Chapter 11: Gliding By pt.2

[Helen’s POV]

“Through and fro, no matter where you go. You'll be in the same place”

That's what my mother told me one of Zond’s stars said to her one morning, when I was 4 years old. My parents studied the stars and surely the stars taught them back.

I walked on break, my Quatzel on my shoulder, to find someplace to read the scroll transformation. But every point I searched I was met with occupiers and bothersome people. They aren't evil, but they make you feel like they’re purposely malicious, they're not, they just can't think about their consequences. I continued walking up the stairs and I met the same problem. I was so desperate to finish a chapter that I climbed the stairs to the final floor. I found a quiet and unoccupied room to read, but just as I opened my scroll in this empty room…

Someone was weeping.

I wanted to continue and see what book Soligato would do with the ultimatum he was given over the pot of endless streams, but a weird feeling in my heart denied it. “S…Someone’s there?...” I called out very quietly, since I wasn't used to saying my thoughts out loud, my words always get puzzled, they always sound so simple and insecure…

They still wept.

Ghosts, ghouls, werejaguars, rooks, whatever it might be over there… Who am I kidding, it can't be a dangerous thing, it's the Sun Academy. anything unholy would've been smitten to smithereens in this place. I decided to approach the weeping, rolling my scroll back and walking closer, he was there.

The Chief Priest.

Seems from the walls and room that by accident I was at his office: The cracked table made of greystone, the walls filled with diagrams of the human anatomy and the best sources of magic, the written rules and dress codes. There was one list that was ripped but from the first few lines I recognised that it was an Amatl with the Academy’s Ideals.

The amatl should've read this:

“Sun Academy’s goals:

A perfect training module for warrior priests.

Perfect magic lessons.

To make every student a role model citizen.

To make every student a hero of legends.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

To make sure no student dies under our protection.

To make sure every student makes Zond proud.

To make sure for a better future.

To make sure to focus on the perfect life.”

I wonder why it was ripped so crudely.

I approached the Chief Priest closer, The amatl was in his hand, gripped tightly yet gently, his feathered crown that each feather was plucked off of a quetzal male was on the ground, facing away from him. The Chief Priest was leaning against a bowl, I'm not sure what it had, he seemed tired and scared, and sad. “E…Excuse me sir?” He turned towards me immediately, immediately stopped the weeping noise and gave a bright happy smile of a gentle old man.

“Oh, Helen daughter of Mika. I'm sorry I didn't recognise your words earlier.” The Priest Chief said, standing with his back erect and tall, speaking with the bright and easiness of a strong priest.

“Y..You know my name?” I saw him only once, we never switched words before.

“Of course sweetheart, I know all the names of this Academy.”

“I…Is this some sort of magic..?” The Chief Priest smiled at my question.

“No, just know the name associated with the number on your shoe” He tapped my shoe carefully with his sandal.

“Oh… H-Haha..” I.. still didn't feel good. “Why… did you sound sad?” I asked, I could feel my hairs standing as I saw his expression change.

“You know…” The Chief Priest began, getting towards his office chair and motioning me to sit in front of him. Out of pure complying fear I marched towards the chair, like a trained Xolo. He sat as soon as I did. “...Not even my second in command priest has heard that out of me. Is this fate?”

“...” I was getting too anxious to speak, he saw that.

“You're the daughter of Mika, the astronomer, right?” I felt he was keen on talking to me.

“Yeah…”

“I knew her.”

“Y..You did??” I asked, shocked.

“She gave a speech once for the Warriors fighting against the Northirins”

“Right.. I.. I was 15 when that happened..” I recalled the anxiety and insomnia from the nights I waited for my mother to return from the warzone, I wish I was as confident as she was.

“She's a very intelligent woman, indeed.” He sighed, and then asked “Do you think this meeting is fated?”

“I… don't think so…” I replied, perplexed.

“Interesting” He said, putting his hands together into a ball of fist and leaning his upper lip against it, thinking. “I've got another question.”

“O..Okay” I'm still so awkward, I should've said something more intellectual and confident like “do tell” or “I'm all ears”.

“Answer me with your fullest sincerity…” He said and when he gazed at me again, my heart pumped rushing red cells into my veins in adrenaline and fear, as when he met his eyes with mine they shone fluorescent green. “I can tell if you're lying…” He continued, his voice eerily low but at the same time spoken as if in a soundless void, for some reason i couldn't hear a thing but the ringing of silence like I was alone in a deep motionless sea and his voice, perfectly sound and echoing “Tell me, if you were to sacrifice it all. Your house, your life, your friends… all so that the rest of the world will leave happily while you lay in pain, would you do it?”

What was I supposed to say? I was so freaking scared, he was using hallucination magic… which are banned inside the Academy like it was nothing, and he just stared at me, expecting me to react like it's normal.

“...Yes” Immediately when I finished, his eyes returned to normal and the strange eerie ringing stopped, I wanted to cry out of pure fear.

“...This means a lot for me, Helen” I started bawling my eyes out. From fear and relief, up until today I never got afflicted with magic.

“I'm sorry I scared you like this, Helen. At least you're going to be more prepared than the rest of the students when it comes to defenses.” I didn't feel like he was malicious, his voice and mannerisms by themselves just didn't make me feel scared… I don't understand why, but usually when I have gut-feelings over people I'm usually very right.

“I.. It's o…okay” I wiped my tears, trying to calm down. We talked a bit more about life until I felt ready to return back, break was already over so he sent me with one of the Priests. I continued the day as normal, with these thoughts in my mind.