The Burned Rogue Book

Chapter Six: The Dream

Chapter Six: The Dream

“What’s going on?” I asked, looking around The Campus. It was dusk, and fiery braziers lit up everything. People were running around, and from some unidentifiable place I could hear the clanging of metal on metal, as if someone were forging weapons.

“We’re getting ready for battle in the morning,” Atlas muttered, his jaw clenching.

“Does this happen often?” I dared to question. He shook his head. We stopped walking and he stepped in front of me.

“Jennabel, listen to me,” he said, placing his hands on my shoulder. “I know you barely know me, but I know you. You can’t go back to the red dorms. In cases like this, in emergencies, everyone camps out in the blue dorms. I need you to go there, now.” He sighed. “Please, Jennabel. You’re the one they’re looking for, the one they want. The whole safety of The Campus is in your hands. Please, I’m begging you, go to the blue dorms now. I’ll meet you there in a second, okay?”

I nodded.

“Thank you, Jennabel,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. He let go of me. “Go to room 314. That’s my room. I’ll meet you there in a few, along with instructions on what you need to do from there. Go!”

I nodded again and we went opposite ways. My heart was pounding. I carried the safety of The Campus? Ohhhh boy.

I wound my way around to find the blue dorms. Tons of other Rogues were packing themselves in, and for a second, I wondered how they were going to all fit there, until I saw that the blue dorms were huge. The ceilings were tall, and the halls were wide. There were tons of rooms and arches, and I felt relieved. If that Ancel dude came in here, he’d be lost for ages.

I passed a girl in a blue shirt, and I quickly turned around and got her attention. “Excuse me,” I said.

She gave me a dirty look. “What?” she spat.

“Um…where’s room 314?”

Her eyebrows rose. “Atlas’s room?”

I nodded, feeling myself turn red.

“We have tons of guest rooms for these kinds of situations,” she snarled. I scowled.

“Pardon me, there’s no need to be rude.”

She narrowed her eyes. “To my understanding, The Campus is in danger because of you. And now you expect me to give you directions to Atlas’s room?”

“For God’s sake,” I snapped.

“Girls aren’t allowed to be in a boy’s room,” she stated. I wanted to pull her by her blond curly hair.

“The Campus is in danger and you’re slamming a rule book in my face?” I demanded incredulously.

“Who do you think you are?!” the girl demanded. “I bet you don’t even know how to do anything. Cast a basic spell!”

“Hey!” entered a third voice. I looked and saw Gair with a nervous grin. “Cornelia, Jennabel, how are you?”

Cornelia, I guess her name was, rolled her eyes and left.

“What’s up with her?” Gair asked. I rolled my eyes too and sighed in exasperation.

“She doesn’t like me, for whatever reason. Gair, point me to Atlas’s room, please.”

He gave me a look, like ‘oooooooh,’ and I stared at him.

“Not like that,” I said flatly. His smile faded.