Milkweed: Short Stories for Wizards

The Yule Ball (Part I)

The Yule Ball (Part I)

"And my mother sent me over a new pair of shoes too. Boots! They're real and match my new vest perfectly!" Sigmund bragged to his friends over their lunch. "I'm supposed to receive a few more items in the post, but they should all be here in time."

"My father is letting me wear my great grandfather's pocket watch for the ball!" Another one of Sigmund's peers announced, voice lilted with a prideful tone. "See? He sent me a photo of it. It's real gold and powered with ancient motes!"

Kyle rolled his eyes as the wizard boys at his table gathered around to gawk at the photo. All month long, the students in his dormitory had been full of joint excitement over one of the academy's most anticipated events happening over the weekend, The Yule Ball. Held on the Pagan evening of Yule, the ball ushered in the winter solstice for the youth of Milkweed Academy. A time of cheer, holiday joy and most exciting of all, the winter break. Winter break allowed the students to return home if they chose to, and enjoy a well deserved magical recharge from the constant exams and lessons.

 It wasn't just the break they looked forward to though, the halls of Milkweed Academy would open to the neighboring academies for the event. Below the depths of the universe, the University of the Underworld housed ghouls and reapers who rose up from the darkness for the occasion. And miles away, through the enchanted forest that acted as a boarder between worlds, sat the Halfmoon Hallows Witching Academy. Though Milkweed Academy housed creatures of all kinds, Halfmoon Hallows only taught the most high-brow of witches. It was a girl's only academy and prided itself on the achievements accomplished by it's rich line of alumni, some of those who went on to teach the youth of Milkweed and even joined the academy's school board.

 Halfmoon witches were a diverse bunch in themselves. White witches that practiced pure, good willed magic. Witches of black magic that studied the alchemy of the afterlife and conjured beasts and horror-filled monsters. Herbalist witches that marveled their peers with giant shrubbery work and specialized in potion making and medicinal work. For the young men of Milkweed though, one group of witches happened to be on everyone's mind with the subject of the Yule Ball.

"I think once Erin sees my pocket watch, she'll want me to accompany her to the ball~" The peer continued with a knowing smirk. Sigmund raised a brow. This would be his first Yule at Milkweed and he wasn't exactly familiar with the routine or the attendees.

"Erin?" He asked between a bite of his apple. "Erin who? The one from the race?" Immediately after the question, giggles seemed to fill the air at the end of the wooden cafeteria table. Some boys sheepishly hid behind their hands to cover blushes taking over their expressions. None of them could compose themselves enough to answer the question. Kyle was annoyed with the entire display.

"You're all pathetic, flea-ridden, delusional trolls to think any witch from Halfmoon Hallows would want to ask any of you, anywhere!" He spat, a giggle of his own escaping him. "Heh...delusional trolls..."

"Halfmoon Hallows?" Sigmund inquired again, facing the braced boy this time. "Is that the academy she attends? I hadn't heard the name at the races. I suppose I hadn't been paying attention with all the excitement..."

"Yes. It's the academy across the forest. It's a school for witching. Girls only."

"Girls only?" Now, he understood what all the sheepish chuckling had been about. There were girls around Milkweed, but not all of them were exactly human. And for the most part, they weren't segregated. All the students were treated the same, besides Sigmund of course. It was mainly the allure of girls from another academy that seemed to excite the boys at the table. "Well then, why Erin if there's other girls?"