Chapter 112: Home

Felix Sythias’ POV:

The flash of the teleporter consumed us, and there was a lurching sensation like the world was bending around us. For a brief moment, I felt weightless, and then we were there, back on campus. I blinked my eyes, trying to recover from the flash of light. I looked around and saw that we really were back home. This was the main teleporter complex back on campus. With its high walls, tree-themed decorations, and with the sheer size of the room we were in, we were unmistakably back home. As I looked around, I also noticed the people staring at us in confusion and shock, some with their mouths hanging open.

The moment didn’t last for long though, and guards and other people ran off. Not long after, a few people I recognized as being in charge here rushed up to us and escorted us outside, where they informed us someone had already been sent to my father, the campus investigation teams, and several healers. The investigation team was the first to arrive, and they asked us questions while we waited out in the early-morning sun. It was odd how it could be night in one world, but morning in another. But that was just the way it was. Despite the sun shining overhead, though, it was still colder than it had been in the desert. The colder, wetter climate of the Boundless Forest would take some getting used to again.

My tail swept the ground impatiently as my claws dug into the grass over and over again, like a cat kneading a blanket. The wait and the questions were getting on my nerves. Alex put a hand on my shoulder to calm me down, but it didn’t really help. I hadn’t seen dad in over a month, and I could really, really use a hug from him right about now.

Luckily, the investigators only really needed to know about the explosion and the events right before. So they were done asking their questions after only ten minutes. Dad arrived not long after they’d left.

I noticed him only moments before he landed. He shot through the sky like a comet in a blur of paperwork, blazing ink trailing behind him. He slammed into the ground in a flurry of sheets and dust, papercuts spider webbing out from where he landed, and rushed over to me with his arms outstretched. I took a step forward, opening my wings to hug him back, but dad slid to a stop a meter in front of me, instead. It seemed he had learned his lesson after last time, and wanted to check me over for injuries first. I wasn’t having any of it, and enveloped him in a tight hug.

Dad hugged me back and tears streamed from our faces, making dad’s suit wet. But neither of us gave a shit.

“Thank the stars, the gods, anyone who will listen, that you’re safe,” he said between tearful breaths. “When they couldn’t find a trace of you, I feared the worst had happened. You really had me worried.”

I shook my head, though nuzzled into dad’s neck as it was, it didn’t move much. “It almost did, but we managed to get out mostly unharmed.”

Dad hugged me even tighter, and I had to push him back slightly as it became difficult to breathe. “You’re not allowed to leave campus again anytime soon,” he said, though I knew he probably didn’t mean it. I hoped not at least. I wanted to go back to those halls in the near future. There were too many secrets hidden down there, and I needed to find them. Though, to be fair, my track record these last two months had been terrible. Maybe a few months of peace wasn’t a bad idea.

“Hey, it wasn’t my fault this time at least,” I said with a chuckle.

Dad took a step back. “No, you’re right. It’s that bastard's fault.”

I wiped away my tears, though more kept coming anyway. “That bastard?” I asked, already having an inkling who he was talking about.

Dad shook his head. “I’ll tell you later. First, we need to get you two to a healer,” he said, then turned to Alex, offering a hand, which Alex shook. “I’m really glad to know you’re okay, too, Alex. Would you mind joining us at our residence? A healer is already on the way there to meet us. I figured some privacy would be preferred—we’re gathering quite a crowd.”

I looked around and noticed that we had indeed attracted quite the crowd. At least a hundred people, if not more, were gathered nearby to watch the spectacle. Even as guards shoo-ed people away, more came to fill the gaps. I did my best to ignore them and turned back to Alex.

He looked around, then nodded. “Alright, that sounds like a good idea.”

Dad brought out his flight contracts, but I held up a talon. “That’s not necessary, I can fly again, now,” I said, then turned back to Alex. “Unless you’d prefer not to ride my saddle again today. I know you’re sore.”

Alex shook his head. “It’s fine, I can deal with a few more minutes of flying.”

Dad put away the contracts and waited for Alex to mount me, after which we took off. While we flew, I told dad what had happened while we had been stuck. From smelling the explosives, to getting stuck, to finding the tunnels, fighting the monsters for water, and getting out again. I told it without much detail, only giving a short explanation of the series of events, with Alex occasionally filling in something I forgot. I left out a few large events, though, like the System message, our intimate moments, and Alex’s time with his family. Dad didn’t need to know the details of those—except maybe the first, but I’d need to talk with Alex about that first.

We landed in the large garden at the back of the house, and Alex hopped off.

“This is where you live?” he asked, mouth agape. “This house is almost as large as the entire dormitory!”

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The house was indeed quite large. It was a large tower—though it was more shaped like a bird’s cage—with a normal house adjacent to it. Well, a normal mansion.

I shrugged. “I needed a lot of room growing up, and dad has his large library and personal archive.”

Dad nodded. “I never throw away a contract.”

As we walked past the playground and past a small copse of trees, we finally reached the door, only to find Elena already waiting there. She sped towards us the moment she saw us and began checking us over, starting with Alex since she could do more to heal him than she could me.

I watched with envy as his wounds glowed and faded, leaving only unblemished scales, grime, and ripped clothes behind. My wounds would take longer to heal, sadly. Though at least I wasn’t as seriously hurt as the last time something went wrong. I had some nasty cuts, but nothing that time couldn’t heal.

“Hmm,” Elena said. “That’s weird, you’re a little harder to heal than expected. It’s like a lesser effect of Felix’s resistance to healing.”

I glanced at Alex and shrugged. “Maybe it’s your path?” I asked.

Elena and dad looked at us questioningly. Alex hesitated for a moment, then shrugged as well. “It’s a dragon rider path,” he said. “Maybe that’s why?”

Elena looked at him for a moment longer, as if unsure, then nodded. “That’s possible, though I’d like to keep an eye on it. Anything that affects my healing efficacy is something I’d like to know more about. Could you come by my office when you have time?”

Alex nodded and Elena moved on to me. She did her best to heal my cuts and fix my hearing—I’d been having some trouble since the explosion—and gave me a healing-infused mango to eat.

After she was done, she turned to face us all. “I fixed some cuts and bruises, as well as that really sloppily healed gash. Apart from that, I restored their lungs from the stone dust that got inside, as well as fixing some hearing loss, general malnutrition and build-up of toxins. You’ll want to eat well for a few days at least, though. And no more drinking blood.”

“Alright, thank you for your time,” dad said.

We thanked her as well, and then she was off, busy as always.

“So,” dad said once she was gone, “I’m guessing neither of you have had a proper meal in days? How about I make us all a large meal?”

Alex and I glanced at each other, then nodded enthusiastically. A good meal was very much welcome. And as dad prepared the meal, he asked us questions about our time underground, asking us to elaborate on the short version we had told earlier. So we did.

As we told the more detailed story, dad prepared a rich dinner-breakfast. Large chunks of deliciously sizzling meat, fluffy pancakes with bacon, scrambled eggs, and fresh bread. I also made us some juice while Alex took over explaining the events that happened to us.

As Alex finished the story, he told about visiting his family. He didn’t give much detail, only saying he visited his parents and that he had a falling out with his dad, but his tail sagged and his face took on a sad expression. Without thinking about it, I turned to give him a reassuring squeeze and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Alex smiled and kissed me back, whispering that he was okay.

It was only when I had turned back to my juice, that I realized that dad was right there. Even if he hadn’t been looking, I was sure he noticed. He didn’t say anything, though, for which I was glad. I’d introduce Alex as my boyfriend properly another day.

“So, do you remember anything about what happened during the explosion?” dad asked as we sat down at the table. “I know you already talked about it with the investigators, but I’d like to know the story as well.”

I shook my head. “There wasn’t much time. I noticed the smell, saw the explosives stuck to the supports, then I grabbed Alex and ran as fast as I could. We aren’t sure who planted them, though we had our theories. You said you knew who did it?”

Dad nodded. “It’s probably who you thought it was—Alfred Conad. We don’t know why—he isn’t talking—but he hired assassins to plant the explosives overnight.”

A growl escaped my throat as I thought of the asshole. I just didn’t understand why he hated me so much that he would want to kill me. I embarrassed him during that first sparring session, sure, but that shouldn’t be enough to want to kill me.

Alex put a hand on my shoulder, and I shook the thoughts off. “So, what happens to him now?” I asked.

Dad shrugged. “I don’t know yet. His family wants him returned, but I’m not doing so until the investigation is finished, he’s had a proper trial, and has undergone whatever punishment the judges deem fit.”

“Alright,” I said. “Do you know what happened after the explosion, did everyone make it out okay?”

Dad wiggled his hand in a ‘sort of’ gesture. “Most everyone got out alright. No one died, but quite a few people got quite seriously injured by falling rubble. Your friend Tiki had to have her leg amputated, for example.”

“What?!” I yelled, standing up. Besides me, Alex did the same.

Dad gestured us to calm down. “She’s okay, the healers fixed her right up. Though you’ll want to visit her later, I’m sure she’ll appreciate that. She was quite worried and often came to check for new information. You made a good friend there, I’m glad.”

We slowly sat back down as dad continued explaining what had happened. “The professors and assistants had their hands full getting everyone out in time before the collapse overtook them, but once they were out, they sent for help immediately. Sadly, the earth and stone mages couldn’t find a trace of you. Not until you went through that door, I’m guessing. They found the cave you hid in after that, though the door was already gone.”

I shook my head. “I knew the door was enchanted—how else could it close like that on its own—but that it disappeared right after? I wouldn’t have guessed. I thought it was just very solidly shut. Though I suppose that explains how we ended up in the Dry Territories. Maybe we were teleported once the door closed? Though, it could be that final room we went through as well. Or any place in between, really.”

“I’ve been wondering about that,” dad said. “How did you get out? Neither of you really explained that part. You said you were teleported out by some old enchantments, but how did that happen? I know for a fact I taught you better than to activate centuries old devices. Who knows what it could’ve done to you if just one rune had been out of alignment!”

I glanced at Alex. “Can I tell him?” I asked. “It’s your call.”

Alex hesitated, then nodded. I turned back to dad. “So,” I said, really drawing out the ‘o’, “do you remember how a few days ago everyone got a global System message about the Title sub-system reactivating?”