Chapter 28: Saphira's Seal / Second Week Of School
"That's enough for now."
Sona stood up straight and turned around to face Saphira. "Master. Did you just bind my power?" He questioned and took a step towards her.
"Yes. I placed those seals on you because you aren't yet ready to control an Ancient Dragon's Savage Fury. If you aren't prepared, and you somehow break the final seal on your powers, it's possible the madness could swallow you whole. I don't want to lose you like that, Sona," Saphira's small stature made her seem less intimidating, or perhaps it was her showing her vulnerable spot for her student.
"Master..." Sona's sentence was cut short when she stepped into his arms and buried her head into his chest.
"Don't tell me you'll be fine, Sona. I thought I had lost you to that creature," She whispered softly and wrapped her arms around his lower body. In the breaking twilight, Sona could see tears in her eyes.
"Saphira," He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
Junichi tapped Subaru's shoulder and motioned with his head. The two of them walked away several feet. "She suppressed his powers. I understand that she is scared, but she can't be to overprotective of him. He has to learn. Better now then later," Junichi sighed as he watched the two of them share a loving embrace.
"Can you blame her, though, dear brother? If we had not showed up when we did, they would have all died," Subaru added sadly. 'Had I been any slower, he might have lost himself in darkness and hate.' She thought to herself.
Junichi watched as the two of them leaned in and shared a sweet, gentle kiss. 'Such a playboy.' Junichi thought and chuckled silently as the twins turned away to give them some privacy.
"I'll take extra care, okay, Saphira?" Sona asked sweetly at the end of their kiss.
"Then promise me that you'll be alright," She replied.
"Saphira I..." He paused and smiled softly. "Okay, I promise," He leaned down and kissed her quickly once more. "Okay, I've still got time before my classes. I'm going to try again. Junichi. Subaru," He pulled himself away from Saphira as his two familiars made their way towards him. "Let's try again. Master will watch and if it looks like I'll lose control, she'll chain my powers again. That okay?"
"That works for me, Sona," Junichi agreed to the new terms.
"Of course, the last thing we want is for your newfound power to consume you," Subaru nodded in agreement. Thus, the four of them spent the next hour drawing out and maintaining Sona's mana.
The sun had just popped over the horizon by the time they had returned. Sona was soaked in sweat and exhausted, so he decided to take a bath before going to class.
Ayame and the others were in the dining hall eating breakfast by the time Sona finally finished his bath. "Sona!" Ayame called out happily. She jumped up from her chair and ran towards him.
Sona dropped down to one knee and opened his arms. She giggled and ran in, hugging him as she did. "Morning, princess. Ready for your first day? Let me get a good look at you," He smiled and held her at arms length. She had on the same uniform as them. "It looks good on you," He kissed the top of her head.
"Hehe. Yeah. It's going to be fun. I've never been to school before, but..." She looked away from Sona.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He cooed and held her close.
"I'm nervous and.." She chewed on her bottom lip. "..I don't want to be separated from you, Master," She whispered quietly.
"Everything will be alright. I promise. I'll even send Subaru with you so she can watch over you. Does that sound alright?" He smiled and tried to sooth her worries.
'He will make a good father someday.' Deltune thought and found herself blushing at the thought.
'So adorable.' Ellie and Kono thought together.
"If Master Sona wishes, I shall accompany you, Ayame. Will that put your mind at ease?" Subaru smiled and crouched beside Sona.
"Mhmm. If Auntie Subaru is with me, I should be okay," Ayame giggled and smiled innocently.
"A-auntie?" Subaru whispered and snatched the little angel from Sona's arms. "Yes, yes. Auntie Subaru is here for you," She held onto Ayame tightly. 'So cute.'
'Good. She seems to have gotten over her fear for now.' Sona thought to himself. "Subaru, she should be safe on school grounds, but please keep an eye on her, just in case," Sona whispered to her and stood up. "Alright, Ladies. You all ready? Today is normal classes. I think history is up first," Sona grabbed his bag and waited by the door for Ellie, Kono, and Deltune.
"Yeah, history, then mana control, and incantation training after that. We should be done a little after noon today," Deltune guessed as she walked to the door with Konotsune and Elandeli in tow.
"Alright. Ayame make lots of friends today. Okay?" Sona waved goodbye as they went their separate ways. "I hope she's going to be okay," Sona had a worried look on his face.
"She will. My sister may not seem like it, but she is good with children. Ayame is in good hands, Master. Please be assured that Subaru will take excellent care of her," Junichi tried to persuade Sona that things would alright.
'He has a good point. Subaru seems to have fallen in love with Ayame. I'm glad.' Sona turned to face Junichi as they walked. "You're right, Juni. My mind can rest easy now. Thank you."
"It's no trouble, Master. Now, prepare to focus on your studies. You need a sharp mind as well as a trained body," Junichi instructed as they walked inside the Academy's main building.
Upon entering their homeroom, the gossiping of students went quiet. Sona stepped into the room with three beautiful women and a handsome man following behind him.
"Red hair, and heterochromia? It's him!" One guy whispered to a nearby girl.
"Look at those girls. Sexy. What are they doing with that loser?"
"Dude shut the fuck up. He can use five elements. I don't want to piss him off."
Sona and his friends ignored the gossip and walked to the back so they could all sit together. Junichi stood at the back behind Sona as Ellie, Kono and Deltune played rock, paper, scissors to determine who would sit beside him today. Deltune and Konotsune won and both took a seat beside him. "I want a rematch," Elandeli pouted.
"Sorry, no do overs, big sis," Konotsune said triumphantly and wrapped her arms around one of Sona's arms.
"That's right. You wanted to add that rule, Elandeli. You can't change it just because you lost," Deltune stuck her tongue out at Ellie and copied Konotsune. She wrapped her arms around Sona's other arm.
"Boo. You're no fun," Ellie pouted again and took a seat as a young woman walked into the room.
"Everybody take your seats. Homeroom is starting. My name is Reyna Nobutani. I'll begin with role call. Just say here when your name is called. There's only nine of you so this should go quickly," She spoke in a firm, feminine voice.
The other five students quickly took their seats when the teacher shot them a glare. "Aki."
"Here," A girl with three tails stood up and exclaimed happily. She returned to her seat.
"Artemisia."
"Here," A timid voice called from near the window. A humanoid plant sat there soaking up sunlight.
"Good. Atsuhide Nazawa?"
"Here." A young human boy nodded his head when he answered.
"Deltune?"
"Here." Del raised her hand.
"Elandeli Darkfang?"
"Ellie's fine, Teacher." Elandeli replied. The teacher made a note on the roster.
"Konotsune Darkfang?"
"Just Kono." She replied and the teacher scribbled on the roster again.
"Sona Harata?"
"Here, Teacher." Sona raised his hand.
"Sulris Tishra?" The teacher struggled to pronounce her name.
"Here." A mystic feminine voice called from the side. She had pointed ears and pale skin. She was the only one who sat alone and didn't speak to anyone.
"Toshiyuki?"
"Here," A young boy with three tails called out. He sat near the girl with three tails. He yawned softly and laid his head on the desk.
"Young man, you aren't on my roster," She looked up at Junichi standing in the back.
"I'm Junichi Matori. I serve Master Sona," Junichi bowed as he introduced himself.
"I'm sorry, Teacher. He's my familiar. I only recently summoned them so I'm afraid they weren't registered," Sona stood up and bowed.
"Them? Where's the other one?" She looked around seeing nobody else.
"Subaru Matori is currently looking after my..." Sona paused. 'My what? I feel like a father figure, but when she gets older she wants to be my wife, too.' He thought to himself.
"I'm sorry. Your what Sona?" The teacher asked.
'My...' Sona looked up and took a deep breath. "My other familiar is looking after.." Sona swallowed. 'You have to say it.' He thought as he spoke. "My fiance," He managed to speak the words he had been trying to say.
The girls beside Sona smiled and the other three girls lost it. They squealed with delight and started bombarding Sona with questions.
"What's she like?"
"How did you meet?"
"How old is she?"
"What magic can she use?"
"That is enough girls. You can ask them during break. Return to your seats," The Teacher clapped her hands together and the class went silent. "Okay. Today we are going to be learning about this world that we call home," The teacher turned around and started writing on the chalkboard behind her.
Osgilith.
"For those of you who don't know, Osgilith is the name of our world. It's an ancient place rife with thousands of years of history. Today we will be learning about the three major countries that call this continent home," She explained and wrote three more names on the board.
Brunfar Empire. Estrian Alliance. The Kingdom of Aspya.
"The three major powers who rule this continent are the Brunfar Empire, The Estrian Alliance, and The Kingdom of Aspya. Each of these countries have vastly different cultures and ruling styles. Today we will be covering their political standpoints and culture," Reyna continued. She turned around and waved her fingers around. A gentle gust of wind blew through the open window and several books floated out from behind her. Each of the students had a single book float to their desk.
Junichi picked the one out of the air floating in front of him. He looked the book over and then back to the teacher. She just shrugged and went on with the lesson.
"We will start today with the Brunfar Empire. It's the country in which Dragon Peak Academy resides. While we may be considered part of Brunfar, Dragon Peak operates on a strict zero interference policy. King Rafael Brunfar has no political say in what we teach or who we accept. We operate autonomously for a moderate fee and priority response of Brunfar bounties. Most jobs you find on the Bounty Board come from Brunfar's King and his people. It is considered to be the most advanced in terms of technology. Magitech ore is in such high abundance, that Brunfar boasts some of the best scholars in research and development of Magitech Arms. That's not my area of expertise so I'll leave that for your class tomorrow." She wrote this information on the board after she finished explaining everything.
"Miss Nobutani?" Aki, the girl with three tails, raised her hand eagerly.
"Yes, Miss Aki?" Reyna turned around to address the smiling child.
"This is the first I've heard of the Bounty Board. What is it?" Her tail wagged curiously back and forth.
"Well, many first years don't have the experience necessary to accept most jobs. You usually need at least a year of training in order to properly manage and control your mana. However, you nine are the exceptions. You have shown great potential and control. My teaching is usually reserved for second and third year students. That should tell you how highly Headmaster Hawthorne thinks of you students. However, I WILL be looking at every bounty you choose. If I feel the difficulty is set to high, I will refuse to sign off on it," Her voice was demanding and stern. Her eyes held the look of someone who holds a grudge.
Aki swallowed and lowered her head. "R-right. I'm sorry, ma'am," Aki whispered softly.
"My apologies, Miss Aki. I lost my composure for a moment. I just don't want you kids doing anything reckless. You are this world's future. It will be up to students like you to guide the destiny and future of this beautiful world," Reyna walked over and rubbed the top of Aki's head. "Don't stop asking questions, just do your best. You were chosen. We know how powerful you are, Aki. Don't be afraid to prove it."
Aki giggled softly and nodded. "Okay, Teacher."
Reyna walked back to the front of the room. Sona had been flipping through the pages of their book with a hunger for knowledge. He was able to read the entirety of the book in a matter of minutes and retained every detail. 'That is a little weird. How did I manage that? Either way, I have a question now.' Sona thought to himself.
"Excuse me, Miss Nobutani," Sona stood up and looked towards his teacher.
"Yes, Mr. Harata?" She looked up at the boy in the back row.
"If Brunfar has these Magitech Arms, which I just read are massive war machines, why does Brunfar not simply sieze control? Surely it would be a simple matter," Sona questioned and looked for an answer.
"Very good question, Mr. Harata. Very good indeed. Well you see, the reason is quite simple," She smiled up at her student.
"Oh?" Sona questioned again.
"The reason being, while Brunfar has advanced Magitech Arms, ours at Dragon Peak are even more advanced. Again, not my area of expertise. You can ask your Magitech Professor whenever you meet him, however, the other main reason for our safety is because all three kingdoms recognize our independence. If one of the three tried to seize power, it would devolve into an international conflict. War wouldn't be to far behind after that." Miss Nobutani explained the situation.
"I...see," Sona paused and bowed his head to Reyna. "Thank you, Teacher. Sorry for dragging this conversation along," Sona took his seat again. 'She has given me so much information, and a lot to think about now.' Sona thought.
"It's no trouble, Mr. Harata. That's why I'm here. To pass on my knowledge to the younger generation. Now, let's resume our lesson, shall we? After we go over a little more, I will dismiss you all for break. When you return, we'll be going over Mana Control, but for now." Reyna turned around and wiped the board clean just as Deltune and Konotsune finished scratching down the last bit of info.
"Pst. Sona," Deltune slid her right hand under the table, palm up. Sona looked down and blushed slightly, but he inched his hand towards her awaiting one. He slid his fingers between Del's and her face lit up. "I prepared some lunch for us this morning when we go on break. I know you used more then half your monthly allowance on saving Ayame and making sure she had everything she needed," Deltune kept her voice low as she spoke.
"You're amazing, Del th--" Something whizzed in between Sona and Deltune's face, cutting off his sentence. 'What..?' Sona turned to the wall behind him and his eyes went wide with shock. "A knife?" Sona nervously looked to the front of the room to find Reyna smiling innocently.
"Now, now, you two. PDA's are not appropriate in class," Her smile was innocent, but her aura was burning with rage.
Soma quickly yanked his hand away and stood up quickly. "I'm very sorry, Teacher!" He shouted and bowed several times before taking his seat.
"I'm sorry, too, Miss Reyna," Deltune whispered sheepishly. She turned her head down and tried to use her hair to cover her embarrassment.
"Just be mindful where you do things like that next time." Reyna smiled and turned around to continue writing on the board. "Now, please turn to page 98 in your books." She smiled and turned back to the class. "Mr. Harata, since you seem to be in such high spirits, why don't you start off by reading pages 98 & 99 for the class." She smiled mischievously at Sona.
"Yes, ma'am!" Sona jumped up so fast he thought he was gonna fly out of his skin. "The God Killer War. In the early days of societal change, Ogilithians discovered that overnight they had been gifted the First God's Grace. Once powerless, the people of Ogilith suddenly had the power to fight back. A single man, who's name has been lost to time, emerged from the fold and became a hero. His powers were unrivaled. He stood as a bulwark against the demons and protected humanity. Then, on a crusade to the far north, something happened. Most of the notes and logs were lost, but what little was pieced together states that the hero found the continent that we know today as the Farlesian Deadlands. Home to monstrous and highly intelligent demons. Whatever he found, vastly changed him. When he returned years later, he was different. His ideals changed. Rather then fighting as the First God's champion, he turned his blade to the Heavens above. He led his army on a brutal purge, slaying the First God in the process. That's when he became known as God Killer." Sona finished the two pages and stared down at them. 'He led a war against heaven, and managed to kill a god. How?'
"Very eloquent, Mr. Harata. Now..." She went to continue but noticed Sona's expression. He was sullen and forlorn. "Is something wrong, Mr. Harata?"
"No. Well, I mean...yeah. This story, it..." Sona stumbled for an excuse. 'I can't just tell her and everyone here.' He looked up and shook his head. "How does a mortal kill something protected by divinity?"
"Divinity? My, my, Sona, you are just full of surprises. How do you know about heavenly creatures and their divinity? Nevermind, you are correct, a mere mortal man could not hope to kill a creature protected by divinity. However, stories dictate that the God Killer, either through creation or outside help, came to possess a blade able to cut Heaven's Divinity. With this blade, one could kill a God with relative ease. That's what the legends claim, anyway. However, Arzotz was not always the Ruler of Gods. After the death of the First God, a power vacuum was created. Heaven was at war with itself, until Arzotz rose to prominence. He United the other Gods under his rule and reformed Heaven." Reyna watched Sona like a hawk. Her third eye was tingling thanks to this boy. There was something he wasn't telling, but what, she could not even fathom.
"A weapon that can cut divinity, huh?" Sona whispered quietly.
"Sona," Elandeli whispered his name, but was relieved when she watched him start smiling again.
Konotsune and Deltune each grabbed one of his hands and squeezed them. "You can do this." They both whispered words of encouragement.
"I'm not sure what's going through your mind, young one, but you need to focus. Grow strong so you can protect these beautiful ladies, even from a Gods wrath." She smiled and looked at the students. "Alright. Go ahead and take a break. You've all earned it. Be back in 30 minutes or stay here, that's up to you." She sat down at her desk and started reading through several books.
Deltune reached down and pulled out a wooden wicker basket. The three girls, Aki, Sulris and Artemisia crowded around Sona and his group. "So, what's going on, Harata? Who are these girls? I thought you mentioned a future wife?" The pale skinned girl with elvish ears was the first to speak up.
Deltune pulled out five boxed lunches and passed them around to Sona, Juni, Ellie, and Kono. "Well, you see, thank you Del," He paused to thank Deltune for the food.
"Sulris asked you a question, Harata," Artemisia, the dyrad snapped. "Im sorry. That's not like me." She covered her mouth quickly.
"It's okay. Everyone should know the truth." He looked at the girls beside him and smiled. "In reality, I actually have four lovers. Well, technically it's five, but one of them is a special case." He admitted the truth and shrugged his shoulders. "Things just happened."
"WHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT?!?!" The three girls screamed in unison.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone