Chapter One #2
The pen pauses momentarily before writing my name, as if it is taking its time to decide my fate.
Miss Worthington claps her hands at it to hurry it up, and I watch the pen dance eagerly as it writes.
The level of Influence she must have to enchant this pen is something I admire.
Maybe I will be an Influencer. Asha Calloway - Solaris Hall, Room Fifteen.
I let out a small breath. I am relieved.
It looks like Nala is going to be my roommate. The Sun Gods are smiling down on me.
I look to my left and Nala giggles.
“Hey roomie.” She throws me a wink and gently nudges me on the shoulder, which instils a giggle from me.
“Now that you have all been assigned your rooms, you will go and unpack your bags and meet me back here in one hour for your tour,” Miss Worthington explains, gesturing to the two sets of stairs on either side of the room.
“Solaris and Aurora Halls make your way to the stairs on the left side. Lux and Helios Halls, please follow the stairs on the right-hand side to get to your rooms.”
She points out a thin man wearing jet-black sunglasses. He must be a light worker.
“Mr Herringford has been kind enough to enchant orbs of light to guide each of you to your departments. Please do not stare directly into the light’s core, otherwise the healing quarter will be the first stop on your tour.”
The chatter increases as she finishes her sentence, then stops instantly as Mr Herringford makes bold circular motions with his hands, conjuring a large ball of white light, which rises above the hall and separates into four equally sized orbs.
The students gawp, it’s hard not to look at such power.
It’s crazy to think that Mr Herringford taught my father everything he knows about light work and will probably be the one who teaches me too.
Nala grabs my elbow and links my arm. Together, we follow our orb along with the rest of our hall.
Seems to be a nice group of people. Ciara is also in our group.
It already seems like she has made her own clique in this short amount of time.
No surprise there. I did notice one guy, Alex Rotherman, who was in my Pre-enchantment school, also known as Pen school.
He was an all-around troublemaker. A complete ass.
But he looks different now. More chiselled.
It looks like this year has been kind to him.
His lightly tanned skin complements his sandy brown hair and dark brown eyes.
He’s wearing black jeans and a white V-neck t-shirt.
Looks like someone has been training him for combat this year.
I can see the definition of his abs through his white tee.
We didn’t get along in Pen school. Mostly because he made fun of my eyes.
But I am not a bitter person, so in Sovereign Castle we start afresh.
I’m not letting anyone get under my skin.
But if they bark at me, I’m not afraid to bite back.
I look at Nala to the left of me, still linking her arm with mine. She’s checking Alex out. I think we all are.
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Nala giggles in my ear.
“There’s no denying that boy has had a major glow up,” I remark as a laugh escapes my lips. I like Nala. I’m glad she’s my roommate. This is going to be an interesting year.
We reach number fifteen, our dorm room. Solaris corridor is long and windy.
I was wondering how one hundred students would fit in each hall.
The corridors are so long I can’t even see the end of them.
The carpets are all crimson red, and the walls are a dark wood panelling.
Along them are pictures of some of the greatest enchanters in the history of Palidonia.
A familiar face is planted on the wall by our dorm.
“That’s Damien Solice, the immortal and famous restorer of life. I learnt about him in history. He brought back ten men from one battlefield. One of the very few to receive the Gift of God Poten,” I think out loud.
“Well, Poten didn’t have to make him a hottie too!” jokes Nala. She wasn’t wrong. Something about an all-powerful man just really gets the juices flowing. I’m really glad Nala has a sense of humour and isn’t too serious. “But for real, if I ever need a history tutor, I’m coming to you.” She winks.
“I got you!” I reply with a smile on my face.
I push at our large wooden door, and a loud ‘creak’ erupts from it. Well, it is a nine-hundred-year-old building.
“This is it,” Nala says. “This is gonna be our home for the next year.”
She runs to the bed on the left side of the room, plonking her bag on it.
I guess she’s claimed that bed. I don’t mind though.
The bed on the right side is by the window and people-watching is one of my many enjoyments.
In the middle of the room is a large circular red and white rattan rug.
It is scripted with Enchantra from the scribes.
A lot of people struggle to decipher this ancient language used by the Gods.
Not me. My father gave me a book on Enchantra for my fifth birthday.
He was surprised at how quickly I picked it up.
He said I’m a natural, just like my mother, but in truth, it’s taken years to get where I am.
I don’t sleep much. Doctors say it’s insomnia.
Reading is the only thing that helps me relax my mind.
I suppose it will come in handy for exam week.
The scribes were originally written in Enchantra but were soon translated into English.
Every room is the same. Two beds on either side, a rug in the centre and two desks at the end of each bed. Both are equipped with pens and stacks of books we will need for each lesson.
We both empty our suitcases and hang our clothes in the large wooden wardrobe, split into two sides, positioned against the middle wall.
My hands trace over the cylindrical shape of the telescope at the bottom of my bag.
It was my mother’s; she loved to gaze up at the stars.
Somehow, I feel closer to her when I stargaze.
I run my hand over the windowsill to banish the dust before placing it carefully on the ledge.
The beds have hollow bottoms for storage.
I slide my mother’s suitcase underneath.
Opposite Nala’s bed is a bathroom. It is nothing special, just a toilet, sink and bath/shower.
I sit on my bed. Nala already has her nose in a book on ‘taming’.
I glance out the window. The castle campus stretches as far as I can see.
My window looks over the courtyard. At the back of Campus A, I can see students doing combat training.
These must be second-years. Combat is savage.
I can see the faint blood spatter from here.
I suppose if you are going to be protecting Palidonia you have to be ruthless.
Looking carefully, I can just see where the stone wall cuts the land in half and a second castle and courtyard reside.
This castle is surrounded by forest. I knew that Moon enchanters shared our campus, but I didn’t think I would be this close to them. A chill runs down my spine.
Some of the most treacherous enchanters were of the Moonkind.
Their Gods are more unforgiving. Shadoro is the God of Darkness and Shadows.
He is characterised by his black veil that covers his face; he can conjure shadow hawks to feast on the traitorous.
Mourna, the God of Death, wears a hooded black robe and has a crow that sits proudly on her shoulder; those who possess Mourna’s Gift can move between planes and speak with the deceased.
Xoro is the God of War. Xoro holds the ultimate weapon, an orb of darkness containing the strength of the fallen ones.
He who possesses Xoro’s Gift will be a master of pain, weaponry and skill.
Silo, God of Deception, is the one to worry about.
He has two faces situated on the front and back of his head.
One good and one evil. Those who possess the Gift of Silo are very trusting and are often not who you think they are.
They can warp your mind into seeing things that aren’t there and read your deepest and darkest secrets with a simple touch of your hand.
Sunkind and Moonkind are forbidden to have relations as their bloodlines do not mix.
I heard stories about people who tried and were exiled by their Gods and stripped of their Gifts.
It is written in the scribes that those who have inter-daecial relations (when Sun enchanters and Moon enchanters mix) will lose everything. Good thing they only come out at night.
I hear Nala’s feet shuffle towards me as her black hair falls next to mine.
“That must be the taming quadrant.” Excitement bubbles from her as she points towards a large stable-like building positioned on the crest of Sovereign’s steepest valley.
Her eyes dart across the windowpane and settle upon Moon castle. “You’ve got a good view of the Moonkind from here. I’ve never actually met one in real life. The curfew in my town was eight p.m., so our paths never crossed. Wonder what they’re like.” She turns and locks eyes with me.
“Hmm, I’m not planning to find out,” I mutter.
The legends of the Moonkind instil fear in us all.