Knass and Aidly both turned around, meeting the disdainful eyes of Drianne Benkel. Her muted red skin was looking ruddier today, polished by makeup for the first day of Secondary, it seemed. Her outfit, Knass noted with some feelings of inferiority, was impeccably chosen, perfectly accentuating her figure and complimenting her skin tone. Drianne's flowing blonde hair, which was tinted with some red, looked particularly wavy down her back. The sea of students around them seemed to have made room just for her, her air of superiority ostensibly enough to dispel them. A few other Research Ventis Knass didn't recognize stood by her, likely new lackeys.
"Seriously." Drianne muttered, her voice dripping with disgust. "How low has this place dropped that they would accept a stupid oaf and a worthless human?" Beside her, her lackeys merely watched.
"Wonderful." Aidly grumbled. "It's Miss Superiority Complex herself. I'm surprised you managed to obtain sheep so quickly. Were they selling lackeys, or did your father hire these ones?"
Knass sighed. Drainne had been the queen of the same Primary that Knass and Aidly had gone to, using her father's vast riches to get her way out of problems and her impressive intellect to think of new ways to insult Knass and Aidly. Knass couldn't remember exactly when the rivalry between Drianne and Aidly had started, but at some point, Drianne decided she was a threat. It made sense; Aidly was nice, friendly, and genuine, meaning she would be more popular than Drianne. So Drianne decided she would crush her reputation, until she was indisputably the queen of the school. Aidly was competitive and vengeful by nature, so provoking her meant war. Serious conflicts devolved over the years until Drianne and Aidly merely swapped insults whenever they met. Knass had ended up being bullied as well, even despite being a fellow Ventis. However, Ventis or not, Drianne still subjected him to torment, thanks to his being Aidly's friend. His large size usually ended up being the focal point of Drianne's insults.
Presently, Drianne had just finished rallying insults with Aidly, and had now switched her attention to Knass.
"So. Not going to talk, Doubly Thick?" Drianne asked. She'd always found the nickname clever. Thick because he was large physically, and thick because he was oblivious mentally. Doubly Thick.
Knass merely rolled his eyes. Drianne's insults had gotten dull over the years to the point that he didn't bother being insulted by them.
Drianne seemed visibly upset by the way her name calling had blown right off him. She didn't comment on it, though, and simply sighed. "Seriously, though? How'd you even get in here, Doubly? I thought you were supposed to be dumb?"
Knass opened his mouth to respond, but Aidly interjected.
"He studied hard, like you're supposed to." Aidly said. "Nothing wrong with that."
"I know." Drianne replied, readopting her condescending air. "I'm just a bit surprised. Perhaps there's a little Research Ventis blood in you, after all? Though, that might be a bit insulting to the rest of us."
Drianne's lackeys chuckled.
"So, what classes are you taking, Dri?" Knass said, trying to lighten the mood. He found that an actually friendly atmosphere could be made, as long as Aidly and Drianne were kept from biting at each other.
"Mostly Biology, Chemistry, the like." Drianne replied, seeming to forget the rivalry between them, as she often did when getting invested in a conversation. "I've always been interested on what sorts of genetic traits determine how a mixed-blood Ventis turns out. Once I get my Insignia, I'd love to determine what exactly it is that makes you so Scourging big, Doubly. Seriously, you're a strange case."
YOU ARE READING
The Last of the Anointed
Fantasy"At last, the blast subsided, and Thrennek stood there, winded and considerably weaker than he had been. A pile of steaming ash was all that remained of the monster that had slaughtered his squad. Breathing hard, Thrennek pulled his sword from the h...
