We found our tour guides surrounded by half a dozen students all huddled together like in some silly cartoon.
" Listen here .. Pelit! Hello? "
The man became functionally useless whenever a girl was in sight.
Thankfully, Rim paid attention and was willing to wake up our wayward friend as well.
" Ouch .. why did you hit me!? "
His bewilderment only lasted until it looked into my not so pretty eyes.
" Khmm .. sorry. I'm here now. " He promised.
I took a look at the crowd behind them.
They noticed our presence and mostly dispersed with the exception of a few brave ones who decided to stay with the Orlean siblings.
" Let's keep this short, I'm starving .. low profiles boys!.. at least for now, okay? "
They both gave me an encouraging thumbs up, and we walked back to the others.
There were only 3 new faces, those that had the courage to stay with the siblings, the others went back to do .. whatever they were doing, expect kept a watchful eye on us.
" Ohh, hello again. " A shaky Milan stepped forward.
He almost tumbled, Pelit wanted to laugh but managed to disguise it as a convincing cough. To be fair, Milan's nerves were getting the best of him from the looks of it.
His sister kept her eyes on me. They were so narrowed that I thought she had just closed her eyes for a second.
I sighed and grabbed my backpack, which we left near the door.
" By the way, these here are our friends, Tommy, Leyla, and Irina. " Lor introduced the people standing around them.
The 3 mentioned give us a polite nod. One of us couldn't hold himself back..
" Nice to meet you, I'm Pelit. Those two are my brothers, Ferith and Rimel. Ferith being the nephew of the ..
Rim rapidly tapped his shoulder to shut him up while I welcomed the oncoming headache as an old friend.
" ..umm .. so w-what .. what do you guys do with your free time? " He finished it awkwardly.
To all our collective surprise, the brunette named Leyla covered her mouth but couldn't fully stifle her laughter.
I shared a smile with Rim as we saw Pelit dreamy look. As nice as this all was, I had things to do, so I stepped forward and grabbed my friends.
" It's very nice to meet you all, but if you don't mind, we finish the tour some other time, we had a long journey, and the pushback is horrible.. and I have to see the headmaster as well. "
They each gave us an understanding nod, and Milan even looked relieved that we were leaving.
His sisters sense of duty won out over her suspicion. " I will show you the dorms. "
We said goodbye to the others and followed her.
She let me go through the door first, and her eyes visibly narrowed again.
The school was enormous. Old of course, and seemed cold, but magic fixed all of that.
Since no electricity worked as it should near magicans, our society had to rely on other means for heat and lightning.
The layout of the place was simple, thank Merleau..
My ancestors had the good sense not to overcomplicate things when it came to interior design.
Two sets of stairs, one lead towards the study halls and the other towards the dormitories. Simple.
We were led up the stairs passing by a few early arrivals. Some even attempted a greeting of sorts.
Poor Lor's previous bubbly personality was gone, and in place, we had this solemn, brooding, and silent girl who occasionally sighed.
All in all, it was a trade up in my book.
" This is the number you need to remember here. "
She suddenly stopped in front of a door. 420.
" You share the dorm with others, but they arrive tomorrow at some point. Once you unpacked, please find me outside, and I will take you to the headmaster's office. "
It took me a second or two to understand she wanted me to acknowledge her statement even though she spent the last 6 minutes ignoring us like a bad smell.
Instead, I just opened the door and left her as is. I'm still heard Rim saying something to salvage the situation before the door closed.
" .. Thanks for the .. w-we, see you later. "
The inside was much bigger than I thought. I had never seen these rooms before, so it was a surprise for me as well.
5 beds .. meaning we have to put up with 2 extras from tomorrow.
" That girl Lor is hot, but you know in a weird way.. That other girl, though .. she is amazing. "
I was so exhausted mentally that his words barely registered. One thing is for sure, the adjustment to my changing friends will be a challenge in the future.
" Her name, I think, was Leyla. " Rim helped him out, then turned to me. " Ferith, I take the bed at the window. "
" Yeah, no problem.. I got mine next to it. "
We basically chose beds identical as we had it back at the Taj.
Spent the next 30 minutes unpacking all we brought.
Then I told them about the envelope the captain gave me, which made them emotional, and I even saw the first sings of homesickness.
After counting the money, we agreed they were way too generous.
" Hmm .. all the boys must've chipped in, huh? " I asked a little emotional myself.
Pelit was already blowing his nose, and Rim stood looking out the window, acting stoic but feeling it like the rest of us.
Those ragtag castaways.. they cared quite a bit.
After sharing some dried food, dehydrated fruits and such that we put away for literal emergencies, I was ready to leave.
" Alright.. I go and visit my uncle, you two stay still for an hour will you? " I asked, walking past.
Their quick nodding gave me a nauseating feeling, but I pushed it down.
Closing the door behind me, I went straight for his office. I left our tour guide standing for hours waiting for me .. but to be fair .. I didn't know she was a simpleton it at the time.
———
Inside his office, the man was hard at work on his promise to me. I appreciated it.
He was walking around on a map depicting the globe, which was engraved into the floor he walked around with his wand in one hand .. and a purple crystal in the other, the very reason I came back home in the first place.
He looked up, acknowledging me being there, and kept the spell running.
Since he was working on a spell matrix that will cover the country, I decided to take a look inside his office.
I have only ever been here once. Before my parents' funeral, needless to say, I didn't have the best of memories.
On his desk, that was large enough to sleep on were various sealed letters ready to be sent, some glass figures depicting ancient races, such as dwarfs and fabled elfin and the most elusive of them all, fairies.
His seat? .. I sat down and tried it .. it was pretty good.
I noticed the same picture he gave me on his table. There were a few actually, some with his colleagues or friends, few with his brother from childhood, one from was my parents wedding.
And one with me.
I took the picture and looked at it. It was from 5 years ago, as we finished the gazebo. I even remembered the moment when my father asked us to make funny faces.
Needless to say, we stone faced it.
The picture was one part of a gift ,the second being the gazebo itself, a gift built for my mother ..
" Nostalgic? "
I didn't notice when he finished.
" Little bit .. " I put the picture back down and got up from his chair. " How the spell go? "
He frowned, taking a seat. " Of course it went well. My friends helped. "
That was a surprise because he was the one who used to tell me he didn't have any friends.
" Times sure changed .. so when we will get the first reading about the rest of the crystals? "
I pointed at the one he held.
" A week .. two, maybe? .. It depends, kid. " He flipped his hand, and the crystal was gone. " Trust me when I say this .. I will find the rest. "
His confidence held ..
" I trust you. I mean, you already proved yourself finding one of the three.. "
" Legends and myths are tricky things. What's fiction and what is not? " He stood up and walked towards a bookshelf. " It's becomes even more murky when it comes to our little friends. "
He handed me a book.
The Comprehensive History of the Fairy Kingdom and its Fall.
Andrew. A. Hublard.
" If you ask me .. Hublard had the help of them when writing this. But the man himself disappeared centuries ago, so that route is long closed to us .. anyway, a little light reading if you like. "
I flipped through and figured .. Rim would love this.
" Ferith.. about your being .. wandless .. it will give you a lot ..
" Are you going to give me advice on how to handle adolescent children and their unwillingness to accept things they don't understand? " I asked with a stoic expression.
He looked suspicious. " Maybe .. "
I sighed dramatically and changed the subject.
" Is there a schedule or something about classes and such? What about books and everything else we might need? "
Decided to ask all the questions Rimel thought .. only an idiot wouldn't ask already .. so I can tell him something later.
" I hoped you make use of your key to the vaults and .. buy everything in the town. " He answered, tapping his table. " .. What? "
He could've told us to come a day or two earlier to have enough time to buy what we need ..
" Never mind .. what is this key business? " I asked.
He was confused for a second but quickly caught on.
" For the b.. Bank. You never knew .. damn it. How come you never asked!? "
" I made my own money.. " I shrugged.
" But probably not at first .. " He murmured to himself, probably feeling a little guilty or something.
Apparently, he thought I was making regular withdrawals? Silly old man..
" Alright.. calm down. I'm here, I'm good, never starved to death, okay? Now, what do I need exactly to get my money and also the supplies? "
" Lor or Milan will ...
" I'll figured it out, thanks. " I put my hand up, in anticipation of his answer.
He smiled and got up and put his hands around my shoulders.
" Have patience with the kids here .. they lived a more sheltered and peaceful life, take it easy on them, OK? "
I had rolled my eyes, thinking if we didn't seriously injure any of these pampered children by Christmas.. it will be a miracle. But I did understand what he was trying to tell me.
" Got it .. don't worry about me and the boys. We love peace, some we will manage. "
I put the book inside my jacket and walked towards the door when my uncle called after me.
" Ferith.. "
" Hmm.. ? " I turned around.
He came closer and hugged me.
" I missed you, kid. "
.. I embraced the man almost automatically.
He gave me the chance to put everything right.
Whatever it takes.