MAGE CHRONICLES: The Beginning.

We head back to my room and I’m somewhat relieved to see that the other girls have rooms along the same hall, though they had not moved in yet. Being alone had been unsettling.

Ryder and Eislyn seem to have put the incident outside the ceremony behind them, probably chalking it up to my imagination running wild, but I was still stuck on it, or rather him.

Was I going crazy?

No, not even I could create such a perfect man in my head.

Eis jumps onto the bed, disrupting my wandering thoughts. She then sits cross-legged, and motions for me to join her.

“I promised details, and I’m here to deliver. We are having a girl's night,” she points at Ryder, “You, go get us food, lots of it... don’t be stingy Ryder!” she shouts at his back as he heads out.

“Come here girl, you need to know your competition,” she says motioning me over to the bed.

“Uhmmm, not really, I don’t care, honestly, I certainly don’t want to be mated to the king,” I reply though I do move closer.

“Not your type?” she asks curiously.

“Something like that,” I mutter wanting the topic dropped.

“What is your type?”

The girl was like a honey badger with a vendetta, she wouldn’t let it go.

“You know what, Let’s talk about you and Ryder.” She says smirking.

“You know what,” I counter not interested in the direction things were going, “I’m a bit curious about the other girls.”

“Thought so,” she answers smugly while scooting over as I join her on the bed

Before she could get started, as she was itching to, a scuffle outside the door heralds a tall red-haired girl who’s holding onto a huge covered tray.

Before I could even ask who, she was and what she was doing here, Ryder pokes his head through the still-open door, and points at her, “She snatched the tray, there is your food, see you later.”

I turn to the girl, who’s now moved a little into the room, setting the tray on the Chabudai at the centre of the room.

“You look familiar,” I say studying her intently trying to ignore the food that was calling to me. When was the last time I ate something?

Opening the tray, she picks up a rather juicy-looking drumstick and hands it to me, “Auckland; Ryder’s bar, where you basically told us to shove it. Imagine my surprise when I see you in the opening ceremony,” she concludes casting me an affronted look.

“You were the light mage scout? I’m sorry, but I was really out of it, and you look different.”

“I had to look like a proper lady to take part in the trials, as per my mother’s words.”

“Besides, your delivery wasn’t nice, something along coming with you being the one good thing in my miserable life,” I continue, that statement had stayed in my head long after.

“Oh, and your partner called me a drowned goblin, I’m not sure how that looks but my gut says awful, you weren’t nice,” I add growing more irritated as I recall our previous encounter. I had been having an awful day before they all showed up and managed to somehow make it worse.

“I wasn’t lying, you don’t look like an elven woman, and Shivanne said she couldn’t read what you were.”

“I don’t like you!” I conclude in a huff.

“Good thing you don’t have to, huh?” she says picking up the other drumstick and heading out.

“Don’t worry about her, she likes no one, that was actually her being somewhat kind,” Eis who had been silent throughout the whole exchange offers.

“She took the other drumstick, I only eat drumsticks,” I say turning to her with a pout.

Ignoring me she continues, “That, was Ciara; her father is an elf who also happens to be the King’s general. Her mother on the other hand, is the most stuck-up dragon shifter you’ll ever meet, not exactly sure what her official role in Bright is except being up everyone’s ass.”

“So, Ciara is a half-breed?” I manage to ask around a bite of mashed potatoes.

“Correct, but don’t let her hear you say that, as far she’s concerned, she’s an elf.”

“Next up is Davan; ash-blonde hair, and deep blue eyes that stare into your soul, she’s a half-arctic wolf shifter and half-elven courtesy of her mother,” Eislyn continues.

“Then Ereni...are you even listening? She asks irritated, “Trust me, this is going to come in handy.”

“I was listening, but it doesn’t matter, I’m getting the hell out of here first chance I get.” I mumble around a mouthful of food.

“Sorry to burst your bubble but short of dying or the king officially releasing you once you fail, you are not going anywhere.”

I stare at her mouth open.

“Don’t gape like that, you didn’t know?” she cries out.

“No!” I huff.

“As I was saying,” she continues undeterred.

“Wait, why would you throw all that at me and just go as I was saying? The fuck woman!”