On the last day of middle school, when James was walking down the hallway of his school, he saw many students standing outside his classroom looking inside with curiosity.
Wondering what was happening he immediately quickened his steps and passed through the other students to enter his class, when he got there he discovered his classmates all bunched up together looking as if they were surrounding someone or something, and in fact they were surrounding somebody.
Laughing, leering and generally looking as if they were having some ill fated fun, James quickly started to get worried about what might have occurred, he came close and wanted to see what they were doing only to witness in horror that they were in the middle of collectively bullying a girl in their class.
Looking at that girl he saw her beautiful bright golden hair drenched in murky water and not just her hair, her entire uniform was soaking wet, her skirt, her stockings, down to her very shoes there was not one spot where she hadn’t been soiled with that dirty water which looked like it had been gathered from a filthy puddle making her look especially bad.
She stood there surrounded by her peers getting laughed and pointed at and generally humiliated with some hateful comments mixed in like “not feeling mighty now princess” or “not so condescending are we ?” or “does the water feel good your highness ?”.
Beside her was the bucket that was used to drench her, who had done such thing was unknown to James since he only just arrived and hadn’t seen what happened up until this point and in all honestly it wasn’t really important to him since in his eyes every single one of them may as well have done it if they were going to treat her like this.
James looked back at the girl, feeling sad for her, he thought she was crying, but unexpectedly it wasn’t so, the moment he looked at her, her eyes immediately caught his gaze, those crystal blue eyes that had the color of a gem stone made him feel entranced, but at the same time he quickly started to notice that there was something wrong with the way she was using them…or at least how she looked with those eyes.
Those pair of eyes were still as the surface of a pond, too still in fact as they had nothing inside of them, no hatred, no anger, no sadness, so still that they were like mirrors, when he looked into her eyes what he saw wasn’t her but merely a reflection of himself and nothing else.
And with the way she stood completely still without making a single budge just like a statue even though she was wet, it made that gaze all the more disturbing as if what was happening to her didn’t actually involve her and the people that were humiliating her didn’t actually exist, it was that type of gaze and demeanor, both cold and emotionless just like stone making this entire event look as if they were all laughing at a statue not a actual person giving James the creeps.
Watching on he couldn’t take in anymore as he unconsciously bit his lower lip.
Danger, he felt extreme danger coming from her, not knowing why he felt that way, his brain could only perceive that acute sense of danger when looking at her that made him want to flee, run away as fast as he could and get out of this place before something extremely bad happened.
Glancing around he noticed that it was only him who felt that way, everyone else in his class was just moronically laughing it up swept up by their group mentality not realizing that what they had done could potentially end their lives here and then.
James was not going to stay here any longer and risk his already difficult life, convincing these idiots to stop would do nothing as well that much he knew and it was not as if he actually knew anyone here for him to care in the first place, nobody even noticed him or even recognized him when he entered the classroom, showing that even they didn’t know who he was since he rarely ever attended class for the past 3 years mostly doing his school work at home or at the hospital.
The only reason James even came today was because it was his last day of middle school, even though he didn’t have a single friend here he at least wanted to be present at his last day of middle school before jumping up to high school.
A new school where nobody knew who he was, a school he could finally attend as his body had gotten slightly better from the way the doctor spoke, making friends was finally not a impossible task anymore and high school would be the place where he could finally live the life of a ordinary person.
James could definitely not die here.
He made his decision, not feeling as if he wanted to take any chances for the sake of his future. James turned around heading towards the exit intending to go home instead of continue watching this pointless cruelty, many thoughts swirled within his head as he walked, he was just about to cross the door but he stopped, something in the back of his neck forcing him to reconsider as he turned his head back to the girl with blond hair and blue eyes.
Those were her most striking features but looking at her more closely James noticed that they weren’t her most prominent, her nose her mouth and even her brows looked as if they were expertly crafted, in fact the girl was quite beautiful in James opinion, a average guy like him could never approach someone as beautiful as her, even though she didn’t show it now, James could imagine how much more beautiful she would be if she just smiled, ordinarily people like her were always popular, but why was it that she was getting bullied right now ? Was she simply not a very good person ? Did she offend somebody she shouldn’t have ? Or maybe was it just not her day ?
Whatever it was James could not take his eyes off of her, not because he done something as stupid as falling in love with on her first sight but because James felt that there was something about that girl he couldn’t leave alone, he connected with her even though he knew nothing about her and this connection was enough for him to feel rage bubbling in his stomach and hatred seep from his eyes.
Nobody deserved to be treated like this, even the worst villain, as long as they were still human they deserved to be treated with some respect, how could these kids not even understand that ? James wonder, his body acting way before he could even think as he shouted full of anger.
-HEY ! YOU FUCKERS ! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW !
The way James shouted his words was loud and powerful almost akin to a roar, it surprised everyone who heard it as contained all of the rage and wrath he had, not one person didn’t notice the roar as they looked at him with surprise, not even the stone like girl as she too looked at James with a puzzled expression on her face, small droplets of water dropping to the ground as she finally budged.
Becoming the center of attention all of a sudden James was briefly startled by the stares he garnered all of a sudden by his roar, but quickly enough he shook it off giving out a light sigh he looked at his classmates he never really associated with, even though he was technically a part of this class for the last 3 years, they too looked at him with confusion, but James didn’t mind and simply moved forward taking hard steps as he swiftly walked towards the stone like girl.
Everyone watched him, but nobody stopped or even talked to him as they all just blankly observed him as he approached, it looked as if they were all slightly shaken by his earlier roar, if a paper clip dropped now it was likely that everyone would be able to hear it, thats how silent it was.
But James knew that it wouldn’t last, trying to go even a little bit more quickly he took off his uniform jacket and covered the girl with it keep her warm, still puzzled by what he was doing but not resisting in any way James pulled the girl with him, hand by hand feeling her ice cold fingers enveloping his hand.
Just as quickly as he took her just as quickly they left, it was only after a few seconds when they were gone that everyone finally came back to themselves recovering from the roar, and immediately afterwards just as they were about say something be it a complaint or anything else a group of teachers arrived called by the few responsible students who wanted this stop ending this charade once and for all.
That day, the students who had witnessed the event had come to call it the Valiant Beasts Roar, the beast in this scenario being James as he subdued every student in the area with his roar alone and took away the poor girl to safety.
Nobody who that boy was and nobody saw either of them ever since then and eventually the story of how the beast roared would become a common fairy tale in that particular middle school remembered by everyone who attended.
Which is why it is comical that the true beast wasn’t actually James who roared, neither was the girl who was being taken actually the one saved, reality was after all stranger then fiction.
-Are you okay ? They didn’t hurt you did they ?
James asked not really concerned but just trying to be polite as he gave the girl he had just dragged away a can of warm instant coffee to warm up.
The girl in question at first didn’t know what to do when James offered her the can, but she still ended up gracefully accepting it using it to warm her hands with a dazed look in her eyes not intending to drink it just yet.
The uniform jacket James had given her was still wrapped around her for warmth, the girl could feel the residue heat precisely and with it a smell belonging uniquely to James which she felt was vaguely comforting for some reason.
-Ehm…hello ? Is anything the problem ?
Not hearing a response immediately James started to get worried, maybe talking about it wasn’t such a good thing after all he considered, thinking he had done something stupid.
But luckily for James the girl shook her head at him and told him she was fine that way, even though she had still not said a single word to him James didn’t mind as long as she was fine.
They were currently sitting on a bench next to a children’s park way outside the school.
When James took the girl away his first thought was to actually just go to the infirmary and let the school nurse handle her so he could go home, but when James told the girl where they were going she oddly shook her head and refused to go there, James initially thought that she wanted to be left alone instead, but after letting go of her hand and telling her that she could go wherever she wanted and that she should be fine on her own, she still strangely continued to follow him which made James feel a bit exasperated but since it was him who had dragged her away he took responsibility and brought her to this park which he used to visit with his mother when she still used to take care of him as a child.
Finally leading to James buying the girl and himself a instant can of coffee.
Other then his initial question and reply James hadn’t even said a second word as he never talked to someone his age for this long making it quite awkward for him.
Plus it was the first time for James to be alone with a girl as pretty as her, even though it was a douchy thing to think about when she had just experienced something horrible, he couldn’t help it as he was still just a adolescent boy going through puberty, fortunately he kept his eyes from straying towards sensitive areas which were wet and sticking so he wouldn’t come across as rude, but the longer he sat the more it started to become difficult not to look until finally he took a quick peek at her.
For a 15 year old her body was quite developed, having curves in all the right places and being thin where she should be thin, the girl didn’t look like a girl at all if one just looked at her body and not her face.
Her legs especially were long and sexy, her breasts were ample too her blouse barely containing them even, but the allure didn’t even come close in comparison to her legs which James focused on the most as they were covered by stockings only adding to the erotism, but overtime James felt nervous about being quiet and glancing at things he shouldn’t be glancing at, feeling embarrassed but not capable of looking into the girls face to see her reaction, he quickly tried to think of a topic so he wouldn’t be caught or thought of as a pervert.
-So…uhhh..Those bastards right ? I always knew they were no good just like most of the people there, I originally didn’t want to come to this middle school but it was close to the hospital I usually stayed in so there was no other choice, luckily since this is the last day I am soon going to start a new life in a new school, I have already decided to go to Y high school which school are you going to go after this ?
James smiled nervously, getting a bit of courage to look at her face as he brought his random topic of conversation he just thought up, he himself thought it was quite a good topic since it focused on the future instead of the past that just occurred, James expect the girl to finally say something as well, but to his misfortune she had still not spoke a single word, even though she didn’t look displeased she oddly stared at James as if she was daydreaming or looking at something odd.
James mistook it as her being bored and he felt ashamed for not being such a interesting conversation partner as he thought he would be.
On a second thought James to started to feel that he was really out of place, he had only just been discharged from the hospital and even then it was temporary until the next check up, but he was already trying to talk up a gorgeous girl like her ?
Yeah, in his dreams, he may have helped her but James understood that, that was it, more then likely they would never meet ever again after this so there was no point in continuing this conversation.
James nodded his head, not to the girl but to himself.
Convinced about his conclusion he abruptly stood up under the gaze of the girl.
Taking the instant coffee with both hands, he started to chug the entire can down his throat even letting some of it drip down his mouth before he drank everything and made a loud gasp, finished with his drink he threw the can into the nearest trash can, but embarrassingly he missed only serving to add more shame to him as he was in the presence of a girl who he didn’t want to show anything embarrassing to.
Not being able to take in anymore he turned around and quickly shouted.
-I..I think I have some important things to do….a..anyways you can keep the jacket since I am never going to wear it again from now on, and I hope you’re going to do well in your next school..soo goodbye !
And just like that he sprinted away.
The girl who he had just said all of those things to got momentarily got wide eyed as she watched him run like his life depended on it, it was only after 5 seconds when James finally disappeared from view did she come back to herself swiftly standing up as she reached for James who had just disappeared not only from the street but also potentially from her life.
-I hadn’t even asked you your name..
She finally muttered.
Her voice as clear and beautiful as a harp.
Not knowing why the girl felt suddenly empty and aching inside her heart when James was gone, only the jacket that held James scent made the girl feel slightly less lonely, but it was still not enough.
She was tempted to right now chase after him, she could easily catch up since he wasn’t as fast or fit at all, but on a second though the girl realized that doing so may have the opposite effect and instead figured that she could look for him in another way since she already knew he was going to go to Y high school and was admitted to a hospital close to here.
Furthermore he had left her his uniform jacket and from within the breast pocket the girl could feel something inside, without even a moment of hesitation she pulled it out revealing a student id making her feel elated as she opened it and saw the picture of James with a neutral look on his face, all of his information listed on the id even his address down to his phone number.
-So you’re name is James..James Orwen
Unbeknownst to her the girl started to smile for some reason, smiling for the first time ever as she thought of the boy who had just saved her and stood up for her, she had never felt like this ever before and she enjoyed this feeling more then anything she did her entire life.
The smile reflected on her face made the girl more beautiful just like James imagined, but at the same time it held this girls unique dark color to it as the smile warped into a demented shape, she was still beautiful, but unnerving at the same time as anyone who saw this smile froze up as they passed her by.
A Place Of Legends 