The Fallen Ascending 01 -- Rebirth
Wing Leader Jared

It was several hours later when Dino finally returned and cautiously entered the room, sniffing loudly with each tentative step forward. “Michael, are you feeling better?” He finally asked after making it halfway across the room.

“Yeah, I’m fine Dino,” I answered him while climbing back down from my bunk. “I must’ve had something bad because I tossed it outside not long after you left, and I’ve been getting to feeling a little better ever since.” I didn’t particularly like lying, so the truth told in a convoluted manner works wondrously sometimes. It was bad – a girl showed up and stripped out of the blue – I tossed her outside, and I’ve been feeling better ever since. If he thought I was talking about puking my guts out, that’s his misconception. I didn’t lie to him.

“So no more gas?”

“Not for a while.” Was he more worried about the state of his nose, or my health? What a DINO!

“Well good!” Walking over, he sat down on his lower bunk and started to unlace his sandals. “I’m glad you’re doing better. I’d thought of asking one of the girls I know, who has some healing magic, to come on by. I would’ve if you hadn’t asked me to wait until tomorrow.”

Tossing on sandal off to the side of the bed, he looked up at me. “You know, you don’t have to worry about coin all the time. I’m certain she would’ve taken a look at you for free, just for the practice. If not, I could’ve tickled her side a little or something and told her to send the bill to me. I almost never get billed if I visit the healers.”

In some ways, it was almost sweet and caring; in others it almost made me want to go outside and do what he imagined I’d already did – throw up! Dino really might not be such a bad guy, if he’d ever learn that the whole world doesn’t revolve around him some time. Sighing, I simply shook my head. “No need for that. Then I’d just end up owing you the favor instead of the healer. Unless I’m seriously ill or something, I’d rather just spend an evening or two under the covers and tough it out.”

Dino was preparing to say something when a knocking sounded from the door and interrupted him. “Who’s that?” I asked nervously, thinking that it might be Crystal coming back already. I told her that I’d meet her at school in a few days!

Dino shrugged, and the door opened and a wide-shouldered young man walked in. “Guys, I’m your wing leader. I’m in charge of this floor. You can call me ‘Sir, Yes Sir’!” He yelled the last part, and I half jumped. Dino just groaned and tossed his sandal at him and flopped back onto the bed.

“Shut up Jerad. No one around here is going to Sir you.” Dino waved his hands dismissively and the guy at the door simply laughed it off.

“I see two of you in here. Where’s the other two? It’s almost time for classes to start, and everyone should be showing up by now.”

“Mongo and Skeet aren’t back yet from whatever task they were doing for the school,” Dino answered him. “This stinky ass fellow over here is Michael. He’s our new roommate. And, like everyone else in the world, you know who I am, obviously.”

“Nope. Never heard of ya,” Jerad lied. “I’ll guess I’ll go report that Michael was here, Mongo and Skeet are running late, that I never met the last idiot who was supposed to be bunking here, and some weird jackass was hanging around and who knows what that might lead to.”

“Just stuff it, dumbass. You’ve checked on us, and now you can leave.” Apparently Jerad was another of the guys who Dino couldn’t seem to get along with. Not surprising really, considering how it seems the women all put him up on a pedestal. All the more reason for me to hide my talents and not end up like him. In some ways, I have to be grateful to Dino; I’m learning a lot from him. A lot of the things not to do!

Snorting and ignoring Dino, Jerad walked over and held his hand out towards me. “Hope we’ll get along, Michael.”

“Me too,” I answered while shaking his hand.

“Do you got any questions about the city? School? Anything at all really?” Jerad asked with a grin. “That’s what I’m here for you know. It’s not just to spy on you guys and get you in trouble for breaking any school rules. I’m here to keep an eye on you, help keep you out of trouble, and answer any questions you guys might have about anything. Feel free to come to me anytime. My room is the first one at the corner; 201.”

“I’m good for now,” I told him which clasping his hand in mine. Jerad had a rough hand, with many calluses and a firm grip. From his handshake alone, I’d assume he’d trained long and hard in the fighting arts with some weapon, but I couldn’t tell which one. “I guess the only thing I’m curious about is my other roommates, but I guess I’ll get to meet them in a few days.”

Letting go of my grip, Jerad nodded. From the corner of his lip, however, was a slight frown. “I’m certain they’ll be here soon,” he reassured me. “Don’t worry. I’ll ask around and see if they sent any messages to the school about being delayed for some reason. It happens sometimes, so it’s not a big deal.”

Dino laughed lightly. “As if anything would happen to those two. Mongo probably got in a staring contest with a wall or something. He’s too stupid to get in trouble, and Skeet’s too much of a coward. They’re nice fellows, don’t get me wrong,” he tried to clarify all at once, “but they’re not ones which I’d ever expect to get into anything dangerous. You’ll see, they’ll be along shortly. Honestly, they probably just got lost.”

“Maybe.” Jerad shrugged, but he didn’t look convinced. “I guess we’ll know for certain in a few days after I ask their counselors and some of the teachers at the school. Until then, I’d best head on out for now. I’ve got a few more rooms to check on before heading to bed myself.”

“Good riddance!” Dino called out to him as he headed to the door and out it.

Once Jerad was gone and the door was shut behind him, Dino sat back up on his bed and stared at me. “You be careful around him,” Dino warned. “Jared really is nothing more than a rat and a fink. Claims to be here for you, but anything you tell him he’ll report directly to the school. Claims he’s watching over us when really he’s not doing anything more than spying on us. Be careful what you tell him, unless you don’t mind the world knowing whatever it is. He gets paid to ‘give reports and keep tabs’ on the people on this floor, and the juicier the news he finds out, the better his monthly bonus is.”

“I see,” I told him thoughtfully. The school was a place where all sorts of interesting and different peoples attended. Lots of alchemists, and wizards. Nobles and rich. It really was a hotbed of juicy secrets. I suppose it only made sense that the school would want to sniff out whatever they could, to use to their advantage. I’ll just have to keep a low profile and watch what I say and do around Jerad.

Maybe playing the part of a commoner wasn’t as easy as I’d imagined it was going to be. If I had a private room, there’d be less chance of anyone finding out the truth about my talents and turning me in. Heck, I don’t even know if private rooms have to deal with wing leaders like Jared. It seems you can buy waivers for most things regarding the school – or even the city laws! Though, I imagine doing so would draw some eyes your way in the end after all, anyway.

Damned if you do; damned if you don’t. From what little I could tell about this new city and school I was living in, secrets and intrigue were all over the place! Everybody wanted to know everybody else’s dirty little secrets while trying to hold on to their own as tightly as possible. I guess where Jerad’s concerned, it’s better a case of the devil you know compared to the one you don’t.

I’ll just be cautious about my actions around him, and I’ll warn Crystal to be careful how she acts and what she says around other people as well. I don’t want her slipping up and saying or doing something that’ll get one or both of us in trouble. These people should put a sign at the entrance of the city, “Welcome to West Gondor – Where All Your Secrets Will Be Ours!”

Which in some ways, was kind of worrisome when it came to my other two roommates. For a place that seems to want to keep a lot of tabs on you, it seemed odd to me that no one actually knew anything about Mongo or Skeet for certain.

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