Verdantia Chronicles: Shadows of the Past

Chapter 6: The Hatchery

As Sephtis led the group through the forest trail, the other students seemed to be in high spirits, messing around and chatting among themselves. I decided to break the silence and engage in conversation with Sephtis.

"So, Sephtis," I started, walking alongside him. "Are you happy with the results of your elements?"

Sephtis glanced at me, his expression thoughtful. "I suppose I'm not overly surprised," he replied with a shrug. "My mother is also a dual elemental user."

"What are her elements?" I asked, curious about his family history.

"Feral and air manipulation," Sephtis answered. "She can transform into a hawk." He glanced at the feathers that had sprouted on his body during the elemental awakening. "I assume I share the same ability."

I nodded, impressed. "That's quite a combination," I remarked, trying to picture Sephtis transforming into a majestic hawk.

Sephtis then turned the question back to me. "And what about you? Are you happy with your result?"

I considered for a moment before responding. "I don't have room to complain," I said with a smirk. "I wasn't picky to begin with, and just being here is already better than what I was doing before."

Sephtis seemed to understand my sentiment, and we continued walking in companionable silence for a while.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to find myself face to chest with Arlo. His smile was charming, but I still couldn't shake the weird feeling from him.

"You're Rose's friend aren't you?" Arlo asked, his voice smooth.

I nodded, a bit taken aback by his sudden appearance. "Yeah, I am," I replied, trying to keep my guard up.

Arlo extended a hand. "I'm Arlo Goldvelt, pleasure. Sorry I didn't get to introduce myself properly this morning." he says flicking his platinum hair out of his eyes.

Sephtis, who had been walking ahead, scoffed at the introduction but said nothing. I couldn't help but admit to myself that Arlo was indeed attractive, despite my reservations.

Before I could reply, Arlo turned to Sephtis. "Do you know where you're going?" he asked casually.

Sephtis didn't even spare him a glance. Arlo rolls his eyes "Nevermind, I'm going back to the others," he says gesturing me to follow him towards the rest of the students.

I hesitated for a moment, torn between following Sephtis or taking arlos offer. In the end, I decided to stick with Sephtis. "I'll catch up with you later, Arlo," I said, giving him a nod before following Sephtis.

Sephtis raised an eyebrow at my decision as he continues leading the way. "Yeah catch up with you later." Arlo said before disappearing from view.

As we walked together, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease mingled with attraction towards Arlo. There was something about him that drew me in, despite the warning bells going off in my head.

Eventually, we reached a large cave entrance, the red glowing crystals illuminating the path. Sephtis led the way, his steps confident and purposeful. The air grew cooler as we ventured deeper into the cave, the sound of dripping water echoing around us.

At the base of the cave, we found Headmistress Elara waiting for us, her red Chinese dragon familiar lying gracefully at her side. The sight was both majestic and imposing, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe in the presence of the headmistress.

"Welcome, students," Headmistress Elara greeted us, her voice echoing in the cavern. "I trust you are all prepared for what lies ahead. But unfortunately, we cannot begin just yet," she announced, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment. "The Empyrean and Hethen first years have yet to arrive."