They were coming up a long drive, Talmaq on the right. Karver leaned over Kylan's shoulder as they both peered out the window, eager to see their new school.

Talmaq was a large, ornate stone structure with turrets. Kylan guessed that the school was at least three stories tall, based off the number of windows that seemed to be on each floor. The forest around its impressive walls were kept at bay by sheer persistence or magical enchantments placed around its boarder to keep it from encroaching closer.

The carriage slowed and then stopped in front of a slate walkway lined with well-kept bushes of a blue and purple flower neither of them were familiar with.

Unable to contain their excitement, Kylan and Karver stumbled quickly out of the carriage, almost tripping over one another in their haste.

Kylan gaped in awe at the realization of what the dark outline she saw looming over the forest earlier truly was. Talmaq was built in the shadow of a massive mountain range. All her life had been spent in the shadows of the giant trees of Salvinshadow that made her feel small. This mountain range dwarfed those trees and made her feel as diminutive as an ant. She was amazed that nature could create something so permanent and a feeling of insignificant washed over her.

Kylan and Karver were so engrossed in their own amazement to realize Niklas and Jonathan had exited the carriage and were busying themselves with the unloading of their belongings.

While they took in the surrounding area, the solid black, iron door opened slowly and a small, older looking man with silver hair came down a small flight of stairs that led to the walkway.

He stopped short of the party, surveying them each in turn, "Hello. My name is Clarin Fords. I am a teacher and groundskeeper here at Talmaq. I'm sure you are wary from you travels but it is best if you said your farewells now. The day is wearing on and there is much for you to do before night's end." With that, Clarin retreated out of earshot to give Karver and Kylan a chance to say goodbye.

Devon shook hands with Jonathan and Niklas, "Thank you for allowing me to travel along with you. I wish you both a safe journey home." To Kylan and Karver, he waved before going into Talmaq, saying he'd likely see them around.

Karver said a quick parting with Jonathan, biding him to send his family his love before thanking Niklas.

Kylan turned to face her father slowly, tears stinging her eyes as a lump grew in her throat from the realization that she wouldn't see her father for quite some time. "Papa... I'm scared."

Jonathan hugged his daughter tightly, his chest constricting painfully, "You are so much stronger and in control than you think. I'm so proud of you." He pulled away to look at her.

Kylan stared into his face, trying to memorize every little detail. His skin was tanner than hers and the years of working in front of a forge had given it a leathery quality. Wrinkles were forming in the crease above his eyebrows, in the corner of his eyes and around his mouth. His short, brown hair was flecked with gray and he stared back at her with the same intense blue-gray eyes.

She hugged him, whispering into his chest, "I love you."

Jonathan pulled away, planting a kiss on her forehead, "Good luck, Kylan. I know you will make me proud. Love you."

"Write to me." Kylan choked out over her shoulder as she walked somberly over to Karver and Clarin. She waved and thanked Niklas. Then her father and Niklas began to rearrange and load the carriage with the supplies that were left.

Kylan closed her eyes and thrusted out her consciousness towards Zolterre, 'Thank you for bringing us here, my friend. Please bring them back home safely.' She waved once more before turning around to face Talmaq, a single tear rolling down her cheek as the sound of the carriage retreated into silence.

Karver bent down to retrieve his trunk. "Leave it." Clarin said as he made his way back up the walkway towards the stairs, "Grab some clean clothes and the rest will be waiting for you."

Kylan looked at Karver and shrugged before she grabbed something clean to wear. Karver did the same and they hurried to catch up to the surprisingly quick Clarin.

The slate stairs lead up to the rather impressive black, iron door. It was tall enough that Kylan could have stood on Karver's shoulders and still have plenty of clearance at the top. It wasn't only impressive due to the height and sheer strength it seemed to exude, but due to the shimmering silver hexagon that seemed to slowly rotate, and the symbols etched into it. The symbols of each Clan's magic were engraved in the same silver and were connected by the tips of the rotating hexagon, sending each of the symbols on a never-ending circle, joined by magic. Golden ivy seemed to grow in complex patterns across the door's surface.

Kylan clutched her clothes tighter as the door swung silently inwards before them to reveal the inside of Talmaq. The magical powers that lay within seemed to trigger all her senses and she was hyperaware of how fast her heart was racing in her chest.  She glanced at Karver to see if he was having a similar reaction to the deluge of magic.

In fact, he was more taken by how light the school was. From the outside, its dark exterior looked so intimidating and oppressive that he expected the halls to be dimly lit with a damp feel to the air. The warmth that he felt blossomed in his very core and pushed all his worries momentarily away. He looked at Kylan and saw the anxiety that seemed to permeate every ounce of her and seep out in noxious waves, having no more room to expand within.

Karver quickly shifted his clothes into his left arm and draped his right protectively around Kylan's stiff shoulders. He drew her in close, hoping that his calm feelings would transfer to her.

Kylan relaxed a little against Karver's warm frame, silently thanking the gods they were born within the first five months of the year. Karver had turned sixteen the month before. The thought of enduring Talmaq alone for the first time was daunting.

The pair awkwardly followed Clarin down a long hallway to the left, Karver's arm still around Kylan. They passed several closed doors until Clarin came to a halt outside of one, "In this room, there are several baths. Please clean yourselves before rejoining me. I'll wait out here until you are finished."

Kylan opened the door which led to a large room sectioned off by several stalls, the walls of which didn't completely reach the ceiling. Karver dropped his arm quickly and made his way to one of the rooms, the back of his neck and ears shown red. Kylan watched as he pulled on a thick curtain which took the place of a door.

Kylan made her way to the stall on the opposite side of the room. After she pulled the curtain shut behind her, she was plunged into darkness. Just as soon as she had the ridiculous idea that she was expected to bathe in the dark, a warm blue light sprung to life in an unseen lantern on the wall. Blinking, Kylan surveyed the stall's interior.

A bench was attached to the wall beside the now curtained opening. There, she put her clean clothes and striped out of her travelworn ones, folding them up beside the clean ones. In the center of the stall was a body sized basin within the floor that Kylan took to be the bath. Confused, Kylan's brow knit together because the basin was devoid of water. Just then, Kylan noticed something metal gleaming in the lantern's light.

Stooping, Kylan bent to inspect the metal more closely. It appeared to be a spout of some kind. There were two identical knobs on either side. Curiously, Kylan turned the knob closest to her and water came gushing out of the spout.

She stuck her hand in the water only to withdraw it against her chest, sucking in air out of surprise. The water was ice cold and felt like thousands of tiny icicles trying to pierce her skin. She quickly turned the other knob until the water was pleasantly warm to the touch. Then she sat down on the cool stone floor, watching the water swirl absentmindedly as the basin slowly filled.

Drawing her knees up, Kylan wrapped her arms around her legs and began the process of clearing her mind as if she were going to meditate. She pushed thoughts of her father and of home to the very back of her subconscious with all the force she could muster. She was afraid if she allowed herself to dwell on the pleasant memories of her youth that in their absence, she would be crushed by the loneness.

When the basin was full Kylan submerged to her chin, feeling the warmth seep into her stiff muscles. After several minutes of laying contently, Kylan dipped her head under the water to clean the days of filth left by the road out of her hair. Feeling satisfied, Kylan got out of the basin, dripping. Noticing a shelf on the wall she went over and found a plush towel which she wrapped around her quickly cooling body.

She dried herself quickly, looking back down into the basin. She was surprised to see that all the water had drained out all on its own.

Refreshed, Kylan dressed and put on her boots. She ran the towel through her hair once more, preferring to leave the damp waves to dry on their own.

Kylan exited the stall with her dirty clothes tucked under her arm and made for the door. Behind her, Karver emerged from his stall, a look of content and wonder on his face, "That was incredible! I've never enjoyed a bath so much before. It took me a minute to figure out the water. I almost went out to ask Clarin."

Kylan shook her head, smiling, "It was definitely nice not having to fetch the water. Come on. Let's not keep Clarin waiting any longer."

They left the bathing room to find Clarin sitting very still on a bench across from the door. The sound of them entering the hallway made him stir and get quickly to his feet. Clarin proceeded to walk in the opposite direction that they came from without a word. They followed the hall until it met with another under a strangely carved arch. This hall turned slightly to the right where it connected with the one that they had just left.

Kylan and Karver continued to follow Clarin in silence all the way down to another archway and hallway angling slightly right.

Clarin beaconed to the first door on their right, "This is the dormitory you will be staying in until your test determines your magic type. There is about fifty or so of you joining for the spring semester. Dinner is at half past six. Please refrain from using magic at this time." With that, Clarin departed, leaving Kylan and Karver standing in the hall.

Karver looked at Kylan with a mixture of anxiety and excitement, "Well... Are you ready?" He put his hand on the door handle.

Kylan shook her head, "No, but there's no sense in dragging it out."

Karver nodded in agreement and opened the door. The cacophony of laughter and talk died as soon as they entered, all eyes locked onto the newcomers.

Kylan felt the heat rising to her face as she tried to take in the room without making eye contact with anyone. The dormitory was split in half by several comfortable looking couches and chairs placed almost dead center in the room. Several people were occupying them. There were more beds than there were people, half of them were placed on either side of the lounge area. Towards the back of the room stood a door in the wall that was propped open to reveal the beginning of a courtyard.

Karver shifted his weight awkwardly, hoping the move would make everyone stop staring and resume their previous conversations. It remained painfully quiet until a petite girl got up from her chair in the lounge and gracefully loped over to them. She had beautiful russet colored skin and straight black hair that shown like satin. Her face was round, giving her an innocent look with a bright, friendly smile.

She stopped in front of Kylan and Karver, her big, brown eyes shining in the lantern light, "Finally! We're all accounted for! We were told there would be fifty-eight of us starting this month and you two make the count." Her voice had a musical lilt to it and was bubbling with such enthusiasm that Kylan and Karver couldn't help but smile and feel less nervous.

The rest of the students went back to whatever they were doing as the girl continued smiling at them, half expecting Kylan or Karver to say something. When they remained silent, she continued to talk, "My name's Tayla Reed. I got here about a week ago, one of the very first to get here. I've been so bored."

Kylan remained silent, suddenly feeling very timid in the new surroundings. Karver, however, stuck out his hand in greeting, a large smile across his face, "It's nice to meet you, Tayla. I'm Karver and this is my friend Kylan."

Tayla's eyes widened eagerly and she grasped Karver's hand with both of hers, "Wait. So, you guys are friends already?! Where are you from?"

"We're from the capital of the Nature Clan, Atwood. We've been friends since we were old enough to walk." Karver continued to speak as Kylan observed.

"That is so cool! I know there are at least five others from the Nature Clan, but they didn't come together." Tayla released her hold on Karver and turned her attention to Kylan, "You're lucky to already have a friend. It's been intimidating trying to make some when everyone is so on edge with nerves."

Kylan relaxed, Tayla's words acting as a remedy to her own nerves and she couldn't help but smile, "Karver really is the best friend I could ever hope for."

Karver turned bright red, "Well since you've been here longer, can you show us around?"

Tayla perked up and started to dance away, "I would be happy to. Follow me!"

Kylan giggled under her breath as she and Karver followed Tayla into the dorm, "There's not really a lot to see right now. There are spells in place insuring we can't leave the designated areas for new students... I've tried." She looked unabashed by her blatant attempt of rule breaking. Kylan was beginning to like her already.

Tayla stopped behind the back of the nearest couch in the lounge area, "So, this is the indoor lounge space, as you can see. Boys sleep on the right side and girls on the left. There's a door behind the beds on either side that leads to a bathroom. Follow me to the best part." Her eyes twinkled as she practically skipped to the open door at the back of the room.

Stepping out into the courtyard, Kylan finally noticed that Talmaq must be built in the shape of a pentagon. The courtyard mimicked its shape. There was a large pavilion in the center that housed several tables with benches.

"This place is my favorite so far. We eat our meals over in the pavilion and sit out here to relax if the weather is nice." Tayla rested her hands behind her back, taking in a deep breath of the fragrant air. It was clear to see why it was her favorite place to be. The courtyard was flooded with warm light that spilled out of lanterns placed all over, necessary because the monstrous mountains drowned out the sunlight in the early afternoon. The courtyard had several blooming flowerbeds planted aesthetically and stone benches places throughout it, providing a beautiful place to unwind.

Tayla lead them to a bench that was placed in the middle of a large flowerbed that contained differing shades of purple flowers. They all sat down next to each other. Tayla questioned them extensively about the Nature Clan and Atwood. They talked until several people brought trays laden with food to the pavilion and placed the trays on a long table.

A loud bell rang and Tayla sprung to her feet, cutting off Karver's explanation of the types of trees in Atwood. "Come on. If we hurry, we can get to the food first."

They almost had to jog to keep up with Tayla's hasty retreat to the pavilion. As a result, they were almost done filling their plates when the others joined them.

Tayla had them sit with her at a table in the center. It was clear that Tayla was popular amongst all the new students. Kylan's level of discomfort grew as more and more people sat down next to them, chatting happily.

They had started their meals when Kylan noticed two nearly identical looking people sitting as far away from the rest of group as they could. Their hair was fiery red, and they bent closely together to speak so no one else could hear their hushed tones.

Kylan nodded her head towards them, "Who are they?" She was curious as to why they alienated themselves.

Tayla looked up from her plate and grimaced, "That's the Latimer twins, Scarlet and Wendrake. They thankfully keep to themselves."

"Why?" Kylan asked, puzzled, wondering if they had been ostracized their whole life like she had. Just then, the twin that sat on the left side of their table, Scarlet, looked up and noticed Kylan staring. She glared at her and scrunched her flawless face as if she had noticed something unpleasant. Kylan quickly looked away to stare at Tayla.

"Well... They think they're superior to all of us. My mother is the Spirit Clan's leader and even I'm too lowly and insignificant to be treated with anything but distain." Tayla's brow knit together as a scowl formed on her face.

Shocked, both Karver and Kylan asked incredulously, "You're a chief's daughter?!"

Tayla just shrugged in response and began picking at a piece of bread on her plate.

"What gives them the right to think they're better and can treat people like that?" Kylan could feel anger growing in the pit of her stomach.

Tayla sighed and looked at them, "From what I could gather... Their father is the Chief of the Water Clan, but that's not all. Apparently, their bloodline descends from the goddess of water or something."

The rest of their dinner was spent in thoughtful silence. When they finally returned to the dorm, they found Clarin standing in front of the door, waiting for everyone to return. Kylan leaned against the back of a couch.

Once everyone was inside and standing before Clarin, he cleared his throat, "Lights out in ten. It's early I know, but tomorrow starts your orientation and tests so I suggest you get plenty of rest. Someone will be here to wake you early in the morning." Having said all he needed to, Clarin left all the students to get ready for bed.

Tayla waved at Karver, "Good night! Oh... You should be able to find your stuff against the wall on your side. I believe they said that it'll remain here until you've been placed in a permanent dorm. Kylan, come with me." Tayla grabbed Kylan's hand and started to pull her towards the girls' side.

She waved at Karver and allowed herself to be led. Most of the girls wore everyday clothes to bed, feeling as through their nightdresses were too revealing with boys nearby. Kylan followed Tayla to two beds towards the back wall, "You can sleep next to me."

Kylan didn't resist but went to see if she could find her trunk. When she located it, she noticed her weapons were missing. She looked around for several minutes until the lanterns started to dim. Resigned, she decided she would try to find them tomorrow. Kylan quickly grabbed a set of her best clothes out of her trunk and withdrew back towards Tayla and the empty bed.

Kylan lay the new clothes on the floor next to her and took off her tunic, leaving on her long-sleeved undershirt. Then she removed her boots and laid down in the bed. Almost as soon as she covered herself in the blanket and had closed her eyes, Kylan drifted to sleep.