Trigon Academy: Students, welcome to your first day of class, we would like to make a couple of announcements. 1) Please ensure to arrive at the assembly on time as attendance is mandatory for all students. 2) Full uniforms are to be worn at all times during your class week schedule. 3) No animals from the magical creatures rehabilitation are to be taken out of their current enclosures. Thank you, and a good day to all.

  I reread the announcement, then scanned the small map on my watch with sleepy eyes to mentally prepare myself for my first day of class. The Hiems building wasn't too far from where I needed to be, which meant I had more than enough time for breakfast.

  The cold Equipoise air was different from the winter chill in Tenebrous. Slightly fresher, and a lot less cold. The smell of damp leaves met me as I crossed the stone bridge heading towards the main campus. I stopped to lean over the stone ledge, watching the clear water swirl by, when a small slimy critter grabbed my attention, jumping onto the ledge where I was standing.

  “Hey little guy,” I muttered, approaching.

  Just as I got close enough to see the little frog’s vibrant blue belly, it was too late. He leapt into the air, hitting my hand which was shielding my face. The instant icy burn filled my hand, shooting a sharp pain up into my arm.

  I shook my hand furiously, turning it around to view the perfectly etched glowing outline of where the frog’s webbed feet had touched me. “It can't be…”

  I narrowed my eyes, carefully scanning the small creature as it sat next to a fern a few feet from me. It had to be a Tenebrous frosted frog; I’d seen them in our manor gardens before, but how was this possible? I distinctly remember hearing my parents talk about Trigon’s realm barriers, barriers that were put in place to protect students from other realm creatures that could cause harm. If a small critter like this could get through, did that mean larger ones could too?

  My watch beeped, making me realize that not only did I no longer have much time left for breakfast, but I had to make my way to assembly if I didn't want to be late. I passed the Herbology building, noticing Oriel, the fiery red hair girl walking with a trajectory to collide perfectly with mine. I let out a groan, tightened the grip on my backpack to increase my pace.

  “Aries, wait up,” Eros called.

  Eros was wearing his black blazer, black dress pants, and white sneakers. His black tie neatly tucked right up to his neck, with a grey sweater covering his white shirt. Like me, his blazer had a grey emblem, representing Hiems house.

  “Hey…” I said softly, trying not to draw attention to myself.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Not only are you whispering, but you’re sprinting to the main building,” he said.

  “I’m fine, I’m just trying to avoid someone, and it’s been a weird morning.”

  “Wow, already avoiding people?”

  “No, I just didn’t know other realmers like yourself were quite so chatty.”

  “Or maybe, you’re the least talkative person we’ve ever met,” Eros grinned.

  “I have really strict parents.”

  “I guess they wouldn’t approve of you talking to a Mesial like myself?”

  I smiled at Eros, noticing how vibrant his eyes looked today. I had heard about the Mesial from Equipoise, earth elementals. The very balance that they represented between the realms visible in their eyes, and today I couldn’t miss it. One half of his iris was a light sky blue and the other half a deep brown that looked like the mountains.

  “It’s not that,” I said reluctantly.

  “Don’t worry about it, I get it.”

  “You do?”

  “My father is the exact same. After everything he warned me about, I half expected the other realmers to come out with horns.” Eros shrugged. “Wait, you’re not hiding a pair of those are you?”

  I shook my head and gave him a disapproving frown as I saw him staring at my head before allowing the smile I’d been fighting against to finally break free.

  “So, not only can you talk, but you can smile,” Oriel interjected cheerily.

  “Oh no…” I muttered under my breath, turning around to meet her glowing ember eyes, and fiery red hair.

  “The chatty fae from last night?” Eros asked knowingly.

  “Oriel Aurora Donahue from Leuk?s, very nice to meet you,” Oriel said, stepping forward to hug Eros. “Nice to know she already told you about me.”

  “Eros Altrus, nice to meet you.”

  “I’m surprised you got a word out of her, all I got was a growl.”

  “A growl?” Eros asked, shooting me a puzzled glance.

  “A teensy growl, like a little adorable puppy!” Oriel shrieked.

  Looking at her vibrantly smiling at me, I couldn’t ignore the distinct warmth radiating from her, tugging on my insides to let her in, let her embrace me with her friendliness. But that went against everything my father expected. Embracing Oriel and Eros would let my father down, and I couldn’t do that.

  “How was the ascension for you last night?” Oriel asked.

  I tensed up, “It was not what I expected, but great, what about yours?”

  “It was out of this world, fire, and magic, it felt like my soul had been returned to me,” Oriel answered excitedly.

  Like her soul had been returned… That's how it felt for me too.

  Oriel scrunched her nose, “What about anything else happening?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know, did you feel anything else, anything different happen during the ascension process?”

  “I don’t know what you mean, there was a rush of water and the vow.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Oriel nodded slowly. “Right.”

  Before I could say anything else to Oriel, Rafe and his group of friends walked through the doors.

  “You all powered up, Vygros?” Rafe asked.

  “I think so.”

  “Wouldn't want to let dear daddy Vygros down, would you?” Mara quipped.

  “Mara, chill,” Khai said, draping his arm around a girl with grayish-white hair as they walked.

  “Why?” Mara glared. “She’s an all mighty Vygros, she can handle a little fun.”

  “Tough crowd,” Oriel frowned.

  Mara scowled at Eros and Oriel, before glaring at me darkly, “Wow, Vygros, your own kind shun you, and you befriend the other realmers, you really are stooping low aren’t you?”

  “Mara,” Rafe snapped.

  Khai leaned down to whisper something to the girl who was standing next to him, and a deep scowl formed on her face. She pulled Mara closer, clearly passing the same message across.

  “I was just kidding, Vygros,” Mara said through gritted teeth.

  Rafe’s face dropped before he signaled for the four of them to move on from where we were all standing.

  “Uhmm, I’m going to go,” Oriel said, shifting uncomfortably. “I’ll see you all around.”

  “Bye Oriel, nice to meet you,” Eros said sweetly.

  I lifted my hand to give her a small wave, before flinching from the pain I had forgotten about.

  “Aries, what happened to your hand!?” Eros gasped.

  “What?”

  “Your hand…”

  I looked down at the glowing mark, which was now pulsating with small veins running up my arm.

  “This is going to sound crazy, but I think it was a Tenebrous frosted frog.”

  “That's impossible, they wouldn't be in our realm, and the barriers would stop them.”

  “I know, but I know what I saw, Eros, and well…I have the proof,” I said, showing him my palm.

  “You’ll have to go to the infirmary; it doesn't look good.”

  The frosted burn on my hand was glowing a silver and dark blue, etching the shape of the little frog into my hand, radiating a stinging burn with it.

  “I can't miss assembly.”

  “You can't do magic without a hand either, Aries,” Eros stated sternly.

  “Ugh.”

  “Just go, I'll cover for you if anyone asks.”

  I found myself walking against the stream of students heading towards the great hall until I was left in silence following the small map on my watch towards the infirmary. Passing the temple and the Vivlio library, I gazed up at the large stone Argia Infirmary building. When I reached where the door was supposed to be, I was left standing in front of a statue of an old man named Aurthur Postumious – the great fae of energy. I looked down at my watch again, trying to figure out what was going on.

  “This has to be the right place,” I muttered, looking around.

  I heard a scurry behind me, jolting forward as a Meddle Monkey ran over the cobbled stone path, and up the statue which had now magically moved to the other side. I had heard about Meddle Monkeys; small little creatures that had the power to displace random objects for short periods of time. The monkey paused a couple of feet from me, staring at my hand.

  “I really need this door,” I whispered, hoping it could understand me.

  The Meddle Monkey cocked its small fuzzy head from side to side, before returning the door to its rightful place.

  “Good heavens dear, what are you doing standing out in the cold,” a short, older lady said opening the door suddenly.

  “Sorry, I came to see the nurse,” I said.

  “I’m Ms. Arryn, the school nurse.” She smiled sweetly. “What seems to be the issue dear?”

  “I think I've been poisoned by a Tenebrous Frosted Frog,” I informed her, holding out my hand for her to look at.

  “Oh dear, how did this happen, how is this possible!?” She yelped, ushering me into the room. “Come sit down, we need to treat this immediately.”

  I did as she said, walking into the beautifully bright room with large glass windows looking over the school grounds. There was greenery around the windows, with large flowers scattered around the room.

  “Every plant in here is for healing purposes, that white flower over there treats Forest Delirium, and that green leaf at my desk, treats Petrifying swelling,” she said, noticing my curious eyes.

  “What about this small blue one,” I pointed.

  “That treats Harpy Chills.”

  “What are Harpy Chills?”

  “Well, legend has it that Harpy’s are half-fae, half-bird, and can cause severe Harpy Chills when they bite you.”

  “None of those creatures are real though, are they Ms. Arryn?” I grimaced.

  “As I said, it's just a legend, but I like to be prepared for even the most unconventional of problems that may or may not occur.”

  “How will you treat my hand?”

  “What is your name my dear?”

  “Aries, Aries Vygros.”

  Her eyes widened with an expression I immediately recognized. The look of someone knowing the Vygros name.

  “Well my dear, Aries, I'll be using Veraronaté, it's a small herbal plant only found in Tenebrous.”

  Nurse Arryn held my palm carefully, scanning the area that seemed to be throbbing more and more with every moment that passed.

  “Oh dear, the poison seems to be spreading,” Nurse Arryn said, looking worried. “I don’t know how this happened.”

  “Because of the barrier protection?” I asked, pushing for answers.

  “Yes, no animals from other realms should be able to cross over into Equipoise. We also have a shield around the school that ensures no creature from Equipoise or any other realm can harm a student.”

  “Perhaps it came through the portal with a student?” I suggested.

  “Our shield would have blocked it, but I could be wrong, either way, I’ll fix you up.”

  Nurse Arryn escorted me to a bed near the window where I could overlook the forest. She walked over to a bench full of little bottles and plants scattered across it.

  “Are those all from Herbology?” I asked.

  “Yes.” She responded cheerily. “Do you enjoy Herbology?”

  “I don't know, I think it’s interesting.”

  “You should think about joining the Herbology club.”

  “Maybe.”

  Nurse Arryn’s vibrant brown and blue eyes brightened as she smiled at me. Her gray hair sparkled in the sun coming through the window, radiating kindness, that made me feel welcome and safe.

  “Vengeium Mendarbus.”

  As she spoke, a large poof of green and grey smoke hovered between her hands. Her focus shifted to a white piece of linen which she covered with Veraronaté leaves.

  “Vengeium Mendarbus Curenis.”

  This time when she spoke the leaves evaporated one by one, soaking into the linen cloth.

  “Now, I'm going to wrap your hand in this linen cloth, the poison needs to be extracted, which could cause quite a bit of pain,” she said, walking over and gently taking my hand in hers. “The poison has started spreading, which could increase the pain, do you understand?”

  I nodded, feeling nervous.

  “Bite down on this,” she said, handing me a medical root. “It will help with the pain when we start.”

  I carefully placed the root in my mouth, feeling the taste of sweetness spread across my tongue.

  “You let me know if it hurts too much, alright?”

  Nurse Arryn wrapped my hand in the linen cloth, causing a deep, slow burn to spread from my palm up my arm. At first, it felt like a soft stinging sensation, but within seconds it was a sharp excruciating pain trickling down my arm into my hand.

  “I know dear.”

  My eyes widened, noticing my veins glowing the same color as the mark on my hand.

  Nurse Arryn must’ve noticed my panic, as she softly brushed the hair from my forehead, “It’s the poison, dear. I need to go get Professor Duskdore, I will be right back, alright?”

  I nodded, my teeth piercing multiple parts of the root in my mouth as I bit down. It wasn’t long before a red-haired, tall Professor walked into the room with nurse Arryn, his freckled face looking alarmed from the moment his pink and purple Psionic eyes found mine.

  “How did this happen?” he asked, his eyes wild.

  “I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “You will have to inform the rest of the council.”

  I dropped the root from my mouth, ready to scream as the pain seared through my arm with intensity, but just as I found my voice, everything went dark.