Briar was pushed out of the bed and into an unfinished classroom. There was about a dozen other students in matching black scrubs sitting at empty desks.
She looked around at equally terrified kids and familiars. Some whispering amongst themselves, or with their animals.
Her mouse fit perfectly in the palm of her, she threaded her fingers through it's soft fluff, his whiskers twitching against her thumb.
A lot of children around the room seemed to be as shell shocked as her. Being kidnapped and put into a medically induced coma would do that to someone.
"Hey."
She snapped up, and a pair of deep brown eyes stared at her. A scrappy boy with dark shaggy hair smiled at her with a cock eyed grin. He was all knees and elbows, and reminded her of the boys who lived on the soccer fields at school.
"Hi." She said meekly, her eyes casted down. She wanted to run away, Briar couldn't process meeting yet more people. She was also hating any forms of greetings, as that was what stole her away into this new world.
"This your first time?" Glaring at him through her dark eyelashes she shot him a look. "Nope, I come here all the time." The fluffy creature in her palm whirled around and clarified in it's sweet inhuman voice, "No, it's our first time."
He laughed in his chest, the first genuine thing she heard since before her Birthday.
"February Sixteenth?" He asked, It took her a second but she responded, "No, erm, the Fourteenth."
He cocked his head to tease her, "A Valentines day baby? Oh how romantic." He put his wrist on his head to be dramatic.
Briar playfully pouted in her seat. "Um, I made a mouse." She brought down the chocolate long haired mouse to view.
He paused for a moment, looking thoughtfully at the familiar. "Looks like a candy." He replied coolly.
She didn't blame him, they didn't really know to say to each other. Like, hey cool, here we are and everything sucks but at least I got a cool pet? Hey, are parents are gone but now we never have to worry about jobs? Hey, we still literally know nothing about what's going on?
He introduced his familiar, a puppy. It had large paws and ears and shone red like fire. "A dog got cut out of me. I think she's an Irish Setter." The puppy perked up, "Yes. I present as a dog." Her tail thumped excitedly next to her as she laid her head back down on the boys socked feet.
None of them were giving shoes. They were given black socks and told that shoes were given when they were given outside privileges. Briar surveyed the room, she saw more boys than girls at the desks but a zoo of animals. A canary here, a large reptile there, towards the back of the room she that in the furthest desk a black pony, and of course, the friendly setter under her new friends desk.
She wanted to get a better look at the horse but didn't know if it'd be rude to stare. Instead she kept her head down at her desk and absently looked at her tiny mouse.
Out of the only door in the room came one two Mages.
A burly bear of a man followed by an actual lumbering brown bear. He wore his navy mage robe short like a tunic, with loose fitting cloth pants. The bear chuffed before planting himself down in front of the class.
The second was a slinky woman, her robe tight on lithe body, her robe the longest seen yet, reach passed her feet. Around her neck was a green boa with eyes like fire.
"Look at these little ones." He motioned to the woman next to him like the scared children were a joke. "I swear they get smaller every day."
"I'm Marilyn and this is Jack. You're probably still scared, and I'm sure Claire did as little of her job as possible." She continued.
"You guys are unlucky enough to be called out as Mages. Like dogs you answered a bell only burgeoning magic folk can hear. Lucky you." She curled a finger under chin.
"Here you will learn all sorts of miraculous feats and tricks. Everyone has aptitudes and everyone has weaknesses. Some of my colleagues will treat you like children, but I will treat you as people I might have to see for the rest of my life." She sighed, and Jack laughed in his booming voice.
"This is an academy, there will be school. I'm still in school myself, you never really stop learning." He laughed harder, like it was an even bigger joke.
"If you follow the rules and behave you might earn certain privileges. Like shoes." He brought up a giant boot crusted in mud.
"Punishments will be swift and severe. Don't toy with guards or Inquisitors. Don't test boundaries." Marilyn hissed.
"We have new students joining us every day!"
"Many students don't make it. Always be kind to your familiar is your only friend for the rest of your life."
"You don't have to ever worry about money again!"
"All materials that you might need will be provided and shared. When you pass your apprenticeship, you may earn the privilege of a private dorm and the right of ownership of material things."
"Every day will be like a slumber party!"
"Genders will be split into their respective dorms, a shared dormitory space and you will assigned a cot. If you don't fall in line with your respective binary that can be discussed with a counselor but until than you will deal."
"You guys can start your new lives as soon as tomorrow!"
"You will be shown to your cots now. You will go to your first classes and receive your chore assignments."
An unease filled the room, the only sound the chuffing of Jack's bear. He gave the snake woman a look and sighed. "Follow me boys." He waved his arm for the boys to get out of their desks.
The other three girls looked nervously at their exits.
As soon as they were filed out, Marilyn with a quiet wave of her hand summoned the girls.
As they walked to the dorm, Briar tried to make mental notes of everything around her. This floor was very clinical and white with ominous fluorescent lighting flickering as they walked.
Briar always imagined coming to the Academy it'd be like coming to a castle, like something out of Hogwarts. But she didn't even know what it looked like from the outside. From the inside it had the vibe of a hospital and shaking off her drugged state didn't help that feeling.
Marilyn motioned to a door, that lead to a dark basement. The lights were dim, and all four children and their familiars stopped in their tracks. It was dark and smelled like mildew.
"Follow me" She insisted, and they slowly followed her down the cold concrete steps.