Gargoyle Saga: In The Beginning

Chapter Ten

I tried to remember what Dean and Rowan told me about the lessons I'd learn, but only architecture, magic and lunology came to mind. "That's all I remember, but I know there's more." I admitted, "Rowan and Dean collected me, they tried to fill me in as much as possible."

Von nodded absentmindedly as we went to the first floor. "Uh huh, Rowan's a nice guy." But his voice gave him away. Von didn't sound that he liked Rowan and it made me curious. I wanted to pry and ask why there was a hint of tension in his voice but I decided against it. It really wasn't my business. "So yes there's magic, languages-" The first-floor corridor had a long line of stained oak polished doors on the left-hand side. On the right were the tall windows you could see on the outside which was now a strange green-tinged hue. Was that my night vision kicking in?

Something then struck me dumb. "Hang on, languages? Why do we need to learn them?"

Von opened the first door where it said "Magic 1". Inside there were sixteen chairs and an assortment of books in a bookcase at the back of the room. A beat-up old desk with a leather chair was at the front. There was no blackboard or signs of chalk anywhere to be seen. That confused me but as I was about to ask what was probably a stupid question to a blatant answer, Von answered my first question. "Being a gargoyle you are going to be travelling all over the world. Demons don't just show up in England. They can be anywhere at any time. So we get placed where we need to be."

"So, I won't end up in a poxy little church on my own in the middle of the countryside?"

Von began to laugh as he strode to the front of the class. "No. Who said that?"

Blushing I looked away and took a seat at the back closest to the door. "I asked Headmaster Sorren what happens to someone who fails."

Von sighed dramatically. "You aren't going to fail, Verity. No one does. If you are struggling to cope, you can take time off. It's a big adjustment and people achieve things at different speeds."

That made me happy. "So I can go home and visit my family?"

With sad eyes and a worrisome crease etched on his forehead, he seemed pained to reply to me and avoided answering that question completely. "Have you asked Rowan?"

"I asked both Dean and Rowan. But I guess with all the information that the headmaster was telling me, I forgot to ask him. I'm just confused as to the whole not speaking to my family part."

He sighed and nodded sadly and sat down behind the desk. "As I said, it takes a lot of adjusting and I understand what you must be feeling, but the main reason why there's no contact is to protect them and us from demons and others who threaten our existence. If demons understood that you still have connections with your family, they would certainly attack them in order to get to you." He looked at me and shook his head. "Hey, don't worry about them. Special enchantments are placed on the families of new gargoyles. It would be very dangerous to contact them during this time. You'd not only expose yourself but them also. Understand?"

Burying my heads in my arms on the desk I mumbled, "Yes."

I heard a chair scrape across the cold stone floor, then after a few soft footfalls, I felt a comforting pat on the back. "Try not to worry about it too much. When classes start you'll be too busy to think about your family. Remembering them only makes it harder. It's easier if you concentrate on your studies." It felt like a sharp needle in my side, inching deeper at the thought that I would have to one day forget my family. It was just too hard to bear.

"Have you forgotten?" I asked, lifting my head he quickly looked away from me and began to make his way to the door.

"I have no choice," he said bitterly.