Eltrí, the rare cats who had wings, long ago, were immortal. They had magic beyond belief, and were thought to be Ysamaldrí's own messengers and her symbol. Because of this, they were her Gemstones, and any who came across one were said to have been blessed, or carry Ysamaldrí's favor due to a recent act of kindness or heroism.
Due to a corruption of the Land of Immortals, the Eltrí's home Isle, all who were there were killed long before the Isles became a well-known safe-haven for Mythics. The only Isle faction who carries memories and knowledge on the rare Eltrí is the Jewel Dragon Clan, since they were the first and last habitants the Eltrí helped and spoke with. There are some Eltrí who still survive today, but they are hard to see, and even then they don't outright draw that attention to themselves. Their rarity is their cage, for there are Mythics who would kill them for their power, a power rumored to have come from Ysamaldrí herself.
Eltrí were celestial beings, and were thus made into supgroups. Planets, Stars, Moons, Suns, with groups even within those, were their Galaxies, or clans and tribes. These were the first sentient beings of the Isles, and now they are never known.
Newer, younger, and weaker creatures, thought to be descendants of actual Eltrí do exist widely, though they have few magical abilities and are not immortal in age. They are known as the Shalan, which translates to "winged cats."

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Azure Star woke with a start. Something brushed her mind, and wanted her attention. Hello, sister, she thought to the other mind. Wonderful to sense thou again.

Azure Star, the mind said. Did thou see the vision I sent thee?

Indeed, Far Star. Did the others see it as well?

Never doubt it. Two of thee's Isle are here. The ruby Drómdí and the chimeara. Why?

We are in war, sister. They are our spies.

Spies?

Ah, Azure Star struggled to translate the newer words her sister had no understanding of. They are our secret Mythics who we sent for information. What of thee's vision?

I sent that to thou in case those two Mythics were thee's. I sense a Gemstone, though it is not one of us. Does thou know of this creature?

I am her mentor in our ways, Far Star. I will train her—

Azure Star, malice is hers. Others seek her destruction for her power, as they seek ours. Far Star continued with a different thought without pause. Remember the prophecy? "Jungle and Moon will combine with Sky, and will return those who were lost." The Emerald is here. The Song is, as well. The Sky is being made. Warn our brethren. The Order of the Eltrí must be remade.

It will be so, Far Star.

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     Follow, the voice commanded. Follow, follow.

     Sanguine's body did as he was told, though it was without his permission and against his will. He tried to brace himself as he collided with the ancient brick wall—

     —To realize he walked through it. His night vision did nothing for the darkness of where he was. He took a tentative step, and it echoed slightly. The sound reverberated and made Sanguine think he was in a tunnel, though how large or long he was uncertain. Avient seemed to have abandoned him.

     Something fluttered in the darkness, and Sanguine cut the magic that would allow him to shift to his dragon form, and that was also keeping his eyes glowing. Whatever the noise was, it surely already had the layout of the blind tunnel, and needed no extra advantage of actual sight.

     Follow, follow, the voice came again, this time more identifiable. It sounded just vaguely female. Follow.

     Once again, Sanguine's body obeyed. However, he was ready for it and was able to refuse. It was painful, the two forces fighting to control his body. No... I won't... be con...trolled... The force strengthened, but Sanguine met it.

     Follow! the voice commanded. This time it sounded more real, and its force washed over Sanguine. But he still refused, and his eyes began to glow again.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

     "Far Star, he will not allow anyone to control his body. He will come to us if thou stops pushing." Delrahj said quietly, far down the passage. In his eyes, it was perfectly lit. However, he knew the Drómdí saw only darkness and was going to great lengths to stay there.

     The Drómdí eyes started to glow. "He is about to attack."

     He must follow!

     "He will," Delrahj soothed. "But thee is making him raise his guard."

     The Drómdí refusal spasms stopped, and he looked like he was about to collapse.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

     Suddenly, the other presence's force receeded. Follow. He felt like he was about to pass out.

     Instead of following, Sanguine growled. His eyes still glowed, and his glare into the darkness was made all the more threatening, he imagined. "Who's there?"

     "Just me, Sanguine," came Avient's voice. "Come forth. You are safe."

     "I was safe before this, you know." Sanguine did as he was told, though not because something made him do it.

     "You are in more trouble than you know, lad. You and your lass friend." Avient breathed a small plume of fire, and for a moment Sanguine could see his face. "You will know what you must, now. Come."

Avient led Sanguine down the blind tunnel. "How in the Isles can you see in this darkness? Or do you know it like a blind man knows his surroundings?"

Avient made a half laugh, half sigh noise, and a plume of red fire followed it. "I see what you do not. You will know what you must before too long."

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

     Myrkr woke up tired, and was about to go back to sleep, if not for Shimmer. Myrkr half rolled, half fell out of her bunk, and then stood, turning an icy glare to the equally icy Drómdí.

"I can shower on my own, thanks," Myrkr growled. "I have absolutely no need of assistance." She spat out the last word.

Shimmer had thrown a bucket of water—not freezing water, but the way Myrkr reacted spoke differently—on Myrkr. Obviously, the Cí'mehia, like cats, didn't particularly like water. Myrkr was no exception, and she shook her head to get water out of her ears.

"Oh, please. You haven't showered since getting here, Myr." Shimmer placed the bucket on the ground. "Besides, workers of the academy are going to come in today to change the beds."

"And that makes it okay? They are sentient, too."

"Cedric told me to lighten up? Seems you might need it more."

Myrkr narrowed her eyes and flattened her ears—signs of agression. "I have good reason to be so tightly strung!" Knowing Shimmer would ask what that could possibly be, Myrkr left the room and headed for the showers. She shifted into her human form so she wouldn't get water in her ears again.

There were about ten different showers, but considering today was going to be combat, many of the first-year girls skipped the showers. However, there were a few, and the second-year girls.

Myrkr took care of everything she felt she had to, including drying her hair afterward so she could put it up easier. She had changed back to her Hybrid form, since the warmth felt good on her ears. As she was drying it, one of the other girls—a species of elf, a Drómdí, or maybe a were-creature?—walked over. She had black hair, contrary to the other colors her companions had. She was humanoid, but unlike other humanoids Myrkr met, they looked human. They didn't have a magic-y smell either, but it was harder to determine from there.

With hair nearly dried, Myrkr faced them. She held out the hair dryer she was using. "Are you over here for the dryer, or something else?" It would be the latter, Myrkr thought. The girl is giving me a death glare.

     The girl in the lead sniffed the air, flipping her hair out of her face. "I thought I smelled something familiar. How did you get in contact with Delrahj?"

     "What?" Myrkr remembered last night well as she placed the dryer on the counter beside her. The male Cí'mehia had visited her in the dead of night, speaking of Ysamaldrí knew what. But he came nowhere close enough to her to leave much of a scent on her, after a shower, no less. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea who that is."

     "Don't play coy," the other snapped. "You're a Cí'mehia for sure, and you smell very much of him. You damn well know who he is."

     It was Myrkr's turn to grow some thorns. "Do you really think I would have kept his scent on me after I took a shower? The scent would be diminished from the soap fragrances. Now, I don't know who you are, not that I particularly care, but I know that I'm going to be late to combat class." Myrkr went to walk around the girl, but her other three companions stepped in front of her, and they cornered her. Myrkr sighed. "Really."

     "Really," the girl replied. "And you smell of him. I swear, if you get any ideas with him—"

     "I said I don't know him." Myrkr's voice was a low, dangerous growl. "Did you not hear me before? Just because I may be a Cí'mehia doesn't mean I grew up with them. Now, step aside so I can go to my class, and you to yours."

     "Or what, first year? I—"

"I'll make you, if you prefer," Myrkr offered, suddenly calm.

      The girl looked mildly irritated at being interrupted and threatened. "I know exactly what you are learning in Waterfall's class. You can't pull any surprises that aren't fucking basic."

"Oh, just try me and see what I know about combat skills."

"Oh, look," the girl with blonde hair mocked. "Kitten's showing her claws to you, Cade. Should we take care of her for you?" She indicated to the other two girls, one who had brown hair and the other had a noticeable redish tint to her brown hair.

"Cade, hm?" sneered Myrkr. "Could your parents not come up with a name for their girl?"

"Hmph! It's Cadence, kit." Cadence flicked her black hair over her shoulder. "The only reason you've lasted so long is that we've let you. You don't stand a chance against one of us, much less all four. I'd watch it if I were you."

Myrkr gave a devil's smile. "What, just because I don't fear you in the slightest? Tell me, if you can catch my scent, can you smell my fear? Sorry, but you won't be finding it any time soon."

To Myrkr's satisfaction, two of the girls sniffed at the air and murmured to each other. But not Cadence. She didn't seem to care. "Training room at break," the leader growled abruptly. "We will be waiting for you."

Myrkr gave a superior huff. "So be it." The girls moved away and let Myrkr pass.

She wasn't late to class, though that was a bullet barely missed. The bell rang as soon as she got her short leather boots on. Sanguine waved her over, and Myrkr was glad to notice they were toward the center of the formation. Lazul was close by, and Myrkr waved to him as well. Both go-to students for Waterfall were in the middle, practically unreachable by the grouchy water dragon instructor.

Cadence wasn't kidding. Myrkr didn't remember much from the two days prior due to being the subject of abuse, and the drills and techniques Waterfall had them preform were intensely basic. Sanguine looked like he was going through the motions as she was. The Revak Feykro taught its members basic combat at the age of six, when the learner was competent enough but also young enough to be easily imprinted on. They both learned this nine years ago.

Luckily, that was just the warm up.

"Pair up!" Waterfall roared. "We will see how you welps do with contact sparring."

Myrkr didn't focus on who her friends paired with. She assumed Luna and Shimmer went together as she and Sanguine had, but Porael's group she couldn't be sure. Not that it bothered her any.

Without a word, Sanguine and Myrkr found an open spot. They've fought so many times in the last year that she knew almost every move he could pull. Of course, had they been together since she got there, Myrkr should have known Sanguine completely, what he thinks, would say, would do, as he should have known her. But that didn't happen, and you can't change the past.

"Ready stance!" the water dragon roared, and the other students stood ready. "Begin!"

Unlike her sparring match with Terrthin, Myrkr started off right away with a simple roundhouse kick.

     Sanguine was ready for it, and could have grabbed her leg, but instead he only deflected it. "Don't you dare go easy on me, Sang," Myrkr said quietly.

     That earned her a playful, daring smirk. "So be it, Myr." He darted past her, but not fast enough to keep her from watching him every step. A flash of crimson was in the corner of her eye, and then she felt the rough slap of his tail on her back.

     "Play dirty? So be it." Myrkr took a few steps back, and shifted into her cheetah form, launching herself at Sanguine. Again, he was ready for it, and was preparing to grab her. However, with his hands outstretched, she launched herself from them up into the air, above him. The move took him by surprise as Myrkr landed behind the Drómdí and swiped his legs out from under him.

     As he got up, they both went back into their humanoid forms. Sanguine now had his wings and tail, while Myrkr was in her Hybrid form.

     They continued to fight, matching move for move, block for block, dodge for dodge, so there was no winner by the time Waterfall called a halt on the training. They were taught new, but still basic and known, moves, dodge techniques, and blocks.

     "That was a good fight, Myr," Sanguine said after the class ended. "We should do free sparring sometime."

     "I'm going to do some of that pretty soon, actually," Myrkr mentioned dryly, taking off the new sparring pads and the short leather boots for the class. "I ruffled the fur of I believe a lycan. She is mad that I smell like someone from yesterday," her voice lowered, "even though I was fresh out of the shower. I think she's nuts."

     "Myr, do you want me to go with you?"

     "No, I'll take care of them. They think I'm weak. They won't be thinking it for too long. You can wait outside this room while the fight is going on, if you'd like."

     "Absolutely."

     "Alright. I'll leave with you, but I'm going to come back in with four girls. One of them is named Cade, Cadence. The others didn't say their names, and I didn't say mine." They finished and left the room.

Terrthin found her before the lycans. "Hey, Myrkr," the elf said after Sanguine left. "May I ask you a question?"

Myrkr got her defenses up. "Sure. Doesn't mean I will answer."

"I assumed that would be the terms," Terrthin said. There was no disappointment to be heard.

"Good intuition, or lucky guess?"

"A little bit of both," he admitted. "I wanted to ask if you were from the Forest."

     Myrkr's ears turned more to face Terrthin. The silence between them lengthened, and Myrkr didn't know how much emotion she was hiding on her face. "Yes, I am." He was also, wasn't he?"

     "I've never seen you before."

     "I was a secret. I lived away from everyone."

     Terrthin nodded. "I won't ask more. I have a feeling it wouldn't be good."

     "That would be true. So long, Terrthin."

     Myrkr waited a while after the elf left, until she saw Cadence. The black hair was easy to see, and her friends were even easier to pick out with their varied hair color. Cadence caught sight of Myrkr, and her eyes nearly turned to fire. Before, she could have sworn the assumed-lycans had blue eyes, but they now were a vibrant orange now.

     As were the rest of her crew.

     Myrkr met their gaze unflinchingly. Waterfall's had been much more scalding, and his eyes didn't change color. Sanguine, meanwhile, was off to the side, looking every bit as nonchalant and inconspicuous as he should. The approaching lycans didn't even notice him.

     As Cadence approached, she motioned with her head in the sparring room, which had about cleared out. "Anyone in there we should know about?"

     "You expect me to tell you that?" Myrkr replied, matching Cadence's snarky tone.

     Cadence didn't seem accustomed to being talked back to. Not yet, anyway. "Fine. Let's go, then."

     They entered the room, and Myrkr was surprised to find that Waterfall even had left. However, she noticed that Sanguine had snuck in behind one of the lycans. Are they that distracted by me? Just wow.

With their back to Sanguine, the lycans spread out on one side of the room, while Myrkr took her stance on the other side. Her tail was perfectly still, and her ears were in a neutral position.

Cadence called out the order for attack, and Myrkr was ready. Their eyes all glowed, and two of them—not Cadence—changed into werewolves. The other two dashed closer, and following them at a distance was Sanguine, silent.

That was when something exploded in Myrkr's mind. She heard the sound of wings unfurling, and something escaped her lips. Sanguine later had told her she went from a battle-ready calm to completely wide-eyed, frozen, and afraid. Myrkr had called out, "Sang!" before going down on one knee and blacking out.

-

Ooooo what happened? Is Cadence and her group to blame? Is Terrthin a threat, and will he be a snitch?