Chapter 14: 14: The Rogue & The First Rank

“Are you okay?” Naz asked, leaning over her food to look more closely at Ember. “You’re sweating.”

“Maybe I’m coming down with something,” Ember replied, making a face as she downed a cherry tomato covered in bacon grease. It did seem unusually hot in the cafeteria, and her braid stuck to her neck uncomfortably. 

“Are you taking the treatment on time?”

Ember nodded. “Of course. Once a day, just like my advisor said.”

A moment passed in silence as the two ate their meals. Ember stole a glance at Naz, whose expression was gloomy as she moved her food around in circles. She had been stewing ever since Ember had broken the news about seeing Carn in the club. 

She noticed Ember’s look and shook her head. “He’s a damn idiot,” she mumbled for the third time.

“He’ll come around. It seemed like the other canines had some sort of hold over him.” 

“Yeah, they are notorious around here. But it’s still his decision,” she said, stabbing at the prawns on her plate. “If he gets sick it won’t be anyone’s fault but his own.” Her lip trembled slightly, and Ember groaned internally as she tried to think of a comforting reply.

“Attention students!” someone called, saving Ember from making things worse. At the entrance of the cafeteria was a woman in the dark green tunic of an officer of Mendel. She was commanding and well-developed, with long, blade-like arms and thin antennae. “Excuse me! This is an important announcement.” 

Her serrated forearms and plier-like mandibles demanded respect, and the students fell completely quiet as she found a place in the center of the room. “I’ve received news of a rogue Linnaean spotted in the woods near the campus boundary. Their age, sex, and species are unknown, and we suspect that they may be capable of camouflage. They are potentially aggressive.” The room broke into nervous chatter, and Ember glanced at Naz uneasily, receiving an almost disinterested shrug in return. 

“I encourage you all to take extra care when navigating campus. Don’t walk alone, and avoid traveling at night unless you have an admin escort. That said, please don’t panic: we have a team of specialists tracking the rogue, so they will undoubtedly be apprehended soon.”

“Was there an attack?” one of the students blurted out. 

“No, just a sighting, so don’t be alarmed.” Half a dozen other hands shot up, but the officer waved them away. “I must go and aid the investigation, but if you have any more questions, feel free to speak with a campus official.” She strode back through the exit, ignoring the shouted questions that followed her.

Ember’s pulse thumped unsteadily in her ears as she watched the officer disappear. “Don’t worry too much,” Naz said, “this has happened at least once a year since I’ve lived in Mendel, and the officers always catch them right away. They’ll have trackers with thermoception on the case.”

Unconvinced, Ember pushed her plate away, remembering the wolf who had gone crazy with bloodlust. “Rogue… what does that mean, exactly?”

“It’s someone who has succumbed to their animal instincts with the intention of committing a crime. It’s different from living off the grid or going through bloodlust—rogues usually want to hunt other Linnaeans, and they maintain some of their humanity.”

“That’s not exactly comforting.”

Naz sighed, her eyes dark with exhaustion. “Relax. I’m telling you, they will have caught him by tomorrow.”

***

“Remember to practice your diagrams of the plant vascular system,” Professor Tinsley said, gesturing to the chalkboard with one fuzzy arm. Her long, feathery antennae waved back and forth, picking up signals from the inside of the cavernous lecture hall. Ember scrambled to copy the rest of the diagram as she finished speaking, committed to maintaining her high grade in biology.

The professor’s thin wings fluttered as she checked the sun’s position through a gap in the ceiling. “It’s almost noon, so I’ll let you out early. Class is dismissed.”

The sound of shuffling filled the hall. “Can Roland, Ember, and Wesley stay behind?” Tinsley added. “I have something to discuss with you.”

Ember paused midway through stuffing her notebook into her bag. Sure enough, the professor was waiting at the front of the classroom expectantly, and an avian with dense black feathers was already making his way toward the front. She swallowed, throwing her backpack over one shoulder and waiting for the stream of students to pass. Did I do something wrong?

By the time she had gathered her courage, the professor and the other two students—the avian and a Linnaean of an unknown class—were already carrying on a conversation. Heat rose to her face as she came up behind them.

“Oh! Welcome, Ember,” Tinsley said, and Ember started slightly; up close, her features were disproportionate and distinctly insectile, not as petite and lovely as they had seemed at a distance. The other two Linnaeans nodded in greeting, although the avian’s gaze seemed to linger a little too long.

“Thank you for coming,” the professor added. “I’ve asked to talk to you three because you have the highest scores in my class. I know it’s only been a month, but the first exam is usually a good indicator of my students’ ability. That’s why I believe you might be interested in pursuing higher education in biology.”

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Ember blinked. Not once had she considered what she might do after finishing her degree. The avian, on the other hand, was smirking smugly as if he had expected nothing less. “I know this might be sudden, but I’d like to invite all three of you to tour one of the university’s biology labs. You’ll be able to talk to some of the scientists there and learn about the opportunities in the field. It’s a good way to make connections for recommendations or internships.”

“I’m interested,” the avian said, gesturing with one hand as if it was a given. “When will it be?”

“How about in three days’ time, on Saturday? I know there’s been some concern about the rogue, so I’ll escort you personally. Are each of you interested?”

“Of course,” the two male students asserted, and Ember nodded reservedly. 

“Excellent. Please meet me at this building at nine AM sharp. I have to head to my next lecture, but congratulations to the three of you.” 

Tinsley began to gather her papers and Ember turned to leave the hall with a small smile on her face. At least those extra hours of study paid off. I wish I could share this with my father. She passed through the exit and made her way back to the unaffiliated dorm, daydreaming about what the laboratory might be like. 

Despite the bad news about the rogue, Ember found herself in a surprisingly good mood. It was a pleasant day, warm and mildly breezy, and the rain the night before had brought out the forest’s brightest colors.

Pit pat. The sound of footsteps made her slow, and she looked to one side to see the avian who had met with her and the professor walking alarmingly close by. As their eyes met, he developed an odd, twisted expression—the feathers at the back of his head stood erect, and his sharp orange eyes regarded her intensely.

A strange, deeply unsettlingly feeling bubbled within Ember’s chest. She stepped to her right, putting space between them. “Can I help you?”

“Maybe, ”he said. “What species are you?” 

Ember felt an inexplicable urge to lie. “A boar,” she said smoothly, “Sus scrofa.”

He tilted his head sharply. “Uh-huh. So you’re ranked second in this class, and third overall?” 

“... That’s right.” 

“I’m first.” 

The two stared at each other. The tension grew between them, threatening to overwhelm Ember. She looked around, checking if anyone else was nearby. It’s almost lunchtime, so the other classes have to let out soon…

 “Okay,” she acknowledged. “Congratulations.”

“Are you new around here?”

“That’s none of your business.” 

The avian’s eyes gleamed. “There’s no need to get worked up.”

“You’re asking a lot of questions.”

He leaned in, and Ember realized that each of his fingertips ended in a razor-sharp talon. “There’s something about you, that’s all, and I intend to find out what.” She shivered, wishing that she had some sort of weapon. If he comes any closer, I’ll kick him in the groin and run. “Are you sure you’re a pig?”

As Ember primed her kicking leg, a flood of students appeared down the path. The avian looked away from Ember’s face with a startled expression as if he had been in some sort of trance. “My name’s Roland,” he said stiffly, “I’ll see you on Saturday.” Throwing her one last stare, he turned and took off in the opposite direction. 

Ember kept careful watch on his plumage until it disappeared around the corner, then took a handful of shaky breaths. 

What… what was that all about?