Two days before the students were released from their break, Torren would spend more time with the Student Council than he did at his most frequent spots. They offered a momentary company before Meira would eventually chase him away.
"Sujing, you know the rules. You coming here every day like a dog that lost his owner won't buy you sympathy."
She expressed before deriding Luciana for her "irresponsibility" and Lotarim for enabling her.
During his last attempt to find the excitable group, he was met with locked doors.
"They really aren't around during the holidays huh."
His voice fell after finding no sign of entry since the doors were shut yesterday.
Taking out his frustration on the carton of juice in his hand, he threw it at the ground. Letting out a small spurt of fluid, it unfortunately landed on a passer by.
"Sujing...what are you doing?"
"Ah…oh Stephen. Wait, what are you doing here?"
"I've got some work to do for the Student Generals before I can leave for the holidays."
"What do you mean, I thought you were only helping Ketsu during the Carnival, why are you still working when they're all gone?"
"Because he's already gone, which leaves his tasks onto the next person he entrusted. Also, the uld doesn't' hurt"
"Hang on, you're getting paid?"
"Sigh….Sujing, what are you doing here?"
Stephen would learn that Torren was trying to sign up for a few Quests over the break, but the Student Generals didn't want to hear it, holiday break was a holiday break for all of the students, no exceptions
"Oh. Holiday work is what you were looking for? Well we aren't due for another contest and you haven't pestered me to help you study so I know you aren't struggling with your studies. So if you are looking for extra credit, perhaps–"
"Ehem" Clearing his throat "No, Stephen. I need uld. I–just don't want to go home empty handed."
Another day and he would have been home, thinking only of seeing his family, so why is it now that he's worried.
'About Sujing, no less.' Stephen wondered, thinking hard on their earlier conversation.
While completing the last of his paperwork, Stephen watched his Notebook give a momentary glow, but he ignored the alert to finish up, it was already late, and he did not want to miss the last tram home.
After using the dorm's kitchen to make himself something, he was off to bed, but not before another dull glow was emitted from his Notebook.
With a brain half burnt out from the day's tasks, he flung his open Notebook onto his desk, allowing the latest message to be read aloud.
"Stephen Markholdz. You are expected at the Main Gates of the Academy at 7h00 tomorrow. Bring your luggage and don't be late - C.C.H."
"Hmm, must be a Student General, well they probably aren't asking for much since I'll be leaving soon after."
Shutting the book, returning the room to a darkness only illuminated by the faint strips of courtyard gaslight streaming in.
The early morning greeted him. For it wasn't the dawning sun that he woke up to, no, in fact, he barely got any sleep.
And with that, he put himself to use, packing his suitcases, and clearing away the mess of the room, before taking a long bath.
It probably brought him the closest to some sense of rest, but that was more from his use of Water Magic to maintain the same desired temperature, an exhausting effort.
So by the time other students would be getting ready, he was already on his way. As the night workers took their leave, they were seen out by him.
He met the tram station conductor upon his arrival and took the first craft of the day.
It was a peaceful journey back to the campus, but his mind was still uneasy.
Coming to the station within the campus, he hauled his suitcases up and out of the station. The time was still 6h40 and a chilly morning at that.
So after spotting the lacking presence of students, he went to look for a warm drink and a sunlit bench.
The pairing of early morning peace and cozy warmth of a delicious drink had him dozing off for a moment.
When his eyes fluttered open, he woke up to find a binding of tanned orange leather wrapped in golden braided thread.
"To Stephen."
Etched into the surface of the leather, the scrollwork and filigree glimmered around his name as it danced with the light from the early morning sun.
Picking up the binding, had a set of keys fall out and onto his lap. A simple but recognizable design etched into the keyholder from an unforgettable time spent soaring the skies.
The idea of having to travel to the other side of Aria was a bit annoying especially since he had been up all morning. "I guess I'm heading to the Tuning Lake…" He sighed, loud enough for a passing someone to catch his fatigue.
"For someone that's going home you don't look too happy." Torren appeared from beneath the archway under one of the school buildings.
Spying what he calls the "familiar wind" of Stephen well before he even saw his shadow stretched out against the rising morning sun.
Before Stephen could ask where Torren came from, he also noticed his bags, looking almost pressed to say something only to be cut off by the ringing chime coming from Stephen's Notebook.
Answering the incoming call while Torren sat on the bench, waiting. Stephen turned to face him at one point before turning away and finishing the call.
By the end, he looked like he was trying to gather every measure of strength for what he had to do next.
"Sujing, lets go."
"About that–"
"Now, Torren!" Stephen grabbed his luggage, and hauled away into the school, stepping in a huff on their way to the Transportation Grounds.
Arriving at the Ryokin Stables near the Tuning Lake, with the help of the school's Teleportation Seal, it didn't take much to configure them for the journey to the foot of the Bloodsong Mountains.
The pair appeared in a brilliant flash of light, expecting to find the Beastmaster Taro, the stables instead were tended to by someone else.
Stephen left Torren behind as he stabilized him from the spatial jump there, speaking with the stable hand, and showing him the keys, he quickly shuffled them along, after clearing out the last of the beasts's dung before hauling out the cart.
Pointing to the section of the stables that were marked with the same seal as the keychain, the stable hand asked for their names and affiliation with the owners of the stable.
Stephen showed him the letter before receiving a nod and being allowed to interact with the mounts.
Taking up the reins from a nearby cradle, Stephen moved to set up his mount.
"Are you going to keep ignoring me, Stephen? You haven't said anything since we left school."
"Sigh. All right, Sujing."
"Do you want to tell me how you ended up here?" He said after grabbing another set of reins and tossing them to Torren.
"I called your folk's place and asked about…" Torren answered, wearing an expression that spoke of no
"Yes, about that. How did you get the number of my home? I mean no disrespect but I make it a point to keep my familial affairs out of the hands of anyone I haven't validated….and you are not someone who could do this alone."
"I would be so offended if you weren't so right. Sometimes it helps to be personable. It might be hard to hear, or even believe, but it does go a long way to simply ask nicely."
Torren teased a frustrated Stephen as they cut through an outback route to the Sword Oak Forest atop their generously imparted mounts.
The Ryokin's were fairly young, with reigns and armour guard pieces bearing a modified Royal crest, something that was met with cold silence each time Torren pointed it out to Stephen.
Breaking into the treeline of the Bladed Woods, the most dense area of the Sword Oak Forest, spreading from the Western edge and covering the entirety of the Southern border.
With how treacherous the landscape can be, mounts offered the best way of travel, followed by travelling on foot.
You would think that it would be the perfect location to utilize Teleportation Seals, however the density of the area in both flora and magic has an unfortunate effect of distorting the configuration for safe spatial movement…the emphasis being placed on safety.
After descending from the skies, the beasts found their footing on the tower trees and used their razor sharp claws to hold on as they leapt from branch to branch.
Their keen eyesight allows them to blitz through the maze-like environment of the forest.
"So how long do you think the Princess will let us keep these guys…it might sound crazy but they've grown on me."
Petting the matted feathers of his mount much to its joy, letting out a coo and cry before it continued to pounce its way through the forest.
"One, they're female and two, they're on loan from the Princess, which means they go right back in the next few days, so try not to tarnish the leatherwork."
"How did you get her to do this for us? I don't think I've shared more than a few words with her, let alone the same air long enough for her to know me."
"I called in a favor, that's all."
"That's it?"
"Yes, now if you bite your tongue, keep talking while we move around."
Stephen clicked his tongue, while the stirrups of his soles tapped against the beast's hide, spurring in a rush ahead of Torren.
First the large feathered was steady ahead of them, fluttering through the treeline before the only thing Torren had to follow was the fading trail of feathers.
"Hey uh, can you slow down…I…Stephen…Stephen?" He called with some concern sitting in his throat as he desperately tried to spur his Ryokin to chase after them.