"Yall heard about it?" Ajax asked while stuffing himself with his food, both Ajax and Xavier learned after a long time with me that as long as they're fasting at eating their own food I wouldn't be able to steal it.
"About what?" Xavier asked while gulping down an immense amount of food without any water.
"There has been another one, they said it was a bear." Ajax said casually,his tone at the end changing, everyone knew what was happening was far from an animal.
"I'm telling you man, whatever it is, it's huge..." I said,talking from experience no one knows I have, except Eugene of course.
I looked at Ajax and Xavier,both cheering for themselves after not allowing me have just some of their food. Even if they were my closest friends, I only told Eugene about me,my past and how I was one of the attacked.
After realizing how attached he got to me, I decided that I should have tell him thar if someone shot at me point blank, he shouldn't jump to take the bullet.
"Well I'm heading out now..." I said standing up.
"Yeah man can't let the bees miss their king..." Xavier said with a smile.
"What about you? Anyone missing you at your club?" I said returning the smile.
"Still no one has showed up... archery is dying..." He said with a deliberate fake tone of sadness.
...
...
I wasn't actually heading to that club, exactly so I was going to the fencing team.
Coach Vlad made me read a book as ancient as this academy,apparently I'm a quick learner but I rely on learning from who I'm sparring with, and since he isn't allowed to have full assaults with students, I can only learn techniques and moves from the book itself.
I kept walking around the halls, watching different students until a sudden change from the purple color appeared in my vision.
I stared at the principal Weems talking to two adults,one tall slim woman in a black dress, matching her long wavy black hair.
And at her side a much shorter man,using a dark stripped suit.
Not much could be said since both had their backs to me, but in between them there was someone else.
I raised my head to watch a jet-black haired girl,her hair styled in two braids ending with bangs,who also had her back turned to me.
"New girl and we're about to start second period..." I muttered without giving more care about it, turning around to keep walking towards the fencing hall.
...
"Dante you're next get ready." I heard as soon as I opened the door,coach Vlad already pointing at my opponent ready.
"Allright!" I yelled running towards the changing room with a fast step.
2 minutes
I stepped outside of the changing room,my clothes changed and saber in hand, all ready to start fencing.
I got in front of my opponent and quickly got in position.
"En garde?"
"Prêts..."
"Allez!"
Immediately my opponent lunged forward straight to my head,which I quickly parried and then reposted with a better speed,my muscles being able to go all out without a worry of damage. Also it could be included that my physique has greatly improved overtime,increasing my height and strength.
My legs stepped back disengaging, my opponent feet tried following me but I was quicker,and as soon as their feet were raised just in a third of a second I thrusted foward with my saber, hitting them on the chest,but she also hit me with her point on my side.
"Halt!" Coach Vlad said making me and the opponent get on our initial positions.
"Point for Dante: he had the priority." Coach Vlad said with a flat tone.
"En garde?"
...
"Gosh I'm beat..." I said faking a tired tone while entering the shack,to find Eugene already there.
"Do you need some water?" Eugene said kindly while raising a water bottle.
"Sure dude..." I said sitting next to him and grabbing a sip.
"Ahh, this is what life is about. Enjoying yourself surrounded by the things you like with the people you like..." I said while I looked at Eugene putting on the clothing for beekeeping, not like we need to care about being stung.
He has control over them and I couldn't care less, but the white color of the gear was also to not rile up the bees and work in a more calm state.
I searched for my own beekeeping clothing too,silently putting it on.
Eugene and me worked calmly in silence,none of us talking a lot more than just the necessary.
"Are you going to the festival...?" Eugene asked while passing me some hives for me to put back in place.
"Festival?" I asked while I gave the hives a quick view before putting them on their designed place.
"In three days there'll be a festival in Jericho where we're allowed to go." Eugene said with a smile.
I sat down on a nearby chair and looked at him.
"Well I don't really have anything to do besides living so I guess I'll be there."
1 day.
Bianca tried stepping aside of the way,but my hand was faster,and even more my saber as it hit her on the head,strong enough to turn her mask to the side, but that also meant she had the change to point me in the neck.
"Point for Dante: he had the priority." Coach Vlad said,which immediately made me yell victory.
"What's wrong Bianca? The queenbee is boring me! No else wants to take a chance?" I said getting back into position as Bianca only stepped aside after a long session with me,30 days ago I wouldn't have been able to beat her, but my body and mind adapt at a really fast rate.
"I'll go against you" Both Bianca and me turned our heads to see a girl,black uniform and the same jet-black hair styled in two braids I saw a day earlier.
"You're the new addition to the academy no? Perchance you're an Addams?" I asked,my mind wandering to when I just joined Nevermore and the only back uniform was taken from Morticia Addams.
This question made her face slightly change,a flick so fast I think only I was able to process it before she stepped in.
"You're really loud." She said while putting on her mask.
"I just love how obnoxious I sound..." I whispered while I got in position.
"En garde?" Coach Vlad said as both Addams and me got ready,her body tensing in preparation, a slightly more defensive posture,surely because I had a longer range thanks to my height.
"Prêts..."
"Allez!"
I immediately gave a hard heat into her saber, her good posture didn't break but I was able to understand that she wasn't an outcast with superhuman strength or reaction.
She kept her position,knees slightly bending foward,closing herself in a posture where I could only think of hitting her on the head or arms, with a obvious opening on her head, it was clear she was ready for any attack there and win by priority.
It was clear she was playing the waiting game being careful, but waiting the opportunity to hit clean with a lunge, which I wouldn't allow, since she's relying on her posture to make this strategy work,I'll try overwhelming her.
I instantly snapped again engaging with her,this time I followed it up with clean precise strikes, holding my strength and taking sometimes flick which she was able to react to and even try some reposte on some.
But the athletic difference was clear once the match lasted more than a minute, she wasn't able to hit me unless I went for a risky attack,and I was able to deteriorate her posture and strength while keeping up the pace.
This kept on for a while until I tried a feint on her head,which she fell for, immediately trying to hit me on the chest, but my false attack kept going down where I parried her hit to the side.
Then once she tried stepping aside while taking again her initial posture,thanks to that she had to be in a foward position to try and hit me,I was able to hit her upwards with my saber,pushing her head up.
"Halt." Coach Vlad said as I turned my back and got into position again.
"Point for Dante."
The girl looked stunned as she adjusted her mask, which I almost took off her with the hit.
"Alighierli." She muttered once before getting into position again.
"En garde?"
"Prêts..."
"Allez!"
Once again I took the offensive side trying the again the same strategy, but this time after the first engagement she went a sideways flick which I parried and immediately tried to reposte, but was met with her saber touching my neck.
"Halt!"
"Point for Wednesday."
"Feint..." I muttered after realizing how easily I felt for it.
"You're overconfident, Alighierli" She said while we exchanged sides.
"For the last points I would like to inquire for a military challenge; no mask, no tips.
Then she looked straight at me as she took off her mask.
"Winner draws first blood."
The hall felt in silence and just now I realized everyone stopped their own duels to just watch us both.
"Do you accept Dante?" Coach Vlad asked watching me,his face didn't show any emotion but his eyes were begging me for a yes.
"I haven't got real hurt in a while so why not..." I said while taking off my mask, a smirk decorating my face.
Both Wednesday and me got into position,hers now being a standard one as she wasn't going to play the waiting to hit me,this time it was going to be a full on assault.
"En garde?"
"Prêts..."
"Allez!"
At this point I immediately lunged foward, apparently she wasn't expecting it as she instinctively raised her saber up into my neck,but I hit first with a flick of my saber her cheek,drawing a bloody stripe along her left cheek.
She stared at me with her eyes slightly opened more than usual,her eyes watching the quick blood flow running down my neck into my white uniform.
"Priority for Dante:He drew blood first." Coach Vlad said with a flat tone,which only seemed to disturb Wednesday more, she didn't look disturbed by the wound or blood,more likely because no one seemed to care about how a student is on critical condition.
"Ugh sorry let me see that..." I said pulling off her saber from my neck,which made a small stream of blood to the ground which immediately stopped in 2 seconds.
Wednesday looked up to me as I closed by and before I could touch her injured cheek she grabbed my hand firmly.
"What are you doing?"
"Do you want to keep it or want it gone?" I simply asked with a smile.
"I surely wouldn't care leaving it there if you're so happy carrying how you lost against me" That was enough for her to let go off my hand and let me touch her cheek.
I softly passed my hand over her other cheeks,taking how it should be completely healed and then touched the injure,closing it with ease.
I took some steps back and watched how she softly passed her thumb over the just healed cheek, and then watched her bloodie thumb.
"Much obliged for the match,but I'm not Alighierli, just Dante." I said giving her a salute.
She stared at me for a long ten seconds before corresponding the salute.
"Wednesday Addams, how you knew who I was?" She said stepping aside of the carpet.
I looked at Coach Vlad for a brief second and he nodded at me,which meant I could take my so desired break and followed Wednesday.
She sat on a nearby wooden bench and I followed her leaving my mask on the table.
"When I joined Nevermore I asked for a personalized black uniform in preference,but the only one was already bought from a Morticia Addams... and I also watched you yesterday with your family." I said sitting down next to her.
"When did you join Nevermore?" She asked turning her head to look at me.
"Well about two months ago by now..." I said with a hand to my chin, remembering the date.
Wednesday looked down,her mind certainly doing something,my eyes only being able to catch a few of spite coming out of her eyes.
"I suppose you didn't want this then?"
"No, I fully intended in hitting you there."
"I was asking about being here..."
"How would you know?"
"Well because you certainly look miserable despite being really good at fencing."
"This type of social torture blending teenagers inside a locked caged resembling a school is dreading... I admire who came up with that idea..."