Wyntier's Rise (Creatures of the Lands Book 3)

by Natalie Erin

  “Oh no. There is no way.” Daren closed his book with a snap. “I refuse to attend such a ridiculous event.”

  “I’ll go with you, Daren,” Vivienna put in. “I haven’t been to the Celebration Carnival in a long time.”

  “It’ll be fun,” Soran said. “Meet you all tonight in the entrance hall after class.”

  “Look what they’ve dragged me into this time,” Daren groaned, shaking his head.

  After Soran and Vivienna had their dinner, they met everyone else as planned. Cameliyon had brown hair again, and was wearing a plain dress of Vivienna’s. Both Soran and Cameliyon dragged Daren by the arms to the carnival, with Federin the hamster clinging to his shirt and wearing a green ribbon. Zorna was a black phoenix and had a red ribbon tied around his neck, while Melodi was a tan owl with a midnight blue ribbon.

  “What’s with the ribbons?” Cameliyon asked.

  “The Celebration Carnival is mainly a Changer celebration. They do this super cool ceremony. You’ll see when we get there,” Soran said. He pulled three more ribbons out of his pocket...two pink ones, for Martin and Pumpkin, who were ferrets, and a silver one for Angel, who was a swan.

  “She refuses to hide. We could get caught,” Vivienna complained, pointing at Angel. The swan, though silent, was staring defiantly at Soran’s bag on the floor. Although she was happy to be attending school, Soran knew Angel couldn’t be comfortable being stuck inside the bag all day.

  Soran shrugged and said “That’s alright. Nobody will even notice her when the party starts.”

  He looked over at Martin and Pumpkin. “I suggest you guys get bigger. It’s not as crazy as in the days of the dranern Changers, but there’s still a pretty big risk of you getting stepped on. Changers…are different in Celebration. You’ll see what I mean.”

  The twins changed into horses, and after tying the ribbons in their manes they headed out the door. It was a long walk to the carnival, but there was a lot to see. Vendors coerced money out of pedestrians for various wares and children ran along the streets of Nesting’s Haven, their Changers pulling balloons after them. Palm trees were covered in streamers, and confetti littered the streets. Although it was crowded, Soran couldn’t help but notice the carnival wasn’t as packed as it usually was. The crowd was thin and sparse, when usually, there wouldn’t be enough space to walk. Where was everyone?

  “Everything’s so colorful!” Pumpkin exclaimed in awe.

  Soran smiled and said, “It gets better.”

  They were led to the court in the middle of Nesting’s Haven, set far below in the belly of the dead volcano which they had made their home. It was gigantic, shaped in the likeness of a sphere with gardens all around it, the flowers grown in such shapes that, as they descended the steps, looked like Changers and Accompanies dancing.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Cameliyon hushed, in awe of the city’s beauty.

  When they reached the bottom of the steps, Daren bolted. Soran grabbed Cameliyon’s hand, chasing after him.

  “Where are we going?” Cameliyon yelled over the loudness of the crowd. She realized her Changers had left her. She gave a cry of panic but Soran said, “It’s okay, Cam, they know what to do. It’s instinct.”

  “What’s instinct? Where’d they all go?” she screamed.

  “Never mind, we’ve just got to get to the center!” Soran pulled her along until they had joined a big group of Accompanies, all piled at the center of the court.

  Cameliyon gave a sigh of relief as she saw Pumpkin and Martin standing at the very edge of the circle which the Accompanies had formed. Zorna and Angel were standing on either side of them, with Federin changed into a tiny dog, the largest form he could come by. For once in his life, he didn’t look tired. Melodi was next to him, standing as a sheep. You could tell she was doing everything she could not to change into her main form, a dranern. The Changers began to turn on the spot as the pounding of large drums emitted from the border circling the Court below.

  A symphony of flutes joined the drums and the Changers sprang into the air, changing into a different form as they landed. The music became faster and faster as chimes, harps, and trumpets joined. Soon there was all kinds of music, beautiful, triumphant and foreign. The Changers danced and twirled, jumping and transforming, never the same form twice. Once they had circled around the entire court once, they began to sing.

  “Deus est meus forever, Sit meus pectus pectoris quod pennae…”

  “This is the part where we dance! Come on, Cameliyon!” Soran cheered. He grabbed her hands and they spun around and around, feet flying as colors from the ribbons whirled around them. Vivienna was dancing on her own, spinning on the spot to the music, while Daren merely swayed back and forth.

  “Oh no you don’t!” Soran laughed. He grabbed Daren and he, his sister and Cameliyon grabbed hands and spun around him in a circle. Daren looked at them awkwardly before he began to enjoy himself and started dancing as fiercely as the rest of them were.

  “Nos vadum sono forever, tribuo Him nostrum panton…”

  The only ones more wild than the Accompanies were the Changers. They were absent of thought, only creatures of emotion, changing with the music and singing at the top of their voices.

  When the song ended all the Changers came to an abrupt stop. They then rushed to their Accompanies, with shouts of great joy. Zorna came and landed on Soran’s shoulder. The phoenix was gasping for air and shaking, but appeared vibrantly alive.

  Daren was still dancing. Angel, who had no Accompany to return to, resorted to twirling circles around him, bending her neck in time with the imaginary song. Although they looked terribly ungainly, their smiles were broad. Others began noticing and started laughing at them, pointing their fingers.

  “Look at the two freaks! What nerds!” someone cried.

  One Accompany stuck out his foot and Daren tripped over it, tumbling into Angel.

  The swan squawked in surprise, bursting into a new form her friends had never seen before. Angel’s body melded into that of two creatures, her back half the legs and tail of a snow leopard, her front a massive white eagle, talons a steely silver as she laid her owl ears flat against her head. The crowd gasped, pointing at the snow white griffin, and Angel crouched down, tail between her legs.

  Hushed whispers rippled through the crowd as Angel gazed back, terrified. Her friends gathered around her and Vivienna stuttered, “Angel…why didn’t you ever show us your true form?”

  She turned away from them. Without a warning, Angel transformed into a white fox and took off back towards the school, running up the steps of the court as fast as her legs could take her.

  “Angel! Wait!” Martin cried. In his stallion form, he pushed several Changers to the side so he could run after his friend.

  “We have to go after her,” Soran said. The small group pushed themselves through the crowd and out of the party, ignoring the glares others were giving them on the way out.

  They found Angel swimming on a small pond next to the school, her head tucked between her wing. Martin was by the pond as a ferret, and was trying to coax her out of it.

  “Come on, Angel. We didn’t mean to scare you,” Martin said.

  Soran knelt by the edge of the pond. “I’m sorry it didn’t go as well as we hoped,” he said. “But you really were beautiful. You shouldn’t be ashamed of having such an awesome main form. You’re probably the only Changer in Nesting’s Haven that can do that.”

  Angel pulled her head out of her wing and looked at him.

  “In fact, we only know of one other Changer who can transform into a griffin,” Soran added. “That’s pretty special.”

  Angel came closer. She stepped out of the pond and gazed up at Soran.

  “Don’t be afraid of who you are,” Soran said. “Creator knows all of us are misfits, too. But that’s what makes us, us. They laugh at you because you’re different, but you should laugh at them because they’re all the same. It’s better to be unique than be like everyone e
lse. We’re proud of being outcasts. And you should be, too.

  Angel nodded. She then transformed into a chunky guinea pig, running up Soran’s leg, into his pocket and out of sight.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Strange Disappearances

  Soran and Zorna had been tireder from the carnival than they thought they’d been. Soran kept drifting in and out of sleep, his dreams meshing with the warm sunlight beaming through his window. Zorna was resting as a bat on the ceiling above his head.

  Soran moaned and said drowsily, “Come on Zo, we’re going to be late for class...”

  The bat stretched out his wings and let go, falling from the ceiling to land on Soran’s chest lazily.

  “Who are you, Federin? Get up,” Soran yawned. “What time is it?”

  Zorna lifted up his head and shrugged, crawling off Soran and slipping under the covers.

  “Zo, cut it out,” Soran complained.

  There was an urgent knocking. Soran groaned and got up, stumbling to the door. Zorna poked his head up and mumbled, “Sor, where’d you go? Sor?”

  Soran threw a pillow at him. “Move it Zorna. It’s already…holy crap!”

  Soran scampered to the window as he saw a first hour class being taught below. “We’ve missed the first part of class! Get up, Zo!”

  He opened the door to see Angel surely standing outside as a swan, tapping her foot. It seemed she’d been waiting outside for a long time. She transformed into a guinea pig and shuffled into Soran’s bag, scratching the sides of the fabric and giving an impatient huff.

  Zorna wiggled the blankets off of him. “Why didn’t one of the others wake us up?”

  “I don’t know,” Soran said, irritated. “You’d think Daren would bother to remind us.” He threw his clothes on quickly and grabbed his bag, with no time left for breakfast. Zorna changed into an ocelot, and they bolted out the door. By the time he made it to class, History of the Lands was almost over.

  “I’m so sorry I’m late,” Soran apologized as he entered the room. Everyone was staring at him and Zorna, but Professor Mensolen wasn’t there. It was another teacher, one Soran had never had before but had heard was called Professor Aurora.

  The teacher raised her eyebrows and said, “Timeliness is a thing I value, young Accompany. Don’t do it again, or else I’m liable to throw you out.”

  “What happened to Professor Mensolen?” Soran asked.

  “He has presently been removed from his position,” Professor Aurora said coldly. “From now on, I will be instructing this class.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Soran proceeded to his seat beside Daren. Zorna growled at the students staring at them as they walked by.

  “Why didn’t you wake us up?” Soran hissed at Daren.

  Daren made a face, avoiding his friend’s gaze. “I don’t know. I was busy. Sorry.”

  “Thanks a lot,” he grumbled.

  “Believe me, you haven’t missed much,” Daren promised, an angry spark coming into his eyes. “Vivi’s already left. She couldn’t take it.”

  “What do you mean?” Zorna asked, but Daren just jerked his head as in indication to listen. Soran looked away and focused his attention on Professor Aurora. It would seem she was talking about something important, so it caught all of their attention.

  “Now you may have heard many things about the Great Siege sixteen years ago, said to have been caused by Wyntier Ignavus,” Professor Aurora said. “It was a night of terror, one where many Accompanies and Changers died. I am here to inform you that the Great Siege was actually not caused by Wyntier, but interestingly enough, simply a riot of unstable Changers.”

  “What?!” Soran hissed.

  Daren mumbled, “It gets worse.”

  Professor Aurora motioned to her unicorn Changer on her left. He stomped his hooves and said, “You may have been told by your parents that Wyntier Ignavus was a terrible person. Wyntier actually was an Accompany of great ideas, but because his dream of a new order was frightening to the Council, he was listed an outlaw. The Council has revisited his ideas as of recent and decided to put them into practice.”

  “Are you all insane?!” Zorna shouted out loud, unable to contain himself.

  Professor Aurora turned to him and said, “One of these new ideas is that a Changer will not speak unless asked to by his Accompany. Did you ask your Accompany to speak?”

  “Zorna doesn’t have to ask! He belongs to no one but himself!” Soran shouted, blood boiling with rage.

  A senior by the name of Francisca raised her hand. “Professor, is that right? I thought it was a partnership between Changer and Accompany that makes the whole thing work.”

  “Young girls shouldn’t question their elders,” Professor Aurora snapped, eyes skirting towards the door. She seemed tense, as if she was afraid that someone was watching her.

  “Isn’t that what school is for? Asking questions?” Daren asked.

  “My mother can’t walk because of what Wyntier did!” Francisca protested. “I don’t believe a group of Changers caused the Great Siege!”

  “Your mother’s injury was an accident, Francisca. The house fell in on her,” Professor Aurora said gently.

  “Only because Wyntier was the one who caused it to topple over!” she snapped.

  “It was an unruly Changer, as I said before,” Professor Aurora argued back. “An unfortunate accident.”

  “And was Vera’s death an accident too?” Soran said, standing upwards from his desk sharply. The chair he was sitting in flung backwards onto the floor with the quick movement.

  Aurora turned to him and said, “Wyntier has been missing for years, Soran. His Changer probably died from the separation.”

  “Tell me that when you can erase the memory of him beating her,” he snarled. Zorna put a paw on his Accompany’s hand. Soran was near tears, but he wouldn’t break down...not here, in front of everyone.

  “You were a child, Soran. You probably made the whole thing up, after your aunt and uncle took you in,” Professor Aurora said calmly.

  “You’re trying to tell me that I never knew him? That I made the whole thing up?” Soran said. “I’m not stupid. He’s alive, and he’s out there.”

  Soran was going to lose control, so Zorna stepped in. “Soran isn’t lying. I was there, and I remember what happened.”

  “Really, Zorna? When you can’t even remember your own parents?” a boy across the room questioned.

  The room had been silent before, but now it had an icy clarity that made everyone feel uncomfortable.

  “Watch it, Oriole,” Soran said in a threatening tone.

  “You two don’t even remember being bonded or how you met,” Oriole argued. “I’ve had class with you since we were kids, and I’ve heard the story, Soran. You’ve told it to me yourself. All you remember is going to rest one night, and the next morning you had a black fawn in your crib. Can’t you at least listen to Professor Aurora? Some of what she’s saying makes sense.”

  “That’s quite enough, Oriole,” Aurora said.

  “Well it’s true!” Oriole shouted. “Zorna tells everyone all the time that he never has any memory of anything before Soran…”

  “Did you remember anything when you were a baby?” Soran snapped. “No? Then shut your big, stupid mouth!”

  Oriole glared back at him. Zorna was crippled...it was easy to see in the way he stood what Oriole had said really hurt him. Without another word, Soran picked him up and stomped to the door.

  “Soran, if you walk out that door it’s detention for both of you,” Professor Aurora warned.

  Soran slammed the door behind him. Then, with Zorna still in his arms and Angel in his pocket, he began to run.

  All was quiet in the library. It was a simple place to hide, far enough away from their dorm and the classrooms that nobody would suspect to look for them here.

  The librarian smiled at Soran and Zorna as they came in, then went back to her book without any questions. They liked Mrs. Miriam, and she liked th
em. Their group came in frequently, unlike other students, so they had made it their usual hangout. Miriam had often helped them with questions, and knew more about history than anyone else alive. The bell had rung several minutes ago, but Soran and Zorna didn’t plan on going to Professor Moorock’s class. They were too upset.

  Cameliyon would wonder where they were, but word would travel around soon enough. As soon as Soran and Zorna had given up their pretended charade of looking for books and snuck behind a shelf in the back corner Angel jumped out of Soran’s pocket, changing into a swan and appearing concerned.

  Soran sat down against a bookshelf and Zorna changed into a phoenix, dragging his long tail behind him on the floor. Soran stroked his back and said to Angel, “Don’t give me that look. What else can we do?”

  Angel clicked her beak and Soran said, “What, fight? That would get us in even more trouble.”

  She turned away from them and settled on the floor, feathers ruffling.

  It wasn’t long before there was a loud BANG as the library doors were thrown open. His sister rounded the corner, Melodi the mouse trailing.

  “What were you thinking? Look where your temper has gotten you this time,” Vivienna whispered harshly, taking a seat next to him.

  “If you believe I was going to let her talk to Zorna like that, then you don’t know me.” Soran pulled up his legs and put his arms around them.

  “But why did you have to...”

  “You already left the class. Don’t blame me.” His voice had developed a rough quality to it, the kind that happened when his throat choked up.

  Her face softened. “Oh, Soran.” She put his arms around him and they sat alone in the aisle, not knowing what to do anymore.

  Both of the siblings and their Changers had gotten detention that night, Soran for walking out on Professor Aurora and talking back, and Vivienna for skipping her classes.

  “Like it matters. I’ve taken every class this place has to offer ten times over,” she’d said harshly when informed by a teacher.