Voen
Being in House Heilen for a few days reminded of all the luxuries I missed out on.
Every other student treated this space as if it were their birthright.
For me, it was an opportunity. An opportunity to see what my life could be like if I played my cards right.
I tried to hide it, but I must have looked like a deer in headlights. I had never been in an establishment like this. I had never been inside a greenhouse.
The lush greenery and humid air were a sharp contrast to the dull landscape and frigid air of my hometown.
Being exposed to the finest things made me want more.
I wanted it all.
I will become the richest man in Valonara and make my dream come true.
After my herbology class was finished, I placed my gardening tools back in my tackle box and left it near my trove of plants.
Professor Dros ran a tight ship. He wouldn't let us disrespect them, since the school went out of its way to use the best and most expensive materials to make them. I would swipe them if they didn't keep track of them.
Checking my watch for time, I sprinted out of the greenhouse and headed for the bridge.
I still couldn't believe something like this existed. There was a lot I needed to get accustomed to. After a few minutes, I made it to the center Isle and headed toward the rec center.
The rec center had everything a kid could dream of. Tv's, game councils, snacks, gymnasium, nap areas, and much more. If I had it my way, I would have my dorm be in here instead of our overgrown wooden baskets.
As I entered the rec area where all the tv's were, I recognized a few kids from my house. One of them found an old herbology lecture Professor Dros gave years ago, in which he slipped and fell into a pit of poop.
My fellow housemates were students from wealthy families. I made it my mission to get in good with them. I needed good relationships if I wanted to ascend in society.
They replayed the video hundreds of times, and it got funnier every time. After this, we knew we couldn't let him keep up his Mr. Serious act any longer.
Just as we were about to watch another video. There was a shift in the air.
My ears perked, catching the vibrations of the many steps heading this way. I moved to the back of the room, letting my housemates be the main focus.
The smiles of my housemates dimmed, and their chatter softened. Then a group of students walked into the room.
They were from House Obalex, wearing their bronze crown pin on top of their black academy jackets. I recognized one; it was the kid who destroyed the machine before the totem game.
Stravos. Even among the other Arbiters, he had a certain presence about him that others didn't want to oppose.
I felt the same way, but I was also inspired by his power and status
"Get out." One of the Arbiters standing next to Stravos said.
One of my housemates stood up to them. "We were here first. Just wait for your turn."
"Do you Vitalist forget what your role is. You obey our commands." Another Arbiter said as he released cosmic energy.
"Move now, or we will make you," Stravos said. The students from our house who were in this room were either the children of wealthy nobles or tied to branch families.
They feared the influence and status that the great families held. Not only were they generally stronger than we were, but one call could ruin families if things didn't go their way.
Things I didn't understand.
Stravos's fist clenched, and every one of my housemates stepped to the side and got up from the couch and the plushies that were in the room.
I followed suit as well. I knew I wasn't blessed with power and ability like them.
I knew my place.
But I also wanted to watch. So that I could learn more about them and use it to my advantage later. Something I did often growing up on the streets.
The Arbiters changed the station and turned on a show called Deadliest Starbound.
A tournament show where Starbound would fight each other to win prize money and a chance to pick from the Zmei family's legendary treasure vault. Back home, it was all the rage, and it was the perfect time to swindle drunk patrons at the nearby bar, which hosted watch parties.
They watched the show with a different purpose than I would. I overheard them talking about fighting stances and the minutiae of combat.
More things I didn't understand, but eventually I will.
"Who are you looking at?" I froze; people paid me no mind. But an Arbiter with straight brown hair, pale skin, and a scar across her face, was staring intently.
Making me wonder if this is how Arbiters courted mates.
"Jus-just the TV," I responded, pretending to stutter. Scanning the room to understand my surroundings.
I noticed my housemates were gone.
"So are you disobeying orders we gave?" Stravos said, turning his body slightly, only looking at me out of the corner of his eye.
"Welp this is bad."
Before I could get the words out, I heard the vibrations of an object spinning coming into the room. I wasn't the only one who noticed.
All the Arbiters turned their heads as a black ball floating in the air was being spun with a slap of a hand.
The hand belonged to Cyrus. He walked in unassuming, only focused on what was before him.
This was the first time I saw him since the Totem games. I never got to confront him about it and ask why he did what he did.
But I get it, sometimes you have to look after yourself.
Then one of them threw a pillow at him, but all he did was tilt his head and dodged it.
"Only Arbiters are allowed to be in here," one of them said.
He ignored them and continued to the fridge in the area.
I knew he was going to cause conflict. Conflict I couldn't handle. Thank the Pantheons hes has their attention.
One of them got up and pushed right past me and headed towards him.
"Are you listening to me?"
The vibrations of his furious question rang heavy in my ears. I heard the subtle smacking of lips, the closing of a fridge, and even a slight flutter of eyelids.
I watched with anticipation as Cyrus turned toward the lone Arbiter.
"What if I refuse?"
"Then you are subject to our will."
I heard Cyrus's heart speed up. I knew he was going to do something; I just didn't know what.
It would be smart to sneak away, but my curiosity got the best of me.
I watched Cyrus step closer toward the Arbiter, the black ball still floating in front of him.
"That's all? Well then, catch."
In a split second, my sensitive ears were assaulted by a shriek from the Arbiter.
I stepped around the counter and saw that the black ball was lodged on the Arbiter's foot, creating a small crater beneath it.