“Darn. We have to get moving.”
I wrenched my foot out of his grasp, almost falling in the river again.
“Get moving where?”
“I’ll answer the questions later,” he stood up, dusting his hands off. Sparks dropped to the ground and smoke trailed from his fingers. “Right now we need to get you to the castle.”
“There’s no castle in Ar Cena,” I told him.
He turned and smiled at me.
“No, there isn’t.”
He started walking towards where the bell had sounded. I hesitated for a moment and then followed him.
There were no roads, no signs, no boardwalks or anything I remembered from the river in Ar Cena, just endless trees and shrubs. I was whipped in the face more than once by a stray branch.
Just as I was about to turn around and try to make my way back to the river, the forest opened up to a grassy plain. It was completely deserted, except for the enormous castle looming over it. Smoke billowed from hidden chimneys, as horses grazed in the surrounding fields and birds flitted about the stonework.
“This way.” My stalker said.
He led me onto a well trodden path and which lead to the base of the castle and let me through a pair of vast oak doors which had been open and waiting. We emerged into a relatively small hall, with a staircase leading up into the castle.
But the entrance hall wasn’t empty; far from it. A crowd of about eighty teenagers were waiting patiently for something, all muttering to each other. They were all dressed in neat grey, long sleeved shirts, grey cotton pants and knee high brown leather boots. It was all so uniform and neat; I began to blush as everyone in the group turned to stare at me, as I stood dripping onto the flagstones.
“You stay here.” My stalker told me, and turned to head up the staircase.
“What?”
“Stay here.”
“No no no, you can’t just leave me!” I seized his elbow, suddenly desperate for his company in this crowd of strangers. “I have no idea what’s going on!”
“You will soon. Just stay here with the others. Don’t wander, someone will come and talk to you. That goes for all of you!” He called to the others. I watched him as he strode up the staircase and out of sight.
It was only then that I realised that the others seemed to be as clueless as I was. Apart from a select few teenagers who were standing together, everyone else was looking around, fascinated by their surroundings.
I noticed one boy standing on the fringes of the sizable group, with dark hair, pale skin and a stance that told everyone he was determined to be a loner. He looked over at me, sensing my curious gaze. He looked me up and down and then turned away. My cheeks began to burn as I looked at the flagstones beneath my feet.
The sound of a door opening made me look up. A man entered, dressed in white robes that contrasted his dark skin.
“Welcome to all of our new students,” he said, his voice deep and commanding. “I understand this may be confusing for some of you,” at this, I saw a smirk grow on all the faces of the group of teenagers standing together. “Trust me when I say that in a day or two, all of this will be clear to you.”
A day or two was a long time to be completely out of your depth.
A woman had appeared next to him, holding a scroll. Without hesitating, she tapped a young man on the shoulder and led him into a small room that I hadn’t noticed. We all watched the door eagerly, desperate for information. The first man to speak to us watched us with dark eyes, as though he was counting. I clenched my teeth as he examined me, as though accusing me of getting water and muck on the floor.
Before I could ask if there was someplace I could clean up, the door to the chamber opened, and the young man came back out. He made his way straight to me, tapping me on the shoulder and then merging with the rest of the students.
I hesitantly took a step in the direction of the door. When no one stopped me, I strode quickly to the room, pulling the door closed. I turned around, my back against the door. The room was smaller than I’d thought, furnished only with a desk and torches on the wall.
“Rose Evermore?” The old woman asked from behind the desk.
“Yes?”
“My name is Netalia. I am the second Master of this school. You have already met Iain; he is the first Master. Now,” she flicked through the scrolls on the desk until she got to one that was clearly marked with my name. “You will never be known by Rose Evermore again. Your name is now Sky.”
“Um, no,” I stuck my thumbs through the belt loops of my jeans. “My name is Rose. My Mum named me for the chick on the Titanic.” A movie which had scarred me for life after watching it at the impressionable age of four.
“Here you will be known as Sky, nothing else. That is the way of the Academy.” Her pale blue eyes washed over me, and I wondered if she was this cold to everyone.
“The way of the Academy is it?” I asked, starting to get angry. “Well, your Academy has sent a strange man to my home town to follow me, and then ripped me from my everyday life, brought me here, and now you’re changing my name?”
She stood up from behind her desk, some of her white hair falling from its bun on top of her head.
“I’m going to have to ask you to calm down, Sky.”
“Don’t call me that!” I snapped, holding my hands out to keep her away from me.
We both stared as emerald fire gleamed around my finger tips. Before either of us could move, flames erupted on my palms, racing down my fingers. I held my hands up to my eyes, watching the flames flicker and dance. It was as though I’d doused my hands in petrol and then set them alight, but for the fact it was green fire.
“We don’t normally allow magic before classes begin,” the old woman said, disgruntled.
I gaped as the fire merely tickled my palms.
“I don’t... I mean... How?”
“You’re a mage,” she informed me heavily, her eyes giving away nothing. “That’s why we sent Jett to Ar Cena. You needed to be brought here to learn to control the power you were born with.” She sat back down, completely unperturbed about the fire in my hands.
“But... I’ve never... seen anything like this before.” I whispered. “How is this possible?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You’ve never seen anything like this before? Not even when you were angry?”
“Never,” I said, still watching the fire.
She sniffed as though displeased.
“You’ll be given more information tomorrow. Now, put that out and head to your room. Dinner will be sent up tonight and classes start tomorrow. There’s a girl out there with long red hair; send her in, will you?” She
straightened papers on her desk and I got the feeling I was being dismissed.
Copying what my stalker - Jett - had done down by the river, I rubbed my hands together and the flames went out, leaving my hands completely unblemished.
I opened the door and headed back into the hall, not meeting the curious glances of my classmates. I shoved my hands into my pockets, lest they burst into flame again. I found the red headed girl and tapped her on the shoulder. She gave me a curious look before heading for the small room again.
I watched her go, and then took to watching the other students disappear into the room and come out again with the same expression etched upon their face as the last person; disbelief.
All except for the group of teenagers that I’d first noticed; they’d taken to giggling or smirking as each student reappeared. I narrowed my eyes at them - I knew exactly what type of person they all were. Seems as though every realm has a group of jerks out to ruin life for everybody else.
Once we’d all been renamed, we were led up the stairs by Jett. We got to the point where the stairs branched, stretching in opposite directions.
“Boys that way,” he said, pointing to the left. “And girls to the right.”
I followed the rest of the girls up the stairs, which led to a hallway lin
ed with doors, just like the dorm rooms at camp, back at home.
I wandered the line of doors until I found one with ‘Sky’ written next to it. Pushing the door open, I stepped into what would be my dorm. It had a small double bed pushed next to the window, a fireplace that had been cleaned and set, and a table with two chairs. Next to the fireplace was a dresser and an empty bookcase.
I shut the door behind me, walked over to the bed, and collapsed onto it. I kicked off my shoes and crawled up to the pillows. I just wanted to sink into the blankets and quilts, never to surface again. It was all so strange and it had happened so quickly that I hadn’t had time to adjust.
I began to shake violently. I quickly sat up and pushed the window open as far as it would go. As the air began to filter into the room, I breathed it in, trying to calm myself. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to work myself into a state of absolute panic.
I wondered what my mother was doing right now. How long had it been since I’d fallen into the river? I winced as I remembered that I hadn’t even seen her before going to school that morning – she’d already been at work. I hugged my knees to my chest as my eyes began to sting with tears; I knew I was on the verge of breaking down completely.
To distract myself, I tried to recreate the flames that had ignited in my fingers. I clicked my fingers, clapped my hands together, flicked my fingernails together, even eyed off the unlit fire place apprehensively. Try as I might, I could only manage one small spark, which I promptly dropped in surprise.
When it started to grow dark, my efforts were interrupted by a small knock on the door. I pulled it open warily.
“Evening, miss,” a young woman pushed her way past me and into my room, setting a silver tray down on my table. “You’ll be dining in your room tonight, but this isn’t the norm for the Academy,” she dusted her hands on her apron and reached into her pocket, pulling out a flint. “My name is Larni. I’ll be waiting on you whilst you complete your studies.”
She lit the fire and stood up to face me, straightening the linen cap on her head.
“I’m... Sky,” I replied, the unfamiliar name feeling rusty on my lips. “I’m a mage... I think.”
“Of course you’re a mage,” Larni replied, now straightening out the bed covers that I’d crumpled. “Why else would you be here?”
“I don’t know, I suppose,” I watched her bustle around my room, sweeping dust from the corners. I stopped her when she tried to close the window. “Please don’t. I need that open to sleep.”
She clambered down from my bed.
“As long as you’re here, feel free to ask me anything about this world. I was born in the village,” she added.
“There’s a village?”
“Oh yes,” she nodded vigorously. “Students are allowed to visit it every now and then, too.”
“Why aren’t you studying at the Academy?” I asked her.
She looked at the floor, her little hands unconsciously smoothing out non-existent wrinkles in her skirt.
“I am not of the magical blood, miss,” she murmured quietly.
“So how come I am? I’m from another realm entirely.”
Larni merely shrugged.
“Some students aren’t from here. The ones that are think they’re better than everyone else.” She covered her mouth with her hands as though she’d said a bad word. “Begging your pardon miss, I meant no disrespect-“
“I don’t mind,” I told her, heading over to the table with the platter on it. “I don’t like them already.”
Larni smiled, just a little bit, but it lit up her doll’s face like a lamp. I already liked her a darn sight more than the students I was bunking with.
“Any questions you would like answered?” she asked.
“Too many,” I lifted the cover off the platter. “First things first, I suppose, where’s the bathroom?”
“Just down the hall. You’ll be sharing with the other girls.”
I groaned inwardly. A communal bathroom? I couldn’t even share with my mother.
A bell echoed somewhere in the castle. Larni’s face fell a little.
“I’m to leave you now, miss,” she was already halfway out of the door. “Good luck tomorrow!”
I ate my dinner, and then wandered down the hall to find the bathrooms she’d told me about. I soaked in one of the baths, revelling in being clean. Once I was scrubbed and washed, I headed back on down to my room, dressed in a clean white shirt and pants that I’d found in my dresser. I sat in front of the fire that was now dancing merrily, combing my damp hair with my fingers.
Everything about this place reminded me of the fantasy novels that I’d read when I was little. I’d always wanted to be a part of them, and now it looked like my wish had been granted.
But it would still be a long time until this place felt like home.
~ The next morning I was woken up by a small bell. When I opened my eyes, I realised that it was hovering right above my head. It chimed once, as though gauging my reaction.
“You’re beautiful,” I whispered, not wanting to scare it away.
It was tiny, about the size of my palm. Its gold plating shone in the morning sunlight. I’d never seen anything more exquisite in my life.
That was, until it began to clang loudly.
“Shush! I’m up, I’m up, look!”
I scrambled out of bed, but the bell continued its deafening assault. Hands over my ears, I seized a tea cup from my morning breakfast platter that someone – Larni, I assumed – had set on the table. I hooked the tea cup over the bell, and fought it to the floor. The tea cup hopped about madly as the bell fought for release, but it wasn’t strong enough to lift it. Though the chiming was muffled, it was still loud enough to be irritating.
Just as I was considering stepping on it, there was a soft knock on the door, and Larni slid through without waiting for a reply. She took in the scene; me standing in my pyjamas, the tea cup chiming loudly and moving sporadically over the floor, and covered a smile with her hand.
“How do I turn it off?” I asked forlornly.
She clapped and the tea cup ceased to move about, the bell silent.
“Sorry, miss. Looks like you got an energetic one. They usually stop once their patron gets out of bed.”
She carried over a pile of linen to my bed, which she straightened deftly.
“Here we are, miss. I’ve got your uniform for the day, and you’ll find boots in your dresser.” I thanked her as I held up the shirt, noting that it was exactly like the ones the other students had been wearing yesterday. “Eat your breakfast before it goes cold and listen for the bell,” Larni was watching me intensely with her large brown eyes. “When you hear it, head down the stairs and you should find the rest of the students.”
“Thank you.” She left, and I dressed in silence.
On the platter I discovered eggs and toast, which I devoured; I was nervous as all heck, which meant I was starving. I found the boots Larni had told me about in my dresser, and I pulled them on. Someone knew my exact clothing size – something I wasn’t too happy with – and everything fitted like a glove.
The bell chimed just as I was twisting my hair into a braid. I tied it off, my hands shaking, and glanced up into the mirror. I looked tidy, uniform and respectable; three words which had never been applied to me in my life.
Ignoring the butterflies which were threatening to burst right through the wall of my stomach, I headed down the stairs with the other girls. When we got to the bottom, Jett was waiting for us.
“Morning, students,” he was bouncing on the balls of his feet and I groaned; somehow I had just known he was a morning person. “This way, if you will. Just some examinations before class.”
As if I needed any more reason to feel nervous. Examinations? Were they physical? Mental? Either one didn’t appeal to me.
He led us down another hallway, and I deliberately hung back. Everyone else seemed to have made friends overnight, but I had already accepted the
fact that I would be a loner again.
But that was alright. I had a whole new world to explore and a power beneath my skin that I was itching to learn more about.
We were led into a hall about the size of the gymnasium back in my old high school, except this hall was made from stone, with torches burning in their brackets in between the enormous windows. Iain and Netalia were waiting for us at the other end beside an enormous leather case.
“Good morning, students,” Iain started. “Today we start three years of your magical education. To begin with, we need to test your magic.”
Netalia was arranging us into two rows, with plenty of space in between. At the mention of a test of magic, my heart had leapt into my throat. I thought back to the dismal spark that was the only magic I’d manage to consciously conjure. I wiped my suddenly sweaty palms on my pants.
“You first, dear,” Netalia was saying to a girl at the front.
The girl stepped forward, looking as terrified as I was feeling. She had a mass of dark curls which she’d struggled to tie back, and behind her glasses, her blue eyes shone with concern.
“What do I do?” I heard her whisper.
“Which is your dominant hand?” Netalia asked. The girl held out her right hand in response.
“Very good. Now, can you feel a tingling in the air?”
I could indeed, as though someone had turned on a television that I couldn’t see, only sense. Apparently the girl could feel it too, because she nodded.
“Ok, now just try and gather that feeling all together, just over your palm here.”
The girl flexed her fingers, and we all craned our necks to watch.
Suddenly, blue flames erupted from her palm in a neat little fireball. The girl jumped back in surprise, dropping the fire, which went out immediately.
“Very good,” Netalia said, with the first hint of excitement I’d seen her show since meeting her. Iain was nodding, though he wasn’t smiling - I don’t think he ever did. “What’s your name?”
“Sa- Dena,” she stammered, and I realised that she’d forgotten her mage name for a second. I couldn’t help smiling; it was reassuring to know someone else was in the same boat.
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