A New Home
1542 Words
"You're the God of Gravity, aren't you?" asked someone that I can't see.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I am the one who asked the question first!"
I looked up, and there's this guy who is about my age standing over the top of a branch of a dead tree at my right. His hair is very long and pure black. His body stature looked just like mine. He wore an armor without a shoulder plate. He has these two long fabrics behind him as his capes. He wore leather trousers. The tree branch is way above me. It is ten meters high, as I could estimate it.
"You won't answer?" he asked with a threatening voice.
"You asked me first, so it is just that you introduce yourself first."
He looked at me with fierce eyes. He went down the tree branch. He landed with a punch on the ground. I felt it shaking a little bit, and the leaves around him, along with the dust flew around. He walked towards me with a pace. I didn't move back. I sure he's a demigod.
He looked at my face and said, "You think you're so tough, huh? Well, take this!"
He pulled a classic right hook stance. Unfortunately for him, I can see where his punch will go. My father taught me how to dodge this. The punch will go on my face. He has very great speed, faster than my father. I leaned to my left and barely dodged it. He prepared a left hook. This will gonna make him rotate, so I bobbed and weaved to the right. I pushed him away, and I am very surprised that he is very sturdy! My push just dealt him just to step back a little. If he's a normal person, he might have gone three meters away from me.
He looks furious and pissed.
"I don't want to fight!" I said.
"I am gonna beat you up!"
Yikes, I cannot win against this demigod! He started to charge at me. He leaped while preparing a punch.
"Stop!" said a grownup. He just appeared right in front of me. I wasn't able to tell where he came from. He stopped the demigod child by grabbing his head by his big hands. The demigod child struggled to get out of this grownup's grip.
"Making a fuss in your first day in the academy, eh Darius?" said the grownup.
"Let go of me! Arghh! You always get in my way!"
The grown up turned towards me. He wore an armor that looked similar to Darius, but it is much more intricate.
"I am gonna be your instructor in physical combat," said the grownup. "Address me as Mr. Estevan." He put down Darius, and he went away looking angry. "Sorry about that," he said to me.
I just nodded politely. "I am Leonide Padine."
"So, you are the God of Gravity..." He sighed softly. "It is a shame that he didn't make it..." He had this face of sadness.
"Who, do you mean?" I asked.
"The God of Gravity before you. Now that you are the new bearer of that power, it is evident that he died. He had a mission on Mars, under the command of Silva, the Goddess of Metal. She always goes with the suicide tactics. I guess he was given a mission that is impossible to get back alive..." He looked up but then changed his face into a smile. "Setting that aside, let me show you to your dorm."
I followed him to the big building. He said that this is where all of the trainees stay. We went to the southward part of the building, which is a turn to the right. There are many other demigods and demigoddesses walking around the halls. Most of them greeted Mr. Estevan as they pass by. No one paid attention to me as I walked behind him. The inside of this building is quite luxurious. There are many paintings on the walls and fine furniture. This building is made up of mostly wooden decorations and wooden walls. They are varnished and sculpted beautifully. There is even an incense I can smell in the air. The lightings here are well placed, which made the hallway bright as being under the daylight. At our right, is a series of tall arching open windows that let the fresh breeze enter the building.
We stopped in front of a door, and he said, "So this is it, this is your room. Note that you aren't the only one will be using it, but the three of you boys." He unlocked, opened the door, and there are these two guys on the floor, playing chess.
They stood up, and greeted, "Good morning, Mr. Estevan!"
"Good morning, Sander and Philip. This is Leonidas Padine."
"Uh... Leonide," I corrected him.
"Leonide I mean, pardon me. Leonide, meet Sander and Philip, your new roommates."
Sander doesn't look like a demigod, but a wimpy kid like me. He wore a sleeveless white shirt and black shorts. Philip is wearing a jacket with the jeans, and he looks like a cool kid.
"Nice to meet you, Leonide!" they said when they shook both of my hands. Sander shook my left and Philip on the right.
"I'll leave you guys now," said Mr. Estevan.
"Thank you, Mr. Estevan," they said.
He left me with these two and went to some other place. I entered the room, and I am surprised that it is actually huge inside. It is much like my room with all the posters and collectibles, but it is four times bigger. These guys are not that different from human kids like me.
They continued to play their game, while I unloaded my things on the available bunk, which is located near the window and to the left. It's a two-person bunk bed, and the empty one is on the top.
"You guys don't mind if I take the top bunk?" I asked.
"Yeah, go ahead," said Philip while playing the game. "No! I lost again?"
"Hahahah... You're still young at this game, Philip!" laughed Sander.
I reached the top of the bunk bed. It is very big compared to my bed back at home. I touched it with my palm, and I realized that my bed is still the better one. I am starting to miss home.
"Leonide, do you play?" asked Sander.
"Not much," I said as I turned around while climbing down the ladder. I sat down as Sander moved away from his spot on the chessboard. I guess I am playing against Philip.
"You know all the rules?" asked Philip.
"Yeah, don't worry about it," I said.
"Okay, you start as white."
I won without breaking a sweat.
"Nooooooooooo!" said Philip. "Why are you so good?"
"I won a chess tournament in my town, and I played this game since I was five."
"Wow. At the human tournament?" asked Sander.
"Yeah," I said.
"That's great!" he said.
He replaces Philip at his spot and played against me as white. We started with the opening, and I noticed that he is good with the opening. I just need to mess it a little and throw him into confusion. I successfully did it by cutting off his pawns with some sacrifices. Then the things just came after another, and eventually, I got his queen in a pinning tactic. He had no choice but to abandon it. I won the game after a couple of minutes.
"Oh no!" said Sander. "My winning streak is broken!" He covered his face while facing the ceiling.
"Humans are pretty good in this game, aren't they?" said Philip.
"Uh no," I answered. "Some humans are, but most don't even know how to play this game."
"Oh...." they said.
"By the way," said Sander. "we need to prepare for the assembly at the field."
"What for?" I asked.
"I don't know, but it was announced just this morning."
"Okay," I said and changed into the uniform that is already on the closet which they assigned to me. It was grey. There was even a cap that has "I" embroidered on the front of it, and on my left and right sleeves.
The two also changed, and I followed them to the assembly field. It is located in the east of the building. I thought deeply about this place. I realized I am not that comfortable here compared to when I am home. But I think that this is an opportunity. Mom told me to never let go of opportunities when they come because not all are able to have it. I guess I just have to make this place my new home. I felt worrying in my own heart, thinking about how Hera is doing fine. Is she fine without me around? She's with Mom and Dad, so I guess it's okay.
I must face forward, no sense in looking back, because time goes forward, not backward. We went out of the building, and the sun is shining bright. I can't see what is outside, but I can hear that there is a large crowd.
The past is in the past.
I am not a human anymore.
I am the God of Gravity and now I belong to the Hades Academy of Demigods!
This is my new home!
- Writer
