Chapter 12: Yami; Shauran 10th, 344SR; 07:40
A faint light was cast over the green grass, its subtle luminescence was once bright to him, but now something felt wrong. It lacked the warmth and lustrousness of sunlight. 'Is it almost night time? We should get back to the hotel soon... We...' Yami stopped as he looked up. The pale blue sky almost looked close enough to touch. He reached for it, but squinted when he saw how tiny his hand was. A giant white circle in the ceiling casted a gentle light over the area, despite how close it was. Yami stared at what he believed to be the sun for several seconds, while confused at its lack of warmth. He turned around, and looked up at the house he remembered so well.
From where he stood, he could only see the front, and the left side of the house painted white. The side was covered in shade, with just a small bench and a hose winded around a metal rod stuck in the wall. The front had a small porch two steps above the ground, a door directly in front of the stairs. To the left and the right of the entrance were windows for the kitchen and living room. Pillars on the porch supported a small overhang about one story over the ground. 'Before I got my gift... I used to climb out my room window and try to get on the roof... Mom always yelled at me for it... Now that I have Azure I-' A squawk drew Yami's attention to the nearest corner of the roof, it was Azure.
The blue raven looked down at Yami, then angrily squawked again. Even though he couldn't understand his spirit, he could feel its disappointment. 'I wish I was as talented as Zeus... He was able to understand Yycan so easily, in just a few weeks of being blessed too...' Azure lowered his head, and preened the feathers on his wings. The raven shook its head, fluttered its wings, then flew off the roof and toward the forest. 'Wait...' Yami reached forward, but his fingers curled in as he sighed. Suddenly, he felt someone grasp his other hand.
"Yami! Hey, we need your help! We can't catch that little rascal!" said Nova.
"Huh- Rascal?" Yami squinted, but his eyes widened as he saw eight tails spread off her shoulder.
Nova's Celestial gift, the red fox named Loomy noticed his gaze, then peered back at him. The fox tilted its head. 'Nova is amazing too... I can't even get Azure to stay around without him getting sick of me... Yet Loomy is always perched on her shoulder...' Nova turned, causing Loomy to stretch its head all the way around to keep staring at Yami. Nova was just a couple of inches shorter than Yami, her short red hair bounced as she pointed off in the distance toward their younger brother. Zeus scratched his messy black hair in confusion as he turned around frantically.
"Eos! We can't catch him! It's gotta be you!" Nova suggested.
"Huh..." Yami reared his head back.
"Eos is way too fast with his new gift! But with Azure, you also go really fast!" Nova clenched her tiny fists with a determined look. "You have the best shot!"
"Hey! Idiots! Hurry up and help! He's making a fool out of us!" Zeus shouted angrily.
"Stop swearing!"
"Huh?! Don't tell me what to do!"
As Nova and Zeus bickered, Loomy continued to gaze at Yami. 'Even Eos is outdoing me... It's no wonder mom likes them more than me... I can't do any-' Someone's hand hit his back, but he felt no pain. He looked up to see Eos zoom by quickly. He smacked Nova's head and then Zeus's as well. The two of them flinched, but then looked equally upset.
"That little-" Nova seethed.
"Eos when I get my hands on you!" Zeus seethed.
"Haha! Hahaha!" Eos laughed like a maniac as he ran off behind the house, each stride of his step carried him several meters.
"Heh..." Yami grinned.
The arrogant confidence of his youngest brother made him envious. 'Azure! I need you!' Yami looked around, but Azure didn't show up. 'Azure! I can't keep up with him, and... And...' Yami's gaze lowered to the grass, the light in the room became dimmer. 'Who am I kidding... Even with Azure... I can't do it...' He felt like going back inside and crawling into bed, until someone's hand pressed into his back, and nudged him forward.
"Come on! Stop staring off into space you dud!" Zeus shoved him again. "If you aren't going to chase him yourself, we need a plan!"
"Yeah! Let's make a plan!" Nova stressed, her eyes locked on Yami.
The two of them didn't say anything, they just stared at Yami, awaiting what he would say. "Why are you two looking at me... You're the ones who can actually use your spirits... You're the amazing ones..."
"Because... You're the oldest?" Zeus shook his head, as if this should have been obvious. "You think I'd take orders from Nova? It's you or I'm on my own, and I can't catch him on my own!"
"I'll help make the plan, but they only really work well if you help, Zeus is too dumb to follow my plan, he'll ruin it..."
"That's because your plans are lame and girly!"
"Huh?! What was that second reason for?!"
Yami watched the two of them continue their endless conflict, and a slight smile spread on his face. 'I guess... These two suck at working together, they need me as the leader...' Yami smiled, he felt like he was good for something. 'And maybe... With all three of us working together, we can do it, we can-' Azure flew into Yami's back, he didn't expect it at all. Two bright blue wings sprouted off his back. 'Azure... You... Heh, maybe I am just overthinking things...' The light started to glow, a warm orange hue embraced him.
"Alright, let's do this! Operation catch the golden rabbit!" Yami grinned as he playfully named his plan.
"An operation! Cool!" Zeus's eyes glowed in excitement.
"First, I'll distract Eos!" said Yami.
Nova and Zeus looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.
"Then, Nova... Loomy can make those red flowers... Cover the whole field in them! And Zeus will hide in them!"
"Oh... That's a good idea!" Zeus laughed.
"Awa," Loomy seemed to agree.
"Haha, and then! Zeus, me and Nova will lead him to you, and you'll use Yycan to wrap him up or hold him down! Then he won't...." Yami's smile faded as he remembered something. "Wait... Eos isn't missing? When did he come back?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Nova tilted her head.
"I mean, Eos was missing right? And so was mom?" Yami explained.
"When did that happen?" Zeus reared his head back.
"Mom is right over there..." Nova pointed to the house.
Yami turned, then froze as he saw her. The children's mother sat on the bench on the left side of the house, shrouded in the shade. Her eyes were shrouded in darkness, from that distance, he couldn't tell if they were open or closed. The moment Yami saw her, he felt fear freeze his feet to the floor. 'Huh...' He couldn't take his eyes off of her, he couldn't move, he couldn't even speak. 'Why- Why am I so afraid...' Her eyes suddenly glowed red, and the shade around her spread out. The shadow was followed by a pitch black darkness. It engulfed his mother, and then came for him and his siblings.
* * *
"Ha!" Yami suddenly gasped.
He blinked at the ceiling, his back was covered in sweat, he looked at his hands as he grasped his quilt. His hands were no longer small, his knuckles pushed against his skin as different bones in his hand flexed. Yami pushed himself up, and immediately felt an uncomfortable chill over his back. The warm orange light came through the window and hit his eye, its warmth was soothing. The sun was rising over the city, it was just a tiny ball floating through the sky. Yami briefly remembered what he believed was the sun during his childhood, he still wasn't used to this new life. 'That dream again...' Yami leaned back and fell onto the soft bed still damp with sweat. He glanced back to the window at the side of his bed, the sky was nothing like what he remembered as well. It was all a soft blue, lacking any rigidness or darker parts which had a different hue, it would even change color throughout the day. To the left on the nightstand, a small clock's shorter hand pointed to the number eight.
"Shoot... I slept in..." Yami muttered as he slowly rose.
Yami pulled himself out of bed, his feet touched the cold floor, his toes curled in. 'Temperature is going down too... It's been over a year since we left mom's house...' Yami looked at his hands as he stared at the ground. He clenched his fists, flexing the muscles in his forearms. 'I've gotten a lot stronger, Zeus and Nova have too... I wish we could show Eos... Or mom... I hope they're okay... It feels like an eternity has gone by without them...' Yami continued to stare at the light brown wooden floor, but heard someone coming from downstairs. They hurried up the steps, sliding to a stop at the door and holding the frame as he leaned into the room.
"Yo, they made bacon for breakfast!" Zeus announced excitedly, he had a wide smile on his face.
Yami briefly remembered how Zeus looked in his dream, his voice was much higher, and he was less than half as tall as he was now. His dense black hair was slicked back, but his bangs still covered the sides of his face. Zeus wore an unbuttoned white shirt, a black shirt and pants, and white socks. Zeus was slim, standing at just under six feet. There was a light blue sash wrapped around his waist, on the top half was a straight line, on the other was two wavy lines overlapping. 'That's all we have left from mom...'
"Yeah, I'll be there in a second..." Yami replied.
"Hm," Zeus continued to stare at Yami. "You slept in again, and where's your shirt?"
"I just woke up... And I sleep with my shirt off..."
"That's weird," said Zeus.
"You still throw yours in a fight... You even did that when you were a kid. You're the weird one," Yami laughed.
"No, there's a difference, I was using my brain."
"Huh?" Yami tilted his head.
"Yeah, I had no weapon, and my shirt was useless to me. So I made it my weapon!" Zeus grinned.
"Okay then... Just don't do that during training though... The others laugh at you..."
Yami tilted his head further, then just stood up and walked toward his drawer. He pulled out a large white shirt and put it on. Zeus turned around and waited outside as Yami brought out a pair of pants to change into. He stopped for a moment as he looked at the size of his clothes, they were far bigger than what he was wearing in his dream. However, they fit perfectly. He looked into the mirror and pulled his messy blue hair back. Everytime he looked at his reflection, he'd wonder when his jaw line became so rigid, when his muscles became so much bigger, when he got so much taller.
"I don't care if they laugh, I'm stronger and better than all of them... But you know, if you sleep with your shirt on, it's warmer," said Zeus, his tone making it sound like this was not obvious.
"That's exactly why I take it off... I can barely sleep in the heat..." Yami snickered as he buttoned up his shirt.
"Huh?" Zeus tilted his head.
Before he left the room, Yami stopped and looked down at a pale green sash hanging on the door knob. It had a similar pattern to the one Zeus wore. 'Can't forget that.' Yami grabbed the sash as walked out of the room and closed his door, tying it around his forehead as Zeus followed him. The hallway of the hotel had a red carpet floor, the walls were a shiny dark brown. A window at both ends of the hallway illuminated the space. Light reflected off the dull gold edges of the furniture and pictures. Zeus and Yami started down the steps, walking past a sign that read 'No animals or pets'. It had a red circle on it, surrounding the black silhouette of a dog.
"You and Nova are weird, always saying it's too hot in the room," Zeus sighed, walking down the steps with his hands behind his head.
"It is two people versus one when it comes to this... But, you do you... Not like it's anyone else's problem..." Yami shrugged.
"Yeah, but I am a genius, so I'm right."
They reached the bottom of the stairs, and entered the lobby. Yami pushed open the doors to the hotel's cafeteria. The wide open space was full of tables. Some of them were occupied, but the ones that weren't had nothing on it. All except for one empty table was already set with gold plates and cutlery. It was closest to the kitchen where the hotel staff served food. Zeus smiled as he smelled the aroma of bacon sizzling in the kitchens. Yami was always curious about the different faces he'd see, he wasn't used to seeing so many different people.
"Nova is significantly smarter than you, then both of us really..." Yami laughed under his breath, still observing the different people in the dining area.
"No?!" Zeus scoffed. "You think Nova is smarter than me?"
"Everyone is smarter than you Zeus," a familiar voice came from the right.
Yami and Zeus both looked down to see Nova reading a large red book, seated on a small bench by the entrance to the dining area. Their sister was hunched over with one hand on her knee and the book in her lap. She was dressed in her usual blue robe, wearing a white dress shirt and black pants underneath. On her head was a light red sash, almost pink. Just like Yami and Zeus, the sash she received also had the same pattern.
"Advanced Properties of Magic?" Yami read. "Wasn't it a blue book last week?"
"Yeah, that was the Intermediate Properties of Magic, I finished that one," Nova said as she turned a page.
"Oh no, book talk..." Zeus grumbled, but then turned to the hotel staff and hurried over to grab a plate.
"Isn't your class... Still on the green coloured book? The one for basics?" Yami tilted his head.
"They read so slow, so our instructor also goes slow..."
"Or... You know... It's tough to learn..." Yami blinked repeatedly.
"If they think that's bad, the math in the second book is going to take them a really long time... I don't wanna wait," Nova set the book down and yawned, she stretched her arms into the air and walked toward the table set for them. "How is military training... Seems like a lot of work..."
"Honestly, it's not that bad... Me and Zeus are advancing quickly in our own right," Yami pulled out a chair and took a seat.
"Damn right," Zeus set his plate of bacon on the table. "We're way tougher than the others, we'll be chosen for noble houses in no time."
"If you keep calling everyone idiots, they might not let you join a house..." Yami mentioned as Zeus sat down
"Why though? It's true..." Zeus raised an eyebrow.
Nova and Yami squinted, then looked up at Zeus with a raised eyebrow. Yami glanced at Nova across the table, but she looked just as dumb founded. Zeus picked up a piece of bacon with his hand and ate half of it in a single bite. The brittle meat crunched in his mouth as he chewed with his mouth open. He stopped chewing when he noticed Yami and Nova staring at him with disbelief.
"Why are you two looking at me like that?" Zeus mumbled as he kept chewing.
"Zeus, you are the definition of irony..." said Nova.
Zeus swallowed his food with a look of confusion. "What does that word mean?"
Nova sighed as she shook her head. She set the book down and raised her palms away as she stood up. The chair creaked as it dragged over the wooden floor. She took off her coat and put it on the chair.
"If I keep talking to you, I might become just as dumb..." Nova sighed as she walked towards the kitchen.
"That wouldn't work, because you already are dumber than me?" Zeus replied as she walked away.
Nova stopped, looked down, blinked repeatedly for a moment, then continued forward. Zeus squinted at her behavior, before looking at Yami as if he should understand. 'Sometimes I wonder if this is some running joke he's kept going on since we were kids... Or if he is genuinely serious... It's getting harder to tell...'
"What's with her?" Zeus picked up another strip of bacon.
"Not sure," Yami raised his eyebrows as he smiled awkwardly. "I'm gonna go get a plate..."
Yami stood up and turned. The room was slowly filled by the waking hotel attendants. They had to get their plates and utensils from the side of the room before they sat down. Most of the attendants were adults or elderly folk, Yami didn't ever see many kids or teenagers when it was time to dine. He walked between the white tables and stood behind Nova at the line.
"Sometimes I think he's serious when he says that..." said Yami.
"No, no he is definitely serious..." Nova nodded. "We should ask one of those doctors to check him out..."
"Sure they solve a lot of problems people have, but I'm not sure if they can even do anything about him..."
"You're right... He has a different kind of sickness..." Nova looked at Zeus. "I heard this one girl in my class has it, her name is Dina... It's called narcissism... Apparently it makes you obsessed with yourself, and how important you are..."
"Hm... Not sure about that, is that really a sickness?"
Yami and Nova picked up plates and looked back to the table as they waited in line. Zeus happily munched on a large spoonful of eggs and bacon but then he looked around to see if anyone was watching him. He put his arm on the table, and a white strand of goo came out of his sleeve. 'Uh...' The strand stretched into the head of a wolf, it was Yycan. The spirit bit down on a piece of bacon, and then retreated back into Zeus's sleeve with it. Zeus continued to look around, then noticed Yami and Nova staring right at him, he shook his head with his mouthful.
"If he's going to break the hotel rules, he might as well do it in a less obvious way..." Nova groaned. "Dumbo..."
"Heh... With how much he cares about Yycan, I find it hard to think he's obsessed with just himself..." Yami smiled
"Well, since he shares his body with Yycan... It kinda still fits..."
Yami and Nova turned toward the server, and noticed her expression. The woman's eyebrow twitched as she had noticed Zeus too. The staff all wore the same black shirt and pants, and a white apron on top. The five staff members each stood behind trays of savory scented foods. Nova and Yami picked up warm white plates as they awkwardly stared at the server's slightly annoyed smile.
"Uh, sorry about him..." Yami sheepishly nodded.
"It's... Alright... For now I think..." the server awkwardly smiled.
"Good morning to you, Yami, Nova," the head chef walked out of the kitchen to greet them. "Please, take as much as you'd like, you need to eat to get big and strong!"
"Thanks Regi," Yami smiled.
He had white hair combed back, and a light amount of scruff on his face. There was a pin secured to his chest with the name Reginald Loyar written in white. Nova walked in front of the first tray, where bright yellow scrambled eggs were served. The woman behind the counter scooped a big helping of eggs up.
"I don't want any egg... Thanks..." Nova declined.
"But, you possess a spirit from the Celestial... You need to eat a lot..." the chef advised.
She tried to put the eggs on her plate, but Nova pulled it back. The chef frowned and simply nodded awkwardly, then turned to Yami. 'She has a point... But both Nova and Loomy really hate eggs...' Yami put his plate forward, and the server dropped the large serving of protein. He blinked at the pile of eggs. 'When it was in the spoon it didn't look like that much... But that's a ton...'
"Would you like more?" the chef asked, scooping another spoon before Yami could even answer.
"No, that's... Already a lot, thank you though," Yami smiled as he walked past her.
"You still having that dream..." Nova asked curiously.
Another guest in line behind Yami took a step. Nova looked at Yami with wide eyes, she seemed eager to know. He remembered how afraid he felt when he saw his mother. Nova's eyebrows furrowed as she noticed Yami's expression.
"Yeah..." Yami replied. "It's just a dream though, so I don't really want to think about it..."
"Did the same thing happen?"
"Yeah... Everytime I see mom..." Yami spoke under his breath, he swallowed his spit as he remembered what he saw. "She looks really scary..."
Nova looked down, she pursed her lips. "There was something else I heard from the people in my class... Dreams are like reflections of our mind, and what we're feeling..." Nova suddenly mentioned.
"What?" Yami raised an eyebrow.
"Like-"
"Can... Can I get some more eggs?" the man asked.
"Huh?" the server froze as she looked at the man.
Yami and Nova both turned. The man held his plate with both hands, he looked rather old. His gaze was sternly locked on the hotel attendant. Yami looked at his plate, then squinted. He had barely even received a quarter of what Yami was served.
"Can I have some more eggs?" the man asked with a haughty tone.
"Oh... Uh... Yes, yes you may have more," the chef replied.
"Why did I have to ask, and they didn't... You just gave it to them... That's disrespectful don't you think..." the man asked with narrow eyes.
"I- I'm sorry sir, I should've offered-"
"I paid for this hotel just like they did, so I want the same service... Is that so hard to understand?" the old man continued forward as he shook his head.
Yami kept walking, he stood in front of the chef serving bacon, who was also looking at the old man who was in line behind Yami. The chef picked up four strips of bacon and put it on Yami's plate. He turned to Nova, making an awkward face as he raised his eyebrows. He turned back and looked at the server. He picked up two strips of bacon, but placing it down he looked at the old man. His face was already tense, his nose twitching as he waited for him to pick up more. The head chef came out of the kitchen, then quickly walked over and put his hand on the server's shoulder. He whispered something into his ear, before taking the tongs away. The head chef picked up a single piece of bacon, placed it on his plate, then smiled right at him.
The old man shook his head with an infuriated look. "I've worked in Helios my whole life, just to get disrespected like this, everyday! Is that what this hotel wants, they just want their patrons to starve to death?! Give me more! I'm hungry!"
"Sir, everyone needs to eat. Now stop being selfish, and accept what you paid for," the chef seethed.
"Heh... Shoulda known better to stay at a residence owned by the Lightbringers!"
The old man scoffed, dropped his plate, and then walked out of the dining area. Nova and Yami stood at the end of the line awkwardly as a server nervously put toast on their plate. Loomy poked his head out of Nova's long hair, making sure to stay out of sight of the hotel staff. The curious red fox looked intrigued by the man's anger, but Nova pushed his snout back under her long hair.
"What was that about?" Nova whispered as she watched the old man slam the doors on his way out.
"Not sure..." Yami shrugged. "What were you saying earlier?"
The two went back to the table, Zeus had already left his first plate spotless and was back in line. Yami pulled the chair out and sat down, he looked at the clock quickly. 'Training starts in thirty minutes...' He poked his fork into the yellow scrambled eggs, lifted up a stack of it, then ate it all in one bite. The savory salt danced on his tongue as the soft eggs melted in his mouth, the pepper gave it a mild spice. Azure quickly poked his head out and looked at the plate of food. The blue raven picked up several chunks of eggs, ate them, then retreated. 'Hey!' Yami looked around, but no one seemed to see Azure. Nova lowered a spoon of red jam under the table as she stared blankly at her plate. Loomy quickly grasped the spoon with one tail, and started licking the jam.
"Not trying to sound sappy or anything, but, maybe you just have that dream because you miss mom and Eos..."
"Of course I do," said Yami. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't..."
Nova frowned. "I get what you mean, but... Me and Zeus also miss them... But we don't have that dream... Maybe those girls in my class are wrong..."
Yami lowered his fork. "Every time I have it... Mom's face is always... It makes me scared..."
Nova's eyebrow raised. "That's... Strange..."
"Yeah..." Yami uttered quietly. "The sooner we join noble houses, we might be able to find her..."
"I know but... That might be years from now... I am way ahead of my class, but I can't graduate until I finish each subject's tests... I tried to ask if I could just do it without waiting, but they won't..." Nova explained.
"It's the only way I can really think of... If we become nobles, everyone will know our names... Eos and mom are bound to hear about us eventually... If that doesn't work, I won't stop at just the noble houses..."
"Hm?"
"I'll work until I'm a noble, or even the king himself," Yami declared. "I'll turn the whole city upside down to find them."
"The king?" Nova's eyes widened, she looked down for a moment. "I think that's a bit overboard, but I can see you doing it."
"You mean it?"
"Yeah, mom said it herself, we can become anything we set our minds to," Nova smiled.
"Thanks Nova," Yami took another bite of food. "What about you? You got a plan for your future?
"Hmm..." Nova looked down, her face turned a little red. "I..."
"Hm?" Yami listened as he chewed.
Zeus pulled his chair back and took a seat, setting his food on the table. His plate was once again filled to the brim with protein. Nova shifted in her seat as she continued to withhold her answer. Yami tilted his head at her odd giddiness. Nova smiled with pursed lips, and rocked back and forth in her seat.
"This sucks, they're out of bacon," Zeus sat down at the table with another full plate of bacon and eggs.
"I wonder why..." Yami rolled his eyes.
"What is she staring into space for?" Zeus nodded toward Nova.
"Oh, I was asking her if she had any goals?"
"Goal? Why is she thinking so hard then?" Zeus asked.
"What?"
"It's not as grand as Yami's, but... I really like learning about magic... And, I heard the noble of House Lightbringer is an extremely skilled mage..." Nova explained.
"So you want to be a noble too?" said Yami.
"Obviously..." Zeus put another slab of pork in his mouth.
"Not... Exactly..." Nova squinted as she tried to explain. "All the other girls in class are obsessed over him... Arid Lightbringer."
Zeus looked up, he immediately stopped chewing.
"And here I thought it was going to be something cool... You just like the guy..." Zeus sighed.
"Like?! No, I want to learn magic from him, you dunce!" Nova snapped. "Magic isn't all about being strong! It changes a lot depending on who the mage is, so it's really interesting to see other magic types. And I heard... I heard he can do some of the highest forms of magic!"
"Then say you want to surpass him then..." Zeus shook his head. "And you're an idiot... Not me."
"Ugh..." Nova shook her head. "You're hopeless..."
"Heh..." Yami cracked a smile. "Hahaha!"
Nova and Zeus looked to their older brother as he chuckled happily with a mouth full of food. Yami covered his mouth, he tried to chew his food as he giggled. Zeus squinted as he bit another piece of bacon. Nova frowned with flushed cheeks.
"Don't laugh, I'm serious!" Nova groaned.
"No, no... It's not that..." Yami waved his hand as he swallowed another bite of food. "You two are just hilarious together..."
"Huh?!" Nova slammed her hands on the table.
"Hm?!" Zeus turned with a mouthful of food.
Zeus gagged for a moment, then raised one finger on his right hand. He hit his chest with his left hand.
"What's hilarious..." Zeus swallowed the rest. "Are both of you forgetting the first goal we made..."
"Huh?" Yami turned with a confused face.
"After the king said we'd be the strongest in Helios..." Zeus shook his head, surprised that they had forgotten. "We decided... We won't just stop at being the strongest angels! We'll be the strongest in the entire world!"
Nova and Yami looked up as Zeus stood with a wide grin.
"Zeus..." Nova shook her head as she took the last bite of food and stood. "Were you even listening to what we said? Ugh... You are the last person that should call others idiots... I gotta go, class is starting soon."
"What?!" Zeus scoffed. "Why should I wait to say it last?!"
"We have to get going Zeus, finish up," Yami stood up as he took his last bite. "Training starts soon..."
* * *
"Hah!" the angel jumped and slammed his wooden staff down.
Yami raised his own staff, clashing with the other student he was sparring against. The sound joined the other wooden clatters across the room. Yami stepped forward, pushing the other student back slowly as he held his ground. He picked up speed, and started sprinting forward. His opponent stumbled backward, but quickly lost his footing as Yami shoved him off.
"Huh- Woah!" his opponent panicked as he lost his balance.
Yami quickly stepped forward and grabbed his collar to stop his fall. "You alright, Arlin?"
"Ah!" Arlin gulped as he looked at Yami.
Arlin was two years older than Yami, a foot taller and a bit bulkier. He had a light skin tone, brown hair, and green eyes and a very round nose. His hair was cut short on the sides but the top was left a bit longer, emphasizing the length of his face. Yami knew he was from upper Helios from prior conversations, but the pride he carried with that barely showed itself anymore after so many losses. As his opponent hung above the ground, he grit his teeth, catching Yami off guard.
Arlin suddenly raised his staff and pressed it under Yami's arm, then quickly shifted his grip and pushed it so that it pressed from above. The staff and Arlin's arm caught Yami's arm like a blunt pair of scissors. 'Huh-' Arlin put one foot back to balance himself, then turned the staff quickly to strike him in the head. Yami saw the edge coming, reflexively pulling his head back, and just barely dodging as his arm was freed from the lock. But as he dodged, Arlin quickly stepped toward him to stay in range, then turned the staff like before and caught Yami's arm again. 'What!' This time, Arlin turned and pulled Yami over his shoulder. Yami was stunned as his feet left the floor and he was flipped over. 'Woah!' He quickly grasped Arlin's shirt to hold on, but let go as he lost his grip and his back hit the floor.
"Ack!" Yami gasped, his whole body rattled from the impact.
"Holy shit!", "Arlin took down Yami!", "That was loud!" The other trainees stopped and watched in awe as two of the best in the class sparred.
"If you lose, I'm gonna kick your ass!" Zeus shouted angrily.
'Grh!' Yami quickly grasped his staff with both hands. Arlin raised his weapon, aimed it downward, then thrusted. Yami deflected it, then pushed the staff against the front of Arlin's knees, forcing Arlin to pull his staff back. Yami took the opportunity to press the tip of his staff against the ground as he planted his feet. 'Ah!' Yami put his strength into his left arm, using the staff to push himself. Arlin slammed his staff down. Yami kicked off the ground and spun, just barely dodging Arlin's strike. Desperate to win, Arlin turned and continued his pursuit, stabbing forward with his staff. Yami grasped his own wooden staff with both hands, then quickly twisted it upward, striking Arlin's staff upward and catching him off guard.
"Shit!" Arlin cursed behind grit teeth.
With the momentum, Yami spun his staff around quickly with both hands. The crowd of young men around them cheered at the intense back and forth. Zeus grinned as Yami stepped toward Arlin and entered his range. Arlin raised his staff to block. Yami pivoted a step back as he twirled the staff, then held it firm as he took a stance. 'Rah!' Yami lunged forward, jabbing the wooden staff into Arlin's guard at the same time. The crowd gasped as the wood snapped, chips and bits of the training staff hit the ground. Arlin moved his head to the left, just barely dodging the heavy thrust. Yami pulled the training staff back, then stepped forward and pointed the end at Arlin's face.
"Ah-" Arlin gasped, his eyes widened as he felt the tip of the wooden staff lightly poke his chin.
Yami huffed with grit teeth. He swallowed his spit, his throat felt parched. Yami pulled the staff back, blinking as sweat dripped down his head. The crowd was fixated on the broken staff on the ground, one of them lifted a half up and presented it to the others with an expression of shock. The silent room suddenly erupted into a storm of cheers. Arlin shook his head as he blinked repeatedly, still taking in his defeat.
"What was that!", "He smashed through the staff?! What is he!" the crowd of trainees roared.
"Fuck…" Arlin sighed. "I hate sparring with you…"
"Uh… Sorry-"
"No, no, don't apologize… I appreciate the opportunity… You're strong man… Seriously, how are you this strong… What do you eat?"
"A lot of eggs?" Yami answered with a raised brow.
"Haha…" Arlin huffed. "It's not even just you…Your brother is strong too… Seriously, whose genes do you guys have…"
"Jeans?" Yami tilted his head.
"I think I prefer sparring with you over him though… That guy doesn't even use his staff properly…"
"Yeah… Zeus is really competitive, and likes to do his own thing…"
"He's a mad man!" Arlin scoffed. "How in the name of Grelt do you live with that guy…"
"He's not that bad at home… Usually complains about being bored and just wants to go out all the time though"
"I don't believe you… At all…" Arlin laughed as he stood up. "At this rate you two are bound to be recruited by noble houses…"
"Hey, that thing you did there… Where you locked my arm and threw me… That was cool…" Yami nodded as he offered his hand. "I wasn't expecting that… Can you teach me that?"
"Ah that? Yeah it was a grapple… I suppose you didn't learn it since you joined the class so late, i'll show it to you in a second… I had to find some way around how much power you pack… Seriously though… I'm bigger than you and your brother, but you two push me back like i'm nothing…"
The two of them firmly shook hands. Yami looked around the wide open gymnasium within House Rael. In small groups, recruits in training and knights, both male and female sparred with wooden staffs, some of them trying the last move Yami used. Zeus sparred with another student, aggressively closing the distance and swinging his polearm like a huge sword rather than how he was taught. 'He's been told not to do that like ten times now… I think they gave up on him…'
"You know, I heard Mr. Bahar talking with lieutenant Bruno… They haven't seen anyone with as much potential as you two since Sir Arthur, he was the ace of the class more than ten years back… But I doubt he had your strength…"
"The noble of House Pendragon? Wait… He was only in training that long ago… But he's a noble now?" Yami tilted his head. "I thought it takes way longer to become a noble… And don't you have to be a lieutenant first?"
"Yeah… After his father passed away, he kinda inherited it… I can't even imagine… All that responsibility on his shoulders at that age… He seems like he's handling it just fine though… He inspires me a lot. I heard he used to do a move like that one you used, but like, multiple times at once… The guy had insane control over his polearm…"
"Yami! Zeus! Stop what you're doing and come here," the instructor suddenly yelled.
"Oh, you're in trouble! Breaking a training staff gets you expelled!" Arlin snickered.
"Huh?!" Yami quickly turned his head with a worried look.
"Nah, I'm joking man…" Arlin chuckled.
'Oh...' Yami let out a sigh of relief. 'I thought I messed up...' He looked across the gymnasium, towards a catwalk on the second floor where the instructor, Mr. Bahar sat. The man had brown hair slightly turning grey, and slightly tanned skin. He was dressed in a white shirt with green decals along the shoulders and edges. He watched Yami closely. 'I feel like I'm in trouble from how he's staring at me...' Yami started toward the staircase in the corner of the room. Zeus quickly ran over to his right.
"Are we in trouble?" Zeus whispered.
"I don't think so..." Yami shook his head.
Yami walked up the stairs one step at a time, Zeus stepped over two at a time. The right side of the catwalk looked over the gymnasium full of people sparring, on the left was a window. Beyond the glass in the next room was a pool being used by troopers. Yami turned to the instructor and looked down at his desk. There were two envelopes, both had the seal of a golden sword with an eye on its guard.
"Yami, Zeus, how are you doing?" Mr. Bahar asked.
Zeus glanced at Yami with a squint.
"Good... Is there a problem sir?" Yami asked.
"What did I do this time?" Zeus asked.
"No Zeus, you aren't in trouble... Neither are you Yami," said Mr. Bahar. "Quite the opposite in fact..."
Yami and Zeus both exchanged confused glances.
"This... May.. Be a little informal... But..." the instructor stood up from his desk with the two envelopes. "Congratulations, both of you, your skill and expertise has been recognized by the noble Houses of Rael and Rover."
Yami felt his heart skip a beat. He took the envelope while looking the instructor in the eye. On the back, Yami's name was written. Zeus's envelope had his name as well. 'What? But...' Yami looked through a window to his left, where troopers were diving into a pool with bulky white suits. 'We haven't even started learning how to use those yet...'
"Seriously... Seriously?!" Zeus suddenly froze as he looked forward intensely.
"Yes, Yami, you will be joining House Rael. Zeus, you will be joining House Rover. I know this isn't a formal grad-"
"Fuck yeah! Yes! Aaahhahaha!" Zeus cheered.
The people training on the floor below all looked up at the sudden noise. Yami was taken aback by Zeus's excitement, he smiled as he looked down at Arlin. Arlin simply tilted his head, then laughed to himself as he shrugged and shook his head. Yami looked down at the envelope, it was made of a thick paper unlike any other he'd touched. 'This feels like a really big deal... But... What about the others? They've learned way more than me and Zeus... Is this really fair?'
"You are to report to your respective nobles before the end of today, they are expecting you. Also, now that you will be honorary members of the noble houses, you will be living with the rest of your squad."
"Huh..." Yami uttered.
"I know it's sudden, and you... Haven't received all of the required training, but this is an unprecedented opportunity for the both of you. Yami, I saw your last fight... You have incredible potential, and you command respect from others with kindness. Zeus... Uh, I wish you'd listen to my instructions more..." Mr. Bahar laughed as he put his hand on Zeus's shoulder. "But, in my experience, I've learned that some people learn things best in their own way... I'm honored to have taught a noble, and now three noble lieutenants."
"Tha- Thank you for everything, Mr. Bahar," Yami bowed his head. "I learned a lot over the last year..."
"Yeah... Thank you- For everything..." Zeus nodded awkwardly.
"Zeus, House Rover is located in the south west district of Inner Helios. You will report to Angela Rover from now on. Yami, you're lucky, we're currently at House Rael. The office is built on top of this barracks, please report to Alexander Rael at once."
Zeus had a wide smile on his face as he started toward the door. Yami followed, but had to walk faster as Zeus quickly hurried out of the gym. Yami held the door, glancing back at Arlin as he left the room. All of the members of their class watched in silence and disbelief as the two made their exit.
"Dude! We did it!" Zeus whispered with a look of excitement.
"Yeah..." Yami answered.
"I wanna meet the noble! I'm heading straight over there right now!" Zeus repeatedly jumped where he stood, but slowed down as he observed Yami's expression. "What's up, why aren't you happy?"
"It's... I am happy... I'm just confused..."
"Dude, we were wasting time there anyway... We're way stronger than the rest of those guys!"
"That's not even the whole point of the training though..." Yami shook his head. "Like, we spar so that we can get to know each other better... And... We didn't even use drop suits yet..."
"I guess we didn't need to, I mean, I am a genius after all so, i'm not surprised," Zeus smirked as he put his hands behind his head.
"But... I didn't know joining the houses meant we can't live together anymore..."
Zeus's smile faded.
"We were all together just a year ago... And then all of a sudden... Eos and Mom just vanished... Now me, you, and Nova are getting separated..." Yami explained.
"Well... We would end up on our own eventually..." Zeus shrugged.
Yami looked up with a puzzled expression.
"And besides, they are still out there... We just got to find them," said Zeus. "And... Even if we're separated, at least you, me, and Nova know where each other are, right?"
"Y- Yeah..." Yami shook himself out of his concern. "You're right..."
"Get a grip man, which one of us is the oldest here?" Zeus laughed as he punched Yami's shoulder.
"What, are you not a genius anymore?"
"That's not what I said idiot!" Zeus smiled.
"Thanks though, seriously... I'm gonna go find Alexander Rael... At least I don't have to walk across the city. You know the way there right?" Yami asked.
"Yeah, yeah... How hard could it be to find..." Zeus shrugged. "I kind of wish I got House Rael though... Alexander seems like the strongest of the nobles..."
"I was hoping for House Lightbringer..."
"Well, whatever... I'm gonna get going!" Zeus turned and started toward the entrance of House Rael. "Oh, yeah... We gotta tell Nova tonight! She's got the hotel to herself now!"
"Haha..." Yami waved as he saw Zeus off. "If we just got into houses, she'll definitely join one soon."
Yami turned and walked toward the hallway at the left corner of the lobby. The ceiling hung lower in the hall, but he turned toward the staircase. Yami took a step forward quickly, then jumped up two stairs at a time and made his way up. 'Alexander Rael is upstairs... I heard he's been a noble for the longest time out of the current four...' Yami huffed as he passed the third set of stairs. 'We're one step closer to finding Eos and mom...' He stopped at the sixth floor, then leaned over the railing and looked up. "This building feels a lot bigger on the inside..." Yami made it to the top floor after a few minutes. He took a deep breath as he grasped the door knob, but his eyebrows furrowed as he heard someone yelling.
"Like I said, I can't do that..." a man spoke with a dismissive tone at the end of the hall.
"I don't care if you can't, we are running low on logorite because that stupid fuck thinks he can run Logos like a saint!" another man who was much bigger cursed.
"There's barely enough of a difference in the quotas... You're overblowing the number..."
"And you seem to be incapable of basic mathematics! Besides! There are more pressing issues than the Logorite! What of the slave who attacked me! Is he still mining away in Logos? Well Lawrence!"
"You murdered the slave responsible for that, get over it already and stop asking! You think you can just go kill another on a whim? What? You think they grow on the fucking trees or something? They are our assets Sir Alexander, each of them," Lawrence raised his tone.
The shorter one was around the same height as Yami, he was a blonde man with his hair tied back into a ponytail. He had a wide frame underneath the black and white cloak that hung off his shoulders. 'A... A member of House Lightbringer!' His stance oozed confidence, he didn't even seem to hesitate in front of the massive angel in front of him.
'That's Alexander Rael?! It's my first time seeing him... Holy shit he really is huge... I've never seen anyone that tall!' Yami felt a little intimidated. Alexander was at least eight feet tall, the tallest person Yami had ever seen. His muscles were barely contained in the white dress shirt decorated with green decals. He had short green hair, and large eyes of a similar hue. Yami walked toward the two, but they didn't notice him approaching.
"Why are you refusing to listen!" Alexander grunted impatiently. "I know what I saw in my dream! It was not some coincidence! It was a vision from the Celestial!"
"Here we go again..." Lawrence sighed.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you, brat!" Alexander snapped his fingers. "What of the object recovered in the forest? Why did two sets of tracks lead back to Logos! Why did that girl have armed explosives in her house! And I know it was Jack who was responsible for my wound! I know that for a fact!"
"Ok, and?"
"You better watch your tone boy! I detest your siblings, but I only have a modicum of respect for you since you know how to actually hold your own!"
"Thanks? I guess... But I'm not saying this to piss you off, I'm saying this because you're pissing me off with how many times I've had to hear you explain the same thing!"
Yami slowly approached the two, nervously creeping forward. 'I think... I showed up at a bad time... But... I was told to come see Alexander...' He took a deep breath, then walked forward with his shoulders pushed back and his chin up high. However, he was still nervous.
"Then bring the damn king here yourself! And no, I didn't say Arid! I want to speak to the king directly!" said Alexander.
"Just go there yourself..." Lawrence groaned as he rubbed his forehead and grimaced.
"Then I have to talk to Arid! That fucking deadpan freak-"
Alexander stopped as he noticed Yami stiffly walk forward, his lips pursed as he listened to the noble curse. 'And I thought Zeus swore a lot...' He raised an eyebrow at Yami's head band, then eyed him up and down. Lawrence turned and squinted at him. 'I really should have waited...' The lieutenant from House Lightbringer cleared his throat.
"Alexander, I'm sure you've heard about the fourth lieutenant... This is-"
"No! No, no, no, no, no, no!" Alexander growled. "You are not using him as a crutch to get out of this!"
"Oh my fucking god..." Lawrence shook his head as he looked up. "Set a damn example man..."
"I will after this!" Alexander turned to Yami. "You! State your name!"
Yami blinked several times as he hesitated. "Uh... Yami... Sir..."
"Have you ever used a drop suit! A shock suit? Any?!"
"Uh-"
"No, because this punk!" Alexander gestured toward Lawrence. "And the rest of his house think it's a good idea to recruit absolute novices like yourself! Don't be like them! Now! Report to Lieutenant Vivian on this floor, and have her take you to the machine shop so you can start working on assisting those useless recruits downstairs! We'll speak later!"
"Okay!" Yami nodded, then turned and walked off as fast as he could.
"Listen! The Hirian's are upset too, especially Carala and the traders! They'll probably bring it up at the upcoming council meeting, so just wait-"
"You'll hear it from me if they don't!" Alexander cut him off.
"Let me finish! Lucifer doesn't want to keep Logos with Arthur anyway! So stop yelling my ear off, when they get here, I'm sure it'll sort out for you! But if you go around and start murdering slaves again! You won't keep it for long!" Lawrence stressed.
"Is that a threat!"
"It's a promise!"
As Yami turned the corner he stopped and put his back against the wall. 'Holy shit! That guy... Is angry!' He shook his hair as he peaked back through the hall. 'But... I think they finished talking... Maybe I could go talk to him now...' Lawrence walked down the hall. Yami waited for him to pass by, but felt a hand fall on his shoulder.
"Woah!" Yami jumped.
Yami turned to see a woman around his height standing next to him. She had straight black hair neatly tied back into a bun. She had thin cheeks, black eyes with long lashes, and small ears pierced with studded silver. There was a light gloss on her lips, but her nose was a little long. She had a small slim frame, but it looked wider in the white dress shirt with green stripes around the edges. 'One of Alexander's lieutenants?' Her trimmed eyebrow rose as she saw Yami's nervous reaction.
"I wouldn't talk to Alexander right now..." the lieutenant advised. "He'll most likely scold you..."
"Uh... Hey..." Yami cleared his throat. "I'm... The new lieutenant for House Rael... And yeah, he... Already yelled at me... Uh, he told me to find lieutenant Vivian? She's supposed to show me where the machine shop is..."
"Well, you're in luck," she tilted his head and put a hand on her hip. "I'm Vivian. Vivian Kyonorav."
"Oh... I'm Yami..."
"Last name?"
"Pardon?" Yami blinked in confusion.
Vivian tilted her head. "Your last name, what is it?"
"I'm... Not sure how to answer that..."
Vivian squinted harder. "What is your father's name?"
"I... I don't have a father?" Yami scratched his head.
"Is this... A joke?"
"No, it's not. He really has no last name..." Lawrence came around the corner and sighed. "And I don't know why either..."
Yami turned to the lieutenant of House Lightbringer. Vivian looked dignified, but it was nothing compared to the regal discipline Lawrence exuded. It was like he was a completely different person compared to how he spoke to Alexander earlier.
"You have to have a father kid... That's just how life works..." Lawrence sighed, he still looked incredibly annoyed from his previous conversation.
"Well, do you at least have a mother? You have to have been born of a mother..." Vivian asked. "Where in the city is your mother from?"
"Yeah I do, have a mom... But I don't know where she is... She went missing..." Yami glanced toward the ground.
"Huh..."
"What was her name?" Lawrence asked. "If you really don't have a father, shouldn't you use your mothers last name?"
"I... Uh... I mean her name was Theresia... But... I don't... Actually, I know what her last name was either..." Yami answered.
"You seem hopelessly forgetful..." Lawrence sighed.
"Yeah... Didn't know we're recruiting people with low intelligence nowadays..." Vivian shook her head. "Anyways, we can figure that out later... It'd be good if I took you to the machine shop before Alexander see's us... I don't want him getting angry again..."
Vivian turned toward the stairwell and started walking. Yami followed her, keeping an eye on Lawrence, specifically staring at the symbol on his chest. 'The symbol of House Lightbringer...' Lawrence had a raised eyebrow as he looked back at Yami, but then his mouth hung open as he squinted.
"There... There was another recruit that should have been sent to House Rover today... He didn't have a last name... Just the name Zeus..." Lawrence pondered.
"Ah, Zeus... He's my brother!" Yami grinned.
Lawrence looked up at Yami and squinted harder, despite looking and sounding aloof earlier, he suddenly appeared very concerned. 'Why is he looking at me like that?' Vivian tilted her head, still unsure if Yami was joking.
"Come again?" Lawrence shook his head. "Wait... You and the other recruit... Are siblings?"
"Yeah! We were both really shocked today when we got the news, haha!"
"Do... Do you have any other siblings?" Lawrence asked.
"Yeah, two others... Our youngest brother is named Eos, and my younger sister is named Nova. But Eos went missing at the same time mom did... The three of us are trying hard to find them..."
"E-Eos?" Lawrence hesitated, he paused for several seconds. "When did... When did they go missing?"
"Uh... Like a year ago..." Yami's eyebrows furrowed as he noticed sweat around Lawrence's head. "Are you alright?"
"A year?" Lawrence muttered the words as he looked down in thought. "That..."
"Is something wrong Sir Lawrence?" Vivian asked.
Lawrence suddenly looked up with a bewildered expression. "I... I- I think I can try to help you find them... I'll enlist the guard to search the city. They couldn't have left Helios I assume..."
"You'd do that?!" Yami exclaimed, then bowed his head. "Thank you, seriously! Thank you!"
"Yeah, I'll... Get right on that... Uh, Vivian, sorry for disturbing your task... I'll, I'll get going..." Lawrence nodded.
The lieutenant of House Lightbringer quickly walked through the doors, then hurried down the stairs. 'Wow... He must really want to help... That's what I expected from the people who joined House Lightbringer!' Vivian tilted her head as she watched him leave.
"Man... What a nice guy..." Yami smiled. "House Lightbringer must be full of the best angels..."
"Pft-" Vivian snickered for a moment, but cleared her throat and returned to her prior demeanor. "That... Lawrence is probably the best in his squad, but trust me... Everyone hates the other Lightbringers..."
"What?! Really? Are they bad people?"
"Bad is an understatement... It is weird though, he almost never apologizes to anyone for anything... This is the first time I've seen Lawrence Lightbringer like that... He looked really concerned for once..."