Editing Warhammer High (section)

== The Exchange Student ==

Johor Tull of the Interex nervously looked around him at the looming façade of Imperator High, and the crowds of students pouring into the cavernous maw of its entrance. It utterly dwarfed his entire home city on Xenobia. Today would be his first day as an exchange student, another link in the chain between the Interex and the Imperium. His father Mithras Tull was a close friend to the famous Captain Garviel Loken of the Mournival, and he suspected that he had pulled some strings to allow him to be the first Interex exchange student to the wider Imperium. Like his fellows in the Interex, he was gracious and noble, and he hoped that would win him some friends here. Like all in the Interex he was handsome and lean, with short dark hair, piercing blue eyes like his father’s and intricate dermatoglyphics covering the right side of his face, like the tattoos of the ancient races of Terra. His ears were bat-like, all the better to hear the melodies of the aria, though his father had warned him of potential teasing before he departed for Terra. Laced around the high collar of his neck and hanging off his arm was his aria, though the Imperials called it a harmonic synthesizer, and it would be less useful here than at home. He disliked the uniform he was wearing; it wasn’t anything like the robes or metal armour uniforms he was used to. He heard that if he was successful, than others would follow. There was even a rumour that the Eldar Ambassador was also watching, and he was also considering an exchange program at Imperator high. So much rested on him, and he chafed at the burden. Everything was so strange!
Taking a deep breath, he clambered out of the hold of the air speeder, shouldered his new pack and joined the throng heading into the scholum.
Trying to keep himself as hidden and unnoticeable as possible among the crowds, he kept his head down and used his ears to listen to anyone or anything coming around him. It was an imprecise art at the best of times, and this was the worst of times with so many sounds assailing his sensitive hearing.

With a loud ‘thwack’ he bumped into someone, sending them flying. Instinctively he bent down to help.
“Are you alright?” he asked, a faint melody covering his words from his aria to reinforce his sincerity. Old habits die hard.
As the girl collected up her books, he suddenly got a gut-wrenching feeling as he recognised who it was. Isis Lupercal, the Warmaster’s daughter and first student at Imperator High. He instinctively bowed his head, his aria beginning a muffed majestical tune. She reached up and grabbed his fingers before he could play any more, hauling herself to her feet.
“You must be new. No-one ever does that…” it was her turn to be astonished. Her gaze shifted from his ears, to his dermatoglyphics, and back again.

“You’re that Interex student Uncle Loken was talking about.”

“Johor Tull of the Interex, at your service ma’am.” his words were accompanied by the music of the aria, as his fingers played along it.

“Is that your harmonic synthesiser?”

“Aria and yes. They all said it would be useless here, but no Interex is complete without his or her aria.”
Isis smiled at him, a smile so infectious he fought not to smile as well.

“You obviously know who I am, and vice versa. I presume you’ll need someone to show you around, teach you the ropes as my father put it. Follow me.” Before he could get a word in edgeways, she grabbed his other arm and hauled him off.
He noticed that she kept on peeking at his dermatoglyphics as they glided around the corridors, she pointing out certain rooms. He remembered he had to find his new locker, and she took him past endless rows to where the high profile lockers of the top students were, where Johor was surprised to find that his locker had been located. He swiftly stashed his books away.

A few lockers over, a black girl, talking animatedly with a boy. Isis all but dragged him up to her.

“Venus, Jake. This is Johor Tull of the Interex.”
Now she turned and stared at him, her fiery red eyes scanning over his unusual features. The boy with her spoke first.

“You’re a real Interex?”

If looks could kill, then poor Jake would be deader than if he’d been hit by the Life Eater. Venus quickly spoke. “Jake didn’t mean it that way. Welcome to Terra, Johor of the Interex.” She shook his hand; her grip was firm but soft. He remembered that she was the Daughter of Vulkan of the Salamanders, but this time he kept his cool. Slowly but surely he was adjusting to the ‘unusual’ inhabitants of this scholam. Soon he was answering questions about the Interex, showing them his aria, which Jake found fascinating. As they talked another joined them.

“Wow, is that an aria? I’ve always wanted to see one of these. Your ears are cool, is your hearing better than a Space Marine's?

“The person firing the barrage of questions is Farah Manus. Please excuse her; curiosity may have killed the cat, but not her.”
Farah offered her hand, and with trepidation Johor shook it. As he feared his hand was nearly crushed, and Farah apologised profusely as he nursed his throbbing hand, the digits still plying over the aria.

As if things were not already too complicated, Isis ran up and embraced a boy with short dark hair. She then turned to Johor.

“Johor Tull of the Interex.”

“Julius Pius.” He looked at him morosely, as if he expected him to comment. When he didn’t, Julius quirked an eyebrow. Isis nudged him.

“His father is the greatest non-Astartes war hero in the entire Imperium.”

“We don’t hear too much about the wider Imperium in the Interex. It is hard to shake of the stain of Old Night.”

Julius sighed in relief. “That is a blessing. You know how many people want to ask me about how my father took out that Ork Gargant on Quetansk, or fought those Daemons on Morosis Prime. I wish they’d just leave me alone.”

“As you can see, Julius here is a bit melancholic.” She pecked him on the cheek, and he blushed deeply before promising to meet her at lunch and departing. She laughed as she watched him go.
“We go very well together. Sometimes I don’t know what I’d do without Julius for support. There are so many responsibilities on my shoulders, just like my father.” Her voice dropped to a whisper so low his aria sounded deafening. One of Farah’s metal hands rested on her shoulder, and she visibly brightened.

“Enough of all that. We have classes, so let’s get to it.”
As luck would have it, they both had the same first class, Professor Ahriman’s Warp Studies.
Ahzek Ahriman was the former First Librarian of the Thousand Sons, and famed as the greatest scholar in the entire Imperium.to his credit, he made the usually impenetrable topic of the Warp understandable. He took copious notes, the aria still sounding ever so softly in the background. If Ahriman heard, he did nothing.

The class spilled out of the room when the lesson finished, and Johor went with Farah, Venus and Jake as they made their way to the canteen. As they walked, Johor swore he heard someone mention Isis.
He paused. He could hear someone speaking in a low whisper, and he distinctly heard Isis mentioned. He focused, and swiftly it sounded like he was there beside the plotters.

“Do you know anyone named Victoria?” he asked.

“Yes. Why?”

“She is planning an ambush. Wants to humiliate ‘the golden girl’ in her words.”
Isis stared at him, as if seeing his massive ears for the first time. She nodded, and whispered something to Venus and Farah. They continued along the corridor, chatting as if nothing was wrong.
Suddenly a lush girl of amazing beauty rounded the locker she was using as ad-hoc cover. Several other girls were behind her, and Johor recognised Petra and Lyra. He shifted her gaze away from Isis to Johor.

“And who are you?” she asked in an icy tone, sneering at his distended ears.

“Johor Tull of the Interex. And you?”

“Victoria, daughter of perfection. Nice music by the way. Is that all the famous Interex can do? Play some B-grade music?” Johor gritted his teeth as the aria reflected his mood. Her posse smiled at his discomfort, but they didn’t realise what he was doing.

Johor had been told many times never to overcharge the aria, and never to combine that with a hypersonic setting. But it seemed to be a rite of passage for all young Interex to try that out, with nasty consequences. He however had practiced, making his aria into a weapon as much as a tool of music or communication.
Isis! Cover your ears!” he commanded, and he raided the aria, and aimed it at a stupefied Victoria.

The sonic blast threw Victoria over, blowing her skirt up. Johor blushed at the sight, and Isis giggled.

“Did someone forget their panties?” she asked, sweet faced. Victoria scrambled to her feet, and all but ran, her cohort following close behind. Isis whooped loudly as they ran, reaching over and hugging Johor.

“I never knew the aria could do that as well.” Farah said breathlessly.

“You’re a handy person to have around. I think we could find a use for you.” Isis said, and Johor found himself smiling. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he’d feared.