Alba

Started by Ahren, adopted and continued by MaceXOX

## Prologue

Neige walked to Alba’s room and looked through the window, seeing Alba pack up. Alba packed the things she needed to have at Jade Mountain Academy. She put in her dagger, her blanket (polar bear fur knitted together. Alba had taken the fur last time they had polar bear for dinner, and knitted the fur together. Neige had strongly opposed this but there was no stopping her stubborn daughter), and her sewing kit. Alba paused for a second when she was putting her small stuffed lceWing doll (which she made when she was 2), but then decided to bring it.

Neige walked into the room. The air grew a little bit colder in Alba’s room when Neige came in. Most of Alba’s belongings were packed already, and she was trying to shove them into her dwarf satchel. Alba had never really had a use for the satchel anyway, so it was all dusty and stiff.

“Hello, darling,” Neige said. “Are you all ready to go to the Academy?”

“Almost, Mother,” Alba said, walking around the room, her face scrunched up in concentration. Then Alba grabbed her cloak and tried to shove it in her satchel, but gave up because it was too big. Alba just threw it on her satchel.

“You forgot one thing, honey,” Neige said, and gave Alba her mask. Alba gratefully took it and shoved it in her backpack. The mask, being a lighter item, fit snugly in the satchel. Alba threw the cloak on herself, and took the satchel. “Mother, are you coming?” Alba said, pausing near the door.

“Yes, I’m coming,” said Neige, walking out of the near-empty room, following her daughter. They walked past the pristine blue ice walls, enchanted thousands of years ago by animus IceWing twins to never melt, be cracked, or be harmed in any way. They passed the Circle Rankings, and walking past them Neige saw that Alba held her head a little higher, since she was in the First Circle in the dragonet rankings.

When they got to the Great Hall, Queen Glacier and the other four IceWing students were already waiting. Neige only recognized Princess Icicle and Prince Winter, the kin of Queen Glacier. The five dragonets were to fly with Queen Glacier and a few other IceWings to the Academy. Alba was going with her adult cousin, Polar, who was in the IceWing army.

“Is everyone here?” Queen Glacier asked. The five dragonets and other journeyers nodded. Neige just briefly caught the queen’s eye.

“Good,” Glacier said. “Now, we can go to the Academy.”

“Farewell, Mother,” Alba said.

“Farewell, daughter,” Neige said and dipped her head. Neige watched as the students flew off into the distance. She allowed herself to smile slightly. Neige opened her locket, which held a portrait of her husband; Alba’s father.

“It’s time,” she said.

## Chapter One

It was a long flight to the Academy. The group of IceWings stopped to rest only once, near Possibility. Alba found herself removing her cloak. The air had changed to a temperature that Alba was not used to, and she began to sweat.

On the journey, Alba learnt the name of one of the students she didn’t know. His name was Changbai, and he ranked high in the Second Circle. The only thing holding him back from the First Circle, as he explained to Alba, was the fact that he was autistic.

After a whole one and a half days of continuous flight, the group of IceWings reached the Academy. They were quite early, only a few MudWings were there, and of course, the Dragonets were present too. All but the SkyWing dragonet, which Alba just recently learned was actually a RainWing.

Alba felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to see that it was her cousin.

”Good luck at Jade Mountain. I’ll tell Neige that you got here safely,” he said to her.

“Thanks, Polar,” Alba replied. “Have a safe flight back home.”

Polar nodded, and handed her a small item.

“It’s a patch. I received it from a friend long ago, and I’ve never had any use for it. I figured you’d like it since you have a passion for sewing.”

Alba observed the patch. The base thread was a navy blue color, and waves of purple, teal, and pink ran across the middle of the circular object. Small silver knots of thread were dotted all over it, representing stars.

”It’s the Aurora Borealis!” Alba gasped. “Oh, thank you. I definitely will use it.”

Polar smiled, then left to gather with the other IceWing companioners.

Alba and Changbai entered Jade Moutain Academy together, talking about their interests. Changbai revealed that he enjoyed meditating and listening to nature. This seemed like an odd interest, Alba observed, for an IceWing anyways.

Their conversation was interrupted when Tsunami called for the attention of all of the IceWing students. “Ahem, everyone! Listen up!” the blue SeaWing announced. “Before we allow you to explore the school a bit, we’ll need to give you your placement, and some other things as well.”

The five IceWings lined up to each receive three pieces of parchment paper. The first paper had a large ‘WELCOME TO JADE MOUNTAIN ACADEMY!’ message on it, with some information underneath as well. The second paper was inked with a map of the school on one side, and a map of Pyrrhia on the other. The last one had a class schedule on it, along with extra courses.

Alba went over to a corner of the immense entrance cave to further examine each paper. Unrolling the first one, she read:

*We are delighted that you’re attending Jade Mountain Academy, Alba of the IceWings. You are part of a school that will change Pyrrhia, for the better. With careful thought, and your queen’s suggestions, we have placed you in the Copper Winglet. We’ve selected Mindreader of the NightWings and Snail of the SeaWings to be your clawmates. If it suits your interest, below is a list of each winglet and the dragons in them.*

Alba scanned the bottom of the paper briefly, and noticed that Changbai was in the Silver Winglet. She then rolled up the scroll and opened the map to locate her sleeping cave.