FELICITY WAS BORED.

The low droning voice of their sharply dressed, bespectacled teacher was sending her to sleep as she sat at the back of the classroom, and her single uncovered eye was barely managing to stay half-open as she stared blankly at the blackboard below. She wanted the day to be over already, just so she could scurry back behind the protective wards carved into the sides of her caretaker's house. The ones that kept everything else out, both what could be considered evil and that which could be thought of as good. The ones that gave her a bit of solace and silence away from the hubbub of their forest-side town.

During the summers there she stayed inside as much as she could, despite the boiling heat. Only occasionally did she visit the lake hidden deep within the forest to cool down – not that the still waters, or the people gathered there, ever welcomed her so. Wintertime was even worse. The snows that came were treacherously deep, and not even the murak could pull their sleighs properly. Ice always formed both on the lake and on the roads, making travel dangerous for both residents and the merchants who occasionally came by. Icicles hung down from overhanging roofs, sharp and more often than not the cause of many injuries. It was in those coldest and darkest months where the town hall became a gathering place for many, though Felicity preferred not to be one of them.

But it was neither summer nor winter then – it was autumn, where the tree leaves turned a burnished crimson and fell from the trees silently.

Sighing quietly to herself, she sank further into her uncomfortable wooden seat, her gaze flickering over to the open window beside her. The quiet breeze was the only thing helping to keep her awake, but all too soon the scent of iron and the taste of blood filled her mouth whenever she took another breath of that toxic air.

Blood Winds.

She gritted her teeth, watching as hands slammed the window down. Markings spread over the fragile glass, ignited in a flash of pale blue light as the rune wards were activated. Nobody wanted to breathe in that bloody wind if they could do otherwise, though Felicity didn't mind it all that much. She was no stranger to that coppery taste which left a tingle on her tongue, unlike some of her classmates who were already gagging on it.

Weakness.

Her lip curled and Felicity wondered how they'd do if they visited the place that scent originated from – the Blood Plains – or perhaps how things would turn out if they ended up on the frontlines of the war raging between magus and the beasts of Necro.

They would be ripped apart in seconds, her mind supplied and a small sigh escaped her lips as she rested her head on her hand in her boredom. The ground would be painted red, corpses piled high as the eye could see. She closed her eye, ignoring the part of her that relished at the thought of a fight. That part of her was buried, never to see the light of day again, and for a good reason. She wished she could bury the memories which accompanied that thrill too, but they were stubbornly there to stay.

Not even if she was drafted into the army of magus which stood between them and the destruction of the human race would they ever vanish – even if half of her classmates thought that was just a scary rumour.

They were fools, the lot of them, or perhaps horribly naïve, Felicity mused, tapping her finger against her cheek as she waited for the class to be over. Then again, not all of them would be singing that tune forever. When the Blood Winds came, the magus usually followed like clockwork. Anyone with a hint of potential was whisked away to their city, and Felicity knew she had just that. There was no way she couldn't after everything she'd been through over the years.

Air hissed through her teeth, shivers rolling down her spine as the clock kept ticking. Every moment brought her departure forwards. Part of her was looking forwards to heading back towards that place, the adrenaline seeking part of her loved the thrill of dancing back and forth between his domain and the place she'd be calling home soon enough. The other half of her wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. She didn't want to be anywhere near the Wildlands – the hunting ground for the beasts of Necro, and the place humanity was slowly attempting to reclaim.

Not that they'd taken back much in the thousand or so years they'd been trying.

Felicity sighed, sinking back in her seat as she waited for class to be dismissed with bated breath. The air outside had felt almost electric on her tongue, and that meant there was a storm on the way. A bad one.

"It's that time of year already," she mumbled, wondering whether she'd be able to sneak out in the middle of the downpour again. Rain on her skin felt nice, as did a light breeze. She loved storms and there was no hiding that fact, even if it always ended with a scolding. Margaret was overbearing, sometimes irritating, but she was always there for her at the end of the day. Felicity could respect that, even if it annoyed the life out of her. She didn't enjoy being treated like a child with their hand caught in the cookie jar.

The sharp tang of magic rippled over her skin without warning, her gaze sharpening as a knocking sound came at the door. They'd come already. Her heartbeat sped up, eyes narrowing as that sixth sense of hers whispered that these were the people she'd been waiting for and there was nothing to worry about. She'd pass their test. The City of Ezkriel was waiting for her.

"Come in," the teacher called, turning to face the newcomers along with the rest of the students and Felicity herself.

Hinges creaked ever so slightly, and green travelling robes fluttering behind them as the pair strode into the room. One was almost the same height as her – a short balding man with grizzled brown hair – and the other was a much taller, willowier lady who had a bow slung across her back.

"Good afternoon, students," he spoke, sounding as though he had a permanent cold. "As you've no doubt heard from your upperclassmen we run a test every year to see who has potential to serve and protect this world from the dark forces brewing on the horizon."

The lady chose then to speak, her voice powerful. "And now it's your turn – though you should all be aware this test is optional. Not all of you will have the potential to head to the frontlines, and this test will not be easy." The lady smiled then, high cheekbones and fine-boned facial structure hinting at noble origins, not that it was much of a surprise. It was rather common for the nobility to aid in the war effort.

Felicity simply stared at the lady, curious as to what exactly their test would be as she mulled over the many possibilities of the blonde magus' origins.

It was a matter of prestige for those belonging to the upper realms of human society. Though it was also a matter of vanity too. Magus could live almost three times longer than the average human, and a longer life was something which most people longed for. Felicity wasn't all too sure she wanted that – only that she wanted to grow stronger, strong enough to forget and move on with her life. Strength was what was needed to survive no matter where she was.

"If you would follow us, please," the lady inclined her head towards the door. "There are many tasks we must complete before nightfall if we wish to leave as scheduled."

The rattling and screech of chairs being pushed back made her wince as she rose to her feet noiselessly, following at the back of the group, not wanting to become involved with the pushing contest which seemed to be taking place at the front.

Malcom Kerryweather seemingly had a similar idea to her, and they both hung back from the main group.

Felicity risked a glance over at the skinny boy, raising an eyebrow as she noticed his own stare directed at her – or, more specifically, her leathery eyepatch. A sigh escaped her chapped lips, and she turned her attention back onto the woman and where she was leading them all to. She had no business with the boy who was always bullied. He ignored her, and she ignored him. That was how they both worked, and none of that needed to change just yet.

Tile and wood under their feet became dirt and stone, and Felicity blinked as they arrived in the courtyard in front of the schoolhouse. Their destination soon became obvious. The large ostentatious white carriage drawn by six murak was a blot on the landscape.

"If any of you wish to head back to the classroom at any point, you are more than welcome to do so," the lady informed them, and Felicity watched as a few of the girls went back inside without a word. Their mothers were the ones who despised the magus – taught their children they were witches the world would be better off without.

Felicity hoped the beasts of Necro got to them when there were no magus around to save them.

Shaking herself out of her dark thoughts, Felicity turned her attention back onto the pair in front of them. She tilted her head, eyeing up the small innocuous green crystals placed down on either side of the entranceway to the carriage, and in that instant she knew what the test would be. Her thoughts were confirmed moments later by the lady's words.

"The test is simple – join us inside the carriage if you can," she spoke, and Felicity only smirked at the confusion which erupted at her words.

It seemed there would be no problem with her admittance into the City of Ezkriel.