Two Worlds at a Time
103. My childhood dream

"What is that you are eating?" Sylva's senses easily picked up the smell of the homemade food that Aric's group had brought with them for the journey. 

"This is chicken, of course... Oh, and added spices," Gopher replied, quite proud since spices were a luxury in this part of the world. "Want some?" Gopher also offered with a smile. 

Sylva gulped as the smell wafting in the cool weather was very tempting. She didn't reply, but Gopher came forward to give her some. As Sylva was taking the food from Gopher's hands, the Ironbeak Griff appeared out of nowhere and gorged on the piece of meat that was being offered. 

Neither Gopher nor Sylva was expecting the animal to just barge in and chomp on the food. 

"Rick... what the hell are you doing?" Sylva was now actively trying to pull the food out of the Griff's mouth, but the animal wasn't ready to give an inch. It looked quite funny to Aric, and seeing the tug of war, he came forward and gave his own food to Sylva. 

"Professor, you can have mine," Aric said. 

"What? No. You're young and need food to grow up. This piece of work has never done this before. I think I need to teach this fellow a lesson." Sylva was angry and was now actively kicking and slapping at Rick, who was also fighting back, having already gulped down the food. 

Seeing them fight like cats and dogs made Aric step forward to stop them from getting more dirty. 

"Professor, you're a grown-up. How will it look to the students fighting their own beasts, especially for those who are very new?" Aric reminded them. Thankfully, both stopped when Aric stepped in, or else he might have been mauled by the two, but then again Aric could see that these two were just throwing a tantrum against each other. 

If it were serious, he wouldn't have been able to come close, let alone stop the fight. Aric's words silenced her, and even Rick stepped back a bit. One could see that Rick understood his words too, but he was too proud and just turned his head to look the other way. 

Aric offered his food again, and Sylva didn't refuse this time, as Aric assured her he'd already had his fill. The others were in awe of how Aric was able to cozy up. Aric finally learned the names of these two. 

One was named Damian. He was the haughty one and reminded Aric of the son of a dark knight. The other was named Isoga. Damian didn't talk with Aric and the others much, but Isoga eventually opened up a bit. Isoga was from a nearby village, and due to his medium-level talent, he was accepted into the school with a half scholarship; the other half he'd pay after graduation. 

Damian had a low-level talent and thus would have to pay in full. Unlike on Earth, the payment of school fees wasn't some kind of loan; it was simply an obligation. The payment would not fall upon the family if unforeseen circumstances like disability or death—quite common in this world—occurred.

Of course, different schools had different criteria and conditions. Damian was surprised when he learned that Aric was a very high-level talent, as he thought Aric had been accepted with minimum talent since he was paying. He couldn't understand the reason, but he didn't ask why. 

This revelation deflated Damian a little, but he still seemed to hold on to his pride. With this small incident, they resumed their journey, and this time, the school was the final destination. Soon the school came into view. 

As they descended through a break in the clouds, Ravenguard came into full view. It was more than just a school; it was an ancient fortress nestled atop a series of cliffs, with towers spiraling high into the sky, each crowned with iron cages holding trained falcons, hawks, and even the occasional young avians that looked like wyverns. From above, the school grounds looked like a giant claw embedded in the rock, spreading out in talon-like spires that overlooked the churning lake below. A lake with waves. 

While in the air, Sylva began describing the structures around. The main structure, called Eyrie Hall, rose from the heart of the campus like an ancient tree. Its spiraling towers were crowned with intricate iron statues of creatures both fierce and strange, each representing noble creatures of the region, all bound to the ways of Ravenguard.

From this height, they could see open arenas where older students trained. The faint sounds of growls, whinnies, and yelps echoed up, a chorus of beasts preparing for or returning from training—the voices of animals tamed by magic yet wild in spirit. Encircling the grounds was a winding river, and dense clusters of trees grew near the cliffs.

One of the students gasped as their griffin banked sharply, giving them a clearer view of the expansive central courtyard. Professor Sylva's voice rose above the wind as she pointed toward the iron gates below, wrought in the shape of entwining animals, symbolizing the unity of beast and tamer.

"This is Ravenguard, the school where nature and magic meet. Each of you will learn not to command but to earn the trust of these creatures — for only then will they heed your call. Here, you'll learn how to call upon beasts as allies and find your place in their world."

Soon everyone was on the ground, all of them excited, including Aric. For him, this school was like Hogwarts. The only difference was this school was much bigger and more terrifying than Hogwarts could ever be. It felt like his childhood dreams were coming true, and he couldn't wait to start his new journey as a student of this school. But before that, he'd have to handle his classes.

"Hogwarts, your Harry Potter is here and guess what I don't need any lightning tattoo on my forehead to enter." Aric couldn't help but think of these words. His life was going to take a huge turn now.

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