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I walked the familiar halls and made my way to Professor Sageira’s personal office. As we closed in on her door, I noticed the tapping of Spot’s talons on the marble floor stopped. When I looked back, he was frozen where he was standing.

“Spot?” I called to him questioningly, which broke him out of his frozen stupor.

The moment Spot was broken from his stupor, he started chirping the same chirp the chicks use to warn of danger, while running side to side, but not going forward any further. “Spot, what's gotten into you?” I asked Spot just as I felt a very familiar dragon’s intent rest upon me, and when it did, it seemed like Spot was also caught in the intent.

Spot immediately dropped to the floor, making himself as flat as possible, and froze like a baby fawn trying to hide in the grass, but the marble hallway lacked any grass, so he just looked silly.

[It is not the chick’s fault.] I heard Professor Sageira telepathically. [I have just had that effect on beasts who are sensitive and smart enough. It is a trait we dragons have as an apex predator.]

I just sighed and went to pick up Spot, carrying him into Professor Sageira’s office. “Hi, professor,” I said as I entered to see her sipping some tea. When I put Spot down in front of the dragon in disguise, Spot immediately flipped on his back to show his belly in surrender.

“I sure hope you grow up braver than this. It will be bad if you freeze up when we charge into battle when you are fully grown.” I sighed as I bent down to rub his belly.

Professor Sageira just waved off my worry, “He will grow out of it. I have been attacked by a flock of hippogriffs in my younger days when I flew too close to their nest. They had no problems attacking me then.”

She then put down her tea, got down on all fours, and nuzzled Spot’s belly with her mouth before flipping him right side up. When Spot got back on his feet, he timidly walked over and nuzzled Professor Sageira’s leg before scampering back behind my legs.

While this was going on, I just watched the weird play before wondering out loud, “What even was that?”

Professor Sageira just shrugged and said, “It's a beast thing. He offered his belly to me in submission, and I put my mouth to his belly but did not bite, representing that I spared his life despite being a lot stronger than he was. Now he should stop quivering in terror when around me.”

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“Ok… good to know if anyone or anything surrenders to me like that in the future.” I said.

“Or if you are the one who needs to do the surrendering.” she chuckled in reply.

I sure as hell hope not!

As we sat down to chat, I picked up Spot and passed him to Professor Sageira so she could pet him and get him used to her. Spot gave me a look like I had betrayed him, but it didn't take long for him to release satisfied rumbles, as Professor Sageira knew exactly where to scratch.

After a short catch-up, because with our telepathic communication, most things that needed to be said had already been said. I excused myself for the day to go about and greet my teachers and wait for the end of the school day to pick up my siblings.

As I went around to greet the professors and instructors who used to teach me. I took some time to catch up and give out business cards and my Wyrm Works pocket knife. This especially caught the attention of my blacksmith instructor, Haldor Steelbeard.

“So you’re the one that’s been putting out those Wyrm Works pieces, aye? I saw your work when one of my mates was showin’ off his new sword. Fine work, my lad.” he said in his dwarven accent while slapping me on the back.

“I try my best. After all, it is you who got me started with the basics.” I returned the compliment.

We talked for a while, which eventually turned into talking shop. He critiqued what he observed bout my work and gave me a few pointers before he had to go teach his next class.

I spent the rest of the time hanging out at the campus tea shop, sipping a cup of tea and slowly eating a slice of cake until the last bell of the day rang. And when it did, I got up and went to the entrance that the students would use to go to their dorms.

Eventually, the faces I was waiting for appeared. My younger brother was the first to see me and began waving and calling out. This grabbed Charlotte's attention, as she was talking with some friends.

They immediately took off running, and I was soon assaulted by two headbutts, ramming into me as my sister and brother tackle-hugged me. “Big brother!” they both shouted as they buried their head into my chest.

As my brother and sister were talking over each other, asking questions and telling me things, I felt a tug at my right sleeve and turned to the side to see a blushing Emma. “Hi Luke.” She greeted me, and as she did, off in the corner of my vision, I caught sight of a group of girls giggling.

“Friends of yours?” I asked her while gesturing at the group with my eyes.

She just blushed harder while swiping her fringe from her eyes. “Y-Yes. They are the friends I mentioned in my letters.”

Just as they had pressured me to frequently write home, Emma and my siblings were no exception. They wrote about the friends they made, the activities and fun they had, and the latest school gossip. If I compiled their letters, I could almost live their school life vicariously.

With my loved ones gathered, I suggested we go out on the town.