Clarke
Bruce Walker had been very considerate of Carlos, taking time to put him at ease. But the session lasted over an hour. He explained that the fresher Carlos’s memories were, the better chance they would have of identifying the culprit.
That made sense. But sitting through the session gave her too much time to think about the attack. In the midst of it, she’d reacted automatically.
The sound of shouting reached her ears as they approached the powered dorm. It seemed to be coming from behind the dorms. What now?
“Yes, sir,” Carlos said, and jogged to the main entrance of the powered dorm.
With resignation, Clarke threw her shoulders back, and marched around the rear of the building. Dozens of people of varying ages stood in the parking lot of the caster dorm, in tense postures. There was a mix of casters, elementals, and security guards, possibly some shifters as well.
Clarke wasn’t certain what was happening, except that Mitch was probably involved. Two security guards flanked Ray near the back door of the dorm. Ray stood in front of Brandon and Paul, the young elementals, with his wand out.
As she got closer, Clarke could see Jace and some of the other underage boys gathered behind Paul and Brandon. Ray’s stance was defensive. That motivated Clarke to join the fracas, for better or worse.
If Ray was protecting the boys, who’d been watching a movie in the caster dorm, she would help. Jace was positioned as a second line of defense, if it came to that. Her assistance probably wasn’t needed, but Clarke wouldn’t stand by while everyone else did the work.
One of the guards nodded to her as she approached. “Mr. Voudrie,” he said.
“May I ask what’s happening? I just returned from a meeting with Professor Walker,” Clarke said. “But I’m not sure it’s safe to retrieve the boys, who were here during my absence.”
“I would wait,” the taller guard said bluntly, without offering an explanation. The loud voices, punctuated by periods of ominous silence, were coming from the elemental dorm.
Jace grunted, and tipped his head in a terse nod. “I don’t want the kids walking past the elemental dorm until things are calmer there.”
She could probably get Liam and Ethan to the powered dorm without a problem. But they would worry about the other boys, and so would Clarke.
“Administration made the decision to move the boys while the investigation of the attack on your classroom is underway. Armando Garcia messaged an hour ago, telling me to ready a room for the elementals,” Ray informed her.
“Apparently, the only available space in the shifter dorm is near predatory species, or older students. He thinks they will be more comfortable here. I said that I had a room prepared, and would be happy to house them.”
“I’m glad we don’t have to go back,” Paul said with visible relief. “No one wants to be in the dorm if they don’t have to be. Most of the guys stay in their rooms as much as possible.”
“Yeah, any other dorm would be better,” Brandon agreed. “But I might freak out if guys suddenly turn into lions, or whatever, when I’m showering or trying to study. We’ll be good here.”
“Nakedness and shifting does happen frequently,” Jace said. “This is probably the best solution.”
“Good point. Class is one thing. But I’m not totally acclimated yet,” Paul said.
“Mitch is having a fit,” Clarke guessed out loud.
“He is,” the chattier of the two guards said. “The elemental prefects have been instructed to pack the boys’ clothing and personal items.”
Several tense minutes passed before Clarke saw activity at the back door. A few casters were with the elementals, levitating suitcases to speed up the process. Mitch shouted that he was being falsely accused, and that a student had caused the wave.
More guards were inside. One stated loudly that no accusations had been made. Arguing wouldn’t change the orders from the dean.
The casters in the parking lot were all older students, who made it obvious that they were there to support the elementals. With so much opposition, and being watched by numerous guards, Mitch made a sullen retreat.
One of the caster prefects led the way to the room Brandon and Paul would be staying in. The boys went upstairs behind them to unpack and organize their things. Clarke and Jace waited until the elementals left, and it was quiet outside.
“Watch your back, Ray,” Jace said seriously. “Mitch probably won’t let it end here.”
“I’d be shocked if he did,” Ray said.
“Text us if you need anything,” Clarke told him.
“Will do,” Ray replied.
“We’ll be patrolling the dorms heavily until this matter is settled,” the shorter guard said.
By the time she got to bed that night, Clarke was emotionally and physically exhausted.
Using every bit of power she possessed to create the barricade of desks would have been tiring on its own.
That, combined with her fear for the students, made for quite an adrenaline crash when the danger was over.
The day had been a series of revelations, most of them unpleasant. It was too much stress within a few hours, on top of her other worries. Spending time alone with Jace would have helped calm them both, but they hadn’t had the leisure to meet.
Despite being so tired, Clarke’s mind was too busy for her to relax. After tossing and turning restlessly for an hour, she finally drifted into a fitful slumber.
Thursday was a three-cup-of-coffee morning. The students seemed relatively calm when Clarke made her rounds of the dorm. That helped settle her own nerves.
Per the dean, she, Jace, and Ray would be on limited duties until further notice. It was logical for them to focus on the students, but the disruption in routine threw her off. Clarke didn’t know how to occupy herself in the extra time she now had.
Jace and Ray texted that they would meet her outside the dorm with the rest of the boys. They could walk together as a group. Since Mitch had to be out for blood, it was smart to stick together.
Clarke had been checking her phone, but didn’t have any messages from Bruce Walker, or the Dean’s office.
“Have you guys heard anything?” Clarke asked Ray and Jace when she and her underage students met them in front of the dorm.
“No, but it might take a few days,” Jace replied.
Clarke knew that was reasonable, but hoped it would be resolved sooner. Just watching the students on the quad made it clear that everyone was feeling the strain of the current situation.
There were no leisurely strolls, students sitting in the grass strumming guitars, or games today. Boys walked swiftly with their heads down, or talked in hushed whispers. Shoulders were tense, and eyes darted at any sudden noise.
Several casters walked with wands held at the ready. Shifters sniffed the air. Given the variety of abilities, many of them psychic, powered students were less obvious with their actions, but still clearly anxious.
Understandably, elementals showed the most disquiet. Air gusted in random directions, a few small funnel clouds hovered before dispersing. Water in the fountains rippled, occasionally shooting upward in miniature geysers.
Boulders and large stones that were placed as landscaping features trembled, some of them rolling to different locations. Clarke didn’t see any fires erupting, which was a blessing.
Affected by the pervading tension, their group walked quickly to the Humanities building. Conversation was minimal, and kept to low tones. Jace, Ray, and Clarke watched for anything suspicious, but currently, there was no sign of sabotage.
“We’ll wait outside at the end of class,” Jace said.
Clarke nodded. It was strange to rely on Ray, and feel a sense of camaraderie with him. He had texted the night before, thanking her for suggesting that he prepare a room for the elemental boys.
Brandon and Paul were happier this morning than they’d been in weeks. They seemed to feel secure with Ray, and comfortable in the caster dorm.
Jace had messaged, giving her a summary of the talk he and Ray had. That explained Ray’s radical change in attitude, and it made sense.
Clarke felt like there was more to this, but that could be her hesitance to trust this sudden turnaround. She told herself to be grateful that Ray seemed to have gotten his priorities in line, and not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Having another ally who had the best interests of the students at heart, was a good thing. Even if this was temporary, Ray seemed by far the lesser of two evils. Jace felt that Ray had been honest with him, and Clarke trusted his judgment.
Guards patrolled around the Humanities building. The additional security was reassuring and disconcerting at the same time. Clarke couldn’t pretend that everything was normal.
Changing classrooms was one more thing to get used to. But there was a sense of peace after stepping inside the building. The new classroom was on the opposite side of the building, near the front entrance.
No water features were in sight. The door had glass panes that should make sabotage obvious, and could be broken in an emergency. Clarke appreciated the strategic thinking employed in selecting this room.
The windows faced the stately Caster Studies building. Two guards marched past, looking around vigilantly. Like her, the boys surveyed the space visually, looking more relaxed.
“Yesterday was traumatic, and we’re all trying to adjust,” Clarke said plainly as they all sat down.
“We are here to learn, but I understand that it might be difficult to focus. How do you feel about an open discussion? It doesn’t have to pertain directly to history or evolution, but I would prefer an educational topic. ”
Ethan raised his hand. “Can we talk about power rankings? They’ve been mentioned several times, but I don’t understand how they work.”
“I’m confused about that, too,” Adam said.
“Professor Halston told us that he has two rankings, one for earth spells, and a lower one for general castings,” Steve said. “We know that most casters have one ranking when other classifications can have more than one, without being told why that is, and how it works.”
“This is a good subject to explore, and makes sense after what you witnessed yesterday,” Clarke said. “Power rankings can be confusing, because the criteria is different for each classification. They are primarily used for employment considerations.
“My position of dormitory monitor requires a ranking of six or higher,” Clarke explained.
“Not because the college discriminates against lower rankings, but due to having a large number of evolved students who aren’t in control of their powers.
A certain rank is necessary to preventing mishaps, and controlling an accidental, volatile eruption of power.
“Casters are ranked on the strength of raw, unchanneled magic, and how long they can sustain a spell.
If the maximum length of a muting spell is one hour, and the caster can hold it for thirty minutes without a wand, his or her ranking will be a six.
Casters of any rank can perform most spells, particularly with a wand, but the duration they can maintain the spell varies.
“Most casters have an equal amount of magic for each spell, meaning they have one rank. Professor Halston must have stronger earth magic, with those spells ranking separately. More than one power ranking is most common among powered individuals. Some, like myself, have more than one power, each with its own ranking.”
“I’m so glad you guys asked about this,” Liam said. “This is really interesting.”
“How does it work for shifters?” Chad asked. “Mr. Smith hasn’t talked about rankings, but I heard some older students mention it. We don’t have powers or magic, though, so what do they judge by?”
“Good question, Chad,” Clarke praised him.
“Three things affect shifter ranking; leadership ability, ease of transition, and capability for partial transition. High-ranking shifters are strong in all three aspects. For example, Abner Livingston, head of shifter studies, has a rank of eleven-point-two. He can shift from human to wolf painlessly within twenty seconds. Professor Livingston also has the ability to bring aspects of his wolf forward while the rest of him remains human, such as enhancing his eyesight, or extending claws.”
“I really need to practice,” Cody said. “I can’t do any of that.”
“It takes time and effort,” Clarke told him. “Your animals just manifested. I would be shocked if any of you had that level of control.”
“By leadership ability, do you mean dominance?” Marcel wanted to know.
“Some use the term dominance, but it isn’t strictly applicable,” Clarke said.
“Dominance can be aggressive, and often evokes an image of a predator species keeping those weaker in line. Good leaders are intelligent, compassionate, and think of everyone’s well-being.
They have strong ethics, earning loyalty, trust, and respect.
Great leaders can be found in any group or species.
Think of wild herds of mustangs. Horses are herbivores, and nonviolent unless attacked.
They aren’t aggressive. But there is always a lead stallion, who earned that position, and takes responsibility for the safety of the herd. ”
“Wow, ok. So, even as a rabbit, I could have a high ranking?” Cody asked.
“Yes, you could,” Clarke confirmed. “Species isn’t a factor.”
“Are we allowed to ask about your power and rank, Mr. Voudrie?” Liam wanted to know. “My parents aren’t evolved, so this is all new to me, but I never heard of animating objects as a power before.”
“It’s natural to be curious, and I don’t mind discussing it,” Clarke said.
“The powered classification and the division of them can be confusing, because they are all mental powers.
Those that affect the physical environment are termed physical powers.
All others are considered mental, psychic, or psionic powers.
“My physical power is ranked at nine-point-seven. Animating objects isn’t common, but not incredibly rare, either. It’s considered a relatively recent power that some believe to be a combination of telekinesis, and elemental abilities. It works best with organic materials, like wood or metal.
“In regard to ranking, physical powers are graded on the distance at which you can use your power, how long you can maintain it, and the weight or density your power can handle. That aspect is the same as elemental rankings.
“Psionic powers are ranked on accuracy, control, and in some instances, range.”
An animated discussion ensued, and before Clarke knew it, the bell signaling the end of class rang.