By moonlight's shadow

Chapter 35

Rhea reached the olive grove where she had been asked to reach for joining the school. After all the thought of being able to graduate early was something which had made her take the decision of leaving the school where she was going now and join this new place. But she was not sure again if she would be a good match for this school. After all it was of the Druids and for the Druids and also by the Druids, she was also a wolf.

“Nervous? I did not take you for the nervous kind at all Ms. Masterson,” came a voice from amongst the trees at which Rhea stopped herself from jumping.

“No, I am not nervous, just thinking who will be meeting me, since I am not sure if I am in the right place,” said Rhea, as she turned on all sides in order to find the source of the voice.

“Oh you absolutely are!! You are in the correct place. And today is the first day that you are supposed to be joining the batch and class of the one which is graduating this fall?” asked the voice which by now rhea had been able to recognize as male.

Rhea nodded slightly but did not say anything.

“That is the reason Ms. Masterson. You need to pass a test, only after that you will be able to unlock the doors of the school so that you can attend the class,” said the voice. This time there was a smirk in it, as if the one who was speaking was enjoying talking to her in this way. Rather torturing her in this manner.

Rhea smiled inside. Her brother had been correct all along about every single creature. They had this tendency of bullying the person who they considered weaker than themselves or the tribe or the pack they belonged, they would get this strange perverse pleasure in thinking and making decisions and choices which would actually show the other person their weakness. If they could not do that by body, then they would be trying through mind. Rhea sighed out and said,” So what is the test?”

“The test is pretty simple. You need to find out the door to the place where you want to find your way inside. Although personally I believe in that you are not the one who is actually suitable in any way for the Academy but since Mirani has asked to give you a chance, the coven is indulging you this one single time,” said the voice. Rhea checked her temper at great peril. She was being goaded into reacting so that she would take a massive misstep which would lock away all the doors to this place forever but she was not that foolish.

She had seen yesterday that Mirani had done the same thing with Lukas and how he had handled it. But this was something different. This was closer to rather hazing, something which seemed to be still prevailing in this place whose roots have been stuck too deep for a very long period of time.

“Alright, so am I going to be given a time line for this or I have some kind of rules which I am supposed to follow which I am not aware and then again I shall be discredited for that? Because if you are thinking that you can do something of that sort and then dismiss on technical grounds then trust me, you will be making a huge mistake,” said Rhea, with a smile lingering on her lips.

“Is that a threat you are making?” asked the voice and then suddenly a tree branch moved towards her head to give a blow to make her unconscious immediately. If it had not been the immensely powerful reflexes of a wolf then Rhea would be lying on the ground knocked out by then. It did not faze her to the least that he was trying to make her unconscious. She caught the branch with one hand and held it tight which was still wiggling within her grasp and then almost immediately another branch whipped near her ankles wanting to make her fall down badly but she jumped over them and stomped one foot on the branch.

“You know, for someone who is supposed to be at a higher position than me it seems that you are very scared and anxious and you do not want me to be successful. I wonder what Mirani would do or how she would react when she hears about this incident,” said Rhea, as another branch came at her trying to capture her waist in a move but then again she was too fast for the onslaught with branches.

“Do you want me to break off all your branches? Snap them off leaving you utterly helpless? I can do that pretty easily you know, after all I am mongrel, as you know,” said Rhea, and this time her eyes blazed green and her smile was fiery.

Suddenly all the branches slid off slowly off her grasp and then the door to some where opened in the trunk of a tree. It was a small opening and only one person could fit in there at one time. It was probably done for the same purpose, that is protection.

Rhea did not have any problem in entering through the door crouching and lowering her head. There was a strange looking boy standing there at the other end of the door. After Rhea entered the place fully the door closed again and it took the appearance of the bark of a tree on the exterior. It was a nice trick.

“Welcome to the Academy of the Druids, Rhea Masterson. You have successfully passed the test that had been designed for your sake. Congratulations on becoming a member of the school and that too the graduating batch,” said the man, It was the voice of the same person who was trying to knock her out on the outer side of the Grove Academy.

“Are you sure that you are the one who is supposed to be talking to me? I mean, I don’t mean any disrespect but you seem too young to be holding any kind of proper position in the teaching staff who would be able to guide me for my schedule. Or else you can always take me to Mirani, she will know what to do with me,” said Rhea, as she glanced at the man with distrust in her eyes.

“I shall take you to Mirani but she is one of the Elders of the Druid Council and normally remains busy with a lot of things now that the laws of nature are gradually changing, so Mom has entrusted me with the responsibility of getting you settled in the Academy. Come, I shall show you your rooms and your classes. You shall be given a tour today, and your classes will start from tomorrow,” said the boy, and smiled at her congenially making Rhea gape at him.

“You are Mirani’s son?” asked Rhea, not believing her ears, regarding what she had heard just then.

“Is it such a huge problem to be? I mean, is it unnatural to be someone’s son?” asked the boy, as Rhea nodded her head saying yes and then she nodded immediately saying no looking like a fool.

“I see that you are quite perplexed by the fact that I am related to the one Druid about whom you are aware of. My mother has specifically asked me to take care of you and be a mentor to you until you are well acquainted with the Academy and the culture of the Druids. Hopefully you will be graduating soon and leaving us for your own world,” said the boy with a weird look on his face and Rhea’s ire rose back up again.

“Why are you so hell bent on seeing me get out of here? But then again your mother is wanting to separate me from my family and give me a new one, with the assurance that they will do anything but welcome me with open arms. It seems that you guys, are far far worse than any of the wolves that I have encountered yet in the last fourteen years. You are trying to behave so obnoxiously, either because you are impotent,” said Rhea, with a scathing look on her face. And the boy visibly blanched at her words and manner of speaking.

“And what might be the other reason?” asked the boy, Meron. He had not given Rhea his name yet and neither had she asked him.

“Let’s leave it at that, shall we? I shall tell you when I find the time right. Oh!! And I am not going to require a mentor, not you, especially not the one who is going to want and get me out of the Academy as soon as possible. Show me the classes and my schedule. I shall manage the rest. Thanks a lot of being of no use at all,” said Rhea. Her words were smooth and cutting like knife slicing through butter.

“Well, since you have taken an immediate disliking to me I shall ask someone else to be your mentor who can show you the ways of the Druids,” said Meron, as he sighed deeply.

“You would inform Mirani about my arrival correct? Because if you do then I might have some semblance of respect towards you which you have not earned yet. And if you do want to make my acquaintance which I know you desperately wish to, you might try and change your behavior towards me. And see, if I can put in some good word about you,” smirked Rhea, as Meron’s eyes narrowed at her.

“You think that you have too much of power in your hands, do you? Even when you know that you are not welcome here or you do know nothing of us, about our ways? How do you consider that your words will be more valuable than mine? I have been born and brought up to be the next generation of the Druids to take the world , our world forward. And you, are still, nothing, simply a no-body,” spat out the Druid. The venom in his words was absolutely discernable.

“You are damn scared. Just with my being here, that gives me more power on you than you can ever imagine of conceiving, you conceited git!!!” said Rhea, as she turned her head and walked away from the boy.

Meron could not believe what he had just heard from a girl who was half his age and that too, she had no standing in the community of the Druids for she was an outcaste. He had never liked wolves and this one was one of them. The wolves were animals and they lived like animals and behaved like them. They did not like to function there higher brains like the Druids did, and he still could not understand why on earth would his mother want this vile girl to be there in their blessed Academy and place of learning. The animals should be treated like animals and he was going to show this girl that she did not belong here. It would not be long that she would be running back to her pack with her tail in between her legs.

What a b***h!!!