Risen: Beginning of a Legacy

Chapter Ten: Heca

Out of all the places in the Warriod keep, the library was not Heca's favourite. Stuck between a table littered with books and a high rising bookshelf, he groaned, slamming shut the complex sociology textbook in front of him. Proteus laughed at his outburst, handing him a history book that was like a concrete brick, pointing at the paragraph he, himself, had got to making notes.
     Proteus then took the abandoned textbook, opening it back up. Blair's gaze flicked up to Heca's as he scribbled notes on the book in his lap. Heca sighed, his gaze dropped to the dusty old text and without focusing, he began to read.     
     When he was young, Heca had always worked towards this goal. Become the most skilled warrior of his class and get placed in an Intra Terci. Back then, he hadn't thought about the theoretical side of the academy. He had never really liked studying and his family, who had all gone to Warriod Academy, had failed to tell him how class based, assignment heavy the curriculum was. Not that he was surprised, his family didn't exactly do Sunday sit down dinners.     
     Heca knew studying was not his strong suit, and much like regular universities he supposed, there were classroom-based classes to go with the fighting... and Heca hated it. Since starting at Warriod a little over seven weeks ago, Heca had read more textbooks and completed more assignments than he had ever done during his A level days.     
     Even his combat classes came with theory work; learning about the history and correct uses of their favoured medieval weaponry was just one of the assignments given to the students this week. Although, he'd admit, most of the assignments were useful.     
     To the Acadamy's credit, despite all these newfound repeats of spending hours in the library, the combat training was exactly as he always dreamed. Hard work and painful at times, but for Heca, they were constantly rewarding. Everyday his skills increased.     
     'I don't get any of this!' he burst, shoving his chair back so it balanced on two legs ten minutes later.     
     'Heca, it's all part of becoming a warrior. We have to know the summons and rituals; they're all elements we have to learn.' Blair whispered, not taking his eyes from the page he was reading.     
     'Besides, we want to look smart when the Angyali girls come to perform our Primus Votum.' Proteus grinned.Proteus knew exactly how to motivate him. Heca shot his friend and dorm mate a look, knowing exactly what tactic he was playing, but let the chair clatter back onto four legs. His eyes sparked.     
     'Good point. But a thousand words on the social and cultural importance of Primus Votum Tattoos. Really?'     
     'There's a lot of history embedded into what tattoos we gain at next week's ritual. So much influences them, and the things we can try and accomplish to add to our initial markings is so vast...'     
     Blair began as Heca groaned again at more knowledge being dumped on his ass.     
     'We have to start learning early.' Proteus concluded.In an attempt to motivate Heca again he passed Heca a smaller book, which held pictures and captions on the many different designs of the most famous Warriod tattoos. Silence fell again.     
     Heca kept his head down and made, what he hoped were useful notes for a good half hour, then his mind started to wander. He was dying for the Primus Votum to happen, the ritual occurred the night after the Celestial Welcoming. Which, incidentally, was to the entire student body at Warriod and no doubt at Angelus, code for big ass party.     
     Cay appeared at the corner of their table, practically falling into the chair beside Heca. The three boys glanced at him before returning to their books.     
     'Adonis kicked my ass. I'm in paaaaiiin!!' he howled. Heca punched his shoulder, and he groaned more, smacking Heca with a book left abandoned on the desk. 'I just said I was hurting, what you hitting me for?'     
     'Quiet in the library, can't you see we're studying?!' Heca joked.The group laughed and Cay struggled to his feet.     
     'My apologies gents. We've only got ten minutes till dinner, will you check this out for me, I wanna change. I'll meet you in First Hall, yeah?' he asked, handing over a book.     
     Heca grumbled as he took it, waving a hand casually at Cay. Heca wished he'd been out sparring with Adonis and Gabe, not reading.     
     After collecting the relevant books, Heca followed Proteus and Blair out of the library, reaching the doors he took a deep, happy breath. Only to curse on the exhale.     
     'I've left my jacket at the table... take my bag would ya.' Heca sighed. He turned on his heel and re-entered his least favourite area of Warriod. Heca backtracked, and collecting his coat, noticed Alecto emerging from the back shelves.     
     'Hey man,' he said cautiously. The demi god had, since their first competency tests, taken a dislike to Heca. Not in an obvious way but Heca always got the sense that the demi god found his personality, well, disdainful.     
     Heca couldn't blame the guy, he seemed awkward and unsure of himself at the best of times. It seemed to Heca that Alecto hadn't been preparing for Warriod like most of the students here.     
     'Hey.' was all Alecto offered.Heca watched for a moment as the guy struggled with the several heavy books in his arms before saying,
     'Here, I'll give you a hand...' Heca reached out for one of the books that were in most danger of falling. However, Alecto pitched away from him, causing the book to fall to the floor and clatter open. Heca stooped but Alecto stepped his foot over the book, blocking Heca's hands.
      'What's your problem? You can't handle them alone.' Heca burst, remaining crouched on the floor, his hand outstretched. Strange behaviour even by Alecto's standards.     
     'I didn't ask for your help, warrior.' Alecto spat, stooping awkwardly to retrieve the book.
     'Why are you reading that dark matter stuff anyway? We don't have an assignment on that kind of thing?' Heca asked. His suspicions swirled as he rose to fix Alecto with a challenging look.
     'Back off, Heca.' Alecto almost growled.
Heca was about to retort when Eros appeared, striding towards the pair.
     'Gents, what's going on?' Eros asked.
He stopped near them, taking in the tension swirling between Heca and Alecto. He raised an eyebrow at Heca's clenched fists. Heca hadn't even realised he'd been that rattled, unfurling his hands, he waved one towards Alecto.
     'I was offering the guy a helping hand, that's all. He went off on me.' Heca claimed taking a subtle step back.
He shivered then; the room seemed to have dropped in temperature. Although Eros and Alecto seemed not to have noticed.
     'Sure he did Heca.' Eros said in a bored voice.
     'What's that meant to mean?' Heca bristled, meeting the other demi god's gaze.
     'Everyone knows what a hothead you are Heca. I doubt Alecto went off.' Eros said in a patronizing tone.
     His eyes screamed annoyance, but Heca felt more shock than anger. He and Eros sparred often in hand to hand; they got on. Between Eros' extensive knowledge of Judo and Heca's ability to combine street style fighting with traditional combat forms, the two of them went at it for hours and took a beating from each other regularly.
     'What's with the attitude Eros?'
     'Just sticking up for my mate, lay off Heca.' Eros had dropped his voice to near quiet contempt. Heca was almost too astonished to notice the dark shadows behind the two demi god's flicker and curl around the pair of them.
     For a second he could have sworn the shadows moved independently to the people casting them. Heca shook his head; he shot Eros a confused look and Alecto a suspicious one then bolted from the room.