0 3: Infirmary Visit
The chamber, which had previously been empty save for the floating coffins was now full of students in the same black and purple robes that Henley wore. He noticed at the front of the room, closest to the Dark Mirror, were five boys and a floating tablet.
The first boy was a short, fair skinned red head with his hair short and neat. His eyes were a blue grey. Another was an average fair skinned boy with short, neat light silver hair, with blue-purple eyes and a beauty mark under his lip. He also wore glasses. The next one was a shorter than average tan skinned boy with white hair and a decorative headband with scarlet eyes.
Of the last two boys up front one was a tall, fair skinned boy with blonde, purple tipped hair and light purple eyes. Next to him was a tall boy with darkly tanned skin and long dark brown hair with two braids and bright green eyes with a scar over his left eye. The thing that stood out were the lion ears on his head and the tail that seemed to be lazily swishing behind him. The tablet was a sleek black thing with a blue screen.
The three of them entered the chamber just in time to hear the white-haired boy speaking. "Maybe the Head Mage had a tummy ache." he was suggesting.
"I did not!" Crowely cried in offended outrage. 'Me? A tummy ache? What do these hellions take me for?' he scowled. "If you must know, I was fetching our missing student and his familiar." The man informed those present, also putting the attention onto Henley and the beast in his arms who bristled at all the attention placed on his human. "Hm. It seems you're the only one who has yet to be placed. Step up to the Dark Mirror if you would." Crowley gently ushered the boy forward who did so just a bit nervously.
Really, Henley had known that this was probably going to be a disaster. He had no magic after all. "State your name." The Mirror ordered.
"Henley Veil."
"Hm. The soul of this student is... unclear to me." the Dark Mirror said.
"What?" Crowley said in shock as whispers filled the chamber.
"His soul... It has no set shape, no determined color. It's vacant of magic. Therefore, no dorm would suit this student." Then it was gone. And that left Henley and Grim standing before the mirror's blank void surface while the students throughout the chamber began to whisper about how someone magicless had wound up in the school in the first place.
Crowley managed, after some difficulty, to quiet down the chamber. "I believe that is an end to orientation. If Dorm Heads will take your new students to their dorms." He called over the crowd, only to falter as he looked around. "Oh dear. I don't see Dorm Head Draconia anywhere." He mused.
"Did anyone invite him?" The white-haired boy asked.
"It's not like he's exactly easy to approach." The blonde muttered.
"The guy's a total recluse. I'm not surprised." The boy with lion ears grumbled.
Henley begins to scowl as more words are spoken throughout the room.
"Draconia? Malleus Draconia? That Draconia?"
"So, the rumors are true that he goes to school here."
"Yikes."
"Definitely don't want to run into that guy."
"Did you hear-?"
The voices were full of unease and fear. What really ticked Henley off though, was the speculation. It was painfully obvious that none of these freshmen who were speaking have actually met the student. And that was infuriating in a way that screamed familiar with him. So, at the very least, he has some new understanding of himself; he had been treated like this before too.
"How pathetic. Your parents should be ashamed of every single one of you." Henley growled, utterly disgusted, and sending the chamber into silence. "You don't even know this Malleus guy! How would any of you feel if someone spread fear and unease about your name without even knowing you? How would you feel if how you were treated was based solely off of what people you don't even know said about you?" He watched as some of the students shifted uneasily, not comfortable with the berating they were getting. Some even looked ashamed. Good.
"And you lot!" He rounded on the dorm heads at the front of the room, causing them to flinch at the harsh glare they were receiving. "You're supposed to set an example! Is this really the example you're going to set for your freshmen? Prejudiced and unwarranted exclusion. Just because none of you can willingly approach someone?" he demanded. The guy with lion ears began to growl at Henley, which caused Grim to jump to the ground in front of his human and growl right back, the fire in his ears getting stronger and his fur puffing up angrily. The others were either scowling or grimacing, some of them seemingly prepared to fight Grim.
"Oh dear. I see Malleus once more wasn't informed about the ceremony." A voice said from the doorway, getting everyone's attention and actively diffusing the tension that had been building. It was a short, pale man with pointed ears and scarlet eyes. His hair was black with magenta stripes, cut short and asymmetrically.
"I promise, this was not meant as a slight." The light-silver haired bespectacled boy told the newcomer.
"Hm. No matter, I suppose. Diasomnia students follow me please." He told them before heading back out the chamber. Though some with enhanced hearing could hear the other's muttered "I hope he doesn't sulk about this." The guilt was felt even more by several of the students as they all filed out of the chamber. No one said anything, though.
Eventually, it was just Henley, Grim, and Crowley in the chamber.
"Well, that was quite something, wasn't it?" Crowley mused, getting looks of disbelief from the other two. "Right, first things first. You have been accepted as a student to this academy. I suppose, since your weasel-" seeing Grim puff up angrily, Crowley corrected himself. "Your familiar can use magic, that covers the classes on practical use of it. Though, you will be expected to keep him under control." Crowley added to Henley who shared a look with Grim before nodding.
"So long as no one attempts to do anything to my human- whether it's harming or bullying- I'll get along swimmingly with all of your students. Probably." Grim told the man who nodded in acceptance.
"Very well. In that case, let us head to the infirmary for now."
"The infirmary?" Henley asked confused.
"Indeed. Both of you are currently suffering from amnesia. As such, we should have you given a full checkup to make sure that there's nothing else wrong." He told them. Seeing the way they tensed, Crowley sighed. "Look, you two. You were accepted into this school, and we take the health and wellbeing of our students seriously. So, we need to make sure you're okay."
"Well, I'm fine except for the amnesia or whatever. But I approve of Henley getting a full checkup." Grim decided and Henley, being outnumbered, gave in and followed the Head Mage to the infirmary.
Night Raven College: Infirmary
Divus Crewel was a savant in the potion making circles. Not only did he master his art, but out of curiosity for the medical field that his creations and brews had such a prominent effect in, he had even mastered the medical field. He received a proper healer's license, giving him double the responsibilities at Night Raven College as both the Potionology/ Poisons Instructor and as the head nurse of the college.
Over his last decade or so of teaching, he had seen a lot when it came to his time at the college thanks to his boss/ friend, Dire Crowley. He was certain that after all this time, he could expect whatever the eccentric and irresponsible fey man could throw his way. Until that year, when he was forced to work in his position as Head Nurse before the school year had even begun. For Sevens' Sakes, Orientation had been over for less than 15 minutes!
The boy with a fiercely protective familiar that looked like it wouldn't hesitate to set either himself or the Head Mage on fire at the first perceived wrong move. Both possessing amnesia, of all things.
Crowley watched the two sides make their own observations for a minute before giving introductions. Henley and Grim looked at the man who they had seen hard at work earlier in the evening as Henley removed his outer ceremonial robe, leaving him in a simpler ensemble of black slacks, a long-sleeved black button up with golden decals along the shoulders, and black loafers.
Tall with fair skin and short, dual colored hair- one side white and one side black, though the parted white side was longer. He had narrow gray eyes and possessed silver studs in his ears. He wore a tuxedo- consisting of a black dress shirt, a red tie that matched the gloves he wore and the red buttons on his black and white vest. Black dress pants and dress shoes. A black belt with a silver buckle, studs, and spikes. Both noted on the counter, entering the infirmary, a black and white fur coat with several tail-like appendages and a black pointer with a red collar and a clear jewel like attachment.
Divus himself took in the child before him. He was barely 5' which was rather short for a child his age, 15 if he was guessing correctly. The boy's skin was a pale ivory. His eyes were round, giving him a more feminine and innocent look. These eyes were opalescent and seemed to hold a myriad of colors in them, enhanced by the silver eye shadow around his eyes that held some glitter of different colors. And his hair was a thick, waist long mass of tightly curled burgundy. Though Divus did spot several twigs and leaves caught up in the hair, some of which were singed indicating a rough chase of some kind in a place that was possibly on fire. Which was concerning.
"Hello. My name is Henley Veil, and this is my familiar Grim. We're in your care." The boy finally broke the silence, bowing as he introduced himself.
Divus Crewel smiled gently. "My name is Divus Crewel, Head Nurse and Potionology Instructor here at Night Raven College. What brings you here this evening?" He asked, setting the two of them at ease.
"Ah, yes. We had a bit of a situation I'm afraid." Crowley said. He then proceeded to explain about the amnesia and the need for a full checkup for their admitted, magicless freshman.
"I see." Crewel murmured. "To begin, why don't you tell us everything either of you can recall while I do a quick well-child's check." Crewel requested. The duo shared a look and nodded their consent.
"I woke up knowing I needed to find someone. That feeling led me here to Henley's gate. I released him from the confinement. We remembered each other's names and that we were important to each other, though I'm not sure why it was so important for me to find him. But I know, without any doubt, that he's mine to protect." Grim explained. "I don't have any clear recollection of the time before waking up."
"I remember my name, Henley Veil. I'm 15 and my birthday was August 30th. I have a family, but I don't recall who they are, what their names are, or what they look or sound like. And I have no recollection of where they could be or the last time that I was with them. I remember being in a forest before the carriage came to pick me up, though what forest it was or what I was doing in it before I got picked up, I don't know. Actually, I don't remember getting into the carriage at all." Henley said in thought.
"I was reading this book," He held out the book that he hadn't let go of since they had first left the library with Crowley. "I've been remembering some things here and there about Twisted Wonderland, but it's not much. Um, I know other basic things though. Mathematics, the months and the days of the week, how many hours are in a day, how to read, how to eat or function like a person. Night Raven is familiar, like I've heard of it but can't think of where... I don't have any allergies, as far as I can recall. I think that's about it. I don't really have anything else." Henley finished, looking away just a little sheepishly.
"Hm. I see. Well, you have the basics which is always a good thing. You're not completely lost." Crewel said. "But this definitely seems like amnesia from magical trauma of some kind, as nothing I'm finding shows any signs of physical trauma recent enough to cause such a sudden onset of the affliction." Crewel said, writing down a few things into the child's file.
"From what I've found... You're anemic, which is something we'll need to keep an eye on. You'll need more iron for sure. Some other vitamins you're lacking. I'll compose a list of foods that are full of iron and other nutrients that you should eat. I'll inform the cafeteria ghosts to have a wide range of options for you to choose from. You'll need a vitamin potion to help boost your intake of them as well. You also have a few scars." He added.
On the boy's wrist was a small crescent shaped scar that looked like it could have come from a stove accident about ten years ago, which was concerning. There was a very old scar that reached from the boy's left shoulder down to just above his sternum. If the boy wasn't 15, Crewel would say the scar was older.
And on his right temple was a jagged scar that stretched from his hair line to just over his temple towards the top of his right ear. It looked like it had come from a very bad cut that had needed quite a few stitches. It was still red and in its healing stage, the stitches having probably only just come out a few days or so ago. He grimaced as he realized that part of the wound had torn again. But he doesn't think it's the cause of the amnesia. He thinks the only reason it wasn't noticed earlier was simply because the boy's hair had been in his face since Crowley had apparently found him.
"This will need to be bandaged. It's been slightly torn." Divus told the boy who nodded. He didn't want to wrap an entire bandage around the boy's head for such a small tear, so instead, he decided to go the liquid bandage route. "I suspect, from the location of this injury in particular that you'll probably be prone to headaches or migraines. It'll require monitoring to see how permanent it might be. I'll be sure to give you some pain reliever as well as a potion to apply to the wound to help with its healing and scarring process. It's still a few weeks out from being completely healed. Any recollection of how you got these wounds, now that you've been made aware of them?" He asked, knowing that sometimes just that could trigger something.
Henley thought about it for a moment, surprised when the causes actually resurfaced. "This one was from a cooking accident when I was younger. Um, the one at my shoulder was a birthmark." He said, nodding firmly. "This one..." he indicated his temple trailing off in thought. "I think a girl at my last school threw a glass beaker at me for some reason." He furrowed his brow. "I think it was because of a rumor." He wasn't too positive of the reason why the attack had happened, but he did know it had happened.
Divus and Dire shared a concerned look over the boy's head. That was a very alarming thing to hear, and for Crowley, it made the boy's outburst at orientation more understandable. "I see." Crewel looked through the file and notes he had made before copying them and handing a set to Crowley who tucked it into his pockets... somewhere. "That's all for now. But I would like for you to have an appointment with me every week to see how you're progressing." Crewel told the boy who nodded. After collecting a couple of vials- one for the pain and the other to apply to the wound- he handed them over. "What do you plan to do with Henley from here? Will you be keeping him from classes for now?" Divus asked the head mage.
"Just for a few days to get Henley a chance to settle in." Crowley said. Crewel nodded.
"And where are you going to put him if he can't go into the dorms?"
"Hm. I can't put him in the dorms, the Mirror didn't choose one for a reason. To prevent inappropriate rumors from happening I can't place him in the teachers' dorms either... There is an old building on campus that might work." the Head Mage mused.
"That place is a safety hazard!" Divus cried.
"I'll fix up the worst of it." Crowley assured the nurse who scowled.
"Very well, but you better ensure they'll be protected from the elements." Crewel told the man who nodded.
"Yes. Yes. Shall we head off?" He asked the two who shared a look before nodding. Crewel watched after the three of them as they left his infirmary with a slight smile. He had become rather fond of the boy in such a short time. He sighed. It seemed that there was a possibility that Crowley was going to become the emergency guardian of a boy with amnesia. He should talk with Trein. He wasn't going to be able to keep an eye on the situation himself.