Year Book
The Queen had pressed a book into his hands, after she told him of the mission. She tapped the cover a couple times, a soft tiptap, her silvery-gold nails stark against the dark red book. She told him to study it closely, a soft curve to her mouth because she knew he was going to anyway.
Draz scurried back to his quarters from the throne room, ducking through back passages and misty-stepping part of the way, magic and flowers and golden sparks lifting his feet and sending him forward as quick as he could.
A real mortal book! About a mortal school! That he was going to! On a mission, of course, he reminded himself as he finally poofed into his room. A very important mission, to be clear. A very, very important mission. In the mortal realm. For the Queen. In the mortal realm!
He brushes past the tank in the room, reaching in quickly to pat Ball’s back. He settles at his desk, casting a small light charm, and finally, finally, looks at the book.
It’s a deep, almost blood red. The texture is strange, nearly leather but not quite. Emblazoned across the cover, in a gold that’s shiny and dull all at once, it says:
“St. Cuthbert’s Year Book”
Hm. Strange. A “year” book. It clearly has to do with the school, at the least. He carefully opens the book, and marvels for a second at the glossy pages. They’re so different from the paper in all of his books. He flips another page, and is greeted with picture after picture of. Mortal life.
Pictures of classes. Teachers. A strange game that is seemingly called “star-ball”. Draz had thought mortals wouldn’t be able to handle stars, considering they’re whitehot and also massive, and surely not be able to use them for any sort of game, but the mortals in the photo appear very. Happy. They’re all grinning wide, hands thrown up and tumbling about the field. It seems a little dangerous for mortals, all things considered. But they still seem really, really happy about it.
He flips through a bit more, and finds pages upon pages of portraits of mortals. Students, most likely. With names scribbled along the bottom of their picture. He spends a while just. Studying them. There’s features, here and there, that they share. Some have his pointed ears, others his green skin. He finds a few with wings, though mostly feathered. Draz supposes insect wings are a bit less common among mortals.
His eyes catch on a student with sharpened teeth, mouth pulled in a slight sneer and revealing fangs. Draz brings a clawed hand to his mouth and taps thoughtfully at his own. He glances down at the name under the photo, and his eyes widen.
“Eric Luppi”
That’s him! One of the students who killed Cyrus! Who killed an actual, honest to gods, second-hand to the Queen of Air and Darkness. He marvels, for a second. To kill a fae like that is no small feat. Well. Kinda killed. Queen Titania was the one who really killed him, but they did a lot of the work!
He looks again for the other who is still going to be at the school. Draz finds him, finally.
“Aiden Hyrcy”
He’s not frowning, like Eric. He honestly looks. Rather friendly. A small smile on his face, and eyes looking off camera, as if sharing a small joke with someone else. His eyes are so bright, and cheery. A lovely yellow-orange, like the endless sunny days of the Summer Court.
Draz finds himself smiling a bit, a soft curve as he looks down at these two portraits.
Aiden and Eric. He can’t wait to meet them. Selfishly, he hopes just a little, that they may be. Well. More than just his mission. Draz thinks he would like them to be his friends.