Repaying An Old Debt.

Chase stepped into a small classroom with rows of seating that climbed up the room. Unlike his first class, this one wasn't full at all. Only seven or eight students sat quietly, awaiting the teacher

On the board was a picture of the room, with a seating chart. Each desk held only two or more people at it. 

He shared a desk with... Equan of The House of Lightning. 

'Really?'

He rolled his eyes, as he walked up the stairs, drawing the attention strange looks from some of the other students. 

His gaze landed on the relative of his long lost best friend. 

Something about him seemed different from the other students, he was almost non-existent. As if he was actively trying not to be noticed, he sat with his shoulders slumped, resting his arms on his side of the spacious table. 

Chase sat down, slightly moving his wooden chair to the far left of the table, and pulled out one of the books that Vivian had recommended to him a couple of weeks ago. 

As they waited quietly, the class soon made the assumption that the teacher was simply not going to show up. 

Chase didn't mind the free period, considering he got to read into swordsmanship, as well as combat styles. 

Turning the pages slowly, he began to lose focus.

'I can't just frantically swing a sword like a savage beast without a brain anymore.'

He thought, with a hint of frustration teetering in the depths of his mind. 

Suddenly, a loud slam echoed through the quiet room, as a boy around Chase's age slammed his hand on the right side of their desk. 

Chase spared him a glance before returning to his book, shifting slightly as he leaned on his arm.

The dark-skinned boy beside him tensed at the loud outburst of the red-haired noble.

"Tell me, how did you get too attend for free, when all of us either had to pay or score high on that damned entrance test!"

The tall student in front of Equan had yelled in a loud, and rather annoying tone. 

Chase glanced at the boy beside him, curiosity piqued by the noble's outburst.

Equan had bright blue eyes, just like Kade did. It was almost crippling just for him to look at the boy. 

Unwanted memories threatened to flood Chase's thoughts, as he flipped the page- letting out a soft yawn. 

"I mean, how did Leander even let you in? Arnt you only twelve? A damn child gets a free pass before I do!"

The kid continued to yell, gathering a bunch of awkward looks from the other students, in the class. 

'Poor kid.'

Chase thought, as he started to feel bad for the boy who was getting shamed for practically no real reason. 

"Sorry."

Equan mumbled, as he looked down at the desk. 

"Come on, let's go Jack, people are looking."

A shorter girl said, placing a hand on the brat's shoulder

He shrugged her hand off, and leaned in- only inches away from Equan's face. 

"What would happen if the Prodigy of Lightning, were to not show up to his next class? Would anyone notice?" 

A threatening tone escaped with the words, causing Chase to instinctually reach into his core- gently tugging on The Hero's Fang, excited by the fact that he might finally get to use it on someone. 

However, he did not draw the blade just yet, he was in no real danger of course, and did not have to bother in noble affairs, but was he really just going to let the family member of someone was very dear to him be treated like this?

Chase looked at the two of them out of the corner of his eyes, along with the entire class who had gone silent. 

At that moment, an interesting theory intruded on his thoughts. 

Headmaster Leander had said that only six students had been given free permission to attend the academy.

Chase was one of them, and he had assumed The Ivory Princess was another.

'I wonder...'

He studied the young boy, who was now staring blankly into the taller boy's dim red eyes. 

A strange aura emitted from the young boy, who Chase was now fully intrigued by. The hairs on his arms were now threatening to break free from the sleeves that covered them. 

Everyone else in the room must have felt it too, because plenty of strange looks and reactions were seen from the few students in the room. 

Chase lifted his head, and sighed.

Suddenly, a small flame sparked to life on the tall boy's shoulder. 

"You got something on the back of your uniform..."

Chase said arrogantly, with a hint of amusement in his tone. 

Strands of hair began to fall back into place on his head, as Equan slumped his shoulders- returning to his somber mood. 

'He's Strong...'

Chase thought- studying the boy beside him, as Jack began to frantically smack at his shoulder. 

"YOU DAMN STRAY!"

He yelled with anger, as him and the shorter girl tried to put the flame out. 

"You done yet?"

Chase asked out of sheer curiosity, as he stood up from his seat, looking at Jack with his chin lifted up- sizing up the annoying ginger. 

This was the better outcome, considering that Equan's power was about ten fold what his was. 

Who knows, the lightning based primis he had been charging up could have probably killed the bratty noble. 

So, Chase didn't mind getting involved if it meant preventing a major situation within the teacher-less classroom. 

 Plus, he got to embarrass a noble. 

Once Jack had gotten the harmless fire to burn out, Chase grinned. 

"You looked like an idiot, afraid of a harmless flame."

It was true, he didn't even bother to use his real energy to create the flame that had sparked on the noble. It was just a simple trick he learned from a book over his time, before the first term had started. 

An illusion based on one's affinity if you will. 

The two stood on opposite sides of the table, both wondering how much trouble they would get into if they were to fight right here, and right now. 

Suddenly, a loud bell rang throughout the school- signaling that the class had ended. 

"You're lucky."

The noble said, with a twisted snarl on his ugly face, as his clenched fists released at his sides. 

With that, he turned and left the classroom alongside the short girl who had been quite panicked by the conflict within the alchemy class. 

Chase sighed, as he picked up his things and set them gently in his bag.

"Thanks..."

His attention turned to Equan- still looking down at the surface of the desk, with a somber expression.

Chase shrugged. 

"Don't thank me, he was interrupting my studies." 

He said, throwing his bag over his shoulder, and turning toward the exit. 

The corner of his lips shifted upward, as he walked out of the classroom.

'Equan of The House of Lightning- What would have happened if I didn't get involved...'