Chapter 12

The days that led up to homecoming were slow, but enjoyable. Run-ins with the other class happened more frequently. As soon as class ends the students were given 2 hours before homecoming officially begins. Marcus wears the new clothes he bought. A navy blue suit with a black shirt and tie. Marcus finishes getting ready with quite a bit of time left before the event starts. Rayner on the other hand struggles to tie his tie. Rayner wears a dark green suit with a white shirt and a brown tie that he can't tie.

"Marcus, can you help me?" Rayner asks. Marcus stares at him holding back his laughter. "Don't laugh, this is important."

"This the first time you wore a suit?" Marcus asks, standing from his chair. Maximus and Elklan are on Rayner's bed chewing on his and Marcus' pillows.

"Yeah… but I'm a quick learner." Marcus teaches him how to tie it by doing it and undoing it several times.

"Do you have a gift for her?"

"Who? Rurena?"

"No, Ms. Reeves."

"What?"

"Of course Rurena!"

"Oh sarcasm."

"So did you get her a gift?"

"No, I didn't think I needed one."

"Fool!" Marcus says, slapping the back of his head. "At least get her a bundle of flowers."

"Ow. Fine, I'll do that, thanks for helping."

"No problem. Hey, is the crystal ball ready?"

"Yeah should be, I poured quite a bit of magic into it. Now remember when you activate it you must have an image of the person you are trying to call and you have to call out their first name and last name." Marcus nods then holds the crystal ball in his hand and starts to imagine the beautiful warrior he has met.

"Bellona Nova." Marcus speaks into the ball. Bellona appears in the crystal ball as if it were a video. Bellona was busy training with a few soldiers. Bellona specializes in the more destructive side of fire instead of precision and utility. Though what really surprises Marcus was that she had learned how to manifest lightning, even if it was slower than actual lightning and less potent.

"Hey! Bellona, can you hear me?" Marcus yells. Bellona freezes and searches vigorously for the voice.

"Marcus? Where are you?" Bellona calls.

"Hey, it worked!" Marcus cheers.

"Great, I'm going to get some flowers. Meet you at the entrance?" Rayner yells, opening the door.

"Yeah, be there in a bit." Marcus turns back towards the transparent ball in his hands and smiles.

"Marcus, how are you doing this?" Bellona cries.

"This is magic. When you find a crystal ball and pour lots of magic energy into it, after a certain amount of time you visualize a person and say their first and last name. That's probably the only way to see each other unless of course we meet up." Marcus explains. Bellona excuses the soldiers and wipes off her sweat with a hand towel.

"So what are you doing tonight?"

"I'm going to participate in homecoming."

"With who?" Bellona asks with a pout.

"No one special except for some friends, no one accepted my invite."

"So you did invite other girls. When I'm waiting for you to return."

"Yes, but hear me out, I want a harem." Silence creeps in the air.

"Say sike right now." Bellona says in a serious tone.

"You know I'm not the type of guy to lie."

"I can forgive you flirting with me and Fiona, but other girls."

"I'm working on getting them to fall in love with me, so I can introduce them to you guys." Marcus gets silent as he notices bursts of flames manifest around her. "Bellona, don't get jealous."

"I'm not."

"We aren't dating and I don't plan on dating anyone unless they agree on my ideals. I know it's selfish, but it's what I want and I won't force anyone to see the way I do."

"Have a great time Marcus. I hope you find the ones that agree with you."

"Bellona!" The connection breaks and the crystal cracks in half. "What the hell?"

Some time later Marcus arrives at the entrance of the dorm with Rayner waiting for his date. Rurena walks out with her flowing pink hair reaching her hips, she has captivating bright purple eyes. Her fluffy fox ears blend with her hair and she has a singular pink fur tail with a white tip. Her white and pink dress draws eyes of all kinds to her ample body before being focalized onto her cute face.

"Great choice." Marcus whispers to Rayner, nudging him a bit.

"I am, aren't I!" Rurena speaks. Marcus goes a bit ahead giving them some room. Rayner takes Rurena's hand and gives her a bundle of nine pink flowers with white tips and purple dots scattered around. "It's not much, but I hope you like it. It reminds me of you."

"Thanks. They're beautiful, I really like them." She says with a sincere smile. She kisses him on the cheek before they follow Marcus. They walk to the location of the homecoming, and are in awe at how many people are arriving with dates.

Marcus looks for a table while Rayner and Rurena head to the dance floor and spend time together. Once he secures a table he guards it while observing the dance floor to see if he recognizes any couples. After some searching he spots Arthas with Akane talking at a table on the other side of the room.

"Are you having a good time?" Arthas speaks. The instruments are loud, but not to the point that one has to scream. Arthas and her just got done with a few songs and are taking a break. Akane is so stunning that Arthas can't take his eyes away. Her dress is white, and connects to her neck, and it reaches her ankles. It was sleeveless, low-cut, outlined her ample figure and it had thigh-high slits. Under her dress was a black skin tight, transparent shirt that gloved her hands, while also being connected to her neck, and she had thigh-high stockings with black heels. Arthas thinks about apologizing to Drake. He definitely doesn't regret getting the suit.

"Yeah. I'm having a great time." She says with a smile. His heart beats faster as he continues to stare. Though it's odd, it reminds him of Celeste when he first saw her. "Nice suit, the pure white looks good on you."

"Thanks. You also look stunning."

"Thanks again." She says blushing.

"What are you planning to do after the 4 years of the academy?" He asks.

"Oh, I want to help out in the war against the king of Seairon. Hopefully he doesn't reach my family's home before I graduate, or even better we win the war before we graduate."

"Oh that's cool. I just want to be a Magic Knight."

"Really! That's such a hard position to get into. I'm surprised you're trying to obtain it. Any reason for it?"

"They give their lives to protect the realm from unranked monsters. Why wouldn't I try to become one when I can protect those I care about from the true threats."

"I guess, but they don't get breaks. They fight the big battle, but what about the ones that involve the nations."

"If the big battles aren't fought, there wouldn't be any nations." He claims. "W-we should stop before this gets out of hand. I don't want to start a debate."

"Yeah, you're right. Want to dance again?" Akane asks, standing from her chair waiting for him. They take each other's hands and begin to dance. He spots Marcus giving him a smug smile while giving a thumbs up. He mouths to shut up. Marcus chuckles and points to Drake and Arthas' sister, Nora, dancing as if they're in their own world.

Her long flowing black hair reaches her waist and she has similar styled horns to Arthas, except they were black. Her eyes are the color of gold with hints of emerald. She looks at Drake with a coy smile. As she twirls around, her black muscular tail nearly smacks his leg.

"Sorry." She says touching his arm for a moment. She wears a white ribbon-tie dress with a black jacket. She also wears a white, frilly skirt that reaches past her knees and a gold brooch that looks like a dragon's eye, on the middle of the ribbon-tie. She has white stockings under her black leather heeled boots. Her dress hides her well-endowed figure while adding a hint of mystery to it.

"No, it's fine. You seem to be having fun. That's all that matters." She smiles and grabs his hands to take the lead.

"We've been dancing by ourselves this whole time. I think we should change it up a bit." They make their way towards the back, not trying to disturb those around them. With each step they continue to hold hands. Their bodies press against one another with a small gap between their faces. They freeze for a moment collecting their thoughts and try to hide the obvious blush from the both of them even though both have seen it.

"Want anything to drink?" Drake asks, trying to eliminate the silence.

"Ah yes please, some water would be great." He walks away not realizing that they are still holding hands. He slowly feels her touch slip away. He glances at his hand before grabbing two cups and filling them with water. Nora who's looking at her hands, as soon as she notices Drake approaching she changes her posture.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, Yeah." She says, reaching for the cup and taking a sip. They set the cups on a nearby table before gazing at each other. "Arthas might get mad seeing us together. He can be a little overprotective." She confesses, grabbing his hand and trading places with him. Her back now faces the rest of the party. With fingers interlocking they sway in place.

"It's fine, I'll handle it."

"This is nice, two people who couldn't find dates use each other." Nora states

"Yeah, I'll do this again if you're fine with me."

"I'll have to think about it, you are my brother's friend after all." She jests. He laughs and glances towards the rest of the party. He notices Arthas looking at them with confusion, mouthing what the hell.

Marcus remains at the table with drinks prepared for Rayner and Rurena. He watches the tension of Arthas and Drake with enjoyment as he waits for Rayner and Rurena. Rayner sits across from Marcus. Rurena places a drink in front of Marcus before sitting next to Rayner.

"Drink up, Mr. Loner. Rayner tells me you got dumped by your girlfriend." Rurena teases. She takes a sip from her drink. "Gross apple juice."

"I like it." Rayner states.

"I'm not a loner, I've got you guys and we didn't break up since we aren't dating. She's just mad about something I said." Marcus states, drinking from the cup and immediately recognizes the taste, beer. "Gross." He pushes the beverage towards Rurena and grabs the cup of apple juice. "Now this is simply divine."

"That was mine."

"You said gross."

"Doesn't mean I don't want it."

"Well, now you got beer." Celeste slams the table with a drink in her hand, some spills.

"Marcus have you seen… Arthas!" She yells as she spots Arthas alone. She gives him a wave before turning back to Marcus. "I mean Lilith."

"No, wasn't she with you?"

"I… I don't think so." She places her hand across her face. "Oh wait, she's at the fountain. She said she had to do something."

"Jesus, stop drinking." Marcus insists, taking her drink. "Go to Arthas and tell him he owes you a dance." Marcus stands and closes his eyes to feel vibrations of the ground. Searching through each of the vibrations is a pain and time consuming, but he manages to locate Lilith arguing with someone. "Sorry guys I have to go, I'll be back soon."

"Arthas, you owe me a dance!" Celeste shouts as she approaches Arthas. She wears a similar dress to the one they first met except this one has more frills on the edges. He stares at her as she gives a big smile. She's gorgeous, and he knows it. He feels his heart beat against his chest.

"I'm on a date with someone." He claims.

"Oh they can join too." She grabs his hand and drags him to the dance. They dance for a song, and another, and another. He loses track of time because of her insane stamina. It's as if she hasn't broken a sweat. He sits and rests trying to catch his breath. She joins him sitting across from him. Her undivided focus is on him as they gaze into each other's eyes. Akane joins them with a heavy smile.

"Arthas, I'm going to bed. Have fun." She says kissing him on the cheek.

"Ah ok. Sleep well." With her gone they are left alone once again at the table facing each other. Though Celeste decides to break the silence.

"Arthas."

"Yes?"

"I want you to know I don't hate dragons." Her voice cracks for a moment. There were no tears or guilt, only anger. "But I can't forgive them." She drinks another cup of alcohol.

"I understand, my ancestors haven't been kind to anyone." She gives a weak smile.

"Arthas, can you take me to my room? I'm tired." Her soft voice sways his decision.

"Yeah, sure. Why not." Arthas agrees, drinking her last cup of alcohol.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, it's called taxes." She giggles at his joke, nodding with agreement. They walk back to the girls building with Celeste clinging onto him. He supports her as they walk.

"I can walk by myself, I'm super sober." She laughs, barely speaking clearly. She wobbles to the side. Pointing at the structures and leading Arthas on detours.

"Celeste, I'm gonna end up dying at this pace."

"You're…! You're fine…! You won't die!"

"You really drank a lot… Is there a special occasion?"

"Of course! I drank and drank… and drank because you guys impressed me so much." They finally reach the floor, but Arthas doesn't know the room number.

"Celeste… What's your room number?" He asks in a daze. She rubs her head against his back.

"It's… 28." she murmurs.

"Ah, that's near the end." Arthas states. He walks to the room down the hall and feels a key against his hand along with another holding on to it. He takes the key after a moment and unlocks the door. "Whoa! Magic." She laughs. Arthas plops her on the bed before sliding onto the floor against the bed.

"I'm tired." She rustles around trying to get comfortable and ends up on her side facing the back of Arthas' head.

"I'm tired, let me rest for a few minutes before I go." He says.

"You were really good today…" She compliments as she stares at his white hair.

"I used to dance with my sister all the time. Guess I picked up a few things."

"That's adorable." She laughs. "Arthas…" She calls tapping on his head lightly.

"Hmm?"

"I didn't mean to get into a fight with you guys. Lance is just impulsive and threw his name out. Demons have to defend the honor of our names. It had nothing to do with you being a dragon… I'm sorry." Arthas remains silent thinking about what to say.

"To be honest… I didn't mind the fight, it showed me how weak I am compared to you. Not once did I feel you did it out of hatred or pride. I felt genuine joy coming from you when we clashed. It does make me a bit sad that you would think like that." Celeste sits up.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's not like you did anything wrong. It was just a friendly duel."

"You didn't quit no matter how hard I hit… you kept getting up with a smile on your face. You act kind and serious when you need to. You're really cute." Her face grows red as she speaks. She sits so that he's between her legs and lifts his chin to face her, carefully in a way that his horns don't pierce her. His heart skips a beat as she's inches away. She presses her lips against his, sliding her hand on his chest. They hold for a moment not going further than lips.

Arthas snaps back from his dazes as he notices her alluring gaze. She breaks eye contact and looks back at him once he stands.

"I-I should get going… boys aren't allowed here after hours…" She grabs his arm to stop him.

"Where are you going?" Arthas gets bright red as he stares at her. "Don't go yet, I'm bored. Stay with me…" She gives him a concerned glance. He kneels down and holds her hands.

"Celeste, we both drank a lot today. One cup was hard on me already. You should go to bed first, I'll come by in the morning."

"Not ok. I know that I drank too much and am a little drunk…" She shakes her head focusing on her eyes. "That's why you should stay with me, I'm really bored and drunk. You don't have to come in the morning if you stay today right."

"Th-that's not fair, you can't just do whatever you want just because you admit that you're drunk. That's very sly." She embraces him, pressing her chest against his.

"You're right, I am sly."

"Damn you smell nice." He chuckles, instinctively sniffing her hair.

"I'm a sly demon, so don't leave me right now."

"What am I going to do with you?" He gets lost in her eyes before coming up with an idea. "I'll give you an option. I can leave after we chat and you fall asleep or we can kiss once more before I leave." She stays silent for a bit before she pats on the bed, inviting him to sit beside her. He complies before speaking again.

"Alcohol makes my head dizzy." She says before glancing at her as she interlocks fingers with him. "My heart is beating super fast. I don't feel tired yet." She brings his hand against her cheek. "Your hand is so cold, it feels nice to touch." She gives him a seductive glance before kissing one of his fingers. The only sound in the room was their heartbeat. She guides his hand to her chest. "See, it's beating fast, right?" She leans in closer with his hand still on her chest. "It's only like this because of you." She announces. He glances away from embarrassment, before meeting her alluring gaze.

She places her hands against his cheeks and goes for a passionate kiss. She pulls him closer not wanting to separate. They both open their mouths for a bit enough to exchange saliva. Her lips are softer than a pillow. Their tongues intertwine briefly. She pulls away leaving a trail of the saliva.

Her gaze is lustful with joy, but so is his and he knows. He wants more of her. She's definitely horny like him, if he doesn't do something they'll eventually have sex. He notices a slight strain of saliva from her mouth as she tries to control her breathing. With her blush she's ten times more enticing.

"All right, I'll take the lead. But I'm warning you we're only going to kiss. Anything more and I'll leave." She shifts to a moment of sadness, but smiles nonetheless.

"Okay!" He finally holds her with his arms and she trembles slightly. She supports herself against him. "Please teach me, master." She whispers softly against his ears. At that moment he was going to forget about the deal and pounce on her. Thankfully, he restrains himself. Though the next moment was blurry as he found himself listening to the sound of tongues entwining.

Her soft lips feel so good, that he almost forgets to breathe. Every time their tongues touch, her cheeks turn a darker shade of red and her soft moans grow sweeter. She tastes sweet like candy. Her tongue twists and turns inside his mouth, sending currents of electricity through his body.

She closes her beautiful eyes and indulges, not phased by the strand of saliva running down her chin as they make out.

"Ah… So good… Don't stop." They're entangled in a kiss more passionate than before. "Arthas… Let's do… it." Another, and another. With each kiss, their burning passion grows. She is learning how to inspire the thrill and hunger within him, as she holds him tightly not wanting to separate. He can feel her body heat through her dress. With beseeching eyes and blushing cheeks, she encourages him. The sweet kisses break down all inhibitions. "... I want more." Her hot sigh tickles his cheeks, and her smoldering gaze drives to question his restraint.

"So do… I." That erotic expression on her face strokes his desire. He grabs her large breast as he continues to kiss her once more. They're soft even if he's grabbing them clothed. She moans softly, like she wasn't expecting them to be grabbed.

"Arthas… Arthas!" She murmurs deliriously, lingering in the afterglow of our kiss, a look of mixed satisfaction and hunger on her face. He can tell they're reaching their limit.

"Let's stop… here." He responds.

"I want… to keep going."

"So do I…" He brushes her hair and follows it to the tips before grabbing her waist. He leans in once more softly brushing against her lip, just long enough to feel her warmth and taste the lingering sweetness. "But I have to get going. See you tomorrow." He says exiting the room leaving her on the bed breathing heavily.

Marcus approaches Lilith's location with caution. She stands confronting another familiar person.

"Dragons aren't things that you can negotiate with, they take what they want and kill anyone in their way!" Lance yells.

"We have to try! If we continue to brand them as the enemy then we will start another war, sooner or later!" Lilith argues.

"And we'll win, they don't have any living Ancients. Their foot soldiers are a joke in strategies, they just go in head first hoping to win."

"Yet they always win the battles! We are always underestimating them and we don't understand anything about them. We could share our lands and become a united empire, one that could bring peace to the Eastern Continent for centuries." Lance slaps Lilith across the face. A surge of violence overwhelms Marcus. He makes his way to them on instinct.

"We will never side with them, not after everything they have done. They've killed millions of us while not feeling anything. Remember what they did to your family." Marcus forcefully turns Lance and grabs his neck. He still has enough control not to squeeze it, but he does lift him off the ground with ease.

"Marcus stop!" Lilith pleads, her scared voice purifies the aggression. Lance glares at him with fear and anger.

"Don't touch her… ever again." He manages to say before dropping Lance.

"Don't get cocky just because you beat me once, you freak." He spat before walking away massaging his throat.

"Are you ok?" Marcus asks. She has her hair in a French braided crown, with her hair being more wavy at the ends. She is wearing a bright blue lily flower as a hair accessory.

"I'm fine. I'm used to it." A soft breeze twirls around Marcus. "I get hurt a lot from my training with Celeste." Lilith grabs his hand and puts them on her red cheek. "Let's forget about this. It doesn't sting much. Let's go to the dance and have fun." He looks at her pleading eyes. She has a similar dress to the one they met in, except this one was bright blue like her flower and it has a large black ribbon on the side of her waist.

"I have a better plan."

"What?"

"I have something to show you."

"What is it?"

"You said you like dragons. Do you want to see one?"

"Is there one nearby?" Lilith asks with excitement.

"Kinda… Come forth, Maximus." Her face lights up as if she'd forgotten everything that just transpired.

John and Helena decide to sit after a long session of dancing. They drink alcohol throughout the whole night getting tipsy. They usually don't touch alcohol, but today was an exception. Darius and Alexander attempt to slow John's alcohol consumption, but end up joining in.

"John, I feel dizzy. Can you help me get back." Helena states as she uses his body for balance. She grips onto his arm and holds onto it as support.

"Sure, I don't mind." John answers without a second thought. She looks up at him.

"Thanks, John." She whispers. He leads the way asking where her room is. She falls onto her bed and laughs. She wears an off-the-shoulder violet dress with a low-cut style, she also has black stockings. She stretches her arms towards him. "Come here." She says in a seductive tone. Her arms are sleeved with thin black gloves that reach past her elbow.

"Helena, what are you doing?" John asks. Both of his arms pressing against the bed while her hands wrap around his neck. They stare deeply into each other's eyes. She pulls herself to his face and he lets himself down meeting her lips halfway.