*Jude*

"What do you want to do, little guy?" Aurelius asked as we walked out of the girls' dorm's dining room.

I pouted. "D-don't call me that."

Mira chuckled. "He must've thought it was fine since your older brother likes using it."

Ha laughed as he trailed behind us. "He gets miffed with me too, sometimes."

"So, where are you off to today? Training with Alex?" Mira asked.

I shook my head. "That's not until later tonight. He didn't say why, but I think it's because he isn't very good with the sun."

Hal blinked. "But you train in the forest."

"True. Wonder if he will want to join us in the library."

"Think I overhead Nat and him talking last night about going somewhere," Mira said.

"That explains a lot. Wherever it is, it must be a cool place," Hal said.

A cool place? Wait, could they be trying to go to the peak of the mountain? But dangerous creatures lived there. Or was that exactly why they were heading there?

"So we're off to the library!" Aurelius said, pointing forward. "Oh! I know! We should invite Huo!"

"Think he'll like that," Lidia said as she caught up to us outside.

"Let's go see him then!" Aurelius said, smiling. He march on ahead of us. When we arrived back to our dorm, he barged into our room.

Huo sat in his bed with his back to the door. He jumped after a pause and looked over his shoulder. He wiped away the syrup on his face. "Don't barge in like that. I could've choked if I was still chewing."

"Sorry, got a little too excited there," Aurelius said, bowing his head slightly.

"Assume Kun was here?" Lidia asked, smiling.

Huoyin turned away. "Yeah. He quickly gave it to me and left. Something about a match between Ayawamat and one of the honor students."

"Sounds interesting," Aurelius said, grinning. "If we weren't heading to the library, I would go watch it."

"The library?"

"Yeah. We came to see if you wanted to come with us."

He got up. "Alright." He jogged over to us and even ran past us.

"He seems excited," Mira said.

Lidia giggled. "That's because he is. That said, we should probably go after him before he gets lost."

"Is he bad at directions like Carter?" Aurelius asked as we followed Lidia.

"Not that bad, but sometimes he can. Plus, he has no means to get down from the mountain without walking the stairs."

"He'll be out of breath," I muttered as I continued to ride on Mira's shoulders.

"Exactly."

"I'll catch up to him!" Aurelius said, running ahead, leaving behind a gust of wind in his wake.

"Hope he doesn't do anything too drastic," Mira said.

Yeah, he might have had better social skills than Carter, but he could be a bit pushy.

Big bro nodded.

"Hurry up, we don't have all day!" Huo said, waving as Aurelius stood in front of him.

"Okay!" Lidia yelled.

"Never seen Huo this impatient," Mira said.

"Don't think i have either," I whispered. Although, he had been on edge a lot.

"I have. Though, our lives were at risk back then," Hal said, sighing as we joined the other two boys.

"Alright, all aboard!" Aurelius said as he threw a single feather into the air. It expanded in side until it was as large as a big sledge.

"That's what you meant by you'll take us to the school?" Huo asked.

Aurelius nodded. "Yeah. I could make a gale too if you want."

He shook his head. "Oversized feather is better." He out a hand on it. "It's as solid as a board."

Aurelius put a hand over his chest and chuckled. "Yup! Sturdy as a rock! Don't want anyone slidding off."

Huo frowned.

"It's okay. I-I can levitate you if you do," I said, jumping off of Mira's shoulders.

He furrowed his brow. "Are you calling me clumsy?"

I shook my head. Why did he think I meant that?

"Settle down, Huo. He didn't mean it that way. He's just saying in case," Lidia said as she helped him get on.

Hal ruffled my hair. "Yeah, my little bro is just being helpful."

Huo sighed. "I see."

"Uh, is it a good idea if I ride on it?" Mira asked. She moved her head back and forth sheepishly.

"Haha! Don't worry. It can support all of us!" Aurelius said as he got on. He held his hand out to her.

Mira looked at him and sighed as she took his hand. "If it bends, I'm staying."

Au laughed. "Okay, Ms. Doubter."

Mira stared at the feather. It didn't bend even under the weight of her armor.

"Get on too, little buddy!"

"I-I said not to call me that," I said, grumbling.

"Oh, right, sorry, buddy."

I smiled. Hal lifted me up before I could get on.

"H-hey! I'm not a little kid anymore," I said, blushing.

"Says the one who still likes piggyback rides," Hal said, grinning.

Touche. I held on to Mira as if we were riding a horse or a bike. Big Bro sat behind me.

"Rise!" Aurelius said, raising a hand. The feather floated upward.

Huo yelped, holding on to Lidia.

Lidia tried not to laugh. "It's okay, Huo. Just keep holding to me."

He looked down and let go of her. "No. I'll be fine." His face looked red. Was he sick? Maybe that's part of why he was cranky.

Aurelius flew us away from Ryuuyama toward the main building.

Huo jumped off as soon as we landed on the plaza in front of the school and ran inside.

"Hey, wait for us!" Lidia yelled, chasing after him.

"Is he excited or scared?" Aurelius asked, scratching his head.

"Think a mix of both," Mira said.

I nodded.

"Has to be both," Hal said.

Au smiled. "Well, let's get ourselves some books too."

We walked inside the school. Across from the entrace was a tall tower like structure which continued until the seventh floor of the school. Was the school built around the library? Or did they just design the library to look like the ancient towers where important scrolls and tomes were kept?

Lidia smiled as Huoyin grabbed books off from the shelves.

"Here, let me help," Lidia said, holding out her hands. She yelped as Huo gave her the whole stack.

Huo kept on grabbing more books.

"And I thought you loved books," Aurelius said, laughing.

I did, but even I wouldn't get a pile that big all at once. I would first get myself a bag.

Hal laughed and said, "He would find a bag or some means to transport them easily first."

I blushed. He knew me well.

"Well, I'll be going to the third floor if you need me."

"Wait, can't only second years go there?" Aurelius's asked.

"Right. Forget that none of you are honor students either."

"First year honor students can?" Mira asked.

"Yeah. Nat and Tamara can. While second year honor students can access up to floor five. Only third year honor students can go to the top floor."

Then I had to become an honor student for sure! I wanted to know what was there!

Hal smiled at me before running off. Did he know what I was thinking?

"What books do you like, Aurelius?" Mira asked, turning her helmet toward him.

"Pirate books!" Aurelius said, pointing forward. He grinned.

"Right, you said your grandfather was a pirate."

He nodded. "I grew up on his retellings."

"Aren't pirates bad people, though?"

"Not all are bad. Just like not all spies and assassins are bad, or like how not all doctors are good. Some are just in it for the journey of finding stuff, not for stealing. That said, my grandfather did do some in his time." Aurelius rubbed the back of his neck. "But it was clear by the look in his eyes that he regreted it."

"I see," Mira said. "I'll find you a book. I know a good one."

Aurelius's green eyes seemed to glow. "You do?"

"Yeah. It's a book about a princess who gets napped by pirates but gets rescued by one who realizes his crew are doing wrong."

"Woah! Sounds like a neat book!"

"Wonder if they have it here," Mira said, walking over to a kiosk. She picked up a clunky looking tablet abut stopped. Her armor prevented her from using any touchscreens.

"Here, I can look it up. Just tell me the name."

"It's called the 'Perilous Adventure of Lady Montegue and the Dashing Pirate of the Lonestar Sea'."

Aurelius frowned.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I how to do you spell the first word?" he asked.

"I can do it," I said, taking it from him.

"Thanks, bud!"

"Oh, it's nearby," I said, looking to the shelf on the left of the on the kiosk was directly next to.

I went and grabbed it and also picked some books for myself that I found interesting.

"Here you go!" I said as Huo and Lidia sat down with their piles of books.

"Thanks!" Aurelius said taking it. He sat down and opened the book. His brow furrowed a few pages in.

"Are you okay?" Mira asked, glancing at him.

"How do you say this word?"

"Insipid."

He smiled. "Thanks." His frown returned. "And this one?"

"Turbulent."

"Got it! Hmm, this book sure has a lot of big words."

"Are they?" Mira asked.

"Not sure. Then again, I only know how to read thanks to Grandpa who passed away when I was a kid. Besides Mom, not many people in our immediate tribe know how to read or write. The closest thing to a native writing system are sigils and those are mostly known by priests."

"How do you pass on stories? Word of mouth?"

"Yeah, we have a rich oral tradition."

"Then let's start with some easier books."

"Thanks. Maybe some books with color pages will help?"

Mira laughed as he followed her. "If they have any."

I returned my attention to my books. To think that Aurelius's reading level was at that of an elementary kid. How had he passed the written part of the exam? Also, wasn't his home the origin of our current magic system? Then again, Vandavale did have many tribes. Or maybe they lost their original culture.

As I finished my last book, I looked up. How much time had passed anyway?

I looked at the others, Mira was reading to Aurelius in a soft voice. He had a big smile on his face as she read to him the pirate book she had recommended earlier.

Huo read quietly between me and Lidia. He had a slight smile on his face too. It was nice to see him happy. He seemed stressed the past couple of days.

I got up quietly to not disturb him and tiptoed to get myself another book from one of the nearby bookshelves.

I reached up for a book at the opposite end of the shielf from where the tables were. My arm ached as I streched, but I couldn't reach it still. Since magic was forbidden in the library, I couldn't just levitate it toward myself or fly to it.

"Here, let me help," I turned around and saw Nat's younger sister standing behind me.

My cheeks reddened as she handed me the book. "T-thanks."

She grinned. "It's no issue. Glad to help one of Nat's friends."

"A-are you close?"

"To Nat? Of course! We're basically twins!"

"Twins fight too."

"True. My mom's cousins did argue."

"S-so, w-what brings you here?" I asked.

"Amun wanted to read some books, so I decided to join her. We're having tea after this care to join us?"

Why was she inviting me?

"I-I rather not."

"That's fine. No pressure."

The clock rang. It must've been seven already.

"Ahh. I better hurry. I'm gonna miss tea time! See you later, Jude!"

She remembered my name? I smiled and waved at her. She really was a lot like her big brother.

I frowned. Maybe I should've taken her up on the invitation after all. Hal did say that I should try to open up to people. I shook my head. If I did that, she would hate me. The same went for the others. Even Mira. The more I talked, the more likely I would say something wrong, making people hate me.

"You okay?" a voice asked.

I turned and saw Huoyin.

"Uh, I-I'm fine."

He tilted his head. "I might suck at reading people, but even I can tell something is bothering you."

I turned around. "I-I'm okay."

He sighed. "You asked me stuff, so I get to ask you stuff. That's how it works, right?"

"Uh, n-not necessarily."

"Well, I don't understand how these things work, so I'll leave you alone." Holding his book out, he gestured. "Want to give this one a read?"

"O-okay." I gave him the book that Dossie helped me get. "Y-you can read t-that m-meanwhile."

"A romance book?"

"I-it looked interesting."

Huo turned the book around. "A story about a girl who meets an amnesiac boy that her father found laying at the bank of a river. As she gets to know the boy better, she starts feeling all weird. A love story in the making. However, figures from the boy's past threaten their relationship."

"Interesting, right? I saw it on the digital catalog."

"The synopsis doesn't sound all that interesting, but I'll give it a try. But, why not read the digital version? This one was pretty high up too."

"Y-yeah, I-I needed help to get it." If not for Dossie, I might've had to give up on it or read the e-book. "W-wait, why are you reading physical books yourself?"

"It feels weird to read books off a tablet. Back home, we didn't have much tech available. Although, I don't have anything against it." He smiled slightly. "Lidia makes it interesting."

"Y-you really like her, huh?"

His face turned almost as red as his hair. "N-not the in way you're thinking!" he said before running off.

I blinked. So, he doesn't like her as a friend? I chuckled. It was best not to ask him about it. Being too nosey would land me in trouble.

**Solar Note: Hope you enjoyed the episode ^^. Meant to have it out days ago but got sidetracked and felt crummy in others.**