"Winner— recruite Kanima Hapota".
Eloth announced as he made for the centre of the hall, towards the location of the duel, with his arms clamped tightly behind his back.
With a few strides, he reached the body of the unconscious teenager and nudged him with the tip of his black combat boot, a curious light playing in his eyes.
At that moment, the bell rang.
The Combat training for the Class Unique had ended. And, according to the basic schedule, they had the next class in five minutes.
"Trainee Zilah, Trainee Ikem ", Eloth called out.
The two recruits, male and female quickly shuffled out from within the herd of teens.
"Yes Sir!!" They replied.
"Kindly escort Recruit Neely and Recruit Hapota to the healers office" Eloth ordered as he placed a piercing gaze on the both of them.
Turning, he walked quickly towards a door at the corner, "Do that now, before you head to your next class". He reached the door, waited for a few seconds, before placing a large pale palm atop a light green rune that lay on it.
"Open"
The metallic door slowly slid open, he walked out turning left of the hallway.
A few moments after he did, the students followed; rushing out of the hall through the open door, they went in the same direction as him. Words concerning the duel never leaving their mouth as they moved.
In some ways they bore uncanny similarity to a flock of chattering wild birds.
Ikem turned to the girl Zilah with his mouth open to speak, she happened to be the one that had flung Drey Iguas to the back of the class out of frustration. He could not get a read on her; or on why she chose to keep a face as if the world owed her money.
But considering their situation and where they stood, it seemed that it owed her more than that; it owed everyone more than that actually. However he shut his mouth and chose to steer clear of her.
That was the fate for the Unlucky.
Kanima carefully made her way towards the door, wiping away the droplets of blood flowing down her nose, she struggled to maintain an upright posture as her steps turned weak and pitifully feeble..
She stumbled.
Zilah moved, adeptly catching her by placing a hand over the small of her back
"Leave me be" She shook Zilah's hands away.
Zilah's gaze deepened for a few moments before snorting "Suit yourself". She made for the door, Fully intended on leaving them behind "I'd be late to the next class if I helped anyways".
Ikem silently lifted Morgen's collapsed body off the ground, placing it dismissively atop his left shoulder, he turned to walk.
He gave no expression to Zilah's action
Instead he walked pretty quickly, intending to catch up with Kanima.
"Hey",
His tone was warm. He slowed down as he reached her, walking towards her left.
Kanima kept on moving, her will strong as she fought a mental battle to stay upright.
"Hey. Hello, Kanima, I'm talking to you," Ikem spoke again, feeling his irritation and irk grow a bit at her behavior.
They quickly left the advanced classroom and entered the hallway, and without much contemplation, choosing opposite the direction Eloth and the students had taken.The right turn.
The rune empowered door closed quickly behind them.
"Kanima?", Ikem tried once more. He made to grab her shoulder but a steel grip caught his hands instead.
"What?!", Kanima stopped, turning to stare at the guy intruding on her space and wasting her time.
Her vision doubled.
"I just wanted to talk, actually", he answered honestly, "Nothing else". His voice was calm as he tried his best to offer what he thought was a reassuring smile.
"I'm sorry but I don't feel like talking, and especially not with someone as gloriously infamous as you". Her tone was icy, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke.
"What?" Ikem was stumped. He stood in silence for a few moments and did not notice when Kanima began walking.
"Wait" he chased back after regaining his senses. The body of the huge, unconscious teen on his shoulder weighing almost nothing as he trudged forward.
Closing the distance, he stretched out a hand for Kanima's shoulder.
"Touch me and see what will happen to you!", Kanima scowled, her expressionless facade disappearing. Her eyes gleamed a new, dangerous silver as she thoroughly searched his face.
Her voice was low, and was slowly losing the edge it had during the duel
Unluckily, Ikem didn't hear her speak and proceeded to touch her shoulder.
His arm was caught sharply, and in turn, a silvery light was transferred into it.
His arm suddenly hung still in the air as he felt a sense of numbness spread through it. His right arm was paralyzed
"What is the meaning of this?", he asked whilst taking a few steps backwards. 'Is this girl mad' he wondered mentally. "Undo this at once" he ordered instead.
Kanima gazed into his eyes as she began muttering some indecipherable words.
'Prayers!',Ikem reeled, doubling back.
He stared curiously as his right fist moved on its own, position itself accurately, before punching him squarely on the face.
He took another step back almost dropping Morgen in the process.
"Crap", he muttered, "What for?, is this just because I touched your arm?".
Kanima did not turn again but continued walking, she snapped her fingers; mentally releasing Ikem's arm from her paralysis and control.
Ikem shook his head in distaste as he stood still, he felt the childish urge to retort but carefully reasoned against it, staring intently at the feeble departing back of his classmate."That crazy girl means a lot of trouble" he uttered aloud.
He had just meant to ask about her movement techniques, and how she seemed to defy the law of physics as she fought. To his understanding, it wasn't supposed to be part of her Supernatural abilities or the presiding abilities within her body.
He sighed,'Looks like I'll have to verify my thoughts some other way then'. He began walking.
Kanima alternated between stopping and starting as she staggered. Her movements seemed less and less purposive and bordered almost on the line of visible confusion.
She swayed much harder.
"Are you okay?" Ikem asked from behind her watching her nearly tumble, he thought it must have been due to the injuries she had gotten previously. He had no idea about the slow healing abilities of the Blesseds.
Going to see the healers was just a display of formality by Instructor Eloth and to allow the duelers a short time of reprieve and rest. It was a basic fact that when a blessed was allowed a period of rest, their body would be able to heal itself on its own; due to the gift of gods.
Kanima continued her strange and wobbly movements.
Until, she turned back. Staring at Ikem dead in the eye for a lengthened period of time. Her gaze was cold, and her face unbearably aloof.
Like a low-budget nose dripping sculpture
The two of them stared at each other just in front of an intersection in the hallway. Time seemed to pass by awkwardly with none of them choosing to speak.
Ikem sighed once more. "What?", he asked, the tone of his voice showing clearly of how much he longed not to talk to her.
"Infamous Kid", she called.
Her words made Ikem look around, wondering if he was the only person with her.
He was. Well, him and the unconscious Morgen on his shoulder.
"Yes?", he addressed her, mentally suppressing the urge to snort at her face.
"Which hallway leads to the healers office?" She asked, her face looked gracelessly stoic, heavily worn out and showed clear hints of fatigue.
"You're lost?" Ikem asked, trying harder to suppress the smirk threatening to bloom.
"Answer the damned question!".
Ikem's smirk quietly receded. 'Crap!!'
He closed his eyes. He also did not know the directions to the healers office, he had never been there before.
"So?", Kanima queried.
"I don't know" she was supplied an answer.
For a few moments the atmosphere around them turned awkward.
"Useless!" then she spat.
And, just then, the unconscious body on Ikem's shoulder stirred.
Morgen groaned pitifully as he awoke. He was then dropped heavily on the floor.
He slowly sat upright as he looked about, subconsciously covering his crotch as he caught sight of Kanima standing a few feet in front of him.
–Instinct, they say, saves lives.
A glimmer of hope was ignited in Ikemefuna's heart. He bent down, grasping Morgen by the collar and forcing his at him
.
"What!?", Morgen asked warily as he tried to break free from Ikem's grip. He knew Ikem as the guy who was ostracized by the class on the belief that he had murdered an Instructor. And Ikem, staying together with Kanima; his previous opponent didn't seem to bode too well for him.
However, Ikem's grip was too strong. "Le... Let me go" he struggled.
"Morgen, Morgen, listen to me please", Ikem pleaded desperately, "Do you know the direction to the healer's office".
Getting caught loitering on the Camp Hallway was a punishable offense, and a great one at that. And the reason for it's graveness was unknown.
"No, I don't", Morgen finally succeeded in shrugging Ikem's hands off, he rose up, leaving Ikem on the floor, "How could I?, these hallways look incredibly similar!!!". He emphasized by waving his arms towards the hallway they stood on and then that after the next bend.
Ikem's hope flickered out, because after further questioning it was found out that none of them knew the way back. To Hall Unique or their next class.
Time was ticking.
'Curses!'