by Trista Shaye
“Sorry,” Kendel said, taking another bite of his lunch, now that he realized she wasn’t going to run off on him or this wasn’t a dare they had put her up to. “Rude people are never fun to deal with.”
“Oh they’re not being rude to me,” she said, wiping a crumb away from the corner of her mouth. “They’re being rude to you.”
His eyes widened a touch as he realized what she meant and his shoulders sagged. “Oh.” He sounded disheartened, “But then, what did I expect.” He chuckled sadly, maybe nervously, too.
“They’re rude about every teacher, it’s not just you. They just feel especially malicious towards you because it’s summer and they think it highly unfair they’re stuck here.”
“Yes, I suppose I would, too.” He cast his gaze out the nearby window at the beautiful sunny day.
“But it’s not your fault,” Diana explained, “it’s the council’s. They made you come here. Well, invited you here, but made us come here.”
“You’re being forced to go to school?” Kendel wondered, at odds with the thought.
“Yes. Most of us don’t enjoy it any time of the year. But summer school? It’s never been a thing before so this is a new hurdle to jump. And for most it’s not worth it.”
“Don’t enjoy school?” He muttered to himself and shook his head. “Imagine!”
Diana shrugged again and they ate for a moment in silence. “But you said you’ve never been to school, so how can you know if you would like it or not?” she finally asked.
“We don’t have school as you do, no,” Kendel began, folding up his biscuit wrapper. “But we have teachers who show us things. Mostly one on one and from hands on experience as opposed to lectures and written tests.”
“So more of an apprentice and a master?” Diana tried to break it down so she could better understand.
“Yes, like that. And we love to learn. There isn’t a day that we don’t! From the day we’re old enough to walk to the day we graduate, every day we’re taught and we learn and grow,” Kendel explained, his eyes alight with excitement. He seemed very much to enjoy talking about his realm.
“Then why do you struggle so much with teaching? If you love learning, then teaching is the next step, right? Taking what you’ve learned and passing it on to others.”
“Oh, well … I think I was just expecting something different when I arrived. This place is all so new and different and no one really gave me any sort of instruction at all. So, I really have no idea what I should be doing. I’m still not entirely sure, if I’m being honest.”
“Why don’t you just tell us about your realm like you’re doing now? You know, stories and such. I bet you more than half of the other students would prefer that to any form of other teaching you might choose.”
“Really?” He looked curious and thoughtful. “I suppose that could work. There is a lot to tell about Castle Majestic, I could talk for months. I thought I had to teach spells and literary things and make you all wise and pompous – wearing long robes with glasses perched on your noses and a book in your hand at all times. That’s what you think of us after all, isn’t it?” he asked.
Diana felt a little embarrassed. “Well … yes. But honestly I’m glad I was wrong. I think the rest are as well, they just don’t know how to express it yet. We really don’t want to be turned into one of you, we just want to know about you and like you said, learn by experience.”
She looked down and rolled her sandwich paper in her hands. “But to be truthful, I kinda hoped we’d learn some spells.” She spoke it almost like a question, hoping he would still show them some magic despite what she’d just said.
Kendel laughed and slapped the table, a little loudly. “I’ll teach spells, no fear, miss Diana.”
She was slightly surprised he had remembered her name, and smiled.
“And I suppose I shall teach as I see fit, not as I suspect it’s done here.” He nodded, more self assured. “After all, you came to summer schoool – ”
“School,” she corrected.
“Right. To learn and see new things. I suppose I’m the best person to bring those things to light in whatever way is best and practical for all involved.”
“Exactly! It’s your school for the summer, do as you wish! So what if it’s unconventional? Be a real mage, not some fairy’s idea of one.”
“Hmm, indeed.” he nodded curtly, courage lighting his eyes. “I … I was just afraid of messing it all up. You know, this is the first time this has happened in the history of our realms and I really wanted to make a good impression on the council and all.”
“Honestly Kendel, make a good impression on the students – us – and you’ll make a longer lasting impression than if you pleased every single one of the council members. Not to say they’re not important, too. But they always say we’re the future of The Magic Vale, so we should take priority in this. I think …” she trailed off, not quite sure if she was correct or not, but thinking it sounded right. Maybe.
“You make some sense, I think I understand what you mean.” He had a hand on his chin and looked to be mulling over her words in his mind.
“I’m not sure I even understand what I said, so don’t think about it too hard, please. But the point is, you have it in you to make these kids like you, I know it. They just need to see it.”
Kendel slowly nodded, and Diana hoped she was helping him in some way.
“How long does this break for lunch last, normally?” he asked, breaking out of the thoughtful silence he had merged into.
“Noon to twelve thirty.”
“You mean noon-thirty,” Kendel corrected. “At least, that’s what we say.” He smiled cheekily.
“Yeah, sure.” Diana smiled back, allowing him to show her some of his culture. It was funny and she kind of liked the ring it had to it. “Noon-thirty, not long. It’s almost time for class to begin. In fact, you might want to walk back to get there before everyone else,” she suggested, shrugging.
“Why?” he asked the questions so innocently that Diana was taken completely off guard. He really, truly wanted to know why.
“Well …” She was about to say it was what the school teachers normally did, if they ever ate lunch with the students – which was never – but they were always back at the class room first and always prepared and always ready to call tardy on any slackers. But she had just gone off about how he should and had better go on being himself, so she stopped herself. “I don’t know,” she replied lamely. “What were you thinking?”
“I had thought to walk with you all to the class, you know. To make friends,” he replied, brushing crumbs off his robe’s sleeves.
It seemed like it might be a good idea, so she nodded. “Fair enough.”
Diana looked about, trying to think of something else to say or an excuse to leave the table, though that didn’t feel right to leave him alone if he planned to walk back with them to class. She had better wait and walk with him so he didn’t get bullied.
“Have you seen the fairy city, yet?” she asked, picking at straws. It was either that or ask him if he had any animal companions – she herself had a little green inch worm that kept her company back at home. He was cute, though he couldn’t talk like most of the creatures around The Magic Vale. But she often pretended that he could and would talk to him for hours. He was very good at listening.
“Not really,” he replied. “I saw the council this morning, as I’m sure you were all informed. I’m not even quite sure how to get to the place they’ve set up for me to stay, yet. They just gave me an address, but I haven’t the slightest idea how to find it,” he explained, and he looked a bit overwhelmed again.
“No? Well, if you still don’t have any idea of where it is by the end of class, then I’ll help you find it. I know my way around the city and it won’t be a bother for me to get home late.”
He
looked taken aback. “Are you certain? You would take the time to help me?”
“Why not?” she said with a shrug, “I’m not a rude fairy and it’s kind of like an adventure.”
“It’s definitely been an adventure being here.” Kendel nodded, wide eyed and tired. “Sleeping in this school house is as much adventure as I want for the rest of my life. I’m quite done with them, thank you.”
Diana laughed as she couldn’t imagine it was a very restful night. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep all the adventures at bay and we’ll just find your house later. No unwanted adventures here.”
None indeed.
Four
“Have you thought of a way to find your guest house?”
Diana had hung back after school was finished for the day while the other fairy students gushed like a madly rushing stream from the building to the train that was about to leave. She lingered in the doorway, hands on her backpack’s shoulder straps and looked towards the front of the classroom where Kendel stood, dusting off the teacher’s desk.
The afternoon had gone much better than the previous day and even than that morning – though the morning wouldn’t have been hard to beat. He had explained to them some of the history of Castle Majestic and shown them how the place was laid out with its halls and rooms and towers. Lots of the students had many questions and he was able to draw what he meant on the chalkboard – a great new invention that he loved. Some of them had seemed in a much better mood towards him as they left, and Diana was sure if this continued, he could make some friends.
Kendel looked up and smiled, wiping his hands off on each other with a couple loud claps. “I had thought of a couple of ways, actually,” he said, nodding to her question. “A couple of spells might get me there.”
“Oh!” Diana exclaimed, of course he could do things like that. “Great.”
“But,” he hurried on, grabbing up a few books that he was borrowing from the school to learn about the fairy realm, “only after I’ve already been there. So, I was still hoping you would be willing to help me today, if you didn’t mind.” He looked sheepish and rather embarrassed. “I can only transport magically from here to there, or anywhere else, once I’ve seen it for myself. And even if I could before that happened, in the end I wouldn’t actually know where I was and how to get from one place to another without magic. And … I would like the company. In my realm you’re surrounded by people all the time, so it’s rather lonely here,” he admitted.
Diana felt glad she could help the poor mage out again. She couldn’t imagine being in his shoes, alone in a new world, with so much expected of him. Of course she could help, she’d been planning on it anyway.
“Of course.” she replied, “Want to take the train?”
“The train?” he asked, striding forwards, finally done with the cleaning and gathering of books. “What is a train?”
“Snails,” she explained, “It’s a bunch of snails that we ride on, they’ll take us to the fairy city without us walking or flying there by ourselves. And seeing as you don’t have wings, it might be best.”
“Oh … ” He still seemed slightly confused.
“You do know what snails are, don’t you?” she asked, walking beside him through the hall and toward the sunny outdoors.
“Oh, yes, of course,” he exclaimed in a flippant manner.
As they exited the school, he shut the door firmly behind them and then turned and halted in his tracks.
‘So these are snails,’ he thought with just a touch of fear at the unknown.
He had lied. He didn’t know what snails were, but he didn’t want to look completely unaware of absolutely everything. However, the shock written plainly on his face was making it hard for Diana to believe that he had actually seen these creatures before now.
She laughed a little internally and nodded towards the slimy slugs with huge shells. “Let’s go, we don’t want to miss it. Though, between you and me, it’s not hard to catch. And I should know.” She smirked.
“And, you ride them?” he asked, incredulous.
“Yup. Just pick one and hop on,” Diana instructed, leading the way.
Kendel swallowed nervously and followed with tentative steps.
Diana had ended up putting Kendel’s books in her backpack so he could brace himself on the snail’s shell with both hands. It was a little bit of a bumpy and wobbly ride if one wasn’t used to it, and she doubted he ever dreamed of riding one of the great creatures before, if he had even thought they existed prior to this.
After they dismounted the train at the city station, Kendel thanked his snail mount for the ride and straightened his robe.
“Goodness,” he commented to Diana as they hurried off the station’s boarding platform along with everyone else. “That was not what I had expected. Much slower. And you say you ride it every day?”
Diana cast her eyes at the passing students, noticing their odd looks and whispered smirks. If they hadn’t been talking about her at lunch, they definitely would be now. She was sure it was going to spread through the entire of The Magic Vale – she’d already heard some whispered snippets of “wizard snob” and “mage friend”. What did she care, though? She tried to remind herself that she didn’t. But in her heart, she did.
“Yes,” she answered Kendel as they walked away from the crowd and out on their own, then down the steps from the station to the forest floor. “It’s a tedious task some days, it seems we’d get there faster if we could just fly on our own. But it’s the rules.”
“Then I shall ride every day, as well,” Kendel resolved himself, though he didn’t sound too excited.
“If you think it would be a good idea.” Diana shrugged. “If I had magic, I’d use it a lot.”
“Oh?” Kendel wondered, skipping forward a few steps to keep up. “What would you use it for?”
“Just normal things. I’d always have enough food, I’d always be early, because if I was running late – but not late mind you, I’m never late – I’d turn back time and get there before anyone even bothered to wonder about me. I’d have a nice home and maybe a butterfly to ride on.”
“You think magic does all of that? You think that’s what it’s used for?”
“No,” Diana admitted, shrugging her backpack higher on her shoulders. “It’s just a dream. I just wish … well, never mind.”
Kendel wondered what she was going to say next but didn’t ask. Wishing and magic were two very different things, though neither were bad. But when the magic was manipulated to make the wishing a reality, often times that was when things turned sour.
“Anyway, how old are you, Mr. Morlemph?” the fairy girl asked, trying to turn the subject away from things she’d rather not contemplate any longer.
“Kendel, please. Mr. and such titles are rather a bother. I sound like a stuffy old wizard, but I’m only about fourteen turnings of a year.”
“What?” Diana turned towards him and had to close her mouth lest she looked like a frog out to catch flies. “But, you’re so young to be here … and teaching!” she gasped, trying to hide her surprise but doing a very poor job of it. “You’re only a year of turning older than I and most of the students; some are even your age!” She shook her head to rid herself of her stupor and picked up her steps where she’d left off, leading them along the forest’s floor.
“Yes, I suppose I am young. But my master insisted I be sent here, saying I have a lot to offer the students and you would all better relate to a young mage rather than a grown wizard,” Kendel explained. “I try to think differently – and I know differently – but often times in these last two days I’ve wondered if I wasn’t set up to fail.” His voice sounded a bit low at this.
Diana huffed a little. “Well, don’t let the others hear about your age, or they’ll make sure you fail. You’d never hear the end of it, and what respect there was would be utterly
destroyed.”
“I’ll try to do better and to keep my secrets to myself, then.” Kendel nodded, continuing to look about as they walked.
“We’re not in the city yet?” he asked after another few moments. “Didn’t we stop at the city’s station? Implying it was in the city?”
“We’re not technically in the city, no.” Diana pointed upwards. “We’re under it.”
Kendel stared upwards and marveled as he caught sight of the fairies filtering about above his head through the leaves and he could just make out small store fronts and house windows from his place on the leaf carpeted ground.
“Are we going up there?” His words held a tinge of awe in them. His head spun and his mind danced with the wonders that were surely up there high above them.
“Yes.” Diana nodded. “I promised to show you around, and to your house. But we’re making a quick stop to pick up a few things,” she said, stopping beside a tree and pressing in a knot. A door opened at the base of the trunk and she gestured inward. “You can come in if you want, I’m just grabbing some stuff.”
Kendel followed her into the hollowed out tree and was quite surprised to find it mostly empty. “Is this what normal fairy houses look like?” he asked, staring at an odd stick collection in a glass jar sitting on a shelf by the door. It was one of the only adornments the place held, and it wasn’t very lovely to behold.
“Eh, not really,” she called out from the adjoining room. There were some rustling noises, and then she came back out, her backpack in hand. It looked a bit fatter than normal and she flipped the leaf top back over it. “Just getting some things to drop off at the bakery. Are you ready? We’ll probably stop there first.”
“I suppose. Oh! What’s that?” he asked, pointing to a small green thing that was sliding down the wall opposite them.
Diana turned as she slipped the backpack on again and smiled. “Oh, that’s just Trizet, my friendly, home-loving inch worm friend. He’s always around here somewhere.” She smiled once more and motioned for the mage to go first through the door.