Wyvern Academy: Path of Ascension IV Read online

  Wyvern Academy

  Path of Ascension Book 4

  Atlas Kane

  Grayson Sinclair

  Edited by

  Celestian Rince

  This is a work of fiction.

  Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  WYVERN ACADEMY: PATH OF ASCENSION 4 First edition. February 11, 2021.

  Copyright © 2021 Atlas Kane and Grayson Sinclair.

  Written by Atlas Kane and Grayson Sinclair.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Mutually Assured Cooperation: Alex

  2. Arizona Sun and a String Bikini: J

  3. Malfunction: Alex

  4. Caged Animals: Alex

  5. Lab Rats: J

  6. The Price of Freedom: J

  7. Under Siege: Alex

  8. At the End of a Barrel: Alex

  9. The Demon in Me: J

  10. Safety and Sorrow: J

  11. The Stone Speaks: J

  12. Nemesis: Alex

  13. Rest and Reconciliation: J

  14. Graduation Day: Alex

  15. Day One Heroes: Alex

  16. Bushcraft Bootcamp: J

  17. An End to the Games: J

  18. Prime Directives: Alex

  19. Mother Fucking Goose: J

  20. A Failure to Communicate: Alex

  21. A Glimpse Behind the Mask: J

  22. Fanatic’s Dream: J

  23. The Beginning of the End: Alex

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  1

  Mutually Assured Cooperation: Alex

  “Courage is about learning how to function despite the fear, to put aside your instincts to run or give in completely to the anger born from fear. Courage is about using your brain and your heart when every cell of your body is screaming at you to fight or flee - and then following through on what you believe is the right thing to do.”

  ― Jim Butcher

  I stood staring out over the concrete railing, watching the coming and goings of the cars and pedestrians as they went about their day. The sun was high in the sky and Osaka was busy this afternoon.

  Haruna Watanabe stood next to me, mimicking my posture, staring out just like I was. We both just looked out, not saying anything, not even looking at each other.

  There was a lot we needed to say to one another, but neither of us knew how to broach the subject first. Both of us were too prideful, too stubborn and stuck up for us to just come out and say what we were feeling.

  I tugged at my blond ponytail, pulling the tie out and letting my hair blow in the subtle breeze that swept through the walkway.

  “Your hair smells nice,” Haruna said, finally speaking.

  “That’d be Piper’s shampoo. She kinda took over my side of the bathroom.”

  There it was, the silence had been broken. But I knew that if I didn’t do something, then we’d just go back to silence, and it would get us nowhere. I needed to speak up, to make things right.

  “Ah hell.” I rubbed the back of my neck and turned to Haruna. I bowed low. “Haruna, I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” she asked.

  I stood from my bow to find her porcelain cheeks tinged red. She brushed a lock of her midnight hair away from her face, a smirk teasing her lips.

  “For what happened during our match.”

  She shook her head, the smile getting a little bigger. “You won the match, that’s all that happened.”

  “No.” I shook my head, turning away from her. My hands gripped the metal bar and I tried to put into words what I’d been feeling for a month now. “Haruna. I was so angry at you. For how things ended up between us after years of us being friends. I was furious how you treated me after all we’d been through, and I took that rage out on you.”

  “What if I deserved it?” She shrugged, inching closer to me. “I was blinded by what my parents wanted for me, and I was so eager to please them that I let them talk me into dropping our friendship. I pushed you away because I thought that was the easiest way to go about it, but I was wrong, and I just ended up hurting us both.

  “Then when I got to Leviathan, I was constantly reminded that the other schools were inferior. That we were far better than any Wyvern or Golem student. It got to me, went to my head, and it took me too long to see that Leviathan is a toxic place. You were the one who proved them wrong, proved me wrong. I deserved every bit of what you gave me and then some.”

  I didn’t know what to say. For so long I wanted things to go back to the way they had been between Haruna and I. And when I realized that it would never happen, I wanted nothing more than to prove her wrong. I’d proven her wrong, I’d beaten her in the tournament.

  But I’d also gone so far beyond that.

  I nearly crushed her face in. I’d been so angry, and the only thing I’d seen was red and I wanted her to suffer.

  That wasn’t me, and it had been eating at me ever since I left Leviathan.

  “You deserved to be shown that you were wrong.” I sighed. “But you didn’t deserve what I did to you. I should’ve never taken it that far.”

  I looked her in the eye. “For that, I truly am sorry, Haruna.”

  “Okay, Jesus. I forgive you.” She slugged me. “Just stop looking at me with those haunted eyes of yours.”

  Haruna motioned with a hand down her body. Her athletic clothes couldn’t hide her well-toned figure. “As you can see, I’m fine. Better than ever actually. So, you don’t need to keep apologizing. Not when there’s too many of those to go around for both of us.”

  “Alright.” I smiled at her frustrated face. It was the same face she’d always make when we sparred, and she couldn’t beat me that day. “How about we both forgive each other then?”

  She nodded, smiling. “That I can do.”

  The door to the apartment opened behind me and Lilin poked her head out, her cherry-blossom skin vibrant as her golden eyes sparkled with mischievous delight. “Hey, Alex. We need to go! We’ve got shopping to do!”

  I turned around and held my hand up. “I know, just give me a minute.”

  As I turned back to Haruna, she stepped closer to me and held her fist up.

  “Friends again?” she asked, her voice hesitant.

  I sighed, shaking my head. “I don’t think it’s going to be that simple, much as I wish otherwise.” I grinned and held my fist up. “But it’s a start.”

  We bumped fists, and I said my farewells. We both parted something different than we’d ever been before. We weren’t friends anymore, maybe never would be again, but we also weren’t enemies anymore. And I found I could live with that.

  I spared Haruna one last glance before I went back inside. I found her with her hand on her doorknob, staring at me too. She gave me a warm smile, the one I knew all too well and a nod before she went back in.

  With that, a feeling came over me that I wouldn’t see her again for a very long time. But I shook off the melancholy and put a smile on my face as I headed back inside.

  After we’d gone shopping, we came home and waited on my father. We were all starving, but I knew what time my father got off work and I made a reservation for an hour and a half after that just so we’d have time.

  He’d gotten home from work and been very surprised to find me and three girls sitting in the living room.

  “Alex? I wasn’t expecting you, not that I’m not thrilled to see you, of course.”

  I grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. It was kind of a sudden thing; school gave us a couple days off to visit family.”

  His graying hair was a little lo
nger, his beer gut a tad bit more pronounced than when I’d seen him last, but his once-dulled green eyes shone with a new light. Despite the age showing on the rest of his body, his eyes looked ten years younger.

  “Well, this is your home too, so you can come and go as you like.” He crossed the room and wrapped me in a bear hug. “It’s damn good to see you, son.”

  After his hug, he stepped back and peered over my shoulder at the girls sitting on the couch and grinned. “And just who are your lovely friends?”

  Oh. Um. I sighed into my palm. Fuck.

  My heart pounded in my chest, and even if I knew it was coming, I’d rather have been anywhere else than there at that moment.

  Give me demons or the whole of Leviathan. Jesus.

  I turned to them and held up my hand. “This is, Piper, Reagan, and Lilin.” I pointed at each one of them. “My─my…girlfriends.”

  You could’ve cooked an egg with how hot my face got as I stared unblinking into my dad’s eyes as he processed what I’d said. He looked at them, back at me and then back at them. When his eyes returned to mine, they had a devious glint in them.

  He didn’t say anything to me, but there was fire in his gaze as he stepped past me and went to them. “It’s lovely to meet you all.” He bowed low. “I’m Kazuhito Nakano. Thank you for taking care of my Alex. He’s changed a lot since he started attending Wyvern Academy and I’m sure it’s in no small part thanks to you three.”

  I frowned at him. “I haven’t changed that much.”

  “Yes you have,” he replied, grinning. “But for the better. I took off work to watch your fights during the Leviathan tournament.”

  He stepped toward me, and he practically glowed. “My son. The champion.” So much warmth and pride filled his voice as he stood in front of me and clapped me on the shoulders. “I’ve always been proud of you, Alex. But you’ve really outdone yourself. You showed Leviathan and the entire world that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. Anyone can become strong.”

  I grinned wide. “Thanks, Dad.”

  After that, I told him about our reservations, and we’d all gotten dressed in the tiny apartment. At least there was plenty of hot water to go around.

  I’d dressed in my nicest suit, which I’d only owned for about four hours. Piper, Lilin, and Reagan had delighted in taking me clothes shopping and forced me to try on no less than fifty different suits and outfits before they were satisfied.

  But of course, they weren’t satisfied with just my new wardrobe, I’d also been dragged to a barber, and had a makeover. My long blond hair was now considerably shorter, just barely long enough to tie back, and my beard had been trimmed to where it was little more than stubble.

  I didn’t like how I wasn’t getting much say in my own appearance, but I had to admit, I had stopped caring how I looked a long time ago. So, I let the girls have their fun.

  Besides, it made them all incredibly happy, so I suffered through a bit of torture to please them. and the results weren’t too shabby.

  I did in fact, clean up nice.

  My dad was late getting home so we’d overshot our timetable and it looked like we were going to be late.

  The five of us made a mad dash for the SUV I’d rented, and I drove as fast as I legally could to the restaurant, so we’d make it on time.

  It was a close thing, but we entered the restaurant right on time, even with parking. The restaurant was an upscale place that served a variety of different cuisines. We were seated, and took our time ordering while we chatted, and Dad got to know the women in my lives.

  I ordered several expensive bottles of hot sake and we all drank and talked.

  “So, I’ve got to ask. Knowing my son, he was against the whole polyamorous thing wasn’t he?”

  The girls chuckled. “Maybe at first, but I was actually surprised how quickly he accepted it,” Piper said. She pointed at Lilin. “Personally, I think Lilin had a lot to do with it.”

  He nodded, turning to Lilin. “I can imagine. Cambions are incredibly rare, in fact I’ve only ever seen one once before. Not to pry, but I hadn’t heard anything about Cambions being allowed to attend Wyvern?”

  She shrugged, smiling. “For the most part, that’s true. And I don’t mind the questions, I’ve gotten enough strange looks since we’ve arrived in Osaka that I’m used to it by now. I’m actually the only Cambion attending Wyvern at the moment. No, I met Alex at a very special place that was only for my kind. Alex caught my interest right away, but he was dating Piper at the time and refused to do anything that jeopardized that.

  “It wasn’t until many months later that we’d get the chance to see each other again.”

  He smiled and took another shot of sake. “Well, it’s obvious from the way you each look at my Alex, that you all care for him deeply. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted for him was to find happiness.”

  Piper, Reagan, and Lilin blushed deeply at the compliment and more than one hand found its way to me under the table. I loved each and every one of them with my whole heart and I was beyond happy that my dad approved.

  He’d always been a carefree laid-back person, but bringing home not one, but three girlfriends is a lot for any person to take in.

  While we were waiting for our food, I caught Dad up on everything that had happened to me since I’d seen him last.

  It was quite a wild ride. I’d called him after the demon attack to let him know I was alright, but I’d been so shaken, I hadn’t gone into detail.

  By the time our food arrived, I was mid battle with the demon, where I held it off while J built his Ki. I finished the story with how we’d teamed up and taken the thing’s head off.

  Dad had been on the edge of his seat the entire time, and when I finished, he let out a gasp of surprise and knocked back another shot of sake.

  “For you to have gone through so much in such a short time span, and not only come out unscathed, but having grown stronger is nothing short of a miracle.

  “I wish your mother were here to see the kind of man you’ve grown into. I know she’d be just as, if not even more proud of you as I am. She loved you more than the sun in the sky.”

  I nodded, trying not to tear up at his words. It was times like these that I missed my mom. I had barely thought of her; even after I promised I’d think of her more often, too much kept happening in my life that pushed my family to the sidelines, but I knew he was right, and she’d be proud. That was about the best thing I could hope for.

  We talked until our food came, and then kept talking between bites of food as we ate our fill and then some. When we were all stuffed and had drank enough sake to fill a pond, we stood to leave.

  I paid, tipped way too generously, and followed everyone out of the restaurant.

  While the girls got in the car, I stood with my dad outside while he lit up a cigarette.

  “Since when did you start smoking?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “I dunno. Since a little while after you left. I stopped drinking so much, and a bunch of the guys I work with smoke, so I’d head up to the roof with them and chat. They’re big ascension fans, so they enjoyed hearing about the few stories I told of you. And imagine their surprise when my son won the tournament. I earned a lot more than bragging rights that day.”

  I cocked my head to the side. “What do you mean?”

  His green eyes lit up and he smiled, rubbing the back of his head. “Right, meant to tell you, but I got caught up chatting with your girlfriends and it slipped my mind. The day after you won, I was called into my boss’s office and offered a promotion to the head of my department.”

  “That’s huge!” I shouted, my eyes going wide. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you.”

  “It’s nice, yes, and the money is even better, but it’s not because of anything I did. I was just a regular salaryman, but now that my son is the world champion, that’s kind of a big deal.

  “Whether you realize it or not, you’re a household name these
days.”

  “Ah…”

  In all the excitement and aftermath, I hadn’t even considered that. Things had been pretty much the same since I got back to Wyvern, but I imagined that he was right. I was probably much more famous than I ever realized or wanted.

  “Ugh, that sounds just awful.” I grinned. “I’m just glad no one recognized me in the restaurant.”

  I glanced back at the girls who were happily chatting away in the car.

  “Alright, Dad. I gotta go. We’ve got to get back.” I held out my arms for a hug and he swept me up in a huge bear hug.

  “I love you, son, y’know that right?”

  “Course I do. I love you too.”

  We let go of each other and stepped back.

  “I think things are going to get more intense for us soon, with all the demon attacks around the world, so I don’t know when the next time I’ll be able to come home is.”

  “Don’t worry, just call me like you have been doing and come see me when you can. I know the importance of your training.”

  I said my farewells to him, called him a cab, and then headed towards the airport.

  “I like your dad,” Piper said from the front seat.

  “Yeah, he seems really cool. But next time we get a break, we’re all going to my house so we can meet my parents,” Reagan said.

  “That sounds fun. It’d be nice to go to the beach, but I still haven’t met Piper’s parents yet. So that has to come first. Then we can meet yours.” I paused as I turned around to look at Lilin when we stopped at a red light. “And we can go and bring flowers to your parents too, okay, Lilin? I’d like to at least pay my respects.”