Curses and Gifts
Nothing Like An Enemy
"What was that about a deal you two made?" Kestrel asked the moment Lethe had been within hearing range. "I thought you never met him."
"I didn't. Not to my knowledge at least. He kept going on and on about needing to know what to say and 'getting there' first before he could tell. And how in the name of all the unnamed things of the universe am I supposed to even know what to say? You ask me, I think he's gone crazy." Lethe replied indignantly."Oh, he also mentioned about the gravitational aether tests being real soon. Damn. All we ever wanted, eh? More work."
"Love-freaking-ly. More tests. Well, at least its Halflight now. We've got at least five more hours to ourselves. Small consolation." Cocytus grumbled.
They spent time studying furiously like people possessed by some workaholic, work-related OCD suffering ghosts which had no concept of relaxation. Even Cocytus worked fast, as fast as Kestrel ever was. By the time Falselight approached, they had stacks of notes copied out painstackingly by hand all about them. Groaning and massaging their arms, they made their way down to the canteen.
"Hate doesn't even begin to convey how much I feel towards studies." Kestrel said. "I-"
"And here I was thinking you nerds loved studying so much. Then again, the human may think the worm enjoys eating shit and dirt all day long." A spiteful voice filled with contempt came from another table.
"Great. Gerdion Eryfi. The single largest detriment to intelligence in the entire multiverse." Lacier snorted with contempt.
Gerdion Eryfi was your typical school bully, with the exception that he was generally smarter than such bullies. He was, however, just as large a braggard as all others. His stature was slightly shorter than Cocytus, which made their confrontations all the more amusing.
"Sorry, Lacy-boy, but you're confusing me with your pathetic self." Looking over at Lethe, Styx and Phlegyas, he laughed. "I just don't see what you three are doing with these losers. Surely you're not so blind as to see how ridiculous they are."
"Just because you were gelded at birth, doesn't mean you get to act macho in front of people. And frankly, I'm tired of all your posing. Do the world a favor and just piss off." Cocytus said, bored at his show of arrogance.
"Gelded! You filthy..." It took all of Gerdion's willpower to keep his anger in check. "I'll get you all some day. And you three," he glared at Lethe, Styx and Phlegyas, "You three will regret the day you decided to stick with them."
Lethe yawned. "Big words, small man. Oh wait, did I say man? I meant whiny, bitchy, upstart girl who can't even deal out threats with an appropriate amount of dramatism in them. If only you knew what I could do to you."
Gerdion stormed off in a fury.
"You weren't actually thinking about touching him, were you?" Styx said.
"Eww, it sounds wrong when you put it that way. But actually, yes, I found out something really creepy. That girl I touched. She came up to me at Breaklight and practically begged me to stop haunting her dreams. But it wasn't intentional, stop looking at me like that." Lethe ignored their looks and continued wolfing down her food.
"That sounds nasty. I sure hope it really wasn't intentional." Phlegyas said.
"Yeah, t'is a terrible thing to do." Styx added.
Lethe finished swallowing. "I told you, it wasn't intentional. I don't enjoy tormenting and mucking about in people's dreams anyway." It dawned on her then. "Oh damn, this can't have anything to do with me and Mr. Ary's supposed deal, can it?"
"I for one, doubt that he would give anyone the power to bugger dreams. But who knows?" Cocytus said.
"Confusing. But I'm really tempted to see what Gerdion is afraid of, you know? He's such a jerk and all..."
"Careful words, Kestrel. I don't want to get in trouble for roughing up some filthy rich guy's kid." Lacier warned. After all, the House of Eryfi was a prominent figure in their world.
"Meh, I could hardly care less." Styx said. "We'd best get back to our dorms before Falselight reaches its zenith. I don't want to get buggered by the damn ghosts of whatever past."
"I didn't. Not to my knowledge at least. He kept going on and on about needing to know what to say and 'getting there' first before he could tell. And how in the name of all the unnamed things of the universe am I supposed to even know what to say? You ask me, I think he's gone crazy." Lethe replied indignantly."Oh, he also mentioned about the gravitational aether tests being real soon. Damn. All we ever wanted, eh? More work."
"Love-freaking-ly. More tests. Well, at least its Halflight now. We've got at least five more hours to ourselves. Small consolation." Cocytus grumbled.
They spent time studying furiously like people possessed by some workaholic, work-related OCD suffering ghosts which had no concept of relaxation. Even Cocytus worked fast, as fast as Kestrel ever was. By the time Falselight approached, they had stacks of notes copied out painstackingly by hand all about them. Groaning and massaging their arms, they made their way down to the canteen.
"Hate doesn't even begin to convey how much I feel towards studies." Kestrel said. "I-"
"And here I was thinking you nerds loved studying so much. Then again, the human may think the worm enjoys eating shit and dirt all day long." A spiteful voice filled with contempt came from another table.
"Great. Gerdion Eryfi. The single largest detriment to intelligence in the entire multiverse." Lacier snorted with contempt.
Gerdion Eryfi was your typical school bully, with the exception that he was generally smarter than such bullies. He was, however, just as large a braggard as all others. His stature was slightly shorter than Cocytus, which made their confrontations all the more amusing.
"Sorry, Lacy-boy, but you're confusing me with your pathetic self." Looking over at Lethe, Styx and Phlegyas, he laughed. "I just don't see what you three are doing with these losers. Surely you're not so blind as to see how ridiculous they are."
"Just because you were gelded at birth, doesn't mean you get to act macho in front of people. And frankly, I'm tired of all your posing. Do the world a favor and just piss off." Cocytus said, bored at his show of arrogance.
"Gelded! You filthy..." It took all of Gerdion's willpower to keep his anger in check. "I'll get you all some day. And you three," he glared at Lethe, Styx and Phlegyas, "You three will regret the day you decided to stick with them."
Lethe yawned. "Big words, small man. Oh wait, did I say man? I meant whiny, bitchy, upstart girl who can't even deal out threats with an appropriate amount of dramatism in them. If only you knew what I could do to you."
Gerdion stormed off in a fury.
"You weren't actually thinking about touching him, were you?" Styx said.
"Eww, it sounds wrong when you put it that way. But actually, yes, I found out something really creepy. That girl I touched. She came up to me at Breaklight and practically begged me to stop haunting her dreams. But it wasn't intentional, stop looking at me like that." Lethe ignored their looks and continued wolfing down her food.
"That sounds nasty. I sure hope it really wasn't intentional." Phlegyas said.
"Yeah, t'is a terrible thing to do." Styx added.
Lethe finished swallowing. "I told you, it wasn't intentional. I don't enjoy tormenting and mucking about in people's dreams anyway." It dawned on her then. "Oh damn, this can't have anything to do with me and Mr. Ary's supposed deal, can it?"
"I for one, doubt that he would give anyone the power to bugger dreams. But who knows?" Cocytus said.
"Confusing. But I'm really tempted to see what Gerdion is afraid of, you know? He's such a jerk and all..."
"Careful words, Kestrel. I don't want to get in trouble for roughing up some filthy rich guy's kid." Lacier warned. After all, the House of Eryfi was a prominent figure in their world.
"Meh, I could hardly care less." Styx said. "We'd best get back to our dorms before Falselight reaches its zenith. I don't want to get buggered by the damn ghosts of whatever past."