Riven

Sky and I are making our way to our first class. Well, Sky was making his way to his first class and saw me trying to sneak away. Long story short- he's dragging me by the ear to class. More like the arm but still, the disrespect is the same

"You can let go of me now." I snap, voice filled with irritation. "I'm not going to run off."

"We both know you will." Sky rolls his eyes at me.

"Besides," He says as we stop in front of a door. "We're here now."

I groan. Why didn't I just make a break for it. Oh yeah, Sky's puppy dog eyes. Stupid, stupid. I need to stop falling for his tricks.

"Ah, Sky, Riven." Tomen says in greeting from the front of the fairy-specialist class. "Just in time."

I glance around the familiar classroom from last year. The walls are covered with various historical posters. Everything ranging from 100 year old "Join the specialists!" posters to war notifications to- is that a chocolate bar ad?

We take a seat in the back row. Tomen has a rule about filling the class up from the front to avoid people taking the back seats. I guess slowing Sky down worked in my favour. At least now it'll be easier to hide my phone under the table.

"Alright, you disgusting pigs." Tomen mocks from the front. My head snaps up. "Did any of you actually shower after training?" He demands.

I don't know why he's surprised. Tomen's been teaching here half the time Silva has and Silva's like- ancient. Besides, the first years hog the showers. They haven't learnt that 15 minute showers aren't possible here. 3 minutes max. I guess us second years will have some fun educating them and getting them back in line.

"Phone in the box Riven." I look up to see Tomen in front of me with a box filled with phones. So he has learnt something.

"I-"

"Now Riven." Tomen says as Sky reaches forward and drops his blue phone in the box. I sigh and quickly do the same. Well this just got a whole lot more boring.

"Today's lesson," Tomen begins as he walks back to his desk. "Is on Eusebeia bonds. Can anyone tell me what 'Eusebeia' means?"

Head down, no eye contact, pretend to think. 

"Sky?" Tomen says. Thank you golden boy.

"Eusebia is the Ancient Greek anthropomorphised concept of loyalty, duty and filial respect."

Tomen pauses, so does the rest of the class. What the fuck Sky? Sky stops. His cheeks fill with colour as he realises everyone was staring at him.

"Silva had a Eusebia bond with my father." Sky says in a way of explanation, clearing his throat after. 

Sadness flickers across his face and I wish to Helios I could take it away. I wish it didn't cause him so much pain. It didn't last year but this year seems to be different. Apparently Silva's love for him, which he's oblivious too, is no longer enough. He needs to know about his biological father. I thought I saw tension between him and Silva earlier. I guess it has meaning now. Tomen clears his throat to regain our attention. Some of the kids are still looking at Sky though, nosy little brats. Tomen begins to explain the meaning behind the name. His voice is loud, clearly trying to fill the awkward silence. It's not wotking too well but it's getting a lot of the kid's attention so who cares. Except I see one fairy, Devin I believe, eyes flash purple as he looks at Sky. Mind fairy. He trying to screw with Sky's head.

"Oi, Tinkerbell." I hiss at Devin. He has the nerve to look surprised at me as if it wasn't obvious. "Fuck off before I break your jaw."

Devin flinches. I watch in satisfaction as he quickly turns to face the front. Pussy.

"Riven." Sky warns, voice low but I know he's grateful. His shoulder sag in relief. He sighs, "Just focus on the lesson."

Tomen walks towards the board where he's written "Eusebeia Bonds" in a bubble.

"Eusebia bond is the formal way of calling it. Nowadays we call it the much more informal term of- " A pause. If he's waiting for someone to answer he's going to be disappointed.

"Sparring partners." Tomen grins at us. Wait what.

"Many of you will have already developed a sparring partner that you work best with, someone who challenges you and can support you in a fight. Your second year is all about taking the foundation of first year knowledge and using it in a practical way. That includes building your own omáda" Tomen write the last word on the board.

"Omáda refers to a team or pack. You will work together, fight together and many of you will end up forming other bonds within the group."

Tomen walks through the tables handing out massive tomes- textbooks. Apollo above. Kill me now. Can he rewind back to the Omáda stuff. What are these books?

"These groups are made up of both fairies and specialists and what other group of people?" Tomen asks as he finishes handing out the tomes. It's massive. A honest to Helios brick of a book. "Anybody know?" Tomen looks around, eyebrows raised in question.

"Nymphs, shifters, Peregrines, Angels, Daemons and Blood witches. Essentially, what I'm trying to say is that your omáda will be your family and that means there are no limits on who you allow in that group." He continues. 

He's joking right. I pause. So we're just supposed to wander off and ask people to join our little fake family group. Why does this even matter? They barely spoke about it in the first year. I've heard the word Omáda maybe a handful of times in passing. Why's it suddenly so important?

"Does anyone have any examples of famous omáda groups that they know of or perhaps have been told of by their parents?" Tomen looks around the class, a few hands have been raised.

"Yes," Tomen indicates to a brunette specialist.

"Dowling, Silva and Harvey?" She says, voice hesitant. Tomen tenses, His eyes quickly flicker to Sky. I swear someone is going to get hit today.

"Good. The three of them were part of a 5-person omáda. They fought in the war together and we most certainly wouldn't have defeated the burned ones without their contribution."

Say what now? I knew they thought in the war as a team but I didn't think there was some kind of mystical magical bond going on between them. And who was the fifth?

Tomen turns to face board.

Textbook Page: 27-30

Extension Task pages 45-49

"Today I want you to take notes on the different purposes of omádas and why they are so crucial to our way of life. If you finish that, move onto the different types of bonds within an omáda."

Crucial? Crucial?!?!?!?

Chatter immediately breaks out as the students turn to one and another. Some clearly squeal at the thought of being family for life with their besties. It makes me sick... I want it so bad. I open my textbook quickly, finding the right page. I'm trembling. Eyes darting around the class. I'm desperatly looking for someone else who looks lost. For someone else who is confused.

"Silva's been talking about this lesson all summer." Sky murmurs. "He's been obsessing over who I'll have in my omáda for weeks."

Sky knew about this? Silva was planning for this???

"Wait, you knew?" I demand. "You knew we were going to have these- these omádas?"

Sky looks at me, shock contorting his features. For a second, I think fear flashes through his eyes.

"You mean you didn't know?" He's gaping at me in horror. "Your parents never told you????"

"I- " I stumble, what am I supposed to say to that? "Were they supposed to?"

Helios, my voice sounds meek. Sky's eyes soften at my tone. I bristle at the look. But if Sky knows what's going on... then he can explain it. Right?

"You know about bonds in general, yes?" No, no I don't.

"Mate bonds, familial bonds and warrior bonds? The trifecta."

What in the name of all things sacred and unholy is going on. I can feel my heart beginning to race. I don't know what's going, why don't I know yet everyone else in stupid classes does.

"Hey, hey. Riv. Riven, look at me." Sky leans closer, his hand grabs me at my wrist. "Calm down. It's okay. You're fine. Class is nearly over, I'll explain everything after."

I'm shaking. Panic is beginning to set in. I was supposed to have an- an omáda? I was supposed to make a team. I didn't know that. Tomen said everyone has one. I haven't got any friends like that. Hell, I've only got Sky. Sky won't leave me. I'll stay with him. He'll let me stay with him, right?

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We're sat outside in the training grounds. Sky's eating his sandwich as he looks at me. I look down at the sandwich in my hands to avoid his gaze. I can't bring myself to touch it. Apollo above, I need a good smoke. My stomach's in knots at the little Sky told me before he had to stop. I might have started panicking... again. Besides, who wouldn't freak out at the concept of predestined soulmates anyways? Everyone apparently because I'm the only fucker who didn't know. I guess it makes sense now, why dad always called mum his one destined love. Why he would always get so angry when I suggested moving on. And I- I was supposed to have a soulmate.

Bullshit.

No way, absolutely not. Not to mention that soulmates aren't always two people. Or opposite genders. Apparently, soul mates in Solaria are based on personalities and compatibility - that's why we get them later on in life. So we have a chance to develop as a person, to 'learn who we are'. Bullshit. How am I supposed to know who I am? And this omáda shit. How am I supposed to build a 'family' unit? How am I supposed to move on from Olivia? She's my family. Mum and Dad's my family. I've not got any of them and now they want me to just replace them?

Sky looks at me. He must have determined I was calm enough for him to continue.

"However, in some of the other realms soulmates are assigned at birth. They're based on power and magic potential. That's mostly for the blood witches though. They're culture is based around forming powerful alliances and offspring. The peregrines though have a lower fertility rate so due to their more animal nature thanks to the heritage behind their wings their soulmate bonds are formed during puberty between those most likely to conceive strong offspring."

"So-" I pause, hesitant to ask a question. Helios, I really hate showing weakness.

"What?" Sky asks kindly as he shuffles closer to me as some semblance of comfort.

"How do we-" I try to think of the right word. "form.. Our bonds."

Sky pauses, clearly trying to think of the right way to word his answer.

"It's based on magic." He begins. "At least that's what Silva told me. Specialists and those without magic, such as humans, have soulmates. They just can't feel them fully without that magic. They're naturally drawn to each other over time but a fairies magic helps the bond to grow stronger and faster. Then, eventually, the bond will snap into place. It usually happens for the more dominant person first. Personalities can be generally viewed in the old barbaric ways of Alpha, Beta, Omega but those aren't our defining features anymore."

Sky finishes off the last of his sandwich, taking a drink of water as he glances at me. He's gauging my reaction. Fair enough. After everything that happened yesterday and everything that happened at home I'm balancing on a knife's edge of calm. Sky open's his mouth to continue. Sweet Hades there's more.

"Our bonds typically from between the ages of 17-22. Then there's just the matter of finding them. For Solarians, for us, It's like an invisible string that pulls us together. You'll find people will start exibiting different traits and abilities as they fit into their omádas." I'm confused. Sky looks at me, seeing this. "omádas are designed to help us work better, to function better. Again, it can be traced back to the ancient packs of Alphas and Betas but the structure is more watered down now, less defined. There'll be those suited to healing and providing for the omáda, some will lead, others defend. It's all around balance, if one member is hurt the others rally and help."

A team. I can work with that. The omádas don't sound so bad. Especially if they're just watered down versions of old like Sky says. But the Soulmate or I suppose soulmate-s... that seems to still be very powerful and strong. But if I'm not mated to someone with magic I'll never find them? I didn't realise I asked the question out loud but Sky answers it.

"Specialists are lucky though." He says suddenly as he glances at me. "To become a specialist you have to have a certain type of personality. Silva describes it as a magic of our own. In the past and I mean centuries in the past, specialists were rumored to be dragon riders. Fairies had the ability of transformation magic allowing them to shift into said dragons. Of course all of that is just tales and myths, but all myths come from somewhere."

I'm so confused right now. It was making sense but this dragon shit is wacky as hell. The bell rings overhead and students start to pour out of the various exits. At least we have combat training next, I could do with blowing off some steam. Both of us having skipped our afternoon classes to talk. I can't believe Saint Sky would miss class on the first day but I guess this talk was more important than I realised. Exhaustion begins to settle into my mind. The kind that makes you want to curl in a ball and sleep for a good couple of weeks. Yet my body, my body feels wired like I'm having the worst high of my life. I'm shaking and full of adrenaline. I won't be able to sleep tonight if I don't burn it off.

"C'mon," Sky says. He stands up in one fluid motion before turning back to help me up. "We should get over to Silva before he makes us scrub down the kit."

I chuckle. Eager to use the banter as distraction. Training, yes. That will work.

"Nah," I say as we walk towards the rest of the specialist by the pond. "He'd make us clean the bathrooms."

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Sky

Riven and I finish up training for the day and make our way towards our gear. The sun is starting to set and I look around realising we are the last to leave. I guess we lost track of time. I look over at Riv. He looks tired in a way I haven't seen in a long time.There's bags under his eyes, his skin is unnaturally pale and his eyes- sweet hades his eyes. There's nothing in them. They're just dead and flat. My stomach clenches, panic claws at my throat. Why didn't I notice? We've been sparring for the past hour.

"Riv," I rasp, voice hoarse.

He slowly turns to face me. Slow, too slow.

"Hey," I whisper. Taking a step towards him. "Let's get back to the dorm, yeah?"

He nods, eyes turning back to the distance - staring at nothing. Disconnected. He's not here with me right now. I swallow the lump in my throat and begin to guide him back to the specialist hall. My hand brushes against his back as he begins to stumble and slow. I murmur encouragingly. Whispering words of comfort. Promising that we're nearly there. We're not. It'll take us half an hour at this pace. Maybe longer if he keeps slowing. But I can't carry him. I tried that all those times he was high and drunk. That did not end well. Not at all.

We reach the specialist hall and Riven begins to slowly walk up the steps. I glance around quickly hoping there's no one here. The last thing Riv needs right now is someone poking their nose where it doesn't belong. It takes time but we make it to our dorm. Riv leans against the wall in the corridor while I unlock the door. I glance at him, seeing his eyes begin to close.

"Riv," I nudge him gently, watching as his eyes peel open. "We're here. Let's get you to bed, yeah"

He nods. Riv straightens up and stumbles into me.

"Woah, woah, Riv?" his weight is slumped against me. I quickly drag him into the room, kicking the door shut behind us. "Riv?" I ask again

"So-ry" He slurs. His voice low and hazy as if he had been drinking.

"It's okay. It's okay Riv."

I guide him into his room as fast as I can and place him down on his bed. I pull back the covers and straighten the pillows. I can see Riven in the corner of my eye struggling to get out of his jacket.

"Sky," He mumbles so quietly I can barely hear him. "Sky, I need- I"

My heart clenches. He needs help. This isn't him. I move to help him out of his jacket before crouching down to pull off his boots. This isn't him. Riv is the boy who was threatening to break Devin's jaw for reading my head. He's the first year kid who had two black eyes and a twisted ankle the first day. I lift him up, pulling him too his feet, feeling his body slump against mine. He isn't - this. He can't be this. I get Riven in bed, pulling the covers over him.

What happened? I know it's not just the bond thing. I know him. I know how much he wants to be wanted. To be needed. I thought he knew of the bonds. Even if he didn't, they're perfect for someone like him. A way to choose the people he cares about, to pick his family. To have people to lean on and trust. To have people who trust him and really see him.

I glance around his room for the first time. Seeing the pile of washing already accumulating on his desk chair, his bags are still sat at the end of his bed and probably will be for the next three weeks. There's a pile of textbooks on his desk with an unopened pack of notebooks and pens text to it.

I turn to leave, eager to turn in for the night. I glance back at Riven. He looks so peaceful now. I pause. There's a picture on his bedside table. I step closer, glancing at Riv as I do- not wanting to risk waking him up. I gently pick up the frame. It's a young Riven with a little girl on his shoulders. He looks maybe 14-15. The girl is maybe four or five. They're both grinning wide at the camera. Their identical eyes are bright with joy and light. I can't help the slight smile that appears on my face at the sight of the image. It must be his sister. I frown at the thought, Riven never mentioned having a sister. Why wouldn't he mention something like that. I glance over at him. What's going on with your family, Riv? First, the complete lack of awareness regarding mates and omádas. The times he crashed with Silva and I over the holidays. Now a secret sister?

I shake my head. It's too late for this. I gently place the picture back down, angling the frame so it faced Riv before leaving his room. Riv's strong and he would tell me if needed help. He would tell me if the addiction was getting to him. Or if his home wasn't so great. Riven would tell me wouldn't he?