Chapter Two: Meeting Riven's Common Sense (AKA Helia)

Things definitely were interesting.

Riven was quite proud to say that he only made two freshmen faint this week – and neither of them were his student.

The first student hadn't been looking where he was going and running in the halls – when the freshman collided with him, all Riven had to do stare in silent contempt. As soon as their eyes met, the student whimpered, went white, and collapsed. Thankfully, the rest of his squad came around the corner and took him to the infirmary so Riven didn't have to deal with it. The girl had looked wary when he walked into their training room that Monday morning with a smirk. Obviously, she had paid attention to all the stories about him. When Professor Riven smiles, you RUN.

(Which begs the question of why she agreed to be trained by him but Riven would prefer not to poke at that wasp's nest. No use tempting fate).

The second time was only two days later, occurring a mere three minutes ago. His student had just been soundly defeated in the arena training match and Riven went for a walk rather than immediately meet her at the training room. He was well aware of his temper – if he went to talk to the girl now, there would be less talking and more injury. A senior who he had attempted to give solo training to the year before walked around the corner, saw him, and immediately had flashbacks to that one, disastrous training session.

His collapse was more dramatic than the first student – with eyes rolling back in his head, the student fainted over the balcony headfirst. Riven had to lunge forward and catch him by the feet, narrowly avoiding cracking the stupid kids' head open on the wall below. It was the work of moment to get the senior back on solid ground, but the second his eyes opened and saw the worst professor at Red Fountain he squeaked and fainted once more.

Riven was just contemplating whether it counted as three fainting students or two if one of them did it twice when Codatorta appeared.

The muscled man shook his head. "What did this one do to ya this time?"

"He didn't do anything," Riven began, but at the scary look in his fellow Professor's eyes, he hastened to add – "He fainted when he saw me. Almost took a header over the balcony. If anything, it's a good thing I was here or he wouldn't be breathing right now."

Codatorta hummed. "If you weren't here, he probably wouldn'ta fainted. You've still got a scary look on your face laddie."

Riven quickly tried to school his features into a look of disinterest. The deadpan look on Codatorta's face told him that he probably hadn't achieved it. So instead, Riven shrugged. "Not like I don't have a reason for it."

"Aye. Your student had her first practise bout today."

Riven huffed. Like Codatorta didn't notice – he was the one officiating the matches for magics sake! "So you saw how she did. Or rather, how she didn't."

Codatorta knelt by the still unconscious student and peeled back one eye. "Eh, he'll be right." Sitting back on his haunches, the professor pinned Riven with a stare. "Now listen to me – I understand that you're frustrated a lil' with your student. I didn't want 'er to be here at first either. Girl looked more like she needed a months' worth of meals on a sunny beach somewhere, not an immediate enrolment and catchup course at a battle school. But as Saladin showed me, there's more to being a hero than physical strength or how many duels you win. You can be undefeated in every arena, but that won't make ya a hero. Do you know what a hero is, Riven?"

He scoffed, "Of course I do. A hero is someone who can be looked up to. They protect others. But no amount of heart," And Riven's face screwed up like saying the word physically pained him, "Can make up for ability. And she doesn't have the ability."

Shaking his head, Codatorta stood up with the unconscious student slung over one shoulder. "You'll be surprised Riven. Remember, I had the same doubts as you – that girl turned 'em around. And you know how often that happens."

Riven swallowed. Of course, he knows. The last person to successfully change Codatorta's opinion of them was him.

Codatorta waved him off, even as he began to walk in the other direction. "Go teach your student Riven."

He bit down a retort and walked away. Indeed, he needed to have some words with his student.

The girl was working on her katas' when Riven stepped into the training room. She didn't seem to register his presence. He took the uninterrupted moment to watch her from the doorway, trying to puzzle it out.

As loathe as he was to admit it, the girl had skill. Riven only had to show her a kata two or three times before she could replicate it, requiring minute changes to her footwork and form. When practising against the training dummy, her hits were precise and forceful. They had already been through one dummy when she managed to knock the head off and send it through the open window.

(He still couldn't think of that incident without a smirk – the flying head bounced off one student and onto another, sending both of them into the ground with stunned looks on their faces. The surrounding students were terrified when they looked up and saw Riven leaning out of the window, laughing uproariously. Celeste hadn't found it as funny.)

So in the training room, Riven could see the girls potential. That potential wasn't apparent in the arena.

Riven took advantage in a pause in the girls' practise to move forward and grab her attention, "Put down your bokken. We need to have a chat."

The scared look on her face would have amused Riven at any other time – now it was just a reminder of how she looked when she failed. Her movements were slow and precise as she placed the bokken carefully on the wall, carefully stepping close enough to him to talk comfortably, but just far enough out of his arm range in case she needed to make a quick getaway.

(He didn't want to think about how, or where, she'd picked up that habit)

"So," Riven began with arms crossed, "How do you think you did today?"

The girl made a face – eyes squished, mouth turned down – as she fisted both hands with thumbs out and down.

"Yeah, you did crap." Riven wasn't one to mince his words. "What the hell was that? You do fine in here – why can't you fight out there?!"

Another face. Her eyes flickered to the side where her tablet rested.

Riven scoffed. "Yeah, get your tablet. Can't wait to see what excuse you've got for me this time."

When she didn't move, Riven fought the urge to shake her. "What, do you need an engraved invitation? Explain to me why you failed today!"

Yes, he knew he was being an arsehole. But who knew that an inability to have a normal conversation could be so frustrating?

The girl shrugged, before remembering herself and giving another one of those bow/nods.

Obviously he wasn't going to be getting anything else from her. Dealing with a student who couldn't, or just refused, to talk was both draining and infuriating. "Just – go and do your coursework. Tomorrow, you'll be training against me."

The implied and you're not going to like it made the girl pale (or at least, lose what little blood she had in her face) before she walked quickly out the door, snatching up her tablet on the way. The last thing Riven saw before the door closed was an obscene hand gesture – when he rushed out to really give it to her for disrespecting her teacher, the girl was gone.

The window down the hall – facing outside Red Fountain – was open.

Celeste was fuming. She liked that word. Fuming. It made her think of the kettle in the Institute kitchen, steaming and boiling under her careful eye as she made sure to remove it from the heat before it could start screeching. Her lips formed the word, repeating it even as her throat refused to make a sound. Yes, Celeste was fuming.

With silent feet, she slipped down the outside of the hovering school and climbed in through a lower window. She ignored the way three sophmores gaped at her as they walked down the hall – the smell of coffee was strong, and the bags under their eyes said a lot. They were more likely to brush off her strange behaviour as a hallucination, if they even remembered it once they were coherent. She was intent on making her way to one of the quiet courtyards where she could fume in peace.

Despite Professor Riven's order to the contrary, Celeste didn't feel like reading about Solarian military strategy or Ancestral Witches or hundred-year wars. She missed the way she could read about interesting things in the Institute's library, like that book about ancient societies that she was never going to finish, or that one about Linphea's development of watercolours after increased trade with Andros complete with replications of famous art pieces, or even the Bestiary, a complete compendium of creatures that can be found in the Magical Dimensions. It was a strange feeling, missing a place that she had wanted to escape for so long.

It was odd, longing for solitude and silence and peace when all she'd ever wanted was companionship and conversation and excitement. Longing for serenity over this frustration that bubbled up inside her – a supernova of annoyance and fear and worry and more fear. Despite most students being in class, the press of their presence made her skin itch.

She needed her courtyard.

Not long after she'd arrived at Red Fountain – partway through the summer holidays, while all the students were at home – Celeste had found the tucked away courtyard on the outskirts of the school proper and claimed it for herself. There were enough trees to be a comforting reminder of the Institute, but also a lot of sunlight, which she'd never experienced in such large amounts before. The courtyard was walled in on both sides by supply sheds and faced outwards over the edge of the school grounds. Sandy coloured stones formed the ground, cut around the protruding roots that formed natural benches. Most of the trees were clustered by the entrance. She had never seen another soul there. It was perfect for her to relax, or practise, or unwind without an audience. Just as Celeste liked it.

Except for today.

Celeste watched, hidden in the shadow of a tree, as a young man with shoulder length blue/grey hair sat drawing in a book. Following his gaze, whenever it looked up, she brightened.

Arget had come back!

The silvery-blue bird was preening his feathers, ruffling through the length of his tail and causing vibrant purples and blues to catch the light. There was something insubstantial about him – perhaps the way every feather floated on a breeze that touched nothing else, or how sometimes the green eyes of his tail couldn't be distinguished from the green of the surrounding leaves. There was danger shining as brightly as his beauty, found in the silver-sharp talons and beak.

He was a wind phoenix – a protective spirit native to Aurais – and Celeste's companion for as long as she could remember. He had accompanied her on her first adventures through the mountain range, comforted her with his song whenever the loneliness became too much, let her shelter under his wings when the nightmares came.

When he finished with his tail, Arget looked up at her and warbled a greeting. He spiralled into nothingness like fading smoke. Seconds later, a breeze wrapped around her like a hug. Hello. You're here. I'm here.

The young man didn't move from his seat on a particularly large tree root, so Celeste decided to move closer. From her new vantage point, she could just see the half-finished drawing on the page, and something in her chest felt heavy. If she hadn't shown up, Arget probably would have stayed still. He could be incredibly vain sometimes – he'd sat for enough of her amateur portraits before. And this man's art was incredible! Arget looked like he was about to fly off the page, even uncoloured and unfinished.

She moved to step forward and paused. What if he was like her classmates – teasing her and mocking her over the failed match, sly remarks about how of course a girl wasn't going to be able to win. Or maybe he'd be like Professor Riven, angry and disappointed with that face that made her feel so small, she'd never felt so tiny before –

Arget let out a reassuring trill even as he reformed on her shoulders. The man spun around with impressive speed, hand fisting around his pencil as if in readiness to throw. He relaxed the moment he noticed her. "Oh, hello."

Celeste gave a tentative smile with lips that didn't want to move. Her hand moved enough to give a jerky wave.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," The man continued, "But I didn't think anyone else knew of this place. You're welcome to sit with me." He patted the root beside him.

Stepping quickly around outstretched legs, Celeste took a seat some distance away – close enough to see and talk, but just far enough that if he turned out to be bad news she'd have enough time to get away. Arget settled on her lap easily enough, soothed the moment her fingers began carding through his feathers.

The man nodded towards the bird. "I have never seen such a bird before. Does he belong to you?"

Celeste shook her head – Arget belonged to no one – before pausing and nodding. It was more like she belonged to him. She pointed first at the man's sketchbook and back at Arget. Are you still going to draw?

His response was a delighted smile and a pencil returned to paper. There was silence between them, broken only by the occasional coo as Celeste's fingers picked tiny pieces of debris from cloud-soft feathers.

The silence gave Celeste space to think, and her mind immediately went to her argument with Professor Riven. Well, it was more like a rant – she wasn't really able to respond the same way her teacher could. And how much she wanted to! She wanted to yell back at Professor Riven, scream about scared she was of hurting another student, and how the other students would react if she won, let along injured their friend. She wanted to confess to never fighting a human opponent before that first fight with him last week, how much easier she found it fighting trolls and ghouls and tricking angry trees into the river rapids. She wanted to tell him that she'd do better next time, she'd fight properly next time if she could just be sure – she didn't want to get sent away if she hurt someone badly.

"Did you want to talk about it?" The intrusion of another voice into her thoughts shocked Celeste enough to send her backwards off her perch, hitting the ground hard enough to knock that air out of her. Arget took flight in surprise, alighting on a high branch.

A hand appeared in her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise you were so deep in thought."

Celeste looked up warily into concerned eyes, arms lowering from where they'd moved to protect her head. She took the offered hand, shivering a little at its warmth, and didn't protest as she was led to a closer seat than previously.

"Are you okay? That was a bit of a tumble."

She nodded sheepishly. Idiot, she berated herself, pay more attention to your surroundings!

The man sighed. "That's good." His eyes were dark green, Celeste noticed, like the leaves on the trees. "I was just wondering if you wanted to talk – you looked upset."

Her face screwed up into a grimace before she realised, and she tapped one finger against her throat, opening and closing her mouth for emphasis. She couldn't talk. She'd tried.

"That's alright. Talking out loud isn't the only way to communicate." The man turned the pages of his sketchbook –flashing a glimpse of bright greens and pinks, rich browns and paler yellows, an eye, a hand, a rose – before landing on a blank page. In flowing cursive, he wrote Is everything okay?

He held the pencil and page out to her, but Celeste shook her head. If she tried to write out her answers, they'd be sitting there all afternoon, if he could even read her handwriting. Instead, she grabbed her tablet, opening up to a text screen. I was just thinking about my teacher. I lost my fight and he was upset.

The man hummed before responding. Your teacher is Riven, right? When Celeste nodded, he continued, he can be very angry sometimes, but often he's just covering up other things. He's never as angry as you think.

Celeste shot him a disbelieving face – all high eyebrows and down tilted face like she'd seen the Institute students do – as she responded with He really did look angry. I don't blame him much; I can't explain things to him like the other students can. Celeste barely had to tilt the screen so the other could see, given their height difference and proximity. They weren't touching, but she could feel his body heat and had to restrain herself from moving away. It was like being close to a fire, all prickly heat and tight skin that made her want to move, retreat to the comfort of cooler stone. It was like waiting for a blow that she couldn't see coming.

Maybe you can try to explain it to me? And then you can show it to Riven later.

Maybe. Celeste tapped the side of the screen for a moment, thinking. The man sat patiently for her to continue.

I get scared when fighting, she began, but then backspaced a bit. I get scared of hurting people in practice fights. There, that was better.

The man nodded in understanding. I don't enjoy fighting either. I am a pacifist in that I only fight when absolutely necessary to help those I care for.

Celeste frowned for a moment. She looked up at his face and saw the way it closed off. I've never heard of a pacifist before. I don't think I'm one though. I like to fight, no, that wasn't quite right either, I like learning how to fight, because it means getting strong and being able to protect myself and others. There, that sounded better.

The man's face lightened some, and then she realised. I'm sorry! She wrote rapidly, I didn't mean to be rude. If you don't want to fight then you don't have to. I just didn't know what that word was.

That's okay.

She frowned again. Why are you at a battle school if you don't like fighting? Shouldn't you be somewhere where you're happy? She hadn't been happy at the Institute, which was why Headmaster had sent her here, so she could learn properly.

He laughed. My uncle is the Headmaster, Professor Saladin. I'm being trained to take over from him because he wants to retire eventually. And I don't hate it here. It's like you wrote, I don't mind learning how to protect people.

She pressed her lips together. If she could, she would have made that unimpressed sound of the Institute teachers always made. Okay.

When I was a student, some of the other kids didn't like that I was Saladin's nephew and a pacifist. I think they were insulted by the fact that I wanted to go to art school, not battle school.

I like art! I want to go to Linphea's art museum one day!

I'm familiar with their artwork. My partner is from Linphea, and we've visited it a few times now. I'm sure she'd love to take you on a tour.

Celeste restrained herself from wiggling in excitement. He knew someone from Linphea!

But I believe we were talking about why you were upset. Why are you scared of hurting your opponent?

And that happy feeling was gone. It's not that I'm scared I'm going to hurt them, it's that I might hurt them badly. Another pause, another tap against the side of the screen. Did you hear about the practise dummy head that went flying through a window?

I was there when it hit the students. I thought Riven had done it, given how he was laughing.

Her blush was a radiant red. No, that was me. I hit the dummy too hard and it went flying.

The man hummed. So you're afraid of knocking off your opponent's head?

She glared at him. He was making fun of her! I'm not scared of knocking their heads off, I'm not stupid! I'm scared of hurting them really bad, like breaking their leg or something! I'm scared I'm going to accidently kill them and then I'm going to get sent back to the Institute and I don't want to – no, it's not that she doesn't want to… I can't go back there. Headmaster said so.

There was silence and stillness. The man looked at her words for longer than it would have taken to read them. He put his pencil to the page twice before actually starting to write. You haven't mentioned any of this to Riven?

No. Like he'd listen if she tried. He'd probably tell her that she's being stupid, or that she wouldn't be able to hit them that hard because she's a girl.

Have you hurt anyone like that?

No, but I haven't fought people before. I don't know how hard to hit. Celeste never needed to practise restraint when fighting trolls and ghouls – trolls had such tough skin that hitting them was like hitting the mountain, and the best way to get rid of ghouls is to send them flying. You couldn't do that to people. At least, she didn't see any of the other students fight like that.

Have you looked at your uniform? Really closely?

Celeste looked at him in confusion. What about her uniform? It was the same as everyone else wore – cream and navy-blue full-length bodysuit, with matching boots and gloves, and extra padding on the knees and elbows. The cape could get annoying at times, being a brighter shade of blue and knee length, with a clasp just under her right shoulder. Everyone had a different colour pin – hers was bright purple, like her eyes. What do you mean?

The man pointed at various places with his pencil even as he wrote. The suits are made of a special fabric to absorb some of the force from a blow. There's extra padding over the chest and stomach, to protect your organs. The knees and elbows are reinforced in case you use them in a fight, so there's less chance of injury there. The gloves protect your hands from being cut if you grab something sharp, but a proper phantoblade can still get through it.

She looked over the uniform with new eyes.

Think back to your own fight. Were you very injured?

No, I just got the wind knocked out of me. The realisation made her smile. The suit protected me from a lot of the damage.

Nodding, the man wrote, And you practise with bokken, not proper phantoblades, so you're not at risk of getting cut either.

But I can still hurt people with them.

It's better that they get hurt now with fake weapons, rather than later with real ones. Losing and winning are all learning experiences.

Celeste screwed up her mouth a little. I guess.

And we have some of the best doctors on hand in case of any serious injury. It's never been needed in a freshman sparring class. The last time someone got seriously injured on campus, they were being stupid when celebrating after graduation and decided to jump off a balcony. And even that was only a few broken bones.

She giggled despite herself. Who jumps off balconies?

(Celeste does. Celeste jumps off balconies and out windows.)

Don't worry too much about the other students. They're in charge of protecting themselves in a battle, just like you're in charge of protecting yourself. Defending others comes later. And even if you did seriously injure someone in a fight, it would be an accident. No one's been expelled from Red Fountain for injuring someone in a sparring match. Injuring someone maliciously outside of the ring, yes, but I don't think you'd do that.

Never! Celeste typed rapidly. Fighting is confined to the ring. Professor Codatorta made sure we were all aware of that. Glancing up, she shot the man a smile. Thanks for talking about this with me. No one has ever talked to me like this before. It's fun!

For some reason, the man's smile seemed sad. It was wonderful talking to you too Celeste. I'm always happy to have some company.

How did you know my name? She rapidly scrolled through her side of their conversation, trying to see where she'd written her name.

Professor Saladin told me. And so did Riven, in a way. I've never seen him so fired up about teaching someone. Normally he complains about all the students being idiots and unable of fighting their way out of a wet paper bag, and sometimes I've had to drag him out of the training room to get to his classes. Apparently you're smart enough to find your way out of the bag, even if you might not be able to fight your way out of it.

She grinned. From Professor Riven, that's a compliment!

The man laughed. From Riven, anything but outright disdain is a compliment.

So, if you know my name, can I know yours? Celeste was really curious. This was the second person at Red Fountain to be nice to her, and she didn't want to keep calling him 'the man' in her head.

Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Helia, and I was on a squad with Riven when I was a student. I still kind of am, even if it's not as official anymore.

Hesitantly, Celeste held out her hand. With a smile, the man – Helia – shook it. His hand was warm and dry. Somehow, the contact wasn't scary, like she feared it would be. Instead, it was warm. Like Arget's feathers.

Arget!

Wildly, she looked up at the trees, and breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted him, napping in the branches. Helia followed her gaze. When he tapped her hand, she looked down to see your bird is beautiful.

I'm more like his human but thank you. After a moment, she added his name is Arget.

Helia looked like he was going to write something else, but his communicator started beeping. "I'm sorry," he said, speaking out loud, "It seems my uncle needs me. I hope to see you again Celeste."

As he stood, he flipped back a few pages in his sketchbook before tearing one out. He scratched something on it before folding it into quarters and handing it to her. He waved once before disappearing into the trees.

Unfolding it, Celeste saw the drawing of Arget. Written in Helia's flowing hand was For Celeste. Feel free to come and have a chat with me whenever Riven is being especially insufferable.

Her hands were shaking. He gave me a drawing, she thought wildly. And – and he left me a note! Her chest felt tight, her eyes were burning, but it didn't feel bad. It felt nice. It felt warm. Is this – is this what having a friend is like?

When Helia came across Riven in the communal area of their dorm, just a few hours after speaking with his uncle, he didn't even think before asking, "So how is Celeste?

The look he got in return wasn't nice. "What do you care about her?"

"I met her today. She was a little upset – you were disappointed in a freshman over losing a practise match?" That in itself was a little disappointing. He had hoped Riven would have a bit more compassion than that. Especially for someone who was behind every other student in terms of preparation.

Riven sighed. "It's not that I'm disappointed in her losing, as much as – wait a minute! How did you know? How did she tell you?"

Helia really wished he could pull off the 'one eyebrow' unimpressed look his uncle could do with ease. "Talking isn't the only way people communicate Riven."

"I know, I know, it's just…" The way Riven slumped onto one of the couches would have been amusing if it didn't also look pitiful. "It's different training a girl. Training a mute girl. I can barely train a normal student, let alone…"

"Maybe if you try thinking of her as a normal student, you'd have an easier time of it." Helia took a seat at the man's side. "Now what were you saying about not being disappointed in her? Because Celeste is under the impression that you're upset with her."

"It's – it's not that she lost. It's that I know she can do better." Riven leaned back against the couch, facing the ceiling. "Her ability to learn kata's is incredible Helia. She learns them and applies them just fine on the practise dummies. But the second she stepped into the arena, it's like she'd forgotten everything she'd learned. Her hits wouldn't have bruised a fairy! And then, afterwards, I heard some of the things the other students were saying. Things that, if they had been saying them to me, I would have decked them for. And she ignored them. She walked past like she couldn't hear them!"

Riven shot to his feet and began pacing. "But I know she heard them – that girl has ears like a bat, I swear. She heard them, but she didn't say anything against it. She didn't do anything against it. And that's what frustrates me."

"That she has better self-control than you do?" Helia said dryly. Not that it would be hard. He's like a firework – once set off, he can't be stopped.

"That she had no pride," Riven corrected. "She doesn't seem to have any pride in herself as a warrior."

"Really? Did you ask her about any of this? Ask her about why she did so badly in the arena, or why she ignored those students? In my opinion, ignoring them was her best move. Better to show them up in the arena than try to make empty boasts after the fact. Not to mention, Celeste is mute. What were you expecting her to do?"

"I did ask her!" Riven looked at him darkly. "I even asked her to write it down on her tablet! But she did nothing!"

"Did you ask, or did you immediately start accusing her of things?"

By the way Riven's face stiffened, and his eyes shifted, Helia could guess that the answer was no.

"She's your student Riven. She's struggling and she needs your support. Talk to her, not at her."

Riven threw his hands up. "I'm trying!"

"Then try harder." Helia's voice was sharp. "It's your responsibility as a teacher to help your student, and she was putting out some pretty big HELP ME signs. It shouldn't have fallen to me to talk about her concerns."

"Concerns?" The worry in Riven's voice gave Helia hope. "What was she concerned about?"

"That's something you're going to need to ask her."

The shadows were back. They were different this time, no river and more trees. Her hands (not her hands) were now carrying something cold and rough. It bit into her palms. She only walked for a little while longer before stopping.

With great care, she placed the rock on the shadowy ground. As her head turned (it was too light and too heavy at the same time, no swish of long hair) she could see more stones, ringing halfway around a grassless circle. She could smell something burning.

That deep voice spoke. "Soon."

Authors Notes

Hi everyone! Here is chapter two of AURIX! I'm actually really pleased with how this chapter turned out – Helia is one of my favourite characters in the series, and he and Flora are serious couple goals.

Celeste has gained a new big brother ^u^ and I'm really excited to expand on that a little later.

Tell me what you think, and come yell at my on Tumblr Celebrimbor97

See you next week