Chapter 4 Welcome

Aelin.

“That would be fifteen lunar tokens ma’am.” The driver said to me as I alighted from his vehicle, and he retrieved my box from his trunk.

I intentionally ignored his passive glare when he lifted the box and was almost thrown off balance by its weight.

That is not my problem.

All my life, this is the very first time that I was stepping foot into Ravenfell Alley. It had an entirely different ambience from Grimm. The trees were taller, the flowers were more colorful, the streets were filled with cars of different models and that was a stark contrast to the bicycle popularity from my side. 

There was a different style of life over here. I couldn’t help but wonder what had been so horrifying in the Beta territory that had made Betis swear to never return.

It looked like the towns were fancier as the chain ascended.

I had gotten to the metallic double gates of The Silver Steel Academy and was not the only one. The surroundings were flooded with people of different heights and sizes going in.

Now I understood why Betis had said Omegas were the closest to humans. Ninety percent of the individuals I have set eyes on were taller than me. I suddenly felt small and the urge to turn around.

“That would be fifteen lunar tokens ma’am.” The driver repeated, more sternly this time. In case I hadn’t heard him before or I had chosen to ignore.

“Sorry.” as I fumbled through a side zip for the little change I had gathered into my bag earlier. I handed him his money and immediately, without hesitation, he got into his car and zoomed off.

Probably, he was also intimidated by the sizes of people he was seeing too.

No one paid the other any attention. I did not see the need anyway. We were already enemies from the start and even if we wanted to pretend like we were not for the first two months, we knew what it would come to at the end.

Kill, or be killed.

I rolled my box down the driveway and followed the direction of the crowd.

The form of the school was coming into view. It was huge. Bigger than even the largest banks at Grimm Alley. It was akin to an estate. The courtyard was lined with well trimmed bushes and fruitful palm trees. Three fountains of different art greeted me as I walked by. Now that I looked closer, the fountains were different phases of the moon.

A significant feature that a wolf would have never missed but I almost did.

“Aelin, stay observant.” I whispered the command to myself as I took in the fountains again. Trying to juggle my memory on my knowledge.

“So, no new moon.” Obviously… “There’s the waxing crescent and the first quarter,” referring to the two fountains I had just passed by, “Waxing gibbous.” Looking at the one before me. “Then those would be…”

“The full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent.” A female voice interrupted me and pointed to the rest of the fountains along the route. “Took me a while to learn their names, even though they had been drilling it down my throat since first grade.”

Her red hair was the first noticeable feature on her. Then the fact she was about two inches taller than I was and had brown eyes.

A gamma. My thoughts sang as I watched her tap her fingers on the edge of her box which she had brought to a halt. “I’m Seren.” She extends a hand to my face for a shake.

I didn’t take it though. Honestly, I wondered why she was even speaking to me. 

“Aelin.”

“Nice to meet you Aelin.” Her eyes scanned over my full body before she continued, “Are you from the Nightrow Alley?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You seem…” looking like she was trying to find the right words to use without offending me, “small.”

Ah… so my size was already giving me away. Bear in mind that my small, is five foot seven.

“Are you from Nightrow?” I asked back. Definitely not giving off any information first.

“Yes. I am. But I have never seen you around there. That’s why I’m asking.”

It’s a shame how the omegas were regarded as top weaklings. She could not even guess that a wolf from there could make it into the academy.

It is a bigger shame that the community she considered weaklings enough to not make the Games of Zyraeth, were stronger than me ten folds.

“I’m from Grimm.”

I saw her eyes widen at the information with disbelief. “Ain’t no way! An Omega at the academy?”

Actually, a human posing to be an omega at the academy.

“How did you do it?” She truly could not fathom it.

But I’m definitely not indulging this conversation with her. “The same way you did.” I dragged my box behind me as I kept moving towards the entrance. I heard her footsteps hurry behind me. 

“I did not mean to sound rude. Forgive me if I did. It’s just… it’s been about a century since an Omega qualified for the games. It felt like I just met a celebrity.”

She was right, based on history, the last time an Omega did attend the Games of Zyraeth, was during its third season and he had emerged top four. Just to be killed during the finals.

He was still seen as a hero at Grimm Alley. It was a feat many dreamed of but feared it would never come true till he did it.

Varek Thorn was his name. I was asked a question about him during my qualification exams.

I did not see any need to dignify that sentence with a response and kept moving.

“If you would consider, maybe we could be teammates?” She added, after noticing I paid her little to no attention.

Of course she would want the ‘small’ girl on her team. Weak enough to kill off as the competition goes on, yet strong enough because I made it into the academy.

On the other hand, I think I would be interested in teaming up with her. A Gamma with just an inch or two height difference. I could probably take her in a combat.

“I would love to.” Whipping around to pass her a not so subtle smile. Which, if she noticed, she did not care to point out.

“That’s great.” Her own smile in return seemed genuine. “I think we could lobby it before the first announcements are made. If we get in on time, then we’ll find more people to join us later.” She said enthusiastically, like we were not talking about our competition.

Or am I at the wrong entrance?

Giving her just a nod, I turned around to continue my journey, when I bumped into a solid wall that smelled of fresh mint and oud.

The wall released a grunt of irritation that made me know it was a person and not an object. 

Before I could look up (using the word look up intentionally because this person was indeed, tall.) at whom I had crashed into, Seren drags me away from the body and yells out a quick apology. Then pulls me further down the entrance.

We were in the building now.

“Try not to bump into him again. Considering you’re from Grimm, he could end you in seconds.” The adviser seemed quite irrelevant since I did not even know the face of the person she was talking about.

“You could have let me see him.” I did not need her saving.

“That was the mistake you were about to make. Letting him see you.”

There was no use arguing with her anyway. I had no plans of bumping into anyone again.

We walked up to the check in table, where a male and female were seated with a stack of files before them. The woman already looked tired of the day that had barely begun.

“Names and territories?” The female, clad in a Frostville soldier attire, asked.

“Seren Tate. Nightrow Alley.”

“Aelin Moonveil. Grimm Alley.”

Seemed like my territory would keep grabbing attention, because the woman no longer appeared exhausted but interested.

That was when I saw the name tag on the corner of her shirt.

Maj. Tenes Storm.

She was the senior recruitment officer.

“Aelin. I won’t lie, I had expected a rejection letter from you and when I received none, I had hopes of meeting a daring soul like yours.” Major Tenes, now standing on her feet, addressed me and I did not know whether to feel embarrassed or take what she just said as a compliment.

They never expected me to show up.

“Thank you.” That was all I could say, what else could I say anyway?

“Here are your forms. Fill them appropriately and bring them back to me.” The man, whose name tag read Gen. Nyxtia Lev, said to Seren and I as he handed us some papers.

We both muttered another ‘thank you.’ and walked away from the table. Someone grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back.

It was Major Tenes.

“How is General Betis?” 

The question took me off guard. Certainly, I was posing as his daughter but if it was traced accordingly, it would take no time to discover his real daughter is dead and I’m a human.

Humans were forbidden in the whole of Frostville. 

Talk more of the Games of Zyraeth.

“Fine. Thank you.” Then I hurriedly shook her hand off mine before further questioning.