Rise of the Titan [Chapter 1]

Rise of the Titans

Chapter 1

A New Place to Call Home

A world at peace with the gods, Darkness, Light, Nature, Water, Earth, Fire, and Lightning, with these six mighty titans came the balance. Though the mortals worked hard to maintain their life style, they were always in assistance of a much higher power. They say they're always watching, observing as the mere mortals go through life in the world they created, but whether or not they picked the right path was all up to them. Would they win a ticket into Paradise, or a ticket straight to the Underworld? It was all in their hands, but when needed most the mighty titans would always rise to face whatever challenge was headed their way. No matter what they would protect their world, and the ones who lived in it. That was what it meant to be a titan!

Living a world full of danger though meant that people had to learn how to fight and defend themselves, and while training on their own and in the wild was cool back thousands of years ago it just wasn't worth it once Malonia Academy of Magic and Strength came to be. With thousands upon thousands of students attending each year they took good care as to create the perfect environment for their new guests. Created by the young Tashami Casada the school became one of the largest combat academies to date; with over eight hundred buildings, twenty school dorms, weapons shops, cafes, bakeries, and many more other additions, it certainly wasn't a cheap investment, but it was worth it. With some of the most highly trained combat and magic specialists working inside the walls Malonia soon became a one stop destination for those seeking to hone their skills in combat, but there was a catch. Only the strongest would survive, and if one slacked off and didn't prove their worth they were sent out. It wasn't easy, but for those who could tough it out and hone their skills as a fighter fame and glory awaited them once they passed through that doorway one final time.

Finally at long last the day had finally arrived, after six long years of training with his uncle and a hell of a lot of working to earn the money young Malik Sinder was on his way to his new home, Malonia Academy. It wasn't easy and it damn sure wasn't painless, but after six long, stressful years he could finally prove his worth. No longer would people make fun of his spiky brown hair, no longer would people call his family silver beggars, once he graduated he would return home, and with the help of his uncle he would set everything right, at least that's what he hoped. His future was near, in less than five minutes he, along with everyone else, would be gazing upon their new home.

If there was one thing he didn't like though it was the ship they were flying in, it was too damn crowded. True, there were fewer newcomers than the year before, but still he could barely move through the crowd to reach the railing. Once he managed to squeeze his way through though it truly was a sight to behold. The grassy plains that spread all across the field, the trees that surrounded the area where wildlife thrived, and beasts no doubt lurked. Beyond that though he could see nothing else, it was very pretty to look at though as the wind blew through the grass. As he gazed out at the beauty of his land he reached into his pocket to check out the newest weapon his father had made specifically for him. A hilt and guard that had an extendable blade inside that he could retract at will, pretty nifty, and it was almost perfect if it hadn't been for one thing etched into the hilt itself.

"Crimson Virgin, really dad? You couldn't have named it anything else? Great, oh well I guess I shouldn't be complaining. After all if I'm to survive here I'm going to need a weapon. Hopefully they go a little easy on the newcomers though."

After the news he heard last year about the five newbies that were sent home after extreme injury it made him kind of nervous, but at the same time very excited. If there was one thing he loved it was a good challenge, and with the power of fire at his side he knew he wasn't going in unprepared. As everyone enjoyed the view though they found themselves staring at their new home only a minute later. It's tall walls that surrounded its boarders, its white marble finish, and from the look of it there were plenty of people up and about.

Once they were close enough they began their decent as he grabbed his bags full of clothes and items that had been sent to him the day before his departure. With the ground getting ever so closer excitement was in the air as everyone prepared themselves for a new life outside of their villages and towns. With his bags secured and weapon placed back in his pocket he waited until the draw bridge fell to the ground before finally getting off.

"Be sure to grab all your belongings before departing and enjoy your stay at Malonia Academy. Thank you." the captain said over the P.A as everyone began jumping ship.

After almost four hours of sitting on a rough, wooden bench listening to his music and fiddling with his bags he had finally arrived, and with a whole year to look forward to he just couldn't wait to get started. As the group approached the entryway though they were stopped by two gigantic cyclopes. Their red eyes looked down at them as they held their spears close by just in case.

"I am Robin, and this is my brother Juni, we're the guardsmen of this fine establishment. Keep in mind that our duty is to protect this place with our lives, however we're also here to enforce the rules. That means if any of you are caught outside the walls after sunset you'll be answering to us, and you don't want that do you?" he said as everyone nodded.

"Good, now please enjoy your stay." said Juni as the doors began to open.

Huh, that was strange, from he had been told cyclopes were one of the more stupider races of monsters. Perhaps they had been trained by the founder or maybe they were just special, who knew, what they did know however was that they were finally home, and just in time as well. According to his schedule orientation was about to start in seven minutes; so with his map out he began walking.

"Alright so the main building should be just up ahead. Seems simple enough." he said as he continued to scan the map while he carried his bags on his back.

Well, with seven minutes to spare he wasn't in any rush, after all it was a pretty nice day. With the breeze flowing in from the entrance, the sun out and shining, and with barely any clouds in the sky the day was looking pretty great. As it stood though he would have to wait until the next day to start his classes, but that was alright in his book, that meant more time to explore the school.

"So the dorms are to the west, hospital to the east, weapons shop north west..." he said to himself as he walked along the path to his next destination.

Everything was going pretty well until he heard the sound of footsteps clapping behind him along with a girls voice.

"Gang way!" he heard just before coming into contact.

And before he knew it they were both skidding across the ground as he tried to keep his head up, but why was she holding onto him? Was she using him as cushioning for her landing? If so it felt pretty nice, especially as her large chest pressed up against his. As they came to a stop though he finally got a good look at her, that long black hair with a red outline around it tied back into a long ponytail that flowed with the wind, that white outfit with a mix of black and gold trimming that perfectly outlined her curvacious body. Was she an angel? Then it hit him as he looked down at her clothes.

"Rich girl, figures. So what's the insult going to be this time? Porcupine head? Numb Nuts, Peasant..." but as he continued to think he saw her raise her head up while she laid on top of him, hands on his chest.

Such beautiful blue eyes, he hadn't noticed at first but they were probably the prettiest eyes he had ever seen. Wait, no he couldn't start crushing on her, could he? Nope, no he had more important things on his mind than just another rich girl.

"Oh...my head." she said as she pushed up a bit on him.

Was he to say something to her?

"Uh, are you alright?" he asked with a hint of worry.

At least she wasn't yelling at him like all the rest did to his family when they came to into his village, but only time would tell if that was the case.

"Huh?" he questioned as she looked down, finally noticing where she was.

To his surprise suddenly her face turned a bright red before jumping off of him.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't meant to! It's not what you think, I had no ill intention! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she said in a worried tone while bowing slightly before running off.

"Spaz much?" he wondered as he stood back up.

As he dusted his clothes off he noticed she had left her bag after running off, but did it have a tag? After looking around on the outside he hesitated before unzipping her bag. Of course clothes filled it to the brim, but luckily he didn't have to look too much to find her name-tag attached to the inside.

"Mia Korizon, alright I guess I'll have to find her and give this back to her right after the...crap what time is it?!" he exclaimed with worry as he looked down at his watch.

Oh no, it was almost time for orientation to start; he had only two minutes to get there. So with all the power in his legs he dashed off towards the main building with her bag in hand. As he picked up speed though the white marble building came into view before he came to a screeching stop so that he wouldn't run face first into the structure.

"Only thirty second, thank gods." he said as he tried to catch his breath.

At least he wasn't late, and so with his hands on both doors he quickly pushed them open to reveal a room full of students, new and old. Their eyes turned to him only for a second before the lights began to dim. It didn't look as if any seats nearby were open, and he didn't want to disrupt them so instead he decided to lean against a nearby wall.

Once the lights had been dimmed and the room went silent the lights around the stage began turning on as a puff of smoke enveloped the stand. When the fog dispersed however they found a man with combed white hair and glasses standing at the stand, his suit looking rather nice with its dark purple shade and his purple shoes to match.

"Welcome everyone, my name is Soske Isan, now I know that you're all eager to get out there and show us what you got, but first I just want to discuss a few of the basic rules here at Malonia Academy. Each of you received this little gem inside your package correct?" he asked as he held up a little red gem.

Now that he thought about it he had been rather confused as to what it was, but he was about to find out.

"You will be using these when in battle. Once called upon it will release a barrier than can't be destroyed or broken out of unless one surrenders or are defeated. Fighting others will earn you points and the more points you have the higher your score will be near the end of the year." he said as he placed it back into his pocket.

"Huh, that's pretty neat I guess." he said quietly.

"Next, fighting will only be done between 7 A.M and 8 P.M, if you're caught fighting during the prohibited hours you'll placed in detention and you'll both lose points regardless of the outcome. Keep that in mind."

Just as he said everything seemed fairly basic, but just in case he would have to read over the rule book just to be sure. After all he didn't want to make a bad first impression.

"Lastly, if you refuse to go to any of your assigned classes after two weeks you'll immediately fail your courses and will be sent home. You're here to learn and train, not to goof off. Anyways that will do it for today." he said as the room lit up once more.

Huh, short, sweet, and to the point, that's what he was talking about. At his previous school orientation would just drag on and on while they talked about the history of the school, but he knew what was up. Good thing too because all he wanted to do was find a bed and lie down on it.

"OK, room first, girl last. Let's go." he thought to himself as he walked out of the building.

Everyone seemed so lively as he walked to the west, whether they were fighting or buying treats from the bakery they all seemed perfectly happy with their new home. As or him he just wanted to pass out and catch some Zs before tomorrow, he couldn't be sleeping in class now could he?

"Building One, floor two, room 212." he read on his sheet as he walked up the steps of the building.

What really impressed him the most were the look of the building, none two looked the same. Each had their own specific design to them rather than just looking like the same bland building over and over. Whatever work the founder had put into it he liked it a lot. It didn't stop there though for as he entered he saw stain glass windows that surrounded the walls of the bottom floor, a large compass rose on the marble floor under him, and between the two flights of stairs was a statue of the two once mighty titans, the Titan of Darkness Sepharo and his partner the great Titan of Light Lana. The craftsmanship was amazing, the detail, the structure, it was all fantastic. The two titans as they stood back to back ready for battle, what he would have given to had seen them together. Unfortunately tragedy struck, and since then they had vanished from the world. In honor of their memory though he decided to kneel and pray for a short time.

"May you return to watch over us someday." he said as he kissed his index finger and placed it on the foot of the statue for good luck.

Fifty years, how had the balance been preserved so well he wondered. From what he had read in book the titans were what kept the world in balance, but if the big two were missing what was keeping it alive? Who knew, at least nothing terrible had happened. Now that was up and ready it was time to head on up to his room, but something was off. It felt as if someone was watching him.

"Could it be...?" he thought as he turned around.

Just as he had thought it was her again. She sure wasn't good at hiding that was for sure as her long ponytail stuck out from behind the pillar, and with the blend of black and red it was so clearly her. Why was she watching him like that?

"Could it be this?" he asked himself as he looked down at her bag.

Of course, she wanted her bag back after what had happened earlier. If that was the case then he had no problem just leaving it by the statue for her as he left for his room. As he began climbing the spiral staircase he could hear the sound her footsteps as she approached the bag, at least he had gotten it back to her. Speaking of bags the one on his back were really starting to hurt. Had had he come over prepared? Yep, but since he didn't have that much money to spend on school credit he had decided to just bring as much of his clothes and supplies as he could.

Once on the second floor he reached into his pocket and pulled out the sheet of paper that listed his room number. With his eyes scanning each panel on every door it took him no time at all to find his new place to call home. So with his key out he jammed it into the slot and gave it a good turn until the door finally opened up.

"Oh wow..."

He knew the upperclassmen had better rooms and all that, but his new pad was actually damn impressive. A nice flat screen TV, no doubt powered by a power core, two king sized beds, a kitchen for him to cook in, shelves for his books, two lamps, and to finish it all off a bathroom with a coral trimming, a marble sink, and a tub that looked more like a jacuzzi.

"Yep, totally worth it."

Once inside all he wanted to do was lay down and relax until the following day, but when he raised his arms to stretch the odor from his pits flew right up his nose. Well that was to be expected after spending four hours with the sun right over him, nothing a quick bath wouldn't fix though. With his bag right next to him he pulled out a fresh shirt, pants, underwear, and socks before heading straight into the bathroom.

As the water ran something hit him, he had completely forgotten to call his parents to tell them how the trip went. Eh, it could wait after his little soak. With the steam rising he stripped himself clean of his dirty clothes and threw them into the basket before settling down for a relaxing soak.

"Oh yes, now this is paradise." he sighed as he slid back against the tub.

Growing up in a small village he could still remember the many of nights when he would take a bath the water would always be cold. Very rarely would he get a decently warm soak, but now that he was in paradise he just didn't care anymore. As he lathered, rinsed, and repeated he began thinking over his schedule. Even though his choices were pretty limited he had to pick them in a smart way to increase his chances of moving on up the following year.

"So let's see, P.T is first, then Creatures and Beasts of Nature, then finally History of Malonia. Alright, let's give it the best we got!" he shouted before hopping out of the tub.

Now to improve his look, and by that he meant his hair. For some strange reason no matter how many times he tried to comb his hair it would always spike back up, and quite frankly it was annoying him. For too long he has had the same dumb hairdo, but no more. With a hand full of hair gel he was determined to tame the wild beat. Once he had his hair flattered he began spreading it around and around until he got it in just the right way.

"Looking good." he said as he looked at himself in the mirror.

But the moment he got his hopes up was the moment they were shot down as his hair flew back up. Handful after handful he continued to lather his hair in the gunk, but no matter how many times he tried to flatten it the beast would just rise back up even uglier than ever.

"Oh forget it..." he groaned as he washed his hair out.

Perhaps he had taken too long to change his style, but whatever the case was it looked as if he was stuck with it. With his hopes blown out the window he slipped into his new clothes and drained the tube before heading for the bed near the window to his left.

"So tomorrow it begins. I wonder what the instructors will be like; and what about P.T? Oh well, I can't stress that now." he said as he slid under the covers.

The bed was certainly comfy, but something felt a bit weird as he rolled over on his left side. Something was in the bed with him, something soft and squishy. As he continued to squeeze it he could have sworn he heard a slight moan.

"Hold on...it can't be." he thought as he lifted the covers up.

And there she was, the same damn girl from before sleeping in his bed. What was her problem? Was she some sort of creeper? It wasn't that he didn't like her or anything, they had only just bumped into each other not even an hour ago, but still; downstairs and now in his own room?

"Hey, come on wake up. You can't be here." he told her as he tried nudging her away.

It seemed to do the trick as her eyes opened up, but the moment they did was the moment more pain arrived as she let out a loud shriek.

"W-What are you doing in my bed?!" she exclaimed as she tried to back up.

"Wait hold on, it's not what it seems." he replied, but before he knew it he found her foot against his stomach.

With a swift kick she sent him flying to the other side of the room and against the wall above the other bed.

"Oh, oh no I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as she jumped out of bed to help him up.

Dazed and confused he shook his head to regain his composure before looking at her.

"Wait, this is my room. Why are you here anyways?" he asked in his confusion.

"Yeah this is your room, as it is mine as well. See?" she replied as she took out her papers.

"Building one, floor two, Room 212. Then that means..."

"Yep, we're dorm buddies." she followed up as she put on a smile.

"So you're telling me that the dorms here are co-ed dorms? Like boys and girls together? Isn't that a bit, I don't know, risky?"

"Yeah, I was a bit confused as well, but apparently they installed tiny little cameras in every room. You know, so nothing nasty happens."

His head was all in a mess as he sat down to think it all over. So the girl that had ran into him before, that was stalking him, and the one that was in his bed was his dorm buddy? He didn't know whether to be happy or nervous. In all his life the only girl he had ever shared a room with was with his little sister, and that was when she was a baby.

"You don't mind, do you?" she asked in an innocent voice.

"Oh uh, no I guess not."

"You guess not?"

"Yeah, I've only shared a room with my little sister, but sharing one with someone like you is a bit new to me."

"Oh, do you find me that attractive then? If so then you haven't been around a lot of girls have you?" she replied with a little giggle.

"Hey, I mean yeah you're pretty and all, but...wait what I mean is..."

"Hehe I was just teasing you, besides you were nice enough to give me my bag back to me."

"Yeah, well your clothes don't exactly suit me."

"Yeah, oh yeah I'm Mia, and you're...?" she asked as she extended her hand.

"I'm Malik Sinder, it's nice to finally meet you." he replied as he gave her a nice handshake.

"Same, if you don't mind me asking though..."

"The hair?" he replied, seeing that her eyes were drawn to it.

"Yeah."

"I don't know, I'm just naturally spiky. So are you going to make fun of it too?" he asked with a bit of annoyance.

"Uh no, why would I?"

"Well you know, because it's not flat and perfect."

"Oh please, I think it makes you look a bit deadlier. You know, they're like dragon spikes or something like that." she said as she touched the hair.

"Heh well that's a first." he replied as she leaned in closer.

The closer she got though the faster his heart began to race until she finally let go.

"Would you like to go out?" she asked in an instant.

"Out, like out out?"

"Heh yes you know, exploring the school, grab a bite to eat. You know, just to get out for a while since we have a full day ahead of us."

"Oh right, sure that sounds like fun." she replied with a smile.

"Heh cool." she replied as she grabbed his hand.

And with a new friend in hand they both ran off to explore their new home, one that they would be sharing for an entire year.