Find Your Fire - The Angulus Chronicles #1

Chapter Four

The building of our Fighting Class was positioned near the main building and connected together by a long bridge that brought us over a calm river that flowed directly to the Water Kingdom. Though the river may seemed calm at times, it was forbidden to swim in its cold water.
The Water Kingdom housed all kinds of mysterious water creatures and sometimes they swam all the way to the school to lure us away. I haven't had the "pleasure" to meet one and I was not eager to.

I clamped my arm tighter around Orins when the chill breeze of the water wrapped itself around my bones. Who in hell would even want to swim in that stone cold water?

We left the bridge and entered The Silent Woods, the big forest surrounding our school. Stone made way for muddy forest ground and the sea-scented breeze changed into something more pine-like. These woods creeped me out. The high oak trees maybe looked normal during day, but during a night class, they surprisingly looked a lot like Hymadriads and the thought of coming across a living tree really really really made me want to turn around and skip the class.

"I hate this place." I softly mumbled to Orin.

She mockingly raised her eyebrow at me. "Scared for a little wood, C?"

"Any smart human being would be. I hate the idea of being watched by forest fairies or hungry water creatures that crawled out of the river."

She laughed. "Too bad I'm not even human." She looked at me curiously. "What's it like, your human world?"

We never really talked about this. Not because I didn't want to, but because we were always so busy around here and I didn't even know how to explain human things like electricity or internet so I never initiated the subject.

I stared at the distant building as I thought about home. "It's a pretty lonely world, actually." The treetops shielded us from any daylight coming through. "Humans- ... care a lot for status based on looks. It's hard to remember that the inside is what counts, that treats like honesty and loyalty are worth so much more than pretty rosy cheeks or perfectly done makeup. It's hard to remember when all around you, people are telling you, you have to look a certain way. Or be a certain way." I shook my head in disbelief. How can humans care about stuff like that, don't get me wrong cause I did too, when here it's all about survival and having the right people around you. "Everybody, boys and girls, feel like they need to reach a certain goal or else they won't be accepted." I bit my lip. "I feel like more and more people get depressed because they cannot reach that goal."

"Sounds like a shit-hole to me." Orin squeezed my arm assuringly. "You're here now, with me and Oahn and-" She wiggled her eyebrows. "Lorem. When you go back, you're stronger mentally and physically. You know it can be different, so show that to your people." She made us stop and looked me right in the eyes, all serious. "Promise me, Cat, promise me that you won't forget us. Promise me you will try your hardest to not fall back into that "humanly" mindset. Promise me that you will remember you're great and amazing."

Orin was dead serious. I never told her I used to be quite unhappy but somehow she knew. She always knew. When the time came and I had to leave this world, oh gosh, I'd miss her like hell. But I also wanted to go back to my parents and hug them.

I bit my lip and nodded, no words reaching my throat to be spoken. Orin took two more seconds before she nodded too and made us move again. We reached the building as one of the lasts and everybody already took a place on the benches. The fighting arena was essentially a large classroom - empty save for a raised platform in the center - the fighting ring. It provided an unobstructed view of the fighters. The teacher was a large intimidating man and he had a scarred, weather beaten face, which wasn't cruel but wasn't kind either. His brow was constantly furrowed, and with his startling gray eyes, wide nose and harsh mouth, his very presence screamed aggression. His hulking armor and deadly weapons only added to the effect.