THESE HIDDEN WINGS

[33.1]ORIGINS CLASS 521: SHIFTERS

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"What sort of shifter is Ari?"

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A DARK SHIVER danced across my spine as I followed Claire out of the Arena, finally unable to see that dark figure that had taken over my body courtesy of those convert abilities. I felt weak and frightened too. My skin felt cold and lifeless after the intrusion.

I couldn't believe he did that. I couldn't believe he could do that.

I couldn't believe that I wasn't in the clear like I had previously thought. That only meant he hadn't forgotten about little old me.

I see you-

Those words echoed at the bank of my head like a haunting as I tugged at my sleeves, keeping my eyes low. It horrified me that he had been able to spot me so easily in a crowd as large as the one in the Arena had been. Just like that, all my hopes had been crushed, all hopes that he had probably forgotten all about my existence were gone, and he was watching me.

With every passing second, I could feel the target forming on my back. I could feel his eyes watching me even as I got up to my feet, trying to find an exit.

My breaths came out shorter, hearing Claire call my name, then tugging at my hand pulling me along after her, letting me know that we would be late for our rendezvous with our teacher.

I wanted to snap out of it but I was scared to the bone. I hated the chilly feeling that Hallway Boy gave off and I didn't like the fact that he was able to spot and take over my body even in an arena full of people.

I kept my eyes on the ground, only looking up when I heard Mr. Ogustus's voice, beckoning us to join him. Once the whole class had finally gathered, we proceeded to the elevators. I remained quiet the whole ride. I didn't want to be 'seen.'

My whole body remained super self-conscience as the doors dinged open. We all shuffled along after Mr. Ogustus, people murmuring amongst themselves about the events of the fight and yet all I could do was try and fight off the uneasy feeling I had been left with.

Claire was talking about the fight too. Her questions were all over the place as they normally did whenever she was too excited about something. Questions that I didn't know the answer to as I was left as baffled by the whole fight as she had been, but now I felt sick.

I felt low. Like someone had taken all my sunshine away. I could still see his still dark eyes on me, and I didn't like the feeling at all. My face remained sullen as I rubbed my arm-

"Lira probably knows- yes I know she'll explain it to me tonight. She may roll her eyes once or twice but let's face it, she loves explaining stuff to us like babies," Claire chuckled, "you should come over tonight so I won't be alone," she added.

I looked up at her nodding for a second before my eyes shifted off her not wanting to say more, and let her babble on. We reached the door of our classroom but to my surprise, Mr. Ogustus casually led us past it, calling over his shoulder to the confused students who had paused by the door of our classroom, watching him hobble by.

"Come along Younglings, and make haste!"

My eyebrows arched, glancing at Claire who equally shrugged as we followed Mr. Ogustus until we reached the first floor. We walked past the large grandmaster map of the classrooms, and time schedules, moving out of the building and into the sunlight.

I squinted, a hand hovering over my head to stop the intruding ray of sunlight as we kept after our teacher. I looked to the side at the fountain which sat at the heart of The Crown, shaped into the Sword and Crown emblem of Kingsland in solid stone as we turned the corner, following the straight pathway heading out of The Crown.

As we moved through the arch and out into the open space still following the pathway, Mr, Ogustus slightly turned to talk to us. Steadily moving against his crutch it was almost as if he didn't even need it to walk.

"Claire," he called out, "you may ask a question about the match," he said over his shoulder as he moved.

I glanced at Claire, knowing she hadn't even raised a hand that implied she had any question she wanted to ask. She seemed surprised he had called her out too.

"I know there's a question that you toil with youngling, will you ask or shall I move on to David? I believe he too has a few questions," he asked glancing back at us with a sly look. David also seemed astonished but by the look of confusion on his face, it was evident he did have a few things he fired to ask.

Claire seemed uneasy but replied, "What sort of shifter is Ari?"

"Ah, Just the question needed," Mr. Ogustus chuckled along as he turned left on the pathway, entering what seemed like a hedged walkway. Tall green hedges caged us in on either side. I had never been to this part of Kingsland before. If I remembered well from both Gravis' and Claire's explanation, we were probably headed to the Crest Grounds.

Soon enough we came to an open field and followed as Mr. Ogustus abandoned the pathway cutting across the open field.

"You must know that though shifters are mainly wolves, there are countless other species. Remember, each Wildman tribe shifted according to their chosen animal that best suited the kind of environment where one was," Mr. Ogustus explained.

"Wolves are fast, they are strong and they lean on each other, that is the basic knowledge people have about them, hence why most tribes shifted into a version of these wolves," he explained as he hobbled forward, "however, not all tribes admired the wolf, some lived in the grasslands and admired the large cats that hunted in its tall grasses. Others lived in jungles and admired animals who could camouflage in their environments and still others lived by swamps and rivers and naturally, they tended to admire the beasts of the river banks-"

"Crocodiles," Naaka muttered under her breath, rubbing her arms she shook her head. She was walking just in front of me and Claire.

"Precisely," Mr. Ogustus replied, apparently having heard her, "alligators, crocodiles and..." he trailed off pausing for a moment, "others," he finished before moving on, "However, in the particular case of Ari Davis, she is a different kind of shifter, one not of The Deceiver, hence she is not a deception," he casually explained before suddenly stopping in his tracks.

We all stopped a few feet away from the woods that outlined the areas students were not allowed to go into.

Mr. Ogustus stood still, his hand motioning for no one to move forward before suddenly blowing a whistle with his mouth.

My eyes zeroed into the forest, eyes widening when something fast darted through the trees. My heart pounded nervously from inside me when something moved again from the opposite direction at the same speed.

"Whatever you do younglings, and come what may" Mr. Ogustus began, "believe me it is in your uttermost interests when I say,-

Don't Run."

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