4 Months Later ^

Rose's POV

My friends and I have been waiting eons it seems for this day to arrive. Today, we are finally allowed to go to the human town. I have accumulated quite a sum of money from my two jobs due to my raises and the occasional bonus. Ever since word got out that I crafted weapons for some of the most powerful magii users, I have been receiving more daring and pricey orders. I am getting so many orders that Mr.Gordon has to take any orders below $700. We also had to add on the order form that if you wanted to personally request me as the crafter, you would have to pay an additional fee.

I am also getting a large amount of money from my job at the sanctuary. Ever since last week when Seraphina gave birth to her clutch of 14 babies, I have been clocking in more time. I have named each and every one of the 8 girls and 6 boys. I got a hefty bonus from Mr.Everglade this past month because Seraphina only allows me to get near her babies. This means that I am the sole caretaker of 14 baby Basiliks. Baxter, the name I gave to the father of Seraphina's babies, doesn't restrict me from doing my job. Seraphina's younlings are a handful, but I couldn't be happier.

My dragons support me fully, and we spend most of my free time together, even if I am just reading or meditating. The Chimeras are recovering better than I could have hoped for and will start rehabilitation very soon for muscle growth.

My friends and I always spend breakfast and dinner together, but I hardly see them any other time of day. That is why we are very excited to spend a day having fun shopping. Since we are excused from all classes today, every student who wishes to go must meet in the central courtyard at 8 in the morn.

I awake a good hour and a half before I must leave. I make my bed, brush my teeth, set the shower at a fairly warm temperature, put my dirty clothes in my hamper, and step in. I make a mental note to visit the salon in the human town because I am running low on some of my personal items. I clean my body well and wash my hair thoroughly. I step out of the shower smelling slightly of roses and honey. I completely dry off my body and put on what I am going to wear today.

I throw on my undergarments, then put on one of the sundresses Mr.Romano gifted me. It is much like the dress I wore to the choosing ceremony, but a bit different in design. It is made up of silky cotton fabric with a milky ribbon underneath my breasts.



Because of my hardcore training, my arms look very muscular and my 'assets' are quite disbelieving for one of my age. After I brush out my soft hair, I take a few strands of it and cross them up and over one another. I then entwine a few small jasmine plants that I sprouted from a spare pot of soil.



I leave my Level 1 items on my jewelry stand, except my water item, and place a few pieces of jewelry on my body. I put on my Lucia family ring, the ring the golden boys gave me, my studs, and keep my aura crystal choker on.

I keep my ankle weights on out of habit, put on some socks, and wear my infamous combat boots. It took me a while to adjust to training with the ankle weights, in all honesty, I think Mr.Howard forgot to tell me to stop wearing them. Nevertheless, I am not taking any chances.

I don't opt for any makeup, for I don't feel the need to wear any. Instead, I spread a hardly noticeable layer of my anti-aging serum along my face. It will give me a small touch up but nothing too drastic. I finish my look with some lip balm and take a look in the mirror. I smile back at my reflection, very happy that I am able to see the top of my companion mark from my back.

I check all of my bags and place my card in an unnoticeable pocket on the side of my dress. I place a thigh strap on my legs and put in my engraved twin daggers. Although we are going to a human town, I will never walk around unguarded again.

I head out of my dorm and make my way to the cafeteria. Boys give me looks of lust and want as I pass by. I am somewhat used to the looks by now, but I am not used to seeing everyone look so normal.

It is sort of different to see everyone dressed like a common villager, one that is not preparing to train. Yet, I still see the underlying muscles and strength hidden underneath the clothing. I grab my breakfast and wait for Andrea and Tony to come. I say grace and chat with my friends and brothers when everyone has arrived.

"I am so excited!!" Mikey squeals.

"Me too!" Daniel and Danny say in unison. They groan in sinc after realizing they had a twin moment.

"I am glad to be able to take a break, even if it is only for a day." AJ says.

"Same here, stable duty is hard work." Ryder adds in.

"Being a chef isn't too bad, but I'm glad that I don't have to worry about expenses as much as some others." Oliver says, chewing some bacon.

"Same here." Andrea adds, scoffing down some eggs.

"I am happy that the Academy provides us with something." Tony states.

"Don't worry about the expenses, if you guys can't afford something, please come to me." I chime in. "Goddess knows I have enough." I mutter, finishing off my toast.

"You worked hard for your money Rose, I am not going to take advantage of that." Tony says.

"If you can't afford something, ask me." I repeat. "That is final." I tell, leaving no room for rebuttal. He sighs in defeat, knowing I won't back down.

"What are you planning to get?" I ask Jake, who is to my left.

"Honestly, I have been craving a few snacks, so I might take a look around the open market and bakery." He tells me. I nod.

"I'm going to visit the salon, I need some more personal care items." I say.

"I'll come with, goddess knows I could use a good face cream." Andrea dramatically says. I notice Tony give him a brief look. An indecipherable emotion flashes through his eyes before it is gone. It seems that I am the only one who noticed, it was probably nothing.

"I need a trim." Jaxson says, and I chuckle. The boy's hair is not too far from his shoulders, in our village, he always had it closer to his ears. I have recognized that my hair has grown quite long, a few inches short of my butt. I might get a trim, but I will still maintain my hair's length.

In Native American culture, based on the books I've read, ones hair length can actually represent their strong cultural identity. This view supports self-respect, a healthy sense of pride, a sense of belonging and self-esteem. In this particular culture, hair is sacred and significant to whom one is as an individual, in the community, and towards their family. Although I am not Native American myself, I like to be aware of different cultures and their respective customs.

We finish our breakfast quickly and head to the central courtyard. I take a deep breath and calm myself down when we arrive. I haven't been here since the assault, even my instructors have utilized a separate part of the Academy grounds for training so that I won't get triggered. I still have an occurrence of nightmares, but not as often as I used to.

I am very pleased with my progress, but I still know that it will take some more time to fully overcome the incident, if ever. I look around the courtyard, taking in all of the students to keep my thoughts from dwelling. I wave to Gabriel, Joel, Trevor, Clay, Stephen, Roman, Matisse, William, Louis, Aiden, and Timotheé when I see them clustered together. We wait a few minutes before Headmaster begins talking.

"Good morning students, today we will be visiting the human town. Before I discuss the mode of transportation, I will brief you all of the expectations. Rule Number 1, under no circumstance shall you use your magii. This is a complete human town, meaning that they are unaware of supernatural presence. Rule Number 2, you will all be on your best behavior. We will have a few of your instructors monitoring your all's behavior throughout the day just for regulation. I do not want a report of any of my students misbehaving. Rule Number 3, we will meet up at the same spot of arrival at half past 7. This gives everyone time to eat dinner, as well as watch the sunset and shop."

"Now, year 3 and 4's, you will have to use your own money to pay for anything that you shall buy. Year 1 and 2's, if you do not have a job, you will all be provided with a complementary $200 card. The card will stop working when you try to go over your balance, so use it wisely and do not lose it. As for transportation, every dragon rider placed Level 3 or above will take their companions. You will follow me and I will guide you to a clearing that is far enough away from the town to notice the dragons. If you are a magii user that is able to catch a ride with a friend, do so. If you cannot find a ride, you will be taking enchanted wagons. Dragon riders please go retrieve your companions and meet back here in a timely manner. You may disperse." Headmaster briefs us.

All of the other dragon riders and I go towards the stables, a good number of magii users staying behind. It is known that I ride my companions without a saddle for their comfort, so nobody will be traveling with me. I enter the stables before it becomes a stampede and go towards my powerful babies.

'Hello my twins, I will be out for a good portion of the day. Please behave, other than that, you may do whatever you please.' I inform the pair through bond-link. I give the both of them a kiss on their head and walk out with my white dragon.

'I will meet you in the clearing before sunset so we can watch it together. Is that alright?' I ask Belvedere.

'I would be more than pleased.' He responds. I nod and smile, feeling waves of happiness and appreciation being sent through our bond.

I turn my attention back to my surroundings, everyone buzzing with excitement for the day's activities. Don't fret, I already made sure that there will be somebody to feed Artemis and Apollo, as well as being reassured that the dragons will be provided food while in the clearing. I get back to the central courtyard, awaiting for instruction.

I stand by Roman and his companion, Scar. The dragon was one of the few sent to help retrieve chosen ones from my village. I see Matisse and the three other nature wielders standing next to my brother, I assume they are going to be riding together. I haven't see Alex, Justin, Axel, or Beau because they train with Level 3 dragon riders, occasionally helping out with Level 4.

"What are you going to look for?" My brother asks me after we depart from our hug.

"I am going to try and visit every shop. Do you know if they have a vintage or antique-like shop in the town?" I ask him.

"Yes, though I would advise you not to go." He says. I question him, so he continues on with his previous words. "The couple who runs the shop, the woman in particular, are crazy. I once went with Aiden and Clay just to check it out, and let me tell you, it was the creepiest experience of my life. They had some very peculiar objects in their shop and the both of them kept muttering words that nobody was able to understand." He shutters. I nod, my curiosity piquing.

"Dragon riders, board everyone onto your companions, then follow me to the clearing. It is a few hours away, so prepare for a longer flight." Headmaster instructs, getting on Star. I see Miss Celeste, Mr.Howard, and Mr.Gordon flying with him. I swiftly get onto Belvedere's back.

'Ready?' I ask.

'Yes little one. I am feeling very excited to see outside the Academy barrier for just a bit.' Belvedere chirps. I forget that my dragon used to be more free, living in the wild.

'If you ever feel confined, just let me know. I am sure that Headmaster would allow us to fly outside the Academy if you were ever feeling restricted.' I reassure my companion.

'Thank you little one.' He replies. We take off after my Headmaster, Belvedere easily keeping up with Star. The few hours pass by in a blink and Headmaster Jackson is already leading everyone to a large clearing in the woods. When we land, I thank Belvedere. I see everyone else who didn't travel via dragon at the edge of the clearing.

"We will take care of the dragons while you are out. Remember the rules and have fun!" Headmaster dismisses us. I find the group of 10 boys and catch up to them.

"How was the ride?" I ask them.

"Strangely, I can't remember anything, neither can anyone else." Ryder answers. I nod, it's probably just a side effect of the enchantment.

"Where to first?" Oliver questions.

"I was thinking maybe we could hit up every shop. If we some want to spend more time in one shop than the other, we can group off and meet up somewhere." I suggest. Everyone nods in agreement. We enter the human town. The first thing I notice is that everyone is very lively. People are bustling in and out of the shops, waving to strangers as they pass by.

"Let's start in here." Tony motions. We all enter a game shop with other toys. There are many games to play of all kinds, board games, cards, and others. I look around the shop, nothing really catching my eye. Nobody is really interested in anything so we quickly move on. This happens for the next few shops until we reach the antique shop. I enter first.

The first thing that catches my eye is an older looking couple in the back of the shop. The boys shuffle in behind me.

"I don't really like the feel of this shop." Mikey says. Andrea unconsciously shivers. Tony moves a little closer to where he is standing.

"I agree, I think I am going to skip out on this one." Daniel adds in. I hear a chorus of agreements.

"That's alright, I will meet you all soon in the next few shops." I tell them. They all scurry out of the shop, Tony is a little hesitant to leave me alone, but his gut feeling eventually leads him out of the store.

This place is very dusty, it shows no of being cleaned or visited in a while. I walk further in, gazing at all of the artifacts. I see how this may creep people out, yet weirdly, I feel indifferent.

I walk by shelves and displays. Some have jars with slightly disturbing things inside, other objects are unique clothing styles. My eyes land on an ancient looking book, it draws me in. It is on a display that is next to a navy blue cloak. It's pages look very old from the outside, the covering a swamp green color. There is a faint protective charm on the cover, but I am not familiar with the outline.

I walk up to it and blow away a layer of dust. I open the book where the bookmarked string was and see writings of many things. I flip to the front page and run my fingers across the writing. It looks like it was written in a Slavic based tongue, my assumption is Arabic. I try to piece together symbols and words from other languages, attempting to read the writing.

"It fascinates you, no?" I yelp upon hearing the older woman's words, I didn't even hear her approaching. When I look up into her eyes, we both gasp. Her eyes are a murky color. They resemble a steel gray, as well as an extremely pale blue. The woman mutters a few words in an unfamiliar language. "Malik!" She shouts, never taking her eyes off of my own.

"What is it Aisha?" I shift my gaze to the man. We let out more gasps. His eyes are the same unique color as the female's. "It can't be." I hear him mutter. They both look Middle Eastern and the language that the woman was speaking in is most likely their native tongue. I clear my throat.

"To answer your question, yes, I find the book fascinating. Although it seems as if it's in Arabic I believe, I will learn the language just to read what this book beholds." I say, running my fingers along the spine of the book.

"Where are you from?" Aisha raises an eyebrow. I don't know how to answer this question.

"I am studying abroad with a group of friends from my school. We stopped in this town to rest." I quickly think of. The pair smile brightly.

"You are apart of the Magii Community?" Malik questions. I look up at him in shock, my mouth opening and closing like a fish. He chuckles. "Although this is a human town we reside in, Aisha and I are apart of the Coven Community. We know of the annual magii student visits." He tells me. I sigh in relief and slight shock.

"What is your name child?" The woman asks.

"My name is Rose miss." I respond to my elder.

"Well Rose, this book is in fact written in Arabic. It is an ancient incantion book that many of the great witches of the past have used. This book beholds the knowledge of spells, enchantments, and other incantions. This book can teach you all of them to the point of mastery, as well as the intended use and meanings behind them. It was originally written by a very powerful mage, thus why this book is valuable." Aisha informs me.

"Wow." I whisper out. "If you don't mind me asking, how did this book come into your possession? Does that mean you are very powerful too?" I ask.

"This book was given to me by my great grandfather. He told me in secret that I must protect this book with my life, I have been doing so ever since." Malik answers. "And to respond to your second question, we are seers. There are books about our history, but we descended from Oracles from the Victorian days. We are able to slightly get glimpses of the future and visions solely from the past, nothing more, nothing less. Even though we are both fluent in Arabic, seers don't possess the power to chant and recite spells." He responds. I nod, absorbing all of this new information.

"Thank you for answering my questions. This shop is very mysterious, but in a good way." I say, not trying to offend anyone.

"Child, you are the first person to hold a conversation with us since we moved to this town. That was almost a decade ago. People don't bother us, we don't bother them." Aisha laughs. I am taken aback, almost 10 years without speaking to the surrounding humans. The pair nod, as if knowing what I am thinking. I sigh, retreating my gaze back to the book.

"It is yours." Malik says. I look at him confused.

"What?" I ask.

"The book, it's yours." He clarifies. My mouth hangs open.

"B-but your great grandfather said-"

"Yes, he told me to protect it with my life. He also told me to pass down the book to someone who will not abuse its power." He cuts me off. I begin thanking him repeatedly.

"It is no hassle." He says.

"How much?" I question. He laughs loudly.

"It is free for you child." He replies. I look at him in shock.

"Now, let's have a look around the shop. I think a few more things may catch your eye child." Aisha claps. I nod, still in shock from my gift.

The woman leads me all over the shop, looking at things and giving me the history of a few items. I end up picking out a gemstone ring set, a crossbody bag that can hold some of my things, and a few books that can teach me the history of the coven community, along with Arabic. They wrap everything up for a total price of $102, a complete bargain considering everything I bought. The pair follow me to the door.

"It was nice meeting you both, thank you once again for the book." I gratefully say to them.

"It really was no worry." Malik reassures me.

"We will see you soon child." Aisha says, pushing me out the door. Before I can ask what she means, the two are out of my sight. I sigh, walking into the next couple of shops. I finally find the boys wondering around a shoe store. A few of my friends have bags in their hands, I will ask to see their purchases later.

"Hey Rose, you were gone for a good while. Are you alright?" Oliver asks me.

"I am good, thank you for asking. Just got a couple of books." I reply, he nods. We walk out of the shop after Mikey buys a pair of nice looking brown shoes. I find my thoughts leading back to the eye-capturing book that Malik passed down to me. I am beginning to think that there is a deeper meaning to the incantations. I am most definitely going to find out.



^ Aisha



^ Malik



^ Ancient Incantation Book (in Arabic)



^ Referenced Ancient Arabic Incantion ( It does not read an actual spell, it references keeping close relations with your family members. )



^ Gemstone Ring Set



^ Leather Crossbody Bag



^ The Books to teach Rose Arabic and the History of the Coven Community

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