"Now take my hand." She offered her hand. I stared reluctantly at her. "You can trust me Freda." She repeated in a reassuring tone.
"Fine!" I said and put my hand into her cold ones. Immediately as we touched, I feel a vibration under my feet and then everything disappeared at the blink of an eye.
As if I was thrown from the sky, I landed clumsily on my feet in an unfamiliar diner. Eagle held me tighter to steady my legs as they wobble from the unbalance.
"What the hell just happened?" I asked, jerking my hand out of her grasp. I sweep my eyes about the empty room, there are no staffs in sight. The diner feels deserted. "Where the hell are we?" I questioned.
Eagle only smiled as she started walking towards the brown door at the other end of the room, "This is the teleport station. It is just like your subway station. It allows creatures to travel freely across realms but only with a pass." She pulled out a small round metallic plate and placed it in the circle on the door which fit perfectly. Then she steered the plate to the left and then pressed it into the door.
"This metal is the Teleport pass. Every scouter must have one of these." She explained as she pull out the teleport pass and shoved it back into her pocket.
Hand on the doorknob, Eagle shoots me a blank stare, "I know you have questions. I will answer each one I promise. But for now all you need to know is, you might be the last living Luminare in existence and that makes you the most valuable person in the entire world. The light you carry within you is sought by many and where I am taking you right now, is where the answers to your questions are." She paused momentarily, then smiled, "The place behind this door will definitely blow your mind. Come on."
She finally pushed the door open and a blinding white light flashed within it, shattering on my face. I had to squint my eyes to see what was in front of me. I can see the smile on her face as she stepped into the light and disappeared.
This is crazy.
Taking two deep breaths, I closed my eyes and charged through. The loud sound of the door closing behind me made me open my eyes and glanced back. The door is gone and I was greeted by the greenest of fields ever.
Eyes snapping open, I gasped as I look around the massive landscape. Far in the west sits the brown mountains and above them, a deep blue sky with white fluffy clouds embedded around. The woodsy fragrance punched my nostrils - muddling my senses.
I chuckle in disbelief, "This is …It's beautiful."
Eagle spreads out her arms as she walked backwards and with a bright smile, she said "Welcome to Ellorhia."
"Ellorhia." I slowly repeated the word, letting it trail sweetly off my tongue.
"Come on, your destination awaits you just above this cliff." She notified as she headed towards the pathway.
"Wait for me." I jogged after her.
A few moments of walking, we reached the top of the cliff expecting a dead end only for me to find myself standing in front of a massive building. A black iron gate is the only thing that stands between me and whatever it is behind it.
"This is Onyx Academy. The one and only place where magic is bred and harnessed in Ellorhia. This is the school for only the most skilled and most prestigious children across this world. And you are very lucky to be one of them." Eagle said.
I stared blankly at her, "Did you just say a school and I am what …going to be a student?" I couldn't help but laugh at her joke, "Do you know how old I am? I am twenty six years, I am not going to some academy with wanky teenagers." I declined.
"Wanky teenagers? That is cruel." Eagle said and sighed. "Look, Ellorhia is different from earth and our teenagers here are very much the adults on earth so don't worry about that."
"I am worried. I did not follow you just to be a student and read books." I stood my ground.
"Ugh." Eagle gave out an exaggerated groan, "This is a magical school. Books are the last thing you will be involved with here. Please, can we go in?"
As she pushed the gates, the iron groaned noisily. I follow her in and as we walked down the lane that leads to the entrance of the building, so many thoughts danced in my head.
Eagle pulled out something that resembled an ID card and placed it on the hole next to the door. A 'click' sound was heard and then the doors slowly parted on their own.
She sailed in. I followed nervously, entering the biggest hall I have ever seen. The brown walls with golden engravings are the first thing that captivated my attention, eyes falling on the well structured golden Jaquin statue that sits in the middle of the room.
Hanging around are portraits of whom seems to be previous Deans on the left wall, and by my right are pictures of people in funny costumey outfits.
"All of these were powerful mages in their era." Eagle explained as she stepped closer to the first one - the portrait of a red haired woman in a blue gown.
"This is Flora of Egadorn. The first female mage to graduate this school. But that is not the only reason her picture is here, no, she was also the only one who summoned and tamed the mighty beast you see there." She hinted at the Jaquin statue.
My eyes followed her movement.
"A real Jaquin is three times the size of this statue if not bigger and Flora made it her pet, she named it Raver. And it only ever listened to her. After Flora's death, the Jaquin flew away and was never sighted again. That happened a century ago."
She moved to the next portraits and spoke of the great achievements of their lives. Then reached the last one. It's a portrait of a beautiful melanin lady with white hair. She looked familiar.
I was cracking my brain busy trying to connect the dots in my head when it finally clicked. She looks like eagle. They have the same hair color, similar almond shaped blue eyes and they carry the same face card.
"She is Almira. The first female mage general. You see there are three types of mages: Healers, Summoners, and warriors. And Almira decided to be a warrior. She is my mother. She defied the rules that said all female mages must either be healers or summoners. She fought harder than anyone I know and she secured her place on this wall and in …" Eagle trailed off, eyes staring into the distance. She was uncharacteristically sad for a moment before she plastered her cheerful expression,
"All the people you see here were powerful mages. Each exceptionally skilled at what they do. You follow the stairs, turn left, go down the hall and the door at the end leads you to the female dorm. There you will go to room 55B and you will find my niece. She knows you are coming. She will give you all the things you will require as a student here."
"Wait, is that it? Am I just supposed to be student?"
"No. A rift was opened recently. It is like a portal that allows dark creatures like Changelings to cross over and travel to realms. Someone knows you exist and that someone magically opened the rift. Whoever it is, they wish to destroy you or rather, take the light within you for themselves. I believe whoever it was is within these walls."
"Oh, wow so you just delivered me to whoever it is that wants me dead?" I tensed.
"Well the good thing is, they don't know it is you. My niece will give you a special bracelet that will cloak your identity. Which means, you can never let anybody in this school know that you are a Luminare." She warned.
"Well I don't even know what the fuck it means so …" I shrugged.
Eagle sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder, "I know you are scared, don't be. If I could come here as a student, I would have but I am already one of the employees. I am a scouter, we go around the realms looking for kids touched by magic so we bring them here and train them to be mages. But it is a tough task. Only a few graduate this school. So you must prepare yourself for the worse."
"Wait. If this is a magical school, how the hell do you expect me to graduate when I have no magic?"
"And who says you don't?" Eagle shot me a look that gives me chills, "Luminares are the most powerful mages to exist and that is why nobody can know because every Luminare was hunted and killed by who I believe is the opener of the rift."
"And what do they want?"
"That is what you are going to find out for us Freda. And remember, follow whatever my niece tells you, it is important." With those words, she disappeared into the corner even before I could process her words.
I had no choice but to follow her instructions. I find myself standing in front of the room 55B. As I raised my hand to knock, all of sudden, the door was opened. A hand latched onto mine and I was suddenly dragged in. I stumbled on the floor as I sharply swiveled to see my attacker.
A melanin girl my age stared at me with the most beautiful blue eyes. She is wearing her white hair in thick curls - cascading down to her chest. She is in a black top with tight jeans and topped it with maroon leather jacket. Her aura exudes warmth as she smiles at me,
"You must be Freda. Eagle told me so much about you that I had been excited all day to meet you." She waddled to the decorated side of the room and hunkered down on the bouncy bed, "I am your dorm mate. Eagle said you were my distant distant cousin sis and you are a weak one who doesn't even know the basics so I must take care of you and blah blah blah."
She seems like the 'overhyped bubbling with enthusiasm' type, I reckon.
"My name is Stormy but everybody calls me Storm so you can too, that is if you want to." She shrugged, "Um, I hope you don't mind that I decorated your side of the room."
My eyes followed her movement. At least she kept my side bereft of all the gaudy colors and the posters on her side of the room.
I turn to face her with a practiced smile, "It's okay."
"So Eagle said you are a simple village girl who hopes to become a mage? Not knowing the basics is like coming to school without knowing how to read and write. But you have me, so I will help you. But for now, Eagle said I should make sure you stay away from any danger and that you do not bring any attention to yourself or stir any trouble and I am here to do that so listen carefully." She fixed her sitting posture, affecting a serious face, "This is Onyx Academy and like its name, this school is a jungle for the weak and heaven for the powerful. There are three people you must stay the hell away from if you want to graduate peacefully and if you do cross them then …" She paused dramatically. I leaned attentively. And then she said, "Run and never turn back."