August 28th, 2018.

  After Helo’s realization they were allowed access to the grounds. They had a long walk to reach the top of the hill but with their attributes it is nothing. The Spatial Callers leave the party at the gate and now they are officially at school.

  Walking up the path it winds its way up the hill with a meandering trail. The trail is made from stone and is surrounded by a garden. It is the kind of garden that appears wild, but there is a natural beauty to it.

  As they walk Helo starts to wonder about his realization. If the school is run by the students, what about Friggheim? What do they do. He wants to ask but, in the end, he decides to wait until after the orientation. It is in the morning right before the electives become available and he hopes that they will have the answers. If the school is run the way he thinks it is, then he really understands why everyone keeps trying to warn them about the politics.

  Getting to the top of the hill Helo turns around and looks down toward the farmland. The school is surrounded by fields of color, there are blues and red from berries, golden wheat, leafy greens and even small patches of flowers. Past the farmlands the city resides. As his gaze travels the area, he realizes that everything is enclosed within a wall. But each section has its own walls as well. The school even has a wall around the hill that it sits on top of, but there is also a wall at the peak of the hill where the school’s small town is.

  Coming up to that secondary wall Alli and Hinata show the same stack of papers. This time the guard appears to be Latino with tan skin and short cropped hair. “Hola Chica, can I interest you in a drink later?”

  Alli just looks at the man with a little shock. In her mind she is screaming, What the hell is wrong with all the guards! “No.” Then she shoves the papers into his hands. The man reads the name Allisandra BrightMoon and Hinata Kashiwagi. His eyes go wide for a second. Changes into a small sneer, then he just waves them in. As they all walk past the man’s gaze finds Gabi and his sneer returns.

  Helo watches as the man’s face morphs between a forced neutrality and anger. So, far he has seen two different factions had their people in the guards. It must be an easy way to keep track of the coming and going of others.

  As Helo walks past, he uses his different senses to get a read on the guard. As they make eye contact Helo just smiles causally and limps past with a cane in his hand. The man who is obviously from the Lopez Crime Family in Guatemala, shivers as they make eye contact.

  Helo smiles and follows his team. Looking around the small town, it is a simple place. But the streets are filled with the bustling of many young men and woman. There are very few actual adults, and Helo is really starting to wonder how the school is run. Straight down the main road there is a large building made from stone with pillars lining the front steps.

  “Alli, Helo come with me.” Hinata says as reach the staircase into the official looking building. They separate from the party and enter the building. Inside they can see the first person from the Icelandic Neutral Clan.

  “Hello!” The woman says. She has bright blue eyes and blonde hair. “What are you here for?”

  “We just need to know where our house is.” Hinata says and gives the woman the same paperwork they gave the guards.

  “Ohhh yes yes, easy enough.” The woman goes to a computer in the corner and holds her hand against a pad on her desk. As she does the computer screen starts to change and move. Helo stares with a little awe, it looks like the computer is controlled using mana.

  The woman stands there for a few seconds and then the printer on the side of the room starts to activate. She looks them over and hands them to Hinata. She says with a bright smile. “Your house is on the North-Eastern cliff. Just follow the path out the eastern side of town.”

  It only takes a few minutes for the party to leave town and find a nice walking path toward the cliff face. Helo is a little surprised, it looks like the hill that they are situated on butts up directly with the ocean.

  Finding their house isn’t hard. There is a row of extremely nice and well-kept properties lining down the cliff line. Each one has a small wall surrounding it on three sides with the cliff on the other. Each house is massive with multiple stories and a large yard.

  Their school home is the last one in the row. It actually only has two walls with two sides of the property lined with cliff faces. Down the cliff face the property leads directly to the ocean. Walking up to the eight-foot wall Helo is impressed. He can feel a powerful enchantment sweeping through the wall and into the air around the area. “It creates a barrier.” Helo nods, feeling impressed.

  “Really?” Gabi asks. “Each one has a barrier?” She looks around at all the different mansions and properties. Each noble with a party has their own property. There are at least sixty different noble children within the school. “That is a lot of money.”

  “Yeah, it is.” Alli says with a whistle.

  Walking up to the gate in the center of the wall, Hinata holds her hand up against a smooth stone. With the buzzing of energy, the gate swings open. Turning back to her party she smiles. “Welcome to our new home.”

  Like that the party gets themselves situated in their new place. This is a much different layout than the home they have been living in for the past year. But it still has enough room, even for Hinata and Alli’s merged party.

  The house is set up in wings. The middle section is for a common room, the left wing is for crafting, the right is for training, and the back is for sleeping. The team situates themselves similarly to their previous home. But this time there are more rooms on the third floor.

  Alli and Hinata take the furthest rooms toward the back with Helo being in the room closest inward. Everyone else finds a room they like and gets settled in. For the next few hours, the party makes calls home and starts to unpack. They will be living here for the next three to four years. So, they didn’t skimp on bringing their things over.

  After a few hours of working everyone gathers in the central area around the kitchen. Aiko is starting to make them a late lunch and Hinata is reading a contract that was sitting on the kitchen area. Alli looks at her, “So, what is that for?”

  “Well… it essentially makes this property into an embassy. It gives up more rights while in these walls and offers extra protection. At least within the laws. If all Noble children have this same contract, that means in no way do we ever enter another person’s property unless we trust them one-hundred-percent.” Everyone agrees with her words. After reading the entire contract she and Alli sign it.

  They didn’t find anything else in the contract; it only made the property and embassy of the signees for the duration of the stay.

  One stipulation that made Alli realize how they have the money to make all these walls and barriers, is that in payment for permission to create an embassy they will have to give a certain amount of money and resources each year, which is massive amount.

  It makes Hinata almost take back her earlier words, there might be Nobles without the backing of the main family. Because it is only the sixteen main families that would spend that much money. Thankfully both girls already knew about the large cost, and with them both being in the same party, the cost is split.

  She doesn’t tell her party about her new assumption. She still doesn’t want them to go to others houses. She trusts them, but she wants them to be careful. With Hinata silent things are slowly turning awkward, thankfully Aiko cuts in. She does in the most beautiful way possible, by setting food town on the table.

  Hinata pulls her tablet out and lets her father know that the contract has been signed and he can send the first payment. Moments later there is a small “Pop’ noise, and the ever-elusive maid appears in the home. She takes a slow look around, nods her head, and vanishes again.

  Everyone is staring in shock at the place she was just standing. Rurgrim breaks the silence. “Did yah… Did anyone else just see that?”

  Slowly looking around everyone nods their heads. Helo is staring at the location, and he only has more questions.

  Most of the party just goes back to their food. That maid is always popping in and out. So why not at their school home too. Gabi watches as most of her party goes back to serving up their plates. “Your serious! You’re just going to ignore that?”

  Hinata looks at her and shrugs. “What do you want me to do? Question the maid? Complain to my father? Honestly the fact that she can appear here, makes me feel safer.”

  “Ohhhh das’s a goos soint!” Alli says with some food in her mouth. Swallowing she finishes her thought. “Higher tier people are not allowed unless they are taking classes or working. I don’t even know her name. But that maid being able to appear here gives us a powerful protector. Like a dragon hiding under our house. But this time it’s the cleaning lady with an epic grade duster.”

  Her joke gets chuckles from the group, but at the same time she isn’t wrong.

  “Anyone, after lunch everyone can go do as they please. Just remember to meet here for breakfast. Seven in the morning.” Hinata sits back down and the rest of the meal is eaten with glee. Turning to Helo she asks, “So, what do you want to do?”

  Taking a second to think Helo decides, “I am just going to go for a walk, look around town.” Asking the same of Hinata, she looks to Alli.

  “We are going to have a little spa day. The training area has a jacuzzi. We will just relax before tomorrow.” As Alli says that, she stretches and leans back. This causes her shirt to tighten and Helo quickly looks away.

  Finishing his meal, he heads to his room and changes. He has never been more excited to get out of his clothes. Quickly throwing the school uniform on his bed, he pulls a black hoodie and black joggers from his storage. Realizing that the majority of the school was run by students, made Helo realizes that he has to be on top of anyone who might want to do them harm.

  If the guards to shopkeepers were from Friggheim, they would be hard to buy off. But everyone being from random clans means that it will be easier to find leverage. So, slipping out the front door he makes his way to the gate. Leaning against the gate still in his uniform is Rocco.

  “I knew you were leaving, and you need someone to watch your back.” He says with a serious look.

  Helo opens his mouth to argue but Rocco raises his hand and cuts him off. “I know your stronger than me. I know you’re stealthier than me. But right now, you’re not.” Rosso looks Helo in the eyes, and his gaze is hard and serious.

  Helo wants to argue but in the end he nods. “Yeah sure, thanks.” Then walking past him he exits the area. “So, which one sent you, Hinata right?”

  Rocco scratches his neck, but he doesn’t answer. Their house is the furthest from the town, it gives them a measure of privacy, but at the same time it makes them the furthest from the safety of the town. But Helo would prefer privacy.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Their walk to town is longer than needed because Helo is stopping and checking every home. He isn’t jumping walls or anything. He is using his aura. Rocco gives him a look, but Helo just shrugs. “What, I want to know who our neighbors are.” At his words Rocco just nods and keeps a lookout.

  They don’t look very suspicious, but the two men stopping outside every wall for ten or, so seconds is a little weird. To Helo’s joy the walls are easy to slip his aura through. The assumption is that everyone at the school is aura-less. So, there is really no protection against aura senses. Only mundane and magical ones.

  Helo’s own aura is able to mask its presence by merging with the natural energies around them, so Helo has an even easier time to take a quick look. His aura only reaches a maximum of thirty meters. But with his injuries he can only extend it by twenty-five, plus he can’t use it for anything strenuous without prolonging his recovery. Surveillance is about all he can do.

  Thankfully the wall to the house is about twenty meters, so Helo can sense just a little into each house. He can’t see per say, but he can get a feel for lifeforce, mental energy, spiritual energy, and feel the other person’s aura, even if it isn’t activated yet.

  With this Helo is able to identify what factions are nearest to them. He only takes the time to find the factions of the nearest houses. The two that share the eastern cliff and the two that share the northern. He also identifies the factions along the path. Writing them all down he puts his tablet away and decides to look into them soon.

  Nothing really struck him as worrisome. The only factions that Helo knows are out to get them are the Russian, Guatemala, and Eastern USA. Dormier is supposed to leave them alone, that was the favor Helo cashed after their duel. But he doesn’t trust the bratty elf.

  The Russians are only ‘speculation’ because the vampires that attacked them claimed to be a rouge faction. But Helo is still going to be careful. Then Guatemala, Helo wouldn’t have been suspicious about them, but from what he knows about Gabi’s tragic past and the look from the guard. They are now on his list.

  Getting to the gate they have to wait in a small line; it only takes a few minutes. Then they are up, pulling out a packet Helo was given he fishes around for his ID. Rocco just scoffs and hands his own over. Helo eventually finds it, and the guard gives him the ‘seriously dude’ look.

  Helo just shrugs and moves on through. As they enter the town Rocco asks what he has been wanting to for a while. “So what are we doing?”

  Helo hums and doesn’t answer. He is feeling a little exposed right now, he has never been good with crowds. When he is with his party, he is usually fine, but only having Rocco is bringing out Helo’s suspicious and instinctual nature.

  Turning a sharp left, then another he leads Rocco into an alleyway. Pulling energy from his bloodline he releases darkness into the air. Then using his extremely wasteful and rudimentary telekinesis, he infuses his mental will into the energy. Thankfully the darkness that seeped into his mental energy gives him rudimentary control. Like this the sound around them vanishes.

  This is extremely taxing to extend his bloodline energy and keep it contained. But Helo feels like it is worth it. With his eyes glowing a dark red, he looks at Rocco. “I want to ask around about our neighbors, then ask about who runs the guards, crafters and trading. Finally I want to get some information about our own information network, then ask about the Russian, Guatemalan and other USA clans.” Rocco looks a little surprised that they are not just sightseeing. He expected a little reconnaissance.

  But a full list of questions was not what he expected. With a sharp nod back the dark haze surrounding them dissipates and sound comes back to the world. Turning sharply Helo leaves the area. “First the shops and stalls.”

  Asking around at the shops and stalls was a futile effort and well worth it at the same time. The reason Helo chose to talk to them first was that he didn’t know where to ask anything else. From the shops he learned where the guard building is, some small gossip about the factions his neighbors are apart off, and where to find the crafting and trading center. Thankfully the guards, crafters, and traders were all in the same place.

  They are located on the opposite end of town to the one he was in. He had to go south to reach the wall. Meaning he entered in the northern section. Which was filled with nicely dressed people and fancy shops. The guards are in the southern end where the main entrance is. On the bright side it is a small town. The walk across town has Helo seeing a lot of unique people. Most of these people are other students, some are wearing their uniforms, others are working, and some are just lounging about.

  “It truly is like a small city, just run by young adults.” Helo says to himself while walking. It didn’t take Rocco and Helo long to get to the guard’s location. Helo wasn’t sure what to do so he just walked in. He didn’t see any problem with it, but based on the weird looks he was getting, maybe people don’t usually do this.

  At the front desk a bored dark-skinned man in playing with his long hair. As they walk up the man drawls out. “What can I do for you?”

  “I was looking for any information on the guards, how the organization works and who is in command.” Helo says while leaning on the counter.

  The guy just gives him the same bored look and hands Helo a piece of paper. The paper has most of the information he wanted. It shows how the guards operate and how much of each faction is represented. For a second Helo is really surprised that they just had this available. So, he asks.

  “It is required by the Friggheim people. They oversee much of the school, but they try to be as uninvolved as possible. The world inside these walls is dangerous and filled with pitfalls. But the world outside the walls can lead to the abyss. So they give everyone enough room to fail and grow.” The man looks a little less bored, almost like his who attitude was an act.

  “So, the require us to keep records of things like this. They need to know which factions are in power. Usually, it takes people a while to come forward and ask questions.” At that the man goes back to messing with his hair and looking at his computer screen.

  Understanding the dismissal Helo and Rocco leave the building. They go to the crafting and trading buildings; there they ask the same questions and get the same kind of report.

  “They give out all the low hanging and basic information. But only if you know where to ask.” Rocco says he is on his tablet. “They don’t even post the information on the Mana-Net.”

  “Yeah, it is a unique factor. I was expecting to come away with a lot less, but at the same time, this is available for anyone to get.” Helo waves the pages of information. It is getting later and the two decide to head back to the new house. They will be extremely busy tomorrow.

  Deciding to eat Helo and Rocco stop at a restaurant in the middle of town. It isn’t a food cart in the south, or a nice fancy place near the north of the town. It is a good middle of road place, a place where they can get some easy stuff to eat on the road. The only reason they are stopping there is because Helo’s powerful senses were drawn to the food. Not because of anything magical, but because it just smelled so damn good. Aiko is a great cook, and she makes amazing food. But it isn't often when Helo can eat something that smells so greasy.

  Upon entering the shop there is a small line and sign above the counter with all the options. Looking at all the different types of burgers Helo makes his choice as he is waiting. Almost at the front of the line, a loud noise comes from behind him. He didn’t sense any danger, so he just ignores the noise. But those around him all look back, then they all step out of line.

  Helo just ignores them and as the person who was ordering finishes, he steps up. The woman behind the counter looks at him with a mix of emotions. First it is worry, then shock and a strong helping of fear. “Um... S... Sir.” She stutters, “C.. could you step aside?”

  Tilting his head Helo leans on his cane. He really starts to debate if he should or not. He can tell with his natural aura perception that a large man is angrily standing behind him. He has his arms crossed and Helo can feel anger and contempt. He isn't supposed to be getting into fights. He is supposed to be taking it easy, but the idea of standing down, it makes his instincts rage.

  Just as he is about to take a step aside, because good sense won. The man behind him snorts and with a contemptuous voice he says. “Do you know who my party leader is, you should step aside boy. A cripple like you should know your place”

  Party leader? He isn't flaunting himself, or his daddy. He is flaunting his party leader. I guess with a competitive community built around the party leaders, they are the new daddy. Zoning out as he thinks, Helo chuckles at himself. Behind him he can feel the man’s anger flare and a touch of killing intent. Feeling the danger of a strike Helo tilts his head to the other side. The blow rockets past with a blast of wind. It barely ruffles his medium length black hair and misses him completely.

  Turning around Helo is still a little lost in his thoughts. Even without an aura, sensing someone’s strength is basic stuff. So, why did the man call him a cripple. My aura's natural ability to hide, maybe? The darkness in my spirit? That last idea has Helo wondering. Maybe his power is becoming harder to detect.

  Now looking at the man, he is wearing a simple set of clothing similar to what people in the city were wearing. He is large, much larger than Helo’s almost six-feet. He is also wide and well-muscled. It makes him understand why everyone decided to step out of line. “Is this thing normal?” Helo looks at a scrawny man that is standing to his left.

  The man just looks at him in shock. “Huh...?” The man says and Helo just nods toward the man.

  “This guy? Walking in here shouting about how big his friends dick is?” As Helo’s words leave his mouth Rocco who is on his right just shakes his head in annoyance.

  The guy in front of him snarls. This time Helo can feel more than anger, mana is stirring within him. Striking the man with his aura, Helo does it in a strong short burst. Not enough to reveal his attack as an aura or increase his recovery. But enough to stagger the man. Jumping forward Helo strikes the man in the jaw. His fist hits the man with a “Thunk” that sends out a burst of wind.

  He drops like a sack of bricks. Helo just shrugs. Turning back to the lady at the counter, “I’ll get the number two, extra bacon and add an egg. Please?” Helo smiles at the woman. He steps aside using the cane to help his movement.

  She is standing there shocked and scared. This is a world ruled by the strong, in a school to help young adults learn how to navigate it. She was scared of the man that came barging in. Now she is scared of Helo. The man was a peak tier 1 with a powerful tier 2 party leader. Then Helo dodges a strike without looking and drops him in one blow.

  She doesn't say anything, but she just shakily nods her head. Helo waves toward Rocco and the man says his order as well. As he tries to pay the woman shakes her head. “I can’t pay?” He asks in confusion.

  “It... it's free.” The woman stumbles over her words. Helo looks at her and shrugs. Turning around he is about to accept the free food. Then he remembers that this isn’t the outside world where the restaurant is a massive corporation. These are all student run places.

  When Helo turns back the woman gulps, but he just reaches behind him. Acting like he is reaching into a bag of holding; he pulls an enchantment from his necklace. The woman gets more nervous as she sees him reaching. Helo drops an item on the counter, then he walks away.

  It is just a simple trinket or him. Something he made while practicing. The sixty other nobles might feel the same. But for the next few thousand students. He just handed out a small fortune. Not many people have an ‘Identify’ that can scan an item. But the woman can tell it is unique. It is a necklace that radiates a feeling of coldness. The make is beautiful, with silver metal and a small blue gem.

  Grabbing his food, Helo just walks out the door while munching on a burger. “Oh hey, who was that guy?” Helo asks Rocco as they make their way out the door.

  This whole situation Rocco is just shaking his head. First Helo dropped the man easily in front of everyone. Second, he just gave away what would be precious to someone else. Third, he doesn't even know who the man is that he knocked out.

  Rocco is realizing right now that maybe they should have had a talk with him about the value of certain things. Rocco knows Helo’s potential, he also knows as much as Helo does about his family. So, he understands that Helo gets pretty much anything he needs. He is going to be a powerhouse. But because of that he is casually making items that a person would save up weeks for, and those are his practice rounds. “I’ll just talk to Alli about it.” Then thinking about Alli’s personality for a second, “Maybe Luna.”

  Emily, the woman who was working the counter at Robbie’s Meat. The place Helo just got food from looks at all the stunned customers. The man is still unconscious on the floor, and everyone has no idea about what to do.

  “Who was that?” She whispers to herself, the tall lanky man that Helo talked to hears her.

  “I don't know.” The man says. “But he was powerful. Whatever skill that was, the one that stunned him. He had real fear in his eyes.”

  “Yeah... But he was cute.” Emily zones out as she starts to think about his sharp jaw and red glowing eyes. His gaze made her shiver in just the right way. At the same time, he was fit and had great hair.

  The lanky man's features drop and he looks down. He has been coming here since the start of last year. He just built up the courage to ask her out, but now he is feeling a little too nervous. Looking down at the knocked-out man he speaks up to everyone. He might not be the strongest, or the best, but he is still a smart man. “Everyone should clear out; nobody should be here when he wakes up.”

  Emily looks at the man with admiration, that was smart thinking.

  Eric woke up with a blinding headache. “Arragggg. Fuck!” He groans on the floor of Robbie’s Meats. Looking around it takes him a few moments to remember where he is. Then a few more moments to remember what happened. “Where is that fucker.” He growls out.

  Looking around Eric is in an empty restaurant. Now he really is confused, in that confusion the lanky man’s plan worked. Eric slowly gets to his feet and slowly exits the restaurant.

  When he gets outside he has no idea what to do. The boss told him to get some food, and he really likes Robbie’s Meats. They make a great burger, and the owner is just weak enough that he can throw some weight around. Turning back to the restaurant in totally confusions he doesnt know what to do.

  “Closed.” He reads the sign on the door that just swung shut behind him. “Aggahh.”

  “Yo! Eric! What happened to getting us food?” His boss Allen says. His name is Allen the son of Allen. So, he is Allen Allenson. He got picked on growing up by his older cousins from the main family. They used to call him Allison and joke up his name.

  He used to be proud of his name; his father was powerful and a good man. But then he was murdered, and his mother had to basically become a servant to the main family to provide for him. Now, Allen is a complete asshole that likes to make others fell as bullied as he did.

  This all goes through Eric’s head and he blurts out. “Someone was trying to attack you!”

  “Attack me?” Allen looks at Eric like he is an idiot.

  “Yeah. I just got here, I found some people sneaking around. One looked asian, the other was... american maybe. Oh! He was a cripple; he had a cane.” Eric is now feeling like his plan might work.

  “You should have called idiot. Now I had to get up and come get my own food. I guess you will be my sparring partner tonight.” Allen smirks as Eric's face contorts with fear. Now Eric is sure that whoever that cripple was, he is going to pay.