Okinwarry - A Road To Academy of Wizardry

Wrong Thoughts

Friday, 1st April 1453

*R R R I I I I I I N N N N N N G G G*

When everyone heard the bell, the whole Western and Eastern Wing buzzed with activities as the students all scrambled to leave the Academy and to be with their loved ones. I looked out from the window near my study table, which is bare at the moment and I saw plenty of horse-drawn carriages below. It seemed that the parents were there to welcome their children back and I saw the car that Priestess Windtalker had driven me the da before was parked near the gated main entrance.

I saw Vivian had packed her clothes earlier in the day since she was too lazy to do her own laundry and had the idea of sending them back for their housekeeper to handle it. It seems that Vivian was from a well to do family and it was no wonder that she was afraid or squeamish with mice. Besides, she would be bringing her pet cat over and I am sure I would be able to talk to it when it arrives.

“Hey, aren’t you packing anything back? You did your laundry here all by yourself? You really are something, you know. You talk to mice, you also do your own laundry and you made me suck up nearly everything in this room except for ourselves and our beds. You are not mad at me, right? You do have the kind of killer eyes that people would surrender their coin pouches the moment you lay your eyes on them. Hahaha…” Vivian got over her temper the other night after she cried her eyes out on her pillow. Her light make-up was messed up after she had done so and she shrieked again when she heads to the attached T&B in the room. I thought that she had seen another mouse scampering about but it was her face that had tear-streaked on them. Poor little rich girl.

“Nah, I am not packing anything at all. Say, you can suck almost everything here to your storage space, why not you suck your clothing in then? At least you could vomit it out back at home and you don’t have to carry anything in your hands at all.” I replied since I prefer to walk freely in this manner. Furthermore, my other clothes were drying in the laundry room so I could just come back and wear them when it is dry. Besides, I heard from Priestess Windtalker that we would be going to divert somewhere else before heading back to Safehaven.

“Oh well, it is up to you then. We better pack this room before we leave our the monitors would go around and check and would report that our room would look like a pigsty. Hey, I am off now, could you errr… do my bed for me as a punishment of what you did to me at the dining hall last lunchtime? I dare not sit beside you anymore or else you would be talking to those darn furballs once more. Heh…Thank you very much. Treat it as a thank you gesture for not whacking your dear furballs with this rolled up paper baton I had made last night.” Without waiting for an answer or an acknowledgement that I would do her bed for her, she skipped across the room, flung the room open and then skipped down the stairwell.

“Ah well, it is just me now. Hey, Nibbles…If you are listening, I have a piece of bread here that I had made into small balls here to bring back to your brothers and sisters. When we are free later, I would talk to you about what happened to Safehaven when I am gone, alright?” I called out to no one in particular except for the mouse that had visited me on the last lunchtime in the dining hall.

Since I had informed Nibbles that I am staying on the third floor, it was able to smell me out and find me. Since I would bring in some food from the pantry every now and then, Nibbles would meet me either in my room or one of the practice rooms.

“squeak, squeak, sqquueeaakkk…”

“Thank you so much, Kristobel. My little brothers and sisters would like to come and visit you some times if it is alright with you. Maybe not here but in the other room that we can talk as much as we want without interruption. So, are you planning on something about the feline that your roommate is bringing in the next few days?”

“Not really, I just want to find out if I can talk to cats too. If I can talk to the cat, I will order the cat not to harm any mouse here in this Academy as well as its house. I am sure you can talk to the cat as well right?” I asked since I am not sure if the mouse can talk to their nemesis or not since I knew the mice can talk to the rats. That’s how the rats grew so fat after they devoured the Matron and the goonies for the past few days. I could hear the scurrying and the crunching of their teeth on the flesh and eat of those decomposing bodies. Eww…I would not go to that stage to explain how the process of the dining took place…!

“I don’t know about that, since we lost our parents to the alleycats that happened about a week before you come here. I was taught not to go to the pantry to take the food there. My parents told me so and I did become hungry after a day or two and went to the dining hall instead to see if the students there do drop a few morsels out of pity. Since my parents were gone, I had to be the one taking care of my brothers and sisters.” Nibbles explained as it was wiggling its snout/nose while cleaning its whiskers and then held its tail and was grooming it afterwards.

“Just like me, you too are an orphaned and I am sure you are facing more hardship than me, Nibbles. You have brothers and sisters to take care of and I am sure your parents would be proud of you since they would know you are taking good care of your siblings. Haish… Don’t worry, I will talk to the cat when Vivian bring it in on Sunday night. I would have a good talk with it and would sternly advise that it would not harm you and any other mice in this Academy.”

I reassured Nibbles as it was shaking slightly when I mentioned cats in front of it.

“Thank you, Kristobel. Well, I wish to thank you for putting extra food on the table, literally, for me to bring back to my other siblings. They had been afraid to go out and even the sound of footsteps would make them shrink back where they were hiding. It would take some time for them to get over it, I guess.” Nibbles was looking rather sad then it related to me what kind of psychological fear that had fallen on to its siblings.

I laid my hand out and Nibbles climbed on it. It knew that it was a sign for me to lift it around and it loves the feeling when I rubbed my cheek against its body. “Well, remember to take your meals here, alright. I would need to dust the room and keep it clear since I have to make two beds right now. Off you go then, say hello to your brothers and sisters for me, alright?”

I placed my hand back on the table and Nibbles hopped out and then went over to the pieces of bread that I had broken up to make it easier for it to carry back. I should have made a small bag for Nibbles, like a knapsack, so that it would be able to carry more portions and then be able to run on both feet rather than relying on its hind feet.

I watched Nibbles for a while and said goodbye to it while I went to Vivian’s bed and began to fluff her covers and place them back neatly. All her personal belongings were arranged neatly and then I did likewise for mine. There are three pieces of bread that I had broken up for Nibbles that would be enough for it to last till Sunday before I arrived.

Before I left, I looked back at the room and it was in all in order. I said goodbye to Nibbles and hoped that the other mice that would be able to hear me, even though they might be shy to approach me right now. I then walked down the stairwell and waited beside Gecko who was shouting at the top of her voice and letting the rest of the students to be orderly and quieter than her voice…!!!

“Hmmph, kids. It’s always like this on Friday evening as they booked out from the Academy and all would be rushing to meet their parents as though they had not seen their families for more than 6 days. In fact, these spoilt kids would be pampered once they are back at home with their butlers, housekeepers, chambermaids et cetera. They are nothing compared to the ash greyed hair twins if you know what I mean, am I right?”

I watched as Gecko stood there with her arms on her hips and were glaring at the students as they all bade each other goodbyes and headed out of the Academy. There are more than 200 students in the Academy and looked like ants rushing out to avoid a broken dam…! Gecko noticed me not carrying any luggage and knew that I had done all my laundry and I have no other worldly possessions with me when I came here except for some change of clothing.

“Yeah, I met the twins and they were nothing compared to the rest of the students. I mean, they are royalty and I don’t think they would fit here, don’t you think?” I replied as I am not sure of what I would say to Gecko.

“Hah…! You thought wrong, Kristobel.” Gecko glanced sideways at me as she winked an eye at me. I wondered what it meant but I would soon find out.