OUTCAST

Chapter two: Zeldon

I clutched my mother's pendant tightly, it's golden surface forming the lines and creases on my skin. I looked at the symbol now engraved on my hand, lines crossed to make a four pointed star, like a compass. On the curves of the angles smaller points ran out, shorter than the tall four points but beautiful in the same way. It was the symbol of the North Star Academy. I remembered my mother had told me the Four tall points of the crest stood for the four elements, Water, Wind, Earth, and... Fire, her hands had lit up with flame. She, like my father, was an Ember, an Elf who could wield fire. I also remember asking her what the other points sood for. Her soft red-brown eyes had suddenly darkened, she had seemed less cheerful than the moment before, they stand for nothing, they are just there for show. She had given me the amulet two days before she had died, she had gotten sick and had been recovering so well... but she had lost her winning battle. I could feel my eyes watering again, I blinked back the tears and let go of the pendant letting it fall onto my dress shirt over my tie. I swear someday someone will find me dead, strangled by one of those things and the shirt too... I wonder if someone could itch to death.

                 I looked up at the doors to the Academy, above the magnificent entry way, a larger crest hung on the arch beneath it read the words: Terra Aqua Ventus et Ignis: earth, water, air, and fire. My father's hand clasped around my shoulder, I looked up at his face. Everyone said we looked alike, we had the same dark brown hair, and skin the color of molding clay fresh from kiln, but my eyes were unlike any others in our city, they were almost gold. Father smiled at me warmly. He still had flour on his face from his time in the bakery this morning but he had at least dressed nicely.

               Today was my Calling Ceremony, the day all young Elves came to the university to be claimed on their thirteenth year, they would be assigned to their element and be put in the house of that element. I can't say it was my favorite day, I didn't want to find out what element I was.

               My father pointed up at the western point of the crest, the one symbolizing Embers, "Soon you'll be one of us, a powerful ember."

             I looked up at his face instead of being prideful like his voice sounded and it looked more pleading, hopeful. I sighed, "Dad, you know that I haven't shown even a spark of magic."

His fake smile stayed plastered on his face, "You're just a late bloomer kid, I was the same way."

           I said nothing, It's hard to lie to your parents.

          Though cases of Elves with no element were rare, they had happened before, I was worried that I was one of them. I had no sudden burst of power yet, when most kids had many, I didn't even have an attraction to fire. Still I knew that I would break my father's heart if I didn't become an ember, I knew he was getting much too old to run the bakery and would have to hand it onto me since I was the eldest male in the family, without proper Ember Flame the bakery would quickly go out of business. I hung my head not excited to see disappointment cross over his already broken face. The least I could hope for was to be a Delta, then at least I could live in shame a distance away.

            I turned again towards the doors, the crowds of other excited families were already walking through the magnificent threshold. The academy was a larger version of it's crest, four sprawling points aimed outward in the direction of the cities of the corresponding element and curved upward to a tall point, forming a tower at the top. I took a deep breath and smiled, cocking a false grin at everyone we passed. That was our family motto, why show grief when a false grin could do the job.

             I recognized many of the new students as we walked past, I happily greeted them and they groaned at me. I could tell that my reputation preceded me. I'm quite the charmer. As we walked up to the gates and through the open threshold I saw into the white and gold (also known as cheap yellow paint) corridors of the academy. Posters depicting the four elements hung over the entryway, lockers and blooming flower garlands covered the hallways, a passage straight to the heart of the academy lay in the wall directly in front of us.

             Two of the schools security guards stood at the entry guarding us from the unforeseen dangers of lost students and the monstrosity of overexcited professors. I walked towards it, finding it harder to keep my mask of a grin on my face as I came nearer to the Calling Room. I could feel my father's breath on my shoulder as we walked through the tight passage. Light streaming from the other side of the doorway allerted me we were reaching the end of the tunnel.

            Knowing the ceremony would begin soon, once the sun was directly above us in the sky was not a comforting thought. I took a longing look to the back of the passage hoping someone would come out and tell me there was a mistake and I could come back next year but no such hero revealed themselves. Finally, I stepped forward grudgingly into the room that would change my life forever, if I wanted it or not.

          The room was enormous, It had amphitheatre style bleachers surrounding a giant crest in the stone floor directly above the crest and an opening was in the ceiling, the sun was slowly eclipsing over it which meant it was almost time for the ceremony to start. Around the edge of the bleachers there were murals of the school and the elements with fancy writing showing each of the elements. Two event volunteers greeted us, seeing my age they escorted my father to a top row and me to the front one where other soon-to-be-students were seated. I tried to joke around with some of them but most just rolled their eyes and groaned. Seriously what was wrong with these elves.

           I walked away from some of the other Called and took a seat hoping it would settle my nervous feeling. I looked up at the ceiling. The sun was almost directly above, it was time for the fun to begin.