They got out of the carriage and their luggage was quickly put into a wooden box by Ben by means of his magic as they boarded upon the griffin. The beast quickly took them into the air to get into the palace and they moved towards the building at a quick pace.
"Is this your first time riding a griffon, kid?" asked Ben as they moved through the skies.
"Yes," shouted Alex who was seated between Ben and his father on the griffon. Even though he had Ben ahead of him, he could feel the wind blowing past him causing him to shiver.
"Want a better seat?" asked Ben as he turned around to look at Alex.
Ben was still new to Alex and though he knew that Ben was family, he didn't trust him completely as most children would hardly do. Especially after they noticed their father to be at odds with the person in charge. So, he quietly looked at Michael for confirmation. "Will it be cold in the front?" asked Alex after his father nodded.
"Quite a bit observant aren't you?: said Ben fondly. "It is always a bit cold and windy when you travel in the skies, but you can always protect yourself from that with magic. Didn't you ever notice that there is always a magician on board when you are travelling."
"Dad told me that only a magician would be able to tame a powerful beast like griffon and control it," said Alex confused.
"That is also one of the reasons, but beasts that were grown as pets since childhood even listen to non-magicians. Still, the government doesn't give them a license if they don't know magic," explained Ben as he had the griffon hover in the air and pulled the kid to his front.
He took out a small wand and cast a small spell as a purple radiance that had in the outline of Ben expanded from his body and covered Alex. "It is common for all magicians to have a protective layer of magic surround them during travels. It is to protect us from wind, sunlight, heat, dust, etc. I just extended mine to cover you too. You won't be able to notice it without learning magic," explained Ben as he saw that Alex was stunned by visual effects of his spell and was patting himself trying to feel that purple radiance.
"That is awesome! Dad doesn't let me play with any of his equipment or mother's. He never did any magic other than that used for daily chores," said Alex pouting. "He says that a magician never does anything that isn't necessary."
"Well, I agree to that kid. You never play around with magic or its tools without properly understanding them," said Ben. "Now, let me give you a tour of the campus."
"I can see the building out there," said Alex excited. From the height he could see the actual structure of the building. Previously he could only see it from the front. A look from the sky made him realize that it was only one side of the square shaped palace and the spire were at the centre of the structure. "Can you tell me what those spires are for?"
"The one in the centre is the headmaster's office. Also has a few experimental labs. The topmost floor of all the spires is used as a communications hub and security office. From that height they can see everything around the campus and monitor it," said Ben.
"Wow! So, they can attack any intruders or enemies that enter the premises?" asked Alex.
"Sure, yes, but that is not what they are mainly intended for, kid. This is a magic academy. There are grounds along the four sides that are used for practice, duels and training. And they are even used for magical experiments occasionally. These cause a lot of accidents and those are the mainly monitored by the personnel in these towers," explained Ben.
"So, what about the actual security of the palace?" asked Alex. He was very concerned about it as he had heard that his mother died protecting the academy. Since then, he had tried his best to understand about the place and how it is protected.
"Well, they keep a lookout for any intruders too, but it is not what the personnel in the towers do most of the time. There is a semi-spherical force field covering the grounds and the palace. Any person who doesn't have a signet ring specially made for him cannot enter through the air. They will be repelled and shortly fired at by the guards and the beasts. Only way one enters the premises is if someone with permission betrays us," said Ben understanding very well that the kid was looking for answers of his mother's death. He believed it best that Alex understood the situation to best and leave it the officials to hunt a traitor.
"Forget the security. A new student like you is supposed to know of a lot of other things. Security is the least of your worries," said Ben. "Towers on the north and south, those are the astronomy towers which open up for you to study the stars. You will have regular classes once per week that would teach you about the stars. The one in the east is the aviary. It doesn't have a spire and has a large landing field on the top so that flying beasts of guests could dismount. All travelling professors and other magicians who are invited usually land on the east tower," said Ben.
"Now, I will divert you to the west spire. This is a spire and it doesn't change forms. It is a secret and don't enter it. You can't enter any of the spires on the central area before you have chosen a specialization. All classes and basic library and labs will be available in the outer square. It has six floors and can house over forty thousand students. Never has it ever been filled though," said Ben. "The premises for the faculty are separate. You probably won't be joining your father and staying in your own room."
"Why not?" asked Alex surprised. He had thought that he would be staying with his father as he did the past few years. Especially since, Michael decided to apply for the job on the same time he was eligible to join the academy, he had never thought otherwise.
"It is just tradition, Alex. It is more fun to play with your friend and try new things in the dormitory with the rest of your friends. It is like have brothers whom you can play with all the time, but you don't have me putting you to sleep at night. Doesn't that sound better," said Michael. He hadn't had the chance to explain about this to his son yet, but he couldn't put it off any longer as his uncle had inadvertently let it out.
"So, I can stay awake late at night light?" asked Alex excitedly.
"I would suggest that you sleep early to attend the classes in time, but you have the freedom to choose and your father wouldn't be able to force you to sleep like at home. I am sure that Michael means the same," said Ben. "Isn't than an improvement kid."
"Moreover, you can have a crystal ball which can be used to contact me at any time. You can also come and meet me in my quarters occasionally," said Michael in an attempt to pacify.
"Can't I stay with you anyways. Can you do something to get me to stay with you?" requested Alex. He was slightly afraid of staying away from his father.
"Those are the rules kid. A magician needs to be able to stay alone with his peers and without parental supervision. It would be a joke if a magician asks to have his parents with him every day. You need to stay in the dormitory if you intend to graduate from the Nature Palace," said Ben.
"Fine," said Alex sounding a bit dispirited.
"Ah! Trust me, you will have a lot of fun with your friends. There a lot of things that you get to know from the academy. All of us have studied here. You even have another cousin here in the second year," said Ben trying to cheer him up.
"Let us get you guys to your father's quarters after that he can take you around the palace," said Ben as he steered the griffon towards the south tower. "That is the port. Keep away from the sea for your first few years. It is quite dangerous."
The landed on the south tower which had a large circular tope which was in the shape of a large circle with a diameter of about 20 metres. He let down their luggage onto the platform before landing beside it. A man in a red cloak was waiting for them on the platform. He had a pair of gaunt looking eyes which were red in color with mask covering his nose and mouth. Michael immediately recognized him to be Falcone's ward, the person who was carrying Dominic when they came to visit him in the woods.
"I shall provide Mr. Morrison his signet ring and take them to their quarters, Sir," said the person in a raspy voice as he used his wand to cast hover and locomotion spells over their belongings. Ben nodded to the guy as a pair of large brown leathery wings sprouted on his back and he took off.
"Wow! That is some great magic. Will they teach that to me?" asked Alex.
"Everything in time. I also know that trick and almost all of my family can do it," said Michael looking at his son. "Warlocks like me learn to use such transformations that can help them change into beasts or have parts of them. Don't hurry, I got a much better transformation planned for you."
"I have never been introduced to you, Mr.?" asked Michael turning to the stranger after he calmed down his son.
"Raphael Falcone," said the man introducing himself. "I have been adopted by headmaster Falcone as his son."
"So, do you teach here?" asked Michael.
"No. I just handle the security. Mostly keep the beasts around the campus in their place," said the man as he pulled out a signet ring from his pocket and handed it over to Michael. "Serves as storage and also the pass for the campus. Also has a voice transmission array. The headmaster hopes to have a drink with you tonight," said Raphael as he looked at Dominic.
"I must make haste. There are a lot of guests today and it always causes the beasts to get wary and they attempt to make attacks on the guests. I placed a locomotion spell on your luggage that will lead you to your quarters and the signet ring is the key," said Raphael as he leapt on the griffin and took off in direction of the gate.
"Well, let us move to our new room. I will enroll and take you to your dormitory after that," said Michael as they followed their luggage down a spiral stairs which started from a door in the centre of the platform.
"This is much different than what I expected," said Alex as he looked around. "Why are they training with swords and spears in the ground? Do they also teach martial arts in the academy?"
"They teach almost everything in the academy. Every any profession which has a standardized rules are taught. Even the hunter's and tamer's guild who keep the population of the beasts under control has a station in the academy," said Michael.
"You need to understand one important thing about this place. A magician is considered someone above a normal person. He should be able to do everything a common citizen is able to do with magic and even without. So, you will be taught a bunch of skills which have nothing to do with magic. Basic combat training and physical fitness are considered a must. So, quite a good number of the students train themselves in the grounds at different times of the day," explained Michael.
"What do you mean by everything?"
"Well, you need to the most essential stuff to survive on your own like, cooking, farming, hunting, astronomy, foraging, combat arts, some wood craft, repairing clothes, armor, weapons and basic herbology. Apart from that, you will also have the option to learn smithing, basic alchemy, engineering and the like," said Michael.
"So, it teaches all these things? I would be able to do all of them with magic by the time, I graduate?" asked Alex.
"That and more," answered Michael without pointing out to the fact that he would be trained to do these things even without magic. The focus of the first few classes was always to make the new students to realize that magic is just a tool like any other and one can only get results if he understood the behavior of the world and nature.
They soon reached a door on the sixth floor of the building in the outer part where the luggage touched the floor. "I guess, I am also staying in the outer region," said Michael as he used his signet ring to unlock the door.
"That's good. Isn't it?" said Alex.
"I am at the east side of the place. New students are usually given quarters near the west side and on the ground floor," said Michael with a smile as he pushed open the door.
It revealed to be a large room almost the size of their own home in the village. It had walls separating a small dining and cooking area. There was also a separate bedroom which even had a smaller bed for Dominic. There was chandelier, the light from which glimmered around the meeting room giving it a very fashionable ambiance.
"Wow! This is so big," said Alex as he saw his father's quarters. He quickly barged in to check the other rooms.
"Yes, it is. They put in a space expansion spell on the bricks when creating the building so that they can have a larger space in the rooms than what appear from the corridor," explained Michael as he went into the bedroom with Dominic.
"My bed," yelled Dominic as he tried to get out of Michael's arms and into the bed as soon as he saw it. There were also a few plush toys on the bed which made it very attractive to Dominic.
"Where is mine?" asked Alex looking at Michael.
"In your own dormitory," said Michael.
"Is my dormitory the same size as your quarters?" asked Alex.
"Maybe a bit smaller," said Michael. "And you share it with five or six guys."
"That's unfair. How come you and Dominic get such a room and I have to share with some strangers," said Alex.
"That is simple. I am a teacher and you are a student. Now, get unpacking. I am sure that you don't want all your items in your own dormitory. You can leave a few here if you want," said Michael pointing to the luggage.