Dom, Kai and Andrew made their way down the stairs as Steven decided to stay behind himself, saying he would catch up with some people he had met on the course they had all joined the other night. Part of Dom felt that he would stay close by and accidently bump in to them when they left their meeting.
They travelled down the left of themselves, avoiding anyone that may be familiar as they tried to avoid any attention as they passed through with the rest of the crowd that was stepping out. In a strange way, Kai and Andrew flanked Dom as if it was a usual occurrence to walk in this way. Dom didn't notice it at first, but when he did he felt a bit uncomfortable with how his friends were suddenly acting.
They reached the bottom of the steps and began squeezing their way towards the large exit to the corridor beyond, their intention to find a map and the location of Room Eleven where Dom's Aunt would be waiting for them for a brief conversation, or at least that is what they hoped for.
"Dom!" A voice called them from the side, Dom recognised the voice but didn't want to have the inevitable conversation now with his Aunt's meeting on the way.
"Andrew if you guys do not wait for me, you will regret it." The voice called again, seeing the three of them ignore them. Dom could see Andrew visibly shudder at the threat as other people began to look in their direction.
"We don't want people noticing us, we need to shut her up." Andrew whispered to Dom who shrugged his shoulders not knowing how to deal with it.
"Alice, we can't stop as we are in the middle of a crowd, meet us outside!" Kai replied, turning his head and shouting back towards her, as Dom and Andrew looked at him with looks of pure horror. He shrugged his shoulders at them and after they got in the corridor they reluctantly stepped to the side and waited for her.
They didn't wait long for the tall, slim, blonde Alice with her recognisable high two pigtails to appear. It had only been a couple of weeks since the four of them had last been together, but they went from a group that was always together to a her being pushed to the side due to the game geography and their separate paths since leaving the Military Academy where her Grandmother was the Principal. She had a look of anger on his face, but Dom knew her well enough that it was in jest and that she was actually intending to joke with them instead.
"Outraged I am." She said, her voice a bit quieter now as she stood amongst the three of them as others continued to walk past and down the corridor. "First Place, Lazarus. Second Place, Black Hawk. First Place, Lazarus, Second Place, Hungry Dragon. But where was I? Eighty Fourth at the Battle of Lize."
"You'd have been third if you was at Plataea." Andrew replied quietly as people looked at the four talking quietly amongst themselves.
"Third? You wish!" She replied, a dangerous glint in her eyes as Dom tried to hold back a laugh. Alice then grabbed Kai and gave him a tight hug, making the slightly shorter and unhealthier member of their group blush. "At least this one still respects me."
"He doesn't have a choice." Andrew teased as he began walking down the corridor, the other three following as Alice put her arm around Kai's shoulder, with Kai himself shaking his head at the reunion.
"So where are we going? I need food and I want you to tell me all about everything I have missed." She began, excitement in her voice. "I am so frustrated that I haven't reached you guys yet, but I had already guessed who Dom was, but when I saw who was second on the two quests, I knew it had to be you three idiots."
"We need to go to a meeting about our accommodation and then we are meeting with a friend for food, but we can always do something before." Kai replied, trying to stick to their excuse whilst Dom thought for a moment.
"Wait, other people know your user names, we have played with Florence and Claire on other games before, whilst other students from our Academy may also recognise your names." Dom realised as he stood still, looking around to see if he recognised anyone who walked past.
"And whilst Lazarus is an improvement on White Wolf, it is quite obvious. To be honest I would not be surprised if other people knew who you were once they heard your name. You might get away with it to some level, but you won't be able to keep it hidden for ever." Alice commented, as if it was obvious, whilst the three of them all looked at each other like they were the idiots Alice had called them. "I am only here for two months on transfer, a bit earlier than I had expected, so let's make the most of it!"
"How far north are you now?" Andrew asked her as they stopped near a map of the building, where Kai looked for Room Eleven.
"It isn't cold anymore. I am travelling on a Liburnian south on the east coast and I will be with you at some point in the future. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I have already passed by a couple Players Port Cities. The World map is huge and I just do not know how south you are. I am hoping it is not very south as I am acting as a key guard who is sent ashore to protect the merchant that owns the ship and it is getting tedious." Alice explained to them as she pointed to a part on the Main Building Map. "Isn't it interesting all of the small meeting rooms are on the second floor."
Kai almost face palmed as he quickly found the room they were looking for and began heading towards the stairs that Alice had reminded them about, that were in the centre of the museum like centre.
"Alice we need to leave for our meeting." Dom said to her politely, wanting to catch up with her himself but knowing that they really needed to get to the meeting soon.
"Sky Piercer has been treating me well since you gifted her to me." Alice stated, ignoring Dom as he spoke. "It is a mighty weapon and I look quite imposing with it."
"Alice, we really need to go, we'll catch up later." Dom replied to her, seeing that Andrew was giving him the eyes that we need to go.
"Didn't you guys get a house together? I am sure Kai said he was sorting you something so you could stay together. I am sure there is a room for me whilst I am here. You can't expect me to stay in a Dorm on my own or move in with Claire!" She countered, clearly not wanting to leave them.
"I don't think they allow mixed accommodation?" Kai countered politely as Dom couldn't think of an excuse.
"They definitely do, there are lots of couples here." Alice replied putting her hands on her hips as if to challenge them for another excuse.
"There are four rooms and all are taken." Andrew stated as if he had just had a great idea. "Our friend Steven is looking to move in with us."
"Steven? who is Steven?" She asked furiously, "Was he the skinny guy sat with you all before?"
"Skinny? Steven is very muscular and is very well toned actually." Andrew replied defensively, making the rest of them look at him with strange reactions.
"That is fine then, if the meeting is about your accommodation and all of your rooms are taken, then he can have the sofa." Alice stated, giving them the chance to either be honest with her or accept that she was gluing herself to them again. "Come on then, let's get this accommodation meeting done and get some food."
"Alice, I want to be honest with you, this is not a meeting you want to come to." Dom explained to her honestly. "There are many things I want to tell you, but I need to tell you properly."
"If this is because Andrew has done a stupid stunt again like blocking the toilets like he did in first year then it is fine." Alice stated as she began walking up the stairs, not knowing what meeting room it was, but not giving them the chance to get out of it.
"You know what Alice, you have made your decision so live with the consequences." Dom replied in a grumpy tone as he followed her up, knowing that if she wouldn't listen to them then she deserved the nasty surprise that was coming her way.
She waited for them at the top of the Stairs, before Kai took the lead after looking at the map and walked towards Room Eleven. Outside of the room was two guards who stood at each doorway, a sword at their waist and the black uniform that Dom recognised. They both looked at Dom, before one pushed the door open for them to enter. Alice paused her step at the sight, her mind recognising the uniform from those that had escorted the special guest in earlier. She also recognised that these people had swords at their waist on a campus where the only weapons were those given to the armed guards that were stationed at the gates or the walls.
"Dom." She said to him with a slight uncertainty in her voice.
"Alice, you decided you was coming with us regardless, so good luck." He replied before stepping in to the room beyond, with Andrew giving Alice a sympathetic look before also taking a deep breath and stepping in.
"Kai?" Alice asked him, some panic in her voice as Kai also took a deep breath, straightened his clothes and looked at her with some reassurance in his voice.
"One for all." He said to her reassuringly.
"And all for one." She replied almost automatically, a phrase they had used when ever the four had played together in the past. A phrase a relic from the past whose origins had been lost, but the meaning had continued for generations.
Dom entered and stopped when he reached a table that spread widthways across the room. On the other side of it was his Aunt, sat down in conversation with the Chancellor of the University, Prince Phillip Medici. The other two Guards were stood on the inside of the doorway, and Dom could see that they were trying to look like they weren't listening, but Dom knew that they would be remembering every word to feedback to his Aunt later.
"I wasn't sure if you was going to come!" Camilla stated, a smile on her face as she stood up and came around the long table to give Dom a hug. Andrew and Kai didn't react as they both knew their relationship and stood at a respectable distance, whilst Alice looked on in shock, her mouth wide as the door behind them slammed shut, making her almost jump. Camilla took a step back and looked at the three of Dom's friends. She knew who each of them was, having done research and followed her Nephew's development throughout his life.
"Andrew Claudius, son of Benedict and Teresa. Both excellent Scientists and a loss to the Kingdom." Camilla said, with Andrew putting his hand on his heart and bowing towards her, as he had been taught in his Academy if he ever met senior Royalty. Whilst Camilla wasn't, she was the next closest thing.
"Thank you my Lady." Andrew said respectfully as Camilla laughed in response.
"Oh come on, I know this isn't the Andrew that my Dominic is friends with, but I appreciate the gesture." She laughed, before turning to Kai. "Kai Dawson, son of Robert and Mei. A family essential to the Kingdoms stability."
"And we are proud to do so." Kai replied as he followed Andrew and bowed to her respectfully, as Camilla looked towards Dom, almost ignoring Alice.
"Looking at them, I expect Black Hawk is the dark haired Andrew and Hungry Dragon is the blonde haired Kai?" She asked as Dom nodded in response, before she turned to Alice with a teasing glint.
"I remember inviting your two friends, to think that Alice Roberts, grand daughter to the Principal of the famed Military Academy Twenty Six, Daughter of Warriors and with a high Military Command Potential would also be here." She teased as she looked at Alice, who quickly bowed as well, whilst also trying to curtsey in a confused mess that Andrew struggled to keep a laugh in at.
"An honour Lady Camilla." She replied whilst Camilla laughed in a friendly way in response.
"I don't bite, come and sit down. I should have guessed the four of you would come together, from what I have read, it was a common thing." She stated as she moved around the table to sit back down again next to the Chancellor who was watching everything that was taking place. Kai and Andrew sat down in the left seats, whilst Dom would sit in the right with Alice on the other side of him.
"What is going on?" Alice whispered to him, worry in her voice.
"A lot has happened." Dom replied as he sat and looked towards his Aunt and then the Chancellor who seemed to be giving him a dangerous look.