Chapter 2 Minerva

Ignis POV

Mom, the blonde girl named Krista, and I all arrive at my mom's office. It's pretty big office, and it seems pretty nice too. I suppose as Deputy Headmistress she has some perks... Mom sits at the chair behind her desk while Krista and I sit in the two chairs on the opposite side, facing her...

-Minori: Now Ignis, just because you're my son I hope you won't expect any special treatment. I intend to treat you just like any other student, and I expect you to work just as hard!

-Ignis: Of course, Mom, I wouldn't want you to coddle me. You did mention several times before I came here that I couldn't just walk in and expect to be the strongest. I came here with the expectation that I'd have to work just as hard, if not harder than anyone else!

-Minori: Yes, I remember telling you that, but just because you say you understand it doesn't mean you truly do! When you get the chance to fight some of your peers, you'll very quickly find out just how much room you have to grow!

-Ignis: I'm looking forward to it, and then I can show you just how strong I've gotten! After all, you and I haven't been able to personally train together in almost a year!

-Minori: Oh, you won't have to wait until then to prove it to me. There's still three days left until class starts remember? Starting tomorrow you and I will be training until class begins!

-Krista: You're so lucky!! The opportunity to train one on one with Miss Minori!

-Ignis: Don't forget she's overseen my training ever since I was child! Even when she wasn't there to personally train me, she left with her friends who were more than capable!

-Krista: Oh yes, I've heard! You've trained with legendary Sentinels such as General Gandor, the Great Sage Merlin, and even the King of Lakonia!

I shudder at the mention of the King of Lakonia, not because of the King himself, but because I have some not so great memories from Lakonia... Memories I would like to forget...

-Minori: Anyway Ignis, we didn't come in here to make small talk. We need to go over some forms. Mostly small things, just you confirming that you're enrolling in this academy by choice, and that you do indeed wish to train to become a Sentinel.

Mom pulls out the aforementioned forms and I quickly glance over them. Of course, the pages are lined with legal jargon that I don't understand, nor do I want to. I sign the forms where required and she places them back into a stack she has on the desk...

-Minori: Very good, now I wanted to show you your profile.

-Ignis: My what?

-Minori: You're profile. It has all of your physical characteristics and lists all of your special abilities and any other enhanced attributes or abilities! It also rates your physical attributes on a scale of one to 10!

-Ignis: Wait hold on, how could the academy have all this information already? I mean I've literally been here for 10 minutes!

-Minori: Well I provided the baseline information, and the rest I got from the people who have been training you. Normally new students would go through an assessment before they're even admitted into the academy, but in your case that wasn't necessary.

-Ignis: Makes sense, I guess...

She then turns her computer screen towards me and shows me the profile...

-Minori: Just verify that your basic information is correct.

The profile displays the following information:

Name: Ignis

Age: 18

Height: 6'0

Weight: 185 lbs.

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Purple

-Ignis: Well all of that seems to be correct, but show me the good stuff! I want to see what everyone reported to you! I want to see what they thought of my progression through my training!

She rolls her eyes and does a few clicks on the mouse and keyboard and a new screen pops up. My name remained at the top of the page but the information that followed was different...

Physical Strength: 4/10

Durability: 5/10

Speed: 6/10

Magical Power: Has the ability to create, control, and manipulate fire. The temperature of flames correlates to the amount of magical power used...

-Ignis: Wha-What! You mean all that training, all that hard work, all those days of waking up and barely being able to move and my physical strength is only a four! My durability is only a five!

-Krista: Don't be so hard on yourself Ignis, your speed is a six...

I know that Krista is trying to be nice, but I can't help but glare at her...

-Minori: Krista is right though Ignis. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. A speed measurement of six is above the average of what students normally have when they're first admitted. Another thing you have to take into consideration is that you also have magical power. Not everyone has that. Generally, those who start with a strength measurement of six or greater don't have any magical power to speak of. There are also two things that these measurements aren't taking into consideration. The first is your battle IQ. You can have all the strength in the world but if you don't know what you're doing in a fight then you may as well be powerless! These measurements are also not taking into consideration your growth potential!

-Ignis: What do you mean?

-Krista: What she means is that just because measurements say this now, it doesn't mean that they will at the end of your third year before you graduate! When I first got here all my ratings were threes or fours, now they're all sevens or eights, and I still have my final year to go!

I think about what Krista says. It makes sense that these numbers will change over time. After all I did come here to learn, train, and get better. Mom seems to notice the change in my expression...

-Minori: The other thing that both of you need to remember is that you're still young. Ignis you're 18 and Krista you're 20! You both still have many years to go until you hit your limits!

Of course, 18 is still young, way too young to have had my power peak already! I stand up and make my way to the door still somewhat disappointed in the numbers but feeling a little reassured following our conversation...

-Ignis: Thanks Mom, thanks Krista! I think I'll go explore the campus a little now!

-Krista: Oh, I'm sorry! I would show you around, but I have student council work to take care of!

-Ignis: Please, don't worry I'm used to being by myself.

Mom frowns a little at that comment. I didn't mean that as a jab towards her or anyone else. I literally meant I'm used to being alone and that it doesn't bother me...

-Minori: Do try not to get lost or get into trouble Ignis. Also, the dorms won't be ready until later this afternoon, so I'll keep your luggage in here for now.

-Ignis: Thanks! Well, I'm off then!

I depart her office and begin my expedition of the Viribus Academy Grounds. It will be impossible to explore the entire campus today, so I decide to just focus on the area surrounding the main building, which is where Mom's office is located...

I head down to the courtyard and take a look around. There are dozens of buildings that I can see from where I'm standing. There are dozens more that dot the landscape that I saw on the way in, but are obstructed now. There are a few students walking around but not as many as I thought. Mom did mention there's still three days until classes start, so I'm sure in the coming days it will get really crowded around here... I start to walk around the back of the main building and see a massive pond off to one side of the walkway, on the other side there's almost what looks like a graveyard, but I quickly realize that it's a yard filled with memorial stones. I can only assume the names written on them are the names of fallen Sentinels who graduated from the academy... The walkway that splits these two features continues back as far as I can see with even more buildings lining the walkway on either side. I decide that I might as well walk down this path and see what's there...

As I approach one of the buildings along the path, I begin to hear voices. The people seem to be talking in hushed tones, so it piques my interest and I decide to investigate... As I get closer, I hear giggling and realize that these are the voices of girls! I notice an open window on the side of one of the buildings and make my way over to it... No way! This is the girls' changing room!! I shouldn't be here!! I start to slowly walk away when a stick cracks under my foot!! Suddenly, all the voices go quiet...

-Ignis: Aw man...that can't be good...

I slowly turn back towards the window and see all the girls have gathered and are glaring at me with murderous intent!

-Ignis: Now ladies, I know what you're thinking, and as cliché as this may sound, this is DEFINITELY a misunderstanding!!

-Girls: GET THE PERVERT!!!!!

Yep, kinda saw this one coming... But why was the window to the changing room open?! Why is it on the first floor?! Why does it even have a window?! As I stand there thinking, the girls have started filtering out of the room, and begin making attempts to apprehend me. Using my superior speed, I'm easily able to dodge them...

-Ignis: Well ladies its been fun, perhaps we should do this again sometime!

I try to make a witty remark as I begin running for my life ! I quickly learn that the girls aren't amused by this as I look behind me and see them chasing me! They're also much faster than I thought! I start to try and weave in and out of buildings to see if I can lose them but no dice! Every time I think I've lost one of them another one spots me and the pack reforms! Well I can't say this is how I thought my academy life would begin... I haven't even been here an hour and I'm already the enemy of women everywhere, nice going Ignis...

As our little game of chase continues, I make a beeline for one of the hedgerows and decide I'm going to have to make a leap of faith to get over it! As I get closer I see the silhouette of someone standing directly in my path!

-Ignis: Hey! Get out of the way!!

It's too late! I can't change directions now! I leap over the hedgerow and come crashing down onto the person that was standing there!

-Ignis: Ugh...sorry about that, are you okay?

I look down at the person I landed on, and staring back up at me with the most embarrassed look on her face is a blonde elf girl! Her blonde hair is pulled back into a ponytail with bangs that approach her eyes and fall to the sides of her face as well. Her hairstyle is actually very similar to my Mom's... She has a very gentle and cute face with beautiful green eyes.. I'm sure she's a nice girl, but now's not the time to be thinking about such things! After all, I'm still on the run! I then realize, I'm still laying on top of her! First, I stumble upon the girls changing room and provoke a herd of strong, angry women to chase me, and now here I am basically assaulting an elf! Way to go Ignis, two for two...

-Ignis: Now please, don't cry, please don't report me as an offender! This was a complete accident! I promise, please don't hate me and I'll make it up to you!

I scream all of this as the group of girls notices me and gets even angrier upon witnessing this scene! I decide its best not to linger and begin running again leaving the elf girl behind!

Trying to think fast I'm able to make it back to the memorial yard and quickly dive behind the largest stone I can find! As I land on the ground, I notice a startled girl sitting there next to me. She has very pale blonde hair, which is pulled back into a ponytail, which gets sort of spiky at the back. Her hair also has a fringe which comes down the left side of her face... Like the elf girl, she's cute, but without the innocence that the elf girl has... She also has pale eyes with slitted pupils. Can't say that I've ever seen something like that before... This girl looks like she's ready to scream as I seem to have startled her pretty badly... She opens her mouth, I notice her canine teeth look more like fangs than actual teeth! I very quickly place my hand over her mouth...

-Ignis: Please! Don't scream! If you do, you'll give me away!

This girl begins to struggle, and I can tell she's getting flustered and begins to tear up in frustration, and probably horror.. I mean a total stranger just came flying in out of nowhere and is now covering her mouth and telling her not to scream! Well done Ignis, three for three... I decide that remaining here is not in my best interest and as I emerge from behind the memorial stone the girls notice me once again and the chase continues, only this time fang girl seems to be in on it!

I continue running and I make it back around to the front side of the main building from where I originally exited. I take a look behind me and confirm that I am, in fact, still being chased! However, as I'm looking behind me, I run smack into something! It was hard too! It felt just like a metal wall...but, there was no wall in front of me a second ago! As I'm sitting on the ground I look up and see a person standing there! I'm not really able to see their face as its obstructed by the glare of the sun, but I think it's another girl... Alright Ignis can we go four for four here? But something seems different about this girl... She seems to take notice of me finally, as if she didn't even know I ran into her! She looks at me for a few seconds and then leans in and I can finally get a view of her. She has a slender but definitely toned build. I can tell that much even though she's wearing a long sleeve shirt. Her face has a very stern and serious look, but she's definitely cute, that much is also certain... This girl has long light-brown hair that she's wearing in a side ponytail draping over her right shoulder. Her eyes are red, dark red, almost the same color as blood... She really looks like someone I used to know... Finally, this new girl speaks...

Brown Haired Girl: Ignis?!? Is that you?!?! I hardly recognized you after all these years!

Okay she knows my name, which is strange... Is she someone I know? I'm not quite sure... She does look familiar... The herd of girls from the changing room and fang girl catch up and come to a stop. They yell in our direction and start to approach but this new girl gives them a glare and they all stop dead in their tracks! Okay, definitely don't want to piss this one off!

-Ignis: Um, I'm sorry, do I know you?

This seems to upset her, and she begins to pout....

-Brown Haired Girl: You mean after all these years, we finally see each other again and you don't even remember me?!? You're so cruel!!

I'm not sure what this girl wants from me! I mean, she looks familiar, but...no.. it can't be...certainly not... Just then she has a look on her face that suggests she has an idea... She leans forward towards me and pulls her bangs up, revealing a green headband going across her forehead...

-Brown Haired Girl: This should do it! Remember me now?!?

It only takes a second for it all to click...

-Ignis: Oh...Shit...

Memories of torment and feelings of dread now flood my mind... She notices the look on my face and this sadistic smile spreads across her's... There was no doubt anymore, this is the girl who made my time on Lakonia a living hell! She is the reason I shuddered when Krista mentioned the King earlier... This girl right here is a demon incarnate... I had done my best to try and forget all of my bad memories from Lakonia but seeing her here now made all that effort pointless...

-Ignis: I-it's good to see you, M-M-Minerva!

Minerva: Ah good, you remember!

END CHAPTER 2

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