Chapter 8- I Turn Into a Human Icicle

Almost three full weeks had gone by since I had arrived at Wizard City, and I was fully settled in. I had decorated my dorm, I was the top of my class (Initiate, now), and I had three awesome friends. It was more than I could have ever dreamed of back on Earth, and my life had finally taken a turn for the better.

I still couldn't help but worry though, about Wizard City's possible impending doom, and about my mysterious name. I had fought several different mobs all over Wizard City, but I knew it was just population control. Ambrose had yet to give me, or any of us, a proper quest. In fact, he seemed to be ignoring the problem altogether. In my weeks here I had figured out that a man named Malistaire had tormented Wizard City, raised the dead, and caused monsters to roam all the streets. And Ambrose was doing nothing about it.

My name, however, I had learned absolutely nothing about, just that whenever I told people my name they winced, or grew silent, or backed away slowly. So I either had an extremely stupid name, or a cursed one. I frequently visited the library in the Commons, but I was unable to find anything so far.

Today though, turned out to be a very important day, because today was when Malistaire decided to strike. I was walking around in the Commons with Jaqueline, minding my own business, when the sky ripped open and a man flew out. I didn't get a good look at him, but he wore dark robes and carried a large staff. Two dragons flew closely behind him.

The man and his minion broke into Golem Tower, and we all held our breath. A storm brewed above the tower, and large crashes sounded from the top floor. A battle was commencing. It seemed like hours before Ambrose descended from the tower, ushering a boy over to his office. I heard whispers of "new kid", "fought Malistaire", and "Novice". The only thing I seemed to notice though was the boy's blue jeans, brown T shirt, and hoodie. Earth clothes.

I stood frozen there for what seemed to be hours, not noticing when Jaqueline left me, or when Luis came and waved a hand in front of my face, or when it started to rain. I just stood there, waiting for the boy from Earth to come out. I just stood there, because I needed to know that he was real. I just stood there, because I already knew, deep down, that he was the answer. He was what Ambrose had been waiting for.

Rain pooled on the brim of my hat, but I hardly noticed. What I did notice, however, was when the icicles started to hang from my hat, causing it to sag over my eyes. My robes were frosty, and my shoes were frozen to the ground. Frost started to sprout from my feet, running across the ground in spiny tendrils. This quickly escalated, and pretty soon the entire Commons was coated in a thin layer of ice, and the pond was frozen over. Snowflakes drifted from the sky and fell in piles upon the icy streets. I just looked around in awe and disbelief at the winter wonderland around me. I had caused this. I must have been awfully anxious…

I was too preoccupied with removing the icicles from my hat and dislodging my feet from the ice that I hardly noticed when the boy stepped out of Ambrose's office. He shivered and stared wide eyed at the snow around him, which, I realized, had not been there a few minutes ago. I finally freed my feet, but then realized that it would do me absolutely no good. I had no idea how to unfreeze the Commons.

The boy gazed around himself in awe, and then turned to me. His jaw dropped. I couldn't even imagine what I must have looked like, standing there, a stricken look on my face, feet refreezing, and icicles hanging from my hat.

"D-did you d-do this?" he said, shivering. I closed my mouth, which I suddenly realized had been hanging open, and walked over to him. I took a closer look at him, at his golden eyes, his soft brown hair, and his stunning features. Our breath made vapor in the air, but I wasn't cold anymore.

"You're from Earth… Right?" I asked quietly, ignoring his question completely. We were the only two people left in the Commons. Everything felt very still, while I awaited his answer, and the only sound was that of the falling snow. He nodded slightly.

"W-w-why did you f-f-freeze everything?" he stuttered, wrapping his Earth hoodie more tightly around him. I frowned, and looked down at my shoes, which were already starting to freeze to the snow.

"I… I don't know." I sighed. "I was anxious…" My pale face turned red as I realized just what I had said.

"Why?" He wasn't shivering anymore.

"Because… Because of you." He blushed, and I hurried to correct myself. "Because you're from Earth." I paused, hoping he'd understand. He frowned a little. "I'm from Earth too… But I'm the only one. Well, was the only one." He contemplated this for a moment, then reached his hand out to me and grinned.

"Dylan Dreamstrider," he said, "Balance… I think…"

"Grace Nightwhisper," I said, smiling. "I'm Ice."

"Really?" he said, laughing a little. "I would have never guessed." Dylan looked around at the icy Commons, smiling at me. I blushed, then shivered a little. This made him laugh even more. "I didn't know Ice wizards got cold." He smirked, but then handed me his hoodie. I put it on reluctantly, but as soon as I had, I was grateful. I hadn't realized how cold it was out here, and anyways, the sweater smelled like him. My stomach fluttered as I thought this, but I wasn't entirely sure why.

"So how do you like it here?" Dylan said, waking me from my thoughts. "It looks a lot different than Earth…"

"Well, I've only actually been here for about three weeks," I said, welcoming the change in conversation, "But I really like it here. It's different from Earth, but in a good way. For me, at least," I added, glancing down at my feet. When I looked back up, he met my eyes, smiling at me slightly. I was so entranced, I didn't even hear the office door creak open.

"Grace! What have you done?!" Ambrose gasped, looking wildly around at the Commons. His eyes then rested on me. In Dylan's hoodie. His gaze drifted over to Dylan. "Dylan. My office. Now." I had never heard Ambrose so angry; it sent a shiver down my back. Dylan ran up the stairs to Ambrose's office, keeping his head down. He opened the door, and paused. He glanced back at me, worry written all over his face. Ambrose turned to glare at him, the sunlight catching on his monocle. It had stopped snowing. Dylan slipped into the office, the door closing behind him with a small click. Ambrose turned back to me. "Go. I never want to see your nasty face here again." I stood there in shock, not quite comprehending what he had just said. "Go!" his voiced boomed, echoing off of the ice.

I ran from the Commons, not sure where I was going until I saw Bartleby. I slipped inside the world tree, and walked up to the Spiral door. I froze the Commons. Ambrose banished me. Ambrose banished me because I froze the Commons? I ran it over again and again in my head, but it still didn't make sense. Where was I supposed to go? I had never even seen another world in the Spiral before.

I took a shaky breath, closed my eyes, turned the door knob, and slipped through.