Levina Eagle and the Thunderbird's Gift

The Ilvermorny Rail and the Journey There

Mama, Gran, and Granddad accompanied Levina to the station. The sun was out and bright on this particular morning. They walked into the station and to a custodian's closet. Granddad tapped the doorknob and it swung open. He hurried them inside before shutting the door.

Levina stared wide eyed and open mouthed. The room was golden with a large clock hanging from the roof. The clock had a symbols of the planets on it and the hands spun around far too quickly for it to be any use. When Levina finally tore her eyes from the clock she saw a large train with the called the Ilvermorny Rail. The roof curved around the train that seemed to go on as far as the eye could see. The roof looked like it was made out of solid gold. It shone and sparkled.

Hundreds of kids were in the station just like Levina. They were hugging their parents and talking with friends. Luggage littered the ground. There were a lot of people in sharp black uniforms walking around making sure no one was doing anything out of the ordinary.

A booming female voice came from above. "Ten minutes until departure!" She said her voice echoing endlessly through the station.

Levina smiled widely and hugged her mother. She was impatient to get on the train and to Ilvermorny. "Levina, I'm going to miss you," Mama said running her fingers through Levina's light blonde hair.

Levina smiled at her mom. "I'm gonna miss you too." She noticed the tears welling up in her mother's eyes.

"You're the last of my babies to grow up," Mama said kissing her on the forehead.

Levina's eyes burned. She rubbed her eyes to stop the searing behind her lids, but scalding tears escaped their prisons despite her attempts to stop them. "Mama," She sobbed wrapping her arms around her mother and burying her face in her shoulder.

"It's just like sending you off to Kindergarten except I won't see you until christmas," Mama said closing her eyes and letting her own tears rain down softly on her daughter's crown. Mama ended the embrace and held her at arm's length. "Levina, don't get into trouble and study hard."

"I will mama," Levina said wiping her eyes.

Granddad roughed up Levina's hair and smiled at her cheekily. "Get going. If you spend too long with us you'll start getting second thoughts," He said.

Levina nodded her head and hugged Granddad and Gran then picked up her suitcase and Joan's cage. She ran to the train wanting desperately to stop crying, but the tears kept burning down her cheeks like flames through a forest. She climbed aboard. The train was more beautiful on the inside than she ever imagined. The compartments were neat and had red velvet curtains hanging in the windows.

Levina opened compartment after compartment only to find them full of happy groups of students talking amongst one another. The compartments were endless. Levina went from compartment to compartment finding the same thing each time until she opened it to see Balthazar sitting alone. Levina smiled at him. "Are any of these seats taken?" She asked.

Balthazar shook his head quickly. He was relieved to see someone willing to sit next to him. Levina stepped inside and lifted her case into the overhead compartment. She sat Joan's crate on the floor and took a seat beside Balthazar.

"How have you been?" Levina asked smiling.

"I've been good. What about you?" Balthazar replied his voiced rehearsed and monotoned.

"I've been very good, thank you," Levina replied frowning. "Are you always this compelling in conversation?"

Balthazar looked at his hands. "The truth is I am really nervous," He whispered. "What if I fail?"