Getting Ready

While I was in the gym punching a bag because I had to let loose some pent up energy and anger Dae’lin called. I stopped punching the bag long enough to answer. “Yes, mother?”

Dae’lin groaned. She didn’t think it was all that funny. Which made me laugh that much more – at least to myself. I would never laugh at Dae’lin Rivera. That 5 foot tall brunette would kick my ass from here to there. I swear. It did help that she had the full Venatori strength and agility behind her and the use of the elements, but no one beat me in elemental speed, accuracy or implementation. And while that is me bragging, it was also a straight-up fact. At the age of 18 I was the most powerful Cesari in several hundred generations. The only thing keeping me off the Venatori throne – well not the only thing, I didn’t want the fucking job to begin with – was the fact that I was eighteen and inexperienced and they didn’t want some kid mucking up their precious little hierarchy. And most importantly they didn’t want a half human outsider helping make law in their regime with his out of the box thinking and his shouldn’t be understand them mentality. It had gotten me in trouble more times than I could count.

Dae’lin was growling on the phone. “What?” I asked aggravated now.

“You drifted again. Did you hear me?”

I sighed. She’d been right I drifted. “No. I’m sorry. I’ll pay attention this time.” I sulked.

“Wear your suit to dinner.” Dae’lin instructed in her most parental voice.

“You do know we are going to Lenard’s Fish Market right?”

“I don’t care Nox. Wear your suit. You are making an impression.”

I sighed, “They are my fucking parents I shouldn’t have to make an impression.” I hung up the phone knowing fully well I’d wear the suit my mentor instructed me to wear. I was nothing if not obedient.

So I stood in front of the bathroom mirror down the hall from my room applying eye liner and straightening my persimmon colored tie. I smirked as I called the elements to me and ran my fingers through my hair. The tips turned an exact shade of the tie. That would piss Dae’lin off. The red or blue blended well enough to get away with it, but this was bright.

I wasn’t lucky enough to be alone the entire time. Aaron walked into the bathroom and saw me. I watched as his normal resting-bitch-face turned into that wicked smile that told me I was in for a beating. I wasn’t in the mood so I threw up a wall of air between me and my life time tormentor. He didn’t even see the pattern of air, he was an Ignis Magnus and nothing more, couldn’t see air for the life of him. Aaron walked straight into the wall and was cursing at me as I walked past him while he pounded on the wall. “I’ll get you, fag.”

I sighed at the name calling. He was never very creative. I let the wall of air down and Aaron stumbled but quickly regained his feet and was lunging at me swinging. I didn’t move quite as fast as he did and he landed a punch across my left eye which whipped my head to the side and I felt the pain of his strength crunching against my face. He didn’t break anything thankfully but I was on the ground bleeding while Aaron stood over me about to pummle into the tile but another boy walked into the bathroom and then quickly turned on his heels and sprinted out of the room lest he be pulled into the fight too.

But it was enough that I could pull away from Arron and huddle in the corner behind the door under a shield of air. I was no wuss and I wasn’t afraid of Aaron. But I was afraid of Dae’lin and her wrath. I was afraid of staying in this fucking place another year. The only upside to it Aaron would be gone. I wouldn’t have to deal with him, except he was a bloody Scrin and would stay here. He already had a job in HQ processing something or another – grunt work, like the grunt he was. A useless peace of Venatori flesh if you asked me, he wasn’t even a good fuck. Not that he’d ever admit he had done anything with me. But when the season is dry and there is someone willing to take your shit, well for Aaron it was easy. Specially when the other boys took their turn first.

So I waited in the corner – unafraid of Aaron but cowering anyway. Aaron bored quickly and Ross was peaking his head in the door. He saw me sitting in the corner and frowned then looked at Aaron, “He’ll stay there all day, why are you wasting your time on the fag?”

There was that word again but I knew Ross was only being a prick because Aaron was a prick. We’d lost several roommates because Aaron was an ass. I was okay with that because it meant I got half the room to myself. Aaron kicked the air shield on last time for good measure and shrugged. “He’s not worth it.” And he walked out.

I waited until my alarm went off before I was heading down to Dae’lin’s office to meet my mother for the first time since she threw me away.

Nox

Hey Ducklings, my name is Nox. I am first and foremost a fictional character escaped from the mind of my creator AJ.

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