1 Chapter 1

Caira woke up as the water around her began to move faster. Her eyes opened slowly to stare at the seaweed coated ceiling. Her clamshell bed was centered on was the wall below it. A gauzy fabric drifted around the bed to create a small curtain and give some privacy from the room. The rest of the room was bare of decoration. After moving all her pictures and other decorations into boxes, Caira's room was sparsely decorated. Her mother had decided it would be best to pack everything up so Caira's belongings could be preserved. That way, when she got out of school, she could decide where to move to, and wherever she decided, her stuff would be in good condition. All of Caira's sisters had moved into different houses, but back to the village. Caira wasn't sure she wanted to do the same.

She sat up to stare around at the room. Between getting ready to move and trying to get ready for a new life, Caira had spent most of the last week getting ready to go to her new school. Like all her sister's before her, Caira was going to spend the next four years at Silas Ever's School for the Supernatural. She would be the fourth Orrant sister to go to the School.

Her mother swam in as Caira was slowly getting out of bed, "Get up, get up, get up!" She bustled in and started closing boxes and bags. Seeing that Caira wasn't moving fast enough, she came over to pull her entirely out of bed. Sighing, Caira's mother said, "Your father mixed up the time zones and your transport will be here in an hour!"

Caira sat up, alert. She had a lot less time than she had thought to say goodbye to everyone. She had already said goodbye to her village. Her parents and their friends had thrown a surprise party in order to wish her well for the next four years. It had been nice to see everyone, and it was also nice to see the people she disliked walk away. Her tormentors from her smaller schooling years could no longer bother her and she would be able to meet new people.

As if following her thoughts, her family swam into her room. Her three older sisters hugged her quickly and then started to help their mom pack up the rest of Caira's stuff. Her three youngest sisters, triplets, swam to her and hugged her. It was like beginning hugged by a huge purple blob. All three had the same deep magenta coloring. Caira had rich eggplant purple color, and her older sister's slowing became more indigo. In family pictures, they looked like an ombre painting.

Her father hugged her last. When he pulled back, his eyes were a little teary. "You're going to be amazing! I can already see how our futures will be brightened by you." Her father had said the same thing to her older sister's, but it still warmed Caira's heart to hear him say it to her.

With her bags being loaded into the transport by the driver, Caira waved goodbye as she swam onto it and settles into a seat near the back of the transport. The drive seemed to pass quickly as Caira stared out the window, marveling at all of the beautiful ocean scenery she had never seen before. She watched the tiny fish weave in and out of the waving seaweed forest and the enormous turtles swim lazily along the swirling sand.

Gradually, the water became warmer as they entered the Shallows. As the transport pulled up and began to drive on dry land, Caira moved behind a screen and focused onto her transformation. Slowly, her tail split into legs and she pulled on shorts from her small handbag. She wandered back to her seat, a little unsteady on her new legs.

Most of the ride was uneventful. Caira just stared out her window for most of the trip, taking in the new landscape. The transport stopped a couple of times to pick up more students. There was a small vampire from the overgrown forest, a nerdy elf from a neatly trimmed suburban neighborhood, and a giant dragon halfling who tearfully hugged his parents before boarding.

The halfing was closest to the school and they passed the welcome sign soon after picking him up. It was a faded sign, with big, block, black letters that read "Welcome to Silas Ever's School for the Supernatural". Caira watched the scene until it passed and then turned to examine the forest that seemed to surround the school grounds. The trees were rocking slightly in the breeze outside as the transport drove past.

Little by little, the dense forest faded into an open area. The school rose up on the horizon as the transport came over a hill and then drove back into a valley. It slowed and came to stop in front of the large, marble stairs leading into the first building.

Caira stood inside the transport, picking up and putting away the small notebook she had been jotting thoughts on the landscape and trip to the school. She tucked the notebook and the pencil in her handbag and then disembarked the transport. She stared up at the school, awestruck at the columns that arched over the entrance. The grand wooden doors opened under the arch and a tall, elegant woman stepped out into the fading sunlight.

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