Wren

The dusty halls of the academy seem to go on forever. Oak-paneled walls gleam in the candlelight. The smell of freshly drying ink permeates the air. Golden sconces hold glimmering candles that light the paths of many scholars. To the left is the dining hall with its long wooden tables and cumbersome low benches. To the left is the library. The library! Decorated with bright yellow flags to commemorate the illumination that comes with knowledge, this endless sea of tomes seems almost alive. Hiding somewhere amongst the stacks of books, likely conducting research for his latest homework assignment, is Wren. This gentle, studious Tundra hopes to be a professor someday. For now, he is relegated to the annals of the college’s book collection. He holds back a sneeze as he opens an enormous dusty memoir. The tiny font and high page count would intimidate many, but for Wren, this is business as usual. He adjusts his spectacles and begins to pore over the ancient text, scribbling notes on a piece of parchment. The scratch of his quill makes a delightful sound in the near-silence of the library. The library is Wren’s happy place– which is fortunate because this is where he spends much of his time.

Wren is not one to frequently raise his hand in class, but he always receives top marks on his assignments. He is a strong writer and a voracious reader. The pursuit of knowledge is his one true calling. As thunderous clouds roll in from the horizon, sending slashes of lightning down on the brick quad below, the young dragon remains focused on his essay. He is about four pages in at this point. He must reach ten by tomorrow. The candle burns low as he works late into the night. He glances out the little round window of his dorm room for just a moment. Lightning illuminates an ancient willow tree dragging its branches back and forth with the wind. His roommate has long since gone to bed, giving up on homework for the evening. Wren, with bags under his eyes and a determined expression on his face, plods on tirelessly. His peers wonder how he does it. He explains that studying doesn’t feel like work to him. He really, actually, truly loves what he’s learning. He’s interested in absolutely everything, from Sornieth’s myths and legends to historical documents to research papers on the wing patterns of Toxin-gened Fae. It’s not as if he’s a show-off, either. He humbly accepts his professors’ criticisms and always uplifts his friends’ brilliance whenever they share their ideas. Wren is endlessly grateful whenever they bring him lunch or dinner, since he often forgets to eat. On his loved ones’ birthdays, he compiles collages from passages of texts that he feels best represent the receivers. Wren believes that knowledge is useless if it is not used to expand one’s empathy and dedication to making the world a little bit brighter. He has all the makings of an expert researcher. He just needs to finish his last few semesters before he can go off into the world of academic pursuits.