The Woodward Academy, Year 4

Chapter 3: August

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"Argh," David grumbled to himself. He took the mixture and dumped it down the sink. This was the seventh try so far that had failed. He cleaned out his cauldron, and took an extra-long time to clean it magically, making sure that no previous potion was causing his current difficulties. Finally satisfied, he returned his cauldron to the fire pit, and began his work once more.

An hour later, Sam came in. She was quiet, because she didn't want to disturb him if he was doing something sensitive. She found him with his face buried in some notes, a potion bubbling beside him. For a moment, she stopped and observed. She remembered her own apprenticeship, and she had not been this single-minded in her own pursuit. David had been working in this lab, sun-up to sun-down, for over a week now. She didn't object to his use of the workroom, but she worried he might be burning himself out.

Sam moved over and placed her hand gently on David's back. He jolted, and looked up, then smiled at her.

"Hey, Sam," he said.

"Hey, yourself. You've been working awfully hard in here."

"Trying to get something to work. It's being difficult."

"Would you like me to help?" she asked. She knew that potion makers in general, and David in particular, didn't care for others meddling in their potions, but she had to ask.

David smiled again, but shook his head. "No, thank you. I'll get it eventually."

"Is this one of your ten potions?"

"Um... sort of, yeah."

"Sort of?"

"I'm trying to rework something. I've actually already made ten potions. I just discovered something that I wanted to try to fix."

"You've already made ten new potions?"

"Yeah."

"Do you have the list?"

David passed over his list of potions and their descriptions.

Merlung - Allows the user to breathe and talk underwater

FloBubble - Creates long-lasting, rainbow-colored bubbles that float in air

Naproxen Ghostium - Painkiller for demighosts

Morphex - Protects the user from being morphed by others

Incorporeus - Allows the user to become insubstantial (meaning "non-solid") for a brief period of time

Lust Less - Reduces the blood-lust in a vampire to barely noticeable levels

Bloodbank - Keeps a person's body filled with blood, even if they're bleeding profusely

Allium Savis - Taken before a meal, allows those allergic to garlic to safely partake

Wing Rot Cure - A cure for wing rot in pegs. May also work in other animals, but hasn't been tested.

Wilburwarts Cure - A cure for the childhood malady wilburwarts.

Sam looked over the list, and then over the additional parchments he'd given her, as well, which contained the actual potions.

"This looks finished," she said. "So what are you still having to work on?"

"I'd rather not say just yet," David told her. "They're... not quite ready."

"Okay," Sam said, a bit nonplussed, but not wanting to argue over it. She handed the papers back to him. "Let me know when you are ready."

"I will. How does that work, anyway? I just give them to you, then you go off and make sure they're unique, find a way to test them, or what?"

"When you're ready, you'll give me the list of potions. I'll do two things: I'll verify that they are really new, like you said, and I will arrange to have the necessary people brought to the school. What that means is, for instance, you have a potion specific to vampires, so we will bring a vampire here. The potions must be tested in my presence, and also the members of the Guild Council will be here, since you are trying to become a member of the Guild. You'll bring the necessary potions with you, and we will test them. If they all work - and they all have to work, David, this isn't a case where almost is good enough - then you will become a Potions Master, and a full-fledged member of the Royal Potions Guild."

"How much time, between when I say I'm ready, and the actual test?"

"A few weeks. It'll probably take that long just to find a vampire that you haven't met before."

"Okay. Well, I'll let you know when I think I'm up for it."

"Good." She leaned in and kissed him passionately for a long moment. When she broke the kiss, she smiled at him. "Even I didn't think you'd be ready this fast. You're an amazingly good potion maker. When you get back to the apartment, though, I want to see your morphing skills."

"Hmm?" David asked, confused.

"I want to see how fast you can turn me into a puddle of quivering jelly."

David, understanding her meaning, smiled widely. He pulled her close, and they kissed again.

"I'll be there soon," David promised.

"Good."

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"Emile?"

"Well, David, how are you today?" Dean Lengel asked.

"I'm fine. Sam said you wanted to see me about something."

"Yes. Technically, this is an 'official' discussion, but if you start calling me Dean Lengel, or worse, 'ma'am', while we're talking, I'll expel you." Only the grin on her face belied this. David called her bluff.

"Yes, ma'am!" he said exuberantly. Dean Lengel blushed.

"Okay, okay, but seriously. I have something that I would like you to do for the school, if you would."

"Sure. If I can."

"Well, as you'll recall, those students who live farther away from the Academy get here on the school's carriage."

"Right..."

"And you'll recall that, on the carriage was a student sitting at a little desk up front."

"Um... yeah, vaguely..."

"That student's job is to answer questions from the new students, and also to make sure that they all get to the sign-in tables without incident. The student who has done this for us the last couple years isn't returning this year, so we need a new Information Officer. I'd like you to take the job."

"Why me?"

"Well, not to make it sound like you're my only option, but... you're here. I didn't know that Luke, the old Information Officer, wasn't coming back until last week, so I didn't have time to replace him during the year.

"Having said that, you would have been near the top of my list to ask, anyway. You're very knowledgeable about the school, you are loyal to the school, which is very important to me... and I trust you, which I cannot say about a great many students."

"Well, how can a guy turn down that kind of rationale?" David said with a grin.

"If he's nice, he can't," she said. "I'm counting on that."

David chuckled. "Okay, I'll do it. Where does the route start?"

"Right here. You can ride it out from here."

"Well, there's a slight problem with that. I'm going to be leaving in a few days. I'm going to go tour Mirelia with a friend. I thought maybe we could catch up with it at the first stop where it will pick up people."

"Oh, okay, I see. That would work, too. Well, we haven't worked out a route, or I should say, the driver hasn't, since it isn't time yet. We could just pick a place for them to come get you, if you're going to be that far out west."

David considered for a second. "Are you picking up any students in Bellamy?"

"Now, David, you know we are. Eleanor Hasterscant is joining us this year. First year students are supposed to ride the carriage, if they aren't local."

David grinned. "She goes by Ellie, by the way, but okay. If you can make Bellamy your first stop, then I can get on there. I can just make a visit to the Hasterscants with my friend, and we can all ride in together."

"That works very nicely," Dean Lengel agreed. "Thank you for agreeing to take the job. I was a little worried about filling the position."

"Why did you learn so late that the other guy wasn't coming back?"

"Luke was killed in an accident in Earth."

"Oh. Well, that would be a good reason not to let you know ahead of time," David said.

Dean Lengel smiled bemusedly. "Yes. Anyway, thank you again. When are you leaving?"

"Saturday."

"If I don't see you between now and then, I'll see you when school starts. Have a good trip."

"Thanks."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Miss J?" David said, sticking his head in the door after knocking.

"Hello, David," she said brightly. "Please, come in. How are you today?"

David stepped into the office all the way. "I'm doing all right. I was wondering if you wanted me to give you a hand moving the plants over today."

Prof. Qwellyn looked surprised. "I hadn't actually planned on doing that for at least another week," she told him.

"I know, but I'm going on vacation to Mirelia in a couple days, and I won't be back until the other students come back. I didn't want to leave you without your usual helper..."

Prof. Qwellyn smiled at him. "Thank you, David, for your concern. Well, we certainly can do it today. Let me just finish up what I'm doing, and we'll go."

"Okay. Should I wait outside?"

"No, no. Have a seat. This is just paperwork, nothing important. I'll just be a few more minutes."

David nodded, and then sat down, waiting quietly for her to finish. In about five minutes, she bundled up the parchment, rolled it, tied a ribbon around it, and put it in her Out box. Smiling at him again, she got up and moved around the desk.

"Well, let's get to it, Afterwards, I can show you some new plants we got in."

"More work for the king?"

"How'd you guess?" she asked with a grin.

"Does he even ask the other schools to grow things?"

"Now, why would he do that?"

David chuckled.

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"You mean I get to remain a bird this time?" Jailla said.

"Unless you keep being whiny," David warned him. Jailla ruffled his feathers at that, and said no more about it. They were waiting, with a few others, outside the Slyther Inn, which was also the local coach departure point.

Soon enough, a coach, led by four pegs, descended down out of the sky. The pegs' hooves thundered up the street until the coach came to a stop, and the driver descended from his seat.

"This is the one-thirty coach for all points south. Final destination is Senesty. If you already have your tickets, please step up to board. Leave your bags, and they'll be loaded for you."

David stepped up and handed the man his ticket. David was ushered aboard, and, though the coach wasn't nearly as big as the school's carriage, it was spacious enough for at least twice the number of people who were boarding here. He settled Jailla onto a provided perch, and found himself a nearby seat. He had grabbed a volume of his Eternal Compendium to pass the time, and as the other riders boarded, he waited patiently. It wasn't long before they were airborne.

David waited about twenty minutes, to see if any of his fellow passengers were going to strike up a conversation with him, but no one did. He felt no need to do so himself, either. Having given what he considered a polite opportunity, he now pulled out his book and started reading. The book he had chosen for the flight was a book on Divination and its uses in the politics of Callamandia through the ages.

He didn't finish before the flight landed in Senesty. It was very late when they arrived, but David had already made arrangements for lodging, and so that proved not to be a problem, either. An hour after their flight landed, David was in his hotel room, Jailla asleep on a shelf, and he had returned to reading his book.

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Another, much shorter, flight the next day took David to the border between Callamandia and Gtharsis. He entered Gtharsis, looking around with curiosity. The construction here was different, of course, as the people were significantly shorter than humans, and were mostly agrarian in nature. Normal-sized barns sat next to slightly diminutive dwellings, which were themselves constructed post-and-beam style, with thatched roofs. He supposed it worked well enough here, but wondered if the style held deeper into the southern, wetter areas of Gtharsis.

Instead of a pegasus-pulled coach, David stepped into what looked like a simple box with seats. He took a front row seat, since it was available, and waited once again. He had no idea how this was supposed to move anywhere, and almost wondered if it was just a waiting facility.

Finally, after everyone had stepped in, the gnome who had sold him the ticket also stepped in. He took the seat in the very front, which was on a swiveling base. Facing backward, toward the passengers, he gave a little spiel about where they were going, and how long it would take to get there. David would reach his destination in three hours.

Once finished with his speech, the gnome spun his chair around to face out the window. He moved his hand in a peculiar fashion, not touching anything, and suddenly, David noticed the view outside moved downward. He had felt almost nothing at all, but clearly the box in which he was riding was now floating somehow above the ground.

In another second, they began to move forward, and it didn't take long for them to be traveling at breakneck speed down a corridor that had obviously been cleared of trees. It looked wide enough for two or three of these... buses? Whatever they called them, it seemed the corridor had been designed to carry them back and forth. The landscape zipped by in a blur. David figured they were moving just as fast as the peg-drawn coach, only much closer to the ground.

Gtharsis was a green, lush nation, and the land was very pretty... but a person can only stare at trees for just so long. In less than a half-hour, David was once again immersed in his book.

-----

David stepped out of the gnome bus and looked around. He was currently in the Dugerran equivalent of Houma, Louisiana. What he needed now was a travel gate, so he could reach Olissa's house.

A holler from behind him proved this to be unnecessary, however. David turned to see Olissa and Bispy waiting for him. She waved with a big smile.

"Nice of her to meet us," Jailla said. "Weren't we supposed to stay at her house for a few days, however?"

David shrugged. "Maybe we're changing plans." He went over to Olissa and the two hugged strongly, and then kissed each other.

When they finally separated, David asked, "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but why are you here? I thought you were going to meet me in Houma."

Olissa frowned slightly. "My parents are being extra-weird as of late. I thought maybe we could just start the trip a few days early."

David pursed his lips, then shrugged and nodded. "I don't see why not. You hungry?"

Olissa looked embarrassed. "Yeah, I... didn't bring any Dugerran money with me."

David put his arm around her shoulder and hugged. He conjured her bag into the same place his own was located, and then they made off to find an eatery.

-----

After lunch, David and Olissa found out that they would have to walk to the next village in order to catch what the gnomes called a glide cart that was going to the Mirelian border. It would take them about half a day to make the trip.

Since they were already ahead of schedule due to not staying with Olissa's parents, neither of them minded. Besides, it was an easy walk along a well-worn path. They chatted as they went, David telling Olissa about his summer.

As they neared the next village, they had to cross a river. A stone bridge arched over the water, and so they didn't hesitate. As they approached the bridge, however, there was a soft rustling noise to their left.

Suddenly, from out of the rushes at the water's edge, a creature jumped in front of them. Its greenish-grey skin hung limply from its frame, and its long nose and large, pointy ears made its face look decidedly menacing. It stood like a human, though not nearly as tall. Its head looked bald at first, but then David realized it was simply that its hair, which was slicked back from being all wet, was the same nasty color as his skin. A look at hands and feet showed that they were partially webbed.

The creature, which David finally identified as a river troll, snarled and snapped at them, holding up its clawed hands menacingly. Bispy crouched, ready to leap, and David was about to draw his wand, when Olissa stepped forward.

"Oh, go on," she said calmly. "That's not going to work."

Bispy immediately backed off, realizing his wizard wasn't frightened. David stared at her, but the troll immediately stopped snarling. He lowered his hands.

"Really? Not frightened in the least?" the troll asked.

David stared agape. The damned troll had an English accent!

"Of course not. I know about river trolls," Olissa told him.

"Oh, well, that explains it," the troll said. "Sorry to have startled you."

"No problem," Olissa said. "What's your name?"

"Now, hang on just a minute!" David insisted. "What the heck is going on?"

Olissa giggled at David, but it was the troll who answered.

"I, good sir, am a river troll. I live underneath the bridge, you see. When travelers come along, I pop out and try to scare them."

"Why?" David asked.

"Well, if they're scared enough, they run away. Often when they run away, they drop things. I can then collect the things they drop. It's what I do."

"Seems kind of rude," David said.

"Well, I suppose so, but then, it's not like they're inviting me to tea, is it?"

David shook his head. "Why do you have a British accent?"

"Do I?" the troll asked. "I talk like my mother taught me. So I suppose she had the same accent. Couldn't tell you, otherwise."

"Why live under a bridge?" David asked.

"Keeps the rain off me," he said.

"But you're a river troll! You're constantly wet, anyway!"

"Well, yeah, but there's a difference, you see. When I'm swimming, the water runs right off. Rain water keeps bapping you in the head. It's uncomfortable."

"This is all a bit strange for me," David admitted.

"Really?" Olissa said with a grin. "You can handle lamias and vampires, but not river trolls?"

"Not polite river trolls with British accents, no," David admitted.

"What is your name?" Olissa asked the troll.

"I am Ledo Neill. And you are?"

"Olissa Volaire. This is David Stroud. We're students, from Callamandia."

"I'd gathered. I'm familiar with the uniform."

"How?" David asked.

"You aren't the only travelers that have come down this road, you know," Ledo told them. "In fact, I have an old school cloak in my collection with the same insignia. Care to see it?"

"Sure," Olissa said, not waiting for David to respond.

"Come on, then," Ledo said. He led them down, beneath the bridge. Ledo had cleared away and dug out some of the ground to make himself something like a den. Larger rocks were set about purposefully, for use as chairs and tables.

"Would you care for some tea?" Ledo asked.

"You have tea?" David replied incredulously.

"Yes. It's an herbal tea, made from the local plants."

"Ah... no thank you," David replied.

Ledo nodded and motioned them to have a seat, and then plunged into the river. Having nothing better to do, David and Olissa sat down to wait for him.

It wasn't long before Ledo reappeared with a wet and tattered cloak in his hands. He handed it to David. It was the same bright blue as his own coat, and the school crest was still vibrant.

"How old is this?" David asked.

"Don't know," Ledo admitted. "I don't keep track of years, you see. I've been here for many, many winters. Would you care for something to eat?"

"Um..." David temporized.

"I haven't yet caught supper, but it would only take a minute. I am, however, out of oramon. If you could just nip over to the orchard and get us a few, it'll make the whole meal much better..."

"Sure," Olissa said. "Bispy, maybe you'd better stay here." Bispy settled onto the soft ground, while Olissa walked toward the orchard. David said nothing, and followed Olissa back up away from the river. Ledo watched them go, then dove into the river to go fishing.

"Why are we having dinner with a river troll?" David asked.

"Why not?" Olissa replied with a grin. "It's not like dinner will kill you."

David smirked. "No, but you're a different story!"

Olissa giggled. "I've heard stories about river trolls, but I've never met one until now. I just think he's fascinating, and I want to talk to him for a while."

"Well, whatever. I wonder if this orchard belongs to someone. It looks awfully well cared for."

"There's a house. Let's ask," Olissa said.

Sure enough, there was a farmer. David explained why they were there, and he paid the farmer for a basket of oramons, which they would have to pick themselves.

"What, exactly, is an oramon?" David asked.

"It's a magical hybrid of an orange and a lemon. You'll see when we eat it."

"Okay," David said dubiously.

When they returned to the river, Ledo was waiting.

"Good lord! You can't nick a whole basket of them! You're just supposed to take one or two!"

David set the basket down. "We bought these from the farmer," he explained.

"Bought... what an interesting concept. Well, anyway, I caught dinner. Now we can cook him up and eat him."

"Him" was a sizeable trout from the river. Between the fish and the fruit, they would certainly not be hungry. David wasn't at all sure he wanted to try the other water plants that Ledo had gathered for the meal. When David cut through the dark yellow skin of the oramon, he was startled to see that the fruit was half-lemon, half-orange literally. The segments inside the fruit alternated which kind of fruit they came from.

Ledo started a fire using what David assumed was a magic device. He waved it over some sopping wet leaves, which suddenly burst into flame.

They chatted while dinner cooked. Ledo told them of the different travelers he'd seen cross the river, and David and Olissa told him of their time at Woodward.

After dinner, Ledo brought out some of his collection to show them. It was clear that he didn't get many visitors, and he was overjoyed to have someone to talk to. As he proudly displayed his collection of odd knick-knacks and left-behind tools, he jabbered on about where he'd found them, or who had dropped them.

"Now, this, I have no notion of what it is, or what it does. The fellow that dropped it was singing so loud, he didn't even hear me in the reeds like you did. He must have jumped five feet in the air when I popped out. Dropped this thing, and ran across the bridge faster than a wyvern after lunch."

David picked it up, and turned it over. He couldn't suppress the chuckle that came out of his mouth as he handed it to Olissa. She giggled, too, and then handed it back to Ledo.

"What's so blasted funny?" Ledo asked, confused.

David shook his head. "It just shows how long you've been here," he told the troll.

"Oh? How's it do that?"

"Well, it's an Earth device. One they haven't made in years. It's called a Sony Walkman."

Ledo turned it over in his hands. "A Sony Walkman... The device propels you somehow?"

David and Olissa both laughed at that.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

By the time they had finished an amazingly good dinner and their conversation, it was too dark to continue their journey safely. Ledo warned them that there were truly dangerous creatures in the forest between them and the village, and it was only safe to travel by day. They had hunkered down beneath the bridge and slept. Ledo had slept on a raft made of reeds that floated in the river. It was tied to the bridge to keep it from floating off. He claimed it was the ultimate sleep experience.

"Maybe so," David said to Olissa as they were walking to the village the next morning, "but I don't want to be able to roll over and drown in my waterbed."

Once in the village, it was easy to gain passage on a glide cart heading for the border. They watched the scenery roll by as the glide cart made its way over another well-maintained path. They passed the time chatting about various things, and played a few games of I Spy, just to stay busy.

The glide cart came to a stop in the early afternoon. They were clearly at the border, which looked almost exactly like the border between Gtharsis and Callamandia. Two buildings stood, side by side, with an official out in front of each one to greet the new arrivals.

"Welcome to Mirelia," the young man said, a friendly tone to his voice. "What brings you to our country today?"

"Tourism," David said.

The man smiled, and made a note on his form. Then he said, "Well, enjoy your stay."

"Excuse me, but is there a public transportation system we can use here?"

"I'm afraid not. Mirelia is too sparsely populated to make use of one. If you're in a hurry, I'd suggest you rent one of the new glidecars. There's a dealer just down the road."

"Thank you," David said. He walked off, frowning.

"I guess I should have spent more time planning and researching," David said to Olissa. "Sorry about this."

"It's fine," she told him. "More exciting this way."

"Uh-huh," David replied dubiously.

Ultimately, because they would not be exiting Mirelia the same way they entered it, David had to buy one of the glidecars from the dealer. The glidecar was a very strange device. Though it had a windshield and a roof, it had no doors. The seating was very plush, more like a sofa than car seats. There was an enclosed space at the back for their luggage, so David pulled it out of his Conjuring Room and put it in there.

After a quick course in operating the vehicle, the dealer gave him a reminder pamphlet, and wished them well. They stepped into the vehicle which, having no wheels, sat right on the ground. Jailla sat on the back of the seat, and Bispy curled himself up on the floor to one side, which was a free space, since Olissa was sitting close to David, and the car could easily seat three people.

"Ready?" David asked Olissa.

"If you are."

David smirked, then waved his hand in the prescribed manner. Slowly, the vehicle lifted off the ground. Unlike the glide carts, the car had a very slight bobbing motion, just enough to feel. David took the control lever and pushed on it. The car slowly moved out of the parking area, and onto the road, which appeared to be for coaches and carriages, but the glidecar didn't care in the slightest. The ride smoothed out once the car was in motion, and the bobbing sensation ceased.

"So, where are we going?" Olissa asked after a while.

"Hewakaya," David replied. Seeing the look on Olissa's face, he said, "The Temple of the Air."

"How far is it?"

"We probably won't get there today," David told her.

"Tomorrow?"

"We should. Unless I get lost," he said with a grin.

"Now, David, if you want to make out, we can just stop anyplace. You don't need to get lost!"

David laughed, and then he leaned over and kissed Olissa. He had to keep it brief, lest he run into something, but she scooted over to lean against him, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Making herself even more comfortable, she curled her legs up, resting them on the empty expanse of seat beside her.

"This is a very comfortable way to travel," she said.

"Yeah," David agreed. "I might even keep this thing... though I don't know where I'd put it. I guess there's got to be storage places I could rent."

"Probably."

"Comfortable over there, Jailla?"

"Best form of transportation you've discovered yet," Jailla opined.

David grinned. "Bispy, you good? Bispy?"

"He's asleep," Olissa informed David with a chuckle.

"Ah, well, I guess he's good, then."

With that, they drove on.

-----

When it got too dark for David to see where he was going, he found a clear spot and pulled off the road. The car bobbed while David picked a flat piece of land, and then he settled the glidecar to the ground.

"You want to break out dinner?" David asked Olissa. They had stopped at a small village and purchased food for their trip. David scoured the area for enough material to start a fire. It was tough, as this part of Mirelia, like its Earth counterpart, was sandy desert, and there wasn't a whole lot here to burn.

After dinner, they sat around the fire and talked about what they'd seen so far. It wasn't long before they both got kind of sleepy.

"I guess we sleep on the ground, huh?" Olissa asked. "You brought sleeping bags, right?"

"I did, but we don't need them," David told her. He walked over to the glidecar and reached down, releasing a catch. He then pulled upward, and the car's seat front folded upward, so that it was now a bed big enough for both of them.

"Tada! Or, Abracadabra! Or something," David said with a chuckle.

Olissa giggled. She crawled into the car and settled down. David pulled a couple pillows out of the trunk, and gave one to her. Soon, they were snuggled together. With their clothes on, there was no need for a blanket; though the desert was cooler at night, it still wasn't cold.

"Good night, David," Olissa said sleepily.

"Good night," he told her, giving her a soft kiss. Then they lay down, and both were soon sound asleep.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David and Olissa were on the go early the next morning, and it didn't take them long to reach Hewakaya, the Temple of the Air. They parked their glidecar on an empty patch of ground, but as they were walking away, David turned back to look.

"What's the matter?" Olissa asked.

"What's to keep someone from stealing the car? It doesn't even have doors."

"Good question. You want Bispy to stay and guard it?"

"No, I don't want to make him miss out on the temple. But that does give me an idea."

David pulled out his wand and charmed the car. Suddenly, it faded from a glidecar, to a sleeping dragon.

"Only the bravest, or those who know it's an illusion, will go close now."

"That's a pretty convincing illusion. I have to look really hard to tell."

David nodded. "Come on, let's go in."

When they got to the entrance, David said, "Wow, Gwen's parents were right. The line is long."

"Lots of people want to see the temples, I guess," Olissa said.

They waited patiently, trying to keep Bispy in line, until they reached the entrance. David made an offering, as there was no set entrance price, and they were ushered to a small building where they were asked to change into other clothing. David felt as though he were wearing a parachute; he was fully covered, but the air went right through the fabric of his outfit, which was baggy to the point of hanging on him almost like a robe.

Olissa was dressed the same way when she came out. Their outfits were a light sky blue. They had been told to leave their shoes with their other clothing, so they were both barefoot.

"Why the change in attire?" David asked the attendant.

"The temple is best experienced if you can truly feel the air flowing around you. In truth, it would be best to experience the temple nude. However, we know that many visitors would be extremely uncomfortable with that, and so these clothes are the next best alternative. Please, feel free to wander where you will. If you have a question, ask any of the acolytes. Also, while you may do as you wish while here, it is strongly recommended that you do spend time in the floating meditation."

"Where would we find that?" David asked.

"It is the large stone platform you see at the edge of the cliff."

"Thank you," Olissa told him. "Are there any rules Bisperion needs to follow?" She gestured to indicate who she was talking about.

The man shook his head. "We would ask that he not disturb other visitors, but we do not attempt to control the creatures. As a flying being, he is most welcome here. You will notice that there are many birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and other flying things here at the temple. They are our honored guests, just as you are."

The two thanked the man, and left the changing area. The temple grounds had no walkways. The ground was instead covered with a luxurious grass. Set among the grass at seemingly random - but probably very precise - spots were large pinwheels which sparkled as they spun in the wind. The temple was a very windy place, being on the edge of a mountain ridge as it was. The view into the distance was breathtaking, showing the vast desert valley below them, and more mountains in the distance. The greenery of the temple was an oasis among sand and rock.

As they walked, both Bispy and Jailla departed to go flying. Olissa worried a little, but couldn't refuse Bispy the freedom that the temple afforded him. Instead, she focused on her surroundings, and on enjoying her day with David.

As they walked, they passed by a set of hundreds of reeds that were arranged on a stand. The reeds were cut to varying lengths, and as the wind blew, they resonated, creating a haunting but wonderful sound. They maneuvered around a group of people who seemed to be meditating quietly on the grass, just enjoying the sun on their head and the wind on their body. Feeling the wind was incredibly easy, thanks to the clothing they had been given to wear. As they walked, they had to make a quick detour around a group of people who were flying kites, some of which were doing acrobatic maneuvers.

The two said little to each other as they walked, just taking in their surroundings. There were various small buildings, where people could stop and pray to whatever deity or deities the Mirelians believed in. Ahead of them, at the highest point of the mountain, was something that resembled a huge gazebo, all sides open to the air. As the wind flowed through the building, it rang the hundreds of wind chimes that hung, causing them to fill the air with a soothing music.

The gazebo was made of white marble, its pillars each at least a foot across. As they walked up the steps of it to go beneath the roof, they saw a metal sculpture that stood in the very center. It spun in the wind, and it resembled a rotating staircase, leading upward to the sky. They took a moment to sit and relax, just enjoying the surroundings.

After a while of sitting, an acolyte came up to them.

"I don't mean to intrude," she asked, "but you look as if you are confused. Is there some way I can help you?"

"I was wondering," David said, a bit surprised at the observational skills of the acolyte, "just who it is that you worship here."

"Oh, I see. May I?" she asked, gesturing to the seat beside them. They both nodded. The young lady sat down.

"The temples, all six of them, are devoted to Diva Devata Jumala Zot."

"What's that?" Olissa asked.

"It's very difficult to put into words, but essentially, it means, "The ones who control the creation of the world and the fairies. We believe that there are many tivaru... higher beings... who each watch over a small portion of things here. They send the fairies, as needed, to maintain the worlds. We come to the temples to thank them, and sometimes, to ask for help."

"Is there..." David asked, pausing to try to work out how he wanted to ask his question, "a... moral code that goes with your beliefs?"

"Well, the priestesses do encourage certain behaviors, but I assume you mean something handed down directly from the tivaru?"

"Yes. In one of our Earth religions, we have something called the Ten Commandments. They are supposedly handed down directly from God. They involve a lot of 'You shall not' statements."

The acolyte nodded, then said, "There is no such thing from the tivaru. In fact, no one has ever spoken to a tivaru directly."

"Then how do you know they exist?" Olissa asked, politely but with clear curiosity.

"Because someone must be in control of the fairies," the acolyte replied simply.

"I thought that was the Fairy King."

"He directs the fairies, but he doesn't create them. Something else causes the fairies to all be created on the same day, and only as they are needed. The job is much too big for one being to oversee, so there must be several tivaru. We believe that they have divided up the tasks according to their nature. The tivaru that are held in reverence at this temple, for instance, are the more freedom-loving and uninhibited of the tivaru. They are slightly whimsical and capricious. People come here to thank them for making life interesting... and also to ask them to settle down, just a little bit," the acolyte added with a smile.

"I see. And each of the other temples, they worship a different set of these tivaru?"

"Yes. Do you plan to visit any of the other temples?"

"We'd planned to see all five of them... but you say there are six," David replied, showing his confusion.

The acolyte nodded. "The sixth temple is Katiyalu. It is our central temple, and is not open to visitors except through special invitation."

"I see," David said, nodding.

"If you are going west from here, however, I would strongly recommend that you stop and visit the Sea of Light. It is a breathtaking sight, and a place we go to relax, recharge, and get back in tune with our world. If you have the time, it should not be missed."

"We are heading west from here, to Yanchilu."

"The Sea of Light is on your path, then. I hope you take some time to visit. Well, I have taken up enough of your time, unless you have more questions?"

"No, thank you. You've been very informative."

The acolyte rose, and then bowed to them both before moving off.

"I wonder how she knew I was confused," Olissa said.

"Probably the same way she knew I was," David replied with a grin. "Come on, you want to try the floating meditation, whatever that is?"

"Okay."

Leaving the gazebo, David and Olissa walked across the grass, between two rows of streamers set on tall poles. It formed a path without disturbing the grass. They walked up the steps, onto the platform, which, they realized now, extended well out over the edge of the cliff. They walked to the edge, but Olissa was a little leery about looking down.

"I didn't know you were afraid of heights," David said.

"I'm not afraid of heights, but that's a long way down."

David smiled at her. Just then, another acolyte came up to them.

"Are you here for the floating meditation?" he asked.

"Well... first, we'd like to know exactly what it is."

The acolyte nodded, and motioned for them to follow him. As he walked, he explained. "A magical enchantment has been placed in this area. There is a natural updraft here, which has been strengthened and made more permanent. The outfit we ask you to wear is designed to make use of this updraft."

"You mean, we are supposed to float..." David started.

The acolyte finished, "Over the cliff face. Yes. Other enchantments make it perfectly safe. You cannot, for instance, float out of the updraft or hit the face of the cliff. If you allow yourself to relax, you will feel as if you are weightless, and you can let your mind empty of all thought, just feeling the world around you."

"I'm willing to give it a shot," David said, dubious about the whole "feeling of the world" part. "Olissa?"

Although she looked supremely nervous, she nodded her head. The acolyte led them over to a small platform that extended out, and had no railing. He gave them a few instructions on how to return to the ground when they were finished, and then he simply motioned them out. David took Olissa's hand, squeezed it, and then let go.

"I'll go first," he told her. She smiled in gratitude.

David walked to the end of the platform and looked down. If this doesn't work, it's going to hurt like hell.

With that thought, David leapt off, immediately spreading his arms and legs as wide as he could. He fell perhaps twenty feet before the wind fully caught his outfit, and it billowed up and out, filling with the wind and pushing him upward. He rose above the cliff face perhaps thirty feet, and then stabilized. He used his hand to wave at Olissa, without moving his arm.

Olissa, not brave enough to jump off the platform while looking, turned around, and then simply fell backward, pushing slightly with her feet to get away from the platform. She, too, spread her body open, and the wind caught her, pushing her up until she was even with David. She looked up at the sky, watching the soft clouds above her, and allowed herself to relax.

For over a half-hour, the two of them floated. Olissa closed her eyes at one point, and simply felt the wind, the air, and the sun. David, meanwhile, spent more time looking at the world around him. He wasn't really meditating, he didn't believe, but he wasn't really thinking about anything, either.

Finally, the two decided they'd had enough. They changed the position of their arms and legs, which allowed them to move within the column of wind. They propelled themselves so that they floated over the mountain. Once they were no longer over the cliff, the wind started to die down, and slowly they descended to the ground. When they were only a few feet above it, they simply dropped their arms and legs, and fell the remaining foot or so to the ground.

"That was an amazing experience," Olissa said to him. David agreed.

The two spent a little more time at the temple, but as they were not devotees of Diva Devata Jumala Zot, there was little else for them to do there. Having seen the entire temple, they made their way back to the entrance. A signaling spell brought Jailla and Bispy back to their sides, and they departed the temple. They were told to keep their outfits, so that they could wear them again if they wanted to feel the air freely.

The glidecar-dragon was right where David had left it, and so he dissolved the illusion, and they all clambered in.

"Where to now?" Olissa asked.

"The Sea of Light, I guess. She didn't give us much of a description, but since it's on the way..."

Olissa nodded, and they were off.

-----

It was an hour after nightfall when they approached the Sea of Light. They had been told, when they stopped for lunch, that it was essential to view the Sea at night to get the full effect, and so they had taken their time, stopping to see the sights several times along the way.

Finally, a glow in the distance told them that they were approaching their destination. The glidecar crested a rise, and there before them lay the Sea of Light. The Sea was formed from a gigantic hole in the ground that extended to the horizon in either direction. The hole was filled with a diffuse light, full of slowly shifting patterns. Swirls of red tumbled past streaks of blue, and a spiral of green floated below them both. Yellows, oranges, violets, and every other color anyone had ever thought of filled The Sea.

The light was not overpowering. It was easily enough to see by, but staring into it caused no discomfort. It reminded David of the light from the Crystal Cavern the year before. David stopped the car, and he and Olissa stepped out to look at the sight before them.

David took a dozen images of The Sea before he put his wand away, and reached over to pull Olissa toward him. She leaned against his side, and the two said nothing for the longest time.

Finally, David said, "Come on."

They climbed back in the car, and David drove down to the edge of the hole. The light seemed to fill the chasm completely, yet it had no substance; they could see down into its depths for quite a ways before it all became a suffused shine. David slowly eased the car forward.

"Uh, David... the road doesn't go this way. It goes left..." Olissa said, very nervous.

"Shh. The guy said the glidecar wouldn't go anywhere that couldn't support it. I'm wondering if we can move over the light."

Slowly, the car inched out over the edge of the cliff. It sank a few inches, but then stabilized, bobbing slightly due to the lack of speed.

Having taken the dangerous step, David sped back up. They were now zooming along over the surface of the Sea of Light, the colors seeming to surround them.

"Where are we going?" Olissa asked him.

David pointed ahead. "There's an island there. I figured it would be a good place to camp out for the night. How many people can say they've slept in the middle of the Sea of Light?"

"Probably not too many," Olissa agreed.

The glidecar soon pulled up onto the island, and David brought it to a stop, settling it to the ground. For a long time, they didn't move, but just stared out the windshield, enjoying the view. Finally, they stepped out, so they could see the sight all the way around them. David made sure to get more images from this perspective.

After a long moment, David turned to Olissa and kissed her. She kissed back immediately, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. David ran his hands inside her coat, rubbing her sides softly. Finally, he moved his hands up to fondle her breasts.

Olissa broke their kiss and released him, so that he could have more freedom to do what he was doing. He reached up and pushed her coat off her shoulders, letting it tumble to the ground. When he began to undo her blouse, however, she did get a bit nervous.

"David... here? I mean, anyone who comes along could see us... it's not even half a mile to the edge..."

David continued unbuttoning her blouse. "You said you would do anything I wanted, any time I wanted," he chided her gently, a smile playing across his face. "Didn't you, slave?" he asked, a teasing tone to his voice.

David could tell that Olissa was blushing fiercely. He could feel the heat of her skin. "Yes, Master," she replied, grinning to hide her embarrassment.

"Good," he said, pushing her now-open blouse off her shoulders. He looked her in the eyes as he reached back to unfasten her bra. "I can't resist. I just have to do this here."

As her bra tumbled to the ground to join the rest of her clothes, she nodded. David gently pushed her backward, until she was leaning against the side of the glidecar. In a few more seconds, she was completely nude. The cool night air made her shiver, but she knew that she would soon be plenty warm enough.

David shucked his own clothes quickly, and as he pressed his body against hers, Olissa could feel his iron-hard cock trapped between them. She mewled at the feel of it, and at the feel of David's hands, which had returned to caressing her breasts.

Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore. "Please fuck me, Master," she pleaded with him.

David arched his eyebrows, but smiled at her. He reached down and took hold of the back of her one leg. She lifted it for him, until he could hold it up. This exposed her pussy to him most invitingly. David rolled his hips in just such a way that the head of his cock ended up right at her opening. He paused for a moment, looking Olissa in the eye, and seeing the passion there.

Slowly, David pushed his hips forward, the head of his dick spearing her opening in a most pleasant manner. Olissa let loose a quiet moan of joy as David filled her up. David paused for a moment, leaning forward to kiss her. Their tongues were soon dancing wetly, and as they did, David began to move in and out of her pussy.

Their coupling quickly grew feverish. David could not control his desire, and he was soon thrusting forcefully into Olissa, causing her to grunt with each plunge. He was rapidly approaching his peak, and she could sense it. She began to squeeze her pussy muscles, trying to milk his cum out of him. It didn't take too much of that before she succeeded. David broke their kiss and let out a shout of pleasure as his climax overtook him. For a long moment, he shivered, his cock jolting with each spasm.

As his orgasm passed, David had to let Olissa's leg down. He was a bit wobbly on his feet.

"Please sit down, Master," Olissa said softly. She helped him to sit on the edge of the car's seat. She allowed him to regain his breath, stroking his hair, and then moving down to his chest. She bent over and kissed him softly as she reached down to take his cock in her hand. It was soft, but she knew that she could fix that.

Breaking their kiss, she knelt before him. David leaned back slightly, knowing what she wanted to do. Olissa ran her tongue repeatedly over the entire length of David's dick, starting its return to hardness. When it was about halfway there, she placed her lips on the head and pushed forward, taking his entire length into her mouth. She slowly moved her mouth up and down on his shaft, keeping her lips and tongue in constant motion until he was as hard as she had ever seen him.

Olissa released his cock from her lips, and rose. Without words, she first flipped up the seat into its bed form, and then helped David slide all the way onto it, so he was lying comfortably. She crawled onto the bed with him, straddling his waist.

Taking his cock in her hand, Olissa held it in position as she sank her pussy down onto his hardness. Her eyes were closed as she just enjoyed the feel of him entering her once again. Once she was fully impaled, she paused, looking down at her lover and smiling. She leaned forward slightly, and then began to rock her hips, her pussy sliding up and down on his cock. She wasn't moving quickly, but instead used slow strokes, allowing him to feel each movement.

David started to thrust his hips, but Olissa put a hand on his chest. "Let me do the work, Master," she said quietly. "You just relax."

David smiled at her, and acquiesced. Lifting his hand to her breast, he asked, "Can I at least play with these?"

Olissa smiled and nodded, biting her lip as he tweaked her nipple. As she kept her hips moving, he brought his other hand up, and fondled both breasts simultaneously, gently tweaking and pinching her nipples from time to time. Her heat was rising, and David could tell, but he was letting her do her thing, and so he kept himself still.

Suddenly, Olissa pushed herself fully down onto David's cock and froze. Her pussy squeezed him, and she shuddered. A long moan escaped her lips as she peaked. David continued to massage her tits, prolonging her enjoyment.

After a while, Olissa came down from her high. She smiled down at David. "That was very nice. May I have another?"

"You can have as many as you want," David told her with a smile.

"Mmm," she replied, and started to slowly rock her hips once again. She still did not increase her pace, but kept her movements sensual, and extremely pleasant. David didn't know how long she could keep that motion up, but he was going to enjoy every second of it.

The two didn't speak as they continued to couple. They merely watched each other's eyes. In time, their heat rose. They were so in synch that their passion grew together. Still, Olissa kept to her slow pace, allowing the pleasure to build until they almost couldn't stand it. Finally, with just a few quick thrusts, she pushed both of them over the edge. They screamed out loudly, their voices echoing over the Sea of Light, not that either of them cared.

For long moments, they shivered and shuddered together. Finally, Olissa collapsed on top of David. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and rolled them, so that she was beside him, and they were both more comfortable. In the afterglow of their sated passion, they slept.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

When Olissa awoke, she found herself covered by a blanket, her clothes neatly folded at the foot of the bed. She turned her head, and saw David sitting at the edge of their little island, staring out across the Sea of Light. She smiled, remembering the night before. Her hand trailed down her body, enjoying the memories for a little while.

Finally, Olissa got up from the bed. She put on her panties, but decided not to get dressed further just yet. She went over and sat down beside David. He immediately wrapped his arm around her, and she snuggled tightly against him.

"Good morning," he told her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very. Thank you for the blanket."

"It was pretty cold when I woke up," David told her. "I didn't want you to be uncomfortable."

The two sat quietly for a while, but then David said, "Thank you for last night. I know it made you uncomfortable. I just couldn't stop myself."

"You had every right to do what you did," she told him softly. "That's our agreement. And it's not like I didn't enjoy it. I'm just not an exhibitionist."

"And yet you're sitting here almost completely naked in broad daylight," he said, twisting her tail.

Olissa said, "That's for your benefit."

David turned and kissed her passionately. She responded in kind, but they kept it brief. When they broke the kiss, David smiled at her.

"Thank you for that, too." After a moment, he said, "You don't have to call me Master, ever. I hope you know that..."

"I know," she said, running her hand along his cheek. "But you started it," she said with an impish little grin. "And I actually kinda liked calling you Master. It was fun."

"Hmm," David said, giving her a soft kiss. "We should get going," David said. "Or, at least, you should get dressed... unless you want me to make you have sex in public again."

Olissa kissed him again, but then she said, "I'd do it if you asked, but I really need to pee."

David laughed, and let her go so she could get dressed. In short order, they were sailing off across the Sea of Light, to find a somewhat more private spot for Olissa's pit stop.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David and Olissa, despite camping out within walking distance of the temple, were not the first in line at Yanchilu, the Temple of the Earth. The line proceeded slowly down a grassy avenue lined with tall trees. The avenue seemed to turn ahead of them, blocking their view of the temple itself.

Once they had made their donation and entered the temple proper, they continued down the grassy avenue, making one sharp turn, and then another turn back, and there before them was the Temple of the Earth. It sat in a depression, giving them a clear overview of the entire temple grounds.

Yanchilu was a giant garden. It seemed to cover acres and acres of land. Off to the right was a rocky area that descended, so that they couldn't see where it went. To the far left were orchards of various fruit trees. Straight ahead were more plants than they could begin to take in, arranged neatly in beds and rows, with walkways of grass between them.

Most striking, however, was the tree that sat directly opposite them, at the far side of the garden. The tree was enormous; it was far larger than anything David had ever heard of existing. It looked as if the trunk of the tree was at least 75 feet across, and he couldn't begin to estimate its height, though he would not have been at all surprised to find it was over 500 feet tall.

"Where do we start?" David asked Olissa.

Olissa shrugged. "Why don't we just start on the left, and make our way across?"

"Sounds good. Try not to eat all the fruit, Jailla. It'll make you sick."

Jailla nipped David on the ear in response.

"Ow! You bastard," he said with a chuckle.

-----

When they had reached the halfway point of their wandering through the temple, David and Olissa found themselves in front of the gigantic tree. They found that, within its base sat a small place of worship. The chapel sat in a natural nook within the base of the tree, with only a few benches, a small altar, and magical lighting. It made sense that they would not want any fire here, no matter how small.

David and Olissa sat quietly on one of the benches, looking around at the chapel itself, and then turning to look out over the gardens again. When they felt rested, they decided it was time to move on, to see the rest of the garden. As they left the tree, David looked up, but he couldn't even begin to make out the top of the tree through its thick upper branches.

-----

Having seen all of the temple except one part, David and Olissa descended into the rocky area that had been blocked from their view in the beginning. Once they'd reached the bottom, they passed through a short passage that led to an area with many paths leading from it. An acolyte stood, waiting for them.

"Have you come for the baths?" She asked.

"Baths?" David queried in reply.

"These are the Yanchilu mud baths. It is a very relaxing immersion in an elixir of water, soil, herbs, and aromatic plants. We believe it helps us connect to the earth. It also," she said as an aside to Olissa, "is great for the skin."

Olissa smiled.

David said to Olissa, "I'm game if you are..."

Olissa nodded.

"Okay," David said. "Lead us to your mud."

The acolyte grinned. "Would you prefer separate baths, or a couples bath?"

"Couples, please," Olissa said immediately. David did not argue.

"This way." The woman led them through another short passage, which took two sharp turns, to again obstruct any view from outside. They emerged in a small room, still open to the sky, which had a waterfall opposite them. In the middle of the room was a pool full of brown liquid. This was clearly the bath.

"I will leave you in privacy. You may place your clothes on these ledges," she said, motioning to the wall, where small shelves had been made in the rock. "Stay as long as you like. When you are finished in the mud bath, use the falling water to rinse yourself. The towels are in the covered basket. Please relax and enjoy."

As the acolyte left, David started to disrobe. Olissa was a little slower, but she removed all of her clothes, as well. When they were naked, they walked over to the pool. David helped Olissa down in, and then he slipped in himself, settling down beside her, but not touching. The whole point was to let the mud surround you completely, after all.

The two talked about their experience so far as they simply relaxed in the mud. After a while, they ran out of things to say, and so they each simply closed their eyes and enjoyed the sensation which, despite being mud, felt quite pleasant. The mixture was warm, and fragrant, smelling of lavender and other things David could not identify, but enjoyed, anyway.

Finally, after some indeterminate time, they decided to climb out of their bath. Both of them were now a uniform light brown color, as the muddy mix clung to their bodies. They stepped over into the waterfall, which was not as cold as they had feared.

Olissa turned David around and ran her hands over his back, making sure to get all of the mud off him. When she was done, he returned the favor. Then she turned and embraced him while the water washed over them. They kissed tenderly for a long moment.

Once they had cleaned, dried, and redressed, they left the mud baths, thanking the acolyte. It had been a very pleasant experience, and David felt cleaner, somehow, for having done it.

Having seen the entire temple now, the two made their way back to the entrance, called their familiars to their sides, and headed out.

"Which temple is next?" Olissa asked.

"Modokaya, the temple of fire," David said. "We'll drive up there today, and we'll see the temple tomorrow morning."

Olissa nodded, wrapped her arm around David's waist, and they walked back to the glidecar for the next leg of their trip.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

The Temple of the Fires was the first one David and Olissa had encountered without a line to get in. They walked right up to the entrance, paid their donation, and stepped inside. They could feel the heat rising as they walked, which only made sense, as Modokaya was very close to an active volcano. David wondered how safe that was, but figured they had to have some way to know if the volcano was going to erupt, and so tried not to think about it.

The entire temple was underground, in a complex of caverns. Jailla refused to enter the temple, and so they left him to watch over the car. The rest walked down a wide passage, to enter the central core of the temple, from which they could choose several directions in which to go.

"Left to right again?" David asked.

"Let's do right to left, just to be different," Olissa said.

David chuckled, and they headed off to the right-most tunnel. When they entered the cavern, two acolytes, who stood on either side of the entrance, blew huge flames over their head. The heat that came off that fire told David it was real, not magical. How they had spewed fire straight from their mouths, he wasn't quite sure.

Within this cavern were several performers. It reminded David strongly of his Litha Festival experience in Senesty. One man was juggling balls of fire. Another twirled a staff of fire. Two women were swallowing fire. In the middle of the room, six performers appeared to be playing a game of hackysack, using a ball of fire instead of a beanbag.

They walked slowly through the cavern, spending time at each performance, just watching them, until they had made a complete circuit of the room. Then they walked back out into the central core, to enter the next tunnel.

Once they were inside the next cavern, which was much smaller than the first, all they saw before them was a circular pit full of stones, with a dull red glow beneath them. An acolyte stood to one side. They stepped over to him.

"What's supposed to happen here?" David asked politely.

The acolyte replied, "You may, if you wish, walk across the stones. Some people see this as a form of meditation. Others see it as a test of bravery. Still others feel as if the tivaru will only listen to pilgrims dedicated enough to make the trip across the fire."

David nodded. "Are there rules for how to walk across?"

"Only that you must be barefoot."

"Any... advice?"

The acolyte smiled. "Do not stomp your feet. Walk gently. Speed is a detriment, not an aid."

"Thank you."

"Of course."

David and Olissa stepped back to the pit, which had to be twenty feet across.

"I think I'm going to have to pass on this one," Olissa said.

"Aw," David replied. "Chicken," he told her with a grin.

"Bwok bwok!" she replied. David laughed.

David took off his boots and his socks, and rolled up his pants legs, just to be safe. He took off his coat and handed it to Olissa, and then he faced the bed of hot stones. He closed his eyes, using his meditation techniques to center his thoughts. He kind of wished he had a pixie stick right about now.

Taking a deep breath, David stepped out onto the stones. He settled his foot lightly and carefully, shifting his weight onto it slowly before moving his other foot. The heat was extreme, but he didn't yet feel any burning sensation. He took another step, moving just as cautiously, then another.

As David got closer to the center of the pit, the heat seemed to intensify. His feet were sweating, and steam rose when the drops of sweat hit the rocks. He was very tempted to hurry, but kept the acolyte's advice in the front of his mind. He forced himself to step slowly and gently.

Soon, David was past the center of the pit, and making his way out. He could feel the relative coolness of the edge rocks, and breathed a sigh of relief. Once he'd stepped off the other side, Olissa applauded him. He considered walking back across the stones to get back to her, but in truth, his feet were already a bit uncomfortable. He walked around the edge of the pit, instead.

"How are your feet?" she asked.

"Toasty," he replied, and she grinned.

After David got redressed, they exited the cavern.

The next tunnel for them to take was the widest, at least twice the size of the other tunnels, and it headed somewhat downward. They walked down, and as they entered, they had to squint to endure the light. Before them, in the center of the cavern, was a ten-foot-wide, fifty-foot-tall pillar of flame. It spun and twisted within its column, rising from a huge bonfire, set in a deep pit in the middle of the room. Around the pillar were benches, and there was what appeared to be an altar near the edge of the fire itself. This was apparently the central worship area for Modokaya.

Around the edges of the room, completely unnecessary for lighting, were torches set every ten feet or so. David and Olissa walked around the edge of the room, with Bispy trying to keep in their shadow.

"What's the matter?" David finally asked the dragon.

"Too bright," Bispy told him, his eyes nearly closed, and his pupils as small as they could be.

"We won't stay here long, then," David told him. The dragon nodded.

When they had walked halfway around the room, they found another tunnel, which led even deeper, and further downward. There was an acolyte standing directly in front of it, blocking the way.

David stepped up to him, and the acolyte asked, "Do you have an appointment?"

David shook his head. "I don't even know what's down there. Appointment for what?"

"Down this passage is the Demonic Chapel. Worship there is by appointment only, as we must make preparations to receive the pilgrims."

"People worship the devil here, too?" Olissa asked.

The acolyte said patiently, "Demons are also fairies. The tivaru must have created them, as well. Probably to bring a balance of some kind to the world. Those who accept this, and wish to honor the wisdom of the tivaru, worship below."

"Well, we don't want to worship," David said. "Can't we just go down and look around?"

The acolyte shook his head firmly. "The chapel is a very hot and uncomfortable place. We have to have healers standing ready whenever someone goes down there. I'm sorry."

David shrugged. "Okay, we'll move along, then."

Continuing on, the three skirted the edge of the room until they'd reached the tunnel they had initially walked down. Once they were walking back up that tunnel, it was clear that Bispy was much happier.

"Well, into the last tunnel, I guess," David said.

The three walked down a long, descending tunnel that led them well away from the rest of the temple. It turned several times, until it finally deposited them in an extremely warm, dimly lit place. There were three acolytes standing there, waiting.

"Welcome. Have you come for the Vision Quest?"

"Vision Quest?" David asked.

"Inside the chamber beyond, you may experience a vision. The vision will show you the fieriest part of your nature. It may, in fact, be the darkest part of your nature. Only proceed if you can accept that knowledge."

David looked at Olissa. She nodded in acceptance.

"Bispy?" David said.

"I'll wait here," he said firmly, settling down in an out-of-the-way corner.

"How do we proceed?" David asked.

One of the acolytes led them over to a changing area, so that they could don loose-fitting, thin clothing. Once they were properly attired, they were led down a hallway, and into a large chamber. The chamber was hot, by any estimate. Around the edges of the room, one could actually see the glow of molten lava in deep crevices. The cavern was bathed in an orange-red light, and David already felt lightheaded.

The acolyte motioned them to sit on soft mats situated on the floor.

"Sit however is comfortable for you. We will watch you, to make sure you have no physical issues. We will not interrupt your vision, no matter how unpleasant it appears to be to us."

David and Olissa both nodded, and the acolyte then handed them a drink. "This should sustain you through the time you are here."

Both of them took the drink, and swallowed all of it. The acolyte took their cups back and said, "Now, simply close your eyes, breathe deeply and slowly, and let your mind wander where it will. Do not try to direct your thoughts, or you will never have a vision." With that, the acolyte walked away.

They each did as instructed. David performed one of his meditations, which was good for clearing his mind, and then he just sat, waiting, to see what thoughts would occur to him. His mind wandered over his potions for a while, but then his thoughts turned of their own accord.

The first thing David saw was part of his past. He saw Jenny, Larry, Sam, and Paul, the people who had caused his death. He watched himself getting his revenge on them. He worried, briefly, if he had gone too far with them. Though they had killed him, in a sense, his life since then had not exactly been horrid.

The vision moved on, then. It showed him his final fight with Marcus Savolar, but here, the vision began to differ from the truth. In his vision, he did not stop beating Marcus. By the time the vision moved on, Marcus was a bloody, writhing mess on the ground.

Next, the vision showed Keith, Olissa's boyfriend from last year's Halloween fiasco. David watched as his vision-self tore Keith apart, almost literally. By the time the vision changed scenes, David had seen exposed bones in Keith's body.

Finally, the vision showed him Prof. Delquin Quayde. David watched in horror as his vision-self cursed Prof. Quayde, turning him into some kind of dog-like creature, unable to ever be considered human again.

David jolted as his vision ended. He was breathing hard, trying to recover from what he'd seen. Olissa was kneeling on her mat, watching him in concern.

"Was it that bad?" she asked worriedly.

"It wasn't pleasant," he confirmed. "How about yours?"

"I... I'd rather not talk about mine," she said quietly.

David nodded. The two of them rose and headed out of the room. They changed into their regular clothes, thanked the acolytes, and headed back up.

"I'm glad this was the last part of the temple," Olissa said.

"Why?" David asked.

"Because I really want to leave now."

David just nodded, and then he took her hand, and they left Modokaya behind.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"It looks like a big set of crystals," Olissa said. They were standing in front of Keluyaroho, the Temple of the Spirit. It rose some eighty feet into the air, and was at least two hundred feet across. It was made from shades of off-white crystal, which looked like quartz. The building was surrounded by a grove of trees, and a stone walkway led up to the entrance.

Bispy had expressed a desire to be left out of this particular visit, so they left him to guard the glidecar. Jailla was much happier with this location, however. They gave a donation at the door, and entered the atrium of the building, which was a soaring room, its ceiling was the roof of the building itself, and the natural light filtered in. A light scent of burning incense filled the room.

Several people wandered through the atrium, many staring up at the ceiling, others talking in whispers to each other. David had the sudden urge to scream at the top of his voice, but resisted.

There was only one exit from the atrium to the interior of the building, and so they walked down the corridor. They stepped into one room, which was filled with a diffuse and changing light. It reminded David very strongly of their visit to the Sea of Light. They sat down on one of the benches, and simply stared at it for long moments.

Finally, when they had grown tired of the display, they moved back into the hallway. A little further down, on the other side of the hall, they entered a room of total darkness. An acolyte, who they could not see, said to them, "Welcome. Nothing in here will harm you. Please wander the room carefully, and let your mind conjure what it may."

Olissa took David's hand, and he held on to her. They walked around the room slowly and tentatively. Around the middle of their walk, David felt Jailla's claws dig into his shoulder. The bird, too, was a bit unsettled by the experience. Distant sounds, unidentifiable and low, arrived at their ears. They regularly bumped into soft objects, which seemed to roll away at the first touch, right after sending their hearts into their throats. A cool wind blew through from time to time, bringing with it the scent of incense.

David's mind was a jumble. This room was disorienting and unpleasant, and he wondered why anyone would ever come in here twice. Finally, they reached the exit to the room, which was further down the hallway they had come in from.

As they left the dark room, there was an acolyte standing at the door. She said, "Your mind is now properly prepared to take The Walk, if you so desire."

"The Walk?" Olissa asked.

The acolyte motioned to a room directly across from where they stood. "Within is a magic, eternal walkway. If you step upon it, and walk long enough, with a clear, but confused, mind, you may see a vision of your highest calling in life. The Black Room was to prepare you for The Walk, to confuse your senses and your logic. If you go on The Walk, do not try to reason or rationalize what you are seeing. Just... see it."

"We've done all the other stuff," Olissa said when David looked at her. "Might as well do this."

"Do we go in one at a time, or..."

The acolyte said, "Many may walk at the same time, but you cannot walk together. You must walk alone."

David nodded. They entered the room, which was very large, with a high ceiling. In front of them, they saw several people walking along the strangest walkway they had ever seen. It was suspended in the middle of the room, supported from the wall by huge crystal arms, and it was in the shape of an infinity symbol. Weirder than that, David could see the half-twist in the path that turned this from a regular infinity symbol, into a moebius strip: a path with only one side. The path obviously kept people on its surface magically, as even now they could see two people walking on it, upside-down.

Jailla flew off and alit on a provided perch. David and Olissa climbed the stairs that led to a platform at the center of the path, and then they stepped onto the platform. It was clear that people were walking in both directions, and so David and Olissa chose to split up. David went right, and Olissa went left.

David's mind was quickly absorbed with what he was doing. He slowed his breathing as he walked, and his eyes simply made sure he stayed on the path. He made one full circuit of the path - or was it two full circuits? It depended on how you thought of it - before anything happened. Then, slowly, a vision came into his mind.

David was not overly surprised by the first portions of his vision, which showed him things that made perfect sense, given what he knew about himself. The second half of his vision, however, seemed utterly unintelligible. He couldn't have even described the imagery he saw to someone else.

Finally, after a long time, David's vision ended. He walked until he had reached the platform again, and then stepped off the path. Olissa was already waiting for him, and she looked very troubled.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

Olissa just shook her head. She took David's hand as they walked down the stairs. Jailla rejoined them as they left the room, turning to their right to continue down the hallway. They finally reached a massive room, very church-like in its arrangement. There were many benches for people to sit on, all facing toward a raised area, where sat a crystal melodium, like the one Olissa had played at the Nagyara Festival. The raised area also held an altar, and was backlit by more of the diffuse, shifting light that seemed to be the hallmark of the Temple of the Spirit. Sitting on the raised area were two large black cats. David recognized them as Shadow Cats, the guardians of the temples. He had seen one or two of them at the other temples, but not nearly so close to him.

David and Olissa sat down on one of the benches, but they didn't say anything to each other. Both of them were absorbed in their thoughts.

Suddenly, someone who seemed a bit more important than an acolyte appeared, and sat down on the bench in front of them, facing toward them instead of facing forward.

"Good morning," the woman said.

David snapped out of his thoughts quickly. "Oh, hello... wait, I know you, don't I?"

"My name is Serena. I am the head priestess of this temple, and the Guardian of the Spirit."

"Right, I remember now," David said. "You brought the Shadow Cat to Woodward, for the familiarization seminar."

"Yes. And you are the young man whom Arasmir commented to me about."

"You can speak with the Shadow Cats?"

"Although I have one true familiar, the Shadow Cats converse with all of the priestesses."

David nodded. "Can I ask what he said about me?"

Serena smiled. "You can ask, but I won't tell you."

David grinned at her.

Serena turned to Olissa. "You seem very troubled. I am told you just left The Walk. Did you see something upsetting?"

"Sort of," Olissa said. She hesitated, and then, turning to David, she asked very timidly, "Could you give us a minute?"

David arched his eyebrows, but nodded. "Okay. I'll go further up front."

"Don't be startled if the cats come down to say hello," Serena told him. "They won't hurt you."

David nodded again, and then walked off. They waited until he was out of earshot.

"Now then," Serena asked Olissa, "What has you so unnerved?"

"Well, we have been visiting all of the temples. The last one we went to was Modokaya. We each went on a vision quest there. Then we did The Walk here."

"I understand..." Serena said, prompting her to continue.

"I am disturbed because I saw the same vision in both places. How can my darkest nature, also be my highest calling?"

Serena nodded in understanding. She reached out and put a hand on Olissa's arm. "You are afraid of your future, that your intended path is somehow evil?"

"Something like that. I mean, it didn't show me as a mass murderer, or anything, but..."

Serena nodded again. "But it seems a contradiction. What you have to remember is that the Modokaya vision quest shows you the part of your nature which most wishes to be expressed. It is often our darkest nature, because we tend to deny that portion of ourselves, and so it gets pushed down, making it wish for release. However, it is not always the case. Sometimes, we deny something else about ourselves, or we don't even know it about ourselves. What would you consider your true darkest nature?"

Olissa didn't take long to consider. "That I hate who I am."

Serena did not show surprise. "And you don't deny this to yourself."

Olissa shook her head. "I even tried to be someone else for a while last year. It ended very badly."

"If that is truly your darkest nature, and you have already expressed it, as you clearly have, then it would not appear to you at Modokaya. Something else would. Something you may not have known about yourself.

"The vision here, on The Walk, is more future-divinatory in nature. It shows you what may be - it cannot be clearer than that - your best path through life."

"Best by what standard, though?" Olissa asked.

"Ah, there is always that question. And it often depends on just what you've seen. Can you tell me what you saw?"

Olissa, after a long hesitation, told her.

"I see," Serena said. "I am unclear as to what 'best' might mean in this case. Your vision involves more than just yourself. It might be that this is the path that makes you happy. It might also be that this is the path that serves a larger, more important, goal. I cannot say."

"Should I follow this path, or fight it?" Olissa asked.

"I can't advise you. Only you can make that decision. Is what you've seen even possible?"

"I think so."

"Then you have to decide whether to pursue it or not. I'm sorry that I have no further advice for you."

"That's okay. Thank you for your time. At least I understand a little better now."

Serena nodded, and then she slowly rose from her seat. She looked up to see David petting one of the Shadow Cats. She smiled at that, and then headed for a side door out of the chapel.

Olissa went up to join David.

"All done?" he asked. She nodded. A bit hesitantly, she reached out and stroked the Shadow Cat's fur.

"I guess we can go, then," David said. "We've seen the entire temple."

As they were walking out of the temple, Olissa asked, "You're not going to ask what I talked to Serena about?"

David replied, "I figure if you wanted me to know about it, you wouldn't have asked for privacy in the first place. If you want to tell me, I'm all ears. Otherwise, it's none of my business."

Olissa gave him an odd, indecipherable look for a moment, but kept her peace as they headed out of the temple and returned to the glidecar.

"It's going to take a couple days to reach Yamajilu," David told her. "Maybe we should find an inn somewhere along the way, just so we can clean up more properly than bathing in a river or lake."

"Or temple waterfall," Olissa added with a grin.

"Yeah, or that." He got the car in motion, then he gently pulled her against him. She came readily, still a bit confused about her visions, but willing to accept the comfort he provided.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David and Olissa spent two days traveling across Mirelia, to reach the eastern border, which was where Yamajilu, the Temple of the Waters, was located. They had stopped several times along the way, to see the sights, and once to have sex under a solo tree in the middle of nowhere.

They reached Yamajilu the day before, and had camped in the car, so that they could join the line to get into Yamajilu early. David had a sense that most of the people at this temple were Callamandians. It was by far the closest temple to a border, and David figured those who wanted to see "a temple" would choose to go to this one. When they made it to the front of the line, he gave his donation, and they were motioned onward.

The temple entrance was a long walkway between two walls of falling water. The walkway was filled with fog, preventing visitors from seeing more than ten feet in front of themselves. Olissa took David's hand, and they walked slowly, until the falling water walls ended, and the mist thinned out, revealing the temple before them.

The temple was a set of lakes, sitting in an area surrounded by massive trees. A river ran into the largest of the lakes from the left, and after passing through all the various other lakes and ponds, it exited off to their right.

Directly ahead of them, on either side of the walkway, were two small fountain pools. The fountains were abstract shapes that had no meaning to David or Olissa, but were beautiful, nonetheless. They walked ahead, just enjoying the surroundings. The walkway ended just past the fountains, and they were deposited onto lush grass, which filled the temple area.

Jailla and Bispy winged off, to get some exercise after spending two days traveling in the car. David and Olissa walked around slowly. Eventually, they just sat down on the grass, to stare out across the lake. There was a dome in the middle of the lake, and they figured that was the central worship area for this temple. They would go and see it eventually, but right now, they just wanted to relax in this very tranquil setting. Even the children playing with their small boats in the nearby pond were not disturbing the scene.

"Are you okay?" David finally asked.

Olissa was startled. "Why do you ask?"

"You've seemed to be a bit troubled since we left Keluyaroho. I don't want to ask what you saw, but... are you okay? Is there anything you would like to talk about?"

Olissa leaned against him. "I'm struggling a bit with the visions I saw. I'm sorry, but I really would rather not talk about them."

"That's okay. I just thought I'd ask."

"Thank you. For asking, and for not pressing."

"Come on, let's go see the rest of the temple."

The two rose, and then wandered off. They skirted the children at the pond, and then fed some ducks on another pond. They watched the dragonflies and the kingfishers swooping, each searching for their various prey.

Finally, they headed for the dock, which held various craft for getting to the central worship area.

"So... rowboat, paddle boat, or surfboard?" David asked with a grin.

"I think we'd be safest in a paddle boat," she replied.

They climbed into an available one, and pedaled out across the lake. The trip didn't take too long, and they docked safely at the worship area.

Before them was a dome, which appeared to have water running down its surface. The entranceway, which was directly in front of the dock, was a pointed arch of stone. When they entered through the arch, they saw a huge column in the center of the dome. That's when they realized that the dome wasn't covered in water, but it was, in fact, made of water. The central column was a huge fountain, which plumed outward at a height of at least a hundred feet. The water, obviously enchanted, flowed evenly in every direction, forming a semi-transparent, shimmering dome of water over the lake.

The worship area had no floor, as such. There were walkways, to allow people to reach benches on which they could sit. The center of the dome, immediately around the fountain, held a stage area. David wondered how the priestess would speak to people surrounding her in every direction, but figured there was probably some kind of illusion involved. There was nothing visible on the stage right now.

They chose not to sit down this time, but instead, David and Olissa wandered around the area, taking in everything they could see. They even stepped up onto the stage, though hesitantly, lest it was a taboo thing to do. No one seemed to be jarred by it, however.

While standing up on the stage, they noticed a descending staircase off to their left.

"How can stairs go down?" David asked.

Olissa shrugged.

The two stepped off the stage, and then they walked over. There was no barrier or sign blocking the stairs, so they decided to go ahead and descend. As they did, they realized that they were walking down a spiral stair surrounded by clear walls. They could see into the lake. There were many fish swimming by, making for a beautiful display.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they were in a large, clear dome. They could look up and see the worship area above them, the central fountain slightly off to their right.

An acolyte approached them. "Have you come for an immersion session?"

David cocked his head. "A what?"

"You can see one going on now, just there," the acolyte said, pointing. "You float near the bottom of the lake, where there is no current. The water is warm, because it is heated by the sun. Of course, you are magically given air to breathe, and kept in position, so you are safe. If you allow your mind to relax, many have had visions concerning their talents and skills."

David looked carefully at Olissa. She winced. "I think I've had enough visions for a while," she admitted to David. He nodded.

"I think we'll just enjoy the view, thank you," David told the acolyte, who nodded, and then moved off.

The two stood together for a long time, just watching the fish go by, before they finally ascended the stairs back to the worship area.

"This seems like the smallest temple of all of them," Olissa said.

"Yeah. I wonder if we're missing most of it somewhere."

"We could ask someone..."

"If you want to," David agreed.

Olissa was quiet for a moment, then she said, "Really, I think I've had enough of temples. Where are we going from here?"

"To Gwen's house to visit for a few days."

"Did you already tell them we were coming?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then... let's just do that. I think I need time to absorb all of this."

David leaned in and kissed her softly, and she accepted that gladly. After they separated, they walked out of the chapel, went back across the lake, and left the temple.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"You seem nervous," David said. Ellie was fidgeting, shifting back and forth on her feet. Anne was calm, and Gwen and Olissa were both positively bored. They were all waiting on the school carriage to arrive.

"I am nervous," she admitted. "Ad school was no big deal, but this... the only people I know who are going to Woodward are you and my sisters."

"And Olissa," David said.

"Well, yeah, I know her now, I guess." Lowering her voice, Ellie asked, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"My relationship with Olissa is even more complicated than my one with Prof. Stott. I don't have a girlfriend, as such."

Ellie nodded. David put his hand lightly on her shoulder, to show support. At that point, Mrs. Hasterscant pointed to the sky, indicating that the carriage was arriving. All of the other students got their things together and began to form a line. Mrs. Hasterscant hugged each of her children, admonishing them to do their best. When she got to David, she also hugged him, and gave him a surreptitious kiss on the cheek.

"I'd like you to come stay with us for Yuletide," she told him.

David was surprised, and his expression showed it.

"I know you can stay at the school, but you're such a good friend of the family, it'd be nice to have you over for a long holiday."

"Okay. Barring any weird happenings, I'll be there. Of course, my life seems to be nothing but weird happenings, so..." David shrugged with a smirk.

Denise laughed at him. "Okay. See you in a few months."

As Mrs. Hasterscant walked away, the carriage driver approached David. "Are you David Stroud?"

David nodded, and the driver let out a breath. "Dean Lengel said to look for the really pale man with brown hair. I'd hoped it was you."

David chuckled, and Olissa, who was nearby, giggled.

The driver handed something to David. David turned it over in his hands. It was a round metal badge. The center of it was the Woodward Academy insignia. Around the edge of the badge were the words "Information Officer". The badge was silver, but the lettering and some of the central insignia bore black enamel.

"I'm supposed to wear this?" David asked. The driver nodded.

As David pinned his badge to his coat's lapel, the driver escorted him over to the carriage. "It's your job to take the tickets, so that we make sure only students get aboard. Of course, you get to answer any questions they may have, as well. On the bright side, you get to eat free from the snack counter."

David chuckled. "Is there an itinerary, so I know where we are?"

"Already on your desk."

David nodded, and the driver moved off, to start loading luggage.

David shrugged, opened the carriage door, and motioned for Olissa, who was at the head of the line, to hand him her ticket and board. The process was thankfully straightforward, and soon all of the Bellamy students were on board and seated. David went over and helped the driver finish loading the luggage.

"Thanks. This isn't actually part of your job," the driver told him.

"Yeah, but the faster you get this done, the sooner we get back to school."

The driver nodded as he pushed the last piece of luggage into the compartment. He thanked David and motioned him inside, so that he could close the carriage door.

David went up front and took his seat at the information desk. He looked down to check the itinerary, then looked up and spoke.

"Okay, folks, welcome to the Woodward Academy school carriage. We'll be making several stops before reaching school, which we should do in about twelve hours or so. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. It would be a good idea to wait until after we've taken flight, however, as trying to move around during transition is tricky."

As David was speaking, the carriage started to move. In just a minute, the carriage jolted, and tilted, as they left the ground. In short order, they were at altitude, traveling southeast.

It wasn't long before a student came forward to ask a question.

"Will we make it to school in time for dinner?" she asked.

David smiled at her. "There is a feast planned for this evening, and yes, it will wait until we arrive."

"Oh, good. What about during the trip? Will we stop for meals?"

"No, but you can order from the snack counter. She has sandwiches and plenty of hot items that you can eat."

The girl nodded, and moved off. David leaned back - the chair he was in reclined - and stared out the window, watching the world pass by.

-----

The trip back to school was mostly uneventful. David collected tickets, helped load luggage, and answered several questions. It was a very easy assignment. His real responsibility began as the carriage landed just outside the school grounds. As the carriage came to a stop, David rose from his chair and moved in front of the door.

"All first years, please step to the door. If you're not a first year student, please wait until the first years have disembarked."

An older student pushed to the front of the line, shoving several first year students aside.

"I don't take orders from slime," he said disdainfully.

As the man reached the front of the line, David put his hand out. The man tried to push past it, but found himself confronted by a solid wall.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" the guy demanded. David recognized him as the one who had severely insulted the centaur and her foal in their first year.

"I'm the Information Officer, in charge of this carriage. If you don't like that, you can take it up with Dean Lengel. Move aside. Now."

"Or what?" he challenged.

David pulled out his wand. "Reteni!" he snapped, and a tendril of magical energy encased the man, whose name was Aaron. David flicked his wand sideways, and Aaron went flying into the carriage wall, pinned there and held by the hex.

"Ladies and gentlemen," David said, raising his voice, "Let me introduce to you Aaron Tisdell, for the last three years, the second-biggest asshat at The Woodward Academy. With the departure last year of his good buddy Marcus, he was promoted to School's Biggest Asshat." The first-year students laughed while Aaron glared.

Turning to Aaron, David said quietly, "Unless you'd like another demonstration of how hard I can hit, you will stand there, silently, until the new students have gotten off the carriage. I have a job to do, and you are interfering with it."

David released the hex, and, while Aaron did flex a little, he kept his mouth shut as David ushered the first year students outside.

David led the students to the entrance, then he said, "Please divide up into the appropriate lines, based on your last name. You will receive your dorm assignment and another school map, along with some additional material, from the folks at the tables. Your belongings will be transferred to your dorm rooms for you. The feast begins in about an hour. Move along, and welcome to the Academy."

-----

The driver informed David that he should report to Dean Lengel once his duties were completed, and so David made his way up to Beckett Hall. He found the dean just leaving.

"Oh, hello, David. How was the trip?" she asked, motioning him to walk with her toward the dining hall.

"Fine, mostly. You'll probably be receiving a complaint from Aaron Tisdell."

"Oh? What happened?"

David explained the incident to her. She frowned at first, until he got to the part about his announcement, when she chuckled.

"What is an asshat?" she asked.

David grinned. "It's just another word for idiot, but more demeaning."

"Ah. Well, if he tries to complain, I'll remind him that, by ignoring your authority during an official school function, he was essentially ignoring my authority, since I'm the one who gave you the job. I think that will calm him down effectively."

David shrugged. "I didn't really know how else to deal with him... well, other than punching him in the jaw again, but I didn't figure that would look good in front of the Novices."

"Probably not. You're not going to call them Wand Wavers, like everyone else does?"

"I see no reason to be insulting," David said.

"That's why I wanted you as Information Officer," she told him.

"Speaking of that," David said, taking his badge out of his pocket. He'd taken it off on the walk up to Beckett Hall. "Do I give this back to you?"

"Quitting on me already?" she asked. She grinned as David looked befuddled. "I must confess, David, I kind of tricked you. You see, the Information Officer isn't a job just for the carriage ride."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that, as Information Officer, you're responsible for helping out the first years all year long. That's why we even bothered with a badge. It's hardly needed during the carriage ride, but it helps identify you on campus, so they can more easily find you."

"Well, what am I supposed to do, help them with their homework?"

Dean Lengel chuckled. "No. Just answer questions about the school. Help them find their way if they're lost, answer the kinds of questions they might have asked at orientation, but forgot to do so, or whatever. I'll admit, you'll also be called upon to help during things like orientation, and we may ask you to oversee some activities. We try not to let it interfere with your studies."

"Sounds like an important job."

"It is."

"Did you actually want me for this, or was I just the only one on the list who was available?"

Dean Lengel looked at him very seriously. "David... you were the list."

"Oh."

The two chatted more as they made their way to Byron Hall. When they got inside, David took his leave from the dean, and found his way to his usual table with his friends. He said hello to Simon and Heath, and then sat down, looking around.

"Where's Jim?"

Gwen just pointed. Jim was sitting several tables away, chatting amicably with Sherry. It looked as if they were quite chummy.

"Apparently they're going together," Simon said. "He said he'd be sitting with her from now on."

David shrugged. "So how was your summer?"

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

As David walked across the terrace with Ellie, a voice behind them said, "Excuse me, David?"

David turned around. The questioner was a cute girl, obviously frazzled.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm completely lost. I've lost my map, I have no idea where my dorm is, and I'm trying to get to Beckett Hall! I don't really know what to do!"

David tried not to laugh at the girl. He remembered how confusing the school was, three years before.

"Okay, is your map back in your dorm room?"

"I don't know. I thought I had it with me, but I can't find it."

David nodded. He waved his hand in a specific way, and into it popped a rolled up parchment. Both Ellie and the girl jumped in surprise. David ignored that.

Unrolling the parchment, which was another copy of the school map, David said, "Okay, we're here, at the blinking dot. The ocean is that way," he said, pointing, "and so the map goes like this. Griffin Dorm is over there," he said, pointing again, "and Beckett Hall is up that way. The nearest rock lift is there."

The girl breathed a huge sigh of relief. "God, thank you! I was about ready to panic!"

David smiled at her. "Just remember, the school's a big circle. Walk long enough, and you will see the whole thing. Either that, or you'll fall into a moat. Here, take this," he said, handing her the map.

"Don't you need it?" she asked.

"Well, no, I don't anymore, really... but I have several more copies, anyway."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks!"

As the girl moved off, David turned back to Ellie, and they continued their walk across the terrace. They had spent the morning getting Ellie's registration completed, and they were now going to lunch.

"Not afraid to be seen eating with a first-year?" she asked.

David snorted. "Anyone who wants to give me grief has a lot better ammunition than that."

As they entered the dining hall, Ellie said, "How are you liking your new job?"

"The pay sucks," he said with a grin. "But it's all right. I hope the number of questions dies down after a few weeks, though."

"I'm sure it will. By the way, thanks for your help this morning. I'd probably have been as lost as that last girl was!"

David chuckled. "No problem. It's not like I had anything else to do, anyway."

"Well, I'm glad you were here for me."

"Why wasn't Gwen helping you? I kind of understand Anne not doing it, but Gwen..."

"Is busy. I gather she's made first string on the baxayr team this year, and they are apparently starting practice early."

"Oh. I didn't know that. Damn. As Information Officer, I'm probably going to have to keep up with that kind of thing now."

"Probably."

When the pixie popped in to ask for their order, Ellie jumped. Despite having been introduced to them the night before, she was still startled. David chuckled, and then he placed his own order.

"I'll never get used to that," Ellie said.

"You probably shouldn't. It's not exactly how waitresses work in Earth."

"Speaking of weird things... how did you make that map appear in your hand?"

"It's conjuring. It's not something you need to worry about, unless you change your plans. They won't even let you take it until your third year."

"Still trying to talk me out of going to Earth, huh?"

David shook his head. "I'm not trying to talk you out of anything. You asked the question. Look, since you brought it up, why do you want to go to Earth?"

"It looks like a more interesting place to live. People there seem to be pushing for progress, change. Dugerrans... maybe you haven't noticed, but things change very slowly around here."

"Oh, I don't know. I just bought a brand new glidecar. I hear they haven't even started building them here in Callamandia yet." He had found a storage facility in Bellamy to keep his in. He would eventually find a place closer to the school, but he'd been in a bit of a hurry.

"Well, yeah. The SkyRider magic was invented about fifteen years ago. The SkyRiders didn't become popular for another ten, and now the glidecars have come along. Years! In Earth, things seem like they move a lot faster."

David couldn't really argue with that. "So you want a fast-paced life."

"I want a life where I can expect to die in a world different from the one I was born into. I can't really say that in any meaningful way about Dugerra."

"In other words, you like change."

"Yes."

"Then Earth probably is the right place for you to live. So long as you don't mind having a limited use of your magical ability. You're not going to be able to use it openly there."

"I know. I watched how you and Gwen were acting when we went to Chicago."

"Well, so long as you can learn not to slip up, then I'd say Earth is probably where you belong. You still haven't said anything to your parents, have you?"

"No. I'm not going to, David. I don't want the argument."

"There is unlikely to be an argument. I asked your mother... in a very roundabout, theoretical way... if it would bother her if one of her kids moved to Earth. She didn't seem to think it would."

"Yeah, I know better, even if she doesn't. She'll be pissed. And Daddy'll be very disappointed."

David shrugged. "Will they be less so if you spring it on them in two years?"

"No, but I won't have to deal with it so directly for so long."

"That's... not a good way to look at things."

"Maybe."

David, seeing that this conversation had no good way to continue, decided to change the subject. "So, will you be signing up for any clubs tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Any suggestions?"

David snorted. "The only one I've found any interest in is the new riding club they just started. Other than that, none of them really caught my eye. Maybe you'll have better luck."

"Let's hope."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David was walking up to the castle, with Olissa, Gwen and Jess joining him. They were all heading for their Civics class. It was their first class of the year, and they were all a bit excited. This particular course was a virtual requirement for citizenship; much of the testing material, they'd been told, came from this class.

They entered in through the open castle doors, and found their room. David sat in the front row. Olissa sat next to him. Gwen and Jess found a spot in the middle of the room, and also sat side-by-side. It wasn't long before the class began.

"Good morning," the professor said. "I am Prof. James Burke, and this is History 301, better known as Civics. If you're looking for History 201, it is down the hall." No one got up and left.

"Okay, good. Now then. What we're going to cover in this class is information about how public life works here in Callamandia. What does that mean? Well, we'll discuss the Callamandian government, and how it works to pass laws and serve the people. We'll also talk about your role in the government, as a citizen. For the sake of this class, all of our discussions will simply assume that you all achieve citizenship. It just makes life easier. Other things we'll discuss are your roles in your local community, what is expected of you as a good citizen. We will have discussions about the type of government and society that exists in Callamandia, its good points and its weaknesses, and if there are better ways to handle Callamandia's unique situation. I say unique not because there is anything particularly odd about Callamandia itself, but because every nation's situation is unique, and so one form of government is not, in fact, suitable to every nation.

"Does anyone have any questions so far?" Prof. Burke waited a few seconds, but no hands went up. "Okay, then. I'm going to pass out a syllabus. It will show you the exam schedule, and which chapters we'll be covering. Your exams will compose a quarter of your grade, as will your homework. There will be a term paper during the second half of the semester, which will make up a third quarter of your grade, and your final exam will take up the remaining quarter."

Once the syllabi had been passed out, Prof. Burke returned to the front of the room and said, "Okay, there's no reason to hesitate, so let's get started.

"Callamandia is, as you may or may not know, a limited parliamentary monarchy. Now, what exactly does that mean? The king is still our absolute ruler. He makes all of the important decisions for the nation, good or bad. However, King Frederick II, in 1602, decided he was tired of having to deal with all the minor daily issues of governance. At that time, he created a King's Council. The Council has one member from each region of the kingdom, elected by the people who live in that region. They meet in Senesty once a month, and they pass laws on minor issues. Where the dividing line is between what is a matter for the Council, and what is a matter for the King, is laid out in the initial decree, and we'll get into it in detail in a later class.

"The King may overrule the Council at any time, though he does not have to specifically approve every law they pass. Council members serve for five years, and may only serve once. The King felt this would prevent the Council members from worrying about being re-elected while deliberating new laws, and so they might be more willing to make unpopular, but correct, choices.

"The laws passed by both Council and King are enforced by the Judicial branch of the government. This includes the Magistrates, and also the Rimohrs. Though the Rimohrs are actually an international body, established by international treaty, they have been given statutory jurisdiction over Callamandia by every king since their establishment. The Rimohrs act as Callamandia's national investigative bureau. They are not a police force as such, by which I mean that they are not going to prevent crimes or arrive at an emergency scene. Their job is to investigate a crime that has been committed, and then hunt down and capture the perpetrator. Callamandia has no national police force as such, and most areas have no local police, either. This is a practice that has been widely criticized, and we will discuss it at length in a few weeks."

Prof. Burke carried on with his lecture, and David sat, taking his notes diligently. As Prof. Burke paused to answer a student's question, David reached into his pocket, pulled out a pixie stick, and slipped it into his mouth. He then resumed his note-taking.

-----

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Prof. Edgars. You are here, or you are supposed to be here, for Herbology 402. The subject of this class is the care and maintenance of poisonous and dangerous plants. These plants, if handled improperly, could cause you to visit the infirmary. On average, five of you will end up there at some point this semester. This is not a class in which you should be fooling around, and paying close attention to my instruction is essential.

"Having made it through five previous courses, you should all be fully versed in basic herbological concepts, such as repotting plants and basic care. We are not going to cover these topics in class, and if you fail at them, you will be graded accordingly. In this class, you will be assigned several plants to look after. They will be stored in the greenhouse, but they will be your responsibility to maintain. Should your plants die, you will, again, be graded accordingly.

"We will begin with a simple plant, known as nightwind. We will discuss its nature, its danger, and its care today. At our next class, we will meet in the greenhouse, so that you may learn to handle the plant safely. Now, nightwind..."

As the professor continued his lecture, David leaned over to Olissa, who was also in the class with him. "I have to say it's nice to see the lectures from this perspective again."

Olissa grinned at him. "Don't like being teacher's pet?"

"I just never felt like I belonged up there. Not for this class."

Olissa nodded, and they both returned their attention to the lecture.

-----

"Good afternoon, David," Prof. Blackstone said.

"Hello, Professor," David replied. "Is there a particular place you want me to sit?"

"Yes. Have a seat there at the side desk. It gives you room to work, if you need to show someone something."

"Yes, sir." David walked over to the indicated desk, which was about halfway to the back of the room, over to one side. He sat down and nodded to his friends. Olissa and Gwen were in this class with him, as were Flo and her roommate, Jess. He looked around to make sure that Devyn was not present. He didn't want to have to deal with her if he could avoid it. She was, he saw gratefully, not there.

Prof. Blackstone rose, and said, "Good afternoon to all of you. My name is Prof. Harry Blackstone. I am newly the head of the Conjuring Department here at Woodward, and you all are here for Conjuring 401. In this class, you will continue your basic conjuring skills, increasing the distance over which you can conjure an object, and working to conjure through walls and other obstacles. Near the very end of the semester, we shall start to discuss the Conjuring Room concept. This is a method by which you can carry things with you without having them physically on your person.

"This is a very hands-on class, and so it will require a great deal of individual attention between myself and you. As such, it is my practice to have a teaching assistant, to help me help you. David Stroud is my assistant for this class. I'm sure you'll find him quite knowledgeable about Conjuring, so if I'm not available, please do not hesitate to ask him for help.

"Now, there's little reason for us to delay, so let's get on with things. I want to spend most of this class time doing some refresher work, to remind you of what you've learned. Also, I know many of you were unfortunate enough to have had Prof. Quayde last year, and I will need to make sure that you are caught up with my previous students. So, let's begin."

David looked around as Prof. Blackstone showed them which particular bit of conjuring he wanted them to practice. He saw lots of worried faces.

Uh-oh, I think I'm going to be asked a lot of questions in here...

-----

"Good afternoon, class," Prof. Rutherford said brightly. "We're here for Theory of Elemental Manipulation 301. Our focus in the first half of this class will be on Aeromandy, which is, as you might expect, the ability to manipulate the very air around you. For some of you, this will be nearly impossible. Many people seem to have trouble manipulating something that they can't even see. For most, it will be difficult, but you'll manage.

"If you have the ability to perform aeromandy, you will be able to cause winds, to create bubbles of 'dead air', and, to a very limited extent, you'll be able to increase or decrease the temperature immediately around you. This is because temperature is carried by the air, and so by affecting the air, you can affect the temperature. This is difficult, and a very advanced aeromandy technique.

"Other things that you can do with aeromandy include creating small vortexes of air, which can be useful in a fight, or to move objects at a distance without the usual levitation spells. Further, when mixed with aquamandy or terramandy, aeromandy takes on a whole new dimension, and the second half of this semester will talk about the combination of techniques to perform tasks.

"Now, if you'll open your books to page 485, we'll begin our discussion of aeromandic principles."

-----

"So, how'd your first day go?" David asked Ellie. She was sitting with David and his friends at Gwen's invitation.

"Oh, crap, I'm so confused," she admitted. The others chuckled sympathetically. They'd all been there.

"It gets better," Gwen assured her little sister.

"I hope so! It couldn't possibly get worse!"

"Oh, yes it can," Gwen told her devilishly.

"Gee, thanks!" Ellie replied. The group laughed.

"If you need help, just ask," David told her. "I'm sure one of us will have some free time."

Ellie nodded.

"Speaking of needing help," Simon said, "Is anyone else taking Animperium?"

"I am, but I'm just in my first class, obviously," Ellie told him.

"Yeah, that won't help, I'm afraid."

"Jim's completed his Animperium courses," David told Simon.

"Yeah, but how do I get him away from his girlfriend?" The group laughed at that.

"I'm in 301," Flo said. "You need a hand?"

"Yes! I'm so lost."

Flo nodded.

"You talked to Anne today?" David asked Gwen.

"No, I haven't seen her. Why?"

"Just wondering how she's making out this year. Better than last, hopefully."

"Yeah."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Good morning, class!" Prof. Phillips said as he breezed into the room. "Here for Charms and Hexes 401, I presume? No, you're definitely not," he said to one student, who suddenly looked panicked. "Check your schedule again." As the student got up and ran out, the class chuckled, and Prof. Phillips carried on up to the front of the room.

Suddenly, Prof. Phillips grew more serious. "Okay, class. This semester, things start to get dangerous. Up until now, injury from a spell was mostly accidental. This time, however, we will be learning a great many hexes which have the intent of causing discomfort, illness, and other forms of harm. Obviously, you will not be practicing these spells on each other... and if I catch any of you using them on students, you will regret it.

"Why do we teach you these spells at all? Two reasons. First, it reduces curiosity, and that tends to prevent you from wanting to toy with them. Second, if you are ever in danger, these spells can save your life.

"Now then, what will we be learning? Vomiting hexes, bone-break hexes, illness hexes, petrification hexes, amnesia hexes, torture hexes, and the like... and, of course, their countercurses and defenses. As I said, this is a very dangerous class. I would suggest that you take a more dedicated, focused approach in here than you have in the past, even if you have been entirely serious before.

"Instead of people, you will be working with a practice dummy. This is a life-size animated statue which will react to your spell. If you perform the spell correctly, it will give you a thumbs up. If you perform badly, it will act as if it is choking. We only have a dozen of these, so you'll have to work in pairs."

David looked over at Olissa, who was with him in this class, as well. She nodded, agreeing silently to be his partner. David looked over and saw Gwen was sitting with Jess, and they would partner. Jim was sitting by himself, and he blushed crimson when Flo gave him a thumbs-up, indicating she would be his partner. David chuckled to himself about that. Jim still had not recovered from his embarrassment in their second year.

"Now," Prof. Phillips said, "Let's begin."

-----

"Holy shit... I can't believe they teach us this stuff," Jim was saying at lunch. "This kind of thing could kill somebody."

"I really don't think they should teach it," Jess said. "Too many people will misuse it."

David disagreed. "The people who would misuse it, will learn it on their own. You can't really restrict knowledge. It gets out. Prof. Phillips is right: you counter abuse with education and training. Every time society tries to hide information because 'it's not good for you,' people just spend that much more effort trying to find out what it is you're hiding."

"Maybe," Jess allowed. "I guess I just worry."

"I'm sure the Ministry of Education has this discussion regularly," Gwen opined.

"I can't see myself ever using any of this," Olissa said.

"If you were in danger, I would hope you would at least consider it," David told her seriously.

"I'm hoping I'm never going to be in that kind of danger," Olissa told him. David just nodded.

"So what's next for you?" Gwen asked David.

"Advanced Divination at one. You?"

"I don't have anything till four. Then I've got Herbology."

"Must be nice to have a long break in your day," Jess said.

"I'll let you know," Gwen told her with a grin.

-----

"Good afternoon, class," Prof. Zoroaster said. "Welcome to Advanced Divination 402. This will be a continuation of the things you were learning last year. We will focus on further mind reading techniques, and we will spend a great deal of time talking about anti-divination techniques, and breaking through those techniques.

"Prof. Dartson won't be teaching with me this semester, as he did last time. You've all got a solid grasp of what we're doing, so it's no longer necessary.

"There will be three written exams throughout the term. Each will count as twenty percent of your grade. Your final will be a performance exam, and will count for the remaining forty percent of your grade. If you earn less than a B on your final, you will not be allowed to continue on to the final Advanced Divination course.

"Now, we're going to do some basic warm-up. Take out a piece of paper, and write ten random numbers on it. They should be between 1 and 100. Then, with the person sitting next to you, try to divine their numbers. Begin."

David and Olissa were together once more in this class, and they were, predictably, sitting with each other. They quickly wrote down some numbers, and began their exercise.

-----

David looked around at the other students as he got dressed out for his class. It was the first physical class he'd ever taken at Woodward, and he wondered who he was up against. He didn't recognize any of his classmates. He shrugged, donning his heavy shirt and pants, and then clipping his practice sword, in its scabbard, to his belt. He took a small device off the top shelf of his locker, and slipped that into a small pouch on the other side of his belt. The device was a cylinder, about as long as his hand was wide, and little more than an inch thick. It was made of a dark mahogany wood.

Closing up his locker, David made his way out into the gymnasium, where his class was taking place.

"Hello, and welcome to Beginning Sword and Staff. My name is Prof. Joseph Teller, and I will be your instructor for this class. In here, you will learn the basics of weapons usage. You will learn proper stance, proper grip, and some basic movement. We will also discuss weapon maintenance and repair. You will find that your sword will serve you well if you take good care of it, and your staff, likewise, may save your life someday..."

The professor continued to talk, his delivery rapid and continuous, as if he didn't need to breathe. Prof. Teller spoke for five straight minutes before finally stopping, having concluded his remarks. After a moment, he finally said, "Okay, we will begin with some warm-up exercises. Everyone spread apart, at least ten feet between you in every direction."

Once the students had moved away from each other, Prof. Teller said, "Take out your staff."

David reached to the pouch on his hip, and removed the cylindrical device. He held it in his hand, and gave it three light squeezes. Suddenly, it morphed, lengthening into a six-foot-long staff, which he held down along his side.

"Very good, I see you all know how to activate them. Now, let's begin...

-----

After two hours of exercise, David was sweaty, and needed a shower. He was also fatigued, and a bit sore, from his staff making contact with his arm. He ignored the other students as he showered.

Once he was clean and dressed in his normal school uniform, David headed out. He wasn't going back to the dorm, however. He had work to do on his potions apprenticeship. He made his way to Alton Hall and faded into the building. He'd been given permission to do this by the dean.

Settling in at Sam's work table, David lit his fire pit, and set his cauldron upon it.

Well, let's make attempt number twelve...

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