Tokateka (Chapter Three- Moving into Tokateka) (standard:fantasy, 3620 words) [3/4] show all parts
Author: Siobhan	Added: Oct 01 2002	Views/Reads: 2863/2240	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Joyce has mixed emotions over the school when she is warmly greeted by a storm boy and some of the fire people but makes a swift enemy of another fire girl.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

before she could even see in which direction they had sped. 

“Well, nice meeting you Joyce Flames.  Perhaps, we will meet again. 
Perhaps, as in the welcoming ball,” Maxton wanted to know. 

“I'd really like that,” she smiled at him shyly and she ducked her eyes
down.  She heard him ask the fairy lights for directions and take off 
after the speeding light. 

“Is there any way you could show me the way to the FireHouse, only a bit
slower?” she asked again.  This time she was able to follow the lights 
to a blazing doorway.  She walked through the fire into a girl's room.  
There were seven girls already there. 

“Are you a first year?” a short redhead, almost auburn, inquired. 

“Uh huh,” she nodded her head. 

“You are the first to arrive.  There's one more coming.  My name is
Donna Flame and I am a twelfth year.  What's your name?” she wanted to 
know. 

“Oh, how funny.  My name is Joyce Flames,” she blushed.  She was too
shy, she wished that Karla was with her.  She didn't know how to handle 
all this attention focused on her and only her. 

“Hi, are you a first year?  Oh wait, it's only Henrietta,” the attention
shifted away from Joyce and she sighed with relief.  They seemed to 
forget her in the light of receiving another one of their comrades and 
this felt so nice to Joyce.  How she hated attention.  She assumed that 
they must pick their own beds and she chose a burning sensation near 
the ring of fire which must be the closet.  She had to believe so for 
there were clothes hanging up inside.  She lay down in the heated bed 
and sighed.  It was just what she needed to calm her down. 

She wondered how Karla was doing for they had never truly been separated
like they were here.  The two had known each other since they were 
three and they been as close, if not closer than sisters.  She felt so 
lost without her double and in a way she was. 

Karla had gotten a fifthteen year old plant boy to take her to the ball
but Joyce had got a thirteen year old storm boy.  Joyce had never seen 
anything like a storm person.  They were incredible and stunning yet 
something about them said that they were not to be underestimated.  She 
hoped to meet with Orca some more and even more with Maxton.  She 
wondered if he were high enough for her parents to approve of or was he 
some lowly servant.  She didn't care but she knew her parents would.  
To date another kind was a bad enough thing to do but to date someone 
of lower class was unthinkable.   She didn't approve of Karla's older 
brother marrying a common girl but then again she did have a major 
crush on him.  Who cares if he was twenty six and she was only 
thirteen?  It wasn't that big of a deal was it?  It didn't matter, he 
was either marrying a princess or a common girl, and more likely, the 
princess. 

She heard the door open and heard Donna announce, “You must be the last
first year.  One has already arrived before you, what was her name?  Oh 
well, it really doesn't pertain to you.  I am Donna Flames and you 
are?” 

“Annie Fire,” a loud, uproarious voice replied. 

“Oh, the princess,” Donna sounded shocked and Joyce hoped that she was. 
She couldn't even remember Joyce's name and it was close to Donna's.  
What a rude and stupid girl!  How Joyce wished Karla was there! 

Her schedule was zipped to her and she read it with some misgivings. 
She didn't think that she should be here but the White Dove of Marciss 
had chosen her to attend Tokateka, the greatest school ever. 

Her schedule read: 

English Made Easy 

The History of Tokateka 

Learn To Fly 

Change The Weather 

A Hundred Different Skills 

The Dance of the Ancients 

A Look Beyond 

Travel 

Develop Your Skill 

First Years Only 

She figured that she had to have Karla in First Years Only but anything
else she wasn't so sure.  The laughing of the other girls made her so 
uncomfortable.  She felt like such a loner and in reality, she was 
without Karla by her side.  So much for water people being dramatic, 
she was being pretty sentimental herself. 

Suddenly, the most softest and delicate bell chiming she had ever heard,
rang through out the room. 

“What does that mean?” Joyce wanted to know. 

“Lunch is served,” Donna chuckled and they all filed out the door.  They
wandered down the halls in groups, all except for Joyce.   She stayed 
towards the back, all by herself and felt sorrow that she could not be 
with her childhood friend.  Annie Fire was loved by all but that was 
because she was a princess and even though people were not supposed to 
be judgmental, they couldn't help themselves.  It was an unfortunate 
fact of life and Joyce felt squashed by it's numbing truth. 

She wandered into the dining hall and saw instantly the segregation.  
Every chair was clearly marked for a certain group.  She took a fire 
seat next to a tall, skinny red head male. 

“Hi, my name's Seth,” he smiled at her and she grinned back but shyly
and somewhat forced. 

“I'm Joyce,” she responded and he nodded his head.  Suddenly a delicate
and fragile looking fire girl sat next to her.  The girl was careful to 
avoid all gazes and Joyce felt instantly drawn. 

“Hi, my name's Joyce, what's yours?” she asked and she saw the girl's
blue eyes brighten but she kept her gaze downward. 

“I'm Linda, it's a pleasure to meet you Joyce,” her voice was soft and
gentle and her words seemed sincere. 

“Likewise, are you a first year?” she wanted to know for the girl acted
too shy to be anything more. 

“No, this is my second year.  How about you?” Linda risked a quick look
at Joyce before casting her eyes back to the ground. 

“Oh, I'm a first year.  Kind of lonely and feeling overwhelmed.  How
about you?” she wondered if Linda felt the same way and she knew she 
did when Linda nodded her head.  She looked up in time to se Karla 
saunter in with a group of tall blue water people.  Their laughter 
floated to her ears and she saw Karla's eyes twinkle with humor.  She 
looked as if she were fitting in just fine.   She felt sadness and 
loneliness swamp her but she swallowed back the emotions.  She quickly 
looked around to see that everyone had arrived. 

“Welcome back to another year at Tokateka.  For you first years, I
congratulate you on your luck in making it into the school.  Each one 
of you had something special inside that the White Dove of Marciss knew 
was waiting to be exposed by our excellent facilities here.  My name is 
Miss Linoge Tokateka and I am the head master of this fine school.  If 
you are having problems, simply report them to me.   Your classes will 
begin tomorrow so feel free to settle in and acquaint yourselves with 
your comrades,” an extremely pale woman stood up and announced.  There 
was a smattering of applause and she took her seat.  Joyce felt more 
alone than ever and wished that Karla were with her.  The food was 
brought on diamond platters and the savory scents made Joyce forget all 
else.  The entire school ate with a hunger that devoured all and left 
none for leftovers. 

After the meal, Miss Linoge stood up once more and her presence
immediately captured silence, “I request that you go to your dorms and 
become familiar with each other for you will be spending a very long 
time together.  Please no loitering in the halls for the time being, I 
don't want to exhaust the fairy lights in your first week either back 
from vacation or to Tokateka.  Thank you.”  Everyone stood up and began 
to saunter back to their dorms, an excited murmur rising to a dull 
roar.  Joyce walked between Seth and Linda, feeling as if she were 
walking in a dream. 

“I'm so excited to be back, I was homesick at home,” Seth chuckled and
Joyce looked at him curiously. 

“Why?  I mean your home is your home,” she replied, wondering how anyone
could feel homesick at home. 

“The whole point of Tokateka is to separate you from your family and
make you feel as if your people are your family.  It turns people into 
leaders,” Linda responded and Seth nodded his head in agreement. 

“After a few months, you feel as if you no longer fit in at home. 
You're not caught up on anything, they're not caught up with you, 
everyone's changed, and it's just different. But here, you grow with 
everyone and everything and so it becomes home,” Seth coolly explained 
and smiled softly at Linda.  Linda blushed and looked back at her feet, 
pretending to be self absorbed in their placement. 

“What a horrible thing!” Joyce exclaimed, fear filling her every nerve. 
She never wanted to be disconnected from her family but even as she 
protested the idea, she recognized the terrible sense in what they 
said. 

“It seems like it at first but you realize it is what is right,” Linda
meekly added, but something in her voice said she believed in the logic 
with her entire being.  They shuffled with the thinning group until 
soon it was only the fire people, the guys strode down one hall and the 
girls down another. 

“Do you two like each other?” Joyce suddenly popped out and Linda looked
taken back and caught in the act. 

“What do you mean?  Of course not, we're just really good friends,” she
stammered, her cheeks a brilliant shade of red that muted the flaming 
tones of her hair. 

“Uh huh, and how do you two know each other?” she wanted to know. 

“We had a class together last year and we're just really good friends,”
Linda insisted, nervously twisting a strand of hair around her pointer 
finger. 

“What year is he cause he seems older than us?” she inquired, sure that
Linda did have a crush on Seth. 

“He's a fourth year,” Linda smiled sweetly then wore another expression
of shock and choked upon the smile.  Joyce followed her gaze and saw 
Donna staring wickedly at them with a shark smile plastered upon her 
lips. 

“Oh Lindy, who are you talking about?  Couldn't be Seth who couldn't be
more disinterested if he tried, could it?” she cruelly teased, 
centering her attention upon the blushing fire girl. 

“I was just telling her his year,” she explained, her voice shaking and
Joyce's heart went out to the flustered new friend of hers. 

“How cute,  you know so much about Seth for not liking him,” Donna
smirked. 

“Ah shutup, just cause you're jealous of Linda for having his attention
instead of you doesn't mean you can try to ruin it for her,” Joyce spat 
out and Donna's face crumpled.  Her eyes darkened and suddenly her 
burning gaze was focused on Joyce. 

“What?  Do you really think I would have a thing for a sixteen-year-old
boy?  I mean really, hon, try being serious,” her tone was one of 
superiority and Joyce swallowed the bitter names that threatened to fly 
out of her name. 

“Well, that is the only legitimate reason I can find for you mentioning
him, either that or you know you're really nothing so you try to make 
yourself look better by picking on those who have too much class to 
fight back,” she slammed out and Donna's face darkened to almost a 
shade of purple. 

“Too much class?” she choked on the words, spitting each one out as it
were a struggle for life or death, “I may only come from a common 
family  but that classy girl hanging with you is nothing but a servant 
and that is not any class.” 

“Who cares where our families stand,” Joyce threw out, “I come from a
family of Lords and Ladies, so don't go there or I'll be forced to pull 
out my pedigree.  Lay off of Linda cause you are really not exciting 
enough to be saying anything to her.”  Donna was open mouthed with 
shock and a lack of something to say.  She turned around in a huff and 
stalked up the stairs, refusing to look back.  Three other girls 
followed her, giving Joyce and Linda bitter glances before fleeing the 
scene.  Most of the girls turned and followed them but only because the 
excitement was over.  But two of the girls walked over to Linda and 
Joyce.  Joyce recognized one of them as being Annie Fire, the princess 
but the other girl was an unknown. 

“Hi I'm Becca Ashes, a ninth year, and I have to admit, I'm impressed. 
Most girls just back down from Donna and take what she dishes out but 
this is the first time I've ever seen a first year stand up to not only 
to a twelve year but Donna at that,” she smiled warmly and extended her 
hand to the two girls. 

“I'm Annie Fire, a first year, and I'd rather hang with you than Donna. 
No wonder she was trying to get in my good graces, she probably wanted 
me to adopt her into my family due to her interest in classes,” the 
small girl smiled broadly and the four laughed. 

“Well, thanks and I'm Joyce Flames, a first year, and this is Linda ...
um yeah Linda, and she is a second year,” she explained and the four 
began walking up the stairs. 

“You've made an enemy for the rest of the year,” Becca warned and Joyce
shrugged her shoulders. 

“Ooh, scary, except for the fact that it is only one more year and then
Donna is out in the real world and I will have eleven years of peace,” 
she chuckled. 

“She is so mean, I wonder why the White Dove of Marciss picked her
anyway,” Linda muttered spitefully. 

“The White Dove has a reason for everything.  You'll get to learn why he
picked you during your second year,” Becca explained. 

“Really?  I can hardly wait cause there isn't anything really special
about me,” Linda sounded hopeful and then her voice fell. 

“Of course there is, that's why you're here,” Annie laughed and smiled
her hundred watt smile.  Linda just shook her head and didn't look at 
any of them. 

“Well, I can tell you there must be something cause Seth is definitely
into you,” Becca added and Joyce nodded her head in agreement. 

“We're just friends,” Linda insisted but her cheeks had darkened into a
blazing red and they stepped through the fire door into their room.  
Donna was sitting on her bunk reading something and when they walked 
in, she cast a rueful glare their way. 

“Becca, come here.  I have to show you something,” a slender girl with
deep red hair waved a note at Becca. 

“Alright Adriana, though first I'd like to introduce you to Annie and
Joyce, our first years,” Becca trotted the two girls over with Linda 
close to their heels.  Adriana smiled at them and tossed out her hand.  
They shook it cordially then stood there, feeling stupid. 

“Oh my gosh Nadine, Jordan asked me to the Welcoming Dance,” Donna
suddenly shrieked out from her bed. 

A rather chunky red head with two braids came bouncing over, “Are you
for real? What are you going to say?” 

“Of course stupid, Jordan's a knight,” Donna sighed dreamily and Joyce
did a double take. 

“Jordan who?” she inquired as she wandered over, wondering if was the
jerk who had been so rude to her at the Tokateka shop. 

“What's it to you?” Donna spat, her eyes shooting sparks at her. 

“I was just wondering if I knew him,” Joyce replied casually and began
to turn around to go. 

“Ha, that's worth a laugh.  Like a lowly first year like you would know
Jordan Growth, knight of the plant people,” Donna hugged the note to 
her chest, gazing in a loving gaze at the ceiling of flames. 

“Oh, then it is the guy I know.  You two so deserve each other,” Joyce
laughed haughtily and began walking over to Linda. 

“What do you mean?  He's so wonderful,” Donna shook her head as if to
clear the clouds. 

“Yeah right, Jordan wonderful?  He was a total butthead when I met him,”
she spurned Donna's innocent ideal of the plant knight. 

“Don't diss him, it's bad enough you're rude to me but that gives you no
reason to be nasty about another person who can't even defend himself 
cause he's not here,” Donna hissed and her words hit a note.  Joyce 
realized with a shock that she was being as bad as Donna and she nodded 
her head in agreement. 

“You're right, we just hit it off on the wrong note.  I'm sure you two
are cute together,” Joyce announced and everyone looked supprized that 
she had backed off like that. 

“Anyways, I'm sure you have no room to be slamming Jordan since he's
going to the dance with me and you have no one cause you're a first 
year.” 

“No, you're wrong on that.  I'm going with Maxton Blizzard, a storm
being,” she replied and trotted over to Linda, leaving Donna in open 
mouthed shock. 

“Wow!  You got a date to the welcoming ball?” Linda asked, her voice
full of admiration. 

“Yeah, why don't you ask Seth?” 

Linda's eyes shot open and her voice quavered when she spoke, “No way! 
We're just friends, what would he think if I asked him and I never 
could cause I would chicken out.” 

“Come on, just ask him to see how he reacts and if it is badly, tell him
that you were joking around,” Joyce offered and Linda vehemently shook 
her head no.  Joyce sighed, shrugged her shoulders and gave up. 


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