Chapter Five
Death to Ebon!
A few days did indeed bring results, and a Dragon Warrior went around to the houses of the selected contestants telling them the good news. In the end, I was one of the chosen, and when I checked with Freya, she too had been chosen.
Within a few months summer had come, and so had training. I left the house early in the morning, as usual, and jogged down to Freya's house. I knocked on the door, and within a few seconds Matthew had answered.
"Hey! It's Freya's boyfriend!" he chirped.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, it's me. Freya awake?"
"Oh, yeah! Getting her fully awake is the trick," Matthew replied happily. "Come on in."
I entered the house quietly. I immediately headed into the living room to find Freya lying on the couch. I smiled, shaking my head, and walked over.
"Get up, lazy," I said teasingly.
"My brain's not working," Freya muttered.
"I'll jumpstart it," I said, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her.
"Ah, Fratley!" Freya groaned, taking the pillow and throwing at me. "Five minutes."
"We have to be there in five minutes."
"Shit!" Freya leapt to her feet. "Why didn't you tell me that?"
I shrugged. "I figured you knew. Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I can skip breakfast. Let's go!"
"Eh, okay, whatever you say."
We headed outside, Freya suddenly wide-awake.
"Oh, God, I'm nervous! I've heard bad things about Ebon!" Freya muttered.
"Ebon?" I asked.
"He's the guy who trains the Dragon Warriors. I've heard bad things," Freya told me. "He hates women."
"Oh great," I muttered. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
"You can't protect yourself, let alone me!" Freya chirped and ran off.
"Get back here!" I screamed.
"I'm gonna beat cha! I'm gonna beat cha!" Freya shouted teasingly.
"Ya sound like a two-year-old, ya know that? At least m' accent is completely natural when I use it!" I cried, returning to my natural accent.
Freya screeched to a stop, and I crashed into her. We both fell to the ground.
"Your accent is so cute!" Freya chirped.
"Eh? Freya, you say weird thing sometimes," I commented.
"Oh, don't return to normal now! The other accent is cute! I like it!" Freya said.
Well, I can tell you've gone insane, I thought.
"All right, all right, I'll use this accent. But when we get ta the Academy I'm 'fraid I'm going ta return ta the normal one, okay?" I said.
"Aww! Oh well, good while it lasts," Freya said. "Now can you get off of me?"
"Sorry!" I said with a laugh, getting off Freya. We both rose to our feet and began walking again. Freya was humming, looking around. I was thinking over what she had said earlier.
"Freya? Remembe' what ya said earlier?" I asked.
"Yes, I said your accent was cute," Freya said with a smile.
"Farthe' back, Freya," I said.
"I told you not to assume things unless you knew they were true," Freya replied with a smile.
"Um, Freya? First off, I can' see 'ow ya can remembe' that far. Second off, that's too far. A little more ta the present, please," I said, smirking. "It was a year ago, dope. Anyhow, I was talking about Ebon."
"Yes, 'im. I think m' mothe' mentioned stuff 'bout 'im once before."
"What'd she say?"
"Ah - what did she say?"
"Oh Frat."
We walked up the stairs leading to the gate leading to the Royal Grounds quietly. I was trying desperately to remember what my mother had said. Freya was waiting for me to remember. We stepped through the gate and headed in the direction of a large stone building near the Castle Gate.
"The Dragon Academy," Freya muttered. "It's huge."
"It's a giant complex. The Dragon Warriors use it as a school, a meeting center, a party place, and sometimes even an inn," I explained. "So it 'as ta be pretty big."
Freya nodded agreement. 'Did you remember what your mother said?"
"Yes, actually, I did," I said thoughtfully. "'E 'as a bad temper, 'ates women, and loves ta 'ave his way."
"Oh no," Freya moaned, coming to a stop.
"Aww, come on! I'm 'ere and if ya behave, ya'll be fine!" I said with encouragement, walking over to Freya.
"If I behave? Fratley, since when do I behave? I never learned how to behave!" Freya complained sadly. "I'm hopeless now. I'm in for it."
"Freya," I began, but only found I had nothing to say.
Freya sighed and began to slowly walk toward the Academy. I quickly followed. Soon, we were staring at the stone door that led inside. Freya took a shaky breath. She then carefully pushed open the massive door. I quickly followed.
We were in a wide hallway that broke into a massive room after seven feet. The floor was completely wooden with stone walls. Two doors on either side of the hallway were in front of us. We walked a bit forward.
"In here."
The voice was like steel. Emerging from the west room was a man in his early forties. He appeared to be very strong and able to flip the strongest of men over his back. His eyes were a very deep blue and emotionless. He crossed his arms and stared at the two of us. A brief flash over anger came over his eyes as he stared at Freya, but it left quickly.
"Come in," he growled.
Freya and I entered, with Freya clearly nervous. The room was small. One massive table was in the center of the room. Piled on it were books. There were no chairs anywhere in the room except for a stool near the far wall opposite the door. The table was very low, making it clear that you sat on the floor. I immediately sat down at the table, but Freya only stood there, watching Ebon nervously.
"Sit down," the man snapped harshly at Freya.
Freya let out a soft whine and sat down. She stared at all the books, not daring to look at the man.
"Are you Ebon, sir?" I asked.
The man nodded gruffly. "Where are the others? Did you see them?"
"No," I answered.
"How about you?" Ebon spat at Freya.
Freya shook her head nervously, looking up at Ebon briefly. Angry blue eyes met her nervous green eyes and she turned away nervously. I looked up at Ebon, but met no angry eyes. I turned away so he wouldn't see my angry look.
Within a few minutes the others who had been chosen entered. There were only three of them. They all sat far away from Freya and I and closer to Ebon. Ebon nodded slightly.
"Welcome," he said gruffly.
No one answered.
"You have been chosen to be Dragon Warriors, the most powerful and respected warriors in Burmecia," Ebon began, sitting on the stool and staring at us all. "Physical strength is only one of the things you will need during this time. You need to have mental sharpness, self-control, respect, endurance, and a serious manner. You may find yourself being completely changed throughout the years that you will be here. But your learning will not end here. Hopefully you will continue to learn.
"Discipline will be harsh. You are expected to come on time and ready to work. Respect is an utmost priority. One breaking of a rule can result in harsh discipline. It may even result in a flogging."
Ebon said the last sentence staring at Freya. Freya looked up at him briefly, then whined softly and turned away. I stared at Ebon, not trusting him in the least. He hated women, all right. It was obvious.
"We are going to alternate week by week from mental strength to physical strength. This week will be mental. You are going to learn how to read. I take it none of you can read?" Ebon asked.
"I can," I said before Ebon could say anything.
Ebon turned his dark blue eyes on me. I stared in return. He walked over to a piece of parchment and handed it to me.
"Then read that," he said simply.
"'If you can read this then I hereby declare that you have the ability to read perfectly'," I read flawlessly, causing everyone to stare.
Ebon was clearly impressed. He snatched the paper and tossed it aside.
"Right then. As I was saying, you will learn to read. Books offer the best of mental knowledge. The more you read, the more you learn, and the more you will gain. Within a week you will know how to read. If you need one more week, then fine. But no other weeks will be given for the dumb," Ebon said, the last sentence being said when his eyes were on Freya.
"I'm not dumb," Freya growled.
Ebon only glared at her. Freya glared at him in return.
"You are expected to come here an hour after dawn," Ebon continued, still looking at Freya. "Don't, and you'll be severely punished."
"I came here on time today," Freya whispered.
"Next week will be physical strength. The lake offers the best of physical exercise. All next week come to the lake a half-hour after dawn and be awake. I will shove you in the lake if I have to." Ebon was staring at Freya still. "Come late and you'll be punished."
Silence followed. Freya was nearly shaking with anger at being insulted. I was also pretty angry, but I said nothing. Ebon and Freya were having a staring contest at that moment. Angry blue eyes met angry green. The three boys nearby snickered. I wanted to kill someone.
"If you do not behave, you will be kicked out," Ebon growled at Freya.
"What the hell? I'm behaving perfectly fine! I've been sitting here calmly listening to everything you said! I haven't done a God-damn thing!" Freya snapped.
"Freya," I muttered softly. "Calm down."
"Lower your eyes when speaking to a person higher than you," Ebon barked.
"How come Fratley didn't have to?" Freya asked, rising angrily to her feet. "How come it's just me? How come I'm clearly going to get a flogging? How come I'm the one who's 'stupid'? How come you're spitting insults at me?"
Smack.
It happened so quickly that it took me a few seconds to realize it. Soon, Ebon was standing over Freya, who was on the floor and rubbing her cheek. Immediately I was angry. Ebon had smacked her.
"Keep your mouth shut," Ebon growled. "Respect is a key. Now learn it."
Ebon turned around and headed back to the stool. Freya rose in a sitting position, glaring at Ebon. She then rose to her feet.
"Freya!" I whispered.
"I have no interest in being treated like shit," Freya muttered. She then walked over to Ebon.
"Oh no," I muttered, but it was blocked out by the snickering of two of the three guys. For some reason they found the entire thing hilarious.
"Look," Freya said. "You said respect is a key. Well, why don't you give me respect? Maybe you'll get some in return."
"Women don't deserve respect. They're nothing but a bunch of assholes," Ebon replied.
Everyone stared with shock. Freya's eyes flashed as her face turned red.
"WHAT THE HELL!? What about your mother? She took care of you and loved you! What about Lady Rose of Burmecia? She protected this country with her life and still does! What about all the mothers out there who take care of their children with their own life and sacrifice their love to allow their children to go off and pursue this dangerous goal so you can train them? Are they all assholes too? Huh? ARE THEY?!" Freya screamed. "You know, you're just a bunch of shit!"
Ebon slowly turned around. He glared at Freya briefly. He then smacked her so hard she slammed against the wall. I gritted my teeth angrily. It took one more hard smack, however, before I leapt to my feet.
"Leave her alone," I snarled. "Not her fault she's a woman who's willing to stand up to you."
Ebon slowly looked at me.
"Be quiet, or I'll kick you out," he warned. His voice held far more respect for me than it had for Freya, however.
"But it's not right," I growled.
"Quiet," Ebon growled. He turned to where Freya had been, but she had fled. She was now behind me, and I could feel her shaking.
"Now that the distraction is over, we may begin," Ebon said. "Listen closely to what I say, as I will only say it once. Fratley, you may help them if you want." Ebon motioned in the direction of the boys.
The boys sneered at me, and I immediately didn't want to even go near them. I instead looked over at Freya. Her right cheek was beginning to swell, and she was watching Ebon with angry nervousness. I preferred her to sneering boys.
Ebon began his long, dull lecture. Freya clearly listened to every word. Two of the boys, however, did not. They began talking and snickering. They pointed to Freya, to me and then to Freya again while snickering. Ebon ignored them. The only ones listening, apparently, were one boy and Freya. I carefully began to rub Freya's shoulders. She was obviously nervous and upset. I didn't blame her.
Three hours later, the lecture was over.
"Someone repeat what I said," Ebon commanded.
Freya and the one boy both rose their hands. Ebon immediately picked the one boy. He repeated everything perfectly, except for a word or two. His friends pat him on the back and congratulated him.
"Good job. It's nice to see some of us listen," Ebon said, turning his eyes on Freya.
Freya looked away. Her fighting spirit was gone. I glared at Ebon. Hadn't he noticed that Freya had listened to every word and probably could repeat each word perfectly? Then again, he probably knew. He just didn't care.
"All right, then. Take a book, and read it tonight. Yes, I know you just learned the prospects of letters. Apply it. Figure out what it may just say," Ebon said. "Dismissed."
Freya got up quickly, grabbed a book, and ran out. I also grabbed a book and jogged out of the room. I then looked around, wondering which way she went. I heard sobbing, and it was coming from further down the hall. I carefully walked into the large main room. It had a completely wooden floor, and two small half-rooms near the end. Spiraling stairs on each side of the room led upstairs. I headed into one of the half-rooms to find Freya on the couch in it, sobbing.
The room was small. There was a thin carpet on the floor. One couch was set up. There was a fireplace and two chairs. It seemed peaceful.
"Freya," I began, but couldn't find words.
"Fratley, what's my mother going to say?" Freya choked out. "She doesn't even know I'm doing this! I didn't tell her because - because -"
Freya rose to a sitting position, sobbing. She stared at the floor. I sat down beside her.
"Freya," I muttered.
"She - she said it was too dangerous," Freya choked. "She - She didn't want any - of us to become warriors. She never s-said why. When she - sees this," Freya choked, lightly touching her swollen cheek. "She's going - to know something's up! God, w-what if she blames you? You didn't do anything!"
I was only half-aware that I was pulling Freya closer to me in a gentle, reassuring embrace.
"Freya, I don't know," I muttered.
"Neither do I!" Freya sobbed. "I - can't g-go home now. But where w- will I go? I c-can't stay here! E-Ebon will tear me limb from limb. I don't understand. I-I can't stand this. I-I can't even pursue my own goals!"
Freya couldn't even talk at this point. She instead placed her head against my shoulder and sobbed.
"Are you sure your mother won't mind? And your father?"
"Positive Freya."
We were walking through the woods outside the Academy. Not wanting to deal with Ebon and his questions, we had climbed through the window in the room and headed out that way. Now we were heading in the direction of my home by taking the very long way.
Freya's eyes were red from crying. She was walking as close as she possibly could to me without the two of us actually touching. I was trying to figure out where I was going. I was heading in the direction of my house, but at the same time I knew we would pass Freya's house.
"I wish Ebon would just drop dead," Freya muttered.
"No, that wouldn't be a good enough death for 'im," I said. "Most likely ya want 'im to drown with sharks eating 'im alive."
"Eww! Frat!" Freya cried.
"I'm serious! That guy doesn' 'ave the right ta treat ya like ya are just a bunch of mindless shit!" I replied.
"Wow, you actually swore," Freya commented.
"Must be ya," I said, winking.
"Oh dear, I'm a bad influence," Freya said downheartedly.
I laughed. "Yeah right. One swear, great, now I'm going ta be runnin' around robbin' stores and burnin' down houses! Relax, Freya, relax."
"How can you expect me to relax now?" Freya asked.
"Well, I can'," I admitted. "But I can 'ope ya will."
Freya sighed and opened up the book she had grabbed. A giant picture of dragon stared at her.
"Um, did I grab a picture book?" she asked.
I laughed and flipped a page. We were staring at two pages that had to contain at least 1000 words each. Freya examined the letters curiously.
"Um - eh," she muttered, looking at the first word. "T. H. E. Um. Th."
Freya's tongue skipped over the word. By then I had read the whole paragraph but I waited patiently.
"The?" she guessed. I nodded. "Well, that's one down, 1999 to go."
I laughed. "You'll make it."
"Hmm." Freya stared at the next word. "D. R. A. G. O. N. Crap, a big one! Let's see. Duh - rrr - ah - guh - on? Hmm, funny word. Oh, wait! Dragon! Duh!"
I nodded. "Yep."
"This isn't that hard," Freya said. She looked up briefly just in time to dodge a tree. "Stupid tree. Anyway, I. S. Um - God, this one should be easy! - Eye. See? No, no such word. Eh. Zzzz? Is? Oh, why didn't I get that?"
"Ya are doin' pretty good for a beginner," I reassured her. I looked out toward the road. "'Ey! I think we got to the Royal Gate!"
"Oh, so that word starts with 'pow'. That's good, Frat, now we're closer to your home," Freya said.
We headed through the Gate and toward my street. Freya had, at this point, finally stumbled over the word "powerful". At that point the sentence ended and she closed the book.
"'The dragon is powerful'? No duh! Gee, I don't think I'd be able to figure that one out!" Freya said with sarcasm.
I only laughed. She seemed to be relaxing. We headed down my street, and soon my simple house came into few. I opened the door, leaving it open so Freya could get in.
"'Ey, mamá? I brought a friend home!" I shouted, coming up the stairs.
"Who?" Rose asked.
"Ya will see," I replied.
Freya slowly came up the stairs and looked around.
"You're right, your house is smaller than mine," she commented. "Still cute, though."
"Ya think everythin' is cute today!" I said teasingly.
"Hello," Rose said to Freya.
"Hello!" Freya chirped. "I'm Freya. I take it you're Fratley's mother?"
Rose nodded.
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Freya chirped.
Rose nodded again, a small smile on her face. She turned to me. "Your father left to do some errands. 'E should be back soon."
"Okay," I said.
"HEY FRATLEY!" Ruben shouted, entering the room. "Come look at what I made! It's really neat! You can bring your girlfriend too!"
"Girlfriend?" Freya asked.
"Um - eh, please, don't ask," I stuttered, following Ruben quickly. Freya followed.
Ruben headed downstairs into the basement, Freya and I following. Soon what he had made came into view.
"Wow," I said with amazement. "Ta think that was once jus' a block o' stone!"
Ruben had been trying to sculpt a dragon out of stone for weeks, and he had finally succeeded. It looked as if an expert had done it and not a twelve-year-old kid. Freya clearly thought the same thing.
"Cool, Ruben. You're going to be great when you become a sculptor," I said.
Ruben nodded proudly. "Thanks! Oh, and your girlfriend's really pretty!"
Freya blushed while I smacked myself in the forehead. Freya and I headed upstairs.
"He has a goal to flirt with every blue-eyed, blonde-haired, pretty- faced girl in the entire kingdom," I muttered. "And so far, he's succeeded."
Freya giggled. "I'm glad I'm not blue-eyed, blonde-haired, or pretty- faced."
"You are pretty-faced," I pointed out.
By now we were in the bedroom. I was staring at Freya. She was staring in return. I don't know what we were hoping to find.
Girlfriend? Doesn't anyone get that we're just friends? I asked. Or are we?
"Hey, Freya?" I asked.
"Hmm?" Freya replied.
"We are just friend, right?" I asked.
Freya didn't answer. She only smiled.
----- Hello my loyal reviewers. Hope you still like the story. So we've met Ebon, Fratley's blind when it comes to love, Freya had major problems, and Dragon Academy is not going to be a walk in the park! How will our heroes survive? I don't know. Let me think! =D Anyway, stay tuned!
Thank you for reviewing! And thank you to those people who read and don't review. I know you're out there. *grins*
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and all of Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.
Death to Ebon!
A few days did indeed bring results, and a Dragon Warrior went around to the houses of the selected contestants telling them the good news. In the end, I was one of the chosen, and when I checked with Freya, she too had been chosen.
Within a few months summer had come, and so had training. I left the house early in the morning, as usual, and jogged down to Freya's house. I knocked on the door, and within a few seconds Matthew had answered.
"Hey! It's Freya's boyfriend!" he chirped.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, it's me. Freya awake?"
"Oh, yeah! Getting her fully awake is the trick," Matthew replied happily. "Come on in."
I entered the house quietly. I immediately headed into the living room to find Freya lying on the couch. I smiled, shaking my head, and walked over.
"Get up, lazy," I said teasingly.
"My brain's not working," Freya muttered.
"I'll jumpstart it," I said, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her.
"Ah, Fratley!" Freya groaned, taking the pillow and throwing at me. "Five minutes."
"We have to be there in five minutes."
"Shit!" Freya leapt to her feet. "Why didn't you tell me that?"
I shrugged. "I figured you knew. Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I can skip breakfast. Let's go!"
"Eh, okay, whatever you say."
We headed outside, Freya suddenly wide-awake.
"Oh, God, I'm nervous! I've heard bad things about Ebon!" Freya muttered.
"Ebon?" I asked.
"He's the guy who trains the Dragon Warriors. I've heard bad things," Freya told me. "He hates women."
"Oh great," I muttered. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
"You can't protect yourself, let alone me!" Freya chirped and ran off.
"Get back here!" I screamed.
"I'm gonna beat cha! I'm gonna beat cha!" Freya shouted teasingly.
"Ya sound like a two-year-old, ya know that? At least m' accent is completely natural when I use it!" I cried, returning to my natural accent.
Freya screeched to a stop, and I crashed into her. We both fell to the ground.
"Your accent is so cute!" Freya chirped.
"Eh? Freya, you say weird thing sometimes," I commented.
"Oh, don't return to normal now! The other accent is cute! I like it!" Freya said.
Well, I can tell you've gone insane, I thought.
"All right, all right, I'll use this accent. But when we get ta the Academy I'm 'fraid I'm going ta return ta the normal one, okay?" I said.
"Aww! Oh well, good while it lasts," Freya said. "Now can you get off of me?"
"Sorry!" I said with a laugh, getting off Freya. We both rose to our feet and began walking again. Freya was humming, looking around. I was thinking over what she had said earlier.
"Freya? Remembe' what ya said earlier?" I asked.
"Yes, I said your accent was cute," Freya said with a smile.
"Farthe' back, Freya," I said.
"I told you not to assume things unless you knew they were true," Freya replied with a smile.
"Um, Freya? First off, I can' see 'ow ya can remembe' that far. Second off, that's too far. A little more ta the present, please," I said, smirking. "It was a year ago, dope. Anyhow, I was talking about Ebon."
"Yes, 'im. I think m' mothe' mentioned stuff 'bout 'im once before."
"What'd she say?"
"Ah - what did she say?"
"Oh Frat."
We walked up the stairs leading to the gate leading to the Royal Grounds quietly. I was trying desperately to remember what my mother had said. Freya was waiting for me to remember. We stepped through the gate and headed in the direction of a large stone building near the Castle Gate.
"The Dragon Academy," Freya muttered. "It's huge."
"It's a giant complex. The Dragon Warriors use it as a school, a meeting center, a party place, and sometimes even an inn," I explained. "So it 'as ta be pretty big."
Freya nodded agreement. 'Did you remember what your mother said?"
"Yes, actually, I did," I said thoughtfully. "'E 'as a bad temper, 'ates women, and loves ta 'ave his way."
"Oh no," Freya moaned, coming to a stop.
"Aww, come on! I'm 'ere and if ya behave, ya'll be fine!" I said with encouragement, walking over to Freya.
"If I behave? Fratley, since when do I behave? I never learned how to behave!" Freya complained sadly. "I'm hopeless now. I'm in for it."
"Freya," I began, but only found I had nothing to say.
Freya sighed and began to slowly walk toward the Academy. I quickly followed. Soon, we were staring at the stone door that led inside. Freya took a shaky breath. She then carefully pushed open the massive door. I quickly followed.
We were in a wide hallway that broke into a massive room after seven feet. The floor was completely wooden with stone walls. Two doors on either side of the hallway were in front of us. We walked a bit forward.
"In here."
The voice was like steel. Emerging from the west room was a man in his early forties. He appeared to be very strong and able to flip the strongest of men over his back. His eyes were a very deep blue and emotionless. He crossed his arms and stared at the two of us. A brief flash over anger came over his eyes as he stared at Freya, but it left quickly.
"Come in," he growled.
Freya and I entered, with Freya clearly nervous. The room was small. One massive table was in the center of the room. Piled on it were books. There were no chairs anywhere in the room except for a stool near the far wall opposite the door. The table was very low, making it clear that you sat on the floor. I immediately sat down at the table, but Freya only stood there, watching Ebon nervously.
"Sit down," the man snapped harshly at Freya.
Freya let out a soft whine and sat down. She stared at all the books, not daring to look at the man.
"Are you Ebon, sir?" I asked.
The man nodded gruffly. "Where are the others? Did you see them?"
"No," I answered.
"How about you?" Ebon spat at Freya.
Freya shook her head nervously, looking up at Ebon briefly. Angry blue eyes met her nervous green eyes and she turned away nervously. I looked up at Ebon, but met no angry eyes. I turned away so he wouldn't see my angry look.
Within a few minutes the others who had been chosen entered. There were only three of them. They all sat far away from Freya and I and closer to Ebon. Ebon nodded slightly.
"Welcome," he said gruffly.
No one answered.
"You have been chosen to be Dragon Warriors, the most powerful and respected warriors in Burmecia," Ebon began, sitting on the stool and staring at us all. "Physical strength is only one of the things you will need during this time. You need to have mental sharpness, self-control, respect, endurance, and a serious manner. You may find yourself being completely changed throughout the years that you will be here. But your learning will not end here. Hopefully you will continue to learn.
"Discipline will be harsh. You are expected to come on time and ready to work. Respect is an utmost priority. One breaking of a rule can result in harsh discipline. It may even result in a flogging."
Ebon said the last sentence staring at Freya. Freya looked up at him briefly, then whined softly and turned away. I stared at Ebon, not trusting him in the least. He hated women, all right. It was obvious.
"We are going to alternate week by week from mental strength to physical strength. This week will be mental. You are going to learn how to read. I take it none of you can read?" Ebon asked.
"I can," I said before Ebon could say anything.
Ebon turned his dark blue eyes on me. I stared in return. He walked over to a piece of parchment and handed it to me.
"Then read that," he said simply.
"'If you can read this then I hereby declare that you have the ability to read perfectly'," I read flawlessly, causing everyone to stare.
Ebon was clearly impressed. He snatched the paper and tossed it aside.
"Right then. As I was saying, you will learn to read. Books offer the best of mental knowledge. The more you read, the more you learn, and the more you will gain. Within a week you will know how to read. If you need one more week, then fine. But no other weeks will be given for the dumb," Ebon said, the last sentence being said when his eyes were on Freya.
"I'm not dumb," Freya growled.
Ebon only glared at her. Freya glared at him in return.
"You are expected to come here an hour after dawn," Ebon continued, still looking at Freya. "Don't, and you'll be severely punished."
"I came here on time today," Freya whispered.
"Next week will be physical strength. The lake offers the best of physical exercise. All next week come to the lake a half-hour after dawn and be awake. I will shove you in the lake if I have to." Ebon was staring at Freya still. "Come late and you'll be punished."
Silence followed. Freya was nearly shaking with anger at being insulted. I was also pretty angry, but I said nothing. Ebon and Freya were having a staring contest at that moment. Angry blue eyes met angry green. The three boys nearby snickered. I wanted to kill someone.
"If you do not behave, you will be kicked out," Ebon growled at Freya.
"What the hell? I'm behaving perfectly fine! I've been sitting here calmly listening to everything you said! I haven't done a God-damn thing!" Freya snapped.
"Freya," I muttered softly. "Calm down."
"Lower your eyes when speaking to a person higher than you," Ebon barked.
"How come Fratley didn't have to?" Freya asked, rising angrily to her feet. "How come it's just me? How come I'm clearly going to get a flogging? How come I'm the one who's 'stupid'? How come you're spitting insults at me?"
Smack.
It happened so quickly that it took me a few seconds to realize it. Soon, Ebon was standing over Freya, who was on the floor and rubbing her cheek. Immediately I was angry. Ebon had smacked her.
"Keep your mouth shut," Ebon growled. "Respect is a key. Now learn it."
Ebon turned around and headed back to the stool. Freya rose in a sitting position, glaring at Ebon. She then rose to her feet.
"Freya!" I whispered.
"I have no interest in being treated like shit," Freya muttered. She then walked over to Ebon.
"Oh no," I muttered, but it was blocked out by the snickering of two of the three guys. For some reason they found the entire thing hilarious.
"Look," Freya said. "You said respect is a key. Well, why don't you give me respect? Maybe you'll get some in return."
"Women don't deserve respect. They're nothing but a bunch of assholes," Ebon replied.
Everyone stared with shock. Freya's eyes flashed as her face turned red.
"WHAT THE HELL!? What about your mother? She took care of you and loved you! What about Lady Rose of Burmecia? She protected this country with her life and still does! What about all the mothers out there who take care of their children with their own life and sacrifice their love to allow their children to go off and pursue this dangerous goal so you can train them? Are they all assholes too? Huh? ARE THEY?!" Freya screamed. "You know, you're just a bunch of shit!"
Ebon slowly turned around. He glared at Freya briefly. He then smacked her so hard she slammed against the wall. I gritted my teeth angrily. It took one more hard smack, however, before I leapt to my feet.
"Leave her alone," I snarled. "Not her fault she's a woman who's willing to stand up to you."
Ebon slowly looked at me.
"Be quiet, or I'll kick you out," he warned. His voice held far more respect for me than it had for Freya, however.
"But it's not right," I growled.
"Quiet," Ebon growled. He turned to where Freya had been, but she had fled. She was now behind me, and I could feel her shaking.
"Now that the distraction is over, we may begin," Ebon said. "Listen closely to what I say, as I will only say it once. Fratley, you may help them if you want." Ebon motioned in the direction of the boys.
The boys sneered at me, and I immediately didn't want to even go near them. I instead looked over at Freya. Her right cheek was beginning to swell, and she was watching Ebon with angry nervousness. I preferred her to sneering boys.
Ebon began his long, dull lecture. Freya clearly listened to every word. Two of the boys, however, did not. They began talking and snickering. They pointed to Freya, to me and then to Freya again while snickering. Ebon ignored them. The only ones listening, apparently, were one boy and Freya. I carefully began to rub Freya's shoulders. She was obviously nervous and upset. I didn't blame her.
Three hours later, the lecture was over.
"Someone repeat what I said," Ebon commanded.
Freya and the one boy both rose their hands. Ebon immediately picked the one boy. He repeated everything perfectly, except for a word or two. His friends pat him on the back and congratulated him.
"Good job. It's nice to see some of us listen," Ebon said, turning his eyes on Freya.
Freya looked away. Her fighting spirit was gone. I glared at Ebon. Hadn't he noticed that Freya had listened to every word and probably could repeat each word perfectly? Then again, he probably knew. He just didn't care.
"All right, then. Take a book, and read it tonight. Yes, I know you just learned the prospects of letters. Apply it. Figure out what it may just say," Ebon said. "Dismissed."
Freya got up quickly, grabbed a book, and ran out. I also grabbed a book and jogged out of the room. I then looked around, wondering which way she went. I heard sobbing, and it was coming from further down the hall. I carefully walked into the large main room. It had a completely wooden floor, and two small half-rooms near the end. Spiraling stairs on each side of the room led upstairs. I headed into one of the half-rooms to find Freya on the couch in it, sobbing.
The room was small. There was a thin carpet on the floor. One couch was set up. There was a fireplace and two chairs. It seemed peaceful.
"Freya," I began, but couldn't find words.
"Fratley, what's my mother going to say?" Freya choked out. "She doesn't even know I'm doing this! I didn't tell her because - because -"
Freya rose to a sitting position, sobbing. She stared at the floor. I sat down beside her.
"Freya," I muttered.
"She - she said it was too dangerous," Freya choked. "She - She didn't want any - of us to become warriors. She never s-said why. When she - sees this," Freya choked, lightly touching her swollen cheek. "She's going - to know something's up! God, w-what if she blames you? You didn't do anything!"
I was only half-aware that I was pulling Freya closer to me in a gentle, reassuring embrace.
"Freya, I don't know," I muttered.
"Neither do I!" Freya sobbed. "I - can't g-go home now. But where w- will I go? I c-can't stay here! E-Ebon will tear me limb from limb. I don't understand. I-I can't stand this. I-I can't even pursue my own goals!"
Freya couldn't even talk at this point. She instead placed her head against my shoulder and sobbed.
"Are you sure your mother won't mind? And your father?"
"Positive Freya."
We were walking through the woods outside the Academy. Not wanting to deal with Ebon and his questions, we had climbed through the window in the room and headed out that way. Now we were heading in the direction of my home by taking the very long way.
Freya's eyes were red from crying. She was walking as close as she possibly could to me without the two of us actually touching. I was trying to figure out where I was going. I was heading in the direction of my house, but at the same time I knew we would pass Freya's house.
"I wish Ebon would just drop dead," Freya muttered.
"No, that wouldn't be a good enough death for 'im," I said. "Most likely ya want 'im to drown with sharks eating 'im alive."
"Eww! Frat!" Freya cried.
"I'm serious! That guy doesn' 'ave the right ta treat ya like ya are just a bunch of mindless shit!" I replied.
"Wow, you actually swore," Freya commented.
"Must be ya," I said, winking.
"Oh dear, I'm a bad influence," Freya said downheartedly.
I laughed. "Yeah right. One swear, great, now I'm going ta be runnin' around robbin' stores and burnin' down houses! Relax, Freya, relax."
"How can you expect me to relax now?" Freya asked.
"Well, I can'," I admitted. "But I can 'ope ya will."
Freya sighed and opened up the book she had grabbed. A giant picture of dragon stared at her.
"Um, did I grab a picture book?" she asked.
I laughed and flipped a page. We were staring at two pages that had to contain at least 1000 words each. Freya examined the letters curiously.
"Um - eh," she muttered, looking at the first word. "T. H. E. Um. Th."
Freya's tongue skipped over the word. By then I had read the whole paragraph but I waited patiently.
"The?" she guessed. I nodded. "Well, that's one down, 1999 to go."
I laughed. "You'll make it."
"Hmm." Freya stared at the next word. "D. R. A. G. O. N. Crap, a big one! Let's see. Duh - rrr - ah - guh - on? Hmm, funny word. Oh, wait! Dragon! Duh!"
I nodded. "Yep."
"This isn't that hard," Freya said. She looked up briefly just in time to dodge a tree. "Stupid tree. Anyway, I. S. Um - God, this one should be easy! - Eye. See? No, no such word. Eh. Zzzz? Is? Oh, why didn't I get that?"
"Ya are doin' pretty good for a beginner," I reassured her. I looked out toward the road. "'Ey! I think we got to the Royal Gate!"
"Oh, so that word starts with 'pow'. That's good, Frat, now we're closer to your home," Freya said.
We headed through the Gate and toward my street. Freya had, at this point, finally stumbled over the word "powerful". At that point the sentence ended and she closed the book.
"'The dragon is powerful'? No duh! Gee, I don't think I'd be able to figure that one out!" Freya said with sarcasm.
I only laughed. She seemed to be relaxing. We headed down my street, and soon my simple house came into few. I opened the door, leaving it open so Freya could get in.
"'Ey, mamá? I brought a friend home!" I shouted, coming up the stairs.
"Who?" Rose asked.
"Ya will see," I replied.
Freya slowly came up the stairs and looked around.
"You're right, your house is smaller than mine," she commented. "Still cute, though."
"Ya think everythin' is cute today!" I said teasingly.
"Hello," Rose said to Freya.
"Hello!" Freya chirped. "I'm Freya. I take it you're Fratley's mother?"
Rose nodded.
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Freya chirped.
Rose nodded again, a small smile on her face. She turned to me. "Your father left to do some errands. 'E should be back soon."
"Okay," I said.
"HEY FRATLEY!" Ruben shouted, entering the room. "Come look at what I made! It's really neat! You can bring your girlfriend too!"
"Girlfriend?" Freya asked.
"Um - eh, please, don't ask," I stuttered, following Ruben quickly. Freya followed.
Ruben headed downstairs into the basement, Freya and I following. Soon what he had made came into view.
"Wow," I said with amazement. "Ta think that was once jus' a block o' stone!"
Ruben had been trying to sculpt a dragon out of stone for weeks, and he had finally succeeded. It looked as if an expert had done it and not a twelve-year-old kid. Freya clearly thought the same thing.
"Cool, Ruben. You're going to be great when you become a sculptor," I said.
Ruben nodded proudly. "Thanks! Oh, and your girlfriend's really pretty!"
Freya blushed while I smacked myself in the forehead. Freya and I headed upstairs.
"He has a goal to flirt with every blue-eyed, blonde-haired, pretty- faced girl in the entire kingdom," I muttered. "And so far, he's succeeded."
Freya giggled. "I'm glad I'm not blue-eyed, blonde-haired, or pretty- faced."
"You are pretty-faced," I pointed out.
By now we were in the bedroom. I was staring at Freya. She was staring in return. I don't know what we were hoping to find.
Girlfriend? Doesn't anyone get that we're just friends? I asked. Or are we?
"Hey, Freya?" I asked.
"Hmm?" Freya replied.
"We are just friend, right?" I asked.
Freya didn't answer. She only smiled.
----- Hello my loyal reviewers. Hope you still like the story. So we've met Ebon, Fratley's blind when it comes to love, Freya had major problems, and Dragon Academy is not going to be a walk in the park! How will our heroes survive? I don't know. Let me think! =D Anyway, stay tuned!
Thank you for reviewing! And thank you to those people who read and don't review. I know you're out there. *grins*
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and all of Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.