Prologue 16 (Part 3) Getting to Know Each Other (2) and Common Hate.

When Kazu Nini wanted to pull Jagonu Nanhor's hand towards the couch, it felt like hard foam but it did not stop her dragging the girl along until it was seated on one of the couches, Isimaila Fginja right behind them. She then turned on the TV and it was sports. A sport game started by Blacksmiths and Cyclopes that eventually featured Trolls and Fairies and sometimes even more. It was named One Eyed Ball, and according to the Spirit of a roommate that they had it was quite popular actually.

The Smiths would hold a gargantuan hammer and hit at a Cyclops who jumped at it with full and tremendous force, so that the semi giant who had rubbery skin that absorbed damage would be shot through the center of a hoop supported by a pole 50 meters high.

Now, the most important part was the receiver who caught the hurling semi-giant on the other side of the hoop and did not allow his heels, that were digging into the steel ground which was also mixed with plastic - so that it was doubly durable and elastic – to reach past a line which had been drawn behind him or her.

*Back to the One Eyed Ball Sports Show in Kazu Nini's room.*

The opposing team on the other side had their ball of living flesh, ricochet off the fairy who had been distracted and was supposed to catch it. Losing this round incited jeering and screams, as well as rile up her teammates into crying or aggressively expressing dissatisfaction. Now, all eyes were on the other contestants.

Amidst the booing audience in the stadium - and after a Cyclops had hurtled at him at breakneck speed so that flames were drawn across the air - the Troll was dragged back, 10 meters, 20 meters and not stopping at 30 meters due to the staggering weight which had arrived in its embrace with terrifying velocity.

The booing crowd was growing louder and the clapping ones were fainter.

40 meters… 50 meters… 60 meters.

His feet were still dragging back as if it would not stop and the booing was getting so loud it seemed as if no one was clapping. Some laughter had even joined in.

70 meters… 80 meters… 90 meters.

Now the stadium was dead silent as the nay-sayers and the laughers had now thought the Troll to have failed but the Semi-giant creature roared in joy and barbaric defiance before he completely stopped at 99.8 meters; 0.2 meters to the disqualifying line. And he beat his chest, spittle flying about as he dropped the ball of flesh he had been carrying and his deafening roar this time shook the stadium to its foundation, a section of the bleachers broke from the colliding shout of fans clashing with its own.

Both the girls felt a wave of emotion flow about their bodies, almost like an electric shock but also harmless like a wind, that covered each inch of their skin and they all looked at Jagonu Nanhor to see that she was happy and it had *strongly* affected them both.

That feeling they just had right now stemmed from their… Spirits… as if her emotion was so strong that it affected them.

She was about to cover her face in shame but they giggled before tearing into their snacks.

At the end of the night, Kazu Nini got hooked on the sport which she found out was called 'One Eyed Ball' to the point where she would jump or shout from however, they acted.

"CATH THE MEAT BAG YOU DUMB THING!"

"HOLD YOUR GROUND... NOOOOOO!!!"

"YESSSS!!! YESSS!!!"

At first, the Goblin looked at Kazu Nini in shock while the Spirit laughed. But eventually, it began throwing snacks at the screen when she hated the teams and she would jump on the chair like a kid when she was glad with who won.

When Jagonu Nanhor was tired and calmed down, they found themselves unable to move without tremendous effort. "D-d-Did you like that?" They felt emotionally drained.

"Yeah…" Kazu was collapsed on the chair and Isimaila Fginja was on the floor, face first.

"Thank you, I needed live tests."

They both paused after hearing what she had just said and before Jagonu Nanhor released a dark laugh that made their hearts race. After a minute of silence and bleak hopes, "just kidding!" Then, she laughed cheerily and they instantly felt assured. Both of them, Pixie and Goblin, even clasped her back for a while in their sudden reassurance everything was alright before she totally relaxed.

And then, Kazu Nini and Isimaila Fginja instantly jumped back at the realization of their tiredness…no, fatigue and how they had both acted in tandem to do what their emotions had led them too. Almost as if they had been hypnotized.

Yes, they had been happy, but it was so ecstatic that the 'hangover' from this session of watching sports hit them as if they had been jumping for an entire day. Their hands did not shake like a leaf in the storm from the tiredness alone just because they were cultivators and their Ko-jin was trying to relax their bodies that felt like it had just been over exerted. And patting her back to reassure had had even been voluntarily - at least they had felt like they had wanted to while they had been doing it.

"Do-do-don't worry," her mask totally unreadable. "I-I-I won't harm you."

Kazu Nin studied her and was surprised the Spirit could neglect al her menta energy to directly affect her that way. "Emotion? Do you control emotion?" The Pixie was somewhere between cautious and impressed. Jagonu Nanhor, this Spirit, needed to be her friend.

"Would you tell me all your cultivation secrets?"

"Fair enough, anyways." Isimaila Fginja sat back on the chair. "I just became a fan of One Eyed Ball."

"Same here, pass me another snack." The Spirit held it and threw it to her. And then she looked at the sleeves. "How does it work?"

She looked at her arms then back at Kazu Nini.

"Do you have to continuously expend Ko-jin to keep your form?" Mao Nini was right; different races were truly interesting.

"Currently, yes. But for safety, I cannot tell you anymore."

"You got us excited then you started throwing threats around, my blood can only get so high." Kazu Nini eyed her playfully but she explained herself either way.

"I do not threaten, I just act." Her voice did not change from the feeling of both creepiness and beauty. "That was entirely goodwill." She extended out her arms, "I can give you a clue and tell you that this is not my first life, per say, but it does take my concentration not to lose my form and now it is almost subconscious."

"Different races are interesting."

"Yeah." She saw the grin in Isimaila Fginja's eyes and wondered if another creature could ever exaggerate an emotion so perfectly. "Imagine if our new roommate does not give off the same vibe and it is hard to gel with them?"

There was silence and then, she jumped off the couch. "I can help with that."

"Where are you going?" Kazu was still stuffing her cheeks with snacks. She had noticed Jagonu Nanhor's hesitation when she intended to move with the Goblin and then resumed her sitting position, hands reaching for more perishable food.

"You guys want to come?"

"We are girls," the Pixie had an exaggerated expression. "Of course."

"Shut up, you. And yes, we should all go."

"Don't forget the keys."

"O-okay." Jagonu Nanhor stood up with unnatural ease, always moving as if she had paranormal agility. She seemed to hover to her 'feet' which they both ogled at.

10 minutes later, they were down the hall, orbs of light floating at the corners of the ceilings or just about anywhere they felt like. The movement was more than when she came, she guessed that it was because of the late time as more people were now at their rooms or in the dorm now. They took the closest stairway down and headed to the entrance area. They reached the long table and saw before it two Chimera or Manticore – though Kazu Nini was not too sure as it was easy to confuse them - and a Sphinx, she was definitely going to check up their directories in the Encyclopedia later.

The left most one had a dark brown, almost black, scorpion tail and pawed feet while another. The one in the middle, had a bull's head and the hair of a gorilla on her arms, the Sphinx looked lacking in comparison. Her mane stopped below her cleavage and wings were not full grown yet. She was also almost hunched.

"You have to make sure you work on your posture, young Sphinx, it works hand in hand with the Regal command you are going to learn of later down our cultivation road."

She rolled her eyes in response as the Goblin reached the edge of the table to refer to the lady on the end. She spoke loud even though her chin was at the Table's height. "If we want to have a room kept for just us, what will we have to do?"

"I am not sure it is allowed."

"I do not believe that."

She tapped her partner who was dealing with the people who Kazu Nini had been staring at to ask.

"It is, actually."

"Great, what do we have to do?"

"Just 100,000 Bronze Hyur, the fee for a year."

She whistled.

"Is that not the girl who rode Krinsh Lanigo?" The Scorpion Chimera, or Manticore, was pointing at Jagonu Nanhor. The Spirit turned slightly to regard them then resumed staring at who was supposed to be dealing with them behind the glass.

"Oh, that dumb kid? I heard he scored so lowly at last years' exams that he repeated." The one with Gorilla hair laughed. "How can a Cyclops become a doctor; their ugly eyeballs are enough to scare their patients to death."

"Yeah, I remember now, he was crying in the exam hall." The part Scorpion turned to Jagonu Nanhor and asked. "What is your relationship with him?"

She was stammering, about to speak, when Kazu Nini held her back with a light resting of her palms on the Spirits' shoulder. "Let us know your names first, so that we can all be friends. I am quite curious about your race, to be honest."

The one with hairy arms spoke next, "Is that how you refer to a third-year student?" She then held the Sphinx closer to her, "Uniah Gramanos, avoid these ones, they would lead you into trouble with their lack of manners."

"What makes you think you can so easily speak to her?" the Sphinx, spat harshly. "Who are you?"

"Lion face, nobody was talking to you? Keep your trap shut." Isimaila Fginja replied in tandem and she appeared shocked.

"It is a pity that I cannot smash your head in, annoying rules." She rubbed her coarse hair and closed her fist. "Then again, it would be a waste of my time to deal with the likes of you."

"Hairy Cow, are you done? I need to head back upstairs and find my matrass before I hit the ground in the boredom that your presence causes."

"With the way you speak you can't be up to 18, and when you are, let me know so that I can issue a challenge in the tournament grounds"

The lady at the desk chipped in, "yes 17 and younger can challenge themselves, while 18 to 27 and 28-39 can do the same." She held their eyes in turn. "Or you get severely punished"

Kazu Nini had long noticed that the part Scorpion and wild Cat lady had not spoken since this began but her roommate, the Goblin was starting to worry her and when Isimaila Fginja darted towards their group, making the 1st and 2nd year flinch, Kazu Nini was there to pull her out and away. It was a suddenly implantation of Ko-jin to her muscles to crudely empower them to act but it was enough.

At least, it stopped her struggling self as she was now almost touching noses with the half bull.

"Do it and I will happily accompany you." Her sternum was inches away from the Goblin's face.

"You are lucky, but you have to promise me, since sharing the air with you might endanger my physical, mental and psychological health." She reached out an arm, upwards since she was shorter. "Let us shake on it. One year from now, in the tournament arena."

The lady at the front desk was so calm that Kazu Nini was almost apprehensive. She was waiting as Half-Bull took her hands and clasped them. None of them exerted pressure as they held their eye contact until the lady at the front desk said, "Enough!"

When Isimaila Fginja walked away, Kazu Nini began laughing. "Will you be fine, or do you need company? Don't get me wrong if it is just taking care of your hygiene, I do not think you can't handle yourself."

The three of them turned to Kazu Nini, but the Scorpion Tail spoke, "What gives you confidence? You have not the cultivation, or the background. Are you relying on the rules? She has stayed in school much longer and she will have connections. If she knows a noble, the flimsy rules cannot protect you."

"It will be better if she does." Kazu Nini's body started vibrating from anger and her eyes became empty while her face spasmed as if it could not decide on how angry it should look, remembering the memory of her aunt's traumatic experience. "Because if I were to accidently added one more grave to the world, it would be without regrets."

Some of the light orbs from the Dorm floated until at least 10 were in the room. "The night is not too young or late, sure there are other places where you young ladies can be." The Receptionists looked like she was going to intervene at this point.

The Spirit turned to Kazu Nini and placed an arm on her shoulder. "Let's go."

Scorpion Tail and Paw Feet laughed as she turned around, speaking scarcely again. "You are interesting."

Bull Face and Gorilla Arms said a few more words to the hunched Sphinx and then walked away, venomous eyes on Kazu Nini who had not been able to leave. After they were gone, the Spirit robed sleeve held Kazu Nini and something washed over her before seeming to suck all the thoughts from her.

Now… she snapped to stare at Jagonu Nanhor in utter shock as she felt painfully light… emotionally. It was weird – as if all the anger got drained away down the hole of a cistern or water closet after the lever was pulled for I to do just so.

"How did you do that?"

Jagonu Nanhor chuckled in her half creepy and half musical voice. "Secret."

5 minutes later, Isimaila Fginja walked in with hands on her pocket and a mischievous smile to which her roommates; Kazu Nini and Jagonu Nanhor scrunched their brows at. At least, in the Spirit's case, it was however her form expressed curiosity.

The young Goblin then proceeded to pass a bag to the lady at the counter who picked it up and smiled.

"10 Silver Hyur, who shall own the room?"

Isimaila Fginja turned to her excited roommates, "all of us."