Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Elementals ❯ Home ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Elementals

Chapter Two

Orashi followed Issaya and the rest of the child elementals down a series of corridors, making a mental note of each turn they took in the labyrinthine hallways of the castle. It would be very simple, she thought, to get lost in a place like this. She would know. She had lived in a castle, herself, throughout the majority of her life.

She pushed thoughts of her former home aside. Some things were too painful to remember at such a time. She glanced at Lesa, the girl next to her. Something about the way the blonde girl looked at everything made Orashi smile. It's like she's never seen anything so beautiful before.

That thought made her pause, and she almost lost track of the set of stairs the group was climbing. Of courseshe's awestruck, Orashi chastised herself. She hasn't seen anything like this before. This is all new to her, to them...it's mostly new to me, even.

She almost didn't notice when Issaya stopped in front of a set of four doors: two on the right and two on the left. “Welcome home,” Issaya said, opening the door closest to her, on the left.

Orashi and the others peered in. It was a simple room, unadorned, except for two beds, two chests, and a single mirror on the left wall. In the back of the room was another door. On each bed there was a set of clothing, colored red and orange, similar to the uniforms that the adult elementals wore. The uniforms consisted of three parts: a red tunic, orange pants, and an orange sash. There was also a pair of sandals resting on each uniform.

“This will be your room, Honel and Clather.” Orashi watched the two boys, both the tallest among the group, step into the room. Clather's hands were clenched in fists and his face was slightly red in tint, constrasting greatly with his blonde hair. Orashi wondered if he had released them at all since he left the large room earlier. Honel, however, seemed to be relatively calm, approaching one bed and inspecting one of the shoes.

“The clothes should fit well, but if they don't, please let me know. I will return later, after you have all become acquainted with your rooms, to show you to the dining hall. We would also appreciate it if you would wear your new clothes to the dining hall. They will be your uniforms throughout your stay here. We will provide you with extra sets later.”

Orashi had almost forgotten the bag she carried on her shoulder. Now it seemed like a burden. She wanted to rid herself of it quickly.

“This next room,” Issaya said, walking to the next door on the left, “Is for Rodem and Nalen. Rodem, your uniform is blue, and Nalen, yours is the purple.” This room looked identical to the previous one, with the exception of the clothing on the beds.

The two remaining boys stepped into the room. The contrast in appearance between them was somewhat alarming. Rodem was clearly well-groomed. His dark brown hair was cropped short and the clothes he was wearing appeared to be new and clean. Nalen, however, had shaggy red hair in desperate need of a trim. His clothes, while dirty and old, still appeared to be maintained well and fit him nicely.

Issaya and the girls turned around, facing the door across from them. “Rixana and Tilara, this will be your room. Tilara, your uniform is blue, and Rixana, yours is purple.”

The two girls did not look thrilled to be roommates. Rixana rolled her eyes, refusing to look at the other girl, while Tilara shrank back, keeping several feet behind her roommate as they walked into the room. Their appearances were not quite as different as Rodem's and Nalen's had been, but they were still clear. Rixana's light brown hair was nicely groomed and cut short, while her skirt was well-made. It did not appear to fit her well, however. Tilara looked even more bedraggled than Nalen. Her strawberry blonde hair was long and tangled. Orashi shuddered to imagine how long it would take to comb it. Her clothes were old and ragged, hanging loosely from her, clearly meant for a larger girl.

Finally, Issaya led Orashi and Lesa to the next room. Lesa grinned at Orashi and Orashi felt herself smiling back. I might not mind having a roommate too much, she thought. Lesa is a nice girl, after all. She looked in the room, expecting to see an exact copy as the previous three. She was right. Everything was exactly the same, but on one bed was a blue uniform and on the other was a green one.

“Obviously, this is your room. Nululesa, your uniform is blue, and Orashi, yours is green.”

Orashi barely heard her. She approached her bed, dropping her bag next to it and picking up the top of the uniform. She held it in front of her, rubbing her fingers along the fabric. She barely noticed Lesa shutting the door, but looked up when she heard it click.

“This is all so amazing,” Lesa gushed, falling onto her bed. Orashi had to agree.

“The ballroom was impressive,” Orashi said.

“Ballroom?” Lesa asked, sitting up.

“That room we were in when they tested us. It was a ballroom before, I think. I wonder what they're going to use it for now. Assembling us all in one place, maybe.”

“Maybe,” Lesa said. She was rifling through her bag, pulling out blouses and skirts. “It doesn't look like I'll need these,” she said, looking down at them.

“You never know,” Orashi said, thinking about the dresses she had brought along. “I know Ms. Yuwa said that these are our uniforms, but there may be occasions where we can wear other stuff.” She put the uniform down and began emptying her own bag.

As she began putting items in her chest, she felt Lesa watching her. “What is it?” she asked.

The other girl shook her head. “Nothing...just...” She frowned. “Never mind. It's none of my business.” Lesa turned away, busying herself with unpacking again.

Orashi watched her for a moment, puzzled, before turning back to her own items. Neither girl spoke for the next few minutes, until a knock on their door made them both jump.

Orashi was the first on her feet. She opened the door, facing Issaya, who frowned at them. “You haven't changed yet,” she said.

“I'm sorry. We just got busy unpacking, and...” Orashi turned around to see Lesa standing behind her.

Issaya was smiling now, though. “You still have a few minutes. Hurry and get dressed. I'll get the others first.”

“Thank you,” Orashi said, before closing the door and turning around. Lesa was already removing her clothing. Orashi sat on her bed, removing her blouse and pulling her own uniform to her.

It smelled amazing. She surreptitiously brought the top to her face, breathing deeply, before slipping it over her head. “Like roses,” she said, smiling.

She heard Lesa laugh and turned toward her. The other girl had already changed into the top and pants, and was now trying to tie her belt around her. “Mine smells more like it does right after a rainstorm.”

Orashi pulled her pants on, picking up her sash and tying it quickly. Lesa was frowning down at her own belt, clearly having trouble tying it.

“Here,” Orashi said, walking over to her and taking the ends of the sash into her own hands. She tied the knot quickly, releasing it and allowing the ends to fall into place. “I've had a lot of practice with these kinds of uniforms. I wore something like this in training in Choderor.”

“Thanks,” Lesa mumbled, blushing. “I've never been able to tie knots. My mother tried to teach me, but my hands wouldn't cooperate.” She looked down at her outfit. “This is...really comfortable,” she said, stretching a leg out in front of her.

“You've only ever worn skirts, right?” Orashi asked.

Lesa nodded. “I'm going through so many new things today. Leaving home, meeting new people, wearing pants...” She grinned.

Orashi smiled back. “I'm glad we're roommates,” she said without realizing that she'd spoken. Since when am I this sentimental? She wondered, but she saw Lesa's face light up.

“Me too,” the other girl replied. “It's been so long since I've had anyone my own age to talk to. Well...a girl, anyway. The only children my age in our village are boys, and most of them go off to train to be soldiers when they turn eleven.”

“I haven't had anyone my own age to talk to, either,” Orashi said. “Actually, I haven't had many people to talk to at all. I don't speak to my parents much, my brother's fighting in the war, and it isn't like our servants are all that willing to talk to me, either. The only person I get to talk to is my tutor.” She frowned. Who is now out of work, since I'm here now, isn't he?

Lesa opened her mouth to speak, but a knock on the door made her turn away. Orashi watched her roommate open the door. It was Issaya again.

“Are you now ready?” the woman asked. Lesa looked back at Orashi.

“I am,” Orashi said, walking forward. Lesa turned back and nodded.

“We are,” she said.

“Then let's go,” Issaya said. The two girls joined the line of children following her down the hallway.

Orashi was standing behind the red-haired boy. Nalen, I think? She was amazed to discover how thin the boy was. She wondered vaguely where he had lived before being brought to the school. Looking around, she found the water elemental who was not Lesa. Tilara. She appeared to be just as thin as Nalen. Her long hair, which Orashi had noticed was tangled earlier, appeared much neater now. She wondered how she had managed that in so short a time.

She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she forgot to keep track of the turns and staircases that the group took to get to the dining hall until they were already there. Oh well, she thought. I can figure it out on the way back.

The dining hall was nearly as large as the ballroom had been. The middle of the room contained six round tables with eight chairs at each table. A buffet of sorts was set up along the far wall. Orashi had not realized how hungry she was until the smell of freshly-cooked food reached her.

The other groups of elementals were already seated at three of the tables, clustered together and not speaking to each other. The elemental instructors, with the exception of Issaya, sat at a fourth, along with a woman and a man Orashi did not recognize. Another man was also seated at the table, but his back was facing her. The other adults at that table seemed uneasy for some reason.

Issaya led the group to the buffet, instructing them to select anything they wanted to eat. “This is a celebratory supper in your honor,” she explained, glancing over at the table where the elementals and the strangers sat. “Tomorrow your training begins, and it will be difficult. But tonight you can relax and enjoy yourselves.” She pointed at the table nearest the one that contained the younger students. “Your class will sit there from now on. Once you sit, you may begin to acquaint yourselves with each other. You will be working together from now on, after all.”

She left then, placing food on a plate quickly and taking the last seat at the table where the adults sat. The students in Orashi's class silently collected their own food and sat down at their table, one by one.

Orashi eyed the food hungrily. She usually ate well at her own home, but she was also always forced to eat whatever her parents wanted during each meal. She rarely had the opportunity to choose her own food. She selected a very vegetable-heavy plate of food. While she did eat meat, she preferred vegetables, because they made her feel closer to her element. She was particularly fond of carrots and corn. Fortunately, the buffet contained both. She finished her selections at the same time as Lesa, and they both wandered to their table.

The first thing she noticed was that the others were already seated. The two remaining seats were on opposite ends of the table. She sighed, glancing at Lesa, who shrugged. Oh well, she thought, sliding into the seat between the dark brown-haired boy, Rodem, and Rixana, the air elemental with light brown hair. Rixana wrinkled her nose a bit when Orashi sat down, and Orashi wondered if she smelled bad, before realizing that Rixana probably always looked like that. Rodem, however, gave her a small smile before turning back to his food.

The children ate in silence for a few minutes. Is this how it's going to be from now on? Orashi wondered. None of us speaking? It didn't seem right. Still, she didn't want to be the first to speak.

It was Lesa who did. “Hi. I'm Nululesa Sienril,” she said, putting her fork down. She had taken a seat between Tilara and Clather, the blonde fire elemental who seemed to have a temper.

“We know,” Rixana said, rolling her eyes.

Undaunted, Lesa continued. “I live—lived,” she said, correcting herself, “With my mother on a small farm not too far from here. I also have a brother, who is training to be a soldier, like my father, who is a captain in the army. My mother and I take care of the farm...or, I guess she does, now. We raise cattle.”

The other children remained silent. Orashi looked up and saw Lesa watching her expectantly. She sighed. Why was she the one who had to help bring the group together? “I'm Orashi Otua. I lived in Choderor until I was eight, when my parents and I moved here. My brother is still living there, although he's also in the war now. My father was the Duke of Dragonwood.”

“Why did you leave?” Orashi turned to face Rodem, who seemed genuinely interested. He stared at her, his blue eyes wide.

Orashi looked down at the table. “My father did some very, very stupid things.” She had trouble keeping the anger out of her voice. “He was exiled.”

“I'm sorry,” she heard Lesa say from across the table. For some reason, that made Rixana scoff.

“Oh, you poor little thing. You grew up rich and privileged and you had it taken away from you. Or did you? You probably still have all your money, and you probably even have your title, or why would your brother still be there? Please spare us your sad story. Do you realize who you're talking to? Out of all of us, you have probably had the best life. You're rich. You've had everything handed to you. Some of us aren't even close to that lucky.” She turned to Lesa. “And you? You're almost as bad. Sure, you didn't try to get any pity from us, but why do you think none of us want to tell our stories? We don't all have happy lives like you. For me, at least, life was hell. Pure hell. My parents hate what I am. Not a day has gone by since they discovered my...” She wrinkled her nose. “Special talents,” she said, “That I haven't been afraid of how they will punish me. I would kill to have your perfect lives.”

The table was silent again for a moment, before Honel, the fire elemental who was sitting beside Tilara, spoke. “Just because some of us have had a harder time than others doesn't mean that the others haven't. I doubt any of our lives are 'perfect,' as you say. The truth is that elemental magic is not accepted easily in this society.” He looked at Orashi. “Some of us grew up in a society where it was more acceptable, but that doesn't mean there weren't people who were afraid of our power.”

“What's your story, then?” Rixana asked, crossing her arms.

“I'm from a nomadic tribe. We don't have a name or anything, but we are in an alliance with Ceelath. In exchange for being allowed to live within its borders, we are obligated to send a portion of our men to fight in any war that may occur.” He paused. “That also means that I was forced to come here.”

“Yeah, so far, I haven't exactly heard anything that makes me want to feel sorry for any of you,” Rixana said. She pointed at Rodem. “I bet you grew up as rich and spoiled as her,” he said, glancing back at Orashi.

“Mostly,” he conceded. “I don't have anything to complain about.”

“See?” She turned to the three who hadn't spoken. “What about you?”

Clather looked up from his food, glancing around the table. “I was training to be a soldier. I got pulled away to come here. It's a mistake.” He glared at his food, as if it were the source of his anger.

Tilara and Nalen said nothing. Tilara picked at her food, her hair falling in front of her face. Nalen continued eating, trying to ignore the conversation.

“Are neither of you going to say anything? If anything, I would think you'd be the best examples of having a hard life.” Rixana leaned back in her seat, looking at Nalen.

This statement caused him to look up at her. “What do you mean by that?” he asked softly.

“Well, I mean, look at you. You look like you haven't had a decent meal in ages. And earlier, you both looked like they picked you up off the streets.”

“Because they did,” Nalen replied coolly. Orashi swore she felt the slightest breeze sweep past her, toward him. “Do you want to hear about my life story, too? Sorry, but I'd rather not talk about it. I'm hoping that that part of my life is over.”

Tilara glanced up at him for an instant before quickly turning back to her food. In that instant, though, Orashi thought she saw fear in the girl's eyes.

“And do you feel the same way?” Rixana asked the girl, who simply nodded, still not looking up.

“I...” She paused. “I don't want to think about it,” she whispered.

The group was silent again. Everyone resumed eating, but Orashi was no longer hungry. Tension filled the table. It's so awkward, she thought. And we're supposed to come together as a team?

It wasn't long before one of the strange adults stood up and walked to the front of the room. “May I have your attention?” he said. Everyone turned to face him.

“That's General Hidshin,” Rodem whispered. “He's a famous war hero and adviser to the king. Why is he here?”

“I am General Hidshin, the new headmaster of the Elemental Academy. You will all see me periodically as I check in on your progress. This,” he said, gesturing to the woman who had been seated by him and was now walking toward him, “Is Lady Nadea, my wife and also an elemental, like yourselves. She is adept at healing and will also be here every few days to check on your progress.”

The other man now rose, and as he stood in front of them, Orashi and several other people in the room immediately rose to their feet, bowing and curtsying. The rest simply sat, confused. At their table, only Orashi, Nalen, Clather, and Tilara rose immediately. Rodem wore a shocked expression for a few seconds, before he, too, jumped up and bowed, as well.

The man nodded, and the standing students sat back down. Orashi's mind was racing. Why is the king here? She wondered. It was unusual, to say the least. Why would he endanger his safety by entering a room full of elementals?

“Allow me to introduce His Majesty, King Hayren Estath,” General Hidshin said. Suddenly, the mood in the room changed. Nobody seemed to know why the king would be present.

“Good evening to you all,” the king said. His eyes seemed to be focused on Orashi's table. She put that thought aside, deciding that she was imagining it. “You have been selected as the elementals with the most potential in the kingdom. You will be trained to use your magic, but you will also learn discipline and basic combat skills, which you will find will be very useful to you in battle. While the academy is set to teach you for at least three years, it is very likely that you will be needed much earlier.” He glanced at the table seating the oldest group of students. “The oldest among you will likely only be here for two years. Hopefully, we will not need your abilities at all, and the war will be over quickly. However, we must prepare for the worst.” He nodded at the general and took a seat at the table again. This time, he sat in a chair facing Orashi's table, appearing again to be watching them.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” the general said. Turning back to the students, he continued. “In addition to the skills you will need in battle, you will also be learning basic reading, writing, math, and history. All of these things will be necessary if and when you are called to battle. For those of you who are already knowledgeable in these areas, more advanced lessons will be available for you.” He smiled. “Now that the important things have been said, here are the academy rules.” He nodded at his wife.

“The dining hall is open at all hours. We do not want you to go hungry or thirsty, but keep in mind that your lessons are your priority. The cooks will not be here after ten o'clock at night until six o'clock in the morning, so any food or beverages that you require will need to be prepared by your own hand at those times. If you do not know how to cook, please do not attempt it on your own.

There will be no unauthorized entry or exit from the academy. There are no exceptions. You must stay within the schoolyard at all times, unless an instructor allows you to leave. Even then, you must be accompanied by a guard. You are allowed no outside visitors, unless they are approved by the general or myself.

You may speak of what you learn here to no one. That includes your families. Anything you see or hear is not to leave the building under any circumstances. We will know if this rule is broken.”

Orashi shuddered. That last sentence seemed menacing. Looking around, she saw that the others seemed uneasy, as well.

“There will be no boys in the girls' rooms or girls in the boys' rooms. We will accept no excuses for such behavior.

Your curfew is at eight o'clock. That doesn't mean that you must sleep at that time, or that you can't leave afterward to get something to eat or drink, but at exactly eight o'clock at night, you must be in your rooms. There will be someone checking to make sure you are there at night. After the check, you are free to do as you please. I would recommend going to sleep around that time, however, because you are all required to be down here for breakfast at five o'clock in the morning.”

There were several groans, which Lady Nadea ignored. “Classes begin at six o'clock every morning and last until four o'clock in the afternoon. That is ten hours. For some of you, that may seem torturous, but it is actually a very lenient schedule. In the future, those hours may be extended.

Finally, you are to show your instructors and your fellow students respect. You are all expected to get along with each other and aid each other. Fighting will not be tolerated. You are all here with a common goal. Remember that.” She turned to her husband.

“That concludes your orientation,” he said, taking her arm in his. “You may resume eating or return to your rooms. Remember that your curfew is in approximately one hour.”

Orashi looked down at her plate. The king was still watching their table, she was sure. Why is he watching us? She wondered. It was getting harder to believe that she was imagining it.

She looked around the table and realized that Rodem was also watching the king. The two seemed to be staring directly at each other, but when Rodem realized that she was also watching him, he looked away. Weird, she thought. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her mind of how strange the meal had been, as she picked up her plate and carried it toward the kitchen.

The kitchen staff was pleasant, taking the students' plates graciously. “Thank you,” Orashi remembered to say as she handed her plate over. She had started to walk away when she felt someone poke her on the shoulder. She turned around.

It was Lesa. “Are you going back to the room?” she asked.

“Yes. I still have things to unpack,” Orashi replied.

Lesa nodded. “Me too. Let's walk together. Do you remember the way?”

“Yeah, I--” She stopped. “Actually, no. I meant to keep track, but I got distracted and forgot.”

“Me too,” Lesa said, laughing. “Maybe some of the others are going back, now?”

“I don't think they really want to talk to us,” Orashi said doubtfully, but Lesa was already walking toward Rodem, who had also just emptied his plate and appeared to be looking everywhere but at the king.

“Rodem!” Lesa said, waving at him.

He stopped, looking first at her, then at Orashi. “Yes?” he asked, turning back to Lesa.

“Are you going back to your room now?” Lesa asked.

He frowned. “I was thinking about it, yes. There isn't much else to do.”

“Oh, good. Orashi and I don't remember the way,” she said, smiling. Orashi was amazed at the friendly way Lesa was able to interact with people, despite her claims of not having many people to talk to at home.

He laughed. “You can walk with me, then,” he said. “I remember.”

He nodded at Orashi, who felt herself nodding back. At least Lesa had decided to ask the friendliest of their classmates.

He led them toward the rooms, and this time Orashi kept a note in her mind of where they went. Straight, left, up the staircase, right, through the double doors, left, one, two, three, four doors, and...here we are.

“Thanks,” Orashi and Lesa said in unison, and Rodem smiled back at them.

“No problem,” he said, turning away and walking into his room.

Orashi and Lesa finished putting their items away. Then, Orashi realized, she needed to relieve herself. She opened the door in the back of the room.

There was a tub in there, with two strange pipes protruding from the wall and ending above it, as well as two chains hanging from those pipes. Orashi frowned. She looked around, finding what she needed. A chamber pot. She was confused when she realized that it was fixed to the floor. On the wall behind it was a note. “When your business is done, pull the lever.” She saw the lever in question, attached to the wall beside the note. Shrugging, she proceeded to relieve herself and pulled the lever, as the sign said.

The sound of running water alarmed her, and she watched as the pot emptied. She stared at it in wonder for a moment before realizing that someone was knocking on the door.

It was Lesa. “What was that sound?” she asked, walking in.

Orashi pointed at the sign. “I pulled the lever,” she said, “And everything just...went down.”

“Down where?” Lesa asked, leaning over the pot. She frowned. “It doesn't appear to have anywhere to go,” she said.

Orashi shook her head. “I don't know, either, but it's gone.” An idea came to her and she walked over to the tub, which also had a sign. “Pull the left chain for hot and the right for cold,” she read. Carefully, she pulled the left chain, and water poured out of it.

She and Lesa stared, wide-eyed, as the water continued to pour. “How does it stop?” Lesa asked.

A few moments later, her question was answered, as the water trickled to a halt and the tub was three-quarters full. Orashi gingerly touched the water. “It really is hot,” she said. Lesa stood beside her, also touching it.

“This is incredible,” she said, running her hand along the side of the tub. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”

“No,” Orashi said, shaking her head. “Never.”

“Really? Even though you lived in Choderor? I thought they were more accepting of elementals there. They didn't have anything like this?”

“Not in my father's castle, anyway,” Orashi said. “I wish we had.” She looked at Lesa. “Do you want to take a bath now, or...?”

Lesa shook her head. “I'll go after you,” she said. “You discovered it, after all.” She giggled. “I need to write a letter to my mother, anyway.” She left the small room, closing the door and leaving Orashi to her bath.

It was the most pleasant, relaxing thing the eleven-year-old had ever experienced. She was sad to climb out and pull the lever, which released the water the same way the other lever had. She watched it disappear wistfully, savoring the smell of soap that now permeated the room. She dried off quickly and walked back into her room, selecting a nightgown to wear.

Lesa looked up from her letter as Orashi walked in. “A guard came to make sure we were in here. I told him you were in there,” she said, smiling. “How was it?”

“It was the most amazing thing ever,” Orashi said, lying back on her bed. “I will never be able to take a bath any other way.”

Lesa giggled, standing up. “My turn, then,” she said, walking into the other room.

Orashi grinned and stared at the ceiling and reflecting on the day's events. It had been the best day of her life. Even the awkwardness of the supper conversation and the king's visit did not change that fact. She was happy, for the first time since she and her family had left Choderor. She finally felt like she belonged somewhere. And with that thought, she felt herself drift to sleep.