43 Toes into the pool

"I swear I'm gonna pound her to a pulp!" Daisy said angrily as we headed out to the courtyard.

"Remember what the professor said as long as you make it an official duel." Jay Replied.

"Yeah! I'm gonna show her not to mess with us!" She replied holding her fist in the air.

"Yup! By the way where do you think Helen and Grace went to?" Jay asked.

"Hmmm..... no Idea.... by the way... why do you think that professor gave us a special treatment?..." I asked.

"No idea..." Jay replied as we began strolling around the courtyard.

"So...…. is there any extra classes?... I can take to improve?..." I asked them.

"Hmm no idea but you can always train in the simulation room." Jay said.

"Ohhhh lets go there! I'd love to get into some action!" I replied in excitement.

"Sure!" Daisy replied.

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The simulation building had a very modern design on the outside. Walking in we was met with a large foyer where there were several groups of students chatting. There were several doors each with a computer system next to them.

"Come let's find a free room!" Daisy and Jay said with excitement rushing ahead of me.

One by one we checked each computer hoping one would be free. Passing the doors I couldn't help but take a peep inside, it looked as if students were using it for battle and recreational things and some the glass on the door was blacked out.

"How comes some are blacked out?..." I shouted to Jay.

"If the party inside wants to keep things private they can use a privacy setting." Jay replied.

"How many floor are there?.." I asked.

"Hmmmm I hope there's more....they all seem occupied." Daisy said.

"OHHH OHHH wait guys come back this one says Helen and Grace! It might be them!" I shouted out to them.

They quickly came running back, "Really?!!!" Daisy asked in excitement checking the computer. I quickly peeped into the window trying to get a glimpse of them but they weren't in sight.

"Lets see..." Jay said pushing a button on the computer and waited patiently.

"Hello?..." Grace's familiar voice asked.

"Hey.... Grace?... its Jay....." Jay replied into the computer.

"Ohhhhh Hey!!! You guys okay?.." She asked us.

"Yeah we are good!.... can we join you?!!!" Jay asked.

"OF COURSE YOU CAN!" Helen replied shouting.

Suddenly the door made an unlocking sound, quickly opening the door I entered eager to see what's inside. We entered a flat grassy plain with Daisy and Helen approaching us, Grace had a bow on her back with curved ends and Helen with a Staff and a Large Emerald on the end of it.

"HEY!!!!" Grace and Helen both shouted greeting us.

"What you guys up to?!" Daisy shouted back into the distance.

"Just doing some basic training! What brings you here?!" They asked.

"Ohhh Emilia wanted her first taste of some action!" Jay replied.

"Sure lets go!" Grace said happily drawing her bow.

"So do we jump in the deep end?!!! Or dip our toes into the pool?" Grace asked looking more excited than I have ever seen her so far.

"Lets dip our toes in he water!" Jay replied.

"SURE! Computer! Difficulty Rating One, 5 man party, Scenario Random, Safety OFF." Grace yelled out.

The computer made a series of beeps, as the ground and the sky in the distance began to change like a wave heading towards us the scenery changed from a bright summer day in the plains, to a sunset and the ruins of a castle appearing around us.

"Woah..." I said looking around in wonder, suddenly I heard a series of howls in the distance.

Everyone began pulling out their weapons eagerly waiting for the source of howls to arrive. Daisy's Tatoo's began to glow yellow as she summoned her spiritual weapons and drawing her Maul. Jay and Grace also drawing their weapons ready for a fight.

Before long several silhouettes of giant wolves began appearing in the shadows amongst the ruins the whites of their eyes giving off their positions, their faint growling almost masked by the wind whistling through the ruins.

"Here they come!" Grace yelled releasing two arrows simultaneously into the side of a wolf causing it to back off.

Daisy broke off from the group running into a wolf with her spiritual weapon, slamming it with a giant golf swing up his head and her spiritual weapons slamming it back down into the ground, the wolf let out a high pitched cry in pain.

Out of nowhere another wolf came running at me, lunging with both its large claws and its large serrated teeth headed right for my chest and head. I fell back pulling my wand out pointing at it, but my mind froze, unable to remember how to cast a spell.......

"Remember Emilia! ICIO-IGNA!" Jay screamed to me, as a ball of fire and Daisy's magical shield slammed into the side of the wolf causing its lunge to miss me by mere centimetres.

Quickly shuffling back a little I pointed my wand at it "ICIO-IGNA" I shouted blasting it with a firebolt straight into its face. It winced from the pain but regained its focus and began staring at me, its teeth fully on show snarling readying its next attack.

"Not a good time to freeze up!" Grace yelled out to me as a thick grey fog flooded over us completely hindering our vision.

"I can't see a thing...." I yelled out to them.

"Don't worry..." Helen yelled... when suddenly red sparkles appeared in the shape of wolves appeared all around us, as well as human figures appearing behind me and where Daisy was sparkling blue.

The wolf in front of me began back off slowly circling a little now its vision was hindered. "icio-igna" I whispered sending more firebolts at the wolf causing it to cry in pain and forcing it to flee.

Suddenly everything disappeared and we were all standing in a grey room. "Huh?.. What happened?..." I asked.

"Computer what's going on?" Grace asked.

"Simulation terminated, School dinner will be served in 10 minutes." A robotic female voice announced to us.

"Well that sucks...." Grace said putting away her bow and went to fetch her arrows that are now on the floor.

"You okay, Emilia?... you froze up for a second...." Jay asked looking a little worried.

"Yeah I'm okay ... just... kinda forgot what I needed to say to cast spells...." I replied.

"Don't worry!.... You'll get the hang of it!" Daisy said arriving back with the group.

"Yeah.... unlike us.... to you it's all new." Jay smiled talking quietly to me helping me up.

"Thanks..." I replied accepting his help.

"So dinner?!!!" Helen said with excitement looking extremely happy.

"Sure lets go!" Grace replied returning to us and we all began walking out.

"By the way what was that you did back there?..." Jay asked Helen.

"Ohh just a simple Fog spell... and Fairy Fire." She replied to him.

"Ohhh nice... I don't really know much about druidic spells." Jay said to her.

"If you need help gimme a yell." She replied looking back at him with a smile.

"Sure.... thanks" he replied back.

Arriving at the dining hall it took us a while at finding a set of seats again. Eventually asking a few students to move a few seats to the side managing to fit everyone together. Everyone waited except Jay to get my food, instantly beginning to get his fill. "Jay where's your manners?..." Helen asked.

"Huh?..." He replied looking up from his food.

"It's customary to wait for everyone to get their food before we start eating." Helen explained to him.

"Ohhh..... sorry....." He said putting down the cutlery and waiting.

"It's okay... you didn't know….. and I don't mind" I whispered to him.

"I really wish there was a way to get seats easier." I said as my food finally arrived.

"It's only chaotic at the moment till everyone get sorted into their Teams." Grace replied.

"Teams?..." I asked slightly confused.

"Yeah..... So students in Atlantis will be placed into one of three teams Phoenix, Dragon or Kraken. Once the ceremony is finished everyone would be seated in their teams." Grace explained.

"Ohhhhh..... I see....." I nodded in understanding and began eating.

"What's the reason?...." Jay asked.

"Just some in school Rivalry nothing too important." Grace answered.

"We will stay friends even if we aren't in the same teams right?..." I asked with a nervous smile.

"Hmmm... I'm not... sure if I'm I get very competitive and I hate losing!" Grace winked at me.

"Dunno about you guys.... but an extra boy or two won't be missed in the group..." Jay said.

"Why's that?... I reckon you'd be the envy of the school!" I joked with him.

"Yup who else can say they are friends with girls like us!" Helen added.

"Yeah but..... At least one dude.... so we can talk and do guy stuff....." Jay tried to persuade us.

"Well…. We'll think about it." Daisy replied winking at the rest of us.