"And you, Elsingor, what are you going to be when you grow up?"

  The questioner took a stalk of yapritch out of his mouth, which he chewed melancholically for a minute or two, and only then he answered:

  "I don't know yet. Maybe I'll go to the capital and join the mage guild there."

  "Hey, if anything, the place of the court sorcerer will be occupied by me!" Namitil jokingly shoved him in the side.

  "Everything's clear with you. What about you, Gillmir?"

  "I'll learn to ride first. Targan promised me lessons and to select a good unicorn."

  "You don't have to learn magic to do that."

  "Why? With the help of Symbiosis of Minds, it'll be able to understand me at a glance! Together with it we can easily reach the mountains, I'd really like to see them."

  "You'll get to know the dwarves too! They'll teach you how to dig ore!"

  "Why would I want to do that?"

  "You'll be the world's first elf miner!

  "No, he's going to visit the Drowes," Faelinn said with a sly face.

  "Yeah, to see one pretty dark elfess," Namitil added.

  "Oh, come on, you jokers. I'll leave you!"

  "Okay, do not be offended, many of us dream of looking at the mountains."

  "And I would love to see the Great Ocean," Parial sighed dreamily.

  "Your dreams are too small," Yantau grinned. "Meikli and I decided to go to Shashulisch to see the dragons. The gaarshes invited us."

  "We would like to come too!"

  "What's the problem? Talk to them, they're not likely to refuse. We'd love to come to your place too, if you invite us, of course."

  "No problem."

  "Yumial, it's your turn."

  "I dream of having my own garden," the elf girl admitted.

  "Is that all??"

  "We can't all be great magicians or travelers! Someone needs to create beauty, too. I hope to gather the most beautiful plants in my garden."

  "Then you must go to Fuivt, and take a couple of flixies with you from there! They're so cute!"

  "And take a treant, too, to take care of the trees!"

  "It's a pity there aren't any of them here, it would be much more fun!"

  "And let Tim bring some miracle machine here! Otherwise, how can we believe they exist?"

  "I'd love to, but will it work here?"

  "Where will it go! If it doesn't want to, we'll put it wand where it needs it!"

  "No vulgarities, please!" Iwiel's lips were pouting.

  "But we are in the magical sense of the word! Let's charge it with magic to the fullest!"

  "I wonder if sorcery can fix all sorts of mechanisms?"

  "Without problem. Remember how Saag-Kof restored a burst glass to its original state? This is roughly the way."

  "No, our machines are too complicated for that."

  "What are you gonna do after the school, then?"

  "I'm going to the Academy. If it works out, of course."

  "And if it doesn't work out, come live on Olmari!" Naar-Tam offered cheerfully.

  "Unlike Earth, we have much room for improvement in our magical talents!" Tiis-Mir encouraged Tim.

  If only they didn’t add about 'one pretty yusme' who lives there, on Olmari, Tim thought anxiously. Fortunately, they didn't.

  "Wait, which Academy did you mean? The one mentioned in the Code?" Faelinn became interested in.

  "That's the one, aren't there others?"

  "We have one in the capital. Maybe there's another name for it."

  "The Kings' School of Magic," Gillmir prompted.

  "Where is the Academy located, then?"

  Alas, no one knew.

  “We ought to find out,” Faelinn concerned.

  "You're going there, too? And now imagine the situation: you arrive there, and right on the doorstep you bump into Germeht and Shin. What will you do?"

  "Maybe they won't get in..."

  "Yeah, when they see in the Academy that the letter of recommendation is signed by some goblin, they will immediately turn them away!"

  And everyone laughed.

  "Oh, look, a star is falling!" Yumial exclaimed, and their gazes turned to the sky.

  "It's a pity it's too far away," sighed Gillmir, looking at the faintly luminous trace left by the meteorite.

  "Why?"

  "Because many people believe that if you find pieces of the meteorite, any of your wishes will come true.

  "Well, not this time. It must have landed beyond the mountains."

  "What wish would you make if you found it?"

  "Why am I going to tell you all of a sudden?"

  "Tetix is here," Parial pointed to Jelshakh's largest satellite. "So it's time to go, it's evening, and soon the sun will be out of sight!"

  'We'll make it, don't worry! It's so nice here that we don't want to leave!"

  And indeed, lying with friends in the grass in the middle of the forest clearing, blown by the warm breeze - well, who would want to go back to school?

  They chatted a little more, and only when the sun was almost completely hidden behind the horizon, they reluctantly wandered back. But they were too late - literally before their eyes the stone 'trolls' blocked the only entrance to the mountain with the boulder.

  "We'll have to spend the night outdoors again," Elsingor sighed.

  "You've done this before?"

  "And more than once. At first they caught me and sent me to do community services. But they can't catch me now for nothing!"

  "Why?"

  "Simply, if you climb higher up the tree, the ghosts won't see you!"

  "Are you suggesting we all sit in the treetops till morning? We're not birds!"

  "What's the big deal? Besides, you can see everything from above!"

  "Well, you sit there and we'll find somewhere cozier."

  "You'll have to go far - the ghosts are scouring the whole area around the school. And the farther you go, the harder it is to find a picnic spot - thickets and deadwood everywhere. Don't look at me like that! I know a shelter here, not very far from here, and almost inconspicuous from the outside."

  "Show us! Or do you keep it only for yourself?"

  "Then I wouldn't mention it. Follow me, and you'll see!"

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  Indeed, it didn’t take long to go - after about ten minutes they were at the rock, next to which the sprawling evlies grew - their dense crown hid everything that was behind them and under them. Lifting one of the branches, Elsingor pointed to a secret passage:

  "Let's go!"

  Following one another they entered a winding tunnel, once a cleft between rocks, but now ending in a cave big enough to hold them all, and still have room for a fire. Judging by the embers in the center of it, someone has already kindled it here.

  "You can even live here!" Naar-Tam said cheerfully, looking around.

  "And you, Elsingor, have kept secrets from us!" Faelinn and Namitil reproached him.

  "I discovered this cave myself just a few days ago by accident. And I didn't start the fire, it was made before me!"

  "I wonder who was the discoverer?" squatting down, Yantau began to examine the remains of the fire. "Judging by the moss on some of the embers, partially embedded in the ground, it seemed a long time ago. Even before we arrived at the school."

  "What did I tell you?" Elsingor was overjoyed at the unexpected support. "If I were you, I'd thank you for bringing me here. Another person in my place would rather agree to sit in the punishment cell once again than reveal such a secret!

  "What kind of friend would you be to us after that? Relax, we're all friends, otherwise you wouldn't have brought us here, right?"

  "Absolutely! If there was anyone I didn't trust, we'd all have to spend the night in the woods."

  "It's better to be in a cave, especially if you can make a fire and no one outside will notice!"

  "Then why don't we do it? Night is coming, and we might lose sight of each other!"

  Indeed, twilight already reigned in the forest, and in the cave, where luminous moss almost did not grow on the walls, it was completely dark - only in some places dim light made its way through the cracks, and the rest was drowned in darkness.

  "Let me light the torch," Naar-Tam suggested.

  "It's a good idea, but you can't keep it on all night! Even if Tiis will help."

  "Do I really need to help him?" with a laugh replied Tiis-Mir.

  "Then all the more reason to have a fire. Guys, come with me to gather firewood!"

  All representatives of the stronger sex responded to the call of Yantau except Naar-Tam: he had to stay behind, because the elf girls categorically did not want to sit in the dark, waiting for the fuel to be brought. They had to walk several times - dry branches are not very convenient luggage, and they did not have a rope. The attempt to drag a whole tree at once - Namitil discovered a dried kirbst not far from the cave - had to be abandoned: without a saw and an ax, they would only have suffered with it.

  But at last the nearest corner of the cave was filled with dead wood, and with a sense of accomplishment they joined those sitting around the fire, carefully lit by Naar-Tam. As it turned out, there weren't many elves who could do this - by royal decree, making fire in the forest was strictly forbidden.

  "We're not in the woods now, so we can't start fires," Yantau commented with a chuckle. - And there are no huntsmen here. So, relax and look at fire calmly: my grandfather said, it clears the soul and banishes evil thoughts."

  "It is fascinating," Namitil admitted, making himself comfortable by the fire and melancholically tossing wood chips into it.

  "And so it must be, for in every petal of fire lives the spirit of the Primordial Flame," Tiis-Mir whispered reverently.

  "Now I understand why our ancestors loved to gather around the fire in the evening," said Tim thoughtfully. "It's warm, it's bright, and you can cook food at the same time."

  "And predators won't dare to attack," Yantau added. "I myself, when I'm in a kangur skin, try to keep out of the fire. If I try to get too close, my body resists at full strength, and it's very hard to overpower myself."

  "It's called instinct," Tim explained.

  "And if you accidentally burn the fur, do traces then remain?" - Faelinn interested in.

  "Yes, there will be burns on the skin. But you can get them without any turning - just stick your hand in the fire."

  "No, thanks, I don't want it."

  "By the way, do your huntsmen do anything else besides hunt down picnickers?"

  "Actually, their first priority is to catch bandits: orcs, goblins, and dwarves of all kinds."

  "Are there brigands among the dwarves, too?" Tiis-Mir wondered.

  "Yes, they are good and kind here, but, in general, they are different. But more often they don't rob, but poach: they kill animals, and cut down trees. And they choose the best ones, because such trees give more heat."

  "So they understand wood," Yantau grinned.

  "Unfortunately. Or, worse, they hire a team of goblins, give them axes in hand, and for a good reward those are happy to work as woodcutters. That is why the huntsmen are not ceremonious with goblins: if they catch them, they will not drag them to the dungeon, but simply tie them to a tree and start practicing archery."

  "If only our Pulsok were in their place! For this I would even make a bow."

  "Can you do it?"

  "I can, but only if I can find the material for the bowstring and a knife to carve the base from suitable wood."

  "I could use a good blade, too," Gillmir sighed dreamily.

  "What for?"

  "I could make a staff. A staff is better than a wand. It'll be obvious you're a wizard!"

  "And if you don't have enough mana, you can hit the enemy on the head with it," Naar-Tam added merrily.

  Namitil, intending to “feed” the fire that had begun to die out, threw a whole branch into it, in addition with dried leaves - and the flame immediately shot up, illuminating the far corner of the cave for a short time.

  "Look, there's something painted on the wall!" Meikli exclaimed.

  With the help of Naar-Tam's torch they could see the pretty face of a young elf maiden with a caption underneath:

  'Firitel, my love'.

  "How romantic!" Parial and Iwiel clapped their eyelashes.

  "I think I've heard of a sorceress by that name," said Yumial frowning. "And if those stories are to be believed, she was a wicked witch, practicing black magic, and very bad-tempered. For some reason, she was annoyed by beautiful things, and she would do anything she could to ruin or destroy them. She even turned her lover into a horrible monster."

  Tim wasn't too surprised by the "life path" choice - not everyone can be kind and right, especially since they can teach you Black Magic here, too, if you want. More importantly, if this is the same Firitel, then she managed to return home after graduation. Then it must have worked for them, too! That's a lot to think about, but not right now.

  "What did she get for it?" Elsingor inquired.

  "By royal decree, she was to be taken into custody and ordered to wear, without removing, the shackles of anti-magic. However, when the guards arrived, it turned out that Firitel had fled in an unknown direction, and was never seen in the elven forests again."

  "What are the shackles of anti-magic?" Naar-Tam became interested.

  As it turned out, even among the elves, few had any idea what they looked like. They seem to look like bracelets made from a special alloy called 'blue silver'. They are made by dwarves whose craftsmen know how to work with this alloy, which has the ability to prevent sorcery. In other words, they act like a spell of Silence.

  "As far as I know, such punishment is reserved for wizards who violate the rules of the Mage's Guild," Gillmir added.

  "I hope that's not the practice here."

  "It is forbidden to shackle apprentices. But they may terminate your training."

  "Well, that's nothing. At the very least, books to help you. In comparison with the horrors Ven told us about..."

  "Yeah, I don't envy the Drowes. How do they even survive out there?"

  "Do you feel sorry for the dark ones? Found someone to sympathize with!"

  "Not all of them are bad," Iwiel squeaked, and immediately regretted it.

  "Did you fall in love with one of them?" Parial teased her.

  "I?? Never! How could you even think that of me!

  "Then why are you blushing? Come on, confess, we're all friends here!"

  Tim had to save the situation - he did not want his friend to be discussed in every way.

  "It's very interesting information. Now I understand why magic no longer works on Earth - a meteorite of blue silver fell on it!"

  "Could that really be?" Elsingor hesitated.

  "Blue silver doesn't fall from the sky, it's forged by dwarves," Yumial said authoritatively.

  "But what then can explain the disappearance of magic?"

  "Ask Alkitmi. Maybe he'll say something smart."

  Actually, it wasn't a bad idea - the yusme had a concept of things that were completely unknown to his classmates. It was no wonder, since both of his parents were professional sorcerers, and their son grew up in a fairyland where anything was possible. In addition, their house was literally full of books about famous wizards, powerful artifacts and incredible adventures in magical worlds. I'll be sure to ask about it when I have the chance, Tim thought, but the main thing was that the distraction had succeeded, the attention of others had shifted to him. Fortunately, not for long: the night was gradually taking its toll, many were openly pecking their noses, and some, leaning against the wall, fell asleep.

  Suddenly Namitil, who was also dozing, woke up, and a frightened expression appeared on his face:

  "Ghosts are coming here!"

  The drowsy stupor was gone in an instant.

  "Are you sure? Maybe you were just having a bad dream?" Naar-Tam hesitated.

  "His gift - Sense of Astral," Yumial explained. "He can sense incorporeal things from afar. How many are there?"

  "At least four."

  "What do we do now?" Iwiel inquired uneasily.

  The question hung in the air - if they rush out of the cave in all directions, the ghosts will surely notice them and start chasing them. Sitting quietly inside in the hope that they won't be noticed is also scary - what if the ghosts accidentally smell them? Yantau suggested a way out.

  "Let me try to get them out of here!"

  "Sure?" Meikli tensed, immediately realizing what he was up to.

  "Quite. They can’t catch up with kangur, I already tried it."

  "Then act," and, after a little hesitation, "girls, look away! "

  "Why?" Parial glanced at her in surprise, and Meikli had to turn her in the right direction.

  "He'll change his skin."

  Since the boys were allowed to watch, they did not fail to exercise their right - none of them saw how the lycoses pass into their second self, since they tried to do this in the absence of outsiders.

  There were no special effects, though: Yantau quickly took off his uniform, squatted down, and his body transformed almost instantly: their friend was now a huge spotted feline, slightly larger than a lynx but smaller than a leopard. Issuing a quiet guttural growl - like, wait for me, and I'll be back - the cat darted toward the cave's exit. The others froze in lingering anticipation.

  The atmosphere calmed down a little when Namitil announced that the ghosts were leaving.

  "So it worked!"

  "Let's hope he doesn't get caught..."

  "Meikli, could you do that?" Tiis-Mir wondered.

  "Unfortunately birigogs aren't that fast. But they can climb walls."

  "Will you show it sometime?" Elsingor winked at her.

  "No, I won't do it for someone else's amusement. Only if there is no choice. However, you can try it yourself - master the appropriate spell, and act."

  "I don't think I'll be able to do it anytime soon."

  "Are you in a hurry somewhere? Learn to turn into a birigog, then I will run a race with you."

  "I'll hold you to that! I'll start trying tomorrow!"

  For friendly jokes, they did not notice how the kangur reappeared - he had to remind himself with a growl.

  "Cool! You did it!!!"

  The female half of the company expressed their delight by squeezing, hugging and stroking the cat. The cat didn't mind, just the opposite, showing how much he enjoyed it, arching his back and blissfully squinting.

  In the end, Meikli had to intervene.

  "Hey, don't forget: he's not an animal, he's your companion. Better step aside and look away, let him turn back."

  The girls, not without regret, left the fuss with the kangur, and he, having waited for the right moment, turned into Yantau (although, as it seemed to Tim, he would be happy to stay in the center of everyone's attention some more time).

  "There were five of them, and they all came straight here," he began to tell. "Well, maybe not straight to the cave, they were just flying around the mountain range. Anyway, I jumped out of the bushes right in front of them and ran deep into the woods, they followed me. I took them farther away, almost to the rocks on the opposite side, and there confused the tracks and then rushed here. I hope they don't show up again."

  "That was great!"

  "Wasn't it scary?"

  "No, but now I'm really hungry. It's always like that after a turning."

  "Were you thinking of eating a stursh?" Meikli grinned.

  "What am I, a beast? A real kangur could, but I'd rather wait until the dining room opens. Especially since it's starting to get light, and we'll be back at school soon."