Chapter 6 Discrimination

“Nat? Do you think that they are looking at us?” Byron whispered to me.

“Wow, Byron. I wonder what gave that away. Surely it’s not because of the crowd gathering around us, right?” I asked in a deadpanned tone.

Byron turned to look at me with a fascinated look. “How did you know!?”

I blew air out of my lips in exasperation. Byron and I stood awkwardly at the sea of crowd that was forming around us. News that we were demigods spread around the district and people were curious about us. To Byron, it might be normal for him, but for me, it was a new and foreign feeling. 

I bit the inside of my cheeks as I played with the hem of my shirt. Again, I kind of miss the jumpsuit that I wore back when we were in Atlantis. It was way more comfortable than wearing a shirt, yoga pants, and some rubber shoes.

I know that these were the standard attire that is commonly used when working out, but now, I just feel that it was too uncomfortable.

“Byron? Didn’t you say that Skyr was attending this class? Didn’t you join him to train before?”

At my question, Byron laughed nervously and look away. “T-Training? Yeah...I do that.”

I saw that his eyes were darting back and forth and I knew that he was lying. “You didn’t come to training, did you? It’s your first time attending this class.”

“Yeah...I’m sorry.” Byron laughed. “I just want to take a break from time to time. And really, it kind of felt great that I don’t have tutors with me who are breathing down on my neck. I just felt so liberated.” 

“But you came here today to train. You changed your mind after what Grukren told us yesterday?” I asked.

About what the sea king told us, the sea serpent was going to awaken. It was already inevitable that we were going to face some life-threatening situations soon. That’s why we needed to train our bodies again.

“Nah. I came because my sister is here. And also, I don’t want to get left behind.” He grumbled the last part more to himself.

I could still feel the heated gaze of the people at us that I had to hide behind Byron’s back. “I wish the instructor would come here soon.” 

“It hasn’t been a day but the two of you are getting more and more popular every second.” I looked up and saw that it was Skyr. Like us, he was wearing some training uniform - a gray shirt, black jogging pants, and some army boots.

I let out a sigh of relief when I saw him. “Hey, Skyr. Glad to see you here.” Then I glanced cautiously all around us. “When...when is the instructor coming?”

Skyr rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. “I...um... don’t join any of the classes because I do my own. I just use the room to practice.”

“Why don’t you want to join the class?”

Skyr started looking at everyone in the room and closed his eyes. “I’m not comfortable with...training with anyone. And I have my methods to train.”

Just then, the door to the training room suddenly burst open, and a middle-aged man came in. He was a big man with muscular arms and body. He kind of looked like the Rock if you asked me. 

“Places, everyone. Today we will practice our second form. Line up!” As soon as he barked out his orders, everyone began to form their lines. Everyone in the room seemed to know what they were doing except Byron and I, as we both just stood cluelessly at the side. 

The instructor saw us and raised his brow at us questioningly. “The demigods, I presume?”

Upon being recognized, Byron smiled brightly and nodded. One would think that the statement alone meant that we were going to be taken care of. But hearing the tone of the man’s voice, I already knew what to expect.

“Listen, just because you two are demigods, doesn’t mean that I will have to show you people, any favors. You will crawl, get beaten up, and cry like everyone else. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Byron was too stunned at the man’s words that it was I who answered for the both of us.

“If you understood then one of you will be the one who will join me in for a demonstration. So, which one of you will it be?”

I raised my hand without even thinking about it. 

Was it because I was arrogant? Or was it because I did not appreciate what he made my brother feel? Either way, I wasn’t happy.

“Nathalia.” Skyr whispered to me warningly. “Don’t. It’s a bait. You don’t know this guy.”

I know that it was and I was slightly surprised at myself for not being able to see it at first. Thankfully, Skyr was there to reason with me. Being my previous leader, it became a habit of mine to listen to him so I was about to my grudge until the instructor spoke again.

“For a demigod, you’re such a pushover. If you two are the demigods then all of us are screwed. Just a couple of spoiled brats.” He says. 

At the corner of my eyes, I felt Byron flinching beside me because when the instructor spoke, his eyes were directed at him.

Something snapped at me then that I marched up toward the instructor even with Skyr’s warning until I was standing in front of him. Once I was starring at him head-on, he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Name?” He asked with a raised brow.

“Nathalia Trayce,” I told him. 

“You’ve got guts for a little girl and a little arrogant if I might add.” He says. “I’m Captain Lorx. Move three steps away from me so we can begin.”

I followed his instructions and took my place three steps away from him. I saw Skyr and Byron looking at me worriedly while Captain Lorx had an arrogant look on his face as he smirked.

“Here’s the rule, first one to force the other to surrender wins. And let me tell you one thing. I NEVER surrender.” He says. “Are you ready, little girl?”

I did not hide the look of annoyance that I had as I looked towards him. “Yes.” I nodded as a response to him.

“Good. Then you may start.” He says as he started to move along to the side to stalk after me. I did the same as I watched him carefully taking advances towards me. He did a faint that made me flinch and laughed at my pathetic reaction.

I narrowed my eyes in anger and lunged at him. I realized my mistake when I heard Skyr yelling out a warning towards me. 

Lorx was baiting me and I was too consumed with anger that I didn’t see it. The moment I came close, he took a quick side step and hit his knee at the center of my chest. 

I doubled over on the ground as I felt the air leaving through my lungs. 

“That’s it? All that power and strength and simply defeated by a kick. What a demigod!” He boasted that resulted in a few chuckles from the crowd.

The moment I tried to stand, he would kick my arms, making me fall back to the ground once again. The second time I rolled to the side and got on my feet. As I did, I saw Lorx charging at me with his fist ready. I blocked his blow with my arms and managed to kick his side using my knee, but I did it gently as I already know my strength. 

But there was something strange about it. I did not feel like I was hitting the skin. It sort of feels like I was hitting metal.

Is he wearing armor?!

I moved back just a few paces back. “Pull up your shirt!” I demanded. “You’re wearing armor!”

Instead of feeling guilty or ashamed, Lorx simply smiled cockily. “Of course, I am facing a demigod.” He said it like it was already common sense. “I think that it is only fair that I should be wearing protection. But sparing with you right now is already making me think twice about my decision. It seems like I have overestimated your strengths.”

“That’s not fair.” I told him.

“You were born with magic that doesn’t fit you. How is that fair?” He retorted and ran towards me. 

If he weren’t wearing that armor, his movements would have been reduced by my initial blow. 

Now I was regretting going easy with him.

I took hits after hits. The longer we spared the more I felt like this was a setup, because wherever I hit, he either has armor on or he has something to counter me with. Like that one instance where I tried to go under him to land a blow to his chest. But the guy grabbed some powder from his pocket and threw it over my face that temporarily blinded me.

I heard Byron and Skyr calling him out for this, but the man simply said that I should have been more careful since we never should expect our enemies to fight fair.

“This is getting out of hand!” Skyr yelled. “This is supposed to be a drill to evaluate your students’ capabilities. Not embarrassing them in front of the other kids!” I could hear Skyr yelling out from somewhere, but I was too busy trying to rub the powder away from my eyes.

“This is me evaluating her. And I have to say that I am very disappointed.” I heard Lorx said somewhere to my right.

“That is not even considered as evaluating them when you are clearly insulting and enjoying their struggles. Stop this right now.” I could already hear the edge in his tone at this point.

I started to crack my eyes open a little and could see two distinct figures to my right. The one closest to me was definitely Lorx, while the other figure with the pure white head for the hair is Skyr.

“Outsiders don’t get a say in any of this. After all, isn’t your team who’s responsible for all the others getting captured?”

“It was a mistake on our part. We didn’t know.”

“As a leader, it is a failure on your part. That’s why you lost your team.” Lorx told him and I could see that Skyr was gritting his teeth in frustration. Lorx turned his back to him with a satisfied smirk on his face. “If you ask me, good riddance to them. We are better off without those pests anyway.”

My blood started to boil. I felt anger coursing through my veins as my brain registered my team in Squadron C. I started seeing red and it felt like someone was taking control over my beaten-up body as I body up, charged at a speed that I never knew that I could manage, and thrust my fist at full strength as I aimed at Lorx’s ribs. I felt my fist connecting with metal and felt it bend like foil.

Lorx screamed in pain before he flew several feet away from me. People yelled in panic as they moved out of the way to avoid getting pummeled by Lorx as he skidded to the ground.

“Nathalia!” I could hear Byron and Skyr were now and my side as they grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the scene. They must have thought that I was going to attack Lorx again, but seeing as he lay on the ground in his pitiful and crying state was enough to satisfy me.

“How’s that for a demigod?” I said and started to turn back. “This training sucks. I am leaving.” That was all I said as I made my way out of the room.