In preparation for the contest many other classes were put on hold. Morgianna had never heard anything about this from her friend in her old world and couldn't understand why students would need such special training now of all times. Regardless as she was a student herself she could do little more than go with the flow.
"Morgianna Bloodmoon, the Dean has requested your presence. Please follow me." A woman who looked to be in her early twenties stood at the end of the table that Morgianna currently occupied in the library. She had a bored demeanor as if her even talking was the most menial thing she could ever have been tasked with. She wasn't wearing a student uniform, but her attire was definitely not that of a teacher either. She was decked out from head to toe in black, even her hair that could match the darkest tar was pinned on her head in an inky bun.
Her pants and bodice were skin-tight showing off her curves, and on her face was a tattoo of a black rose. Morgianna looked around but knew there was nobody else present. She had chosen to come to the library for that exact reason. "The Dean?" Morgiannas lips twitched. Of course as she would be thinking about why the man was doing what he was doing she would get the opportunity to meet him. Sometimes she wondered if she were lucky or unlucky with the things that happened to her.
Morgianna knew there was no refusing the request of the person who held the highest power in the school. That and the woman in front of her didn't look like she would have taken no for an answer anyway. Standing slowly, Morgianna took her time stacking the books neatly on the table, loving the twitch in the woman's eyes as she watched her every move. When she was finally done she put on her most pleasant smile and clapped her hands. "Well shall we get going, I wouldn't want to keep the Dean waiting." Morgianna had a slight satisfaction watching a vein throb in the woman's forehead. She didn't know anything about the Dean but if he was sending masked people to pick her up then he was far from normal.
Leaving the library Morgianna followed at a distance as the woman took paths that were hardly used. Using her god's eye she looked at the information in front of her with a frown.
Name: Selene
Age: 14
Race: Shadow Puppet
Title: Bancroft's Shadow
Attributes/powers: Darkness
Not only was the woman in front of her the same age as her, but her only title is the be a shadow of the Dean. There was no last name or other affiliations, it was as if her only tie to this world was the Dean themselves, to be their puppet.
Tearing her eyes away from the woman, Morgianna watched as they walked to a portion of the campus that she had yet to explore in the weeks she had been here. The trees started to become denser the farther they walked until almost all light from the sun was blocked out. After several minutes and several twists and turns Morgianna saw a light up ahead. It was a perfect archway and beyond it sat the cutest cottage she had ever seen.
There were flowers of various colors lining the walkway, the fragrance making Morgianna feel calm despite being in an unknown place. Just as Morgianna was about to question Selene the door of the cottage opened and a graceful looking woman stepped out with a jovial smile on her face. "Thank you so much for coming to meet with me Morgianna, I have heard so much about you." Selene walked behind the woman and stood with her arms behind her back. "I am sure you have many questions about why you are here and I will answer them, but first I would like to formally introduce myself my name is Maiara, but most know me as Dean Bancroft." She gave a little wink at the end catching Morgianna off guard.
"I am sorry, I was told that the Dean was a man..." Morgianna let her words trail off as she looked at the person in front of her who was clearly a woman. Using her god's eye the words did not lie, Maiara was indeed the Dean, but she was so much more.
Name: Maiara Bancroft
Age: 364
Race: Fey
Titles: Dean of Crossroads Academy, The Goddess of Spirits servant
Attributes/power: Light and wind
Maiara giggled hiding her mouth behind her hand. "Of course you did, I made it to where everyone but a select few knows what I even look like. You're kind of a special case as I have been waiting for you for the past 14 years. Oh! Where are my manners, would you like to come in for some tea?"
The look in Maiara's eyes seemed honest and sincere so Morgianna nodded following the woman inside. The inside was just as pleasant as the outside with flowers scattered around the room in various pots and vases. There was a small round table with two pillows on the floor in the middle of the room and in the back a small bed. The room was so minimalistic other than the flowers that for a moment Morgianna was caught off guard. She knew that the only person available to answer her questions was right in front of her and she would not let such an opportunity pass by. Maiara sat on a pillow and motioned for Morgianna to take the other before retrieving cups and a kettle from beneath the table. Before the tea had even been poured Morgianna was already ready with her questions. "Why have you been waiting for me for 14 years? Why show me your true face?"
The smile on Maiara's face fell slightly, but she quickly put it back. "I promise to answer your questions, at least all the ones that I can, but can I tell you a story first? It has to do with the things that are happening now, with this world and... with you."
Morgianna felt a chill run down her spine at those ominous words. Her hands shook as she picked up her teacup letting the hot liquid shock her senses as it burnt a path down her throat. Coughing to clear her throat Morgianna glanced at the composed woman across from her and schooled her features before she spoke."If it has to do with the world, please do tell me. However, I do not know what you think you know about me."
A knowing look on her face Maiara gave a small smile. "To get to the part that directly deals with you, I have to go back and first talk about your grandmother."Morgianna's eyes widened, but before she could interrupt Maiara continued her story. "Yes, I am aware that she is a Goddess, after all, I was one of her servants when the Gods and Goddesses still roamed our mortal plane. Your Grandmother is and has always been the Goddess of Life and Death, which is in large part why you were able to see when someone was going to die."
"Many years ago, everyone believed that the gods had already left us to return to their own domain but that was not the case. There were many that hid in plain sight only allowing those that they trusted to be close to them. Some were displeased and thought that mingling of bloodlines was a disgrace..." Maiara had a pained look on her face as she clutched at the shirt above her heart. "Your grandmother had taken me in when I was young and I spent many centuries by her side as we roamed this world. She had many Gods who wished to court her, but she always turned them down."
Sitting her now empty teacup on the table between them Maiara looked back at Morgianna with unshed tears. "I always feared she would choose to stay alone...but one day she met him, Aiden Katz. He was your biological grandfather, a human who lived a very simple life. He was kind and honest and I am sure he would have loved you.." Mai wiped a single tear that rolled down her cheek. "They were happy for a year, but as with all things it came to an end. There was one suitor of your grandmothers that was not pleased with the way things had turned out. Hating that a mere human had been chosen over himself. He was old and powerful, vowing that since the world was so dirty he would wipe it clean and start anew. His name is Eltarr, the God of Torture. When he decided to end the world, he planned to do it in the cruelest of ways setting up camps for the races so that he would make them suffer until the end of their days. Especially the humans... With plans to make your grandfather the first to feel his wrath."
"Your grandmother with the help of other gods and goddess banded together to seal Eltarr away, but it came at a price. After the battle that costed many lives, he was sealed deep within this world and the remaining gods wiped the memories of the commonfolk draining of a large portion of their power. They had to return to their own domain unable to step foot back on this ground."
Morgianna was shocked at the story she was hearing, her friend had told her none of this. There were no scorned Gods or plans to mass exterminate the world's citizens."It just makes no sense. Nothing is going how I thought it would." She hadn't even realized she had spoken aloud until Mai answered.
"Do you still think you are in a game? This world is nothing like that game from the world you spent your first life. That was but a way for your grandmother to at least let you know of this world even if you thought it was made up. You were always meant to be here, in this world. When your grandmother had to watch from afar as your mother grew into an adult, and then as she married the man she loved and had a son.. there were supposed to be a daughter but the life that girl was destined to live would have not been much of a life. Your Grandmother sent your soul to another world and you would have stayed there if not for your untimely passing... She used that as a way to bring you home..back to us." Mai clasped Morgianna's hands tightly as if trying to convey to the gravity of what she was saying.
The words were like a hammer bashing into Morgianna's thoughts at a rate that she could hardly keep up with. "You are saying that I was originally supposed to be in this world, but was sent away to save my life only to die young anyway, and then my grandmother who is a goddess brought me back here?"
Mai gave a sympathetic smile. "Of course even if she put you in the body you originally would have inhabited she did her best to make sure you would be as best prepared as she could in this life since she could not protect you in your last. We have spoken a lot and I am sure you have many questions. Would you like to go back to the dorm to collect your thoughts and then meet me again before you leave for the contest? I can have Selene bring you here whenever you are ready."
It's true there were too many questions and thoughts running through her mind. Morgianna stood with a grateful smile. "Then I will take my leave, could you have Selene take me back to the dorms?" Morgianna turned to look at the woman in black who had not even shifted once since she had taken her post behind Dean Bancroft then sheepishly turned back to Mai. "Before I leave... could I know my grandmother's name?" Morgianna blushed in embarrassment from not asking sooner.
With a large smile Maiara pulled Morgianna into a strong hug. "Her name is Tadea."
...
The trek back to the school seemed as if it was but a moment as Morgianna was lost in her thoughts. Walking back to her room on autopilot she paid no attention to the voices that tried to catch her attention.
"What do you think happened to her to make her so absentminded?" Alaric stopped calling out to Morgianna realizing he had garnered unwanted attention from other students.
Alistar who stood beside him shrugged. "I do not know, but I will find out. It better not be that Roth girl. I swear I cannot even see pink hair now without getting angry thinking of the trouble she has caused my Queen."
Alaric frowned at his friend calling Morgianna his queen, but he too had come to severely dislike Angeline Roth. The name itself left a bad taste in his mouth.