Tetra of The Fall

3 - Tripping Hazard

SLAM!!

"Ow..." I muttered with a groan, nursing my banged head. In a pinpoint place it began to ache and jab, a small flare of pain igniting when I held it. "Sorry..." I muttered my apology as I kept touching the spot. Hopefully it doesn't bruise.

"Are you ok?" She returned with a lighter, higher pitched voice.

I turned to her.

She turned to me.

"oh." She spoke, expression progressively shifting from worried to displeased. "It's Tet." The thought crossed my mind of giving her a good whack.

A dirtied scowl, like observing something small, annoying, insignificant - that is what she bore as her manager ran to her side. With the harsh murmuring of some sentence beneath her breath, she was stood up and brushed off. Holding her arms out too, she arched her back as a second manager appeared to fix her blazer cuffs whilst the prior adjusted her pink hair. Meanwhile, I'd just managed to get on my feet, brushing myself off with my hands and feeling to make sure of my tails.

"Watch where you're running! Lunatic!" Even her managers cowered back as she stood straight, hands poised to her hips with her chin held high. She bore teeth with a furrowed brow.

"Hey, nobody got this hit in for free 'princess'. Try level with us peasants on occasion would you? Sheltered little-" I snapped at an adversary.

Her head shot a turn with a rather large hmph! "I should have you expelled! Reported! Running in the halls like that - and even injuring a distinguished lady of Draav! Such insult! Destined for D rank." This, at least, I expected. Though of course, whilst hardly within her power, this was her most common threat. 'How dare you' this and 'I'll expel you' that. Pampered little...

"Oh ok - maybe I'm not so sorry at all! Can't blame me if 'Tepia the great' couldn't sell a ticket for her human interaction. Maybe she'll learn to be a person one day instead of acting like our own mother's bad side! Just you wait until someone ranks higher than you in a week" I began to slowly walk. A solid taunt remaining sour in the air. Any comment was a stain on her own personal sense of pride. Tepia Draav; she always gets her way.

Her hands lit up then - her eyes did too. Short and high pitched screeching - small flashes of light which stopped mid-bolt gathered in the void between her collective fingertips.

"I'd be careful there Tetra. No running in the halls" She paused for a second, taking a step. "You won't even rank C in the tournament. And nobody needs you if you don't look cute enough. Scum"

From standard to rapid, my heart rate climbed in a shot, pupils small but eyelids wide apart. I paused my walking as my jaw clicked with stress.

"One of these days..." I began to shudder. "...you will be begging for my help."

Her audible smirk, followed by a loud BANG! as her electrified hand slammed shut. "Watch it 'tripping hazard' " She spat.

And on she walked - humming some stupid tune as if none of this had happened - followed closely by her two managers who scrambled to keep pace, whilst her latest 'friend' aka tool caught up, holding her piles of invaluable borrowed textbooks.

.         .         .

I shot towards the nearest bathroom in a weird mix between desperate speed walking and orderly pacing. As I marched, objects would slowly shift their placement - small pillars with ornaments, doors loose on their hinges, books, chairs, carpet, all shifting to the side in my pinkish wake of fury. The other students staying from different households, freshly dressed and out of their rooms, watched on from a distance, various low murmurs whispering to my ears in waves as onlookers shuffled to the dining halls.

With a heavy jab, the ornate wooden bathroom door made a loud crack, swinging open with its lock left on the ground. The loose handle jostled in its recess as it slowly closed behind. The same occurred to the toilet door too, though since thinner it warped much more clearly. When it shut, enclosing me in my own quiet space, all became silent, undisturbed.

My view turned red as I glared at the wall, tiles showing incremental signs of stress for every second spent pinned beneath my gaze. Teeth gritted, I finally permitted myself to let loose, though as quietly as I could.

"Who even is she anyways, huh?! That little stuck up princess of the world! Oh how I would love to do some real damage to that uptight little shi-!"

Creak~

"Tetra?"

Mid-sentence, I forced an end, though the redness at my vision's edge still remained. I continued to aimlessly glare, tapping my foot with a rapid fury.

"You're in here right? I mean, look at this door..." Nihilla's voice whispered and echoed off the tiles.

I bit my tongue.

With a large breath in, followed by a soft breath out, I chose this brief respite to talk. "I hate her. So much."

Softly, the toilet door began to open, a timid Nihilla peeking around the side. "... You can always get her back in live training, can't you?"

I shot a glare, turning her partially translucent.

"No. I can't get close to her. You saw last time! People just protect her in training! What the heck is the point of it if she doesn't even need to fight?!" I followed with a groan, hands raising to my face.

She shrugged, glancing to the side as she hid even more. "Sometimes Tet, the strongest ones are those who don't fight at all..."

An ironic smirk appeared from within.

"Who follows a leader who hides behind their partners, hmm? I bet as soon as we get into some real trouble, those meat shields won't stand for it"

Nihilla nodded at the fact.

"That might be true... But having so many supporters is the sign of a leader Tetra"

I simply shrugged. "As if I care. In one week the ranking tournament begins. There she'll only have one tool at her belt. Please oh Serennia put me in her bracket..."

I paused.

"...I'll be the strongest Draav. I'll kick her ass and get S rank while I'm at it. Just you watch Nihilla" With a nod of determination, my hand clenched to a fist.

With that she began to grin.

"When I finally find out the power I was born with... maybe I can get that edge. Then I'll be on top - strong offensive magic or not" I spoke, lowering a hand to pat Nihilla's shoulder as I passed.

She smiled, friendly, with a sweet supporting hum.

"If you say so, Tet"