Divinitas

002 - Metamorphosis


\"So you\'re telling me both of you called him a girl as well?\" Phoenix laughed as the three of them made their way towards the Metamorphosis training grounds. \"Man, no wonder you two fell silent when I said it!\"

Draco and Chima revealing their own mistakes had driven Phoenix\'s grudge from his mind, his laughter filling the deserted halls they walked along. Gryps Aura obviously had a strong intolerance of being called a girl. Well, any boy would feel the same, so one couldn\'t really blame him. Still, it was no reason to punch someone for it, even if Phoenix had somewhrovorovoked him…

\"So kid,\" Phoenix called out, addressing Chima who was skipping a few paces ahead. \"You skipped a grade or something?\"

The emerald eyed boy turned and scowled. \"Don\'t call me kid,\" he pouted. \"And yeah, so what if I did? It was like years two and four. Big deal…\"

Phoenix laughed. \"Ah, sorry, sorry. Two years, that\'s impressive! And then getting this scholarship! I\'m intimidated, Chima. Me… To be honest, I haven\'t the faintest idea how I got in here. I had pretty average grades at some no name public school… And what about you, Draco? You\'re older than us, right?\"

The tall dark haired boy nodded, his cascade of long rippling jet hair catching the artificial light within the windowless hallway. \"A year or so, I believe. I took a year off to travel around the world with my family. It was an experience that was well worth sacrificing education for.\"

Phoenix nodded, realising that this seventeen year old was indeed a very mature being, unlike Chima or himself. It was likely that some experience other than simply exploring the world for a year had shaped him more distinctly into his current form, but Draco seemed to want to close the subject there, and Phoenix didn\'t feel it was polite to press on about sensitive matters, given his own less than fairytale-like past.

\"Anyway, what is this Metamorphosis thing we\'re going to?\" Phoenix inquired, eyes roaming the windowless corridor they were currently travelling along. As with every other hall or walkway within the castle of Genesis, this ceiling was a ribbon of colour as well, a pane of glass that looked into a heavenly world.

\"Did you read the papers the Principle gave you?\" Draco asked, his own eyes following a map as he directed the way to their destination.

\"Nah, didn\'t have a chance. I was kept busy enough trying to navigate this maze,\" Phoenix replied, running his fingers along the rough surface of the stone walls, half heartedly wondering if he would find any secret passageways.

\"Well, Metamorphosis is the School of Genesis\' official sport. There are four Houses representing an element each. Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. Each House competes against one another for the title of Champion at the end of the school year. They also have within the Houses a tournament to decide an elite er ker known as the Child at the end of the first semester. The Child holds the title for as long as they are still attending Genesis, or until they lose the title in the next tournament,\" Draco told Phoenix with a smile. \"Ah, I almost forgot… A few minutes before Chima ran into you, there was a message delivered to our room. It informed us that the four of us had been assigned to one of the Houses each. Gryps is in Air, Chima\'s in Earth, myself in Water, and you are in Fire. Quite interesting, don\'t you think?\"

\"Hmm…\" was Phoenix\'s reply. He wasn\'t too thrilled about the prospect of being forced to participate in anything he didn\'t want to. After all, it was his policy to reject any kind of authority. No one in their right mind would trust those in power after they had been treated with carelessness, as it certainly had been in Phoenix\'s case concerning his parent\'s death. The boy frowned, quickly tossing the thought from his mind. Now wasn\'t the time or place to dredge those old memories up from their graves.

Chima, who had been walking ahead of the other two, suddenly turned and gestured energetically for them to hurry. Catching up with the younger boy, they found themselves standing at the mouth of a long stairway that led downwards into darkness.

\"Now I feel more than ever that I\'m in cheap horror flick,\" Phoenix grumbled, eyeing the twin sentinels of rearing serpentine dragons that guarded the entrance. They seemed to warn any traveller to turn back, their sapphire eyes eerily ablaze with blue starlight. Sapphire eyes that strangely reminded Phoenix of Draco for some odd reason.

\"Shall we go?\" Chima asked with a grin, dragging the other two boys down the stairs without so much as waiting for a consent or refusal.

The darkness faded to light in a wave of noise that washed over them as they descended. An incredible view soon spread out before the three. A swarming sea of bodies was gathered in the cavernous circular hall laid out before them. The enclosed space was simply mind boggling to behold. It was not a place that one would ever except to find in an establishment such as a school. Or anywhere else in the modern world.

Four giant statues of wingeingeings stood erect around the outer wall, their uniquely textured wings arching upwards to become part of the high domed ceiling above. Their perfectly formed arms were held out before them, waiting with infinite patience for the offering they sought to be given. Emblazed upon each of their foreheads were the House signatures, each sculptured from coloured jewels of their House colour, each shinning brightly.

The domed ceiling here was painted too, with the space being dominated by four gods, each undoubtedly representing one of the four elements. Standing besides each of these perfect figures were magnificent mythological creatures. A griffin, a phoenix, a chimera, and an oriental dragon. And converging at the apex of the dome in the midst of swirling clouds was a single eye of pure gold.

\"They play a sport in here…? Phoenix breathed, incredulous, breaking the amazed silence that had befallen the three. His crimson eyes scanned the enormous hall, noting the large liquid crystal displays mounted on the stone wall and the silver egg-like capsules lining the circumference all the way round. Another three entry ways allowed access to this incredible cavern that was built beneath the castle, all guarded by a different beast, and all entlently unused as every student it seemed had their full attention locked on the screens above them.

Violent images of one-on-one battles between opponents clad in different House uniforms blinked on every screen, every now and then switching to flash the announcement of the victor.

\"A video game?\" Phoenix almost demanded as he realised that the images were in fact realistic three dimensional computer graphics. \"A videoe ise is the school\'s official sport, and they play it in such a place?\" The boy sounded almost offended. Sure he was impressed with the set up and equipment, but to use such a place, a sacred place, for such a trivial pass time just seemed… wrong.

\"A video game?\" a stranger\'s voice sneered from behind the three. \"You think Metamorphosis is just a simple video game?\"

Phoenix didn\'t need to turn around to know there was a smirk staining that person\'s lips, or that he thought of them as lowly dirt not worth treading on. An equally demeaning smile was pasted on Phoenix\'s lips as he turned around to face the speaker. \"It\'s a first impression. Surely I\'m allowed some ignorance, considering it is my first day here?\" Phoenix asked, assuming a mocking innocent expression.

Seeing the figure standing a few steps above him, Phoenix did a double take. The tall boy with the dyed dark blue hair welded a large long sword, and wore a uniform that save for its long black pants could more or less be described as… skimpy. The black shirt trimmed with midnight blue revealed the wearer\'s shoulders, sported a deep v-shaped neckline, and was so short it showed off the wearer\'s navel and waist.

\"Fuck… You\'re not fucking telling me that\'s the Metamorphosis uniform, are you? I am not fucking going tar sar something that fucking shows my fucking navel!\" Phoenix exclaimed, pointing wildly at the boy, and looking more than just a little bewildered.

The boy\'s sneering face slowly changed into one of absolute disgust. \"Watch your mouth, you fool. This is the House of Water uniform. As if you would ever have the privilege of wearing any Metamorphosis uniform, least of all this one. Now move out of my way.\"

\"Why you…!\" Phoenix growled, lunging after the older student as he sauntered past, only to be stopped by Draco\'s steel grip on his shoulder accompanied a small shake of his head.

\"Careful, Phoenix. That sword he\'s carrying is real,\" Draco said quietly to Phoenix as the fiery boy glared flaming daggers at the distant back of the offender. \"It\'s not usually allowed for a student to be carrying a weapon of any type within a school…\" Draco murmured to himself, a frown creasing his smooth pale forehead.

Totally delighted by the whole episode, Chima was laughing uncontrollably beside them. \"Awe, Phoenix, that face you made when you saw his uniform!\" Chima spurted in between jolts of laughter. \"Ah! It was so funny! And that guy was so mad at ya! He looked mortally wounded!\"

\"Hn…\"

Ignoring Phoenix\'s noise of annoyance, Chima continued his genki mode. \"Ah! This is so cool! I can\'t wait to start playing in Metamorphosis!\" And with that, the bundle of energy bounced down the remaining steps.

Still fuming, Phoenix grudgingly followed Draco and Chima down into the midst of the cheering crowds, the former intent of learning all he could of this Metamorphosis game.

It turned out that Metamorphosis was indeed more than a video game, to both Phoenix\'s relief and infuriation. Metamorphosis was a virtual reality simulation that integrated the human mind and body with technology, allowing the human to move freely in cyberspace to interact with other opponents. Unlike in real life, however, Metamorphosis gave its users weapons and powers beyond what was actually possible. The down side laid in the fact that because the body was connected nerually with the technology, if the player was hurt in the simulated battle, they still felt the pain. In more extreme cases, wounds would appear on the user\'s body, cuts that drew blood, or burns that seared the skin.

They soon learnt that the boy they had encountered on the steps was the Child of Water determined from the tournament the year before, and that any Child of a House could be easily distinguished by the elemental weapon they carried. Only a Child was allowed to carry a weapon, and though it was meant to only symbolise their status, it was often used as a means of intimidation towards other students, and occurrences in the past had resulted in students been wounded by the weapons. The most upsetting and disturbing aspect was that the Child was never punished for such criminal acts.

\"They\'re encouraging more violence this way. Logic implies there must be a reason for it, but I fail to see any,\" Draco murmured to himself, deep in thought.

\"What I fail to see is why we were assigned to a House each. They usually hold tryouts, right?\" Phoenix demanded, sunset eyes glaring up at a screen, his arms crossed defiantly over his chest.

\"Ah… It is unusual,\" Draco agreed, looking faintly amused. \"Nevertheless, I\'m glad. I would like to try Metamorphosis very much.\"

\"Well, I fucking don\'t. I want no part of this stupid game.\" Those words having departed his mouth, Phoenix proceeded to storm out of the cavernous hall, pushing through the crowds roughly to reach the nearest exit.

Damn this place. They expected him to be part of some social class dividing, pointless, stupid video game? As if! He\'d been living as a lowly orphaned child, barely a class above being a street rat, for the last eleven years of his life. He knew exactly what it was like to be treated like shit by the upper classes. And now this school wanted to put him with the exact people he despised?

With an shove powered by his furious thoughts, Phoenix barrelled his way past a cluster of students, unknowingly pushing a slight blonde boy with pale green eyes out of his way.

Before he knew what was happening, Phoenix\'s body leapt to the side. His crimson eyes went wide as he saw through his fringe of golden red hair the short silver blade catching the light as it swept a wide arc through the space he had only an instant before occupied. He was so surprised that his usual torrent of curses never left his mouth.

\"Don\'t you dare lay your filthy hand on me…\" Twin blades, no longer than the boy\'s forearm were clutched in his hands. Both hilts bore a spherical stone of silvery white that caught the palest rays of light and seemed to magnify them ten folds.

\"Hey, Louis, give the guy a break. It\'s his first day here. Can\'t except him to know you\'re the Child of Air, right?\" The voice was clearly mocking, cutting through the sudden hush that had fallen around them. The boy Phoenix had encountered on the stairs now stepped out from the circle surrounding them, still brandishing the long sword.

The cold glare the blonde gave to the Child of Water could rival that of Gryps\'. \"Would you rather I take your blood instead of hisilliillip?\" Louis asked with a smirk. \"Think not, being the coward you are. So shut your mouth and move aside.\"

The Child of Water\'s face contorted into an expression of fury, yet made no move to challenge the Child of Air. Louis was right on the spot in saying Phillip was a coward, unwilling to fight anyone who had the potential to beat him.

Louis\' long dagger was held out in front of him, pointing at Phoenix\'s face. \"Now, if no other idiot interrupts us, I\'ll proceed skinning you for shoving me.\"

The menace was real in this boy\'s voice. Phoenix wasted no breath in mocking him, but took a defensive stance, waiting for the other boy to attack.

Phoenix had been in countless fights before this, many where he had been at a disadvantage with his opponent being in possession of a weapon, even a gun in some cases, and himself utterly unarmed. Sixteen years old and he\'d already been in life threatening situations, Phoenix thought with a bitter smile. So. This was nothing. No problem at all.

Without further warning, the Child of Air lunged forward with amazing speed, his leading dagger destined to pierce Phoenix\'s throat.

A sharp echoing ring sounded loudly, followed instantly by the fluttering of air being cut as the Child of Air\'s long dagger spun through open space and then falling with a loud clang on to the polished marble floor.

Both Louis and Phoenix froze, only their eyes moving to find the source of the interruption. And find it they did, in the form of a tall boy dressed in a Metamorphosis uniform trimmed in royal purple, holding a sleek katana in his right hand.

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