The Woodward Academy, Year 3
Chapter 4: September
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"You're here awful early," the caretaker at the detention house said. "Usually we have to send people out to 'remind' the students of their detention time."
David shrugged. "I don't want to give this professor even more reason to whine."
The man chuckled. "You been in detention before?"
"I've been inside the building, but I've not been here for disciplinary action before."
"Okay, well, you're in room 7. You're not allowed to leave the room for the duration of your stay. Food will be presented to you at meal times. You're only here for the day, it says, so you'll be allowed to leave at nine o'clock tonight."
"Okay."
"Also..." the man pulled out his wand, pointed it at David, and said, "Zhintu."
David didn't feel or see anything happen. "What was that about?"
"It's a trace. We don't normally bother with students, but as you are capable of fading right through the walls, and could thus leave the building without coming past me... The trace will alert me if you leave the vicinity, and will lead me to you. So don't go doing anything foolish."
David nodded. "I have enough studying to do to keep me busy all day, anyway," he said. "This is just enforcing my study habits."
The guard smiled at him. "Good way to look at it. Room 7. See you tonight."
David walked down to the room and went in, shutting the door behind himself. Although this was, essentially, a prison, it was a comfortable one. It was equipped with all of the standard Woodward furniture: desk, desk chair, small side table, bed. David dumped his book bag on the table, and stretched. Then he pulled out his Conjuring textbook and sat down to begin his copy work.
-----
David worked throughout the morning to copy his textbook. It was a slow process, and by lunch he'd managed no more than twenty pages before he simply had to take a break. He got up, stretched some, and moved around. He knew his actions would look silly if anyone was watching, but he needed to loosen up, so he swung his arms and bobbed his head, trying to work out all the kinks.
As David was doing all that, he heard a soft popping noise. He turned to see a pixie floating over his desk.
"Oh, hello," he said. "Why are you here?"
"It's lunch time," she told him. "If you're busy having a fit, I can come back later..."
David chuckled. "Just trying to loosen up. What are my options for today?"
A menu popped into being on the desk. David looked it over, and selected his option. He wasn't hungry, of course, but he could use the diversion.
-----
David was working away at his copying. He'd had to look up and use an anti-cramping charm to keep his hand from hurting. He'd managed to copy almost fifty pages, but it was after dinner now, and time was winding down.
Suddenly, David felt a presence beside him. Knowing who that had to be, he faded to ghost form as he sat back. As he turned, he saw that he was right about his guess. Penny smiled, and then she plopped herself down in his lap and put her arms around his neck.
"You've been working on this stupid thing all day long. It's time for you to take a rest." She kissed him softly, and he kissed back, running his hand over her thigh as their tongues wrestled.
"Why do I get the feeling that resting isn't what you have in mind for me?" David asked when they broke their kiss.
Penny smiled at him. "Well... I'll let your hand rest. You can use the other one," she said with an impish grin.
"So generous of you!" he teased. He stood up, fading right through the furniture as he carried her into the bedroom.
His "rest period" was very noisy.
-----
"David... why haven't you said anything to Dean Lengel about Prof. Quayde?"
"What's to say? According to the rules, he has every right to send me to detention for whatever infraction he likes."
"But you didn't do anything," she objected.
David shrugged. "Apparently, he thinks I did. And that's pretty much all it takes."
"I don't like it."
"Neither do I, but there's not much I can do about that. Besides, all I'd have been doing today is studying, anyway. I got a couple hours in. And I have an excellent grasp of the first two chapters of my Conjuring textbook now..."
Penny smiled at him tolerantly.
"I will say," David said after a second, "that I'm glad you showed up. I miss the time we used to spend together, but it's so hard for me to get up to the castle..."
"I know. Thank you, for thinking of me. But then again, if you keep getting sent to detention, we may see a lot of each other this year!"
"Hmmm," David said with a grin. "How can I get into trouble next week?"
Penny laughed.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"David, could you give her a hand?" Prof. Stott said, pointing to a student in the back corner of the room.
"Sure," David said, before looking. When he did, he realized that the student in question was actually Devyn. David sighed quietly, and then walked over to her.
"So, what seems to be the trouble?" he asked.
"Other than your complete lack of loyalty?" she replied snidely.
David glared at her, then took her by the arm and pulled her out of the room, and into the hallway. He made sure the door was closed behind them.
"All right, Devyn, what the fuck is your problem? Yes, we broke up. I get that you think it was because I was paying too much attention to someone else. I also get that it was nearly five months ago. Just exactly how long do you plan on acting like a bitch about it?"
Devyn glared at him and said, "For as long as I feel like it. You do not get to tell me how I can or cannot react. You hurt me."
"No, you hurt yourself," David replied. "You had a highly unreasonable expectation, and it came back to bite you in the ass. Don't blame that on me. I was doing what a normal, loyal friend would," he said, reminding her that it was his loyalty that had gotten him in trouble with her... just to a different person.
"And, of course, the fact that you two were dating as soon as she left the infirmary is inconsequential?" Devyn asked.
"Olissa and I have never dated," David told her. "After she got out of the hospital, we were studying. She had a month's worth of work to catch up on!"
"And of course, you never touched her, in all that time alone."
"I didn't say that, or even imply it. Yes, I have had sex with Olissa. Both before you and I got together, and after you and I broke up. If that is the only standard by which you judge me 'dating' someone, then I'm dating at least four people at the same time right now. I told you then, and I will tell you now: Olissa is not interested in dating me."
"But she will sleep with you?"
"The two are not necessarily connected. Just ask Prof. Stott."
"I do not believe you," she said finally.
"And you never have believed me. Your own opinion has always spoken louder than the truth. But I refuse to be treated like scum for something I didn't do. So, either be civil, or don't speak to me at all."
"Very well," she replied, then turned and walked back into the room. David wanted to hit something in frustration. Finally, he took a deep breath, and went back inside himself. He went over to Prof. Stott.
"You'd better help Devyn with her problem. Her potions one, anyway. I don't think anyone can help her with the other."
Prof. Stott looked at him and frowned, but then she turned and went over to help Devyn.
At that point, another student raised his hand, and David went to help him, glad for the distraction.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
On the way to breakfast the next day, Gwen found David.
"What the hell happened between you and Devyn yesterday?" she demanded.
David sighed. "A fight."
"Over?"
"Her treating me like shit since we broke up. I told her I was tired of being treated like some kind of dirtbag for simply choosing to help a friend over spending time with her. She didn't take that well."
"Did you expect her to?" Gwen challenged.
"Not really, but being polite about things hadn't gotten any results so far, so I figured maybe she needed a metaphorical slap in the face. After the argument, I'm thinking that what she really needs is an actual slap in the face."
"You can't see that maybe she has a valid point? About you and Olissa?"
David stopped and turned to face Gwen. "How many times do I have to go over this? Olissa does not want to be my girlfriend. We discussed it yet again over the summer. I am apparently the only person capable of actually comprehending this."
"You two are so close, it's hard to believe," Gwen replied.
"She and I are no closer than you and I are. Do you want to be my girlfriend?"
Gwen blushed. "No."
"All right, then. Olissa is my best friend, yes. We've known each other for a whole week longer than I've known any other student at this school. We're compatible personalities, and yes, in the past, we have had sex. But she doesn't want a relationship, and that's pretty much that. That's where it stood last semester, that's where it stands now."
David's anger was evident, and Gwen backed off a little. "Okay, but... can you at least see how it might appear to others?"
"No. And here's why not: If Devyn was so all-fired worried about me spending time with Olissa, who was unconscious at the time, why didn't she have any problems at all with me spending time with Prof. Stott, who was not unconscious, and who I have also slept with? Last semester, I was spending a minimum of eight hours a week in Sam's company, most of it in the evening. Where was Devyn's indignation about that?"
Gwen opened her mouth to reply, then stopped. She closed her mouth, and then tried again. "I... you know, I don't really have an answer to that. Obviously, she felt they were different situations."
"Gwen, if it had been you lying in that bed, I would have been there just as much. And we both know how much chance at a relationship you and I have. We are friends, and that's all that we are. I'd like to think that's not going to change anytime soon."
"Was that a threat?" Gwen asked, her look darkening.
"Not at all. It was just a statement of preference. But you have someone else's opinion to consider, and which side you come down on in that is your choice. Unfortunately, it does look like Devyn is going to force you to make that choice."
"And you're not?"
"All I've ever asked is for Devyn to be civil. If she doesn't want to be civil, then she should just not talk to me. As far as you dating her while being my friend... I really don't care. You have to put up with her, not me."
"And you're not going to sit and badmouth her to me, trying to get me onto your side?"
"Honestly, I'd prefer we not talk about her at all. There's nothing more to be said about the incident, and continuing to discuss it just prolongs the bad feelings. No, I'm not going to badmouth your girlfriend to you. Obviously, I would take your side over hers in any dispute, and I'm going to be prone to pointing out her flaws if you ask me. But unless you ask me, I'm not going to waste my time thinking about her."
"Okay," Gwen said. "Look... don't read too much into this, but we probably won't be at lunch. I think she needs some time to cool off. And so, I think, do you."
"Do what you need to do, Gwen," David said flatly.
Gwen frowned, and then walked off. David turned and continued on to breakfast.
-----
"You look upset," Olissa told him when they sat down in class. She'd noticed at breakfast, but hadn't wanted to say anything with others present.
"Problem with me and Gwen over Devyn," David replied. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh. I'm sorry." David nodded. Shortly after that, Prof. Quayde came into the room. David immediately rose and went up to the professor's desk.
"What do you want, Stroud?" Prof. Quayde nearly snarled.
"Turning in my assignment, sir," David said neutrally.
"I gave no assignment last class," Quayde replied.
"For my detention, sir. You told me to copy the book." David handed over the pages he had done. Prof. Quayde took them and flipped through them, randomly looking at pages.
"I see no diagrams in here. The book contains several diagrams in these pages."
"I didn't know that you wanted me to copy those, sir," David said.
"Copy means COPY, Stroud. Not 'make a half-assed attempt at something similar.' Next time I tell you to copy something, I expect every element to be present!"
"Yes, sir," David replied, keeping his voice under tight control.
Prof. Quayde dumped the pages into his trash can. "Go to your seat," he said dismissively.
David turned, controlling his anger, and went back to his stool. Olissa, seeing the look on David's face, chose not to say anything at all to him.
"All right, let's get started," Prof. Quayde said. "You've all had a chance to look over the first chapter. Some of you may have even taken the initiative to practice. I doubt it will have helped you. There is a rock on each of your desks. Set the rock on the left side of the line drawn down your desk."
Everyone moved their rock over to the left half of their desk.
"Now, using the information on page 12 of your book, I want you to conjure the rock to the right side of your desk. Begin."
David closed his eyes, envisioning the rock evaporating from its current position, and reappearing on the other side of the line. David waved his hand over the rock and intoned, "Movitra letoru." The rock instantly vanished from its spot on the desk, but it reappeared in the empty space next to his desk, well off the right-hand side. Before David could catch it, the rock fell to the floor.
Prof. Quayde looked over at him, both spiteful and triumphant. "Incompetence, Stroud! You'll never get this right. For disrupting the class, you will turn in to me all of the exercises from chapters one through five before next class."
"Yes, sir," David said, muttering evil things under his breath. Olissa heard him, but no one else did.
-----
"Good afternoon, David... you look angry," Prof. Arpilla told him.
"I'm sorry, Professor. Just having a bad day."
"Oh, dear. Well, try to put it out of your mind. We have work to do."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You call me that when we're alone again, and I'll turn your coat into a small wyvern," she said, her eyes twinkling.
David finally smiled. "Sorry, Cat. It gets hard to keep straight what I'm supposed to call everyone all the time."
She put her hand on his arm, then leaned in and kissed him. "Don't worry about it so much... but don't expect me to stop teasing you about it, either!"
"You got it, Professor," David said, arching his eyebrows lecherously.
Cat shivered. "Stop that!" David laughed at her. "Okay, c'mon, we do need to work on today's lesson."
"Okay, let's do it."
-----
"So... are Gwen and Devyn not sitting with us anymore?" Jim asked at dinner.
"Not for a while, I guess," David replied morosely.
"What's that all about?" Simon asked.
"Devyn's still pissed at me over last year, and Gwen's caught in the middle."
"Looks pretty much like she's decided which side she's on," Heath said.
David grunted, but made no reply. Just then, Olissa and Shell showed up. Shell, seeing the look on David's face, said, "What happened to you, your familiar die?"
David looked up at her balefully. "Don't give the universe any ideas."
"David's having a bad day," Olissa said in half-explanation.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Shell said. She sat down next to him, while Olissa sat across from him. "Anything we can do to help?"
David shook his head.
"At least you're doing okay in Metamorphosis," Jim said. "And still spending 'quality time' with that babe of an instructor..."
David shook his head at Jim. He'd never revealed his relationship with Prof. Arpilla to Jim, and wasn't going to do so now. Still, Jim's mentioning of their time together irked him.
"You need a goddamned girlfriend," David told him.
"No argument from me!" Jim replied quickly. The others chuckled.
"Eat your fucking dinner."
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"Gah!" David growled, crumpling a piece of parchment and tossing it in the trash.
"What's the matter?" Jim asked from across the room. They were both in their dorm room, studying.
"This stupid fucking Conjuring problem."
"You want some help? I'm doing okay in that class..."
"Sure," David said. Jim got up and walked towards David's desk. He was just about to lean over to look at the problem David was working on, when suddenly, the dragon statue sitting on the corner of the desk belched out a huge burst of magical flame.
"Aaagh!" Jim screamed jumping back away from the statue. David nearly fell out of his chair laughing as Jim patted himself, making sure he wasn't on fire anywhere.
"That's not funny!" Jim snarled. "You could've ruined my shirt!"
David wiped his eyes and tried to settle down, but he shook his head before he could talk. "It's magical flame, Jim. It won't hurt anything. It's not even hot. I've been waiting nearly two weeks for you to get close enough to that."
"Hmph," Jim said, and he reached out and turned the statue to face the wall. "Maybe I shouldn't help you with Conjuring," he threatened.
"Oh, come on," David said.
Jim growled at him, but then he looked down at the problem. He read it three times, and then said, "Huh? What page are you... what chapter are you looking at?"
"Five."
"What? We're not even on chapter three yet! No wonder you can't figure it out..."
"Yeah, well, I've got to do all the problems up to chapter five."
"Why?"
"I screwed up our first attempt at conjuring, and this is what Prof. Quayde gave me to do."
"But... that makes no sense. Nearly everyone in my class screwed it up the first time."
"Mine, too."
"So, why..."
"Because he doesn't like me, that's why."
"That's fucked up. Have you said anything to the dean yet?"
"No, and I don't intend to. She'll just tell me that he has the right to run his class however he sees fit."
Jim shook his head. "Your life, man. Do what you want, but I'd be saying something to someone."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Sorry I can't help you with the homework, but... shit, my head hurts just trying to comprehend that problem."
"How do you think I feel?" David said morosely.
"Yeah, sorry, dude."
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
David sat, reading over the Metamorphosis text, while Prof. Arpilla walked around observing the students. She and David had already worked on this before class.
From behind him, David heard, "Eek! Sorry, Aaron! I just can't get the hang of this one."
"Well, tange me dack, would ya?" Aaron said. David had to turn to see what had happened. Aaron's face was horribly distorted, with a huge nose and his mouth turned sideways.
The other student, named Felicia, changed Aaron back. David sat and watched as she made one more attempt, with equally comical results. He held in his chuckle as Felicia once more returned Aaron to his normal state.
"You're flourishing too much," David told her, before she could zap Aaron into another Picasso-esque shape.
"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked.
David turned, so she could watch his wand motions as if they were her own. "What you're doing is this," he said, and mimicked what she had done. "It's too big, too... flowery of a motion. What you need to do is this," he said, and showed her.
"That's it? That little bit of difference is screwing up the charm?"
"You should know by now, that's all it takes," David said with a grin.
"I guess," she grumbled. She turned to Aaron, and performed the charm again, this time keeping her wrist under better control. Aaron morphed smoothly this time, his head changing into the face of some strange creature.
"Is that what you were going for?" David asked.
"Yep!" Felicia said happily. "Thanks, David. How did you know about this? You haven't even practiced it yourself."
"Actually, I have. I have to come into class early, so that Prof. Arpilla can work with me. That's why you never see me doing these in class. She's too busy during class helping everyone else."
Felicia nodded. "Well, thanks for the assist."
"No problem."
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"David?" Prof. Stott called out
"Yes, ma'am?" he replied.
"Do you have any Stuart's Base on you? I'm all out, and I need to demonstrate something to Kathleen."
"Sure." David pulled his necklace out of his shirt. He counted over four from the end, and removed that vial. He carried a total of ten base potions on his necklace. As he handed the vial over to Prof. Stott, he noticed that several people were watching. He shrugged mentally, used to being observed by now, and he shoved his necklace back into his shirt. Once he was sure that Prof. Stott wouldn't need anything further, he returned to his desk and his research. He was still in the process of making his list of things he wanted a potion to do. Once he had that task complete, he would begin to see if any of it was even possible.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
David walked into the campus bookstore, irritated to be there. Thanks to yet another detention from Prof. Quayde, he was already out of writing parchment, and needed a new stack. He had mentioned Quayde's behavior to Sam, but she had confirmed his suspicion: unless he did something dangerous or grossly negligent, there was little that the dean could do except complain to him. David would not put Dean Lengel in that position.
The situation with Gwen was also rankling him, as she and Devyn had not sat with the group at mealtime for nearly a week now. He'd not even spoken to Gwen since she had confronted him. Whenever he looked in her direction in the lunch room, Devyn would glare at him until he looked away. He felt as though he was losing a good friend, but he didn't know how to prevent that from happening. He knew that ultimately he was just going to have to let Gwen work it out for herself, but he didn't have to like that.
David grabbed the parchment that he needed, and he headed for the counter. In a jar next to the counter were some pixie sticks. David remembered them from the Nagyara Festival, and decided to grab a couple, as they had been rather tasty. He paid for his purchases, and left the bookstore. He had plenty of homework still to do, since he'd spent the previous day copying his Conjuring textbook. The only up side he could find to the punishment was that he'd discovered something in the text that he'd missed when he read it the first time, and he had a better understanding of the subject because of it. He did not, however, consider this sufficient compensation for wasting his entire Saturday. Well, most of his Saturday; Penny had made at least a portion of the day worthwhile.
As David was walking across the terrace, he saw a bunch of first-years gathered around something. Curious, he walked over to see what was going on. He thought someone might be doing an interesting bit of magic or something.
When David pushed into the crowd, he found three girls pushing another girl back and forth, taunting her and telling her what a worthless skank she was. David frowned; this kind of behavior was both immature, and against the rules at Woodward. Upon closer inspection, David discovered that the girl in the middle, the one being tormented, was Gwen's sister, Anne.
David sighed and moved forward. "That's enough," David said. He took Anne gently by the arm and steadied her.
"Who died and made you boss?" one of the girls, who seemed to have a rather snotty attitude, asked.
"Would you rather take it up with Dean Lengel?" David challenged, his look boring in on the girl. "Hazing is not permitted at Woodward."
"We weren't hazing her," one of the other girls objected. "We were just playing."
"Uh-huh. She doesn't look like she was enjoying the game," David replied. "So we'll be on our way now."
"See you in class, HasterSkank," the third girl said snidely. The other kids all laughed. David glared at them, and then led Anne away from the group.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she replied shortly.
David let her go, nodded, and said, "Good. See you later, then. I have work to do."
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"David?"
David looked up to see Brent in front of him. Brent Losterman was one of the students in the Potions class David was assisting with. He wasn't terribly bright, David knew. He was a fifth-year student who had only passed his licensure the previous year. He tried, but just couldn't seem to wrap his mind around proper potions technique.
"What's on your mind, Brent?" David asked politely.
"I was wondering if I could see that necklace you wear."
David arched an eyebrow, then shrugged. "I guess." He pulled it out, so that it was visible. "I don't know what the big deal is. It's just a way for me to carry these vials."
"Actually, I was interested in the crystal. Where did you get it, if I can ask?"
"Oh, that? My familiar got that for me. He found it in among the trees here at the school. Why?"
Brent stared at it, then he forcibly broke his focus. "Oh, nothing. I just thought it was really attractive, and thought maybe I could get one like it. If he found it in the woods, though, I guess not."
"Yeah... I mean, you could probably get one made that's like it, but I don't even know what this is made of."
Brent nodded. "Thanks, anyway."
"No problem," David said. As Brent went back to his seat, David stared after him in confusion, then put his necklace away, and returned to his research.
That was weird.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
David was walking back toward the dorm after dinner, with Olissa and her roommate, Shell. They were chatting about classwork when David heard someone call his name. Looking around, he saw Gwen coming toward him.
"We'll catch you later," Olissa said. David nodded, and the other two moved off as Gwen arrived.
"David, glad I caught you," Gwen said.
"Hey, Gwen," David replied politely. "What's up?"
"I wanted to let you know, I get to start in my first game this weekend!"
"All right! Good for you," David told her enthusiastically.
"Will you come watch?"
"Sure thing. I wouldn't miss it- uh-oh, wait. What day is the game?"
"Saturday afternoon at three."
"Shit. Okay, I'm going to have to say I will try to be there."
"What's that mean?" Gwen asked, frowning.
"We've been in class for two weeks so far, and Prof. Quayde has given me Saturday detention both weeks. So, if I'm not in detention, I'll be there. But..." David shrugged.
"Oh. Yeah, I guess there's not much you can do about that."
"Nope."
"Well, anyway, if you're not in detention..."
"I'll be there. Wouldn't miss it."
"Thanks! Anyway, I gotta go. See ya!"
"Right," David said to himself, after she had moved off.
Jailla said, "Are you going to talk with her about the problems between you two?"
"That's the real problem, Jailla. There aren't any problems between Gwen and me. The problem is with Devyn, and talking to her simply hasn't been useful."
"Gwen is allowing Devyn to dictate who her friends are," Jailla said, his voice indicating his disgust with that.
"Yeah, she is. But I promised Gwen that I wouldn't force the issue, so I'm not going to."
"So we will probably not be visiting the Hasterscant home again," Jailla said.
David sighed in a semi-growl at Jailla's remark. "We'll see."
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"Now, you need to relax, more than you need to concentrate," Prof. Rutherford explained to them. "Feel the flame, embrace the flame with your mind. I know this is beginning to sound a bit mystical, but as we've said, all of the energies in the universe can interact. You must use your control of the magical energy to interact with the energy of the flame. Think about what you want it to do, and then make it do that. Keep it simple for now; just try to get it to dance back and forth a little bit. Now, begin."
David stared at his candle for a long moment. He thought back to the lessons Prof. Arpilla had given him, about relaxation versus focus. He closed his eyes for a moment, visualizing what it was he wanted the candle flame to be doing. Finally, he opened his eyes and stared at the flame, watching its natural movements.
When he thought he was ready, David raised his hand, palm facing outward toward the flame, and concentrated, but not too hard. He simply imagined in his mind the flame waving back and forth, almost like a fiery metronome, moving slowly to and fro. Instead of focusing on the candle itself, he focused on his body, keeping himself loose, and allowing his mind to continue to imagine the movement he desired. He was actually not paying that much attention to the candle, itself, at all.
Prof. Rutherford almost broke his concentration when she came by, and she quietly enthused, "Great job, David! Very nice!" David worked mightily to maintain his composure, and didn't acknowledge her comment, but he did look at the candle flame, which was, in fact, doing what he had imagined it would. David smiled, but was unsure of what more to try to make it do.
After a moment's hesitation, David changed the image in his mind. The flame stopped dancing immediately, as he worked to imagine a different change. Keeping his body as loose as he could, and trying not to focus too hard, David stared at the flame, hoping to see the desired outcome.
After about a half minute, the flame in front of David grew to twice its normal size. This was really taxing David's ability, and he was only able to maintain it for just a few seconds before he had to end his efforts. He slumped on his stool and took a deep breath. It had been quite exhausting, just making the candle flame do that small bit.
Some in the class were doing even more impressive things. Most had not managed anything at all. This was only their second try at pyromandy, and David was actually surprised he'd gotten anything to happen.
Maybe I'm finally grasping this stuff? Or maybe I just do better with fire.
After the end of the class, Prof. Rutherford called David up to the front.
"You did very well today, David. I was impressed."
"Thanks," he replied.
"Do you think you're finally starting to get the idea of how to do this?"
"I don't know. Today seemed to be pretty easy... well, compared to all the other stuff I've tried in here."
"Do you have a free moment right now?" Prof. Rutherford asked.
"Sure. I was just going to dinner, and that can wait. What did you need?"
"I wanted you to try some terramandy again. Stay in the frame of mind you were using today, and see if you can make something happen."
David shrugged. "I'll try..."
They walked over to the large bin of dirt that Prof. Rutherford kept in her classroom.
"What would you like me to try?" David asked.
"Try to build the arch that you're supposed to make for licensure."
"You mean the one I didn't even come close to?" David asked.
Prof. Rutherford grinned. "Yes, that one."
"Here goes nothing," David said. He closed his eyes and visualized the arch of dirt. He felt his body tensing, and did his best to prevent that, trying to remain loose and fluid. As he made the connection with the energy, he cupped his hands, rather than balling them into fists. In a slow, smooth motion, he brought his hands up from his sides, moving them in an arc until they met in front of his chest.
To David's amazement, two columns of earth thrust their way up out of the bin, and curved over, meeting in the middle. To his disappointment, however, as soon as they met, the arch collapsed back to the ground. David dropped his arms, defeated.
"Sorry, Professor. I just can't seem to get it."
"That's better than anything you've done before, David," She told him. "Don't get discouraged on me. You are making headway."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good work. I'll see you next class."
"Yes, ma'am."
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"No detention this week?" Shell asked. She and Olissa were walking with David to the stadium. The baxayr game started in an hour, and they wanted to get a good seat.
"No, just three chapters of homework to do. I guess he figured I'd copied enough of the book for now. You know, the class is just starting on chapter two. I have to do the exercises in chapters six, seven and eight."
"How can you possibly be expected to know all that, if you've not gone over the previous material?" Shell asked.
"Oh, but I have. He assigned me up to chapter five last week."
"What is his problem with you?"
"He really doesn't like demighosts," David said.
"I still think you should tell Dean Lengel," Olissa said.
"I'm quite sure she already knows," David replied.
"How?"
"I told Sam. This is the kind of thing she's not going to keep to herself."
"Who's Sam?" Shell asked.
"Sorry. I mean Prof. Stott."
"You know her well enough to call her by her first name?"
"And then some," Olissa confirmed with a giggle. Shell looked confused.
"Prof. Stott and I have a relationship," David explained.
"Oh! I didn't realize you have a girlfriend."
"I don't. We have a relationship, but not that relationship. It's complicated."
Shell nodded.
"Will you be able to get all that extra Conjuring work done this weekend?" Olissa asked.
"Should be able to. Prof. Rutherford didn't give us too much homework to do, and my other classes aren't really that much of a struggle."
The three continued to chat as they entered the stadium and found their seats. Shell, whispering something in Olissa's ear, sat on the other side of David, so that he ended up in the middle. He didn't really take note of that as they continued to talk while the stadium filled up in preparation for the game.
"Who are they playing?" Olissa asked.
"Crenshaw Academy," David replied.
"Where is that located?" Shell asked. "I haven't been there."
"Beats me," David said with a grin. "My Dugerran geography is sketchy at best."
Shell smiled at him, but didn't say anything.
-----
"And now, let's hear it for The Woodward Firebirds!"
The crowd roared as the seven starting players zoomed into the arena. The announcer introduced them by name and position.
"... at center wing, Gwen Hasterscant!..."
"How can there be a center wing?" Olissa asked. "Aren't wings supposed to be out on the edges?"
David explained, "in baxayr, you have three basic types of players. The goalie, the guards, and the wings. The guards are defensive players, and the wings are offensive players, the ones who try to score. So, in this case, 'wing' indicates that they move forward a lot, rather than that they're on the edges."
"Oh."
"Have you watched many games?" Shell asked him.
"About two each year. The ones where Gwen told me she might be playing. I don't know any of the other players, and I'm not a big sports buff, so..." David shrugged.
The two teams took up their starting positions in the arena. The arena itself was shaped like an elongated bowl, with a flat lip running all the way around the outside. Most of the players began the game on this lip; only the goalies and the center wings were actually down on the field.
The floor of the arena was not flat. There were obstacles and jumps to make the game more difficult, and more interesting. Each end of the arena had the same obstacles, in the same arrangement, as seen from the goalie's perspective. On the left was a ramp, with a tunnel going through it. On the right was an embankment that resembled a cresting wave. In the middle was another ramp very near the center of the arena, leaving a narrow space between it and its partner ramp on the other side. Behind and to the left of the goalie was an enormous, fifteen-foot arch that terminated in empty space. There was also a thick pole to his right, and a wall blocking most of the space between the center ramp and the ramp to his left. The goal was not flush with the back wall, but was more like a hockey goal, with a space to move behind it. The goalie stood in front of it, waiting for the game to begin.
Gwen, as the center wing, stood on her SkyRider, which floated at the bottom of the center ramp. She could not see her counterpart, waiting at the bottom of the other center ramp. She could, however, see the ball, hanging in midair, waiting for the game to begin.
A countdown timer appeared in the empty space below the waiting ball. It showed a green bar that slowly decreased in size, until it finally disappeared. When it did, a horn blared, and the game began.
Gwen rocketed up the ramp, choosing to go left, as she knew her opponent was right-handed, and she didn't want to collide with him. At the last second before leaving the ramp, Gwen bounced, sending her SkyRider into the air, and allowing her to grab the ball a split second before her opponent. She glided down, close to the floor, and sped forward, straight for the goal. She could see the goalie tense, and he came out to cut off her angle, but that wasn't the plan.
At the last possible second, Gwen flipped her stick around and flicked the ball over to her teammate, just coming off the embankment, which was to Gwen's left. The teammate caught the ball and immediately fired off a shot into what was an essentially unprotected net. The net lit up and a chime sounded to indicate the goal, and the crowd cheered. The goalie cursed at himself for getting caught like that.
-----
"Gwen's fast with that switchover," Olissa said.
"Being ambidextrous helps," David replied.
"I bet."
"The goalie made a mistake," Shell said.
"It happens," David replied. "I think he's a new player. If so, he's getting a baptism by fire."
"What do you mean?" Olissa asked.
"Woodward is the best team in the league right now. At least, they were at the end of last year. I don't know what the new year and the player changes will do to that, but I doubt it's going to hurt us too much."
"So, you don't like sports, but you know how the team is doing?" Olissa asked dubiously.
"I like my school," David replied.
-----
The game continued, with Woodward gaining an impressive lead over Crenshaw. When the score was 10-2, Crenshaw started to get nasty. The cross-checking, and especially the sky-checking, where a player would use their Sky Rider to crash into another player's Sky Rider, was getting vicious.
Gwen did her best to stay away from all of that. She was nimble on her Sky Rider, and she weaved and slipped clear of most of the physicality. She rode up the wave ramp, just barely avoiding another sky-check, and zoomed back down, toward the goal. When she was only a few feet from it, her teammate flipped her the ball, and she twisted, blasting it into the net. The crowd went wild, and the goalie screamed curses at Gwen. She ignored him, and high-fived her teammate on the way to the center of the field.
-----
"This is turning into a slaughter," Olissa said.
"I told you. Woodward is the best in the league. Crenshaw is actually in the lower half of the league. This was always going to be a blood bath. Hopefully Crenshaw doesn't make that literal. They've been known to do that before."
"They cause injuries?" Olissa asked, worried.
"Yeah. They have a group of players that they actually call the Goon Squad. They're huge, and they're not very good at anything but cross-checking a player right off their Sky Rider."
"Why does the league allow that?" Shell asked.
David shrugged. "Because it's within the rules of the game."
-----
The Woodward left wing zoomed forward with the ball, but a Crenshaw player sky-checked him hard, sending him flying. The ball popped loose from his stick, and the Crenshaw player picked it up. He zoomed around behind the goal, and then he pivoted, rocketing up the arch. When he reached the top, he was upside down, but he managed to toss the ball to his friend, waiting at center field. The new player took the ball and, instead of going straight for the goal, maneuvered right, going through the tunnel underneath the ramp. This obscured him from view of the goalie, and the player doubled back, moving toward center field again as he came around the back side of the ramp.
The player launched his shot, but the goalie was ready and waiting. He batted the shot away, and a Woodward player made the catch. He turned and flew, skidding around the pole and down the field. He passed the ball up to Gwen, who put on the speed, zooming straight for the arch. She was going so fast that she flew right off the arch, and then she flipped herself upright as she fell. About halfway to the ground, she saw her chance, and fired off her shot, which caught the upper part of the goal, just above the goalie's stick. The crowd went wild.
-----
"That was insane!" David said, shocked that Gwen had tried that move.
"She pulled it off," Olissa replied.
"Yeah, but... damn!"
Shell took this opportunity to turn to David and say, "David, Olissa tells me that you wrote the student handbook last year."
"I was on the committee," he corrected. "Dirk did the actual writing."
"But you did a lot of the research?"
"Yeah."
"I was wondering if I could talk to you sometime. Kind of like an interview, but I'd like us to be a little friendlier about it than that. I need to get a sense of what the school is really like, all the ins and outs, and I have a feeling I'm missing a lot, just attending class."
"Okay, sure, no problem. When?"
"When would be good for you?"
"After the game, I'll have homework to do... Maybe tomorrow?"
"Sure. I don't really do much. You know where our room is. Whenever you've got some free time, just come on over."
"Okay, will do."
-----
The game played on, and though Crenshaw tried its usual tactics, and though two Woodward players were injured, ultimately it would make no difference. The game ended up 28-7. Crenshaw's players left the field exhausted and defeated. The Woodward team was just as exhausted, but exultant. They flew around the edge of the arena in a victory display, and then those who were courageous enough - this included Gwen - performed flips off the arches. The crowd loved it.
"You want to wait around for Gwen?" Olissa asked as the crowd started to thin out.
"I don't think that would be wise," David said, pointing to where the players would exit the arena. Devyn was clearly visible, waiting. "I'll send her a note later."
"Are things that bad between you?" Shell asked.
"Things are fine between us. It's Devyn who has the problem, and I'm trying not to make Gwen's life more difficult."
Shell nodded, and then they all headed back to the dorm.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"Hey, David!" Shell said brightly upon opening the door to see him. "What's up?"
"Well, you said you wanted to talk. I got all my work finished except for one chapter of Conjuring, so here I am."
"What about that last chapter?" she asked.
"I needed a break," he admitted, rubbing his forehead.
"Okay... you want to talk in here, or you want to go for a walk?"
"Let's go for a walk. I don't spend enough time outside, and Jailla needs some flying time."
"Okay, let's go."
The two left the dorm and rode up the rock lift to the terrace. Jailla zoomed by them when they got off, and then he disappeared into the distance.
"Don't you worry about him, being gone like that?"
"He always comes back."
"But what if he got hurt?"
"Now that does worry me a little, but I try not to think about it. So," he said, changing the subject, "what did you want to know about Woodward Academy?"
"Well, I've read the handbook, and of course I went through orientation, but I guess I still don't have a good sense of the school... spirit? Every school has a personality, a community personality, I mean, that I can't quite read here at Woodward."
"I would say that Woodward is, for the most part, a study school."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You don't come here unless you want to work your ass off. The classes are difficult, the rules are strictly enforced, and you're not likely to find a party easily."
"Isn't every academy like that?"
"No. Some, I'm told, are real party schools, like the school itself endorses a weekend bash of some kind. Others are just more laid back than Woodward, trying a more work-at-your-own-pace kind of thing."
"Isn't that better? I mean, if Woodward is forcing you to learn too rapidly..."
David shrugged. "The problem is that nobody really checks that you're working up to your potential. You'd have to ask Dean Lengel about statistics, but I've heard that those other schools don't put out as many second-year licensees."
"Meaning what, exactly?"
"That most of their students take more than two years to get their magic license."
"I see. You like Woodward, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do. I like the dean, I like the teachers. The courses are hard, but interesting. The school is very supportive of learning. If you're here to stuff your head full of the knowledge of magic, then this place is going to give you every bit of support you need."
"Do you think the mermaids should come here?"
"No."
Shell was shocked. "No? Why not? Do you not like mermaids or something?"
"I don't know any mermaids... well, except you, and you're only a mermaid half the time... no, my issue is two-fold. First, logistical. How the hell would they get to class?"
"They can breathe air, you know..."
"But can they walk on land? Our classrooms aren't in the moats."
"I see your point. Still, that's an issue that can be dealt with. You said your issue was two-fold..."
"From personal experience, I can say that there would be persecution. Especially if it was only one or two mermaids at a time. When I first came here, my first year was a nightmare."
"But not now?"
"No, not now. At the end of my first year, I ended up having a fight with my main tormenter, and somehow, the school decided I was okay after that. At least, most of them did. There were only a few minor incidents last year, and so far, there's been nothing at all this year. But Devyn was also treated as an outcast. She wasn't as harassed as I was, but she wasn't liked, either. This is, unfortunately, a 'human' school, and they tend to reject any non-humans who go here."
"They've not given me any problems..."
"You look human. I'd be willing to bet the number of people who know you're not human is very small."
"That's true. So, you think there would be trouble."
"I'm not sure they'd face the same level of hazing that I did, but certainly they would be shunned to some degree. And the mermaids would be ogled by the guys."
"They would be properly dressed..." Shell objected.
"It's not that. All of the legends about mermaids are semi-sexual in nature, so that's how guys are going to think of them."
"Oh. But that's going to be anywhere we go, isn't it?"
"Probably. Why do the merfolk want to train at a human school, anyway?"
"There is the feeling that the humans are better wizards."
"Well, here is my recommendation, and you can take it or leave it. Instead of bringing the mermaids to the human schools, bring the human instructors to the mermaid schools. I'm sure you could recruit some good wizards, maybe hold classes on the surface, so that they won't have to perform magic just to breathe... and go that route. I know this sounds like I'm just trying to keep the mermaids out of 'my' school, but I'm not. I'd welcome them. I just think they'd have a lot of trouble."
Shell nodded. "Still, I have to write up a report for the agency that sent me here. You mind if I keep asking questions?"
"Go right ahead," David said, and they continued their walk.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"Hey, David?"
David looked up from his Metamorphosis book. "Yeah?"
"Could you help us? We can't seem to get this morph right, and Prof. Arpilla is busy with those two."
"I can try. I didn't do so well with this one myself. Show me what you're doing."
Felicia showed him, and he chuckled at the result. Aaron's hand was supposed to become a claw, but instead, it had turned into something that looked like a club. She changed him back, then turned to David for advice.
"Well, let's see if I remember how to do it exactly. You watch me, and see if you can figure out where you're going wrong." David morphed Aaron's hand, and he got it mostly right, though the claw was a bit malformed. David changed it back, then turned to Felicia. "See anything?"
"Not really."
David sighed again. "Okay, let's deform Aaron one more time..."
Felicia did, and then David said, "Okay, I see where you're going wrong. Two things. You're putting your emphasis in the wrong place. It's supposed to be on the last syllable. Second, you are ending the motion with your wand tip up, instead of down."
Felicia tried it again, making these changes, and she got the spell exactly right this time.
"Hey! Thanks!"
"No problem. Have you had a chance to morph her yet?" he asked Aaron.
"No. You wanna stick around, in case I have my own problems?"
David shrugged. "Okay..."
Aaron didn't have any trouble, but before David could go sit down, the two that sat behind Felicia and Aaron asked for his help. David ended up going up the entire row, while Prof. Arpilla worked with a few other students who were really struggling. At the end of the class, David returned to his desk, to collect his books.
"Thanks for the assist," Prof. Arpilla said, coming over to him.
He smiled at her. "That wasn't really my intent, but you're welcome."
Prof. Arpilla gave David a warm kiss, and he hugged her, but they kept it brief, as she had a class shortly, and so did he.
"Feel free to help out like that in the future, if you like."
"I'm not really qualified to teach Metamorphosis," David objected.
"Your classmates would beg to differ. You're doing well enough, David. And you're not teaching, you're just giving study help."
"Yes, Professor."
Prof. Arpilla blushed. "Stop that, we don't have time. Go on. And thank you."
David smiled at her, and then hurried out the door. He had to get to his TEM class, where he would definitely not be acting as a teacher's assistant.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"Goddammit," David muttered.
"What's the matter?" Jim asked.
"Conjuring, what else?"
"What chapter are you up to now?"
"Twelve."
"Crap. At this rate, you're going to have the book finished by the end of the semester. Well, look at the bright side. You get two rounds of study on it, so the tests should be easy as hell for you."
David glared at Jim, who just smiled encouragingly back at him.
"I hate you for being logical," David said. Jim chuckled at him.
David sat back in his chair, and rubbed his eyes. As he put his hands back on his desk, his eyes caught sight of the two pixie sticks he'd purchased the week before. He decided that he could use a treat.
Unwrapping the stick, he stuck it in his mouth, and was just about to go back to work on his homework, when the effects of the treat washed over him.
"Oooh, yeah, I forgot about that," David murmured to himself.
"Huh?" Jim asked, not having heard him.
"Nothing," David replied, enjoying the calming effect of the pixie stick. As he returned to doing his homework, he found that it was easier to concentrate, now that he was a bit less stressed.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"Hey, David!"
"Flo! I didn't know you were working here... I thought you worked at the museum."
"Got bored. This is more fun."
"And fattening, I bet," David said with a smile. He was standing in Woerther's Candy Shoppe.
Flo grinned sheepishly. "I've put on five pounds since starting here."
Suddenly, David got a strange look on his face. "Hey... I thought you couldn't work in Dugerra until you were a citizen. How can you have a job here?"
"The laws are a bit different in these college towns," Flo explained. "But there are strict rules that both I and the owner have to go by. I can only work so many hours a week, and a day... I have to maintain my grades... and I have to be paid slightly more than a Dugerran citizen."
"Slightly more? That doesn't make sense..."
"It's to encourage the shop owner to hire a citizen, instead of me."
"Oh. I get it. And yet you found a job."
"Pretty much anyone who wants one, finds a job here. There aren't enough people to flood the job market. Anyway, what can we do for you today?"
"I came in to get some pixie sticks. Do you have like a box of them?"
"Sure," she said, and led him over to the shelf where they were found. "What's your flavor?"
"Hmm. I've had these two, and liked them both... is there a variety pack?"
"Afraid not. If you want variety, you'll have to buy all five boxes."
"That's a lot of pixie sticks," David said.
"True, but they'll keep forever, and they're not all that expensive..."
David grinned. "You get paid on commission or something?"
Flo blushed.
"Okay, I'll take all five boxes. I don't want to get bored with a single flavor."
They took the boxes back to the counter. "Anything else?" Flo asked.
"Hmm. This is gonna sound weird, but do you have anything fish flavored?"
"Fish flavored?"
"I have a mermaid friend I'd like to get something for."
"Ah. Okay, well, we do have a few... unusual... treats. I'm not sure if any of them are fish flavored, but let's go see."
After some looking, it turned out that there was, in fact, a box of fishy hard candies. David bought that, and his pixie sticks, and left the store. Shell had asked him to accompany her to all of the Merlin Festival activities the next day, so he figured he should have a small gift for her, and the candies would be a good fit.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"So, is this a normal festival for Woodward?"
David chuckled.
"Did I say something funny?"
David shook his head, then said, "No. It's just that it's only been a little over two years since I gained my magical abilities. There's nothing 'normal' about any of this to me."
"Oh," Shell said, giggling.
"As to the festival... it's about normal for a Festival of Merlin. Each of the festivals is different."
"How so?"
"They each focus on something different. They celebrate a different thing. This festival celebrates magic."
"Which is why everyone is doing magic tricks at random all over the place?"
"Exactly. It's their chance to show off what they can do." They detoured around a wizard that was doing terramandy as they made their way to the lunch room. Just like his first year, there was a line to get into the lunch room.
"What's this about?" Shell asked.
David looked up ahead to make sure, then said, "Ah, yeah. They brought the same troupe back. You're going to have to display some magic to get into lunch today, I'm afraid."
"No big deal, I guess," she said.
The two made it up to the head of the line. "Ladies first," David said, motioning her forward.
"Gee, thanks."
"Show us your magic, and you may enter the feasting hall," one of them intoned.
Shell thought briefly, then she muttered a spell, moving her hands in a ball. In-between her hands formed a sphere, inside of which swam a dolphin and several fish. She spread her hands apart, and the sphere grew larger.
"Very nice," the entertainer told her. "You may go in."
Shell went in, then turned to watch David perform.
"Show us your magic. And know this: fading will not serve you this year."
"Party poopers," David said to them, grinning. David had been ready for this, and so he pulled out a potion that he had prepared the day before. He swallowed the potion, and suddenly his body burst into flames. The two entertainers guarding the door jumped back, and the girl behind David screamed.
"Good enough?" David growled menacingly, hamming up his act.
"Yes... yes, quite," said the entertainer.
David crossed his arms, morphing to ghost form. This extinguished the flames instantly, and then he faded back, making his way into Byron Hall for lunch.
"Didn't that hurt like hell?" Shell asked.
David shook his head. "Magical flame. Doesn't do any damage to anything. Good for scaring the shit out of people and animals, though."
"How would a normal person extinguish that?"
"They wouldn't. You'd have to wait for it to wear off, which takes about five minutes."
"You made that yourself?"
"Yeah."
"You're quite good with potions."
"I hope so," David said with a smile. "Or my Potions Master is wasting her time."
Shell giggled, and they went and sat with Olissa, who had gone straight to lunch from Conjuring, while David had showed Shell around a bit.
"Hey, guys," Olissa said. Jim, Simon, and Heath all muttered greetings, as their mouths were full.
"How are you liking the festival?" Olissa asked Shell.
"Interesting, but I don't really see the point."
"Festivals don't have points, as such. They're just celebrations. This one is to show our gratitude for magic by displaying our love of it," Olissa said.
"I like having fun as much as the next person," Shell said, "But this just seems like a waste of resources."
"Other than a bit of time, what resource are we wasting?" David asked.
Shell frowned, then said, "Yeah, you've got a point. It's not like we're ever going to run out of magic. I guess it's just unfamiliar to me. When we have a 'festival' in the mer-colony, it's a more spiritual activity."
David snorted. "I think you'd like the Yule Festival, then. At least days one and three."
"The Yule Festival?" she asked. David explained it to her. "Oh. I might have to participate in that at some point, then."
"David, you're like... uber-ahead in Conjuring, aren't you? At least, that's what I heard," Heath said.
"Yeah, thanks to Prof. Quayde's hatred, I'm well ahead of the class. Why?"
"I could use a hand, if you've got the time. I'm stuck on this new stuff in Chapter 3."
"I think we could all use a little help with it. Do you have any better grasp of it than we do?" Jim asked David.
"I read Chapter 3 a couple weeks ago... and I've hand-copied the chapter. Yeah, I'm pretty good with that. Why don't we get together Sunday afternoon... hmmm... in front of Santana Hall. That spot's usually not got many people."
"Why Sunday, instead of Saturday?" Jim asked.
"Why d'ya think?" David replied, looking at him blankly.
"Again?" Simon asked.
"The man doesn't like me. I guess he thinks if he gives me detention enough, I'll get fed up and drop his class. The truth is that, by the end of the weekend, I'll have hand-copied as far as we're going to get this semester in the book. Yeah, Conjuring I'm going to understand really well. Might not be able to do it, but I will certainly understand it."
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"Wow, you are pretty good at this," Shell told David as they all walked back to the rock lift. They'd just finished practicing their Conjuring for two hours.
"Enforced study can do that. I've spent three of my last four weekends immersed in my Conjuring textbook. It's pretty easy to absorb the information when you're required to copy it, word-for-word, picture-for-picture."
"He even makes you draw the pictures?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah. He yelled at me the first time for not doing so."
"That's stupid," she said, frowning.
David shrugged. "That's life. At least I can conjure a bit."
"More than a bit," she said. "Have you found it common, that teachers here don't like you?"
Olissa snorted, but didn't say anything.
David smirked. To Shell, he said, "Quite the opposite. The teachers like me. It's the students I had trouble with. The teachers here, for the most part, will like you as long as you put in the effort. Prof. Quayde is an exception, not the rule."
Shell nodded. "It reminds me of your comments the other day, though... don't you think it makes sense to force people like that to learn to understand those with differences, rather than allowing them to intimidate us into remaining separate?"
"If you're trying to integrate into a social group, sure. And if the merfolk were looking to join the human society, I would tell you to ignore the stupid people, and come on in. But the thing is, they're not looking to join the society. They're looking for the same level of education. That is much easier to achieve by bringing the educators to them, rather than bringing them to the educators. It's less stress on everyone, and achieves the same goal."
"I guess. I'm sorry if I keep asking you stuff like this..."
"It's okay, I don't mind."
"Thanks," she said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Just then the lift arrived, and they rode the rest of the way chatting some more about Conjuring.
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
"Good night, Jailla," David said quietly. Jim was already asleep, and had been for some time. David crawled into bed, and was trying to doze off.
Suddenly, David noted a flash from Jim's side of the blackout curtain between them. He knew that Jim wasn't performing spells, so it couldn't be anything good. His hunch was confirmed as the orange glow that now made it past the curtain indicated a fire. David quickly pushed back the curtain, and was nearly knocked back by the smell. What sat on their room floor was a burning pile of something.
"Kesoo!" David called out, just as Jim sat up, and then gagged.
"Fuck, dude, what the hell did you do?"
"I didn't do it. It just appeared in the middle of the floor."
"Ugh. What the hell is that?"
David remembered not to breathe. The stench was awful. He said, "Judging from size and shape, I'd say it was probably griffin shit. The fire really brought out the... uh... flavor, didn't it?"
Jim was holding his nose. "Yeah, sure. How the fuck do we get rid of it?"
David pulled out a box that he'd had some books in. He thought for a second about how he could possibly get the griffin dung into the box without touching it. First, he waved his wand at the pile of crap and said, "Tapamana friej." The pile turned immediately frozen.
"Why'd you freeze it?" Jim asked, still holding his nose.
"Well, for one thing, it's not giving off any more smell now. For another, it won't burn the box when I put it in." As Jim nodded, David cast another spell, and the shit was conjured from the floor to the box. David closed up the box, and then he went and got dressed.
"Where you going?" Jim asked.
"To take this up to Savage Hall. It's the only place I can think of to dispose of it."
"What do we do about this odor?"
"I don't know. Alisin angamoy doesn't work on rooms. Wait... I have a potion that might work." David went to his kit and pulled out a base potion he'd made, then withdrew some cinnamon bark. He poured the base potion into a small perfume-style bottle, and then dropped a piece of the cinnamon bark in. The cinnamon bark immediately dissolved, and the potion, which had been clear, turned amber.
"Let's see if this will work." David pointed the bottle up into the air and spritzed it around a dozen times. After several seconds, the odor in the room began to fade. Jim slowly took his hand off his nose.
"Okay, that seems to work. If you need to, spray it some more. I'm going to go dump this," David said.
Just as David was about to leave, Jim said, "David?"
"Yeah?"
"Who do you think did it?"
"I don't know. No one's been bothering me this year."
"Except Prof. Quayde," Jim reminded him. "Who is a conjuring instructor."
David snorted. "Good point. It might have been him. I sure wouldn't put it past him."
"Anything we can do about it?"
"Only if we could prove it. This would be against the rules, even for a teacher... but just like always, we haven't got any way to prove it was him."
"Yeah. Sucks, don't it? You'd think the school would monitor magic or something."
"Invasion of privacy. I've talked to Garibaldi about it."
"Garibaldi?"
"That Rimohr from last year."
"Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Still, it'd be nice if we had some proof of who's doing all this crap."
"I hear that. Anyway, try to go back to sleep. I'll go dump this and be back in a few minutes."
"Right." David turned to go, but Jim said, "David?"
David turned again. "Yeah?"
"If you figure out it is Prof. Quayde, you going to do something about it this time? Even if you can't 'prove it'?"
David frowned, and stood there for a long moment. Finally, he said, "Go to sleep."
"Uh-huh."
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