Soon, they were small figures in the distance, and Brokk continued his way up the path alone.
***
“On my command... Now!”
Professors Lien’s voice sliced through the tense excitement of the room. The auditorium was cavernous and filled with natural light, making every detail clear to the students. The obstacle course was grueling and complicated; laid out before him, the challenge was plain to see.
Various tunnels and scaling walls spread in front of them, and at the opposite end of the room, Brokk counted the teachers: Professor Whilms—a burly man, his black goatee framing his smug features as fire danced from his palms. Professor Remre—her silver hair plaited back as the longswords glinted in her grasp. And in front of him, Professor Iasan stood in front of Memphis.
Heart sinking into his stomach, Brokk pieced together that they were practicing hand-to-hand combat before they could reach their partner.
Brokk looked to Memphis stationed across from him at the opposite end of the room. With a causal shrug, Brokk waggled his eyebrows at his friend and then chaos exploded.
Every time he shapeshifted, it was like falling into piercing, icy water. His muscles tensed as he ran, and then, in an explosion of cracking bones, he bore his second skin, his golden fur rippling. His defined muscles propelled him, like a comet streaking across the night sky, full of flaring life, burning and devouring its path.
Around him, the room exploded with a various number of elements: fire, water and wind bending to students will. To his left was Alby, his red hair and pale skin disappearing as he turned invisible. To his right, Jaxson multiplied himself as all the versions of him raced ahead, trying to finish the course first and reach his partner, Wyatt, who waited for him. Pleasure rippled through his body as Brokk scaled the towering wall in one leap, adrenaline pushing him faster, harder, better.
Dodging and twisting from abilities being thrown at him, he missed the Professor’s assaults with ease. He galloped through a placed tunnel; the light of the auditorium being swallowed up in an instant. Snarling, he charged, flying out of the end to skitter to a stop. Professor Iasan stood between him and Memphis, glittering sword in his right hand, a small ball of flame dancing in his left. A low growl ripped through Brokk, and Professor Iasan tutted.
“Now, Brokk, you must understand this isn’t personal. You are so full of talent. Now use it.”
Fire swirled and consumed his world. All Brokk could see were roaring flames; all he could feel was heat. Smoke filled his nostrils, his lungs, and he was drowning. He was cornered, and he was suffocating. Blindly flinging himself forward, Brokk shifted back just as Professor Iasan parted the fire to his will, glittering steel cutting toward Brokk.
He didn’t think; he just reacted. His muscles were pulled taut, and his fist slammed into flesh, Iasan’s jaw cracking, his head snapping back. Panting heavily, a strange ringing filled his ears. Iasan rubbed his jaw, his gaze honing back to his student, malice burning in them.
“Enough, Iasan, enough!”
Professor Lein’s voice rang out, her cry making everyone stop. Memphis was frozen behind Iasan, his usual pale skin ashen. She glared at Brokk.
“Foster, come here now!”
Heaving, he turned and stalked toward his furious teacher, her glowering gaze cutting through him with each step.
“Foster, what are you thinking? You too, Iasan? Class dismissed!” she exclaimed.
Her grey hair was piled high on her head, her stubborn gaze challenging any of the students to defy her. Ripples of whispers came to life as everyone collected their things and then filed out. Memphis shook his head slightly before turning away.
Turning her attention back to them, Professor Lein nodded curtly, and they followed her out of the auditorium.
The hallway was relatively quiet, considering it was just after lunch. Brokk groaned internally, knowing exactly where Lein was taking them. It was the very last person he wanted to see. Iasan shot him a smug look as they finally turned a corner to a pair of old oak doors, and she knocked twice, the rapt sounding twice as urgent from her anger.
The door swung open, and Roque stood there, his dark eyebrows rising as he took the group in, his emerald eyes holding Brokk’s gaze last. His hair was disheveled, bruised skin underneath his eyes. His silver shirt and black plants were rumpled, and Brokk couldn’t remember the last time their leader looked so unkept. But the resemblance to Emory was stark; she held all her father’s physical traits with her mother’s wildness and kind heart. For that, Brokk was grateful.
Roque snapped, “Lein! What is the matter of this visit? You’ve caught me at a bad time.”
Lein sighed, shooting them another glare before answering Roque. “Maybe Foster should explain this to you. Iasan, I will deal with you.”
Iasan paled slightly under Lein’s stern gaze and a flicker of gratification shot through Brokk. Smirking, he watched Lein lead Iasan out, his features dark. He wouldn’t be let off easy.
The two professors took off in a low heated conversation, leaving Brokk alone under Roque’s stare. Roque hurriedly cleared his throat, blinking hard as he said, “Well, you might as well come in.”
Resigning himself to the fact this would not be easy, Brokk stepped into the Faes’ office. He noticed immediately the office was a chaos of papers, bookshelves, and maps. Nei and Cesan sat at the round polished table in a heated argument, oblivious at first to their arrival.
“Cesan, for the last time, I will not let you...”
Roque slammed the door behind Brokk, making him jump. Nei’s words died in her mouth when she took in Brokk and her husband. She shot Cesan a warning look before standing.
“Brokk, what can we help you with? Cesan here was just leaving.”
Brokk studied Cesan, his dark ambiance, much like his son’s, filling and suffocating the room. Bowing mockingly to Nei, Cesan strutted by them, Roque looked at his friend silently.
Warning, hot and sure, flared within Brokk. What had
