The halls are dead-silent, other than the ghostly, skin-prickling breeze coming in from the shores of the Noxwrought Seas. This time of year, the wind is always so brittle and dry. It's her mother's least favorite time of the year. Xara usually likes the brisk wind, but tonight, with the recent events, it just feels unwelcome.

Headmistress Casktalon doesn't seem the least bit affected by the wind; actually, by the way she walks, it seems as though she doesn't even notice it. Her footsteps are clipped and quick, and Xara stumbles to keep in step with her.

In normal circumstances, she would be sweating with worry and anxiety, her mind eddying with possible reasons for why the headmistress is singling her out. But she's too drunk on elation to even care. A smile curves on her face as her mind wanders back to her beautiful familiar - and not for the first time. She came. She finally came. All this time, Xara had wanted a dragoni like her brothers, but never did she imagine her familiar would be a griffon. A near extinct beast.

Not that she's complaining. When she had crashed through the glass, Xara had known. Something in her mind had awakened, uncurled from wherever it had been hiding all her life. Her awareness of the griffon heightened, and she called to it. How she did it, Xara doesn't know. All she knows is that now, she has a familiar. A beautiful bird, majestic and fierce. She already has names in mind, but none of them seem to really fit.

Headmistress Casktalon banks right, and Xara nearly runs into the wall. The headmistress doesn't comment, merely arches a brow before continuing on. Xara's glad she doesn't bother to turn around, because her face looks like one of her mother's tomatoes.

Another breeze swoops in, lifting the hair from Xara's neck. It makes goose flesh surge across her skin. She opens her mouth to ask when they'll arrive at her office, but she shuts her mouth, thinking better of it. Something about the headmistress warns Xara against speaking out of place.

"You don't need to hold your tongue around me, Ms. Roffinnes," the headmistress calls back. Xara could trace a slight hint of amusement in her tone. "The question is written across your face."

Xara ducks her face slightly. "When will we get there?"

"Impatient to get back to your familiar?"

The mention of her griffon-her griffon- brings a giddy smile to her face.

"Something like that," replies Xara vaguely. When Derald had told her the little tidbit about how late familiars are a sign of immense power, she had thought he had been trying to make her feel better. But he had been correct.

"One word of advice, Ms. Roffinnes," says the headmistress as she pulls open a thick, rotting door for Xara, "I recommend not wearing your emotions so openly. With the kind of power you have, you must be adept at hiding away your true feelings."

The headmistress's voice is grave, and something in Xara's stomach somersaults. She's reminded of the tricks Cass likes to do on his dragoni, often to show off for the neighbor girls. She doesn't ask why; it seems like good advice.

Xara steps into the room, to be greeted by yet another door. The room is completely, utterly white. The door nearly blends into the wall, and she would've missed it if the bronze knob hadn't been there.

Headmistress Casktalon steps neatly around her, and splays her hand against a white keypad. Something pings somewhere, and then everything starts to melt away. The pallid walls begin to disintegrate. But instead of turning into rubble, the walls simply disappear. Xara and the headmistress are left standing in a beautiful office.

It's a circular room, two levels. There are books as far as she can see, on both floors; tombs thick and thin, leather and paperback, gold-font and no font. What she would give to have a library like this. There's a large desk in front of the domed window, giving a full view to Academy campus and the regions behind. The moon shines behind spun sugar clouds. It's a beautiful view.

A twining bronzed staircase leads up to a small, yet elegant loft, where an elaborate telescope is set, pointed towards the glistening stars. The office's high ceilings are topped by clear skylights, letting the silvery, silky moonlight pool on the lounge space tucked behind the tiny staircase.

Huge tapestries hang from the ceiling, heavy and velvet. It's a navy blue, only shades lighter than the Noxwrought Sea. The banners are speckled with stars, the endless night sky painted on the velvet.

The headmistress observes her wonder, head angled.

"You can learn much from the stars, you know."

Xara looks briefly at the headmistress, who smiles knowingly.

"What kind of things?"

"It depends on what you desire to know." Headmistress Casktalon goes to her desk, settling in her seat. The dark oak surface is clean, the gray quill in the ink pot being the only exception.

Xara shifts her weight, unsure whether she should sit or stand.

"Please, take a seat." The headmistress gestures to the two chairs on the other side of the desk.

Xara drags a chair out, and sits down primly. Her mother would be appalled if she behaved badly. In front of Headmistress Casktalon, of all people.

"That was... quite the performance, in the dining hall."

Xara smiles sheepishly, unsure what else to do. "I didn't mean to call her so dramatically. It just... happened."

"I'm not blaming you, Ms. Roffinnes. It's not as if you did this on purpose."

Her conversation with Derald plays through her mind.

"You have doubts?"

How does she do that?

Shaking the question from her mind, she replies, "I had been discussing familiars-actually, my then lack of- with one of the other students. He had told me that late familiars is a sign of power."

The headmistress nods thoughtfully. "Not a common known fact. Which student is this?"

"Derald Pellefard." The words fly out, and Xara purses her lips in regret. "You're... not going to punish him, will you?"

"Contrary to most beliefs, I'm not that strict." The headmistress smiles knowingly, and Xara blushes. She hadn't meant to insinuate that. "I don't have any intentions. I'm just curious."

"If you don't mind, Headmistress, what was it you wanted to talk to me about? I have some exams tomorrow that I'd like to study for."

The headmistress chuckles lightly. "I admire your candor, Ms. Roffinnes." The smile fades, and a grim expression subsides on her face.

The reason Liira Casktalon had been chosen as headmistress of Ruxnorth Academy is due to the fact that nobody has seen her level of skill since the Founders. Paired with her cool facade and nearly depthless patience, not to mention her intuitiveness, she is perfect for the role. But she's really not that old. Nobody really knows her true age, but there are speculations.

Something like pity sparks in the headmistress's ebony eyes.

"News of your outburst from the Summoning has most likely reached all 5 regions. Everybody now knows about the girl of storms, the unlucky girl who the Warlord chose to possess. I'll be frank with you, Ms. Roffinnes. Many people were-and some still are-fearful that since you too are a Storm, you'll join the Warlord's ranks and together, you'll decimate us all. Of course, I trust that you don't sympathize with the Warlord."

Xara shakes her head emphatically.

"Good. But as your power grows, as you start to test the boundaries of your mage magic, the more unsafe you will be. Storm mages are greatly coveted, and there will be many unsavory characters hoping to harness that power for themselves."

"They can do that?" Xara's eyes are wide, and fear makes her voice shake. "They can take my magic?"

Something fierce passes over the headmistress's face.

"No one can take away your magic."

"But you just said-"

Headmistress Casktalon holds up a hand. "I didn't say they would take away your magic. I said they would harness it."

"But how?"

"There are various... tactics, I'll say, they can use to compel you to use your magic for their agenda. I won't go into specifics."

Xara gulps. Upon seeing her face, the headmistress's hard expressions softens.

"You have no reason to worry, Xara. You are safe here. Regardless of how some of the staff feel about your admission here, it is their duty to protect you. Dark forces won't enter."

That, at least, offers a small sliver of relief. The headmistress isn't wrong; Ruxnorth Academy has wards placed all around campus, to keep away the evilest of creatures. There have been no recorded cases of attacks since the Academy had been founded. Xara has no reason to believe she's in danger.

Not, at least, at this moment.

"That is all I wanted to discuss. You may go and study."

"I have a feeling I won't get any work in now," she mutters to herself.

"Good luck on your exam tomorrow," the headmistress mentions.

"Thank you, headmistress."

With another nod, Xara shuts the door behind her, a door which hadn't been there when she'd appeared in the office.

She doesn't allow her mind to dwell on it. There's already too much heavy information stuffed inside her mind to care.

Xara bites her lip, hands limp at her sides. There's no possible way she'll be able to study now, but it's too late for a walk. She sighs. The wind seems to answer, whipping through the air, spearing through the airy emptiness of the halls. Cutting through the darkness.

"What are you doing here?" A crisp voice pipes up from behind her. Xara rotates, fast enough that her head starts to spin. She places the heel of her hand at her temple, rubbing lightly, before she looks up to see who startled her.

She stares into a pair of brilliant amber eyes.

Vieva Bestel. True to her style, Vieva's hands are perched on her hips, which are jutted out. Her eyes ares suspicious, and her mouth is haughtily pursed. Entitled.

Xara tucks the thought away, swallowing lightly. "I should be asking you that."

Vieva narrows her eyes. "That's not an answer."

"Why do I have to give you one?"

"If I didn't know better, Xara, I would think you're being defensive."

"Well, you don't know better. So I'll be going now." Xara lifts her eyebrows. "I'll see you at the dorms."

She leaves Vieva standing in the hall, not bothering to look back. But she can feel those molten eyes burning into her back, the entire stretch of the hall.

Xara inhales, shuddering. That had been close. Out of everyone, why did she have to run into Vieva Bestel? But the more pressing question: what had Vieva been doing in the halls, this late, alone? Xara had a reason, but what's Vieva's?

Xara rounds the bend, and the chatter of students arises from the far end of the hall. Judging by the laughing, Xara safely assumes that the shock and panic from her familiar's arrival is wearing away.

Speaking of familiars, the bond, the mental rope that pulls her to her griffon, goes taut. She can almost imagine the rope in front of her, leading her to the beast that she can call hers.

As if on cue, her griffon screeches, and one student-a girl-shrieks.

All thoughts of Vieva's strange appearance gone, Xara increases her pace, running to her familiar. She should feel scared of the headmistress's warning, but instead, a warm satisfaction spreads through her chest. It seems that now her griffon has arrived, everything feels complete. The last puzzle piece has snapped into place.

But despite this feeling, the voice in the back of her mind doesn't extinguish. It continues to warn her, advise against letting her guard down. That danger is written in the stars for her.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But right now, Xara shoves those doubts away and goes to reunite with her familiar. Danger can wait another night. 

>>AUTHOR'S NOTES:

sort of a boring chapter, I know. kind of a filler.  believe me, next chapter is going to be hilarious! 

check in for new updates!

peace&love,

raniaditi