the final meeting

Chapter one: the last meeting ..
Wallin , a seemingly quaint and tranquil city , was prodigiously perched over a hill , overlooking the majestic Haywood forest . Wallin was meticulously established beyond reach , withdrawn and detached from its surroundings . With lofty stone fences firmly rooted across its borders , determining its territory and denying exterior contact .
The place was engulfed in eerie stillness , no sounds escaping the shadowy streets , save the occasional winter air stinging the barren trees ..
It was nearing dawn when a rustle was heard from the distance . Unintelligible silhouettes carefully raced the muted alleys , never touching the ground. Their shapes forming pools of darkness as They hovered a few inches above .
They swiftly drifted eastwardly while tracing each other's paths , venturing ahead simultaneously, before suddenly halting once they've reached a solitary installment .
The floundering shadows gathered before the hidden grand entrance ,then gradually started thickening , each losing translucency and gaining a more defined form .
It took a brief moment for their newly molded feet to finally brush the floor beneath them .
Immediately one of them marched forward, balancing his slim fingers across of him at shoulder length , his sharp onyx eyes blending perfectly with the solemn atmosphere . The lifted hand slightly twitched forward as his expression grew tenser and his jaw clinched . He eyed the gate indifferently for a while before silently resuming to his place .
"Cocky b*****d" came a mutter from further back . The boy's countenance merely settled for an arrogant smirk .
They all watched as the rusty portal yielded backwards ,its decayed bars swinging with a groan of reluctance and forcefully grazing the ground .
"Let's go!" Ordered a man , giving his companions a scornful glance before leading them beyond the iron barrier , the other four closely following behind .
They smoothly traveled the forsaken domicile , taking a short cut and meeting at a large vacant chamber . Once everyone was safely inside , the leader attempted closing the door , only for it to crumble vigorously to the ground . The man shrugged the start away and released a slight cough , regaining the others' attention . He carefully stomped to the window and assumed the most comfortable position he could mange beneath it .
"That's it for today everyone " he began ,crossing his arms firmly before his chest , his light chocolate eyes studying their faces ."Three months of practice really helped improve your skills .. Though You need to work even harder since the entrance exam won't be as breezy as our training sessions... Just keep that in mind"
A subtle stillness followed the man's words as each student pondered apprehensively . One of them even had a hand placed thoughtfully over his chin ,eyes staring indistinctly at some unknown spot over his teacher's head.
"So .... Does that mean we won't see you again ?" The boy inquired brusquely in a small tone , his mint green eyes narrowing .
"Well i don't know Coen ." Was the man's weary reply . He closed his eyes , leaning back and bracing himself for what could be one of Coen's ungoverned wraths.
"S**t" the boy merely uttered , still slightly incredulous .
"Don't worry , I will definitely see you again .. should you fail the entrance exam that is " the man assured , a suggestive gin creeping around his mouth .
An aggravating laugh issued from the far left corner , echoing shrilly throughout the chamber and rudely claiming everyone's attention . Coen didn't even bother tilting his head to its direction , having a distinct idea to whom the sound belonged .He rolled his eyes in distaste , struggling to tame his temper .
"Well it's not such a far fetched possibility .." spat a girl animatedly , the dim sunlight barely outlining her silhouette.
She shifted her weight stiffly against the stone wall , her hazel eyes catching Coen's irritated expression with apparent satisfaction and her grin widened " what ... Am i wrong ? " she teased impishly .
"Oh shut up , silver ... " he howled indignantly , locking their eyes and returning her stare with magnified rage .
The said girl's triumphant snicker dissipated momentarily , her jaw clinched and her lips curled into a thin line .
"What was that ?.... Ash , say something !"
" oh , so you're seriously dragging a third party into this ? " Coen frowned , a slew of colorful curses escaping his gritted teeth as he strayed his eyes away from her .
"Can we just go home already ?" intervened Ash with a sigh , sounding uninterested in their tedious bickering .
His eyes travelled languidly towards the window , wondering what time it was . " kai , i'm hungry " he stated addressing another boy that slouched to his side .
Kai nodded knowledgeably ,his raven hair shielding his apathetic onyx eyes . He nonchalantly reached for his pocket , his pale fingers wandering in its depth , before retrieving a bar of chocolate . He promptly pealed the snack from its package and slowly started nibbling on it's end .
"Oh come on !" Ash protested .
Sikver furiously scrutinized the situation ,mentally slapping herself for ever seeking Ash's help . She held back a tirade about how obnoxious they all were and sauntered to the centre of the room :'that creep!' she mumbled internally , eyeing Coen .
They were far from being friends . Maybe if they stopped harboring homicidal tendencies towards each other she would go as far as calling him a teammate.
' well not for long ...' she marveled , remembering the entrance exam that loomed closely above their heads , ' it's our last day together ' she added , an overwhelming
swell of dread washing over her body . ' pfffft , like I care' she sneered , deducing it was dangerous to dwell on the matter any further .
Silver soothed her golden mop of hair and coughed aloud " professor grey , can I leave now ? " .
The man that lounged beneath the window was quietly peering at his students , his lips occasionally curling into a reserved smile and seemed preoccupied in cherishing their last meeting . He abruptly looked up when addressed and systematically shifted his weight to a comfier position .
" not just yet " he steadily stated . " I'm supposed to rate your training and give you the application forms" .
Ash heaved a profound sigh , concluding that his rest will be postponed even further . He stared around him , distractedly tracing the beams of sunshine that penetrated through the window and illuminated the hollow space .
" during these past few months " professor grey was recalling with a distraught expression , not being one for long winded speeches "...you've survived numerous life threatening situations . You have gained a lot throughout this experience and I am positive you will learn even greater things once you've passed the exam .. Always remember that a shifter's powers are as strong as his will , we are as you all know , the soul protectors of Wallin , with greater responsibility towards this land and its people .." Grey coughed , his chocolate eyes finally growing aloof :" We never know what lies ahead .."
The man reached for his back pocket , and fished a wrap of wrinkled manilla papers , waving them tantalizingly before his students:
" these are your application forms , i've taken the liberty to fill and sign them on your behalf .. You should think long and hard before handing them in , if you do , your inscription for this year will be definite and you can no longer claim them back .. Also there is a penalty for those careless enough to lose them "eyeing Coen meaningfully ".. Or those who fail to hand them in on time" shooting a side glance at Ash ."...that should be all ... Oh and kai , congratulations, your scores for the training period are the highest among all applicants . In other words , you are the jury's primary subject of interest ... And I'm not sure that's a good thing ."
"What does that mean ?" Inquired silver , voicing the others' thoughts .
" well , beginners in these past seven years since the exam's inception , have rarely pulled through the training periods ... This time , not only did fifty of them pass but one of them actually managed to make it to first place ... I knew kai was a talented shifter but his progress took me by surprise , his telekinesis at this current level could rival mine.. "
The said boy merely shrugged , his dark eyes inanimate " being first means nothing to me " he calmly stated .
"I know that ... I also know you hate being the centre of attention but other applicants will surely take notice of you ... You'll be sought after by a lot of people . Just know where you stand and don't let it get to your head ."
"Aww , don't worry professor Grey . I'll keep poor , socially impaired Kai in check "
Taunted Coen mischievously .
" well for someone in the bottom two list of applicants , that's highly unlikely " countered grey waspishly.
Coen grimaced vaguely before turning away with a pout .
"Ash and Silver did fairly well " continued Grey , bolting to his feet and darting towards the exit " you should all work harder though , if you plan on making it past the first phase ."
He stood there for a moment , scrutinizing the faces before him for what could be the last time . His light eyes suddenly softened and his lips relaxed into a cautious half smile " That should be all ... Good luck " . Without another word , the man fled the room , leaving his students in a maze of tangled thoughts and a gentle breeze the carried the application forms safely to the floor .

Author's Note

Enjoy ! Enjoy !