"We actually get to live here!"
Soraya gazed up at the school in awe, noticing that the twelve Zodia, along with the four Elemental Magic symbols, decorated the stained-glass windows.
"That, up there, is one of the many dormitories we have," Ms. Faye pointed at the tall spire with a large statue of a dragon sitting atop one of its many balconies. "You'll be tested in the morning to determine which house you'll be a part of and what uniform you'll be wearing."
"Wait... tested?" Soraya asked. "What does that mean, exactly?"
"Every new student is given a series of rigorous evaluations in order to determine how they best learn," the groundskeeper explained while opening one of the large, oaken doors.
The foyer was huge and grand, with portraits of what Soraya assumed were faculty staff members and other people in prestigious positions at the school. The polished, wooden floor was a mix of navy blues and purples and stretched out into the tall, long hallway before her. Giant, curving staircases leading to balconies were on both sides of the room. Beyond the stairways were long corridors leading to various classrooms.
"There are three houses here; Red, Blue and Green," Ms. Faye said while ascending the staircase, her voice bouncing off of the cold stone walls. "Red is for audible learners, Blue is for visual, and Green for kinesthetic."
The groundskeeper gestured towards three giant banners overhanging the middle hallway, each coinciding with the different houses. The red tapestry had a bat stitched into it, its giant wings spread out on either side, and its claws outstretched before it, as if it were about to latch onto something. The blue banner had a large tiger embroidered in it's center. Elegant and sleek, its face centered right in the middle and staring straight at them. To the right hung the green banner depicting a wolf howling towards the heavens.
"That sounds very organized," Soraya managed to say in between breaths while scampering after the tall woman leading the way before her. Ms. Faye took great leaps in skipping over steps, while Soraya struggled to keep up despite being quick on her feet.
I'll probably be placed into the Blue House because of my photographic memory.
"For now, you and your pet will be put up in one of the dorms for tonight and be given dinner."
They wandered down another grand hallway towards one of the spires. Lanterns built into the walls lit the way as they passed by many elegant paintings and closed oaken classroom doors leading to what Soraya assumed were more classrooms.
"I suggest you go to bed early. You will be awoken around eight in the morning tomorrow, and I promise that it will be a long day full of tests and tours."
When they reached the end of the hall, they were greeted by a large blue door that read, Blue Female Dormitory in silver script.
"Your father told us you're a visual learner, so you'll stay here for tonight, though after your evaluations are graded tomorrow you may change houses, so be prepared for that," Ms. Faye prattled on while placing her slim hand on the silver doorknob and turning it. "Your fellow students will show you to your dorm from here."
Mixed voices of girls chatting away filled the air, greeting Soraya's ears. They all quieted down when the door creaked open.
"Thank you for everything," Soraya said before timidly entering the large room. There was a huge, roaring fireplace under a stone wall. Surrounding it were dark blue velvet couches. White frilled curtains covered every window within the circular room while wooden chairs, tables and bookshelves stood against every wall.
Soraya was immediately greeted by a million multicolored eyes staring at her from all directions.
"H...hello," she stuttered, her body stiffening up, her heartbeat quickening within her chest. She had never been a fan of being the center of attention.
"Hey, Soraya Thenayu's here!" exclaimed a feminine voice on her right. Soraya was met with a pair of brown eyes on a pale face surrounded by chocolate colored curls.
"Hi, my name is Emrose Savis," the student boldly stepped forward, bowing politely. It both surprised and worried Soraya that a complete stranger already knew her name. Before she had time to ponder over this, the girl on Emrose's left spoke up.
"I'm Vamera Barden," she introduced herself with an air of grace.
Soraya almost gasped when she stared at the girl's gorgeous violet eyes and hair. Her mahogany skin complimented the purple perfectly, in the girl's opinion, and she had to rip her gaze away, so she wouldn't come across as being rude.
"It's nice to meet you both," Soraya grinned shyly, digging her fingers into the thick backpack straps on her shoulders and tightening her grip on her rolling suitcase.
Yabo meowed from within the girl's hood and poked his head out to greet everyone. The air was immediately filled with "oohs" and "awes" as everyone came closer to get a better look at the pandacoon.
"Oh my gosh! You brought an animal? Lucky!"
"That is the cutest thing I've ever seen!"
Yabo soaked in the attention, loving every second of it, while Soraya grew more and more uncomfortable and wanted to melt and disappear into the floor. She looked over at Emrose and Vamera and noticed how they looked unamused. Although she had just met them, Soraya could tell they were already judging her.
"So... where can I put my stuff?" Soraya interrupted while untangling herself from all the outstretched arms petting her pandacoon.
"The bedrooms are upstairs," said one of the girls in front of her. She had emerald green eyes, similar to Dinah's back on the Rivingale Express, and long blackish blue hair tied into two ponytails. "I can show you, if you'd like," she smiled sweetly. "My name's Moiya by the way."
Moiya stepped away from the crowd of girls and gestured towards the back right of the room, where there was an open wall leading to a stairwell hidden in the shadows.
Yabo, still wanting affection, hopped down from Soraya's shoulders and proceeded to sprawl himself out onto the navy blue and silver carpeted floor. He looked mischievously up at his owner with his black beady eyes before slowly and dramatically rolling himself onto his side, so his fluffy stomach faced the students.
"Can I... can I put my face in his belly?" asked one of the girls after squealing at the pandacoon's cuteness.
"Yes, definitely," Soraya rolled her sky blue eyes at her pet's attention seeking behavior. "He loves cuddling."
While Yabo received the most pats, belly rubs, ear stroking and kisses he'd ever had in his life, Soraya followed Moiya upstairs to see where they'd be sleeping.
"I hope you get high marks in your visual scoring tomorrow," the green-eyed Azakuin stated. "I don't want that cutie to leave us."
"We'll definitely be staying here," Soraya vowed with confidence. "I'm not the greatest at remembering what I hear, and although I do learn alright by copying what I see others do, I'm best with visual learning."
Moiya seemed pleased at her response and skipped into the room at the top of the stairs, twirling around, so her dress spun along with her. Soraya followed her into the bedroom and took in her new surroundings.
The ceiling was a crescent dome with realistic paintings of the sky and clouds covering every inch of the bowl shaped interior. Every wall was light blue, and ornately decorated wood carvings of flowers and vines lined the bottom frames. Rich brown, wooden bunk beds were pushed up against the walls on all sides, each covered with navy blue blankets and white pillows.
"I do hope we can be friends," Moiya said meekly. "It can be quite lonely here sometimes."
"I would love to be friends with you!" Soraya replied, completely missing the hint of sorrow in her new acquaintance's voice. "I've always wanted to be close to someone around my age..." She hesitated, thought back to Komorebi, and realized she was assuming things about Moiya. "How old are you? I'm thirteen."
"I'm thirteen as well," Moiya beamed.
"Where are you from originally?" Soraya asked.
"I was born in Batilde, but moved here a few years ago. Even though Matumi is beautiful, I actually like my hometown a bit better, to be honest..." she eyed the stairs warily. "Some Etherians around here can be a bit stuck up and snobby."
"Oh..." Soraya wasn't sure what to make of this new information, but she tucked it into the back of her head.
"Don't get on Emrose and Vamera's bad sides, or Jacquelle's..." Moiya whispered, a hint of fear in her voice. "They run our house because they're the rich kids, and will make life difficult for you really fast if you don't do what they say."
Her voice lowered even more, and Soraya had to lean in to hear the rest of what her new friend was saying. "They like spreading rumors about others. I heard one about me just yesterday... I really wish I knew why they were upset at me..."
"Hey!"
Both girls snapped their heads towards the stairs. A different student was standing there, one that Soraya hadn't met yet. She was tall, thin, and smiling at them from the dark. Her long, curly blond hair fell gracefully around her pale face, and her dark blue eyes were gorgeous like the night sky. Despite her innocent appearance, the air immediately turned colder with her presence.
"Aren't you both going to join us for dinner?"
The girl's grin grew wider, showing more glistening white teeth. The hairs on Soraya's arms stood straight up as her heart skipped a beat within her chest.
"Yes, Jacquelle, we'll be down in a minute," Moiya said as calmly as she could, though Soraya could see her legs shaking.
The girl by the stairway didn't budge. Instead, she stared into the girl's emerald eyes with such intensity, that Moiya cowered back and lowered her gaze to the floor in silent defeat.
What was that about? Soraya pondered as adrenaline kicked into her system.
"Let's go," Jacquelle commanded, swiftly turning on her heel and walking gracefully down the marble steps like a princess out of a fairy tale would.
Both girls followed after her but kept their distance, as if that would somehow protect them. Soraya was grateful she had magic in her possession. Jacquelle frightened her, though she didn't understand why. There was something sinister lurking in her shadow, some dark secret that she was keeping hidden away.
I'll figure you out.
Soraya stared at Jacquelle's beautiful golden locks as they bounced with each step the girl took.
I'm on to you.
* * *
All the students in the Blue House made their way towards the center of the school, where the Dining Hall was located. Three long, rectangular wooden tables stretched out across the room, accompanied by long, log-like benches for students to use as chairs. The walls were lined with lit lanterns, paintings of different landscapes throughout Azakua, and multicolored stained-glass windows.
"Let's sit here," Moiya suggested while leading Soraya and Yabo through the sea of students towards a pair of empty seats near the middle of the far right table. "No one likes sitting in the center, which means we don't have to fight anyone for a spot."
When Soraya sat down, Yabo leapt onto the table and danced impatiently in circles.
"Food will be arriving shortly, just wait a little longer," Moiya assured the pandacoon.
"Mow!" Yabo complained. Some other students chuckled at him, but this time, it was from a group of male students dressed in blue.
"How did you get that in here?" asked a boy while placing his amber colored hand on Yabo's ears and gently scratching them. "You'll get into so much trouble if the teachers see him."
"I have a doctor's note, but thanks for your concern-" Soraya explained, but gasped as she stared at the boy's features. He looked Etherian in every way except for the two, velvety cat-like ears that stood on either side of his head.
"Are you a Shadelkin?" she blurted while thinking back to her Encyclopedia Historia. According to mythologies, when the Nomadic Shadelkin Tribe turned from their wicked ways, they had been blessed by the Zodia and granted a fast evolution, allowing them to survive differing harsher climates through a higher degree of strength and agility.
Although a minority of Shadelkins occupied every country, their language and customs were sadly dying out. Soraya remembered reading that one of their three dialects was already extinct, and the other two were almost completely gone from the lack of usage. Soraya thought it was tragic that the remaining two languages could be completely dead in less than a hundred years.
"Yes, and proud to be," the boy grinned, his candy apple eyes sparkling when he showed off his sharp fangs.
"I'm Soraya Thenayu. What's your name?" Soraya asked and bowed.
"Ujuu Leyo," he bowed back. "And this grumpy guy..." Ujuu grabbed another boy who was standing next to him and pulled him closer. "Is my twin brother, Rhys."
"Uh... hi," Rhys said awkwardly before blushing and looking away. Although they looked incredibly similar in appearance, Soraya noticed Rhys' hair was in a long black braided ponytail, whereas Ujuu's was short and spiky around his head.
"Hello, Rhys!" Soraya exclaimed. The boy's face grew even more red as he struggled to escape his brother's grasp.
"Oh, stop being so shy around every cute girl you happen to see," Ujuu chuckled before winking at Soraya.
"Yeah, Moiya is pretty cute," Soraya glanced over at her new friend, completely overlooking the fact that Ujuu was referring to her.
"What! Me?" Moiya jumped in her seat, her cheeks flushed.
Ujuu howled with laughter, causing some neighboring students to look up and see what all the ruckus was about. "Can we sit with you both?" the Shadelkin asked, his lips grinning from ear to ear. "I haven't had this much fun in a while."
"Yes! Please join us!" Soraya shuffled over on the bench so Ujuu could squeeze in next to her on her right. Rhys quietly slid into the seat next to his brother and used him as a meat shield, so he wouldn't have to talk to either of the girls.
"Soraya, please come sit over with me and my friends."
Jacquelle stood at the opposite side of the table. The cold, eerie change in the air was back. This time, Soraya knew for sure that she wasn't imagining it. Moiya, Ujuu and Rhys all shrank back in their seats away from her. Even Yabo stiffened up, his fur raised as his ears lowered.
"Hey, we are her friends," growled Ujuu from next to her.
"Friends let friends make their own decisions about things," Jacquelle said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "And you just met her, you're hardly an acquaintance."
"Well, I'm happy sitting here with them," Soraya stated with confidence.
"Alright, I'll just join you then," Jacquelle sighed before glaring at another student who was occupying the seat across from Soraya. The terrified kid stood up and scampered to another table.
What is her deal? Soraya wondered as the most powerful and intimidating student in the entire school daintily sat down across from her.
What does she want from me?
*2,579 Words