Gifts of the Living Phoenix

Chapter 5

“So I never finished telling you Melody, Professor Geniason… he’s my great Uncle?”

Melody and Faith were both back in their room and Melody laughed. 

“You don’t sound so confident about that.”

Faith smirked at Melody and nodded.  “Yeah, I know I don’t, but it was just weird. He didn’t deny it and somehow I feel like he thought that was more important than anything else going on.  More important than my coursework and curriculum issues.”

Melody eyed Faith slowly, “You sure, there isn’t more you’re not telling me?” 

            Faith shook her head.  “No, you know about as much as I do.  In fact, you probably know more than I do,” Faith says laughing out loud.  “I just don’t understand the secrecy that just suddenly plagues my life.”

Melody laughs again and says, “You mean like why you’re all of the sudden always in the middle of the Twin sandwich?” 

            “Huh?  What do you mean?”

Faith frowned when she understood Melody’s insinuation.

            “I mean, that the twins are quite protective of you.”

Faith looked Melody directly in the eyes to see if she was teasing, but it appeared she was all sincerity.

            “Hrm… I never thought of it that way.  It’s always kind of been our way.  I think it’s because we’ve always been the best of friends. They’ve always been that way with me, kind of protective.”  Faith says slowly.

            “Yeah, sure, no other reason…” Melody drawled teasingly. “And is that how they’ve always talked?  Once right after another, vice versa?” 

            “Um, yeah?  Why?  Is that not normal?”  Faith looked a little shaken as if just realizing the Twins did that.

            “Seems like they share one head between them sometimes, for speaking at least and when it comes to you.”  Melody said baffled. 

Feeling protective of the Twins and not wanting to discuss them any further, Faith flatly said, “And now… I’m reading.”

It was Melody’s turn to frown.  She had been enjoying the progression of the conversation that gave her more insight into the kind of elf Faith was.  Faith might be impervious to the charms of the twins, but they were vastly popular with all the females at the school.  Their singular attention on Faith would make many a female jealous and create more “Selena” situations that Faith was oblivious to.   Melody realized that Faith truly had no idea – both regarding the depth of her influence on the male population, nor of the power that radiated from her. 

She shook her head in amazement.  Her job was going to be rough after all.  First, not only did she have all the males to contend with, but with a clueless female like Faith, her bodyguard task was going to be even tougher.  Although she might not have thought it, Faith was physically breathtaking and didn’t realize it, she emitted raw power in a very enticing way.  

As a shapeshifter, even Melody had been initially drawn to her.  She wished she had not accepted this special mission, but Faith was now her special project. 

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Faith had been pleased to find out that Professor Geniason had been able to get some of her schedules shifted.  She no longer had her free study hour which had been replaced by Warrior Basics Level 1.  Her schedule looked differently too once her instructors realized she was more advanced than they had initially assumed.  Being part Undine, they had assumed she would not have much magical ability, but had been pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise.

            9 o’clock –   Spell casting Level 2

            10 o’clock – Spell casting and Enchantments – Level 2

            11 o’clock – Casting for Healers – Level 2

            12 o’clock – Physical training – Level 1

            1 o’clock – Lunch

            2 o’clock – Warrior Basics – Level 1

            3 o’clock – Historical Knowledge

            4 o’clock – Critical Research

            5 o’clock – Government Fundamentals

            Faith was excited to keep Physical Training and gain Warrior Basics, but she didn’t know why she was still stuck with Historical Knowledge, Critical Research and Government Fundamentals.  She was certainly NOT going to be an administrator and have a council seat like her father.  Why did these courses matter?   Although she wanted to vent her frustrations, Faith thought that she would just see how these classes turned out and why someone thought it was important for her to have them. 

            Day after day, Faith continued diligently through her required curriculum.  She loved her physical training and warrior courses.  Especially the exertion of the training maze and the tower of pain.  Those were her favorite activities.  Even the guys looked at her like she was crazy when she showed her excitement in being told to run them over and over.   They never showed their admiration while under the grueling torture of the training, but afterwards they were always trying to get close to Faith and keen to talk to her.  Melody had a tough time of keeping them in line.  Sooner or later she was going to have to have Everett or Edric, or both, claim her as their girl-friend so the other guys would stay away.  It was getting exhausting for Melody.

            A couple of months into Spell casting Level 2, Faith noticed that Everett looked especially tired and drained in class.  “What’s going on Ev? Why are you looking so pale?”  

            Smiling at Faith tiredly, Everett just shook his head.

            “Just a few late night evenings with Father.  Some issues with the Second Realm. I think he’s so overwhelmed that he’s been filling me in and ever since I’ve had trouble sleeping.”

            “Well the weekend is upon us, so we’ll be able to take a break, right?”  Faith looked up at Everett sweetly. 

            Everett just smiled at her as he touched her cheek.  The touch made Faith blush for the first time, conscientious of how intimate the gesture had been.  She smiled at Everett but didn’t stop to think what the gesture could mean. 

            Melody however had seen it all and silently cheered inside.  Finally, she thought to herself, Everett’s finally showing Faith he cares for her more than as a friend.  It’s about damn time…

------Sometime later in hell known as Historical Knowledge….

            “Sir, I don’t mean any disrespect, but why are we going through the history that really doesn’t pertain to us?”  a young boy in the back asked meekly.

            “If you don’t understand your past, you are more than likely doomed to repeat it young man,” snapped Professor Geniason. 

The small class of 15 groaned inwardly as Professor Geniason took them through the history of the Catastrophic War of 2201.  Everyone knew that war, it was the war that set humanity on its final course towards annihilation.  Humans had been their worst enemies and waged war on each other to the point of self destruction.  What destruction hadn’t been caused by nature, was caused by humans.  Everyone knew this history. It was the start of the Ogacio and how the world ended up living underground.  Only the strong survived.  Those who weren’t able to survive physically due to lack of shelter or food would end up succumbing to the bitter and harsh cold.  Those who survived the cold would sometimes end up killing themselves because they couldn’t deal with the psychological and emotional toll of losing loved ones, friends and everything they had come to know as life. 

            “What was the biggest life lesson of the Catastrophic War of 2201?  Anyone?”  Asked Professor Geniason as he scanned his eyes across the room.

            “Only the strong survive,” said one shapeshifter.

            “Be prepared and expect the unexpected,” piped up another.

            “Never forget your past, lest you make it again in the future,” one elf said smirking.

Everyone looked at the Professor to see what his response would be.  Ironically he said the same thing that Faith did and at the same time, “The past was not so long ago,” they both said in unison. 

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            “Ms. Geniason, a moment of your time, if you please.”

Professor Geniason asked Faith to stay behind after class without looking up to see her response.

Again, without looking at her, he calmly said to her, “It appears that you should be moving on from Historical Knowledge to a different class.”

Faith was surprised.  She thought she was doing relatively well in the class.

            “Why sir?  Did I do something wrong?” Faith asked calmly.

            “No, but I’ve been studying your responses throughout the past few months and I believe that this class would not be of much benefit to you.” 

Faith nodded slowly in understanding.

            “What class would I be taking to replace this one?”  she asked.

            “Diplomatic Relations.”

Diplomatic Relations was a course for the upper classmen.  Those in 3rd or 4th years usually took this course so that they could learn about negotiations and developing relationships between races and the different councils.  Although Faith hadn’t argued with Professor Geniason, she was worried that he might have put her into a class that was a bit too advanced and above her simple knowledge.  Faith was pretty confident about her abilities when it came to fighting, but knew that she had to make up for a lot of reading since she neglected so much of it in the past.  That’s why she had spent the last three years with her nose in manuals, something her sister had teased her about.  She wasn’t doing it because she just couldn’t get enough of reading, she finally understood that her neglect was going to be her shortcoming in the future if she didn’t catch up.

            Faith quietly found the classroom for Diplomatic Relations and took a seat in the back.

Professor Maudalin was a short elf with curly red hair and royal blue eyes that contrasted drastically with the color of her hair.  As if that didn’t make her already stand out, she was quite thick for an elf which didn’t follow how elves normally looked.  In contrast to Faith who was tall and had a slight yet shapely figure, Professor Maudalin looked a little bit like a potato with curly red hair. 

No matter her looks though, Professor Maudalin was fiercely intelligent and had powers of persuasion at her fingertips.  Ironically, she admitted to none of it being harnessed through magic.  The class looked at her in disbelief as she outlined a few negotiation tactics and set up the classroom for round table discussions.  Faith found her classmates immensely interesting and intelligent.  Every single person there seemed genuinely interested in learning all they could from Professor Maudalin and treated her with the utmost respect. 

At her table, one shapeshifter looked at her quietly without engaging in conversation much.  Dante always watched people first before choosing to engage in small talk.  You learned a lot about people this way, their discomfort always showed when there was no filler of words.  Some people got quite nervous about this and would sweat or stutter with nervous energy.  The young shapeshifter wondered which type Faith was. 

Faith felt the eyes of the shapeshifter, Dante on her.  While she felt a little uncomfortable with his staring, she paid him no mind.  If he was going to contribute, he would have to open his mouth and she wasn’t going to plead with him to join them in discussing the issues.  There were three other people also at their table and they were all animatedly discussing the various options the Professor had set before them.  Faith had no idea that the art of negotiations and developing relationships was going to be so fascinating.   She was really excited about this class and couldn’t wait to do the homework assignment that they had been given.   As the bell rang signaling the end of the class, Faith got up without giving the shapeshifter another look. 

            “She’s quite fascinating, isn’t she?”  Dante said to his friend.

            “Who?” his friend asked not really interested.

            “Faith Geniason,” Dante said looking after Faith as she walked away from him.

            “Yeah, is that why you said all of three words to her?”  his elf friend teased.

            “Certainly.  Can’t have her thinking I’m a chatterbox with nothing relevant to say.”

            “Whatever man, I gotta get to class.”

            Dante stared after Faith and determined he would find out more about this little elf.  She was much more interesting than he had originally thought, and certainly not the airhead he assumed she would be based on her looks.  He thought she would bicker without giving valid points to her argument but found her logic sound and insightful.  She surprised him and he liked surprises like her.  

Dante was definitely intrigued.  He’d ask his father to look into her for him, but if he found out his interest he would draw the wrong conclusions about them, far too soon.  No, it was better to wait and find out on his own.