The four of us – the King, Queen, Kadia and myself – were sitting at that table for a while. They talked about every little detail concerning the prophecy, and I ended up just zoning out. I didn't think I'd know what to say if the King or Queen asked me a question. The whole 'saviour' thing was still new to me. I hadn't even really processed it.
"And you brought her to the Elders?" Queen Valanche asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Kadia replied.
King Typhis leaned forward onto his elbows. "And they confirmed it?"
Kadia nodded once more. "Yes. Brielle still fits the description perfectly."
"That's excellent to hear," the Queen said.
"I'm quite relieved about that confirmation." King Typhis turned to me. "Has Kadia explained to you the prophecy, the Academy, training, and such?"
"Yes, she has...Your Majesty," I replied feebly.
The King smiled slightly. "Wonderful."
"Brielle's parents have no knowledge of her trip here today, sire. We should make certain that they are aware of the situation at this point," Kadia added.
"Worry not, we were expecting this," said Queen Valanche. She reached to a neatly folded letter beside her, stamped with a shimmering seal. "Brielle, you must deliver this to your parents when you return. Do you understand? Do not misplace it." I nodded firmly, taking the letter from her hand.
An impeccably dressed man quietly entered the room with a large diamond platter atop his palm. He set down four glass goblets, one in front of each of us, before immediately leaving. I picked up my goblet. It was tall and skinny, almost like a champagne glass. I carefully took a sip of the sparkling, reddish-pink liquid. It tasted crisp and fresh, like fruit, but not any fruit I was familiar with.
"I have been meaning to ask," said the King, "I understand that your mind is still...unhinged, but it is important that we know your full name. A celebration for the three saviours will be held in a few fortnights, during the annual Nyvar Festival."
"Oh, my full name? I've never actually thought about that yet... Um, it's Brielle...Tivona...de Mavset," I said slowly, piecing together information that I didn't know I knew.
Kadia, who was taking a sip of her drink, suddenly hunched over and started coughing loudly. The King and Queen exchanged a knowing look.
"Are you all right?" I asked her.
She nodded after a moment. "It just...went down the wrong pipe. I apologize." There was still slight shock in her eyes.
"...Kadia, this–" Queen Valanche began. I noticed Kadia making a sharp gesture out of the corner of my eye. When I looked over, she immediately stopped.
The King cleared his throat and retracted his gaze from a window. "We shall not keep you any longer, Brielle. You know what is necessary, be it what it would. You should return home for the time."
"Right," I said. "Is the time here identical to Earth?"
"No, Emiarhia is about three hours behind," the Queen replied. "Everything else is exactly identical. Twenty-four hours in a day, seven days in a week, twelve months or three hundred and sixty-five days in a year, and so. Time differences between the two are luckily simple to calculate. I'd expect that you are free from risk. Your necklace, the one you used to travel here, has a small internal clock on the rim that is set to Emiarhian time. That way, you will always know the date and hour. And Brielle, do not forget to deliver that letter to your parents."
"That will definitely prove useful. And I won't." I looked over at Kadia, who was holding her goblet, examining it. Suddenly, little intricate strands of frost started lacing up the sides of the cup. Her fingers were a faint bluish colour. The sight almost made me fall out of my chair. I stared at her in disbelief. She didn't seem to notice.
"And you begin your lessons at the Academy in a few days. Mark the date," King Typhis pointed out.
"Oh, I didn't realize I'd be starting so soon!" I exclaimed, turning my gaze away from Kadia. Well, shit. I was far from ready to be in a class full of Emiarhian teenagers.
"Worry not, you will have the other saviours to guide you. I'm sure you will befriend them quickly," he explained.
Still processing the new information, Kadia and I got up from the table and bid farewell to the King and Queen. By the time we exited the castle grounds, the sky was a blue colour with wisps of purple. It was as if somebody had painted it.
"Is the view normally this beautiful?" I asked.
Kadia shrugged. "Like any other day."
A piece of my memory clicked in my brain. "I wish California didn't have so much light pollution. Some nights, you can't see any stars at all. Bit depressing, actually." She didn't answer. "Oh yeah, and by the way, I saw that frost trick thing that you did earlier. Do you mind telling me what the hell that was about?"
Kadia looked at me with confusion. "How do you mean? I was simply making my drink a bit colder."
"With your hands, though!" I gestured my lack of understanding. "Who does that?!"
"You make it seem as though you aren't familiar with magic on Emiarhia," she replied coolly.
"How would I be?! I was never told about this!" I practically yelled. The two of us were stopped now. I definitely needed some clarification. "People can do magic here?"
"It's the Glacioux Academy for Non-Magic and Magic Kind. And yes, most people can. Magic is a part of some classes at the Academy. You will be learning spells."
My stomach dropped. "I will?!"
"You'll accustom to it," Kadia replied.
"But magic isn't supposed to be real! I'm going to get myself killed!" I persisted.
Again, no answer. I decided that maybe I should just shut up. Being aloof and distant seems to be her thing. Nevertheless, frustration simmered inside me.
We returned to the arena building so I could change back into my Earth clothes. I fished my necklace from under my shirt. As the Queen had told me, there were tiny numbers on the rim, describing the current year, month, day, hour, and minute in Emiarhia. I watched curiously as the minute ring clinked from 36 to 37.
I turned to Kadia, who was staring at the ground. She was deep in thought, I could tell. "Okay, well...I guess I should go now," I said.
"Goodbye," she answered curtly, still staring at the floor.
"I'll see you soon."
Again, no reply. Just a slight nod.
I sighed and grasped the pendant of my necklace. "Honesty." And just like that, everything around me began to fade and distort, until I was whisked away.
Familiar sounds of ocean waves crashing filled my ears as soon as my feet touched the ground. I was standing back in the bathroom by the beach. I checked my phone that was tucked in the back pocket of my shorts. 4:41. This seems about right. I thought. If I arrived at the beach at about twelve-thirty and went to Emiarhia right after, then it would've been nine-thirty when I got there. If it's four-forty now, then I left Emiarhia at one-forty. So, I spent a little more than four hours there. Damn, dimension travelling is confusing! It's going to take me a while to get used to the time difference. To my astonishment, I was lucky enough that nobody was in the bathroom when I teleported back. I promptly exited and retrieved my bike before pedalling home again.
As usual, I found Mom in the living room on her tablet and Dad in his office doing whatever he does on his computer. I quickly said hi to them both and then went up to my room. I laid the King and Queen's letter on my desk. How should I approach the situation? Should I be direct with my parents, or should I ease them into it? Either way, I knew I'd end up being yelled at. There's no avoiding that. Although I was curious as to what the letter said, I didn't dare open it. Even if it was about me. The Queen instructed me to give it to my parents.
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"Chloe, you did what?!" Mom exclaimed.
Yup. There it is. I was sitting at the kitchen table with my parents, being disciplined over dinner.
"Young lady, your mother specifically instructed you not to go to Emiarhia without our permission! And your idea was to sneak into our bedroom at night to steal the necklace back? We are very disappointed in you."
Ah yes, the disappointment card. Classic move, Dad. In my defense, they didn't do a great job of hiding it.
Mom rested her head in her hands. "What were you thinking, Chloe? I'd really like to know."
I took another bite of my salmon fillet. "I'm seventeen, Mom. Almost eighteen. I know about Emiarhia, the prophecy, and how I'm a saviour. I don't know what's going to happen, but when I turn eighteen, or twenty-two, or twenty-five, I'm pretty damn sure that it's partially my job to save that world. Apparently, I'm one of only three people who can."
"And as parents, it's our job to protect our daughter," Dad sighed. "We didn't want to show you the prophecy and scare you. We know the other saviours and their families, and we knew that you fit the description of a saviour when you were just a toddler, but we didn't want to let you go to Emiarhia freely until we knew you were ready."
"Dad, I have less than a year! I'm far behind compared to the other two saviours, and I know close to nothing about fighting! Or magic! The last time I've even thrown a punch was in taekwondo when I was twelve. I need to prepare myself!" I protested.
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Dad looked over at Mom. She was tearing up a little. That caught me off guard.
"Sweetheart, we understand where you're coming from, but we just think that you're still too young. This is a serious matter we're talking about, and we didn't have the option to say no. We weren't given a choice to remove you from the prophecy. Emiarhia will perish severely if no action is taken. Your father and I, we... We just don't want you to get hurt. Or...worse."
I took a deep breath. Truthfully, I hadn't thought about that yet. I was whisked into this part of my life, and I was sure there was still tons more truth to be uncovered. "I mean, yeah, that could happen. But I think that just comes with the responsibility. My point is that if I can get training early, the chance of me getting hurt won't be as high," I said.
Neither of my parents responded. Silence usually meant I was winning the argument. Was I scared as hell about the war? Absolutely. But I could tell from the start that this was serious. And by the time I was eighteen, I'd be ready. I can't let Emiarhia down, no matter how insane my life got because of it.
"I suppose you have a point," Mom eventually replied.
"You will be an adult... And the war may start years later..." Dad remarked.
"Before you think any further," I added, "Queen Valanche told me to give you this letter. I didn't open it, so I don't know what it says."
Mom took the neatly folded letter from my hand. She opened it and read a few sentences. Her face tensed. "You're excused, Chloe. Relax for a bit. This is matters for your father and me."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "But if it's about me, then I deserve to–"
"It's about a person you don't know. Just...leave this to us," Dad said with a comforting smile.
I let out a frustrated sigh and returned to my bedroom. What is that letter about, and why aren't I allowed to read it? Why is this whole thing so confusing?! Ultimately, I decided to ignore that part altogether. If I was going to an Emiarhian school in less than a week, I should probably start preparing myself. But most importantly, I stayed away from Emiarhia for that time being. The last visit I had gave me enough to process already.
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As summer vacation was reaching its halfway point, I was busy getting ready for school. Not regular high school – that was still a couple of weeks away – but my first day at the Academy in Nelorismel. It was crazy to think that I'd have to endure the first day at two separate schools, within about a month of each other. Earlier that week, Dad picked me up the school uniform pieces that I was required to wear. It was currently lying on my bed, as I stared at it. It looked comfortable enough. I was thankful that the skirt was long enough for my height, obviously because everybody else my age in Emiarhia was pretty much just as tall, or taller. I read aloud the slip of parchment that came with them.
G.A.N.M.M.K. Female Student Uniform. Ages 12 to 18. Sizes 1 through 10.
Supplied clothing are as followed:
* 1 emblazoned dark blue blazer
* 1 emblazoned grey jumper
* 1 emblazoned dark blue cardigan
* 2 pairs of black trousers
* 2 black pleated skirts with dark blue trim
Non-supplied and required clothing are as followed:
* Several white collared shirts or blouses
* 3-4 pairs of black or grey tights and/or stockings
* Simple, formal, flat black shoes; preferably with straps or laces
After confirming I had everything I needed, I changed into my uniform. The Academy was pretty generous about the clothing options they gave their students. I settled on wearing a white button-down shirt and the blazer with the pants. I was also given a schedule, which described my classes on a weekly basis. I had three class periods each day, with a half-hour long lunch after the first. Today, I had my tutored period first, and then lunch, then 'Senior Magic Study I', then something called 'Field Endurance'. That sounded intimidating.
"Oh, look at you!" Mom expressed when I walked into the kitchen. "You look so nice! How are you feeling? Ready for your first day?"
I shrugged limply. "I guess. I've only known about this whole interdimensional travelling business for a few weeks, but..."
"You'll be fine, I know it," Mom said, pulling me into a hug.
"Can you explain to me again how the day works?" I asked.
"So your school day is just from noon to three-thirty in Emiarhian time. There are four periods, but you only have to attend the last three ones. At noon, instead of a class, you'll have a tutor who will catch you up on everything you've missed. At the end of each day, you'll be back on Earth around six-thirty-ish. Home in time for dinner. And, each school year has two semesters, so classes will change accordingly."
"Makes sense. Complicated, but I understand," I replied.
Mom continued, "It'll be hard to live a double life like this, but I know you'll manage. As you know, there are three periods in your school days, separated by a half-hour of lunch. Each class period is an hour long. You'll have your first class – or a private period with your tutor, in your case – and then lunch, and then your two normal classes."
"Okay..."
"Let's see, what else... The Academy teaches students ages six to eighteen, with classes and teachers being separated by grade. Grades one to eight each have just one classroom and teacher for the whole year. Grades nine to thirteen each have classrooms and teachers that are different every period, like high school. The school year runs from early August to late May. The first semester just began last week, I think. But in Emiarhia, they only have school four days a week, with Wednesdays off. There is still homework, but you won't have a lot because of the select classes you're exempt from, and it's also not like you can practice magic at home."
Right...magic. I forgot about that part.
"All students are required to wear uniforms, and those differ slightly depending on your grade. Your classes have been selected by the King and Queen according to what would help you the most. The Academy obviously has classes like art and music, but those aren't necessary for your training. Your tutor will help you greatly with what you've missed. And like Kadia said, the other two saviours will be in at least a few of your classes. Assuming that you stay around the Academy when you're travelling to and from Earth, you won't need to walk far to get to school in the afternoons. Kadia can show you the way. Textbooks and other learning materials will be supplied, but you'll still need to carry around your satchel. And...that's about all I can tell you."
"Wow, that's a lot of information at once..."
"I thought you'd be used to it by now," she laughed.
I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Yeah. I guess you'd think so." I slipped on my shoes and retrieved my necklace from under my shirt. "I should get going, I don't want to be late."
"All right, bye Chloe. I'll see you around six-thirty. Everything will be great," Mom replied, hugging me once more.
I slung my book bag over my shoulder. "I'll let you know how it goes."
With the repeat of one simple word, I was off to Emiarhia again.
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Kadia was there waiting for me when I arrived.
"Hello again," I greeted her.
"Good afternoon, Brielle. At least you aren't late. Come on now, let's get moving," she replied.
The air was chilly, so Kadia lent me a cloak again. We didn't talk much on the way there. In an effort to make myself look more presentable, I tied the top half section of my hair back. I still wasn't quite used to my much longer, platinum hair.
The Academy was a massive building; I supposed it had to be to fit that many students. The polished exterior was constructed of neatly cut stone in shades of grey and white. Bare trees lined the walkway to the main entrance. There were easily four floors. The whole surrounding area was beautiful too. Kadia led me through the tall, wrought iron gates and into the school. We walked side-by-side down the spotless, well-lit corridors.
"I will show you to your compartment," Kadia said.
"Compartment?"
"Where you store your belongings," she responded bluntly.
"Oh," I realized. "Like a locker."
She shook her head slightly. "Floors are separated by grade. First floor is grades one through four. Second floor is five through seven. Third is eight through ten, and fourth is eleven through thirteen. Thus, since you are in twelfth grade, your locker and classrooms are on the fourth floor."
I sighed. "So I have to climb all these stairs every day?"
"Yes. It's good exercise."
After I dropped off my cloak at my compartment, Kadia explained to me that my tutored class was on the first floor, near the staff rooms. Second period was about to start, so she had to leave while I searched around for the right room. There was a medium amount of students wandering the halls and chatting. They were all no older than nine though, so it wasn't like it was intimidating. Nope, I knew that part was coming later. You'd expect me to be trying to avoid eye contact, but it turns out, I was struggling not to stare at some of the other students. Being on another planet, I realized, meant that there were likely other species – even if they looked like humans. Among the things I saw were horns, grey skin, and webbed fingers.
Shaking myself out of it, I glanced down at the slip of parchment in my hand once again. "Room 24... Room 24..." I mumbled. The numbers over the doors I'd passed were increasing, so I was heading in the right direction. "22...23...24! Found it." I rapped my knuckles on the door. There was no answer at first. I was about to leave when the door clicked and swayed open.
Behind it was an elegant woman with charcoal hair and light brown eyes. She wore a dark blue and black ensemble, the style vaguely similar to a student's uniform. She smiled. "How can I help you?"
"Hi, um, are you..." I glanced down at my parchment. "...Miss Lucera?"
"I am," she replied.
Okay, how do I put this...? "My name is Brielle; I believe you're my tutor this year."
Miss Lucera pondered for a moment. "Brielle de Mavset?"
"Yes, actually."
She smiled again. "Excellent! I've been looking forward to meeting you."
"Likewise." I followed her into her comfortable-looking office.
"So I understand you were born on Earth, correct?" Miss Lucera asked quietly, shutting the door behind her.
I took a seat in a navy plush chair. "Yeah, I was."
She sat down opposite to me. "That's exciting. Being Earthborn is rare in Emiarhia. Even those who are, are usually much older than you."
I nodded thoughtfully.
"I assume you already know how this tutorage is going to work. Since you're Earthborn, and your knowledge is...limited, you are currently at an unfortunate disadvantage compared to other children your age. Of course, it's futile for me to teach you things like mathematics or science, so I'll be focusing on history, geography and Qy'shaklei – and spellwork, once you become proficient enough."
My eyes wandered around the room, from the neatly stacked papers to the polished desk in the corner. Lying on the table in front of me was a small map.
"Can you tell me what this map is of?" Miss Lucera asked.
"Of course, that's Earth," I answered.
"Where do you live?"
My finger habitually went to Minnesota, but I caught myself. "Right here," I answered, pointing to San Diego.
Miss Lucera shook her head slightly. "Earth is quite vast, isn't it? Now..." She pulled a second map from a drawer in her desk. "Can you tell me what this is?"
I scanned the sheet of parchment in front of me. "...I have no idea."
"This is Emiarhia."
My eyebrows shot up. "Wow."
"Now, I presume that you know all about how this year is going to work?"
"Yeah, I come here every day for second period. And I'm going to learn about a variety of subjects?"
"Exactly," she confirmed. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you travel here?"
"Using this," I said, showing her the hourglass necklace.
Her eyes widened a little. "Fascinating."
Right after Miss Lucera said that, the sound of a loud bell chimed through the halls.
"That's just the bell to signify the beginning of class," she explained. "Now, let's get to work. We'll start with geography for today."