Chương 61: Book 2; Chapter 60; New place, new start (1)

Anniet was still looking at the wall where Deamon had just disappeared. She knew that she should be considering it abnormal, but somehow, now everything seemed acceptable, just something she didn't know that was possible before. She wondered where Anthony had to go; he was so worried! Something came up unexpectedly to startle him so much. He looked very nice in his uniform. A bit scary, but nice. Not scary scary as she thought about him yesterday, but scary because she didn't know anything about this part of him.

So Rainee has left with that scary dragon, and now Anthony has left unexpectedly too. The inauguration ceremony must be over now. Oh, right, she fell asleep in the middle of it. Was it Anthony who carried her back? She giggled quietly to herself, imagining how she must have been dangling in his arms, similar to Marcus when he was carried. Anniet looked around the room to find out that the headmaster was sitting at the table and watching her.

There were two cups on a table, so they must have been sitting here with Anthony for some time.

"How long did I sleep?" – She asked aloud.

"Not nearly enough," - Headmaster said"I hope it didn't offend anyone. I just felt tired for no apparent reason."

"I am sure it didn't. In this show, you were just a spectator, so entitled to do whatever suits you best: watch, leave or sleep." Headmaster was talking in such a soft but convincing voice, and what she said made lots of sense, so Anniet didn't see any reason to doubt.

"He left in such a hurry," - she said, - "do you think something bad happened? Do they always leave like this?"

"Something unexpected must have happened, but it does not necessarily have to be bad. And no, it was the first time for me to see them leaving like this. But you should know him better. I knew him as a boy, you know him as a man."

"Do I?" – Anniet wondered at such a statement.

"Wasn't it you who spent so much time with him in the past year? I would give a lot to be able to do so. He is such an interesting person now. Always was, but at the time when he came here as a student, it was mainly a potential of what he could become, just like any other child." It was so interesting to hear a little bit about Anthony's past that Anniet was listening to every word said.

"I don't know him as a general," - she said, thinking that she still didn't know how to connect that majestic officer with Anthony's face, to her friend who was always so simple. But was he really? If he was so simple, why did he always look so different from anyone else?

"You didn't join King's Army," - the headmaster said, - "you are not his subordinate and he is not your commanding officer. Why would you know him as a general? It wouldn't make sense."

"I don't know how to behave with him now… And I don't know who he is, as the man I met doesn't match him as a general."

"Well, that doesn't make sense either. He is just one person, and a general is just a position he occupies."

"Like Rainee?"

"Like Rainee."

"But she is always the same, no matter whether with a general uniform or not."

"You see it this way only because you allowed yourself to see it this way. If you still think that she is someone unreachable, that's how it would feel to you. To find something out, you have to give it a try. Did you try to behave with Blake the same as before after finding out that he is a general?" Anniet shook her head.

"Then you will not know. He might be or he might not be the same. Now you are just thinking for him, what he would do based on your knowledge, and because what you think about your friend doesn't match what you think about general Blake, they don't connect."

"What if he doesn't like it?" – Anniet asked in a quiet voice. – "Me being with him so familiar now, when he regained his status?" Thinking back about how they would spend time together and talk casually about anything. How it could be done in the same manner with the person he had been disclosed to be, she didn't know"That you will have to find out by yourself. And you will be able to do so only if you give it a try."

"So, what should I do now?"

"Now? I think we will go and pack your things. Time for departure is coming close, and knowing you, I don't think you would like others waiting for you." This reply wasn't about what Anniet had in mind when asking this question, but it was good that the headmaster reminded her about time. Anniet was already on her feet. No, she definitely wouldn't like to keep anyone waiting.

Anniet didn't have many things, but that little she had was scattered between her own place and Rainee's house, so she had to go to both places to collect everything. Luckily, they didn't have to walk back. The door from Rainee's house led them straight back to the headmaster's office. So she wasn't joking, after all, when saying that as a headmaster, she has access to every place. Truth to be told, Anniet never even thought that she was joking or bluffing.

By the time they came back, a couple of flying machines had already taken off, and people were boarding the rest. Anniet was told that she could simply walk through the gates to reach the Capital, but she chose not to. First, she really wanted to fly on this mysterious flying device, and second, she didn't want to be on her own when reaching the Capital, as she would not know where to go. So she grabbed her bag and dashed through the square towards the closest machine.

Then she dropped everything on the ground and ran back. Through all this rush, she never even managed to say either thanks or goodbyes to the headmaster! The headmaster laughed wholeheartedly, seeing her running back, and shared a hug with Anniet, listening attentively to all her apologies and thanks. But it was so apparent that she already knew all that Anniet wanted to tell her! She probably had said goodbye so many times before...

So eventually she just lifted Anniet's head and kissed her on the forehead, then hugged her once more and told her to hurry and catch up with the others. It was done just in time. After picking up her things and reaching the flying machine, Anniet was one of the last people to board. Inside the flying machine, it wasn't as exciting as she expected. It was just a large, triangular room with many chairs jammed with people, that's all.

When the machine took off into the air, it got much better, as the bottom of it was see-through, and once it started to lift, it felt more like the ground falling down. Soon they were so high up that Anniet's head began to spin at such a height. Through that little gap under her feet, Anniet was able to see the town and fields and mountains around it.

The flying machine did a circle over the town, and it was a little bit heartbreaking to see all that had become so dear getting further and further away and then disappearing out of sight. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It was so strange to be taken away from all she knew to some mysterious place that she had never seen before. At least she wasn't on her own now, so it wasn't so scary as leaving her home for the first time.

She took her eyes from the see-through floor and looked around just to find out that most of her companions were looking either down to the ground or at her... That was a little bit unexpected and uncomfortable. Why were they looking at her? Oh, probably because after all this running, she looked like a proper mess. After all, she slept on the ground for some time, then jumped out of bed and, without a single look in a mirror, ran around until she got here…

Anniet quickly brushed her hair with her fingers, smiling guiltily for such an appearance, and lowered her eyes back to the floor. These machines were going so fast! Or maybe it felt like this because they were getting lower again. These surroundings were very different to those at School. There was just one town with lots of nature. Now, below were many houses with wide streets and lots of people on these streets looking up at them.

The flying machine was getting lower and lower until it was nearly touching the roofs. And then it landed. That was it. Didn't take very long, hardly fifteen minutes, if even that. Doors soon opened, and everyone got out. Anniet could see that most people were as worried and nervous as she was. Submerged in their own worries or excitement, they forgot about Anniet, and she could finally breathe in relief. She found it really, really difficult to cope with so many eyes on her.

Luckily, upon arrival, they were not left to their own devices. Many people were greeting them. Anniet was welcomed by a nice-looking middle-aged gentleman and found herself taken to a different direction than everyone else. That scared her a great deal, and it didn't go unnoticed by her guide.

"Don't be startled," - he said with a smile, -"It cannot be any other way, as everyone else has come here to join the King's Army. Your assignment is not known so far, so I will just show you to the place that will be your home, and you can go and meet your friends later." That comforted Anniet. That's right, how could she forget? Everyone else had to go through the inauguration to come here, and only she skipped this step.

She would rather have stayed with everyone else, as it would be highly unlikely that she would dare to go and disturb others while living in a different place. All the true friends she had weren't there anyway. Rainee flew away with her dragon, Anthony disappeared into thin air, and Marcus walked off, angry as death itself, never to be seen again. Everyone else was always friendly with her, but she didn't feel around them the same way.

Well, maybe she will have to be braver and try to understand other people more, as from now on none of her best friends will be at her side... She was about to thank this man when a familiar voice sounded from not too far away.

"Thank you Gilbert. But I will take it from here." Anniet nearly broke her neck by twisting it so hard towards that voice. It was Rainee! Walking towards them, still dressed in that white uniform she was putting on this morning with her jacket buttons undone. Well, it should be said that just half of the uniform was put on, as she managed to put on only trousers, shirt and jacket, and left behind all other pieces due to lack of time. So she was neither eaten, burned, nor crushed by that black beast!

Just now Anniet realised how worried she was about it. She wanted badly to run and hug Rainee, but she didn't know if it was appropriate to do so here, in this strange place, where she was utterly oblivious of the customs. She was torn apart for a few seconds, but then common sense lost the battle. She dropped her bag and ran to meet her friend, giving her a huge hug. Rainee didn't object to it.

She held her back and pressed her cheek to Anniet's head for a few seconds, then took her by shoulders and led her back to the man she had just called Gilbert.

"Lady Ren," - he said bowing to her with his eyes full of sparkle and the smile on his face. – "So it is true. You did come back. It is so nice to see you again."

"Likewise, likewise," - Rainee answered him, - "but tell me where are you taking my little friend?"

"King requested a nice place for her to stay, so we are heading to the Green Pavilion." – Said Gilbert, looking like a person who finally understood the meaning of the King's request.

"Very thoughtful of you," - Rainee praised, - "but she would be feeling a bit lonely in that big and empty space. I know a much better place, so you could leave this task to me."

"Could you enlighten me about your choice?" – Gilbert asked. He didn't look upset about Rainee disapproving of his choice, and it put Anniet at ease because she didn't want to bring any troubles and disagreements on her very first day.

"Yes. There is an empty apartment next to mine, so she can use it." This choice brought surprise and confusion to Gilbert's face, and he looked like someone who wanted to say something but didn't dare. Seeing that Rainee is taking this silence as the end of the conversation and is about to leave, he said:"But what if the owner of this apartment wants to use it?"

"Then we will take it from there. But you know yourself that he has refused it a long time ago."

"But wouldn't the history just repeat itself?" – Gilbert was still insisting. – "What if there are objections to her staying in this apartment?"

"I was under the impression that you are in charge of accommodating people in the Royal Palace? I would ask if things have changed, but there is no point in asking, as I know they didn't. Do you have any objections? If so, I am glad to listen."

"No, I don't have any objections," - Gilbert admitted in defeat. – "You are right, I am in charge… Just things aren't the same here after you have left."

"Let me reassure you that things were just the same when I was here, now and will be if I have to leave again. It is not me setting the order for this place. I can only remind about it." With that, Rainee took a bag from Anniet, who tried to oppose it with all her might to no success, and showed her to follow.

"So, how did you like the inauguration ceremony?" – Rainee asked.

"It was fascinating," - Anniet said while looking around all these majestic surroundings they were walking through. Somehow, with Rainee at her side, all her worries were gone, and she could really appreciate the beauty of the Royal residence. They didn't even reach a palace yet, but there was a lot to look at, as this place was like a separate town within a city with its own side buildings, yards, passages, gardens and squares.

"Unfortunately, I fell asleep before it ended, so I didn't see it all, but still, it was interesting. What about you? How did it go? Did you get your dragon back?"

"I did," - Rainee said, looking at her with a smile. Anniet could feel the happiness spreading around from Rainee. How strange, she thought, smiling involuntarily from this warm affection Rainee was feeling about her dragon; people truly could love most hideous things. She was wondering if Rainee sees her dragon in the same way as everyone else. Maybe there is some kind of spell or something else she is not familiar with, to love this beast so much.

She was sure that everyone else in the auditorium was feeling the same way as she, as everyone was screaming and shouting in fear when Rainee's dragon was released. Rainee was walking next to her without saying anything, just smiling to herself.

"Your dragon is very scary," - Anniet said aloud, not able to hold it back.

"Only because you saw her at her worst," - Rainee answered. – "She was lost and confused, and it built a lot of anger in her."

"Why did it happen?"

"Dragons are not meant to live on their own without a connection to humans."

"But how can this connection be lost? I didn't think it was possible."

"Me neither", - Rainee said. – "I don't think it was lost completely, as I believe she would have died. But the connection between me and her was always wide and open like a large river. When it suddenly shrank down to just a little droplet, it must have felt like nothing to her, like it was gone completely."

"But what happened?"

"One day I will tell you, but not now."

"Is it a secret?"

"There are no such things as secrets. It is complicated, and with only words, it will bring a lot of confusion to you, that will make you see things differently than they truly are."

"Was she that scary beast that tried to burn down Capital?" – Anniet asked after a while.

"I cannot be sure about it, as I wasn't present, but I believe that it was her". – Rainee confirmed her guess.

"Why is her name Silver?"

"Because when the sun shines on her scales, it emits a silverfish light", - Rainee said with a fond smile on her face. Anniet tried to imagine it on the beast she saw. She tried to see that black, fire-spitting creature being nice and friendly and radiating rays of silver after itself, but couldn't do it, no matter how hard she tried. Eventually, Rainee laughed, interrupting her thoughts.

"What do you think about me?" – She asked.

"Sorry?" – Anniet didn't understand the question.

"If someone were to ask about me, how would you describe me in just a very few words?"

"Beautiful, kind and loving." – Anniet said immediately. – "And many other things, but you asked just a few," - she added.

"Now imagine that this someone would have seen me just for several seconds this morning while I was angry with King. Would they agree with your statement?" Anniet didn't reply, as at first she didn't want to remember Rainee at this moment, second, no, if someone had seen her just at that time, they would never think about her in the same way.

"Wouldn't they be frightened?" – Rainee wouldn't let go.

"They would," Anniet had to agree.

"Were you frightened?" Anniet shook her head.

"Why not? It must have been very scary to witness it. I nearly chopped King's head off, and if not for the magic of the place, the building would have collapsed, and without outer force interference, everyone who was in the building would be crushed by falling walls."

"But it didn't happen."

"No, but not because I did something to prevent it. Wouldn't it make me a scary-looking beast for anyone who doesn't know me apart from that very moment?" Anniet could do nothing but agree with it.

"But here you are walking next to me, not just without any fear, but not even blaming me for what had happened. Why were you not scared? Instead of running away, you came in and hugged me."

"Because you were not scary, you were just in a lot of pain. I just wanted to help you."

"Then how can I feel differently about my girl? She might look scary and dangerous to you, because you have never met her before. For me, she was just in a lot of pain, and I wanted to help her. Also, I missed her so much because I hadn't seen her for a long time."

"So, usually she is not like this?"

"No," - Rainee smiled again.

"Then how is she?"

"In a way, dragons are similar to the person they were born from."

"Then she must be very beautiful if she is born of you."

"Now you are starting to get her true picture." – Rainee said, opening the doors and letting them into the palace.