chapter six

Mason trooped at a big black plaque glued to the wall in the Main Hall entrance as a throng of students galloped behind him. The black plaque had a bunch of paper attached to it, and some that were overlapping the other.

"This is the Main Hall. This is the place where you'll refer to if you get lost. If there are any news or activities about your tier, or you want to see your class schedule, then this is where you'll go," said Mason.

There were a collection of kids that craned their neck to have a better look at the plaque. Some had even walked to the plaque to see where their classes would take place.

"Do we have to bring anything to class? Like books and pencils?" asked a Latina girl named Gretchen. She was standing near Jill and had been studying the plaque very carefully.

"I'll get to that when we get to your classrooms. As for now, please follow me to your dorms," said Mason promptly.

The group marched across the Main Hall, avidly looking at the portraits that stared at them. Some kids attempted to touch the paintings but Mason quickly yipped at them to back away. Castor wasn't sure how he felt about the portraits, especially the painted creature ones. Sure, he still procured a peak interest, but he also felt discomforted. Almost hinting to the thought that they could be watching him.

At the far right end of the Main Hall, there was a large wooden elevator door, framed with mahogany braces, that faced the students as they approached it. The doors opened and slid shut as older students trickled out to their classrooms, hefting their textbooks.

"This is our elevator. When you are not feeling up to it to take the stairs to your classes, this is a far more efficient and less time-consuming way of going about it. And if you look at every corner in this school, you will find an elevator at your disposal, so there will never be a reason for you to be late-"

There were several groans that dribbled around in the crowd.

"And there are no buttons with these elevators, the elevator automatically senses people. Now can you simply tell me, how can I communicate to this machine without pressing any buttons?" Mason asked, shrewdly surveying the students."

"Well, since it senses you, I think you just speak to it," said Autumn Weebly, the brown-haired girl Castor and Finley had met on the bus.

"Correct. Now if you can calmly, and respectfully enter the elevator in a nice orderly fashion."

The students scrambled to get in the elevator, accidentally shoving Mason along the way. Some intentionally pushing Mason out of the way.

"Hey, I said calmly!" Mason blared as he entered the elevator. Then he shouted "up".

Pretty soon the elevator had swung up, cutting the air at max speed. The kids cheered and laughed as the wind hit their faces. The breeze was so strong that teardrops were being swept away like a hat in a monsoon. Suddenly the elevator clung to a stop and it introduced a miniature hallway, constricted by doors that stood on both sides. There were small candlelights that flickered on each door and at the far end of the corridor, there was a large circular window (sliced into four sections) that permeated golden sunlight into the room.

"These are where your dormitories will be. Each dormitory can populate three people at a time. You will be assigned a dorm room at the end of the tour and yes, you will be sharing them with a different sex." said Mason.

"But that's so unorthodox! What if we need to change? What if-" Autumn blurted.

"I'm sure you guys can accommodate," said Mason, slightly ruffled as he glanced at Autumn. "And seeing as you're only ten, it shouldn't be too difficult."

Finley and Castor grinned and some of the guys laughed. A few girls lent Mason a disapproving glare.

Afterward, they went back down to the first floor and entered the gaping stairway in the Main Hall until they arrived at a much larger hallway. This hallway also housed an array of doors but the lights were more dimmed and there were more students walking on this floor.

"These are where your classes will take place. You don't need to worry about bringing textbooks and pencils to class, they're already provided for you. Just show up to your assigned classes tomorrow and your professors will go over everything with you."

As they were making their return downstairs, Mason had accidentally bumped into a tall, sporty student. He had long, burnt umber hair that washed on his face and a rather crooked nose. He seemed to be about Mason's age, attired in the same plaid sweater-vest uniform with a black and red striped tie as Mason, and wearing a sleepy face.

"Oh sorry Mason, didn't see you there. How's the tour turning out?" the kid asked.

"Intermittently. Guys, this is Otis Hart, he's one of the third tier students here at Aurelius. So you'll probably be seeing him stalling along the hallways." Mason said peevishly.

A cluster of girls turned pink when they glanced at Otis.

"I guess I take a bow now huh?" Otis teased.

"Scurry along Otis," said Mason flourishing his hands across the hallway.

"Bye guys," said Otis, then he casually disappeared into the crowd.

After passing the Main Hall and turning a left past the elevator, the group arrived at a large arced door that bolstered four main doors. When they opened it they arrived in a wide room enumerated by round tables, decorative chandeliers, and fairies that flew around carrying platters of food to the wooden tables. There was another large circular window in this room, and at the far right corner of the Dining Hall, the group was also enamored by a glass alcove that recessed a swimming pool.

"Welcome to the Dining Hall. This is where you'll go during lunchtime. You'll meet many students alike here, plenty of which are from different tiers and are not in your classes. And if I'm not mistaken, I believe right about now is when we should eat."

Not too long, the second and third group from the tour arrived behind Mason.

"Alright guys, it's lunchtime. Be back around 2:00!" shouted Haas, a freckled boy who was also a third tier like Mason. "How are things playing out for you Mason?"

"We're getting by," Mason said.

Soon the students were dismissed, and they began to dissipate into the pool of crowds in the Dining Hall. Castor and Finley discovered a table not too far from the swimming pool.

"It's a shame I didn't bring any swimming suits. I could use a swim right about now," said Finley as they slumped into their seats.

"Look over there!" Castor said, pointing inside the swimming pool area. There was a vendor with a man standing behind it selling swimming apparel.

"Wicked," said Finley, sweltering in awe.

Not after ten seconds had whizzed by did a winged creature come flying at their table asking them what they'd like to eat.

"I'll have chicken," said Finley sounding unsure of himself. "And do you guys have brownies? Ok, I'll have that too. And some water please."

"I'll have chicken as well and orange juice," said Castor.

Soon after, the fairy had arrived with two platters of their meal. As they ate, Castor heard a hefty laugh sitting behind Finley. It belonged to a pointy-nosed red-haired boy, masked in a grubby face. The boy winked when he caught Castor's eyes.

"Who's the boy behind you?" Castor asked.

Finley swerved around and then puffed out a displeasing groan. "That's Flannigan, and I really think you should ignore him or at least stay out of his way."

"Why?"

"He comes from a family of wolves and most monster hunters know the Flannigans to be rich, self-centered, and a tad bit wild.

Castor stole a second glance. This time Flannigan wasn't staring back. But Castor got the slick feeling that perhaps the kid garnered all he needed to get out of him. That perhaps he didn't like him.

Straightaway after lunch, Mason had shepherded the group of kids to the back of the school. The student were now standing on a flat field staring at a prickly forest that was a ball kick away. Standing in between them was what looked to be an underground hatch, but really was a deep hole with a cage locked on top of it. There were growls that escaped through the cage, some even causing the forest to shiver.

"That's the monster pit, you'll learn more about it in your Power Management class. Behind it, as you can very well see, is the forest. We like to call it The Dark. Both of these places are forbidden to enter without adult supervision. Especially The Dark. And in case you're wondering, two kids died in there last summer because they thought it was a joke. So there's some food for thought," said Mason coldly.

"I believe that ends our tour. I must add though, during the end of your classes, you will be taken to your mentors to complete a mission. It's called Mentorship and it's required as part of our curriculum here at Aurelius. Just be careful ok? It can get pretty dangerous. But if you do as you're told and dutifully respect the law, you should be well off. Alright, follow me back to your dorms."

The flock of students flurried back into the building and lurched up the elevator to the pacifying sight of the corridors. Haas and the rest of the leads were there with their group as well. The students stood there eagerly like confused birds, waiting to be assigned their dorm number. In an instant, Haas began to holler out numbers and band the kids that would be associated with the number.

"Williams, Finley, and Lancaster, you three will be in room forty-four!"

Room forty-four was located on the far end of the corridor to the right, near the circular window, and three doors up from the last door in the passageway. The room, Castor noticed, could've been the same size as Chord's apartment but only a little bit smaller. It housed a bunk bed on the right, a single bed on the left, and several posters on the wall (one of which read "Hunt or be hunted"). There was a slick wooden desk lodged in the center of the room, near the heads of the beds, and a patterned carpet.

Finley shoved his luggage inside the thin closet that hid behind the dorm and then slumped onto the bunk bed.

"I could get used to this. It's a shame we're only here for three months though. Speaking of time, when do you think we'll actually start monster hunting?"

Before Castor could answer, a girl had entered the room. To Castor's surprise, it was the blonde girl he had seen in the Black Bus earlier. Her weak, tender eyes glanced around the room nervously.

"Oh, it's you. That other girl isn't with you is she?" Finley remarked as a sort of hello.

The blonde girl smiled. "No, my name is Emily."

"I'm Castor," said Castor, sounding oddly hoarse.

"Finley," yawned Finley heedlessly.

And that was about all that escaped out of their lips because after that Finley had fallen asleep, Emily had begun to unpack her uniform and sort her items out of her trunk and Castor lay on his bed, staring blankly at the wall, wondering. Wondering who had killed her mother? Wondering where the firebreather was at the moment and still in disbelief that he was at this school.

The next morning, all the tier one students dressed up in their blazers and black and white ties and met Mason and Haas in the Main Hall.

"Alright guys, we just wanted to wish you good luck and if you have any questions don't be afraid to contact us," said Haas.

"And we'll still be keeping an eye on you from time to time to make sure you don't run into too much trouble," said Mason, hawkeyed.

Castor and Finley waggled through the crowd to see where their first class was gonna be on the black plaque.

"Great! I think. We have Monster History with Professor MacMillan!" said Finley fervently.

Castor and Finley made their way to the elevator and swung up to the second floor until they arrived at room 304. The door creaked open to introduce a portly man scribbled to the nose down in a bushy beard. He wore thin rectangular glasses and harbored a mysterious gleam in those beetle eyes.

"Welcome to Monster History gentlemen, may you take your seats?" asked MacMillan.

The classroom was dim and strange. There were twinkling lights scattered across the room and a candle softly burning on the teacher's desk. On the deviant side of things, heads of boars, pigs, bears, and to Castor's astonishment, the furry head of a Nightwalker hung on the walls. There were other peculiar shaped heads that hung on the walls but Castor was too frightened to even look at them in the eyes. The heads also left a rotten smell that loitered in the room.

Asides from the heads there was also a scattering of different-sized clocks that were spotted in the room. Some ticked forwardly while others, to some student's confusion, ticked backward. Then there were clocks that made a sound. A small but noticeable sound; the sound of a woman shrieking.

"Who thinks up designs like this?" Phineas asked. He sat in the front of the class and his seat was slightly tremoring. "I mean, why not make like normal clocks and stuff?"

"I don't know but this class is sure to be one heck of a show," said Finley.

"Those heads aren't like real are they?" Castor asked involuntarily.

"You scared of heads now Castor?" Finley teased.

"Just the meat-eating ones," said Castor beamingly.

Suddenly Professor MacMillan walked into the room and wrote something on the blackboard. Monster.

"Can someone earnestly tell me, in your own best words, what a monster is?" Professor MacMillan asked.

No hands dared to move and nothing but the smell of dead boars filled the air.

Castor remembered how Gulam had asked him the same question back at Monster's Emporium. It was startling to Castor how MacMillan was staring at them just as how Gulam had done to him. That same disturbing yet unreadable stare.

Without a thought, Professor MacMillan began to pluck out names.

"Emily, tell me what a monster is, in your own words."

Castor had barely noticed Emily was sitting behind him. When she spoke, his spine began to tingle.

"Umm..a creature sir?"

There were a few snickers that were swapped in the room.

"Details Mrs. Lancaster," said Professor MacMillan urgently.

"I guess it's like a creature or animal that likes to kill things," said Emily uncertainty.

"Well done. How about you Mrs. Weebly?"

"I think a monster is like an act. Like what you choose to do that could end up being monstrous in a way?" Autumn said.

"Fascinating Mrs. Weebly! You guys are both right. You see, a monster is a creature that kills anything that's in its way, but at its very core is a desire to kill. A yearning to end a life, and that is why we deem them as monsters. Now at this stage, you might be wondering, why would they want to do such a horrid act? And that is what this class is all about! My name is Professor Macmillan and in this course, we are going to be taking a glimpse through history as to what monsters are all about and what their origins can reveal to us about them today. Now, out of the top of your heads, can anyone name a monster?"

An army of hands barraged through the air. All except Castor's. Professor MacMillan saw Castor and smiled but he didn't pick him. MacMillan sifted through all the student's hands accepting the lists of Banshee, Gryffin, Dragon, Werewolf, Ghoul, Sandwalker, Asrai, Ankou, Wendigo, Leviathan, Black Dog, Satyr, Golem, Kappa, Demon, and Nightwalker.

"Perfect! So many good answers and we'll do our best to go through each of them individually or in groups. Does anyone else have any more suggestions?"

Professor MacMillan finally slid back to Castor. He had finally made his mark and was ready to fire.

"Castor? Do you have any monsters in mind?"

Castor gulped. Don't say firebreather. Don't say firebreather.

"What about a firebreather sir?" asked a kid named Namaan, who was sitting in the back.

Professor MacMillan's beetle eyes smiled. "I was wondering when someone would mention the classic firebreather. Can someone tell me what a firebreather is?"

No response.

"Well you see, the weird thing about a firebreather is that they look exactly like us. In fact they're monster hunters themselves. So what's the defect? Can someone inform me?"

Autumn shot her hands right up.

"Yes, Mrs. Weebly?"

"They're able to transform into a creature professor?"

Professor MacMillan smirked. "Not quite Mrs. Weebly. You see, a firebreather (or at least most firebreathers in history) tend to go their own way. And since they carve their own path, most of them end up choosing the wrong side. A firebreather is fickle in its ways, and their lack of loyalty will find them dining in the same house as the monster, therefore making them the monster. We have so much to touch on today, but for now, I want you to flip through your Origins of Monsters textbooks and read pages twenty-one to thirty-four. Then we're gonna go through the monsters you listed and define them."

In a minute's time, textbooks were banged open and pages were flicked over. After everyone was done reading, MacMillan began calling out names to define the monsters he wrote on the board. He would occasionally throw out words like "Superb!" and "Stellar!" even when students were clearly throwing guesses.

Then after what felt like an hour, the class was over, and skidded chairs began to populate.

"You guys did wonderful today! Be sure to study those Monster names in your textbook. You'll never know when you'll need to remember them."

Castor joined Finley as the students dissipated through the door. As he took one last glance at the odd classroom, he couldn't help but feel two beetle eyes surveying him.