Rebel

Chapter 7

Hi, all! Sorry about the radio silence over the past few weeks. On the other hand, I got 3rd place in the White Wolves Awards! Yay!

*****

26/07, 20th Year of the Rebellion

Government Territory

They handed the horses over to a stablehand and strolled up the well-used path towards the gates of the city. The Wall towered above them, some fifty metres high and pulsing with a scarlet energy. Legend had it that the Wall changed colour according to Lillith's mood.

Red. Promising.

There were walls around the entire Eastern continent, but this was what New Hazandria was famous for. An enormous structure that locked out any life it deemed unfit. Any human that attempted to cross into the City fell where they stood.

Felicity was very glad she'd moved.

They hurried through the gates and past the stoic (and unnecessary) guards. Squee stopped to have a chat, and Felicity dragged her along. A couple of quaint, winding city streets later, they had reached the Academy.

The fortress that held the Academy had stood for a thousand years. It, along with the rest of the City, had been built when New Hazandria had taken over the East and changed everyone's way of life. They'd even invented a new language to replace Hazandrian. The new term for fíth was 'magical folk', but nobody used it. It had apparently been very fashionable for a few years after the war, until everybody reverted back out of habit.

Since then, Hazandria had been relatively peaceful, apart from a few minor skirmishes that had caused the timeline that everything was measured by to be reset.

Until now.

Felicity strode into the familiar foyer, Squee trotting behind her to keep up on her shorter legs.

She nodded to the secretary and continued up the stairs to the headmistress' office. She'd walked these halls countless times; they were as familiar to her as Coal Manor.

But for some reason, today felt final. Like everything was going to change. She shrugged it off and let herself into the office — she had given up respecting Lillith a long time ago.

"You wished to see us, Headmistress?" Her usual line felt strange with a change of pronoun.

Headmistress Lillith looked up and smiled sweetly. "Yes. Miss Coal, Miss Oglesbee, I have an errand for you."

*****

25/07, 1st Year of the Rebellion

Government Territory

Felicity cracked open one eye and raised her hand to her temple. Had she and Liam gotten into the champagne stores again?

Then it all came rushing back.

She shot up in bed — how did I get here? — just as a knock sounded on the door. She groaned, pulled herself to her feet and stumbled over. Opening the door a sliver, she peered out, squinting in the blinding sunlight.

"Morning, Sunshine." It was Rand, a wiry student with the appearance and maturity of a fifteen-year-old, though Felicity knew he was at least a century older than her. "Heard you brought down the house last night."

He grinned and she made a face.

"Anyway, the headmistress has requested that I escort you to her office immediately."