242 Fish Slap

The instructors sat down on invisible benches, appearing to be floating in the air. One of them pulled out a device Cerlius had never seen before, one with a hollow, metal barrel that had a trigger and a handle at the base. They all eyed it with great interest, passing it around for each to hold it.

The dozens of students pressed forward. A crowd of gray robes flooded in, Cerlius and his class among them. Most if not all of the robed individuals were younger than Cerlius but his attention was on mimicking the rest, so he sat and waited.

From a set of double rune-covered doors emerged another group Doevm had never seen before. The students' silence was broken by whispers, most of which focused on this new group's "deformities", the inhuman parts. Elves, Dwarves, and Savages. A whisper even questioned if the demihuman servants even deserved the privilege of being there. Regardless, the demihumans smiled as they carried plates on top of trays. Steam and mouthwatering scents drifting through the entire mess hall.

After placing each plate of food, smoked salmon, the demihumans bowed as deeply as their tightly fitted suits would allow them to. A half elf set a plate in front of Cerlius and curtsied with her maid dress, her curly white hair falling in front of her pointy ear. "Thank you," Doevm said, earning strange looks from all who heard him. The elf stiffened, having expected the usual verbal abuse. Her smile wavered as her eyes went watery.

'Idiot,' Larque hissed inside of Cerlius's head. 'Why are you speaking in Elvish?'

'Elvish? I didn't mean to.' Cerlius thought. 'Aside from that, I thought I told you to get out.'

One of the instructors glanced over, drawn by the change in noise. The half elf quickly returned to what she was doing, now with a little more spring in her step.

With everyone still staring, Cerlius picked up the salmon, which still had a little steam coming off it.

Just as he went for a bite, a hand snatched it away. "You…" A voice hissed. Cerlius sighed. Some of the students had stood to their feet with a scorn greater than the others.

'What now?' A burst of anger welled up inside of Cerlius's chest but dissipated, whisked away by something as soon as it had formed. Of the students which had stood, the tallest one with the most hate filled eyes was the closest. One hand was balled up, and the other had Cerlius's fish.

It was not just a fish.

It was not just rage that washed over Cerlius.

It was not just.

'Larque, shut up.'

The student waved Cerlius's fish around, rubbing his filthy, ink-stained hands over it. "You need to learn how things work around here, especially with those Demis. Don't speak their wicked tongue."

One of the instructors looked their way, one in a light blue robe and mismatched eyes, but the other instructors pulled him back into his seat.

Some students had turned Cerlius's way but the majority pretended not to notice. By now the Demis had finished passing around the silverware and were making their way through the double doors. The half elf met Cerlius's gaze with an apologetic look. She tried to walk towards him but she was pulled through the doors by one of her companions.

"Can I get my food back?" Cerlius asked, standing. He reached for the salmon but it was lifted it out of his reach. A cocky grin plastered itself across the student's pale skinned face. His hood fell down, revealing a kid Cerlius's age. This particular idiot had a scar going down from his two thick eyebrows to his deformed nose. What really caught Cerlius's attention was the bald head.

'Eric?' Cerlius thought. 'No, he didn't have a scar. Wait, that's not the first time I've thought about that name.'

"You don't deserve this or my name isn't Travis," Travis dug his yellow teeth into the salmon, chewed, and licked his lips.

Cerlius scrunched up his lips. 'I can't shave his head if there's nothing to shave. Maybe I'll strip him down and make him run around naked.' He glanced at the silverware, specifically at the knife. 'I've clearly been in fights but so has he. After all, it's just a salmon. Maybe I can ask for another.'

Travis seemed to take Cerlius's silence as a pass to continue spouting crap: "Look at you, breaking rule after rule with only a light reprimand. What a joke." He spread his arms wide, slapping Cerlius across the face with the fish.

Warm oil dripped down his reddening cheek. His fist clenched: "Give me back my food."

Travis might have been Cerlius's age but his smile was like a child enjoying a toy. He got close enough that Cerlius could smell his own fish on Travis's breath. "Or what?"

Another burst of anger rose up and dispersed.

One of the doors opened and Lance walked in. His sleeves dripped a wet ink to the benches as he took his place among the instructors. Cerlius backed away from Travis but bumped into the idiot's friends, which had obscured the instructors' view.

"Did I do something to offend you?" By now, most of the room was quiet, and all students had turned their way. "I have not treated you with hostility nor did my words offend you so why are you-"

Slap.