Paint Me Black and Color Me Death

Chapter 1 (Emrys)

"Oh snap." I seeth as my boot gets stuck in yet another piece of gum. No, you don't understand, this particular sidewalk is completely covered with sticky pieces that could only be classified as enemies of society.

Jerking my boot free of it's surprisingly strong grasp, I keep walking to my destination: An old wrought-Iron gate that was probably at least eight feet tall.

I look both ways, even though this part of town is pretty much deserted. Crossing, I suppress a shiver at the sound of the oak trees that lined the path to the Academy rattling in the breeze.

Damn it's cold. Wrapping my arms around my red halter top, I scanned the school gates. Mrs. Gangre is going to have a field day with my outfit. I feel pinch on my shoulder and have to restrain my hand so I don't slap the golden bird off.

"Wow Emrys, you sure do look like a whore."

Damn it, she's kinda right. The red halter top and leather skirt and boots looked good when I left dorms this morning, but with me standing on a curb at night it's a completely different story.

"Do not."

The bird hops down off my shoulder, body twisting mid flight and transforming into a short, golden haired girl. Annie gives me a look over, nodding and cocking a brow.

"Do to."

A black car pulls over, an older guy peeks out the tinted window, rummaging in a change purse. I throw a rock at his car,

"Damn it! I'm not like that!"

Annie turns her head to the sky and releases a heart stopping cackle. God her laugh is unnerving. Stomping, I stalk up to the wrought iron gates of Acaine Academy and wait there for Annie.

Slowly, she takes confident strides towards me, basking in the all powerful prowess of herself. Suddenly she stiffens, nose lifted in the air.

"Annie?"

She holds up a finger, sniffing the chilling breeze like a bloodhound. Annie takes off, leaving me in her wind. And I mean she physically takes off, as a bird. It's her thing. The cool part is that she can not only do bird, but any other living creature (No plants though, she claims that they are unmanly, despite her being a girl).

Annie's a naagloshii or I guess if you're not really into tons of researching or tribal beliefs, you can call her a shapeshifter or the creepier counterpart of that, a skinwalker.

Our school has tons of people (creatures) like her, not all are shapeshifters though. We have vampires, werewolves, dryads, pixies, fairies, nephilim, witches, chimeras, cait siths, demons, redcaps, and basically everything else that you would not like to meet in a dark alley at night. Our academy is..... unique.

I chase after Annie with the natural grace of, oh let's say a slug. The golden feathered bird dives to the iron fence hidden in the oak grove. The gate is iron for the purpose of warding off the local fey wildlife, they aren't to fond of cold iron. It also is easier to clean than other metals, because when you have a school full of magical, glamour filled students, things tend to get.... messy.

I find where she's landed. Not on the ground but on a guy. She stops tugging on his raven hair with her beak and turns towards me, hopping off his unconscious form and shifting to human. She cringes as she turns, I can understand. I had the lovely experience of turning into a gekko when my roommate and our mutual friend Adalis was practicing her water evaporation spells. (As I said, our school is unique, meaning that we are the Hogwarts for all of the magic screw-ups.) Shifting hurts like hell, I don't know how she does it all the time.

"Emrys, fix him."

Annie states it like its the easiest thing ever. Its not really, since my abilities have no relation to anything medical.