The Iron Realm (The Iron Soul Book 1)

by J. M. Briggs

  Professor Yates smirked at the stunned expressions in the room before he continued, “So, does knowing the mythological roots of the child who is at the heart of the dispute which sets off the strange series of event change anything? Is there significance in what elements of the old stories Shakespeare chooses to use versus those he doesn't? In doing so, is he telling the audience something beyond the common interpretation?”

  Alex stared at the professor with a look of surprise and curiosity. Smiling, Professor Yates held up his copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream. “Let's turn our attention to the text of Act II shall we,” he pointed to a student in the second row whose name Alex thought might be Tyler. “Please start us off.”

  The bell rang soon after they'd covered the major parts of the text and Yates dismissed them with a shout, “Remember to do your worksheets on the Fae and to consider how Shakespeare's first audience may have seen his interpretation. Read Acts III and IV for Friday.'

  Packing up her things, Alex considered the Professor's question of the changes that Shakespeare had made. She'd read A Midsummer Night's Dream and watched one of the films in her high school. Did the mythology matter? Was it possible that audiences who knew the roots of the fae and changeling stories would see something else in the story than people who grew up with modern fairy tales? Swinging her bag onto her shoulder, Alex tensed as she noticed Nicole waiting by the doorway. Alex grit her teeth and walked through the doorway, feeling more than a little irritated and uncomfortable as Nicole fell into step beside her.

  “Interesting wasn't it,” Nicole observed calmly with smile. “Too bad we can't look at more mythology in this class, that's what I love most.”

  “So you're taking this class to fulfill your general requirements?” Alex questioned politely as they moved down the hallway towards the stairs.

  “Sort of,” Nicole answered with a shrug. “I'm Anthropology remember. The stories we tell are very important. Plus I enjoyed English class in high school.”

  The stairs were crowded making it impossible for Alex to get away from Nicki until they reached the bottom. Alex rushed out the door, but Nicole didn't seem at all bothered by the pace she was setting and stepped out into the sunlight just after her.

  “Alex,” Nicole called before Alex stormed away. “Why are you resisting so much?”

  Turning back to Nicole, Alex crossed her arms and scowled at the red head. “What? Resisting what? If you've got an explanation for hallucinations that doesn't end with I'm crazy then I'll listen.”

  Alex saw Nicole's expression sadden before she shook her head and stepped away from her.

  “Aiden was right about you, wasn't he?” Nicole asked her sadly, “That's really disappointing.” Then Nicole turned and walked away from Alex, leaving her standing in front of the Meier building with a strange tightness in her chest.

  “Alex!” a voice shouted from behind her. She spun to see Jenny leaning against one of the trees on the lawn surrounding the building. Her roommate beamed at her and gestured her over.

  “Hi Jenny,” Alex greeted with the best smile she could muster.

  “I figured I'd meet you half way,” Jenny told her as she straightened up. “It's faster to go to the Rec Center from here than the dorms.”

  Jenny linked her arm with Alex's and started heading south towards the huge two-story red brick building that housed the school's exercise programs and rock climbing wall. Alex only half-heard Jenny talking to her about her classes and a party she'd been invited to on Saturday to watch the football game as she fought the strange urge to look for Nicole over her shoulder.

  Doing her best to stay cheerful and keep up with Jenny, Alex enjoyed a tour of the student recreation center and left with descriptions of wellness classes that would be starting up Monday along with a list of intermural sports. Jenny was humming softly with a contented smile as they walked back to the dorms. Alex kept looking down at the list of intermural sports, her eyes automatically going to soccer. She didn't have a team to sign up with, but the university free agent program would assign her to a team and let her meet some new people.

  “Cheer up,” Jenny said sweetly from her side. “I bet you'll meet a lot of great people in intermural.”

  “The trip to the rec center was for my benefit,” Alex realized with a start.

  “Yeah,” Jenny confessed gently as they reached the doors of Hatfield Hall. “You've seemed kind of lost. I know that everyone deals with starting college in their own way, but I'd like to see you enjoying it more.”

  Feeling humbled, Alex swiped her card key and pulled open the door for Jenny. Her roommate beamed at her and breezed inside with Alex following.

  “I've got homework today,” Jenny informed her as they entered the stairway. “How about you?”

  “A bit,” Alex told her as she followed Jenny up the stairs.

  “Reading for each of my classes, some statistics problems that are due Friday and reading and a worksheet from Literature class.”

  “Okay,” Jenny replied with a nod as they reached the third floor. “New plan: do homework until dinner and then meet up with Arthur and Lance at Michaels after they finish practice. They're leaving Thursday for Arkansas.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn't rather see Arthur alone?” Alex questioned carefully as they walked to their door.

  “He's bonded with Lance,” Jenny answered as she pulled out her key. “Honestly I've never seen him click with someone as quickly as he has with Lance. They're talking about going on a weekend backpack trip and camping as soon as they can. Arthur has never been interested in the outdoors like that.” Her roommate chuckled softly, “It's kind of adorable in a weird way and I like Lance. It's nice to see Arthur so happy.”

  Alex wondered if she detected a note of jealously in Jenny's voice, but wasn't sure. Instead both sat down at their respective desk and started their homework. Alex began with the math problems and signed into the university math homework system which she found a nice alternative to constantly erasing her work on paper. When she finished that, Alex turned her attention to A Midsummer Night's Dream and read the next two acts quickly to refresh her memory.

  A human named Bottom was given the head of a donkey while in the forest by Robin before Titania is enchanted to fall in love with Bottom as a trick to punish her by Oberon. As she reread the scene Professor Yates words came back to her about the Fae. She'd always considered it just a trick, but there did seem to be something more malicious behind it. Oberon didn't care if Titania was in love with another if that love humiliated her.

  Closing the book, Alex dug into her bag and pulled out the worksheet that Professor Yates had assigned. She set it next to her and logged onto the course website. The Fae information links were listed under the A Midsummer Night's Dream materials and Alex clicked the first one to an Irish mythology site.

  Looking at question one she frowned: What is the Irish Gaelic name for the Fae and what does it say about them?

  Turning her attention to the site, Alex had only to read the first line. Apparently the old Irish Gaelic name for the Fae was the Sídhe which meant ‘people of the mounds'. Alex wrote this down on her worksheet along with it meant that they lived underground, but she also added that mythology said that after the Sídhe were defeated they withdrew into another world. It was more science fiction than she was expecting, but interesting and a major change from the fairy in the forest stories she'd grow up hearing.

  Question two read: What is the moral alignment of the Fae?

  Alex scrolled through the site slowly as she read about the different stories and attributes of the Fae in mythology. Apparently they were very much like Oberon in the play: largely amoral without much regard for how their actions affected humans. It certainly explained his treatment of Titania, but also his almost kind interest in the human lovers. Alex paused as she wrote in the answer that the Fae were amoral and largely concerned only with what benefited them or entertained them. Had Oberon actually been helping the lovers or j
ust using them as entertainment while he punished Titania? Shaking her head, Alex turned her attention back to her worksheet.

  Question three read: What are the Unseelie and Seelie courts and where did their mythology come from?

  She finished reading the site's history of the Irish Sídhe, but there was nothing on the courts. They sounded familiar from a book she'd read years ago. Alex's first thought was that they were the good and evil courts, but she frowned remembering the answer to the previous question. Going back in her browser Alex found another link that look promising and clicked it. This one covered the classifications of the Fae.

  Leaning forward, Alex read the document quickly and glanced at the images of the medieval and later artwork. According the author of the short document on mythology evolution, the Seelie Court and Unseelie Court actually entered fae mythology much later, potentially not until the medieval ages. This separation was probably inspired by the Vikings with their separation of elves into Light and Dark categories since the two magical beings were so similar, but this separation occurred hundreds of years after the Fae entered human mythology.

  Grinning, Alex closed her web browser and slipped the worksheet into her things for Literature class. She picked up her reason and logic textbook to read the next assigned chapter, swinging her chair around and lifting her feet onto the desk.

  “I'm starving!” Jenny chirped as she stood up from her desk and stretched. Her roommate's phone beeped with a text message and Jenny scooped it up with a smile. “It's the boys,” she announced. “They want to know if we're ready to join them for dinner.”

  “Yeah,” Alex replied with a shrug as she lowered her feet. She put a scrap of paper in the textbook and tossed it onto her bed. “I'm good to take a break.”

  “Great,” Jenny said as she texted them back. “There, the boys are waiting for us.”

  Closing her phone, Jenny snatched up her keys and student card. “I'm almost done, how about you?”

  “Nearly,” Alex replied as she picked up her own key card. “Maybe a run after dinner will help me think.”

  “Whatever works,” Jenny answered with a shrug as they headed out the dorm room door. Alex reached and turned the lock behind them, letting the door close and latch on their way out.

  8

  The Fourth Day

  Thursday dawned with a different song playing on the alarm clock and a sigh from Alex as she reached up to turn it off. Strange music and voices still lingered in her mind for a moment from her dreams before fading away as she pulled back her comforter. Jenny was already up and moving around her side of the room with her heeled shoes clicking on the tiles of the floor.

  “You're right,” Alex groaned as she forced herself to sit up in her bed. “We need a rug or something.”

  “Maybe today after classes we should run out,” Jenny suggested as she went to her dresser to check her reflection.

  “I've got my physics lab today,” Alex reminded Jenny as she climbed out of bed and cringed when her feet touched the cold floor. ”I'm not sure when I'll be done; the class is usually until 5:30,” Alex finished as she hurried into a pair of slippers.

  “That's not a problem. If you get done around five then you can join me for dinner with the guys. They're leaving early in the morning and have a practice tonight starting at 6:30 until late.” Jenny shrugged, “If you can't join us then we'll just go shopping when they're at practice.”

  “That's fine,” Alex agreed as she gathered up some clothing and her shower kit. “Are we meeting them for breakfast?”

  “That's the plan,” Jenny answered. “I've got some homework to wrap up while you're in the shower and then we can head over.”

  “Then I'll wish them luck this morning,” Alex remarked. “You'll leave the door unlocked?”

  “I'll be here,” Jenny promised her as she sat down at her desk and Alex grabbed her shower kit.

  Breakfast was amusing as Lance and Arthur both had homework with them at the table that they were rushing to get turned in before the team left for Arkansas. Jenny seemed used to Arthur's half responses as he tried to work, eat and pay some attention to the conversation. Lance on the other hand didn't even try to be social as he talked quietly to himself as he did some algebra problems.

  Since Jenny and Arthur had 8:30 classes, they headed out first and left their empty trays for Alex and Lance to take care of. After sitting with a silent Lance for ten minutes, Alex gathered up the trays and returned them to the washing station. She bid Lance a goodbye and he pulled himself out of his homework enough to give her a sheepish apologetic smile. Returning to her dorm room, Alex collected her physics materials and checked the subject for the day on the syllabus.

  To kill time, Alex checked her email and looked back over the Fae worksheet to make sure that her answers made sense and weren't just jumbles of facts. For a moment she could almost grasp the dream that had ended with her alarm clock; it had involved the Fae somehow, but Alex couldn't pin down the memory. The ringing of her phone alarm made Alex jump and she set the worksheet aside. She gathered up her things for the day and double checked that the door was locked on her way out.

  Professor Whittaker had a long collection of notes and equations waiting on the board when Alex walked into her general physics class. Aiden was sitting in the back of the room today and was tapping his fingers as he read a book open in front him. He didn't look up and Alex quickly looked away to slide into the same seat near the door she'd taken on Tuesday. Pulling out her textbook, Alex skimmed through the first chapter that she'd only glanced at on Tuesday night. She barely noticed when someone sat down next to her with a strange metallic sound.

  “Hi,” a male voice greeted.

  Alex looked up and flinched slightly when she met the green eyes of the young man Aiden had referred to as Brandon. The young man didn't react to her unfriendly response. “I'm Brandon Fisher, most people just call me Bran,” he supplied as he held out a hand to her. “Sorry, but I find sitting at the front more comfortable for my leg,” he informed her with a gesture towards his leg brace before he offered his hand again.

  “Alex Adams,” she answered with a hint of hesitation, taking his hand carefully and shaking it. “No problem.” She glanced over Aiden with suspicion only to have Bran chuckle beside her.

  “Don't worry, Aiden didn't put me up to this,” Bran assured her.

  “You two know each other?” Alex questioned carefully.

  “We had our weird flash when we were in technical class together and ran into each other at Book Nook,” Bran told her before noticing Alex's confused expression. “It's his family's book store on Main Street, he's usually there.”

  “Oh,” Alex said, turning her attention to the front of the classroom. “Look I'd rather not talk about… the flashes,” she added in a whisper.

  “Fine,” Bran replied as he pulled out his own textbook. “Physics only then.”

  “Good,” Alex responded as Professor Whitaker turned to the class and dusted off the chalk dust from his hands.

  “Great,” Bran finished softly, leaning forward on the edge of the table to adjust his leg. The brace clicked softly against the metal stool and Bran leaned his cane against the wall to their right, relaxing into position as the lecture began.

  General Physics passed without too much pain and Alex learned that Bran was actually majoring in physics which softened the blow when Professor Whitaker used their current positions to assign partners for in class work. When class was dismissed and the homework assigned, Alex packed her things up quickly as Aiden approached them. To her surprise, he walked around the front of their table and started talking about the homework with Bran, completely ignoring her. Swinging her bag over her shoulder, Alex said a quick bye to Bran and headed out to meet her friends for lunch.

  Everything was nice and normal all throughout lunch despite Lance and Arthur still doing homework. Jenny called over one of her classmates, a girl name Aisha to their table and introduced her to Alex. While the
boys sat eating their burgers and fries over their homework, Alex learned that journalism was much more complex than she'd thought.

  It was with no small level of trepidation that Alex followed Jenny into the History of Civilization classroom. Professor Cornwall was more than a little intimidating on her own and the vision didn't increase Alex's comfort around the woman. Glancing around, Alex quickly located Nicole and Aiden sitting in the same seats they had on Tuesday and talking quietly to each other. Nicole's long red hair was styled in a series of braids wrapped around each other that made Jenny stare as they took their seats. A moment later Professor Cornwall glided up the aisle to the front of the room, silence falling in her wake.

  “Good afternoon,” Professor Cornwall greeted them, waiting a moment for the class to return the greeting. After a moment of hesitation, they all rushed to do so.