Meri woke up the next day a little out of it. Her hair was a poof around her face that was printed with light pink shapes. She jumped up, needing to get ready for work. They shop opened early on weekends and closed early.
Meri looked in the mirror, happy that this inn was nice enough to have one. Her face was familiar to her, but so much about her seemed to change. Having been kept inside a huge house all day, never getting a chance to day much, she did not really know who she was. Out here, she is discovering more and more about herself everyday.
Meri left the inn, completely ready. She went to the shop but it was yet to be opened. Tristen was in there and let her in. "I know that I said we work today, but my father needed a day off. So come back tomorrow."
Meri was a little surprised and disappointed. She wanted a steady income, but was this smith to sporadic to provide one?
Meri decided to go to the creek she mentioned to Jack the day before. Just to wait for her to arrive. She didn't have anything better to do.

Jack woke to yelling downstairs. The sun had risen but only barely. She sat up and rubbed the back of her neck, still exhausted from her crying. She grabbed the scythe from her bedside ad used it to help her stand. She walked cautiously down the stairwell, still dressed in the clothes from the previous day. She sneaked past the dining room and to the front door. She opened it quietly, walked out and shut it with a soft click.

As she ran down the street towards the market, she stopped at the blacksmiths. She tapped on the front window. Tristan, the smith's son, walked out from the back. He smiled when he saw her and let her in. "How is he?" she asked, referring to Tristan's father. He looked out the back and back to her.
"He's not doing so well. I think he just needs more time to grieve."
"Is there anything I can do?" He shook his head.
"Not this time. Sorry." Jack smiled weakly.
"It's okay. I'll see you at the academy next week yeah?" He nodded and Jack showed herself out.

Jack walked to the field she was in the day before, her scythe on her back. She wanted to sit amongst the flowers like she did the day before. When she reached it, Meri was already at the stream. "Hey!" she called to her from her spot across the field.

Meri jumped at the noise, she had been too caught up looking at the creek to notice Jack coming. She stood up and made she way over to her, bow around her shoulder, "Hello, how are you?" She noticed the bags under her eyes. From what she observed yesterday, this girl did not have a good home life and Meri felt bad for her.

Jack smiled. "I'm good. Did you sleep well last night?" she asked with a smile. Despite her bubbliness, she was exhausted. If she could be more tired, she swore she'd be dead. Jack grabbed her scythe from her back and placed it against a tree, sitting under it.

Meri nodded, "I did." She sat across from Jack, placing her bow in her lap and rubbing the smooth wood that she had painted intricate patterns on. "But I wished to tell you something." Meri bit her lip. All of her life people have known everything about her so there was nothing to lie about. She did not know the reaction that Jack could have. "I lied yesterday when I said that I hailed from Voltagen. I come from Agua, but I didn't want to tell you because my people do not wish for many to know of our existence. When I realized you already know of us, I decided to tell you but I have to wait for a good time." Meri watched, looking for a reaction.

Jack nodded. “Sounds a little sus but I can respect that.” She smiled. It wasn’t every day that she was told someone’s secrets. “It’s not like you have to hide from me but I must ask you one thing. Do you know anyone by the name of Jayson Yoldon-Heim?”

Meri searched her memory. She was horrible remembering names with faces. But this one did ring a bell even if it was a small one. Meri was never allowed out but only to attend balls. And before she left, they were looking for a proper suitor for her. "I might, I'm not sure. Who is he?" Meri placed her bow on her lap, picking the dirt from it's smooth finish.

Jack looked away uneasily. “I’m not exactly sure but I found the name in my mother’s files once. I think he may be related to me. If he isn’t my father than he might be my uncle, brother or cousin. I just want to know. All I know is that my mother knew him and he lives in Agua.” She was supposed to be at school in a few minutes. Standing, Jack turned to Meri. “I have to go to the Acadamy. You should join. It will help with the bow,” she said with a smile.

Meri got up, ready to follow Jack. "I still have no idea what this Academy is but I want to find out." She smiled, thinking that she has made her first friend, he first real friend. Her maids don't count because most plaster on a smile so they can get paid more. Meri didn't mind, at the time at least, but getting the true taste of friendship, she couldn't go back to the false friends.

Jack smiled. She had never met anyone who wanted to see the Academy. Most dreaded having to go in the first place but she had to say, the students threw some wicked parties when they were in the mood. She pulled her scythe from her back and planted it in the ground, leaning on it for a bit. “Alright,” she said, grinning. “The Academy isn’t too far away and I can take you the main office if you want to apply.” She stood straight and pulled the scythe onto her back, turning to walk towards the Academy. “Try and keep up though, okay?”

Meri nodded, excited for the new experience. She practically squealed in delight. She placed her bow on her back, keeping close to Jack. Meri didn't want to fall behind. "So is the Academy for developing our skill? And just anyone can join?" Meri had many more questions than that, but she decided to cover the basics first.

Jack nodded as she ran through the town square. “Yeah. The younger you join the safer the community is apparently. People come from all around to attend but if you ask me, they only come for the parties the students throw on bad days.” She passed the blacksmith she had visited earlier that day. “As far as I know, anyone can join the Academy but sometimes they don’t let outsiders join. It depends on their mood I guess.”

Meri nodded. "I hope I can. I have never been professionally trained to use my bow." And she hadn't, though she wished she could. Her parents never allowed her to take lessons because it wasn't 'Lady like' to be adapt at using a weapon. Meri rolled her eyes just thinking about it.

Jack laughed. "We are all taught by ourselves if you ask me. I was my own teacher for ages. I showed so much potential that my mother wouldn't let me stay at home anymore." The Academy loomed over a few blocks of buildings and she smiled. She loved that building most of the time.

Meri looked at the big building sitting imposingly in front of her. "So there are a lot of kids here?" She bite her lip, not knowing if she could make friends that well. She was lucky that she was even able to meet Jack. But Meri had faith that she could do it, if she had to.

Jack turned to her friend. "Just a litte over three thousand. There are about four hundred and thirty odd kids in our age group. You should be in with any of the new people or with someone you already know if you take residence so there's no sweat." She turned the last corner and stopped at the Academy gates. "Sh-" she didn't get to finish her sentance before a black shadow was propelled toward them. Jack pushed Meri out of the way and copped most of the damage. She hissed as the shadow recoiled. "You might want to be weary of the Necromancers," she said as a small group of boys laughed and hit each other on the shoulders.

Meri rubbed her arm, the only stop that took any damage. She did not like taking crap from people and had to take a couple deep breathes to keep from going over and scuffing the boys on the back of the head.
Meri looked at Jack, the nerves in her stomach still intense. "I don't know what I will do. My parents would not approve of this at all, but they won't approve of a lot of things I have been doing." She sighed. "I just want to learn." She looked around, kids were everywhere, walking to classes. It was weird for her to be go unnoticed by those around her. Back home, people always had their eyes on her, waiting for her to mess up in some way. Meri loved disappearing in the crowd, even if the crowd not liking her was intimidating.

"Where are your parents anyway? Why didn't they come with you?" Jack said as she began to recover from the immense pain. Her chest felt life it was going to cave in. She looked toward the boys who had hit her with their powers. Her eyes turned dark and her scythe was engulfed in flames. A warning. The boys immediately stopped laughing and crawled away. She smiled slightly as the flames dispersed and her eyes went back to their normal colour.