Chapter 24- Date Day

Chapter 24: Chapter 24- Date Day

\The staff grew, blocking a wind blast. Due to its size, it didn’t push Alaric back. He closed one eye and held it tighter as Arthur jogged opposite of him, using his increasing momentum to send out wind bursts from his hands and feet. They’ve been at this for about half an hour, the other half was him actually trying to do it. Fortunately, he soon figured out how to apply what Alaric suggested into practice. Eventually the bell rang through the training room and they were forced to stop.

Alaric lifted his gaze before looking towards his watch, "Time’s up..." he whispered as the staff disappeared from his grip. Arthur rolled his shoulders and squeezed his fists, "Alright, that should be a good stopping point..." He walks up and pats Alaric on his back, "Thanks for the help!" He smiled with a thumbs up. The two turned and walked towards the door, "It was no problem at all... just don’t forget to keep trying, it took... a little too long for you to get the hang of it..."

Arthur sighed and rubbed his hair, "Y-Yeah... thanks for the reminder." Alaric pushed open the door and hopped onto Skydancer, "So, what are you gonna do?" He asked softly.

Arthur looked down, "Oh, I think I need some food, and I’ll probably go to sleep. My body is aching like crazy...!"

The white haired boy nodded, "Makes sense. I’ll probably head to sleep myself." He reached for his schedule from his pocket, "I actually have tomorrow completely free since I don’t have my mentorship class."

"Lucky! My off days aren’t until Wednesday and Thursday..."

Alaric waved his hand, "It’s only for now though. Might as well take advantage while I can." Sky began to lift off the ground, as Alaric threw his fingers out, "See you soon man." He shouted as he flew off. "You too man!"

...

Alaric pushed the door to his dorm open and stepped inside. He yawned and tossed his backpack away onto the floor. He rubbed his eyes before walking into his bedroom and grabbing a towel. He figured a quick shower before bed was smart, especially after all the sweating he did today. Besides, he liked to think and reflect on the day when he was in the shower. Flicking the lights on, he stepped inside and tossed his towel on the rack. He twisted the shower knob and made sure the water was as hot as possible. He slowly began to peel his clothes off and stepped inside. With a soft exhale, he leaned under the shower head and let the water run down his hair and body.

He closed his eyes, and let his body handle the cleaning while he jumped into his mind.

His first day of Ascendant Arcane Academy was... an interesting experience to say the least. While not much happened, he learned more than he expected. He got to see more of the strongest people in the world in the form of their teachers, along with things he needs to work on... courtesy of his physical training instructor. He opened his eyes and stared aimlessly at the wall as his body moved on its own.

He also got to see how some of his friends have grown stronger as well. In all honesty, he was happy to see that. He wanted to be surrounded by people he trusted, but also surrounded by strong people. And... he feels like they’re just the group for that. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the remnants of shampoo slide down his hair and over his face.

But, if his days consisted of this? He wasn’t sure how long he could handle it. He needed more. He came to this academy because of the excitement of fighting and battles... the dungeons. He wasn’t sure how long you had to be attending to finally go to a dungeon, it wasn’t something he thought he had to look up. He shook his head, his hair whipping water everywhere as he stood up straight.

Maybe he could endure just a bit longer. But eventually something’s going to have to change. His hand reached out and switched the water off. He swiped the shower curtain away and stepped out. He glanced towards the mirror, peeking behind his bangs. The boring things will end soon. He’s sure.

...

When his alarm rang, he turned it off and closed his eyes. He buried himself under his blanket, even as the heat began to seep into his body. He was breathing softly, his body going still. Well, until the covers were pulled away, falling onto the ground. The sun beamed into his eyes, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut. Something soft began to press into his side and he sighed softly. "Sky..." he called out softly as the cloud pushed into him, forcing him onto the surface of its body. It began to float towards his closet. Alaric sighed and opened his eyes, "Guess this is what I get for teaching you a schedule huh...?" He whispered as he sat up on the cloud. He opened the closet and rummaged through it for a simple pair of clothes while Sky beamed under him. Eventually he got dressed and flew out of his room through the window. The wind began to whip through his air as he looked down.

He was completely free today. With nothing to do, he wondered what he could do. He tracked the people below him, as if looking among them. He noticed people walking towards a small stand nearby one of the main buildings. He was slightly curious about it, but his curiosity was overwritten by spotting a familiar. He felt a small smile twitch on his lips as he spotted her.

Clorissa.

He swallowed and felt his heart hammer slightly. Well, if he was free... nothing wrong with asking her out right? He flew downward in her direction. Once near the ground, he called out, "Clorissa!" She jumped and turned. Once she recognized him, she smiled, "Alaric!" He floated closer before stepping off Sky. He waved, "How are you?" He asked softly as she moved to immediately pet Sky’s surface, who beamed softly. "I’m doing okay. How are you?"

"I’m fine." He felt his throat close before shaking his head. "H-Hey, if it’s not too much trouble... are you free?"

She lifted her gaze toward him, "Yes. My mentor class isn’t until the afternoon. Why do you ask?"

He opened his mouth, froze for a moment before blinking, "Uh... do you want to perhaps... hang out?" He looked away and rubbed his neck, "I... well... I don’t have any classes today so I have all the time in the world!" He paused. ’Ugh... that sounded so desperate...’

"Sure!" He blinked and stared at her for a short moment before shaking his head, "A-Alright! Perfect!"

She stepped closer a bit, "So, what do you have planned?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, that’s easy-" He opened his mouth, hoping to come up with something on the fly. But he was frozen in place.

She stared.

"..."

"...You didn’t plan this far did you...?" She asked softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. He lowered his finger, "...No."

She placed a hand over her mouth, giggling softly, "That’s okay. We can just walk around the academy." She suggested, her eyes glowing faintly.

He nodded, a beat of sweat falling from his forehead, "Y-Yeah, that sounds good..."

And so, the two of them simply walked through the campus. When they tracked past certain buildings, Alaric would look towards Clorissa, making sure she wasn’t bored or maybe if she wanted to stop at a certain spot. He sighed softly and looked ahead. His brain was working overtime, he needed some kind of topic...

"Say, Alaric..." he jumped and looked over. "What made you want to come here? To the academy I mean..."

He blinked and looked down. How should he answer? The full truth? Or just pieces... "Well, if I may be honest. I’m here... to get stronger." He glanced up and tilted his head, "And fight strong people." He said simply which gained her attention. He looked off towards the students roaming the academy, "It’s kinda all I can think about. When I think about a life worth living... I imagine constant danger and excitement." He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked towards her before letting his eyes dart away, "A-And that’s it..."

She blinked and moved closer a bit, "That’s... interesting."

"You sound like you expected something else..." She gave a little dip in her chin, "Well, in a way, yeah." She folded her arms under her chest, "I just didn’t expect it. Forgive me, but I figured you’d say the... stereotypical answer."

He lifted an eyebrow and tilted his head, "Huh? Oh, like wanting to save people and stuff?"

"Right." She placed a hand over her mouth and looked away, her eyes narrowed, "You kind of gave off that vibe when we first met..."

’Yeah I’m sure...’ he thought to himself as he wiggled his shoulders and stood up straight, "I admit it’s not very noble."

She turned her gaze towards him, "Which is completely fine. Everyone has their motivation..."

"Say, what’s yours? Why are you here?" He asked suddenly, catching her off guard slightly. She turned towards the path ahead, "Ah... well. It’s nothing complicated..." She took a short glance at something in her pocket, fast enough to miss. "I have a little... tick when it comes to fighting."

Alaric blinked and looked off, thinking. His breathing slowed as did his steps. He narrowed his eyes and looked towards her. Right. He noticed it once during their magic class yesterday. Her eyes tend to darken when she’s fighting... he thinks he remembers Faxon noticing that same thing during the entrance exam. He wondered about that as well...

She lowered her eyes, "I’ve always been like that. It’s also hard to explain. When I fight, or get annoyed... I tend to lose myself." She smiled softly, "Thankfully I’ve always been stopped before anything serious happens... like when Faxon stepped into the fight from the entrance exam."

Alaric walked closer, "You make it sound like whatever usually happens... you’ve experienced before."

She lifted her head, "It... has." She looked off again, her lips pressed tight. Her eyes were downcast and unfocused. Alaric watched her closely, paying lazer focus attention to her expression. He wasn’t too keen on people, so he was spitballing... But whatever usually happens whenever she "loses control" during a fight, has left a big scar on her person. It was better to try and change the subject while he was ahead, the worst thing he could do is make her uncomfortable.

"U-Um..." he reached out and gently grabbed her arm, causing her to jump. "Sorry, how about... we grab a quick snack?" He lightly pulled her in a different direction, "My sweet tooth is acting up anyway..." he quickly came up with as she lifted her gaze, "...You have a sweet tooth? I didn’t imagine that..."

"Guess I’m Mr Unpredictable..." he whispered, his terrible attempt at a joke. But she giggled, whether out of pity or genuine amusement was lost to him. But regardless, at least she was smiling again. They moved through the academy, looking for a spot to grab a quick snack. After a short journey, they walked inside of a small café that the campus had. He glanced towards Clorissa, "What kind of sweets do you eat?" He asked as they neared the counter.

"When I get the chance, I will die for some cookies...! Especially sugar cookies!" She expressed fondly, as she placed a hand on the bell, letting the loud ringing echo towards the back of the store. "What about you?"

"Ah, I’m a cake guy... white cake."

"Very plain... you continue to surprise me!"

"Who knew you were so judgemental..."

Eventually the cashier came out of the kitchen and pulled out a small notebook, asking the pair for their order.

As usual, the two ordered their preferred treats, a case of cookies for Clorissa and a small pan of plain white cake for Alaric. With a quick swipe of their IDs, their discount was in effect. The two moved and found a seat near the counter.

But, once they sat, Alaric noticed students leaving the Cafe at a quick pace. He blinked and sat up in his seat, "Hey, what do you think is going on?" He asked, pointing towards the sea of students leaving the cafe. She lifted her head and scanned the ocean of students, "Hm... I’m not sure." She turned to Alaric, "You want to check out once we get our food?"

He agreed and turned his gaze towards the counter, silently rushing the cook. Eventually, their names were called. The pair stood and walked to grab their snacks before rushing after the leaving students. Once outside, Alaric looked up.

Strung up along the side of one of the main buildings, was a banner. It seemed to detail some kind of in-house event within the academy. He lowered his eyes and walked towards the group. They stopped near the back and listened closely.

At least, that’s what he would’ve done... "Excuse me!" Clorissa called out to a group of three students, who turned towards her. Alaric jumped and covered his blushing face, looking away.

"What’s going on?" She asked with a tilt of her head. The students looked among themselves before looking back at them, "In a few short days the academy is having an event! A team death match!"

Alaric blinked and his attention was back in full effect. "Team death match?" He asked, taking a small step closer.

One of the students waved their hand, "I-It’s not an actual death match... that’s just what we’re calling it." They pointed towards the banner, "It’s just a four versus four match."

Alaric narrowed his eyes and turned towards Clorissa, about to ask her. But as his mouth opened, when his eyes looked towards her, she was already looking at him. The two stared at each other for a moment.

"...You thinking what I’m thinking?"

"...You thinking what I’m thinking?"

The two said it at the same time. With a quick smile they moved past the crowd and made their way towards one of various petition-like booths. With a quick search, they grabbed a small paper and wrote their names before sliding it into the mouth of the box.

"Do you think we’ll be on the same team?" Clorissa asked as the two turned and walked out of the group. "We can only hope, I want to fight alongside you again."

Clorissa blushed softly and stepped closer, causing their shoulders to bump lightly, "Me too."

Alaric swallowed as he felt his entire face go red. He began to sweat but smiled softly. Could this have gone any better...?