Chapter 16: Coming to School (Part 3): The Lake, The Prince and The Readers.
Agatha tried to stay afloat as she watched Jacob seem to have less difficulty swimming on his own than she did.
"Thank God," he thought with relief.
If the child had depended on her, they would have both drowned.
- How do you do it? - he asked as they both tried to reach shore.
- I'm barefoot - replied the boy simply.
- …
Agatha stared at him in a daze for a second and then under her gaze.
Despite writhing like a fish on the hook to stay afloat, he managed to see, under the crystal clear waters of the lake, Jacob's bare feet and his own feet covered in the beautiful black leather boots that Sophie gave him yesterday.
I could run miles with them, but obviously they weren't as practical for swimming.
Now, Adam and Jacob remembered it when those shadows kidnapped the four of them.
I take note to remove a blanket from his trunk that, on Sophie's advice, he put in the inventory of that weird system.
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I'M NOT WEIRD
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His new friend complained in his mind.
"I'm sorry," Agatha apologized.
The truth is, she wasn't in a position to call anyone weird.
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I CAN TAKE OFF YOUR BOOTS AND KEEP THEM IN INVENTORY
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The system was offered.
"Yes, please," Agatha asked.
The shoes and socks disappeared, allowing Agatha to swim freely.
Another splash was heard, someone fell into the water near them.
He was a boy with coppery brown hair, he looked muscular.
But being in the water none of them could see it clearly and the truth is that they did not try too much.
After the initial glance, they did not turn a second time.
They reached the shore and when they left they noticed that they were totally dry.
Agatha was surprised and turned to see the lake (obviously) enchanted.
- My sister is never wrong - Jacob boasted - it really is a magical school - gave Agatha a dazzling smile.
Agatha returned another complicity, but deep down she was terrified.
He was no longer afraid of magic or that he was in another world or another dimension, or whatever that place was, that didn't matter anymore.
What mattered is that, to her, TO HER! Of all people.
She had been thrown (literally) into a princess school.
That bird had its brain dented.
They saw how the boy from before came out of the lake and was also surprised to be dry.
He saw Agatha with Jacob, he stared at them strangely for a long time.
Too long, in the opinion of the two observed, who were beginning to feel uncomfortable.
Jacob approached Agatha and took her hand as she stands, without letting go, moving between him and the stunned-looking stranger in front of them.
The boy, seeing that he frightened the child and the young lady, cleared his throat and introduced himself.
- I'm Rhian Sander from Foxwood - he said with a bow that his two interlocutors had only seen in short stories.
- He's a prince - Jacob said to Agatha in an attempt to whisper.
With emphasis on trying, because by the smile of the boy who introduced himself as Rhian, I hear everything clearly.
- Yes - confirmed Agatha - so it seems.
Still in doubt about this person, he stood in front of Jacob.
She didn't know why, but for some reason, she didn't like the boy in front of her very much.
-Agatha! Scope! - said Jacob, pulling his dress.
He was pointing to the flowers in front of them, some red and yellow lilies that seemed to have struck up a joyful conversation.
Agatha was sure they were talking about them 3, because the lilies made sharp gestures in their direction, using their leaves and buds. But then the matter seemed to be resolved:
Gently tugging on the boys' pants with their petals and gently tapping Agatha's heel led them to a clearing where Agatha saw a crowd of beautiful and resplendent girls around a gleaming lake.
Agatha couldn't believe her eyes: girls sprang up from the earth before her very eyes. First the heads of the soft earth emerged, then the necks, then the torsos, and they kept going up and up until they stretched out their arms to the limpid blue sky and put on delicate shoes on the ground.
Jacob was just as astonished as she was.
But Rhian seemed to see this as the most natural thing in the world.
That missed her more and turned to the boy to ask him.
- You know why it seems that girls are cultivated here? - she asked strangely.
I was desperately looking for an explanation from someone who seemed to more or less know what was going on.
The boy looked at her strangely.
- They come in the floral meter, have you never had the opportunity to use it? - asked him, somewhat confused.
- No, I didn't have the chance - she replied a little nervously.
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TELL HER YOU'RE A READER
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He advised him on the system.
"Why?" he asked Agatha in his mind.
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BECAUSE THAT'S WHO YOU ARE.
YOU ARE NOT FROM THE WORLD OF FAIRY TALES.
YOU ARE FROM THE WORLD WHERE THEY READ ABOUT STORIES.
ACCORDING TO MY INFORMATION, THEY ARE KNOWN AS READERS.
BY THE LEGENDS OF YOUR PEOPLE, EVERY FOUR YEARS, TWO OF YOU ARE BROUGHT TO THIS SCHOOL FOR TRAINING.
THE TERM SHOULD BE KNOWN.
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Agatha hesitated for a moment, but decided to give it a try.
Sophie wouldn't have given him anything that hurt him or wasn't reliable.
Most likely, he had spent all morning testing how he could use it or how to take advantage of it for beauty, especially when he checked the charisma statistic.
Sophie could be vain, but she was also smart and creative.
I sure knew how this worked.
I didn't see why it would go wrong for her.
- I'm a reader - she clarified to Rhian - and Jacob too - he pointed to the boy - my name is Agatha - she finished her explanation by introducing herself.
Since he remembered that, he had not given him his name, even though he had provided his own.
- oh - said Rhian - you are the reader that explains that you entered through the stymphal, they must have brought you with your evil half.
- Sophie is not bad - chanted Agatha and Jacob.
- But they brought us two yes - answered Agatha - to four, actually.
- Nap in the school of evil, it must be evil - Rhian clarified.
- My sister is not bad - said an annoyed Jacob.
-oh! It's your sister.
- Yes and not bad - Jacob repeated and then began to list Sophie's "virtues" - tells stories, makes cookies, makes us costumes, clothes us before we fall asleep, sings.
Rhian looked at him with a smile.
- Sounds like a wonderful sister - she said in a tone that showed a little jealousy, "my brother was also thrown on the other side.
- You have a brother? - he asked Agatha.
- A twin brother - confirmed Rhian.
- And he's the evil twin - Jacob asked - as you say there are only the wicked on the other side.
It was obvious that he commented on it so that the boy would contradict himself.
However, he did not respond as the little guy expected.
- Yes evil of the most scary classes – confirmed Rhian with a slightly sad smile – of those who do evil to you, those who do not let them approach you to other people because they think you should only play with them - began Rhian to explain.
In a way that, he believed, the child would understand.
- Playing with him has always been fun - I continue to tell without knowing why - and we have taken care of each other, but it is bad, in short, although that does not make me love him less and that I am a self-righteous, as he usually says, it does not make him love me less either.
Agatha and Jacob stared at him for a moment.
Agatha thinking about the strange relationship the boy seemed to have in front of her with her brother.
And Jacob, easily understanding the older boy's thoughts.
- They fought before they came here, right? - asked, although he already knew the answer.
RH- …
AG- ...