The Twilight Children//The School for Good and Evil

19 ~ The Trial by Tale

. : Laura of Neverland : .

Laura stood, watching the blue forest. Around her, Evers and Nevers mingled an air of gentle interest and nervousness around them. If Tedros and Sophie made it out together, it would turn everything upside down.

Laura ran a finger over the gold details of her dark blue cloak. She had no fears about the Trial. She was going to wait until an acceptable moment, and then drop her handkerchief to avoid any fame attaching itself to her name. The forest was where she was most comfortable, and she had no doubts about her power. If anyone tried anything-- either Kendrick or Sebastian-- then she was ready.

"Laura,"

Laura turned to see Professor Dovey approaching and smiled at her old friend. "Hello,"

Clarissa approached her, wearing a high-necked gown of a periwinkle shade. "I've been ordered by the rest of the staff, from both evil and good, to tell you to keep your magic to an appropriate level."

Laura rolled her eyes but smiled anyways. "Of course. You have my reassurance that I will not do anything hazardous unless deemed necessary."

Clarissa seemed satisfied with that answer, and stood next to her for a moment, her eyes running over the crowd of students. "Do you know who the next Water Sage might be?"

Laura let out a dry laugh. "Yes. I know who it is."

Clarissa's eyes snapped back down to her. "Who?"

"This is going to sound ridiculous, but I was approached recently by someone needing help with water powers, and now they want to learn how to control it."

Clarissa leaned in closer, purposely keeping her voice low to not alert the students around them. "Is it a student here?"

Laura's eyes scanned the clearing, looking for Sebastian. She found him standing near the edge of the gates into the Blue Forest. Tedros had already entered, along with Nikolas and Chaddick. He was next along with Kendrick. 

Her anger jumped up when Kendrick glanced over at her. The pirate had a place in hell. She had spent years manufacturing a tentative peace with the Pirates, only to have it torn up by Kendrick's bloodthirsty and money-blindness. He was lucky this was a school event, or else he would be dead by the time the morning came. 

"Laura?" Clarissa's voice cut her out of her thoughts. "Who is the next Water Sage?"

Laura shook her head and glanced back at Clarissa. "Sebastian of Havfrue."

It was if Clarissa had barely heard her. "I'm sorry what?"

"Sebastian of Havfrue. He approached me a while ago nearly in a breakdown because he had water powers that he couldn't explain. I was reasonably certain then, but I tested them as well and he is."

"Oh, my," Clarissa ran a hand through her hair. Her voice rose in pitch as she continued to speak. "Do you realize how much of an issue this is?"

Laura nodded. She wasn't terrified about him being the Water Sage. Was it a questionable choice by whoever controlled the magic? Yes. But he had asked for help to control it, and in turn, had sworn that no one from Havfrue would try to enter Neverland again to destroy magic. He seemed more determined to stop the magic from driving him insane than he cared about finishing the war. It was beginning to make her question how dedicated he was in the first place.