Chapter 8: School Setup

Kilo had woken up the next day very refreshed. Ms. Merrimack had ordered him to lay back down when she noticed that he was up and walking, but he showed her that his wounds were healed. After many complicated tests, she let him go, astounded and speechless at how quickly his recovery had been. Kilo made a stop to get his uniform, and to pick up a class schedule. When he went to enroll, he found that he was already enlisted. Kilo figured that Eric had pulled some strings. It seemed as though the dark aura was being dispelled just by being on campus. He felt bits and pieces of the darkness dissipate as he walked. Kilo's personality had returned to its original sensual state, but there was still a long way to go before his aura was pure. He caught Corsica going up the steps to the dorms.

"Hey, Corsica", Kilo called.

Corsica turned around, and he was astounded to see that Kilo was up and walking. "Whoa! How on earth did you heal so fast? I mean, you had a hole in your chest!"

"It's complicated", Kilo replied. He didn't want to explain that the Biju had sped up the healing process dramatically. "Anyway, I wanted to know if you could fill me in on how things work here at…"

"Dragonaire", Corsica finished. Corsica explained everything during their climb up five flights of stairs. "For starters, there are seven periods in the day…"

Kilo saw Valerie walk by, and zoned out for a minute. Just to look at her made him the happiest thing alive.

"…..Hey, hey Kilo!"

"Huh, what? What happened?"

"I was explaining the school hours, and the schedule", Corsica said. "You really need to talk to her because you're really becoming obsessive."

"Continue", Kilo said eager to get off of the subject of his feelings toward Valerie.

"Well, the biggest thing about this school is that the student body is split into four groups. The division is based on what type of powers you have, and the system is a hierarchy. On the bottom, there are the basic earth users, earth makers, earth controllers, and trust me, even though they make up the bottom tier, the students that use earth are among the most versatile in the school. They're really creative, resourceful, and well rounded. On the next level are the magic users. They use powers that are limited only by the imagination. If they can think it, and say the right Latin words, then they can be really dangerous. I don't mean life threatening, but the different tiers are not friends to say the least. The next level is the dragon tamers. They have a stable out back, and it's huge. It has to be, because for each individual in that class, there is an accompanying dragon."

"I'm guessing that the two were paired at birth, and grew closer together as they grew older", Kilo said.

"Exactly, and for that reason, we like to stay away from them, since you never know what they could do. See, they communicate through telepathy, so there's no indication as to what they intend to do."

"And that leaves one more class", Kilo responded.

"That's where you and I come in. I, you, Rachel, and Valerie are all a part of the top tier of students, the Beasts. We are the students who are either a derivative of some actual animal, or those that can freely communicate with beasts. The derivatives of beasts, like you and Valerie are the real offensive backbone of our class. Your type is the main source of power, and I suppose that's what puts us on top. The ones that communicate and control beasts, like Rachel and myself are the intellectuals, the nerds if you will, of the class. We are the dexterous problem solvers and critical thinkers. Are you getting all of this, or am I going too fast?"

"No, you're fine Corsica", Kilo answered. "By the way, why are the beasts on top? Based on the school name, it sounds like the dragon tamers were meant to be on top."

"I don't really know. That's a question I've always wondered. The beast derivatives for the most part seem to be the descendants of wolves. It's common for a student to possess just ears, or just a tail, but you and Valerie seem to be special, because you two are the only ones who have all of the parts put together. One more thing, if you're going to go after Valerie, she's not to be trifled with. She can be ferocious when she wants to be, and her power levels are off the fricken charts. She's the most powerful student at the school. Oh, look! We're at the dorms."

Kilo looked up to see a gigantic portrait of a white wolf. It had red eyes. Sharingan eyes! This wolf was sitting, and it looked regal, and powerful, and Kilo was sure that those were Sharingan. But he didn't have time to worry about the wolf now. Kilo gasped as he took in the grandeur of the dorm common room. It was the setting of a lush forest. There were vines hanging from the ceiling, and real plants growing from the floor. It truly was the home for an animal. Kilo immediately kicked off of his shoes, and flopped down onto the soft grass floor.

"Aaaaaahhhhh…." he sighed.

"Uuum, what the hell are you doing", giggled a girl voice.

Kilo looked up to see Valerie standing over him. Oh shit.

"Lying out, in my natural habitat."

"Oh really? And could I possibly join you?"

"I actually had to go up to my room and get situated, but I'm still meeting you Saturday night", Kilo replied.

"As long as you don't stand me up", Valerie said, and she walked away.

The day progressed into evening, and Kilo spent the next day organizing folders and papers for his classes. He also spent time personalizing his room. Then, Saturday night, as he was preparing to go meet Valerie, the captain's badge started to glow. The badge flashed a holographic image of Toshiro.

"Kilo", he said, "it's time."

"Shit", Kilo muttered. "Sorry Valerie, training comes before social life.