Buying a Ranking as a Human...

Week 6 Day 8 Demiden

Sky stood in front of the door and triple check the room number. It was 304 in the tower. It should be his room and she had tried everyone else that she could get to.

She'd woken up today at just after one pm. Once she'd showered and cleaned herself up, she realized she was starving. She found a note telling her that food was in her mini cooler, so she ate that and then got to thinking about the fight. She'd won and she'd only needed to beat someone three ranks higher to have enough points to purchase a rank. That male was an AR student so he must have been high ranked. This meant she could purchase rank 5, Eas. So, here she was outside this door, trying to find someone to escort her to and from the rank office.

Hesitantly, Sky knocked. A few seconds later, she heard footsteps through the door. Her heart hammered in her chest. If this was the wrong room, she'd be in serious trouble.

The door opened. West frowned at her from the other side. He was dressed informally today in a blue-gray sleeveless, tight-fitting tunic over loose, white linen pants. On his feet were a pair of light-tan sandals. Propping the door open on his hip, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Can I help you, human?" He asked coldly. Sky frowned.

"Yes- Yes, I was hoping you could." Sky stammered quietly as she tugged at her uniform again. West's eyes looked towards the motion. Then they raked over her and she shifted on her feet.

Her corset had been ruined when that male had caught her with his dagger. Well, it had also been ruined by that dart that hit her, so it was very unwearable. And with what she wanted to do today, she'd thought it best to forgo her wig and glasses, so today she looked like her ugly, fat self.

West smiled coolly at her.

"Why don't you come in and tell me what sort of help you need?" He offered stepping back to allow her entry. Sky bit the inside of her cheek and looked into the room. Then she shook her head.

"I, actually, was hoping you'd come with me." She said twisting her ring around her finger.

West gave her a sharp look, "What will you do for me in exchange?" Sky's eyes widened.

"Uh- Well I get a stipend now and-" He cut her off.

"I don't want gold." Sky's hand fisted.

"I- I could make you cookies?" She suggested. West stared at her for a moment, then let out an amused breath.

"You must be really innocent." He said finally. Sky frowned.

"Please just come with me." She pleaded.

West sighed and uncrossed his arms as he said, "Fine, but you'll owe me one and I already have some ideas of how you can pay me back." Sky smiled in relief as he stepped outside of his room.

***

Fifteen minutes later Sky and West were standing in line in front of the counter for the Rank Office. This was where you came to buy ranks with points. In front of them a bored looking male with a nametag that said, "Garrick" was informing a blushing male that he did not have enough points to buy the rank he wanted. Sky frowned hoping Garrick wouldn't have to repeat this speech with her.

"If you have an issue with your points, please see your records." Garrick said before loudly calling, "Next!" The male's shoulders hunched, and he slumped away.

Sky stepped up to the counter in his place and smiled brightly at Garrick. His expression soured.

"Next!" He called again.

Sky's smile faltered as she said, "I'm right here." Garrick gave her a flat look as West turned and told the male behind them to back off.

"You are obviously a human," Garrick said, "and therefore do not have the points to purchase a rank. Next!" West turned on him and grabbing him by the collar, half pulled him over the counter as Garrick struggled with his hand. West leaned into him with a dark smile. Garrick's eyes widened and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Check her points." West ordered enunciating every syllable. Roughly, he released Garrick. Garrick staggered and rubbed his throat.

"N-name?" He asked breathlessly. Sky smiled brightly again.

"Skylar Maren." She fished her student ID out of her pocket and put it on the counter with a snap. Garrick grabbed it and swiftly entered her information into his ALOV terminal. His mouth popped open and he blinked several times at the screen.

"I'm sorry you said your name is Skylar Maren?" West asked in a small voice. He coughed dryly to clear his throat.

Sky gave him a quizzical look and replied, "Of course, West. You knew that." West let out a sharp breath and looked her up and down.

"You're Skylar, Sky?" He repeated. Sky's mouth twisted and she blushed at the floor.

"Yes, I- I'm sorry for imposing myself on you like this but, Instructor Gillianice said I shouldn't spread my rank around. If it helps, you don't have to look at me." West swallowed hard.

"Does my brother know about this?" A panicked look came over Sky's face and she shook her head emphatically.

"Oh, no. I don't want to impose on anyone, so I don't go out like this." West turned his back on her and raked a hand through his hair as Sky turned back to Garrick. Another male had joined him and was leaning over his shoulder to look at the ALOV. His expression was grave.

"Is something wrong? Do I not have the points?" Sky asked biting the inside of her cheek.

The new male straightened and said, "I'm in charge here. I'm sorry to inform you that we cannot help you until you get the errors in your records fixed."

"Errors?" Sky asked.

The male smiled, "It is showing you as a first-year human student. All you need to do is speak to Felicity and she can straighten this out for you. Then we can let you purchase the rank."

"I am a first-year human." Sky told him. He blinked.

"But you- you are a rank Gral with 372 points." The male protested.

Sky smiled brightly and said, "Yes, I won a challenge and now I'd like to purchase the next two ranks, please." Both males stared at her as did West.

Finally, West asked quietly, "You're purchasing ranks five and six, Eas and Xinet?" Sky nodded.

"Yep. I can since I beat that teacher." The male in charge shook himself.

"Please step aside. I need to verify these points." Sky obediently stepped to the left. A second later so did West.

They waited in silence for several minutes before the male came back.

He smiled stiffly and said, "I need your rank." He held out his hand palm up. Sky dug the large, pewter badge she'd gotten at the ranking ceremony out of her pocket and placed it in his hand. The male disappeared again.

In a few minutes, he returned and offered her a new bronze badge with the rank of Xinet on it.

"The points have been deducted from your account and the system has been updated to reflect your new rank. You are now rank Xinet." West pulled up his ALOV and verified this as Sky put the rank in her pocket.

They returned to Sky's room silently. Sky wanted to talk but West's dark expression as he stared at the ground forbade it.

Before he left her, he said, "Don't wear that badge." And then he was gone.