Sedrais Academy

Chapter 9

   It was never good when Ardain was upset. Akelox knew that as well as anyone. And it was even worse when that anger was directed at him. Hence the reason Akelox had found a good tree by the forest to relax in.
He tugged his legs closer to his chest, while leaning his head back against the bark. Even though he tried, he couldn't truly relax. His thoughts always drifted back to Aster. It felt like he had known her for ages, yet he didn't know the first thing about her. And he wanted to. He didn't understand it.
   He rested his head on his knees. Another thing he didn't understand was Zaxshen Evershie's sudden change. He had never seen that icy wolf be anything other than well... Icy wolf said enough.
   Yet he and Caliza had both been semi-welcoming... Maybe there was more to him than he had realized. He supposed be could at least give the guy a chance.
   "What are you doing here?"
   Akelox lifted his head, and found Zaxshen staring up at him. Well he didn't mean to summon him. Akelox bit back a smile. Which was rather easy to do when the werewolf began climbing up his tree.
   "Uh, what do you think you're doing?" Akelox asked.
   "Climbing," Zaxshen said.
   "Yeah, but why?"
   "I don't know kitty, maybe I felt like it."
   Akelox only glared as he sat beside him. An awkward silence settled between them. Akelox was debating as to whether or not to break it, but he didn't have any idea how. So he resolved to stare out across the forest.
   Zaxshen shifted, before finally speaking. "What did you do to Ardain?"
   "None of your business," Akelox said, turning his face away from the wolf. In all honesty, he had no idea what he did. However he was not about to tell Zaxshen that.
   "Fine. But he seemed pretty ticked."
Golden eyes met his as he looked back at Zaxshen.
   "He gets mad over everything," Akelox scoffed. "And your wolf is showing. So if you're upset with me then just say it already."
   "I'm not upset with you," Zaxshen said.
   "Then what is your problem?"
   "None of your business."
   Akelox sighed in exasperation. There was no winning with him. Just as he decided to tell him, he caught a flash of red, and the headmaster's scent.
"Is that...?" Zaxshen murmured.
Akelox nodded, "I'm gonna go check it out." He crouched down, then leaped into the next tree over. He heard Zaxshen cursing softly as he dropped from the tree, following in the bushes. Akelox doubted the wolf would get very close before Masheriex noticed. Akelox jumped to the next tree, and dearly hoped the headmaster was in a good mood.

~~~~~

Marin hated throwing up. It left his throat dry and his stomach in knots. He wiped his face, and just as he opened his mouth to speak, he felt a harsh grip on his chin yank him up. As his eyes-well, eye-adjusted, he found himself face to face with the most beautiful being he had ever seen. He was instantly at a complete loss for words.
"Who are you?" The stunning male murmured.
   Who was he? He didn't- Marin. His name was Marin. He mentally face palmed.
   "M-Marin," he said. "Marin Valyen."
   "And who sent you?" The male purred.
   Marin froze. How was he supposed to answer that? He didn't even know how he had gotten there, or who the guy thought he was. Marin paused. A spy. That's what the male thought.
"I'm not... I'm not a spy," Marin said. He met his eyes, and flinched as they shifted to a vibrant purple within an instant. For several moments the male only stared. Then something changed in his gaze as he leaned forward, and brushed Marin's hair over his blind eye. Marin blinked.
"Kai'lezh," the male murmured. "You're fortunate I found you before Carinex."
"I... don't understand," Marin said. Who was Carinex? And what did he call him...?
The male's eyes returned to a cool gray as he stood. Marin's head began throbbing again the second he pulled away.
"If you can stand, I want you to go with the two Hia'kuusha hiding over there. Make sure you keep that eye hidden. A simple eyepatch should do," he said. At his words, Marin caught movement in the bushes behind him. Then, a wolf stepped out. Marin jumped to his feet. He had never realized just how big a wolf was. He quickly decided the knowledge wasn't all that comforting.
He looked back at the male, and found him staring at him with narrowed eyes. The rest of his face was completely unreadable.
"How old are you?" The male asked.
"Seventeen," Marin said.
The male blinked. Marin turned back to the wolf, only to find a guy standing where it had been. Marin was beginning to wonder if he should run.
"Marin, this is Zaxshen. The one who better get down here-" he stared pointedly at a nearby tree, and another guy with cat ears jumped down-"is Akelox."
Marin could only stare, transfixed, at the both of them approaching. He felt light headed. He didn't know how he should feel.
"Masheriex, what did you do to him?" The cat guy- Akelox -seemed blurry as he came closer. The wolf lingered by the treeline. He was even blurrier. He finally moved, to rub his eye. Yet that achieved nothing, as he still couldn't see them clearly.
"He looks like he's going to pass out at any moment!" Akelox was growling.
Marin blinked. He didn't feel like passing out. He looked at Masheriex for answers, and nausea rippled through him. He bit his tongue, and turned away from all of them. He did not want to throw up again.
Unfortunately, his body didn't care.
He was vaguely aware of the two of them beginning to argue. But something more caught his eye. He could see something among the trees. He held back his retching long enough to look.
See.
His eyes couldn't make sense of it. Yet he felt ice freeze his blood, and knew that whatever was lurking was dangerous.
Closer. Look closer.
The prodding seemed to become more urgent. Then, another whisper of a thought joined it. Then more, and more, and so loud he thought his mind would fall apart-
A bird's shrill caw sliced through the voices, and then silence. Marin almost collapsed from relief.
When he looked back at the treeline, he saw nothing. The presence was gone. But so was the arguing of the two guys behind him. He looked at them, and found them, along with the wolf, staring at him with wide eyes. Marin met eyes with Akelox, and saw his lips move.
He heard nothing. And soon, he saw nothing. Only black.
For one second he briefly amended that Akelox had been right.
The next he knew no more.