Zel sat in class, only half paying attention to what the teacher was saying which was unusual for him. But for some reason he couldn't get that girl's smile and laughter out of his mind. It irked him that she had made a fool of him so easily and in front of a lot of students as well. At least if it had been someone older than him he would have saved face. Maybe. But that it was someone younger than him really hurt. Plus her control over her spells was amazing. Not only was she able to control the intensity of an area effect spell like Fireball, she could also direct its motion and cause it to explode on command.
"Class, your attention please," called the teacher. "Today we have a new student. I hope you will all welcome her and help her as this is the first time she's attended school since first grade." Giggles of disbelief floated around the classroom but the teacher didn't seem to notice as she opened the classroom door to usher in the new student.
Zel started. It was the girl outside the school gate. Except now she was wearing the proper girl's uniform and seemed somewhat more subdued.
Wait a minute, that means she's MY age!
"Why don't you introduce yourself?" smiled the teacher.
"I'm Lina Inverse," she said and then glared at the class, daring any one of them to make something of it. Her deep red eyes fell on Zelgadiss and they narrowed. Zel looked coolly back at her. Well, their dislike of each other was mutual.
Of course the teacher, who hadn't witnessed the two's clash at the gate, mistook the looks to mean something else. "Well then Lina, why don't you take the seat next to Zelgadiss?"
Lina was about to protest but then remembered something and swallowed whatever she was going to say. Sullenly she took the desk next to Zelgadiss, much to the jealousy of the female students and some of the males.
"Now then class," the teacher smiled warmly. "Let's begin with the Ygraine's 67th sonnet."
Lina knew this was going to be a very, very long day as she opened her modern literature textbook.
And Lina's intuition was dead on as usual except for one thing. She still had half a day left at school and it already felt like years had gone by. It was lunchtime and the students were allowed to mingle with each other. Lina escaped to the school roof, definitely not wanting to mingle with anyone. She had had it up to here with her morning classes.
Modern lit bored her to tears. Reading was fine but what was the point of trying to find the "deeper meaning" of things. Why not just ask the author? And heck what if the author never had put a deeper meaning in it? The whole thing was just silly. Lina finished one of her sandwiches and opened another.
Then there was politics which bored her to death. No matter how you put it, it was still power play, plain and simple. One person wants the power and another person has the power. And then politics is just how one tries to get the power and how the other tries to keep the power. Underneath all the verbose laws and bureaucratic nonsense, it was always the same.
And what was the deal with this "domestic skills" class? Why were girls still required to learn domestic skills? Cooking, sewing, cleaning? It was like saying girls were still expected to become wives and nothing else. Some advanced civilization, Lina snorted, swallowing her sandwich in one gulp. She ripped off the wrapping of the fourth.
She had physical education before lunch, not too bad because then she could really work up an appetite. But they had to wear these stupid black shorts and white t-shirts which only made it even more obvious how small she was compared to the other girls in her class. Not only that, they were playing this game called "field hockey" where there were two teams and the point was to knock this hard disc into the other team's net. Lina, because she didn't know how to play, had been goalie. She may not have known the rules of the game but she did know that the girls on both teams were purposely trying to hit her with the puck or their sticks whenever possible. Either way, Lina got the message that she wasn't liked by either side.
Lina could already see parts of her turning black and blue. They weren't life threatening so she didn't bother to cast a Recovery spell. Long trips on the road had taught her the value of conserving her spells even though she was no longer a novice spell caster like many of the students at school. There wasn't a student here who could match her.
No, maybe there was. Lina gnawed on an apple, having finished her six sandwiches. That boy at the gate in the morning. He may be a potential rival. His appearance was odd, Lina had never seen or read of a humanoid who looked like that so he was probably a chimera. Chimeras were a mixture of several different things, conventional use being a creature made of several other ones. Of course, the Sorcerer Guild had banned all chimera and clone research and projects, deeming them inhumane to all involved. Lina herself had been on several expeditions to bring down rogue mages who continued to delve into the research of making chimeras and clones.
But if the boy wasn't a chimera than what was he?
Too bad the bell had to ring when it did. It was fun beating up bullies and throwing spells. Just like when she was on the road. But no, now Luna nee-chan had INSISTED that Lina attend school again which effectively cut off her adventuring career.
And it had been Luna's short message globe to the school office this morning that "convinced" Lina to wear the stupid black sailor dress and to refrain from blowing up or beating up any and every thing that annoyed her. Personally Lina felt rather proud at her self-restraint this morning. All of the teachers had left the class in the same condition they came in. Oh but her fingers were itching to throw a couple of flare arrows at her arrogant classmates to wipe off their arrogant smirks whenever she couldn't answer a question.
Sorry but modern literature was not something one learned while on the road. And Lina knew more about the real power play behind politics than what was taught in the books. She knew how to cook basics, could find edible plants and fruits on the road, and could patch up her clothes. That was all she needed to know. You don't have the time or materials to prepare gourmet meals or embroider a dragon on a vest when you're fighting for your life. And physical education? She was more fit than any of them! Who cares if she didn't know how to play their stupid games.
But that was the point exactly. Lina hated the thought that she couldn't do something. She hated the thought that other people thought she couldn't do something. She had spent years proving to the Sorcerer Guild that she was a capable and trustworthy, if not often destructive, adventurer and agent. And just when she was finally getting the respect she wanted, Nee-chan had dropped the bombshell and sent her bomb-shocked little sister to Atlas City to attend school. Putting her back on ground one.
At least, Lina allowed herself a smile, those girls in P.E. hadn't gotten away completely unscathed. Lina had taken the "accidental" hits with a fixed smile. All the while thinking of how to get back at them without something so obvious that Nee-chan would crack down on her. The showers in the locker room were the perfect place. All it took was a little cantrip to turn the water freezing cold in certain stalls. A perfectly normal event that wouldn't get linked back to her. Of course, Lina wasn't in the showers since being used as a hitting post doesn't necessarily help one to work up a sweat.
And in the afternoon classes she could shine. Ancient history, magic, weapon usage, those were all things she knew. She may even know more than the teachers in the first two subjects and in the last one, she knew she was at least above average though not an expert. Not that she cared when it was magic that interested her the most and that which she was strongest in.
Lina's thoughts returned again to the strange boy. Only the teachers changed every period but the students remained the same. Which meant he would be there in her afternoon classes as well. Hmmm, maybe then she could get a better understanding of his magic skills.
She stood up, having her finished her large economy sized lunch with her usual speed. Might as well take a look at what the Ancient History class was going over. She may be stuck here because of Nee-chan but there was no way she was going to settle for anything but being the best in what she knew. The rest could go to the Sea of Chaos for all Lina cared. Brushing the crumbs off of her black pleated skirt, she grimaced.
"I can't wait to get out of this," she grumbled. She couldn't wait to get back on the road, completely free to do what she wanted, when she wanted, how she wanted. Well... not completely free since her early start in adventuring had been under Nee-chan's quiet support. And Lina was too terrified of her sister to even try cutting school or disobeying her direct orders.
"She's on the rooftop."
"Good, then they'll be no one to interfere."
"The way she acted this morning is unforgivable!"
"We'll show her a thing or two."
Lina heard the entire whispered conversation. You needed to be on your toes when you traveled alone. She had no doubt she was the topic of interest but she pretended to not notice anything as she met the group of girls at the foot of the staircase that lead to the roof.
"Ex-Cuse me," Lina said indifferently, going through the girls like they weren't even there.
"Don't think you're something special," laughed the tallest one who was apparently the leader. Lina didn't deign to reply. "Just because of what happened this morning, don't think this Miss Naga, fourth year student of Eastern, will allow you to do whatever you want. O-HOHOHOHOHOHO!"
Lina gave this "Miss Naga" a blistering look as she covered her ears from the hideous noise that could pop eardrums. This Naga was fully a head taller than herself with long purplish black hair. Several nerves popped as Lina couldn't help noticing the very large bust that jiggled every time she laughed. And Naga's indecently shortened skirt and sailor shirt left nothing to the imagination. This was the type of person Lina would usually just toss away with a Dill Brando but she had Nee-chan's orders...
"Yeah, fine, whatever. I'm going back to my class." Lina moved to brush by Naga, noticing that the group of girls were surrounding her. Whatever it was they wanted, she didn't care.
Naga moved herself and her big bust directly in front of Lina again and struck a haughty pose. "I will defeat you, Lina Inverse, and regain the title of being the most powerful sorceress in Slayers High School."
Well actually, Lina thought, she sort of had that reputation outside of school as well.
"And to once again become the #1 school delinquent!"
Lina fell to the ground.
"That isn't something to be proud of," Lina muttered.
"You should show some respect to an upperclassman, 2nd year!" laughed another supremely arrogant person. It was always in the laugh, Lina decided. This second person was sporting a similarly daringly cut version of the sailor uniform but she was shorter with curled light green hair.
"And you are what? A kobold?" Lina asked sarcastically. The first had named herself after a monster whose head was human but whose body was a serpent's. No parent would have named their child that no matter how annoying the child was. And this green-haired girl played the part of those spindly scavengers always following the heels of a stronger monster. The parallels between her adventuring life and school Lina thought.
"Hmph! How dare you insult me you flat-chested stick!"
Lina clenched her fist and bit her lip, entertaining herself by imagining how far the green-haired girl would fly with a properly applied Dill Brando.
"I," the girl announced as she leaped into the air, twirling. "Am the beautiful talented princess of Zoana, and third year student at Slayers High School's Eastern division, Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova!"
Lina watched as Martina twirled in the air, arching as she passed the apex of her leap, coming down, down, down...to land flat on her face on to the floor.
Zoana, a kingdom famous for its Book of Zoana, an ancient book of magic that possibly rivaled that of the Clair Bible. Well, that was what the rumors said anyway. Lina knew the truth, it was just a manual on the construction of golems. How did she know that? She borrowed the book for a day when she was eleven.
Lina yawned. "And the point?"
Martina was back on her feet in a flash and pointed a finger at Lina. "Don't take that tone with me! You will not be forgiven for this transgression. And as the president, I will punish you!"
"Yes, yes, whatever," Lina nodded bored. So Martina was ticked off that she had toasted some guys in front of school. It took all kinds of people to make a world after all.
"Do not think for a minute that by claiming the seat next to Zelgadiss-sama will make you his girlfriend!"
"Sure, sure, you're getting all worked up over a bunch of bullies like that," Lina replied, not fully listening to what Martina just said and then it hit her. "GIRLFRIEND?!?!?!?!"
The Eastern division of Slayers High School shook to its very foundation as all of the top floor windows blew out. In the decimated hallway stood only one person, all the others (and not so fortunate others whose only crime was being at the wrong place at the wrong time) were scattered in burnt piles under pieces of broken roof and glass.
Lina stomped up to the mass that resembled Martina, pulled her up by the white scarf on the uniform blouse, and began shaking her.
"Don't even JOKE about that!!!!!" Lina screamed. "Why would I want a boyfriend, much less an arrogant, smug, cold-hearted whatever-he-is!!!!"
Martina came back to life. No wait, she never died. Martina regained consciousness.
"How dare you talk of Zelgadiss-sama that way? As the president of the Zelgadiss fanclub, it is my sworn duty to make you take back what you said and announce to the school that you are not Zelgadiss's fiancée."
"Where did you get that I'm his FIANCÉE?!" Lina screamed pulling her hair.
Martina, however, wasn't listening, having gone into lala land. "He's so handsome, tall, and strong. Zelgadiss-sama always scores the highest on tests and he's a wonderful athlete. He'll become a hero one day and come to save me when I'm being sacrificed to a dragon and we'll ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after." Martina's eyes had, by now, gone to hearts and there were even more hearts floating around her with a pink fluffy background. Soft romantic harp music played in the background.
"You're not even listening to me!!!!" Lina screamed yet again, this time simultaneously casting the previously thought of application of a Dill Brando. Martina was still in her dreamworld as she flew off into the sky, probably to land on the outskirts of Atlas City.
"And cut the corny drama!" she continued as she tore apart the fake pink background, stamped the floating red hearts into nothing, and tossed the harp (and the harpist) down a staircase. And she was feeling a lot better after some destruction, er, that is release of pent up frustration.
"Well then, I'd better get downstairs," Lina grinned stretching.
"Wha-what's the meaning of this?"
Lina and everyone else on the newly ventilated top floor of the school looked at the teacher who was floating outside of what was left of a window.
"O-HOHOHOHO!" Naga laughed, erupting from one of the piles of rubble. "Well, Mrs. Cassie, my rival and I were just testing our skills but obviously Lina wasn't a match for me. O-HOHOHOHOHO!"
"And just WHO is your rival?" Lina yelled, just about canceling the cringing effect of Naga's laugh.
"I don't care who started it but you're both responsible for such reckless use of magic. You are both staying after school for detention and I will have both of you expelled from this school!" Cassie gave both of the girls a self-satisfied, self-important smirk.
"O-HOHOHO! Looks like you weren't smart enough to get out of this trouble!" Naga gloated.
Lina's fingers twitched. "Well, if I'm going to get expelled anyway..."
Naga bent over. "What? What was that you said Lina?"
"Fireball!"
Zelgadiss was calmly eating lunch in the classroom next to the window when a charred unconscious body passed by on its way to the ground. Hmmm... looked like the new student was busy. He brushed his silvery violet hair back.
The Zelgadiss fanclub swooned, praised L-sama, took pictures, and traded Zelgadiss idol cards.