Just a normal day...

[Shanza]

When Northarian, or Arix, as she called herself in this new form, traveled with Malgo and the small mare, Kinshasa, she later learned, she had an overwhelming desire to possess this talent. To be able to be anywhere in the blink of an eye! Northarian beat down her bloodlust quickly, before it destroyed her cover. It wasn't hard, as the chance that she would lose was much greater than the potential of gain. As she surveyed her new surroundings, she felt that this would not be the last time that she would have to struggle with herself, and later, that the struggle would be harder to win.
The beach the three equines stood on spread out a fair distance to both sides until it curved back and vanished behind the foliage of the island. Waves softly lapped at her hooves, and Northarian stared out over the water to the distant shore. Individual trees could be seen, but barely.
She turned back to Malgo, but both him and the mare were gone. For a moment, she stood frozen, confused. Then a shout hailed her from the forest, where the small mare stuck her head out from behind the trees. "You coming, or what?" Northarian sprung after her.
The trees were dense, and thickened in their breadth as they traveled deeper into the forest. The thin, faint path wound through the dappled light and undergrowth until the forest fell away and she stood on the edge of a vast clearing. She could see Malgo grinning off to the side, but at the moment, she didn't care. The sight took her breath away. Several pegasi flew in the sky, preforming intricate maneuvers as they ducked and weaved between each other. Bound to earth unicorns fenced, no less majestic than those overhead. Path ways crisscrossed the clearing, weaving in and around small hills and oddly shaped mounds. The only trees and brush in the clearing grew on or near these mounds.
A soft yet unmistakable chime rang, and within moments all sizes and shapes of equines flowed out from the mounds to mingle and disappear into yet another. A second chime rang, and a the few stragglers that remained hastened to where they were supposed to be. 'Was this the right choice?' the thought rang through her head. She had never been around so many before, even in Sunthara. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. She was here to learn, and learn she would; nothing or no one would stand in her way this time.
"It's big." She said, hoping that Malgo would get the clue and elaborate. She didn't think she could say much more and retain her composure.

[ϞSymreeϞ]

I smiled, sensing the mare's discomfort. I let the words spill from my mouth gently, tumbling to her ears. I pointed out the places that we passed in a hushed voice, watching her out of the corner of my eye.
When that no longer seemed like enough, I cleared my throat and murmered quietly, "Dont worry, you'll fit right in here..."
I hoped that It was true as I led her into the section of molded earth that we liked to call Draldoth's office. Would he be pleased that I had found her so early? I didnt know, but glanced back at Arix with an uneasy feeling in my stomache. "Headmaster?" I called through the network of vines.

[Shanza]

Headmaster? Arix wondered. She was tense, and nervous, something she hadn't felt for a long time. There was so much magic.... Arix snapped herself back. Raw power would come later. Knowledge first.
"Malgo?" a voice called from behind the vines. "You found what you were looking for? Come in, come in."
The blood bay gestured for Arix to go first, and she went with a sense of nervous caution. She expected the cave to be dark, dank, and small, but it was quite the opposite. It was clean and well kept, with a soft glowing coming from the center of the ceiling. Tree roots wound together to create a desk in a L shape, and one side protruded into the cave. It was this that Draldoth stood behind. The headmaster was a unicorn, dapple gray with sabino markings. His eyes were gray with black pupils and kind. Arix was immediatly warry. Behind the facade she sensed power- a kind of power that she had yet to know about. She guessed it came from inborn ablility and training. Knowledge. The reason she was here.
"And you are?" the gray headmaster asked softly. In that moment, she knew she would have to be careful. He knew, or sensed, that something was off, wrong, about her. He would also probably know how to spot a lie.
She might as well establish some sort of background. "Arixia. Veyali daughter of Rioko and Jinhelsh of the Rogarilon Alpha Herd of the Central Plains of the Kingdom of Sunthara."

Draldoth tried to quell his suprise, but knew it had show for just a second on his face. "Very nice to have you here, Arixia. We are having an orientation class on Thursday, right after lunch at 1:30. In the meantime, Kathridge is waiting outside to take you to your new quarters. Why don't you settle in and get used to the place. It tends to be a little confusing at first."
Arix nodded and ducked out of the office. Draldoth waited until the hoofbeats had faded away, then he quickly checked that they were really gone. Only then did he turn to Malgo. "I know you haven't had much time to keep up with Sunthara politics, so I will fill you in. As you have probably guessed, that mare isn't quite what she appears to be. I know you know the Central Plains is the most powerful territory in Sunthara, and the Rogarilon Herd is the strongest of the herds. The current King is old, and only has one child. His second died not long after the Queen did, shy on three years ago." Malgo opened his mouth, but Draldoth shook his head. "I know you know most of this already, but, believe me, this is important. The crown prince is sick, sick enough to die. If that happens, another family will take the throne. One of the eligible families is the family of Envitine and Iovin. Their daughter is Jinhelsh."
"Her mother."
"Correct."
"But most of the nobles there are unicorn, aren't they?"
"They are, and so is that family. She said she was a veyali daughter. Veyali means 'sworn.' At one point in time or another, Jinhelsh and her mate swore to protect that mare. The thing is, only natural born foals can succeed the throne." He sighed. "They tend to look down on pegasi there, so most likely, she got sick of it and left." Draldoth looked at Malgo. "Be careful. That may not be the only secret she is hiding."

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Malglo

I watched as Arix left Draldoth's office with a sence of unease that I knew he felt as well.
Be careful. That may not be the only secret she is hiding.
I nodded with a customary care free shrug, "You worry too much Headmaster. I can handle this." what I didnt tell him was that I was intregued by her, that I wanted to learn more of her mysterious past.
Draldoth gave me a skeptical sort of look. " I know you can Malglo, Just take care...thats all."
I shrugged, "So where am I off to now?"

Kathridge

I watched the pegusi mare come out of Drathdoth's office with a sense of terror. she looked normal enough, but something about her sent chills down my back. I wished that my new friends were here to help me. All the same I smiled at her, "Welcome to the academy! I am Kathridge, but you may call me Kathri!"
She merely stared at me for a moment as if I were a discusting smell comming off her hooves. "Hi." She said shortly, as if any further contact with me would render her diseased.
"I think youll like it here," I said to her as we wandered through the halls that lead to her room. I stole occasional glances at her, trying not to show her how much she creeped me out. "This is you!" I said with another wide smile, "Room 35!" The room right next to mine. My leg twitched slightly and hoped that she wouldnt want to chat with me much. Why did the prospect of sleeping next door to this mare scare me to death?

[Shanza]

I looked at the mare who had lead me here, and then to my room. She looked anxious to be gone, and I wanted time to myself. "I'm Arix." I'm not sure why I said that, maybe because I was trying to be normal, but from the expression on her face I wasn't succeeding. "Thanks, I think I'll be fine now."
She left with the air of someone who couldn't get away fast enough. I walked into the room, looking around at the bare place. At one end it had a soft, sandy depression for a bed, and shelves for books and other things against the far wall. A desk was to my right, the rock wall above it polished and magicked until it reflected the room with clarity. Like the headmaster's office and the underground hallways, my room was light from a soft glow coming from the center of the ceiling. Several sheets of paper lay atop the desk, and I wandered over to them. One was an evacuation plan for the dorm rooms where I currently was, and another was the layout of the Academy. Spying a corner of a sheet hidden under the Academy map, I nudged the papers sideways until I could see it clearly. It was a schedule with lots of blank spots. The few that were filled in listed a class name, followed by Year 1, a teacher's name, and a room number. Herbs, History, and Magic Theory were the only classes listed. Herbs and history were the first two periods of Tuesdays and Thursdays, while Magic Theory was right before lunch on Monday, Wensday, and Friday. Since it looked like she wouldn't be making her class today, she decided to check the rest of the grounds. On her way out, she hesitated, then grabbed the map to bring along, just in case.

[Shanza]

{Enjori}

Finnally when lunch break was called, I was quite relieved. Partly scared to death and part mad as hell at the encounter with Jormax, I couldn't focus on any of my classes. Which lead to failing to answer questions correctly multiple times, which lead to essays and detention. Brilliant.
In quite a sour mood, I settled down to eating, barely acknowledging Okolim when he joined me.
"Bad day?" he asked.
I snorted. Such an understatement.
"Yeah, me too."
"That sucks. Detention?"
"Yup. You?"
"Yep." I sighed. It looked like we'd at least have study partners during detention. "I wonder where Kathrigde is."
Okolim looked up. There was a slight smirk on his face and he was looking right over my shoulder.
"Oh. Hi Kathridge." Rather gumpily, I returned to grazing.
"Hi." A voice grumbled as Kathridge walked into view. "Did you hear the anouncement for the orientation class tomarrow?"
That caught my attention. "There finally having it?"
"Yeah, apparently the last of the students that will be coming in this year were found, or in my opinion, the snow's are coming, so they stopped looking. Easier to organize classes." She snorted, then continued. They had leaflets up front on schedules and Elective courses we can take. I grabbed you guys some in case you didn't see them."
Okolim and I accepted the leaflets from her, looking at the classes curiously. "This Encryption and Decoding course sounds interesting. What do you guys think?"
"Maybe Psychology and Ancient Tongues," Okolim mused. "They sound interesting."
"Kathri?"
"Huh?" She said, tearing her gaze away from nothing in particular as she looked up.
"Everything OK?"
"Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine." She looked down again.
She even sounded distracted. I glanced at Okolim, but it looked like he didn't know what to make of this new development.
Sudenly, she started talking. "I don't know. I've just got this really bad feeling. Like something is going to happen, but I have no idea what! Do you think feelings can predict the future?" She swung her head to look at us, a scared but determined hawk-like gaze switching back and forth.
"I... I don't know." I said softly. In truth, I thought they might, but I didn't want to confirm it by saying it out loud. I think Kathri saw what I didn't want to say, however.
"Oh." She turned back to staring at the leaflets.
"So. About those classes." I said in a too cheerful, forced tone. "I want to stick together, for at some of them."

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Kathridge

I nodded in agreement, glancing Enjori's way.
"Yes, I agree. I also liked the sound of encryption and encoding, sounds fun, I will take that one with you." I tried to get my mind into the discussion more, but Arix's cold smile tugged naggingly at the back of my mind. Something was off with her...
"Kathri?" Okolim waved his horn in front of my face, his own face solumn. "Will you take Ancient tongues with me?"
I smiled sheepishly, "Oh, yes, of course!" I lost myself again in the blue roaning of his coat, trying to pay attention to thier casual conversation.
That was when I saw him. The stallion was Zvon pegasus, yellowed dun with inky black points. Where he walked, his hooves left a bright sheen on the earth that faded before my eyes. The pegusi's eyes were narrowed in either consentration or dislike and he glanced so constantly around himself that no one was safe from his daggered orbs. Not even me. Dark cinnimon irises clouded with crimpson sliced into my own...if looks could kill...they rested on mine for only a fraction of a second, and then he moved on, looking for a secluded area. I wished him luck, very few spots existed here for loners.
I turned to Enjori, "Who is that?"

[Shanza]

Arix's day was not going well. She had been gliding above the island, doing a broad sweep to associate herself with the size and the terrain of the island. It was cold, and getting winder by the minute, but she wasn't worried. She thought she'd be back to the Academy by the time the storm hit. The rose gray pegasi had just started looping back when she heard the first crash of thunder. Startled, she realized the storm had approached much faster than she thought it would. On the beach, the trees waved in union, and then then water swelled up slightly, traveling toward the island like a giant invisible hand was gathering the top of it. Immediately recognizing the storm front, Arix folded her wings and plummeted towards the ground. She had once been caught in a storm in her raven form, and it wasn't an experience she wanted to repeat.
As she neared the trees, she spread her wings, gliding in to a landing in a forest meadow. Above her, the tempest broke, wind rushing and water falling in sheets. Giving herself a brisk shake, she started walking in the direction she thought the Academy was.

[Shanza]

Several hours after the storm broke over the small island in Klyflor Lake, the rose gray pegasus was still roaming the forest. Thoroughly wet, cold, and annoyed, her ears were pinned against her skull in a vain attempt at defiance against the weather. Unknown to her, she had traveled in the right direction of the academy only to pass it by. She was within a short walking distance of it, but not knowing the way to go, Arix was well and truly lost.
Sides heaving from contained anger, not exhaustion, Arix was furious. She hated the weather, she hated the cold, she hated the falling sleet. Cold fury built inside her, and she fueled it, building her rage and anger until it was straining inside her. She wanted to lash out, she wanted to hurt something. She wanted fire! Like an explosion, flames and heat seared outward, overcoming the wet, the cold, the misery. She reveled in it, fed it as it hissed and spat as the rain tried to put it out. Arix smiled, and laughed, letting it feed off her emotions and use it as fuel. The plants around her dried, and caught fire. She grinned as the heat burned upward, enveloping her coat, driving the water from it. As she dried, she relaxed, and done what she should have done in the first place. Lifting her head, she searched for that trace of magic, the strongest thread that would lead her back to the Academy.
Arix sighed, smiled, and started walking. Behind her the fire flickered, spat, and died.

[Shanza]

Arix felt, for the first time that day, calm. The rain she viewed with, if not happiness, a tranquility that she rarely felt. It was as if her life and her world were finally in balance, if only for a moment. She felt as if anything were possible. Coaxing the fire forth once again, this time she held it small, mid air as the flame trembled and quaked with the rain falling all around it. Thunder cracked, and she jumped, causing the flame to vanish. Annoyed, her ears flicked back, and her calm serenity was gone, but so was her anger. With a flick of her tail she trotted up a rise, and through the trees the Academy spread below her.

Draldoth sent a slight breeze, precisely controled, under the edge of several papers on his desk. They flipped and fluttered, and landed neatly on top of a stack lined up against the cavern wall. Several sheets remained in front of the headmaster, and he flicked through them, sending several to the pile near the wall, while leaving others spread in an arc. The open space in the middle of the arc faced him, while the two corners of his desk farthest from him were filled. One corner had a stack of clean, unmarked sheets while in the other a small basin was filled with a black fluid. Another flick of air, and a sheet was raised off the pile to land in the middle of the space. The black liquid swirled slightly, then the middle raised in a twist. It arched over the desk, thinning to a mere thread of liquid, before touching the paper. A neat sprall of lettering started to fill the paper, but then Draldoth shook his head, and it paused. A line crossed through some of the writing, and the headmaster continued.
"Sir?" a voice called softly through the vines a short while later.
Draldoth sighed, looking over what he had written as the ink flowed easily back into it's container. "Yes, Malgo, what is it?"
The bay unicorn pushed through the vines and walked up to the desk. "How's it coming?"
"Difficult, as always." He took one last look at the writing, then looked up at his friend. "But you didn't come to ask me how my speech was coming for the orientation tomorrow. What did you want to know?"
"I was wondering if any headway had been made with the desert herds."
"No, not yet. After that attack on one of the border herds, they don't trust anyone, I'm afraid."
"Oh."
"You want to help?"
"Yes, I've been doing nothing where instead I could be valuable. I know you don't want to search for new students during the winter, but I know the weather, and it's not like the desert is going to have giant piles of snow."
"Yes, well, I think you'll going to be needed a little closer to hoof."
"You could have Anyivari connect to me. It's not like I have to travel by foot."
"Nevertheless, I would prefer if you stayed close."
Malgo sighed, "All right."
"There is something you could do for me though. The teacher for foresight, Aflorna, is worried. She senses something, but is not sure what. I would like for you to talk to her, see if you can get her to relax, and find what's been bothering her."
Malgo nodded, but hesitated at leaving when Draldoth returned to his work.
"Is there something else?"
"Um, yeah. I was wondering how Arix was coming along."
"Fine, I believe." Draldoth replied slowly. "Be careful how you head with this, Malgo. She is not all she seems."

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Malglo

I was restless. Surely Draldoth could see that? I shook out my mane and tilted my horn to a leaf on the ground, making it dance in midair. I bit my lip, pondering over wether or not I should tell him.

"Fine, I believe." He replied cautiously. "Be careful how you head with this, Malgo. She is not all she seems."

I sighed, there was no fooling the headmaster. I shrugged his words off of my shoulders. "She's just interesting...thats all. I dont plan to head anywhere with anything." I paused, waiting for him to call my bluff.
I decided to change the subject. "Have you seen Jormax lately? He hasnt been around to correct my grammar...I miss the cuddly cactus..."

[Shanza]

{Enjori}

"Huh?" I glanced up, catching Kathri's gaze just in time. "Oh him. Remember he's the new student in our Magic Theory Class. I think his name is Venspera or something like that."
"Oh yeah, wasn't he right next to you?"
"It's not like I talk to everyone around me. You're the first. And that's because you pushed." I paused, looking at her thoughtfully. "What's up, anyway?"
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"Sure," Okolim drawled.
"What? I. Am. Fine."
"You seem distracted." I cocked my head sideways, staring at her. "I'm not giving up until you tell me."
"You know for someone who dosen't like conversation you sure seem to be encouraging it right now."
Both Okolim and I continued to watch her. At first she tried to go back to the conversation on classes, but we remained quiet. "What? It's nothing. So you're giving me the silent treatment now?" she demanded angrily.
"It seems to work."
She glared at the grass, making a soft growling noise in her throat. "It's that new mare. The gray pegasus? There's something wrong with her."
"There's something wrong with everyone here," I responded darkly. Okolim looked like he wanted to nod in agreement.
"I'm serious! Something's off with her. I don't know what, but it's something bad." She looked from Okolim to me and back again. "You don't believe me." She said slowly.
"It's not that..." I trailed off, wondering how to continue. My brother came to my rescue.
"It's just that our herd," he began softly, "Our herd didn't take well to magic users. Especially strong ones. You could get attacked, banished, or even killed for just being suspected of using magic."
He hesitated, and I picked up where he left off. "You see, in our experience, everyone has a dark side. A violent, ferocious, deranged, twisted, dark side where reason can't reach and fear reigns supreme. Everyone has it. Period."
Kathridge looked back and forth between us, and I could tell what she saw. The pain and fear of the past, the betrayals we survived were mirrored in our faces.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't accept that. There's a line some equines can't cross."
I nodded, mute for a moment. "Why don't we get back to the classes and schedules." I felt guilt about Trying to change the subject, but thought it would be for the best.

[Shanza]

{Enjori}

By Thursday morning I thought I had finnally decided on what classes I wanted to take with the required cources. At least I had given it more attention than Kathridge had. I paused for a moment, thinking about the strange friendship that had grown between us. Since my exile, I hadn't had any close friends, in fact I hadn't had any friends at all. It made me wonder. I had finally become friends with someone, and POOF! My brother showed up. Some facts in the world are just too strange to be coincidence. Why were we all here? Why were they teaching us this? What was in it for them?
The questions worried me, all the more so because I could not see any reasonable answers.
Bells sounded, and I headed towards what was marked 'Assembly Hall' on the map. Most of the students weren't around, or didn't move, but those who did I guessed were the rest of the first year students. We headed towards the south end of campus where large, graceful trees formed the hall. Bushes grown in a rough oval formed a basic perimeter, while branches overhead were meshed to create a ceiling. I spotted Kathridge off to the side, and headed over to her, trying to ignore the whispering plants. It wasn't to hard, as the students were talking much louder, and Okolim joined us quickly, aiding in the distraction.
The stallion that I had come to reconize as the Academy's headmaster strode onto a raised platform and called for the group's attention. I didn't hear the beginning of his speech, and what I did end up hearing was boring and pointless. Or at least I thought so. There were several unicorns and pegasi I could see that were devouring his words. "... and we are pleased to have such a promising group of students entering the academy this year." He smiled, eyes flicking across the assembled equines. "Now, about your courses. We will split you according to the Class of magic you each possess. For those who lay in the physical division; fire, water, earth, air, plants, night, and light; you will make your way to the far corner on my left where Professor Heliborq is. For those of tangible division, or black, white, and gray magicks, you may proceed to the far corner on my right. Professor Jalciuor will help you. For those of the mental division, or possessing magicks of mind, energy, body, emotions, and time/space, please proceed forward and to my left. Professor Desirnai will be of assistance there.
"Last but not least, if you are not sure what type of magic yours falls under, please come see me. I will be to my right awaiting the arrival of any who needs my help."
I glanced around, before we broke up to go to our seperate places. "There's that gray pegasi mare you don't like, Kathri."

[Shanza]

"I wonder what Class she has. Her name's Arix, isn't it?"
Arix heard the statement and wondered if anyone had any respect anymore. Wasn't it consitered rude to talk about someone behind their back? As she continued towards the far left corner she resisted the temptation to smile. If only they knew what she was capable of. If only. If they knew, she would be kicked out or killed. That put a damper on her mood quite quickly.
Professor Heliborq was a short, plump dun unicorn who was enthusicatically talking to the students already there. He was making little bouncing motions every so often to emphasize his points. Arix stopped at the outer ring and wondered if he suffered from some kind of mental abnormality. She also wonder if, whatever it was, was contagious.
She heard the voice that had spoken eariler, but this time she was talking quietly, as if trying not to be noticed. Arix quickly formed the opinion that the mare wasn't very good at it. "It sucks that Okolim can't be in the same group as us. It would be nice if we could learn together. What?"
"It's that mare again," a new voice hissed. Arix paused- did she know that voice? A quick glance out of the corner of her eye confirmed it. Two unicorns were hurrying away and one of them was the grulla appaloosa that had shown her her room. Arix watched them with a technique that she had learned in Sunthara- how to observe without your target knowing. She found it useful in crowded situations.
"Gather round! Gather round! Come on, squeeze in there!" A joyful voice called out, breaking Arix's concentration. With a slight hiss, she turned towards the speaker, the short and jolly Professor Heliborq. The small stallion talked quickly, with little or no breath, leaving Arix wondering how he even stayed on his feet. That question was quickly answered when a short burst of air sent the papers laying at his hooves swirling above his head. There they floated, seemingly unsuported.
Arix's eye's gleamed. This is what she was here for! She was accepted on a water class of magic, but nothing would stop her from conquering levitation, even if she had to learn in secret or with spying.
"Hum, hum. Mmmm. Well then," the Professor started as the students assembled gazed at him. "This first year most of your classes were assigned for you, but those classes you want to take have been taken into account as well. If anything in your schedule doesn't fit, or you don't like it, come see me later and we'll see what we can do. For as long as you live here I'll be your direct representative to the campus, as well as your counselor. Yes, counselor. My main job is seeing that you all are happy so you can learn to your fullest potential." He grinned around at the students, and Arix felt bile rising. No one had the right to be that happy. "Let's see," he said as a paper floated down to him. "Hum, is there a Therock here? Oh, good, good." A bay pegasi walked forward to accept his finalized schedule. "Hum, Rathriki! There you go. Oh, Kathridge! Here you are!"
Arix tuned out most of his talking, but looked up when Kathri's friend walked forward when he called 'Enjori.' "Arix!" Caught off guard, Arix snapped her head around, and then stalked forward. She accepted the paper with a flick of her wings and the Professor called out the next name. Slidding out of the crowd, she glanced down at her new schedule.
"Hey look!" The voice she reconized as Enjori's spoke. "We have Life Sports together! Right before lunch on Tuesday and Thursday! Oh, there's Okolim. Come on!" She trotted off, Kathri following.
Arix looked down at her schedule. Life Sports, Tuesday and Thusday, right before lunch.

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Kathri

I walked into life sports in a fairly good mood, with Enjori and Okolim somewhere nearby. The 'gym' consiseted of a large feild of open grass, surrounded by trees, all grown to a certain height for some sport or other.
Spongey mushrooms lined the feild, our guidelines for the warm up run that started each period. The sun glinted off of the blades of grass, and against our coats as we moved towards the teacher.
He was tall, and so heavily muscled that he could have been part draft, but he proclaimed loudly to every class that he was the very best representative of his breed...but he never said exactly what that was. He was the sort of teacher that could make a mare swoon, if only he were a few decades younger.
Next to him stood a bored and annoyed looking Malglo. His blood bay coat shone in the sunlight, making him look like some sort of god among mortals. If only I was a few years older...
Enjori snapped me out of my daydreaming, and guestured to the one unicorn that could possibly ruin this class for me. Arix.