Yes at last. 61k

Erin said. “We have to have a bit more choices in the meals here so we can cover the various diets. Now is there something you are to be sure and eat?” Samantha said. “I am to have more caffeine and avoid diet foods. The caffeine is hard as I don’t like carbonated drinks. The bubbles just irate my mouth too much.” She flushed a bit. Edith said. “Well then you don’t want anything from the left side where John is heading. He can’t have real sugar in anything as it will make him literally climb the walls. There is coffee and cocoa with the drinks and you can take more then one if you want something else. The are more likely to tell you that you are not eating enough then to complain you have to much. Here are the trays and they expect them to be full.” Samantha shook her head a bit as the tray was big enough to hold two full sized dinner plates and drinks. Just how much did they think a person was to eat? She followed Erin and Sam as they head over to the food then frowned a bit. There were a number of items that were new to her, and she wanted to try but had no way to know if it was safe to. Well then best take small pieces of a few and look for ones that might be like the strange items they had on that pizza. Her allergies were a pain. At least there were some small slices with the big ones. Still the amont that was on the tray made her shat her head a bit, then it was over to the sald, whitch from watching the others she relized was likewise to fill a blate. There again were some odd chiose, but there it was easier to stay to items she was sure she could eat, even if some it was from seeing it in other dishes the last few days. She shook her head and followed them over to the drinks, glad the coffee was coffee and here was juice she knew, for all there were some odd ones of it. She didn’t know what that other hot drink was, they had said something about cocoa, but it wasn’t anything she had heard of or recognized. Samantha said. “I can’t get over the verity of the foods you have out here. I’m not sure just how I am going to mange to eat all of this.” Sam smiled, thinking how shocked she was going to be at just how much she would come to eat as she started to use the energy that the changes gave her. If she did use it, some couldn’t accept it, but all here would be taught about it. “I was surprised at how limited the choices were even for the upper class. I didn’t know how much your cities restricted trade. You will find your appetite grows as you adjust to being outside more. Come on the tables are just over here.” He led her on in and over to the table where Sally, Mike and Edith were. He got there and frowned Mike was a bit to pale and he didn’t have his food. “Where’s your lunch Mike? Want me to go get it for you?” He looked and saw Samantha was just standing there, but she clearly needed to get off that leg. “Samantha come on, they won’t bite. I am sorry, it is the lack of separation hitting you again. Trust me you need worry, no trouble is going to come from sitting at a table.” Samantha nodded and made it to the table. “I know that, but well it was just a bit much for a minute I just had to convince myself again that I didn’t need to worry about the guards. Funny I was fine in the classrooms which is where I generally got in trouble for sitting in the wrong place. I was always mixing up the tags in the rooms for the first weeks in a new school and so getting yelled at for trying to sit in the wrong section. Cafeterias were not a problem as there was usually a comply separate one we were to go to so I don’t know just why it hit me so hard. Mike what do you need?” Sam blinked a bit wondering how she knew Mike. Mike said. “Sit before you fall Samantha, Jordan is getting my food for me and my medicine should let me eat it once it gets here. My sugar just bottomed out as I was in line, so I had to take a shot and then just about smashed a freshman. Lucky for him, Jo caught me and brought me to the table. So how is the thief doing, and has your brother been eating by anymore wolves?” Sam looked at him then at Samantha. “What wolf? Why didn’t I hear about it? there had better not be a thief around. Just what is going on?” Samantha and mike started laughing so Edith had to answer. “There was no wolf, just misunderstood picture. The thief is a bird, and it just took a cookie, but it raced Will for it so he called it a thief.” Sam said. “Just how do you know this when I don’t? It isn’t fair, I tell you I am far closer to her house then you are yet I didn’t hear any of it or even know who she was.” Edith said. “We were in the lobby when she came in to set up her classes, and Mike asked about her cane. That led to us going over to her house to talk to Will about them. Mike is getting one painted and Will is helping my brother with one of his assignments. So how was the library, did you manage to keep it to the five books?” Samantha said. “It wasn’t easy but I did mange. I had no idea just what I was in for when I said that. I am not going to set my limit that low again. So far as I know nothing else has eating Tom, but I am sure it won’t be long. Moonstone is just fine, and has a love of cameras. More so as he has learned that fly in when I am talking to someone can lead to them screaming.” That had them laughing then Sam jumped as her phone went off. “I don’t think I will get used to this thing.” She shook her head as she took it out and answered the call. “Hi Roger, how is your day going?” Roger said. “Not bad for a Monday so how was your writing class?” Samantha smiled. “Not to bad, but I am a bit worried about the homework. I have describe a room. I am not sure how to do it and not have it come out boring. I think I will go with the audience room as my thief is about to be hulled up in front of his lord and offered a pardon. So I need to know what it looks like anyway so I know how he reacts to being there.” Roger coughed a bit. Erin winked at her and said. “I am going to go with my dungeon as I need to know why the prisoners are not scared like they should be.” John said. “All I have are caves. I don’t know just how I am going to write a two page description of a cave.” Roger said. “Dungeons and Caves? Just what is going on? Samantha said. “I think it will work out better then you think. There is the water and light sources to be included, then there are all sorts of odd shaped stones in a cave. Roger it is rooms from the story we are right for the class that is to be described. Erin doesn’t have a dungeon.” Erin said. “No, but I might just go down to the basement to write, if the lift is fixed so I can get down there. There is a dark corner that is rather dungeon like. That might just help me work out what is missing.” Roger said. “All right Sam just where are you and what are you up to now?” Sam blinked. “I’m just sitting here eating my lunch, Sir. Though I find it odd to be asked where I am by a stranger.” Samantha laughed. “Like Sam I am in the cafeteria at White Wands with my lunch, and wondering just how I am going to eat it all.” She moved her phone and got a picture of her tray. “I sent you a picture of it.” Rodger said. “And you just happen to be sitting with someone named Sam?” Erin said. “As well as the rest of us, yes. I’m Erin, then there is John and two who are being quite, Mike and Edith.” Samantha said. “It is a bit odd I will agree, but I can’t help that. Sorry for the confusion, but I truly am at lunch in my school.” Erin said. “Send him a pic of us that might help as the food failed to.” Sam coughed. “I don’t think it would. Think of how your Aunt responded to your hair. Her brother is likely to be more alarmed. Then three of us have clothes on that no one would wear out east.” Roger said. “Now I must ask that you do as Miss Erin suggested, so I can see just what is going on. What kind of place is it? First a tray of food enough to feed and army a boy answers when I ask you what you are doing and now he says they are to alarming for me to see? I am not to reassured of your safety out there kid.” Samantha laughed and took the picture. “I am fine really, it just that dress codes are vastly different out here. Sam was out east for a year and so knows a bit about what it is like.” Some across the room shouted. “Hay Robbles did you get out to your griffon cave this weekend?” Sam said. “No, I ended up going to Jumpet for the horse show and getting a few more horses for dad, and didn’t make back in time for a ride. Hopefully I will be able to this weekend. Now then we have truly alarmed your brother.” Samantha nodded. “Well he dose know that dad’s boss has the same last name so that might not be to troubling but my sitting with you could be. And he should be getting the picture now. So when are the new horses getting in and how far is it to that cave?” Roger said. “Just what? So that boy is. And. Egads! Just what is that next to you? what sort of being has hair like that? Dragons on clothing! I thought Tom was joking! I am worried, they clearly are not doing anything to see you are safe. I mean.” Samantha said. “We told you those rules are not on the books out here. Yes it is strange but I am not in danger. Yes Erin has dyed her hair green, but she is not a monster. I need to eat so I can get to class I will call you when I am out of school. Dad will be picking me up so he will be able to tell you I am safe then.” Roger said. “All right, but he had best be there. I just wonder what you are into. Talk to you later.” He hung up and same sent the pics to her parents, with a short message explaining why they were getting them and that Roger was likely to call upset about them. Sam said, sounding a bit confused. “The horses should be in around five tomorrow night and it is about four hours down the trail to the cave.” Samantha said. “Then maybe I can be at the stables when they get there. I am not sure how Windsong will act when the trucks come and he is so scared of men that I will feel better if I am there. I was hoping I could get you to show me that cave, but it will have to wait as I am not ready for that long of a ride yet.” She had been eating and in spite of what she had said was doing a good job at getting the tray empty. Sam shook his head. “Wait, so you have even been to the stables? When and how did you meet Wind?” Samantha said. “I have been there the last three days and will be heading there after school. I need to be there when they are working with Wind as he still won’t Jack lead him. He is getting there, he let him hold the reins without to much dancing yesterday. I met Wind as I came out of the maze, someone had tried to saddle him and he had escaped, then made it out of the stables completely. I managed to get him to go back in, then had to explain what I was doing with him.” Sam shook his head. “I will be there tonight and I want your phone number. There has been far to much happing that I wasn’t involved in. that has to stop. But now finish that and I will go get the cake as we will be not be allowed to leave without it. Relax, it gets ate in class so you will have time to find room for it. The sugar free pieces will be in a red container and the other in the white. I will just go get it and then we can get out of here, if the rest of you are ready by then.” Samantha shook her head as he left Erin said. “They really do insist we take cake or cookies with us to our next class. They worry we are not eating enough as at this age Adsons can cause you to drop weight fast if you are not eating double.” Edith nodded. “It is hard to believe, but is true.” Samantha shook her head. “This is three meals at the best of my old schools. And sweets were never offered. It is a big change.” She trusted them, yet it was so strange, and it was upsetting no madder what she had said to Roger she did feel a bit out of place. Still it did feel right to be with them, it didn’t seem like they were forced to be with her as it had so often with her cousins. Somehow that made it a bit strange, the thought they might truly want to know her. Her brother’s friends had put up with her, but none of them were truly willing to know her and they were the only kids she was around much. “So do we take the trays someplace?” Erin said. “No, we are to leave them, which seems wrong, but they do get upset if you don’t. So as Sam has the cake we can head on out. Now we need to go though the library to get to the room. If you need to look at any of the books closer just say so.” The stood up and started to the door where Sam met them. Samantha said. “As long we are not expected to stay in there I should be all right. Now I wouldn’t be able to stay sit for long if we were having the class in the library but I am now able to walk among shelves without having to examine each book. I got in trouble for that a lot when I was younger.” Sam said. “I can bet you did. I don’t know how you wouldn’t have if you are dawn to books. It is insane how the segregate everything out there by some made up class system that I never did understand. I mean some they said were low had more income then we do.” Samantha said. “The classes were biased on jobs and education not economics and it is way to complicated. Even before the politics that affected them get added. Yet for those that fit there it is a comfort to have that order in place. They need everything governed and get upset when the order isn’t there. Luckily it is understood that not all fit the same mold and s it is possible to move out here to the wild lands should you need to get away from the structure. Of course they fail to say that the reason you are left wild is how badly you responded to the monitors when they tried to explain the need for tamed places to live.” Edith said. “I can’t see living like that. I am glad they gave up on taming us and made us a place for rebels. Not that they had much choice. The Empire needs us far more than we need it. Now this is the library, it isn’t big as we are expected to use the town library more then the school so it is here just to take care of the regulations.” Samantha said. “I was pretty sure that was so seeing the amount of latitude you have as there are some Empire laws that are being broken, not just city laws. I was hoping to find something on your side of it but didn’t make it to the history area of the town library.” Edith nodded. “You are likely to find a good bit different in our history then in the east. If it is all right I will go grab you a generally one that will give you a good idea and some leads on where to look. I just think you might be a bit over whelmed going into the section blind. And I can see the want to get your hands on the book is pulling on you. I don’t mean to keep you from looking, I just thought it might help if I went and got it.” Samantha was a bit startled at how upset Edith seemed to be about it. truly it would be a big help to her as it was starting to pull more and the sections in here were labeled. “I need to wait tell thee is more time before I try looking on my own where there is likely to be a lot that is new to me. I would have made it out of the fiction area at the town library if someone hadn’t of been there and kept talking to me, in spite of the fact I had saved it for last so the library was closing. Therefore it would be a big help if you get it for me, and its fine. I am not upset by it. Truth is it is easier, as that is what my family would do most places as it was the only safe choice. This might be small to you but is biger then the libraries I was allowed to enter out east, so you see now just how shocked I was at the town library. I am just glad we had three hours to spend in it or I wouldn’t have managed even staying to just the sciences and fantasy as I did.” Erin shook her head. “I don’t know how you managed out there. I will talk to Mr. Philips about us missing Lit Wednesday so you can have time to go though the books. I am sure he won’t mind. Now then we are just though here in the study room. This class gets listed as study hall in the official records and so they use the rooms off the library for it as that looks better to the inspectors. It is fine to say you have it, they know it is taught but yet don’t want it in the records as myths are not to be studied. However we need to out here as we have to deal with the changed animals, which are myths. There is a lot that the Government has labeled as myth that you can expect to come into contact with. Hence this class.” It was a bit of a stretch, but Samantha needed a bit of preparation this was going to be rough on her. Coming from the east she would be more rapped in the laws, breaking the city laws was one thing, but this class was asking her to think about braking one of the most strongly enforced Empire laws. It wouldn’t force any of them to, but would teach then how to. She might just come out of it thinking we are monsters. Edith nodded at her, that should help a bit, then turned to Samantha. “I will just go get that history book then be in. Don’t worry they are used to us getting books for each other and won’t mind a bit.” Samantha nodded and went on in with the others, now wondering just what the class was about. There were eight tables in this room in place of desks and Sam led them to fifth one back, and then had Samantha take a middle seat and he had noticed she flinched when people walked past so that she would be more relaxed knowing who was next to her. He looked at her and noticed she was still a bit tense. “Now is that good, Samantha, or would you feel better on the outside, or some other place? I fear we never thought to ask if you need to sit in a different part of the room but just had you sit with us. Which was rude of us. I didn’t even think to ask if you need anything changed, which I should have. Samantha shook her head. “I don’t have a preface really. I am used to sitting in various places as the location of sections changed with the room. It is a bit odd not to have any books with me and be in a class room though.” Edith said as she set the history book down. “It is a bit odd, but they really don’t want you to have notebooks in here.” Erin nodded. “I almost forgot, you need to but your phone in that little holder there. This is the one class you are not allowed to use it in.” Samantha shrugged and put it in the holder. “I forget I have the thing, but Roger made me promise I would have it with me so he could make sure nothing had ran away with me.” She had to glance at the book a bit the was able to set it on the floor beside her. “Thank you Edith, I do think it will help. If it is on the floor I can keep from reading it. We got that working when I was seven so I was able to eat without trying to read at the same time.” Erin nodded. “That works, I can bet there were some messy meals.” Samantha nodded but didn’t answer as the teacher had entered, and she felt this wasn’t one that liked chatter among the students. The way the other strained up and the silence that came as he was seen reinforced that idea. He was of average height but had pale hair and eyes, so he clearly had a stronger form of Adsons. Not saying a word he picked up a piece of chalk, causing Samantha to notice his fingers were longer then normal as well. He wrote out slowly and with large letters. “Welcome to Mythical Studies. Magic is a Myth.” Samantha blinked as he turned slowly and then looked them over. “Good you are all here. Yes this is a smaller group then is normal, but we will not be following the normal course. There isn’t time to with you. Fours can not take the slow road when it comes to this class.” He paused a bit and waited for those words to registered, most were looked shocked. Two had known and then the poor child from the east had just the vaguest idea what it meant. “Yes I said fours. We are not sure why there is so many in your grade but there are and so I agreed to come here and help you, as it is going to be a rough year for you. All but three of you have had the introduction so have some idea what this about. For the rest of you what I wrote is a clue.” This time the girl was clearly scared, but it couldn’t be helped. There wasn’t time to go slow, not when she had been clear of that trash for so long. What it had done meant things were going to start happening soon and she needed to be ready. As strong as she was she would hurt those around her if she wasn’t. He nodded. “This class is primarily going to teach you about magic, yours and that of the other changed beings.” That made a lot mad as he had just compared them to the dragons, gryphons, unicorns and the other genetically altered animals that now shared the world. They would be learn the truth for the first time. It was not the best way to do it, but it was the way it had to be done with this group. There just wasn’t time to take it slow, as rough as it was going to be. “I know you are taught that Adsons is a random mutation, but that is not fully true. It is cased by an engendered virus that reprograms some of your genetic make up at your birth. Everyone is infected with it, but in most it does nothing. The empire will destroy anything that speaks of this. It is there biggest secret and the thing they fear the most. They believe that we don’t know this, that they hold the only records of it. Needles to say they would be extremely upset to know you are all told and shown proof of it. I will give you time to read the papers on the tables and you may talk them over or ask me questions.” He waited until they had all seen that there were indeed papers in front of them now then went on. “Then we will move on to the next parts. I fear what you learn in here is going to turn your worlds upside down. That is why it is usually done slower, but do to factors beyond your control you need to know now.” He nodded, most were looking at the papers not at him, and he thought they were handling it all right. As he had expected, for all his colleges had told him it was to much for high school students, and to stay with Olvers simplification of the tests. “If you need more explanation to understand the papers let me know. I wasn’t sure just what would be needed, it is all advanced data but I felt you need to see the actual data and not just a summary.” Samantha read the papers and shook her head. She had known that it had something to do with the Cole laboratory, but this. No wonder her dad had been so up set to learn they had reopened the lab and were using it for some of there tests. It could well be running an unseen subroutine that was making changes to the virus. At least it had explode last year so that should have destroyed. Though it was hard telling what had been done in the interim. I bet that is where some of the so called cures they tried in the care homes had came from, and might be why some of the poor souls became so violent. Luckily that hadn’t made the papers but she still thought that it was why her mother’s family told them to not come back until they had sense and put me away. I don’t think they ever realized I had read the classified papers that he had left sitting out. I wonder who has the name wrong, not that it matters much. she looked around at the others and was pleased to see most of them seemed to believe the papers, if they were shocked. The teacher looked at her and said. “I expected you to be the most shocked not the least. So how did you come to know this?”