The walk felt miles long as Aldric slowly paced down a dimly lit corridor that winded and moved around him. The walls were lined with vintage photos and posters and lit with mounted torches.
The air was chilled, more so than the rest of the tower. It smelled of sugar and spice with a hint of something bitter he couldn't quite pin. The ceiling was a glass bubble with a view of the sky outside.
He continued slowly, down the narrow hall. The sounds of the other boys quickly vanished as he went deeper and he found himself encased in dead silence. He could hear his heart beat, and feel it in his feet.
He became too aware of the tinkling noise his star made when it clinked against his chest. He had also grown weary of his own breathing as it seemed comically loud.
Most of all, he thought about Rhys. He hoped he'd be okay. He didn't mean to hurt him, but needed to protect himself. That's what he'd told himself, and what he planned to tell the architect.
It was an accident. He thought to himself.
I didn't mean to.
After what felt like days, Aldric approached the end of the hall and the corridor halted its frequent moving. In front of him, a large dark oak door with gun metal accents. In the center, a large knocker in the shape of a talonned claw.
Aldric slowly reach out, grabbed the claw, and banged it once. The door quickly ripped open and a bright room was revealed. A large circular room lined with tall bookshelves from floor to ceiling. There were glass jars along the shelves filled with strange thick red liquids and small creatures soaking in them.
There were an assortment of clocks on the wall, all reading different times. In the center of the room, was a large desk painted pitch black and topped with books, quills, a few clothing items and a caged falcon. The majestic bird looked at him coldly before turning its feathered face away, almost judgementally and squeaked loudly.
Behind the desk was a steel spiral staircase leading to a landing where a single door sat. The door creaked open slower than the main door and was followed by heavily planted steps making their way down the metal stairs.
"Yes, yes thank you Felix," the architect's voice rang out, as he descended to the main level. The falcon bowed its head and went back to pecking its seed.
"Ah, Aldric my boy. Seems we've had an eventful day," he said, his tone warmer than Aldric had expected.
"Y-yes sir, but-"
"My father once told me that if your sentence ends in but, everything before it was poppycock. So, do you believe, in this case, that his statement was true?" The architect interjected, looking at the young boy with a curious gaze.
"I hurt my friend. He made me angry, and I didn't know what to do. He was hitting me and then…he was hurt. I didn't mean to, b- and I'm sorry," Aldric began, his head dropping slightly as he awaited his punishment.
"Yes, well then it seems the lesson has been well recieved," the architect insisted, shrugging like the matter had been solved.
"Sir?" He wondered, his voice still shaky.
"In cases like this, it isn't unheard of for boys to compete for greater attention. Unfortunately, you happen to be advancing faster than your brothers, and that makes them jealous. Rhys may have gotten the worst of the injuries, but he started the altercation," he began to explain, leveling with the child
"There is no need to punish the victim further for protecting himself. Especially when he does so by utilizing not one but two internalization courses," he finished, his face widening in a bright smile.
"S-so I'm not in trouble?"
"Lord no, but I need you to understand something," the architects smile dissipated and his milky eyes bore holes into Aldric's skull.
"This can, and will never happen again, unless absolutely vital. You boys must work together not against each other. Do you understand?" He asked.
"Yes sir. It won't happen again," the small boy insisted. The architect smiled and clasped his fingers.
"Then it seems that our conversation is over," the architect said, licking his teeth.
"Yes sir. Will we continue our one on one course work in the crows nest?" He asked, rising from his chair. The architect sat in quiet contemplation for a moment before going to speak.
"Among some other lessons I feel you may be ready to begin, yes," he said, another small smile spreading on his face. Aldric smiled, bowed and retreated toward the exit. Behind him he heard the uncorking of the architects red ooze and a loud, long gulp.
The door closed behind him with a slight slam, and behind it Felix began to squak again. The subtle scent of roast chicken, garlic, and apple crumble filled the corridor and he knew the ghost crew had begun taking the feast from the kitchen to the high perch for supper. He quickened his pace and made his way toward the perch as well.
He felt a few-rooted rumble in his stomach. He couldn't tell if it was the nerves of facing the ravens so soon after his fight, or the hunger of a boy who'd hardly touched his breakfast. Nonetheless, he continued toward the appealing scent.
Eventually, he reached the entry hall, joining the crowd of boys racing up the spiral stairs toward the high perch. With a deep breath l, Aldric was ready to face his brothers.