The final week of their break came with no word from the architect. Aldric wasn't pulled into any impromptu courses, and neither was Harden. This wasn't all that surprising, seeing as he was on break. However, he had assumed he'd be an exception.
Alas, the week had come and past an he, like the other boys, was outside working on his skills. He'd become quite proficient with the craftsman rune. He found it substantially easier in later weeks to cast it. The smaller the rune was, the easier the cast. He'd spent several days creating things.
He'd used the sands of the beach and the fibers of grass around him to help Peter with a greenhouse. Aldric didn't quite know what a greenhouse was, but a large building made of glass piqued his interest.
The building itself, though built well, was not perfect by any means. The glass hadn't fully formed in some areas of the walls and roof. Small bends and warps in the frame gave it an odd shape, and the blue glass made it hard to see into. Nonetheless, Peter was very appreciative and quickly began moving plants in.
The greenhouse had been up for nearly two weeks and hadn't given any signs of wavering. He'd attempted to speak with Grum to see if there was anything else he could teach them, but he hadn't come out of the mock tower in days.
The rest of the island was nearly unrecognizable. The small areas of land quickly expanded and created a large, rounded island. The spires had been connected by bridges and pathways. Some of the spires were turned into small, empty rooms, while others were simply enlarged.
A large pool of fresh water made a donut of the island, that is where the boys would spend the hottest days, swimming and splashing alike. The island quickly became something none of the boys had ever known. It was a symbol as much as it was a home.
The more they expanded and built, the more it became. The feeling of freedom they had was immeasurable. They were allowed to build anything they wished as long as it followed the rules.
The boys quite enjoyed their time outside, but they all slowly began to wonder as time went on. Would they be allowed out again without a break? Or would they now be confined back to the tower? They all felt the anxiety of not knowing, but none of them felt courageous enough to find out for sure.
When the last day of their break came, the island felt more alive then it had all month. Flocks raced to create more and more pillars of glass erupted in an intricate design along the south beach. The northern beach was given a cobbled path leading into a daisy field. Tunneled pathways were constructed beneath the dirt and through the ocean.
Aldric and Harden watched from their perch as everyone scrambled and laughed. They didn't have a need to prove themselves; they already had. Though it was taken away, their window acted was by far the most advanced creation amongst the flocks.
Even the ravens hadn't beaten it, though they'd tried. Jasper attempted to build a functional telescope, but was unable to create the lenses. Rhys thought creating a creature from nothing would be the ultimate show of power.
Unfortunately for him, his attempted creation fizzled and faded to dust as soon as he attempted it. The wrens were quite productive with their creations, but they weren't all too interested in surpassing the Phoenix flock. They were more interested in understanding the island.
The Falcons' creations weren't often on display, unless it was an addition to the island. They were most responsible for the growth of the island as well as the pathway connecting the spires. Aside from that, for all Aldric knew, they may have already surpassed his creation.
Until he was told that directly however, he had to believe he was still ahead. That thought had brought him more peace now than it had in the past. When he had first surpassed the other flocks, he'd felt different and isolated. It angered him, and made him sad. Now, he relished being above.
He felt more powerful, and so he was. He saw the envy and fear in the eyes of the ravens. He couldn't miss the blatant curiosity of the wrens as they inspected him and his work. Most of all, the falcons' respect brought him joy. They saw him as an extension of their flock as well as his own.
He had mastered their rune even before they had, and for that he earned his place. A feeling he'd never felt before hit him as he watched the sun begin to fall from the sky.
"What do you think comes next?" Harden spoke up, taking Aldric out of his mind.
"What do you mean?" He asked, pretending to have heard the question.
"What comes after break? More classes, new classes?" He asked excitedly.
"Most likely. Probably some new instructors and rules too," Aldric said, shrugging slightly.
"What about the beach, do you think we'll be able to come outside once classes start up again?" Harden asked nervously. As the words left his lips, his heart sank. This was the first time the end of the break felt real.He gazed at Aldric, hoping he'd have the answer.
Aldric wondered the same. Silently, he bounced ideas around his mind. He thought of the advantages versus the disadvantages of allowing the flocks out during course. Harden became very aware of the boys' silence and he gulped softly.
"Al?" He pressed.
"Allowing the doors to stay open during classes opens the door for expansion," Aldric began.
"Offers all assortments of new classes and lessons, as well as unique training opportunities. I don't think anybody in their right mind would waste an opportunity like that," he finished, clapping his hands together firmly.
Harden sighed at this notion. He hated the idea that they'd be stripped of what they were given, and knowing that Al believed the doors would stay open made him believe it too. He smiled largely and nodded at his friend.
Before long, the sun was a mere beam of orange peeking behind the storm. A loud clang from the tower bell alerted them of their curfew, and just like that, break had ended.