Chapter 52: One

You’re almost bouncing off the walls of the houses around you, your excitement too big to fit into your teeny tiny body, so the excess energy is making you all spasm-y and wild. You want to run, and hug Abigail, and skip, and maybe sit down and take a nap, all at the same time.

“Calm down, Dreamer,” Abigail says with a laugh.

She’s a few steps behind you, wearing a ‘sturdy’ skirt made of some thick cloth and a blouse under a heavy woolen jacket. A big backpack, mostly filled with light things, is riding on her back and her hair is tied back in a pony-tail to keep it out of her face. She looks ready for adventure.

Unfortunately you don’t have any adventuring clothes, just your pretty dress, but you suppose that it’s okay for now. You can explore new places and eat them while looking pretty.

“I wanna go,” you tell Abigail as you spin to face her. Then you spin a few more times because you can. “We’re going to go see places and things and it’s going to be fun. And you said we might have to sleep in a tent!”

Tents, you discover, are an ingenious mortal device that allows them to sleep wherever and whenever they want. All they need to do is set up the tent and then they can go take a nap. You will acquire one of these tents very soon, and you will use it. Always. In fact, you might make a second body and leave it inside the tent so that you’re always napping.

You tent-based daydreams are interrupted when Abigail starts waving ahead of you. “Charlotte!” she called out.

Charlotte is waiting a little ways down the street, standing tall and proud and ignoring all the people looking at her. She’s wearing brown shorts and a loose shirt under a leather jacket that has furry ruffles around the cuffs and neck. There’s a thick belt around her waist with a short sword hanging from it and she’s wearing big, heavy looking boots.

“Hey Charlotte,” Abigail says. “Wow, you look.” She stares at Charlotte for a while, mouth opening and closing a little. You notice that she’s staring a lot at Charlotte’s legs, which are very long, and at the spot mid-thigh where her shorts are digging into her muscles. “Ah, I, uh.”

“Like it?” Charlotte asks. “It’s some old gear, but it might come in handy. You never know when you might need to run when you’re out of the city, or if you might need to fight.”

“Yes,” Abigail says.

“Do we have to run?” you ask. You’d much rather not. Skipping is better.

Charlotte laughs and pats your head, as is only appropriate. “Not if we can stand our ground. So, big pack, and I’m sure Dreamer’s carrying some things. Are you both equipped for a two day trek?”

“We are,” Abigail confirms.

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You don’t think you brought enough food, but that’s okay, you can find more outside the city where there are apparently entire fields of food.

“Brilliant!” Charlotte says. “I left little Pou with some of the girls. He should be fine. They really took a shine to him, especially Arabel and Arana, the girls with the rooms next to mine.” She bends over double to pick up a big canvas bag that was just laying there and then swings it over her back. “Coming?” she asks.

“Yes!” Abigail says

Charlotte makes an agreeable humming noise as she starts walking. “Dreamer, do you want to carry Web?” she asks as she gestures to the spider crawling out of her bag.

“Yes,” you say before using a tentacle to carefully place the spider on your head. Its feet are very small, so the headpats it gives you are also small, but Web has eight feet, so it makes up for it.

The four of you climb up the hilly roads until you reach the main gates of the Academy. There, waiting under the huge stone arch, is Daphne and Archibald and Sigmund Squirrel, the three of them having a deep conversation until Archie spots your group and lets out a loud ‘Who?’

“Hello Daphne,” Abigail says. She moves towards her friend, hesitates, then wraps her in a hug.

You note that Daphne is wearing a split skirt and a thicker coat than usual, but it’s all covered in embroidery and lace. Maybe you can get pretty adventuring clothes somewhere. That would be the best of both worlds.

“It’s good to see you,” Daphne says. “I was starting to worry.” She turns to Charlotte and smiles, then looks her up and down too. “And it’s a pleasure to see you as well, Charlotte.”

Charlotte snorts. “I’m sure it is, Baronesse,” she says, her voice flat. “Is the expedition ready?”

“Nearly.’ Daphne leads everyone into the big courtyard in front of the school. There are three wagons with strange machines hitched before them and six other mortals standing around. Four of them look like normal people from off the streets, dressed in plain clothes and focused more on the wagons, but the other two are people you recognize.

Skinner turns away from the wagons and grins at your friends. “We’re leaving in ten!” he calls before returning to a checklist.

The other boy is one you know fairly well. “Ah, hello girls,” Everette says, one hand falling down to pat Wuffles on the head. He looks different with a thick cloth armour covering most of his body and a helmet tucked under his unoccupied arm. “I guess we’ll be moving together today!”

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