Smith School

Somewhere on Mega-Earth, there is this beautiful town called Na-pall inhabited by one and a half thousand people who live in peace and harmony in plenty of wooden shacks as homes with a few stone buildings. There is a peculiar one, the one in the heart of town, blessed with such delicate designs carved into its walls. Melted metals filled the fissure adding to its ancient and sacred look, The Temple. Its steeple cast its shadow on some of the stalls in the market next to it as the sun rose in the sky swimming through the clouds. As gentle murmurs rose through the belfry just above the tower where the bell rang.

The air is filled with dust and smoke coming from the wood-fueled stoves in the houses and the big grill in the marketplace owned by the butcher. It didn't smell like roasted meat but more like charcoal and burnt hair. Wither so, today,  he was still going to have great sales as of any other day. He brought out the dried meat from the previous day preserved as much as Na-pallians preserved their tradition.

Talking of which, a group of short ladies a little over a meter tall, came into the Butcher's street and started to open their stalls. One of the ladies put her prayer beads into her pocket as she opened her vegetable stall and a small potato rolled from her stall to the road. Just then, a herd of 6 horses could be seen galloping at very high speed from the main street carrying its goods to Forgeron Academy (Smith School), crushing the potato to a purple mushy pulp and leaving a huge cloud of dust which would soon turn to mud-like goo.

The herd ran through the deserted streets of Na-pall next to the border. Workshops occupied the left side of the trail when the right side was a thick forest. It arrived at its high iron gates like the ones you've seen lead to the Witch's castle in movies including its eerie feeling to it and its mechanism, standing a towering six meter tall. The guards at the gate's watch tower saw the ride and made those below aware. They began pushing pistons connected to a big circle imbued to the ground, almost as if they were one. It looked like a ship's steering wheel. And few cracks lit up showing ancient writings on them, making it easier to push the device, lifting the gate.

It had a large courtyard filled with wonderful trees, ones that you can't imagine, both hideous and beautiful. The horses drove to another area away from the other buildings. This environment was weird to say the least, in contrast to the bright day at Na-pall, this place was dark, its sky was covered with the dark Nimbostratus clouds, dark and gray that succeeded in blocking out most of the sunlight. Under the dark clouds, were the dark stone buildings that made the academy. Made up of perfectly cut stones that fit each other like a jig jag saw puzzle. Contrary to what you think, it didn't look like it was going to crumble any time soon, as they were 'decorated' with the same ancient writing that seemingly gave it a reassuring look. Not going to lie, they are beautiful.

Seri sat on the roof of the girls' dormitory, enjoying the view as the wind blew on her face and her hair danced behind her. She squinted her eyes as she looked at the forest behind the Hall Building about a  hundred meters away. Waiting for someone to pop out of it, but whoever was to pop out of there, was not going to be a wise idea to talk to them.

The quiet morning is soon disrupted by the loud bells coming from the temple next to the Refectory. She felt hesitant to go, they'll spend a dreadfully long hour at the Temple, 'praying'. A beating noise could be heard underneath with no effort to make it rhythmic, surely not on people but on the doors. She had to go down if she would be suspected of sneaking out. She came here to see the first morning light but it seems she'll miss it this morning. She hopped onto the ladder, climbing down into the corridor on the third floor. But her room was on the second floor. She slowly walked down the stairs and quickly stepped into her room.

As she was about to ask her roommate a question, the door opened and hit her. It was the porter checking on everyone. She pushed the door once again but this time it went freely, she looked suspiciously at Seri and Shania, her roommate. But couldn't pick anything odd and left the room for lack of time, everything was a rush in the morning.

Seri went over to her table and pushed all her scrolls on the table into her bag, throwing in, her ink cup and quill. In contrast, Shania had a neatly arranged bag with two new scrolls, her ink cup neatly arranged next to it and her bag filled with snacks and ornament.

"Are you sure that's all you need?" Shania asked as she rubbed her perfume gently onto her perfect skin as she sat leisurely on her bed, half-dressed tending to herself.

"We will be running late…" Seri said as she picked up her leather pouch slinging it on her back and walking out.

The corridors were full of students both those fully dressed and those half naked walking out of the general bathroom obviously panicked as they skipped to their rooms. One was shouting from the front of her door for another to give her back her uniform stating the other was wet as she held her robe to her with little consciousness. But the person she was talking to could not hear her. That's when a brown-haired girl walked past her pushing her and making her loose the robe. Defeated she tied back her robe and angrily marched to the person she was talking to ignoring the brown-haired.

Seri was broken from her trance when Shania pushed her with her elbow.

"Still met up with you," Shania smirked as she led the way leading her out of the dormitory. Seri tried her best to ignore the chaos that repeated itself every morning but she could not help but watch every time. They both stood in front of the dormitory gate next to the flowers, waiting for the members of their group.

While waiting, Seri looked around they were soon going to start their practical, it is one of the most difficult parts of the course but she could not help but notice Shania's extra amount of perfume today. It was excessive and she could not ignore it. She wanted to ask her why, but when she thought about it, it wasn't her business and there was nothing wrong in doing that.

Just then she spotted Akra amid the first wave of students coming from the Male Dormitory. Visibly overjoyed as he always is with his buddies Adam and Twan. Shania walked towards them and she followed, she had her eye out for someone. They started asking each other about their night as they swam through the crowd as more girls had left the dorm, and the second bell rang. It was time for service. 

Akra was cracking jokes with Shania as they moved along but he seemed to be having so much fun with himself as he laughed out loud. Did he forget they were going somewhere sacred? The whole crowd was silent as they slowly marched into the large cathedral.

As they reached the Temple parameters, they could not push off the obsolete feeling under the shadow it cast. Silence basked the crowd as the young adults silently marched into the Temple. Dividing as the waters did at the incident between Moses and The Red Sea- A story we all know.

The males went through the first door into the Temple and the females through the second and a Servant stood on the staircase in front of the pillar between the two doors. Holding a long pole, thick enough to need two large hands to hold it with a snake engraved into it, curled around the pole and its head rested on the top of the pole with its mouth open showcasing its large fangs and its forked tongue lay in its mouth, dangling hungrily by the side of its mouth covered with large scales, the same as the rest of its body.

Was it alive or dead? The Temple Servants should know, cause these young adults did not want to know. 

The service was quiet, even during the time for responses. Everyone looked at the altar at the front, and when it was time for communion, murmurs were heard. Few murmured their prayers while others wanted to point something out to their friends.

"Did you see Shania?" A fellow asked his friend as she walked to the altar to take her communion. But before the latter could give a response, the Temple Servant was on their row, giving them the stare behind the snake mask. A cold sensation ran down his spine as he sat erect and looked at the altar as his body shook with fear. 

'I would not try this in the near future.' He prayed as he closed his eyes and a rush of heat followed.