Chapter 2: Cat The next morning Dali woke up with a peculiar sensation. She felt as if a piece of sandpaper was being run across her toes. She sat up. Down on the end of the bed sat a cat. It was a big black thing with long whiskers and bright yellow eyes. She swore it was smiling. "Get!" She swung at it. The cat leapt up through the open window. She got out of bed and did the same as every morning. Made the bed, dressed, woke Pel. Dali and Pel headed to their first class. Professor Siame smiled as the two girls entered. A few more girls showed up and Siame started. "O.K. everyone, I know it's the end of the year and we've only got about one more month, but I want you all to still pay attention." Siame was an elf. She was a short woman who was well over 200. She still looked like she was 20. Unlike Pel who had perfect white skin, Siame had darker skin. She came from across the Kasner Sea from Kia. Kia was the only all elf city in all of Talet. Siame's bronze skin signified her as a wood elf, and as everyone knew, wood elves loved the sun, as they were the only elves darker than the rest. No one counts Dark Elves because they don't exist anymore. And what is it that Siame should teach? Elven history. Pel hated it. She heard so much of it from her own parents who were over 200 years old themselves. Pel was a very young elf being only 17. Dali heard a lot of it too. The two of them sat in the back of the room, finding they fell asleep often in Professor Siame's class. Siame spoke again. "All right, this week we'll be learning about the Teral wars." Dali groaned. The Teral wars, which Pel's father fought in when he was young. Pel flopped her head down. "Anything but this. Father talks about it non-stop." Siame went on to talk about the battle of Teral Langis and Burge and how Kia came to be founded out of the rubble of Teral Tansil, the once magnificent elfish city. Teral Langis was the twin city of Teral Tansil and elves believed it to be the ancient home of the gods. The Teral wars also known as The God Wars was a terrifying display of elfish power. The problem was they destroyed so many of themselves they almost became extinct. That was 100 years ago. Thaden Moriell, Pel's father, constantly went on about how he saved the city and helped build Kia. Dali didn't care. Siame's voice was louder than Dali's thoughts. "As we all know what happened to Teral Tansil. Pelegrath, what happened to Teral Langis and Burge?" Pel groaned. "Teral Langis and Burge were swallowed up by the Kasner Sea because the Gods were angry that such a bloody battle was being fought on holy ground. The Goddess Umoleth and Keeper of the Keys to the guardian city Cestal came to those on the battlefield and swept them to the shore and left them to rebuild Teral Tansil into a new holy ground." "Very good!" The rest of Siame's class was boring and the two couldn't wait to leave. "Uh! I swear Dali, she picks on me because she knows my father was there." "Pel, you're the only elf in the class." "That too." Next stop. Pel went to music and Dali went to casting. They parted ways saying they'd see each other at lunch. Pel went down the hall to see Geny. Geny was a very good music teacher. She also was an elf. A young one too. Geny was only 21. She'd graduated only 3 years ago, but she was so good at musical enchantments that Lady Wisteria set it up with the council for her to teach. Geny was also a good friend of Dali and Pel's. Dali walked down the other corridor towards her casting class. She didn't care much for Professor Donella. She was a large woman. Human. She had short blonde hair and a nasty attitude. She would pick on people because it made her feel good. Rumor had it she got a girl kicked out the year before. What was that girls name? It started with an A...Arable? Arbelle? Something like that. The girl was in her class, but she pretty much stayed to herself. Dali was so into her thoughts of hating where she was going she tripped. She fell in the hall and looked to her feet. The hall was empty and there was that cat sitting there. That same cat. "What are you doing here cat?" Dali reached to pick up the cat but it bounced off before her fingers could grasp it. The cat was gone and Dali picked herself up and went to class. Two hours went by and she met up with Pel at lunch. She decided it would be better not to mention the cat. The two sat at the long table with all the other 4th year students. It was a sea of blue. Pel went on about what Geny taught them today and Dali said nothing. She quietly listened. The rest of the day went by without incident. Dali went to Geny's room that night. She was going to tell her about the cat but thought better of it. She supposed it would sound stupid. Geny looked at her. "Well Dali, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Dali looked at the floor and sighed. "I've been having that dream again Geny. You know the one with the boy and the book. Well, I-I saw that boy." "You saw him? Where?" "At the Boy's Academy. I went to get Yukii..." Geny's eyes glazed. "Yukii...yes..." Dali looked sick again. Another person in love with her brother. "I went over there and there he was. It was like I was hit with lightning." Geny considered. "I don't know what to say Dali, why don't you talk to this boy?" "I don't know who he is. I only saw him once." Twice, but did I see him? Geny couldn't help her. Dali went back to her room and Pel was already in bed. No surprise Dali thought. She lives a carefree life. She's never seen it. Dali climbed onto her bed and went to go out the window but the cat bounded in. It knocked Dali back onto the bed and crashed onto her dresser. It knocked over everything on top of it. The cat's large eyes looked like a foggy yellow. They were so clear this morning. "What is it with you?" Dali hissed. She chased the cat around the room and finally caught him as he tried to leap on Pel. "Gotcha." The cat squirmed and finally fell still as Dali held him tight. "Who do you belong to?" The cat stared, blank. "Are you alone?" He was kinda scruffy looking now that she had a hold of him. "Do you have a name?" Again. Blank. "I'll let you go tonight. But if I see you in this room again, you belong to me." She touched his little black nose and let him go. He jumped up onto the windowsill. "Meow." He jumped out the window. The dark swirled around Dali. She stood in a room. The room was small but it was very bright. There were rare stones all over the place. In the middle of the room, on a pedestal, there it was. A large blue stone. Dali knew she had been looking for it. Someone else was there. Dali turned but couldn't see who it was. She was now outside walking down stone steps. The silver spires around her rose high in the night sky. She approached one of the pillars and a hand grabbed her. The dark figure loomed over her. "You've seen. Give it to me. The Be..." Thud. The cat was on Dali. She sat bolt upright. Different dream. She looked at the cat. He smiled again. She stopped shaking. "A deal's a deal. You belong to me." The cat sat at the foot of her bed. "But a name? Crisith. Your name is Crisith." Dali lay back down. The cat did the same. She awoke a few hours later with a shriek in her ear. "DALIA! WHAT THE FORGOTH IS THAT??" Dali woke. Pel was up. She looked at Crisith. "It's a cat. I named him Crisith." "A cat? Why do you have a cat? Crisith? You named the cat yellow?" Today was an off day. No classes. Pel was already dressed and everything. Dali was confused. "You're already up and dressed? I'm shocked Pel. Shocked." Pel looked like she'd hit her. "I have a date." "Date?" Dali looked as if she'd start laughing at any minute. "Well more of a group anyway. I'm going to sing." "The concert was today?" Dali jumped. "I'll get ready right away." The hall was silent and Pel took her place. "I can't believe that this day is here I try to run to you My heart starts to sway I'm afraid I can't see you anymore I can't believe that I'm alone I want to see you Now more that ever I miss you I don't see anymore Why are we apart I'm alone All my life I see you Here again I see your distant face I'm afraid of what's to come I can't tell what you feel I feel scared Hold me again I'm alone All my life I see you I miss you I don't understand I love you Don't you feel me too? Where are you when I need you I can't see in front of me If we had more courage, we would have been a different I found my way to you But who is she? Tonight I'm lonely I look up at the moon alone. If I could go back to that day With you" Everyone clapped. Pel turned a slight shade of pink and smiled. Dali clapped harder than anyone. Pel went and sat beside Dali. "Was it good?" Pel whispered "Very good." Dali was proud of Pel. Her voice was really good. The lights went on. Geny came out. "Thank you for coming everyone. That was wonderful." Everyone started filing out of the room. Pel smiled at Dali and told her to go on. She had to stay for awhile. Dali went out of the concert hall and back to the main building. The concert hall was located between the Girl's and Boy's Academy. She made her way across the field and she saw him again. That same boy. What did Pel say his name was? Vey. The name stuck in her head now. He came up to her. "I've seen you...meet me here tonight." He turned and left. Dali stared. He wanted her to meet him. At night. Her heart pounded again. It was like the last time. Her heart felt like it would explode. She hurried back to the main building.