Dragon Spirit Hunter 3, page 19
“What’s that?” I asked her. I couldn’t make the writing out on the page.
“Directions,” she said. “The Arbor School can misdirect unwanted visitors using their illusion magic. The Headmaster very kindly provided us with these, just in case.”
“That’s pretty awesome,” I said.
I’d seen what some of the Arbor School students could do with their illusion magic, and I’d seen the snow elves at the College practicing theirs as well.
Illusions could be very useful in misdirecting your enemies.
“It can be awesome.” The Sergeant smiled at me.
I took another look at the paper she was holding. It still didn’t make any sense to me, especially as the very ink it was drawn in shifted and changed depending on which way I turned my head, but Prianna seemed to have things under control.
In a shorter time than I had expected, we were rolling up to a huge set of wrought-iron gates that were nestled in an even larger stone wall. The carriages crunched over a gravel drive and came to a halt.
As I stepped down from the vehicle, I got my first proper look at the Arbor School.
It appeared to be made up of one giant, cathedral-style building. Its towering spires stretched up toward the green sky, and I felt dwarfed by the building’s sheer size. Domed roofs peeked up here and there and were covered with a clear, crystalline type of glass that reflected the sunlight above.
Intricate carvings covered the stone façade of the building itself and extended across a columned porch. Limestone-colored steps led up from the graveled path and ended just before a set of carved wooden doors.
I gazed in awe at the structure before me. I was reminded of the grand cathedral at Notre Dame, and this only continued when we stepped inside.
The air inside was cool but not cold enough to be uncomfortable. Every sound was amplified in that cavernous space, and the vaulted ceilings further added to the sense of vastness.
Stained-glass windows, depicting what I assumed were famous alumni of the School, lined the walls. The colors, which were backlit by the setting sun, danced across the pale limestone floor and played across our faces as we walked on by.
There was a sense of peace about the place, and this was only heightened further by the more subdued energy among the cadets here. Unlike the Academy, there seemed to be no sense of urgency to the students or the instructors we passed. Everybody seemed to move at their own pace here, and I found the change refreshing.
The first person we met formally was a djinn who introduced herself as Instructor Caelin, the Deputy Headmistress. She looked to be in her forties, but she was definitely the sort of woman who made forty look as fantastic as twenty-five.
She had hair the color of burnished-orange autumn leaves, and her eyes were more gold than orange. Her clothes were spun out of fine red silk, and they clung to her curves and whispered in a shushing way as she walked. Her perfume smelled like lavender and jasmine, but despite the soft scent, she seemed to brim with the same manic energy as Gerrin. She clearly had hers more controlled, though.
She reminded me of a tiger waiting to pounce.
“Headmaster Alvius has had the guest quarters prepared for you all,” she said in a soft, slightly husky voice. “This way, if you please.”
We were led through the corridors of the School as Caelin gave us a quick tour of the main features. Each hall had fluted columns that stretched up to the vaulted ceilings, and the same style of intricate carvings continued along the stonework throughout. I didn’t have much of a chance to study the carvings as we hurried along, but I recognized some of the engravings from my studies. Fearsome monsters were forever captured in the stones.
I even spotted some breed of Naturem in a carving, which I pointed out to Kerym as we walked by.
The ‘guest quarters’ were separated from the main building by a small, well-landscaped garden. The grass in here was trimmed out in a checkerboard pattern, and I saw the squares were actually growing black-and-white grass.
Small hedges enclosed three sides of the checkered grass, and every leaf was a different color. The rainbow hedge and checkered grass played havoc with my eyesight, and I blinked several times as I tried to get used to the rioting color palette. It looked like something out of Alice in fucking Wonderland.
The building Caelin led us to was a smaller replica of the main structure, right down to the very carvings, and she laughed as she noted our awed expressions.
“If we like something, we stick with it,” she said. “Here we go…”
We stepped inside to find another vaulted entryway with black-and-white tiled flooring, and a sweeping staircase led upward to a sort of balcony that overlooked the entrance hall.
“Cadets to the left…” Instructor Caelin gestured grandly. “Soldiers to the right. Each space has its bedrooms leading off from the common rooms. I’ll leave you to get settled in and have someone bring your cases from your carriages. The rest of the evening is yours to do with as you please. If you need anything else, just find one of the students, and they’ll let me know.”
She moved away in a whisper of silk and a cloud of perfume. Gerrin watched her go, and his expression was hungry.
“Behave…” I nudged him.
“I am,” the half-djinn muttered. “But I think I enrolled at the wrong school…”
The soldiers were already moving up the grand staircase, and I couldn’t blame them.
“Come on,” Kerym said impatiently. “I’m exhausted.”
We mounted the staircase slowly, and I willed my legs to just keep going. One final push, and I could finally relax in a cozy bed, at least for one night.
As we opened the door to our quarters, I once again found myself taken aback by the sheer beauty of it all.
By necessity, the castle that constituted the Rovkin Training Academy tended toward more defensive architecture, with its giant stone towers and its sturdy walls. It had clearly been built to last and stand tall against the onslaught of time. Inside, the majority of our walls were hung with weapons, and suits of old knight, or even Legion, armor were planted throughout the building. It was a fantastic place, and its lush tapestries and old oil paintings gave it a sense of refinement, but the RTA was not exactly a byword for luxury.
Clearly, there were no such prejudices at the Arbor School. As much as I loved my home at the Academy, I could definitely see the appeal of the mage school.
Everything was lush and opulent and studious, and it reminded me of photos I had seen of Oxford University. But there was also a Hogwarts-style appeal to the magical Arbor School, and with it came an enduring sense of peace and serenity that was sometimes hard to find in the militaristic life of the RTA.
“This should be good,” I muttered mostly to myself as I strolled through the two heavy doors and into a circular main room filled with luxurious furniture and rich, woven wall hangings.
A solid-looking table with chairs upholstered in green leather and brass studs sat in the middle of the room, and bookshelves and side tables lined the walls. A sideboard made of the same dark wood as the table and filled with all sorts of wonderful concoctions stood against one wall, with its glass-fronted doors hanging open invitingly.
“Hey, free alcohol,” Kerym said excitedly.
“Bath first,” Jas said as he wrinkled his delicate nose. “I can smell you from clear over here, and I’m not having your stench put me off my food.”
The table was indeed piled high with all manner of cold foodstuffs. Yellow cheeses sat on silver plates next to thick, golden slices of bread. Exotic-looking fruits in every color imaginable were piled high into bowls, and platters of rich, salted meats arranged in neat rows completed the feast.
“Where are the baths?” Kerym asked as he looked pointedly at the snow elf.
“In the bedrooms,” Gerrin said cheerfully as he came back through one of the doors that led away from the main space. “Looks like we’ve got a bedroom and a bathroom each.”
Looly sighed happily and winked at me as a cheeky grin spread across her face.
I knew exactly what was passing through her mind at that moment. I found myself suddenly wishing the others would get distracted settling themselves in and leave us plenty of time alone.
Jas was right, though. The kind innkeeper had been helpful in letting us wash up as best we could after the fight with the Hippopine, but we needed real baths and fresh clothes by now.
The women scampered off first, and I wasn’t surprised they chose bedrooms next to each other. Efasia’s door closed with a soft thud and nothing more, but I could hear excited squeals coming from Looly’s room.
I was curious to see what had got the spring nature elf so excited, so I chose a door for myself at random to find out.
My boots sank into plush carpet the moment I entered, and I gazed around at the space before me. The Arbor School had spared no expense on their guest quarters, and I wondered if all their rooms were furnished to the exact same standards.
Lucky students.
A huge four-poster bed was the main centerpiece of the space, and its wood was carved with ornate designs of swirling vines and flowers. A rich velvet canopy hung over the top, and red curtains enveloped the sides. The linen sheets were crisp, and fluffy pillows rested against the headboard.
I wanted nothing more than to throw myself face first into the depths of that bed, but I sternly reminded myself that I needed to bathe and eat first.
The rest of the furniture, from the wardrobe to the desk that stood before a beautiful stained-glass window, was carved with the same complex designs as the bed.
“Damn, alright,” I chuckled and turned full circle. “I could get used to this whole ‘traveling to help everyone out’ thing. Sign me up…”
I sat down on a comfortable armchair and removed my boots and weapons. I peeled off my socks and my leather armor, and as I stood up, my feet immediately sank into the soft pile of the carpet.
I padded over to another door that was recessed in the wall and pulled it open. A blast of warm, humid air that was scented with some kind of herbs and spices hit me in the face.
As I breathed in that rich aroma, I felt the aches and pains of the fight near the lake melting away, and my body began to relax.
“Okay, so the private spa is a nice touch,” I sighed and happily strolled into the abyss.
I stepped carefully across the warm, tiled floor and toward a cheery, crackling fire that was laden with a variety of different-colored logs. In front of the dancing flames was a small pool of water that shimmered invitingly, and its steam rose and curled in twisting tendrils.
Fluffy towels rested on a rack before the flames, and I just knew they would be so incredibly soft.
Without a care in the world, I pulled off the rest of my clothes and threw them in a careless pile on the floor. As I sank into the warm water, another blast of that heady aroma wafted upward, and I inhaled deeply.
“Fuuuuuck yeah,” I groaned. “I should’ve been a mage.”
I leaned back and allowed my hair to fan out behind me. The heat soaked into my aching arms and legs, and I felt the knots in my shoulders and back from the long carriage journey begin to loosen.
My neck cracked as I sat back up and tilted my head from side to side.
Every little bit of tension that had built up from the past few days began to disappear as I allowed myself to just simply enjoy the moment. Even my dragons were silent and still.
All I could hear was the soft sound of my breathing and the merry crackling of the flames in the fire.
I hadn’t realized, but being cooped up in the carriage and constantly among the cadets and soldiers had exhausted me in its own way, so I made it a sort of ritual to clean myself as I took the bar of soap and began to scrub at every bit of skin. It felt so good to simply pay attention to myself for a change, and I enjoyed every second of my peace and quiet.
I washed away every trace of sweat and dirt and grime, and then I just soaked there and enjoyed whatever magical shit was in this steam.
I was feeling floaty from it, but not in a stoned way. Just in a way that made an easy smile spread across my face as I eased into the moment.
Eventually the water began to cool around me, and I pulled myself out. I reached for the soft towels and wrapped myself in their fluffy embrace.
“Swanky towels, too?” I groaned as I bent down to retrieve my clothes from where I’d so carelessly thrown them earlier.
I walked slowly back out to the bedroom and was about to sit on the thick, cushioned bed, when the silence was interrupted by Kerym’s voice coming from the common room. I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying, but someone soon knocked on my door.
I made sure my towel was secured before I opened the door to find two burly fauns standing outside my room with my case on the floor between them.
“Where do you want this, sir?” one asked respectfully.
“Uh,” I hesitated. “Anywhere I won’t stub my toes on it, I guess.”
“Very good, sir,” he said as they lifted the case between them and situated it just by the foot of the bed.
“Thank you.”
The jaunty faun nodded. “No bother.”
I got dressed quickly after that, and the soft linen trousers and black tunic I put on felt like heaven after the relaxing bath. Once I was all set, I made my way out to the common room table, and the others were exiting their rooms as well.
Kerym had already found himself a bottle of a light golden wine and filled his glass.
Everybody looked refreshed and a damn sight better than they had just a few short hours ago. Even Jas was back to his usual pale but healthy self.
We sat back comfortably and enjoyed our time together for the rest of the night. We picked at the food when we felt like it and drank the wine slowly as we savored each sip, and after such a long journey, it was good to truly unwind and hang out without any duties to rush off to.
There was no pressure to think or act or do.
We just had to be.
Looly spent the entire time snuggled up against my side, but she insisted Efasia snuggle in on her other side, too. This meant the three of us were wedged onto a sofa together, and I had absolutely no complaints.
I even behaved and resisted the urge to casually lay my arm along the chairback and toy with Efasia’s long, slender neck. Instead, I just enjoyed chuckling with the pair of women over students they’d seen earlier, or rumors they believed or disbelieved about Vel Trosca in general.
I loved those lazy moments, and we all lingered over the food and the wine a bit longer than we should have. A pleasant kind of tiredness had settled over the room sometime near midnight, and we all started to slow down until we simply sat in a friendly silence admiring the intricate tapestries and ancient books all around us.
As the yawns began to increase, each one of us said our goodnights and shuffled sleepily to our bedrooms.
I undressed slowly and lethargically and took my time as I slid between the soft sheets. I couldn’t help but sigh with satisfaction as my head sank into the plush pillows, and I stretched out fully.
No more jostling carriage or snarling monsters in the night.
Pure bliss.
I slept late into the next morning and awoke to find the common room was clean and the table restocked with fresh breakfast foods.
Metal pots of steaming purple coffee with leather-wrapped handles sat warming on small braziers, and the sharp scent jolted me awake.
“Do you know if we’re supposed to be meeting Headmaster Alvius today?” Efasia asked as she came through the main door of the common room.
I had thought I was the first one awake, but the Atlantean had clearly been up and training in the yard before any of us had even considered getting out of bed. Her usually pale skin was still slightly flushed with the exercise, and the rosy color of her cheeks really suited her.
She wore more casual clothes than the traditional RTA uniform, though they were still black and functional. Her tunic was unlaced slightly at the front, and I could see the soft curve of her breasts peeking out from the top of her corset.
A black leather belt encircled her slim waist, and her axes hung through two loops at the sides. Her toned legs were covered by soft, tight-fitting black trousers, and I wanted nothing more than to reach over there and run my hands up those legs.
I looked at her and blinked slowly as my tired mind tried to behave and wake up at the same time. I sucked at trying to function before I had even had my first sip of coffee, so I just shook my head slowly.
“Not a morning person, are we?” she teased as she took her own cup of coffee.
“No,” was the only word I could manage.
“Alright,” she laughed. “Have your coffee. But first…”
I was raising my cup to my lips when Efasia caught my elbow gently. I turned in bleary confusion, but the moment I did, her lips were on mine.
My stunned, sleepy mind had trouble keeping up as the warrior woman’s plush lips caressed mine with a hunger I definitely wasn’t prepared for, but it woke up a very specific region of my body.
Heat pooled in my gut as I groaned without thinking, and I was just about to lean into the passionate moment when Efasia chuckled and pulled back.
She was smirking as she eyed my stupefied expression.
“Uh…” I chuckled. “I thought we were pretending we aren’t… whatever we are.”
“Yeah.” She shrugged and sipped her coffee without breaking eye contact. Then she arched an eyebrow. “So?”
A dirty grin spread across my face. “Okay, if you get to fuck with me, I am absolutely fucking with you.”
“I’m not fucking with you!” she scoffed with feigned innocence.
“Sure, Duchess,” I snickered and pointedly adjusted my tight pants. “Just kiss a man like that when he’s all dopey and way too easy to turn on…”
“It woke you up, didn’t it?” she asked.
“I’m getting you back for this,” I chuckled.
Before she could respond, the others began to emerge from their rooms, and we casually turned back to our cups of coffee.
