ã€ŠThe Remnant Fiestas - A Novel Seriesã€‹


 Vol 1 - Reflections (Draft 1)

    Reflections ¨C 0.

    To this day, nobody knows what triggered the Cataclysm.

    That¡¯s what it came to be known, a word synonymous with both the massive trans-space shockwave, and the wholesale destruction that it caused.

    That shockwave hit the mass shadows of planets, stars, and a host of other celestial bodies as raced at superluminal speed through an area of densely populated worlds.

    Anything with a substantial mass shadow that dimpled into the realm of trans-space was smashed to pieces.

    If you were on a planet, there was nowhere to run as the shockwave would shatter the world like a ball made of soft earth.

    Even large starships weren¡¯t spared. Many of the super-liners and super-sized military fortresses perished when the trans-light shockwave struck their presence within trans-space.

    Racing out from an epicenter near the center of humanity¡¯s galactic civilization, the shockwave wiped out billions in the span of a day. Millions more died in the days that followed, as the intersystem civilization was brought to an end.

    The Cataclysm brought humanity¡¯s First Golden Age to a finale.

    It set the stage for the survivors to lay the foundations for the Second Golden Age, and the remains of those scores of shattered worlds, moons and stars became the material that fueled the expansion of the Hurakan Nebula.

    Nobody noticed when the Aventis appeared.

    Everybody was too busy rebuilding their fallen worlds, but by the time they did notice it was already too late.

    The Aventis were everywhere and anywhere.

    From the very beginning they had infiltrated the newly founded United Systems Alliance and the neighboring Coalition of System States.

    The problem was that the Aventis looked just like a regular human because they were human, but they were also something more. They were hosts to the Symbiote, and it was the Symbiote that made them strong, fast, and hard to kill. So despite their lack of numbers, they quickly made grounds on humanity, those without the Symbiote, until humanity fought back.

    The War of Supremacy would last two decades between humanity against the Aventis ¨C who fell into eight distinct clans known as Prides. In the end, humanity gave up and raised the white flag. Those that didn¡¯t packed their bags and left this region of the galaxy forever.

    Unchallenged, the Aventis ruled supreme and yet they ruled well such that more than two centuries after the Cataclysm and the war, people had all but forgotten the point of fighting against these superior humans. And the truth was, the Prides only went to war to ensure their own survival, but afterwards they managed ¨C dare we say ruled ¨C humanity with a deft and steady hand.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    No wars. No conflicts. On the whole, a fairly stable economic and political environment.

    Of course, the Aventis remained at the top of the food chain, and Regulars remained one step below. They had preferential treatment in business, education, sports, and pretty much everything else. But it wasn¡¯t all bad for the rest of humanity, just not as good as it was for those that belonged to the Prides.

    However, the door to joining a Pride wasn¡¯t closed.

    During their teenage years, a Regular human was tested for compatibility with one of the eight strains of Symbiote that uniquely characterized the eight Prides. If they scored higher than seventy percent they were bonded with a Symbiote and admitted into a Pride. Those that failed to score above the minimum threshold were relegated to mediocrity and remained Regulars.

    Then there were those that demonstrated they were different from the rest, and they were chosen to serve the Aventis in a different capacity. They were known as Familiars, neither Regular nor Aventis, and they were gifted with a handful of unique talents, foremost of which was the ability to wield the Remnants ¨C artifacts from an unknown time and place discovered after the Cataclysm. It was because of this ability and others that Familiars found themselves one step above the Regulars on the social pyramid.

    Had things been fair, they would have found themselves ruling the Aventis.

    After all, if not for the hundreds of Familiars who wielded the Remnants in battle against humanity, the Aventis would never have won the War of Supremacy, and history would have been quite different to what it is today.

    Terminology

    <u>Symbiote</u> ¨C an organism of unknown origin that infected humanity following the Cataclysm. Described as thread-like it spreads throughout the human host, embedding itself into muscles, organs, tendons, and the brain, gifting the host with improved strength and health. Presently there are eight known strains of the Symbiote.

    <u>Prides</u> ¨C clans of humans that are host to the eight known strains of the Symbiote. The eight Prides are: Avenir, Raynar, Sora, Sanreal, Irulan, Fenrir, Lorian, and Lanfear.

    <u>Aventis</u> ¨C humans host to the Symbiote. They gain superior strength, stamina, and healing abilities including resilience against numerous of the most harmful organisms in the colonized systems. Falling into two categories of Purebloods, those born with the Symbiote, and non-Purebloods who gain the Symbiote at an early stage in their lives, usually their teenage years.

    <u>Regulars</u> ¨C humans incompatible with any of the eight different strains of the Symbiote. They hold lower positions in society and depend on advanced science to live healthy lifestyles across the various colonized systems.

    <u>Familiars</u> ¨C modern day equivalent of the mythical Vampires; humans with the ability to ingest Aventis blood. The Symbiote grows within them at a hyper-accelerated rate, gifting them with physical abilities superior to the Aventis. These abilities last for several days, usually a week, after which the Symbiote is consumed by the Familiar¡¯s body. A Familiar is usually Awakened during their teenage years when tested with the various strains of the Symbiote. This Awakening usually comes in the form of a systemic shock that brings the Familiar to the brink of death before recovering. They say that a Familiar¡¯s Awakening is a painful experience akin to a rebirth.

    <u>Remnants</u> ¨C ancient artifacts of unknown origin discovered after the Cataclysm. Valued for their immense power when wielded by Familiars, they range from weapons of destruction to devices with near magical abilities. Remnants that are not fully unlocked are commonly referred to as Fragments. The use of Remnants is strictly monitored, and they are allocated by individual Prides to their affiliated Familiars. Familiars bonded to a Remnant are required to wear a restraining collar and are supervised by a Guardian, either an Aventis or qualified Familiar, appointed by their affiliated Pride.

    ¨C Excerpts from the Preston Galactic Encyclopedia, 198<sup>th</sup> Edition.

 Vol 1 - Prologue. (Draft 1)

    Prologue.

    He lay on the ground, the wound perforating his body bleeding profusely through the gash in his chest and back, though the little worm inside his body was already growing at an extraordinary rate, spreading throughout his innards and working its magic on his injury. But the worm wasn¡¯t Lanfear. It was Avenir. His body would not respond to it as well, challenging the creature to heal him in time or at the least secure the bleeding.

    The wound wasn¡¯t the only challenge his life faced.

    He had pushed too hard, drawn upon too much of his Remnant¡¯s power because he had no choice, and now he was paying the price for jumping beyond what his body was able to withstand.

    Lying on the ground, he could feel himself slipping away, while in the near distance the girls yelled frantically as they charged into battle and were swatted away like flies.

    He heard their screams, the crash of their bodies against the chamber walls, and then silence.

    There had never been any chance of winning ¨C not against her ¨C not after she gained what she came for.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    The gamble to rely on their familial connection hadn¡¯t paid off, and he was suffering for it.

    He had summoned the ferocious energies locked away in his Remnant, and against another opponent it would have been devastating, but not against her.

    Despite his best efforts, his defeat had been assured the moment she bonded with the ancient, wartime Remnant, and gained its power ¨C a power that had secured victory for the Aventis against humanity long ago.

    Now, feeling his life slip away, and with his vision clouding, he heard her address him and was unnerved by how clearly he could hear her, almost as though she was speaking into his mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t have you getting in my way. We¡¯ll meet again. Until then grow stronger, little brother.¡±

    The air in the immense domed chamber hardened, pressing down upon him, making it difficult to breathe. Then a gale force wind blew all around him, accompanied by a loud whooshing sound that filled the chamber for several seconds. When she left, she took the wind, the pressure, and the noise with her, racing down the large tunnel connecting to the chamber.

    Damn it¡­damn it all¡­.

    With the last of his vision, he looked up at the girl kneeling over him, her long beautiful blonde hair draping her head as she caressed his face and prayed for him while tears fell in rivulets down her cheeks and landed on his lips.

    He tasted the salty tears, then closed his eyes as his consciousness slipped.

    Yet before he passed out, he was certain he heard another woman¡¯s voice in his ears, promising she wouldn¡¯t let him die for there was much they had yet to achieve¡­.

 Vol 1 - Ch 1 - Close Encounter of the Perverted Kind. (Draft 1)

    Chapter 1 ¨C Close Encounter of the Perverted Kind.

    - I -

    Pharos was the largest port of call in the Hurakan Nebula.

    Floating a few lightyears within the edge of the giant cloud of space debris and gas, a near permanent reminder of the Cataclysm that took place more than two centuries ago, the century old colony consisted of five enormous asteroids, each one referred to as an Island. The largest of the rocks was Island One, eighty kilometers long and nearly half as thick, and possessing the Harbor Tunnel and Harbor Sphere where thousands of ships, both large and small, stopped by on their way to and from the nebula. Its four smaller brethren, known as Islands Two, Three, Four, and Five, were locked into fixed orbits around the massive asteroid, each one of them home to a million or more people who lived within caverns carved out of the interior of the giant rocks. Referred to as habitats, these caverns were sufficient in size to house a small city.

    Island Two had once been known for its luxurious residential habitats, but that was in the past. With Islands Three and Four coming online, or rather, open to habitation, Island Two had suffered a gradual decline in the quality of life it provided. However, with that decline came cheaper housing so living in the habitats of Island Two was more affordable than elsewhere in Pharos.

    The apartment she rented in Island Two, Habitat Three, was on the small side but it had everything she needed to live comfortably. It was also quite close to the overhead mag-lev station, an added bonus since her place of work was located in Island One, Habitat One, in one of the commercial districts packed with towering megascrapers that had grown as tall as possible such that they now brushed the cavern ceiling, and had no more room to spread. In contrast, the habitat she lived in was less densely populated by buildings. It also had a mimetic sky-field that simulated the cycles of the day, giving the inhabitants the impression they were living on a planet rather than inside a rock floating on the edge of a giant cloud of intergalactic matter.

    Yes, her apartment was small but it was cozy, and she loved it. The residential complex was old but well maintained, and the people were elderly, some retirees, so there was little trouble to be found as they all valued their peace and privacy, though they did find it odd for a young woman like her to be living at the complex and single to boot.

    Lying in bed, she waited for her alarm clock to sound, and turned it off when it did.

    She had decided to get up earlier and avoid the crush on the mag-lev. Not everyone in Island Three was a retiree. A good many people worked for a living, she being one of them, and that meant commuting to Island Three or Island One.

    Pushing back the covers of her bed, climbed out and prepared herself for the working day with a shower, a quick breakfast, and then a hasty choice of clothes. Locking her apartment behind her after telling the home unit that she was off to work, she waited alone in the outside corridor for the elevator to arrive that would take her down from the twentieth floor to ground floor.

    At the ground floor lobby, she walked over to the mailboxes, and checked inside hers on her way to the building¡¯s permaglass exit. To her , she found a small envelope inside, and after retrieving it, she opened the paper package and allowed the contents to fall into her right palm ¨C a ruby red translucent crystal in the shape of a trapezohedron about two inches long and a half inch wide.

    Staring at it for a racing heartbeat, she quickly dropped the crystal into a skirt pocket that she then zipped shut, and folded the envelope away, slipping it into her handbag.

    Then she left the building and walked down the steps to the sidewalk, turning eastward toward the mag-lev station, doing her best to maintain an outward calm that belied her shattered inward composure.

    - II -

    The giant cavern known as Habitat One was located in Island Three.

    At fourteen kilometers long, six kilometers wide, and over two thousand feet high, the habitat was home to a hundred thousand people, the place of work for two hundred thousand others, and a place of commute for one young teenage girl who happened to be sitting in the backseat of an impressive ground limousine caught in the grind of morning traffic. At a glance, she had long black hair and emerald green eyes. Short of stature, perhaps no more than five foot two, she had a slender well-toned body. If she had to describe her best attribute it would be her sleek legs, since she had yet to develop a womanly bosom, a source of near constant consternation for her, one she forcibly submerged into the recesses of her subconscious every day upon waking up, looking in the mirror, and finding no progress had been made during the night.

    With an elbow resting on the windowsill of the car door, she wore a bored expression as watched the traffic lights ahead turn red.

    In truth, she was sitting nervously on the proverbial pins and needles.

    She had been plotting her escape long, long before climbing into the limo that morning.

    In fact, she had been devising her brilliant plan since excusing herself from dinner the night before after learning she would be chauffeured and chaperoned to her first day of school. That was followed a late night of planning and scheming within the confines of her room and her teenage brain. Thus, the moment the vehicle stopped at the lights was the moment the plan came to fruition.

    It was the moment she bolted into action.

    Flinging the door open, she made like the wind, leaping out of the car with preternatural grace, and then sprinting like a gazelle between the parked traffic.

    From behind her came the cries of ¡°Come back¡± but they only served to spur her on.

    With proverbial wings on her heels, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear, ran across the street packed with motionless vehicular traffic, then down the pedestrian sidewalk crowded with people heading to work in Pharos Colony¡¯s Island Three, Habitat One.

    There was method to her madness ¨C a reason for leaping out of the luxurious limo trapped in traffic.

    No way in Hell am I making my high-school debut like a rich princess!

    With that thought firmly in mind, she weaved and ducked between the moving pedestrian traffic with the skill of a shaolin master ¨C if ever a shaolin master found himself in a female school uniform and fleeing a cadre of conspicuously burly men in dark suits wearing equally dark sunglasses.

    Caprice spotted the holovid sign overhead that identified in multiple languages the entrance to the elevated mag-lev station. Executing maneuvers between people that would have challenged a bee, she turned off the sidewalk and sprinted up the steps to the station. Palm-slate firmly in hand, she swiped it over the turnstile, waited for the baffle gates to open, then sprinted once more down the short concourse, heading for the platform that would take her to the station closest to Galatea Academy. Having done her homework on the best escape route and which station line to catch was paying off.

    Not nearly as out of breath as she would have been a year ago, Caprice nervously fingered the restraining collar she wore, then made tracks between people as she hurried onto the platform. Not seeing any sign of pursuit, she slowed to a stop and began to relax, taking deep breaths in the process.

    Then her palm-slate rang.

    Recognizing the caller ID, she almost flung it away, reconsidered, then hurriedly turned the device off.

    A heartbeat later she looked up to see a commotion at the entrance to the platform, and soon her bodyguards came into view, frantically looking about in search of her.

    With a strangled groan, Caprice turned and ran away from them down the platform.

    Suddenly her upper body jerked to a standstill and her feet swung wildly in the air as her lower body continued on its merry way. When her feet came down, she realized someone had grabbed the collar of her midnight-blue school blazer and her blouse, and yanked her to a standstill. Reflexively she called out for help, but realizing it would draw attention to her, she clamped her hands over her mouth as she was bodily turned around by the hand gripping her collar.

    ¡°Yoh...double-A.¡±

    Caprice was turned around to face a young man, a high school student dressed in Galatea Academy¡¯s uniform for boys, standing quite a few inches taller than her, regarding her with a look of reproach. His clothes were disarrayed, his tie hung loose, and his hair was suffering from a severe case of bedhead. Yet despite his unkempt appearance, Caprice felt her heart jump when she looked into his dark eyes.

    Wow¡­he¡¯s hot.

    ¡°You bumped me.¡±

    His unhappy tone was like a bucket of cold water doused on her head.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± she asked.

    He pulled her closer. ¡°I said¡­you bumped me.¡±

    Bumped him? No way. I¡¯m sure I avoided him by a few millimeters at least.

    She chose to apologize rather than argue with the youth. Handsome or not, her trouble radar was beeping madly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Bowing in apology was out of the question because he still held onto her. Then she saw her family¡¯s bodyguards pushing their way toward her. ¡°Could you please let me go?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± He made a hand-it-over gesture with his free hand. ¡°I demand compensation.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Her express fell into confusion while inwardly she was beginning to despair. ¡°What compensation?¡± She blinked quickly. ¡°You mean lunch money?¡±

    He frowned at her. ¡°What do you take me for¡ªa school bully?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what you want.¡±

    ¡°I told you. Compensation.¡±

    The bodyguards were coming closer and Caprice began to panic in earnest. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat compensation? Just spit it out.¡±

    ¡°Double-A, you¡¯re being rude.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what you want or let me go.¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you in a rush?¡±

    ¡°A rush? Yes, I¡¯m in a rush.¡± A wild reckless thought plunged into her mind. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m being followed by those three large men. They want to kidnap me. They¡¯re gangsters. My family owes them money.¡± She was on a roll now, the proverbial rolling boulder. ¡°They¡ªthey wanna sell my body to pay off the debt.¡±

    His gaze travelled over her. ¡°Your body? Are you serious?¡± She scowled at him, and he snorted in response. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh¡ªthen again some guys are into flat chested lolli-girls.¡±

    ¡°See! I¡¯m in trouble.¡± Then she realized what he¡¯d called her. ¡°And I¡¯m not a lolli!¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Call the Enforcers. Your family¡¯s debts are not my problem.¡±

    ¡°In that case let me go.¡±

    ¡°Nope. I demand compensation.¡±

    ¡°What¡ªwhat compensation?¡±

    ¡°Show me your panties.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Caprice felt as though someone had uncapped her skull and allowed all her thoughts to jump out.

    ¡°Your panties. Show me. Then I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    The guards were only a dozen meters away by now.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    The youth turned toward the oncoming bodyguards and called out, ¡°Hey, over here¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± In desperation, Caprice made her choice. ¡°You wanna see¡ªhere! Take a look!¡±

    She grabbed her navy-blue skirt and lifted it up.

    The youth regarded her underwear for a second or two. ¡°Good choice. Midnight Parade. This year¡¯s summer range.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She dropped the ends of her skirt, the reality of having exposed herself in a public place yet to sink in. ¡°How¡ªhow do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Trust me. I¡¯m a connoisseur of women¡¯s lingerie.¡± He released her blazer¡¯s collar. ¡°You said you¡¯re being chased?¡±

    ¡°Ah huh¡­.¡±

    ¡°Attempted kidnapping?¡±

    ¡°Ah huh¡­.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a debt to pay.¡±

    ¡°Something like that¡­.¡±

    He grinned and cracked his knuckles just as her bodyguards arrived. ¡°Cool. I get to have some fun.¡±

    It was then she noticed the collar around his neck ¨C a collar like the one she wore. It was the collar that all Familiars affiliated with a Pride were required to wear, and the pips indicated he was bonded to a Remnant. When he turned to face the bodyguards her family had assigned to protect her, she glimpsed the pendant hanging from the collar because it was the same as hers ¨C the red phoenix of the Lanfear Pride.

    Oh no. He¡¯s a Familiar too.

    Her bodyguards slowed as they approached her, and made the mistake of ignoring the grinning youth, pushing him aside as they surrounded her.

    ¡°Mistress,¡± one of the men called out to her. ¡°You can¡¯t run off like that. You need to return to the car.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± the young Familiar interjected, ¡°but aren¡¯t you forgetting something.¡± As the men spared him a distasteful look, he shoved a hand into a trouser pocket. ¡°I¡¯m the one who caught her.¡± He held his other hand out to them. ¡°I demand compensation.¡±

    At his apparent betrayal, Caprice glared at him. ¡°Hey¡ªI did what you wanted.¡±

    ¡°That was for bumping into me,¡± he replied smoothly. ¡°I never said anything about helping you.¡±

    ¡°What? But you said leave it to me.¡±

    The bodyguard in authority over the others stepped in front of her with his back to the high school student. ¡°Mistress, please return to the car. Lady Morgan is waiting for us.¡±

    Caprice shook her head quickly. ¡°No. I told Morgan I would make my own way to school.¡±

    Her bodyguards didn¡¯t agree, two of them flanking her and taking hold of one of her arms with the intention of escorting her off the platform and back to the limo, while the third bodyguard led the way.

    But the Familiar dressed in the Galatea Academy uniform hadn¡¯t given up.

    ¡°Compensation,¡± he demanded, standing in their path.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for punks like you,¡± the bodyguard in the lead declared.

    The youth¡¯s eyes widened and his grin turned into a cruel smile. ¡°Oh really. Then let¡¯s make the time.¡±

    To Caprice, it looked as though he grabbed the air between himself and the large man. She felt it harden a moment before something ripped loudly and the bodyguard¡¯s trousers and boxers hit the deck.

    The youth winced in pain and then grabbed the collar around his neck with one hand. ¡°Shit that hurts.¡±

    The two bodyguards holding onto Caprice stared at their boss in disbelief.

    ¡°Sir, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not me,¡± he yelled back, crouching to gather his clothes.

    ¡°Double-A,¡± the youth called out, and Caprice realized he was referring to her.

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±

    He reached out and appeared to grab the air, then made another ripping motion, and the two bodyguards flanking her suffered the same wardrobe failure as their boss. As the men struggled to regain their modesty, the youth hissed in pain as he held onto the collar.

    ¡°Double-A¡ªtime to go,¡± he announced in a strangled voice.

    Despite being in agony, he quickly grabbed Caprice by her left arm, and pulled her along the platform as the in-bound mag-lev whooshed down the rail line and came to a smooth stop.

    With a tight grip on her school bag hanging from her right shoulder, Caprice was surprised by his strength and his fleetness of foot as they slipped through the crowd boarding the carriages. Once inside, he urged her deeper into the carriage.

    ¡°Keep moving,¡± he gasped, wincing with every breath. ¡°Keep going. Next carriage.¡±

    Caprice found herself leading the way, and with the young man following her closely behind, they exited one carriage and entered the next through the connecting tubule.

    Then the mag-lev doors closed and the train began to move at speed down the line.

    Coming to a stop near one of the doors, Caprice breathed fast yet deeply and soon recovered her breath. It was then she noticed she was squeezed between a few adult men, and began to panic a little.

    Stupid. It was my idea to commute by public transport. Now suck it up!

    A hand snaked out between the men, grabbed her, and pulled her into a gap beside the double exit doors of the carriage. Now she found herself pressed between the doors, and the young Familiar ¨C her apparent savior.

    Unable to hide her blush, Caprice looked up at him. ¡°Th¡ªthank you.¡±

    ¡°Compensation,¡± he said to her.

    ¡°Heeeeh?¡± she cried out, then clamped her mouth shut when a few commuters nearby glanced at her with myriad expressions, none of them altogether friendly. She lowered her voice. ¡°What the Hell do you mean, compensation? I already showed you my panties. What else do you want to see?¡± The magnitude of what she¡¯d done on the station platform slammed into her consciousness with the force of a freight train. ¡°Oh my, gods. Oh my, gods. Please tell me it was all a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Double-A, would you calm down,¡± he complained while running a finger under the restraining collar he wore. ¡°Do you have any idea how much this thing bites when you go against its directives?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve never broken the rules so why would I?¡±

    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you a good little girl,¡± he remarked dryly.

    She started to curse him, but seeing his discomfort she asked instead, ¡°So¡­how does it feel?¡±

    ¡°Like being shocked by a stun gun. Burns a lot, but then it works its way down to your balls.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She blinked absently.

    He made a sour face. ¡°It sure as Hell kills an erection fast.¡±

    Caprice swallowed in distaste. ¡°Do you have to be so crass?¡±

    ¡°What? I¡¯m just telling you the truth. First it burns up here, then the shock kicks you down in the lower quarter.¡± He writhed uncomfortably while standing up, brushing against her in the process. ¡°Shit, now it¡¯s gone numb.¡±

    ¡°That is something I don¡¯t need to know!¡±

    ¡°Keep it down, Double-A.¡±

    ¡°Enough with your problems in the lower quarter,¡± she hissed at him.

    He reached up and grabbed onto an overhead hand rail. ¡°Fine. So tell me something, Double-A, who were those guys?¡±

    Caprice grew silent as she debated being honest with the pervert who¡¯d saved her. ¡°My family¡¯s bodyguards.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my first day at Galatea Academy. My family issued me bodyguards and a car to take me to the school.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re a rich girl. What of it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the whole point. I don¡¯t want people thinking of me that way.¡±

    He stared at her with an unreadable expression before declaring, ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know anything about Galatea Academy?¡± She shook her head faintly and he sighed heavily. ¡°It¡¯s full of rich girls. Do your really think you¡¯d stand out? Trust me. You¡¯re just another tree in the forest.¡±

    Caprice pressed her lips shut.

    On the contrary, I¡¯m the biggest richest tree in the forest.

    However, she chose to keep that to herself.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± he pressed on, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal if you arrive in style. I¡¯m assuming you were travelling by limo or something like that.¡±

    ¡°A limo.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°If you really wanted to make an impression, you should have flown in.¡±

    ¡°Flying is heavily restricted in the habitats. The ceiling is only two thousand feet in Habitat Three.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why only the really important and really rich get to fly.¡±

    He had a point and she chose not to argue. Perhaps Morgan was being considered by sticking to a ground car, and not flying her to the Academy in a manner befitting the astronomical wealth of her family. Thinking of Morgan made her heart cringe. Undoubtedly, she would report her antics to her father, and if so Caprice expected a stern lecture when she got home¡­but it wouldn¡¯t come from her father.

    Grandfather will be pissed.

    ¡°I am so screwed,¡± she whined softly and bowed her head, bumping it into his chest in the process.

    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t give your family such a hard time,¡± he muttered. ¡°After all, once they¡¯re gone¡­they¡¯re gone.¡±

    When she looked up, she saw him staring distantly through the transparent doors of the mag-lev carriage. ¡°My family didn¡¯t acknowledge that I existed until a couple years ago,¡± she revealed. ¡°So why shouldn¡¯t I give them a hard time? It¡¯s not like they care about me. They just care about what I am.¡±

    His expression was poker faced when he said, ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re carrying a grudge.¡±

    Caprice pressed her lips together tightly for a long while. ¡°Not a grudge. I just resent them.¡± She cocked her head at him. ¡°Do you mind if I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    He made a sour expression. ¡°I¡¯m just your friendly neighborhood pervert.¡±

    ¡°Who happens to be a Familiar with a Remnant,¡± she pointed out. ¡°And someone who can tolerate a restraining collar.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve had a lot of practice with this thing,¡± he commented flatly. ¡°I think I¡¯m running down the batteries.¡±

    ¡°So who are you?¡±

    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± he asked back. ¡°I notice you¡¯re not telling me who you are.¡± She grimaced and he pressed on. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m cool with calling you Double-A.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my second question. Why are you calling me Double-A?¡±

    He blinked slowly at her for a few seconds. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your cup-size?¡±

    By the barest of margins she turned her shriek into a hiss. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Your bra may be padded to an A-cup, but you¡¯re actually a double-A.¡±

    Feeling her face turn red with heat surging from newfound depths in her body, Caprice brought her knee up with tremendous force, burying it into his crotch.

    However, he stared at her with a frown and quietly asked, ¡°Did you just knee me?¡±

    Her eyes grew wide as she realized he¡¯d been telling the truth.

    He shook his head slowly at her. ¡°I told you before, they¡¯ve gone numb.¡±

    Feeling suddenly faint, Caprice sagged against the door at her back.

    ¡°Please, please tell me I¡¯m dreaming,¡± she muttered.

    - III -

    Exiting the mag-lev station closest to Galatea Academy, Caprice walked with heavy steps a short distance behind the perverted youth who¡¯d saved her ¨C at the cost of exposing herself ¨C from her family¡¯s bodyguards.

    She looked up at the artificial morning sky simulated by the sky-field, and saw clouds overhead.

    She felt like one of those clouds was hanging over her permanently.

    Though it had habitats of its own, Island One largely served as a shipping and industrial sector, with a sizeable entertainment district. Over the decades, as the other Islands came to join the enormous asteroid, the residential districts had moved out of Island One, coming to settle in Islands Two and Three. Eventually they were pushed to Islands Four and Five, as burgeoning business and increased trade out in the Hurakan Nebula demanded more commercial sectors be established. So it was that Island Three came to possess a mixture of residential and commercial zones, and was home to one of five schools dedicated to cater to Aventis students.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Schools throughout Pharos conducted classes on a two-semester academic year. Before the end of each semester, the compatibility of Regular students to the eight strains of Symbiote was tested to judge their eligibility to join a Pride. If they qualified they were given time to make arrangements to transfer either mid-year or at the start of the new year into one of the five academies. However, it wasn¡¯t just the Aventis that attended these prestigious Academies ¨C one found in each of the five asteroid Islands ¨C but Familiars too and before starting her senior year in middle-school, what on some worlds was referred to as Junior High, Caprice was tested and determined to be a Familiar most receptive to the Lanfear Symbiote.

    What made Familiars different from Regulars and Aventis was a handful of unique traits.

    To begin with, Familiars were akin to Vampires. That is, they ingested blood, but not just any blood. When they drank the blood of an Aventis, the Symbiote in the bloodstream was carried into the Familiar whereupon it grew within their bodies at a phenomenal rate. It gifted them with a strength and healing ability well beyond that of the Aventis, allowing them to survive injuries that would kill the latter. But the Symbiote within a Familiar didn¡¯t survive long, a few days or a week at best before it burnt out and was consumed by the Familiar¡¯s body. Afterwards, a Familiar had to wait a few hours or days before they could drink the blood of an Aventis again. It is important to note, that a Familiar did not need to ingest the blood of an Aventis to wield their Remnant. However, it was only when they were boosted by the Symbiote that they could draw upon the full power and abilities of their Remnant.

    Back then when she was tested, Caprice had returned to living with her family, the Steiners, due to unfortunate circumstances. Upon learning the news that her body had awakened to that of a Familiar, her family made the arrangements to affiliate her with the Lanfear Pride because her body was found to be most receptive to their Symbiote. That is to say that when she drank Lanfear blood, Caprice gained the most out of the Symbiote. At the time, she also learnt she had inherited the Remnant her mother had possessed, and so began a turbulent year for the fifteen-year old girl ¨C a year of rigorous physical training and long hours learning to master and unlock the Remnant passed down to her from her mother. However, Caprice also spent that year attending a school for the children of wealthy Regulars. The decision to transfer her to Galatea Academy wasn¡¯t handed down until late last year, and it came from her appointed Guardian, Morgan Le Caster afil Lanfear, who was also responsible for placing the restraining collar around her neck.

    Familiars without a Remnant did not wear a collar because they were not deemed a risk to the Aventis, and were thereby allowed to continue their studies at schools for Regulars. This rule also applied to Familiars bonded to a Remnant, but who did not yet have permission to carry it with them out in public or use it outside of training. Thus, Caprice was not required to wear a collar and was allowed to attend the school for Regulars for her final year of middle-school. However, once she had gained enough experience to wield her Remnant without fear of becoming a danger to herself and the Aventis, Morgan had issued her with a collar, and with her family¡¯s blessing had enrolled Caprice at Galatea Academy.

    ¡°Yoh, Double-A, you don¡¯t look too good?¡±

    Caprice scowled at the tall good looking boy walking slightly ahead of her. He had fallen back to peer at her. ¡°And whose fault do you think that is?¡± she questioned with a steely voice.

    He shrugged a shoulder, then blinked sharply. ¡°Wait here.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    She watched him run off into a convenience store, and then trudged along in his wake. By the time she arrived at the store, he had returned with a couple of soda cans that he offered to her. She started to choose, but then stared at him with undisguised suspicion.

    ¡°How much?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just pick one. I won¡¯t ask for compensation.¡±

    ¡°Can I trust you?¡±

    He placed both cans in her hands. ¡°I told you before, I¡¯m not a bully.¡±

    ¡°No, you just bully girls into exposing their panties.¡±

    ¡°By the way, Midnight Parade is rather upmarket and mature. I didn¡¯t expect a freshman to wear that kind of line.¡±

    Caprice felt herself turn red. ¡°It¡ªit wasn¡¯t my choice.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    She trembled and so too did the soda cans she held. ¡°Morgan told me it was time to graduate from¡ª¡±

    She stopped herself in the nick of time.

    ¡°To graduate from what?¡± he asked with a sincere expression.

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m not telling you!¡± she cried out and tossed one of the cans at him before storming off down the sidewalk.

    ¡°OUCH!¡± It slammed into his forehead yet he caught it before it hit the ground. ¡°Hey, Double-A wait up.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± she yelled over her shoulder. ¡°And stop following me.¡±

    Despite all this she had the presence of mind to open her can and gulp down the contents. After chocking on the tangy liquid, she recovered and sipped it instead. She also slowed down her pace and the pervert walked behind her.

    ¡°In that case, tell me your name, oh little Familiar of the Lanfear Pride.¡±

    She stumbled and regained her footing. ¡°You saw my collar.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I saw it. I also felt your Awareness-field.¡±

    She stopped and stared at him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your Awareness-field. It¡¯s quite strong. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re having trouble keeping it down.¡±

    He was right. All Remnants emanated an Awareness-field that expanded the senses and awareness of their bonded Meister. Some Familiars had trouble summoning the field, but others like Caprice had trouble reining it in. Described in terms of magic, it was like saying her ¡®magical aura¡¯ was so strong that it defied her attempts to bring it under control, making her shine like a bonfire to those Familiars with Remnants who could sense the Awareness-field coming from her.

    He walked past her, sipping his soda. ¡°Must be a pretty powerful Remnant you¡¯ve got there,¡± he muttered.

    Caprice hurried to catch up to him. ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    He shrugged a shoulder while casting a grin on her. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    She growled under her breath. ¡°So then what about your Awareness-field?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m keeping it tucked away nice and neat.¡± He shrugged again. ¡°Although in the early days, I had trouble with it too. It was so big it was like I was shouting out ¡®Here I Am¡¯ from the highest building to every Familiar in the Island.¡± A grimace twisted his lips. ¡°Gods, how many times did Arisa wring me through Hell until I learnt how to control it.¡±

    Caprice noticed her eyes had grown wide in disbelief and amazement. ¡°So¡­what is your Remnant?¡±

    He glanced down at her. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±

    She snorted loudly. ¡°Fine. Then I don¡¯t want to know.¡± She skidded to a stop when he stopped in front of her. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? What are you doing?¡±

    When he leaned down toward her, Caprice felt her heart shift into sport mode and race in her chest. His face loomed large in her vista, filling her view of the world, and his presence dominated her senses. The closer he drew, the faster her beat and the louder her breathing became. She smelt the cologne in the air and thought to herself, so this is what boys smell like.

    Then her mind snapped back into action. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat are doing? I¡ªI¡¯m not ready for this¡ª¡±

    He leaned past her and whispered into her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you tell me your name.¡±

    Caprice swallowed hard, then whispered back, ¡°Ca¡ªCaprice. Caprice Steiner¡±¡ªshe swallowed¡ª¡°afil Lanfear.¡±

    He straightened and looked down at her.

    ¡°Well then, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear¡±¡ªhe held out his right hand to her¡ª¡°it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    Hesitantly, she shook his hand. ¡°Really?¡±

    He smiled at her, with an undeniable boyish charm that made her heart skip a couple of times. ¡°I¡¯m Caelum. Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear.¡± He bowed to her while holding her hand gently. ¡°And I¡¯m at your service.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhy is that?¡± she stuttered.

    He shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s just say¡­you¡¯ve caught my interest.¡±

    ¡°Interest? What interest?¡±

    ¡°I look forward to seeing what you¡¯ll wear tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Gah!¡± She pulled her hand free and stormed around him. ¡°No thank you.¡±

    ¡°What? Why not?¡± He hurried after her. ¡°After all, we¡¯re already close.¡±

    ¡°Showing you my underwear does not make us close. You really are a pervert!¡± She came close to howling in exasperation.

    ¡°Depends on the girl and the moment,¡± he replied lightly.

    ¡°Just for the record, I do not like you.¡±

    He glanced at her. ¡°Really? I could have sworn I felt your heart dance about when I whispered in your ear.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She stopped and stamped her foot. ¡°You used your Awareness-field on me.¡±

    Desanto shook his head. ¡°Nope. Your Awareness-field projected your emotions to me. I just read them.¡±

    Her eyes widened and then she grew faint. ¡°That¡ªthat¡¯s a lie.¡±

    He gave her a pitying look. ¡°Young one, you have much to learn.¡± Then he smiled at her brightly and pointed a thumb at his chest. ¡°Want me to teach you?¡±

    Caprice recovered and gave his offer a moments consideration. ¡°No. Never.¡±

    Then she resumed storming down the sidewalk toward the large impressive gates intersecting the twenty-foot high wall surrounding the district block. It was only then she realized she had arrived at Galatea Academy.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. Finally.¡± She breathed out in relief, and turned quickly toward Desanto. ¡°Thank you for your help, but I regret we must part ways.¡± She bowed to him. ¡°And I hope we never run into each other again.¡±

    She had expected to hear some wisecrack from him, but instead he simply looked at her with an unreadable expression while sipping his drink.

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± she declared with as much finality as she could impress upon the word, spun on her heels, and strode into the school.

    Forcing herself not to look behind her, she did her best to keep her Awareness-field under control, annoyed that someone like Desanto could feel it radiating from her so strongly, yet to her it felt as though it was hardly emanating at all. Morgan had said it was because she wasn¡¯t in harmony with it. Until that happened, she would only have limited use of her Awareness-field. Sighing to herself in frustration, Caprice hefted the straps of her school bag higher, and sipped the remainder of her soda while staring at her surroundings.

    The school was divided into a middle-school and high-school. Viewed from overhead, the academic buildings resembled the letter H. The administration building was shaped like the letter I, and together they formed HIH when looked down upon from on high. Occupying an entire district block, Galatea Academy had space for two sports fields, two gymnasiums, two aquatic centers, and two clusters of clubroom buildings. To the north of the school were the dormitories, separated into those for middle schoolers and high schoolers, further divided between those allocated to the male and female students. Caprice had asked to live in a dormitory, thus avoiding the morning commute, but to her disappointment, her family and Morgan had vetoed her request.

    After entering the school grounds through the east gate, she walked on the wide path bordering the road into the school that opened into an expansive parking area. Beyond the parking area, and ahead of her to the west was the middle school grounds of the school. Farther to the west lay the high school area.

    Desanto hadn¡¯t lied when he said there were a lot of rich students attending Galatea Academy. The parking area was full of luxurious ground cars dropping off students on the first day of the school year at the academy, and Caprice felt foolish for having pulled such as a stunt. Hanging her head in shame, she walked along the path, occasionally looking up so as not to bump into objects or fellow students.

    There were indeed many cars in the parking area, but one limo stood out amongst the others, as did the young blonde woman in the body hugging dark business suit and short skirt standing with arms crossed beside the sleek vehicle, wearing an expression of finely controlled anger as she regarded Caprice from a distance of less than a hundred feet.

    Caprice stopped suddenly and felt her innards sink in despair at sight of Morgan Le Caster afil Lanfear.

    ¡°Wow¡­I didn¡¯t believe women like her existed,¡± a male voice remarked dryly.

    Caprice yelped in surprise at sight of Desanto standing beside her, calmly sipping his drink.

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I go to school here. Why wouldn¡¯t I be here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± she complained while clenching her hands. ¡°I thought I told you I didn¡¯t want to see you again.¡±

    ¡°No you didn¡¯t,¡± he replied calmly. ¡°You said you hoped never to run into me again.¡± He then pointed ahead with the tip of the soda can. ¡°Do you know her?¡±

    Fear flashed through Caprice. ¡°No¡ªnot at all. I have no idea who she is.¡±

    ¡°Then why is she glaring at you?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Then why is walking this way?¡±

    Caprice gasped and peeked over her shoulder.

    Indeed, Morgan was striding toward her like supermodel on a fashion runway, with thunder clouds circling around the blonde woman¡¯s head, and lighting flashing in her eyes.

    ¡°Hold this for a second,¡± Desanto said and handed his can to Caprice.

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°You sure ask a lot of questions,¡± he noted as he fixed up his uniform, tucked in his shirt, and straightened his tie, then retrieved a comb from a blazer pocket.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Caprice asked, as she watched him comb his hair.

    ¡°Hoping to make a good impression,¡± he replied before facing Caprice. ¡°How do I look?¡±

    She ran her gaze over him, and though it pained her, she chose to be honest with her appraisal. ¡°Actually, pretty good.¡±

    Pretty damn good, she thought to herself.

    ¡°Right,¡± Desanto declared in satisfaction. ¡°By the way, who is she?¡±

    Caprice hesitated then reluctantly revealed, ¡°She¡¯s my Guardian. Morgan Le Caster afil Lanfear.¡±

    He frowned at Caprice, then narrowed his eyes at Morgan who came to a stop a meter away.

    Perched on her three-inch heeled, open-toed stylish sling-backs, the young woman folded her arms as she glared at Caprice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this, you have guts,¡± she said in cool voice that sent shivers down Caprice¡¯s spine. ¡°To think you would actually escape. That means I won the bet.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Caprice had trouble closing her mouth.

    ¡°Your father had hopes you would behave. I told him you¡¯d make a run for it. I won. He lost.¡±

    Caprice gasped. ¡°That¡¯s why the limo doors were unlocked.¡±

    ¡°Correct. You took the bait.¡± Le Caster planted her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡±

    ¡°I live to displease,¡± Caprice muttered out the sides of her mouth.

    ¡°I heard that, young lady,¡± Morgan said with a warning tone.

    Taking a deep breath to calm herself, stall for time, and consider her options, she abruptly asked, ¡°Have you told my father?¡±

    ¡°No. I haven¡¯t told anybody. And I¡¯ve secured the silence of your bodyguards, along with a change of clothes.¡± Morgan directed her attention upon Desanto whom Caprice noticed was studying the woman with quiet interest yet somehow she didn¡¯t think it had anything to do with Morgan¡¯s stunning looks. ¡°You¡¯re the Familiar who accosted my men.¡±

    ¡°Accosted?¡± Desanto pointed at his chest. ¡°Who? Me? Mademoiselle, I beg your pardon. I assure you I do not know what you mean?¡±

    Morgan looked over her shoulder at the limo.

    One of the windows had been rolled down and a bodyguard sporting midnight black sunglasses was pointed avidly at Desanto.

    Turning back to Desanto, Morgan spoke with a crisp tone. ¡°You assaulted personnel affiliated with the Steiner Family. I can place charges against you.¡±

    ¡°Prove it,¡± Desanto replied evenly.

    ¡°Very well. I will secure the footage from the security cameras at the mag-level.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to prove it was me,¡± he stated. ¡°Good luck with that.¡±

    ¡°You used a Hecaton-field to assault my men. Your collar will have recorded the use of your Remnant. That will serve as evidence in court.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯d better call my lawyer, because there¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting your hands on my collar.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will,¡± he grinned at her.

    Caprice was following the exchange with her head on a swivel. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t endure it any longer, and stepped between the two parties, neither of whom was willing to relinquish an inch of ground to the other.

    ¡°Okay. Stop. Please. Do you have to take it this far?¡± She faced Morgan. ¡°It was my fault. I told him I was being kidnapped, and he came to my rescue.¡±

    ¡°He should have called the platform security rather than become personally involved,¡± Morgan replied in a clipped tone.

    Desanto replied flatly, ¡°A real man takes care of the situation himself.¡±

    Caprice felt the onset of a headache, and the stirrings of anger like flames fanned by the frustration she was enduring dealing with both their stubbornness.

    ¡°If something had happened to me for real,¡± she said in a low voice, ¡°would those stooges of yours have made difference?¡±

    Looking away from Desanto, Morgan regarded Caprice thoughtfully. ¡°If you wish to tempt fate, I¡¯ll have no choice but to recommend that you be grounded and schooled privately for the next three years of your life.¡±

    Caprice paled. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Can you protect yourself against a skilled opponent?¡±

    ¡°¡­no, I guess not¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you tempting fate?¡± Morgan asked her in a gentle voice that carried surprisingly well.

    She understood quite well what Morgan was implying.

    The recent past wasn¡¯t something she could forget or dismiss or claim it wouldn¡¯t repeat in the near or distant future. Thus, in the end all she could do was admit she was at fault, and hope it diffused the situation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll accept whatever punishment you have for me,¡± she declared firmly, then dipped her head at Morgan Le Caster, ¡°but leave Desanto out of this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll promise to behave?¡±

    Believing she was locking herself into a cell and preparing to toss the key away, Caprice nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll behave¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then we have a deal.¡± Le Caster faced Desanto. ¡°However, I want to know who you are. And I¡¯ll get a court order if need be.¡±

    ¡°Then you do that,¡± he replied easily. ¡°Or you can say the magic word, if you know what it is.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get smart with me,¡± she warned him. ¡°Show your elders some respect.¡±

    Desanto broke into a broad smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you earn it.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t voiced as a question but a challenge, and Morgan accepted it heartbeat later. ¡°I certainly will. And when I¡¯m done with you, you¡¯ll be kneeling before me kissing my feet.¡±

    He smiled like a kid in a candy store. ¡°Well if that¡¯s all you wanted, I can do that right now.¡± He unslung his bag and knelt before her on bended knee. ¡°Shall I start with the big toe, or little toe. Oh, that¡¯s a nice shade of pink. Is that the Maybell line? Or is it Avalon?¡±

    He looked up at her inquisitively, and Caprice watched Morgan¡¯s face grow faintly red though she couldn¡¯t tell if it was from anger or embarrassment.

    ¡°Young man,¡± she breathed out, ¡°it would be wise for you to learn your place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on my knees, what more do you want?¡±

    Now Morgan began to tremble. ¡°You are truly shameless.¡±

    I could have told you that, Caprice thought to herself.

    Desanto bowed his head reverently. ¡°Before the right woman, absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Get up.¡±

    ¡°What about kissing your toes?¡±

    ¡°I said get up!¡±

    He shook his head as a stood up before her. ¡°You are so demanding¡­.¡±

    Morgan folded her arms under her well-developed bust and closed her eyes, probably counting to ten. When she opened them, she said, ¡°It would seem I need to teach you some manners.¡±

    Desanto looked disappointed. ¡°Is that all? Isn¡¯t there more you could teach me?¡±

    Inhaling as though she had a bottomless well in her chest, Morgan then puffed her cheeks until they looked ready to burst. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to have fun with you.¡±

    Caprice palmed her face. That was the wrong thing to say to him.

    ¡°Name the time and the place,¡± Desanto stated with eagerness, ¡°and I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    Caprice watched her Pride appointed Guardian and combat instructress breath slowly, gradually calming down. ¡°Very well. If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯m happy to oblige.¡±

    Desanto¡¯s eyes bulged for a moment before he broke into a blissful smile. ¡°Really? Seriously? You won¡¯t change your mind. You¡¯ll really teach me?¡±

    A thin smile spread across Morgan¡¯s lips, and Caprice shivered. I think he has the wrong idea. Totally the wrong idea.

    ¡°By all means,¡± she replied with icy smoothness.

    Either he was a complete idiot or he was an amazing actor. Caprice couldn¡¯t tell, but joy spread across his face as he excitedly fumbled for his palm-slate. ¡°Here let me give you my number. You can call me anytime. Day or night.¡± He looked into Le Caster¡¯s eyes with desire. ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave me hanging. Promise me you¡¯ll call.¡±

    For a moment, Morgan appeared confused, then a sudden realization dawned upon her and she grew visibly rigid.

    Now she¡¯s getting it? Caprice wondered. Just what did she think he meant all this time?

    Feeling that things were getting out of hand, Caprice stepped between them and hastily pulled Desanto along with her. ¡°We need to go. Things to do. First day at a new school.¡± She yanked him behind her. ¡°Come on, will you!¡±

    ¡°Wait¡ªI need to give her my number,¡± he protested though he wasn¡¯t digging in his heels.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t give your name, and now you want to give her your number?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a change of heart.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You do not need to give her your number!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. She¡¯s offering to teach me. Do you know what that means?¡±

    ¡°Not what you think it does,¡± Caprice exclaimed.

    Exerting all the strength she had built up during long hours of hard training, Caprice succeeded in getting the proverbial boulder rolling, and Desanto stopped fighting her.

    ¡°A date with a beautiful woman like that?¡± He sounded annoyed yet he followed obediently behind her. ¡°You do realize that if I miss this opportunity, I¡¯m going to demand compensation. A woman like that only comes into a man¡¯s life once in his lifetime.¡±

    Caprice tossed her hands into the air. ¡°Believe me, you do not want to cross swords with her.¡±

    Desanto frowned and picked up his pace so as to walk abreast of her. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°My Guardian wasn¡¯t talking about a date. She was challenging you to a duel. She was intending to kick your ass!¡±

    Caprice was a little surprised to see the disbelief on his face, and he sounded crushed.

    ¡°No way. No way. But¡­she promised to teach me¡ª¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what she had in mind.¡± Caprice growled. ¡°How can men be so stupid!¡±

    ¡°Are you asking me, or the public in general?¡± She threw him a glare and he shirked back, stuttering, ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­what it is¡­that¡¯s the way we are¡­you know?¡±

    Caprice stopped walking and he did too a heartbeat later. ¡°Trust me when I say this, you do not want to cross blades with her. My Guardian is strong. Very strong.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s my instructress. She¡¯s my teacher, and she¡¯s teaching me how to use my Remnant.¡±

    ¡°Oh, your Valkyrie.¡±

    Caprice felt her heart stop in her chest, then start up again a second later. ¡°H¡ªhow do you know that?¡±

    He shrugged sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    Caprice shook her head at him. ¡°No. I want to know how you know that.¡±

    A look of regret flashed across his face, but then he shrugged yet again and said, ¡°My Remnant asked your Remnant, and it told me.¡±

    Caprice couldn¡¯t tell if he was lying or not, because she didn¡¯t know if it was possible for a Remnant to talk to Remnant. She wrote mental note to ask Morgan when the opportunity arose.

    Desanto slipped his hands into his trouser pockets. ¡°But anyway, I don¡¯t mind if your Guardian is strong. I like strong women. They get the blood flowing.¡± He waggled his eyebrows at her. ¡°You know what I mean?¡±

    ¡°Will it hurt if I kick you now?¡±

    He stepped back a safe distance. ¡°Probably.¡±

    Caprice felt defeated and slumped her shoulders as she sighed. ¡°This wasn¡¯t how I imagined my first day at a new school.¡±

    ¡°I bet it¡¯s a lot more interesting this way,¡± he remarked with utmost sincerity.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± she yelled.

    Then another voice ¨C a girl¡¯s voice ¨C yelled out quite loudly, startling both Desanto and Caprice.

    ¡°Caelum Desanto! Get away from that girl!¡±

    Desanto¡¯s eyes grew wide and he visibly paled as he looked behind Caprice. ¡°Oh no¡ªHaruka!¡±

    With the sound of fast footsteps storming up behind her, Caprice turned fearfully to look over her shoulder at a girl marching toward her with a fiery look on her face. It wasn¡¯t a look that suited her as she was quite pretty with flowing auburn hair that was unfortunately tied back into a ponytail, a shapely hour-glass figure, and a cup-size well into the double letters of the alphabet. Staring at the girl¡¯s bouncing bosom, Caprice felt woefully inadequate, and grew progressively despondent with each bounce of the girl¡¯s breasts.

    By the time the angry girl arrived before her, Caprice had tears welling up in her eyes.

    The girl stopped in front of her, and grabbed Caprice by the shoulders. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­huh¡­?¡±

    ¡°I asked are you alright? He didn¡¯t do anything weird to you, did he? He didn¡¯t grope you? He didn¡¯t peek down your shirt¡±¡ªthe girl froze as she noticed the difference between herself and Caprice¡ª¡°ah, no, I guess not.¡± Shaking her head quickly, she pressed on in a hurry. ¡°What did he do to you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Haruka,¡± Desanto hesitantly called out in a meek voice, ¡°don¡¯t you think you¡¯re jumping the gun.¡±

    The beautiful yet fierce brunette faced him, her overly long ponytail slapping Caprice¡¯s face as she whipped her head around to glare at Desanto. ¡°There¡¯s a girl in tears here. Who else would I suspect but you?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I think she¡¯s crying because of you,¡± he remarked reluctantly. ¡°You can make a girl feel small.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Haruka sounded startled and confused, then turned to look down at Caprice who stood an inch or so shorter than her. ¡°Is¡­is that true?¡±

    Caprice wiped the tears from her eyes before they could fall down her cheeks, then looked up at the busty brunette who¡¯d made such a moving entrance. ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± she whispered. ¡°It¡¯s just not fair¡­.¡±

    Desanto sounded sympathetic. ¡°Haruka, you hurt Double-A¡¯s feelings.¡±

    ¡°Geh!¡± Haruka stiffened sharply, and Caprice felt her face redden with tears once more ready to spill down her cheeks.

    Not knowing what to do, Haruka abruptly embraced her, crushing Caprice against the girl¡¯s immense and firm bosom. ¡°There, there. Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ll see. There¡¯s plenty of time yet.¡±

    Caprice sniffed. She¡¯s making me feel worse!

    Her Awareness-field tingled or rather alerted her to two newcomers stopping behind her. A moment later, she heard a girl ask in chipper voice, ¡°Haruka, did you make another girl cry?¡±

    ¡°I most certainly did not¡ªI mean I hope not.¡± Releasing Caprice from the embrace, the girl looked into her eyes. ¡°Right?¡±

    Caprice shook her head. ¡°No. You made me cry.¡±

    She heard one of the two girl¡¯s behind her snicker. ¡°Pay up, Alastair.¡±

    A mellifluous voice replied, ¡°Very well. And here I was believing my money on Pervert Desanto was a sure thing. Life never ceases to amaze me.¡±

    ¡°Alastair, you wench,¡± Desanto complained. ¡°You bet on me!¡±

    ¡°I did indeed. I amassed my personal fortune by placing my money on you all the time. For example, I bet that you¡¯d be single in a week and I won. Unfortunately, the odds weren¡¯t good so the return was rather poor.¡±

    Something about the girl¡¯s silky voice made Caprice tremble, and she turned to look behind her at two girls, one a blonde with short hair wearing a cheerful smile, the other a brunette wearing her hair in a long thick braid that flowed over her left shoulder and down her chest. She carried her school bag before her like a well-mannered young lady, rather than slung from a shoulder. If Caprice had to say who was prettier, it was the brunette who radiated an air of royalty as she spoke in a melodious yet scything voice.

    ¡°Such a pity, though you were always a mismatched couple to begin with. It simply wouldn¡¯t do to have the Third Princess of Galatea Academy be seen with the likes of you.¡± The girl tipped her head as she smiled brightly. ¡°You do realize she was only playing with you¡ª¡±

    Caprice felt the air harden, and she immediately tensed her body as a sudden wind blew around her. A Hecaton-field?

    The wind circled around the brunette with the braid and flipped her skirt up, exposing her derriere to the surrounding students. The girls gasped and the guys stopped to treasure the sight, but the brunette continued smiling as though nothing untoward had taken place.

    Desanto sounded discreetly menacing. ¡°Alastair, it¡¯s because you¡¯re a bitch that you¡¯ll graduate a virgin.¡±

    The wind died down and the girl¡¯s skirt settled around her buttocks and legs. She placed a hand to a cheek and made an expression of mock surprise. ¡°Oh my, is that what it is? Is that why the boys don¡¯t like me?¡±

    ¡°And for your information,¡± he added, ¡°it was a mutual decision.¡±

    Caprice pushed back from Haruka, and craned her neck to watch Desanto fix the straps of his school bag on his right shoulder, and walk toward the high school buildings. Not once did he look behind him as he joined the crowd of students on the wide path running east-west before the buildings.

    ¡°Oh my, did I upset him. I was only telling the truth,¡± Alastair opinioned.

    The blonde girl beside her grimaced faintly. ¡°Hey Alastair, remind me again why I¡¯m your friend.¡±

    ¡°Because I make life interesting,¡± the girl replied while patting down her skirt. ¡°Oh my, I really did make him angry.¡± She picked up something from the ground and then held it up for her blonde companion to see.

    Caprice gasped when recognized them as a girl¡¯s thong panties, the kind with a bow at the hip. Very racy, indeed. Too racy for a high school girl. Then she noticed that the hip strap had been cut through, and her blood ran cold.

    A Gram-field?

    Her mind refused to believe that Desanto had sliced through the material with a Gram-field without the girl noticing. Then again, it was more incredible that he¡¯d cut only the panty material and not her skin.

    Just who the Hell is this guy?

    Alastair wore a thin menacing smile as she looked off in Desanto¡¯s direction, and clenched the ruined panty in a small dainty fist. ¡°I do believe this means war.¡±

    The blonde girl looked stunned for words, eventually muttering, ¡°You reap what you sow.¡±

    Because she was being held, Caprice felt Haruka grow tense for a heartbeat before whispering, ¡°Not good. Not good at all¡­.¡±

    - IV -

    Morgan Le Caster sat in the passenger cabin of the limo, the vehicle still parked at the school, and pulled out her singing palm-slate from the inside pocket of her business jacket.

    After reading the caller ID, she slid her thumb over the slate¡¯s screen and answered the call. ¡°Well, that was quick. I didn¡¯t expect to hear from you so soon. I only sent that message a minute ago.¡±

    The girl on the other end of the line giggled happily. ¡°I thought I¡¯d call you before you call me.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you have too much free time on your hands.¡± She held the palm-slate closer to her right ear. ¡°Well, what do you have for me?¡±

    ¡°Before I answer that, tell me the truth, did you really not know who he was before you ruffled his feathers like that?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t. Now tell me, who is he?¡±

    ¡°Then tell me this, why do you make life so hard for yourself? If you¡¯d treated him nicely, he¡¯d be eating out of your palm by now.¡±

    ¡°Dealing with one child is time consuming. Dealing with two would send me into early retirement. Now, do you have an answer for me?¡±

    ¡°I sure do. But¡­you may not like it.¡±

    Morgan sat back in the seat, aware that bodyguards sharing the passenger cabin were politely minding their own business. ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡±

    ¡°No, seriously you may not like it.¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡±

    The girl sighed. ¡°His name is Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear, and his Guardian is Arisa Imreh Lanfear.¡±

    Morgan held her breath for a moment. ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°I am indeed. Straight from the horse¡¯s mouth. The security cameras watching the sidewalks around the school recorded Steiner and Desanto having a heart-to-heart, and his introduction. I verified his face to the records available to us from Public Security¡¯s archives. Oh, I had to use your authority as Guardian to do so. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Morgan rolled the names on her tongue, and they left a bitter taste on her tongue.

    ¡°So¡­what will you do? Are you really going to teach him some manners?¡±

    She pondered her next move in silence, feeling as though she was standing on the threshold to a very dangerous place. ¡°At the very least, I may choose to have some fun with him.¡±

    ¡°What? Fun? You¡ª?¡±

    Morgan hung up on the girl before Vignette could get on her nerves, then slowly tapped the edge of the palm-slate against her lips as a memory floated before her eyes.

    No wonder he looked familiar, she thought to herself then snorted softly under breath.

    Her palm-slate chimed and she saw that it was a message from Vignette.

    I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT HIS NUMBER.

    Morgan frowned, and after a few seconds, she saved it away in her palm-slate¡¯s contact listing, then told the limo driver, ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Take us back to the estate.¡±

    The limo pulled out smoothly out of the parking area and then and exited the academy grounds via the wide east entrance, slipping into the slow traffic grinding along the street.

    Tomorrow we fly in, Morgan decided before staring at her phone with a frown. Coming to a decision a short while later, she dialed up a number she hadn¡¯t called in a while, half wondering if it was still good. When the call was answered, she heard a young woman¡¯s sleepy voice on the other end.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Arisa, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°So what do you want?¡±

    ¡°Did I wake you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. State your reason for waking me up or I¡¯m hanging up.¡±

    ¡°Are you free for lunch today?¡±

    There was a long moment of silence on the line before the woman¡¯s voice asked, ¡°What do you want, Morgan?¡±

    ¡°I have a proposition for you I wish to discuss. It¡¯ll be my treat.¡±

    Another long moment of silence followed before Arisa Imreh Lanfear said, ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss your ward, Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The call ended with an artificial click.

    Morgan regarded her palm-slate with annoyance, then redialed the number.

    The call was answered with, ¡°I told you, no.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to take him off your hands.¡±

    The bodyguards in the car all stared at her in horror but with some effort they restrained their outburst to a series of short gasps.

    ¡°¡­what did he do¡­?¡±

    ¡°He wants me to teach him things.¡±

    Arisa sighed drowsily. ¡°Morgan, I¡¯m not playing games. I¡¯m going to hang up and block your calls afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember Caprice?¡±

    ¡°¡­I do¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m her Guardian.¡±

    It sounded as though Arisa was moving about on bed. Morgan heard her say something along the lines of ¡®go back to sleep¡¯ followed by a long period of silence before Arisa came back on.

    ¡°Was it by choice? No, I guess it would be.¡±

    Morgan nodded gently. ¡°Yes, I owed it to her. And I made a promise to her as well that I would take care of Caprice. I¡¯ve been her Guardian for more than a year now.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you left the Sanctum.¡±

    ¡°Lunch, Arisa. I have things I¡¯d like to discuss.¡±

    Another soft sigh. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go to that restaurant she loved. Maybe we should pay our respects as well.¡±

    Morgan felt her throat tighten, nodding though Arisa couldn¡¯t see her. ¡°Yes, we should¡­.¡±

    - V -

    The ride to work was worse than expected.

    She blamed it on the students living in Pharos. It seemed they¡¯d gotten up early as well to avoid being late on the first day of school. Consequently, with everyone having the same idea the mag-lev carriage was more crowded than she¡¯d anticipated.

    But that wasn¡¯t what made the ride so horrible.

    During the last half of the trip, while the mag-lev made the run through the vacuum between Island Two and the immense Island One, an unknown man standing behind her on the crowded carriage had groped her and then taken it further.

    Sitting at her desk in her wide cubicle, she felt sick as the experience refused to leave her mind.

    The need to live her life inconspicuously, to keep a low profile, to avoid attracting attention, and above all else to slip under the radar of the Enforcer Division had robbed her of the right to protect herself, and so she had bit her lower lip until it bled and endured the man¡¯s hand on her buttocks. Emboldened by what he pierced as her submissiveness, the bastard had slipped his hand under her skirt, and then his fingers under her panties. As she hung onto the handrail and squeezed her eyes shut, he pressed his advantage and put his fingers to work.

    Somehow, by the merest thinnest of margins she had kept quiet throughout the ordeal, fighting down the arousal that burned through her body and made her legs rubbery until the mag-lev arrived at the first station in Island One¡¯s Habitat One. At that point she fled the carriage. Running to one of the station¡¯s toilets, she shut herself in a stall and threw up her morning breakfast into the bowl. It would be many long minutes before she recovered sufficiently to step out of the stall, clean herself up, fix her appearance, and then leave the toilets. Exiting the station, she hailed down a passing auto-cab. She didn¡¯t care if it cost her a week¡¯s travel expenses, but she wasn¡¯t in any condition to travel by mag-lev the remaining distance to her workplace or for the foreseeable future.

    Surprisingly the auto-cab made good time in morning traffic, and she arrived at the offices of the Steiner Corporation¡¯s software division housed in the massive, terraced pyramid that served as the company¡¯s head office here in Pharos.

    She had been given inviolable orders to live discreetly, yet somehow she had ended up working for the largest company operating out of Pharos, with interests that spanned every mapped corner of the Hurakan Nebula.

    Pushing away from her desk in the spacious cubicle, she walked to the ladies bathroom allocated to the software division employees working on the fiftieth floor, and found herself an empty stall. Locking herself inside, she retrieved the crystal from her skirt pocket, and regarded the small item in the palm of her hand.

    She didn¡¯t bother wondering how it had been delivered. The only thing she needed to know was that she had twenty-four hours to make good on her role as the gateway into Pharos.

    Wincing as she felt around her lower lip with her tongue, Revlina Laurentine began planning for a busy day, including making a call to someone who might help her enact revenge on the bastard who¡¯d molested her on the train.

    It would be difficult for him to enact a repeat performance without any fingers.

    @@@

 Vol 1 - Ch 2 - New School, New Friends, New Challenge. (Draft 1)

    Chapter 2 ¨C New School, New Friends, New Challenge.

    - I -

    According to the most reliable of statistics, at any given time one out of every five humans was an Aventis, and one out of every thousand humans was a Familiar. Thus, for a colony like Pharos that was home to a registered population exceeding five million people, that worked out to a million or so Aventis residents, and a mere five thousand odd Familiars.

    Applying those ratios to the student demographic numbering in the vicinity of four hundred thousand individuals, calculates to some eighty thousand Aventis students, and four hundred Familiars attending schools throughout Pharos of which thirty-six institutions catered to the Regulars, but only five prestigious academies were dedicated to the Aventis, one situated in each of the asteroid Islands. Because of this, it is easy to understand why these academies occupied such a large footprint within their respective habitats.

    Galatea Academy was the third school established for the Aventis. Located in Island Three¡¯s Habitat One, it occupied an entire district block with a surface area of around a square kilometer. At first glance it appeared quite large, yet surprisingly its faculty buildings were rather low at five stories in height, in comparison to the towering megascrapers of the habitat. In terms of student volume, Galatea had the lowest enrollment numbers of all the academies, a mere nine-and-a-half thousand students, half in middle school and the remainder in high school. To put this in perspective, Island One¡¯s Vardant Academy ¨C the oldest of the five institutions ¨C had more than twenty thousand students and the most Familiars in attendance.

    However, it was Galatea¡¯s motto of quality over quantity, and it prided itself on its history of competing and often defeating its larger sister academies whether in academics, sports, or the Summer and Winter Remnant Fiestas held between the five Academies during which Familiars battled for the honor of their school and personal gain.

    ***

    In hindsight, it proved fortunate for Caprice to have encountered Caelum Desanto as it led to her meeting three of her new classmates in Haruka Amiella, Siobhan St Clair, and Alastair Kell.

    Caprice learnt they were all assigned to the same class as her, namely Class W-1A.

    She also learnt that the three girls belonged to the Avenir Pride, though only Alastair was a Pureblood Aventis amongst them, having been born with the Symbiote inside her body when it was passed down to her while she was in her mother¡¯s womb. Because of this, Alastair¡¯s compatibility with her Symbiote was nearly a hundred percent, while Haruka and Siobhan had lower compatibility scores in the mid-eighties. This meant that Alastair would get the most benefit from the Avenir strain of the Symbiote. She was a little stronger than the other girls, and would heal faster. However, it did nothing to improve the girl¡¯s personality.

    Caprice feared for Desanto¡¯s wellbeing as Alastair listed the things she would do to him in revenge for her ruined underwear, and none of them sounded good.

    Speaking of underwear, Caprice was surprised to learn the girl carried another pair with her, leading her to suspect this was not the first time Desanto had sliced through her panties. At the least, she didn¡¯t want to think of another reason as to why Alastair would carry two pairs of panties with her.

    Learning that Caprice was a new transfer student, Haruka decided to be supportive and assumed the role of school guide. Though Caprice had attended orientation week a week ago, she accepted Haruka¡¯s help with only a moment¡¯s hesitation as she was indeed new to the place.

    First on the agenda were the shoe lockers.

    At her school for Regulars, there had been no need to change shoes, but the Aventis academies had a long-standing tradition of having their students change to indoor shoes while on school grounds. This meant having large halls at ground floor for the countless shoe lockers worn by the students. Caprice found her locker with a combination of Haruka¡¯s help and by following the signs at the foot or head of each aisle. After taking them off, she placed her outdoor shoes into the locker, and pulled out of her bag the pair of indoor shoes she had brought with her, having purchased them during orientation week.

    Second on the agenda was locating their classroom, and again, Caprice chose to follow Haruka¡¯s lead.

    Viewed from above, the high school building resembled a bold letter H. It had an east and west wing, and the cafeteria ¨C resembling a giant donut ¨C bridged the space between them. Classes situated in the two wings were identified as east or west. For example, Caprice¡¯s classroom of 1A was prefixed with a ¡®W¡¯ to indicated the west wing. Alastair explained that the east-west allocation of students had led to the formation of a rivalry between the two wings of the school such that east competed with west during sporting festivals and other events.

    Arriving at their classroom of West-1A, the girls went to their allocated smart-desks. Caprice was a little disappointed to learn she would be seated away from the girls and at the back of the room. Shrugging it aside, she followed the instructions on her palm-slate given to her during orientation week, and booted up her desk, logged into it, then waited for the operating system¡¯s wizard to set up her profile. There was time to do this because the school assembly wasn¡¯t scheduled to start until ten a.m. that morning, and the room soon filled up with the other students of Class W-1A.

    Sitting quietly and alone, she studied the students that walked in and wondered if she was the only Familiar assigned to the class, until a girl with shoulder length auburn hair and a restraining collar stepped into the room. Standing within the doorway, the newcomer eyed the classroom and her classmates with a flat expression that hinted at disdain before walking between desks and students to the back of the room. She arrived at the unoccupied smart-desk to the immediate left of Caprice, and sat down without acknowledging the weak smile Caprice gave her in uncertain greeting.

    Having been abandoned by Haruka and her friends ¨C the trio was busy chatting amongst themselves having been conveniently assigned smart-desks close to each other ¨C Caprice gathered her courage and turned to the Familiar girl seated beside her.

    ¡°Ah¡­hello.¡± She held out her right hand. ¡°I¡¯m Caprice.¡±

    The girl continued working on her smart-desk.

    Caprice continued holding out her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ignore me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ignoring you. I¡¯m busy,¡± the girl replied.

    Withdrawing her hand, Caprice felt her hairs begin to rise on the back of her neck. ¡°Fine. Have it your way.¡± She turned away and stared glumly at the front of the classroom. Growing more annoyed by the moment, she started to rise from her seat with the intention of walking up to Haruka who was busy introducing herself to the classmates she obviously hadn¡¯t met before.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± the girl asked.

    ¡°To speak to a friend.¡±

    ¡°A friend?¡± The girl looked up at Caprice who was on her feet by then. ¡°In this place? A school for Aventis?¡±

    Caprice felt as though her heart was being faintly squeezed. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Take a look around,¡± the girl replied in a flat tone, ¡°and then think about why you and I are at the back of the classroom.¡±

    Caprice stood still, then did as the girl suggested. She looked over at Haruka and her group, the girls surrounded by other girls ¨C Aventis girls ¨C and then watched her male classmates begin to make tentative bonds of friendship with the guys around them, all of them Aventis.

    After a while she sat back down, a feeling of emptiness consuming her chest.

    The girl had finished setting up her desk, and was busy testing out the learning aid that came with it, a device shaped like a wireless headset and designed to induce brainwaves that would help a student focus on the lecture and thereby improve their ability to learn.

    Seeing her do so and feeling it would distract her from the unpleasant sensation continuing to well up in her chest, Caprice decided to do the same, retrieving the headset from the drawer under the smart desk. She removed it from its plastic sleeve, switched it on, and then slipped it over her head. Listening to the device report it was linking to the smart-desk, she waited for it to finish the synchronization process then ran through the testing phase before shutting the headset down and placing it in the charge cradle mounted on the right side of the desk.

    Folding her arms across her chest, she sat back in her chair and waited for the announcement to summon the students to the gymnasium for the school assembly, but inwardly she was fighting down the hollow feeling that continued to grow inexorably.

    Then she noticed the girl¡¯s hand stretched out to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m Maya.¡± The girl was staring at her intently. ¡°Maya Khayman afil Sora.¡±

    Caprice swallowed and accepted the greeting, shaking the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m Caprice. Ah, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.¡±

    The girl¡¯s eyes flickered in recognition. ¡°Steiner. Are you related to the Steiner Family?¡±

    Caprice stiffened and the girl noticed, her eyes widening for a heartbeat.

    Ending the handshake, Maya appeared to sigh softly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re not the only incredibly rich girl here at Galatea.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, someone said the same thing to me this morning.¡± Remembering the Pervert Desanto, Caprice trembled and prayed to the gods that he wasn¡¯t assigned to her class, though the unoccupied smart-desk to her right had not escaped her notice.

    Could it be for another Familiar? she wondered after staring at it for a moment.

    If it was true, then Maya had made a very clear observation about how the school treated Aventis and Familiars.

    She asked Maya, ¡°Do you know of any others like us in the class?¡±

    The girl arched her eyebrows. ¡°Like us? You make it sound as though we¡¯re a rare species.¡± She glanced away with a frown and muttered, ¡°Well, statistically we are a rare species¡­.¡± Shaking her head briefly, she then shrugged a shoulder, ¡°If that desk is empty, then it¡¯s probably reserved for one of us.¡±

    Caprice felt herself cringe with worry, but then was surprised to hear Maya remark, ¡°I¡¯m glad I won¡¯t be alone this year.¡±

    Before she could ask what Maya meant, a young man walked into the room with an angry air that very quickly stifled the various conversations taking place, and Caprice¡¯s Awareness-field felt like it was being pressed upon by the anger radiating from the youth.

    Then she recognized him and her stomach sank while her heart stumbled in despair.

    ¡°Oh no¡­,¡± she whispered.

    Sitting beside her, Maya sounded as though she was talking to herself. ¡°So it¡¯s true. I¡¯d heard he¡¯d been pushed back a year¡­the Pervert Desanto¡­.¡±

    At sight of her, Desanto¡¯s expression immediately brightened and he waved happily at her while marching down the aisle of smart-desks to the back of the room.

    ¡°Yoh, Double-A!¡±

    Caprice screamed and threw her school bag at him, striking his head and knocking him down.

    At the same time, every one of her classmates froze in mid-heartbeat, but Caprice was only faintly aware of it.

    As Desanto slowly picked himself up off the floor, her body trembled furiously as she glared with murderous intent down at him.

    ¡°I told you not to call me that!¡± she growled.

    Rising slowly, he asked her cautiously, ¡°Then what should I call you?¡±

    ¡°I have a name, you imbecile!¡± She felt like throwing her desk at him next. ¡°Caprice! My name is Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear! Get it? Repeat after me!¡±

    Desanto was rubbing his nose with one hand, while returning her school bag with the other. ¡°Sure thing, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.¡±

    Grabbing the bag out of his hand, she placed it beside her desk, and then realized that everyone in the classroom was staring at her in shock, including Haruka who¡¯d forgotten to close her mouth, though Caprice wondered if that reaction had more to do with Caprice¡¯s sudden outburst than the revelation that she was a Steiner.

    Desanto noticed too and threw his classmates a thin, disdainful look. ¡°What? You peons never seen an heiress before?¡± He waved a hand at Caprice. ¡°You should bow before corporate royalty.¡±

    ¡°GAH!¡± Caprice lost her what remained of her calm. ¡°I am not royalty!¡±

    He faced her with an annoyed expression. ¡°Instead of denying it you should be proud of it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She gaped at him as he walked to empty smart-desk to her right.

    ¡°You¡¯re a rich girl. Enjoy it. Revel in it. You should be proud, and not trying to run away from your family name or their wealth.¡±

    Desanto started up his smart-desk, and worked through the log in and profile setup process.

    Attempting to ignore her staring classmates, Caprice sat back down. ¡°So you knew who I was?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I had no idea. But your Guardian called my Guardian and then my Guardian called me and gave me an earful.¡± He was beginning to sound angry again. ¡°All because she was woken up early when she wanted to sleep in.¡±

    ¡°Your Guardian doesn¡¯t sound too responsible,¡± Maya remarked flatly with her chin resting on an upturned palm, and her elbow on her smart-desk.

    ¡°If you tell her that you¡¯ll find yourself in a world of hurt¡ªwait, who are you?¡± Desanto stared at the girl for a short while. ¡°Oh, you must be the prodigy.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Maya blinked sharply. ¡°The prodigy?¡±

    He nodded quickly. ¡°Yeah, the Countess mentioned I¡¯d be in class with a prodigy.¡± He narrowed his eyes at Caprice. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not the prodigy.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to get hit again,¡± she warned him. ¡°Why are you here anyway? Couldn¡¯t they find any place to hide you, like a detention cell?¡± She pointed at the lockers behind them. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go hide in one of those.¡±

    Desanto stared at her innocently. ¡°Why do you hate me so much?¡±

    Caprice heard the words but couldn¡¯t fathom them.

    He grinned proudly and tapped his chest with a thumb. ¡°After all, I rescued you from those kidnappers this morning. You should be grateful.¡±

    ¡°Grateful?¡± Caprice wondered if she¡¯d misheard him.

    ¡°You were kidnapped?¡± Maya asked.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Caprice shot her glance. ¡°N¡ªno. I wasn¡¯t kidnapped. It was all a misunderstanding.¡±

    Desanto looked around Caprice at Maya. ¡°Wow, the Countess didn¡¯t mention how pretty you were. I¡¯ll give you an eight point five out of ten.¡±

    Maya¡¯s eyes narrowed into thin slits, and she remarked dryly, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Caprice muttered, surprised she was even asking.

    Desanto regarded her for a long while. ¡°Seven point five.¡±

    ¡°I really will hit you!¡±

    ¡°Fine. Fine. Seven point eight. That¡¯s my final score.¡±

    She struck him with her bag and broke the shoulder strap in the process.

    - II -

    About fifteen minutes before the appointed time of ten a.m., the announcement came over the public address system instructing all students to assemble in their respective gymnasiums, middle schoolers in one, the high schoolers in the other.

    Caprice walked with Maya the distance from the high school¡¯s west wing to the west gymnasium, trying hard not to drag her feet, while Desanto brought up the rear, his gaze sweeping over anything in a skirt including the teachers who accompanied the students, shepherding them like sheep dogs trying to keep a flock numbering in the thousands together.

    Now that they were on their feet and walking, Caprice noticed that she and Maya were of equal height, though the girl sported a bigger cup size, most probably a B-cup. Thinking of breasts reminded her of Desanto behind them, and Caprice threw him a reproachful look that he missed because he was entranced by a girl from another class with a pair of long sleek legs stretching out from under a skirt that looked suspiciously short.

    Caprice couldn¡¯t hold back the sigh that slipped past her lips. ¡°Can¡¯t I get away from him?¡± she whined softly and hung her head.

    Maya glanced over her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s not so bad.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because he gave you higher score.¡± Caprice clenched a fist. Seven point eight my ass!

    The girl pursed her lips for a moment. ¡°He doesn¡¯t give out high scores lightly. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard. And his opinion gains you votes on the Girls of Galatea.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡± Caprice stared at her dumbfounded.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re new.¡± Maya glanced up at the overhead sky-field with distant eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a ranking website. Very sexist and chauvinistic. The girls all complain about it, but behind the scenes they¡¯re all working to improve their rankings.¡± Maya sighed. ¡°What a bunch of hypocrites.¡±

    Caprice cleared her throat. ¡°A ranking website. And the girls are on it?¡±

    Maya nodded faintly. ¡°It¡¯s only for the high-school girls. The middle schoolers are completely excluded. I guess the guys running it must have some morals to avoid including young girls.¡±

    ¡°How do you know they¡¯re guys?¡±

    Maya frowned in thought while biting on a thumbnail. ¡°You have a point. The girls could have set it up to rank themselves amongst their peers, then spread rumors it was done by the boys. That way no one would suspect them.¡± She glanced at Caprice sidelong. ¡°Good thinking, rich girl.¡±

    Caprice felt her spirits sink. ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that. Because of him, everyone in class knows.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They would have found out regardless,¡± Maya commented. ¡°But is it true that you¡¯re an heiress?¡±

    Feeling a fleeting queasiness, Caprice replied, ¡°I¡¯m only third in line to the throne.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, you never know. Accidents happen. You could find yourself like Queen Elizabeth the First.¡± Furrowing her brows, Maya asked, ¡°So you have siblings?¡±

    Caprice bit the inside of her mouth and remained silent though she replied with a nod.

    ¡°Oh¡­,¡± Maya murmured and asked nothing else.

    They walked in silence for a while, but before arriving at the gymnasium¡¯s entrance, Caprice leaned toward Maya and softly asked, ¡°What did you mean by he was pushed back?¡±

    Maya looked faintly startled. ¡°Oh. I heard he was forced to repeat his first year.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Shaking her head a little, Maya said, ¡°Something happened late last year and he lost a lot of school time. I heard he missed his final exams.¡±

    ¡°Where did you hear this from?¡±

    ¡°Chatter on the forums.¡± Maya dipped her head at the building in front of them. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    They arrived at the west gymnasium, a building large enough to double as a starship hangar. Caprice guessed it was probably three hundred meters long with enough floor space for basketball courts, volley ball courts, and indoor track and field events all conducted at the same time. There were two stages at the opposite ends of the gym ¨C almost lost in the distance ¨C and one of them had been rigged up with chairs and a podium for the school opening assembly. Staring about the interior in awe, she was more shocked to see four or five thousand chairs had been set out on the gym floor. Tugged along by Maya, she joined the rest of her classmates at a seating area designated for Class W-1A by a couple of flags on short stands spaced apart like the safety flags on a beach.

    Taking a seat beside Maya, she looked at classmates and noticed the furtive stares they were giving her, and Haruka was no exception. However, it was the curious look she received from the brunette with the snake tongue, Alastair, that unsettled Caprice the most.

    ¡°Steiner, relax,¡± Desanto grumbled as he sat between her and another guy who¡¯d either conveniently or suspiciously left a seat empty between him and Caprice. ¡°She¡¯s harmless.¡±

    Watching him slouch in the chair and pull down his tie like a delinquent, Caprice sneered at him. ¡°Who invited you to join us?¡±

    ¡°The seat was empty. What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°Go find somewhere else to sit.¡±

    ¡°Then who¡¯s going to protect you?¡± he asked with annoying sincerity.

    Caprice folded her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be protected by a repeat offender.¡±

    Only Desanto¡¯s eyes moved on his face as he focused on her. ¡°What did you call me?¡±

    ¡°A repeat offender.¡±

    ¡°What of it?¡± he asked bluntly.

    ¡°Just wondering,¡± she replied feeling a little wary of him, a nervous tingle running through her chest.

    His attention remained on her for a long while, making her more anxious, until he abruptly looked away and shrugged dismissively. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Though his mood became hard to judge, it was clear he didn¡¯t want to talk about it, and Caprice decided it wasn¡¯t safe for her to pry, so she sat back and faced away from him, catching a glimpse of Haruka looking her way, but choosing not meet the girl¡¯s eyes.

    What was I thinking when I thought we might be friends in a school full of Aventis. How stupid of me.

    Desanto abruptly muttered, ¡°Just when I thought I¡¯d be free of them, I¡¯m right back with them¡­.¡±

    Caprice stared at him out the corner of her left eye, wondering at the history he shared with Haruka and her friends.

    The overhead gym lights dimmed, signaling that the opening assembly for the high school students was about to begin. Indeed, while the gym was gently cast in a soft light, the stage was well lit. Soon a cast of teachers and senior administrators stepped onto the stage, and assumed the seats arranged for them in a long row a short distance behind the podium. Caprice recognized one or two faces from orientation week, but the rest were unknown to her.

    A handful of students were seated in a separate row off to one side of the stage, perpendicular to the teachers, and Caprice assumed they were members of the Student Council. Two of them wore white blazers, a young man and young woman, identifying them as third year seniors. However, what attracted her attention was a pretty girl with long silver hair¡­wearing high heels. The girl was searching the assembled students near the back of the gymnasium with her gaze, and for a moment her eyes met those of Caprice. But then her attention shifted to Caprice¡¯s left, and her widened visibly, even at a distance, convincing Caprice that the girl had been looking for Desanto.

    Glancing at Desanto, Caprice saw him looking across the sea of seated students toward the second-years, but when she followed his line of sight, she couldn¡¯t tell at whom he was looking, while up on the stage the girl with silver hair had chosen to look elsewhere.

    A tall woman with short sandy hair dressed in a smart grey business suit walked calmly across the stage, and then stopped behind the podium. Tapping the microphone once and causing a shrill sound to emanate from the gymnasium¡¯s speakers, the woman waited for the four thousand odd students to settle down and focus on her before beginning the assembly with the words, ¡°Returning students. Advancing students. News students. I, Principal Lavinia Mason Lorian, welcome you all to Galatea Academy.¡±

    Because of the size of the gymnasium, large holovid windows floated overhead displaying the stage up close, focusing on Principal Mason, and affording the first-year students at the back of the gym a view of the action taking place at the opposite end of the building.

    Caprice looked up at the nearest rectangular holovid screen centered on the Principal, and wondered who was greeting the middle schoolers on the opposite side of the school. Then she remembered that Galatea had two Vice-Principals, one handling the middle schoolers and the other responsible for the high school students. Then again, was it right for the head of the Academy to be here first?

    Taking a deep breath to ease her nerves, Caprice listened to the Principal talk of her hopes for the students, what she expected of them, and what they should set out to achieve. It was the usual spiel that Caprice had heard during the opening ceremonies at her school for Regulars, except for one announcement that sent a ripple of surprise sweeping through the seated students.

    ¡°It has been announced by the Primatriarch Council of Pharos, that the Summer and Winter Remnant Fiestas will be held for the first time in six years, and all the Familiars of all Academies are invited to represent themselves and their schools in the competitions.¡±

    Caprice didn¡¯t know what Mason meant by Fiestas, but she could sense the deep surprise and unease that ran through the seated student body, and as Mason¡¯s words registered within their minds, the members of Class W-1A turned to look in the direction of Caprice, Maya, and Desanto conveniently sitting together.

    Forgetting to swallow, Caprice choked and coughed to clear her throat, while beside her, Maya folded her arms calmly under a stony expression, and Desanto kicked the chair of the student in front of him and uttered a menacing, ¡°Turn around or I¡¯ll twist your rubber neck.¡±

    Recovering hastily, Caprice smacked the back of his head. ¡°Will you behave?¡± she hissed at him as he stared at her like a child believing it was falsely accused of stealing from the cookie jar. Then she leaned quickly toward Maya. ¡°What is she talking about? What Remnant Fiestas.¡±

    Maya answered while staring resentfully at Mason¡¯s image in the holovid window. ¡°The inter-Island competitions held between the Aventis Academies. They¡¯re tournaments only for Familiars since Aventis and Regulars can¡¯t wield Remnants.¡±

    Caprice didn¡¯t bother to hide her surprise. ¡°Really? You mean Familiars can actually do that¡ªI mean, they can take part in competitions just for them?¡±

    Maya frowned at her. ¡°Were you born yesterday?¡±

    ¡°No, but I guess I¡¯ve lived a sheltered life,¡± she admitted.

    From the stage, Mason called upon the Familiars within the student body to stand up and be seen. More than a dozen Familiars seated near the front of the assembly, the third-year seniors, rose first and were soon followed by twenty odd second-year students who more than doubled the number of Familiars ¨C a fairly even mix of guys and girls ¨C standing on their feet.

    Maya exhaled softly and rose to her feet, folding her hands behind her back, and after hesitating for a moment, Caprice stood up beside her, also at attention. Looking around discreetly, she noticed another twenty Familiars standing amongst the first-year students, and quickly judged a combined total of some fifty to sixty Familiars, all of them wearing restraining collars. However, one Familiar remained seated until Caprice reached down, grabbed onto his right earlobe, and used it to pull a recalcitrant Desanto up to his feet.

    Principal Mason spoke into the mike. ¡°My students, please offer a round of applause to your classmates and offer them success in this year¡¯s Remnant Fiestas.¡±

    Caprice didn¡¯t expect anyone to clap, at least none from her class, but to her surprise she was proved wrong, and although it started slowly the applause grew, spreading quickly through the assembled Aventis, and Caprice tried to hide her ambivalent feelings as she watched Haruka, Alastair, and Siobhan clap with a strange expectation and nervousness in their eyes. Feeling self-conscious, Caprice ducked her head and averted her eyes to gaze upon the floor.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    What? What is going on?

    Up on the stage, Mason and the senior staff also applauded the Familiars on their feet.

    Standing beside her, Desanto swore softly. ¡°All this applause, like they¡¯re expecting us to pick up right where the Academy left off.¡±

    Caprice peeked up at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The last school to win the Fiestas was Galatea Academy, seven years ago, right before the eight witches decided to suspend the Fiestas indefinitely.¡±

    He shoved his hands into his pockets and then glowered down at his feet.

    While Caprice wondered why he¡¯d shut up so suddenly, Maya agreed with him in a flat voice. ¡°That¡¯s true. Galatea was the last Academy to win the Fiestas. They¡¯re going to be expecting us to do the same.¡±

    Once the applause died down, Mason called for the Familiars to be seated and Caprice complied. At first she feared Desanto might make a scene, since he loitered on his feet for a moment or two, but eventually he sank down onto his chair and ignored his surroundings.

    As calm descended upon the assembled students, Principal Mason resumed speaking and finished off her speech by wishing all the students a prosperous year, along with a handful of other platitudes that did little to rouse Caprice¡¯s feelings, perhaps because she was preoccupied with the thoughts swirling inside her head.

    Handing the reins of the opening ceremony over to the Vice-Principal, a tall, thin man with a stern face, closely cropped hair, and a military bearing, Principal Mason smoothly departed the stage with the aplomb of a veteran actress having delivered her acceptance speech after winning an award.

    In all honesty, Caprice did try to pay attention to the Vice-Principal¡¯s subsequent speech, but she was too distracted by Desanto¡¯s mood, the expectations of her classmates, and curiosity over the Summer and Winter Remnant Fiestas. Wondering how she could have been so oblivious and ignorant of them, Caprice was also puzzled as to why Morgan never mentioned the tournaments. Choosing to carefully shelve her questions until later, Caprice made a concerted effort to focus on the Vice-Principal¡¯s droning monologue but his words sailed in one ear and out the other unimpeded.

    - III -

    At the conclusion of the opening assembly, Caprice, Maya, and Desanto received a message on their palm-slates requesting their presence at the administration building. They were given instructions on how to get to the briefing room, and after departing the gymnasium, Caprice walked with Maya over to the tall, narrow edifice that lay between the high school and middle school buildings.

    On the way, she asked Maya about the Fiestas but before the latter could reply, an unknown bespectacled girl wearing her long hair auburn in twin-tails ran up to Maya and hugged her in greeting.

    Maya grew very still and stiff as she waited for the overly friendly girl to release her. ¡°Rina, you¡¯re making a scene.¡±

    The girl wearing glasses drew back. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to see you.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes. We saw each other last week. Remember?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but now we¡¯re high schoolers. It¡¯s official. This is different from going to the pool together. And we¡¯re in different classes now. Oh, what class are you in? I¡¯m in West 1-B.¡±

    ¡°West 1-A.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re neighbors.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes. You can let me go now.¡±

    Stepping away from Maya, the girl continued to smile happily until she noticed Caprice regarding her with a critical eye. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry. Who might you be?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be introducing yourself first?¡± Maya pointed out by way of asking.

    Without missing a beat, the girl held out her right hand to Caprice. ¡°I¡¯m Rina Sayen afil Sora.¡± With her other hand, she showed Caprice her collar and the pendant hanging below it, that of a falcon with its claws spread. ¡°May and I are both Soras.¡±

    Caprice shook the proffered hand. ¡°Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Sayen said, then clapped her hands excitedly as she looked at Maya. ¡°Well, what do you think?¡¯

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°About the Fiestas. We get to compete and right in time for our high school debut.¡± Sayen clapped with her fingertips. ¡°Isn¡¯t this wonderful? They¡¯re back. They¡¯re back. My brother would have been so excited. Do you know he missed out on competing? It really sucks that the old bats waited so long to reinstated the Fiestas.¡±

    Maya peered at Sayen. ¡°You¡¯re being obnoxiously happy about this.¡± She resumed walking toward the towering administration building. ¡°Way too happy.¡±

    Caprice and Sayen caught up with her a few moments later, and Sayen grumbled with fake sourness, ¡°But last year we didn¡¯t get to enter.¡±

    Maya rolled her eyes. ¡°Even if the Fiestas hadn¡¯t been suspended, they don¡¯t allow middle schoolers to compete, you dummy. And it would have been pointless for us. We didn¡¯t have enough training with our Remnants. There was no way we could have qualified for the competition. The seniors were just too strong.¡±

    Rina wagged a finger at her. ¡°Maya, you need to think positively.¡±

    ¡°I prefer to think realistically.¡±

    ¡°But remember what your therapist said¡ªoops!¡±

    Maya came to a sudden stop as Sayen slapped her hands over her mouth.

    Caprice watched the brunette with short hair stand deathly still before fixing a glare upon Sayen. ¡°Shut your frekking mouth!¡±

    Maya stormed off then broke into a run, leaving Caprice flummoxed and Sayen contrite, both girls at a standstill on the broad paved path.

    Caprice threw Sayen a questioning look. ¡°Was that something I shouldn¡¯t have heard?¡±

    Sayen stared at the ground for a while. ¡°Please forget what I said.¡±

    After considering it for a few heartbeats, and seeing no benefit to prying into the matter, Caprice nodded once then resumed walking toward the admin building. Since it clearly was a personal issue, Caprice believed it would be up to Maya to decide whether to tell Caprice about it or not. Either way, she didn¡¯t want to be late to the summons issued by the Principal.

    Arriving at the ten storey administration building, Caprice followed the instructions on her palm-slate, as well as the group of Familiars ahead of her, to an elevator that took about a dozen students up to the ninth floor. Exiting the cramped lift car, she and Sayen walked with the other Familiars down a wide hallway to a room at the southern end of the building that was outfitted as a briefing room, with dozens of chairs facing a podium that stood before a wall that was entirely made of permaglass. The transparent wall offered a panoramic view of the school grounds, including the sports fields to the south and the towering habitat buildings that lay beyond the Academy¡¯s border.

    Caprice looked around for Maya, but after locating the girl, she noticed that the seats around Maya were occupied by the students who¡¯d arrived before Caprice, so she sat down on the nearest empty seat, and Sayen sat beside her like a chastised puppy.

    Feeling like Sayen was sucking the life out of the room, Caprice sighed inwardly and chose to distract the girl from her faux pas with Maya. ¡°What are the Fiestas like?¡±

    Sayen looked momentarily confused. ¡°The Fiestas?¡± She blinked slowly. ¡°Oh, the Fiestas.¡± Turning to look at the view out the window, the girl said, ¡°They¡¯re competitions¡ªtournaments¡ªheld between the five Aventis Academies.¡±

    ¡°I know that much, but what else is there to them?¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re basically like arena battles¡ªlike the kind you see in holovision battle shows except there are no special effects. Familiars face each other with their Remnants. There¡¯s a points system, and the battles end when one competitor or the other is disarmed, knocked unconscious, or pushed outside the combat ring. You¡¯re not allowed to maliciously wound your opponent, but students used to get injured all the time.¡± Sayen shivered. ¡°Thinking about it, the Fiestas are rather brutal.¡±

    ¡°And this is what we¡¯re expected to compete in?¡±

    Sayen had lost her earlier enthusiasm and shrugged weakly. ¡°There¡¯s money and prizes and fame¡­I guess¡­.¡±

    ¡°Fame?¡±

    While looking at Sayen, Caprice realized Desanto had been lost along the way. While searching for him amongst the seated students, she happened to twist in her seat to look behind her as Principal Lavinia Mason Lorian and a tall, slender young woman with short blonde hair walked into the room. Both were dressed in dark business suits, and as Mason took her place behind the lectern, her young female companions assumed a position against the window wall with hands folded behind her back like some sort of executive secretary at the beck and call of a corporate CEO, except this secretary wore a restraining collar just like the Familiar students in the room.

    Caprice stared at her dumbfounded, then turned to watch two students, a guy and a girl, who followed Mason and the young blonde Familiar into the room. They took up standing positions on the opposite side of the room, in front of the window wall with a view of the Academy grounds and away from the young blonde secretary.

    The male student had discarded his blazer, but wore the white tie befitting the third-year seniors. Something in his manner demonstrated he was accustomed to being in a position of authority. Caprice studied his face until a memory jogged loose and she recognized him as the Student Council President who¡¯d been present during orientation week, though his name eluded her.

    The girl accompanying him had also done away with her blazer. The short blue tie she wore marked her as a second-year student. Caprice didn¡¯t remember seeing her during orientation week, but did recall her as the girl with silver hair sitting on the stage during the school¡¯s opening assembly. She was wearing high heels then and she was wearing them now, puzzling Caprice since all students were supposed to wear indoor shoes, and she wondered if rank had its privileges.

    At sight of Mason at the lectern, the soft chatter between the seated Familiars, some sixty in number, ended quickly and all eyes were soon focused on the Principal.

    Mason didn¡¯t waste time. ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± she began. ¡°And allow me to express my sincere apologies. I placed all of you in a difficult position this morning by calling you out. I¡¯m grateful that you obliged my selfish request.¡±

    A student seated at the front of the briefing area raised her hand, and stood up without an invitation from Mason. The girl was a third-year senior, as identified by the short white tie she wore, and possessed raven dark hair with bluish streaks running through it. Her manner and bearing were precise, with no wasted movements as she faced Mason.

    ¡°Madam Principal, is it true that the Fiestas have been re-instated this year?¡±

    ¡°It is. I received word of it only this morning.¡±

    This sent a ripple of shock and confusion through the students, though Caprice was more confused than anything else.

    ¡°Do you know why the Primatriarchs changed their minds?¡± the girl cautiously asked.

    ¡°I do not. I have asked my Lorian Primatriarch for more information, but this is a rather impromptu decision on the Council¡¯s part.¡±

    ¡°So what now?¡± the girl asked.

    Mason frowned faintly. ¡°What do you mean, Zenobia?¡±

    ¡°I want to know what you expect from us now?¡±

    The Principal held her silence for a long while, her eyes on Zenobia the whole time. Then she nodded to the girl while straightening behind the lectern. ¡°I expect you to train, to compete, and to win.¡±

    The girl dipped her head at Mason. ¡°For the school?¡±

    ¡°For yourselves, and the school.¡± Mason stepped around the lectern and stood before it. ¡°I want the Aventis of this Academy to look upon you all with respect. With the respect and the admiration that you deserve. That all of you deserve.¡±

    ¡°Respect and admiration?¡± Zenobia reached up and fingered the collar she wore. ¡°From a race of humans that are afraid of us because we can do things they can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°That is true. Familiars are special. They always have been,¡± Mason agreed easily, and that surprised Caprice.

    Across the room, another girl rose to her feet and spoke up. ¡°Madam Principal, we may be seniors but we¡¯ve never competed in the official tournaments. And we don¡¯t know what to expect from our opponents.¡±

    Mason crossed her arms. ¡°Leave that to my people. We¡¯re already gathering the intel you will need to mount strategies and plans.¡±

    Another senior boy sitting at the front said, ¡°The Winter Fiesta is four months away. The Summer Fiesta is nine months away. We have exams this year. We can¡¯t dedicate as much as time as we could last year. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to win. We just we don¡¯t see how we can win.¡±

    Mason nodded. ¡°The seniors at the other Academies are in the same position.¡±

    ¡°Madam Principal, even if that¡¯s true,¡± a boy in the middle of the room asked, ¡°are any of us here strong enough to face Vardant Academy, or Calista Academy? If we¡¯d known the Fiestas would be back on the calendar this year, we would have trained even harder last year.¡±

    ¡°We might stand a chance against Yurishia Academy,¡± a girl voiced, ¡°but I heard that San Serveresta Academy has completely revamped their training facilities, and they¡¯ve hired ex-Sanctum instructors.¡±

    ¡°No, I heard they were from Public Security.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± the girl retorted. ¡°But if they went to those lengths, maybe they knew something we didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible but unlikely,¡± Mason stated. ¡°The truth is San Serveresta had the poorest training facilities to begin with, so that¡¯s why they were upgraded as it was affecting the quality of their Familiars, and they were being overlooked by the Sanctum, Public Security, and Pantheon.¡±

    Pantheon? Caprice felt her breath catch when she heard the name of the largest private military consortium operating in the Hurakan Nebula, and a major employer of high trained and skilled Familiars.

    A young man¡¯s snide voice cut through the room. ¡°Hearing the lot of you bitch and complain is turning my stomach.¡±

    Caprice flinched and haltingly looked over her shoulder toward the door.

    Caelum Desanto stood with this arms shoved into his trousers, scowling at the room full of Familiars. ¡°What a bunch of limp dicks and whiny little bitches.¡± With everyone looking at him, Desanto stepped deeper into the room. ¡°Why don¡¯t you hand in your Remnants and go crawl under your beds. Give your Remnants to Familiars that actually deserve them or have the guts to use them.¡±

    The girl who¡¯d spoken first, Zenobia, glared at Desanto with hands clenched. ¡°How dare you call us cowards.¡±

    ¡°Then shut up and quit complaining,¡± Desanto snapped. ¡°You were a lot cooler last year, Zenobia. I really looked up to you. A nine out of ten. Now you¡¯re just disappointing. I¡¯m tempted to downgrade you to an eight out of ten.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± the girl gasped.

    By then the Familiars were expressing varying degrees of anger on their faces toward Desanto, but one large boy ¨C a senior with cropped blonde hair and muscles straining the fabric of his shirt ¨C took it farther. Rising to his feet, he took thundering strides up to Desanto and looked down at him. For several heartbeats, Caprice feared Desanto would be hammered like a nail into the carpet as the walking mountain of meat, muscle, and sinew trembled in anger before him.

    ¡°Shut the Hell up, Perv. You couldn¡¯t keep your girl for a week and you¡¯re calling us limp dicks. She probably took one look at yours and almost died of laughter.¡±

    Desanto grinned up at him. ¡°So says the two inch man.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡±

    ¡°Drop your pants and show us.¡±

    ¡°Drop yours first.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I will.¡±

    At sight of him unbuckling his belt, Caprice felt something snap inside her. Standing up in a blur of motion, she picked up her chair and flung it at Desanto. But the chair stopped inches short of hitting him, and floated in mid-air for a long moment before it dropped to the ground on its legs, and Caprice realized he¡¯d caught it with a Hecaton-field, yet he showed no signs of discomfort as his restraining collar undoubtedly punished him for the infraction.

    ¡°Double-A, you seriously need to control your temper.¡±

    Caprice pointed an accusing finger at him. ¡°If you drop your pants, I¡¯ll kick you.¡±

    Desanto regarded her for a heartbeat before shrugging and buckling up his belt. Then he grinned up at the larger boy looming over him like a trembling boulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you in the arenas after class. You and me. When I¡¯m finished with you, you will be a two-inch man.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to pound you into the rock walls and turn you into a mosaic,¡± his opponent retorted and tried to push Desanto away, but the latter held his ground and pushed him back instead, sending the large student stumbling back a few steps much to his surprise.

    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Mason spoke loudly from the lectern. ¡°I see detention on the cards for both of you. And as for you, young lady, please refrain from throwing school property around unless you¡¯re willing to pay for the damages.¡±

    Caprice froze. She may be the daughter of an absurdly rich family, but her allowance was a paltry amount. In haste, she bowed her head in apology. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am. Won¡¯t happen again, ma¡¯am.¡± She had to hurriedly retrieve her chair, squeeze by the seated students, and then place the chair back on the ground. After sitting down, she ducked her head in shame, cursing Desanto for flipping her switches and pushing her buttons.

    Mason addressed Desanto coolly. ¡°It¡¯s nice of you to join us, Mister Desanto.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, Madam Principal. I had a personal errand to run.¡±

    ¡°I see. A personal errand, was it? And that makes it fine to be late to an important briefing? Perhaps detention on the first day is in order.¡±

    Caprice peeked over her shoulder to look at Desanto as he stepped closer to the back row of chairs.

    ¡°I only came to say two things, and then I¡¯ll leave, Madam Principal.¡±

    Mason sounded annoyed. ¡°And what would that be, Mister Desanto?¡±

    He focused his attention on the students both sitting and standing. ¡°We¡¯re Familiars. Regulars don¡¯t like us. Aventis are afraid of us and they exploit us. Why? Because we can do what they can¡¯t. We can use the Remnants. And we can kick ass. So they put these collars around our necks to keep us under control, and that way they can sleep comfortably at night.¡±

    Caprice was shocked to hear him speak that way of the Aventis considering that Principal Mason and the Student Council members were in the room.

    Desanto shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest of you, but we only get to shine in the Remnant Fiestas. And for six years they took that away from us. Now they¡¯re giving them back, and whether they like it or not, I¡¯m planning to shine so bright on those arenas that I¡¯m going to leave the Aventis blind, and I¡¯m going to make them sleepless with envy.¡±

    Caprice watched him tap his chest without the slightest hesitation, again not minding that there were Aventis in the room, including the Principal of the Academy.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to put my name and Galatea Academy¡¯s name on the winner¡¯s trophy¡­just like my sister did seven years ago. And like she did, I¡¯m going to win both the Winter and Summer Remnant Fiestas.¡±

    A murmur ran through the seated students, and Caprice felt something change in the emotions filling the room, some of which were projected by Awareness-fields emanating from the Remnants possessed by a handful of Familiars with weak control over them. They weren¡¯t angry at him anymore, but puzzled.

    Desanto pressed on. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but my sister was proud to be a student here. I guess things were different back then for her, and for Familiars in general here in Pharos. The Aventis didn¡¯t look at us the way they do now. Thing have changed since then, but I know that she wanted to leave her mark before she graduated, and she did. So I¡¯m going to do the same. I¡¯m going to do it so that she can be proud of me, and so that I can look back on my time here without regret.¡±

    He looked as though he wanted to say more, but then he reconsidered with a shake of his head, and shrugged his shoulders.

    A boy from up front asked, ¡°So you¡¯re going to win it all on your own?¡±

    Desanto laughed scornfully. ¡°The Summer Fiesta at the end of the year is a solo event. But the Winter Fiesta held mid-year is a partner event. That means team battles. And that brings me to the second thing that I wanted to say.¡± He slipped his hands back into his trouser pockets and paused for dramatic effect. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a partner for the Winter Remnant Fiesta, and it must be a girl. And I¡¯m taking submissions as of today.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Partner with a pervert? Seriously?¡± the girls cried out.

    Desanto chuckled confidently, then held up a clenched fist. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a girl that¡¯s strong, committed, and willing to endure a little punishment to get what she wants. A girl who¡¯ll go the extra mile. A girl like Zenobia used to be before she got cold feet.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have cold feet,¡± Zenobia denied loudly. ¡°And I¡¯m just as cool now as I was before.¡±

    ¡°Why would we want to partner with a weakling like you?¡± a girl with frizzy dark hair asked and stood up with arms folded across her chest. ¡°You¡¯re a repeat offender and still a first year. You¡¯re not even ranked.¡±

    He held up a finger. ¡°Actually, I was ranked but I¡¯ve kind of fallen off the page since then.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± the girl carried on. ¡°All of us having been training and dueling even during the summer break. What have you been doing?¡±

    Desanto replied, ¡°Enjoying easy street.¡±

    Laughter rumbled from the large muscular student who¡¯d threatened Desanto earlier. ¡°You¡¯re going to win the Fiestas? I¡¯d run naked through the school grounds if that happened. Besides, to qualify for the Fiestas you have to possess a top ten ranking.¡±

    Desanto looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to rise to the top, and I¡¯m starting with you.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± the boy stormed up to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m going to qualify for the Fiestas, and I¡¯m going through you first. Starting today.¡±

    The large boy grinned like an ogre. ¡°Oh, bring it on, little man.¡±

    Desanto grinned back. ¡°I can hardly wait, you oversized stepping stone.¡±

    From the front of the room, Zenobia issued a sharp, ¡°Stop it, both of you. Desanto, Le Grange, step away from each other now.¡±

    It took a moment or two, but both male students retreated a short step from each other, however they continued to grin and glare at each other.

    Then a new voice cut in, asking in a flat tone, ¡°So how do we enter our submission?¡±

    Caprice and Sayen stared at Maya, their mouths hanging in disbelief.

    However, Maya was staring fixedly at Desanto who turned to regard her with welcome surprise.

    ¡°Oh, the Prodigy.¡± He turned his grin upon her. ¡°Well, that¡¯s easy. You just have to face me in a one-on-one duel.¡±

    Maya dipped her head at him. ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And any girl that beats me makes it to the shortlist.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean that you¡¯re just not strong enough to win the Fiestas if you get beaten by a girl?¡± Maya questioned.

    ¡°Not necessarily. Just because you beat me once, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll beat me again.¡± He threw back his shoulders. ¡°Either way, I¡¯m expecting you girls to give it your all.¡±

    Several girls yelled to the effect of, ¡°Forget it. Not happening!¡±

    However, Desanto had turned his attention upon Caprice by then, and her stomach clenched as she feared what possible perversity would spout forth from this lips.

    ¡°Yoh, Steiner.¡±

    Caprice held her breath and didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°If you¡¯re having doubts about lining up to challenge me, go take a look at the name on the trophies from seven years ago.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? Why?

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand.¡± With a surprisingly deep bow to Mason, Desanto said, ¡°Madam Principal, by your leave.¡±

    Mason regarded him thinly for a while, before exhaling softly and waving him out. ¡°Very well, you may leave. This will go quicker if you¡¯re not around.¡±

    Zenobia whirled on the Principal in a fluster. ¡°But Madam Principal¡ª!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Zenobia. It¡¯s fine. I have a lot on my plate as it is.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Clicking her tongue in frustration, the girl sat back down while Desanto bowed once more and then smoothly stepped out of the room, leaving Caprice confused, and the other students with complicated feelings, though Zenobia was quite clearly resented what she perceived as preferential treatment for someone she believed didn¡¯t deserve it.

    Then the large boy who¡¯d challenged Desanto spoke up and announced in a deep voice, ¡°Like Hell am I going to allow that bastard to win. It¡¯ll be my name on that trophy, and then I¡¯m going to shove it down his throat.¡± He clenched his large hands, and rumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll do it for me, and for Zenobia.¡± Turning to the front of the room, he pointed at the girl with blue streaks in her hair. ¡°Zenobia, don¡¯t you dare accept his challenge because you have to partner with me!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± the girl exclaimed. ¡°What are you an idiot?¡±

    Caprice looked at the closed door, while the room broke into commotion as the Familiars began to argue amongst themselves. However, they eventually agreed that not doing anything to win the Fiestas and allowing Desanto to stand victorious was something they couldn¡¯t accept.

    Little by little the mood in the room changed, and plans were drawn up to defeat Caelum Desanto in the arenas of battle, and have someone else¡¯s name written on the winner¡¯s trophy this year.

    - IV -

    Because it was the opening day of school, classes weren¡¯t expected to start until after lunch, giving the students the morning to settle into the Academy. This meant that Caprice had time to walk to the school shop and purchase a new school bag or at the least get the broken shoulder strap replaced. She would need to collect her school bag from the classroom. However, before doing so she decided to follow Desanto¡¯s suggestion and look up the other winner of the Fiestas seven years ago, since by his admission she already knew one of the winners was his sister.

    There was no denying Desanto¡¯s sister must have been a very strong Familiar for her to have won even one of the Fiestas. Caprice found herself growing steadily curious over what kind of person the girl was, though she hoped that Desanto¡¯s sister wasn¡¯t a pervert. But she was also curious about the girl¡¯s Remnant, and whether she had unlocked it by the time she fought in the Fiestas.

    Remnants were handed down from Familiar to Familiar by their affiliated Pride. When a Familiar retired from their service to the Pride, the Remnant was handed back to them. Once un-bonded with its Meister, the device reverted to its locked state, and so the next Familiar to receive it would have to unlock it all over again. However, with the passing of time and hands, it was rumored that Remnants became stronger. So a Familiar possessing a Remnant active since the War of Supremacy was likely to be stronger than the same type of Remnant that had only recently been discovered out in the Hurakan Nebula. In short, it was Remnants with the oldest history that were the most sought after.

    In a way, it was similar to how mythological Vampires grew stronger with the ages, such that older Vampires could overwhelm the younger ones.

    After the briefing, Rina Sayen and Maya had shared a heart-to-heart moment that Caprice felt she had no part in. She had excused herself before becoming a third wheel, and used the school¡¯s map application installed on her palm-slate to travel to the trophy room located on the ground floor of the administration building where she could expect to find the Academy¡¯s winnings on display. There were quite a few students wandering about the large room. Though there was abundant space yet to be filled in the display cabinets, there were already a lot trophies sitting on the shelves behind the glass windows. The clear majority belonged to competitions the Aventis had taken part in, and Caprice noticed most of the room was dedicated to their achievements. She remembered Desanto¡¯s words about the Fiestas being the only time that Familiars were allowed to shine, and she felt an unpleasant hollow feeling creep along her back ¨C an emptiness that grew gradually worse the longer she looked around the room.

    Along one wall that could be considered the back of the room, a large display cabinet stood separated from the rest. In a way, it reminded Caprice of how her desk was at the back of the classroom, noticeably away from the Aventis students. Stepping closer to the display, she counted fourteen trophies, and four of those commemorated first place at the Fiestas. Caprice read the engraved names on the winner¡¯s trophy for the Winter Remnant Fiesta from seven years ago.

    Celica Desanto afil Lanfear.

    Karina Valerian afil Lanfear.

    She read the last name over and over, disbelief and confusion filling the emptiness within her, then she looked at the two trophies from that year¡¯s Summer Remnant Fiesta.

    First place: Celica Desanto afil Lanfear.

    Second place: Karina Valerian afil Lanfear.

    Caprice stared at the trophies, her mind swirling with unanswered questions. Why? Why didn¡¯t she tell me? And why didn¡¯t Morgan tell me either. She took a step away from the glass wall cabinet. Why didn¡¯t mother tell me?

    ¡°So this is where you were,¡± a girl¡¯s flat voice sounded from behind Caprice.

    Caprice¡¯s Awareness-field that emanated from her Remnant¡¯s bracelet that she wore under her right sleeve tingled faintly and she registered the girls¡¯ presence as though she had eyes on the back of her head. Maya and Sayen stopped beside her to peer at the trophies in the display cabinet.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking happier,¡± Caprice opined, and Maya nodded.

    ¡°I got my pound of flesh. In this case, a three-course meal.¡± She swept her gaze over the cabinet and the wall. ¡°So we get one little space at the back of the room. No surprising.¡± Maya turned her attention to the trophies. ¡°The first Fiestas took place twenty-five years ago. Galatea had a pretty good track record during that time. I guess there would have been more trophies if the Fiestas hadn¡¯t been cancelled for six consecutive years.¡± She sighed unhappily. ¡°It¡¯s pretty easy to know why that happened.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Maya glanced at Caprice. ¡°I mean Crimson Crescent.¡±

    Caprice¡¯s eyes widened as the proverbial penny dropped.

    Just as the Cataclysm was a term synonymous with the destructive explosion in trans-space that destroyed dozens of stars and planets, Crimson Crescent was synonymous with terrorism.

    Six years ago, the group detonated a bomb in an interstellar superfreighter that had just docked in Island One¡¯s Harbor Sphere. The explosion killed thousands and injured thousands more. Since then, the group had been actively recruiting Familiars to their cause, though surprisingly no one knew what was their motive, whether it was simple terrorism, a revolution, or outright war with the Aventis. One thing that was certain was that Crimson Crescent had its base of operations deep within the Hurakan Nebula, and since the nebula was well over a hundred lightyears wide and deep, and difficult to traverse using trans-space, finding their hideout had proven impossible for the authorities. It wasn¡¯t just the Pharos Enforcer Division Fleet hunting them, but the greater Aventis government from the nearby star systems as well.

    Caprice looked at the trophies.

    Seven years ago was the last time the Fiestas were held until now. They were suspended because of Crimson Crescent blowing up a chunk of the Harbor Sphere, and spreading terror through Pharos.

    Maya dipped her head at the trophies in the wall mounted cabinet. ¡°It¡¯s because of Crimson Crescent that people are even more afraid of us, and of what we can do.¡±

    Caprice voiced her thoughts aloud. ¡°Then I wonder why the Primatriarch Council decided to lift the ban on the competitions?¡±

    Maya raised her chin. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the Primatriarchs decided it was time to show the Aventis and Regulars of Pharos that not all Familiars are like those of Crimson Crescent. Maybe they want to assure people that Familiars are on their side.¡± She shrugged a shoulder. ¡°I just don¡¯t know¡­.¡± After shaking herself free of whatever was chaining her feelings, Maya pointed at the trophies. ¡°So we can guess that Celica Desanto is Pervert Desanto¡¯s sister, but what did he mean by telling you to read the winners¡¯ names?¡±

    Caprice hesitated before giving Maya a shrug of her own, and put on a confused smile. ¡°I have no idea. Maybe he was just jerking me around because I threw a chair at him.¡± On impulse, and wanting to get off the topic of the past Fiesta winners, Caprice threw both girls questioning looks. ¡°By the way, does anyone know what ranking Desanto had before he ¡®dropped off the pages¡¯?¡±

    ¡°You mean before he was absent from school?¡± Maya asked.

    Caprice nodded, and Rina Sayen tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°I looked it up because I was curious too.¡± She held her palm-slate for the two other girls to see.

    ¡°Apparently, he was ranked sixth.¡±

    Maya asked, ¡°Sixth amongst the first-years?¡±

    ¡°No, sixth amongst all the Familiars at Galatea.¡± Rina sounded almost regretful. ¡°And there were more Familiars at the school last year than this year.¡±

    Caprice looked down at the rankings chart from late last year. ¡°Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear. Ranked sixth. Remnant: Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡±

    ¡°So he really was strong,¡± Maya murmured. ¡°That¡¯s impressive for a first-year.¡±

    Caprice read another name on the table. ¡°Zenobia Alcazar afil Raynar. Ranked fourth. Remnant: Gryphon.¡±

    Sayen remarked, ¡°Even amongst the seniors of her day she was strong too.¡±

    Caprice felt oddly strange knowing there was a girl stronger than Desanto. ¡°So if she fought him then she would probably win, and be his partner for the Winter Remnant Fiesta.¡±

    Maya stretched her arms high over her head and arched her back. ¡°Yep. I guess. I remember she was the top ranked girl last year. I always wanted to fight her, but middle-schoolers weren¡¯t allowed to spar or duel with high school Familiars.¡± She grinned faintly to herself. ¡°But I get to duel against her this year. Looking forward to that.¡±

    Someone¡¯s stomach rumbled, and Caprice blushed as she realized it was hers. Glancing at her wrist watch, she saw that it was close to midday. ¡°I think I need some lunch,¡± she admitted, and walked away from the display cabinet. Then she remembered she needed to purchase another school bag or see if the strap could be fixed.

    Walking from the admin building back to their classroom, the trio noticed numerous students entering the giant white donut shaped cafeteria that stood between the east and west wings of the high school building, and Caprice wondered aloud if they¡¯d find a table. Though the cafeteria was enormous, and stood nine floors high, there were more than four thousand high school students in attendance so it was likely to be packed with students looking for a meal, especially since they were not allowed out of the school grounds once classes commenced, so it was either the cafeteria or the vending machines if they wanted to get something to eat.

    Realizing this, Maya and Rina decided to go ahead and secure a table, and quickly exchanged palm-slate numbers with Caprice before the two girls parted ways with her and headed into the cafeteria, while Caprice returned to classroom West-1A.

    As she walked alone, Caprice felt uneasy as she wondered how much Desanto knew about her.

    Was it possible they had met when they were younger?

    Had he met Karina because of his elder sister, Celica?

    Biting her lower lip for a long moment, Caprice noticed she¡¯d arrived at the classroom, and cautiously slid the front door open. In a way she was relieved to find it unoccupied, and walked to the back of the classroom to her smart-desk where she¡¯d left her school bag on the seat. Picking it up, she was surprised by what she saw.

    A second school bag rested on the chair, wrapped in plastic.

    Staring at it with wide eyes, Caprice realized that this was the personal matter Desanto had spoken off and the reason he was late to the briefing.

    Though she did faintly regret hitting him with her school bag, it was his fault for making her mad. As such, buying her a new bag was the least he could do for her.

    Nonetheless she sighed contently as she unwrapped the school bag, and then transferred the contents of her old bag into it. Then she placed the damaged bag into the small locker she¡¯d been allocated at the back of the classroom, spun the dial on the lock, before heading out of the classroom to meet Maya and Sayen for lunch at the cafeteria, messaging them that she was on her way.

    - V -

    At lunch, Revlina Laurentine locked down her terminal knowing it wouldn¡¯t stop the diagnostic program she was running as part of the quality assurance work her team had been assigned to complete by the end of the week. She had turned down the offer from her female coworkers to each lunch together at some restaurant downtown in District Six, not far from the Steiner Corporation building, citing she had an errand to run.

    Though true, she wasn¡¯t about to reveal its nature to the girls in her software department, though the coy delivery of her excuse had them wondering if she was meeting a lunchtime date.

    That part wasn¡¯t true.

    Although it was a hassle, Revlina retrieved a change of clothes from a gym bag she kept in a subway locker. In a toilet stall, she slipped out of her business suit and into casual wear consisting of a dark blouse, denim jacket, black trousers, and swapped her low heels for a pair of comfortable, well-worn sneakers. There was also a second palm-slate in the bag and as expected it was out of charge so Revlina attached the portable charger she brought with her. Putting her work clothes and her other palm-slate in the bag, she put her baseball cap inside a jacket pocket, then exited the women¡¯s toilets. After returned the gym bag to a different locker, she swiped the palm-slate over the turnstile scanner, and then entered the subway platform.

    Traveling by subway rather than the overhead mag-lev, Revlina arrived at District Sixteen located at the far east of Habitat One. Slipping on the baseball cap, she climbed the stairs leading out of the subway station, and walked east a couple of blocks, before arriving at an area known as Chi-Town, a place reminiscent of the old China Towns found long ago on distant Earth, before the vast migration into space.

    The shops here were small and crowded on either side of a narrow plaza. Strange dragon-like creatures adorned the signs and windows, and weird characters with lots of strokes that Revlina knew nothing about spelled their names in a language she didn¡¯t understand. But there was one shop she recognized, and she entered it after casually glancing around to see if she was being followed, though undoubtedly the security cameras in this area would have recorded her stepping off the street sidewalk and onto the plaza crowded with workers from nearby businesses eating a variety of steaming noodles they dipped in a sweet and sour sauce.

    Wrinkling her nose at the smell of food in the air, she was glad to step out of the plaza and into the quaint jewelry shop.

    The old shopkeeper greeted her as he would any other shopper, but Revlina wasn¡¯t just any customer, and after making small talk for a minute and showing her his wares on the counter, he suggested she take a look at his collection of jewelry held in a back room. Closing the shop for business with a sign that said, BACK IN FIFTEEN MINUTES, the old man escorted Revlina to a small back room, where she waited for him to pull back a thick crimson carpet with gold dragon embroidery, and lift the trapdoor underneath. Then she climbed down after him into another room beneath the shop.

    A large black ball about a meter in diameter, floated a few inches above the floor at the back of the underground room, and Revlina chose to keep her distance. But the old man showed no such reluctance, and slipped his hand into the ball as though it were made of water because she could clearly see a ripple run along its black surface which reflected the overhead strip lights. When he pulled out his hand, the old man held a small black box resembling a jewelry case with beveled sides, completely devoid of any markings but for the carvings along its top.

    He held out it out to her, and Revlina opened it to see a slender feminine bracelet lying within.

    ¡°Is this the one?¡± he asked her.

    She found his smile a little unnerving. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Reaching inside the box she retrieved the slender bracelet and slipped it around her left wrist. The bracelet warmed to her skin in an instant, and she felt as though fingers were creeping around inside her brain. When the sensation faded a short while later, the bracelet almost vanished from view as it assumed the color of her skin and camouflaged itself.

    The bracelet was the key or link to the Remnant residing within its Sarcophagus. The Sarcophagus itself was hiding in a fold in the fabric of space-time, commonly referred to as Pocket Space. In other words, the bracelet was like a key ring hanging outside of a trouser pocket, while the keys ¨C the Sarcophagus ¨C was inside the pocket. Where the bracelet went, the Sarcophagus in Pocket Space followed, although the latter was impossible detect. Even the Awareness-fields that radiated from other Remnants like radar waves would fail to perceive a Sarcophagus hiding in Pocket Space, although Revlina was aware that some Remnants, those belonging to the Ruler Class, had abilities that could force a Sarcophagus to reveal itself. With any luck, and the gods willing, she wouldn¡¯t run into a Familiar with a Ruler Class Remnant.

    Closing the box, the old man continued to smile at her. ¡°Then I wish you luck, Ferryman.¡±

    Revlina clamped down on the shiver that almost broke free and ran through her body.

    If she failed in her role as the gateway or ferryman into Pharos, then she¡¯d better pack her bags and run. However, she honestly didn¡¯t know how long she could stay ahead of them if they were serious about capturing and punishing her for her failures. The organization wasn¡¯t the forgiving kind. Turning herself into Public Security or the Sanctum might be better options than trying to flee. Although she faced the prospect of a lifetime imprisonment, she would at least be alive. Then again, if the organization had operatives within Public Security or the Sanctum, they would probably get to her regardless.

    The old man returned the box to the black sphere, and Revlina climbed out of the room ahead of him. After he closed the trapdoor and unfurled the dragon carpet over it, she followed him out to the front of the shop, and exited the establishment moments later.

    Behind her, the old man flipped the sign on the door, indicating the shop was once more open for business.

    @@@

 Vol 1 - Ch 3 - Bringing the Pain. (Draft 1)

    Chapter 3 ¨C Bringing the Pain.

    - I -

    Because he left the briefing early, and thereby used up a truckload of goodwill points with Principal Mason, Caelum had time to kill before the start of lunch and afternoon classes.

    With the Symbiote inside, his body was feeling amped up, but having the worm within his body also killed most of his appetite. Taking advantage of this, Caelum had slept in late, then skipped breakfast, hoping he would be in the mood for lunch. However, now that lunchtime was on the doorstep, he still found himself without an appetite. Yet it didn¡¯t feel right not to eat something, so that¡¯s why he paid the cafeteria a visit and picked up a half sandwich roll.

    Leaving the cafeteria via the fourth floor bridgeway connecting the giant donut shaped edifice to the west wing of the high school building, Caelum climbed up to the stairwell that afforded access to one of the rooftop courtyards, and was pleased to find the door to the courtyard was open. He stepped out to find a few students lounging on the benches at various tables. Since he was familiar with the layout of the place, Caelum walked north to the rooftop penthouse machinery building that separated this courtyard from the next one.

    Although the collar was going to bite him a little, he summoned an Icarus-field through the bracelet he wore on his right wrist under his shirt sleeve ¨C the link to the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing snug in its Sarcophagus hiding nearby in Pocket Space ¨C and used it to boost his jump onto the machinery room¡¯s rooftop. Then he slipped out of his blue summer blazer, folded it, and then placed it on the ground. Sitting on the rooftop, he ate the sandwich roll while staring at the habitat surrounding the school, dusted his hands when finished, then lay back to stare up at the mimetic sky-field overhead that simulated a partially cloudy day.

    Because it was a space colony, Pharos followed the calendar and seasons of the capital world of Aeneas, specifically its northern hemisphere. Because of this the habitat environmental controls were in summer mode, and that meant an average heat in the high twenty degrees centigrade. During the winter cycle around the middle of the year, the habitat saved power by reducing the average temperature to the high teens centigrade. In other words, a little colder while not being too cold.

    A gentle breeze blew over the buildings, coming from air vents of the atmospheric towers that rose here and there throughout the habitat, and from the environmental systems in the cavern¡¯s ceiling hidden behind the mimetic sky-field.

    Caelum closed his eyes, finding himself spiraling gently into slumber¡­until the voice of a young woman in his mind interrupted his tranquility.

    [*Wake up. You have company.]

    ¡°¡­huh¡­?¡±

    He opened his eyes and blinked away the bleariness.

    [*Here she comes. Oh, and she seems quite angry.]

    Caelum propped himself up on his elbows in time to see a girl leap skyward in front of him.

    ¡°¡­what the Hell¡­?¡±

    She leapt from the outside of the five storey building, sailed high over the fence that surrounded the entire rooftop of the west wing, then came down toward him with teeth bared and right fist drawn back to deliver a piledriving punch.

    ¡°Pervert Desanto!¡±

    The girl¡¯s cry would undoubtedly draw attention to her and to him, but for the moment Caelum was more worried about the damage her incoming punch would inflict on his body. Not bothering to swear in complaint at having his siesta disturbed, he rolled away as Zenobia Alcazar fell toward him, her fist narrowly missing him and striking the machinery penthouse¡¯s rooftop, leaving a large crater in the permacrete. Using an Icarus-field, and feeling the collar sting unpleasantly as a consequence, Caelum elevated himself to his feet, and then scrambled to put distance between him and Zenobia.

    The girl straightened on her feet, the air around her right fist shimmering from the effect of the Aegis-field summoned through the bracelet she wore on her wrist, the link to her Remnant, a type Gryphon that was contained in its own Sarcophagus and Pocket Space.

    ¡°You called me a coward,¡± she growled at him, sounding bestial in the process.

    Caelum held his hands up. ¡°Wait¡ªZenobia, you have it all wrong. I only did that because¡ª¡±

    ¡°And I have cold feet!¡±

    Now he waved his hands frantically. ¡°Wait¡ªhear me out.¡±

    ¡°How did you know I have cold feet?¡±

    Caelum gave her a bemused frown. ¡°Heh?¡±

    ¡°Save it for after I beat you up.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡ªI didn¡¯t say anything¡ªWait! Zenobia!¡±

    Clenching both fists this time, and summoning an Aegis-field around them, Zenobia crouched before leaping toward him.

    Caelum pushed his consciousness into an overclocked state or it would be impossible for his mind to keep up with Zenobia¡¯s movements.

    The girl was wearing her restraining collar, yet it was clear that she was summoning fields from her Remnant that the bracelet then manifested around her body. Only with an Icarus-field giving her ankles wings could she have leapt higher than the five storey high school building. Yet she wasn¡¯t showing signs of discomfort, so he could only assume her restrictions enforced through the collar had been temporarily lifted.

    Damn it! I bet it was Lavinia Mason who authorized it.

    If true it meant he was at horrid disadvantage as his collar was sending hot sparks through his body when he summoned an Icarus-field of his own to help him leap backwards off the machinery building¡¯s rooftop. But rather than leap into the courtyard below populated by lunching students, he used the field to extend his jump to some fifty feet such that he landed on the next rooftop building ¨C a large hut that afforded access to the courtyard below.

    The jump carried him over the heads of dozens of students who¡¯d come up to eat their lunches, and avoid the cramped cafeteria. He glimpsed their surprised faces below him, staring up at two students leaping like fleas across the west wing¡¯s rooftop, many of them with food in their mouths. Then his feet touched the roof of the hut, and Caelum tossed his body to the right to avoid Zenobia¡¯s flying punch as she too landed on the hut a heartbeat later.

    He jerked his body back as she spun and kicked at him. Then he jumped up, avoiding the sweeping kick she delivered that would have swept his legs out from under him. When he landed, he skipped back yet again, then darted about the roof of the hut like it was a four-corner boxing ring. On the defensive, he avoided Zenobia¡¯s punches and kicks by centimeters, the Aegis-fields gloving her hands grazing his body time and again, and on each occasion that he dodged a very lethal strike, the collar around his neck stung his body and grew hotter.

    ¡°Zen¡ªwait! This isn¡¯t fair!¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not fair,¡± she grunted between jabbing punches.

    ¡°But I swear I only did it to light a fire under their whiny asses.¡±

    ¡°Whiny? Are you calling me whiny as well?¡±

    Caelum summed an Aegis-field that wrapped around his left forearm in a heartbeat, and used it to block a kick Zenobia delivered that would have crushed a Regular¡¯s arm and broken that of an Aventis. The shimmering field flashed emerald as it collided with the Aegis-field around Zenobia¡¯s leg, her skirt fluttering, revealing the treasure underneath.

    Pressure built up in his skull as he witnessed Zenobia¡¯s silky red panties.

    ¡°Midnight Vixen,¡± he cried out.

    Zenobia spun again, a round house kick that he barely blocked with his left arm cocooned in another hastily summoned Aegis-field. He took the impact, and fell to one knee. ¡°Zen¡ªyou¡¯re fighting dirty!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± She darted back, gave herself some room then charged in again.

    ¡°Those panties are lethal.¡±

    Zenobia skidded a stop then turned beat red as she planted her hands down upon her skirt. ¡°You¡ªyou saw?¡±

    ¡°Of course I saw,¡± he replied then gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Zen¡ªthose are dangerous! But they¡¯re worth a ten for effort.¡±

    Zenobia lashed out with her right foot.

    The kick missed his nose by an inch because he ducked, once again catching a glimpse of Zenobia¡¯s underwear as her skirt fluttered up.

    Last year it was Midnight Debutant. This year it¡¯s Midnight Vixen.

    He grinned slowly, but it was only because his mind was hyper accelerated so everything around him moved at a quarter its normal speed, and that included his body and face.

    [*Pervert.]

    *Galatea, you¡¯re back. Help!

    [*Very well. I¡¯ve succeeded in disabling your collar for forty-five seconds. The device will continue to believe it¡¯s delivering punishment, but in fact it¡¯s been turned off. Any longer and collar¡¯s intelligence unit will grow suspicious as to why you¡¯re still able to move around.]

    His grin spread from ear-to-ear.

    *Galatea, you¡¯re my goddess.

    [*Humph! Of course I am. You should treasure me more.]

    *Sure. Let¡¯s go on a date.

    [*I can¡¯t do that you bastard. I don¡¯t have a body!]

    That was true. Galatea was just a voice in his, one that came from the bracelet, and one that he suspected came from somewhere inside the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing¡¯s Sarcophagus. It may very well originate from the Remnant itself. He didn¡¯t know, but ever since he woke up from the coma eight weeks ago, Galatea had been with him. However, he kept her existence a secret from everyone else.

    Slipping under Zenobia¡¯s kick, he swept her standing leg, then spun her around and caught her from behind as she fell.

    Zenobia jerked as though she¡¯d been struck by lightning. ¡°Wh¡ªwhere do you think you¡¯re grabbing?¡±

    While groping her chest, Caelum was taken aback by the size of her breasts. ¡°Zen, you got bigger this year.¡±

    ¡°Bastard!¡±

    ¡°Tickle attack!¡±

    Zenobia was ticklish, something he¡¯d discovered in passing when he overheard a few of the other Familiar girls mentioning it to themselves after an episode in the girls¡¯ showers. So he danced his fingers up and down her sides, and Zenobia trembled violently as she succumbed to laughter.

    ¡°Ha ha¡­.let¡­ha ha¡­me¡­ha ha¡­go¡­!¡±

    ¡°Not a chance. Not when I have you like this now!¡±

    Despite the fact he was busy tickling her, his hands remembered the impression of her firm breasts. Thus distracted, he didn¡¯t notice Zenobia kicking backwards between his legs.

    She slammed her foot into his jewels, and Caelum collapsed to his knees.

    Damn¡ªthey didn¡¯t go numb this time!

    Normally the collar would turn things off down below, but this time it only made his legs watery, and besides, Galatea had disabled it before it could anaesthetize his lower extremities.

    Whirling around, Zenobia was flushed red from laughing shamelessly. ¡°Time to die!¡±

    Wrapping an Icarus-field around his palms, Caelum used his hands to launch himself back up to his feet, while the nauseas sensation of having been kicked in the groin painfully tightened the pit of his stomach.

    ¡°Zen¡­no fair¡­.¡±

    Zenobia upped her tempo, and moved faster than during the opening round. He saw the kick the coming, but realized a millisecond later that the best he could do was block it. The impact sent him skidding across the machine room¡¯s rooftop. Keeping close to him, Zenobia prevented Caelum from regaining his stance, and center punched his sternum with another kick that crushed the air out of his lungs. His vision turned grey for a moment, and his sense of balance deserted him for a heartbeat, giving Zenobia ample time to impart a third kick, and Caelum felt as though he¡¯d been struck by a tornado.

    He landed on his feet and staggered around, almost falling off the edge of the rooftop.

    Surprisingly, after knocking him against the ropes ¨C so to speak ¨C Zenobia held back.

    ¡°Who do you think you are to belittle us?¡± she asked. ¡°While you were in a coma, did you think we were sitting on our asses doing nothing? Did you think I was doing nothing? You walked into that briefing room and you pissed on our hard work.¡±

    With Zenobia giving him some breathing room, Caelum sucked in air, filling his lungs and breaking into a wracking cough in the process.

    Zenobia wound herself up for the next round. ¡°You have no right to criticize us. You don¡¯t deserve to challenge us either. And we won¡¯t allow you to win the Fiestas! We¡¯re going to defeat you, and we¡¯re going to win them. You¡¯ll have to wait for your chance next year.¡±

    She charged in with blinding speed, and Caelum¡¯s Awareness-field sensed the brief Icarus-fields that flashed around her legs, boosting her mobility to preternatural levels. Retreating away from her, he dodged Zenobia¡¯s spin kick, then evaded the jackhammer punches that followed. But he was having trouble keeping his mind overclocked, so Caelum decided to flee at least until the pain in his innards faded.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the coward now?¡± she yelled at him. ¡°Who¡¯s the limp dick now?¡±

    Each of his jumps from rooftop building to building was enhanced multiple times by the Icarus-fields extending from his feet like wings.

    *Damn it¡ªshe¡¯s really angry! I guess I went too far back in the briefing room.

    [*Thirty seconds, Pervert.]

    *Thanks, he retorted with his inner voice, then changed direction and leapt onto the rooftop perimeter fence, knowing that the higher up he went the less gravity he was going to encounter.

    As large as they were, the asteroid Islands lacked the mass to generate any significant gravity. Having them spin about their long axis was also out of the question because of the design of the habitats and the need to keep the Islands moored together. Therefore, the engineers had installed effect-field emitters throughout every habitat, and these generated invisible fields that pulled down on objects thereby simulating gravity. Every building, every street, park, pool, and tunnel had emitters installed beneath them, generating a field that grounded the objects above them. That meant a lot of emitters since Pharos was a large space colony, far larger than the ring shaped orbital cities that occupied low orbit above many of the re-colonized worlds that belonged to the Aventis Territories.

    What this meant was that the higher up from the ground of a habitat, or the roof of a building, the weaker the artificial gravity because of the increased distance to the nearest gravity emitter. That made the Icarus-field emanating from around Caelum¡¯s legs more effective, and he could feel the slight drop in gravity as he ran along the top of the fence, rapidly coming up to the northern end of the building.

    ¡°Come back here coward,¡± Zenobia demanded as she too chased him by running on the fencing.

    ¡°If I said sorry would it make a difference?¡±

    ¡°You say you¡¯re sorry but you don¡¯t mean it!¡±

    ¡°Then why are you doing this?¡± he yelled back.

    ¡°Because the Principal and I agree that you¡¯re getting to full of yourself.¡± She recovered her breathing and yelled, ¡°It¡¯s time for a wakeup call!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Time for some pain, Desanto!¡±

    Caelum continued to run over the fence, the corner of which was coming up fast.

    [*Pervert, you have twenty seconds.]

    *I¡¯m not going to get away from her.

    [*No, not in your present condition.]

    He knew his physical condition hadn¡¯t recovered to what it was before the coma, but now he realized just how much Zenobia had improved during that time and over the summer break. He briefly wondered if he¡¯d made a mistake challenging Le Grange to a duel this afternoon. Truthfully, he was being too hasty, but having fallen off the proverbial saddle he was anxious to get back on it.

    *In that case, can you give me another sixty seconds.

    [*What are you planning?]

    *I need to lose her in the crowds.

    [*Are you intending to leave the school grounds? You¡¯ll be suspended if you do.]

    Caelum put more power into his run as he neared the corner of the rooftop fencing, and then jumped onto the fencing running along the north side of the west wing¡¯s rooftop.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Zenobia yelled, ¡°where are you going?¡±

    Caelum yelled back, ¡°To the one place where can¡¯t hit me!¡±

    Using the fences to circle the northern end of the building, in effect making a U-turn, he reached a point where he could jump east to the top of the bridgeway connecting the west wing to the giant donut shaped cafeteria.

    [*I¡¯ve reset your clock. Forty-three seconds remaining. Don¡¯t blame me for what happens when your time runs out.]

    Too focused on running, he didn¡¯t thank Galatea, but promised too later.

    Leaping the length of the wide bridgeway and arriving at the cafeteria, Caelum used an Icarus-field to launch himself upwards to the lowest balcony.

    Gravity may have been weaker at this height, and his twenty-foot jump was extraordinarily high courtesy of the Icarus-fields, but there were limitations to wielding Remnant-fields through the bracelets. One of them was that they were significantly weaker. The other was that the fields had a short lifespan ¨C a handful of seconds at best. With the Icarus-fields it was even worse, lasting only a second or two in their capacity to act as powerful trampolines that lengthened every running stride or improved every jump. Unfortunately, they worked best against physical objects such as the ground or walls because they needed something to push off. This is what made Zenobia¡¯s jump over the top of the west wing so impressive, and he made a mental note to ask her about it later. But because of this, Caelum had to be careful with how he used them. Once in the air, an Icarus-field was ineffective because the air offered it little resistance.

    There were startled outcries from the Aventis students seated on the balcony. Caelum glimpsed their shocked faces as he jumped down from the parapet, ran between tables to close the distance to the next terraced balcony, then leapt onto it like a human sized frog rebounding on a trampoline.

    As unappealing as the description was, it was somewhat fitting as he repeated the process and then leapt to the highest of the three balconies, this time resorting to using a Hecaton-field to extend the length of his arms and thereby grab the balcony parapet above him. Combined with his strong leap, Caelum landed fairly upright on the top of the parapet, and glanced behind him to spy Zenobia jumping with ease toward him.

    Through the Awareness-field he sensed a faint distortion in the space surrounding her and it shocked him.

    An Impulse-field? But she hasn¡¯t summoned her Remnant!

    Eyes wide in disbelief, he now understood how Zenobia had jumped over the school building.

    When did she gain the ability to summon an Impulse-field?

    [*Pervert¡ªlook out!]

    Distracted by Zenobia, the warning came too late.

    He had barely a fraction of a second to see the large mass of muscle and bone wrapped in an Aegis-field slam into his unprotected body, knocking him off the balcony parapet and into the air.

    Winded, dazed, and feeling as though he¡¯d been run over by a speeding truck, Caelum fell away from the highest balcony of the cafeteria building.

    He watched the sky and the buildings spin around him.

    Twisting while falling, he managed to correct his descent by extending the Icarus-fields around his legs, having them act as a combination of airbrakes and small parachutes. Below him the mass of garden trees that occupied the area north of the cafeteria and stretched to the dormitory buildings that housed a thousand or more students was rapidly growing larger as he fell toward them.

    *This is going to hurt.

    [*Above you!]

    He craned his neck around to see a large male student flying feet first toward him, and he realized with a start who had knocked him off the building.

    Leon Le Grange.

    With a war cry, Le Grange slammed a heavy foot into Caelum¡¯s back, sending him falling at an accelerated rate into the trees. In a hurry, he summoned an Aegis-field around his arms and torso. With his arms held up as shields, Caelum ploughed through branches thick and thin, then crashed hard into the undergrowth, landing between the tree roots. The impact winded him, and addled his senses. His overclocked state slipped away and time resumed normally within his mind as he lay on the firm ground.

    *Damn, that really hurt.

    [*Pervert, you¡¯d best get up. Oh¡ªand the collar has realized that something is up and is about to go postal.]

    Caelum raised his head off the grass. ¡°I need more time.¡±

    [*Then I¡¯ll have to kill the collar.]

    Something large and heavy landed between the trees behind him, and Caelum heard running footsteps.

    Pushing himself up to his feet, he swayed and leaned heavily against a tree.

    *Do it. I¡¯ll blame it on a failure and overuse.

    Le Grange thundered toward him, eyes blazing and ham sized fists clenched to deliver some punishment.

    Caelum pushed away from the tree, and tried to stand in a defensive posture, but Le Grange punched him so hard it made his vision swim, and the blow sent him staggering between the trees.

    ¡°You bastard! What did you do to Zenobia?¡±

    Caelum spotted a clearing ahead with benches, and dashed toward it though at best he meandered between the trees in its general direction. If not for the Symbiote spread out inside him ¨C a Symbiote his body was already beginning to break down and consume ¨C he believed he¡¯d be unconscious by now, though he suspected he was concussed. His Awareness-field warned of Le Grange pursuing him, and Caelum summoned his reserves of strength and arrived at the clearing ahead of the large young man, falling past the tree line and landing on his hands and knees.

    There were girls seated on the benches spread across the garden clearing.

    He didn¡¯t notice them until now, probably because he wasn¡¯t seeing straight.

    Upon his unorthodox entrance, they froze and stared at him like frightened maidens caught bathing nude in a grotto.

    The appearance of Le Grange who grabbed Caelum and tossed him into the air toward the small fountain in the middle of the clearing, sent the girls to their feet. But it was the arrival of a handful of other young men behind Le Grange that had the girls fleeing the clearing, and Caelum realized that the Familiars arraying themselves behind the large young man were undoubtedly his posse.

    Again, Caelum pushed himself up to his feet, though this time he used the edge of the fountain pool to help him stand up.

    [*Pervert, I¡¯ve suspended the collar but I can¡¯t stop it. When this is over, I¡¯ll have to release the collar and you¡¯re going to get one hell of a shock from it. You may die in the process.]

    *What?

    [*Don¡¯t worry. The Symbiote will undoubtedly revive you, and I¡¯ll do what I can. But you¡¯re going to be in pain for a few hours.]

    *Shit¡ªGalatea, you¡¯re just full of good news.

    [*Stop bitching and take it like a man.]

    Le Grange strode up to him, ready to pound Caelum into the garden soil.

    ¡°You really have no shame! No self-control. You embarrass all of us!¡±

    Caelum struggled to voice a reply. ¡°¡­misunderstanding¡­I assure you¡­.¡± He held up a hand in surrender. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­to see¡­her panties¡­.¡±

    ¡°What did you say? You saw Zenobia¡¯s panties?¡±

    ¡°¡­Midnight Vixen¡­.¡±

    Le Grange loomed over Caelum, and the thunder god Odin would have been proud of the picture Le Grange presented. If his eyes could have unleashed lightning, then they would have. ¡°To think a weakling like you defeated me. Time for some payback.¡±

    ¡°¡­save that for later¡­in the arena,¡± Caelum replied and summoned an Aegis-field to protect his head, then balled his fists.

    Le Grange ignored Caelum¡¯s fists and grabbed him by the shirt, yanking him almost into the air, while drawing back a fist that shimmered with an Aegis-field.

    If struck by it, Caelum was certain he would be knocked unconscious.

    I just spent eight weeks in a coma. I don¡¯t plan on going back to that again.

    Le Grange spat out the words. ¡°I¡¯m going to rearrange your face so that no girl will ever come near you again.¡±

    Caelum snorted. ¡°That¡¯ll make me as ugly as you.¡±

    Unable to overclock, the punch from Le Grange was too fast for him to follow.

    For a moment or two he blacked out under the impact that shattered the Aegis-field around his head. When he was conscious again, Caelum noticed he was wet and realized the blow had launched him into the fountain pool.

    Le Grange pulled him out of it, and held him up to deliver another punch, but this time Caelum kicked out with what strength remained in his legs.

    The blow struck Le Grange between his legs, and the large boy almost crumpled. Yet he had sufficient resilience to throw Caelum out of the fountain pool and onto the grass.

    Rolling to a stop, Caelum wondered if his jaw was broken because his face was ablaze and his tongue was numb.

    Propping himself up to his knees, he then staggered back up to his feet, and his wavering Awareness-field warned him of an incoming object.

    He dodged on instinct, and Le Grange¡¯s swinging leg missed Caelum by inches.

    Spinning away, he noticed to his surprise that his vision was clearing and wondered if it was Galatea or the Symbiote inside him that was pulling out all the stops to keep him on his feet. Regardless, they saved him from the punches and kicks that followed.

    Le Grange had power, but he lacked Zenobia lightning speed. The difference allowed Caelum to keep up with the large boy despite his inability to overclock his consciousness.

    For many seconds, he avoided and blocked the strikes Le Grange was delivering, until an opportunity presented itself and Caelum struck back.

    As luck would have it, Caelum had ducked due to moment of dizziness and Le Grange¡¯s fist and arm swung over his head, parting the air and leaving a vacuum in its wake. But it left Le Grange open for a split second, and Caelum seized upon the chance to return some of the pain he was receiving. With an Aegis-field gloving his right fist, he landed a kidney punch that had Le Grange¡¯s eyes bulging in agony. After a left fisted punch under the large high schooler¡¯s ribs, Le Grange doubled over slightly as he staggered back.

    Chasing him down, Caelum kicked Le Grange with the toes of his left indoor shoe, burying it into the student¡¯s midriff. The air blew out of Le Grange¡¯s lungs in a rush. Winded, he retreated again, but Caelum followed up with a leaping punch that struck the side of the boy¡¯s skull, and the impact addled Le Grange sufficiently to buckle his legs and drop him down to one knee.

    Caelum stopped when he saw Le Grange¡¯s unfocused eyes.

    A second punch to the head with an Aegis armored fist might prove troublesome since he sensed through his Awareness-field that Le Grange did not have the Symbiote inside his body. Though Familiars were more resilient than Regulars, there was a limit to the punishment they could sustain before it became life threatening.

    The distraction cost him because in the next moment Le Grange¡¯s posse had grabbed onto him. Using Hecaton and Aegis-fields, they overwhelmed him through strength in numbers. Held upright by two of the seniors, a third punched Caelum repeatedly in the chest and stomach, while a fourth and fifth helped Le Grange back up to his feet.

    ¡°He¡¯s mine,¡± the muscular boy rumbled as he pushed his lackeys away.

    A girl¡¯s voice disagreed. ¡°No, he¡¯s not.¡±

    In his greying vision, Caelum saw a shadow fly out of right field and the boy punching him vanished a heartbeat later, knocked away with such force that he exited the clearing and crashed into the garden trees.

    Le Grange all but howled the girl¡¯s name.

    ¡°Zenobia!¡±

    The two boys holding onto Caelum suddenly released him when Zenobia struck them from behind. As Caelum fell flat to the ground, he heard the boys land somewhere behind him on the grass, but he was too exhausted and beaten to push himself up off his chest and take a look. Instead, he relied on his Awareness-field ¨C faint as it was ¨C to perceive his surroundings, and thus he sensed Zenobia approach him. However, she didn¡¯t pick him up or help him to his feet. Rather, she placed herself protectively between him and Le Grange whom Caelum could sense was trembling in furious disbelief at what he believed was a clear betrayal of loyalties.

    ¡°Zen¡ªZenobia? What are you doing? What the Hell are you doing?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re taking this too far, Le Grange. Way too far!¡± She sounded angry and hurt. ¡°Are you trying to kill him?¡±

    ¡°That bastard. That piece of shit has no place here.¡±

    ¡°Even so he¡¯s still one of us¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard enough for us as it is in this school. We don¡¯t need him making it worse for us.¡±

    ¡°Is that really what this is about?¡± she asked him coldly though there was anger in her voice. ¡°Or is it because you lost to him last year?¡±

    ¡°I can take losing to someone worthy. Not this piece of trash.¡±

    ¡°Then you should have saved all this for the arena.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll deliver much worse this afternoon,¡± Le Grange promised.

    ¡°You¡¯re a coward,¡± Zenobia said with disgust. ¡°Beating him up before then just makes you a coward.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re calling me a coward? Then what the frek were you doing? Chasing him all over the school rooftop! What the frek do you call that? Everybody on the balconies could see the two of you duking it out on the roof of the west wing!¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you wanted to pound a lesson into him, then you should have done it right!¡±

    ¡°Your way isn¡¯t my way!¡± she yelled at him. ¡°And you¡¯re just showing your true colors.¡±

    Slowly, and with a great deal of effort, Caelum pushed through the pain in his body and then raised himself onto his elbows. He looked up at Zenobia, but could only see as far as her legs, and the bottom of her skirt.

    Just¡­one more¡­peek.

    Between her legs spread shoulder width apart, he saw a beet red Le Grange wearing a complicated, pained expression. No doubt he wanted to push Zenobia aside to finish dealing with Caelum, but something held him back.

    ¡°Leave now, Le Grange. Before I truly get angry,¡± Zenobia warned him. ¡°Leave before you make this worse.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little late for that,¡± he replied. ¡°And I¡¯m going to finish what you started. I¡¯m going to pound respect into him. I¡¯m going to hammer it into him. I¡¯m going to have him piss himself whenever he sees me.¡±

    ¡°Like that¡¯s ever going to happen.¡±

    ¡°It will when I¡¯m finished with him. Now¡­get out of the way, Zenobia.¡±

    ¡°Make me.¡±

    In his peripheral vision, Caelum noticed movement and realized the members of Le Grange¡¯s posse were surrounding him and Zenobia.

    Shit, this is bad! Really bad! Get up! Damn it! Get up!

    Feeling emboldened, Le Grange tried to sound conciliatory as though he was occupying the high ground. ¡°Zenobia, I¡¯m not going to hurt you. But you¡¯re not getting in my way.¡±

    The girl laughed curtly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this now. I will never partner with you for the Winter Remnant Fiesta. I¡¯ll partner with Desanto if he¡¯ll have me.¡±

    Le Grange looked dumbfounded and blinked slowly for a long while. ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°I said, I¡¯ll partner with Desanto for the Winter Remnant Fiesta.¡±

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you want to win?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll win. I¡¯ll win with Desanto.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to partner with him. I¡¯m going to beat every other girl and I¡¯m going to be chosen.¡±

    ¡°¡­you¡­you can¡¯t be¡­you can¡¯t be serious¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m deadly serious, Le Grange. I¡¯m choosing Desanto over you.¡±

    Caelum watched between Zenobia¡¯s legs as Le Grange swayed on his feet. His mouth flapped open and shut but nothing intelligible came out of it, just twisted moans and groans. Eventually he regained enough of his composure to point a trembling finger at her.

    ¡°You¡ªyou can¡¯t choose him.¡± Anger overwhelmed whatever else he was feeling. ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret this. I¡¯ll make you regret this!¡±

    There was no doubt in Caelum¡¯s heart or mind that Zenobia was in danger.

    Le Grange had flipped, his emotions had redlined. He wasn¡¯t thinking straight anymore.

    It was no secret that the large boy carried an immense blazing torch for Zenobia, and now he was consumed by that flame. The old adage, ¡®if I can¡¯t have you, then you no one will¡¯ was clearly written on his face.

    Zenobia was no fool, and it sounded like she understood the nature of the change that had come over the large student. ¡°Le Grange?¡± Quickly she shifted her stance to a defensive one.

    Supporting himself with his arms, Caelum rose to his knees. Beaten as he was, he wasn¡¯t going to allow Le Grange to hurt Zenobia.

    [*Pervert, I¡¯m sorry. I need to release the collar.]

    ¡°¡­huh¡­?¡±

    [*I can¡¯t suspend its processing any longer.]

    ¡°¡­no, I need more time¡­.¡±

    [*Tell me later if you remember seeing a white light or experience any form of astral projection.]

    ¡°¡­what¡­?¡±

    Galatea sighed wearily in his mind. [*Tell me if you have an out of body experience.]If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°¡­oh no¡­.¡±

    A heartbeat later agony raced through his body as the restraining collar went ballistic on him, expending the life in its batteries in the span of seconds.

    Caelum¡¯s body jerked so violently he could feel the tendons about to snap under the strain of his muscles contracting and expanding as pain burned through every fiber of his being, and a loud scream ripped out of his lungs, tearing through the clearing. Then the collar shut down, and Caelum collapsed onto the grass.

    ¡°Caelum!¡±

    By a miracle his heart kept beating, but his body was disconnected for his mind, as though all the strings that joined the two together had been cut. He couldn¡¯t reply to Zenobia, and with his Awareness-field gone he couldn¡¯t sense his surroundings anymore. Overwhelmed by the experience, his consciousness began to slip away. But as his vision faded into darkness, Caelum saw something that surprised him even as he fell unconscious.

    It was the sight of a flat chested girl and her companions stepping into the clearing behind Le Grange and his cronies¡­.

    - II -

    Caprice entered the cafeteria while talking to Rina Sayen on her palm-slate. The girl guided her to the fifth level and to a table by the window with a view of the Academy¡¯s northern grounds that included a vista of the luscious gardens that lay between the teaching faculty buildings and the dormitories to the north.

    Four chairs surrounded the round table but only two were occupied, and Maya and Rina were sitting at the table sipping cold drinks from plastic bottles.

    ¡°Did you get the strap fixed?¡± Maya asked in a flat voice.

    ¡°Actually, it was taken care of before I got there,¡± Caprice replied.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s all good.¡± A moment later she reconsidered being secretive and said, ¡°The Pervert bought me a new school bag. He left it waiting for me back in the classroom.¡±

    Maya¡¯s eyebrows rose for a moment as she sipped her soda through a straw. ¡°Oh¡­.¡±

    Caprice looked at the empty table. ¡°So, what about lunch?¡±

    Rina stood up. ¡°So, what do you two want?¡±

    Maya arched an eyebrow at the girl. ¡°School lunches doesn¡¯t count. We agreed it has to be a three-course meal at a restaurant.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Rina said while waving her hands in surrender.

    ¡°Fine. Then see if that spicy curry is still on offer,¡± Maya added.

    Rina looked expectantly at Caprice, but the latter shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you and get my own lunch.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll mind the table,¡± Maya declared, waving them off with the parting words, ¡°Bring me another lemon soda.¡±

    The nine-floor cafeteria had three kitchens, one on the first, fourth, and seventh levels. While the first to six levels were open to either first or second year students, the top three floors of the cafeteria were the domain of the high-school seniors. In addition, those floors had open air terrace style balconies that ran the full circumference of the cafeteria building. Rank and seniority certainly had its privileges at Galatea Academy, and Caprice didn¡¯t think it was any different at the other Aventis schools. It wasn¡¯t just the distinction between Familiars and Aventis that was impressed upon her mindset, but the differences between the seniors and the rest of the high schoolers.

    Each cafeteria level was circular with a hole in the middle. Resembling the DNA double-helix, two spiral staircases wound their up through the hole. Caprice followed Rina down one of the helix stairs to the fourth level where the nearest kitchen was located, then lined up with a hundred other students. Once they reached the food counter, they filled up three trays with food, and Rina picked up another lemon soda for Maya, while getting her and Caprice bucket sized cups of fresh orange juice. Using the Academy app installed on their palm-slates to pay for their meals, they carried their spoils back up to the fifth level.

    However, all was not sunshine and roses when they returned to the table Maya had stayed behind to mind for them.

    Haruka Amiella, Siobhan St Clair, and the girl with the sweet prickly tongue and dangerous mind, Alastair Kell Avenir, stood before Maya who was guarding the table.

    As Caprice stepped closer, she overheard the argument.

    ¡°All I¡¯m saying,¡± Haruka said, ¡°is that we saw this table first.¡±

    ¡°Regardless,¡± Maya replied, ¡°there was no one here when I arrived.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that we were here first.¡±

    ¡°Finders keepers. Losers weepers,¡± Maya retorted without inflection.

    ¡°I asked the girls at the other tables to mind it for us.¡±

    ¡°People rarely do things for free. Aventis even less so. You should know that by now.¡±

    Haruka stared down at Maya in exasperation and the slightly shorter girl narrowed her eyes, yet neither girl was backing down.

    After a moment, the overly busty brunette said, ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we settle this with a match of rock-paper-scissors.¡±

    ¡°Denied,¡± Maya declared.

    Siobhan sighed and faced Haruka. ¡°Let¡¯s just go. We may find another table.¡±

    However, Haruka remained stubbornly steadfast. ¡°No. We saw this table first. We¡¯re keeping it. We are not leaving.¡±

    Maya shook her head and sounded faintly resentful. ¡°You Aventis are all the same. You think that because you¡¯re Aventis you¡¯re special. You think everyone just has to get out of your way.¡±

    Haruka shook her head very weakly. ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t think that at all.¡±

    ¡°But you want my friends and I to give up our table.¡±

    ¡°Well, only because we saw it first.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that we get segregated in class, but we¡¯re not allowed to take part in sports carnivals, and we can¡¯t participate in P.E. class, but now we can¡¯t even sit at a table in the cafeteria. Now you won¡¯t even let us eat in peace.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    Alastair chuckled evilly. ¡°Look, Haruka, the little puppy feels victimized.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Maya said and touched the collar she wore. ¡°We Familiars with Remnants are dogs of the Aventis.¡± The short girl stepped up to Alastair. ¡°But do you know what keeps your kind in power?¡±

    Alastair smiled fearlessly. ¡°The Symbiote, of course.¡±

    ¡°You really are stupid and delusional,¡± Maya stated in a disappointed tone. ¡°I guess being a Pureblood did nothing for your intelligence.¡±

    ¡°Then you tell me the answer.¡±

    Maya pointed at herself with a thumb. ¡°Familiars are what keep the Aventis in power. Familiars like me and our Remnant. Without us, your kind wouldn¡¯t be where you are today. And you wouldn¡¯t be in power because you don¡¯t have the numbers to be in power. You¡¯re a minority, and your kind only rule because everyone is afraid of what we Familiars will do to them. We can do what you can¡¯t. We¡¯re the ones with true power.¡±

    Alastair¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Then why is it that you wear a leash and I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a really good question. After winning the war for you, why did my ancestors hand power to your kind that doesn¡¯t deserve it?¡± Maya¡¯s eyes narrowed on Alastair. ¡°Why did they give away their right to rule?¡±

    The brunette shrugged blithely. ¡°Like it matters. What matters is that we rule and you do our bidding. So that means if we say beg, you beg. Comprende, little puppy?¡±

    ¡°Little puppy?¡± Maya started to smile and it wasn¡¯t pleasant. ¡°I¡¯m not a puppy, I¡¯m a wolf.¡± She leaned into Alastair¡¯s face. ¡°And do you know what I see when I look at you?¡±

    ¡°Someone superior to you in every way.¡±

    ¡°No, I see food.¡±

    With that, Maya smiled and showed off her fangs, and the Aventis girls stiffened, including Alastair who continued to smile yet she wasn¡¯t smiling any more.

    Caprice¡¯s chest tightened unpleasantly at sight of Maya¡¯s fangs, and she remembered when she looked in a mirror and saw her own fangs for the first time. They scared her then, and they still scared her now, even though they were a part of her body.

    The fangs were a product of a Familiar¡¯s Awakening. Not only did they become stronger and able to consume the Symbiote, but they gained a pair of fangs that they could extend and retract, and just like a mythical Vampire, a Familiar could use those fangs to bit the flesh of an Aventis and drink their blood, thus taking in the Symbiote into their bloodstream where it would grow and make them stronger than an Aventis for several days.

    Caprice had only used her fangs a few times to demonstrate she had control over them when the Lanfear Pride¡¯s physicians ran tests on her body. However, she had never ingested blood by biting an Aventis, only by drinking the blood held in refrigerated state.

    It wasn¡¯t just the fangs that frightened her, but the incredible rush she received when she drank Aventis blood. Drinking Regular blood made her ill and nauseous, but Aventis blood made her body sing like a well-tuned harp. It scared her and it shamed her, and reminded her of how much she had changed in the span of fifteen months.

    Maya licked her lips and smiled hungrily at Alastair who remained outwardly calm while terror slowly spread through her body. Caprice knew this because her Awareness-field was monitoring the hormonal and temperature changes within the Aventis girl¡¯s body, informing Caprice that despite appearances, Alastair was indeed quite scared of Maya.

    Caprice wondered how the teachers would view this confrontation, and figured they would side with the Aventis girls.

    Feeling it would only lead to trouble, she walked up to the girls and spoke directly to Maya who was standing nose to nose with Alastair.

    ¡°Maya, let¡¯s go.¡±

    The girl refused to look away as she replied, ¡°Why should we?¡±

    ¡°Because I found another table.¡± It was a lie, but she didn¡¯t want Maya being reprimanded for scaring the Aventis by baring her fangs. Some Aventis considered the baring of a Familiar¡¯s fangs as akin to drawing a knife. Caprice knew from having read the Academy student handbook, that Familiars were not allowed to reveal their fangs to any of the students. By the handbook¡¯s words, Maya had committed an infraction that if reported could land her in detention and docked a handful of demerit points.

    Haruka noticed Caprice¡¯s arrival and looked uncertain, though she asked, ¡°Is there really another table? Ah, then would you show us?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Caprice replied curtly. ¡°You wanted this table you can have it.¡± Because her hands were occupied with the tray and drinks, she nudged Maya with a shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go. As my dad would say, there¡¯s no profit here.¡±

    For a moment, Caprice was certain she saw despair and frustration flash across Maya¡¯s face before the girl assumed an impassive expression. Even if she couldn¡¯t see it, she could feel it through her Awareness-field ¨C the bitterness and resentment that welled up within her newfound friend.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said softly. ¡°Our lunch will get cold.¡±

    Caprice started turning away, but Haruka called out to her.

    ¡°Um, Steiner¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it from you,¡± Caprice responded in a cold voice that she believed would have made her father proud. ¡°You have what you wanted. Now, enjoy your lunches¡ª¡±

    Her voice caught in her throat as she watched two students, a guy and a girl, running along the top of the west wing¡¯s rooftop fencing. As the guy jumped onto the roof of the bridgeway connecting the cafeteria to the west wing, Caprice recognized him and her emotions began to spin. As they jumped and ran closer to the cafeteria, she also identified the girl with the blue streaks in her hair as the third year Familiar, Zenobia Alcazar, and Caprice suspected that Caelum had done something to set the girl off.

    However, she was puzzled as to how they were able to use their Remnant effect-fields without being punished by the restraining collars they wore, since the agility and speed they were displaying was well beyond those of a Regular, Familiar, or Aventis.

    Caprice wasn¡¯t the only student in the cafeteria that noticed the pair running along the roof of the bridgeway, and gasps and comments expressing surprise began to grow and overlap. However, she ignored them as she watched Desanto leap onto the balcony of the sixth level, and the girl leapt skyward behind him. But then a dozen seconds later, Desanto rocketed away from the cafeteria, falling fast toward the gardens to the north of the donut shaped building. Behind and above him, a large boy followed Desanto¡¯s descent having apparently jumped in pursuit.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± muttered Maya. ¡°That¡¯s the big gorilla from this morning.¡±

    Remembering the burly student, Caprice had the gnawing suspicion that the gorilla had struck Desanto, and that¡¯s why the Pervert fell away from the cafeteria and down into the trees.

    A handful of boys leapt from the cafeteria balcony, undoubtedly Familiars since no one else would be crazy enough to leap off a balcony seven or eight floors above ground. Whether they followed to support the giant gorilla or to stop him, they first fell into view and then out of sight when they landed somewhere in the garden of trees.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the girl?¡± Maya asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see Alcazar following them.¡±

    Caprice noticed that her hands were trembling, and realized it was because she was in the throes of indecision. But coming to a decision a moment later, her body quickly steadied.

    ¡°I¡¯m going after them,¡± she declared.

    In a hurry, she dumped her tray with its content of food and drinks onto the disputed table, then started walking fast to the center of the cafeteria floor space where the helix staircases rose and fell. To her surprise, Maya and Rina followed her, the latter having abandoned the two trays she¡¯d been carrying.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked them.

    ¡°Going with you,¡± Maya replied while taking the lead. ¡°Pervert Desanto is our classmate. And classmates look out for each other.¡± She added something that sounded suspiciously like, ¡°Familiars take care of their own,¡± but Caprice wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d heard the girl right.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Caprice asked Rina.

    ¡°I go where Maya goes,¡± the girl stated resolutely. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re friends and friends stick together.¡±

    The girl¡¯s declaration had Caprice miss a step but she caught herself in time and then focused on running down the twisting staircase without tripping or colliding with anyone. Their progress was helped because one helix staircase was dedicated for going up, while the other was dedicated for students wanting to go down. Arriving at ground floor or first level, Caprice ran behind Maya as the girl cut a beeline for the cafeteria¡¯s northern exit, and squeezed through the doors that wouldn¡¯t open fast enough for Caprice¡¯s liking. Then they ran to the northern garden where they guessed Desanto and the other students had landed.

    In the sky above them, someone fell at a gentle angle toward the trees far ahead of them, as though caught in the wind while parachuting down. Caprice realized it was Zenobia having leapt from on high from one of the cafeteria balconies. The girl¡¯s skirt fluttered up and revealed her toned derriere to the world. No doubt the Aventis boys on the cafeteria were busy snapping away at her with their palm-slates. Caprice guessed that the photos would be in circulation within the next few minutes.

    Zenobia landed in the garden ahead of them well before Caprice, Maya, and Rina arrived at the treeline. They avoided the path and ran through the trees, emerging out into a clearing some twenty seconds later. Coming to a standstill, the three girls watched the scene playing out before them.

    Desanto was unconscious on the ground, and Zenobia was standing protectively before him, facing off against the large male senior who¡¯d made a scene earlier when he confronted Desanto during the briefing. Even at a distance, Caprice could tell he was trembling and it wasn¡¯t because he was happy. The emotions he was radiating through his Awareness-field carried all the way to the edge of the clearing.

    The other Familiar students were arrayed in a loose circle around Zenobia and Desanto. Keeping to the edge of the clearing, the arrival of Caprice, Maya, and Rina had them looking wary, though one of the guys yelled threateningly at the trio to leave the area as this situation didn¡¯t concern them.

    ¡°Make me,¡± Maya answered his threat, then winced sharply as her restraining collar burned her for summoning up something through her Remnant¡¯s bracelet that resembled translucent spears, around a half dozen of them and all pointed at the male Familiar.

    The guy looked startled and abruptly cautious of Maya, who went on to state, ¡°That¡¯s our classmate. We want him back. So get lost.¡±

    The other male students looked uncertain of what to do next, glancing every so often between themselves, Zenobia, the large Familiar ¨C whom Caprice recalled was called Le Grange ¨C and now the trio of girls standing at the south side of the clearing.

    One of the guys on Le Grange¡¯s side grew anxious and nervously asked, ¡°Ah, Leon? This is getting out of hand. Maybe we should call it quits¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Le Grange continued to tremble, and with his back to Caprice, she had no idea what face he was making at Zenobia but no doubt it wasn¡¯t friendly, because the girl was standing in an open posture that could switch to either defensive or offensive in a heartbeat.

    Zenobia¡¯s attention suddenly shifted to a point behind Le Grange, just as Caprice felt someone enter the area of her Awareness-field. Concentration on that sensation, she received a flurry of information into her consciousness that was akin to looking behind her ¨C and much more ¨C so in a heartbeat she knew who had followed the trio to the garden.

    The buxom girl marched headlong into the clearing, though Caprice didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that she wasn¡¯t aware of the tense standoff between the Familiars. Nonetheless, Haruka Amiella Avenir walked between Maya and Caprice, earned herself a squeak of worry from Rina, and strode past Le Grange and Zenobia, arriving at Desanto¡¯s unconscious body a few moments later.

    With a heavy sigh, she picked him up and then used her strength as an Aventis to toss him onto her back. She sounded exhausted but not from rushing to his rescue. ¡°Really, Caelum. Why do make me worry so much?¡±

    The girl stepped around Zenobia on her way out of the garden clearing, but found herself facing Le Grange who¡¯d stepped in her way.

    ¡°Excuse, but could you please move?¡± Amiella politely asked while looking up at the large male Familiar.

    ¡°What the Hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Le Grange rumbled.

    ¡°Taking my friend to the infirmary,¡± she replied. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, he is quite heavy even for someone like me. So please stand aside.¡±

    Caprice felt as though her grip on reality had slipped briefly through her fingers.

    Did Haruka Amiella just call the Pervert her friend?

    Le Grange inhaled deeply, his massive body swelling up. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Take a cue from their boss, the other male students angled themselves toward Haruka with Desanto on her back.

    A moment later, Rina summoned something that resembled a shimmering bow and took aim at the nearest Familiar boy, while Maya gasped in pain as she doubled the number of spears around her, targeting the second set at another male Familiar. The strain on the girl¡¯s faces was evident as they fought down the pain inflicted by the restraining collars.

    After rushing here to help Desanto, Caprice realized she was taking somewhat of a backseat compared to the others. Wondering frantically at how best to support them, she remembered her trump card, but was certain Morgan would berate her senseless if she used since it was only meant to be called upon in case of emergency. However, she really had nothing else to fall upon¡­or maybe not.

    Holding her palms up to her face, she whispered loud enough behind them for the collar¡¯s control unit to hear her.

    ¡°I, Brynhildr, return the Ring to the Rhine Maidens.¡±

    A moment later she sensed the collar switch to standby mode.

    However, she refrained from summoning her Remnant, affirming to herself that she would only do so if all Hell broke loose. Even then, she had decided she would only summon one of her Remnant¡¯s weapons such as an axe or a sword.

    Out near the middle of the clearing, Haruka Amiella Avenir regarded Le Grange towering over her with a disappointed air. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick on someone your own size, you bully.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± she replied. ¡°In fact, I recommend going to the zoo and challenging a gorilla, or an elephant, or one of those mammoths recently cloned after they went extinct.¡±

    ¡°¡­what did you say¡­?¡±

    Haruka sighed, and her enormous bosom heaved so dramatically that even Le Grange was distracted by it. Placing Desanto¡¯s unconscious body on the grassy ground, she then awkwardly dropped into a boxing stance with her fists at the ready.

    ¡°Very well. Come at me,¡± she declared up at Le Grange who appeared perplexed and thereby unable to respond.

    Caprice wondered if the gates of Hell were about to blow wide open. A heartbeat later, she suspected that they had when a familiar young woman dressed in a white business suit and black high heels landed in the middle of the clearing with such force that it unleashed concentric shockwaves that flattened the grass and swayed the nearby trees. The male students were knocked to the ground. Zenobia and Le Grange fell to their knees, while Haruka Amiella and the unconscious Desanto tumbling like windswept leaves across the grassy ground.

    Reflexively, Caprice summoned and Aegis-field wide enough to shield herself, Maya, and Rina from the shockwaves. When she realized the size of the field it shocked her almost as much as the young woman¡¯s unexpected landing. Once the shockwaves had dissipated, Caprice released the Aegis-field and it dispelled in the blink of an eye.

    Maya peeked at her through the corner of her eyes. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked hesitantly.

    Caprice shrugged nervously, and then faked being punished by the collar by wincing loudly in agony.

    Rina Sayen looked at her in concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Caprice gasped, putting on the performance of her life, though she noticed Maya glance at her twice before the girl looked toward the clearing where the young blonde woman ¨C the blonde beauty who¡¯d accompanied Principal Mason to the briefing ¨C was standing tall, sweeping her gaze over the students who vacillated between ¡®stay or run¡¯. After a few seconds of quiet dark scrutiny, she used her Remnant to amplify her voice to all corners of the clearing.

    ¡°Leon Le Grange afil Avenir. You and your¡­associates¡­will report to my office immediately.¡± She eyed the unmoving Le Grange with an austere light in her eyes. ¡°Do not make me tell you again.¡±

    Gritting his teeth, Le Grange bowed his head and then ambled angrily out of the clearing by way of the path that ran through it, and was soon followed by his cohorts, a couple of which gave Maya menacing looks that she ignored.

    Next to be addressed was Zenobia.

    ¡°Zenobia Alcazar afil Raynar. The Principal will want a word with you. Make sure you have a good explanation as to why you abused her trust in you.¡±

    Zenobia swallowed hard, then ducked her head as though in shame, and left the clearing. However, she did not follow the path and instead made her way through the trees.

    ¡°As for the rest of you, you will explain yourselves now.¡±

    Caprice felt her mouth go dry under the hard gaze of the young blonde Familiar, and Rina Sayen squeaked softly. But it was Maya who stepped forward to face the young woman.

    ¡°Miss Weinberg, we saw that our classmate was in trouble and so we came to help him.¡±

    ¡°I see. And that¡¯s why you turned your Remnants on your fellow Familiars?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Weinberg continued to regard the three girls under a hard gaze, a spotlight of sorts that was both brilliant and blinding.

    ¡°Very well,¡± she eventually said. ¡°Take Mr. Desanto down to the infirmary.¡±

    ¡°Down?¡± Caprice whispered.

    ¡°Yes, down, Miss Steiner,¡± Weinberg answered, having heard Caprice through the use of her Awareness-field.

    Swallowing nervously, Caprice was left reluctant to ask what ¡®down¡¯ actually meant, but Maya said, ¡°We don¡¯t have access to the training facilities.¡±

    ¡°You do now,¡± the young woman informed them.

    Caprice glanced sidelong at Maya who briefly widened her eyes in response to the news. The girl recovered quickly and bowed politely. ¡°Yes, Miss Weinberg.¡± Gesturing to Caprice and Rina, she beckoned them. ¡°Come on. We¡¯ll use our Hecaton-fields to carry him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s going to sting,¡± Rina complained.

    ¡°If we share the load it won¡¯t be as bad,¡± Maya told the girl.

    ¡°Um, excuse me,¡± a girl being ignored called out calmly and raised a hand.

    Weinberg half turned toward the buxom brunette who¡¯d just finished patting down her skirts, after getting back up onto her feet. ¡°Haruka Amiella Avenir, this matter does not concern you. You may leave.¡±

    Haruka lowered her hand. ¡°Actually, Miss Weinberg, it does concern me. He¡¯s my classmate and as his Class Rep, I need to see that he gets the proper medical attention.¡±

    ¡°And that he will,¡± Weinberg replied smoothly. ¡°However, class representatives have yet to be assigned.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but I plan to nominate myself.¡±

    ¡°I see. However, you are not a Class Rep, and thereby do not have the responsibilities of one. As I said before, you may leave.¡±

    Haruka crossed her arms under her large bosom and played her last card. ¡°He¡¯s my childhood friend.¡±

    Caprice, Maya, and Rina came to a sudden stop.

    Oh, that¡¯s right, Caprice thought to herself. She did mention he was her friend when she butted in.

    Weinberg regarded the girl with a flat expression, and Amiella returned it, undeterred by the older woman.

    ¡°You are not a Familiar, Miss Amiella. The training facilities are restricted to Academy senior staff, training personnel, and Familiars. As such you do not have permission to accompany Mr. Desanto. Am I making myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Are you discriminating against me?¡±

    ¡°If you have a problem with the regulations, you may lodge your complaint with the Academy¡¯s Board of Directors.¡±

    The girl inhaled deeply, her bosom swelling mightily on her chest. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll do just that.¡±

    Weinberg sounded faintly irritated. ¡°Until then refrain from breaking regulations, Miss Amiella.¡± She directed her attention on the trio of girls approaching Desanto lying on the ground, with Haruka Amiella standing a couple of feet away from him. ¡°After you have delivered him to the infirmary, do not loiter. You will return to your classroom without delay. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± they replied.

    Faintly distrustful, Weinberg looked at them carefully, before nodding subtly to herself. She then crouched slightly, and the air around the clearing hardened for a heartbeat before the blonde woman launched herself skyward. She leapt clear out of the garden, vanishing below the tops of the trees a few moments later.

    Maya quipped softly, ¡°She¡¯s like a giant flea.¡±

    ¡°Or a grasshopper,¡± Rina added.

    ¡°Or a frog,¡± Caprice tossed in.

    They stood looking in the direction Weinberg had disappeared, troubled bytheir individual thoughts, and fearing the prospect of facing Weinberg or those seniors again in similar circumstances.

    ¡°So who is she?¡± Caprice asked. ¡°I don¡¯t recall seeing her during orientation week.¡±

    Maya continued looking after Weinberg. ¡°Her name is Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian. She¡¯s Mason¡¯s pet Doberman.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s what?¡±

    Rina explained, ¡°A Doberman is a dog.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Caprice looked at Maya sidelong. ¡°You really don¡¯t hold back, do you?¡±

    ¡°Woof woof,¡± Maya mockingly barked.

    ¡°Woof woof, back,¡± Caprice responded.

    ¡°Meow¡­.¡±

    Caprice, Maya, and even Amiella faced Rina, and the bespectacled girl looked at them anxiously. ¡°What? I like cats. Cat¡¯s wear collars too.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t take a cat for a walk,¡± Maya pointed out. ¡°And they wear flea collars.¡±

    Rina frowned faintly and sounded teary. ¡°Why do you have to be so mean to me?¡±

    Maya¡¯s mouth fell open, but then she closed it slowly with a contrite look on her face.

    A feeling of regret also washed through Caprice, as she realized it was her fault they¡¯d charged into a dangerous situation without thinking the situation through.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Caprice told her companions. ¡°This was my idea, and it could have turned out worse.¡±

    ¡°We made the choice for ourselves,¡± Maya countered. ¡°No need to apologize. Besides, I don¡¯t like bullies, and that Le Grange is a bully.¡±

    Rina was nodding absently in agreement as she looked down at Desanto. ¡°So should we carry him face up or face down?¡±

    Maya considered the question for a second or two. ¡°If we had a gurney, it would be face up.¡± She inhaled deeply before suggesting, ¡°We should carry him face down.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay¡­.¡± Rina sounded uncertain but lacked the will to disagree.

    ¡°But if we drop him accidentally,¡± Caprice pointed out, ¡°we might break his nose.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and that would harm his good looks,¡± Rina added.

    ¡°True. That would be a waste. Fine. Let¡¯s roll him over,¡± Maya instructed.

    Caprice¡¯s Awareness-field sensed the Hecaton-field Maya summoned to roll Desanto onto his back. The three girls regarded the sleeping teenager.

    ¡°He took a beating,¡± Caprice noticed.

    Maya¡¯s lips turned upside down. ¡°He has a Symbiote still active inside him. He should be right as rain by this evening.¡± The girl crouched beside him and pocked Desanto¡¯s cheeks, but the boy failed to react. ¡°He¡¯s really out cold. The collar really nuked him.¡±

    ¡°Nuked?¡± Caprice questioned.

    Maya then pocked his shirt and midriff. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s really hard. Like all muscle hard.¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡± A girl tired of being ignored coughed loudly into a fist.

    The trio looked at Haruka who was standing nearby with an annoyed expression.

    ¡°If you dare to undress him, I shall report you to the school authorities,¡± the girl warned them.

    Maya stood up and looked her over a shoulder. ¡°What are you still doing here?¡±

    ¡°I am not going to leave him in your hands. You three need supervision.¡± She huffed. ¡°There is no telling what you may do to him.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to strip him, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re implying,¡± Maya retorted in her most lifeless voice yet.

    Haruka puffed up her chest and patted it. ¡°As Class Rep¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not Class Rep, and I¡¯m not voting for you,¡± Maya interjected.

    ¡°Me neither,¡± Rina seconded.

    ¡°You¡¯re not in our class, dummy,¡± Maya pointed out.

    ¡°Well, if I was in your class, then I wouldn¡¯t vote for her either,¡± Rina amended.

    Haruka¡¯s annoyance grew. ¡°You¡¯re like the three stooges.¡±

    Caprice didn¡¯t know what she meant, but Maya apparently did and so she arched an eyebrow at the buxom girl. ¡°Did you say something, Double-G.¡±

    Haruka flinched and jerked back. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat did you call me?¡±

    ¡°I called you, Double-G.¡±

    Her face growing beet red, Haruka unfolded her arms and clenched her hands. ¡°Did¡ªdid Caelum tell you that?¡±

    ¡°With a Remnant, it¡¯s easy to tell,¡± Maya replied in her customary dull tone. ¡°I know your three sizes. And your weight.¡±

    Haruka was trembling but Caprice sensed the girl was more embarrassed than angry. ¡°¡­it¡¯s not like I wanted to grow this big¡­.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Maya uttered and Caprice frowned at the girl.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted to grow this big!¡±

    The three Familiars ¨C and substantially less endowed girls ¨C shied back in the face of Haruka¡¯s outburst.

    The busty brunette took a number of deep breaths that helped emphasize her bosom.

    ¡°They¡­they just grew.¡± Haruka bowed her head as though hiding her face. ¡°They just upped and grew on their own.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Caprice wondered softly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they all do that?¡± Maya sounded as though she was dealing with a dangerous yet slow child.

    ¡°Not like this!¡± the girl blurted out, surprising the trio yet again.

    Haruka suddenly shuddered violently, then pulled out her palm-slate. After swiping and tapping the screen a few times with her thumb, she held the palm-slate up for them to see.

    ¡°This is me.¡±

    They stepped closer and peered at the screen to see an image of a girl with long auburn hair, wearing an unfamiliar school uniform while standing beside a bored Caelum Desanto, also in uniform. She was holding his arm and smiling happily while the photo was taken.

    Haruka said, ¡°This is me over a year ago, before Caelum and I transferred to Galatea. We had just found out that I was accepted into the Avenir Pride, and he had learnt he was a Familiar. This was taken after our school¡¯s closing ceremony for the year. Caelum is a year older than me, but we¡¯ve known each other since we were children. Up until a couple of years ago, our families lived next door to each other for ten years.¡±

    ¡°So you really are childhood friends,¡± Caprice said.

    ¡°Yes, indeed.¡±

    Maya sounded confused. ¡°You sound proud of being friends with a pervert.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t all that bad until recently,¡± Haruka explained. ¡°After he became a Familiar and gained his Remnant, it was like he decided to shed his old skin. Then again, he¡¯d always been popular with the girls, but now his perversity just drives them away.¡±

    ¡°Were you a couple?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Haruka flushed bright red. ¡°No. I mean¡ªI never¡ªI didn¡¯t¡ªoh whatever! We were not a couple. In fact, he didn¡¯t think much of me back then.¡±

    Caprice held up a hand. ¡°Wait a minute. Just stop right there.¡± Pointing at the palm-slate, she asked, ¡°So this girl in the photo is really you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me,¡± Haruka answered without hesitation.

    The trio studied the girl in the image, then focused on Haruka.

    Caprice swallowed before asking, ¡°This flat chested girl is you?¡±

    This time, Haruka sighed. ¡°Yes, that flat chested girl is me.¡±

    ¡°Holy molly,¡± Maya whispered. ¡°You got big.¡±

    Her words sparked the fuse that blew the bomb. Haruka blushed yet again, and trembled anew. ¡°Yes, I got big! And it happened so damn fast! I went from a Double-A to a Double-G in a month. My parents were shocked and took me to see a doctor who said it was fine. She explained this kind of development sometimes happened to new Aventis girls my age who were underdeveloped. It¡¯s like the Symbiote is trying to compensate by over-compensating.¡±

    An intense feeling of resentment filled Caprice and she muttered, ¡°Oh, how tragic for you.¡±

    Haruka started to retort, then glanced at Caprice¡¯s chest and subsequently she quickly closed her mouth. A few seconds later she pocketed her palm-slate, then crossed her arms under her bust. ¡°Enough about me. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be taking Caelum down to the infirmary?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right,¡± Maya nodded sharply. Turning to the unconscious boy on the ground, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s pick him up.¡±

    ¡°Ah, about that...,¡± Rina softly muttered nervously. ¡°I have some trouble with my fields when they are near other Hecaton-fields.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Maya frowned.

    ¡°I have trouble keeping control of my Hecaton-fields.¡±

    ¡°I should be fine,¡± Caprice said and stepped up to Desanto. ¡°My Guardian makes me practice this all the time.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Maya asked somewhat offhandedly.

    Caprice glanced away with a sour look. ¡°I have to make my bed with them. Use them to carry my dirty laundry in a clothes basket. Wash the dishes. Wash myself. Walk the dogs. Weed the garden¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is¡ªis that all?¡± Rina asked in a tremulous voice.

    ¡°No, she also makes me play cat¡¯s cradle with them.¡±

    Maya swallowed loudly and stared at Caprice with wide eyes. ¡°You play cat¡¯s cradle with Hecaton-fields?¡±

    Feeling as though she¡¯d tripped a trip-wire, Caprice nodded very cautiously.

    Maya¡¯s eyes narrowed and she frowned hard. ¡°By the way, that Aegis-field you threw up to protect us was pretty big.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI did that on reflex. Morgan has a habit of sneaking up on me. She says it¡¯s to keep me on my toes.¡±

    Maya and Rina looked at Caprice with complicated expression, but Amiella looked puzzled.

    ¡°Do you train under waterfalls as well?¡± Maya asked drily.

    Caprice couldn¡¯t help the shock from showing on her face. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°What are you? Some kind of ninja?¡± Maya blurted out.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not,¡± Caprice held her hands up as she shook her head. ¡°Although, Morgan enjoys watching all the period dramas from ancient Earth about samurais and ninjas. Maybe that¡¯s where she got the waterfall idea¡­.¡±

    The three girls ¨C including Haruka ¨C regarded Caprice like an oddity, until the buxom brunette once again reminded them of Desanto on the ground.

    After debating how best to hold him, Caprice and Maya decided to form a flat surface under him with their Hecaton-fields, and then succeeded in levitating Desanto into the air. They carried him between them, while Rina led the way using the map application on her palm-slate to guide the group to the underground infirmary. Haruka trailed closely on their heels, a watchful eye on Desanto who was now snoring very softly with each breath.

    After the four girls exited the clearing by walking on the paved path, the busty girl sighed heavily, and broke the short silence that had fallen upon the group. Clearing her throat audibly, Haruka asked, ¡°Was there another table?¡±

    ¡°No, there wasn¡¯t.¡± Caprice replied without thinking, regretting it a heartbeat later when Maya shot her a lancing glance.

    Haruka sighed again. ¡°Then why did you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Because you Aventis get preferential treatment in this Academy. If your friend with the snake tongue reports Maya to the teachers for having bared her fangs, then Maya can get suspended, and I didn¡¯t want that. The teachers will naturally side with the Aventis, and Maya will get the short straw.¡±

    Haruka was quiet for a short while, then uttered, ¡°I see¡­.¡±

    The first lunchtime bell sounded throughout the school grounds. It alerted students that they had ten minutes before the commencement of classes at which time a second bell would ring out loudly.

    ¡°This sucks,¡± Caprice said at a pang of hunger in her stomach.

    ¡°We missed out on lunch,¡± Maya remarked, then threw Haruka a look over her shoulder. ¡°But I¡¯m seeing lunch right here with us.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Haruka almost shrieked.

    Caprice glanced back at her to see her pale face at sight of Maya licking her lips.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± the buxom brunette whispered.

    Maya turned away as though tired of playing around. ¡°You¡¯re right. Your Avenir blood wouldn¡¯t taste any good, anyway.¡±

    Caprice felt uneasy at the thought of drinking a classmate¡¯s blood. But before she could toss the thought away, her palm-slate rang loudly in her skirt pocket, signing a song from a popular cartoon about magical girls.

    Maya, Rina, and Haruka swiveled their heads toward Caprice who blushed hotly while she fumbled to pull her palm-slate out of the pocket. By some stroke of good fortune, or a product of Morgan¡¯s relentless training, Caprice did not lose control of her Hecaton-field supporting Desanto as she answered the call, not bothering to check the caller ID in the process.

    ¡°He¡ªhello?¡±

    ¡°Caprice¡ªreport!¡±

    As Morgan¡¯s voice blasted out of the slim device, Caprice yelped and dropped the palm-slate.

    - III -

    Sitting at the table on the restaurant¡¯s balcony, Morgan Le Caster read and re-read the message on her palm-slate, dimly aware of the blood draining from her face.

    Across the table, nibbling disinterestedly on a salad lunch, the petite redhead Arisa Imreh Lanfear began to watch Morgan with interest. ¡°Bad news?¡±

    Morgan blinked out of her stupor, and recovered her composure to some degree, but she continued to hold the palm-slate in her hand rather than placing it back down on the table. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Imreh munched on a lettuce leaf. ¡°Really, because you look rather pale.¡±

    Morgan studied the beautiful young woman with flowing hair the color of a brilliant sunset seated opposite her.

    Like Morgan, Arisa Imreh Lanfear was an alumnus of Galatea Academy, having attended the school during the same years. However, after graduation their paths diverged. Morgan attended the tertiary college operated by the Sanctum, while Arisa went to Clarent University in Island Two before working at Public Security. But while Morgan had done rather well for herself at the Sanctum until a more lucrative offer came along from the Steiner Family, Arisa quit Public Security and began working at the office of the Lanfear Primatriarch, Yolanda Imreh Lanfear, her aunt. She had heard rumors that Arisa had engaged in a relationship with her superior at Public Security, but it could have been nothing more than jealous or envious gossip from her co-workers. In truth, Arisa had always been the product of ugly rumors during her years at Galatea Academy, as girl after girl accused her of stealing their boyfriends.

    ¡°Tell me something,¡± Morgan asked while discreetly placing the palm-slate on her lap. ¡°Why did you quit Pub-Sec?¡±

    Arisa continued munching on the lettuce leaf. ¡°I had a conflict of interest.¡±

    ¡°Meaning what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Lanfear, but he was a Raynar.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Morgan almost dropped her palm-slate. ¡°You mean?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever read Romeo and Juliet? Romeo was a Montague, while Juliet was a Capulet.¡± Arisa shrugged and finished eating the lettuce leaf. ¡°Pretty much the same thing with him and me.¡± Picking up the glass of iced tea, she sipped it through a straw. ¡°Besides, his girlfriend complained that she wasn¡¯t seeing much of him.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­don¡¯t tell me you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay, then I won¡¯t.¡± Arisa smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±

    Morgan eyed her former school acquaintance with disbelieving eyes. ¡°So it was true? All of those rumors back at Galatea about you stealing boyfriends? That was all true?¡±

    Arisa placed her tall glass of iced tea on the table. ¡°A few of them. Well, most of them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am. What do you take me for?¡±

    Morgan refrained from banging her hands on the table. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°Look, high school is high school. College is college. And work is work.¡± Arisa ran a fingertip along the edge of her glass. ¡°So, are you going to tell me what that message was all about?¡±

    ¡°Before I do that, I want your honest answer. And no playing around.¡±

    Arisa sat back in her chair. ¡°You¡¯re wondering about Desanto and Steiner, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Those two happen to be in the same class. And they happened to run into each other this morning.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    Morgan swallowed. ¡°Desanto¡¯s records are restricted to high level access only. Even my Sanctum authorization, that is still in effect because of my role as Caprice¡¯s Guardian, doesn¡¯t allow me to read them.¡±

    ¡°Oh. So that¡¯s why you¡¯re knickers are in a twist. I thought it was because you hadn¡¯t had a good man in while.¡± She frowned slightly and lowered her voice. ¡°Wait, are you still a virgin?¡±

    Despite her best attempt not too, Morgan blushed bright red and hissed, ¡°That¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s none of your business!¡±

    Arisa looked disappointed, but then shrugged. ¡°Well, there¡¯s still time for you.¡±

    This time, Morgan was able to hold herself back through a monumental force of will. ¡°Imreh, can you please be serious.¡±

    ¡°Call me Arisa.¡±

    ¡°Arisa¡ªI want to know more about him.¡±

    ¡°He likes blondes.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Morgan jerked back. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in luck. He likes blondes. He sees a beautiful blonde and he turns to butter,¡± Arisa replied with a straight face. ¡°So Steiner is safe from him.¡±

    ¡°Actually, about that¡±¡ªMorgan swallowed¡ª¡°Caprice is a natural blonde. She dyes her hair for personal reasons.¡±

    Arisa¡¯s eyes widened slowly but very perceivably. ¡°Oh no¡­.¡± She straightened in her chair. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before?¡±

    Morgan felt a pang of fear. ¡°What? What is it?¡±

    ¡°We have to keep her away from him? She¡¯s in danger.¡±

    ¡°What seriously?¡±

    Arisa froze for a moment. ¡°Wait¡ªtell me her cup size!¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Morgan blushed. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you that.¡±

    ¡°Just tell me! It¡¯s important!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a Double-A!¡±

    Morgan could sense through her Awareness-field that her loud voice had attracted a multitude of attention from the patrons ¨C both male and female ¨C seated at the neighboring tables. Choosing to ignore them, she stared questioningly at Arias who sat with her mouth open for a long while before she relaxed in her seat and resumed sipping her iced tea. ¡°That was a close call.¡±

    This time it was too much for her to handle, and Morgan slapped the table. ¡°What the Hell is that all about?¡±

    ¡°If she ever grows three or four letters into the alphabet, then it¡¯s open season on Caprice Steiner.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t recall you ever being that well rounded before,¡± Arisa remarked. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s asked you out on a date.¡±

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t asked me. It¡¯s just his delusion.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s expecting you to call him.¡±

    ¡°Geh¡ª!¡± Morgan choked.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Arisa said. ¡°I give you permission to go on a date with him. Just be gentle with him.¡±

    Morgan scowled at the redhead. ¡°I can see why you¡¯re his Guardian. You¡¯re as bad as he is.¡±

    ¡°Caelum is still a puppy. He has much to learn.¡± Arisa eyed Morgan carefully. ¡°As I was saying, be gentle with him.

    ¡°Arrgh¡ªI¡¯m not dating a younger man. Especially a teenage boy! I¡¯d be arrested!¡±

    Arisa made a ho-hum expression and averted her gaze. ¡°I won¡¯t tell if you won¡¯t.¡±

    Morgan inhaled deeply as she grasped the frayed remains of her composure. ¡°Look, just tell me about him. What¡¯s in those files?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so interested?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m worried about Caprice.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t hurt her. Trust me. If anything¡±¡ªArisa winced slightly¡ª¡°if anything he¡¯d leap headfirst into a fight to protect a girl. That¡¯s the sort of person he is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m worried about her at the Academy. I¡¯m worried that I won¡¯t be able to protect her.¡± Morgan squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to keep my promise¡­.¡±

    When she opened her eyes, Morgan saw the playfulness in Arisa¡¯s face had faded away. ¡°What happened to Karina wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±

    Morgan swallowed again and took a deep breath. ¡°Either way, I promised her, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to keep that promise.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been training Steiner for over a year. And she has Karina¡¯s Valkyrie. So tell me, how good is that girl?¡±

    ¡°Very good. She¡¯s better than I was at her age. Maybe¡­maybe even better than Karina.¡±

    ¡°As good as Celica?¡±

    Morgan flinched and turned away. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°She may have to be. That girl has enemies both inside and outside her family.¡± Facing Arisa, Morgan saw the redhead¡¯s emerald eyes were glinting sharply, and Arisa appeared and sounded deadly serious. ¡°If you want to know the truth, our two wards are in the same class because my aunt made a call.¡±

    Morgan¡¯s mouth grew dry. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°My aunt received a call from the Steiners, who made a personal request of her. Afterwards, she made a call to Lavinia Mason¡±¡ªArisa grimaced as though her saliva had turned bitter¡ª¡°and the rest is history.¡± She washed down some of her bitter feelings with sip of iced tea. ¡°I should tell you, Cassandra Khayman¡¯s daughter is sharing the same class with her. I¡¯ve heard people call Cassandra¡¯s child a prodigy, and it¡¯s probably what she desired when she made the choice to give birth to the girl, regardless of how it would affect her marriage and her family.¡±

    Cassandra Khayman Sora was Maya Khayman afil Sora¡¯s mother, and the Primatriarch of the Sora Pride here in Pharos. But because her daughter was born a Familiar, when all her other siblings were born as Pureblood Aventis, there was no shortage of rumors surrounding the origins of the young girl, some of which hinted at Cassandra engaging in an illicit relationship with a Familiar ¨C a young man who was part of her personal security.

    Morgan felt herself wilt as she realized how remiss she had been in her duties as Caprice¡¯s Guardian. ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t check the class roster.¡±

    Pushing her glass of iced tea aside, Arisa leaned forward and folded her arms on the edge of the table. ¡°You didn¡¯t. But others did. Between Desanto and Khayman, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be safe. At the very least, I have a feeling those three are destined to be together.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You make it sound dirty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about a threesome¡±¡ªArisa shrugged¡ª¡°though who knows what will happen later.¡±

    ¡°Arisa, that¡¯s not funny at all.¡±

    ¡°Am I laughing?¡± the redhead asked Morgan who shook her head weakly. ¡°Morgan, do you know the stories that surround the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing?¡±

    ¡°A few. History wasn¡¯t my strongest subject.¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t all taught in history class. A lot of the information we have on the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing is kept out of the history books. And before you ask why, ask yourself this.¡± Arisa paused for effect. ¡°When the Familiars won the war for the Aventis more than two hundred years ago, why did they suddenly hand their power over to us?¡±

    ¡°I thought it was because they decided they were done with war. I read that the Four Great Generals came to a consensus about who would lead humanity best.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think so? Regulars, Aventis, and Familiars. At the core we are all the same species. We¡¯re all human, and we all share humanity¡¯s faults. Greed. Ambition. Racism. An urge to kill. We¡¯re all barbaric. But the Familiars are different in that they possess a power we don¡¯t have. They could have turned their Remnants against us and claimed the top spot on the pyramid.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But what I do know, and what the archives tell us, is that the three surviving Generals did not hand power over willingly. In fact, they had no choice.¡±

    ¡°You mean because all the Remnants shut down without any reason to?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Because on the day that the war came to an end, and the Fourth General is rumored to have died in the Empress¡¯s tower after defeating her champion, all the Remnants stopped working. All of them reverted to a standby mode and locked down. It didn¡¯t matter where those Familiars were, or how far away from the capital they were stationed, their Remnants simply stopped working. And ever since then, whenever a Remnant is un-bonded with a Familiar, it reverts to its locked state and the next Familiar to use it has to learn how to unlock its power from the beginning.¡±

    Morgan ruminated over Arisa¡¯s words for a short moment. ¡°You mean that something happened when Kallum Kampfer died¡ªthe Fourth General¡ªsomething that changed the behavior of the Remnants, including those yet to be fished out of the Hurakan Nebula.¡±

    Arisa nodded faintly. ¡°Kampfer¡¯s Remnant was a Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. A Ruler Class Remnant. And Caelum Desanto is the Meister of a Kaiser¡¯s Blessing as well. Do you see where I¡¯m going with this?¡±

    ¡°Not really, but you do know there are four Kaiser¡¯s Blessings out there. Four of the same Ruler Class Remnants.¡±

    ¡°I do indeed. So the question the historians ask is which one is the Remnant that General Kallum Kampfer used? Which one of the four is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But why does it matter?¡±

    ¡°Because I believe¡ªand many of the Lanfears believe¡ªthat the answer to the question of why the Remnants all shut down lies within the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing that General Kampfer wielded. Some of the ancient Remnants retain the memories of their Meisters. No one knows what happened up there in the Empress¡¯s throne room on the day Kampfer died. There is speculation and nothing more. So the answer lies hidden within Kampfer¡¯s Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡±

    ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, and the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing is so important, why give it to Desanto?¡±

    ¡°Because my Pride, the Lanfears, had no choice. Caelum¡¯s compatibility with the Remnant was through the roof. It shocked the Hell out of my aunt, and her inner circle. They were so surprised they wanted to have him trained in a dedicated facility. They practically wanted to dissect him on a laboratory table. They want to know if that Remnant is the same Remnant that Kampfer used, and Desanto is their best means of getting the answer to the centuries old question of what happened up there in the throne room.¡±

    Morgan felt a very real fear circle through her body. ¡°Why¡­why didn¡¯t they seclude him or take him apart?¡±

    Arisa looked away, her gaze distant. ¡°Two reasons. The first relates to a prediction¡ªa prophecy¡ªmade by Seers and Seeresses a few years after the war.¡±

    ¡°A prophecy?¡± Normally Morgan would have scoffed at the notion, but the serious intensity in Arisa¡¯s distant eyes quelled the urge in a heartbeat.

    Arisa nodded faintly. ¡°Throughout the war, their predications had been very accurate so there were few that doubted them. In fact, they had a higher success rate than the quantum battle computers designed to strategize the war. So when they made their prophecy, the Primatriarchs of the time listened.¡±

    ¡°So what was the prophecy?¡±

    ¡°That one day the Four Generals would be reborn.¡±

    Morgan joined the dotted lines together. ¡°You believe that one of them is Desanto?¡±

    Arisa looked at her and shrugged subtly. ¡°It¡¯s not what I believe, but what my aunt believes. She¡¯s the Primatriarch. Not me.¡±

    Morgan thought back to her recent years in the Sanctum¡¯s employ, and of the rumors she¡¯d heard of divisions that dealt with genetic cataloging. Was it because the Sanctum was keeping an eye out for the rebirth of the Four Generals.

    After shelving the thought for later, Morgan asked, ¡°And what is the second reason?¡±

    ¡°The second reason is that my aunt wanted Desanto to have a normal¡­well, a relatively normal high school life. She wanted him to grow into a proper young man. She didn¡¯t want him isolated from the world. By giving him the experiences he needs to know himself and to know others, my Aunt Yolanda wants Caelum to understand the importance of life, and to appreciate the responsibility that comes with great power¡ªespecially when that power comes from the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡± Arisa glanced at her iced tea, then signaled a nearby waiter. ¡°May I have another please.¡±

    Morgan waited for the waiter to walk away before saying, ¡°I get the feeling you haven¡¯t made your point yet.¡±

    Arisa¡¯s green eyes blinked slowly and her gaze penetrated deep into Morgan¡¯s consciousness. When the young redhead smile, Morgan shivered.

    ¡°Kallum Kampfer wasn¡¯t alone in his fight,¡± Arisa said. ¡°He had good people around him, and the love of someone that ultimately broke him. But he also had the love of three young women, and their Remnants were a Valkyrie, a Paladin, and a Siren. And on the day that humanity lost the war, it was those young women who recovered his body from the Empress¡¯s throne room¡­.¡±

    As Arisa¡¯s voice trailed away, it sounded to Morgan as though she said ¡®and one other¡¯ but the complicated feeling that tingled down her spine stole her voice.

    Arisa accepted her new glass of iced tea from the young male waiter, smiling seductively at him and causing the man to almost drop the tall glass. After the waiter departed with embarrassment written clearly on his face, Arisa used the long straw to swirl the ice cubes floating in her tea, then abruptly stopped and stared at Morgan with renewed interest.

    ¡°By the way, Morgan,¡± the redhead began, ¡°if I remember correctly, isn¡¯t your Remnant a Siren?¡±

    From the back of her consciousness, Morgan felt the presence of her slumbering Remnant stir once again, though not as strongly as when she and Desanto had stood face to face.

    Back then¡­at that time¡­what was it that I felt?

    Noticing that Arisa was watching her intently, a cold shiver ran through her body. Clearing her throat after two failed attempts, Morgan stood up with her palm-slate in hand. ¡°Excuse me, but I¡ªI need to make a call.¡±

    ¡°Take your time,¡± Arisa said to her. The redhead sipped her tea as her gaze followed the young male waiter doing the rounds.

    Walking off the open-air balcony and back into the restaurant¡¯s cool interior, Morgan glanced back at Arisa on impulse, and was surprised to see the beautiful redhead looking decidedly agitated as she talked to someone through her palm-slate. Morgan frowned to herself and almost returned to the table, but then she remembered she too had a call to make. Turning away, she walked out of the establishment and stepped onto the wide promenade of the luxurious mall in the affluent district of Island One¡¯s Habitat Two. The restaurant was but one of many located within the mall¡¯s upper levels.

    She made the call to Steiner¡¯s palm-slate and waited for Caprice to answer it.

    When the girl did, Morgan couldn¡¯t hold herself back and all her emotions that had been stirred up by Arisa Imreh Lanfear now blew out of her at once.

    ¡°Caprice¡ªReport!¡±

    On the other end of the line she heard a frightened yelp and the sound of a palm-slate falling to the ground.

    @@@

 Vol 1 - Prologue (Draft 2)

    </a>Prologue.

    To this day, nobody knows what triggered the Cataclysm.

    That¡¯s what it came to be known, a word synonymous with both the massive trans-space shockwave, and the wholesale destruction that it caused.

    That shockwave hit the mass shadows of planets, stars, and a host of other celestial bodies as it raced at superluminal speed through an area of densely populated worlds. Anything with a substantial mass shadow that dimpled into the realm of trans-space was smashed to pieces. People living on planets had nowhere and no time to run as the shockwave shattered their worlds like balls of soft earth and clay. Even large starships weren¡¯t spared. Many of the super-liners and super-sized military fortresses perished when the trans-light shockwave struck their presence within trans-space.

    Racing out from an epicenter near the center of humanity¡¯s centuries old galactic civilization, the shockwave wiped out billions in the span of a day. Millions more died in the days that followed.

    The Cataclysm brought humanity¡¯s First Golden Age to a finale.

    It set the stage for the survivors to lay the foundations for the Second Golden Age, and the remains of those scores of shattered worlds, moons and stars became the material that fueled the expansion of the Hurakan Nebula.

    Nobody noticed the Aventis until decades later.

    Most certainly nobody knew where they came from.

    Everybody was too busy rebuilding their fallen civilizations following the Cataclysm, that the existence of humans that were more than human went by unnoticed until eventually it was impossible for the Aventis to hide. That was because they were everywhere and anywhere.

    From the very beginning they had infiltrated the newly founded United Systems Alliance and the neighboring Coalition of System States.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    The problem was that the Aventis looked just like a regular human because they were human, but they were also something more. They were hosts to the Symbiote, and it was the Symbiote that made them strong, fast, and hard to kill. So despite their lack of numbers, they quickly made inroads into humanity¡¯s territories, until humanity began to earnestly fight back.

    The War of Supremacy would last two decades between humanity against the Aventis ¨C who fell into eight distinct clans known as Prides. In the end, humanity gave up and raised the white flag. Those that didn¡¯t surrender packed their bags and left this region of the galaxy forever.

    Unchallenged, the Aventis ruled supreme and yet they ruled well such that more than two centuries after the Cataclysm and the war, people had all but forgotten the point of fighting against these superior humans. And the truth was, the Prides only went to war to ensure their own survival, but afterwards they managed ¨C dare we say ruled ¨C humanity with a deft and steady hand.

    No wars. No conflicts. On the whole, a fairly stable economic and political environment.

    Of course, the Aventis remained at the top of the food chain, and Regulars ¨C those without the Symbiote ¨C remained one step below. They had preferential treatment in business, education, sports, and pretty much everything else. But it wasn¡¯t all bad for the rest of humanity, just not as good as it was for those that belonged to the Prides.

    However, the door to joining a Pride wasn¡¯t closed.

    During their teenage years, a Regular human was tested for compatibility with one of the eight strains of Symbiote that uniquely characterized the eight Prides. If they scored higher than seventy percent they were bonded with a Symbiote and admitted into a Pride. Those that failed to score above the minimum threshold were relegated to mediocrity and remained Regulars.

    Then there were those that demonstrated they were different from the rest, and they were chosen to serve the Aventis in a different capacity. They were known as Familiars, neither Regular nor Aventis, and they were gifted with a handful of unique talents, foremost of which was the ability to wield the Remnants ¨C artifacts from an unknown time and place discovered after the Cataclysm. It was because of this and other abilities that Familiars found themselves one step above the Regulars on the social pyramid.

    Had things been fair, they would have found themselves ruling the Aventis.

    After all, if not for the thousands of Familiars who sided with the Aventis and chose to wield their Remnants in battle against humanity, the Aventis would never have won the War of Supremacy, and society would be quite different to what it is today.

 Vol 1 - Intro (Draft 2)

    Intro.

    He lay on the ground, the wound perforating his body bleeding profusely through the gash in his chest and back, though the little worm inside his body was already growing at an extraordinary rate, spreading throughout his innards and working its healing magic on his injury. But the worm wasn¡¯t Lanfear. It was Avenir. His body would not respond to it as well, challenging the creature to heal him in time or at the least secure the bleeding.

    His was not the only life that hung in the balance.

    He had pushed too hard, drawn upon too much of his Remnant¡¯s power and lost control of it.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    In so doing he had wounded a girl, piercing through her chest with a blade that could cut a fleet battleship to shreds.

    And then someone had spared him from killing her in his deranged, deluded state.

    Someone had lanced through his body with a long forked spear, catching him unawares a moment before he could land an outright fatal blow on an innocent girl whose only mistake was to accept his challenge to duel with her.

    As his hearing faded, he heard the sounds of the medics calling for more blood and a woman¡¯s voice blare into the cavern, demanding they get the wounded to the infirmary before all hope was lost.

    With the last of his vision, he looked up at the girl kneeling over him, her long beautiful blonde hair draping her head as she caressed his face and prayed for him while tears fell in rivulets down her cheeks and landed on his lips.

    He tasted the salty tears, then closed his eyes as his consciousness slipped.

    Yet before he passed out, he was certain he heard another woman¡¯s voice in his ears, promising she wouldn¡¯t let him die for there was much they had yet to achieve together¡­.

 Vol 1 - Ch 1 - Close Encounter of the Perverted Kind (Draft 2)

    Chapter 1 ¨C Close Encounter of the Perverted Kind.

    ¨C I ¨C

    The Hurakan Nebula was a treasure trove of untapped mineral wealth ¨C a massive spherical dust cloud a hundred lightyears across.

    Born from the destruction caused by the cataclysmic trans-space shockwave that ended humanity¡¯s First Galactic Golden Age. But because of this, it was also replete with minerals and natural wealth worthy of the remains of the dozens of worlds, moons, and star systems annihilated in the tragedy.

    A century after the War of Supremacy, the mining companies operating within the Aventis Territories began turning their attention on the resources contained within the nebula. By then the corporations had succeeded in reestablishing themselves under Aventis rule, and were looking for new markets to exploit.

    The Hurakan Nebula became the focus of their attention, but in order to mine the nebula a port of call was needed, a place where starships could dock for repairs, deliver their wares, and material could be processed. So at the behest of the various companies, the Primatriarchs of the sixteen colonized worlds signed an agreement to establish a sister colony within the outskirts of the nebula.

    This sister colony would be called Pharos.

    A hundred years later it was the largest commercial port in the nebula, with hundreds of starships traveling to and from the colony each day. With its own government and self-defense force, and ruled by a Primatriarch Council, the colony operated as a small self-governing world with a population of seven million, and it observed the same calendar and seasons as the capital world of Aeneas, including its holidays and traditions.

    The century old colony consisted of five enormous asteroids, each one referred to as an Island. The largest was Island One, a chunk of rock from a dead moon. It was one of many that had drifted for almost a hundred years through the nebula before arriving at its border. At ninety kilometers long and nearly half as thick, it was home to the Harbor Tunnel and Harbor Sphere where thousands of starships, both large and small, stopped by on their way to and from the nebula. Its four smaller brethren known as Islands Two, Three, Four, and Five were locked into fixed orbits around the massive asteroid, each one of them home to a million or more people who lived within caverns carved out from the interior of the giant rocks. Referred to as Habitats, these caverns were sufficient in size to house a small city.

    Island Two had once been known for its luxurious residential habitats, but that was in the past. With Islands Three and Four coming online, or rather, open to habitation, Island Two had suffered a gradual decline in the quality of life it provided. However, with that decline came cheaper housing so living in the habitats of Island Two was more affordable than elsewhere in Pharos.

    The apartment Revlina Laurentine rented in Island Two, Habitat Three, was on the small side but it had everything she needed to live comfortably for a very affordable price. It was also quite close to the overhead mag-lev station, an added bonus since her place of work was located in Island One, Habitat One, in one of the commercial districts packed with towering megascrapers that had grown so tall they now brushed the cavern ceiling, and had no more room to grow. In contrast, the habitat she lived in was less densely populated by buildings. It also had a mimetic sky-field that simulated the stages of the day, giving the inhabitants the impression they were living on a planet rather than inside a rock floating on the edge of a giant cloud of intergalactic matter. The sky-field extended all the way down the curved walls of the habitat, where upon it projected rolling verdant hills or distant mountain ranges.

    Her apartment on the twentieth floor was small but it was cozy and she loved it. The residential complex was old but well maintained, and the people were elderly, some retirees, so there was little trouble to be found as they all valued their peace and privacy, though they did find it odd for a young woman like her to be living at the complex and single to boot.

    Lying in bed, she waited for her alarm clock to sound, and turned it off when it did.

    She had decided to get up earlier and avoid the crush on the mag-lev. Not everyone in Island Two was a retiree. A good many people worked for a living, she being one of them, and that meant commuting to Island Three or Island One to their place of employment.

    Pushing back the covers of her bed, she climbed out and prepared herself for the working day with a shower, a quick breakfast, and then a hasty selection of suitable clothes for an office environment. Locking her apartment behind her after telling the home unit that she was off to work, she waited alone in the outside corridor for the elevator to arrive that would take her down to the ground floor.

    At the ground floor lobby, she walked over to the mailboxes, and checked inside hers on her way to the building¡¯s permaglass exit. To her surprise, she found a small envelope inside, and after retrieving it, she opened the paper package and allowed the contents to fall into her right palm ¨C a ruby red translucent crystal in the shape of a trapezohedron about two inches long and a half inch wide.

    Staring at it for a racing heartbeat, she quickly dropped the crystal into a skirt pocket that she then zipped shut, and folded the envelope away, placing it in her handbag. Then she left the building and walked down the steps to the sidewalk, turning eastward toward the mag-lev station, doing her best to maintain an outward calm that belied her shattered inward composure.

    ¨C II ¨C

    Island Three¡¯s Habitat One was a giant cavern fourteen kilometers long, six kilometers wide, and over two thousand feet high.

    It was home to a hundred thousand people, a place of work for two hundred thousand others, and a place of commute for one young teenage girl who happened to be sitting in the backseat of an impressive ground limousine ensnared in the grind of morning traffic. At a glance, she had long black hair and emerald green eyes. Short of stature, perhaps no more than five foot two, she had a slender well-toned body. If she had to describe her best attribute it would be her sleek legs, since she had yet to develop a womanly bosom, a source of near constant consternation for her, one she forcibly submerged into the recesses of her subconscious every day upon waking up, looking in the mirror, and finding no progress had been made during the night.

    With an elbow resting on the windowsill of the limo door, she wore a bored expression as watched the traffic lights ahead turn red.

    In truth, she was sitting nervously on the proverbial pins and needles.

    She had been plotting her escape long, long before climbing into the limo that morning.

    In fact, she had been devising her brilliant plan since excusing herself from dinner the night before after learning she would be chauffeured and chaperoned to her first day of school. That was followed a late night of planning and scheming within the confines of her room and her teenage brain. Thus, the moment the vehicle stopped at the lights was the moment the plan came to fruition.

    It was the moment she bolted into action.

    Flinging the door open, she made like the wind, leaping out of the car with preternatural grace, and then sprinting like a gazelle between the parked traffic.

    From behind her came the cries of ¡°Mistress¡ªcome back¡± but they only served to spur her on.

    With proverbial wings on her heels, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear, ran across the street packed with motionless vehicular traffic, then down the pedestrian sidewalk crowded with people heading to work in Pharos Colony¡¯s Island Three, Habitat One.

    There was method to her madness ¨C a reason for leaping out of the luxurious limo trapped in traffic.

    No way in Hell am I making my high-school debut like a rich princess!

    With that thought firmly in mind, she weaved and ducked between the moving pedestrian traffic with the skill of a shaolin master ¨C if ever a shaolin master found himself in a female school uniform and fleeing a cadre of conspicuously burly men in dark suits wearing equally dark sunglasses.

    Caprice spotted the holovid sign overhead that identified in multiple languages the entrance to the elevated mag-lev station. Executing maneuvers between people that would have challenged a bee, she turned off the sidewalk and sprinted up the steps to the station. Palm-slate firmly in hand, she swiped it over the turnstile, waited for the baffle gates to open, then sprinted once more down the short concourse, heading for the platform that would take her to the station closest to Galatea Academy. Having done her homework on the best escape route and which station line to catch was paying off.

    Not nearly as out of breath as she would have been a year ago, Caprice nervously fingered the restraining collar she wore, then made tracks between people as she hurried onto the platform. Not seeing any sign of pursuit, she slowed to a stop and began to relax, taking deep breaths in the process.

    Then her palm-slate rang.

    Recognizing the caller ID, she almost flung it away, reconsidered, then hurriedly turned the device off.

    A heartbeat later she looked up to see a commotion at the entrance to the platform, and soon her bodyguards came into view, frantically looking about in search of her.

    With a strangled groan, Caprice turned and ran away from them down the platform.

    Suddenly her upper body jerked to a standstill and her feet swung wildly in the air as her lower body continued on its merry way. When her feet came down, she realized someone had grabbed the collar of her midnight-blue school blazer and her blouse, and yanked her to a standstill. Reflexively she called out for help, but realizing it would draw attention to her, she clamped her hands over her mouth as she was bodily turned around by the hand gripping her collar.

    ¡°Yoh...double-A.¡±

    Caprice was turned around to face a young man, a high school student dressed in Galatea Academy¡¯s uniform for boys, standing quite a few inches taller than her, regarding her with a look of reproach. His clothes were disarrayed, his crimson tie hung loose, and his hair was suffering from a severe case of bedhead. Yet despite his unkempt appearance, Caprice felt her heart jump when she looked into his dark eyes.

    Wow¡­he¡¯s hot.

    ¡°You bumped me.¡±

    His unhappy tone was like a bucket of cold water doused on her head.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± she asked.

    He pulled her closer. ¡°I said¡­you bumped me.¡±

    Bumped him? No way. I¡¯m sure I avoided him by a few millimeters at least.

    She chose to apologize rather than argue with the youth. Handsome or not, her trouble radar was beeping madly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Bowing in apology was out of the question because he still held onto her. Then she saw her family¡¯s bodyguards pushing their way toward her. ¡°Could you please let me go?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± He made a hand-it-over gesture with his free hand. ¡°I demand compensation.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Her express fell into confusion while inwardly she was beginning to despair. ¡°What compensation?¡± She blinked quickly. ¡°You mean lunch money?¡±

    He frowned at her. ¡°What do you take me for¡ªa school bully?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what you want.¡±

    ¡°I told you. Compensation.¡±

    The bodyguards were coming closer and Caprice began to panic in earnest. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat compensation? Just spit it out.¡±

    ¡°Double-A, you¡¯re being rude.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what you want or let me go.¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you in a rush?¡±

    ¡°A rush? Yes, I¡¯m in a rush.¡± A wild reckless thought plunged into her mind. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m being followed by those three large men. They want to kidnap me. They¡¯re gangsters. My family owes them money.¡± She was on a roll now, the proverbial rolling boulder. ¡°They¡ªthey wanna sell my body to pay off the debt.¡±

    His gaze travelled over her. ¡°Your body? Are you serious?¡± She scowled at him, and he snorted in response. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh¡ªthen again some guys are into flat chested lolli-girls.¡±

    ¡°See! I¡¯m in trouble.¡± Then she realized what he¡¯d called her. ¡°And I¡¯m not a lolli!¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Call the Enforcers. Your family¡¯s debts are not my problem.¡±

    ¡°In that case let me go.¡±

    ¡°Nope. I demand compensation.¡±

    ¡°What¡ªwhat compensation?¡±

    ¡°Show me your panties.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Caprice felt as though someone had uncapped her skull and allowed all her thoughts to jump out.

    ¡°Your panties. Show me. Then I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    The guards were only a dozen meters away by now.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    The youth turned toward the oncoming bodyguards and called out, ¡°Hey, over here¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± In desperation, Caprice made her choice. ¡°You wanna see¡ªhere! Take a look!¡±

    She grabbed her light grey skirt and lifted it up.

    The youth regarded her underwear for a second or two. ¡°Good choice. Midnight Parade. This year¡¯s summer range.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She dropped the ends of her skirt, the reality of having exposed herself in a public place yet to sink in. ¡°How¡ªhow do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Trust me. I¡¯m a connoisseur of women¡¯s lingerie.¡± He released her blazer¡¯s collar. ¡°You said you¡¯re being chased?¡±

    ¡°Ah huh¡­.¡±

    ¡°Attempted kidnapping?¡±

    ¡°Ah huh¡­.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a debt to pay.¡±

    ¡°Something like that¡­.¡±

    He grinned and cracked his knuckles just as her bodyguards arrived. ¡°Cool. I get to have some fun.¡±

    It was then she noticed the collar around his neck ¨C a collar like the one she wore. It was the collar that all Familiars affiliated with a Pride were required to wear, and the pips indicated he was bonded to a Remnant. When he turned to face the bodyguards her family had assigned to protect her, she glimpsed the pendant hanging from the collar because it was the same as hers ¨C the red phoenix of the Lanfear Pride.

    Oh no. He¡¯s a Familiar too.

    Her bodyguards slowed as they approached her, and made the mistake of ignoring the grinning youth, pushing him aside as they surrounded her.

    ¡°Mistress,¡± one of the men called out to her. ¡°You can¡¯t run off like that. You need to return to the car.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± the young Familiar interjected, ¡°but aren¡¯t you forgetting something.¡± As the men spared him a distasteful look, he shoved a hand into a trouser pocket. ¡°I¡¯m the one who caught her.¡± He held his other hand out to them. ¡°I demand compensation.¡±

    At his apparent betrayal, Caprice glared at him. ¡°Hey¡ªI did what you wanted.¡±

    ¡°That was for bumping into me,¡± he replied smoothly. ¡°I never said anything about helping you.¡±

    ¡°What? But you said leave it to me.¡±

    The bodyguard in authority over the others stepped in front of her with his back to the high school student. ¡°Mistress, please return to the car. Lady Morgan is waiting for us.¡±

    Caprice shook her head quickly. ¡°No. I told Morgan I would make my own way to school.¡±

    Her bodyguards didn¡¯t agree, two of them flanking her and each man taking hold of one of her arms with the intention of escorting her off the platform and back to the limo, while the third bodyguard led the way.

    But the Familiar dressed in the Galatea Academy uniform hadn¡¯t given up.

    ¡°Compensation,¡± he demanded, standing in their path.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for punks like you,¡± the bodyguard in the lead declared.

    The youth¡¯s eyes widened and his grin turned into a cruel smile. ¡°Oh really. Then let¡¯s make the time.¡±

    To Caprice, it looked as though he grabbed the air between himself and the large man. She felt it harden a moment before something ripped loudly and the bodyguard¡¯s trousers and boxers hit the deck.

    The youth winced in pain and then grabbed the collar around his neck with one hand. ¡°Shit that hurts.¡±

    The two bodyguards holding onto Caprice stared at their boss in disbelief.

    ¡°Sir, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not me,¡± he yelled back, crouching to gather his clothes.

    ¡°Double-A,¡± the youth called out, and Caprice realized he was referring to her.

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±

    He reached out and appeared to grab the air, then made another ripping motion, and the two bodyguards flanking her suffered the same wardrobe failure as their boss. As the men struggled to regain their modesty, the youth hissed in pain as he held onto the collar.

    ¡°Double-A¡ªtime to go,¡± he announced in a strangled voice.

    Despite being in agony, he quickly grabbed Caprice by her left arm, and pulled her along the platform as the in-bound mag-lev whooshed down the rail line and came to a smooth stop.

    With a tight grip on her school bag hanging from her right shoulder, Caprice was surprised by his strength and his fleetness of foot as they slipped through the crowd boarding the carriages. Once inside, he urged her deeper into the carriage.

    ¡°Keep moving,¡± he gasped, wincing with every breath. ¡°Keep going. Next carriage.¡±

    Caprice found herself leading the way, and with the young man following her closely behind, they exited one carriage and entered the next through the connecting tubule.

    Then the mag-lev doors closed and the train began to move at speed down the line.

    Coming to a stop near one of the doors, Caprice breathed fast yet deeply and soon recovered her breath. It was then she noticed she was squeezed between a few adult men, and began to panic a little.

    Stupid. It was my idea to commute by public transport. Now suck it up!

    A hand snaked out between the men, grabbed her, and pulled her into a gap beside the double exit doors of the carriage. Now she found herself pressed between the doors, and the young Familiar ¨C her apparent savior.

    Unable to hide her blush, Caprice looked up at him. ¡°Th¡ªthank you.¡±

    ¡°Compensation,¡± he said to her.

    ¡°Heeeeh?¡± she cried out, then clamped her mouth shut when a few commuters nearby glanced at her with myriad expressions, none of them altogether friendly. She lowered her voice. ¡°What the Hell do you mean, compensation? I already showed you my panties. What else do you want to see?¡± The magnitude of what she¡¯d done on the station platform slammed into her consciousness with the force of a freight train. ¡°Oh my, gods. Oh my, gods. Please tell me it was all a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Double-A, would you calm down,¡± he complained while running a finger under the restraining collar he wore. ¡°Do you have any idea how much this thing bites when you go against its directives?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve never broken the rules so why would I?¡±

    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you a good little girl,¡± he remarked dryly.

    She started to curse him, but seeing his discomfort she asked instead, ¡°So¡­how does it feel?¡±

    ¡°Like being shocked by a stun gun. Burns a lot, but then it works its way down to your balls.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She blinked absently.

    He made a sour face. ¡°It sure as Hell kills an erection fast.¡±

    Caprice swallowed in distaste. ¡°Do you have to be so crass?¡±

    ¡°What? I¡¯m just telling you the truth. First it burns up here, then the shock kicks you down in the lower quarter.¡± He writhed uncomfortably while standing up, brushing against her in the process. ¡°Shit, now it¡¯s gone numb.¡±

    ¡°That is something I don¡¯t need to know!¡±

    ¡°Keep it down, Double-A.¡±

    ¡°Enough with your problems in the lower quarter,¡± she hissed at him.

    He reached up and grabbed onto an overhead hand rail. ¡°Fine. So tell me something, Double-A, who were those guys?¡±

    Caprice grew silent as she debated being honest with the pervert who¡¯d saved her. ¡°My family¡¯s bodyguards.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my first day at Galatea Academy. My family issued me bodyguards and a car to take me to the school.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re a rich girl. What of it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the whole point. I don¡¯t want people thinking of me that way.¡±

    He stared at her with an unreadable expression before declaring, ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know anything about Galatea Academy?¡± She shook her head faintly and he sighed heavily. ¡°It¡¯s full of rich girls. Do your really think you¡¯d stand out? Trust me. You¡¯re just another tree in the forest.¡±

    Caprice pressed her lips shut.

    On the contrary, I¡¯m the biggest richest tree in the forest.

    However, she chose to keep that to herself.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± he pressed on, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal if you arrive in style. I¡¯m assuming you were travelling by limo or something like that.¡±

    ¡°A limo.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°If you really wanted to make an impression, you should have flown in.¡±

    ¡°Flying is heavily restricted in the habitats. The ceiling is only two thousand feet in Habitat Three.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why only the really important and really rich get to fly.¡±

    He had a point and she chose not to argue. Perhaps Morgan was being considerate by sticking to a ground car, and not flying her to the Academy in a manner befitting the astronomical wealth of her family. Thinking of Morgan made her heart cringe. Undoubtedly, she would report her antics to her father, and if so Caprice expected a stern lecture when she got home¡­but it wouldn¡¯t come from her father.

    Mother is going to be pissed.

    ¡°I am so screwed,¡± she whined softly and bowed her head, bumping it into his chest in the process.

    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t give your family such a hard time,¡± he muttered. ¡°After all, once they¡¯re gone¡­they¡¯re gone.¡±

    When she looked up, she saw him staring distantly through the transparent doors of the mag-lev carriage. ¡°The Steiners didn¡¯t acknowledge that I existed until a couple years ago,¡± she revealed, ¡°so why shouldn¡¯t I give them a hard time? It¡¯s not like they care about me. They just care about what I am.¡±

    ¡°And what are you?¡±

    ¡°A Familiar with a Remnant,¡± she replied bluntly.

    Caprice decided not to reveal that until two years ago, she didn¡¯t know she was a Steiner either, and though the Steiners were to blame for that, her mother had a significant part to play as well. For fourteen years, her mother had kept Caprice in the dark regarding her true parentage. If not for a dark twist in her life, she would never have known about her other family, and she most certainly would never have come to live with them.

    ¡°I¡¯m not following you,¡± he remarked.

    Caprice debated whether to tell a complete stranger the sordid details of her origin. ¡°Never mind. Forget it. Forget I said anything at all. I said way to much.¡±

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll forget about it. But it sounds to me like you¡¯re carrying a grudge.¡±

    Caprice pressed her lips together tightly for a long while before replying. ¡°I don¡¯t have a grudge against them. I just resent them. That¡¯s all.¡±

    He studied her for a short while, then looked out the door window again at the habitat buildings speeding by.

    Taking advantage of the lull in the conversation, Caprice cocked her head at him. ¡°Do you mind if I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    He made a sour expression. ¡°I¡¯m just your friendly neighborhood pervert.¡±

    ¡°Who happens to be a Familiar with a Remnant,¡± she pointed out. ¡°And someone who can tolerate a restraining collar.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve had a lot of practice with this thing,¡± he commented flatly. ¡°I think I¡¯m running down the batteries.¡±

    ¡°So who are you?¡±

    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± he asked back. ¡°I notice you¡¯re not telling me who you are.¡± She grimaced and he pressed on. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m cool with calling you Double-A.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my second question. Why are you calling me Double-A?¡±

    He blinked slowly at her for a few seconds. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your cup-size?¡±

    By the barest of margins she turned her shriek into a hiss. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Your bra may be padded to an A-cup, but you¡¯re actually a double-A.¡±

    Feeling her face turn red with heat surging from newfound depths in her body, Caprice brought her knee up with tremendous force, burying it into his crotch.

    However, he stared at her with a frown and quietly asked, ¡°Did you just knee me?¡±

    Her eyes grew wide as she realized he¡¯d been telling the truth.

    He shook his head slowly at her. ¡°I told you before, they¡¯ve gone numb.¡±

    Feeling suddenly faint, Caprice sagged against the door at her back.

    ¡°Please, please tell me I¡¯m dreaming,¡± she muttered.

    ¨C III ¨C

    Exiting the mag-lev station closest to Galatea Academy, Caprice walked with heavy steps a short distance behind the perverted youth who¡¯d saved her ¨C at the cost of exposing herself ¨C from her family¡¯s bodyguards.

    She looked up at the artificial morning sky simulated by the sky-field, and saw clouds overhead.

    She felt like one of those clouds was hanging over her permanently.

    Though it had habitats of its own, Island One largely served as a shipping and industrial sector, with a sizeable entertainment district. Over the decades, as the other Islands came to join the enormous asteroid, the residential districts had moved out of Island One, coming to settle in Islands Two and Three. Eventually they were pushed to Islands Four and Five, as burgeoning business and increased trade out in the Hurakan Nebula demanded more commercial sectors be established. So it was that Island Three came to possess a mixture of residential and commercial zones, and was home to one of five schools dedicated to cater to Aventis students.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Schools throughout Pharos conducted classes on a two-semester academic year. Before the end of each semester, the compatibility of Regular students to the eight strains of Symbiote was tested to judge their eligibility to join a Pride. If they qualified they were given time to make arrangements to transfer either mid-year or at the start of the new year into one of the five Academies. However, it wasn¡¯t just the Aventis that attended these prestigious Academies ¨C one found in each of the five asteroid Islands ¨C but Familiars too and before starting her senior year in middle-school, what on some worlds was referred to as Junior High, Caprice was tested and determined to be a Familiar most receptive to the Lanfear Symbiote.

    What made Familiars different from Regulars and Aventis was a handful of unique traits.

    To begin with, Familiars were akin to Vampires. That is, they ingested blood, but not just any blood. When they drank the blood of an Aventis, the Symbiote in the bloodstream was carried into the Familiar whereupon it grew within their bodies at a phenomenal rate. It gifted them with a strength and healing ability well beyond that of the Aventis, allowing them to survive injuries that would kill the latter. But the Symbiote within a Familiar didn¡¯t survive long, a few days or a week at best before it burnt out and was consumed by the Familiar¡¯s body. In other words, the candle that burns twice as brightly lasts half as long. In the Symbiote¡¯s case, it lasted a little longer than a week. Afterwards, a Familiar had to wait a few hours or days before they could drink the blood of an Aventis again. It is important to note, that a Familiar did not need to ingest the blood of an Aventis to wield their Remnant. However, it was only when they were boosted by the Symbiote that they could draw upon the full power and abilities of their Remnant.

    Caprice had been living in the Steiner Estate for several months when she learnt that she was a Familiar. After her Awakening, the Steiners made the arrangements to affiliate her with the Lanfear Pride because her body was found to be most receptive to their Symbiote. That is to say that when she drank Lanfear blood, Caprice gained the most out of the Symbiote. At the time, she also learnt she had inherited the Remnant her elder sister had possessed, and so began a turbulent year for the fifteen-year old girl ¨C a year of rigorous physical training and long hours learning to master and unlock the Remnant that had yet to choose her as its Meister.

    During that year, Caprice continued attending a school for the children of wealthy Regulars. The decision to transfer her to Galatea Academy wasn¡¯t handed down until late last year, and it came from her appointed Guardian, Morgan Le Caster afil Lanfear, who was also responsible for placing the restraining collar around her neck.

    Familiars without a Remnant did not wear a collar because they were not deemed a risk to the Aventis, and were thereby allowed to continue their studies at schools for Regulars. This rule also applied to Familiars bonded to a Remnant, but who did not yet have permission to carry it with them out in public or use it outside of training. Thus, during that year Caprice was not required to wear a collar and was allowed to attend her final year of middle school at a school for Regulars. However, once she had gained enough experience to wield her Remnant without fear of becoming a danger to herself and the Aventis, Caprice was issued a collar, and the Steiners promptly enrolled her at Galatea Academy.

    ¡°Yoh, Double-A, you don¡¯t look too good?¡±

    Caprice scowled at the tall good looking boy walking slightly ahead of her. He had fallen back to peer at her. ¡°And whose fault do you think that is?¡± she questioned with a steely voice.

    He shrugged a shoulder, then blinked sharply. ¡°Wait here.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    She watched him run off into a convenience store, and then trudged along in his wake. By the time she arrived at the store, he had returned with a couple of soda cans that he offered to her. She started to choose, but then stared at him with undisguised suspicion.

    ¡°How much?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just pick one. I won¡¯t ask for compensation.¡±

    ¡°Can I trust you?¡±

    He placed both cans in her hands. ¡°I told you before, I¡¯m not a bully.¡±

    ¡°No, you just bully girls into exposing their panties.¡±

    ¡°By the way, Midnight Parade is rather upmarket and mature. I didn¡¯t expect a freshman to wear that kind of line.¡±

    Caprice felt herself turn red. ¡°It¡ªit wasn¡¯t my choice.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    She trembled and so too did the soda cans she held. ¡°Morgan told me it was time to graduate from¡ª¡±

    She stopped herself in the nick of time.

    ¡°To graduate from what?¡± he asked with a sincere expression.

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m not telling you!¡± she cried out and tossed one of the cans at him before storming off down the sidewalk.

    ¡°OUCH!¡± It slammed into his forehead yet he caught it before it hit the ground. ¡°Hey, Double-A wait up.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± she yelled over her shoulder. ¡°And stop following me.¡±

    Despite all this she had the presence of mind to open her can and gulp down the contents. After chocking on the tangy liquid, she recovered and sipped it instead. She also slowed down her pace and the pervert walked behind her.

    ¡°In that case, tell me your name, oh little Familiar of the Lanfear Pride.¡±

    She stumbled and regained her footing. ¡°You saw my collar.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I saw it. I also felt your Awareness-field.¡±

    She stopped and stared at him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your Awareness-field. It¡¯s quite strong. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re having trouble keeping it down.¡±

    He was right. All Remnants emanated an Awareness-field that expanded the senses and awareness of their bonded Meister. Some Familiars had trouble summoning the field, but others like Caprice had trouble reining it in. Described in terms of magic, it was like saying her ¡®magical aura¡¯ was so strong that it defied her attempts to bring it under control, making her shine like a bonfire to those Familiars with Remnants who could sense the Awareness-field coming from her.

    He walked past her, sipping his soda. ¡°Must be a pretty powerful Remnant you¡¯ve got there,¡± he muttered.

    Caprice hurried to catch up to him. ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    He shrugged a shoulder while casting a grin on her. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    She growled under her breath. ¡°So then what about your Awareness-field?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m keeping it tucked away nice and neat.¡± He shrugged again. ¡°Although in the early days, I had trouble with it too. It was so big it was like I was shouting out ¡®Here I Am¡¯ from the highest building to every Familiar in the Island.¡± A grimace twisted his lips. ¡°Gods, how many times did Arisa wring me through Hell until I learnt how to control it.¡±

    Caprice noticed her eyes had grown wide in disbelief and amazement. ¡°So¡­what is your Remnant?¡±

    He glanced down at her. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±

    She snorted loudly. ¡°Fine. Then I don¡¯t want to know¡ª¡± She skidded to a stop when he abruptly stopped in front of her. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? What are you doing?¡±

    When he leaned down toward her, Caprice felt her heart shift into sport mode and race in her chest. His face loomed large in her vista, filling her view of the world, and his presence dominated her senses. The closer he drew, the faster her beat and the louder her breathing became. She smelt the cologne in the air and thought to herself, so this is what boys smell like.

    Then her mind snapped back into action. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat are doing? I¡ªI¡¯m not ready for this¡ª¡±

    He leaned past her and whispered into her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you tell me your name.¡±

    Caprice swallowed hard, then whispered back, ¡°Ca¡ªCaprice. Caprice Steiner¡±¡ªshe swallowed¡ª¡°afil Lanfear.¡±

    He straightened and looked down at her.

    ¡°Well then, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear¡±¡ªhe held out his right hand to her¡ª¡°it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    Hesitantly, she shook his hand. ¡°Really?¡±

    He smiled at her, with an undeniable boyish charm that made her heart skip a couple of times. ¡°I¡¯m Caelum. Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear.¡± He bowed to her while holding her hand gently. ¡°And I¡¯m at your service.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhy is that?¡± she stuttered.

    He shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s just say¡­you¡¯ve caught my interest.¡±

    ¡°Interest? What interest?¡±

    ¡°I look forward to seeing what you¡¯ll wear tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Gah!¡± She pulled her hand free and stormed around him. ¡°No thank you.¡±

    ¡°What? Why not?¡± He hurried after her. ¡°After all, we¡¯re already close.¡±

    ¡°Showing you my underwear does not make us close. You really are a pervert!¡± She came close to howling in exasperation.

    ¡°Depends on the girl and the moment,¡± he replied lightly.

    ¡°Just for the record, I do not like you.¡±

    He glanced at her. ¡°Really? I could have sworn I felt your heart dance about when I whispered in your ear.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She stopped and stamped her foot. ¡°You used your Awareness-field on me.¡±

    Desanto shook his head. ¡°Nope. Your Awareness-field projected your emotions to me. I just read them.¡±

    Her eyes widened and then she grew faint. ¡°That¡ªthat¡¯s a lie.¡±

    He gave her a pitying look. ¡°Young one, you have much to learn.¡± Then he smiled at her brightly and pointed a thumb at his chest. ¡°Want me to teach you?¡±

    Caprice recovered and gave his offer a moments consideration. ¡°No. Never.¡±

    Then she resumed storming down the sidewalk toward the large impressive gates intersecting the twenty-foot high wall surrounding the district block. It was only then she realized she had arrived at Galatea Academy.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. Finally.¡± She breathed out in relief, and turned quickly toward Desanto. ¡°Thank you for your help, but I regret we must part ways.¡± She bowed to him. ¡°And I hope we never run into each other again.¡±

    She had expected to hear some wisecrack from him, but instead he simply looked at her with an unreadable expression while sipping his drink.

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± she declared with as much finality as she could impress upon the word, spun on her heels, and strode into the school.

    Forcing herself not to look behind her, she did her best to keep her Awareness-field under control, annoyed that someone like Desanto could feel it radiating from her so strongly, yet to her it felt as though it was hardly emanating at all. Her Instructors had said it was because she wasn¡¯t in harmony with it. Until that happened, she would only have limited use of her Awareness-field. Sighing to herself in frustration, Caprice hefted the straps of her school bag higher, and sipped the remainder of her soda while staring at her surroundings.

    The school was divided into a middle-school and high-school. Viewed from overhead, the academic buildings resembled the letter H. The administration building was shaped like the letter I, and together they formed HIH when looked down upon from on high. Occupying an entire district block, Galatea Academy had space for two sports fields, two gymnasiums, two aquatic centers, and two clusters of clubroom buildings. To the north of the school were the dormitories, separated into those for middle schoolers and high schoolers, further divided between those allocated to the male and female students. Caprice had asked to live in a dormitory, thus avoiding the morning commute from Island Three Habitat Three, but to her disappointment, her family had vetoed her request.

    After entering the school grounds through the east gate, she walked on the wide path bordering the road into the school that opened into an expansive parking area. Beyond the parking area, and ahead of her to the west was the middle school grounds of the school. Farther to the west lay the high school area.

    Desanto hadn¡¯t lied when he said there were a lot of rich students attending Galatea Academy. The parking area was full of luxurious ground cars dropping off students on the first day of the school year at the academy, and Caprice felt foolish for having pulled such as a stunt. Hanging her head in shame, she walked along the path, occasionally looking up so as not to bump into objects or fellow students.

    There were indeed many cars in the parking area, but one limo stood out amongst the others, as did the young blonde woman in the body hugging dark business suit and short skirt standing with arms crossed beside the sleek vehicle, wearing an expression of finely controlled anger as she regarded Caprice from a distance of less than a hundred feet.

    Caprice stopped suddenly and felt her innards sink in despair at sight of Morgan Le Caster afil Lanfear, her Guardian and lead Instructor.

    Guardians were appointed by the office of the Primatriarch, the ruler of the Pride to which the Familiar was affiliated with, and they were either an Aventis or a Familiar, but never a Regular. In many respects, a Guardian was like a Case Officer, often responsible for a handful of Familiars at a time. However, there were situations where the Pride would assign a Guardian to a sole Familiar, invariably when they considered that Familiar and their Remnant to be of importance.

    In Caprice¡¯s situation, the office of the Lanfear Primatriarch had assigned Morgan Le Caster afil Lanfear to be her Guardian, but only after an extensive selection process involving a number of candidates interviewed both by the Primatriarch¡¯s people and the Steiner Family. Morgan was a former member of the Sanctum, the elite security organization operating out of Pharos, and came highly recommended. Being a Familiar, Morgan wore a collar just like Caprice did, and her Remnant was a type Sylph.

    ¡°Wow¡­I didn¡¯t believe women like her existed,¡± a male voice remarked dryly.

    Caprice yelped in surprise at sight of Desanto standing beside her, calmly sipping his drink.

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I go to school here. Why wouldn¡¯t I be here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± she complained while clenching her hands. ¡°I thought I told you I didn¡¯t want to see you again.¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± he replied calmly. ¡°You said you hoped never to run into me again.¡± He then pointed ahead with the tip of the soda can. ¡°Do you know her?¡±

    Fear flashed through Caprice. ¡°No¡ªnot at all. I have no idea who she is.¡±

    ¡°Then why is she glaring at you?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Then why is she walking this way?¡±

    Caprice gasped and peeked over her shoulder.

    Indeed, Morgan was striding toward her like supermodel on a fashion runway, with thunder clouds circling around the blonde woman¡¯s head, and lighting flashing in her eyes.

    ¡°Hold this for a second,¡± Desanto said and handed his can to Caprice.

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°You sure ask a lot of questions,¡± he noted as he fixed up his uniform, tucked in his shirt, and straightened his tie, then retrieved a comb from a blazer pocket.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Caprice asked, as she watched him comb his hair.

    ¡°Hoping to make a good impression,¡± he replied before facing Caprice. ¡°How do I look?¡±

    She ran her gaze over him, and though it pained her, she chose to be honest with her appraisal. ¡°Actually, pretty good.¡±

    Pretty damn good, she thought to herself.

    ¡°Right,¡± Desanto declared in satisfaction. ¡°By the way, who is she?¡±

    Caprice hesitated then reluctantly revealed, ¡°She¡¯s my Guardian. Morgan Le Caster afil Lanfear.¡±

    He frowned at Caprice, then narrowed his eyes studiously at Morgan who came to a stop a meter away.

    Perched on her three-inch heeled, open-toed stylish sling-backs, the young woman folded her arms as she glared at Caprice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this, you have guts,¡± she said in cool voice that sent shivers down Caprice¡¯s spine. ¡°To think you would actually escape. That means I won the bet.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Caprice had trouble closing her mouth.

    ¡°Your father had hopes you would behave. I told him you¡¯d make a run for it. I won. He lost.¡±

    Caprice gasped. ¡°That¡¯s why the limo doors were unlocked.¡±

    ¡°Correct. You took the bait.¡± Le Caster planted her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡±

    ¡°I live to displease,¡± Caprice muttered out the sides of her mouth.

    ¡°I heard that, young lady,¡± Morgan said with a warning tone.

    Taking a deep breath to calm herself, stall for time, and consider her options, she abruptly asked, ¡°Have you told my father?¡±

    ¡°No. I haven¡¯t told anybody. And I¡¯ve secured the silence of your bodyguards, along with a change of clothes.¡± Morgan directed her attention upon Desanto whom Caprice noticed was studying the woman with quiet interest yet somehow she didn¡¯t think it had anything to do with Morgan¡¯s stunning looks. ¡°You¡¯re the Familiar who accosted my men.¡±

    ¡°Accosted?¡± Desanto pointed at his chest. ¡°Who? Me? Mademoiselle, I beg your pardon. I assure you I do not know what you mean?¡±

    Morgan looked over her shoulder at the limo. One of the windows had been rolled down and a bodyguard sporting midnight black sunglasses was pointed avidly at Desanto. Turning back to Desanto, Morgan spoke with a clipped tone. ¡°You assaulted personnel affiliated with the Steiner Family. I can report you to the authorities and have charges placed against you.¡±

    ¡°Prove it,¡± Desanto replied evenly.

    ¡°Very well. I will secure the footage from the security cameras at the mag-level.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to prove it was me,¡± he stated. ¡°Good luck with that.¡±

    ¡°You used a Hecaton-field to assault my men. Your collar will have recorded the use of your Remnant. That will serve as evidence in court.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯d better call my lawyer, because there¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting your hands on my collar.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will,¡± he grinned at her.

    Caprice was following the exchange with her head on a swivel. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t endure it any longer, and stepped between the two parties, neither of whom was willing to relinquish an inch of ground to the other.

    ¡°Okay. Stop. Please. Do you have to take it this far?¡± She faced Morgan. ¡°It was my fault. I told him I was being kidnapped, and he came to my rescue.¡±

    ¡°He should have called the platform security rather than become personally involved,¡± Morgan replied in a clipped tone.

    Desanto replied flatly, ¡°A real man takes care of the situation himself.¡±

    Caprice felt the onset of a headache, and the stirrings of anger like flames fanned by the frustration she was enduring dealing with both their stubbornness.

    ¡°If something had happened to me for real,¡± she said in a low voice, ¡°would those stooges of yours have made difference?¡±

    Looking away from Desanto, Morgan regarded Caprice thoughtfully. ¡°If you wish to tempt fate, I¡¯ll have no choice but to recommend that you be grounded and schooled privately for the next three years of your life.¡±

    Caprice paled. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Can you protect yourself against a skilled opponent?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not as weak as I used to be!¡±

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re tempting fate?¡± Morgan asked her in a gentle voice that carried surprisingly well.

    She understood quite well what Morgan was implying.

    The recent past wasn¡¯t something she could forget or dismiss or claim it wouldn¡¯t repeat in the near or distant future. Thus, in the end all she could do was admit she was at fault, and hope it diffused the situation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll accept whatever punishment you have for me,¡± she declared firmly, then dipped her head at Morgan Le Caster, ¡°but leave Desanto out of this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll promise to behave?¡±

    Caprice already understood that she lived in a proverbial cage, but now she felt as though she was trading it for a smaller one, though she didn¡¯t have much of a choice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll behave,¡± she replied with a nod.

    ¡°Then we have a deal.¡± Le Caster faced Desanto. ¡°However, I want to know who you are. And I¡¯ll get a court order if need be.¡±

    ¡°Then you do that,¡± he replied easily. ¡°Or you can say the magic word, if you know what it is.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get smart with me,¡± she warned him. ¡°Show your elders some respect.¡±

    Desanto broke into a broad smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you earn it.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t voiced as a question but a challenge, and Morgan accepted it heartbeat later. ¡°I certainly will. And when I¡¯m done with you, you¡¯ll be kneeling before me kissing my feet.¡±

    He smiled like a kid in a candy store. ¡°Well if that¡¯s all you wanted, I can do that right now.¡± He unslung his bag and knelt before her on bended knee. ¡°Shall I start with the big toe, or little toe. Oh, that¡¯s a nice shade of pink. Is that the Maybell line? Or is it Avalon?¡±

    He looked up at her inquisitively, and Caprice watched Morgan¡¯s face grow faintly red though she couldn¡¯t tell if it was from anger or embarrassment.

    ¡°Young man,¡± she breathed out, ¡°it would be wise for you to learn your place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on my knees, what more do you want?¡±

    Now Morgan began to tremble. ¡°You are truly shameless.¡±

    I could have told you that, Caprice thought to herself.

    Desanto bowed his head reverently. ¡°Before the right woman, absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Get up.¡±

    ¡°What about kissing your toes?¡±

    ¡°I said get up!¡±

    He shook his head as a stood up before her. ¡°You are so demanding¡­.¡±

    Morgan folded her arms under her well-developed bust and closed her eyes, probably counting to ten. When she opened them, she said, ¡°It would seem I need to teach you some manners.¡±

    Desanto looked disappointed. ¡°Is that all? Isn¡¯t there more you could teach me?¡±

    Inhaling as though she had a bottomless well in her chest, Morgan then puffed her cheeks until they looked ready to burst. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to have fun with you.¡±

    Caprice palmed her face. That was the wrong thing to say to him.

    ¡°Name the time and the place,¡± Desanto stated with eagerness, ¡°and I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    Caprice watched her Pride appointed Guardian and combat instructress breath slowly, gradually calming down. ¡°Very well. If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯m happy to oblige.¡±

    Desanto¡¯s eyes bulged for a moment before he broke into a blissful smile. ¡°Really? Seriously? You won¡¯t change your mind. You¡¯ll really teach me?¡±

    A thin smile spread across Morgan¡¯s lips, and Caprice shivered. I think he has the wrong idea. Totally the wrong idea.

    ¡°By all means,¡± Morgan replied with icy smoothness.

    Either he was a complete idiot or he was an amazing actor. Caprice couldn¡¯t tell, but joy spread across his face as he excitedly fumbled for his palm-slate. ¡°Here let me give you my number. You can call me anytime. Day or night.¡± He looked into Le Caster¡¯s eyes with desire. ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave me hanging. Promise me you¡¯ll call.¡±

    For a moment, Morgan appeared confused, then a sudden realization dawned upon her and she grew visibly rigid.

    Now she¡¯s getting it? Caprice wondered. Just what did she think he meant all this time?

    Feeling that things were getting out of hand, Caprice stepped between them and hastily pulled Desanto along with her. ¡°We need to go. Things to do. First day at a new school.¡± She yanked him behind her. ¡°Come on, will you!¡±

    ¡°Wait¡ªI need to give her my number,¡± he protested though he wasn¡¯t digging in his heels.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t give your name, and now you want to give her your number?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a change of heart.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You do not need to give her your number!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. She¡¯s offering to teach me. Do you know what that means?¡±

    ¡°Not what you think it does,¡± Caprice exclaimed.

    Exerting all the strength she had built up during long hours of hard training, Caprice succeeded in getting the proverbial boulder rolling, and Desanto stopped fighting her.

    ¡°A date with a beautiful woman like that?¡± He sounded annoyed yet he followed obediently behind her. ¡°You do realize that if I miss this opportunity, I¡¯m going to demand compensation. A woman like that only comes into a man¡¯s life once in his lifetime.¡±

    Caprice tossed her hands into the air. ¡°Believe me, you do not want to cross swords with her.¡±

    Desanto frowned and picked up his pace so as to walk abreast of her. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°My Guardian wasn¡¯t talking about a date. She was challenging you to a duel. She was intending to kick your ass!¡±

    Caprice was a little surprised to see the disbelief on his face, and he sounded crushed. ¡°No way. No way. But¡­she promised to teach me¡ª¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what she had in mind.¡± Caprice growled. ¡°How can men be so stupid!¡±

    ¡°Are you asking me, or the public in general?¡± She threw him a glare and he shirked back, stuttering, ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­what it is¡­that¡¯s the way we are¡­you know?¡±

    Caprice stopped walking and he did too a heartbeat later. ¡°Trust me when I say this, you do not want to cross blades with her. My Guardian is strong. Very strong.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s my instructress. She¡¯s my teacher, and she¡¯s teaching me how to use my Remnant.¡±

    ¡°Oh, your Valkyrie.¡±

    Caprice felt her heart stop in her chest, then start up again a second later. ¡°H¡ªhow do you know that?¡±

    He shrugged sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    Caprice shook her head at him. ¡°No. I want to know how you know that.¡±

    A look of regret flashed across his face, but then he shrugged yet again and said, ¡°My Remnant asked your Remnant, and it told me.¡±

    Caprice couldn¡¯t tell if he was lying or not, because she didn¡¯t know if it was possible for a Remnant to talk to Remnant. She wrote mental note to ask Morgan when the opportunity arose.

    Desanto slipped his hands into his trouser pockets. ¡°But anyway, I don¡¯t mind if your Guardian is strong. I like strong women. They get the blood flowing.¡± He waggled his eyebrows at her. ¡°You know what I mean?¡±

    ¡°Will it hurt if I kick you now?¡±

    He stepped back a safe distance. ¡°Probably.¡±

    Caprice felt defeated and slumped her shoulders as she sighed. ¡°This wasn¡¯t how I imagined my first day at a new school.¡±

    ¡°I bet it¡¯s a lot more interesting this way,¡± he remarked with utmost sincerity.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± she yelled.

    Then another voice ¨C a girl¡¯s voice ¨C yelled out quite loudly, startling both Desanto and Caprice.

    ¡°Caelum Desanto! What are you doing to that girl?¡±

    Desanto¡¯s eyes grew wide and he visibly paled as he looked behind Caprice. ¡°Oh no¡ªHaruka!¡±

    With the sound of fast footsteps storming up behind her, Caprice turned fearfully to look over her shoulder at a girl marching toward her with a fiery look on her face. It wasn¡¯t a look that suited her as she was quite pretty with flowing auburn hair that was unfortunately tied back into a ponytail, a shapely hour-glass figure, and a cup-size well into the double letters of the alphabet. Staring at the girl¡¯s bouncing bosom, Caprice felt woefully inadequate, and grew progressively despondent with each bounce of the girl¡¯s breasts. Somehow, by the skin of her teeth, she succeeded in restraining her feelings.

    The buxom girl stopped in front of Caprice and grabbed her by the shoulders. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­huh¡­?¡±

    ¡°I asked are you alright? He didn¡¯t do anything weird to you, did he? He didn¡¯t grope you? He didn¡¯t peek down your shirt¡±¡ªthe girl froze as she noticed the difference between herself and Caprice¡ª¡°ah, no, I guess not.¡± Shaking her head quickly, she pressed on in a hurry. ¡°What did he do to you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Haruka,¡± Desanto hesitantly called out in a meek voice, ¡°don¡¯t you think you¡¯re jumping the gun.¡±

    The beautiful yet fierce brunette faced him, her overly long ponytail slapping Caprice¡¯s face as she whipped her head around to glare at Desanto. ¡°I think not! Take a look at the poor girl. What did you do to her?¡± The girl¡¯s voice darkened. ¡°Did you molest her?¡±

    ¡°No! Of course not! Jeezes, what do you take me for?¡±

    ¡°Well you are the Pervert of Galatea Academy.¡±

    Desanto half grimaced. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll admit that¡¯s true but give me a little credit, will you?¡±

    Still holding onto Caprice, the busty brunette faced her. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡±

    Before Caprice could muster a reply, her Awareness-field tingled or rather alerted her to two girls approaching her from behind. A moment later, she heard one of the girls ask in chipper voice, ¡°So, did the Pervert strike again?¡±

    ¡°Well, hello to you too, Alastair,¡± Desanto greeted the girl with mock friendliness. ¡°Stepped on anyone lately, you witch?¡±

    ¡°Flipped up any skirts, you pervert?¡±

    Something about the girl¡¯s silky voice made Caprice tremble, and she turned to look behind her at two girls, one a blonde with short hair wearing a cheerful smile, the other a brunette wearing her hair in a long thick braid that flowed over her left shoulder and down her chest. She carried her school bag before her like a well-mannered young lady, rather than slung from a shoulder. If Caprice had to say who was prettier, it was the brunette who radiated an air of royalty as she spoke with a melodious yet scything voice.

    ¡°By the way, Pervert. I picked up a little something for Show-and-Tell. I had this custom made.¡± From her school bag, the girl retrieved a human looking plush doll dressed in a Galatea Academy boys uniform and showed it to Desanto. ¡°It¡¯s made in your image. I call it the Pervert Pincushion Doll.¡±

    Desanto sounded strangled. ¡°Alastair, you really are a witch.¡±

    Placing her bag on the ground at her feet, the girl retrieved a pin from her hair and held it over the doll¡¯s chest. She grinned cruelly at Desanto ¡°Now, let¡¯s see if this works.¡±

    ¡°Think it over, Alastair,¡± Desanto warned.

    Alastair continued to grin maliciously as she plunged the hairpin into the doll¡¯s chest.

    Caprice held her breath, so too Haruka the busty brunette, and the unknown girl standing beside Alastair. However, all eyes were on Desanto who was standing deathly still.

    ¡°Well?¡± he asked and raised his hands. ¡°Is it faulty? Maybe you didn¡¯t buy a genuine product.¡±

    Alastair continued grinning as she plunged the hairpin repeatedly into the doll. ¡°I plan to mass produce these and sell them to all the girls you¡¯ve harassed with your perversions. I¡¯ll market it as stress therapy.¡± The girl stop stabbing the doll, and held it up for Desanto to see. ¡°I think the Princess would want one,¡± she announced with a smile.

    Desanto shrugged. ¡°Do what you want. But I¡¯ll expect royalties from each sale.¡±

    Alastair lowered the doll. ¡°Have you heard from the Princess, lately?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Desanto questioned in a low voice, sounding the most uncertain Caprice had heard him.

    ¡°I heard she¡¯s found herself a new love.¡±

    Desanto was quiet for a moment before shrugging lightly. ¡°Good for her.¡±

    Alastair sighed dramatically. ¡°They met during summer break. I hear he¡¯s the son of wealthy mining executive, lives in large estate in Island Five, and he has looks to die for.¡± She clutched the plush doll to her chest and made a dreamy expression. ¡°Love at first sight. How wonderful.¡±

    Caprice glanced between the girl and Desanto, glimpsing the busty brunette do the same though she wore an expression of deep concern.

    Desanto said nothing for a long while, then broke into an easy smile as he looked up at the overhead sky. ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Alastair regarded the plush doll in her hands. ¡°You were always a mismatched couple to begin with. It simply wouldn¡¯t do to have the Third Princess of Galatea Academy be seen with the likes of you. I¡¯m sure her family could barely stomach knowing the two of you were together. Their daughter deserved so much more.¡± The girl tipped her head as she smiled brightly. ¡°You silly deluded boy. You do realize that Aventis belong with Aventis. Familiars belong with Familiars. Let¡¯s not even speak of the Regulars.¡±

    Desanto reached into his schoolbag and retrieved what looked like a pen or marker, then stepped around Caprice and Haruka. He walked up to Alastair with smooth strides, and then stopped in front of her. Before she could react, he grabbed the doll out of her hands, wrote something on its back with the marker, then tossed it back at her.

    ¡°Give it to the Princess when you see her.¡±

    Alastair read whatever was written on the doll, then looked up at him with a condescending smile as she tossed it over her shoulder. ¡°Give it to her yourself.¡±

    Desanto dropped the marker into his schoolbag. ¡°Alastair, it¡¯s because you¡¯re a bitch that you¡¯ll graduate a virgin.¡±

    Caprice felt the air harden, and she immediately tensed her body as a sudden wind blew around her. A Hecaton-field?

    The wind circled around Alastair and flipped her skirt up, exposing her derriere to the surrounding students. The girls gasped and the guys stopped to treasure the sight, but the brunette continued smiling as though nothing untoward had taken place. When the wind died down and the girl¡¯s skirt settled around her buttocks and legs, Alastair placed a hand to a cheek and displayed an expression of mock despair. ¡°Oh my, is that what it is? Is that why the boys don¡¯t like me?¡±

    ¡°And for your information, I broke up with her.¡±

    Desanto straightened the straps of his school bag on his right shoulder, and then walk away toward the high school buildings. Not once did he look behind him as he joined the crowd of students on the wide path running east-west before the buildings.

    ¡°Oh my, did I upset him?¡± Alastair asked with an innocent air. ¡°I was only telling the truth.¡±

    The blonde girl beside her grimaced faintly. ¡°Hey Alastair, remind me again why I¡¯m your friend.¡±

    ¡°Because I make life interesting,¡± the girl replied while patting down her skirt. ¡°Oh my, I really did make him angry.¡± She picked up something from the ground and then held it up for her blonde companion to see.

    Caprice gasped when recognized them as a girl¡¯s thong panties, the kind with a bow at the hip. Very racy, indeed. Too racy for a high school girl. Then she noticed that the hip strap had been cut through, and her blood ran cold.

    A Gram-field?

    Her mind refused to believe that Desanto had sliced through the material with a Gram-field without the girl noticing. Then again, it was more incredible that he¡¯d cut only the panty material and not her skin.

    Just who the Hell is this guy?

    Alastair wore a thin menacing smile as she looked off in Desanto¡¯s direction, and clenched the ruined panty in a small dainty fist. ¡°I do believe this means war.¡±

    The blonde girl looked stunned for words, eventually muttering, ¡°You reap what you sow.¡±

    Because the busty brunette was holding Caprice by the shoulders, she felt Haruka grow tense for a heartbeat before whispering, ¡°Not good. Not good at all¡­.¡±

    ¨C IV ¨C

    Morgan Le Caster sat in the passenger cabin of the limo, the vehicle still parked at the school, and pulled out her singing palm-slate from the inside pocket of her business jacket.

    After reading the caller ID, she slid her thumb over the slate¡¯s screen and answered the call. ¡°Well, that was quick. I didn¡¯t expect to hear from you so soon. I only sent that message a minute ago.¡±

    The girl on the other end of the line giggled happily. ¡°I thought I¡¯d call you before you called me.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you have too much free time on your hands.¡± She held the palm-slate closer to her right ear. ¡°Well, what did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Before I answer that, tell me the truth, did you really not know who he was before you ruffled his feathers like that?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t. Now tell me, who is he?¡±

    ¡°Then tell me this, why do you make life so hard for yourself? If you¡¯d treated him nicely, he¡¯d be eating out of your palm by now.¡±

    ¡°Dealing with one child is time consuming. Dealing with two would send me into early retirement. Now, do you have an answer for me?¡±

    ¡°I sure do. But¡­you may not like it.¡±

    Morgan sat back in the seat, aware that bodyguards sharing the passenger cabin were politely minding their own business. ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡±

    ¡°No, seriously you may not like it.¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡±

    The girl sighed. ¡°His name is Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear, and his Guardian is Arisa Imreh Lanfear.¡±

    Morgan held her breath for a moment to refrain from groaning aloud and drawing attention. ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°I am indeed. Straight from the horse¡¯s mouth. The security cameras watching the sidewalks around the school recorded Steiner and Desanto having a heart-to-heart, and his introduction. I verified his face to the records available to us from Public Security¡¯s archives. Oh, I had to use your authority as Guardian to do so. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Morgan rolled the names on her tongue, and they left a bitter taste on her tongue.

    ¡°So¡­what will you do? Are you really going to teach him some manners?¡±

    She pondered her next move in silence, feeling as though she was standing on the threshold to a very dangerous place. ¡°At the very least, I may choose to have some fun with him.¡±

    ¡°What? Fun? You¡ª?¡±

    Morgan hung up on the girl before Vignette could get on her nerves, then slowly tapped the edge of the palm-slate against her lips as a memory floated before her eyes.

    No wonder he looked familiar, she thought to herself then snorted softly under breath. He grew up fast.

    Her palm-slate chimed and she saw that it was a message from Vignette.

    I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT HIS NUMBER.

    Morgan frowned at it then decided to save the number away in her palm-slate¡¯s contact listing, then told the limo driver, ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Take us back to the estate.¡±

    The limo pulled drove smoothly out of the parking area and then exited the academy grounds via the wide east gate, slipping into the slow traffic grinding along the street.

    Tomorrow we fly in to the Academy, Morgan decided before staring at her phone with a thoughtful frown. Coming to a decision a short while later, she dialed up a number she hadn¡¯t called in a while, half wondering if it was still good. When the call was answered, she heard a young woman¡¯s sleepy voice on the other end.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Arisa, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°So what do you want?¡±

    ¡°Did I wake you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. State your reason for waking me up or I¡¯m hanging up.¡±

    ¡°Are you free for lunch today?¡±

    There was a long moment of silence on the line before the woman¡¯s voice asked, ¡°What do you want, Morgan?¡±

    ¡°I have a proposition for you I wish to discuss. It¡¯ll be my treat.¡±

    Another long moment of silence followed before Arisa Imreh Lanfear said, ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss your ward, Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The call ended with an artificial click.

    Morgan regarded her palm-slate with annoyance, then redialed the number.

    The call was answered with, ¡°I told you, no.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to take him off your hands.¡±

    The bodyguards in the car all stared at her in horror but with some effort they restrained their outburst to a series of short gasps.

    ¡°¡­what did he do¡­?¡±

    ¡°He wants me to teach him things.¡±

    Arisa sighed drowsily. ¡°Morgan, I¡¯m not playing games. I¡¯m going to hang up and block your calls afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember Caprice?¡±

    ¡°¡­I do¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m her Guardian.¡±

    It sounded as though Arisa was moving about on bed. Morgan heard her say something along the lines of ¡®go back to sleep¡¯ followed by a long period of silence before Arisa came back on.

    ¡°Was it by choice? Yes, of course it would be. Silly question.¡±

    Morgan nodded gently. ¡°Yes, I owed it to her. And I made a promise to her as well that I would take care of Caprice. I¡¯ve been her Guardian for more than a year now.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you left the Sanctum.¡±

    ¡°Lunch, Arisa. I have things I¡¯d like to discuss.¡±

    Another soft sigh. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go to that restaurant she loved. Maybe we should pay our respects as well.¡±

    Morgan felt her throat tighten, nodding though Arisa couldn¡¯t see her. ¡°Yes, we should¡­.¡±

    ¨C V ¨C

    The ride to work was worse than expected, though it could have been a lot worse.

    She blamed much of it on the students living in Pharos. It appeared they¡¯d gotten up early as well to avoid being late on the first day of school. Consequently, with everyone having the same idea the mag-lev carriage was more crowded than she¡¯d anticipated.

    But that wasn¡¯t what made the ride so horrible.

    During the last half of the trip, while the mag-lev made the run through the vacuum between Island Two and the immense Island One, an unknown man standing behind her on the crowded carriage had groped the woman beside her and then taken it further.

    The need to live her life inconspicuously, to keep a low profile, to avoid attracting attention, and above all else to slip under the radar of the Enforcer Division, the Sanctum, and Public Security had robbed her of the right to make a scene or do something for the hapless female. In the end, Revlina had chosen to move away to another carriage because she couldn¡¯t afford to become involved should the woman decide to counter the man¡¯s obscene advances and make a scene. Being caught up in another¡¯s problems was something she could ill afford.

    To that end, she¡¯d disembarked from the mag-lev at the first station it pulled into in Island One, Habitat One. Whatever happened to the woman was simply not her concern, though she did hear a few angry shouts from one of the mag-lev carriages, but she didn¡¯t loiter on the station platform to learn more.

    Leaving the mag-lev station, she flagged down a AI operated cab. Surprisingly the auto-cab made good time in morning traffic, and she arrived at the offices of the Steiner Corporation¡¯s software division housed in the massive, terraced pyramid that served as the company¡¯s head office here in Pharos. She had been given inviolable orders to live discreetly, yet somehow she had ended up working for the largest company operating out of Pharos, with interests that spanned every mapped corner of the Hurakan Nebula.

    Pushing away from her desk in the spacious cubicle, she walked to the ladies¡¯ bathroom allocated to the software division employees working on the fiftieth floor, and found herself an empty stall. Locking herself inside, she retrieved the crystal from her skirt pocket, and regarded the small item in the palm of her hand.

    Despite being a member of the Fourth Order for five years now, and living inconspicuously in Pharos for three years, Revlina didn¡¯t know how the crystals were delivered to the asteroid colony. She assumed there was someone else acting as a Gateway into Pharos. This was because the crystals acted as beacons for the two ends of the dimensional conduit or tunnel that she opened up using her Remnant. Thus, the crystals operated in pairs, with one in her possession and the other kept by the party wishing to travel to the colony by these unconventional means. Once the gateway was opened, Revlina destroyed the crystal as part of the process of establishing the conduit, but it wasn¡¯t necessary to do so. In other words, it was simply procedure.

    Ergo, her title as the Gateway ¡°to¡± Pharos, and not the Gateway ¡°out of¡± Pharos.

    Revlina¡¯s job was to provide a way in, not a way out. If there was a way out, then that was someone else¡¯s job. But because the policy was to use the crystals only once, a new crystal had to be provided for each transfer into Pharos. That meant that someone was entering the colony with the crystal and then delivering it to Revlina¡¯s mailbox. That bothered her because it suggested there was someone out there with a Remnant like hers, yet they were operating under different rules.

    But with the crystal now in her hand, she had twenty-four hours to make good on her role as the Gateway into Pharos.

    Rolling it on her palm, Revlina began planning for a busy day¡­and a busy night.

 Vol 1 - Ch 2 - New School, New Friends, New Challenge (Draft 2)

    Chapter 2 ¨C New School, New Friends, New Challenge.

    ¨C I ¨C

    According to the most reliable of statistics, at any given time one out of every five humans was an Aventis, and one out of every thousand humans was a Familiar. Thus, for a colony like Pharos that was home to a registered population exceeding five million people, that worked out to a million or so Aventis residents, and a mere five thousand odd Familiars.

    Applying those ratios to the student demographic numbering in the vicinity of four hundred thousand individuals, calculates to some eighty thousand Aventis students, and four hundred Familiars attending schools throughout Pharos of which thirty-six institutions catered to the Regulars, but only five prestigious academies were dedicated to the Aventis, one situated in each of the asteroid Islands. Because of this, it is easy to understand why these academies occupied such a large footprint within their respective habitats.

    Galatea Academy was the third school established for the Aventis. Located in Island Three¡¯s Habitat One, it occupied an entire district block with a surface area of around a square kilometer. At first glance it appeared quite large, yet surprisingly its faculty buildings were rather low at five stories in height, in comparison to the towering megascrapers of the habitat. In terms of student volume, Galatea had the lowest enrollment numbers of all the academies, a mere nine-and-a-half thousand students, half in middle school and the remainder in high school. To put this in perspective, Island One¡¯s Vardant Academy ¨C the oldest of the five institutions ¨C had more than twenty thousand students and the most Familiars in attendance.

    However, it was Galatea¡¯s motto of quality over quantity, and it prided itself on its history of competing and often defeating its larger sister academies whether in academics, sports, or the Summer and Winter Remnant Fiestas held between the five Academies during which Familiars battled for the honor of their school and personal gain.

    ¨C * ¨C

    In hindsight, it proved fortunate for Caprice to have encountered Caelum Desanto as it led to her meeting three of her new classmates in Haruka Amiella, Siobhan St Clair, and Alastair Kell.

    Caprice learnt they were all assigned to the same class as her, namely Class W-1A.

    She also learnt that the three girls belonged to the Avenir Pride, though only Alastair was a Pureblood Aventis amongst them, having been born with the Symbiote inside her body when it was passed down to her while she was in her mother¡¯s womb. Because of this, Alastair¡¯s compatibility with her Symbiote was nearly a hundred percent, while Haruka and Siobhan had lower compatibility scores in the mid-eighties. This meant that Alastair would get the most benefit from the Avenir strain of the Symbiote. She was a little stronger than the other girls, and would heal faster. However, it did nothing to improve the girl¡¯s personality.

    Caprice feared for Desanto¡¯s wellbeing as Alastair listed the things she would do to him in revenge for her ruined underwear, and none of them sounded good.

    Speaking of underwear, Caprice was surprised to learn the girl carried another pair with her, leading her to suspect this was not the first time Desanto had sliced through her panties. At the least, she didn¡¯t want to think of another reason as to why Alastair would carry two pairs of panties with her.

    Learning that Caprice was a new transfer student, Haruka decided to be supportive and assumed the role of school guide. Though Caprice had attended orientation week a week ago, she accepted Haruka¡¯s help with only a moment¡¯s hesitation as she was indeed new to the place.

    First on the agenda were the shoe lockers.

    At her school for Regulars, there had been no need to change shoes, but the Aventis academies had a long-standing tradition of having their students change to indoor shoes while on school grounds. This meant having large halls at ground floor for the countless shoe lockers worn by the students. Caprice found her locker with a combination of Haruka¡¯s help and by following the signs at the foot or head of each aisle. After taking them off, she placed her outdoor shoes into the locker, and pulled out of her bag the pair of indoor shoes she had brought with her, having purchased them during orientation week.

    Second on the agenda was locating their classroom, and again, Caprice chose to follow Haruka¡¯s lead.

    Viewed from above, the high school building resembled a bold letter H. It had an east and west wing, and the cafeteria ¨C resembling a giant donut ¨C bridged the space between them. Classes situated in the two wings were identified as east or west. For example, Caprice¡¯s classroom of 1A was prefixed with a ¡®W¡¯ to indicated the west wing. Alastair explained that the east-west allocation of students had led to the formation of a rivalry between the two wings of the school such that east competed with west during sporting festivals and other events.

    Arriving at their classroom of West-1A, the girls went to their allocated smart-desks. Caprice was a little disappointed to learn she would be seated away from the girls and at the back of the room. Shrugging it aside, she followed the instructions on her palm-slate given to her during orientation week, and booted up her desk, logged into it, then waited for the operating system¡¯s wizard to set up her profile. There was time to do this because the school assembly wasn¡¯t scheduled to start until ten a.m. that morning, and the room soon filled up with the other students of Class W-1A.

    Sitting quietly and alone, she studied the students that walked in and wondered if she was the only Familiar assigned to the class, until a girl with shoulder length auburn hair and a restraining collar stepped into the room. Standing within the doorway, the newcomer eyed the classroom and her classmates with a flat expression that hinted at disdain before walking between desks and students to the back of the room. She arrived at the unoccupied smart-desk to the immediate left of Caprice, and sat down without acknowledging the weak smile Caprice gave her in uncertain greeting.

    Having been abandoned by Haruka and her friends ¨C the trio was busy chatting amongst themselves having been conveniently assigned smart-desks close to each other ¨C Caprice gathered her courage and turned to the Familiar girl seated beside her.

    ¡°Ah¡­hello.¡± She held out her right hand. ¡°I¡¯m Caprice.¡±

    The girl continued working on her smart-desk.

    Caprice continued holding out her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ignore me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ignoring you. I¡¯m busy,¡± the girl replied.

    Withdrawing her hand, Caprice felt her hairs begin to rise on the back of her neck. ¡°Fine. Have it your way.¡± She turned away and stared glumly at the front of the classroom. Growing more annoyed by the moment, she started to rise from her seat with the intention of walking up to Haruka who was busy introducing herself to the classmates she obviously hadn¡¯t met before.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± the girl asked.

    ¡°To speak to a friend.¡±

    ¡°A friend?¡± The girl looked up at Caprice who was on her feet by then. ¡°In this place? A school for Aventis?¡±

    Caprice felt as though her heart was being faintly squeezed. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Take a look around,¡± the girl replied in a flat tone, ¡°and then think about why you and I are at the back of the classroom.¡±

    Caprice stood still, then did as the girl suggested. She looked over at Haruka and her group, the girls surrounded by other girls ¨C Aventis girls ¨C and then watched her male classmates begin to make tentative bonds of friendship with the guys around them, all of them Aventis.

    After a while she sat back down, a feeling of emptiness consuming her chest.

    The girl had finished setting up her desk, and was busy testing out the learning aid that came with it, a device shaped like a wireless headset and designed to induce brainwaves that would help a student focus on the lecture and thereby improve their ability to learn.

    Seeing her do so and feeling it would distract her from the unpleasant sensation continuing to well up in her chest, Caprice decided to do the same, retrieving the headset from the drawer under the smart desk. She removed it from its plastic sleeve, switched it on, and then slipped it over her head. Listening to the device report it was linking to the smart-desk, she waited for it to finish the synchronization process then ran through the testing phase before shutting the headset down and placing it in the charge cradle mounted on the right side of the desk.

    Folding her arms across her chest, she sat back in her chair and waited for the announcement to summon the students to the gymnasium for the school assembly, but inwardly she was fighting down the hollow feeling that continued to grow inexorably.

    Then she noticed the girl¡¯s hand stretched out to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m Maya.¡± The girl was staring at her intently. ¡°Maya Khayman afil Sora.¡±

    Caprice swallowed and accepted the greeting, shaking the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m Caprice. Ah, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.¡±

    The girl¡¯s eyes flickered in recognition. ¡°Steiner. Are you related to the Steiner Family?¡±

    Caprice stiffened and the girl noticed, her eyes widening for a heartbeat.

    Ending the handshake, Maya appeared to sigh softly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re not the only incredibly rich girl here at Galatea.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, someone said the same thing to me this morning.¡± Remembering the Pervert Desanto, Caprice trembled and prayed to the gods that he wasn¡¯t assigned to her class, though the unoccupied smart-desk to her right had not escaped her notice.

    Could it be for another Familiar? she wondered after staring at it for a moment.

    If it was true, then Maya had made a very clear observation about how the school treated Aventis and Familiars.

    She asked Maya, ¡°Do you know of any others like us in the class?¡±

    The girl arched her eyebrows. ¡°Like us? You make it sound as though we¡¯re a rare species.¡± She glanced away with a frown and muttered, ¡°Well, statistically we are a rare species¡­.¡± Shaking her head briefly, she then shrugged a shoulder, ¡°If that desk is empty, then it¡¯s probably reserved for one of us.¡±

    Caprice felt herself cringe with worry, but then was surprised to hear Maya remark, ¡°I¡¯m glad I won¡¯t be alone this year.¡±

    Before she could ask what Maya meant, a young man walked into the room with an angry air that very quickly stifled the various conversations taking place, and Caprice¡¯s Awareness-field felt like it was being pressed upon by the anger radiating from the youth.

    Then she recognized him and her stomach sank while her heart stumbled in despair.

    ¡°Oh no¡­,¡± she whispered.

    Sitting beside her, Maya sounded as though she was talking to herself. ¡°So it¡¯s true. I¡¯d heard he¡¯d been pushed back a year¡­the Pervert Desanto¡­.¡±

    At sight of her, Desanto¡¯s expression immediately brightened and he waved happily at her while marching down the aisle of smart-desks to the back of the room.

    ¡°Yoh, Double-A!¡±

    Caprice screamed and threw her school bag at him, striking his head and knocking him down.

    At the same time, every one of her classmates froze in mid-heartbeat, but Caprice was only faintly aware of it.

    As Desanto slowly picked himself up off the floor, her body trembled furiously as she glared with murderous intent down at him.

    ¡°I told you not to call me that!¡± she growled.

    Rising slowly, he asked her cautiously, ¡°Then what should I call you?¡±

    ¡°I have a name, you imbecile!¡± She felt like throwing her desk at him next. ¡°Caprice! My name is Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear! Get it? Repeat after me!¡±

    Desanto was rubbing his nose with one hand, while returning her school bag with the other. ¡°Sure thing, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.¡±

    Grabbing the bag out of his hand, she placed it beside her desk, and then realized that everyone in the classroom was staring at her in shock, including Haruka who¡¯d forgotten to close her mouth, though Caprice wondered if that reaction had more to do with Caprice¡¯s sudden outburst than the revelation that she was a Steiner.

    Desanto noticed too and threw his classmates a thin, disdainful look. ¡°What? You peons never seen an heiress before?¡± He waved a hand at Caprice. ¡°You should bow before corporate royalty.¡±

    ¡°GAH!¡± Caprice lost her what remained of her calm. ¡°I am not royalty!¡±

    He faced her with an annoyed expression. ¡°Instead of denying it you should be proud of it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She gaped at him as he walked to empty smart-desk to her right.

    ¡°You¡¯re a rich girl. Enjoy it. Revel in it. You should be proud, and not trying to run away from your family name or their wealth.¡±

    Desanto started up his smart-desk, and worked through the log in and profile setup process.

    Attempting to ignore her staring classmates, Caprice sat back down. ¡°So you knew who I was?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I had no idea. But your Guardian called my Guardian and then my Guardian called me and gave me an earful.¡± He was beginning to sound angry again. ¡°All because she was woken up early when she wanted to sleep in.¡±

    ¡°Your Guardian doesn¡¯t sound too responsible,¡± Maya remarked flatly with her chin resting on an upturned palm, and her elbow on her smart-desk.

    ¡°If you tell her that you¡¯ll find yourself in a world of hurt¡ªwait, who are you?¡± Desanto stared at the girl for a short while. ¡°Oh, you must be the prodigy.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Maya blinked sharply. ¡°The prodigy?¡±

    He nodded quickly. ¡°Yeah, the Countess mentioned I¡¯d be in class with a prodigy.¡± He narrowed his eyes at Caprice. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not the prodigy.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to get hit again,¡± she warned him. ¡°Why are you here anyway? Couldn¡¯t they find any place to hide you, like a detention cell?¡± She pointed at the lockers behind them. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go hide in one of those.¡±

    Desanto stared at her innocently. ¡°Why do you hate me so much?¡±

    Caprice heard the words but couldn¡¯t fathom them.

    He grinned proudly and tapped his chest with a thumb. ¡°After all, I rescued you from those kidnappers this morning. You should be grateful.¡±

    ¡°Grateful?¡± Caprice wondered if she¡¯d misheard him.

    ¡°You were kidnapped?¡± Maya asked.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Caprice shot her glance. ¡°N¡ªno. I wasn¡¯t kidnapped. It was all a misunderstanding.¡±

    Desanto looked around Caprice at Maya. ¡°Wow, the Countess didn¡¯t mention how pretty you were. I¡¯ll give you an eight point five out of ten.¡±

    Maya¡¯s eyes narrowed into thin slits, and she remarked dryly, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Caprice muttered, surprised she was even asking.

    Desanto regarded her for a long while. ¡°Seven point five.¡±

    ¡°I really will hit you!¡±

    ¡°Fine. Fine. Seven point eight. That¡¯s my final score.¡±

    She struck him with her bag and broke the shoulder strap in the process.

    ¨C II ¨C

    About fifteen minutes before the appointed time of ten a.m., the announcement came over the public address system instructing all students to assemble in their respective gymnasiums, middle schoolers in one, the high schoolers in the other.

    Caprice walked with Maya the distance from the high school¡¯s west wing to the west gymnasium, trying hard not to drag her feet, while Desanto brought up the rear, his gaze sweeping over anything in a skirt including the teachers who accompanied the students, shepherding them like sheep dogs trying to keep a flock numbering in the thousands together.

    Now that they were on their feet and walking, Caprice noticed that she and Maya were of equal height, though the girl sported a bigger cup size, most probably a B-cup. Thinking of breasts reminded her of Desanto behind them, and Caprice threw him a reproachful look that he missed because he was entranced by a girl from another class with a pair of long sleek legs stretching out from under a skirt that looked suspiciously short.

    Caprice couldn¡¯t hold back the sigh that slipped past her lips. ¡°Can¡¯t I get away from him?¡± she whined softly and hung her head.

    Maya glanced over her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s not so bad.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because he gave you higher score.¡± Caprice clenched a fist. Seven point eight my ass!

    The girl pursed her lips for a moment. ¡°He doesn¡¯t give out high scores lightly. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard. And his opinion gains you votes on the Girls of Galatea.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡± Caprice stared at her dumbfounded.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re new.¡± Maya glanced up at the overhead sky-field with distant eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a ranking website. Very sexist and chauvinistic. The girls all complain about it, but behind the scenes they¡¯re all working to improve their rankings.¡± Maya sighed. ¡°What a bunch of hypocrites.¡±

    Caprice cleared her throat. ¡°A ranking website. And the girls are on it?¡±

    Maya nodded faintly. ¡°It¡¯s only for the high-school girls. The middle schoolers are completely excluded. I guess the guys running it must have some morals to avoid including young girls.¡±

    ¡°How do you know they¡¯re guys?¡±

    Maya frowned in thought while biting on a thumbnail. ¡°You have a point. The girls could have set it up to rank themselves amongst their peers, then spread rumors it was done by the boys. That way no one would suspect them.¡± She glanced at Caprice sidelong. ¡°Good thinking, rich girl.¡±

    Caprice felt her spirits sink. ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that. Because of him, everyone in class knows.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They would have found out regardless,¡± Maya commented. ¡°But is it true that you¡¯re an heiress?¡±

    Feeling a fleeting queasiness, Caprice replied, ¡°I¡¯m only third in line to the throne.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, you never know. Accidents happen. You could find yourself like Queen Elizabeth the First.¡± Furrowing her brows, Maya asked, ¡°So you have siblings?¡±

    Caprice bit the inside of her mouth and remained silent though she replied with a nod.

    ¡°Oh¡­,¡± Maya murmured and asked nothing else.

    They walked in silence for a while, but before arriving at the gymnasium¡¯s entrance, Caprice leaned toward Maya and softly asked, ¡°What did you mean by he was pushed back?¡±

    Maya looked faintly startled. ¡°Oh. I heard he was forced to repeat his first year.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Shaking her head a little, Maya said, ¡°Something happened late last year and he lost a lot of school time. I heard he missed his final exams.¡±

    ¡°Where did you hear this from?¡±

    ¡°Chatter on the forums.¡± Maya dipped her head at the building in front of them. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    They arrived at the west gymnasium, a building large enough to double as a starship hangar. Caprice guessed it was probably three hundred meters long with enough floor space for basketball courts, volley ball courts, and indoor track and field events all conducted at the same time. There were two stages at the opposite ends of the gym ¨C almost lost in the distance ¨C and one of them had been rigged up with chairs and a podium for the school¡¯s opening assembly. Staring about the interior in awe, she was more shocked to see four or five thousand chairs had been set out on the gym floor. Tugged along by Maya, she joined the rest of her classmates at a seating area designated for Class W-1A by a couple of flags on short stands spaced apart like the safety flags on a beach.

    Taking a seat beside Maya, she looked at classmates and noticed the furtive stares they were giving her, and Haruka was no exception. However, it was the curious look she received from the brunette with the snake tongue, Alastair, that unsettled Caprice the most.

    ¡°Steiner, relax,¡± Desanto grumbled as he sat between her and another guy who¡¯d either conveniently or suspiciously left a seat empty between him and Caprice. ¡°She¡¯s harmless.¡±

    Watching him slouch in the chair and pull down his tie like a delinquent, Caprice sneered at him. ¡°Who invited you to join us?¡±

    ¡°The seat was empty. What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°Go find somewhere else to sit.¡±

    ¡°Then who¡¯s going to protect you?¡± he asked with annoying sincerity.

    Caprice folded her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be protected by a repeat offender.¡±

    Only Desanto¡¯s eyes moved on his face as he focused on her. ¡°What did you call me?¡±

    ¡°A repeat offender.¡±

    ¡°What of it?¡± he asked bluntly.

    ¡°Just wondering,¡± she replied feeling a little wary of him, a nervous tingle running through her chest.

    His attention remained on her for a long while, making her more anxious, until he abruptly looked away and shrugged dismissively. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Though his mood became hard to judge, it was clear he didn¡¯t want to talk about it, and Caprice decided it wasn¡¯t safe for her to pry, so she sat back and faced away from him, catching a glimpse of Haruka looking her way, but choosing not meet the girl¡¯s eyes.

    What was I thinking when I thought we might be friends in a school full of Aventis. How stupid of me.

    Desanto abruptly muttered, ¡°Just when I thought I¡¯d be free of them, I¡¯m right back with them¡­.¡±

    Caprice stared at him out the corner of her left eye, wondering at the history he shared with Haruka and her friends.

    The overhead gym lights dimmed, signaling that the opening assembly for the high school students was about to begin. Indeed, while the gym was gently cast in a soft light, the stage was well lit. Soon a cast of teachers and senior administrators stepped onto the stage, and assumed the seats arranged for them in a long row a short distance behind the podium. Caprice recognized one or two faces from orientation week, but the rest were unknown to her.

    A handful of students were seated in a separate row off to one side of the stage, perpendicular to the teachers, and Caprice assumed they were members of the Student Council. Two of them wore white blazers, a young man and young woman, identifying them as third year seniors. However, what attracted her attention was a pretty girl with long silver hair¡­wearing high heels. The girl was searching the assembled students near the back of the gymnasium with her gaze, and for a moment her eyes met those of Caprice. But then her attention shifted to Caprice¡¯s left, and her widened visibly, even at a distance, convincing Caprice that the girl had been looking for Desanto.

    Glancing at Desanto, Caprice saw him looking across the sea of seated students toward the second-years, but when she followed his line of sight, she couldn¡¯t tell at whom he was looking, while up on the stage the girl with silver hair had chosen to look elsewhere.

    A tall woman with short sandy hair dressed in a smart grey business suit walked calmly across the stage, and then stopped behind the podium. Tapping the microphone once and causing a shrill sound to emanate from the gymnasium¡¯s speakers, the woman waited for the four thousand odd students to settle down and focus on her before beginning the assembly with the words, ¡°Returning students. Advancing students. News students. I, Principal Lavinia Mason Lorian, welcome you all to Galatea Academy.¡±

    Because of the size of the gymnasium, large holovid windows floated overhead displaying the stage up close, focusing on Principal Mason, and affording the first-year students at the back of the gym a view of the action taking place at the opposite end of the building.

    Caprice looked up at the nearest rectangular holovid screen centered on the Principal, and wondered who was greeting the middle schoolers on the opposite side of the school. Then she remembered that Galatea had two Vice-Principals, one handling the middle schoolers and the other responsible for the high school students. Then again, was it right for the head of the Academy to be here first?

    Taking a deep breath to ease her nerves, Caprice listened to the Principal talk of her hopes for the students, what she expected of them, and what they should set out to achieve. It was the usual spiel that Caprice had heard during the opening ceremonies at her school for Regulars, except for one announcement that sent a ripple of surprise sweeping through the seated students.

    ¡°It has been announced by the Primatriarch Council of Pharos, that the Summer and Winter Remnant Fiestas will be held for the first time in six years, and all the Familiars of all Academies are invited to represent themselves and their schools in the competitions.¡±

    Caprice didn¡¯t know what Mason meant by Fiestas, but she could sense the deep surprise and unease that ran through the seated student body, and as Mason¡¯s words registered within their minds, the members of Class W-1A turned to look in the direction of Caprice, Maya, and Desanto conveniently sitting together.

    Forgetting to swallow, Caprice choked and coughed to clear her throat, while beside her, Maya folded her arms calmly under a stony expression, and Desanto kicked the chair of the student in front of him and uttered a menacing, ¡°Turn around or I¡¯ll twist your rubber neck.¡±

    Recovering hastily, Caprice smacked the back of his head. ¡°Will you behave?¡± she hissed at him as he stared at her like a child believing it was falsely accused of stealing from the cookie jar. Then she leaned quickly toward Maya. ¡°What is she talking about? What Remnant Fiestas.¡±

    Maya answered while staring resentfully at Mason¡¯s image in the holovid window. ¡°The inter-Island competitions held between the Aventis Academies. They¡¯re tournaments only for Familiars since Aventis and Regulars can¡¯t wield Remnants.¡±

    Caprice didn¡¯t bother to hide her surprise. ¡°Really? You mean Familiars can actually do that¡ªI mean, they can take part in competitions just for them?¡±

    Maya frowned at her. ¡°Were you born yesterday?¡±

    ¡°No, but I guess I¡¯ve lived a sheltered life,¡± she admitted.

    From the stage, Mason called upon the Familiars within the student body to stand up and be seen. More than a dozen Familiars seated near the front of the assembly, the third-year seniors, rose first and were soon followed by twenty odd second-year students who more than doubled the number of Familiars ¨C a fairly even mix of guys and girls ¨C standing on their feet.

    Maya exhaled softly and rose to her feet, folding her hands behind her back, and after hesitating for a moment, Caprice stood up beside her, also at attention. Looking around discreetly, she noticed another twenty Familiars standing amongst the first-year students, and quickly judged a combined total of some fifty to sixty Familiars, all of them wearing restraining collars. However, one Familiar remained seated until Caprice reached down, grabbed onto his right earlobe, and used it to pull a recalcitrant Desanto up to his feet.

    Principal Mason spoke into the mike. ¡°My students, please offer a round of applause to your classmates and offer them success in this year¡¯s Remnant Fiestas.¡±

    Caprice didn¡¯t expect anyone to clap, at least none from her class, but to her surprise she was proved wrong, and although it started slowly the applause grew, spreading quickly through the assembled Aventis, and Caprice tried to hide her ambivalent feelings as she watched Haruka, Alastair, and Siobhan clap with a strange expectation and nervousness in their eyes. Feeling self-conscious, Caprice ducked her head and averted her eyes to gaze upon the floor.

    What? What is going on?

    Up on the stage, Mason and the senior staff also applauded the Familiars on their feet.

    Standing beside her, Desanto swore softly. ¡°All this applause, like they¡¯re expecting us to pick up right where the Academy left off.¡±

    Caprice peeked up at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The last school to win the Fiestas was Galatea Academy, seven years ago, right before the eight witches decided to suspend the Fiestas indefinitely.¡±

    He shoved his hands into his pockets and then glowered down at his feet.

    While Caprice wondered why he¡¯d shut up so suddenly, Maya agreed with him in a flat voice. ¡°That¡¯s true. Galatea was the last Academy to win the Fiestas. They¡¯re going to be expecting us to do the same.¡±

    Once the applause died down, Mason called for the Familiars to be seated and Caprice complied. At first she feared Desanto might make a scene, since he loitered on his feet for a moment or two, but eventually he sank down onto his chair and ignored his surroundings.

    As calm descended upon the assembled students, Principal Mason resumed speaking and finished off her speech by wishing all the students a prosperous year, along with a handful of other platitudes that did little to rouse Caprice¡¯s feelings, perhaps because she was preoccupied with the thoughts swirling inside her head.

    Handing the reins of the opening ceremony over to the Vice-Principal, a tall, thin man with a stern face, closely cropped hair, and a military bearing, Principal Mason smoothly departed the stage with the aplomb of a veteran actress having delivered her acceptance speech after winning an award.

    In all honesty, Caprice did try to pay attention to the Vice-Principal¡¯s subsequent speech, but she was too distracted by Desanto¡¯s mood, the expectations of her classmates, and curiosity over the Summer and Winter Remnant Fiestas. Wondering how she could have been so oblivious and ignorant of them, Caprice was also puzzled as to why Morgan never mentioned the tournaments. Choosing to carefully shelve her questions until later, Caprice made a concerted effort to focus on the Vice-Principal¡¯s droning monologue but his words sailed in one ear and out the other unimpeded.

    ¨C III ¨C

    At the conclusion of the opening assembly, Caprice, Maya, and Desanto received a message on their palm-slates requesting their presence at the administration building. They were given instructions on how to get to the briefing room, and after departing the gymnasium, Caprice walked with Maya over to the tall, narrow edifice that lay between the high school and middle school buildings.

    On the way, she asked Maya about the Fiestas but before the latter could reply, an unknown bespectacled girl wearing her long hair auburn in twin-tails ran up to Maya and hugged her in greeting.

    Maya grew very still and stiff as she waited for the overly friendly girl to release her. ¡°Rina, you¡¯re making a scene.¡±

    The girl wearing glasses drew back. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to see you.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes. We saw each other last week. Remember?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but now we¡¯re high schoolers. It¡¯s official. This is different from going to the pool together. And we¡¯re in different classes now. Oh, what class are you in? I¡¯m in West 1-B.¡±

    ¡°West 1-A.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re neighbors.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes. You can let me go now.¡±

    Stepping away from Maya, the girl continued to smile happily until she noticed Caprice regarding her with a critical eye. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry. Who might you be?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be introducing yourself first?¡± Maya pointed out by way of asking.

    Without missing a beat, the girl held out her right hand to Caprice. ¡°I¡¯m Rina Sayen afil Sora.¡± With her other hand, she showed Caprice her collar and the pendant hanging below it, that of a falcon with its claws spread. ¡°Maya and I are both Soras.¡±

    Caprice shook the proffered hand. ¡°Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Sayen said, then clapped her hands excitedly as she looked at Maya. ¡°Well, what do you think?¡¯

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°About the Fiestas. We get to compete and right in time for our high school debut.¡± Sayen clapped with her fingertips. ¡°Isn¡¯t this wonderful? They¡¯re back. They¡¯re back. My brother would have been so excited. Do you know he missed out on competing? It really sucks that the old bats waited so long to reinstated the Fiestas.¡±

    Maya peered at Sayen. ¡°You¡¯re being obnoxiously happy about this.¡± She resumed walking toward the towering administration building. ¡°Way too happy.¡±

    Caprice and Sayen caught up with her a few moments later, and Sayen grumbled with fake sourness, ¡°But last year we didn¡¯t get to enter.¡±

    Maya rolled her eyes. ¡°Even if the Fiestas hadn¡¯t been suspended, they don¡¯t allow middle schoolers to compete, you dummy. And it would have been pointless for us. We didn¡¯t have enough training with our Remnants. There was no way we could have qualified for the competition. The seniors were just too strong.¡±

    Rina wagged a finger at her. ¡°Maya, you need to think positively.¡±

    ¡°I prefer to think realistically.¡±

    ¡°But remember what your therapist said¡ªoops!¡±

    Maya came to a sudden stop as Sayen slapped her hands over her mouth.

    Caprice watched the brunette with short hair stand deathly still before fixing a glare upon Sayen. ¡°Shut your frekking mouth!¡±

    Maya stormed off then broke into a run, leaving Caprice flummoxed and Sayen contrite, both girls at a standstill on the broad paved path.

    Caprice threw Sayen a questioning look. ¡°Was that something I shouldn¡¯t have heard?¡±

    Sayen stared at the ground for a while. ¡°Please forget what I said.¡±

    After considering it for a few heartbeats, and seeing no benefit to prying into the matter, Caprice nodded once then resumed walking toward the admin building. Since it clearly was a personal issue, Caprice believed it would be up to Maya to decide whether to tell Caprice about it or not. Either way, she didn¡¯t want to be late to the summons issued by the Principal.

    Arriving at the ten storey administration building, Caprice followed the instructions on her palm-slate and the group of Familiars ahead of her to an elevator that took her and about a dozen students up to the ninth floor. Exiting the cramped elevator car, she and Sayen walked with the other Familiars down a wide hallway to a spacious room at the southern end of the building. The place had been outfitted for presentations and briefings, so Caprice found herself facing that backs of a dozens of chairs that faced a podium. Behind the podium was a transparent wall made entirely of permaglass, offering a panoramic view of the school grounds, including the sports fields to the south and the towering habitat buildings that lay beyond the Academy¡¯s border.

    Caprice looked around for Maya, and located the girl only to notice the seats around her were occupied by the students who¡¯d arrived before Caprice, so she sat down on the nearest empty seat, and Sayen sat beside her like a chastised puppy.

    Feeling like Sayen was sucking the life out of the room, Caprice sighed inwardly and chose to distract the girl from her faux pas with Maya. ¡°What are the Fiestas like?¡±

    Sayen looked momentarily confused. ¡°The Fiestas?¡± She blinked slowly. ¡°Oh, the Fiestas.¡± Turning to look at the view out the window, the girl said, ¡°They¡¯re competitions¡ªtournaments¡ªheld between the five Aventis Academies.¡±

    ¡°I know that much, but what else is there to them?¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re basically battles that take place in specialized arenas¡ªlike the kind you see in holovision battle shows except there are no special effects. Familiars face each other with their Remnants. There¡¯s a points system, and the battles end when one competitor or the other is disarmed, knocked unconscious, or pushed outside the combat ring. You¡¯re not allowed to maliciously wound your opponent, but before the Fiestas were cancelled, students used to get injured all the time.¡± Sayen shivered. ¡°Thinking about it, the Fiestas are rather brutal.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°And this is what we¡¯re expected to compete in?¡±

    Sayen had lost her earlier enthusiasm and shrugged weakly. ¡°There¡¯s money and prizes and fame¡­I guess¡­.¡±

    ¡°Fame?¡±

    While looking at Sayen, Caprice realized they¡¯d lost Desanto somewhere along the way. While searching for him amongst the seated students, she happened to twist in her seat to look behind her just as Principal Lavinia Mason Lorian and a tall, slender young woman with short blonde hair walked into the room. Mason¡¯s dark business skirt suit contrasted with her companion¡¯s white business suit, and as Mason took her place behind the podium, the blonde woman assumed a position against the window wall with hands folded behind her back like some sort of executive secretary at the beck and call of a corporate CEO, except this secretary wore a restraining collar just like the Familiar students in the room.

    Caprice stared at her dumbfounded until distracted by two students ¨C a boy and girl ¨C who walked across the front of the room, passing behind Mason on their way to taking standing positions on the opposite side of the room away from the young blonde secretary. The male student had discarded his blazer, but wore the white tie befitting the third-year seniors. Something in his manner demonstrated he was accustomed to being in a position of authority. Caprice studied his face until a memory jogged loose and she recognized him as the Student Council President who¡¯d been present during orientation week, though his name eluded her.

    The girl accompanying him had also done away with her blazer. The short blue tie she wore marked her as a second-year student. Caprice didn¡¯t remember seeing her during orientation week, but did recall her as the girl with silver hair ¨C the platinum blonde ¨C sitting on the stage during the school¡¯s opening assembly. She was wearing high heels then and she was wearing them now, puzzling Caprice since all students were supposed to wear indoor shoes. Perhaps rank had its privileges?

    At sight of Mason at the podium, the soft chatter between the seated Familiars, close to seventy in number, ended quickly as their attention was drawn to the Principal who addressed the students as soon as silence befell the room.

    ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± she began. ¡°And allow me to express my sincere apologies. I placed all of you in a difficult position this morning by calling you out. I¡¯m grateful that you obliged my selfish request.¡±

    A student seated at the front of the briefing area raised her hand, and stood up without an invitation from Mason. The girl was a third-year senior, as identified by the short white tie she wore, and possessed short dark hair. Her manner and bearing were precise, with no wasted movements as she faced Mason.

    ¡°Madam Principal, is it true that the Fiestas have been re-instated this year?¡±

    ¡°It is. I received word of it only this morning.¡±

    This sent a ripple of shock and confusion through the students, though Caprice was more confused than anything else because she felt she was coming into the story halfway. She started leaning toward Sayen to ask what the big deal was, but the girl shushed her with a quick wave of her fingers. Miffed, Caprice focused on the exchange between the senior girl and the Principal.

    ¡°Do you know why the Primatriarchs changed their minds?¡± the girl cautiously asked.

    ¡°I do not. I have asked my Lorian Primatriarch for more information, but this is a rather impromptu decision on the Council¡¯s part.¡±

    ¡°So what now?¡± the girl asked.

    Mason frowned faintly. ¡°What do you mean, Katia?¡±

    ¡°I want to know what you expect from us now?¡±

    The Principal held her silence for a long while, her eyes on the girl the whole time, before favoring the girl with a nod. ¡°I expect you to train, to compete, and to win.¡±

    The girl dipped her head at Mason. ¡°For the school?¡±

    ¡°For yourselves¡­and the school.¡± Mason stepped around the lectern and stood before it. ¡°I want the Aventis of this Academy to look upon you all with respect. With the respect and the admiration that you deserve. That all of you deserve, not just those of you gifted with Remnants.¡±

    ¡°Respect and admiration?¡± From the opposite side of the seated students, a girl with blue streaks running through her raven hair, cut in with a voice that dripped with sarcasm. Reaching up, she fingered the collar she wore. ¡°Respect and admiration from a race of humans that are afraid of us because we can do things they can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°That is true. Familiars are special. They always have been,¡± Mason agreed easily, and that surprised Caprice who had been expecting the Aventis principal to take offence to the girl¡¯s tone.

    As the girl with blue streaked hair continued fiddling with her collar, another third year senior stood up and spoke her mind. ¡°Madam Principal, we may be seniors but we¡¯ve never competed in the official tournaments.¡±

    Mason nodded. ¡°I¡¯m certain the Familiars of the other Academies are asking the same question.¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t know what to expect from our opponents.¡±

    Mason crossed her arms. ¡°Leave that to my people. We¡¯re already gathering the intel you will need to mount strategies and plans.¡±

    The girl refused to be dissuaded. ¡°Madam Principal, to expect us to win¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is entirely within my estimation,¡± the woman replied with a confidence that had many frowning in the room, except for Caprice who was busy trying to keep up with the discussion.

    Another senior boy sitting at the front said, ¡°The Winter Fiesta is four months away. The Summer Fiesta is nine months away. We have exams this year. We can¡¯t dedicate as much as time as we could last year. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to win. We just we don¡¯t see how we can win.¡±

    Mason nodded. ¡°The seniors at the other Academies are in the same position.¡±

    ¡°Madam Principal, even if that¡¯s true,¡± a boy in the middle of the room asked, ¡°are any of us here strong enough to face Vardant Academy, or Calista Academy? If we¡¯d known the Fiestas would be back on the calendar this year, we would have trained even harder last year.¡±

    ¡°We might stand a chance against Yurishia Academy,¡± a girl voiced, ¡°but I heard that San Alus Academy has completely revamped their training facilities, and they¡¯ve hired ex-Sanctum instructors.¡±

    ¡°No, I heard they were from Public Security.¡±

    ¡°Hey, maybe we can get instructors from Pantheon?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± the girl on her feet retorted, before turning to stare at Mason with suspicion on her pretty face. ¡°But if they went to those lengths, maybe they knew something we didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible but unlikely,¡± Mason stated. ¡°The truth is San Alus had the poorest training facilities to begin with, so that¡¯s why they were upgraded as it was affecting the quality of their Familiars, and they were being overlooked by the Sanctum, Public Security, and Pantheon.¡±

    Caprice pressed her lips together as she twice she heard the name of the largest private military consortium operating in the Hurakan Nebula, and a major employer of highly trained and skilled Familiars. The company offered a variety of services and that included executive security to the rich, the famous, and the very important¡­such as the Steiner Family.

    A young man¡¯s snide voice cut through the room. ¡°Hearing the lot of you bitch and complain is turning my stomach.¡±

    Caprice flinched and haltingly looked over her shoulder toward the door.

    Caelum Desanto stood with this arms shoved into his trousers, scowling at the room full of Familiars. ¡°What a bunch of limp dicks and whiny little bitches.¡± With everyone looking at him, Desanto stepped deeper into the room. ¡°Why don¡¯t you hand in your Remnants and go crawl under your beds. Give your Remnants to Familiars that actually deserve them or have the guts to use them.¡±

    The girl who¡¯d spoken first, Katia, glared at Desanto with hands clenched. ¡°How dare you call us cowards.¡±

    ¡°Then shut up and quit complaining,¡± Desanto snapped. ¡°You were a lot cooler last year, Senpai. I really looked up to you. A nine out of ten. Now you¡¯re just disappointing. I¡¯m tempted to downgrade you to an eight out of ten.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± the girl gasped and when Caprice looked at her, she noticed the girl swaying on her feet. She also noticed the seated Familiars were expressing varying degrees of contempt at Desanto, though the girl with blue streaks was staring at him with an expression that seemed to say, ¡°Here we go again.¡±

    One large boy ¨C a senior with cropped blonde hair and muscles straining the fabric of his shirt ¨C took it farther. Rising to his feet, he took thundering strides toward the back of room, coming to a stop before Desanto. For several heartbeats, Caprice feared Desanto would be hammered like a nail into the carpet as the walking mountain of meat, muscle, and sinew trembled in anger before him.

    ¡°Shut the Hell up, Perv. You couldn¡¯t keep your girl for a week and you¡¯re calling us limp dicks.¡±

    Desanto held up a finger. ¡°Actually, it was a month. Then we broke up by mutual consent.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. Everybody knows she dumped you.¡±

    Desanto assumed a bored appearance. ¡°At least I got to date the most beautiful girl in the whole academy. What¡¯s your claim to fame?¡±

    ¡°A girl like that is totally wasted on you. She probably took one look at that pinky between your legs and almost died of laughter.¡±

    ¡°So says the one-inch man.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me one-inch man! I¡¯m a one-punch man!¡±

    Desanto shook his head. ¡°As cool as that sounds¡ªnot likely.¡±

    The menacing boy folded arms across his broad chest. ¡°In that case, drop your pants and show us how much of a man you are.¡±

    Desanto¡¯s mouth fell open, but then he shrugged. ¡°Fine, I will. Just make sure to keep your back to senpai when it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You have a crush on senpai, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The mountain of meat and muscle froze into a rigid mass, eyes almost popping out of his head.

    Desanto smirked. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want her seeing yours and almost dying of laughter.¡±

    The large boy grew pale then red with anger and began drawing back an arm. ¡°Why you¡ª¡±

    Desanto shrugged nonchalantly and began unbuckling his belt, ignoring the imminent threat to his life towering before him. ¡°Well then. Open sesame.¡±

    At sight of him preparing to drop his trousers, Caprice felt something snap inside her. ¡°Arrggh¡ªyou have no shame!¡± she howled, and stood up in a blur of motion.

    Desanto stopped moving and stared at her. ¡°Double-A? I didn¡¯t see you sitting there¡ª¡±

    Caprice picked up her chair and flung it at Desanto, surprising everyone including the behemoth rearing back to pound Desanto across the room. But the chair stopped inches short of hitting him, and floated in mid-air for a long moment before it dropped to the ground on its legs, and Caprice realized he¡¯d caught it with a Hecaton-field, yet he showed no signs of discomfort as his restraining collar undoubtedly punished him for the infraction. However, he was staring at her through narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Double-A, you seriously need to control your temper.¡±

    Caprice pointed an accusing finger at him as she struggled not to hyperventilate. ¡°If you drop your pants, I¡¯ll kick you.¡±

    Desanto regarded her for a heartbeat before shrugging and buckling up his belt. Then he grinned up at the larger boy looming over him like a landslide waiting to happen. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you in the arenas after class. You and me. When I¡¯m finished with you, you will be a one-inch man.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to pound you into the rock walls and turn you into a mosaic,¡± his opponent retorted and tried to push Desanto away, but the latter held his ground and pushed him back instead, sending the large student stumbling back a few steps much to his surprise.

    Desanto smirked again. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me.¡±

    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Mason spoke loudly from the lectern. ¡°I see detention on the cards for both of you. And as for you, young lady, please refrain from throwing school property around unless you¡¯re willing to pay for the damages.¡±

    Caprice froze. She may be the daughter of an absurdly rich family, but her allowance was a paltry amount. In haste, she bowed her head in apology. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am. Won¡¯t happen again, ma¡¯am.¡± She had to hurriedly retrieve her chair, squeeze by the seated students, and then place the chair back on the ground. After sitting down, she ducked her head in shame, cursing Desanto for flipping her switches and pushing her buttons.

    Mason addressed Desanto coolly. ¡°It¡¯s nice of you to join us, Mister Desanto.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, Madam Principal. I had a personal errand to run.¡±

    ¡°I see. A personal errand, was it? And that makes it fine to be late to an important briefing? Perhaps detention on the first day of school is indeed in order.¡±

    At the front of the room, the girl, Katia, was nodding vehemently. ¡°Madam Principal, I implore you. Give him a week¡¯s detention.¡±

    ¡°Katia, please sit down,¡± Mason told her.

    ¡°Y¡ªyes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Caprice peeked over her shoulder to look at Desanto as he stepped closer to the back row of chairs.

    ¡°I only came to say two things, and then I¡¯ll leave, Madam Principal.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll leave?¡± Mason sounded annoyed. ¡°And what would that be, Mister Desanto?¡±

    He focused his attention on the students both sitting and standing. ¡°We¡¯re Familiars. Most Regulars look up to us, but Aventis are afraid of us and they exploit us. Why? Because we can do what they can¡¯t. We can use the Remnants. And we can kick ass. So they put these collars around our necks to keep us under control, and that way they can sleep comfortably at night.¡±

    Caprice was shocked to hear him speak that way of the Aventis considering that Principal Mason and the Student Council members were in the room.

    Desanto shook his head unhappily. ¡°You want us to make you proud? Well, I¡¯ll tell you that this isn¡¯t just about the school. This is about us Familiars getting a chance to shine properly. And I¡¯m planning to shine so bright at those Fiestas that I¡¯m going to leave the Aventis blind, and I¡¯m going to make them sleepless with envy. I¡¯m going to put my name on the winner¡¯s trophy¡­just like my sister did seven years ago. And like she did, I¡¯m going to win both the Winter and Summer Remnant Fiestas.¡±

    Caprice watched him tap his chest without the slightest hesitation, again not minding that there were Aventis in the room, including the Principal of the Academy.

    ¡°But I want more. I want to compete in the Four Seasons Fiestas. And I want a shot at the Grand Fiesta.¡±

    Desanto¡¯s declaration triggered ripples of commotion amongst the seated Familiars, and once more the girl with dark hair, Katia, rose to her feet. Looking aghast at Desanto, she struggled to find her voice. ¡°The Four Seasons Fiestas? Are you serious?¡±

    Desanto¡¯s shoulders drooped. ¡°Senpai, you¡¯re really disappointing me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she exclaimed, recovering in an instant.

    Desanto swept his gaze over the students, briefly stopping on Caprice before moving on.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest of you, but we only get to shine in the Remnant Fiestas. And for six years they took that away from us. Now they¡¯re giving them back, but it¡¯s like their throwing crumbs at us, expecting us to be happy with their charity when out there in the fourteen worlds of the Aventis Territories, Familiars like us compete in the Four Seasons Fiestas. That¡¯s four tournaments a year, and the winners and runners up get to fight it out at the Grand Fiesta.¡± He paused for a long moment, before asking, ¡°And what do we get? Two lousy tournaments a year. What a joke. Except the joke¡¯s on us.¡±

    The faint bobbing of heads caught Caprice¡¯s eye, and she saw that many of the seated students were agreeing with him.

    Emboldened, Desanto planted his hands on his hips, and threw Mason a hard look. ¡°Why won¡¯t the Primatriarchs agree to the Four Seasons Fiestas here on Pharos?¡±

    Caprice turned her head to watch the Principal return Desanto¡¯s blunt stare with a thoughtful gaze.

    ¡°Would you compete four times a year, when many of you are reluctant to participate in a mere two tournaments?¡±

    Caprice glimpsed Desanto nod, and quickly watched him out of the corner of her eye.

    ¡°I would. Definitely,¡± he replied without hesitation. ¡°And I want to compete in the Grand Fiesta. I want to face those Familiars from the planet colonies. For too long the Familiars of Pharos have been treated like third rate members of the brethren. It¡¯s like they¡¯ve forgotten that we exist simply because we¡¯re inside the dust cloud of the Nebula. Out of sight. Out of mind. I think it¡¯s time for a change. And I think it¡¯s time Pharos stepped up to the plate. It¡¯s time the Primatriarchs gave us all the opportunity to compete on an interstellar platform. You talk about putting the school on the map. I¡¯m talking about putting Pharos on the map.¡±

    Mason pursed her lips and behind her, standing with her back to the permaglass window wall, the blonde Familiar wore a conflicted expression that she was unsuccessfully trying to hide, while a deep murmur ran through the students, and Caprice felt something change in the emotions filling the room, some of which were projected by Awareness-fields emanating from the Remnants possessed by a handful of Familiars with weak control over them. They weren¡¯t angry at him anymore. They were agreeing with him.

    Desanto pressed on. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but my sister was proud to be a student here. I guess things were different back then for her, and for Familiars in general here in Pharos. The Aventis didn¡¯t look at us the way they do now. Thing have changed since then, but I know that she wanted to leave her mark before she graduated, and she did. So I¡¯m going to do the same. I¡¯m going to do it so that she can be proud of me, and so that I can look back on my time here without regret. But two tournaments a year isn¡¯t the way it should be. We should be competing the same as everyone else. We should be competing in the Four Seasons Fiestas.¡±

    He looked as though he wanted to say more, but then he reconsidered with a shake of his head, and shrugged his shoulders.

    Without turning around, a fair haired boy from up front asked, ¡°So you¡¯re going to win both Fiestas?¡±

    Desanto blinked and focused on the seated student. ¡°That¡¯s right, Number One. I¡¯d win all four of them if I got the chance.¡±

    Caprice frowned, and looked at the male student who remained seated with his back to Desanto. Why is he calling him Number One?

    A moment later the boy up front half turned in his seat, and threw an arm over its backrest as he grinned at Desanto, and Caprice felt her heart skip and stumble.

    Wow¡­a hottie¡­.

    The boy, Number One, grinned like the wolf before the sheep at the impertinent Desanto. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, Pervert. Not while I¡¯m around.¡±

    ¡°I beat you once before, Number One.¡± Desanto sounded like he was smiling, and when Caprice glanced at him, she saw the eagerness on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you again.¡±

    ¡°Things have changed since then.¡±

    ¡°No, they haven¡¯t. I¡¯m still better than you. And when I beat you back then, my ranking was higher than yours.¡±

    The boy stood up and faced the back of the room, his eyes on Desanto. ¡°I¡¯m number one now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I wasn¡¯t around to keep you in your place¡­below me.¡±

    Caprice didn¡¯t know whether to laugh in disbelief or to throw another chair at him for being so arrogant. She was tempted to do the latter and pay the consequences later. But then the moment for making a decision slipped away as most of the seated girls stood up and faced Caelum Desanto with scorn on their faces.

    ¡°Who the Hell do you think you are?¡± a pretty brunette with a pert chest demanded.

    ¡°How dare you talk to him that way.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to put, Klaus in his place.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make us laugh.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s number one for a reason.¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s the best!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s number one on the Boys of Galatea website.¡±

    The girls fell silent and then turned to look at one girl in particular sporting twin-tails. The girl noticed the attention on her, but then hurriedly pointed at Desanto with a trembling finger. ¡°And you¡¯re¡ªyou¡¯re¡ªyou¡¯re just number one hundred!¡±

    The handsome fair haired boy, Klaus, had trouble hiding his embarrassment as he sighed heavily and shook his head weakly. ¡°Seriously, I¡¯m number one?¡±

    ¡°Of course you are!¡± the girls cried out as they whirled and faced him.

    Caprice experienced a surreal moment as sat on the chair watching them.

    Is this really happening?

    The girl with twin-tails spoke in a rush. ¡°I have your poster on my dorm room!¡±

    ¡°Does he really need to know that?¡± another girl questioned.

    ¡°Well, I have his calendar,¡± said a tall slender girl with her long braided auburn hair.

    ¡°And I have that magazine spread you did last month!¡±

    ¡°I have all the magazine you¡¯ve ever been in,¡± a buxom redhead announced passionately.

    Caprice watched Klaus duck his head lower and lower as the girls showered him with examples of their adoration, and wondered if he was a teenage male model.

    ¡°I have his one eighth scale figure,¡± someone said, and the girls stopped talking in a heartbeat, before looking at Katia at the front of the room. The girl started to tremble as she fidgeted madly under the weight of their combined attention. ¡°Well¡­I¡­someone made a limited edition figure¡­and auctioned it¡­so I¡­I bought it.¡±

    The girl with twin-tails pointed at Katia. ¡°You¡ªyou¡ªyou were the one who outbid me!¡±

    ¡°Well. I guess. It was a limited edition figure.¡±

    ¡°Arrrrgh.¡± Twin-tails grabbed her head before pointing at Katia this time. ¡°I challenge you to a duel. The victor wins that figure.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Katia looked shocked then her expression hardened. ¡°I will do no such thing!¡±

    ¡°Fine. Then we¡¯ll duel to see who partners with Klaus for the Winter Fiesta.¡±

    Again conversation stopped as the girls thought it through.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Katia declared. ¡°We¡¯ll decide who partners with Klaus by victory.¡±

    ¡°And the winner gets that limited edition figure!¡±

    ¡°No way. That¡¯s mine. I won it fair and square.¡±

    Caprice leaned toward Sayen who was sitting quietly with a dreamy look on her face. ¡°What¡¯s this about partnering for the Winter Fiesta?¡± She had to shake the girl to get her attention. ¡°Hey, are you with me?¡±

    Rina Sayen faced Caprice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to compete?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to compete.¡± Sayen stood up and raised her hand as she cried out to the front of the room. ¡°Me too. I want to duel as well.¡±

    Caprice stared in disbelief at her acquaintance bouncing up and down on her heels.

    ¡°Wait a minute! Hold up!¡± Desanto called out loudly. ¡°Does that mean none of you want to partner with me?¡±

    A girl with frizzy dark hair turned to face Desanto and folded her arms across her chest. ¡°You¡¯re a repeat offender and still a first year. You¡¯re not even ranked. Why would we want to partner with you?¡±

    Desanto looked flummoxed but to his credit he recovered his composure in a heartbeat, a testament to his overwhelming self-confidence. Again, Caprice didn¡¯t know whether to applaud him or hit him as she watched him hold up a finger. ¡°Actually, I was ranked but I¡¯ve kind of fallen off the page since then.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± the girl carried on. ¡°All of us having been training and dueling even during the summer break. And now we¡¯re going to show the fruits of our labor.¡± She pumped a fist into the air. ¡°We¡¯re going to compete for Klaus!¡±

    Desanto groaned. ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯re competing for a date with him.¡±

    The girl blushed hotly before planting her hands on her hips. ¡°Klaus is Number One. He¡¯s been training hard. So of course we want to partner with him. What have you been doing?¡±

    Desanto replied drolly, ¡°Enjoying easy street.¡±

    Laughter rumbled from the large muscular student who¡¯d threatened Desanto earlier. ¡°And you¡¯re going to win the Fiestas? I¡¯d run naked through the school grounds if that happened.¡±

    ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t do it in front of Senpai,¡± Desanto advised him.

    The behemoth trembled as he held himself back. ¡°Besides, to qualify for the Fiestas you have to possess a top ten ranking, and you¡¯re not even listed anymore.¡±

    Desanto looked at him and smiled evilly. ¡°I¡¯m going to rise to the top, and I¡¯m starting with you.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± the boy stomped up to him again.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m going to qualify for the Fiestas, and I¡¯m going through you first. Starting today.¡±

    The large boy grinned like an ogre. ¡°Oh, bring it on, little man.¡±

    Desanto grinned back. ¡°I can hardly wait, you oversized stepping stone.¡±

    From the front of the room, loud clapping could be heard before Mason issued a sharp call for order. ¡°Mr. Desanto, Mr. Le Grange, step away from each other now.¡±

    It took a moment or two, but both male students retreated a short step from each other, however they continued to grin and glare at each other.

    Mason clapped again. ¡°Ladies. Ladies. Control yourselves. Sit down. All of you!¡±

    It took a few seconds for the girls to sit down, leaving a thoroughly embarrassed Klaus standing like a wilted flower. ¡°¡­they made a figure of me¡­.¡±

    Mason addressed him. ¡°Mr. Brandei, please be seated.¡±

    The tall handsome boy sat down in his chair, oblivious to the scornful looks his male companions were fixing upon him.

    Mason cleared her throat loudly. ¡°The competition for who will partner with Mr. Klaus Brandei afil Avenir will be conducted under official guidelines and overseen by the school Instructors. There will be no unsanctioned dueling on school grounds or in the training facilities. Is that clear, ladies?¡± The girls nodded slowly, and Mason turned to the attractive young woman with blonde hair standing at the window wall. ¡°Nicola, will you see to it?¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Madam Principal.¡±

    Caprice bit her lower lip as she looked at the blonde woman, but her attention slipped and fell on the two students from the Student Council who¡¯d remained quiet the entire time. The platinum blonde wearing high heels elegantly stepped forward toward Mason.

    ¡°Madam Principal, may I make a suggestion?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss Alucard?¡±

    ¡°I fear that at this rate, Caelum Desanto will be unlikely to compete in the Winter Fiesta.¡±

    From behind Caprice, Desanto sounded like he was choking. ¡°Huh? What do you mean by that?¡±

    The platinum blonde regarded him sidelong. ¡°Well, you need a partner, and I doubt anyone would want to partner with you.¡±

    Desanto made another choking sound but said nothing.

    Mason nodded faintly. ¡°I see. Mr. Desanto¡¯s reputation precedes him in the female community. And the boys hate him too.¡±

    The silver haired beauty nodded gently. ¡°Precisely, Madam Principal. So I believe we should offer the girls an extra incentive as they compete for the honor of partnering with Mr. Brandei in the Winter Fiesta.¡±

    ¡°And that would be?¡±

    ¡°The girl with the lowest rank has to partner with Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear.¡±

    As expected, the room burst into uproar as the girls immediately protested against the platinum blonde¡¯s suggestion.

    Mason held up her hands. ¡°Quiet down. Quiet down. I said quiet down!¡± She had to wait a short while before calm returned to the room, but the girls were muttering heatedly amongst themselves. Mason then faced the platinum blonde. ¡°Alucard, we¡¯ll discuss this later.¡±

    The beautiful girl bowed politely to the woman. ¡°As you wish, Madam Principal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll partner with him.¡±

    The lone female voice that spoke out from the seated students grabbed everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I¡¯ll partner with him,¡± Maya Khayman announced without inflexion. The girls surrounding her looked dismayed, but Maya pressed on. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll duel for him if I have to.¡±

    ¡°Are you nuts?¡± the girl to Maya¡¯s left asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re just a first year,¡± the girl on her right pointed out.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Maya declared. ¡°I want to win, and I believe partnering with the Pervert is the best move.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± most of the girls questioned.

    ¡°Because I believe he can do it,¡± Maya stated flatly.

    Klaus Brandei had half turned in his chair to look back at Maya, without a trace of his embarrassment from moments ago. ¡°You don¡¯t think I can win?¡±

    Maya met his gaze with an expressionless stare. ¡°If the Pervert believes he can win, then I believe he can. So in answer to your question¡­no, not while he¡¯s around.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s big talk coming from a first year,¡± he remarked.

    ¡°Not everyone is suckered in by your good looks,¡± she replied with a weary tone.

    A hint of embarrassment flickered across his face. ¡°My¡ªmy good looks¡­.¡±

    Maya shrugged a shoulder. ¡°And the Pervert¡¯s more my type.¡±

    Klaus swallowed in discomfit. ¡°I see. May I ask your name?¡±

    ¡°Maya Khayman afil Sora.¡±

    Klaus¡¯s eyes widened a tiny fraction. ¡°So you¡¯re the Prodigy¡­.¡±

    Maya nodded faintly. ¡°So they say¡­.¡±

    Watching the two locking stares, Caprice felt something uncomfortable bloom in her chest. Without realizing it, she¡¯d raised her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll duel with you.¡±

    This seemed to genuinely surprise the Familiars, and that included Maya who turned in her seat to look at Caprice with eyes that widened slightly.

    Swallowing hard, Caprice lowered her hand.

    ¡°Yoh, Steiner.¡±

    Hearing Desanto address her, Caprice held her breath and didn¡¯t reply but she did look over her shoulder at him.

    ¡°Go take a look at the name on the trophies from seven years ago.¡±

    Caprice was taken aback by his serious yet quiet tone. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? Why?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand,¡± he replied. With a surprisingly deep bow to Mason, Desanto spoke in an equally surprising and respectful tone. ¡°Madam Principal, by your leave.¡±

    Mason regarded him thinly for a while, before exhaling loudly and waving him out. ¡°Very well, you may leave. This will go quicker if you¡¯re not around.¡±

    Katia half rose from her chair and faced the Principal in a fluster. ¡°But Madam Principal¡ª!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Katia. It¡¯s fine. I have a lot on my plate as it is. It¡¯s better this way.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Clicking her tongue in frustration, the girl sat back down while Desanto bowed once more and then smoothly stepped out of the room, leaving Caprice confused, and the other students with complicated feelings, though Katia quite clearly resented what she perceived as preferential treatment for someone whom she believed was undeserving.

    Then Le Grange, the large boy who¡¯d challenged Desanto, spoke up and announced in a deep voice, ¡°Like Hell am I going to allow that bastard to win. It¡¯ll be my name on that trophy, and then I¡¯m going to shove it down his throat.¡± He clenched his large hands, and rumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll do it for me, and for Katia.¡± Turning to the front of the room, he pointed at the silently fuming girl. ¡°Senpai, don¡¯t you dare duel for anyone else because you have to partner with me!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± the girl exclaimed. ¡°What are you an idiot?¡±

    Caprice looked at the closed door, while the room broke into commotion as the Familiars began to argue amongst themselves. When she turned around, she felt someone was looking at her and soon noticed there were a few people regarding her with mixed looks.

    The handsome fair haired Klaus Brandei was eyeing Caprice with interest over his left shoulder.

    Maya Khayman was staring at her with an unreadable expression that almost made her shiver.

    The platinum blonde, Simone Alucard, was regarded Caprice with a faint smirk on her lips.

    And the Student Council President stood with a faintly troubled appearance that he quickly cleared away when Caprice met his eyes.

    But what unsettled her the most was the eyes of the blonde woman who served as Mason¡¯s aide. They appeared to look deep into Caprice, into the pain she had spent a long time chaining away from her heart.

    Caprice tore her attention away from them, and looked down at her hands folded over her lap, clasping the tightly to stop them from trembling.

    Sitting beside her, Rina nudged her shoulder. ¡°Are you going to do it?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Do what?¡±

    ¡°Are you really going to duel Maya?¡±

    Grateful for the distraction, Caprice mulled her answer over, but now that she thought about it, why had she made that declaration? What was that unpleasant feeling that had welled up in her chest? Regardless, she¡¯d said it to a roomful of people. Taking it back now was going to be difficult.

    ¡°Yeah¡­I guess so¡­.¡± She abruptly laughed nervously. ¡°I guess I have no choice.¡±

    Rina inhaled deeply and then sighed. ¡°Well, I guess it will be good for Maya as well¡­.¡±

    Caprice frowned at her, but before she could ask Sayen what she meant, Mason clapped loudly and once again demanded the students settle down.

    Caprice decided to save her question for later, and straightened in her chair to pay attention to the proceedings before her. However, the more she listened to her fellow students and Familiars argue back and forth, the more her feelings sank as she heard them express their unwillingness to sit back and do nothing that would allow Desanto ¨C however unlikely it may be ¨C to stand victorious at the Fiestas. Thus, little by little, the mood in the room changed and plans were drawn up to defeat Caelum Desanto in the arenas of battle, and have someone else¡¯s name written on the winner¡¯s trophy this year.

    What disenchanted Caprice the most was the fact that neither Mason or the Student Council, appeared particularly opposed to the idea, probably because this way, the goal of defeating Caelum Desanto had unified the Familiars of Galatea Academy under one banner.

    ¨C IV ¨C

    Because it was the opening day of school, classes weren¡¯t expected to start until after lunch, giving the students the morning to settle into the Academy. This meant that Caprice had time to walk to the school shop and purchase a new school bag or at the least get the broken shoulder strap replaced. She would need to collect her school bag from the classroom. However, before doing so she decided to follow Desanto¡¯s suggestion and look up the other winner of the Fiestas seven years ago, since by his admission she already knew one of the winners was his sister.

    There was no denying Desanto¡¯s sister must have been a very strong Familiar for her to have won even one of the Fiestas. Caprice found herself growing steadily curious over what kind of person the girl was, though she hoped that Desanto¡¯s sister wasn¡¯t a pervert. But she was also curious about the girl¡¯s Remnant, and whether she had unlocked it by the time she fought in the Fiestas.

    Remnants were handed down from Familiar to Familiar by their affiliated Pride. When a Familiar retired from their service to the Pride, the Remnant was handed back to them. Once un-bonded with its Meister, the device reverted to its locked state, and so the next Familiar to receive it would have to unlock it all over again. However, with the passing of time and hands, it was rumored that Remnants became stronger. So a Familiar possessing a Remnant active since the War of Supremacy was likely to be stronger than the same type of Remnant that had only recently been discovered out in the Hurakan Nebula. In short, it was Remnants with the oldest history that were the most sought after.

    In a way, it was similar to how mythological Vampires grew stronger with the ages, such that older Vampires could overwhelm the younger ones.

    After the briefing, Rina Sayen and Maya had shared a heart-to-heart moment that Caprice felt she had no part in. She had excused herself before becoming a third wheel, and used the school¡¯s map application installed on her palm-slate to travel to the trophy room located on the ground floor of the administration building where she could expect to find the Academy¡¯s winnings on display. There were quite a few students wandering about the large room. Though there was abundant space yet to be filled in the display cabinets, there were already a lot trophies sitting on the shelves behind the glass windows. The clear majority belonged to competitions the Aventis had taken part in, and Caprice noticed most of the room was dedicated to their achievements. She remembered Desanto¡¯s words about the Fiestas being the only time that Familiars were allowed to shine, and she felt an unpleasant hollow feeling creep along her back ¨C an emptiness that grew gradually worse the longer she looked around the room.

    Along one wall that could be considered the back of the room, a large display cabinet stood separated from the rest. In a way, it reminded Caprice of how her desk was at the back of the classroom, noticeably away from the Aventis students. Stepping closer to the display, she counted fourteen trophies, and four of those commemorated first place at the Fiestas. Caprice read the engraved names on the winner¡¯s trophy for the Winter Remnant Fiesta from seven years ago.

    Celica Desanto afil Lanfear.

    Karina Valerian afil Lanfear.

    She read the last name over and over, disbelief and confusion filling the emptiness within her, then she looked at the two trophies from that year¡¯s Summer Remnant Fiesta.

    First place: Celica Desanto afil Lanfear.

    Second place: Karina Valerian afil Lanfear.

    Caprice stared at the trophies, her mind swirling with unanswered questions. Why? Why didn¡¯t she tell me? And why didn¡¯t Morgan tell me either. She took a step away from the glass wall cabinet. Why didn¡¯t mother tell me?

    ¡°So this is where you were,¡± a girl¡¯s flat voice sounded from behind Caprice.

    Caprice¡¯s Awareness-field that emanated from her Remnant¡¯s bracelet that she wore under her right sleeve tingled faintly and she registered the girls¡¯ presence as though she had eyes on the back of her head. Maya and Sayen stopped beside her to peer at the trophies in the display cabinet.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking happier,¡± Caprice opined, and Maya nodded.

    ¡°I got my pound of flesh. In this case, a three-course meal.¡± She swept her gaze over the cabinet and the wall. ¡°So we get one little space at the back of the room. No surprising.¡± Maya turned her attention to the trophies. ¡°The first Fiestas took place twenty-five years ago. Galatea had a pretty good track record during that time. I guess there would have been more trophies if the Fiestas hadn¡¯t been cancelled for six consecutive years.¡± She sighed unhappily. ¡°It¡¯s pretty easy to know why that happened.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Maya glanced at Caprice. ¡°I mean Crimson Crescent.¡±

    Caprice¡¯s eyes widened as the proverbial penny dropped.

    Just as the Cataclysm was a term synonymous with the destructive explosion in trans-space that destroyed dozens of stars and planets, Crimson Crescent was synonymous with terrorism.

    Six years ago, the group detonated a bomb in an interstellar superfreighter that had just docked in Island One¡¯s Harbor Sphere. The explosion killed thousands and injured thousands more. Since then, the group had been actively recruiting Familiars to their cause, though surprisingly no one knew what was their motive, whether it was simple terrorism, a revolution, or outright war with the Aventis. One thing that was certain was that Crimson Crescent had its base of operations deep within the Hurakan Nebula, and since the nebula was well over a hundred lightyears wide and deep, and difficult to traverse using trans-space, finding their hideout had proven impossible for the authorities. It wasn¡¯t just the Pharos Enforcer Division Fleet hunting them, but the greater Aventis government from the nearby star systems as well.

    Caprice looked at the trophies.

    Seven years ago was the last time the Fiestas were held until now. They were suspended because of Crimson Crescent blowing up a chunk of the Harbor Sphere, and spreading terror through Pharos.

    Maya dipped her head at the trophies in the wall mounted cabinet. ¡°It¡¯s because of Crimson Crescent that people are even more afraid of us, and of what we can do.¡±

    Caprice voiced her thoughts aloud. ¡°Then I wonder why the Primatriarch Council decided to lift the ban on the competitions?¡±

    Maya raised her chin. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the Primatriarchs decided it was time to show the Aventis and Regulars of Pharos that not all Familiars are like those of Crimson Crescent. Maybe they want to assure people that Familiars are on their side.¡± She shrugged a shoulder. ¡°I just don¡¯t know¡­.¡± After shaking herself free of whatever was chaining her feelings, Maya pointed at the trophies. ¡°So we can guess that Celica Desanto is Pervert Desanto¡¯s sister, but what did he mean by telling you to read the winners¡¯ names?¡±

    Caprice hesitated before giving Maya a shrug of her own, and put on a confused smile. ¡°I have no idea. Maybe he was just jerking me around because I threw a chair at him.¡± On impulse, and wanting to get off the topic of the past Fiesta winners, Caprice threw both girls questioning looks. ¡°By the way, does anyone know what ranking Desanto had before he ¡®dropped off the pages¡¯?¡±

    ¡°You mean before he was absent from school?¡± Maya asked.

    Caprice nodded.

    Maya started to say, ¡°Oh, back then he was ranked¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sixth.¡± Rina Sayen tapped Caprice on the shoulder. ¡°I looked it up because I was curious too.¡± She held out her palm-slate for the two other girls to see. ¡°Apparently, he was ranked sixth.¡±

    Caprice asked, ¡°Sixth amongst the first-years?¡±

    ¡°No, sixth amongst all the Familiars at Galatea.¡± Rina sounded almost regretful. ¡°And there were more Familiars at the school last year than this year.¡±

    Caprice looked down at the rankings chart from late last year. ¡°Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear. Ranked sixth. Remnant: Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he really was strong,¡± Maya murmured. ¡°Impressive for a first-year.¡±

    Caprice read another name on the table. ¡°Katia Alexis Asakura afil Raynar. Ranked Third. Remnant: Eris.¡±

    Maya snorted. ¡°One of pretty boy¡¯s fangirls.¡±

    Caprice noticed the girl¡¯s irritation but chose to ignore it. ¡°Is that her ranking from back then?¡±

    ¡°That was back then,¡± Rina replied and then pointed at a number on the screen. ¡°That¡¯s her current ranking. It hasn¡¯t changed. She¡¯s still ranked third.¡±

    Caprice felt oddly strange knowing there was a girl stronger than Desanto. But then she realized she hadn¡¯t seen Desanto in action, except for the frightening skill he demonstrated with the Gram and Hecato-fields in the morning. ¡°So if she fought the Pervert then she would probably win.¡±

    Sayen nodded. ¡°According to this, yes.¡±

    Maya stretched her arms high over her head and arched her back. ¡°I remember she was the top ranked girl last year even though she was a first year. I always wanted to fight her, but middle-schoolers aren¡¯t allowed to spar or duel with high school Familiars.¡± She grinned faintly to herself. ¡°But I get to duel against her this year. Looking forward to that.¡± Abruptly she stiffened before lowering her arms and facing Caprice. ¡°By the way, are you really going to duel with me for the right partner with Desanto?¡±

    Caprice froze for a heartbeat but then broke into a troubled frown. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then what made you say that you would?¡± Maya asked her in an even tone that came across as curious rather than challenging.

    Caprice struggled for an answer. ¡°I guess¡­because you¡­kind of annoyed me¡­.¡±

    Maya¡¯s eyebrows twitched before smiling crookedly. ¡°I did? How did I do that?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­because you had the courage to say something¡­to against the flow¡­and I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Maya seemed to relax imperceptibly. ¡°I didn¡¯t like the way the girls were treating him.¡±

    Sayen muttered, ¡°But he¡¯s the Pervert.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Maya wrinkled her nose. ¡°That¡¯s just crap the girls made up when the Princess started showing an interest in him. They couldn¡¯t stand the notion that their precious Princess would actually like someone like him.¡±

    ¡°The Princess?¡± Caprice asked.

    Maya rolled her shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s what they called. Princess Prissila Ventiss Avenir. She was a second year. That makes her a senior this year. Anyway, the girls had this stupid agreement that the Princess would remain untouchable and pure. When she and Desanto started dancing around each other they lit the flames of war. After that, they started bullying him and spreading rumors, but he just ignored them and eventually they started dating. But it last long.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Caprice asked. ¡°Were her boobs not big enough for him?¡±

    Maya arched her eyebrows at Caprice. ¡°Are you kidding? That girl was a ten out of ten. I think he was actually scared of being near her, but he couldn¡¯t help himself either.¡±

    Caprice noticed she was making a sour face and hurriedly stopped. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a surprise.¡±

    Rina Sayen leaned forward, though she was pressing her palm-slate to her chest. ¡°So he really didn¡¯t sneak into the girls¡¯ changerooms?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Maya replied with a shrug.

    ¡°Then what about those rumors that he stole the girls¡¯ underwear when they were in gym class?¡±

    Maya sighed at Sayen. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the Academy would have suspended him if that was true.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­I guess¡­.¡± Sayen may have said so but she didn¡¯t look convinced, and a moment later she asked, ¡°So you like him?¡±

    Maya¡¯s eyebrows twitched again. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Do you like the Pervert?¡± Sayen asked her.

    Maya turned away with an embarrassed look on her face, and gazed at the trophies behind the glass doors. ¡°No. It¡¯s not like that. I just don¡¯t think they¡¯re being fair on him.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Caprice asked, butting in slightly.

    Maya gave her an annoyed yet also sheepish glance. ¡°I told you. The girls. Who else?¡±

    Caprice stared at Maya, and wondered if the girl was being honest with herself, before quickly concluding that she wasn¡¯t. It was fair to say that Maya¡¯s feeling for Desanto had been cultivated over time, and it was obvious that she¡¯d had been watching him from afar, a distance made greater by the fact that until recently she had been a middle schooler and Desanto had been attending high school. But now she was in high school, and as good fortune would have it, she was assigned to the same class he was. Now that distance was practically zero.

    When she thought about it like this, the unpleasant feeling returned to Caprice¡¯s chest. She couldn¡¯t put it into words, but she could say it left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. When someone¡¯s stomach rumbled, Caprice was ashamed to realize it was hers, and relieved because it broke the mood.

    Glancing at her wrist watch, Caprice saw that it was close to midday. ¡°I think I need some lunch,¡± she admitted, and walked away from the display cabinet. Then she remembered she needed to purchase another school bag or see if the strap could be fixed.

    Walking from the admin building back to their classroom, the trio noticed numerous students entering the giant white donut shaped cafeteria that stood between the east and west wings of the high school building, and Caprice wondered aloud if they¡¯d find a table. Though the cafeteria was enormous, and stood nine floors high, there were more than four thousand high school students in attendance so it was likely to be packed with students looking for a meal, especially since they were not allowed out of the school grounds once classes commenced, so it was either the cafeteria or the vending machines if they wanted to get something to eat.

    Realizing this, Maya and Rina decided to go ahead and secure a table, and quickly exchanged palm-slate numbers with Caprice before the two girls parted ways with her and headed into the cafeteria, while Caprice returned to classroom West-1A.

    As she walked alone, Caprice felt uneasy as she wondered how much Desanto knew about her.

    Was it possible they had met when they were younger?

    Had he met Karina because of his elder sister, Celica?

    Biting her lower lip for a long moment, Caprice noticed she¡¯d arrived at the classroom, and cautiously slid the front door open. In a way she was relieved to find it unoccupied, and walked to the back of the classroom to her smart-desk where she¡¯d left her school bag on the seat. Picking it up, she was surprised by what she saw.

    A second school bag rested on the chair, wrapped in plastic.

    Staring at it with wide eyes, Caprice realized that this was the personal matter Desanto had spoken off and the reason he was late to the briefing.

    Though she did faintly regret hitting him with her school bag, it was his fault for making her mad. As such, buying her a new bag was the least he could do for her.

    Nonetheless she sighed contently as she unwrapped the school bag, and then transferred the contents of her old bag into it. Then she placed the damaged bag into the small locker she¡¯d been allocated at the back of the classroom, spun the dial on the lock, before heading out of the classroom to meet Maya and Sayen for lunch at the cafeteria, messaging them that she was on her way.

    ¨C V ¨C

    At lunch, Revlina Laurentine locked down her terminal knowing it wouldn¡¯t stop the diagnostic program she was running as part of the quality assurance work her team had been assigned to complete by the end of the week. She had turned down the offer from her female coworkers to each lunch together at some restaurant downtown in District Six, not far from the Steiner Corporation building, citing she had an errand to run.

    Though true, she wasn¡¯t about to reveal its nature to the girls in her software department, though the coy delivery of her excuse had them wondering if she was meeting a lunchtime date.

    That part wasn¡¯t true.

    Although it was a hassle, Revlina retrieved a change of clothes from a gym bag she kept in a subway locker. In a toilet stall, she slipped out of her business suit and into casual wear consisting of a dark blouse, denim jacket, black trousers, and swapped her low heels for a pair of comfortable, well-worn sneakers. There was also a second palm-slate in the bag and as expected it was out of charge so Revlina attached the portable charger she brought with her. Putting her work clothes and her other palm-slate in the bag, she put her baseball cap inside a jacket pocket, then exited the women¡¯s toilets. After returned the gym bag to a different locker, she swiped the palm-slate over the turnstile scanner, and then entered the subway platform.

    Traveling by subway rather than the overhead mag-lev, Revlina arrived at District Sixteen located at the far east of Habitat One. Slipping on the baseball cap, she climbed the stairs leading out of the subway station, and walked east a couple of blocks, before arriving at an area known as Chi-Town, a place reminiscent of the old China Towns found long ago on distant Earth, before the vast migration into space.

    The shops here were small and crowded on either side of a narrow plaza. Strange dragon-like creatures adorned the signs and windows, and weird characters with lots of strokes that Revlina knew nothing about spelled their names in a language she didn¡¯t understand. But there was one shop she recognized, and she entered it after casually glancing around to see if she was being followed, though undoubtedly the security cameras in this area would have recorded her stepping off the street sidewalk and onto the plaza crowded with workers from nearby businesses eating a variety of steaming noodles they dipped in a sweet and sour sauce.

    Wrinkling her nose at the smell of food in the air, she was glad to step out of the plaza and into the quaint jewelry shop.

    The old shopkeeper greeted her as he would any other shopper, but Revlina wasn¡¯t just any customer, and after making small talk for a minute and showing her his wares on the counter, he suggested she take a look at his collection of jewelry held in a back room. Closing the shop for business with a sign that said, BACK IN FIFTEEN MINUTES, the old man escorted Revlina to a small back room, where she waited for him to pull back a thick crimson carpet with gold dragon embroidery, and lift the trapdoor underneath. Then she climbed down after him into another room beneath the shop.

    A large black ball about a meter in diameter, floated a few inches above the floor at the back of the underground room, and Revlina chose to keep her distance. But the old man showed no such reluctance, and slipped his hand into the ball as though it were made of water because she could clearly see a ripple run along its black surface which reflected the overhead strip lights. When he pulled out his hand, the old man held a small black box resembling a jewelry case with beveled sides, completely devoid of any markings but for the carvings along its top.

    He held out it out to her, and Revlina opened it to see a slender feminine bracelet lying within.

    ¡°Is this the one?¡± he asked her.

    She found his smile a little unnerving. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Reaching inside the box she retrieved the slender bracelet and slipped it around her left wrist. The bracelet warmed to her skin in an instant, and she felt as though fingers were creeping around inside her brain. When the sensation faded a short while later, the bracelet almost vanished from view as it assumed the color of her skin and camouflaged itself.

    The bracelet was the key or link to the Remnant residing within its Sarcophagus. The Sarcophagus itself was hiding in a fold in the fabric of space-time, commonly referred to as Pocket Space. In other words, the bracelet was like a key ring hanging outside of a trouser pocket, while the keys ¨C the Sarcophagus ¨C was inside the pocket. Where the bracelet went, the Sarcophagus in Pocket Space followed, although the latter was impossible detect. Even the Awareness-fields that radiated from other Remnants like radar waves would fail to perceive a Sarcophagus hiding in Pocket Space, although Revlina was aware that some Remnants, those belonging to the Ruler Class, had abilities that could force a Sarcophagus to reveal itself. With any luck, and the gods willing, she wouldn¡¯t run into a Familiar with a Ruler Class Remnant.

    Closing the box, the old man continued to smile at her. ¡°Then I wish you luck, Ferryman.¡±

    Revlina clamped down on the shiver that almost broke free and ran through her body.

    If she failed in her role as the gateway or ferryman into Pharos, then she¡¯d better pack her bags and run. However, she honestly didn¡¯t know how long she could stay ahead of them if they were serious about capturing and punishing her for her failures. The organization wasn¡¯t the forgiving kind. Turning herself into Public Security or the Sanctum might be better options than trying to flee. Although she faced the prospect of a lifetime imprisonment, she would at least be alive. Then again, if the organization had operatives within Public Security or the Sanctum, they would probably get to her regardless.

    The old man returned the box to the black sphere, and Revlina climbed out of the room ahead of him. After he closed the trapdoor and unfurled the dragon carpet over it, she followed him out to the front of the shop, and exited the establishment moments later.

    Behind her, the old man flipped the sign on the door, indicating the shop was once more open for business.

 Vol 1 - Ch 3 - Bringing the Pain (Draft 2 - Version 1)

    Chapter 3 ¨C Bringing the Pain.

    ¨C I ¨C

    Because he left the briefing early, and thereby used up a truckload of goodwill points with Principal Mason, Caelum had time to kill before the start of lunch and afternoon classes.

    With the Symbiote inside, his body was feeling amped up, but having the worm within his body also killed most of his appetite. Taking advantage of this, Caelum had slept in late, then skipped breakfast, hoping he would be in the mood for lunch. However, now that lunchtime was on the doorstep, he still found himself without an appetite. Yet it didn¡¯t feel right not to eat something, so that¡¯s why he paid the cafeteria a visit and picked up a half sandwich roll.

    Leaving the cafeteria via the fourth floor bridgeway connecting the giant donut shaped edifice to the west wing of the high school building, Caelum climbed up to the stairwell that afforded access to one of the rooftop courtyards, and was pleased to find the door to the courtyard was open. He stepped out to find a few students lounging on the benches at various tables. Since he was familiar with the layout of the place, Caelum walked north to the rooftop penthouse machinery building that separated this courtyard from the next one.

    Although the collar was going to bite him a little, he summoned an Icarus-field through the bracelet he wore on his right wrist under his shirt sleeve ¨C the link to the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing snug in its Sarcophagus hiding nearby in Pocket Space ¨C and used it to boost his jump onto the machinery room¡¯s rooftop. Then he slipped out of his blue summer blazer, folded it, and then placed it on the ground. Sitting on the rooftop, he ate the sandwich roll while staring at the habitat surrounding the school, dusted his hands when finished, then lay back to stare up at the mimetic sky-field overhead that simulated a partially cloudy day.

    Because it was a space colony, Pharos followed the calendar and seasons of the capital world of Aeneas, specifically its northern hemisphere. As a result of this the habitat environmental controls were in summer mode, and that meant an average heat in the high twenty degrees centigrade. During the winter cycle around the middle of the year, the habitat saved power by reducing the average temperature to the high teens centigrade. In other words, a little colder while not being too cold.

    A gentle breeze blew over the buildings, coming from air vents of the atmospheric towers that rose here and there throughout the habitat, and from the environmental systems in the cavern¡¯s ceiling hidden behind the mimetic sky-field.

    Caelum closed his eyes, finding himself spiraling gently into slumber¡­until the voice of a young woman in his mind interrupted his tranquility.

    [*Wake up. You have company.]

    ¡°¡­huh¡­?¡±

    He opened his eyes and blinked away the bleariness.

    [*Here she comes. Oh, and she seems quite angry.]

    ¡°¡­who¡¯s coming¡­?¡±

    Caelum propped himself up on his elbows in time to see a girl leap skyward in front of him.

    ¡°¡­what the Hell¡­?¡±

    She leapt from the outside of the five storey building, sailed high over the fence that surrounded the entire rooftop of the west wing, then came down toward him with teeth bared and right fist drawn back to deliver a piledriving punch.

    ¡°Pervert Desanto!¡±

    The girl¡¯s cry would undoubtedly draw attention to her and to him, but for the moment Caelum was more worried about the damage her incoming punch would inflict on his body. Not bothering to swear in complaint at having his siesta disturbed, he rolled away as Katia Alexi Asakura fell toward him, her fist narrowly missing him and striking the machinery penthouse¡¯s rooftop, leaving a large crater in the permacrete. Using an Icarus-field, and feeling the collar sting unpleasantly as a consequence, Caelum elevated himself to his feet, and then scrambled to put distance between him and the girl.

    Katia straightened on her feet, the air around her right fist shimmering from the effect of the Aegis-field summoned through the bracelet she wore on her wrist, the link to her Remnant, a type Eris that was contained in its own Sarcophagus and Pocket Space.

    ¡°You stepped over the line, Pervert,¡± she told him in a low, husky voice that was unlike her usual voice. ¡°You had not right to challenge our Klaus. No right to embarrass him.¡±

    ¡°Actually, he was more embarrassed with the lot of you fawning over him.¡±

    Caelum slipped into an easy stance but he was wary of Katia. She was the third ranked Familiar at the Academy, and the one time he¡¯d fought her last year, she¡¯d thoroughly pounded him into the ground. Katia didn¡¯t like him then; she most certainly didn¡¯t like him now. Yet he added with an easy smile that belied his underlying caution, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that guy¡¯s a male model for that teen magazine crap. If he can¡¯t handle the attention from the girls he should just quit.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call it crap! And Klaus can handle anything.¡±

    Caelum frowned at her. ¡°Hey, Senpai, are you feeling alright?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m feeling all right.¡± She pointed angrily at him. ¡°But I am pissed at you. Get on your knees and apologize.¡±

    ¡°Apologize to you? What for?¡± Caelum¡¯s stance shifted a little more toward defense, but then he reconsidered and edged it toward offense, the set of his feet hinting at rapid acceleration in Katia¡¯s direction.

    Katia appeared not to notice. ¡°For embarrassing Klaus. And for having the gall to challenge him.¡±

    ¡°Are you forgetting I was the one who told you about that limited edition figure?¡±

    Katia blinked sharply and then winced. ¡°Ah¡­no, I¡¯m not. But that¡¯s a separate matter!¡±

    ¡°Are you forgetting I was the one who got you that V.I.P. pass last year to attend that magazine cover shoot?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­no, I¡¯m not. But like I said that¡¯s a separate matter!¡±

    Caelum shook his head. ¡°Senpai, are you forgetting the occasion last year when I arranged for the two of you to eat lunch accidentally?¡±

    ¡°Eeek!¡± Katia jerked back. ¡°No. Don¡¯t bring that up!¡±

    ¡°And the time I arranged that opportunity for you to confess to him.¡±

    Katia took an unsteady step back. ¡°No. No. No. Don¡¯t bring that up either!¡±

    ¡°And who was it that consoled you when he rejected you?¡±

    She pressed her hands over her chest. ¡°No, don¡¯t remind me. I don¡¯t want to remember.¡±

    ¡°Senpai, after all I¡¯ve done for you, and this is how you treat me?¡±

    She planted her hands over her ears. ¡°Stop it! I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±

    [*More company. Have fun.]

    Caelum looked about. ¡°What are you talking¡ª?¡±

    One after the other, a handful of girls leapt over the fencing and landed on the roof of the penthouse building. It was clear they¡¯d used more than Aegis-fields to make the jump up the side of the building and over the fencing. Through his Awareness-field, Caelum sensed the telltale signs of spatial distortions that resulted from the use of Impulse-fields generated by Remnants.

    ¡°Crap¡­,¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°More seniors. This is going to be tough¡­.¡±

    A girl with frizzy hair stood up smoothly as she patted down her skirt and addressed Katia. ¡°Katia, what the heck is keeping you? Heh?¡± She gasped loudly at sight of the distraught girl with her hands over her ears. ¡°Katia? What happened?¡± However, before waiting for an answer, she turned and glared at Caelum. ¡°You! What did you do to her?¡±

    Through his Awareness-field, Caelum sensed a Gram-field forming around the girl¡¯s right hand, extending from it like a long thing sword reminiscent of a rapier. He swallowed and asked, ¡°Yoh, what do you think you¡¯re going to do with that?¡±

    ¡°Answer me, Pervert!¡±

    ¡°Would you calm down. And stop shouting. You¡¯re attracting attention.¡±

    He spoke the truth. The students who¡¯d been eating lunch in the courtyard below had noticed the commotion and were fleeing the vicinity of the penthouse machine building.

    Frizzy Girl slashed the air with her Gram-field rapier. ¡°Like I care what that Aventis trash thinks.¡±

    Caelum narrowed his eyes as he frowned at her. ¡°Hey. You¡¯re starting to sound like them.¡±

    Frizzy advanced upon him with measured steps. ¡°I asked you a question, Pervert. What did you do to Katia?¡±

    He sensed more Gram-fields being summoned, but this time from the girls who¡¯d smoothly assumed positions at the edges of the machine room¡¯s rooftop. For now they were keeping their distance, but Frizzy was another matter as she continued advancing toward him.

    *Galatea, this isn¡¯t good. They¡¯re seriously pissed at me.

    [*The truth can be shocking at times.]

    *Not funny. I¡¯m going to need your help.

    [*Have you noticed they don¡¯t appear particularly bothered by the collars around their necks.]

    Caelum felt an unpleasant chill run down his back. *Now that you mention it¡­.

    Frizzy was wearing her restraining collar, yet she was summoning a Gram-field from her Remnant that the bracelet then manifested around her right hand in the shape of a faintly shimmering blade. Yet she wasn¡¯t showing signs of discomfort, so he could only assume her restrictions enforced through the collar had been temporarily lifted. If true, it would explain how she succeeded in leaping higher than a five storey building. But if they weren¡¯t lifted, how was she able to deal with the pain?

    *What the Hell is this, he wondered, his thought flitting across to Galatea eavesdropping in his head. *Feels like I¡¯m being set up.

    [*Very well. I¡¯ll help you.]

    *You will? How?

    No reply was forthcoming, and Caelum grew a little nervous. Damn it. What is the minx up to?

    Frizzy assumed an attacking stance, much like a fencing master. ¡°This is for Katia. And for our Klaus.¡±

    Caelum¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Again with Number One? What is wrong with you girls?¡±

    ¡°And this is for the Princess.¡±

    A cold fist blossomed to life within Caelum¡¯s chest. Yet he kept his voice level and composed. ¡°Frizzy, you need to calm down. Take deep breaths. Think about what you¡¯re going to do.¡±

    The girl froze as her eyes grew impossibly wide. ¡°What¡ªwhat did you call me?¡±

    Caelum groaned under his breath. ¡°¡­shit¡­I stepped on a landmine¡­.¡±

    ¡°You¡ªyou¡ªtime to die!¡±

    The moment the yell left her lips, Caelum had shifted his mind into an overclocked state. It was an innate talent that separated Familiars from the rest of the human species, and that included the Regulars and Aventis. The ability to consistently overclock at will was something only Familiars could do, and it gave them an edge in all forms of physical combat. Caelum used it to give himself time to study the girl¡¯s attack, though he was already summoning an Aegis-field.

    I¡¯m going to have to time this perfectly, he told himself as he leapt toward the charging girl with frizzy hair.

    With him perceiving time moving at a crawl, Caelum was able to crouch milliseconds before the girl¡¯s shimmering Gram-field thrust through the air, passing an inch above his head. Caelum pushed off the ground and darted away Frizzy who hurriedly slashed the air behind her, but being caught off balance she missed him by a country mile. However, the earlier close shave almost caused his heart to stop as he realized that without a doubt the girls were out to hurt him, and with that understanding anger flickered in his heart.

    ¡°Hey¡ªget back here!¡± Frizzy cried out at him in frustration.

    Caelum shouted back, ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking this way too seriously?¡±

    ¡°You who doesn¡¯t understand a girl¡¯s heart should just die!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re condemning most of the male population to death,¡± he told her.

    ¡°Starting with you¡ªthat¡¯s fine by me.¡± Frizzy slashed the air, and then charged at him again, this time keeping her Gram-field low to the ground.

    * What is wrong with these girls? Are they under someone¡¯s Influence? But that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Familiar¡¯s can¡¯t be Influenced like the Aventis can.

    Caelum sidestepped Frizzy¡¯s attack, then extended his reach by using a Hecaton-field to push her away and off balance.

    ¡°If you keep this up you¡¯ll get suspended,¡± he warned her. ¡°Fighting outside the arena¡¯s is prohibited.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be your word against ours,¡± Frizzy retorted with a sneer. ¡°Who¡¯s going to believe a pervert?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± another girl said. ¡°Besides, we already have a story in place.¡±

    Caelum evaded in a hurry as Frizzy thrust her Gram-field at him like a rapier. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Are you trying to set me up?¡± Again he used a Hecaton-field to push, this time tripping her up, and sending her stumbling away for several steps. ¡°You¡¯re doing this in full view of the Aventis.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Frizzy angrily snapped at him as she recovered her balance. ¡°You cheated on the Princess. You don¡¯t get to live.¡±

    He dodged a thrust from Frizzy that would have skewered him as he had no Aegis-field around his torso. As he did so, the girl¡¯s words sunk home and a wave of guilt rushed through him, but it was quickly followed by cold anger that ended his retreat. When Frizzy lunged at him again, Caelum grabbed her rapier shaped Gram-field with his left hand that was gloved by an Aegis-field. It was the equivalent of grabbing a naked blade with an armored hand.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    He squeezed the Gram-field until it lost cohesion and broke apart under pressure from the Aegis-field.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± he repeated.

    Frizzy looked shocked but she recovered in a heartbeat and skipped back, generating another Gram-field in the shape of a long sword. ¡°We know you cheated on the Princess. You did it with Blue Streak.¡±

    Again, his stomach sank and intense regret began to swirl tightly within his chest, but the anger contained it, like a blizzard encircling a camp fire. ¡°Is that was this is really about? I thought you were all just Klaus¡¯s groupies in heat.¡±

    ¡°You broke the Princess¡¯s heart,¡± Katia called out from the sideline, speaking for the first time since Frizzy and the other girls arrived. ¡°That¡¯s why she left the Academy.¡±

    ¡°Because of you,¡± Frizzy said, ¡°she burned her bridges and ties to the school.¡±

    ¡°The Princess was kind to us,¡± said a third girl.

    ¡°The Princess didn¡¯t treat us like the others do,¡± a girl with a boyish haircut spoke up.

    ¡°But you drove her away,¡± a slender redhead accused him.

    ¡°Because you cheated on her!¡± Frizzy finished off, then enlarged the size of her Gram-field sword. She raised it high, making the air above her head visibly shimmer, and held it there as she yelled, ¡°You never deserved her!¡±

    Caelum kept his mouth shut, mostly because he didn¡¯t have the words to refute them, but because he was barely hanging onto his composure by the merest of threads.

    [*Pervert?] Galatea unexpectedly returned. [*Aren¡¯t you going to say something?]

    *What¡¯s there to say? They¡¯ve already made up their minds. They can believe what they want to believe.

    [*Even if it is the truth?]

    He clenched his jaw, but then relaxed it when it began to ache.

    Watching him standing in silence, Frizzy howled in anger and then brought down the giant Gram-field.

    Caelum sensed the cutting field was strong enough to cleave an inter-Island bus in half. It would certainly slice through the machine room¡¯s rooftop, and if he didn¡¯t move, he would be split in two where he stood.

    As the field came down on him, he sighed inwardly and his heart clenched painfully.

    Reaching up to the artificial sky with his left hand, he summoned an Aegis-field and generated an oblate shield around his arm. In one swift motion, he swung his protected arm against the oncoming Gram-field, and knocked the shimmering sword aside with enough force to send it upwards at an angle. The blow against the field translated back to Frizzy who stumbled and lost control of it, and the air ceased to shimmer a moment later.

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat was that?¡± the girl cried out in shock as she regained her footing, and the surrounding girls shifted restlessly on their feet as they witnessed the first demonstration of his true power.

    Caelum ground his molars before growling out, ¡°Who the Hell are you to judge me? Just shut up¡ªFrizz Bang!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡ªdon¡¯t call me that!¡± she protested.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t go sticking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong,¡± he retorted loudly.

    Perhaps because she realized he wasn¡¯t

    Caelum¡¯s Awareness-field remained focused on Frizzy as he glanced at Katia, and almost frowned at the unreadable look on her face.

    What is she waiting for, he thought to himself.

    Galatea sounded guarded as she butted in. [*You should watch yourself. I sense a strange discord within them.]

    Having recovered, Frizzy embarked on an attack that would have made fencing master proud. The giant sword had shrunk to the familiar rapier field she had used before, and Caelum was forced to block, parry, and deflect using the Aegis-fields wrapped around his arms like thick gauntlets while retreating cautiously. He was paying close attention to Frizzy, but he was also wary of the girls forming a perimeter around him, and faintly unsettled by Katia watching everything with a blank expression.

    The girls seemed content to allow Frizzy to fight him, but he suspected they would quickly intercede if he drew too close to them, undoubtedly to prevent him from escaping machine room¡¯s rooftop that had become an impromptu arena. As though proving that point, when Frizzy rushed at him next, Caelum sensed a couple of the girls close ranks behind him, their Gram-fields emanating like blades that extended from right hands. Unable to retreat, he dodged Frizzy¡¯s attack, and skipped back to the middle of the rooftop while the girl collected herself.

    *I need to put an end to this, he decided.

    Frizzy thrust and slashed at him again, her attack alternating between his inside and outside lines. Caelum waited for the Gram-field rapier to plunge toward him again, and when it did, he grabbed it and pulled Frizzy close to him. Had the girl released the field in time, she would have escaped, but she made the mistake of holding onto the shimmering rapier, and Caelum was able to deliver a swift kick to her left flank. The intention was to leave her with bruised ribs that would hamper her movement and make her reconsider continuing the fight. However, the Aegis-field that unexpectedly appeared around his foot a moment before it struck the girl¡¯s waist, doubled the force of the impact and sent Frizzy spinning across the building¡¯s rooftop.

    It was true, he¡¯d put a fair amount of strength into the kick, but seeing the girl careen along the ground was a surprise, and his stomach sank yet again ¨C but for a different reason ¨C when he realized he¡¯d injured her.

    *Gods damn it, Galatea! Why did you summon that field?

    [*You¡¯re not taking this seriously.]

    *Of course I am!

    [*No, you¡¯re not! Stop treating them like girls.]

    Caelum watched Frizzy push herself up onto her hands and knees, but she was gasping in pain as she struggled to breathe.

    *Shit. Galatea¡ªI think I broke her ribs.

    [*That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about?]

    *Come on, Galatea. This is serious. I hurt her!

    [*You only broke two of her false ribs. She has plenty more.]

    Caelum winced, feeling his mouth move slowly as his mind continued to process his surroundings in an overclocked state.

    *Galatea, you can be really cold at times. But this is taking it too far. I¡¯m going to get suspended for this. First day back at school and already I¡¯m facing another suspension!

    [*Relax. She has the slug inside of her so it¡¯ll patch her up in a couple of hours. They¡¯ll have no reason to suspend.]

    He frowned sharply, though again he felt it happen slow motion. *She has the Symbiote inside her?

    [*Correct. So there¡¯s nothing to worry about. There¡¯s no need for you to hold back.]

    In the corner of his eye, he observed Katia shift on her feet but nothing more.

    *Nothing to worry about? Fighting on the rooftop, and you think there won¡¯t be consequences?

    [*You¡¯re simply defending yourself.]

    *And that¡¯s why this doesn¡¯t make any sense! Why would they go this far?

    With Frizzy out of the way, the two girls he¡¯d noticed before with Gram-fields now launched themselves at him in a synchronized attack that had him blocking them madly with Aegis-fields shrouding his arms and legs.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± they cried out at him in eerie concert.

    Caelum danced back, blocking when he needed to, surprised by how well his Aegis-fields were holding up against their Gram-fields. It was disconcerting to realize that he had their measure.

    *What the Hell? I know they sound serious and I know they mean business. But were they ever this weak?

    [*They haven¡¯t improved much. But you have. However¡­you¡¯re being sloppy.]

    He used the Aegis-fields sheathing his limbs like armor to block or deflect their attacks. At the same time, he noticed that Galatea had observed correctly that he was moving far too much, and began relaxing his body, falling into a rhythm that would adhere to the doctrine of minimum effort, maximum gain.

    [*That¡¯s better. Move more gracefully. Remember ¨C wax on, wax off.]

    *Oh, shut up. I don¡¯t like hitting girls, Galatea.

    [*They are not girls. They are your opponents. They are the enemy. Underestimate them¡ªshow them mercy¡ªand they will cut you down.]

    He swallowed slowly, and although he¡¯d relaxed his muscles such that he was no longer fighting himself and the girls, his body continued to feel as though it was moving through water due to his mind¡¯s overclocked state. As he darted about, mindful of the three remaining girls ¨C including Katia who was watching proceedings with a disturbing poker face ¨C forming a triangle around him and his opponents, Caelum¡¯s disquiet grew until he couldn¡¯t ignore it any longer.

    *This is wrong, Galatea. This feels wrong. And it¡¯s bloody stupid as well. What are they thinking? They¡¯re going to get suspended along with me.

    [*I did mention sensing a discord within them through their Awareness-fields. It¡¯s like they¡¯re at odds with themselves. On the one hand they know that what they are doing is wrong, but they can¡¯t seem to help themselves.]

    *That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about¡­.

    Galatea wasn¡¯t seeing this encounter the way Caelum was. Sometimes, her notion of black-and-white, them-or-us sent disturbing chills down his back.

    Caelum slapped down a thrusting Gram-field with his elbow, the Aegis-field protecting it flashing briefly as its outer layer shattered. Just like parrying a blade downward, the girl¡¯s arm dropped sharply and she lost her balance, allowing him enough time to kick her midriff with sufficient force to double her over. However, he did so without an Aegis-field to protect his foot, or he was certain he would have crushed her ribcage.

    *Galatea, do you think he used it on them?

    She didn¡¯t respond for more than a second. In his overclocked state, he perceived that period as four seconds. When she replied, Caelum could sense that she was troubled.

    [*Pervert. You shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions¡­though it is a possibility worthy of consideration.]

    Caelum lashed out with his right leg wrapped in an Aegis-field, catching an incoming strike from the second girl, and causing it to glance off the barrier. Using an Icarus-field around his left leg to support himself, he kicked out with his right leg still in the air, and knocked the girl back a few steps.

    *If he did, I¡¯m going to beat the crap out of him.

    Girl A recovered quickly, and slashed at Caelum, forcing him to juke left while blocking her Gram-field with an Aegis-field protecting his right arm. This allowed Girl B, to slam a pivoting kick into his left flank ¨C a blow he barely blocked with his left elbow also wrapped in a protective field. When both his and her Aegis-fields collided, they gave off a noticeable flash of emerald light.

    *Galatea, does this girl have the slug in her as well?

    [*Umm¡­yes, she does.]

    *You¡¯d better be right about that.

    [*Are you doubting me, boy!]

    Having blocked the kick from Girl B, Caelum punched at her leg with a considerable amount of force. With his fist gloved in an Aegis-field, the punch he delivered would have cratered a brick wall. Against the girl¡¯s leg, it broke the protective barriers her Remnant was generating, and struck her shin with enough force to break the bone. The girl screamed in agony as she went down, landing on her side on the penthouse building¡¯s rooftop.

    [*Oooh, that looks painful. Clap clap clap. You¡¯re finally starting to show some spirit.]

    Jumping over Girl B, Caelum succeeded in avoiding the furious slashes Girl A unleashed upon him in retribution for her fallen comrade.

    [*Hey, why are you falling back? Get in there and finish her off.]

    Caelum ignored her, unwilling to be influenced by her lust for battle that occasionally reared its head at inappropriate times. But he was curious about something.

    *Galatea, with this many fields I should be feeling the noose around my neck tighten by now.

    [*Oh, about that. I forgot to tell you.]

    *Tell me what?

    [*I¡¯ve succeeded in disabling your collar for sixty seconds. The device will continue to believe it¡¯s delivering punishment, but in fact it¡¯s been turned off. Any longer and the collar¡¯s intelligence unit will grow suspicious as to why you¡¯re still able to move around. You have thirty-three seconds remaining before the effect wears off.]

    A grin broke out across his face, spreading from ear-to-ear.

    *Galatea, you¡¯re a blood lusting vixen.

    [*Huh?]

    *But you do have your moments.

    [*Humph! Well¡ªof course I do. You should treasure me more.]

    *Sure. Let¡¯s go on a date.

    [*I can¡¯t do that you bastard. I don¡¯t have a body!]

    That was true. Galatea was just a voice in his, one that came from the bracelet, and one that he suspected came from somewhere inside the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing¡¯s Sarcophagus. It may very well originate from the Remnant itself. He didn¡¯t know, but ever since he woke up from the coma eight weeks ago, Galatea had been with him. However, he kept her existence a secret from everyone else. Whether that made her his trump card was something he was certain of because though he made use of her advise, he had no intention of revealing her to anyone.

    [*Grrr¡ªwill you stop playing with this girl and finish her off!]

    Nipping about the rooftop, he pushed Galatea¡¯s complaint aside as he considered his options against Girl A, the blonde girl sporting a short boyish cut that suited her well. Though his attention was on her as he moved about, he frequently spied upon Katia and the two other girls keeping their distance.

    *What are they waiting for? Why haven¡¯t they joined in yet?

    [*I sense they are undecided. Deal with them later.]

    He cursed silently, and then focused on Girl A.

    The problem with employing traditional martial arts against another Familiar was how to deal with the various types of fields Remnants could manifest. Grappling with Girl A¡¯s Gram-field while his hands were gloved by Aegis-fields was like meeting an open blade with armored gauntlets. He¡¯d done it twice before against Frizzy, but this girl was wary of that tactic, and wielded her Gram-field with fast, lightning attacks that made it difficult for Caelum to catch the lethal field. In addition, she was manifesting the field in the form of a long, curved blade, that she wielded with a two-handed grip that he was unfamiliar with.

    *Damn, she¡¯s fast. What the Hell kind of sword style is this?

    Sensing she had an edge on him, Girl A continued to press her advantage as Caelum struggled to deal with her unfathomably quick sword technique.

    *This isn¡¯t something they teach here, he realized. *Where the Hell did she learn this?

    [*Pervert, you are beginning to bore me.]

    Without warning, a Gram-field formed around his right arm, quickly followed by another around his left arm, taking the shape of very familiar arm-blades that extended three feet beyond his clenched hands.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡±

    Caelum didn¡¯t have time to finish his sentence as Girl A slashed at him with the barely visible blade. Reflexively, he used the newly summoned shimmering, translucent arm-blades to first parry, then knock back the girl¡¯s katana-shaped Gram-field. Perhaps she was taken by surprise by the sudden reversal. Regardless, Girl A suddenly retreated several feet, and held her shimmering blade at the ready.

    [*That¡¯s more like it, Pervert. Show her who¡¯s boss.]

    *Galatea¡ªwhat do you think you¡¯re doing?

    [*Me? I thought you¡¯d appreciate those blades.]

    *I was doing well enough without them.

    [*Oh really? Well, you have fifteen seconds remaining. Better finish her before then.]

    Caelum clenched his teeth, and took advantage of Girl A¡¯s surprise, apologizing to her within his heart. But he forcefully changed the Gram-fields he wielded into Aegis-fields that struck rather than cut the girl¡¯s body. The impact was equivalent to being hit with a baseball bat at full swing. The girl blocked his Aegis-fields, but the difference in strength was telling, and she slid back across the rooftop, breathing heavily as she quickly assumed a defensive stance.

    *Time to run!

    He relinquished the Aegis-fields he was wearing like arm-blades, and they faded away in a heartbeat. Then he summoned a pair of Icarus-fields that lent wings to his heels. Sprinting across the rooftop of the machine room penthouse, he ran directly for the fencing separating the roof of the west wing of the school building from the bridgeway connecting it to the donut shaped cafeteria to the east.

    Galatea sounded flabbergasted.

    [*Pervert¡ªyou¡¯re running away?]

    *Damn right, I¡¯m running away. You think I can beat all those girls with only thirteen seconds on the clock!

    [*Wait¡ªif it¡¯s about the collar, I can turn it off for another minute.]

    *I don¡¯t need you turning it off. I just need to get away from them. Why are you so eager for me to fight them?

    With his leap boosted by the Icarus-fields extending from his ankles, Caelum soared upwards to the top of the twenty-foot high fencing that surrounding the school wing.

    As large as they were, the asteroid Islands lacked the mass to generate any significant gravity. Having them spin about their long axis was also out of the question because of the design of the habitats and the need to keep the Islands moored together. Therefore, the engineers had installed effect-field emitters throughout every habitat, and these generated invisible fields that pulled down on objects thereby simulating gravity. Every building, every street, park, pool, and tunnel had emitters installed beneath them, generating a field that grounded the objects above them. That meant a lot of emitters since Pharos was a large space colony, far larger than the ring shaped orbital cities that occupied low orbit above many of the re-colonized worlds that belonged to the Aventis Territories.

    What this meant was that the higher up from the ground of a habitat, or the roof of a building, the weaker the artificial gravity because of the increased distance to the nearest gravity emitter. That made the Icarus-field emanating from around Caelum¡¯s legs more effective, and he could feel the slight drop in gravity as he flew up to the top of the fence.

    Landing lightly, he paused for a heartbeat to glance down at the girls, and in that moment his eyes met Katia¡¯s gaze. Her lips moved as if to say, ¡®you¡¯re not getting away¡¯.

    Turning quickly, he pushed off the top of the fencing. With the Icarus-fields manifested around his feet, Caelum flew down to the roof of the bridgeway joining the cafeteria to the west wing of the high school building. He was reminded of those athletes who would jump from immense ski slopes and then glide gracefully to the distant ground.

    This time he touched down a little more heavily, but it wasn¡¯t enough to bother him. Rolling forward to bleed off some of the excess energy from the landing, Caelum came up on his feet and was soon sprinting along the rooftop toward the cafeteria building. Caelum winced at the sight of hundreds of students cramming the balconies of the cafeteria, all of them watching the fight on the machine room¡¯s rooftop.

    I¡¯m definitely getting suspended again.

    His Awareness-field sensed a distortion behind him and translated it into a faintly disorienting sensation that had him glancing over his right shoulder in the direction he¡¯d fled.

    Katia flew up and over the fencing as though she¡¯d been hoisted into the air on a wire rig and harness. Floating down to the bridgeway, she descended gracefully and touched down on the rooftop before setting off at a run in pursuit of Caelum.

    He glanced at her again and noticed she was gaining on him.

    *Galatea, she used an Impulse-field. That¡¯s cheating.

    [*Not in her book, Pervert.]

    An Impulse-field was a Remnant¡¯s high grade ability and one that took months of practice before a Familiar¡¯s body had matured sufficiently to be able to use it. A first year student would have difficulty summoning it; second year could employ it; but a third year could make use of it, and Katia was a senior at the Academy. But to wield it without a Remnant wasn¡¯t possible while wearing an active restraining collar.

    *Her collar is definitely off. Damn it! How the Hell did she manage that?

    If Katia¡¯s collar was indeed temporarily turned off, it put Caelum at a horrid disadvantage once his collar became active again

    ¡°Come back here you cheating Pervert,¡± Katia demanded as she chased him.

    Caelum continued to run toward the cafeteria that loomed before him like a giant stadium in the shape of a donut.

    [*Pervert, you have ten seconds remaining. You¡¯re not going to get away from her.]

    *I¡¯m not planning to.

    [*Then what are you¡ª?]

    *Let¡¯s see how serious she is?

    [*Are you intending to leave the school grounds? You¡¯ll be suspended if you do.]

    *I don¡¯t need to go that far. I just need to put myself in a crowd.

    Caelum put more power into his run as he neared the cafeteria balcony rising above the bridgeway.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Katia shouted as she ran, ¡°where are you going?¡±

    Caelum yelled back, ¡°To the one place where you can¡¯t hit me!¡±

    Galatea sighed in his mind. [*I see. So that¡¯s your plan. Very well. I¡¯ve disabled the collar for another forty-three seconds. Don¡¯t blame me for what happens when your time runs out.]

    *That¡¯s going to depend on her.

    Too focused on running, he didn¡¯t thank Galatea but promised himself he would later.

    Arriving at the cafeteria, Caelum used an Icarus-field to launch himself upwards to the lowest balcony.

    Gravity may have been weaker at this height, and his twenty-foot jump was extraordinarily high courtesy of the Icarus-fields, but there were limitations to wielding Remnant-fields through the bracelets. One of them was that they were significantly weaker. The other was that some fields like the Icarus-field had a short lifespan ¨C a handful of seconds at best ¨C but it was sufficient for them to act as powerful trampolines that lengthened every running stride or improved every jump. Unfortunately, they worked best against physical objects such as the ground or walls because they needed something to push off. This is what made Katia¡¯s jump over the top of the west wing of the school so impressive, because she hadn¡¯t used an Impulse-field to manipulate the space around her, and Caelum made a mental note to question her about it later if the opportunity presented itself.

    However, because of their limitations, Caelum had to be careful with how he used the Icarus-fields because once in the air they were ineffective due to the little resistance they encountered.

    There were startled outcries from the Aventis students standing on the balcony watching the spectacle. Caelum glimpsed their shocked faces as he landed on the parapet surrounding the balcony, but he also noticed a number of cheering faces and that surprised him. Jumping down from the parapet, he ran between tables to close the distance to the next terraced balcony, then leapt onto it like a human sized frog rebounding on a trampoline.

    As unappealing as the description was, it was somewhat fitting as he repeated the process and then leapt to the highest of the three balconies, this time resorting to using a Hecaton-field to extend the length of his arms and thereby grab the balcony parapet above him. Combined with his strong leap, Caelum landed upright on the top of the parapet, and glanced behind him to spy Katia jumping toward him with ease. Through the Awareness-field he sensed the faint distortion of the Impulse-field she summoned to cancel the inertia of the jump and to make the space around her move rather have her move through it.

    [*Pervert¡ªwatch out!]

    Distracted by Katia behind him, the warning came too late. Caelum barely noticed the large mass of muscle and bone wrapped in an Aegis-field that slammed into his unprotected body, knocking him off the balcony parapet and into the air. Winded, dazed, and feeling as though he¡¯d been run over by a speeding truck, Caelum fell away from the highest balcony of the cafeteria building.

    He watched the sky and the buildings spin around him.

    Twisting while falling, he managed to correct his descent by extending Icarus-fields around his legs, having them act as a combination of airbrakes and small parachutes. Below him stood a forest of trees that occupied the area north of the cafeteria. The small forest stretched all the way to the dormitory buildings that housed a thousand or more students. As he fell toward them, Caelum realized he was in for a hard landing.

    *This is going to hurt.

    [*Above you!]

    He craned his neck around to see a large male student flying feet first toward him, and he realized with a start who had knocked him off the building.

    Leon Le Grange.

    With a war cry, Le Grange slammed a heavy foot into Caelum¡¯s back, sending him falling at an accelerated rate into the trees. In a hurry, he summoned an Aegis-field around his arms and torso. With his arms held up as shields, Caelum ploughed through branches thick and thin, then crashed hard into the undergrowth, landing between the tree roots. The impact winded him, and addled his senses. His overclocked state slipped away and time resumed normally within his mind as he lay on the firm ground.

    *Damn, that really hurt.

    [*Pervert, you¡¯d best get up. Oh¡ªand the collar has realized that something is up and is about to go postal.]

    Caelum raised his head off the grass. ¡°I need more time.¡±

    [*Then I¡¯ll have to kill the collar.]

    Something large and heavy landed between the trees behind him, and Caelum heard running footsteps.

    Pushing himself up to his feet, he swayed and leaned heavily against a tree.

    *Do it. I¡¯ll blame it on a failure and overuse.

    [*That will make this the second collar you¡¯ve burnt out.]

    *I know. Three strike and I¡¯m out.

    Galatea sighed unhappily in his mind, in contrast Leon Le Grange who thundered toward him, eyes blazing and ham sized fists clenched to deliver some punishment.

    Caelum pushed away from the tree, and tried to stand in a defensive posture, but Le Grange punched him so hard it made his vision swim, and the blow sent him staggering between the trees.

    ¡°You bastard! What did you do to Katia?¡±

    Caelum spotted a clearing ahead with benches, and dashed toward it though at best he meandered between the trees in its general direction. If not for the Symbiote spread out inside him ¨C a Symbiote his body was already beginning to break down and consume ¨C he believed he¡¯d be unconscious by now, though he suspected he was concussed. His Awareness-field warned of Le Grange pursuing him, and Caelum summoned his reserves of strength and arrived at the clearing ahead of the large young man, falling past the tree line and landing on his hands and knees.

    There were girls seated on the benches spread across the garden clearing.

    He didn¡¯t notice them until now, probably because he wasn¡¯t seeing straight.

    Upon his unorthodox entrance, they froze and stared at him like frightened maidens caught bathing nude in a grotto.

    The appearance of Le Grange who grabbed Caelum and tossed him into the air toward the small fountain in the middle of the clearing, sent the girls to their feet. But it was the arrival of a handful of other young men behind Le Grange that had the girls fleeing the clearing, and Caelum realized that the Familiars arraying themselves behind the large young man were undoubtedly his posse.

    Again, Caelum pushed himself up to his feet, though this time he used the edge of the fountain pool to help him stand up.

    [*Pervert, I¡¯ve suspended the collar but I can¡¯t stop it. When this is over, I¡¯ll have to release the collar and you¡¯re going to get one hell of a shock from it. You may die in the process.]

    *What?

    [*Don¡¯t worry. The Symbiote will undoubtedly revive you, and I¡¯ll do what I can. But you¡¯re going to be in pain for a few hours.]

    *Shit¡ªGalatea, you¡¯re just full of good news.

    [*Stop bitching and take it like a man. This is what you get for not dealing with those girls when I told you to!]

    Le Grange strode up to him, ready to pound Caelum into the garden soil.

    ¡°You really have no shame! No self-control. You embarrass all of us!¡±

    Caelum struggled to voice a reply. ¡°¡­misunderstanding¡­I assure you¡­.¡± He held up a hand in surrender. ¡°They¡­ganged up on me¡­.¡±

    Le Grange loomed over Caelum, and the thunder god Odin would have been proud of the picture Le Grange presented. If his eyes could have unleashed lightning, then they would have. ¡°To think a weakling like you defeated me last year.¡±

    Caelum would have laughed if he had the energy to. ¡°I defeated¡­a lot of people¡­last year¡­.¡±

    ¡°Time for some payback.¡±

    ¡°¡­save that for later¡­in the arena,¡± Caelum replied and summoned an Aegis-field to protect his head, then balled his fists.

    Le Grange ignored Caelum¡¯s fists and grabbed him by the shirt, yanking him almost into the air, while drawing back a fist that shimmered with an Aegis-field.

    If struck by it, Caelum was certain he would be knocked unconscious.

    Eight weeks since spending eight weeks in a coma. And now this. Wonderful.

    Le Grange spat out the words. ¡°I¡¯m going to rearrange your face so that no girl will ever come near you again.¡±

    Caelum snorted. ¡°That¡¯ll make me as ugly as you.¡±

    Unable to overclock, the punch from Le Grange was too fast for him to follow.

    For a moment or two he blacked out under the impact that shattered the Aegis-field around his head. When he was conscious again, Caelum noticed he was wet and realized the blow had launched him into the fountain pool.

    Le Grange pulled him out of it, and held him up to deliver another punch, but this time Caelum kicked out with what strength remained in his legs.

    The blow struck Le Grange between his legs, and the large boy almost crumpled. Yet he had sufficient resilience to throw Caelum out of the fountain pool and onto the grass.

    Rolling to a stop, Caelum wondered if his jaw was broken because his face was ablaze and his tongue was numb.

    Propping himself up to his knees, he then staggered back up to his feet, and his wavering Awareness-field warned him of an incoming object.

    He dodged on instinct, and Le Grange¡¯s swinging leg missed Caelum by inches.

    Spinning away, he noticed to his surprise that his vision was clearing and wondered if it was Galatea or the Symbiote inside him that was pulling out all the stops to keep him on his feet. Regardless, they saved him from the punches and kicks that followed.

    Le Grange had power, but he lacked speed, and his failing allowed Caelum to keep up with the large boy despite his inability to overclock his consciousness.

    For many seconds, he avoided and blocked the strikes Le Grange was delivering, until an opportunity presented itself and Caelum struck back.

    As luck would have it, Caelum had ducked due to moment of dizziness and Le Grange¡¯s fist and arm swung over his head, parting the air and leaving a vacuum in its wake. But it left Le Grange open for a split second, and Caelum seized upon the chance to return some of the pain he was receiving. With an Aegis-field gloving his right fist, he landed a kidney punch that had Le Grange¡¯s eyes bulging in agony. After Caelum struck with a second punch, this one under the large high schooler¡¯s ribs, Le Grange doubled over slightly and staggered back.

    Chasing him down, Caelum kicked Le Grange with the toes of his left indoor shoe, burying it into the student¡¯s midriff. The air blew out of Le Grange¡¯s lungs in a rush. Winded, he retreated again, but Caelum followed up with a leaping haymaker that struck the side of the boy¡¯s skull, and the impact addled Le Grange sufficiently to buckle his legs and drop him down to one knee.

    Caelum stopped when he saw Le Grange¡¯s unfocused eyes.

    A second punch to the head with an Aegis armored fist might prove troublesome since he sensed through his Awareness-field that Le Grange did not have the Symbiote inside his body. Though Familiars were more resilient than Regulars, there was a limit to the punishment they could sustain before it became life threatening.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    That momentary hesitation cost him because in the next moment Le Grange¡¯s posse had grabbed onto him. Using Hecaton and Aegis-fields, they overwhelmed him through strength in numbers. Held upright by two of the seniors, a third punched Caelum repeatedly in the chest and stomach, while a fourth and fifth helped Le Grange back up to his feet.

    ¡°He¡¯s mine,¡± the muscular boy rumbled as he pushed his lackeys away.

    A girl¡¯s voice disagreed. ¡°No, he¡¯s not.¡±

    In his greying vision, Caelum saw a shadow fly out of right field and the boy punching him vanished a heartbeat later, knocked away with such force that he exited the clearing and crashed into the garden trees.

    Le Grange all but howled, ¡°Alcazar!¡±

    The two boys holding onto Caelum suddenly released him when they were struck from behind by someone moving fast even for his Awareness-field. As Caelum fell flat to the grassy ground, he heard the boys land somewhere behind him, but he was too exhausted and beaten to push himself up and look around. Instead, he relied on his Awareness-field ¨C faint as it was ¨C to perceive his surroundings, and thus he sensed when a girl with an athletic build approached him. However, she didn¡¯t pick him up or help him to his feet. Rather, she placed herself protectively between him and Le Grange whom Caelum could sense was trembling in furious disbelief at what he believed was a clear betrayal of loyalties.

    ¡°Alcazar? What are you doing? This doesn¡¯t involve you!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Asakura was up to. But you¡¯re taking this too far, Le Grange. Way too far!¡± The girl who¡¯d saved Caelum from the beating sounded undeniably angry. ¡°You¡¯re a senior. You¡¯re supposed to set an example!¡±

    ¡°I am setting an example. For him, and all the others. I¡¯m making it clear what happens when they don¡¯t respect their seniors.¡±

    ¡°How? By killing him? This is ridiculous. What the Hell are you and Asakura thinking?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard enough for us as it is in this school. We don¡¯t need him making it worse for us.¡±

    ¡°So this what you and Asakura cooked up together? She and her followers soften him up for you, and then you go in for the kill?¡± The girl laughed in disbelief. ¡°How stupid can the two of you be? And in full view of everybody on the courtyards and the cafeteria? Do you realize you¡¯re risking a major suspension? Worse, you could get expelled. Mason is going to come down on you like a tonne of concrete.¡±

    ¡°Mason can¡¯t afford that. Not if she wants us to win the Fiestas for her.¡±

    ¡°Jeezes, Le Grange. You¡¯re not seriously saying that, are you?¡±

    Slowly, and with a great deal of effort, Caelum pushed through the pain in his body and then raised himself onto his elbows. He looked up at Zenobia, but could only see as far as her legs, and the bottom of her skirt.

    Zenobia? Why is she here? Why? Le Grange is right. This doesn¡¯t concern her. I¡¯m the one they¡¯re setting up. She shouldn¡¯t be here¡­.

    [*That¡¯s a stupid question, Pervert.]

    *No. I don¡¯t want her dragged into this.

    [*She made her choice. The least you can do is respect her for it.]

    The girl¡¯s legs were spread shoulder width apart, and through the gap between them, Caelum saw a fuming Le Grange wearing a complicated expression. No doubt he wanted to push Zenobia aside to finish dealing with Caelum, but something held him back.

    ¡°Leave now, Le Grange,¡± Zenobia warned him. ¡°Leave before you make this worse not just for yourself but for the rest of us.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little late for that,¡± he replied. ¡°And I¡¯m going to finish what Katia started. I¡¯m going to pound respect into him. I¡¯m going to hammer it into him. I¡¯m going to have him piss himself whenever he sees me.¡±

    ¡°Like that¡¯s ever going to happen.¡±

    ¡°It will when I¡¯m finished with him.¡±

    ¡°That just proves how little you know, Le Grange. What doesn¡¯t break him, makes him stronger. That¡¯s just the way Caelum is.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. Now¡­get out of the way, Alcazar.¡±

    ¡°Make me, Le Grange.¡±

    In his peripheral vision, Caelum noticed movement and realized the members of Le Grange¡¯s posse were surrounding him and Zenobia.

    Shit, this is bad! Really bad! Get up! Damn it! Get up!

    Feeling emboldened, Le Grange tried to sound conciliatory as though he was occupying the high ground. ¡°Alcazar, I¡¯m not going to hurt you. But you¡¯re not getting in my way.¡±

    Supporting himself with his arms, Caelum rose to his knees. Beaten as he was, he wasn¡¯t going to allow Le Grange to hurt Zenobia.

    [*Pervert, I¡¯m sorry. I need to release the collar.]

    ¡°¡­huh¡­?¡±

    [*I can¡¯t suspend its processing any longer.]

    ¡°¡­no, I need more time¡­.¡±

    [*Tell me later if you remember seeing a white light or experience any form of astral projection.]

    ¡°¡­what¡­?¡±

    Galatea sighed wearily in his mind. [*Tell me if you have an out of body experience.]

    ¡°¡­oh no¡­.¡±

    A heartbeat later agony raced through his body as the restraining collar went ballistic on him, expending the life in its batteries in the span of seconds.

    Caelum¡¯s body jerked so violently he could feel the tendons about to snap under the strain of his muscles contracting and expanding as pain burned through every fiber of his being, and a loud scream ripped out of his lungs, tearing through the clearing. Then the collar shut down, and Caelum collapsed onto the grass.

    ¡°Caelum!¡±

    By a miracle his heart kept beating, but his body was disconnected for his mind, as though all the strings that joined the two together had been cut. He couldn¡¯t reply to Zenobia, and with his Awareness-field gone he couldn¡¯t sense his surroundings anymore. Overwhelmed by the experience, his consciousness began to slip away. But as his vision faded into darkness, Caelum saw something that surprised him even as he fell unconscious.

    It was the sight of a flat chested girl and her companions stepping into the clearing behind Le Grange and his cronies¡­.

    ¨C II ¨C

    Caprice entered the cafeteria while talking to Rina Sayen on her palm-slate. The girl guided her to the fifth level and to a table by the window with a view of the Academy¡¯s northern grounds that included a vista of the luscious gardens that lay between the teaching faculty buildings and the dormitories to the north.

    Four chairs surrounded the round table but only two were occupied, and Maya and Rina were sitting at the table sipping cold drinks from plastic bottles.

    ¡°Did you get the strap fixed?¡± Maya asked in a flat voice.

    ¡°Actually, it was taken care of before I got there,¡± Caprice replied.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s all good.¡± A moment later she reconsidered being secretive and said, ¡°The Pervert bought me a new school bag. He left it waiting for me back in the classroom.¡±

    Maya¡¯s eyebrows rose for a moment as she sipped her soda through a straw. ¡°Oh¡­.¡±

    Caprice looked at the empty table. ¡°So, what about lunch?¡±

    Rina stood up. ¡°So, what do you two want?¡±

    Maya arched an eyebrow at the girl. ¡°School lunches doesn¡¯t count. We agreed it has to be a three-course meal at a restaurant.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Rina said while waving her hands in surrender.

    ¡°Fine. Then see if that spicy curry is still on offer,¡± Maya added.

    Rina looked expectantly at Caprice, but the latter shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you and get my own lunch.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll mind the table,¡± Maya declared, waving them off with the parting words, ¡°Bring me another lemon soda.¡±

    The nine-floor cafeteria had three kitchens, one on the first, fourth, and seventh levels. While the first to six levels were open to either first or second year students, the top three floors of the cafeteria were the domain of the high-school seniors. In addition, those floors had open air terrace style balconies that ran the full circumference of the cafeteria building. Rank and seniority certainly had its privileges at Galatea Academy, and Caprice didn¡¯t think it was any different at the other Aventis schools. It wasn¡¯t just the distinction between Familiars and Aventis that was impressed upon her mindset, but the differences between the seniors and the rest of the high schoolers.

    Each cafeteria level was circular with a hole in the middle. Resembling the DNA double-helix, two spiral staircases wound their up through the hole. Caprice followed Rina down one of the helix stairs to the fourth level where the nearest kitchen was located, then lined up with a hundred other students. Once they reached the food counter, they filled up three trays with food, and Rina picked up another lemon soda for Maya, while getting her and Caprice bucket sized cups of fresh orange juice. Using the Academy app installed on their palm-slates to pay for their meals, they carried their spoils back up to the fifth level.

    However, all was not sunshine and roses when they returned to the table Maya had stayed behind to mind for them.

    Haruka Amiella, Siobhan St Clair, and the girl with the sweet prickly tongue and dangerous mind, Alastair Kell Avenir, stood before Maya who was guarding the table.

    As Caprice stepped closer, she overheard the argument.

    ¡°All I¡¯m saying,¡± Alistair said, ¡°is that we saw this table first.¡±

    ¡°Regardless,¡± Maya replied, ¡°there was no one here when I arrived.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that we were here first.¡±

    ¡°First you saw the table. Now you were here? Make up your mind.¡±

    Alistair waited a second before explaining, ¡°I asked the girls at the other tables to mind it for us.¡±

    ¡°People rarely do things for free. Aventis even less so. You should know that by now. After all, you are a Pureblood.¡±

    Alistair stared across at Maya in exasperation and the latter narrowed her eyes, yet neither girl showed any willingness to back down.

    After a moment, Alistair suggested, ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we settle this with a match of rock-paper-scissors.¡±

    ¡°Denied,¡± Maya declared.

    Siobhan sighed and faced Alistair. ¡°Let¡¯s just go. We may find another table.¡±

    However, the girl remained stubbornly steadfast. ¡°No. We saw this table first. We¡¯re keeping it. We are not leaving.¡±

    Maya shook her head and sounded faintly resentful. ¡°You Aventis are all the same. You think that because you¡¯re Aventis you¡¯re special. You think everyone just has to get out of your way.¡±

    Alistair pressed her lips tightly before stating in a flat tone, ¡°That¡¯s not what this is about.¡±

    ¡°But you want my friends and I to give up our table.¡±

    ¡°Only because we saw it first.¡±

    Maya crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that we get segregated in class, but we¡¯re not allowed to take part in sports carnivals, and we can¡¯t participate in P.E. class, but now we can¡¯t even sit at a table in the cafeteria. Now you won¡¯t even let us eat in peace.¡±

    Standing behind Alistair, Haruka Amiella reached out and touched the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Alistair, let¡¯s go eat elsewhere. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re being fair.¡±

    Alastair snorted dismissively and through her Awareness-field, Caprice noticed the change in the girl. ¡°Look, Haruka, the little puppy feels victimized.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Maya said and touched the collar she wore. ¡°We Familiars with Remnants are dogs of the Aventis.¡± The short girl stepped up to Alastair. ¡°But do you know what keeps your kind in power?¡±

    Alastair smiled fearlessly. ¡°The Symbiote, of course.¡±

    ¡°You really are stupid and delusional,¡± Maya stated in a disappointed tone. ¡°I guess being a Pureblood did nothing for your intelligence.¡±

    ¡°Then you tell me the answer.¡±

    Maya pointed at herself with a thumb. ¡°Familiars are what keep the Aventis in power. Familiars like me and our Remnants. Without us, your kind wouldn¡¯t be where you are today. And you wouldn¡¯t be in power because you don¡¯t have the numbers to be in power. You¡¯re a minority, and your kind only rule because everyone is afraid of what we Familiars will do to them. We can do what you can¡¯t. We¡¯re the ones with true power.¡±

    Alastair¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Then why is it that you wear a leash and I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a really good question. After winning the war for you, why did my ancestors hand power to your kind that doesn¡¯t deserve it?¡± Maya¡¯s eyes narrowed on Alastair. ¡°Why did they give away their right to rule?¡±

    The brunette shrugged blithely. ¡°Like it matters. What matters is that we rule and you do our bidding. So that means if we say beg, you beg. Comprende, little puppy?¡±

    ¡°Little puppy?¡± Maya started to smile and it wasn¡¯t pleasant. ¡°I¡¯m not a puppy, I¡¯m a wolf.¡± She leaned into Alastair¡¯s face. ¡°And do you know what I see when I look at you?¡±

    ¡°Someone superior to you in every way.¡±

    ¡°No, I see food.¡±

    With that, Maya smiled and showed off her fangs, and the Aventis girls stiffened, including Alastair who continued to smile yet she wasn¡¯t smiling any more.

    Caprice¡¯s chest tightened unpleasantly at sight of Maya¡¯s fangs, and she remembered when she looked in a mirror and saw her own fangs for the first time. They scared her then, and they still scared her now, even though they were a part of her body.

    The fangs were a product of a Familiar¡¯s Awakening. Not only did they become stronger and able to consume the Symbiote, but they gained a pair of fangs that they could extend and retract, and just like a mythical Vampire, a Familiar could use those fangs to bit the flesh of an Aventis and drink their blood, thus taking in the Symbiote into their bloodstream where it would grow and make them stronger than an Aventis for several days.

    Caprice had only used her fangs a few times to demonstrate she had control over them when the Lanfear Pride¡¯s physicians ran tests on her body. However, she had never ingested blood by biting an Aventis, only by drinking the blood held in a refrigerated state.

    It wasn¡¯t just the fangs that frightened her, but the incredible rush she received when she drank Aventis blood. Drinking Regular blood made her ill and nauseous, but Aventis blood made her body sing like a well-tuned harp. It scared her and it shamed her, and reminded her of how much she had changed in the span of fifteen months.

    Maya licked her lips and smiled hungrily at Alastair who remained outwardly calm while terror slowly spread through her body. Caprice knew this because her Awareness-field was monitoring the hormonal and temperature changes within the Aventis girl¡¯s body, informing Caprice that despite appearances, Alastair was indeed quite scared of Maya.

    ¡°Hey, are you threatening her?¡± asked a girl from another table, rising to her feet with a menacing glare.

    A second girl stood up, and glared equally as hard at Maya. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to scare her, we¡¯ll report you.¡±

    Caprice glanced around and noticed that the girls seated at the surrounding tables were rising to their feet in opposition to Maya.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just leave that table?¡± a tall, pretty girl with curly chestnut hair wearing the short crimson tie of a first year suggested as she walked up to Maya. ¡°We were minding that for her.¡±

    ¡°No, you weren¡¯t,¡± Maya replied tersely.

    ¡°Yes, I was. You came and took it and ignored me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ignore you. You never said anything.¡±

    ¡°Yes, she did,¡± the tall girl¡¯s companions who¡¯d been seated at nearby table now formed up behind their friend. ¡°She told you that table was being minded.¡±

    Maya shook her head. ¡°She said nothing.¡±

    ¡°Are you calling us liars?¡± a girl wearing her hair in a braid demanded.

    Caprice realized she was shaking her head while resentment welling up in her chest.

    So this is what Maya was talking about back in the classroom.

    As she stepped forward with her tray in hand she stopped when she noticed the girls from another table rise to confront Maya who was showing nerves of steel in the face of such antagonism.

    ¡°You should give that table back,¡± a buxom blonde girl suggested forcefully.

    ¡°And we¡¯re going to report you to the teachers,¡± another girl with shoulder length dark hair intoned.

    ¡°Hey, someone call the teachers over. This Familiar bitch should face detention.¡±

    Caprice wondered how the teachers would view this confrontation, but it was more than likely they would side with the Aventis girls.

    A slim girl with flaxen hair and freckles spoke up angrily. ¡°You want to bare your fangs at us? How about we get them pulled out?¡±

    ¡°Do Familiars grow their teeth back?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why don¡¯t we find out.¡±

    Maya shook her head and sneered at the girls surrounding her. ¡°You Aventis are truly disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Say that again, little bitch,¡± the buxom blonde warned in a steely tone.

    ¡°I said you¡¯re all disgusting,¡± Maya snarled and showed her anger. ¡°Filthy weaklings.¡±

    ¡°Weaklings,¡± the blonde growled. ¡°I¡¯ll show you who¡¯s weak.¡±

    Abruptly Caprice felt a chill as she sensed the Aegis-field forming around Maya¡¯s right hand clenched in a fist.

    No, Maya. Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t do it.

    Oblivious to the danger a single punch from Maya presented, Alistair tilted her head slightly and spoke with a sweetly venomous smile on her lips. ¡°Do you understand now? You don¡¯t have a place here. Leave little doggy.¡±

    Maya turned to Alistair. ¡°Make me.¡±

    Caprice hurried forward, fueled by the desire to protect Maya. But she stopped abreast of Amiella and spoke softly. ¡°Thanks for the welcome,¡± she told the busty brunette who was watching the scene with a miserable look that bordered on tears. ¡°This place is going to be so much fun.¡±

    Amiella¡¯s head turned swiftly, and her lips parted as though to say something, but then the words choked in her throat. She looked away hastily and bowed her head.

    Caprice pushed a girl standing between her and Maya out of the way. ¡°Move,¡± she demanded.

    The girl turned to protest, but Caprice grew furious, and yelled at her, ¡°Move! Now!¡±

    Her shout was enough to get the girl to back away without a protest, though she glared at Caprice.

    Ignoring her, Caprice addressed Maya who doing her best to contain her own anger from spilling out into violence. ¡°Maya, let¡¯s go.¡±

    The girl returned the glares directed at her as she replied, ¡°Why should we?¡±

    ¡°Because I found another table.¡±

    It was a lie, but she felt the situation was unsalvageable, and she didn¡¯t want Maya being reprimanded for scaring Alistair by baring her fangs. Some Aventis considered the baring of a Familiar¡¯s fangs as akin to drawing a knife. Caprice knew from having read the Academy student handbook, that Familiars were not allowed to reveal their fangs to any of the students. By the handbook¡¯s words, Maya had committed an infraction that if reported could land her in detention and docked a handful of demerit points.

    Standing behind Alistair, Haruka abruptly raised her head and hesitantly asked, ¡°Is there really another table? Would you show us? We can use that table¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Caprice replied curtly. ¡°You wanted this table you can have it.¡± Because her hands were occupied with the tray and drinks, she nudged Maya with a shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go. As my father would say, there¡¯s no profit here.¡±

    For a moment, Caprice was certain she saw despair and frustration flash across Maya¡¯s face before the girl assumed an impassive expression. Even if she couldn¡¯t see it, she could feel it through her Awareness-field ¨C the bitterness and resentment that swelled up within her newfound friend. It roiled within Maya, flickering into anger that faded back into an intense dislike that could be called hatred.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Caprice said softly. ¡°Our lunches will get cold.¡±

    Caprice started turning away, but Haruka called out to her. ¡°Um, Steiner¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it from you,¡± Caprice responded in a cold voice that she believed would have made her father proud. ¡°You have what you wanted. Now, enjoy your lunches¡ª¡±

    In the corner of her eye, Caprice noticed something through the window beside the table they¡¯d had to abandon.

    A group of girls surrounded a male student, all of them standing on the roof of a machine room atop the west wing of the high school building. The lone boy was darting about as he fended off an attacking girl with a long frizzy mane of hair.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± asked a male student who was seated at a table by another window.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Are they playing around?¡± the boy sharing the table with him replied.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the Pervert?¡± the girl with them pointed out. ¡°That looks like the Pervert.¡±

    By now more and more of the students in the cafeteria were noticing the commotion, turning away from the girls crowded around Maya. They either faced the windows or hurried over to them, and soon there were hundreds of students crowding for a view of the west wing¡¯s rooftop. Caprice did the same. Together with Maya and Sayen, she had hurried over to the closest window for a better look at the distant building. Standing by the window, she watched the action and listened to the students nearby commenting enthusiastically.

    ¡°Wow,¡± a male student blurted out. ¡°They¡¯re amazing.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡ªlook at that speed,¡± a second boy verbalized. ¡°Awesome.¡±

    ¡°Hey, the air is shimmering around them. You see that?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s what they call Remnant fields,¡± a girl explained.

    ¡°A Gram-field? Don¡¯t they cut things up with those?¡±

    ¡°Look, it flashed green. The air flashed green.¡±

    ¡°Aegis-fields,¡± the girl said. ¡°They¡¯re like shields.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I thought the collars were supposed to stop them from doing that?¡± a boy asked.

    There was a moment of silence from those around him, before a girl asked, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re practicing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that must be it. They¡¯re practicing.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh. Practice.¡±

    Caprice swallowed anxiously. The Aventis weren¡¯t seeing things the way she was, and Caprice felt her chest tighten with worry that grew a little with every breath she took.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re playing around,¡± Maya said in a grim tone, matching the conclusion Caprice had arrived at. ¡°And I don¡¯t think he¡¯s playing around either.¡±

    On the heels of her words, Desanto landed a hit on the girl with frizzy hair that sent her rolling along the roof of the machine room. When the girl failed to rise, it was apparent that Desanto had struck hard enough to break her ribs.

    Caprice nodded faintly in agreement, the scene making her chest tighten even more. ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right.¡±

    Standing beside her, Rina Sayen winced. ¡°I know that girl. They call her Frizz Bang. She¡¯s ranked twelfth or something.¡±

    Two girls joined the fray, and Desanto moved with surprising speed and agility as he repelled their combined attack.

    ¡°Oh wow,¡± Sayen said. ¡°They¡¯re really pushing him.¡±

    Maya disagreed a curt shake of her head. ¡°No. He¡¯s holding back. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    Rina sounded didn¡¯t sound convinced. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Maya.¡±

    It didn¡¯t appear that way to Caprice either as she watched Desanot dart about, and it wasn¡¯t long before she felt him prove she was right.

    Desanto subdued one girl with a punch to her leg that left her on the ground curled in agony, and then he hammered the second girl with enough force to send her sliding across the machine room¡¯s rooftop.

    ¡°I thought you said he was holding back,¡± Caprice remarked.

    ¡°He is holding back,¡± Maya insisted.

    Rina was shaking her head as she repeated, ¡°Ah¡­I don¡¯t think so, Maya.¡±

    A change rippled through the Aventis students crowding the windows, one that Caprice sensed through her Awareness-field, and of a sudden they weren¡¯t sounding so enthusiastic anymore.

    ¡°Hey, did the Pervert break her leg?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI think so. She¡¯s not getting up.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is practice,¡± a girl nervously said. ¡°This isn¡¯t practice.¡±

    ¡°That girl with frizzy hair. I think her ribs are broken. She looks hurt bad.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t practice,¡± the girl repeated. ¡°Right? This isn¡¯t practice.¡±

    Out on the machine room¡¯s rooftop, Desanto fled before the remaining girls could move in on him. With a running leap, he jumped onto the fencing separating the west wing from the enclosed bridgeway connecting that part of the high school building to the cafeteria. When he dropped to the bridgeway, Caprice realized he was making a run for the cafeteria.

    ¡°You see?¡± Maya asked. ¡°He¡¯s not sticking around. If he was serious he would have faced them all.¡±

    In the corner of her eye, Caprice glimpsed Rina fold her arms and pout at the view out of the window. ¡°Yeah, well that girl isn¡¯t giving.¡±

    While the others attended to their fallen comrades, one of the girls pursued Desanto, jumping over the fencing and down to the bridgeway¡¯s roof as though she was supported by a wire rig. Her unnatural descent led Caprice to suspect the girl was using Impulse-fields to move around, and again that was something she shouldn¡¯t have been able to do with an active collar around her neck. In a heartbeat, the girl was running after Desanto, and Caprice recognized her as the girl from the meeting.

    ¡°That¡¯s Katia Asakura,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s the girl Desanto called Senpai.¡±

    Maya exhaled loudly. ¡°He¡¯s got a problem on his hands. I¡¯ve heard she really doesn¡¯t like him.¡±

    Caprice spared Maya a glance but then turned back to watch Desanto fleeing the third year student, Katia Alexis Asakura afil Raynar, across the bridgeway rooftop.

    What the Hell is going on? Why are they ganging up on her? Did he do something perverted?

    Caprice noticed she was grimacing.

    Yeah¡ªthat¡¯s probably what happened. He is a pervert, after all.

    As she watched Desanto being chased by Asakura, Caprice was puzzled. How were they able to use their Remnant fields without being punished by the restraining collars they wore, since the agility and speed they were displaying was well beyond those of a Regular, Familiar, or Aventis. Desanto proved this when leapt onto the balcony of the cafeteria¡¯s sixth level, followed by Asakura a heartbeat later. But then a dozen seconds later, Desanto rocketed away from the cafeteria, falling fast toward the gardens to the north of the donut shaped building. Behind and above him, a large boy followed Desanto¡¯s descent having apparently jumped in pursuit.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± muttered Maya. ¡°That¡¯s the big gorilla from this morning.¡±

    Remembering the burly student, Caprice had the gnawing suspicion that the gorilla had struck Desanto, and that¡¯s why the Pervert fell away from the cafeteria and down into the trees.

    A handful of boys leapt from the cafeteria balcony, undoubtedly Familiars since no one else would be crazy enough to leap off a balcony seven or eight floors above ground. Whether they followed to support the giant gorilla or to stop him, they first fell into view and then out of sight when they landed somewhere in the garden of trees.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the girl?¡± Maya asked. ¡°Where did Asakura go?¡±

    Caprice noticed that her hands were trembling, and realized it was because she was in the throes of indecision. But coming to a decision a moment later, her body quickly steadied.

    ¡°I¡¯m going after them,¡± she declared.

    In a hurry, she dumped her tray with its content of food and drinks onto the disputed table, then started walking fast to the center of the cafeteria floor space where the helix staircases rose and fell. To her surprise, Maya and Rina followed her, the latter having abandoned the two trays she¡¯d been carrying.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked them.

    ¡°Going with you,¡± Maya replied while taking the lead. ¡°Pervert Desanto is our classmate. And classmates look out for each other.¡± She added something that sounded suspiciously like, ¡°Familiars take care of their own,¡± but Caprice wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d heard the girl right.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Caprice asked Rina.

    ¡°I go where Maya goes,¡± the girl stated resolutely. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re friends and friends stick together.¡±

    The girl¡¯s declaration had Caprice miss a step but she caught herself in time and then focused on running down the twisting staircase without tripping or colliding with anyone. Their progress was helped because one helix staircase was dedicated for going up, while the other was dedicated for students wanting to go down. Arriving at ground floor or first level, Caprice ran behind Maya as the girl cut a beeline for the cafeteria¡¯s northern exit, and squeezed through the doors that wouldn¡¯t open fast enough for Caprice¡¯s liking. Then they ran to the northern garden where they guessed Desanto and the other students had landed.

    In the sky above them, a girl fell at a gentle angle toward the trees far ahead of them, as though caught in the wind while parachuting down. Caprice couldn¡¯t recognize her because of the distance and angle, but she guessed the girl had leapt from one of the cafeteria balconies. The girl¡¯s skirt fluttered up and revealed her toned derriere to the world. No doubt the Aventis boys on the cafeteria were busy snapping away at her with their palm-slates. Caprice guessed that the photos would be in circulation within the next few minutes.

    Whoever she was, the girl landed in the garden ahead of them well before Caprice, Maya, and Rina arrived at the treeline. They avoided the path and ran through the trees, emerging out into a clearing some twenty seconds later. Coming to a standstill, the three girls watched the scene playing out before them.

    Desanto was unconscious on the ground, and the girl who¡¯d floated down to the clearing was standing protectively before him, facing off against the large male senior who¡¯d made a scene earlier when he confronted Desanto during the briefing. Even at a distance, Caprice could tell he was trembling and it wasn¡¯t because he was happy. The emotions he was radiating through his Awareness-field carried all the way to the edge of the clearing. The other Familiar students were arrayed in a loose circle around the girl and Desanto.

    Now that she could see the girl clearly, Caprice recognized her as the second-year student with blue streaks in her hair.

    Maya released a worried gasp before hissing under her breath, ¡°Shit¡ªthat¡¯s Alcazar.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Caprice whispered back.

    Rina replied nervously, ¡°Zenobia Alcazar. They call her Blue Streak.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because of the blue streaks in her hair and because she¡¯s fast.¡±

    Maya nodded as she swallowed. ¡°Fast doesn¡¯t come close to describing her.¡±

    Caprice carefully regarded Alcazar who continued to face down the large male student, Le Grange. There was a confidence in her stance that implied she was accustomed to facing opponents en masse. Something about her reminded Caprice of Desanto, and her heart tighten briefly.

    Clearing her throat quickly, she softly asked, ¡°So what do we do?¡±

    ¡°Frek¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Maya replied under her breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want Alcazar thinking we¡¯re her enemy.¡±

    Though the girl, Alcazar, remained motionless, Caprice believed their entrance had been noticed.

    ¡°What¡¯s her rank?¡± Caprice asked, wondering if she was trying to keep herself calm by talking. At least, her voice sounded steady to her ears.

    However, Rina¡¯s voice trembled a little. ¡°Ah¡­let me see¡­she¡¯s¡­she¡¯s ranked number¡­four?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Caprice¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But she¡¯s only a second year.¡±

    Maya exhaled rudely. ¡°Klaus Brandei is a second year and he¡¯s ranked number one. So what does it matter what high school year you¡¯re in. If you¡¯re strong, you¡¯re strong.¡±

    Caprice pressed her lips together. Or maybe everyone else is just weak.

    Alcazar had given no indication of having noticed the girls, but the guys who belonged to Le Grange¡¯s posse standing at the borders of the clearing, viewed their arrival warily. One of them went so far as to warn the girls away.

    ¡°Make me,¡± Maya answered his threat, then winced sharply as her restraining collar burned her when she summoned up something through her Remnant¡¯s bracelet that resembled translucent spears, around a half dozen of them and all pointed at the male Familiar who¡¯d threatened her away. The guy looked startled and abruptly cautious of Maya, who went on to say, ¡°That¡¯s our classmate. We want him back, so get lost!¡±

    The other male students looked uncertain of what to do next, glancing every so often between themselves, Alcazar, the large boy, Le Grange, and now the trio of girls standing at the southern end of the clearing.

    One of the guys in Le Grange¡¯s posse grew anxious and nervously asked, ¡°Ah, Leon? This is getting out of hand. Maybe we should call it quits¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Le Grange continued to tremble, and with his back to Caprice, she had no idea what face he was making at Alcazar but no doubt it wasn¡¯t friendly, because the girl was standing in an open posture that could switch to either defensive or offensive in a heartbeat.

    Alcazar¡¯s attention suddenly shifted to a point behind Le Grange, just as Caprice felt someone enter the area of her Awareness-field. Concentration on that sensation, she received a flurry of information into her consciousness that was akin to looking behind her ¨C and much more ¨C so in a heartbeat she knew who had followed the trio to the garden.

    The buxom girl with long auburn hair marched headlong into the clearing without reservation, though Caprice didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that the girl wasn¡¯t aware of the tense standoff between the Familiars. Nonetheless, Haruka Amiella Avenir strode between Maya and Caprice, earned herself a squeak of worry from Rina, and then walked past Le Grange and Alcazar, arriving at Desanto¡¯s unconscious body a few moments later. With a heavy sigh, she picked him up and then used her strength as an Aventis to toss him onto her back.

    She sounded exhausted but not from rushing to his rescue. ¡°Really, Caelum. Why do make me worry so much? Running after you is such a chore and my breasts now hurt.¡±

    The girl stepped around Zenobia Alcazar as she made her way out of the garden clearing, but found herself facing Le Grange who¡¯d stepped into her path.

    ¡°Excuse, but could you please move?¡± Amiella politely asked while looking up at the large male Familiar.

    ¡°What the Hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Le Grange rumbled.

    ¡°Taking my friend to the infirmary,¡± she replied. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, he is quite heavy even for an Aventis like me. So please step aside.¡±

    Caprice felt as though her grip on reality had slipped briefly through her fingers.

    Did Haruka Amiella just call the Pervert her friend?

    Le Grange inhaled deeply, his massive body swelling up. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, little girl.¡±

    Take a cue from their boss, the other male students angled themselves toward Haruka who carried Desanto on her back.

    A moment later, Rina summoned something that resembled a shimmering bow and took aim at the nearest Familiar boy, while Maya gasped in pain as she doubled the number of wavering spears around her, targeting the second set at another male Familiar. The strain on the girls¡¯ faces was evident as they fought down the pain inflicted by the restraining collars.

    After rushing here to help Desanto, Caprice realized she was taking somewhat of a backseat compared to the others. Wondering frantically at how best to support them, she remembered her trump card, but was certain Morgan would berate her senseless if she used it since it was only meant to be called upon in the event of an emergency. However, she really had nothing else to fall upon¡­or maybe there was one more option.

    Holding her palms up to her face, she whispered loud enough behind them for the collar¡¯s control unit to hear her.

    ¡°I, Brynhildr, return the Ring to the Rhine Maidens.¡±

    A moment later she sensed the collar switch to standby mode.

    However, she refrained from summoning her Remnant, affirming to herself that she would only do so if all Hell broke loose. Even then, she had decided she would only summon one of her Remnant¡¯s weapons such as an axe or a sword.

    Out near the middle of the clearing, Haruka Amiella Avenir regarded Le Grange towering over her with a disappointed air. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick on someone your own size, you bully.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± she replied. ¡°In fact, I recommend going to the zoo and challenging a gorilla, or an elephant, or one of those mammoths recently cloned after they went extinct millions of years ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­what did you say¡­?¡±

    Haruka sighed, and her enormous bosom heaved so dramatically that even Le Grange was distracted by it. With some trouble, Haruka placed Desanto¡¯s unconscious body on the grassy ground, then awkwardly dropped into a boxing stance with her fists at the ready.

    ¡°Very well. Come at me,¡± she declared up at Le Grange who appeared perplexed and thereby unable to respond.

    Caprice wondered if the gates of Hell were about to blow wide open. A heartbeat later, she suspected that they had when a young woman dressed in a white business suit and black high heels landed in the middle of the clearing with such force that it unleashed concentric shockwaves that flattened the grass and swayed the nearby trees. The male students were knocked to the ground. Alcazar and Le Grange fell to their knees, while Haruka Amiella and the unconscious Desanto tumbling like windswept leaves across the grassy clearing.

    Reflexively, Caprice summoned an Aegis-field wide enough to shield herself, Maya, and Rina from the shockwaves. When she realized the size of the field it shocked her almost as much as the young woman¡¯s unexpected landing. Once the shockwaves had dissipated, Caprice released the Aegis-field in a hurry, relieved when it dispelled in the blink of an eye.

    Maya peeked at her through the corner of her eyes. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked suspiciously.

    Caprice shrugged nervously, and then faked being punished by the collar by wincing loudly in agony. ¡°Ow, ow, ow.¡±

    Rina Sayen looked at her in concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Caprice gasped, putting on the performance of her life, though she noticed Maya glance at her twice before directing her attention on the young blonde woman ¨C the blonde beauty who¡¯d accompanied Principal Mason to the briefing ¨C standing tall in the middle of the clearing. Under her sweeping gaze, the male students vacillated between the urge to flee or face the music. After a few seconds of quiet dark scrutiny, she used an effect-field to amplify her voice to all corners of the clearing.

    ¡°Leon Le Grange afil Avenir. You and your¡­associates¡­will report to my office immediately.¡± She eyed the unmoving Le Grange with an austere light in her eyes. ¡°Do not make me tell you again.¡±

    Gritting his teeth, Le Grange bowed his head and then ambled angrily out of the clearing by way of the path that ran through it, and was soon followed by his cohorts, a couple of which gave Maya menacing looks that she ignored.

    Next to be addressed was Alcazar.

    The blonde woman regarded the girl through narrowed eyes. ¡°Zenobia Alcazar afil Raynar. Since you are a woman, you will have the privilege of explaining yourself here and now rather than before the Principal.¡±

    Alcazar straightened and met the woman¡¯s eyes without flinching. ¡°My former classmate was in trouble. I wasn¡¯t about to sit and do nothing while he was beaten up by that thug and his cronies.¡±

    Caprice bit her lower lip. Former classmate?

    Then she remembered that Desanto was repeating year, so Alcazar must have been his classmate last year when they were both first-year high school students.

    The young woman continued to hold Alcazar¡¯s gaze for almost a dozen seconds of silence, before nodding faintly. ¡°Report to my office. We¡¯ll discuss your conduct there¡ªno, wait. I just sent Le Grange over there.¡± The blonde beauty reached up and stroked a temple. ¡°What to do? What to do? Damn you kids are so much trouble¡­.¡±

    ¡°Miss Weinberg,¡± Alcazar cut in while the young woman was ruminating her options. ¡°Allow me to take Caelum to the infirmary.¡±

    Weinberg? Caprice bit her lip again as she searched her memory. I don¡¯t remember her from orientation week.

    Weinberg stopped rubbing her temple and gazed at the girl fixedly. ¡°No. Classes will resume shortly. Return to the academy. I won¡¯t tolerate you being late.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°No buts, Miss Alcazar afil Raynar.¡± Weinberg¡¯s tone grew frosty, and this time the girl with blue streaks in her hair stiffened before nodding tautly. ¡°Then you are dismissed, Miss Alcazar.¡±

    Zenobia Alcazar hesitated for a noticeable moment as she cast a worried glance at Caelum Desanto lying on the ground. Then she gave Weinberg a sidelong look. ¡°What about Asakura?¡±

    ¡°What about Miss Asakura?¡±

    ¡°She and her followers started this mess. What¡¯s going to happen to them?¡±

    ¡°Started this? Are you certain of that, Miss Alcazar?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d stake my ranking on it,¡± the girl answered with conviction.

    ¡°Miss Asakura is not your concern, Miss Alcazar. Getting to class on time is your concern.¡±

    Caprice felt an odd uneasiness when the brunette with blue streaks began to smile thinly at the blonde woman.

    ¡°I get it now. Fine, have it your way for now,¡± Alcazar said, and began leaving the clearing, heading for the path running through it.

    Weinberg watched her leave, and for a moment she looked uneasy. Caprice would have missed it had she not been watching the young woman carefully.

    Exhaling softly after taking a deep breath, Weinberg calmly turned to face Caprice, Rina, and Maya standing just within the clearing.

    ¡°As for the rest of you, you will explain yourselves now.¡±

    Caprice felt her mouth go dry under the hard gaze of the young blonde Familiar, and Rina Sayen squeaked softly. But it was Maya who stepped forward to face the young woman.

    ¡°Miss Weinberg, we saw that our classmate was in trouble and so we came to help him.¡±

    ¡°I see. And that¡¯s why you turned your Remnants on your fellow Familiars?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Weinberg continued to regard the three girls under a hard gaze, a spotlight of sorts that was both brilliant and blinding. Reaching up to rub her right temple, she appeared to realize what she was doing and stopped.

    ¡°Very well,¡± she eventually said, sounding like she was holding back a sigh. ¡°Take Mr. Desanto down to the infirmary.¡±

    ¡°Down?¡± Caprice whispered.

    ¡°Yes, down, Miss Steiner,¡± Weinberg answered, having heard Caprice through the use of her Awareness-field.

    Eek¡ªshe knows me.

    Swallowing nervously, Caprice was left reluctant to ask what ¡®down¡¯ actually meant, but Maya stated respectfully, ¡°Miss Weinberg, we don¡¯t have access to the training facilities.¡±

    Weinberg looked flatted footed for a moment, before pulling out her palm-slate and tapping into it for almost half a minute. ¡°You do now,¡± she informed them as she slipped the palm-slate into a skirt pocket.

    Caprice glanced sidelong at Maya who briefly widened her eyes in response to the news. The girl recovered quickly and bowed politely. ¡°Yes, Miss Weinberg.¡± Gesturing to Caprice and Rina, she beckoned them. ¡°Come on. We¡¯ll use our Hecaton-fields to carry him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s going to sting,¡± Rina complained.

    ¡°If we share the load it won¡¯t be as bad,¡± Maya told the girl.

    ¡°Um, excuse me,¡± a girl being ignored called out calmly and raised a hand.

    Weinberg looked startled, and half turned toward the buxom brunette who¡¯d just finished patting down her skirts, after getting back up onto her feet. Caprice wondered if the girl had somehow escaped Weinberg¡¯s Awareness-field, thought that shouldn¡¯t be possible.

    Recovering her composure, Weinberg regarded the busty girl from head to toes. ¡°Haruka Amiella Avenir, what are you doing here?¡±

    Amiella lowered her hand. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be here?¡±

    ¡°Because this matter does not concern you. You may leave.¡±

    The girl frowned before planting her hands on her hour glass hips. ¡°Actually, Miss Weinberg, it does concern me. He¡¯s my classmate and as his Class Rep, I need to see that he gets proper medical attention.¡±

    ¡°And that he will,¡± Weinberg replied smoothly. ¡°However, class representatives have yet to be assigned.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but I plan to nominate myself.¡±

    ¡°I see. However, you are not a Class Rep, and thereby do not have the responsibilities of one. As I said before, you may leave.¡±

    Haruka crossed her arms under her large bosom and played her last card. ¡°He¡¯s my childhood friend.¡±

    Caprice, Maya, and Rina came to a sudden stop.

    Oh, that¡¯s right, Caprice thought to herself. She did mention he was her friend when she butted in.

    Weinberg regarded the girl with a flat expression, and Amiella returned it, undeterred by the older woman.

    ¡°You are not a Familiar, Miss Amiella. The training facilities are restricted to Academy senior staff, training personnel, and Familiars. As such you do not have permission to accompany Mr. Desanto. Am I making myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Are you discriminating against me?¡±

    ¡°If you have a problem with the regulations, you may lodge your complaint with the Academy¡¯s Board of Directors.¡±

    The girl inhaled deeply, her bosom swelling mightily on her chest. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll do just that.¡±

    Weinberg sounded faintly irritated. ¡°Until then refrain from breaking regulations, Miss Amiella.¡± She directed her attention on the trio of girls approaching Desanto lying on the ground, with Haruka Amiella standing a couple of feet away from him. ¡°After you have delivered him to the infirmary, do not loiter. You will return to your classrooms without delay. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± they replied.

    Faintly distrustful, Weinberg looked at them carefully, before nodding subtly to herself. She then crouched slightly, and the air around the clearing hardened for a heartbeat before the blonde woman launched herself skyward. She leapt clear out of the garden, vanishing below the tops of the trees a few moments later.

    Maya quipped softly, ¡°She¡¯s like a giant flea.¡±

    ¡°Or a grasshopper,¡± Rina added.

    ¡°Or a frog,¡± Caprice tossed in.

    They stood looking in the direction Weinberg had disappeared, troubled by their individual thoughts, and fearing the prospect of facing Weinberg or those seniors again in similar circumstances.

    ¡°So who is she?¡± Caprice asked. ¡°I don¡¯t recall seeing her during orientation week.¡±

    Maya continued looking after Weinberg. ¡°Her name is Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian. She¡¯s Mason¡¯s pet Doberman.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s what?¡±

    Rina explained, ¡°A Doberman is a dog.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Caprice looked at Maya sidelong. ¡°You really don¡¯t hold back, do you?¡±

    ¡°Woof woof,¡± Maya mockingly barked.

    ¡°Woof woof, back,¡± Caprice responded.

    ¡°Meow¡­.¡±

    Caprice, Maya, and even Amiella faced Rina, and the bespectacled girl looked at them anxiously. ¡°What? I like cats. Cat¡¯s wear collars too.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t take a cat for a walk,¡± Maya pointed out. ¡°And they wear flea collars.¡±

    Rina frowned faintly and sounded teary. ¡°Why do you have to be so mean to me?¡±

    Maya¡¯s mouth fell open, but then she closed it slowly with a contrite look on her face.

    A feeling of regret also washed through Caprice, as she realized it was her fault they¡¯d charged into a dangerous situation without thinking the situation through.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Caprice told her companions. ¡°This was my idea, and it could have turned out worse.¡±

    ¡°We made the choice for ourselves,¡± Maya countered. ¡°No need to apologize. Besides, I don¡¯t like bullies, and that Le Grange is a bully.¡±

    Rina was nodding absently in agreement as she looked down at Desanto. ¡°So should we carry him face up or face down?¡±

    Maya considered the question for a second or two. ¡°If we had a gurney, it would be face up.¡± She inhaled deeply before suggesting, ¡°We should carry him face down.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay¡­.¡± Rina sounded uncertain but lacked the will to disagree.

    ¡°But if we drop him accidentally,¡± Caprice pointed out, ¡°we might break his nose.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and that would harm his good looks,¡± Rina added.

    ¡°True. That would be a waste. Fine. Let¡¯s roll him over,¡± Maya instructed.

    Caprice¡¯s Awareness-field sensed the Hecaton-field Maya summoned to roll Desanto onto his back. The three girls regarded the sleeping teenager.

    ¡°He took a beating,¡± Caprice noticed.

    Maya¡¯s lips turned upside down. ¡°He has a Symbiote still active inside him. He should be right as rain by this evening.¡± The girl crouched beside him and pocked Desanto¡¯s cheeks, but the boy failed to react. ¡°He¡¯s really out cold. The collar really nuked him.¡±

    ¡°Nuked?¡± Caprice questioned.

    Maya then pocked his shirt and midriff. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s really hard. Like all muscle hard.¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡± A girl tired of being ignored coughed loudly into a fist.

    The trio looked at Haruka who was standing nearby with an annoyed expression.

    ¡°If you dare to undress him, I shall report you to the school authorities,¡± the girl warned them.

    Maya stood up and looked at her over a shoulder. ¡°What are you still doing here?¡±

    ¡°I am not going to leave him in your hands. You three need supervision.¡± She huffed. ¡°There is no telling what you may do to him.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to strip him, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re implying,¡± Maya retorted in her most lifeless voice yet.

    Haruka puffed up her chest and patted it. ¡°As Class Rep¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not Class Rep, and I¡¯m not voting for you,¡± Maya interjected.

    ¡°Me neither,¡± Rina seconded.

    ¡°You¡¯re not in our class, dummy,¡± Maya pointed out.

    ¡°Well, if I was in your class, then I wouldn¡¯t vote for her either,¡± Rina amended.

    Haruka¡¯s annoyance grew. ¡°You¡¯re like the three stooges.¡±

    Caprice didn¡¯t know what she meant, but Maya apparently did and so she arched an eyebrow at the buxom girl. ¡°Did you say something, Double-G.¡±

    Haruka flinched and jerked back. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat did you call me?¡±

    ¡°I called you, Double-G.¡±

    Her face growing beet red, Haruka unfolded her arms and clenched her hands. ¡°Did¡ªdid Caelum tell you that?¡±

    ¡°With a Remnant, it¡¯s easy to tell,¡± Maya replied in her customary dull tone. ¡°I know your three sizes. And your weight.¡±

    Haruka was trembling but Caprice sensed the girl was more embarrassed than angry. ¡°¡­it¡¯s not like I wanted to grow this big¡­.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Maya uttered and Caprice frowned at the girl.

    Haruka balled her hands into fists and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted to grow this big!¡±

    The three Familiars ¨C and substantially less endowed girls ¨C shied back in the face of Haruka¡¯s outburst.

    The busty brunette took several deep breaths that helped emphasize her bosom.

    ¡°They¡­they just grew.¡± Haruka bowed her head as though hiding her face. ¡°They just upped and grew on their own.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Caprice wondered softly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they all do that?¡± Maya sounded as though she was dealing with a dangerous yet slow child.

    ¡°Not like this!¡± the girl blurted out, surprising the trio yet again.

    Haruka suddenly shuddered violently, then pulled out her palm-slate. After swiping and tapping the screen a few times with her thumb, she held the palm-slate up for them to see.

    ¡°This is me.¡±

    They stepped closer and peered at the screen to see an image of a girl with long auburn hair, wearing an unfamiliar school uniform while standing beside a bored Caelum Desanto, also in uniform. She was holding his arm and smiling happily while the photo was taken.

    Haruka said, ¡°This is me over a year ago, before Caelum and I transferred to Galatea. We had just found out that I was accepted into the Avenir Pride, and he had learnt he was a Familiar. This was taken after the closing ceremony for the year at the our school for Regulars. Caelum is a year older than me, but we¡¯ve known each other since we were children. Up until a couple of years ago, our families lived next door to each other for ten years.¡±

    ¡°So you really are childhood friends,¡± Caprice said.

    ¡°Yes, indeed.¡±

    Maya sounded confused. ¡°You sound proud of being friends with a pervert.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t all that bad until recently,¡± Haruka explained. ¡°After he became a Familiar and gained his Remnant, it was like he decided to shed his old skin. Then again, he¡¯d always been popular with the girls, but now his perversity just drives them away.¡±

    ¡°Were you a couple?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Haruka flushed bright red. ¡°No. I mean¡ªI never¡ªI didn¡¯t¡ªoh whatever! We were not a couple. In fact, he didn¡¯t think much of me back then.¡±

    Caprice held up a hand. ¡°Wait a minute. Just stop right there.¡± Pointing at the palm-slate, she asked, ¡°So this girl in the photo is really you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me,¡± Haruka answered without hesitation.

    The trio studied the girl in the image, then focused on Haruka.

    Caprice swallowed before asking, ¡°This flat chested girl is you?¡±

    This time, Haruka sighed. ¡°Yes, that flat chested girl is me.¡±

    ¡°Holy molly,¡± Maya whispered. ¡°You got big.¡±

    Her words sparked the fuse that blew the bomb. Haruka blushed yet again, and trembled anew. ¡°Yes, I got big! And it happened so damn fast! I went from a Double-A to a Double-G in a month. My parents were shocked and took me to see a doctor who said it was fine. She explained this kind of development sometimes happened to new Aventis girls my age who were underdeveloped. It¡¯s like the Symbiote is trying to compensate by over-compensating.¡±

    An intense feeling of resentment filled Caprice and she muttered, ¡°Oh, how tragic for you.¡±

    Haruka started to retort, then glanced at Caprice¡¯s chest and subsequently she quickly closed her mouth. A few seconds later she pocketed her palm-slate, then crossed her arms under her bust. ¡°Enough about me. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be taking Caelum down to the infirmary?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right,¡± Maya nodded sharply. Turning to the unconscious boy on the ground, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s pick him up.¡±

    ¡°Ah, about that...,¡± Rina softly muttered nervously. ¡°I have some trouble with my fields when they are near other Hecaton-fields.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Maya frowned.

    ¡°I have trouble keeping control of my Hecaton-fields,¡± Rina elaborated.

    ¡°I should be fine,¡± Caprice said and stepped up to Desanto. ¡°My Guardian makes me practice this all the time.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Maya asked somewhat offhandedly.

    Caprice glanced away with a sour look. ¡°I have to make my bed with them. Use them to carry my dirty laundry in a clothes basket. Wash the dishes. Wash myself. Walk the dogs. Weed the garden¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is¡ªis that all?¡± Rina asked in a tremulous voice.

    ¡°No, she also makes me play cat¡¯s cradle with them.¡±

    Maya swallowed loudly and stared at Caprice with wide eyes. ¡°You play cat¡¯s cradle with Hecaton-fields?¡±

    Feeling as though she¡¯d tripped a trip-wire, Caprice nodded very cautiously.

    Maya¡¯s eyes narrowed as she frowned hard. ¡°By the way, that Aegis-field you threw up to protect us was pretty big.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI did that on reflex. Morgan has a habit of sneaking up on me. She says it¡¯s to keep me on my toes.¡±

    Maya and Rina looked at Caprice with complicated expressions, but Amiella looked puzzled.

    ¡°Do you train under waterfalls as well?¡± Maya asked drily.

    Caprice couldn¡¯t help the shock from showing on her face. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°What are you? Some kind of ninja?¡± Maya blurted out.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not,¡± Caprice held her hands up as she shook her head. ¡°Although, Morgan enjoys watching all the period dramas from ancient Earth about samurais and ninjas. Maybe that¡¯s where she got the waterfall idea¡­.¡±

    The three girls ¨C including Haruka ¨C regarded Caprice like an oddity, until the buxom brunette once again reminded them of Desanto on the ground.

    After debating how best to hold him, Caprice and Maya decided to form a flat surface under him with their Hecaton-fields, and then succeeded in levitating Desanto into the air. They carried him between them, while Rina led the way using the map application on her palm-slate to guide the group to the underground infirmary. Haruka trailed closely on their heels, a watchful eye on Desanto who was now snoring very softly with each breath.

    After the four girls exited the clearing by walking on the paved path, the busty girl sighed heavily, and broke the short silence that had fallen upon the group. Clearing her throat audibly, Haruka asked, ¡°Was there another table?¡±

    ¡°No, there wasn¡¯t.¡± Caprice replied without thinking, regretting it a heartbeat later when Maya shot her a lancing glance.

    Haruka sighed again. ¡°Then why did you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Because you Aventis get preferential treatment in this Academy. If your friend with the snake tongue reports Maya to the teachers for having bared her fangs, then Maya can get suspended, and I didn¡¯t want that. The teachers will naturally side with the Aventis, and Maya will get the short straw.¡±

    Haruka was quiet for a short while, then uttered, ¡°I see¡­.¡±

    The first lunchtime bell sounded throughout the school grounds. It alerted students that they had ten minutes before the commencement of classes at which time a second bell would ring out loudly.

    ¡°This sucks,¡± Caprice said at a pang of hunger in her stomach.

    ¡°We missed out on lunch,¡± Maya remarked, then threw Haruka a look over her shoulder. ¡°But I¡¯m seeing lunch right here with us.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Haruka almost shrieked.

    Caprice glanced back at her to see her pale face at sight of Maya licking her lips.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± the buxom brunette whispered.

    Maya turned away as though tired of playing around. ¡°You¡¯re right. Your Avenir blood wouldn¡¯t taste any good, anyway.¡±

    Caprice felt uneasy at the thought of drinking a classmate¡¯s blood. But before she could toss the thought away, her palm-slate rang loudly in her skirt pocket, signing a song from a popular cartoon about magical girls.

    Maya, Rina, and Haruka swiveled their heads toward Caprice who blushed hotly while she fumbled to pull her palm-slate out of the pocket. By some stroke of good fortune, or a product of Morgan¡¯s relentless training, Caprice did not lose control of her Hecaton-field supporting Desanto as she answered the call, not bothering to check the caller ID in the process.

    ¡°He¡ªhello?¡±

    ¡°Caprice¡ªreport!¡±

    As Morgan¡¯s voice blasted out of the slim device, Caprice yelped and dropped the palm-slate.

    Unfortunately, she also lost her grip on the Hecaton-field holding Desanto in the air.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Maya cried out a moment before Desanto landed with a thud on the soft grassy ground.

    Haruka balled her hands into fists as she yelled, ¡°You idiots¡ªwhat are you doing?¡±

    ¨C III ¨C

    Sitting at the table on the restaurant¡¯s balcony, Morgan Le Caster read and re-read the message on her palm-slate, dimly aware of the blood draining from her face.

    Across the table, nibbling disinterestedly on a salad lunch, the petite redhead Arisa Imreh Lanfear began to watch Morgan with interest. ¡°Bad news?¡±

    Morgan blinked out of her stupor, and recovered her composure to some degree, but she continued to hold the palm-slate in her hand rather than placing it back down on the table. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Imreh munched on a lettuce leaf. ¡°Really, because you look rather pale.¡±

    Morgan studied the beautiful young woman with flowing hair the color of a brilliant sunset seated opposite her.

    Like Morgan, Arisa Imreh Lanfear was an alumnus of Galatea Academy, having attended the school during the same years. However, after graduation their paths diverged. Morgan attended the tertiary college operated by the Sanctum, while Arisa went to Clarent University in Island Two before working at Public Security. But while Morgan had done rather well for herself at the Sanctum until a more lucrative offer came along from the Steiner Family, Arisa quit Public Security and began working at the office of the Lanfear Primatriarch, Yolanda Imreh Lanfear, her aunt. She had heard rumors that Arisa had engaged in a relationship with her superior at Public Security, but it could have been nothing more than jealous or envious gossip from her co-workers. In truth, Arisa had always been the product of ugly rumors during her years at Galatea Academy, as girl after girl accused her of stealing their boyfriends.

    ¡°Tell me something,¡± Morgan asked while discreetly placing the palm-slate on her lap. ¡°Why did you quit Pub-Sec?¡±

    Arisa continued munching on the lettuce leaf. ¡°I had a conflict of interest.¡±

    ¡°Meaning what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Lanfear, but he was a Raynar.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Morgan almost dropped her palm-slate. ¡°You mean?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever read Romeo and Juliet? Romeo was a Montague, while Juliet was a Capulet.¡± Arisa shrugged and finished eating the lettuce leaf. ¡°Pretty much the same thing with him and me.¡± Picking up the glass of iced tea, she sipped it through a straw. ¡°Besides, his girlfriend complained that she wasn¡¯t seeing much of him.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­don¡¯t tell me you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay, then I won¡¯t.¡± Arisa smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±

    Morgan eyed her former school acquaintance with disbelieving eyes. ¡°So it was true? All of those rumors back at Galatea about you stealing boyfriends? That was all true?¡±

    Arisa placed her tall glass of iced tea on the table. ¡°A few of them. Well, most of them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am. What do you take me for?¡±

    Morgan refrained from banging her hands on the table. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°Look, high school is high school. College is college. And work is work.¡± Arisa ran a fingertip along the edge of her glass. ¡°So, are you going to tell me what that message was all about?¡±

    ¡°Before I do that, I want your honest answer. And no playing around.¡±

    Arisa sat back in her chair. ¡°You¡¯re wondering about Desanto and Steiner, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Those two happen to be in the same class. And they happened to run into each other this morning.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    Morgan swallowed. ¡°Desanto¡¯s records are restricted to high level access only. Even my Sanctum authorization, that is still in effect because of my role as Caprice¡¯s Guardian, doesn¡¯t allow me to read them.¡±

    ¡°Oh. So that¡¯s why you¡¯re knickers are in a twist. I thought it was because you hadn¡¯t had a good man in while.¡± She frowned slightly and lowered her voice. ¡°Wait, are you still a virgin?¡±

    Despite her best attempt not too, Morgan blushed bright red and hissed, ¡°That¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s none of your business!¡±

    Arisa looked disappointed, but then shrugged. ¡°Well, there¡¯s still time for you.¡±

    This time, Morgan was barely able to hold herself back through a monumental strength of will. ¡°Imreh, can you please be serious.¡±

    ¡°Call me Arisa, like in the old days when things were simpler.¡±

    Morgan paused to steady herself. ¡°Arisa, I want to know more about him.¡±

    ¡°He likes blondes.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Morgan jerked back¡­again. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in luck. He likes blondes. He sees a beautiful blonde and he turns to butter,¡± Arisa replied with a straight face. ¡°So Steiner is safe from him.¡±

    ¡°Actually, about that¡±¡ªMorgan swallowed¡ª¡°Caprice is a natural blonde. She dyes her hair for personal reasons.¡±

    Arisa¡¯s eyes widened slowly but very perceivably. ¡°Oh no¡­.¡± She straightened in her chair. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before?¡±

    Morgan felt a pang of fear. ¡°What? What is it?¡±

    ¡°We have to keep her away from him? She¡¯s in danger.¡±

    ¡°What seriously?¡±

    Arisa froze for a moment. ¡°Wait¡ªtell me her cup size!¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Morgan blushed. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you that.¡±

    ¡°Just tell me! It¡¯s important!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a Double-A!¡±

    Morgan could sense through her Awareness-field that her loud voice had attracted a multitude of attention from the patrons ¨C both male and female ¨C seated at the neighboring tables. Choosing to ignore them, she stared questioningly at Arias who sat with her mouth open for a long while before she relaxed in her seat and resumed sipping her iced tea. ¡°That was a close call.¡±

    This time it was too much for her to handle, and Morgan slapped the table. ¡°What the Hell is that all about?¡±

    ¡°If she ever grows three or four letters into the alphabet, then it¡¯s open season on Caprice Steiner.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t recall you ever being that well rounded before,¡± Arisa remarked. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s asked you out on a date.¡±

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t asked me. It¡¯s just his delusion.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s expecting you to call him.¡±

    ¡°Geh¡ª!¡± Morgan choked.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Arisa said. ¡°I give you permission to go on a date with him. Just be gentle with him.¡±

    Morgan scowled at the redhead. ¡°I can see why you¡¯re his Guardian. You¡¯re as bad as he is.¡±

    ¡°Caelum is still a puppy. He has much to learn.¡± Arisa eyed Morgan carefully. ¡°As I was saying, be gentle with him.

    ¡°Arrgh¡ªI¡¯m not dating a younger man. Especially a teenage boy! I¡¯d be arrested!¡±

    Arisa made a ho-hum expression and averted her gaze. ¡°I won¡¯t tell if you won¡¯t.¡±

    Morgan inhaled deeply as she grasped the frayed remains of her composure. ¡°Look, just tell me about him. What¡¯s in those files?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so interested?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m worried about Caprice.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t hurt her. Trust me. If anything¡±¡ªArisa winced slightly¡ª¡°if anything he¡¯d leap headfirst into a fight to protect a girl. That¡¯s the sort of person he is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m worried about her at the Academy. I¡¯m worried that I won¡¯t be able to protect her.¡± Morgan squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to keep my promise¡­.¡±

    When she opened her eyes, Morgan saw the playfulness in Arisa¡¯s face had faded away. ¡°What happened to Karina wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±

    Morgan swallowed again and took a deep breath. ¡°Either way, I promised her, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to keep that promise.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been training Steiner for over a year. And she has Karina¡¯s Valkyrie. So tell me, how good is that girl?¡±

    ¡°Very good. She¡¯s better than I was at her age. Maybe¡­maybe even better than Karina.¡±

    ¡°As good as Celica?¡±

    Morgan flinched and turned away. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet¡­.¡±

    ¡°She may have to be. That girl has enemies both inside and outside her family.¡± Facing Arisa, Morgan saw the redhead¡¯s emerald eyes were glinting sharply, and Arisa appeared and sounded deadly serious. ¡°If you want to know the truth, our two wards are in the same class because my aunt made a call.¡±

    Morgan¡¯s mouth grew dry. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°My aunt received a call from the Steiners, who made a personal request of her. Afterwards, she made a call to Lavinia Mason¡±¡ªArisa grimaced as though her saliva had turned bitter¡ª¡°and the rest is history.¡± She washed down some of her bitter feelings with sip of iced tea. ¡°I should tell you, Cassandra Khayman¡¯s daughter is sharing the same class with her. I¡¯ve heard people call Cassandra¡¯s child a prodigy, and it¡¯s probably what she desired when she made the choice to give birth to the girl, regardless of how it would affect her marriage and her family.¡±

    Cassandra Khayman Sora was Maya Khayman afil Sora¡¯s mother, and the Primatriarch of the Sora Pride here in Pharos. But because her daughter was born a Familiar, when all her other siblings were born as Pureblood Aventis, there was no shortage of rumors surrounding the origins of the young girl, some of which hinted at Cassandra engaging in an illicit relationship with a Familiar ¨C a young man who was part of her personal security.

    Morgan felt herself wilt as she realized how remiss she had been in her duties as Caprice¡¯s Guardian. ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t check the class roster.¡±

    Pushing her glass of iced tea aside, Arisa leaned forward and folded her arms on the edge of the table. ¡°You didn¡¯t. But others did. Between Desanto and Khayman, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be safe. At the very least, I have a feeling those three are destined to be together.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You make it sound dirty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about a threesome¡±¡ªArisa shrugged¡ª¡°though who knows what will happen later.¡±

    ¡°Arisa, that¡¯s not funny at all.¡±

    ¡°Am I laughing?¡± the redhead asked Morgan who shook her head weakly. ¡°Morgan, do you know the stories that surround the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing?¡±

    ¡°A few. History wasn¡¯t my strongest subject.¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t all taught in history class. A lot of the information we have on the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing is kept out of the history books. And before you ask why, ask yourself this.¡± Arisa paused for effect. ¡°When the Familiars won the war for the Aventis more than two hundred years ago, why did they suddenly hand their power over to us?¡±

    ¡°I thought it was because they decided they were done with war. I read that the Four Great Generals came to a consensus about who would lead humanity best.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think so? Regulars, Aventis, and Familiars. At the core we are all the same species. We¡¯re all human, and we all share humanity¡¯s faults. Greed. Ambition. Racism. An urge to kill. We¡¯re all barbaric. But the Familiars are different in that they possess a power we don¡¯t have. They could have turned their Remnants against us and claimed the top spot on the pyramid.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But what I do know, and what the archives tell us, is that the three surviving Generals did not hand power over willingly. In fact, they had no choice.¡±

    ¡°You mean because all the Remnants shut down without any reason to?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Because on the day that the war came to an end, and the Fourth General is rumored to have died in the Empress¡¯s tower after defeating her champion, all the Remnants stopped working. All of them reverted to a standby mode and locked down. It didn¡¯t matter where those Familiars were, or how far away from the capital they were stationed, their Remnants simply stopped working. And ever since then, whenever a Remnant is un-bonded with a Familiar, it reverts to its locked state and the next Familiar to use it has to learn how to unlock its power from the beginning.¡±

    Morgan ruminated over Arisa¡¯s words for a short moment. ¡°You mean that something happened when Kallum Kampfer died¡ªthe Fourth General¡ªsomething that changed the behavior of the Remnants, including those yet to be fished out of the Hurakan Nebula.¡±

    Arisa nodded faintly. ¡°Kampfer¡¯s Remnant was a Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. A Ruler Class Remnant. And Caelum Desanto is the Meister of a Kaiser¡¯s Blessing as well. Do you see where I¡¯m going with this?¡±

    ¡°Not really, but you do know there are four Kaiser¡¯s Blessings out there. Four of the same Ruler Class Remnants.¡±

    ¡°I do indeed. So the question the historians ask is which one is the Remnant that General Kallum Kampfer used? Which one of the four is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But why does it matter?¡±

    ¡°Because I believe¡ªand many of the Lanfears believe¡ªthat the answer to the question of why the Remnants all shut down lies within the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing that General Kampfer wielded. Some of the ancient Remnants retain the memories of their Meisters. No one knows what happened up there in the Empress¡¯s throne room on the day Kampfer died. There is speculation and nothing more. So the answer lies hidden within Kampfer¡¯s Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡±

    ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, and the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing is so important, why give it to Desanto?¡±

    ¡°Because my Pride, the Lanfears, had no choice. Caelum¡¯s compatibility with the Remnant was through the roof. It shocked the Hell out of my aunt, and her inner circle. They were so surprised they wanted to have him trained in a dedicated facility. They practically wanted to dissect him on a laboratory table. They want to know if that Remnant is the same Remnant that Kampfer used, and Desanto is their best means of getting the answer to the centuries old question of what happened up there in the throne room.¡±

    Morgan felt a very real fear circle through her body. ¡°Why¡­why didn¡¯t they seclude him or take him apart?¡±

    Arisa looked away, her gaze distant. ¡°Two reasons. The first relates to a prediction¡ªa prophecy¡ªmade by Seers and Seeresses a few years after the war.¡±

    ¡°A prophecy?¡± Normally Morgan would have scoffed at the notion, but the serious intensity in Arisa¡¯s distant eyes quelled the urge in a heartbeat.

    Arisa nodded faintly. ¡°Throughout the war, their predications had been very accurate so there were few that doubted them. In fact, they had a higher success rate than the quantum battle computers designed to strategize the war. So when they made their prophecy, the Primatriarchs of the time listened.¡±

    ¡°So what was the prophecy?¡±

    ¡°That one day the Four Generals would be reborn.¡±

    Morgan joined the dotted lines together. ¡°You believe that one of them is Desanto?¡±

    Arisa looked at her and shrugged subtly. ¡°It¡¯s not what I believe, but what my aunt believes. She¡¯s the Primatriarch. Not me.¡±

    Morgan thought back to her recent years in the Sanctum¡¯s employ, and of the rumors she¡¯d heard of divisions that dealt with genetic cataloging. Was it because the Sanctum was keeping an eye out for the rebirth of the Four Generals.

    After shelving the thought for later, Morgan asked, ¡°And what is the second reason?¡±

    ¡°The second reason is that my aunt wanted Desanto to have a normal¡­well, a relatively normal high school life. She wanted him to grow into a proper young man. She didn¡¯t want him isolated from the world. By giving him the experiences he needs to know himself and to know others, my Aunt Yolanda wants Caelum to understand the importance of life, and to appreciate the responsibility that comes with great power¡ªespecially when that power comes from the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡± Arisa glanced at her iced tea, then signaled a nearby waiter. ¡°May I have another please.¡±

    Morgan waited for the waiter to walk away before saying, ¡°I get the feeling you haven¡¯t made your point yet.¡±

    Arisa¡¯s green eyes blinked slowly and her gaze penetrated deep into Morgan¡¯s consciousness. When the young redhead smile, Morgan shivered.

    ¡°Kallum Kampfer wasn¡¯t alone in his fight,¡± Arisa said. ¡°He had good people around him, and the love of someone that ultimately broke him. But he also had the love of three young women, and their Remnants were a Valkyrie, a Sylph, and a Siren. And on the day that humanity lost the war, it was those young women who recovered his body from the Empress¡¯s throne room¡­.¡±

    As Arisa¡¯s voice trailed away, it sounded to Morgan as though she said ¡®and one other¡¯ but the complicated feeling that tingled down her spine stole her voice.

    Arisa accepted her new glass of iced tea from the young male waiter, smiling seductively at him and causing the man to almost drop the tall glass. After the waiter departed with embarrassment written clearly on his face, Arisa used the long straw to swirl the ice cubes floating in her tea, then abruptly stopped and stared at Morgan with renewed interest.

    ¡°By the way, Morgan,¡± the redhead began, ¡°if I remember correctly, isn¡¯t your Remnant a Sylph?¡±

    From the back of her consciousness, Morgan felt the presence of her slumbering Remnant stir once again, though not as strongly as when she and Desanto had stood face to face.

    Back then at that time¡­what was it that I felt?

    Noticing that Arisa was watching her intently, a cold shiver ran through her body. Clearing her throat after two failed attempts, Morgan stood up with her palm-slate in hand. ¡°Excuse me, but I¡ªI need to make a call.¡±

    ¡°Take your time,¡± Arisa said to her. The redhead sipped her tea as her gaze followed the young male waiter doing the rounds.

    Walking off the open-air balcony and back into the restaurant¡¯s cool interior, Morgan glanced back at Arisa on impulse, and was surprised to see the beautiful redhead looking decidedly agitated as she talked to someone through her palm-slate. Morgan frowned to herself and almost returned to the table, but then she remembered she too had a call to make. Turning away, she walked out of the establishment and stepped onto the wide promenade of the luxurious mall in the affluent district of Island One¡¯s Habitat Two. The restaurant was but one of many located within the mall¡¯s upper levels.

    She made the call to Steiner¡¯s palm-slate and waited for Caprice to answer it.

    When the girl did, Morgan couldn¡¯t hold herself back and all her emotions that had been stirred up by Arisa Imreh Lanfear now blew out of her at once.

    ¡°Caprice¡ªReport!¡±

    On the other end of the line she heard a frightened yelp and the sound of a palm-slate falling to the ground.