Chapter 44 - Ceremony (1) (2/2)

”Valfafer, no one can remove that except me so just be good and follow.” Lydis raised her left arm and the leash pulled him towards her.

”Yes master…” He was humiliated beyond anything he's felt before! To wear a leash, he, a Wolf Lord, on a leash?! Just as these feelings swelled inside Valfafer he glanced at Lydis again and they disappeared instantly. Even if he was a Wolf Lord, so what? Right now he was nothing more than a servant to Lydis. Even if he wanted to rebel the contract wouldn't allow him to do so. Pitiful, negative emotions resurfaced in Valfafer. Curling into a ball he turned his back to Lydis and brooded alone.

Lydis had gone back to packing her things when she found the bag of treats for Valfafer. She flicked one near Valfafer's head and he snatched it instantly. She saw his tail wag a little. He was so easy to mess with, sometimes she wondered if him being a Wolf Lord was all a lie.

”It's not a lie.”

The unknown voice was back. It had been so long Lydis almost forgot that it even existed.

”Who are you?” Ui and Valfafer looked at Lydis like she was crazy. Sensing their gazes Lydis waved them off and tried to continue talking in her head.

”Me? You've already met me. How could you forget?” Lydis tried to remember who it was. Only two possibilities came to mind.

”Are you Ebi?”

”Correct! Although we can't talk like this for long when you're awake I'm here to assist you when I feel you need it.”

”Like all that pointless information?”

”No, it wasn't pointless! It's information mean to help yo-” Ebi's voice cut off.

”Ebi?” Lydis waited for a response but she didn't hear anything. Just when she was about to go back to packing Ebi's voice cut in again.

”Ughh, why does this take so much effort! I just wanted to say a few words and now I'm drained after a few seconds?!”

”What'd you want to say?”

”I won't be able to help you while you're in the academy. The people here are scary, that 'Haven' chick's slyphir was so overpowering, I though she might discover me…”

”Is that it?”

”The point is that you won't have any help at all! I'll try to funnel your slyphir to your learning abilities but it still all depends on you.”

”Wouldn't have it any other way.”

*hmph* ”Let's see you try. I'm out of time but one last thing, there are many geniuses here so don't get con-” Once again Ebi's voice got cut off. Talking like that reminded Lydis of the old radios they had to use at the camp. Ones that fuzzed while spewing white noise all the time and lost connection a lot.

”Master Lydis, it is already zero six thirty. By my calculations we should've left at zero six hundred.” Ui beeped and tapped Lydis's leg urgently. Lydis placed her hand on Ui's head.

”We'll be fine. I just finished packing so we'll head out now. Valfafer?” She bent over to tie the strings to her military styled combat boots. The ones on the bed were just too uncomfortable. Lydis raised her left arm and Valfafer got pulled towards her. He was still pouting. Refusing to stand or even look at Lydis he was dragged by the harness.

Lydis left her room, her bag slung over her shoulder, Valfafer dragged behind her and Ui in the bag. The halls were eerily quiet, the shrills and laughter from before gone. She walked towards the stairs and began her descent.

”Ui, while we move look for any other mentionable rules in the pamphlet.” Instead of speaking Ui just beeped. Lydis felt some rustling in her bag but knew that Ui was getting to work.

At the bottom of the stairs Lydis found Hal's room. She knocked on the door gently.

”Dorm head Hal, it's cadet Lydis, I've come for my nametag.” Silence. She wanted to push it open but Lydis didn't want Hal to have a bad impression of her. Instead Lydis stood outside of his room for twenty minutes. Never knocking again nor moving. At the twenty-minute mark the door opened, Hal's disheveled figure propped itself up in the doorway.

”What? Nametag… nametag… right, we had that thing.” Yawning he reached to the side of the door and took out a nametag for Lydis. ”Place your…” *yawn* ”…school ID here. It's proof you read the pamphlet.” Hal gave Lydis a clear card cover with the school crest in the back, in the right corner her name was finely printed.

”Thank you dorm head Hal.” Lydis gave Hal a cadet's salute before taking the nametag.

”Whatever…” But before he closed his door behind him Hal stopped. ”Congratulations on passing the first part of the 'Ceremony' student Lydis.”