CHAPTER 48
"What a beautiful day it is. It is a waste spending it in this classroom."
Mane had all his attention outside, fully indulging in the beauty of nature and totally ignoring his class teacher. And right he was, for it was indeed a beautiful day. The sun was up yet its usual scorching heat was nowhere to be found. For such an imposing heavenly body, it sure was silent today. The excited chirps of little birds filled the area outside. These were sounds that wouldn't be heard by any normal person in the classroom. Yet Mane wasn't a normal person was he? His heightened senses made it possible for him to listen to the glorious symphony being created by the hummingbirds that were flying freely just outside the window.
The bright blue sky called to him, asking him to come outside and take shelter under it. Oh, how he would have loved to go outside. Unfortunately, he could not.
"It is a beautiful day indeed. Just thinking about having a picnic with the sky as our roof is getting me excited."
John, one of the Hydra twins had his head on the table. Just like his captain, his gaze outside was full of longing. And his brother Jake was no different.
"Well, we can't. We have to meet the quota for class attendance or we'd be repeated." Abe softly remarked. He was the only member of the group who had his eyes on a book. Though he was engrossed in what he was reading, it wasn't a problem for him to give a bit of his attention to his surroundings. Similar to his associates, he was also paying no heed to the brown haired middle aged man who stood before the class trying to impart knowledge.
It wasn't as if the teacher cared about them either. He was clearly not interested in the group of four who were seated at the very back. Why would he be? They were an outstanding group miles ahead of their colleagues- and even some of their seniors. He was aware that they were here for only one reason: making up for the class attendance quota.
He didn't mind their lack of attention. He was a knowledgeable teacher and knew that the information he was dishing out was of no use to them. In fact, he would have preferred it if they spent their time in the library or doing something productive. He was a good teacher. One who understood what his students needed- and his class was definitely not a necessity for the Silver Wolves team. In fact, he had given them permission to skip some of his classes so they could use the library. Unfortunately, he was just a teacher. His power wasn't enough to grant them a free pass to escape all his classes.
Mane turned his eyes to his class teacher. The older man had taken over their class in their second year, leaving Mr. Aikens to deal with the then first years. They had longed forgotten his name, calling him 'Elder' because of his age and gentle temperament.
Locking eyes with Elder across the room, Mane smiled. Just like every other kid here, he liked the older man. Elder smiled back, giving the young boy a nod of acknowledgement as he carried on with his class.
"What are you reading there Abe?"
John asked curiously, turning his eyes aware from the window.
"Other Realms- Truth Or Myth."
Abe answered without raising his head.
"Oh. Why are you reading that? We know there are other realms. We know it is true."
Jake asked, his eagerness for answers just as strong as his brother's. He was right to ask this question. Every member of the team knew there were other realms. They hadn't been to any of them- yet. They trusted their captain though. If he said there were other realms, then there were indeed other realms. Even if he said all women had male genitalia, they would believe him. That was how much trust they had in Mane. Besides, what else could explain all the strange things Mane had introduced them to? He had totally changed their views on wielding. Most importantly, he was rarely wrong.
"We know there are other realms. But we don't know much about them. The writer of this book's original was regarded as a 'mad' scholar. One who claimed to have accidentally fallen into another realm and wrote down what he had experienced. He was alive about a hundred and fifty hears ago. A pity that no one believed him. Over the years, many had analysed his work and criticized him, saying he was insane. This book may not be the original, but it offers an analysis from a very neutral point of view. The writer of this one remained as unbiased as possible. He even included information on the realm the 'mad' scholar visited."
Abe gave a lengthy reply, one that caused the twins to tilt their heads in an almost choreographed way. Abe had a wry smile on his face upon seeing their expressions. The twins sure were bright for their age, but their intelligence was below his. Though when it came to battle, their battle sense and awareness were far above his. It was one of the many mysteries he had been trying to solve. Mane's answer, 'It is their ability' was unsatisfactory.
"I just want to know what they are like. We know there are other worlds, but we don't know much. I'm reading about one of those worlds."
Abe was a patient friend. Seeing their confusion he explained again, this time in simpler words.
"Ah okay. Can we read it after you? Oh and explain what we don't understand?" John asked, his eyes shining in excitement.
"Of course you can." Abe answered with a bright smile. At times, he envied the innocence of the twins. He didn't understand it though. Abe had matured faster (psychologically of course) than most because of his noble background. When you are a Prince, you are taught to be smarter than most your age. The twins were noble children like him. Granted, they weren't heirs to a throne but they were born to an equally prestigious family. It was a mystery as to how they were still so naïve.
"I'm curious. What planet did the book mention?" Mane asked, his eyes half closed.
Abe answered, "It is a world called Kreech."
"What!"