In the middle of Eironia in the town of Bloch:

Triste stood staring at the water fountain in the middle of the town square. Water poured out of an urn held by a beautiful maiden in a sleeveless gown, her wings out as if she were going to fly away. Standing next to her was a handsome young man holding a babe, two young girls, and an adolescent boy. Triste looked at the fountain with longing. There her family was, frozen in stone, waiting for her. Deep in the rock were her families ashes. 7 years ago, her poor little town had been attacked by Ganfinics. Ganfinics were elf-like people who had very short fuses and no social skills. They had been trying to expand their empire and had tried to take the whole of Eironia. They had offered to let the pixies live as they were as long as they submitted to Ganfinion rule. The Eironions refused their offer because the Ganfinics were tyrannus. A week after word of their rejection, the Ganfinics attacked Eironia, though not in a war sense. They kidnaped the Kaiser and his family and decapitated them in the town square of the smallest town in Eironia. Only, the ignorant Ganfinics got the wrong family. They beheaded Triste's family instead. Triste escaped with her life (and her head) only because her brother got himself killed hiding her below the floor boards. It was tragic and appalling, especially for Triste. She was seven years old when her parents, younger twin sisters, and her older brother died. Agua, her brother, had killed himself to save Triste, it was an event Triste remembered clearly.

Triste and Agua ran through the vast halls of their home, the sun lighting the way.

"Triste, whatever you do, don't let them catch you!" Agua had told her between breaths.

Running into what had been his room, Agua pulled open a nearly inaudible trapdoor in the floor and pushed Triste in. She looked up into her brother's eyes and found nothing but fear.

"I'll come back for you. I'll bring Mama and Papa back with Feliz and Esperanza. I promise." Agua had whispered as he closed the trap door behind him.

"But he never came back." Triste whispered out loud.

Triste waited under the floor for what seemed like hours. The screams of her family died away awhile ago. Droplets of water started dripping onto the top of her head. Finally, Triste opened the door and peered out. The sun had fallen and the night was dark. Climbing out of the floor she felt that the floor was soaked. Crawling along through her brother's room, she felt her way to the door. She sat against the door jamb and decided to sleep. Her brother and the rest of her family must be hiding someplace else. I'll find them, she had thought, they can't be far. Standing and walking out of her brother's room, she found a candle and lit it with a match kept nearby. Walking throughout the house she found no one. Heading outside she saw a lot of blood in the hallway. It pooled and trailed to her front door. Running to the door she pulled it open. Leaning against the edge of the door was her brother.

"Oh, Agua!" she had cried and pulled him into the house. They fell on the floor, Agua leaning against Triste like a small child. His wings had been cut off and his throat had been slit.

"Agua..." Triste knew she could save him. All she had to do was get him to a doctor.

"Triste, Stay here..." he croaked.

"But, Agua I can get help." she protested.

"No. I don't want to live anymore." he said. Blood bubbled from his throat with every word he spoke.

"Agua...don't" Triste pleaded.

"Triste...I love you...Don't...give...up like...I did... If you...do I'll...hit you...so hard..." he never got to finish his sentence. His body slumped down and Triste laid him down on the floor. She sat there next to her brother's body that night, dry eyed but angry.

The next morning, townsfolk found her curled next to her brother's body.

"Triste?" a voice asked.

Triste turned. A man stood behind her. He wasn't a pixie, although he wasn't a Ganfinic either, He was human. He was the man who was supposed to find homes for her to stay in. She didn't know his name, but that wasn't important to her.

"Have you found someplace for me to go?" she asked.

"Yes, actually. Quarin School of Magick." the man said formally.

"Magick? I am not magick, sir. All those happenings were naught but coincidences."she said speaking in Royal.

"Believe but you will miss but that is where I found you to stay. Term starts in a week." the man said, terminating the conversation.