Mrs. Stacy's School For Girls

Prologue

Three years ago . . .

"Get to the islands!" A woman shouted, a Ballio gripping someone tightly, and inhaling every ounce of life they ever had. Wren watched as more and more creatures straight out of a child's fever dream, climb out of the massive crack in the ground, screeching and howling and roaring and growling.
    "WREN!" She wasn't sure if it was her mind shouting at her, or if it was actually someone yelling at her to get out of the way of a Ballio running at her from the crack at full speed. She wasn't sure until she felt her arm get yanked back, pulling her farther away from the Ballio. Whoever grabbed her arm didn't let go until Wren was shoved onto one of the pieces of land that was preparing to lift into the sky.
     Wren realized it was her older brother, Xen. She reached out to grab his hand as the island was about to lift off, and Xen quickly took it as the island was about five inches off the ground. The Ballio angrily snapped its jaws around empty air once the island had fully lifted into the sky. There were three families of four, two families of six, a few people who were on their own, and the captain up in the windmill that made the island fly.
     Xen wrapped his arms around Wren in a hug, and she wrapped her arms around him as well, thinking if her grip loosened by the size of an ant, she'd instantly lose him to a Ballio or Jebru. He broke away, putting his hands on Wren's shoulders.
     "Don't you dare almost die again!" Xen peered into her eyes, and she could see tears starting to develop in his eyes. By again, he meant she had a few near-death experiences. And by a few, it was fifty-three times she almost died.
     "I could say the same about you!" Wren shot back in a loving but harsh tone. "You're the one who shoved me onto the island before you!"
"Because you're nine." Xen pointed out. "When mom was drafted into some war, she said I had to take care of you, and shoving you onto one of the islands before me is what she would've done."
Wren pulled her brother in for another hug to hide the tears of happiness that were developing in her eyes. Was Wren nine, turning ten in a few months? Yes. Did that stop her from wanting to hide her emotions to become a warrior, capable of protecting Osix all on her own? No. Not at all.
"You're stupid." Wren said finally, giggling as Xen playfully pushed her away. There was a whistle blowing, making everyone jerk their heads to the windmill, where — who Wren assumed was — the captain. She took the whistle out of her mouth, and opened her mouth to speak.
"The creatures have taken over Yafax." She stated. "We'll be seeking refuge in Yafax. It's been walled and guarded, expecting the creatures to come back at some point. It will take about a week to get there, and the other islands have been notified to fly to Yafax. That is all." She nodded her head, heading back inside the windmill.
Wren and Xen both exchanged nervous looks as they stood up. She extended her hand, and he took it in his. If they were to get through this now horrid life, they'd need each other. Sure, Osix had dangerous plants, and a few animals that could easily crush your skull, but that wasn't enough for people to need to now travel of groups of five or more. It wasn't enough for people to now need to carry some form of weapon on them at all times. It wasn't enough to make people install a force-field fence around their homes.
     What was enough, were those horrid creatures. Ballios, Jellbru, Tuffte, and Drifftu. All powerful enough to destroy continents.