Next week arrived all too soon, and the first day of Ironward came upon them.
Luckily for the boys, Beau and Toby had already got to packing their stuff in suitcases, spending the rest of the time either getting cleaned and dressed or trying to stay awake. While the latter rang true for Andre, Rafe was wide awake, sitting at the edge of his bed and blankly watching Beau and Toby move around their room, examining it for any materials that might be useful to take, as Andre was perched next to him and rubbing repeatedly at his eyes.
"Looks like we got all the basics," Beau clapped his hands together. "Ironward should have some things if you're missing any, or you could just steal it from someone else."
Toby shook his head, wiping sweat from his brow. "He's kidding, by the way."
Andre released a tired laugh, his swaying head gently hitting Rafe's stiff shoulder. The blond remained still and unfazed as if he hadn't been listening.
"Thank you, sirs!" the omé stumbled off the bed and headed for the bathroom. "I'm gonna go take a shower."
Toby narrowed his eyes. "Another one? You take like… five showers a day kid."
"I know. Back in Graybite, we'd take trips to the nearby river to wash. It was a bit of a long walk, but it made for a good pool party. I'd never been in a shower before I came here. It's like standing in the rain."
"So, that's why the water bill's higher."
"I hope you've been drinking most of that water, cherub," Beau pointed at the teenage wolf. "Wouldn't want all that to go to waste."
Andre's head tilted in puzzlement. "Oh! Should I do that?"
Toby rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to him."
After Andre went into the bathroom, not shutting the door behind him, and Toby went back downstairs to fix up breakfast, Beau finally acknowledged Rafe's unusual mood, peering at him closely.
"You okay there, imp? You'd talk my ear off for a joke like that."
Rafe blinked up once at the lycan before casting his eyes back down. "Yeah. I'm good."
Beau wouldn't have that. "Yeah, no you're not. What's up?"
"Just leave it."
"Nah. What's going on with you, imp."
The huge wolf lumbered over and took Andre's vacated place on the bed, patiently waiting for the boy to speak up. Rafe huffed an annoyed breath but relented when he heard the shower turn on.
"Father came calling."
Beau nodded in understanding. "Ah! I see. Toby told me about that. It's nothing new really. He's been hogging up phone time even before you found us. Something tells me you've got an earful of one of his 'I-will-find-you' tirades."
"And what if he does?" the superhuman's voice got harsher the more he spoke, turning to face the wolf with a panicked glint in his silver eyes. "It'll be all because of me if you guys get hurt by him! I can't-"
"Again."
The sudden interruption made Rafe freeze. "What?"
"Again," Beau grinned cheekily. "If we get hurt by him again. Remember, imp, we've dealt with your father since Toby and I were your age. Toby's been dealing with him since they were children. If you don't think we've been cooking up a few surprises for him in case he came after us, then you really are your father's son."
Rafe felt like he should scream at the lycan, or at least take a shot at him for that last quip, but he only felt a surge of exhausting frustration envelope him. He groaned, his head hunkering down into his hands.
"I wish I was yours," he mumbled behind them.
A warm smile crossed Beau's face as he reached over to ruffle the boy's blond hair affectionately, though his tone remained teasing. "Not the first time somebody's wished to live in a life of hell, but I'll take it."
Rafe glared at the wolf, but his quirking lips betrayed his amusement. "You call me 'imp' all the time. You shouldn't be surprised."
"Touché."
They sat in comfortable silence, Beau's large hand resting atop Rafe's head as the young boy quietly contemplated. In the meantime, the shower had stopped, and Toby's footsteps got louder.
"You know," Beau spoke up, "Toby and I never planned to have children. Not like childbirth, but like surrogation or adoption and shit like that. Our lives were a bit messy, my job required us to move around a lot, and we didn't really have a blueprint for good parenting. Although, it actually did feel like we were raising a son when you came into the picture, kid."
Toby, having just now walked back into the room, nodded and raised his hand. "I second that."
A sniffle could be heard as Rafe's body hitched.
Beau leaned in close to him with a fake surprised look. "So, demons do cry water."
The blond quickly rubbed at his eyes. "Shut the hell up, old man."
-POI-
The Alicorn was already parked in front of the cabin when they finally strolled out, Beau hauling the boys' himself – his way of showing off while also being a gentleman. Rafe's pace was serious and rigid while there seemed to be a skip in Andre's step as the two marched behind the older males.
"Ya know," Andre elbowed Rafe. "I was a bit iffy on this whole thing, but now I'm actually kind of excited."
The blond snorted. "You're always excited."
"Yeah, but this is gonna be a whole new experience. New environment. New people. And a lot of crazy stuff is going to happen, I bet."
"You bet? Of course, shit's gonna go down."
"At least, we're going into this together, right?" Andre looped his arm around Rafe's.
"Mhm," the blond rolled his eyes. "I just hope you don't get your ass into too much trouble."
"Right back at ya, buddy!" the omé beamed as they entered the Alicorn.
Midflight, Beau gave the two boys some last-minute advice.
"It's always best to form a quick friend group but not too quickly. You want to be around people you trust."
"You make it sound we're going on a spy mission," Rafe retorted.
Andre only blinked in confusion.
"You saw what went down the last time we were there," the kappa wolf chided. "I've gone to a regular human high school, and it's essentially that kind of drama but amped up a whole lot of notches."
"Just add in supernatural powers and all…" Toby shook his head, whistling at the daunting prospect.
And Beau finished the statement, sending a pointed look between the two teens. "It. Is simply. Chaos."
Rafe huffed and leaned back in his seat with crossed arms. "So, you keep saying."
"But wait until they meet you, imp."
-POI-
When they arrived, the sandy parking lot of Ironward was filled to the brim with other aircrafts and strange-looking automobiles, and a large throng of people was already heading into the monolith. Though, despite the jam-packed lot, Toby was able to spot an empty lot, which they later found out was designated for them.
"And we're back," the Irons relaxed back in his seat. "And with a lot more company, too."
"Take a good look, guys," Beau pointed out the window. "Stare them down if you have to. These are the people you'll be surrounded by for the next nine years."
Rafe and Andre glanced at each other in awe before scurrying out of the Alicorn. They didn't go far, straying just a few feet away to gaze into the crowd.
There were people of all unusual shapes and sizes. There were tails, unique skin colors, less-than-humanoid beings, and everything in between. Just a few feet away from them, a car-sized hawk landed on the sandy ground, its flapping wings blowing up a humid gust of wind. Then, to their shock, the bird shrunk inside, the feathers retracting into a tan epidermis. The hawk took on the form of a tall brunette girl, who expertly caught the one suitcase she had been carrying on her back in her arms before she sauntered into the masses.
On their right, a group of brawny individuals strapped in bronze and silver metal passed them by, weapons ranging from swords, hammers, and even nunchucks carried on their backs and waistlines. Although, there was one of them, a young kid Rafe and Andre's size, lagging behind the group, following along like a lost puppy while carrying a wooden club on his slender shoulder. Despite that, the expressions on all their faces were less than friendly, and the few that knew more gave them a wide berth.
"Those are ancient warrior garbs," Andre inspected their outfits. "They must be werewolves."
"No. That's what they want you to think," Rafe narrowed his eyes that them. "I think they're barbarians."
"It looks like they're going into war."
"It's all about intimidation, I bet."
Their eyes searched and scrutinized a bit more before the omé pointed at another group of people, these ones being the complete opposite of the barbarians they saw earlier.
"Hey, look! See that little group huddled over there? I think those are humans."
Rafe narrowed his eyes at them. Each of them was scrawny and unassuming – the kind of civilians that lived around and depended on the Coat. And if Beau wasn't exaggerating the nature of the academy, then they definitely didn't fit the mold.
Still, it was better to be suspicious than presumptuous. "On the outside, it looks like."
"Maybe," Andre frowned. "They seem scared."
Sympathy oozed from the omé, but Rafe was not so kind. "I guess they realize they aren't the biggest fish in the sea anymore."
If they were anything like the people back at the Coat, then he hoped this notion would hit them hard.
At some point during their crowd perusing, Beau and Toby had gotten out, the boys' luggage in hand, and stood behind the two boys, the kappa seeking out any familiar faces and pointing them out. Werefolk, sphinxes, vampires, faeries, humans, and even aliens from some other planets were in the mix. Rafe and Andre were beginning to understand that Ironward held more appeal than Beau let on.
Speaking of the kappa wolf, an unrecognizable voice rang out before them.
"Beau Watson!? Is that really you!?"
The quad's attention shifted a few degrees to the right to spot another man quickly approaching them.
"Barkei?" Beau gaped at the guy, his mouth tilting up into a smile.
Barkei, like the kappa wolf, had the lumberjack appearance down quite well, a dark beard and a bedhead in place, but where Beau was massive with muscles and almost no fat, who seemed to be his old friend was built with a protruding gut.
"Yup! My man, how are you!?" Barkei slapped his hand into Beau's, and the two large men greeted each other by bumping their broad shoulders together. "Jesus, look at you! Did you live in a gym after graduation or something?"
Beau looked his old friend up and down, a teasing smirk splitting his face. "Well, it certainly wasn't the cheesecake factory you might've isolated yourself in, guy."
Barkei punched him on the arm, laughing deeply and uproariously. "You old bastard! This gut o' mine has all the pussy come a-runnin'!"
Just a few feet away, a lady walking her twin daughters spun her head around and hissed like a cat at him, baring tiny fangs and whiskers.
Barkei scratched at his neck and waved apologetically. "Heh. Sorry."
Beau just shook his head and turned to the other three, who watched the exchange with wide, perplexed gazes. "Guys, this idiot is Barkei, a packmate of mine from my time here. Barkei, this is my mate, Toby, and my boys, Rafe and Andre."
"Wait. Kids!?" Barkei's wide, green eyes flitting from one to the other. "I knew you found a mate, but the last time we talked, you were gassing up a storm about not having any tots in the house. What changed?"
"That's a long, complicated tale, man. Now, get over here and greet my mate properly."
As the portly wolf shook hands with a bemused Toby like he was royalty, Rafe curled his lips in disdain at the sight of Beau's friend. If the gut, beer stench, and out-of-place hair told him anything, it was that the weirdo mistook the move-in day for Ironward students for a class reunion.
"The hell is up with this creep?" he murmured.
Andre, expectedly, grinned at his surliness. "He seems nice."
Rafe swore his happy-go-lucky friend said simple, naïve shit like that just to piss him off. Andre was probably a troll in disguise.
"Should I be surprised Beau had this guy as a friend or no?" Toby's head popped in between them.
"What do you mean?" Rafe asked.
"He went to my school and Ironward at the same time, and you'd think he'd have a lot of friends, but he didn't want to befriend any of mine," the Irons shook his head in displeasure. "I think that really says something."
Rafe lifted a brow, unable to tell if Toby was joking or not. "But you guys hated each other back then."
"I'm still feeling offended."
Others, most likely graduates, recognized Beau as well and either shot out quick greetings or came over to chat about what they've been up to, introducing their annoyed children while they were at it. Not feeling up to meeting any of his potential classmates, Rafe moved away from the growing circle of alumni.
Andre followed beside him, looking back. "Looks like someone's famous."
"This is the kind of attention you get for being on the combat team, eh?" the superhuman side-eyed the omé. "You sure you don't wanna join."
"Your attention's the only kind I need, buddy. Plus, my nose will be buried in so many books it won't even matter."
"Okay, sure," Rafe rolled his eyes.
They sauntered closer to the monolith entrance when another voice from behind stopped them.
"Rafe? Rafe Gold? And… Andre?"
They both pivoted to find a tall, lean noirette with violet eyes and tawny skin, dressed in all black, strutting toward them.
"Hey, wait a minute," Andre peered closely at the boy. "You look familiar."
"My eyes must be deceiving me," a small smile came over Rafe's lips as the other teen's identity dawned on him. "Is that you, Blacksmith?"
The name hit Andre like a blast from the past before taking a couple of quick steps to get in the boy's face, his hands clasping on wide shoulders and his expression brightening almost instantly. "Joe!? It really is you! Hey, man! It's been a while! How's it going?"
Joe Sloane chuckled even as Andre shook him. The Sloane's, a family of Ares superhumans, had been somewhat associated with the Coat of Wolframite, and Rafe had met and made acquaintances with him before meeting Andre. A year after befriending the omé wolf, Rafe worked up the trust to introduce Andre to his fellow superhuman friend one day when they weren't being closely monitored. They became a trio up until Joe and his family moved away to parts unknown another twelve months later.
Joe used to be a gaunt, acne-ridden little thing back then, but now, he was quite fit and clear-skinned for a teenager of thirteen years.
"It certainly has been a while, bros," Joe patted both of them on the back. "Everything's going quite alright. I'm enrolled in this bigshot school for the next a thousand years of my life. Have you happened to find it yet?"
While Andre giggled at the joke, Rafe's brows raised in surprise. "Your family allowed that?"
"Honestly, I couldn't believe it either, bro. They may be hard-asses, but it's all about victory in our house, and if they thought if I joined the combat team, then I would bring great honor to the family."
"They're forcing you to join?" Andre asked.
Joe shook his head. "No, surprisingly. I'm the one who brought it up when we went for my orientation. The 'rents were already gonna pass up on this place. Man, if I hadn't heard these two guys talk about it when we passed them by," he blew out a relieved breath, his eyes on the ground. "They did a one-eighty when I brought it up. And now, I'm here."
Rafe nodded. "So, it's all about the fighting, yeah?"
"You know my folks, bro. We're all 'instruments of war' and all that shit. What about you guys? Why'd you choose this place?"
Andre scratched at his head, his silly grin appearing once more. "Well-"
Just then, a stocky, mustached middle-aged man in a top hat, monocle, and a tuxedo – the old-fashioned representation of a rich guy nearly a century back – stepped out one of the doors leading into the Ironward monolith. His cane, a fancy, black stick with a golden jewel at the handle, tapped twice on the concrete surface of the edge, and, somehow, it was loud enough to capture most of the audience's ears and eyes.
"Attention, ladies and gentlemen!" his voice boomed across the sandy lot. "Attention!"
"Who's he?" Rafe whispered, not expecting an answer.
Unbeknownst to him, Beau and Toby had crept up on the three and had watched the three reunite. The kappa wolf answered him in a low mutter.
"Rendurth Emais. The deputy headmaster. Expect him to be the fly buzzing around your ass."
This Rendurth Emais didn't look like much, just a left-behind caricature of the 40s, but the sudden, subtle wave of… whatever that made the hair on his neck stand straight up said that there was more to him than the image presented. It wasn't exactly the feeling he got with Mr. Gylarcan, who they've yet to notice, but it was close.
Emais continued. "We are currently setting up the introduction video in the Palace of Thorns. Students, if you hadn't situated your belongings in your dorm, please do so now."
At that moment, the sound of a gun going off in the distance resounded throughout the area. Rafe was immediately on the defense, stepping protectively in front of Andre and silver eyes looking for the threat. It wasn't until Beau laid a hand on his head and turned it to the left.
Far out, several of the other islands could be seen. A whole array of colors flew into the sky and burst into fading sparkles. And those sparkles exploded into more shades of the rainbow. It caused the crowd to cheer and shout excitedly as they headed inside.
Fireworks.
"Woah," Andre sniffed. "Nice magic."
Rafe huffed, willing his heartbeat to slow.
Magic fireworks, apparently.
"Here we go, bros," Joe punched a fist into his palm. "It's a long road ahead of us."
Rafe remained silent as he walked with them.
A long road, indeed.