Ocean Eyes : Chapter 1.1 - A Not So Fresh Start
"Are you excited?" Seiran had asked a few days ago. She had responded 'yes' at the time, but now that Niko was standing outside Brightvale Academy with all eyes locked on and staring her down, she wasn't so sure. Transferring to the prestigious school a month into the semester wasn't exactly subtle, but her father would have sought nothing less. Alovan had expected her to "make a splash," in his own words.
'Great,' she thought to herself, 'As if being blue wasn't enough...' There may have been others around that were classed the same as her, but none of them shared the same slimy, murky, blue skin that belonged to her race. Her dark teal hair was cut into a bob, leaving two longer, wavy strands to hang over her shoulders.
With a heavy inhale, she took the first step up the stairs that lead to Brightvale's grand entrance. The school was constructed with bright white stone, possibly marble, and was absolutely massive, towering over Niko and leaving her in its shadow. Despite being less than a decade old, its architecture had a very strong ancient Greek influence. Large columns greeted her on either side atop the stairs. Passing between them, she made her way towards the archway leading to the main hall.
"Filthy sealing," someone hissed as they passed her, quickly becoming lost in the crowd. She gripped the straps of her backpack with moist hands. Though she could see all of the students bustling about, not a sound was coming from the great room. She stepped through the arch, a chill running down her spine as the hairs on the back of her neck pricked up. Suddenly, the building was awash with the sounds of chatter and movement. It seemed that the archway had some sort of unseen field acting as the door since she couldn't seem to spot an actual one.
Students of all types were gathered to talk before classes began for the day. Many groups of mages stood in circles, showing off the new tricks that they had been learning. Phantasmal, blue birds floated through the air weightlessly while another student created an intricately geometric magic circle in the air between his hands. Niko's eyes widened. She had heard of such abilities, but had never seen them in practice.
"What's your name?" came a voice so quiet that she would have missed it, had it not been directly in her ear. Niko snapped around to see who had been so close. A girl with ghostly white skin was standing only a couple of inches away. Matted, pitch black hair hung over her shoulders and into her face, leaving only one white-irised eye to peer back at her. she was dressed in tattered clothes seemingly from the early 1800's. "Sorry to startle you."
"That's alright," she replied to the girl, "I'm Niko."
"You're the new Merlich, aye? I'm Rhythe."
"Yes'm," she responded, "So, are you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Niko lifted her hand then spread her fingers, watching as Rhythe glanced at the webbing between them.
"Its true then," she said softly, showing a wide grin, "Its nice to finally meet one've you. You're like a legend 'round here. Maybe not a good one, but a legend regardless." The girl floated off to the side of her, inspecting Niko. "Could you move your hair, please, bein' as I can't touch it myself?"
"No," Niko responded firmly as she started to move forward into the crowd. She didn't look back to see if she was being followed, she didn't care. She hoped that Rhythe had gotten the message.
The mages stared at her as she passed by them, smiles fading from their faces and their conversations trailing off until she was a few steps away. She had been told to report directly to the headmaster's office when she arrived. Niko hadn't expected that she would have to push through this many people to get there. After a few moments, she finally found the base of the left set of stairs which rounded up towards the second level of the grand hall.
Dodging the students that were seated on the stairs, Niko reached the next floor, which had much more breathing room. There was only one doorway with two large banners draped on either side on the back wall. Two large doors standing almost twice the height of the Merlich were tightly closed before her. She stepped up to them and hesitated for an instant before knocking. It seemed like her fist made no sound against the heavy mahogany wood, but after a second, they began to open at a snail's pace.
A hallway decorated with a long, ornate rug stretched back with large oil paintings of different world leaders and monarchs, all Mages, leering down on both sides. Niko stepped in and as she walked towards a more reasonably sized set of doors, the ones behind her began to close, sending deep, heavy creaks echoing down around her. "A little bit over the top, huh?" she thought to herself.
She walked into the large office, which was filled to the brim with wooden shelves holding ancient books, papers, and newer looking binders, but a firm voice snapped her attention to the desk right in front of her, "Nice of you to finally join us."
"I'm incredibly sorry," Niko spewed, "It was so busy back there and I just-"
"Got held up. No need to worry, young one. You're not late. Perfectly on time, in fact. Please, take a seat," the woman motioned to a chair as she settled into her own. She was an older woman with lines forming on her forehead and around her mouth. She was dressed in what Niko recognized as traditional Mage garb. Layers of heavy grey robes hung from her slender shoulders, indicating that she had gone through years of training to be awarded with each one. The girl hastily slid her backpack off of her shoulders before sitting in the aforementioned chair.
"Welcome to Brightvale Academy. I am Dean Tieala Galladhiel. Please, call me Dean. I hope that our campus will be an inviting new home for the both of you," the woman spoke, warranting a scoff from behind. Niko jumped at the sound, quickly becoming weary of the startles that seemed to be recurring in this building. When she glanced over her shoulder, she noticed a boy around her age that had presumably been sitting behind her the whole time. He was leaning back in his own chair, which was directly next to the door. Niko glanced at the empty seat next to her, wondering why he had decided to sit so far away.
His arms were crossed over his chest and one of his ankles was resting on the opposite knee. His clothes were, of course, mage clothes, but they were rather old and worn. "Must be hand-me-downs," she mused. His blonde hair was medium length on top, his curls stopping just above his eyes, but was shaved into a fade on the sides. He had a light stubble lining his sharp jaw, most likely having skipped shaving this morning. What stood out the most to Niko was his eyes, brilliantly blue with flecks of emerald, like shallow ocean water.
"You have a problem, sealing?" he asked, his words toxic. The Merlich decided it would most likely be best if she ignored him altogether. When she turned back frontward, she noticed the headmaster staring the boy down. Niko dropped her gaze to her hands, which she placed, one over the other, in her lap.
"Griphin Alexander, we do not take kindly to derogatory language here. Miss Asceran is just as capable as any other student in my academy and she will be treated as such," the woman's voice was stern. No response came; Niko could just about imagine the boy, Griphin, biting his own tongue. "Now, typically, our administration does not allow any late enrollments, but seeing as you are both... special cases, in your own regards, we humbly ask that you will accept our generosity. We pride ourselves on a refined learning experience which we strive to be unencumbered by the ruckus that is present in many other establishments. As such, we ask that you will try to cause little commotion in your time here."
Niko nodded her acceptance, the last thing she wanted to do was cause a scene. It seemed that her presence alone was enough to cause a stir, but she would do her best to keep a low profile. Her father had sent her to Brightvale with a purpose after all, and she was definitely not going to mess this up, especially with her father, King Alovan, putting his faith in her. The boy behind her let out a breath. "Alright, alright," he conceded.
"You have my gratitude. You will each find a folder in your bookbags. They contain things that the both of you will find helpful. Most importantly, your Brightvale I.D., which must be kept on your persons at all times. You will also find a uniform which you will hopefully find to be to your liking. We took special note of your sizes and," Dean Galladhiel paused, her eyes darting towards Niko, "your features. They have been customized as to suit your needs."
When the Merlich glanced at her backpack, It seemed much bigger than when she had set it down. In fact, the bag had practically been empty apart from a leatherbound journal and an inkless pen from the northern district. Now, it looked to be near stuffed. Her eyes met the Dean's, who tilted her head and gave a soft smile that didn't seem to fit her face. Years of strict regulations and offering a firm, guiding hand had left her features a bit stoic, but she had a warmth within her.
"The next order of business," the Dean continued as the sounds of Griphin ruffling through his belongings disrupted the otherwise quiet atmosphere, "will be the naming of partners. As you both know, our academy is Co-ed, including both Mages and Beasts. Our establishment, being the first of its kind, has had to implement and adhere to some strict customs. In order to keep favor with not only the Kingdoms Albrid and Canterran, but also to be able to include the United Beastiary, for each year, we are required to pair a Beast with a Mage as a familiar." At that, Niko's breath caught.
Realization washed over her, causing a wave of dizziness. She clutched the edge of her shirt in her hands, but kept her thoughts to herself. Did her father know about this? She had heard of familiars, creatures that were forced into slavery by Mages. Creatures that were at their Master's beck and call, following every order given to them, mindlessly. But that's all that they were, creatures. Dragons, Kelpies, Cats, and the like. None of which were Beasts. Niko couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Luckily for the two of you, you both came into our system late. The other students have already been matched for a few weeks, meaning that without each other, neither of you would have been accepted. You have yourselves to thank, and for that, I believe this pairing will be exceptionally appropriate. Griphin Alexander, Miss Niko Asceran will be your familiar until the end of this school year."
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