*****

After breakfast, each went back to their respective room for a change of clothes, as their robes would not be comfortable to wear on a walk. When Adrien was ready, he ran back downstairs, almost tripping as he descended the spiral staircase that led to the main room. He pushed the wooden door open; Valerion was already there, standing by a bookshelf as he picked what books to put in his bag. Adrien stopped in his tracks, taken aback: without the loose fabric of his robes concealing his form, Valerion seemed so different that Adrien needed a moment to understand that he was looking at the same person with whom he'd had breakfast before.

Valerion turned towards him, a puzzled expression making its way into his serene smile. "What is it?", he mumbled.