1 Chapter One

My phone buzzed non-stop with texts. I sigh. It felt like I couldn't focus with it never stopping. Reaching across to the chair, I turn it off. Mixed with bitter, negative messages, remarking I'd never should have gotten the lead violinist role. How I'd messed up during class just today - that someone who didn't have that odd way of playing. I shut my phone off, learning back in my chair. I needed to fix this. There had to be a way I could get this to work. I shut the book holding the music sheets for a moment.

Then, I open it again, scanning the page to see if I missed any notes or tempo symbols, or just anything. I didn't. So how did I mess this up so bad? That didn't matter right now, I just needed to get this down. I raise my violin, and take in a deep breath and use the bow, my fingers dancing upon the harsh strings. I hear a sound that should not be there and stop. I messed up finger placement, didn't I? Opening my eyes from my attempt, I expect to see the music room I'd been practicing in - a piano in the corner, with lockers holding students' instruments, some with their cases sticking out, and the floor to be carpeted. But I don't, and half of me wonders if I was hallucinating. It was like I'd been in a void, pure darkness. That's when a blue light shone through, bouncing around and leaving marks as if it'd been musical notes, an incarnation of what dissonant mess I'd been playing. That sound reverberated in my ears as I helplessly looked around, floating. Eventually, I decided to grab one of the lights.

It took a moment to process that I was falling through the air. When I did, I let out a scream and plummeted into some water below. It was refreshing, oddly cold. Until I noticed that the water had been turning to frost and ice near me. Oh no! I was not going to be stuck and drown here. I swim up to the surface, taking a large breath, scrambling up a wooden pier and coughing up water. What just happened? I wring out my clothes from the water, running a hand through now-soaked hair. It was then I saw people, fishermen with children, women gathering supplies and others look at me. I decide to stand up, trying to greet them.

That's when I'm yanked back by the hood of my jacket. This person spins me around, and smiles. She wears a white cloak decorated with black and gold. Then, she wraps me in a hug. "Woah!" I screech, shoving myself back and stumbling, coughing into my elbow. "What's with all this? What is going on?"

"Ah, the Heroine Fox of Winter, welcome to the Lumuviel Kingdom!" She tells me, brushing red hair out of green eyes.

"Heroine Fox of Winter…?" I repeated. This had to be some dream that I got - maybe I was too tired from violin practice. That had to be it! There was no other reason for somebody to call me a "Heroine Fox".

She appears to take this in stride. "Oh, yes! You are one of the four Heroes of the Seasons meant to save the world! There is also the Deer of Spring, the Painted Dog of Summer, and the Tiger of Autumn! The other three have already been at the castle, you're the last to be summoned!" She explains, grinning and grabbing my hand. "C'mon, let's go!"

I put my feet down, forcing her to stop. "Woah, woah, woah," I call out and she turns, a rather confused look on her face. "I need more of an explanation than 'Welcome to the magical land of Lumivale'," I reply, yanking my hand away.

"It's the Lumuviel Kingdom," she corrects me, and crosses her arms. "Do you really have no knowledge?" She asks, astounded as she paces upon the pier, mumbling to herself. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you! But please, c'mon with me!"

"Alright, sure," I reply. If I didn't, I probably wouldn't get the answers I wanted anyway. I start walking forward, though still behind her as she begins to explain everything. My eyes wander to stalls and shops, wood and stone houses behind them.

"My name is Raelle O'rspell. In order to save our lands, we summoned four heroes from a different world. You're from that world!" She says, pointing her finger up as if a teacher. "The four heroes are blessed by the four seasons - spring, summer, fall, and winter!" She stops, twirling around and pointing a finger at me. "You're blessed by winter!" She turns around once more and we begin walking again. "We didn't know if the heroes would have vessels at first, so we used animals to act as your vessels. Never thought they would have fused with your original bodies, though."

"What is this about the bodies fusing?" I ask, raising my eyebrows and slipping by people who had been walking their horses down through the road.

"You didn't notice?" Shock floods Raelle's features, eyes widened ever so slightly as she places a hand under her chin, looking as though she'd been trying to support it. "You got ears and a tail now!" Her voice is rather childish and happy. She smiles once more, "That's all I'll say, you can see the other changes for now!"

I skid to a halt, feeling my hair up to my head and - ears. Furry ears. What a blessing, I somewhat bitterly think. Great, now I looked like I'd been part animal. I wasn't going to try to feel for the tail for right now. I sigh and move forward. My head was spinning, it was hard to take everything in.

"Oh! This is the castle for Lumuviel, the royal family, the Blackburns live here!" She explains as we stop at a wooden gate. Peering through it, I noticed huge walls made of the finest bricks this probably had to offer, a royal castle really befitting a king. It had been huge with towers, and its own wall that had separated it from the rest of the people.

Today couldn't get any worse. I looked at Raelle and nodded slightly. "Let's go in, Miss O'rspell."