Professor Cyr slid a piece of paper across the desk.
The list included combat basics, magic basics, healing, ethics and morality, and introduction to dragons.
“Any questions?” Professor Cyr asked.
“Do I have to take all of these classes?”
Professor Cyr raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t happy with the course selection?”
Jack shook his head. “No, it’s just that there is so much I don’t know, surely there are better options than healing.”
Professor Cyr smiled and looked at Jack in a way that reminded him of a predator about to eat its prey. “I teach the first-year healing class.”
Jack gulped. “I was mistaken, healing sounds like a most valuable use of my time.”
“Excellent answer, Master Vance. You may leave now.”
Jack hurriedly exited the office and headed back to his room. As he walked across the courtyard, the black minidras flew down and landed on his shoulder.
Jack sighed. “Hey, little buddy. I guess you’re my familiar now. Not that I totally know what that means.”
The minidras chirped once.
“You’re going to need a name,” Jack said as they entered the building.
It looked like the other first-year students hadn’t returned yet, but Garreth was sitting in the first-year lounge.
“Hey, Jack. Whoa, is that your minidras?”
“Yes, this is Scratches.”
“Scratches? You named your familiar Scratches?”
“You don’t like it?” Jack asked. Was there some code for naming your familiars that he’d already broken?
“Well, a minidras is still a relative of a dragon. It should have a name with a little dignity.”
“Oh,” Jack said.
“You should call it Sir Scratches, or Duke Scratches, or maybe Lord Scratches.”
“OK.” Jack turned his head so he was looking at Scratches. “What do you think? One chirp for Sir Scratches, two for Duke and three for Lord.”
Scratches turned his head sideways as if deep in thought; finally, it gave three quick chirps.
“Lord Scratches it is.”
“Wow. Your minidras, I mean Lord Scratches, is smart. Most minidras don’t respond to conversation.”
Jack shrugged. “Lord Scratches is the first minidras I’ve ever met. I wouldn’t know if he’s smart or not.”
Lord Scratches chirped loudly.
“Oh, he’s definitely smart,” Garreth said with a chuckle. “You’re lucky. Normally, I would say the idea of a minidras for a familiar is terrible. But Lord Scratches might be an exception.”
“What exactly is a familiar, and what am I supposed to do with Lord Scratches? What does he eat? Is he a he or a she? Where will Lord Scratches sleep? What about—”
“Hold up,” Garreth interrupted. “I can only answer so many questions at a time. First, a familiar is a magical pet. Usually, they are associated with witches and warlocks, but really any magic user can have one. Minidras eat a variety of things, and can look out for themselves, but will also eat people food so that is easy. Lord Scratches is a he, you can tell by the… equipment.”
Jack looked down between Lord Scratches’s legs. “Oh, ya.”
“Lastly, familiars live with you in your room. Minidras are like birds in that they like to perch, so we should find you a good tree branch or something to attach to your wall. Several scholarship students have had owl familiars over the years—I bet there is something good in storage. I’ll take a look after I’m finished down here. I’m expecting the first years to be back any minute now. I suggest you head to your room now. I’m not sure being in a big crowd of excited students is the best place to be until you know Lord Scratches a little better.”
“Thanks, Garreth, that makes sense.”
“I’ll talk to you again later, I’m sure there’s something in storage worthy of Lord Scratches.”
Lord Scratches chirped once at Garreth.
Garreth laughed. “Looks like I better find something good now.”
Jack headed to his room. Garreth was right about one thing, they didn’t need to be in a crowd right now, but Jack wasn’t worried about Lord Scratches as much as he was worried about himself. One of his fellow students had tried to murder him, and it could have been anyone, including his fellow scholarship students. He’d need to process that a little more. Not to mention the fact that he’d never had a pet of any kind before. Being responsible for Lord Scratches was going to be a big adjustment.
When Colin returned to the room, he excitedly pointed at Lord Scratches. “You can’t have a minidras in our room! What if you get caught?”
“Relax, Colin. Lord Scratches is my familiar now. Headmaster Anderle told me it’s OK.”
“Really? Well, in that case, that is awesome. Wait, you named your minidras Lord Scratches? Why would you do that?”
Jack reached across the bed and scratched the minidras behind the ears. Lord Scratches immediately started purring.
“Oh, I see,” Colin said. “And are you OK? I can’t believe you fell into the dragon egg pen. That was crazy.”
“I didn’t fall, I was pushed.”
“Pushed?”
“Pushed.”
Colin frowned. “I didn’t see anything, but I was looking for the source of the explosion. Can you imagine a fireball in a pen full of dragon eggs? That could’ve been a disaster. You think it was just a diversion?”
“I think it was timed perfectly.”
“Well, whoever created the explosion wasn’t the one who pushed you. It happened too fast together. You think maybe Isaac pushed you?”
Jack shook his head. “No, he wasn’t near me.”
“Well, someone doesn’t like you, that is for sure. Maybe between you, me and Cara we can figure out who did it. She was standing next to us. But I know she didn’t see who pushed you. She was just as in the dark as to what happened as I was. We talked about it after with Stannerios. He didn’t see anything either. We were all looking for the source of the explosion.”
“Hopefully we can figure it out. I don’t want a target on my back.”
“At least you have Lord Scratches now. A protective minidras can be tough.”
Jack remembered the way the minidras in the cave had been swarming him. He had no doubt that they could be dangerous.
“How was the rest of the tour?”
“Uneventful after your incident. We saw the perches of the different dragons, Captain Morgan and his team did a demonstration of team dragon flying, which was pretty awesome, and then we were told about our classes for the first semester. Did you find out yours?”
Jack nodded. “Yes. I have Combat Basics, Magic Basics, Ethics and Morality, Healing and Introduction to Dragons.”
“You got into Healing and Introduction to Dragons?”
“That’s good?”
“That’s very good. Healing is one of the courses where you have to be selected. You must’ve shown strong magic during the testing. And Intro to Dragons is another class that is usually reserved for the top students. I’ll bet they put you in it because you have Lord Scratches now. The dragon instructor will be able to help you with training Lord Scratches. Whoever tried to kill you actually did you a big favor.”
“I’ll be sure to thank them,” Jack said dryly.
“Hey, danger and enemies are just part of the Academy. That someone already tried to kill you means you might actually be a threat to someone. That’s just part of school. If you think students won’t kill to increase their odds of becoming a dragon rider, you’re crazy.”
“I guess. I just can’t figure out why anyone thinks I would be a threat.”
“You are a legacy. That means a lot here. Normally, legacy students are well prepared and have an advantage. Maybe there is some family issue.”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know much about my mother’s time at the Academy.”
“We’ll have to do some research in the library.”
“Is your answer to every problem going to the library?”
Colin grinned. “Pretty much. This school’s library is awesome, and you can find out almost anything. I bet they have plenty of records about your mother.”
“We’ll have to check that out. Right now, all I want to do is have a nap.”
“No!”
“No?” Jack frowned. A nap sounded really good, though.
“Remember what I told you before. We need to go to the library and find the right study guides. You’ll want to get a good one for Healing and Dragons, if you can, because I can’t help you with those ones.”
Jack sat up. “I always say, when in doubt, go to the library.”
“Oh really?”
Jack smiled. “I do now. Come on, let’s go before anyone else thinks to check.”
“Umm, one problem. I don’t think they allow familiars in the library.”
Jack turned to Lord Scratches. “You OK here for a while? We’ll leave the window open so you can come and go as you please.”
Lord Scratches chirped.
“I guess that’s a yes,” Colin said.
Jack opened the window and Lord Scratches jumped on the window ledge. He didn’t fly out, he just sat there. Jack gave him some love, rubbing him along the bridge of his nose. “See you later, Lord.”
“Oh, that will be a good nickname for him. Lord. That will confuse the hell out of people,” Colin said.
“Is there a study guide for the Combat Basics class?” Jack asked as they walked into the library.
Colin laughed. “No. The only thing that is going to prepare you for combat class is being in decent shape. Combat class is a lot of exercise and sparring, very little theory. Why do you think I’ve been doing exercises every morning?”
“I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“I wish there was a book I could read that would make doing pushups easier. I would read the heck out of that.”
Jack stifled a laugh. They were already getting looks from other students. Unlike their first visit to the library, there were lots of students sitting at the desks. “It’s busy in here.”
“The older students who might not have done enough studying during break trying to catch up before classes start, and a few first years trying to get a head start now that they know what classes they are in.”
They found the row of used coursework books and started sifting through them. Jack found the healing section and was going through the first-year section when a voice startled him.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone else to know about the used copies of the books.”
Jack turned to see a young woman about his own age. She had long dark hair and a pale complexion. The look on her face wasn’t exactly warm and welcoming. She seemed annoyed that he was there. “My roommate was at the school last year.”
Colin walked over to join the conversation.
The girl looked at Colin, studying him. “You’re a scholarship student now?”
Colin shrugged. “Yup.”
“Must’ve had something tragic happen if they allowed you back in.”
“My father was ill,” Colin said.
“That sucks.” She turned back to Jack. “You finding any good copies? I hear Professor Cyr is a real hard-ass. I want any help I can get.”
Jack handed her a book. “I found two, they both seem about the same for the number of notes in them.”
She flipped through the book. “Not much here, but it’s better than nothing.”
“You a healer?” Jack asked.
“Mage,” the girl said. “But I have a wide spectrum of talents. Healing is a good way to make sure I get selected for second year. There’s always a shortage of good healers.”
Jack glanced over at Colin, who nodded in agreement.
“What about you?” the girl asked.
“I don’t know. I have no clue what kind of magic I can do.”
“If they put you in healing class, you likely have a solid degree of natural ability.”
Colin handed Jack a Magic Basics book. He looked at the girl. “You need a copy?”
“No. My older sister gave me hers. I doubt any you’ll find will have better notes than what she gave me.”
She then turned and walked away.
“Interesting girl,” Colin said. “Not the most social person I’ve ever met.”
“Agreed.”
“The last book you need is one for dragons. I haven’t seen any yet. Maybe they have some in the dragon section.”
“Lead the way,” Jack said.
They went down a few sections and then Colin stopped and pointed at two long rows of books. “The dragon section.”
“There has to be hundreds of books here,” Jack said.
“Thousands.”
“How are we going to find what we’re looking for?”
“Speaking with a librarian always helps,” said a voice from behind Jack.
He turned to see a tall, bald man in black robes.
“Are you a librarian?” Jack asked.
“Indeed. Why are two first-year students in need of dragon books?”
Colin pointed at Jack. “He fell into the dragon egg pit and touched a minidras. Now he has a familiar and is enrolled into the Introduction to Dragons class.”
“I see, and judging by the books you already have selected, I’m guessing you were hoping to find a previous student’s book with extra notes.”
Jack nodded.
“I doubt anything you’ll find in here will give you any insights into the dragon class. The first year is fairly rudimentary. However, if you indeed have a minidras for a familiar you will want to study up on the different breeds and see what traits they have.”
“Are there many different breeds?” Jack asked.
“Hundreds. Just like dragons, there are all types of minidras.”
The librarian walked down the row of books until he found the one he was looking for. He pulled it out and handed it to Jack. “This book contains descriptions of all the minidras native to this region. You’ll likely find that your new familiar is described here. Once you’ve found the exact breed, I can give you more reading materials.”
Jack took the book. “Thank you.”
“A pleasure. It is always interesting to meet unique students.” The librarian turned and walked away.
Jack turned to Colin. “I’m unique?”
“You’re a half-dwarven legacy with a minidras for a familiar. I don’t think that happens too often.”
“I suppose,” Jack said. He wasn’t sure he felt unique or special—different, for sure. But maybe that was the same thing? “Did you get your books?”
Colin grinned. “Got it. The only one I needed was Ancient Orc, and I hid it last time we were here, just in case I got into the class.”
“You’re taking a class in Ancient Orc? Why?”
“Why not?” Colin said. “I’m taking Combat and Magic Basics, Maps One, Ancient Orc and Ethics. Maps is the best class but Ancient Orc is a good one too. I’m pretty happy with what I got this year.”
“Why is Maps the best?”
“Because if you are good at reading maps you are very valuable to the Academy. The questers love map readers and people with ancient language skills.”
“Right. I still don’t understand why questers are so important.”
Colin rubbed his two fingers and thumb together. “Questers make the school money, and power. The dragons and dragon riders are still the biggest priority, that is where the prestige comes from, but questers are like the school’s dirty little secret. They are almost as important as the dragons.”
“I suppose. I’d rather just find a way to get a dragon.”
“Of course. No sane person wants to be a quester. Come on, let’s get these books checked out and go for supper.”
The librarian at the check-out desk was different from the first one they’d interacted with. While the man had been somber and serious, this one was muc
h more bubbly and pleasant.
“Hello, boys,” she said. “I’m Librarian Carr, but you can call me Martha. I’m not one for formalities.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Martha. I’m Jack, and this is Colin.”
“Oh, I remember Colin from last year. Good to see you again.” Martha took their books and filled out a card. “An interesting selection of books. Don’t see many first-year students requesting books on minidras.”
“Jack here has one for a familiar.”
“Well isn’t that interesting. Have you had it long?”
“A couple hours?” Jack said.
Martha laughed. “Oh my. I bet you have an interesting story. I’m sure I’ll hear about it from the professors. Not many students end up with a minidras familiar, and I’ve never heard of a first year getting one.”
“It was an accident,” Jack said.
“Well, you’re lucky, I hope the books are helpful.”
As they walked away, Jack looked at Colin. “She was nice.”
“Yes, she’s my favorite librarian,” Colin said.
Jack’s tummy started to rumble. “Is it time to eat yet?”
“We can eat whenever.”
“Let’s drop these books off and grab Stannerios. Oh, we should’ve grabbed him before we went to the library.”
“It’s OK. I talked to Stannerios after we found out our courses. Most of his classwork is combat based. He only has the ethics class and he can get notes from us.”
“Hey guys, Jack, how are you? I can’t believe what happened at the dragon pens,” Cara said.
“I’m OK. A little shaken up, but not hurt.”
“How the heck did you fall into the pens?”
“With a little help.”
Cara frowned. “You think someone pushed you? That’s awful.”
“Well, I certainly didn’t jump in.”
“I’m just glad you’re OK. I hope they catch whoever is responsible.”
“Tell her the good stuff, Jack.”
Cara raised an eyebrow. “What good stuff?”
“Did you see the minidras that jumped onto my lap?”
“Of course. Everyone saw that. I thought the rest were going to kill you. And the way that mother dragon was stalking you… Even Captain Morgan wasn’t willing to jump in to save you.”
Menacing Misfits: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (Darkthorn Academy Book 1) Page 12