Paladin's Path

Theon ignored the discourse going on in the class group chat as he normally did. He wasn't really used to online interactions with people and he felt like a lot of the things discussed were pointless.

He had briefed himself on some of the conversation every half hour or so and seen that some of the important stuff was just about the visual recording of the classes training drills are posted on the school student website that can only be accessed by students and staff at the school who have a valid ID.

There was no video footage on the incident which made sense since it wasn't included in the teachers training schedule.

Speaking of the incident it had been three days since then now and on the first day back to regular classes and on his walk to his usual classroom Theon had noticed some more intense stares from the senior classes. He didn't pay them any mind since he knew they were obviously only staring at him and his classmates to spot if there was anything different.

Having been attacked during your introduction to the program was obviously not something regular in any way.

Although Theon did notice that the stares were minimal, probably because some students had already started to move out on missions with whatever team leaders they were assigned with in first year.

Every three man cell is given a team leader who has already graduated the program and become a full fledged paladin. Once assigned their team they are then led out on missions and given pay which is a standard minimum wage for the three years your assigned on a team.

After that you are paid by commission. There are ways to increase your pay which were stated in the handbook given to all students at the start of the year but the standard pay that you are given as a full fledged paladin even in the lowest bronze rank is enough to live adequately on your own.

Theon was walking up the steps of one of the entrances to the building that he decided to take when he slipped past an middle aged man with a curly top hairdo and was wearing an all black expensive looking turtleneck that covered him all the way up.

'The days haven't haven't reached a cooler tone yet.'

Theon wondered why someone would choose such clothing in heat like this but remembered that the standard uniform for paladin's was something dark and simple anyway, like a dress shirt and something to match.

It would be all too different from their dark navy uniforms anyway so...

"Aren't you late for class?" Theon stopped and looked back to see the same man stood leaning against the wall.

Theon was about to fire back instantly denying the allegation but he instead thought on it and took out his phone "feeling" that he wouldn't be reprimanded for it and checked the time.

It was 09:12. He was late.

"I didn't even notice." He wanted to thank the teacher but when he looked back to where he was he was blindsided to the thinly tall man stood in front of him staring him down intensely.

"Is being late here such a crime." Theon showed no fear and thought it best to tell a poor joke to try and lighten the mood. It worked to no avail since the man just stood silent only broken from his silence by an elder lady with silver hair crowning her head walking up from behind him.

"Bruno, stop messing with the kid and let him get back to class." The lady walked slowly but was calm and kept a sweet tone to her voice that matched her kind face. "Ms Fay is looking for you now anyway."

A sigh escaped his mouth and then he straightened up and moving past Theon, "My bad then." he whispered lowly for Theon to hear.

'What a strange interaction.'

With Mr. Adams exaggerated persona to Ms. Wilson's non-existent one, Theon was starting to think that there was something weird with all of the staff here.

"He can be like that sometimes." Theon looked back to see the older woman who had helped him out in the situation, although he wondered how far that situation could have gotten. "Mr. Hayes means well. He was just trying to judge your character."

"With no words. I find that quite hard to do." Theon heard a sweet laugh come out of the woman's mouth he didn't really care about the passing minutes anymore. If he was late already then what's a few more minutes anyway.

'It might be good to get to know more about the staff here anyway.'

"So is he a mentor for the second years?"

She smiled and shook her head while blinking slowly.

"He will actually be a mentor for a cell in the new first years, so if your lucky you may have him."

Theon didn't view that as luck going by his own first impression of the man. And he figured his face showed that as the pale blue eyed woman grinned.

"There's nothing to worry about he is actually one of the only few to volunteer to train a team so he must care somewhat. By the way I will not be leading a team in case your interested."

'I am.'

"Why not? If you don't mind me asking."

"So polite..." many have said otherwise to Theon but he wasn't going to argue. "... I am actually the healer for this institution but I still help out on the field whenever I can."

Theon had heard healers were quite rare, he knew that Od could do many amazing things and healing was one of them but from what Victor had told him he knew that it could be highly volatile to humans even if they figured out how to heal with their Od.

So the lady in front of him saying she is a healer means that she is able to heal without facing that same volatility that other people do, it is in line with whatever ability she was given instead of just using your Od for healing.

It was surprising but for an institution set for training future paladin who will no doubt injure themselves at some stage through training then having a healer on standby was always going to be necessary.

"Well alright then Ms..."

"Elara Morgan is the name."

"Oh, well thank you for your time Ms. Morgan," Theon turned slowly before realizing he should probably give out his name too. "Theon Abara, almost forgot to introduce myself there."

____

Elara Morgan stood in place for a moment thinking on the meeting she and her colleagues had a few days prior and their end discussion about that boy that she had just been speaking with.

He was well built and seemed capable for his age, after reviewing the footage from the training trials, specifically parts that were only privy to the staff pertaining to intruder ambushing the students first.

Theon seemed to move fluidly without much effort and unlike some of the other students like Lugh O'Hara or even the daughter of the second strongest to Noa Godwin within the country, Theon Abara didn't seem too phased at all during the confrontation.

Bruno was a good person, she stood by that, but his bad trait to view everyone in the worst of lights made him difficult to work with. Once he had seen how the boy seemed to effortlessly evade attacks from the intruder and leave openings for his classmates to attack he wondered where he gained such analytical prowess.

Theon wasn't aggressive in his approach, he stayed back to watch before he pounced on his opponent. Even before the intruder came, Bruno had noticed Theon's use of his Dragons to attach themselves to his classmates as the second trial started.

It was small but it was enough to get the gears in the paranoid man's head turning. His past seemed to be hidden from people in a higher up position than themselves so that didn't make it any better for judgement of the boy.

There were always people who got in with foggy backgrounds but Theon's wasn't even forged. For the first five years of his life there was information available to them but then there was nothing, just a blank for the next five years of his life.

Just a black seal of confidentiality hovering over his name put in place by the BPA themselves.

That got them to all speculate but Elara wanted no part in it, all she hoped was that this resulted in nothing bad that would harm the students or any more people.

______

Theon was about to step into his classroom only for the door to burst open with Robin, the class angel, ran out with a distressed look on her face.

She ran straight past Theon without even noticing him.

'I wonder if she's alright.'

The reaction of the class didn't signify that they even noticed which in itself was a surprise since Robin received a fair amount of attention.

Whilst walking to his seat Theon noticed that the class had seemed separated into their own little groups while there was no teacher in the class.

"Yo." Jon was upon him and greeted. Theon greeted back before asking where Mr. Caleb was.

"He still hasn't shown up yet but today we were supposed to get our first rankings to see where everyone is but..."

He didn't have to finish his sentence since Theon knew where it was going anyway. Theon wondered how long topics like this would usually last.

A newcomer bumped into his desk standing in front of it with Jon and him looking at her in confusion.

Long and curly hair with sparkling blue eyes staring straight at him with a great smile on her face.

"You need something?" Jon asked with some angst in his voice. Theon had noticed that Jon was also not one who seemed very adept at social interaction and just clung to whoever he was most comfortable with.

"I just wanted to speak to Theon and get his thoughts on the attack." she responded in a sweet voice, still speaking on the schools recent alarming incident.

"What about Corbin, or Lugh?" Jon's tone was starting to get aggressive, it was clear from the toxicity that he didn't really want her here invading a space he was comfortable in.

It looked like Ava either didn't notice or was just able to get past it.

"Well Lugh seemed really bothered and Corbin, well...." She believed he would just respond with some untold aggression. And without the classes tutor here to properly reprimand him things could get out of hand.

"And Juno, well she wasn't really involved." before Jon could give another response Theon took the reins.

"That's fine. But I don't think I'd have much input or whatever it is you're looking for." she shook her head.

Nobody in the room seemed to be worrying about their conversation which was good, Theon didn't like receiving spotlight attention in much capacity at all.

"Wrong. You seemed to be able to keep up with him better than the rest of us until the teachers came and were even able to dodge that huge stream of water that took out both me and Lugh." Ava seemed a little conflicted as she seemed to loosen up slightly while she thought... "My father is Adrian Wolfe. He is a gold rank paladin that people believe is the only one in the country that can take Noa Godwin's place if necessary."

Jon's eyebrows raised in slight surprise. Theon didn't speak to Ava much but he never got the impression that she may have been a legacy child. So he went in for a guess as to what she was really trying to say.

"So you expected to also be able to keep up since you're his daughter. You want to achieve what he has and looked at in the same vain."

Ava had a tint of red in her cheek as she averted her eyes and let out a giggle.

"Well yeah. My dad done everything that I am now but excelled. He was at the top of everything..."

Anyone could piece together what she was trying to say, Theon just didn't care all too much, he couldn't relate. There was no family he had that he could aspire to be he was not in Ava's position so there were no words he felt he could say that would be beneficial in any way to her.

So he just let her be. She seemed to be doing alright on her own anyway so there was no need for him to butt in he felt.

"Also some of the boys had already said that it was you who figured out that intruders last attack before he got away." Ava was not incredibly close to Theon as she bent down and stuck her face out to him.

Theon was wondering if what he was feeling was what Jon was feeling only minutes ago about her invading his space of comfort.

Theon stuck a finger to her forehead and pushed her back.

"Yeah and as I said back then, anyone could have figured it out after some time. Plus I saw him building up water." That was a lie but there was no way she would notice that unless she had some sort of lie detecting power now.

Robin came in through the door which made Theon remember her earlier departure. Only instead of the distressed and worrisome face she had on back then, her face was just full of smiles this time like her usual self.

There was no sign of her previous face on that she had prior, it was like she put on a totally different mask on.

"Well thanks for your time Theo." Ava said as she nodded at Jon as well before heading back to her area.

As soon as she sat by her place she was greeted by her seatmates.

"That seemed pointless." Jon spat out in a hushed tone. There was no winning with him and newcomers. "The whole wanting to live up to daddy's legacy seemed dumb too."

Theon wasn't going to reply to that and luckily he didn't have to since Mr. Adams finally got into class.

"Get to your seats everyone!" he spoke calmly as he paced over to his desk and placed his briefcase onto it. "We do not plan on going over the incident that happened last week, but your parents or guardians have been briefed."

There were low moans coming from some of the students. Mainly Corey and Cole.

"This profession is certainly dangerous and you all knew what you signed up for, but being attacked in the confines of this campus was not one of those things so for that and not being able to react quick enough... I apologise."

Mr. Adams bowed as he apologized which got the entire class silent at the gesture.

But he is right on some things. All students in the class signed their forms and other necessary documents. Paladin's die everyday, it is not an easy job that one should expect to be able to live a long and fruitful life.

It was reported one time in the recent years that Paladins only start taking their lives seriously at twenty five. If you live to that long than you must be doing something right to continue moving forward and make it with the few.

"Its alright teach most of us weren't even attacked." Corey spat out first.

"Yeah and we all loved seeing Corbin get sprayed down a little." At Coles comment the class started laughing at an angry Corbin who uncharacteristically stayed silent with his eyes closed, although he did seem to be holding in his reaction as his teeth seemed to be grinding against each other in rage.

But all in all there was no life lost so people didn't really seem to react in ways that was expected, expected of normal people anyway.

The soft and sweet Chloe put her hand up to ask. "What will we be doing today sir?"

It took him some time to properly regain his composure but what he said got people split down the middle of both excitement or worry.

"A treasure hunt that leads into 1 on 1 matches."

_____

With little time Mr. Adams explained the premise.

We are to search for tags within the first floor of the schools building which is only for first years anyway so that gave them all their own space to move around as they pleased.

There are six tags and one hour to search which has already started. They were told that they can change into their tracksuits but that would only be wasting time. The six who found the tags would then be split into a duo that would be participating in the one on one fight.

Some obvious characters were the first out the door at Mr. Adams signal. Corbin, Ava, Corey and Cole. A surprising figure made it out before all of them using the classes secondary door that was closed most of the time anyway, and that was Bell Wyatt.

Theon was on his own and actually was amongst the last to leave and started going through the class first in case there was one tag in there only to be disappointed at the lack thereof.

The first floor of the building was nothing special in reality, it was not like the extra activity building that had rooms dedicated to activities like archery, fencing, or other martial arts and was decked out with the latest in tech used for training and making sure that the rooms wouldn't be destroyed instantly from the impact of the students.

Instead the main teaching buildings were more modest and normal, sleek in design and stable.

Theon's phone buzzed with the alert that a tag has been found. Not just one either but two basically at the same time.

'I'm slacking.'

Theon couldn't lie and say he wasn't at least a little interested. He didn't want to be on the side-line's stuck watching the action. Even though he didn't like attention much he still wanted to be a part of it.

He tried using his dragons to scope out the area but realized that may just be a waist of time since they wouldn't even know what to be searching for.

'Guess I'll just be relying on that then...'

What Theon was referring to was his secondary power.

A second one. Theon was a part of a rare few of the population of powered people and had more than one power. The limit was three and he fortunately received two during his awakening all those years ago.

Both incredibly powerful in their own right.

[Revelation]. That was the second one. To explain it in the simplest of terms it was basically a supercharged intuition.

A power that gives Theon extraordinary insight, detecting details with clarity and even an aspect of predictability.

'Its a cheat on many mundane things that people may struggle with on a day-to-day.' Examples would be like cooking, as long as Theon has had what he would want or has read on the basics his body would almost move on autopilot to do what needs to be done.

Same with things like gardening, driving, taking exams, precise use on his Od and pretty much everything. A gift that keeps giving, one he keeps secret from everyone. Not even Victor knows of its existence.

So even now where he is walking is simply just following his metaphysical guide.

And it led him to a fire extinguisher by the entrance to the first floor. Theon bent down and turned the extinguisher over to see a white disk taped to it.

As soon as he touched it the buzzer on his phone went off again to signify the findings of a new tag.

'I guess that's me.'

_______

There were five people in the room instead of the six promised the reason being... Corbin.

"Since I found two of the tags I wanted to know if I'm able to pick who gets to be the sixth."

Oh no. To Theon and the other four people in the room it was almost obvious who Corbin was going to pick.

Mr. Caleb had a hardened face on but allowed Corbin to choose which made him leave the room to get his chosen victim.

It was still unknown within the class as to why Corbin held such animosity toward Lugh and vice versa. Although the latter was able to keep a lid on his animosity with the downside of still flinching at him whenever he got too loud near him or even raised his hands at him.

But other than Theon, the other's in the room were Jon Sinclair, who Theon for some reason didn't doubt would be there believing in his capabilities to figure ways to get whatever he wants.

The silver haired girl that usually has a stone cold expression on her Bell Wyatt was also one of the people that had made it and she wasn't the only girl there as there was also Aaliyah Smith who like Bell was quite the loner but more approachable if one ignored the stone wall demeanour she seemed to have to her.

Lugh had walked in finally, behind Corbin. All students were now wearing their tracksuits while in a waiting room secluded from the larger one outside of the room they were currently in.

Lugh walked with the same gait he usually did, after being knocked out by the water attack from Charlie Liber, Lugh had gotten even more quiet than usual only speaking slightly to Ava who had walked right through the ice wall barrier he had put between him and everyone.

No one would make him feel any less than he should for that incident, anyone but Corbin anyway but he hadn't even brought it up and happily ignored the duo of Corey and Cole as they asked him about it.

"Okay now it will not all be at the same time. You will go one after the other and wear these..." Mr. Adams handed small ball of metal pieces to the students with a symbol carved onto them.

They looked familiar and there was the faint traces of Od covering them.

"What are these sir?" Bell the ever astute student asked Mr. Adams as soon as the metal piece dropped into her hand.

"Well the metal is nothing special just moulded into that shape. But the symbol carved is a rune which is something that you can only do with Od."

That seemed interesting but explained a lot of stuff that Theon and others already knew of, like barriers. There's barriers in place covering the school that was mostly set down by the overseer of this program like Ms. Juniper Fay. Theon knows that the barrier around the school is put in place to keep standard civilians away and other purposes.

Its not like they cannot see the building but they are just less aware of it being there like something has evaded their senses and they see no reason to be near the building at all. If they were awakened then minor affects like that probably would mean nothing.

It can alert one of who enters and even when someone leaves and if one was skilled enough they could apply their own power to a barrier which can serve other unique purposes.

"I know this may not be a time to ask sir..."

"Not at all Bell. There's always time to improve so ask away."

"Thank you, I would like to know when we will be learning how to imbue runes."

It wasn't only her, but Corbin, Lugh and even Aaliyah seemed interested. It was only Jon that seemed disinterested.

"The basics are all in the buildings library but to go further you'll have to ask the team leader you will be assigned with at the end of the month and even then there's always a chance that they have chosen not to delve into that knowledge."

Bell accepted that knowledge with grace while putting the metal ball into her ear where it just stuck.

Theon done the same only to feel the metal reshape and take a form that comfortably stuck to a shape that wouldn't fall out of his ear.

"Those are there for conversation between you and me." he then looked toward Corbin as he spoke his last words. "If you are going to far and I say stop I expect you to stop."

Corbin scoffed and turned away from him.

"Now onto the main waiting room where we will find out who goes against who for each round."

Instead of going out and seeing the class in mini groups to themselves devolving into meaningless chatter what the group was introduced to were their classmates huddled together on the floor listening to the ramblings of Juniper Fay.

"... And that's how I sent the ground hog chimera running with its tail between its legs."

And from her cadence it seemed as though she was retelling a false story that she was never involved in or never even happened.

"Ms. Fay I didn't know you would be joining us today." Mr Adams seemed surprised but also unpleased with her presence here as if she was going to ruin his plans.

"Oh yeah well I wanted to watch the new first years, nothing wrong with that right?" The question was rhetorical and her child like attitude didn't ease the mood of Mr. Adams. "Also I've already spun the wheel to figure out who goes against who."

Mr. Adams heart rate picked up as she displayed the results of her efforts on the large holographic screens.

1. Bell Wyat VS Theon Abara.

2. Aaliyah Smith VS Jon Sinclair.

3. Corbin Monet VS Lugh O'Hara.