I slowly opened my eyes and ran my hand down my face. I blinked. In front of me was a famliar pair of stools and a table. I let out a small chuckle and grinned. I'm dead. The thought lingered in my mind. I had wasted another life. This one shorter than the last. I felt like the biggest screw up ever. I had squandered the new start I had been given. At least I had done more with this life than before.
"You are not dead."
A familliar voice broke through my thoughts. The Man had entered the room with two coffee mugs filled with hot coffee. I stared at God with a blank expression. "I beg Your pardon?" I wasn't sure I had heard Him right. "You are not dead," He repeated. "I just wanted to talk to you. Don't worry, your body is still intact, healing in the medical ward of the Academy." Just like fifteen years prior, the big picture window transformed into a screen. I covered my mouth with my hand. There was my body resting in a medical bed. In a chair next to it sat Suka, holding my hand in hers. Worry creased her face.
She was alive. She was okay. "Why wouldn't she be? I didn't make her to be a weakling. She is strong enough to withstand more than that weak attack that was thrown at her." I nodded. Of course she was strong. She would not be done in like that. I guess my emotions got the best of me. The picture faded and I took a sip from my mug. His next question hit me out of left field.
"So, What to you think of the present I prepared for you? What do you think of Suka?"
The coffee that had been in my mouth was now all over His face. He let out a small laugh and wiped His face with a cloth He had produced from thin air. "You gave her to me?" i questioned. "Yes and No. I didn't specifically give her to you. I only put her on the path to meet you. Everything that happened from the first time you saw her till now has been your choice,"He explained. "Just as it could have gone in a different direction." I guess everything can go in two direction depending on what I choose in a single moment. I am glad that it turned out like this. Without her I would probably be still stuck in my room too scared of myself to leave. I was truly grateful for her.
The stools and table vanished, the room disappearing from my eyes. "It is time to return to your life. Have a good time," the voice echoed in my head. Then I was suspended in a void of dark nothingness. I heard a voice calling my name. I turned my head to face it. There was a speck of light that was quickly expanding. My eyes opened for the second time. I was still in the bed in the medical ward. I turned my head to looked at Suka. I smiled softly. Her head was gently resting on her chest. She was fast asleep. I squeezed her hand in order to try to wake her. "Your neck is going to be a pain if you keep sleeping like that," I called to her. She twitched in response to my voice. Her head raised slowly. Sher blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. The moment she saw me, I flashed her a goofy smile. Suka threw herself forward to embrace me. She looked at me with concerned eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked. She had been really worried about me. "I was able to heal your injuries with some help, but they were really bad. What happened after I lost to that jerk?"
I then proceeded to fill her in on the conclusion to the match with Folli. Suka stroked her chin with a puzzled look on her face. "You transformed into the True Blood form with out first ingesting blood first? That is unheard of. Also nobody has ever said that a voice spoke to them during said transformation. This is all so perplexing. We should look into it."
Suka was interupted by the entrance of a nurse and doctor. They both began to check me over. After a long fifteen minutes, they released us with a warning to take it easy for the next few days. The school had a policy to let the students have a week off to recover from the exam, so I would be fine in a couple of days. We stopped by the front desk to pick up the key to our dorm room. Suka and I both held our breath in front of the door to dorm room 309. It was like time stood still. I looked at Suka and laughed. "We will get nowhere if we just keep standing here like this." Suka swallowed and nodded. I handed her the key. She slid it into the lock, opening it with an audible click.
I was the first one to step foot into the room. The lights hummed to life when I flipped the switch beside the door. My breath was taken away. The room was huge. In my previous life the dorms were small with minimal room. This dorm room was more to the size of an apartment. It also included everything that you would find in an apartment. When you first walk in, you are met with a large spacious closet along the wall. A little further down it opened up into the living room and kitchen. The bathroom and bedroom was tucked into the back of the apartment. There was only one bedroom, but it had two beds in it. Earlier, before the exam, our belongings had been brought up for us and were put into the bedroom.
Suka was the first to notice the envolope on the kitchen table. She opened it and read aloud. "Hello and welcome to Serburus Magic Academy. This will be where you will be living for the foreseeable future. The School has taken upon itself to provide for your every need. As a welcome gift your kitchen has been fully stocked. We hope you will have an enjoyable time here at Serburus Magic Academy."
Suka opened the pantry and I took a look into the fridge. The letter was right. Both were full of food products. We would not have to go market for some time. I closed the fridge. Suka caught my eye. She was standing next to the pantry rocking back and forwards on her heels. She clearly wanted to say something.
"What is on your mind?" I asked.
Her eyes darted around the room, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Are you hungry, Darling?" It was such a simple question, but my brain had some trouble working through it. "Did you just call me Darling?" I asked, blushing myself. Suka looked at the floor. "Do you not want me to call you that?" she asked me while still rocking on her feet. "No, I love that you called me that. If it is you, I don't mind at all." Suka looked up from the floor with a smile beaming on her face. What she did next caught me off guard. Suka stepped forward and kissed me on the lips. Where did this come from? Suka stepped back back. "I wanted to do that sooner. I thought to doing it while I watched you in the medical ward, but I wanted to kiss you first when you were awake."
I stood there for what felt like ages. I had finally done it. it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck my body. I response, I instinctively pulled her into an embrace. "Tybus?" she questioned. I lifted her head to look her in the eyes. "I love you," I stated. Suka gave me a soft smile. "I do too ,Darling, I do too." The rest of the night went by so fast. Suka ended up making a chili, one of my favourite dishes. Oh, how she could cook. It seemed that I was learning more about her every day. As we started to wash the dishes together, I had an idea.
"Suka, let's go on a date tomorrow."
Suka dropped the spoon she was cleaning. She looked at me. "A date?" She asked with a sparkle in her eyes. I put a clean bowl onto the shelf. "Yeah, a date," I repeated. "We have the next week off, so let's have some fun. Pluse I have a surprise in store for you." That peaked her interest. "Okay, I'll play your game," she laughed.
The next day Suka and I headed off the academy grounds toward the city center. We walked through the already crowded streets of Merchant Way. I knew exactly where I was headed. But to make things more interesting I led Suka the long way around, Stoping every time she wished to see something. After all This was our first propper date ever since we met three years ago. Finally after one and a half hours of wandering throght the stalls we came upon my true objective. We were standing infront of a jewl merchant tha specialized in rings. Finally today I could finish my Pact with her. It would be another physical representation of our commitment to each other. Plus I found it difficult to abandon the traditions of my first life. My proposal was now complete.
Suka's eyes glowed. "I will buy you something from here. This is my surprise for you. Pick out what you want," I told her with a smile. Suka looked at me. "Thank you for this, Darling." She stepped up to the stall to see the rings in greater detail. It took almost thrirty minutes to make her selection, and in the end she chose a green emerald ring that boosted a healers ability tenfold. This would give us a boost during sparring at Serburus. I also chose a ring for myself. My eyes roamed over the selection of rings available. The one that caught my atention was a silver band with a small ruby embedded into the center. The info card stated that the ring amplifies the users magic abilities and magic capacity. I took Suka's hand and gently sild the ring onto her slender finger. The emerald glowed in the sunlight, casting small green rays of light in all directions. It was as if the ring was made for her. I took her hand in mine and walked her to the tavern street to eat lunch. All the while she was looking at the first gift I had given her. As long as she is happy, that made me happy.
Suka was the first to see him. The Shadow In Black. We were sitting in a tavern courtyard eating our meat buns when Suka pulled on my arm. "Tybus, we need to go NOW." The urgency in her statement frightened me. She made a small gesture to across the courtyard. That's when I saw him as well. A man dressed in all black was seated across from our table. His face was covered in a black cloak. I could not see his face, but I knew that he was staring at us intently. My blood froze when he took a sip from his glass. His sleeve on his right arm had slid down and had revealed a tattoo I had hoped to never see. A black coffin with a white border. This man was a member of Black Coffin, a brotherhood of assassins loyal to Tempest.
We had no idea how long he had been sitting there, or how long he had been he had been following us. "Okay, Suka, act normal. Make it look like we are done with our food and are leaving. We need to play it our way." With our bill paid, we exited the tavern. Sure enough, The man in black followed us from a distance. I grabbed Suka and ducked down a back alley. With our bodies flat against the wall, I peeked around the corner. He was almost within reach. When he got close, I grabbed him and pinned him to the wall. I proceeded to try to get answers out of him. I had a pretty good idea of who sent him, even though he remained silent all throughout my questioning. Before I had figured out what to do with him He vanished from my grip only leaving two things behind: his cloak and his last words "Tempest Rising!"
Suka and I looked at each other. What the man had just said was the Tempest war cry. This could only one thing Tempest was going after the throne again. With me being a prince I could not let this pass. We quickly made our way back to the academy. But, getting in in would take some work.
"You're still alive?"
Folli was standing in front of the school gate. Behind him was a large group of Tempest foot soldiers. "This is what happens when you don't do things yourself." I quickly stepped in front of Suka. Why do you want me dead?!" I yelled at Folli. "I never did anything to you." The rage on Folli's face was clear as day.
"Your mere existence is cause enough. How can you be stronger than me? You are half human. You should be a fly that is easily swatted. Why are you so hard to get rid of?" Folli raged on. trying to get a rise out of me. In my mind he looked like a person that was throwing a fit because he could not control me. "You know, it is all your fathers fault for showing weakness. By taking that human as his queen, he has shown us that he is soft. And that softness has rubbed it stink off on you. Just look who you have taken to be your wife. A girl that will never amount to nothing and will further destroy the royal bloodline with her failure. She should have never been born! I will purify the bloodline by clipping the unnecessary branches!"
My body started to shake with rage. "Clip the branches?" I said . "Clip the branches?!" The last thing I said came out as a yell. A vision of two headstones appeared in my mind. Two names were written on it. No! that would never happen. As long as I drew breath, no harm would come to my family. I would make sure of it. My hair and eyes flashed silver. "Stay behind me Suka and back me up!"
"Right, Tybus!" she quickly answered.
Folli turned to those around him. "Leave this to me. Go now lay seige to that weakling's castle." All bowed to him and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The cry of "Tempest Rising!" lingering in the air. Folli grinned at me. "Do you know why we are called Tempest?" Folli then answered before I could speak. "We are the oncoming storm. We strike fast and hard. Once we get moving nothing can stop us!"
Crack!!
My fist made contact with his face sending Folli back crashing throught the brick side of the school. The black fire in my hands formed two black swords. I took a defensive stance. I knew what was coming and I braced for the incoming impact. This time it was not an exam. This was real. I could not afford to lose. Not now. I was fighting for my family and my home. Was I ready for this? Only the outcome of the coming battle would decide that. So the first battle of a larger conflict yet to take place got underway.