Lana took her time to determine the best place for her tree. There were several groves in the area. Barry wasn't kidding about how big the area was. This class was going to get serious about what they would be learning to grow. If it was food, they would be getting the details based on what she saw. There was a space big enough between the apple orchard and the cherry orchard, so she placed her willow in the very center of that clearing. As her tree grew, she asked it to create the shelter up in the high branches once more for her own safety. She asked for a second shelter adjacent to it for her experiments so they would not be messed with in her absence.
She finished her construction then wrote up a list for her teacher of materials then returned to the classroom to ensure he got it. She did send it through her watch/tablet connection and her relationship with technology wasn't the best. She poked her head in, "did you get my list?"
He gave her a thumbs up, "reading it now. You'll have this stuff tomorrow."
"Thank you!" Just then her twin connection went off and she knew someone was beating up Dobin. The pain was excruciating but she took off running in the direction she felt him in, playing hot and cold as she went.
*********
Just after receiving the message from his sister, he informed the group she was busy and they had to eat the canteen food for the evening. Just as the boys were leaving to pick up Kattie on the way there, a knock was heard at their door. When they opened it, there was another boy with a mohawk. His watch read "3". "I'm here to take Dobin Plantwell to see General Duke."
Dobin gulped. He stepped forward "Go ahead, guys, I'll join you in the canteen once I'm done," he said with very little conviction.
Dobin followed the boy, knowing this was coming but terribly afraid of how this meeting was going to go. They headed to the second-year administration building and entered around back. Despite being first years, they were permitted access with no questions asked. Mohawk lead Dobin to the top floor where there was a luxurious office and he knocked on the door. They heard "Enter," and Mohawk opened the door for Dobin to enter while he looked to the general for instructions. A mountain of a man sporting large muscles gave him the signal to wait outside.
Dobin stood inside the door staring at the general and felt like he could easily be killed by this man. He felt like an ant and he could barely breathe.
"Please, have a seat." The general gestured to the chair opposite him. Between them was a table that contained a level 2 ability book. "How are you enjoying school so far?"
Dobin shrugged, "It's great so far. I learned a lot in today's combat lesson and I hope to learn a lot more."
Duke grinned such an evil expression that Dobin's skin crawled and he wished he could escape through the back of his chair and flee the room. "I need you to do me a favor. A student by the name of Peter Chuck has evaded our attempts to … get him to understand the importance of complying to the way things are done around here. We need someone of your… talent… to encourage him to fall in line. His room is right next to yours, 2215."
Dobin was straight forward though when he looked back on it, he had no idea how he had the strength to so it. "Are you asking me to beat him up, sir?"
Duke nodded. "Do this for me and this level 2 book is yours."
Dobin gulped then said the only thing he could say. "I was beaten up all through school, sir. I can't do that to another person. I'm sorry but I simply can't. Is there anything else sir?"
Duke frowned, "I understand, you may leave." As Dobin left the room, the frown turned into a scowl. Mohawk entered once Dobin left. Duke looked at him, "beat him up and you get the level 3 book." The level displayed on the watch was the level number the person was currently learning. This was why some watches displayed a decimal like 2.4 or 3.1. It displayed the progress of learning that level of the ability.
Mohawk nodded then left, following Dobin out of the building, pretending to be his friend. They were heading back to the dorm building so they could get dinner when Dobin got hit in the back with what could be described as an earth spear, but it had a blunted tip. The task was beat him, not kill him after all. Dobin threw an earth dagger at Mohawk who easily sidestepped and slammed Dobin in the head with an earth ball. Dobin dropped to the ground unconscious.
Lana found him fairly quickly because the route was so direct. She had filled up her pots when she did her demonstration as well as those two that belonged to the school in case she needed them but looking at the ground, she would not need them right now.
She placed her hands on the ground and grew a plant for pain. She tilted the plant so the leaves were touching Dobin's bare skin then channeled the parts of the plant that helped with pain directly into her brother's system. She didn't see any blood anywhere and she didn't see any internal bleeding in his energy so she hoped this would wake him up. A few minutes later and he did just that. She helped him up then escorted him toward the canteen when she noticed a boy with a mohawk enter the door for class number 5. He was carrying a book that looked like an earth ability and had the number 3 on it.
Dobin explained what happened before they entered the canteen then she noticed her blond hunk staggering her way. "Dobin, go eat. Join the others. I need to help him."
He looked in the direction she was looking and nodded, leaving her outside the entrance the boy appeared to be heading for. She noticed he took the same route they did and wondered if he was coming back from the second-year building as well. His energy told her he needed professional help. She had not learned all the plants needed to restore him to full strength.
She decided to approach him.
"Where are you going?" she said with the brightest smile which was sure to annoy a person who has just been abused and treated the way he obviously has been.
Vorden rolled his eyes, "What do you want?"
"Simple. You are injured and need to see the doctor. I'm here to make sure you don't get lost or kidnapped by bullies on the way to see Dr. Haley."
Vorden rolled his eyes and truly wanted to smack this happy little bitch, "I'm fine. I just need to lie down and get some rest."
She raised an eyebrow, "You're fine?" She reached for the inside of his thigh where she saw the color she associated with a broken bone and pressed just a tiny bit.
Vorden cried out and went to hit her on reflex to end the pain. "You're lucky you're a girl."
She giggled, "You're lucky I care and can see the extent of the damage. Dr. Haley is this way," as she gestured toward the doctor's office. "Do you understand it hurt so much because there is a fracture there? What's your name?"
He ignored her comment on the fracture. "Vorden Blade" was all he was willing to say. She was trying to be nice after all. She chose to remain quiet the rest of the way; just grateful he wasn't fighting her on going to see the doctor.
When they got there, they noticed Dr. Haley was quite busy with all the kids who had gotten injured through combat classes and bullying victims. They stood at the entrance waiting for her to acknowledge them.
"Hi, I'm a bit swamped right now but I think there's an empty bed over there," and she pointed to the very end of the right side of the room that seemed to be tucked away in a corner. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
Vorden didn't say anything but Lana gave her a smile and a nod of her head then escorted Vorden to the bed the doctor pointed out.
"You got me here. You can leave now," Vorden said to her in a not-so-nice tone. He just wanted to go back to his room and rest.
"So you can leave the minute I do? Nope," she said as she pulled a pot with a lid on it and dirt inside it from the bag she always carried on her back. "You will lay here and wait for her to get to you. How did you get so injured?"