13 A new rumor!

I wave back at her, while I already see some healers advancing in our direction.

That's when I realize, that the fight has gathered quite a number of spectators. Many students and instructors rushed over, when they heard the first noises of the battle.

"That's a splendid technique little princess", Tongord compliments Celes. Morden is still too shocked to say something, it is the first time I have seen her speechless.

"Nothing worth mentioning! Don't you have someone here, who can put up a little resistance?", Celes is dusty all over, but still talks big.

"Hmmm, I will have to put you into the special class. There is no way I can let you fight normal students.", Tongord talks to himself.

"So no one here at the moment? Then I will take you as a training partner Angrod! No need to completely waste this lesson.", Celes looks at me like devil!

"I... I will pass! I will be just a punching bag for you!", I refuse! There is no way I can stand up to that brute without spells.

But I get grabbed and pulled into the direction of the arena. "No need to hold back! I allow you to use spells."

As we stand in front of each other, I start to buff myself with every spell I can think of. Agility! Strength! Stone Skin! Shield! Vitality! Inner Peace! Regeneration!

When I am ready I nod at Celes. "Aren't you overdoing it a little?", she asks. "Any less and I will die!", I just want to make this clear!

So we start our match and keep it up, until we notice the bell, which signals the end of the lesson. In the meantime, just the impacts of fists and feet on the opponents body could be heard. As we climb out of the arena, the rest of the students have concentrated at the other side of the gym.

Tongord waves two papers at us, "This are the registration forms for my special class! Fill it out and go there in future! No need to have you two destroy one of my arenas every lesson.", he looks down into the arena, which can only be described as a hole with debris inside by now.

We are both battered and sore all over. Though I am in a much worse state! The witch didn't hold back at all and made a game out of hitting places that didn't hurt yet. So my whole body hurts by now.

"Area Heal!", a shining circle of healing light envelops us. I guess it would draw attention if I healed only myself.

"You two are both awesome! Next time I want to train with you!", Morden has recovered herself. I will be sure to have her swap with me next time.

Celes nods, "Yes! Its good to have more opponents. It is a greater challenge like that!"

So I alone wasn't enough for you! I want to cry.

The girls run off to the changing rooms. I follow them just a little unmotivated. Will this be my new school-life? Being beaten up on a regular basis doesn't sound like fun at all!

After this we changed and met up again to go for mathematics and arts lessons. Mathematics wasn't anything special, just the regular stuff that gets taught in every world.

In arts we had to draw a picture, which got Celes really motivated. She seems to be a natural and got a really neat painting of a countryside done. Maybe something from her past life's?

I myself can proudly announce that I tried to introduce modern art to the world! It had huge similarity to a Rorschach test, I was sure to change the world with this!

But the teacher, Jeniva Guger, didn't think like that. She asked me why I sullied her lesson with my presence. It's just wrong, if you think about it! How can a teacher say something like that to a student!

So the hours went by, until we stood before it!

The door to the mystic arts classroom! I pressed down the handle and entered. Just three students were inside. And I know them!

"Oh hi! Angorn and Celes, you take this lesson too??? Wow, you are brave!", Margerie Cygnus calls out to us. Besides her is her brother Stephen Cygnus. A row behind them is Sven Hjavars, who waves at us.

"Hi, nice to see you! And why are we brave, because of taking this lesson? And why are you here Stephen, I thought you were older than us?", Celes asks.

"I am here because I am already retaking this lesson for the third time! And you are brave, because you signed up for a lesson, you are guaranteed to fail. So you won't have the freedom to fail any other lesson this year.", Stephen tells us, while looking like he has bitten into a lemon.

"Then why do you retake this lesson for the third time!?", I ask. "I hate to give up, I will take this lesson until I pass or die of old age!", he replies.

Wow. That's what I call determination! "So, could you explain what the mystic arts are about?", I inquire further.

"The mystic arts that mister Samarin teaches, are about all kinds of things. From the state of the world, to magic rituals and science. Teacher is very smart, and he teaches whatever you ask about without caring about any curriculum. And that's the problem! At the end of the year he will ask you some stupid stuff you never heard or talked about.", Margerie explains.

At that the door opens and Samarin walks inside and smiles at us. Strangely enough he is the first person I see in this world, who looks completely human. Just his skin is a little reddish.

"Oh look what we have here. One, two, three, four, five people are willing to take the trial! That's a new record! Normally everyone, who hears about it applies for something else at the last minute!

As for introductions, I am Samarin and your teacher. You can ask me everything you want and I will teach it to you. Now please introduce yourself with your name and a single sentence about you." -Samarin

"Margerie Cygnus, I want to learn everything I can to levitate something without magic!" -Margerie

"Stephen Cygnus, I wish nothing more than to pass the test for this lesson." -Stephen

"Sven Hjavars, I just want to listen...", someone whispers.

"Angrod Tirna, I will rule the world!" -Me

"Celes Stricc, I will save the world!" -Celes

"Hmmm, now that I look at you..... I have heard rumours in the hallway. It was about a horned devil, which beat a student half dead and then fighting a second devil in the gym, where one of the arenas was completely destroyed.

I hope it has nothing to do with you two?" -Samarin

"I don't know what you are talking about." - "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Angrod is my most beloved fiance! Why should I fight him, absurd!", Celes hugs me from the side.

"Honey, I am sure that nobody with a working brain could ever think that we would fight over anything!", I put an arm around her.

DDDAAAMAMMNNNN ITTT! FUUUCK NICOSAR! IT IS ALREADY A REFLEX!

"Well, in any case, I have to start the lesson, what should we talk about?" -Samarin

"I want to know about the goddess Seria! There is something I find strange.", Stephen calls out.

"Hoh, what is it you find strange?" -Samarin

"We believe in a single god, the goddess Seria. That goes for the whole world. But there are some strange inconsistencies in our beliefs. Even though there is only one god, when we receive our prophecy at the age of one. The priest says that "the gods" will judge us, as if there would be many of them." -Stephen

"Unfortunately, that's something even I can't answer for sure. What I do know is this. The goddess Seria appeared to us on several well documented occasions over the centuries.

Every time she decided to reveal herself, her revelations had a great effect on the whole world. However, there are times when mortals like us could talk to her for a while. In most cases those people were seen as her avatars.

From her words, we can conclude that she is not the only god in existence. And that this world is just one of many. Some wise people are of the opinion, that other worlds may have other gods too. Though if they exist they haven't showed themselves to us. The reason for that, we may never know.

On the other hand you are a very lucky person Stephen. Because two of the very few people, who had ever contact with the goddess are sitting right beside you, if the rumours are true...."

-Samarin looks at Celes and me.