RAVENNA

Part 4

"First-years!First-years over here! C'mon, follow me. Mind your step, now! First-yearsfollow me!" Gael said. "You can leave your luggage here Mister Skylander. Don't worry, you'll get them at your dormitory." He assures Rob.

They followed him to the entrance. There it was. The school her grandmother talked about her whole life. The school has three wings; south, west and north. Half side of school is covered by ocean the other side with land, out of which, half is forest.

Standing alone near the pillar. she noticed the fellow students categorized themselves into groups. She was able to recognize few like vampires showing their fangs while laughing, wolf, witches and pixies having small colorful wings.

"Hi."

"Aah!" I shrieked low key.

"Oh, I am sorry didn't mean to scare you." She said throwing her hand air. She has beautiful smile. Short Burgundy color hair, fair skin with freckles, ocean blue eyes. Total joker oh— I mean colorful.

"My name is—'

"Esmé Montgomery." I completed her. She was surprised. "h-how do you?"

"Your badge." I replied. She looked at her badge and smiled. "Oh. Yeah, of course. By the way, what's yours?"

"Nieve Winston."

"Nice to meet you. What are you by the way?"

"Grandmother is a witch." I spatted.

"You're a witch." she said loudly enough to make everyone hear it. Not that I care but still asked her to keep her volume down.

"Don't know" I shrugged. "didn't made anyone insane with my magic yet." She laughed.

"Haha ha you- you're funny Nivi." Soon l looked at her with raise brow. She stops laughing looking at me with nervous face.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Nope. My gran calls me Nivi."

"Aah. I can call you Nivi, right? We are friends." Friends?? Since when?

"How many people you have in your family." I showed her three fingers.

"Wah! only child to parents. Nice!" she clapped her hand. "And your grandparents don't live you, I presume."

"Actually, I live with my grandparents."

"Parents must be busy with work; it happens like my mother is always busy." I didn't comment on this. I don't want anyone to look at me with sympathetic eyes saying bad things. That's how they treat a child with no parents even though you have best uncle aunt or grandparents.

She keeps telling me how much she missing her dad. she has two brother she is middle child. But one thing I noticed is she barely mentioned her mother. May be not a fan of mama. Girls are princesses of their father. And it's natural, opposite gender attracts. That's how boys become mama's boy and girl's daddy's princess but, but once you mention a boy as mama's boy, ha! His ego of few millimeter crushes into million pieces.

"Who are they?" I asked pointing to particular group.

"Ah. Royalties. Le Feuvre family. The only royalty left in mages."

"Monarchy exist here as well?" I asked surprised. She nodded. "Dukes, nobles, lords and ladies. Everyone." She paused "that girl over there." *She points* "She is Eloise Georgiana le Feuvre, youngest daughter of duke and duchess Le Feuvre. She has two brother Sebastian and Nikolai and two Sister."

"And they are very handsome." Someone spokes from behind. I turned around saw a boy with pure white long hair, blue skin with small horn on head. "I am Kyle Khayle, a centaur." He introduced himself forwarding hand to me. "A centaur? How many species are there?"

"Many."

Soon, a lady in her 60s came telling students to follow her into hall. She was wearing a red robe and so all others teachers too. Red is dress code for professors.

"Good evening. I am professor Linda Luella." She said standing on podium. "I welcome you all to the school of Sylvian. Before sorting you into groups the headmistress would like to say few words after that we shall proceed with lunch."

"There are four houses, LUNE PHOENIX LAZARUS and DEIRDRA." Kyle said.

"God please let me be in Lazarus." Esmé prayed.

"Anything special about that?" I asked being little curious.

"Ah—nothing. Just- just want to." She hesitated.

As she finishes, a lady in 40s stood on the podium, she had brown hair tied into French bun, round face, brown eyes, slanted eyes, light brown skin; must be native American.

"That's Sybbyl Emberly, a witch" Esmé whispers.

"Just to warn you. There are certain things which should be known by students specially first year, they always been the curious one wants to try everything they can get their hands on. But not everything should be tried. When there is light there is darkness as well. Everything has its bad side. Third floor of library is forbidden as well as white forest." Saying this she stepped down the podium, ordering to proceed with other things

Proceeding with sorting students into houses, she waited for her turn. Moment later she felt her heart beating faster as she winced clutching onto her chest.

"Nivi what is it?" She asked worried

"Probably nothing."

Clutching my chest my eyes met with brown pair looking at mine more like glaring, the headmistress. Why she is looking me like this? I winced, again Esmé rubbed my back to ease pain as soon as she breaks the stare, I felt relived. What the fudge??

After being done with everything I plopped herself on bed exhausted. Esmé became My room partner. Looks like she was fatted to be with her. She was little sad because she got into phoenix instead of Lazarus.

Next day

Nieve felt someone shaking calling her. "Few more minute gran" she mumbles.

"Nieve Winston! Get up! You're not at your home." Esmé shouted packing her bag. "we're already late. First lecture is of Mr. Klosky. He will kill us if we get late.

"Really?" she Sleep mumble. *yawn* it's good then at least we won't have classes and all assignments. And its only 7:40. We'll get there on time."

"And what after dying? Everything doesn't end with dying. Its vicious cycle, never ends. Being dead or alive. And in Mr. Klosky lecture if you want to have peaceful dry lecture you have to get early to his class."

Nieve looked at her thinking what she said. She was not paying attention to her words but dead word caught her attention. Yeah, she knows how brutal that cycle is. She lives through this every day.

~

Entering the class, they ran to empty desk. Front desks were empty. Nieve settled herself looked at her side found Rob. He mouthed her good morning, with his bright smile showing his bunny teeth.

"Ahem. Miss Winston." She looked at her front saw Mr. Klosky standing. He has pot belly. Age 40s. Curly blonde hair. Large moustaches, Dishevelled hair. Not a self-pampering person. Eh. She thought. She stood at her place giving respect to him.

"And miss monetary." He looked at her. Some of the students laughed.

"Eh, professor its Monteg—" before she could correct him, he shouted.

"WHAT TIME IT IS? YOU HAFE TO BE HERE BY Eight AND YOU TWO LADIESH are-are LATE in my CLASS." He spoke donating tiny droplets of his saliva on their face. They stood in attention bearing the pain and praying for their ears and face.

I tilted my head glaring at her more like asking her "why the she didn't tell her?"

She looks at me giving me "I told you to not to be late" look.

Well, I didn't imagine my first day first class would be like this. Arrgh!!

After class, few girls passed by saying "How's facial mist girls" they laughed, Nieve looked at them confused. She turned her head to Esmé.

"Facial mist equals to saliva." *sigh* she replies wiping her face took her book and went out followed by Nieve.