Summoner 16, page 12
“Seriously, man,” the banisher continued once we were alone. “I don’t mind stepping out. I don’t want to be a third wheel or anything.”
“Arwyn would never forgive me,” I assured him with a wry grin. “School first.”
“Fine.” The gypsy gave me a sour look, but his lips twitched up into a smile as he turned back to his notepad.
A few moments later, I had my nose deep into a history textbook containing information recently covered in Arwyn’s class. The lovely professor bounced between me and Varleth gracefully, and she somehow managed to keep us both on our toes for the rest of the day.
Hours passed, and the sunlight stretched across the room as the day wore on, but I mostly ignored everything outside of my studies. Dio’s amorous comments about my beautiful teacher created a staggered soundtrack throughout the entire day, and I was glad no one else could hear my familiar’s words, even though I personally found them highly entertaining.
By the time I called it quits, my head was ringing and my eyes burned, but I was proud of what I’d accomplished. Even though I’d only gotten a crash course, I was more confident about restarting school than I had been only a few days earlier.
When I returned to the tavern, my room was empty, but a pile of notes were crowding the floor inside the threshold. I scooped them all up and moved to my bed, but I lit one of the gas lamps before I sat down.
Dio hopped out of my hip pouch and circled the blanket, and then the kitten-sized monster curled up in a ball and let out a yawn.
I scratched behind his ears, and then I stacked the pillows behind me and settled in to read my letters. The first one was from Ashla telling me she came to see me but no one was there, the next from Nia telling me Freya was staying in her dorm room for the night, and the final one was from Maelor jokingly asking if I was still alive since he hadn’t seen me in a couple days.
I sighed. Between school, house hunting, and wedding preparations, I was already running out of time to spend with my friends. I wished I could multiply myself like my kalgori did, so that I could be in more than one place at once.
The thought of my butterfly-like summons shifted my thoughts toward Veopa and her bat-like narmongers. The succubus creatures were an imposing enemy, but once I subdued the shapeshifter goddess, then I would have the monster under my command.
I miss you, Master, Sera moaned in a voice filled with pain the moment my mental wards slipped.
I frowned and pushed the dark-winged Archon away before I reinforced the walls of magic that kept all of the goddesses restrained inside my consciousness.
I had too much to deal with to let the manipulative rulers of the Shadowscape roam around my active thoughts. While I’d gotten a lot of use from their knowledge and abilities, I needed to be the one in control if I intended to call myself their master. My mind was full of determination as I fell asleep, and with my last clear thought, I realized I would be a student again the following day.
I didn’t know what time it was when my eyes opened, but the light of pre-dawn was barely warming the ceiling of my room. The purple blue sky outside the window created a calm ambiance, and I inhaled a deep, refreshing breath.
Was I excited for school? That was a new feeling.
I scrubbed my face with my hands, and then I stretched my arms and swung my legs off the edge of the bed. My stack of new uniforms beckoned to me from their position on top of the dresser, and I grinned to myself as I crossed the room to pluck the top one from the stack. I’d always looked good in blue, so I’d lucked out when it came to the color scheme of the summoner’s school robes.
The Academy divided the different mage classes into groups based on their various abilities, and each class had a color scheme to their uniforms to signify what type of magic each student performed. Summoners wore navy trousers and a blue cotton shirt with a navy-blue robe on top. The fabric was flexible, breathed well, and felt softer than I remembered from my first year.
Did Arwyn somehow manage to get me higher quality school uniforms?
Whether intentional or accidental luck, I wasn’t about to complain, so I rolled up a full set of uniforms under my arm, and then I headed to the tavern’s bathroom to get cleaned up. After a quick shower and a shave, I got dressed and finished my ensemble off with my bandolier before I headed through Varle toward the Academy.
It was odd to approach my first day of school from outside the campus walls, but as soon as I entered the main hallway, the familiar surroundings calmed my nerves. It was still early in the morning, and the dining hall doors creaked open as though by magic as I neared them in search of breakfast.
The delicious smells urged me onward, and I followed my nose to the spread of eggs, breakfast meats, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, and anything else you could imagine wanting first thing in the morning. I made three trips to pile my plate, and by the time I scraped the bottom of my final serving, my stomach bulged against the waistband of my navy trousers.
I leaned back and sighed with pleasure as I cradled my steaming mug of coffee in my hand.
Maker, I’d missed the Academy cafeteria.
When the metallic clang of the tower bells rang the seventh hour, the sound of voices and the shuffling of many feet echoed in from the dining hall doors. A moment later, the room was filled with students and faculty, and the tables all around me were soon crowded.
I waited for someone to speak to me, especially after I noticed several eyes watching my every move, but no one came within a ten-foot radius of my table. Almost everyone avoided my gaze, but I caught their furtive glances when they thought I wasn’t looking. Whispers raced around the room, and I heard my name multiple times, so with each passing moment, I became increasingly aware of how empty my table was.
I frowned as I thought over the reactions of my peers.
Did I have something on my face?
Before I could scrutinize things any further, Layla, Cyra, Ashla, and Erin bounced into the dining hall, and they waved at me from the buffet before they headed toward my table. The girls sat to either side and across from me, and judging from the wide smiles, clean uniforms, and cute hairstyles, they were ready for the day of school.
“What’s your first class?” Layla asked as she stole a piece of bacon from my abandoned plate.
“On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I have Biology, History and Monster Identification in the morning, and then physical training and weapons training after lunch,” I explained. “Then on Tuesday and Thursday, I have Summoning 2 and Survivalism.”
“That sounds like a fun schedule,” Cyra said with a big grin. “I bet you could practically teach Monster I.D. at this point, though.”
“Maybe,” I chuckled. “Still, I’m curious to see what I can learn. I’m also really interested in the biology class. There’s a lot more science to doing magic than I would have expected before coming to the Academy.”
“I loved biology class,” Ashla informed me.
“I forgot you already graduated.” I gave the beautiful ice mage an apologetic smile.
“Sometimes it feels like I’m still a student here,” she replied with a shrug. “I enjoy the research too much to care, though. Oh, and access to the labs and workshops for my experiments.”
“Does Bessie II have a descendant?” I arched an eyebrow curiously.
“Not yet,” Ashla laughed and flicked her braids behind her shoulder. “Maybe someday. Right now, I’ve been designing machines and weapons in collaboration with the research team. Arwyn said you had one of their first prototypes.”
“My rhin dagger,” I confirmed with a nod. The blade was created by some magic transmutation of monster essence designed by the Academy researchers, and it was one of the finest pieces of metal I’d ever used in battle.
“Right.” Ashla copied my nod, and her chocolate eyes danced with excitement. “So, I’m helping them come up with new designs and improvements.”
“She means blowing their designs out of the water with her own,” Cyra clarified in an amused tone.
“That’s awesome!” I gushed with pride.
“We have some of the same classes, Gryffie,” Layla commented suddenly as she studied a stained, wrinkled piece of paper I could only assume was her class schedule. “Obviously, Summoning 2, but I’ve got Monster I.D. with you, too.”
“Is that your schedule?” I asked with a chuckle.
“Duh.” Layla gave me a look like I’d said the dumbest thing ever.
“How do you not know what classes you have yet?” I shook my head in bewilderment. “You haven’t missed anything, have you?”
“We got back right before classes started,” Erin confirmed. “Layla just doesn’t always show up.”
“Sounds like you.” I gave the petite summoner an admonishing look. “You better start going to classes now, though.”
“Yeah, yeah, I will.” She waved a dismissive hand, and then she scratched her auburn hair thoughtfully. “If we got married, would I still have to go to school?”
“Do you think Nia is going to drop out?” I laughed. “I don’t think being married releases you from the obligation to the military.”
“It’s worth a shot, though, right?” Layla shrugged. “I’m not cut out for this school stuff.”
“What happened?” I frowned. “You were doing so good before… ”
“Before you died, you mean?” the summoner countered. “It’s been rough, Gryff. Give me a break, okay?”
“Okay,” I relented with a sigh. “I’m here now, you know, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Just keep repeating those words over and over again,” Erin breathed with her amber eyes full of joy.
“Yes, please,” Ashla agreed. “You’re not allowed outside Varle without taking all of us with you.”
“I can handle that.” I grinned. “Besides, I missed you guys too much. I’m over the adventures and travels.”
“You say that now,” Cyra said in a knowing voice, “but I bet you’ll miss the Southern continent and all the wacky fun you had once you’re a father.”
“I’m just staying focused on school and the wedding for right now,” I informed her with a shake of my head. “I can’t think much further than midterms, and the wedding after that.”
“Nia told us the date,” Erin exclaimed. “It’s going to be so amazing. I can’t wait!”
“Me, either!” Cyra gushed, and the dark-skinned summoner bounced up and down in her seat. “There’s going to be flowers everywhere, and Nia in a gorgeous dress.”
“And Gryffie in a tux!” Layla gasped and slammed her hands on the table. “I have to see it!”
“You’re all going to be there,” I assured them with a grin.
All four girls turned to give me a dumbfounded look simultaneously.
“Obviously we’ll be there, we’re bridesmaids,” Ashla declared like this was the most obvious thing in the world. “Didn’t Nia tell you?”
“We covered the date, and dance lessons.” I smirked. “I’m cool with whatever she wants to do, though.”
“You’ll have to find enough groomsmen to match all the bridesmaids,” Erin explained in a patient tone.
“Oh.” I blinked. “Well, how many bridesmaids are there going to be?”
“The four of us, Nia’s sister, Freya, and Arwyn… ” Layla counted off the names on her fingers, and my stomach clenched into a knot as her digits flicked open.
I mentally ran down the list of my closest male friends, and I swallowed hard when I realized there weren’t enough names to match Nia’s list.
I needed to make some new guy friends before the wedding.
The clock tower bell rang the eighth hour, and a flurry of activity exploded throughout the dining hall as all the students rushed off to their morning classes.
Erin and Cyra hopped up from the table, but Layla and Ashla didn’t move.
“Aren’t you coming?” Cyra asked the other summoner.
“Ugh… ” Layla groaned and rolled her eyes. “I guess.”
She shoved herself away from the table with obvious reluctance, and then we all turned to give Ashla a questioning glance.
“I’m waiting here for the other researchers,” the chocolate-skinned ice mage explained. “I don’t have the security codes yet, so I have to wait for someone else to open the door in the morning.”
“That sucks.” I gave her a sympathetic smile. “Will I see you at lunch?”
“Definitely.” Ashla’s face split into a wide grin. “Just like old times.”
“Can’t wait.” I mirrored her grin, and then I bent down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before I followed the other three women out of the dining hall.
“See you later!” Erin waved as she veered away from us, but the two summoners walked with me all the way to my first class of the day: Biology. I was grateful for their help, since I hadn’t even known the class existed at all, and then Layla led me out of the main building and onto the rolling green lawn.
The classroom was technically a greenhouse behind the main building, and I was surprised I’d never noticed it before. A short distance away from the glass walled room was a cellar built beneath the school proper, and the door was propped open. I could hear laughter through the portal as light flickered across the damp stone walls of the tunnel beyond, and I wondered if I was supposed to go inside.
“Have fun,” Cyra said with a wink as she and Layla turned to head to their class.
“Don’t kill any plants!” Layla added loudly.
“Thanks.” I smirked, but then I gave the mischievous summoner a stern look. “Get to class.”
“Yes, Sir, Captain Gryffie, Sir!” Layla crossed her eyes, stuck out her tongue, and snapped a salute. Then she busted out into a fit of giggles, and Cyra practically had to drag her away.
When I was alone in front of the weird cellar door, my eyes flicked between the open portal to the glass walled plant nursery. I didn’t see anyone inside the latter, so I ducked my head beneath the threshold and strode into the cellar.
At the end of a damp, moldy stone tunnel was a small classroom dimly lit by gas lamps hung from the ceiling. Water dripped from cracks on every surface, and the sour smell clung to everything. Three long tables surrounded by chairs filled the small space, but a chalkboard adorned the far wall, and a crude podium was shoved into a corner.
A few students lounged at the table farthest away from the entrance, and they had their backs to me as they talked amongst themselves.
“Excuse me,” I said to get their attention. “Is this Biology?”
“Obviously,” was the snide response I got from one of the students. A lanky boy wearing the white robes of an adept with flappy, straw colored hair swung his head around to look at me, and then his eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, you’re that summoner guy, aren’t you?”
“Depends.” I pursed my lips together. “Who’s asking?”
“My name’s Kev,” the kid replied, but his look of shock didn’t fade. “They still let you take normal classes?”
“Why wouldn’t they?” I raised an eyebrow.
The other students turned to eye me curiously, but I detected a hint of fear in their expressions that worried me.
“This is a human school,” a girl with brown hair that hung straight as a board to her shoulders said as though this explained everything.
“And?” I pressed, and I could feel my irritation growing.
Before she could answer, however, the acrid smell of stale body odor wafted past me, and in my next breath a round, grungy man wiggled past me and strode toward the front of the room. His hair was matted with mud, and his clothes were in a similar state of filth, but his green eyes were bright with excitement as he turned to scan the room.
“Please, please, take your seats,” the man said as he gestured toward the empty tables scattered around the room. “Wherever you like, just get comfortable.”
I crossed to a table in two quick strides, and the chair scraped loudly against the floor as I pulled it out. A moment later, I was seated, and silence fell again.
“Ah, yes,” the teacher said as he noticed me at last. “Mister Gryff, I presume?”
“Yes, sir,” I replied with a curt nod.
Whispers spread through the other students, and the dingy below ground room made the sounds echo around the chamber.
“My name is Professor Cornwall,” the teacher continued, and he ignored the muttered voices to narrow his green eyes at me. “Do you have any prior knowledge or experience with biology?”
“I suppose,” I said with a shrug. “Everyone does to some extent, right? We breathe, eat, sleep, have children. All of that stuff’s biology.”
“Very true.” Professor Cornwall sounded pleased, and he rubbed his pudgy hands together as he took the entire class into his gaze. “We experience biology constantly, but are we aware of what is happening inside our own bodies? Do we see the science in our everyday lives?”
He paused for a long moment, but no one answered, and when the silence grew uncomfortable, I moved to speak. As soon as my mouth opened, though, Professor Cornwall slammed his hands down onto the top of the nearest table.
“No!” he shouted with a fiery passion in his voice. “We are blind to the magic we create within ourselves!”
Whoa. Dio peeked up from the edge of my hip pouch to stare at my teacher with wide-eyed fascination. What a freakshow.
I kept my thoughts to myself, but my familiar had a point. It was quite a spectacle.
The class continued on in much the same fashion for over an hour, and then Professor Cornwall passed out a questionnaire and instructed us to return it by the next session. I shoved it between the pages of my textbook without even glancing at it. Then he dismissed us before the bell rang, and he waved with an exasperated air as we gathered our possessions and rushed down the tunnel.
“That’s the guy who got possessed by demons, right?” a skinny girl with glasses asked her neighbor as they pushed by me.
“Yeah, he died, and then he made a deal with a demon to come back to life,” the lanky boy named Kev replied, and he shot me a nervous glance.
