" She's my friend!!! Please, you have to let me in!"
Alexa cried as she once again tried to make her way past the tall men guarding the healer's entrance.
" Sorry Ma'am, no one is allowed past this point unless they are injured or given permission by a staff member."
The men spoke in unison with completely blank expressions. A hand rested on her shoulder and lightly tugged her back.
" Alexa....."
Taking a deep breath, she stepped away and walked back to the stands, avoiding Adriane's eyes.
" I'm worried too," He says trying to console her. But, he shouldn't have. She was the oldest of their little group and felt responsible for Evia.
" But, I wonder how the pod blew up? Maybe it malfunctioned or......"
" Who was that girl you were with?" Alexa interrupted. Adriane grimaced and quirked a half smile.
" That's Lady Marissa Gloria Savona. Her father and my dad are old friends so we've known each other since we were little. She's always been a bit...bossy."
His careful words made her laugh. And as they neared she could see the girl in question, tapping her foot on the floorboard. She had frizzy black curls and a pair of wide spaced glasses. She was short and on the heavier side, but she looked young maybe a year or two older then Evia. She glared at Adriane for a long moment then seeing him sufficiently cowed, she turned to Alexa and flashed a toothy smile, showing off her shiny braces.
" Hi, I'm Marissa. I saw you in the exam. You were pretty good, even if I would have gotten you if it wasn't for this loser." She said, nodding her head toward Adriane and then holding out her hand. Alexa smirked and took the younger girls outstretched hand. They shook and sat down in a group of empty seats.
" Crazy, what happened to that girl. Normally stuff like that doesn't happen." Marissa said, jerking her head toward the pieces of the former machine.
" How would you know? Alexa asked, curious as to why the girl seemed so confident in her knowledge.
" My brother graduated last year and my sister's starting her third year. And they've told me everything I could possibly need to know about this place."
Alexa nodded, and her eyes wandered back to the healers' entrance. Her eyes focused on two figures heading into the spot. One had a feminine figure, with long blond hair and the man next to her was dressed all in black and goosebumps appeared on her arms just looking at him. Marissa followed her gaze and leaned in close, and whispered as if she were to tell a secret.
" That's Princess Sylvia Greenwood."
" Princess? From what kingdom?" Alexa asked looking back at the figures. Marisa looked at her weirdly.
" Greenwood is the Elven royal family's name." She said slowly as if it were common knowledge.
Well, maybe in the city it was. But, coming from a small settlement where so much as speaking about the different races was considered taboo, Alexa lacked knowledge in anything concerning the elves.
Marissa went on.
" She's a second year and super powerful. She's already student council president and top of her class. Not to mention she's polite and beautiful. You couldn't find someone more perfect. "
" And the man beside her?" Alexa asked.
" That's Professor Arculous. He teaches history and battle strategy. You definitely don't want to get onto his bad side. He can be downright heartless. The professor clearly doesn't like children so why he is a teacher is anyone's guess. "
Marissa continued chatting about various rumors she had heard from her siblings, as Alexa watched as the pair entered the healers' ward and didn't come out until the second round had finished.
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Evia sat, back straight on a soft mattress, waiting for her visitors. She had been put on a bed in a corner of the healers' center. The bedding was white, and there were two chairs opposite it and a table in between. Evia sipped the warm drink one of the nurses had given her.
It seemed that there was a clear divide in the staff. Those that called themselves doctors or nurses and those that were called healers. She liked the doctors more, they at least seemed to know what they were doing. While the healers just seemed to be for show, because there was no point as they were not yet so advanced in there magic to do anything that the doctors couldn't with technology.
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At one point one of the nurses had sat her down and asked her some questions. But, they weren't the interrogation she had expected. Instead, he asked her about her feelings while she was in the pod and she saw no reason not to tell him the truth. She didn't mention the prison.
But he didn't pester her. Instead, he thanked her for her time and gave her a cup of tea. A couple of minutes later, she overheard him talking to one of the doctors.
"Claustrophobic.......PTSD......poor kid, something terrible must have happened.........I suggest getting her a therapist and maybe put her on some meds to keep her calm......"
She didn't understand what all this meant, but she wondered if these useless humans might actually be able to help her.
" She's my friend!" Alexa's voice drifting through the walls. She could hear her complaints and Adriane leading her away. Evia's heart warmed, but she didn't have much time to linger on it because a familiar energy was coming towards her.
Two figures entered her little corner. The first was the elf girl she recognized from the stands. She wore a navy blue petty coat, matching her knee-length skirt. She was pretty, in a damsel in distress way. Long dark lashes covering wide green eyes. A pink tinge to her cheeks and waist-length blond hair the color of spun gold.
A magical spell, so small Evia was unable to sense it from the arena was placed on the mark on her wrist. The spell hid the mark from mortal eyes and lead the mind to believe it was just a silly doodle drawn in a boring class in permanent marker. It was strong too, however small. If it hadn't been her own magic she might have missed it entirely.
Her eyes moved onto the man standing behind the elven girl.
Her son Arculous.
He seemed older, more hardened and mature. Less of the playful boy she had known. He looked at her warily as if not sure whether to believe she was real. She took another sip of tea, and said staring at him dead in the eye.
" What? Nothing to say to your dear old Mother?"
Her words seemed to pierce right through him and he came to her bedside and knelt to the ground. He clutched her hand and looked up at her.
" Oh, great Mother, I am overjoyed to see you have come back to this world. I, your loyal and humble son am here to serve and should you need--"
"Um...Sorry to interrupt this 'touching' moment, but we don't necessarily have a lot of time." A sour-sweet voice interrupted Arculous and he gritted his teeth as he got to his feet and sat on one of the visitors' chairs, the one closest to Evia.
The elven girl stepped forward. She pointedly did not bow or make any sign of submission.
" I am Sylvia Greenwood, Princess of the Elves and third in line for the throne. I am also Arculous's mistress and owner."
Her sentiment was clear. She was making it clear that she wasn't intimidated by Evia's power and was claiming Arculous for herself. The audacity of this "princess" was enough to make her laugh. Instead of addressing Sylvia directly, she turned to Arculous,
" How presumptuous of your master to not know her place...."
" Please forgive her insolence, she is young and is not thinking."
He flashed Sylvia a warning look. His mistress was used to being the one with power. She viewed Evokdia as competition and a threat, but she didn't think of how much power his mother truly had over them. She was the creator of the seal that bound them. She had been the one to give him power and she could easily take it away. Sylvia opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.
" Mother.....what has happened? He asked. But when Evia didn't answer he said quickly.
"I heard you were imprisoned. After you vanished, we went into hiding and we have longed for the day you would return to us....."
Evia put down her empty cup and began her story. She told them about the prison without light. About the human settlement where she had met Alexa and learned about this new world. How they had traveled together and met Adriane. Who she had seen magical potential in and had taken it upon herself to make sure her companions got the education they would need to survive. Lastly, she told them about how a couple panicked sparks of her magic had blown up the pod.
By the end of her story, both were sitting in silence, until Arculous stood up forcefully and bowed his head saying,
" What a terrible ordeal you have been through. Don't fret. Soon the others will find you and we can take our revenge."
Revenge. The word sounded so very sweet to her ears. She imagined Zeus begging for mercy as her children destroyed his pitifull palace and knocked that bastard down from his high pedestal. What a sweet day that would be.
" Not yet, Arculous. My time imprisoned has weakened me greatly. I wish to learn more about this new strange era. My children have all been in hiding and must be very wary. Even now, my eldest slumbers and I am unable to wake him. Wait. And all will come into place. But we must be patient."
Arculous nodded and sat back down.
" What do you mean by the eldest one sleeps?" Sylvia asked. She hadn't wanted to show any weakness toward the goddess, because she hadn't necessarily seen her as a goddess. But there was a very old soul in those black eyes, a soul that had seen death and destruction, trust formed and ripped apart, darkness with no escape. She spoke with authority and power, and Sylvia couldn't help but be in awe of her.
Evokdia's eyes met hers as she answered. And Sylvia felt a tingly sensation all throughout her body.
" My eldest child, The black dragon Zaroth is in a deep slumber, where he hangs on the line between life and death. I don't know how he entered into such a state but I assume it was by his choice. For he doesn't seem to want to wake. "
Sylvia was shocked. A dragon even in the age of magic was a rare and mysterious beast that no one would have even known existed if not for the great war, where they burned cities to the ground. During the peace negotiations, the dragons claimed that their behavior was uncharacteristic and everyone agreed on a " You don't bother me, I don't bother you" rule with the dragons, who were said to live in each of the four corners of the earth.
Though it shouldn't be a surprise, she looked once again at the girl in front of her. She looked younger but Sylvia now knew not to be deceived The woman in front of her was far older and more powerful than Sylvia could ever dream of being. Of course, she would have an intimate relationship with the dragons.
Gonnnnnnng!
The bell tolling the end of the second round and the entrance exam. Sylvia stood as well as Arculous.
" We must go," Sylvia said and bowed formally to Evia. The spoiled, naive, and vicious girl disappeared as a respectful and well-bred princess took her place as she swept out of the healers' center. Arculous also stood, but he didn't go as quickly.
" Come to see me later by that giant pear tree on top of the hill. Come alone, for we have much to discuss," Evia said and Arculous bowed and after one last glance at his creator swept out of the room.