Chapter 3: August

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"Eat up, Stroud," the guard said to him as he passed his plate in through the slot.

David took a cue from the strange tone of the guard's voice. He looked down at his plate, and was very confused. "What in the world is this?" he asked.

"Water chestnuts, watercress, water biscuits, and for dessert, watermelon! And you can wash it all down with a nice, cool glass of water!"

"I don't get the joke," David said, puzzled. It was hardly a decent meal, if for no other reason than that there wasn't that much of it.

"Cheer up! It's the water festival today!" the guard said, and moved on to the next inmate.

David sighed and sat to eat his "lunch". Mainly, he ate the watermelon, which was acceptable. The rest was barely edible.

He'd been here for a number of days that he'd not bothered to count. Each day was exactly like the ones before and after it: they would rise, shower, and eat breakfast in the meal hall. They would spend some time outside in the yard, and then be directed back to their cells. For the rest of the day, they would spend their time alone, reading, or drawing, or whatever they could find to keep themselves from going completely stir crazy.

He shoved aside the remains of his meal, and went back to staring out the window. He didn't know when school began, but it couldn't be soon enough to get the hell out of this place.

In about another hour or so, he heard a noise behind him. He turned to see that the guard had returned. This time, however, he was escorting a rather attractive lady. She had shoulder-length black hair and green eyes, along with a heart-shaped face and soft features.

"Visitor for you, Stroud," the guard said, and opened the door. The lady walked in, and then the guard slammed the door shut behind her and walked away. It had been made clear to David that the guard did not like his job, and liked the people inside the Northern Callamandia Criminal Management Facility even less.

Might as well call it a prison, David thought to himself. That's exactly what it is... Though the NCCMF was technically not a prison (or so he'd been told), the difference was lost on David. He was housed in a small cell, which contained a bed, a restroom, a chair and a desk. His third-floor view showed him the yard, and some trees in the distance. The facility housed some thousand or so inmates, but David had not bothered to talk with any of them. All of them were here because they had committed a crime. He was here because he wasn't quite dead. He had little interest in getting to know them.

"Good afternoon," the young lady said.

David pulled himself out of his reverie. "Uh, hi. Who are you?"

"Sarah Charbonneau," she said, holding out her hand. David took it, shaking gently and then letting go. "I wanted to stop by and say hi, kind of get acquainted, see how you were doing... oh, and bring you your Nagyara basket!"

"Nagyara?"

"You don't know about... Oh! Right. I forgot, you're new to Dugerra. I'm sorry. Nagyara is the annual water festival."

"Oh, that," David said sardonically. "I already had my water lunch, thanks."

"Huh?" Sarah asked, confused. David pointed to the tray, which had not yet been picked up. "They expected you to eat that?" she asked.

"Well, I ate the watermelon," he said.

"I think we can do a little better than that," she said, and set the basket down, opening it. She pulled out ripe fruits, most of which David could not identify. She had a bottle of what looked like sparkling water, and then she pulled out a silver rod.

"Sorry I couldn't put together a better Nagyara basket, but I didn't know I was coming until yesterday."

"That's okay. Looks a lot better than what I've been eating. What is all this?"

"Well, these are Callum apples. Very juicy. Then we have oranges, of course... And waterfruit is essential to any Nagyara celebration. Some strawberries, a few vikifruit... they're really hard to find, but absolutely delicious! And some lagoonberries. This is effervescent water from Lake Cochina... it's said to be very refreshing.

"And this is a silver flute," she said, handing him the thing that had appeared to be a rod.

"Um... I don't know how to play the flute," he objected politely. "Thank you, though."

"You'll pick it up. It's a customary gift at the water festival. I wanted to bring you some chimes, but they wouldn't let me. I'm sorry about that."

"No problem."

"Well, dig in," she said, motioning him to the food. He grabbed a waterfruit and bit into it. It was sweet, with just a hint of tang, and very juicy. After he chewed and swallowed his first bite, he paused for a moment.

"Thank you for the gifts and all, but... um... who are you?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I never properly introduced myself. Well, as I said, I'm Sarah. I've been appointed your... uh... well, the term they use is 'keeper', up at the Academy."

"Oh," David said. This meant that Sarah was the person who would keep an eye on him while he was at school, to make sure he didn't wander off in violation of the magistrate's orders.

"I'm sorry. I know it's got to seem horridly silly for you to have a baby sitter at your age, but it's the law, and it's the only way that Dean Lengel could get you into the school at all."

"They hired you just to watch over me?"

"Oh, no! I already worked for the school. I've been working there ever since I graduated from there."

"What do you do there?"

"I'm a grounds maintenance worker. Mainly I tend the flower gardens... or, anyway, I direct the fairies who do most of the actual tending..."

"Sounds nice."

"It is! I love flowers. And the outdoors. It's much better than in here... it's dreadfully gloomy in this place. Oh! I'm sorry, I bet you didn't need to hear that..."

"Do you apologize for everything you say?" David asked with a smile.

Sarah blushed crimson. And as the word was about to come out of her mouth, David joined in, and they said in unison, "Sorry." Then they broke out laughing.

-----

Sarah had stayed to visit for a few hours, but had then apologized - of course - that she had to be getting back to the school, which was a several-hour trip. David thanked her for the gift, and for visiting, and told her he would see her in a few weeks. She had also brought him some paperwork from the school that he'd needed to fill out, to select his classes. He had followed Dean Lengel's suggestions to the letter, as he had no idea what classes he should take.

Finally, as the day wore down, he lay on his bunk, eating a Callum apple and just thinking random thoughts.

Well, at least my keeper isn't some old codger, or a bitter old witch of a woman... Or, here, would that be a bitter old woman of a witch?

David chuckled to himself, tossed the remains of the apple in his garbage can, and then turned over to go to sleep.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

It was at least a week later when David heard the door to his cell being cracked open once more. He had been looking out the window once again, but turned, hoping to see Sarah, or perhaps Dean Lengel.

"Oh, it's you," he said, the disappointment in his voice clear.

"Nice to see you, too," Garibaldi said to him with a smile.

"Why are you here?" David asked. Joe Garibaldi had only meant trouble for David so far, so he didn't exactly like seeing him.

"You have a little trip to take. I'm your escort. You got anything you need to take with?"

"How long will I be gone?"

"Just for the day. Most of it will be spent traveling."

"In that case, no, I don't need anything. Where are we going?"

"Someone wants to talk to you."

David found that he couldn't get any further answers out of Garibaldi, and so by the time they were in the outer courtyard of the facility, they had grown quiet.

That was, until David caught sight of their ride.

The coach was nothing special; it looked much like the first one he'd ridden in here in Dugerra. But what was pulling it...

"Can I touch them?" he asked Garibaldi.

Garibaldi grinned, and motioned him forward. There was a woman sitting in the driver seat of the coach, and she said, "Just don't move too fast... and don't stand behind the one in the back. He's cranky."

David nodded to her, and walked up to the large, winged horses ready to pull the coach. The one in front was a pure white, but the rear one was brown with white markings. Each had their wings folded tightly against their bodies. David could see the intelligence in their eyes.

"Is it safe to pet them?" he asked the woman.

"If they don't want you to, they'll let you know it," she said.

David slowly reached out his hand to the white one, which was a female. She didn't wait for David to make contact, but instead shoved her head against his hand, insisting on being petted.

Garibaldi laughed while David petted the animal, talking softly to it.

"Guess she didn't mind being petted," Garibaldi said to him after he was done, and they were getting into the coach.

David grinned, but didn't say anything. If they were using pegs, it meant they were going on a long trip, and it would be very interesting to see this land from the air.

He sat down in his seat, and the driver hopped down to close the coach door.

"You could have shut it for her," he said to Garibaldi.

"Wouldn't work. The coach is enchanted. The door has to be opened and closed by someone outside."

"Why?" David said.

As the door was closed, Garibaldi said, "Safety."

Immediately, a cloth strap wrapped itself loosely around David's waist.

"Aah!" he cried out.

"Calm down! It's just your seat belt," he replied.

"I'm not exactly used to my seat belt fastening itself!" David huffed.

"You'll learn," Garibaldi told him.

David heard the woman clamber back up into the driver seat, and she clicked her tongue at the horses.

"Just what kind of ride... whoa!" David screamed as the carriage tilted precariously backward. The pegs had galloped for a short distance, but had then taken immediately to the air. The carriage followed behind them, and it was some moments before it leveled out, once the pegs had reached the height they were to fly at.

The ride, once they were at altitude, was relatively smooth, which David was thankful for. He didn't get air sick, but constant bumps and jostles would not have been a lot of fun. The ride wasn't quite as smooth as an airliner, but was comfortable, nonetheless.

David looked out the window, to see that they were only flying at a few hundred feet above the ground.

"Is this as high as they can go?" he asked Garibaldi.

"No, but there's no reason to go higher. They usually fly just high enough to clear the tallest thing in view. Remember, the higher they fly, the longer the trip."

David nodded, and then returned to watching out the window. Flying at this altitude was much more impressive than being in an airplane. He could still see the details of things on the ground, and it wasn't just a colored surface to him.

After an hour of flying, David turned back to Garibaldi. "So, where are we going?"

"Back to your home."

"I don't really want to see my parents again," David said. "And I'm quite sure they don't want to see me."

Garibaldi winced, but nodded. "I didn't mean your house, just the city."

"Why? Who are we going to see?"

"Jacob Pendergrast wants to talk to you."

"Jacob... why?"

"I don't actually know that," Garibaldi said. "But he made his request officially, and everything was in order, so they approved the trip, and here we are."

"Oh."

It took another two hours for them to reach their destination, which was the same field he'd seen before, with the same small shed in the middle of it.

As they headed toward the shed, David asked, "How come there are no hellhounds on this side?"

"Because there's no rule preventing anyone from Dugerra to go into Earth, so there's no need for them."

"Oh. I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"If something were to happen to you, like you got hit by a car or something, would I be able to get back into Dugerra by myself? I mean, would the hellhounds stop me?"

"Of course you'd be able to come back. You're a magical being. That's the only requirement for entering Dugerra. You have to either be a magical being, or be in the company of one. You planning on pushing me in front of one of those car things?"

"No, I just wonder about these things."

Garibaldi nodded, and then put his hand against the wall of the shed. The door magically appeared out of the wall, and swung outward, revealing the cramped interior of a dilapidated shed to them.

The two did not hesitate, but passed into the shed, and walked out the front door of it, waiting only long enough for the Dugerra door to close and seal itself.

Earth was exactly as he remembered it, and it was a pleasant, sunny day.

He was a bit disconcerted by the car parked at the curb, however.

Garibaldi saw the look and explained before David could ask. "Since this request was official, we had plenty of time to arrange things. That's our transportation."

"Oh. I'm glad we don't have to walk."

Garibaldi and David walked up to the car, where stood an attractive woman who nonetheless wore the black coat and hawk's emblem of the Rimohrs.

"Good day, Giuseppe," the lady said.

Garibaldi shook his head. To David, he said, "She refuses to call me Joe. This is Officer Viviana Columbo. Viv, this is our charge for the day, Mr. David Stroud, demighost."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said, and shook David's hand. David smiled politely at her. She opened the door for him, and he and Garibaldi got in back.

Once Viviana had gotten into the driver's seat, Garibaldi asked, "You know where we're going?"

"I've made sure the GPS is set correctly, yes."

"The what?" Garibaldi said in confusion.

David laughed as hard as he could remember ever having laughed. By the time he settled down, the car had been underway for a full minute.

"I'm glad I can amuse you," Garibaldi grumped.

"It's one of those computer things," David said, finally getting control of himself. "It tells you where you are, and gives you directions for where you're going."

"Isn't that what a map is for?" he asked.

"The maps don't have moving 'you are here' dots on them in Earth, Giuseppe," Viviana said.

"Well, that's a pain in the ass..."

Soon enough, the car arrived at the house on Spooner Street.

"I'll wait out here," Viviana said.

"I'll wait with you," Garibaldi said. To David, he said, "That place creeps me out. I don't see how you can go in there."

David shrugged. "I died there. What worse can happen to me?"

"Don't try anything," Garibaldi warned. "There's a containment charm around the entire house."

David nodded, and walked into the house. Once inside, he closed his eyes, bent his head forward, crossed his arms, and exhaled sharply, enduring the short but unpleasant wave of discomfort that washed over him. When he opened his eyes again, he was in ghost form. Closing his eyes once more, he imagined himself passing through the shimmering curtain between worlds. When he opened his eyes this time, he could see that the Earth world was fainter, and the space felt more expansive. He'd not noticed these nuances the last time he was here, probably because he'd been too troubled to take it in.

"Welcome back, David," a voice said from behind him. He jumped slightly, and turned to see Jacob standing a few feet away.

"Hey. Well, I didn't exactly get much of a choice. I can only imagine what it must be like for you, if this is how your days have been for a century and a half."

"Yes. At least your incarceration will end. I wanted to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"Giving the Rimohrs your name."

"You told them who I was? Why?"

"I knew that they would find you eventually, and from the reports I'd gotten from my visiting ghost friends, I knew that you had finished with your vengeful tasks. I knew that you were... what is that term? 'At loose ends.' And I also knew that you would be happier once you'd started your new existence in Dugerra."

"Well, I guess so. I mean, I can't say the last month has been a pleasure cruise."

"But school will start soon, so you will be out of the management facility."

"Yeah. Was that what you wanted? Just to tell me you're sorry? Seems like you could have put that in a letter. Or had another ghost deliver the message, or something."

"Actually, no, it wasn't all. I just wanted to make sure I said that, so I said it first. There's another issue, a rather more important one, for us to discuss."

"What's that?"

"The cost of your education... and your upkeep, for that matter. You have no Dugerran family, correct?"

"None that I know of, no."

"So you have no Dugerran money. Earth money is, understandably, useless in Dugerra."

"I haven't got any of that, either," David said.

Jacob nodded. "So how are you to pay for your schooling, and such things as clothing and other basic necessities and luxuries?"

"I don't know. The magistrate said that it was being looked into, but I haven't heard anything more about it."

"Yes. I'm not sure what he was doing at first, but he finally sent someone to talk to me about it.

"I feel somewhat responsible for your condition, David. Not because of what I told the Rimohrs, but because if it had not been for my condition, you would not be what you are now."

"Wasn't really much you could do about it, though..." David said, absolving the man of any responsibility.

Jacob waved away the absolution. "Still. I feel like I owe you something, and I don't like having such debts of honor hanging over me. Therefore, I have decided to give you something."

"Okay... what?"

"My family's estate."

"Your... wait, you have an estate? After a hundred fifty years?"

"Others have looked after it for me."

"It can't be worth much by now, can it? With all the taxes and fees and other things that have to be paid?"

"What are taxes?"

That question made David's head hurt, so he said, "Never mind. But, I mean, hasn't it lessened in value while you've been stuck here?"

"No, not really. It certainly has not grown as fast as it could have, but it is larger than it was a sesquicentennial ago."

"Oh. Well, um... why give me the whole thing? Why not just give me enough to make it through school?"

"What use do I have for it? I'm stuck in here for eternity. Hardly worth hanging on to at this point, so it might as well do some good for somebody. This is what I can do for you, which will ease my own conscience about your condition."

"Okay... Thank you. Um... I don't want to sound greedy, but just how much money are we talking about?"

Jacob laughed. "More than you will ever need. Trust me, when you've been alive for as long as I have, you can accumulate a rather large sum, even without trying very hard, and there was a time when I tried very hard, indeed. I dare say that you would never need to work... or, at least, not for a few centuries. I would implore you to do something useful with your life, however. I have found that lack of activity makes one feel quite pointless."

"I'll keep that in mind," David said seriously. "Will there be papers that need to be signed? I didn't see Mr. Garibaldi carrying anything..."

"They've already been handled. You may have some forms waiting for you when you return to your current, lovely home." The sarcasm was quite clear in Jacob's voice. "There are no stipulations on how you use the money... however, I have specifically set aside the necessary funds for your schooling. That money can only go to the school you are currently attending at the time."

David nodded.

"I would, however, make one earnest request of you," Jacob said gravely.

"Name it," David said immediately.

Jacob took a moment to discern David's meaning, and then carried on. "Please be generous to others. It is something that I never was, and it is something I regret, sitting here in the empty moments of my day. Money can buy you happiness, of a sort, David... but it does it best when the things you are buying are for other people."

"You're not telling me to give it all away to charity, are you?" David asked.

"No, not at all. There is no reason whatsoever for you to impoverish yourself. However, the amount of my estate, and the rate at which it is growing, is something I don't think you could reasonably outpace, even by helping others around you. You cannot fix the whole world, David... but you can, perhaps, fix your own little part of it. That was something I never attempted, and I regret it now.

"Anyway, that is not a legal requirement of the transfer. In fact, the transfer has already been completed, so there could be no such requirement made of you. It is merely... a favor I ask, in return."

"I'll do my best to keep it in mind," David told him. Jacob looked him in the face, saw the sincerity in the reply, and nodded to him. Jacob extended his hand, and David took it.

"I would like to keep in touch with you, if that's possible," David said.

"I think I would like that," Jacob replied. "I will not be able to get anyone to you while you are imprisoned. However, once you travel to the school, I will send someone to meet you. That someone will be able to act as messenger between us."

"Okay. Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?"

"Not just now, no. I think you should probably be returning to your escort, before he thinks you've tried to run off."

"Yeah. Thanks, Jacob."

Jacob shook his head. "It was the least thing I could do. Educate yourself. Make something of your life. Do something worthy."

"I'll try," David said.

"Yes, I know you will," Jacob said seriously, and then walked off into the darkness.

David returned to Earth and his human form, and went back out to the car.

His journey back to the prison was not quite as bleak as it would have otherwise been.

I'm rich? Cool.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

It was roughly a week later when David saw Garibaldi again. It was early morning this time. David had just been directed back to his cell after breakfast. This was odd, so he knew something was up. Garibaldi's appearance confirmed it.

"What're you doing here?" David asked him.

"Get packed. We're taking another trip."

"To see Jacob again?"

"No. You're going to go see your new school and get your books and things."

"Are classes starting?"

"Next week. We wanted you to have a chance to see the school ahead of time. Most students went to orientation last spring. You, obviously, didn't have that option, so we're taking you over for a day, so you can see what it's like."

"Okay... you said get packed..."

"We'll be gone for three days. One to get there, one to see the school, and one to get back."

"Damn. How far away is it?"

"It's on the eastern coast."

"Can you give me an Earth-related reference?"

"No. I never learned Earth geography."

David tsked at him, but shoved his clothes into his prison-issue duffel and slung it over his shoulder.

"Don't you want to use the bathroom before we go?" Garibaldi said, gesturing to the partitioned-off toilet area.

"I'm a demighost," David said, as if this explained everything.

Garibaldi shrugged, and then led David out to the same coach they had used before. It had the same driver, but not the same pegs. David said hello to the driver, and patted the winged horses before getting into the coach. His seat belt snugged itself around him, and they were soon in the air.

"We'll stop about halfway there, to change the pegs and get something to eat. I hope you don't get hungry on the way..."

"I'm a demighost," David said yet again.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Garibaldi asked in frustration.

"It means I have no biological functions. I don't need to eat, I don't need to shit. I guess I still need to sleep; I do get tired."

"But... I know I've seen you eat... well, hell, you were at breakfast when I got to the facility..."

"I said I don't need to, not that I don't. I eat mainly out of habit... but also because I still enjoy the taste of food."

"How do you deal with your... uh... 'waste', then?"

"I don't have any."

"I think I'll stop asking questions now," Garibaldi said.

"That's probably best," David replied with a grin.

-----

The trip went uneventfully, and it was actually growing boring by the time they reached their destination. David had found it interesting that, though the land was very green and lush, there were few large human inhabitations, and not a single city to be seen.

"We don't form cities," Garibaldi explained when David asked about it. "They don't have a useful purpose here."

"No one ever wanted to grow their businesses larger, or streamline things?"

"We've discovered that there's little benefit to putting everyone right next to each other. Maybe it's necessary when there are so many people, doing so many different things and needing all of those specialized facilities... but in Dugerra, almost all of the available 'facilities' can be easily replicated locally, without the overcrowding, noise, and general unpleasantness of city life. We like our green spaces too much, I guess... and it's good enough to see your neighbor once or twice a day, instead of every time you turn around."

"I guess," David said dubiously. He was used to cities. This rural, or at least village, life seemed backwards to him.

As the pegs began their descent, it was already growing dark.

"We'll spend the night at the inn, and we'll go up to the school tomorrow."

"Where are we?" David asked.

"The town is called Gorumshead. It's here mainly because of the school. It's like a support system."

David nodded, wondering if they were called "townies" here.

The coach bumped a little harshly, and they were once again on the ground. The ride was actually somewhat rougher, now that the wheels were bumping along on the uneven roadway instead of in the sky.

The coach came to a stop, and the driver hopped down, opening the door so that they could disembark. David stretched before he got out of the coach, and then hopped off, looking around curiously.

The town of Gorumshead looked like it could belong in any Renaissance fair, except much cleaner. The style of the buildings would be called "quaint", and there was no concrete or steel to be seen.

David found, strangely, that he actually kind of liked it.

Garibaldi directed David forward, toward a building across the street.

"There's our home for the night," he said.

David looked at the building. It was a stone construction, with wooden beams at the corners. It had a large picture window, and a massive wooden door. Above the door hung a sign that read, "Ye Olde Slyther Inn and Pub".

"Do they really speak old English here?" David asked.

Garibaldi chuckled. "No. The owner came from Earth. Someplace called Ireland, I think."

David nodded. Garibaldi hauled open the door and waved David inside. Once they were in, the door swung shut and the brightness and warmth of the room engulfed them.

"Welcome, strangers," the barkeep said. "What can I get for you?"

"Firstly, have you got any rooms available?"

"Sure do. One, or two?"

"You got one with two beds?" Garibaldi asked.

"Yeah, I do. How long you boys be staying?"

"Two days, probably," Garibaldi said.

"Bonnie, you want to show these boys to their room?"

"Come on, then," she said, and ushered them up the stairs. They went down a hallway, and she stopped at a door, pushing it open. "Here it is."

Garibaldi tossed his bag so it landed on the far bed. David walked in and set his on the near one. As they left, David asked, "What about locking it? Someone might steal our stuff..."

Bonnie looked offended at the notion. Garibaldi told her, "New guy." She seemed mollified by that, and left them to go back to her duties.

Garibaldi explained to David. "First off, your average person in Dugerra thinks thievery is right up there with murder. Well, maybe not quite that bad, but close. Of course there are thieves and rapists and murderers and all your nastier sort, but they're not nearly so numerous as in Earth. And second, the door is magically locked. The only people it will let in are you, me, and the staff of the pub."

"Oh." David felt embarrassed that he'd made such an error. Garibaldi seemed to have already forgotten about it. David was sure that Bonnie had not.

-----

David and Garibaldi had enjoyed a good meal. It was a casserole containing meat that David did not recognize, and was too afraid to ask about. The vegetables had been tasty, and the mead - a very weak mead, but well-flavored - was quite appealing.

As they sat at the table talking about nothing very much, Bonnie came over to them.

"Would you like anything for dessert?" she asked. David found it strange that she was specifically asking him, and not Garibaldi, or the two of them in general.

"I'm stuffed," Garibaldi said, "but you go ahead and order something if you like."

"What's on the menu?" he asked.

"Well, we've got some rum cake, and some gelled lagoonberries with whipped cream..."

"Give the boy some Gorumshead cream pie!" one of the nearby patrons enthused. "It's the greatest!"

"That's completely gross!" the patron's female partner said. "You know they make that from pig brains!"

"Oh, hufflepuff! That was in the old days!"

David looked a little grimly at Bonnie.

Bonnie said, "He's right. They used the pureed brain of a gorum in the old days... that's why it was called "gorum's head-cream pie", but since they hunted the gorum to extinction, we just use custard. It really is quite tasty."

"Well, I guess it won't kill me," he said, giving Garibaldi a look. Garibaldi had trouble not choking on his drink. "I'll try it."

Bonnie smiled at him, and went off to fetch his dessert.

The Gorumshead cream pie was, in fact, delicious. It was a cake with a slight flavor that he couldn't quite discern. In between the layers of cake was the vanilla custard, and topping that off was a thick chocolate drizzle, topped with lagoonberries. David almost ordered a second piece, but decided not to. He would soon be living nearby, and could have this treat whenever he wanted it.

Well, whenever I can convince Sarah to come down here with me, anyway.

That thought cooled his fervor a little bit... but only a little.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Did you go here?" David asked Garibaldi.

"Yes, I did. Best wizarding college in all of Callamandia."

"And I would expect no less praise of an alum," Dean Lengel said, walking out of a doorway to greet them. "David, welcome to the Woodward Academy of Magical Arts. I hope your trip wasn't too dreadful."

"I've had a lot worse," he said.

She smiled. "Good! Well, since Ms. Charbonneau brought all your paperwork back with her, today will be considerably easier. Mostly, we'll just go through the normal orientation material, since that's what you missed."

As Dean Lengel started leading David back toward the entrance they had just come in, Garibaldi said, "If you're willing to take custody of him, Dean Lengel, then I'll just wait around here."

"Don't want to see your old school?"

"My memories aren't all that fond," Garibaldi said, blushing.

"No, I imagine not," she said with a chuckle. "Very well. I'll hand him back to you at the end of the day. You can meet us down at the first year dorm. Room C42."

Garibaldi nodded, and headed out ahead of them. Dean Lengel waited for him to get out of earshot before she spoke. "He was a real rapscallion, that one. Gave us no end of trouble."

"How'd he end up a cop, then?"

The dean laughed. "The Rimohrs have a set of standards so obscure I'm not sure even they understand them!" She grinned at him, and then said, "Come along, and I'll show you the school."

They walked out of the administration building into the bright sunlight, which glinted off the water, as the building was, in fact, in the middle of what looked for all the world like a moat.

"What's with all the water?" David asked.

"The Woodward Academy," Dean Lengel started, clearly reciting something that she had long ago memorized, "was established on the grounds of Castle Woodward. Lord Peter Woodward was a master wizard, one of the king's most trusted assistants, and a faithful guardian of Northern Callamandia. The castle stood through many attacks, from land and sea, and never fell.

"The castle proper is, as you see, there at the top of the hill." The dean gestured, as they had moved around the side of the building, and they could now see the castle, more than a hundred feet above them up a sheer cliff. "On the top of the hill is the castle itself, surrounded by a moat. There is then a drop, which leads to a much larger moat. This moat currently holds many of the school's buildings.

"After the second moat is another drop, which leads to the terrace. Originally the terrace was kept clear of trees and other growth, to act as a clear field of fire for the castle defenders, who would descend to the moat level to fight.

"The terrace drops off once more, to the largest moat, known in the old days as the Monster Moat. It originally held sea monsters to keep people from crossing. Most of the monsters were removed when the school was built."

"Most?" David asked shakily.

The dean smiled at him and continued.

"After Lord Woodward's death, the castle returned to the control of the king, but by that time things had settled down, and other, smaller castles were capable of handling the dangers. Castle Woodward sat unoccupied for several centuries.

"About eight hundred years ago, give or take a few, the need for colleges of wizardry arose, and, as Lord Woodward was one of the greatest wizards, who prized his knowledge, the castle was enlisted as the grounds for what became known as the Woodward Academy.

"And that concludes our history lesson," the dean said, clearly finishing up her rehearsed speech. "I don't normally do this... in fact, students are discouraged from doing it outside of class, but... I'm going to take you up to see the castle."

"Why is it forbidden?"

"It's not forbidden... just discouraged. The castle, you see, has become the home of a great many ghosts, and they feel as though they own the place. There was quite a bit of trouble some centuries back, until an agreement was reached between the ghosts and the school. They allow us use of the castle on a limited basis, and we otherwise leave them be.

"I imagine you'll be slightly more welcome than I am."

"I'm not so sure," David said, remembering what Jacob had said about how ghosts felt toward demighosts.

The dean led David to a set of stairs. These were wide, and had large steps, making them easy to climb.

"Why such wide steps?" David asked.

"For the centaurs, mainly," she replied.

"I'm not sure I heard you right," David said. "It sounded like you said centaurs."

Dean Lengel looked at him, and then grinned sheepishly. "Right. I forget that people who are new here just don't always know all about the inhabitants of Dugerra. Centaurs are half-horse..."

"... and half-man, I know. I know what they are, but I never expected anyone to just come out and say something like, 'we made the stairs wider for the centaurs.'"

Dean Lengel laughed. "You'll meet one sooner or later. They deliver the mail to the school, so there always seems to be one or two around."

"Centaurs are mailmen?"

"Some of them. Others work in other public service positions."

"They sound kind of like slave labor..." David said distastefully.

"Oh, no!" the dean said emphatically. "I don't want to give that impression at all! They do those jobs because they like them! The centaurs are very service-oriented. And they are well paid for their work, believe me! We've asked them if they wanted a part in the governing of Callamandia, but they have always refused. They govern their own community, but they feel that governing over others is too arrogant."

"And yet you govern over them?"

The dean smiled. "Yes. And they don't object. And they understand that we don't feel the same way about it. It's very complex."

"I see that," David said with a grin. They reached the top of the stairs shortly thereafter, and walked across the bridge over the moat.

As they passed into the gatehouse, under the watchful gaze of a carved thunderbird statue perched above the entrance, David asked, "Does the drawbridge still work?"

"Not much use otherwise," she replied. "Everything in the castle is magically created and magically maintained. It looks the same now as the day Lord Woodward finished it."

They passed through the curtain wall into the courtyard, and the area inside was very spacious. The courtyard was meticulously maintained, its lawn lush and green. Right in the center were four statues, each facing a compass point. One was a griffin. Another was a sphinx. The third was a pegasus, and the last was a large bird, which looked to David like it might be a phoenix. He did not dwell on it, however, as the castle's keep drew his attention immediately. It looked to be well over fifty feet tall, but...

"Awful lot of windows for a defensive position, aren't there?"

The dean smiled and said cryptically, "The castle's not in danger right now."

The two walked across the courtyard and up the steps to the keep. Those steps bore cracks that glowed a deep red and orange. Dean Lengel stopped David a couple steps down from the top.

"In order to access the castle, it must allow us entrance. I will go and take hold of the door handles. If it allows us in, the doors will open."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Well, if it doesn't, we'll just have to leave. If we were to attempt to force our way in... well, these lava-stone steps would become more lava than stone, and we would die a very painful death."

"Ouch."

"Yes. So, just wait here."

Dean Lengel walked up to the doors, which were covered in wood inlays of a militant design. The center of the door was covered with a carving of some kind of fiery bird, red jewels for its eyes. There were four stars over the bird, and three stars in the middle of the bird. On either side of the bird was a decoration containing a crescent and five chevrons, and beneath the bird, flowing up along its sides, was a laurel branch. It was very impressive in its size; the door was ten feet tall, and at least as wide.

The dean put one hand on each door handle, and the crystal bars that were the handles glowed slightly. Suddenly, the crystal eyes of the bird glowed bright red, impressive even in bright daylight. Then a loud clacking was heard, and the doors swung open.

Dean Lengel turned back to David. "I guess we're welcome today. Come on in."

David went hesitantly. The eyes of the bird had creeped him out.

Dean Lengel showed David where the history classes were, and then she showed him the Great Hall.

"We hold some school celebrations in here. We can't fit all the students in here, though, so only those celebrations that involve smaller groups."

The room was very impressive, if only for its size. It was not ornate, but was tastefully decorated with blue and green silks adorning the walls, with metal torch holders affixed between the decorations. The hall ceiling was twenty feet above him, coming to a point in the middle and arching down to each side wall. There were no windows.

They did not explore the keep much further, but instead went back out into the castle grounds. Dean Lengel took David up onto the rampart of the castle, which went around the inside of the curtain wall. It was somewhat hard to see out the crenellations, as they were narrow, but then the dean suggested he climb up into one of them.

David did so, and was astonished by the view. Each level of the hill was easy to make out, the three moats glistening in the sun. The eastern side of the hill dropped off precipitously, and the ocean stretched out its massive expanse from northern horizon to south, without any land projecting out into it.

The dean climbed up into the crenellation next to David's. "From here, you can see all the waterfalls. It's a wonderful view. Over there, you see the sports arena."

"What do you play there? Soccer? Football?"

Dean Lengel looked a bit confused until she realized these were Earth sports. "No. There's a few different games we play in there... and we're starting a new team this year for baxayr."

"What's that?" David asked.

"Oh, you'll see. I don't think I could adequately describe the game to you. Anyway, all the sporting events happen there. If you look over that way-"

"Yaaagh!" David cried out as a large creature swooped within feet of them, and then a loud splashing of water was heard beneath them. David composed himself and looked over the edge. "What in the world is that?" he asked.

"It's an awk," the dean said. "There's a flock of them that live here at the school. They are used for... well, pleasure sailing, so to speak, on the moats."

The animal in question was a giant duck-like bird, big enough to hold two people comfortably on its back, at least while it was in the water. David didn't want to think about what would happen in flight.

"Well, now that you've seen the school from above, let's head on down to the terrace, so you can look around some more."

As they walked down the castle tier stairs, and then across what Dean Lengel called the Academy Moat, she explained some details of the school to David.

"The Academy houses about two thousand students each year. Most of those are in their first two years. After that, the numbers taper off rather quickly."

"Why is that?" David asked.

"Most magic-users don't see the need to go to school beyond their licensure requirements. Those people were born and raised in Earth, and they want to go back there, but use their magic. They can do that once they complete their licensure, so they don't go beyond the two year mark.

"There's another drop off after four years, which is the level at which you're allowed to live and work in Dugerra. After that, there's only a small number who remain. It mainly depends on what it is you want to do after you leave school."

"I still have no idea about that," David admitted.

The dean nodded. "You don't have to know yet. You've got a couple years to figure it out. Anyway, the school is different from what you would expect for an Earth college. Class attendance is compulsory here; you will get into trouble if you don't have a good reason for missing class. Also, there is a strict dress code. Some call it a school uniform, and I guess it is, to some extent."

"For discipline reasons?" David asked.

"Not exactly. It's more to give you an identity as a Woodward Academy student. This school has a good reputation, and it's felt that letting you show your affiliation gives students pride and self-confidence."

David nodded, but did not comment.

"Anyway, you must follow the dress code while in public on school grounds. It's not that stringent. Other than color, what you're wearing now would pass... except for your coat."

"Coat?"

Dean Lengel gestured to her own. "Haven't you noticed that all wizards wear an overgarment of some kind? In the olden days, it was a robe. Most modern wizards have adopted the long coat. It's necessary to hold your magic supplies."

"Oh. Doesn't that get hot in summer?" he asked.

"Not if you buy the right coat," the dean replied with another cryptic smile. "Anyway, all the school supplies of that type can be obtained down in Gorumshead. In fact, I'll take you down there in a while, so you can get all that taken care of."

"I don't want to inconvenience you, ma'am," David said, a little abashed to have the dean of students treating him in this manner.

"Don't worry about it. I cleared my schedule for the day. You are a special student, David, and I know that we will have to accommodate your differences. To that end, I want us to feel comfortable around each other. I'll take you up to the campus bookstore, first, so you can get the majority of your supplies there, and then we can go down to Gorumshead to get your... other needs taken care of."

"Okay."

"First, however... are you at all hungry? I'm starving."

"I don't get hungry," David explained. "But if you want to eat lunch, I'll join you."

"Good!"

They had just reached the edge of the Academy Moat, and they had to wait for their ride down to the terrace. It arrived shortly in the form of a large rock, floating in midair. David eyed it warily.

"Go on, it's perfectly safe. No one's fallen off in over a decade."

David stepped onto the rock gingerly, and immediately a blue haze appeared around him. Dean Lengel stepped through the haze and joined him, and soon the rock began its slow descent to the terrace level.

"These are the most efficient means of getting from level to level. You'll find that they serve each of the dorms, and there are several stops located around each level. Except for the castle level. If you want to go to the castle, you have to use the stairs. The bubble forms around the rock any time someone is riding on it. It will keep you from falling off."

David nodded, looking a little anxiously over the edge of the rock down at the terrace below.

The ride down was swift, but not stomach-churningly so. They stepped off the rock onto a platform, and then down some stairs to the ground. The dean directed David off to their right, where a large building sat in a clearing. It had large windows and a clear view of the landscape in the distance.

"That's the cafeteria," she said.

"Do you normally eat in there?"

"Oh, yes! Best food around. Well, no, that's not true. The food at the Slyther Inn is better, I must admit... but they can't feed two thousand people three times a day!"

Lunch was very tasty, and the dean continued her explanation about school life while they ate. David asked a few minor questions, and the dean gladly answered all of them.

Once she had finished her lunch, they headed out of the cafeteria. "Is there anything else you'd like to see, or do you want to go and get your supplies now?"

"I think I got a good picture of it from up at the castle. Why don't we go ahead and get my supplies?"

"Sounds good." They rode back up to the Academy level on the floating rock, and then walked along the rim of the moat until they reached the bridge to a large building, also out in the middle of the moat.

"Why didn't you just drain the moats and build on dry land?"

"Draining the moats is not possible. They are fed by a river. The hill was built right on top of the river, and so it literally flows up through the middle of this hill and out the top. Draining the moats would mean redirecting the entire river on a permanent basis. It was easier to just build in the moat."

"I see." As they approached the building, David stopped walking and turned to the dean. She looked at him curiously. "Are there other students in there?"

"A few," she confirmed.

"If you're trying to keep my... uh... difference... a secret, how are you going to explain why you're leading around a single student?"

The dean looked at him for a moment. "That hadn't really occurred to me. What would you suggest?"

David shrugged. "I don't really know."

"Perhaps Mr. Garibaldi should escort you for this part."

"I'm not sure how to explain him, either. Actually," David said after a little thought, "he'd be even harder to explain."

"Well, I tell you what," the dean said finally. "I will wait out here for you." She reached into her coat and pulled out a piece of parchment. "This is a list of all the supplies you'll be needing from the bookstore. Now... I hate to pry, but... do you have any way to pay for these things?"

David smiled. He and Garibaldi had visited the bank in Gorumshead that morning. It had been a vastly ordinary experience, and David was slightly disappointed that it had not been a more fantastical adventure. Banks, he decided, are universally dull.

"Yes, I think I can manage."

"Very well. Please do not abuse my trust by running off."

"I won't. I promise."

"Thank you. Go on, then."

David entered the building, which was not just the campus bookstore, but appeared to be some kind of commons building where many activities would take place. He found the bookstore off to his right, however, and went inside.

David spent almost a half-hour collecting all the items on the list. Sorting through the stacks of books to find the ones he needed was difficult, as they weren't in any sort of recognizable order. Finding the other supplies such as InkyQuills and Rubouts was even more demanding, as he had no real idea what the hell they were. Ultimately, one of the store staff had to help him find it all.

He got into line without paying much attention to the people in front of him. The girl right in front of him, however, was putting off a very pleasant scent that he couldn't quite identify. She was shorter than him by a few inches, with milk chocolate skin. She was heavyset, but not grossly so, and she had - he checked surreptitiously - a very nice set of tits.

The line moved along smartly, and it was soon the girl's turn to pay. She didn't have a lot of things in her basket, but she did have a list in her hand.

"Do you have these things in the used section?" She handed the clerk the list. The clerk, who was grossly overweight, with his hair pulled back into a ponytail, sighed dramatically and got up off his stool. He waddled his way through a door, and was gone for several minutes, during which the girl fidgeted and others grumbled quietly. David simply stood there, waiting. He was a very patient individual, and didn't mind the delay.

Finally, the man came back to the counter with a pile of old, tattered books.

"These are all we have, lady. We don't have the Divination book back there at all."

The girl looked over to someone. David looked, too, and saw a black woman waiting near the door. She looked embarrassed and a little helpless. The girl in line looked down at the money in her hand. It was clear that she had a problem.

David turned his head. He had encountered such people before, and the one thing he knew they did not need was him staring at them while they were struggling with such things. He waited patiently while others in the line started to get a little belligerent, telling the girl to hurry up.

It was at that point that David remembered Jacob's request. David normally did not have the wherewithal to help those in need that he came across.

But now I do... and she is clearly in need.

David reached into his pocket and felt the coins there.

"C'mon, lady, you're holding up the line," the clerk said rudely.

David stepped up beside the girl, and slapped his hand down onto the counter. It made the clerk jump, which was David's goal. It also made the girl jump, which he just had to live with.

"What's your name?" he asked the clerk.

"Jeff Albertson," he said snottily.

"Go get the lady some new books, Jeff. And drop the attitude."

"I'm not a-" the clerk started.

"Just do it." David said, and the look in his eyes was one only an undead person can pull off properly.

Jeff harrumphed, but slid off his stool again, and made his way into the stacks.

"I can't..." the girl started quietly.

David shushed her with a raised hand. "Just let me take care of this. I'll explain in a minute."

The girl did not argue further, but waited uncomfortably while Jeff waddled around the stacks collecting books. Finally, he came back to the counter.

"Is there anything else?" he asked angrily.

David put his own things onto the counter next to the girl's items. "Tally these."

The clerk figured up the amount, and David paid it. The girl was clearly embarrassed as David handed her the bag with her items in it. He took his own, and they walked out of the store together, collecting the older black woman along the way.

"There's no way I can pay you for these," the girl said to David.

"What did he do?" the older woman wanted to know.

"Nothing of significance," David said.

"He bought my books for me. I don't even know your name!" she exclaimed.

"David Stroud," he said, holding out his hand.

"Olissa Volaire," she replied in kind, shaking his hand a little hesitantly.

"Why did you do that?" the older woman wanted to know.

"This is my aunt, Shandra Volaire." David shook her hand, too.

"I asked you a question, young man."

"I recently was given an... endowment. The person who gave it to me asked that I be generous with it, as he had never seen fit to be, and regretted it. Your niece was clearly in need, and I had the means to help out. I don't mean to offend..."

"You didn't offend me," Olissa said, looking at her aunt sternly. "But I'll never be able to repay you for this."

"I didn't do it to be repaid. I don't know anyone here, and... well, it seemed like a good way to say hi, at the time."

Olissa smiled at him. It was a warm gesture. The aunt was less friendly, but she was at least not hostile.

"We have to go now," the aunt said. "We've got to get the rest of your things down in Gorumshead."

"Have you gotten your robes and wand yet?" Olissa asked David.

"No, I was going there after here."

"Aunt Shandra, you mind if he comes with us?"

The woman took Olissa aside. "You can't expect him to buy you new things, child..."

"Aunt Shandra! I don't! But I don't know anyone here, either! It'd be nice to have at least one friend on the first day of class!" Olissa hissed at her.

"Fair enough, child." To David, she said, "Would you like us to take you down to town?"

Here, David faltered. He could not leave the school grounds alone. They had just stepped outside, and the problem was only compounded when Dean Lengel walked up.

"I see you've made some friends," she said to David. "Did you find everything you needed?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied.

"Dean Lengel!" Olissa blurted, and then blushed. It was hard to tell, since she was black, but it was still noticeable.

"Hello..."

"Olissa, ma'am. Olissa Volaire."

"Olissa. Nice to meet you. And is this your mother?"

"Aunt. Shandra Volaire," the woman said. Dean Lengel shook her hand.

"We were just about to go down to town," David said, the tone of his voice clearly indicating the issue.

"Oh, really? Well, I did have a few more things to discuss with you. Do you mind if I tag along?"

David smiled outwardly at the dean, and winced inwardly. Only a fool would fall for that line.

"Do you mind?" David asked the other two. They both shook their heads negatively. "Come on along, ma'am."

Olissa whispered to David, "Why is the dean leading you around school?"

David smirked. It hadn't fooled Olissa, that's for sure. At normal speaking volume, he said, "I'm a new wizard. I missed orientation."

"Oh!" Olissa exclaimed. "You mean you're not from a wizarding family?"

"Nope. Just one day... pow! I'm a wizard."

"That had to be quite a shock," Aunt Shandra said.

"You have no idea," David said, sharing a look with Dean Lengel.

The group descended to the terrace, and they were about to head for the small building where they could get access to the bottom of the hill, when Dean Lengel stopped them.

"You're lugging around all those books... would you guys like to put them in your dorm rooms?"

"I thought the dorms were off-limits before school started," Aunt Shandra objected.

Dean Lengel just looked at the woman and said, "It's good to be the dean," and winked.

They walked to the edge of the terrace and looked down.

"Whoops, wrong stop. This is the Phoenix dorm. That's for fourth years. We'll have to walk around to the other side... unless you guys want to take an awk ride."

"We can ride those?" Olissa asked.

"That's what they're here for!" the dean enthused. They got on the floating rock and descended to the Phoenix dorm, disembarking when the rock stopped at its landing. Once it had moved away, the dean looked for a pair of awks. When she found them, she whistled to them, and they swam over. They arrived just as another of the floating rocks - which moved in a continuous cycle - departed.

"Move smartly, or you'll interrupt the rock cycle. They won't hit you; they'll just stop and wait until you're out of the way... but you slow down the system."

"How do we get on the awks?" Shandra wanted to know.

"Just climb on as if it were a horse. Just step on their backs. You won't hurt them. David, you ride with me."

Once the group had boarded their awks, the birds paddled away from the dorm.

The dean asked David, "How did you run into her? Do you know her?"

"No. I just... uh... gave her some assistance in the bookstore. Just trying to make friends."

"Oh. Okay. I just wanted to make sure we didn't have an issue already."

"Nope."

Dean Lengel nudged the awk, and it caught up with the other one.

"Are these always here to ride on?" Olissa called over.
"Except when it gets too cold."

Suddenly, a flash of silver and blue caught David's eye. It seemed to be coming from about three feet above the water. When he caught it again, he had to comment on it.

"What in the world am I seeing?" he asked, pointing. The other three looked.

"What the hell?" Olissa said in wonder.

Dean Lengel laughed. "Oh, that. It's just a school of zeppelin fish."

"Zeppelin-" David started.

"They live above the water. But they still have to duck down beneath it to breathe. They're all over the moats. These are small ones, actually. There are much bigger ones. They must be hiding from the awks."

"Awks eat zeppelin fish?" Shandra asked.

"Oh, yes. Any fish, really. And some plants. But they will even dive for fish. Seeing an awk dive for a big fish from up high is really impressive."

"I bet," David said under his breath. He didn't want to see anything like that up close.

"Now, here we are, approaching your dorm," Dean Lengel told the two students. "This is the dorm for first-year students. It's called the Griffin dorm."

The group alit from the awks and made their way inside the dorm building. At that point, Dean Lengel pulled a hand mirror out of her coat.

"You look fine," David said to her.

"Why, thank you, David!" she said, blushing. "I'm not checking my makeup." The dean moved her finger in a circle on the mirror and said, "Housing Office."

David looked over her shoulder and was astonished to see the mirrored surface fade, to be replaced by an image of a young woman sitting at a desk.

"What can I do for you, Dean?" the woman asked.

"Sylvia, can you give me the housing assignment for Olissa... What was it again, dear?"

"Volaire, ma'am."

"You catch that, Sylvia?"

"Yep. Hang on a second... Sylvia pulled out a parchment and consulted a list.

"Olissa Volaire is in room B27."

"Thanks so much!"

"No problem. Bye!"

Since Olissa was on the lower floor, they stopped by her room first. It was quite nicely decorated and the furniture seemed comfortable.

"Three to a room?" David asked.

"For the first years, that's how it's always been. Let's head up to your room now."

David's room was similarly comfortable, and similarly furnished for three people. The rooms were plenty large enough, but David hadn't lived in close quarters like this before, being an only child. He pulled the dean aside for a second.

"What are you going to tell my roommates?"

"Can you not hide your difference from them?"

"I can, if nothing goes wrong."

"Well, if something goes wrong, we'll worry about it then."

"You're the boss."

"So," the dean said to the group. "Shall we go down to Gorumshead now?"

"Yes," Shandra said. She felt uneasy being in a boy's dorm room, even at her age.

The group left the dorm and used the magical rocks to get back up to the terrace level, where they found the building that housed what David now recognized as another floating rock which carried them down to the base of the hill, only it moved within a shaft inside the hill. When he'd come up in it, he'd thought it was an elevator. Now he recognized it for what it was.

-----

Their first stop was to get their school clothes. The shop was called Madame deChagny's Magical Wears. David held the door open for the others, and then he entered himself. He was immediately surprised by the fact that the clothing displays didn't have mannequins, but that the clothes would repose themselves in midair, filled out as if there was someone inside of them.

Olissa, likewise, was looking around in fascination. Her aunt, who had presumably seen all this before, tolerantly waited for her niece to be ready to deal with the clerk.

"David, why don't you go ahead and go first?" the dean suggested.

Just then, the shop owner walked up. "Madame Lengel!" she said in a heavy French accent. "So good to see you again! Surely you do not need a new coat already!"

"No, Mercedes. I'm escorting a new student today."

"Ah!" the woman said grandly. Madame deChagny took in David's appearance in a glance. "Who dresses you?" she asked disdainfully. "These are frightfully ordinary clothes!"

"I come from Earth," David said. He had the feeling that this one sentence would be used a great deal in his near future, to explain a great many things.

The woman nodded knowingly. "Well, let us get you some regular clothes before we get to your coat. "I'll be with you in just a minute, mon chou," she said to Olissa, who smiled and waved to the lady to acknowledge her.

Madame deChagny suggested several items, most of which David found acceptable. "All of these fulfill the Academy dress code, right?" David asked.

"Of course! You do not think I would try to get you into trouble?"

"Just making sure, ma'am," David said.

"A wise course," she said. "Especially with Madame Lengel watching over you!" The woman chuckled as David grinned sheepishly, and then she asked, "what about shoes?"

"What are my choices?" She showed him a wide array of men's shoes. Ultimately, he chose a pair of comfortable-looking boots, and a pair of dress shoes, just in case he should need them.

"And your coat. We have three basic styles for men..." David picked one, and Madame deChagny took it off the rack. She waved her wand over it while muttering a spell, and then handed it to David. "Put it on."

"It's the wrong size," he said. He could tell this just by looking at it; it was much too big.

"It won't be for long," she assured him. "Put it on."

David slipped the over-large coat onto his body, and it swiftly shrunk into place, fitting perfectly over his clothes. He also noticed that he was no warmer than he had been before.

"This coat doesn't seem to be much insulation," he said, feeling the fabric, which seemed heavy enough to cause him to be uncomfortably warm in the store.

"These are the finest from ComfortCloak," Madame deChagny said to him. "Magically crafted, and enchanted to always keep you at a comfortable temperature, no matter the weather."

"Nifty," David said. He lowered his voice. "Are they very expensive?"

The woman, assuming this was an issue for David, lowered her voice as well and said, "They are. I have less expensive models, but they do not come with the special features of this coat..."

David looked around to make sure they would not be heard, and then said, "Do you see the girl over there?"

"The one waiting?"

"Yes. I want you to do me a favor. Give her your best coat, and charge her your lowest price. I will pay the difference. But don't tell her what you're doing."

"A gift for your lady friend?" Madame deChagny asked knowingly.

David grinned. "Not exactly. She won't be able to afford a good coat, but I don't want her to feel self-conscious about it."

"I see," Madame deChagny said. "Well, we will do it your way."

David paid for his clothing items, which Madame deChagny wrapped up into a bundle for ease of carrying.

Olissa spent some time with Madame deChagny, who, after a quick and surreptitious look to David, showed the girl some very nice clothes. Olissa soon had her bundle, and they were ready to leave.

While waiting for Olissa, David had been rather obviously examining a black fedora. Dean Lengel walked over to him.

"That... would not fall within the dress code, I'm afraid," she whispered to him.

"I kinda figured... but do you think Garibaldi would like it?"

The dean was caught up short by that. "You wish to buy your jailer a gift?"

David shrugged. Really, he needed to buy something so he could pay Madame deChagny the difference without being noticed.

"It would go well with his uniform," the dean agreed. David took it down and felt it. He waited patiently while Olissa was finishing up. He heard the price Madame deChagny quoted; it was significantly less than he had paid.

Olissa turned to him. There was a suspicious twinkle in her eye, but she didn't say anything. "You getting that, too?"

"I have a friend I think would really like it," he said.

"Okay. We'll wait for you outside."

David bought the hat, and settled up the rest of Olissa's bill with Madame deChagny, and then headed outside.

"Where to next?" David asked.

"I have to pick up my wand." Olissa said.

"And so do you," Dean Lengel told David.

They walked down the street until they came to Wormwood's Wizardry and Wands. They walked in, and found it a dusty shop, full of strange items.

"Welcome, folks. Have a look around. Let me know if I can be of service to you at all."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Wormwood," Olissa said.

"Ah, young lady! Here for your wand, are you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, let me just go get it."

"Did your wand need repairing?" David asked.

"No, he had to enmagic it."

"Huh?"

Dean Lengel explained. "Anything can be used as a wand, David, as long as you can point with it. See that pitchfork over there? That's probably somebody's wand... though not a very practical one. But before it can be used as a wand, it must be 'enmagicked'. That is, it must be capable of focusing magic. This takes the skill of a master craftsman, such as Mr. Wormwood, who has been doing it for about twenty years now."

"Here you are, young lady," said Mr. Wormwood, who reappeared from the back at that moment. He handed over an item that resembled a carved bone or stick. Olissa saw David's look.

"I found it on a trip last year, and thought it was interesting. Besides," she said, lowering her voice, "it's cheaper if you provide your own item for crafting."

David nodded. He did not have anything with him to turn into a wand.

"And what can I do for you, young man?" Mr. Wormwood asked him.

"I need a wand... but I don't have anything pointy with me..." he said.

"Not a problem, not a problem at all!" Wormwood said brightly. "We have a whole line of pre-crafted wands, carved to fit the hand out of the finest woods, and already prepared for use. If you'll step over here to the display..."

David looked over the wands, running his hands over them. "May I hold them?"

"Yes. These are display models only, so they are not enmagicked. But you'll be able to tell how it feels in your hand."

After picking up several of them, David decided on one that had a dark wood body, with a shimmery handle, and a gem at the end, held in place with a claw. He liked the feel of it in his hand the best.

"Ah, the raven claw model. Not very popular, but one of my best wands, if I do say so."

"Why isn't it popular?" David asked.

"It has a tendency to be very powerful," Dean Lengel told him. "You'll have to learn a good amount of control to use it well."

"Should I choose another as my beginning wand, then?" David asked her.

"No," she said. "It's best to go with the one that felt right to you. Every wand has its strengths and weaknesses. This one's major weakness is its strength. You, as the wizard, will have to learn to keep that in check."

David nodded. Mr. Wormwood had already retreated to the back, and brought out the wand to David. He gave it to David, and as it entered David's hand, he could sense the power it contained.

"Is this the one you want? Are you sure? Once it is yours, there are no returns unless it is defective, which I have never had happen."

"It's the one I want," David confirmed.

Mr. Wormwood pulled out his own wand and touched it to the tip of David's. "Inhero vestry neo idioksas ven," he said, and a bright light flashed from wand to wand, and then engulfed David and his wand. Mr. Wormwood put away his own wand. "That wand now belongs to you. No one else can use it as a wand unless you give them control of it. I wouldn't recommend doing that."

David nodded. He turned to Dean Lengel. "Do I need anything else from here?"

"We'll need the standard student supply kit for a first-year, if you please, Mr. Wormwood."

"Coming right up. You, too, young lady?"

"Yes, sir," she said quietly.

Once they were done with Mr. Wormwood, the Volaires were done with their shopping.

"You still need a familiar, David," Dean Lengel said.

"A what?" he asked.

"A special pet. The best place to go is Amy's Familiars."

"What about you?" David asked Olissa.

"My familiar's at home waiting for me," she said. "But I'll go in with you, if you want."

"Okay," he said. The two entered the shop together. The shop was filled with every different kind of small animal imaginable, from cats to birds to a monkey that was climbing around on some racks of pet supplies.

"Ooh, the lizards!" Olissa said. David walked over with her, but he was not terribly fond of lizards, and so soon started to wander while she continued to play with them.

As David moved through the shop, the noise of the different animals was starting to give him a headache.

"Geez, it's noisy in this place," David said to no one.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" a voice said in response.

David spun around, but there was no one near him. He didn't want to look like a complete fruitcake, so he turned back to face the way he had been, and kept his voice low.

"Who said that?" he asked.

"I did," said the voice again. It seemed to be coming from David's right.

"Okay, I know I played this joke on Sam, but this ain't funny..."

"I am not playing a joke," the voice said.

"Are you a ghost?" David asked. He was slowly pinpointing the sound of the voice.

"Not for another several years, I hope," the voice replied. "I am the bird to the left of where you are looking."

David jolted at that. He looked to his left to see a large jay-like bird with an enormously long tail. The bird was mostly blue, but white underneath, with black and white markings on its neck and head. It also had a crest of feathers.

"Did you... did you really talk?"

"I did," the bird confirmed.

"How do you... I mean, birds... don't have the equipment to talk," David said reasonably... or as reasonably as he could, to a talking bird. "Well, except parrots..." he added as an afterthought.

"You are new to magic, aren't you?" the bird asked.

"Very."

The bird actually nodded. "We are familiars. More than mere animals. We are magical creatures, and we can communicate with certain people."

"What do you mean, certain people?"

"We can talk to our wizard."

"But I'm not your wizard."

"You will be, as soon as you pay the shopkeeper for me."

"Kind of getting ahead of yourself, aren't you?" David said with a smile. "What if I don't want a pet bird?"

The bird lowered its head. "I apologize. I won't trouble you further," the bird said.

"Hey, I didn't say I didn't. It just seemed like you were ordering me to buy you."

"You may, indeed, have other choices here in the shop. You should probably look around. But not all the animals here will speak to you. Generally, only animals with which you have a special compatibility will ever speak to you."

"Oh. So the fact that you are talking to me..."

"Means that we have an affinity for each other."

"What's your name?"

"Jailla," the bird replied.

"What kind of bird are you?"

"I am a magpie jay."

"Um... this might be kind of a silly question, but is it safe for me to take you out of your cage?"

"It is essential," Jailla confirmed. David unlatched the cage and stuck his hand in. Jailla stepped up onto his hand, and then David withdrew it from the cage. Jailla immediately walked his way up David's arm to sit on his shoulder. The bird had more weight than David had been expecting.

"Do I feel right to you?" Jailla asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"If I am to be your familiar, I should seem as if I belong with you. You should be comfortable with me."

"Oh. Well, um... I've never had a pet before. But I'm not uncomfortable with you there..."

"I guess, under the circumstances, that will have to do. Have any other animals tried to speak to you?"

"No."

"Well, then." Jailla said, stretching out his one leg and wing, as if to say, "Guess that settles it, doesn't it?"

David went to the shopkeeper, Amy, and paid for Jailla, all the necessary supplies, and his cage.

"Sorry about the cage thing," David told Jailla. "It's mainly for your protection. I don't know if there are any stray cats around here."

"I'm used to it," he told David as he climbed back onto a perch. "I would prefer something freer."

"I'll see what I can do after school starts. I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to bring you back with me where I'm going."

"Where are you going?" Jailla asked.

David made sure that Olissa was out of earshot. "Prison."

Jailla ruffled his feathers. "What have you done?"

"I'll explain later. I don't want that girl I'm with to know about it."

Jailla bobbed his head in silent acquiescence.

"Do I need anything else, Dean Lengel?" David asked, once the group was back together.

"No, that should be it, at least for the first few weeks. Of course, once you're here and settled in, you can come down to Gorumshead to get what you need, or to the campus bookstore, pretty much whenever."

They all nodded.

"Well, we're all done with our shopping, as well," Aunt Shandra said. "We need to get heading home, Olissa."

"Okay," she said. She turned to David. "It was nice meeting you, David. And thanks for your help." She gave him a brief hug, which he returned one-handed, as he was still holding Jailla's cage in his other.

"Nice to meet you, too. I hope we see each other when classes start up."

"Count on it," she told him. "See you next week!" She smiled at him, and then she and her aunt walked away.

"Well, at least you made a new friend," the dean said. "Come on back to my office, there's a couple more things we need to talk about."

As they were walking back to the office, David asked, "Dean, will I be allowed to take Jailla back to prison with me? If not, who will take care of him?"

"Jailla?" David gestured to the bird. "Oh. Yes, you'll be able to take him. It's not like you're really a criminal, David. You didn't do anything wrong... you just are who you are."

"My guard at the facility might disagree with you on that. He doesn't seem to like me much."

"Those guards don't like anybody," Garibaldi said, suddenly joining the pair from out of nowhere.

"Where did you come from?" David said, startled.

"My mother's womb, same as most people..." Garibaldi said with a chuckle.

"Mr. Garibaldi, would you look after David's things while he and I have a chat in my office?"

"Sure. So long as the bird doesn't bite," Garibaldi said.

"I do," Jailla told David mischievously, and then snapped his beak in Garibaldi's direction. David could hear the kidding in his voice, and he chuckled.

"Don't stick your finger in the cage, and you won't have to find out," David told Garibaldi with a grin.

Dean Lengel led David back into her office, and offered him a seat, which he took. She sat in her own chair, and then looked at some parchment on her desk. This had obviously been waiting since before he had arrived this morning.

"David, I'm not sure what financial resources you have at hand. I know that you need to attend school in order to get out of the management facility. Therefore, I have set aside for you one of our full scholarships to the school."

David was surprised. He had not known this was coming. "Um... thanks, Dean Lengel, but... uh..."

"But what?"

"I don't need it."

"Really?"

"I was recently given an... well, you could call it an inheritance, of a sort... and it was a substantial sum, which already had money earmarked for my tuition. In fact, I would think that the bank has transferred the money to the school already."

"Let me check," she said. She consulted a ledger, which seemed to have numbers magically appearing on it as she looked. "Yes, there it is. Your tuition has been paid for the entire year, in fact." She turned back to David. "Well, that certainly helps you out, then. I had wondered how you were affording your school supplies."

David nodded. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Certainly."

"If you set that aside for me, does that mean it's available?"

"Yes."

"Could you give it to Olissa? I know she must need it..."

Dean Lengel raised an eyebrow, but then consulted another ledger book. She ran her finger down a list until she found the entry she wanted. She then closed the ledger.

"Olissa is already here on a scholarship," she said. "Please don't tell anyone I told you that, it's not supposed to be something we tell others, but since you were trying to get me to give her one..." The Dean gestured with her hands. "Anyway, we'll find someone to give it to, don't worry."

David nodded. "Was there anything else?"

"Just your ticket for the trip back to school next week." She pulled a packet out of her desk drawer. "This has your trip schedule, your ticket, and all the information you'll need for what to bring, and for the trip."

"You mean, they're actually going to let me come without a chaperone?"

"You'll be in school transport, so technically, you'll be with school staff, and the law is obeyed."

"Oh," David said. "Okay."

"Now, I imagine you'll want to relax from your long day."

"Yeah. Say, is Sarah here? I wanted to say hi, since I was here."

"Unfortunately, she's not. She's on vacation. Half of the maintenance staff is, so that they can be fresh for the school year. The other half was on vacation last week."

"Oh. Well, that's too bad. Could you tell her I said hi when she gets back?"

"Certainly."

"Thanks."

"Good luck, David. And we'll see you next week."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

Jailla didn't speak much to David while they were at the inn, and he didn't speak at all on the ride back to the prison. It was only when they were settled back into his cell, and David was getting ready for bed, that Jailla spoke.

"So, why are we here?"

"Hmm?" David asked.

"In prison. Why are we here?"

"You're here 'cause you were dumb enough to talk me into buying you," David said with a grin.

"Fair enough. Why are you here?"

"Because I'm a demighost."

"Really," Jailla said with some interest. "And how did that come about?"

David related the story to him, and Jailla listened with interest.

"You have had an interesting summer," Jailla said when David was finished. "I am surprised at your parents' reaction, however."

"They're from Earth. Magic is completely foreign to them, and they're superstitious as all get-out. I don't really care that much. I mean, they were my parents, yeah, but... I don't know. I love them, but I guess I never liked them much."

Jailla bobbed his head. "I can sympathize with that. My father was always an embarrassment to me. In fairness, it was because he was proud of what I had become, being a familiar and all. When company would visit our nest, he would always bring me out, crying, 'This is my son, Jailla! He's a familiar!' I tell you, it made me want to break out in tears."

David nodded. "Parents," he said with finality.

"Agreed. Good night, David."

"Good night, Jailla."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David finished tying his boots, and then stood up. He reached for his coat just as Garibaldi showed up at his cell door with the guard in tow.

"You look good in it, sport," Garibaldi said. David glowered at him; he didn't like being called "sport". He turned and grabbed his duffel, tossing it over his shoulder. Next, he grabbed Jailla's cage. This was the sum total of his possessions at the time. Finally, he grabbed the black fedora off its hook on the wall.

The jailer had already opened the door, and as David passed through it, he handed the fedora to Garibaldi. "This is for you," he said, and just kept walking.

Garibaldi looked at it in confusion, then shrugged and donned the hat as he followed after David.

"What's the hat for?" he asked.

"Your head's too big to not be covered," David said with a mischievous grin. Garibaldi smirked at him, understanding that he wasn't going to get a straight answer.

-----

The ride in the prison coach was short this time, and didn't involve pegs, but normal horses. They were merely going across town, to catch the Woodward Academy carriage.

David was the first to arrive, and so he and Garibaldi simply stood around. Even the carriage had not arrived yet. People began to slowly gather, and there were soon a dozen students standing with them.

Suddenly, a few of the students pointed upward. David looked to see a carriage being pulled by a large team of pegs. He counted eight in all. The carriage didn't look large enough to need such a large pulling force. In fact-

"How in the world are all of us going to fit in that thing?" David asked. "It's not a whole lot larger than the one we took to get here."

"In Dugerra, appearances can be misleading," Garibaldi said mysteriously. David looked at him, but Garibaldi offered no further explanation.

"You got your ticket?" Garibaldi asked. David pulled it out and showed it to him. "Okay. Might as well get on board now. They won't be leaving for a while, but you'll have a place to sit and get comfortable. They're already loading your luggage."

David looked dubious, but then he held out his hand to Garibaldi, who took it and shook.

"See you... whenever I see you again," David said.

"If not sooner," Garibaldi replied with a grin. "Go on, and have fun at school. I sure as hell did."

"So I've heard," David said, smirking. He turned and walked to the carriage door. He was the first in line, as the others were as leery of boarding as he was.

"Ticket, please," the carriage driver said. David handed the man his ticket. "Step inside and move toward the back, if you would."

David found this instruction rather laughable; he would hardly have room to move at all. When he stepped through the door of the carriage, however, he found himself inside a space the size of a bus, or even a train car. There were plenty of seats, and even some tables to sit at. Over to one side was a lady behind a counter, selling something or other.

David was suddenly jostled by the person coming in behind him, and he remembered that he was supposed to move out of the way. He walked slowly to the other side of the carriage, and stared out the window, which showed him the other side of the village, exactly as he would expect to see it.

"Magic is fucked up," David said to himself.

"Isn't it, though? But lots of fun," someone said. David turned to see a girl his own age, quite pretty, with long brown hair held back in a pony tail. Her ice blue eyes flashed with intelligence and a friendly curiosity. On her arm was a strange armlet, shaped like a snake.

"I'm sorry?" David asked, getting his mind in gear.

"Oh! Didn't mean to bother you. I thought your comment was an invitation to start a conversation."

"Well, I suppose it could have been," David admitted. "I just didn't expect anyone was listening."

The girl held out her hand. "Gwen Hasterscant," she said. David arched an eyebrow, but kept his peace. He took her hand gently and shook it.

"David Stroud."

"Your first year at the Academy?" she asked.

"Yeah. Yours?"

"Sure. I hope we don't get in too late," she said. "I really want to walk around the school before we get started with registration and such."

"Didn't you attend orientation?" David asked.

"I did, but we didn't get to just wander, you know? We didn't have time. So I don't really know where everything is yet."

David nodded.

"Hey, you want something to eat? My treat."

"Okay," David said. He wasn't hungry, of course, but it was polite to accept the invitation.

Gwen led him over to the counter where the lady was standing. "I'll have an egg biscuit. What're you going to have?" she asked.

David looked down at the menu briefly, and said, "I don't know what half of these things are... so I guess I'll have the egg biscuit, too."

Gwen smiled at him. "Ah, the adventurous type!"

David sputtered, but Gwen pretended not to notice.

As they ate their breakfast, a small piece of David's fell to the table. Suddenly, the "armlet" Gwen was wearing reached out and snatched the crumb of food. David jumped.

"Oh! Geez, you know, she sits there so comfortably, I forget to introduce her to people. This is Nalani. She's a moon snake."

"Uh... hi there, Nalani."

The snake looked at him intelligently, but said nothing.

"Do you not have a familiar?"

"I do. He was brought on board with my luggage... I don't actually know where he is..."

"He'll be in the animal cabin. Come on, let's go see him."

They walked through the growing crowd of people toward the back of the carriage, which had not yet left the village. Gwen opened a door, and the two walked through, into a noisy space where several animals were rather unhappily housed. Jailla was one of them, and was protesting loudly until David showed up.

"They don't give the animals much room, do they?" he said.

"No... they kind of expect you to keep your familiar with you."

"I wasn't sure that was safe."

"Familiars don't attack other familiars," Gwen said.

"Oh." He unlocked Jailla's cage, and Jailla immediately hopped out onto David's hand, then quickly made his way up to David's shoulder. David closed the cage door, and then he and Gwen turned to leave.

"This is Jailla. He's a magpie jay."

"Hello, Jailla. I'm Gwen. This is Nalani."

Jailla nodded, but said nothing else.

"Are you looking forward to school?" Gwen asked.

Just then, the carriage driver called out, "If everyone will take a seat, we're about to leave. You'll be able to move about again once we're at altitude."

"Over here," Gwen said, maneuvering David to a seat, and she sat next to him. He didn't mind the company, as this all had him a little overwhelmed.

"So," she said, once the carriage had started to move. "Are you looking forward to school?"

"I guess," David said. "I'm a little unsure, really. I'm...whoa!" At that point, the carriage tipped precariously backward, before righting itself to a less dangerous upward tilt. "I'm still pretty new to the concept of magic, so I feel a little out of sorts."

"You're a new wizard?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, that's nice. I'm glad we're always getting new wizard families. My family have been wizards for a long time, so this is all old hat to me. If you need any help, or if you've got any questions, just ask."

"Thanks."

"No problem!"

-----

Gwen stayed with David for the entire trip. They chatted about nothing very much. In fact, they had not even discussed their family lives at all.

Late in the afternoon, Gwen had gone to the restroom. David suddenly felt the tingling he had come to recognize as his change coming on. This was something he had to prevent from happening, and so he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, crossed his arms, and exhaled sharply. A wave of nausea and general discomfort washed over him, more intensely than if he had just let his change happen. He waited until the unease passed, and then he opened his eyes.

Gwen had returned from the restroom, and was staring at him.

"Are you okay?"

David nodded. "Just a... medical condition. Nothing to worry about."

"Okay..." Gwen said, unconvinced.

To distract her from her line of thought, he finally asked, "I really appreciate the company, but... why, exactly, have you spent the day with me?"

Gwen giggled. "I wondered when you'd ask that. When I came on board and saw you, you looked... well, kind of lost. I figured you could use a friend. And I don't really know anyone here, either. All of my friends went to schools that were closer to home."

"How come you're going to Woodward, then?"

"Tradition. It's where my parents, and their parents, and their parents, et cetera, went."

David nodded. "Is it a good school?"

"They all love it. They say it's the best school in Callamandia."

"I just hope I'm up to the challenge," David said.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. You seem plenty smart enough."

"Thanks. My high school teachers weren't so sure, though."

"Bah! What do they know! Besides, it's not like you're learning all that Earth gunk. I mean, okay, yeah, some math and stuff, but not all that other crap."

"Doesn't anyone here deal in science and technology?"

"A few. Especially Professor Hatch. He's a big supporter of science. Says we should try to merge magic and science. That's why he's the technomandy teacher."

"Techno..."

"Using magic to control machinery and... elect.. electro..."

"Electronics?" David offered helpfully.

"Yeah, those. What the hell are electronics, anyway?"

David chuckled, and was glad to see that Gwen did not look offended. "I'm not sure how to describe them to you. It's Earth's version of magic, I guess. We use little bitty machine parts, and electricity, and put it all together to perform a task."

"Magic sounds easier."

David shrugged. "It might be."

"I think I might take technomandy, just so I can learn about it all."

"I figured you'd planned on it already, since you knew so much about the teacher."

"Professor Hatch is famous. He's written several books, and he's an avid collector."

"Of what?"

"Everything."

David laughed at the tone of her voice.

The concession counter worker suddenly called out, "Passengers to their seats, the carriage is about to land."

David muttered, "Please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright and locked position."

Gwen said, "Huh?" but a girl across the way giggled.

David replied, "Earth joke."

Gwen rolled her eyes, and then, gently, the carriage tilted forward. In only another minute or so, the carriage took a sharp bump, and then they were rolling along a bumpy street.

After several more minutes, the carriage came to a stop. David looked out the window. He saw a rolling field on one side of the carriage, and a sheer wall of rock on the other.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"At the base of Mt. Woodward."

"Why not just land on the terrace?"

"No one lands inside the school grounds. It's forbidden."

"Oh."

The door to the carriage opened, and the driver appeared. "First years off first, please. All the rest, wait for the first years to get off."

"Yeah, you first years go away!" someone called out playfully.

"Oh, shove it, Nick!" Gwen said to the older boy. To David, she said, "That's one of my brothers, Nick. He's fifth year."

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"Four. Two brothers, two sisters. I'm smack in the middle of them."

"Any others going here?"

"No. Jon, my oldest brother, is already working in Senesty, and the others aren't old enough yet."

"Senesty?"

"Sorry, it's a city in the southern part of Callamandia. He likes the warmer weather down there."

David nodded. They had gotten in line with the rest of the first years to get off the carriage, but the line was moving somewhat slowly.

"C'mon, c'mon, I want to see the school!" Gwen said, bouncing on her toes.

"I'm sure there will be time. If not tonight, then early tomorrow."

"True, I can look at it all on my run."

"Run?"

"I'm a jogger. I like to keep in shape."

David nodded as they finally reached the door to the carriage. "What about our luggage?" David asked the driver.

"All your things are being taken up to your room by school maintenance workers. Move along, please."

David and Gwen moved forward and joined a queue of students entering into what looked like a cave. David recognized it as the entrance to the school grounds, at the base of the hill.

Once inside, he had to say good-bye to Gwen, as people were separated by name to make things easier and quicker.

"Here's your school map, and your dorm room is C42, in Griffin dorm. That will be on the north part of the Dorm Moat."

David wasn't sure that sounded right, but he didn't contradict the man.

The man continued, "There is an assembly in Byron Hall in an hour. Attendance is mandatory. The lift is over there. Welcome to the Woodward Academy. Next!"

"Where is Byron Hall?" David asked, not moving.

"It's on your map. Next!" the man replied with finality.

David moved over to the line for the floating rock elevator. It arrived in only a few minutes, and he was part of the next group to go up. The ride was as smooth as he remembered it, and he was soon standing on the terrace level of the academy once again.

It took David a moment to realize that, for the first time in months, there was no one around "guarding" him. He had thought Gwen might be his temporary keeper, and still wasn't sure whether or not she had been, but right now, there was no one. People passed by him as he stood there, just thinking this thought.

I'm as free as I'm going to get, right here, right now. He had no desire to flee the school; he was, in fact, looking forward to learning things he had never even considered before. It was the simple shock of the change in his status that caused him to pause.

Finally, he got hold of himself, and headed with the rest of the first-years off in search of the Griffin dorm. He had thought it was in the southwest part of the moat, but the man had said the northern part. Everyone else was heading that way, so he went with them.

Sure enough, the dorm was where he had been told it was. After the rock ride, he walked into the building, and then climbed the stairs to the third floor. His room was close to this end of the hall, and the door opened when he touched the handle.

Magical locks.

There were already two people in the room when he got there, and they had already chosen beds. David didn't care; one bed was much the same as the other to him. He ended up closest to the door.

"Hi!" one of the boys said. He was tall, at least six feet, and lanky. His hair was platinum blonde, almost silver, and his eyes were a penetrating blue. He wore glasses that magnified his eyes slightly. "I'm Jim Gillenham." He held out his hand, and David took it. A light brown ball of fur suddenly climbed up David's leg to his waist, worked its way all the way around David's body, and then hopped over to Jim's arm, where it gripped tightly. "And this is Melissa. She's a vervet monkey."

"David Stroud. Hi, Melissa. This is Jailla. He's a magpie jay." Jailla bobbed his head at everyone.

"This is Steven Hawking."

David tried very hard not to laugh. He could tell that Steven had no sense of humor about his name.

"Just call me Steve," he said, shaking David's hand. "Do you go by David, or Dave?"

"David, if you don't mind," he said. Steve nodded.

"My familiar is asleep right now. I'll introduce you to him later." David nodded in agreement.

"Hope you don't mind the door bed," Jim said. "Neither of us wanted it."

David shrugged. "Don't really care, as long as it's comfortable enough to sleep on."

"Oh, by the way, there's some stuff here for you," Jim said. He pointed to one of the desks where David had put his books and supplies the previous week. There was now an envelope sitting atop the pile. It had David's name written in a clear, attractive script.

"What is it?" Steve asked curiously.

"Beats me," David said. He opened the envelope and pulled out what was inside. He looked at it for a few seconds, and then looked up. "Oh, it's just my class schedule."

"How in the hell do you have your classes all lined up already?" Steve asked. "Registration's not till tomorrow!"

"I took care of all of this last week. I had to come for a tour of the campus."

"Why didn't you go to orientation?" Jim asked.

"Because I wasn't a wizard in the spring," David replied.

"Oh, one of those," Steve said with a grin. "Welcome to the whacky wonderful world of wizardry!"

David laughed.

"Say, we'd better get to Byron Hall before it fills up," Jim said.

"Good idea," David agreed. Steve nodded.

Jailla then spoke for the first time in quite a while. "If you don't mind, David, I'd just as soon wait here. I'm rather tired."

"Okay, Jailla," David said, using his name mainly to let the others know who he was speaking to. David took Jailla over to his cage, and put him inside.

"I should leave Mel here, too," Jim said. The monkey climbed up on his bed and curled up by his pillow.

With their familiars taken care of, they all filed out of the room, the door magically closing behind them.

-----

Byron Hall turned out to be the cafeteria. As they walked in, David heard a small, high-pitched voice say, "First years sit at the front of the room, please. First years to the front."

David looked around frantically and then found a pixie floating above his head, giving out the instructions.

The three boys found seats together at a table and waited. The cafeteria was a massive room. There were ten rows of ten tables each, and the entire room was surrounded by glass. Even the ceiling was glass. This gave an impressive view during the day, but right now the glass mainly reflected the lighting, which came from candles and...

"What are those?" David asked, pointing.

"Fireflies," Steven replied.

"Not the kind you're expecting," Jim said immediately, seeing the objection forming in David's eyes. "They're Dugerran fireflies." Jim whistled to one, and it flew down near them.

David examined it. It was a large insect-like creature, with moth-like wings. Its tail was very large, and glowing. It had dimmed its light as it approached them, as if it knew not to blind them.

"They're not insects. They're a form of fairy. Notice they've got arms and legs, rather than six legs like a real bug. They provide lighting for the school, and the school provides them a safe home."

"Is it hard for them to find a safe home?" David asked.

"Lots of people try to hold them captive, for their light, instead of paying them for their services. And there are critters out there that will feed on fairies... so yes, it can be dangerous."

"I see. Thank you," he said to the firefly, which nodded to him and then flew away, back up to the top of the room. "Is there a manual to explain all this?" David asked.

"They should give us a student handbook or something, but... no, there isn't," Jim responded.

The three boys chatted amongst each other, and some with the other boys around them, while they waited for the assembly to begin. Finally, Dean Lengel walked to the podium up at the front of the cafeteria. She spread her hands and said in a normal tone of voice, "Amplivocis."

"Good evening, everyone," she said, her voice now clearly filling the hall without being booming or painful. "Welcome to the new year here at The Woodward Academy! For those of you who have yet to meet me in person, I am Dean Emile Lengel, the dean of students here. I'm glad to see you all. Let me especially welcome our first year students. I hope you are all ready for the marvelous things you're about to learn!

"Before we begin the meal, I just want to make the usual start-of-the-year announcements. Those of you who have not registered early will need to go through registration tomorrow. The office opens at nine o'clock. Registration will continue until everyone has gotten their schedule lined up, but you need to get it done as early as possible.

"Tuesday is a student activities awareness day. All of the clubs, teams, and organizations that you can join will have places around campus where you can meet them, ask questions, and sign up. First years, be careful about signing up for too many activities before you know what your work load is going to be like. We recommend no more than two active clubs, or four not-so-active clubs, for first years.

"Now, some first year students, for some strange reason, have asked me whether they will be divided into something called 'houses', and if there is a competition among them. Let me state emphatically that there is no such rubbish here! The Woodward Academy is one family, and we are all here to support each other.

"Next, our groundskeeper, Willie MacDougal, has asked me to remind you all that the circular area in front of Alton Hall contains several species of snapping violets, and walking through them could be a very painful experience for you and them. Walking on the path around them is highly recommended.

"For those of you unfamiliar with magical custom, if you should need to reach Mr. MacDougal, or anyone else in either the maintenance department, or any other area of the school, simply draw a clockwise circle on the mirror in your room and say the name of the person or department you need. If they are available, you will be able to talk to them.

"First years, if you find that your surroundings seem unfamiliar when you wake up in the morning, please do not be alarmed. The dorm buildings move, you see, so that everyone gets to sample the view. This means that by the time you wake up, the rocks will take you to a different part of the terrace than they do tonight. We recommend that you keep your map with you for the first few weeks, just so you don't get confused.

"Apprentices, please be aware that we have, this year, begun the licensure tutorial classes even earlier, and if you feel you need help, you should sign up immediately.

"I'd also like to announce that we are beginning a new sports team this year. We will be holding tryouts for a baxayr team this year. For those who are interested, there will be demonstrations all day Tuesday in Firebird Stadium. Even if you aren't interested in trying out, I recommend going to see the demonstrations, for the sheer enjoyment.

"Now, I imagine I've held you up long enough. If you have any questions, please contact me or another staff member. I will be available in my office in Beckett Hall all day tomorrow. Now, let's eat!"

There was general applause as the dean stepped down. She uttered another spell, but David couldn't hear it over the clapping.

He turned back to Jim. "How are we supposed to know if we need help with our licensure exams already? I mean, we haven't even taken a single class."

"She wasn't talking to you Wand Wavers," one of the other boys said.

"Huh?"

The boy rolled his eyes and sighed. "Apprentices are second years. You're only first years."

"Oh. What did you call us?"

"Wand Wavers," he said snootily, and then turned away.

"Technically, we're called Novices, but all of the older students call us that," Steve told him.

Suddenly, a menu materialized in front of David.

"Aagh!" he said, and so did about a hundred other students at the same moment. In just another moment, a pixie appeared floating above their table. "Is anyone ready to order?" she asked.

David looked down at the menu while the others placed their orders. When it was his turn, he ordered the roast chicken with vegetables.

The pixie clapped her hands together, and vanished.

"So, what are you going to be taking, Jim?"

"My specialty classes are Animperium and Divination."

"Specialty classes?" David asked.

Steve was the one to explain. "Pretty much everyone takes things like Charms and Hexes, and Potions. Some classes aren't as common, and those are your specialty classes. Didn't you pick specialty classes when you registered?"

"Honestly, I just took the dean's advice as to which classes to take."

Steve nodded.

A few seconds later, there was a slight pop! and a plate of food appeared in front of David.

It was, unfortunately, not roast chicken.

One of the older boys who was sitting at their table sighed. "She's gone and flubbed it up again! Everyone give your plate to the person on your right."

David handed his plate to Jim, and the boy on his left, named Carmine, handed David's chicken over. While he wasn't physically hungry, the smell made him drool mentally, and he bit into it eagerly. It was delicious.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

When David awoke, he was well rested. He got out of bed and reached for his pants where he'd thrown them on the floor the night before, only to find that they weren't there. A quick look around located them on top of his dresser, however.

As David was finishing getting dressed, Jim came into the room. He had apparently been in the shower, as his hair was still wet.

"Did you fold my clothes?" David asked.

Jim chuckled. "That would be freakish, wouldn't it?" David smiled at him. "It's the brownies."

"Huh?"

"The school is home to a whole nation of fairies, David. They live here, work here, play here... and in return, the castle keeps them safe."

"Has no one bothered to tell them that there's no war on?"

"They're well aware. But they've been here so long that it is their home. And... well, that's what they do. It's in their nature to be helpful. Well, most of them. Some are a real pain in the butt."

David nodded as he finished putting on his coat. Then he went and let Jailla out of his cage. "I've gotta get you a better perch," David told him quietly. To Jim, he asked, "Where's Steve?"

"Already off getting his schedule taken care of."

"But it can't be nine already..."

"No, but if you're still not quite sure of what you're going to take, there are professors in Beckett Hall you can talk to."

"Oh."

"So, since you don't have to worry about registration, what are you going to do today?"

"Good question. I've got no idea. Wander around, I guess."

"Wish I had the day off," Jim said with a grin.

"Trust me, days off can get old really fast. Especially when they're enforced."

Jim looked at David quizzically, but David didn't say anything more.

Jim finished dressing and said, "Well, I'm hungry. You wanna go get breakfast?"

"Sure," David said. He wasn't, of course, hungry, but it wouldn't do to give that impression.

-----

David spent his morning wandering the school grounds, familiarizing himself with where all the buildings were located. He had his map with him, which always told him where he was, with a simple "You are Here" dot that moved as he did.

After lunch, which David ate mainly because he was bored, he returned to his room to sort out his school supplies. When he opened the door to the room, however, he found an envelope on the floor. He picked it up and turned it over to see his own name written on it.

The handwriting was neat, but not the same script as before, so he figured this wasn't a school message. He opened the envelope, and pulled out a small scrap of paper. It read, "Please meet me at the Savage Hall Animal Complex, 8:00 PM, tonight. Olissa"

David smiled, remembering Olissa from the previous week. He put the note in his desk drawer, and set about the tasks he had meant to do, now thinking about what Olissa might want at the Animal Complex.

-----

At Jim's advising, David borrowed one of the dorm's fireflies to walk over to the Animal Complex. At eight o'clock, it was already dark out, and in fact, a bit chilled, with the wind coming off the ocean. David's coat kept him comfortable, except for his face, which let him know about the temperature.

The Animal Complex was a temporary housing facility for the animals that were used in the Animperium classes, as well as the Magical Creatures Familiarization seminars. Many of the smaller animals lived in the complex permanently, but the larger animals were usually just visiting.

David wasn't sure where to find Olissa within the large building, so he just wandered around. He finally found her in the stables area, petting a-

"Is this a unicorn?" David asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Hi."

"Hey," he replied. He reached out very hesitantly to touch the animal, who eyed him very warily, but allowed him to pet itself.

The two moved away from the unicorn, down the row of stables.

"How was your trip back?" David asked.

"I didn't really have much of a trip. I was staying with my aunt, and she lives a short distance from here."

David nodded. "Are your parents..."

"No, they're alive. But we live in Louisiana. That's a long way to go. So it was easier for us to send me to my aunt's for a couple weeks, and then she could bring me to the school."

"Oh." There was a short pause, then David asked, "So, what did you want to see me about?"

For another moment, Olissa didn't say anything. Finally, she replied quietly. "I know what you did, you know."

"You'll have to be a bit more specific than that," David said with a chuckle. "I do so many things."

Olissa smiled at him. "At Madame deChagny's. I'm not a fool, David. I know that this coat costs a great deal more than I paid for it." She eyed him sternly.

"I never figured it would fool you. I wanted to... give you a way to ignore it."

"And to fool my aunt."

"I didn't really have much hope of that, either."

"Well, you did. My aunt, bless her, is not that bright." David smiled. "Why did you do it? I had enough for serviceable clothes..."

David shrugged. "Why not do it? You look much nicer in these clothes."

Olissa smiled at him again. "I'm not sure how to thank you for it. Or, the one way I thought of, I'm not sure you'll accept."

"I didn't really do it to be thanked," David said. "But if you really feel you need to do something, I'm sure whatever it is will be just fine."

Olissa looked at him shyly, unsure of herself.

"What is it?" David asked, not able to read her look.

"The only way I can think of to thank you... is to offer to have sex with you," she said, her voice soft and slightly quavering.

David was shocked that she would offer him that. "You don't seem like you really want to do that," David said immediately. "Or, at least, you seem extremely hesitant."

Olissa admitted. "Oh, no, I would actually like to sleep with you... it's whether or not you'll reject me. I'm not exactly a beauty queen."

"Oh," David said, drawing it out. To answer her concern, he stepped close to her, and brought his lips to hers. Their kiss lasted for a very long moment.

When they finally came up for air, David asked, "Does that relieve your worry?"

"C'mon in here," she said huskily, pointing to an empty stable with some hay bales in it.

David followed her into the stable, and as she turned around, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly and kissing her again. Their tongues intertwined this time, as Olissa shed her coat, tossing it onto a hay bale. She worked on David's coat next, and that was soon discarded, as well. David pulled back from her at this point, but only slightly.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I want to have sex with you, but you don't have to."

"No, I don't have to, as such, but I want to. You've done a lot for me, and this is something I can do for you. Besides, you're cute."

David turned his head away as she smiled, and then he turned back and watched avidly as she pulled her shirt up and off. Her ample bosom was contained in a white bra that contrasted her skin nicely. He pulled her to him, kissing her again as his fingers meandered across her back, seeking the hooks to her bra. They were soon unfastened, and the garment hung limp between them while they continued to kiss. David felt Olissa shift her feet, but he didn't know what she was doing.

Finally, Olissa pushed him away gently. He stepped back slightly, and then looked down at the now exposed mounds of her chest. He could not help himself, but placed a hand under the outside of each breast and lifted them, pushing them together. He leaned in and sucked on one nipple.

Olissa moaned.

David continued to work over the nipples, one by one, going back and forth, showing them equal attention. Olissa moaned and sighed, and she rested her hand on the back of his head, encouraging him to keep up what he was doing. After a while, though, she took her free hand and pressed it against David's crotch, feeling his rock-hard dick inside his pants. At that, she once again pushed him away.

David watched as she turned away from him and walked to a pile of hay bales. She leaned over, placing her hands on the hay.

"Well, come on over here," she said with a smile. "I know you're ready."

David quickly moved in behind her. He reached to pull her skirt down, but she stopped him. "Just lift it up over my butt. It's easier."

David worried it might get dirty, but it was her skirt. He lifted it up to her waist, and it bunched there. He ran his hand between her legs, to find that she didn't have on any panties. He looked back, and found that her panties were lying on the floor beneath her bra.

So that's what she was doing, he thought to himself. He turned back to Olissa, and then unfastened his pants, pulling them, and his briefs, down to his knees. His cock pointed straight at Olissa's pussy.

David shuffled forward, and his cock soon contacted Olissa's cunt. She sighed and pushed back at him, causing his dick to bend slightly. He reached down and shifted its position, and he soon found her hole. His cockhead pressed inside her, and then the rest of his shaft slowly followed.

"Oh, yes, that feels good," Olissa moaned softly. David continued to slide into her until he was buried to the hilt. There, he rested for a moment, his hands roaming over her ample ass while she wiggled her hips, causing ripples of pleasure to go up and down his cock.

Soon, David couldn't resist any longer, but started to thrust in and out of Olissa, keeping his movements slow and smooth. He didn't want to rush this or seem like he was in a hurry. Her pussy felt great wrapped around his dick, and he was enjoying every second of it.

After minutes of this, Olissa made David stop. She stood up, pulling her pussy off his prick. Turning to face him, she smiled.

"I want to see your eyes while we have sex," she explained. She was about to lie down on the hay bales when David stopped her.

"That's gonna be prickly." He grabbed his coat and put it down for her. She smiled at him, and then lay down. She spread her legs in obvious invitation, and David quickly took her up on the offer, slipping his dick back into her as quickly as he could.

Olissa sighed as David resumed his previous slow pace. Now he could use one hand to play with her tits while the other held him up. Olissa moaned and squealed quietly as he tweaked her nipples and rolled them in his fingers.

"A little faster now," Olissa finally said, and David obliged, picking up the pace somewhat. He could tell that she was starting to rise to her climax. He hoped she was close, as he knew that he was holding himself back as hard as he could at this point.

Olissa began to rock her hips more strongly beneath him, and her breathing became ragged. She pulled David down to her, and their lips were soon locked, their tongues dancing wetly in each other's mouths.

Finally, Olissa let out a scream that was lost in the depths of David's mouth. Her pussy clamped down on his dick, and her back arched, pressing her ample tits strongly into his chest.

David could only take so much of that, and he came, too, blasting his load into her pussy. The two bucked and grunted together for long moments before they came down from their highs.

David pushed himself up from Olissa, still buried inside her. Olissa was still lost in her pleasure, and her eyes were unfocused. David waited, just enjoying the feel of her skin, the warmth of her pussy surrounding his shrinking cock.

Finally, she looked up at him, and smiled. "You're good at that," she said.

David would have blushed, if he was able.

-----

The pair didn't say much as they cleaned up, but once they were on their way back to the dorm, David's borrowed firefly lighting the way, Olissa spoke.

"There's something I want you to know, David. I really do like you... but I'm not interested in a relationship with anybody right now. I just broke up with a guy from high school not too long ago, and that was pretty nasty. I'm just not ready to jump back in with both feet. I hope you'll understand."

David didn't say anything for a few steps. Then he asked, "Can we still be friends?"

"Absolutely," Olissa said immediately.

David waited another few steps before asking, "And, as friends, might we occasionally, from time to time, repeat what just happened?" He couldn't look her in the eyes when he asked, because he expected her to say no.

"So long as neither of us is attached at the time, you're always free to ask," she said. "And I will, under those conditions, probably say yes," she said. David took a second to work his way around her sentence to her meaning. Once he understood, he put his arm around her, gave her a one-armed hug, and let her go.

"So what did you do today?" David asked as they continued to walk back to the dorm.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~