Xiacran Tower(On Hold)

Ryki Special

Tossing and turning, Inigo doesn't get much sleep. The morning arrives, and he drags himself out of bed. Not wanting to face the day, he listens through his door to try and hear any movement.

'Nothing now is your chance to get a shower without running into anyone.' He opens his door, grabs his towel and runs to the showers.

"Hey, Inigo!" Xylcas says, his voice muffled by the water rushing past his face, he is standing naked under the shower at the far end of the room.

"The same idea as us then?" Dinwae asks he is also stood naked in the shower on the opposite side of the room.

Inigo stands there not knowing what to do, the only spaces are between them. 'It would be weird if you turned around and walked out. You don't need any more weirdness.' "Yeah, same idea. I usually shower at night, but I went straight to bed yesterday." Inigo goes to the centre shower and turns on the shower using the glyphs.

"Ryki told us you had met, did you really slam him up against the wall?" Xylcas asks.

"Where the hell were you yesterday? People are saying you have been kicked out." Dinwae follows.

"I was..." 'You may as well tell them, get it over with.' "I'm not allowed to... I'm attuned to Arcane Magic, but also Dark Magic. Whenever I try to cast Nature Magic, I cast Dark Magic instead that's why I can't go to Nature Magic classes, and that's where I was yesterday, in Dark Magic class with Master Xiacran." Inigo puts his head under the shower, not wanting to hear their answers. 'Excellent, now everyone hates you.'

Inigo pulls his head back out of the shower and hears Dinwae say, "Circle-Mage Xiacran."

"I'm so jealous!" Xylcas says.

"What?" Inigo can't believe his ears.

"I'm jealous of you. Dark Magic is high-level magic, most Mages go through their whole lives without being able to cast basic Dark Magic." Xylcas says

"I thought you would hate me."

"Why would we hate you?" Dinwae asks.

"Because I'm different," Inigo replies.

"Believe me, you are normal, for a Mage anyway. This is great maybe you could teach us a few tricks so we can impress the masters when we get to third-year." Dinwae says.

"Sure, I guess. Master Xiacran said I'm not allowed to cast Dark Magic when he is not around, but I'm sure I can explain it to you." Inigo replies, lathering himself with soap.

"Is that why you were distancing yourself from us? Because you were afraid of what we will think?" Dinwae shares a look with Xylcas.

"Out of everyone here at this college, we are the ones you definitely shouldn't have worried about. We know what it is like to be judged for being different." Xylcas says, turning off his shower before reaching for his towel.

"Really? You two?" Inigo says rinsing the last of the soap.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Dinwae replies.

"I don't know, you're good looking, tall, already have a firm grasp of Arcane Magic... I guess I look up to you." Inigo says.

Dinwae smiles as if this is the first time he had heard this.

After the shower, Inigo covers himself with his towel and heads back to his room to dry off. He changes into his college robes, packs his bag for the day and heads out into the hall locking the door on his way out.

He turns to see Ryki also leaving his room, "Hi Ryki, I wanted to apologise for yesterday, I was having a bad day. Can we start again?" Inigo extends his hand for Ryki to shake.

Ryki shakes Inigo's had without hesitation. "Don't worry about it."

Inigo smiles, "Are you coming down for breakfast?"

"Sure am, was about to knock on for Xylcas, Dinwae and Otae see if they wanted to join us," Ryki replies, knocking on Xylcas' door.

"Sounds good to me," Inigo says, knocking on Dinwae's door.

"Y'alright guys?" Otaeryn's voice calls from behind.

"Not bad how about you?" Ryki replies.

"Great, Inigo! Glad you can join us, where were you yesterday?"

"Dark Magic with Master Xiacran, I'm not allowed to attend Nature Magic because whenever I try, I cast Dark Magic."

"Woah, really? You're right, Ry' he is a Dark Mage." Otaeryn says.

"Go easy on him, he thought we would all hate him for it." Dinwae walks through the door and nods at Inigo.

"That's why you were stressed yesterday," Ryki says smoothing out the black fur on top of his head.

"So, you two are okay now?" Xylcas asks, confusing Inigo for a second as he didn't notice the red-haired Azuralite come out of his room.

"Yeah, no problem here." Ryki smiles.

"Same," Inigo replies.

"Alright, let's go. I'm starving." Otaeryn says herding the group.

They all walk down the stairs to the dining hall, Inigo smiles to himself. 'Maybe I was wrong, maybe they don't hate me.'

Inigo joins in the casual conversation as they load up their plates with food, as they find a place to sit, he notices that Ryki's plate is empty.

"Are you not hungry?" Inigo asks Ryki, sitting opposite the Daeku.

"Oh yeah, but I don't eat that," Ryki says, turning his nose up at Inigo's plate of eggs and sausages.

"What do you eat?" Inigo asks.

Ryki closes his eyes as a dim golden glow swirls from his hands to over his plate. Beneath the golden glow, a white object begins to form, it bubbles and grows. "This is what I eat." The white object fills with colour as the golden glow fades and what is left is a rainbow-coloured slab of what looks like meat.

"What is that?" Xylcas laughs.

"To be honest, I don't know." Ryki jokes, "It is something I've always made. It has all the nutrients the body needs, and it tastes amazing too. Would you like some?" Ryki asks.

"Sure."

"Yeah."

"Me too."

"Not for me thanks," Otaeryn says.

Ryki casts the same spell and creates another rainbow-coloured slab, cuts it up and shares it among Inigo, Xylcas and Dinwae. They each take a bite.

Inigo bites into the slab, the same toughness as meat but the flavour explosion in his mouth says otherwise. As he chews, strong flavours burst through and fade again. He can't tell what flavour he is actually tasting, all he knows is that he doesn't taste anything he doesn't like. "Wow." Inigo barely says through the food.

"That is amazing! What do you call it?" Dinwae agrees, looking at Xylcas who has pushed his other food away.

"The 'Ryki Special'." The Daeku says, looking proud.

"Oh, go on then, I'll have some," Otaeryn says seeing all of their reactions to Ryki's creation.

"No way, get your own," Xylcas says as Otaeryn reaches for his piece.

"Settle down, I'll make one more, but that is it, it takes up too much mana," Ryki says, holding his hands out again to make another.

Writing this made me incredibly hungry :)

If you liked this part a vote will be greatly appreciated!

Feel free to comment, you might see things that I don't.

JM