The Exchange Teacher - Welcome to Dyntril Academy

The black room turned bright with daylight as the door opened for Reianna to leave. The boos were so thunderous that Reianna couldn't even hear the announcer introduce her. The little bit of goodwill she'd earned from the crowd for her victory over Lavrence the day before had all but vanished after her friendly match with Luvina.

Jaezmina had been called out first. The aqua-haired girl wore an aqua-colored training uniform. She stood with her fists clenched at her sides as she glared down Reianna.

"Your rudeness towards Miss Banca is unforgivable, Razzle. I will kill you slowly over those ten seconds."

Reianna didn't respond. While Jaezmina hadn't touched Reianna or Fawna herself, she was still complicit in the bullying. Her eyes always sparkled with joy, and her lips always curled in a smirk as she relished the mockery and pain Banca and Haeleigh inflicted on Reianna.

Always the first to give encouragement and praise to Avali when the cornflower blue-haired girl debased Fawna. More than anyone else, Jaezmina's words were responsible for that purple core of evil developing in the once sweet girl's aura.

Rudeness? That's a laugh. Reianna's attitude in the waiting room was nothing compared to the suffering those girls caused.

Pulling out a long, thin sword, Jaezmina angled it so the sunlight flashed off its double edges and blinded Reianna. Once again, Reianna stood across from her armed opponent with nothing but her fists.

The crowd chanted Jaezmina's name, "Jaez-mi-na!" Clap! Clap! Clap! "Jaez-mi-na!" Clap! Clap! Clap!

"Begin!" the announcer called.

The chant ended as the crowd roared. Jaezmina dashed towards Reianna. Remembering Gerenet-Shr's warning not to go too fast, Reianna matched her speed with that of the aqua girl and met her halfway across the arena.

Jaezmina's blade slashed down at Reianna and cut through the air as Reianna spun around it, then countered with a hard blow to Jaezmina's midsection. Jaezmina went tumbling.

Reianna wasn't prepared for Jaezmina's recovery speed. The aqua-colored girl's double-edged blade slammed into her right shoulder, dragging her down. The shield prevented the blade from severing Reianna's arm, but she still felt the impact.

Ready for the falling Reianna, Jaezmina kicked out, but Reianna flung herself away from the contact, rolling over twice, and then righted herself.

Jaezmina launched herself. She flew through the air, landing next to Reianna and using the force of her fall to stab down at Reianna's exposed back. Reianna rolled out of the way, and Jaezmina's blade crashed into the concrete arena, chipping and sending rocks sailing.

The crowd roared.

Unprepared for Reianna to dodge, Jaezmina overcommitted. Reianna unloaded punches into the other girl's face. Jaezmina fell over backwards, and Reianna straddled the fallen girl's chest. Left-right-left-right-left-right. The shield flashed so repeatedly it became a blue glow around Jaezmina's face.

Reianna was upset that the shield was there. Jaezmina could feel the impacts, but she couldn't feel the hurt. Without the pain, she wouldn't learn to fear Reianna.

The shield flashed red, signifying Jaezmina was "dead".

"Winner:…Reianna Santi."

The crowd was still. Reianna got off Jaezmina and wiped at the thin layer of sweat on her forehead. Jaezmina stood and glared at Reianna. Neither said anything.

"Three! Two! One! Round Two!"

Ten seconds! Reianna thought. She could see that Jaezmina was thinking the same. The sword-wielding girl came at Reianna at a faster pace, but it still lagged behind Reianna's speed. Reianna swept the girl's feet out from under her opponent and plucked the sword from the girl's hand as she fell.

Stabbing the sword through Jaezmina's hand, Reinna pinned her to the ground as she drove the sword through with enough force to lodge it into the ground. A crack resonated as the blade penetrated the concrete beneath her hand. Reianna jumped and slammed her elbow into Jaezmina's back, crushing the air out of her lungs.

Jazmina's eyes went out of focus, and her movements stopped. Standing, Reianna raised a foot over the incapacitated girl, ready to stomp down and break her ribs. But she stopped. Her foot hovered there.

Jaezmina moaned and gasped for air. Tears streamed down her face.

Still, Reianna's foot hovered.

"Match over!"

Lowering her foot, Reianna bent down and whispered into Jaezmina's ear. "This is what it feels like." A feeling washed through Reianna. She felt…not as good as she thought she would. Vengeance is hollow. Amidst the mixture of booing and applause, Reianna watched the nurses attend to the aqua-colored girl.

The girl no longer wailed. Reianna knew that pain, when it hurt too much to even cry. Why aren't they taking her away? The nurses jerked and pulled at the sword pinning Jaezmina's hand to the ground. They can't get it out…

When Reianna approached, the nurses blocked Reianna from getting to Jaezmina.

"The round is over, student. Return to the waiting room."

Reianna pushed her way through them. She grabbed the sword and pulled it out. Jaezmina whimpered. Dropping the weapon, Reianna pushed her way back through the wall of nurses, who now ignored her and were rushing to the fallen noble child.

The door to the waiting room was open. Miss Cormick stood in it with a frown on her face. She wouldn't have been able to see the fight, but she would have seen Reianna remove the sword. While Reianna liked Miss Cormick, how she felt wasn't Reianna's concern. Only what Gerenet-Shr felt mattered.

When Reianna got within speaking distance, Miss Cormick said, "You're going to have to tell him after."

"I don't want to." It would hurt him. She didn't want to hurt him. "He doesn't need to know, ever."

Miss Cormick put her hand on Reianna's shoulder. "Reianna…"

Reianna shrugged her off. "I'm not telling him."

Banca's eyes went wide when Reianna walked into the room. "What?! Where's Jaezmina?"

Reianna shrugged. "Still pinned to the arena with her sword, maybe?"

"You lying bitch!" Banca launched herself at Reianna.

For the second time, Miss Cormick slammed the lilac girl to the ground. "No fighting in the waiting room."

"I'm going to have my father kill you!"

"Ha! I'd like to see Duke Jorellan try. Tell him Lady Natt is waiting for him any time and see what face he makes." Banca went limp, and Miss Cormick let up.

Countess Ulivia stuck her head in the door. "Master Basque is here for his child."

Miss Cormick got off Banca, who glowered at Reianna. Reianna suppressed the urge to wave bye to the lilac girl. When Reianna left the room, Basque put his hand on Reianna's shoulder and pulled her to him. "Thank you, Natt," he said. His eyes were locked on Miss Cormick's face.

"Tomorrow's the last day, Basque," she told him.

Gerenet-Shr nodded.

Their gentle golden glows intertwined, reaching out to each other, mixing and mingling like their eyes did. Reianna smiled. She'd never seen such harmony in auras before, not even her parents'.

Giving Reianna a pat on the shoulder, Gerenet-Shr looked down at her and said, "Come on, Reianna. Time to head back."

As they ran through the colosseum, people called out to her. She was a Class E commoner who'd defeated two Class A students. She'd made herself known. She didn't like it, but it wasn't anything she could help.

Maybe this would help her. If she were this well-known, maybe they couldn't disappear her like they'd done to the boy Miss Cormick knew. Since Gerenet-Shr was there, he would stop any "training accidents" that would make abducting her easy and give them a valid-seeming excuse for her disappearance.

Well, if there's someone who doesn't know my name here today, they'll all know it tomorrow.

At last, they made it out to the deserted fields that separated the colosseum from the main campus. They entered their dorm hall, and, once again, her classmates cheered her arrival.

Arion and Xav broke into room 314, the unused one, and declared it party central. Jame broke out a guitar and they sang and danced, laughed and cheered Reianna's exploits.

All the while, Reianna tried to keep the smile on her face and hide the emptiness that dwelled inside of her. Over her friends' cries of joy, all Reianna could hear were Jaezmina's moans of pain. The sparkle of their eyes couldn't overcome the lifeless dullness she'd seen in Lavrenece's. Fawna's hand on her leg was the only thing that kept Reianna calm—the praise was too much. The joy over her hurting other children reminded Reianna too much of the laughter Banca and her cronies had shared. She didn't want to become Banca.

Eventually, Gerenet-Shr ended the party as Reainna still had a match the next day, and he sent his class to bed. Reianna was terrified that more haunting nightmares would come and didn't want to sleep, but her exhaustion soon pulled her under.

After a dreamless night, Reianna woke, feeling tight and sore throughout her body. Pulling up the replay of the muscle relaxants, she dressed and headed out into the audience room for breakfast. Fawna was not awake yet.

Reianna sat at the table and began eating her breakfast, glad that her sleep had been peaceful, even if it hadn't given her body the full rest it needed.

Fawna came out of her room at last, still clad in her pajamas with her blonde hair matted to the side of her face.

"You look like you got run over by a Yani."

Fawna yawned. "Maybe it was the same one that hit you yesterday."

Reianna laughed.

After breakfast, as a class, they ran out to the colosseum. The building was already full of people, and Reianna wished there was a back entrance or hidden tunnels that they could have used to avoid the crowds.

She had made a name for herself; almost everyone recognized her.

"Silver! Horsey on the inside!" a man called at her, saying he bet on her win.

"Miss Banca's going to destroy you!" called another.

But the thing she heard the most was "knoble price cut," countless people calling her the noble slayer as Gerenet-Shr led the class to the waiting room. As it was the finals, there were only five fights, and all years were required to wait in the waiting room together.

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The usual two guards, Countess Ulivia and Baronetess Alestra, stood outside and glared at Class E. Reianna made to enter the room when a hand grabbed her from behind. She turned to look at Taraia.

"Price cut," the lime-haired girl said as she put her hand on Reianna's shoulder.

Jan was next. "Price cut," he said, and put his hand on her shoulder.

One by one, her friends put their hands on her shoulder and said those words. They meant well, but each touch, each utterance made her shoulders and heart heavy. At last, Fawna came up. She wrapped her arms around Reianna. "Just come back safe. Living happily is all the revenge we need."

Reianna wrapped her arms around Fawna in return and tried to keep the tears at bay.

"Miss Santi, you're already late enough," Countess Ulivia said.

Letting go of Fawna, she turned and went into the waiting room, alone.

Like the two days prior, Reianna was the last to enter. While she knew he didn't know about the bullying, Gerenet-Shr wasn't stupid and wanted to limit his students' time in the waiting room.

The room was full of kids, no adults, much larger than her, and Reianna couldn't help gawking at them. She'd seen second-years on the training grounds, but the higher grades trained at a different ground, and it was her first time seeing them.

She'd thought Lavrence was a giant, but he was nothing compared to the fourth and fifth years. Standing by the door was a man who looked like he would challenge Master Harnel in size; his training outfit was pulled taut by his thick muscles. He talked with another boy twice Reianna's height, who was thinner and lithe, more like Gerenet-Shr than Master Harnel.

While their size was intimidating, the two boys' auras were white—they had no interest in her one way or the other. Looking around the room at auras, Reianna's heart fluttered with unease as she saw two auras she'd never seen before.

Purple and black, evil and danger, the white of ambivalence, and the gold of goodness, those were the only colors she knew, the only colors she thought possible, but those two people had none of those.

Sitting alone on the sofa, spread out, interacting with no one, was the most stunningly attractive person Reianna had ever seen in her life. Encased in a royal blue aura that Reianna had no idea how to interpret, the woman's topaz eyes flickered over and across Rieanna.

The woman's long topaz hair flowed down her back, thick and shimmering even in the diffused light of the waiting room. Not just her hair, but everything was luxurious about the young woman, from the slight curve in the smile on her full lips, down to her full figure and long, thin legs.

She had a style that Reianna could only dream of growing into. Her training uniform fit perfectly to highlight how well the young woman had grown without being tight. Miss Cormick was gorgeous. Gerenet-Shr was handsome. This woman was blinding with her beauty. Reianna was awed.

The second aura terrified Reianna. It wasn't black. It wasn't purple. It was a nothingness. It reeked of a wrongness that would devour all that was around it. That wasn't what terrified her the most, though. She could feel it pulling on her. It whispered, "Join me," to her own aura. It was sweet. It was seductive. And Reianna was terrified she would listen to it.

The boy who owned it had a face that rivaled Fawna's for its angelic beauty. She could already hear Avae and Braelyne raving over him. His daffodil hair was more yellow than the golden blonde of Fawna's. He smiled at her, and her heart fluttered.

Putting her head down, Reianna stalked off to a far corner. She wanted to get as far away from the other fighters as possible. Especially him, but still, she felt his eyes trace her every movement; they never left her.

She didn't walk so much as scurried, trying to get away from them, but failing. Finding a far, empty corner, she slumped down, trying to hide, but his gaze still burned into her. With her legs crossed and hands in her lap, she looked down and stared at her trembling fingers.

It wasn't long until a silky voice spoke to her. "Are you really Class E?"

She kept her head down. Her cheeks burned, and she didn't want the owner of that voice to see her reaction. "Yes." It came out as a squeak.

"Hmm. Interesting."

"Pardon?"

"You're very interesting."

Reianna peeked up. Her breath caught, and her heart fluttered. If, at that moment, he told her to follow him forever, she didn't have faith in herself to tell him no.

A royal-blue aura wedged itself between Reianna and her desire. She wrapped herself in it and felt like she was returning to herself.

"Step off, Mister Daymein," the topaz goddess said.

"Miss Loushee." Unlike when he spoke to Reianna, his voice wasn't smooth. When he spoke to the fifth-year mage, Daymein's voice was jagged ice.

After giving Reianna a wink that pierced the royal-blue veil, making her blush again, the boy walked away. Reianna watched him go. She wanted to follow after him.

"Tsk."

Rieanna tore her eyes away from Daymein and looked at the other mage. Her physical attractiveness was intimidating, and it grew even more so as Miss Loushee squatted down next to Reianna. The fifth-year reached her hand out and cupped Reianna's chin. Tilting Reianna's head so that she could stare into her eyes, Miss Loushee hummed.

"He's not wrong."

Those piercing topaz eyes captivated Reianna. Her voice came out as a whisper, "About what?"

"You are very interesting. You're a mage, aren't you?"

"No! I'm not."

Letting go of Reianna's chin, Miss Loushee ruffled Reianna's hair. "You're going to need to do better than that, commoner." There was no inflection on "commoner". It wasn't being said as an insult, but more of a statement of fact. "Try something more like, 'What? Me?' Confusion is much better than denial. And when you do get to the denial, don't be so fierce about it."

Reianna blinked at the young woman. Miss Loushee's smile was filled with sincerity.

"Your first task is to find a way to withstand his pull. Stay away from him until you do."

"First task?"

"I'll keep him from you while I can, but I graduate this year. So, don't take too long."

"Can you teach me?"

The kindness dropped from Miss Loushee's face, and a vivid red aura flared to life. Her topaz eyes sliced into Reianna's soul as she said, "Loushee doesn't like people who can't help themselves. Loushee will destroy you if you join with him."

Reianna's heart raced; the change was so sudden.

Then, as if nothing strange had happened, Miss Loushee's eyes softened, her aura faded into orange, and her smile returned. "Your second task is to find out how to hide it on your interface before they test you." Miss Loushee stood up, and her aura switched to green. "Good luck, cutie," she said, and as she walked away, the royal blue aura returned.

What…what was that all about? She couldn't tell who was scarier, Daymein or that creature hiding under Miss Loushee's perfect exterior. Were all mages insane? Was Reianna insane, but just didn't realize it? She rubbed the back of her left hand with her right. When she noticed she was doing it, she ripped her hands apart and stuck them to her sides, keeping them rigid.

It's okay. I'm not like them.

Reianna felt someone staring at her and found Banca glaring at her from a wooden seat in the corner. Since Miss Loushee had taken Banca's normal perch on the sofa, she'd been relegated to the seats Class C and D had used. Exhaling a long breath, Reianna looked up at the ceiling. Their match was already starting.

Putting her gaze on Banca, Reianna was more than willing to play the staring game with Banca. While none of the other grade years were as openly hostile towards each other, no one spoke. The room was eerily quiet.

"Mister Marvik, Mister Hayard, on-deck room," Miss Cormick ordered.

The two second-year combatants left.

Banca stared.

Reianna stared.

Time passed.

"Mister Rendan, Mister Daymein, on-deck room," Miss Cormick called the third-years.

Daymein took the long way around so that he could walk past Reianna. "See you again soon, my little sliver of moon."

Reianna's heart fluttered, and she blushed, but she didn't break her stare.

"Mister Darell, Miss Camira, on-deck room."

Those lilac eyes didn't waver.

Nor did Reianna.

"Miss Banca, Miss Reianna, on-deck room."

Banca turned her head and stormed off to her on-deck room. As Reianna headed to the second on-deck room, Miss Loushee grabbed her hand. "He can't be fixed. It's a trap."

"What?" Reianna asked.

"Loushee! You've been kind enough already!" The topaz beauty ripped her hand away from Reianna. Again, the royal blue flashed vivid red.

The green aura took over. "But, she's so precious! We should have her! I want her."

"Stop talking!" she said with an orange aura. "You'll scare her off!"

The royal-blue aura came back. "Good luck, Miss Reianna. You should probably stay away from me as well." Miss Loushee laughed.

Reianna just nodded. She entered her on-deck room and calmed her breathing. Daymein and Miss Loushee were problems for a different day. Today, she would end her immediate problems.

Opening up her inventory, Reianna checked that what she was going to use was in there. It was. Butterflies danced in her stomach. After today, "Razzle" would be dead. Fawna would be safe. Class E would no longer have to cower in their dorm hall.

"ENTER!" the announcer's voice boomed in Reianna's room. The wall opened up, letting in the blinding daylight.

The audience was a cacophony of screams and boos. Banca was not waiting for her; Reianna was first out. Walking past the middle of the arena, Reianna let the audience's reaction bounce off of her as she turned to wait for her tormentor.

"And representing the most illustrious country on the planet, home of the best-trained Yani-hunters, and to our forever-king Alexadiam, Kruami's second daughter of Third Duke Jorellan, Miss Banca!"

The crowd went out of their minds as their cheers reached a fever pitch. Some cupped their hands to their mouths to be louder, others shook their fists while wearing looks of rage. Spittle flew from mouths as the crowd resembled more what Reianna imagined a Yani to look like than humans.

Banca strolled out of her on-deck room as if she didn't have a care in the world. Using only her wrist, Banca waved to the crowd.

When she got to a spot across from Reianna, she stopped. Banca's face was expressionless as she pulled out a multi-sectioned sword from her inventory. She slashed out with the blade, and the sections separated. The sword doubled in length as it twirled around, then collapsed back into its waiting length. A whip-sword.

Reianna called up her inventory and brought her weapon out. Banca's eyes went wide, then narrowed as she recognized the lilac fan. Reianna flicked it open and waved it in front of her face before flicking it shut again. It was the fan that Banca had told her to throw away the very first day of school.

"Fight!" the announcer called.

Banca's sword lashed out at Reianna, who twisted out of the way, then Banca's sword did something core balls don't do: it changed directions. With a deft twist of her wrist, Banca redirected the sword-whip.

The section closed on Reianna's arm. Had it been unshielded, the sword would have severed it. Since it was shielded, the blade closed on it instead, and with another wrist flick, Banca sent Reianna twirling across the arena.

Reianna tumbled to the ground. Before she could even recover, Banca's whip came crashing down. Reianna rolled out of the way just in time. The blades shredded through the concrete of the arena.

I have to get close. Reianna popped to her feet and she shot towards Banca. The blade needed space to act like a whip. Up close, Banca could only use it as a sword. Banca saw what Reianna was trying to do, and she backed away while attacking again.

Reianna was already too close for Banca to change the direction of the blade. Reianna dodged the out-going strike and then twisted the other way when the blade retracted.

Using the fan Banca had discarded, Reianna assaulted the shield surrounding the lilac girl. Pouring everything she had into her speed, Reianna stabbed over and over. The shield flashed blue, and Banca grunted under the onslaught. Still, only half of Reianna's strikes landed as Banca twisted and dodged.

Banca brought her sword up and deflected the fan and Reianna's hand away. It was a good move if Reianna was only attacking with the fan, but the fan wasn't Reianna's only weapon.

With the sword out of the way, Reianna grabbed Banca's shirt. Even though Reinna was by far the shorter of the two, she shoved her hip into Banca's waist and pushed, giving Reianna the momentum she needed to haul the lilac girl into the air and slam her down on the ground.

Banca let out an oof as the air was knocked out of her. Reianna stabbed the fan into Banca's throat, and the shield flashed red.

Once again, the spectators were silent.

"Round two to begin in three…"

Banca struggled to her feet.

"Two…"

Reianna was panting. She'd overexerted herself. Tomorrow would be bad.

"One…"

Banca gripped her sword with both hands.

"Begin!"

Screaming, Banca charged Reianna. Her composure was gone. She hacked at Reianna, who easily side-stepped the attack.

Reianna sliced up with the fan, cutting Banca's chin and splattering blood on the fan. Recovering, Banca attacked once more. Once again, Reianna dodged; this time, she backhanded Banca. The crack of the other girl's cheek reverberated in her hand. The force sent Banca spinning away. Reianna looked at her hand. It throbbed.

For months, she'd dreamed of Banca as a bloody mess on the ground. Some nights, as she lay in pain, it was all she could imagine. The image of the blood pooling under Lavrence's head, Jaezmina writhing and pinned to the ground, the lump that Sanya became, one after the other, they flashed in Reianna's mind.

She'd wanted that. She'd wanted all of that, but now that she had it, Reianna felt nothing. No, she felt wrong.

Emmah's appreciation. Luvina overcoming her fear and sitting with Reianna. That was what she wanted. Reianna didn't want to be Banca. She wanted to be Gerenet-Shr.

Banca wailed as she flew at Reianna with her hands out like claws. Ducking under them, Reianna swept Banca's legs and felt something crack. Banca went down, screaming—both of her legs bent in unnatural angles.

"Time!" the announcer cried.

Reianna's vision blurred. It had taken everything she had to beat Banca. But she'd won. Flicking open the bloody fan, she dropped it on the screaming girl and walked away.

As Reianna staggered back to the waiting room, the only sound in the stadium was the nurses yelling at each other for what to do with the broken girl.

"Reianna?" Miss Cormick asked her.

"It's done." Reianna vomited.

She'd won. She'd beaten her tormentors. That was the last thought on her mind before she passed out from exhaustion. And now, the only thing was to wait and see if she'd protected everyone like she dreamed or just put them in more danger. Only time would tell.

END Book 1