Cohle Venge- Two Months Prior
He didn't have the strength to fight the older man that was undressing him, putting up a feeble defense that was batted away like it hadn't even been there. Once he'd been stripped, warm water rained down on him from the shower and if he'd been more alert, he might've groaned in satisfaction. Instead, he stared down as the white tile was slowly stained reddish brown and tried to get his mind to work out what was happening as the man gave him an efficient, but gentle wiping down.
"Up you get, Master Cohle." He said, turning off the water and hauling the young man to his feet. "There we are, looking better already."
He half dragged him to a steaming tub before needing to heft the boy over the side and into the water with a strength not fitting of his delicate frame and high class dressing. This time, Cohle did groan as his body was assaulted by pins and needles.
"Too hot?"
Shaking his head took a tremendous effort as he had already started to doze off. The faint earthy smell of the water was mixed with a kind of perfumed scent he couldn't place. It was pleasant and relaxing, but was pulling him under once more and he started to slide deeper into the tub.
A firm hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him up and a glass was held in front of him. "If you'd drink this for me, please."
Already knowing that raising his hand was going to be a failed endeavor, he opened his mouth and a nectar flavor trickled across his tongue and down his throat. Within moments, he felt more alert and energized, taking the glass and finishing it with a gasp. "Wow." He sighed.
"Yes, I thought that might do the trick." The man said, taking the glass and setting it on a counter before turning to face him. "The oils in the water have some restorative effects, so I'd advise remaining in the bath after cleaning yourself until it begins to cool. I have left you some clean clothing just here and one of the staff will be waiting to escort you to Madam's study."
"Uh, wh-"
He held up a hand, halting the question before starting to roll down the sleeves of his shirt. "Madam has asked that I not answer any questions. She would prefer to give you answers herself. However, you may call me Wastkin and I am the head butler of this manor. For now, that will have to suffice, young sir."
Cohle could only nod as the butler affixed his cufflinks then bowed slightly before straightening his waistcoat and exiting the bathroom, pulling the door to. With nothing to gain from not listening, he grabbed the cloth folded elegantly on top of the bar of soap and set to work, making sure he thoroughly cleaned every part of his body before leaning back.
"If nothing else, I'll be clean before they kick me out I guess." He muttered, closing his eyes and drinking in the warmth of the water.
A memory surfaced that made his body tense painfully. It had been the last time Mara had forced him into the lukewarm tub and scrubbed him with a rough sponge. He'd told her he hated baths and hated her more. The next day, they'd entered the dungeon and only he emerged.
Angrily wiping his face, he took several slow, deep breaths before carefully climbing out of the cooled bathwater. Having been in a similar condition before, he knew that it'd take a few days for him to feel normal again if he slept and ate plenty. Moving stiffly and slowly to the counter, he scowled at his reflection.
The white hair hanging down to his chin, properly clean for the first time in a few years, was more vibrant than he remembered. It made the dull red eyes seem painfully bright despite the heavy bags under them. He slicked the hair back with a sigh and looked down at the clothes before groaning internally. A white dress shirt and dark blue slacks were neatly folded next to a tie, underwear, and black socks that looked like they'd tear the second he put them on.
He looked back at the pile of clothing the butler had taken off him and wrinkled his nose slightly, deciding that it was better to look like a clown than smell like a dead orc. Turning his attention back to the counter, he picked up the towel and began patting himself dry, noting that the open wounds he had were now closed and only faint scars remained. Glancing back at the mirror, he leaned in and checked his deeply tanned skin for any other evidence of his injuries.
"Guess I was wrong about baths." He murmured, setting the towel down and picking up the underwear.
~
He gave each sleeve a turn to free his wrists as he walked over to the door of the bedroom, trying to ignore how funny his feet felt in the thin socks and hard soled loafers. Pulling it open a woman in a black dress bowed low to him.
"Uh, hi?"
She smiled warmly at him and gestured to the hall, waiting for him to step out before starting to walk. He followed after her, watching her red hair swish from side to side as they rounded a corner and headed downstairs before turning and walking across an open common area toward a small door in the back. She knocked twice before pushing the door open, smiling at him and stepping aside.
He approached slowly, keeping his guard up until he stood in the threshold. A woman sat at a desk with her hands clasped in front of her while resting her chin on them. Her crystal eyes studying him as the butler appeared from a side door carrying a tray.
"Well, have a seat." She finally said, gesturing to the chairs in front of the desk.
He started to step forward, but felt a tugging on his shirt and spun quickly, raising his fists. The woman who'd escorted him looked startled and was waving her hands frantically.
"I believe she was fixing the tail of your shirt, Master Venge." Wastkin said from right behind him. "You have a bit of a duck tail."
"Oh." He muttered, then gave the woman a guilty look. "Sorry."
She gave him a smile and bowed before looking to the butler, who nodded. "Thank you, Miss Lily, we've got it from here."
She turned and walked a few steps, appearing lost before settling on a direction as the door shut.
"She's a halfbreed like you." The woman said. "And people are unkind to the different who can't defend themselves."
Cohle let the butler fix his shirt and made his way to a chair, trying to sit with the same posture as the woman did while she accepted her cup and took a polite sip from it. "I can see the swirl of questions in your mind, so let me explain a few things to you so you can narrow your inquiries down better." She set the cup down. "My name is Celestia Lightbringer and I brought you from Nym to my home in Veralys."
"The school?" Cohle asked.
"Yes. This'll go faster if you don't interrupt, dear." She chided gently. "I was once a member of a party known as Kingsguard. As an adventurer, I'm sure you've heard stories, but those aren't important. What is important is that I was close friends with your father and I was the one who entrusted you to the woman who raised you."
Cohle felt his stomach drop as his mind flooded with thoughts and questions so quickly he couldn't parse them out quick enough to make any sense of them. Celestia sipped her tea, clearly giving him time to process.
"My father... Who... And Mara..." He stammered, finding his voice, but couldn't find which questions he wanted to ask first.
"He was our leader. Owing to circumstances, which I will not be telling you now, neither he nor your mother are with us anymore. Prior to that, I entrusted your safety to a close friend of ours." She smiled sadly. "It took me some time to track you down. It would seem the Venge family still has some pull that kept your name and picture out of the public. Adding to that difficulty was your relative invisibility as an adventurer as well as my own responsibilities keeping me from searching more thoroughly."
Despite his emotional turmoil, his rising suspicions helped him regain control over himself. "What do you want from me? High-Guard took my money and all my possessions. So how do you know I'm even Cohle Venge?"
"Because you look like your father, but you have your mother's eyes and hair." She said simply. "And as for what I want from you; I suppose I want to see you survive. Your life so far hasn't been the easiest, if half of what I've read or heard is true."
"Why?"
"I have my own personal motivations, but the one most relevant to you is that your parents would want you to live." She clapped her hands gently together. "Now, it would appear that our school's uniform is a good fit for you. I'd like you to spend the next few months considering enrollment."
Taken aback by the sudden tone change, he stared blankly at her. The butler chuckled and leaned close to the woman. "Perhaps we would be better served giving him time to recover and adjust to things first. I'm sure Master Venge probably has many questions and twice that in suspicions about this whole situation."
There was a slight rose tint to her cheeks and she nodded. "Yes, of course. Forgive me."
Wastkin gave him a smile as she rose from her desk and circled around it. Cohle cautiously got to his feet as well, surprised to see that the grown woman was only a few inches taller than him. She stopped in front of him and reached up to his face, brushing damp strands of hair from it. He resisted the impulse to knock her hand away seeing the distant, pained look on her face. His willpower was tested, however, when she embraced him tightly, nearly crushing the wind from him. "It's good you're here, dear boy."
"Uh, yeah." He murmured and she released him.
"Shall we adjourn to the dining room? I believe Zeke is nearly done with preparing dinner." Wastkin offered, pulling open the door.
~
The next three weeks were spent alternating between processing the drops of information he'd get from Celestia in his room, pacing the grounds around the manor, and feeling awkward around the staff. Nearly all of whom treated him with a level of respect he was unaccustomed to. Only the head chef, Zeke, the head butler, Wastkin, and the mute maid, Lily, were somewhat casual with him.
Celestia had given him a great deal to think about, especially concerning Mara. While he had heard of Kingsguard, there didn't seem to be a person alive who didn't know of them, little was known about the only other party that were their allies. The Lightbringers had been Celestia's original party, but when she left to join Kingsguard a few years after its forming, they decided to keep the name out of respect for their friend.
Mara had been a formidable scout, her keen eyes saving them from ambushes many times. But it was who she was as a person that Cohle found himself most affected by and spending much of his time brooding over. The Venge family were once well favored by the Church and held more authority than a few of the kings that were in power then. But their fall from grace began when Mara was forced into engagement at thirteen years old with a man in his fifties.
Celestia had said that he was a kind man of good means and would've undoubtedly been a very respectable husband, but Mara had her heart set on becoming an adventurer to assist smaller towns in their fights against the invading demons. So she'd run away, and with her reappearance a few years later at the head of an A-Rank party, her family's fall began in earnest.
They'd used their fading influence to restrict her movements within the guild, hoping to force her into giving up. But as the conflict with the demons started building into a war, another party rose to prominence and had a personal connection with the Lightbringers and so the family's tumble continued while the wayward daughter's star rose.
Cohle enjoyed hearing the stories and found himself smiling whenever Celestia would compare him to her late friend. He told her what he could remember, which wasn't much owing to his age at the time, but she was grateful to him for it. However, he kept the details of her death to himself. More out of wanting to keep the feelings that came with it private than out of respect. Celestia knew what the reports had said and that was enough.
The one topic that was carefully skirted around was the topic of his parents. He'd already figured out that his father contributed to his human side from things Celestia had said about Kingsguard as a whole. But the few times he brought up his mother, she would gently shut him down.
But now there was nothing for him to do as Celestia was busy preparing for the start of the new term, dropping hints that he should make a decision soon. So he took to spending time with Lily, which wasn't much better than being by himself, but she no longer bowed to him constantly or looked panicked when he approached her. And she seemed more than happy to accompany him on his daily tours around the estate.
"You think they'll let me see the city, at least?" He asked her, leaning against the stone fencing and staring at the buildings.
Veralys was on one of the massive floating islands, and as such wasn't very large. But it held a number of estates for moneyed nobles as well as the Lightbringer Academy on the far side, which could be seen from the roof of the manor. The city served primarily as a hub of entertainment and supply, but had a small guild outpost as well. It wasn't designed for visitors, only residents, so there were no inns or bars or brothels.
Cohle thought it sounded pleasant but boring, yet still desired to see more than just the grounds of Celestia's estate. He looked at Lily who shrugged and smiled consolingly. With a sigh, he pushed himself away from the fence and the pair headed back to the manor. Used to constantly having something to do, he had grown bored. Which he took as a good sign that he was fully recovered and needed to make a decision about what to do with the woman's offer.
"Lily, there you are. Zeke needs you to go into town and claim his order from the outpost." An older woman said. "Wastkin's still at the academy, but he'll meet you there to help load it up."
Lily nodded and Cohle seized his chance. "Would it be possible to go with her?"
The woman looked down at him and raised an eyebrow. "I'm not certain Madam Celestia would approve of-"
"I won't cause Miss Lily any trouble and I'll stay at her side the entire time." He added quickly. He knew it was childish, but he was desperate.
She struggled with the options for a few seconds and Cohle sensed she was about to tell him no, so he thought fast. "I'll take the blame." He said. "If anyone gets mad, I'll say that you had no idea and that I snuck away and Miss Lily can pretend to be annoyed with me. All the heat will fall on me, I promise."
He internally cursed the poor gambit, but the woman's expression softened. "But you won't go if I say no?"
"I'll only go with your permission. But I will not allow you to take the blame for it." He said confidently.
He glanced up at Lily, who was trying to hide her smile from her matron and felt relief.
"Fine. But you'll be explaining your presence to Wastkin before you return. I don't know anything." She said, finally.
"Thank you, ma'am." He said, bowing.
Her cheeks flushed. "Just go before I change my mind, you two."
Not needing to be told again, the pair jogged toward the main road and began the trek into the city.
"Thanks for having my back. I'll make sure you don't get into any trouble for it." He said to her.
She shook her head, beaming as brightly as the sun while they walked. He felt himself smiling at the sense of freedom he had regained as the buildings loomed closer. For a moment, he thought about finding the teleportation hub and returning to his old life, but as Lily's shoe scraped the ground and she stumbled slightly, grabbing his shoulder to steady herself, he dismissed the thought entirely.
Coming into the city, Cohle could tell that his partner in crime was debating something as she slowed her pace. "Let's just do what we were sent here to do. I only asked to accompany you, not explore the city, right?"
She nodded, relieved slightly and picked her pace back up. There was still plenty for him to see as they walked and he made sure to keep his pace set to hers and not let himself veer off as he looked around. He spotted a few adventurers coming out of a small building and chuckled at their appearance.
"That armor's too heavy. You need to be able to move quickly." He explained when Lily shot him a questioning look. "And those daggers mean he's probably a scout. Speed's his best defense."
The import outpost was completely different than the clean streets and spotless windows. It saw too much traffic to be bothered to maintain the facade of perfection the rest of the city had. The clerk recognized Lily and had her sign some forms before giving her thumbprint to a scanner Cohle had never seen before. With that done, all they could do was wait for Wastkin to arrive, so they stepped out of the din and back onto the pristine sidewalk.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card and pointed across the street to a sweet shop. Cohle raised an eyebrow, then grinned. He'd rarely gotten to have anything sweet prior to residing at the manor, so they jogged across and she bought them both a cupcake, holding a finger to her lips while the clerk laughed.
Leaving the shop so they could keep an eye out for Wastkin, Cohle could only watch in amazement as Lily devoured her cupcake in seconds with a look of joy on her face only for it to fall when she realized it was gone already. Without thinking, he pulled his in half and held it up to her while putting the other half in his mouth. She shook her head, but he insisted, and when she refused again he looked pointedly at the trash can behind them. In a panic, she took it and held it defensively, then smiled and started eating with more restraint.
"Two halfbreeds dirtying up our city on the same day, at the same time." A voice said snidely.
Cohle felt Lily tense beside him and she pointed across the street back to the outpost. "Yeah." He muttered, but as they made to walk away, Lily was jerked back.
"Where do you think you're going? Halfbreed like you thinks she can just walk away from me?" A rotund man sneered.
"Get lost, brat." His friend said.
Cohle considered his options quickly. The man at the trading outpost seemed to like Lily and the adventurer's guild wasn't a discriminatory organization, but Lily's whimper of fear drove all thoughts of leaving her out of his mind.
"Let her go." He said, pushing down the surprise he felt at the authority in his voice.
"What'd that trash say?" The large man asked, shoving Lily down and moving closer. "I let her go. Now what?"
He didn't know. His body twitched, but he resisted it as memories of the past slammed into him. Before he could think, he was snatched up off the ground and thrown down the narrow side street that ran along the sweet shop.
"Halfbreed trash thinks it's something it's not."
"Needs to learn his place."
Cohle sprang to his feet out of habit, but didn't know what to do. None of the skills he'd learned were for fighting against humans. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to get him and Lily away from these two without killing them. Not that he was confident he could. Not unarmed.
At that moment, Lily appeared in front of him, shielding him from the men. His wide eyes looked up at her and he felt a tension building inside of him. It was familiar. He should've ran. They might've roughed her up and let her go, but because he opened his mouth, the atmosphere felt more dangerous. And it was his fault.
"Run." He whispered, but she remained.
There was a pain in his chest now that wasn't just from his heart pounding. The world was spinning and he struggled to stay on his feet as the men grabbed Lily and the large one pinned her to the wall while the other pulled a knife and advanced on him.
"Time to learn that lesson, trash." He grinned.
"Watch." The other said, forcing Lily's head to face him.
Lily's desperate grunts and whimpers snapped him out of his trance, and he caught the man's wrist as he struck, using the momentum to drag him to the ground. He was larger and stronger, but Cohle had years of instinct guiding him as he grabbed the man's thumb and wrenched it back.
A scream rent the air and the knife came free as he hugged his hand to his chest. "You little shit! You broke my fucking thumb!"
"Yeah." Cohle panted. "But I've got the knife."
The man charged, thrusting his good hand out to grab him, but Cohle slid between his legs and kicked the back of his knees, nipping back to his feet and tackling him to the ground before pressing the tip to the back of his neck. Looking over at the man holding Lily, he applied pressure to it. "Let her go."
"You won't kill him." The man sneered confidently.
"Let her go and you won't find out." He shot back, digging the blade in deeper, making his victim cry out.
"Just fucking let her go, Dierks!"
He made a production of acting like he was considering it before smiling. "Nah."
Cohle could only watch as he ripped open the back of Lily's dress, but before it got any further a rich voice spoke. "I rather think that's just about enough, don't you?"
"Get out of here, old man!"
"Not until I retrieve my employee and my ward." Wastkin said, drawing a thin sword from the scabbard in his hand. "I assure you that I'm no child and that my employer has close ties with the local law enforcement. Now, if you'd please release my employee."
The man's face contorted in rage for a moment, then she shoved Lily away from him with a smile and a chuckle. "Only having a little fun, old timer."
"Quite." Wastkin said curtly. "Master Venge, if you would dismount that young man and return his weapon to him."
Cohle did as he was bid, flipping the blade around and offering it to the man handle first. "Keep it." He grunted, pushing to his feet while cradling his thumb.
"Come along now, you two. I've already got the supplies loaded." He said, sliding the sword back into its scabbard with an angry clack. "Good day, gentlemen."
~
"It was my fault." Cohle said dully. "I snuck after Lily and..."
He sighed and shook his head, not able to keep going. Celestia narrowed her eyes at him, but it was Wastkin who spoke. "If you hadn't been there, I fear much worse would've happened than a torn dress and bruised egos."
"Could I go see her? Before we continue this, I mean. I just want to apologize." He said, looking between the two. "Make sure she's okay."
Celestia nodded and Cohle felt twice as heavy as he pushed himself out of the chair and walked from the room. It wasn't until he was in the foyer that he realized he didn't know where her room was, but before he could find a maid to ask, running footsteps made him turn just in time for the young woman to wrap him in a fierce hug.
"I was going to come find you." He said, feeling his eyes burn. "I wanted to make sure you-"
A sob shook him and he hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry!"
"Thank you." A quiet voice said in his ear.
~
The pen in Celestia's hand creaked as she gripped it. "You want what?"
"To learn to fight. I can hunt beasts, but against those two men, I was helpless." He said calmly. "Wastkin can handle a sword and I've seen Zeke tenderizing beef with his fists. They can teach me when they have time."
"It's not a bad idea, actually." Wastkin said thoughtfully.
Celestia gaped up at him, but recovered quickly and glared back at Cohle. Her jaw worked and the pen creaked dangerously for several tense seconds. "Fine. I'll allow my staff to train you. But only for a month."
"A month?"
Her smile was as cold as the temperature in the room. "In exchange, you'll be enrolling at the academy and classes begin in a month. You'll also receive tutoring from either myself or Miss Watts. You speak well, but you're just emulating those around you." Her smiled deepened and he shuddered. "Consider this your punishment for sneaking out."
~
"I know you're tired from your morning training, but do try and pay attention. This is the final stretch before the term starts." Celestia scolded the listless preteen, who sat up straighter and blinked. "Most noble houses, the highborns, have surnames, but common houses, or lowborns, do not. Why is that?"
"Because they're pompous and think they're better?" Cohle quipped, then sighed. "At the end of the day, it's simple class separation. Having a surname means that you're related to a highborn or can claim highborn heritage."
"And the distinction between the surnames?"
"Colors are those closer to the Church while the remainder are granted by kings."
"Good." She said.
With the academics out of the way, they'd spent the last week drilling common knowledge into him. Growing up the way he did, Celestia wasn't surprised that he didn't know the significance of him having a surname, but she was surprised that other things eluded him as well. However, she suspected he had help as he seemed to know more than what they'd covered each day.
"Nym, Veralys, and the Capital are three of four island states. What happened to the fourth?" She asked.
"Overtaken by demons and converted into the demon queen's castle. After she was defeated, the island was destroyed and the remains of it are several miles from Dell."
"And the Uniques?"
"Five dungeons that are unlike the others either in terms of difficulty or volume of resources."
She narrowed her eyes. "The first dungeon?"
"Gate to Purgatory. Contained lost knowledge now used in our daily lives. Had no monsters, but when the technology was activated, the four floating island states were ripped from the ground and other dungeons appeared."
"And the monsters?"
Cohle shrugged. "No idea."
She smirked. "Alright. Tell me about Veralys. You and Lily have been accompanying Zeke and Wastkin quite a bit lately."
"What about it?"
"Your encounter, specifically." She said, closing the folder. "Some highborn boy and his friends."
"Oh, that." He muttered, then sighed. "I didn't get into a fight. But I'm sure Wastkin already told you that."
She nodded. "But I want your side."
"He tripped stepping off the curb, I caught him, he went off and pulled his wand on me." He shrugged. "Something about halfbreed filth touching him. I really didn't think it was that big a deal until he pulled the wand."
"You understand why he reacted the way he did?"
"I do. Halfbreeds are considered worse than demons because humans betrayed their own kind to be with a demon."
"A little more blunt that I would've expected from you, but correct."
"It's not like I can change what I am. And people can think what they want. I'll defend myself if necessary, but in my experience it's mostly just words and dirty looks." He said, picking at a scab. "Just the way it is."
"I can't tell if that's a mature perspective or a really pessimistic one." She murmured as she watched him. "Regardless, I think I've done all I can to prepare you. Tomorrow, you'll head into the city to get your supplies. They're already paid for and under your name, you just have to give it."
~
"You didn't have to come with me. Especially after the last time." He said, looking up at Lily as she stood beside him.
She smiled and patted his head. "I have you to protect me."
He sighed and leaned to see around the line. They were near the front to get the supplies he'd need for his first year. Celestia could've brought them for him herself, but she'd decided to let him off his chain and Lily had chased after him when he set out that morning.
While she still never spoke around the others, she'd taken to short sentences when they were alone. Something Wastkin said was fantastic progress for her, but didn't elaborate further. Leaving him to wonder until he'd seen Zeke jovially teasing her about treating him like a little brother. She smiled bashfully and pantomimed something that made the head chef laugh loudly. After that, he stopped wondering and just left it. He enjoyed Lily's company and she enjoyed his, that was all he needed to know.
A family walked past them and a girl about his age was struggling with her stack while the taller girl ahead of her had a servant carrying hers. As a book slid off the top, he caught it and placed it back on the stack, giving her a nod. She gave him a shocked look, then blushed and hurried ahead.
"I think she likes you." Lily said, earning an eye roll.
The First Day
He loosened the tie until it hung loosely around his neck as he stared at the campus. There was a reason he could see it from Celestia's manor, but seeing it up close was daunting. The buildings towered taller than any he'd seen before and his first thought was how they kept them so clean. His second thought was that he was under dressed as everyone seemed to take pride in their uniforms while he only wanted to shed his.
Only a handful of students wore one like his, the rest he pieced together as being separated by year. But they were all equally crisp while his felt rumpled. Making his mind up that he'd rather be comfortable, the looks he was getting as people walked past him no longer made him self-conscious.
Wastkin had given him a well used sword for his practical class, but it was already in his dorm. He internally groaned at the memory of Lily's eyes watering when he made the decision to remain at the school instead of returning home each evening. Celestia had expressed annoyance at this as well, thinking he'd use the freedom of her not being there to get into trouble or try to sneak out. Really, he'd just wanted to feel like he had some say over his life after two months of being so closely monitored.
But as he prepared to make his way over to the dorm building, a familiar group gathered around him. With them, he recognized the girl who he'd helped a few days prior, but she had an expression of resentment on her face. The boy stepped forward, holding his chin elevated so that he could look down at him.
"Halfbreed trash like you are an embarrassment to this institution." He said haughtily. "You should just head back to your hovel instead of pretending like you belong anywhere near us."
Cohle couldn't help the smirk crossing his face. "If I did that, who'd save you from faceplanting when you fell off a curb?"
It was a cheap shot, but he wanted to set the tone that he wouldn't just roll over and let himself be bullied. The boy gave him a look of outrage and swung on him. Thanks to Wastkin's daily lessons, the blow looked as sloppy as it was slow. He'd have to remember to thank the older man and ask where he learned to fight. But for the moment, he caught the boy's wrist and swiftly pinned it to his back before giving him a playful shove into his friends.
When he pushed away from them, he had an expression of carnal fury on his face that made him look demented. "Halfbreed trash!"
"What's going on here!?" An adult bellowed, stepping between them.
Reva Alabaster
Her back still hurt when she saw the boy again as her group gathered around him. She knew he couldn't have known what happened to her because of his actions, but she was in pain and therefore, didn't like him all that much. But as she watched the interaction between him and Rickard, she couldn't help but respect how different he looked from the day prior.
His hair was shorter, closer cropped on the sides, revealing two scars running along the left side of his scalp and a razor thin scar through the opposite eyebrow. The way he wore his uniform ran contrary to the reputation of the academy as well. Her parents and Athena had drilled into her brain that Lightbringer Academy was the best and as such, she should always strive to ensure her appearance matched that expectation.
He looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed and threw on the clothes without checking the mirror and had eschewed the blazer entirely. It fascinated her how someone like him could've enrolled somewhere this prestigious, yet show none of the respect for it. He was either very powerful or someone very powerful had gotten him in.
Rickard's face in hers shook her out of her thoughts and she jumped slightly as he pushed himself away from them and spun only to come face to face with a teacher.
"What's going on here!?" He demanded.
"The halfbreed started it!" The girl on her right, Lynn, said immediately. "We were just welcoming him and he shoved Rickard!"
"Is that so?" He asked, glancing back at the boy before looking at Rickard.
"Ask anyone." He said confidently, looking at the group. "Ask Reva. She'll tell you."
The professor's eyes locked onto hers. "Well?"
"It's true." She murmured, annoyed all over again with the white haired boy looking at her intently.
"Cohle Venge." He said his name like a curse. "The term hasn't even begun yet and you're already causing problems, like all halfbreeds do. Come with me."
Sweeping past them, Cohle sighed in resignation and ignored them as he walked through the crowd after the professor. Once he was out of earshot, Rickard spat. "Serves him right. Filth like that shouldn't even be allowed to live let alone attend our schools."
There were mutterings of agreement, but Reva felt dirty for lying. Her face must've shown this as Lynn gave her a look. "You don't agree?"
All eyes were on her again and again, she gave in. "No, I agree. I'm just tired."
"I'm sure you are." Rickard fumed, pushing past her. "C'mon, we need to get good seats. I hear Birkin's one of the best teachers, so we need to be front and center."
~
To the group's surprise, and Rickard's barely suppressed outrage, Cohle walked into the classroom at the same time as the professor. He appeared to be having a conversation with her that had her laughing politely as she gestured for him to find a seat and called the class to order.
Reva's anxiety reached its peak when she realized that the only available seat was next to her and all eyes were following Cohle as he walked up the stairs to the very back of the dim room and over to the seat. He glanced at her as he pulled his chair out, but didn't say anything as he sat down.
"Alright, welcome first years to the basics of mana control." Professor Birkin said, tapping on the massive board. "Notebooks out and begin copying."
There was a collective groan at the same time as bags were rifled through and scribbling began. Reva let her eyes wander over to Cohle, who stared at the board, reading through it and muttering quietly to himself.
"As you all know, mana is channeled through our bodies using mana channels or mana circuits, depending on the region you're from. The more developed these channels, the more mana you can use. But let's say you want to cast Fireball." She held out her hand. "It varies from individual to individual, but the amount of mana required is set. If it's set, how can you make the spell more powerful? Some mages mistakenly think that pushing more mana into the spell accomplishes this, but all it really does is make the flame bigger."
The flame doubled in size for a few seconds before reducing back to its original size as the other students nodded along while absently copying. Reva, however, was staring intently at the professor.
"So, how do we make the spell more powerful? Anyone?"
"By having more developed mana channels?" The boy, Rickard, offered.
The professor nodded. "That's a part of it, yes. How else? Miss... Alabaster? Ah, Athena's sister. You should know this."
She squirmed uncomfortably. "I, um, I-"
"Experience." Cohle said. "Mana channels are like muscles that need to be worked efficiently to develop. The spell may take the same mana each time, but the more experience you have with the spell, the more control you have over it."
"Excellent answer, Mister Venge! Although, I should've expected as much from you. Would you care to give us a demonstration?" She asked eagerly.
"That's... I don't really have..."
"Oh, go on. Aren't you the headmaster's chosen one?" Rickard sneered. "Surely you can manage to show us plebeians an example of your prowess."
Reva had to admit her curiosity as well, but Cohle looked like he'd rather be dead as he stood from his chair and lifted his hand. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon...." He muttered just loud enough that she could hear him.
Suddenly, the room was almost unbearably hot as he focused on his palm. Professor Birkin flailed her hands frantically. "Mister Venge! That's enough, please!" She cried.
The heat eased as he sat back down, but the classroom was in an uproar with Rickard leading the charge, crying, "He was trying to kill us!"
"Settle! Settle!" The woman commanded, infusing mana into her voice to give it more authority. "Mister Venge wasn't trying to kill anyone. But his example does bring up an interesting point that we may as well cover now. But not in this room. Everyone gather your things and we'll continue class outside."
Reva gathered her things and hurried to join the others, looking back when she didn't see the white hair among their number. He was still seated in his chair with an expression between annoyance and embarrassment on his face. His eyes caught hers and he looked around before gathering his things and hurrying after them.
Once outside, they were directed to take a seat on the lawn, but Birkin caught Cohle's arm and held him there. "Now, we spoke briefly about the importance of developing mana channels and how they influence the power of spells. But what do we do when someone has no mana channels to focus their mana through?"
"Wands?" A student asked.
"Those are just conduits for more efficient casting." Another student said. "You still need channels to control the spellform."
"Anyone else?" Birkin asked.
"Forbid them from doing magic." Lynn muttered, wiping her forehead with a handkerchief.
"Ah. There is precedent for that, but when someone's born without mana channels, they're normally not able to make use of mana at all." She said, then waited expectantly before deflating slightly. "Nobody else?"
"Professor, do you know how he was able to do that without mana channels?" Another student asked.
"Well, you're in your first year, so I guess it's only fair that you wouldn't know this." She said. "Normally, channel-less casting is extremely dangerous, as you've all just experienced. But with enough practice, there have been a few mages capable of wielding far more powerful magic than their more conventional brethren. One name you'll all be aware of is Than, the leader of Kingsguard."
Reva saw Cohle's eyes widen slightly as the professor suddenly had his full attention.
"The actions leading to his execution aside, despite not having an Awakening, he was able to stand at the same level as the Lord Commander of the Paladins, Derek Indigo and our own Celestia Lightbringer because of his command over mana without having channels to utilize." She said. "In some schools of thought, it's suspected that if he hadn't betrayed his party and his people to side with the demon queen, that he would've eventually become more powerful than any individual member of his party. So, with that in mind, does anyone have any ideas on how one might gain control over mana without the... training wheels of having mana channels?"
"Practice?" Rickard offered.
"Spellforging." Reva said.
"Exactly! Good answer, Miss Alabaster!" Birkin said, and a few eyes narrowed in her direction. "Channel-less casting is dependent on the user's ability to create their own versions of spells. Now, Mister Venge, not to put you on the spot, but I'd like you to try conjuring a fireball again, but this time don't use the formula you know for it. Try creating one of your own."
Cohle nodded and focused on his hand once more, this time there was no heat, but a small blue orb no larger than a marble formed, swirling dangerously. Reva couldn't help thinking it looked beautiful, but everyone else was muttering in hushed tones while their professor gaped.
"How did you... That was so fast." She managed to sputter out.
Reva thought Cohle seemed equally shocked as he stared at the orb before slowly closing his hand around it, extinguishing the flame before blinking and looking around like he'd forgotten where he was then looking at the professor. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Mister Venge, how did you conjure that?" She asked again, moving closer and lowering her voice.
He shook his head and muttered that he just thought of a fireball while trying to channel mana.
"Bet he won't be able to do that again. Did you see how hard he was focusing?" Rickard muttered. "Hardly usable in combat."
The murmurs of agreement weren't as universal as they'd been before, but the professor dismissed them and escorted Cohle away, leaning down to speak with him. She wanted to go with them, to see if she could learn something from what she'd just seen that could be of use to her, but Rickard and the others immediately trapped her.
"What's that professor thinking? He's a fithy halfbreed." Rickard snapped.
Lynn nodded. "And to think I was excited about being in her class. Reva seemed a little too into it, though."
"No, I was just-" She said, shaking her head.
"Whatever." Rickard interrupted. "We need to do something about him before he starts getting ideas about his place in the world."
The others agreed and Reva reluctantly nodded along with them.
~
Reva had just sat down with her sandwich, relieved to be alone when an older boy stormed up to her and grabbed her tie, pulling her off the bench. "Where's Cohle?"
"Uh-"
"Hey." Cohle's voice said, sitting up from a bush and startling both of them.
The seventh year shoved Reva away and pulled out a wand. "I challenge you to a duel on behalf of House Venge."
Cohle sighed, getting to his feet. "You're one of them." He muttered, walking over to where Reva had just pushed herself to a sitting position and knelt down, picking up the scattered remnants of her sandwich. "Sorry about that."
"COHLE!" The teen snapped. "Don't you dare ignore me!"
"I'm not ignoring you, I'm helping a classmate." He muttered, offering her his hand. She shook her head and got to her feet on her own. "That bad?"
"Sorry." She breathed, backing away.
He looked down at the sandwich in his other hand and walked over to the bin, dropping it in before reaching into the bush and pulling out a well used sword. "Alright. Are there some rules or something to this?"
"When I win, you'll forfeit the Venge name and leave this school, this city, and hopefully die somewhere a grisly death that'll still be more dignified than you deserve."
Reva looked around and caught the eye of a professor and waved. He changed direction and walked over. "What's going on?"
"Perfect. I need you to officiate a duel." The teen said.
The professor sighed. "Theine, you can't just challenge a first year to a duel."
"It's a matter of family pride, not personal."
"You're on academy grounds, so death is prohibited." He muttered dully, walking over to the bench. "This young lady can be witness, though I imagine there'll be more. Name yourselves to each other, then begin."
"Theine of House Venge." He snarled.
Cohle sighed, pulling his sword free. "Cohle Venge."
A fireball exploded the moment the word was out of his mouth, but Cohle was already behind Theine, the tip of his sword pressing between his opponent's ribs.
"Cohle's win. What were the stakes?" The professor asked, a smirk on his face.
Reva stared in shock as she hadn't even seen her classmate move until he was already behind his cousin. "They were one-sided, sir." She murmured.
"Well, that's that, then. Good job, Cohle. You're in my practical class this afternoon, right?"
Cohle slid his sword into its scabbard and nodded. "Yes, professor."
He regarded Cohle for a few seconds before nodding and looking over at Reva. "What about you?"
"I believe so. Are you professor Hodge?"
"I am. Alright, you two will pair off." He said, wrapping an arm around Theine's neck and pulling him along, the teen hadn't budged since feeling Cohle's sword pressed against him. "See you in an hour."
"Your friends are coming." He said, looking behind her. "See you in class."
She turned to see Rickard and the others walking across the sprawling lawn, scowls on their faces, but when she turned back, Cohle was already gone.
"What happened? What'd we miss?"
"Um..." She stammered. "The halfbreed won a duel against Theine?"
Rickard snorted. "Theine Venge couldn't duel his way out of an empty bathtub. My mother says that none of the pureblood Venges are worth a damn these days. The last one that had any measure of talent was Mara, but she died in Dural's dungeon."
The others chuckled. "Well, that says everything you need to know about them, doesn't it?"
"Who was the professor?" Rickard said, still chortling.
"Hodge. Our practical class." She replied. "He's paired me up with the halfbreed."
She tried her best to sound bitter about it, but Rickard's smile was unsettling. "You know FiendFyre, don't you?"
"W-What?" She stammered. "I mean, yes. I do. But I've only ever been successful once and it wasn't that powerful."
He reached into his robe and pulled out his wand. "Use this to help. Cast it on the halfbreed."
~
The sandy floor of the small arena reflected the sun, warming the air around her as she shifted nervously. Rickard and the others kept giving her encouraging looks as they waited for the professor to show up. She glanced at Cohle, who was leaned against the white stone wall with his eyes closed.
"Do it once class starts." Lynn hissed. "Make sure you use the wand."
She nodded and looked over at the entrance, debating whether to run or not. FiendFyre was a dangerous spell for even the most experienced mages to cast. Its ancient name was Dragon's Fire because of the form the spell took when cast and how hot it burned, often consuming the caster along with the target. She'd worked for three months on casting it at her father's insistence, finally succeeding once, but only just.
Professor Hodge walked onto the field carrying a clipboard and started calling names as he approached. Once he'd confirmed their attendance, he looked around at them and started listing off pairs.
"Today all I want you to do is throw basic mana projectiles. Nothing powerful, just enough to give your partner a solid thump. If you can use protective magic, be my guest, but it's not necessary. The purpose is to hone your channeling ability and accuracy." He explained. "Get used to doing this because you're going to be doing it a lot. I'll be moving from pair to pair to answer questions and advise you on how you can improve. Go on."
With a series of nods and affirming looks, she walked over to where Cohle stood. "I don't think I'm going to be much use in this one. So I'm going to try shield magic while you throw, is that okay?" He asked.
She nodded numbly, gripping the wand in her hand. He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything as he took a few steps away from her. "Whenever you're ready." He called.
She constructed the formula for FiendFyre in her head quickly but correctly and began channeling her mana. She didn't want to, but she had to if she wanted to avoid another punishment from her father. No doubt her refusal would reach his ears and he'd be merciless. She held the wand out and the spellform appeared at the end of the red gem. She watched as Cohle's eyes narrowed, but it was too late to stop it.
As she loosed the spell, pain ripped through her body and she screamed as red veins appeared on her skin and began smoking. Laughter reached her ears at the same time the spell collided with her partner and engulfed him in a tornado of flame.
"Help me!" She screamed, looking at the faces of her classmates as some of them were doubled over in laughter.
Professor Hodge seemed frozen in place as he looked past her to the student currently burning alive in wide eyed horror. The wand in her hand exploded, sending another wave of fire coursing through her body and the last thing she saw was the warm sand rushing up to meet her.
Melody Indigo
"You need some culture, Miss Indigo." One of her classmates teased. "Seriously, how did you not know that King Dorant set the precedent for dungeon exploration?"
"It wasn't part of my education." She answered, staring at the ground as they left the classroom.
A girl nudged her. "You are so sheltered, it's almost adorable that you're supposed to be this super badass Paladin."
"I'm not sure how to respond to that." She said, inciting more laughter from the group around her.
"About like that." She replied, smiling at her. "I'm Renee, by the way."
"Sera." Another girl said.
"Alan." "Uriel." "Cassie."
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances." She said, feeling exposed.
"With that awkwardness out of the way- Whoa! Is that FiendFyre?" Sera said, looking across the campus.
"Can't be, the first years are in practical right now. You know many first years that can cast that? Other than Athena and maybe our princess, here?"
Melody narrowed her eyes. "It's FiendFyre. Very poorly cast, though."
The flame erupted, but no students came screaming out of the arena so they continued on their way to the dining hall. "So glad we got let out early. I'm starving." Lance uttered weakly.
Melody nodded idly as the chatter continued, wondering if it had been Cohle who'd cast that spell. But her classmates insisted on including her in their conversation, so in short order she'd filed it away for reflection once she was in her room and had some quiet.
But after a few hours of conversation, a group of first years entered the hall led by the boy Cohle had gotten the better of that morning. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but he seemed rather proud of himself and their mood seemed celebratory. By then, her classmates were ready to leave, so she got up to follow them as they returned to their building.
Cassie pressed the button for the elevator and leaned against the wall. "Hope that halfbreed boy's alright. Didn't see him with those kids in his class. Birkin was in rare form today because of him, apparently."
"Didn't see Athena's sister, either." Renee said.
"Young love!" Sera said, pretending to swoon, then made a face. "As if."
Melody wasn't sure how to respond to this, so she simply nodded and stepped aboard the elevator with a few of the others. Her mind went back to the FiendFyre and the sudden blasphemous concern about whether that had been for Cohle or from him.
She bid her classmates a good evening and stepped into her room, rushing to her bed and rooting through her bag for the tool her brother had included for penance and quickly removed her top before kneeling. "Forgive me my blasphemies, Lord." She said, gripping the scourge and preparing to slap the spiked leather strip across her back.
A sudden knock at her door made her panic and she quickly shoved it back into her back and shrugged back into her shirt, hastily buttoning it before pulling open the door. Renee and Sera grabbed an arm, each, and pulled her into the hall. "We're heading to the cafe in the city!"
"I shouldn't, I'm sorry." She said, trying to pull free, but the girls were too strong and were succeeding in pulling her back toward the elevator.
~
"Then Lance-"
"Is that the halfbreed kid?" Renee said, cutting Sera off.
Melody's head spun in the direction the teen was pointing so quickly her vision blurred for a moment. When the world came into focus, she saw Cohle walking down the steps of the administration office, his shirt burned in a few spots, but he was otherwise unharmed.
"Looks like you were right, Mel." Sera said. "Wonder if he got Athena's sister with that spell."
"Unless it was her that cast it." Melody said absently, making a mental note of how tired the boy looked.
"That makes more sense. Athena used that spell a lot after she learned it." Renee said. "Guess her sister couldn't put the power into it. Flashy, though."
"C'moooon!" Sera said, skipping ahead. "I'm in need of coffee, not drama!"
Melody wanted to explain that FiendFyre, even poorly cast as she had seen, was a devastating spell. But elected not to and followed the girls through the gates of the school, listening to them chatter about what they'd done over the break. Knowing what waited for her when she got back to her dorm, she allowed herself to feel envious of them and others whose snippets of conversation she overheard.
She had none of these experiences as her life had been closely supervised, including what little free time she had. While she'd been five when her brother returned from the Demon Wars, she'd spent her life in the narrow halls of the grand cathedral. She wasn't sure she'd ever had an opportunity to play before, as she saw a few young children doing. Part of her resented it, but she added that to the list of things to repent for.
"Apparently the halfbreed is a spellforger." Her ears perked up and she looked at the teen that joined them. "That's what Birkin was telling the headmaster. Said on his second try, he created a fireball more powerful than what she could do. Granted, his first attempt nearly cooked his entire class."
"What'd the headmaster say?" Sera asked. "Spellforgers are rare aren't they?"
The teen nodded. "Yeah, extremely. But she didn't seem all that surprised."
"Well, that makes sense given that she's his sponsor. Still, to not be surprised, though."
Melody had heard that a member of her brother's team was a spellforger and wracked her brain to remember which member it was. Derek rarely talked about Kingsguard since they were betrayed by their leader and he was forced to apprehend then execute him. But her thoughts were interrupted once more as Renee poked her.
"You seemed pretty interested in him. Something we should know?"
"About what?"
"The halfbreed. Do you know him?"
She shook her head. "No, he just has an eye catching appearance. But he seems to be making quite a name for himself already, doesn't he?"
"Stars that burn the brightest tend to be the first to burn out." Sera said, then sighed. "It's too busy in here. I can't think straight and all anyone wants to talk about is that first year halfbreed. I'm heading back."
"I'll join you." Melody said, rising from her seat. "I have prayers."
The walk back was in silence, but Lance caught up with Sera and pulled her away half mumbling some excuse before giving up and bidding her a good night. She crossed the lawn and headed for the commons quickly, ready to repent her sins from the day and seek forgiveness before heading to bed. But as the dorm loomed overhead, she spied a familiar figure draped across one of the benches.
Without realizing it, she made her way over to him before stopping a few feet away. His arm rested across his eyes and he appeared to be asleep. Without her sword, she couldn't take advantage of his vulnerability, but she wasn't sure she wanted to when she remembered how tired he'd appeared earlier.
"Need something?" He asked, sitting up and looking at her.
His red eyes were piercing, but not dangerous. She felt her cheeks burn slightly. "No, I... heard about the incident in your class."
He chuckled. "You wanna know how I'm alive, too?"
She shook her head. "I was wondering... if..." She bit her lip and took a breath, dreading the flagellation for her curiosity and sympathy. "I was wondering if you were okay."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I'm not sure." She admitted.
"Fair enough." He said, getting to his feet and walking toward the dorm building. "Thanks for asking."
"Cohle!" She called out. He stopped and turned slightly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah." He sighed.
"What's the world like?"
He stared at her. "What?"
"I grew up in the Church. I don't really know anything about the world. I heard you were an adventurer, so I was wondering what it was like." She said, stepping toward him.
"I'm twelve." He said, giving his head an exasperated shake before continuing on his way.
"I see. Sorry to bother you." She said, staring at the ground.
"It's big." He said, his hand resting on the door. "And it's unfair."
With that, he pulled open the door and disappeared inside, leaving her to contemplate his words. She sat down on the vacated bench for a few minutes to give him time to get to his room before making her way in as well. Once she was in her room, she couldn't chase away the growing feeling of being lost inside her. She pulled her shirt off and folded it neatly on the bed before taking the strap out of her bag and kneeling. "Please forgive me, Lord and help me find the path."
The spikes ripped into her skin over and over again, but she felt nothing. There was none of the comfort she usually felt after repentance and tears built in her eyes. All it took was one day for her to question her faith. A faith that had granted her strength and allowed her brother to entrust her with a holy task. She prayed and repented over and over, growing more desperate each time until she couldn't see clearly anymore from the crying.
"Please, Lord. Please!" She begged, curling on the floor and shuddering. "Forgive me."
Hector Alabaster
He stared into the blank eyes of his youngest daughter with satisfaction. After her stunt against the halfbreed backfired thanks to her own lack of skill and a cursed wand, he was worried he'd gone too far with his punishment when she blacked out while under Bodybind. The spell should've prevented that, but such was his wrath that he reasoned he must've cast it as a lesser strength than usual.
Taking the opportunity, he worked on his spell until her eyes glazed over. After giving her a few simple commands, he took a step back and sighed with a smile. "Progress at last. Soon your days of embarrassing us will be at an end. Nod."
Her head moved up and down once in each direction. Blood trickled down her nose again and he considered dismissing the spell as the strain on her mind was still too much. At least until he could fine tune it. "Go to bed." He ordered.
She turned and left the small training yard, leaving him to bask in his success. The pain she'd feel when the spell wore off would be satisfying enough, even if he wouldn't be nearby to see it. She deserved it for what she put him and the family through that day. Athena was livid when she arrived home and nearly throttled her unconscious sister, but she ultimately stormed up to her room after he'd asked her to let him deal with her.
"It's coming along nicely, my love." Angeline's voice said as she glided through the opening in the bushes. "How long will it last?"
"A few hours at most. It's not capable of doing much yet other than basic commands. But soon it'll be as if that failure never existed and we'll have two perfect daughters." He said, taking her in his arms. "Just a little longer."
"Of course, my love." She purred.