Xiacran Tower(On Hold)

The Group

"Have you found them?" Inigo asks Ryki, passing him on the stairs.

"They're not in their rooms," Ryki says.

Inigo stops walking up the stairs and joins Ryki.

"Will they be outside?"

"I have no idea, we are really late for class too."

"Classes are the last thing on my mind at the moment."

"I know what you mean, but I still don't want to get in trouble. Maybe they don't want to be found. If Xylcas and Dinwae can cast illusion spells, we could have looked right at them and not seen them. We should go to class and hope they turn up." Ryki says trying to be the voice of reason.

"Yeah, you're right," Inigo concedes.

"Come on, we have History of Magic."

Throughout the day, Inigo would get frustrated overhearing people conversations, and the topic of the day is Dinwae.

No matter how many times Inigo tries to move away from the conversation, the mention of Dinwae's name keeps him attentive.

"I can understand wanting to be an Azuralite and have wings, but why would you want to be a boy?"

"It is so weird, apparently she or he or whatever has been using the communal showers with the other boys."

The group of young women start squealing in disgust and laughing at each other.

Inigo fills with rage and tries to tune them out.

"Can you believe what they are saying?" Inigo whispers to Ryki.

"For some reason, I thought Kivastora was more tolerable than this. From T'ezu, we hear the lands are now living in a time of peace and acceptance. From what I've learned, people have a long way to go, when it comes to acceptance." Ryki whispers back.

"That's how I was brought up, it doesn't matter what race you are, how you look, or even what gender you are. We are all people, people with feelings not unlike how nature mages feel about plants."

"Now you know why I punched Otaeryn." Ryki smiles

"Never had a doubt in the first place, if you didn't, I would have. That is the main issue I have with Otaeryn, he knows plants have feelings, yet he is the first to shun Dinwae? It doesn't make any sense." Inigo says.

"When it comes to prejudice, you will find it makes less and less sense the more you think about it," Ryki says.

"I knew there was prejudice here because of the way everyone treats Shaya. But I never expected this, for some reason I thought this place would be different. People from different races all living together with a common goal, to study magic." 'I don't know why I thought it would be different than Lanawae. I'm annoyed that I believed this.'

"You and me both," Ryki replies.

At the end of the day, Xylcas and Dinwae are still no-where to be seen.

"They didn't turn up to any classes today," Inigo says to Ryki.

"I know," Ryki sighs, forcing himself to climb the stairs.

Inigo is also feeling fatigued, every moment they had free was spent looking for their missing friends.

The pair are almost at their floor when they see Otaeryn dragging his belongings from his room.

"Are you actually changing rooms?" Ryki asks the Elf.

"Leave me alone," Otaeryn snaps.

"No problem," Ryki throws his hands in the air. "Inigo, want to hang out like actual friends do?"