Divinitas

016 - Adding to the Flames

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The Metamorphosis training hall was a riot of noise. It wasn\'t a Saturday, the official day for honouring duels, when it was always packed with the majority of the school body. No, it was simply Monday evening, the House of Fire\'s timetabled training session. But not just any training session.

As with every year, tryouts for the Houses occurred in the third week following the commencement of the school year. And this year, the turn out for hopefuls was exceptionally high for the House of Fire… Which Ares reasoned as being the result of the attention drawn to their House by the Duel held two weeks previous between Phoenix and Aether.

The Child of Fire rubbed his hands together greedily. At this rate they would get all the best candidates first… So that meant that they just had to win the House tournament this year!

Phoenix eyed his captain wearily, watching Ares laugh insanely to himself. He soon lost interest though, and tilted his head back to rest on the stone robes of one of the angelic statues that surrounded the circular hall.

The last few days had seen him unable to sleep or to even think clearly. Phoenix was rather at a loss concerning his feelings towards the Child of Soul. It was all very well to say one thing, but to follow it through was never easy. Yes, he had set himself the goal of beating Aether… But how to achieve that when some part of him, no matter how small, had no desire whatsoever to leave the one who enslaved him?

Right now, he didn\'t know how to act or think around Aether. His body longed for Aether\'s touch, cruel or loving. Wanted to be in his embraced… Caressed by those knowing hands that made him feel so wanted, so d. Td. That\'s right. Aether made him feel as if he belonged somewhere for the first time in years. Without him, he would simply return to that loneliness…

But wasn\'t that better than being owned? What of pride? What of freedom? What of his dreams?! The boy banged his head back onto the stone, letting the wave of pain soothe his tortured soul.

\"Little Phoenix!\" Casi\'s sing-song voice called out from across the hall. \"Lookie lookie! We\'ve come up with a new routine!\"

Phoenix took one look, then turned around and faced the wall. \"Why me… Why did I have to be the one suck in the House of Fire…\" he moped, banging his head on the cold stone statue. Even the motionless giant seemed to feel pity for the boy, and looked down on him with sympathy.

\"All right!\" Ares called out, having finally come to his senses. \"Welcome to the tryouts for the House of Fire! Those of you who wish to take one of the five available positions, line up over there! Hurry up, hurry up! We haven\'t got all night! Now listen up! Each of you will gothe the Metamorphosis computer in a battle with a grade one nemesis! If you can defeat them within the given time limit of ten minutes, then you are through the first round! If you get beaten up to a pulp, well, there\'s always next year!\" Ares announced with a grin, looking out over the sea of faces belonging to those from first year right up to sixth. \"Well, for some of you anyway!\" he added as an afterthought with a somewhat merciless grin. \"Okay, first twenty, get into the simulators and boot up!\"

A thunderous wave of noise ensued as the first twenty candidates scrambled to comply with Ares\' orders. Shortly after a hush fell as everyone else watched the LCDs with upturned heads.

\"Phoenix! Long time no see. How was your week off?\" Ares asked, walking over to the fiery boy once the initial chaos had simmered down, slapping him hard on the back. \"Oh, how\'s your stomach? You still have it wrapped up? Are you sure you\'re ready to get back to it?\"

Phoenix\'s face turned red. Thank goodness Ares wasn\'t facing him directly. The wound Aether had given him in Metamorphosis had healed… Even the scar had faded almost. Tin iin itself was scary enough. Who ever heard of a stab wound that went though one\'s body healing completely in only a little more than one week? But that was besides the point… The bandages around his stomach were to hide the… name Aether had carved into him. His whole body shuddered at the thought… Though for what reason, Phoenix didn\'t really want to know.

Shaking his head, he answered Ares with a somewhat grim yet determined expression. \"Of course I am! I have to improve, don\'t I? I have to defeat Aether if it\'s the last thing I do!\"

Ares grinned. \"Glad to hear it, old chap! I want to put you against those that make it to the final round. The five that last the longest against you will get in.\"

Phoenix blinked, looking utterly stunned. \"You\'re going to put all the candidates that make it into the final round against me?! Why me? I mean, I am probably the least experienced one here!\"

The Child of Fire looked Phoenix directly in the eyes, expression becoming serious. \"Phoenix, do you know why many of the House members are resentful towards you and your friends? Or why the Child of Air and Water are so up themselves?\" Phoenix shook his head. \"Getting into a House is hard. Only about twenty people each year are fortunate enough. Competition is serious, though to outsiders it may sound foolish, getting beat up over a game. But still, it means a lot to us. And then to have the four of you simply get in? No matter that you had no choice in it, it was still unfair to the rest of us.

\"Let me finish!\" Ares said as he saw Phoenix open his mouth to protest. \"I don\'t resent you. I won\'t resent you even if you become the Child of Fire and take my place. I don\'t know why, but I feel as if its yours rightfully. I also know, despite your rather… err… pathetic beginning, that you have a natural skill with Metamorphosis and fighting in general. Not to mention the fact that the Child of Soul picked you of all people. So that in itself is special enough to give you recognition. And that\'s why I want you to go up against all the candidates. Understand?\"

\"Hn. You\'re probably putting too much faith in me,\" Phoenix said quietly. Though he felt silently flattered to be told such things by Ares. Even if he was a bit of an idiot most of the time.

\"Well, that\'s my problem, isn\'t it?\" Ares answered. \"Hey, you\'re wearing a collar? Why are you wearing a collar?\" he asked, reverting to his less than serious self.

\"You only just noticed? Man… I\'ve been hassled about it all week! I even got kicked out of class for it!\" Phoenix exclaimed. \"It\'s Aether\'s idea of marking me as his, that sadistic bastard!\"

\"Err… Well… It suits you!\" he laughed, and patted the slightly shorter boy on the head, messing up his wild hair further.

Phoenix glowered.

It was at least another hour before every candidate have been processed via the first round. Only fifteen remained, those who had been rejected leaving rather downhearted and in less than a good condition. No doubt the hospital wing would been busy for several hours.

Phoenix stood by Ares uncomfortably as he announced to those remaining how the final five would be determined. He certainly didn\'t like some of the looks the older candidates were giving him. Those who knew how he had simply been assigned to the House of Fire and did not have to go through with this rigorous selection process.

As he walked over to his simulator, Ares at his side spouting out numerous tips that Phoenix did not hear, he glimpsed Aether walking into the training hall, amethyst eye at once seeking out his own crimson ones. The golden hair fiend smiled seductively, running his finger up and down his stomach, mirroring the exact place where he had carved his name into Phoenix\'s flesh.

Instantly Phoenix blushed, and darted into the simulator, slamming the door shut before Ares had the chance to ask why he had suddenly turned as red as a tomato.

\"Fucking hell… Who does that bastard think he is, playing with me like this…\" Phoenix muttered to himself as the silver capsule hummed to life around him.

He is the Child of Soul. By hierarchy, he is above you, and thus has rights over you. He may do what he pleases. No one will challenge his word.

\"That\'s rather fucked up,\" Phoenix grumbled. \"Ugh! And where do I get off blushing over that creep?!\"

The initiation process for synchronising your active thoughts to Metamorphosis will now commence.

\"Fine! Don\'t answer my question!\" Phoenix shouted at the computer as the flames swallowed him whole.

Opening his eyes, Phoenix expected to be the only one on the Metamorphosis field. But to his horror, both Ares and Aether were sitting casually on a fall tree trunk watching him expectantly.

\"You didn\'t tell me I would have an audience…\" Phoenix accused. \"Why couldn\'t you have watched from the LCDs?\"

\"The view\'s better here,\" Aether answered before Ares could even open his mouth. \"Besides… I like watching you suffer.\"

\"Don\'t listen to him, Phoenix! Just concentrate on your battles! Show this creep what you\'re really made of! You\'ll beat Aether yet!\" Ares called out, giving Phoenix the thumbs up sign. \"The first candidate is from second year. A fourteen year old girl. From the data collected during the first round, she\'s very fast. So be careful!\"

\"Yes… We wouldn\'t want to have to stitch up any more wounds now, would we?\" Aether added with an evil smile.

\"Ignore him, ignore him…\" Phoenix chanted as the said girl appeared. Immediately Phoenix called up his weapon and grasped a firm hold of the handle with both hands, flaming eyes locked on the small girl.

\"So you\'re the one I have to defeat to get in? You don\'t look so tough!\" the girl announced, calling up a whip of sorts that were lined with thorns. \"After all, if the Child of Soul could beat ya, then so can I!\"

\"I think that was an insult your skills, Aether,\" Ares said slyly to the Child of Soul sitting beside him.

The golden haired boy only smiled, watching the younger girl launched herself at his Phoenix, the whip streaming out behind her like a silver glittering tail.

Phoenix\'s intense gaze watched each and every movement of the girl as she dashed towards him, small body agile and very fast. With only the most minute warning from the flexing of her muscles, the girl leapt into the air and brought the silver whip lashing around in a wide arch. Instantly Phoenix leapt backwards, spinning his body to duck the whip and deliver a blow with his foot to the girl\'s exposed neck. Taking advantage of his momentum, Phoenix spun his body around again, spinning his double ended sword up and slicing the whip into several lengths.

The girl\'s body fell to the ground with a heavy thud, either completely knocked out or in too much pain to move. Nimbly, Phoenix landed on his feet some distance away, eyes still watching the girl in case she made another attack. It never came though, as her body dissolved from the Metamorphosis field.

\"Hmm… Forty-four seconds,\" Ares muttered, looking at a transparent glowing screen hovering in front of him. The Child of Fire then looked up and grinned at Phoenix. \"Nice work, kiddo! One down, fourteen to go. Great to see that you have no objection to fighting girls!\"

\"Hn. I was called a lot of names, pinched, pulled, and scratched by a lot of girls back at the orphanage… Why should I show any mercy because they\'re a different sex from what I am?\" Phoenix growled, slowing his breathing.

The next few proved to be no better than the first in either time or inflicting any damage on Phoenix. Ares had been right to say Phoenix had talent. The more he pushed himself, the better he became. More daring, more perceptive of his opponents, able to judge their skills and intentions.

It wasn\'t until his seventh opponent that Phoenix was really tested. The boy was in third year, only one below Phoenix himself. He was well built, not thin like Phoenix was, and undoubtedly had training in kendo by the way he held his sword and moved with it. Sharp and lightning fast strikes had Phoenix on the defence. He had yet to use a fire attack, since he didn\'t think it fair to have an supernatural power over his opponent, despite the fact that elemental powers were one of the foundations of Metamorphosis.

\"Phoenix may lose this round,\" Aether said quietly, observing the fight being played out before him. \"He has too big a sense of fair play and consideration for others. But not using every advantage you have against an opponent is foolish.\"

\"He\'s not you, Aether. And frankly, I would rather have him backing me up than you any day. At least I know he wouldn\'t stab me in the back,\" Ares growled, eyes following each desperate move Phoenix made to block off the blows.

\"You would be taking about the Griffin there,\" Aether replied, standing up and walking a few steps closer to the fighting pair. \"Use your elemental attacks, Phoenix!\" the Child of Soul commanded, the slightest trace of anxiety in his voice.

It was lost to Phoenix though, as his body acted without his consent, launching a stream of fire at his opponent, setting his garments ablaze. With a yelp of surprise, the candidate dropped to the ground and rolled, desperate to put out the flames. His body soon disappeared from the Metamorphosis field, leaving Phoenix to stare at his hand in wonder. It was the first time fire had appeared without a voiced comma

Ares whistled. \"Four and a half minutes. He\'s the best one by far yet. Only eight to go…\"

It seem that the best were saved until last. Or perhaps it was the fact he was tiring from the continuous duels, one after the other without so much as a break. Whatever the case, Phoenix found it exceedingly hard to keep defeating each opponent, always taking over a minute at least.

At some point, he realised the only reason his body kept fighting was because Aether was quietly but forcefully commanding him to. Why was he responding to each and every order? He was exhausted. His limbs ached. Yet still they were moving swiftly, delivering attacks he had never witnessed before, taking down his opponents without feeling.

In a daze he watched the last opponent\'s defeated body disappear, and Ares jumping up from his seat with a delighted look upon his almost boyish face, giving Phoenix the thumbs up sign before disappearing himself. Didn\'t he notice that something was wrong with him…? That he was standing only because something was making him, not because he could?

Suddenly the invisible strings holding him were cut, and like a boneless doll Phoenix\'s body crumbled to the ground. He stared with unseeing crimson eyes at the fake sky through his sweat mattered air, his breaths coming fast and short. Even if he wanted to, he couldn\'t have moved a finger. It was as if his body had totally drained its energy store.

A shadow fell over him as Aether\'s face appeared. Strange that his right eye remained hidden from view, even at this angle. The fiend was smiling evilly, as if possessing a great secret Phoenix would die to know, but would never tell him in a million years. He reached down and lifted Phoenix\'s head up from the soft grass, untying the black sweat drenched bandana from his forehead.

\"Don\'t touch me…\" Phoenix complained, though his voice was so weak there wasn\'t even a hint of a threat in his words. \"Hey! Gimme back my bandana…!\" He would have snatched it back if he could lift his stupid arm. Damn stupid Metamorphosis!

\"No,\" Aether said devilishly, and leaned down to press his silky lips against Phoenix\'s, capturing his slack slips in a soft gentle kiss.

To say it surprised Phoenix was an understatement. Stunned, mind-boggled, shocked speechless was more like it.

\"I have a proposition for you, my Phoenix,\" Aether said as he lifted his lips from the boy lying beneath him, carefully brushing the golden red locks from Phoenix\'s slightly bulging eyes. \"Come out, and I will tell you.\"

The horrified and outraged scream didn\'t leave Phoenix\'s throat until he was ripping open the door to the simulator, suddenly finding excess energy to burn in his world weary body. \"Why the fuck did you kiss me in public, you jerk?!\" Phoenix shouted across the cavernous hall, drawing every pair of eyes to him.

From a simulator some distance away, Aether stepped out and laughed. \"So it is alright for me to kiss you in private? You would consent to that?\" he asked as he crossed the distance between himself and Phoenix, tall agile body moving with unnatural grace.

\"You bastard!\" Phoenix roared, all too aware of just how red his face had become, embarrassed beyond belief yet unable to shut his stupid mouth.

\"You swear too much, Phoenix… Which brings me to my proposition…\"

Phoenix didn\'t like the tone of Aether\'s voice one bit. Or the seductive and very evil smile gracing those unbelievably perfect lips. He found himself stepping back away from the older boy who advanced upon him like a giant cat.

\"If you can refrain from swearing, from nntilntil Friday at midnight, then I will give you your freedom back for one week,\" Aether said as Phoenix pressed himself up against the smooth silver surface of the simulator he had backed into.

\"And if I don\'t…?\" Phoenix asked wearily, eyes never leaving theden den youth standing before him, a perfectly carved statue come to life.

\"If you do swear between now and Friday, then you will live in my quarters for one week, and you will agree to go out on a date with me as my willing and pleasant boyfriend,\" Aether answered, the predatory smile widening.

Phoenix\'s eyebrow twitched. He had to be kidding, right…? Why was he even putting forward such a proposition…? After the last time they were together, Phoenix didn\'t think Aether would even bother with such games anymore. But here he was, cornering him with another challenge.

\"Well…?\" the older boy prompted, amethyst eye staring into Phoenix\'s wide red ones. \"Or are you afraid you will lose…?

That broke him. \"You\'re on! I am not that much of a loser that I can\'t even shut my own mouth!\" Phoenix snapped back, his own confidence in himself surprising him. Damn it, even his hand was acting on its own, snatching up Aether\'s slightly larger one and crushing it in a handshake.

The Child of Soul was delighted. \"Good… I look forward to Saturday, Phoenix… Remember… Swear anywhere, anytime, and I will know,\" he said softly, and tied Phoenix\'s black bandana around the boy\'s thin wrist in a large bow before turning and exiting the Metamorphosis training hall.

Only when Aether had disappeared from view did Phoenix become aware of the oppressing silence that surrounded him. Aftevereveral moments, Casi\'s horrified exclamation shattered it.

\"He kissed you! He kissed you!\" shed cried, running up to the stunned boy and latching onto his arm. \"Everyone saw on the LCDs! What in the world does that jerk think he\'s doing! I kissed you iblicblic first! Wait a sec… This is just revenge for that, isn\'t it? I\'m so going to kill him!\" Then without even letting Phoenix give his two cents, the girl dashed up after Aether, murder in her eyes.

Phoenix crumpled onto the smooth marble floor. Today had just been too much for him. Really…

\"Man… Can he play you like a well tuned instrument…\" Ares muttered, squatting down next to his prize player. \"At least he can tie a nice bow,\" Ares commented, referring to Phoenix\'s bandana that currently resided on the boy\'s right wrist.

\"Eh…?\" Phoenix inquired, his mind elsewhere far away in another land.

Ares patted the younger boy on the back, sweatdropping. \"Never mind, old chap, never mind… Come on, up you get,\" Ares instructed, pulling Phoenix up with him. \"We\'ve gotta announce the new House members!\"

The remainder of the evening passed in a daze. The five new players for the House of Fire in Metamorphosis were announced. One from first year, two from third year, and two from fifth. Despite hurting severely, each one of them accepted the position gratefully, and to Phoenix\'s surprise, did not display any ill will towards the one that had caused them their injuries.

\"Because they\'re beginning to respect you,\" Ares said from besides Phoenix as he caught the boy watching the stream of players leaving the hall.

Phoenix didn\'t answer. Earning respect…? Two words he had never used together in reference to himself. How strange he should use it here, now, after he had just been kissed by Aether for all the world to see.

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