Rose's POV

"Welcome to Stone Heart Magic Wielding Dragon Riding Academy," A large man on stage says. "We are all very happy to have you here. Now that the last village has arrived, may you all move into single file lines behind one of the three tables," He says, pointing to area with people patiently waiting for us.

"State your name, village, and status when asked. I am Headmaster Jackson, the principal of this school, and this beauty behind me is Star, my dragon companion. We will do things a tad bit different this year, due to the delay with some of the ceremonies, we are behind schedule. So, after you are done in line, gather your belongings in a separate group from the others and pin the index card onto your suitcase. You will be given an index card and safety pin while at the table, please write your name on this paper. The person at the table should tell you your dorm number as well for after dinner, using maps we will provide for you. The teaching staff will move your belongings into your dorm for you, so that can allow us to get straight to dinner and get back on schedule." Headmaster Jackson finishes. With that, all of the other 15 year olds and I move towards the designated area, getting in line.

Tony walks up to me and we walk towards Ryder and the twins together. Nobody really talks, just enjoying the change of scenery. The five of us get in line, closest to where Headmaster Jackson is standing. The process moves fairly quickly, and Daniel is soon at the table. Daniel is followed by his twin Danny, Tony goes, then Ryder. They stand to the side waiting for me to finish up.

"Name, village and status." The voice behind the table monotonously says.

"Rose Wellington, Trinity Stone Village, Multi-Wielder of all elements and Dragon Rider." I say quietly. The man looks up to me and starts laughing. "Is there a problem?" I ask confused.

"Yes, I need you to tell me the truth, but good joke." He says.

"But that was the truth sir." I respond, holding in my aggravation. I know that his reaction is not that uncalled for, but it is late and I am tired.

"No, it wasn't. Just tell me what element you can wield, unless you snuck onto a dragon by mistake." The man harshly says. I am extremely offended by this mans words and it's not soon before there is a whole commotion. The twins stand in front of me protectively, Tony and Rider just yelling at the man behind the table, who may I add, looks extremely pissed.

"What is the matter here?" Headmaster Jackson's demanding voice questions. He is probably upset that we are holding up the line and have gotten everyone's attention for the wrong reason.

"The only problem is this girl who is lying about her status, and it should be revoked for insulting not only me, but by not appreciating her chosen gift." The man frustratedly says.

"That's not true!" Tony yells. Crap, his temper.

"Tony, please," I say. "You know better than to raise your voice at your elder, even if they were wrong." I nudge him. "And Headmaster," I turn to the man. "I followed your exact instructions, stating my name, village, and status. It was the man here who was in fault." I calm everyone down.

"He just insulted you and I won't stand for it." Tony grumbles to me. Ryder is next to Tony and nods in agreement. I just smile at their protectiveness.

"I know that this must be a surprise for anyone who doesn't truly know me. The man must be shocked and confused, and in turn, went to his closest reasoning of the situation." I hug Tony. "But sir, I can swear on the goddess that I am not lying about my status." I turn to the man. When one swears to the goddess, it means the utmost truth, or you are shunned for using the goddesses name in vain.

"I apologize for my previous actions, but I don't understand how it is humanly possible, nonetheless for a female. No offense." He mutters unprofessionally.

"Apology accepted." I say not really meaning it.

"Well, it looks like the matter is resolved. Everyone may return to what they were doing before." Headmaster orders. We do as he says and continue the process. We finally get out of line, me holding Tony's hand to reassure him that I am okay. It takes a while for him to calm down, but I did let him know that I was thankful for his overprotectiveness in a way. We part ways to gather our bags together, mine being the largest pile with all of my gifts added to the mix. I meet up with Danny, who is chatting to the rest of the boys near the dragons.

"You know what I just noticed?" Danny asks. We all shake our heads no. "It's ironic how Ry got chosen to be a dragon rider, and his name is Ryder." Danny says, laughing a bit. We all chuckle at the irony.

"I didn't even realize." Ryder says. Laughing some more. I excuse myself and head towards Rocco and Daisy first.

"Thank you for bringing our belongings. It must not have been an easy task, so on behalf of my village, I thank you two very much." I say to the two dragons before me. I make my way towards the other dragons, thanking them for bringing us to the Academy safely. Personally, I feel as if the dragons are under-appreciated, so I am doing my best to make them feel needed. When I get to Oceanus last, I sit on the ground in front of him.

"I have a question?" I start. "At first, whenever I was around you, Beau, or Ampiere during the ceremony, I got headaches. The first was just before Aiden started his speech, the next was when I was in line with my friends, only us remained. Do you know what could have caused them?" I ask the blue dragon. He nods and I sigh. I wish there was a way for me to find out what he was trying to convey. As if on cue, I get a headache. I try to block out the pain, but it remains. I look to Oceanus questioningly,

"Did you cause that?" I ask shocked. He nods once again, the headache going away. I think of all possible outcomes of the situation I am about to put myself in before I ask Oceanus,

"Can you do it again? I want to try something." He looks at me questioningly, but obligues. The pain in my head returns for the fourth time today, but instead of blocking it out, I embrace it. I choose to allow the pain in, instead of ignoring it. For a moment I don't think anything happened, then I feel the worst pain ever imaginable spread through my mind. I feel like something is clawing at my brain, tearing every fiber of my head apart. I am suffering in silence. The pain so great, even thinking a single thought makes the pain worse. I find myself laying back on the grass field, holding my head when the terrible ache abruptly stops. I pant out of breath when I hear a loud and booming voice in my mind.

'What just happened?' The voice questions. I don't have time to think of a response when I hear Headmaster's voice in the distance. I bid Oceanus a farewell and make my way towards the golden boys.

"Alright, now that your things are being taken to your dorms, let's go get some dinner." Headmaster says. We follow him into the school, me gawking at it's interior. Whoever designed this school is my new idol. It doesn't take long for us to reach the cafeteria.

"Go sit down to your assigned village table, we will bring out your meals soon. Do not expect this everyday. At lunch, you will be separated based on your skills and current power level, and will get in line to receive your food." My new principal tells us. The golden boys and I make our way to our larger than average table. We sit in the center, next to our four other friends, just like we used to at school. A lot of the boys from my village I recognize as warriors-in-training, or those whom have siblings I have helped with in the past. People come out with food on trays and pass them out to the tables. Our village table waits before everyone has their food to say grace to the goddess, then we begin eating. We may not all get along, but it is tradition to say grace to the goddess before every meal in our village.

"So are you excited or excited?" Jaxson asks me, taking a break from his food. He is a talented hunter, and we have have gone on many hunting trips together. I believe he was chosen as a water wielder.

"I am so excited. I can't wait to develop my magic." I say with a truthful smile.

"Yeah, same here. I can't wait to figure out how to use my nature gift like Mr.Nicholas." AJ cuts in. AJ is more reserved, but we have always been on good terms. He is always in the village garden or farm, learning new plant types and medicines. AJ actually recommended me with different spots in our village to meditate in, so it was no surprise he was chosen as a nature wielder. AJ, Jaxson, Mikey, and Oliver are sitting to my left, on both sides of the table, the golden boys to my right, also on both sides of the table.

"I agree. I really want to see if they have a botany or powder related course. I think it would be fun, but sadly, I won't have too many open class spots." I add in.

"Yeah, I hope we get placed in the same air wielding class. Being an air wielder is going to be so much fun, it's perfect for prank season." Mikey mischievously states. Mikey is like the jokester of the group, a lot like Danny in some ways.

"I hope we get some classes together, they won't be any fun without my sis with me every step of the way." Oliver says.

"I hope so too." I respond. "Oh my goddess, I almost forgot. Ry! Twins!" I say to them.

"What?" All three ask.

"We have to take a mandatory dragon training class and Latin. Although, I may be exempt from the language class." I tell them.

"Whyyyyy?" Ryder whines.

"I don't want to learn Latin. Just hearing you speak it sometimes already makes my head hurt." Daniel pouts.

"Yeah, no offense, but your super nerd brain is way different from mine. If I can't remember what I had for breakfast, what makes them think that I will be able to remember a whole language?" Danny says in his usual fashion. AJ and Mikey laugh aloud at the boys' opinions.

"The class hasn't even started yet and you three are already complaining." Jaxson tells them, chuckling. All of the boys and I are friends, I'm just closer with Oliver and the golden boys. We have all trained together, and have gone hunting for the village with one another on several occasions. The nine of us are like one large mix of personalities that somehow fit perfectly. I think in some ways, John is jealous.

He has always wanted to be apart of the popular crowd, but was rejected when he started disrespecting me after I respectfully declined his offer to take me out on a date. I was never a romantic, always very focused on training with both the seasoned warriors and boys in my year.

"I think combat & weaponry will be my favorite class." I practically jump in excitement. One, I love art, so making weapons and designing them is a favorite hobby of mine. Two, I finished my primary schooling a term before everyone else because I was able to pick up on things faster. So, during this time, I trained with the seasoned warriors everyday and went to the village library, refreshing my memory of magii history and the cultures of my 4 other languages. I spent a lot of time baking and helping out mothers with their kids or spending time at the daycare. Either that, or I was working at the blacksmith shop to save up my money for future events. Then, when high school started, I was back at school with everyone else in my year. I am already my villages best warrior-in-training, being advanced in weaponry, the art of stealth and combat.

"I can second that statement." Tony agrees. Their has never been any hostility between us for me besting him in most of our fights, if anything, it makes him work harder. It's just one of the reasons why I aspire to be like Tony in many ways, plus he is the second best warrior-in-training. So basically, my brother and I are top of our village in training combat. Oliver is about to voice his opinion when Headmaster Jackson starts talking.

"While you eat, please listen to what I am going to say. As you know, Stone Heart is the most prestigious learning Academy, thus, we do things a little differently. Tomorrow and the day after are dedicated to finding out where all of your power levels currently lie. This is the largest generation of chosen ones we have had in a while, so I predict that this year will be slightly more powerful than the others. Tomorrow morning, meet here before 9 o'clock. You will have breakfast and be given a tour of the school. After this, everyone will be introduced to the other years, it will be the same information that you gave in line. We will split you up into groups based on your status, then you will be given details of the classes you are required to take and your schedule in general. With that being said, may I please have Rose Wellington come meet me when she is done eating. Good night everyone." Headmaster Jackson states. I finish my food quickly, bidding my brothers and friends goodnight. I catch up to Headmaster Jackson to see what he wanted to speak with me about.

"You wanted to see me sir." I state more than question.

"Yes, I do. I have been made aware of your status and wanted to talk to you about your dorm. Because you are female, I placed you in your own dorm room. You will still have people in your hallway, but instead of having a roommate, I put you by yourself. I wouldn't want an ignorant boy sneaking people into your dorm or putting a bigger target on your back. Understand?" Headmaster considerately says.

"Yes sir, thank you. While you are here, I wanted to ask about the mandatory Latin class for dragon riders?" I say.

"Yes?" Headmaster raises an eyebrow.

"I am already fluent in Latin, so if you gave me a sheet with all of the commands, I would already know them. I feel like the class would serve no purpose to me." I honestly state.

" Licuit ergo. Et gratiam facturam esse, ut genus de vestris schedule. Licet, vos mos postulo ut vestri alio Draco adhuc disciplina cursus. Plus te loquetur sapientiam, et ex sinceritate, quod est scire, quid in eo genere tum. Tu, qui rationabile coccineo dibapho, et locutus est cum amico tuo, et vidit Mr.Geoffrey. Licet contumeliis te toto securus experimentum. Exspecto a magna ascendisti et tu mihi serva." Headmaster Jackson compliments. [ T : Alright then. I will exempt the class from your schedule. Although, you will still be mandated to take your dragon training course. Plus, you speak with wisdom and sincerity, which is what you learn in that class as well. You are a rational thinker, I saw it when you spoke to your friend and Mr.Geoffrey. Even though he insulted you, you remained calm through the whole ordeal. I expect great things from you Rose, I will be keeping my eyes on you. ]

"Thank you sir, I will do my best to prove my worth." I say with determination lacing my voice. I wish him goodnight and make my way to room 207. I realize on my way there that Headmaster Jackson spoke in Latin and could tell based off of my response whether or not I was truly fluent, testing me without even knowing it.

I don't have any of the golden boys in my hall, but Oliver is in dorm 213, a couple rooms down. I open my door when I arrive, and let me tell you, this is far better than any place I have stayed in. The cherry-wood oak floors are in beautiful contrast with the decor. Walking around the dorm, there is a small living room area with two bedrooms on either side. Each room has a designated elemental theme, the living room more plant based, the room I will sleep in is water based, the smaller room is more air based, and the bathroom fire based. I continue looking around the dorm and decor, seeing all of my belongings.

Although it is ten til' midnight, I decide I should get all of the unpacking out of the way. I look into the smaller of the two rooms and begin unpacking my gifts. I put all of the soaps, lotions, hair products, hygiene items and other spa related goods in the 'shared' bathroom. I arrange it all nicely in the cupboards so that when it is opened, the gifts are neat and organized. Next, I put all of my weapons in the drawer of the smaller room. I organize them by use and preference. I hang my bow and arrows in the smaller room's closet, knowing that there will not be enough space in the drawers. I neatly put away my throwing stars, daggers, knives, twin daggers, chains, and swords in the drawers.

I take my homemade powders and other chemistry / botany related items, and put them in the drawer of the desk in this room. I found a way to heal surface wounds 2x faster by sprinkling this powder on the injury. I tested it on myself, not the best way to go about, but it worked.

When I tested it out, I made a small cut with my hand held knife, sprinkling a pinch of powder over the cut. In 12.8 seconds, the cut was completely gone, almost as if it was never there. It just left a small scar, which in my books, was marked as a failure. So I revised it until I had the perfect solution, no scar, no wound. I have a couple better ones, but it would take a while to explain those.

I empty out my backpack, taking out all of my treats and other home made goods first. I take out the blanket of the Wilson's' basket and put it to the side, I already took out the soaps and all. After storing all edible items into the basket, I bring it and set it on a table in the living room for me to snack on. There is no pantry or kitchen, so this set up will have to do. I then tackle my clothes. I bring my suitcase, jewelry, and other gifted clothing into the room I will be sleeping in.

A half hour passes and I am almost finished unpacking everything. I completed my clothes in order of color and placed all of my jewelry neatly on the jewelry stand on my desk. I put the blanket on my bed, knowing I will snuggle into it later. Lastly, I open Mr.Olly and Olsen's package. I see heaven in a box: oil pastels of all colors, acrylic paint, polish, canvases of all sizes. I squeal in excitement, ideas already forming in my mind. Another hour passes of me setting up all my supplies and rearranging the pre-bought decor in a way I see pleasing. I have decided to turn the smaller room into an activity room, given with all of my weapons and art supplies in there. I have also stored any extra decor that didn't fit my vision in the smaller closet with my bow and arrows.

Let me tell you, I am thoroughly exhausted. I switch my clothes to a nightgown, brush my teeth, braid my hair, and put my dirty clothes in a hamper. I close my eyes, willing sleep to pull me into its dark abyss, thinking about my new life at Stone Heart.



^ plant based living room



^ water based bedroom



^ air based activity room



^ fire based bathroom



^ Rose's closet and jewelry stand (with darker clothes and combat boots)



^ Rose's pastry basket



^ Rose's 'spa' basket

~~~~~~~~~~~~\\~~~~~~~~~~~