Etchtome, Friends and Enemies

The night passed quickly after that, waking up to the alarm I'd set for myself allowed me to get dressed and take a shower before school. I headed out with nothing but my Kommun, but before leaving I asked Asaki where the school actually was.

He said it was north of his home, between Kaliston, where Asaki lived, and Saliston, where the real rich people lived. I started traveling northward and seeing how the streets progressively got nicer, with taller trees, lusher grass, cleaner streets, and pristine homes I could tell I was getting close to the edge of Kaliston.

I looked around and there I found some stairs that lead to a massive plaza-type entrance to a building with multiple entrances. I could see many people entering the gray brick building that was about 40 feet tall and whose roof was detailed with Eastern Yuki techniques.

"Guess this is the place," I said to myself as I began walking towards the school.

I got inside and saw a hallway that connected all the entrances to one opening out to the school's main courtyard. It had one paved walkway and was surrounded by trees and greenery. In the corner of the courtyard were a few buildings not unlike the style of many of the homes of the city, though much smaller.

I managed to make my way toward the front of the crowd and saw an old man, roughly 80 years old, with a stubby but pointy white beard and his hair tied back into a ponytail. His clothes were a black robe and a white undershirt. The robe was sporting a school insignia and went down to his feet where he was wearing a white shoe with black highlights.

I had just gotten there as the presumed headmaster was finishing his introductory speech. I looked around as everyone was silent, hearing the old man talk as if it were the words of the king himself.

"New students of Etchtome, I have no doubt that all of you will grow up to be the most powerful generation of spirit users the world has ever seen. We've seen that over the years that this school has existed every student who has walked its halls has grown up to be extremely important. And with all that being said, I welcome you all, to the finest academy in the world." He ended his speech as all the students erupted into cheers.

I looked around, wondering what I was supposed to do now when I noticed some teachers and a few upperclassmen handing out slips of paper. I went up to one and asked him what they were doing, he said it was for your dorm room and class schedules. I told him my name and he looked through some before handing me a piece of paper.

My first period was spirit studies, damn I hate that class. I walked up the stairs and stared down the hallways that went in every which way, seemingly forever. I walked down the hall until I arrived at a door, "Spirit Studies, Mr. Omorambe." Omorambe? Is that really his name?

I walked inside slowly, hoping the teacher wouldn't see me come in late. I noticed that kid with the scruffy black hair from yesterday sat in the second row before I walked to the back of the room and sat down next to a kid with blonde hair, a white shirt, and tan pants.

"Hey, I'm Kusaha Tsuki, nice to meet you." He caught my attention.

"I'm Fubuki, from Tresloc on the western border." In the corner of my eye, I could see the teacher look at us and then look back at the board.

"Really? How's it been like in the city?" He sat up straight.

"It's been nice, haven't been here long but I think I'm doing okay," I replied.

"You two in the back, shut up!" The teacher yelled from across the room.

"You need any help with anything?" Kusaha asked, whispering.

"Yeah, this place is pretty confusing, know where I can find my dorm?" I asked pulling out my paper.

"Boys dorms are in the east building, girls in the west. You're in 566 it says, means you're on the fifth floor." He looked up at me.

"Thanks, what dorm are you in I'll come by sometime," I said.

"I'm actually right down the hall from you, 587." He wrote it at the bottom of my paper.

"You two, give me your names!" The teacher yelled louder as the class stared at us.

The kid from the Flower Grove yesterday turned around quickly after seeing it was me, what was his name again? Kasago I think, interesting guy I'll have to talk to him later.

"I'm Fubuki Ayoi." I stood up.

"Oh, you're that kid from out in the country huh? I don't like it when students talk in my class, I especially don't like it when someone who shouldn't even be allowed in my class, talks in my class, you got it?" He stared daggers at me.

"I'm not from the country, Tresloc is technically considered an inactive military base-." He cut me off.

"Shut the hell up! I don't care, sit down and if I hear it again you are going to the headmaster." He nodded before angrily turning to the board as I sat back down.

What a dick, like honestly the hell is wrong with that guy? I turned to Kusaha and he looked white as a ghost.

"You alright?" I asked, whispering.

"Dude trust me, don't talk, this guy is not joking." He whispered back panically.

I thought I would be in that class forever, but eventually, he dismissed us and it was our break time. I asked Kusaha to point me toward the east building. After doing so I headed into my dorm room where I saw a tall, lean, short- hair blonde guy in there to greet me. He was wearing a simple shirt and shorts and seemed overly excited.

He noticed that I had opened the door and came over to me. He greeted me warmly and invited me inside.

"Alright, you are," He looked down at a paper he was holding, "Fubuki right?" He looked up at me.

"Yeah, how did you know?" I asked while looking around.

It was pretty large, one large open area with a massive central window and 2 boroughs on each adjacent wall that each held one bed and one desk.

"Well I'm this dorm upperclassman and I have a paper with your description and name, it says here, "Average size with short black hair and always asking questions."

"I guess that's a decent description, so which is my bed?" I asked while walking up to the one on the left-hand side of the door.

"Well, the only 2 left are on the left side, me and Freddy took the other side." He fake laughed a bit.

"I guess I'll just take the one closer to the door," I walked into my borough before laying down on my bed.

"Great! So that just leaves," He looked at the paper, "Kasago Fotohume." He said.

"Kasago Fotohume?" I sat up.

"You know him?" He looked up.

"Well not really, he's in my class," I explained.

"Oh alright, tell him to drop by soon okay? Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Henry Castofis!" He said excitedly.

"It's alright, hey you know what time it is?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's 10:15, why?"

"Class starts in 5 minutes shit!" I ran out of the room.

I headed towards the large north field where Spirit Training class was held. However when I got there the instructor just said that the real instructor was sick, and to train on our own for today.

After class, I got back to the dorm hall and looked around before finding my floor's common room. Inside were many musical instruments, seats, and snacks. I immediately sat down at the piano in the middle of the room. I looked down on it, remembering all the times I had played on my own piano, For'o's dad's funeral…

I started playing that same song, "Kamo's Effigy." After finishing playing I looked up and noticed a shadowy figure standing in front of me. It seemed like the walls were shifting around, and the ground was spinning until he spoke. His raspy voice said that I didn't belong in Etchtome then he turned to smoke and disappeared.

Thoroughly annoyed I headed down to the city for the rest of my lunch break and walked around. Seeing all the streets and differences between the city's major boroughs calmed me down. I started walking back when I heard some people yelling and someone screaming in pain.

I rushed over and saw Kasago, the guy from the Flower Grove, and my dorm, getting beat up by 3 thugs.

I acted quickly running towards the group as they used their spirits to throw fire at me. I managed to avoid all the fire and as I was passing by a puddle I exuded out some frost and transformed the water to ice and controlled it. I turned the ice into a group of icicles and launched them at the assailents.

One of them was pierced in the shoulder by the time I reached them and I punched him in the throat and threw him against a wall. I hit him in the stomach and then kicked his head as he bent over in pain. Another tried rushing me but I acted quickly, picking him up by his jacket and tossing him 30 feet down the street.

The last one brandished a knife and managed to cut across my face before I grabbed his wrist and disarmed him. He tried kicking me as I threw his weapon aside but I grabbed his leg and held him over my head from his leg and wrist. I let go of his leg and swung him from his wrist onto the ground.

They had all been rendered unconscious and I waited a second as I calmed down.

I turned to Kasago, "You're the guy from yesterday aren't you? Kasago Fotohume, right?" I put my hand forward, helping him up in the same manner as yesterday.

"Why would you help me?" He had clearly been crying, he was bloodied and bruised, too weak to even walk.

"Because you remind me of someone." I threw his arm over my shoulder before carrying him towards Etchtome as he passed out.