"How nice it was for Mr Ashley for being so nice to us, feeding us and even helping us." Helen said as we began walking around the courtyard.
"Yeah.... aside form Emilia... we are all pretty much strangers." Jay agreed.
"... To be honest we aren't really close either... I only met him earlier this week..... I guess because Paul and I are friends..... through associations I'm friends as well....." I shrugged as we walked around the courtyard.
"Let's just take a seat here... lying down on the grass staring into the sky.
"I'll join you." Grace said taking a sitting beside Jay.
"So guys....." I asked sitting beside Jay, "Have you guys killed anyone?..." I asked.
"Nope not me.... I've seen lots of death and injustice... though..." Jay said with a huge sigh.
"Me and Helen witnessed the barbaric nature of orcs... and goblins and kobolds...." Grace answered.
"I was raised in a cult worshiping a dark God..." Daisy said.
"...... mine was peaceful....." I replied.
"Peaceful?... Mine and Helens was kidna peaceful..." Grace said.
"..... where I'm from everyone is kinda more civil... so I've never really ever got in a serious fight with someone..... or been ina life of death situation..." I explained.
"That's so fascinating.... I wonder what it's like to feel safe, walking around with no worry of imminent death by something like Giants or.... Wyverns..." Jay said.
"Yeah.... do you think we can ever visit there?..." Daisy asked looking hopeful.
"I would love you guys to..... but.... we don't have blue skinned humans with horns... or elves walking around.. so you guys would be alien..... we only have humans back where I am." I replied.
"What is Alien?.." Helen asked.
"Alien is someone who isn't native to our home plane?..." I replied lost on how to explain it to them.
"Yeah but it will be alright.... your home is safe.... we're just a little different..." Daisy replied.
"Ummm.... yeah..... but generally most people aren't friendly to.... abnormal things..." I replied to them trying to make it sound polite.
"Well that sucks...." Daisy sighed.
"Wait does that mean I can go?.." Jay asked.
"Yeah you can..... aside from Casting spells you'll be like me considered normal.." I answered.
"Thats awesome!" He said with a giant smile.
"Nah.... if you can't go if we can't." Daisy and Helen said looking slightly aggravated and jealous.
"Doesn't really matter anyways..... not like i can go home to be honest." I said ripping a hand full of grass from the soil.
"Yah you're right.... plane traversing warp gates are reserved for Diplomats and Royalties only..." Helen said with a sigh.
"Aren't your families pretty noble?.." Jay asked Helen and Grace.
"Yeah they are.. but even then they aren't allowed.. only members of the high council are allowed." Grace said.
"I see..." Jay said nodding in understanding
"....So what was the special training Paul taught you?..." Grace asked Daisy.
"It's simple really... Pushups till your body gives out..... then Squats till your body gives out..... then running till you cant run no more...." she said with a smile.
"....... is that it?.." Grace replied.
"Yup" Daisy replied still smiling.
"you sure?.." Jay questioned sounding very skeptical.
"Positive." Daisy replied still smiling her face filled with pride.
We all remained silent for a little, wondering if she was joking or being serious.... but her reaction seemed so genuine that it felt serious and true, but there must be more to it.....
"Yup!" He said like a house.... you need to have strong foundations to be strong." She said with a giant smile.
"He's kinda got a point..." Jay said after hearing her explain it.
"I wonder how strong our opponents are...." Grace said.
"Yep.... aside from our inital grading... we don;t quite know the power levels to rank ratio in Atlantis." Jay agreed.
"Yeah... hope Ashley comes through in helping us, otherwise we're gonna be going in blind." Grace said looking a little anxious.
"I swear..... I'm gonna challenge Calista after my duel and smash her pretty face with my maul!" Daisy said furiously raising her hand up in a closed fist.
"Maybe.... we shouldn't be so quick to judge.... for all you know it might not be her doing..." Grace said thinking rationally.
As the sun began to set the courtyard became noticeably more and more busier as it appeared as students has started to make their way back from their outings. Looking closer some students had either a Phoenix, Hydra or Dragon tattoo located on different regions on the body.... ranging from hands, arms, shoulders, legs and chest. Aside from carrying weapons and the fantasy style fashion everything looked rather normal. Students walking around in groups taking to one another. It was interesting looking at them from afar, looking at their equipment, one woman had an awesome looking ornate book attached to her hip, along with a very beautiful black leather gloves with a faint rune in the center.
"Hold on one second... my Eye sight is perfect....." I said noticing I could see things clearly far away.
"You normally wear glasses?.." Helen asked.
"Yeah normally...." I replied.
"Hmmmm.... interesting...." She replied.
"Somewhere in this school.... are the people who challenged us..." Grace said looking around scanning the crowd.
"Yup and its a good chance... they know who we are.... and we don't know them..." Jay added.
"Yup..... all we have is a name sadly... and no face to the name... so best to just relax.." Helen said lying down next to Jay.
"I still don't like the idea that they may be watching us.." Grace replied.
"You really need to chill out..." Helen said to Grace.
"I think you take things way too casually Helen, what if they are studying us right now.... watching our every move." Grace replied.
"They aren't gonna see anything just us lying here talking." Helen replied.
"Yeah but they can spend the rest of the week watching our every move." Grace said.
"I'm sure it will be alright... and on top I'm sure they cant spy on us when we are in Paul's Training room." Helen said still relaxing.
"What ever.... I still don't like it...." Grace replied still looking for anyone suspicious.
The familiar bell sound rang in our heads letting us know it was time for dinner. "Ohhh looks like it's time to discover what House we are in." Jay said getting responding to the bell.
"I can already feel it!!! I'm defiantly gonna be a dragon!" Daisy said standing up.
"Hey Emilia?.... what house do you wanna be in?..." Helen asked.
"Hmmmm I think I'll be a Phoenix..." I said remembering what Paul said to me but a small part of me wanted to be in the same house Paul was. "How about you guys?.." I asked.
"Hmmmm.... Phoenix sounds good to me..." Jay and Helen replied.
"Kraken here." Grace said which shocked most of us except for Helen.
"Whats wrong with Kraken?.." Grace asked.
"Ohhh.... because Helen wants to be in Phoenix.... and you know we've been such a awesome group thought we would like to be together..." I replied.
"..... Well.... Daisy... wants to be in Dragon." Grace quickly retorted.
"I think she wants to be in Kraken the same reason Daisy want's to be in Dragon..." Helen said nudging me.
"Ohhhh I seee!!!" I said understanding what Helen said.
"I hate you sometimes Helen!" Grace said looking extremely anger and embarrassed.
"You know... Travis is like.... the..... Hit it and Quit it type of dude...." Jay said.
"Yeah..... Boys like his are nothing but trouble." I said agreeing with Jay.
"Yeah but have you seen him?!!! He's so dreamy....." Grace said daydreaming just at the mention of him.
"You know there's a reason why there are rumors going around that he doesn't ever spend more then two days with a girl..." Helen said to Grace looking cross.
"yeah.. but.... but....." She said unable to give a proper reply.