FF Chapter 16

The duel concluded, for now, Ms. Jensing summons the other teachers. An important letter has just arrived.

Chapter 16

      Alex, Jack, and Malent sat in stiff chairs outside the principles’ office, waiting.  Jack played with his cards, shuffling them absentmindedly. Malent just brooded, while Alex rocked in his chair. The trio of troublemakers were joined by Eira and Frey, who came along to support their friend. Ms. Jensing, meanwhile, had sent a message to summon the other staff members.

      She returned quickly “Come in, your teachers are on their way.”

      They all took seats in the spacious office. Bookshelves lined the walls, and Ms. Jensing sat at an antique wooden desk with two large windows behind her. She pulled up her chair and opened a few folders, files on the student made from the reports the teachers submitted. “Alexander Abaven, Jackson Pique, Malent Aba’don…Eira Yarlden, and Frey Valery; I’m glad the two of you are here as well, I have something to discuss with you later. First off, however, is the rather destructive display that was going on in the arena.” She locked eyes with Malent, who glared back rebelliously. “I permit those with beast marks to attend this school so they can learn to control their power, but you could’ve collapsed the whole arena if I didn’t stop you, not to mention your wilful disregarded for the spectators. You’re lucky no one was injured by the rubble you were tossing around. And you” she turned to Jack “Why did you not stop it? How could you allow such a fight in the first place?”

      Jack shrugged guiltily. “Nothing personal, ma’am, but exactly how was I supposed to stop a fight between two people with beast marks?” he showed his bare arms “Bleed on them?”

      She thought about it for a moment, and accepted his excuse. “Yes, I suppose you were caught in an unfortunate situation, but that doesn’t excuse allowing it to go on for so long.” She turned to Malent “And you, challenging a first year, on their first day? Shameful!”

      Jack smirked and mumbled. “She would’ve lost anyway.”

      Malent glared, but wasn’t stupid enough to try anything right in front of the headmistress.

      “And you, Frey” Ms. Jensing turned to the handmaiden and sighed. “What are you doing here?”

      Frey fidgeted. “What do you mean?”

      “Don’t lie to me. You never enrolled. What was the plan here, Eira?” She looked over at the mastermind.

      The princess smiled “I figured no one would stop us at the gate, the local princess being escorted by a beast marked child and Future himself. Then, once everyone thinks Frey is a student, no one will question it if she comes back tomorrow.”

      A smile of pride touched the headmistresses’ lips, but it was quickly hidden. “And it would’ve worked too, except for one meddling adult. Frey, please do not return tomorrow.”

      “But mom!” Eira cried

      “No buts!” She declared.

      Malent held up her hands “Wait! Wait, wait, wait…MOM?”

      Both turned to her, and the headmistress explained “Yes, I’m married to Gaius Yarlden. I use my maiden name, Jensing, to reassure other nations I will not be biased,” she locked eyes with Eira, “and I won’t be!”

      Before Eira or Frey could say anything, Alex blurted out “She can have my spot.”  Everyone went quiet and stared at him. “She can have my spot.” He repeated, shrinking slightly under the attention.

      “Are…are you sure?” Frey asked, apprehensive.

      “Yeah, I mean, if I stay there’s one less spot for someone else, right? I already have great teachers at home. I just wanted to get out of the library, and this seemed like the only way.” He smiled.

      “Wait, you mean you didn’t even want to attend Yanus Academy?” Ms. Jensing asked.

      Alex smiled and shook his head. “Nope. I already have a beast mark, and none of the classes interest me. Most are just worst versions of stuff I do at home.”

      Eira stared at him. “You entered the most prestigious academy in the world just to get out of your chores?”

      “Well, I also wanted to meet people who don’t just ask me where certain books are… but getting away from my chores and all the library rules was a big part of it. I mean, as weird as it is, not having to hide my beast marks is nice.” He beamed.

       Everyone was stunned, with a look of ‘I don’t know if that’s stupid or brilliant’ on their faces. A knock on the door jolted everyone out of their daze. The other teachers had arrived.

      “Wait right here.” Ms. Jensing ordered the students. “We’ll be in the other room,” she turned to Alex, “and I will bring up your offer.” She took an envelope out of her desk, and entered a side room, closing the door behind her.

      They sat in their chairs patiently for all of two seconds, before Malent leapt to the door and put her ear to the wood.

      “What are you doing?’ Alex asked.

      Malent angrily shushed him. “Listening.” She whispered. “I wanna hear what they’re talking about.” Slowly, everyone else joined her along the wall, straining their senses to overhear the staff meeting.

 

      “I brought you all here to discuss Alexander Abaven.” It was Ms. Jensing speaking. “I assume you’ve all had a chance to meet him?” the response was a few mumblings of agreement and confirmation, until Mr. Forester laughed.

      “Yeah we’ve met him; strange boy. I can’t decide if he’s a wolf that was raised by sheep or a lamb that was raised by wolves. Either way he’s the nicest little monster I’ve ever met.”

      On the other side of the door, Alex was outraged “Monster? He called me a monster!” he whispered, only to be quickly shushed by his fellow eavesdroppers.

      Ms. Jensing chuckled, before responding “There’s a very good reason for that.” She held up an envelope. “Inside this is a letter from Future himself. I only just read it now, or else I would’ve informed you all sooner.”

      Ms. Gail chuckled “I remember the last time we received such a letter, right before you were selected to replace Mr. Arma as headmaster.”

      “Oh yes, when Lord Future ‘requested’ he select me as his successor.” She smiled at the memory, but Mr. Forester spoke up.

      “I believe the letter was something like ‘Fate demands you choose Emilia Yarlden as your successor, or there shall be grave consequences!’ It almost gave old Headmaster Arma a heart attack.”

      Mr. Atlas, the history teacher, mumbled. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hand used that excuse for everything. ‘You must give me that sandwich or the world will be in great peril’!”

      The staff had a chuckle, before the headmistress got them back on track. “This new letter is actually quite similar to that one, but also quite long, so I’ll do my best to summarize.” She took out three small sheets of paper with hastily written notes on them.

      The first, she explained, was filled with small introductions, pleasantries, and apologies for not keeping in touch. “After that is a bit about Alex.” She told the gathered faculty. “He was raised as a warden’s son, and acquired a beast mark at age eight, saving his father from a dralg attack.” A few gasps could be heard, on both sides of the door, as people reacted to how young Alex was when he got his power. Malent had only gotten her marks a year earlier. The letter continued “My master, Fate, ordered that I take him to the library, where he has been trained by myself, Winchester, Lorane of the Western Desert, and Erald of Murshur, for the past four years.” There were another few gasps at learning the identity of his tutors. “We were not told what Fate had in store, or what we should teach, but, since Fate himself requested Lo and Erald, they taught him to fight. Yesterday I was told exactly what Fate had planned for Alex…” Ms. Jensing looked around the room. She had a captive audience. She read the final line out loud before passing the paper around. Everyone had to see it to believe it. Future himself had underlined it.

 “FATE DEMANDS ALEXANDER ABAVEN BECOME KING OF THE CAPITAL”

 

      There was complete silence, as though the world itself was in shock.

      Mr. Forester, as usual, was the first to speak “I take back what I said. That boy’s a wolf, who was trained by wolves, to act like a lamb.”

      Ms. Jensing looked over the final paper. “The rest are apologies, and polite yet firm ‘requests’ that we keep Alex in Yanus Academy no matter what, as Fate wants him to stay on the island.”

      After a small discussion, the teachers all agreed that Alex should be kept around, and angering him, or Future, would be a very bad decision. The meeting was adjourned, and the eavesdropping children scurried back to their chairs.   

      “You’re in my spot!” Jack hissed at Malent.

      “Does it really matter? Sit down!” Malent snapped back.

      Ms. Jensing walked through the door, and all the kids put on their best ‘innocent’ faces, which only made her more suspicious.

      “Alex, Frey, the teachers have agreed to allow you both to stay on the island. Frey will be a student, and Alex will work as an aid.” Everyone listened intently as she continued “Like Jack, Alex will help around the school, although he won’t be attending any classes. In exchange he’ll get a small allowance and be allowed to stay on the island. Frey, you will be allowed to attend classes, and given the chance to graduate along with the rest. How does that sound?”

      Frey and Eira almost leapt from their chairs. “It sounds perfect!” Alex smiled happily too. It seemed like everyone got what they wanted.

      Malent steamed in the corner, glaring, fuming. Jack was uninterested, even displeased, since he realized the task of babysitting the new aid would fall to him.

      “With that settled, I think it’s almost time for final classes to be dismissed. You’re all free to go, except Eira. Would you mind staying?”

 

      While Eira stayed behind, everyone else shuffled out of the room. Malent forcefully shouldered her way past Alex, elbowing him slightly, and giving him an evil eye.

      “Uh oh.” Jack lazily mumbled under his breath. “Nothing personal, but it seems like you made an enemy.”

      Alex watched Malent storm off. He tried to keep smiling, but couldn’t stop a bad feeling in his gut. He quickly changed the topic. “So it seems like we’ll be working together, Jack.”

      The older boy brushed him off. “Not really. We’re in the same group, along with Indol, but we’ll have different assignments.”

      “Indol, isn’t that the girl Malent was picking on?”

      “Yeah, she does repairs and other odd jobs. I’m responsible for the arena and its equipment, and you…” he looked at the boy. “You’ll probably be doing heavy lifting, maybe even combat sparring as a training dummy if I had to guess.” He shrugged “We’ll see tomorrow anyway. Later.” With that he walked off, leaving Alex and Frey to wait for Eira.