THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

" Did Kyle explain what a familiar is?" she asked.

"Not an explanation. He said ,'familiars are animals who live and die with their masters ' " I answered.

"Familiars are animals…..magical animals that are owned by a witch or a wizard, or an elementalist. They have the ability to talk to their masters by using telepathy, " she said.

Saying this, she started writing and Silva appeared. I put her on the table and said:

"Madame, this cat has been following me since I started that God-damned exam."

She said, " Ohh…. that's no ordinary cat. She's a dritten. A magical cat with wings and claws. The combination of a dragon and a kitten."

"How did you know she is a 'she'? And what do you know about magic cats with massive wings? She looks so cute and so… non-scary," I said stroking Silva.

"Hmmmm….I have always known. She looks so cute cos she is still a baby that's why she is a dritten," she said putting down her pen. " Tell me, child. Why do you want to go home?"

" I do not belong here madame. I have nothing to offer, and I dare say I cannot offer my life," I said, stopping Silva from putting her paw in ink.

"You very much belong here. When I was young my momma used to say ' everyone has their own something .

Some people's something is sports, some art, some music, some agriculture.'

My momma never told me some people had magic. When I was seven my brother went missing. My momma knew why.

When I was ten ,my momma and my sister moved to Galvadon's border town, Dewsbrook. She told me my brother went missing because he created fire with his finger.

My momma also went missing right after the death of my father. Then it was me and my sister, and I realized how dangerous the world is. I could control the soil, rocks and other things.

People with magic went missing because curious , and greedy people kidnapped them and wanted to find the source of their mysterious power.

They were either killed or dissected. Hmmmm...but…..none could come up with where they got their power. So We built this school at the farthest end of the world,to protect people like us.

We nurtured people with such great power to become even greater. We only release them when we are sure they are ready and prepared to protect themselves," she said, packing some papers. " Shall I tell you our thrilling past?"

I nodded in agreement and she went again moving her tongue and blabbing about the school ,how big it was, the garden and all that.

"Thank you. Madame, I think that's not your thrilling past," I said, with a small smile.

She said, "You are so smart. Our first students were our lovely teachers. Then we had Lola and Lilly.

Unlike others Lilly was special; she was the only elementalist in our history that learnt the four types of elements in five years. Her history could never be ignored."

"What about the incident?" I asked curiously.

"That… I cannot tell you. If you are dying to know ,then search and if you can't find it .I am willing to take you to the land of lost lands.

Four lands intertwined with each other. They never touch each other," she said, getting up. "You will go next week. Read about it before then.

You are welcome!!"

I didn't even say a thing. I stroked Silva's back and she yawned, stretching her fore limbs. I got up and started scanning through the shelves.

I settled with so many books and I forgot lunch... again . Around dinner time I was done with three shelves, but I didn't find anything about the lost land. The rate at which I read is mystifying. But it wasn't impossible, because I could do it.

I saw my roommates on a table dining and munching on peanuts. I settled myself on the chair and ordered half a loaf of gingerbread and a glass of black tea.

As Angelina was about to put confetti in her spaghetti ,Alicia said:

"Angelina, don't put confetti in your spaghetti."

"But my mommy does that," she protested. " Why did you think I ordered confetti in the first place?"

"But confetti isn't food," Alicia said.

"I didn't put confetti in your food, did I?" Angelina said angrily.

Alicia didn't say anything after that, but minded her own business.

" Say, where have you been since morning?" Angelina asked me.

" I have been in the library." I answered.

Just then Angelina ordered mustard and custard. I was not a bit shocked, she even ate confetti with spaghetti.

She was about to pour the mustard in her custard, Alicia said:

" Don't put mustard in your custard."

" Who do you think I am? Some kind of fool.

Don't do, don't do, don't do that. And then one day you'll say:

Don't put sugar in your coffee.

Don't put gravy in your granules. Don't put grapes in your fruit salad," Angelina said glaring at Alicia.

"Why do you guys live a cat and dog's life?

Can't you bury the hatchet and have cakes and ale?

If you guys fight, one of you could go to the dogs," I said and they stopped fighting.

The next day I went to the head mistress's office and she was sitting like a queen.

"Bonjour, madame," I greeted.

"Come sit, child," she answered.

" Do you want to know about familiars?" she asked.

"I'd love to," I said, even though I didn't want to.

"Lemme say…..not all familiars are cats," she said.

"You are in luck because you had the rarest animal as your first..." she stopped in her tracks and said,

" Rachael…tell me about the poem called ' The road not taken' ,"

' Why did she change the subject all of a sudden?'

I stared hard at her and said,

" Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler ,long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;"

" Wait," she said. " Finish it for yourself. That is the first clue to finding the lost lands."

" Why did you cut it short?" I asked.

" You should find out about that yourself," she said smiling. And started reading.

I picked a random book and wiped the dust on it off with a cloth_ written on it in silver print was:

' THE LAND OF LOST LANDS'

" You seem to have found it," she said with a smile.

" I would like to borrow it for a while," I said.

" Go on, child, read the book. If you magically find yourself in the land of lost lands, remember the road not taken is the first clue to getting to the first lost land,"Miss Linda said, but I was already gone.

I assumed Silva had heard her,but I also did.