Gabriel said, ‘It smells like the sea.’
‘That’s ‘cause it is,’ said Seth.
Tamera explained, ‘There are underwater passageways and tunnels linking this lake with the sea. It’s one of the reasons the school was set up here so to allow easier access for the merfolk.’
‘You mean there are mermaids that come to school here?’ asked Gabriel.
‘Absolutely. Mermen too. As a matter of fact there are two of the merfolk in our class.’
‘But how does that work exactly? Surely they can’t sit at desks...’
‘Just wait and see. All will be revealed soon enough.’
Over a mile away, across the lake, Gabriel saw the cave wall soaring upwards. Tiny specks of light glistened from the many windows. He had been expecting an actual school building, but instead Wingtail Academy was built into the rocky cavern wall itself.
After a short while the boat moored at the pier in front of the school. The students disembarked and headed up a wide flight of ancient stone steps carved into the rock. At the top of the steps stood two enormous heavy wooden doors, an existing recess in the cave wall had been widened and enlarged to accommodate them. Inside was a great open hallway. The ceiling of the hall hung many hundreds of feet above. Similarly to the Suburban Caverns, a series of walkways and staircases had been built to join the different passages filtering off from the main hall.
‘This is a school?’ Gabriel said aghast, ‘It’s... enormous!’
‘Well it has to be to accommodate everything, but not all of the doorways lead to classrooms,’ Tamera said. ‘There are also dormitories for the foreign exchange students, teachers’ offices and bedrooms (the teachers live here too). OK, Morning Gathering will begin in twenty minutes, that’s when we are registered. But Grandmaster Bysonn has requested to see you first.’
‘That can only mean bad news – he’s an absolute monster!’ chipped in Seth.
‘Don’t scare him before he’s even begun his first day, Seth!’ Tamera chided as they began making their way to the Grandmaster’s office up the many flights of stairs and along the numerous passageways. ‘But, Gabriel I must concur with Seth. Grandmaster Bysonn is notorious throughout not just the school, but all of Sanctuary. He’s been Grandmaster here for a long, long time and has struck fear into every student that has passed through the school during that period.’
‘What’s so bad about him?’ Gabriel asked.
‘He’s a fierce, stubborn, nasty bully,’ Seth cut in again.
‘Really...?’ Gabriel said turning to Tamera.
‘Yes,’ she said bluntly. ‘A fact made worse still by his ego. Whereas all other teachers are referred to by their order, the Grandmaster has shunned his lineage and even changed his name. He has said that he doesn’t want to be herded in with his predecessors. He believes himself to be unique and that his name should reflect that. Hence he is known as Grandmaster Bysonn and not Grandmaster Syncerus. My advice is that when you go in there, sit down, listen to what he has to say and don’t say a word.’
‘That really is the safest option,’ agreed Seth.
‘If he’s really that bad, why hasn’t anyone done anything about him, like stripped him of his job or something?’
‘Well, it is rumoured that he has powerful friends and whilst students continue to receive satisfactory results no one has any reason to do anything about him.’
‘Plus they’re probably scared he’d eat them or something,’ added Seth.
‘Oh, Seth don’t be ridiculous!’ scolded Tamera.
‘What? You don’t know that he wouldn’t, he’s big enough!’
‘Nonsense! Well... here we are. Gabriel, please remember what we said: keep quiet and take whatever he chooses to throw at you.’
They had arrived at the entrance of a deserted corridor. Another set of wooden double doors stood at the far end, smaller than the main school doors but still at least ten feet tall. The corridor was darker than all of the others; there were no lanterns in the corridor itself, apart from two at the entrance casting long shadows down the passageway. The floor was uneven and huge imposing stalactites hung from the ceiling making negotiating a path difficult. To add to the gloom, the ornately carved doors had been stained deathly black. A demonic gargoyle, doused in shadow and carved from the rock of the wall, glared down at them as though they were trespassing on forbidden land. Two other demonic gargoyle faces, one on each door, held large, circular door knockers tightly in their uneven toothy mouths. Gabriel apprehensively took one and rapped three times.
‘Enter,’ a deep voice called from within.
Slowly Gabriel pushed the mighty door open and stepped inside. Grandmaster Bysonn was sat at the far side of the spacious office, behind a heavy, wooden, antique desk scanning through papers in front of him. Behind him hung a portrait of himself which almost filled the wall, his face in the picture was scowling like the hideous gargoyle outside. Along the walls of the room were several bookcases with volumes of books arranged precisely. Standing on the cabinets around the room were several sinister-looking ornaments and statuettes. In between the bookcases, glass-fronted cabinets were mounted to the wall, each filled with an array of menacing and deadly weaponry, from spears and daggers to swords and maces. The room was impeccably clean, yet the light cast from the many-faceted crystal chandelier was not strong enough to adequately brighten the room and so many of the deep recesses in the wall lay cloaked in shadow.
Without looking up from his work and speaking in a terrifyingly calm voice, Bysonn said, ‘Mr Millar, I have been expecting you. Take a seat. Brushtail. Swiftfoot. You two can leave. Now.’
The pair mouthed ‘Good luck’ and closed the door leaving Gabriel alone with the Grandmaster. Gabriel crossed the floor warily and took a seat on the chair in front of the desk. Bysonn continued to scan through his papers for several minutes whilst Gabriel looked on, and then slowly, he placed them down neatly in a pile in front of him and arose from his chair.
The man was a mountain. Why is everyone so big here? thought Gabriel. Bysonn was equally as tall as Tolero but almost twice as heavy. His huge shoulders, bulging biceps and thick chest were clearly visible through the cut of his jet black robes; his massive hands gripped the desk tightly. Bysonn’s short cropped grey hair defined his flat solid head. His tiny, cold, black eyes stared threateningly down at Gabriel and his wide nostrils flared with each deep intake of breath like a rabid bull.
After several minutes, Bysonn broke the silence. ‘So here he is: the superstar.’
Gabriel said nothing.
‘What’s the matter, cub, nothing to say for yourself?’ his deep voice barked. ‘Just as well, I’ve heard it all before anyway.’
Gabriel remained silent, watching the behemoth intently as he stalked around the desk.
‘Of course, if it was up to me you wouldn’t even be here. Trouble breeds trouble and going off your family history, what with that good-for-nothing father of yours and smart-mouthed, know-it-all mother, you’re well on track to be the worst of the lot!’
At mention of his parents, Gabriel felt a surge of rage building within, but held his tongue.
‘The only reason you’re here at all,’ Bysonn continued, ‘is because it was at the behest of that liberal-minded fool you call a grandfather-’
‘DON’T YOU DARE-’ Gabriel exploded.
‘I DARE WHATEVER I LIKE!’ Bysonn bellowed back, his voice reverberating around the room. ‘THIS IS MY SCHOOL AND IT’LL BE OVER MY DEAD BODY BEFORE SOME ARROGANT, BRATTY, UPSTART OF A PRIMA DONNA LIKE YOU SAYS DIFFERENTLY!’ Bysonn’s basketball-sized fist smashed into the desktop splintering the wood.
Gabriel could feel his blood boiling; a hatred more intense than any he had ever felt in his life bubbled up from deep within. He met Bysonn’s glare and held it, fury surging through him. Bysonn’s eyes flashed with unparalleled ferocity, his nostrils flared wildly as powerful gusts of air hissed in and out.
‘Now you listen and you listen well
, you worthless, little ingrate. I don’t like you. You being here in this school, in the entirety of Sanctuary, is a mistake. This is my school. Mine.’
‘I never said otherwise!’ Gabriel snapped back before he could stop himself.
‘You didn’t have to, you disgusting sack of pus! It’s clear what you’re thinking from the expression on that conceited face of yours. I knew you were an ignorant wretch the second you stepped through my door! I’m going to be watching you closely. Very closely. And as soon as you make a mistake, I am going to squash you like the insect you are!’
‘But I haven’t even done anything! I’ve only just arrived!’
‘Don’t talk back to me, you putrid runt! You will learn to show the proper respect. Just for that, I want a five page written apology by tomorrow morning.’
‘WHAT!’ Gabriel protested. ‘That’s completely unfair!’
‘Ten pages. Front and back.’ Gabriel was about to object further when Bysonn added, ‘Would you like to try for twenty? I thought not. Now get out of my sight, you pitiful human outcast!’
Gabriel stormed out of the room. He had never been so angry in all his life. Bysonn has no justification to speak to me like that! How dare he! Gabriel was incensed. A ten page letter of apology due the very next day? And that was before the day had even officially started!
It wasn’t until he had left Bysonn’s office that Gabriel realised he had been clenching his fists so tightly, his fingernails had dug into his palms and left deep imprints. He had clamped his teeth so tightly together that his jaw ached. It took Gabriel several minutes to calm himself back down. Fortunately it also took him several minutes to make his way back to the main hall where Seth and Tamera were waiting patiently for him to escort him to Morning Gathering and to hear all about his encounter.
***
In his office, Bysonn was also seething. He ensured that he ran a tight ship rooted firmly in discipline. He remembered the boy’s parents and their close-knit group of friends that they had dragged down with them into the depths of disrespectful bedlam. He had hated them too. He smashed his fist again into his desk, splintering the wood further. He looked down at his handiwork and gnashed his teeth together furiously. Now he had damaged a priceless antique beyond repair and it was all the fault of that rotten, insolent, little-
‘That kind of uncontrolled aggression is not healthy,’ said a harsh, gruff voice from the shadows.
‘I don’t need a lecture from the likes of you,’ Bysonn spat, flicking his eyes in the direction of the intruder.
‘That boy will be trouble,’ said the voice, changing the subject.
‘Psh! I’ve scraped off more troublesome maggots from the underside of my hoof.’
‘Do not underestimate him. He has already survived two attempts on his life. He may be more resourceful than we initially thought.’
‘Pah!’ shot Bysonn, he began to rearrange the papers on his damaged desk. ‘Do not confuse dumb luck for resourcefulness. The first time was hardly down to his own skill – he was a baby!’
‘Do not dismiss the issue,’ the voice said, now resonating with annoyance. ‘And do not underestimate him. He must be closely monitored.’
‘Do not underestimate me,’ Bysonn said impertinently, ‘I have absolute control over every inch of this school. I know everything that goes on all of the time. Nothing escapes me.’
‘Your over-confidence is your greatest weakness and will bring about your downfall if you do not curb it.’
‘It is not over-confidence, it is fact,’ Bysonn hissed his displeasure at the intruder’s lack of respect. ‘I have absolute control over everything and everyone within these walls. I straightened you out, did I not?’
‘That you did. But nevertheless, he is a serious threat. You are aware of the prophecy, are you not?’
‘Of course I am! It was I that taught you about the prophecy, if you recall?’ Bysonn snapped.
‘Indeed you did. You also taught me to never take an opponent for granted.’
‘Rest assured you have nothing to fear. That cub is no more than a pathetic waste of skin and bone. He will not fulfil the prophecy. I will not allow it. You have my personal assurance on that.’
‘Very well,’ said the voice. ‘Maintain your vigilance. I will be in touch.’ With that, the dark figure slunk into the shadows and disappeared, leaving Bysonn alone in his office, cursing over his broken desk.
***
Morning Gathering involved all students reporting to their class teacher, who was responsible for registering attendance prior to lessons commencing. There were two classes for each year group, with each class comprising of approximately fifteen students. Gabriel’s new class was overseen by Master Scorpiarius, a short wingless bat-like creature with big ears and wide-set red eyes. His skin was covered with a fine, grey, velvety fur and he wore maroon-coloured robes, from which his clawed fingers and toes would occasionally poke out. As the trio entered the classroom, Seth lent over and whispered, ‘Gremlin,’ in Gabriel’s ear.
To Gabriel’s great discomfort and embarrassment, Master Scorpiarius had him stand at the front of the class whilst he was introduced to everyone. First of all, sat in the far back corner of the room, there was Aures, the big-eared student he had met earlier whilst waiting for the boat. On the opposite end of the back row sat Victor Devilhorn of Daemon, a three foot tall imp with red skin, narrow black eyes and small bat-like wings, who was whispering and snickering with Fungus Treebark of Gruagach, a brownie of similar height with pointed ears and eyebrows and spiky muddy-brown hair. In front of them sat Seth, Sattan and Tamera, reserving a seat for him. On the next row was seated a deer-headed boy by the name of Brutum Bounding of Cerevinus, Rostrum Twinhoof of Ipotanus, a horse-legged boy with a long flowing golden mane and cat-like girl with leopard print fur, called Verbera Nimbel of Ailuranthrope. On the front row of desks was a pale winged-girl with white-blonde hair called Alae Snowwing of Cycnus, Willow Blossom of Nymphae, a tall nymph dressed in earthy-brown robes and Aire Forrest of Spiritus, a sprite dressed in lime green robes. Between the students’ and teacher’s desks lay a channel of water with lower desks along its front edge. It was within here that the Merfolk students now floated: Marina Greenskale of Marispopulus, a beautiful young girl with turquoise-blue hair, who was waving cheerily at Gabriel, and her twin brother Finn who was eying him with great suspicion.
After all introductions had been made Gabriel took his seat next to Seth. Master Scorpiarius began with the day’s notifications in his scratchy, squeaky voice: firstly, students were prohibited from entering the school gardens until further notice due to a nasty infestation of caveworms.
‘Good grief! That sounds serious!’ Gabriel whispered to Seth.
‘Not really, just a common pest. We’ve even had them at home a couple of times,’ Seth replied.
Meanwhile Master Scorpiarius continued: try-outs for the school swimming team would be held at four o’clock that afternoon, those wishing to attend must arrive promptly; due to a minor cave-in the east wing, a water pipe had flooded and so Old World Languages classes would be moved to the western corridor; and finally Victor and Root were ordered to report to Master Laniger at lunchtime to hand in their overdue essays on the importance of stalactites. Master Scorpiarius allowed the students to talk amongst themselves for the remaining few minutes of the Morning Gathering whilst he spoke to Gabriel about his timetable. The class, Scorpiarius explained, would attend each lesson together and would only separate for their Physical Potential lessons, whereby it was broken down into individual species groups to determine which teacher you were assigned: the avian families would focus mainly on flight training, the aquatic families on swim training and so forth. There were four periods in a given school day, each lasting ninety minutes, with lunch break in the middle. Each subject was led by a different specialist. Master Scorpiarius, as well as their form teacher, was also the master of Advancement Theory, which he would be teaching them on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The day started well.
Anthropology was the first lesson, with Master Fluke Greyskin of Delphinus, a grey skinned individual whom closely resembled his family line: the dolphin. He taught at the front of the classroom, where the merfolk’s water channel had been extended into a small pool. Every time a student gave a correct answer, Master Delphinus would leap out of the pool and perform a somersault which would splash the rows of students. By the middle of the lesson Willow and Aire were looking most displeased. They had purposely sat near the back of the room to avoid getting their hair and robes wet, but unfortunately still did not manage to escape the splash zone.
Gabriel was especially pleased; he was able to answer every question asked, having grown up in the human world. Seth who was very interested in humans was also answering many of the questions correctly. It was, Seth revealed, his favourite subject and the one he performed best at. For Tamera, Anthropology was her weakest subject, so she remained quiet throughout the lesson, instead opting to record notes at a feverish pace.
Each time Gabriel answered a question correctly, Marina would clap her hands and turn to smile at him. Her brother Finn on the other hand looked bored with the lesson from the start and became increasingly more irritable as the lesson progressed. He would turn to scowl at Gabriel each time his sister paid him any attention.
Victor and Fungus continued to whisper and snigger throughout the lesson, despite continual warnings from Master Delphinus. By the end of the lesson he had issued them both detentions and ordered them back to class at the end of the day to scrub the pool. Both students left the room at the end of the lesson sulking and cursing under their breath so offensively that they would have gotten into even deeper trouble had they been heard.
Child of the Gryphon Page 11