The Six of Us

🍄 Chapter One 🍄 Marigold Avius's POV

Blood. There was a stream of blood flowing from my nose as my face hit a rock on the pathway. Red and steady. I sat up to see who pushed me, and I wasn't surprised to see a grey-haired barbarian smirking above me.

"Having trouble walking, Aivus?" he teased.

My eyes narrowed at the comment.

"You literally just shoved me, Thalsis," I said, wiping the cakey mud off my mouth.

"Oh, did I? Must not have noticed you. You know, since you're so short." He said, pinching his index finger and thumb to show how tiny he thought I was.

"With your ego, everyone seems short." I bite as I stand up, just to get shoved down again.

"Watch it, Aivus. You shouldn't be throwing around so many insults when I know Blondie's little secret. Wouldn't want that to get out, would you? I bet everyone would love to hear that-"

I cut Thalsis off like I cut off his circulation. We weren't allowed to use our powers outside of school, but we were far enough for no one to notice. I didn't need to get sent to the office again. I wasn't allowed to go out for a week after that. It's not my fault I had a bad temper.

"Keep her name out of your filthy mouth." I glare as Thalsis claws at the green vine strangling him.

"Marigold!" I heard a voice say, redirecting my focus. Letting the vine fall from Thalsis' neck.

I turned to see my best friend, Evangeline, running up to me. Her blonde hair flying in the wind.

As she reaches me, she looks to the ground and sees Thalsis gasping for breath and coughing. She immediately grabs the front of his uniform, hoisting him up to see her face-to-face.

"What did you do?" She says through pearly, gritted teeth.

Evangeline's been my best friend since we could walk. We had a steady exchange going on in Little Oak's Pre-School. Whenever Thalsis would bully me, Evangeline would step in. And in return, I'd let her use my special pens. Even though we are 16 now, two years away from being a legal adult, we still have each other's backs.

"Nothin' you need to be concerned about, Blondie." He growls, pushing Eva's hand away from him.

"Seems like it is, Dragon Breath." She growled back.

"Why don't you run off and let me and Aivus get back to our conversation here."

"Didn't seem like a conversation. It looked like you were shovin' around my best friend and abusing your patroling privileges."

"And talking about other people's business," I added, glaring.

"Oh, you want to gossip about other people now?" Evangeline said, eyes widened and smiling.

"Hear it comes," I thought.

"Let's talk about your mum, then. Where is she, by the way? Cause the last time I checked, she abandoned you at Mr. Ryes' doorstep. And thank Ohneas, he took you in. Because if it had been any other unlucky person, they would've let ya freeze to death in the cold." She snapped.

"What? What are you talking about? I think hanging around Aivus is lowering your brain cells." He stated, glaring but still confused.

"Eva..." I said, worrying she was going too far. As far as Thalsis knows, he's Mr. Ryes' real son. But we all know the truth. He was left on his doorstep when he was two and a half. When he first arrived, he was the talk of the town—a strange baby from outside Mushroom Village with misty hair and eyes. No one knew exactly who left him there, but they say the silhouette of a woman was seen the night he was left there.