Chapter 10: March

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"So, I guess now you'll be spending even more time with Prof. Stott, huh?" Jim asked. The group was having breakfast together, as they often did when they had the chance.

David could hear the discontent in Jim's voice. "You know, I try not to talk about her when you're around... you make that very hard to do when you ask questions like that."

The girls giggled, but Jim sighed. "Sorry."

"Anyway, yes, I'll be apprenticing on Mondays now, too."

"Still working on base potions?" Gwen asked.

"I'm not sure. Since we finished up that last one, I don't know what she'll have me doing."

The group continued to chat through breakfast, but as they neared the end, someone disguised as an ogre walked by. They knew it was a disguise because the ogre wasn't trying to eat anyone. It did, however, slam its hand down on David's head rather hard as it went by.

"Ow! Fucker!" David hollered. As the ogre hurried out of Byron Hall, David suddenly started to feel itchy. "What the hell?" he asked no one in particular.

"David, look at your hands!" Olissa shouted. They all looked down, to see little red bumps appearing on his skin, and patches of redness as well.

"Oh, great," he said. He was struggling not to scratch it, but that was nearly impossible, as it itched so badly. He gritted his teeth. "I'm gonna have to go to the infirmary for this. I can't stand not scratching it."

"You'll be late for class," Jim warned.

David nodded. "You want to let Prof. Stott know where I am? I don't know how long this will take to fix," he said, fidgeting as he tried desperately not to scratch.

"Sure."

"Thanks. See you guys later."

David hurried out of the cafeteria, and tried not to run to the rock-lift. He was scratching, and every time he realized it, he would force himself to stop, but that only worked for a few seconds, before he was scratching again.

David suffered on the rock lift, his hands balled into fists to prevent himself from scratching at the spots all over his skin. He hurried down the walkway toward Belleci Hall. Some of the students that saw him laughed, knowing it had to be a hex.

Once he got to the infirmary, he called out for Healer Hall, who was not in sight. She quickly came out of a back room, and then her face showed shock.

"What in the world happened to you?" she asked.

"Some idiot hexed me with something. It itches like crazy!" he informed her.

"Oh, dear. Well, get your coat and your shirt off, so I can see how bad it is. Does it itch below the waist?"

"It itches everywhere!" he cried.

Healer Hall frowned, and then ushered him into a smaller room, and closed the door. "You're going to have to strip, then."

David was slightly embarrassed, but his discomfort overrode that fairly quickly. He quickly stripped out of his clothes, and then lay on the treatment table. Healer Hall put a towel over his groin, for the comfort of both of them.

"Yes, it looks like a kati hex."

"He only muttered something brief. It sounded more like a bark than anything. Of course, he'd disguised himself as an ogre at the time..."

"Who was it?"

"Um... someone who can disguise himself as an ogre." David smiled at her, and she returned it.

"Sorry about that. Well, let's get cracking on this. You'll need an ointment, and you'll be here for at least an hour. Are you missing class?"

"Yes, Potions. I asked a friend to let Prof. Stott know."

"Very good. I'll be right back with your treatment. Until then... don't scratch."

"Easy for you to say," he muttered as she left the room.

-----

"Are you better now?" Amanda asked. She'd joined him for lunch, and he'd told her about the hex.

"Yeah. Annoying, though. I hate missing Potions class."

"Like you're going to fall behind," she told him with a grin.

David laughed. "True, but still. And I really wish they'd get over this shit. But I don't think they're going to."

"Most of the school's leaving you alone now," Gwen offered.

"And I'm grateful for that," he replied. "But Marcus and his gang just aren't going to go away."

"So do something about them," Amanda said.

"Not that easy. I have to avoid getting into trouble."

"Doesn't seem to be an issue for them," she observed.

"They're willing to lie to back each other up. I'm not, and I wouldn't let any of you do it, either."

Amanda frowned. "Yeah, I guess that's a problem. So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Okay, today we're going to transplant hornthistle. Do be careful. If you plant them poorly, they'll sound flat. Have you all gotten your pots prepped?"

There were positive murmurs throughout the greenhouse. Prof. Qwellyn looked around and nodded.

"Good. Now, I want you to pick up the pot that your hornthistle is currently in, put your hand over the dirt, and turn it upside-down. Don't worry if the dirt falls out, just keep a good hold of the plant. And expect a rather nasty little trumpet. Hornthistle doesn't like being turned upside-down."

The room was filled with blaring notes as each student tipped their pot over. David turned his back upright as soon as he could, supporting the root ball with his now-free hand.

"Now," Prof. Qwellyn said, "Gently place the plant in its new home, and loosely pack the dirt around it."

The professor went around the room to see how everyone was doing. When she came to David's table, she said, "No, that's much too tightly packed, David. Hornthistle needs loose soil to push its roots through."

"Should I pull it out and start over?"

"No, just kind of run your fingers through the dirt, to break it up. Remember, if the plant can stand up straight without your help, the dirt is probably firm enough. There are some exceptions, but we'll get to those later."

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"You're doing fine, David," she encouraged him, and then moved along.

Olissa looked at him and giggled. "You can't be an expert at everything, you know."

He frowned at her. "I know, but this is directly related to potion making. I need to be good at it. But I really don't have a green thumb."

"You'll learn," Olissa told him.

"I hope so."

As David finished up his loosening of the soil, his hornthistle plant gave out a little toot. Prof. Qwellyn, who was nearby, asked, "Whose plant was that?"

"Mine, Professor," David said dejectedly.

"Why so glum? That's a good sound. It means your plant would like some food. They don't ask for food until they're settled, so you've done a good job."

Soon, other plants were tooting, as well. Olissa leaned over and said, "See? Told you."

"Oh, shut up," he said with a grin, as she smirked at him. He focused on fertilizing the little hornthistle plant.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Shh!" the girl said to her roommate. They were both fighting the giggles, but they didn't want to wake their target. They had waited until she was sleeping on her back, to make it much easier to do what they were doing. Now that they had their chance, they needed to move quickly.

The first girl dipped her finger in a potion, and then started to write letters on the sleeping girl's forehead. She repeated this over and over until she had written what she wanted. Still stifling giggles, the two girls put away their potion, and went to bed.

"This should teach her to choose her friends more carefully," the one girl told the other.

"What have you got against him, really?"

"He's a creep!" she hissed.

"You don't even know him."

"If you like him so much, why did you help me?"

"I don't like him or not like him. I helped you because it's funny."

"Whatever. Go to sleep."

-----

As Amanda was trudging to the bathroom in the morning, the snickers and gasps were enough to let her know that looking in the mirror was not going to be a fun experience today. When she got there, and saw what had been written on her forehead, she cursed.

"Goddammit, Tammy!" she said to no one. "This had better wash off."

Amanda jumped in the shower, as she had intended to do anyway, and made sure to scrub her forehead thoroughly while she washed. Unfortunately, when she got out of the shower, the writing on her forehead was as clear and plain as it had been before. It wasn't even discolored or faded.

"Shit," she said. She got dressed, and then dug through her closet to find a winter hat. She found one, and put it on her head, pulling it down as far as she could to cover her forehead.

"That's against the dress code," a voice said from the doorway. There was obvious glee in the voice. Amanda turned to see Tammy standing there, sneering.

"You're a bitch, Tammy," Amanda said. "You're just jealous because you don't even have a boyfriend yet."

"Rather no boyfriend at all than that loser," Tammy retorted.

Amanda grabbed her wand, which was on her desk, and whipped around. "Adspergo fuco arancio!" Suddenly, there were splotches of orange dye all over Tammy's outfit.

"You bitch!" Tammy screamed. "This was my favorite shirt!"

"Aw, too bad. Maybe you should have thought of that before doing what you did." Amanda grabbed her stuff and pushed past Tammy, storming out of the dorm and heading for the cafeteria. She would go get her forehead dealt with, but she really needed to eat first.

-----

"Hey, Amanda," David greeted her warmly.

"Hi, David," she replied, her voice flat. She was angry, but not at him. She said hello to the others sitting with him, as well.

"What's the matter?" he asked her quietly.

"My roommate is being a bitch. She wrote something on my forehead, and I can't get it off."

"What's it say?" David asked curiously.

Amanda peeled the hat up briefly, so David and the others could read it, then covered herself again.

David's jaw set. "I'm sorry about this," he said.

"Not your fault. She's an asshole. She's just jealous because she can't find a boyfriend."

The group went on to other subjects while they ate their breakfast.

-----

As Amanda and David were walking into Alton Hall, they were stopped by Prof. Herbert, the other Potions professor.

"Excuse me, young lady," he said, "But hats are not a permitted part of the school uniform. You'll need to remove it."

"Sir," she said earnestly, "my roommate played a prank on me, and wrote something very... nasty... on my forehead. If I don't wear the hat, I will also be breaking school rules."

Prof. Herbert raised an eyebrow. "Let me see it, then."

Amanda lifted up the edge of her hat to expose the words, "Cunt of the Undead". Prof. Herbert's eyes widened. Amanda immediately pulled her hat back down.

"You need to go to Belleci Hall, and have Healer Hall look at that. I'm sure she has a way to remove it."

"Yes, sir," Amanda said. "David, will you let Prof. Stott know where I am?"

"Sure. See you in a bit." He gave her a quick kiss, and then they separated. David made his way into class, and over to Prof. Stott's desk.

"Good morning, David," she said pleasantly.

"Good morning, Professor," he replied. "Amanda's going to be late. She had to go to the infirmary to see if they can remove something nasty her roommate wrote on her forehead."

"Oh, dear," Prof. Stott said disgustedly. "It won't wash off?"

"No, she tried that."

"Probably a potion, then," she said.

"Do you know which one it might be?"

"What color was the writing?"

"Really dark blue... almost black."

Prof. Stott nodded. "That's the worst of them. It's concentrated InkyQuill ink."

"Will it come off?"

"Oh, certainly. Healer Hall will have it off in a heartbeat. Don't worry about it."

"That's good."

"By the way, what do you plan on doing during your Spring break?"

"I'll be staying here at the school."

"Yes, but what will you do?"

David shrugged. "Study, walk around... I don't really know. I'll find something, I suppose."

"I had a talk with Prof. Qwellyn about you. She may be talking to you soon."

"Okay..."

Prof. Stott smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not getting you in trouble."

"I never thought that for a minute."

"Go on to your seat, we've got to get started."

-----

"Tammy, this is completely unacceptable behavior," Dean Lengel said sharply.

"You can't prove I did anything!" she snapped back angrily.

David, who was sitting with Prof. Stott against the wall, whispered something to the professor, who nodded to him.

David stood up and said, "Yes, we can, Dean."

Dean Lengel cocked her head at him, and said, "Explain, please. You said you only saw the results at breakfast."

"Yes, ma'am, but the potion she used was InkyQuill ink. It leaves a mark."

"Hah!" Tammy said, holding up her hands to show that they were both free of stains. The dean looked to David.

"She most likely used the same formula to remove the stain as Healer Hall used on Amanda. However, the ink still leaves a trace, if you know the spell. I asked Prof. Phillips about it right before we came here."

David turned to Tammy and pulled out his wand. Tammy pulled her hands back.

"You aren't doing any spells on me, you piece of slime!" she snapped.

David lifted his wand up toward her throat and a slight crackle of energy escaped the tip. "I can do a much less benign spell, if you'd prefer," he snarled. Tammy's eyes went wide, and then she slowly put her hands out.

"Ostenditor," David said. Tammy's hands were engulfed in a blue light, and the index finger on her right hand turned black.

"His spell did that!" she insisted.

"Yes, it did," Dean Lengel confirmed. "It revealed what you tried to cover up. Clearly, you are responsible for the mean and, quite frankly, crass, words written on Amanda's forehead. For that, you will be sentenced to two weeks' detention. I don't tolerate this sort of thing in my school, Tammy. Learn this lesson quickly, because I won't be happy if I see you in here again for this kind of nonsense. Wait outside, and someone will be by to escort you."

Tammy whirled and stomped out of the room.

Dean Lengel dialed up maintenance, and had them send someone to escort Tammy to her detention home. Then, she looked up at David.

"For a moment, I thought you were going to hurt her."

"The thought did occur to me," he admitted.

"And how, exactly, did you know about ostenditor?"

"That was my doing, Dean," Prof. Stott said. "David came with me mainly as a witness... but he asked me if he could present my evidence. I decided to let him, since Tammy did what she did because of him."

Dean Lengel nodded. "I'm sorry, Amanda, that your roommate isn't more mature."

"I'll live," she said. "Maybe she'll learn something in detention."

"I wouldn't count on it," David said under his breath.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Hi, Sam," David said, entering the workroom. He set his book bag down, went over, and pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately for a few seconds before breaking lip lock. "How are you today?" he asked her.

"Out of breath!" she said with a big smile. "I like how you say hello. Why are you in such a good mood?"

He slowly let his hands slip from her back. "Actually, I'm not. I figured holding you would make me feel better."

"Did it?" she asked seriously.

"A little bit," he said, nodding.

"Good. Now, what's bothering you?"

"It's just the whole thing with Marcus. It was bad enough when they were harassing me. I can live with it. But now people are harassing Amanda, too, just because she's associating with me. That, I'm having trouble dealing with."

"Is there more than just the writing on her forehead?"

"Oh, yeah. She's gotten tripped, called names, hexed... basically the only thing they've done to me that they haven't done to her is throw rocks."

Prof. Stott frowned. "I really don't understand the prejudice against demighosts in the first place... and it concerns me that we haven't educated this kind of bigotry out of people."

"I don't think you can, really. People are instinctively xenophobic. 'They're not like us,' is usually considered enough motive to not like someone... and that doesn't even have to be racial or about species. Heck, in Earth, that statement can just mean you're a Republican or a Democrat."

"A what?"

"Don't worry about it, you're happier not knowing, but they're just belief systems."

"Hating a person for what they believe? That's crazy."

"Not to a lot of people. To a lot of people, it's completely normal."

Sam sighed. "Now I'm in a bad mood."

David pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again. When they broke the kiss, he said, "Feel better?"

With a soft grin, she said, "A little bit," and nodded. David chuckled.

"Let's try to do some work. Maybe we can both take our minds off it."

"That's not what I figured you'd suggest for mood enhancement," Sam said with a smile.

"I'm saving that in case this doesn't work," he said. "You know, save the best for last."

"Uh-huh," Sam said. She let him go with another small kiss.

"So... what are we working on now? More of those specialty potions?"

"No. I'll be honest with you, I had you make those because I needed them for class, and I had gotten behind. What we're going to start on now is to teach you ingredient preparation. Up to now, you've been taking your ingredients from a bottle or bag. Yes, you've had to cut some up or mash them, but you didn't have to prep them fully. We're going to work on what happens to the ingredients before they get stored away. This will involve a great deal of precision. It is tedious, and dull, but it is a crucial part of potion making. Luckily, you seem to be able to deal with the tedium of the job."

"Well, it's important, and so I try to focus. It's something I do much better in here than in some of my other classes, like Charms and Hexes."

"I had wondered about that. You seem to be able to concentrate so well in here..."

"It's a different way of thinking, and it threw me for a while."

Sam nodded. "Anyway, tonight we'll start by showing you how we go about drying and powdering fresh herbs. It's not hard, so I expect you'll have it down in no time."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Okay, class, that's all for today. Set your dragonsilk over on the shelves, and then you can go. Make sure to put your name on yours!" Prof. Qwellyn said firmly.

As people were beginning to file out, she called, "David, could I talk to you for a minute, please?"

Olissa asked, "You want me to go on and go?"

David shook his head as Prof. Qwellyn came closer. "No," he said to Olissa. Turning to the professor, he asked, "Unless this is a private matter?"

"No, not really. Prof. Stott said that you were staying over the Spring break, is that right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"She also said that you were making potions your focus, is that right?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm apprenticing with Prof. Stott."

Prof. Qwellyn nodded. "In that case, I'm wondering if you'd be interested in helping me over the break. I'm in charge of the Seedling Festival, you see, and so I have a lot of things to get ready. Since you are going to be dealing with herbs and plants a lot, in potion making, I thought you might like the extra practice."

"Well, I'd be glad to help, Miss J, but... I mean, don't the fairies do all that stuff?"

"The Seedling Festival requires us to move plants from place to place. That's not something us fairies like to do. In fact, we can't do it without being in human form, and most of us don't really like to take this form very much, so... if you can help out, it will be great."

"Sure. I've got nothing else to do over break except study, anyway."

"Good! Thank you. I'll get together with you later this week, and we'll work out the details."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Have a good day!" she said with a smile. David and Olissa left, hurrying on for their next class.

"You're sure popular with the staff," Olissa said. Her voice showed mainly confusion.

"I think it's Dean Lengel's doing. She probably told them to look out for me."

"Could be. Although I think this was Prof. Stott's doing."

"Yeah, probably. It's kind of like a snowball effect... or maybe more like a domino effect, I guess."

Olissa giggled. "You're not in potions class now, you don't have to be that precise."

David chuckled.

Olissa said, "Come on, we need to hurry, or we'll be late."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Hey, Olissa," David said. "I didn't realize you'd be staying... I guess I should have figured, though."

"Yeah. I considered going to stay with Aunt Shandra, but there's not really anything to do at her place, either... and at least here, I don't have a relative looking over my shoulder all the time."

"Is she really that nosy?"

"You saw how she was that day we met. That was normal for her."

"Ah. Good morning, Bispy."

"Where's my steaks?" he demanded.

David laughed. "I've ordered them, but it may take a little while. They have to package them for the trip here, you see."

"Hmph," the dragon opined, and went back to munching on a piece of bacon.

"So what are you going to do for break?" David asked Olissa.

"Study, hang around... figure out how to get a plant for the Seedling Festival."

"Plant?"

"You don't know about the Seedling Festival? The signs were posted..."

"I tend not to read the bulletin board."

"Start, would you? You miss a lot if you don't. Anyway, we're supposed to find a wild seed to bring to the Seedling Festival. During the festival, we'll go up to the dorm roof, and we'll plant it. The idea is that you take care of the plant while you're here, and it moves with you. Each year, you get a new seed, and so by the time you leave, you have two, four... I guess up to eight plants."

"What's the point?" David asked.

Olissa shrugged. "Life."

David harrumphed about that, and she laughed at him. When she settled, she asked, "So, did Amanda go home?"

"Off on vacation, rather than home. What about Rick? Did he go home?"

"Yeah. So what will you do with your break?"

"I'm supposed to help Miss J, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

"You want to help out?"

Olissa hesitated, then said, "Not really."

David shrugged. "Okay, no problem. Just figured it would give you something to do."

"Thanks anyway."

"Sure."

-----

"Good morning, David," Prof. Qwellyn said in greeting. "Are you ready to get to work?"

"Yes, ma'am. What will we be doing today?"

"We're going to start out by filling up plant pots with soil. Then we'll move them to the individual dorms."

"Okay." She pointed him to the necessary materials, gave him some brief instructions on how full to make them, and he set to work.

While he was working, he asked, "Not that I mind... I mean, I had nothing else to do... but, why are we doing this by hand? Surely it would be faster to just have one of the professors conjure all this stuff into position?"

"Magic is not allowed. The Seedling Festival has rules. The only time magic can be used on the plants, or anything that will touch the plants, is during the festival's sprouting ritual. Other than that, the plants must be cared for... 'manually'."

"I see. So... while it's growing, the fairies won't tend it?"

"No. You have to care for it yourself. That's the purpose: to show you true creation, and to show you the responsibility involved."

David nodded.

After nearly an hour, they had a collection of several hundred pots, full of dirt. "Okay," Prof. Qwellyn said after counting them, "we have enough for the Griffin Dorm. Let's go ahead and move them over now."

David looked at the massive number of pots with a frown. "Okay... um... how? I can carry two... maybe four, at a time... that's a lot of trips..."

Prof. Qwellyn chuckled. "We'll use a couple of carts, of course. It will still be a couple of trips. We probably won't do any more than this today. Then you can help me with some other stuff, if you have time."

"I've got all day, Miss J. It's break, and I'm all caught up on my work."

"But I don't want to work you to death."

David laughed outright at that. She looked at him, confused. Finally, he said, "I'm already dead."

She smiled at him, and shook her head.

-----

David and Prof. Qwellyn loaded up two large carts, which held almost half the load of plant pots between them. The carts were amazingly heavy, but they rolled well on their large wheels. They pushed them over to the nearest rock lift, and up the ramp onto the platform.

David asked, "Isn't this forbidden? I mean, we're using magical rocks to transport the plants."

"In the case of things like this, exceptions are made. There is no non-magical way, really, to get them from here to there. But you have to use the very least amount of magic possible. In this case, the rock isn't directly related to the plants, so it's an acceptable option."

"I see."

"As is what I'm about to do," she said. She tapped her foot on the rock and then used her toe to draw a circle. The rock, instead of following its usual path to the lower level of the dorm, this time floated to the top of the dorm, staying next to the curved glass panels that made up the roof of the dorm.

"Now what?" David asked.

"Now we open the door," Prof. Qwellyn said with a grin. She reached out and pushed in on a latch, and a section of the roof popped open, swinging outward. The rock, as soon as the door was open, nudged its way right up against the building.

"Be careful," she said as David started to push his cart inside. He nodded at her, and grunted, but got the cart through the opening. Once he'd pushed it to a clear spot, he helped Prof. Qwellyn get hers over the threshold, and they stopped it next to his. David noticed that the rock was staying by the opening.

"Isn't it going to start moving again?"

"Not so long as that door is open. The only way to open that door is to get there by floating rock. For safety, the rock stays so long as the door is open. That way, its bubble can keep anyone from falling and getting hurt."

"Oh," David said, nodding.

"Now, let's get these pots tagged and set out."

-----

"Hello, David. Were you looking for me?"

"Hey, Penny. Yeah, I was. It's been a few weeks since we talked, so I figured I'd catch you up on what's been going on."

"Well, I know most of it, actually, but let's walk and talk."

"Who've you been talking to?" David asked accusingly.

"No one. I'm a ghost, David. I often spend days watching you. I have nothing else to do."

"Oh. Geez, that's got to get dull fast."

"Not as dull as you might think," Penny said. "Especially when..." here, she trailed off.

"Especially when what?"

"When I accidentally catch you with a girl."

David chuckled, then asked seriously, "Does that... frustrate you?"

"How do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, when I first became a demighost, I ended up... well, becoming a peeping tom. I watched a lot of people having sex. It made me... well, horny as all hell."

"I will admit that it does get to me a little, yes. Ghosts may not have the physical body that you do, but we still have psychological urges."

"Then... I'm sorry that you saw what you saw."

"Don't worry about it, David. So, how are you and Amanda getting on?"

"Things are a bit rocky, but we're still seeing each other."

"What is the problem, if I may intrude?"

"She's having to deal with all the hazing now, too. I don't think she was prepared for what that really meant."

"Oh." Penny frowned mightily. "I'm sorry, David," Penny said. "I had really hoped this problem would blow over."

"And mostly, it has. But there is, as I said there would be, a small group of people for whom this is not a diversion, but a mission. Those people, I'm eventually going to have to deal with directly."

"Marcus."

"Yes, Marcus. And his friends."

"I would think that dealing with Marcus would probably eliminate most of the problems caused by his friends."

"Probably. But I haven't yet come up with a way to deal with him that won't get me, and potentially Dean Lengel, into trouble."

"Yes, that would be a problem, I imagine. All of the things that he is doing to you, could you not do them back to him in return?"

"I don't have the friends to make that work. I don't even have a class with Marcus anymore, but he has friends in several of my classes. So, it's much easier for him to get to me, than it is for me to get to him."

Penny nodded. "That is... frustrating."

David paused for a long moment, and then said, "Penny... Please don't take this the wrong way, but... Why do you care so much about it?"

Penny turned to face him. "Because I like you, and because I remember being teased while I was here. Nothing like you're facing, just some name-calling and basic teasing, but... I know how that made me feel. Plus, I know that your life is difficult enough without their help, and as your friend... at least, I hope I'm your friend... I don't like seeing people make your life harder."

David phased into ghost form, and gave Penny a hug. "Of course you're my friend," he said. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. She blushed, and remained quiet. David said, "And thanks for caring."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"So what are we going to do today, Professor?"

"One more day of moving plant pots. Today we will handle the last two dorms."

"Okay, let's get to work."

The two put together the necessary 250 pots quickly, and put them on a cart. They took the cart over to the Phoenix Dorm first. This was the housing for fifth and sixth year students.

"We're not going to the roof?" David asked.

"No. There are flower boxes along the outer wall of the dorm here. The students use those. I admit, it makes our job harder."

"Oh, well. At least it's a nice day." The temperature had risen into the lower sixties. It was unseasonably warm, and they were both enjoying it.

The two worked along the bottom floor of the dorm, placing the pots into the planter boxes as they went. David noticed that these upperclassmen lived a lot better than he did. He figured that was because there were so few of them.

"Now, we must carry the cart up the stairs, to do the second floor."

"Miss J, there's no way the two of us can lift this cart. It'd take ten people to lift it!"

She pursed her lips. "I didn't think this part through. Being new, I've never had to do this before. I'm not sure how my predecessors handled it."

"I think we're going to need some help."

"The only help I can muster would be fairy help, and those are supposed to be kept to a minimum for the Seedling Festival."

"Well, here's my suggestion, Professor. We get someone... the fairies, or whoever... to take fifty pots to each floor above us. We then take the cart over to the last dorm, and deliver their fifty pots. Then we can come back, with an empty cart, and finish this dorm. We can lift the empty cart up the stairs without too much trouble."

Prof. Qwellyn stared at David. "That was very good thinking... and very quick."

"Thanks."

"It's not a perfect plan. I shouldn't have to depend on the fairies. But it will certainly work for this year. Let's unload each floor into a grouping, then we can call in the helpers."

After they'd gotten the fairies set to moving the pots to each floor, David and Prof. Qwellyn moved over to the Firebird Dorm. This dorm was different from all the others. Its architecture looked older and more elaborate. Only fifty people lived in this dorm, yet it was still very large.

"Nice dorm rooms," David commented.

"They're actually apartments," Prof. Qwellyn replied. "And yes, they are very nice places to live."

David and the professor set about their tasks, and they got the pots delivered in no time. Returning to the Phoenix Dorm, that task, as well, was handled in short order. They wheeled the cart back to the greenhouse, and then they rested. Prof. Qwellyn conjured up some fruit juice for them to drink.

"I want to thank you for your help, David. I don't know how I'd have gotten this done without you."

"My pleasure, Miss J."

"If you're up to it, there are some other things I have to do related to the festival."

"Whatever you need."

"Thank you."

After some hesitation, David said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Go ahead."

"Can you pronounce your first name for me?"

She did. It was a beautiful and melodic sound, and he heard the J-like sound at the front, but there was no way he could conceive of producing that noise with his own mouth.

"Thank you," he said. "It's a very pretty name, by the way."

"Why, thank you, David. Most people think it's old-fashioned. Most of the modern fairies choose more human-sounding names."

"Well, I like it." After he finished off his juice, he asked, "So, what's next?"

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"So, how has your week with Miss J gone?" Olissa asked. It was Friday, and David had not seen a whole lot of Olissa, except at breakfast and dinner.

"Pretty good. Just helped her move stuff around, mostly. Realized I have a problem, though."

"Oh? What?"

"I don't have a seed for the festival."

Olissa frowned. "Now that you mention it, neither do I. I haven't had any chance to get one. I guess I won't be able to participate this year."

"Hmm," David said. Then he got a thought. He pulled out his mirror and dialed. "Misty Inverness, please."

In only a few seconds, Misty popped into being above him. She settled down onto the bench, and did her twirl, and then she was human-sized.

"Good morning, David! What can I do for you today?"

"I'm not sure, actually. We need seeds for the Seedling Festival, but we've got no idea where to get them from. Any ideas?"

"Sure. There are plenty of fields around Gorumshead where I'm sure you could find something nice."

"Could you take us after breakfast?"

"Certainly."

David looked at Olissa. "You free this morning?"

She smiled softly at him. "I am, but are you? Doesn't Miss J have something for you to do?"

"No, we finished up yesterday. At least with the stuff she wanted me to help with."

"Oh. Okay."

-----

"How in the world are we supposed to find seeds?" Olissa asked. "Most of them have already gotten buried."

"We'll just have to hope for some lying on the ground, I guess."

"It won't be as hard as you fear," Misty assured them both. "Many of the plants around here drop a great many seeds, and only a few ever get buried."

"What kind of plant are we supposed to pick, anyway?" David asked Olissa.

"Well, it's supposed to be an exotic plant. Something that people don't see often. I don't guess we have that option, so I would think we'd just want something that looks nice."

"If you want a plant that is uncommon, I can show you one or two," Misty said.

"Really? You know where some rare plants are?"

"I come out here a lot to enjoy the area."

Misty led them first into a small wooded area. She walked along a path until she came across the plant she was looking for. "This is a shimmering violet. It doesn't give off light, but when the sunlight hits it, it sparkles."

"That's got to be pretty," Olissa said.

"You take this one," David told her. She smiled at him, and then said to Misty, "How do I find a seed for this? Surely, as a flower, its seeds are tiny..."

Misty waved her hand, and the ground began to sparkle. "I'm not allowed to affect the seeds, but I can affect the ground. You should be able to see them now."

Olissa carefully gathered a half-dozen of the seeds, and put them in an envelope she'd thought to bring with her.

"You only need one," Misty told her.

"Yes, but I might drop it, and I'd never find it again."

Misty smiled at her, and then said, "Come on, I'll show you the next one."

The next place they went was into the middle of a meadow. There was an evergreen plant growing right in the middle of the field, and there was a small ring of similar but smaller plants around it.

"Eternium," Olissa said. "I've heard about this, but I'd never seen one."

"What is it? It just looks like an evergreen bush to me."

"It's an immortal plant, David," Misty told him. "Unless someone intentionally kills it, it will live forever. Drought can't kill it. Flood can't kill it. There are only a handful of them in all of Dugerra. They don't produce seeds every year, but this one is producing this year."

"This is definitely your plant, David," Olissa said with a grin.

He smiled at her, but then discovered a problem. "But how do I get to the seed? These other plants seem to be blocking the way."

"Actually, those are part of the same plant. Eternium has runners that form guardians, to keep animals away from its seeds. You can just step over them."

"Wait... if those are there to protect the seeds... is there anything else it can do?"

"Try not to touch the needles directly around the seed. They're rather sharp."

"Joy."

David maneuvered past the ring of guarding limbs, and then reached very carefully in to take a seed pod. He was jabbed by a dozen of the sharp needles, but he didn't stop. When his hand touched the seed pod, it immediately dropped free, into his hand. He held onto it carefully, and then he withdrew, taking care not to step on the plant.

"Hmm," Misty said.

"What?" David asked her.

"It must know what you are going to do with the pod. They usually take quite a bit of work to get off. To have one just drop off like that is very strange. But eternium plants... well, let's just say they have a bit of fairy blood in them. It might be able to tell what you intend to do with its baby."

"All I'm going to do is plant the thing," David objected.

"Exactly. That will allow a new eternium plant to grow. And since you'll be looking after it directly, the plant has a good chance of maturing." Misty shrugged. "Even fairies don't fully comprehend the eternium plants."

"Is this whole thing the seed? Or am I supposed to break it open?"

"The seed is inside, but you can just plant it the way it is. The pod will serve as food for the seed, like built-in fertilizer."

"Okay."

"Do be warned, though. Eternium grows very slowly. The plant you just saw is over two hundred years old."

Olissa said, "But it was barely two feet tall."

"Yes."

"So... am I really going to see anything at all out of it while I'm at school?"

"It should reach about fairy height in the first year. After that, growth slows way down."

"Not like you won't see it reach full size," Olissa said to David, teasing him. He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Was there anything else you wanted to see?" Misty asked them.

"Not unless you have some more neat plants to show us," David said.

"There are a few others. They're not rare, but I think you might like them..."

"You want to look?" David asked Olissa.

"Sure. We don't have anything else to do."

"Lead on," David said to Misty. She smiled, and led them deeper into the forest.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

All of the students came back on Sunday. David went over to Amanda's room when he was sure that she would be back. She gave him a warm kiss, and then the two walked down the hallway.

"So, how was your vacation?" he asked.

"It was great! We went to Vycenee. That's in Sopasante... what would be South America." David nodded. "It's very pretty down there. We just toured around looking at things."

"Did you get your seed for the Seedling Festival?"

"Oh, yeah! It's a felt-tipped stinger seed. Very pretty, but you don't want to touch it."

David nodded.

"How about you? Were you able to get anything?"

"Yeah, Misty took us out to the fields and showed us where some unusual plants were."

"Us?"

"Me and Olissa. She couldn't go anywhere, either."

"Oh," Amanda said in understanding.

Just then, one of Marcus' friends chucked a water balloon at the two of them. It splattered on David, and some of it splashed onto Amanda.

"Shit!" she snarled.

David shook his head in resignation, and took out his wand. He pointed it at himself, and with a flick of the wrist, he said, "Castite thate." He did the same thing to Amanda. With both of them now dry, they continued their walk.

"I must admit," Amanda said after a few moments, "that I enjoyed not having to look over my shoulder every few minutes to see if someone was about to hex me while on vacation."

"I'm sorry, Amanda. You know there's nothing I can do about it."

Amanda sighed. "Yeah, I know. But it's really starting to piss me off."

David did not want to fight about this now, on her first night back. He decided to walk her back to her room.

"See you at breakfast?" he asked her.

"Yeah."

He gave her a soft kiss, and then he left her. He noticed that she did not watch him walk away, as she had done most times before.

Fucking assholes... if I could just think of a revenge that wouldn't get me in trouble.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Good morning, Jailla," David said after he saw that the bird was awake. David himself had been up for two hours already.

"Good morning, David. Happy Seedling Festival to you."

"Happy Seedling Festival to you, too."

"Are you looking forward to it?"

David shrugged. "I don't really know what to expect, so... I guess, but... not really."

Jailla chuckled. As David started to put on his coat, clearly intending to start his day, Jailla said, "David, if you don't mind, I'd just as soon remain in here today."

"You don't like the Seedling Festival?"

Jailla twitched. "There will be many baby birds on display today. I just cannot handle having annoying chicks screeching in my ear."

David looked at him, and grinned. "I know exactly what you mean. Okay, you can stay here today. I'll bring you back something to eat."

"Thank you."

-----

"Good morning," David said to everyone at breakfast. "Hey, Rick. Finally decided to join us for breakfast, eh?"

Rick blushed. "I don't normally get up early enough for breakfast. I'm usually just barely on time for my first class."

"Morning, Amanda," David said, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, David. Sleep well?"

"Slept briefly, as usual," he said with a chuckle.

"Are you ready for the festival?" Gwen asked David.

"As ready as I can be. I have my seed... don't know what else I'm supposed to do. Um... why is there a baby bunny hopping along our table?"

Gwen laughed. "Part of the festival. The Seedling Festival is about new life."

"Is this a real bunny?"

"Yep."

David reached out and petted the creature, which twitched its ears at him, but little else.

The pixie arrived to take David's order. He wondered why it had taken her so long, but he told her what he wanted, and she popped back out of existence. His food, plus one item, popped into being a short time later.

"What's this?" David said, picking up a brightly colored sparkling egg. It felt too light to be a real egg.

"The professors do that. It's a magic egg. When you crack it open, there'll be something inside. I got a fireworks display out of mine."

"Wish I could have seen that," David said. He rapped his egg firmly against the edge of the cup it had been sitting in. It cracked, and he pulled it open.

Out of the egg came a swarm of small bluebirds. They sparkled and shimmered, dancing around everyone at the table.

"Cool!" David said.

Eventually, the birds faded. David put down the remnants of the egg, and turned to his breakfast. "So, what else will we see for the festival?"

"Lots of baby animals. And I think this year they even have a centaur foal. It's supposedly down by Savage Hall."

"We'll have to go see that," David said to Amanda. She nodded.

"And, of course, the Seedling Ceremony at sunset," Gwen said.

Devyn finally joined the group. "Good morning, everyone," she said. They all greeted her in return. Turning to Gwen, she said, "Happy Seedling Festival," and handed her something. On closer inspection, it looked to be a golden seed.

"Oooh," Gwen said. She placed the seed on the table, and then, using her finger to gather a drop of water from her glass, she let it fall onto the seed. Immediately, the seed blossomed into a beautiful reddish flower. Gwen picked it up and stuck it in her hair. It seemed that the flower actually intertwined itself in her locks, so that it wouldn't shift loose.

"Thanks, love," Gwen said to Devyn, and gave her a strong kiss.

"I thought you might like it," Devyn said with a smile.

David looked at Rick. Neither of them had gotten their partners anything as a gift for the festival. David very slightly shrugged. Rick nodded just as slightly in reply.

-----

"Is there a problem with you and Amanda?" Olissa asked. David and she were on their way to Herbology class together. "She seemed a bit distant."

"She's getting tired of the abuse from the others."

Olissa frowned. "Damn that Marcus."

"You want to stop by and see the centaur foal? We have a little time."

"Sure."

There was a bit of a crowd gathered, and that's where David and Olissa headed. Sure enough, there was a mother centaur with her foal. The little thing looked scared from all the people.

"We really shouldn't crowd her like this," David said. Olissa nodded. David looked around for a teacher, or at least an older student, or something. He realized that all the people present were first-years. That was really weird to David, but he shrugged. If there was no one more senior to do it...

"Guys," he said, raising his voice a little, "I think we need to give the lady a bit of breathing room. Could we all back up a little, please?"

"Who the hell put you in charge, Stroud?" one student said as most of the others actually did step back a bit. It was, of course, one of Marcus' friends.

"No one. I'm merely trying to point out that you're scaring the child by pressing so closely."

"What the fuck does it matter?" the student sneered. "It's not like she's human."

David decked him as hard as he could.

-----

"Well, so this time you did start the fight," Dean Lengel said.

"I swung first, yes."

"First and last. I hear his friends had to help him up off the ground."

"I guess he has a glass jaw."

"Would you care to explain your actions?" she asked. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Dean Lengel raised an eyebrow. "Come in," she called out.

The door opened, and in walked the mother centaur, with her baby in tow, along with two other centaurs, Olissa, and two other students.

"What in the world is this?" Dean Lengel asked.

One of the centaurs, an older male, said, "Witnesses for the defense, Madame Dean."

Dean Lengel looked at David. He shrugged and said, "I didn't ask anyone to come."

Olissa said, "I did. I'm tired of David getting blamed for things that are other people's fault."

"Miss Volaire," Dean Lengel acknowledged. "I appreciate your loyalty to your friend, but he has already admitted to hitting the boy first."

"Did he tell you why he hit the scum-sucking maggot?" Olissa asked.

Dean Lengel withheld a chuckle. "No, we hadn't gotten quite that far yet."

The mother centaur said, "He was defending the honor of the Centaur Nation."

"Excuse me?" Dean Lengel asked. "Perhaps someone had better explain from the beginning."

The centaur mother was the one who took up this task. "I was here as part of the festival, as you had asked, Dean. There were several students interested in seeing little Lysilla, and a crowd had formed. They were all eager to get a good look, and were pressing in. Even I felt a little claustrophobic, and Lysilla was starting to get scared. I had not yet said anything to the crowd, as I did not wish to be rude.

"Around this time, the young man showed up, with his female friend." She gestured to David, and then to Olissa. "The young man spoke up, asking, very politely, I thought, for everyone to back up and give us a little space. I admit to being grateful for that.

"At that point, the other boy, the one who got hit, challenged the first..."

Dean Lengel interrupted, "It will make your explanation easier if you use some names. This boy is called David. The boy who was hit is called Aaron."

The centaur nodded. "Aaron challenged David's right to order people about. David tried to explain that he wasn't giving orders, but trying to point out our, that is, my and Lysilla's, discomfort.

"At that point, Aaron said..." here, the lady centaur faltered, visibly upset.

David picked up for her, as he saw that the concept offended her rather greatly. "He said, and I quote, 'What the eff does it matter? It's not like she's human.' It was at this point that I decked the... erm... 'student'."

"That's not what you want to call him," Dean Lengel teased.

"No, ma'am, but what I want to call him would not be polite in front of a lady centaur and her child."

"So you hit him for insulting the centaurs."

"I hit him for suggesting that they were in some way less than humans. I admit that my personal situation makes this concept doubly offensive to me, but... yeah, I considered that an insult that couldn't go unpunished."

"Excuse me... I hate to interrupt," the older centaur said, and then asked, "but, exactly what do you mean by your personal situation?"

"I'm a demighost," David said. "So... not human, either. His comment was also a personal slight, though one I've been putting up with for months."

Dean Lengel asked, "Which is what intrigues me. You have been putting up with this very insult for months... yet when it was directed at the centaurs, you... snapped."

"I can handle people putting me down. It's been happening all my life for one reason or another. But I have friends who are centaurs... well, okay, maybe we're not friends yet, but certainly I know a couple of centaurs... and they're more human than that slug I hit. I guess I just... I know how I feel when I get treated this way. I wasn't going to let him do it to someone else. The centaurs shouldn't have to take that kind of crap from us. Pardon my language."

Dean Lengel nodded, then stood, thinking quietly. Finally, she said, "Does anyone have anything else to add to this discussion?"

"To the discussion, no," the lady centaur said. "To David, yes. Thank you, for trying to help... and for standing up for us."

"That was my pleasure," David said firmly.

Dean Lengel did chuckle at that. Then she said, "You know I have to punish you, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. I knew I would get into trouble for this one. No way to avoid it."

The dean sighed. "I hate this. I'll be honest with you, David. I don't want to punish you for this. I really don't. But I have to, in order to hold up the school disciplinary rules. I'd sentence you to serve detention with Prof. Stott, but... I think everyone would see through that."

David grinned.

"So I am going to sentence you to serve for an hour a day, for one week, in the post office, helping Carol and the centaurs."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Go see Carol and work out a schedule that doesn't interfere with your class schedule." After a brief pause, she said firmly, "or your apprenticeship."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Okay, you can go. Thank you, all of you, for helping to fill in the details."

David left the office first, and everyone else followed him out. Once they were standing in front of Beckett Hall, David paused. The lady centaur came over to him.

"I want to thank you again. You were very perceptive in seeing our discomfort. And I'm sorry you have to get into trouble for coming to our defense."

"Don't worry about that part. It was worth it. I like the centaurs."

"And we like you!" a voice said, right before arms wrapped around him from the side. David was surprised, and gasped. When the centaur let him go, he looked at her.

"Giendia! Why are you here?" He had been too preoccupied to recognize her as the fourth centaur in the Dean's office.

"Lysilla's my cousin. I figured I'd get to see you again... this was not what I had in mind, though."

"Yeah, well."

"And I am your friend, David." She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"David?" It was Olissa.

"Oh, right. Giendia, this is my friend Olissa. Olissa, this is Giendia. She's the centaur archer I went to watch in the tournament in December."

The two greeted each other, then David turned back to the lady centaur. "May I say hello to Lysilla?"

"Of course," she said with a soft smile. David knelt down, and the centaur nudged her baby forward. Lysilla walked over to David, who gently stroked her hair, and her horse-back area. She grabbed one of his fingers, and tried to stick it in her mouth. The others laughed.

After David rose from playing with Lysilla, the older centaur came over. "I would like to thank you for your actions today. It reaffirms the strength of the centaur-human relationship."

"I'm sorry that some of our kind just can't get over their prejudices. I, personally, find centaurs to be, generally, a very nice people, and certainly in no way whatsoever inferior to humans."

"Thank you," the man said. He shook David's hand, and then he walked off. The lady centaur and Lysilla followed him. Giendia stayed for a moment.

"Being stuck in the post office isn't so bad, David," Giendia said. "The centaurs do all the hauling. You'll probably just have to help sort."

David smiled. "I know. I think the dean was trying to find the lightest punishment she could."

"Anyway, I need to stick with my aunt and uncle. Thanks for what you did. See you later." She gave him another soft kiss on the cheek, and then trotted off.

Olissa watched her go, then said, "I'm surprised you didn't break Aaron's jaw, the way he dropped."

"I was trying," he admitted.

"We've missed most of Herbology. You want to go straight to E&C?"

"Let's go talk to Carol first, since we have some time."

"Okay." As they walked, Olissa asked, "How much of what you did was for the centaurs, and how much was just pent-up frustration?"

"I'll admit, I was angry at him from the second he opened his mouth. But when he said that, it was like someone threw a switch in my head. I no longer gave a damn about the consequences, I only knew that I couldn't allow him to say what he said without a... forceful response." David grinned.

"David Stroud, defender of the oppressed," Olissa said with a chuckle.

"Hey, I'm not trying to make myself out as a hero... I just did..." Olissa stopped him.

"Sorry, I was teasing. What you did today makes me proud to have you as a friend."

David didn't have a response for that, so they made their way to the post office.

-----

"Geez, can't you even go to a festival without getting into trouble?" Jim said with a smirk.

Gwen was more serious. "That's such bullshit. If I'd been there, I'd have given him a good swift kick after you knocked him down. She should have given you a medal, not a punishment."

"It's okay, Gwen. I knew I was gonna get in trouble for hitting him. I didn't care. And she did give me the mildest punishment she could think of, after all."

"It's still bogus, if you ask me," she fumed.

"What is your punishment?" Devyn asked.

"I have to spend some time helping out in the post office."

"For how long?" Gwen wanted to know.

"Well, it was supposed to be every day for a week, but that didn't work with my schedule, so it's Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for two weeks. It's only an hour each day."

"Oh. Say, where's Amanda?"

"I don't know... oh, wait, that's her over there."

David walked over to where Amanda was standing. "Hey," he said, to get her attention.

"Hi, David." He knew that tone.

"What's the matter?"

"I heard you got into a fight today."

David smirked. "I don't think it really qualifies as a fight. I hit him, he hit the ground, and that was the end of it."

She turned on him. "Why was it necessary to get violent at all?"

"Because he insulted the centaurs."

Amanda harrumphed. "What could he have possibly said that would have warranted striking him?"

"'What the fuck does it matter? It's not like she's human,'" David said, quoting Aaron's exact words.

Amanda paled. "He said that?" What was he talking about?"

"When we went to see the baby centaur, everyone was crowding her, and she was scared. Since there were no more senior people around, I asked everyone to back up, to give them a little room. Aaron, being Aaron, took offense to my suggestion."

Amanda calmed down a little, but not completely. "There had to be another way to handle it."

"I'm sure there was, but probably not a better way. Sometimes, violence really is the best solution to a problem."

"That's bullshit, David. There's always a better alternative to solve a problem than violence."

"Really? Tell that to Hitler's victims." David walked away before Amanda could respond. He didn't want to be angry now, and being berated for his actions, of which he was rather proud, was not something he was going to put up with.

"What's up?" Gwen asked.

"I think it best if we proceed without her for the moment."

Gwen was going to ask further, but Olissa caught her eye and shook her head. The group let the matter drop.

David, meanwhile, unwrapped his eternium pod, and waited for the Seedling Ceremony to begin.

After a few more minutes, Prof. Qwellyn's image appeared in the center of the greenhouse that made up the roof of Griffin Dorm.

"All right, students. If you've done this before, you may begin the process now. For you novices, I will walk you through the process. First, plant your seed. I will assume you've already done the research to know how to properly plant it."

David dug a hole in his pot, and set the pod into it. He buried all but the last inch of the pod, which he left sticking up out of the ground. This was how he'd been told, by Misty, to plant the eternium pod.

"Now," Prof. Qwellyn continued, "From the center table, take one of each of the objects there. You should have three things. A cup of rose nectar, a pegasus feather, and a hair from a unicorn's tail. These are your gifts to Felinrogh, the Fairy King.

"Once you have your gifts, place them in a triangle around your pot. Once you have done this, read over the spell you were given until you are confident you can read it properly in one go. Then, you may proceed to cast the spell as you're ready. If you have done it right, you will know it immediately. If you have not done it correctly, do not recast the spell. You will simply have to grow your plant the old-fashioned way. Attempting to recast the spell will have bad consequences for you and your plant.

"When you are ready, begin."

David gathered the objects, and placed them around the pot. He then took the parchment with the spell on it, and read it over several times, to make sure he knew it well enough not to make a mistake.

Finally, David chanted the spell:

Felinrogh, King of the Fae,

I beseech you on this Seedling Day,

I bring to you a life unborn

Its essence with your home adorn.

Heavenly nectar from scarlet rose,

Gathered where the water flows.

Feather from the horse that flies,

And a final gift, 'tis a surprise.

These items I offer you today,

In hopes of your grace; it's this I pray:

To your minions, give a shout,

That they may cause this seed to sprout!

As soon as David had finished his incantation, his eternium pod was surrounded by golden sparkles. The pod itself took on a green glow, and then, suddenly, a green shoot poked up through the top of the pod. When it was done, it showed three spiky little leaves, aimed in the directions of the gifts he offered the Fairy King. These gifts suddenly vanished with no fanfare whatsoever.

"Well, damn," David said in awe. "I love magic."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"I really am sorry about what I said to you on Monday at the festival. I was having a bad day, and I shouldn't have lashed out at you."

"It's okay. Bad days happen."

"I really don't believe in violence, though. There's... almost always a better way to deal with it."

"Almost always, yes. But be honest... don't you want to punch Marcus and company in the face for the crap they've done to you?"

Amanda wavered, and as they entered Byron Hall, she chose to refocus the conversation, rather than answer him. "Looks like we're late. The gang's already here."

David smirked, knowing that she had dodged the question, but willing to let it go for now. The two sat down after saying hello to the others, and then gave their order to the pixie that popped in.

"You're remembering to take care of your plants, right, guys?" Gwen asked the two newcomers.

"Yes, Mom," David said sarcastically.

"I'm just checking..." Gwen sniffed. Just then, David's and Amanda's food popped in.

Amanda dug right in; she was clearly hungry. She made a face.

"What's the matter?" he asked. He had ordered the same thing as her, mainly to prove there were no hard feelings over the fight.

"It needs spicing. You want to pass me the spice jar?"

"You sure?" Jim asked. "I never touch this stuff. It's too strong."

"I love it," Amanda said. "And this really needs it."

David hesitantly tasted his own. He frowned. "Maybe I'll try a little of that, too. This really is bad. That's surprising; the pixies are usually so good at this... or whoever it is who actually does the cooking, anyway..."

David put a small amount of the spice mix on his food. The improvement was almost miraculous. Amanda was going at hers with gusto. David ate his more sedately.

The group chatted through dinner, and then, when everyone had finished, the group started to break up. Jim left first, then Devyn. After that, they all got up together.

"I'm going to need your help with our Herbology test," Olissa was telling David. They had just left Byron Hall.

"Okay..." he said, then staggered. He felt suddenly very nauseous.

"David?" Gwen asked immediately.

Olissa said, "It's Amanda, too!" Amanda, in fact, reached for a nearby tree, missed, and fell to the ground, where she vomited violently.

David dropped to his knees, too dizzy to continue walking. He tried to heave up his dinner, but couldn't.

"Shit," Olissa muttered. She said to Gwen, "You go back and keep an eye on our table. I'll call the infirmary. I've seen this before. They've been poisoned."

"Goddammit," Gwen snarled, and stormed off back into the cafeteria. Olissa called Healer Hall, and then waited impatiently until she arrived.

"Oh, dear God!" she said, seeing Amanda. David was still conscious, but Amanda had passed out, drool slipping from between her lips. "What happened this time?" she asked Olissa.

"I don't know. They both ate the same meal, so I supposed it could be food poisoning, but I doubt it."

"So do I. Jonas, take them to the infirmary. I need to inspect the food they ate."

"I had Gwen go back and watch over our table, so no one could tamper with it any further."

"Good thinking. Let's go."

-----

As David awoke from his slumber, he heard someone ask, "So, you arrived to the table first?"

"She and I arrived together," Gwen said.

"And you two are lovers?" the voice asked dispassionately.

"Yes, look, what has this got to do with who poisoned David?"

"Has either of you had a fight with David recently, or Amanda?"

Gwen looked nearly apoplectic.

"It wasn't either of them," David said from his bed. Healer Hall helped him sit up, and offered him a glass of water. He drank it, and then thanked her. "It wasn't any of my friends," he told the questioner, who was, now that David could see him, obviously a Rimohr. "Where is Mr. Garibaldi?"

"Officer Garibaldi cannot be part of this case, as he knows you, and so would not be objective."

"He knows me. That doesn't mean he likes me." Olissa and Gwen chuckled.

"How can you be so sure none of these people is responsible? They had the greatest opportunity."

"And have had much better opportunities to do it in a more private, and thus more permanent, manner. If I recall what happened clearly... and I may not, I admit that... Gwen went back to watch over our table. Did you find the poison?"

"Yes. It was in the spice jar."

"Okay, so that rules out Gwen. If she had been the culprit, you would not have found the poison. Likewise, if it had been Devyn, Gwen would have protected her lover."

"And if it was Olissa?"

"I won't even dignify that with a response. It was not Olissa."

Olissa smiled at David in thanks.

"If Jim wanted me harmed, he could do it while I’m asleep. All of this, of course, assumes I'm the target, which, if true, would rule out all of my friends, because they would know that this would have little effect on me. Um... right?" he asked Healer Hall.

"You're fine. You'll just have an upset stomach for a few hours."

"So it could not have been anyone who understands the nature of a demighost, if I was the target. If Amanda was the target, then none of my friends has a motive. It should be easy enough to figure out who tampered with the jar. You guys do have fingerprinting techniques, right?"

"Yes. It is being looked at."

"I suggest you look elsewhere than the people in this room." To Healer Hall, he asked, "How is Amanda?"

"Amanda is very ill, I'm afraid. It was a very strong poison. Her parents are on their way. I don't know when she'll be able to leave here."

"Is she going to survive?" David asked fearfully.

"Yes. She didn't take in quite enough to kill her. But she is going to be quite ill for some time to come."

"Who would you suggest we look at?" the Rimohr asked.

In unison, Gwen, Devyn, Olissa, and Jim all said, "Marcus Savolar."

The Rimohr raised an eyebrow, and then looked to David. "You don't agree with them?"

"I don't have any proof. He is, however, the most likely culprit... Or, I should say, it was probably either him, or one of his friends. He rarely actually does the deed himself."

"You have been victimized by this person before, then?"

"Frequently. Just not quite this bad before."

"I see. Well, we will still have to rule out all of your friends, but I will look into Mr. Savolar. We will have the results from the inspector soon, and that will help us along. You try to rest."

After he left the room, Jim said, "Yeah, easy for him to say. No one's trying to kill his girlfriend."

"Okay, all of you, I'll give you ten minutes, then you need to leave. No more than one at a time after that. He'll be fine, but he does need to rest in order to recuperate. I'll be back to check on you shortly," Healer Hall told him.

"Well, I'll leave you to the ladies, dude. I'm glad you're okay. I'll see you back at the room," Jim said, and then walked out.

"You are really all right?" Devyn asked.

"Yeah. Belly-ache, but I can deal with that."

"I am glad. I hope that Amanda will get well soon. I hate to go, but I really must finish a paper that is due tomorrow."

"That's okay, Devyn. See you tomorrow."

That left Olissa and Gwen.

Gwen asked, "How come you have a reason I couldn't have done it, and you just dismiss her as a suspect out of hand?" He could tell that she was mostly teasing, but there was also an undertone of jealousy.

David shook his head at her. "If you have to ask, then you don't know Olissa nearly well enough." He yawned, and the other two took their cue. Gwen made her good-byes, and then left.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Olissa told him, and then leaned down and gave him a hug.

He smiled at her. "You couldn't hurt a fly without being provoked," he told her. "And even then I think you'd feel bad about it."

She smiled shyly, and blushed. David yawned again.

"I think I'd better let you rest," Olissa said. "I'll be back in a few hours, to check if you can go back to your room then."

"Okay. Thanks."

"See you in a little while."

David was asleep before she made it out of the building.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Oh, hello," the woman said. David had stopped by to see Amanda, and was greeted with two people, who he assumed were her parents.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Master. I'm David." He shook their hands, and could feel the evaluation being done on the spot. "I just came by to see how Amanda was doing."

"Hey, David," Amanda said. Her voice was weak, but cheerful. He went over to her side and gave her a hug. "How you feeling?" he asked.

"Rotten," she said.

With a grin and a raised eyebrow, he asked, "Are you sure punching Marcus in the mouth wouldn't solve anything?"

Amanda grinned at him. "Okay, you win."

"What's this about a Marcus?" Mr. Master wanted to know.

David looked up at him. "The person who is most likely responsible for the poisoning. He probably didn't do it himself, but he would still be the one actually responsible for it. The Rimohrs are looking into it now."

"You don't seem to have suffered any ill effects from it," Mrs. Master said, rather annoyed, or so it seemed.

David shook his head. "The part that my tormenters have never figured out. I was sick for a few hours. I have a feeling that Amanda was more their target than me... though if so, this is a big step for them to have taken. All their previous pranks have been... well, just that: pranks. This isn't a prank, this is attempted murder."

Everyone saw the set of David's jaw.

Amanda, who knew the story of what had happened to David, said, "Sound familiar?"

"Yes, a little too familiar."

"I'm lost," Mr. Masters said. David briefly explained how he had been changed into a demighost. "Ah. Perhaps that was their message? If she was going to date you, she should be like you...?"

"Could be... though that would only further indicate their stupidity."

"How so?" Mrs. Master asked.

"She wouldn't become a demighost. She'd just be a normal ghost. Sure, we could still date, but she would still not be 'like me'."

They all nodded. David turned back to Amanda. "Did Healer Hall say how much longer you'd be in here?"

She shook her head. "I'm still pretty sick. You've caught me at a good time, when I'm not throwing up all over the place."

"I'm sorry about this," David told her. She waved him off.

"Not your fault. Mostly it was Marcus' fault. The rest of the blame goes to me, for dating you."

"Will that be an ongoing situation?" Mrs. Master wanted to know. She directed the question at David.

David looked back at her blankly. "That's Amanda's decision to make, not mine." He looked back down at her, and then, despite her parents being there, he leaned down and gave her a kiss.

"I've got to get to class. I'll stop by later, if you want."

"I'd like that."

"Okay. It'll be in the evening. I still have post office duty to do this afternoon."

"Take it easy. And keep your guard up."

"Don't I always?" he asked with a smirk. "Mr. Master, Mrs. Master, it was good to meet you both."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"All right, everyone. If you would, pull out your gazing ball and set it up before you. We are going to continue our work with crystallomancy.

"Yesterday, we went over the very basic process. Some of you had better luck than others. You must relax your mind to make this work. Unlike some other divination methods, where your state of mind isn't quite so crucial, if you are not relaxed and open to the experience, crystallomancy just won't work.

"Now, I want you to close your eyes, take some deep breaths, center your thinking, and concentrate. I know it seems almost oxymoronic to say relax and concentrate at the same time, but if you are ever successful, you'll understand what I mean. Now, go ahead and get started, and I will wander the room to offer help when it is needed."

David had listened to Prof. Zoroaster's instructions, but he already knew how to enter the state that the professor was referring to. He blessed his lessons with Prof. Phillips on wand control.

David closed his eyes and took three deep breaths, letting his mind settle further with each one. As he exhaled his third breath, he opened his eyes, to gaze into the crystal ball before him.

As he watched, with no expectation in his mind, the interior of the crystal ball grew cloudy. The clouds began to swirl and emit a pale green light. David focused his attention on the center of the clouds, without trying to force anything to appear. He merely waited, to see what would occur.

The clouds continued to swirl until they eventually began to form an image. The image was tinged green at first, but it slowly came into full color.

What he saw was a room he recognized all too well. The room was the infirmary. He saw Healer Hall standing over someone, but she was blocking his view of who it was. Across the bed from her was David himself. No one else seemed to be in the room.

Is this about Amanda? he asked himself, trying to keep his emotions in check. He continued to watch the images.

Finally, Healer Hall moved aside. What he saw there startled him so badly that he lost the image. He sat back forcibly, drawing attention to himself.

Prof. Zoroaster came over to him. "David? Is there a problem? Did you see something?"

"Oh, I saw something, all right."

"You look as if you have seen a mortessor," Prof. Zoroaster said. "What did you see?"

David had no idea what a mortessor was, but it was hardly important at the moment. "I saw one of my friends in the infirmary. She'd been hurt badly."

Prof. Zoroaster paled. "See me after class."

David nodded. He wondered whether to return to gazing, to see if he could get more. He decided to give it a try.

-----

"Professor, David... okay, you're appearing in my office much too often, young man," Dean Lengel told David with a smile. She teased him because she could tell he was rather upset, and hoped to lighten the mood.

"Madame Lengel," Professor Zoroaster started, "we perhaps have a problem concerning one of the students. We were practicing crystallomancy today, and young David had a vision. Go ahead and tell us exactly what you saw, David."

"When the vision started, I saw the infirmary. Someone was lying in a bed, and I was standing next to the bed. Healer Hall was standing on the other side of the bed, and blocking my view of who was in the bed.

"As I watched, Healer Hall moved out of the way, and I was able to see that it was my friend, Olissa, in the bed. She was badly injured, and unconscious. Her head was bandaged, and her arm was in a cast."

"And you're sure this was Olissa?" Dean Lengel asked. "I know that your current girlfriend is in the hospital right now..."

"Ma'am, Amanda is a skinny white girl. Olissa is a heavy black girl. They look nothing alike."

Dean Lengel nodded. "This is most disturbing. Professor, how accurate have David's divinations been?"

"This is actually only his second successful divination method. He gave a few readings with cartomancy, and while one of those did turn out to be true, the other two appear to be too long-term to have happened yet. He showed no affinity for pyromancy or hydromancy. We have not gone over astrology, oneiromancy, or runic interpretation yet."

"Still... he has shown the ability to divine the future, at least once."

"Yes, ma'am," Professor Zoroaster confirmed.

"This worries me, David," she admitted. "With one friend already injured, I'm concerned that this means they will start a concerted attack on all your friends."

"Is it possible I just saw it wrong? That it's just my imagination?" David asked hopefully.

"No," Prof. Zoroaster said. "What you saw may or may not happen - the future being fluid and malleable, you see - but it is not your imagination. If the course of events does not change, this will happen. How clear was the image?"

"Fuzzy."

Prof. Zoroaster frowned. "Without a basis for knowing how far you can see, I do not know what that would mean. If it had been a clear image, I would say the event was imminent. A fuzzy image implies you are reaching the limits of your ability to see."

"But that could mean a month, or two years," David complained.

"Yes."

"Do I tell Olissa about this?" David asked them both.

"How do you think she would take it?" Dean Lengel asked.

"She'll be worried. Hell, I'm worried!" he replied.

The dean and the professor looked at each other.

"Tell her if you think it's best. If you expect events to change, so that this will not come to pass, then there is no need to worry her over it," the professor said.

David nodded, but said nothing.

"You're having one hell of a first year at the academy," Dean Lengel said with a melancholy grin.

David smirked and chuckled briefly. "Yeah, I know. It almost makes me long for the management facility. Almost."

Dean Lengel laughed.

"If there's nothing else, I still have post office duty to do."

"I thought that was last week?" Dean Lengel said.

"Due to my schedule, we were forced to break it up over two weeks."

"Oh, I see. Well, off with you, then. Try not to worry too much."

"Right. Good day, Professor. Dean."

"Good day, David," Professor Zoroaster said.

As David walked out of Beckett Hall, just one thought ran through his mind.

Shit.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~