3 In the Clouds

Easrim go up at eight o'clock, drowsy and ready to take on the day....after a shower. After Easrim got ready, he grabbed his things -which he packed the night before- then went to the mirror and said:

"Buffleetoe's school of Magical Exploration." The mirror rippled then showed a lake. Easrim passed through and looked around there was only a lake and a field of grass. He scratched his head, then looked up. There were two clouds seeming to be stationary, despite it being quite windy. Easrim decided to try again, but be a little more specific. He went back to the mirror and said:

"Buffleetoe's school of Magical Exploration, front door." The mirror rippled again, then showed a huge door. Easrim walked through it again, and this time he was in front of a mansion.

He looked up at the school, and his jaw dropped. The school looked like boxes piled precariously on top of one another, stretching miles above him. He looked around. He was on a grass platform. He looked to the side, and saw the ground wasn't there. He frowned, and hopped over the wall that was probably to stop people from doing was Easrim was doing, but he didn't care. He jogged to the edge where the grass stopped, and leaned over. His eyes bulged.

"Oh my. The school is floating." He was miles above the ground. He could faintly see the lake from before. Easrim didn't know if he should be surprised or just should have just expected this. What can't magic do?

Surrounding the entire mansion was a thick cloud, like the one he had seen before. Easrim looked at his watch, then walked back to the huge door. He had thirty minutes before he was supposed to be at the school, but better early than late.

In front of the mansion, if you could call it that, there was a statue of a unicorn. He stared at it. It moved. He bit back a shriek. It had turned around to look at him. Easrim decided he should ignore the statue for now, and announce his presence, so he knocked on the door. He used the door knocker that was shaped like a unicorn.

BANG.

BANG.

BANG!

Easrim waited for fifteen minutes, admiring the school before the door opened. A horrible smell hit his nostrils like someone had not taken a bath in years. Easrim was polite and didn't even flinch, let alone reach for his nose. A old man looked outside confused then saw Easrim standing there. The old man looked taken aback. he said in a surprised tone:

"Can I help you?"

Easrim said in a polite tone, "hello, my name is Easrim. I am the new potions master."

The old man looked even more surprised at this news, "I thought you were a Halform."

"I am." Easrim said. He realized that this was the wrong thing to say, even if it was true.

The old man's nostrils flared and said in a angry tone, "I don't know how you got here, but Halforms are not allowed here. I don't know what my wife was thinking when she said she invited you to teach here, but you should leave, now," then he said in a tone that was very rude and in a way that he didn't mean a word of- "Good day to you sir," then slammed the door in Easrim's face. Easrim stood there for a second unsure of what to do.

Then a female voice spoke to Easrim.

"Younger Professor Natille has had a very bad experience with halforms years ago, so she doesn't like halforms, especially male halforms."

Easrim jumped and turned around looking for the one who spoke and saw no one. The only thing he saw was the statue which was still looking at him.

Easrim thought for a second, then said to the statue,

"Um, hello?"

"Hello, Professor Pax" said a very old and wise female voice that came from the statue

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you could talk. Otherwise, I would have said hello." Easrim said

The statue said, "That is all right I am sure that you aren't used to talking statues where you come from." Wait a moment, thought Easrim, did the statue say she? Easrim decided not to clarify with the statue.

"So does everyone want me to leave, or just Younger Professor Natille?" Easrim asked, afraid of the answer.

"Most of them are curious, but they are open to letting you join," was the reply. He visibly relaxed.

"Well, how can I contact Older Professor Natille in order to tell her that I am here?" Easrim questioned the statue.

"As Young Professor Natille is not here at the moment. Why don't you call her? You do have a phone, don't you?" the statue asked in responds.

"Do witches and wizards have cell phones?" Easrim questioned again. He had a feeling that this statue was very old if it was calling older Professor Natille young.

"Of course witches and wizards use cell phones, they're very useful." The statue responded in a very old weathered voice. The beautifully crafted iris and pupils in its stone eyes were rolling at Easrim.

Easrim took out his phone and asked for the phone number. The statue gave him the number which he called straight away, because it was almost 9:00 am.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Hello?," came older Professor Natille voice from the receiver.

"Hello, Professor Natille, this is Easrim." Easrim said into the speaker.

"Oh, hello, Professor Pax, I am in your shop looking for you. Where are you? And how did you get this number?"

"He is in the front lawn and just talked with your husband," said the statue. Easrim jumped. The statue was standing right next to him. He could smell its breath which smelled sweet like freshly baked cookies. Should a statue have a breath or smell like food? Easrim wondered. He assumed they shouldn't, but after all, this was a school for magic. Professor Natille must have jumped to because the phone dropped on her end.

A metallic Clang.

Easrim heard Professor Natille curse on the phone.

"Language Young Professor Natille," said the statue

"Sorry, Madam Naomi" said Professor Natille in a hurried voice.

Professor Natille hung up the phone.

"You just wait right here for a little bit she will come bring you inside shortly" said Madam Naomi.

"Are you leaving?" Easrim asked

"Yes someone is calling for me somewhere else in the mansion" said Madam Naomi. She trouted back onto the empty stone platform struck a pose then went still. Then it looked like it hardened. Easrim had a feeling that even if he spoke the statue would not respond. Easrim waited for half an hour before the the door opened. There stood Professor Natille, panting.

She straightened up.

"So you really are up here. Do you mind explaining how you managed to get all the way up here without ever being here before?"

Easrim glanced at the mirror and said, "a magical artifact."

Professor Natille glanced at it too, and looked confused.

"No artifact should have the power to bring someone someplace they never been before such a magic does not exist. It is Mystical Magic."

After looking at the questioning look on Easrims face she added.

"Fantasy Magic"

She continued, "and besides the mansion as spells to prevent artifacts from porting you anywhere on the grounds"

Professor Natille looked at Easrim for a moment then said

"Well I came to pick you up because I had forgotten that you have no way of getting up here, besides even if you tried to follow the road to get here you would get off at the side road and go another way in the wrong direction, because of anti-halform spells on the road".

"Well, come along."

She walked inside with the door open. Easrim grabbed his stuff, Which he put down when he went over the wall, then he picked up the mirror which was surprisingly heavy, He could barely lift it. He wouldn't have been able to lift it at all if he didn't have overwhelming strength he woke up a few weeks ago having. Easrim managed to get the mirror inside and shut the door. He set down the mirror and looked around. The entrance hall was massive. Above was a chandelier … no not a chandelier it was the sun with the planets surrounding it. On the one side of the room there is a stone dragon climbing down the wall with a mouth open on the floor to reveal a roaring fire.

"They have a chimney that is shaped like a dragon, because why not" Easrim thought.

On the other side of the room there was a walkway and a stone platform. On the platform there was a stone unicorn, in the position of it resting. On the back wall was a portrait of Buffleetoe's coat of arms it looks like a ring that was divided into five mythical creatures. A dragon, a phoenix, a griffin, a true werewolf and a nine tale fox. In the center of the ring was a unicorn. The walls painted as a forest, but the trees were moving like they were in the wind.

"Not use to such a big hall, huh? Or are you not used to the magical entrance way?" Easrim jumped. Professor Natille was at his side looking at him.

"I should have expected something like this." Easrim replied

"Well come along now, your room is this way." Professor Natille was hurrying Easrim to a door on the right hand side next to the dragon chimney. She put her hand to a stone slab on the door and said in a very clear voice

"Basement 2nd Hallway, Professor Pax Potions." Runes appeared in a circle around Professor Natille's hand and the edges of the door lit up for a second then stopped. Professor Natille grabbed the handle, turned it, then pushed on the handle the door that opened to reveal stone walls which was different than the wood walls with the wallpaper in the entrance hall.

"The doors at the end of the hallways open to where the location you said you wanted to go" Professor Natille explained to Easrim.

"How does it work?" Easrim asked excitedly looking at the door with fascination.

Professor Natille was a little taken aback by the question then she had a look of understanding.

"I forget how curious people who aren't use to magic are" she pointed to the stone slab above the door handle.

"You place your hand on the stone slab. The runes will recognise your fingerprints" Professor Natille begin

"Then you can access some of the places in the mansion with student or guest access. We will give you teachers access tonight." Professor Natille said

"The doors will not open if you do not do the process correctly" Professor Natille continued

Professor Natille decided that was enough explanation for now and headed through the door. Easrim followed caring his stuff and the mirror through the door after Professor Natille. Easrim shut the door and there was a flash along the cracks on the door. Easrim continued to follow Professor Natille down the hallway until she stopped at a door. As Easrim got closer Professor Natille spoke again.

"This will be your classroom starting today" Professor Natille said

"Thank you for the job, but I don't think your husband likes me very much." Easrim said

"Call him Professor Nate, everyone does. And yes there was incident that caused Professor Nate to hate male halforms and potions though surprisingly he doesn't like baths that much"

"Do you mind telling me what it was so I never bring it up in passing?" Easrim asked

"Don't take about the subway and love potions that work externally" Professor Natille said

"Do you mind telling me anymore?" Easrim asked again

"Actually I do mind" Professor Natille said

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry!" Easrim said quickly

"It is alright" Professor Natille said

"By the way."

"What is it?" Professor Natille asked

"There are a lot of younger people sleeping in the mansion right?" Easrim asked

"Yes?"

"Is there a poltergeist here or do those not exist?" Easrim asked

Professor Natille looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped and there was a look of horror on her face.

"If this breaks, you can contemplate it" A cackling voice from behind said.

Easrim wheeled around. There floating in mid air was a man in a blue suit swinging a mallet at the mirror Easrim was carrying.

Crack

Clater

"Wisfor! That is enough he didn't mean to be rude!" said Professor Natille

Wisfor the Poltergeist was cackling "Now he has seven years bad luck"

"I am not sure that is how it works, but you might look at the mirror again." said Easrim as he gave a friendly smile.

Wisfor look at the mirror confused at what Easrim was talking about and saw to his astonishment that the mirror didn't have a scratch. Wisfor frowned then to begin to swing the mallet again. Wisfor stopped mid swing and looked at it, his mouth agab. All Wisfor had was a cracked handle. Wisfor looked down, the other half of the mallet was on the floor. Wisfor threw the handle of the mallet on the ground and flew away cursing.

"All of the magical schools have poltergeist. Although, I am glad your mirror didn't break" Professor Natille said as she looked curiously at the mirror

They then walked in the potions room together. There was another door with a slab on it behind a huge stone desk. Professor Natille pointed to the door "You will have a seven rooms you can go to through this door" she said

"One is your bedroom" Professor Natille pressed her hand to the slab and said

"Professor Pax's bedroom" the door flashed and Professor Natille opened it to reveal a large four poster with velvet sheets. Professor Natille waited for Easrim to put his stuff away (but leaving the mirror outside) before closing the door. She then said "Ingredients storage chamber" the door flashed and when Professor Natille opened the door again the new room looked like a gigantic storage room. It was looked like it was four and a half miles long with rows and rows of cabinets all labeled with ingredients. "You have all of the ingredients of mythical and not mythical creatures except for a Phoenix feather, a Griffin claw, a Dragon scale, a true werewolf blood, a Nine-tail fox tail fur, and a Unicorn horn" Professor Natille told Easrim as he looked at the chamber with awe.

He looked at her confused and said "Not that I am complaining, I cannot protest I will be able to teach different things for years, but why not"

"The founders of the school haven't found you worthy of those ingredients yet" Professor Natille said

"The founders are still alive?" Easrim asked

"No but their companions are immortal so they are in charge of their houses and school" Professor Natille said

"Interesting to know" Easrim said

Professor Natille shut the door then said "Professor Pax's changing room"

The door flashed again and when Professor Natille opened the door the room had changed to a small room covered with mirrors. Easrim thought that this was a great place to keep the mirror. So he dragged it to the middle of the room and left it there. Professor Natille said nothing, but looked curiously at the mirror.

Easrim asked "Is there any way to lock this room so that I am the only one able to open the door?"

"Actually I was about to give it to you before I left. Take this object and say the name of the place you want to seal and it will deny everyone else access other than the one who placed the enchantment on the door and their companion."

Professor Natille hands Easrim a small round device with runes on the edges.

"You have four more rooms that you will be able to name yourself later." Professor Natille said

"Thank you Professor Natille" Easrim said

Professor Natille thought for a moment then said "You know what? Lets give you access now so you can get that out of the way and so that you can explore the mansion later without a hassle."

"Alright." Easrim replied

They exited the classroom and Professor Natille handed a key so Easrim could lock the door. They headed for the door that teleports you to different places.

"Um what is this door called or enchantment called?" Easrim asked as they reached the door.

"A porting door. The enchantment is called porting" Professor Natille answered

"Ok good to know." Easrim said

Professor Natille put her hand on the slab and said "The Entrance hall" the door flashed and when Professor Natille opened it they door opened back to the painted forest and the dragon chimney. They walked to the end of the entrance hall where the coat of arms are.

"Sphinx" Professor Natille said to no one in particular.

The floor began to move upward to make stairs leading to the coat of arms and the coat of arms melts to reveal a hallway to a door. They walked to the door that had a unicorn knocker on it. Professor Natille walked in without knocking.

"This seems to be her study" Easrim thought

before he entered the room. The room was big circle and Easrim couldn't see the ceiling. The walls were covered with shelves filled books. You could confuse the study for a library. On the floor was a carpet with the world spinning and running around the world was a unicorn. In the center of the room was an oak desk. Near the desk on the right side was a table which showed the lake and a good mile around the lake and above was a three dimensional model of the mansion and a cloud above the model. On the left side of the table was a stone pedestal and on the pedestal was a small sphinx.

"Would you like me to tell you the riddle of the day Professor Natille?" said the sphinx

"Sure, why not Sitora?" said Professor Natille

"I am your counter,

You can only see me in light,

Yet you can't see me when you are surrounded,

What am I?" said Sitora

"Hm let me think." said Professor Natille

"Is it my shadow?" Professor Natille finally said

"Correct" said Sitora then it bowed on the pedestal. "Your wit is as sharp as ever"

"Thank you Sitora" said Professor Natille

Next to the Sitora the sphinx was a stone statue of a unicorn in a sitting position.

Behind the desk in between the wall and the desk was a frame of a door covered in runes. On the door was a gold unicorn knocker and the slab was not stone it was diamond the door itself was made of platinum. This door looked like the administer port door. Professor Natille walked over to it and placed her hand on the diamond slab runes more complex than the ones on normal port doors glowed around her hand.

"The Administrative hall" Professor Natille said in a clear voice.

The door's cracks flashed gold then dimmed to nothing. Professor Natille opened the door to reveal grass the looked like you were looking at the stars. Easrim could only remember the name void grass from a legend in alchemy, there was also trees made of crystal and a sea of liquid gold .

"Whatever you see don't pick anything you have the ingredients in your chamber" Professor Natille warned Easrim before he went through the door.

"Why?" Easrim asked

"There is rules in this world that say mortal beings not from this dimension are not allowed to pick or kill anything" Professor Natille said in a grim tone.

They started walking on the void grass. It was like floating in the air.

They walked for about a minute before the trees thinned enough so that Easrim could see the ceiling, yet there wasn't a ceiling it was the sky it looked like it was night time. Although the stars where in the wrong places. Professor Natille must have seen the look of confusion on Easrims face, because she said.

"This is another world where man are not allowed to dwell, you can see the constellations of ancient runes in the stars above"

They walked on in silence for a while. Easrim saw rare plants and some plants that he could not recognize. Easrim not only saw weird looking plants, but mythical creatures as well. A group of Fairies fluttered passed, a gold golem was resting on the void grass and Easrim could have sworn he saw a tail of a basilisk flick into a hedge of Lithric which if memory serves correctly can be used to find mythical creatures. After another ten minutes, they got to where they heading Easrim assumed because they had stopped in front of two large archways covered in runes that connected forming an X. Under the arches was a platform of gold under the center of the X was a platinum pedestal and on the top was a slab of diamond. On the diamond was the most complex runes Easrim had ever seen. There was enough room to place a hand. Professor Natille cleared her throat Easrim stopped looking at the structure in wonder and looked at her.

"Stand right here and place your right hand on the slab" Professor Natille instructed

Easrim did as he was instructed and when he touched the slab he started to glow gold.

"Now repeat after me, I am" Professor Natille began

"I am" Easrim repeated

"Professor Pax"

"Professor Pax"

"I teach Potions"

"I teach Potions"

"At Buffleetoe's school of Magical Exploration" Professor Natille finished

"At Buffleetoe's school of Magical Exploration"

Professor Natille signaled to stop repeating what she said and to be quiet. Easrim started to glow black, then light, then the glow faded. The ceremony was done. Professor Natille signaled Easrim to take his hand off the slab and to follow her back to the study.