The wall papered by many posters. He saw posters of athletes in different costumes, running and carried an oval ball in their pose completed with their autograph. Beside the sport players, he also saw posters of a group of young girls wore a uniform, a girl band maybe they were and their number was many, he couldn’t even count how many of them in that poster. LCE88 was their name, at least that what’s read in his mind about the strange lettering on the poster. Sometimes he wondered about himself, how he could understand their speech and recognized their words.
“Don’t ask me where he picked up this junk.” said Eorin, feeling of disgust implied in her blue eyes about the room especially when he saw the poster of girl band on the wall. On the contrary Rey was impressed and interested with many strange things he saw on that room.
“Now be honest, what kind of bond you have with him? Partner in crime or just link to the highest bidder?” asked Eorin.
“I’m a family.”
“Do you think I bought for it, you’re not even a Volk.”
“How do you conclude that?”
“You're too polite and innocent for Volk tribe, still too polite even if you're a plain-blood one.” said Eorin
“I will be honest with you, but this is long story and it may sounds little crazy too you.” said Rey.
“I often had crazy moment with him but if it's a long story, I can’t right now. It is a men’s dorm and I could not linger little longer here.” said Eorin “But promise me that you will tell the truth to me, agree?!”
“Agree!” said Rey.
“Then better I go now. Take care of yourself.” said Eorin.
“Good bye then, and thanks for your help.”
“See, this is why I don’t believe if you’re Volk.” said Eorin smiling.
***
“Seemed you found a new friend in the woods, who is he?”
“My cousin, from my father line, he got travel here but somehow lost in the forest.” said Aska “You don’t know how many times I told him to get a map.”
“I could translate the speech of deceit of every politician in Ishtar. Why do you think you had more advanced in words than them?”
“Ok, you win, he’s not my cousin. He was step son of my mother’s step sister who have husband whom left her for a fat singer in La Plagia Concerta in Vitsenza.”
Headmaster gave strange expression toward him with eyes waiting an answer from the boy before him.
“Alright … alright …, I just found him in Zimeth lair yesterday. I don’t even know much about him. This boy was odd, I mean age and posture he was like me but he knew nothing about everything or even less than that, he had no clue where he lives. He was … like newborn baby.”
“Maybe he just got amnesia.”
“At first I thought so. But he told me about his place clearly, sounds strange but on the other side everything I told to him seemed sounds alien on his ears, he doesn’t even knew what’s the Sphere was.” said Aska. “It’s like the world he knew were different with the world we knew.”
“Really, that’s very strange.”
“Then what will you do about him? Don’t tell me that you will throw him out of the gate.”
“Of course not, but on the other side he was outsider here.” said Headmaster. “Let’s take a walk. We discuss him on the way.”
***
“Hey, Aska!” shouted a young man behind the door, but to his surprise he didn’t found Aska in that room instead he found someone unfamiliar.
“Who are you? Where Aska?” asked that oval-faced boys, his dark eyes watching Rey carefully. However before Rey had time to answer, someone other came into that room. His face was a little similar to the young man who asked him, except his haircut made his forehead wider. They’re brothers, seemingly.
“Hey, where’s that birdhead?”
“Aska? Well, he’s on the headmaster office.”
“Headmaster office? For what?”
“I don’t know. I just heard he goes there.”
“Great, now we really had player crisis.”
“What’s going on? Where Aska?” asked Freeya suddenly came over to them both.
“That birdhead make trouble again till top notch of this Grove called him.”
“With Azra suspended and Galford go to his hometown, we have no more players left.” Freeya then noticed Rey, and then something crossed on his mind once he saw the boy in front of him. “Why don’t we take him? We just need to complete our minimum number anyway. He can just stand there in the middle of the field and try not to get hurt.”
“Hmm, I don’t know.” said one of them in doubt.
“Are you a new student?”
“I'm Rey, Aska’s … cousin.” said Rey with a bit doubt.
“Another Volk! That’s great, far more great.” said Freeya look excited. “Ok, pack him boys!” shouted Freeya.
Those two brothers had their arm around his shoulder and dragged him out from the room with force and smirk, wonder where they’ll take him or what they’ll do to him.
“H-hey, where we going?” asked Rey.
“Relax buddy, just come with us!”
“And we will have some fun.”
Chapter 7
By Sweat and Magic
Rey’s mind wandered everywhere as he stepped in that place. Moment ago these boys around him took him away by force and now he found himself in the dimness, nothing he could see but light at the end – wonder what’s waiting him there. Is this some kind of initiation for new kids? Ah it couldn’t be, in the dim light he saw their faces and their expression. All of them look happy and excited, little fears and bit of worry. Full enthusiasm they were but no one has sly face like the senior who try to bully the juniors.
Along the way down four of them dressed in hurry, blue-yellow colored costume they wore with name and number printed on the back. Rey doesn’t know whose costume he wore but it oversized for his body. And not only costume but they also wore a gauntlet with Spheres attached on it. The crystal orbs were glimmering in the dimness and show many creatures inside, strange it was but amazing in his eyes. They’re still and frozen inside just like an ornament of crystal ball but he senses the power and magic in them. One of them prepared his magic – a snap of his finger and a little flame lit up on the thumb.
Freeya stepped forward. “Are you ready guys?!”
“Yeah!!!”
“Who will win this game?!”
“We will!!!”
“Who will win this game and get the girl?”
“We will!!!”
“Who will win this game and dress like girl?”
“We will.” said two among them and all laughing.
“Get you two.” Freeya laughed “Now let’s beat them boys!”
They ran into the light, very spirited they were like soldier went into battlefield. As they drew closer the more they heard the sound of roar, boisterous like hundreds of enemies awaiting them with the sounds of trumpet deafening to their ears.
Then they came out of the dark tunnel and found themselves on an open field, wide and green with white line painted on the field and red line which bordered the darker grass at the edge. On both edge of the field stood a huge and towering ornament, the shape was like a leafless tree, branched six which each of it had a ring at the tip, and one smaller ring was at the top.
Rey looked forward and there was a huge scoreboard over the seating, the score wasn’t pretty much interesting for him now, but more to his attention was the name of the teams. Zephyr Wind was reads on it under the banner of blue-yellow, the color of his team, against Etherion Blast. Red-black was the color of opponents costume and they are more in number, eleven men stand on the field with five other watching from preserve bench while his team were all on the field and less two than opponent had. And seemed they more prepared than those who just change their costume few minutes ago till brought amateur like him to complete their team.
He was shrinking on the field
. Stadium isn’t the place where he set his foot over the grass with hundreds or thousands eyes watched him. Not to mention what kind of game that played on this field with all those magic.
“Ok Rey, you replaced that birdhead as a Runner. Be flash and get them crash!”
“Umm, I don’t understand about this game.”
Freeya was surprised by his answer. Then he stared him with wonder, “Did you ever play Sneakers?”
“Actually no, I’ve just heard it once from Aska when he gave me free tour in the train.”
Freeya took a deep breath then he blows it till the tip of his hair fluttering. “This is getting better. First we have outnumbered and now there’s a boy who never heard this game.”
Freeya stood on the white circle in the middle. Then he bent down and touched the grasses. He looked over the field for a moment and suddenly he smiled, “Ah, hell with that! Everyone deserves to play.” said him.
Then he rose and stared at him. “Well, let me give you brief explanation. The aim of this game is to carry the ball pass into the enemy lines, the red line. Do you see it?”
“Yes.”
“Now look at the Tree of Gold?”
“You mean that huge ornament there?”
“You will get touchdown if you made it to darker grass and it scores 1, but that was lesser. Mostly people make more score by throws the ball into the ring. Three for big ring and five for small one at the peak, but remember you must throw it before the red line otherwise it will foul. Do you get it?”
“Just keep the ball and bring it pass the red line or throw it to the ring isn’t it?”
“Good. Now get to your position … well, just get near to us and do like us.” said Freeya.
Later everyone ran and gathered to the middle of the field. Rey follow them behind and looked at his team and their names on the back. Nine persons were in his team, Freeya was seems their captain, he stood in the front center between two guys, one on his right was a tall and blond guy named Light, while one on his left was a good-looking guy named Riff, he have short straight hair, looks neat yet athletic, his posture was like Freeya, but the way he looked at him seems he doesn’t like a new guy like him. Grumb and Gruff was the name of the brothers who dragged him here, and beside them there’s black guy named Apu, he was short but looks very spirited and agile. And in the rear he was accompanied by big guy named Koda and a manly guy with neck-length hair named Yargall, he looks very rough among other – the type who will looks charming by getting dirty on the game. Everyone set to their position, but then he was awkward as everyone looked at him with wonder, either for his stance or his position.
The whistle blows and the game begin. At first he thought that this is just a regular game, fighting for the ball without physical contact, but he was wrong. This game was similar to Rugby, and not only speed and strength needed on this game but also they used magic to tackle and give trouble to opponents.
Light ran brought the ball on his hand, so fast that the opponent couldn’t catch him up. And now no one before him except someone on the other side of the field. Everything seemed perfect as if nothing will intercept him from the score. But suddenly, out of the ground beneath his feet, a green stem growing everywhere, living and caught his feet till he fell down before the red line. Everyone yelled and shouted in rumble, either excited or disappointed, followed by a voice of commentator that filled over the stadium.
The game goes on. Now Etherion team got the ball. They have a good defense to attack, one striker escort by two others to block opponent’s magic. And so he rushed like unstoppable. However, Zephyr team has also good defense in their back. Just before the red line the striker slipped by an ice plate created by gruff, and as he slipping Koda greet him, grabbed him with his big hand. That big guy doesn’t use any magic. All the Spheres he had seemed only to enhance his strength and power, and with that he simply threw the opponent high to the air like throwing a stone.
But behold! From a far, someone looks running, red and black was his costume. Then with one great stomp he leaped high to his friend in the air. But instead of helping, the guy just seized the ball and his floating friend he used as a foothold so he can jump higher. He was skilled and looks confident, precisely he threw the ball into small ring at the top, give him five points on the board and at the same time hundreds of applause from the audience along with ‘boo’ among the crowd.
He landed proudly upon the field and smiled in confidence as he stared to the audience – it was seemed for him like countless voice adore him. He was handsome and had high posture like a champion on commercial. He looks proud and superb, shone among the others. Even Freeya looked at him with full reckoning. But on the other side his fallen friend looking at him with dismay and hate, for using him and treated him like trash.
“Jumping Spider?!” said Freeya.
“I thought so.” replied Riff.
“I never thought someone like Soren would back to basic.”
“Or he used it just to mock us.”
The whistle blows and the game start again. Freeya ran assisted by Light and Apu, but suddenly from their left something flew to them. It was brooch made of silver with the shape of winged-spider but they flew like a living thing. Freeya managed to evade it but two of his teammates don’t. The brooch, as it hit them suddenly turned into big trap with eight silver legs grabbed them tightly. Now Freeya ran alone with two opponents ran into him. He saw no one of his teammates were free but Rey. Quickly he pass the ball to him, right before someone tackled him from behind.
Rey stood on the place, see the ball floating in the air towards him and waiting it with two hands nervously. But suddenly the ground beneath him sunken to half of his body buried, and as the ball bounced on his head someone swiftly took it. With his body half buried, he can just stare forward and unable to move at all. And a moment later he heard everyone yelled. It seemed a score have been made.
“Good work new guy.” said Riff smugly. He didn’t even try to help Rey whom half-buried.
“Don’t mind about him, he always like that.” said Freeya. He gave her hand to help him. But then he felt something strange when he held his wrist. “Hey where’s your Sphere? Don’t you have one?”
“Well, I have none, one actually, but left in the room.”
“Damn, so you’re the plain-blood one.”
“Umm, little help?”
“Oh sorry.” said Freeya pulled him. “How can you play this game without any Sphere?”
“This is my first match?”
“That’s good reason.” said Freeya and he paused for a moment, “Wait a minute I’ll looking some Sphere for you.”
Freeya then asked a short break to referee. For a minute everyone on the field just stood wondering while peoples on the seating murmuring and waiting impatiently. And after a minute Freeya came back to him and brought something in his hand.
“Here, use this!” said Freeya as he handed a gauntlet to Rey. On it has attached three Spheres. The creature sealed inside was looks very unique, never he seen them before. There was something like Armadillo with back coated by metal, smooth shape and shiny surface but seemed very hard and solid like it was armor. On other Sphere there was something like spider sealed inside. Among other that spider was common in his eyes though he felt weird when looked at it. And on the last Sphere he saw something like goblin sealed inside, looks very clumsy, wide ears and sly grin, and on his hand he hold a carved pumpkin like Jack O’ Lantern. It made him creep just by looking at it though the creature inside wasn’t moving at all.
“That little one with shiny armor was called Armatridon. It will protect you on the field as good as its shell.”
“So it will make me invincible.”
“Not like that. You can still get hurt but this Sphere will reduce the pain caused by physical attack from the opponent. Just say one jab from Koda on your head and you will only have cramp in the neck.” explained Freeya.
“That’s very relieving
.” said Rey holding his neck and gulped, “And this spider?”
“Jumping Spider, you could jump high with this.”
“How high?” asked Rey.
“You’ve seen it already. Soren used this moment ago, measure that.” answered Freeya.
“Looks great, but why don’t you used it, jump high like him and make score with this?”
“It's great and very useful in this game, no doubt on it. But mostly peoples couldn’t control their jump. Used this more like you’re cast off by giant catapult rather than real jumping, instead of get the score you will get into scoreboard.”
“But seemed Soren could control it.”
“I doubt it. After he made a score with it did you ever seen him do that again?” Rey confirmed what Freeya said. Though he doesn’t pay attention to Soren among those who were on the field but he didn’t see anyone jumping high after Soren made a score. “Soren used his floating friend as a footstep for himself. That way he removed the force of the high jump and turned it into normal and controllable jump then he made score with that.”
“I see.”
“Just be careful when using this. To attack it was very impossible that’s why we only used it to avoid the opponent.” said Freeya. “See that tall blond man, he is Thorn. He was good at wood elemental, both as Magi and Alchemist. His ability to grow plant beneath our feet made him the best defender on this field. If you’re not fast enough or nimble like Apu you’ll easily ensnare by his trap. So if you feel something on your feet or even already caught one foot, just jump high with this.”
“I understand.” replied Rey, “Then how about this one?”
“This is a Gremlin, my favorite. But you have to be careful when wearing this one Sphere.”
“Why?”
“Gremlin was the spirit of destruction. It gives us ability to store our energy into an object till it glows.”
“Like a lantern.”
“Yes, but that’s not the real part. The real part is when the object hit something or shaken, it will blast.”