Chapter 11. Achoo

“Achoo” Boss wiped his nose on his sleeve. A cold chill crawled up his spine as he began to shudder.

“Are you sick? Can aliens get sick?” Arthur didn’t know anything about Boss’ functionality.

“No, I’m not sick” However he did feel a little clammy.

“So, what do you kids do today? I know yesterday has been quite rough and exhausting, but are we just gonna stay inside all day?” Boss asked. He was getting really bored it was almost lunch time, yet Arthur and Shelly did not take one step out of the house. In fact, they were just sitting on the sofa playing with their pets.

“Sundays is when the entire town head over to the Church to pray in the morning. There’s nothing to do besides church. Do you want to go to church?” Arthur replied feeling quite sick inside. He’s been to church a few times but every time he went it just sitting and hearing a person talk for hours.

So, he decided every Sunday he’ll skip Church and wait until everyone is done with it before he walked around town in order to get maximum praise and attention. Of course, he tried revealing his identity as an Exotic at the church once, however, after being swarmed by entirety of the town it made him claustrophobic. It was also the last time he showed up.

“Besides, going to church is not mandatory, so I don’t want to go.” Arthur leapt off the sofa and ran to sit in front of a mirror. Barkie hopped off and followed along not willing to let Arthur out of its sight.

“What’re you doing now?” Boss looked at the kid who was staring at a mirror and making weird faces. Shelly continued to pet the kitten on her lap paying the two no mind.

“I’m trying to see what my eyes can do; Shelly already has her powers, where’s mine?” Arthur began having a staring contest with himself as he furrowed his eyebrows.

“Oh? You don’t know what your power is yet?” Boss asked before remembering something he read in the book.

“Right, you haven’t hit puberty yet ahaha” Boss remembered what the history book said. Kids can go to the school for powers in this world any time after the age 8 or when they hit puberty.

Puberty is when children experience the most growth in their life, meaning that their full untapped potential is best trained during this time. Both the founders of Lumiere and Naturelle has found that this is the case and has made it this age requirement centuries ago.

Most family would send their kids to school at the age of 8 to make connections and friends beforehand. Once they hit puberty their natural capabilities will be tested and then they’ll be organized into the corresponding groups. Each group having different training regimen.

Exotics don’t need to go to school any time after 8 or when they hit puberty, because the family of Exotics are typically well off and fortunate. They’ll instead train at home with their own teachers and masters and will enroll whenever their parents decide it is time for them to.

Most Exotics would bring their own masters and teachers along anyways, so it is fine whether they stay at home or decide to go. This makes it easier on the two school of powers as they don’t need to find the necessary teachers curated towards specific Exotics.

“Stop laughing, it’s not funny.” Arthur shoved Boss aside, as he continued to stare at himself in the mirror. This led to even more laughter coming from Boss with Shelly lifting a smile from the corner of her mouth.

Anger welled up inside Arthur as he bounced up off the chair and stomped his way out of the house with Barkie sitting on his head. Laughter can still be heard from Boss inside as Arthur slammed the door shut behind him.

Wiping away the tears of laughter from his eyes Boss looked over at Shelly and asked, “Should we go after him?”

“Mew” Silver replied for Shelly.

“Okay! Let’s go!” Boss said as if he completely understood what the kitten meant.

A few moments after the door slammed shut, it opened again with two more individuals walking out of the house. Boss quickly turned to Shelly and asked her where she thinks Arthur is heading off to.

“The church. It’s almost noon so people are leaving already, he’ll be heading there to receive attention after being laughed at by you.” Shelly accurately replied, it seems like this wasn’t the first time Arthur has stormed out of the house.

“This isn’t the first time is it?” Boss asked.

“Samuel sometimes makes fun of him too, so he’ll run to wherever there’s the most people to feel good and be admired.”

“Guess he’s still just a kid.”

“We’re only 10.” Shelly bluntly replied causing Boss to be at a loss for word.

“I’m only 10 too.” Boss finally said after a short pause.

“No.” Her reply made him speechless again causing the kitten perched upon her shoulder to open an eye and smirk at him. It was laughing at him. Foolish immortal you’re not 10.

Only able to laugh it off Boss asked Shelly more questions about the Church they’re walking to and its Pope as they trailed behind Arthur.

“Hm, the Pope? I don’t know much about the Pope besides his appearance and that he’s an Exotic.” Shelly replied, she only knows as much as any of the other townspeople.

“What about the people currently working alongside him?”

“I don’t know about his Emissaries that they sent to the Tillowisk Empire since I was on the way here during that time. The only one with the Pope is Michael right now.”

“Who is Michael?”

“Oh, he’s a 20-year-old normal person that young master Arthur likes to pick on."

This wasn’t the information Boss wanted, he could only continue to ask further questions. “Uh, what else can you tell me about him?”

“Hm, his full name is Michael Halloway, he’s been looking for his missing girlfriend for 2 years with no sign of luck. I think he became a Priest of the Church of Future Heaven to ask for a favor from the Pope regarding finding her.”

“Oh? Can the Pope really find her?”

“I’m not sure.” Shelly said, it seems her information about the Pope and Michael was really minimal.

“I see Arthur! What do you wanna do? Secretly follow him or…? Boss asked Shelly with an answer already in mind. Before Shelly could decide, Boss continued “Alright, secretly follow Arthur it is.”

“Freaking, Boss laughing at me, if I wanted to puberty, I can get it easily. Hmph, I’m just taking my time. Isn’t that right Barkie?” Arthur consoled himself as he tried talking to Barkie. However, the dog was as aloof as ever not uttering a single sound in response.

Soon the sound of incoming footsteps of the townspeople could be heard. Avoiding them, Arthur hid himself behind the tall trees canopying the pathway.

He remembered what happened before when he revealed himself to them, trying to get out of their encirclement was near impossible without his family’s intervention. Arthur didn’t want to expose himself to the leading group of people heading home, he wanted to get closer to the church and reveal himself to the little amount remaining, that way he wouldn’t get stuck again.

The sounds of broken twigs and shuffling could be heard as Arthur continued to sneak his way towards the church. The townspeople were loudly talking among themselves to notice Arthur’s stealth-like movements.

“What do you think about today’s Prayer?” A group of 40-year-old women together began to talk.

“I think it was normal, the Pope came out and we spent our morning doing the usual. Ah~ I feel so refreshed every time we leave.” One of the women said, her looks was more on the chubbier side with equally chubby cheeks.

“Right, I feel the same, isn’t the Pope just magical?” Another woman agreed, she had a small noticeable mole near her chin.

“Could he be an Exotic? No way, right?” The third woman began to gossip, she was currently fanning herself with her hand.

“Yeah, no way I think he’s blind, but his soothing voice refreshes us.” The chubby one stated confidently.

“But his eyes are white right, aren’t Exotics known to have colorful hair and eyes.” The one with the mole on her chin said.

“Girl, I don’t know, you think we townsfolk know anything about Exotics? Shoot, I only know of Adorable Arthur and Smart Shelly.” The chubby one answered.

“I can’t wait to see Arthur and Shelly today, oh every time I see them, I know I’m going to have a good day.” The one fanning herself continued. “I just want to pinch his little cheeks for good luck!”

Overhearing their conversation, Arthur shuddered and quickly headed closer to the church, rubbing his cheeks he told himself to avoid that woman today. Meanwhile a certain person in the Church wasn’t expecting Julie’s response.

“No! I’m not going!” Julie screamed seemingly succumbing to madness as her chest heaved heavily.

“Julie, are you alright? What’s wrong? Is it the Pope, has he done something to you?” Michael asked completely unsure of what went wrong. I only just told her what the Pope had said, and she screamed at me. Did two years of imprisonment made her go insane?

“Michael, I’m not going.” She said with gritted teeth, it seemed she was adamant about staying here.

Confused at her behavior Michael asked, “But, don’t you want to get out of here? Didn’t the Pope kidnapped and locked you up?”

“Michael, if you cared about me, you wouldn’t let me out.” Julie said ignoring his question her look of refusal was clearly shown in her piercing hazel eyes.

Unsure of what she meant Michael could only ask for an explanation. “Julie, what’s wrong, why do you want to stay here?”

Julie knew she had to give him an answer, mustering up all the effort she had she muttered “I hurt people”.

However, that’s all she could say before her shoulder started to shudder as tears fell from her eyes recalling what happened 2 years ago.

“Julie…?”

Covering her face as tears fell onto the floor the once repressed trauma came back to her she continued. “They died because of me.”

Her voice was weak eliciting Michael to fully embrace her; tears continually rolled down her eyes as she covered her face in his chest. The loud sound of crying echoed out of the door.

Standing dazedly in the empty garden in front of the Church’s enormous door, Arthur sighed to himself in regret. Recalling, what the woman said about pinching his cheeks. he avoided everyone while running towards the church in fear of getting pinched. By the time he realized what he had first set out to do, everyone had already made their way back to town.

The praises and look of admirations he went out to get was gone by the time he knew it.

Sigh

Arthur shook his head in dejection, a slightly embarrassed smile could be seen on his face when he realized his mistake. Continuing with another sigh he turned around getting ready to head back home.

“Boo!” Boss shouted, eliciting Arthur to yelp in response once he turned around. This made Boss laugh as he stood right behind Arthur.

Realizing that both Shelly and Boss had followed him, he could only angrily spurt “You were following me? For how long!?”

Boss nonchalantly replied, “Since the beginning”, he then pinched his owns cheeks and began to laugh making Arthur embarrassed about the conversation he overheard.

“What’re you gonna do now Adorable Arthur?” Boss continued to tease him.

“I’m going home.” Arthur answered in a serious tone, he really wanted to just punch boss and run away.

“Now wait just a minute.” Boss said as he glanced at the door seemingly peering through everything inside.

“How about we go inside? It’ll be interesting.” Boss walked ahead and pointed at the door before him, promptly placing his hands on it.

Bang!

A loud sound echoed throughout the church as Boss made his way in.

“Anyone home~?”