"What in the name of Hell!"
"Ow, that's my foot!"
"That's my shoulder… ow…"
"That is not my shoulder!"
"Sorry", Ray's voice answered meekly.
"If I end up in someone's lap", someone said, "Apologies!"
"No one's in my lap", Rinzen whined, "Ashie, my lap is comfortable", he promised.
"Sorry mon-ami, I'm way too far away from you", he answered cheekily.
"Children please", James huffed and then murmured something in a language none of them understood.
"Ugh", Rinzen groaned, "Not again", he gruffed doubling over as a tug in his stomach yanked him backward, and where he crashed into someone.
"Ow..." a distinctly female voice answered.
"Urgh", Rinzen groaned apologetically.
"I would kill for some light", Zee growled.
"It's a transportation spell, it shouldn't hurt", James hissed worried, "Brace yourselves", he ordered just as the swooping sensation of being pulled backward had them moving up, and then finally stopping.
James hurriedly opened the door, and they spilled out into the foyer where several people including Ms. Harris stood.
A tall black man wearing a top-hat of all things stepped forward, "Greetings warriors—"
James raised his hand, and the others quickly moved aside, as he went back in and pulled Rinzen out, one arm over his own shoulders before Ash stepped forward and grabbed his other arm, and together they walked Rinzen to the nearest armchair, as he settled down, James crouched, "I think you're allergic to teleportation", he huffed warily.
"I don't know", Rinzen answered gagging slightly.
James nodded, "You look a little green, stay down until we assign everyone", he advised gently.
"No complaints buddy", he assured closing his eyes and leaning back.
"Do you need anything, water, lemon, sugar?" Ash asked worriedly.
Rinzen squinted, "Water… probably", he muttered weakly.
Ash looked up to ask for some when Red appeared at their side, she leaned down offering Rinzen a glass of water, the older teen took it hands shaking slightly, and she helped raise it to his lips, after three careful sips he pushed it back towards her and closed his eyes, "I've never been teleported anywhere, maybe mom would know if I'm allergic to sudden movements like that", he muttered quietly.
"We'll ask her", James reassured, "Though given your disposition, I wonder if traveling back home won't render you catatonic", he murmured worriedly.
"I'll be fine, I mean I'm aware of it, I think sudden shock or sudden movements with no warning are the actual shocks to my systems, either way, I'd really rather just get it over with, after this I'll probably only have to teleport two times?" he questioned.
"If all goes well then yes, but if you have another nasty reaction, I suggest we bring you in via flight", he advised.
"Flight?" he rolled his eyes, "Are we talking airline, wyverns, harpies, magic carpets?" he sassed.
"I'll figure something out", James huffed, and "Anyway", he called the group's attention, rolling his eyes at their shield like formation, around Rinzen. "Allow me to introduce you to the former Ascendants of Hale Academy, some of them are three years older than you, here as Teaching Assistants, others are older than I am, and then there are a few I've only heard about", he said.
"There are five people James", Rinzen sassed, "Calm down old man", he said rolling his eyes and standing up, he moved forward effectively passing the other six and positioning himself so that were all shielded.
"Shut it brat!" he huffed rolling his eyes, but he took the tone with a grain of salt and stepped down deferring to the teen.
Rinzen turned back to the five adults, James and Ms. Harris staring at him, "I don't particularly care who you are until I get a guarantee there's protection being offered", he ordered sharply.
"Zen!" James hissed wincing at the lack of respect.
"Protection?" a young woman in her early twenties asked, she wore a sundress with bright red-colored sunflowers at the hem, and a parasol hooked daintily over her left arm.
"I've come to understand that this place is warded and protected in ways not even you know about. Which makes it the safest place on earth", he stated, "Which also leads me to believe that this school more than anything understands our lives and where we come from better than you lot. And I'm not letting anyone leave until I have a guarantee that you have protections in place for us when we leave the boundaries of the safety this school has", he stated simply.
"You doubt we won't protect the students", a tall Hispanic young woman asked, her cat-shaped eyes, narrowed with a piercing glare.
"I don't think you'd care to, there are others like us out there, one steps down, or if you gave into someone's magic or end up bribed with or without your consent against one of their choices, I'm sure the school will send out a magical missive to the next line, forgive me if I don't trust you just yet. Your goodwill seems suspect", he answered point-blank,
"How dare you!" a woman in her sixties demanded, "Don't you dare act all high and mighty—"
"Shut up!"Rinzen raised his voice and glared at her, "I'll act however the bloody well I please, thank you very much, madam, you came out unscathed, but tell me, answer me honestly, there had to be people who came from backgrounds like ours, subjugated, bullied, hurt and believed they had a chance, but were forced to stay away and the school gave up on them, or the advisor returned and said 'We lost one', or, 'I tried, but I was overwhelmed', or 'There's nothing we can do, it was simply not his or her or their fate to be with us'", he demanded, "I listened to what we were told, listened", he repeated, ���And compiled a list of questions. I don't trust you", he stated straightforwardly.
"For one we were told, that if we chose to give up on the Ascendant gift there would be others out there, the library has a list of, and the gift would be passed to them. I listened when we were told that our gifts will take six months to a year to appear and we'd have to work on controlling and learning it for the next two years. I listened when we were told that the school is sentient, that doesn't mean it emphasizes with us, that doesn't mean it cares about us, that doesn't mean it would choose us. So you can shut up, and quit the high and mighty act because as soon as I asked, you all froze. Now, this time when I ask you is there a guarantee that we'll be protected. Especially Ash and Jasmine, what will your answer be?!" he demanded.
When no one spoke Ash stepped forward, "I don't think—"
"Don't front with me, Ashie", he hissed anger still clear in his voice, "Your grandmother slit your mother's throat without a second thought because the woman dared to defy her… No", he warned when Ash opened his mouth to interject, "She was your mother, she may have been hired help, but she cared about you, she loved you and she was scared for you. And afterward, she was terrified for herself and that doesn't take away the memories you made with her, because even people deep undercover, love, and they love absolutely knowing it can only end in pain", he turned to face him fully then, "I'm sorry she broke your heart the way she did, but don't discredit her like that, she may not have given birth to you, but she raised you. Whether she was paid or not is insignificant in the grand scheme of things", he whispered quietly. "And you were and are still hurt at the cruelty your grandmother wrought", he said quietly.
Ash shook his head, "I'm fine, I'm okay", he repeated.
Rinzen stepped right into his space and cupped his cheek, he wiped away the residue under his eye, "If you're going to use make-up to cover the blemishes of eye-bags and dark circles, you might need a proper make-up tutorial first", he advised and smiled gently, "Nightmares are never pleasant", he whispered gently.
Ash shuddered under his grasp eyes watering, he looked away, "I didn't mean to hide it", he whispered, "I just didn't want to be seen as weak by her", he confessed weakly.
Rinzen nodded, "I know", he assured, "I know", he repeated gently and then let Red pull Ash into a hug, he turned around facing the seven mentors, "Either you take me with you to each of theirs, because I may not have magic but I can put you on your ass flat, without it", he smirked at their expressions, "Would you like to test me?" he asked caustically.
The floor rumbled beneath them and James stepped up, "There won't be a need for that", he stated quietly, "You will be protected", he promised.
"James!"
James ignored the man in the top-hat and walked to Ms. Harris, who stood to the side appearing mysteriously as always, she was holding a tray, "When I call your names", he addressed the teens, "Step forward and place your hand over the tray, these are talismans infused with protection and fortification shields, which will protect you from anything. Magical, non-magical threats and or projectile weapons", he listed, "And then some. They've been in the archives discovered by students, alumni, and Past Ascendants", he informed them.
"What like tomb raiders?" Bell asked cautiously.
"Exactly like that, tomb-raiders, treasure hunters, archaeological digs, anthropology students, and Ascendant missions have resulted in the discovery of these. The more powerful ones were kept in the archives, the other students were allowed to keep", he informed them easily.
Sundress stepped forward, features twisted into an ugly façade, "James you have no right to give them—"
"Oh shut up Fiona", the older woman in her sixties who'd picked a fight with Rinzen' mannerism huffed, an indulgent smile as she walked over to Rinzen, "The boy will have your head and I can see his aura quite fine, without the added magical boost", she huffed winking at him conspiratorially.
"Uh… thank you?" Rinzen answered respectfully.
"Come now boy", she said over-enunciating the word 'boy' by stretching out the last letter, "Call me by my name, I'll be your advisor", she ordered amused.
"Oh…uh I thought we were supposed to be assigned one", he wondered.
"Yes, but boy you have pluck and I choose you, or would you rather leave it to chance and end up with Fiona?" she asked amused.
"Nope!" he answered quickly, "I accept ma'am, um… what's your name?" he asked ignoring the others giggling behind him, and James rolling his eyes exasperated.
"Marcia Skywalker", she answered simply.
Rinzen snorted, "Sure, sure", he agreed to laugh at that, "Odd that you're my mentor, I wonder if this makes me a reverse Yoda, or something else?" he asked no one in particular.
"A boy who appreciates the classics, well then, that makes my decision all the more worthwhile", she laughed delighted. "Now then Jim boy-a, let's get the show on the road kid!" she called cheekily.
"Ugh… don't be such a hag you old witch", he huffed a smile on his face as he turned back to Ms. Harris, Rinzen smirked at his apparent blush and shot Ash an amused smirk, the Frenchman snickered and Red outright grinned, a feral twist to her lips, he knew Marcia was watching them closely so he didn't hide his outright delight at finding another one of James's weaknesses.
"Jasmine Singh", James called.
The Indian stepped forward, "I guess saying 'Present' defeats the purpose, given we're only seven teens needing protection", she joked feebly.
Rinzen smirked, "Seven teens that need protection and are taking it forcibly, from a woman who represents the sentient form of a building", he corrected.
Everyone stopped the movements loud and then suddenly still, causing pin-drop silence in its wake, almost everyone turned to face him in unison;
*Creeeeepy....*
Rinzen reared back, "W-W-Wha-wha-what?" he asked warily alarmed.
*Now what was it I said?*
xXxXx
(End of Chapter 3)