Chapter 154
Lamberton Dormitory Building, Cornell Academy, City: Three Prongs Fork, Republic of Shantu, Continent: Barat, the Year 2041, Planet: Grimoire
After the unsettling events in the unofficial arena left a sour taste and bad mood in the spectators, Harper and his siblings were escorted back to their temporary hostel. However, they had not had a moment's rest when they returned.
Hermina glanced at them. "You'll need to pack your belongings." She consulted her communicator with surprise. "He meant it when telling me we would receive temporary housing at the merchant dormitory Lamberton building." They were requested to pack up their belongings because Lamberton had, true to his word, worked with the receptionist to house them in the merchant dormitory. Though Hermina had been flustered when giving them the news.
"Have the others been told yet?" Harper had been surprised and then bemused. That wasn't something he'd expected after meeting the gruff man. There was something about him that was familiar and yet aloof.
Hermina shook her head. "Nope, I'm going to go to their rooms now." She informed Harper.
Well, if she informed them, the change was undoubtedly legitimate. "All right," Harper shrugged. "I suppose we'll get to know the citizens around here eventually."
The unofficial arena could have been a better introduction to society in general—unless one counted the severe disparity in treatment for individuals who weren't from elite families. Harper mused on what he'd overheard and shook his head.
"Don't get too caught up in your thoughts, Harper," Anara told him. "There'll be plenty enough time for that when we are more securely settled."
Sherpa grunted. "True, though that won't happen until after we've gone through the enrollment process at our chosen institute." After what he'd seen, though, it was obvious what choice he would make.
Harper wasn't in the mood to get stuck in Fang's Cliff or Fremont Institute. Neither of them had a great reputation. In fact, the killer newbies hailed from both of them.
From where she'd taken a corner bed, Anara observed with wariness. "Some higher-ups have serious grudges against Tinroy." She shook her head with a frown. "From what I can tell, all he's ever done was survive on the bare minimum of shelter, food, and clothing."
Even that was doubtful. Harper shrugged. "Well, considering how our plans for a meal at a nice place were interrupted, I do wonder where we'll be able to eat." He was hungry and getting grumpy.
"Your stomach isn't the only one that is growling." Jennifer startled all of them. "We're all done and heading out already. C'mon you slowpokes."
Oh, right, they'd had the right idea of not unpacking but the bare minimum. Harper tossed a pillow at Jennifer. "You sure all your brothers and sisters are ready to go?" His eyebrows rose at Jennifer.
Jennifer frowned. "Err, I believe so?" She sighed. "I'd better go back and see which of them is still lagging behind." She vanished from the doorway.
"We'd better take advantage of their uncertainty," Harper murmured.
Sherpa shook his head. "Nah, they're all waiting for us." He confirmed. "Darryl just shot me a picture of the lobby."
They all grimaced. "Well, at least we can still make sure we don't forget anything," Anara reminded them. "We can always taunt them with that possibility." She paused. "After we arrive at the new lodgings."
It's good. Now Harper, Anara, and Sherpa can finish up their packing. Fortunately, they didn't have too much to complete when it came to that task.
With everything secured away, they hurried down the stairs only to find, as promised, the younger five and Hermina waiting impatiently for them to return the keys and sign paperwork certifying that they'd done nothing to alter the inside of the room.
Once that was done, they headed for the dormitory.
~*~
Not long after Firenze's meditation in an attempt to communicate with the very irate griffin spirit, he succeeded in establishing a mental connection with it. "Her name is Lizelle," Firenze told Grifton.
Much to Grifton's amusement and Firenze's shock, Firenze indeed had a griffin companion.
Lizelle regarded Grifton with exasperation. {Thank you for getting this dunderhead to notice my feathers floating around his head.}
Firenze winced. {I really hadn't known that this was real.}
It had been quite irritated with Firenze's denseness. {Yes, I heard you explain that our lineage was extinct.} On the other hand, when Firenze made amends with the fierce little creature, it calmed down. {I think you could learn a few things from Grifton. However, I know you only have a little time to spend with him due to familial obligations.}
{Yes, that has thrown both of us into a tailspin. We were caught unprepared, and the timing was too coincidental.} Although Firenze couldn't shapeshift yet, he was gaining a deluge of information about griffin customs.
{Well, don't worry. I'll have some friends stay here and watch over Grifton in your absence.} Lizelle informed Firenze. {Not only that, but I shall give you some pertinent details of what can be expected in the future.}
It wasn't unheard of for griffin shifters to intermarry with other species. The griffin, Lizelle, had no problems with Firenze and Grifton being together. She was very appreciative and looked forward to the expected offspring.
Grifton exhaled. {On the one hand, I'm happy that they're clearly doing well.} He was grim when informing the griffin. {On the other hand, I'm more worried about the unknown enemies.} Truly, the safety of his offspring concerned Grifton the most. {There are spies everywhere.} He didn't doubt that someone was already planning some kind of nasty retribution. {I don't doubt that someone managed to find the information despite the care I took to prevent discovery.}
However, those offspring were complications that neither Grifton nor Firenze had been prepared to raise yet. {We aren't stable enough in our lives.} Now they faced the possibility that there was a fifty-fifty chance of either child, Grifton determined that he carried at least two. "Multiples tend to run in the genes." His wry reminder to Firenze about his three deceased siblings. They'd also had multiple births.
Lizelle huffed. {Yes, the careers you've chosen are likely the least stable I've ever encountered.} She shook her wings, and her tail bopped the both of them on their heads. {Do consider other options when you finally choose where to live.}
True, that was something they had to consider. Only Grifton couldn't leave yet for the foreseeable future. He'd been grounded to remain in one place by the government, Darmono, and Lamberton. That was another reason why Grifton found the timing extremely suspicious. "Firenze, how close were you to graduating?"
Firenze hesitated. "I'll be joining the graduation in the summer before leaving." He admitted reluctantly.
"Congratulations on successfully completing your programs." Grifton was perfectly fine with the news and smiled at Firenze with pleasure. "I'm glad one of us managed to accomplish that feat."
Relieved and pleased at his response, Firenze grinned. "Thank you, I couldn't have done it without your help, Grifton."
They settled in for a quiet meal in Grifton's room. Now, it was time to prepare for other tasks they still needed to accomplish so that Firenze would not have to worry about them. At the same time, he traveled as an emissary to the Galos Empire.
~*~
Several hours passed after the eight siblings were temporarily rehomed. They hadn't known what to expect when trekking to their new location. The fact that it was within walking distance of several other dormitories and warehouses shocked all of them.
"I've never seen anything so well organized," Anara observed curiously.
Sherpa spoke up quietly. "From what I've heard, the number of merchants and artisans that Lamberton can call upon is about three times the number of any other merchant company out there." He shrugged when the rest stared at him in surprise. "I did some research."
"Hmm, well, this is definitely a good location," Sapphire told them. It must also be where Tinroy and his group are houses." She shrugged when they glanced at each other in surprise.
"I suppose that might be true." Darryl looked speculative. "I know I was supposed to be able to detect his traps, but I was caught off guard when seeing how they were tripped."
"Yeah, that was definitely a shock." Ambrose's eyes gleamed. "I remember you creating quite a few similar ones in the past." He eyed Darryl. "Do you think, with practice, you could create some of the simpler designs?"
Darryl blinked. "You mean the hidden ones?" He pondered. "I would have to figure out what elements involved them."
Hermina listened to them. "Well, save the speculation for later," she requested. We're almost there. It wouldn't irritate the receptionist and housekeeper first thing when we met them." Her strict reminder made them remember that this would be a short stay.
Still, it wouldn't hurt to display their hard-earned manners. That's what Harper thought initially as they walked into the entrance of the Merchant Dormitory Lamberton Building.
A good half hour later, Harper wondered if they'd somehow gotten on the wrong side of the receptionist. He sighed, shoved his hands into his pockets, and wandered through the allowed routes along the walls. At least there were exciting objects to peer at on shelves and frames.
When would the chaos ever settle down? That was what Harper Frost pondered. He sat with his siblings in the reception room of the Lamberton Merchant Dormitory building, even though it was for the merchants, staff, and other workers associated with all aspects of merchants and artisanry. It still had quite the aesthetic.
Earlier, when Harper roamed the large lobby, he noticed all sorts of merit awards, trophies, and certificates attesting to the rise from lowest rank and tier to triple-A rank roughly a decade before he'd retired from adventuring and hunting to becoming a very successful merchant.
~*~
Although he'd originally been housed in the student dormitory, that status ended when he was conscripted into the military. That status hadn't yet altered, and therefore, Grifton was housed in the merchant dormitory building run by Lamberton for his people.
Therefore, when Grifton came down from his room to gather new bedding set, he was startled to find the eight siblings sitting quietly in the lobby. From their edgy expressions, something must've happened to keep them in that state of hunger.
Puzzled, Grifton approached the receptionist. "Hi Anne, what's going on?" He tilted his head toward the newcomers.
Anne blinked when she saw them and visibly flinched. "Oh dear, I hadn't even noticed their arrival." Anne appeared on the verge of tears for the first time in recent memory to Grifton. "No doubt they're starving and irritated by now."
They had every right to be even if the housekeeper wasn't around.
Raised voices from a corner office made Grifton and Anne wince. Okay, so the housekeeper was aware of their arrival.
The housekeeper sounded very irritated. "I told you, there was only one suite of rooms available," Mrs. McCoy exasperated. "There are three bedrooms and a study that can be converted." She heaved a frustrated sigh. "If I'd been informed at least three days in advance, I could've made something else work."
Right then, Mrs. McCoy espied Grifton standing next to the receptionist's desk. She winced and sighed. "What can I do for you, Mr. Tinroy?" Mrs. McCoy only formally addressed him when she reached her limits in dealing with unreasonable demands.
Grifton cleared his throat. "Ehh, I'll be transferring to the student dorms soon," he volunteered. "Tomorrow, in fact." He walked over to Mrs. McCoy. "I somehow acquired the biggest suite of rooms here." Grifton didn't need all that space. "I was going to remove all my belongings soon and temporarily live with someone else for the night." That was not true, but if it could ease the situation here, then Grifton didn't mind transitioning early.
Mrs. McCoy looked relieved. The woman who stood at her side stared at Grifton aghast.
"Why would you do that?" She inquired.
A smile tugged at Grifton's mouth. "I've had something similar happen to me in my younger years. I wouldn't want them to miss a good meal because they had nowhere to stay for the night."
Footsteps behind them announced Firenze's arrival. He heard everything going on and promptly insisted, "Yes, this isn't a problem; he'll be rooming with me."
Since neither Mrs. McCoy nor Anne looked shocked at hearing the news, Grifton nodded in confirmation. "So, can this work out for all of you?" He eyed the others from the corner of his eyes.
The housekeeper, the strange woman, and Anne all looked relieved. "Yes, that will work out nicely."
Grifton smiled. "In that case, I will return to the rooms and clear them out immediately." He glanced at the strange woman. "Where were you scheduled to eat?"
"Hmm?" The woman looked at Grifton in shock. "Uh, I'm Hermina Marten," She realized she hadn't introduced herself yet. "We had a reservation at the Jade Palace and then were going to watch a show at the Orient Palazzo."
That would work out perfectly. "How about this?" Grifton suggested. "You all go for your meal and show, and by the time you return, the rooms will have been cleared and prepared for tenancy."
That way, they all got what they wanted, and Grifton wouldn't have to bother the housekeeper with fresh sheets that would've been wasted in the end.
"Sounds good," Mrs. McCoy nodded in approval.
They all split up into their various tasks.
It would be a long night but well worth it if it meant less hassle for Lamberton the next day.