74 HOUSES AND HEADS

The mess-hall filled up quick. Like a balloon in the hands of a wind-element master. Claude didn't mind, he was tired of waiting, even abject negatives loomed. He'd faced his biggest fears and came out better than he left. To say he wasn't slightly risen in mood would be wrong. He at least missed his friends.

Dahmir led him to the table of Broken Kings. It was the left-most table in the open room. They had their backs to the polished wooden walls. There were noticeably few of them. They clearly had the least house members at what appeared to be only four.

Including Claude.

And Dahmir.

They approached the table.

"Friends, we have a new member." Dahmir put a hand on Claude's shoulder.

"Why does he not look….. broken?" One of them asked. A woman wearing a blindfold. Which led Claude to question how she could see.

"Because he isn't." Dahmir said proudly.

The other student gave their own renditions of a gasp.

"Not physically at least." Dahmir added.

"And the mini-man chose him?" The other asked. He looked "unbroken" as well.

"You know, if he ever hears you call him that, you'll probably get banished from this house." The blindfolded girl said.

"He doesn't interract with us anyway."

Claude looked to Dahmir for confirmation but he was already speaking again.

"Since I'm sure you were all dying to know, his name is Claude Grey. And he's a beast-tamer. He's grown quite the reputation already."

"Thought I smelled dog." The girl said. Then she waved him over, "Come sit." As she spoke, he noticed she had over pronounced fangs. Slim and razor sharp. Like a vampire. But that couldn't be right.

Claude took his seat, placing him across from the blindfolded girl with his back to the rest of the mess hall.

She held out a hand from her dark cloak. It was missing two fingers in the middle. She also had claws and black veins, "Nice to meet you, Claude. My name is Mercia Steele. Second year….."

As they held hands, a small dark shape crawled out of her cloak and onto Claude's hand.

It was a bat. A smaller breed. Possibly a dark-wing or blood-seeker based on its large sharp ears and flat purple eyes.

"I'm also a beast-tamer." She said. "If that wasn't obvious…"

Claude suddenly understood. "You can see with echo-location."

She nodded, "Most people just assume I'm some kind of witch and then try to scalp me. But I love my hair. So I let my babies eat….. drink. Either way."

"Stop being weird." The boy beside Claude said. He turned to Claude, "I'm Stanley Montaigne. Third year."

He was handsome in this classic knightly way with his wide set jaw, thick masculine brown brows and low cut hair. Fittingly, he was also large and wide. So heavy— in fact, that Claude could feel the bench sinking around him.

"Man, this is great." Dahmir said as he stood at the helm of their table facing them. The other House Champions faced away from their tables.

He looked around until he found her and smiled.

Ursula stood up at the house RedVine table and waved as everyone ate and chatted eachother up.

Claude waved back.

Mercia tilted her head, "Girlfriend?"

"No. Just a friend. A good friend." Claude said.

"Hmm."

"Holy— that's the Red Knights daughter, isn't it?" Stanley asked.

"It is."

"She's in the wrong house." Stanley added, "Samuel and Tai, too. A bit of an upset year isn't it?"

"How is that an upset?" Claude asked.

"It makes the next generation uncertain." Dahmir explained, "If neither Samuel or Tai are being raised in their fathers image, then who will they become? Their own people maybe. Scary to the gen-pop."

Claude found Warren in the distance and waved. Same for Carmen— his fellow Neo-drassil secret mage group buddy during the Island-gauntlet.

"Girlfriend?" Mercia asked again.

"No." Claude said.

"Yooo, grey-man!" Marion said hey from across the cafeteria from his Ronin House seat.

Claude waved back.

"Boyfriend?" Mercia asked.

"No." Claude replied, "Another friend."

"Don't mind her. She's a psycho for romance." Stanley said as he too looked around.

"I can't help it. Love how it gets the blood hot." The bat in her cloak squeaked and suddenly Claude realized there were many bats in her cloak.

He shared hellos and waves with the rest of his island buddies before turning back to his table.

"Hungry?" Dahmir asked.

"No." Claude said. And it was true. He was uneasy— excited.

"Well—"

Dahmir's words were cut short as a pair of calloused hands covered his eyes from behind.

The dried over wounds spoke to a hard worker. A warrior known for gripping bars and blades. The tips of their fingers were worn and hot. A writer. A HexBlade. Possibly one of the many hunting him during the island gauntlet.

He went rigid.

"Now this one has to be your girlfriend." Mercia said excitedly.

"I am a girl and we are close."

Claude warmed at the voice as she let go and sat beside him.

She was just as he remembered. Dark smooth skin, her long dreads were redone and new jewels were added. He could smell the seeds interwoven in the braided patterns. She looked overdressed in her university uniform— even with her top fashioned as a belly shirt and one of her pant legs cut off entirely. She watched him with the same wild eyes. Eyes that he swore believed he could do anything. It discomforted him at times.

Even so.

"Naz!" Claude was a little surprised at his own volume.

Thankfully the cafeteria was loud.

Thankfully she didn't seem to care as she pulled him in for a kiss.

She tasted like fresh water and tropical fruits. Citrus and earthy flower petals.

"It sounded like you just friendzoned him… but then you….. what is happening. You don't make any sense, Claude of the Canines." Mercia said as she looked between Claude and Naz.

"Is she your girlfriend or not?" She asked again.

Claude felt his cheeks warm, "Well…. Uhhhh I mean, yea."

"Why are you flustered?"

Claude looked to Naz.

She looked at him casually and smiled, "I don't know this word. I like how it makes your face…. Hehehe.."

"Girlfriend….. it's like partner." Claude said.

Naz processed his response before her slim eyebrows raised in understanding, "Oh— I see. Where I am from, the English word would be, my other."

Mercia blushed and nearly fainted but Dahmir leaned forward and caught her with a hand on her shoulder as she ran her arm across her forehead. "Oh godsssss it's so romantic. My Other... I love it. I'm taking it! Stanley, date me for the day. Just so I can call you my o—"

"Hell no." Stanley said.

Mercia sat up straight again and flipped him off. With her pinkies.

"Your House seems strong." Naz whispered in his ear in a way that made his spine tingle.

"You think so?" He replied.

"There are few of you." Naz said. "In nature, when the pack is small, it is because that is all that's needed to get the job done. You know this, no?"

Claude smiled at her metaphor, "It's why when Tigers form packs— streaks, it's usuallly only two to four members, while wolves need up to twenty members."

"If you are the tigers, then we are the wolves." Naz said.

"House Ronin are nowhere near wolves. Your Champion looks like a monster." Claude said as he looked back over at Salazar.

Naz hadn't looked away from him as she faced near his ear. With Claude turning back to face her, he met her radicalizing gaze, "Too bad he doesn't look like you."

She got up then, "I will see you, Liberator."

Claude nodded, "You too."

He watched her go— for probably too long.

When he turned back to the table, everyone was looking at him.

"What?"

"She's way out of your league." Stanley said, "No offense."

Before Claude could reply, the doors into the Mess Hall swung open and a dozen professors came marching in, following the dense form of H.M Alaric.

His hair was long as ever— laying down his back in a spiked mess like some oversized hedgehog. His university uniform was darker and missing the orange accents and on his left breast a dozen accolades glimmered.

He took the stage. Now the champions and students faced him at the podium.

Everyone knew to be silent.

He cleared his throat.

Claude watched the professors— recognizing a few and lost by others.

"I hope you all enjoyed your break— second and third years aside." The headmaster started, "Now, it's time to get to work. For the first two weeks, we work Sunday to Sunday. Call it acclimation week. Call it whatever you want, just do the work. We'll get you your schedules and sorted with your professors. As for my Island Gauntlet winners, your prizes will be available for choice after your breakfast here if you follow me. But first, we have a small ceremony. A right of passage, if you will."

Claude listened onward.

"For my first years, this is your first step towards becoming a full fledged hero. It's a big step. But it's not officialized until you step, knowing who you are. Knowing how the world sees you outside these university walls. And how is a hero seen?"

Silence.

"By their name." H.M Alaric answered, "Ronin's title evokes the ideas of no one above him. No master. No teacher. He can't be taught because he knows it already. He is the ceiling. Do you understand?"

The students nodded.

"I need the same from you all. A name. An explanation. An expression of your power, ideals, and future. Now, starting from House Ronin, I want each one of you first years to come up to this podium, introduce yourself and then tell us your hero name. Say it proudly. Say it with weight."

Claude felt his anxiety rise. But also a child-like excitement returned to him. He'd gone through a dozen hero names. Probably multiple dozens in a year alone.

Back when he wanted to awaken as a knight with the fire element he remembered drawing his suit and name as Smolder, the Steel-Flame. Then there was a time he wanted to be a swordsman with the lightning element like Ronin. He came up with the name Tempest.

Every idea and concept leaked from his brain as he began to sweat.

He never had plans for a beast tamer or the nature element. Not to mention, his relationship with the word hero was on the fences.

Unfortunately, time went on all the same as he brainstormed. Ursula chose the name Breaker.

Samuel chose the name Leon.

Isaac chose Firemane.

Stella chose Saber-Noir.

The list went on. With some eliciting laughter while others got nods of respect.

And before Claude knew it, he was walking to the podium. The professors watched him intently.

H.M Alaric nodded to the podium.

Claude took a step forward and found himself looking over all the students.

Ursula threw a thumbs up.

Percival watched calmly.

Trey nodded in support with Carmen and Darius.

He cleared his throat, "Claude Grey. Canis."

A few looked around with the obvious reaction of, "….. that it?"

He even heard another student whisper, "Is that a word?"

Claude sighed as he got off the podium.

But then he remembered, "New weapon after breakfast. Nice."

He didn't know how nice until H.M Alaric took the podium again minutes later.

"Now, you will all use your chosen hero names in your first Tangent this Monday."

"Monday!? As in tommorow?"

"Yes."