The Sizeaen Dilemma Chapter 1

The Sizeaen Dilemma Chapter 1

Alicila’s green eyes snapped to the front of the room as her professor hit the blackboard with his rod. “I won’t explain this again, so listen up. Exams are this week.” He pulled at his black and red jacket, his blue skin shimmering in the torchlight. “This exam will be the deciding factor if you pass this class and proceed or.” He took a deep breath as he shook his head, his shaggy black hair somehow staying in place. “You are put on a one-way trip back to where you came from.”

Alicila gulped. She had heard that the exams at Tetheron University were terrible, but this was over the top.  He can’t be serious that I can’t reapply if I fail, right? My family risked everything for me to come here. I can’t just go home to them empty-handed.  She tapped her pale hand nervously on the wooden table as she used the other hand to run through her long dark hair.  It is just a simple potions class. You can do this.

“You all have one week to use what you have learned and mix something new. It doesn’t have to be something brand new, just something you haven’t been taught yet. You all will be confined to the university grounds for exam week.”

The room let out a unified groan, and the professor used his rod to slam the ground. “Quiet. It is so that you will not be tainted by the outside world.” He looked around, eyeing each student in the face one by one. “This is about you trying to figure things out for yourself.

If you cannot do that, you are not worthy of being here. You are not worthy of even trying the other classes at our university.” He sighed. “Now, get out there and show me why you belong here.”

Alicila haphazardly stood up, knocking over her textbook and collection of vials. “Crap.” She peered over the table, and to her relief, the vials hadn’t shattered on impact with the floor. She bent over and carefully picked them up. “This is getting off to a great start.”

She slid her dark bangs to the side before picking up her belongings; she then made her way towards the door while fifty other people were fighting to leave. As she filled into the forming line, her friend, Yelna, appeared beside her. “Hey. How is it going?”

Alicila sighed. “Stressful.”

Yelna smiled, winking her bright blue eyes as she threw a tan arm around Alicila. “Hey, this week is going to be rough, but you have me, right?”

Alicila shrugged. “I guess.”

They walked out into the courtyard and the open air. “It could be worse.”

“How so?”

Yelna tapped her finger on her scaly chin. “We could have to worry about more than just this stupid potion class. You know, this not be our first year at Tetheron.”

“Stupid potion class Miss Callis?” Yelna gulped as professor Oris walked up from behind. “Do you want to explain that in a bit more detail?”

Yelna tightened her grip on Alicila. “Umm, maybe tomorrow. Alicila and I have to umm work on the project. You know. Exam and all.” They walked away as Oris narrowed his eyes. “But would love to talk about that sometime.”

She lowered her voice and spoke softly to Alicila. “Run.” They dashed for the common rooms, Oris crossing his arms as they ran. Once they were out of his sight, Alicila slowed down to catch her breath and regriped her belongings.

“Hold up. Last thing I want is to drop everything again.” She blinked her green eyes. “I almost broke my vials once today.”

“Hey, if you do, I will just lend you some of mine.”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble again for helping me.”

Yelna laughed. “I don’t care. You are one of the only people here that makes life bearable.” She nudged Alicila. “Besides, I am the only one of my kind here, and all of the other humans are insufferable. What would I do without you?”

Alicila kept her mouth shut. She didn’t like it when Yelna talked about race. Tetheron attracted many different people from all over Relsion. Her professor Oris was a Delex, and Yelna was a Selent. There were many, many more that stayed at the university, too many to count.

Yelna had a tendency to complain about humans. There was a good reason for it, though. In the last few years, the Lulvix Alliance had pushed its political power even into the university. They were a radical bunch that was hostile to those outside of their group, consisting of five races. Humans. The Xanthor, a primarily human variant with the only difference being their life spans were half as long as a typical human, and they were sturdier, almost like a dwarf. The Eldiwn. They were forest-dwelling people who had long ears and no eyes. The Crestfallen, they had scales like Yelna, but their origins were more akin to the sea than the sky. And the Norn, tiny green-skinned people.

There were a few Xanthor and Norn at Tetheron but a lot of humans, inducing Alicila. But she preferred to keep to herself. She had been raised in Teshmarsh, far away from the Lulvix Alliance lands. She did not care for how they handled things and did not want to be associated with them, though despite her efforts, most people looked at her as another hateful human.

Not Yelna, though. She was the only friend that she had at the university.

“Well, this is my room.” Alicila sighed. “I guess I should get to working on this project.”

“We can work on it together.”

Alicila used her boot to open the door. “I am sure that Oris has spies watching us or something.”

“I don’t think the old coot is that paranoid.” She jumped up onto the bed and straightened her linen shirt. “Come on. Let’s at least exchange ideas or something.”

“Ok. We can talk for a bit. Let me set this stuff down in the other room first.”

“Fine.” Yelna looked around. “You should really clean your apartment up. Looks like a cave or something in here.”

Alicila shook her head as she walked into her bedroom. “I love Yelna to death, but she can be so nosy.” She set her books and vials down on the table and straightened her leather jacket and pants.

“Strange. My clothes have felt baggy for the last hour.” She walked up to the mirror. “I think the stress is just getting to me.” Alicila stretched her arms and felt the sleeves of her jacket extend past her hands. “Huh?”

She looked at her loosely fitting clothing with wide eyes. “Oh, no, no.”

“Hey, what is taking you so long in there?”

“Umm, nothing.” Alicila pulled up her sleeves and spoke under her breath. “Crap, not now. I can’t deal with this until Yelna leaves.” She shook her head. “I haven’t had an issue like this since I was eleven years old. Why now? I can’t be changing in size again.”