Chapter 8

Once they were all seated, the Dean collected some papers and asked, “So what are your best subjects?”

“Languages, maths, accounting and physics,” Bette answered.

“Literature, physics, biology and physics,” Gazza offered. He was good at mechanics and aeronautics too but he was sure the first four subjects would be best to offer to get into a degree of some description.

“Interesting. May I ask how long you have worn the magical items?” the Professor asked.

“About two weeks for both of us, and about four days for the flickers,” Gazza answered.

Art looked up startled, “What was that last bit?”

“The flickers both have two gem rings,” Bette offered.

Art was even more shocked when the flickers held out their hands to show him as if they understood everything being said. “But that is impossible,” he stammered not believing what was in front of his eyes.

Art shot backwards in his chair and nearly fell out of it in his haste to get to his feet and back away when a ball of light appeared in Basil’s hands. Art watched as the light lifted off the flicker’s hands and settled half a metre over Basil’s head. Basil was quite proud of this ability.

“He has Energy and Lore,” Gazza explained with a grin.

Art flicked his eyes to Petal. She swung down off the chair and went over to the sickly looking plant on Art’s windowsill. She touched several leaves and then the stem. The plant brightened in colour and looked healthier as its leaves fluffed out. “I guess that means Nature,” Art had to say in wonderment.

Bette confirmed his statement with a nod. “We all have Lore and except for Basil we three have Nature,” she offered. “Lore is my primary but Gazza’s primary is Physics and my secondary is Energy the same as Basil.”

They had both agreed to not mention their fourth skillset unless it became an issue. Since Art assumed they had three skills, she only mentioned the ones they had agreed were obvious and left their third strongest skill unmentioned. They were sure they would get enough instructions to work on these skills by themselves and they did have their books.

They weren’t trying to be dishonest but Bette had been worried about the impact of having High Mage items while they were untrained in at least the basics. Ella had told her that strong mages could display strengths in other skills even if they didn’t have the associated gem in their items. This just meant they could upgrade if a suitable item became available.

As far as Gazza was concerned, the least others knew about their abilities the better. However, he did agree that some basic instructions would not go astray. From what he had learnt so far, the fact they had two items and at least three gems, meant that a lot of people would be less likely to screw with them and he liked this idea very much.

“Well, this is an interesting development. While they have magical items, I can’t see how I can sign them up to do degrees. I’m afraid you two will have to train them. Since you both had skills in common with them, this shouldn’t be too hard for you,” Art informed them.

Art paced back and forth thinking hard. “I may be able to get you a special ruling from the board so that they can attend here with you. It doesn’t happen very often but I’ll see what I can do.” He looked hard at the two mages, “Since they are so unique, I would be very careful letting them out of your sight as they may get stolen from you.”

He paced some more as he mumbled aloud, “Hum, I think I can use that, yes, it might work. I will stipulate that they are not lab specimens.” Addressing the couple again. “You may need to get some form of identification to prove they are yours if someone does succeed in removing them from your possession. Hum, a locator spell on them would be good too,” he added and nodded his head.

“I’m going to forgo the testing since you wear items and are simply after training. Items as strong as yours are, don’t go to people who don’t have the latent ability. Unfortunately, doing a degree of some description is campus policy. Our year is broken into three terms. Each term comprises of sixteen weeks of study, one week of exams and then a three-week break.”

“Most first-years do the same core subjects in their first term. These are done to establish benchmarks so you can better choose your majors and get you into good study habits for the rest of the year. You must pay upfront for each term of study, is this going to be a problem?” he asked them.

“No,” Gazza answered. “Sir, we think it’s best if we live off campus.”

“Yes, I agree. You need to set up a secure environment for the flickers. You couldn’t do that on campus,” Art replied. He tapped his lip as he thought for a moment. He then wrote down an address on a piece of paper and handed it to Gazza.

“These units are quite expensive but they are close to the campus. Children of the noble families tend to stay in them and they do have more security than most places in the city. I don’t think they will complain about the flickers living with you as long as you keep them out of trouble.”

“Thank you, Professor Mitchel,” Gazza replied and noted the address.

“Not a problem. Pop back in three days, pick up your schedules and pay for your books and first-year expenses. Give this to Maria, she will give you the literature and bill on your way out,” Art informed them and handed over another slip of paper after scribbling on it.

Guessing that they had been dismissed, they thanked Art and let themselves out. They found that Maria was a mine of information. She sorted out their billing information and accepted Gazza’s banking passbook. It was one less thing to worry about.

She told them she would order the materials they required and they could pick them up from the bookstore on Main Street the next day if they wanted to. Most first years got the same package, so the bookstore had them pre-parcelled.

Maria pointed out where the housing units the Professor had told them about were located and handed them a schedule for their classes. She informed them she had taken a punt and guessed they would need them.

They thanked her for her assistance before leaving the campus.

They all piled into the Auto and headed in the general direction of the block of units.

They had only gone two hundred meters when Petal chittered with excitement and pointed to a building. She was jumping up and down in agitation, so Gazza pulled over quickly, worried about what had gotten her worked up.

They looked at the property quizzically. It was surrounded by a two-metre white-brick wall except for a driveway that was walled on both sides and ended in a garage door of the type that lifted up in one section. A black-steel set of gates could be shut at the entrance. A steel, personal-gate was built into the front wall and lamps were spaced along the walls that they could see.

Behind the wall, they could see the second story of the white-brick house. The house was set back far enough to allow a modest garden in the front and so that the small balconies looked over it and the street beyond. The windows all had storm shutters, as did the doors that led onto the balconies.

Petal opened the door of the Auto and scampered out. “Petal!” called Bette in surprise and hurried out of the Auto after her.

“Good grief, what has gotten into your wife, Basil?” Gazza grumbled and he and Basil went to join the girls.

Petal was pointing to a button near the gate and wanted Bette to push it, so she did. A minute or so later an older looking woman came out of the house and down the path to the gate. What surprised the mages was that she had a flicker on her shoulder.

The gate opened by itself as the woman approached. She stopped and looked at them. “Come in, come in,” she said as she gestured and turned back towards the front door that she had left open.

Bette shrugged at Gazza and the four of them followed. They found themselves in a very nice parlour. The old woman sat in one of the chairs and gestured to the others. “I assume you’ve come about the flat,” she stated.

“Um, yes,” Gazza replied, not even knowing that there was a flat attached to the house or that it was available.

“Well, as my advertisement said, I don’t mind pets but I’m picky as to who lives here. At least you have the right sort of pet,” she offered and chuckled. “I’m called Linda and my companion is called Jina.”

“Hi Linda, I’m Gazza and my girlfriend is called Bette. Our children are called Basil and Petal.”

Linda chuckled since he said children and not pets. She felt Jina was more a person than a pet too. “Like the ad said the flat is fully-furnished and if you break it, you buy it. If you don’t want the furniture, we can put it in the shed out the back. I won’t put up with noisy parties and you are responsible for keeping your part of the house clean and not to wander around in my domain uninvited.”

The small group all nodded that these were acceptable conditions.

“I noticed you have an Auto. You can use the garage and your entrance is the side door near it. One of the rooms is set up as a study, which still leaves you two bedrooms, although one is small. Upstairs has a parlour, a kitchen, a dining area and a bathing room. You can use the downstairs laundry and the backyard.”

“I had a couple of girls here last year. A flighty pair, they decided to move after I told them that if they teased Jina one more time I’d throw them out,” she informed them and reached up to pat the flicker who sat on the back of the chair.

“Well, we won’t have that problem. Gazza does treat Basil and Petal as if they were our children,” Bette said and then smiled.

“That is good to know. However, I may have to watch your Prime. Jina is unmated and they don’t tend to like unmated females being unclaimed. Mind you, I wouldn’t mind him servicing her, as he is a fine looking fellow. However, I don’t want her leaving with you, as she is very helpful to have around and a real comfort to me in my old age.”

Gazza looked at Basil, and Basil looked at Petal and then Jina before sending pictures to Gazza. Gazza said, “Basil has agreed to service Jina if she wishes it and he has promised he won’t force her to leave when we do. He says she is a little old to be his second wife and he doesn’t require servants just yet.”

“Jina says that she is very happy as your companion and she would also be happy to have a child to Basil if you wish it. She also says that she doesn’t wish to be Basil’s servant and would also prefer to stay with you as you are her tribe.”

“Well, I’m glad we got that settled. So, do you want to go and have a look upstairs?” Linda asked. They all nodded. “With other guests, I’ve kept the door from my section to the stairs locked but I don’t believe I’ll have to worry about you lot will I?”

“I hope you don’t mind us popping our heads in to check on you every now and again?” Gazza replied as they moved through the back of the parlour to the door that led to the stairs.

“Not at all. I do have a few friends but it is nice to know you will keep an eye on me, I’m not getting any younger,” she replied.

They waited until she went up the stairs and then followed. Linda pointed out that the main bedroom was over the garage so they wouldn’t disturb her. A patio ran the full length of the back of the house and they had stairs that led down to the backyard and laundry.

The dining room and parlour were really one room and spacious. The kitchen was well appointed and the other bedroom was just big enough for a double bed but it only had a single in it. The study had two desks and a bookshelf for each of them. Gazza and Bette were delighted with the flat as it was very spacious and had pretty much everything they needed in it.

“One advantage is that if the flickers don’t need to go to school with us, they will be a lot safer here,” Bette observed.

“Well, as long as they have good manners, I don’t mind them visiting with Jina and I. As I said, I won’t lock the doors so they can come and go as they please. I had a little door put in the laundry door for Jina, so they are welcome to use it too,” Linda reminded them.

“Um, Linda, do you have a problem with us putting a security shield over the house?” Gazza asked.

“Why do we need one of them?” Linda asked. “Oh my! I see. Well, well, well. It will be interesting to see just what his offspring are capable of. I can see why Jina is quite taken with him,” Linda stuttered as she watched the light-ball that Basil had formed, float over their heads.

Shaking her head, she added, “I try to tell people that flickers are very smart but they just won’t believe me. Yes, young man, I think you had better put a shield up. Mine is only good enough to keep Jina in. Will you have trouble maintaining a better one all the time?”

“No, we have some spare Quaz crystals that we found, so we will anchor the shield to the wall. Linda, we are not ordinary mages even if we are untrained. We hope you can keep our secrets, when we ask you to,” Gazza replied.

Linda chuckled, “I may be old and only a one gemmed Earth Novice, but I did guess that you four were not the run of the mill students that I normally get. I have a feeling things are going to get interesting with you lot around. I will probably be wishing for the quiet life again by the time you leave.”

“I just hope we don’t bring trouble to your door with us being here,” Gazza replied with worry.

Linda patted his arm, “Don’t you fret none, son. I offered the flat knowing you were not ordinary. I’m also not without my own magic and have been looking after myself for two hundred and thirty odd years now.”

Gazza blinked at her age since she barely looked in her sixties to him. Bette had mentioned that wearing a magical item extended one’s life and the Pix and Genteli races didn’t age the same as his people did. They kept their youthful looks and good health a lot longer and only started showing old age towards the end of their lives.

He wondered just how long he would now live for. It wasn’t something he’d spent a lot of time thinking about since he was only twenty-one and even fifty years of age seemed a long way off. Two hundred was amazing and his possible three hundred unimaginable.

Gazza went and moved the Auto to the driveway and they started unloading it. He left his ‘handy to have items’ in the duffle bags and put them in the cupboard in the spare room with one of his crates of coffee beans. He left the rest in the boot for now. They put the rest of their clothes away and then he went to inspect the kitchen’s appliances.