Chapter 3 – Orientation Day

Tails had never felt sleepy in the morning before, but he hardly slept as he was both nervous and excited for his first day at the London Furry Campus. He was also anxious about Blaze. Alex has promised to get him to meet her, so as much as tried to sleep, he couldn't help but wonder how to present himself and if she would recognise him after nine years without seeing one another. As Tails made his way to the eating room, he could see Alex sitting on the table waiting for him.

"Good morning, Tails," said the dragon. "You slept late."

"Yeah, I did," replied Tails with a yawn. "I'm feeling a little nervous about my first day at college."

"Just take your time, my friend," smiled Alex. "Think of it as getting some experience so that you will be ready for the real deal when you return to Australia."

Tails looked around the eating room. It has a friendly and inviting feel. All kinds of people and anthros were chatting away while having their breakfast. He then faced Alex as their meals were set on the table.

"So, Alex," said Tails. "About the Royal Cat Academy, how far is it from the London Furry Campus?"

"It's not really far," replied Alex. "You can't miss it. It's right around the corner from the campus. You're still nervous about your friend Blaze, aren't you?"

Tails nodded. "It has been over nine years since we met," he said.

"Not to worry," assured Alex. "She may look serious as a dragon trainer, but she's very amiable, especially when out of sessions."

"So, she's still herself after all these years," said Tails.

A cheeky smile suddenly crossed Alex's face as he glanced at Tails. Somehow, he senses something a little more going through the fox's mind. "Do you like her?" he asked slyly.

Tails looked up. "What?" he exclaimed. "Come on, you can't be serious!"

"I just know the typical when it comes to matters of the heart," said Alex. "Relax, I was only guessing. I never made any suggestion." He paused for a moment as Tails finished his cup of hot chocolate. "Be patient, Tails, as soon after our day at the campus, I'll take you to the Royal Cat Academy to see Blaze. I know she will be happy to see you."

"Well, I hope you're right," said Tails as he wiped his lip gently. "Okay, I am done, let's get going."

Upon their arrival at the London Furry Campus, Tails looked on in amazement. The campus was huge, just as Alex said, with large buildings adorning the area, and wide grass fields. Tails was overwhelmed. He almost felt as if he would get lost. "Wow, I never expected a place to be this big," he said.

"I told you it's a very large campus," said Alex.

After registering in the reception room, Tails and Alex went to the meeting hall where they saw lots of furries. Some helped themselves to the snacks while others are talking and getting to know each other.

Soon, everyone turned around to see the dean of the campus. He was an anthropomorphic middle-aged horse with glasses. "Thank you all for coming," he said. "I am Dean Hooves, and welcome to the London Furry Campus. You are all here for training as preparation for tertiary education. Now some of you who are from other parts of the world have been invited to study in this institution since you proved yourselves as top students in your old schools." Dean Hooves paused impressively as everyone listened attentively. "If any of you are having and needing assistance, you can always consult with the staff, or even to me, but I trust everyone will be able to go through the two months without any problems. You can find many sources in the library for the short assessments you will be given in the courses. With the courses, you can only choose one, so be sure of what you want to study. Your sessions will begin first thing tomorrow. That's all for now, thank you for listening and all the best of luck." With that, everyone applauded, and left the meeting hall.

Tails thought that the classes were going to commence. The day seemed to have gone by quicker than he expected. "So, I must choose only one subject," he said to himself. "Well, at least that would mean plenty of time to focus on what I'm good at."

Soon after he chose his subject to study, Tails hurried into the café for his lunch. While he was having a sandwich, Alex appeared and sat at the other end of the table. "There you are, Tails," he said. "What did you think of the orientation?"

"It was interesting," replied Tails. "I've decided to pick Information Technology. I never had much trouble building and repairing machinery, and working with computers has been another fascination of mine."

"Ah, very good," said Alex. "So, as promised, after we have our lunch and head off, I'll take you to the Royal Cat Academy so you can meet Blaze."

"How are we going to get in?" Tails asked. "I thought it was only for cats and feline-like dragons."

"That won't be a problem," smiled Alex. "I consulted with a friend who attends the college, and from what he told me, they're doing dragon performance this afternoon. Friends and former students are allowed to come if they want."

"Ah, that's good to hear," said Tails. "I'm still feeling a little nervous."

"Hey, relax there, chap," said Alex. "Just act natural, and you'll be fine. So, are we all set?"

Tails finished drinking his can of lemonade. "Okay, I've finished my drink," he said as he got up from his seat.

"Alright then," said Alex as he readied himself too. "Come on, Tails, let's go."