After promising her new teacher a chance to interview her and gauge her recent experiences, Emery moved onto her Magical Law class with Professor Erin. The androgynous faculty member was the advisor to the pride dorm students and proclaimed so with gusto. Their demeanor was smooth yet stern as they used the incident with the stray familiar to recount laws with regards to magical creatures. The same clause to safeguard endangered species did not extend to familiars, Emery learned. 

Emery wondered what her own familiar might look like. Raven and Sonia came up to her midway into her daydreaming as the end bell for class rung. 

“Check it out, Soni, Lamb Chop’s such an expert on this stuff that she’s already checked out.” Raven teased. 

Emery blushed, “Sorry, just zoning out. Crazy morning, right?”

“If I had known you and Hero were going up against the stray, I would’ve helped.” Raven confessed. “Can’t be too sore though, it’s only the first day.” 

“Hero?” Emery echoed.

“Your friend Ed; the one who thinks knights are so great.” Raven replied with a smirk. 

“What’s with you and the nicknames?” Emery asked as she collected her things off the desk and followed her friends into the hall. 

“Lamb Chop, I’m a bisexual Amaranth from a low income home.” Raven stated. “I get called names. I do nicknames because it’s one of the few things in life I get to decide. Plus, it’s fun.” 

Emery tried to hide the laugh that escaped her lips. “Alright, fair enough. Why Lamb Chop?”

“Doesn’t take a degree to know you’re new at this Amaranth thing.” Raven pointed out.

“Even I can tell.” Sonia added as she popped on a single headphone. 

“Despite being so tender, you got spunk.” Raven said as she elbowed Emery. “And you remind me of my baby sister. Mama Raven’s got your back.” 

Thomas caught up to the three girls with his phone in hand. “Did you guys see the email faculty dropped? Long story short; that stray is the main reason why the orchard is off limits without supervision.” 

“I get the familiar part but what’s a stray?” Emery asked the group. “I didn’t get a chance to ask Professor Erin during their lecture.” 

“A stray is a familiar that’s been cut off from it’s host mage.” Sonia explained as she bobbed her head to the beats in her ear. “Super dangerous. It’s an expression of your soul, you know? I’m surprised they haven’t done something about it sooner.” 

“Are you talking about the stray?” Bailey interrupted, squeezing into the group. “Some of seniors think it’s the familiar of a serial killer. There’s been rumors about it for years apparently.” 

“How do you even cut yourself off from your familiar?” Emery asked out loud. “I mean, I don’t even have one but it doesn’t sound easy.” 

While most the students adopted an uncomfortable silence, Thomas fell back with Emery to the rear of the group. His tone was sympathetic but hushed.

“It’s not something you want the teachers to catch you asking.” Thomas explained. “It’s like asking where you can find a gun.” 

“Oh, my bad everyone.” Emery apologized to the others. 

“Don’t sweat it, you’re still learning.” Raven assured her. 

“Already forgotten.” Sonia added as she lifted a headphone off her head. 

“Well, I’m heading to Arcane Disciplines before you get me suspended.” Bailey said as she sped ahead of the group. 

Shrugging off Bailey’s comment, Emery resumed her conversation with Thomas, “Still, it’d be nice to know about this kind of stuff.” 

“I get it.” Thomas said. “I was practically mundane until two years ago. I'm a late bloomer compared to my sisters. So I lived without really knowing anything besides what my parents or Eliana told me.” 

“Right?” Emery agreed. “My dad left magic behind because he thought it was nothing but bad luck. How am I supposed to understand what he meant if I don’t even learn the basics of what not to ask?” 

“Jokes on them.” Thomas teased. “Statistics show mages who come from mundane lives study twice as hard as kids who have magic early.” 

Emery’s face lit up with relief. “You have no idea how happy I am to know it’s not just me! After I found out; all I did was eat, sleep, and read books that Ms. Mason gave me.” 

Thomas flashed a book inside his bag as they approached their next class. “You kidding? I still have my copy of ‘Tales of the Ages’. Over two thousand years of notable magical events or mages condensed into the latest edition. They’ve been updating more recent stuff online but you can’t beat the feel of history in your hands.” 

“I gotta get a copy or look up that site.” Emery noted for herself. 

“Here, take mine.” Thomas offered the book. “The website is a yearly subscription but I can show you after you check out the basics.”

“That’d be awesome. Are you sure?” Emery replied. 

“Don’t even worry about it.” Thomas waved her off. “Just promise you’ll come talk shop with me whenever you find something cool.”

“I mean, I was already planning on it but if you insist.” Emery said.

As they continued talking, Ed ran between the two of them and barreled into the classroom. The professor’s voice hollered at them from inside. “Bell’s in ten seconds! You’re late if you’re outside class when it rings!” The curly-haired man warned. 

The two rushed inside, almost stumbling each other as they found their seats to the sound of the bell ringing. A few students nearly fell over as they scrambled into place. 

The teacher laughed as he watched multiple students flail to available seats. “I’m just messing with you. Get to class when you like, it’s your education after all. I’m Vincent Vale. But please, just call me Vale. I feel old as it is when I get up from this chair.”

The students who hadn’t nearly embarrassed themselves in their haste laughed.

“Now, since this is your Arcane Disciplines class...” Vale shut the door to the class with a telekinetic slam. “Let’s get started showing you first years why mages are so feared.”