Hale Academy: University of Sui Generis (Vol. I)

Chapter 5 (c): Apples and Blood Wards (...Contd.)

Rinzen walked into the treehouse, not so much as treehouse but a house in a tree. A small cottage in a tree, the tiny house, because it essentially was a tiny house, blended the classic notions of a simple wood structure in a tree with modernist angles, clean lines, and other design elements that he couldn't name unless he studied it. The fact that the tiny house opened up from the base of the trunk, suggested that the tree had to be really, really, really old, and had grown spectacularly.

The fact that it existed on elven land also explained how it survived and still was thriving, well enough to support a house on its stead.

The fact that the house had a minor expansion charm also explained the comfortable set to the house's structure. Not to mention the charms related to the plumbing and electricity in place;

"Well you weren't lying it's a small cottage", he agreed, "In a tree", he added, "I think you should have mentioned the tree", he laughed amused.

Ray stuck his tongue out at him.

"It's not much I know, but its home", he said softly.

Rinzen clapped him on his back, "What are you talking about?" he asked with genuine appreciation, "I like it, it's quaint, comfortable, very hygge", he praised, "I would have preferred this over—well I would have preferred it", he stated softly.

"I like the plan layout", Marcia hummed changing the subject. "It's very zen", she snorted as she said it, "The Buddhist zen", she assured when both teens glared at her.

Ignoring her Rinzen hummed, "The circular floor plan does give it the vibe of there being more space than there actually is", he agreed.

From the entrance where they stood, the room was divided cleanly in two, separated with the aid of branches of the tree itself, winding in curls as room dividers. The portion not visible to the eye had to be the bedroom, before them to his left was the kitchen with a window large enough to make sure the ventilation wouldn't cause any accidental poison inhalations. Adjacent to it was a corridor; curious Rinzen walked towards it spotted a portable shower and bathroom accessory;

"Impressive", he praised unaware of Ray blushing pleased at his praise. Turning back around, he took in the small living room area with a coffee table. The view resembled that of a window seat in a manor house or a house in general, extra space that provided a view and workspace–a reading nook of sorts. "No dining area?" he teased even though he practically drooled at the tiny home.

Ray huffed, "No", he answered, and "I don't usually have a lot of time between work and Trade School, so I just eat whatever I want here whilst I finish what homework I can", he answered. "Would you like anything to eat? I mean you did throw up, earlier?" he questioned.

"I'm fine", he assured. "Do you need any help?" he asked quietly.

"It will probably take me a while, to organize everything, I mean with Pyria's protection nothing will happen to me, so how about I finish up here and then I can just meet you back at the school", he said.

"Are you sure?" Rinzen asked worriedly.

Ray nodded, "I'm sure", he promised, "I have a good family here, and I'll be okay", he promised.

"Okay", Zen agreed, "Okay", he paused, "Oh no, wait…" he trailed off turning to Marcia, "We have a technical problem", he recalled.

"A technical problem", she repeated, "What problem?" she asked.

God, now what?

"My room is warded. Ray, when you received the letter where were you exactly?" he asked curiously.

"Downstairs on the lawn, my mail is handed down there", he explained, "There's a small letter-box down there, I guess you guys didn't see it", he answered simply.

"My letter like Bell's came into our rooms. Red would reappear in her kitchen, Pajamas from wherever she opened up her letter, the same with Ash and Zee. History dictates the magic of Hale Academy only works upon where we were last, and where it was last sent from, at least from Ray's destination point. That's why we all landed in the foyer of the school", he muttered weakly.

"And that's a problem why?" Marcia asked confused.

"Well thanks to a good friend, I had my room warded the only way in, is by invitation alone", he answered, "But if this magic works the way I think it does, you'll appear outside the room", he explained, "And the invitation can only be given when you're standing on the threshold of either my door or windows", he explained.

"People enter through windows?" Ray asked baffled.

"Mercenaries do, and assassins", he answered absentmindedly, not noticing Ray's scandalized horror or Marcia's protective fretting, "Which won't work either way", he continued pacing, "Because the house is warded too, which means if we go back using this?" he pats his pocket holding the envelope, "You won't land in the room with me, hence—"

"Technical problem", Marcia concluded and sighed. "What if you give me the address, I could just teleport to the front gate", she stated.

Rinzen frowned, "Well that depends, how's your Gaelic?" he asked warily.

Marcia sighed collapsing onto the loveseat in Ray's house, and "I don't know why I asked", she huffed shaking her head.

Rinzen shrugged, "It's like I said magic is the very language we speak", he exhaled, "But this is a problem", he paused then, "Wait, Ray, you have your phone right, do you think I can call someone?" he asked quietly.

Ray nodded; "I mean I don't think I have the money to pay for a call to the US", he said even as he handed him his phone.

Accepting the cylindrical device he nodded, "That's okay, I'm calling someone in London", he answered, he clicked the button at the end, and waited as the phone, opened into a typical rectangle, the screen alight, searching for the keypad, he dialed the number from memory and braced himself, grimacing as if he'd tasted something foul, as soon as the phone connected he quickly straightened and sobered;

"Aunt Evellyn", he greeted her politely, "How do you do, Ma'am", he said.

A woman with strict features, hair tied in a tight braid and dressed in the Venerer deputy uniform, appeared. Her plain black pants with a white crisp shirt and a long black coat stood stark against her milk-white skin. And he red knot of her black-tie always reminded him of blood rather anything else. Her blue almond-shaped eyes narrowed suspiciously and she raised her well-groomed pointedly shaped blonde eyebrow;

'This is an English number', she stated without returning his greeting.

"Yes ma'am, I borrowed a phone from a passing stranger", he answered.

'I see. And what do you require?'

"I need access to the library", he requested. "May I have permission to access it?" he requested.

'Oh… what brings you to my country?' she asked instead.

*Your country my a*s…*

Rinzen fisted his left hand and smiled softly, "As always Ma'am I stepped into a fairy ring and was transported, my apologies at being forever clumsy", he bowed apologetically. He acknowledged Ray struggling against Marcia's hold, with the need to interject, but he kept his focus on his aunt, "I request, may I use the library", he repeated.

'You will never learn…' she sighed, 'Such a disappointment. In more ways than one', she sighed again. 'Well, what is it you want to know?' she asked.

"Blood wards ma'am", he lied, "I have no memory of the wards on the family house, and my companion, a kind lady has offered to take me home", he said. "I would never waste your time and so I would like to reach as close to home as I can", he requested.

'As long as you don't bring an enemy home, you useless disappointment', she stated and added, 'I've sent the data across, delete it as soon as you are done. You have one minute', she said and disconnected the call.

"That b***h!" Ray cursed, "No disrespect to your family, but what the b****y hell?!" he demanded irked.

Rinzen nodded agreeing, eyes focus he moved and picked up a kitchen knife, he cut across his palm, ignoring Ray's startled shout and quickly wrote down the instructions on a conveniently placed white plastic cutting board, using his blood, he muttered to himself and quickly deleted the message and then blocked the number hurriedly, setting the phone aside, and still muttering the same words, he searched his pockets and removed the notepad he always kept there, still using his blood he picked up a spoon and with its handle quickly wrote down the spell. As soon as the last word was copied he cursed violently;

"f*****g hell I hate her! That damn old f*****g hag trying to act like she's all that, using magic doesn't change how old you are you insufferable old crone!!!" he paused, "No wait that's an insult to hags and crones", he muttered and then the pain registered and he cringed, "Ow…" he muttered and walked to the sink, "This has to be the one birthday I've experienced the most pain? Oh no wait, my sixteenth sucked", he muttered opening the faucet he put his bleeding hand under it and soon as the pain receded he looked up. "Whoa..." he startled back Ray and Marcia stepped forward, "I forgot you were there", he muttered, "Sorry", he huffed shaking his head.

Ray sighed, pulling out a first aid box, from a cupboard, Rinzen hadn't even noticed, he pulled out some disinfectant and some white bandage.

"Zen, please tell me the rest of your family is not as horrible as she was, is?" he asked quietly, dabbing cotton balls soaked in disinfectant on his palm.

"That would be difficult", he answered instead.

Ray sighed heavily, as he finished dabbing the wound, and reached for the cotton bandage, wrapping the injury he hummed quietly, "And so, what is this?" he asked eyeing his cutting board with equal disgust and curiosity.

Rinzen spying his cutting board winced, "Ah…" he started, "I apologize", he winced, "It was conveniently placed, still I'll buy you a new one", he promised.

Ray shrugged, "As long as you promise I can help cook our meals, we're good", he stated.

"Of course you noticed I requested for a kitchen in our dorm", he said snickering, "Never let anyone bully you kid", he huffed amused ruffling his hair.

Ray pouted, "I'm only a year younger than you!" he protested.

"Yup, you're definitely a younger brother?" he hummed, "Comrades in arms, brothers in arms, huh… I always wanted a kid brother", he teased ruffling his hair, and laughing as the kit excited by his laughter and Ray's pouting whines, weaved in and around their legs.

*

Marcia smirked at the two teens and the kit playing with each other, as she examined the blood ward he'd drawn on the cutting board and the blood on the notepad detailing the spell in full, her protégé definitely stood at a class above the rest.

It didn't override anyone else's problems, nor Ray's nor Jasmine and her thirteen brothers, not Ash's s******c grandmother, not the other kids who were equally screwed up with abandonment issues and discriminated against and not even as screwed up as James was. And James was the most screwed up person she'd ever met, and yet Zen certainly stood above the rest when it comes to being utterly f****d up.

I did call it…

But to have spent his childhood and adolescent years, being assassinated, attacked by mercenaries, and generally hated by his family, and certainly didn't flinch when he used blades against his skin, Zen certainly had it tough.

"Ray", she called both boys attention and hummed, "Kid", she added, "Make sure you call us when you reach your destination at Hale Academy. The phone at the Academy won't have any issues making an overseas call", she said as she grabbed his phone and placed her number in the phone, and "We should go", she said handing Zen the blood ward.

Zen nodded accepting the cutting board, "Be good", he told Ray and then stepped away from Ray with one last clap on his shoulder. "Place your hand on the rune", he told Marcia, "You'll need to use your blood", he informed her, handing her the now clean kitchen knife; "Be armed", he added pressing the knife harder into her hand, "And shielded", he stated, "This spell will allow you to enter the main hall of the manor, "I'll return with this first", he said, "Follow me after five minutes exactly, trust me, five minutes is all I'll need. And destroy the cutting board upon arrival, else you'll be hit with a defensive spell", he stated and removed the envelope from his pocket.

Marcia hummed, "I understand", she agreed there'd be no point arguing with him now, he knew his family better.

Zen smiled reassuringly and "I'll see you when I see you", he said and read the words out loud, bracing for nausea and pain—no doubt. Her last thought as she watched Zen disappear in a glowing swirling light was;

Into the Valley of Death…

xXxXx

(End of Chapter 5)