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The week before Nadriella had to take part in the test
which would decide her very life as a Faerie, the teachers each explained to
Nadriella’s grade when each person’s test would be and what they may be asked
to do. Celalith and Nadriella were permitted to test together as the Faerie
bond between them required that they share all experiences together.
The Gelert and Faerie were scheduled to test
on the forthcoming Wednesday. And on a clouded and cold morning, Nadriella and
Celalith nervously made their way towards the room open only for those who had
come to be judged by faeries of high rank who would decide each ones fate.
Though the room was in the tallest tower in the
academy, there were no windows to let in the glorious sunlight that faeries
loved so dearly. The walls were panelled with a deep, beautiful wood, upon which
tapestries hung, depicting the greatest faeries of each element and the accomplishments
which made them legendary. Nadriella’s eyes scanned the room and fell to rest
upon a series of raised desks. Behind each desk sat a Faerie of different element,
rigid in their seat and exuding power and wisdom. Celalith and Nadriella were
horribly uneasy as they stood in front of the Faeries, feeling so powerless
and infantile before them.
“You are Nadriella, daughter of Genflia, of the
element air, correct?” barked the Dark Faerie who sat with the council, her
voice official and loud. Nadriella tried to speak, her hands quivering from
her shattered nerves.
“I-I am,” she said, her voice trembling. Celalith
put her nose next to the shaking Faerie’s hand to calm her, she was nervous
as well.
“And you are bound to this Gelert, Celalith as
you dubbed her, correct?” inquired the stately Earth Faerie with a smooth and
interested voice. Nadriella and Celalith nodded, causing the council faeries
to whisper among themselves quickly.
“Well, first thing is first, I suppose,” the
Air Faerie decided after the faeries each had their say to one another.
And so the test began…
Nadriella was asked to recite the codes of the
Faerie, as well as the creed of her specific element, air. She was told to perform
her basic elemental spells and was then given an old paper, upon which was a
riddle in the ancient Faerie tongues. The young Faerie read it over and over
her brain struggling to figure it out. However, thanks to the quick thinking
of Celalith the riddle was solved.
The synchronization between the pair was seamless,
like a perfectly choreographed dance, and as the hour slowly whittled away,
Nadriella and Celalith started to truly believe within their hearts that they
were going to be given a wonderful job by the council.
“Excellent! Quiet excellent,” the Light Faerie
clapped as Nadriella created a small whirlwind inside the room for her final
test. She smiled down at Celalith who smiled back.
“Yes, you are expertly trained in the languages,
spells, the legends, everything really,” continued the Light Faerie, shifting
through the notes she had made on various pieces of paper.
“However…”
Nadriella did not like that word.
“However what?” Celalith growled her eyes narrowing
dangerously. The faeries frowned and looked down at Celalith, irked by her disrespect.
“However, we cannot give you any real…placement,
shall we say,” the dark Faerie leaned forward with a bored expression on her
face. Nadriella’s eyes opened wide as her stomach plunged to the main land below.
“You… YOU WHAT?! But… but I…” Nadriella prattled
on hopelessly, while Celalith took on where Nadriella left off.
“ON WHAT MERIT?! SHE COMPLETED EVERYTHING THAT
YOU WANTED HER TO DO AND SHE—“ Celalith’s tirade was silenced as the dark Faerie
clapped her hands. The dark Faerie gave another grim smile, and leaned ever
closer towards the pair.
”You see m’dear, a basic trait of the Faerie
is to fly. The jobs which you would be suitable for all require flight. Furthermore,
a Faerie with deformed wings is a danger to everything. You could be caught
and used against us by one of the many evil things lurking about,” she explained,
smiling nastily at Celalith when she finished. Nadriella shook her head at this;
it must be a joke…!
”But, I can defend myself against attackers!
I can and—“
“It’s not just that, dear,” interrupted the air
Faerie at the end of the panel. “You are an Air Faerie, you home is in the sky.
How can you represent your element properly if you have never experienced flight?
It’s really a bit of a paradox that we give you the blessing of the air faeries,
yet you can never complete the basic trait of any air Faerie.” She went on with
her voice that barley broke above a whisper.
Nadriella stood there, thoroughly crushed. All
she ever wanted was to be a Faerie, and she hoped so much…she was so close.
Did no one care for her? Her friend looked at the faeries with a disgusted glance
in her eyes, wishing that she could speak and tell them all what she thought.
“It is the decision of this council,” the Water
Faerie began, speaking for the first time during the entire test. “That you
are not to be given any assignment. You are to go about your own will, but we
will not help you in any way.”
It was worse than she thought it ever could be,
it was veritable banishment! It was the fate that befell the faeries who were
not given the blessing of their element. They were simply to wander Neopia meaninglessly.
Nadriella wanted to argue, to defy them, but their decision was law and it was
made…and there was nothing that could be done about it now…
The two made their way out of the large room
and down the hall, not noticing anything. Outside the door a fire Faerie and
a light Faerie from her classes stood there, watching her.
“Failed, didn’t you?” the Fire Faerie laughed.
“We’ll make sure to send you a letter once we’re
guardians of a land!” The light Faerie laughed. Nadriella couldn’t take it anymore,
she broke into a run, barreling down the hallway, wanting to go somewhere, anywhere
but where she was. Celalith ran beside her, matching her speed and her pain.
They were both bound in happiness, and now they would be bound in sadness as
well…
To be continued...
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