The Four Guardians

"Quick! Over here!"

Eva raced ahead towards the library where we believed the explosion originated from. We push through students who all went out into the halls to investigate the sound.

As we got closer we could see everyone gathering around the library… Why is it every time something bad happens people hover around in a circle?

"Tia!" At the centre of the circle, Tia sat on the floor, with several bruises on her arms and legs.

Eva ran up to her and protected her in her arms, she buried her face in Eva's clothes hiding her pained and frustrated expression.

"HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?" Eva's rage flooded into the crowd, petrifying them all, except for the one who stood above her, smiling.

"What am I doing? What is she doing, she doesn't deserve to be here! A weakling like her should not be at this school! Failures like her, are bringing this school down! She's a disgrace to this place and deserves to be kicked out!"

"What gives you the right to decide what she does! Just because she isn't as good as others doesn't make her any worse!"

"Tsk… Protecting that freak… Everyone knows this girl is useless, she causes us nothing but trouble! Because of her, we have to fall behind the other classes. Whilst they all move on we are stuck at the back waiting for this piece of shit to stand up, only to fall again! Because of her everyone is suffering! How can you not agree?!"

The crowd around avoided all eye contact. They all knew it was true but they wouldn't want to admit it.

"So, you bully her to satisfy your ego, huh? Is that it?!"

"I don't deserve this! I deserve to be carrying on with my lesson. Every practical lesson we have, I watch as she pulls the rest of the class down! She'd be better off dead! She is a failure of a mage! She'll never be anything in her life! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE ALIVE! A FAILURE LIKE HER IS USELESS AND NOTHING! THIS THIS TIME! WE NEED STRONG PEOPLE! Not cowards like her."

The bully's speech resonated with the crowd, they began cheering him on causing Tia to bury her face deeper into Eva's clothes, clenching Eva's arm tighter and tighter.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY! IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT I'LL FI-"

"Pl-please don't..."

Tia ran in between them with tears pouring down her face. The realisation of just how much Tia was suffering, made me think about how awful this place truly is… this school will always favour the strong…

The bully watched in anger as Tia's sympathetic eyes stared him down.

"DON'T THINK YOU ARE BETTER THAN ME!"

The bully swung his fist colliding with Tia's face, knocking her down into Eva's arms. The collision from the hit created a shockwave of wind, powerful enough to make all the students retreat.

"Oi… You…" The bully turned his head and looked over at me.

"Me?"

"Who are you… you were just watching us… and yet you were doing nothing… are you not afraid of me? From what I can tell... It seems like you don't have any magic... You want to fight as well?"

He slowly approached, trying to be as intimidating as possible, it's almost amusing.

"That's quite enough, All of you! I expect better from all of you, especially you, Ren!"

A voice called out to us from afar. We all knew who it was and all had the same reaction… except only I knew the terror that would soon arise.

# # #

The four of us were taken to the Headmaster's office. Tia and the bully, Ren, sat down to discuss what occurred.

Ren presented his side of the story to Beck. He claimed that Tia was practising magic inside the library and lost control of the spell, causing the explosion. Eyewitnesses claim that the explosion was caused by Ren, and the bruises on Tia prove it. Although no one would ever believe that...

"Well… I understand both sides of the story… however, this is the 4th time something like this has happened regarding you, Tia. On multiple accounts, you have been taken to the nurses with multiple bruises and scorch marks. Each time someone asks you what happened you always keep quiet, but we always knew what was happening. And each time we found that the cause was you, Tia."

"What? You can't seriously think that Tia started the fight?"

Eva tried to defend her friend but it was useless. I also couldn't believe that Tia would start a fight like this but her reaction was enough to know.

"You… you can't be serious…"

"Indeed that is that case. In this situation, as well as all the others, it was reported that Tia was the one to start the fight by multiple eyewitnesses."

"They are lying! They have to be!"

"Oi, Shut up already…" Ren was getting restless. Although things were going well for him he didn't seem like the type of person to stay quiet for so long.

"After some consideration and discussing it with the teachers, we have decided that Tia will be expelled from this academy, effective immediately."

"You can't do that!" Eva ran up to Beck's desk as if she was ready to get expelled alongside Tia.

"Hey… Eva…" I ran in to stop her. "Let's just calm down and talk this through…"

"Oi… What's this magicless brat doing here? He has nothing to do with this."

"Mr Tempus is currently a guest at this academy." Beck said. "And he also witnessed the fight. I shall listen to what he has to say. Go ahead Mr Tempus. What was it that you wanted to say."

"I believe that you are being rather unfair towards Tia. I believe that Tia has potential. Far more potential than anyone else within this room."

"HAHAHA! THIS SHIT? BETTER THAN ME? I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID! YOU ARE A FUNNY GUY."

"Hmm…" Beck thought about the words I had said. "...Go on…"

"I believe that once you see her true power you'll want her to stay at this academy. I believe this academy has a system in place for times like this, does it not?"

"Hmmm. Could it be you are referring to the Duel System, Mr Tempus?"

"Indeed. I think that Tia can show you her power in a one on one duel against Ren here. Should Tia win, she gets to stay at the academy. Should she lose, you can do what you wish and expel her."

"A battle against a weakling? Sure I'll do it. I'll humiliate her in front of the whole school!"

"Interesting… This really is interesting…" Beck said under his breath.

"Ok… I accept… However, should Tia decline the challenge she will be expelled here and now."

We looked over to Tia's pale face. The reality had hit her. She knew her only option was to fight but she had been told her whole life that she couldn't win.

"This is stupid!" Eva added. "There is no way Tia can win! Tia… you don't have to accept if you don't want to..."

Inside Tia's mind was a mental battle. She wanted to prove herself and improve but was constrained by chains forged from her past experiences.

"This does seem to be unfair… For Tia, who lacks magic to go up against someone who will graduate at the top of his class…hmm... I have another addition." Beck said.

"I believe that we should make this a two versus two instead."

What was Beck planning…

"To make it easier, Tempus shall team up with Tia. As for who will be Ren's teammate. I believe I should suffice."

A two versus two? Me and Tia versus Ren and Beck? What exactly does he hope to achieve from that?

"Why would I accept to fighting? I have no reason to fight."

"Oh, my dear Tempus… If you refuse then Tia will be expelled… Did you forget my position? Or perhaps, are you still injured from those drunks?"

Huh… How does he know about that…

"Tsk… Verywell! I shall accept but on one condition! Give us three days! In three days, we shall hold the fight."

"Very well… I can't wait to fight you… Tempus…"

"Oh? I won't be your opponent. Tia will. In those three days, I will train Tia to be stronger and take out both of you! I shall watch from the back."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHAT A FUNNY GUY! YOU THINK SHE CAN-"

"Silence, Ren!"

Beck's voice echoed throughout the room, intimidating even me.

"Very well. Three days it is! We will hold a public duel in three days from now!"

"I'm glad we reached an agreement…"

The three of us left whilst Ren stayed. We walked down the halls back to Eva's room in silence. I could feel they were both worried but I wasn't going to let Beck win.

"Do you think you can do it?" Tia asked. "Train me… In three days…"

"well of course... after all. You'll be trained by the Guardian of the North."

# # #

"Why did you stop me from talking? That Tempus guy sure can talk a lot of shit. Why even make it a two versus two anyway?"

"Because with Tempus involved it will be easier to achieve our goal… but three days… I do worry something bad may happen…"

"Pfft… what are you worrying about… That Tempus guy is magicless. He doesn't stand a chance…"

"Magicless? Is that how you see him? I'll have you know that if you mess up for even one second around him, he won't hesitate to kill you."

"HA! Like he would kill me. As soon as we step into that arena I'm going to make him wish he was never born."

"You will regret underestimating him. If you think you can easily deal with him you are mistaken. Although you did an excellent job today; if your ego gets in the way of this, then Tempus won't be the one killing you."

"Tsk... We both know you aren't what you used to be, old man... Stop with the pointless threats..."

Beck sat in silence thinking about what he should do. Ren wandered around the room uneasy of Beck's sudden cowardness and fear towards Tempus.

"How do you even know that Tempus guy?"

"He was once a student here, just like yourself, but sadly I had to expel him."

"For what?"

"He let his anger get control of him... He killed several students with no remorse.

Although he may not look it, his anger and selfishness have no limit and if we were to see him at his peak, then this city wouldn't stand a chance…"

"huh... that sounds exactly like what we need..."