Rise Of Faeries Book I : Ascension

Chapter 25 - Orientation

Kairo was distracted.

The events of the day all weighed in on her. She felt the need to analyse them all so that she didn't miss their significance.

Prince Rayland had been kind enough to allow them to shower in the common bathrooms. Kairo hadn't even paid attention to where she was going or what it looked like.

Xaden's condition irked her. Sure she got rid of the soul virus but it looked to her as though, it was attracted to his soul, like it desperately wanted to attach itself to him. The question was, why?

"I will leave you here."

It was Rayland's voice that snapped the girl out of her reverie. She did not miss the look the young prince gave her before he left. Kairo sighed, she would deal with her thoughts later.

Their uniforms had been delivered to them due to the young prince's request and Kairo had to admit she looked quite exquisite. The white pants adorned with golden stripes down the sides added a touch of elegance and sophistication, they hung to her body, giving it its definition. The shirt was white with a high neckline adorned with delicate frills, which added a touch of feminity and on top was a royal blue double-breasted jacket with golden accents along the shoulder blades and edges. Its fitted silhouette with brass buttons added a regal touch.

Kairo's favourite was the military boots, they were very comfortable. 

"Whoa! Look at Cassian," Amaira gasped from beside Kairo. She looked radiant as well with her snow-white hair in a neat ponytail.

Kairo turned to see Cassian approaching them.

The uniform was more or less the same, the difference being the white shirt with a stand collar instead of frills for a more sleek and polished look, and the double-breasted jacket was more of a masculine fit. His lavender hair was tied at the nape of his neck, he was positively glowing.

"You clean up well, Cass," Amaira teased.

Cassian just grunted.

"It's not a lie," Kairo added.

He grunted again and the girls dissolved into their laughs.

"Would you two cut it?"

Before they replied, new students joined them, chatting among themselves and paying them no attention. They were girls and boys both older and younger than Kairo, if she judged by her naked eyes, of course. Most of them had hair varying in colours from pink to magenta to green to blue to black etc. The three of them were in great contrast, especially herself and Amaira.

"Welcome, students to Ekiya Academy!" A feminine voice boomed, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.

The students were standing in some sort of hallway. Kairo noticed four staircases running in different directions apart from the one that she assumed led to a hall in which the orientation was to be conducted.

The staircases were breathtaking. The one they stood at the foot of, resembled a starry night sky. She gasped in realisation, they stood on what seemed to be a glass floor. The woman at the front droned on, giving instructions that Kairo wasn't listening to.

The stairs on their left resembled a flowing lava, it was intriguing. The one on their left resembled water in both its liquid and ice form, the one after the icy stairs resembled a wind breeze, the swirls of wind could be seen going up and down and the ones that came after that resembled earth.

They all met at the centre where the students stood, and where they met, three stars circled each other. The sun, the moon and the stars. Kairo subconsciously touched her necklace, it was eerie how its design represented the one on the glass floor of her new school.

"We may enter!" the woman's voice brought her back to the present.

Amaira linked her arm with hers and pulled her along. She was grateful for the girl. Resounding gasps echoed all around them and it was easy to see why, if Kairo thought the hallway and the stairs were beautiful, the hall was just enchanting.

A purple starry sky presided over them. Two milky ways swirled around, mimicking a river. Trees lined each side, burning lamps alighting the entirety of the hall and it was expansive. Beautiful green shrubs sat neatly in corners and what excited Kairo was the setting. The floors were made of cobblestone.

Rectangular wooden tables were lined from north to south, each table had six people sitting in it. It was pub-like and immediately introduced a relaxing mood. Kairo induced this would be her favourite place.

As they went further in, they realised there was a castle up in front. It was huge with three towers and stairs that poured out on a double levelled podium. The higher part had a long table and what looked like an altar at the front, so the table must belong to the faculty and it was proven as such, as men and women wearing royal blue robes with golden accents sat professionally.

The lower level was another table as well, however, the aura of the students sitting there surpassed that of the faculty. Kairo spotted Xaden among the other students, he looked much better than earlier and she almost tripped when she realised his eyes were trained on her. And they have been all this while.

"You are going to have to tell me how you know the Imperial Crown prince," Amaira whispered in Kairo's ear.

"Hmm?"

"Uh-huh!"

They stopped shortly by the podiums.

"Welcome new students, to Ekiya Academy!" a gorgeous, ageing woman announced. Her hazelnut hair was tied in a stereotypical professional bun, and beneath her royal robes, she wore a black hugging dress with matching heels. Her dressing style screamed Earth's contemporary style and Kairo decided to like her for that.

"My name is Esmeralda and I am the headmistress of this gorgeous piece of history," she continued, her eyes the colour of snow. "At Ekiya we start with our feet running, there are first-years who have arrived much earlier than you, and you will have to do your best to catch up. There are seven courts in this school, eight if we count our elite students. And each court houses a fairy and a lightborn of a specific elemental. Professor Mariana will preside over that ceremony. With that said, welcome once again and I hope it's a joyous and fruitful stay!"

A round of applause echoed around the hall as the students clapped enthusiastically.

Professor Mariana, the woman who had met them and brought them here, watched them from above her nose. She had greasy black hair that hovered over her shoulders and a hooked nose, there seemed to be a permanent sneer on her face. Kairo sensed bad vibes from her and told herself to avoid her at all costs.

"Right," Professor Mariana said. She stepped back from where she stood and began to wave her hands in a symmetrical sequence. A mini wind tidal arose, the glass floor opened and a cauldron with burning fire beneath it emerged.

Gasps of awe resounded once more.

"Each student is to put their hand inside the cauldron. The liquid inside will determine which elemental you are."

The gasps of awe turned into whispers of uncertainty. Kairo just thought a singing hat, shouting about which house you belong to was much better.

"Uh, ma'am?"

One of the younger boys in their bunch raised his hand. The professor sneered at him, "What is it?"

"Uh - you do realise that there is a fire beneath that cauldron right? And we are supposed to just put our hands inside?" he inquired.

The other students laughed, except the bunch Kairo came with, because honestly, they were all wondering the same thing.  Professor Mariana shot them a look and they quietned down, her hawk-like eyes pinned on the boy making him swallow heavily.

"We shall begin with you."