Vy shook her head, "Oh no, we're not. We're actually here to look for a Summoner, I'm in need of a Familiar."
"Ah I see, in that case, the best person to help will be Mrs Peterson. But…" Loraine held out her wand and waved it over her left hand.
Almost immediately, a red leather-bound journal appeared in her hands. She flipped through the pages to find the information she needed.
"Mrs Peterson is currently teaching a class, so she won't likely be free. However, it says here she's teaching a class on summoning creatures. Quite a fun one I must say. She might just be able to accommodate you." Loraine continued as she closed her notebook, "She does love a live demonstration."
The notebook disappears out of her hands with the blink of an eye. She then proceeds to whisper words onto her open palm. Vy and Lycster looked on in bewilderment. It was common to use small amounts of magic, but they had never quite seen it used in this way.
Within a matter of seconds, a bird made of folded paper formed in Loraine's open palm. It was all white in colour and it moved!
As it fully materialised in her palm, she gave it a lift-off; sending it up into the sky.
"I've sent her a message of your request, hopefully, she will reply to us soon," Loraine explained with a smile, "On a side note, while you're waiting, would you like a tour of the Institute? You two definitely look like you're from out of town."
Vy looked down at Lycster, and he gave an enthusiastic nod.
"Sure, that sounds like fun," Vy replied.
Loraine clapped her hands together, "Wonderful! Oh, my name is Loraine, by the way. Loraine Tehrun. I'm a teacher here at the Florenza Institute. Are you familiar with our institute?"
"No, we're not. It's our first time hearing about it, to be honest. I'm Vyrena, Vyrena Blackfire. And this is my brother, Lycster," Vy replied as she introduced herself and Lycster.
Loraine brought Vyrena and Lycster into the main courtyard of the institute and explained to them how it worked. Upon realizing that they did not know anything about the way that magic was thought at the institute, she explained from the start.
There were six branches of magic, Battle, Summon, Potion, Elemental, Free Form and Enhancement. Students of all ages, race and species are welcome to join the institute. Master the skills take a long time and most students take at least 3 years to master the basic skills and past their first test before they get to choose their specialization.
"What do you teach, Miss Loraine?" Lycster asked out of curiosity.
"Well, I specialise in Free Form magic, which encompasses inventing magical items and more," she replied.
Lycster pondered over her words for a while, "Oh so it's like that paper bird you created just now?"
"Yes! That's exactly right!"
Vy too had a question, but before she could ask, they noticed an incoming paper bird that flew down and sat on Loraine's shoulder. The bird chirped in her ears before disappearing into thin air.
"It looks like Mrs Peterson would like to meet you in person right now, so please follow me!"
As they made their way towards the classroom, Vy realised that the institute was a lot larger than it seemed from the outside. She realised that similar magic had been used for the entry point into the Alterra Sector.
As the class bell had rung sometime ago, the corridors were largely empty. Only a few classes started later. As they walked past a hallway filled with lockers and classrooms on each side, some of the students whispered to each other as Vy and Lycster walked past them.
All of them were indifferent coloured uniforms, which according to Loraine would tell you which branch of magic they were learning. It took them a while to notice, but most of the students seemed to be accompanied by what seemed like a pet.
Some of them greeted Loraine as they walked past her, while others gossiped about who these two humans might be. Seeing other children his age chatting and laughing with friends made Lycster feel a little jealous.
But he had his sister with her and that was more than enough for him. He would never trade any of the adventures and experiences they had with each other for anything in the world. Not even bad memories.
"Miss Loraine, what are those creatures that are following the students around?" Lycster asked out of curiosity.
Loraine looked over to where he was pointing and realised what he was trying to ask about.
"Oh, that would depend on which creatures you're referring to. All students in Florenza are allowed to keep pets, and they also have their familiars with them."
Each student, during their first week of school, would be attending a special ceremony where they get to go through the Choosing ceremony. This ceremony would be conducted in the Hall of Mirrors, where students would be bonded to their familiar for life.
Some say that the type of familiar one is bonded will reflect their strength, personality and future in the pursuit of mastering magic. But there have also been cases where outliers wowed the world with their brilliance.
"A great example would be Galatia Moonstrum. Her familiar was but a small fennec fox with large ears and a small body. But as it turns out, she would become one of the greatest mages we had seen in recent years," Loraine replied nonchalantly.
Vy also noticed the Familiars the students had. The Familiars of these students also stole glances at Vy. They whispered things into the ears of the students they were bonded with but she was not keen on prying.
Before long, they arrived at their destination. At the end of the long walkway was a hall with slightly opened oak doors. Loraine waved her hand and the doors pushed open, revealing the room behind it.
From the plaque at the side of the door, Vy realised that this was Hall of Mirrors. As they walked into the hall, there were already a group of students seated. A strong built lady stood in the middle of the hall on a raised marble platform.
Mrs Peterson had fiery red coloured hair was tied in a half bun, with her long locks cascading down her shoulders ending just above her waist. She wore a pair of gold circular rimmed glass that sat on her flat nose ridge. She wore a flowing red long-sleeved fit and flare dress that ended right above her knees with a pair of dark red boots.