Caught Fire

Caught Fire

Part 9

By Dari

 

Although the last night had been anything but peaceful, and I had been more than merely tired when I downright fell into my bed, I didn't sleep very long. When I reluctantly opened my eyes to look out the window, the sun was just a hand span above the horizon, making it early morning as it was still not yet spring. I couldn't have been asleep for more than four hours or so, but when I flopped down back into the feathers sleep was a long way from returning, so I might as well just get up.

 

Still tired and rather groggy I sat up in bed and tried for a first assessment of the damage yesterday might have caused to my physiology. My jaw was aching a lot what did not really surprise me, and I had some rather sore regions at my rips and general midriff that were slowly turning some ugly purple. My throat also felt a little sore, at least concerning the skin, and I could only take a guess at what the marks would be looking now, after being clearly visible already yesterday. I also tried turning around and looking at my behind for the caning marks, but couldn't get a good view at the lower regions where I thought them to be. And I was direly in need of a bath, as my whole thighs looked basically caked with dried up fluids.

 

For a moment I considered dressing, yet I really did not want to spoil my fresh clothes so fast, and as I was planning on going for the warm springs in the caves just behind the hut I might just take the risk and conclude that journey wrapped into the blanket I had inherited last night.

 

The house was still rather quiet, but the last weeks had clearly showed that the sound insulation of the living room was better than that of the rooms beyond, so I might have heard Tane and Chelsea if they'd still been in their room, but probably nothing from the kitchen area. Most of myself was just yearning for the bath, and I was just about to climb out of my window again, maybe this time less hurriedly and without nearly committing incidental suicide, but some part of me, probably the sassy, bitter brat wouldn't let me and demanded showing myself in the front room, even at the possibility of no one being there to admire the deeds of my trade, so to say. And it wasn't like I could hide away the whole day.

 

So it came that I wrapped myself protectively into my blanket, and went with my head proudly raised into the living room. To my partial delight both Tane and Chelsea were present; partial just because Tane was sitting with his back turned to me and only seemed to notice something when Cheslea was staring wide-eyed at me while going slowly white in the face. I guess this might just be justified in her case as she must have been wondering what I had been through as it must seem to her that this likely could have been the treatment bestowed unto her had I not interfered. And I really was in no mood to tell her otherwise.

 

Either Chelsea's reaction had been enough of a hint, or he had heard my silent footsteps, Tane turned in his seat, still chewing on his bread, and looked at me. And presently choked on his breakfast when I readjusted the blanket while passing his field of vision so that most of the remnants of yesterday became clearly visible. I stood mute, yet regarded him rather levelly. I wouldn't say that it was beyond me to spew malice with my gaze just then, but I decided to keep that for later. So I just bade them a good morning, and went off through the door towards the caves.

 

Apparently Tane must have already known that I had returned last night or he would have reacted differently, or at all, but what he had just seen had apparently taken him aback, or I at least hoped that it was so. Some part of me yearned for him to just come after me, embrace me and tell me that now everything was okay, and he would care for me and get rid of Chelsea, but even in my most vivid daydreams I knew that even half of this was likely improbable.

 

So I made my way over the cool meadows and through the cold caves, to find the pool of the hot spring alone and blissfully warm. Without bothering much with additional lightning, I just ignited a ball of flame on the near wall over a low crevice where I could be sure that even the low temperature of the fire I had created would do no damage to the stone, and slid slowly into the water. My weary muscles seemed to sigh with content, and as the cacking on my legs slowly dissolved I started to feel human again.

 

Just when I was about to wonder how long my luxuriating solitude would last, I heard footsteps coming from the cave entry towards me. Tane blinked briefly when the harsh light of my flames flared up the moment he reached the main room of the spring area, but did not even bother to comment on it. Instead he came to stand at the brink of the pool and stared down at me with his usual absence of visible feeling portrayed on his features.

 

Having been anxious the whole time of my stay underneath the blissful feelings, I calmed down again and told myself to just stay composed. One thing I should not forget, he was likely not aware of my ulterior motives, and even though I had opposed him in accompanying Drake, he did not know how far my consent had reached. At least I hoped dearly that he was not aware of this. So I just leaned back against the stones of the pool and looked up at him over the undisturbed flat of water.

 

Normally Tane belonged to the people who might just have enough patience to stare down a stone, but lately I had him seen less composed than ever before. This I had elucidated quickly after our mental separation; yet I still did not know what the reason for the split and his unusual behaviour really was. It could just not be such a simple event like my unlucky aim when I kicked him.

 

Judging from the way he studied me, today would be another day of me riddling about this, but there had to be a reason for his presence. For a moment I contemplated just staring back at him, but then mentally sighed and briefly closed my eyes to break contact. When I reopened them he still looked at me rather funny, but I thought to see some kind of quizzicallyness there, too.

 

"Why are you here?" My voice sounded a bit hollow, and for a moment I feared him to see that as a sign of my resentment to talk calmly, but as he just shrugged he seemed to take it as a by-product of what I had been through, with the added hindrance of lack of sleep. "I wanted to talk to you. If you don't mind, I might add." I just shrugged, and getting tired of this waiting for answers started to shrub the remnants of yesterday's fun off my legs.

 

Seeing my futile activity for what it was, Tane went on after another short pause. as if he needed time to find the right words. "I don't know if you know it already, but I tried preventing any further harm coming to you yesterday evening." I blinked for a moment, trying to figure out just what he meant by that, and raised my head again to look him in the face. "You mean you insulted me in front of near strangers, and went on undermining my efforts to stay true to my word?"

 

For a moment he looked downright shocked, something I had not really deemed Tane capable of. Before he could utter some strange retort about his choice of words, I went on. "If it really was for my better good, it might have been a noble deed, but you should know that all people involved, me included, knew from the start that neither my life nor sanity would be endangered by anything that might happen." I made a dramatic pause, somewhat waiting for him to fall into my words, but he just looked levelly at me. So I went on, deciding to make a haphazard guess. "And that's because I am too valuable. No one would willingly damage something permanently that might prove useful or even indispensable in the future. Now wasn't that the reason you were there, last evening? To demand what you designate rightfully as your own to steer?"

 

I let that sink in for a while, knowing fully well that in truth I did not know a thing, and might even be terribly wrong, but the whole events that had been taking place since our first visit in Mendala posed one simple question for me: why were they all so terribly interested in having a say over me? And it couldn't just be my looks or my tolerance for pain, because both were things that were more easily found elsewhere, both on their own and combined. There simply had to be something about me that made Drake pass by the one chance he might get to annoy his former pupil by taking away his plaything. He must have known that any attempts from his side to befriend me would in the end proof more of a troublesome event for Tane. So what did they all see in me that I was so completely oblivious of?

 

I had plenty of time to contemplate all this, as Tane kept silent for over two minutes. Either he had no answer, or what I was rather believing, was on his own weighing his options and whether he should tell me. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, his face was still unreadable. "Maybe we should lead this discussion under less distracting conditions."

 

I just raised my brows at that. "You did not make any advances towards me during the last few weeks, so why should my current nude state provide some distraction for you?" He looked at me a bit quizzically, before sighing and sitting down at the brim of the pool opposite of me. "That doesn't mean that I do no longer feel attracted to you." Now it was my time to be silent for a while, and as he seemed quite talkative right now, I ventured forth on this front.

 

"If you still do, why are you ignoring me lately? Are you that convinced that she would leave you just because the two of us would go shagging in the bushes now and then?" At least I was convinced that it would bother Chelsea a lot, at least if it were just mutual sex, but I guess that was something none of us wanted.

 

Tane just shook his head. "I don't know, maybe if I talked to her a bit she'd understand. She's rather easy to persuade when it comes to things she either does not understand, or doesn't want to understand." I just shrugged, making it an answer with no real content, and let the water lap up my torso to my collarbones. Not to be modest, but it was just freezing outside the warm waters.

 

He just ignored that, and as he did not venture on, I took that from him. "So how does it come that you keep ignoring me? You must realize that I still have some needs that have to be fulfilled." Only silence I got for an answer. This kind of enraged me, and I tried to give him some shove to at least react in some way. "Needs that others can fulfil, too. I won't need you for that."

 

At this Tane visibly tensed up. For a moment he looked as if I had finally gotten round to goad him enough to get to speak up, but he only shook his head as if in resignation, and sighed. "Look, Chelsea's going to visit her family this afternoon, so why don't we sit down and talk then, when he are alone and undisturbed?"

 

I still did not really see why now was a bad time for this talk, but I just shrugged, and was somewhat relieved when he finally got up again and left the caves, leaving me simmering inside the hot pool. Although it somewhat vexed me that he had eluded my question, I was also a bit happy to be on my own again for a while. At least it gave me time to let the events of yesterday pass before my eyes once more, trying to sort out the different things that had happened and what I had realized.

 

One thing I knew for sure now - something strange had happened yesterday when I was on the brink of loosing my mental control. I had been nowhere near bringing a fiery inferno over the others, but some other, more distant part of myself had somehow surfaced and reared its head for a moment, to sink unseen beneath the waves of my unconsciousness again. But there had been something, I knew that for sure, that was no so very different than my innate ability to call forth fire. It just had some different kind of taste to itself, more sturdy and less flickering and teasing, like the flames usually felt to me when I was not relying on them in the face of pure terror.

 

Yesterday I hadn't even lost a thought about that, but today with more mental distance it felt like something with more significance than the fact that pain alone was a huge drive-on for me. Until then I had just thought myself capable of dealing with pain during sex, but had never anticipated that at least part of the pleasure directly stemmed from the pain. But apparently there was something else down in that bottomless pit, waiting for me to delve into it and get it to the surface. With my fire-wielding ability Tane had been there to lead me along the way, although I still somewhat despised his methods. This time I might as well be alone on that journey.

 

Still, while I mused about such things I started running my hands over my thighs, removing the last residues of yesterday's fun. From many nights before I knew how unpleasantly cakey dried semen could be, but until then I had only had to deal with the jism of one man having a maximum of two orgasms - now it had been a multitude of both. At least that was what it felt like. My memory concerning such lowly things was quite askew.

 

Somewhat smiling I let my hands wander from my thighs to my vagina. My pussy lips were still a bit swollen, and my clit was really sore, although the small wounds left from the piercing were fully healed by now. Yet when I started to stroke my clit, the expected pleasurable feeling failed to appear. It was not like I was feeling nothing at all, but rather as if a lot was missing. That sobered me quite a bit, but compared to what my body had to endure yesterday, masturbation was likely only a small wind compared to the tornado of sensations that had raced through me only hours before. So I left it at just cleaning myself, and was on my way back to the hut not long after, feeling a lot cleaner, and a bit more myself.

 

Already from the mouth of the cave I could hear Chelsea's voice ring up from the hut, and something inside my stomach started to knot up again. Somehow I had hoped that the events set in motion yesterday had changed some things for me, but apparently the stone encasing my heart because of her was still present, and not likely to disappear too soon. So with a final sigh I set my shoulders straight, and went into the house.

 

Conversation went mute the moment I entered, and once again I saw stark disbelieve paired with horror on Chelsea's face when she saw me. I guess it was not me in general but rather the strangulation marks on my throat, but it made me uneasy all the same. I just put a not too sincere smile on my face, and went to put my dirty clothes back into my room to wash them later in the day. When I returned a bowl of soup and some bread waited for me at the free place at the table. I just frowned down at the food briefly, then set to eat it eagerly, as my stomach started to roil the moment my eyes registered the strange giving.

 

Meanwhile Tane did his best to continue talking - I would not call it conversation as I stayed mute and Chelsea seemed more interested in staring at me than listening to him. It could have been an interesting topic as Tane tried to tell her about how he meant to finally get her to get a grasp on her ability, and the hints he left there were something I really did not think her being able to cope with, but as she did not realize what he was trying to tell her, I just left it to listening to him. Yet she apparently couldn't round up the courage to ask me outright where my marks stemmed from, so it was a rather quiet breakfast concerning literal contents of conversation.

 

Finally his personal kind of morning torment resolved itself when Chelsea took pity in him and asked whether she could go visit her parents a few hours earlier - apparently some strange cousin of hers was coming to town, and so she wanted to get the best out of her free day with her family in Mendala. So it came to be that the three of us trudged out of the hut, and while Tane and Chelsea took their leave behind my turned back, I again succeeded in opening a portal to the front of the Academy grounds - to my infinite dismal it only worked on the sixth attempt, but it was still enough of a surprise for Tane that he nearly choked on his final good-bye kiss. Just like me to cross his doings without even planning to.

 

Next I was the one to be surprised, as Chelsea literally flew at me to embrace me in a sincere-looking hug, thanking me for all I had done for her, before going through the portal. I somehow managed to close it behind her with just a little hesitation, and was left a little dumbfounded standing next to a similarly stupid-looking Tane. This just boded too well for what was likely to come now.

 

With an excessive harrumph Tane brought my attention to him, and I was a little satisfied to see him still a bit ruffled. "I didn't know you could do that already." I just shrugged, trying to hide my imminent complacence. "Well, I needed the better part of two weeks to learn such an easy spell that every pupil in his first few hours of adeptance should be able to perform, but I did it, all on my own. You see, I don't need you to keep up learning." At that his brows knitted in a kind of strange looking grimace that I could not really place in the spectrum between bitterness and hatred, and I also felt my stomach performing equally indefinable things, while my heart seemed to sink another notch towards pure desolation. I simply didn't have it in me to play tough for long when it came to Tane. So I sighed silently, and felt my shoulders start to drop. "But I'd have been glad if you'd have showed me."

 

With that I turned around and slowly walked back to the hut. Inside I let myself fall into one of the cushioned chairs in front of the fireplace. Every bit of the elation I had felt yesterday slowly drained from my veins, and left me sitting there with a horrible feeling of dread because of what I had done. Part of me still knew that he did not realize how deep I had been in the making of the events from the day before, but somehow that only worsened the feeling of betrayal that was starting to choke me, ever so slowly.

 

I must have been sitting there for quite a while, when Tane finally followed me. For a moment he hesitated near the front door, then came over to sit opposite of me in the other chair. He settled back with his arms on the armrests of the chair, but then leaned forward with a sigh, knitting his fingers together with his elbows toughing his thighs. His look and mien were still unreadable for me, but something was in his eyes that made me glad that he was there. I just wondered if this would stay this way should some of my ulterior motives come to the light.

 

He took his time mustering me, and I already started to fidget under his gaze before he finally began to talk. "I suspected that you heard me, yesterday, but never thought that you'd take me so seriously. How could I expect that, knowing that most of what you did was solely to get back at me in the only way you knew would surely ilk me from sunup to moondown?" I considered his words for a moment, trying to fight down the rising fear that did a good job in overwhelming my conscious mind. More and more of me started to scream to throw myself down at his feet and beg forgiveness. Stupid as that may seem, I was about to do it for real when he held up one hand as if to forestall any such gesture.

 

"You know, the last two weeks went greatly awry, and I guess for both of us. Let's just pretend that we did not behave like small children, and talk about what is happening now, what we should do about it, and what about your future." He sounded slightly bemused, as if his own words were somewhat surprising him. It also surprised me a lot, and in so kept me from thinking about doing further stupid things. So I settled back again into my chair, and regarded Tane anew, trying to judge his newly found calm.

 

When I finally answered, my voice was still less stable than I would have preferred for any important talk. "Okay, let's just pretend to be two responsible adults who are in their right mind and don't try to annoy each another anew every day."  That made him smile a bit, and stupidly warmed something inside of me. I seemed to be getting better all of a sudden, because I already started to get annoyed with my strange delight of having him divert his attention to myself. Yet before I could let this annoyance blaze on its own freely, I reigned in my rising temper and tried to stake out my territory.

 

"So what do you mean by knowing that I was responsible for anything?" The sorcerer just chuckled, and mimicked my position of hiding in the cushions of the big chair. "Oh well, I might sometimes be lead around by my own prick, but contrary to some people's belief I am still capable of discerning badly hidden schemes. And how could I not wonder about your motives when you change your attitude from one moment to the next and start getting self-sacrificial when you should be in the right mind to get egotistical? You might call me stupid, but I am not blind."

 

He let that sink in for a moment, yet before I could start some kind of defence, he went on. "I don't blame you for looking elsewhere for your needs. I'd just preferred it not be in Drake's basement." At that I just shrugged with a nonchalance I did not really feel. "It was the first opportunity that presented itself on a silver platter. I would have had to be made of stone not to grasp it." I had somewhat anticipated myself to launch into panic when Tane confronted me with the topic of so easily submitting to his former teacher, but instead of going wild I calmed down with every uttered word. It was rather like after confessing to some stupid things that had never had any dire consequences - now it was off my mind, and seemingly not a problem to worry about for anyone. Would that I were less suspicious of his quiet mien.

 

Still not giving his motives away, Tane shrugged. "I really don't blame you for it. The way I see it you did the best there was in it for you, starting from a situation you were forced into with no way out but to loose, and making things work out for you. But why did you not tell me about it? When you did not put up a fight to remain here when it was clear that you had lost your bet I was rather worried about your sanity. And I made a fool of myself, twice, yesterday."

 

Somehow the way he said it, with a strange lilt of annoyance to his voice, made me smile. "Maybe that was the main reason behind all this?" For a moment it was now his turn to look kind of suspicious. "Was it?" I laughed briefly, then settled back again. "Oh no, it just came to my mind when you mentioned it just now. It was a nice byproduct for my ego, if you want to call it that. You see, you are not the only jerk lurking around here." Somehow it only began to dawn on me now how stupid all of this scenario must have looked for someone not involved in it. Suddenly not being able to look directly at Tane, I turned around in my chair to look out the window at the clouds passing by overhead. A little overcast it might have been, but spring was advancing with rapid steps, even up here in the mountains.

 

Either he had thought along the same lines, or just acted upon my reluctance to continue, but Tane waited with his next sentence until I turned back to face him again. His face was still unreadable, but his whole body language had turned to something more familiar and less forbidding than I had seen in him during the last weeks.

 

"We both acted like children, one way or the other. And at least you still have a right for it with your junior age. But even if you just did it to get back at me, which you have succeeded in perfectly I have to admit, it also served as a purpose to drag me out of my own private stupor. Even if we had our personal differences, I should not have neglected you in this way. If it boils down to the basics, you are still my pupil, and a teacher should under no conditions just stop the education of a promising student."

 

That reminded me of something I had leaned just the other day, and that still somehow puzzled me. And not knowing how long this docile behaviour of him might last, I took my chances and went for it. "Can I ask you something without you going into maniac denial within the minute?" A wry grin surfaced around his mouth, and his eyes started to twinkle the way they always did when I was on unknown and probably dangerous grounds, but he just urged me do go on. So I did. "Drake yesterday mentioned a different story about the parting between the two of you. He told me that contrary to your tale you ventured into the war on your own before completing your full training, and he just wouldn't take you back afterwards for the rest. The way you told it he always seemed to have abandoned you before."

 

Somehow I had dreaded him to go for my throat now, but Tane only stayed calmly in his chair, scratching his chin and seeming to muse about my words. When he finally did answer, his voice was measured as if he would lecture me about some new spell to learn. "My part of the tale might have been a bit more subjective because of the events that followed the parting. But essentially he was right, I bade him farewell long before I should have. But he sure never talked about my motives."

 

I saw the trap he laid me there, and for once I was not stupid enough to leap into it. "I'm sure that you had your reasons." I hesitated for a moment, and then decided to leave his past be for the moment, and go for my own future instead. "This is also not the reason I asked. I just wanted to know why you now tried to get me to leave you, even if it was not of your conscious doing. Until a few weeks ago I would never have considered taking up leaning with anyone but you. Why now the change?" I left it unsaid that I had no intentions to study for long with Drake, either. Let that be kept as a way of lathering honey around his mouth should I have need of it soon.

 

Apparently my guesswork had both been good and not entirely wished for by Tane, because he made a face as if he had bitten into some sour fruit, but staying true to his normal self he answered. "I honestly don't know. I guess I even tried to delude myself to blame you alone for your straying, but in the lights of the current events I see that I am to blame for kindling that flame in you, even if you acted on your own motives." Compared to the conversations we had been leading during the last weeks this was downright something bordering on an apology. And it somehow made me smile.

 

The following silence could have been of a dragging nature, but somehow his admission had lifted something off my soul that had been festering there for quite some time. In the light of this I might even get over the grave indignation of having been replaced by that blonde cow. And seeing that now was his time to fidget because of it, also did something to lighten my mood.

 

Seeing him struggling for some further defence of his acts, I finally took pity in him and went on with the conversation. "We are both human. Let's leave it at that, okay?" For a moment he looked a little flabbergasted before getting a grip on himself again. "So you won't bear me a grudge for weeks, and try to get back at me at every opportunity?" Even if I had wanted it, I would not have been able to keep the sly smile off my face that was starting to appear there firmly. "Oh, I did not say that. If you give me some further reasons for acting this way ..." Just when he was about to fall for it, I raised my hand in consolidation, and went on. "No, I don't plan to get reproachful all of a sudden now. But you have to understand that with Chelsea staying here things will have to change for me. I cannot go on just ignoring her, and I don't have it in me to try to help you teach her."

 

I left that hanging in the air between us, and waited for Tane to answer, but once again he stayed mute for awhile. Just when I was about to start to defend my point of view, he spoke up. "I know that it is hard on you, and I guess it's also unfair. We never defined the nature of our relationship, but even if it had been a looser kind of friendship I should have asked you before bringing her here. But I guess that would have ruined my plans, so ..." I just nodded, feeling some of my former desolation creep up my spine again. At least he admitted his wrongdoings, but in the end that changed not a great deal for me.

 

Seeing that I had nothing to say on that topic, Tane went on. "During the last week I had some time to consider things, but I still don't know what to do about the whole issue. As you already said so pointedly before, I've fallen for her, and I have no intentions of sending her away now that her stay is secured for at least a while. But I still value you, on another level, and I am sorry to have hurt you in such a crude manner." Somehow his words did not have the intended soothing quality on me, but rather started to make me mad, ever so slowly. So it was no wonder that my retort came out quite a little clipped.

 

"Oh you are just horny and longing to dominate and hurt anyone, and just because you don't dare talking about that to her, you now try to get me round to play your little pain whore to satisfy the ilks that your praised maiden cannot?" Maybe a little more sharp than clipped, but right at that moment it was the same to me. And as I had feared somewhat, my tone was this time enough to let Tane's temper rise in answer. "You don't know the least of things about me, so don't judge me from your stupid and false assumptions!"

 

Luckily for me, my temper was already bad enough to no longer mind the consequences of my actions, and so it was just a matter of seconds for me to respond heatedly. "Tane, everyone knows about your desires. Everyone! They know it in Midriver, they know it in Mendala, and it wouldn't surprise me if they knew it elsewhere where you stayed for longer than a month! From the first second on when anyone ever knew of you becoming or being my teacher, sympathy for your ways has greeted me. So don't hold me for stupid, I know what I am talking about!"

 

For a split second I was afraid that now he would be coming for me, but Tane just stood up vividly and started to pace around the room. Unbidden memories from not so long ago came to me, but this time I was not tired, drained, and hurting, and above all, not defenceless. And apparently not a good and easy victim, as he chose to keep on pacing and just direct hot gazes at me while grumbling something under his breath.

 

Suddenly he stopped to downright stare me into the ground. "And if I'm really so horrible, why are you still here?" A good question, and one for which I had no good answer that I could justify before myself right now, but before I could even start a retort, the sorcerer before me went on. "And if I tell you that in the end you are nothing better than a filthy whore, and just interesting for people like Drake because of my interest in you, or because they can play the pitiful harmonizer to take in the suffering martyr, what do you do then? Do you really think they would have let you study in Midriver? A poor girl without good looks who is twice as old as any adept they normally train? You would have become a nuisance for them, and they would have gotten rid of you, and you probably only live because of me!"

 

I had honestly never thought of something like that, and even though it frightened me for a moment, it sounded a bit strange to my ears, even not considering yesterday's events. Once more I thought back at him avoiding answering me in the caves when I had asked a similar question. But at least this way the fire went out of my temper, leaving me cool and calculating behind.

 

"If that really were true, why do you still bother with me?" Once again I had surprised him from the look on his face, which was not entirely strange as I usually had no check on my temper. Well, even I could learn over time. Yet it was not enough to quench his temper, too. "Oh I really don't know, maybe I should strangle you myself!" He made a step towards me, but did not even shift his weight to the fullest, but instead growled and went on pacing the room.

 

He kept on going in circles for quite a while, in so doing making me slightly nervous. Not that I really was afraid of him turning against me, but somehow this whole scenario was getting on my nerves. When I finally decided that I had stayed mute long enough, Tane stopped when I got up from my chair to look askance at me.

 

With a sigh I tried to make up my mind, but as no real solution I could easily live with came to my mind, I just voiced my current concerns. "You should know that you are probably the first man I ever really fell for, in a way. I had the strange dilution that what had been between the two of us was something special, but judging from the way you behave now, it all was only a by-product of the role you forced me into. But over time I have developed some backbone, even if you don't find it worth reckoning right now. I know that I am worth something, both as a woman and as a sorcerer. If you will neglect both, I will no longer stay in this dependency. Tell me to go, now, and I will never return."

 

Granted, I can be quite the drama queen, but right at that moment I felt like I simply had to play that way, even if it came with the risk of total rejection. The moment the last part of my speech left my mouth I was about to regret it already, but the stricken look on Tane's face was worth it anyway. For probably the first time ever an emotion bordering to shock was visible on his features, and stayed there long enough for me to register it fully, before he smoothed over his face to look as uninvolved as possible.

 

Silence started to strain between the two of us when he finally sighed and sat down in the chair opposite me once more. For a moment his eyes cast around like the eyes of a caged animal, before settling on me. When his attempt to stare me down into speaking failed, he finally started talking again. "If you wish to end your study with me, you are free to go, but I have no intentions in casting you out."

 

He hesitated for a moment, then started to rub his temples while sighing heavily. When he looked at me again he seemed to be a bit weary, as if the whole topic was bothering him a lot. At least I hoped that it did. Before I could think about some witty retort that might change the course of the conversation again, and likely not for the better, Tane spoke on. "I know that things have really gone awry. I cannot even say why, it was more like missing the moment for a change in course over and over again. Do you even want to stay here anymore?"

 

I contemplated my answer for a while, then shrugged. "As I said, I still value the time we had together, and I have no objections to keep on learning with you, but I really don't know if I want to stay here any longer." At first Tane had looked a bit self-satisfied, but my last words wiped that expression off his face. What was left was a hollow mien that somehow strengthened my believe in my decision to tell him this, and follow through with it, too.

 

Again we were left at staring at each other, and my nerves were slowly but ever so surely starting to fray. I had dreaded this conversation since Tane had calmed down after having his revenge on me for my kicking him were it hurt the most. I had long hoped to avoid it somehow, but now that I had finally voiced my thoughts I would have preferred him to go on with his answers, and not let me rot here and in the end be grateful for every titbit he might grant me. 

 

When it became evident that he was not likely to comment on that any further, I got up and brushed some imaginary crumbs from my dress. When I turned towards the door leading to the back rooms, life came back into the sorcerer sitting in the chair. "What do you have in mind now?" For a short moment I nearly thought that it might have been a lascivious remark, but then reconsidered that strange wish when I saw him looking at me rather indifferently. I just shrugged. "Well, I wanted to pack my few things and go. Can I take my clothes with me, or do you insist on keeping them?" His time to indicate indifference. "Take them with you if you want, it's not like Chelsea could wear them anyway without sewing them wholly anew."

 

It stung as was probably intended, but I just went calmly through the door, hoping to keep the hurt from out of my eyes. I did not know if I succeeded, but at least I was able to keep the coming tears from welling up. Although I did not want it, I simply had to be strong now, and follow through with this.

 

At least that was what I told myself while I folded my clothes and the book I had gotten from Elana into a small bundle inside my warm winter cloak, and stared out of the window for probably the last time. When I had first set things aflame I had been afraid of everything, and mostly afraid of myself. At least that had changed during the course of the last year. Tane had been a good if unconventional teacher, and although I had by times loathed him as much as his unorthodox methods of teaching, I had made progress in both my magical talents, and in getting to know myself better. I had just trusted too much in our whole little harmony, and now fallen so deep because of it. I didn't even know any longer if it really was betrayal I felt because of him ignoring me and favouring Chelsea. Maybe I was just loath to go out into the world again on my own to prove myself that now things would change, and no longer have to cower behind my innate abilities that had before ruined my life so utterly.

 

Trying to hide my feelings I turned around and walked back into the living room. Tane was still seated in his chair the way I had left him, and regarded me levelly. It was wholly unfathomable what he was thinking, and even if something had shown on his face, I don't know if I had even acted on it. This way it was just a little bit easier for me, although some kind of loss on his side would have been a satisfaction for me. So I was just left standing there with my own thoughts to work with.

 

When he did not say anything, not even some kind of farewell, I sighed and took a last look around. When my gaze came to rest on him again, I could not suppress a sigh. Some part of me was even glad to be leaving here after the last few weeks, and might even be able to wonder what I had ever seen in him. Sad but true, it was only a small part of me.

 

"I'll be going now. If you want to reach me, Elana or Drake should know where to find me. It's not like I know anyone else down in Mendala." For a moment I deemed to see some kind of reaction on Tane's face, but he hid if quickly, and just shrugged. "Call in when you are finished, if you want to. As you want to be on your own, it is well better to leave you so, alone." I hesitated for a moment, trying to think of some witty retort, but as my mind was fast closing down with grief overwhelming everything I just turned on my heel and ran out of the house, trying futilely to hold back the tears any longer.

 

How I managed to open a portal I cannot say, and the events of the following hour were quite fuzzy. As people had seen me going in and out of the Academy grounds before, no one held me back when I ventured into the complex, and I even managed to find my way to Elana's study. But the moment the old mage opened her door all of my resolution and strength dissolved, and left my crying like a child at her doorstep. I didn't even see if she had been alone or not, but was grateful for her to take me in and start to soothe me. In the end she just sat beside me with a kind hand on my shoulder and listened to my senseless babble, inaudibly because of the heaves that ran through me while I cried.

 

When it finally ceased I was left behind with an empty and bleak feeling. I just felt hollow, and not even embarrassed because of my behaviour. Elana just brought me some food and told me to take my time gathering myself; she would wait for me in the next room, her study. I thanked her for her kindness, and kept on sitting where I was until the shadows outside started to lengthen when the sun slowly set.

 

I was somewhat roused from my stupor when a knock sounded at the door. Elana went to open it, and I felt some sort of apprehension crawl up my spine when she let in Lathea. The tall, muscled woman just looked at me once, spoke in hushed tones with the old mage, and then went over to sit down next to me, while Elana went back into her study.

 

For a moment I was about to at least inch away from Lathea, but she left me enough personal space on my couch to be polite, and looked as friendly as ever when we had been without the bothersome company of inconvenient sorcerers. Although I still felt some considerable unease in her presence because of who she was and what she had done, I liked her, and might even count her to my very limited circle of friends.

 

When I had started easing up a bit, the woman finally started talking. "Dumped you, hm?" The way she phrased it instantly awakened some strange kind of slumbering rage, but just when I wanted to reply in as more or less aggressive way, I realized from her smile that she had just said it to get me out of my stupor. So lest I embarrass myself further, I just shrugged and settled down a bit more comfortably.

 

"I guess I grew too much backbone for him to tolerate. Tane seems to have general problems with strong women." At that Lathea grinned briefly, and then extended a hand to pat my shoulder. "You'll get over him, you'll see. There are a lot other men around, both for sex and teaching. And a few women, too." At that she winked, but I chose to ignore that. I was both not in the right mind for any kind of banter, and also knew from our former conversation not to take her too seriously. 

 

Before some kind of uneasy silence could evolve of which I had had my full share already that day Lathea went on. "Elana sent me to finding some eventual quarters for you yesterday already, after coming back from the Testing. If you want to, we have some free rooms towards the back, and a lovely small yet comfortable flat towards the sea, with the patio opening to the beach. If you want to, I can show you around, so you can decide for yourself." Having nothing better to do, I agreed, and off we went.

 

Apparently Elana had set Lathea also to the task of keeping me bothered in general so I might not again drop into that black hole they had just dragged me out of, because she started talking the moment we left Elana's quarters, and never again stopped. Within minutes I was informed about the general ways of the Academy - where the important people had their quarters, where the libraries were situated, where most of the facilities were, and so on. Not that I could be bothered to remember everything on the spot, but it kept me occupied for the moment.

 

At first we had a look at the quarters in the back. So my certain discomfort they were not too far away from Drake's quarters, but on a higher level. The few small rooms looked quite comfy, but were typical students rooms with other, mostly younger students living nearby. Even now when most of the pupils were either still in class or already taking their dinner it was rather noisy, and made me shy away from this place a bit.

 

Lathea did not comment on my reactions, but instead took my elbow and steered me out of that part of the compound, heading east again. We walked quite a while, making me wonder just how big the whole complex was. When Lathea finally stopped it was before an unobtrusive wooden door in a quiet little court with a pond in the middle. Only few people walked this corridor, and it all looked rather serene.

 

When Lathea indicated me to venture forth, I opened the door hesitantly and walked in. The door opened into a small anteroom, barely large enough to leave some clothes and shoes there. The only door leading from the room opened into a larger one, evidently the living room, with huge windows and a door leading outside. I could see a small stretch of beach there, and behind that waves breaking at the shore. That view alone left me speechless, and longing to claim this place.

 

When she deemed me having had enough of staring out the window the woman lead me to the other two rooms, a small working room that could be built into a library, and a bedroom. Everything was more than big enough for me, and from the sparse furniture, consisting only of a bed in one room and two tables with chairs at the other two it looked rather uninhabited. And although I would have loved to stay here, one problem immediately came to my mind.

 

"How should I ever afford these quarters?" At first Lathea looked a bit strange as if she did not understand my question, but then a large smile started to show on her face. "They didn't tell you that as a sorcerer of the second grade you can officially work for the Academy while keeping on your study, and in this being either paid for your work, or compensated with living quarters and everything else you might require?" 

 

That somehow took me a little aback, and although Drake had vaguely mentioned something like that I had not really put any thought to that topic. "Work in how far?" The woman just shrugged. "You can either teach, or run errands for the Academy. Here are living about two thousand people, a rough quarter of them are mages and sorcerers finished with their training but staying for teaching others. They hardly leave these grounds, but require either knowledge or ingredients from outside. Someone has to acquire these things. From what I have heard these errands can be quite fun, and won't take too much of your time to keep you from learning yourself. But Elana will know better than I how things might work out for you. So with that obstacle out of the way, do you want these quarters?" 

 

Once more I turned around myself and watched the rooms slide by. This was just perfect, like something out of a dream. I knew that it had to come with a catch, but right at that moment it did not matter to me. So I just nodded, once again feeling tears well up in my eyes, with my throat constricting too much to let me speak. Lathea left it at that and went out of the room, signalling me to follow her. When she closed the door, she left a small piece of paper between door and frame, apparently to sign the room as occupied. The way back to Elana was again rather quiet, as I simply did not know what to talk about anymore, with my whole mind revolving around my quarters-to-be.

 

Back at Elana's quarters Lathea took her leave, giving the old mage and me privacy for our dinner. Elana was somewhat delighted to have been able to lift my mood, and during dinner she talked about anecdotes of her study and later stay at the Academy, by doing so giving me a better understanding of how things worked here in general. By the end of the meal I was already starting to feel a little bit at home, something I would not have deemed possible mere hours ago.

 

After dinner Elana took me to the administrative wing to get all things settled for both my quarters and my stay here. Although dusk was already approaching, these quarters were bustling with people as if it were just before noon, and I was instantly glad of Elana's presence. People seemed to know and respect her, and as she knew what to do it tremendously helped my cause.

 

Within minutes we were sitting in the office of the headmaster of the Academy, who seemed a bit flustered at Elana's request to attend to the matter personally at first, but when he heard my name and was presented with my story, he seemed quite eager to commence with things. In every odd sentence he stressed his joy for me having chosen his humble school for my further studies, something that made me quite suspicious. It was more or less the same reaction Drake had shown to me lately, and without the matching explanations from Tane I was a bit at a loss there. So I just nodded and played a little at being flattered by his comments, but I guess neither one of us believed the attitude of the other entirely.

 

Nevertheless within the next half hour I was affiliated into the Academy register, my quarters were assigned to me for as long as I required them, and on Elana's insistence a small yet reasonable fee to rudimentary furnish my rooms was granted as a sort of welcome present. I was also invited to join the weekly council of the mages and sorcerers of the Academy, so that others would get to know me and might later on approach me with errands.

 

After a little more small talk we were finally dismissed again with a smile and three letters of right, one proclaiming me official sorceress of the Academy, and the others for my quarters and the fee for the furniture. When we had left the building behind and were walking towards Elana's rooms, she took her time lamenting over the avarice of the headmaster, but also assured me that a fine basic set of furniture would be affordable with it.

 

We were just about to round the last corner before being back at Elana's quarters, when two silhouettes appeared from the corridor to our right. The moment I recognized Anthony and the guy who had yesterday brought me to the portal places, I kind of felt like burning up and I must have blushed a deep shade of red. I could not even say why, but in my current state my mind was simply not capable of acting normally. So looking like a tomato it would be, for now. 

 

Elana frowned a moment when the two young men approached us, but then just smiled and patted me on the shoulder. "I'll just leave you all to yourselves for now. Of course you can stay the night at my place if you want to, I'll just tell my maid to prepare the guest room for you. I hope that by tomorrow you will be able to move into your own quarters." With that she left me alone, although I was just about to follow her anyway, whether being dismissed or not.

 

So I was left standing there, blushing deeply and not knowing what to say to Anthony and the guy whose name I still did not know. The whole situation was just about to vex me into saying just anything for my justification, when the young sorcerer started to chuckle. My vicious scowl of righteousness brought him to silence again, but a broad grin stayed on his face.

 

"Sorry, I couldn't hold that back, but you really look so dashingly uncomfortable ..." He never finished the sentence as my scowl deepened, and he started laughing again. The warrior beside him just frowned briefly, then made a reconciling gesture while rolling his eyes at the general direction of Anthony. "We just dropped by when we heard that you thought about continuing your studies here. Although I'm starting to regret taking this young fellow here along." I couldn't stifle a grin then, and my anger at the sorcerer started to evaporate already, although he still had to fight to keep his mien quiet. Seeing this, I could not resist some mischief on my own.

 

Smiling more brightly, I looked directly at the young warrior, doing my best to just concentrate on him and letting Anthony see that I did not address him, too. "Shall we take a walk? I haven't seen much of the Academy until now, and as I intend to stay here for a while it might be nice to have a guide along." To my genuine elation at least the warrior got the hint and chivalrously presented me his bent arm to link my arm with his. Having to fight not to grin perfidiously at Anthony I turned my back on the sorcerer and started a light banter with the other guy. Taking it like a man Anthony just called after us to drop by him the next day, and let us walk away.

 

After the first turn into the next corridor I had to stop and started giggling, which broadened into full laughter when my companion put a smug grin on his face. "I always keep telling him that he doesn't have a good way with women, but then he should already know this." Trying to regain my composure again, I let go of his arm and straightened some non-evident wrinkles on my dress. 

 

When I looked up again, the guy just smiled at me. "I just remembered that we never properly introduced ourselves. I'm Gellin, and very pleased to have made your acquaintance." For a moment I tried to see some trace of a smirk on his face, but he just smiled pleasantly, so I let it slide and offered a smile on my own. "I am Jeanne, and quite surprised that no one until now told you my name."

 

At that he directed a genuine smile at me, and in no time I was blushing deep red again. Really not my day, to be precise. When he saw my reaction, Gellin's smile faltered and was replaced by a rather concerned expression. "Is something wrong? You don't look so good to me right now." I just shrugged and tried to rule in my facial temperature, but that only worsened the blush if anything.

 

Finally I let go of his arm and straightened my back, as if to stall myself for something. Seeing this, the young warrior looked a little bit alarmed. Yet before he could say something again that would only worsen things for me, I offered my explanation. "Look, I really like you, but today has been a troublesome day in its own, and in the regard of what happened yesterday ..." I had hoped to bring out more than this useless stammer, and seeing his expression of alarm deepening I went on quickly.

 

"It's not as I'm ashamed of what we did yesterday." At that his look became mockingly doubtful, stopping me in my tracks and drawing a smile from me against my will. "Okay, granted, I am a little bit taken aback about what I consented to yesterday." I leaned a bit towards him, making sure that we were indeed alone, and went on in a hissed whisper. "You should understand that I usually don't spend my days getting fucked senseless three ways by a horde of guys!" Now he was grinning smugly at me, but that somehow made it easier for me to rally myself again.

 

After shooting a conspiratory glare at him I started walking again, yet kept my distance from him. He quickly followed, falling into stride beside me yet leaving me my personal space. "I don't know if it interests you, but most of that happened for some ulterior motives of revenge, and now that not everything has worked out the way I wanted it to, I start to wonder if the whole undertaking has been a huge mistake."

 

I quickly cast a look at his face, waiting for hurt masculine pride, but he only kept his smug grin. "Well, if you rue your actions of yesterday it is yours to do so, but I generally had the impression that whether your motives were pure or not, you enjoyed yourself grandly. That should be justification enough, at least from my point of view. Or does some strange part of yourself believe that you only deserve things you do not enjoy yourself?"

 

That made me think a bit, but then I shook my head. "No, of course not, but as said motive now got me thrown out of my former home everything has a rather stale taste to itself." We continued walking side by side mutely for a while, when Gellin suddenly stopped. The moment I turned to look askance at him he took hold of my upper arms, pushed me roughly against the wall in my back and kissed me hard and passionately. For a moment I was too stunned to react, then wondered whether I should end this, but before my mind could reach any conclusion my body moulded against his as much as possible, giving in to his kiss. When he felt me submitting to him he took his time exploring my mouth with his tongue, but finally broke away from my face while still keeping me pinned to the wall.

 

His cheeks were a little flushed, and a strange sparkle was visible in his eyes while he gasped for air, offering a throaty laugh at the same time. "So now you have a reason to blush, with no motive at all from your side. And see, not even a light shading of red on your face." I tried to put on some kind of undignified look, but when that did not work I pushed forward, straining my limited space of movement. Our lips nearly touched, but as he had drawn back enough to focus on my face I was not able to close the distance completely. Not being able to express my opinion with actions, I had to voice it.

 

"Most things based on domination and submission are played solely in the mind, and so are the conflicts arising thence. From my actions and reactions you should know that my bothers are not based on a breach of my moral high grounds; I'm just heartbroken, that's all, and now everything leading up to that makes me uncomfortable. You might not have seen this in me, but right at this time I'm rather in need of the knight in shining armour who rescues me from my pit of sorrow in a most gallant way, and not ravishes me with all his might. My body might yearn the latter more, but as I intend to stay here for quite some time you might decide to lend a strong, platonic shoulder today, and leave the ravishing for tomorrow."

 

With that I let myself sag against the wall again, regarding him earnestly. Just when he was about to let go of my arms I put on a wry grin, making him halter for a moment. "Mostly because today my quarters are wholly unfurnished, with absolutely no comfortable space for anything concerning bodily desires, and tomorrow they will hopefully be spiked with some furniture to be diverted from their intended use."

 

A rather nasty grin now settled on his face, but without further ado he let go of me, and then again offered me his arm. When we resumed walking, a wry chuckle escaped him although he had already started to reign in his features. "Knight in shining armour, hu? I'd rather do you without all that rackety stuff, but if that's your turn-on ..." He really deserved the punch in the ribs for that, and let me fare with an even broader grin.

 

Soon conversation returned to less intimate topics, and Gellin took his time showing me around. When our long stroll took us to my future quarters I hesitated for a moment to invite him for a quick investigation, but the sudden feeling of dread that arose in me concerning this was enough to lead me to showing him nevertheless. The young warrior took his time inspecting the rooms, and finally congratulated me on acquiring them.

 

When he saw me frown at that, Gellin just laughed. "Oh, come on, you would have been disappointed had I not said something like that. Or was there some ulterior motive for showing me apart from gaining flattering comments?" Again his eyes twinkled mysteriously, but I just chuckled. "Well, I'll go shopping for furniture tomorrow, and then I will likely come back with too much to carry, like a bed, some desks, cupboards, and so on - and will likely require some strong, masculine arms to bring them here."

 

For a moment he kept on looking at me sideways, but then his face lit up into a bright grin. "No problem, just tell us and we'll play movers of furniture for you. Can't not help a damsel in distress, now can we?" At that he winked, making me blush again, which lead to him laughing out loud once more. Sighing heavily, but with a distinct smile on my lips, I went to the business of shooing him out of my quarters, and bringing him to leading me back to Elana's. He still kept on making jokes and trying to get me to show various signs of shame, but as with most ways of abuse I adapted quickly, leaving him dissatisfied on these terms.

 

Finally arriving at Elana's home, I was about to get a bit uncomfortable again because of any pending uncomfortable parting scenes, but Gellin just took me by the shoulders, planted a chaste kiss on my forehead and bade me a good night. Being a little dumbfounded I was too slow to react staying behind with no good reply, but also no further harassment.

 

So it came that I spent the night in Elana's guest room, unable to sleep until the early hours of the morning, thinking about the turns my life had suddenly taken. Until then I had been shocked and grief-stricken, while on the other hand also happy to be done with Tane; now was the first time I could really reflect on what had happened during the last 24 hours. My heart still felt like it was being torn apart by giants, but I no longer felt the need to cry when my thoughts slipped back to the shallow bliss I had felt before the current events had set in motion.

 

I guess I really had been happy with Tane, all his flaws set aside. After all he had been my teacher for nearly a year, and the control he had shown me over my elemental skills with wielding fire was something very important for me, not only because it had been necessary to keep the pending risk of incinerating things unwanted, but also because it gave my life a whole new meaning.

 

And of course he had lead me to acknowledge the darker side of my desires. Without his lead the most fulfilling thing ever might have been being manhandled by some village ruffian, what most likely would have left me bruised and battered in body as in mind. Although I had never really agreed with him on discipline and submission being a vital element for my studies, it had surely spiced up my life. I guess I had not really needed the day with Drake, Anthony, and the horde of young warriors to know that my masochistic streak was not just a means to deal with Tane and make life on its own bearable, but it surely had opened my eyes to the whole scope of my inherent desires.

 

And most importantly, it had shown me that although my yielding nature did not look like it, my submission could also be a powerful weapon for me if used with skill and focus. Men dominating women most likely did not expect them to have any wits or intelligence to speak of, and might reveal things of importance - or at least so my befuddled mind thought. To be true, I could not think of any events that might call for these talents of mine, but then I had to admit that my submission to Drake had in the end brought me here with my own quarters and a position as student with apparently not too many strings attached. I might not trust Drake overly much to act benevolently on my behalf, but I could surely count on his greed to possess me should I ever need his help. I just hoped to never have to depend on that too strongly.

 

Although my mind was slow to get to rest, I finally succumbed to my weariness, and when Elana came to wake me in the morning, I felt as groggy and tired as if I had stayed awake the whole night through. When she saw my current state, compassion was writ on the face of the old mage again but still she ushered me into a new set of clothes, willed me to eat breakfast, and then set me on my quest for acquiring furniture for my new home.

 

During breakfast a certain dread had risen in me again, this time not because of my too-well-known pack mules, but because of the city I was about to venture through. It had been a long time since I had been on my own in larger settlements, not counting our short stay here during the tests some weeks ago. I had been born in a small village, had then worked in an inn at a crossroads miles away from the next settlement, and my initial appearance at the Academy had nearly been hampered by my getting lost in a city before. This time I might not be the unsuspecting maid out of nowhere any longer, but still, the thought of mingling with that many people made my throat go dry.

 

Soon I was robbed of these delusions, or rather assuaged immensely, when a knock came at the door and Lathea together with Gellin and two of the other young warriors I had already been acquaintanced to, showed up. When we were leaving one of the boys tried to make some insinuating remarks, he was instantly silenced by a mean look from Lathea, for which I was immensely grateful. She made it clear that it was her job to keep me bothered, and theirs to drag my new belongings to their rightful place, and from the haunted looks they exchanged behind her back I took it for granted that they would not try anything foolish again.

 

The city was already bustling with people when we left the Academy grounds through a smaller side gate, although the sun had only risen over the horizons a mere hour ago. Lathea took her time playing guide and showing me around, meanwhile securing a hoard of accessories for my new home. When it finally started to get really warm, although they all assured me that it was still too cold for the season, the boys already returned to the Academy for the second time to leave a load full of towels, linen, small chests, lamps, cooking utensils, and other useful things in my new rooms. I was mostly awed by both the good work of the things, as the steady ease of spending money that Lathea had. When I finally found the courage to ask her if it really were so sane to spend so much on so few things, she just laughed and told me not to bother about that. With a twinkle in her eyes she went on about the yearly allowances an Academy student was granted should he prove to be of use there, which left me with a spinning head, and a certain regret of having stayed out of nowhere with Tane for such a long time when I could have lived in splendid luxury here in the warm south.

 

The day ended with aching feet and back for me, and my new home nearly fully furnished. After long discussions we had agreed on a rather spartan and simple style when it came to the main furniture, and although it all looked kind of drab when compared to the splendid things I had seen in Drake's quarters, it all seemed to be more fitting for myself. Still, I had to commit myself to come back to several of the carpenters and cabinet makers when Lathea nearly threatened me with the proposal of her buying the rest of my inventory, and also having a say with the new clothes I would surely require.

 

So it came to be that I was rather glad when Lathea finally took her leave in the evening, letting me have my own way with my things, and a waiting trip on my own to the city on the next morning. It was one thing to constantly have her around to suggest deciding on things I really did not like, but the one trip to a seamstress where she had suggested dresses I would never have the courage of wearing had been enough to overcome my dread of being on my own.

 

I was just about finished arranging all my new possessions to my likings and lighting a few candles here and there to lend a comfortable air to my new quarters, when a tentative knock on my door brought my bustling to a stand-still. Outside the sun had already set, with the last streamers of pink clouds fading to the west, and it was far too late for any courteous visitors to show up to greet me here, mostly because I had not officially been accepted yet, so the range of people knowing me was rather limited.

 

When I opened the door slowly, Gellin was leaning on the balustrade opposite my door that divided the corridor from the small garden complete with a pond. Upon seeing me look out the door a smile spread on his face, although he must have been as weary as I was, or rather worse as I had just had to point out the things I wanted, not carry them over here.

 

With a fluent motion that belied all activities during the day he pushed himself up from the stone railing and came to stand before me. He then formally bowed to me, hiding any mischievous grins that I had before seen on his face. "Good evening, lovely lady, would you grace me with your presence on a stroll on the beach?" I lifted my eyebrows both to his words and also the late hour of evening. "Isn't it a bit late for such ventures?" He smiled and shrugged, and then looked up towards the free sky above the gardens where the first stars were already visible.

 

"Oh, I don't know, don't you fancy sorcerers conjure up some lights when it is too dark for us humble beings to see anymore?" A slight mocking tone had started to steal itself into his voice that resonated with something inside of me that had lain dormant during the day. I hesitated for another moment, not quite knowing what to do, then opened the door a bit more. "Don't you want to come in and see for yourself how the things you've been lugging around the whole day through fit together?" He briefly directed a wry grin at me, but then went in without further comments.

 

Inside Gellin looked around for a moment, before turning around to face me again. For a moment I deemed to see a look of uncertainty on his face that was quickly replaced by a suggestive grin. "Yesterday you said something about needing your time alone, but as for today ..." He left it at that and just smiled, as if that would persuade me more than words. For a moment I smiled back, as my thoughts had been running along the same lines, but my happiness soon faltered, with a certain bleak feeling rising in me.

 

Searching for the right words that would have him out of my quarters yet not disappointed too much because of that, I sighed, but before I could even speak up Gellin gently touched my cheek, brushing his fingers lightly over my flesh. "Come on, just say it. I'll not feel rejected when you tell me to go. I understand that you are going through a lot right now, and a day might easily not be enough to overcome that. I just thought that you'd be disappointed if I not tried to get you into bed, and feel rejected or something." I just looked up at him with doubt clearly on my face, which made him smile gently. "Okay, I admit it, I still hope that you want to overcome your personal trouble with a bit of uncomplicated fucking, but I had to try!"

 

This time my smile was for real, and his easy way and also the truth in his words made me feel better instantly. "Fucking's never uncomplicated with me. You should have guessed so much from our previous encounter." At that he grinned broadly, and I was glad of the flickering light of the candles that might easily hide the slight change to the colour of my face.

 

For a moment he hesitated, then moved further into my personal space, using his other hand to brush some errand strands of hair off my face. "It wasn't so complicated for me. Why not try to make it as complicated as you want to?" When he moved his face closer to mine I let him, yet joined his kiss not wholeheartedly. Gellin hesitated for a moment, before weaving his fingers into my hair and drawing me into a hard, passionate kiss. I opened my lips wider, letting his tongue intrude my mouth without much resistance.

 

When he drew back I felt slightly dizzy, and my legs were already going wobbly with desire. I did not feel the usual anticipation, but at least something in me just wanted to yield and give in to him, finding solace in that. I also put up no resistance when he kissed me again while slowly walking me towards the bed. Within moments he had undressed me, and we were laying writhing atop the sheets, with him ravaging my mouth and neck, while he massaged my breasts with sure fingers. All hesitancy seemed to have gone out of him, and when my hands brushed his cock briefly I could feel it hard and erect next to my thigh.

 

Taking that as an invitation, he rolled me over on my stomach, a sure arm beneath my hips drawing me up enough for him to comfortably slide his penis into me. Although my arousal lay somewhere between low and non-existence my body betrayed me with my vagina being wet enough to accommodate his prick easily, and when he started fucking me for earnest, I even did him the favour of emitting some sounds that might have been moans or not.

 

I was just about to wonder how long he would take so I could be on my own again, when he suddenly stopped. For a moment I thought he had already spent his seed, but it did not feel like the rigid stopping I knew from other encounters of this kind. More as if he had just ... well, stopped. For a moment I stayed as I was then twisted around to look up at him. His hands were still encompassing my waist with his cock resting inside of me, but the look on his face was not lost in lust, but he rather frowned.

 

"Do you even like what I'm doing with you, or are just waiting for me to be done?" His voice sounded a little hoarse, but that could just have been him being a little short of breath. I thought about that carefully, but this hesitation alone seemed to provide him with an answer. With a groan he let go of me, to sit down at the end of the bed near my legs. For a moment I tried to fathom what had just happened, then turned around fully and regarded Gellin with certain curiosity. He didn't look like someone wanting to fuck the naked woman next to him, but rather like a lost boy. Under normal circumstances that might have appalled me, but now it suddenly had a certain appeal.

 

I made myself a little more comfortable, propping my body up on my arms, and leaving my legs open so that I regarded him over the mounds of my breasts and my pussy in full view. "Like I said, not uncomplicated." My comment only seemed to frustrate him even more, and I could see his cock going soft and small within moments. Somehow mourning that, I tried to lighten his mood a bit.

 

"It's really not your fault. I really have too much on my mind right now. And I've never been one for casual sex, to be true. It's just not satisfying me. But that should not hamper you, just have your fun with me?" At first the look he sent me was nearly murderous, making me uneasy for a moment, but quickly changed to frustrated devastation again. "I really don't need it that badly. I wanted for you to have some fun, and stop thinking about what bothers you for a while. And now this screw-up."

 

He really looked as if he meant it, and I believed him. It was still strange to hear words like that, most of all from a guy who had just two days ago had me in several ways together with his buddies. But maybe that was exactly what I needed, only that I just realized that now.

 

After a moment of hesitation I cleared my throat, making him look at me again, and offered a slight smile. "Look, during the last year I've been fucked in nearly every way possible, and sometimes against my will. I'm used to being handled rough, and although I still have problems admitting it, I get off on pain and being dominated. My body has adapted to bearing all this, so my general threshold has risen somewhat. I won't say that conventional fucking cannot be fun for me anymore, it's just that there are things more exciting for me, and when my head is not into it and there are no demands to my endurance, it is just not the thing that gets me screaming on top of my lungs."

 

Gellin still looked rather doubtful, but during my speech I had inevitably started to think about the things I might be implying, and suddenly the thought of just letting him go seemed unbearable. Yet the way he looked, he needed more encouragement than just my explanation. So I got up on my knees and crawled over to him, until I was directly in front of him with my breasts dangling invitingly near his chest.

 

"Now look, how's about me making a suggestion what to do, and if you like that we might try it?" My voice had taken on a rather throaty quality, but he still looked unhappy. So I took that for no protest, and went on. "I don't have much equipment here, so we have to keep it simple. Why not take some of the rope lying in the kitchen, tie my wrists and ankles to the headboard of my bed, and zestfully fuck me, whichever hole you like? It's not like I could resist you then."

 

Gellin did not answer and his face stayed as impassively frustrated as before. Until that very moment I had been thinking that his actions alone might just have offended him somehow, as in conflicting with his code of honour, but when his doubt did not vanish with my expressed interest in such activities as mentioned, I began to wonder if his discomfort might stem from something wholly different, or might go far more below. And it also hurt a bit - until now I had never really been in the position to offer myself in such a way, as all who had played with me had assumed command from the moment sex had come into view. And now that I had more or less offered myself and tried to urge him on, uncertainty on my side started to well up because of the rejection. Because his hesitancy could be nothing else than rejection.

 

For a moment I stayed where I was, perched near him, then settled myself back on my bum. Our feet might have still been in touching range, but the rest of our bodies was at a distance he seemed reluctant to breach. On any other day this kind of rebuff would have met some kind of indifference in me, but now, in my not-so stable state of mind it just hurt. It was the second time under near enough similar conditions that a man had turned from me and what my body had to offer, and my ego was bruised enough to succumb to mental pain because of that.

 

Tears started to well up in my eyes, and while my throat was constricting the way of air into my lungs, I was not ready to dissolve before Gellin's eyes. My life might not be at its best right now, but even I had some standards. Although his constant taunting had helped me to overcome my blushing fits, in retrospect it did nothing to make me feel more secure in myself. Rather less.

 

Suddenly feeling constricted in the way I was sitting on my bed, I got up and walked over to the windows, drawing the sheet from the bed around my body. Behind me I heard the frame of the bed creaking when Gellin moved, but stayed with my back turned to him. "It's better if you leave. Now." My voice sounded strangely hollow, but at least I got the words out without them sounding choked. While the knot in my throat slowly dissolved, a different kind of hollow pain started to swell in my stomach. Strange as it might be, the feeling of another crying fit advancing was kind of comforting. At least it was something I was able to deal with, compared to my current situation.

 

I heard him rustling around with something, but instead of dressing, he came padding over to me, embracing me from behind. For a moment I put up some protest, but just when I was about to get my arms between me and him to drag myself free of him, the tears started flowing, and I simply collapsed against his warm body. I guess he did not only make shooing noises but also talked comfortingly to me, but all I heard was the rush of my own blood in my ears, and the heaves of my torso trying to get some air while nearly drowning in tears.

 

This went on for quite some time - how long, I could not say. But after the first initial rush of tears my mind started working again, and with that shame came back in a rush. I was in no way behaving how I would have liked, considering the image I had of myself. This constant dissolving in tears was something strange for me, and normally I did not take comfort in the arms of near strangers. I also did not offer myself so freely to every male walking around who just happened to have had sex with me once before. The whole affair with Drake had stemmed from revenge in Tane's face and three weeks of celibacy, but today all my desires should have been sated, with no real reason for any seeking of release. Also my feelings for Gellin could not justify my behaviour - I'd rather have gone on a stroll on the beach with him than have him fuck me senseless. This was just so not me.

 

Somewhere along these lines of thought my mind stopped reeling again, until I was able to chase away both tears and self-reproach. Gellin finally came to the conclusion that I could be trusted to stand on my own again and let go of me, but his hands stayed loosely on my shoulders. When I gazed up at him, the look on his face was even more devastated than before.

 

"Look, I'm so sorry, but I simply cannot ..." Raising one hand, I silenced him with a finger over his lips. "Don't say it. Just dress, and go. Whatever your reasons, they don't matter now. I just have to be alone now." For a moment he hesitated, then nodded and let go of me completely. My heart felt perfectly torn asunder while I watched him slipping into his clothes, but I forced myself to stay calm and composed on the outside. As long as there was any backbone left in me, I was prepared to hold on to it and just go through with all these obstacles. Even if it nearly killed me.

 

Before he turned to go Gellin hesitated again, but I just made a gesture towards the door while grinding my fingernails into the sheet I was still draped in. One last sad look and he was out of my quarters, closing the door softly behind him. I stayed standing in the middle of the room for another minute, then let the sheet slip down to the floor and walked with measured dignity over to the patio door.

 

Cool night drafts greeted me when I walked down to the beach, while the sand dunes were washed in silver moon-light. I never hesitated, but walked with determination into the cool sea. The surf strayed up my body and left me shivering, but I kept on going until I lost my footing, then swam out into the ocean.

 

I kept on going for quite some time, until my arms started to drag and my muscles turned sore. When I looked back over my shoulder towards the shore, the Academy buildings were just small, dark shapes on the white stretch of beach running alongside them. Too far away to regain the distance with my body being already drained to the point of abandon. With the last of my strength I turned around fully so that my whole body faced the shore, and then stopped making any more motions to keep myself above the waves.

 

The cold water encompassed my whole body, swaying it to the soft roll of the current. It all felt so peaceful. With a last wilful act I exhaled, expelling the air from my lungs, and watched the tiny bubbles ascending, while my body started to sink ever so slowly. When my lungs started screaming for air I closed my eyes, willing my mind to still as if I were just meditating. Maybe I was. With a last conscious thought I started to regret coming out here as all my troubles were probably not worth this, but my mind blanked out before I could contemplate this to the full extend of all consequences.

 

 

The warm kiss of the sun on my naked body awoke me of the stuporous sleep I had been in. When I raised my head and opened my eyes I saw that I was lying on the beach, with small wavelets licking at the heels of my feet. Judging from the drying sand around me, the tide was slowly withdrawing. The beach looked kind of familiar, and when I raised my head more, I could see the Academy looming some two to three miles in the distance. The sun had only now cleared the line of horizon, and although both sand and water seemed quite cold to me now, I was not particularly freezing.

 

Still a little befuddled I got to my feet, and took further survey of myself. My body must have been washed ashore with the last high tide, although I could not say how I had managed not to drown was beyond me. Yet all the feelings that had clouded my mind and torn my heart before were washed well away, and I felt fresh and clean inside. I was not even ashamed to be standing nude on the beach with a certainty of someone coming along sooner or later. All this seemed to be of so low a significance that I could not be bothered with that.

 

Nevertheless, simply standing here on the beach was no option, either. I was not decidedly restless, but something inside of me was bored of being idle. So I set out towards my new home again, making good speed on the still drying sands.

 

My patio door was still open; apparently I had not bothered to close it. Inside the tangled sheet on the floor and my strewn about clothes raised not the dread I might have expected, and also brought back reproachful memories. I just left everything where it was, and walked over to the tall mirror that now graced my living room. The woman gazing back at me might have had a similar built as I, but that was where the resemblance ended. Her posture was sure and full of herself, speaking of a comfort and surety I had probably never felt before in my life. There was no trace of the haunted grief in my eyes anymore that had lurked there for the last weeks, and a determined mien was visible where hesitancy at best had been before.

 

I took my time regarding my image in the reflection, absentmindedly stroking over the marks that ran from my collarbones down to my pubic region. My skin looked a little pale today, and I could see most of the blue veins running underneath, but apart from that my body seemed as whole as before my little venture. My skin was not even feeling soaked, as it probably should have after being submerged in water for hours.

 

Deciding that I had been vain enough for now, I turned towards my new wardrobe and briefly leafed through my assortment of clothes. Nothing really suited my mood, and I started regretting not taking Lathea's offer of letting her help me with my new clothes. Grudgingly I decided on a blue dress with a loose skirt yet firm bodice that was accentuated by a pair of silk cords crossing between my breasts and cinching my waist in a more feminine fashion.

 

Dressed thusly I left my quarters. The buildings around me were still quiet in these early hours of the day, and only when I neared the common quarters where the kitchens lay I saw people moving about.

 

When I finally rounded the last corner before Elana's quarters, I could hear voices coming from the direction of the entrance. Hesitating, I thought about turning back, but when I recognized Elana's voice I went on. The elder mage was standing in front of the portal to her quarters, clad in her usual drab robes, and listened to a young man I had until then not seen around here - what did not exactly say anything, as I could probably recognize about ten people living here.

 

When she saw me, Elana briefly directed a smile at me and then finished her conversation. The young man only nodded, and took his leave towards the front buildings of the Academy. When I approached Elana, I tried to apologise for the intrusion, but the elder woman just smiled and bid me to follow her inside.

 

I wanted to protest when she offered me breakfast, but in her usual determined way it did not take her long to have me sitting at her table, sipping tea. Without further ado she explained that she had just received notice that the weekly assembly would be rescheduled from tomorrow evening to today in about an hour, and she had wanted to have a word with me beforehand.

 

"You should know one thing - our gatherings are seldom about anything important, as the Academy has a system of different circles of people assigned to manage certain problems, or simply our routines, and so nothing really is left over to discuss in the weekly gatherings. It poses a good enough auditorium to introduce new members of our staff, but apart from that you should not really expect anything." Elana seemed to be rather amused about her own explanation, and not knowing what to say about it I just nodded.

 

When she saw this, she went on. "Nevertheless, as we have just a couple of sorcerers around here, some may be interested in befriending you, and I guess only a few of them will do so out of friendly interests. I won't give you advice on whom to trust, but I guess you'd be well advised not to trust too much in their cunning words. Best to try to be friendly with everyone, and then decide by yourself how to react to their efforts to get on your good side. From what I have heard, Drake still stands up to his promise to continue your teaching, so you won't have to go looking for someone to show you new things for the first few weeks until you know your way around here. Just don't be too rash in accepting any job offers. There might be a reason why they would want a second grade sorceress for their efforts, and not a single non-magic runner from the Academy, and you might want to think about that before taking the offer."

 

After having me promise to be thoughtful about who to trust on what conditions, Elana went on explaining further about the different kinds of magic they taught around here, and who was who in these factions. I listened to her intently at first, but soon terms and names started to spin in my head, and I was kind of relieved when she finally got up for the gathering.

 

It did not take us long to reach the hall where the gathering was about to begin in short time. It was a rather middle-sized dome as structures around here went, without any outstanding architectural details. It rather looked like some utilitarian building, and not like a representative hall on the inside.

 

Inside, only a few of the teaching staff could already have been in attendance, as I counted about fifty to sixty people standing around in small clusters, or already seated on the ranks of chairs raised on several tiers. Although I could not see any kind of order in it, Elana briefly explained about where the usual delegation took their seats. The old mage moved over to a place she had explained to be the seats of the not-so-politically-motivated people around here, and I was surprised to see Drake and Anthony drop into the same sector, just two rows in front of us a short time later. I had somewhat guessed them to be more involved in any intriguing or meddling, but then mere declarations of disinterest did not have to be in line with their real ambition. It might as well be possible that Drake really did not bother to quarrel with the other mages and sorcerers around here. I did not know him good enough to be sure either way.

 

A gong sounded somewhere outside the hall, and the small clusters of people slowly dissolved as they all took their seats. Only one withered looking mage stayed standing, and when the participants had quieted down enough to his content, he stepped up to a small podium and started speaking.

 

After a short greeting he rambled on about some issues concerning general things - new drains being needed near the training grounds, an offer for a few books to acquire, and so on. I was just about to fall asleep when he finally came to an end, and after some murmuring from the assembled people went on, introducing me. In about two sentences, and I had to be really quick to get up when he was finished, bowing to the assembled mages so they might get a glimpse at me before he went on with other things.

 

I must have looked rather baffled, as Elana beside me wore a bright grin that she desperately tried to hide. When she caught my gaze, the grin turned into a benevolent smile. "It's just his way. The people who might think about approaching you will do so nevertheless, don't fret about that. They might even have done it if you'd never been properly introduced. As I already said, most of this here is just a farce, or to keep the people who have no interest in anything else up to date."

 

The assembly went on for another fifteen minutes or so, and at the end it seemed as if I was not the only one to be glad that it was over. Elana bade me a good day and turned to go just when Drake, with Anthony trailing in his wake, approached us. He greeted both Elana and me with something I might describe as respect, maybe more fitting for the elder mage than me, and for once looked serious without any leers or lecherous remarks. That bothered me for a moment, but rather on the good side.

 

After a little banter between her and the sorcerer, Elana bade her goodbye nevertheless, leaving me with the two man. Once again I started to have a slightly queasy feeling in my stomach, but at least was not on the brink of turning into a tomato. Drake briefly frowned when his gaze strolled back to me, but then his features smoothed and he nodded towards the exit. "Let's take a short walk around. Here are too many people wanting to know too much for their own good most of the time." I just nodded and off we went.

 

Once outside Drake struck up some light conversation, mainly asking me if everything was fine with my quarters, or if I needed something else no one had yet acquired for me. I fended off most of his offers, explaining over and over again that I had everything I needed, and that everything was to my likings. Although I still did not really know my way around the Academy, I guessed that we were strolling deeper into the complex, where fewer people went during the day when most spent their time outside or in the libraries studying. We also lost Anthony along the way for similar purposes, and I was not entirely unhappy about this. Not that he made me overtly uneasy, but I was still suspicious of both him and his teacher, and dealing with them on a one on one basis was far more comfortable for me.

 

When he were finally entering the third corridor where no one was in sight, Drake stopped, and all of a sudden the mien of casual banter was gone from him. He looked at me rather strangely, until I was ready to start fidgeting with my clothes. I simply hated being stared at in such a way, and not knowing the reason for it was not making things any less disturbing. I was rather glad when he finally looked away and resumed talking.

 

"You look rather pale today, although remarkably unmarred, considering the late events." That made me frown, and he went on quickly to smooth things again. "By that I meant no visible marks anywhere. I thought you did not know how to heal yourself yet?" My frown only deepened, but this time it was not from suspicion about his motives, but rather about the contents of his sentence. "I don't. And I haven't asked someone for help." My voice nearly left me when a sudden image reshaped in my thoughts. When I had looked in the mirror this morning, the marks around my throat had already vanished, although i was perfectly sure that they had been a vivid purple just yesterday, forcing me to wear a scarf the whole day through not to die of embarrassment.

 

Apparently taking my silence for what it was, Drake went on slowly. "Also the way your skin looks, so pale, with your veins a bit too prominent - has anything strange happened during the last few hours?" That only raised my dread another notch, and I really had to restrain myself not to start babbling about my nightly venture. I somehow managed to shrug, trying to avoid a strait answer this way.

 

The sorcerer resumed his staring, and I was just about to vehemently complain, when it was his time to shrug. "It may be nothing, but I'm getting a feeling that there really is more to you than is clearly visible. Mostly, as your second power seems slow to manifest itself." With that he turned around and started walking again, and I had to raise myself off the sudden stupor his words had caused me to slip into, to follow him. When I had caught up, he forestalled my inevitable question with a slight gesture.

 

"I am really starting to wonder why Tane went to such efforts to keep such simple things from you. As an elemental sorceress you will likely have a second power apart from your first - and this seldom manifests itself like the first one does. For most fire wielders it is either the power to heal, or call command on water. You will surely see that both oppose the effects of the primal power, and I guess there is an inherent logic in that. Do you still follow me?"

 

I nodded, keeping quiet as my mind slowly started to scratch some missing parts of the ongoing puzzle together. Just yesterday I had confronted Tane with issues that Drake might just be about to reveal, so it was not my intention to stop him talking. Seeing my agreement, the sorcerer went on. "Your second power seems to be reluctant to come into the light, but then I guess there was not much need for it, as any mistakes in the past would have been countermanded by your teacher." There was less menace in his words now when he referred to Tane as before, but his contempt rang true still.

 

"That is not a bad thing on its own - in the end it is one of the purposes why a young sorcerer should study with a capable teacher, so that he might use his powers to the fullest without fearing the side effects until his control is strong enough to master the inevitable failures. Still, it should also be the duty of the teacher to coax the second power into manifesting. What I saw from you during the tests, healing is clearly not your thing as you took substantial damage during the test, and even though no visible marks were left, your body would have started regenerating instantly had it been able to. And you surely have burned yourself enough during the last year to warrant control of air or water to lessen the fire. I take it neither of both has occurred?"

 

Again I nodded, and although I understood what he was talking about, I could not fathom his goal. Needing no encouragement, Drake went on talking. "You see, it might be possible that you do not even have a second power, but that only happens in one of a thousand sorcerers. I have a certain suspicion, but it is still too vague to really put it to the test. Are you really sure that nothing out of the ordinary happened yesterday?"

 

I hesitated again, but then shook my head. "I nearly drowned." Drake's eyebrows rose, but he just looked as if I had told him some minor detail. "Drowned, hm, so that's nothing out of the ordinary for you?" When he saw me shooting him a dark look, he smiled and made a pacifying gesture. "No need to glower that much. Tell me more about it." I was feeling a little uncomfortable myself, but I went on nevertheless, as I felt that the whole, strange event just might be of some significance.

 

"Well, there's not much to say. I swam out into the open sea, too far, and when my strength was gone, I blanked out. And today I awoke on the beach, feeling strangely invigorated. And all marks were gone." Drake considered that for a moment, and started scratching his chin. "Has anything like that happened before? Anything unusual after dire situations?" I shrugged, and then shook my head. "No. Whenever I've been in danger, I ignited everything around me, but apart from that nothing ever happened."

 

Then something occurred to me. Just two days ago, when I had fallen to the floor and probably been lucky not to crack my skull, I had felt something strange. A wholly different kind of strange compared to what I had felt that morning, and I had not put much thought into it because of the concomitant circumstances of being molested by a group of horny guys, but there had been something. I no longer knew what it had been, but I was sure that I had not imagined it.

 

When I related these observations to Drake, he just nodded sagely, before putting on a frown. I was just about to ask him what this was all about, when he forestalled me by talking himself "I'll have to check some things first, and maybe do a little research, but one thing I can tell you right now. I believe that you do have a second power, and that it might be something out of the ordinary in itself. We will likely have to test that in the future, or at least recollect strange happenings, but for now I am not certain about what it really is. And I don't want to keep your hopes up and then disappoint you should I have been wrong. Can you life another week with not knowing?"

 

I shrugged noncommittally. "As I wouldn't have put more thought into these details anyway on my own, another week in the dark won't matter." He smiled at that, and then changed the subject completely. "So now that you've settled in here, are you ready to take on a small errand?" I blinked a bit irritated, but nodded. "As long as it does not contain finding my way inside this maze, I guess I'm up to it. What's it about?"

 

Drake signalled towards a corridor leading away from our former route, and after taking that went on. "An old friend of mine has finally got his hands on a certain artefact I have been searching for for years, and now I need someone to fetch it for me." I did not know what to say to that, and when I did not answer, Drake chuckled briefly. "Now I know that this sounds quite dull, so let me explain the details. My friend lives in the forest two to three day travels away from here, and as he has had certain issues with the government lately, he is loath to come to the Academy himself. He also wants to keep his quarters hidden, so I cannot just teleport myself to him and get my artefact. And I also don't want this whole thing getting too official."

 

He actually winked at me, and when I got the hint, he went on. "So I need someone capable of taking care of herself, who brings a certain compensation for his efforts to my friend, and brings me my artefact. You will likely be out of town for a week, but as you seem to be able to find your way inside a wood, that should not be a problem. Getting lost I mean." Again I nodded. "So I'll give you a map that should lead you at least in the direction of the meeting point and from thence you will likely be picked up by the acquaintances of my friend who will escort you to him. I will also provide you with a small allowance for supplies, and you might do good to hire a mercenary in the local hangout who might hold anything of less bother away from you. Does that sound okay to you?"

 

I could not say much to that, but the whole idea somewhat excited me. My first real assignment here, and it was not something boring like doing chores inside the Academy. So I nodded my agreement, and off we went to Drake's quarters. Later on I might get second thoughts about the whole thing, but right now it sounded, well, like a small adventure, and even if it might not require my magical talent, it promised to be fun.