The Woodward Academy,

Chapter 9: February

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"Welcome, students! Well, today's seminar will seem a little chaotic. We are discussing a miscellany of creatures that didn't seem to fit into any other group. A large portion of these 'creatures' are, in fact, sentient, so the term creature is a bit rude, but that is what we call these seminars. Let's begin, shall we?"

Prof. Schmidt lifted up a cage, inside of which was a very odd little critter. It looked like a squirrel, overall, but was slightly larger, and had a pair of small antlers growing out of its head. A pair of wings was folded over its back, and its bushy tail was twitching back and forth. Its mouth was adorned with a long pair of rather sharp-looking fangs that protruded over its bottom lip.

"This is a wolperdinger," Prof. Schmidt said. "An amazing little creature, a bit like a squirrel in appearance, as you can see, but that is about where the similarity ends. Wolperdingers are crafty, and will delight in stealing your food when you're not looking. If they must hunt for food, they will take the easiest prey they can find. They are carnivores, and prefer to eat things like mice or baby rabbits. They will also take special efforts to hunt down and kill another creature, which I will show you in a minute.

"The wolperdinger is generally nocturnal, which is why this one seems a bit twitchy. Their eyes glow red, and this helps them see in the dark. It also contains a paralysis magic that will freeze their prey in place. This is not something that should worry you, as wolperdingers would never mistake something as big as a person for prey, and the effect is specific to their prey. Some people, however, do find it so disconcerting that it has a similar psychological effect on them.

"They are capable of flight, though they are fairly clumsy at it. Mainly, they will fly to go long distances in clear areas. When among the trees, they will resort to climbing and jumping.

"Now the wolperdinger is not terribly dangerous to people, although they have been known to bite, and those bites do tend to get infected. Not a large issue, as long as it is taken care of. The antlers, of course, can be sharp, and if you're hit with them, that will leave a rather nasty gash, as well.

"The antlers, however, can be ground up for certain potions, and is highly prized in this regard. The remainder of the wolperdinger, in case you were concerned, should then be used for food and for its pelt. They are quite tasty, or so I'm told. I've never been brave enough to eat one.

"Catching a wolperdinger is not an easy task. They can sense traps, and are never caught in them, and trying to take one down in the hunt is virtually impossible. The easiest way to capture one is to use a naked woman."

There was a bit of a stir in the crowd, but Prof. Schmidt raised his hand for silence.

"The wolperdinger is a bit unusual, in that it finds the female form entrancing. And I mean that quite literally. If a wolperdinger encounters a woman without her top on, it will almost immediately fall into a nearly catatonic state, during which it is amazingly easy to simply whack it on the head, killing it almost painlessly.

"Do we have any volunteers in our audience willing to demonstrate?" the professor asked. He didn't actually expect anyone to step forward, but two students agreed. The professor asked them to decide amongst themselves which would proceed, and the girl who "won" stepped forward.

As soon as she was in sight of the wolperdinger, the animal focused on her. It was not entranced, but it was clearly interested, its nose and tail twitching rapidly. The girl unfastened her blouse, and opened it, then pulled her bra up, exposing her tits. Several of the boys whistled at her, which caused her to blush. The rest were paying more attention to the animal, which had instantly frozen in place. To prove the point, the professor set the cage on a stand, opened it, and reached in to grab the wolperdinger. He pulled the creature out, and then set it on top of the cage.

To emphasize the message, he turned the cage, so the wolperdinger was now facing away from the girl. It immediately snapped out of its trance, but then spun around to face the girl again, and was once more immobile. The group chuckled.

"It's like a freakin' lemming," Jim said quietly to David. "Gleefully heading for its own destruction."

David nodded.

After putting the wolperdinger away, Prof. Schmidt told the girl she could cover up. She stepped back into the crowd to a few more cat-calls, but she ignored them all.

"Wolperdingers are not safe to play with, and they do not make good pets. Thus, we shall move on to the next."

The group moved past a low wall, where rested a small animal in a cage. It was one of the weirdest animals David had ever seen. The animal's body looked like a wild rabbit, or a hare. Its legs, however, resembled those of an antelope, as did the horns on its head. The head itself, confusing as this was, appeared to be human. It had a small white beard on its chin.

"This," Prof. Schmidt said as he opened the cage, "is a hinterlyk. This is a male hinterlyk, which is known as a jefferlope. Female hinterlyks are known as annilopes."

"It is a mystery that a young jefferlope has never been discovered. The youngest ever encountered was 93 years of age. They seem to live to be about 200 or so, though information on this is a bit sketchy. Annilopes have been discovered at much younger ages.

"Though the head of the hinterlyk looks human, the jefferlope's intelligence is limited to spouting horrible jokes and bad puns as it hops around you daring you to kick it. Should you do so, the animal will get back up, shake its head, and merrily chase you again. The annilope does not engage in this behavior, and is actually rarely seen, preferring to be reclusive and hide in thickets.

"If you should find yourself beset by a jefferlope, your best bet is to find a wolperdinger. Wolperdingers despise jefferlopes so much, that it is the only creature they will actually hunt with any alacrity. They will, in fact, chase a jefferlope to death.

"Your only other option for getting rid of the jefferlope is to mimic the call of the annilope. Except during mating season, the call of the annilope will cause a jefferlope to run and hide, quivering in fear."

"I would allow you to play with the jefferlope, but luckily for us, this one is sick with laryngitis. We are trying to find a way to make it permanent, but no luck so far." The group chuckled about that. "So, anyway, let's move along."

The group moved over to what appeared to be a large sandbox, about three feet deep. The box was made of very stout wood.

As the professor approached, something suddenly reared out of the sand. Its head, if that was what it was, ended in an opening full of pointed teeth. The rest of what could be seen resembled a tube, or a tentacle, about three feet in diameter. It was bright red. Suddenly, a stream of liquid shot out of the creature's opening. Several students screamed, but the liquid impacted a containment charm, and slid harmlessly down into the sandbox.

"This is a death worm," Prof. Schmidt said, unfazed. "They live in desert areas, mostly, but may spread into surrounding areas if their population gets too high. The acid you just saw him spew is normally used to dissolve the ground in front of them, so that they can move through it. They will, however, use it to defend themselves. They don't use it to attack prey; they don't seem to like how it tastes. Instead, they have another weapon. You will notice, at the front of their mouth, that there are two additional fang-like structures. These will emit an electrical charge, similar to a bolt of lightning. They are capable of this because their body, storing acid and minerals, has essentially become a battery.

"If you see one of these, avoid it. If you cannot avoid it, your best bet is marshy ground. Unfortunately, as they do not live in areas that contain marshy ground, this advice is unlikely to be useful. Ultimately, if you encounter one of these, you will probably have to kill it before it kills you. You can stun them, and if you're quick about it, you might get out of its reach before it recovers. They do not live together, and in fact, they keep their distance from each other, as they don't like competition. If you've defeated one, you can feel reasonably certain you won't encounter another for a couple of miles.

"Obviously, you won't be playing with the death worm. Let's move along, shall we?"

The group walked toward the river, where they saw what looked like a woman lying against one of the large rocks set in the landscape. When she looked up at them and then rose from her reclining position, however, it became clear that she was not just a woman. While her upper half was very normal-looking, and indeed gorgeous, her lower half was that of a snake. In her case, she bore the markings of a tree python, bright green on top and a yellowish-green on the bottom. On her torso, she wore a tank top that matched the color of her lower half.

"This is Kiorin. She is a lamia. Lamias are... well, a hybrid race, much like centaurs or merfolk. In this case, her lower half is that of a snake or serpent. Kiorin, would you care to tell the students about your people?"

Kiorin moved forward. She appeared shorter than they, as she could not lift all that much of her snake body off the ground.

"Hello," she said, without any hint of the breathy sound that was almost expected to come out of the mouth of any creature associated with snakes. "The lamia are a sad race. Firstly, there are no male lamia; we are all female. Second, we are compelled to reproduce. Third, and most sadly, the only way for us to reproduce is to seduce human men, then take both their semen, and their blood. All of their blood.

"We resist this urge as much as we can. Most lamia are forced into this act about once every six years. It will vary, depending on the willpower of the woman, and how regularly she interacts with humans. I can be here today safely only because I am already pregnant. When I give birth, it will be to a single lamia, who will be safe to humans for the first eighteen years of her life. At that point, she will be mature, and her urge to reproduce will be uncontrollable, as it is for the rest of us.

"We are not monsters. We regret the deaths we must cause, but the urge becomes so strong that it would drive us mad if we did not give in to it. Many have taken this path, in fact, and the outcome is so much more disastrous than if we simply do as our bodies want, that few are willing to risk it anymore.

"If you are enticed by a lamia, run away. You will enjoy the experience... right up until your death. And there is no reasoning with us at that point. Once we have engaged you, there is virtually no way for you to get away, unless you kill us."

Prof. Schmidt asked, "Are there any questions?"

One student asked, "How did your race come to be like this?"

Kiorin said, "We don't know. Our history goes back for thousands of years, but we haven't even a legend about why we are the way we are."

"If you have a child every six years, and you live for... well, at least for eighteen years... doesn't that mean the population grows really fast?"

"It would, yes," Kiorin said. "But we are a hunted people. Most of us are killed on sight. The vast majority of us never see our eighteenth birthday, even though up until that point, we are completely safe for humans."

David stirred. "Professor... she will be allowed to leave here, right?"

Prof. Schmidt looked at him, understanding the seriousness of David's question. "Yes, she will be carefully escorted back to where we found her. We will make sure we are not followed, and we will see to it that she is as safe as she can be before we leave. While the policy regarding lamias is actually one promulgated by the king, we choose to not follow that policy, in this case."

"Wait," someone said, "you mean the king has actually ordered us to kill the lamias on sight?"

"Order is not the right word," Prof. Schmidt said. "You will not be punished for not doing so. However, you would be rewarded for bringing in the skin of a lamia's lower half. I do apologize, Kiorin, for this portion of the conversation."

"Apology is not necessary, Professor. We, as a people, understand how we appear to humans. Our grotesque body only mimics our grotesque existence. To many, death is actually preferable to continued existence."

"And in your case?" Jim asked.

Kiorin looked at him with a smile. "I have found just enough joy in life to wish to continue."

Jim nodded at her.

"Are there any other questions?" There were none. "In that case, thank you, Kiorin, for your time. We'll move on to our next visitor now."

The group moved over to the river, where they saw a seal playing in the waves. Prof. Schmidt waved to the seal, which then turned and came to the shore. As it made its way out of the water, the animal began to change. Its body thinned, and paled, and its limbs elongated, until what rose was a human woman, her naked body glistening in the sun.

Prof. Schmidt put a robe over the woman, to keep her warm and to prevent the male students from ogling her constantly. She nodded to the professor, and then moved toward the students.

"Hello," she said, her voice sounding as if she were slightly hoarse. "My name is Wenisvaria. I am a selkie. As you have seen, selkies have two forms. When we are in the water, we take on the body of a seal. Out of the water, we change into human shape.

"Selkies have their own, complete, society. We live on and around certain islands. Most of us stay within that society all our lives. There are those selkies, however, who are more adventurous, and who are interested in the human way of life. Those selkies, and there are both male and female selkies who do this, they will seek out a human companion.

"I'm afraid that selkies don't necessarily make very good partners, as we are compelled to spend half our time in the water, as seals. We could be gone for days at a time, depending on how long we've stayed out of the water as humans. During this time, we will not acknowledge our human partners. We will return, in our own time, to them. Selkies are faithful to their mates, whether those mates are other selkies or humans."

"Are there any questions?" Prof. Schmidt asked.

"Yeah, I don't want to be rude, or seem... well, icky... but since you have two forms, both seal and human... do you ever take other seals as partners?" one of the students asked.

Wenisvaria frowned. "There is a small sect that does this. They are outcasts. Seals are mere animals, they aren't self-aware, and we believe it is immoral to join with them in this fashion. Some believe that the selkie people started as a punishment for just this activity. Truthfully, we don't know where we came from or why, but most of us don't really care, either."

"Do you choose how you want to look as a human?" one girl asked.

"Did you?" Wenisvaria said with a smile. "This is who I am."

"How long do selkies live?"

"We have a typical human lifespan... it is perhaps slightly shorter. The oldest selkie I have ever heard of died at the age of eighty. I'm aware that humans, especially wizards, can live well beyond this."

"Can you have a child with a human, or only with another selkie?"

"A female selkie will always give birth to a selkie, and yes, we can be made pregnant by our human mate. A male selkie who has a human female partner may father either a selkie, or a slightly odd-shaped human. If the woman gives birth to a human, it will tend to have webbing between its fingers. The child will, of course, be an insanely good swimmer."

There seemed to be no more questions, so Prof. Schmidt thanked the selkie, and then turned to the students. "Our next creature is also staying in the river. He actually lives in the Monster Moat, but we moved him up here so that you wouldn't have to move around too much. Let me get his attention."

Prof. Schmidt performed a charm with his wand, and a stream of bubbles formed in the water of the river, heading down toward the river bottom. Shortly thereafter, a hump broke the surface of the water. Several of the students pointed at it, and the murmuring began. Finally, the creature's head rose clear of the surface of the river, arching ten feet into the air on the end of a long neck. Its body wasn't visible, beneath the water, but no sign of a hump or fin was visible on the surface. It stared at them, its gaze impassive. It showed neither menace, nor friendship, but seemed intrigued by their presence.

"This is the abaia," Prof. Schmidt said. "And like the hippocampus, he is a protector of lakes and rivers. And in our case, the moat. The abaia is responsible for many lake-monster and sea-serpent legends, as his long, slender body often breaks the water repeatedly, looking like humps or loops. Lakes where the abaia reside are not places to do commercial fishing, or any form of developing of the land. The abaia will ignore your presence until you do something to disturb the lake, or to harm the life within it."

"Professor," one student asked, "You say you can't fish there... what will they do if you're trying to catch a fish for dinner?"

"I said it's not a place for commercial fishing," Prof. Schmidt corrected. "If you are catching a single fish, to feed yourself, the abaia will understand that. If, however, you are concerned about it, you could offer up a greeting and respect to the abaia before you begin fishing. This will let it know your intention, and it is less likely to come investigate your presence."

"Do we need to shout when we do that?" the student asked.

"No. Like a spirit, the abaia can hear thoughts directed at it. Merely speak in soft, but respectful, voice, and it will hear you.

"Are there other questions?" There weren't. Prof. Schmidt turned to the abaia. "Thank you, friend. You may return to your home."

The abaia turned and dove into the river. The students watched as it swam rapidly toward the waterfall leading down to the Monster Moat. As the abaia reached the edge, it lunged out beyond the falls. Its green, eel-like body arced downward as it plunged over the cliff, falling toward the moat below.

Once the abaia had fallen out of sight, the students turned back to Prof. Schmidt. While they had been watching the eel, another creature had made its way out of the river, and was sitting on a rock, staring at the students.

"This is Alana," Prof. Schmidt said. "She is a mermaid, if it is actually necessary for me to point that out. For those of you from Earth, who are used to the Earth mermaid stories, let me point out a little correction. Mermaids are not half fish. They are half dolphin. You will see that her lower body has the gray coloration of the dolphin, and that her flukes are solid, not feathery like some Earth stories suggest. I will let Alana tell you about her race."

Alana pushed her hair out of her face and said, "Merfolk live in all of the larger bodies of water in the world. There are several groups of us, and with the exception of the orcans, we all get along with each other.

"Mer-society isn't terribly different from human society, although the wizarding trait does not seem to be quite as strong in the merworld. About half of all merfolk end up as wizards. I understand that all humans are wizards."

"Actually," Prof. Schmidt said, correcting her, "Most humans are not wizards, but the non-wizard humans don't live in Dugerra."

"Oh? I didn't know that. At any rate, merfolk are quite friendly, as long as you don't try to harm us or our homes. Should you happen to be swimming and see one of us, feel free to say hello. Despite some stories I have heard, we will not try to tempt you down into the depths, dragging you to your death, or anything of the sort. In fact, it is the law for most merfolk that we must help save humans who are shipwrecked.

"Are there any questions?" she asked.

"Can merpeople and humans mate?" one boy asked immediately.

"Yes. I'm not going to be so rude as to display myself, but we have... compatible body parts."

"What kind of child comes out of such a union?" someone else asked.

"There are several different possible outcomes from that union, all the way from normal human, to normal merfolk, and various stages in-between."

"You mentioned orcans," Someone said. "Who are they?"

"The orcans are the giants of the merworld. All merfolk are half dolphin, but the orcans are half orca, which is, as I'm sure you know, the largest member of the dolphin family. These merfolk are a bit more aggressive, and tend to defend their territory more. This usually is only directed at other merfolk. Toward humans, they still tend to be civil. They are not as helpful, however."

"What do you eat?" someone asked.

"Fish," she replied simply. "And, before you ask, you probably don't want to know how. Especially if you plan on having a meal anytime soon."

There were some chuckles in the audience for that.

"If there is nothing further?" Prof. Schmidt asked. There were no other questions. "Thank you, Alana, for your time." Turning back to the students, he said, "All right, if we'll just walk this way now, we can meet our final guest for the day."

The group all walked together back toward the Animal Annex. There, they came upon a leopard, just sitting on the ground, unchained, and apparently disinterested in the group that approached. Once Prof. Schmidt had arrived, however, the leopard stood, stretched, and walked over to him.

"This is Darla. No, she is not really a leopard, as such. Darla, if you could, please?"

The cat closed its eyes and tilted its head to one side. Suddenly, it began to morph. Its rear legs lengthened, and its chest grew. Its front paws divided, growing fingers, and its head shifted in an indefinable way. A mane of hair appeared on its head, draping down its neck. In another few seconds, Darla stood, now as tall as Prof. Schmidt. She was clearly a werecat.

"Darla is, as I'm sure you've guessed by now, a were. She happens to be a werecat, but there is little difference from one were to another in basic terms. Most weres have three forms: fully human, fully animal, and an intermediate hybrid shape. This is what most werecats will look like in their hybrid shape, although markings and body size will, of course, differ.

"Darla, if you'd like to shift to your human form and tell the students about your people?" To the students, he said, "Weres can talk in their hybrid shape, but some of them can be rather hard for us humans to understand. Werecats, especially, seem to be difficult for us. They can understand each other just fine, of course."

While the professor was talking, Darla shifted from her hybrid shape into her human body. Her feet changed from their animal style, where she was standing on her toes, into a normal human foot. Her body lost its coloration, shifting to a typical human skin tone. Her head lost all of its feline features, replacing them with fairly attractive human ones. The only remnants of her cat self were her ears, which retained the slightest of points on the top, but that was not even as severe as an elf's ears. When she'd finished, Prof. Schmidt also gave her a robe, as she was naked.

"I'm not exactly sure what to tell you about weres," Darla said to them. "We're really just like people, when we're human. In animal form, we are still capable of thought, but our instincts tend to be much stronger. Our most aggressive form, however, is when we are hybrids. Our human aggression mixes with our animal instincts, and we can be very dangerous if provoked, especially at our forced turnings."

"Please explain for the students what you mean by a forced turning," the professor requested.

"As you just saw, a were can change form at will. However, there are certain things - it differs for each were species - that will force us into a particular shape. For instance, the full moon will force a werewolf into their hybrid form, and it will make them nearly feral; they don't reason well at that point, and they are insanely aggressive.

"For a werecat, the smell of milk will force us into our animal form. It will also calm us, making us slightly more docile than we would otherwise be.

"Most weres live in the Were Nation, known as Vrudena. It is to the north of here. It is controlled by the werewolves, though they usually do consult with the other were races before making decisions. Werewolves are, by far, the most aggressive were race. Most of the rest of us just wish to be left in peace."

"Any questions?" Prof. Schmidt asked.

"You said the smell of milk turns you into a cat," someone said. "Does that include your own mother's milk?"

Darla smiled. "Yes, it does. All werecats are born as kittens, and will not become human for at least six months, at which point they will wake up their human half."

"Can you turn others into werecats?"

"We can, but we don't. Only werewolves are known for turning people. If we attack you, we're going to kill you."

"Why is that?" Jim asked.

"Because we don't think you deserve to be werecats," Darla said piously. "You are, after all, only humans."

Another student asked, "If that's the case, do you ever mate with humans?"

"Some have. They are not treated well in the werecat society. Again, werewolves will happily mate with humans, and have were-offspring. It weakens the were genes, in our opinion, but the werewolves don't listen to us in this regard."

"Are there any further questions?" Prof. Schmidt asked. There were none. "In that case, thank you, Darla, for your time. And that concludes our seminar for the day."

"Hey, wait a minute!" a voice called out. "What about the other freak amongst us?"

David recognized Marcus' voice. He groaned, knowing exactly where this was going.

"I'm not sure I know of what you speak," Prof. Schmidt replied.

"The goddamned demighost," Marcus spat. "If you're going to give us a freak-show, might as well use the local talent!"

Prof. Schmidt frowned. "I do not appreciate your epithets and slurs, Mr. Savolar. And I hardly think we need to put one of our students on display to amuse you."

"Professor," David said, getting Prof. Schmidt's attention. "If there's an actual interest, I'd be willing to answer some questions."

"Dude, are you nuts?" Jim asked.

David shrugged. "Education is the only way to fight bigotry."

Prof. Schmidt motioned David up in front, and said, "If you want to say something about yourself first, then the crowd can ask questions."

David said, "I am a demighost. A demighost has two forms. We have a solid form, as you see me now, and a ghost form. We can fade from one to the other, like so." David demonstrated his fade into ghost form. He decided it might be best to stay this way: morph spells would not affect him in this form, and since he was basically making himself a target...

"I became a demighost because of a curse that had been placed on another demighost. I do not know how he became a demighost, as I never asked. Because I died in his presence, I became what I am. Now, who has questions?"

"What's it like to be a freak?" Marcus called out.

"I wouldn't know, you'd have to ask your mother," David replied immediately. There was a massive "ooh" from the audience at that. "I am completely normal, for what I am. I am not a human. I am not a ghost. I am a demighost, and as a demighost, I am utterly ordinary."

"Do you resent being a demighost?" a girl he didn't know asked.

"No. I mean, if I wasn't a demighost, I'd be a normal ghost. I died that night. From what I hear from my ghost friends, being dead isn't all that much fun, so... I'd just as soon be what I am."

"Can you do magic like you are right now?" someone asked.

David pulled out his wand and, just to torment Marcus, said, "Lux lucis!" A bright ball of light emitted from the end of his wand. He ended the spell, and put his wand away. "Answer your question?"

Several other people asked some basic questions, before finally, the professor stepped in. "Something tells me we could be at this all day. Why you're more interested in him than the others befuddles me. I think we will call this an end to this seminar. The last seminar for the year will be in May, and will cover draconic species. I hope to see you all there."

As the group moved away, David said, "Sorry, Professor. I just figured it was a good way to fight back against people like Marcus."

"Not your fault, Mr. Stroud. Clearly there is interest in you."

"I did have a question, though, Professor. How come all of our guests today were girls? I mean, okay, the lamias are always female, but the selkies, and the weres, have male counterparts... how come they were all girls?"

"Interest in being helpful," Prof. Schmidt replied.

"I'm sorry?"

"When we asked for assistance, the only ones interested in coming here were the females." The professor shrugged. "I cannot make them join us, so I take the ones who volunteer. That was the females."

"Oh. Well, thanks for the seminar, Professor."

"Good day, Mr. Stroud."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"I'm sorry to have forced you in here again," Prof. Qwellyn told David. "But I've gotten behind in dealing with them, so I needed the help."

"I don't mind, Professor, but why don't you just ask some of your fairy friends to help out?"

"They do help out, with some things. But there are other things that us fairies just don't normally do. We don't move plants, and we also don't normally prune them. But since these are for the king's landscaping, we are forced to do what he wants. You did well this time. You only got shocked once."

David chuckled, rubbing his hand. "I think that particular plant just doesn't like me."

"You did threaten to wrap him in copper the first time you met him," Prof. Qwellyn replied with a chuckle. "Now, we're done for the day, so you can go ahead and go."

"Is there more to do here? If you still need help..."

She smiled at him. "Thank you for the offer, but what's left, I can do myself. You're supposed to be an apprentice, not a slave."

"You mean, there's a difference?" he asked, feigning shock and dismay. She giggled at him. "All right, Miss J. I'll see you in class tomorrow, then."

"You have a good night, David."

"You, too."

As David left the greenhouse, Prof. Qwellyn continued to work. He'd gone about a hundred feet when he suddenly heard an immense commotion. Looking back, he saw the greenhouse lighting up with electric charges.

"Oh, shit!" David ran for the greenhouse door. In the semi-darkness, he saw a figure running away. He couldn't make out who it was, and at the moment, it wasn't important. He dashed through the doorway into the greenhouse, and froze. The plants were all sparking and sending bolts from one plant to another. He didn't see Prof. Qwellyn from where he was.

Moving carefully, he slid along the outer wall of the greenhouse, as far from the plants as he could get. After looking down each aisle, he hadn't seen any sign of the professor.

Where the hell did she go?

David moved back, just as slowly, looking carefully for any clues. As he passed by the third row, something caught his eye. Lying on the floor, next to an overturned pot, David saw... something. It took him a long moment to focus on it, as the sparks and lightning bolts were causing him to squint. What lay there looked, at first glance, like a rag, but on closer inspection, was something attached to a pair of wings. Prof. Qwellyn had reverted to her fairy self, either before or after the incident.

David looked at the ferns. They were not calming down. His presence was probably keeping them agitated. He could burn them... but then the school might get in trouble with the king. Still, he had to get Miss J out of there.

Remembering a possibly useful spell, David pulled out his wand. Crouching, he pointed it at Prof. Qwellyn's unconscious form and shouted, "Sem!" Prof. Qwellyn's body slid along the floor, then lifted up slightly, flying to David's hand. Once she was cradled against him, he put his wand away.

Making his way carefully along the wall, so as not to get shocked himself, he inched his way out of the greenhouse. Once outside, he pulled out his mirror. It was very difficult to dial while holding Prof. Qwellyn, but he managed. In only a second, Healer Hall appeared in his mirror.

"Yes, David, what can I do for you?" she asked.

"Prof. Qwellyn has been injured by the lightning ferns. She's currently in fairy form. Do I bring her to you, or what?"

"Oh, dear. Yes, bring her here as fast as you can."

"I'll be there in a couple minutes."

"We'll be waiting."

When David got to the infirmary, Healer Hall wasn't the only one there. Dean Lengel stood out of the way as David carried Prof. Qwellyn over to a bed and gingerly set her down on it.

"What happened?" Healer Hall asked.

"The lightning ferns went berserk, and I guess she got caught in the discharge. I wasn't there when it happened, so I'm only guessing."

Healer Hall nodded, and then turned to her diminutive patient. Dean Lengel motioned David over to her. Quietly, she said, "Tell me all of what happened."

"I had just finished up my apprenticeship time with her, and I'd left the greenhouse. I was a little ways away when I heard first a loud pop, and then the sparks started flying, literally. When I looked, the greenhouse was actually lit up with all the discharges from the ferns. As I was running back to the greenhouse, I saw someone running away."

"Who was it?" Dean Lengel asked, interrupting.

"I don't know. I only saw them in silhouette, and, well, we all kind of look the same in silhouette. I think it was a girl, but it could have simply been a slender guy."

Dean Lengel nodded. "What happened when you got back to the greenhouse?"

"Well, I went inside, and real careful, looked into each row, trying to find Miss J. I was looking for a person, so I missed her on my first look. On my way back, I spotted her. I pulled her to me, and then got her and me out of there."

"Pulled her to you? Using what spell?"

"Sem."

The dean nodded. "Very good thinking, David. Do you have any idea who the prankster might have been?"

"As far as I know, Dean, Miss J has no enemies. Everyone loves her class. I don't know why someone would want to hurt her."

"Might they have been after you, instead?"

"I guess it's possible. Maybe they didn't look in before they did... whatever... and they thought I was still in there with her. But I haven't been having that kind of problem this year. In fact, it's more been my friends... who..." David said, trailing off in thought.

"Friends who, what?" she prompted.

"Okay, there is a possibility. I've got no proof at all, except that she would be about the same size as the person I saw leaving the greenhouse."

"Who?"

"Cherise."

"Cherise... the girl on the handbook committee with you?"

"That's her."

"What has she got against the professor?"

"Nothing at all. But she has been tormenting my girlfriends. She played pranks on Rose last semester, and she's played pranks already on Devyn this semester. Also... I suppose it's conceivable she might have even been responsible for what happened to Simon, though that would have seemed to not be her style, until now."

"If all of this has been going on, why haven't you said anything?"

"Because I can't prove anything. It's just like with Marcus. I know who's doing things, but I haven't even a hint of actual evidence. I've told her to back off, but you see how well that's working."

"What is her issue with you?"

"I won't go out with her."

"Ah... is this the blackmailer from last semester, then?"

"You got it."

"That is something we could have charged her with, you know."

"Yes, but you'll recall, I was worried about my own neck at the time."

"True enough. You didn't see her clearly tonight?"

"No. There's no way I could say with any certainty it was her. I'm only saying that she might have a motive... screwed up as it would be."

Dean Lengel nodded. "I will look into it."

"Yeah, meanwhile, I'm going to have to tell her to back the hell off again."

"You expect that to work?"

"No, but there's nothing else I can do, unless you've got some ideas..."

Dean Lengel shook her head. "Without some evidence it was her, I'm afraid not."

"Maybe Miss J saw something."

"We can hope."

"Or perhaps one of the ghosts was around," David mused.

Dean Lengel shook her head. "While I would believe most of the ghosts, we are legally forbidden from using their testimony, even in a disciplinary hearing."

"Why?"

"Because their presence in any location is unverifiable. Let's say that a ghost comes forward and says not that they saw Cherise, who we think to be guilty, but that they saw... oh, let's be ridiculous. Let's say that they accuse your friend Olissa. They do this because they have some kind of grudge against her. Now, naturally, we would ask Prof. Qwellyn if she saw the ghost there. If she says no, and then the ghost says, 'Oh, well, I was invisible at the time, so you couldn't see me.' How are we supposed to decide who to believe? There is no way to refute the ghost's assertion that he was there, and also no way to verify it. Because of the possibility for abuse, because there's no way for us to determine legitimacy, and because, if they do lie to us, there is no method by which we can punish them for that act, it was decided centuries ago that ghosts could not be used in legal proceedings."

"Oh."

"I should also tell you, since the subject has come up, that, should you be involved in something where you witness an event, you, also, would not be allowed to testify unless you were in visible form during the entire event, either solid, or a visible ghost."

"Oh... well... that's a good thing to know, I guess. If Cherise is going to be like this, though... maybe we could use the ghosts to follow her around, just to warn us of what's going on?"

Dean Lengel shook her head. "Sadly, most ghosts would not cooperate with such a plan. To their way of thinking, it's simply not worth their time. The few ghosts you might get to agree to it... for instance, Madame Penelope would almost certainly agree, and Madame Barbonne might... but they would be taking up all their time to keep track of her. And ghosts do have a tendency to sleep during the day, which would make it difficult for them to keep an eye on her in the first place. I'm afraid I've already had this discussion with the ghosts... about you, actually, I'm sorry to say."

"About me?"

"When you first came here, I asked if they would be willing to keep watch on you, to make sure you stayed out of trouble. Keep in mind that I didn't know you very well, and demighosts do have a reputation."

"I'm not offended, Ma'am."

"Anyway, even under those circumstances, I couldn't get any cooperation. Ghosts, as a whole, aren't very willing to help us 'flesh-bags'." She smirked at the expression.

"Did they really call you that?" David asked.

She chuckled quietly. "One of the more cantankerous ones did, yes."

"Ouch."

"Anyway, yes, it's a good thought, if they'd cooperate. But they won't."

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to make Penny do it all the time. That would be asking too much of her."

Dean Lengel nodded.

David sighed. "I guess we're just going to have to hope things don't get worse before we can catch her in the act, then."

"Yes."

They turned to Healer Hall, who seemed to be finished with whatever she was doing.

"Is she going to be okay?" David asked.

"She will be uncomfortable for a while, but she'll live, thanks to you."

"I'm sure the fairies would have shown up to help her eventually."

"Don't count on it. Fairies don't much like lightning ferns, either. In fact, this little incident may just cause the Fairy King to destroy the lot of them."

"But then Miss J would have to grow a whole new batch for the king."

"You misunderstand, David," Dean Lengel explained. "The Fairy King may wipe out the entire species. It depends on how angry this makes him."

"But... that's not fair. The plants were simply reacting to something a person did. It's not their fault, really."

"True, but once the Fairy King sets his mind to something..." the dean shrugged.

"Well, that just sucks."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"That'll be it for tonight, guys. Sorry, I'm just not focused on this, I've got some other stuff on my mind. Lisa, can you have those six pages laid out by week after next? Remember, guys, that we don't meet next week, since it's the Festival."

"Sure, David. No problem. See ya."

"Yeah. Cherise, I need to talk with you for a minute."

"Surely!" she said, her voice as bubbly and sweet as ever. He waited until the others had left the room, then he turned to her.

"What you did to Prof. Qwellyn was wrong."

"Hmm? Did something happen to Prof. Qwellyn?"

"Don't give me that shit, Cherise. What I want to know is, was I supposed to be in there, too? If I'd been in there, instead of having just left, Miss J would probably be dead now."

"Now, David, really, why would I want to kill her? Or anyone, for that matter?"

"Because you're fucked in the head," David replied.

"As long as I'm getting fucked somewhere..." she said with a grin.

David growled. "Look, Cherise, I don't want to have to tell you again. You and I are never going to be a couple. I'm not going to date you. I am sure as hell never going to have sex with you. Nothing you do is going to change that."

"We'll see," she said wistfully. "You've been known to change your mind before. Perhaps, over time, the events of your life will help you see that we were meant to be together."

"Was that a threat?" David snarled.

"David, I would never threaten you!" she said, seemingly stricken by the concept.

David leaned in close. "Stay... away... from... me." He grabbed his folder and started to walk out of the room. Halfway there, he turned. "And my friends."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Good evening, David," Penny said, greeting him with a kiss and a hug. David returned her affections readily.

"How are you tonight?" he asked her.

"The same as always," she replied. "It's nice to see you, but what are you doing here on a weekend? Is there a problem you need to talk about?" she asked, concerned.

David snorted. "No, I already told you about Cherise. Actually, I'm here to ask Lord Woodward for a favor. Is he here in the castle tonight?"

"He's virtually always here. I think he's hanging around in the war room tonight."

"The war room?"

"I'll show you." Penny led David to the stairs.

As they walked, David asked, "Penny... what's the chance I could get the ghosts to follow someone around?"

"Cherise?" she asked knowingly. David nodded. Penny sighed. "Almost no chance at all. I'm sorry, David, but most of the ghosts here just don't care that much for people. It's why people aren't really all that welcome in the castle. I will follow her, if you want me to."

David shook his head. "You'd have to follow her 24/7. I can't ask you to do that by yourself... you'd have to sleep eventually, anyway... and you sleep in the day, don't you?"

"Usually."

"See? So you'd be asleep while she was possibly doing things. No. If I'd been able to get a half-dozen ghosts to do it, that would be one thing. For just one of you... I can't ask that."

"I'm afraid you would never find so many as six willing to do that task. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I had to ask."

"There's never harm in asking," she told him.

Once they reached the top floor of the castle, Penny led him to a room he'd never been in. She gave him a soft kiss, and motioned him inside, but did not join him. When she left and he looked around, he saw no one, but he could sense three ghostly presences.

"Hello," he said, "my name is David Stroud. I am a student at the Woodward Academy. If it would not be an inconvenience, I would like to speak with Lord Woodward. Are you present, sir?"

In just a few seconds, Lord Woodward faded into visibility. "Really, young Mr. Stroud. I would think that we could dispense with the formalities. You've attended the Night of Haunting twice already. Surely you don't go through all that to say hello to Madame Penelope?"

"No, sir, but she is my friend."

"And I am not?" Lord Woodward asked, a friendly challenge in his gaze.

"Well, sir, I don't actually know you very well, so formality seemed more appropriate... and actually, that is the reason I have come to speak with you."

"Do tell," the lord encouraged.

"As you may or may not be aware, I am enrolled in a History class this semester. Our largest assignment is to write a term paper on a prominent historical figure. I was lucky enough to be able to choose you as my subject - Prof. Gardner is forcing us each to do someone different - and, anyway, I was hoping that I could perhaps interview you for my paper."

"You say you were lucky enough to choose me. Why did you wish to do a report on me?"

"Because I'd met you, sir. And because your castle is playing a very important role in my life. I don't know what the other schools of wizardry are like, but without the help of the resident ghosts here, making my adjustments would have been much harder. It is also nice to know that there is a place I can retreat to should it become emotionally necessary.

"And, sir, let's not mince words. You played a crucial role in the defense of Callamandia while you were in the king's employ."

Lord Woodward grinned. "Well, how can a man say no to someone offering praise such as that? Though I wonder if you don't overstate my importance. Ours was merely one of a line of castles that maintained the presence of the king throughout the land."

"But most of those other castles never saw attack. Castle Woodward was attacked numerous times."

"Maybe that just means we were vulnerable?" Lord Woodward offered.

"Except that the castle was never taken. You were never defeated in battle."

"There is that," Lord Woodward allowed. "Very well. I will talk with you of my life. What do you want to know?"

"Let's start out with, how did you come to be in the king's employ in the first place?"

"Oh, that. Simple. My father was one of the king's generals. I was raised to be his replacement. I learned wizarding very early on. Keep in mind this was in the days before licensing. People in Dugerra learned wizarding from their families, friends, and neighbors, and they learned it whenever they could. It was very disorganized.

"Anyway, by the time I was your age, I had already completed my wizard training, and I had joined the military. I started out a mere wizard soldier, but, due to my father's connections as well as, I admit, my own ability, I quickly moved into better positions. At the time of the second Were War, I had made my way onto the staff of the general responsible for defending Northern Callamandia.

"When the weres invaded, it was decided to build the castle fortifications, to prevent further encroachment. I was given charge of constructing this castle. When it was finished, I was promoted, and given control of the castle... and indeed, ownership, though truthfully, the castle never really belonged to me. It has always been the king's property."

"What was your family like?" David asked.

Lord Woodward rose from his chair. "Let's walk while we talk, shall we? I prefer to move around while reminiscing."

"However you want to do it, Lord Woodward."

The two moved out of the war room, and began to wander around the castle as they talked. They spent hours together, Lord Woodward telling stories and answering questions, while David listened. He had used a memory potion on himself, to make sure that he wouldn't forget any of this before he had a chance to go to his dorm room and write it all down. It was much more cordial and fluid than trying to take notes while they talked.

It was midnight before they parted, and Lord Woodward had agreed to continue their discussion at a later time. David made his way quickly back to his room. He had a feeling he was going to get to sleep quite late this evening. It was a good thing the next day was a Sunday.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David left his room without saying anything to the others. It was the Festival of Love and Lights, but none of them had a girlfriend, so he didn't want to make a big deal that he was going to meet his. Clearly, he was about to get laid, as she had told him to meet her in her dorm room shower.

David walked up to Devyn's room, and knocked. He waited for a couple minutes, knocking twice more, but got no answer. Devyn had told him to simply come in if this happened. He couldn't open the door, of course, as that was magically sealed. David being who he was, though, he simply faded, and pushed himself through the door.

Deciding that it might be a good idea to stay this way, just in case someone else was in the room, David made his way invisibly into the bathroom. He passed by the shower area, and heard water running, but did not see Devyn. The shower was designed to allow all four students to shower at once, and so he assumed she was standing at the showerhead that wasn't easily visible as he walked by.

David faded to visibility, and removed his clothes, setting them on an available shelf. Once he was naked, he got a grin on his face. Rather than walk in the shower entrance, he decided to push right through the wall, to surprise Devyn.

When David stepped through the wall, he was the one who got the surprise.

"Hey, Sweetheart... whoa. Am I early? Or too late?" Devyn's arms were wrapped around a very naked Gwen, who was now blushing.

"You are right on time," Devyn said to him. "Come here."

David faded to his human form, and then stepped over and kissed Devyn. She let go of Gwen, but kept one hand on her, to make sure she wouldn't go anywhere while the other two were kissing. When they broke apart, David smiled at her. Then his eyes flicked to Gwen, and a question formed on his face.

"What is she doing here?" he asked mischievously.

"Joining us," Devyn replied. "You should say hello properly."

David let go of Devyn, and he moved over to Gwen.

"Hi," he said, running his hand very lightly along her side.

"Hey," she replied. She was still blushing furiously.

"Why are you embarrassed?" David asked her. "You've got a beautiful body."

She looked into his eyes and smiled, but she was still blushing. David leaned in and their lips met, her eyes closing to enjoy the sensation. As they kissed, David pulled her more tightly against his body. She could immediately feel his erection pressing against her stomach, and that sent tingles through her belly.

David turned, pulling Gwen with him. She was now between him and Devyn, who began to rub Gwen's shoulders while David's hands caressed her back. He continued to kiss her, but moved just slightly back, so that his hands could slip around to gently fondle her breasts. He tweaked her nipples, causing her to squeak, and then to press herself into his hands more strongly.

After a little while, one of David's hands strayed off Gwen's tit and down across her abdomen. She parted her legs as his fingers slid past her clit, and she groaned loudly as his middle finger delved deep into her hole. When a second finger joined it, she began to move her hips in time with his actions. Meanwhile, they continued to kiss, though they took frequent breaks so she could breathe more easily. Devyn, meanwhile, continued to caress Gwen's back and her ass, helping to arouse her.

Finally, breathlessly, Gwen said, "Good as this feels, you didn't come here to finger me. You came here to get laid. And you've been ready since we started."

David smiled at her. Devyn stepped back a little, not exactly sure how David would take Gwen. David moved her over and pressed her gently against the tile wall. He reached down and pushed his dick down, so that it was nestled between her thighs, pushing up against her pussy lips.

"How long's it been since you were with a boy?" David asked her.

"Years. I was fifteen at the time."

"I'll go slow," David promised her.

"Thanks."

David bent down slightly, and he grabbed Gwen's legs, pulling them upward until she was off the floor, her body held in place by his hands, and the pressure of her back against the wall. She wrapped her legs around David's waist, and waited.

Devyn stepped in at this point. Rather than have David let go of Gwen, Devyn reached down and took his dick in her hand. She stroked it a couple times, and then she pushed the head of it upward until it slipped into Gwen's pussy. Gwen inhaled sharply, and then let it out slowly. She looked into David's eyes, and he watched her expression as he pushed his cock inside of her, inch by inch. She maintained her smile throughout, and soon his hips were resting against hers.

David held Gwen up, and began to rock his hips in and out. He started out slow, but as she loosened up, he picked up the pace. He loved the feel of her nipples rubbing against his chest, and he could feel his own heat rising. He didn't think he'd last very long the first time, which he regretted. Gwen deserved better.

Gwen began to moan as David's hips moved faster, thrusting his cock into her more strongly. He could feel his climax approaching, and he held it off as long as he could. It wasn't long enough, though. He spewed his load deep inside of her before she could come. He grunted with each pulse of his dick, until finally he was spent.

David looked deep into Gwen's eyes. "Sorry," he told her quietly. She smiled at him in instant forgiveness.

"Do not worry, you are not done with her yet," Devyn told David. David arched an eyebrow, and then he set Gwen back down on the floor. As David slipped out of Gwen's pussy, Devyn reached down and took his dick in hand. He turned to face Devyn, who immediately dropped to her knees. She began sucking on him, trying to bring him back to stiffness.

David leaned over to Gwen, and whispered, "Watch this." David faded to ghost form and back. Devyn gasped a bit at the change in sensation - David's ghost self was much colder to the touch than his solid form - but she didn't stop sucking on him. In mere seconds, David was fully erect again. Once he was, Devyn released him.

"Now give her an orgasm," she ordered David.

"How do you want me?" Gwen asked him.

David considered for a second, then said, "Lie down on the floor... so that the water hits your body."

Gwen complied, and then David knelt between her legs, which she parted for his access. He leaned down over her, and then placed his cock at her opening once again. As he pressed in, she closed her eyes for a second, clearly in enjoyment of the sensation. Once he'd buried himself to the hilt, however, she opened her eyes again, to look into his. David leaned down and kissed her, and she slipped her tongue into his mouth this time.

As they continued to tongue wrestle, David began moving in and out of her pussy. He didn't hurry; he wanted to give her a good experience. He could tell, however, that her arousal was ramping up quickly. He used one hand to caress her side while his other held him up. Gwen was moaning into his mouth now as they kissed.

In another minute, Gwen's body started to shiver, and David knew her climax was imminent. He broke their kiss, to let her breathe, and so that he could thrust more forcefully. As he did so, Devyn leaned down to join in for the final moment, and she began to lick Gwen's nipples. That was all Gwen could take, and she screamed out her orgasm, her body shuddering and twisting beneath her two partners.

Once Gwen settled, Devyn pulled back. David slowly withdrew from her pussy, and then he leaned down to kiss her again. Gwen smiled at him, but she wasn't yet capable of speech.

Devyn took David's hand, and forcibly pulled him to his feet.

"Watching that has me hotter than a furnace. I need you to fuck me now!" she said. She turned and put her hands on the wall, presenting her pussy for his viewing enjoyment.

David knew what to do. He stepped in and slid his dick into Devyn's cunt in one smooth motion. Devyn groaned, and pushed back at him, forcing him as deep into her as he could get.

David didn't waste any time; he knew she wanted a good, hard fucking. He grabbed her hips and began thrusting into her just as hard and as fast as he could manage. Devyn was quickly grunting and moaning in bliss.

David stopped, and then he shifted their position. He grabbed her one leg, holding it up. He was now thrusting into her a bit sideways, sending new sensations shooting through her pussy. Devyn immediately returned to her state of ecstasy. She loved the feel of his cock filling up her cunt.

In only a few more seconds, Devyn's first orgasm erupted. She screamed and twisted in his arms, her body wracked with a massive climax. David continued to fuck her; he knew she loved that, and he was nowhere near his own peak yet.

Once Devyn came down, she ordered him to sit on the floor. He did, not too close to Gwen, who was still basking in the after-glow of her come.

Devyn lowered herself onto David's cock, squatting so that her pussy was the only thing in contact with his body. David leaned back as she began to bounce on him. Devyn was a woman possessed; her pussy rippled on his cock as she bucked up and down as fast as she could go. He merely watched in awe, and enjoyed the feelings on his dick.

After a few short minutes, Devyn began to cry out, her climax approaching. When it hit her, she bucked even more furiously on top of David, her head thrashing up and down as her body was awash in the joys of her release. At the height of her passions, she actually threw herself right off David's cock, and into his chest. He caught her, and then, chuckling, lowered her to the floor, where she finally began to descend from her heights. David knew she was done for the evening, though.

When David turned back from watching Devyn, he felt a soft hand encircle his shaft. He turned to see Gwen.

"Would you like me to suck you off?" she asked him.

"You sure?" he asked. "I would love it, but I don't want you to do anything you don't like."

She smiled at him. "I'm too sore for you to have sex with me again, and I'm not going to leave you like this, after how good you made me feel. So it's either my hand or my mouth. I know my mouth will feel much better to you."

David smiled in agreement. She moved down some, and then leaned over, taking his cock between her lips. David closed his eyes and groaned as her tongue slid along the skin of his shaft. She took about half of him in, and then she began to move slowly up and down on his cock.

Gwen didn't speed up her movements for a long time. She let him enjoy the session, and only when she felt he was approaching his point of no return did she begin to bob more quickly, her hand reaching to fondle his balls gently.

"Oh, shit, Gwen, that feels good. I'm gonna come soon," he warned her. In response, she merely moaned quietly. He felt it on his prick, no matter how quiet it had been, and it sent shivers up his spine. In a few more seconds, he knew he could hold back no longer.

"Here it comes!" he grunted. Gwen pulled back until just the head of his dick was in her mouth, and then waited. She didn't have to wait long before spurt after spurt of his seed poured into her mouth. Only when he was finished did she swallow. She let his dick slip from her mouth, and then looked up at him.

"Thank you," was all he said to her. She just smiled in response.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

The next day at dinner, David could sense that something wasn't quite right between Devyn and Gwen. He wasn't sure what it was, however.

After dinner, he pulled Devyn aside.

"What's going on with you and Gwen?" he asked.

"I am not sure," Devyn replied. "She has been somewhat jittery since last night. When I ask her what is bothering her, she says it is nothing. She claims it is 'school stuff', and then changes the subject."

"Hmm. Well, I suppose it might actually be school stuff, but I doubt it. Would you like me to talk to her?"

"No, thank you. If there is a problem, I would not want to bring you into the middle of it."

David had the feeling he was already in the middle of it, but he shrugged and let it drop for the time being.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"What the heck is this?" David asked himself. He had just walked into Herbology class, and there was an envelope sitting on his desk with his name on it. He opened it, to find a note from Prof. Qwellyn inside. He read it over, sighed, and then put it back on his desk. Then he went over and sat on the corner of the professor's desk.

Once time had come for class to start, David hopped off the desk.

"Hey, guys. Apparently, Miss J had to go do something fairy-related this afternoon. She won't be here today. She's left us a review sheet that we're supposed to do, so I'll just go ahead and pass that out. If you need help with it... uh... well, I guess you can ask me, but I probably won't know any more than you do."

The class chuckled as David took the papers from the desk and began to pass them out.

One of the students said, "Why don't we just skip the paper, and review the material together?" There were some murmurs of agreement.

"Well, mainly because I'm not the teacher, and the teacher said we do the review sheet," David said with a chuckle. "Besides, who would be in charge of such a review?"

"You, obviously. You're the assistant."

"Yeah, maybe, but I don't know this stuff that well."

"Probably better than the rest of us," someone else said. "You've been working with Miss J after class, right?"

"As part of my potions apprenticeship," he confirmed. "Okay, I tell you what. We have to do the worksheet. She gave the assignment, we've got to do it. I'm not about to override her on that. But, after... oh, say, an hour, we'll go over the worksheet, and discuss it. Work for everyone?" There was agreement on this plan.

"David," one of the other students asked. "Do you know what happened with Miss J last week? She was gone that one day..."

"There was an incident in Greenhouse 6," David replied. "She was hurt by the lightning ferns. That's why it's off-limits; those things are dangerous."

"Have you gone in there?" someone else asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I've had to help her with those bastards, and I'm also the one that pulled her out when she got hurt. I've been zapped by them several times. It's not fun."

"Do you know where she went today?" another student asked.

"No. I think probably to speak with the Fairy King about the lightning ferns, but that's just a guess. Anyway, let's get this worksheet done, okay? We'll start reviewing together at... quarter to five."

David settled into his own desk, and got started on his worksheet, but he felt awkward, being the only one up at the front. He sighed, and tried to ignore the feeling.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David was once again working on his TEM homework when someone knocked on the door. Nate was closest, so he answered it.

"Hey, Gwen," he said, greeting her. "Come on in."

Gwen came in, and it was clear that she was a bit hesitant, but she walked over to David.

"Can we talk? Privately?"

"Yeah, sure," David replied. He got up and led her into his bedroom. Jim was there, reading on his bed.

"Hey, Jim, can you do that at your desk? We need to talk."

"So talk. I'm not paying attention."

David said, "Jim..."

"I'm comfortable here," Jim objected.

David growled, and then he said, "Two words: Flo Tractus."

Jim was up off the bed as fast as he could propel himself. He moved out into the main room, and then David closed the door.

"Why is he afraid of Flo?" she asked.

"He's afraid of something I might tell Flo," David said, motioning her over to the bed. "Don't worry about it. It's just how I get him to do what I want him to." He settled next to her on the bed, and his voice grew concerned. "Now, what's on your mind? I know something's been bugging you since Tuesday."

Gwen nodded, but she didn't speak right away. She looked down at her hands, and then back up at him. Before she could say anything, there was a loud chirp out in the main room. It was Jailla's voice.

"What's that about?" Gwen asked, looking over at the door.

"That was Jailla, telling me that Jim and the others are standing at the door, listening," David whispered to her. He motioned to her for quiet, and he silently got up off the bed and crept over to the door.

David gently placed his hand against the door, and then quickly shouted, "Sono plavatus!" The door shook, but on the other side, the three eavesdroppers were tossed backward, off their feet, by a sound wave that was created from the surface of the door. Gwen giggled as David returned to his position beside her on the bed.

"Now then. You were going to tell me what's been bothering you."

Gwen fidgeted as the light-hearted mood of a second ago evaporated. As she spoke, she found she couldn't look David in the eye, and looked off at the wall.

"Did you enjoy what we did?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, very much. Why?"

"I... didn't."

David frowned. "I'm sorry. Was I too rough?"

"Oh, no! It wasn't you. You were... well, you were the best male lover I've ever had. You made me feel wonderful."

"Okay... I'm confused."

Gwen chuckled. "Yeah, welcome to my world. I've been struggling with this all week. Especially because I don't want to hurt your feelings."

David put his hand on her arm. "If there's something you need to say, Gwen, just say it. To hell with my feelings; I'll get over it."

Gwen looked at him, and then looked away again. "I don't want to have sex with you again."

"Okay, that's not a problem, but... you said that it felt good, so I'm still confused."

"It felt good, David... very good. But it didn't feel right."

David shook his head. "Because Devyn and I are dating separately?"

Gwen shook her head in response. "Do you remember, last year, I told you that both Devyn and I were bi?"

"Yeah..."

"I think I lied."

"You think you lied?" David asked with a grin.

Gwen looked at him. "I think I'm actually a lesbian. Before Tuesday, I'd assumed that I hadn't enjoyed sex with guys because all of the guys I'd had sex with were immature teenage boys who simply weren't any good at it. I can't say that about you. You're very good at it, and it felt wonderful... but it didn't feel right. I'm not attracted to you at all, and I think I should be, if I was bi. Especially after Tuesday. Does this make any sense at all?"

"I think so. Have you told Devyn about this?"

"No. I'm not sure how to bring it up to her."

"Do you think she's going to have a problem with you being a lesbian, rather than bi?"

"I don't think so. I hope not. Tuesday was her idea, and I worry that she'll feel like she caused it somehow."

"I think you're looking at this the wrong way," David said.

"What do you mean?"

"This is a good thing. Now you know, for sure, that you just aren't into boys. You can stop looking down that path."

"But... what if you and Devyn decide to get married? I'd be all alone."

David snorted. "First off, it is far more likely that you and Devyn would end up married. Second, even if Devyn and I got married, why would that mean you'd be alone? You're making a rather big assumption that I'd kick you out of the relationship... why would I do that? You're one of my best friends."

"Yeah, but if I wasn't going to sleep with you, then you'd want to find a girl who would to join you two."

David shook his head. "This is a lot to be worrying over right now, Gwen. Devyn and I have been dating for what, a month? I'm nowhere near thinking about marrying her. You should talk with her about this, though. If you want, I can tell her, so that the 'surprise' is gone, and then you two can sit down and talk about it."

"No, that's okay. I think mainly I just needed to know that you weren't going to be really mad about it."

"Why should I be? I never really expected to have sex with you in the first place. I enjoyed it, yes, and if you were interested, I'd happily continue. So long as we can still be friends, there's not a problem."

Gwen let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thanks, David." She gave him a hug, and a soft kiss. He enjoyed both.

As they rose, he said, "What you just did does raise a question for me, though."

"Oh? What?"

"Well... obviously, we crossed a line, and since you just kissed me, you obviously don't want to go all the way back across that line... so..."

"You want to know at what point I'll slap you?" she asked with a grin.

"Something like that," he said, responding in kind.

"You can kiss me, just don't try to make it sexual. That will get awkward for all of us."

"So, no tongue," David said with an evil grin.

Gwen laughed. "No tongue."

As the two walked toward the door, Gwen said, "Thanks, David, for understanding. You really are my best friend, and I wouldn't want to upset you."

"I would hope Devyn was your best friend," David said with a nudge. Gwen blushed. "But seriously, nothing like this is going to ruin our friendship. I do have one favor to ask of you, though..."

When David opened the door, he looked out innocently, and saw three people, sitting at their desks. Jim was rubbing a sore spot on his head. They all looked over.

Gwen made sure they were all watching, and then she turned to David. She pressed herself against him, and then kissed him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. The two kissed for a solid minute before Gwen let him go.

"Thanks, Baby," Gwen said. "I just couldn't wait any longer. See you at dinner." She turned to the others, grinned, and then walked out of the dorm room.

David looked over at all three of them, staring dumbfounded at him, and he laughed.

"You guys should see your faces! And it serves you right, trying to eavesdrop on a private conversation."

"We, uh, we didn't..." Jim tried to say. David stopped him.

"Then why is your head sore?"

Jim blushed, and remained silent.

"For the record, and to prevent any rumors, no, Gwen and I are not dating. I asked her to do that just to get you bastards back. Also for the record, she's a really good kisser."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"You do seem to be struggling a bit here, David," Prof. Arpilla said.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be. You're only an apprentice, and this can be difficult. You're giving it your best, and that's all I ever ask of my students."

"So, if I give it my best, and still fail miserably..." David said with a smile.

"You still pass," she said. "Not with an A, mind you, but you still pass. Tell me, did you have difficulty with Metamorphosis under Prof. Fibblebitz?"

"Sometimes. Not quite as consistently as I'm having trouble now. But, as you told us last month, this stuff is a lot harder."

"Hmm. I'm going to have to talk with Louisa... Prof. Fibblebitz, I mean... to see if she has any insight. I think you can do this, David, I just think I'm not presenting it in a way that helps you understand it. And if you aren't getting it, then others, as well, aren't getting it."

"I suppose," David said. "Either that, or I'm just lousy at morphing things." To David, this seemed far more likely.

Prof. Arpilla waved that off. "Just keep working on it. You'll get it sooner or later. Often, something just needs to click in your mind. Until it does, you'll struggle with this."

"Yes, ma'am."

"All right, I've taken up enough of your spare time. I'll see you next class."

"Have a good day, Professor."

"You, too, David."

David wandered off to lunch, where the rest of the gang was waiting.

"Enjoying yourself, David?" Jim asked. "What were you doing with Prof. Arpilla today?"

David said matter-of-factly, "She had me morph her into a satyr and we screwed on her desk."

Jim actually dropped his fork in shock.

"Really?" Gwen asked, looking over at him.

"No," David replied. "But it was fun to watch Jim shit his pants." He looked at Jim. "Not everything that happens after class has to be illicit, you know. In fact, we were discussing my woeful inability to morph things properly." He sat down next to Devyn and gave her a kiss. "Hey, Sweetheart."

"Hi," Devyn replied. "You are not doing well in Metamorphosis?"

"Not really. Prof. Arpilla keeps encouraging me, saying I'll get it eventually, but mostly, I don't."

"Do you just not understand how, or...?" Gwen asked.

"No, I get how you're supposed to do it. I'm just not making it happen. I'm not the only one having trouble, I imagine... I'm just the one the teacher sees screw up most regularly, since every time I screw up, she sees it."

"You'll get it eventually," Olissa encouraged him. "Sometimes it just takes longer."

"I guess," David replied.

For a brief moment, they were all quiet, just eating their meal. Suddenly, Simon showed up, looking harried and with sunburn on half his face.

"What the hell happened to you?" Nate asked.

Simon sat down a little shakily. When the pixie popped in, he ordered, then he turned to answer Nate.

"I think I just nearly killed myself."

"What happened?" Gwen asked.

"I was practicing TEM. We're working on pyromandy right now. So, I had a candle, and I was trying to make the flame dance, right? Well, all of a sudden, the flame becomes this huge ball of fire, and rushes right at me! I put up my hands to block it, and luckily that worked. I was able to push it away, kind of in a sheet of flame."

"Well, that's good," Jim said.

"Not so great for Koda, though. I pushed it right at him. Wasn't even thinking about him. He got his wing singed, and he's not speaking to me now." The group chuckled at that.

"How'd you get the burn on your face, then?" David asked.

"That's how hot the fire was. It didn't get closer than about a foot, but it still did this."

"Damn," Nate opined.

David sat quietly for a moment, then he asked, "Where were you?"

"In our room, why?"

"Was the door closed?"

"Yeah..."

"What're you thinking?" Jim asked.

"I'm thinking it sounds like the kind of prank Cherise might dream up. But I don't see how she'd have managed to even know what he was doing, let alone play a prank using it."

The others nodded.

"Is she still bugging you?" Olissa asked.

"I think she's responsible for Miss J getting hurt. Yeah, she's still a problem. Which reminds me, you guys should all keep your eyes open. Any one of you could be a target for her."

"Why doesn't she just go after you?" Simon grumped.

David shrugged. "Who can understand the crazy mind?"

"What about your vision?" Olissa asked quietly.

"I haven't seen anything new. Sorry."

"Have you seen any visions about the rest of us?" Nate asked.

After a long, uncomfortable pause, David said, "I haven't looked. Sorry, I'll fix that in class later today."

"Can't the dean do something about her?" Gwen grumped.

"Not until she can prove Cherise has done something. This is the problem. Just like Marcus, Cherise is good at hiding her tracks. I just hope that either I can get her to back off, or we can get some proof it's her, before someone gets seriously hurt." David looked at Olissa, who nodded.

The group all agreed, and then, because this was all unpleasant, decided to go on to talk about other things.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"So, today, I want you to review the section on belladonna," Sam told David.

"Dangerous stuff," he said.

She shrugged. "No more so than some other things we've talked about. Anyway, it's a small section, so you should be able to finish with it today. Meanwhile, I've got to make up a batch of gibber potion for class on Monday."

David snickered, and then turned to go to his desk. "Where'd you get the cream puffs?" he asked, seeing the open box.

"A student left those on my desk. You can have one, if you like."

"No thanks. They've always been too sweet for me. But where there are cream puffs, there are donuts. I like donuts."

Prof. Stott laughed. "There are at least two bakeries in town."

"Hmm," David said with a grin, then he finished walking to his desk and opened the Herbal Encyclopedia, to the section that Sam wanted him to cover.

While David studied, Sam worked on her potion. While she waited in between steps, she munched on her cream puffs. About halfway through the gibber potion, Sam began to feel quite ill. She put down her potion stirring rod, and supported herself on the table. A groan escaped her lips, and David immediately looked up.

An instant later, David was at her side. "What's the matter?" he asked with concern.

"I'm not feeling so well," she said. "I think I may..." she couldn't finish her sentence, but pushed him not-so-gently aside, and rushed to the sink, where she vomited. She continued vomiting, but it didn't make her feel any better.

By the time Prof. Stott came up for air, David had already turned off her fire pit, and put a lid on her cauldron to keep anything from falling into it. He thought for a second, and then grabbed the box of cream puffs. Having done that, he moved over to Sam, and he put his arm around her waist.

"Come on. You're going to the infirmary."

"I'll be all right," she said, a bit weakly.

"Yes, you will. Just as soon as Healer Hall gets a hold of you, you'll be fine. Don't argue."

"Okay," she said, trying to smile at him, but her stomach was so queasy, it was a mediocre attempt.

It took them a long time to get to the infirmary. Prof. Stott had to stop three times to vomit, and she didn't have the energy to walk very fast. David's unease grew with every delay, and he contemplated calling Healer Hall to come to them, but Sam kept insisting she could make it, so he helped her along, and they finally did make it to Belleci Hall. David helped Sam over to a bed and laid her down.

"You stay put. I'll go get the healer."

"Okay," Sam said. She was extremely weak now.

"No need to 'go get me'," Healer Hall said. "I'm here. What seems to be the problem?"

"She was working on a potion, and in the middle of it, she got very sick. She's thrown up at least a dozen times. I think she was poisoned. She was eating these while she worked." David handed over the box of cream puffs.

Healer Hall took the box in a bit of surprise. "You kept track of how many times she threw up, and remembered to bring the possible culprit, all the while helping out a sick teacher? How do you remain that calm?"

"Madame Hall, you know how much crap I've had to deal with. It's getting to be a damned routine."

Healer Hall nodded, and then she turned to her patient.

-----

"You should really go home and go to bed," Sam told him weakly.

"No, I should really go wring Cherise's puny little neck," David said angrily.

"You really think she did this?"

"I can't think of anyone else. Can you?"

"There are students who don't like me very much," Sam told him. "They could have done this."

"It fades to complete improbability that two of my teachers end up getting hurt by coincidence, Sam."

"I know. But what are you going to do about it?"

"There's nothing I can do. Tell the Rimohrs when they show up in the morning. Other than that... I'm going to do the only thing left that is actually under my control."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Taking care of you until you get better," he said.

Sam smiled at him. He leaned down and kissed her, but then she faded off to sleep.

David moved away from her bed, to stretch a bit.

"You really should go home and rest," Healer Hall told him. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Is she going to be all right?" David asked.

"In a few days, yes."

"Was it poison?"

"Not in the typical sense. It was actually food poisoning. But I think that, in this case, the contamination was intentional. You think you know who did it?"

"Yes."

"The Rimohrs may be able to find proof in their dorm room."

David nodded. "I'll tell them when they show up." He yawned. "I guess I am tired. I'll be back in the morning... probably be early morning, knowing me."

Healer Hall chuckled. "You're welcome whenever you want. You being here helps her recovery, and it allows me a chance to relax, as well, because you can keep a watch for problems."

David nodded. "Good night, ma'am."

"Annie. You spend enough time here, we might as well be on a first-name basis."

David chuckled. "Thanks, Annie. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Good night."

David made his way back to his dorm room. The others had already gone to sleep, and so he endeavored to be as quiet as possible.

"Where have you been?" Jailla asked, concerned.

"At the infirmary. Sam was poisoned."

"Oh, dear. Cherise again?"

"I assume so. I'm gonna kill that bitch..." he said.

"That would not be a good thing to do," Jailla replied immediately.

David sighed. "I know. Doesn't mean I can't fantasize."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David was back in the infirmary five hours later. He had taken the time to shower after he'd gotten up, but had nothing else to do while he was worrying about Sam, so he figured it made more sense to be where he could keep an eye on her.

When he walked into the infirmary, he found Healer Hall sitting in a chair, dozing. He touched her shoulder lightly, and she started, opening her eyes quickly.

"What? Oh, David, it's you," she said, keeping her voice down. "Back so soon?"

"I got all the sleep I'm going to get," he said. "You look like you could use some, though. Why don't you go rest, and I'll keep watch? If something happens, I'll come get you."

"Thank you, David. I'll be back in a couple hours. I just need a nap, really."

David nodded, and watched her walk off. Once she had gone back into the room she used when she had to stay in the infirmary at night, David walked over to Sam's bed. She was asleep, and so he didn't want to disturb her. He very gently stroked her hair, and then he sat down in a chair next to the bed. He stared out the window, not really thinking about anything. Every minute or so, he'd look over at Sam, to make sure things were all right, and then he would return to his blank stare. In his mind, he was imagining fifty different ways to end Cherise's miserable life.

-----

"Why is it, Mr. Stroud, that you seem to be at the heart of the troubles in this school?" Officer Toscani asked.

"Are you suggesting that David poisoned me?" Sam asked hotly. David put his hand on her arm, to try to calm her down.

"I am suggesting that he seems to attract problems," Toscani said dispassionately.

"Some people are like that," David replied. "Trouble finds them whether they go looking for it or not."

"And did you go looking for trouble today?"

"You've gotten awfully snotty since the last time you were here," David told him. "For someone who never did manage to solve the case the last time you were here, I don't think you've earned the attitude."

Sam looked at David, shocked. Toscani frowned mightily.

"Do you have any idea who gave you the pastries?" Toscani asked Sam.

"No. They were sitting on my desk when I walked into class. I didn't see any students leaving the area."

Toscani turned to David. "Would this be the Savolar boy's doing?"

David shook his head. "Marcus hasn't been a real problem this year. He lost a lot of his support after the fight, and he's the kind of bully that needs people backing him up before he'll stick his neck out. So he's limited himself to calling me names from time to time."

"I see. Do you have any other enemies who might target your teacher?"

"Yes. Cherise Cabalon. She has been harassing my friends all year."

"What is her motivation?" Toscani asked.

"I won't go out with her. She has as much as said that she's trying to change my mind by attacking those around me. Not," David added, "in any way that could be called an admission of guilt, though."

"Of course," Toscani said. "I will look into it. Do you have any enemies, Prof. Stott?"

"There are students who don't like me. As soon as I can get out of here, I'll try to make up a list."

"That would be helpful," Toscani said.

"We can do it while you're here, Sam," David told her. "You can blurt out names, and I'll write them down."

"That could work, too," she said. "On the other hand, I'm not sure I want to give you a list of all the people who don't like me," she told him, smiling to show she was teasing. David chuckled.

"Healer Hall, you analyzed the pastries?"

"Yes. It was food poisoning. But the bacteria in question is very uncommon, and is usually found in meat, not baked goods. That leads me to think it was intentionally contaminated."

Toscani nodded. "I'll need to take those back with me to the office. I will begin looking into Miss Cabalon, and the others, when you get me the list. Good day."

"He's a friendly sort," Healer Hall grumbled.

"Rimohrs," Sam said. "They all seem to resent actually having to do their jobs."

David frowned at that, but didn't say anything.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Where have you been all weekend?" Devyn wanted to know when David finally sat down to breakfast on Monday morning.

"Keeping an eye on Sam. Someone, probably Cherise, gave her some contaminated cream puffs, and she got very sick. She didn't get out of the infirmary until last night."

"Is she okay?" Olissa asked.

"Weak, but she's going to recover, Annie... er, Healer Hall says."

"Annie?" Jim asked.

David shrugged. "She said we were seeing too much of each other to remain formal about it."

The others chuckled at that. Devyn, however, did not. "Perhaps you could have called..."

"Shit, Devyn, I'm sorry. It didn't even occur to me. I've been in the infirmary except to sleep and shower." He now felt guilty that he had spent the night in Sam's apartment, even though they hadn't done anything physical, because she was still much too ill for that kind of thing. He had simply wanted to keep an eye on her.

"I will forgive you, this time," she told him. He kissed her softly in gratitude, and then turned to his breakfast.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David walked into the Handbook Committee meeting, and immediately walked over to Cherise. He pushed her up against a wall, and his eyes drilled into hers.

"You are a sick bitch," he told her.

"David, what's the matter with you?" she asked, maintaining her innocent voice.

"Don't give me that crap," he snarled. "I know you're the one who poisoned Prof. Stott."

"The Rimohr who spoke to me didn't think so..." Cherise said.

"That guy couldn't find his ass with both hands," David replied. "I know it was you, Cherise. When I can prove it, I'm going to nail your ass to the wall."

"Ooh," she said, cooing. "Sounds like fun." She batted her eyelashes at him.

"You stupid tramp. If it wouldn't get me in trouble, I would put my fist right through your face. Stay away from me and my friends, dammit! I don't want anything to do with you, and I never will."

"We'll see, David," she said sweetly.

David snarled and turned away from her. "Dirk, you run tonight's meeting. I have someplace else to be."

"Uh... yeah, sure, David," Dirk said, as David stormed out of the room. The others just looked at each other, and then at Cherise, who put on her innocent, confused face for their benefit.

David, meanwhile, prowled the campus, trying to cool down. Cherise's protestation of innocence had made him even angrier than the actual act had done.

That stupid motherfucking bitch is going to have to pay for what she's doing. But how do I make that happen without winding up in real prison?

And that was David's problem: He didn't know.

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