Disclaimer: Nope, sorry, don't own Merlin.
Serephina stomped down the hall, pin sharp scarlet shoes clacking noisily against the bustle of school children. She was quite pissed that the idiots in guidance hadn't put Jenny in the same English class as her. Because she was so annoyed, everything seemed to get on her bad side, especially the freshman. They were so short! What business did they have being so short? In fact the one right in front of her, the one with his nose buried in the book, was so short that he was face-level with Serephina's succulent boobs. She did have four-inch heeled boots on, but still.
Serephina was so preoccupied with the boy's height that she didn't really notice him until he walked right into her – face to soft yet firm chest.
"Oh I'm sorr…" The boy started, voice drifting off and gazing into Serephina's captivating eyes. "Hey, you're Se…Serephina aren't you?" he accused. Serephina blinked at him in utter confusion.
"How did you know that?" she asked defensively. Could rumors already be going around the school about her? But as she peered intently into the younger boy's face, she felt a vague chord of recognition deep within her. There was something about the creamy skin, the shock of tousled raven hair that fell just above the eyes, the sharp curve of the cheekbones that instigated slight recollection. But Serephina dismissed the idea that she could have met the captivating boy before because she would never have forgotten the alluring, smoldering gold eyes that peered up at her. The soft lips curled into a small, friendly smile.
"My brother, Merlin, spoke of you last night at dinner. You seem to have captured his notice. The girl with the glass eyes," the boy purred dreamily. Then he regained a more practical tone. "All very romanticized and all. I'm Emrys, by the way. Nice to meet you." Emrys shifted the book to his slender and elongated left hand so as to extend his right to Serephina. The porcelain girl was surprised – very few people had the courtesy to shake hands anymore. She placed her delicate extremity into his light grasp and they shook.
"Nice to meet you too," she crooned demurely. It seemed that Emrys was just as easy as a blusher as his brother – his cheeks burned furiously at her gentle, crimson-lipped smile.
"I have to go to class now," he croaked before rushing away. Serephina watched him go. Emrys, huh? She thought. Funny kid.
Suddenly, she heard a docile, high voice say, "You're new here." The silky voice was almost accusing. Serephina gazed around for the source of the gentle tone, but it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It almost came from within her head. She heard the voice again, but this time with a definite source to her right, behind her.
"You're new here, right?" it asked, the last word added on rather forcefully. Her crystal eyes located the origin. A small boy with a delicate china face and wide, direct, cobalt gaze. His inky, straight hair flopped into his unblinking stare and his rosy lips parted slightly with childlike innocence. He looked about ten.
Serephina wrinkled her eyebrows at him. "Yeah, how did you know?" It seemed to be the second time that day she was asking that. The child – well, freshman – blinked at her.
"I haven't observed you here before," he responded mildly. Serephina cocked her head, noting how strange that sentence sounded. 'Observed?'
"Well, I am new," she retorted for lack of a better response. "I'm Serephina, by the way. Serephina Midknight Sapphire." She extended her hand to him, but the younger boy merely stared at it for a moment and adjusted the books in his arms before returning his speculating gaze to her glass eyes.
"Yes, my friend spoke of you. I am Mordred," he answered bluntly. Serephina ground her teeth and drew her hand back into her body. So much for manners.
"Nice to meet you," she told him sweetly, trying to keep the conversation polite. Mordred, keeping with his awkward habit of pausing before answering, hesitated calmly for a moment.
"Yes. My friend said you were new. I should have known it was you. You have the fascinating eyes," Mordred plowed on. Serephina noted how he kept saying, "My friend" as opposed to 'one of my friends' or 'my friend, this person…'
"I'm sorry, but do you only have one friend?" Serephina pried gently, throwing social etiquette out the window.
"Yes," Mordred murmured plainly. "People here don't like me." He said it very matter-of-factly and Serephina suddenly felt a sudden pang of sympathy. She knew how it was to be unloved.
"Why? You seem perfectly nice to me," Serephina comforted him. Perfectly nice, just rude, awkward and vaguely creepy. Mordred shrugged.
"I'm smart."
"You're smart? Kid's a fucking genius!" called a loud, jaunty voice. Serephina looked up to see the doll like Morgana sauntering up. "He's already a Freshie and kid's only like eight!" Serephina detected a trace of a smile on Mordred's young face.
"I'm twelve," he corrected quietly, with a touch of amused annoyance in his voice. "Serephina, this is my friend Morgana, Morgana this is the new girl, Serephina."
"I know," the two girls said in sync. Sapphire met crystal as their eyes flashed up flintily to stare at each other. Did Serephina detect a hint of hostility in Morgana's gaze? It was gone in a second; Serephina was sure she imagined it.
"You could have other friends you know. What about that other kid, Emrys? He's also ten, right?" Morgana told Mordred in a motherly tone.
"I'm twelve Morgana. Emrys is thirteen," Mordred muttered, looking at the ground. He looked up at Serephina, throwing in the next bit for her benefit. "We were in the advanced track at our elementary and middle school." He paused reflectively. "You know, if I could have another friend it would by Emrys." He shrugged. "The bell is going to ring, we should be going." Morgana shrugged.
"Bye," she grinned and gave a Mordred a little peck on the cheek before trotting off with an elegantly raised hand in goodbye to Serephina. Serephina saluted her and started to stroll to her class with a raised hand at Mordred.
"Wait," Mordred stopped Serephina. She noticed how he seemed to be perfectly audible in the bustling school hallway even though he never raised his volume. She turned back to him, looking into those intense tear blue eyes.
"You're going to Math."
"How did you –"
"Your schedule," the child interrupted. "I saw it. I can tell you a short cut. Go down the next hall to the right the cut through the third door to the left, go through the door on the other side of that classroom and turn left. Bye." Serephina nodded her thanks before strutting off to class, following Mordred's advice. He watched her owlishly as she walked off for a moment, before turning and disappearing in the crowd.
Serephina gaped at the gray-black door marked "Boiler room." She had followed Mordred's directions to a tee and this was where it led her.
"This can't be a classroom," she muttered. Then again, the girl's lavatory was marked "Janitor's Closet," so maybe the school just had screwed up the labeling. She shrugged; twisting the doorknob and pushing open the heavy door.
A blast of steam engulfed Serephina – so it seemed that it really was a boiler room. But as the hot vapor cleared, she saw a deep cavernous room, and something moving in it. Overcome by the spirit of adventure, Serephina stepped further into the room, nearly plunging to her death as the floor stopped just beyond the entrance and turned into a deep pit, one without a visible floor. The cave was nearly black with darkness and a torch burning in the corner shed the only light on the crags, stalagmites and stalactites. And hovering in front of her was a fearsome, emerald dragon, scales emanating sheer power and vast wings beating up and down. He regarded her with a rather intelligent expression on his face. The steam seemed to come from him. The creature opened his spacious mouth, revealing devilish fangs.
"Hi," he said, in a rather breathy, rumbling voice. "I am Maurice The Great Dragon of Doom!" His roar shook the cave and made Serephina bend over with her hands over her ears in pain. She instinctively knew that he knew something about her that she didn't.
"Oh Great Dragon! Oh Maurice! What can you tell me?" she shouted up to him. He cocked his head, lizard-like yellow eyes staring at her.
"I have a prophecy for you.
When the raven lands,
The coin will melt.
The raven will meet the lion,
And join with the badger.
The panther stalks the raven,
Working with the owl,
Until he encounters the phoenix
And they will fly to the night.
The housecat will distract
She will attack the raven
And all will be lost
If she can't be turned.
The raven will land
With the peacock."
A/N: Hi there! Ages here! I'm sorry, I was supposed to post this earlier, but I've been dead. Thanks to Doom for the fabulous chapter before this one. I wrote this without her editing and it will be exciting to get her opinion. Bye!