CHAPTER TWELVE
Gathered in the center of the field, the Second-year Blessed and Cursed classes stand to their respective sides of the divide. An exhibition of sorts is to commence soon, at the behest of both teachers. What originally was going to be a game among their own classes, has turned into this feat of the two groups.
Mr. Verim and his Blessed students stare off at the Cursed students and their teacher, Mr. Gentus. The Cursed students glare back at them, looking fierce and formed up with menacing-looking armor and weapons.
Most weapons made for the Cursed students come from heirlooms or are self-made. The time and lives of Cursed humans isn't a beautiful thing, but a horrid and tough scene. Being the victim of Hell's power and creatures, the Cursed families don't tend to extend much more than a few generations, such is the history of this class's parentage. Shoddy armor and weapons held at their sides gripped with fierce intensity.
The Blessed stand tall, picturesque of what Holy-Warriors ought to look like. Golden and glassy-blue. Their families stood to prosper at the end of the war between Demons and Angels.
***
The war between the two divine bodies was long fought and atrociously won after much death. The Angels managed to force the Demons back into Hell, slamming the door closed on them, and sealing it with their Heavenly magic. The end of the war seemed beautiful and shining, but along with the damning of the Demons, the Angels had to rid themselves of the earthly plain too, coming upon their sacrifice for making another total seal of Hell from Earth. The Angels that gave their lives left a message with Humanity, or rather, with the Blessed.
Only the long-standing families of the Blessed know the full writ, but essentially they left Humans with the task of cleaning up after their mess. The Angels served to close the gates of Hell, and their highers were made to seal the gate to Heaven as well. Now, a door smashed through, but put together again is going to have cracks; The Faiths from Heaven and the Blights from Hell are those that slip through, and still invade on Earth at their leisure.
That, much to the chagrin of humanity, was how the beginning of this new world came to be.
Hunters, Condemners, Consecrationists…
The Blessed and the Cursed who work to stop the Blights and Faiths go by so many names across so many religions, cultures, and communities. The proper name for them is Conduits, as per the scholars at the Council, the governing body concerning Blessed and Cursed affairs.
Conduits, because the way that Blessed and Cursed power is both started within humans, but can be channeled through them from another source. Such as hatred and anger, fuelling into someone's power, these emotions source through the Conduit and can make for an incredible surge of power.
***
Standing at the very edge of his class, Mason holds himself upright, feeling more and more power returning to him.
Mr. Verim and Mr. Gentus can tell that the class's animosity toward one another is starting to flow freely into the air. All of the students should be feeling some sort of reaction from their heightened states of emotion, yet, only Mason seems to be gaining anything out of it. Another peculiarity to note, Gentus thinks.
"This boy… so curious."
"So, are we ready to draw the lots?"
Mr. Gentus is the first to speak, loudly hopping in between the classes and meeting Mr. Verim. The two teachers stand towards their own classes and quickly count off again, for measure.
"I want to remind everyone that this is still just a practice of your abilities and that by no means should you intentionally try to harm anyone more than is fair. If someone says they are done, we will stop the matches."
Mr. Verim watches his class's faces change none, all resolute in the results of whatever comes.
Mr. Gentus watches his class only grow more fierce.
"Let's start then!"
Mr. Gentus pulls a hat from behind him and lets Mr. Verim throws his class's team slips into it, the two men sneer at one another. As the air builds around them, a gust flows soft but intently around the two groups.
Hair starts to glow gold, eyes shine blue, yellow, white, red, black, and purple. Feathers break out of shoulders and backs, leathery wings start to claw out of shoulder blades behind some. Tails, some of soft fur and others of sharp barbs take placements on lower backs. Fangs bare, claws sharpen, and skin appears to gleam hotter and hotter.
Manifestations much like before start to break out of their human forms, unleashing a slight bit more of their power as they rare to fight.
Seeing this, Mr. Gentus looks over warily to his apparent new treasure, finding Mason's manifestation in check this time. Mr. Gentus doesn't want to linger too long to alert anyone so he returns to Mr. Verim and they begin to draw the teams of students who will fight.
***
Away, but close, a figure watches from formless shadows and leers at the gathering, deathly curious of the elevating powers that both heat and cool the air into a brewing storm.
A firm grip crushes a pillar as it pulls the figure forward into the colosseum.
"What the Hell are you doing… Mason."
END of Volume One
Successor to Devil