Part Fourteen

As Thalia and her companions trudge through the dense forest, their apathy is almost palpable. Their steps are lethargic, a stark contrast to the rigorous training of Celestial Heights Academy. The oppressive weight of the crown on Thalia's head seems symbolic of their collective disillusionment.

Dax, lounging against a tree, watches a monster emerge from the underbrush. He doesn't flinch, his orange eyes observing it with detached curiosity. "So, how should we deal with this one without actually trying?" he asks, his tone dripping with boredom.

Rhea, barely glancing up from her gadgets, shrugs noncommittally. "Maybe we could convince it to go away? I've seen it happen before in some shows," she suggests, her voice devoid of enthusiasm.

Gideon, leaning on his broadsword, chuckles dryly. "Perhaps we should challenge it to a staring contest," he quips, the humor not quite reaching his eyes.

Thalia, her fingers idly playing with the edge of her crown, contemplates the monster. "Or we could just tell it we've already been defeated. Save it the effort," she muses, her gaze fixed on the creature.

The monster, seemingly confused by their lack of reaction, growls lowly, yet it hesitates. Sensing the opportunity, Dax steps forward, adopting a pose of mock defeat. "Oh no, you've caught us. We surrender," he declares, his voice laden with feigned dread.

Rhea follows suit, dramatically collapsing to the ground. "Alas, we are vanquished, our souls have departed and left this realm," she proclaims, a smirk playing on her lips.

Gideon, with a sigh, lowers his broadsword and sits down, looking up at the monster with a resigned expression. "You win, fearsome beast," he says, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

The monster, baffled by their antics, tilts its head, its growl turning into a confused whine. After a moment of uncertainty, it shrugs—if a monster could shrug—and ambles away, apparently deciding they're not worth the trouble.

As the creature disappears into the forest, Thalia lets out a dry laugh. "Well, that was anticlimactic. But effective," she comments, her eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement.

Dax stretches again, a grin spreading across his face. "I knew my acting skills would come in handy one day," he jokes, helping Rhea to her feet.

Gideon retrieves his broadsword, his expression softening into a rare smile. "Let's keep moving then. The less effort, the better."

The brief respite is short-lived as the original monster returns, this time accompanied by a group of its kin. Thalia and her companions exchange a collective groan, their annoyance palpable.

Dax, leaning against a tree, rolls his eyes at the returning creature. "Great, it brought friends. Did you need a support group to handle us?" he taunts, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rhea, fiddling with one of her gadgets, looks up with an exasperated sigh. "I guess our Trophy-worthy performance wasn't convincing enough. I blame you, Thalia, you should take some classes," she mutters.

Gideon, resting his chin on his hand, gazes at the monsters with a mix of disdain and boredom. "Like you're any batter, Rhea. Maybe it just wants to show off its social skills. How charming," he drawls.

Amidst their banter, Rhea perks up, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Wait, I've got an idea," she says, sitting up. "There's a fight not too far away with the other classes. What if we... repurpose these monsters?"

Dax quirks an eyebrow. "Repurpose? How diabolically lazy of you."

Rhea grins, her bored facade momentarily slipping. "We enslave these monsters and make them drive all the other creatures in the forest towards the other classes. Meanwhile, we can stroll leisurely towards the chaos."

Gideon chuckles, clearly amused by the plan. "That's brilliantly underhanded. I'm in."

Thalia nods in agreement, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards. "Let's do it. The less we have to do, the better. It might piss off the principal but this is what he gets for forcing us to play this game."

One of them, rummaging through their bag, pulls out a flute-like artifact. "Time to put this to use," they say, bringing the flute to their lips. The melody that follows is strange, a series of notes that seem to resonate with an unnatural frequency.

The monsters, upon hearing the tune, begin to act erratically, their eyes glazing over as they fall under the flute's spell. With a few more notes, the creatures turn and stampede towards the direction of the ongoing battle, their roars fading into the distance.

The group watches with a sense of satisfaction mixed with amusement. Dax stretches out on the grass, hands behind his head. "Well, that's our good deed for the day. I should've brought a book with me," he quips.

Rhea lies down beside him, staring up at the sky. "Can't believe that actually worked. Maybe we should start a band."

Gideon, still holding his broadsword, sits down with a thud. "No way, that takes too much energy," he muses.

Thalia, taking a seat on the soft earth, smiles faintly. "Let's get moving already. Even if we hate it, we will get in big trouble if we don't do something."

-

As Thalia and her companions come to a halt out of the dense forest, they find themselves facing an unexpected scene. A few paces ahead, a girl with blond hair stands amidst the aftermath of what looks like a brutal battle. She's drenched in blood, her breathing heavy, a stark testament to the ferocity of the fight she's endured.

Dax, leaning against a nearby tree, assesses the situation with a yawn. "They look tired," he observes nonchalantly, his orange eyes scanning the girl and the surrounding carnage.

Gideon, standing with his broadsword slung over his shoulder, nods in agreement. "Yes, they look like they've fought a horde," he comments, his tone carrying a hint of respect for the girl's apparent resilience.

Thalia, her fingers playing idly with the edge of her crown, exhales a deep sigh. "They are from class A of Equinox Academy," she states, recognizing the girl's uniform. "What do we do?" she asks, her voice laced with both weariness and a sense of duty.

Rhea, who had been fiddling with one of her gadgets, looks up, her silver eyes assessing the situation. "Well, technically, they're our enemies in this test," she points out, her voice tinged with reluctance.

Dax shrugs, pushing off from the tree. "Enemies or not, they're in no shape to fight. It'd be like kicking someone who's already down," he says, his usual sarcasm softened by a rare hint of compassion.

Gideon nods slowly, his eyes fixed on the girl. "Perhaps we could offer a temporary truce? It's not like we're enthusiastic about this whole 'test' anyway," he suggests, the idea seemingly appealing to his sense of honor.

Thalia looks at the blond girl, then back at her companions. "A truce sounds reasonable. But let's keep our guards up. We can't afford to be naive," she decides, her leadership qualities shining through her fatigue.

As they approach the girl, Thalia calls out, her voice steady yet cautious. "Hey, you okay? You look like you've fought an army."

Aira, her eyes cold and seething with anger, clenches her fist so tightly around her sword handle that it breaks. "You...!" she hisses venomously, her gaze fixed on Thalia and her group. "You bastards!" Her voice is a mix of fury and exhaustion.

Arin rushes to Aira's side, attempting to apply healing magic. "Can you stop moving while I heal you?" he pleads, his hands glowing with a soothing light. The rest of Aira's team gradually emerges from the forest, their expressions ranging from irritation to outright hostility.

Gideon, observing the tense atmosphere, turns to Dax with a puzzled look. "Why is she so angry at us?" he inquires, genuinely baffled.

Rhea, letting out a deep sigh, interjects, "Alright, guys, enough with the jokes. These guys seem pissed we sent all the monsters their way." Her explanation does little to ease the mounting tension.

Dax, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, admits, "I already forgot about that." His casual demeanor only adds to the brewing conflict.

Thalia, surveying the situation, spots Isabella sitting atop an ice pillar in the distance. "She is a problem," she mutters, acknowledging the potential threat Isabella poses.

The group collectively groans and stretches, their nonchalant attitude contrasting sharply with the seriousness of their situation. Rai confronts them with visible frustration. "Oi, you fuckers! Do you know how many monsters we had to fight!?" he demands, his voice laced with irritation.

Thalia taps her chin thoughtfully, her response deliberately understated. "At least more than five," she guesses, her tone dry. The others nod in agreement, showing no real concern for the exact number.

Rai, exasperated by their lack of seriousness, challenges them. "Seriously? Come on, try a bit harder! If you guess it right, I might... let you off."

Rhea, popping her gum nonchalantly, throws out a number. "1,127," she says with a shrug. Her guess is so specific that it takes Rai aback.

"Ugh... I was joking. We're going to take that crown no matter what," Rai retorts, realizing that their playful banter was just a facade.

Aira, still recovering from her wounds, questions them. "How did you control the monsters?" Her inquiry reflects her desire to understand their strategy.

Liam laughs softly. "Hmhmhm, obviously with an artifact."

Flora's voice, soft with regret, "I'm sorry," Almost immediately, the plants around Thalia's group spring to life. Thick vines, animated by Flora's magic, swiftly entwine around their feet, immobilizing them in a verdant grip.

Dax blinks, his usual nonchalance replaced by concern. "This is a problem," he states, watching as the vines tighten their hold.

Gideon, his usual stoic demeanor giving way to a hint of urgency, looks to Thalia. "What are we going to do, Thalia?" he asks, searching for guidance in their precarious situation.

Liam, standing confidently with the rest of Aira's team, raises an eyebrow at their predicament. "Just hand over the crown. We outnumber you. Do you honestly think you can beat us?" he challenges, his tone laced with superiority.

Thalia, feeling the vines tugging at her, begins to concede defeat. "We give—" she starts, but her words are cut short by a sudden interruption.

An audio message from Tara crackles through Thalia's earpiece, bringing an unexpected directive. "I have no clue what you're doing, but Professor Alexia asked me to tell you that if you forfeit, not only will she make you all go through sleepless training, but you won't get any breaks for the whole year." The message sends a jolt of fear through Thalia.

Overwhelmed by the gravity of Tara's words, Thalia's composure cracks, and she starts to sob. "G-guys... if we don't fight, we won't get any breaks for the whole year..." Her voice trembles with despair.

The threat of relentless training and no breaks ignites a sudden determination in the group. Their eyes widen, fully comprehending the severity of their situation. Dex speaks up, his voice firm. "I see... Well, we have no choice," he says, resigning himself to the fight.

Aira, assessing the situation, turns to Liam. "Liam, you haven't fought, so I'm leaving this to you," she instructs, stepping back towards Isabella, who remains perched on her ice pillar.

Thalia, her tears still fresh, turns to Rhea with a look of resignation. "Their king isn't here, this is a waste of time," she says, the reality of their challenge sinking in.

In the tense standoff, a collective sigh escapes from Thalia's group, signaling a sudden shift in their demeanor. Gone is their lethargic apathy, replaced now by a steely resolve. Their expressions harden, reflecting a readiness to engage in the unavoidable confrontation.

Dex speaks up. "Well, let's try to finish this fast." His words cut through the heavy air, a clear signal that they're no longer playing around.

Rai, energized by the challenge, responds with a confident grin. "We won't give you the chance!" he declares. His body crackles with lightning as he surges forward, aiming straight for Thalia with incredible speed.

In a swift response, Dax's finger glows bright red, cutting through the restraining vines with ease, freeing them from their binds. He steps protectively in front of Thalia, intercepting Rai's sword strike with his hand. The intense heat emanating from his palm begins to melt Rai's sword, forcing Rai to jump back in surprise.

"What are you, a heater?" Rai exclaims, his astonishment evident in his voice.

Thalia, with a blink, nonchalantly confirms, "Yeah, he's a heater." She then casts a magic circle, the air around them dropping in temperature as she conjures her ice magic. The vines that had bound them freeze solid, becoming brittle. With a casual flick of her wrist, she shatters them into tiny shards, freeing her team from their restraints.