V is for Victim

Chapter 6
Chapter Six

Chapter six

The transport that eventually came for the pair seemed to Addison like something ripped directly from science-fiction(Not that everything else here kind of had that mystique). The squat, boxy Hover-Go levitated easily off the ground, held there by repulsing waves generated through the undercarriage. Better at keeping the trails unmarred, and powered by the same system that now fueled many human conveyances, it was the preferred method of travel around these parts, second only to the act of walking.

The driver hopped down from the Hover-Go as it came to quietly rest beside their park bench, and opened up the wing-style doors to all Theresa and Addison to enter. He was a tall, smiling young man, with a cat’s face, long rabbit ears, and a very brushy, fox-like tail swishing behind him. The little silver plate on his soft purple uniform listed his name as ?Lunah Remedia’.

As Addison tried to crawl up into the Hover-Go, however, he was gently stopped by the driver’s arm, barring his way. “I’m sorry ma’am,” he apologized as he looked over at Theresa, in“but a child his size must ride in the back seat, with additional restraint.” He grinned and looked down, beeping Addison on the nose before the kit could jerk away. “For your safety, of course.”

Addison’s first thought was to object, but suppressing it, he nodded and started to make his way to the back door. He wasn’t prepared (as it seemed he’d never be) for the driver to sweep him up under the arms. Toeing a hidden button with his foot, the driver tossed one of his long ears out of his face and lifted the little boy into the back seat. Before Addison could react, the driver punched in a few buttons on a side console, and the chair Addison sat on clicked and whirled, changing like a Transformer beneath him. When it was done, Addison found himself seated in something very like a human child’s carseat. The sides were well padded and comfortable, but a bit disconcerning was the heavy cloth restraint that ran down his chest and buckled between his legs. Tail folded up beside him and his wings extended on the sides, Addison, with his sour expression, painted very well the picture of a potentially grumpy child.

Theresa gave him a sympathetic look, expertly hiding her amusement. She was somewhat upset that she had given the camera back to him...though he’d never forgive her, she didn’t know if she would be able to resist the temptation to snap a photo. Turning, she gave a winning smile to the Hover-Go driver, and gave him the coordinates of where they wanted to go.

With a smile and a whirling hum, the driver engaged the Hover-Go’s engines, and the vehicle lifted from the ground.

The words ’Tiera Raev’ are very old, often mistranslated words. In closest english proximity, it could mean ’Clear Valley’, or ’Glass mountain’. Despite the confusion over it’s name, Tiera Raev Academy was an old, nearly ancient center of academics, it’s history as long and storied, if not more so, then certain human schools and colleges. It wasn’t remarkable in this regard, however, because as I said before, the School was one of the most important things in Theran culture, and accordingly, each one was treated as though a national treasure.

For all outward appearances, it gave the viewer the impression of looking on a medieval castle. Built directly in the center of Brelegn Forest, where the trees began to thin into highland, it was hidden well, and yet very easy to get to. Four enormous walls rose from the ground, constructed of huge, heavy looking boulders and shaped stone. A decendant of mortar held them in place, and the walls could have stopped cannon fire. A wrought iron gate barred the entrance, but far from imposing, the gate had a kind of inviting look to it; peaceful images of nature and animals were welded into the metal, and the friendly guard standing at attention next to it was clothed in bright red and green colors, that in any other capacity, might have been the object of ridicule.

As the Hover-Go sped away, Theresa and Addison were left standing in the clearing, basking in the soft rays of sunlight that rained down on them. As his companion strode confidently forward, Addison found himself left behind, as a creeping nervousness found it’s way into his stomach. Tiera Raev towered over him, making the diminutive artist feel even more small and helpless, and the guard at the door seemed to look at him, look through him, knowing all of his secrets in a single gaze. Skipping forward to catch up, he bumped into Theresa’s legs clumsily, as his new feet tripped over themselves in his haste.

Glancing down at him and offering the boy a kindly smile, Theresa waited until his arm swung near hers before grabbing it up. His wide eyes spoke of his shock at this, a new point of contact, but she hushed him with her eyes. It would look more natural if they approached the academy like this.

“Hail and Salutations, you two!” The guard bellowed, waving them over with a smile. “If it isn’t Miss Kol.” He extended his white-gloved hand, which Theresa quickly shook. “But pray tell, who is this strapping young lad,” he asked, glancing at the poorly hidden child behind her.

“Good day, Mr. Lirith...this...this is my nephew, Addison,” she said, reaching around to grasp one of her friend’s arms. Gently, she drug him forward, a gesture common among mothers of any species in regards to introductions to strangers. “Say hi, Addy!”

Addison meeped out a hello, his eyes now riveted on the object held in Mr. Lirith’s other hand. At least six foot tall, it was a pole-arm style weapon, with an elaborate, but deadly looking blade set atop a brightly colored, leather wrapped handle. The guard’s eyes followed the kit’s gaze.

“Oh, don’t worry about ole miss, here,” he chuckled, standing up to take a few steps back. He twirled it around his head in a fluid gesture. “I only use this on those naughty boys and girls who don’t do their homework.”

Noticing Addison’s frightened expression, Theresa stepped forward. “I have an appointment with Principal Huyan.”

Mr. Lirith set his pike down and bowed slightly. “Right away, Ms. Kol,” he said, turning to haul open the heavy iron gate. “She is expecting you.”

As they walked through the portal, Addison gave one last look at the guard, who winked at him with a grin. The boy hurried through, colliding with Theresa’s legs again.

Stepping into the courtyard, the photographer was suddenly buffeted with an incredible sense of Fantasy. Like something out of that popular novel series about the boy wizard in school, Tiera Raev was simply bustling with activity. Long lines of uniform-clad students, representing every species conscievable, ran here and there, led by slightly taller prefects in red blazers or skirts. Within the courtyard, the Fountain dominated the scene, capturing in pure white marble the esscenes of academic life. Music notes, letters, DNA helix, and somewhat chillingly, bones, were all to be found in the sculpture. In just that one moment, Addison had to admit that there might be some credit to the assumption that Science and Art were the only two Gods the Theran recognized.

Unbidden, though his tail remained tucked between his legs, Addison’s camera found it’s way up to his face. Uncomfortable against his square little muzzle, he nevertheless got some pictures in that he knew he’d be proud of later.

Oddly, lost in the ecsasty of a good shot, a moment of clarity came to him, and he turned to his friend. “Umm...Theresa? Why did you introduce me as your nephew? Couldn’t you have said that I was a human visiting, or something of that nature?”

She tapped her chin. “I’m sorry if I took allowances with you, my friend. To be honest, some of those rational fears about the Slider mishap did occur to me. Though not illegal, it would certainly be odd for a Theran to be escorting, alone, a human child to a place such as this, and might have raised uncomfortable questions.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” Addison agreed, but something else had bothered him, if that was the proper word for it. “Do you come here often?”

She stopped walking and looked surprised. “No, I don’t have much reason to visit the school...I do not have children of my own.” She gazed down at him. “Why?”

Odd choice of words, Addison thought to himself. “The guard at the gate recognized you, knew your name.” As he spoke the question, he became away of her tail swishing quickly, and he knew enough about Therans to know that this was a sign of agitation. A nervous expression, unfamiliar on her comely face raised his eyebrows. “Well, the principal and I are old friends...it predates her coming to this school to teach. I do drop by every once in a while.” She spoke quickly. “And Mr. Lirith comes into the Slider Station often enough...his is a legendary addiction to coffee.”

Something about the way that all was said did nothing but put more questions into Addison’s mind, but suddenly, he was engulfed in a flash of the starkest white, and when it faded, the world around him was darkly blurred.

Dazed and blinded, he all but shouted, “Whoa! Hey, what happened!” Stumbling, he was caught on his way down by Theresa’s firm grip.

“Easy, easy, little one, just blink it out. It does take some getting used to, but after a while, you barely notice it.”

“Get used to...?” Blinking furiously, he noticed that she was right...slowly but surely, his vision came back into focus. However, something was wrong...he felt different, uncomfortable in his head, as though there was still a layer of darkness settled up there. He raised a hand to his head to rub at his eyes, and that’s when he noticed, through the haze, that the baggy sweatshirt he had been wearing was gone. Casting a wild look over himself, he found that his wardrobe had been completely changed.

In his borrowed clothing’s place, he found himself dressed in a smart green blazer, which overlaid a pale white collared shirt. A red tie hung loosely around his neck, and dark knicker-shorts ended just above his knees. Upon the blazer, a badge, like a coat of arms, sat over his heart, inscribed with the golden letter ?V’. Gazing up, he saw that Theresa kneeled in front of him, and gently reached for his tie, cleaning it up.

In a bit of shock, Addison allowed his friend’s ministrations. He opened his mouth to question, but that fuzzy feeling had not dissipated, and he found that though the words were on the tip of his tongue, it was difficult to form them to speak. Theresa seemed to anticipate his question, though, because after she was done with his tie, she reached up and gently caressed the side of his face, bringing butterflies to his stomach.

“Not so bad now, was it? I wished I could have warned you, but I’m sorry to say that I had totally forgot about the Issuer.”

“The...Issuer?” he asked, then rubbed at his throat. Did his voice seem higher?

“Yes, little one. Every child who comes to Tiera Raev is ?Issued’ a uniform to come to class with. Visitors are no exception, see?” She poked at the badge on his chest. “V is for Visitor, right?”

“I guess so,” he said, rubbing at his head again. He looked around. The darkness had finally fled his vision, and he started forward. “I’m not a child, though.”

Theresa smiled. “The machine doesn’t know any better.” She reached down, and grabbed his hand, and oddly, something in Addison wanted to jerk his paw away, but he couldn’t. “Let me hold your hand, Addy, I don’t want you getting lost around here...I don’t think I’d ever find you again. My friend’s office is this way, shall we?”

The kit made a face. “I hate that name.”

Theresa laughed, a musical note. “I think it’s cute,” she said, as she ran her fingers through the short hair between his ears, and Addison, lost in euphoria, dropped the whole thing.

***

“This place is very interesting if you spend any amount of time here,” Theresa said, as they stepped down the halls. “All of the classes are actually underground, beneath us, and the administrator’s rooms are here up top.” She pointed to a few heavy-looking wooden doors that bore the names of their occupants in gold upon them. “On the left side of the Academy is the Coaches Hall, for physical activities, on the right, the Applied Sciences Team keeps the curriculum current, and...ah, here we are, against the back wall, we have the people in charge of running Tiera Raev.”

Addison was mute. For all that it did seem like they had just stepped into an elaborate Medieval Faire, there were more then enough things to remind him of just who built this incredible place.

For one, as they stepped into the shadows of the hallway’s overhang, their path was illuminated by florescent lights, that shown gently overhead. Small monitors, like mounted television sets were placed every here and there against the stone walls, broadcasting what looked like a streaming news reel that presumably kept the inhabitants current about the daily going’s on.

After a bit of fumbling with his camera, (for the life of him, it almost seemed as though he had forgotten how to use it for a second) he got off a few good pictures, only hampered by the fact that during all this, Theresa had not released his hand. He didn’t argue, though. Her touch, like each one before it, sent electric jolts through his body, and being in this strange new place, he was grateful to have someone looking out so he didn’t get lost.

Knocking lightly on the center-most door, Theresa leaned close, listening for a response. Experience and common sense should have warned her better, as the door suddenly flung itself inward, and she was suddenly hugged around the waist by a rather short individual clad in a white coat. A bushy, black and brown ringed tail swept out from beneath the garment, as the two, azure eyes that now stared up into her emerald ones were surrounded by a black mask.

“Theresiani! It’s been far too long! Come in, come in,” the diminutive raccoon announced, releasing her grip to usher the two of them in. As Addison stepped past her, his gaze fell on the name on her door, and it read ?Mayianri Huyan’. Something about that name was familiar to Addison, but he dismissed it as he walked into her office. Just looking around gave him a buzzing headache, covered as it was. From one end of the room to the other, the walls were simply awash in pictures. Pictures of the Principal with her children, presumably, framed diplomas, and oddly, pictures of schematics and....Earth?

“Admiring my pictures, are you, child?” she asked, startling him. She had a low, pleasant voice, and though it’s not a comparison, it almost sounded as though she carried a British accent in it.

“I’m not a chi...” Addison began, but she cut him off.

“Yes, Theresiani told me all about your unusual predicament, Mr. Wolf. Forgive me, in light of your appearance, I forgot myself. How are you adjusting to that new form?” she asked, motioning for him to take a place in the chair besides her desk. It was a little high for him, but he eventually clamored up it, thinking about the question.

“It’s not so bad...different, for sure. I’ll be grateful to get back to normal, er, well, my normal human body, though. It’s somewhat disco...disconc...umm...it feels weird to be so little.”

The principal and Theresa exchanged a glance. “I’m sure it is,” Mayianri said soothingly. “My friend here says that you are a photographer in the Human’s world.”

“Oh, you should see some of his work, Mayri! He’s got quite the eye for these things,” she said, beaming, almost in the manner of a proud parent. Addison, who might have been chagrined, instead blushed in the Theran manner and looked away shyly.

“Well, is that so. I’m sure you’ll find some great shots here at Tiera Raev, and I’ll be happy to show you some of the better vistas. I-“

Without warning, Theresa’s cellular went off with a loud wail. It was obvious, even if you weren’t familiar with such things, that the tone of the siren meant that this was a high priority call.

Knocking lightly on the center-most door, Theresa leaned close, listening for a response. Experience and common sense should have warned her better, as the door suddenly flung itself inward, and she was suddenly hugged around the waist by a rather short individual clad in a white coat. A bushy, black and brown ringed tail swept out from beneath the garment, as the two, azure eyes that now stared up into her emerald ones were surrounded by a black mask.

“Theresiani! It’s been far too long! Come in, come in,” the diminutive raccoon announced, releasing her grip to usher the two of them in. As Addison stepped past her, his gaze fell on the name on her door, and it read ?Mayianri Huyan’. Something about that name was familiar to Addison, but he dismissed it as he walked into her office. Just looking around gave him a buzzing headache, covered as it was. From one end of the room to the other, the walls were simply awash in pictures. Pictures of the Principal with her children, presumably, framed diplomas, and oddly, pictures of schematics and....Earth?

“Admiring my pictures, are you, child?” she asked, startling him. Principal Huyan stood over her desk, smiling at him. As was said before, she was short, the tips of her rounded ears barely making Theresa’s jaw line. Beneath the ivory lab coat, she wore an expensive looking red dressed hemmed in green. Several golden bangles decorated her chubby wrists. She had a low, pleasant voice, and though it’s not a comparison, it almost sounded as though she carried a British accent in it. Her intense eyes bored into his.

“I’m not a chi...” Addison began, but she cut him off.

“Yes, Theresiani told me all about your unusual predicament, Mr. Wolf. Forgive me, in light of your appearance, I forgot myself. How are you adjusting to that new form?” she asked, motioning for him to take a place in the chair besides her desk. It was a little high for him, but he eventually clamored up it, thinking about the question.

“It’s not so bad...different, for sure. I’ll be grateful to get back to normal, er, well, my normal human body, though. It’s somewhat disco...disconc...umm...it feels weird to be so little.”

The principal and Theresa exchanged a glance. “I’m sure it is,” Mayianri said soothingly. “My friend here says that you are a photographer in the Human’s world.”

“Oh, you should see some of his work, Mayri! He’s got quite the eye for these things,” she said, beaming, almost in the manner of a proud parent. Addison, who might have been chagrined, instead blushed in the Theran manner and looked away shyly.

“Well, is that so. I’m sure you’ll find some great shots here at Tiera Raev, and I’ll be happy to show you some of the better vistas. I-“

Without warning, Theresa’s cellular went off with a loud wail. It was obvious, even if you weren’t familiar with such things, that the tone of the siren meant that this was a high priority call.

Cupping the pone to one triangular ear, Theresa’s expression grew dark. She murmured a few unintelligible replies into the speaker, then slammed the phone shut.

“That was the Station...apparently, the problem with the Slider is worse then we thought. That family that came through...well, it’s nothing dire, but it is a bit awkward, if you can understand.” She frowned and hmmed. Her tail swished around behind her. “I need to get down there as soon as I can.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Addison chirped, hopping off the seat with a thump. Even though every fiber of his being wanted to stay and see this amazing facility, he couldn’t shake the numb feeling in the pit of his mind. It was intensely bothering, and the busyness of the room didn’t help. Eager to get back out to fresh air, he wasn’t expecting a swirl of white cloth to bar his path.

“Why don’t you stay here with me, Mr. Wolf?” Mayianri Huyan said as she kneeled down to his level. Her blue eyes were intense, ringed as they were by black fur. “It sounds like there’s a terrible to do over at the Station, and you wouldn’t want to get in the way of Theresa’s work, would you?” The look she gave him was almost predatory.

Addison was taken back, and more then a little offended. “Uh...no...I mean, hey! I’m still an ad...adu...grownup, whatever I look like at the moment. I think I know enough to stay out of the way of important stuff like that!” He closed his mouth abruptly...not liking how that came out. It almost seemed like a petulant child’s rebuttal.

“Oh, Addy, doesn’t it sound like fun, though? You could sit in on one of the classes...gain a new perspective on your students. Theresiani told me all about your hardships in the human school system...this might just help you out in ways you don’t expect. "

Addison shot an accusatory look at his friend, feeling slightly betrayed. She had told this stranger that he was a practical failure back home? And yet...and yet, as he looked up at her, he realized that this was Ms. Kol. Theresa. For over a year, they had been the best of friends, and Addison knew that perhaps they were something more. Hadn’t she always done right by him? Maybe...well...it sounded so fun too...a once in a lifetime chance he couldn’t pass up...the pictures...the editorial...but...

“The kids I teach for are at the high school level,” he protested weakly, and to those assembled, they knew the argument was at it’s end. “Don’t I...”

Mayianri shushed him with a swift beep on his rough black nose. “Oh, my boy, what are human teenagers but overgrown, angst filled children anyway? You’ll find our young mature much faster here on Thera then on Earth. What will it hurt?”

One final stab. “But...my visa!” He looked up at Theresa as he suddenly remembered that important thing. “It’s almost expired...I have to...hafta...go home soon.” His last words ended softly, as though he realized exactly what he was saying. Home...what was that anymore but shades of gray and loneliness?

At this, Theresa at last stepped in. “Addison, think of this. This is a great and unique chance for research and your career. You have your camera...I’m sure you’ll be able to get some amazing shots.” She ruffled his hair. “And regarding your visa, I’m the manager of a Slider Station. I do have some clout in these matters.” She looked at him, and her eyes were almost pleading. Despite his earlier objections, there was no way at all the man could say no to that gaze.

“I...well...I guess so...it can’t...it can’t be that bad, right?” His voice trailed off. “If I’m a bit late to go back...” Suddenly, he was enveloped in a crushing hug. Gasping, he tried to squirm out of it, but Theresa’s grip was firm.

“Oh Addy! I promise to be swift. Be a good boy for Ms. Huyan, ok? I promise you won’t regret this!” And with that, very abruptly, she was gone out the door, fleeing as though her tail had caught on fire. In her passing, only a single pale feather drifted down from the sky to land on Addison’s nose, which sneezed it off.

“I’m not a kid!” he frowned, talking to himself, or the air. “And I hate that name...?” He blinked, as though just coming aware of his surroundings. He was all alone, in this cluttered, busy room, with a stranger he virtually knew nothing about. As he turned from the door to gaze up at her, he was discomfited to see that she still wore that hungry look on her round face.

With a jolt, she hopped forward, startling him. “We’d better hurry, if you’re to make it on time to class, Mr. Kol!” he opened his mouth to question that, but she beat him to it. “Ah, almost completely forgot!” She smacked her paw to her head in a gesture of self-ineptitude. “Before we go, would you like a cookie, Addison?”

Despite his nervousness at how quickly the situation had changed, Addison was a polite man at heart, and he tried to adjust quickly. He was stuck here, he might as well be civil and try to relax. “Ah, no, that’s ok, Mayianri, was it?” He mustered a weak grin. “My dentist absolutely forbids me from sweets of any kind.”

She didn’t say anything at first, instead, she reached into a cupboard above her desk and retrieved a small plate covered by plastic wrap. Beneath that, a large batch of brightly colored confections sat, temptingly delicious looking. On it’s own, the small boy’s stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten all day. “These are very good...I baked them myself, with help from a very special friend of mine.” She held the plate to her face and closed her eyes, emulating ecstasy. “Don’t they just smell beautiful?”

They did. It might have simply been Addison’s youthened perspective, but right now, there was nothing he could do to fight the effect the cookie’s aroma had on his senses. Those wonderful things were currently the center of his world. His tail swung and twitched behind him, and as though guided to the plate by some unseen force, his black furred paw reached up to grasp at one. In a heart beat, it was gone, leaving only a very overwhelming sense of satisfaction, and an odd tingling in his mouth. Shaking his head, he chuckled at how it felt...almost as though his mouth had fallen asleep.

Watching him for a moment, the raccoon hid a grin behind another one, and set the plate away.

“Come, boy, we must be off!”

****

As she exited the academy, Theresa reached into a pocket on her dress and withdrew a pack of cigarettes from it. Lighting up, she leaned against the walls of the Castle, no evidence of haste in her lithe form. Smoking was a filthy, terrible Human habit, but it would steady her nerves. What had been started could not be reversed at this point, and she prayed to the Watchers that she had made the right choice.

As he stepped out into the light, Addison found he had to blink several times into the sunlight as it rushed in to greet him. Looking around, he was hit with an odd sensation...it was as though the things he looked at held a shine, or an aura about them. It was like looking at the sun, only not blinding. Shaking his head, he attributed it to being in that dark room and dismissed it. He looked up as he felt another tug on his hand.

“This way, child. The classes are all held beneath us, and the entrance lies just over there,” she said, gesturing towards a covered pavilion lodged in the center of the Castle walls. As they neared it, Addison could see two ramps leading downward, into darkness.

Addison never had much trouble with the dark, but something about descending into the spooky looking passage way brought him up short. The hesitation did not go unnoticed by the Principal.

“It’s ok, Addison. We’re safe down there, as safe as anywhere else. The Academy has stood for three hundred years, and sweetie, nothing bad has ever happened there.” She smiled. “You are safe.”

Though she spoke plainly to him, Addison was still vaguely annoyed that she was addressing him as a small child in need of consoling. He didn’t protest though. He had to realize that his appearance was very deceiving. Besides that, most of his attention was preoccupied with the butterflies in his stomach.

“Why’s it so dark in there,” he asked, setting his feet as Mrs. Huyan tried to continue down.

“There is nothing to fear in the darkness, Addison. All that shadows are is an opportunity to discover new things hidden within it.” She stepped forward, gently but firmly pulling the little fox boy in. As her foot lighted at the entrance, the dark ramp suddenly lit up, exposing a long, gray hallway with a textured black floor. It led down a bit before splitting off into two separate corridors.

“Wow,” was the photographer could muster, his fears gone.

As they continued on, a mechanical sounding but pleasant voice spoke to them from overhead.

“Welcome, Principal Huyan. May I inquire of the nature of your visit?”

“Bringing one to class,” Mrs. Huyan said, winking down at Addison. “For a visit.”

“I do not have the child’s genetic signature in my data base.” The voice sounded quietly suspicious. “Name and curriculum?

The Principal looked at him. “This here is Addison Kol, Thersiani-bai. Adolescent curriculum, with primary emphasis on Art and Application, secondary on Physical Education and History.”

“Understood. Please place the child’s paw on the nearest terminal to imprint.”

On the wall nearest to where they stood, Addison breathed a wordless note as it flashed to life. At his height, a section of the wall changed from gray to a color resembling a computer monitor. Words zipped by, but they went too fast for Addison to catch.

In the center of the screen, a red circle appeared, and began to gently pulse.

Addison stared at it for a moment, then noticed the name above the circle, ?Kol, Addison’. He turned back to the Principal, who watched him eagerly through bright eyes.

“Why did you say my name like that?” he asked, pointing at the signature. “My last name is Wolf.”

Mrs. Huyan grinned and placed a hand on his shoulder. The green blazer he wore rustled beneath her touch. “I’m sorry, honey, but this is the name I must introduce you with. There is no Theran with the last name of Wolf...given the circumstances, it’d be just as silly as if your name were Addison Human.” She glanced away, as if in thought. “Also, like I said, our children are very mature for their age. They might ask some uncomfortable questions, and disturb the class. You wouldn’t want to create a disturbance for the teacher, now would you?”

Addison thought about it, and his ears drooped. “No, I don’t...Mayr...mmm...Mrs. Huyan.” He looked at the panel. “What do I do?”

She took his hand in hers, and gently pressed it against the circle. There was a moment of heat, and then the screen faded back into a non-descript wall. “The child’s registration is complete. Welcome to Tiera Raev, Addison Kol. Should you ever need assistance, merely ask for a terminal, and one will be provided. Have a nice day.”

“Thanks,” Addison said, “I’ll remember that if I ever come back.” As he said those words, he was reminded that despite the oddest set of situations he’d known, he was incredibly lucky. Humans didn’t usually have an interest in visiting the Theran schools, and those that did usually found the gates barred, and are politely turned away. Fear of exploitation was the public word, but the Theran regard to their children was legendary.

“It’s a pity you could not arrive as the other children did,” Mrs. Huyan remarked. “This hallway is not usually so cold and drab. In the morning, the walls are filled with colorful imagery, helpful reminders, and educational cartoons. As they leave in the afternoon, it’s more of the same, if not so intensive.

“Neato,” Addison murmured, wishing he could see it. His earlier misgivings were almost totally gone, save for a few rumblings in his tummy here and there. Seeing this little bit of Theran technology implemented in this way had left him with a very anxious desire to see the classrooms itself. So far, it had been everything he had dreamed of...

Turning right down the corridor, the walls shifted into rows and rows of lockers, steel gray and sturdy looking. In between these, labeled doors stood out, and it was to the very first one of these that they approached. Mrs. Huyan gently knocked on the door, and leaned close, listening for an answer.

“Come in,” a feminine voice called from within.

Opening the door, Mrs. Huyan stepped aside to allow Addison in first. Excitedly sweeping his gaze around, he was somewhat disappointed to see that the classroom nearly mirrored it’s Earth counterpart. The walls weren’t covered in high-tech gear and equipment, instead, colorful works of the children’s art decorated the small room. Charts and graphs hung haphazardly from the ceiling, and in the back of the room, a small sink stood, sharing the space with a small animal container. The occupant was currently hidden.

All of a sudden, he noticed them. The children of the class. As he stared mutely at them, he realized that each and everyone of their attentions were focused on one thing. Him.

“Class, this is Addison Kol. He’s visiting Prelude with his mother for a few days, and she thought it would be simply wonderful if he could see how we do things here at Tiera Raev. Say hello, class.”

“Hello, Addison,” the class said in unison, and Addison felt his stomach drop. He’d never had a problem standing in front of class before (despite his troubles, he was a school teacher) but looking at all those bright eyes fixed on him unnerved him something fierce. To his chagrin, his agitation began to show as he felt the wings behind him begin to twitch and flutter.

There was a soft hand at his shoulder. “Well, say hello, Addy,” the Principal whispered to him. There was a vague sensation of tugging around his neck, but his attention was else where.

“Hello,” he said shyly, waving.

“You’re in good hands, Addison.” Mrs. Huyan said, taking her leave. “I’ll call for you at lunch time, and we can see how things are going. Don’t worry about this, I’ll take good care of it.”

“Ok...” was all he said as he shuffled his feet. In this room, his height loss was more pronounced simply because a good deal of the furniture and settings were made for a child of his stature. It made the teacher’s desk (and the teacher herself) look gigantic, as if he were on Gulliver’s Island or something.

“Why don’t you take that seat over there, young man,” the teacher gestured, pointing at an unoccupied desk near the back. “My name is Ms. Byrec, and it’s a pleasure to have you, whatever the duration of your stay.”

Addison dutifully made his way to the desk, trying his hardest not to buffet any of the other students with his wayward wings. He was a bit surprised to see a rather large number of canines like himself in the seats, with a small sampling of bears, felines, deer, and other mammals native to the northern California area. There were no birds that he saw, and he vaguely remembered reading somewhere that the avians had their own academies in the skies.

Successful in reaching the desk (leaving only one or two annoyed students picking feathers off their blazers) he saw that there was another fox child on his right side, and a bright eyed raccoon girl on his left. White haired with a dark orange markings leading from his purple eyes, the young todd looked bored as he glanced uninterested at the newcomer, but the girl stared at him so intensely that he finally had to turn to her and ask “Can I help you?”

She had dark blue eyes, set into a tan and gray face. Unlike the Principal, whose mask was black, the girl had a ring of brown surrounding her eyes. Reddish hair cascaded from her head, and a green ribbon trailed from behind her ear. Up at the front of the class, the teacher began to call roll.

“You smell funny,” the girl declared quietly, in a high, reedy voice.

Addison was taken back. In his adult mind, he had read somewhere that sometimes, Theran children could distinguish humans and Therans by their scent alone. The ability faded as they grew older, replaced by various visual cues. He opened his mouth to say something intelligent, but all that came out of his mouth was a petulant ?Nuh-uh!”

“Uh huh.”

“Nuh uh!” he protested a little loudly, because the teacher called back to them, inquiring as to the problem.

“I was just introducing myself to the new kid, Ms. Byrec!” The raccoon piped up, eyes full of innocence. Unlike the boys, who wore green glazers, she wore a white short sleeved shirt, red tie, and a dark green velvet skirt.

“That’s nice of you, Pyri. Class, now that we’ve completed roll, if you could open your books to where we left off yesterday, we can begin our reading for today.”

Addison almost panicked, realizing he had no book to follow along with. The desk, which had gone unnoticed before, was plain and simple, lacking even a cubby on the side to hold books and supplies. To make matters worse, he didn’t have any pencils or paper for that matter, either. His wings began to rise again, responding to his emotions.

“Put your hand on your desk,” a voice whispered from besides him. “You are registered, aren’t you? Geeze, don’t you have Live-Books where you come from?”

Frowning, Addison looked up to watch Pyri place her hand on the plain looking, apparently wooden desk. A small hum filled the air as the other students did likewise. Addison, unsure, followed suit, having just noticed a small indentation in the surface that would fit his rejuvenated digits. As he did so, the table beeped and hummed at him, the top falling away to reveal a computer screen, with his name, KOL, ADDISON, in multi colored bubble letters at the top. Beneath that, the words “The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare.”

That surprised Addison. Didn’t Theresa say he was approximately five or six years old? That was kindergarten age on Earth...what were they doing studying famous English literature?

As he stared at the monitor, he noticed that as the student chosen to read first spoke, the computer would follow along, highlighting the passage in yellow. At the end of the stanza, or after an exceptionally long piece, the reader would say ?Popcorn...’ and name off a student. It was the same game he played in elementary school, only it was with Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstien, not Shakespeare.

Fascinated as he was ball all this, something began nagging at him. He had studied Romeo and Juliet in College. He even did a few research papers on the various romantic Art that had been inspired by the story. However, as each student read off his part, he found himself completely lost; as if he had never read the book at all. He could recognize the names and all, Romeo, Benvolio, Tybalt and the such, but the plot simply escaped him, and he knew it should have. That unease built up quite quickly, but before he could do anything about it, he heard the girl on his left finish her passage.

“Popcorn...Addison.” She said, pointing at him. He twisted to stare at her in shock. Oh no! I don’t know my place or...or...he looked down. The computer blinked and fussed, the yellow highlight illuminating a passage following a long stanza about a queen of some sort.

“Peace, peace,” he began in a littling voice, trembling a little. “Mer...mmm...m...” his throat went dry as he stared at the word. Stupid Shakespeare...why did he have to use such hard words? “Um...”

“Mer-q-c-o,” was whispered loudly at him, eliciting a giggle from the class. Addison flushed, and stumbled on, attributing his hardship to his nervousness.

“Mercutio...peace! Thou talks of nothing...?” He looked up at the teacher, who nodded at him, encouraging him to continue.

“K...this is Mer...Mercutio talkin’ now...

True, I talk of dreams,

Which are the children of an idle brain,

Be...beget of nothing but vain fan-ta-sy,

Which is...which is as thin of substance as the air

And more incon...inconstant as the wind, who wooooes

Even now the frozen bosom of the north,

And being angry, puffs away from thence,

Turning his face to the dew dropping south...

Finally, much longer then any of the other students, Addison reached the end of the passage and started to panic again. He didn’t know anyone’s name...who was he going to call on?

“That’s enough of that that for today, I think,” Ms. Byrec said, happily ending the session. Beautiful effort from all of you, especially you, Addison.” The boy flushed, feeling silly for wearing a grin on his face from the childish compliment. He knew he hadn’t been that good.

A small, chiming bell sounded, interrupting the teacher before she could began again. “Ah, is it that time already?” She looked up at the time piece mounted above her white board. “It is. All students in the V-P-A rotation, please go meet with your instructors outside on the Field. The rest of you, stay with me.” Rustling and shuffling abounded as kids started to get up and file towards the door.

Addison sat still, unsure of what to do. He didn’t realize it, but nearly an hour had passed. Not once did thoughts of his Visa, of home, or Theresa run through his head. His young legs were getting quite restless. He really really wanted to get up and go, but he didn’t want to make a mistake and draw attention to himself, though at the moment, he couldn’t remember why that would be a bad. Suddenly, a head full of reddish hair obscured his vision. Pyri leaned over his desk to stare at his computer screen. Twisting to look back at him, her blue eyes were almost as big as her head.

“What are you waiting for, stinky? That’s you!” She put a paw on his shoulder and all but shoved him out of his chair. “Don’t you know anything? What are you, from Earth?”

Addison glared, rubbing his arm. “No...I’m not from Earth..I’m just new is all,” he said, sticking his tongue out at her, the childish gesture feeling quite natural in this situation.

“New and slow, huh, smelly?” She turned and grabbed at a scarf as it’s owner tried to walk by. Ignoring Addison’s protests about the way he smelled, she addressed the student whose leash she held in a death grip. “Hey, Zylo...I’m putting you in charge of the new kid. Make sure he knows where he’s going and stuff.”

The boy looked over at Addison with a pained expression on his feline face. Black spots covered his tan fur, and his eyes were a deep brown. The scarf that Pyri clenched was beautifully designed in the colors of the Academy, green, yellow, and red. “Ah, Pyri, d I have to? I’m no good at this stuff...”

Pyri thrust her chin forward in a gesture familiar to Addison’s adult mind as the universal one for spoiled little princesses. “You will show him around,” she said in a haughty, imperial tone, “or you can forget me helping you on Triday’s quiz set.”

Zylo gaped. “You can’t be serious, eh?” Oh you can be so bloody screwy at times...well...come on, Mr. new kid,” he sighed, ears drooping as he led Addison out.

“Thank you, Zylo,” Pyri said sweetly, winking at him. “But don’t swear. It’s unladylike.”

“I ain’t no lady,” Zylo grumbled, pushing the bemused school teacher turned kindergartner out of the door.

 

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