JOURNEY INTO THE REALM: The Spell Master (Journey into the Realm Series) (2 page)

***

When we arrived at Birchwood’s stables, Zora and I saddled majestic dark mares and began our ride to school. Over the summer, Zora had taught me how to improve my riding skills, so I wasn’t feeling uneasy. I was a natural rider, but the skills Zora passed on to me helped me understand how to connect with my horse on a level deeper than a simple pony ride. I learned to approach each horse carefully and not saddle one until it was comfortable with my smell, and to look each horse in the eye so my intentions were never a secret.

We rode three miles west of the city to a small town called Aubrey, which meant “elf power” in German. Many of the names of elf towns and cities were of German, Celtic, Greek, or English origin because, before the Realms were created, every magical creature lived in the Human Realm. The name was perfect for the town, because it held one of the greatest elf ability schools in the Realm.

The Allura Elfin Ability School
, named after its founder, was one of the most renowned schools in the Realm. Allura was an amazing Spell Master (one of the most coveted of elfin abilities, the power to cast spells) and known far and wide for her talents. She was ancient, but no one could tell by looking at her. Elves didn’t show their age past sixteen. Their minds progressed, but their bodies stayed the same: youthful, beautiful, immortal.

Thinking of Allura made me wonder how I would impact the Elf Realm in the future. Would my secret somehow bring about peace, or would learning the truth only put me in danger? I sighed, realizing thoughts like this were unfitting for what should be a happy day. I needed to forget past troubles, at least for a while.

However, there was one trouble I could never get out of my mind, one that worried me every second of every day without fail.
Finn
. He wanted to know my secret. He wanted me dead. He would come soon; I just didn’t know when he would choose to appear and wreak havoc in my life again.

I did know one thing, though. When he did return, it wouldn’t be to leave me a note.

We arrived in Aubrey a little before seven fifteen. I could tell only because elves have this weird way of always knowing the time. Even after spending months in this Realm, I wasn’t completely used to magic. Sometimes the time-telling ability, as well as other elfin perks, still unnerved me.

We settled our horses in the large stable just before the town gate. The stable keepers would hold them until we returned. Taking a deep breath, I smoothed out my light green sundress and combed my fingers through my long pale hair, making sure I looked my best. I guess I was a bit nervous, but wasn’t everyone on their first day of school?

The town of Aubrey was very small, fashioned only because of the school. The three mile gap between here and Birchwood City was beneficial because not many elves lived in Aubrey. The little town mostly contained specialty shops and restaurants. The few houses were for the shopkeepers or students who came to the school from farther away and couldn’t travel back and forth every day.

I followed Zora through the crowds of students and down the dirt roads that led to the school. Being the largest structure in town, it wasn’t difficult to find.

The school was a large stone castle-type building – vast, but not as massive as the royal palace in Tarlore. Also, it wasn’t very pretty, just a big hunk of stone. I knew the point of the school wasn’t to look good, but I did wish it were a little easier on the eyes. The structure would definitely benefit from a few flowers here or there, or maybe some fresh paint to spice it up a bit.

We walked up the intimidating stone steps and opened the door to the school. Elves crowded the building, preventing me from absorbing the inside décor. With only ten minutes until class began, Zora and I hurried along, following the signs to the main office so I could pick up my schedule and the basic supplies provided by the school. I would shop in town for anything else I needed later.

When we reached the office, Zora didn’t waste any time. “Hello,” she greeted. “Ramsey is here to pick up her schedule and school supplies.”

“Ah, all right. One moment, please,” the elfen at the front desk replied. She fished through a file drawer and then took out a sheet of paper. “Ramsey of Birchwood City, correct?” she asked.

“Yes,” we both replied.

“Then here you are. I’ll be right back with your supplies.” She jumped up from her chair and left the room.

I looked over my schedule, handwritten in lovely calligraphy because elves didn’t believe in technology. My first class of the day was Elfin History. I chose it as one of my two electives because I hadn’t gone to elfin elementary school. I still didn’t know much about my heritage as an elfen and was interested in learning some history about my Realm.

Second period, as I still called it from the Human Realm, was my Abstract Ability class, where I would learn about my power and how to control it. I had an abstract ability; it meant my ability was not a physical power but a mental one because I could see another’s memories. I was looking forward to this class. I wanted to figure out a way to join hands with someone without immediately seeing their life story. I didn’t think it was right to intrude on anyone’s private life like that. It would be a relief to learn some control.

My third class was Self-Defense, a required course for all elves because of the war. I didn’t know how much fun that class would be. The last time I had engaged in any sort of fighting had been in the Human Realm while rescuing my sister. I had almost died then, and I wasn’t interested in reliving any of
those
experiences.

My final class of the day was another elective called Introduction to Other Beings. During that hour, I would learn about other creatures such as fairies, dragons, dwarves, gnomes, and mermaids. The main reason I requested the class was to learn more about dragons. I wanted to be prepared to take care of my own when it hatched. Learning about other creatures wouldn’t be a bad idea either, considering there were so many magical beings I didn’t even know existed.

After briefly looking over my schedule, the secretary returned with a tote bag full of supplies. She handed it to me and I put it over my shoulder. The bag was heavy, but the shoulder strap was nicely padded so it wasn’t too uncomfortable. I would take time to look at everything when I got to class. Right now, I was running late.

We thanked the secretary and left the office. Zora turned to me and gave me a quick hug. “Good luck today, Ramsey.”

“Thanks, Zora,” I said, feeling nervous again.

“Now, go to class. You’ll be late,” she warned. She smiled and then disappeared into the crowd of students.

I took a deep breath and walked to my first class, which was located on the second floor of the castle. Surprisingly, I was early. The classroom looked a lot like one from the Human Realm. It had a big black chalkboard and five rows with four desks in each one. I saw that each desk had a name written across in lovely script. I peered closer and realized the names were all engraved. How the teachers switched the names for each set of students was beyond me. Magic was magic, I guess.

Slowly making my way around the room, I looked for my own name. Some elves were already in their seats, but a few hadn’t found their names either. When I finally located the right seat, I sat down and plopped my bag on the desk, opening it up to go through the contents. Inside, I found a big book with the title
Elfin History
. It was all green, like almost everything in the Elf Realm. Elves loved the color green.

I placed the book on my desk and fished in the bag for a pen and a large brown journal to take notes in class. Satisfied, I hung my bag on my chair and peered over at the desks to my right and to my left. The one to my left had the name
Ellie
written across the top. The one to my right read
Janie
.

A minute later, Janie took her seat. Her black hair fell over her shoulders like a curtain, glossy and neat. Once she finished laying her supplies out on her desk, she looked over at me and smiled.

“Hello,” she greeted, a little shyly.

“Hey,” I replied. I wasn’t always great with introductions. After coming to the Elf Realm, my shyness had lessened, but I wasn’t perfect.

“I’m Janie,” she said, taking the initiative and sticking out both of her hands.

It was the usual elfin custom to shake both hands when meeting. When the handshake took place, both elves could magically figure out the other’s ability. It was the polite thing to do so there were never any surprises – a way of exchanging trust.

I half-smiled. “I’m Ramsey, but I must warn you, shaking my hands is not a good idea. That is unless you want me to know every detail of your life.”

“What?” she asked, startled and confused.

“With my power, I can see someone’s memories when I hold both hands.”

“That sounds amazing,” Janie remarked.

I shrugged. “Only half of the time.”

“Then maybe we will save the handshake for later, huh?” she asked.

I smiled, relieved that she understood. “Sounds good to me.”

I liked Janie already. I could tell she was shy, but also kind. After what happened with Finn, I valued what good influences I could bring into my life.

“Wait, I just realized something. You’re the one who saved her sister from those Element fairies, right?” Janie guessed.

“Yeah, that’s me,” I said, feeling embarrassed.

A few strands of dark hair fell into her face. She brushed them away with the back of her hand, green eyes wide and curious. “You’re like a legend now.”

“I don’t think I am that special,” I said.

“I disagree,” she insisted. Her voice was hushed as she added, “You have a special secret, correct?”

“Yes, but I have no idea what it is,” I admitted, shrugging my shoulders.

Janie was about to reply when Ellie finally sat down in her seat. I decided to leave my shyness behind and introduce myself. I looked over at her and said hello.

“Hi,” she replied, looking me over thoroughly, which I found awkward and a bit disconcerting.

“I’m Ramsey,” I said, trying to leave ill feelings behind. I didn’t want to judge her so quickly, not after being judged so wrongly when I lived among humans.

“Ellie,” she answered, finishing her assessment of me, apparently pleased with the results. “I’ve heard of you,” she pointed out.

“Apparently so have a lot of other elves,” I remarked.

Ellie nodded and smiled coyly. “I guess so.”

She didn’t stick out her hands, which I thought was very odd, considering the gesture was tradition. But I was a little relieved that I didn’t have to explain my power again. Meeting Janie had only confirmed that I would have to do some explaining in my time here, especially when meeting new elves, so it was nice not to have to go through that with Ellie.

Ellie was wearing a red, off-the-shoulder dress that ended just above her knees. She looked absolutely stunning in it. Her long black hair tumbled over her pale shoulders, making her stand out from the other elves in the room. They looked like peasants compared to her, myself included. She had full red lips and beautiful dark green eyes that shone in the classroom light. Everything about her screamed beauty queen to me. All she was missing was a tiara and a bouquet.

“Hi, I’m Janie,” she called over to Ellie.

“I’m Ellie,” she answered.

Before the conversation could go any further, a tall and pale-haired elfen cleared her throat at the front of the room. She was wearing a long, deep blue, almost-black dress that went down to her feet and clung to her thin figure. She was very pretty, but in a dark sort of way.

“Hello, class, and welcome to your first day of ability school. My name is Lady Celine, and I will be your instructor. As a bit of background, my ability is connected with the moon. At night, I use its light and power to command water, as the moon does with the tide. For the next year, I will teach you about the history of your people,” she explained.

Ellie leaned over to me. “Why is she called
Lady
Celine? I thought only royals had those titles.”

“As do teachers and high-powered officials. It is a sign of respect and acknowledges their wisdom and power,” I whispered back.

“Oh, I see. Thanks,” she said, smiling.

“No problem,” I replied. “It’s just part of the limited information I actually know about this place.”

Ellie laughed and whispered back, “I get lost sometimes too. You don’t have to be new.”

“Thanks for the pep talk,” I replied.

“You are very welcome,” Ellie said.

Even though I had lived here for three months, I still didn’t know everything about the Elf Realm. I believed I would learn a lot from Lady Celine during the year. I also liked the idea of having friends in each class, something I missed out on in the Human Realm. Janie and Ellie already seemed like pleasant company. Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to fit in at
Allura
. Feeling optimistic, I settled back into my seat and listened as Lady Celine began her lecture.

For my first day of history class, we introduced ourselves and then Lady Celine taught us about when our Realm was first created. I had heard about that time somewhat, but it was good to gain more insight. Our first king was Freyr, whom the Norse believed to be one of their pagan gods. Actually, to this day, he was the most powerful elf in existence. He governed the race of light elves during his time as ruler. This was the first time I had heard about two categories of elves: light and dark. Dark elves supposedly resided in the underworld, or Hell, as I had been taught to call it.

Freyr combined human religion with pagan rituals, choosing to observe nature and the importance of the afterlife while still looking to God as the higher power. He was a peaceful being, and wanted only happiness for his people.

The elves were the first to think of creating a Realm separate from humans. They were escaping persecution for their strange magical ways. The fae and mermaids followed soon after with the idea, and then all three created the Magical Realms together. However, Lady Celine didn’t talk much about the creation of the Realms because the whole process was some kind of secret that normal elfin folk weren’t allowed to hear. Only the creators – King Freyr, Queen Titania, and the mermaid Queen Disaya – knew the whole story about what took place all those hundreds of years ago.

The class was very interesting, as I had expected. When the bell rang, I was actually a little bummed to leave. It was a first for me because school in the Human Realm was a huge bore. Because elves were naturally smart in academics like math and science, school had never been a challenge for me. Here, school wasn’t about basic functions and scientific theories. It was about the elfin people, my people, and I had a lot to learn about that subject.

I waved goodbye to Ellie and Janie and hurried to my next class, the one I was looking forward to the most. I arrived at my ability class just in time.

My seat was easy to find, in the back of class again. I noticed Janie and waved a greeting, but she was sitting too far away for me to start a conversation. Instead, I met Daran, who sat to my left. His power was the ability to change one thing into another just by thinking it. I envied him. He probably could always get whatever he wanted. When I mentioned this, Daran explained his power was difficult to control sometimes. When his thoughts got out of hand, and he couldn’t stop them, some things changed when he didn’t want them to.

A sweet-looking elfen named Aimee sat to my right. Her jet black hair was straight, thin, and ended just before her shoulders. She stood out to me because most elfens had long hair, rarely cut short like hers. Even the guys here had longish hair, although most of the time it only reached their chins and curled around their pointy ears.

I learned right away that Aimee was a healer from Birchwood City. Looking back, I remembered seeing her a few times, but had never spoken to her.

“How come I have never met you before?” she wondered.

“I usually hang out with my sister’s friends…because, well, I don’t know many elves here. I’m kind of shy,” I admitted awkwardly.

“I’m sorry,” Aimee said frowning. “I should have figured that out. From now on, we can be friends. No more older folks!” she said, smiling.

“Thanks,” I said.

Aimee was the kind of girl who went out of her way to make others feel better. She had the perfect attitude for a healer. It was strange being around someone so much more outgoing than myself, but also refreshing.