Shapeshifter's Academy (Chapter 2, Part 1)

Author's Note: Okay, so I feel like this part in the chapter is really sketchy, but I promise the next one will be better.

Kasmira awoke the next morning with a bright smile on her face. She leaped from her bed, raced down the hallway, and went into the kitchen. A large birthday cake sat on the table and her mother spun around, shouting,

“Happy birthday, dear!” Her mom rushed in and gave her a mighty hug.

Kasmira looked over her mother's shoulder at the table. “Is my letter here?” she asked.

“Yep, the raven just dropped it off.” She whipped out a green envelope and offered to her daughter.

Kasmira snatched it, resisting a squeal of joy, and stepped back, tearing into it, not bothering to look at the black symbol on the front. She pulled out the letter and read it slowly, savoring the moment.

*

Dear Kasmira Brookshire,

We are happy to inform you that you have been accepted at Turzig, the School of Shapeshifting. In five days time, Mr. Samuel will appear in your town, where he has been assigned to take all eligible students with him to Turzig. You must bring this letter or he will not allow you to come.

Since our students do not leave the school until the year is over, we suggest you pack many clothes and other necessities you may need. Your baggage will be checked prior to entered the school, so we advise you not to bring anything that we have deemed 'Against School Policy'. Which you can read what is aloud on the back of the letter.

A parent/guardian must be present before Mr. Samuel takes you to Turzig, so that they may sign a form, proving that they allow you to join the school. The signature will be kept and check regularly to ensure that there are no unnecessary guests.

We also advise that you buy a raven so that you may send letters to your parents while you are away. There are a few school ravens, but they are much slower and less dependable than the ones you would buy at a store.

We look forward to meeting you at Turzig.

Sincerely,

Master Korik Vopnir

*

Kasmira looked up, hands shaking, tears springing in her eyes. “How am I suppose to wait five days?”

Her mother chuckled. “You'll probably survive.”

The days past dreadfully slowly and at times Kasmira that she really wouldn't survive. But when the fifth day finally arrived, she felt as if it was worth the wait.

Kasmira grabbed her suit case and the cage that held her raven, and scrambled into the living room, where her mother and brother stood by the door.

“Are you ready, Kasmira?” her mom asked, a bright smile shining across her face.

Farin, on the other hand, looked unhappy.

“Yes!” Kasmira exclaimed excitedly and they all left the house.

She looked up and down the dirt street, but there wasn't anything that suggested she was about to leave for Turzig. Slightly put down, she continued onto the road with her family at her side. She spotted Hugo Keith far off down the path, who was also standing with his family. She tried to wave at him, but he never looked her way.

Kasmira waited, watching the wind twirl fallen leaves about.

Then a large, dull green bus appeared at the end of the road, driving slowly forward.

Kasmira grinned, her stomach fluttering, and started to move towards it, but stopped when a hand clasped around her wrist. She looked back and saw her mom.

“Not yet,” she told her. “We have to wait.” She released her grip.

Kasmira turned back to the bus, frowning.

A tall man stepped out of the bus and spoke with Hugo and Mr. and Ms. Keith.

Kasmira bit her lower lip as she watched him. It seemed like an eternity, and thought that is was almost as painful as waiting those five says after receiving her letter.

But the green bus now stopped just in front of her house. The man stepped out, his hair combed perfectly. He wore tight clothes and boots, his face was dirty.

“Good morning, Kasmira Brookshire!” he greeted with a half smile. “May I see your letter?”

Kasmira's hands shook as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter. She handed it to Mr. Samuel.

He grabbed it and ran his eyes down the paper. He grunted and handed it back. “And you're allowing Kasmira to go, Mrs. Brookshire?”

“Yes,” Kasmira's mother answered. “She has all her things packed and is ready to go.”

Mr. Samuel nodded. “I'll just need you to sign this.” He held out a yellow piece of paper and a pen.

Her mother signed the paper and Mr Samuel said,

“Alright then, ready Brookshire?”

Kasmira's breaths were growing hard and her palms were growing very sweaty. She turned to her mom and gave her one last hug. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too, sweetie.” Her mother stroked her hair gently before the two parted.

Kasmira looked to her brother. She wanted to give him a hug too, but his expression of complete envy and fury kept her away. So, instead she just said, “Good-bye, Farin.”

He mumbled something that sort of sounded like a bye as well, but she wasn't sure.

Kasmira turned back to Mr. Samuel, who stepped to the side and gestured for her to get in. After one final good-bye to her family, she stepped into the bus. Mr. Samuel got in behind her and shut the door.

She walked down the isle, searching faces for Hugo. Movement caught her eye and she saw that he was waving at her from the backseat. She smiled, dashed over to his spot, and sat down.

“I can't wait!” Kasmira cried, unable to contain her excitement any longer.

“Neither can I,” Hugo said, eyes gleaming. “Where do you think the school is?”

“I don't know, but I'm sure its somewhere awesome.”

“It'd better be!” He grinned, glancing out the window.

The bus was now speeding away from the the place Kasmira had always called home. It made her sad, but she was too thrilled about going to her new school to feel heartbroken about it at all.

She watched as the trees whipped past, and glanced back at the dust that spewed out from behind the bus. She watched the birds flutter about, and the small animals that scurried away.

“Do you--”

But Kasmira was caught off from her question as the bus suddenly veered off the path, charging into the Wispy Moon Forest.

“What the hell?” she heard someone shout from up front.

Kasmira exchanged a glance with Hugo and began to wonder how they weren't crashing into trees, especially considering how dense the forest was. She peered over the many heads and saw that they were in fact still on a road. She turned and looked out the back window; but they were no longer on the main dirt road.

Hugo suddenly gasped. “Kasmira! Turzig is in the Wispy Moon Forest!”

“But wouldn't that be too easy to find?”

“Not if it was in here deep enough.” His eyebrows furrowed as they always did when he was thinking hard on something.

Kasmira let out a huff. “And to think all this time we were practically right next to the school.”

“I doubt we're close at all,” he told her. “Apparently the forest is bigger than we had imagined.”

Kasmira didn't have time to respond to this because Mr Samuel had begun to speak.

“Listen up!” his voice bellowed from the front. “We are indeed in the Wispy Moon Forest, and its going to take approximately five hours to reach Turzig. If you brought snacks, feel free to eat them on the way, if not... than you'll be glad to know that there is to be a feast to welcome you at the school.” He let the words sink in before speaking again. “Whispering amongst each other is aloud, but should you become obnoxious to me, you will no longer be aloud speak. This is your first and final warning.”

Kasmira side-glanced at Hugo, saying very softly, “Did you bring snacks?”

“No,” he replied, just as quietly. “I was planning on there being snacks on the way here.” He fell back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest.

Kasmira sensed that he wasn't interested in talking and strained her ears to listen in on the conversations in the other rows. She caught one.

“...what do you mean you can already Shift, Nixie?”

“Its quite easy,” a bratty-sounding girl bragged, who must have been Nixie. “My parents started teaching me when I was seven. Got it within a week.”

“What do you think the teachers will say?” the other female voice asked.

“Do you honestly think I'm stupid enough to tell them that I can already shift? I'm just going to hide it.” Nixie giggled annoyingly. “But then I'll act like it just came easy to me—and be the first one to Shift!”

Kasmira already felt a growing dislike for Nixie, but she couldn't help but feel a little of admiration. She wondered what animal this girl had been able to turn into, and why it had been so easy for her. Would she, Kasmira, be able to Shift just as easily, or would she be the last one to do it? Fear and anxiety crept inside her, and she found herself fiddling with her fingers.