The Chronicles of a Young Fyora: The Beginning

     “Fyora?” a soft voice called out to her. She turned to see another student at the academy who didn’t quite seem to fit in either. She had short, raven hair and icy blue eyes hidden under a fur-trimmed hood, even in the dead of summer.

     “Hi,” Fyora said bashfully. “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember your name. What is it?”

     “Taelia, the academy’s only Snow Faerie,” she said, outstretching a pale hand. “It’s nice to meet another faerie as… unique as myself.”

     “It is,” Fyora agreed with a sheepish smile. “Nice to meet you, Taelia.”

     A group of Fire Faeries floated past them, snickering and whispering over their shoulders.

     “You know, I think you and I should stick together,” Taelia said in response with a laugh, brushing the cruel interaction off like it was nothing.

     With a nod, Fyora followed her new friend down the halls of the academy.

     ***

     “Welcome to Mastering Elemental Powers 101. My name is Professor Beltane and I will be helping you hone and understand your own elemental magics this year,” a beautiful and tall Light Faerie with pointed, cat eye glasses announced as she wrote the name of the course on the blackboard in chalk.

     After going over all of the known basic elemental powers - fire, earth, dark, light, water, and air, Professor Beltane began to explain elemental anomalies, mutations, and exceptions.

     “Beyond the basic elements, faeries can develop mutated versions of these powers like ice and snow as well as elemental oddities such as space or combat,” the professor explained, causing students in the classroom to turn towards Taelia with a look of awe.

     “However, there is a type of power that fuses all elements. It is a power that is seen only once in a millennia. Faeries with control over all elements. They are omnipotent and have the ability to impose control over faeries of singular elements. In order to be bestowed with a power like this, a faerie must be good-hearted, kind-spirited, and benevolent…” as Professor Beltane continued, Fyora found herself deep in thought.

     “What element type am I? Could I be one of these ‘all-powerful’ faeries?” she thought to herself. Surely she couldn’t have all that power stored within her. She’d have far too much responsibility on her shoulders… but what if that is what she was destined for?

     “Are you coming?” a voice asked, pulling Fyora from her thoughts. It was Taelia, towering over her in her arctic blue sherpa.

     “Oh, yeah,” Fyora said with a shake of her head. She gathered her books and followed the Snow Faerie to the door.

     It was lunchtime, so the student body and professors alike were in the courtyard of the academy, sprawled out over wooden tables, picnic blankets, and the concrete ledges lining the gardens and fountains with their lunch spreads. It was an ethereal day in Faerieland. The academy buzzed with a glow of magic under the soft, early-autumn sun. Vines crawled up the brick and mortar of the building and there was a hum in the air to accompany the excitement of the semester just beginning.

     As Taelia and Fyora were settling into their spots for the lunch hour, they heard a voice at their backs.

     “Look, ladies! There’s precious little pinky and her icicle friend!”

     The duo turned to see a Fire Faerie with her arms crossed and a sneer on her crimson red lips. Fire blazed at her fingertips as her Fire Faerie friends laughed in a gaggle behind her.

     Taelia and Fyora shared a confused look before turning back to the overly confident Fire Faerie.

     “Of course I’m talking about you. Are you both as daft as you are bizarre?” she asked snidely with a roll of her eyes. “My goodness.”

     “No, but I’m guessing you all are as hot headed as you look. Right?” Taelia asked, raising her eyebrows. Fyora had to hide her giggle behind a dainty hand.

     “How dare you talk to me like that! Do you know who I am?” she shrieked. “My name is Elida and I am the most powerful Fire Faerie at this academy!” The flames at her hands combusted wildly in her anger.

     “That doesn’t mean you can treat your peers unkindly,” Fyora said, standing her ground beside Taelia.

     “Yes, actually. It does,” Elida hissed. “It’s a good thing fire melts snow. Isn’t it?”

     In one fluid motion, the Fire Faerie lifted her hand and shot a ball of fire straight at Taelia, who dodged it at the last second. The commotion caused a group of students and staff to circle around Fyora, Taelia, and Elida.

     “Stop this at once!” Professor Beltane demanded.

     In response, Elida summoned a ring of fire to separate her and her opponents from the rest of the academy.

     “Sorry, Professor. What was that?” she sang, placed a manicured hand to her ear with a cackle. “We’re just having some fun, anyways! Right, ladies?”

     Elida shot a wild, wide-eyed look at Taelia and Fyora, her amber irises flickering with fervor.

     “Right. Just having some fun,” Taelia announced through gritted teeth as she pulled herself back up to her feet.

     “Taelia, what are you doing? We have to put a stop to this madness!” Fyora said, grabbing her Snow Faerie friend by the arm.

     “Trust me. If we don’t stand up for ourselves now, this will never end,” Taelia said sternly in response. Her azure eyes glistened with tenacity, assuring the young Fyora. They shared a nod before continuing.

     Opening her arms wide, Taelia summoned a flurry of ice and snow. It circled like a cyclone up into the air above the academy.

     “Snowager Junior’s got tricks!” Elida chortled. Her minions on the other side of the fire barrier laughed along like a flock of Peadackle.

     “I do have tricks. Watch this!” Taelia said, lifting her arms and the cyclone of ice with them. She flung her arms one after the other, shooting icicles at Elida.

     With a gasp, she dodged the first few, melted the next couple, and then was struck by the final round.

     “That hurt!” Elida screeched, grabbing her stomach where the icicles made contact.

     “I knew it would,” Taelia said with a smirk.

     “Not as much as this!” The Fire Faerie shouted wildly as she flailed her own arms in response, throwing flames in a stream of inferno towards Taelia.

     The Snow Faerie threw up an icy barrier to block the attack, but it was melting fast.

     “What do I do?!” Fyora thought to herself. Her own powers had yet to come in. How was she supposed to defend herself let alone Taelia?

     As the ice shield melted down to the cobblestone of the courtyard, Elida stalked forward.

     “Nothing left to hide behind. Eh, ladies?” she said with a purr.

     Elida raised her hand to emit the final blow and Taelia braced herself, too exhausted to create a new glacial safeguard or fight back.

     As the flames blazed at the Fire Faerie’s palms, charging in power and size, Fyora placed herself between the two faeries of opposing elements.

     “Get out of the way, pinky,” Elida chided. “This is between me and your icy friend. No need to be brave.”

     “There’s always a need to be brave when there’s a bully involved like you, Elida.”

     “Suit yourself,” she said before twirling on her toes and casting a burst of flame in Fyora and Taelia’s direction.

     Instinctively, Fyora held out her hands to protect herself and her newfound friend. What happened next caused both Fyora and the crowd of staff and students that still surrounded them to gasp in shock.

     An invisible force that radiated from Fyora’s hands held Elida’s flames at bay.

     “H-how are you doing that?!” the Fire Faerie asked in horror.

     “I… I don’t know,” Fyora admitted, moving her fingers in perplexity. As each digit moved, the fire at Elida’s fingertips contorted and fizzled out until it eventually stopped at the source.

     Even the fire circle that surrounded them died out, leaving the trio and the crowd in stunned silence.

     “Fyora…” Professor Beltane said, stepping forward. Her mouth was ajar and the look of utter shock that passed through her eyes scared Fyora. “You’re…”

     “What?” Fyora asked, her panic rising as her breath caught in her throat.

     “You’re able to control the powers of other faeries…” Taelia explained, exasperated.

     “You’re the one in a millennia,” Elida admitted with a harrumph.

To be continued…