It was night fall before Ariana was able to drag her body back to her dorm room. "Where have you been?" Edlyn asked as she was busy tucking Thor into his bed. "With Vera." Ariana groaned. "Miss Vera is very worried about our Master" Aroha said as she lead all the other Lumas into the room. "So worried that I believe Master will be unable to meet Mrs. Dabney for the yoga." Davita proclaimed proudly as if Ariana"s hard work was her personal achievement. "That Vera is a true warrior! She knows how to condition the body perfectly! Master you must train hard so not to lose to those rats they call students." Rahul said as he jumped onto Ariana"s back causing her to topple over instantly."What were you doing?!" Halina shouted and Thor instantly perked up. Ariana hauled herself of the floor and crawled towards her bed. "Training." She answered with a half dead moan. "Training?! Until this late?!" Halina shouted an octave higher. "Hlina!" Edlyn hissed. Thor happily jumped around and shot out small electrical sparks. "Sorry, sorry!" Halina apologized as her swan fluffed up her feathers. "Honestly can you not keep your own voice down! You are a lady you must be able to control the volume of your voice at all times! Elegance is key! ELEGANCE! Due you hear me Halina! You"re so unladylike it"s horrifying!" Ophelia shouted. Ariana coughed as she tried her best not to laugh.
Find authorized novels in Webnovel,faster updates, better experience,Please click for visiting.
Talisha was brushing Bacon"s baby mane, he looked like he was ready for bed as his eyelids started to drop down. Ariana couldn"t help but be envious as she pulled herself onto her bed. "Did you at least bathe?" Talisha said as she put the brush away. "Yeeeeeessss!" Ariana groaned in delight as she made it on top of her bed. "That"s good to hear but you do realize you can not sleep with your uniform on. One must change into proper attire before getting ready for bed." She said with a prim and proper att.i.tude. "You sound like Ophelia..." Ariana yawned and instantly shut her mouth.
"What do you mean -?" Halina started to say but there was a knock at the window. Edlyn quickly caught Thor in her embrace and then ran to the window. She pulled back the curtain and smiled. "Mirela!" She shouted and moved to the crank. "Mirela?! What are you doing here?" Ariana said as she jumped out of the bed. "Greetings your h-h-h-hi-highnesssssss, I b-b-b-bare a g-g-g-gift." She stuttered as she fluttered at the window. Her orange, translucent wings sparkled against the evening sky, Ariana couldn"t help but be reminded of T*nkerb*ll. "Sorry Edlyn, I"m making her nervous." Ariana said and backed away from the window. "NO! WAIT!" Mirela shouted and she rushed into the room with her eyes closed. Ariana stopped moving and watched as Mirela almost collided into her face but she stopped a couple of feet away, her eyes were still completely shut. "This flower is for you!" She continued to shout as her tiny face flushed red.
Ariana was stunned and looked at Edlyn with wide eyes. "Mirela... are you sure?" She said slowly but Mirela nodded her head vigorously. The Lumas floated upwards and took a closer look at the flower. "Master, this is quite a gift." Duko said as he moved in a little bit closer. "Very rare, very valuable, why would you bring such a flower to our Master?" Loralei asked and Mirela"s wings started to flutter rapidly as the rest of her body turned red. "This is from my entire village! A thank you gift for saving us!" She shouted again as tears escaped her closed eyes and rolled down her face. "Mirela thank you for being so brave please just leave it on the bed and go. Tell your village I have graciously accepted the gift and will treasure it."
Mirela opened her eyes and zipped towards the bed. She couldn"t leave the room fast enough and when she was finally outside, she calmed right down. "Thank you for being so understanding! Next time I see you I swear I won"t be so scared." She shouted and flew away. Ariana sighed and walked over to the bed and picked up the flower. "Honestly that poor girl. I wonder what kinda of flower this is, it smells really nice." She said to Edlyn who looked completley pale. Ariana dropped the flower and rushed over to check on her. "You okay? Are you sick? Does it hurt anywhere?" She asked quickly but Edlyn shook her head no and brought her index finger up, pointing behind Ariana.
Ariana turned around and paled at what she saw. Halina and Talisha were watching her with their mouths hanging. Ariana awkwardly laughed as she looked at their stunned faces. She completely forgot that they were still in the room. "Halina! Honestly close that mouth of yours! What are you trying to do? Catch flies? Is it so shocking to find out that this young lady can understand magical creatures?" Ophelia said as she placed her beak under Halina"s jaw and pushed up. "You can hear them?" Halina asked as she scooped up Ophelia and started to pet her feathers. "I-I-I-I." Ariana stuttered as she tried to think of an excuse.
"It"s pointless to deny. We are not blind or deaf. We heard you having a conversation with that earth faiy. Though to us it sounded very one sided." Talisha said as she looked at Ariana with curious eyes. "I can explain... see my familiars." She started to say but Talisha put her hand up into the air and stopped her. "Don"t. Just don"t. You can"t fool someone who has played the game way longer then you have." Talisha said as her whole aura and facial expression changed. She flicked back her hair, crossed her legs and gave a very sly smile. "I have been watching you closely. You were speaking to Thor before you had your familiars and we have been with you and Edlyn almost this entire time. When would you have had a chance to even meet an earth fairy when we weren"t around? Just give up and come clean."
Ariana blushed as she dropped her gaze. "Fine... I can understand and talk to them." She said with a defeated sigh. "No freaking way!" Halina shouted as she stood up and dropped Ophelia onto the ground. "I never!" She honked. "Sorry Ophelia..." Halina said awkwardly as she stepped around her and moved closer towards Ariana. "Heh... you know you could have used you hand me down as an excuse. Pathetic, you would have been eaten up on the streets within seconds with the way you are." Talisha said as she narrowed her eyes. "You were bluffing?!" Ariana shouted. "Of course but then again even if I asked Bacon about my suspicions he refused to talk. Is that right Bacon?" Talisha said as she nudged Bacon. "I may be a pig but I don"t squeal." He said as he snorted out hot air.
"So now your showing your true colours... why?" Edlyn asked as she stepped in front of Ariana. "Relax, I just thought since I know something about Miss perfect princess I should let her know about me. I mean fair is fair when it comes to information... Plus I can finally relax in my own room. I have to keep up the act in school, at meals, in the corridors of the dorm and even in the bathhouse. I need a safe place to be myself or else I would erupt somewhere and not be able to recover the image my parents want me to have." Talisha said as she shrugged.
"Why would you need to hide your true self?" Ariana asked as she peaked around Edlyn. "Oh that"s not how this goes my fair lady." Talisha said as she waved a finger in the air. "I told you, information for information and I don"t believe you have any information that will make me want to talk more about myself." Talisha said as she leaned back into her bed. "So you are a legit bad a**?" Halina asked. "Halina! Your language!" Ophelia shouted as more of her plumage fluffed up.
"Think whatever you want, like I care. I"m done talking and need some serious Z"s, so going to bed." Talisha said as she jumped off the bed and pulled off the covers with one swift flick of her wrist. Bacon got off the bed just in time and wasn"t sent flying. "Talisha.... you won"t tell anyone will you?" Ariana asked sheepishly. "I take care of my own." She said as she put her head on her pillow. "So you recognized us a friends?" Ariana asked with a wide grin. "Shut up already." Talisha said as she covered her face with the blanket. "Think what you want." She muttered under the blanket.
Halina looked to be deep in thought as she walked back to her bed and Edlyn put Thor back into his cushioned basket. Ariana changed into her pj"s and then tucked her Lumas into their giant bed. "I won"t let them take you." She whispered to Vasu before she tucked herself into her bed.
....
"Master, it"s time for you to get up now." Aroha chirped happily. "c.r.a.p, I feel like I barely slept." Ariana yawned. She looked up at the window and saw that it was still dark. "Right, I did say I would go..." Ariana mumbled as she got up. "Clothes, clothes, clothes...." She continued mumbling as she started to nod off where she stood. "Master..." Rahul purred as he landed on her head. "You need to work hard to build up that warrior spirit." Ariana opened her eyes when she felt the weight on her head. "Right... I need to get going." She mumbled then looked at Edlyn. She was sleeping.so peacefully she couldn"t bare to disturb her. "Okay... let me change and we"ll go."
Ariana casually walked down the cobblestone street. "Master why did you leave Edlyn behind?" Aroha asked. "Let her sleep, I have been causing her a lot of stress lately." She said as she continued walking. "You shouldn"t be walking alone so early in the morning...." A familiar voice sang. Ariana quickly looked around but everything was still so dark. The only source of light she had were the street lights. "Too afraid to come out now?" She said as she kept vigilant. "Should I come to you?!" The voice laughed. "Were you not trying to kill me? I mean I"m a bad influence on your pure princess."
"You are..." He sighed. "Ha, ha, hahahahaha! Are you afraid of me now that I have a source of magic?" Ariana laughed. "I don"t have to explain myself." He said as his mist started to come from the forest. "I have no fear, I do what I want, I kill what I want and I take what I want." He said as he continued to move forward. "Are you the one draining the life from the magical creatures in the forest?" She asked as she narrowed her gaze. The mist froze and started to retreat. "I don"t have to answer you..." He said as his voice started to fade. "But.... no."
Ariana wasn"t sure if the mist really left, she took another look around and saw nothing. "Master, you should keep moving." Aroha said. "Mmmh." She replied back as she started to walk towards the school. "Master!" Loralei shouted as she formed a barrier around Ariana and the other Lumas. "Naughty, naughty, naughty girl." The voice said as the Indigo mist formed claws and slowly dragged them down the barrier. "I thought you left?!" Ariana shouted in surprise. "I told you I do what I want." He hissed as his mist body rotated in a circular motion around the barrier. "You"re psychotic!"
This indigo mist just started to laugh. "Loralei is there a way I can walk with the barrier or am I stuck here?" She asked as she turned to her purple, chibi fish. "I can make it into a ball for you to walk but he"s attached to the barrier. If I try he might come in." Loralei replied. "Just kill it." Rahul said as he watched the mist move. "Can I?" Ariana asked. "NO!" Loralei shouted. Ariana turned to her but Aroha flee in between them. "Master! Killing an intelligent creature is a crime!" Aroha shouted but Ariana gave her a doubtful look. "It"s self defense. He has been after my life from the beginning."
"Master, you must understand that not everything that is after your life is meant to be killed." Duko said as he placed his paw on her foot. Ariana looked at her golden puppy skeptically. While Duko put on the cutest, puppy do face he could mustard. "No... something is off. Loralei why can"t I kill this thing." Ariana said as she pointed to the mist. Loralei looked at Ariana with big, round, innocent eyes then turned away without saying a word. "Vasu!" She called out in frustration.
"Vasu you must not get involved!" Aroha shouted but Vasu just gave Aroha a blank stare. "He"s not a complete-?!" Vasu started to say but Aroha body slammed him against the barrier. "Aroha!" Ariana shouted as she tries to separate the two Lumas. "No! Enough is enough! This trouble making, piece of lard has had his way for to long!" Aroha roared.
"Animosity.... it looks sooo gooood.... toooo gooood. Let me in! Let me taste! Let me iiiiiin!" The indigo mist sang with desperation. "Enough! Aroha what is the matter with you." Ariana said as she pulled off Aroha from Vasu. "Nothing." Aroha said quietly. "You"re not our Master." Vasu said as he pulled himself from the barrier wall." Ariana"s eyes grew wide as her hold on Aroha weakened and her legs buckled. She dropped to her knees as Vasu"s words echoed in her head. "You traitor! Sc.u.m! b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" Aroha yelled as she tried to attack Vasu again but he managed to escape her claws. "I"m not your master?" Ariana whispered. Loralei floated closer to Ariana and looked up into her face. "I"m sorry but No."
Aroha stopped her attack on Vasu and turned to Loralei. "Not you too..." She said with a sorrowful look that it caused Loralei to flinch. "We can"t hide it anymore Aroha. She will find out sooner or later especially now that she is here." Loralei said pitifully but Aroha floated to the ground. She sat with a thud and little tuffs of blue feathers flew upwards. "But we can not choose a side." She sighed as Duko walked over. He sat down beside her and patted her head. Aroha looked up at him with big watery eyes. "We can"t!" She cried.
"Ariana we owe you an explanation but right now is not the right time." Duko said sympathetically. "I don"t understand." Ariana said as she looked at her Lumas. "Mast-uh. Um... Ariana, we don"t have time for this, that thing is tricking you." Davita said as she flapped her wings, bringing her to Ariana"s eye level. Ariana turned to look at the mist, he formed his void face and pressed it against the barrier while his claw stayed perfectly still on the barrier.
"Animosity, animosity, animosity!" He chanted with his giant slit like smile. Ariana turned back to Davita and stared in confusion. "He"s sucking Loralei"s power." She said gently. Ariana turned to Loralei and pounced on her. "Take it down!" She shouted but Loralei shock her body left and right. "I can"t, the moment I do he will attack you."
"So what! Is he hurting you? Do you feel faint? Don"t you dare think you can sacrifice yourself for me!" Ariana shouted but Loralei just gave her a faint smile. "I chose a side. I can no longer stay." Loralei said as little fluffs of light started to leave her body. "No! No! No! Loralei don"t you dare leave me! Fight! We can think of a way to get of here." Ariana said as tears started to roll down her face. "Sorry Mast... Ariana but I"m being called back now." She said with a weak voice. The barrier around them started to flicker. The mist started to laugh.
"No! I"m not letting you go!" Ariana shouted and she felt a warm sensation spread within her chest. Loralei looked at Ariana and her fins started to flap vigorously. Ariana could feel the warmth turn into fire, the barrier completely disappeared. The mist laughed harder as it moved in on Ariana. The Lumas tried to block his path but he effortlessly knocked them aside. Ariana could feel a horrible burning sensation on her back, she couldn"t hold on to her vision anymore, everything was turning white. The mist was about the grab Ariana"s throat when suddenly Ariana"s body pulsed with a white, shimmering light.
The mist hissed as he rushed backwards, taking shape as the distance between them grew. The top half of a man"s body appeared will the bottom half was a cloud of mist. Slowly, soft pink, petal like wings started to emerge from Ariana"s back. Her hair started to float upwards and her hands started to glow radiantly. She gently placed her hands onto Loralei and smiled down at her. "You are my friend." She said in ethereal voice. The Lumas watched as Loralei started to glow brighter, the fluffs stopped leaving her body and she looked positively invigorated. "Ariana!" Loralei shouted but Ariana wasn"t listening, her eyes rolled back and the light was getting stronger. "Ariana!" She heard someone shout while she drifted into a haze.
She wanted to give more, her body urged to give more. Her body pulsed one last time, her wings dissolved and she released a ring of white, simmering light, dispersing outwards at high speeds. The mist tried to out run the light but just like the Lumas he was struck in the heart. The Lumas felt invigorated but the mist became solid and landed on the ground, wounded. "Ariana..." A familiar voice called out. Ariana fluttered her eyelashes as she tried to focus on the person in front of her. "Cayden..." She mumbled as she tried to move. "Easy, you just exhausted a lot of magical energy." He said softly as he held her within his arms. "Were is Loralei?" She asked weakly as she tired to lift her head. "I"m here! I"m here!" She shouted as she flapped her fins.
"I"m so glad." Ariana said with a gentle smile. "I should get you out of here." Cayden said as he quickly glanced at a male figure dragging himself into the forest. "I thought Edlyn was going to be with you." He said as he scooped up Ariana into a princess carry. "She looked so happy sleeping." Ariana sighed as she snuggled against Cayden"s chest. "Not an excuse." He said promptly. "Why are you here." She asked as she closed her eyes. "I was worried when Mrs. Dabney said you were running late." Ariana opened her eyes and saw that the sun was just starting to break through the darkness. "So I am." She said lazily. "Cayden..." She called out. Cayden looked down causing Ariana to blush. "Good morning." She said shyly. Cayden hesitated then a giant smile spread across his face.
He didn"t have the prince like smile his brother liked to show off. His looked more genuine, more comforting, more boy next door and she started to blush a deep red. "Good morning."