Quinn found Sil in the training room and explained the feeling he needed to feel to access his soul weapon and that item-type soul weapons were the most difficult to figure out.
"Quinn. I hate to bother you… Are there people with good abilities that would like to go with me hunting? Lana told me…"
Quinn smiled, "I was just coming to ask if you wanted to go. Some friends are tired of being on the ship. Would you like to accompany them?"
Sil, looking down at an angle, "thank you Quinn."
After some time, Quinn, Helen, Peter, Fex, Sam and a man named Chucky left by ship to head for the newly-built military school. Sam was simply dropping them off and giving them pointers. Quinn went under the assumed name of General Hardy. Helen and Peter would also take the role of a general and Fex was a teacher. Sil on the other hand, needed to be a student so he could look for the ability to switch a soul into another body. It seemed a perfect opportunity despite the severe discomfort this would bring Sil but Chucky was asked to stay at his side so he wouldn't be alone. Chucky had the misfortune of having such an unremarkable face, it was hard to remember he existed.
Lana spent this time studying but also, checking in from time to time. Mandy was 16 when she came to the shelter and Fiza had recently had a birthday. This left only Dawn to train in her ability as the other two were now students in the brand new military academy at Military Base 1. Lana did ask that her girls be placed in the Cursed House in school. Since Dawn struggled in a few areas, Lana thought this was a great time to work with her.
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Fiza and Mandy arrived at the school in usual fashion, much as Lana did two years prior. They were able to room together so at least they knew someone there. They were quite glad the ability number was no longer displayed on watches. At the same time, they were quite curious what level they would be considered. The very first day, they saw a group of boys picking on a boy that Mandy found quite cute.
The girls walked over to … investigate.
"Hey, cutie, are these children bugging you?" Mandy asked the boy.
"Cutie? Did you just call this loser, cutie?" the bully asked.
Mandy scowled at him, "He's a lot better looking than you are."
"He's weak. I guess you're weak as well. Get all of them, boys."
Mandy and Fiza both took that as an invitation for combat. They both threw out roots at the same time, inwardly thanking Lana for those speed drills. All 5 bullies were instantly entangled. The girls left them that way and turned to the boy.
"So, are you in the Cursed House?" Mandy asked as she put her hands on his arm in a very old-fashioned way and escorted him toward a canteen.
"I'm in the Graylash House, actually…"
Fiza chuckled, "At least you aren't in Earthborn."
Mandy added, "We are in the Cursed House."
"I'm sorry to hear that," as he introduced himself, "I'm Ian, by the way."
Mandy scoffed, "It wasn't Graylash or Earthborn who saved me from the Sunshields. In fact, I was on a Graylash planet and left to die. I'm Mandy and this is Fiza. It's nice to meet you, Ian."
Fiza opened the door as they all entered looking for something descent to eat. Lana had warned them of the quality of cuisine during her stay on campus. They were underwhelmed based on her description.
"Well, she did warn us…" Fiza said to Mandy.
"Ian is too handsome to be subjected to such… slop." Mandy said to Fiza.
Ian started chuckling, "You say that as if you can do something about it. We don't have the funds to eat off campus yet."
Fiza laughed, "Says you. Our family leader takes good care of us. Let's go to a restaurant. There's one nearby according to the map." She drew one up on her watch, "we can buy some meat on the way back and survive this place as Lana did."
"What say you, Ian? Would you like a decent meal with female company?"
Ian pushed up his glasses and smiled, "It would be my honor."
The trio soon found themselves entering an establishment that served very old-school Italian cuisine. They saw the images of dishes on the sign outside and they instantly salivated.
This establishment was halfway up a 30-story building that was mainly shopping. With the combination of all seven schools into one and military base one already having been established, the school needed to be designed in a way that accommodated the same number of students as all seven under the previous configuration. Since the base was in a dome, the interior needed a bit of change. This change was funded by one Logan Green who felt, as always, the education of the children was a priority.
Where the previous schools didn't have any fancy accommodations except a room or two in the administration building, this new version was meant to host faction leaders and the world leaders at a whim. Anyone who had students in the school were permitted to stop in and check on their students due to the ill treatment before the civil war. Also, because of the civil war, this year had no second-year students. Those students just fell through the cracks and had to wing it as they were considered adults now.
Sitting at a table with an incredible view, Fiza told them to order what they wanted. Soon the waitress arrived and they did just that. Ian claimed to have never eaten anything so delicious. The girls were both appalled. Though, inwardly, they both remembered what they ate before Lana found them and were thankful she did.
"How are you two able to afford to eat like this?" Ian asked wistfully.
"We are members of a small, unknown family," Mandy responded. "While not famous, we are well cared for."
Fiza added in, "our family leader has an original ability so she formed her own family. By chance, she rescued many people. Most of which chose to stay with her. She even rescued a member of the Graylash family."
Mandy nodded, "I was there for that. She was on planet to pick up a friend of hers when the Sunshields attacked. She filled her ship beyond capacity to get as many of us out of there as possible. When she got to her next destination, she gave us all a choice. The Graylash was afraid to return home but did so. Our leader then paid for the passage of three people who wished to leave but had not the means to do so."
Fiza nodded, "I heard the Graylash was grateful for her saving his family member. It was just a rumor, but I'd like to think it was true."
"I thought the cursed Faction was filled with savages. I saw the footage of them."
Mandy laughed, "very one-sided footage that didn't do any justice to what actually happened. I have never met the leader of the Cursed Faction but our leader would never follow a bad person and she values the leader as a brother."
Fiza added, "not everything you see or hear is a true accounting of events."
Ian smiled, "do you think ill of the Graylash, Mandy?"
Mandy shook her head, "not at all. They had forces on planet to protect us. I don't think they expected the amount of forces we got and there were no reinforcements. Our faction was disbanded and rolled into the Cursed but I had already been moved under our leader. Once I decided to follow her, I was moved under the Family and given her ability."
"What is your ability? Were those roots I saw earlier?"
Fiza nodded, "our leader calls herself Plant Master so that is what we call the ability now."
Mandy looked at her watch, "we need to get heading back if we want to make curfew. We need to stop by the store and buy some meat, still."
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