When it was finally time to go to bed, Lucy found she could not sleep. This was ridiculous. She was going to meet the head of a Wizard school, or whoever this Eric person was, with bags under her eyes. Then, as he explained things to her she would be trying not to yawn. This was not the impression Lucy was hoping to make. She tried harder to fall asleep. Of course, everyone knows that when you try harder to fall asleep, it becomes almost impossible to do. Lucy tossed and turned until almost 4:00 am finally falling into a fitful sleep full of confusing dreams.
Lucy opened her eyes the next morning and yawned. She felt groggy and slightly confused. She knew she was supposed to be awake for something today, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what that was. She looked at the clock. 11:00 am. Then she sat bolt upright in bed remembering. That Eric person would be here in an hour. She jumped out of bed and ran to the shower. She may be tired, but she would at least be clean before embarking on this journey.
Chapter 3
Lucy sat on her bed. She was showered, dressed in jeans and a green sweatshirt, her reddish brown hair French-braided, and she was ready for anything. Well, maybe not anything, but as ready as she could be under the circumstances. Lucy started to watch the clock on her bedside table. 11:57, and Lucy wondered if Eric would be on time. 11:58, and butterflies began to fly around in her stomach. 11:59, what if this was all a joke? At 12:00 precisely, there was a knock on Lucy’s closet door. Lucy frowned. How could there possibly be anyone in her closet? She stood up, walked across her room, and opened the closet door. Out stepped Eric.
“Eric?” asked Lucy.
He nodded.
“Lucy?” asked Eric.
She nodded.
“Pleasure to meet you,” they both said at once and laughed as they shook hands.
Lucy took a minute to study Eric. He was tall, but then Lucy was only about 5’3” herself, so many people seemed tall to her. Eric was slender and if Lucy was not mistaken, he was also an Elf or part Elf. He had long black hair, tied in the back, pointed ears, piercing blue eyes, delicate features, and eyebrows that lanced upward on his head. Despite seeming somewhat aloof, he also seemed kind. Lucy decided to trust him, perhaps an odd thing to decide about someone who stepped out of your closet.
“I am in charge of admissions at the school. If you would follow me, I will explain everything, or at least, some things.” Eric said nonchalantly and motioned to the door.
“In my closet?”
“Through this doorway,” affirmed Eric
“I hope you don’t mind the question, but how are we to fit into my closet with all my clothes?” wondered Lucy confused, but trying to be accepting at the same time.
Eric smiled. “First lesson then. Doorways lead to places. They are merely a device. They do not determine the destination. You believe that is your closet because it has always been your closet, and it is your closet because you believe it is your closet. Any doorway can lead to any place. You decide what’s on the other side of a doorway each time you open a door and walk through it.”
Lucy nodded, more to show she was listening than actually understanding. It made sense and yet it didn’t. Eric made it sound much more simple than it probably was in practice.
“That door there,” Eric pointed to her bedroom door, “Where does it lead?”
“Normally I would say the hallway,” started Lucy. “However, if what you say is true, right now it could lead anywhere. It only becomes the hallway when I push it open expecting it to be there.”
“Exactly,” Eric smiled. Some students had a lot of trouble with this one.
Lucy understood the words and the concept, but to believe this she would have to see it in action.
“There is much to explain, and I usually do those explanations in my office. If you would be so kind,” Eric motioned Lucy towards the closet door.
“Why not?” shrugged Lucy, pretty much ready to believe anything at this point. She took a step towards her ‘closet’.
Eric opened the door and more to Lucy’s amazement than surprise, she found herself looking into another room rather than her closet. Lucy stepped through the doorway and into the room. It felt completely normal. Lucy had been nervous that traveling that way would leave her dizzy or with other less appealing side effects. Eric stepped lightly after her and closed the door.
Lucy looked around the room. It was a pleasant room. There was a fireplace to Lucy’s left with two squishy looking armchairs in front of it, but it was not cool enough for a fire so the grate was empty. There was a window opposite the fireplace letting in sunlight. Under the window was a plant stand with three different plants on it. One looked like ivy, but was flowering, so Lucy assumed it had to be something else. Directly in front of Lucy was an oak desk with a chair on either side. Behind the desk hung a tapestry, depicting an outdoor scene complete with unicorns. The floors were wood. The walls were lined with bookcases. There was only one door in the room, and that was behind them. Eric motioned her towards the desk. He sat down with his back to the tapestry, and she took the other chair.
“Welcome to our school.”
“Thank you,” said Lucy, not sure what else to say. She had so many questions swimming around her head that it was hard to focus. “Can I ask, does this school have a name?”
“You may ask anything you like. No, the school does not have a name. A name can give something power, but a name can also give others a power over it. People call this place many names and that helps keep it safe. The School, The Wizard School, The Academy, The Hall of Mages, The Druid Association of Learning, you can take your pick. We also do not have an official address. Your letter was sent to a rented post office box. We check it daily and review applications,” Eric explained.
“My letter was only addressed to Lucy.”
“Yes. That is an important topic to cover. There are no last names here. Last names show lineage. You now have none. You are not from any specific town nor have you attended any specific school. We prefer students here to associate with others based on mutual learning and interests rather than forming clubs based on the colleges they once attended or on being from the same home town. You are all on equal footing here.”
“What about professors?” asked Lucy focusing on keeping her questions simple and familiar.
“There was a debate about that a long time ago. Everyone here has a degree of some type. Some students have doctorates in your world. Do the teachers here address them as such? It was decided that everyone either had to use titles or not. The vote was to not use titles. Everyone goes by their first names only. In class you may call one of your teachers ‘professor’ if it suits you, but out of class we stick to first names. I am Eric.”
“Why are we required to be college graduates?”
“What we teach is important and requires a special type of person with some basic qualifications. We are not here to teach children how to read. We assume that by the time you finish a college degree you can read a syllabus, show up on time for classes, and do the level of homework necessary to become a Wizard. You’ve probably had some type of part time job by now, know how to budget your time, and are not afraid to work. By responding to our ad, we know you are willing to learn more and that you are looking for something you cannot find in your world. Some are ready for this after high school, but we feel another four years or so of college can’t hurt them any and generally increases their desire for something ‘other’.”
“What kind of classes will I be taking?”
“To start with, mostly introductory classes. I have a schedule here for you. Once you pick a world you would like to go to, your classes become much more specific. You will then learn the languages, customs, geography, plant life, animal life, economy, so forth and so on of that particular world. Some of these classes, like language, will be mandatory. Others, like learning musical instruments of that world, are optional. Everyone must pass a basic horsemanship class. Everyone must become proficient with at least one weapon. We
train you to do many things; it would be a pity if you got yourself killed the minute you left. You will learn other basics as well. After learning and passing the minimum requirements, you can choose to go further in any subject. Some learn to master every weapon; some learn everything there is to know about healing; others are more concerned with diplomacy, languages, finances, trade, or taking care of animals. Those choices are yours. Generally, classes run for about four months and then switch. However, we are willing to work with students who move faster or slower.”
Lucy was beginning to feel overwhelmed.
“Here is a map to help you find your way around the school and get to your classes. You may master the doorway trick at some point in time and be able to open your bedroom door and enter your first hour class, but until then, I recommend you use the hallways. It is tiring to try to find where students end up if they make a mistake. Not to mention, the sense of urgency, because it doesn’t take a partially trained student long to find trouble.”
“Where do I go to get supplies?”
“Everything you need is on the map. I have a list here of the basic supplies you need. Where to get them is relatively self-explanatory. The books to purchase are in the bookstore.”
“How do I pay for these supplies?”
“We run a type of commune here, so to speak. Every student is allowed a basic supply allowance. You go to the store and get what you need. Thus said, every student works a minimum of two hours a week at the various locations. I have marked this on your schedule as well. Some students work in the laundry, some sharpen weapons, some work in the stables, some work in the kitchens, there are a large variety of jobs. We try to match a student to a job that is in some way akin to their general interests or abilities. Also, you may spend any free time at your job as well, as long is it does not interfere with your studies. For those hours, you earn tokens, which you can spend in any of the shops. That way, if you want a book not on your list you can work for it.”
“What will my job be?”
“On your résumé, you mentioned you worked in a pharmacy in your world?”
Lucy nodded.
“Our Apothecary has mentioned he needs some assistance. He needs someone who can pay attention to details, learn quickly, and be efficient. The details of your job are his to explain.”
Lucy nodded again. Though she was feeling overwhelmed, one important thought did manage to float to the surface of her consciousness.
“What about my family? Won’t they notice I’m missing? Should I send them a note? Will I see them again? I don’t want them to worry.”
“I understand your concerns,” replied Eric. “I wasn’t going to tell you this right away because I didn’t want it to influence your decision on whether or not to stay here. Time works differently here than it does in other worlds. Some worlds move much faster than here, others much slower. Your world is slower. It will be quite awhile before your parents even return from church. Many months in fact. This works to our advantage in a way. If you decide in those months that you do not wish to stay here, you can return and no time will have passed there. We can discuss a plan for how to deal with your family at a later date.”
Lucy wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but knowing her family wouldn’t worry about her put her mind at ease. Although, how many months was many?
“I’m sure you will have other questions as you progress. For now that is a start. Other students or professors may be able to answer your questions. If they can’t, come see me. Classes start tomorrow morning. You have your schedule and your map, so I will bid you good day. Welcome to school Lucy.”
Lucy got up to leave sensing the obvious dismissal. As she reached for the door, she paused and turned back.
“Eric?”
“Yes?”
“Why me?”
“Can you honestly say that at this moment you want nothing more than to learn what we can teach?”
Lucy smiled and nodded. Eric smiled back.
“That’s why.”
Lucy opened the door and found herself in a hallway. Well, she didn’t really expect to find herself in her old closet.
Chapter 4
Lucy felt extremely overwhelmed. She focused on something she felt she could manage thinking about at the moment. Where to go? That should be simple enough; she opened her map. It was a large map. It kept unfolding and unfolding. Once it was open she studied it. There was a little blue arrow that said ‘you are here’. Lucy smiled at that. She watched in amazement as the arrow moved as she took a couple of steps to her left and then to her right. She looked further and found a small space that was labeled ‘your room’. The different classrooms were labeled as well. There was a library, a dining hall, a laundry area, the kitchens, the stables, and other labeled areas. At the far end of the building there was a section that looked like stores. There was the Apothecary, a candy shop, a clothing store, a bookstore, a salon, and what appeared to be a coffee shop. Lucy was excited to see her room, but she had nothing to put there, so she decided she had better get to the shops and purchase the supplies she would need for tomorrow. That was also something she could cope with. She might not have any idea what her classes were going to be about, but she could be as prepared as possible for them. She started to walk down the hallway, still enjoying watching the little arrow move.
Lucy was so intent on watching her arrow she bumped into someone dropping her map and lists of supplies. Obviously, other people did not appear on her map or she would have seen him coming.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Lucy at once.
“New student?” he asked.
Lucy blushed and nodded.
“Not to worry. It took me falling down the stairs to learn to pay more attention to my surroundings and less attention to my arrow,” he smiled.
“I’m Lucy.”
“I’m Justin.”
Justin was only a couple of inches taller than Lucy; short for a guy. He had broad shoulders, red hair long enough to fall across his soft brown eyes, and a quick smile. He was wearing a light blue tunic, beige trousers, and soft leather boots that laced almost up to his knees.
“Are you off to buy supplies?”
“Unless they deliver,” quipped Lucy.
“In that case, fold up your map. Let me be your guide. I’ll point things out as we go along. Then, I can help you carry everything you get back to your room.”
“Thank you. I could use a guide. I’ll have to learn my own way around eventually, but I’d rather not end up watching the map.”
“As a guide, I am much safer than falling down the stairs,” Justin assured her with a smile. “I think we should get you some clothes first. Then you will look more like a student and less like the newest arrival.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Lead on.”
They walked down the hallway, then down some stairs, and along more hallways. Lucy lost track of the twists and turns, but figured she would learn them all later. She was sure no one expected her to know her way around by heart the first day. She planned on spreading her map out on her bed once she found her room and mapping out how to get to her first hour class. Speaking of which, she had not even looked at her schedule yet. She had no idea what her first class was.
True to his word, Justin kept up a running commentary on everything they were passing. Lucy enjoyed being able to listen without having to comment. The halls were not too crowded on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Most people were enjoying the outdoors, working, studying, or hanging out in one of the many lounge areas. The library was for quiet studying. The lounges were for group studying, card games, and other socializing. He showed her the Dining Hall.
“The evening meal is always at 5:00. That gives us about 2 hours to shop and get all your stuff to your room in time to eat.”
“That should be enough time, right?”
“Unless it takes you 3 hours to pick out clothing, but judging from your lack of make-up, I think we’ll be ok.”
“My l
ack of make-up?”
“Sure, girls with tons of make-up are usually picky when it comes to clothes and have to try on everything in the shop. Girls like you are generally more practical about the whole thing.” Justin smiled, “I prefer your type, in case you are wondering.”
Lucy decided to ignore that, although he did have a point. She had rarely gotten along with girls that wore lots of make-up. She was ready to get what made sense. She could be picky about accessorizing once she had earned some tokens.
“What happens if you miss dinner?”
“They have a cupboard against the wall. It usually contains some fruit, travel bread, and cheese.”
“Thanks. That’s good to know.”
“I’ve missed a few meals in my time. Mostly because I was so tired, I thought I would take a nap before dinner and slept right through it,” Justin smiled sheepishly.
“They work you hard here?”
“I would say so, but I work myself hard. Most people do. Only a few people coast along.”
“That’s good to know. I hated to show up to class and be the only one who had done that day’s reading.”
“That won’t happen here. People who try that shape up or don’t last long.”
Justin stopped walking. Lucy looked at him in confusion for a moment. Justin motioned to the window on a storefront. They had finally reached the clothing shop.
The Eye of Elicion: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol 1 Page 2