The Rogue World Of Dostira

Proelium

"When Alex, well Mr Harkness, found him Richard was paralysed. He wasn't hurt or anything, he was paralysed by fear. His body lay in the garden with his eyes staring up towards something, but it was like he wasn't actually perceiving what was happening around him. I remember seeing Alex carry his body that was dripping in sweat as he took him to the medical centre, they brewed him a special batch of Vingko so he would forget he ever entered the garden. But you see I didn't forget, I haven't ever. Richard still goes here and it's his final year like mine, but we're not really friends anymore. I tried to stay friends with him but every time I look at his smiling and unknowing face the memories flood back of what really happened, Alex said not to say anything and well he told me it'd better to just be acquaintances...for my sake." Charlie looked up at the garden, his eyes glossed over before he rubbed them to erase the uneasiness etched on his face.

Audrey stepped closer to him, their shoulders touching as her presence stole Charlie's attention away from those dark memories.

"Well Binko, I'm starving. Where do we get food around here?" She asked turning to him, her smile contagious enough to elicit a small chuckle from Charlie.

"The refectory is one of the best parts of this school believe it or not" Charlie said as he walked with her away from the garden and down the hallway.

The refectory looked like a large chapel with glass stained windows that portrayed images of the chimera she once saw on her letter from Dostira, she sat at one of the tables and admired how lively everything inside looked as her stomach gurgled at the sight of all the food around her. There were multiple tables that were seperate but clustered in four distinct areas of the room and as Audrey looked at the tables carefully and could see they were inscribed with the home symbols of a Phoenix, Griffin or Dragon. The tables were polished wood as were the chairs but the soft cushion on each chair made them more comfortable to sit in, Audrey sat at a table that was a strange engraving of what looked like a mermaid. Charlie sat beside her at the table that appeared to be in its own cluster form the rest, as he smiled watching her eyes widen at the sight of the magnificent room.

"You see that blackboard over there Audrey? Well, each lunchtime and dinner there is a list of what will be available." Charlie said as he pointed to the large blackboard that was hung on the wall, Audrey squinted to see what was written.

Tuesday 5 February

Dinner

Chicken Schnitzel with a side of wallossin salad

Beef Pie with a side of knickod chips

Ham and gungo cheese toastie

Tuna Wallossin Salad

Audrey tilted her head confused and blinked hard, she thought perhaps her eyesight was failing.

"What is wallossin salad? Oh and Knickod fries, I don't even want to know what gungo cheese is!" She huffed looking away from the blackboard at Charlie who was covering his mouth fighting back a laugh.

Audrey shoved him and he burst out a small chuckle before saying, "Look okay, wallossin is like a salad with tomato and cucumber but the tomato looks like a purple pear and the cucumber looks like an apple with the texture of a firm grape?"

Charlie was doing his best to not giggle as he continued, "I know we eat strange foods but that's only because human food doesn't give us enough energy. I mean lately haven't you been realising how you're kinda always starving despite eating a lot?"

Audrey's disbelief faded into realisation, "I just thought it was because I was still growing and, well, had a fast metabolism? Ugh that honestly makes so much sense." She felt disappointed in herself, not because she guessed wrong about her eating habits but because she was late to this new world and wished her powers had appeared sooner.