Chapter Nine

Amber woke up with a snap. This isn’t my room.

She recalled the camp, the trailer-like home, but that didn’t fit either.

“Oh,” she said as her foggy mind cleared a little and she recognized the room at last. The monitor by her side, glowing from its screen was enough to illuminate the rather plain end-table and the hospital bed she was on. Pressing down to her sides, Amber sat up and yawned.

She felt... pretty good, on the whole. Rested, and comfortable.

That’s when she noticed she was in her normal clothes. Sweatpants and a sweater she’d been wearing the day before at the camp. The red magical-girl costume was gone.

The door clicked as someone peeked in. The same doctor that had helped her the night before. “You’re awake?” she asked softly.

“I guess so,” Amber said.

“Well then, I have some things for you,” the doctor said as she walked in backwards pulling a wheeled tray in with her. It had a plastic dome on it, and the scent of eggs and something fried wafted out before it. Two plastic mugs sat on the edge of the tray, faint steam pouring out of them and filling the room with the strong smell of coffee.

“Is that breakfast?” Amber asked.

“It is,” the doctor said. She pushed the tray in close to Amber. “Dig in,” she said before grabbing one of the mugs to cradle.

“Thanks,” Amber said. She lifted the plastic dome, then stared. “Uh.” There were two eggs, poached, over some brown bread. Next to that, a dollop of beans and fried tomatoes with some mushrooms. A thick slab of ham took up a hefty part of her plate, with a few strips of bacon over that. “Wow.”

“Yup,” the doctor agreed. “The food here is crazy good. The entire academy’s like that. Hell, they even have good MREs for field work. I remember having ramen noodles twice a day while interning.”

“Why so much?” Amber asked.

The doctor laughed. “Oh, sweetie. You’re a magical girl. Congrats, you’ll never put on a pound. You also burn calories like a stove. So eat up. I bet by noon you’ll be starving.”

Amber hummed. They don’t mention that on TV. She picked up a fork and knife before digging in. The food tasted as good as it looked. “Mmm?” she mumbled, a bit confused.

“The only way to come to Agartha is to win the lottery, or be so damned useful that they’ll let you come over. That means that the folk doing the cooking are way over-qualified. The ingredients tend to be pretty nice too.”

“That’s crazy,” Amber said as she restrained herself from scarfing things down.

“So, tell me how you’re feeling? Any cramps, nausea, dizziness?”

Amber shook her head. “Fine,” she said.

“Good. And how did the draining go last night?” she asked.

Amber finished chewing and swallowed. “It went... well? We couldn’t use the ball device. Had to go outside and use some magic on a rock behind the hospital. Not much actually happened.”

“I...see?” the doctor said. “That was with Morty?”

“Yeah,” Amber said.

The doctor nodded. “Figures. He likes his unusual solutions. It’s hard to work with him sometimes, mostly because of all the extra paperwork.”

“That sounds rough,” Amber said.

“Nah, I’ve worked with far worse.” the doctor gestured to Amber. “Those were the clothes you had before transforming?”

“Uh, yes. I guess I might need to find a change of clothes. These don’t feel appropriate for a hospital. Or I could transform again?” As soon as I find out how.

“No need. There’s a package for you at the front desk. School supplies and such. I’ll go fetch it for you. By the way, you’ve been discharged. No hurry or anything, but you can go. The moment you feel bad you come back over, alright?”

Amber nodded. “Sure.”

The discharge was a bit sudden, but maybe that was alright. She had never been fond of hospitals, especially when she was the patient. For the moment, she had bigger, tastier things to focus on.

She almost missed it when the doctor returned and placed a box at the foot of her bed. “Tell the admin at the front desk that you’re leaving before you head out.”

“There isn’t more security than that?” Amber asked. “Paperwork or anything?”

“Not at the Academy, no. Magicals and bureaucracy are like oil and water. Oil that’s on fire.”

“Good to know,” Amber said. Sounds a bit rude on the magical’s part. But maybe I’m missing something.

The doctor waved her off and said her goodbyes while caressing an entirely new cup of coffee, and then Amber was alone.

She took her time to finish her breakfast, then, once the plate was licked clean--nobody has to know!--and the tray was pushed aside, she carefully got to her feet.

A few experimental steps, some lunges and a bit of stretching later, and Amber found herself feeling perfectly fine. Better than that, even. It feels like I slept for a whole day. She moved over to the box. It was a plastic crate really, with her name stuck to the side on a post-it note.

An envelope sat atop a folded jacket. It had her name stenciled across it. She opened it.

Dear Amber,

You will find with this letter a tailored uniform, as well as an Academy phone. The password is your date of birth in this form: DD-MM-YYYY. Please change it and read the terms and conditions laid out on first opening the device.

You have been assigned room three on the second floor of the female dormitory. Don’t be afraid to ask for directions.

Finally, we wish to cordially invite you to join the soon-to-be-formed Team Svalinn. One member is already on campus, you would be sharing your dorm with her until the other members arrive and complete their orientation (something which you should also consider attending).

If you wish to discuss any of these things, then please come to the main administrative building. We understand that these changes have been sudden and rather unexpected. We are more than willing to work with you to make sure you’re comfortable and happy.

Hopefully you will find both and more at Norumbega Academy.

--Headmaster Nido Thorsfather

Amber lowered the letter. “What kind of name is that?”

She tossed the letter on the bed, then unfolded the uniform. It was similar to what she’d seen some of the people around the Academy wearing. A blouse, made of a soft, silky material, a thick jacket with the school crest over the breast, the dragon with a sword through its skull looking rather intimidating up close.

Under that was a sweater and a black, pleated skirt, both covering a bag with new underwear in various sizes, as well as the Academy phone she’d been promised in the letter. It was a black brick. A bit thick for a smart-phone, but she figured it might be tougher than most.

Amber had never been to a school nice enough to have uniforms, but she supposed that she could get used to it. She changed quickly, and was soon tugging at the uniform so that it fit properly. The only thing left in the box were stockings and some mary janes that she slipped on.

This is surprisingly modest. She ran her hands against the sides of the skirt, then jumped when her hands slid into something. The skirts have pockets? It really is a magical academy.

Shoving her old clothes into the box, she hefted it up and then paused.

I guess I find the dorms now?

She tucked the box against her hip and left the room. The hospital was quiet, a few doctors chatting around a water-cooler at the end of the corridor, and a few beeps coming from some of the rooms. Most of those she passed were empty. Amber figured that magical healing on-tap meant that things were usually quiet.

Stopping by the lobby, she told the young man behind the desk that she was leaving, and he typed something on a computer before handing her a sheet that declared her fit for duty.

The weather outside had turned a little chilly since she’d last been out. The morning dew still hung to the grass and patches of flowers, but it was starting to fade as the sun beamed over the walls around the Academy. The streets were nearly empty, and for a moment Amber wasn’t sure where to go. That was, until she noticed a girl moving by with her eyes on her phone.

“Sorry,” Amber said as she moved closer. “I’m a little lost.”

The girl looked up. “Oh, a newbie?”

“I guess so,” Amber agreed. “Do you know where the dorms are?”

“I wouldn’t have a place to sleep if I didn’t,” she said before pointing. “That way. Cross the bridge over the pit, then straight after. You’ll see two fat towers. Can’t miss them. One is the girl’s dorm.”

“Are there signs?” Amber asked.

“Girl’s dorm is a bit taller. More flowers too.”

Amber thanked the girl and waved goodbye before taking the path she’d indicated. The bridge turned out to be one of the stone archways over the path splitting the academy in two. A few magicals were sitting on the edges of it, some holding hands, others in little groups chatting and laughing.

As she crossed over to the other side, she found a lot more people, most of them around her own age, and in the same uniform she was in, though a few were bouncing from rooftop to rooftop in colourful dresses.

No one seemed to pay them any mind.

This place feels so strange. Half the people here would be celebrities on Earth, but they’re just... normal here. Amber shifted to the side to let a cart pushed by a pair of men in army greens go by. Weird.

The coffee shops, little clothing stores and other amenities she crossed felt off too. Like exploring a medieval fair-ground that sold Gucci.

She found the dormitories at the end of the street. Two imposing towers that were wider than most homes, and rose up six floors off the ground. They were made of grey stone, with paned windows on every floor, some with open shutters and others bundled up.

Ivy stuck to the walls and flowery bushes circled around the base of both towers, giving them a bit of life that the careful stonework lacked.

Stepping up to the one on the left, she knocked on the huge wooden door, then when nothing happened, opened it up with a tug.

The interior was lit by a few electric bulbs in wrought-iron sconces. They illuminated bare stone walls with paintings stuck to them, and a floor covered by a heavy rug. A spiral stone staircase at the end of the hall led up.

“Second floor, room three,” Amber muttered. She started up the stairs, a little surprised at how easy it was to climb them.

The doors on the second floor all had numbers on them, little metal plaques with fanciful stenciling. There was another huge rug, and a few potted plants to break up an otherwise grey corridor.

Amber moved to the door marked ‘Three’ and knocked. “Hello?” she called out.

Something moved behind the door, and she found herself shifting awkwardly with her box in hand as she waited.

The door opened, and Amber found herself having to lean back as a tall girl stood before her. She had blond hair, done up in a neat pony-tail, and she was wearing the same uniform as Amber, her skrt switched out for a pair of slacks. “Yes?” the girl asked.

Amber took just a moment to collect herself before she tried a welcoming smile. “Hello. I’m Amber. I was assigned to this room? Team Svalinn, floor two, room three.”

The girl’s face shifted a little, but Amber couldn’t put a name to the expression. Well, I could call it a resting bitch face, but that would be a little rude.

The girl sighed. “I’m Morgan. Come in.”

Morgan moved back and out of the doorway, letting Amber follow her into a little living space. There was a table, a very small kitchen to one side, and a sofa near the windows. Five doors surrounded the room, the first four leading into little bedrooms, the fifth to a bathroom.

“Make yourself at home,” Morgan said.

***