I was looking forward to being home, but I was dreading the trip back. It was strange, packing for home when I knew I was coming back.
I held up my Focus, the spikes pointed away from me and my reflection in the smooth surface facing me. I could just leave it here, and not bring the magical trouble home. But…I was just as magical, in theory. And it was a part of me. Or something in me was part of it.
Some of it was my pink, that had to mean something. But Mom had already seen it so what was the point of bothering? I stared into the red underside of the Focus just a little longer before letting it rest in my palm. The green tips of the spikes were too strong of a reminder of one of the messes I was in.
I put the focus back on the shelf and went back to debating the stones on that same shelf.
The bismuth, the jasper, the quartz, and the ruby stood their vigil proudly. Maybe I could bring a few more from home?
Also on the shelf was the chemistry textbook. That could stay, I didn't need it when I was with Dad anyway. I brushed my fingers over the cover and smiled. Not much longer, then I would be seeing him in person.
The other thing that had a fate worth debating was the record player and the Metallica record safely in its sleeve they were on the bottom shelf. It felt weird taking it from here, and it was going to be so heavy to move around. What if something happened to it?
It would be safer here, assuming Dragon Tower didn't lock itself on us. I hoped it didn't do that, we were all accomplices now. And how else were we supposed to deal with the Death's Echo threat?
"Don't you dare lock up on us, I'll will be angry with you."
It didn't respond. But maybe my empty threat worked enough. Or maybe it had gotten as attached as I had and would never do that to us.
I hoped it had.
I left the record player where it was. And took one last deep breath of Dragon Tower. My room didn't have any smell of note, but something in it still felt nice in my lungs. Warm and light.
I would be back in about a month. I pulled up the handle out of the top of my brown suitcase. And I stared down at the large green trunk at the foot of my bed. It was staying put. Everything I needed to bring back with me fit in the case, thankfully.
"I guess I'll see you later, one month from now. Don't get into trouble without us," I told Dragon Tower as I went to open my door.
It was probably a bit silly feeling this way over somewhere I was coming back to. But no one could judge me for thoughts they couldn't hear.
I closed the door behind me and looked down over the railing to see it was just me out here for now. I was either late or early, probably early.
There was no lit fire now, with everyone about to leave. It wasn't as cold as I'd feared. But I still zipped up my well-loved Iron Roses hoodie, the band logo of a bouquet wrapped in rusty chains only visible when it was closed. There was a list of album songs on the back. I leaned just a little into the back of the couch.
"Hey," Fethris greeted from the top of the stairs. Tucked under his arm was a light grey bag that reminded me of a duffle bag.
"Hello." I wasn't saying goodbye yet. No point until everyone was here. And we weren't allowed to leave until Vivian came by.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm alright." I wasn't even lying, I wasn't entirely sure how to describe how I felt, but it wasn't a bad feeling. Everything was fine for now.
Fethris stopped about halfway down the stairs, "It's a little weird, though."
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I guess I couldn't really hide those thoughts from someone who probably feels the exact same way. "A little. But I've been looking forward to being home for a bit."
"Not this entire time?"
"Not really. There's been upsides to being here," I said with a smile.
Fethris smirked back. "Good, I'd hate for you to stay wherever you're going."
"It's only a mild risk of a terrible death, nothing to worry about." It was supposed to be a joke, but I couldn't tell if it landed correctly. Fethris didn't react to it. I needed to work on my delivery.
"I hope Grandmother doesn't hear you say that," Jarec said as he stepped out of his room. A dull red rucksack rested on one shoulder. Scraps was perched on his other like a technicolor gargoyle.
"It's fine," I waved off the concern. Though I doubted how real it was. Then again, I don't think Vivian would get my sense of humor.
"How many times do you think you have to say that before it becomes true?" Jarec teased.
"Let's find out together." I shrugged and shifted my suitcase to settle right next to my feet.
"I'd accuse you of being odd, but Dragons," Fethris mumbled with a shrug.
"You're a Dragon too, I think odd is a requirement," I told him. It wasn't like anyone could tell us we were being Dragons wrong. No one knew what doing it right looked like.
"I hope so," Jarec commented. "I'd hate to be letting our ancestors down."
What would our ancestors think of me? That was a terrifying thought.
"Man, can't believe it's December already. When did that happen?" Russel complained with a grin.
"I don't know, it barely feels real." But then everything since coming here had felt like either a nightmare or a dream. And now I was going back to the real waking world. Only for a little while though.
Like waking up and rolling over to hide from the light of day.
Celica finally emerged from her room, a set of multiple matching pastel bags held together by purple vines being carted behind her. Either she didn't have enchantments to make their insides bigger, or she just felt the need to bring that much stuff with her.
That made almost everyone.
"I hope she doesn't keep us waiting, I have to meet up with Adamar and Vulmar after this," Celica complained. Of course she'd have to travel with her brothers on her way home.
"Good luck?" I had no idea what to say but saying nothing felt rude.
She groaned, "They're going to be pushy the entire ride back. The southeast road to Aisling is not a fun trip. But none of us can teleport that far so there's nothing we can do."
Huh. How far was her hometown? What were the limits of teleportation magic? Mom didn't seem to have any trouble, but Celica and her brothers were still learning. And I wasn't in any position to comment on anyone else's magic.
"That reminds me. How exactly are you getting home?" She asked, turning to me.
"I'm going to meet up with Mom at the Oktos station in Tyor. Then she'll teleport us both home from there."
There was a moment of quiet. Then Russel spoke up, "I thought you were from Massachusetts?"
"I am."
"That's…way too far away to teleport. There aren't any in-betweens that way."
"She does it in one." Oh no. What didn't I know?
Jarec started laughing, that was probably a bad sign. There was definitely something I didn't know.
I looked to Fethris for moral support. His face was twisted in concentrated confusion. "I knew there were rumors and stories…but…"
"Apparently they're all real. I always did wonder why Mom only seemed to exaggerate about her sister," Jarec said around giggles.
One of them had better explain soon or I was going to lose my mind. But then I remembered something. "Does this have something to do with the way some professors were reacting to Mom?"
Jarec hadn't stopped laughing. He was lucky he was my only cousin or he would be risking getting demoted to the bottom of the list.
"No one told you that your mother was the most gifted prodigy of magic seen in decades, have they?" Fethris finally said something that would give me context.
Wait what? "What?" I asked out loud.
"Last I heard she was some kind of special prodigy in her time," Jarec finally stopped laughing long enough to explain. "The way they'd talk about it, she was the best."
They had mentioned something like that hadn't they? And Mom would never have said anything about it, not to me. Too worried about upsetting me probably. But still…I never imagined the gap between us would be that massive. It was one thing to never be able to catch up, but somehow the idea it was a doomed venture from the start didn't help.
I scratched at my wrist, and tried not to worry about that now. There was nothing anyone could do about any of it.
There was a knock on the stone door of Dragon Tower. Then after a pause it opened to reveal Vivian Hearth. She looked calm and collected. Not a hair out of place and back straight. "Oh good, you're all ready to go. No need for delays, I'm sure you're all impatient to get home."
I didn't think impatient was really the right word, but I did want this over with.
Scraps was paying attention though, he moved to rest himself on top of Jarec's head.
"All I'm going to ask if that you all try not to get into any trouble." It wasn't a plea, though we probably would have deserved that. There was a mumbled of affirmation from the room.
Would it be a bad idea to tell her all the trouble was within the school walls? Probably. If anything we would all be safer far away from the school. Not that it was going to stop me from coming back.
Maybe that was the real reason Dragon Tower chose me.
Questionable judgement or too stubborn for my own good?
Whatever the case, her request wouldn't be hard to fulfill. Dad wasn't the parent likely to get me into trouble.
"Good. I hope you all have a nice break and return here ready to finish this first year of yours proudly."
Pride wasn't something I was worried about, but I would try. Going to classes wasn't the hard part. All I needed to focus on was not getting blown up by the curse or stabbed by whoever had Death's Echo.
Hopefully that wasn't too hard.
Hopefully.
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