Call of the Water (COMPLETE)

17. THE SEARCH FOR THE LEGEND

The first snow didn't stick. Delicate and light, it covered the gardens like cobweb only for a few hours, enough to bring a smile upon my face. It brightened up the entire weekend, making it easier for me to relax.

Still, Monday came too quickly and with it, the usual school tasks. I saw Mathias after lunch, entering the dining room as Opal, Nia and I were leaving. He was pale and visibly sleep deprived, but there was no malice in his eyes. The night of the full Moon took its toll.

I rushed to get as far away from him as possible. Now that I knew what he was going through, I intended to make his staying at the school I was now attending myself, as easy as possible.

The end of the first semester was near. Homework assignments were raining down on us like cloudbursts. It wasn't until the last week of the semester that I realized others were already working on Ms. Cyan's Legends, as we called them. I decided to focus on that assignment during the winter holidays. I figured, I would find some books in the school library and study them when I'd have more free time on my hands. But I realized that my plan wasn't well thought out.

My wake-up call was Opal. After our last history class, she stayed behind to 'have a chat with the professor'. Professor Jasper was also a dwarf. In addition to that, he taught history. Of course he would know all about the legends of their race.

I wondered whether that was allowed. Wouldn't Ms. Cyan get cross if we asked our teachers for help? Not that I had anyone to ask. Others, however, had options. Opal had not one, but two professors she could talk to and I was sure both Mr. Garnet and Mr. Jasper would be more than happy to discuss legends that involved discovering treasures.

Ardea and her three elvish friends might talk to our language professor, undoubtedly an elf. Her hair was long, silky and blonde, her demeanor graceful, her beauty undeniable. I was sure our biology teacher, Professor Ravens was also one of their race. Yes, her hair was dark but she might have dyed it. I dyed mine.

Nia could speak to our Art teacher, she had to be a fairy as well. Similarities between the two were more than obvious, infectious positivity seeping through every pore of their flawless skin.

Max and Leo had Professor Fortius, and our sorcerers had the Chemistry teacher.

That left Samuel and Nathan, the two boys whose race I wasn't able to determine yet because I didn't really develop deeper friendship with them. And it wasn't polite to just spring the question on them. I wasn't gonna be one of those who would say: Hey, what race are you?

I didn't know which race Harper was, either. Even though in most classes we sat close, Opal usually lead the conversation and she never bothered to open the subject. And if there was a connection between his wheelchair and surgeries gone wrong, I didn't want to open those wounds.

And then there was Lissa, the forest nymph. None of our teachers seemed to be her race, but it didn't matter. She didn't need anybody's help anyways. If I saw it correctly, she had already started writing her story in class, when Professor Cyan first assigned it. No doubt it would be a story about the secret life of plants.

I, on the other hand, did need help, but had no one to talk to. With only three days left till the end of the semester, I felt the panic inside me rising like a tide. I decided to visit the library as soon as possible.

I was so full of hope when I found myself surrounded by rows and rows of bookshelves, as if I were entering a maze built by walls of books. I searched through and through, picked up dozens of books, skimmed through all of them, but with no success.

The evening found me there. I walked out of the library like a defeated general off the battlefield.

After that disappointing afternoon, I wanted to spend some time alone with my thoughts. Instead of going to my room, I went to the garden. It was a beautiful evening, chilly air, but sparkling sky.