Where The Dead Ones Go Book 1 -Magistracy-

Chapter 12

So, are you two an item or something?" Syden asked directly without beating around the bush as we walked outside the school gates on our way to the town.

Asher nodded and grinned at Morris and me, "Yeah, I remembered you two are inseparable since the first stage of the examinations until the very end. Your scents are practically indistinguishable from the other."

"And you always finish each other's sentences. You are also so in-sync with each other during the battle against Zenith and me," Vaski said matter-of-factly as Rebie raised an eyebrow on us while Narcine giggled and Taurei just looks flat-out curious.

But before either one of us can answer, it is the daughter of Aphrodite who spoke for us.

"As much as I want to ship the two of them, they are sadly not an item," she said in a genuinely disappointing voice before looking at Gala who is smiling at our direction as Eonia looks positively interested, "However, this is just a hunch, you are using something beyond words to communicate with each other effectively. I watched your fight with our two classmates here, and your movements are well coordinated even at extreme distance."

Morris suddenly grinned mischievously as he gave the daughter of Aphrodite a look from head to foot, "Impressive. For a daughter of the goddess of beauty, you are observant."

"I will take that as a compliment, thank you, Morris," Estelle said kindly before looking at the daughter of Athena, "I bet if I reach that conclusion, I am sure you landed on the same findings, right?"

Gala nodded and raised an eyebrow on the two of us, "Indeed. Now, cough up, you two. I think I should know what your secrets for, if not for me, you wouldn't even be here are."

"Should we tell them, Morris?" I thought cautiously as the son of death just shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

"No choice, Vivet. It's our backer who demands it. We are not in a position to deny her what she wants," he said simply, which made me nod in agreement.

"There! Morris answered the question that we didn't even hear!" Eonia exclaimed that it made me took a deep breath in surprise, "They are talking in their minds or something!"

Morris laughed and nodded, "Bingo, prez. Vivet and I share a mental link with each other. We haven't tried for how long we can stay connected but suffice to say it's more than half of the colosseum, and her voice in my head is still as clear as ever. I think that's the true reason why we managed to last that long against Zenith and Vaski. We can pool our efforts in a single concerted strategy in precision."

"That might be a part of it but not the only reason," Zenith said quietly and weakly as he looked at us with his rather sleepy-looking eyes, "The elemental magics that you used. Aside from completely overwhelming our Olympic powers, it is totally of."

The son of Poseidon nodded gravely as Rebie speaks, "The earth elemental magics that you have used in the entire battle has not been used by any Scythians in recent history. No, scratch that, it hasn't been used at all for so long, it has been lost in the forgotten past of the emirate. Summoning skyscrapper sized slabs of earth, landbridges, granite walls, and terracotta statues is totally unheard of when we asked our elders who only knew some of your incantations from the oral stories and fragments of ancient records passed down from our most senior clans."

"Indeed, friend!" Narcine agreed as she and Eonia looked at each other seriously, "Vivet's white flame hasn't been seen for eons upon eons. It only exists in our ancient texts and cannot be replicated for ages. Dancing flames, reinforcing heat, and more. Where did you two learn your incantations that were supposed to be lost in the annals of history?"

I looked at Morris, who just sighed, "We don't know. We just kind of automatically use them. At first, I believe my fire elemental control is just poor. But it turns out I am just using something I am not well suited for."

"You don't say..."

I smiled at Asher, who is gawking at us right now, "Yeah, it's nothing short of a miracle that we managed to pull off what we did back then, Asher."

"Miracle, you say? Well, Elpis is the goddess of hope, a mythical goddess thought to be nothing but a figment of imaginations and doesn't exist at all. If you ask me, as long as you hope for something and do everything in your power to make it happen, a miracle is not impossible. Certainly not for her demiurge," the son of the god of stupidity said that made Morris raise an eyebrow.

"Not something I would expect to hear from the son of Koalemos. You are very dangerous, let me just tell you that on your face."

Syden just gave him a peace sign as our class president cleared her throat to get our attention.

"Your attention, please! We are now in the Elysian, the town built for the Hellenic Citadel's students and staffs' use. Our dormitory is co-ed, meaning boys and girls will share the amenities and lodgings, unlike the other students."

Narcine raised her hand, "A question, I was at first, offered a room in the dorms exclusive for people of high standings and financial stature. I think they are asking my mother for a rather large sum of the payment in cash. Are we going to pay for our stay in our shared dorm, or is it free like the general dormitories for those from the lower and middle-income students?"

"A good question, Narcine! The answer is no. Our parents will not pay at all for the duration of our stay here, like those who are from the middle to lower class students. However, Ms Peregrine said that the amenities of our dorm is way above those who are from the upper-crust students," Eonia answered clearly.

We all nodded, but Taurei seemed to have a question as well, "Why is that? Why treat our class special? Aren't we just a class full of demigods instead of mixed mortals and demigods?"

"This is just my opinion, but I guess the school wants us to be well treated, calm and happy all the time,' Gala answered tentatively that made Asher raise an eyebrow and bare his fangs in confusion.

"And why is that, exactly?"

Estelle coughed a little and looked at Zenith and Vaski then to Morris and me, "Well, if I am the one who calls the shots here, the last thing I want in my school are angry Olympic princes and the demiurges of primordial deities."

"True. That and all of us fall into the "unpredictable" category. It is technically dangerous for them to mix us with other students, so to speak," Syden said seriously that made our president and vice president nod in agreement.

Eonia and Gala smiled as they stopped walking and pointed the building directly in front of us, "This here is the dorm for the exclusive use of the Auxiliary Class," Eonia said

I looked up and saw a beautiful building that looks like a cross between a dormitory and an expensive villa that made Rebie nod appreciatively.

"Wow, that surely looks worthy of the Olympic princes, to say the least," Taurei said in jest as he looked at Zenith, who seemed to be too tired even to get angry.

"Now, now, Taurei. Don't push Zenith here any further," Vaski said to our classmate as we entered the building, "He probably used most of his reserves on you. Just look at him; he can't even keep his eyes open for ten seconds straight."

"Ask me if I care," Taurei said casually as we admire our dorm, "Now this is an extravagance."

Asher laughed and nodded, "This is the first time I entered such an expensive building as this one. Wow, how much will I earn if I pawn this stone here in this chandelier?"

"Behave, Asher!" Estelle barked angrily that made the son of Lytta put back the gemstone he got from the ceiling quickly, "Wow, just look at this kitchen and dining hall. Check out the fineries, Gala. Only the finest!"

My friend nodded appreciatively as we sit down around the exquisite table made of oak and expensive Anoixian glass, "Indeed! Even the kitchen is jam-packed with all the chef's dream pieces of equipment."

"Well, speaking of the kitchen, do we have a househelp here who will cook for us and all?" Morris asked expectantly as he pats his stomach.

There is a loud silence between all of us as we looked at each other quietly.

"Shit..."

Taurei voiced our innermost fears as we just laughed nervously.

However, an unlikely savior stood up.

"I can cook for us all," Asher announced suddenly before standing up and stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles.

The daughter of Aphrodite looked at him, cautiously, "Are you serious, Ash?"

"I am Est. So, if anyone else is up to it, then I will let whoever that is do the cooking," the son of Lytta said, and as expected, none of us raised any objections.

He then scampered towards the kitchen and began preparing our dinner.

I looked at Estelle, who still can't believe what Asher is doing, "Are you two an item, Estelle?"

We heard a loud crash in the counter as Asher dropped a huge pot, and Estelle was speechless by my direct question.

"I take that as a yes, Vivet," Morris said deviously as I grinned at the daughter of Aphrodite, who is now blushing profusely.

Gala gave me a thumbs-up, "Now that's what I like about you, Vivet. You know the best time to show the ace on your sleeves."

"Hey, I didn't survive being battered by lightning and spires just by pure luck, Gala," I said half-jokingly as I nudged Estelle who is sitting on my right, "Come to think of it, I remembered the early morning news about a daughter of a high ranking Pagosian politician being robbed blind by an Auralian in broad daylight downtown. That wouldn't be you, right, Estelle?"

I heard Asher laughed out loud at the kitchen counter as he sauteed vegetables in a large wok, "You are more dangerous than the son of the god of death, Vivet. No wonder Morris throw his lot on you during the examinations."

"Guilty, Asher. She is not Someone to be trifled with," my companion said as he looks at Estelle, who is still blushing profusely, "Fes up, Estelle. It's Asher who holds you up, eh?"

She just nodded in defeat and smiled despite herself, "Yes. My mother threw a fit when my father informed him of what happened. She came down from Olympus posthaste and head straight to Asher's house to talk to his father. The most embarrassing moment of my life."

"I think it's the most glorious day of mine, Est," Asher said plainly that made us girls cheer as the boys' whistle by his smoothness, "I stole Someone's bag, got roped into getting in here, getting a chance to study with the girl who changed my life in just an hour. If that is not glorious, then what is it?"

Rebie snickered a little as she looked at her liege, which is just looking at the son of Lytta in awe, "I suggest you take some classes under him, Vaski. Maybe Her Majesty will not have any headaches thinking of the future heir of our nation."

"Shut up, Rebie!"

We all laughed out loud as I saw Morris just enjoying our conversation while Gala just shook her head as she looked at the list the smiling class president gave her.

"Ok, everyone. While we are waiting for the fragrant dish by our resident master chef, Eonia has finally finished the list of tasks that needs to be done so we can maintain this dorm of ours," the daughter of Athena announced clearly as we gave her our utmost attention, "We need to divide all the jobs among ourselves, so everyone have something to contribute during our stay here. Any objections?"

Obviously, no one said a word, so she started delegating tasks.

"For our plumbing and landscaping, Vaski will do it."

The son of Poseidon gave her a thumbs up before looking at the sleepy Zenith, who is dozing off beside him, "I guess this guy will be our resident electrician and the ones who will take care of our ventilation, right, Zenith?"

"What?! Huh? Yes, yes," the son of Zeus agreed drowsily.

"Perfect, now, for our cooking, Asher will definitely take care of it," the son of the goddess of rabies nodded as he cracked eggs singlehandedly, "Estelle will handle our inventory while Syden will write weekly reports to be submitted to our adviser.

Estelle and Asher nodded at the daughter of Athena, who continued talking, "Narcine will take care of our gardens and greenhouse. Taurei and Rebie will handle the cleaning of our hallways as Morris will support anyone who is having a problem with their tasks."

"Wait, are you sure you will let a former homeless boy like me to dip my fingers on everyone's tasks?" my companion asked worriedly, but Gala smiled at him.

"Someone who has to survive on the streets for so long is surely knowledgeable about different stuff that I can only dream of learning. That and you can handle our security here. I mean, just you staying here is security enough."

I laughed out loud as Eonia nodded at Morris, who just scratched the back of his head.

"Finally, Vivet will handle our deliveries and logistics. I am sure this is nothing but a child's play to Someone who worked for Iris Delivery Service for a long time, right?"

I bowed my head respectfully to the daughter of the goddess of wisdom, "I handled worst, Gala. Leave it to me."

"Perfect! Eonia and I will take care of clerical jobs with Syden and be our resident peacekeepers, which I hope will not be put into good use."

The daughter of the god of forge nodded expectantly, "I agree. We can get along splendidly if we just treat each other as friends and always remember that we can settle our differences diplomatically without resorting to violence, right, Zenith?"

The son of Zeus is already sleeping when Vaski carefully prodded him with a placemat before he woke up suddenly, "What?! Yes, yes. Ok."

"Great! Now, let's enjoy Asher's cooking!" Eonia exclaimed happily as the son of Lytta, served our meal hot and perfectly presentable.

"This looks absolutely delicious, Asher," Syden said as he looks at the admittedly mouthwatering stew and stir-fried veggies.

Taurei took a spoonful of vegetables, and he gave Asher a thumbs-up, "For Someone who hates greens, this is absolutely flavorful! I love it!"

"This tastes perfect!" Narcine chimed in as Rebie nodded in agreement.

"Are you professionally trained?" Vaski asked, but Asher shook his head.

"No, I am self-taught. I guess having several younger siblings to feed; I learned how to make most of what we have. Having access to our dorms fully stocked kitchen is a dream come true for me, honestly."

Gala is just speechless as she eats while Eonia is so giddy over her serving of stew, "This dish is a dream!"

"I guess one of the perks of living here is that we've got an excellent chef under our disposal," Morris said appreciatively as he wolfs down on his food with much enthusiasm.

I just smiled at Asher who sat beside Estelle, "I would've never expected such delicious cooking from a son of the goddess of rabies."

"Neither do I, Vivet," he grinned at me as he let the daughter of Aphrodite fill his plate, "But I think its more of my background that made my dishes delicious rather than my lineage."

I raised my glass to him as we all continued eating gaily.

After a while, we have finished our dinner and we are prepared to hit the sack when Gala called our attention.

"Are there any volunteers to carry Zenith to his room upstairs?"

Understandably, all the guys shook their heads and looked warily at the son of Zeus that is peacefully sleeping in his seat after a hearty meal.

The daughter of Amphitrite unceremoniously pushed Taurei hard towards the direction of our dozing classmate.

"Why me?!"

"Maybe because you're the only one here who is virtually immune to whatever he can throw at us all, awake or otherwise,' Rebie said plainly that made Narcine nod in agreement.

"How about we just leave him here behind?" Taurei suggested but quickly rescinded when he saw our disapproving look at him, "Fine! Fine! After trying to kill me, why do I have to help him?!"

Rebie just rolled her eyes and began to climb the stairs, "Less talking, more carrying. Hurry it up, Taurei."

As expected, Zenith unconsciously unleashed several bolts of electricity around his body as a form of self-defense when our frail classmate grabbed his arm and put it around his shoulders in order to carry him to his room upstairs.

"Girls will have the second floor while the boys will go to the third floor," Eonia said clearly as she let Taurei and Zenith pass while agilely dodging stray arcs of electricity, "I highly advise that we always leave and return to our dorm together for mutual defense and to show the school that they have nothing to worry about us not getting along."

Narcine faked a cough as she pointed at her close friend who is giving her a side-eye.

The daughter of Hephaestus just chuckled and sigh as we bid the boys goodnight and head straight to our room to take a rest after a very long day.

Mine is located at the left-wing next to Estelle's and the moment I opened the door, I was fondly surprised when I saw that it is decorated obviously by my foster mother herself.

A beautiful rainbow portrait is hanging just above my headboard but that is the only colorful thing in this room.

Everything is following a monochrome theme. The bed, the pillows, desk, cabinet, and curtains.

They follow a similar theme as if emphasizing the sole white light in the middle of the room.

When I sat at the foot of my bed, I saw a picture frame sitting on top of the bedside table.

I cried when I saw that it's the company photo we took the day before my fated delivery here.

How can everything change so fast in such a short time?