It was sunset when the Academy finally came in to view.
It was basically a huge medieval-style castle that joint into the surrounding mountains forming lots of levels and pathways.
The setting sun made everything seem to glow heavenly in the fading light. Dragons of all different sizes and colours could be seen flying around riderless near the castle.
It was beautiful.
"Amazing" Chase whispered in my ear loudly making me jump out of my trance.
"Yes, it is," said Axel patting Nacendra's neck.
She closed her wings and fell down through the sky. I held my breath and tightened my grip on Axel.
"What the hell are you doing?" Screamed Hunter clinging to Chase strongly for dear life.
Nacendra opened her wings at the last second and landed gracefully on the ground with a small thud.
"Landing," said Axel over his shoulder, a massive grin present on his face.
I let out a large sigh and let go of Axel. He jumped off Nacendra's back and held out his arms.
"Jump down"
I swung my leg over her side and jumped down praying that my ankle wouldn't give way and embarrass me in front of everyone. I landed safely supported by Axel and walked over to Max and Zack who had already dismounted.
"That was amazing wasn't it" I gasped.
"Yeah" agreed Max.
"Awesome" added Zack.
"Especially when you have a whimpering idiot clutching onto you," said Chase sarcastically jogging up to stand next to me.
I laughed and watched as other dragons flew down carrying other students. Eventually, they stopped coming and the level was full of students of different races and abilities.
"Everyone gather round please" called Jack.
We walked over to stand by our pack.
"When I call your group, follow your appointed guide to sort you into your elemental regions, which basically just determine which quarters you're going to sleep in and what team you're in for the house games," he said announced. "We will start with the werewolf packs"
"Bloodstone pack, please follow Felix," he said pointing the boy with dusty grey hair and soft brown eyes.
He gave a wave to bring their attention to him before leading the pack away.
"I've heard about those," said Zack.
"Same, I think their quite a high rank," said Max.
"Not above us though" sang Chase.
I laughed at their prevail behaviour, the pack rank was determined by how powerful it is and at present, our pack was at the highest rank above Bloodstone pack.
"Crimson shadow pack, please follow Dexter," he said pointing at the boy with dirty blond hair and pastel blue eyes.
I waved goodbye to Axel and followed Dexter along with the rest of my pack.
We walked through various hallways, each coated in paintings and decorated with beautiful patterns and engravings.
"This place is huge" voiced Ace through the new main pack link.
Vicky linked her arm through his and we all murmured in agreement.
After walking down another hallway I gave up trying to memorize the way back, it's way too big to learn in a day.
We advanced through various corridors before we came to a stop outside large double doors.
"When you enter that room you will be tested in order to be sorted into your region. When the test is complete you will hear your element name in your head and say it aloud as soon as you walk through the door" explained Dexter. "Focusing on the basic elements, there are four regions, Fire, Water, Earth, and Air."
I looked at the doors and wondered what sort of test it would be.
"Do you think it will be physical or mental?" I asked Max who was also staring at the door.
"No clue, maybe a bit of both" he replied.
"Hunter Pierce, please come forward" called Dexter reading off a clipboard.
He approached cautiously and slowly entered the room. A few minutes later he came back out in some sort of trace. The room was filled with suspense as he stood before us all like a statue among its peers.
"I think that he's broken" snickered Chase causing Max to chuckle slightly.
All of a sudden red glimmering flames burst out of nowhere and engulfed Hunter's body as they swarmed fiercely around him before fading away into the still air.
"Definitely broken" gulped Chase releasing Max's arm, which he had previously grabbed in surprise, from his hold.
"Fire," growled Hunter in a low voice.
He then shook his head and walked back over to his friends. A few more people went in and came out before Max was called.
"Wish me luck," he said disappearing through the door.
When he returned he stood fixed in the doorway.
"Earth," he said breaking out of his trance as the ground around him sank back down to its normal state.
Next was Chase, who emerged in what seemed to be a tornado.
"Air"
Then Zack, who had a long strand of water surrounding his body in a glistening ribbon.
"Water"
And finally me.
I smiled at the boys who were looking quite disheartened by the fact that none of them were together before walking slowly into the room.
The door immediately slammed shut behind me, wrapping me in complete darkness.
I blinked a few times to adjust my eyes but the only thing that I could see was an ember torch flickering gently at the other end of the room, having nowhere else to go I walked confidently towards it and picked it up cautiously.
I gasped unintentionally and covered my eyes as the room was immediately filled with a bright light.
I removed my hands, blinking multiple times before I looked around to see I wasn't in a room anymore, I was outside.
I shook my head in amazement and took in my surroundings, to my left there were multiple trees forming a small forestry area which had a long silver river coursing through it before it disappeared off a cliff edge forming a skinny waterfall.
I walked alertly along the tree line using my enhanced hearing for any indication as to what I'm meant to be doing.
"H.. h ..help me"
I stopped dead in my tracks hearing the desperate cry.
I listened hard to the persistent pleas and followed the sound to the cliff ledge.
Looking over the edge, I saw a little girl with blond hair and big blue eyes looking up at me. She wore a torn white dress and her hands were coated in blood.
"Please help me" she pleaded.
To her left, I saw a pure black wolf pup cowering towards the wall and whimpering softly.
"I'm coming" I shouted down looking for a way to reach her.
I held a small vine that laced the surface of the ragged cliff in my hands and closed my eyes, I began whispering enchantments naturally. When I opened my eyes the vine grew strongly down the cliff towards the little girl and pup.
I attached the vine around my waist and climbed down quickly but carefully.
"It's okay, I'm here to help you," I said looking into her electric blue eyes.
"The rocks," she said pointing above the wolf pup.
I looked over to see that they were crumbling away slowly. It was then that I realised what I had to do... I had to choose one of them. I wasn't one for the rules anyway so I decided to try and save them both.
"Here," I said wrapping a vine around the girl's waist just in case she lost footing.
I turned to the pup and scooped him up in my arms. I placed him on my chest inside my coat and tied a vine under his butt to stop him falling.
"Okay carefully jump and grab my arms" I instructed facing the girl.
She leapt across the gap without hesitation and latched onto me. I held her tightly to the side of my body and muttered more enchantments to make the vine pull us up.
When we got to the top of the cliff I led her away from the edge into the safety of the trees which were now dancing swiftly in the quickened wind.
The little girl looked up at me and smiled as I placed the puppy on the ground. As soon as its paws touched the earth, it morphed into another small child with black hair and the same electric blue eyes as the other little girl.
"You have passed the test, you did not allow an innocent to die in order to save only your own kind. You are courageous and smart, which are vital skills for humanity" she said in a sweet squeaky voice.
Both children grabbed onto each of my hands causing water to surround us all, before I had a chance to say anything else I was plunged into darkness again.
I looked around to see a faint light seeping in through the outline of the doorway. I made my way towards it and walked outside with four words swarming through my mind.
I stopped in front of my pack which stood before me and watched as all four elements surrounded me competitively, water, fire, earth, and air. They all swarmed around my body fiercely until water consumed fire and earth engulfed water before it was pushed down the ground by a great force.
"Air"
*-*
Once everyone else had been sorted into their elements Dexter led us into a large hall.
There were rectangular wooden tables positioned everywhere containing prepared foods off all kinds.
My stomach rumbled loudly causing Max to smirk over at me, I quickly wrapped my arms around my body sent him a warning glare.
"Sit and have food, we will lead you into your dorms shortly," said Dexter with a warm smile before walking away to find Felix and the others.
"Where are we going to sit?" I asked through the main link.
"That table?" Suggested Ace pointing at a table to the far right.
We all began to walk over to it with our heads held high. There were not many people on it, about ten from what I could tell. I led them over and sat at the end of the table near a girl with coal black hair and chocolate eyes.
"Hi," she said holding out her hand with a big smile on her face. "I'm Adelia"
"Aurora," I said shaking her hand. "This is my pack"
The rest of them were engrossed in food or talking amongst themselves so I just introduced Max, Zack, and Chase.
"Nice to meet you all," she said. "I've never met werewolves before"
I laughed at her astonished face.
"I've never actually met a vampire before," I said.
"How'd you know," she asked.
"I don't know, I just had a feeling," I said honestly.
"Well your right, I'm a vampire, witch hybrid. Although I haven't quite unlocked that witch side yet" she said wiggling her eyebrows.
A boy with glossy, ebony hair and gorgeous bright blue eyes elbowed her in the side.
"Oh yeah, sorry," she said over her shoulder.
"This is Orpheus," She said gesturing to the boy.
"Nice to meet you," I said holding out my hand.
He smiled warmly and accepted my hand, shaking it lightly.
"What regions are you both staying in?" I asked curiously.
"I'm in Air," said Orpheus.
"Same" synchronized me and Chase.
"I'm in Earth," she said looking slightly disappointed.
"So am I," said Max with a smile.
She brightened up a bit and nodded.
We all began digging into the food that was in front of us, being in a pack of werewolves has made us messy eaters, we just wolf down whatever is in front of us as quick as we can, although, we do try to be polite in public, but what can I say? it had been a long day of travelling.
"I think I'm gonna burst," said Chase wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
"Same" I sighed patting my stomach.
We talked a bit about our family's and where we came from, interested to see what life was like for other species. I let my mind wander to my father, I wondered how he was doing, probably making a mess of cooking himself dinner, I inwardly sighed at the thought.
"Attention everyone" shouted a middle-aged man standing at the front of the hall.
"I am principle Stoneheart, I want to start by welcoming you all to Angel academy, " he said scanning the tables with his unusual light grey eyes. "You will all go to your new dorm rooms to find new clothes and your timetables, you will have tonight to settle in before starting classes tomorrow. Your regional captains will lead you to your dorm rooms so please make your way over to them as follows,
Felix: Fire
Axel: Air
Dexter: Water
Tyler: Earth
Please try to make yourselves comfortable as this is your new home" he finished.
I left our table and walked through a swarm of many students, making my way over to Axel with Chase and Orpheus walking close behind me.
"I knew you two would be Air," he said triumphantly. "It's going to be a good year" he finished clapping his hands together gleefully.
We followed him along different hallways until we entered the Air region of the school. The walls were decorated with silver dragons and patterns, as well as occasional draping banners with the house crest upon it, a silver dragon wrapped around a sword.
"All of your clothes will be silver and black and branded with this logo," said Axel pointing at the banner as he walked past it.
The corridors seemed to contain the element itself, the banners flowed in synchronisation even though there were no windows nearby and passing students seemed to be moving at an unnaturally fast speed, as if they were using their control over the air to move swiftly around the building. We continued silently along the corridors and walked through a huge set of beautifully carved double doors.
The room that we entered was large and spacious but held a cosy vibe, The carpet was a dark grey and the walls contained silver and black stripes and the house logo, there were also sofas, bookshelves and other leisurely things littered around the room.
"This is the common room," said Axel "you can hang out here whenever you want to, as long as you don't have lessons of course.
I looked around the room and spotted a couple of people wearing jackets bearing the Air regional logo on them, but there were also people wearing different coloured jackets.
"Oh, and feel free to bring your friends from the other regions of the school, the fact that you are in this region just means that this is your strongest element" he clarified with a smile.
"Where do we sleep?" asked a girl with dark green hair.
"The girls' dorms are that way, go up the stairs to the first level and you should find a plaque with your name on it next to your door," he said pointing to a corridor to the right of a gigantic painting. "Boys are the same but down the stairs to the left. Go to your dorm rooms and drop off your bags and get settled but after that, you can do what you want." He finished with a welcoming smile.
I looked over to Chase who was staring at me with a worried expression on his face and sent him a questioning look.
"You're going to be on your own," he said.
" True but I'll be fine don't worry," I said realizing he was right. "I'll make new friends"
"As long as you don't replace us," he said a smile spreading across his face.
"Never," I said tapping my chest dramatically. "See you later then?" I asked.
"Yeah" he replied.
"You too Orpheus?" I laughed noticing him standing awkwardly twirling his thumbs.
"Yeah, see you later," he said smiling.
I looked one more time towards Chase and Orpheus before following the other girls up the stairs to our new dorms.
*** Thanks for reading guys it really means a lot. I should be able to update again tomorrow depending on whether I finish my homework overload. 🙄
Let me know if you would like a different point of view or whatever.
Until next time***