CURSED: The Last of Five Kingdoms.

Episode17- First day in Classes.

"His out. Here, look.”

“Where?”

“Next to Duke, the Head Prefect for the .”

“Wearing a blue Cardigan?”

“Did you see his face?”

“Not really.”

Whispers follow Mael from the moment he leaves his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms standing on their toes to get a good look at him.

Mael on the other hand had hoped that what happened when it was his turn to be sorted out would fade away with the night but he was wrong. He wishes so hard that they will focus on helping him find his way around the school rather than stalk him like some crazy fan.

There are doors everywhere you turn in Rayvin Academy or in their language, Hunters everywhere. Not to mention the thousands of staircases. To worsen his frustration, Hunters keep moving around and so did the staircases. One minute the door before you would no longer be a door. It either vanishes into thin air or it will ignore you completely. With the way it is going, Mael isn't going to meet up with any of the classes. Everything including the walls, books, flowers and trees are not truly what they are. One minute they are there and the next a book is a door, a tree becomes a pen, and books turn into pathways. It is difficult to remember where things are because they keep moving.

The school has some normal and abnormal activities. Normal activities being that they had to study English, music and play soccer. Those are very much the normal activities they do. The study of everything including the ones considered insignificant is very relevant at Rayvin Academic. From studying herbs, plants and flowers to stars, horoscopes and astrology. They even have the schedule to learn about every planet even the ones they've not heard of. They learn to take care of all of them. The most interesting thing is that they have a class that deals with the History of Antigon which is the only one Rabbi Humbledore teaches. Professor Valley, the Blue teacher, is a huge man who has all the nooks and crannies about the fire. He is intimidating and could see everyone from wherever he stood. In every class, they've their attendance is taken which is compulsory for everyone to be present.

Unlike every other teacher who seems friendly or less friendly, Professor Mackenzie is the most different. She isn't the teacher to cross. Strict, smart and focused. During her very first with them, immediately after they sat down she made it clear to them not to mess around.

" There is more to being a witch or wizard than magic. Been one doesn't mean you get a free card to mess around. Make a mistake and I'll suck away your gift, expel and make sure that you never remember your way back to Rayvin Academy.

They were all very scared and couldn’t wait to get over it, but soon realized they weren’t going anywhere and that they were stuck with her for a very long time.

Mael heard so many amazing stories about the vampire and Págos and is anticipating lessons from both classes. But it didn't go well as the Professor in charge, Professor Hugen always had garlic on him which most of the students been vampires are allergic to. Despite complaints and caution from Rabbi Humbledore for him to get rid of the garlic, he refuses. The vampires have no choice but to stay at the last roll of the class.

Mael and Harry are as confused as all the year one students who couldn't understand a thing going on. There is so much to learn, places to be and discoveries to make.

Towering inside of the school during grounds during the day Inside is much different than the rugged wilderness and ancient spooky castle that it looks like from outside. Going to the Laboratory of fire, the ground is flat and green, with sprawling quadrangles of flowers, grass and trees. The massive buildings that the laboratories are in are made of dark brick that has been stained and faded by the elements until it has acquired a greenish hue. Ivy climbed up the walls, giving the building an excellent earthly feeling. that the buildings had not been built at all but had grown naturally out of the earth.

The building only has one pathway so Mael follows it. He finds himself in a giant hallway with a high ceiling that has flowers going out of it. There are students in black and silver robes all looking like they are in a hurry. It makes Mael is really happy that none of them has paid attention or gossiped about him. He is invisible and just like every other student present.

"Are you lost? You are supposed to be in the recitation ground." Duke asks from behind him, scaring the living daylight out of him.

"I think I am. What are you doing here?"

" The way to the recitation ground is through that door but on our there, I saw you looking all lost so I decided to make sure that you get to the right place."

"Thanks."

"It is nothing. With time, you will get used to everywhere, everything and everyone. Let's go."

Going to the open doorway, the bell rings.

"It is two o'clock already? Come. We must hurry before professor Mackenzie gets to the recitation ground or else we will be in big trouble."

"Recitation?'

"Yes. Some kind of protection and strength recitation we do every two o'clock."

Mael remembered home. How often his mum will drag him and Harry to have the family recitation. They would quarrel with her for it but she would never listen to their whining about not seeing the relevance of it. Speaking of Harry.

"Where is Harry, Duke?"

"He managed to find his way to the recitation ground."

If Harry can find his way then Mael should have been able to do so but he was drawn to the laboratory of fire. It was about to tell him something but he has no idea about it.

We rush out the hallway, through hunters until we arrived where Humosh had brought me to. The oak tree. Just like in the dream, the sky around the oak tree is mysteriously dark, the moon blue and the earth where the oak tree sprouted from looks all enclosed with Ice. Getting there, there are already low murmuring of voices filling the air.

"This is where our class is," Duke Explains.

"Why here?" I whisper.

Just when he is about to answer, the stern voice of Professor Mackenzie sounds.

"If it would interest you, please have a seat, Mr. Hercules. And, Duke, you should know better. I'll not condone any more lateness. Take this as my last warning."

Mael hadn't even noticed that the students are all seated on a long row of wooden bench arranged in five segments, one for each year. Everyone is already seated on the benches, arranged in a shape of V.

Duke and Harry squeezing their way in, finds empty spots to a seat. Close to where Mael seats, he finds an excited Melody waving cheerfully at him and a concerned Harry questioning him with his eyes.

After the reading which Mael did pay much attention to because of the constant distraction from both Melody and Harry, Professor sends all the first years to have the History of Five Kingdoms class by a witty Professor most students calls Professor toad. Because rumours around the school are that he eats toads and believes that they are chocolate bars. Mael wonders how that is even possible.

'I can't stand that Professor anymore," a boy with red hair murmurs to another boy with sleek black hair.

"I can't believe he eats toad and behaves like a madman. Maybe the years of research and fighting numerous wars did something to him," the boy with sleek black hair responds.

"Off, you go kids." Professor Mackenzie walks towards where Rabbi Humbledore who has not spoken to the students again since their arrival, engages in a conversation that seems interesting from the way Humbledore is responding. Mael on the other hand, while staring at Humbledore sees what looks like a trace of a smile on his face before it disappears.

"Harry and Melody, let's go. I don't want to be late. I've already been marked as a latecomer," dragging both of them by the hand of to their history class.

It has been strange events upon strange events that have been occurring over the past few days. For once, Mael hasn't gotten to any class on time. Always late because of the way the school is built. The hall where most of the classes like History, English, Horticulture, Astrology and Iceology are held looks more like an Elizabethan castle with stone towers and large wooden doors with irons. They are heavy and unless Hunters opens up, you could never open it yourself.

Touring around the school, appearing and disappearing in different wrong places, Melody, Harry and Mael manage to find their way to the right class. It is a large hall with heavy black drapes framing the windows. Their folds gathering on the floor, windows with iron. They were so heavy and one could barely open them.

A few minutes before the bell rings once more, they were still standing at the entrance of one of the heavy doors, contemplating whether to go in or not. Melody tried asking for help, but everyone pushed past her in a rush to get to class, a swirling haze of robes everywhere. When the bell finally rings, we decide to push the door before us wide open and storm into the too. Breathless, we hurry off to seat on the nearest empty seats before all attention turns in our direction.

Getting to the class, Mael is so surprised that what he heard about Professor Toad are all wrong. In fact, for the first time, she, yes, she. She looks more like a normal professor in an abnormal school. She is like one of those hot teachers in school. But why had they referred to her as a man? She looks very normal and there is no trace of madness like the boys from the recitation ground had projected. A young woman wearing red lipstick and a secretary’s skirt suit is seated behind a desk, sorting through a stack of books. She is plain and glamorous, like a beautiful teacher at Harvard or Yale.

"Good afternoon, class," her tenor voice greets. She stands from the desk and walks to the front of the desk, slightly resting her buttocks on it while maintaining an upright posture.

"The first rule about Rayvin is for all the students to be on their uniform which is a black or emerald green with silver collar robe and messengers, very light shade of purple and silver robe. For some reason, Mr. Hercules, Mr. Harrison and Mr. Valley are not in their proper attire."

Mr. Valley is a chubby boy with blonde hair and pink cheeks. As soon as his name is mentioned by Professor Toad, he whimpers like a wounded dog.

The three stand but says nothing because looking at themselves, they are dressed in their proper uniform. Maybe there is an underlying meaning to what she is saying.

"You have nothing to say for yourselves," she asks. Not getting a response from them after a brief silence, "I'll let it slide. Sit."

"I think something is wrong with her, dude. We are wearing our uniforms," Harry whispers into Mael's ear.

"You know that most of them can hear our thought," Mael whispers back.

But for sure, Mael now knows that the boys were right.

"My name is Professor Edward, Edwick Santraion. Most untrained, unruly and cruel students call me Professor Toad. Yes, I have heard the whispers and slow voices talking about me being insane," she lets out a burst of sinister laughter, "we shall see about that." Turning to her desk, she takes a long scroll and stars calling out names. "Antigon Hercules. A lot - unknown."

The entire class begin to murmur, some students snickering and others glaring at him. Professor Edward finishes with the roll call and within a spilt of seconds, transforms into a short, old, crooked man wearing a purple and silver robe. His hair and beards are long and gray, covering most of his face. His eyes are huge but void and cold. His face looks so mean and mysterious like he is up to something evil.

“You are here to learn the History of the Five Kingdoms and about the creator, Great King Omiri,” his baritone voice says. He speaks so low, more like a whisper but the students keep close attention and batches every word he others.

At the mention of Omiri, Mael's voice sinks. He feels uneasy and nervous. As if he is in a class where he is going to learn about himself. His origin. His lineage. Was he even ready to process all the information he is about to get?

"Why did Professor Edward disguise himself?" Mael asks a boy close to him. He did so to take his mind away from the butterfly feelings in his stomach.

"I heard it is to confuse his enemies. No one truly knows his gender. Some call him a man and the others call him a woman. He has kept it that way for long. So I heard. I don't really know."

Then Mael releases that he has asked the wrong person. This is a class of year one students who have little or no information about anything. Duke will be the right person to ask.

The class is quiet as he continues, "History is one thing everyone must be aware of. Without knowing what your true worth is, you will never have your full potential. It is a disappointment that most of you know nothing about your heritage."

The class becomes even more quiet. As quiet as a grave. Mael and Harry exchanges a look with raised eyebrows. Melody sits on the edge of her seat and for some mysterious reason, looks so interested and focused in what Professor toad is saying.