A cloud of smoke puffs up, and a blur of navy-blue and black skids past me on their feet, an arm to their face as they wave away the smoke with their other hand.
"Agh- kof!" The figure coughs into their arm, then in a flash and with a wave of their the smoke dissipates, quickly fading from the air.
My vision clears, and in front of me was a uniformed girl, her startling blue eyes gleaming behind the lens of her white-framed glasses, smooth black hair tied loosely behind her, fluttering in the sudden gust of wind.
"SCREEEEE!"
A winged monster screeches and dives towards her from the air, massive compared to the girl's petite frame, sharp talons opened and prepared to tear her to ribbons.
I instinctively reach for the hidden dagger in my combat boots, I pull one out and threw it with deadly accuracy right into the creature's head.
The large bird cries in a screech of pain, before disappearing in a flash of light.
The girl grimaces, before slowly lowering her combat stance.
"Bzzt! Outside interception! Resulting Invalid assessment!"
A small group of people stands at the edge of the courtyard, and a voice calls out to the girl in front of me.
"Sorry President! Time is over, we will have to redo it tomorrow, we already exhausted the artifact..."
She walks over to the group, "Thank you for assisting me...apologies that we will have to do it again once more, I appreciate your help nevertheless." She bows respectfully.
"O..of course! Call on us a-anytime...!"
The group walks off, giggling and laughing, leaving me with the girl.
I slink into the shadows, hoping I can sneak away unnoticed.
"You know..." She speaks up, "I know...that you're there right?"
I freeze, feeling like a child who was caught in trouble.
"...Yes." I glance warily at the closest door.
"Why did you do that, I must ask?"She said, watching me with a careful eye. "You've cost me a very important exam and time...surely you would know better than that a real monster would be within the boundaries of campus where hundreds of skilled students and veteran adventurers are roaming...while getting past security and the alert system...?"
I rub the back of my neck, shifty.
"...I just wanted to help okay? It was instincts...but better safe than sorry."
She gazes at me thoughtfully, "I-"
-RINGGGGG-
Students pour out of the doors, eagerly chatting with their classmates about their day.
The girl shakes her head once, before quickly disappearing into the crowd and from my sight.
I turn around and someone bumps into my shoulder, who instantly shoves me to the side.
"Watch it! Tch, can't people watch where they're going these days..."
I flash a glare into the back of their head as they walk away, laughing with a group of other well-dressed students.
A flash of silver catches my attention, the bright streaks in North's hair quickly catching my eye from the rest of the darker-haired students.
Some turn to stare at me and or at North, seemly fascinated with our somewhat flashy features that stood out from the rest of them.
In this region, most of the people were dark-haired, the brightest colors ranging from a muted auburn to flaming red. Eye colors varying from anything on the color spectrum, the more exotic colors residing with the ones that possess certain types of magic.
I weave through the crowd, sticking to the edge of the courtyard, avoiding the mass as I move towards him.
North catches sight of me and stops for me to catch up.
He grins once I reach him, his teal eyes gleaming excitedly.
"Raven! Guess what I found out? They allow us to play card games at the end of class!" He absolutely beams with contained excitement, "There is also just so much to do here!"
Gods, he's like an excited puppy.
"Yes, the range of extracurricular activities is quite impressive..." I massage my temples, his energy, and the loud chatter slowly giving me a headache with the bright sun shining in my face. "Wouldn't be famous without its diversity of activities and range of subjects..."
"How about a walk around campus? I heard they have quite well-tended gardens in the backfield, we can go see it when the sun is in its highest point in the sky, high noon." He said.
We walked around aimlessly for a while. Staying to the more secluded parts of the campus. I notice some people point and whisper about us as we passed. I didn't dare to know what.
I subconsciously fidget with the hanging threads on my clothes, a clear sign of my self-consciousness when it flares.
North seems to notice, he pulls my arm, leading me away from the people.
"Come on. Don't bother with them. The whisperers are everywhere, wherever we go with our kind, they will never know its like...to be one of us." His eyes flash angrily, before carefully pulling me along with him further down into the track field.
He stops in front of the large sakura tree, an essential symbol of the academy, its history weaved with the school's founders, the four fractions...but that's a tale for another time.
North lets out a sigh, gazing up into the branches of the tree, as the leaves fell in the face of autumn, which were picked up and fell with the wind, the fiery colors of fall dot the trees, signaling the beginning of the cold months to bear.
"Don't worry about them, we can't change who we are, and neither can they. It's inevitable we will meet people like them, who will never know what we go through." He said.
I look up at the falling leaves with him, speaking quietly.
"...even after all the wars, the resolution of the Hero, the fall of one of the Great Four, and our attempts at peace...our kind is forever tainted in the shadow of the past...why do they treat us so differently brother?"
North shakes his head, smiling at me sadly, "I don't know...perhaps with time we will discover..."
His teal eyes turn to the sky, melancholy flickering with the bright green-blue of them.
"...and see what fate has prepared for us."