The Rogue World Of Dostira

Tamiel Aurum

Almost every student in Dostira was talking about the Tarvins family. Seeing Ms Tarvins arrested by Ultors, only a day after Charlie had gone missing, stirred enough gossip to last the rest of the school year. Mr Harkness had left to consult The Regional Council of Overseers, and was not due to return for at least two days.

Zach tried to ignore the whispering and glares that followed him everywhere he went, students were relentless in making it obvious as to how much they disapproved of him. The strange circumstances to which Ms Tarvins had been escorted from the castle, incited students to look into Zach's family history and make their own judgements about him.

"Stay away from him," one boy sneered in a hushed manner, "he's an Eclipse like his rotten parents and sister".

He sat alone in the library, seeing the boy walk past with his friends, while he studied the illustration on the last page of the book he had found in his sisters desk drawer. His fingers ran across the ink as he glanced back and forth between the drawing and the book that lay open besides him, he tried to ignore the scowling eyes of everyone around him as he read.

"The willow group is given the latin name 'Salix' and was used by the mages of old to brew pain-relieving potions specifically designed for prodigies," he began reading to himself, "The 'Salix alba Tristis' trees were bewitched by the mage Isaac Dawnidas as passage ways for prodigies to travel through unseen by humans. The passage entrance was easily hidden by the trees long branches, and its shallow root system allowed the passage to be easily destroyed if discovered."

Zach didn't understand what any of this had to do with Charlie's disappearance, and so he frowned while continuing to read words he didn't understand. He shut the large book besides him and held up the small pumpkin coloured book while intently staring at it. Everything about it was familiar to him, the bright orange cover and the book's title written in a mesmerising gold. As he admired it, his eyes slowly looked down at the author's name printed at the bottom of the cover.

"Tamiel Aurum" he muttered aloud.

He recognised the name, as if he had seen it on another book recently. He shut his eyes tight, trying to remember, but felt like he was in a maze of memories. He was struggling to remember the last time he had seen a book, not one filled with school work and prodigy training, but one that told a story.

"One of my favourite books growing up, it's all about magical creatures and an adventure to steal back lost treasure from a dragon" He spoke in his memories.

The gold cover of the book flashed in his mind, the way he held it in his hands before passing it over to Audrey.

"Well, is it good?" Audrey voice asked, echoing in his mind.

As he remembered her holding it up, the author's name became clear, "Tamiel Aurum" he spoke aloud again.

The students in the library looked at him curiously, their whispers increasing as he grabbed the small book and rushed out of the library leaving the desk a mess of opened books and papers. He had to find Audrey and see if the book he bought for her that day in Hodinby, held the same illustration of a weeping willow tree on its last page. He was running throughout the hallways, stumbling past students who huffed at him as he held the small book tight in his hands.

⤜⤛

"Did you hear about Ms Tarvins?" Bella said as she sat beside Kane's bed.

"Yea even the nurses were talking about it, I would say I told him so but..." he stuttered for a moment, "but he's not here".

Kane's wounds had almost fully healed. After all the medication he had been put on and the self-healing sessions that Mr Harkness had helped him with, he was now able to sit up and move on his own. Although he could write and do his own work, Bella sat by his side helping him with his classes as he had begged her to. She was quickly writing away in one of his books, her hand writing becoming increasingly messier the more that she wrote.