Chapter 2

The summer sun beat down upon the sand, reflecting off the sea as I and several other students set up tents along the beach. The pack is preparing for our biannual trade meeting. Every 6 months, our pack trades with two others. Last winter, some of us travelled north to Elvira to trade with a new wolf pack as well as our regular partner, a pod of coral-swimmers from the south.

That’s who we were setting up the beach for. The coral-swimmers. I suppose you Earthlings would call them merfolk. There are two types of ocean-dwellers on my planet. The more attractive being the coral-swimmers. With their bright flashing colours and active personalities, they are a glaring contrast to their counterparts, the deeplings. The deeplings, as their name suggests, live almost exclusively in deeper waters. They keep to themselves, so there isn’t very much information about them. For the most part, the deeplings have a shark-like appearance: skin of varying shades of grey depending on the individual, large black eyes, teeth as sharp as spears. They are also known among sailors such as the water wolves for their tendency to steal fish right from the nets. They can be vicious hunters and fighters when they want to. Of course, they aren’t the most popular race. I’m sorry, not race. Species. The coral-swimmers, on the other hand, appear more civilized. They are known for their crafts, and most commonly trade in jewelry, sun-wraps and beauty products. This may sound like vanity, but their products protect them from the sun. Granted, the jewelry is just…jewelry, but living in the reefs exposes the coral-swimmers to concentrated sunlight. For this reason, they developed skin products and sun-wraps as a means to protect themselves. And they do a stunning job.

“Ellie!”

I snap back to reality when my teammate Jax calls my name.

“Hmm? Yeah?”

They smiled. “Mind wandering again?” They lean on their shovel. “What were you thinking about?”

I shrug. “Not much, just the packs coming to visit.”

Jax and I were on the team setting up tents along the beach for the pod. They dig the holes, I place the support pillars. There are other members doing things like finishing the tent frames and hanging the canvas covers. It’s a good system.

“Can’t you just think of one thing at a time for once?” My younger friend teases.

I smile. “Listen here, you little gremlin. I will personally throw you into the sea.”

They put their hands on their face in mock fear. “Oh no! My one weakness!” The sarcasm in their voice is astronomical. “How did you find out?”

“I have my sources,” I return with a smile.

“Ooh, I’m so scared.”

“No you’re not.”

“Nah, I’m not.”

Jax. Fourteen-year-old winter prodigy. Their mark is a white snowflake. I say ‘white’ snowflake, because most marks are a few shades darker than the bearer’s natural skin tone. In this way, Jax’s mark is unique. The actual colour of their element.

“Honestly,” I smile. “You’re a nightmare, sometimes.”

They stick their tongue at me.

The arrival of the pod is somewhat ceremonious. The beach has been finely decorated. Six turquoise tents, each strung with seashells and smooth rocks, capable of sleeping up to 15, line the sand. Unlit torches span across the length of the beach, and down both sides of the jetty. Crystal garlands are strung between the jetty torches, making it look like a rainbow in the late afternoon sunlight. It’s almost ethereal.

Alpha Will strides across the jetty as the pod approaches. It’s not obvious at first, because the water is almost completely still nearer to the horizon. But as they approach, it seems like a star is riding just under the surface of the water. As they get closer, their myriad of colours become more visible. Alpha Nera is the first to break the surface of the water. Or rather, her crown is. I can’t see it very well from my spot. I watch in awe as she pulls herself up with a pillar of water and steps down onto the jetty. She possesses the beauty and elegance of a royal, as well as the presence of an elder alpha. This is unusual, as most ocean-dwellers live only 600 years. I know that seems a long time to you humans, but it’s really not. As the water dripped back into the sea, I took in what I could see of Alpha Nera’s appearance. Light pink skin glistens under the summer sun. Her wrap drags behind her on the smooth wood. Dark blue, I think, with a hint of metallic. Or is it…it is! Strings of small pearls are stitched along the hem of the wrap. And her hair. It falls in luscious emerald waves to her waist. A sign of a peaceful pack. Packs with frequent fighting often have leaders with short hair, as this keeps it out of the way. I’m not sure if this is global, but I know for sure it is customary among both ocean-dwellers and dragons.

Alpha Will approached Alpha Nera and presented a sweeping bow as she regarded him with an acknowledging nod. This is highly irregular. I hear some of my pack-mates whispering. Something along the lines of, ‘why would he show public submission?’ And I agree. They hold the same rank. This is the first time he’s done this.

The rest of the pod leave the water in a similar manner to their alpha. One in particular catches my eye. While the rest sport all colours under the rainbow such as lush green, bright yellows and iridescent blues and the like, this one is…patched. I know that’s not the best way to put it, but that’s really how she appears. A blue so deep it seems almost black, and the dullest green I’ve ever seen. Her frown seems permanent as she fiddles with something under her wrap.

“Hey. Jax.” The smart one. If anyone knows anything on any given topic, it’s Jax.

“Hey. Ellie.”

Even if they’re a smartass. “You see that dark one over there?”

They stand on their toes to get a better look. “The one that looks like walking nightmare fuel?”

“I guess. Know anything about her?”

Jax shakes their head. “Can’t say I do. What do you want to know, and what’s your budget?”

I roll my eyes. “Who is she, and how does…a week’s worth of practise potions sound?”

I hate that cunning smile they do. “You have a deal, old friend.”

I’m not sure if they call me that because I’m older, or if it’s just because we’ve been friends for the last 10 years. Either way, its annoying.

The rest of the evening is fairly uneventful. Clara has managed to get even the Angel’s Cap out of our room, while I attempt to study for the next season’s classes. They start after the equinox, with autumn. It’s funny, I think. You can do just as much learning in summer as you can literally any other season. But because the trade meetings are during opposing solstices, Anka likes to give her students the whole month off to relax and socialize. Which, I’ll admit, can be nice. It’s also interesting to see how different packs interact.

Because I don’t have an element, I’m in a class with younger pups. Most of my studies are composed of geography, herbalism and herbology, and sustainability. There are academic lessons as well, but I don’t like them. The book I’m currently studying describes the populations of the planet. Dragon-shifters were the first, according to old lore. We are the most spread-out land species, covering most of the northern hemisphere. My island, Erin, is said to be the birthplace of the dragons. There are others, though. Elvira holds most of the werewolves and almost all the vampires. Elvira is split into the north and south. Vampires in the south because it’s warmer, wolves in the north. The vampires are mostly isolated. They cannot control their feeding, and so are largely avoided. I understand this can be counter-productive, but as there haven’t been any major recorded incidents for the last few generations, many believe there is almost no danger. I’m not convinced. Minotaurs. Most commonly found in Toworis, the largest land mass on the planet. You know what they look like. Half-man, half-bull creatures. Living mainly in caves, surviving mainly by brute force alone. But on Elvira, they appear similar to fauns. Fauns have the bottom half of a goat, and similar facial structure sometimes. Elviran minotaurs, though, are identified by their broader characteristics. For example, flat noses and long ears, with thicker horns that curl. While the Toworian minotaurs are great warriors, their Elviran cousins are more laid back, choosing music and community. I’ve heard they are among the best musicians. Of course, I have yet to test this for myself. The fauns are more magic-focused, living in shut-off communes where they can co-exist with the Elviran minotaurs in peace. If I were to describe them simply, I would say they’re like the really easy-going neighbors that have either been in town longer than you, or moved in overnight and are either constantly high or napping, and everyone just adopted them as cousins or siblings. That’s them.

The wolf packs are usually formed out of necessity, like students in common-housing. Or strays that have been banned from their birth packs for one reason or another. The reasons vary, and are often unethical. By dragon standards, at least. We have the longest life-spans, sometimes only dying at 1,500 years. If we die before 1,000 years old, it was most likely a mortal blow.

In the southern hemisphere is a collection of islands, populated by our cousins, the Avianna. Legend has it, they are direct descendants of an ancient god who has long since faded. They have bird-like appearances, some more than others. I believe the Avianna to be the most peaceful species. All they do is just eat fruit and fly. All day, every day. Okay, maybe gardening and building as well. The trees in their rainforests are thick enough to be carved out and turned into dwellings. I’ve seen a few pictures, they are beautiful.

When I look up from my studies, I realize how late it is. Well, not too late. Kaylum may be snoring, but Clara hasn’t come to pull me away. Gods know, she’s the one brain cell in this group. My muscles flex and contract as I reach up, forcing the blood to flow. Oh, what a great feeling.

Tok!

My ears prick towards the window. What was that?

Tok! Tok!

I make my way to the window and peer into the semi-blackness. Two eyes blink back at me. Nope. The curtains are drawn and I make my way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. When I’m done, the person outside is still throwing pebbles at the glass. How has it not broken yet?

I snap the window open and look down at the person.

“What?” I hiss.

“I need your help.” I am surprised at the feminine voice that replies. I get an image in my head of the patchy female from the jetty, who followed Alpha Nera.

“Who are you?” I demand. I need to keep my voice down, Kaylum can get grumpy if he gets woken up.

“Come down here, and I’ll tell you.”

“I don’t know you, please leave.” I start to close the window.

“Nera’s my mother.”

I’m down in a flash. “She’s your mother? You don’t look like her.”

“That was rude. My name is Nyx. Are you going to help me or not?”

I blink. “Well…maybe if you told me what you need help with, instead of throwing rocks and nearly waking up my roommate.”

Nyx takes off her hood. “You try living in a castle underwater for over 200 years and only now being allowed to leave.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.”

“Well, why wouldn’t you?” She questioned.

“Give me one reason why I should,” I counter.

She seems to regard me with…it’s hard to tell. She’s taller than me. The way she holds herself, despite her lack of scent, says she is an alpha. I stand my ground as she looks down at me.

“Fine,” she says. “I’ll find someone else.” She turns to leave.

“Wait.”

She stops. “Yes?”

My words catch in my throat. “What do you need?”

A smile graces her lips as she grabs my arm.

“Where are we going?”

“Shh! Keep quiet!”

“I need to know where you’re taking me!”

“I’ll tell you when we get there.”

“I said stop!” I place my feet firmly and twist my arm out of Nyx’s grip. As I do so, a collection of vines appeared out of nowhere and pulled Nyx away from me.

“Hey, let me go! How dare you!” She tugs uselessly against the vines. As if I had anything to do with it.

“I’m not freeing you until you tell me what’s going on!” I did not expect the edge that crept into my voice. “You take me from my room. You claim to need help. You lead me into the woods in the middle of the night! What the fuck?!”

“Be glad I didn’t ask for your name!” she growls. I return the favour and she stops.

“Tell me. Now. Or you can stay there until morning and someone else asks questions.”

She winces as the vines grow tighter. “Okay, okay! Just let me go!”

“I’m not doing anything!”

“You are! You called the vines, now kill them!”

“I didn’t, I swear!”

“What is going on here?”

The two of us freeze as Anka appears behind me.

“Ellie?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Care to explain?” She raised an eyebrow.

I gulped. Should I tell? Should I not? Anka kills the vines at the roots. Nyx relaxes and massages her wrists while staring me down. My teacher moves between us.

“Back to your tent Nyx. I’ll deal with the pup.”

Nyx heads back to the beach, and Anka leads me to the house. This grass has an interesting colour at night.

“Ellie?” Anka’s voice is soft. This woman practically raised me, I can trust her.

“She came to me,” I tell her.

She takes me into the kitchen. “And what did she say?”

“She said something about needing help, but wouldn’t tell me what she needed help with.”

Anka nodded. “It was likely to do with exploring the land.”

Possibly, but then why take me into the woods?

“Sharks can be very cryptic.”

I nod in agreement.