The Legacy

The children walked out of the room and saw a huge pile of clothes waiting for them. For Rhiassa, she was to wear a turquoise gauze gown, bedecked with miniature bells, and bordered with golden dragons. It seemed to have been made for a young girl instead of a 14-year-old.

As for Nevyn, he was to wear a black brocade long-sleeved shirt and coral cotton trousers. The outfit appeared to be made for a dwarf instead of a 17-year-old boy.

After they were dressed, Rhiassa and Nevyn were taken to another room. The floor in this room is a patchwork of small rugs. The walls are utilitarian grey with a border of blue along the middle. A vague mustiness reaches your nose, though the welcome breeze from the open window in the corner of the room briefly dissipates it.

Salvatore was sitting at a table. Skefan was with him. There were plates and tea waiting for them. Rhiassa and Nevyn stood before the table, not knowing what to do.

“Do sit down and join us,” said Skefan as he pointed to two chairs that were before them. The children reluctantly took their seats. “Now that you two are settled, I must now explain the history of the school to you so that you’ll understand it and will remember it, if nothing else.”

“But what of our lives?” cried Rhiassa. “Why are we here?”

“In due time, you will learn that,” said Salvatore. “But for now, learn this: In the year 15, the world that we once shared with humans was torn apart by the wicked King Delan of Sarnwey in his quest to divide the worlds. The next two kings were just as wicked as he was. However, the last king in that region, King Varlet, had caused a war that nearly destroyed the magical world and gave us several magical lands that are forever divided. Ostlea is one of those lands that were created during the war.”

“But what of the other worlds?” Rhiassa asked.

“They have unfortunately been discovered by humans and destroyed,” said Salvatore. “You know that humans have stopped at nothing to destroy the world they live in. They have destroyed the natural forests and built dull, colorless buildings in their place. They have destroyed the world to a point that an apocalyptical war had occurred and millions of humans were killed.” He looked at the children and said, “You two knew all too well the evils of this world. So that is why I had to remove you from your dying, pathetic world and bring you here.”

Rhiassa frowned as she struggled to turn the story over in her head. She knew of the wars and diseases that destroyed the world from the history books, but the wickedness was unnoticeable in her city. Nevyn looked around him, hoping for some solid evidence of the past events to pop out.

Salvatore then said, “And now it is time for you to learn of your place here at Greywyn.”

“And what will we do while we’re there?” Rhiassa asked.

“It has been arranged,” said Skefan. “You two will be attending classes here as normal students. But there is something that you two must know and only you two must know about.” Salvatore nodded. Skefan said, “I must tell you why you are here at Greywyn.”

“Why?” said Nevyn.

“For many years, one boy and one girl have been removed from their homes on Earth and brought here,” said Skefan. “It has happened since Lucas Black and Pearl Resnick were removed from their homes many years ago; they are now the teachers at this very school. Every seventy years, one boy and one girl are taken from their homes and brought here.”

“But why every seventy years?” asked Rhiassa.

“We are unsure, but then again, the founder of our school has demanded that we bring two human children to be educated here at Greywyn,” said Salvatore.

“And why two human children?” said Rhiassa.

“You ask a thousand questions,” said Skefan. He then said, “I don’t know why two human children are being brought here, but what I do know is that you two are to live here among us. You will learn about the truth about why you are here in due time.”

He stood up and said, “I’m leaving Salvatore in charge of you. Behave yourselves and do whatever he tells you to do. I shall return here in a week’s time.” Skefan then walked out of the room before Rhiassa and Nevyn could say anything else.

Salvatore said, “We now get to the point where all questions are answered…”

Rhiassa said, “So why are we really here?”

Nevyn said, “You’re not giving this up, aren’t you?”

Rhiassa said, “Well, I think it would make more sense if we knew our duties and such. Not that we haven’t been told already, but I’m just…curious.”

Salvatore said, “Your curiosity is most welcomed, Miss Rhiassa, but until you find your purpose here, you will be functioning as a student at the school.”

He nodded and led the children to a table where several notebooks and pens were set up. He said, “You two are to write in these notebooks until I tell you to.” Salvatore set the kids down at the table and stepped out of the room.

Rhiassa frowned upon staring at the instructions in the book, which read, “Write down everything that had ever happened to you before you came to Greywyn Academy.” She wondered about her past, the past that had been forgotten about the moment Skefan took her name away from her.

While Nevyn was writing like tomorrow would never come, Rhiassa wrote down most of the stuff she wanted to forget, such as the times that the gangs had harassed her while she walked to and from school, the other kids who teased her for not having any parents, and the long cold nights she spent fearing for her life with the gangs snatching orphans from their beds at night.

But was it worth forgetting all of that just to live a better life at Greywyn?

Rhiassa frowned and wrote some more stuff down until Salvatore walked back into the room. He said, “Are you finished?” Nevyn and Rhiassa set the pens and notebooks before him. He read them carefully for a few minutes and said, “Nevyn, why do you write about the good things that have happened to you?”

Nevyn said, “Because my mother told me to think of only good things and never to dwell on anything bad.”

“And yet, I see a section in your writing that deals with you losing your family,” said Salvatore. “Your parents were killed and your brother was left behind. What say you to that?”

Nevyn frowned and stood there, quite ashamed of himself.

Salvatore then turned to Rhiassa and said, “And you have written about the bad things that have happened to you. They are many, and this is not good for you. Why do you speak of only the bad things?”

“The gangs take orphans away and make them think of only bad things,” Rhiassa said sadly.

“And yet, you escaped in the end, only to be brought here,” said Salvatore.

Rhiassa said, “Well, maybe being here is a good thing.”

“Indeed,” said Salvatore, “but we have a lot to cover and you and Nevyn must learn of the school’s history and such; Skefan doesn’t allow a student to enter the school unless he or she knows the school’s history.” He took the notebooks and said, “I will allow Skefan to read these and see what he thinks. Now you two just sit here and…”

Just then, a young boy who appeared to be about 15 or so appeared in the hall. “Dlav, why are you out of class?” Salvatore frowned as he addressed the young boy.

Rhiassa and Nevyn stared at the boy. He has large eyes the color of dark chocolate. His fine, wavy, black hair is worn in a style that reminds you of a seashell. He has an elegant build. His skin is tanned. He has bushy eyebrows. He was wearing a white shirt with black pants. He said, “Sister Yictocy has been requesting your presence for some time now.”

“Is that so?” Salvatore asked. “Well, I am quite busy. Will you tell her that?”

“Maybe,” said Dlav. Then looking at Nevyn and Rhiassa, he said, “Aren’t these the new students here?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” said Salvatore. “Anyway, this is Rhiassa Twilight and Nevyn Meler...”

“Oh, I already knew their names before they came here,” said Dlav.

“Who is he?” Nevyn asked.

“Dlav Geinse,” said Dlav. “I came with the last two children who were sent here.”

“And he has ever been a thorn in our sides,” said Skefan as he came into the room. “We don’t know exactly who he is or why he came here, just the fact that he came with our last girl Chasica 70 years before.”

Rhiassa couldn’t believe her ears. Did Skefan just say 70? As in 70 years? And if that was so, then how did Dlav manage to look 15 or however old that he really was?

Skefan said, “I take it that they have written what was needed to be written in those notebooks?”

“Mayhaps they have,” said Salvatore. “But anyway, it’s time for them to meet Sister Yictocy; she is expecting me to arrive at any moment now.”

He took Nevyn and Rhiassa out of the Greeting Room and led them up a flight of stairs until they reached the next level. Dlav said to them, “Sister Yictocy is not a very patient woman, so you need to be careful around her. She runs the magical classes here.”

“Indeed she won’t be happy to see you here,” said Salvatore, “not that you haven’t been up here before while you should be learning.”

He stood before a tall wooden door and tapped on it. Rhiassa gasped as the door opened and an older woman was staring at them.

“Are these the new students, Salvatore?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Salvatore.

“May I see them?” she asked. Nevyn and Rhiassa stood before her. The older woman gasped in horror as she stared at Rhiassa. “I cannot be!” she cried out.

“What?” said Dlav. “Did you accidentally drop your gogglasses again?”

Sister Yictocy raised an eyebrow at him and then said to Salvatore, “Did you know that this is the daughter of Prince Evidizan Silverheart?”

Rhiassa gasped as everyone stared at her…