Memory Bonds

Tolith gave her another paper before he left. “A list of classes,” he explained at her blank expression. “History of Magic, Feeling the Universe, and Potions are all required classes for beginners. But there are some others you can sign up for, especially if you figure out magic quickly.”

Well that was interesting, but it seemed like a lower priority. She put the list under her other sheet, and sat down.

Harmoni filled out the form to the best of her ability. It would sometimes ask things she simply didn’t remember, and she didn’t want to get into that with the headmaster. At Fleck’s suggestion, she used Udo’s last name and address for her own. He and his home were clear on another planet. There didn’t seem to be much technology on this planet, the forms hadn’t asked for a way to contact her through Link or email. Even if the headmaster wanted to look into the information she gave, which she doubted, it wouldn’t be easy.

The form asked if you’d need housing. There was an asterisk by the box. Flipping the sheet over, Harmoni saw more information. The housing didn’t have to be paid for with money. Which was good, because she didn’t have much, and it wasn’t in the right currency. If you weren’t paying with money, you did have jobs or tasks you had to do in exchange. Some examples included cooking, working in the horse stables, or volunteering in the nearest town. None of those seemed so bad. Except maybe working in town. Harmoni wasn't exactly the most social.

'No. Really?' Fleck teased.

That done, she stretched her legs, and opened the door a crack. The headmaster still wasn’t in sight. And it was nicer out in the hall. Sunnier, with nicer air than the spaceship, and even the office. So she stepped outside, and leaned against the door, looking at the class list.

Fleck could read and all, but he wasn’t that interested. He went to the nearest sun patch and lay down.

‘Like a cat,’ Harmoni thought with a smile.

She lifted the paper and looked at her classes. She had just looked over the required classes, where and when they were, when she heard footsteps.

Elves from the smell of it. Then again, this was the home planet for elves. The smell was everywhere, in the background.

“A new student?”

“Another human? Isn’t that just great?” He didn’t sound like he actually thought it was great.

Harmoni looked up. Sure enough, it looked like the three people in front of her were elves. The one on the left had the pointy ears Harmoni usually saw, the type people thought of when they thought of elves. She had brown eyes, curly brown hair, and the darkest skin of any elf she’d seen so far. (She’d admittedly started to wonder if there was a different range in humans and elves.) She wasn’t terribly tall for an elf, but still beat Harmoni out. And she had the long face and fingers common in elves, but so did the other two.

The one in the middle was the tallest of the bunch. Pale, with gray eyes and black hair. He had pointy ears, but they had little ridges like . . . a chestnut leaf, maybe. His face was a bit wider than the other two, and he'd actually kept his hair short.

The last elf had her midnight blue hood pulled up, hiding her ears and part of her face. But Harmoni could see some black hair poking out, and her eyes were brown. Red? Did elf eyes come in red? She had light skin, and her fingers seemed a little . . . sharp.

She also gasped when she saw Harmoni, hand coming to her mouth. “Wren?”

The other two turned to her. “You know her?” the girl asked.

“Who?” Harmoni asked, at about the same time.

The red eyed elf slowly lowered her hand. “You don’t know who I am?”

Fleck looked nervously between the group of three and Harmoni.

The elf looked back at Fleck.

He didn't like the look, though he wasn't quite sure what it was conveying.

Harmoni squinted at her. Should she know who this was? She was trying, but nothing came to mind. “No.”

She sighed. “No. I don’t know her.” She turned to Harmoni. “Sorry. I must’ve mistaken you for someone else. My name’s Eddie. And what is that. . .thing?” She gestured at Fleck.

"This is Fleck. He's a dragon," Harmoni explained, a little unsure. She thought that was obvious? Even if you thought dragons weren't real, most people had heard of them, in concept.

Fleck struck a pose, making sure to spread his wings a little, and that the light hit his scales just right. He knew she still didn't look impressed. Confused maybe. But he wasn't going to be put off that easily.

“Why are you bothering?” the boy asked. “She’s a human. She’ll be out of here before you know it.”

“What does that mean?” Harmoni asked, genuinely unsure.

“Daphon. . .” Eddie said, warning him.

The boy, Daphon, chugged on. “Humans live how long? A hundred years? You’ll take the knowledge of magic and leave in the blink of an eye. There’s no point getting to know a human,” Daphon told Eddie. “Maybe it’ll be worse, and after you’ve learned magic, you’ll use it to conquer some poor unsuspecting planet. That seems to be all humans use anything for. Can’t appreciate magic at all.”

Eddie was glaring at him, though her expression was a bit subdued. She took a half step forward, only for the still unnamed girl to put her hand up.

“He’s got a point you know. The last human here seemed all nice and friendly. Then he got into a fight with someone he’d always disliked, and ran back to Morivon before he could be punished. Apparently, he’d learned all he needed.”

Her tone was far too cheerful for the topic.

Harmoni wasn’t sure how she was supposed to respond. Apologize for people she’d never met? Argue that she wasn’t like that? Argue that she wasn’t fully human?

And Daphon was leaning pretty far into her personal space.

Fleck figured she shouldn’t answer at all. Daphon hadn’t asked her any questions, and any response seemed like a trap. They should just walk away from the group, a little farther down the hall.

And as for personal space? Well, Fleck could enforce that.

“If you hate aliens so much, why are you going to the school that’s specifically advertised to other species? There are a lot of other magic schools,” Eddie pointed out.

That took the wind out of his sails for a moment.

Fleck was disappointed with how fast he recovered.

“This was the closest school to home. By far.”

They hadn’t planned it, but this did make a good distraction. While those two talked, Harmoni tried to slide to the side, go around them.

“Hey. Where do you think you’re going?” Daphon asked, quickly moving so he was still in her way.

“I could ask you the same question.”

Daphon’s eyes got comically round before the three of them turned around. Harmoni glanced between their shoulders. It was the headmaster. He was taller than all three of them, with sharper hands and face. The way the sun was hitting put him in the shade, blocked out some of his features. It was an. . .intimidating look. Harmoni couldn’t see the expressions of the three students, but she was pretty sure they glanced at each other before scooting to the side, letting the headmaster through.

“Harmoni, isn’t it? The new half human?”

“Oh my God, those are real?” the unnamed girl asked.

Daphon didn’t seem any happier. He snuck in a glare at Harmoni as the headmaster looked at the girl with a very weary sigh. “If we could be polite Lona.”

The girl slouched, head dropping closer to her shoulders. “Sorry.”

The headmaster turned to Harmoni. “I’m sorry too. As some of our younger students here, these three are still maturing. You understand?”

Well, yes. But that was because she was also still maturing. In those terms, they were probably the same age as her.

“Anyway, you’ve finished your application?”

Harmoni wordlessly held it out.

“Excellent. I’ve got a space ready for you. Better show you that.”

The headmaster turned and started down the hall. Without taking the application. Harmoni was aware of Daphon and Lona laughing at her.

OK. . .

She kept the application on hand, and followed the headmaster.

Fleck followed at her side, growling at Daphon when he tried to trip her. He’d never seen someone backtrack so fast.

They passed a few more doors. Most of them were closed, but based on smell, one of them had the cafeteria.

Near the middle was also an open door that led out to a courtyard. There were some people in a circle under a willow tree. They sat eyes closed, legs crossed.

Then, as they reached the back of the school, they reached an area where the walls curved out.

“This is the tower,” the headmaster said. “Anyone who lives in the school sleeps here.”

He opened the door, and swept inside.

The first floor was empty. There were cushioned chairs and a table in here, and a fireplace. There wasn’t much else, and there wasn’t much space for more.

The headmaster started them up the large spiral staircase that ran along the wall.

“The second floor is for temporary stays,” he explained as they went up. “Anyone who needs to spend a night or two here for any reason. Perhaps because their house burns down.”

He sounded very casual about the possibility.

“The third floor is the boys’ dormitory. Nothing for you there. The doors are magically enchanted so no one goes in the wrong dorm. The fourth floor is the girls’. The fifth floor is for people who don’t fall into either of those categories.” Like Cembra? “Or people who don’t mind coed. You’re in the fourth floor right now. You could change that if you liked, though I don’t know why you would.”

Harmoni shook her head in response to the suggestion.

They reached the fourth-floor landing and came to a stop. Harmoni tried not to seem too bothered. It was nice to have someplace to sleep, and seemingly with very few catches. But going up and down to the fourth-floor every day might be a bit much.

“Now. Any questions?”