Disgrace to Nobility

I followed Charlie through the doorway and into the room. One side of the dorm was covered in pieces of machinery, along with elaborate drawings and designs of complicated gadgets, vehicles, and other things I couldn't identify. A small desk next to the window and by the bed was also covered in papers, which had been stained by a spilled ink bottle. June was furiously bunching up the papers and tossing them away, all whilst grumbling to herself.

The other side of the dorm seemed to be mine, with another desk a few feet away from June's and a fitted bed beside that. The sheets were already on, and it looked as though most of my spare clothes and other belongings had been unpacked and put away. I moved over to the bed and sat, placing my papers on the desk. Charlie had already made his way onto the desk and was now gazing out the window.

"Why is your bird here?"

I turned to look at June, who was standing with one hand on her hip, staring at Charlie.

"Is he not supposed to be here?"

"Obviously not. The ravens nest on the top of the dorms. They only come when we call." She scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning towards me, "How do you not know this?"

"It's my first day," I replied, shooting her a glare.

Upon seeing my expression June lurched towards me, hand gripping my shirt, yanking me forward. I gasped.

[Estelle-]

"Let me make something clear, Miss Atan," She mocked, clenching my blouse even tighter, "I don't believe RavenArts should even offer Etherial testing. If someone isn't smart enough to be a scholar, or already have a system unlocked, they shouldn't be here. I don't care how noble or 'important' their family is. So don't spout bullshit about it's my first day, and I don't know anything, because the least you can do is be competent enough to not need a tour guide, you absolute stain on the Atan legacy."

I considered hitting her right then if it weren't for the fact that Charlie looked ready to fight, feathers puffed, wings out. If the situation escalated any further he would attack. She might hurt him if he got aggressive, and I wasn't going to sacrifice a bird for the sake of my pride.

June noticed Charlie's posture.

"Wow~ what a tough little guy." She released her hand from my shirt and strolled over to Charlie, who shrunk under her gaze, "You gonna fight for your owner? How precious. I suppose you two fit well together. Both equally not fit for the positions you are in."

Charlie hopped back, head drooping. I stood up to face her.

"Whatever you believe, it's true that I need a guide," I asserted, my hands trembling as she turned back towards me, "So let Charlie stay here. He won't bother you. We'll be as silent as dead rats."

June rolled her eyes, unbelieving, before walking back towards her desk with a sigh.

"...Need more ink," She mumbled to herself, before storming back out the room, empty ink bottle in hand, without another glance in our direction.

The door shut with a bang.

***

The rest of the evening continued without issue, and June didn't come back until well after I had fallen asleep. During that alone time, I soothed Charlie and went through my things.

[Dr. Blighten did not seem the kind of person to have such a child.]

"Could we not talk about her?" I pleaded aloud, still feeling nervous from the earlier encounter.

[My apologies.]

"It's fine I just..." I trailed off, reaching down to pet the lump under my sheets that was Charlie, snoozing away, "I just don't know what's going on. Or how to act. And it's frustrating." I admitted, pulling out the personal information paper I had received earlier. I had already managed to upload the map and orientation schedule to my IED using the scanner function and was now going to finish learning about myself.

I could feel Angel reading along with me as I glanced over the page.

[Countess. So you really are nobility.]

"Seems so...also sounds like I'm a disgrace to the family? Wonder how I managed that." I murmured, moving to the next paragraph.

The second paragraph was labeled 'Learning Track: Scholar (temp.).' The sentences underneath explained that I had been assigned a non-magic learning course and would find a niche within the historical, practical, and inventive sides of the Scholar track until I awakened. Keyword being temporary.

The only other useful information I gleaned from the page was about the System passed through my family's bloodline. Apparently, the Atans were a group of blade augmenters who had the capabilities to use heavily enchanted and large weaponry that could sweep the battlefield.

'What is an augmenter?' I thought, directed at Angel.

[Just as Li Chen was an elemental, the Atan's are augmenters. Elementals control, and can sometimes summon a core aspect of the natural world. Augmenters on the other hand have the ability to enhance their bodies, weapons, or objects in a variety of ways. Augmenters can be anything from blacksmiths to knights.]

'So I'm supposed to be a Blade Augmenter.'

[That would be most likely, yes. Although I don't sense that from you. The only other System you could awaken besides those two would be that of a Devotee, or an Aberration.]

'...and those are?'

[Devotees are people who gain a System through prayer and devotion to a God. There are multiple levels of Devotees, but most don't tend to be very powerful. Aberrations are the rarest kind of System user and simply refer to any person having a System that does not fall into one of the other three categories. These people have a wide range of abilities, many of which are feared, such as telepathy, gravitational control, cannibalistic based powers...etcetera.]

'Hey, don't just throw that out there. There are people that can read minds? And...eat people?'

[I told you some of them are feared.]

'I thought the most dangerous thing here was my vicious roommate. Glad to know I was wrong.'

[On another note, that boy...Li Chen...he had asked if you were upset because of your mother.]

"Mhm. Also assured me that I would awaken a system at testing."

[And that bitc- girl, June...said that she didn't believe in testing. Ah, I see. Your family is esteemed nobility, probably with some sort of duty that they have always fulfilled using a bloodline-based System. You have yet to awaken, and are thus a 'disgrace.' A family where love and respect are won through ability. That would explain the cold reception you faced at home.]

"How cliche," I whispered, getting out of bed and kneeling next to my luggage.

As I listened to Angel, I rummaged through my suitcases for any food Iona might have stored away for me. I didn't want to go get dinner, having had enough unknowns for one day. Being hungry was a problem for tomorrow's me. After testing, which was scheduled for 8:30 the next morning, I would go eat and hopefully find Li again. I was scheduled for the 12:00 tour of the school and wanted to find out if he was too. It would be nice to have company.

"You figured out anything about the dream?" I asked, glancing out the window at the expansive grounds, which were bathed in the warmth of the sunset.

[No. I don't know how to explain it, but I'm being blocked from...something. I believe that an Etherial jumpstart from tomorrow's testing may help me to gain access."

"Does my brain have a secret compartment?" I laughed, stirring Charlie who began to wiggle out from under the covers, popping his head out.

[I am not some little gnome wandering your nervous system. I'm sharing your conscience, and a part of it is locked.]

"Is that even possible?"

[Nothing else would explain this.]

Not finding any food I went back to bed, falling onto the sheets and dangling my legs over the edge. Charlie hopped up onto my chest, staring down at me. I smiled at him.

"What do you think, my brave bird?" I asked, getting a few 'awks' in response, "Yes, yes, I'd have to agree."

[Until tomorrow there is nothing else I can do. Might as well get some rest. I don't want either of us to be awake when she comes back.]

'Fair enough.'

There was a shared bathroom just down the hall, and after getting into a nightgown and pulling my hair up, I headed back to bed. It was still somewhat light outside, and only 7 o'clock, but I was exhausted. The covers were welcoming, and I didn't bother resisting their embrace. I tapped through my IED, headed to the page where the scanner function was. Just underneath it was an alarm, which I set for 8:00. There were a variety of other functions on the page, including an emergency page, and a raven call. When I tapped the raven call, Charlie's nametag began to pulse with light, and he groggily wandered over towards me, tilting his head. I hit the button again and the pulsing stopped, which only further confused the little bird.

I wondered if I would dream again tonight. Most of me desired a sleepless night, but there was a part that wanted to dream, to know more. Maybe even remember something. At least I had remembered Iona's hair care routine.

My stomach rumbled.

I drifted off to sleep as Angel hummed. My last thought was if she even knew what she was singing, or if amnesia had taken that too.