The Mating School

Chapter 9

La de la da daaa... It's so hard to write today. I guess we all have these kinds of days. 

 You gotta keep going, Jonas... I want to see the dorm. I want to know how this story unfolds. 

You gotta keep going. You can do this. One letter at a time if need be.

Ok.. ok... Here we go.

"That was incredible," said Anne, making a right turn down the wide corridor.

"It was delicious," said Lily. "The potatoes practically melted in my mouth! I've never had food as good as that before."

"Not the food!" said Anne, playfully pushing Lily and laughing. "I meant that power. You had to have felt it!"

"Oh, that," said Lily. It had made her uncomfortable, but she wasn't sure what else she should say.

"It had to have been the Lycan," said Anne. "I've never felt anything like that before."

"Nor me," said Lily, "But I'd hate to be his mate. That much power is uncomfortable to be around I think. And what if he ever lost control."

Anne winced at the thought. "Fair point that. It is cool though. I wonder what will become of it all."

"The Lycan?" said Lily. 

"Well, yeah that," said Anne, adjusting her grip on her travel bag, "but also.. what it means I guess. All these things have to be happening for a reason."

"What things?" said Lily, but Anne seemed a bit wary to answer as if maybe there were some things she wasn't supposed to mention.

"Just the Lycan and the prophecy is all," said Anne.

Lily wondered if that was all. Anne consulted her map before taking a left turn toward where the dorms were located.

Lily followed quietly. Her mind was busy with thoughts.

They found Anne's room first. The building seemed to have a kind of square frame center comprised of massive corridors. In the center was a massive park-sized courtyard. It was too dark to see out though.

Branching off from each side of the central square, there were other passageways. According to the map, some lead off to quiet spaces to study. But others lead to general hang-out areas and game rooms. But still others lead to protected practice rooms where students could shift into their second forms, and practice their abilities without a risk of damaging the space. 

'Not that I'll be using those practice rooms much,' thought Lily silently, hurrying her steps a bit to catch up to Anne.

Most shifters took the form of wolves. Hence all the myths and stories about werewolves. But it was much different in reality. Shifters don't need a full moon to access their second form.

Apart from wolves, some mammals were fairly commonplace. Animals like rodents.. rabbits or moles. She'd never heard of someone turning into a fish though. She'd heard of some reptile second forms,  but so few it might be more of a myth. 

The form someone takes is highly correlated to their genetics. It's not an absolute indicator by any means. Sometimes shifters have very unexpected second forms... but those individuals are the exception and not the rule.

Lily found herself thinking about the animals. She remembered how when she was younger she thought it'd be so embarrassing if she got the second form of a rat. And yet, rat forms are useful the same as any other. Much better than having no second form at all.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the dorms are this way," said Anne, taking a turn into a still smaller corridor. Lily looked at her map also. It looked like all the dorms were located in this area. 

"Here!" said Anne, stopping a bit too suddenly. "This is mine" 

She lifted her wristband to the scanner on the door, and it clicked unlocked. 

Lily looked past Anne into the room as Anne placed her traveling bag on the bed nearest the door. It was a modest room, yet still spacious. Much larger than the room Lily had shared with her three roommates back at the Ahjuta Pack. Gosh, that seemed like a long time ago now. Did they only leave this morning? 

She wondered if she'd ever return... But did she want to return? 

But that was an easy question. She had to return. She had to see the orphans again. The family that she'd created and stuck by through such difficult situations.

"See you at breakfast tomorrow?" said Lily.

"No way," said Anne. "I haven't seen your room yet!"

Lily smiled. She felt lucky to have found such a good friend. She was glad she didn't have to go to her room alone also. She couldn't be sure if she'd have roommates there. She wondered what her room would look like. 

Being here, in this strange new world, felt so surreal. It felt... exciting. Lily recognized that that was a rather foreign feeling to her before now. And yet, it was an amazing feeling.

"Let's go then!" she said to Anne.

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