Dragon Boy

4: Orientation

The doors closed and the students were entombed in darkness. They all blinked rapidly to adjust to the dim room. Little torches lined the walls. The walls and tiled floor were the same dull olive green. The floor tiles had tiny gold vines painted onto them. All around them were wooden doors that led into different rooms. As their eyes adjusted more, the students could make out symbols burned into the doors. One door had what resembled a wiggly F, a crooked T, and an M, while the door next to it had an arrow pointing up, a crooked H crossed twice, and the same wiggly F the first door had. As their eyes became fully accustomed to the light, the students were able to spot two thresholds leading to broad stone staircases, the one to the left of the entrance going up, the one to the right going down. In the silence, the students could hear the faint voices of what they assumed were the lectures Mr. Connolly had said would be going on.
"Come, children," Mr. Connolly whispered. "We're looking for room thirteen."
Everyone looked around. The doors did not have numbers. Or, were those symbols numbers?
The bird man sighed. "Follow me, it's downstairs." He took off in the direction of the downward staircase, his bird claws making faint clacks on the tiles as he moved. The students followed, their own footsteps gently echoing behind them. The gentle echoes, however, became a bit louder when they entered the stairwell. They became even louder the deeper down they went.
The stairwell had a slight curve, and was very dark. One or two fires burned here and there, but for the most part, it was kept in near total darkness.
"Why do you keep it so dark?" Nixie hissed.
"Less distraction," Mr. Connolly explained in a hushed tone. "Now silence please. We are almost there."
A few moments later the group reached the end of the stairwell. A few of them tripped as they reached the final step, either thinking there was one more or one less step than there really was. This room was completely dark, with not a single torch nor lamp burning to brighten it. "Mr. Efeta?"
Then there was a strange light. It created a glossy shadow that fell over something near the back of the room. Whatever it was, it was big and round, and had turned itself towards them.
"Ah, Mr. Tian."
The strange light came closer, and it revealed more of the figure. The big, round thing was on top of an enormous body. It was almost impossible to see, as if the "light" was only casting shadows.
"Mr. Tian, there's no need for the shadow light. Just bring the lights up slowly so we don't blind these new students."
There was a low growl that sounded almost like an, "Mhm." Seconds later a warm light replaced the dark light, and revealed peachy-colored flesh. The light was in a simple red Chinese lantern, and the lantern was held by a muscular arm of a seven-foot tall behemoth. The light began to grow brighter, eventually revealing the figure in his entirety. He was bald as a snake, with dark eyes and a broad nose. He had neither lips nor a mouth, and instead had a long scar where the two should have been. He had enormous muscles with a few long scars. Around his stomach was a series of bandages. He wore baggy pants similar to a ku, but did not have any shoes on his gigantic feet.
"Mr. Tian, what happened to your clothes?"
The mouthless man growled again.
"Okay fine. Children, this is Mr. Tian, one of our guards."
The students stared, mouths agape, at this large man. Kyle felt a bit guilty; what if this man was jealous of the children, and they were just showing off? He shut his mouth and stammered, "H-H-Hi..."
Mr. Tian looked at him and cocked his head to the side. While the scar did not move, it looked as though his eyes were smiling. Kyle sheepishly offered a smile in return.
The light began to burn a bit brighter. Unlike the room above, this room was not green with gold; instead, it was all grey stone. Torches lined the walls, but none of them were lit. There was a single door on the opposite side of the room. Though it was hard to see at a distance, some students could make out markings similar to the ones on the doors upstairs.
Mr. Connolly started towards the door. "Come along, class may have started already!"
The students picked up the pace. Their Familiars bounced around excitedly. Up until that point, they had been fairly still, though still excited; it was as though the anticipation for whatever was beyond that door had exceeded what they were capable of concealing within their tiny bodies. As these little creatures became more excited, the students felt a little bit more relaxed. They all started thinking of this as just transferring to a new school, or attending their first day of school; it was no big deal.
Mr. Connolly threw the door open. Immediately, everyone noticed that the room was filled with other students their age. All of them had creatures with them. As the students filed into the room, they noticed that some of the Familiars were just like any other animals: wolves, rabbits, owls, and so on. Other Familiars were creatures that the group, not even Kyle, could recall in mythology: blobs with tiny bat wings and a thousand eyes, plants with legs made of tightly woven roots and mouths like a Venus fly trap's but not quite right, pigs with bird wings and goat horns with just a dash of porcupine quills, and even more bizarre or even hideous creatures of which they never could have even dreamed. There was a small flight of stairs at the front of the room that led to a platform on which the teacher, his desk, and his chalkboard stood. Another bird-man stood on that platform. Behind him was the enormous chalk board, and before him was the large desk topped with papers, quills, pencils, and other miscellaneous objects, all neatly organized according to this bird-man's preferences.
The new bird man spread his wings and leaped from the platform, gliding over the students' heads, slowly falling until he came to a graceful landing before them. He appeared to be younger than Mr. Connolly, and maybe even Ms. Kreechure. He had glossy black feathers and a long nose with a slight hook. He had two beady eyes that looked like a unique combination of tranquility and insanity. "Ah, Headmaster Connolly, good day," he began. His voice was rich and mostly smooth, but hit a few tiny peaks and valleys. "Is this the final group?"
Mr. Connolly nodded. "I believe so, Mr. Raz." He gestured to his class. "The phoenix girl is Aoife Demetriou and Joy, the drake boy is Sean Byrne and Drake, the jackalope girl is Elvia Martinez and Skitter-Scamp, the gryphon boy is Asim Donkor and Leonidas, the hippocamp girl is Nixie Gruber and Marisa, and the dragon boy is Kyle Akfernen and Fledermaus."
Mr. Raz's eyes went wide. "Akfernen?"
There they go again, Kyle thought. What was so special about that name anyway? Yeah it was bizarre, and he could never find a meaning for it, but it was just his name. Had his mother really been such a star student?
And so, a brief shower of praise ensued. The bird-men went on about how amazing his mother was and how he had big shoes to fill but they had faith in him. Kyle cast cautious glances at the students around him. In his mind, they looked jealous and bitter. He wanted to curl up and disappear.
"So anyway," Mr. Raz finally said, starting a new, non-praise thought, "this will be your only class for the next few days. We've already given you children a lot of new things to take in and we don't want to traumatize you too badly." He and Mr. Connolly took a moment to laugh at that. Then he took a breath and continued, "This class is organized by school. As we get to know you better, we will sort you into groups that better fit with your Familiar. After all, it wouldn't make much sense to educate a Drake or Hippocamp in the art of Flying."
The Birchwood students looked around at each other nervously. They would have to say good-bye to one another?
"Don't worry, you can still meet up each other in the courtyard in your off time, as well as in the dining hall."
"I'm having flashbacks to my childhood," Sean joked.
Mr. Connolly laughed loudly. "You all should have a good spirit like Drake, here!"
"Sean," Sean corrected quietly. "I'm Sean and my drake is Drake.
"You're a Drake. You'll understand after a few classes."
Mr. Raz cleared his throat. "Well, before we get too carried away, why don't we all take a seat?" He then turned to Mr. Connolly and bowed. "Good day, Headmaster."
Mr. Connolly bowed to him in response. "Good day." Then he turned on his bird heels and walked through the door from which he and his group came. He closed the door behind himself, and the group watched as the light that peaked through the cracks of the door faded.
Mr. Raz stretched his neck out and scanned the room. Then he pointed to an empty desk near the wall farthest from them. "There's your desk. Go get yourselves settled." He then leaped into the air and soared back to his desk.
The Birchwood students walked slowly in the direction Mr. Raz had pointed. The other students in the room watched them. Kyle moved to the far left of the group, where he would draw the least attention. Well, that would be hard after Raz and Connolly praised him for events for which he was totally irresponsible. They all looked so judgemental, asking, Are you going to live up to your expectations? telling him, You're a pipsqueak, there's no way you're as amazing as they're saying. He took the corner seat, barely any space between him and the wall. The others crammed in next to him - Aoife, Asim, Nixie, Elvia, and Sean - a hair's length between them and the next person's shoulder.
Mr. Raz stood at the front of the room and looked out over the sea of students and creatures. "It looks as though everyone is here. We shall begin." He lifted his foot to his desk and opened a book, flipped through a few pages, then paused and asked, "Do we have any questions?"
Nearly everyone in the room raised their hand.
Mr. Raz scanned the crowd once again. Sean, being the tallest in the class, was the first to be called on. "Yes, Mr. Byrne?"
"Are all the teachers here birds?"
There was a choir of giggles and, "Good question."
Mr. Raz nodded. "Yes, actually. Most of us are Harpies. Not unlike Earth Greek Harpies, but not all of us are women. There is at least one Harpy Professor at each school on every planet where Familiars and their Families have been found. Most of these schools have a Harpy Headmaster or Principal, however you want to say it, in charge."
The students looked at each other. He specifically said "Earth Greek". That meant there were aliens in the classroom! And some of their planets also had a country called Greece! This was very exciting, especially to the students who really enjoyed science-fiction stories.
Another student raised their hand and asked, "So not all of us are from Erdboden?"
Mr. Raz shook his head. "You're from all over! Anywhere that can gain access to the Great Bridge of Arachne can have Familiars and their Families! As a matter of fact, anywhere that has been accessed from the Great Bridge of Arachne, more than likely at least, has someone with a Familiar. You'll learn more about that in History. Any more questions?"
More hands filled the air.
"Yes?"
"What do I do if my Familiar wanders off?"
Mr. Raz chuckled and shook his head. "Your Familiar will not wander away. They tend to stay by your side at all times, if not just a few feet or meters away. Should you find your Familiar missing, it has been stolen, but do not fret, you will be able to track it down because you always know where it is."
Fewer hands this time.
"Go on."
"What do I feed my Familiar?"
"Anything you would eat," Mr. Raz explained. "They may just eat any food items they find lying around and are very prone to eating off of your plate. They will reject foods you dislike and poisons, so watch out for when they warn you."
And even fewer hands this time.
"Your question?"
A young man's voice came, "Sprechen sie Deutsch?"
Mr. Raz nodded. "Ja."
Then a young woman, "Parlez-vous français?"
"Oui."
And so, a brief period of time dedicated to asking the languages Mr. Raz spoke ensued. One student even asked if he understood sign language, another brale, and yet another Morse code. He answered affirmatively to all of them. He then explained, "Professors here are required to know how to speak every language." Then he selected another hand.
"How old are you?"
Mr. Raz's patience was growing tired. "Very old. Now, does anyone have any questions about the lesson or are we just going to inquire about trivial details?"
Everyone was fairly silent after that, the students with actual questions too intimidated to ask at this point.
Mr. Raz nodded. "Welcome, Family. I am Mr. Raz. Now, some of you are probably curious as to what is going on. Allow me to explain.
"The Great Bridge of Arachne is named after the woman of Earth Greek legend, Arachne, who was challenged by the Goddess Athena to weave a loom. Athena was jealous of Arachne's abilities, and, on top of that, turned her into a spider as punishment for being better than she. Like the threads of Arachne's web, everything is connected by our Bridge. The Bridge was built as a central hub to connect the worlds. One Bridge leads to other worlds, one leads from other worlds, and one leads to this school. The final Bridge is a mystery, and its true purpose is known only by those who constructed it. This Bridge is how, long ago, Familiars entered the worlds. Our school was constructed as a means of teaching Family members how to use their Familiars.
"Now, some of you may be thinking: why do I have a Familiar? Well, no one is quite sure. Some believe that an ancient group of people were blessed with Familiars as a means of helping them through life; some believe this people created their Familiars with magic to help with day-to-day life; here, it is commonly thought that the Familiar is an extension of one's self, part of the person's ancient conscience, an excessive amount of spirit that manifests in a form that most closely reflects the deepest aspects of one's personality. For example, one with a dog Familiar may be loyal and trustworthy, whereas one with a snake Familiar may be a secretive recluse."
Everyone almost unconsciously looked around the room for students with dog or snake Familiars.
"Next, we will learn the symbol to go to the Bridge. This will be important in the event of an emergency." He picked up a piece of chalk from the ledge on the bottom of the board behind him. He moved slowly so the students could copy the symbol. "Now," he began as he started with a circle that would encompass the other symbols, "this symbol will only work as a portal if you create it on a thick, solid, sturdy surface. So no need to worry if you write this in your notebook, your notes will not get lost on the Bridge. You can create this symbol on a chalk board, as long as it is mounted to a wall, most walls in general, most floors, most ceilings or roofs if need be... It will open up and reveal the stairwell, which will take you to the Bridge. Generally the portal will be closed once the door is opened and shut once." He drew lines cutting the circle in half horizontally, vertically, and on several diagonals. "There, you can access the school. It is preferred you go to the Bridge first, though, because if you are followed, it makes it more difficult for otherworldly threats to access the school." Then he added a swirl that started at the top of the vertical line that bisected the circle and ended in the circle. "And here it is, the Web of Arachne."
Kyle looked over at Elvia. He was going to offer her a piece of paper, since her bag was empty except for Skitter-Scamp, but Nixie had already started sharing her own notebook. Then he looked at them as if to study them. He hardly knew any of the students next to him, and yet he knew them much better than the other students in the rows before them. He thought maybe Elvia was in one of his classes, and he was pretty sure Nixie and Sean were in his gym class, Asim he passed in the hallways, and he had never even seen Aoife before that day. And within a few days, it would go back to that: maybe Elvia in one of his classes, perhaps Nixie and Sean in another, Asim in the hallways, and Aoife he would never see again. But then he started thinking. Joy was a phoenix, a phoenix is a bird, a bird can fly. They might have a Flying class together. Asim had a gryphon, which had wings and could probably fly as well. The three of them would have that class together. He looked back at Fledermaus, who was still resting on his shoulder. A dragon is like a drake, but with wings, so maybe he would be in some kind of Familiar Biology class with Sean. Maybe, just maybe, Elvia would be in that class also, because Skitter-Scamp has antlers, and Fledermaus has tiny horns, and horns and antlers are pretty similar, right? He felt a bit more relieved. His classmates would stay with him after all. Except, he thought, Nixie, whose hippocamp was probably too different from the other Familiars to share a class. He never really felt a desire to make close friends, but now that he was in a new world, it would be necessary.
"...and then we cross the A's with the same line, or it won't work."
Kyle looked back at the board. Raz had started another symbol beneath the web. It looked very similar to the one on the wall he and the others had used to enter the school grounds just recently. Before Raz crossed it, however, the AA looked more like a fancy M than anything. He quickly started to draw the symbol as he listened to the teacher,
"This can be used on any doorway to access the Academy. It goes away as soon as you close the door behind yourself, so make sure you shut it as soon as you get through. We are going to ask, however, that if it means protecting the Academy, you may have to shut the door on your limbs. Be careful that nothing is in the doorway, or it may be cut in half. We have had to piece students and even pets back together, but fret not, as there have been no casualties, save for a few sleeves and backpack straps."
The class shuddered at this thought.
"Is there a symbol to take us home?" Sean asked, desperate to move away from the idea of deliberate amputation.
Mr. Raz tsked and cocked his head from side to side. "Yes, but I cannot teach it to you until winter break. We don't want you running away to avoid finals." He chuckled to himself.
Then there came a loud toll that echoed blissfully all throughout the Academy of Arachne. It startled the students at first, but after the first grand chime they relaxed. The door to the classroom opened, Mr. Tiang standing with one hand on the knob and the other clutching his lantern.
Mr. Raz puffed up and ruffled his feathers. "A late beginning means an early end," he muttered. "Adieu, students!"
The students stood and began placing their notebooks back into their bags. They began heading in the direction of the door while making light chit-chat with one another, their Familiars on their heels.
"And one more thing!"
Everyone stopped and looked back at the bird-man.
"You are from all over the known worlds," he began, "with different backgrounds, different ideals, different views of society and the world you inhabit, but you have one thing in common: you have Familiars, you are Family. Get to know each other. After you retire and return to your world, you will know only Family. You are to avoid Unfamiliars. You may marry into and expand the Family, but be warned: marrying or bearing children with an Unfamiliar can yield catastrophic results. Now, have a good day."
Kyle looked to Aoife, who looked to the rest of the group, who looked to the rest of the class. What an eerie note on which to end a lesson. Desperate to distract the others from the vague, cryptic message, she asked, "Anyone else curious about Ms. Kreechure's day?"

Ms. Kreechure sat back in her chair and took a sip of her lukewarm coffee. The students all stood and slumped their bags over their shoulders as the last notes of the bell faded. One boy and one girl came up to her desk as the other students filed out of the classroom.
"Ms. Kreechure," the boy began, "Why did Nixie, Sean, and Elvia transfer so suddenly? That seems weird, don't you think?"
The girl nodded. "And you're sure my grade will be fine?"
Ms. Kreechure nodded slowly. "Sometimes, students don't like to talk about moving. Sean especially. And yes, your grades will be fine. Your partners returned their eggs safe and sound. Now run along, it's lunch time and I have a lot of grading to do."