noxus. An age of total domination. And we will be the ones to lead it."
His words literally ring with power, and I feel a hint of deep, swirling magic echo through the air. The trees shake ever so slightly, and I see a few leaves fall to the ground from the sheer will and force behind his words. I shiver, trying to ignore the cold and slimy feel it leaves behind.
"Yes, my lord," the other says, and I can hear the grin in his voice as he falls to one knee, bowing.
"Now, it's best I return. I have… other endeavors to keep track of. A Noxian never has just one plan, after all."
He lets out a cackle as he takes a few steps away towards the forest, and his form seems to simply melt into the shadows. His cackle increases in intensity briefly as he disappears, and I hear the caws of startled birds taking flight. And then he's gone.
The figure stands in the silence that follows, staring into the darkness the other disappeared into. I hear the sound of someone breathing heavily, and it takes me a second to realize that it's me who's doing it. I clasp a hand over my mouth and hold my breath as fear slithers in my belly. In my bones.
The figure stiffens the second I stop breathing and looks around, his head turning at a glacial pace as he looks into the forest. I close my eyes as his gaze sweeps towards me and stay as still as I can, focusing on absolutely nothing.
I stay like that for years until I hear a scoff and the sound of footsteps fading into the darkness.
When I open my eyes, the figure is gone. I look over to Fairfax and open my mouth, but he raises a finger in a shushing gesture, and I stay completely still. Cramps start to form in my legs as we sit like that for at least a dozen minutes, and just when I feel like I'll have to shift positions, he gestures for me to come near. I sneak over to him the best I can, stopping behind the tree he hides behind.
"Tell nobody about this," he whispers, and I can hear a low undertone of… something in his voice. "I'll take care of it, so just forget about this. I'll leave a note when it's safe to meet again."
And with that he disappears into the night, leaving as silently as the limping man.
I shiver, and I hear one last bird take flight, letting out a bloodcurdling shriek as it leaves.
It's not like I wanted to sleep tonight anyway.
