Chapter 3: To Teach and to Learn
"But why New London-" Thym asked for the eighth time in half as many days "When there are keeps all over Europe?"
Basil sighed. Thym's incessant questioning was starting to wear him down, and he found that despite his usual reluctance to face the end of a trip, he was ready to not be trapped on a ship with his to-be apprentice.
"Thym, I live there." Basil insisted bluntly, tired of explaining himself.
"Exactly, aren't you ready for a change of pace?"
Thym rocked backwards on the ship railing that they'd insisted on sitting upon, and Basil gulped, fearful that they would plummet off the edge.
“It’s not as simple as that. I have responsibilities. Speaking of which, there’s work downstairs I need to finish and pack away." he muttered, heading to the back of the ship.
The Draco burst through a small cloud and Thym, attention diverted by mist and cold, wandered to the stairs near the mast. They laid out on the deck, head rested on their arms, and peered down the warmly-lit stairway.
"Chive? How's it going down there?"
A few heavy footfalls sounded below and then Chive was staring up at them.
"Still good." he chuckled "Yknow, you don't have to check up on me every hour."
"Well, no one else is." Thym observed. "C'mon, admit it, it'd get lonely if no one said hi!"
Chive redirected his smile towards the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well I can't say I don't appreciate the company."
Thym nodded knowingly. "So what are you working on down there?"
"The engine." Chive answered offhand.
Thym put their ear to the floorboards and listened to the humming thrum below.
"The engine doesn't need it." They said confidently "What else you working on?"
Chive frowned up at Thym, but his eyes sparkled mischievously.
"I have my own projects." is all he answered.
Thym was cut off by Rosemary as she glided across the deck.
" We're about to reach Orion, come see!"
Thym sighed and stood, following the captain to the bow. The ship was lowering through layers of mist, the familiar skyline of New London now rising up into view.
The city was beautiful, no doubt, but Thym only frowned down at it. Ahead, the three levels of Uptown London hung suspended. The ship took a sharp turn before reaching them, sailing away past the main hub of the city. Thym popped their ears and looked to Rosemary with curiosity.
She glanced over her shoulder at them.
“There’s no way you have a dock….there….”
Thym regretted their hasty judgement as the Orion campus finally shifted into view.
For every measure that Virgo had been beautiful, Orion was vast. The main campus alone, with its classical brick, stone, and iron architecture, its columns and corridors, rivaled the largest colleges in the country. A wide grassy courtyard set apart the mass of study halls and office spaces from the dorm rooms, connected only by covered outdoor walkways. And it was all shadowed by the two ornate towers that rose into the sky. Towers that, to Thym’s joint amazement and embarrassment, hosted a small, private airship dock.
Rosemary didn't speak, but the twinkle in her eye said all.
“Okay then.” Thym admitted “I gotta see this.”
Rosemary nodded, her attention split as she guided the navigator’s way to a safe docking.
“Where’s Basil?” Thym asked, mostly to themself. They knew how protocol dockings went. Despite being close, they wouldn't be able to actually disembark for at least another twenty minutes.
Searching below deck, Thym found him sitting, staring at a project but preoccupied massaging his arm above the prosthetic.
Basil startled slightly before lowering his hand and going back to his work.
“It’s the altitude shift, isn’t it?” Thym asked, softly, but without any traces of doting. Matter of factly.
Basil shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
Thym gave a nod and changed the subject. “So, guess we’re gonna be spending a lot of time together soon.”
“We should get to know each other better.”
“C’mon, give me something.”
Basil sighed and rubbed his temple “It’s been a long trip.”
“Do you have a favorite subject?”
“Alchemy.” He offered dryly.
Thym plopped down next to Basil.
They waited for a return question and got none.
“Mmmmm how about favorite color?”
“Fair enough.” Thym leaned back “Okayyyy, birthdays. What’s yours?”
Basil froze at first. “Ah- er, November 28th.”
“I’ll remember it!” Thym promised. They leaned on the desk. Basil stared down at his hands, looking increasingly uncomfortable.
“I should give you a nickname.”
“Not anything dumb. How about teach’?
Basil shot Thym a confused glance.
"Yknow, short for teacher?”
"You're right." Thym grinned "It's bad. I'll put a pin in it."
"Let's... just get inside." Basil said, collecting his things with a sigh "There's something I think you'll enjoy seeing."
