The bell had rung and Maddox was already sitting in his little corner in, homeroom. Their home room teacher, Instructor Von’Bleek looked as sickly as ever, but at this point he just figured that was just the way she was.

“Ok pupils. Von’Pebble will be in for your Cultivation class, then after that it's time for you all to go to your trade classes of choice. Has anyone not picked a primary and secondary trade yet?” The instructor asked and wasn’t surprised by the fact that some students were having difficulty picking a trade, but the amount of students who raised their hands were staggering. Maddox felt better knowing that he wasn’t the only one having trouble, but in his defense it's been a rough couple of weeks. You know, with the whole occupying the body of a ten year old and then accidentally killing himself because he just didn’t understand WTF was going on in this new world he inhabited. He felt like he deserved a pass on this one.

Half of her home room had raised their hands, and it had caused her to vomit blood. The students were mortified, but with a wave of her hand she tried her best to regain control of her classroom. “I’m fine, children. It's just my weak constitution.” The kids had finally settled down from the shock of it all. “Does any student know what they want to do, or should I try to schedule some more demonstration classes?” As the class shouted for more demonstration classes, instructor Von’Bleek couldn’t help but throw up blood again. “I’ll be fine, children. Let me see about arranging more of these demonstrations for you.” With wobbly knees she pulled her way out of the classroom. Holding on to everything in her path as a means to stay upright.

In walks instructor Von’Pebble, with a look of worry on his face after watching the kid’s homeroom teacher leave in such a sorry state.

“Will she be alright?” He inquires, but the children can only respond with a shrug, and so he begins the next class.

/////

Maddox was walking down the paved path between the multiple buildings of the academy’s campus, deep in thought. Buffy the faithful tree squirrel perched on his shoulder

“So Refinement is mandatory, but Rune Formations, Alchemy, Ironworks, and Spirit Stitching you can pick two of the four.” He was deep in thought when he had bumped into someone. His mind preoccupied, but he only stumbled backwards a few steps rather than falling down completely.

“Are you ok Buffy,” He petted his squirrel's fur, worried she might’ve been hurt.

“Why aren’t you asking us if we’re ok kid,”

“Yah, if you’re a gentleman you should check on the ladies you ran into.”

“Oh how can we expect a…” Maddox had already tuned out the third voice, remembering this trio of ‘ladies’ all too well.

“Glad you’re ok Buffy,” he started to walk around the three students. “Let’s get to the training field before Instructor Sha’Carri gets mad at us.” Maddox made sure to say the instructor’s name loud enough for the trio to hear, and it seemed to have worked as they shut their mouths instantly at the same time. He just walked away from the three of them, but not before leaving with a grin and a wink.

Maddox had noticed that after his mother had traded pointers with Instructor Von’Leafe the other students stopped treating him like he was invisible. No one still talked to him, but at least they recognized his existence…baby steps. So he took a gamble with these girls and just walked off after name dropping his mother and to his pleasure, and to their annoyance it worked. After ducking behind a tree further down the path he let out a deep breath.

“Buffy I can’t believe that worked.” he laughed. There was the feeling of his lungs being filled with air again. He had no idea that he was even holding his breath. His laughter caused him to sit against the tree, slowly sliding down. Eventually he just gathered himself and continued to walk towards the training grounds. He didn’t want instructor Sha’Carri to be upset with him after all. “I know, I know, We can’t be late.” he relented as Buffy tugged at his hair.

There he was running laps again. Sha’Carri would yell at him that she could literally run all day, a week ago he would’ve given her lip.

‘Who wants to run all day?’ but he learned from his mistakes. Much like his ‘Poke’…’Chidi Beasts’ he was also leveling up and evolving. At that thought he stopped and was compelled to ask her, “Do Chidi beasts evolve?”

With a deep sigh she pulled Maddox towards a field to sit with her. All around them were students trying their best to build their bodies, or practice with their newly acquired Chidi beasts. “That's a good question.” Sha’Carri just took a deep breath and with that resolve gave him an answer.

“Go figure that shit out on your own.” She patted him on his shoulder, and told him to practice the images she had shown him a few days ago.

“I’m supposed to imagine some random shapes while I meditate and then what?” He asked her as his boney knees knocked against each other, and Buffy lying atop his head. He was trying his best not to be intimidated by her presence, but it was hard to, especially when she stared at him every step of the way.

“These ‘shapes’, you so rudely call them. Their purpose is to help you siphon the spiritual energy your Chidi beast gathers into yourself so it can be filtered in your Spiritual Way as Chidi.”

So there he sat in the lotus position in the middle of the training field. Being looked at like some oddity, but the only eyes that mattered were Sha’Carri’s. She struck him when the image wasn’t right. She let him know that his focus was breaking by tugging his ear.

To him it was painful, but what could be said about the woman that sat there to correct every little mistake he made. She kept saying the shape was supposed to be a cone, but to Maddox’s dismay and the constant prodding by Sha’Carri, he was having a hard time forming the proper shape.

“Let’s call it a day.” Sha’Carri spoke with a disappointed sigh. He had wanted to ask her questions. He thought maybe she would even answer him, but he was saddened by the fact that they were done for the day. “Maybe you’ll have more focus tomorrow.”

/////

He sat in the cafeteria, just prodding a piece of tomato with a fork. His mood soured ever since his training ended, and not even eating could cheer him up.

“What’s up with you?” a voice spoke out after sitting next to him. When he looked up he saw the girl from his home room, Emma Von’Kiernan. He gave a shrug

“No one sits near me in the cafeteria…no one ever sits near me in classes either.” He realized. “What's up with you?”

“Don’t feel bad. I don’t really have friends either.” She said in between bites. “I’ve been seeing you with a tree squirrel everywhere you go.” She pointed a fork towards Buffy. “Did instructor Sha’Carri give you a Chidi beast?”

“You’re quite nosey for someone who I've never spoken to before.”

It was Emma’s turn to shrug. “I’ve been curious. Figured I would ask.”

“Buffy is my first Chidi Beast.” Maddox raised his hand to show the dull green glowing command crest on the back of his hand.

“No way! You have to be in the forged breath realm to start a bond with a Chidi beast. How did you get past the Initiate realm so quickly?” With her curiosity she was bombarding the poor boy with so many questions.

“Get lost in a forest and make bad choices,” was his noncommittal answer. He stood up and left the cafeteria after putting away the tray and plate. He was just ready for the day to be over, but even when he got back to his dorm room all he wanted to do was lay in bed, but the look of disappointment in the instructor’s face kept popping into his head as he lied down. So he sat up, placed Buffy atop his had, and tried once more to get those stupid shapes right.