Ascension of Blood

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - Shirts and Bone Jokes

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Shirts and Bone Jokes

A week after the initiation that almost took her, Mijora stood as she looked out the window. The Annihilation had gone, she could see its red haze in the distance, dancing on the horizon like the glow of the sunrise to come.

It was only now, as the storm too left her, that she truly felt alone. She told herself she liked being alone, but even she knew it was a lie. She didn't like being alone, but the loneliness was favorable to the feeling of the loss that came with losing someone again. She has lost too much. The Annihilation had followed her here all the way from Millpeak, although it wasn't a person to have a kinship with, Mijora felt oddly saddened by its departure.

But this was Douterra after all, and the Academy did not stop because of a silly storm. Tearing herself, Mijora instead turned to study her fellow acolytes.

Although she herself remained alone, after a week of classes and forced proximity most her classmates had already separated themselves into small factions. Erix and Xanto were a strong duo, sometimes joined by Ingrid, though the female bone adept came and went depending on her mood, of how bored she was. Lunar and Kali were close before the Academy walls and were always shoulder to shoulder or arm in arm. Minka had joined herself to Dexi, the pair having Ara close by, happily chatting them up, which seemed like an odd pairing to her, but the young street rat was a charming one, and Dexi loved the attention. Tynan seemed to talk to anyone who would listen, often sparking political, or social debates that most of the group didn't actually care about. Secto, mute as he was, didn't speak to anyone and thus remained by himself burrowed in books mostly. Arius, who although could speak, didn't bother, and most of the class preferred it that way. However despite the seperate factions, the group overlapped frequently. Xanto constantly sought out Lunar. Ingrid seemed to linger near the mute Secto, together in their silence, and Minka often stared across at Erix longingly. The Web was confusing and only growing with time.

One day, Mijora longed to understand how one made a friend. There were skills and complexities she never learned, rules and guidebooks she was never given.

She let herself be sad about that fact for the time it took to get to the dining room, as as soon as she entered all thoughts left her brain.

Arius DaVal was sitting there shirtless.

This was not something she expected from the Necromancer, who seemed all but shy and reclusive, rather doing whatever it took to avoid attention rather than receive it. She whistled as she walked in and he turned his head to look at her.

It was not often she was genuinely surprised. Mijora had a terribly abilities to predict ones behaviors based on personality, but boy had she been wrong about Arius. In fact, she was so thrown off guard she didn't even know what to say.

"Nice shoulders, DaVal." Xanto said as he entered the hall. "Thought you'd be skinnier."

"Could show them a thing or two in Stonefist, weaklings the lot of them!" Erix said following the other Osteo in, finding seats further down.

Arius wasn't as well built as the Osteomancer's, who's muscles could be seen even through the black curtains they all wore, but without a shirt the muscles were cleared outlined and present. The boy had abs.

"Better watch out, Erix, he'll knock you out." Xanto chuckled.

"With muscles like those, he'll only need to flick my side to break these ribs." Erix laughed, slapping a hand to his chest.

Arius only grunted in response to the boys jeering, glancing sidelong as Mijora as she took a seat next to him.

"Arent you going to ask?"