Saga jolted awake, thinking the world had shattered. Then she realized, it was just Siren, being her usual self.
In her dream, she'd been far away, drifting through a misty forest where trees whispered as if sentient and silently meditating. The air brimmed with murmurs warning of hidden dangers as she wandered past the furtive castles of reticent elves. She'd been lost in the thrill of discovery, swept up in adventure until that jarring noise wrenched her back into her bedroom.
She gasped, sitting up, head swimming, heart racing. The window, open all night, now let in the soupy light of early morning along with a fragrant mix of grass, flowers, and leaves. Siren's workout room was directly below, the place where she kept her weights, gear, and an alarming number of weapons. As the disorientation faded, irritation stabbed at Saga's brain like pinpricks. Clenching her teeth, she threw herself out of bed and stamped on the floor.
"Siren! What in the blazes are you doing down there?" she yelled.
"Sorting out my swords!" Siren's muffled voice filtered through the cracks in the wooden floor. "They fell."
Not even a sorry?
"Keep it down, you swordbrain!" Saga bellowed even louder. "Some of us are trying to sleep up here!"
"Well, get off your ass, you lazy bum!" Siren shouted from below. "It's morning already!"
"SHUT! UP!"
Saga plopped back onto her bed, realizing how absurd it was to yell at someone through the floor. Stupid Siren. It was like her life's mission to ruin Saga's morning. She'd wanted to sleep in after yesterday's trauma and exhausting work. Dammit!
But now sleep was impossible. Her head pounded, the irritation lingering. Lady Genevieve's lessons wouldn't start until nine, and it was only six-thirty. She still had over two hours before the study group arrived. Groggily, she got out of bed, muttering curses at Siren. Could that swordbrain do anything quietly? It seemed like everything Siren did have to be loud and tactless as if all the food she wolfed down wouldn't digest unless she made a racket every waking hour.
Saga freshened up, then returned to her room, slipping out of her pajamas. She rummaged through her wardrobe, mind still in a sleepy haze. Standing there naked in the cool morning air, she sifted through fabrics of gold, black, green, silver, blue, and purple, lingering in indecision for nearly ten minutes. Finally, she settled on an emerald green tunic with a black, narrow trim featuring white spiral patterns. It had full sleeves and fell to mid-thigh. She pulled out a gray undertunic to go with it, then grabbed her undergarments.
Holding a modest 31A bra, she gazed at her reflection in the tall mirror beside the window, stifling a sigh. She wasn't as well-endowed as her twin, who outshone her in nearly every physical aspect. But she wasn't too worried; her mother had been just as petite, and it hadn't stopped her from marrying someone like Dad. Even if, so far, she hadn't found anyone for herself.
She put on her undergarments, then slipped into the undertunic and overtunic, securing it all at her waist with a belt matching the trim's fabric and design. After pulling on a pair of black pants, she felt much better, noting in the mirror how the layered tunics softened the wiriness of her frame.
Downstairs, she sat alone to break her fast. Her aunt had left early to tend to her healer's station, but not without preparing a meal for her family. Saga ate in solitude, listening to Siren's grunts and groans coming from the workout room as she lifted and pressed weights. Siren had eaten a light meal before her workout and would have a heavier one afterward. Saga endured the noise as she finished her breakfast, then decided to spend the remaining time reading.
Her books were on the living room table, exactly where she'd carelessly left them last night, now neatly stacked by her aunty. Feeling a pang of guilt, Saga sat down and opened to chapter eight of the Codex of Conquerors, which covered the life of the legendary Yahlvern the Cataclysm. Lady Genevieve would lecture on this chapter today, and Saga wanted to stay ahead.
She barely noticed when Siren left around seven-thirty. When the grandfather clock chimed nine, Saga gathered her books: the Codex of Conquerors, Grimoire of the Arcane, Intermediate Art of Healing, and Soul's Fume: The Secret Ingredient of Magic, and tucked them into her fabric bag before heading out.
The day was overcast, with the morning sun playing hide-and-seek behind patches of moody clouds. Passing men and women greeted her with smiles. Outwardly, there was no visible difference between a navian and a human. "Visible" being the key word, navians had two hearts and could absorb oxygen underwater, allowing them to survive beneath the surface for long stretches of time. Unlike humans, navians tended to be physically resilient, a result of their adaptation to harsh northern lands. Lady Genevieve held a theory that Navians and Humans shared a common ancestry, dating back to a prehistoric era before the first age of chaos. Humans had settled on southern fertile plains, choosing comfort, while navians adapted to the rough, frozen landscapes of the far north.
Saga marveled at the navians she passed; the somber climate had a bizarre way of enhancing their features. Their faces poised and photogenic, even the less attractive among them looked as though they deserved to be photographed by a luxurious camera artifact.
When she reached the main road, horse-drawn carriages clattered by, carrying foreign travelers. Havensol's neutral status brought in visitors from all realms, but its real advantage lay in its location. Positioned along a trade route, the town connected Mancrest, the human realm, with Ravenspire, the elven realm, and Exoplex, the domain of angels.
Saga's eyes followed a gold-painted carriage until it dipped beyond the horizon. She imagined a runaway princess within, fleeing to a distant land in search of a new life. "Go be free," she whispered to herself. She, too, longed for freedom, to leave this town behind and wander the world. What a waste it would be to die without ever seeing all the fantastic wonders life had to offer.
Saga sighed. Not everyone was born with wings to fly. This land was a blessing for the navians, but a shackle for her. She couldn't perform magic, a "dud," as her sister had once called her. Not only did she fail to manifest any magic, but she also refused to learn the way of the sword like her sister, finding it barbaric. Every door to the outside world seemed shut to her.
Lady Genevieve's home was in the eastern part of town, set on a spacious property surrounded by high stone walls topped with barbed wire. Entering through the main gate, Saga followed a cobblestone path that curved around the house and led to the backyard, bordered by colorful shrubs. Most of the backyard was paved with stone, as Lady Genevieve preferred to teach her classes outdoors. A roof of dark-tinted glass sheltered the area so that rain wouldn't interrupt the lessons.
Under this roof, rows of tables and chairs were arranged facing Lady Genevieve's desk. Saga took her usual seat in the very front. The other students were too intimidated to argue over it, and, besides, she was always the first to arrive. Lady Genevieve was the only scholar in the village, managing to attract no more than thirty students in a place that valued physical prowess over intellect.
Each of her students shared the same dream as Saga: to one day attend a magic academy in the human realm. Yet despite Lady Genevieve's low tuition fees, enrollment remained scarce. In Havensol, children were encouraged to start working or find apprenticeships if they weren't suited for combat, as Saga was. Pursuing an academic path was nearly unheard of here. If not for Lady Genevieve, Saga would have had no choice but to apprentice under her aunt at the healing station. Aunty Yrsa allowed Saga to attend Lady Genevieve's classes only because they covered healing from basic to advanced levels, hoping Saga might someday take over her practice.
Gradually, other students arrived, filling the seats under the canopy. They looked drowsy, their minds still half-asleep. A dignified woman of sixty stepped out of the house and stood before them. She wore a fine silk tunic and flowing violet trousers. Around her neck was a string of pearls filled with fume, the magical ingredient swirling inside like a contained storm. Every time Saga saw that necklace, two emotions stirred in her heart: elation at witnessing true magic and shame at her own inability to wield it, a "dud" as she was.
"How are we all this fine morning, my lovely little birds?" Genevieve Montgomery addressed her young audience. "Today, we're going to learn about the mad dragon who nearly brought the mighty realms of Mancrest, Ravenspire, and Exoplex to their knees. 'Nearly' being the key word. The dragon's full name was Thunder Khan Yahlvern Firestorm. The dragon realm is divided into countless tribes, and only rarely is a dragon born strong enough to claim the title of Khan. Yahlvern Firestorm became the first Khan of the dragon realm in over a thousand years. But behind his back, he was known as 'The One Formed.' You see, the Great Khan was born with a disability, he could not assume his humanoid form.
"As I've taught you before, dragons can only conceive children in their humanoid forms, and they're also born in that form. But the Great Khan, destined to bring death and suffering to this world, was born in his dragon form. He tore his way out of his mother's womb, breathing fire even as a newborn. His mother, still in her fragile humanoid form, died from her injuries. Yahlvern had committed murder at birth, and from that moment, he continued his work. 'The Cataclysm' was the title given to him by his victims as he razed cities and slaughtered millions."
Classic Genevieve. Only she would open a beautiful morning with a grisly recounting of the old calamity's horrors. She was a master at capturing attention; even the drowsiest students straightened in their seats to listen.
The class concluded around one in the afternoon, and Saga left her teacher's property. Heavy clouds hung across the sky, threatening rain at any moment. She wondered why they held back. What could they possibly be waiting for?