Falyn
The river was calm, the water floating lazily passed her. A warm breeze blew by. She closed her eyes as the air wrapped around her like a blanket. It had been cold for too many weeks now. This was the kind of weather she had been looking forward to.
She opened her eyes again once the breeze vanished. She looked down at the river, second guessing her decision. What if it didn’t work? What if something happened to her? And most importantly, what would happen if she got caught? She wouldn’t be able to survive whatever punishment they would give her.
But she made up her mind; she was going to do it. Carefully, she took a step into the river. She involuntarily flinched, anticipating the protection spell that would throw her backwards or turn her to ash. But nothing happened. She was free to cross the border. Warmth spread through her body. This was it. This was her opportunity.
With a new found confidence, she waded through the river and came to the bank on the other side. She nearly cried out with joy as she climbed up onto the dry ground. She’d done it. She had become the first mage to cross the river. And now she would be the first mage from Agathi to visit the city of Pollume. A few members of the Othir had made the journey, but that was different. They were the rulers of the city. It was their job to keep the peace between the two cities. No regular citizen had ever visited Pollume. They weren’t allowed to.
Without a single glance back, she made her way towards the city she had only seen from a distance. Her heart pounded in anticipation as she got closer. The tall, metal buildings seemed to grow taller as she got closer.
When she was just a short distance away, she saw that people were waiting for her at the grand entrance of the city. They were calling out to her with open arms, welcoming her. She could hear their joyful voices calling out her name: Falyn! Falyn! Falyn…
“Falyn!”
Someone shook her shoulder, drawing her away from the perfect daydream. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. Disappointment coursed through her body. She wasn’t at the entrance to Pollume. There were no strangers welcoming her. Instead, she was sitting in a classroom at school with all of her classmates staring at her.
“Falyn,” Professor Lankis called from the front of the class, sliding the glasses down the bridge of her nose. “As I was asking while you were staring out the window, can you tell me the three battles that led to the mages victory over the seers in the Four Parts war?”
“Oh, right,” Falyn said. She could feel her face turning red. She had never fallen asleep or zoned out during class before. This was the first time. And it was completely embarrassing.
“Well, the first battle was the Battle of the Enlightened. After a victory for the mages, we pushed back the seers to the caves of Ethir. We nearly lost that battle, but we were able to defeat the seers and push them back even farther. And then during the Battle of Sumner River, we forced the seers across the river and created the protection spell to keep them from coming back.”
“Well done, Ms. Perez,” Professor Lankis said in a voice that was anything but congratulatory. “It seems that you have found it helpful to look ahead in your books in order to be prepared for class. But I do warn you that daydreaming is dangerous. You won’t make it very far if you don’t pay attention in class. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Falyn hung her head. She wasn’t used to being scolded or being told that she was doing something wrong. But she couldn’t get over her curiosity for the city across the river. No matter how many times her father told her to forget about it, she couldn’t.
She snuck a quick glance out the window. The city of Pollume was just as far away as it always was. She could make out the tall, metal buildings, but that was it. How she wished she could visit for just one day. What was it like in that city? Was it different than in Agathi? She had to know.
“Now, I would like everyone to open their books to page eighty-three and read about the battles that made up the Four Parts war,” Professor ordered as she sat at her desk. “There will be no talking. When the bell rings, you may be dismissed.”
Falyn opened her book and tried to concentrate on the reading. It was hard. The words seemed to run together on the page, making them confusing and hard to understand. She just couldn’t read them.
She snuck a glance up at Professor Lankis’s desk. The professor was staring back at her with accusing green eyes. Falyn had never realized how much those eyes stood out against the professor’s dark skin. It was rather unnerving.
Diverting her gaze, Falyn went back to the book. The words on the page slowly fixed themselves and became real words again. She started to read.
For three hundred and ninety-two years, mages and seers had lived in perfect harmony. But in the year three hundred and ninety-three, a certain distrust began to grow between the two groups. Othir members accused seers of lying, hiding the truths of the future from them. Members of the Lanche, the ruling people of the seers, claimed that there were no secrets to hide; that their powers were dwindling and they weren’t as strong as they used to be.
Tension built up between the two people from the year three hundred and ninety-three to the year three hundred and ninety-nine. The ruling bodies of both people were able to control any outbursts between their people. At the turn of the century however, the force of the people was too strong. Thus the Four Parts War began.
Falyn skipped the next part of the chapter. It was all about the Battle of the Enlightened. The battle wasn’t even anything exciting. A bunch of the leaders from each of the cities got together and tried to solve things without fighting. There was a lot of discussion and arguing. These meetings happened behind closed doors. It lasted for a total of four days. Early in the fourth day, a gunshot was heard from outside. One of the members of the Othir had been shot by a seer. Once word got back to both of the cities, the war began.
Everyone knew the story. There was no reason for them to go over the same stories each year. Besides, the Four Parts war happened back in the year 400. It was 573 now. Everything had been peaceful for 173 years.
She supposed that it was important for them to know their city’s history, but she hated reading about the battles. So many people died, including her great grandfather. She hated reliving all that.
Looking around, Falyn saw her classmates reading intently. Even Professor Lankis was engrossed in whatever she was working on herself. The only other person in the room who wasn’t reading was Falyn’s best friend Mina. Mina was trying to get her attention from across the room.
“What?” Falyn mouthed.
“Are you okay?” Mina responded silently. Falyn nodded and smiled. But her best friend didn’t seem convinced. “We’ll talk after class.” Falyn really didn’t want to talk, but she wasn’t about to tell Mina that. It would hurt her feelings. Mina was delicate at times. She had to be careful around her.
Many people thought she and Mina were sisters. Not only did they hang out all of the time, they also looked like each other. They were both the same height: short, nearly 5’2”. Mina and Falyn shared the same long, wavy black hair and soft blue eyes. They were even the same height. But their skin color was different. Mina’s skin was tan while Falyn’s was more of a pale color. It amazed Falyn sometimes how similar the two of them were.
Falyn sighed and stared at the clock. There was still twenty minutes until the school day was over. Falyn wasn’t sure she could wait that long. If only she could force the hands on the clock to move quicker.
Suddenly, the minutes hand spun around the numbers and stopped once it reached the twelve. It was four o’clock; the end of the school day. The bell rang out, making everyone jump. Professor Lankis’s head snapped up in confusion. Pulling the glasses off of her nose, she looked at the clock.
“Well, I guess it’s the end of the day. Come prepared for a test tomorrow. Homework is to write a single page summary of what you’ve read. Ms. Perez, see me before you leave.”
Falyn groaned as she packed up her books. While her classmates were talking excitingly about their plans for the night, Falyn was busy wondering what Professor Lankis was going to tell her. No doubt she’d reprimand her for not paying attention in class again. It wasn’t really something Falyn was looking forward to.
“Wait outside for me?” She begged Mina as she headed towards the front of the classroom.
“Sure,” Mina responded. “Don’t get in too much trouble.” She winked and walked out into the hallway.
When all of the students were gone, Professor Lankis spoke up. “Falyn, I am impressed with your work.” Falyn stared at her. She hadn’t expected anything positive. “But your lack of dedication in the classroom is alarming.” There it was.
“So,” Professor Lankis continued. “I am not granting your request to enter extra schooling early.”
Falyn stared at her teacher. She was in such shock that she could barely find her voice. “But, Professor—”
“It is not up for discussion Ms. Perez. You submitted your request at the beginning of the school year. If you recall, I did explain to you the importance of doing well this year. Back then you would’ve been a great addition to our extra schooling program. But now, well, you seem to have lost interest and work ethic.
“We cannot allow you into our extra schooling program, Falyn. You may reapply next year, but you’ll have to stay focused the entire year. This school does not accept students into our extra schooling program if they don’t deserve it.”
“But I do deserve it,” Falyn argued. “I’ve studied harder than anyone in this class! I’ve gotten outstanding grades on every evaluation! How can you just tell me no?”
“Like I said, your performance in class is less than spectacular. You will have to wait another year.”
“By then all of my friends will be a year ahead of me!”
Professor Lankis stared at Falyn over the brim of her glasses. “If this is about keeping up with your friends, I’m afraid you have applied for extra schooling for the wrong reason, Ms. Perez. Students in the extra schooling program are dedicated to securing a top job in the city and creating a better place for our citizens. They do not choose extra schooling just to socialize!”
Falyn opened her mouth to respond, but thought better of it. She knew that Professor Lankis was right. If all she did in class was sit and daydream, how would she ever expect to do well in extra schooling? Sure she’d have Mina and Henry to help her out, but it wouldn’t be enough. Maybe she wasn’t ready.
“I’m sorry, Falyn, I really am,” Professor Lankis continued, her voice soft and comforting. “But you’re fourteen years old. Your friends are sixteen. You skipped two years of schooling because of your brilliant study habits. But what you lack is maturity. I just don’t think you’re ready. Better luck next year.”
“Right,” Falyn said, feeling defeated. “Thanks anyway.” She clung her books close to her chest as she walked out into the hallway.
Professor Lankis thought she was too immature, too inexperienced. Well she’d show her wrong. Falyn was going to prove herself. Final testing for extras schooling didn’t start for another two months. Falyn could improve in that time. She was going to be the best student in the class. Then there would be no way that Professor Lankis would deny her entry into extra schooling.
Points: 279
Reviews: 240
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