12110 and there has been a wink.

Devlin nodded. “That makes sense. I came in early to get a feel for the area and to learn my way around. So yes, as I was trying to locate the Arena and promptly got lost, Vale came and has been showing me around a bit since.”

She said. “Ah, that figures, the Gold Dragons do somehow tend to find people first. Not that it matters any.” She opened the door and lead him into a large space with some couches set around, facing a large television. There were all so some tables and chairs across the room. No pink he was glad to see, the walls were cream, the carpet brown and the furniture was a mix of dark colors, worn and comfortable looking, not worn out just well used. “Sometimes you just need to hang out, even with having an apartment. So we have this space, and you will see it gets used. You will likely find yourself here a few evenings each week. Now the stairs are just over there, there is a lift there for when you don’t feel like climbing. The training will leave you sore and tired.” She kept walking and started up the stairs. “Your room is on the fourth floor, so it is a bit of a climb, but the view is good.” When they entered the hall there was a blue gryphon and the walls and carpet were blue. A few doors down there was a dragon painted on the wall and the hall changed to red then to gold for the last eight rooms. The first of which was his. “Here we are, now just do a fast walk though and you can sign the paper, and I will be out of your way.” As she said it was a fast tour. The apartment had a large living room, one bed room, a bath, a laundry room, and a kitchen. It was bigger than he expected to have, and looked fairly new as well. Not like a dozen students had been there before him, as he had expected. “It’s not much, but everything works. Now if anything breaks, even if it is just a burnt out build, you need to call this number to get it fixed. Really they get upset if you change a bulb yourself. It is silly, but they insist it is a liability issue. Now then you just need to sign this, saying you will call them, and that you are responsible for any deliberate damage. Though I am not sure just how they define that. I slammed a cupboard door and broke it, but when I tried to pay I was informed it wasn’t my fault. Therefore I wouldn’t worry overmuch about it. Just don’t go setting things on fire. Of course if it is due to a new gift waking late it will not count, as that is the fault of those that screened you and failed to see it.”

Devlin shook his head a bit, that was a bit much. Just why was she slamming a cupboard door that hard and why tell me? He looked over the paper and then signed it. “This apartment is larger than I expected. I don’t see why change a light bulb would be a liability, but as it is I will call for it. As silly as it seems. As for gifts we start classes in them when we start school. That way everyone knows what is possible and sees that we have few major accidents caused by waking gifts, just the bumps that come with learning control. There was a bit of fear of mages when our nation was young. The best way to combat fear is with education.”

She said. “I can see some point to it, but there is a belief here that it pushes the child to much to bring it up before they are in their teens. For some reason the is convinced that it will force gifts to wake to soon, as silly as that is. There are a bunch of papers on why it is so. For all there is no real evidence backing it up. Then once the classes start they are limited to the identified gifts the child has, and only those with the gifts need the classes. So the first year of post secondary education has a mandatory class on the basic of gifts, that could have been better handled in the lower grades. Sorry it is a irritation of mine. I tend to get carried away. Wonder if learning how Lighton handles it will changes any minds. Might just have to see how Mom reacts. Anyway, here are your keys. For the record none of the residents here believe the stories but some of us has family that does, so you might hear a bit of reassures that you don’t have any one chained up. I do wonder just how those things get such a foot hold.”

Devlin said. “We were to closed off, letting the stories about us grow. I do not know just how they started but they wouldn’t if we hadn’t made ourselves a mystery.  We have heard some of them that is what showed us that we needed to open up more. The last thing any need is for the wild stories to turn allies into enemies. This exchange is just the first step to a more open exchange. Or so our leaders are hoping. Thank you for this, and no, no one will be chained. I truly don’t know what would ever give anyone that idea. I just. They can’t have ever had much to do with our land, that is all I can think of like you said it is amazing how silly ideas can take hold.”

She nodded. “I know, just didn’t want you to think you needed to worry should you happen to hear something. A few of us have family in the government, and sadly some like to stir up trouble. Have a good day, my room is the one with the star on the door if you need anything.” With a wave she left.

He looked after her for a bit, then shook his head and went after his stuff. When he got back with his trunk a blond girl was opening the door next to his. She looked up and said. “You’re new. Welcome to the gold. Make sure that you are dressed to run the course when you go to Orientation, if there’s not time then, you will be expected there after it. Lay in some muscle creams you will need them. You will be sore for the first weeks but it will pay off, if you stay with it. I’m Amber, looking to go into armor repair, which makes my parents furious and more so that I want to do it at the lines not off season work in a shop. I’m Grace, and this is my second year of grad. You are going to hear a lot of talk, but don’t let it scare you any. Gold is a hard team to get on and those that get kicked tend to be loud about it. Cap is tough, but fair. Just don’t try and slack your way through training and you won’t have any trouble.”

Devlin blinked, wondering again just what he was getting into. Just how did he end up here? “I’m in med school, but will be doing a two year service rotation when I am out. It is the law in Lighton that we put time in, that keeps the posts full and lets us know just why it is that the troops get so much of the budget. Or so my uncle says. I am badly lacking in combat magic skills so put down that I had to have those classes. Not knowing that it would have me training with a unit, but I am glad of it. I know I need it. Just a bit lost still. So just what am I in for?”

Grace looked surprised. “You will be fine. Sounds like you will just be doing the conditioning runs. They will push you and you will be sore, but will also know how to act in the field. They will explain it all to you. So do you have more boxes, need a hand?”

Vale said, making them both jump. “Now you aren’t trying to scare him off already are you Grace? And don’t go trying to convince him to get fitted for armor. He doesn’t need it. Sorry, I was hoping to get a chance to explain it to you before you checked in. It is my fault you are over here as I wanted to know why you weren’t in a dorm here where you would be join the service after school. I gather they missed that somehow and couldn’t leave it unfixed. Normally you wouldn’t be assigned to a unit, but cap was there and said that you would be training with us as our style would best fit what you needed.  For all she doesn’t take non-fighters into the unit, she will let them train with us. So you have been placed in the gold dragons, for all it is just for the endurance and field redness train, not as a member. There are no expectations that way. So where are the rest of your bags?”

Devlin said. “With my folks, I just have this with me now. I am a bit surprised, but it is better that it was found now then later as that would have been more of a mess. I am not too sure what to say of being placed with a unit, but it will be a help.”

Vale said. “You are likely going to hate it for the first months, but train with us will see that you are ready for anything the raids will put you through. We train for raids behind the lines, that is why Cap felt our training would be a good fit for what you needed. So when is your family do in?”

Devlin said. “Father said they should make it in around noon tomorrow, so I told him I would see him around one. I can just bet that I am going to here a few jokes about where I am living. One of our aunts had curtains about the same shade of pink. I fear that she wasn’t too pleased when she thought I was referring to them as murder drapes. She was yelling loud enough to bring everyone into the front room where Gale and I were. It took the two us fifteen minutes to be heard so we could explain that it was a game, and had nothing to do with her drapes at all. Unfortunately Gale just had to add that the color would be a good for the spy’s outrageous living room, so yes they would become murder weapons. You can just bet how well that went over. I still am not too sure what had the most upset, that she would say they were outrageous or agreeing that they would be a murder weapon. Anyway, this shade has been called murderous pink in our family ever since, which has caused the folks to be called in to school a few times.”

Grace coughed, Vale said, with a small headshake. “That must have been some game. Did that aunt ever recover from being told her curtains were fitting mugger weapons? Grace do you need to go shopping as well, I know that Devlin does and he hasn’t been to the outer market yet so thought I would take him there. Want to come? Dev the main one is going to be packed for the next week, and the prices are going to be doubled at least. They will come back down after move in, but outer doesn’t raise them and won’t be as crowded. I will let Vark know, so there will be some there to help with the unloading. He has more hands then the dorms need, again.”

Devlin smiled a bit, knowing that they had heard the story before. Now he was positive it was Gale he had been seeing, still there was a reason she was hiding. “That sounds good then, just let me get this trunk sat down. I was wondering how badly the prices would increases as the students got here, My aunt still frowns, but asked Jill to hand her murderous scarf to her last winter, so I think she might have. For all she loves pink. Gale was always making up these complex games involve spies and plots against the throne or adventures is the lost city of Elknor mountain. That was in the clod months, when she could be outside trying to find a monster to slay or yelling at me because of my hopeless blade work.” He smiled a bit as he left the apartment, locking the door behind him. “She told me to give it up, that I had no business trying to learn how to handle a sword a month before the arms master was convinced of it. Then had to tell him that she had said so and it was about time he saw it. Just to laugh as he told her to get back to her class and leave the weapons for those they were meant for.” He smiled a bit more. “A week later she put him on the ground in the ring and won the right to train with the university students. He went to father, thinking he would stop it. The arms master turned red when Father just turned to Gale and asked her if she would need to be sign out of school for the classes. Not that father wasn’t upset with her but she had the right to enter the contest, and so had earned the right to the lessons.” I wonder if she knows he did go and watch a few of those lessons, and that Master Arnold got him to admit that she was meant for the blade. It scared him to think of it, but he did see it. He was just worried others would force her to choose that life so tried not to let her know.

Grace nodded. “A shopping trip is a must. I emptied out my fridge before going home. Your aunt must be more forgiving than mine. She still won’t speak to me as I told her that the purple dress she had on made her look like a character from a horror film five years ago. She even went so far as to turn away from me when I entered the room, and that was before my brother asked how my blade work was coming along, getting him yelled at for that was unfitting to speak of around the children. It has been a long month and I am glad it is done. It was right to go home, I was glad to be there to see my brother graduate and my sister wed, but still. It is good to be out of the veils and gowns. Is that the city from Horn’s adventure series or Laken’s comics? I get them confused. Either way that sounds like a far better way to spend the winter than the sewing I was forced to do.”

Vane said. “Elknor was in Horn’s books, Elkhop was Laken’s setting, but I think they were talking about the same place. Come on, there is another set of stairs at this end that lets out by the back door. There weren’t too many out front when I came up but might be by now.”

Devlin said. “And you are thus insuring that I know two exits. We did read some if Horn’s books, and I do think they fed the games a bit, but it was started by our Grandfather telling of a old man he would visit and the stories he shared of his childhood. We suspect that they are related, but Grandfather said that this man hated those books and would go on long rants of how bad they were. Gale could find more ways to make a mess when giving a needle than anyone I have ever seen, and all she had to do was touch a sewing machine and it broke. So she got a pass on the mending that was done, but ended up cooking a lot in the winter in exchange.” They clearly know that, giving the looks. I bet that Gale is a member of this unit as well, and it isn’t just that she is a rider. Just what does that have to do with me being placed in it? Well no mater, it isn’t going do me any harm, I just hope I don’t make to bad of a showing at it. I wonder what they are going to say about this change. I think I will wait until they are here for this one.

As he set out the next afternoon the campus was noticeably busier than it had been, and he was shock to see that the lines were in fact longer. He was glad that he had everything done, even had his books all bought. Seeing this I am going to take the back road, not many will be coming in through the military section. So it is going be faster that way. Bet that will be the better way to get in as well, if it won’t cause problems not that I can see it doing so being move in. Still it is a guarded gate. Vale will know if he is around, if not might be best to just go to the main, even with the wait.

When he reached the dragon he saw Vale was there with a few others so he went over only to hear Gale yelling. “I don’t give a fig if you are Jemeed himself and your bonded is strait from the gates of golden city you do not carry a blade on these grounds until you have passed the test!” Devlin smiled and had to fight not to laugh. She was clearly still in love with Horn’s books. For all they don’t appear to understand the reference. At least it isn’t me doing something this time. It is good to hear it though. “Now take it off or you will be removed! It is not negotiable. No matter how much money you throw around! What will it be?” to his surprise she looked at him and winked, as the lad slow took the sword off. Just why was he carrying anyway? Clearly he was just wanting to show off, it would be no use for moving his things in. Devlin waved and went to go on, as clearly they were busy. At least she was willing to let him know that she knew him, so that was start.

Vale saw him and said. “Hi Dev, your folks made it in about twenty minutes ago, in case they didn’t let you know. Wise to go out this way, and make sure you use it to get your things here. The front is a big mess. There has been three wrecks already, so no point in trying it.”

Devlin said. “They hadn’t, but I figured they were here or would have called. I looked at it, but didn’t want to brave it, so was hoping that it wouldn’t cause problems to have them bring the truck in this way. I will leave you to it, looks like you have your hands full here.”

Beth said. “Not been too bad, only had to help two leave so far, had six by this time last year so this year is looking up. All gates are open for move in, but professors are allowed to use the back gate anytime, otherwise just foot traffic is allowed in. It cuts down on the pranks some. I will see someone is watching so you will have help, and no argument.”