• The emerald green hills rolled past the windows of the mana train on its way through the grassy sea. The sapphire sky seemed to shimmer and play with the light as wisps of cloud played onto the facets of the sky. The train’s rust colored trim and red wood exterior hid within itself many a thing and person that would make the average person think, what on this plane of reality did I do to be stuck with some of these people. There were a few though, that were worth looking into this group of insane people; and that’s where our story begins.

    A brown haired boy was in a daze about all the events that had happened to this point, it was his first time riding on a mana train and the view was spectacular; not to mention the laugh he got out of freaking out a bird or two.

    This is such an amazing ride! He thought to himself as he looked down to the ground and the wake that the wind generators created on the landscape below, I still wish I knew why I was here though. One day, I’m sitting at home, helping with my family… the next the king’s men come and tell me I’ve been awarded some kind of scholarship for gifted teenagers.

    The boy sighed as he thought about his family back home, It’s so lonely here… no friends, no family, heck I don’t even have someone to sit with. I wish I had some idea of what this school was too.

    A voice with the tone of a mix between a crystal resonator and a playful child broke his personal monologue as she spoke trying to get his attention, “Is this seat taken?”

    Turning to face her, he was taken aback at just her looks alone. In all the time he had been alive, he had only heard tales of the druid cultures. How they had made pacts with ancient spirits of creation to become closer to the planet, and how it had altered their appearance to show their loyalty. They forgot to mention, though, how beautiful they were sometimes.

    Once again, noticing she had his attention, she asked him, “Can I sit down here?”

    He nodded as he felt the blood rushing to his cheeks and neck; nodding in response, “Of course.”

    He quickly looked her over, trying not to be too obvious of his... interest. She had a vibrant shade of amber and orange hair with a few twinges of black near its tips, her face was framed very beautiful by it and her glasses. She wore a collar like necklace with a small amber charm on it with something he couldn’t quite make out as she began sitting down. She wore a slightly form fitting shirt and a sky blue skirt with a yellow mark down it. His attention though, was drawn to her two druidess features. She had two fox ears sticking out from her hair and, what he though was just more hair, a long flowing tail that seemed to be as well cared for as the rest of her hair. She moved it out of the way so she could sit down, and smiled at him.

    “Thanks a lot, believe it or not, I scare people sometimes.” She laughed, “of course… they haven’t learned why they should be frightened yet” her look still playful as she smiled at him, “I’m Kitsumi.”

    He smiled back, a little concerned but not enough to stop him from holding out a friendly hand for her to shake, “I’m Darkon, but call me Dak… everyone else does.”

    She shook his hand happily, “Then you can call me Kit.”

    “I guess that’s fair.” He laughed for the first time on that train, well unless you count him tormenting the birds. “So what are you doing here?”

    She sighed and looked past him out the window, “I wish I wasn’t, I hate being cooped up indoors.”

    “I know the feeling, I’ve got six siblings and my parents never leave me alone. I can appreciate having open space.”

    “Only seven?” Kit asked, “Our tribe back home in Goldenwood, you know, near the Shade Mountain Range? Well, we were all raised together. So I had close to forty or fifty brothers and sisters.”

    “How did you survive…” Dak asked losing most of the pride he had for surviving with just seven.

    “The same way we all do, pranks and tricks and learning how to deal with things.” Another look of sadness washed over her face as she continued, “I had to learn it the hard way though… my tribe didn’t like how I looked; they said I was too human.”

    “And that’s why you came here?”

    She shook her head, “Some men came by a few days ago, they offered to send me away to some school for free. The elders all agreed it was for the best…”

    “I’m sorry, that must suck.”

    “A little, but maybe it’ll be fun!” She smiled at him, “So what’s your story Dak?”

    “Pretty much the same; some of the kings men came by, offered me a scholarship and my parents made me take it.”

    “What was your home called?”

    “Silverholm.”

    “It sounds pretty.”

    “It is, I can’t wait till I get to go back and see it again.. and my friends… well the few that will actually miss me.”

    “Aww. You seem really nice! Why wouldn’t they miss you?”

    He sighed himself this time, “I was never too exciting, I was the big brother that looked out for everyone, they hated it because I was right about a lot of things.”

    “Men…” She humphed, “Sometimes your gender is so stupid.”

    “This coming from the gender that once a month goes on a hormonal rampage.” He laughed.

    The two kept exchanging quips for a while, but something more interesting is going on somewhere else on the train. Why not take a look as these two get to know each other?

    “SOMEONE STOLE MY PANTS!”