A Boy, a Dog Girl and Madam VanVeer’s Academy: Part One

The next few days were filled with frightfully boring and excessively tedious paperwork, government office visits and procedural meetings. Chistos needed to officially become the guardian of Zack and Honey, and though Earth migration wasn’t unheard of, it included a few interesting wrinkles.

“Zachary Jacob Hartwell, you will be placed in the custody of Chistos Sollei. In the eyes of the law, he shall be your father. Do you accept this situation?” the man with the flowing beard in the courtroom said. They stood in a large room with several other men observing on benches as the officiant stood at a podium.

Father.

Zack remembered the cold sting of a metal belt buckle hitting his eye.

“Yeah. I do.”

The man with the beard nodded, writing something on a scroll.

“Honey Rose Hartwell, you will be placed in the custody of Chistos Sollei. In the eyes of the law, he shall be your father. Do you accept this situation?” the man asked.

“I do. But…does it mean I can’t be Zack’s sweetheart if we have the same dad?” Honey asked. The court filled with quiet laughs echoing through the cavernous chamber. Zack looked as if he was about to burst a blood vessel.

“Okay! We aren’t needed here anymore! You guys get all the paperwork in order so interdimensional child protective services don’t come after us! I’m gonna talk with Honey about what statements should and should not be said in places which transcribe your comments for court records!”

Zack grabbed Honey’s hand and pulled her towards the hallway.

“What did I say wrong? I don’t want to snuggle at night with my brother, do I?”

“I am begging you, cease the speaking!” Zack said as the doors shut.

When Chistos finally caught up with them after all the paperwork was settled, Zack was sitting outside on the steps of the courthouse.

“Where’s Honey?”

“Getting a not-pretzel.”

Zack pointed towards Honey at a food vendor buying a doughy treat on a stick covered in glittering salt.

“You honestly want me as your kid?” Zack asked, not looking to Chistos.

“No, actually. This is all for legality only. I’d prefer to be your friend, at least to start with.”

“Yeah, I figured as much.”

“If you would like a father…”

Zack sat quietly on the steps. Chistos stood, unmoving.

“Let’s go to the academy, Zack. You need to finish your registration. I also hear Madam VanVeer wants to meet my new wards,” Chistos said, putting his hand on Zack’s shoulder.

“Cool. Honey! Time to go!”

“Coming sweetheart! I didn’t know which kind you wanted so I got you one covered in cheese!” Honey proudly handed him the dripping dough on a stick.

“Perfect choice, Honey. Let’s get our asses to school!”

*

The Academy was a large three story brick building surrounded by sturdy iron fences on all sides. The air around it seemed to emanate a sense of respectable higher learning.

“This is way too fancy for me…” Zack said, looking around the courtyard as they approached the ornate front doors.

“Nonsense. Despite appearances, the education you will receive here shall be similar to your Earth education. Reading, writing, numbers, history. Do not be intimidated,” Chistos said.

As soon as the double doors opened into the grand entry hall of the Academy, a gust of wind and a burst of light greeted them. A voice like gentle thunder spoke through the light, and they could see a figure emerging from it. A woman, silver haired with a flowing white robe, hovering above the central stairs.

“Behold! The children of Earth come to the temple of the grand mistress of knowledge! Let those with open minds and hearts revel in this hall of learning so thou may…”

“Savy, are you about done?” Chistos asked.

The light dimmed. The wind died down. The woman continued to hover above the stairs for a solid thirty seconds, glaring at Chistos.

“I have one chance to make a first impression, old man! Once, ONE TIME, I wanted to look like a wise mistress of knowledge instead of a kindly old teacher!”

Zack looked between the two adults, not completely sure what was going on. “I…um…thought it was pretty cool.”

“I liked the part where you were bright and shiny! And the wind blew my hair!” Honey said.

The woman landed before them, smiling. “You two are sweet. Alright, fun’s over, I suppose. I am Madam Savy VanVeer, head mistress of this glorious school.”

“And I am Zack, hopefully here to teach your athletic crew how to play hockey!”

VanVeer chuckled slightly at his words as she lead them towards the stairs. “Yes, the old man told me you liked sports and games. A potential runeball player when you hit eighteen, yes?”

“Try and stop me!” Zack said confidently.

“My job isn’t to stop my students from doing anything except what would harm them. If your path leads you to runeball, we have several sports which could prepare you.”

“And how do you know where my path leads me?”

“A question for your first day of school,” VanVeer said with a sly smile.

“Is it me or are adults in this stupid city tantalizingly vague about nearly everything?” Zack asked Honey.

“There’s a lot I don’t know about a lot…”

“Honey? You okay?”

“Yeah…” Honey looked around the halls as they walked to VanVeer’s office, posters on the wall and classrooms open, showcasing magical instruments and instructive tools.

“We’ll assign you a tutor. Chista should do. Her book work grades are impeccable. She should help catch you up on world history and all of our basics,” VanVeer said as they stepped into her office. It was plush, with a large desk and rows of books along the wall.

“When do we do magic?” Zack asked.

“Who says you do?” VanVeer asked, sitting at her desk. She pointed to the chairs across from her. “Get your paperwork done. Tomorrow, you begin school. Welcome to the academy, Earth kids.”