A very good start
Sray stared through the desk and concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths. She felt very strange, and very tired. Illendis once again drifted around the room offering assistance and encouragement.
“Mr. Illendis, sir.” Sray asked as he looped past her again. “May I be excused, sir?” She didn’t look up, just kept her head in her hands.
“Are you alright Miss Hillenbohn?” He paused his movements in front of her.
It took her a moment to think about that. “Yes,” she began and slowly sat up. “I will be, but I think I need to lay down.”
“Yes, certainly.” He nodded.
Sray could feel all the eyes on her as she very carefully and slowly stood up. A wave of light-headedness passed over her and she touched the tabletop to keep herself oriented as she closed her eyes and took another deep breath.
“Do you want help, Sray?” Kem asked.
As much as she wanted to say no, collapsing halfway to their dorm room was even less desirable than having Kem help.
“Yes, I think so.”
“Go ahead, Miss Aldai.” Illendis encouraged. “It can be exhausting work, which is why this is your last class of the day.”
Kem got up and put her hand on Sray’s shoulder. “Come on, I have you.”
Sray walked carefully to the door, let Kem open it, and tucked around the corner before leaning heavily into the wall and stared up at the ceiling. “This is very embarrassing.”
“Hey, your thing stayed together and impressed the instructor. Mine fell apart as soon as I stopped trying to put it together.” Kem offered her arm.
“Give me a minute.” Sray waved her off.
“Are you going to make it to the room?” Kem asked.
Sray pushed herself off the wall and leaned a bit on Kem’s shoulder. “I’ll make it. That was just a lot more draining than I expected.”
They made their way slowly to the room. “Thanks,” Sray said as she dropped onto her bed. “You can go back, there’s another hour left in the class. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Kem left reluctantly.
--
Illendis was beaming as he carried the small box into Mishor’s office.
“What do you have there Zakaran Illendis?” Mishor questioned from his desk.
“The first attempts by our newest students.” He responded.
“You look quite excited.”
“It is very exciting Hafitch Mishor. There isn’t much left of some of them, which is to be expected, but there are some surprises and this.” He reached into the box. “This is the most exciting.” He handed the object to Mishor who squinted at the tiny little sphere.
“That,” Illendis pointed to it, “is the finest object I have ever seen made as a first attempt.”
“Whose work is this?” Mishor asked.
“I will let you guess. Who could have the experience working with matter to arrange them so perfectly?”
“I take it you know which student is half Klamon.” Mishor smiled.
“Sray Hillenbohn could be quite remarkable. She is highly sensitive as well. This is a very exciting start.
“I would say so.” Mishor rolled the sphere around in his palm. “A very exciting start indeed.”
--
“Shaekands Toseph Stridden DeMyur.” The man sat behind a large desk, an open file on it whose papers he shuffled through. He was in his early fifties, broad through the shoulders with a short, kept beard that was a little redder than his brown hair, both peppered with grey. “You requested transfer to Dohman with special note that it was in protest of how Hafitch Danrick Mishor handled the invitation and induction of one Sray Hillenbohn into the Brotherhood of the Mime.”
“Yes, sir.” Toseph DeMyur nodded affirmation.
“What can you tell me about that Shaekands DeMyur?”
“About what, sir?”
“About the induction of Sray Hillenbohn. It appears to not have gone as well with some of the others at Enegama as Hafitch Mishor would have hoped with the fire and all.” The man folded his arms over the papers and leaned forward.
“I wasn’t there for the fire, sir.”
“I know, but you know people who were. Did they ever confirm it was her?”
“No, no one was ever put to trail over it. They claim it was not Sray Hillenbohn. She supposedly stopped it.”
“And what do you think Shaekands DeMyur?” He asked again.
“I think it was a terrible idea and asking for trouble, Hafitch Tridan.”
Tridan nodded and sat back, flipping a paper over and scanning the contents. “Is the rumor true she has siblings? That they might follow in her footsteps?”
“Yes, sir, but not this year. From what I heard the Gordie’en thought it would be unwise to have them follow immediately after their sister, especially given how tumultuous her first year was.”
“Hmm,” Tridan shut the file and tucked the papers back inside. “That is most interesting. Well Shaekands DeMyur, I think we can find a place for you here and I think your time here could be most useful and productive.”
“Thank you, sir.” They stood and shook hands.
“Gather your things and report back here,” Tridan guided DeMyur to the door. “We’ll get you settled and see what we can accomplish together.”
---
Hafitch Tridan stood before his five best, most loyal men. "We have arranged for Kallon Hillenbohn to be in Dendrin for a delivery at _someone's_ place there. Draw him out, contain him, and bring him here. I don't care how you do it. If you can get him to come willingly, great, if not, contain him, knock him out, drag him off.
"He has a temper? Make him lose it. Make him show himself. Once you confirm it is him bring him here. He's young, easily managed. It should be no problem with five of you."
--
The sky started to warm ahead of the seemingly endless fields framed by a small ridge of trees on the horizon. Kem shuffled in her seat and asked the horses to walk. The responded with several long, blowing snorts and stretched their necks into the swinging, relaxed pace.
Sray and Kallon stirred at the change in feel of the carriage.
“Are we almost there?” Sray asked, looking ahead of them.
“We’re some miles yet, but we are running out of dark and people are going to be waking up and being about their day. Can Kallon take his human form? We don’t want to draw attention.”
Sray glanced anxiously at her brother who stretched and yawned underneath the blanket. “I can try after I get something more to eat. That’s probably the best I’ve slept in weeks.”