BALETE CHRONICLES

Chapter 3 - Welcome Back!

The school arena was packed with people who sat on the chairs that were neatly arranged. Its dome-like structure locked the air in that was filled with laughs, inaudible murmurs, and the faint smell of fresh paint.

"Welcome everyone to the orientation!" A tall man with an athletic body said in a loud voice. Everyone could hear his voice even by the farthest person in the arena.

Maurice, who was among the crowd, sat in front silently.

"I am Akari, your Thrill of the Hunt professor. We are gathered here today by the Council's order because they have a very important announcement to make. I would like to personally welcome all of you back to Balete City!" He stood in the back of the podium which was placed on a wooden platform decorated by garments and flowers that scented the entire arena.

The girls in the crowd couldn't resist screaming after seeing Professor Akari. His short, brown hair flowed as he moved. The ray of light gleamed on his ring that made everyone squint their eyes as they looked at him.

"The Council made the right decision of picking him as the one to welcome all of us back. He's so gorgeous!" One girl with a ponytail said.

"Marry me, Professor!" Another girl from the crowd shouted then everyone in the arena laughed.

Akari laughed through the device that looked much like the microphone that humans used in their realm. "Alright, alright, settle down." He gestured with both hands in front of him.

The guy beside Maurice looked uncomfortable and reddish. "I can feel my masculinity slowly fading away." He jokingly said.

Maurice forced a yawn.

"Without further ado, please welcome..." he cleared his throat. "Balete city's Herald... a Council member for 337 years, the Kapres' respected elder... Herald Gertrude!" Akari applauded and everyone else stood up and copied him.

Maurice clapped and occasionally looked behind him as if he was looking for someone.

The 8-foot-tall Kapre, with her head slumped forward, made her way up the stairs and toward the podium. She shook Akari's hand which was much smaller than hers.

Akari walked down the stairs then everybody sat down—their faces painted with enthusiasm.

"Oh, goodness." Her eyes began to tear up. She paused. "For the love of the Tree, I promised myself that I'm not gonna cry in front of everyone." Her face, which was ridden with wrinkles and moles, slowly lit up as she spoke.

Some people in the crowd wiped their eyes with their hands.

"Tree Dwellers... how I wish I could welcome you back in a better circumstance. However, I will not beat around the bush as right now, every moment counts." She uttered with great emphasis on the last three words. "The Balete Tree is dying." She raised her left finger and pointed at the giant tree that stood in the heart of the city.

The crowd gasped in unison. Maurice's face was blank as Gertrude already told him about it.

"We all know that the Tree is fueled by a specific energy that we gather from humans—fear. The Council thought that we had stored enough of it to keep our Tree alive for a thousand years—we were wrong." She uttered. "Unfortunately, many of the last fear farmers that Balete City had, died in the last Great War... Hence, we have to create new fear farmers and you, all of the people here in this arena, are our city's best candidates."

Everybody looked at the person next to them. They were unsure of how to react to the news. Some shrugged, and some shook their heads in disbelief.

Gertrude smiled. "Now that that's out of the way, children, I couldn't be more elated to welcome you to Balete Academy." Her massive arms slowly spread out then back down again. "We set up a curriculum that will ensure that anyone who graduates will be well equipped for the journey that lies ahead."