Florisia (Book 1) Page 4

  "So, you have all come from a village called Naissance, yet you've never met. I know this seems confusing, but the word Naissance simply means 'the growing place'. When you were born, you were sent to one of the Naissance villages via the birth portal. Each village has a number, which is recorded when you arrive. I'm afraid there are no records of where you were born, as this information is not considered important." Raff thought her voice hardened slightly at this last statement, as if she didn't agree with whoever had decided it wasn't important. Interesting.

  Madame Persimmons cleared her throat. "Now, some of you will have been born with certain... Gifts. These Gifts, and any physical characteristics identifying you as belonging to a particular race, were bound when you were placed in the birth portal and sent to Naissance. Today, they were unbound in the age portal, which delivered you into the world where you belong."

  Raff was pretty sure his jaw almost hit the floor.

  Chapter Seven

  - Madame Persimmons -

  Madame Penelope Persimmons sighed. She always felt sorry for these new kids on their first day. The three sitting in front of her wore the usual dumbfounded expressions on their faces, and she hadn't even begun to explain how much their lives were about to change.

  "Right, so now all the secret-squirrel business about your past is dealt with, how about we talk about what happens next?" Standing up, she moved around to the front of the desk and rested against it. She always hated having a huge desk between herself and her audience. It seemed so... impersonal.

  "I understand how confused you must be right now, but trust me when I say things will get easier. Fey Academy will be your home for the next few years, and we're all here to help you ease into your new life. You may notice changes in your physical appearance over the next few weeks, depending on what race related qualities you inherited. You can expect anything from a change in skin colour, or elongated ear tips, to extensive facial hair growth, or wings sprouting. You will find handbooks on each of the races living in Florisia in your rooms. I would advise taking the time to read them, as they contain specific details regarding the standard characteristics, and associated known Gifts, you may develop."

  Penelope cleared her throat, biting back the laughter trying to bubble its way to the surface. She should be used to the astonished faces of the 'newbies' by now, but the boy, Raff, resembled a goldfish struggling for air. Leah, the petite little blonde with the stunning eyes, just stared, as if wondering whether Penelope had lost her mind.

  The most astonishing reaction, though, came from the little dark-skinned girl, Belle. Her soft brown eyes shone with joy, as if the prospect of transforming into someone else was the greatest opportunity she could ever have imagined; a reaction Penelope had never seen before. What could possibly have happened in the poor child's past to make the changes being described appear like a dream come true?

  "No questions?" Penelope asked into the silence. "Right then, we'll move on to your teachers, and what you'll learn here at Fey Academy. Mr Kafoops is our history/geography teacher. His classes will include the history of Florisia, how the government and laws of this land work, and details of the cities, forests and mountain ranges that make up Florisia." She noticed Raff rolling his eyes and looking bored at the mention of lessons, the usual response she got from the adventure-seeking types.

  "To help you develop and understand your Gifts, Miss Poppycock teaches Gift Control. Because we are currently unaware of your particular Gifts, she will concentrate on the safe practice, and control, of Gifts in general."

  "And last but not least, is the elective class. I'm sure you noticed the horses grazing in the meadow outside my window. Mr Trotter's Equine Knowledge class is open to any students wishing to learn how to ride, and care for, their own horse. The other options available are Metallurgy with Mr Wizenhart, or Forest Lore with Mistress Evaline. You will need to choose which of these areas interests you, and tell one of your teachers what you decide.” From the excitement on their faces when she mentioned the horses, she was almost certain they would all choose that option.

  “Classes are held from Monday to Friday, and on weekends you are free to spend your time as you please. It is important you attend all classes," she glared at Raff, who blushed guiltily, and dropped his eyes to his hands. "You never know when you might need the information learned from a particular lesson."

  "Well, I think that just about covers everything. I understand you're probably feeling a little overwhelmed right now, but I promise it will get easier. I'll arrange for someone to show you around, and take you to your rooms, so you can settle in and digest what you've learned. If you think of any questions, which I'm sure you will once this all sinks in, I'll be here in my office after morning lessons tomorrow. And now, I'm afraid I must run. Dominic will be here shortly. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, and please be in class tomorrow morning."

  She threw an encouraging smile at the three faces, each still wearing the familiar stunned looks, as she pushed away from the desk and headed for the door. It would take time to recover from the shock of today’s revelations and absorb the changes in their lives. They were lucky to have each other to talk to; it helped to know someone else was going through the same thing. Most of the students who arrived on the same day ended up developing strong friendships. Maybe these three would too.

  Wait… three new students arriving on the same day was unusual. She couldn't remember the last time it happened, in fact, she couldn't remember this ever happening in her time at the school, which was an extremely long time.

  The number three struck a chord in her mind, as if important for some reason. She shrugged impatiently. I'm sure it'll come to me, when I have the time to think. She turned her mind to the long list of jobs she needed to get done before the end of the day. Sighing, she opened the door and hurried off to tell Dominic they were ready.

  Chapter Eight

  - Dominic the Dwarf -

  Belle sat in stunned silence, her heart soaring as she processed Madame Persimmons words. Was it really possible the colour of her skin didn't make her a 'freak' here? Maybe no-one would even notice in this world where 'normal' wasn’t so easily defined. She smiled, basking in her newfound knowledge, as she listened to Leah and Raff debate what they considered the coolest Gifts to develop. She didn't care about any of it, too busy trying to convince herself she might actually 'belong' somewhere for the first time in her life.

  She turned as the door behind them opened, her eyes widening as the strangest little man she’d ever seen stepped into the room. About the height of her ten-year-old foster-sister, his long, frizzy, red beard dominated what little could be seen of his ruddy face, his stocky little body rocking from side-to-side as he walked towards where she sat staring. The deep-set, blue-grey eyes peeking out from above his beard met her own, and a smile creased what little she could see of his face.

  "Good mornin' young'uns," he greeted them in a gruff, cheerful voice. "I be Dominic the Dwarf, and I be seein' from th' looks on y're faces y've not seen th' likes o' me before," he chuckled.

  Belle dropped her eyes to her lap, horrified to find herself staring at him the way others had done to her all her life.

  "I'm s-s-so sorry," she stammered. "I didn't mean to be rude. It's just..."

  Dominic's eyes softened as he waved away her apology. "Ah, don't y' be worryin y'rself about it. I be used to th' stares from new young'uns like y'rselves. Now, if y' be ready to come with me, I'll be givin y's a quick look around, and then take y' to y'r rooms, so y's can settle in."

  Raff jumped to his feet. "Absolutely." He winked at Belle and Leah, waving them out of their seats. "Let's go!"

  Belle caught Leah's eye and they shared a smile, rolling their eyes at Raff's eagerness. But Belle had to admit, Raff’s presence took some of the fear away. His excitement was almost contagious.

  Dominic led the way out of the room, turning left toward a huge set of double, timber doors. The outline of a tree was intricately car
ved into each door, their branches bending towards each other to meet where the doors joined. Dominic stopped and faced them before opening the doors.

  "Err, a word o' warnin afore we be goin out there. If y' thought me strange, best y' prepare y'rselves for a few more surprises. Mornin classes 've just ended, 'nd there'll be more'n a few kids around." He winked as he pushed open the doors.

  The carved trees parted, creating the illusion of them opening their arms in welcome to the wonderland beyond. Belle stood rooted to the spot, sucking in a breath as she viewed a sight beyond her wildest imagination.

  "Woah," she breathed in awe. "This is incredible."

  She jumped when Leah nudged her, quickly stepping out of the way as two students she hadn't noticed, deep in conversation, hurried by.

  In the centre of the grounds, the sun glinted off the surface of a sparkling lake. Suspended above the water hung three small islands, shaped like ice-cream cones. It looked like a giant hand had reached into the ground, pulled out the massive plots of earth, and thrown them into the air, the roots left dangling below them. Water cascaded off the edges of each island, creating circular ripples where it entered the otherwise smooth lake. Belle laughed in pure joy as a gentle breeze carrying droplets of water caressed her face. She licked her lips, the taste clean and sweet.

  The waters of the lake nudged up against a blanket of soft green grass. Belle shook her head, fighting the urge to take off her shoes and run across its velvety softness. Later, she promised herself, tearing her eyes away so they could continue to drink in the sensory feast laid out before them.

  And the students! Children of varying age, size, shape and colour strolled in and out of a brightly coloured, horseshoe shaped building surrounding the lake. The tiled pathway appeared to change colour, depending on where you stood, separating the grassy area from the building and veering off at intervals to mark the entrance to a doorway.

  Most of the students appeared in various stages of transformation. Belle had no idea what physical traits belonged with what race, but she was intrigued by the group coming out of a doorway close by, their silvery hair pulled back to reveal pointy tipped ears. She giggled, reaching up to touch the top of her own ears, wondering if that would happen to her.

  A young girl racing out of another building caught her attention. Belle's heart skipped a beat as a set of beautiful, gossamer wings sprouted from the girl's back. Instantly lifting into the air, she hovered, looking back towards the doorway.

  "Hey, no fair," another girl yelled, as she raced out of the same doorway. "No flying, or I'm not playing anymore."

  The girl with the wings floated back down, her wings shrinking, until they vanished inside her back. She shook her head, grinning as she held her hands out to the sides innocently. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I didn't mean to. Sometimes the wings just come out whether I like it or not. I seriously need to talk to Miss Poppycock about it." Throwing her arm around her friend's shoulders, they walked off laughing.

  "Did you see that?" Leah whispered

  "Woah... cool or what?" Raff said, moving closer to the girls.

  Dominic chuckled. "I knew y'd be impressed with th' sights o' th' school. Now, the bright coloured buildin' here be th' dorms. This first door be leadin' to th' first-year rooms, which be where y'll be stayin."

  They stepped out of the sunlight into a spacious, airy room filled with overstuffed, comfy-looking lounges. Along the wall to the left, a bookshelf bulged with books, writing paper, paints and random drawing implements. Lace curtains fluttered in the breeze from the large window on the other side of the room, providing a glimpse of the meadow they'd viewed from Madame Persimmons' office.

  Her face aching from smiling, she followed Dominic through a door to the right and into a long passageway. Dominic counted softly as they walked past the first few rooms, then paused and nodded, as if coming to a decision.

  "Belle, this be y'r room. Leah's room be next door and Raff be in th' room across th' hall."

  Belle thanked Dominic for his help, giggling at the sight of Leah and Raff standing behind the dwarf, winking and mouthing the words 'see you in a minute'.

  Her smile vanished as she opened the door and stepped into her room, her past rushing back to slap her in the face. She closed the door, slumping back against it as she sunk to the floor in devastation. Her old room from Naissance, the one she hoped never to see again, swam before her tear-filled eyes

  How is it here? She felt sick; the joy of the last few hours obliterated by the memories the room evoked. A loud whoop of joy came from the direction of Leah's room; at least someone sounded happy with what they found.

  The room looked exactly the same as that morning when she left - the plain, threadbare cover on the bed, the peeling paint on the grey walls, and the single change of clothes hanging in the cupboard.

  Belle winced at the sound of knocking on the door against her back, her face burning at the thought of anyone seeing the squalor she'd lived in. She hated being pitied, and had foolishly thought all that was behind her. Drawing a ragged breath, she stood and opened the door.

  Chapter Nine

  - Magical Rooms -

  “Hey Belle. How cool is it..." Leah stopped mid-sentence at the desolation in Belle's eyes. "Hey, what's up?" Belle said nothing, stepping to the side and looking down at her feet.

  A terrible sadness warred with anger in Leah's heart. Who would make someone live like this? Her eyes swept over the dilapidated state of Belle's room, and anger won the battle. Leah turned back to Belle with sparks shooting from her eyes.

  "I would seriously like to meet your Guardian one day." Someone needed to make them pay. "How about when we get our Gifts, we go back and turn her into a toad or something?"

  Surprise flickered across Belle's face, and Leah was relieved to see her words had achieved the desired effect. Belle had obviously expected sympathy or pity, but Leah had anticipated that showing either of those emotions was the last thing Belle needed right now.

  "Well, what do you think? Are you up for it?" Leah grinned.

  Belle burst out laughing, and the tension in the air evaporated. "Oh yes ... I'm definitely up for that!"

  "Hey, you guys, how do you reckon..." Raff stood in the doorway to Belle's room, a look of horror on his face. Leah caught Belle's eye, and rolled her eyes at the expression on his face. They both collapsed on the floor in fits of laughter, while Raff stood at the door scratching his head, obviously wondering what could possibly be that funny.

  "Sorry Raff," Leah said, pulling herself together and helping Belle to her feet. "But you should see your face!"

  "Yeah, goodonya," he muttered, his face as red as his hair.

  "So, Belle and I were discussing what sort of revenge to take on her Guardian for making her live in a room like this. Any suggestions?" She stared hard at Raff, hoping he'd get the message and join in the banter. Relief flooded her as Raff's face broke into an evil grin.

  "Hmm..." He stroked his chin in an attempt to look menacing. "I'm sure I could come up with a few ideas, given some time and the right Gift... muahahaha."

  Leah laughed, impressed by Raff's ability to pick up her silent message. She had to admit he was cute when he blushed, even though it was hard to tell where his face ended and his hair started. Hands on hips, she surveyed the room in disgust. "Ok, there is no way you are going to stay in this ugly room. If you like, we can pull your mattress into my room? I'm used to sharing with my annoying twelve-year-old foster-sister, so anything would be an improvement on that!"

  Belle's face lit up with excitement, telling Leah she’d made the right decision yet again. "Really? Are you sure you don't mind?"

  Leah caught Raff's eye, tilting her head toward the bed. Without another word, they dragged the mattress off the bed and headed toward Leah's room.

  With much pushing and pulling, they managed to manoeuvre the mattress across the room and under the window. Leah pretended to fuss over its position, watching Belle out of the corner of her
eye. The other girl stood frozen in the doorway, looking around the room in wonder. Leah had always loved her room, filled with her favourite stuffed animals, who all lived on the bed. The various trinkets and baubles she'd collected over the years were shoved randomly on shelves.

  Leah pushed down the anger rising up again at the thought of Belle living in such a hovel for all those years. She needed to tell Madame Persimmons. Somehow Leah knew the kindly headmistress would be just as angry, and fix the problem, sooner rather than later.

  * * *

  Lying in her bed later that night, Leah was surprised by how happy she felt. What an amazing day. After dreading her fourteenth birthday for so long, who would have thought she'd be here, in her own bed, with two great new friends?

  She pulled the little Hessian bag out from under her pillow, reaching in to pull out the golden circlet. It felt warmer than it had that morning, a faint glow around the edges she hadn't noticed before either. She ran her thumb along the ridges where a piece was missing, almost feeling the circlet's sadness at not being whole.

  Wait... what was that? Stunned, she pulled her thumb away, dropping the circlet onto the bed. She really had felt its sadness.

  But how could a piece of metal have feelings? And how come she felt them too?

  She sighed in frustration. More questions she needed to find answers to. Picking up the circlet, she carefully avoiding touching the ridges as she dropped it back into the bag.

  As she pushed it back under the pillow, she got the weirdest sensation someone was watching her. Her eyes swung to Belle, whose deep breathing told her she was still asleep.

  Okay, then if not Belle, then who?

  Unable to squash the niggling feeling, she climbed out of bed and peered out the window, careful not to disturb Belle. Her eyes scanned the moonlit meadow, stopping as they spied the silhouette of someone leaning against a tree.