“So let me get this straight,” I said, trying to keep my irritation in check. It had been about 30 minutes since Astor and I first opened the door to this madhouse. Relia was pacing like a caged lion, her fiery hair swirling around with every step. The Tabaxi, who I now knew as Felix, had settled into one of the armchairs.
“Felix broke into your castle?” I raised an eyebrow. “To steal cake?”
“Not just any cake! It was a royal chocolate cake! You have no idea how good it is!” Felix said defensively.
“Right, because it perfectly acceptable to break into a girls bedroom for some cake,” I replied, crossing my arms.
Astor, sitting next to me on the couch, stifled a laugh. “And that’s when you screamed for help.”
Relia rolled her eyes. “Something like that…”
Felix interrupted. “No! She tried to club me to death with a book! And that’s when I screamed for help. I mean it one of those huge, thick historical tomes. I swear, if I hadn’t gotten out of there, my blood would’ve been scattered across the pages of history!”
“Can you blame me?” Relia shot back with a snarl. “You startled me! I thought I was about to be attacked!”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Please don’t let them start at it again. I thought as I could feel my headache growing. “So, what did you do? Chase him around the castle with an axe or something?”
“Pretty much,” Relia admitted, showing no sign of joking. “If I had practiced my axe-throwing a bit more, we wouldn’t have to deal with this moron right now.”
Felix cleared his throat. “Wait, you’re actually trying to kill me?”
“Yeah, you tripped over your own stupid feet and my axe went right over your head,” Relia smirked. “If it hadn’t been for my father, I would’ve gotten you then and there.”
“Luckiest moment of my life, apparently!” Felix said, his fur seeming to lose a little of its color. “Nothing says ‘welcome to the family’ like being butchered.”
“And then what. Did the guards come and arrest him?” I pressed, trying to steer the conversation back on track.
“No,” Relia said throwing her hands up. “After he calmed down, my father and Lord Featherfall took the fur ball aside for a ‘talk.’ I thought they were gonna have him locked up, but turns out this little weasel was able to get out of it somehow.”
“Well yeah. Turns out when you’re not trying to kill me I’m pretty likable.” Felix shot back.
Relia scoffed. “Well as I was saying. Eventually, my father and Lord Featherfall decided to sponsor him to come to the Academy. Apparently, he’s supposed to work for the lord after graduation. But instead of being grateful, he wanders around in shabby clothes like some kind of ragamuffin.”
“Ragamuffin just cause I got a little style doesn’t mean...” Felix started but was cut off by a new voice entering the fray.
“Will you two just shut up already! We have listened to you two fight from the moment we got here. Unlike some of you who had family connections or just somehow got in here by the luck of the draw, some of us had to actually work for this. Do you know how hard it is to get a scholarship to the school when you come from the capital. There’s only so many spots and there are so many people that want this.
The speaker was a blonde haired youth, He had already been here before Astor and I arrived. In fact, he looked even more pissed than I felt. After taking a moment to catch his breath and calm down a bit, he continued in slightly softer tone.
“Look we’re all stuck together whether you like it or not. If we can’t find a way to work together we might as well save ourselves some time and go home right now. Relia do you really want to go home and tell your father that you couldn’t make it as an adventure because you couldn’t get along with one person. Felix, this is your chance to be more than just some thief, do you even know how many people don’t get an opportunity like this?”
As he finished he gave Relia and Felix a sharp look. Relia’s cheeks were red with shame. Similarly Felix stared at the floor his usual grin nowhere to be seen. They stood there for a moment no one making a sound.
“I’m sorry I accidentally broke into your bedroom.” Felix said breaking the silence. His ears were flat against his head, tail droop against the floor. “ I’m also sorry for not showing the proper respect for what your father has done for me. I will take better care of my appearance from now on.”
I watched Relia blink. She seemed a little caught off guard by the apology. “I’m sorry I tried to kill you but if you break into my bedroom again, I’m not gonna make any promises.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve seen how much you’ve been practicing with your ax. I’m not taking anymore chances. I mean seriously you might only miss by a few feet next time.” Felix said, shooting her a grin.
Relia pause for a moment before laughing. For the first time since we met actually smiling.
“All right, now that that’s settled, let’s start over with introductions. I suppose I should go first. I’m Frederick, but you can call me Fredy. I’m from the capital. My parents are undertakers but I’ve never had much of a taste for the family business. So now I’m here trying something.”
Relia went next. Now that she had calmed down a bit her tone was much softer and more formal .“I am Relia Dawn, daughter of Captain Dawn of the Hawthorne Knights, in service to Lord Featherfall.” She held her chin high, a hint of pride in her voice. “I am my father’s only child. So it is my duty to carry on his legacy.”
“And I’m just Felix. There’s not much about me that you don’t know.” Felix stood as he spoke.
Finally it was Astor turn to stand up. “I am Astor Airnol, and this,” he said while pointing at me. “Is my cousin, Lewin. My father wanted us to learn how to defend ourselves and our people. At least that is what me. Personally I think he just wanted us out of the house.”
We all stood there for a moment just looking at each other before I broke the silence. “So do we just stand here or is there something else we need to do.”
“I don’t know. Honestly I was expecting some dramatic music, maybe some confetti. Fred add giving a small srug.
“Welll this is awkward.”
“Yep”
Relia clapped her hands quickly gaining the room’s attention. “Great now that we have introductions done let’s get some ground rules out of the way. This might be new for you boys but I’m not going to be living in a pigsty. I want each of you to remember that if you make a mess, it is your job to clean it. You got that”
“ Eye eye captain.” Felix said snapping to attention and giving a salute.
“That’s not how you do a….you know what never mind.” Relia stoped here self before correcting Felix on his form. “Let’s just get started. Every one grab you bags. We can spend the rest of the day staring at each other after we’re unpacked.”
Not seeing anything else to do, we quickly filed over to where we had all dumped our bags. It wasn’t long before we had our them and started towards the staircase that led to the second floor, where I presumed the bedrooms were. As I passed by the dining area, a wonderful aroma struck my nose. At some point in the earlier “debate” we had forgotten about how we were supposed to have a meal already ready and waiting for us. My stomach growled reminding me that we hadn’t had breakfast.
“Soon” I whispered to the tantalizing smells.
Reaching the top of the stairs I learned that the second floor consisted of a hallway that seemed longer than the house should be able to hold. Three doors lined both sides of the hall. After a moment of staring, Felix rushed forward , while yelling “dibs.” After staring a moment, everyone else took his queue and rushed forward to claim the room that they wanted. I ended up getting one of the rooms at the very end of the hall. When I got to my door, I was grinning from how childish we were acting. Not wasting any more time put my hand on the doorknob. The second I did, my hand seemed to stick. I felt a slight tingling sensation as the doorknob emitted a faint blue glow. After a moment I felt my hand come unstuck with a slight pop. Looking at the it, I noticed it had changed. Where it once looked like simple brass, it now bore an elegant “L” etched into the front, presumably for Lewin.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
As I pushed the door open, I was greeted by an unexpected sight. My new bedroom surprised me with how spacious it felt.
“Wow, it’s bigger on the inside.” I muttered to my self. I stepping in and letting my bags drop to the floor with a soft thud. I spun in a slow circle, taking in my new room. The walls were painted a soft blue, and the space was furnished with a desk, a bed, and a dresser. Walking across the room, I opened the door on the far wall. My astonishment grew as I saw what was inside—a small bathroom and shower. What kind of building has a bathroom in the bedroom? My thoughts stumbled for a moment as I admired what was presumably going to be my room for the next three years. Curiosity piqued, I glanced back at the bed. There’s no way it could be... Hoping to prove myself wrong, I took a running leap and jumped. As soon as I landed on the bed, I was enveloped by its softness. I had to fight the urge to cocoon myself in the covers.
“This place is amazing!”
I spent the next ten minutes just admiring the room before finally getting to work unpacking. I didn’t bring much, but still I had only gotten halfway done when I heard the doorbell ring.
“That’s strange,” I muttered to myself, glancing at the clock hanging on the wall. It showed a little past midday. “Are they starting the tour already? I thought we’d have more time.”
I stopped unpacking and proceeded to leave my room, heading downstairs. I could hear the doors opening behind me as the rest of my team followed.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I crossed the distance to the front door and opened it. I looked out then up and up and up. What greeted me was the sight of a massive figure with a chest coverd in fur and bristling with muscles. The persons head was bull-shaped and had two wicked horns sticking out of ether side. A Minotaur. I froze in place; this was my first time seeing one in person. He grinned down at me and, with a deep voice, spoke.
“Greetings, comrade. I am Galdric. Would you like a cupcake?” As he spoke, he lifted something. Looking down, I saw he held a baking tray of cupcakes topped with pink frosting and sprinkles.
Deciding it would be rude not to, I reached down and took one. “Ahh, thank you,” I said before taking a bite. The moment I did, my mouth exploded with flavor. The cupcake had the perfect crunch that only fresh pastries have. The frosting was sweet and creamy, and to my absolute delight, it was chocolate. I quickly shoved the rest of the cupcake into my mouth, happily chewing.
“This is amazing!” I said around some cupcake.
The Minotaur let out a hearty laugh at my reaction. “Thank you, comrade! I do try. May we come in?”
“We?” I asked, eyeing the rest of the cupcakes.
“Da, me and the rest of my adventuring team. We are next-door neighbors. We thought it would be nice to make good impression early.”
“Can I have more cupcakes?” I asked hopefully.
“Of course, as many as you like,” he said, his smile wide.
“Then, yeah, come on in,” I said, grabbing a few more cupcakes and turning back to the rest of my party now waiting in the hall. “We’ve got company, guys. And he says the cupcakes are only for me.”
As I moved aside, the Minotaur ducked his head to avoid scraping his horns against the top of the doorway. Each of his hoofsteps made a small thud as he stepped inside. Now unobstructed, a much smaller figure followed after. To my surprise, the figure turned out to be a Swarmling. It had the body of a wasp with black and yellow along its carapace. Its compound eyes made me a little uneasy. Unlike Galdric, it seemed to lack any sense of confidence, walking in slightly hunched, its long, slender fingers rubbing against each other nervously.
“Hello, my name is Vespin. I am pleased to meet you. Please forgive me if I cause any offense; I am not fully informed of your rules or customs.” His voice had a slight buzz.
“Don’t worry about it, mate. You’ll fit right in,” Felix said, walking over and putting an arm around Vespin’s shoulder.
I narrowed my eyes as I noticed the remnants of pink frosting on Felix’s lips—obviously from one of MY cupcakes. Dark thoughts of revenge began to swirl in my mind as the last member of Galdric’s team bounced in. I turned to look, and a spear seemed to shoot through my heart.
Suddenly, I was back that night. Fire everywhere. Screams rose all around me. Tha smell choked ash filled my nose. I trembled as the smoke surrounded me, my small body helpless as I watched the flames consume my father, melting his armor around him. My vision was overwhelmed by the sight of the large pillar like fangs, scales blacker than night, and one massive red eye staring down at me.
Don’t react. Don’t move. It can’t get you if you don’t move. Don’t move. Don’t move.Don’t move!
I blinked and found myself back in the present. Gone were the flames and smoke; the screams faded away as if they’d never been. The sent of smoke fading just out of reach. But still, the fear remained. I felt my heart thundering in my chest as panic began to take hold. Just a few feet in front of me stood a gray dragon. It’s head came up to about my shoulders. I watched, petrified, as time seemed to move in slow motion.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so happy to be here!” the dragon exclaimed in a clearly feminine voice. My eyes tracked her as she rushed toward Relia. “Wow, you’re a human! You’re all so cute! Oh, and your hair is so long and pretty; can I touch it?”
Relia paused, clearly caught off guard by the barrage of words, but after a moment, she regained her composure and smiled. “That would be fine.”
I watched as one claw ran it’s way through Relia’s hair. The dragon seemed to be bouncing with excitement. I could still feel my heart leap every time she switched her tail.
“Wow, it is soft! That’s so amazing! I’m Sylvara, but my friends all call me Syl.” Without warning She nuzzled Relia’s neck and then bounced around to do the same with the rest of our team.
I felt panic building even more as she approached me. In a moment of desperation, I took the only action I could, which was nothing at all.
Don’t react. Don’t move. It can’t get you if you don’t move. If it worked then it will work now . Don’t move. Don’t move. Please don’t move!
The dragon reached out her long neck and nuzzled mine. While it lasted only a few seconds, the contact felt eternal, panic consuming me as I felt completely unable to react.
Time moved in a haze. I watched silently as the rest of the introductions unfolded. It felt as if I were in the backseat of my own body, passively observing all the interactions. Eventually, the group moved to the dining room, where everyone sat around the table chatting. At some point, food and cupcakes appeared, but I wasn’t sure when. My fear made me forget my hunger. At some point, I made an excuse about having to go to the bathroom. when I finally stumbled into my room, I shut and locked the door behind me. The fear made me feel sick. I quickly moved to the bathroom retching into the toilet, but nothing came. I don’t know how long I sat there before my fear began to fade along my thoughts to come a little more more clearly.
She’s not the same dragon. She’s not the same. I repeated the thought over and over, trying to shake off my fear. But I didn’t work. Logically I know I was safe. But it wasn’t that simple.
*Knock, Knock, Knock.*
I jumped at the noise. My eyes darted to the door.
“Lewin? Can I come in”. The voice was Astor’s. I didn’t move for a moment, but slowly I crawled across the floor and unlock the door. He opened it quickly stepping in and relocked it behind him. He as sat on the floor next to me. We just sat the for a moment, no world, no sound. It helped I can say why. When I finally spoke my voice trimbled.
“ Is she still there?”
“Yes.” The reply was simple. But the emotions it brought were not.
“I can’t go back down there.” I said I put my head in my hands.
“I know, but I think you should try. The others were thinking that it was weird that you were gone so long. But I told him that you have a hard time meeting so many new people at once. Honestly, I think if you give Syl a chance you would like her.”
I didn’t say anything for a long moment. I knew he was probably right, but that still didn’t do anything to change how I felt.
She’s not the same she’s not the same.
“ This will probably be a good opportunity to help you move past this.” Astor continued.
“I don’t know if it works like that.” Part of me wanted to. I wanted to go downstairs and be normal but there was just something there blocking me from taking the next step. Something that’s seeds were planted long ago.
Aster stood up and reached a handout to me. “ I don’t know either but it’s at least worth a try.”
I just stared at him for a moment. I could see myself taking his hand and going downstairs and everything being all right. But just needed it a little longer.
After a few seconds he sighed. “All right Lewin I’m gonna go downstairs and you can join us if you feel ready. I’ll make a deal with you if you go down there and they should be all work on my fear heights. Does that sound like a deal?”
I knew how hard that must be for him to make slowly, I knotted. “ Ok I’ll be down in a little bit. I just need a little longer.”
“All right, then I’ll make sure to save a cupcake for you.” Was that he left.
The room felt hollow with me in it. I sat there, counting my breaths. Trying to your reasonable level.
She’s not the same dragon.
The thought in my head over and over as I tried to build up some kind of barrier in my mind. Finally I stood up and put my hand on the door now it trembled, but I had made a decision and I would follow through.
I was greeted with smiles when I finally came back to the dining room. Everyone was happy and laughing. I tried smiling as well wearing a mask to hide my discomfort. Is morning turned into evening we all satp. We talked, but it was mostly them. I responded to questions doing my best to seem normal. The moments passed. At one point I tried eating a cupcake, but the once sweet treat tasted like as in my mouth. No matter what, I keeped the dragon in the corner of my eye. Little lightning bolt shooting through my stomach every time she switched or made a sudden movement.
Later, a knock came at the front door, revealing the tour guide. It took only a few moments for our group to move outside and join a larger group of students. Soon, we were all walking toward one of the teleportation circles at the end of the street. After a quick burst of light, we found ourselves in a more commercial area of the Academy. As we walked, the tour guide explained the various buildings and customs. As the tour continued, I felt my unease fade a little. The tour served as a distraction, keeping my mind away from the flames buried in my memory. The major points of the tour included the cafeteria, training grounds, library, classrooms, and a few other spots. At one point, I watched as an older student with glasses got into a tussle with a squirrel over a sandwich. Spoiler alert: the squirrel won, scurrying up a tree with the sandwich in its mouth as the glasses-wearing student hung his head in defeat. But no matter where we went, my eyes never lost sight of the light gray scales that were blended in with the rest of the crowd.
“What’s that?” a girl with pink hair asked the guide. We were currently strolling through a street lined with taverns. She pointed to a particular one where many patrons appeared to be holding candles and not making a sound.
The guide looked where she was pointing and then back to her. “Around here, when classes let out and the summer campaign season begins, adventuring parties that excel during the school year are given opportunities to intern with guilds. It’s a great chance to gain valuable experience and get your name out there, but not everyone who goes always comes back.” A deep sadness lingered in his eyes as he spoke. For a second it looked as if it was a reflection of my own. “This is just a tradition we have around here to remember the fallen.” He stared at the tavern for a moment, as if seeing something no one else could. Eventually, he resumed the tour, and began leading us down the street again.
When the tour concluded, he brought us to a tavern. The sign above the door read “The Floppy Hat.” Inside, the bar had a cozy atmosphere. Most of the tables and chairs were filled, but all the patrons wore smiles, happily chatting the night away. As we entered, they greeted us with nods and raised glasses. The bartender, a middle-aged woman, looked up.
“Hey, Ralph finally brought me some new customers! Took you long enough; I was getting worried you wouldn’t come.”
“Oh, you know me, Sarah. Not even the Lord of Summer can keep me away from this place.”
The woman behind the counter frowned. “You better be careful not to let him hear you say that. He’ll have you running laps till you drop, then make you get up and do it again.”
Ralph waved her comment away with a dismissive hand. Turning back to our group, he said, “All right, everyone, time to order a drink. The first round is on the house. We have a little tradition here at The Crooked Hat where we do a toast for all our new companions.”
It took only a few minutes for our haphazard group to form a line. After a bit of waiting, each of us had our drinks. Once we were all set, Ralph hopped up onto a table.
“Here’s a toast to living and laughing! In the booze we drink, our sorrows are drowned. We live for today with friends all around. So drink up, my friends, and put your glasses down, for tomorrow we could all be six feet under the ground.” As his speech concluded, Ralph and the other patrons raised their glasses and began to drink, prompting many new students to join in. I brought the drink to my lips. The Amber liquid swirled as it went down bringing a slight warmth. As I finish my glass, I felt the promise that it held. All I would have to do is indulge and I would be free from the fear. Free from the memories and free from the pain I would just have to give into the designer and that scared me more than anything else.
I grew somewhat more comfortable as the night went on. I decided to limit myself to that one initial drink. As I sat there, listening to the music, I felt something resonate with as if the strings of my soul were being plucked. I couldn’t explain it, as if it was almost magic, but as my heartstrings were played the feelings of warmth and happiness began to grow, nudging the fear aside. I felt myself beginning to relax. Slowly the smile that I wore as a mask became more genuine. I began to get to know my classmates better. At some point, Felix taught Astor a drinking song, and they began singing—completely out of tune, I might add—but the rest of the bar didn’t seem to mind. Even Relia clapped along before laughing when Felix slipped off the table. I watch as Fred lost a few coins to Galdric in a game of dice that I had never seen before.
As the night stretched on, feelings of wonder and excitement sang to me. Never noticing that the scales of the gray had left my sight.
---
Yes, the school year had truly begun. In some taverns, laughter echoed. In others, patrons held silent vigils until their candles flickered out. The various forces controlling the school awaited in silence. Pages rustled, eyes gleamed, and threads were woven together. And above it all, in an office alone, a figure read a list of names that would never return to the school halls.
“Devin, Lacy, Susan, Mica, Darius, Tarzel…” The list was long. Far too long. The pen in his hand trembled as he wrote each name into a book. He recalled each face, tears unshed clouding his mind. What had he not prepared them for? What could he have taught them to help them survive? These were the same thoughts he grappled with every year. The pain tore at him, fueling his determination as one singular thought drove him forward.
I will not fail them this year. This year, I will make them strong enough to come home