Vivian woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling.

Taking a moment to orient herself, she sat up, pushing the covers off and stretching her arms above her head. She glanced out of the window. Light shone through the dusty glass, which she should clean sooner rather than later. It was early morning and it was quite chilly in the attic. She rubbed her arms as she made her way downstairs, past the drawing room where the fireplace was now empty, down to the living room. The gentle sound of cup being set down drew her to the dining.

‘Oh, good morning,’ Sith greeted. She was seated at the dining table, an empty plate in front of her as she sipped from a cup of what looked to be tea. Her other hand held a bunch of official looking papers. ‘Did you sleep well last night?’

‘Yes.’ Vivian stifled a yawn. ‘Better than I have for days… Is Peri awake yet?’

‘No, and don’t expect him to any time soon.’ Sith drained the last of her tea. ‘I’ll be leaving for work in another half-hour. Need to get dressed. Once Peri is awake, you two can make your way to the city and meet up with Cyrus and Dixie.’

She stood up with her plate and cup and walked off into the kitchen. Vivian followed close behind.

‘Um, where can I wash my face?’

‘Oh right.’ She pointed at a door at the back of the kitchen that led outside. ‘For now, use the well. You can buy a basin and jug for your room when you go out today.’

Nodding her head in thanks, Vivian pushed open the backdoor and stepped out on to a porch. The sight of the Druscan woods greeted her. She stood still for a moment letting the crisp, morning air seep into her lungs and wake her up properly. The wind carried with it the smell of the woods, a soothing scent that she quite enjoyed. She quickly washed her face, making sure to gurgle a mouthful of water to get rid of her morning breath.

Sith was still in the kitchen when she came back, wiping her washed plate and cup with a clean rag before placing it on the drying rack.

‘You must be busy. I could’ve done that for you.’

‘It’s alright.’ Sith wiped her hands on the rag. ‘Reno runs a tight ship. We all have to do these things on our own.’

‘He sounds… strict.’

‘Nah, but he does go into a sulk if we don’t do it.’

‘Peri said he was a beastman.’ Vivian glanced at her tail that was curled around her thigh. ‘Are you also…?’

‘Yes, I’m a beastman, just like Reno. In fact, the two of us come from the same tribe. I brought him here with me when I came from Rhyzos.’

‘Why did you leave?’

A small, sad smile made its way across Sith’s lips. ‘Let’s just say I’m no longer welcome there.’

It was a clear cue to not ask any further. Just like Peri.

Sith marched out into the dining room to grab her papers from the table.

‘I hope you’re fine with bread and cheese for breakfast.’ Sith shuffled her papers together. ‘There’s plenty in the pantry, so help yourself. There’s tea in the kettle. It might’ve grown a bit cold so heat it up.’

‘Thank you.’

Sith nodded. ‘I should get ready.’

Vivian turned towards the store as she heard Sith’s footsteps make their way up the stairs. She grabbed some bread and cheese on a plate, and put the kettle on the fire. She poured herself a glass of hot tea and sat down at the dining table with her breakfast. She was munching on the last piece of bread when she heard footsteps descending the staircase. Quickly swallowing she hurried out into the sitting room. Sith was standing near the front door, searching for something in a satchel swung across her shoulder. She was wearing a simple blue shift dress with a brown belt to cinch it at her waist and a pair of pants underneath.

‘When will you be back?’

Sith stopped rummaging in her bag for a moment. ‘I’ll be back for lunch… Then again you lot might still be in town at that time, so I might just join you there. We’ll see.’

Vivian nodded. ‘Have a nice day then.’

‘Hopefully, though I wouldn’t bet on it… If Peri doesn’t wake up by noon feel free to break his door down and drag him out.’

‘I… won’t be doing that.’ Vivian shook her head. ‘I’ll knock.’

Sith rolled her eyes. ‘Right, because none of us have ever tried that before.’

Sith pulled open the front door and stepped out into the bright morning light. She stepped around the house and grabbed a saddle that was leaning against the side. Taking a breath, she let out a long whistle, the sound cutting cleanly through the quiet morning air. Before Vivian could even wonder at what she was doing, she heard the sound of large wings beating against the air. A strong gust whipped up around them and she was forced to cover her eyes. When the gust finally died down, she slowly peered out from beneath her eyelids. What she glimpsed had her turning wide-eyed in a moment.

‘Vivian,’ Sith said, placing her hand on a brown, feathered neck. ‘Meet Pontos.’

Vivian let out an exhale as bright yellow eyes studied her. A sharp beak parted itself to let out a sharp screech. White feathers adorned its head and neck all the way down to its chest. Sharp talons clawed the earth beneath it, while behind them a pair of large lion paws shifted on the ground. A long tail twitched, caution evident in its stiffness. Vivian had heard several stories and folklore about the creature, but seeing one in the flesh was exhilarating.

‘A griffin,’ she whispered in awe.

Sith grinned. ‘Thought you might like it. Yes, this is my griffin Pontos. I raised him from an egg myself.’ She scratched Pontos along his neck, and the griffin crowed in delight. She tossed the saddle she was holding across his back and fastened the buckles with practiced ease. ‘Though you should stay a bit far away. Griffins, in general, are quite skittish around strangers.’

‘I noticed,’ Vivian said. Pontos the griffin had not taken his eyes off of her for even a moment since he landed. She took a step back into the house. ‘I’m just going to stay here, far away.’

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‘He’ll get used to you eventually.’ Sith grabbed the saddle that was now strapped on Pontos’ back and hauled herself up. She held onto the handle on the front of the saddle as the griffin jerked a bit to adjust to her weight. ‘Right, well I’ll see you in the afternoon.’

Vivan tore her eyes away from Pontos to raise a hand in farewell. ‘See you then.’

Sith nudged Pontos with her heels and the griffin spread its large wings. With a mighty beat the creature leapt into the air, quickly gaining altitude and distance until both griffin and rider were a small speck in the distant sky. Vivian stood there for a while, marvelling at the strength and grace of the creature even after it was long gone. A harsh caw from a crow nearby snapped her out of her daze. Giving herself a small shake she headed back inside and closed the door.

………

Thankfully, Vivian didn’t have to break down any doors.

Peri lumbered downstairs with messy hair and creases that suggested that he hadn’t bothered with a mirror and had instead simply decided to roll right out of bed and amble downstairs for breakfast. Vivian was in the greenhouse, examining the plants that were being grown there when she heard him shuffling down the stairs and into the kitchen. She walked into the kitchen just in time to see him try to hang a cutting board above the fire.

‘Um, good morning.’ Vivian quickly moved forward and snatched the board out of the fire. ‘That’s not… Why don’t you sit? I’ll bring you breakfast.’

Peri grunted and shuffled out of the kitchen. Vivian heard a chair scraping as she hung the kettle above the fire. She grabbed a plate and dipped into the store to get some bread and cheese. Pouring a cup of the now hot tea she brought Peri’s breakfast to the dining table and set it before him, before settling in chair herself. The man in question was slumped on the table and only raised his head when he heard the plate being set down.

‘Not a morning person, are you?’ Vivian watched as he ripped out a chunk of bread swallowed it dry.

Another grunt followed by silence was her answer.

Once he was done, his eyes seemed to have finally opened all the way, the tea helping especially with waking him up. He leaned back in his chair and yawned, stretching his arms above his head and cracking his knuckles. Vivian made to grab his plates but he waved her away.

‘I’m awake now. I’ll do it.’

He stumbled back into the kitchen and she heard him washing the plates in the tub. She glanced around the room, looking for something to occupy her interest when a sudden movement by the window caught her eye. Something small and black leapt onto the windowsill, causing her heart to leap with it before she recognized who it was.

‘I thought you would be back yesterday evening,’ she said as Ebion climbed onto her lap. ‘What were you doing?’

‘Probably got something to eat somewhere else.’ Peri came back in and threw himself in his chair once more. ‘And slept the night on the roof or something. He tends to come and go as he pleases. Only listens to Sith, and that too occasionally.’

‘He’s a troublemaker, is he?’

‘I’ve met worse.’ He looked at her pointedly.

‘What did I do?’

‘Nothing… yet.’

Vivian huffed, but there wasn’t much anger behind it. ‘We should get going. We said we would meet up with Cyrus and Dixie.’

‘Academy registration first.’ Peri pulled himself out of his chair. ‘Everything else comes after.’

It didn’t take long before they were once again walking down the winding path away from the cottage. Ebion had opted to stay behind, curling up on the living room couch for a long nap. Peri and Vivian weaved their way through the farmlands, Vivian occasionally calling out greetings to the working goblins. Some stared at her in surprise, while a few responded in kind. The streets weren’t too crowded when they arrived and they quickly made their way to the Rusty Kettle. Cyrus and Dixie were already downstairs in the inn’s dining area. Thankfully, Dixie had finally decided to change her appearance from Vivian’s. Now she sported short blond hair and bright green eyes on a young, chubby, freckled face. As soon as they spotted Peri and Vivian through the window, Cyrus and Dixie moved to meet them outside.

‘Good morning,’ Dixie greeted cheerfully. ‘Had a good night’s sleep?’

‘Best I’ve had in a while.’

‘Bet you feel like a whole new person.’ Dixie looked her up and down. ‘Now we just need to match the outside to the inside.’

‘No, no.’ Peri shook his head. ‘Registration first.’

Dixie glared at him. ‘Absolutely not. It was bad enough that she stood in front of the Council wearing those rags. If she steps into the academy in those, she will never live it down. If the other children see-’

‘They’re children,’ Cyrus interrupted. ‘Not bloodthirsty monsters waiting to tear into someone.’

‘They aren’t angels either,’ Dixie shot back. ‘Children are terrifying. Why do you think I prefer to wear their faces?’

Peri rolled his eyes. ‘Dixie we can’t-’

‘Let’s just buy one to wear to the academy, and get the rest afterwards,’ Dixie compromised. ‘It’ll only take ten minutes.’

Cyrus sighed before nodding. ‘Fine. But only ten minutes.’

Dixie clapped her hands and grabbed Vivian’s hand. ‘Great! You two can stay here. You’ll be useless anyways.’ She pulled Vivian along as she made to walk down the street. ‘We’ll see you in twenty minutes.’

‘You said ten minutes!’ Peri called out after them but they were already gone.

Thirty minutes later, Dixie and Vivian left Madame Jeanne’s Boutique, with the shop’s namesake and proprietor inviting them to visit again. Madame Jeanne was quite the sharp-eyed elf, with a kind nature that Vivian deeply appreciated as she felt quite lost standing among the rows of clothes. Vivian tried not to stare too much at her pointed ears as it was her first time seeing an elf, but she was not very discreet. Madame Jeanne took no offense, though and simply smiled at her.

‘Are you new to the city?’

Vivian nodded. ‘Just arrived yesterday.’

Madame Jeanne nodded and moved on with her work. She quickly understood what they were looking for and wasted no time. With precise movements she took her measurements and suggested some outfits for her to try. Vivian ended up wearing a pair of black woollen pants, a full-sleeved white tunic, a brown leather jerkin with simple clasps in front and a pair of black boots, all of which felt quite rich on her skin. She never had clothes this fine. Most of her clothing were hand-me-downs from her brothers that her mother altered for her. It was a novel feeling to have something new all for herself.

They had discarded the clothes she was wearing until then as they were beyond salvaging, though Vivian’s hands twitched at the thought of wasting the fabric. Surely it could be used for something else, but Dixie was adamant.

‘Leave it. We’ll be buying you a whole new wardrobe. On a loan of course.’

‘Lucky me.’

‘That will be ten denos.’ Madame Jeanne smiled graciously.

Dixie counted out the coins and paid for the order. They left the shop and headed straight back to the inn, where Peri and Cyrus were waiting for them. They had made themselves comfortable on one of the benches along the street, deep in a quiet argument. Vivian and Dixie waited for a carriage to move past before crossing over to join the two men.

‘Alright, we’re done,’ Dixie said. ‘For now.’

Peri looked Vivian up and down. ‘You look human.’

‘Thank you. That’s what I was going for.’

‘If there is nothing else, let’s make our way to the academy,’ Cyrus suggested.

‘Where is this school?’ Vivian asked as they started walking.

‘It’s a bit far,’ Cyrus replied. ‘It’s on the other side of marketplace, near the lake. It should take us about half-hour to reach.’

The crowd was growing as they walked through the market. Even though she had already passed through the area twice she still couldn’t help looking at every single thing around her with fascination, though this time she had fewer questions to ask. The marketplace was comprised of cobbled streets with shops on either side. These streets fed into plazas and courtyards that provided places to stop and rest for a while. Bakeries and eateries lined these plazas with their awning providing shade to the customers seated outside. Fountains danced in the centre of the square while birds bathed in the waters it spouted forth. There were even designated landing zones for griffins, carpets and any other means of flying.

They had passed through two such plazas and on the third Vivian found herself standing in front a large set of iron gates. A compound wall stretched out on either side made of unyielding stone. By this point the hustle and bustle of the market had faded, with only a few restaurants and bookshops nearby, probably meant to serve students and professors. Beyond the gates lay well-manicured lawns cut into the sides of a hill. Steps led up through the lawns to a giant, stately building on the crest with more rooms than she could count, its whitewashed walls gleaming in the sunlight.

Cyrus placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair slightly. ‘This is where you will be learning to control and use your magic… This is Almos Academy.’