At The Core

"Who's the kid?" Feiom’s disappointment changes to a smirk. "I thought you were done with taking in prodigies long ago and leaving it to your subordinates."

"He's a special case, I hope." Garth pats Aurdon on the back. "I've taken him under my wing in the aftermath of the disaster. The poor boy lost his family. Coaxing him out here was hard enough."

"Oh my... A farmer boy and his family were still out there. I'm so sorry." Feimo kneels so she can be at his eye level. "May your parents find peace amongst the mystique's aura. It is a miracle you held up against such a disaster."

Aurdon clenches his fist and teeth, mouthing 'they're not even dead,' silently to himself.

"Aurdon, boy, please greet Faimo and the children properly."

"Garth, your greatness. Be mindful of the boy as you do with the rest of the children. I've heard you're quite the fierce mentor from your subordinates, but he's been through so—"

"My name is Aurdon," he brushes under his nose with his arm and sniffles. "I'm unable to complete spells, so I need to learn swords." Then he bows his head to Feimo. "If you will please have me in your care."

Everyone is brought to bewilderment. Garth's grip of his staff tightening and face wrinkling deeper than ever.

"What's the head lowering?" Feimo's surprise turns pleasant. "I feel somewhat honored."

Aurdon raises his head, his arms tight to his sides and cheeks blushing.

"It must be a tradition of his—household? Nevertheless, the boy speaks the truth."

"Not a single spell? Interesting..." She grabs her chin and meets eyes with Aurdon, then lights up with a wide smile and pats him on the head. "That sounds great actually, it leaves more room in your noggin for the art of the blade."

“Then that will be all for me. Keep a close eye on the boy. Garth steps back up into the carriage, leaving Aurdon.

“I don’t take in new trainees from just anyone at any time Garth, so you’d better have something in this for me.”

“Do not worry. You will be compensated accordingly.” Garth waves as the carriage sets off.

The children and Feimo wave as the cart rattles and horses clop away.

"What a fool." Feiom shakes her head, then looks to the still and dazed Aurdon. "Come on over now, we've got some work to do."

Aurdon sighs and moves to the fence, clambering over as the children part way for him. When he meets with Feiom and the children on the other side, they look humored.

"Maybe you missed it," She points to an opening in the fence not far from where he climbed, "but there's a way in."

"Oh..." He melts to another stage of miserable before them.

"No matter." She claps her hands. "Have you ever held and swung a blade?"

Aurdon thinks back to his walks home when he'd pick up a stick and swing it at bushes, even as recently as his age, which makes him cringe a bit. "Maybe a little?"

"There's no maybes in holding a sword. If that's the case, then you're with the right group."

He sees all the children who look to range between eleven and thirteen while he's graduating soon from junior schooling at fourteen. Still the children grasp their wooden swords by their side with an air of professionalism, so part of him is hesitant to take up a sword and make a fool of himself in front of them.

"Let's get you a sword, do some introductions, and get warmed up with basic exercises. As for your clothes, is there not something more appropriate in your wardrobe?"

"This is all I have. Garth said I'd have something tailored later."

"And the hair. Do you have a tie? It'll get in your way."

Aurdon's hair is exceptionally long for a boy of his age, and it's a quirk he's held onto out of not being particularly fond of hairdresser visits, or the feeling of clippers.

"I don't have a tie, and I don't think I've ever had a problem with it down."

"You're going to want to once you start moving about." She undoes her hair and holds out the tie to him. "As an instructor I won't be needing mine up, so you can borrow it."

"Um... Thanks?" He takes the hair tie.

While Feimo leaves to retrieve a sword for Aurdon, he examines the tie; a few strands of her hairs are tangled inside, so he picks away and discards them.

With the tie wrapped around his fingers, he stretches it and plays with the back of his hair, unsure of what he's doing and ashamed he can't figure it out.

Seeking assistance, he looks to the other children. One blue-haired girl has hers cut medium length and fluffy. Then there's a dark green-haired boy with a messy medium length. Another boy with straight and dark purple hair that covers parts of his face, which confuses Aurdon why he has to tie his if that boy doesn’t. Lastly, a pink-haired girl with hers kept long, parted at the front and pulled to the back in a ponytail.

Deducing the pink-haired girl as someone who could help, he moved towards her, which caught her off guard.

"Um. I don't know how to tie my hair up." He scratches his neck and holds out the tie. "Could you help?"

"What? Are you serious?"

He nods, but regrets asking at all, because her tone seems aggravated.

"Give it here!" She rolls her eyes and holds out her hand. "I'll show you after, so you don't bother me about it again."

He doesn't hand over the tie straight away, stepping back. "A-actually I think I'll just look it up," He feels his pocket for a moment, then realizes his blunder.

"Look it up?" The girl squints.

"Oh... Never mind. You can tie it." He drops the tie in her hand.

She takes the tie and looks at his hair. "Why grow it out if you can't tie it? Don't even tell me actually. Shut up and tilt your head back."

He pauses his next breath because he was going to answer, then complies and lowers his head back for her when she stands behind him.

Whilst her fingers run through his scalp and around the ear, a pause followed by a quick gasp from her caught his attention.

“What’s wrong? Do I have something in my hair?”

“Your ears.” She pinches them around the upper edge. “They’re so round and stubby. What happened to them?”

All the other children are just as curious to see from how she described it, and when they get a glance, they too erupt in awe. Some gossip spreads of what it could mean or how it ended up that way, but to Aurdon it was all preposterous.

“Nothing happened to them and there’s nothing wrong. They’re just like anyone else’s!” He moves away from her and readjusts his hair to cover them. “Maybe the lobes are a bit wide? No!”

His rejection brought him reason to search for faults in others. If he could shift the attention on someone else’s ears, maybe he’d save some face, but there was a glaring problem. For the first time since he’d arrived in this world, he took a closer look at the faces he always avoided, not willing to be acquainted with this world’s habitants, he saw how they truly weren’t like him in small ways.

“Hey, his ear-" His remark is quickly shut down as his eyes pan across the students, their pointy elven ears a primary draw.

By the time his swallowed criticism reached his gut, his mouth gaped in equal and opposing awe.

“What’s this commotion about?” Feiom returns from retrieving a wooden sword. “Aurdon, why isn’t your hair tied up?”

A few children point and shout to bring attention to Aurdon. “Feiom! Feiom! His ears!”

“What’s the matter with his ears?” She holds out the wooden sword for him, but he doesn’t take it, his hands hiding them. “You’re all overreacting and being quite rude.”

The children insist, but she hushes them.

The pink-haired girl re-approaches Aurdon’s hair with tie in hand. “I'll just tie it up and you'll see Feiom.“

“No. That’s enough.” She takes the tie from her and reapplies it to herself in a sour and powerful demeanor. “He’ll leave his hair down. Obviously, it’ll be a distraction for the class, so get in formation. Since we’ll be getting acquainted with a new member, a roll call is in order.”

“Yes Feiom!” They all shout simultaneously except Aurdon, but he follows it up with his own weaker version.

The children form a shoulder-to-shoulder line facing Feiom, with only Aurdon coming up late and scratching his head at one end of the line.

“Do I just stand here?” He looks to the blue-haired girl at the end, but they don’t break stature or pay him any mind, only a slight fear in her eyes at Feiom. “N-nevermind I’ll just… stand there… yea…”

“Aurdon, over here.” Feiom commands with a finger pointed to the ground on her right.

“Oh!” He awkwardly and quietly laughs while breaking away from the line, jogging over and adjusting himself in position.

"And your sword," She hands it to him and then poses as the children do to demonstrate their formation etiquette. "Keep it at your side with the sword's handle between the middle and right finger so the sword is held by the hilt and pointing up the length of your arm."

Aurdon copies the stance and receives an approving nod.

"Now, if you can all introduce yourselves briefly from my right to left."

The children take a moment to understand their lefts and rights despite acting so orderly moments ago.

"B-br-uh-z—" The blue-haired girl pauses when Aurdon's gaze meets her. "Brez... I'm uh—" She stops again when the pink-haired girl breaks formation to reach for her.

"Come on.” She nudges her. “You’ve done this before.”

"Kea!" Feimo Intervenes and the two stiffen up. "Continue Brez."

"O-okay." Brez takes a deep breath and puts her hands together as if in pray. "I hope to become favored by the mystique's aura and also become super strong so I can protect my family."

“Very admirable.” Feimo comments and Aurdon too recognizes the maturity with a nod, though anything pertaining to the aura isn’t something he’s come to understand. “And next?”

"Jivali." Says the next green-haired boy who seems to be very lax, taking their time with each word. "Im hoping to use what I learn to take down some bad guys without breaking a sweat. Defend my parents on trips outside the city.”

“So far so good I guess.” Aurdon says to himself quietly, but is wary when the chilling gaze of the pink-haired Kea, and purple-haired boy meet him.

"Kealirnae, but just say Kea. Otherwise it’ll get annoying." She stays fixated on Aurdon. "I should be training right now, but I have to do this.”

First impressions of her to Aurdon are that she’s a bit rough around the edges and maybe has a temper. Whichever the case, he notes in his mind not to get on her nerves.

Looking to Feiom, he sees her pinching her nose in displeasure. Clearly this isn’t how it’s supposed to go. Condolences are silently shared with her as he sees there's still one more to go through, if they can make it.

But they’re in luck.

Lastly is the boy who’s been mostly silent. He’s playing a nonchalant role, but there’s an issue he seems to have with Aurdon, giving a more menacing look than Kea.

“Siege.” Is all he says, not having much else to give, and even Feimo doesn’t bother to get more out of him.

“Can we move on?” Kea steps out of line before there’s an answer.

“Yes!” Feimo seems just as eager to get out. “Ahem—Yes. Now for some swinging exercises. Aurdon, please join the line and spread out.”

“Yes!” Aurdon marches back to the line beside Brez, and they spread apart by a couple of steps.

“Follow my lead.” She takes out her sword. It’s a real one that grabs everyone’s attention. “Now, keeping your elbows locked, raise the sword and—SWING!”

***

Several exercises have taken place and Aurdon is completely drained a long with the other kids.

“This sucks…” he says to himself looking on at the sun dipping below the horizon. “It all stinks of sweat, and my body aches… I just want to go home.”

“You did well. In fact, you’ve picked up how to wield a blade far faster than most.” Feimo holds up her pinky to him.

“Uh… thanks?” He doesn’t quite get it, but holds up a pinky to her too.

“You also went berserk on the dummies. It frightened everyone, especially Brez. She started tearing up at the sight of it.”

He thinks back to it, that some pent up rage must’ve snuck up on him. “I’m just having fun I guess. It’s nothing scary.”

“It was out of worry.” She hunches down and places a hand on his shoulder. “They’re looking at you. I think you should have a chat.”

Aurdon sees that the kids are keeping an eye on him from afar, Brez, Jivali, and Kea, a select few that have varying levels of concern on their face, even Siege maintains the strange glare.

“It’s probably about the ears again.”

“You’re funny Aurdon.” She shoves him in their direction. “But it’s not something that’ll help you forever.”

He groans and lumbers in their direction. When they see he’s coming over, they tense up a bit, Brez especially seeming to have her nerves melt with every step closer.

“Hey, you guys. How are you all holding up? I’m beat.”

“Fine. You’ve got one brutal battle cry.” Jivali crosses his arms and smirks.

“Was it that much?” He feels a little embarrassed.

“Emphasis on the cry.” Kea smiles, but it’s not in good faith. “I’ve never seen a boy cry so much over a dummy.”

“I-I think it was cool...” Brez speaks up, having failed when Jivali spoke first over her. “A real passionate warrior, putting their all into the fight.”

“It was just my favorite part of the exercises. You all understand right?” Aurdon thinks that he can’t handle any more chatting.

“You haven’t had a duel or went hunting for slimes.” Kea twirls her sword and swings at the air, imagining a slime before her. “The dummy practice being your favorite is silly.”

“Yea. The slime hunts are great Aurdon. Just wait till we go on one.” 

Surprising everyone and sporting a devilish grin, Siege walks up with his sword drawn and dragging through the mud.

“No.” He joins in and points his wooden sword to Jivali’s neck, a bit of mud dripping from it to their shirt.. “I think the duels can’t be topped.”

“Woah. Siege. You’re so sketchy.” jivali laughs it off and steps back, wiping the mud away.

Something about siege has everyone on edge. A problem child Aurdon assumes. Every class has one. He thinks back to the delinquents who’d get in trouble and barely attend class all the time. If experience has told him anything, it’s best to leave them be.

“It’s all in sport.” Siege shrugs and waves the sword in everyone’s direction, all backing away. “Dueling is about determining the better fighter, and don’t you all want to be the best?”

There’s silence, some nodding heads, and many unsure faces. Aurdon’s was more of a displeasure though. The idea of wanting to become the best when he’s never aspired to duel anyone his whole life, it makes him want to rip his eyes out.

“No, not really.” He scratches the top of his head and looks out to the sky. “I’d rather have a bath, take a nap, go home, and taste my mom’s cooking.”

“Say that again?” Siege points his sword to him.

“Y’know, rest. Enjoy my time.”

“There’s lots to enjoy in fighting.” He comes uncomfortably close to Aurdon. “You heard everyone else. The dueling, the slime hunting, and even that dummy you bashed so passionately.”

“But wouldn’t it be nice not having to fight? Risking our lives? Peace?”

Siege swings his sword and hits Aurdon’s arm, if it weren’t for him flinching, it’d be at his head.

Aurdon yelps and everyone else gasps, Brez shrieking as If witnessing murder. “Hey! Are you insane?” Aurdon swats the sword away from his arm.

“Insane?” Siege brings his sword back for another strike, and Aurdon gets ready to block with his own. “Aren’t you chosen by Garth? What’s with the funny talk?” He brings down a heavy blow that Aurdon couldn’t block in time. “You’re special!” Then another that hurts Aurdon so much it disarms him. “So act like it. I bet they’ll even call you a hero!”

All Aurdon can do is fall back and curl under his barrage. Screams for him to stop or for Feimo to help ring out, and Brez even comes to pull Siege out, but all it takes for Siege to keep him back is an elbow to the nose.

Brez falls back with a nosebleed, squirming and crying. Then Kea and Jivali come at Siege from both sides to hold him back with some success.

He’s about to slip from their grasp when from behind, a strong grip takes him by the collar and throws him away a great distance, tumbling over the muddy grass.

Feimo, the one to pull off such a feat, is fuming, but in only presence, her look and movements are calm in complete contrast. “Stand down Siege. Did you not learn your lesson once again?” She takes Siege’s sword he dropped in the throw and walks over to him.

Siege only twitches, barely able to move as he grinds his teeth to the sore pains.

When Feimo arrives at the far side of the field where she threw him, she stands over his limp body and holds his sword out at the center. Then with the strength of her grip, the sword splinters in two. “Apologize, or I’ll make you bait for the slimes tomorrow. Or even better—” She comes in to whisper something, then steps back.

While this was all happening, Aurdon didn’t move an inch. He didn’t want to. Some parts of him said it was embarrassment, a great part of it was pain, but his main culprit was being far too over it. “I haven’t even done anything yet…” He told himself, the world around him going blurry, not because he’s dizzy, but because his eyes were streaming tears once again. “Mommy… Daddy… Big Sis… Get me out of here.”

To his aid came Brez and Jivali, trying to get his attention. Brez, with drops of blood falling from her nose onto him, too starts to break out in tears at the sight of his wounds. It was a mess, and none of them knew what to do besides shake him or massage the bruises. It just made it worse.

“Back away you idiots. Especially you Brez, you’re getting blood everywhere.” Kea joins in and pushes them to the side, taking a preparing deep breath. “Aurdon, how did you end up getting your butt kicked on the first day? Wimp.”

“That’s not helping at all either!” Says jivali.

“Shut up, I’m doing something here!” She closes her eyes to grab at something in the back of her mind, then hovers her hands by his bruises. “With tenderness only capable by the n-name… No!” She struggled to piece it together. “W-with tenderness only capable in aura’s name, cure what has been suffered.”

To their amazement, the chant was successful, making the color of his bruises recede, but not completely.

“You did something!” Jivali takes a closer look with his eyes as wide as they can go.

“Of course I did.” She crosses her arms proudly but still keeps the haughty frown. “It’s easy stuff.”

Aurdon doesn’t care that he’s healed. There’s no thanks he’s want to give. He wants any excuse to stay down and out of sight, but Kea isn’t letting that happen.

While he whimpers on the ground, Kea pinches his exposed ear and pulls. “Ow! Ow! Hey! What are you doing?”

“Quit being a baby. It’s disgusting.”

“Ow, ow… Why should I listen to you?”

“Fine.” She yanks harder one final time and lets go. “Stay like that, but next time do it out of my sight.”

She stands up and brushes herself off, disappointed to even have extended a helping hand, but Aurdon sees he’s being no better than her harsh words staying silent.

“Thanks.” He sniffles and sits up straight, the pain still lingering. “All of you.”

Brez hugs him while still drowning in cries and leaking blood. “What if you died! I couldn’t do a thing… it was so scary, I’m so sorry. I don’t deserve thanks!”

Kea gets even more aggravated by the commotion and stomps. “I’m the only one that healed you here, and I held back that freak!”

Aurdon stands up with what little strength he has left, taking the brunt of his pain just to face Kea in a formal way. Then the first thing to ever stun her came when he bowed.

“Thanks for the help Kea.” He did his best to stay up but fell to his knees. “That healing thing was super cool.”

Kea was locked in place, unable to comprehend what she just felt. “You didn’t have to do all that. It was way too extra and dumb looking…”

Jivali and Brez support him back up to his feet, and Kea grabs Brez’s nose like a playful trick, only she chants the spell again, stopping the bleed, but the bump remains.

Now gathered after such a strange event, they weren’t sure what to do or what to think of Siege. Kea was the angriest of the bunch, while everyone else either shared a mix of fearful or confused stares at the fallen boy from afar.

“He’s always been a bit weird, don’t you all think?” Jivali comments while looking for anyone else to back him up.

“Only the aura knows what’s going on in that tiny brain.” Says Kea.

“T-the only aura. Guide him for change.” Brez wipes away her tears and chants.

“The only aura.” Everyone else echoes except Aurdon.

As if what they prayed for came true before them. Siege shouts his apologies from afar. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry Aurdon, for getting angry and hitting you. I’m deeply sorry.”

His words were so sincere, even the possibility of it being a miracle brought by their chant crossed Aurdon’s mind. But, he sees the context of Feimo looming over him as good enough evidence to believe it’s only a coincidence.

***

In the rocky hills outside of the city, a gelatinous blob rolls over the grass, collecting and dissolving it for nutrients in its acidic body. At its center is a pearl-like core, and to it a blade comes down and shatters it. With the core in pieces, the membrane loses shape and spreads to a puddle, the liquid quickly evaporating away.

Wielding the sword is a geared man guarding a cart belonging to a merchant. They’re on a path to the city and tensions seem to be low.

“That makes eight so far.” The guard admires the sight of the city in the distance. “This trip has been a breeze.”

“That’s good. No delays or trouble, though I know you can handle far worse without the cart having to even slow down.”

“Their numbers have been dwindling lately, and not even a goblin has shown its ugly face. A little odd if you ask me.”

“Maybe the storm swept them from the area?”

“Those monsters are far too resilient to let some meager storm stop them, and they’ve dwindled even prior to it. If I had to take a guess, either something fishy is up, or the mystique’s aura is giving us grace on our journeys as of late.

“I sure hope you’re right about the latter.”

The guard and merchant continue toward the city with their rattling wagon, the start of a new day on the horizon.