Chapter 6: A Tale of Two Schools
Seraphine stepped through the turquoise gateway onto Alfea's college campus. Her eyes scanned the area, carefully studying the simple, yet elegant architecture. The tall, pink towers reminded her of the castles she had read about in books.
Only they aren't pink. Her thoughts giggled at the mental image of a pink Gondor in Lord of Rings.
The windows were large and translucent, but for some reason she couldn't see through them. She turned and stared up the two larger towers at the front of the school.
Whoa…
Both towers had great glass domes at the top. The layer of roofing below the dome was a light teal and it curved around the tower. At the very pinnacle of the dome was a sharp point that streaked into the sky like a skyscraper. The building was so magnificent, Seraphine stood there with amazement. Her heart felt so light, and she forgot all about her worries and fears. The voices she heard, coming from books she could not see, were happy, and joyous, giving her messages of hope and peace.
Seraphine was about to smile when—
"You, there!" A stern, female voice broke through her fantasy.
Seraphine turned. "Huh?"
Her eyes searched for the source of the voice. A tall, thin woman stood over her. Her brown hair was straight and short; it ended at her long, chin. Her eyes were small and on her nose rested a pair of sharp-lensed glasses with teal frames. Her dress was plain, but practical, colored white and teal to match the glasses.
"Who, are you?" She asked, glaring down at Seraphine.
All of a sudden, the fear, the worries, the anxiety crashed down on Sera. Her heart rushed to her throat. Her mind froze. Her mouth opened, but now words came out; they were lodged in her throat along with her racing heart. She could not breathe as she gazed up at the woman with terror. Thankfully, her mother came to save her skin.
"Oh, Miss, Griselda! This is my daughter, Seraphine."
Seraphine felt her mother's hands cup her shoulders. She felt her body relax; the tension melted away slowly. Meanwhile, Miss Griselda grimaced and flipped through the pages of her clipboard.
"Mm." She grunted. "No, I don't see a Seraphine."
Sera's heart leapt in her chest. She gulped, struggling to fight the urge to release all the emotions locked up within her.
"Lizbeth!" A new, gentler voice entered the conversation.
Seraphine looked beyond Griselda to see another woman. She was not as tall as the first lady, but the aura she gave off radiated not only authority, but also kindness, and peace. Her hair was white and piled over her head. Her violet eyes were soft behind her thin, silver framed glasses. She wore a light purple top and skirt, the latter of which was ruffled in a most elegant way.
"Ms. Faragonda!" Lizbeth stepped around her daughter and hugged the woman.
"It is such a pleasure to see you again." Ms. Faragonda said with a smile. "You're all grown up."
"Yes, and…"
The two woman turned look Seraphine.
Faragonda gasped. "And is this your daughter?"
"Yes, Seraphine, say hello."
Seraphine blushed under the three sets of eyes that stared down at her. She still could not talk, not with that throbbing heart in her throat. She gave Ms. Faragonda a tiny wave as her hair fell on her face, covering her nose and right eye. Embarrassed, she quickly brushed the strands away.
"She's not on my list, Faragonda." Griselda said sourly.
"Try the non-royal list in the 'W' section,"
The stern woman frowned and flipped through the list again. "Ah, yes. A Seraphine Walker."
Seraphine nodded as Griselda looked at her. "Yes, ma'am."
"Very well. You will be with Jayden Hunt and Lorelei Scott in apartment E."
"I'll lead the way." Ms. Faragonda said with a smile. "Come along."
Lizbeth gestured to Sera as she followed the woman to the building off to Sera's right. Nervously, Seraphine smiled at Griselda then jogged after her mother, dragging her luggage behind her. Griselda's voice tore through the atmosphere behind her, making her jump. She glanced over her shoulder to find her scolding two girls on a balcony who had presumably dumped water on a passerby below. Seraphine gulped quickly caught up to her mother and Ms. Faragonda.
"I think she'll love it here." Ms. Faragonda said.
"I think so too. I'm glad she chose my old school." Lizbeth answered.
"Yes, so what abilities does she have?"
"Mine, actually."
"Ah, hereditary powers. Don't you find that strange?"
"Oh, I don't find it strange at all. She's always loved to read, so the powers came quite naturally."
"I see."
Seraphine turned her attention away from their conversation and looked around. The halls had vaulted ceilings that towered high above her head. On her left were long elegant windows that let in rays of sunlight. On the other side was a wall that held painting of places she had seen before in books. Their frames were gold and swirled at the corners like vines.
"This way." Faragonda's voice entered her ears. She followed them round a corner and up a stairwell.
"I've seen a few students, Ms. Faragonda. Have some arrived early?" Lizbeth asked.
"Yes, but some of them have been here all summer."
"Really?"
"Oh yes, we just recently started a summer program to go over the basics. Alfea, Red Fountain, and Cloud Tower have all been trying it out."
"It is working?"
"Oh yes, very much so."
They came to a hallway and walked down a ways. Seraphine glanced around as girls popped in and out of doors. They all looked so different from people on Earth, and yet they were not very different. They wore clothes that looked completely normal. Most of them looked completely human, except for the few that had marks on their bodies. Those markings reminded her of the different races in sci-fi movies.
"Here we are." Faragonda turned to her and smiled. Lizbeth and Seraphine stopped as the woman knocked on a pair of doors off to Sera's right.
They swung open to reveal a familiar face. Seraphine's eyebrows rose.
Wait, she's one of those fairies! Sera thought. However, the girl lacked her wings and metallic outfit. Instead, she was completely normal, wearing a pair of black pants and a gray t-shirt. The only color on her was that of her blonde hair; even her eyes were gray.
"Headmistress." The girl said like a soldier in the army.
"Lorelei, You and Jayden have a new roommate in your apartment."
Lorelei turned her eyes to Seraphine. "Oh, it's you." She said unenthusiastically.
"Oh, you've met her?"
"Her house was the one the dragon trashed. Come on in." Lorelei stepped back and the females entered the main room. Clothes and candy wrappers littered the floor and furniture. A set of black sofas stood off to the right of the door. Beyond them was an open doorway to another room. To the left of that was a pair of computers and a table that had tall chairs. On the left half of the room were two more doorways that led to more rooms, both of which were empty.
"It's a mess. It's Jayden's turn to clean but she's in the shower." Lorelei said bluntly.
"Looks like your room, Sera. I think you'll be quite at home here." Lizbeth said, kicking a gum wrapper away from her foot.
Seraphine blushed. "Mom!" She hissed. "Not in front of the headmistress!"
"Oh," Lizbeth giggles. "I'm sorry."
Faragonda smiled. "I trust that you will be comfortable in this room, Sera?"
"Yes, Headmistress Faragonda."
"Excellent. I shall leave to let you become acquainted with your roommates." The woman slipped out, shutting the double doors behind her.
"I'll get Jayden." Lorelei said, disappearing into the room beyond the couches.
Seraphine looked around again, trying to get her mind off the sick feeling in her stomach. The room was nice and spacious. In fact, it was twice as large as her room back home. Her heart ached upon her thought of home.
Home…boy, this sure isn't like home at all.
Lizbeth studied her daughter's movements. They were agitated and uncomfortable. Her face was worried and her mouth was shut tight in a half frown. She let out a sigh.
"Well, I guess I better get going."
Seraphine's heart skipped a beat. "Already?"
"Yes, you'll be fine, now, okay?"
"Okay." Seraphine looked down, trying to swallow the urge to cry.
This is it then, once she leaves, I can't go back home.
"Oh, sweetheart."
They hugged, and Seraphine clung to her mom. Her heart ached against her ribs as tears flowed down her cheeks. She breathed in her mother's scent, letting memories of their time together flash across her mind's eye.
"I love you, mom."
"I love you, my baby."
Lizbeth kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Goodbye."
"Bye."
They parted, and Sera watched her mother leave. She felt like part of her left with her.
Bran stood in the elevator with his mother at it zoomed upward. The glass walls revealed layers upon layers of the school. He stared out with anticipation, catching a glimpse of what looked like a jet hanger.
"Excited?" Alex asked her son, seeing the wonder in his eyes.
"You bet!"
She laughed. She was glad to see him excited for something. For the past year, it had been so hard for her to get him to be social. Now, she was hoping this would be the perfect opportunity for him to make friends.
The elevator slowed to a stop, bringing them to what looked like one of the highest floors.
"I've arranged a meeting with the head master." Alex told Bran as they exited the elevator.
"Seriously?"
"Yes, I thought it would be the best way for you to start off."
Bran gulped. "If you say so."
I don't like this.
He followed his mother down a stretch of halls until they came to a set of double doors. Although they were average in size, they were quite magnificent. They were etched with gold trim, and the handles, also gold, were intricately molded into Chinese dragons.
Whoa…
Bran stared at the handles as his mother knocked on the doors. Much to his surprise, they flew open. A burly man stood just a few inches above him. His shoulders were broad and muscular, his tight outfit exposed his great arms. His chiseled face sported a brown mustache, sideburns, and goatee. Bran gulped as his heart dropped to his stomach.
He's the head master?!
"Codatorta, I'm Alexandra, this is my son Bran. We're here for the appointment with Saladin."
"Right," the man stepped aside.
Bran followed his mother inside the green walled office.
"Who the heck was that?!" he whispered to his mom.
All she did was smile. "That's the head of discipline."
Bran swallowed hard and slow. He glanced over his shoulder to look at the man again. Geez, I'd hate to see what the discipline's like.
He looked ahead again to behold a small man behind a large desk. The sight was so strange, Bran almost laughed. He did not though, because even though the man was small, he had an air of authority about him. His long white beard flowed like a cloud of wisdom. His eyes were sharp, but they were hinted with kindness. In his right hand he held a golden staff that swirled at the top into a dragon head. Within its open mouth, it gripped a purple jewel in its teeth.
"Greetings, I am Head Master Saladin." He stepped away from the desk and made his way toward them. He was a bit more than half of Bran's height, which surprised the teen, since he had to look down at the head master.
"Hello, I am Alexandra, and this is my son Bran."
The man walked up to him. "Greetings, Bran of Earth." He shook his hand.
"Uh, hi."
"Receiving students from such a less than magical dimension is quite a rare thing. I am pleased to have you attend Red Fountain,"
"Thank you, sir. I am anxious to get started." Bran swallowed his urge to jump up and down with glee. On the inside, his heart was pounding; his mind was racing. Adrenaline rushed through his blood with anticipation.
Oh, man, this going to be awesome!
"So I've noticed." Saladin chuckled. "You've got that fire in your eye. Haha, I like you already. Come, follow me, I have chosen a special squad for you, my boy."
Special? The word flashed through his head a thousand times in a single second. He imagined that he would be with the best, the strongest, top of the class. Sounds great to me!
Bran stayed hot on Saladin's heels as they traced back to the elevator. Codatorta came along too; the gruff man seemed to have a frown engraved on his square face.
Talk about being uptight. No wonder they put him in charge of discipline.
"This squad is fairly new. They participated in our summer training program. In my opinion, they're one of the best around." Saladin rambled.
"Really?" His mother sounded amazed.
"Right, if they'd listen to orders." Codatorta grumbled.
Rule breakers, huh? Sounds like my kind of team.
The elevator stopped a several floors down, and they entered a long hallway. The metal floor contrasted with orange and green walls. Lights embedded into the ceiling glowed white, illuminating the way. Teenaged boys walked passed them. Some of them wore the uniform that Bran recognized, but some were in casual clothes. Regardless of what they wore, they all rushed passed them.
Probably don't want to be late for class. But a second glance at Codatorta told him that the boys were all reacting to his presence. Every time a young man laid eyes on the dean, he immediately picked up the pace.
"We have a strict schedule here." The dean said. His eyes scanned the hall with great scrutiny. "Exercise starts at 7 am sharp. Breakfast is at 8:30. Dragon taming is at 9. Lunch is at 12. Sword training is at 12:30. Educational classes start 3 and end at 6. Dinner is at 6:30. The hours between 7 and 10 are for your leisure unless your squad leader says otherwise. Bedtime is at 10 sharp."
Bran, wide eyed, turned to his mother. All she did was raise her eyebrows and give him that "You hear him" look. Bran looked away.
Sheesh, I might as well have joined the army.
"You will obey and submit to all authority including that of your squad leader." Codatorta was about to finish when Saladin brought them to a stop.
"Yes, yes, thank you Codatorta, but we don't want to scare Bran before he starts here. His fellow specialists will fill him in on the rest."
Codatorta nodded and walked back the way he came. Young man scrambled in and out of doors, rushed to and fro the hall, all to avoid the dean's disapproval. Bran gulped.
Man…I'm sure glad my dad isn't like that.
"Now, Bran. We have come to your squad's apartment." Saladin said, pointing his staff at the door off to Bran's right.
"Go knock." Alex hissed in her son's ear. She shoved him forward.
Okay, okay! Bran regained his footing and tapped his knuckles against the metal door.
"Coming!" a voice came from the other side. Crash! Thud! Bang! Clang! Thunk! Clatter!
Bran glanced at the adults with him. Alex had worry written all over her face, but Saladin just smiled, completely unaffected by the racket. Finally, after a list of onomatopoeias sounded off in the room, the door slid open. A brown haired young man stood a head shorter than Bran; he lifted his face. Bran recognized him as the kid named Wayne.
"Whoa, you're tall." Wayne said. It took him a moment to process the visage before him but when he did… "Hey! You made it!"
Immediately, Wayne grabbed Bran's right hand gave him a vigorous shake.
Yikes! Bran thought as he struggled to keep his footing.
"Great to see ya! Come on in! Oh that must be your mom. Sorry, the room's a mess, but you can come in. Oh, hi, Saladin. Saladin!" Wayne nearly jumped out of his graphic tee. He rushed to bow to the Head Master. "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't know you were there! Honest, I didn't"
Bran watched as the young man bowed repeatedly before Saladin. The old man just shook his head and chuckled.
"Wayne, it's quite alright. People don't usually spot me in a crowd anyway."
'Cause he's short. Bran stifled a laugh.
"Now, this young man is Bran. This is his mother, Alexandra."
Wayne stood upright and shook their hands. "Uh, greetings, hello. It really is great to have your son here. I'm sure he'll do great…at least I think he will. Maybe? I don't know."
"Wayne, take them inside." Saladin pointed with his staff.
"Oh! Right! I'm so sorry!"
Bran snickered as he and Alex followed Wayne into the room. The place really was an unholy mess. Everything from shoes, clothes, food wrappers and electronics littered the ground, desks, beds, and chairs.
Geez, looks just like home.
"Oh my goodness." He heard his mother whisper with shock.
"Sorry, I haven't had time to cleeeeean!" Wayne's foot caught on a shoe and he collided face first with the floor.
"Oh!" Alex cried.
Whoa! Bran bolted forward to help him up. He danced his way over the junk to Wayne.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, ehehe. It's normal for me to be so clumsy."
Bran rolled his eyes. Sounds like someone else I know. Seraphine popped into his head for a split second.
"I trust that you will be comfortable here, Bran?" Saladin said, standing at the door.
Bran was glad he didn't come in.
Good thing too; I don't want the old man doing one of Sera's numbers.
"Yes sir."
"Excellent. I shall take my leave."
"Master Saladin, may I go with you?" Alexandra said.
"Of course. I'll wait out here until you have bid your son goodbye."
"Thank you."
The door slid shut as Alex turned to her son. She was smiling, but Bran saw the tears in her eyes.
"Mom—" He began, but she cut him off by hugging him. He embraced her.
"Be careful, Bran."
"I will, I promise." He tucked her head under his chin and swayed slowly as he held her. His heart was sad, but he knew this was for the better.
"I love you, Bran."
"I love you mom. I love you so much. Never forget that, okay?"
She pulled away, sniffing. "I won't dear, I promise."
Bran wiped her tears away and smiled. "Be strong for me. I'll be home before you know it."
She blinked back the water in her eyes and nodded.
"I'll make you proud." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I know you will. Goodbye, son." She kissed his cheek and let him see her out.
Bran watched her walk down the hall beside the old man. He was happy to be at Red Fountain, really he was, but something inside him kept him longing to be home. His heart sank slightly as memories of home filled his mind.
No, I need to focus on the here and now.
He pushed away the thoughts and reentered the room. The door hissed as it shut.
He was surprised to find Wayne standing among the mess, looking blue.
"Uh…hey, you alright?" Bran asked him.
Wayne cleared his throat and started picking up brightly colored wrappers off the floor. "Um, yeah, I'm fine, I guess."
"Need a hand?"
"Uh, sure. I mean only if you want to. It's not like it's your mess." Wayne laughed nervously.
"Nah, it's cool." The dark haired teen said, setting his bags aside to help clean.
Lorelei slipped through her and Jayden's bedroom to the restroom door. She tapped her knuckles on it.
"Jay!"
"What?! I'm not done yet!"
"I know, but we got a new roommate."
"For real?!"
"For real. Hurry up, you're taking too long. You gotta come say hi."
Lorelei stood at the door, hearing all the sounds coming from inside the room. The rushing water stopped, and Jayden's murmurings echoed off the walls. The blond rolled her eyes.
Never stops complaining.
Lorelei leaned against the door frame.
Wonder how she'll react when she finds out it's that one girl.
The door opened, releasing a fog of hot steam. Out of it emerged Jayden. Her wet curls flowed down to her ankles. She wore a yellow green shirt and a pair of yellow pants.
"You look bright." Lorelei commented.
"Shut up. Where is she?"
"In the main room. Come on."
The two girls walked back to the center room to find the new roommate hugging her mother. The sight touched Jayden's heart, but not in the nice way; it stung. She quickly looked away, ignoring the memories of her own mother. She never liked her mother very much; all the woman ever did was bark orders. She would force Jayden to take care of her brothers and sisters, and when she was old enough to go out to sea, her mother sent her out on the fishing trips with her father. The only things Jayden recalled of her mother was her nitpicking.
Who needs a mom, anyway?
When they parted, she looked back to study the girl. Her hair was long, but not as long as Jayden's; it only went past her waist. It was dark brown and wavy. She wore a solid red long sleeve and jean skirt. Her legs had white tights and she wore black sneakers.
Glad to see she ain't materialistic. Jayden thought. I hate 'princesses'.
Jayden noticed that girl actually looked very much like her mother, only the woman's hair was curlier and shorter.
Apple doesn't fall to far from the tree, I guess.
As soon as the mother left, Jayden said:
"Well that was touching."
The girl gasped and brushed away her tears.
Seriously? Dang, what a sap.
"Um, sorry." The girl turned. Jayden recognized her immediately.
"Oh, it's you; the girl who was mad about being a fairy."
A look of bewilderment flashed across the girl's face.
"Um, I wasn't mad about that." She countered defensively.
Geez, way shut me out.
"Whatever, what's your name again?"
"Seraphine."
"Weird name."
"Actually, it come from a word called seraphim, which is an angel."
Oh no, she's a nerd. Better butt in before she rattles our ears off.
"Uh, ok, well, listen: I'm Jayden."
"I know; I recognize your face."
"Those rooms behind you are empty. Pick which one you want and which bed you wanna sleep in, okay?"
"Okay."
"Great." Jayden plopped down on the couch with Lorelei. "We'll be here if you need us."
Seraphine walked into the room farthest to her right. She found two beds present. One was on raised part of the room to her right. The other was in front of her, against the farthest wall.
This one looks good. She thought, leaning her luggage against it.
As she started to unpack, she listened to Jayden and Lorelei's conversation.
"What do you think?" Lorelei said.
"Goody two shoes." Jayden answered.
"Yup. Guess Faragonda wants to keep us on check."
"Don't worry about it. I'll give her a week before she goes home."
"More like three days. She won't last the first day of school."
Seraphine felt her chest grow hot with anger. They don't even know me! Just they wait, I'm gonna prove them wrong! I'm gonna stick to this and be the best fairy I can be!
Bran sighed with relief and threw himself on his new bed. He looked over to his right, where another bed stood. Unlike how the dorm used to be, that bed was neatly arranged.
"Who's is that?" Bran asked Wayne.
The teenager came in with a pad of sorts. It reminded Bran of his tablet.
"That's Matt's."
"That orange-haired guy that bosses you around, right?"
"Uh, yeah, that guy."
"Why does he act like that?"
"Um…'cause he's a prince I guess."
"Seriously?!"
"Seriously. What? You don't have princes on Earth?"
"We do, but I didn't think princes needed to attend Red Fountain."
"They don't have to, but in his family, it's a tradition. His father attended here, and his brother graduated just last year. See?"
Wayne held out the device to Bran. On the screen was a picture of a king and queen. The king had blonde hair and blue eyes, his wife had long red hair and turquoise eyes. Three children stood in front of them. The oldest had short hair like his father, but its color was red like his mother's. To the far right, in front of the mother was a girl who appeared to be in her tweens. Her long hair resembled her mother's but it was yellow, like the king's. In the middle of them stood a familiar face; Matthew's. His hair color and style was a blend of both parents'; it was orange and at medium length. His scowl showed that he wasn't happy about taking the picture.
"Geez, is he always like that?"
"Always."
The hiss of the main door told them someone entered the room.
"Yo, Wayne!" a familiar voice came to Bran's ears.
"In here, Pierce!"
The dark-haired teen came in with Matthew right behind him.
"What are you doing in my room?" The prince demanded.
Bran felt his defenses go up in a flash. He didn't like the tone the prince had used, nor did he like the aura he was giving off.
Wayne immediately cringed. "Uh—actually—well—you see—you have a new roommate!"
Bran brushed aside Wayne's pointing finger and stood. "Bran." He held out his hand to the prince.
All Matthew did was stare at him. Tension tightened in air like a knot. Bran felt the prince's cold eyes burrow into his defenses, but he was determined to keep them up. His hand fell to his side.
"What's the matter? They don't do handshakes on your planet?"
"Not exactly. What are you doing here, Earthling?"
Bran almost laughed; how fitting that he call him that.
"Same reason as you, to make my family proud."
"My family is already proud. It's my father that has yet to be pleased."
"Still sounds like the same reason to me."
Matthew turned away to look at Wayne. "This is supposed to replace Jasper?"
"Uh, well, I honestly dunno, I mean, Saladin brought him here."
"Saladin, huh? You must be mighty important on Earth." Pierce said with a grin.
"Nah, my mom just made an appointment."
"Either way, welcome to Red Fountain." Pierce said, putting out a hand, Bran shook it.
"Thanks."
"Enough. Down to business, rookie." Matthew said, shoving his nose into the air.
Bran realized that the prince was only an inch shorter than he was.
"Listen up, and listen good. This squad has its own schedule. Wake up time is 5:30 am. Exercise starts at 6:00, then breakfast is at 8:30. Dragon taming at 9. Lunch at 12 and swordsmanship at 12:30. Classes are from 3 to 6. Dinner at 6:30. Additional training is at 7 to 9:30. Bedtime is at 10."
"Wait a minute, 7 to 10 is freetime."
"Unless the squad leader says otherwise, and that's me."
"What?"
"That's right, I'm the squad leader. From now on, you'll be taking orders from me. Got a problem with that?"
Bran glared back. "I might."
"Then take it up with Saladin. I wouldn't be surprised if you being here is a mistake."
"Matt, its almost 12." Pierce said.
"Shut up, I'm not done with him yet. Listen, Earthling, bedtime is at 10 sharp. If you aren't in the room by then, you're gonna be needing another place to sleep, got it?"
"Got it."
"Good. You miss the cut off, you better be back here at 6 the next morning 'cause I'm gonna work you twice as hard."
"Little exercise don't sound scary to me."
"Tough guy, huh? We'll see how long you last before I break you. Let's roll out."
The prince strode out of the room with Pierce right behind him.
Bran let his eyes follow him with disgust. Wayne came up to him, shaking in his sneakers.
"You know, you really shouldn't challenge him like that. He's got a bad temper."
"Well so do I, let's see how he goes toe-to-toe with that."
"I don't wanna see."
"Know where the cafeteria is?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Let's go eat, I'm following you."
"Uh, right, this way."
