ATPnovel Episode Two Hundred and Seven: ... ...
Episode Two Hundred and Seven: ... ...
Episode Two Hundred and Seven:
“Need more books,” chirped Indigo, as she flew around the kitchen in lazy circles.
“I thought Lady Twilight sent you more...” I stirred the eggs frantically in a bowl before adding the diced peppers, onions and tomatoes. The round pie pan sat waiting on top of the stove, and I quickly added the egg mixture inside.
Hopefully, this worked.
My last adventure with quiche hadn’t turned out very well.
This time, I’d followed the recipe exactly.
“No, no more books.” Indigo landed on the island, not as carefully as normal. “Need more people.”
So, this wasn’t about knowledge, this was about being bored. That, I could handle.
I tapped the counter lightly and my laptop rose from within the wood.
“Well, if you are interested, I have a test you can take. It will unlock the magical world of online schooling.”
Indigo’s eyes went wide, and she crept closer to my laptop as she nodded her head.
“But you will need to study...” I had ordered the suggested books and already downloaded the ones that made sense for audio to my account. The math ones should be showing up any day now. “I have all the required materials and worksheets for you to complete. You will need to learn to use voice to text to complete the assignments. It’s a big deal if you score well.”
Indigo frantically nodded. “I can study and take test. I will be the best!”
“Are you sure?” I asked, leaning closer to her. “If you are going to do it, you need to commit.”
“Please! I can score the best!” She leaped up twice, fluttering her wings but not flying.
“Alright... I will set you up in the living room.” I picked the laptop up and Indigo quickly leaped up to my shoulder. Again, she was heavy for a moment, but suddenly lightened.
Up the steps we went to the living room. Then, I set the laptop on the table, and opened up the first worksheet.
The math books appeared on the table, even though I thought they hadn’t arrived yet.
I pulled the list of suggested reading, worksheets, and problems to practice on before the test.
“This is the guide. If you can do all of this and score well, you can take the test.”
“Gimme!”
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Indigo tried to grab at the paper list and her claw went through it. She immediately calmed down a little and tried to smooth it out. “I’ll figure out the talking thing.”
“Let me know if you need help,” I said, with a smile. Her excitement was adorable.
She ignored me, already reading the list of requirements. The laptop screen had the worksheets available, and the text to type was already enabled as an accessibility measure.
I backed slowly out of the room, then headed to the front counter. I needed more coffee, now that Indigo was taken care of. Breakfast was in the oven and it still felt early.
Something warm sounded perfect. Maybe chocolate.
I pulled out the expensive chocolate sauce to make a mocha, with a little vanilla as well.
The heavenly scent filled the area as I steamed the mixture with the milk.
“That smells good,” said the Cat, as he jumped onto the counter.
“Should be. Do you want one?” I asked the question, yet I pulled his tea cup out before he could answer.
“What is Indigo working on?” he asked as I prepped the beverages.
“The entrance exam for online schooling. I guessed somewhere in the grade school range, and pulled the suggested study material.”
He nodded his head at me. “So she goes to school with the laptop.”
“Yes, there isn’t any in-person interaction. It’s all recorded videos, lessons, and message boards, plus some live online classes, though she shouldn’t need to be on camera.” I’d dug into the safety concerns, to make sure she wouldn’t be outed as a dragon. “It’s only stuff from my world, but still knowledge, and the basics like math, history, and art. Plus music classes and such, if she is interested.”
I poured the espresso into each of our cups then topped it with the hot steamed chocolate milk. No fancy design today.
“Indigo is in a stretch where she needs to be around more people. Most dragons at her age spend lots of time with other little dragons, but she doesn’t have that option, besides Sapphire, and I don’t know when their next joint lesson is.” My fingers tapped on the counter top, and I forced myself to relax.
“You are doing a good job with Indigo,” the Cat said after a moment. He gave me a nod, then lapped at his drink.
While I knew it before he said it, hearing the Cat tell me I was doing a good job helped. All of the information from Lorestone and the books I’d skimmed had worried me. Dragons needed other dragons when they were young, and Indigo only had a human and a Cat-shaped former Fae Lord.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” I finally asked, after taking a small sip of my mocha.
The Cat chuckled. “Someone who runs a library is looking for something.”
“Oh, that should be interesting...”
“It’s good that Indigo is occupied,” said the Cat once his teacup was emptied.
I let out a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s do this.”
For once, the skylight darkened, and the lights on the walls dimmed. The color changed to more of a red, but was still warm and comforting. The bookshelves remained where they were, but the right hand section changed to another table covered with all sorts of objects. It was lower to the ground than usual.
The center table also shifted, its leg’s shortening. A set of steps appeared in front of the counter.
Then the bell jingled.
A soft light drew my attention. It reminded me almost of a candle. Holding that light was a short mole-like character in a tweed vest, of all things. Large glasses wobbled on his head, making his small eyes appear bigger.
“Ah, I’ve finally found the place,” he muttered, holding the light in front of him as he stepped farther inside.
“Welcome to the shop,” I said, keeping my voice softer than normal. Something in the air demanded a bit of decorum.
The light swung in my direction. “Ah, perfect. Maybe you can help me.”
He suddenly moved quicker in my direction on all fours, as the lantern remained in the air in front of him. He climbed the steps with ease, then a hand went back to holding the light.
“I need a map of Nowhere...” He said as his glasses wobbled again. “We must expand the library. The books are spilling out into the tunnels, but the Great Root warned us to not tunnel anywhere without a map. It’s dangerous with the empty pockets of space.”
My mouth dropped a little as I tried to wrap my head around what he was asking for.
“How can something be empty pockets of space?” I asked, as I pushed a wave of bright golden light from my bracelet with ease. It completely covered the mole, but stayed away from the light. Almost like a bubble encircled it.
“From between the Great Tree's roots...” He chuckled a little. “Sometimes they stretch in ways that leave gaps behind. That’s what we need to be careful of. Those pockets could swallow the library whole, and who knows where it would appear.”