Ashes of the Elite-Chapter 75: Best Of Luck

The thirty of us make a slow procession toward Bragg's improvised earth igloo, the wind nipping at our backs and the sky streaked in the bruised colors of a dying sunset. Bragg, for all his size and bravado, walks sheepish at the front, scratching his head and glancing back at his handiwork like he's afraid someone will notice the seams in the mud. I wonder where he hails from because he does not strike me as a noble.

We're halfway to the shelter when angry voices cut through the twilight. I turn, feeling the old feeling of danger, challenge, trouble on the horizon. A knot of Luxor students is marching straight for us, their uniforms gleaming with the golden sun, faces twisted in something between indignation and exasperation. There's about a dozen of them, but it's the one in front who draws the eye: tall, classically handsome, hair the color of ripe wheat, eyes a sharp, imperious green. His jaw clenches as he shouts, his voice carrying easily over the restless grass.

"Hey! Is that shelter only for your group?" He doesn't wait for an answer before launching into a demand. "That's not fair. If you can make something like that, you should do it for everyone. We have just as much right to not freeze tonight!"

Bragg falters, his enormous shoulders hunching inward as if he's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Uh... I mean, I didn't really think..."

Before he can finish, another figure slips between to stand in front of the Luxor crowd. A boy, tall and slim, with hair black as midnight and eyes the color of fresh blood. He carries himself with a grace that's almost predatory, and the gold Apophis sigil on his robe blazes in the last rays of sun. Something about his bearing cool, precise, utterly unbothered reminds me of Jasper, one of my royal trainers. Jasper was a sadist with blood manipulation they resemblance is their appearances makes me wonder if they're related.

The red eyed boy stops, his gaze settling on the Luxor leader with a flat, almost bored interest. When he speaks, his voice is uncanny too soft, too detached, as if emotion is a something he's never bothered to learn. "Why?"

The Luxor boy bristles, squaring his jaw. "Why what? Why should you help? Because everyone deserves shelter, that's why. If you can do it, you should. Simple as that."

The Apophis boy gestures lazily to Bragg, his red eyes never leaving the Luxor ringleader. "He's part of our house. He has no obligation to use his mark for anyone but us."

The Luxor student's eyes narrow, his voice sharpening to a sneer. "So what? You have an ability that can shape the earth to that extent and you're just going to let everyone else freeze? You really think the rest of us don't matter?"

My new ally just stares. "Yes."

It's not said with malice or arrogance just cold, implacable fact. For a heartbeat, the small Luxor group falters, unsure how to respond to such blatant indifference.

The Apophis boy tilts his head, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Although I am curious how do you know all your house members are useless? Have you even asked?

The Luxor leader's cheeks flush. "No, not necessarily. There's over a hundred of us, we still need to talk and figure out each others marks, but the sun's setting now and the wind is picking up. We need shelter. Now before it starts to snow."

The Apophis boy shrugs, the gesture elegant and final. "Well, best of luck." He turns on his heel, ignoring the curses and threats that follow, and motions for us to keep moving. The message is clear: we look after our own.

I stifle a laugh as we fall in behind him, the Luxor group left grumbling and glaring as we head for our muddy sanctuary.

I catch Bragg's eye, and he gives me a quick, apologetic grin. "Didn't mean to start trouble."

I wave it off. "You didn't.

As we reach the igloo, the wind picks up, carrying the distant sounds of other groups calls, arguments. I glance back at the Luxor crowd. They're already splintering, some shouting at each other, others peeling off in twos and threes, probably searching for anyone with a useful mark.

Inside our shelter, the air is instantly warmer, the thick walls blocking the worst of the wind. People spread out, claiming patches of dry grass and arranging their gear. Bragg ducks inside last, filling the entrance for a moment before settling down near the wall, looking relieved to be out of the spotlight.

The black-haired Apophis boy sits opposite me, his posture immaculate. I decide to break the silence. "You handled that well.

He glances at me, those red eyes as unreadable. "Of course I did, did you expect anything else? anyways we're not here to win friends with other houses. They don't matter.

I nod, respecting his logic even if it's ruthless. I smirk at him "I agree with you, trying to navigate to the Academy with our entire year anyways sounds foolish"

He gives the barest hint of a smile. "Indeed"

"I never got your name, by the way." I say, fishing.

He looks up, considering me for a moment. "Lucian."

I extend my hand "Ayato Daath, its nice to meet you"

He grabs my hand with a grip of iron and flashes me a smile that doesn't look quite right. "Ahh I remember now, you're the one who killed that disgusting boy with the transformation mark"

I smile coldly returning the force of his grip "Indeed"

He chuckles; "It's nice to meet you Ayato, I think we will be great friends"