Chương 39: Book 2; Chapter 38; Intrusion (1)

That morning started similarly to many other mornings, and after breakfast, Rainee and Anniet were making their way through the School premises. But before they had reached class, something drew Rainee's attention. She stopped, listened for a while, and then changed direction. Instead of reaching her class, they came to the square at the very centre of the town, next to the headmaster's quarters. Rainee would visit the headmaster often; sometimes she would take Anniet with her.

Most of the time, she would ask her to stay behind. But this time Rainee didn't enter the headmaster's office but stood outside for a little while, listening as if hoping to hear something.

"Are you expecting someone?" – Anniet asked, looking around too. Despite it being just a morning, the place was already busy. In fact, it was always busy in the past few weeks as the number of residents has grown considerably. Rainee didn't know herself why she had come to this place. She just followed her instincts that brought her here. It wasn't easy to explain to those who didn't have this feeling what it is, but she has learned not to ignore it.

She stood for a few minutes looking around and listening, but nothing was happening. Actually, a lot was happening, but nothing that would require her attention, as people were just living their usual lives. The headmaster herself was sleeping in her office. Not a very usual place to sleep, but then again, not something that would need her help.

"No," she answered Anniet's question, "at least not that I would know." She waited for a few more minutes, thinking to herself if her ever-so-accurate instincts had started to be less accurate now that they were no longer needed in her daily life.

"Let's go back," - she finally said, turning around. They walked just a few steps when the ground under their feet shook a great deal, passing this vibration to the buildings around.

"Everyone, get from the square," - Rainee said in a loud, commanding voice. People here were not used to being spoken to in such a manner and, instead of obeying, stopped to look at her for an explanation. Then, the next second, everyone was rapidly abandoning the square and scattering to all sides. One could think that they became very obedient, but one look at their faces would disclose that they themselves were surprised by this running. In no time, everyone was off the square.

Just then, this invisible power that made them move away let go of its grip, allowing them to slow down and finally stop. Before anyone could understand what just happened, the ground shook again. But this time it didn't stop, instead it accelerated, getting more violent. It was obvious that the School was transforming again, just this time in a less gentle way than usual.

Usually, transformations would go in places where not many people are around and would make just seemingly mild rumbles and shakes that didn't scare anyone and didn't present any danger. This time, the very centre of town was collapsing, or rather, breaking apart. The central square was expanding rapidly, pushing surrounding buildings aside. New golden tiles, inscribed with beautiful ornaments and carvings, were unfolding from under the ground, way more glamorous than anything this place has displayed before.

People were getting closer, watching with awe this violent but spectacular scene unfolding in front of their eyes. Where buildings were moved apart to create more space, a few new wide golden alleys appeared. The square was expanding with a vicious energy and at increasing speed. In no time, the central square size had multiplied several times. The very centre of it was changing not just in size and colour but shape too.

The square was gradually dipping down, creating sloped sides that were transforming into rows of rounded seating places. The very centre of this dipped square became flat, all covered in golden tiles in the middle and green grass on the sides, creating a golden arena of a very impressive size. Only one building was not pushed away and stayed next to the newly formed square. It was the master's chambers.

With its beautifully made columns, pillars, and towers, it was now nicely blending in with this new structure, as if it was always meant to be a part of this newly risen golden square. As if this impressive but lonely building, so different from any other around, was finally reunited with its natural surroundings. Even its walls started to glow, matching the new golden square that had emerged out of nowhere in front of everybody's eyes right this very moment.

A wide platform, like a podium, elevated itself next to the School master's house, with a few wide steps leading to its top. All this golden structure was taking the shape of a massive amphitheatre with an extremely large scene that was topped up with this craftily carved platform, and it was challenging to say if it was made from wood or from gold. Two large throne-like chairs had risen on that platform, adding a finishing touch to the newly done work that was performed by some unseen force.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Before the construction had finished unfolding itself, a new rumbling came, this time from the sky. There was a flying machine approaching rapidly and aiming right for the newly built square, followed by a second, third, and fourth. All four flying machines landed on the square not a second sooner or later than it had finished its construction.

There could be no doubt – no matter who has come, they are definitely those whom the School is meeting with such an impressive greeting. Rainee walked closer to the edge of this newly built amphitheatre just in time to witness the first flying machine touching the ground. More or less everyone had heard about flying machines, but hardly anyone had ever seen them before. Now, right in front of their eyes, four of them had landed straight in the centre of this School town.

All this brought a lot of disturbance and turmoil. Many people were coming to see what was happening, but upon seeing flying machines, many changed direction and ran away. Some to hide, some to grab any possible weapon. No one knew who had come inside them. Even at this distance, Rainee could feel worry coming from the headmaster's house. No wonder – it had never happened before that newcomers would come from any other direction than the front gates, and the entrance would always be peaceful and quiet.

These newcomers just landed straight from the sky as if the enchantment of the place would have no effect on them. Never mind landing from the sky, also transferring place like it would be their own home. All seemed like a perfectly planned invasion at first glance. The doors of the first flying machine slammed open to the ground, and, as if confirming thoughts about invasion, soldiers piled out, and in no time, they were accompanied by more soldiers from the other three planes.

Troops of soldiers clad in elegant light armour were bursting out of planes and forming symmetrical lines into neat formations. Soldiers from each flying machine were dressed in slightly different uniforms, but all were working in precise unison. A heavy feeling of uneasiness could be felt from the residents gathered around the square. More and more people started moving closer to Rainee, until she was surrounded from both sides and behind.

It was understandable that, being one of the School's martial arts teachers, she would be looked up to for comfort, encouragement, and protection. She stood at ease with her head high up and her face calm. She wasn't pretending or trying to play relaxed to calm others down. Simply from the moment the newcomers arrived, there wasn't a single moment when there would be the slightest feeling of oppression, never mind the killing intent – there was not a single trace of aggression…

In her eyes, this didn't resemble an invasion. It was more like the School was greeting old friends or family coming back, pulling out its most glamorous outfit. Also, she had seen a lot in her life and, with so many soldiers in one place pulling themselves into some sort of formation without a single breath of oppression, of anger, of arrogance… she knew only one place where such squads existed. So even if Rainee would not recognise those who had come, she would have no worry or suspicion of anything dangerous.

But she knew them very well. She didn't even have to look at the uniforms or look at the people to know who had come. How they came and why in such large numbers was a different question. But at this time, all she wondered about was who had led this army. Soon her curiosity was satisfied – soldiers formed a wide corridor of multiple lines from both sides of the first flying machine doors, just in time before a single figure stepped out of it.

It was a young, handsome man with gentle features, slim and tall, with medium-length brown hair, dressed in a simple outfit with a single sword hanging at his side. This man didn't have any jewellery on him. The only decoration on his dark green suit was deep green emerald embroidery of wild flowers starting on the front of his jacket, running up to the shoulders, and meeting at the back of his collar. Strangely, but despite all this simplicity, he looked nothing like simple or ordinary.

Some indescribable strength was radiating from him; people couldn't even look directly at him without lowering their eyes. A thought of approaching him would hardly cross anybody's mind. But also, as a strange contrast to it, there was a desire to be close to him, like some invisible magnet would be connected from each and every heart to his single person. Rainee was looking at him with a fond forlorn in her heart.

Unlike others, she didn't feel any need to lower her eyes; as far as she could remember, she had never felt about him the same as other people. Others often would say that she doesn't feel respect for him… How blind they were. There used to be times when the respect she felt was too big even to fit into her heart, but somehow it was always different to the respect that others experienced in his presence – she never felt any need or urge to kneel or bow, or even lower her head.

She could always look into those green eyes with only love and trust. She was always drawn to this man, whom others would call unapproachable and mysterious. Mysterious?... maybe. But unapproachable? That bit she never could understand. In her eyes, he was always open-hearted and welcoming, not just to her but to every single one. When he looked at anyone, the glance would see not just the presentable shell of people, but all that was behind it too, from the body right to the soul, from words right to the thoughts.

There was no need to try to look better or worse in front of him, there was no need to choose words that one said, as it was utterly pointless. What a relief and what a pleasure to be in such a company. However, by now she already knew that it was precisely what kept people away from him. For some reason, people wanted to look different in front of others and keep the real self for themselves, and felt extreme discomfort when stripped of this pretence mask. The voice echoed in her head, bringing up old memories:" …

when someone is talking to you through the mask, don't pull it down only because you can, don't pretend that you don't see it only because you can see their true face. But also don't talk to the mask. It is just a mask. Talk to the person behind it, but also not just to the person you can see behind the mask, but to the person who is wearing this mask, hiding himself behind it. A mask is now a part of a person's life.

It didn't become a person itself, because once a person becomes someone he was trying to pretend to be, he doesn't need a mask any more. But it clearly indicates what a person tries to be for one or another reason. Often, humans are wearing these masks because they want to be what the mask represents, but have no ability to do so. If you are gifted enough to see through the pretend mask, then make yourself gifted at seeing what that mask is representing.

By understanding it, you can understand what a person is valuing but lacking. Then it becomes very easy to help that person. Either help to become for real what they want to be or to show that the real self hiding behind the mask is a much better version, and it is best not to devalue oneself by hiding beauty under ugliness."