SWNOVELS Chapter 44: More of the same
The following week is pretty much the same as the first day. Each time I hear the same jeers, insults, and berating by those in my class, and the snide remarks about Serasfall and Celes.
I keep my distance from everyone, not trying to make friends due to not knowing who else might want to torment me. This creeping paranoia of mine resurfaces in a big way and it's taking its toll on me.
While I think the dragons do want to do something directly, they simply fall back, trying to stem the insults.
As was during lunch on Monday, I again retreat to the small courtyard. The wolves continue to gather around me, shielding me from everyone. I’m not pelted with food because of them. I smile, feeling a small sense of peace as they rest quietly on the ground. I slowly prefer their company over that of anyone else at school.
Fenris, of course, remains at my side, ears on a constant swivel.
I’m again joined by Veylana and her wolf, Vulcan. I really have to know why this family has the penchant to name our wolves after mythological figures. Kinda funny when you think about it.
We while together. She told me when she heard the news about me attending she became extremely happy, thinking what she and I could do together. She mentions something about a café and possibly going to it after class.
I smile, thanking her.
During my study period, I retreat to the library. The rules are stricter here, with monitors patrolling for any outbursts or troublemaking. A good place to hang out.
The library is massive, easily the size if not bigger than the one at Concordia Seminary with multiple levels with bookcases lining every wall possible. I watch as books float from one shelf to the next with dragons, gryphons, and harpies flying from one floor to the next to retrieve a tome.
I stroll through the rows of books as I skim over title after title. I finally pull out some books, namely more local literature. I offer a small smile and walk over to a table and begin reading with Fenris lying beside me.
My ears again pick up the chattering of follow students. However this time it’s not more insults being levied against me, but something more amicable.
“Hey,” says a girl, “have you heard how the girl over there with the headband, (me), is now being called the 'Wolf princess of Shyair'? Seeing her with them all week?”
“I think it fits her,” says a boy. “Part of me wants to believe that she is more than simply the ward of Her Grace, Serasfall. I’ve seen the wolves go and be with Veylana from time to time. Aria on the other hand, has her bonded and the wolves seem to revere him.”
I pan over to them, eyes heavy from reading. They quickly see me and slowly shuffle out of the library.
I sigh, ignoring their remarks. While genuine, I simply can’t trust them at the moment. I shake my head and return to my book. I do sort of like the title. It fits in a strange way. In the future I’m known as the “Fox princess of Colburn”. I do like the symmetry in a way.
I sigh, thinking of my coven. Again, I know that most of them aren’t even born while here, I still worry about them.
My nerves twitch slightly as I sense something being thrown at me. I quickly snatch whatever it is and toss right back at its source without looking. I hear the grunt of a girl as it hits her, but doesn’t retaliate. I clutch my book tighter knowing it again was heavy and meant to seriously hurt me.
I glance up, seeing a boy walking over to me. He’s about my age if not a little older, with dark hair. I look on at him before returning to my book.
“Why hello there,” says the boy. “I am Aiden of Drakthul.”
I look up at him again. He seems nice, but I know otherwise. I really don’t care for Drakthul, in this era or in mine. To be honest, I wish he’d never come over to me.
“I’m Aria.”
He smiles, “Since you are new here, Aria, would you permit me to escort you around the school? No doubt you can easily become lost within its halls. I can also act as your personal protector, seeing how you’ve become the target of many here. It would be good to have someone like me guarding you.”
I sigh, returning to my book, “No thanks.”
He stands there, his smile fading into a soft scowl. He then lets out an exasperated huff. I simply roll my eyes.
I glance over to see a wolf standing beside him. The wolf turns and bows to Fenris. My bonded nods to him in return. I know the wolves here won’t say anything, and for that I trust them. I smile to him.
Aiden see this exchange and is clearly being angry. He turns away from me, “Come, Timaeus. We’re leaving,” before walking off.
Timaeus looks to me, bowing his head. “Stay safe, little princess,” he whispers before trotting off.
I smile, however sighs.
During the course of the afternoon classes as usual, I again am beset by the berating and demeaning remarks by my classmates. It slowly begins to takes its toll on me as I try to ignore it.
By the end of the week as always, I feel heartbroken as I leave for home.
Celes and Serasfall both greet me as I walk in the door each time.
“Welcome home my dear,” says Serasfall. “I hope your first week was excellent.”
I look to her and nod before heading for my room. I feel a hand resting on my shoulder. I pan over to see Serasfall standing beside me. “Darling, is there anything you wish to tell me? It has only been a week and you seem more exhausted than on your first day.”
I lower my gaze, facing forward, “It’s nothing, honest.”
I hate lying to them, and Lord knows I want to tell them what’s going on. I simply can’t. The moment I do, they’ll rush in and end it. However the problem I face is that they’ll keep coming and now bear a grudge against me.
I bite back they growing tears as I slowly pull away from them, head held low until I again reach my room.
I crawl into bed, feeling the pain and torment from the week building up again as I cry into my pillow.
…
The afternoon classes for the start of the next week are held outside at the small forest that borders the school. As we stroll through it, I smile, listening to the sounds of the trees as they sway and creak in the wind. As I will forever say, a fox is at home in the forest.
Fenris and the other wolves on the other hand are not allowed to accompany us. Therefore they have to sit outside and wait for us to return. I know he’s worried for me, but trusts me to remain calm and vigilant.
Once we reach a certain part of the forest, the teacher begins to break us up into smaller teams. The goal of the exercise is to track down the other teams and “capture” them. A simple enough task. In fact this is something that I looked forward to when our teacher announced it earlier in the morning.
I’m placed with a group of girls, a couple of which are the source of my torment. Namely Raisa of Laevatain. She’s the one who’s been the worst to me, levying her accusations about me and Serasfall. I can see spitefulness within her, seeing how her wolf is often seen with me and others during lunch.
In some ways she really reminds me of Mistral. Her cousin also revels in my torment, tossing his stone-filled paper wads at me. He’s often the first in the morning to have something nasty waiting for me. Today I found a dead rat, with its body sadistically carved open. I let out a massive shriek as I discovered it.
Fenris quickly snatched it and carried it off. As he did, I hear a bellowing laughter coming from him. I look in utter terror. I know I’ve seen far worse, even been through worse. It however was the sudden discovery and my overly-taxed mind that I let it get to me the way it did.
As the teacher gives us the instructions, I hear her lobbing quiet insults to me. “Little whore of Shyair,” she tells me. “Your mistress will become displeased with you if you fail. No more nights sleeping in her bed.”
While that last jeer stung deeply and painfully, I ignore it. Lord knows I want to turn toward her and slap her silly, knocking that smugness and arrogance out of her. However I really can’t do anything about it at the moment.
We finally split up and disappear into the forest to await the command to start.
After a couple minutes I discover that I’m all alone as my team suddenly vanishes from sight. I look around, peering into the endlessness of the forest. Damn, and here I thought I was good at disappearing in the forest. By nature I am, not needing anything to aid me. However I get the impression that they must have used magic to cover their tracks.
I soon begin to hear footsteps as the shuffle quietly on the forest floor. I pan around, listening as the sounds reverberate off of the trees.
Whispers then begin to pierce through the emptiness of the forest, with more veiled insults that I can’t fully make out. They soon slowly become more and more venomous as they draw closer to me.
“The wolves will not protect you here,” says one voice. “The mere idea that our wolves give some credence to a foreigner is an insult to us.”
“Shyair must feel horrible for having taken in such a worthless girl such as you,” says another. “While you bear a pretty face, you seem to possess few wits, if only the bare minimum.”
I sigh, shaking head as I continue to walk through the forest. I brush my hands against the bark of trees, feeling the roughness on my palms.
The voices start to become louder and closer as time goes on. Their words are now seething with toxic hatred. I feel my stomach churn as they continue, feeling a growing pressure upon me as they begin to goad me.
“We love seeing you squirm,” says a veiled voice. “All you ever do is sit and take our judgement. You are nothing compared to us. You filthy, gutter trash of a girl. You’re not even worthy to lick our boots let alone sit in the same classroom as us.”
“Perhaps we should take her to the Engsol district,” says the second veiled voice. “She is a whore are after all and I’m sure she could find someone to pay her and show some compassion, if only for the night.”
I feel as though their words are like daggers, continuously piercing my heart. I won’t fight them, rules or no rules, wishing to end all of this. Although I fight the urge to lash out at them, even with each insult they lob at me.
The forest soon completely goes dark, feeling the air become heavier as I can now see nothing in front of my face. I look around, thinking an illusion of some kind has been erected around me.
The voices again echo and reverberate off of the trees and now from the creeping darkness. They blend together so well it’s hard to determine when words are being spoken.
I spin and turn, trying to locate their sources as I feel them slowly drawing closer to me. I crouch a little lower, feeling a sense of growing bloodlust on the wind. The pressure and anxiety is so overwhelming that I want to puke.
I nearly am about to drop to a knee when I force myself to stand. I summon several tags, closing my eyes for a moment to infuse the correct spell into one and then toss it into the air, creating a blinding light.
To my sheer horror I find that most of my class is now surrounding me. They are all within but a few feet of me, magic and weapons at the ready.
I feel as though someone gut-punched me as my heart sinks into my stomach. I glare at all of them as tears begin to roll down my cheeks. Part of me is ready to burst into tears, the other wants to say fuck it and transform, ripping them apart.
They look at me, standing stunned and surprised as the illusion shatters. I’ve had issues in school before, dealing with abuse from other students. But none of them wanted to straight-up kill me.
Feeling utter disgusted and heartbroken, I summon back my tag and walk away, heading towards an entrance. Hot streaking tears continue to roll down my face.
“Well, looks like the little whore of Shyair couldn’t handle a little fun.” calls out Raisa. “Your parents must have cast you aside, never truly wanting you in the first place.” She then grins, “That is why Shyair took you in. You have no real home. They are merely stringing you along until you prove worthless and toss you out.”
I stop dead in my tracks, feeling a swelling anger growing within me. I don’t even turn to face her. Her words, while only be just that, cause my blood to boil. Those were possibly the worst things she could have said to me.
My mother, Rachel Rivenfeld, loved me more than anything in this world. She fought for me, bled for me, gave me a place to call home after I truly became hers. She even sacrificed herself for me so that I might escape.
I also know how much Serasfall, Celes, Tyrion and the others love me. I have the wolves, Fenris who loves me as my father, Athena as a mother, and Rhea as a grandmother.
I grit my teeth, but then press on again for the forest entrance. All the while I hear laughter and the continuous chanting of “Whore of Shyair” echoing behind me.
I soon exit the forest, finding Fenris and the wolves all still sitting where we left them. I feel a lump growing in my throat swelling, now ready to fully burst into tears as my heart is about the give out.
My bonded rises and trots over to me. “Little Aria,” he says, “what happened to you? Why are you crying?”
I look up him, only to turn and run away. He quickly catches up to me, blocking me. “Daughter,” he says, now even more concerned, “tell me what is wrong.”
I look up to him and explain what happened in the forest. I tell him what was spoken and how my classmates appeared to wanted to kill me.
He presses his head into mine, wrapping his tails around me. “You are truly loved beyond measure,” he says. “You know the truth of your family, for they love you with all that they are.”
I nod, reaching up and clinging to him. He grumbles softly, holding me close.
I look over to see that teachers are simply standing on the hill. They look to me and yet do nothing. I know they saw me exit the forest crying, but are not coming over to check on me.
I bury my face into Fenris’ fur, thinking that school teachers are the same no matter the era, willing to do nothing if it suits them. Never truly caring about their students if the money is good.
This really shatters my fantasy of being at Hogwarts. Call me naïve for wanting something like that.
I then hear the sound of laughter as most of my classmates exit the forest. They appear to be carrying on as nothing ever happened. They soon turn and see me huddled against Fenris. Broad smiles grow on their faces as they turn and face me.
The other wolves soon rise up and gather around me, growling softly at them. This both startles them, yet also enrages a few others. When the wolves take a step forward, my classmates back away and slowly retreat.
Fenris bobs my chest. “This cannot go on much longer,” he says. “I know your heart is strong, but what has been done is more than you should ever bear at school.”
I nod, “I know.” I then wipe my tears away. “There’s only one real way of ending this.”
He looks up at me, his eyes shimmering in the sunlight. “Be wise about it, little Aria.”
I smirk softly, but it’s full of pain. “I know.”