Chapter 10

Raiel awoke in his new bed, having slept better than ever before. In the relative safety of the enormous school, he had been able to relax.

He and Yaeth had spent most of the day in their room talking. His new roommate had warmed up to him noticeably as the day progressed, and they had spoken of many things, Yaeth opening up to Raiel about his personal life.

According to himself, his upbringing had been quite ordinary. His mother and father were happy together and in good health. He had an older brother, who had decided to drop out of school to pursue a military career starting from the bottom, just like their father had once done. He also had a younger sister, who aspired to gain entrance to the College when she was old enough. His father was a retired military man turned merchant. When Yaeth’s father had been shot in the knee, it had spelled an abrupt end to his otherwise promising career in the army, and at the same time thrown the family into a difficult period with his resulting depression. That, however, had only gone on for a brief while, before an old acquaintance from his military days heard of his misfortune and offered him a chance to make a name for himself as a merchant. The venture had made Yaeth’s father extremely successful in the business world, as he turned out to possess a trader’s gene. Having by no means been necessitous before his injury, Yaeth’s father had now managed to find a place for himself and his family among the wealthier people in the city. Yaeth’s mother worked with his father in his business.

Unlike his older brother, Yaeth was having difficulty deciding on a course for his future. He suspected that his father wanted him to follow in his footsteps as a tradesman, like many children followed their parents, now that his older brother had taken the soldier’s road. He wasn’t even particularly averse to the idea of becoming a merchant and one day take over for his father, he just wasn’t sure if he wanted to do that for his entire life.

Yaeth had questioned Raiel about his past, but hadn’t gotten much more out of him than the first time he asked. As before, Raiel’s vision had darkened when he tried to recall his past. His ears had been ringing and it had felt like his head was melting away. Soon after, a piercing pain had set in, and only a sudden onset of queasiness and an overwhelming urge to vomit had distracted him enough from his thoughts to alleviate that very same discomfort.

It didn’t feel like any of his memories were missing, or like there was an abrupt beginning to his life. It all flowed together in a mushy soup of various recollections and noteworthy events. And the eerie darkness only loomed when he tried to think further back. He remembered the time where his caught a fish that was so large that he didn’t have to eat anything else for a whole week. And the time where he tripped over a root only to spear his own calf all the way through on the broken end of a stick. It had taken him months to recover from that and more than a few close calls with hungry predators. But other than those special memories most of it was blurry. Yaeth, however, had told him that that was just the extent to which a normal person can remember the distant past.

Nothing particular stood out, which only puzzled the boys further. Yaeth said that it was completely impossible to exist without having been born by parents, so he must have a family somewhere. Or at least, he would have had one when he was born. Seeing as he now was here alone, it was unlikely that they still lived.

Despite the gloomy topic, the day had been an enjoyable one for Raiel. He definitely felt like he had gotten closer with Yaeth, who seemed to accept him more as he found out about the unusually harsh and difficult life Raiel had lived. The revelation that Raiel had only known that there even existed other humans for the past four months took Yaeth even more by surprise. He’d had many questions about Raiel’s imprisonment and the process of familiarizing himself with their culture, language, and rules. The mention of Battle Chief Tali had put a serious damper on his enthusiasm, though, and his body had visibly tensed up. People seemed genuinely frightened of her.

Raiel didn’t understand how a single person could have that much power in a society with thousands of other people. When he asked Yaeth how this could be, the other boy had gone quiet as he thought of the best way to explain.

“The power she wields comes from two sources. The first is her high rank within the military hierarchy. Remember when I told you about my father? He commanded about twenty men. Battle Chief Tali, along with the other three Battle Chiefs, commands all of them. It’s either an insane coincidence, that she interrogated you personally, or there’s an underlying reason for her appearance in your cell.” Yaeth had explained.

“Like what?”

“I have no idea. Anything could be going on within the army without us knowing about it. And my dad isn’t exactly in the know anymore.”

That had gotten Raiel thinking. He’d thought a lot about why Tali had made the decisions she had concerning him after she had met him, but not at all about her reasons for coming to see him immediately after his first arrest. Supposedly, she was incredibly important and busy, and he was… nobody. Realistically, they should never have met. His case should have been handled and closed long before word of him ever reached her ear. There had to be more to it.

“What’s the other source of her power?” Raiel had asked, getting back on track with their conversation.

Yaeth gazed at him intently. “The second source of her power, and also the reason she was able to rise through the ranks so quickly, like she did, is her strength. Purely and simply. If you are to believe what is said about her, she is cunning and strong beyond any normal measure. Her talent with infusion is remarkable, apparently. She can punch through boulders and run so fast that you can’t see her!” he told vividly, as his fists flew about in wild and animated gestures. “My dad says she takes her duty very seriously, and will stop at nothing to further the interests of our city and country. That’s why people are so afraid of her. Because she will mow you down, if you stand in her way.” Yaeth’s eyes were shining with the glow of a young boy speaking of heroism and romanticized bloodshed.

Raiel himself was getting somewhat excited by the tales of power. He might feel a strong dislike for the woman, but he could still envy her might. He wanted that strength. He would need it in this world. He had thought himself to be capable, to be strong. Those ideas had been shattered the moment he walked through that gate four months ago. He was truly powerless in the grand scheme of things. He desired the power Tali held.

“What is infusion?” Raiel asked.

“Well, some people are able to harness strange energies to strengthen their bodies. They can do other stuff as well, though. Like, some people can turn invisible or make their eyes see things that are really far away or really small. I don’t know what that energy is, and I’m not sure anyone really knows. Some say they do, obviously, but I don’t believe that.” He derided, before continuing.

“The truth is, everyone can use it to some degree. It’s just that the vast majority of people can’t improve their abilities. Most can do nothing more than strengthen themselves just enough to get the lid off of a difficult jar of raspberry jam. For them, it doesn’t really make a difference, you know.”

“How is it trained?” Raiel enquired with veiled curiosity.

“Uuh, not sure. I don’t have the talent for it. Few do, as I said. It’s almost always children from the noble families.” he said with narrowed eyes. Yaeth covered his mouth with a hand and leaned in closer. “If you ask me, they’re purposely keeping it within their bloodlines.”

“Bloodlines?”

“Yeah, you know. Their family.” Yaeth elaborated.

Raiel frowned in confusion. “Why would they do that?” he asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Yaeth shrugged. “They want to keep those abilities to themselves. It’s one of the reasons they can stay in power. How can a rebellion stand against an army of monsters?” he explained with a huff and barely contained disdain, leaning back against the wall in Raiel’s bed, where they had been sitting. He, as Raiel himself, seemed envious of such a potential. Suddenly, Yaeth’s eyes lit up and he leaned in close again with a grin, as he looked around the room in mock caution.

“There is, however, one tiny drawback for all those mighty nobles.” he whispered. “It’s said, that infusion and the like, especially at a higher level, is simply too much for the human body to endure in the long run. It can lead to sickness and physical weakness, and in some cases even an increased rate of aging. Sometimes, older nobles stop appearing in public without warning, and the rumors say it’s because they’ve fallen ill from infusion-sickness.” he glanced around the room again conspiratorially, for good measure, as if expecting a spy to step silently out of the wall.

“What does your dad say?” Raiel asked. “He must know, if he was important, too.”

Yaeth sat back stunned, looking as if he was about to burst out laughing. “Of course, I already asked him that stuff long ago!” he grinned, but then pouted and grumbled. “And he wouldn’t talk… That old fart probably just doesn’t know, and is too embarrassed to admit it.”

“Oh…”

“And that’s another reason to stay away from Clavic Maledes and the Huntley brothers!” Yaeth exclaimed. “They’ve all inherited the potential and are in special classes to learn it here in the College.”

“So, he’s that strong, huh?” Raiel mused.

“No. Stronger.” Yaeth clarified. “He’s literally leagues above you. Don’t even think about it going after him. He hates the fact that commoners like us are allowed to attend the College, but he leaves me alone because my family is still respected and somewhat wealthy. You, however, are a priority target.”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t.” But Raiel knew there was no way around it. There was no doubt that Clavic wasn’t finished, and that he held a serious grudge. Clavic would come for him, and when he did, Raiel feared there would be no running. He would have to crush Clavic, so he wouldn’t come back. It was the only way to be safe, that he could see.

Raiel stretched his back with a groan, laying in his bed, before getting up and putting on clothes that were starting to develop a noticeable smell.

He went and opened the window and looked out on the whirling leaves and the radiating sun. It was a morning he enjoyed. The first one in a while. Yaeth still lay storing on his own bed, blanket kicked off in his sleep and one leg hanging off the side of the mattress.

He climbed onto the table and then onto the windowsill. He made the same jump as the day before, nonchalantly making his way along the branch by hanging in his arms. Dropping from branch to branch, he swiftly reached the ground at walked toward the dining hall and café Yaeth had shown him yesterday.

“You’re up early!” a round-faced lady remarked merrily from behind the kitchen counter and nudged a similarly round-faced man next to her, who had been standing with his back turned. He looked over his shoulder, smiling when he saw the early riser. “We’ll have breakfast ready in a jiffy!” he said.

“Thanks.” Raiel answered. He was a little nervous to be on his own. He wanted to make a good impression on the people he would see regularly. A few other students of varying ages gradually started to trickle into the dining hall, taking their seats at the numerous tables in small, closely knit groups. They spoke quietly or not at all, looking more than a little unwilling to be up at such an early hour. Raiel was used to getting up with the sun, but could definitely understand the almost magnetic pull of a warm bed.

Being new, nervous, and pretty sure that they had no shared interests, Raiel opted to stay standing alone. He wasn’t in a hurry to make new friends now that he had Yaeth on his side. Experience had taught him not to rush into it, unless he was vying for a beating.

When the cooks behind the counter finally called out that the food was ready to be served, Raiel was the first one there, starving. Today’s menu was fried eggs with thick slices of bacon and spinach stewed in cream. He commented on the wonderful smell and asked for an extra large serving to the mirth of the cook. He brought the plate to an empty table, which was quickly becoming a rare thing as people were really starting to arrive for breakfast.

He ate in silence, trying to get used to using utensils. More than anything, he wanted to just dig in with hands and face, but thought it better to keep a low profile. He intermittently scanned the crowd for Yaeth, but there were just too many people to spot a single person among them, despite the fact that this dining hall apparently only was one of several across campus, not counting regular dining establishments.

“Your gaze is too intense.” a cheerful voice said, and Raiel looked up from his food to see Eryna plop into the seat across from him. Her plate held considerably less food than his plate had, before he ate it all. “That’s why no one is sitting here.” she winked.

Raiel looked around at the people near him more closely and caught at least a couple of them throwing curious glances in his direction, and then quickly looking away when they saw him staring.

“Huh.” he mumbled wonderingly, unsure what he could do about such an innate habit. Even the thought of not being constantly alert felt unnatural.

“Hey, look…” she started, a nervous expression passing over her face. “Before anything else, I want to apologize.” Her eyes were glued to her plate as she spoke sincerely. “I shouldn’t have given you that sedative injection after you changed your mind about it… When I told Nurse Sakano, she was furious. Said it was virtually malpractice. But I was just so caught up in the moment. I should have listened to your wishes before anything else. I’m really sorry, and it won’t happen again!” She bowed her head, a few strands of her hair falling into the still steaming food in front of her.

Raiel sat frozen, unsure of how to respond. “Uuh, no, it’s fine.” he managed to say haltingly. “It worked out for the best in the end, right?” he commented with a smile as he brandished his healing arm. Her mouth fell open as visible relief washed over her.

“Oh, thank you!” she burst out, quickly wiping her eyes with an arm and shaking her head to clear it. “So, how’s school going? Are you beginning to settle in?” she asked.

“Yeah, I have a roommate and start work tomorrow.” he said.

“Nice, what dorm—…” she trailed off and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Wait, did you say work? Aren’t you here to study?” she questioned.

“Yeah, I am.” he answered. “But I have to work around campus as well, in order to pay my tuition.”

Her eyebrow stayed raised “I didn’t even know you could do that. Can’t your parents pay your tuition?”

“I don’t have parents.” he elucidated, his smile faltering somewhat.

Her eyes opened wide, as her hand covered her gasping mouth and she was at a momentary loss for words. “Oh… Oh, I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t know.” she managed to stutter with horror evident both in her voice and on her face.

Raiel couldn’t help but laugh out loud at such a genuine reaction, to the complete bewilderment of Eryna, who didn’t understand his sudden outburst. “It’s alright.” he chuckled before growing a bit more serious. “It happened…long ago.” he explained.

She tilted her head and looked at him worryingly. Preferring not to dwell on the subject for any longer than necessary, Raiel changed the topic. “So, what can I do to fit in better?” he asked, trying for a light-hearted tone.

She hurried to answer, seemingly just as eager to move on. “Maybe you should cut your hair.”

“My hair?” he asked.

“Yes. It’s long and tangled. I’ve never seen such long hair, not even on girls. It definitely stands out.” she said.

“I see. Guess I’ll get it over with today, then.” he mused.

“Do you know where it is? I can take you.” she offered.

“Thanks, that would be great!”

They talked for a little while before leaving, since the barber wouldn’t open for another hour. As they strolled through the campus town, they frequently stopped to look through the windows of various shops. Eryna proved to be a far more patient guide than Yaeth had been. At Raiel’s request, Eryna took him to the instrument shop so he could look inside properly. There were many different and exciting instruments, all of which had their own unique way of producing sound. He liked the simplicity of the flute, as well as the sound, and could imagine that tone carry for distances through the quiet forest. Raiel promised himself, that he would buy an instrument from this shop once he made some money.

They made their way to the barber, and opened the door to a perfumed room, with two rows of four comfortable-looking chairs. In front of each chair was a large mirror. Three of the eight chairs were already occupied by customers, who sat with a towel draped over their torso to prevent cut hair from getting on their clothes.

“What are those blank surfaces?” Raiel asked Eryna with a nod toward the walls.

“Mirrors?” she answered hesitantly with a side glance.

“Mirrors…” he repeated. “They show the person looking in them how they appear?” He was about to walk in front of one before he stopped dead in his tracks. “Will they show me how I look?” he asked as a shiver ran down his spine and arms.

“Uh, yes.” she said. “Raiel, are you okay?” Even without looking at her, he could hear the puzzlement and concern.

“Yes, yes. I’m fine.” he said absentmindedly, still looking at the mirrors, but not at an angle where the reflection showed him himself yet. If this was a regular tool for humans, and it seemed like it was, judging from Eryna’s reaction, he’d have to get it over with sooner or later.

He opened his eyes as wide as he could to make sure they stayed open, and stepped further into the room, facing the mirrors.

What he saw shook him to his core. It’s not that he looked particularly different from other people, but knowing that the one he was looking at was himself was more than unsettling. That the eyes he saw everything with were also the eyes looking back at him. That the lower lip he could feel quivering was also the lip he saw in the mirror. That the hair flowing along his back was also the hair he saw in his reflection. He tried to turn, to look away and walk away, but he couldn’t. His feet felt nailed to the ground.

A hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his daze, and Eryna’s face came into view.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, frantically waving a hand in front of Raiel’s face. “I’ve been calling you name. What happened?” she asked.

He stared at her, dumbstruck. “Nothing.” He muttered, shaking his head.

Eryna studied him with scrutiny. “Okay.” she said slowly, drawing out the word, as she kept an eye on him. She went to speak with one of the barbers and was told that they’d be ready for him in ten minutes. They spent the time waiting, as Raiel took a seat in one of the chairs and inspected his face in the mirror.

When the time came for his haircut, he suddenly remembered that he had no money. “I’ll pay.” Eryna laughed with a dismissive gesture. He sighed and let himself fall back in the chair as a towel was draped over him, hoping he would soon be.

Raiel let Eryna direct the hairdresser concerning his hair. He didn’t particularly care about how it turned out, so long as he would stand out less than he did. “I think we’ll go with something simple.” she decided. She stepped around to stand next to the hairdresser, who dutifully took instructions from her. The first step was to cut of a significant length of hair, and Raiel could actually feel a subtle loss of weight.

“A little more off on the sides.” she commented, and a comb and scissors passed close by his ear, the metallic sound of the scissors giving him the chills.

“It’s perfect!” she squealed, delighted. “You look so handsome!”

Raiel didn’t know how to respond, so he just kept his mouth shut, looking at his bare feet with embarrassment. He liked the way it looked, and liked the added freedom of movement the short hair provided. The sides looked to be cut down to about a couple of centimeters in length, and the top about ten.

It really did look completely different. He hadn’t expected the hair to play such a major role in how his face looked in general, as well. He was happy with it.

Eryna paid the barber what they owed him, and he went on to the next customer, as they left the shop.

“I think it’s about time I got going.” she stated. “Got biology in…fifteen minutes!” she exclaimed in surprise after looking at something Raiel recognized as a timepiece strapped to her wrist. She took off running and waved to him over her shoulder. “See you around!” she called. “Be careful walking around alone!”

Raiel raised a hand in farewell as he watched her turn a corner. His neck and collar were itching with small, near invisible hairs.

Having time to himself, and knowing Yaeth had classes as well, Raiel didn’t know what to pass the time with. His empty pockets ruled out buying pastries in his new favorite bakery. Besides, he wasn’t sure he’d even be able to find it again in any case. Instead, he decided to walk back, towards his dorm room, to see if he couldn’t explore his backyard a little before his days became busy.

He climbed the tree and entered his room through the window that Yaeth thankfully hadn’t closed. His roommate was nowhere to be seen, having left for classes already. He looked at the wall above the headboard of his bed. He’d like to hang a mirror there. Apropos hanging, he like to hang some more clothes in his closet, too. The more he discovered about this interesting new world, the longer his list of material wishes became. He’d need to find a way to make some money, or he would be dependent on others for the rest of his life.

He left his jerkin and itchy undershirt in his closet and left his room to look around.

He made his way further into the forest, where the birds chirped, and the woodpecker pecked. The rays of light streaming through the canopy above was beautiful and calming, and when he noticed a bright, sun-bathed spot in the grass under an old oak, he knew he had to nap there.

The healthy vegetation felt nice and soft against his back, and the moss covering the roots of the oak made a comfortable headrest. He closed his eyes with a content smile and let the feeling of idyll wash over him.

He focused on his breathing as the chirping of birds faded from his notice and he gradually entered the meditative state he’d become so familiar with in the cell.

Everything he’d experienced in the past two and a half days swirled within his head, desiring to fall into order in his mind. He rapidly relived it all in fleeting fragments as the memory of the surge of energy during his fight with the bear sent his blood roiling. His breathing became ragged and he felt himself slip from the trance.

Just then, as he was about to come out of the meditation, an unknown tranquility brought a semblance of calm back to his respiration. The image of an enormous lake became seemingly superimposed upon the inside of his eyelids. The lake was calmer than any he had seen before, its surface so still, that it appeared glassy. He wanted to dive into it, but realized that he was seeing the surface from beneath. Still, the image was as clear as if he had been above, and he saw the blue sky through the watery barrier.

Then, from one moment to the other, he was floating amidst the dense, lush crowns of wooden giants, looking down upon the same lake, undisturbed still. He let himself go and simply existed in the moment.

His reverie came to an abrupt end as a muddy boot connected with his nose and the back of his head banged painfully against the roots. A jeering snicker told Raiel exactly who had come to finish what had been started.