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• • Chapter II
"It's cold!" I complained to Jacob. Back home it would get cold at times, but I was just getting used to the chilly winter warming up and now that I was away from the safety of Aunt Jesse's boat, Ireland was one place that I could scratch of as enjoyable to live in. Wintercrest Academy of Dark Arts my arse. It was freezing here!
"Stop whining," Jacob grumbled. I knew he was already damaging his reputation being around me. He didn't have to worry, as soon as I found someone who actually had something in common with me I probably wouldn't bother him again. "Do a spell or something to warm yourself up," he offered.
I looked down a mumbled, "Ta, but I can't."
"What do you mean you can't? I've seen you cast a charm, what about spells? Here I'll give you the incantation-"
"No, I mean I can't. I can't cast spells or hexes or curses, I explained kicking at the dirt as we headed off to class. What witch couldn't do that? It was a bit embarrassing to admit.
"What kind of witch can only cast charms?" Jacob demanded, my face burned eerily I wasn't gobsmacked to find out that he'd drawl it out to be more than it was.
"This one! I can do elemental summonings. I'm really good at that and I can do some charms, but nothing else," I admitted shamefully as we walked into our 'Categorizing Magick' class. It was a mandatory eighth year class which was used to 'prepare you for the world out there'.
I took my seat in my first class of the year, most of the other students glanced over at me with a strange, but inquisitive look in their eyes. All of them had to have known each other since they were 1st years. I pursed my lips and slunk in my seat glancing at my bag where I had put my rock. It felt better to have it with me than leaving it in the dorms.
The teacher then walked in with a sweep of their robe. Our uniforms were a little too fancy for someone as simple as me. We girls had white skirts, a white dress shirt, and then a sleeveless dark blue sweater , the crest on the left breast. It was a white badge shape with a rising gray and silver mountain and a blue crescent moon over the mountain. Our robes or cloaks were white, hooded, and also had the school crest on it. The shoes were dark blue with normal white socks. The one thing that bugged me about this place was its lack in technology. It was like we were back in the dark age, quill pens ( what happened to ball point? ) and candles for lighting.
The teacher slammed his books on the desk and spun around to glare down at the class. "As you all know this is your last year here," he paused for hoots and screams to fill the room. "And some also know that each of you aren't all witches and wizards," murmurs rose around the room. "Most of you are witches and wizards, fold who can use all types of magick. There are also warlocks, the ones who can summon demons and specialize in black magick. A small portion of you are mages who are good with elemental spells. Then there's also clerics who work with healing magicks. Lastly, making up about 5 % of our magick population are dragon riders who can only ue elemental magick and have their own dragon partner," he then continued on about each category more in depth. I found myself staring at the mole on his upper lip watching it move up and down as he spoke. "And today I've decided on taking the test. I'll call you up on at a time and then interview you, so please be patient," he stated.
Bugger! I was at the end of alphabet. Madison Zelph, the always last name on the list. I sat there feeling stuffed, as each kid went up and finished they'd turn and then state what they were. By the time I was was even near being called there were 23 witches, 21 wizards, 15 mages and warlocks, 10 clerics, and 1 dragon rider who didn't look to surprised... no one else did either.
"Madison Zelph," I stood up and headed over to the teacher's desk. He glanced up a bunch of questions on the sheet in front of him. He dipped his quill in ink. "What's your best subject?"
"Elemental summonings."
"Worst?"
"Uh... Charms?"
"What's your favorite spell?"
"Sir I can't cast spells."
The teacher glanced up at me his eyes narrowed. He continued asking me more questions, a few of them I was pretty sure didn't have anything to do with what I was. "Unknown," he concluded.
"What do you mean 'Unknown'?" I asking my brows knitting together.
"I'm going to have to consult with other teachers. You could be a dragon rider, but dragon riders can't cast charms which doesn't make sense. Do you have a dragon?"
I shook my head.
"So I cannot conclude what you are," he finished. "But for now I think you should check out the dragon rider's weapons class. Here," he scribbled down a room number and a small note. "This is the room number."
I turned the paper in hand as students waited for the new girl to tell them what she was. "Unknown," I said and took my seat trying not to stare at the disappointed faces in the crowd. The bell rung as I picked my bag up and glanced back down at the paper.
"Potions next," Jacob told me.
"No, I have to go to weapons class."
Jacob just gave me that stare he always gave me. "That's for dragon riders only, you're an 'Unknown'."
"Mr.Donovan thinks I'm a dragon rider."
"Well, the few dragon riders there are sure aren't going to be too kind to a newbie who doesn't have a dragon," he warned me turning and going off in the direction of wherever potions was. I took another peek at the room number and started off on my own way to where I thought the room was. When I made it there the room had two rich mahogany doors, they probably reached up to the ceiling which was about fourteen feet high. I pushed open the large door and walked in. The room was huge painted a rich golden bronze. There were other people in there, not many but a few. Dragon riders never came in large numbers. Only one in every few.
I set my messenger bag on the shiny polished wooden floor. There weren't any weapons that I could see, only riders and their dragons. I was taken aback to see such large beasts all in one room.
"Where's your dragon?" a girl asked her eyes quite skeptical as she watched my every move rather carefully.
The other watched in wait. "I don't have one mate," I told her shuffling uneasily under the gazes of the dragon riders. The door behind me opened and in stepped another rider. He was the only 8th year that had told our class he was a dragon rider.
He had dirty blonde locks of messy hair and startling green eyes. He blinked at me probably wondering what I was doing here in the first place. "Oh, you're the new girl. Madison? A pleasure, I'm Calem Locke," he extended a hand and I took it giving a firm shake. "I didn't know you were a dragon rider."
I chewed on my lower lip. "Well, I might be. Mr.Donovan couldn't figure it out," I told him. He seemed much kinder than the other dragon riders.
"Then you probably are, Donovan doesn't screw up often. Either that or you're some kind of new species," he joked lifting my spirit even more. "Don't know why he'd put you in this class though, you don't look like much of a fighter to me, but then again dragon riders are naturally gifted with good swordsmanship."
From the back of the large room a green dragon ducked in. The room was made large enough not for fighting, but for the dragons to fit. The dragon walked up to Calem narrowing golden eyes are me.
"If she's naturally gifted then I want to fight her," the girl with dark hair from earlier said. Behind her was a medium sized black dragon. he two looked alike. The girl had black hair and the two shared the same dark blue eyes. The couple stood demanding automatic respect.
"Are you sure that's a good idea mate?" the only weapon I'd ever held was a harpoon, and I hadn't come close to even using it.
"Are you chicken mate?" she asked snidely.
That made my temper flare. Calling me a chicken was one thing, now making fun of my accent pissed me off. "Where are the weapons?" I hissed giving into her antagonism as her lips pulled up in triumph.
The other dragon riders moved revealing the wall of weapons. As many weapons as there were to choose from, I picked a short sword that was light in weight. I swallowed as the girl picked up a large broad sword, I was surprised she could even hold it up.
We circled for a moment until she swung the sword, my automatic response was to come up and block it with the small two foot blade I had in my hand. The pressure of her sword's weight was enough to push me back. The girl smirked and pushed harder making me skid further back. Either the sword I had was going to break or I'd be pushed back into the wall, cornered. Something in my mind registered me to duck.
I ducked out of the way as the girl stumbled forwards I turned and smacked the snub of the hilt into her stomach. As she fell I stood up and watched as she laid there grimly. I hadn't expected that easy of a win, but then again who was saying she was the best fighter here? She looked a few years younger than me.
"I told you it wasn't a good idea," I said and bent over extending a had for her to grab. The girl grabbed it firmly but as she stood up she twisted her arm and slammed me into the ground leaving me breathless and in shock. She picked her sword back up and pointed its sharp tip down at my throat. "Don't toy with me you blonde broad, not everyone is your friend," she pushed it closer towards my neck.
I raised a hand as the female took it as a sign of forfeiting. She began to draw her sword away, while she did I waved my hand not bothering with the incantation as a bolt of lightning shot into the steel sword. The girl dropped the sword on my lap, I jumped to me feet as she held her numb hand. I pointed the heavy broad sword at her.
"Who's the winner now?" I asked as the hostile gaze in her eyes only increased. I really didn't want to have a blue with her in the first place, but there were just some people who wouldn't take no for an answer. I could see that she was probably a bounce around here. I dropped the sword and stuck my hand out. "Don't take my kindness as fear or respect in you. You have to earn respect not demand it. Now lets start over. G'day I'm Madison Zelph and you?"
The girl hated me, I could see in on her face. She definitely wasn't trying to hide it. "Harper Forrest," she growled and snapped her hand away and stormed off.
Calem walked up and pat my shoulder. "Don't worry she's always cranky and uptight. I'm surprised you beat her, you have some skill. How did you do that by the way? The elemental summoning I mean, you did it without an incantation. Not many can do that."
I shrugged. "I'm bloody good at plasma elements. I can do that with fire too. Anything with earth, water, or wind I have to use the incantation," I explained as I glanced over at my back near the door. I appeared untouched. I brought my eyes back to Calem. "What's you dragon's name?" I asked the large beast staring at me with curious golden eyes.
"Vallum," he said sheepishly as the dragon dipped his head politely. It was just so beautiful. Those dark emerald scales, and down his back dark spikes ran along his spine. There was one spike missing where I assumed Calem would sit. The creature's tail was pointed reminding me of the devil's tail. On the dragon's crown were three distinct spikes, the center one the tallest.
"A please Vallum," I bowed to the dragon who grinned slightly. "So what kinds of dragons are there? I mean I know the basics, but I never studied too in depth."
Calem looked excited to explain. "Well, there are all types depending on your location. Mainly dragons are color coded by rarity. Green and red dragons are the most common. White, purple, gold, and orange are uncommon. While black and blue are rare. Then after categorizing by color there are subspecies that brand off by color. For example white dragons can only be ice dragons which are found in subarctic places," he explained. I thought back to Harper's black dragon, so it was rare? Good, I wouldn't have to see another one as menacing as it had been. No wonder she was stuck up.
"You have a Scottish Ridge Back," I stated remembering the picture in books that Aunt Jesse had taught me out of. These were common dragons among dragon riders.
"Yeah, luck guess. So at least you know somethings about dragons," he looked over at the other riders. "What are you guys afraid she bites? Come on introduce yourselves!"
The riders appeared reluctant before one young girl skipped over a huge golden dragon following her. The girl was probably a few years my Junior, she had wavy red hair and bright green eyes. The dragon beside her was elegant, large, and watched me carefully. "I'm Patrice! And this is Snap!" she said motioning to the dragon. Snap had to be his nickname, I was pretty sure most dragons had old Latin names. I gave a small awkward smile as a girl with w white dragon walked over.
"Hailey and Aiiro," the brunette told me tossing her hair as her dragon held her head high smiling kindly at me.
A boy with wild brown hair smile a front toothless grin at me. "Jace and Acerbus," he said his lisp easily heard as a red dragon stepped up beside him.
"And last, but definitely not least-" the guy went of in beat boxing. "J.C!" his purple dragon nudged him. "And Linent," he had dark skin and came up to me shaking my hand over and over again. "So nice to meet you! I look forward to working with you!"
"J.C. how could you forget me?" a male with black hair and dark blue eyes stared at me skeptically. He looked a lot like Harper.
"Aw J.C.'s sorry he forgot the f**-"
"J.C. we told you to stop using that word! You're not in America any more, it doesn't mean the same thing here," Patrice huffed placing a hand on her small hip. Unlike the others J.C. didn't have any accent. He had somewhat of a bland voice.
"Sorry, sorry! Here I'll replace the word with douche ok?"
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