Class Reptilia

The arena devolved into a melee as the fight concluded. Medics rushed onto the field, only to be deterred by the puddles of standing water. Some ran to Benjamin’s side, attempting to cut him out of the silk cocoon, while others struggled to maneuver around Arachna’s many legs. Corax and Bass stood nearby, waiting to congratulate Benjamin and extend his invitation to the Apex Association. 

The crowd streamed out of the stadium, eager to return home and warm up in front of a fire. Ember and her friends let themselves be swept away in the flow, with Naz holding Ember’s arm to keep from being separated. Morgan waved goodbye at the stadium exit, deciding to try her luck at flagging down a carriage. 

Since the unaffiliated dorm was the closest to the hippodrome, Carn and Naz had opted to stay in Ember’s room for the night. They began the long walk back to campus, haggard and bone-weary. The rain had lessened, but their clothes had long since been soaked through with the bitterly cold water. Ember’s headache began to thump familiarly at the base of her neck, and she hardly noticed as other Linnaeans jostled past her in their haste to escape the storm.

“Are you all right?” Naz said, tugging on Ember’s arm to catch her attention. 

“I-”

“Carn!” someone called, cutting her short. Ember looked over her shoulder just in time to see a petite, bright-yellow avian embrace Carn. “How are you?” he asked, smiling broadly. 

“This… Charlie,” the fox said, brightening instantly. Ember tilted her head, feeling as though she had missed something. Carn was still speaking, but his voice sounded warped and far away. She shook her head, trying to fix her vision on the fox, but his image slipped out from beneath her gaze like a watery reflection. She clenched and unclenched her fist, feeling nothing even as her nails bit into her palm. 

Her eyes slid to the left. There was the avian, blissfully chattering away at Carn. At first, she looked at him curiously, her gaze lingering too long. But when she tried to turn elsewhere, an invisible force seized her body, rooting her in place. 

Without warning, something gave way deep inside Ember. Her muscles tensed, an electrifying feeling that began at her heels and ran to the base of her neck. Her head throbbed, hard, and her infrared vision triggered, bathing Charlie in blood-red blotches. 

Ember’s tongue flicked out. Before her eyes, the bird was dissected like cattle led to slaughter. She was hyperaware of his movements: the quick turning of his head, the shuffling of his wings, and the swish of his third eyelid as it protected his eyes from the rain. In the crisp air, he let off wave after wave of rolling heat. She could almost feel the hot rush of blood through his veins as it passed through his quickly pulsing, delicate heart. He was perfectly oblivious, his white neck barely visible under the collar of his raincoat…

Ember was vaguely aware of Naz tugging on her arm. She brushed the pisces side, taking a slow step toward the little bird. Her mouth opened slightly. She was no longer cold, but burning up from the inside out, conscious yet unconscious as if in a dream. And if it is a dream, it won’t be so bad if I-

Something slammed into Ember’s side, throwing her roughly to the ground. She scrambled for purchase, but her attacker held her head against the forest floor, pinning her with his knees. She coughed, inhaling a mouthful of dirt. “Let me-” she hissed, thrashing wildly. 

“Snap out of it!” Carn shouted, and she realized it was he who had pinned her. She stilled, her senses returning with a rush of clarity. Carn let her sit up, his single ear still flat against his head and his teeth bared in warning. Naz came to her side, gripping Ember’s shoulders to hold her steady. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Ember said shakily, her voice choked and guttural. She felt completely discombobulated as if her insides had been rearranged. The little bird looked at her with terrified eyes, shivering behind Carn. “It’s… it’s okay now, I think.”

“Are you off of the treatment?” Carn demanded, grabbing her harshly by the shoulders.

She shook her head vehemently. “No. I-I’m taking the full dose, I promise.” 

His fur began to settle as he calmed down. “Charlie, what are you?”

It took several tries for the little avian to find his voice. “A t-tyrant f-flycatcher.”

It was a ridiculous name for such a tiny, helpless bird. Ember rested her head in her hands, trusting Carn and Naz to look after her. That was a prey response, she realized uneasily. I’d like to think that I wouldn’t have actually attacked him, but… I don’t know. 

“Ember,” Naz said, looking at her with concerned eyes, “you need to see your advisor. Now.”

***

Professor Bloomberry crossed his legs, accentuating his round belly and forcing a handful of orange feathers out from beneath his collar. “Let’s go over his again,” he squawked, dipping his quill in the inkwell. “You were… attracted to this bird?”

Ember resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands. “Not exactly, professor. I wanted to eat him.”

“Hmm,” he mused, stroking the bright-red waggle beneath his chin. She had forgotten just how chicken-like he really was, complete with a wrinkly comb and beady eyes. “Can you elaborate?”

“Well, I…” Ember trailed off. 

“It’s best to be honest,” Bloomberry added. “I’ve seen everything, so don’t worry.”

Ember pinched the bridge of her nose. She had already explained the gist of what had happened, only for him to misunderstand her entirely. “Okay,” she conceded, absolutely mortified. “I imagined the thrill of the hunt: my fangs piercing into his neck, the warmth of his blood as it spilled across my tongue, and the freshness of his flesh in my stomach. I wanted to devour him, whole.”

Bloomberry made an unintelligible noise. “He was a bird, you said?” he asked, suddenly finding his notes exceedingly interesting.

Ember closed her eyes, praying to be transported anywhere else. “Yes, a tyrant flycatcher.” 

“I see.” A bead of sweat worked its way down Bloomberry’s forehead, splattering on the desk. “And you’re a pit viper?”

“That’s what the headmaster thinks.”

“Highly venomous, you know.” 

Ember looked at him. “Professor, are you all right…?”

“Ah, yes,” he said, loosening his collar. “This is highly unusual for someone who is on the treatment. You’re sure you’ve never skipped a dose?”

Ember nodded. “Never.”

“Then there’s only one explanation. You must be an apex predator, and that flycatcher must be your primary prey. Still, an incident like this is exceptionally rare. We’ll up your dosage immediately—I’ll send the prescription to the pharmacy right after your appointment. And I think it’s best if we move you to the reptile complex.”

Ember resisted the urge to groan. “Are you sure, professor? I’m very comfortable in the unaffiliated dorm.”

“No, no,” he said, shaking his head hard enough for his comb to flop to the other side. “This is strictly necessary. There will be fewer chances of an accident there. Elliot is one of our best prefects; I know him personally. I’ll send him word of your arrival right away.”

“Okay,” Ember reluctantly agreed. She didn’t want to move, especially less than two weeks before finals, but it seemed there was no room for negotiation. She stood up, throwing her backpack over one shoulder. “Thank you for your time.”

“One more thing,” Bloomberry said, tapping his mouth. “Come see me as soon as your fangs break through. In an instance like this, it’s protocol to cap them until you have full venom control. You won’t even notice it after a while; it’s like a retainer.”

“Yes, sir,” she agreed more readily, wondering briefly why Corax hadn’t presented it as an option. On top of all that was happening, she did not want to worry about her potential fangs accidentally injecting someone with deadly venom, including herself. 

The advisor nodded. “Go on, now. I’ll be seeing you soon.”

***

Jisu blocked Ember’s kick with her shin, laughing hard enough for tears to pool at the corners of her eyes. “You thought he looked delicious?!”

“Not you, too,” Ember huffed, dodging Jisu’s punch as it flew at her face. “I’m embarrassed enough as it is!”

The panther smirked as they exchanged a flurry of blows. “Relax. Nothing happened, so it’s fine.”

Ember ducked as Jisu slashed at her torso with gleaming claws. “That poor bird is irreparably traumatized,” she argued, skirting around her opponent in order to strike at her liver. The cat lowered her elbow, stopping the punch and bruising Ember’s knuckles. 

Ember grimaced, retreating just in time to avoid a counterattack. In her peripheral vision, she could see that about half of the other students had stopped to watch their exchange. In just two weeks of training together, they had surpassed the majority of the class in speed and technique. Still, though Ember could now hold Jisu at bay, she was grossly outmatched, and the cat took the win eight out of ten times they sparred. 

“Let’s give them a show,” Jisu growled, her long tail sticking straight out for balance as she lept toward Ember with her claws outstretched. Ember threw herself to one side, executing a well-timed ground roll. She raced to find an opening, but Jisu had already re-orientated herself. 

Ember aimed a front kick at Jisu’s ribcage, hoping to force her back. The panther caught her ankle, simultaneously tripping Ember’s base leg in order to unbalance her. Ember fumbled, falling to her back with a groan. “I saw that kick coming from a million miles away,” Jisu commented. “Why aren’t you using that explosive speed?” 

“I couldn’t find an opening.” 

“Then you aren’t looking closely enough.”

Ember rolled her eyes, her foul mood worsening. “I wonder if Carn is still furious with me.”

Jisu looked up from her hand wraps. “What, is he that close with the bird?”

“I guess so.” 

She shrugged. “Just apologize when you see him.” 

Ember sighed, wishing for the thousandth time that everyone would just forget about what had happened. 

“Attention!” Mr. Badger called, and Jisu hauled Ember to her feet. The class formed a circle around the instructor, waiting for dismissal.

“Good work, everyone,” he spoke. “I’ve scheduled our next evaluation for the week after finals, about thirteen days from now. It will be a rotation spar, so everyone will have the opportunity to fight each other. It will be a useful experience for you all.” 

Though most of the class nodded enthusiastically, a couple of the students shot apprehensive glances at Ember and Jisu. Mr. Badger shook his head, looking disappointed. “Fighting stronger opponents is the fastest way to improve. The rotation spar will be casual, but I will pair up a handful of students at the end to further test their skills.”

“Thank you, sir,” the class chorused, shaking hands and bidding each other goodbye. 

“Let’s go another few rounds,” Ember said to her partner, brushing a smattering of dirt off of her scales. “But no talking this time.” 

“Sure thing,” Jisu smiled, revealing her long, pointed canines. 

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