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Lumimiaria
Chapter 1
The sky poured itself relentlesslyout onto the school grounds. Thunder rumbled off in the distance as lightning highlighted the shape of a large storied and towered compound in fleeting instances. The storm’s howling winds and cold darkness seemed to overwhelm everything but a small, warm ray of yellow light that flickered in and out through the branches lashing in the wind. A young girl, only 10 years old or so, knelt with her frame silhouetted in the high window by the light coming within the room. She stared out into the ink black night from behind her arms, which she had folded under her chin. The rain howled through the forest and fell like stars against the shining windowpane. From behind the girl came the sound of a quill pen scratching away at parchment, joined by the crackling of a cheerily burning fire nestled in the mantel.
The pen belonged to the Headmistress, who sat at her great red oak desk with her back to the dancing flames. The two companions had been in silence for quite awhile now, the young girl kneeling at the window staring dejectedly out at the darkness and the headmistress, in her neatly tucked green dress, writing up the report.
It was the elder who broke the silence first, suddenly sighing as she put the pen down and lifted her cheek from the hand which she had propped it on. “ Tell me, Xhaun.”
The girl looked back at the woman.
” What shall I do about you?” asked the headmistress, getting up, “ This isn't the first time you’ve run away.”
Xhaun’s head dropped and her eyes, of such a strange ochre shade that they were almost golden, lowered. “I'm sorry...I...I...won't ever do it again. Please don't tell Mom and Dad...they’ll be so disappointed.” The girl looked back up at her headmistress with a pleading expression as the older woman stopped in front of her.
“ Xhaun, I have no choice. Should a student be report hurt, I would be responsible. Fortunately, you were only missing. Your parents must be notified...” the headmistress said firmly. She gazed down at the black hair of her student, waiting for an explanation as the younger stared determinedly at the floor. Then suddenly, Xhaun’s voice burst out, “ I left because they were laughing at me!”
“ Laughing at you?” asked the Headmistress.
“ They said...I can't do anything right...and when I did do well, they said it was all a fluke! I told them I practiced hard, but they ignored me. I told them to stop...to stop putting me down. But they didn't listen...they said, I was useless because I'm half an immortal...am I useless, because I'm different? Is that fair? Just because I'm not like them...because my parents are never near to comfort me if they laugh at me, is that why they pick on me? Because I can't seek the comfort I need...to feel brave?
Why are they prejudiced against people different from them? Headmistress...have you ever felt...that you’d lost all your faith in yourself? Because people kept putting you down?”
The Headmistress didn’t reply. Xhaun continued staring at the floor, at the fire’s reflections dancing in the polished oak boards with those of the headmistress’s.
“ Xhaun.”
The girl looked up as the elder suddenly spoke.
“ Let me tell you a story,” said the Headmistress, sitting down cross-legged on the floor in front of Xhaun. The room was warm enough so that neither wore heavy winter clothes, only simple dresses that were comfortable to move around in.
“ A story? Of what?” said Xhaun, a little puzzled at where this was going. She copied the older woman, settling down with her legs folding into her white cotton dress, hands clasping in the middle of her lap. The fire cast a warm golden-brown glow around them, reflecting off the shining walls around them, comforting and familiar. Firelight was an age-old companion to story telling, a special piece to complete it.
“ Just listen,” the woman said patiently,” Once, ten years ago at this same school, there was a girl named Jenn…” As the Headmistress’ voice slowly wove the tale, the fire’s crackling and the warm, glowing walls of the office seemed to melt away…
“ Hey! Wake up you!” Saru chided, stubbornly shaking her friend no matter how hard Jenn tried to ignore her. The girl groaned in pain, futilely rolling herself tighter into the sheets like a porcupine, although this didn’t make her nearly as dangerous as one. Saru slammed onto her, smacking her face under the sheets and bouncing up and down, jarring the entire bed frame.
“ Yeah, wake up! There’s a scary old demon outside,” Onimi said, leaning over Saru’s shoulder to look down at his sleepy friend. He snatched the sheets away.
“ Ah! No, you go get them…leave me alone…” Jenn moaned and shut her eyes tighter, covering them up with her hands.
Saru leaned back for a moment, arms akimbo, “ No way! “ she exclaimed, “ today’s not our day. Come on! Get up!” She continued yanking on Jenn, looking at Onimi for help. The taller boy straightened, rolling his sleeves up and jerking his braid out of the way, “ You won’t get up, eh? Then I guess we’re gonna have to fireball you…”
Two seconds later, Jenn crashed out into the hall, stumbling over her sheets with her boots swinging crazily in her hands. She cursed as she ran down the hall, still in her p.j.s, “ Damn you Onimi!”. Her bare feet pattered over the floor.
Saru tried to catch up with her, “ Wait you forgot your nunchaku! Jenn, Jenn! Oh…” she stopped in the middle of the empty hallway, glancing at the weapons in her hands, “ I hope she’ll be ok…”
Onimi walked up beside her. “ Heh,” he leaned on the rich oak walls, “ That kid? Somehow, she always lands on her feet.”
The marsh outside Beta was drenched in fog as thick as a woolly blanket. Jenn had realized that she forgot to change into her warm school uniform and was now tramping along, alone and sulking in the cold, dismal damp. She blew on her hands then rubbed her arms and sides vigorously. Her p.j.s were definitely not enough to balk the chill. Bitterly, she muttered under her breath, mocking Onimi and Saru. “ There’s a scary old demon outside. Yeah right. I’m gonna kill them. Some prank this is.” She scoffed. Suddenly, she stopped to look around. “ Uh oh…”
She seemed to be lost. Even the familiar terrain of the marsh looked like a strange land to her in the thick mist. She cast around desperately for a familiar tree or path. All of a sudden, a wind swirled the white fog around her, stirring it up into strange patterns, but failing to clear a way. Jenn did, however, catch a glimpse of a forest. She headed towards it, sniffling loudly. Maybe she’d find one of the school’s markers and be able to get her bearings.
Trees, their trunks thickened by years of rich growth and worn to smoothness by many seasons, grew out of the swamp every several yards. Their branches overflowed with vines and leaves and moss wrapped itself around their barks. As she ran, Jenn’s boots sank into watery loam and peat. Every one of her steps was accompanied with a squelching sound as she darted hurriedly among the trees, scanning for a strip of bright yellow ribbon that would be wrapped around one of the trunks. Eventually, she stopped, hissing through chattering teeth and shivering. At this point, she was starting to get desperate. She had lost track of time and hadn’t found a single marker of any sort. As another driving wind swept over her, Jenn shrank into herself. If she kept running through this mildewy, wet air against the frigid winds, she’d catch pneumonia before she found her way home!
A sudden idea clicked. Maybe she could try fire-balling something for warmth! Or at least burn away some of the bone chilling damp. She chose a drier bush, set her aim, and concentrated on the spell. As soon as she did, however, the plant rustled. Jenn took a wary step back, keeping her hands in position for the magic. The leaves bent to and fro. She squared her shoulders. The twigs snapped, and she dug her heel into the loam. The sounds increased and out slid- a ferret.
Jenn unfroze, heaving a massive sigh, “ What a scary monster.” She rolled her eyes, partly out of exasperation with herself. For a moment, she’d actually been worried. It must have been her anxiety at being lost getting the better of her, because swamp creatures generally made a point of avoiding the students at Beta anyway. Jenn took a good look at the animal. Strangely, this little guy didn’t seem to mind her at all. It sat alert and upright, washing its bandit face with neat little paws. It was really quite cute. She smiled and was about to move away when suddenly, it cocked its head at her, gazing at her intently. Jenn couldn’t help but tilt her own head also in puzzlement. This wasn’t what normal animals did…
The creature slowly got down on its paws, and then took a few deliberate steps into the mist. It turned around to observe Jenn, but when she did not respond, it came back again, this time throwing itself at her feet to yank her shoelaces persistently in the same direction.
“ Hey! Get off!” Startled, Jenn leapt back and tried to brush him off, but the ferret snapped impatiently back at her fingers, tugging vigorously at her shoe. “ Alright, alright! I get it! Go!”
She shooed him off again, this time following as the animal bounded forward into the white mist. As she tried to keep up with it, Jenn recalled tales of pets or even wild animals rescuing humans left helpless in the wild by leading them back home. This was probably one of those cases, and Jenn thanked her lucky stars for her furry guardian. It seemed to have a good idea of where it was going at any rate, stopping now and then to check back on her progress. Pretty soon, Jenn saw a familiar-looking shadow loom out of the mist. She came to a halt, gasping in delight. “ Oh, the Year Tree!”
The majestic tree solidified upon her coming closer. Long, yellow strands of ribbons crisscrossed the tree’s enormous trunk in numerous loops and fluttered in the wind where they tapered down. Merry little paper lanterns of red, green, and gold hung alongside the ribbons from strong, leafy, pine-green boughs that dipped low above Jenn’s head. It was a tree older than Beta itself. Though not taller than the other trees surrounding it, its trunk was so massive that in order to embrace it, ten students needed to link hands. Every season, the school held the Solstice Festivals under its sheltering arms, and every New Year’s they would add another strand of ribbon to help it count the years. It was beloved to everyone at the school. Jenn came close, smiling and touched its old, worn skin, familiar like that of a cherished grandfather’s.
The ferret was gone.
Jenn rested her head on the tree for a few respectful moments, mouthing a thank you and breathing in its fragrant aroma, now confident of her direction. As she took her first step, however, she froze completely once more. She had heard rustling again. “ What now, more furry forest animals?” she hissed under her breath half-sarcastically, but she couldn’t bring herself to snort in cynicism. Something, her instincts told her, was wrong.
The rustling persisted, and if anything, was louder and more ominous than before. She held her breath and strained her ears.
It sounded like something was circling her, snapping small trees and branches carelessly here and there. Jenn struggled to see anything through the thick fog, and she backed instinctively against the Year Tree as she squinted. But the thing, whatever it was, was impossible to locate as it circled, making her wish it would stop. It was creeping her out. Jenn quickly realized the situation had turned a complete 180. No wonder the ferret had run off. Half-formed, near-panicked thoughts distracted her. Only predators circled other animals like this to confuse prey, and this one sounded like it was so big it didn’t care about hiding is presence. Only arrogance or confidence could make a hunter betray itself. Jenn calculated. She had nowhere to run without possibly hitting it dead on. Except…
A large cracking noise suddenly came from the right, and she whirled around. It sounded like it had come even closer than she thought. Forcing herself to stay calm, she used her hearing. The breathing of something large and heavy reached her ears. It was irregular and harsh, and Jenn could imagine its hot and heavy animal breath on her face. She shook this feeling off, and resolutely turned to face the direction the sounds came from. But she was too late. Immediately, without warning, a shadow fell over her.
She gasped. It was definitely bigger than she thought it was, and definitely more powerful than any mere predator. It was dog shaped with three heads, eyes bulging and tongues lolling between foot-long teeth, all dripping with saliva, arranged like twin rows of deadly pikes in each reddish-purple mouth. Its coat was all black except for the bare red of its belly and paws. Five-inch long claws curved viciously to end in lethal points that carved up the ground it stood upon.
It was Cerberus.
The watchdog of Hell glowered down at Jenn from the height of ten feet, its withers snapping some of the Year Tree’s branches as it looped around the massive trunk that it had hidden behind. Lanterns rained down, but Jenn bit her lip and kept her cool, backing away slowly while reaching for her nanchaku…or rather, where her nanchaku should have been. She froze in cold panic. There was no way! Where were they? She cursed frantically in her head as she scrabbled away. Then it hit her at the same time her back hit the Year Tree. She had forgot them in her room!
“ Um…” she grinned up at Cerberus. “ Hello…heh.” She bolted in the other direction. Cerberus pounded after her, but Jenn grabbed a branch overhead and swung herself onto it before launching herself at the next branch, scrabbling up and deeper and deeper into the thick, dark foliage, away from Cerberus’s snapping, frothing jaws. It roared, the sound almost deafening her and spurring her onwards blindly. However, as soon as she reached the main trunk of the tree, she had come so far up that Cerberus had given up reaching her with its jaws. She stopped a moment, resting in the crotch of two branches, steadying herself against them as she peered back down the hole in the leaves the guardian-dog had created. Slowly, she recovered her breath and thought about her next step. Very obviously, going down was not an option, so if she could reach the top of the tree and fire a magic flare for help…. Yes, that would work. In the meantime, the tree would shelter her from the cold and the dog.
Jenn reached above her head for the next branch, but she suddenly felt the whole tree shake, knocking her off balance. It was like the entire trunk had simply slid away from under her, and before she knew it, the sickening feeling of plummeting had hit her.
Jenn tumbled to the ground, groaning as she tried to get back up, but something was definitely broken. She hadn’t landed on flat ground, but instead on one of the Year Tree’s buttress roots. The pain caused lights to pop and flicker behind her eyelids. Cerberus had rammed her off her perch, and now it turned its three heads on her, its helpless victim. Through the burning pain and the flashing lights, Jenn got a real good chance to look at all six of its rabid, red-shot eyes as it advanced. Desperately, dizzily, she struggled to remember a spell, any spell, concentrating as hard as she could, but nothing came to her. The middle jaw split open wide to snap her neck in half and Jenn couldn’t shut her eyes.
Then, something flashed in a streak from the forest and hit Cerberus’ right head with extreme speed. Immediately, all three heads reared, the right head whining and the other two snarling ferociously.
“ Cerberus!” A commanding voice cut through the fog like a knife. The dog went silent, tense and alarmed at the new intruder’s presence. Jenn could hardly believe her sight (or luck) as a woman strode easily out of the fog. She wore a black and green long-sleeved shirt with a rose-tinted collar and green and pink cloth bands on her arms. A belt, clasped with a square golden buckle, looped around her khaki jeans, the loose end of it falling easily off to the side, swishing to and fro brightly in the mist. The woman’s hair was shiny, thick black, and trailed from a small bun pinned with two silver sticks. She had startling green eyes, simultaneously bright and deep.
“ Cerberus.” The woman walked over, never removing her eyes from the dog. She bent down to pick up the iron object, a long chain whip, only then looking at Jenn. Cerberus snapped at this stranger, but she backed away from the bite. “ I said DOWN.” The woman’s voice was unflinching and coldly stern. The dog flattened its ears in respect, going silent. The woman formed the sign for a flare with her hands, and a second later a intense shell of light rocketed away, screaming.
Glancing piercingly at Jenn once more, she disappeared, taking the Cerberus with her. As soon as she did, it seemed like time unfroze and Jenn collapsed into a coughing mess on the ground, exhausted both from forgetting to breathe for too long and from her broken ribs. The gray light of the sky seemed to dim, and all around the white mists extinguished themselves.
“ But we saw a flare from Beta! And huge footprints too!” Obviously, Saru thought Jenn was robbing her of a thrilling adventure-story, and she showed it too. “ C’mon, tell me what spell you used!”
“ Well, I guess I must have made the flare before I blanked out, but I don’t remember casting anything else.” Faintly, Jenn remembered that her head had hit the ground, and there were voices…her friends. Before that, only frustratingly unclear blurs of teeth, red eyes and the feeling of falling. She neglected to tell Saru about the falling for fear that Saru might actually stretch the story too far to include Jenn miraculously surviving being tossed from Cerberus’ jaws. She herself certainly wasn’t too pleased with her experience. For one thing, she couldn’t figure out exactly what had happened, and Jenn hated it whenever she was left out of anything, even her own memories. For another, she dreaded knowing how the rest of the school would react to this, since Saru couldn’t get it out fast enough! Jenn often got into fights with other students and rebelled against teachers she didn’t like. She hadn’t exactly made herself popular. To be honest, Onimi and Saru were the only ones Jenn could rely on for everything and anything. They were her best friends and they watched each other’s backs.
Saru’s face changed from a pout to a grin and she threw her hands up, “ Ah! Who cares what spell! Jenn-“ she grabbed Jenn by the shoulders, “ You wiped it off the face of the planet!”
“ Or it ran away,” said Onimi, rolling his eyes dubiously from his corner of the room.
Saru straightened with her arms on her hips, saying indignantly, “Do you see a great hulking beast loose on our grounds? Oh Jenn, you’re like a demon slayer! And you didn’t even use your nanchaku!”
Despite herself, Jenn was somewhat pleased, “Heh, it was nothing.”
Saru rolled her eyes at her friend, “ Don’t be so modest!” she pulled on Jenn’s arm, “ Come on! We’ve got to tell everyone about this!”
The Headmaster, a man of 60 something (he was as mysterious about his age as some female staff members were of theirs) with a white beard, streaked with black at the roots, and a balding head, was patiently studying Jenn’s records as she waited. They showed that she was a satisfactory student, who displayed glimpses of advanced magic. The records also showed that she had little interest in the study of magic. However, the headmaster had had enough chances to get to know Jenn quite well, and it was obvious the Headmaster was stalling.
Finally, Jenn felt she had to do something.
“ Headmaster?”
The Headmaster cleared his throat and closed the folder, sticking his hands into his blue sleeves, “ Good morning Jenn. Have a seat.”
Jenn was a bit annoyed at this. She’d been standing there for what seemed to be at least 10 minutes already! Nevertheless, she sat down in the only other chair in the Headmaster’s small but cozily cramped office.
“ You summoned me, sir?”
The Headmaster nodded and put his chin on his clasped hands, “ I heard what happened. That is quite an accomplishment for a young lady. It’s rare for any student to defeat an adult demon-Cerberus, was it-in a fight. What‘s more peculiar is that this is one of Hell’s Guardians.” He peered at Jenn carefully, who suddenly cast her eyes down at her shoes. “How did you do it?”
Jenn, already annoyed, couldn’t believe the Headmaster was asking. Hadn’t Saru already spread the news? “ I don’t remember.”
The Headmaster raised his eyebrow, “ A stroke of luck?”
“ More like a fluke,” Jenn muttered. She picked at her school uniform. It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t remember. It wasn’t fair that everyone else got to hear Saru’s tale when she herself felt left behind in doubt about it. Had it really happened at all?
The Headmaster studied her carefully again, and then unclasped his hands, smiling, “Then you are most lucky.” He pulled an envelope out from his desk drawer, “ Here.”
Jenn stared at the crisp white packet dubiously. “ What is it?”
The Headmaster smiled, “ I need you to deliver this to the Immortal’s Dojo.”
“ IMMORTALS?” Jenn’s jaw dropped. “ Im-Im-“ She broke off into coughs.
The Headmaster laughed, “ Don’t be alarmed. The residents there are kind and they will help you if you need it. Immortals are not nearly as bad as everyone thinks.”
“ But Headmaster, I don’t even know where that is!” Jenn protested loudly.
“ I have a map ready for you. It’s only on the other side of the world,” the old man smiled cheerfully. To the girl’s disgust, his voice had become even sing-songy.
“ Other side only?!” Jenn’s jaw had dropped several inches in disbelief. How could this be happening? Had he lost all powers of reasoning? Was this a nightmare?
The Headmaster waved his hands dismissively, “ This is nothing Jenn. Besides, with your powers, this should be a piece of cake. But I shall warn you, remember that we are at the brink of a war. This letter,” he tapped it with a finger, “ will ensure our side’s victory. Many outsiders will want this. Just make sure it gets to its destination.”
“ Sir I don’t understand-A war?” Jenn couldn’t believe what her ears were hearing. How COULD the Headmaster possibly trust her this much? “ I haven’t heard anything about any war!”
“ We’ve tried to keep it from our general student body. Hopefully the Chain schools can stay out of this and there will be no need to involve the children.”
Jenn opened and shut her mouth but nothing came out. There were so many things crammed inside her head, allbursting to get out that none of them succeeded. This was happening too fast!-she protested inwardly-Wasn’t SHE a student? How long had this been going on? She was so confused! “ What, but-I-but-…Can’t you give it to someone of a more elite standard than me?” she finally managed to stammer.
The Headmaster actually laughed out loud, as if appreciating her modesty, “ OH! But you are of an elite standard. I doubt even our graduates could’ve scratched that beast!”
The girl’s face melted into a puddle of despair. “ You….you want me to…”
The Headmaster nodded with an encouraging smile and said softly, “ I have faith in you.”
Jenn’s stomach lurched horribly with guilt. “ Sir, I need to con…”
The elder shook his silver beard, “ I can send no one else, Jenn. You’re the only one.” He held the packet out again. Jenn shuddered at the little innocent-looking packet. Reluctantly, she grasped hold of it. “ Y…yes, sir. I’ll leave the first thing tomorrow, “ she said miserably. She bowed and exited as quickly as possible, hurrying away to her room.
“ Come home safe, child.”
Onimi looked on from his corner, arms and legs crossed, “ Don’t mess up now,” he remarked dryly.
Jenn caught her balance as Saru threw her out of a particularly violent twirl, “ Gee, thanks, you’re the ones who set me up in a prank the first place” she stuck her tongue at him bitterly. Face grim, she went to her bed, where her walking stick leaned against the soft sheets. Her nanchaku rested beside it. Quietly, the girl began to pack her clothes in a knapsack. “ I’m not ready for this...” she muttered. It was almost a whisper.
Saru stopped dancing and came over with some chipper comfort, “ Sure you are. It can’t be worse than the Cerberus.”
Jenn shook her head, gripping a white shirt, “I don’t know.” Her voice was strained.
Saru carefully regarded her friend and then said, “ The Headmaster doesn’t give missions out like candy. He must really believe in you!”
Jenn only shook her head dismally again. Saru dropped her hands, sensing Jenn’s pervading gloom. When she was about to say something again, Onimi cut her off.
“ He trusts you,” Onimi said simply. He regarded Jenn as if for the first time. Suddenly, he seemed distant from her, from her room, from everything. Jenn suppressed a shudder at the feeling. She replied in the same tone as Onimi, “ Am I not worth trusting?”
Onimi stared hard at her, expression utterly unreadable. Then he uncrossed his arms and legs and strode slowly over until he and Jenn were eye to eye. “Ask yourself that question.” His gray-green eyes were set like stone under stern black eyebrows, his mouth a grim slash of a line.
Jenn closed her eyes, breaking the contact. She breathed deeply, trying to reach her own innermost thoughts. Going meant leaving everything she knew. She had no parents, no friends in the outside world. She’d lived here ever since being adopted by the school. What did this mission mean to her? Freedom? Responsibility? Proving herself? What could she gain? What could others gain? Would she face trials and hardships and learn how to get through them without her friends? She sighed internally. Whatever she would learn about herself, it wouldn’t happen unless she took the first step.
Jenn’s eyes opened, as steady as Onimi’s but full of determination. “ Yeah, Onimi. I can trust myself.”
Saru stepped up to them, linking their hands. Onimi reached out and clasped Jenn’s, and the three of them hugged each other tightly as the sun’s golden rays poured silently into the room.
“. …Yeah,” replied Xhaun, puckering her lips, her cheeks puffing up between her hands, “ But did she really have an adventure?”
“ The adventure of her life,” smiled the Headmistress in answer.
The girl turned her golden eyes on her teacher doubtfully. “ Stuff like that doesn’t happen except in fairy-tales. It all sounds suspicious to me.”
The Headmistress laughed aloud at her student’s wrinkled face, “ O Xhaun, that’s exactly what Jenn thought!”
She frowned deeply, rebellious thoughts brewing inside her head. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair! The more she thought about it, the more she started to doubt the whole thing. What if she got hurt? Got killed in a landslide or storm or earthquake? Once she traveled past Lumimaria’s borders, how would she communicate? She didn’t know any other languages! And didn’t the old geezer say something about a war? Why would he simply send her out into danger? What if somebody found out about her letter and intercepted it? Wouldn’t that mean they would attack her? And even if she DID get there, maybe the letter would be useless, and the Immortals would probably all cook her and eat her for dinner! Did the Headmaster seriously trust her? Or was it politics? Was this just some filthy ploy to get rid of a troublesome and potentially dangerous student? Maybe he was afraid of her becoming more than he could handle. Well it wasn’t fair to send her away from her friends! She should just go back and get Onimi and Saru to ditch school forever and they could live elsewhere.
Jenn shook her head to get a hold of herself. She sounded so immature, like a frightened child resenting being left alone. This was her responsibility, wasn’t it? Well, she’d get the letter through then, no matter what it contained in the end.
She’d left the school at dawn, and hadn’t looked back since. Despite her grumbling, she hadn’t been able to bear the sight of it, her home for the past 15 years, fade away like nothing.
She traveled until it was mid-day and ate lunch under an apple tree in an orchard growing by the dusty path. While munching on some bread, she decided to take her map out. All around her, minute songbirds frolicked in the trees, and the sun shone brightly on the open countryside. White clouds scudded across the blue belly of the sky.
Tracing the map with her index finger, Jenn followed a path that the Headmaster had inked onto the paper. It led straight east out of Lumimaria across a northern mountain pass into Runisia, the biggest country on the continent. Then, the little red dotted line demanded that Jenn hike across the Iron Mountains to the range’s northern side where the Immortal’s Dojo was located.
Jenn threw the map to the side in disgust. It was a journey of thousands of miles, all by herself and without any help. The Headmaster intended to kill her. That was it.
But…. something about it seriously bugged her. She took a second look at the map. The line ran straight through an Elven Haven. What was that, a clue? She snorted. Some clue. Elves were notorious for being xenophobes. Why would the old fart want her to make contact with them? She turned the map this way and that to examine more closely for other clues. But she found nothing as obvious as the Elf one. She frowned. Would the Elves really help her?
Come afternoon, Jenn noticed heavy clouds moving in. She was perplexed. Storms weren’t supposed to happen in late spring, only in autumn! But, yes they came, the freak clouds of a freak storm. Soon Jenn found herself looking desperately for shelter on the road, holding her soaking cloak above her head, though it wasn’t much use. It was of light fabric and besides, she hadn’t oiled it because she thought she wouldn’t need to till half year later! Above her, thunder boomed and lightning lashed the sky. Everywhere, the darkness was thickening, and Jenn raced on in the mud, catching sight of and running towards a growth of trees.
By the time she arrived, she was almost drenched through. It reminded her unpleasantly of her little tromp through the swamplands. As she searched for shelter deeper in the woods where the leaves shielded her from the rain, she noticed a fire flickering under a tall oak tree. A man was sitting there, dry of the rain. Jenn hurried over to take closer look.
By the looks of his parcel, sturdy boots, and thick, hooded cloak, he was a traveler like her. Jenn hung back. People in these parts of Lumimaria were generally trustworthy and helpful laymen, and travelers often stuck together on the road, but she was still hesitant.
“ I know you’re there.”
Jenn froze like a trapped deer. No way! How had he sensed her? She was an expert when it came to sneaking around Beta! She swallowed down a lump in her throat.
“ It’s alright. You can come out. I won’t hurt you.”
Jenn put a foot forward, but hastily retracted it.
Now the voice was amused, “ I promise I won’t hurt you, now don’t make me come get you.”
Jenn, despite deeply regretting her initial curiosity, stepped forward. There wasn’t anything to do until she’d taken that step forward. “ Excuse me, sir, it’s raining and I-“ she was suddenly caught off guard by a raspy cough. The man motioned to his side. Jenn hastily sat down near the fire, trying to talk through the coughing fit, “ Thanks…a lot…sir.”
“ Here.” He handed her a small bit of mint medicine. She gratefully took it and sighed as it soothed her burning chest. She looked at the man, who stayed silent as he gazed into the fire. As the flames flickered in his eyes, it seemed they glowed with their own reddish hue. The man noticed her again, having seemingly forgotten about her for a moment.
“ Is something wrong?”
Jenn looked away, blushing. “ No.” His eyes are normal. They’re black, not red, black!
The man looked suspicious, but didn’t say anything. “What is your name?”
“ Jenn. I’m...I’m from Beta.”
“ Beta? What are you doing so far from the school?”
“ I’m delivering a message to the Im...” she stopped herself just in time, “ a place.” She tried to look as nonchalant as she could, furiously berating herself inside. Luckily, the man didn’t pry.
“ You’re a messenger?”
“ Yup. I want to get this over with. I’d rather be in Beta right now.” She started coughing again. “ Could I have some more mint, sir?”
“ Yes.”
Feeling that she’d distracted the man enough, she wrapped her clothes tighter around herself. “ Thank you.”
He stayed silent.
“ Um...good night then.” She settled down on the dry ground, cushioned with pine needles.
“…Night.”
Jenn closed her eyes, curling up as much as she could. Then her eyes opened again. “You didn’t tell me your name.”
The man grabbed a blanket from his pack and laid it over Jenn. “ My name is Bane.”
Also: Xhaun's name should be pronounced Sean, or Shawn.
