27th day of the sun season 2448

- Wait! Azena shouted from below.

Serfantor knew that if he gave her even the slightest bit of attention that she wasn't going to let him go and he just wasn't up to it. He liked her, but he was tired of socializing. He had to go and rest his tired mind. Being a skotar captain wasn't an easy task and it certainly wasn't the worst thing in his life, but it was the last straw. He was too stressed.

He didn't want to think about it, just for a while. Going to visit Teriondil and drinking tea with him seemed like a good idea. He shook his head slightly as if to get rid of the crazy idea.

- Is everything all right? asked Shalith, who flapped her wings gently and soared the sky, silent as an owl.

- Mmmm... I guess, the umbrancian said weakly.

- You're a terrible liar.

He didn't answer, accepting his defeat. He smiled serenely. The dragon's words, though not what he wanted to hear, did him some good.

- Sleep tonight, Shalith ordered him. And I mean a full night's sleep.

- I'll go to bed as soon as I get there, he assured her.

- Good, because here we are.

The majestic tower in which the third year apprentices resided seemed to rise before them like a gigantic sea serpent. Honestly, this vision gave the prince a bit of anxiety, as he could not get used to the idea that he was safe there. He was assured that safety was impossible.

Shalith clung to the window sill of his humble room, where there was a single bed, a bedside table, a small wardrobe, and a mirror hanging on the wall. She took the time to brush her snout against his long alabaster hair before she left, disappearing into the darkness.

A tug in the teenager's heart reminded him how much he hated putting distance between him and the dragoness. Truly, it was her that gave him the only sense of security in his life. His muscles tightened and he soon realized that he wasn't going to sleep, at least not anytime soon. He'd have to tire himself out, again. So he decided to climb to the top of the Tower of Clarity and observe the academy, similar to what he so often did at home. Atgoren was mainly devoid of life. The inhabitants had all holed up in their houses. Night had fallen and they were probably in bed, drowsy.

Then he had a vision of blonde waves dancing beautifully in the breezes of the dust-laden wind. Dust from the skotar field that had been disturbed by the impact of a dragon that had been pushed to the ground. But that was not important. The hair, wavy and graceful, was brighter than the two suns combined. He remained hypnotized by it for a long time.

Why was he hypnotized? He came back to himself, only to find new questions instead of the answers he expected. He felt a slight shiver run down his neck. He remained shocked, speechless. He didn't need to figure it out for the moment.

At least the moon would keep him company as she always did.

✦×✦

The next day, he woke up by himself an hour before Rendar took care of it. That was enough time for him to go to the baths in solitude and then get ready to go to his first class. He was so exhausted. He didn't sleep enough for it to feel satisfactory.

He didn't usually pick up food in the morning, a habit he had adopted as he had grown up trying to avoid his family as much as possible. That day, he had decided otherwise, since he felt he needed energy in some way to compensate for the lack of sleep. An apple would suffice. He would have to force himself to eat it.

On the way to his class, the vision of a dark golden hair waving in the wind came to his mind. It had haunted him since last night. He had always found Ariella's hair radiant, but this time something was different and he frankly couldn't put his finger on a logical explanation. Was it even logical? After all, feelings had always been a mystery to him.

Was it a crush? No. It couldn't have been. He liked Merryn. Didn't he? He often thought about her in general, and he wasn't used to it with anyone else. That never happened with Ariella until very recently. She was his skotar partner and maybe soon to be a good friend. Those were platonic intentions. But he couldn't deny the sudden and strange obsession that was just born. What did it mean and why now? Of course, at their last practice, she had been exceptional and he had felt deeply impressed. He was stuck on one particular moment, the one where she had managed to break free from the grip of the entire team that had turned against her. She and Harath were competitive, brutal and focused to the max. He could tell they were going to leave a big mark in their wake.

Lost in thought, he had lost his sense of direction. When he looked up and paid attention to his surroundings, he recognized a few second cycle apprentices who were all entering a classroom. He regained clarity of where he was and realized that he had long passed his own.

- I can't believe I lost my quill on the way, trimmed a voice that suddenly caught his full attention.

There, in front of him, came Ariella Valkirel and Azena Kindirah. They had stopped near the entrance and both seemed to be concerned. The universe was clearly out to mock him.

- I'd give you mine, but I only have one! the gray dragon rider whined. The master is going to pull your skin from your ass!

Serfantor's first instinct was to turn back and avoid interacting with teenage girls. Yet his body wasn't synchronized with his mind. He just stood there, frozen, completely dominated by a sudden wave of shyness.

- What's wrong with me? he murmured softly, angry at himself.

And once again, the universe wanted to laugh at his face. His own quill, ebony like the ink in which it was dipped, fell at his feet. It pointed directly at Ariella and Azena.

He had a slight grin of discomfort, but he knew what he had to do. He picked up the quill as slowly as he could to delay the inevitable. Finally, he approached the two girls who were still in their dilemma.

He didn't say a word. He handed the black feather to the Valkirel, remaining as impassive as possible.

- Serf? they said in unison.

The trio stared at each other in disbelief, unsure of what to do. For a long time, nothing happened. They were all silent, not moving.

The gray elf could not stand it any longer. He hated this kind of situation. The social pressure and the confusion about his feelings were too much to handle. He had to leave as soon as possible. He placed the quill in Ariella's hand, brushing his skin against hers when he passed by. A confusing tingling sensation tickled him on contact. Strangely enough, he didn't hate it, on the contrary.

- But won't you need it? asked the blonde who seemed as lost as he was.

He didn't give her the satisfaction of an answer. He couldn't. He didn't feel strong enough. He turned and walked to his own classroom.

- That's weird, Azena commented. It's not like him to act like that.

- I don't agree, Ariella replied.

- Huh? I'm not following.

- He can be nice, you know. He's not made of rock.

With these words, the grey elf couldn't resist a smile that he tried to hide by lowering his gaze.

- Uh... okay? the Kindirah girl continued.

- You're a real idiot when it comes to feelings.

He heard the archer yelp, suggesting that her interlocutor had, as usual, given her a friendly tap to show her that she had been an idiot.

- Fuck it hurts! whined the aeromancer in a snarling tone. And I still don't understand!