Quin has just finished his training, but was running now across the hall in a hurry. Damn! I’ll be probably late again, what time is it? He looked at his watch to check the time and he was indeed late, by more than fifteen minutes. Just as he was about to look up, the back of someone could be seen, and he had no time to slow down, crashing into him. “Hey, what the hell are you doing here? Don’t you see I’m in a hurry?” Quin demanded angrily. “Ouch! It was you who ran into me! W-wait, you’re Quin, right?” The kid switched his previous annoyed expression to a happy one in an instant. “Hm? Yes, I am Quin, and?” he asked, not quite understanding the matter. “I saw you at the First Blood, you were awesome! I want to be just like you, that was so cool!” he told him with beaming eyes. “Like me?” He pondered for a few seconds. “So how old are you? What’s your element? What’s your qi ratio and how much do you train?” Quin asked the kid, skeptic. “Oh, I train all days! Well, I’m twelve and just entered the Qi Foundation with a 21/1 qi ratio. My element is fire,” he answered still in joy, due to seeing his idol in person. “Twelve years old already and just entered the Qi Foundation? With your qi ratio being so below average, you can dream on to reach even two class below me! Anyways, I’ve got better things to do,” he scoffed and without even looking at him started to run again. “Hey, Quin!” Leyn greeted him, as he ran through the school in hurry. “Hey!” he returned the greeting, but did not stop. “Oi, what are you running for that quick? Do you have a moment? There’s something I really want to talk about with you.” “Sorry, maybe another time, even now I’m late. See ya!” He looked back only for a moment to answer, and then hurried on. “Sorry Aline, but I had to finish my training otherwise the Instructor wouldn’t let me off and then I even got held up by some idiot, who was... actually my fan?” Quin explained while holding his hands up. “A fan? Are you serious?” She looked at him unbelieving. “Yep, he said I amazed him at the First Blood and he wanted to be just like me, but of course I told him, that’s not how things work. You can’t replace your lack of talent with just dedication!” He laughed at the thought. “Oh.” Though she tried not to show it, someone perceptive could see that she was somewhat amused by the whole thing. These days the two of them met often, and spent their afternoon together then. Although Quin had to shave off time from other things, it was definitely worth it, he thought. Aline was his girlfriend... Wait, was she his girlfriend? They had only held hands at most, but that is a thing you only do with your girlfriend, isn’t it? He even gave up some of his training time in favor for more time with her, but that was not that important anymore. He could easily kill a Shrieker, his strength was way above average and his element was lightning! There was no way anyone could rival him, even if he slacked off a bit. He deserved it, he thought. They frequently visited the mountains at the back of the city, where the view was amazing. Sometimes, on the weekends they spent almost their whole day there, watching the landscape and talking. Quin found out that Aline rather liked the stories about immortals, spirits and demons -- even if they were simple myths -- so he often told her them. Other times they were just strolling the city, visiting Crows’ Road’s landmarks and he even invited her to their home several times as well. His parents found Aline a good and nice girl and approved his choice. A group of children were making their way to the school’s cafeteria at noon. They were Quin and his friends: Aline, Alinor, Dreon, Mang and two of Alinor’s friends, a green haired, slim girl and a lean, bald boy. While they were busy talking and heading towards their usual table, Quin noticed that it was already taken. “Hey, this is our spot! Pack your things and get up!” Quin demanded fairly annoyed. “What? We were here before, there’s no reserved table in the cafeteria, go search another one,” a somewhat bulky teenager answered to him nonchalantly. Quin took a quick peek at Aline, who was smiling innocently, and then looked back but this time lightning sparking in his eyes. “Hmm looking at you, you must be around fourteen years old, right? Guess you’re still stuck at the first level of Qi Condensation and having a such a big built, your element is only a normal earth element, am I right?” He looked at the kid at first appraisingly, then scornful and threatening. “Y-Yes...” Feeling Quin’s aura that he was emitting, the boy realized that they are in entirely different leagues and after registering the fact that he was using lightnings, the kid remembered who was the only lightning user here... And that he did not want to cross his path with him. “Then scram!” Quin shouted and then table was empty in an instant, so he lead the way. Just as he was starting to sit down, Mang stopped him, however. “Seriously? What was that?” he asked puzzled at Quin’s behavior. “This? People like them should know there place, it’s that simple.” he replied like it was common knowledge. “When have you became like this? You were indeed acting a bit strange recently but you still didn’t used to be a douchebag before, why are you now?” he asked truly surprised. “Me, a douchebag? Guess you’re just jealous and angry because of your average earth element and slow cultivation, huh?” Quin scorned at him. Mang sighed. “Don’t worry, there’s no way I’d be jealous at your little lightning.” He laughed and sighed a second time. “Little Boy, you got a screw loose, seems like you got drunk on your pride.” Then he left, with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. “Didn’t know you were so talkative and me, a little boy? We are at the same age, but whatever, feel free to go and don’t bother me anymore then,” he snorted and then like nothing happened sat down to the table; he would not let a nobody like Mang make his day bad. Who he failed to notice was a girl that was standing nearby them, but after hearing the quarrel turned and left with a sad expression. The others sat down as well, and were eyeing him, with different expressions. Quin looked around and saw that Dreon had a kind of worried looked on his face, he realized the reason right away. “Hey Dreon, don’t worry about that!” He laughed. “I know your element is only air, but look at your cultivation and strength: you’re easily within the top ten of the school year. Though what kind of element you’ve got matters, but what’s more important is your talent, which you have a lot in contrast with Mang!” He shook his head, he was not even angry anymore, only pitied the guy. “He’s right, there are multiple things which are important in life: the family you are born into, the kind of elemental qi you’ve got or the quality of your talent. Having all of them is the best of course, but you can still overcome being born lacking one of these thing, however not having any? Those people should know there places, which is below us,” Alinor explained with a blank, mostly emotionless expression and around the table only nods could be seen from the others. “Guys, have you heard that a whole group went missing during this year’s Coming of Age Ceremony?” Dreon asked. “What?”, “Really?”, “No way!” and the likes were the other kids’ reply. “They say...” Dreon looked around quickly, and lowered his voice. “That they were sacrificed, to the Shriekers!” “Where do you get these nonsenses?” Alinor sighed. “Sacrificed to the Shriekers? Not only are they our biggest enemies but even though they caused us some losses, we have always had the upper hands in the battles. Why would we be offering them sacrifice?” “It may not be as simple as that!” Dreon retorted. “I’ve heard this from a reliable source!” “And what kind of reliable source was that?” it was now Quin, who asked the question. “Okay, I’ll tell you, but promise that you won’t tell anyone else!” After seeing that no one was objecting he continued, “So, I heard it from an upperclassman, who’s friend’s brother took part in this year’s Coming of Age Ceremony. He experienced these events firsthand, personally! He fell behind from his group, because well, nature was calling him, but unexpectedly just a few meters away, at the other side of the tree there was a group of Shriekers! As he was contemplating on what to do, because he couldn’t possibly take a down a group so big and any sudden move would probably make him noticed, he saw something. Soldiers in the uniform of Ade Lai brought several students to the monsters, bond in magical ropes and then left. Afterwards one of the Shrieker turned towards the students a let out disgusting shriek, which made everyone who have heard, pass out in seconds, bleeding from their ears profoundly and then die in a couple of moments.” “Wait, if it knocked out everyone and even killed them, then how did the guy survive?” Alinor asked after thinking through the whole story. “Umm... I guess he stuffed his ear?” Dreon made a bad attempt of arguing, but to no avail. “Yep, and not only the Shriekers, even our soldiers did not notice him just a few meters away? Seriously Dreon, where do you keep getting this stupid rumors?” Quin sighed, shaking his head. He liked Dreon and he was a good friend, but sometimes he could believe and then tell them the stupidest stories. “Fine! Then don’t believe me!” Dreon got up clearly offended and then left in a hurry. “He always does this and then we’re the one at faults...” Alinor sighed. “Well, he’ll forget the whole thing probably for tomorrow.” Author's Note: So yeah, Quin has become kind of a douchebag, but if you've read the 'About' thread already then it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. As I've said that one of the fiction's main focus is character development. My beta reader told me that the change in his personality is a bit too sudden, however I disagree with that. I know it from personal experience that even the nicest kids can become jerks overnight and something like this happened to Quin as well. Naturally he won't stay like this forever, this period will only only a small part of his life.