Academy (2)

After finalizing the details, Tavi escorted the pair down the stairs. "Feel free to attend any classes you feel like. Normal students have a set schedule. Desmond here has history, Arcane Studies, Potion classes, Theory class and finally Formalities class. That class is only for nobles though."

Avery thought it over for a moment before answering. "I'd like to just attend any classes, though I'd probably spend most of my time exploring or with Desmond here." Tavi nodded in understanding and fished out a pin. "This is the school's insignia. Please wear it while on campus." It was like the banner above the school's front doors. Only, it was made from Meteor metal. The black metal shine was pleasing to the eye." This will mark you as a special student, granting you access to all areas, besides other people's dorms and allow you free movement. If there is anything else, please feel free to see me or my husband.

Avery nodded, very pleased. She didn't want to be tied down to a location at the moment, but she did want to learn a little more about the world. "Now, I'll take you to Desmond's Arcane studies. The class has just started.

Ten minutes later, reaching the second floor and turning to the left wing, they found themselves in front of a door with a sign that Avery couldn't read. "This is the Arcane room. Right now they're teaching intermediate magic. Please let me speak with the teacher and I'll introduce you to the class where you can take your afterward. Desmond, just take a seat."

Tavi opened the door and stepped in, a woman's voice reached their ears while she was lecturing. Hearing the door open, the teacher paused. "Ah, Vice-Master. What can I do for you?" The woman was in her early thirties and already had signs of old age. Most likely from stress. Desmond entered right after her and took a seat towards the back. No one paid attention to him.

Murmurs raced across the students, around forty in total, some giggling and some just stayed quiet. They ranged from age fifteen to twenty-five. The majority of the students were human, but there were some elves, light, and dark. There were a few beast-men and even two Orcs. All were dressed in mage robes. "Yes, I've come to introduce a new student." The teacher was surprised. Since it was almost the end of the school year, the school didn't accept new students until next year in a few weeks.

"Please come in," Tavi called out to Avery. She walked in, her boots thumping against the wooden floor." The room had a large board with diagrams and writing on it. A podium stood in front on a raised platform. Desks lined the other side in a quarter moon. The desks sat on levelled floors, so no one blocked any one's views. There were four long desks each level, seating four students each with a comfortable area between each seat. There were levels. Students mostly sat in fragmented groups, but none sat in the last row, except for Desmond. He pulled out books from under the desk and began to open them.

"This girl is Avery, she'll be attending the school from now one and you'll see her around. Today she'll be sitting in this class." She introduced Avery in a raised, but soft voice. The teacher was confused for a moment until she saw the pin on her beautiful white cloak. and Tavi's introduction. 'So a special student.'

There were a few special students, most were high born or geniuses. The geniuses were pleasant enough but mostly kept to themselves. High-borns, such as Desmond, were often rude and unpleasant. However Desmond was a good boy, he refused the special pin and kept to his studies. Being a Teacher, she eventually found our the Imperial family's internal fight. She kept it to herself and treated Desmond like every other student, but was careful not to broach on the family subject.

"Hello." That was the only words she spoke, unsure of how to approach the new student. The student absolutely beautiful! She outshined almost all the girls, besides the one or two of the elves, in appearance. While most of the girls in the class had some baby fat, this girl appeared to have already matured into a fine young woman.

"Please go take a seat then, come find me should you have any troubles." With that, Tavi left the room before putting a notice out in the Teacher's lounge. Avery quickly navigated herself to Desmond and sat down next to him. All the students were stunned by her beauty before they all quickly began to speak in hushed voices about her. When she sat next to Desmond, the room nearly exploded in speculation. One thing was for sure, she most likely was a very important state guest.

The teacher apologized for the interruption and the class continued.

. . .

The class ended without any other interruptions, and Avery found it interesting. The class was on the subject mage combat tactics. It was similar to how they played in the game only, it there was a higher level of caution. Desmond began to clean up his area while she sat back in the comfortable chair. She had leaned over to share his book, not bothering to open the one below her in a small cubby. At this point, a large group of young girls and boys made their way up to them.

"Wow! She's even more beautiful up in close!" One girl cooed out, as she reached the top of the landing. Her mage robe was pressed and clean. Her hair was tied back in a bun as her eyes gleamed. One by one they greeted her and began hurling questions left and right at her. Desmond, expecting this, had already moved out of the way and made his way down the steps. He planned to wait by the door and let her have a moment with her new 'classmates'.

"Hey! We're talking to you." Desmond turned around, wondering what the commotion was. To his surprise, the usual social girl - Avery - pushed her way from the encirclement and was already lock-step behind him. Her hair bouncing with each light step. He looked behind her and saw the students who had gone up to her were scowling, shrugging, or simply laughed at the ones who were blown off.

Avery had a gentle smile, with fire in her eyes. He didn't know what upset this girl. She seriously was bipolar! "C'mon, I actually want to see the dorms. Let's skip the rest of the day." Avery said as she passed him, light as a phantom out the door.

She was acutely aware of how they looked at him. Contempt. Disdain. Teens weren't like adults who had experienced the harsh world around them. Neither had them lived with their lives dangling by a thread. Not these kids. Somehow, after dying, she already had a new perspective on life. These kids hadn't though. Stuck in their own little worlds, 'high school life'. She didn't view that as a bad thing. She honestly would have been one of these kids if it hadn't been for her... Condition. But she wasn't. She wasn't going to give them anything if they didn't try to at least stay on neutral terms with Desmond. A perk she gave her new and only friend in this new world.

"Huff! The nerve of her!" One girl with flowing gold hair and blue eyes with sharp features stomped her foot. "She actually ignored us over that damned mutt!" Her eyes burned with indignation. She felt slighted as she clenched her pale hands. The girl next to her patted her shoulder. "Leave it. She probably doesn't know that being around that prince is a social death sentence." The girl only pushed her hand away, "What makes her special, anyway?!", "Are you mad that your ex-boyfriend is hanging around a different girl, Marissa?" One of the boys said mockingly.

Marissa turned her head, her cheeks burning even hotter "Shut your trap! The First prince is a better pick anyways!". The boy only rolled his eyes as they all began to shuffle out the classroom towards their next classes. The class teacher kept one eye on the group, only shaking her head once they left. "Damn nobles..."

. . .

Desmond took the lead by a few feet as they walked up the left wing's corridor. Tens of other students shuffled loudly towards their next classes, laughing and talking with their friends. No one greeted Desmond, nor looked at him, but everyone seemed to be aware of Avery in her snow white cloak that stuck out in the stone corridor. After navigating between the throngs of students, they finally made it out the front entrance which was across from the main staircase.

The snow had stopped falling as men in thick worn blue cloaks and brown pants shoveled snow to the side of the walkway. "These are the ground keepers," Desmond mentioned as he nodded greetings to them as they passed them. "Eh? Ah." One of the ground keepers looked up as they passed and nodded back before going back to work. They walked off to the right. Their breaths billowed out as Desmond rubbed his fingers together. Avery's cloak, Cloud-Dancer, kept her comfortable and warm. She was glad she took some time this morning to look through her inventory.

Once they passed the end of the right wing, a large building came into view. It was identical in architecture to the main school building. It was in an L shape with another building of the same shape shadowing it in an inverted L. The long parts stood halfway next to each other with a thirty-foot distance between the two with the hooks capping off the other's L, with the same respectable distance. An open bridge cut across the second floor Mid-L and into the other building. A sturdy wooden canopy kept the snow off it.

They entered the building, welcomed with a kiss of warm air. They came into view of a lounge with a few students here and there. A few guards stood by the far wall by a desk talking to each other along with what she could only think was a chef. They kept their voices down aside form a laugh here and there. A few female guards were among the group and they all appeared to be in their late thirties.

To Avery's surprise, aside from the blue mage robes, a few students wore blue tunics and brown pants with light armor with an engraved sword and shield. Some wore clothes she'd associate with a priest, a sun embroidered on their backs. "What's with those students?" She gestured towards them with her head. "Which one?" Desmond stopped and looked where she gestured. "All of them". "Ah, the ones in light armor are Pages, knights in training. The ones with the sun are priests in training. The uniforms given are based on the major you pick. A lot of people pick mages and knights, fewer cross professions so you won't see a lot of them in the front building."

Desmond led her away through the lounge, past the guards. "Hey Desmond, welcome back", "Hey guys." The guards greeted them as passed them and to desk. "I brought my friend, Avery. I'm taking her to her dorm." Hidden behind the desk was a Dwarven man. Sitting on the stool. His face was smooth and shaved. His hair tied back into a tight bun and wore a clean brown outfit. "Ah, the Vice-Mistress had already notified us. Your items had been moved to your new room and Avery's room has been prepared next to it."

The man sat on a stool as tall as him to reach the top of the desk. He slid off it skillfully and fished some keys out of a compartment under the desktop. He gestured for them to follow as he hobbled to a hallway to his left. Inside the hallway was several doors with room numbers on them. At the end was a stairwell that was large and carpeted with a plain and weathered material. The stairwell was big enough for four students to walk side by side as it ascended upwards to the top.

"Ms. Tavi said to give you space from the others, so I put you on the sixth floor. No one lives up there, so you don't have to worry about noisy neighbors." Despite the man's stature, he moved quickly for a dwarf. His hobble speed was able to keep up with their normal walk speed. Avery felt a little bad about it, making him work so hard, but he soldiered up the stairs as if he'd done it a thousand times. "Ms. Tavi... Told me about your identity. I hope you don't mind, Lady Bailey." The man spoke with a strained voice, the only give away that he was working hard up the steps.

"Mm. Don't worry about it. Are you okay? We can take a quick break at the top..." Hearing his ragged voice, she felt pretty bad about it. "Ah, thank you. I'll take you up on your offer. I'm getting quite old to keep this pace." Once they reached the top, they gave him a minute to catch his breath before going up. They did so for him at each landing before they finally reached the fourth floor.

The hallway had thirty doors. Two doors bordered each other before a twelve-foot gap until the next set of doors. It went on as such until the hall bend right. The wooden floor was obviously freshly mopped and the white walls wiped down."We all rushed to clean down the floor. No one wants to be on the top floor due to the walk so we never cleaned up here. Don't worry though, we cleaned every room, should you wish to occupy another room or use them for storage. Mrs. Tavi said you can use any of the rooms here as you wish. No one will be allowed to move up here without Lady Bailey's explicit permission."

Avery was even more surprised by the generous authority given to her. It looked like the man read her thoughts. "For a deity such as Lady Bailey, we would have given you an entire building, but at the moment, we can't erect another dorm." He looked like he was embarrassed that they could even do that. "No, no. This is generous enough. Don't do something like that." she waved both of her hands, seeing how serious he was about it. "I'm actually quite happy with the accommodations already! I already have a floating island and other lands. I already don't know what to do with the whole floor!"

The man laughed. "You're too kind, just as they say! Hahaha!" He rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, happy with the praise. "Ah, to business. " He cleared his throat and walked over to the first door. "This room is Mr. Desmond's new room. We already moved everything into it. We tried to keep the same layout, but we couldn't put your stuff in place. Everything is in crates so you can put them back." Desmond nodded. "That's fine, you guys already did enough." He smiled and nodded back. "The one next is Lady Bailey's room. " He hobbed a few feet over, human feet distance, tossing Desmond's room key to him, he used the other one to open her door.