The class gathered around the swamp on that day they had Professor Palladium. All the girls were dressed in uniform that day. "Welcome class to Black Mud Swamp, and to…to.. AH-CHOO! R-right as you can see, I'm slightly allergic to the sap from the Igglethord Vine. Now, this is your first field exercise for the Magic of Nature." He paused to see the students were rather disgusted by their surroundings. One girl raised her hand, "I'm in the wrong class, and I'm from an urban realm." The girl said. "A well-rounded education is what Alfea is all about, Dhalia. The two exchanged words, about the nature, being a little squeamish when they heard that a keekbug bit her.
Syria stood there with Amaryl and the rest of the girls from her own dorm room. Syria watched as Bloom headed in the direction which was straight. Probably the most obvious way to get through to the other side that day. They had been warned not to use any type of Magic. Or their grades would go dramatically.
"Hey, Sy do you want to go with Bloom and the others?" Amaryl asked. Syria shook he head. "No, lets get going.
"Ugg, we're finally out. Foulwarp class is totally lame." Commented Stormy, as Trix were inside their dorm. "Where's that stupid ogre? His text message said he'd be here." Darcy said seeing no sign of him. "I'm in here." Knut said. Darcy notices and complains. "Can I come out now? My foot's asleep and I got an itch I can't scratch." "D, let him out." Icy said taking a seat on her bed. "Huh? Ugg, he stinks." Darcy said opening up the wardrobe to let Knut out.
"There's no ventilation in here." Knut said defending himself against the Trix. "Why does he have to stay in here? He is stinking up my wardrobe." Stormy said pointing hat her wardrobe. "We have to hide him somewhere. What if the R.A. comes knocking?" "Just be a dear Knut and find a way to clean yourself so that we can ah, what?"
A quacking like sound.
"It's that duck again." She pointed at Knuts feet. The duck ran to Icy's feet, calling out, "Mommy, Mommy." "Why me?" Icy shook her head. She picked up the duck. "We must be careful ladies, we beak enough rules as it is: skipping class, sneaking out, and breaking into Alfea." "Yeah but, please, we do it for the greater evil." Stormy commented. "True. Now you, what's so urgent that you couldn't stick in the text message? We have important things to do."
Knut told them about sneaking around Red Fountain. I heard someone say that a team of specialist were bring my Hunting Troll to Magix today, and they were going to give him to the authorities." Icy glared at him with menace in her eyes. "That's it?" Icy asked. "Hold up, though. What if the interrogation sorcerers get a hold of him and use a mind read spell? Even with his little pea-breain they'l lfind out our plan." "Point taken. In that case, we'll just have to state a little jail break, free the troll and get rid of the sorry beast forever."
Down in Black Mud Swap, Syria and the other girls looked up to see a Red Fountain. They watched as the aircaaft zoomed along flipping over in the air. Syria shook her head, "I wonder where those boys are going?" Syria asked as the other girls moved along towards what seemed to be a endless river that smelled disgusting.
"How are we going to get across?" Cornelia asked. "Easy." Syria said. "Look at the rocks, its lumps of earth that is sticking up, moving but heavy enough they can use our weight." Syria said. She leaped to the first one and to the second balancing herself. Turning her head, she waved her friends over. "Let's go!" Syria said and leaped to another one just in time. The other girls followed suit. All the sudden up in the air, the Red Fountain aircraft went soaring above their heads and to the back of them. "I hope their okay." Syria pointed out as the other girls reached the other side. "Should we go back?" Syria asked. "No." Amaryl said. "Their specialist from Red Fountain, they can handle it..." Amaryl told Syria and the rest of the girls.
"Okay," remarked the red head girl. Then they heard it, a loud grunting noise in the distance. "I don't like the sound of that." Syria said pointing ahead of them.
All of them ran in the direction of the loud roar and grunting. In a clear field there he was. The same creature that attacked her home in Gardenia and damaged most of the house. The blue troll. "Oh no," Syria said. "That thing attacked Bloom and I, back at home in Gardenia." Syria pointed him out. There were also the ghouls with him. "That is probably why the Specialist were flying the aircraft. They were transporting him somewhere." Syria told the other girls who looked frightened.
"Hey, girls. I'm the one from Earth. Do you four know how to deal with this thing?" Syria asked out of being curious. "Well." Amaryl said. "No." Both Karina and Francis started. Syria rolled her eyes. "It's getting dark its best to get out of here while it's still light. We can walk around it." Syria said. They started to the left of the field and still inside the swamp so that the smells were more powerful than they were when it came to their scent.
The troll sniffed around, and at its loudest roared at the girls. "That thing is so foul!" Amaryl said as they were backed into a corner. Syria had however managed to start climbing up the mountain but two of the other girls and Amaryl hadn't been able to climb up. "Amaryl! Climb!" Syria said. "It's not that difficult. Or transform."
"We're not allowed to transform!" Amaryl said. "Oh please, Palladium won't want us to get hurt by him! He'll understand why you flew up!" Syria said. Amaryl shook he head and then out of nowhere, the boys of Red Fountain were there and so were Bloom, and the rest of her dorm mates. Syria sighed and watched everyone as the wrangled up the beast. Amaryl had fled to the other side and made her way around the hill.
Syria would not speak of this to Bloom. She didn't want her to know anything of what had just occurred. Syria watched Bloom as they backed tracked. Which was awfully strange. They had an assignment to finish after all.
Soon they were in the crystal clearing out of Black Mud Swamp, all the class were there expect for Bloom's group. Syria grew worried that the troll had once again escaped.
The girls turned back to their class and approached quietly, all too aware of the long analyzing look Professor Palladium was giving them. When they joined the class, he finally addressed them. "Your group is by far the last to arrive and so, unfortunately you receive a zero for punctuality."
Despite expecting this, the girls hung their heads in disappointment. Their heads jerked up in hope at his next words however.
"However I watched you throughout today's exercise and despite your tardiness, I'm really satisfied with your work. Therefore you receive thirty points for generosity, twenty five for initiative, forty for courage, and fifty for your ability to listen to the Voice of Nature, which makes your score the highest."
The five girls traded grins, excited that they were being rewarded for their hard work.
The shrill voice of another student interrupted their proud moment however. "That's not fair. They were the last to get here." Amaryl, one of the girls they saved from the ogre earlier, pushed her way to the front of the group, her face set in a frown. Palladium merely chuckled at her complaining. "But I never said it was a race, did I? Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination," he said wisely and beckoned for them to follow him back up to the school.
Syria made pushed herself through the crowd and waited for Bloom. "You did amazing, Bloom. I was sort of on the sidelines when you guys saved Amaryl." They all looked at her. "And the boys was Tyler with them?" Syria asked. "No," Flora said. "Why don't you give him a call?" Flora asked gently. "I don't have his number, plus we just danced. Not like it meant anything." Syria said. "Oh, but I think it did." Flora said nudging her. "I'm sure Stella can get it from Sky and Sky can give him your number." Flora nudged Stella in the elbow. "Oh right! I'll text him when we get back to school." Stella said.
That just made Syria actually sort of happy to hear.