It's been over a cycle since I was almost caught by the Hunters, since I was torn apart from my family and was thrown halfway across the dimension, to the Realm of Magic. They say Magic comes from who you are as a person, from your inner strength an...
'Complaining isn't going to do you any good, you know.' LeGrimm replied with an increasing agitation in her voice. 'If I hear one more word from you about it this morning, I swear-'
Chi pushed herself from the edge we'd all been sitting on, went right up to Iklím and waved frantically as she tried to grab her attention, cutting LeGrimm off mid sentence. 'Right, cheer up! It's your first class of the cycle!'
Iklím reluctantly pulled her eyes away from LeGrimm and rolled them. 'I know, I know, but...'
I simply curled up on the edge of the spring. My attention had long wandered off from the ever complaining fairy and was caught by the water. Or rather- the reflection of the moon in the water. It was a peaceful sight so early in the morning, the moon still high above the Academy grounds, surrounded by fallen leaves, rippling and distorting at the hint of my touch.
If possible, the Academy was even more breathtaking by night. Faint lights had lit up our path as we'd made our way to the clearing behind the school. And now, sitting on the edge of the spring, I took the time to look around and let the detail wash over me.
I followed the lines of the vines on the wall with my eyes, the almost glowing leaves nearly covering the small, carefully corrected cracks in the bricks- and, for the first time, I saw a luminous little creature- what I could only presume to be a curious pixie- quickly flying away as I noticed them.
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Shaking my head in disbelief, I tuned back into the conversation.
'- but I'm sure you're going to love it! Also, I wonder what's taking professor Marlowe so long, she's never been late before?' Chi said with a questioned look on her face.
Muñoz took the opportunity to make a remark. 'Maybe she decided to finally bail on the Academy?'
'And leave Faewood? I don't think so...' LeGrimm let the entire situation with Iklím be for a bit to chime in.
Chi raised her shoulders. 'She can't be very far, she lives right here in the forest.' she said, more to Abrish, Iklím and me than to anyone else, 'Maybe we should go look for-'
At that very moment, Chi cut off her sentence- and before I could even process what was going on, she was holding an arrow enclosed in her right hand.
Muñoz shot up from her spot. 'You three stay here. Mae, you're with me. Chi, stay with the younglings.'
'Why? Uh- what's going on?' I curled further up on the edge, tensing up as everyone around me started moving.
LeGrimm stopped moving as she came past me. 'We're not sure,' she said, 'but it might be wise for you younglings to sit this one out. Let us handle this, okay?'
I nodded, this time out of a fearful complacency.
She took my hands, just for a brief moment. 'We'll be back soon.'
At that moment, her body lit up. The ribbon that held her hair together burned away so the strands of her braids could fall down, and her dress dissolved- changed shape- 'till it became what I'd come to know as a fairy's true form, the true reflection of her being. And as I looked around, I saw that she wasn't the only one who had let her inner being out. I had seen Abrish' before, but it was no less impressive this time- and I caught glimpses of the others', but not long enough to really take in any details.
But hers- LeGrimm's- it was the darkest I had ever seen, almost like this greyish midnight purple. And her wings- they were almost eerie, not soft and round like Abrish'- or Anthea's- Astra's, but sharp and blackened. Then she let go and took off.
Though I wasn't about to bring it up again, it was a striking match with the sketch.
When she ran past Chi, the fairies locked eyes.
'Thanks LeGrimm!'
LeGrimm rolled her eyes in turn.
'Don't mention it.'
Before she could take off after LeGrimm, Abrish grabbed on to Muñoz' arm and the both hung still in midair -
'Anything I can do to help?'
'No. Sit tight.'
When everything finally quieted down, I let out a deep breath and leaned forward, turning my head to Abrish, who turned her frown back to a calm demeanour, then to Iklím, whom I now noticed hadn't transformed at all.
Iklím pointed her thumb at Chi, eyed Abrish and me and hissed: 'Am I the only one confused by that arrow? Is that even physically possible?? No? No one else is going to point it out? Ugh, nevermind.'
