Chapter 12-A Challenge
A/N 2 July 2021 edit
I put chapters 12 and 13 together hehe, but I haven't renumbered the chapters yet. I'll do it once I finish editing the whole book in case I do any more merging hehe
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"Wake up!"
I groaned and rolled over on my bed. What time is it?
"You're going to be late for school!"
God, I can't remember the last time I heard that phrase.
"Avery, by the name of Helveti, wake up!" Whom I realised was Vienna screamed in my ear.
"Dear God, Vienna do you have to yell?" I groaned as I sat up lazily.
My eyelids felt heavy and I couldn't find it in me to move another inch.
Why?
Well let's see. It think it's because my grandmother made the Knight's Table's headquarters a building with a mind of it's own.
The other seven didn't even break a sweat while trying to solve a freaking riddle and try to find out where that two storied devil was. I learnt that when they say the meeting starts at seven, it technically starts an hour after.
Vienna sighed and shook her head, "Just like Sienna," Her voice turned stern, "Now, go get ready! School starts in another half hour and you barely have enough time to shower!"
"Vi..." I whined. I'm not a morning person. In fact, I'm far from it.
"Now go clean yourself up. I'll be waiting for you and accompany you on the tour of this school. Wear your uniform!"
Before I could ask what tour, exactly, she was off to let me bathe in privacy. Once I made sure that I've scrubbed every inch of my body clean, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a fluffy towel around my body. I walked out to grab the uniform I had hung on the handles of the wardrobe the night before and put it on.
I buttoned up the last button on the blouse and looked at myself in the mirror. A new uniform was sent to my dorm room when I returned from lunch yesterday, saying how now that I'm in the Knight's Table, the standardized uniform wouldn't be of any use to me. The new uniform that I was given came with both a skirt, and training pants, both in navy blue. The top came as a stark-white blouse with gold threads forming faint light-reflecting stripes. The elegant stitching spelled out 'Knight' on the breast pocket in golden thread. I rolled up the long sleeves up till my elbows and fixed the navy blue tie that hung neatly on my neck. The square, kitten-heeled boots reached my mid-calves and surprisingly enough, wasn't at all hot to wear. These pants are a bit itchy though.
Vienna knocked and let herself come in. She smiled at my reflection in the mirror and walked over to take my hand, "You look beautiful, Lady Avery. Just like your mother."
I returned the smile gratefully as she led me out of my room and headed down the stairs to the common room. Girls were buzzing with chatter as they exited the room with books in their hands and navy blue bags slung over their shoulders. Some looked back at me and whispered while others simply smiled and uttered a 'hello'.
"Come on, Zevlin's waiting outside."
Did I hear that wrong? Of course I did.
But as we stepped out the door of the girls' common room, I quickly realized that I did not hear wrongly.
"How did he even get in?" I exclaimed.
Zevlin sighed and stood up straight, leaving the support of the wall that he had been leaning on, "Madame Sesille told me to help you through your first year of school."
"That was before I made friends." I narrowed my eyes at him and shut the door behind me. Others were starting to notice.
"I keep my word to people. I do what I am told to do," Zevlin crossed his arms and frowned, "even if I don't like it."
"Oh, yeah? Well, I don't like you too," I retorted. Childish. But this man brings out the worst in me.
Vienna placed a calming hand on my shoulder and muttered, "Relax. Don't kill anyone on your first day, you'll get plenty of chances in the combat classes."
"Tell me, has anyone ever managed to hurt him?" I huffed and blew at the stray piece of hair flying over my face, "It doesn't look like he's been taught a lesson."
"Well if you'd like to even touch him in combat, you'd have to train very, very hard," Vienna said. "We don't have time for this, Zevlin. If the both of you can't get along, I'll take her on the tour myself."
Zevlin stared at me and I jut out my chin indignantly. He grunts and turns around to walk away. "I'll be in the Barsom training grounds."
Vienna sighed and grabbed my hand, putting on a brilliant smile. "Now that that's out of the way, let's go!"
—*—
"Over there to your left is the library where we students go to get some privacy and study in peace. It has the complete collection of books needed for projects, essays or homework," Vienna smiled mischievously with a twinkle in her eye, "Legend has it that hidden in the depths of the restricted area is a book that contains information on Valiron's first ever enchantress that had the three powers of authority over spells, telepathic connections and the ability to see into the future and create a prophecy."
"Hey," I looked at her serious face cautiously, "you know an awful lot about what's supposedly forbidden."
The seer just shrugged and twirled a lock of blonde hair, looking dreamily onwards, "I just wonder how they were like, you know."
"Well, I'm sure there are other ways to find out." I stated, trailing off as I watched my new friend skip to the hallway outside the third floor library.
"Come on," She beckoned, "Let's show you the classrooms and facilities."
I hurried to catch up with her as she climbed the steps.
"Mind your head!" Vienna called out.
"Wh-"
Just then, a frog that got hit by a frightening case of gigantism cane flying out of a classroom. A green haired girl ran out the door with a frazzled look on her face.
"Kelvi! Get back here, you naughty frog!"
She ran down the stairs, her hand reached out as she continued to yell at the frog now having a great ol' time jumping on a poor boy's head. In her frantic hurry to catch that frog of hers, she bumped into me and almost set me rolling down the stairs.
God knows how I somehow managed to keep my balance and catch the green-head before she tumbled down all the way to the first floor.
"Hey, easy there, darling."
The girl glared at me and snatched her arm away, "I don't need your help."
She stormed away before I could say anything. My eyebrow flew up as I looked questioningly at a nonchalant Vienna.
"Marie Pizuer," She pointed out, "Year 3 Enchantress and, as we told you, not a very friendly girl."
"I can see that." I dragged the words and continued to trail after Vienna.
"Your classes will be completely different from mine since you are a telepath and I'm a seer. Aside from Armor Skills and training session of course. We have a totally different schedule."
"How do you know that?"
"I checked your timetable when you first came."
"I'm not going to even ask when or how."
"Relax, love, I didn't do anything weird."
"Vi," I sighed and patted her on the shoulder, "In case you didn't notice, everything in this world is weird for me. I just saw a gigantic toad and tried to find a moving building using riddles. Nothing will surprise me anymore."
-*-
I found something that surprised me.
The first step I took into the Power Wielding class revealed my fellow students using their Enchantress powers to lift pencils, discover their friends' tricks and a whole conversation on what kind of things they're allowed to do at home.
My mouth was wide open as I continued to stare at the activities going on in the class. A brunette with wide, blue eyes walked over and waved a hand in front of my face.
With a passive face, she raised an eyebrow, "Are you alright?"
"Huh?" I shook my head to clear my thoughts, "Yeah-Yes, I'm alright. Just...adjusting my eyes to the happenings around me."
"Aren't you the Lady Alveriana? The Child of The Prophecy?" Her big eyes grew even wider.
"Yes, I am," I tucked a hair behind my ear and voiced, "I'm sorry but I don't think I've caught your name yet."
The girl curtsied and smiled politely, "My name is Kanaya Medicis, a year one Enchantress, milady."
My lips stretched out into an award-winning smile as I said brightly, "Hello, Kanaya. You're the first friend I've made today," I gestured to the college classroom style room, "Would you mind showing me to an empty seat?"
Kanaya nodded and lead me to a seat in the second to last row where I was nearer to the wide space where targets were set up. I'm not sure I want to find out what for.
"In case you're wondering, this class is for your Enchantress power wielding. For your telepathic powers-if you have any-your next class should be in the room two doors down the hall."
"Oh, yes. Yes, I am telepathic." I muttered absentmindedly as I looked around the room.
"Aren't your family elves? To have a telepath in a line of elves is very rare."
"So I've been told," I turned to look at Kanaya who was settling down on a seat to my left, "Who's the professor?"
"Me." A gravelly male voice said loudly from beside me.
I jumped out of my own skin from fright as I spun around to face the man. He seemed to be in his early thirties, with a strong jaw and black-grayish hair. His eyes were almond shaped and had that young and wild twinkle to it.
"Milady." He said softly before taking my hand and placing a gentle kiss on my hand.
He spread his arms wide open and everyone scrambled to their seats.
"Students, allow me to introduce myself," He strode over to the chalkboard and the words began to write themselves down as the teacher faced us with a grin, "Marcelo Kai-Viagra Val Azure. Please call me Lord Marcel."
His name revealed his position as a Lord of Azurelle. Which part, I have yet to learn. The complicated list of noble families in the separate countries couldn't be crammed into one session with Ford.
"I will be your enchanting power wielding professor for the rest of your year one and year two. Now my boyish good looks may have something to do with it but I'm not as young as you'd think. So do forgive me if I cannot pull the same stunts you do. And please, students, do not play pranks on my poor derrière. I have had enough of those idiotic enchanted chairs that reduced itself into ashes once sat on."
I chuckled along with some other students in class. This felt a little bit strange and altogether nice, being in school.
"Now, I will start this class with explaining the thing that most are confused with," Lord Marcel licked his lips and started to pace around the podium, "The difference between us Enchanting people and the people of Witchery. Witches and Warlocks have been confused for Enchanters and Enchantresses ever since Valiron first showed signs of life. The Witching people's powers depends on materialistic things such as wands, staffs or anything that can conduct their power. They depend on spells and spells only. Us Enchanters simply use our hands to cast off enchantments and defenses. We draw from a source of power within ourselves, while the witches draw from nature."
He gestured to the target practice at the back, "In this class you will learn to aim your orbs properly and to practice what we call the Mila. The Mila is a sword produced from the power in your veins, its color depends on your country and class. The common folk's Mila will have a pale brown tip wherein the Lords and Ladies will have a silver tip," Our teacher's eyes drifted to where I was sitting with rapid attention, "In the case of the High family that rules Avillion, a child of the family's line will have the tip of a royal red."
Everyone turned to look at me and I froze.
"Let's start, shall we?" The man rubbed his hands and, if possible, grinned even wider, "I'll be pairing you with the person to your left to start today's target practice."
My fingers burned from trying to conjure an orb. Flickering purple kept bursting from my fingertips, and occasionally, they joined together. But no success in shooting them. Off to the next class. History.
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