Morningstar

Lexan has his tray with food. The lunchroom is full as usual during lunch. Wither looks around, searching for a lonely table. “Where should we sit?” he asks Lexan. Lexan’s eyes continue searching. He finds Vil sitting alone. She has a salad near her and in front of her she has a doll.

“There,” he says. He begins walking before Wither looks at where he addressed. He stops next to Vil. “Can we sit here?”

“This is a public place,” she says. “I have no jurisdiction over who sits and who doesn’t.”

“But you have an opinion, and you are entitled to one,” Lexan says. Vil looks at him with her black lifeless eyes.

“It does not really matter if I have an opinion or not,” she says. “You can sit if you want or you can leave if you don’t want.”

“I want to sit in here,” he says and pulls the chair next to Vil. Wither pulls the chair next to him. They sit down. “What do you have there?”

“A doll,” Vil answers. Lexan looks closer. It is made of rags and hay. It has yellow strings that represent hair. She is sewing buttons for eyes. “It is a voodoo doll of Tilray. I want to see if I can shut her up whenever she starts insulting again.” Lexan wants to laugh, but he does not know how she would react.

“B-But voodoo is not real… is it?” Wither asks.

“There are many things that are real and are portrayed as fake,” Vil says. “Maybe voodoo is real.”

“Aren’t you supposed to have something of hers like a strand of hair or a fingernail for the voodoo to work?” Lexan asks. Even if he does not believe on voodoo, he does not let the chance of it being real disappear from his mind. He likes also learning about new stuffs.

“I do have a strand of her hair,” Vil says. “I inserted it inside the doll.”

“H-How did you…” Wither begins asking, but then finds Lexan’s and Vil’s eyes on him. “I, um, I was just wondering how you got the hair from her, that’s all.”

“You might get surprised of how much I can get away with,” Vil says. “No one pays attention to me. No one knows me. I am a ghost.”

“You are more than a ghost,” Lexan says. “You’ve caught my eyes several times. You are always doing something interesting.”

“You mean weird,” Vil says. “I am the weird girl.”

“Do you want me to call what you do weird?” Lexan asks.

“You are asking my opinion too much,” Vil says, settling the doll and the needle down.

“I want to see how you think,” Lexan says.

“Is this a pity lunch date?” Vil asks. “You saw the weird girl sitting alone and you thought that it would make me happy to see that someone is sitting with me. Well, it isn’t. I am fine on my own.”

“I am sure that you are,” Lexan says. “I just think that you are interesting, and I wanted to talk to you, that’s all.”

“What about him?” she says, pointing at Wither.

“I-I-I… I just follow Lexan around,” Wither answers.

“No, you are my friend, Wither,” Lexan says. “We don’t follow anyone around. We choose our destination together.” He turns to Vil. “And this time it led us to you and your voodoo doll, which I agree on your idea of Tilray. Silencing her for a minute wouldn’t be so bad.”

“We’ll have to see if it works,” she says, pushing the doll to the side and returning to her salad.

***

Kobo’s eyes light up when he sees Fey undo her bun and let her blonde hair free. He has liked Fey since the day he met her. He even told her and Moneo and Beta. She let him down gently, which he was glad about, and she did not change their friendship. But even if Kobo knows that she is his best friend and will never be more, he knows that he won’t stop seeing her beauty.

“I just know that I would have to let you win,” Spar tells her. He arrived at the lunchroom, saw Fey, and decided to flirt with her. Kobo is hearing the conversation, trying not to judge how direct Spar is being.

“And you won’t graduate because of me?” Fey asks. They are talking of what would happen if they have to compete against each other on the trials. “That’s nonsense. You shouldn’t make it easy for me.”

“I would do anything for you,” he says.

Fey giggles, which Kobo knows that it is a fake laugh. “You are making me blush.”

“Spar! Come on! We don’t want to be late,” someone calls for him.

“Right,” Spar answers and turns back to Fey. “I’ll see you later. Maybe tonight?”

“I don’t know,” Fey says. “Maybe you will, maybe you won’t.” He smiles and disappears.

“When are you going to tell him that you are not interested?” Beta asks.

“Probably never,” Fey says. “He gives me free drinks whenever I go to the Wraith.”

“That’s just plain wrong,” Moneo says.

Fey shrugs. “I don’t care.”

Kobo does not add anything. She never flirted with him that way. She never faked interest on him. He does not mind that now, but he once did, and it ate him from inside. To distract himself, he looks around the lunchroom. Almost everyone from his team is there. Vil, Lexan and Wither are together. East and Slier are just walking out. Zanna, Rin, and Phoenix are talking on their table.

He wonders what kind of conversation they are all having. He honestly is afraid of Vil and Phoenix. Vil is a weird girl, and the way that she has stared at him made him shiver. Phoenix, on the other hand, is capable of anything.

“Hey, Kobo?” Moneo asks. Kobo looks at him. “I was talking to you. What were you looking at?” He turns his sight to where Kobo was watching. “You were watching Phoenix? Do you…” His eyes are wide.

“No,” Kobo says. “I am a little afraid of her, to be honest.”

“Why?” Moneo asks. Beta and Fey are having their own conversation.

“Haven’t you seen the way that she speaks to Icarus?” he asks. “You must have seen how she bossed him and told him that she was next on the one-on-one practice.”

“But Tilray is the same,” Moneo says.

“But Tilray does that with everybody,” Kobo says. “She does not care who she is talking to. Phoenix does care.” He shivers. “I don’t know. I guess that it takes guts, which is a thing that I do not have.”

Moneo only stares at him. He must know that Kobo is referring that he cannot even stand up to Heigl, Kimber, Miles, and Zarf, whom had bullied him for years. “Then why don’t we talk to her?” Moneo says as he stands up.

“Why? That won’t solve anything,” Kobo says.

“Will it?” Moneo asks. “Come on.” He then says to Beta and Fey, “We’ll be right back.” Kobo follows him towards the table where Rin, Phoenix, and Zanna are. “Hey, can we sit in here for a moment?”

“Sure,” Phoenix says. She sits up straighter on her chair. Rin takes her elbow off the table. The only one that remains the same way is Zanna.

“So, Kobo here needs some advice,” Moneo says as they sit.

“Moneo,” Kobo warns. He does not think that this is a good idea.

“Let’s say that Kobo has some people that mock him,” Moneo says.

“Kobo, are you being bullied?” Rin asks quickly.

“I… I should leave,” Kobo says.

When he is about to stand up, Phoenix speaks, “I suggest that you break their spirits. Bullies are usually proud so hit what they love. If they are proud of their long hair, cut it off. If they have a crush on someone, make them look bad in front of them.”

“If they like fucking around, cut their dicks off,” Rin says. Moneo chuckles, but it also causes a smile on Kobo.

“Or if you want, we can do it for you,” Phoenix says.

“No, no, no,” Kobo says. He does not want Heigl and his group to think that he cannot defend himself.

“Well, whatever you need we are here for you,” Phoenix says.

“But why?” Kobo asks. “I-I mean, you hate our group.”

“No,” Phoenix says. “I hate Fey. She thinks that the world revolves around her. But no, we do not hate you. And you are now part of our team.” She stands up and so does Rin and Zanna. “If you need help, do not hesitate on asking us.” They leave the lunchroom.

Moneo turns to Kobo, smirking. “See? I told you that they would help.”

Kobo tries to smile. “Yeah,” he says. He is ready for the next time that he meets Heigl.

***

“Just leave me alone,” Agrion says, laying on his bed with his back facing Hakea.

“You should eat something,” Hakea says. When they left Draconic to go to the lunchroom, Agrion said that he was not going to eat and that he was going to take a nap instead. Hakea thought that it was weird, so he followed him. Xeon went ahead to pick up the lunch for them before they are over.

“I said that I am not hungry,” he says.

Hakea stares at the back of Agrion’s head. His brown hair is as messier as ever. Hakea sits on the bed. He places one hand on Agrion’s shoulder. “I have something that will make you feel better.”

“I am not in the mood,” Agrion says, jerking his shoulder away from him.

“Come on, Agrion,” Hakea says, reaching for his shoulder again. When he does, Agrion pushes him back as he sits up. Hakea stumbles out of the bed, but he manages to regain his balance and stand up.

“What was that for?” Hakea asks. “You did not need to–”

“You were not hearing me! I said that I am not in the mood,” Agrion yells.

“That is not a reason to shove me!” Hakea yells back. “You could have said later, and I would have heard you!”

“You do not get it! I am not in the mood now, later, nor ever!” Agrion stands up from the bed. “I do not want you to touch me ever again!”

“What has gotten into you?” Hakea asks.

“This anger has been built up over the years! I am tired of this! I am tired of you using me as if I am some object at your disposal!”

“I thought that you liked that!” Hakea rises his voice again.

“I did not know what I was thinking!” Agrion yells. “I thought that by letting you, you would eventually admit that you are gay! You would eventually realize that I was the only one for you!”

“I am not gay!” Hakea yells. “I like Phoenix!”

“Then bisexual! There is nothing wrong with being bisexual! It is not a bad word nor a term that does not exist! It is real! And you are one even if you don’t want to admit it!” He walks past Hakea, bumping his shoulder against him. Hakea lets him go, wondering if he has just lost his best friend.

***

Icarus returns to his dorm after practice. He will do what he does every evening when no one interrupts him. He will meditate, then run around the campus, then take a shower, and then sleep. When he is about to open the door to his room, he hears another door open.

“What do you want now?” Icarus asks.

“When are you glad to see me?” Demetrio asks from behind him. Icarus turns. Demetrio is standing behind him with a towel around his waist. He is wet; he must have just come out from showering.

“Probably never,” Icarus says.

“Come on, drop the charade,” Demetrio says. “We have all suffered like you.” He points at his scar on his left eyebrow. “I have this scar to prove it. I also have some on my chest, but my hair covers them. What I am saying is that all of us mentors have horrible pasts and we are not dramatic like you.”

“This is not drama,” Icarus says.

“Actually, I agree with Demetrio,” someone else says. A woman, whom Icarus recognizes as Kemba, is standing at the door next to Demetrio’s door. She has brown skin and her black hair is long and straight. “Your aura brings everyone down. You are holding too many things than what you can carry. Let some things go. Let some grudges go.”

“I am fine,” Icarus says.

Demetrio takes his hand to his chin. “I think that you have a high self-esteem, that’s all.” He lowers his hand. “You survived the assassin’s trial. Guess what? If any one of us would have been the assassin, we would have survived. I even would have killed more than just the minimum.”

“But you were not on the assassin’s trial, I was,” Icarus answers.

“What Demetrio is trying to say is that you should at least open up,” Kemba says as she walks towards them. “Signe is actually going to throw small party downstairs for the mentors. He left practice early to leave Morningstar and fetch drinks. You should come.”

“No,” Icarus says as he turns. “I am in here just for the job, nothing more.”

“We are not done talking to you,” Demetrio says. Icarus feels when Demetrio extends his arm to grab him. Icarus turns and grabs him by the wrist.

“Don’t touch me,” he warns.

Demetrio grins and jerks his wrist away from him. “I cannot wait to face you at the trials. I want to see you bleed on the ground.”

“Unfortunately, that will never happen,” Icarus says as he opens the door and enters before closing it.

Now, Icarus does not feel like meditating. He does not feel comfortable staying at his dorm. He opens the window. He should go for a walk. He climbs down the three floors and heads for a stroll.

***

Wither is standing in front of the black stone walls. These walls were already made when he joined Morningstar. He does not remember his life before that and he does not want to remember. He does not want to know what he lost. These walls hold the carved names of every single person that has died at Morningstar. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of names. He hoped to never be in front of those walls, reading a name that he knew, but now he is reading Yenta’s name.

“Hello, Yenta,” he says. He is alone. No one likes to visit this place. Who would blame them? “Today I learnt a new trick with a spear. Icarus also made us run around Morningstar to raise our stamina. Lexan has been kind to me. It is as if you sent him to make me company. Oh, also, we spoke to Vil. She is a strange lady that lurks alone at the corners, but she is cool. She is part of our team also.

“Um, what else can I tell you?” Wither says as he looks down thinking. “I think that Zanna and I are becoming friends. You know Zanna, right? She is one of the four gunslingers with Phoenix, Rin, and Meer. Unfortunately, Meer was also killed during the trial so that just leaves three gunslingers. Well, I was partnered with her on practice and Hakea offered to change partners, but she did not want to. She reminded me of you when she told me that I had a funny side. You used to say that, but I did not believe you.”

Wither hears something from his left. He looks to his side. Icarus is standing near him. Wither for a second feels embarrassed. How much did he hear?

“Speaking to Yenta?” he asks. Wither does not want to answer. “I used to speak to my friends the same way. I always thought of them watching me.”

“How… How did they die?” Wither asks.

“They died on different occasions, but most died at the assassin’s trial,” he says. “It was the year with the most deaths on the assassin’s trial at Nightlight.” Wither’s eyes return to Yenta. “I am sorry for killing Yenta.” Wither does not answer. “Morning gave me a list of fifty students that he chose to die. Yenta was one of those.”

“W-Why?” Wither asks.

“For many reasons,” Icarus says. “Morning might have thought that those fifty students did not have what it take to pass the trials.”

“But… Yenta was better than me,” Wither says. “He was a better warrior than me. Why did he die and not me?”

Icarus looks at the sky. “The saints might have different plans for you.” He looks back at the wall. They don’t say anything for a few minutes. “Want to pray?”

Wither looks at Icarus. “I-I don’t believe in anything.”

“But you believe that Yenta is watching over you,” Icarus says. “Praying does not mean that you are submitting to a stronger force. Praying can be used as a form of communication. Use it to talk to Yenta.”

“I don’t know how…”

“I’ll show you,” Icarus says and gets to his knees. Wither follows. “Close your eyes and speak on your mind or out loud, whichever you prefer.”

Wither imagines Yenta, and for once, he feels at peace with himself.