A familiar voice booms within the light, its tone thunderous and powerful. "Pride is the greatest motivator."
Another voice follows, soft and teasing-like. "And humility is its greatest gift."
''I feel like I've met these voices before, but who?'
He contemplates for a while, scouring through his mind, until a certain voice appears.
The booming voice shouts ever so proudly. "Together, we create the greatest philosophy in history."
Together, they shout: "Religion!"
(As the room materializes, everyone appears in chibi form)
'As predicted, it's an archangel. Cockiness and Archangels go hand-in-hand like an unbreakable couple. You can tell if a person is buddy-buddy with one by their continuous prideful praises or their constant demeaning of others to maintain a superiority in the conversation. It's quite amusing for the first few times, but it gets annoying very quickly.'
The students glance around the room: everything has been drastically altered, except their desks and bookshelf layout. Instead of a spherical glass-rooftop, it's a flat, space-like room. Instead of the casual brown concrete walls, it's grey. The room has six large carpets unevenly placed on the floor.
The archangels look bewildered, their expressions confused. The male archangel lectures. "Ah, so kids—why are you shocked? Are you wondering how you got here? It's the numbers, dummytins. We teleport you by the numbers on the floor."
Shalius folds her arm and wings. "I assume it would've been used for emergencies."
She sighs. "My eyes need to adjust to this irritating light and perhaps a warning can help with that."
'Well, that explains the numbers.'
Akiro scrutinizes her desk. "Whoa! That's so cool!"
Alanze yells at the teacher. "Do you count us as ignorant buffoons? It was the light! The awfully blinding light! What a rude awakening amongst our peers! Do you not have any idea how blinding that was? At least give us a warning—it almost blinded the poor o' me."
One of the teachers responds to his claim: "You were supposed to be warned beforehand by Mr. Galfal. Certainly, you've enraged him to such an extent to cause such a blinding predicament to fall upon you. What have you done?"
Alanze and a couple of students yell their side of the story: many complained about the laughter, some ridiculed their classmates' inattentive behavior, yet all averted their blame onto others.
A student puts a finger to his chin. "Maybe he simply forgot the school's system? You know he's old and stuff. Why would he leave the room? He could've just turned around?"
One of the teachers smirks idly at his assumption. "Uh-ah! Remember a time elf keeps 100% of their memories from a fetus to an old man, regardless of any illness. They won't forget something that crucial."
A slime student, Rhychill, asks. "Wait, so it was a fake-out? Oh, that Jackass! Why did I deserve that? I was listening the whole time!"
Another teacher holds his hand up for attendance. "Well, no swelling in the past, as the future awaits your input. Anyways, let's restart our welcome song without Reinhard's and Pymei's early emission."
The teachers were about to speak, but the archangels intervened, speaking in unison: "Welcome to morality class! Select a teacher you deem worthy of your attention!"
The female archangel butts in with a pouty expression. "But I know, it'll always be us."
The male archangel daps her hand. "Ey-hey, we did the unison!"
They proudly grin and flex their muscles. The female archangel's muscles were toned, but not as bulky as her male counterpart. The male archangel's muscles are massive and sculpted, yet not large enough to be brutish.
The other teachers react to their performance:
A sugar-rush Kitsuné wags her tail feverishly. "Ahahaha, prideful people I'll never get tired of. Ahahaha!!"
A haunting Druid holds his forehead. "Such behavior is doomed to have a fallout."
A night nymph quietly mutters with a tone of defiance. "Arrogant, prideful archangels. Always ignoring your past, yet humility never bested them. But I will, and no mercy shall be granted, for I the great Mau—."
Amongst the chaos, an ice elf faintly gestures towards a teacher. "Can we get a handle on this situation before we humiliate ourselves in front of the newcomers?"
A magician bunny-folk clears his throat loudly, speaking in a bold, almost musical tone: "He-heh, well, back to the subject at hand, my friends."
He claps three times. "Welcome to morality class! A place where you'll always belong. Morality, as you know, is subjective—shaped by our surroundings, views, death, and experiences. The terms we create to define it will never come close to describing it like a Phylx in a bloodstream."
The haunted Druid takes over: "This class exists to get as close to your ideology and harshly criticize it to the max. There are six paths you can choose from. I, Damish, have inner peace and Discipline. I am here to ease your regrets and to let your anger go. Forgive all, as it does no good for you, and avoid conflict as much as possible."
The night nymph speaks in an assertive voice. "MY NAME IS MAUMUS AND I SET THE BOUNDARIES AND ENFORCEMENTS OF MORAL JUSTICE! There are levels at which you cannot forgive someone, and I know the limit! Become another me if you wish to walk the path of consequences!"
The male archangel said, "I, Reinhard—"
The female cut him off. "And I, Pymei."
Together, they say: "Embody religion and humility. We derive all of our stories from the one above. If you ever feel insecure—visit us—and we'll straighten that back right up!"
Pymei winked at Kailus specifically, causing him to shudder in disgust.
The magician bunny-folk spoke gently. "I, Buford, teach Social Order and Duty within the hierarchy. I'm here to question what you know—"
Ulrus cut him off. "By asking more questions, even about simple understandings, until the person gets confused and/or gives up."
Buford shot her a glare, yet the icy elf remains unbothered.
"You know the old saying 'Opposites attract one another'. You two will get along soon enough, even if it's been thirty years of aggression," Damish responds naively.
They face toward Damish with their eyes twitching ever so slightly.
The sugar-rush Kitsuné pats Damish on the back, laughing aloud. "Oh, Damion, you always know how to say the right thing at the right time."
Tension simmered between the opposing teachers as the students watched, amused by this rivalry.
Reinhard thinks quickly. "Uhhh… CHIRO, explain yourself less than me."
The sugar-rush Kitsuné's tails curl as she flushes red. "What? Are you talking about the cheese incident? That's inappropriate for the matter."
He plants a hand on his face, sighing: "No, your morality, idiot."
Chiro stares star-gated. "OHHH."
She faces the class and shouts in pure excitement, her voice bouncy and childish. "Heya, I, Chiro have Survival and Self-Interest. Nothing but me, myself, and I because I value my dignity above all. Pick me if you love yourself. The others all hate you." She teases the last part.
Damish chuckles a bit at her speech. She pouts at his direction. "What's the laughter for? I thought you were all peaceful and accepting, Damion."
Damish replies quietly: "No, I'm just seeing the hypocrisy in your words. Just giving some thoughtful criticism of your previous situations. Also, it's Damish, not 'Damion'."
Ulrus cuts their conversation short without any warning, her voice emotionless: "I, Ulrus, have Reason and Independent Thought, garnering my sources from studies, rather than religious or cultural engravings. Unlike what everyone says, it's not 'depressed and stupid'. It's only to live—"
Buford cuts her off. "By killing yourself, since 'everything is meaningless'."
They resume their stare-off as Reinhard and Pymei move them far from each other.
Damish sighs at their childish behavior, quickly finishing up the remaining script. "Instructions will be given after you've chosen your teacher. Thank you for listening, you may rise."
As soon as he bows, most of the students begin to roam around, pondering the many options before them.
Akiro smirks. "I know where I'm going!"
She waltzes over to Reinhard and Pymei.
Shalius rolls her eye. 'Of course you'll go there, pride is the only thing holding you from a nervous breakdown.'
Kailus remains silent along with the rest, still in thought about the last lesson. 'It's unfair to assume the demon's torture as a good thing. That isn't enough to repay for the thousands of years of conflict we have endured at their hands.'
Shalius stares at him, deeply in thought. 'Kailus isn't taking the information quite well. I, too, am struggling to comprehend the tragedy that befalls our kind, but why stress over it if your heritage hasn't suffered through it? Were his ancestors in such a predicament?'
Suddenly, Reinhard calls them out. "Hey Natives, especially you angel boy, come over here and we'll teach you how to handle that anger of yours."
Damish says politely, "Hey! You can't persuade them. They have to choose for themselves. Pressuring their choices is manipulation. It's their choice to—"
Pymei cuts him off, teasingly, "Aww, but I think I'm a bit better off than just being all peaceful. Plus, two of the rarest races in our class? Who wouldn't want that?"
Damish squeezes his hand. "They're children and you'll treat them as such. The principal will handle any objectification of this matter if you continue this."
The two archangels groan at the mention of him.
"I'll be as direct as I can. That's honestly an achievement." Buford responds.
Ulrus raises an eyebrow. "I, too, am surprised they manage to irritate him. But then again, pride is the greatest enemy to religion"
Kailus stops daydreaming and looks at the options. 'I really wish to join Akiro but many of my old classmates chose him as well. I want to avoid them as much as possible. Damish's peace and acceptance really tempt me; I long for my guilt to erode and become an extrovert like Akiro. But Maumus is just as tempting~. Ugh, I guess I'll go with Damish.'
Kailus goes toward Damish.
'As much as I value Kailus. I cannot follow him like a love-sick puppy.' She looks over the selective routes. 'There are many who collide with my personality; that being Ulrus, Chiro, and Buford. I long since practiced my religion, merely using it as a holiday rather than its intended purpose. For I have nothing to lose, but my sanity. From my standpoint, I'm more of an agnostic leaning towards atheism—a centrist to say. It's a difficult decision, but I'll see what Ulrus has to offer.'
After the class is split into six groups, the teacher ensures their choice.
Amongst them, Reinhard whispers to Pymei. "I really wanted that chap to follow us."
Pymei mumbles back solemnly. "Yeah, he reminds me of him."
Reinhard's smile turns into neutrality. "Stop talking about him. He wouldn't want to be an painful afterthought in your mind."
Akiro tilts her head. 'Ooo~, teacher lore.'
He turns back to his class with an open grin. "DECISION IS UP. COME ON, STUDENTS TO OUR CARPET: NUMBER 44."
Damish smiles softly. "Carpet 23 for us."
Ulrus says in a blunt, sophisticated tone, "Carpet 1."
Chiro's light voice shouts, "Carpet 67!"
Buford says with a bit of jazz, "Carpet 96!"
They go to the designated carpets. Once everyone's in place, the teachers activate the magic, as the room turns bright once more.
Damish's group:
The students are in a meadow.
'Oh, this is the Quirt Meadows. I've always heard great things about its beauty.'
Damish's voice breaks the peace with his calm and gentle demeanor. "We're in Quiet Meadows, Springford—the angel portion given to Druids. We persevered and even went to great lengths to perfect it. Since we're in silence, let's relax our minds and soften our senses. Find an area to sit or stand—it wouldn't matter either way. If bugs are bothering you, I'll cast a warding spell."
Everyone goes to find their spot among the pulsing vibrant ground,
Reinhard and Pymei's groups:
They're in an empty room with a push-bar door at the side.
Reinhard speaks softly with a little excitement. "Now, I know that this isn't a part of religious studies, but I came here to…" he searches for an answer.
Pymei saves Reinhard. "To show the miracles God has provided over the course of history."
He smiles at her. "Thank you." He turns toward the class. "Pride's greatest motivator is your ancestors' history. That feeling when you realize your people used to conquer the world with God's will. It gives a sense of national pride and drives races like us with great energy."
They push the door to show the public library.
'My least favorite subject…'
The class follows them with mild enthusiasm.
Pymei smirks smugly. "Oh, we archangels are full of history. We used to run the omegas for three straight centuries—"
Reinhard quickly shuts her off in a low tone. "And then they beat and forced our ancestors to become citizens here, but you get the point."
Reinhard coughs and declares aloud. "Well, they needed a lotta beings to best 'the great race of tomor—" The library assistant lets out a loud shush.
Reinhard whispers, "Sorry."
The assistant nods before going back to indulge in her book.
He continues in a whisper. "So let's take a look at your ancestors, and what impossible feats they've accomplished."
They stop at the history section.
Akiro smirks to herself. 'I like this man: he's strong, buff, has a handsome face, prideful but keeps it low, and his sweet body~. He's my type.'
Reinhard points to Akiro. "Let's check on yours, powerhouse Kitsuné, since it barely compares to our history."
Akiro wonders, 'He even pronounced my name correctly, unlike the 'religious zealot'. What a curse to be born later and be his student!'
Ulrus' Group:
Everyone is wondering where they're at and why she chose this specific place. The walls are run-down, and the floor is covered with debris and insects crawling around.
Ulrus hasn't uttered a single word since they stepped in here. The rooms are covered with moss and mold, and some of the walls are infested with termites and genopedes.
Shalius studies the surroundings. 'Given the sheer amount of rooms, the open spaces, and the many slash and burn marks; this is most likely a castle after it was raided—possibly from a revolution.'
After a while of silence, Ulrus begins, "From what you stand was once the Ghana Family's estate. The richest human family in their respective era. Known for their virtue and vast sums of money, the people doubted their goodness, as they could not for the better, believe a good man could be successful in a world such as Elrus. So they tried their best to find any wrongdoing."
Shalius's eyes widen when Ulrus mentions "human". She looks around, spotting rotting paintings of human portraits and ancient human inventions.
She blurts out: "Wait, s-so we're in human terri—"
Ulrus cuts her off, blade-like. "Shhh, we're currently outside the Golden Gates. We cannot be caught lest we become prisoners by the Omegas. Shall we proceed?"
Her expression is emotionless, yet her words radiate danger. They continue to walk through this ruined palace in tense silence, unaware of the future that awaits them. The females were very cautious and fearful of being in the hands of humans due to past conflicts.
Shalius shutters. 'If we're caught, we'll probably be used as sex dolls by the humans.'