The note ends with a message that in order to find my way to any place I have only to ask the academy, and it will send whisps to guide me. I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, but a signature byHeadmaster Rogelusshows up on the bottom of the page and suddenly the whole message disappears save for the class schedule.
I blink and turn the paper over, but no scrawling script appears on that side. It appears that I am now on my own to figure this all out.
I fold the paper, placing it into the pocket of a pair of pants that Istaria had given me, they are black and sleek and pair well with the beautiful blue shirt that had caught my eye earlier and a black vest that I have on over it.
I took some time to do my hair in more than just a sloppy braid and I’ll admit, I’m actually feeling pretty confident. At least I was feeling confident until I started wondering if I’m expected to speak to an empty hallway.
“Uh… can you show me where to break my fast?” I ask, my voice coming out in a hesitant whisper. As soon as the words leave my mouth a path of pale white smoke appears in front of me. I stumble back a step in surprise. The mist doesn’t shift with my movement and after I’ve caught myself, I reach my foot out and touch it to the mist. It draws back as soon as I come in contact with it. The majority of the trail remains ahead, twisting down the hallway, but disappearing where I step.
I start after the smoke, making my way through the grand stone hall of the academy until I reach a pair of thick double doors. I push one open a crack, grimacing as I find it slightly heavier than I anticipated. Still, I manage to get it wide enough to slip through. As I do so, the mist disappears and I find myself in a hub of activity.
Plates clatter against tables and chairs scrape on the stone floors, chatter fills the air. I glance around, taking in three long tables full of students. Still more tables covered in food line the walls.
This must be the banquet hall. My initial impression is to feel utterly overwhelmed. There are so many people here, far more than I expected, but then I feel chagrin. To be a fae’s champion is an esteemed position, why would I expect people not to vie for this position? After all, if some homeless fae from Woodsbury could find her way to this academy, then surely others have journeyed from all across Commonweald, indeed even Skyshire, for this opportunity.
I duck my head, hurriedly grabbing a plate and stuffing it full of food that I barely even register. I think it is mostly scones and treats and a few bits of fruit before I hurry to the nearest seat and plunk down. As I do so I realize that the mist is nowhere to be seen. I lift my foot glancing down.
“If you’re looking for the mist it disappears after you reach your destination.” I startle at the voice, nearly knocking my plate off the table with my elbow. I whip my head around to take in the girl I had apparently sat next to here at the end of the table. She’s a fae with traditional markings painted on her face, swirls across her chin and around her sparkling blue eyes. Her hair is pulled back to reveal her pointed ears. It’s still strange to see fae wherever I look, after being the only fae in Woodsbury Grove, I’ve grown accustomed to thinking of myself as the outlier.
The corner of her mouth hitches up into an amused smile. “And if you’re wondering why you don’t see a bunch of crossing paths of mist from the other students, that’s because the pathway is only visible to the person that asks for it.” Her mouth twists. “So, you don’t have to be worried about the hallways always being full of mist or not being able to find your path because it intersects with someone else’s.”
“Well… thank you for that information.”
She grunts as she takes a bite of a particularly juicy piece of fruit, droplets fly onto the table. I stare down at them. She licks her fingers loudly. “Oh, you’re welcome. You’re new, right? I haven’t seen your face here before and I’m particularly good at faces.”
I nod smiling at her. “My name is Willow, I arrived just last night.”
“Pepper,” she says scrunching her nose as she smiles. “Speaking of faces… that one is also new and particularly handsome.”
I turn following her gaze, although I think I already knew who it was she was talking about. Sure, enough there at the next table over, sitting in the midst of a large group of admirers that he somehow managed to gather in the short time he has been here is Byron Coalbiter.
“Typical,” I mutter.
“Hmm, what was that?” Pepper asks, not taking her eyes off Byron.
I stretch my fingers underneath the table, I straighten when I see a girl laugh and fall into Byron’s lap. He seems to snort while trying to drink and a chorus of laughter fills the room. I spot Marvin on his other side, but he doesn’t seem to even notice the other people there, he is just focused on eating. Which is also true to his character. “Nothing, just wondering why I’m surprised is all.”
At just that moment, Byron looks up. He nudges Marvin who also looks up and then scootches to the side making a space for me, well assuming one of the girls hanging off him doesn’t fall into it first. Byron waves his hand as if his intentions weren’t obvious enough.
“Is he waving one of us over?” Pepper breathes.
I groan, reaching up to rub at my forehead.
“Willow!” Byron shouts. “Come sit with us.”
“Isn’t that what you said your name was?”
I press my eyes shut, before managing a stiff nod. “Yes, uh, Byron and I grew up in the same village.”
“Ahhh,” she breathes. “I see.”
I may be paranoid, but I don’t think that she gets it at all.
Pepper rests her chin in her hand as she stares at him dreamily. “If he was from my village, I’d follow him too. Even to an academy in the sky.”
“I didn’t follow him,” I splutter. “He followed me.” I shake my head at the wide-eyed look she gives. “That is, we were supposed to travel separately, and somehow, he finagled his way into making the tripwithme.”
Her eyebrows rise as she looks me over, an impressed look on her face. “If he is your man then you better go stake your claim. The girls here seem to think that he is available.”
