Chapter 28: The Offer

(Octokew 4th, Year 665 of the 4th Age)

My morning ritual before school got so ingrained in me that I did it without thinking about it. I found myself at the institution before I processed what just occurred. I suddenly turned around and stumbled into heaven as my lips touched Gellir’s mouth. The duration was way too ephemeral, my lips beseeching him to stay for an iota longer.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Gellir enunciated.

“Hi, stud,” I replied.

Gellir brought his bag to his front and rummaged through it, handing me an item. “I have a gift for you.”

I took the present, tilting the box in a sundry angles as I inspected it. “Thanks. What is it?”

Gellir winced as I moved the contents around inside. “Please don’t shake it so much; it’s frangible.”

I stopped and located a spot where I gained leverage to open the package, discovering what appeared to be a writing utensil with a vial of ink. “Is this what I think it is?”

Gellir grinned. “You told me at our date you enjoyed writing, so I got you the latest equipment for it.” He gesticulated the motion of screwing parts together or the exact opposite. “You just unscrew the tiniest part and pour the ink inside. It saves you time by not dipping the tip in the stygian pool any more.”

I beamed at the largesse, turning my physiognomy at Gellir. “Thank you so much, but I don’t have anything for you.”

“You don’t have to worry about it.”

“But we’re Fenri,” I responded as if Gellir fully cognized the unsaid part about fulfilling debts.

Gellir shrugged. “Then, you can repay me by coming to my house this weekend.”

I conjectured that was too fast for my relationship with Gellir— like I knew anything about drastic escalations. “Or we can go on another date, and I’ll pay for everything.”

Gellir nodded, suddenly reverting to a stoic expression, and there must’ve been the briefest of choler in his eyes. “That’ll suffice. I’ll meet you at your house.” He walked briskly to the school’s main entrance.

Feeling giddy, I caught my twin brother out of the corner of my eye as I gingerly packed my dispensation into my bag, reversing my blithe mood as I looked at him. “What?”

Lárus stood where he was behind me when I stared at him, and he shrugged in response. “Nothing.” He walked past me, and I wondered if I sensed enviousness from him.

My earliest classes commenced as usual. The most notable event was from History when the pedagogue gave a two-month-long project about researching a Fenri -dead or alive- and writing about the individual, with bonus points for selecting an orphic person. I defaulted to my father, but those extra points were bewitching— perhaps Tandri wouldn’t mind being the subject. My mind wandered to my actual begetter before I quickly shook that thought out because my mother would almost absolutely not divulge much more about him, if any. However, I still wondered about him. I’d like to envisage he was a hero and not some deadbeat bastard, but I highly doubted he was a chivalrous champion. I wished to know about him someday, regardless if it was best if I didn’t or not.

Mr. Haldrow fell ill, and there was no one else capable of Aereki, so I had an extra impromptu study hall. I took the free time and went to the library to get an early start on my essay for History. After asking the librarian to locate the long aisle containing historical figures, I went to the non-fiction section.

It didn’t surprise me to see the Iýsinaröðas on the shelves along with Brákfur. It was a title given to a masculine Direfenri named Átúr and his feminine counterpart, Hleýen, for being the reasons for ensuring the survival of the Fenri race, and it meant Canir’s Great Defenders. They were part of a group that also earned the title, but the assignment was strictly about Fenri. I found it perplexing that there were prolix entries about their lives and exploits, yet there was a nullity about whether they procreated.

I found a superabundance of epochal Fenri in the isle, sometimes complete with autobiographies. There were two decent handfuls of individuals who were either too famous for bonus points or insufficient information about them to write the essay, deciding on Vuðurri Íkvöðísæn, the forebear of alchemy and medicine, because people considered him either a magnanimous or a maleficent scientist. I observed Hjálmveig appear further away from me after I placed an unwanted tome in its proper place, and she also returned a book on the shelf.

“Hjálmveig,” I happily uttered.

“Hi, Kaera,” the golden-brown Fenri responded jocundly. “Did you leave the Red Zone a couple days ago?”

“I did along with Lárus, our mother, and the stepbrothers.”

“I thought I saw you and your brother.”

“We noticed you over at the cemetery for youths.”

Hjálmveig became a bit lugubrious. “Yeah. I placed flowers on my older sister’s grave.”

Her melancholic mood transferred over to me, and I frowned my ears. “Sorry to hear that.”

Hjálmveig’s mood suddenly morphed into one of exigency. “Hey listen, Kaera-” The bell interrupted Hjálmveig. “Shit. I gotta go. My next class is on the other side of the school, so I gotta haul ass. I’ll make this breviloquent.” She instantly became irascible, stomping her right foot on the floor. “Dammit, Manasína.” She briefly and angrily sighed, returning to normal. “Take your time with Gellir.” I saw her grab a book and quickly left.

Since all I had next was study hall, I was not in a hurry to get there as I waited to borrow a novel about Vuðurri from the library. I even lingered in the hallway, staring at the poster about earning money. It would make the date more memorable since I legitimately earned it instead of receiving charity. I noticed another piece of paper, and the words on it were about two openings on the Mettevéúrokkig team, and tryouts were after school.

“Planning on watching?”

I yipped a smidgen from the sudden startle, turning to my left to a familiar toothy grin. “Gellir!”

“Apologies for consternating you. So, will you be there?”

“Why would I be?”

Gellir had his arms behind his head. “Oh, I conjectured you would be since I would attempt to get on the team.”

“You’re trying to make the team?”

“Some of my buddies are on, so I want to participate it with them. What about you? You want to see a bunch of burly, mostly-naked dudes and boyfriend knock each other senseless and act aggressive and primal to get your loins burning?”

My cheeks became flushed. “Gellir!”

Gellir through his hands up, dissembling surrender. “Just a suggestion. I’ll find out later. Talk to you later.”

I went to study hall and asked the teacher if I was allowed to visit the art room this period because I surmised I didn’t have pressing assignments for any of my classes, and she granted permission. I found the chamber and entered it, observing three groups of students sitting in front of three distinguished Fenri, two males and one female, and I waved at Lárus and Róstran. The instructor catechized me, and I responded by accepting the request to be a nude model. Easiest money ever, I thought, and the art preceptor accepted my offer.

I didn’t see what the fuss was about letting people draw my exposed physique as I denuded all of my habiliments without being behind cover. Boy, how much could change in a short time span from being secretive about my body to almost being naked lackadaisically every single day. Lárus had a part in it, remembering how he got me to pose for pornographic drawings.

The educator demarcated the largest group in half, and I got the portion containing Róstran, Lárus, and a member of the Phenomenal Five, a Fenri with white and grey fur. I received an order to stand perfectly still in front of the bunch of artists with my legs parted and my hands on my hips. I did just that, presenting my breasts and pussy to them for twenty Liérés that would arrive by bloodhawk in two days.

I divided my focus between my brothers as they and the other classmates drew my nude frame. Róstran appeared the most flustered regardless of the previous instances of viewing me in the buff. Lárus, on the other hand, acted insouciant like a fish in water. Of course— why wouldn’t he be anything but casual? He had plenty of pictures of me in his room if he hadn’t incinerated them yet. I bethought about those moments, feeling the faintest warm sensation of the two of us having some semi-innocent fun. The lewd postures attempted to creep in to give to Gellir, but they violated the lecturer’s ukases. Also, no way in hell Lárus would draw me being so sensual in my beseeches for Gellir if I asked him or if he caught on about it.

Lárus drew a superb picture of me buck naked as usual, but I didn’t expect Róstran to be just as adroit in art as him once the bell gave me a chance to view the results. He did a phenomenal job at making me appear attractive despite my imperfections. Speaking of my corporeal fallibilities, I noticed one of the Phenomenal Five vacate the room, making maledictions to myself for ruining the razor-thin probability of being in the exclusive group. I got dressed before leaving with my siblings.

“I didn’t foreknow you showing up to class at all,” Róstran commented.

“What he said,” Lárus responded.

“It was for the money,” I replied.

“For what?” Róstran inquired.

“A future date with Gellir. I made it as suggestion for me to settle my debt to him because he gave me a gift.” I immediately turned to Lárus.

“What?” My twin brother acted offended. “I didn’t say anything.”

“But you thought about it.”

“Like that’s suddenly a crime now?”

“No.”

“I’ll be courteous and let you know that Ásyvör will be at our house later today to work on a group project for Biology and spend the night. Now’s my time to accuse you of thinking such thoughts.”

I stood still. “Nice try, but I’ll probably be late coming home.”

Lárus froze, naturally causing Róstran to pause also. “Let me guess. It deals with Gellir.”

“He’s attempting to join the Mettevéúrokkig team, and I want to watch him accomplish it. We may hang out afterward.”

“Interesting.”

“If you two are done palavering so perfervidly, can we get a move on?” Róstran asked impatiently and nervously. “We’re the only ones in the hallway.” Sure enough— we were.

Our progress was cut short when Aðalstænn and his cronies occluded the path, surrounding us. “Hello wolves,” he spoke, grinning flagitiously.

“Out of our way, Aðalstænn,” Lárus uttered, baring his fangs, and I exposed my laniary too.
“Not a chance. Not until I get the toll payment.”

“Can you skip this one time?” Róstran inquired— more like implored. “I brought lunch over this time.”

“That’ll suffice, too, unless you want to recompense the other way.”

“I don’t have anything else to ingurgitate, and I’m famished.”

Aðalstænn nodded. “The latter it is.”

Aðalstænn’s friends rapidly closed in on Lárus and me, overpowering us, and Aðalstænn grabbed Róstran by the arm. It was otiose for Róstran to break free as he dragged him, opening a forsaken locker’s door, and he shoved him in and blockaded it. I never heard him sound so viscerally perturbed as Róstran pounded the metallic door while Aðalstænn nonchalantly had his back against it and inspected his claws.

Something broke within me, flooding my boding with apoplexy. The rage was unlike any acrimony I had felt before, very redolent of the instance on the 25th of Jolthek. It assumed control over me, making me a different person as I acceded its assistance. I tuned out the vast majority of stimuli until it was just the source of my umbrage. It was surreal, like an out-of-body experience. I witnessed myself and Lárus break free and get into a scuffle with the agitators. We had an edge over them this time and kicked their asses. They had plenty of moments of striking us, but I noticed we were unfazed this time.

Aðalstænn didn’t escape our wrath as I watched myself and Lárus close the gap on him. Our increased sinew and endurance made the skirmish more even between him and us, although his skill and technique gave him the advantage. We fought barbarically still, except we dealt blows to him this time, and I had to wince from observing myself sock him on the nose. Still, he fared better than us as he fended off most of our assault, landing more strikes against us until Gellir and a couple of teachers broke up the fight.

I found myself back inside my body, still livid and corybantic. I breathed heavily, baring my teeth in a snarl while Aðalstænn snickered at Lárus and me. He explained to the faculty that we attacked him unprovoked and unintentionally locked Róstran in the abandoned locker. I explained the exact inverse that he locked Róstran in rather than us because we were cognizant of Róstran’s fear of the dark. My acerbity persisted and grew once Róstran got out, revealing he had pissed his pants, and Róstran appeared abashed at Lárus and me. The three of us were alone in the hallway with Mr. Jörnsæn.

“Your father will hear about this,” he told Róstran, me, and Lárus

“He’s away on business for the Alpha Prime,” Lárus responded.

“He’ll hear about it.” Mr. Jörnsæn angrily uttered a mixture of a sigh and a grunt, looking at me and my twin brother. “You two need to watch who you get into conflicts with.”

“I keep forgetting Aðalstænn knows a different way of fighting.”

“It’s not Aðalstænn himself you need to worry about. It’s more of who he has connections to.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Aðalstænn’s father is Rikka’s brother, and Rikka can pretty much stand toe-to-toe against Brákfur in terms of prominence. Rikka is also not indisposed to throw his weight around, so his family is almost untouchable.”

“What if Róstran speaks up?”

“That’ll help since the incidents between him and Aðalstænn go back many years, but he hasn’t made one complaint.”

I turned to Róstran. “Why do you keep the conflict hidden?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Róstran answered.

“You’re right; we don’t because you won’t tell Kaera and me much,” Lárus responded.

“We truly want to help,” I added.

“You two need to know that there are pieces of information out there that you’re not privy to and learn to leave them that way,” Róstran replied, vacillating on the edge between composed and meltdown. “Gellir’s father is keeping a monster away from me, and that’s all I’m going to say.” Lárus and I embraced him when the breakdown prevailed and thought about whether my boyfriend could pull a few strings.

“Well, that’s a start,” Mr. Jörnsæn uttered. “I suspect Rikka will have a few choice words to say once news reaches him. May Faer have mercy on whatever repercussion comes your way after this.” He left and returned minutes later with fresh habiliments for Róstran.

Word must’ve reached Beta Kórmóksæn because I sensed him being extra brutal toward Lárus and me, and he relished it. The class aggrandized the maladies in my muscles as they became more evident after I calmed down from the fight against Aðalstænn. The water felt paradisiacal even though the spa in the Red Zone was better.

I found Gellir once I vacated the pool, still dripping wet. I should’ve expected him masturbating without a care in the world as soon as I espied him, and he saw me, continuing to give me an unobstructed view of him choking the chicken. Now or never, I thought, and I walked to him.

“We need to talk, Gellir,” I uttered.

“It’s about Aðalstænn, I take it,” Gellir replied, smearing precum on his penis.

“Yes. Mr. Jörnsæn told me and Lárus that you and Aðalstænn are related, and I wanted to know you can persuade him to not antagonize Róstran and us any further.”

“Will do.”

I caught a glimpse of my brother out of my peripheral vision. “Lárus.”

“Whatcha chatting about?” Lárus catechized.

“About me convincing Aðalstænn to leave you two and Róstran alone, which I will,” Gellir answered, increasing his strokes.

“Thanks,” my sibling drawled out as he left.

I caught Gellir still masturbating out of the corner of my eye while I got dressed, and he eventually moaned and ejaculated. “Ahh.” He got up, cleaned the mess, and ambulated away from my brother and me, turning his head around before rounding a corner. “I’ll see you at the tryouts later today. Later, gorgeous.”

“Later, stud,” I replied.

The remaining bits of my time at school went smoothly, and I alerted my three stepbrothers that I would be late returning home since I would be with Gellir. I walked to the arena, which was adjoining to where I had gym, and I had every seat to choose from. He was on the field in his jockstrap, and there were also naked, virile Fenri there. They were either too abecedarian to know the perils they exposed their genitals to, or, as mom said, they were intrepid or stupid. To my surprise, I descried my twin brother amongst the newcomers, and he had enough sense to wear protective underwear.

I had my book on Vuðurri, alternating my focus between it and the trials. I had a notebook to jot notes about what I wanted to write in the essay, utilizing Gellir’s gift. All I got to was his early life, which was interesting since he made a name for himself at age ten because I was distracted by the game.

Despite not being an actual tournament, the competition was still exhilarating, and Gellir had skills, scoring the most points. Lárus was deadly with throwing smaller rocks at the opposing players, landing hits from far away. I conjectured my brother was the primary reason the other team barely scored any points. As usual, I had to wince from some of the strikes, particularly the males’ junks, regardless of not possessing the correct genitalia. My progress on the research was also stymied when a member of the Phenomenal Five sat next to me, and I recognized her from art class.

“Kaera Brákfurdútir?” She asked, even though it sounded more of a statement.

“Yes?” I answered, enunciating it in the inverse direction.

“You may have been already of this already, but several of my friends and me are aware of Évéy Söloðridùtir graduating this school year, bringing the group down to four. We conducted research on every female in the institution to find a replacement for her. Despite your reputation, you were near the top of the list until I saw you today modeling in the nude in art.”

I started to catch on to what the feminine Fenri attempted to convey. “Are you saying?”

“Kaera Brákfurdútir, we are offering you an opportunity to be the next member of the Phenomenal Five.”
