Ceremony (5)

Lydis was nearing the dorms now. She had taken a long detour around the dorms, staying mostly in the surrounding forest.

"Ui, time check." From her bag Ui poked it's head out.

"The time is zero seven zero four." Lydis clicked her tongue. It took her a bit longer than she expected to go the long way to the dorms. She looked behind her to make sure Valfafer was following. Valfafer was following Lydis closely. He stuck to her heels like her own shadow, leaping over the small roots extending out from the ground.

Lydis could see the dorms now. The doors were lit up by the golden sun, glass shining like bright scales in the windows. She ran and saw Hal standing by the front door, his face scowling and sleep deprived. Switching from her forest path to the paved road Lydis moved much faster on clear flat ground than the bumpy terrain in the forest. Hal saw her and lifted his head, a hint of arrival in the way he nodded at her slightly.

"Welcome back student Lydis. Did you give up on the ceremony?" Lydis slowed to a stop in front of Hal.

"You know that's not right." Lydis rummaged into her bag and pulled out the broken toy and the little robot. She showed them to Hal.

"Hmm. So that's what you got huh?" Lydis looked confused but Hal was already walking away.

"Follow me." Hal hand both hands behind his back, his long legs sweeping over the floor quickly. Lydis had to jog to keep up with Hal's pace.

They rounded the building and a new door appeared around the corner. Unlike the dark doors of the main entrance, this door was hidden in the walls. Lydis never would've seen it if Hal didn't press his finger onto a little pad hidden in a crevice in the wall. Hissing slightly the door popped out and slid open, stairs leading into darkness greeted them on the other side. Hal gestured for Lydis to go.

"Really? You want me to go down dark ominous looking steps?" Hal's face didn't move. He simply made the same gesture towards the dark steps. Sighing, Lydis rearranged her pack strap and plucked Valfafer off the ground.

"Ah, you can't take them with you. I'll hold onto your bag and pet until you're back." Hal reached for Valfafer but Lydis shifted him away.

"On what premise?"

"This is only for you. We want things to be, as fair, as possible." Hal reached for Valfafer again and this time she handed over the shaking dog. "Good, your bag?" Lydis slid her bag down to her hand as she was about to hand it over. In that moment she gripped the handle tightly and swung the bag at Hal's head. Unmoving, Hal stared at Lydis unfazed.

"The bag, student Lydis." Hal reached out again, Valfafer squirming in his other arm.

"Who are you?" Lydis was on guard now. Even if Hal was told to keep his temper, from what she's seen of him, Hal would never allow someone to hit him directly, much less a child. Even before that Lydis felt something was wrong. The way he walked was unusual. She'd never seen him take full wide steps, even when he ran from Haven or showed her around the dorms. Hal's face twisted and folded in on itself. His skin peeled off from the right side. Strands of skin and facial muscles peeled away. Underneath his 'skin' was a shiny metallic grey. His white eyes turned red.

Valfafer took this chance to bite at the arm holding him. It flinched and Valfafer wiggled free. Scrambling behind Lydis, Valfafer bared his fangs, the hair on his back rising. Lydis kept her eyes on the robot, her right arm reaching for the knife in her bag. The robot moved again.

"Substitution has failed. Resorting to reserves." Lydis quickly flicked the knife out and extended the blade. She held it against her right arm and took a defensive stance, her legs slightly bent. She prepared for it's attack but instead the robot tilted it's head upwards and let out a high pitched siren. She covered her ears as the sound pierced into her brain. It made her head throb and spin. This kind of attack, was not what she expected. Feeling like she had already lost Lydis waited for the killing blow but, it never came.

Soon the sound stopped and Lydis managed to rise to her feet. She tried to locate the robot but she saw that it had disappeared. Scrambling to pick up her knife Lydis looked around her. On the other side of the dorm she heard the main doors slam shut. Lydis tried to move into the forest but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"What are you doing?" This agitated voice that spit out the words through gritted teeth could only be one person.

"Dorm head Hal!" Lydis turned around to face Hal, hiding her knife behind her.

"Yes that's me. Now what are you doing? Messing with the new robot like that?" Lydis stared at Hal. Did he mean the robot that was pretending to be Hal?

"The one that looks like you?"

"Yes!" Hal snapped at Lydis. He had finally gotten a reply from the principle an hour ago and the robot had appeared. The robot was here to assist Hal but it wasn't the latest model. About three generations old, it was obviously the one previously used as a night patrol guard before they got a newer shipment. Just when he left the ceremony guiding to the robot Lydis had come and set off it's alarm! He really never had a break working in the dorms.

Lydis could kind of understand Hal's situation from his face. The way he tapped his foot impatiently and his furrowed brows, along with the way his finger tapped on his other arm.

"Was that robot the guide?"

"Yes…" *sigh* "…though I guess now I have to take you…" Hal grumbled as he started walking down the dark steps. Lydis followed him closely. She picked up Valfafer and with one hand along the narrow walls, she followed the stair down by al least two stories.

They came out to a dimly lit room, the hard metal floor making their footsteps echo.

"This is…?" Lydis looked at the new room. It was bigger than one car of he caravan. If she had to estimate it looked about half as long as the dorm and was two stories tall. Meaning that they were directly under the dorms.

"The new area. This part of the ceremony changes every year. Keep following this wall and you'll fing a door on your left. That room has the next step. Now that you're here I need to go find that old robot." Hal continued to grumble as he walked away. He walked a few meters before turning around and stopping in front of Lydis. "I need to take your stuff. Ceremony rules." This time Lydis didn't hesitate. Handing over Valfafer and her bag she was left with nothing else besides the clothes she was wearing. Valfafer didn't want to leave Lydis. He tried to struggle out of Hal's arm but the bag was on the same side. Through the bag Ui silently poked Valfafer with a sleeping agent. His struggled stopped and Valfafer slumped slightly. Ui didn't pump enough to knock out Valfafer, just keep him drowsy for bit while their master completed her task.

Lydis watched as their silhouettes disappeared into the dark. She steeled her nerves and kept her left hand on the wall, following it for several meters. After about a few minutes of walking in the dim dark Lydis's finger traced over a door indent. She stopped abruptly and turned to face the wall. Lydis used both hands to search the wall, tracing the small indent. Eventually her fingers found a little scanner. It didn't work with her finger so she used her school ID. It took a couple of swipes but it beeped and clicked. Hissing, the door opened like the one above the stairs. The inside of the room was brightly lit, blinding Lydis's eyes for a moment before her eyes adjusted. Lydis stepped into the bright room.

After the blindness had passed Lydis could hear the soft click of the door closing behind her. In the room there were a total of twelve kids, Lydis included.

"Looks like our group is completed. Hey Zack! You owe me since it wasn't a boy!" It sounded like a boy's voice.

"Shut up!" Lydis could make out the muddled smudge of other children around her but little black spots covered her eyes. She felt dizzy, like breathing without oxygen. She held onto the wall for balance.

"Hey guys! That's not fair for her. Since she just entered the room let's give her a little time to adjust." This voice was high pitched and girly. Just by the voice Lydis knew it was a girl.

"Yeah, whatever. I won't forget Zack!" One of the smudges moved to the other side and combined with another. Lydis heard their laughs and tussling. Taking deep breaths, Lydis managed to stabilize her mind a little. She found that the breath really did help her. As she breathed she felt something familiar flow in from her mouth. It spread from her lungs to her hand and feet. The warm feeling could only be one thing. Slyphir! It was so dense that the difference between the room and outside was enormous which was why she was having trouble adjusting right after entering.

Lydis opened her eyes. Everything was clear now. The blinding brightness of the room was gone and now replaced by the soft white of the room walls.

Twelve children in total, Lydis included. Six boys and six girls. The perfect number in equality. The girl who spoke before came closer to Lydis.

"I'm Delara Hint." She extended her hand. Lydis examined the girl. Big brown eyes, soft yellow hair and a slight chubbiness around her cheeks. Although she wore a plain yellow dress her whole aura screamed cuteness. Lydis wouldn't be swayed though. She wore her cold expression and took Delara's hand firmly in hers.

"Lydis." Delara shook Lydis's hand enthusiastically.

"It's great to meet you!" Lydis slipped her hand free from Delara and walked away from the wall. Her eyes set on the board on the other side of the room. Seeing how Lydis was ignoring her Delara didn't mind. Most of the people who came before Lydis didn't even shake her hand, much less say their name. She'd had to annoy and wrangle with almost all of the kids just to know their names. Delara happily bounced after Lydis.

As Lydis walked to the board she saw that the room she was now in was about four times bigger than her room and looked to be about 15 feet tall. About fifty feet long by seventy feet wide. Scattered around the room were different sizes of blocks. They ranged from one-meter sized cubes to two-meter cubes. Some kids had built little fortresses out of some and others sat or laid on them.

When she reached the board the instructions were very simple.

"Assemble the twelve earthly animals and unify the board."

Lydis saw another section of the board had been separated by a wooden line. They were lined in a circle with twelve smaller circles evenly spaced out around a lock. Next to each circle was an animal name.

Rat, ox, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

The circle for rabbit was empty. It was obvious that the stuffed animal corresponded with whatever circle it would be put in. As Lydis realized this she panicked. Hal had taken her bag which had the small robot along with the stuffed toy. Lydis wanted to punch the board and Hal but when lifted her arm, under her sleeve the little robot had attached itself to her sleeve.

Lydis plucked off the robot easily and placed it onto the board.

*Shhhnngg*

The board started to rotate and change from a normal wooden board into a spinning wheel with an arrow stopper.

"Good job on completing all of the earthly animals! Luckily you guys did or else the benefits wouldn't have gone to anyone even if they were here!"

The voice drew all the children's attentions. They crowded around the board and watched as a screen popped up. A young, energetic girl with twin braids on either side of her head bounced on screen. She wore a different uniform than Lydis's. It was dark blue with white stripes down the middle and her arms. Gold laced her collar. An official, someone high up. She smiled.

"You twelve have the chance to participate in a high tech, once in a thousand chance game, forming a twelve person group! This is non negotiable since fate has brought you here today!" Although the girl was across the screen everyone there felt her pressure. Some leaned onto the cubes while some fell to their knees. Lydis struggled to stand, her legs shaking wildly. She looked over and saw a boy dressed in dark green stare at the screen, his face indifferent to the girl's pressure. Cold green eyes framed by dark green hair. His clothes almost blending with his hair. The girl on the screen saw the outcome and smiled even bigger.

"Good! Looks like all of you are exceptional, normal kids would've fainted from that amount of pressure. Hopefully you guys will continue to impress me. Now, time for the game of chance!" The wheel stopped spinning and a small handle popped out from one side. "Who's willing to go first?" From the children some pondered out loud while others though silently. The boy dressed in green walked forward. Lydis couldn't help but feel like she'd seen him before, if not then something like him. Something… or someone.

It clicked.

He reminded Lydis of Fior Flux Bianca Breavux. Although the complete opposite of her. When she thought of it like that then she could see the resemblance between the two in their faces.

The boy reached for the spinning wheel. His hand trembled slightly. Gripping the leaver, he pulled hard, using his whole upper body as weight. The wheel spun wildly, colors and circles blending together. The girl on screen looked on with delight.

"That's quite a spin boy. Where ever the pin lands, it is fate. You'll receive that animal's object and be given special lessons, the same applies to the rest as well." The other children looked on with awe. Each were getting excited. The wheel spun for another minute and finally it showed sign of slowing down. Slower and slower it turned, the arrow's nicking at the other pins in the wheel took longer. The wheel slowed. With the last of it's momentum it looked like it was going to be stopped at pig but the force was enough to nock it up one. The arrow landed on dragon.

The boy swelled with pride. Dragons were symbolic creatures of strength and slyphir power, as they were in real life.

"Fate has deemed, Conny Quinn Breavux, bearer of the dragon's charm!" The girl on screen threw her hands up in celebration. The other kids clapped as well. Next up was another boy. His face was hidden in bandages as was his body. Only thin wasps of silver hair stuck out of his head. Lydis could see the faintest hint of purple in his grey eyes. The boy walked over and spun the wheel. It spun for about thirty seconds and then slowed down.

With light ticking noises the wheel stopped in the middle of the rat.

"Fate has deemed, Haji Suur, bearer of the rat's charm!" People clapped and the next went.

A girl with light blue hair that touched the floor walked to the wheel. Dressed in pants and a baggy t-shirt, she didn't really scream girly. Her eyes were an enchanting color of sky blue. She spun the wheel. It slowed and landed on the dog.

"Fate has deemed, Erin Vash, bearer of the dog's charm!" It went on like this for everyone else.

A bulky boy with amber hair and dark eyes landed on the goat.

"Fate has deemed, Zack Flyer, bearer of the goat's charm!"

This time Delara went. She waved at Lydis and spun the wheel, hoping for something strong sounding.

"Fate has deemed Delara Hint, bearer of the rabbit's charm!" She seemed defeated. Rabbits were cute and all but, how could she fight?

A boy with long black hair to his waist jumped down from his cube. As he passed Lydis his ruby eyes scanned her and the other children. He approached the wheel and spun with one hand.

"Fate has deemed, Luden Grimin, bearer of the tiger's charm!" He smiled satisfied and went back to his cube.

Up next was a smaller than average girl. Her pinkish hair bounced in twirling curls. Soft pink eyes accented her look. She went up and spun the wheel weakly.

"Fate has deemed, Seradina Halworth, bearer of the pig's charm!" She looked a bit disappointed but she would never voice them for fear of getting her extra lessons taken away.

Following her a tall girl with normal brown hair went up. She looked like a normal side character except for her one brown eye and the other black eye. Something about her made her easy to forget and hard to be noticed. She reached the wheel and spun halfheartedly.

"Fate has deemed, Ayla Bruns, bearer of the monkey's charm!" Shrugging it off she walked away.

The second to last boy crawled out of his cube castle and walked sleepily to the board. Dark blond bed head made it obvious he was just sleeping. His eyes never opened, almost like a fox's. He used a hand swat to spin the wheel slightly. Surprisingly it spun multiple full circles before stopping.

"Fate has deemed, Winter Sed Jimms, bearer of the ox's charm!" Right after he spun Winter had begun to walk away. By the time the results read themselves out loud he was already hopping back into his cube castle.

The last girl before Lydis shifted forward slowly. Big glasses rimmed her face of freckles. Short light brown hair swayed as she moved. Shifting grey eyes eyed the other children warily. Finally making her way to the wheel she spun.

"Fate has deemed, Elise Willow Winowa, bearer of the horse's charm!" She walked away in a slight daze, her steps wobbly.

The last boy walked up to the wheel, determined to not get the bad pick of the remaining two. Orange hair fell over one side of his face, hiding one of his pale orange eyes. Spinning the wheel with all his might, he looked satisfied when it spun for almost a minute.

"Fate has deemed, Calvin Tyupe, bearer of the rooster's charm!" Despair enveloped his face in an instant. Sulking, Calvin scampered off from the wheel.

Lydis didn't even want to spin the wheel. The only option left was the snake. Surely the girl on screen wouldn't make her spin for something she knew she was going to get. Lydis tilted her face to look at the girl on screen.

"Do I really have to spin? There are no other options besides from snake so isn't it obvious what I'd get?" The girl on screen smiled.

"Fate is fate, mysterious and ever changing. Even when people know what to expect, the unexpected always happens. Don't be such a spoil-sport and just spin already!" Lydis sighed and moved to spin the wheel. The moment she touched the handle something sucked her slyphir from her. On it's own, her left hand holding the handle, spun the wheel on it's own. The wheel spun rapidly. Everything blurred together and suddenly Lydis saw that the circles shifted closer and closer to the middle.

The outside circles had come together to form one big circle in the middle but as the wheel slowed the smaller circles separated and shifted back to their original positions. Lydis had to blink hard multiple times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. The spins of the kids before her had all been the same. Nothing in the board moved into the center like hers. Finally the wheel slowed down. The arrow stopped right in the middle.

"Fate has recognized, Lydis Fawn, as bearer of the snake's crest!" Everyone looked at Lydis. This was definitely different from any of the past spins. Firstly, instead of saying 'deemed' it had said 'recognized'. Meaning that she had something that they didn't. Something better and more qualified. Secondly, it wasn't a charm but a crest! Even if they didn't know what either of them did or was, crest definitely sounded better than charm.

"Congratulations! See, didn't I tell you fate was mysterious?" The girl on screen tried hard to suppress the surging emotions in her mind right then. She had only said that about 'fate' to get the last child to spin, or else the rest wouldn't be able to move on. It was a rule that everyone had to spin no matter what. More importantly, the child had received a crest, not a charm! Even if someone had the luck of the gods, getting a crest from the system on the first try was a one in a million chance! She calmed her mind and put on her cheerful mask.

"Student Lydis, congratulations once again on receiving a crest! Although it's only a bit better than a charm, it's still something to be proud about!" The girl on screen tried to soften the blow for the other students and move the group along.

"Now, to move on to explaining what this was all about."