Nick looked around the classroom as he moved the books already on the specially made desk to the floor. He pulled a thick book bound in faded leather, a wad of parchment, and ink and a quill from his usual leather satchel. He placed the items on the desk, then carefully opened the ancient book.
	The runes formed an archaic Elven text he had been trying to decipher for the past six months with little, if any, success. A few notes in modern Elvish flowed over his parchment. The dialect was so far obsolete that even the teacher who had given him a majority of the scant notes had little to offer in the way of translation.
	Nick looked to Aurelian at the sound of his name, his gaze distant for a moment as the gears in his head screeched into another direction. He followed the human’s gaze to the dracon in question, and took a moment to examine his face.
	“Yeah.” Nick nodded slowly and drew his attention back to the thick tome. “I think so. Haven’t seen him in any of the sleeping quarters.”

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	Kia closed her eyes and suppressed a yawn. She cracked one eyelid open when Laura spoke to her from her other side.
	“Can’t wait to be capable of taking a nap.” Kia exaggerated a yawn and stretched like a cat. “Though, who [i]doesn’t[/i] look forward to a massage?” She plopped back down on the pillow and curled up in a fetal position. She moved the pillow over her head, trying to block out the natural light streaming in through the windows.
	[b]“Alright, class.”[/b]
	Kia groaned loudly at the sound of the teacher’s voice. She made a show of forcing herself into a sitting position, and let the pillow drop from her. Her hair stuck out at odd angles, static electricity making a few strands stand on end.
	“You’re so melodramatic,” Ella whispered, rolling her eyes as she closed her book.
	Kia shrugged, then reluctantly placed the cushion beneath her where it belonged.

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	The halfling child turned to take a less traveled route through the mansion to his first class of the day. A longer route that most avoided, the child knew well that it would be virtually deserted this time of day. Even when he was sure the dwarf was far behind him, the child did not stop running. Anger and hatred for the dwarf, the demeaning nickname, and his own reaction burned in his chest, forcing his feet to move faster. Their pounding on the floor matched the rhythm of his heart, and furious tears threatening to spill over.
	 [b]“Hold on there, youngling!”[/b]
	The child bent to duck around the draconic body that stepped in his way. Just in time, he realized who, exactly, stood before him, and slid to a stop.
	He blinked at the dracon, craning his neck to look at the headmaster. His mouth parted slightly in shock at seeing--let alone nearly running into--Serapis himself.
	[b]“What seems to be the trouble?”[/b]
	The child dropped his gaze, subconsciously glancing slightly behind him. He shook his head in a silent, “Nothing.” He gestured down his desired path with his eyes and a slight nod as he stepped slightly further on his way.