Ben Blazze and Heimdall's Orb

Chapter 10: The Wolf Principal

Ben spent the weekend balancing on a tightrope over a chocolate syrup pool. The pool was his desire to know all about being an alien, and yes, he'd rather jump in it. But he needed to please his grandmother. She was doing her best to make up for the lost years and bond with him.

So, he made a great effort to balance between desire and sense of duty and cross the pool. After all, his life had a thrilling turning point for the better, and he owed it to Maria de Paula.

Ben accompanied her to the mall, movies, restaurants, and theater, even though his mind was partially absent.

But, at last, Monday had arrived.

At breakfast, Mrs. Blazze informed him: "I told Thomas to take you a little earlier today. When you get there, look for Principal Madre Sonia Lukan. She is the same Principal from your father's time there and will refer you the best way."

And so it was done.

It was still 6:30 when he arrived at school, and there was hardly any movement. After identifying himself, a staff member took him to the Principal's office. He settled into one of the chairs before the antique wooden table and waited.

Sweetflower, who shapeshifted into a hamster, remained hidden in Ben's backpack.

After a little while, the door opened, and Ben saw her entering. Madre Sonia, wearing the Salesian Sisters' traditional gray habit over white garments, but with a nothing familiar WOLF FACE?

Ben jumped up from his chair, knocking it to the floor, and almost let out an astonishment cry.

"Ben, calm down!" Sweetflower urged, already off the backpack and on the table. "She is just a Sirianee. There's no reason to be afraid. Right?" she asked, turning to Madre Sonia and not looking so sure of what she just said. The Principal's sour face would intimidate even a vicious lion.

"No, there isn't, unless you are as undisciplined as your father," the Principal replied. "Good morning, Ben," she greeted him at last.

"G-good morning."

"If you're going to react like that at every sight of a different species, we are in serious trouble, Mr. Blazze," postulated Madre Sonia. "Are you aware of the discretion to which we are bound?" she asked him but also accused Sweetflower, using only that look. You know which one.

"YES, yes, I am!" – "Of course, he is," they both answered at the same time.

"Did you expect me to be an alien?"

"Yes. When your grandmother called me, saying that the newly found Arthur's son would need transferring here, I anticipated that. What I did not foresee was that you already had a DUPER and a Caeli friend," she replied naturally. "How did that happen?"

"I am on a mission assigned by the Council, Madre, watching over Ben."

"Good. It diminished the need for explanations on my part," Madre Sonia said coldly, making Ben wonder if she was Miss Keller's alien parallel. "Lucky for you, Mr. Blazze, this school will help you adapt to this new reality."

"How so?"

"We have a special curriculum for aliens. You will take it, attending school full time."

"Full time?"

"Yes. You'll take mixed classes in the morning and alien-only disciplines in the afternoon."

"How do I explain that to my grandmother?"

"Don't worry about that; I'll do it myself," the Sirianee nun replied. "It should be no surprise to her since it is the same as happened to your father. We tell the humans that the extra period is only for pre-selected students, possessing unique vocations.

"Fortunately," she continued, "7th grade is the first of such curriculum for any alien child. You have missed only the past three weeks, and should have no trouble recovering the lost content."

Upon saying that, she took the phone on the table and called an internal line:

"Sister Nadine, would you come here, please?"

Soon, another Sirianee entered, also wearing a habit but looking much more pleasant than Madre Sonia. Her fur was reddish-brown like a fox, and a smile lit her face.

"Good morning!" she greeted joyfully.

"These are Benjamin Blazze and..."

"Sweetflower Appletree," the Caeli jumped in.

"... Sweetflower. Mr. Blazze is joining our full-curriculum. Miss Appletree can accompany him if she wishes to."

"Well, I kinda have to, since this is my job. I'll inform the Council that Ben ended up here, and I'm sure that will reassure them."

"As you prefer. Sister Nadine, you know what to do," Madre Sonia said. "As for you two, mark my words: you won't want to trouble me," she added as she got up from her chair.

Ben shivered at that explicit threat and couldn't answer. His only reaction was casting a bug-eyed look at Sweetflower as the Madre passed them to leave the office. The Caeli girl, on her turn, couldn't hold her tongue: "Is she always like that?" she asked Sister Nadine.

"Don't get used to it; she must be on a happy day," the nun replied, dropping the kids' jaws.

"Sister Nadine, are all the nuns Sirianees around here?" Ben asked.

She laughed before replying. "The correct plural would be Siriar, Ben. To answer your question, no. Some are human; others are from different races — the same goes for the teachers. One more thing: you should never ask that kind of question outside the alien-only classes, okay? Now, let's go."

Sweetflower got back in Ben's backpack, and they left the office. Sister Nadine led Ben through long halls lined with doors on both sides until they stopped before a classroom. Professor Notorious Phaliari, Ben read on the sign at the entrance.

"This will be your first class of the day, English with Professor Phaliari. Remember: it's a mixed class. Be careful, okay?" she appealed. Then she handed him a sheet of paper and said: "This is your timetable. Upon ending a class, go immediately to the next one. I'd suggest you make friends with another kid... one that's like us so that you don't feel lost, especially in the afternoon classes."

"Okay," he replied.

"Now go in, take a seat, and wait for your teacher and classmates. The period starts in 20 minutes."