Hale Academy: University of Sui Generis (Vol. I)

Chapter 5 (b): Apples and Blood Wards (...Contd.)

Rinzen rolled his eyes and waited close to the tree he'd lost his breakfast at (after midnight snack? Early morning snack?), a good distance away, he then placed the glass of lemonade on his left side, and waited for his blonde i***t to come back.

*After he collects the apple he'd gone to retrieve!*

In the meantime, he'd meditate a bit to get over the abrupt sudden rearrangement of his schedule.

Closing his eyes he began the breathing techniques to ease into since he hadn't slept or gone jogging or anything within the parameters of his ordinary schedule, he felt decidedly off-balance. Inhaling once, exhaling and inhaling again, he let his mind drift.

*

Raven Säde, seventeen years old, and dreading to enter his boss's backyard, it was a momentous occasion—it would go down in history.

The teen who was too afraid to step into his own garden of meeting another teen in his backyard – a momentous occasion indeed.

Ugh...

Groaning at the crazy thought, he looked down and huffed, "This is not really who I am", he promised, sighing again he spied Zen's mentor talking to Pyria through the living room window. His guardian-s***h-boss, learning about the crazy day of being forcefully transported, seven hours ago to a magical school, and redefining his entire life. "Because that's going to look good on my résumé", he whined to no one in particular.

Exhaling roughly, he braced for impact and walked towards the backyard of Pyria's house and blinked in surprise to see Zen sitting outside, eyes closed.

Asleep…? I mean given his schedule it wouldn't be the weirdest thing…

Walking closer he peered down at the teen.

Zen was tall, taller than him, yet when he sat cross-legged on the ground, his flexibility hid the height easily, he was straight-backed and breathing steadily, inhaling and exhaling in intervals that suggested he was meditating rather than sleeping, his focus was startling, given he hadn't moved once, even though he flinched when Bell had stood behind him when he actually had fallen asleep.

Clearing his throat, he crouched; "Why are you sitting outside?" he asked, his eyes slid to the glass of lemonade sitting beside him and he wondered, a little hurt why he hadn't take a sip.

Was it that bad?

Zen jolted from his trance and blinked up at Raven, "Ray?" he asked, shaking his head startled.

"Sorry", he huffed, "I didn't mean to startle you", he apologized, and "Uhm… are you allergic to lemons?" he asked warily.

Zen frowned at him, and then down to the glass, mouthing the word 'oh', he hummed, "Well that depends…" he trailed off.

"On what?" Raven asked.

"Did you make it?" he asked.

Raven nodded, "I did. I work part-time in a restaurant. I've learned how to make caffeine beverages, non-caffeine beverages, mocktails, and juices", he answered warily.

Just not alcoholic beverages... I wish I wasn't still underage!

Zen grinned, "Okay then, we have no problems", he said and picked up the glass chugging down the liquid he swallowed quickly, and as soon as the glass was drained he sighed with relief, "To be honest I was parched", he answered laxly.

Raven frowned at him confused, "Why didn't you just drink it then?" he asked genuinely baffled.

"Well", Zen paused, "No offense to your guardian, but you came out of a fae's house with a drink, and it's practically Human Law not to accept food from the fae. And before I could ask you if you made it, you ran off", he looked at his arms, "So, I'm assuming that's an apple?" he asked amused.

"Shut it", Raven huffed blushing.

"No but seriously", he laughed hysterically, "Red is going to laugh herself sick when she learns about your penchant for picking up an 'Apple'", he snorted amused. "Not to mention how Zee and the others are going to tease you", he promised amused.

The Apple in his arms broke free and landed on Zen, who laughed, giggling at the rough tongue that licked his cheek. The fox kit, its fur a striking red, probably how it got its name, leaped around him barking happily.

"It's a twin tail!" he noticed as the fox jumped from his abdomen to his shoulder, one of the tails curled around his neck like a scarf, the other wagging happily. "Where did you even get him?" he asked curiously.

Twin-tailed animals were scarce, even in a magical community.

"I found him," Raven murmured quietly, kneeling to scratch under Apple's chin, "The poor guy was hit by a car, and after I ran into the street to pick him up, he got scared and bit me. I accidentally dropped him then, and as soon as he ran away from me, he—", Raven swallowed and grit his teeth, anger clouding his features, at the memory he continued, "There was this well-dressed man, I almost thought it was my father—and I froze", he muttered ashamed, "Which cost this poor baby", he winced at the recollection, swallowing tightly he continued, "Foolish of me", he scoffed, "I barely know what that man looks like now", he muttered shaking his head.

The kit whined, nosing at Raven's chin, and Raven smiled letting his bitterness fade away, "Anyway that prick kicked this little puppy, and well I tackled the git", he laughed.

"Probably the worst decision ever", Zen answered amused, "Tactically of course", he clarified, "Then again if it were me, I'd have kicked his a*s black and blue, and thrown him into a pit with feral foxes, see how the other side feels, when they tear him limb from limb," he growled low and angrily.

Raven reared back and eyed him bemused, "You're a vicious little thing aren't ya?" he asked somewhat charmed. Zen smirked at him, and Raven knew before he was about to say it, so he hurriedly clapped both hands over his mouth, "Don't say it! Don't even think it!" he warned sharply.

Zen chuckled nodding despite the laughter taking over.

"My god, you're so juvenile", he huffed pulling back.

Zen smirked at him, and "Well I only just turned eighteen. I'm still a kid", he grinned cheekily.

"Yeah?" Raven hummed pushing to stand up, "When was that?" he teased.

"About seven and a half hours ago", he answered honestly, standing fluidly the fox in his arms, "You know a baby fox is called a kit, not a puppy", he pointed out.

Raven still rearing from the sudden new information, he stared at Zen shocked, and before he could say anything about it, Marcia and Pyria stepped back out into the yard, the latter making a beeline for him, bracing for the impact he winced as the elf picked him up, forgetting her strength.

Zen snickered as Raven whined, "NeedtobreathePyria", he managed to gasp out barely slapping the woman's back.

Pyria hurriedly let him go, "I am so sorry child", she winced, "I was so excited I forgot to control my strength", she apologized.

"It's okay", he answered feeling all kinds of uncomfortable at her easy acceptance, "I'm just going to take them upstairs and pack some things", he said weakly retreating a few steps.

Pyria smiled indulgently, "Of course. I'll send Rolim and Agis up to help you with anything that will need boxes", she stated softly.

Raven nodded, "Thank you", he said and before he'd inevitably burst into tears he walked to the tree and knocked on its ridiculously thick trunk three times.

"That is ridiculously cool", Zen gushed.

Raven smirked, as the tree slid open, "And yet", he grinned as Zen groaned to the revelation of a hidden staircase.

"Why Ray, why", he whined, "What happened to good old fashioned rope!" he asked, "A rope ladder or a pulley system, or, or…"

Raven ignored him and began pushing him up the staircase exasperated, as he listened to the older boy prattle on, all the way up the fourteen stairs to the only level of the tree-house he lived in.

Marcia followed them up, snickering as Zen's ideas became more outrageous than the last.

Raven stopped them in front of a wooden door, with an intricate design on it.

"Carseld Swéte Carseld", Zen read out loud with perfect pronunciation.

"Oh come on!" Raven turned gaping at him, "Which languages don't you know, so I can stop going into shock every time you read something", he whined pitifully.

Zen frowned, and "I had a lot of free time", he stated shrugging.

"When?!" Raven demanded, "You told us your whole schedule! When in that tight schedule of training and school, do you have the time to learn new languages?" he flailed, and then abruptly paused, "You know what, I don't want to know. You're already terrifying enough", he huffed and opened the door. "Home Sweet Home", he translated for Marcia and then stepped aside for her and Zen to enter.

Raven looked down and internally whined;

I just don't want to know more, and at the same time, I want to learn everything about this i***t! Ugh why…

*

TBC...