The First Body 2

Blood. Blood was everywhere, splashed across trees, gurgling from gaping holes in jagged flesh. A mangled body lay in a V between two big tree roots.

The mouthwatering, appetizing scent filled Sky's nose and mouth as her eyes took in the scene. A look of pure terror was fixed on the male's frozen face as his lifeless eyes gazed at the verdant canopy above.

Sky's stomach rolled. She put a hand over her mouth as it pitched again. Then she couldn't stop it. Out came the remains of her breakfast with enough force to bring tears to her eyes.

'I have to tell someone,' she thought as she wiped her mouth. Taking one final look at the male, Sky spoke the words for the portal that would take her back to the practice room. As she was turning to walk into it, Sky saw a flash of purplish black from the corner of her eye. She turned and looked. The red haze had now cleared from her eyes and she saw a purplish black vapor slowly escaping the clearing through the trees. She frowned in thought. She didn't know what it was, but she would still be sure to mention it, when they questioned her about this. With that thought she turned and entered her portal.

"Fin." Sky said ending the portal spell. The bulge in the center of the room straightened out as the portal closed.

She scrubbed the toe of her right boot in the sandy floor and looked at the door. She was hesitating. Sky knew she would get into trouble with Instructor Drakkon when she informed him of the male's body. She'd broken the rules and gone out alone. However, her fate was sealed. She'd gotten sick at the sight of the body so even if she didn't tell him now, he'd find out when the body was found later.

Taking a deep breath, Sky exited the practice room. Surprisingly, she heard jovial chatter as she walked down the short hallway. When she reentered the main classroom, she was stunned. Most of the class was still there. Only Uriel, Lorien, Rage, Char and two others were gone. The rest of the class was lounging around on the furniture, some were even practicing.

Dead silence fell as the other students became aware of her presence. Instructor Drakkon looked up, intense displeasure marked his features.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked coldly.

"I- I-" As Sky faltered in the face of his displeasure, her head began to feel fuzzy. It felt as if it were full. She shook herself and tried again. "There's," she sniffed. It felt like her nose was running. Pain ripped through her head, a harsh, pounding throb as if someone were plunging a knife into her skull. Sky felt a wet tickle on the skin below her nose. She wiped it. Her hand came back shiny red. Her foggy brain couldn't understand why her runny nose was red.

"Skylar?" Instructor Drakkon snapped. His tone was now alarmed. Sky looked up from her hand and frowned. There were two of him. She blinked. Both remained. She was so sleepy, but she had to tell him something. The image of that mutilated body flashed in her mind. Her mouth twisted as a wave of nausea hit her.

"There sa bodyinth ewoods." She slurred. She was so tired. She needed to get back to her rooms. She pictured them in her mind. "Aisgogviralde." As she spoke the words for the portal spell the world to her left shrank. Stepping through she said, "Fin."

Then darkness descended.

***

Week 6 Day 4 Nephil

When Sky awoke again, she found herself lying in a smallish, sticky pool of blood. As had been the case several times recently, she had no idea what day it was or how long she'd been asleep. What she did know was that she had been attacked by magic and that knowledge made her angry. It reminded her of how tenuous and dangerous her position here at this school really was. She doubted the other students could actually kill her, she healed like a creature, but they could try and because she'd run away, it wasn't against the rules.

Sky therefore resolved on learning some way to protect herself from attacks. She would have to use Spoken Magic to do it as shields and barriers were created with Light magic and she simply didn't have enough Light magic to make them. However, she did have Spoken Magic in abundance.

After Sky cleaned herself up, she headed to the practice room in the classroom and began working.

Several hours later, Sky was in the practice room in the classroom still working on the shield spells when she heard an angry voice.

"Is it this one?" Chancellor Draekkon demanded.

"Wait Uncle-" Instructor Drakkon protested.

The door to the practice room was thrown open with enough force to dent the stone wall. Sky jumped back in fear as the Chancellor's face descended into blatant fury. He rounded on Instructor Drakkon.

"So it's true. You have been protecting a human." The Chancellor hissed.

"I haven't been protecting her." Instructor Drakkon said desperately. His face had become pale and his eyes were wide. Beside him, Rage was wearing a smug expression as he watched the exchange.

"Then how is it still alive?" Instructor Drakkon's mouth tightened into a thin line. "You called Mia for it, then hid it here at my school, even though I told you to feed it to the Lessers. You disobeyed me." The deadly tone in the Chancellor's last sentence made Sky quake. A brownish gold glow surrounded the Chancellor.

Instructor Drakkon protested, "No I left her in the woods. I didn't call Mia."

"You left her in Aven's territory for him to find and heal then." Instructor Drakkon's mouth twisted. Rage crossed his arms over his chest, grinning broadly. He seemed to be enjoying this. Chancellor Draekkon went on. "And when he brought it back here, you did nothing. You let it sit in on your class and have even gone so far as to teach it. You knew I wanted her gone!"

"I-"

"Even when she confessed to destroying the summoning room and killing her first victim, you said nothing. You made someone else take the blame." Chancellor Draekkon's right hand fisted. A white, translucent bubble surrounded Instructor Drakkon. "And now, she is on a rampage, killing student after student. Rage take her to the cells. Glace you will-" Chancellor Draekkon cut off as Instructor Drakkon disappeared in a burst of light.

Rage walked into the room and roughly grabbed Sky. A blinding whit light filled Sky's vision and she felt a tug at her middle.