The forest clears abruptly as they approach the city. The closer they get the more buildings begin to line one side of the highway, still sparse but infinitely more than there was up to now. Infrastructure is only recently being built north of the city, according to Valor the "ancient creatures" at the top have no sense of urgency, despite rapidly reaching the end of their long lives. Callum thinks that might be exactly why, but Valor seemed very passionate about it so he didn't say anything. Regardless, even an essential railway to Xander Gate has been under construction for several decades because of nonsense bureaucracy. 'The timescale is too messed up.'
True to its name, the rain hasn't let up since the city came into sight. Valor didn't say if this is how it is at the Academy as well. 'It's not like I particularly dislike the rain, but perpetual rain will definitely get to me eventually.' As Callum is lost in thought, they come to a gatehouse, the final checkpoint before they've officially entered the city. Rain City has three layers of walls within its limits, fortifications that—while ancient by now—are still effective.
The car rolls to a stop and Valor rolls down the driver side window, sticking his hand out and waving at a guard stationed nearby. The guard frantically salutes and gestures toward the open gate, before rushing in ahead of them and disappearing into a door further inside. Valor drives through without looking back. Callum does it for him, peering back toward the door the guard ran through, before looking at Valor with a quizzical look on his face.
"Were they not going to get someone?"
"Yes, but we don't have time." Valor glances back briefly with a smile. "We're already running a bit late."
'I don't think you're supposed to ditch guards, but part of me thinks this isn't even close to the first time he's done this.' Callum looks back outside.
'This area seems to be very… under construction' Given what he's heard, he wouldn't be surprised if this area had been "under construction" for a very long time. Lots of steel, concrete, and scaffolding. Nothing Callum has any interest in so he turns his attention elsewhere.
While there aren't many, he finally sees regular people milling about. A few catch his attention, a huge blue man with horns in a suit barely containing his ridiculous biceps poking at a phone only slightly larger than his hands, a woman with the lower half of a snake slithering in a hurry, and a man so average looking that he would stand out in a crowd smiling averagely and walking at an average pace.
'That's a little unsettling.' Callum continues looking around. Despite the heavy rain, no one seems to be getting wet. He can't completely tell from this distance, but it looks like the rain just bounces and slides off a barrier a few inches above them, like an invisible umbrella. 'I'll have to ask Uncle Valor about that later.'
Cars line the streets and there are a few on the road with them, but they still seem uncommon right now. Despite all the new stimulus, Callum's nerves haven't flared at all, even he himself is surprised. So far he's lived a very separated life from the rest of society, yet a lot of these sights aren't even surprising, let alone scary.
'Maybe it'll hit me all at once.' Callum spends a few minutes psyching himself up, or down depending on how you look at it. While he's lost in thoughts, Valor is navigating them towards the train station. They pass through another gate with another flustered guard.
Street after street quickly pass by, and as they do more and more people seem to be appearing. Among them every once in a while are what look to be students in white and red uniforms heading in the same direction he and Valor are. A lot have luggage, but a fair few aren't carrying anything more than a bag. Valor notices him looking and explains.
"There's a bus station nearby and those are the students you'll be riding with." They round a corner and an angular black building comes into sight. A large crowd of students are waiting in the plaza in front of it. "And that's where you'll catch the train."
The rain has softened into a very light sprinkle as they pull up to a dropoff area on the street and Valor looks over to speak, before his eyes lock onto something behind Callum. His expression quickly changes to one of panic.
"I knew we were running late but how did she get here so quickly?" He mumbles to himself before finally addressing Callum. "Hop out, we've gotta move quick or I'm going to get caught."
'Caught?' While he isn't sure what the problem is, Valor's frantic movements put him in a rush as well. Valor pops the trunk as they both hop out and circle back to it. There's a black box with a gigantic red bow right next to his luggage.
"That has my gifts in it, and this—" Valor reaches deep into his pocket, rummaging around before yanking out a small red notebook, "—is your checklist."
'Is everything he owns black or red?' Callum takes the notebook and pockets it before grabbing his suitcase. Valor picks up the gift box and waits for him to get situated, periodically glancing toward the station behind them. Students have begun entering the station and the plaza is slowly emptying out. Callum glances over in the direction Valor keeps looking toward, and spots someone he thinks might be the person he's so afraid of.
A small bespectacled woman with a large braid seems to be scanning the crowd looking for something, or someone. As Callum is about to look away she locks eyes with him and smiles, starting toward them.
"Dammit she saw us." Callum's attention is brought back to Valor who was also staring in her direction. "Here, take this and go, I'll be in touch." Valor pushes the gift into Callum's arms and moves back toward the driver's seat.
'I don't think he's gonna be fast enough.' Callum looks back toward the woman approaching them, deftly weaving through the thinning crowd at a ridiculous pace. Escaping the crowd, she sprints in front of the car and slams her hands on the hood.
"You're not getting away that easily!" She yells, panting.
Valor climbs out of the car with a casual but strained look on his face.
"Heya Hana, when did you get here? I was just about to go check in and find you." He smiles. His speech pattern has entirely changed and Callum finds it a little off putting.
"Don't give me that you weasel, you were about to run off! And leave me with all your work!! AGAIN!!!" The woman who Valor called "Hana" stops to breathe as Valor stands shrunken under her ire.
Now that she's closer and Callum gets a better look at her, she is quite small. Easily a foot or two shorter than Valor even while he isn't standing up straight. She wears a well fitting sweater and pants that make her seem remarkably casual compared to Valor's suit. She has large round glasses over her bright brown eyes—which have huge bags under them that he couldn't see from afar—and her hair is tied in a large braid that hangs limply over her shoulder as she bends down with her hands on her knees catching her breath.
Callum approaches, luggage in tow. She looks up at him and back down, taking a deep breath before rising again.
"Hi, you must be Callum!" She greets him, exhaustion having completely disappeared, save for the dark circles. "I'm Hana, Director Zeal's Assistant, it's nice to finally meet you." She puts a hand on her chest and gives a slight bow.
"Nice to meet you Hana. How do you…?"
"I'm the one who informed the Director that Lin wanted to enroll you into GFA. She gave me a call half an hour ago to let me know you were on your way so I came to meet you here."
"She found her phone!" Valor chimes in, before Hana elbows him in the hip.
"Shut it, you're in timeout." Valor's head droops and he makes a show of pouting.
Callum and Hana both ignore it. "I see, thank you Miss Hana." He bows, mirroring her gesture.
Hana sighs in relief. "Oh thank god you're normal." Callum flinches at her instant tone switch.
"Sorry, that wasn't polite. I've known your mom for a long time and it would be awkward if you spoke formally to me, you can just call me Hana." She smiles kindly at Callum.
"Hana we should let Callum get going, he has a train to catch." Valor once again interjects, this time with no physical response.
Hana sighs again. "Yes we should, but I do have something for you." She pulls a phone shaped object from her pocket and presents it to Callum.
"Ooo another gift, I wonder what it is?" Valor leans over Hana with a goofy look on his face. Hana takes another deep breath, ignoring him and continuing to address Callum.
"This is a datapad used by students at the Academy, normally you'd have received this a week ago but we didn't want to chance a delivery truck getting lost in the mountains." Callum takes the pad from her hand and looks at it with interest. Like his mom, he also had a phone. Also like his mom he lost it frequently, mostly due to lack of interest. He didn't bring it because it both didn't come to mind and he had misplaced it several weeks ago.
As if reading his thoughts, Hana wordlessly shows him how to use it.
"I'm sure Valor put something similar in that stupid looking box over there." She gestures to the gift resting on top of Callum's suitcase. "Don't use that one in public unless absolutely necessary, alright? Stick to this one." Her expression is serious and Callum nods in acknowledgment. Valor nods as well with a satisfied look on his face, and Callum can't figure out what he could possibly be so happy about.
"With that out of the way." Hana straightens her sweater and looks Callum in the eye, holding out her hand. "Welcome to Rain City! Or, I guess you're leaving in like 20 minutes but it still counts."
Callum shakes her hand and nods.
"I'll be at the Academy with you in a couple days. Not only will I be your point of contact with the Director, I'll also be your counselor." She grins and Valor looks stunned. Before he can say anything she continues. "Which is why it's VERY important—" She looks up at Valor, "—that YOU do YOUR work." She stays smiling but the vibe is entirely different.
"Now you should get going, you need to get checked in before the train arrives." She gestures toward the station, "Most of the students who'll be on this one have already gone in, so there shouldn't be a long wait."
"Alright, thank you." Callum bows again and starts to leave.
"Take care, I'll see you at the Academy!" Hana smiles and waves. Callum turns and nods before continuing toward the station.
"He's very shy." Valor says, completely unprompted. Hana swivels back to him with a glare.
"You sir, have work to do." She grabs his arm and pulls him toward the passenger door, yanking him toward it before walking around to the driver side and hopping in.
"The Captain got in touch a few weeks ago while you were missing in action." Hana adjusts the seat while she speaks. "She was following up on your request regarding the "Stars" and wanted to talk to you directly."
Valor's face hardens, as if his previous flippant attitude didn't exist. "Please let her know I'll go to her and to not make any moves without telling me."
"I can do that." Hana starts the car and turns to Valor. "I won't ask what you were doing, but please don't disappear again for at least a little while. We need you around badly right now." She looks far more serious and desperate than before, far more than you'd expect from someone just swamped with work.
"Is it getting that bad?" Valor understands the situation even without having been here to see it firsthand, it was part of the reason he went to see Linnea.
"Faerghus vanished."
"What!?" But this wasn't what he expected.
"He's gone, the Rangers can't find him." Hana fidgets with the steering wheel.
"How does a snake the size of a mountain just disappear?!?" Valor shouts, before pinching the bridge of his nose and leaning down with a grave expression. "Is it causing any problems on the border?"
"Nothing but confusion right now, but we have no idea what comes next so we need all hands on deck." Hana starts to drive as Valor sits quietly thinking.
"...Please take us to the office." He leans back in his seat. "You don't need to call the Captain, I'll get in touch with her."
"Understood, sir." Hana focuses on driving while Valor closes his eyes and thinks.
Minutes pass before Valor breaks the silence.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, please trust me when I say it was important."
"I do trust you, just let us know next time."
"I understand." Valor sighs. 'Hopefully there won't be a next time.'
More time quietly passes. This time Hana starts the conversation.
"Callum seems like a good kid." She thinks back to her first impression of him, quiet but personable.
"He does, Lin did a better job than I expected."
"What on earth is that supposed- oh, no, you're right." Hana quickly catches herself.
"You know what I mean." Valor smirks. Contrary to Callum's hopes, Linnea's reputation has been in the dirt since the beginning.
"Sadly I do." Hana grimaces, she is well aware of her friend's quirks. 'Even if his personality stayed somewhat normal, she'll have made that kid into a monster.'
"You're going to need to keep an eye on him, she essentially told him nothing about the Academy. He has no idea what he's getting into."
"You didn't tell him anything either!?" Hana spins her head to glare at Valor who quickly elaborates.
"No no no, I did, but I didn't give him the full rundown."
"..." Hana continues glaring at him, still driving perfectly.
"We barely had any time and he needed a moment to settle his nerves! This isn't my fault! Keep your eyes on the road!!!" Valor scrambles for an answer that will stop the death glare.
"Haaah." Hana sighs in resignation, turning her head back. "I'll keep an eye on him. I was already going to, and knowing this tells me I was right."
They happily converse for the rest of the ride.
*******
Meanwhile, Callum is facing an issue he probably should have expected.
"Do you mind if we sit here?"
Three very intimidating people have appeared.