Vidal’s strength made carrying all of the luggage an effortless affair for the two boys making their way across campus to the first year dormitories. They were a complex of highly angular buildings hinting at their military past. A bit of paperwork filled out later and the two had a dorm together, the administration preferring to pair students who got along rather than force strangers together that would later find themselves at each other's throats. Two students to a room with space for all but the largest familiars. All doors across the whole of the island were mercifully large enough for familiars of all sizes. A fact that Zyn was all too happy to rattle off as the two got settled into their room after Vidal had little trouble making it through the door..

“See, The Emperor started the tradition of having mage focused buildings be more accommodating to even the largest familiars, and given this was formerly a military installation it just falls to reason that-”

“Zyn, how do you know all this?” Isak asked as he set the last of his clothes in a dresser.

Zyn cleared his throat, setting Ozzy down in a darkened box he immediately scurried into. “Oh, planning to major in history and archaeology...two years down the road sure but, never too early to start on your dreams right?”

“Wha? No that’s awesome! Wish I had some idea of what I want to get into already...what do you think Vidal?”

“I do not think, I serve.” He said, staring at the door leading in.

Isak flopped down onto his bed with a groan, immediately finding how hard it was to stay frustrated while laying on what had to be the nicest bedding in the entire Empire.

“Eh, not bad.” Zyn’s assessment of the bed situation on the other side of the room divider was far more critical. To him it was at least as nice as his bed back home but nothing special. “Oh, almost forgot to ask.”

The drow stood and started rummaging around in his bags as he called out to the human. “How are you managing with the sun?

Isak sat up in bed. “The sun?”

“If I want to not feel like my stomach is turning inside out, I need a handy little amulet to deal with the sun.” Ozzy plopped down off Zyn’s shoulder and joined him in his search through luggage. “Now if I remember right, you humans do that thing...you know where you get darker, tanning?”

Isak had never considered that this was not universal, but it made sense in retrospect when not all species even had skin. “Mostly yes. The fairer ones...mostly just burn.”

Zyn looked up from his search and cast a worried glance over to his fair skinned friend. He seemed on the pale side, though he had seen paler? A different shade of pale? What color did this count as again? “We didn’t have a lot of humans in my city so-”

“The sun is an enemy to us both.” Isak said with a laugh, now seeing one benefit to the cloudy weather of The Wastes.

Ozzy held a small amulet up to Zyn, who retrieved it and cave octopus in hand as he walked over to Isak to present him with the gift. “For our enemy, the sun.”

Isak stared at the amulet, noting the simple decorative carvings and runic language. “Uh, what do I owe you?”

Zyn snorted. “I don’t have to spend the year with some stranger I’d probably end up hating who has poor hygiene. Don’t worry about it. You have good hygiene right?”

The human sat up fully, still not taking it. “I uh...I really can’t put you out like that.”

“Really it’s nothing. Protects against the harmful effects of the sun, you can even attune your familiar to it! Not that Vidal needs it but-”

“Ah, no just tell me how much I owe you and I’ll work on getting the money.” Isak said, brows pressing together as he knew this was far too good to be true.

Zyn’s smile faded. “Oh….ohhhh this must be a human thing. Well, one copper then.”

“Zyn that’s worth far more than-”

“It isn’t, now buy it for one copper otherwise I’m hitting you with frost until you’re too frozen to keep complaining.” He held it out again with a shake for emphasis.

Vidal made a grinding noise as he turned on the spot.

“It was a joke!” Zyn leaned closer to Isak, putting the amulet in his hand and whispering to him “It was mostly a joke. My thing is history not economics, now give me that copper.”

Isak frowned, retrieved a copper piece and handed it to the drow. “Sorry...I’m used to good deals being a trick…”

“If that’s what this is about then yes, I am tricking you. Into friendship.” Zyn said with a toothy grin, that immediately faded into horror as he saw Isak look increasingly worried. “That too was a joke! No strings attached!”

The human gave a sigh, followed by a weak smile. “I get it. And don’t worry about me. Old habits die hard, you know?”

“We made it into Black Reef Institute, take the opportunity for a new lease on life. Now, I believe we’ve got an early dinner to catch at the main hall.” Zyn asked, gently elbowing the human.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Yeah yeah, go Sea Snakes.” Isak rolled his eyes. “Well, I suppose now that I don’t have to worry about bursting into flames-”

“Allow me to remain in this form and I shall deal with all possible combustion.” Vidal pointed a stone hand at Isak as it morphed from blocky fingers into a stone nozzle as water started to swirl about his arm.

The boys dove out of the way and took cover, Ozzy holding on for dear life.

“Short term goal, work on not taking everything literally.” Isak said, peeking out from behind his bed.

After talking down Vidal and convincing him that the combustion chances were no higher than normal, they were on their way to an early dinner with Zyn pointing out various buildings and rattling off what they had once been during The Southwestern Campaign. Even though this was likely to come up in history class, Isak could hardly deny Zyn the joy it seemed to bring him.

Midway through explaining that a sectioned off stone slab in front of the dining hall was one of the relics of a civilization that had vanished by the time of The Empire’s arrival here, Zyn stopped himself and spoke in a low voice to Isak. “Don’t turn around and be so obvious about it, but your girlfriend’s over there.”

Isak flinched and held up a finger to set the record straight. “She is not my girlfriend. I just...think she’s cool...and okay so she’s pretty...very pretty…never thought I’d be into tall girls...” His hand went from wagging a finger at Zyn to stroking at his chin while he stared at the ground. He shook his head to gather his thoughts. “My point is, she’s not my girlfriend. And even if I wanted to go for that and probably get shot down I would need to get to know her better.”

“So go ask her to join us at our table for dinner?” Zyn’s question was more of a rhetorical one, as indicated by the lost look on his face. “She said she wanted to meet up later.”

“Isn’t that too...I don’t know, soon? Too forward?” Isak asked with a shrug.

Zyn glared at the human. “Your attack rock prevents me from making certain partially joking threats, but if you don’t go ask her to join us now then Ozzy has more of a spine than you.”

Ozzy chittered away on Zyn’s shoulder, turning a dark red of indignation. Isak wanted to object, but knew for a fact he could not. He instead steeled his resolve and turned to spot that familiar tall girl of teal skin and black stripes with violet hair long and flowing. Surrounded by a small horde of rich students with their menagerie of exceptionally exotic familiars. Including no less than two raptors, of differing types, and a dragon.

Though he froze in place, Zyn gave him a reassuring thumbs up and a look over to Vidal reminded him that he was under roughly no physical danger. Just social annihilation. The group was on the move, and he had to act quick. His legs started carrying him closer before his brain was entirely certain of a plan. None of his spells were useful in situations where enemies had yet to be made. Vidal’s help was likely to get someone hurt. Which meant his old standby of using himself as a distraction and figuring out a plan along the way before he could remember what a terrible idea that was.

So he gave a large wave and called out to her. “Xoco!”

Isak was met with bemused looks from all but Xoco, who was giving a bright smile and looking almost thankful. “Well I really must be going now as you can all see, until next time!”

Xoco said to the bewilderment of all involved as she gave the tiniest bow that such a tall girl could manage and put her arm around Isak’s shoulder to drag the confused human off.

“Wha-”

“Sorry, I really needed to get away from them.” She said in a low voice as soon as they were out of earshot.

Isak’s brain was still catching up with what happened, which left his voice on its own. “Yeah well, happy to help a friend?” He gave a smile that vanished into doubt as soon as it appeared. “You know, if you want to.”

She cleared his worries with a smile of teeth so sharp one might cut themselves just from the sight. “I would like that very much. Far better than having no friends here.”

“They weren’t friends then?” Isak asked.

Xoco gave a deep sigh. “No...just people wanting to know me because of who my family is and who their families are, you know how it is.”

Isak nodded along before stopping and looking off. “Uhhh, I don’t actually…”

“Oh!” Xoco’s confusion met with embarrassment before she gave another smile of razor sharp reassurance and gave Isak a small hug as they walked. “Even better!”

“...yeah?” Isak asked while feeling his face turn red.

“The last thing I want to do here is face the same plays at “networking” beneath masks of lies!” She said between gritted teeth, to which even Nelli roused from her place around Xoco’s neck to give an affirmative hiss.

Isak looked over to Vidal as the only one nearby on Xoco’s aimless walk for some means of support. Vidal only stared ahead, thankfully not identifying Xoco dragging him around as a threat. “Well...me and Zyn were just gonna have dinner. He might talk your ear off about the school’s history, but I haven’t heard him mention ‘networking’ even once. And me? Well, honestly just more of a listener. Got nothing cool to talk about. I mean Vidal is cool and all but I don’t know much about him...oh, as you can see he now has a water form.”

He pointed to the mass of rock held together with streams of water walking beside them, and to the changed symbol on his chest. “See that? New symbol! All I had to do was flick one of my tears on him!....they were happy tears….which were completely valid-”

Xoco laughed as she inspected the newest text. “I would cry tears of joy if I was in possession of such a wonder myself!”

Isak avoided all eye contact. “Mhmm! Oh hey look it’s Zyn let’s go meet him!” Isak said, desperate for the distraction.

The drow caught sight of the pair walking together, shooting Isak an amazed look and double thumbs up as her arm was around him. Isak had only a moment for his eyes to go wide and give the tiniest and quickest shake of his head to a now very confused Zyn before they finally caught up to him.

Zyn put on a good face right before Xoco turned away from inspecting Vidal. “There you are! Come on, I’m starving and dinner will be served soon.”

Though she finally released him, Xoco smiled at Isak and Zyn alike as they made their way into the dining hall for early dinner.