I’m a little taken aback by the creation — a feeling shared by Tilly and Tom who get caught in two minds regarding the necessary defence. They decide on webs to trap the creatures before changing their minds at the last minute, producing a steel mesh instead.
The mesh wall doesn’t form in time, bringing a collective cry of ‘DISIRA’ from us: the disintegration charm obliterating the steel creatures seconds before they descend on Tilly and Tom.
Team One, led by Olin, have won the first game of Rucklz, something the ever-confident Ethan and Katie find a little unnerving. As self-assured as they are, each has fallen short in today’s test, making them realise their future in the S.P.M.A. isn’t going to be plain sailing, after all.
7
Familiar Visions
With The Hallowed Lawn returned to its immaculate state via the use of a Repellia charm, Jacob sends the class off to lunch — a signal for the students to activate portable Periums, transporting them back to The Cendryll. If they’re anything like I was, they’ll take a detour to Founders’ Quad, heading for Wimples sweet shop or Merrymopes milkshake and ice cream parlour.
They’re under strict orders to stay within the boundaries of Founders’ Quad, either returning to their rooms in The Cendryll or enjoying the Society shops in the above ground section. Not that this will stop them exploring. I wasn’t one for rules myself which got me into a world of trouble: the sort of trouble Jacob is keen to protect his students from.
There’s no evil force to worry about, meaning Jacob has an hour to relax. He’s a little more serious than he used to be: the consequence of being responsible for eight students, I suppose.
I’ve tried my hardest to talk him out of committing to a career teaching new witches and wizards, but he remains committed to a quieter life. It’s only Conrad and I who can’t resist the pull of The Society Sphere — the endless realms offering a mixture of wonder and freedom. Although we’re still young, we’re as equipped as any witch or wizard, allowing us the freedom of discovery.
With the final student disappearing through their Perium, Jacob, Conrad and I put the finishing touches to The Hallowed Lawn, ensuring the divots are ironed out and every blade of grass is replaced. It’s a sacred place, after all, and although the Society elders aren’t precious about the use of the ground, its maintenance is another thing altogether.
The sky clouds over suddenly, leaving us to activate our own portable Perium: a curtain of light leading us into temporary darkness. Once inside, we walk through a tunnel of doors, each one getting smaller until we arrive in the Cendryll.
The Cendryll’s where everything started … where I met Kaira and Conrad, leading me to the life I live now. It’s also a reminder of the infinite power magic offers — the beautiful, delicate Quij fluttering in the air, carrying books to and from the bookcases perched under the vast skylight.
The big change is the presence of sky urchins and giants from Sad Souls. Not everyone’s got used to having sky urchins around the place, some of the more nervous members jumping every time the scar-ravaged creatures approach. It probably doesn’t help that they’ve refused to change their black rags for something more ‘fitting’ as Elin Farraday likes to put it.
Abandoning their uniform would be an abandonment of their traditions as a species conditioned for war, they argue, war which has given them their scars. They move through The Cendryll crowds proudly, taking the more nervous members of Jacob’s class under their wing: a symbol of one marginalised group recognising another.
Everything’s about unity now so no one dares make any group feel uncomfortable, leaving the ageing giants to lend their services to the creation of charms. The giants are called Ulux. They lived in a grey, depressing place called Sad Souls for years until the elders got a grip and realised the groups they most relied on in times of need deserved greater recognition — a recognition that started with inclusion.
“We should go and say hello,” Jacob suggests as Casper and Philomeena Renn appear on the spiral staircase: the two adults who took us under their wing in uncertain times.
Jacob’s big on loyalty, regularly reminding me of the need to show my face around here more. I know he’s right because The Cendryll is home now — the only home I’ve ever really known. Helping Jacob out with his students is my way of showing my appreciation — to a brother and a magical faculty — but life as a Night Ranger means perpetual motion, so I’ll be off again soon, seeking new adventures and putting a lid on trouble.
Thankfully, Conrad feels the same, travelling with me on my journeys throughout the S.P.M.A., including the ‘alone time’ we always manage to fit in. Let’s face it, the Society can be demanding and there’s no better example of that than Kaira’s dad and aunt: two legends who have sacrificed so much.
So, it’s time to do some quick hellos, checking in on familiar faces, before I’m off through the skylight on the back of my powder-blue Williynx, hoping I’ll be able to avoid Jacob’s questions about mum.
“Keeping out of trouble, Guppy?” Casper Renn asks with a smile - ever the elegant leader dressed in a light-blue suit with matching shirt and tie.
“Mainly,” I reply, returning the smile and nodding to Kerevenn: the first giant I ever laid eyes on. Kerevenn’s all angles
