Omen of a Bluebell

Before I can get myself put back together, the guard presses a hand to a small, flat metal panel on the gate. Hundreds of tiny runes flare to life, their pale blue reflecting off of his armor and sparkling prettily.

For just a moment, the glimmering light show feels at odds with the knot in my gut.

Then it’s done.

He returns to his post opposite the Mage guard and turns to give us a nod, then doesn’t acknowledge us further. Instead, his eyes slowly track their way across the small courtyard, scanning the space.

Is that a good thing? Or bad? Am I about to get in trouble for the name thing?

Thankfully, I’m only left stewing for a few moments when the gate suddenly starts to swing open, taking with it the mist that obscured our vision of the other side. I still can't see to the other side though, as it stops mere moments after it begins.

A woman steps through the narrow opening, letting the gate seal itself behind her with a soft, final thud. Her heels strike a steady rhythm on the paving stones, crisp and confident, as she approaches us in the tense courtyard.

Her hair is the first thing I notice. It’s a long, wavy auburn that catches the morning light like brushed copper, falling in a smooth curtain over her shoulders. The second thing I notice is how incredible she looks.

She wears a tailored dark gray pantsuit that hugs her lightly at the waist before falling into clean, sharp lines. It’s not designed to show her off, but it still does. She has that kind of slender, graceful build where every movement seems practiced, efficient, and effortlessly elegant.

Human Scholar

Level ??

Still, Sense Danger hums at the base of my skull, warning me. Everything about her seems quiet and polite on the surface, but there’s a lot of power folded neatly underneath it all.

Not as much as the Archivist when he combined with his clones—and not directed at us, thank the gods—but still there.

Even their clerks are that high leveled?!

She stops before us with a calm smile that softens the intensity in her amber eyes. “Hello! I’m Selenia del Taska, head administrator here at Elderwynd Academy.”

When she says her name, Bella’s and Cari’s grips on my hands turn vice-like at the same time.

I glance at them both and find that, unsurprisingly, Bella at least seems unfazed, but there’s still a stiffness to her expression. Cari, on the other hand, unabashedly gapes at the woman across from us, her eyes wide with wonder.

I return my gaze to Selenia, only to find her looking at us expectantly. Bella steps in, rescuing me from the awkward silence.

“Princess Arabella von Bysm.” She curtsies with her free hand, dipping her head low. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Headmistress.”

I freeze.

Headmistress?

Cari jumps in before I can parse the new information, her voice high and filled with unfiltered excitement. “H-hi! Oh my gods, it’s—it’s so amazing to meet you in person. I’m Cari! Thank you so much for having me!”

She bows low a couple of times in rapid succession, completely unable to contain herself. When she stands upright again, her face is flushed, eyes sparkling with so much joy that I can’t help but smile at her antics, despite my current predicament.

Until I realize that I’m the one Selenia is looking at now, the look of patient expectation clear on her face.

“Emilia! Um, Ken. Emilia Ken, I mean. But you might know me as Emilia Ward?” My voice cracks halfway through my rambling, and the heat in my face flares even hotter. “I’m here to enroll?”

By the end my voice comes out weak and timid, and I want to slap myself senseless. Selenia doesn’t acknowledge my fumbling though. She just smiles and nods.

“Very good! Right this way then, ladies. I’ll guide you to the admin offices and we can get your enrollments in order,” she says, waving us forward.

We follow her, the gates opening a fraction once more to admit us. If it weren’t for my Dexterity and Charisma milestones, I’m almost certain I’d be walking as stiffly as a puppet on strings right now.

Then we step inside, and the mist pulls back like someone lifting a curtain.

For a heartbeat, I forget how to breathe.

Cari lets out a sound that’s a mix of a squeal and a strangled sob. Even Bella lets out a soft gasp, though that’s all the vision manages to evoke from her.

Elderwynd Academy isn’t just big. It’s massive.

The kind of place I’d expect to find in a storybook written by someone with way too much magic and zero sense of scale.

Dozens of floating islands drift lazily in the sky, each one crowned with towers and walkways that look far too delicate to hold themselves together, let alone hang over open air.

Some are small, like little porches stolen from the sky itself. Others are huge, carrying entire courtyards, gardens, and buildings that probably have more rooms than the inn we stayed at.

Or the entire block of buildings around it, even.

Bridges of stone and light and mana and gods-only-know-what-else connect them, sway gently in the air, as if they’re breathing. Every few moments, an island shifts a little, drifting to a new spot on some unseen influence.

And below it all, the ground level sprawls out in every direction: towering halls, classrooms, open plazas, fountains spraying liquid light instead of water, and buildings tall enough to scrape the low hanging clouds.

The whole place looks less like a school and more like someone smashed three whole cities together, shook them up, and then set what was left floating about.

It’s… makes absolutely no sense.

This is supposed to be inside the capital.

At the same time, it has that same feeling I get when entering a dungeon. That odd sense that space is stretching, bending, and doing other weird shit all while pretending it’s normal.

A surface-level dungeon?

That’s the only way my brain can file it, even if that’s just… not a thing. At least, according to everything I’ve ever read or heard. But nothing else makes sense for something of this scale, even with the absurd enchantments on the fence and gate around us.

Speaking of, another strange part is that from the inside, everything is clear. Bright. Open. I can see the academy, but also the city beyond its fence.

Yet I know if someone outside looked in, all they’d see is that same thick wall of mist.

I swallow hard and flick my ears to hear the gentle tingle of my earrings. It’s not a great distraction, but the sound grounds me.

Selenia waits patiently for us just a few paces away, watching on with a smile, clearly enjoying our wonder.

It takes a few more seconds for Cari to return to function, but as soon as we’re all ready, Selenia begins guiding us once more like nothing happened.

We walk through a massive open space that seems to slope into the ground before evening out—like an artificial crater, but smooth. A soft layer of grass covers the entire area, though sand pits are interspersed throughout.

As my eyes adjust to the open space, a familiar shape snaps into focus at the center, where the slope reaches its lowest point in the ground.

A Tunnel entrance.

How the Academy has its own tunnel entrance is beyond me, but at least it’s something I expected to some degree beforehand.

At least, mostly.

Still, the fact that it’s out in the open like this throws me for a loop momentarily.

There are no guards, no walls, and no gates. Instead, surrounding it is an intricate circle of runes carved into the ground, mana strobing in each individual symbol.

Not far from the magic circle is a track, training ground, firing range, and other such facilities placed strategically throughout the courtyard. And surrounding all of that is yet another, equally complex looking circle of glowing runes.

We keep walking.

Through the training area, through the gardens, onto busy streets. We weave through the crowd of the main thoroughfare, which seems to run straight through the entire ground complex, until eventually making it to the building at the center of it all.

A massive castle of white stone towers over us, the tower at its center reaching high into the sky, as if to compete with the floating islands.

We step inside, passing through several sets of wide open double doors made of wood so thick they could just as easily be gates.

The interior is richly decorated, with dozens of silver sconces lining the walls, each adorned with candles—actual candles—and a massive pale blue crystal chandelier coming from the high ceiling. Half again as many massive rugs fill the space, each decorated with their own unique tapestries.

Some depict great battles with even greater monsters. Others show massive rune circles sewn into their designs in eye catching symmetrical patterns. The only thing they all have in common is that they somehow fit the aesthetic of the space perfectly, despite the eclectic mix of colors and designs.

The walls themselves are decorated with countless paintings depicting men and women, old and young alike.

No doubt they are people of some measure of import to the Academy, but I don’t recognize any of them. Many are human, but I see just as many elves and dwarves depicted.

Even a few beastkin, though those paintings are few and far between.

Suddenly we stop before where a large crescent moon desk at the center of the room. Behind it is another woman in an equally neat pantsuit, only fully black instead of Selenia’s dark gray.

Owlkin Attendant

Level 92

Two beautifully patterned brown and white feathers seem to sprout from the top of her temples at an backward angle, and they curve slightly around the back of her head.

Pointed back as they are, it gives her a powerful 'no nonsense' look that fits her sharp office outfit.

Her frame is willowy and small, and I just know that if she stood up, she’d only barely be taller than me. Even so, she’s not devoid of soft curves where it matters.

The thought flits across my mind before I can stomp it flat, and my tail twitches to match my annoyance.

Great. My brain is just going to latch onto any pretty girl. Wonderful.

She watches us with wide, bright yellow eyes, her pupils so large she seems to stare through rather than at anyone.

When her gaze settles on me, I suddenly realize I’ve been staring.

And that the cool sensation that was spread throughout my body is entirely gone.

A familiar spice hits my nose, and I shudder, quickly looking to Bella who still holds me by the hand.

My ears flatten themselves on my head as a deep breath fills my lungs without me even meaning to, and warmth floods my chest.

Spices and sweet florals and her.

Then it hits me.

Oh, gods, already?!

I shake my hand from Cari's and pull one of the vials from storage. Thankfully there are thirty-one left—one for each day and two spares just in case.

Apparently, that's not going to be enough.

Mild panic aside, I quickly pop the cork and quaff it in one go.

Bella notices just before I can store the now empty vial, and her eyes widening and her cheeks flushing a more-gorgeous-than-it-should-be pink. I quickly look away, only to find that Cari also noticed, the look of concern plainly written across her face.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make things difficult—” Bella starts, her voice a low whisper as she tries to pull her hand from mine.

I give it a gentle squeeze, stopping her. She could still pull away if she wanted, but my indication was enough to give her pause.

“Too late for that, Princess,” I whisper back before I can think better of it. "You're stuck with me."

Then I quickly look anywhere but at her, trying my best to ignore the growing moritification.

That, and I'm suddenly preocupied with trying not to freak the fuck out.

With the first dose ending after barely an hour had passed, a bit of quick math tells me I have two and a half days before the vials run dry.

And that's if I only use twelve vials a day.

Is that even safe?

Regardless, two and a half days to get this under control, or I’ll end up having to shut myself in a room like a gremlin until my estrus runs its course. Which would mean missing the first couple weeks of school.

Yeah, not happening.

That’s when I notice Selenia watching me, one eyebrow raised in a polite little arch that tells me that she's fully aware of what just happened.

My face goes molten.

I stare at my boots like they’ve suddenly become the most fascinating things in the universe.

“Sorry,” I mumble.

She studies me for a moment longer, then turns her attention to Bella. As she does, that cool wave spreads through my core.

The medicine is kicking in, smoothing down the jagged edges of the heat that had been climbing higher and higher.

It helps. A lot.

But… not like the first dose.

The warmth doesn’t vanish this time. It just folds itself small, tucks into a corner, and stays there like a stubborn ember that refuses to die.

While I can easily resist it, the urges—to lean closer to Bella, to tease her, to test whatever gods-cursed thing my instincts see between us—it’s all still there.

I mentally curse, and Selenia speaks up again.

“Princess Arabella, please follow me. With your enrollment already in place, I just need to finalize a few things before you are free to go,” she says, then turns to Cari and I, indicating the Owlkin at the desk. “I leave you both in Amanda’s capable hands. She’ll guide you through the enrollment process and get you on your way.”

“Y-yes ma’am!” Cari blurts.

I look at Bella, a bubble of worry suddenly spearing my chest from nowhere good. She sees it, even though I try to push my stupid urges down even harder. I catch her lips twitch into the hint of a smirk before flattening back out.

“I’ll reach out to you once our dorm rooms are assigned so we can keep in touch. Besides,” she says before leaning in close to whisper directly into one of my ears, a devilish smirk clear on her lips, “I’d hate to lose my knight in shining armor.”

Then she slips her hand free of mine while I’m too busy being stunned stupid before swiftly walking away with Selenia.

She never once looks back to see the state she’s left me in.

The memory of her smirk sears itself into my brain with a relentless fervor, despite my best efforts to not read too much into it. One foolish thought rattles through my head without a care in the world.

Did… did she just flirt with me?

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