They never found the elusive barbarian until the next day in World Formation, where he pretty much had to make himself present. Rafe thought he would just skip, but twenty-four hours was apparently enough for the fellow first-year to recuperate.They had badgered him out of concern. The blond superhuman even tried a bit of humor, half-joking when he asked if he wanted to maim a few of his clan members in retaliation, but that only got a hint of a grin from the brooding redhead.“You sure, man?” Joe spoke to him during a group assignment. “You can come by and hang out for a minute or two. We don’t mind.”Daeran agreed, shaking his head and shrugging to show that he didn’t mind.Frodd feigned the umpteenth grin and declined. “Nah, mate. I’m bang on. No need to worry your heads off about me, alright?”“If you say so, bro.”“Just know that the offer stands anytime you need it,” Andre said, that bright, compassionate, and kind smile on his face that softened the hardest of hearts a beacon
Two days later, in the basement of the Adam Society basement fitness center after classes, there was a second area, a wide, empty space for one exercise in particular.“How about this!?” Rafe shouted as he charged at Bogrut, the tenth-year ogre he and the others met before they stumbled upon the back-to-school party.The olive-green giant easily caught the sharp right hook with his left, pudgy hand. The small crowd that ogled on had their jaws dropped to the floor as what sounded like a clap of thunder shook the machinery and the walls. In Bogrut’s right held his bo staff, about to whack the blond upside the head. However, Rafe launched a series of punches, which the ogre smirked through as he parried them with a single arm.With extreme skill, when there was a moment of opportunity, Bogrut maneuvered his staff so it now held between his left elbow and side. He quickly shot out his already-reared back right fist as Rafe did the same. However, before the first-year’s fist could break a
“Who else could be calling us?” Andre asked as he and Rafe stood in the middle of the school’s administration office, which housed Gylarcan, Emais, and their assistants’ rooms.“I don’t know, but I don’t like it,” Rafe pursed his lips. “If it’s who I’m thinking it is, then…”He didn’t know too many friendlies outside of Beau, Toby, and Andre’s foster family. Which meant that whoever was ringing wasn’t a companion at all.It hit the omé a second later, his face paling the slightest bit. “You mean-”Before he could verbalize his speculations, a three-foot woman with near-translucent skin, leafy, curly hair, and adorned in a white work shirt and a green midi dress floated from her cubicle and over to the two waiting boys. The nameplate that hung on the corner read “Mrs. Fayetta Glana – Secretary, Pixie.”“Mr. Gold and Mr. Watson,” she called from them, her voice unexpectedly deep for her size. “Right this way.”“Do you know who’s calling us, ma’am?” Andre questioned, a nervous tremor in
“I just can’t take it!” Rafe screamed into his phone while lying down on his bed, still reeling from the argument with his father a week and a half ago. “I can’t take knowing… that he knows and… you guys are…”Nearby, Andre, situated in a chair, winced.On the other side of the line, a growl sounded out before the rough baritone of Beau’s voice grouched. “Don’t you dare call us defenseless, imp! Don’t you dare!”“Calm down,” Toby, his lighter tone fainter, cooed. “Don’t freak him out.”“Old man…” Rafe started, but his caretaker cut him off with another angry snarl.“Imp. Cherub. I need you to listen to me closely.” Beside the blond, his omé friend sat up straight, looking as if he’d been caught daydreaming. “We. Will. Be. Fine. God, I know your father has… tidied up his otherwise sloppy skills since then. Of course, he did. He’d be stupid not to. Don’t you think we accounted for a reunion one day?”“Considering where I work, I’d be foolish to think we’d be done with him,” Toby added.
Andre sighed as he set down the two backpacks of canteens. In all honesty, aside from being the water boy, which he was doing well at being, there wasn’t much of a difference from just watching Rafe train in the gym for several hours.Although, the process seemed a bit more rigorous. Coach Hemming, the head instructor, in the span of forty-five minutes, subjected them to one brutal workout after another. Running with weights, pinky pushups, seemingly endless shadow boxing, and many other things that would kill a normal person.All without the use of powers. Gia Hallsworth, eat your heart out.Thankfully, the wolf coach was satisfied with the energy he had stolen from them and called for a five-minute before their last session.“You know, to be honest, this doesn’t seem too different from FTS,” Andre mentioned to Rafe as he refilled the canteens for the others, who looked like they were about to drop dead at any second.Rafe, however, appeared lively and glowing more than ever in his d
Ants were something to be jealous of.It didn’t matter how small, insignificant, or easily killable they were. They led boring, mundane lives crawling from one patch of dirt to the other. No obligations to mandatory decorum, no being fashioned into a role in order to keep up the happy illusion of a broken family, and no worries of going insane.“Seek and destroy,” the robotic voice overhead reiterated that same mantra it did every day. “That is your task henceforth. The original inhabitants of this planet have been forced to share for far too long. A war is brewing.”Yeah.He’d rather be an ant.“Wakey, wakey, bud.”A gentle shake of his shoulders took Rafe out of the memory.“Shit,” he swiveled, scanning the dark room with blurry eyes. “What time is it?”Andre stood beside him with a soft smile. “Just in time to get ready for the Abellon Club’s match. I hope that afternoon nap worked miracles for you.”Ah, right. He stormed off to have a meltdown in private. Well, luckily, he didn’t
“I say, this certainly is a battle of legends, is it not?” Lick Dane asked enthusiastically. “I mean, werewolf… and a vampire? What are the odds?”“These two species butt heads like cats and dogs every second of the day,” Big Ol’ Junior dismissed. “Nothing too special.”“Aye! What the fuck!?” Rafe heard Zoel shout in indignation.“But it’s not every day you see them with this kind of strength.”Cain and Demetrius were exchanging furious combinations of punches and kicks, striking and blocking at such high speeds, Rafe was pretty sure the ground was slightly rumbling underneath them. The alpha wolf was able to break the chain by latching onto one of the vampire’s thrown fists and quickly delivering one across the chin, sending his opponent airborne.Unfortunately, the Primer Club’s bloodsucker was quick to retaliate in a big way, thrusting out his palms and having a bright, chilling ball of frost form. Cain could only cross his arms to guard against the icy beam. The explosion was as b
Several hours later, the end of the school day had arrived, which meant nothing else stood in the way of the beginner level’s first match of the year. On the way to the War Field, the students lingering around were still laughing and joking, marching to and fro as if game day wasn’t today. The sight only reinforced the notion that novice matches didn’t bring about as much hype as the advanced teams. Still, that did almost nothing to deter the excitement bubbling in the freshmen.“Man!” Rudy groaned. “Maybe I should sign up. Having to take field trips to other countries sounds like a dream.”Lindsay shook her head, patting the blond boy on the back. “Too late for that. Looks like you’ll have to live that dream vicariously through a television screen.”“We’ll be watching and cheering you guys on,” Rexel brushed her rainbow-colored hair as she addressed the Combat team members, smiling brightly. “As we’re doing complex mathematics, that is.”Rafe grinned back. “Your prayers will be enoug