Meanwhile, at the College of Magic, in a laboratory as large as a small cathedral, an experience was drawing to a close.
Meryn and Eleonora looked shaken, their bodies shivering and dark under their eyes.
In the middle of the magic circle, no longer powered, a strange creature was sniffing around.
It looked like a porcupine, but blue, glowing blue. Small sparks and lightning crackled between its spikes as it explored the place. The Grandmaster was looking at it, deep in thought.
Meryn frowned at the creature. "You didn't fry it?" She asked. Her voice woke the Grandmaster from his contemplation. He looked at her and answered, "Why would I do that?" His student looked confused. She mumbled, "Because it could be dangerous." Her mentor's eyes sparkled, "Exactly, it could, we have no idea, yet." His gaze got stern as he lectured the woman, "Never kill what you don't understand."
"Skree?"
The Grandmaster and Meryn turned toward the sound. The Grandmaster's eyes widened slightly. When he spoke, his tone was a mix of annoyance and tenderness. "It doesn't mean go straight ahead and pet it, Eleonora."
The golden blonde woman was kneeling before the creature, letting it sniff her hands. She then tentatively petted the part of its head that was spike-free. "Skree?" It said softly.
"I think it's scared," said Eleonora, "Meryn, do you think you could help it?" The tall woman rolled her eyes and shook her head, but her smile and voice were warm. "I can try." She walked over the magic circle and sat next to her friend. "Let him sniff you first," advised Eleonora. Chuckling, her friend obeyed. "Skree?" said the porcupine after sniffing her. "I'm here to help you," she said softly, "I don't know if it will work since you're not from my world, but here I can take the pain from people." Two blue glowing eyes looked at her, entranced by her words. "Skree," it decided, as it shuffled forward to set its head on her lap.
The protector laid her hands on the creature's head and closed her eyes. Eleonora was looking at the scene, eyes wide, not daring to breathe. Then she let out a small crystalline laugh that she tried to stifle to avoid scaring the porcupine. "I think it is working!" The blue beast had closed its eyes and was softly purring. "How do you feel, Meryn? Are you alright?" Her friend answered, "I'm a bit unsettled, but there was no pain, just fear as you said." They both petted the porcupine. Its glowing blue eyes were opened again, and it watched them adoringly. He kept shuffling from one to the other, sniffing their hand and saying the occasional "Skree." Suddenly, Meryn looked around. "Where is the Grandmaster?"
They didn't have to wait long, hurried footsteps were approaching from the hallway behind the main door. The door opened and then closed. The Grandmaster walked toward them, holding a big basket. When he saw the scene, he beamed, "Oh, good job, I see you made a new friend." The two students smiled back. "Where were you, Grandmaster?" asked Meryn. The wizard started to take things from the basket and lay them on the ground. "I was in the kitchen, it needs to eat… probably." Eleonora clapped happily. Her mentor looked at her thoughtfully. "We don't know if it can tell what is good for it. So we need to test small quantities, wait, and document results." The young woman nodded enthusiastically, "Of course, Grandmaster, we don't want to hurt him."
As the two females were sorting the food and discussing what might be adequate for a blue porcupine from another dimension, the Grandmaster was pondering something. He finally said, "There's one more thing we need to do." The chatter stopped. The youngest student asked, "What do we have to do, Grandmaster?" The old man smiled and answered, "We need to find it a name."
Eleonora's face lit up. "Blue," she exclaimed enthusiastically. The Grandmaster's shoulder shook in silent laughter. Meryn looked sternly at her friend, "What do you mean, Blue?" The golden blonde girl shook her hand excitedly, "Blue, his name is Blue! Can't you see it? It's perfect for him!" The tall woman shook her head, "We can't call it that, we need a name, not a description." Eleonora was taken aback. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "We need a name, a name…" said the other woman. She pondered for a while, tapping a finger on her mouth. Then she smiled, "What about: Skree?" Immediately, the creature happily echoed, "Skree!" Meryn knelt to pet him. "See? He likes it." Eleonora gaped, eyes wide. "Are you serious right now?" She muttered.
The two friends looked at each other sternly, then spluttered in laughter. Still giggling, they knelt to pet Skree.
The Grandmaster watched the scene, one hand on his chin, his eyes almost lost elsewhere. He saw how the spikes on the porcupine's back ruffled against one another, how small sparks flew out, changing the color to a deeper, pulsing blue.
"You're a cute little powerhouse, my friend," he whispered, too low for the giggling students to hear.