As the elevator doors opened, Dalzonf waved goodbye to Nosderag and waited inside the elevator, ignoring the students complaining about her hogging the elevator. Nosderag rushed to the dining hall to grab as much food as she could before handing said food to Dalzonf.

While Dalzonf ascended to her dorm room, Nosderag went back to the dining room to get herself some food before heading to class.

Mathematics Sapphire Class was boring enough to get Dalzonf to formulate a plan in her head to get Daliki back to the enclosure. Her ideas were half-baked but she had a general concept of what she needed to do.

‘No,’ Dalzonf said when she got back and explained one of the plans.

‘What else can we do?’

‘I’ve gotten into enough trouble. I’m not going to be your decoy.’

Nosderag crossed her arms. ‘What ideas do you have, then?’

Dalzonf took a pen and an exercise book from her backpack by her bed. She made her way over to the small table in the middle of the room and began drawing a plan. She smirked at Nosderag, who huffed and whipped her head to the side with pursed lips.

Over the next few days, whispered rumours diffused around campus, starting off realistic but fading into ridiculousness over time. Apparently it wasn’t just an ara fairy that was taken from the enclosure. Apparently.

Apparently Dalzonf tolxed a girl into liking her and the other girl changed schools in shame. Apparently.

Apparently there was an underground cult run by love tolxers and Dalzonf was trying to recruit Nosderag. Apparently.

To block out the hushed voices of other students, Nosderag borrowed a book from the library and read it in her dorm room in her spare time. The leather-bound encyclopedia was over a thousand pages long and yet it made no mention of an innate ability to break magic shields, only that there were spells and potions that could be used on weak shields.

Occasionally Nosderag would sneak a glance at Dalzonf, who also spent her time reading in silence. The sight was a picture of tranquillity, a still life in reality.

It didn’t take long for a light warmth to spread throughout Nosderag’s chest.

The following day, Nosderag went to her cryptozoology class. As always, the students were rowdy and only Nosderag listened.

‘Dragon scales are rumoured to have many healing benefits,’ Mr Fot said. ‘Most of the claims aren’t true, but that doesn’t stop many of them from being sold on the black market. Now, does anyone remember from last year’s classes how to calm an agitated dragon?’ Nosderag raised her hand. She was the only one to do so. ‘Nosderag.’

‘It depends on the dragon, but kneeling before them like you’re praying can make you seem like a worshipper rather than a threat. Carrying a nice-smelling herb like lemongrass can also calm them.’

‘Well done.’ 

Mr Fot moved on to talking about the differences between chimeras and manticores.

When classes finished up for the day, Nosderag begged another student to power the dormitory elevator for her. The other student was a water tolxer and Nosderag half-expected the elevator to flood. The elevator only became a little more humid.

Upon arriving at her dorm room, Nosderag saw that Dalzonf was still sitting and reading a book, only a different one this time. Several books lay on top of Dalzonf’s bed, mostly fiction.

Nosderag held up a paper bag. ‘Sorry for the late lunch,’ she said as she passed it to Dalzonf, who was holding out her hand without moving her eyes from her novel.

‘How was school?’

That question took Nosderag aback. ‘Fine. Cryptozoology was interesting. Am I the only one who likes Mr Fot?’

‘He’s alright. Had him for Magical Laws and Ethics last year. Kind of boring, but nice enough.’

‘At least he’s not Dr Lomaschramm.’

Dalzonf chortled with a closed mouth and nodded. The still silence that followed felt like how warm watercolours look.