The Woodward Academy, Year 4

Chapter 4: September

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"Where in the world have you been?" Jim asked as David came into their room. David dumped his book bag next to his desk and stretched. "I haven't seen you all day. Hell, you were gone when I got up, even."

David shrugged. "I didn't figure you'd notice, anyway. Didn't you have a date with Sherry today?"

"Well, yeah, but I mean, that didn't take all day. Where were you?"

"When it was light out, I was either in Sam's workroom, working on my potions, or in the greenhouse, studying with Miss J. After dark, I was up at the castle, working with Lord Woodward."

"Working with him?"

"He's teaching me how to be a ghost-wizard. The magic is different."

"Oh. When did you start doing that?"

"I've mentioned it before, Jim. We've been doing it for the past two summers, but since my summers are getting busier, we decided to start it during the school year, one night a week. So I won't be around on Saturday nights."

"That'll put a crimp in your social life," Jim said with a grin.

Just to twist his tail, David replied, "No, not really. Worst-case scenario, I'll just take Penny off to one of the castle bedrooms for some fun."

David loved the look that came over Jim's face just then.

"Why are you still awake, anyway?" David asked.

"Studying, why else?"

"What're you working on?"

"Technomandy. This shit just doesn't make any sense."

"Can't help you, sorry. You could ask Gwen for help."

"I think she's probably asleep..."

"Not right now, you twit," David said with a chuckle. "Tomorrow or something."

"Yeah, maybe. You going to bed?"

"Might as well. Haven't got anything better to do. I'm not going to start homework this late."

"Yeah, I hear you. Good night."

"Night," David said. He went into his own room and shut the door. Phoenix Dorm, the home for fourth-year students, was much like their second-year dorm. It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a common room in each suite. The difference was that there were only two of them, instead of four, so for the first time since coming to school, David had his own sleeping space.

David didn't worry too much over that. He and Jim had long ago come to terms with their sleeping arrangements. He got undressed, said good-night to Jailla, and was soon sound asleep.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Finally!" David exulted. He had finally achieved success with his potions. He cooled down his cauldron and poured the result into a flask, which he sealed. Bundling everything up, he whisked his stuff into his Conjuring Room, since there was too much to carry, and then he headed out.

It was a bright, sunny Sunday, and David enjoyed the walk across the terrace. He walked through some trees, and by the time he came out the other side of them, he was invisible. This was necessary because he was about to enter faculty housing. He slipped through the entrance, and resolidified himself, making his way down to Sam's apartment. It didn't take her long to answer his knock, and she smiled upon seeing him.

"David! Come on in." She ushered him inside, closing the door. "What brings you by today?"

"Success," David said with a smile.

"Oh?"

David held up a scroll containing several pages of parchment. "My potions. They're finally complete."

"Wonderful!" Sam said. She took the papers from him, and looked them over briefly. "I don't see anything different here from what I saw last time."

"I know," he admitted. "It was just something I had to do."

Sam shrugged and nodded, rolling the parchment back up. She set it on a shelf, and turned back to David. "Well, I will get things ready for your presentation day, then. I'll let you know when there's a specific date set."

"Okay."

"Now then," she said, sidling up to him. "Shall we celebrate?"

"Sounds good to me," he said, right before he kissed her.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David and Olissa were leaving the lunch room when Ellie stopped them. She looked a bit uncertain.

"David, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Um, sure," he replied.

Olissa, sensing it was a private discussion, said, "I'll see you in Herbology, David."

"Okay."

As Olissa headed off, David led Ellie away from the lunch room, toward an empty spot. As they walked, he asked, "So, what's up?"

Ellie seemed a bit hesitant. Finally, she said, "This is a bit weird."

"What is?"

"What I want to ask you."

"Oh. Well, don't worry about that. Everything about my life seems to be weird."

"I guess." They continued to walk, while Ellie fidgeted. Finally, she started.

"Well, you know that I want to go live in Earth..."

"Right..." David replied.

"Well, I want to be ready for that. I mean really ready. I don't think I can learn everything I need in class."

"I had hoped that our trip to Chicago would have shown you a lot of what class is going to miss..."

"It did, but..."

"But what?"

"There's something it left out."

"Oh? Like what?"

Ellie took a deep breath, and then, looking David in the eye, she said, "Sex."

David's eyebrows struggled to stay on his face.

Ellie, pushing through, said, "You see, I don't know anything about sex."

"You're still a virgin?" David asked kindly, but still showing surprise.

"Yeah. I mean, I've only kissed a boy once. And... well, anyway, I heard someone say once that Earth girls are easy, so... I mean, I want to fit in, and if you've got to be really good at sex to fit in, then I need to learn."

David grinned tolerantly. "Not all Earth girls are easy. But... are you asking me to teach you how to have sex?"

"Yeah."

"Why me, instead of one of the boys in your year?"

"I don't know them. I don't trust them. The reason I never had sex before wasn't because no one was interested, but because it scares me a bit, and I never trusted any of those guys to take it easy with me until I was comfortable. After the last couple summers, and some talks with Gwen... I think you're the right one to ask. Plus, I'll be gone in two years, so it's not like I could have a long-term relationship with whoever I asked. You're... well, you're already in some unusual relationships, so I figured you wouldn't mind so much."

"You've talked about this with Gwen?"

"No! But I... well, I asked her some questions about you. She told me about the one time you guys had sex. I think she might think I have a crush on you or something."

David grinned. "Do you?"

"No. But I like you, and I trust you. You haven't ratted me out to my parents yet, which I think a lot of guys would have. Especially since you're close to Mom. But no, I'm not in love with you or anything. I'm not even asking you to date only me. Just... teach me what I need to know."

David considered quietly for a long moment before asking, "How far would you want to go with it?"

"What do you mean?"

"There are a lot of different aspects to sex. Most people don't explore anywhere near all of them. I wouldn't be comfortable showing you all of them, myself. But there are things I'm familiar with that are a bit outside the mainstream."

"Like what?"

"Threesomes. Bisexuality - on the girl's part, anyway, exhibitionism, bondage..."

"Wow. And Earth girls know all that stuff?"

"Some do, some don't. Earth girls, at least sexually, are no different from Dugerra girls, Ellie. You don't need a degree in sex to fit in."

"So, you're saying no?" she asked, frowning.

David turned to face her. He put his hands gently on her arms. "I'm saying you don't need to. If you want to, that's another story. But I'd rather not have sex with someone who sees me as an only option."

"Oh," Ellie said, blushing slightly. "Well, I mean, I do want to learn about sex. And I do trust you to let me take it at my own speed. And you are kinda cute."

"Thank you," David interjected. Ellie blushed again.

"But I don't actually have any way to know if I really want you to touch me like that..."

David nodded. He slowly stepped closer, and then leaned in. Ellie was frozen in uncertainty. As David's lips touched hers, however, she closed her eyes and melted against him. She slipped her arms around his back, and the two kissed for a very long time.

Finally, David pulled back from her, and looked into her eyes.

"So, any better idea of how you feel about me touching you?" David asked with a grin.

Ellie just nodded, her expression still a little awestruck.

"I was wrong," she said. "I've never been kissed before now. I've only been slobbered on."

David smiled at her.

"I might have a crush on you now," Ellie said, finally getting her composure back.

David laughed. Ellie finally stepped back from him, letting her arms slip off him slowly.

"So... will you teach me?" she asked.

"Are you sure?"

"I am now," she replied.

"What do we tell your sister?" David asked. "She will find out. Even if neither of us tells her, there are no long-lived secrets at this school."

"What did you tell her about Prof. Stott? Or Olissa?"

"Neither of them were her sister."

Ellie shrugged. "Just tell her we're dating non-exclusively by my choice."

"Okay. Will you be dating other guys?"

"Probably not. Like I said, I never felt comfortable. Would you mind if I did, though?"

"No, not if we're not going to be exclusive. I was just curious."

Ellie nodded, then she asked, hesitant again, "So... how do we get started?"

"First, we have to have a date. I'm not going to start yet another sexual relationship with someone without at least going on a date first. How about Friday night? We can have a picnic, take a walk, that kind of thing."

"Sounds nice."

"Okay. Around seven?"

Ellie nodded. Then she leaned in, and they kissed again. This one was briefer, but no less pleasant.

"I really like that," Ellie said when she leaned back. Then she blushed.

David smiled at her, and then he started walking with her again.

"What's your next class?"

"Charms and Hexes, at one," she said.

"Oh, okay. Did you eat yet?"

"Yeah."

"I'll walk you to your dorm, then."

"Thanks. I still get lost."

"Everyone does for the first month or so."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"And you made fun of me, for going after Sherry!" Jim said as David combed his hair in the mirror. He was getting ready for his first date with Ellie.

David looked at him and, with an evil grin, said, "That's the point. You went after her. Ellie asked me."

Jim growled good-naturedly at David. Then he asked, "How did Gwen take it when she found out you were going on a date with her sister?"

"Surprisingly well, actually. I just hope Ellie and I don't have a nasty breakup like I did with Devyn. I'm not sure my friendship with Gwen could withstand another one."

Jim snorted. "I can't imagine Gwen staying really mad at you for more than a week."

David grunted. "Anyway, Gwen seemed to actually kind of like the idea. The problem is, she liked the idea for the same reason she liked the idea of me dating Devyn."

"Which was?"

"She's worried about Ellie getting hurt, and she knows I wouldn't intentionally hurt her."

"Nice to know you're trusted, ain't it?" Jim asked.

"I suppose. But it adds a bit of pressure to the whole thing that I really don't need. Aren't you going out with Sherry tonight?" he asked, to change the subject.

"No, tomorrow. She wanted to do some of her homework tonight."

"Can't blame her for that. Second year was a bitch."

"Fourth year isn't so much fun, either," Jim grumbled, gesturing at his books.

"Did you ask Gwen for help?"

"Yeah, but I still don't get it."

"Talk to your instructor."

"Prof. Hatch?" Jim snorted. "Might as well talk to a computer. That guy's incomprehensible!"

David chuckled. "Well, anyway, I'm off. Good luck with the homework."

David said good-bye to Jailla, who would not be accompanying him, and then he left for Griffin Dorm.

-----

David and Ellie were walking along the outer rim of Mt. Woodward. They had already eaten their picnic dinner, which David had ordered from Food Services. They were in no hurry to get anywhere, they were just enjoying each other's company.

Twilight was nearing its end, and darkness was descending. With the moon already gone, it was growing difficult to even see where they were walking. Ellie moved closer to David.

"You want to go up to the terrace?" he asked. She nodded, and they walked to the nearest rock lift. They rode up in silence, and then walked along, chatting about school, and Earth, and other random things.

When they reached the river, they walked along it until they were away from the path. Then David led Ellie over to a tree. He sat down, and then motioned her to sit with him. She chose to sit in his lap. David smiled at her, wrapping his one arm around her back, while his other hand rested on her thigh.

In this position, the two quickly began kissing. After a minute, David let his tongue slip out and slide along Ellie's lips. She got the idea, and opened her mouth to admit his tongue, which gently plied hers. They spent a great deal of time like that, her arms around his neck, their lips locked, their tongues dancing.

Finally, David decided to see if Ellie was ready for something more. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he moved his hand from her thigh to her abdomen. Moving upward, his fingers slid along her blouse until he was finally cupping her breast. Ellie moaned as he very gently squeezed her tit.

After a while, Ellie finally sat back, breaking their kiss. David did not remove his hand from her breast, and she didn't do anything to encourage him to do so. He could see the nervousness in her eyes, though.

"You're not quite ready, are you?" he asked softly.

Ellie bit her lip for a long moment, then, frowning, she shook her head negatively. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's fine."

"I hate to get you all... uh... 'ready', and not be able to follow through," she said. She could feel his erection pressing against her leg.

"Well, there is a way to take care of that, without having sex," David told her. "Something that would feel very good to me, but would leave you in complete control of what happens or doesn't."

"What's that?" she asked.

"You could give me either a handjob, or a blowjob."

"Right here?" she asked.

"We can go back to my room, if you want, but no one's going to see us now, as dark as it is out here."

After a moment's hesitation, Ellie said, "Okay, what do I do?"

"Well, first, you'll have to get off me," David said.

Ellie giggled, and then slipped off his lap, to sit beside him.

"Unfasten my pants," he told her. When she had, he said, "Now, reach into my underwear and gently pull my dick out through the slit." David had worn boxer shorts this evening, just in case. He was now glad that he had.

Ellie's hand felt wonderful on his cock. Her fingers were soft, and small, and her touch was very gentle. She held his dick in her hand, wrapping her fingers around it.

"Now what do I do?" she asked.

"Just slide your hand up and down. Don't grip too firmly." Ellie began to jack David slowly, leaning against him to help her sense his reaction. David moaned quietly. "That feels good. You can go a little faster, if you want." Ellie increased her pace just a little bit; she didn't want to hurt him accidentally.

"Now what?" she asked after a little while.

"Mm, either keep that up until I cum, or, if you think you're up to it, you can go down on me."

"What's that mean?"

"Use your mouth on my dick."

"Like, suck on it?"

"Yeah. You don't have to, if you're not ready. What you're doing now feels great."

"I want to try, but I'm nervous. I'm not sure what to do."

"When it comes to blowjobs, there's pretty much only one rule: be careful what you do with your teeth."

Ellie giggled nervously. She slid herself down while her hand kept sliding on his dick. David gave her a few instructions, and she began to lick the head of his cock while her hand continued to stroke him. Finally, when she thought she was ready, she put her lips against the tip of his cock and pushed forward, letting it enter her mouth slowly, until she felt like she couldn't take any more of him.

David groaned at the feel of her lips against his shaft. "Okay, now just move your head up and down. You can keep moving your hand, too. Other things you can do, if you want, are to slide your tongue back and forth, or you can use your mouth to actually suck on it. One thing, do you want to try to swallow my cum, or no?"

"Mm-hmm," she murmured, not taking her mouth off his dick.

"Okay, then I'll just let you know when I'm going to cum, so it won't be a surprise."

"Mm," she said, and then she began to slide her mouth off his cock. When she had reached the head, she moved back down as far as she could. Her hand, meanwhile, stroked the rest of his dick, sending tingles of enjoyment along his spine.

David held off his climax as long as he could. Ellie's mouth felt wonderful, and he wanted to make sure she got the hang of blowing him. Finally, though, he couldn't take any more. He grunted, and said, "I'm gonna cum soon. Make sure you leave room in your mouth for it."

Ellie pulled back until just the head of his dick was in her mouth. She kept jacking with her hand, and that was good enough. David groaned, and came, spewing his load into her mouth. Ellie closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his cum filling her mouth. The flavor was pleasant to her. She swallowed his entire load, and then she slid her mouth back down onto his shaft.

"Oooh, oh, god. I don't think I can take that right now."

Ellie pulled back, and then slowly let him slip from her lips. She looked up at him. "Sorry, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that."

David pulled her back up to him, and kissed her. She kissed him back passionately, and then, when they were done, she settled against him.

"It's not that you should or shouldn't do that," David explained. "Some guys will be able to handle it, and some guys won't. After cumming, lots of guys - including me - are very sensitive, and we need a minute to calm down. Or, if you're just going to insist on continuing, you have to be careful about it, or it's actually uncomfortable for us."

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Ellie said, frowning.

"Don't be. You did great." He kissed her again, and she returned the kiss readily. Finally, they sat back. David tucked himself back in, and then they just relaxed.

"Some guys won't want to be kissed right after you've blown them, either," David warned. "I don't mind, but others are more squeamish."

"Why don't they want to be kissed?"

"They can taste their cum on your lips, and they don't like it."

"Really? I thought you tasted good."

David grinned. "Thank you, I don't think anyone's ever said that to me before."

"Are you really okay if this is as far as we go tonight?" she asked nervously.

"Yes. I don't want you to do anything you're really uncomfortable with. And... well, this isn't the kind of thing I should say to a girlfriend, but... if I really needed further relief, I do have options."

Ellie giggled. "Well, it's okay, since I'm not really a girlfriend, as such. And actually, it does help me, knowing you could go to someone else if you needed to. I'm just not ready for more yet."

"And that's okay. What you did felt fantastic. I'm just sorry that I can't do more for you."

She kissed him again. "You've done everything I'm ready for," she said. "Don't worry about the rest."

"Okay." After a long moment of silence, David asked, "You want to head back to the dorm now?"

"Yeah, I'd better. I'm probably already going to get razzed by my roommates."

David chuckled. "I've been there before."

"I'll bet," she replied.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Okay, now we're going to begin our first real practical work with aeromandy. In front of each of you is a pinwheel. Your job is to make it spin at a constant rate. Use what you've learned so far, and see what you can manage. You may begin."

Prof. Rutherford walked among the students while they struggled to budge their pinwheels. David closed his eyes, imagining the pinwheel spinning. He then looked at his pinwheel, and blew one short puff of air toward it. It wasn't the simplest method of beginning, but David wanted to see if it would work. He felt a wind begin to flow around his head, and his pinwheel suddenly became a blur. He kept his focus on it, but he was having no trouble keeping the little decoration in motion.

"Somehow I knew this would be easy for you," Prof. Rutherford said when she dropped by his desk. "Now, make it stop."

David relaxed his mind, willing the wind to end. Immediately, the pinwheel slowed, and came to rest.

"Now do it again," Prof. Rutherford commanded him.

David let out the little puff of air again, and soon, the pinwheel was whirling rapidly.

"You can even use the more advanced starting method? I'm impressed. You've been practicing during the summer, haven't you?"

David chuckled. "I had no time for TEM this past summer, Professor. I was working on my potions apprenticeship."

"Well. You're doing excellent in this so far. Keep up the good work."

"Thanks."

Prof. Rutherford headed off to another student, and David relaxed, allowing his pinwheel to stop again. He repeated the exercise several more times, just to make sure he had the hang of it.

"Okay, class," Prof. Rutherford said after she had spoken with every student. "Almost all of you are having difficulty with this, and that's normal. Only one of you seems to have full command of your pinwheel. To actually have even one, at this point, is pretty rare. You shouldn't expect to master this in less than a few days. Do practice it on your own time. Next class, I want to see every pinwheel turning. Plus, I need you to read the next chapter in your textbook, which will talk about making the air flow change direction. This is the really big chapter, and we'll spend an entire week on it. If you cannot master this, then there is no hope for you in aeromandy, as it all depends on being able to control the direction of the wind that you create. That's all for this class. See you next week."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"David... why doesn't Ellie sit with us? Is she afraid I'm going to yell at her or something?" Gwen asked.

David shook his head. "She wants to sit with her classmates."

"Instead of her boyfriend?" Gwen asked.

"We're non-exclusive, remember? Prof. Stott doesn't sit with me at lunch, either."

Gwen giggled at the image that provided. "I guess. Have you guys, uh..."

"Gwendolyn Josephine Hasterscant," David said with mock-severity, "I just know you were not about to ask about your sister's sex life."

Gwen turned six shades of red and purple, entirely embarrassed by David's taunt. The others at the table laughed at her.

"Sorry, I had that coming," Gwen said, when she'd finally gotten her blushing under control. "And when the hell did you learn my middle name?"

David grinned. "Seriously, you know that, whether we have or not, we're going to at some point, so what difference does it make? You said you were okay with this..."

"I am, really. I was just curious."

"Then ask her. She might be willing to answer you. I'm not going to."

"You're still worried about it all going wrong, aren't you?" Gwen asked him.

"Yeah. I don't want another Devyn fiasco on my hands."

"It wouldn't be the same, David. I wouldn't be caught in the middle like I was with Devyn. And I picked the wrong side of that argument to begin with, didn't I?"

David put his hand on her arm in support. "You were trying to keep all your options. You knew I'd be waiting. You knew Devyn wouldn't."

"Speaking of," Simon said, "Do either of you even see Devyn around anymore?"

"I do," David said.

"Really?" Gwen asked, surprised.

"She's in my Sword and Staff class. I just hope Prof. Teller never pairs us off."

"That might get nasty," Gwen agreed.

The group chatted about school for a while longer, before someone else joined them at the table.

"Hey, Joe," David said in greeting. "I didn't do it, whatever it is." The other students laughed, and Garibaldi chuckled.

"Not here for you this time," he said. "Just thought I'd stop by and say hello, since I did have to be here."

"Why are you here?" Olissa asked.

"There was a burglary in one of the dorms. Your dorm, as a matter of fact."

"What was taken?" David asked curiously.

"A bracelet and some earrings."

"Expensive?"

"Mildly."

"Hmm," David said. "Any clues?"

"Not a goddamned one. Makes me wonder why we bother with forensics, if even students have enough magic to get around it."

David shrugged. "You play for breaks, just like Earth cops."

"I guess. Anyway, it's not a big thing. I'll be heading back to Bolmont soon, since there is absolutely nothing more to pursue here."

"You mean, the girl just loses her jewelry, and you don't do anything?" Gwen asked.

"What would you like me to do? A dead end is a dead end. I have no idea where to even start looking for the thief, without searching everyone's dorm room. And I can't do that, as it's against the law. In order to investigate, I have to have somewhere to start."

"I guess," Gwen agreed grudgingly.

"How are Zyla and Grace?" David asked.

"Zyla's fine, I'll let her know you asked about her. Grace is teething."

"I'll send her a teething ring," David told him.

"I'm sure she'd appreciate that," Garibaldi said. "Anyway, how are your classes going?"

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Prof. Edgars, sorry to interrupt. Can I speak with David for a moment?" Prof. Stott asked.

"Of course," Prof. Edgars said. He motioned to David, who quickly got up and went out into the hall to talk to Prof. Stott.

"Hey, Sam. What's up?"

"Your Presentation Day. It will be next Saturday, the 22nd. Will you be ready?"

"I'm ready now... I guess."

"You don't sound so sure," Sam said.

"How sure did you feel on your Presentation Day?" David asked.

Sam smiled at him. "Good point. I threw up right before it began."

"Thanks for that image," David said sarcastically.

Sam chuckled. "You'll do fine. I believe in you. Besides, you've already really done all of the work."

"Yeah, now I just have to show it to people who will decide my future."

Sam smiled. "Anyway, the ceremony will be at ten o'clock in the morning. It'll be in my classroom. You can invite twelve people to attend. I, of course, will be there already, so there's no need to invite me," she told him with a grin.

David smiled. "Do I need to tell you who's coming?"

"Yes. We'll send out an official invitation to them."

"Okay. How soon do I need to get you a list?"

"The sooner the better, but no later than Tuesday evening."

David nodded. "Okay."

Sam stepped in and kissed David softly. David returned the gesture.

"I'm proud of you," she told him.

"Thanks."

"Now you'd better get back to class, before Prof. Edgars gets upset."

David nodded, and Sam walked off. He watched her go, and then he turned and went back into his class. On his way to his seat, he pulled out a pixie stick and stuck it in his mouth.

"What was that about?" Olissa asked quietly.

"My Masterpiece Presentation Day has been scheduled for next Saturday," he whispered. Then he concentrated on the pixie stick in his mouth. His stomach was suddenly doing laps.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"All right, we have covered all of the necessary information about safety in this class, and we've covered some very basic moves, but today we will take it just a step further and we will begin to talk about combinations of moves. Obviously, a single move will only be effective in the rarest of circumstances, and in true fighting, it will be a fluid sequence of attack and defense that ultimately leads to your victory or defeat. You must keep your eyes open, to look for the opportunity that your opponent, no matter how good he or she is, will eventually present to you. It may be a very small opportunity, and so you must be ready for it. These combinations, once they become ingrained in you, will help you to take advantage at the right time. Everyone draw your practice swords."

Everyone drew out their sword from its scabbard. The only thing that differentiated their practice sword from a regular sword was that the blade had no sharp edge. Otherwise, it was balanced, weighted, and designed exactly the same. In fact, many students, once moving on from their training, simply had their practice swords sharpened to use as regular weapons. The sword was a double-edged design, light enough for single-handed use. It had a crossbar instead of a basket or other style of hand guard. David's crossbar bore the likeness of a hawk in flight.

"Today, we will practice a simple parry and slash maneuver. This would be a case of blocking your opponent's incoming attack, and then following that with an attack of your own, to prevent your enemy from recovering and attacking you again. Please watch my feet carefully, as they are at least half of the proper technique here." Prof. Teller demonstrated the move four times, turning each time so that the class could see it from each angle.

"Now then, you all practice it. At the ready, and begin. Keep your arms up, slide your feet, don't lift them. Your feet are your base, and if you lift one up, half your base is gone. Victor, you're exposing your entire side to attack, bring your arm down. Janice, you're slashing too low. You're aiming for the chest of a human, not a dwarf. Ellen, good, but a bit slow. Brock, you're doing it backwards. I don't care if you're left-handed, your opponent almost certainly won't be."

Prof. Teller walked through the room, evaluating and giving advice to each student. When he got to David, he said, "Not bad, but your stance is too narrow. Spread your legs just a little bit. You don't want to be an obelisk, you want to be a pyramid." David adjusted, and Prof. Teller nodded. "Good, good. Also, raise your arm a couple inches on the slash. You're dropping into the abdomen range. We're aiming for the chest." David made another adjustment, and then the professor nodded and moved on.

Throughout the class, they learned several more techniques. By the time they had finished, everyone was worn out and breathing hard.

"Well, good work, class. You've gotten a good handle on this so far. Keep practicing all of these moves on your own time. Doing them just in class will not give you enough skill to pass your licensing exam at the end of the year. Now, in the next class, we will begin some light sparring, just to help you understand how these moves can be used against actual opponents. Make sure to bring your sparring swords with you. You will not need your practice swords. All right, everyone in line!"

The students all fell into a line. David chose to be the last one in line. He had something he wanted to say to the professor.

The professor shook the hand of each student, encouraging them for their work, and then each one headed off for the locker room. By the time Prof. Teller was done shaking David's hand, they were the only ones present.

"Professor," David said, "there's something I think you should probably know, in light of the fact that we'll be sparring soon."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"There's a long-standing animosity between myself and one of the other students."

"Oh? How long is 'long-standing'?"

"Almost two years now."

"I see. And this nefarious evildoer?"

David chuckled. "Devyn."

"Devyn... Oh, yes. The elf. And you're worried that if you spar with her, things could get out of hand?"

"I'm almost certain they would," David acknowledged.

"I see. Well, I'll keep this in mind, but eventually, you two will be paired off. It is my practice to make every possible pairing in the class. It gives you the broadest base for practice, you understand. But I may try to postpone your confrontation with her until both of you have learned a little self-control with your weaponry."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"No problem. Thank you for letting me know. It is something that I should be aware of. Normally, there aren't any real problems between students, but every once in a while, something like this comes up, and we have to deal with it. It is best to be prepared ahead of time, however."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, off you go. Have a good night."

"You, too, Professor."

As David entered the locker room, Brock said, "Sucking up to the teacher, David?" He grinned, showing he was teasing.

"Offering to tutor you for him, so that you can catch up with the class," David retorted. Brock grasped his heart, feigning a mortal wound. The others laughed.

"What were you talking to him about?" Brock asked more seriously.

"Just letting him know about my problem with Devyn. With us sparring now, I wanted to warn him."

Brock nodded in understanding. "Probably a good idea."

"He thought so."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Grace... isn't that their baby?" Sam asked David. She was looking over David's list of invitees to his Presentation Day.

"Yeah. If I don't invite her, then they have to get a babysitter, and all that junk."

Sam nodded. "Since the infant won't take up another seat, she doesn't 'count' as one of the twelve. You can invite someone else."

David considered for a moment, then wrote a new name on the list. Sam looked at it in surprise. "Why her? You've never really talked about her much..."

"She was responsible for me creating one of my potions, so I figured she should be there. She's not a really close friend, but she is a good friend."

Sam nodded. "Okay. I'll get the invitations out immediately. If there are any who can't make it, I'll let you know, so you can invite someone else."

"Okay."

"Still worried about it?" Sam asked knowingly.

"Do forest dragons shit in the woods?" David asked.

Sam laughed. "You'll be okay. I promise."

"You say so."

"Go on. I have work to do."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David paced back and forth in Sam's office. He was working on his third pixie stick of the day. It was not helping very much, but at least it gave him something to focus on.

Sam entered the office, and saw David's tension. She came over to him, pulled the pixie stick out of his mouth, and kissed him hotly. David wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against himself, his tongue slipping into her mouth for a long moment of tongue wrestling.

Finally, they pulled apart.

"You look terrified," Sam told him.

"I feel terrified, so I guess that's appropriate," he admitted.

"It's time to go set up your potions."

"Is everyone here now?"

"No. No one is here yet. Not even the Guild Council. You should get your presentation material ready before they show up. That way, everything goes smoothly, and you're sure you didn't forget or lose something."

David nodded, and followed her down the hall to her classroom. He entered, to see that the room had been completely rearranged. There was a small seating area for about twenty people, in front of a standard worktable. Off to one side was a huge tank of water.

"What's that for?" David asked, gesturing to the tank.

"One of your potions is about breathing underwater, isn't it?" she asked reasonably.

"Oh, right."

"The table is for you. Arrange it however you want to. Though I will be in control of the ceremony, some of the presentation style will be up to you."

"Am I supposed to put on a show? I thought this was more like an exam."

"From what I hear from Prof. Rutherford, you put on shows for those, too," she said with a chuckle. David grinned. "You don't have to do anything flashy. I didn't, when I did mine. I was way too nervous. But remember, you've invited people to see this, and so, if you want to impress them, you can get showy. It's not required, but it is an option. Now, let's get your table set up."

As Jailla flew off to a distant corner, away from the potions, David conjured a small equipment box from his Conjuring Room, and set it on the table before opening it. He started to pull out sealed flasks, each with a label on it. He set the first ten to one side of the table. The next ten, which held not potions, but individual ingredients, he set to the other side. Finally, he pulled out one unlabeled flask, and set it in the middle of the table. With that, he pulled out a parchment and then closed the equipment box, stowing it back into his Conjuring Room.

"You are really skilled with conjuring," Sam noted.

"Practice. I use the Conjuring Room all the time. I mean, I almost always have something in it."

"Really? I almost never use mine. I just conjure things from place to place."

"I haven't learned to have that range and precision yet."

Sam nodded. She looked over his table. "What are these things for?" she asked, gesturing to the individual ingredients, and the unlabeled flask in the middle of the table.

David flinched, and then he finally said, "That's what I was working on in your workroom."

"What is it?"

"Stroud's Base."

Sam's head snapped up to stare at him. "You... you invented a base potion?" she asked, going very pale.

David nodded. "After I'd created all ten of my presentation potions, I realized that they shared a lot of ingredients. So, I did some research, to see if I could get them all to come together. It took several weeks, but..."

"Weeks... David, most people take years to make a base potion work! This... does work, right?"

"Every potion made with it has checked out using the equivalency charm. I tested those that I could test directly. Some, like Lust Less, I had to rely on the charm, since I didn't have a vampire handy."

"Equivalis is reliable, anyway," Sam said. She was completely in awe of her apprentice. "I never imagined you were working on a base potion. You know, there's no such thing as Stott's Base..."

"I'd noticed." When Sam looked at him askance, he explained, "I was curious to see what you'd done, so I looked it up. I actually didn't find anything about your potions."

Sam blushed. "I can make base potions, but I've never even considered trying to invent one. I don't even know where to begin. I mean, okay, logically, I do know how you invent one, but you know what I mean."

David nodded. "I didn't set out to make one, either. It just kind of hit me after finishing up the Wilburwarts cure that I might be able to."

Sam just shook her head in wonder. "The Guild Council is going to be a bit surprised, I think. Come on, the guests will be arriving shortly. We're having a brief welcome for them outside."

David nodded, and followed Sam outside, gesturing to Jailla to join them. It turned out that the Guild Council was just arriving as they stepped out of the building. They all greeted Sam warmly. Each of them said hello to David, and shook his hand, but they remained somewhat distant from him. Sam explained this was normal, to try to keep themselves impartial during the presentation ceremony.

David nodded, and stuck another pixie stick in his mouth.

The first of David's invited guests to arrive were his classmates. Olissa, Gwen, and Jim all showed up together. Olissa and Gwen both gave him hugs, and Jim slugged him on the arm. Shortly after, Flo showed up.

"Hey, David," she said brightly, giving him a brief hug. "I'm glad you invited me, but I must admit, I'm a bit surprised I was on your short list."

David smiled at her. "You're a good friend. Besides, one of my potions was created specifically for your birthday party, so I figured you should be here."

"You invented the bubbles for me?" she asked.

"Yep."

"Well, thank you!" She hugged him again, and then moved off, to indulge in a snack.

David stood around for a while, until Ellie showed up. She hugged him and gave him a kiss.

"Nervous?" she asked quietly.

"Scared shitless," he confirmed.

"You'll do great. Try to relax."

"Thanks."

"I'll see you after. I need to grab a snack. I missed breakfast."

David nodded, and Ellie moved off. At that point, Penny faded into view, and gave David a hug and kiss, as well.

"Thank you for coming," David said.

"I wouldn't miss it, even if I didn't get an official invitation."

David grinned sheepishly. "Well, it's not like you need an actual seat..."

"I know," she said, smiling at him. "I'm not offended. I'm just glad you invited me at all."

"I really wanted you to be here. I would have liked it if Lord Woodward could have come, too."

"He never leaves his castle."

"I know."

"Anyway, I'll be unseen, but rest assured, I am here."

David nodded, then she kissed him again, and faded out.

There was a lull in the arrival of guests, so David partook of a snack. He hoped it would calm his nerves a bit.

For once, David was not surprised by the next guests. He saw Giendia and Dubnin coming from a ways off, and so she wouldn't be able to sneak up behind him and crush his ribs. When they arrived, she gave him a strong hug, and a passionate kiss.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"Given that you're an archer, that's probably to my benefit," David quipped, before kissing her back. Giendia giggled at his comment after they pulled apart. Dubnin then shook David's hand.

"Thank you for inviting us," Dubnin said. "We're honored that you thought of us."

"I'm glad you could come."

"I wouldn't miss it," Giendia said.

David chatted with Giendia and Dubnin until the next guest arrived.

"Miss J," David said in warm greeting. "You made it."

She looked at him quizzically. "I didn't have very far to come," she said with a smile. "And I wouldn't want to miss your Presentation Day."

"Thanks." David gave her a hug, and then she moved off to talk with Sam.

The next people to show up were the Garibaldis.

"Hey, Joe," David said in greeting. "Hi, Zyla. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied. "How about you?"

"Nervous as all get out. And how's Grace today?" he asked the infant, tickling her chin. She burbled at him, and giggled. "Thank you guys for coming."

"We wouldn't miss it," Zyla said.

"Even if it does mean missing my day off," Garibaldi said, razzing David good-naturedly.

"Keep that up, and I'll sic Dean Lengel on you," David replied with a mischievous grin.

"Not that, please," Garibaldi replied.

"I'm not that evil, am I?" a voice asked from behind him. Garibaldi turned, and blushed.

"No, ma'am," he said to Dean Lengel.

Dean Lengel looked at him with a tolerant smile, and then turned to the guest of honor. "David."

David looked around briefly for other students before responding. "Emile, thank you for coming."

Dean Lengel's smile grew a notch wider. "I'm proud of you," she said. "This is a big thing. Most people don't make Master nearly so quickly."

"I just hope I don't screw up."

"I'm quite sure you'll do fine."

"I wish I was as confident."

"No one ever is, in your position. Just try to relax and go with it. All the really hard work is behind you already."

"That's what Sam said."

"And she knows what she's talking about. Now, I'm going to go see what's on the snack tray today. Good luck."

"Thanks."

David did a head count and came up one short. He worried that his final guest might not arrive, but a few minutes later, he saw her in the distance. He smiled when she got within range.

"I was beginning to worry you weren't coming," he said.

Cat smiled at him. "Sorry, I had to deal with something before I could come up here. I was worried I'd be late. I wouldn't want to miss your ceremony." She gave him a strong hug, and a kiss on the cheek before pulling back.

"Well, you made it, and that's what counts," David told her. "How are things? You and I haven't talked for a while."

"Things are... okay," she replied.

"You sure? You seem troubled."

"Yeah, nothing to worry about. Just some routine crap going on."

David nodded, not entirely convinced. He was going to ask further, but then Sam showed up at his side.

"Oh, hi, Cat. David, it's time to go in."

David nodded, his nervousness returning full force. The Guild Council led the procession, with Sam and David following. The guests trailed behind. As Sam and David stepped behind the table, the Guild Council sat in the front row of seats. The guests all took up their places behind the Council. Jailla once again flew off to a corner, to be as far away from the potions as possible, while still attending the ceremony. Off to the right, the side with the water tank, now stood three other people that David didn't recognize. Now was not the time to be asking about them, however.

Once everyone was situated, Sam put her hand on David's arm, and then moved around to the front of the table. David stood, staring forward and not seeing anything, really. He listened to Sam's words.

"May it please the Council," she began, "we have all gathered here today to witness the Masterpiece Presentation of David Stroud, apprentice of Samantha Stott, Potion Master Third Class, Royal Potions Guild, and Guild Master Second Class, Callamandian Concocters Conference."

The head of the Guild Council, an older gentleman, responded, "The Council warmly receives its member and her apprentice. Whether we are pleased or not remains to be seen." The gentleman smiled, which was the only cue to David that this was a standard remark made during these ceremonies.

Sam said, "As is the tradition of the Royal Potions Guild, my apprentice has contrived ten potions of his own invention. He has done this over the course of one year. In addition, I must inform the Council that my apprentice has taken an additional, uncommon step."

"And what might that be?" the Council leader asked.

"My apprentice has combined all of his ten potions into a single base potion."

There was some obvious stirring among the Council. The guests whispered to each other, as well.

"And how long did it take your apprentice to create this base potion, in addition to the year for his ten?"

Sam said, "That year of time includes the creation of his base potion."

The Council stirred even further at that. Finally, the leader raised his hands for silence.

"You may proceed with the presentation."

Sam turned to the table, where David had left the piece of parchment he'd brought with him. It was his list of potions. Sam looked at the list and then withdrew some parchment from her own robe.

"First, if it pleases the Council, I have here an affidavit of success from Madame Eleanor Abernathy. Madame Abernathy is the animal healer here at the Woodward Academy. She asserts that my apprentice has crafted a potion that is a cure for pegasus wing rot. Testing this potion before the Council is not possible, due to the time involved, and so this affidavit is our only presentation for this potion."

"Madame Abernathy is well-regarded?" the leader asked.

"She is an Animal Healer First Class in the Allied Societies for the Preservation and Care of Animals," Sam replied.

The leader nodded, and he took the affidavit that was being offered.

"Now then," Sam said, and motioned to one of the people standing off to the side. David realized, as the woman approached, that she was carrying a baby in her arms. The child had been silent throughout.

Sam motioned to David, and the lady walked behind the table, carrying her baby. David could see that the child was infected with wilburwarts.

"How long has he been ill?" David asked her quietly.

"A week and a half. We're having trouble getting him to eat anything," she said. David could see the worry in her face, and so he touched her gently on the arm. He turned to Sam, who just nodded to him to proceed.

David cleared his throat, and spoke. "This baby has the unfortunate malady called wilburwarts. For those of our guests who may not be familiar with it, it is an unpleasant condition where the child ends up with pig-snout-shaped protrusions all over their body, especially on their face. While the disease itself is not fatal, it can scar a child for life, and it also can cause dehydration and malnutrition, because the sick child doesn't want to eat or drink anything. I invented this potion because my god-daughter was unfortunate enough to contract this disease."

David opened up his base potion and poured some into a cup. He then grabbed one of the ingredient flasks, opened it, and dumped a small quantity into the cup. The mixture turned blue.

David held the cup, and then turned to the child's mother. He spoke loud enough to be heard by everyone. "I need to warn you that the effects of the potion are very startling. Your son will make a strange squealing noise, and the wilburwarts will pop off and explode on the ground."

The woman's eyes widened in shock. "This won't hurt him, will it?" she asked.

"No. He should be quite happy in just a minute." David handed her the cup.

The woman carefully poured the liquid into the child's mouth. He swallowed it, then hiccupped. Suddenly, he squealed in surprise, and sure enough, the warts dropped off his face. As they hit the ground, they made a popping noise, and disappeared. The woman looked at her son, and saw a clean, clear, unscarred face. She smiled widely at David.

"Thank you!" she said. She gave him a hug, and then carried her child off.

The Council leader asked, "Can you verify that this is a cure, and not a temporary reprieve?"

Sam held up another piece of parchment. "This is an affidavit from Madame Denise Cutner, Healer Third Class of the Northern Callamandian Healers Association, that Grace Garibaldi, the original trial patient, has been completely cleared of wilburwarts. Also, Grace happens to be here today, if you feel the need to examine her directly," Sam said, motioning to the baby in the second row. The Council members turned to look at the little girl, who Zyla gladly held up to show them was fine and healthy. The Council turned back around, nodding.

Sam looked down at her list, and she said to David, "Morphex."

David nodded, and he mixed up the necessary potion before he said anything. He then stepped around the table, holding the cup of liquid.

"When I became a demighost, I had to adjust to a certain number of... difficulties with my status. One of the more annoying problems a demighost has is that they cannot morph, and if someone attempts to morph them, the demighost will be forced into their ghost form until the following sunrise. This is both painful, and annoying.

"In an effort to eliminate this problem, I developed Morphex, a potion that prevents its user from being morphed by anyone, even themselves. The potion rejects the morphing hex entirely, meaning that it doesn't trigger my body's natural reaction to change to ghost form. In order to prove this works, I will drink it, and ask the Council to choose someone to try to hex me with a morph." With that, David upended the cup into his mouth, swallowing quickly.

"Whenever you're ready," he told the Council leader. The leader motioned to one of the other Council members, who pulled out her wand.

"Any morph will do?" she asked.

David nodded. "Even a simple morph will trigger my ghosting reaction."

"Sakezi negabi!" the woman chanted. Her wand flared, and David's head glowed and sparked a couple times, but nothing else happened.

The Council leader nodded. "We will accept this as proof that the potion works. Is this potion specific to demighosts, or will it work on any person?"

"It will prevent anyone from being morphed."

"Very good."

David nodded in thanks, and turned back to Sam.

"Merlung," she said.

David nodded and mixed up the necessary potion. He turned back and said, "To demonstrate this potion, I need a volunteer from the audience."

"Why can you not try it on yourself?" one of the Council members asked.

"This potion I call Merlung. It is designed to allow you to breathe, and speak, underwater. While I can demonstrate the speaking part, I do not need to breathe, and so you couldn't really verify that the breathing part works."

"He has a point," the leader said. "Cassidy, will you test it for us?"

The woman nodded, and rose from her seat. David handed her the cup, and she swallowed the potion.

"Now what?" she asked.

David just motioned to the tank. The woman went over, and climbed up the ladder on the side of the tank, and then she plunged into the warm water. The sides of the tank were clear, and so they could see her easily. She was clearly taking several deep breaths, and gave a thumbs-up sign, to indicate that she was breathing just fine.

David stepped over to the side of the tank and said, "Could you recite something for us, to prove you can talk?"

The woman began reciting a poem that David didn't know, but it wasn't important. The point was that she was clearly breathing and talking underwater. When the woman finished, David just gestured to her, and she got out of the tank.

David used his wand to dry the woman off.

"Thank you," she told him, and went and sat back down.

"Did you have any difficulties?" the Council leader asked.

"None at all. In fact, it was a very unique and pleasant experience."

"Carry on," the leader said to Sam.

"Incorporeus," she announced.

"Jim, you want to come up here?" David said. Jim, startled, got up out of his seat and stepped to the front, embarrassed to be in front of everyone.

"Why you got to get me up here?" he mumbled to David.

"Because this potion is all your fault," David replied. To the rest, David said, "Last year at Halloween, my friend Jim here asked me if I would ghost him for the evening. As a demighost, I can temporarily ghost someone by holding onto them while I fade myself. They will, however, only remain a ghost for as long as I do, or until the following sunrise. I didn't ghost him last year, because I didn't want to spend my evening as a ghost. However, his question caused me to come up with Incorporeus, the ghosting potion."

David mixed up the elixir in a cup, and handed it to Jim. "Bottoms up, buddy."

"I'm gonna get you for this," Jim told him, but he swallowed the mixture. David made sure to be well outside of arm's reach as Jim drank.

Suddenly, as Jim finished drinking, he gasped. His body was suddenly transparent, and had a slight glow.

"Could you walk through the table, please?" David asked him. Jim did so. "As you can see," David said to the audience, "Jim has received all of the basic ghost features. The only thing he cannot do is turn himself completely invisible. Also, it should be pointed out, because it might have some bearing on the legality of using this potion, that ghost prevention devices do not work on a ghosted live person."

"We will make note of that," the leader confirmed. "Continue."

As Jim went back to his seat, Sam motioned over another person from the side. She turned to face the Council. "This is Terrance. He is a vampire. The next two potions in my apprentice's presentation are specifically tailored to help vampires. David?"

David mixed up the two potions, and set them on the table. He looked up at the audience. "A primary problem for vampires is blood lust. Blood lust, for those who don't know, is a strong craving to drink blood. They feel this craving even after having just fed. The longer they go without feeding on blood, the worse this craving becomes. At the request of one of the vampire families, I created Lust Less, a potion to control blood lust. Terrance, are you feeling blood lust right now?"

"Always. But I have never heard of such a potion."

"That's because I just invented it," David told him with a smile. He handed him the cup.

Terrance sniffed at it, and then, shrugging, swallowed it down. A look of peace suddenly adorned Terrance's face.

"I have not felt like this... in a thousand years!" he said. "I feel nothing! No craving at all! This is a miracle!"

"How long will the effects of Lust Less last?" the Council leader asked, trying not to smirk at his unintended alliteration.

"Well, of course, it depends on how much of it you drink, but my trial shows that a single glass of it, like the one he just drank, will control the lust for three days. I'm told that a vampire must feed every three days, anyway, so that is as long as it needs to be, really."

The Council leader turned to Terrance. "Is this true?"

"Yes," Terrance confirmed. "We need to feed at least that often."

"And you feel no blood lust now?" one of the other Council members asked.

"None at all! It's wonderful!"

"Thank you. You may proceed to the next potion."

David used his mirror and dialed up Food Services. In a moment, there was a plate of pasta on the table. Terrance looked at it with a mix of dismay and desire.

"Another problem that vampires suffer," David said, "is an extreme allergy to garlic. This is unfortunate, since garlic can actually help their body cope with its condition. So, to help them out with this, I came up with Allium Savis. This potion allows anyone with a garlic allergy to eat garlic without the nasty consequences."

"Really?" Terrance asked in surprise, to the amusement of the audience.

David handed him the cup of potion, and Terrance drank it, wincing at the flavor.

"Now how long do I have to wait?" he asked.

David grinned tolerantly. It was exactly what Mychel had asked. "You don't. You have about an hour now to eat anything with garlic in it." To the audience, David said, "Normally, a vampire who consumed garlic would have their throat swell shut, be unable to breathe or talk, and would spend a very uncomfortable few days. This effect of garlic is immediate, and something that they take great pains to avoid. In fact, bringing garlic into a vampire house is forbidden, a rule I had to break to create this potion. Go ahead and try it," he said to Terrance, meaning the pasta in front of him.

Terrance dug in, shoveling forkfuls of pasta into his mouth. He seemed unconcerned about whether the potion would save him or not. Luckily for David, his potion worked, and Terrance felt nothing other than the enjoyment of a long-forbidden flavor.

"I think the efficacy of this potion speaks for itself," the Council leader said. "Very nicely done. I would note, however, that this is not the only time during your apprenticeship that you've violated rules. While this one was not a Guild rule, another one, was..."

David asked, "Are you referring to my time with the lamias, sir?"

"I am."

"As I explained to Master Stott, after reading the rules and evaluating the situation, I felt that my actions were within the guidelines set down under Emergency Action."

"An emergency is a situation occurring right now," one of the members said. "You left them enough potion for four months."

"Yes, sir, I did. I knew that I would not be able to return to their den at each incident of lusting. The guidelines do say that leaving a potion is allowed if the future danger is a known fact, and if you can reasonably assume that you won't return to the scene before that future danger occurs. In the case of the lamias, sir, I was told that nine lamias would go into lust within the next four months. I was also aware that, without the use of my Bloodbank potion, the male partners during lusting would be killed. My potion would save those nine lives, and its absence would cause those lives to be lost. I admit that I may have misinterpreted the rule's intent, but as I read them, they seemed, to me, to say that this was a valid use of the Emergency Action clause."

"Why did you choose four months?" the leader asked.

"I was hoping to be through with my apprenticeship by that time."

"And if you hadn't been?"

"I would have asked the guild, through Master Stott, for guidance."

"Very well. I personally have to agree with your interpretation of the Emergency Action rule. The Council has decided not to invoke any disciplinary action for what you've done. You may continue with your presentation."

Sam said, "The next two potions will be demonstrated together." She motioned the last person standing to the side, and he came over. "This is Edward. He is also a demighost. He is here to demonstrate two of my apprentice's potions." Turning to David, she said, "Bloodbank and Naproxen Ghostium, please."

David was a bit confused about what she had planned, but he started to mix the potions. While he worked, he explained to the audience.

"While I was working with the vampires, I discovered another potion, which will be useful not only to them, but more importantly, to the lamias. The problem that lamias face is that, during mating, they drain their partners of blood, killing them. The potion I have named Bloodbank causes a person's body to always be full of blood, no matter how much blood they started with, or how badly they're bleeding.

"The other potion here, which I've called Naproxen Ghostium, is the first and only pain-relieving potion that will work on a demighost. It requires the potion to be ghosted, and also requires an extra charm in order to be active."

Once he had finished his explanation, David faded to ghost form. He performed an etherium charm on the Naproxen Ghostium potion, and then the activation spell. With that done, he faded back to solid form.

Sam handed the Bloodbank potion to Edward, who swallowed it without hesitation. He staggered suddenly. There was a bit of a stir in the audience, before David raised a hand for quiet.

"This is normal," David told them. "When Bloodbank is taken by someone who has no blood in them, there is an initial rush of blood through the body, and it makes you dizzy. Demighosts have no blood at all in their bodies." Turning to Sam, he asked, "How are you going to demonstrate Bloodbank this way?"

Sam grimaced. "The only way we could think of." She withdrew a small knife from her coat, and approached Edward. She asked him, "Do you want to do it, or should I?"

"I'd rather you did it, I'm a bit squeamish."

It didn't take too long for David to figure out what was going on. "Whoa whoa whoa, whoa!" He grabbed Sam's wrist, and looked at Edward. "You do realize this is gonna hurt like hell, right? And NG is a pain reducer, not a pain remover!"

"Eh," Edward said, shrugging. "I haven't actually felt pain in like, fifty years or something, anyway. Anything to change up the monotony."

David goggled at him in disbelief. Sam extracted her hand from his grip, which wasn't difficult, since he didn't want to hurt her.

"We tried to think of something else, David. But there is no way to show that Bloodbank works, without someone bleeding. A lot. This was the best we could come up with, and Edward volunteered, once we explained it to him."

"I just want it said that I do not like this method of presentation," David said. "On the other hand, I have no alternative method, either, so... I guess..."

Sam took hold of Edward's hand, and then ran the point of the knife firmly down his arm. Blood flowed freely.

"Ouch!" Edward said. "Damn, that fucking hurts!"

"I warned you," David said. "Pain isn't fun."

"No kidding! What about that other potion, now, huh?"

David turned to the Council. "Can I give him the other one?"

The Council leader nodded, and David handed over the Naproxen Ghostium potion. Edward gulped it down, and let out a huge sigh.

"Damn, that's better." To the Council, he said, "The pain's still there, but it's a great deal less than it was. This is... manageable."

Sam bandaged Edward's arm magically, and then escorted him to a chair. When she returned, she said, "And there is only one potion left. I saved it for last, as a celebration. David, if you would, give us some FloBubble."

David mixed the potion in a large cup, and pulled out his wand. He said, "Ventus." Once again, a wind issued from his wand, and bubbles formed over the cup, floating up into the air, filling the room with a rainbow of bubbles.

"And that's ten," Sam said. "If it pleases the Guild Council, we submit these as my apprentice's ten masterpieces... no, eleven masterpieces."

David stood nervously while the Council members conferred. It didn't take them very long to come to a decision. When they were done, they all sat back in their seats. The leader was the one who spoke.

"It does, in fact, please the Council. Your apprentice has performed well, showing true mastery of the art and science of potion making. It is our honor to accept his masterpieces, and to promote him from probationary member, to Potion Master Second Class. It's not often that an apprentice surpasses his Master, but your assertion to us, Master Stott, was correct. He is, in fact, better than you."

David was a bit floored at this notion. He was a higher-ranked Potions Master than Sam? What kind of insanity was this?

The Guild Council rose in unison, and formed a circle. The leader placed his hand out, palm upward, and the others, in turn, placed their hand on his, palm downward. When this ritual was completed, the Council formed a line, facing David. The leader stepped forward, and Sam nudged David to take a step toward him.

"Master Stroud, in the name of the Royal Potions Guild, it is my honor to welcome you to our ranks, and to award you the rating of Potion Master Second Class. Congratulations."

With that, as the leader was handing over the badge that had been created by the Council in their circle, the audience broke out into applause and cheers. The leader shook David's hand, and then, with a smile, he nodded, and turned away. The Guild Council departed immediately, and Sam raised her hands, to get the attention of the audience.

"If everyone will head back out to the lawn, we've planned a reception party for our newest Potions Master."

As the others filed out of the room, Sam gently took David's arm. He waited, as she was clearly wanting privacy.

"I know what you're thinking. You don't even have to say it," Sam told him. "After two and a half years, I can anticipate your thoughts. Yes, you are better than me. Do you know what I did for my Masterpiece Presentation?" David shook his head negatively. "All but one of my potions was a pranking potion. Why do you think I teach them so early in the first year class? They're what I was, and am, best at. The last one was a potion that has since been rendered illegal to even produce."

"Yikes."

"Yeah. I started out as a Fourth Class. I got promoted to Third Class just before I met you. Trust me, David, you are a far better potion maker than I will ever be. I'm okay with that. I still got to teach you."

"Thank you, Sam. For everything."

Sam kissed him softly. When she stepped back, she smiled and said, "Now, let's go to the party."

-----

"Potions Master Second Class, hmm? Couldn't manage First Class, eh?" Garibaldi said, obviously teasing.

"Joe, be nice!" Zyla said, smacking him on the arm. "That's phenomenal, David. You did great. Some of those potions... wow."

David smiled in embarrassment. "If you'll excuse me, I want to talk to Edward before he leaves."

Joe and Zyla nodded, and David moved over to speak with the other demighost.

"Hey, uh... how's the arm?"

Edward turned from his contemplation of the view. "Oh. No worry, it's fine. It hurts a bit, but thanks to your pain reducing potion, it's not too bad. I did want to ask you something... where in the world did you get the name Naproxen Ghostium?"

David chuckled. "It's a pun based on an Earth medicine."

"Ah," Edward said, nodding.

"Can I ask you... how did you become a demighost? You're only the second demighost I've met. Other than myself, of course."

"I made the unfortunate mistake of offending a rather old and cranky dragon. He cursed me. The day I died, I became a demighost."

"So, he didn't kill you outright?"

"Oh, no. Life for me, at the time, was pretty miserable, so the dragon felt that killing me would be doing me a favor, and he had no interest in that."

"How old are you?"

"Couldn't tell you. I lost count a long, long time ago."

"How old were you when you lost count?" David asked.

"Three thousand and seven."

"Damn," David said.

"Which is why I hope you understand that a couple days of discomfort really don't mean anything to me at this point. How did you end up a demighost?"

"I died in the presence of a cursed demighost. Seems we only come about through curses. No wonder nobody likes us."

"You seem to be well-liked enough for all of us, if this gathering is any indication."

"I suppose," David said, embarrassed again. "I've tried to make my own reputation, rather than living up... or down... to the idea people have of demighosts."

Edward nodded. "Good for you. I'm one of those that helped give you that reputation. I'm sorry. I spent a great many years causing a lot of trouble. Then, even that grew boring."

"What do you do now?" David asked.

"I live. I work. Occasionally, I take a lover. Once in a while, I travel the world, to see if anything has changed."

"Has it?" David asked with a grin.

"Not very much."

"Try traveling through Earth sometime. Though, you might want a refresher Earth Studies course first."

"Hmm. You know, I'd never considered doing that. I may have to think on that. Thank you."

David nodded, and offered his hand. Edward shook it, and then he moved off. David looked around, and finally he spotted Cat. She was standing off to the side, just observing. He went over to her.

"Hey," he said.

"Congratulations!" she told him enthusiastically. She hugged him tightly, and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks. What's bugging you?"

"Nothing," she said.

"Liar." Cat blushed crimson. "C'mon, I know you well enough to know something's wrong. Is there a problem with Ben?"

Cat just shook her head. "Elliot," she spat.

"Ah," David said. Elliot was Cat's ex-husband. He'd not caused much trouble the previous year, after the hearing, and David was surprised that he was back being a problem now. "What's he done?"

Cat shook her head. "I don't want to ruin your special day talking about him. I'm very proud of you, David. Master Second Class... that's outstanding."

David smiled, acceding to her unspoken request to drop the matter. He chatted with her for a while, before Sam came over to them.

"Hey, Cat. Mind if I steal him from you?"

"By all means," Cat said.

Sam took David to the center of the gathering, and then raised her voice. "Everyone, you may continue to enjoy the refreshments and chat for as long as you like. My fellow guild member and I, however, have some business that we must attend to. Let's give David one more toast."

"Hear, hear!" someone said.

After they had finished the toast, Sam grabbed David's hand and led him away from the gathering.

"Where are we going?" David asked her.

"Somewhere that I can reward you for today properly," she told him, not slowing down in the slightest.

"Ahh," David said, smiling. "And this is urgent, is it?" he asked, teasing her.

"If you didn't want to be naked in front of the Dean of Students, it is!" she growled passionately.

-----

When Sam had finally worn herself out, she lay with David on her bed. His hand caressed her side as they just looked at each other.

"I'm not going to see much of you anymore, am I?" she asked with a frown.

David frowned in response. "I'd like to say that I'll make a special effort to come and see you, but... you know what school is like. Even I get swamped, despite having an extra four hours a day to do my work."

Sam ran her hands over his chest. "And my schedule's not much better, really. With nothing forcing us to see each other, it will be much harder. But I want you to know something. You will always be welcome, in my classroom, in my workroom, in my apartment... and in my life. If you ever, ever need me, I'll be there for you. If you want to chat, talk out a problem, or see me naked, all you have to do is ask."

David pulled her close to him, and they kissed very tenderly for a long moment. Finally, they broke lip lock. David said, "The same here. If you ever need me, for anything, I'll be there."

"I have always known that," Sam told him.

For the longest time, the two laid in bed, just relaxing with each other. Finally, they decided to get up and shower together, slowly and calmly, just enjoying each other's company.

After David got dressed, Sam said, "You're not wearing your badge."

David looked down. "Yes I am..." he said, fingering his Information Officer's badge.

"Not that one. Your Guild badge."

"I'm supposed to wear that?"

"We all do. Though, if you're like most of us, you'll want to size it down to a pin. See, on my coat? It's there."

"That... I'd never paid much attention to it."

"That's kind of the idea. It'd be awfully gaudy otherwise."

David pulled out his Guild badge, and used a morphing spell to shrink it down. He looked at his, and then at Sam's. "How come they're different?"

Both badges bore the same insignia, which was a six-pointed unicursal star, with the letters "RPG" in the uppermost star point, and in the lowest point, a cauldron, couched in bamboo, with an iris in front of it. The symbology stood for wisdom, and the breaking of hexes. The background color of each segment within the star was either black, or red. David's had more red segments than Sam's.

"The red indicates your rank within the guild. You're a Second Class, so you have only one black segment. I'm a Third Class, so I have two."

"I still can't believe you think I'm better than you are," David said.

"Get used to it. You are an amazingly good potion maker. I've never seen anyone as good as you at this point in their career."

"Do I get a new certificate now? My old one says I'm a probationary member."

"No it doesn't," Sam said with a grin and a wink.

"Ah."

"You will receive a new book of Guild rules, however."

"Okay, that's good. I should probably wait to receive that before contacting Larentis and the vampires."

"Larentis?"

"The leader of the lamias."

"Ah. Yes, you have two or three potions that are going to make you a lot of money, if you choose to sell them in quantity. The demand will be fairly high."

"How does that work, Sam? I mean, I haven't paid anyone for any of the potions I've made..."

"All the potions you've made have been in the public domain. Private potions don't get their recipes distributed. All of your Masterpiece potions are private, unless you choose to release them. You put a lot of work into them; you're entitled to be rewarded for that."

"I already was... for like four hours," he said with a grin, causing Sam to blush.

"You know what I mean," she told him. He smiled and kissed her.

"Sam... is it always this... well, sad? I should be really happy, shouldn't I?"

Sam smiled at him. "I know what you mean. I don't get as close to most of my apprentices as I have with you. In fact, I've never dated any of my other apprentices. It makes it a lot harder to say good-bye."

"Well, it's not good-bye. I'm still going to be at this school. And I will still see you. Just not as much. I almost want to cancel my Yule plans with the Hasterscants, and stay here with you, though."

"Please don't do that. It'll only draw out the sadness for both of us. As you said, we will still see each other. We can do so whenever we want to. But we do both need to move on. Tell me, will you take your own apprentice now? You're entitled to."

David shook his head. "Not while I'm in school. I don't have that kind of time."

Sam nodded. "Good thinking. Also, here is your key to Alton Hall, and to room 218."

David looked at her as if she'd grown a third arm. "What do I need these for?"

"Well, actually, you don't, since you could just walk through the wall, anyway, but in case you don't want to. I applied with Dean Lengel to give you your own workroom in Alton Hall. This way, you can still work on your potions in a secured environment. Besides, maybe I'll bump into you more often this way." She smiled at him.

David took the keys and put them in his pocket. He didn't want to think about the fact that he now actually had full and complete access to an entire school building.

"Will you take a new apprentice soon?" David asked.

"Normally, I'd say no. But in this case, I might. Just to help me adjust to not having you around so much. I feel a bit sorry for the one who comes after you, though. My expectations may be a bit too high for them."

"I doubt you'll let that color your judgment," he told her.

There was a long pause, and then Sam stepped to David, embraced him strongly, and kissed him passionately. They held onto each other for a long time before she finally stepped back.

"Good luck, David. See you around campus."

David looked at her. "I love you, Sam," he said.

"I love you, too," she said. "Now get out of here, before you make me cry."

David chuckled, and he kissed her again. With that, he left her apartment. He still felt rather sad, but he knew that the best thing to do was to keep moving forward.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"You're doing homework?" Jim asked incredulously. "Shouldn't you be out celebrating, or something?"

"The celebration was yesterday," David replied. "Potions Master or not, I still have Herbology homework to do."

"I guess," Jim said.

As David continued to work, there was a knock at the door. Jim got up to get it, as it was his turn. David looked up when he heard Jim invite the person in.

"Hey, Ellie," David said politely. "What brings you to Phoenix Dorm today?"

"Can I talk to you?" she asked. "Privately?"

"Sure, we can go in my bedroom. C'mon," he said, leaving his books and escorting her into his room, closing the door behind them. "So, what's up?"

Ellie looked a bit nervous. She fidgeted, and then said, "Well, I wanted to congratulate you on making Potions Master," she said.

"Thanks," David said. He wasn't sure why that would make her nervous, though.

"Well... I mean, to congratulate you... I wanted you to take my virginity," she finally said. Though she had sucked him off a few times since their first date, they had not gone any further yet.

David smiled softly at her. "That's one hell of a Presentation Day gift," he said lightly. More seriously, he asked, "Are you sure you're ready?"

Ellie nodded. "I'm scared, but I think I'm ready."

David pulled her gently to him, his eyes locked onto hers. They kissed for a long moment, starting out tender, but quickly growing in passion. David held onto her softly, while Ellie was gripping him quite fiercely, as if worried he would run away.

Finally, they broke their kiss. David pulled free of Ellie's grasp, and stepped to the bed. He kicked off his shoes, pulled his socks free with his feet, and then took off his shirt. Ellie looked on with avid interest.

When David stepped back toward her, she put her hand on his chest, right where his scar was.

"That looks so painful."

"It was, at the time," he said. "Would you like me to warm myself a bit? My normal body temperature can be somewhat uncomfortable..."

"No," Ellie said. "I want you to be yourself."

"Okay..." David said. He stepped close to her and kissed her softly, keeping it brief. He slid his hand up onto her breast, squeezing softly and causing her to moan quietly. Breaking their kiss, he stepped behind her, and then wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are?" David asked her quietly, his voice whispering in her ear.

"Mmm," she said, as his hands rubbed gently across her abdomen. He passed quickly over her breasts - though made sure to keep contact the whole way - and started to undo the top button of her blouse.

"If I'm ever going too fast, just let me know, okay?" he said.

"Uh-huh," she agreed. She was too nervous and excited for more conversation than that.

David slowly undid all the buttons on her blouse, then pulled the front of it out of her skirt, opening it so that his hands could roam her bare skin. Ellie groaned as she felt his fingers brushing her stomach.

After pulling her shirt off her arms, David unzipped her skirt, and then both items fell to the floor, leaving Ellie in nothing but her underwear and her shoes. She stepped out of the shoes as David moved around to stand in front of her. He ran his hands along her arms, and up onto her shoulders, then he stepped closer, so he could run his hands along her back to the fastener on her bra. Once he had that unhooked, he stepped back, pulling the bra slowly off her arms, exposing her very nice breasts to his view.

Ellie blushed as David studied her body. Her nipples hardened in the middle of her dark, small areolas, and she felt the urge to cover herself, but she wanted him to see her.

After a moment, David took Ellie's hand, and led her to the bed, gently pushing her down onto it, and then scooting her into the middle. He knelt over her, rubbing his hands along her sides. He then hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Ellie nodded. She lifted her hips slightly, and David tugged her underwear down off her hips. He moved backward, pulling her panties as he went, and keeping her legs closed for the moment.

When he'd gotten her panties all the way off her legs, he ran his hands up her legs, until he'd reached her thighs. Slowly, tenderly, he slipped his fingers between her legs, urging her to part them. She got the idea, and though she was fighting her nervousness, she parted her thighs, slowly revealing her pussy to David's gaze.

Before joining Ellie on the bed, David removed his pants. With those gone, he knelt between her legs, and then he leaned forward, his head even with her knees.

"What are you going to do?" she asked as he kissed the inside of her thigh just above her knee.

"Don't worry, you'll enjoy it," he told her with a smile. She bit her lip, but lay back and let him do what he was going to do.

David alternated legs, and slowly worked his way up her thighs, kissing and licking as he went. Finally, he was a mere tongue's width away from her pussy. He breathed in her scent, which was heavy in her arousal. Taking a deep breath, he slowly ran his tongue along the entire length of her slit.

Ellie moaned loudly, and pushed her groin against his face, hoping for more contact. David obliged her, pressing his tongue against her hole and wiggling the tip of it. He caressed her legs and hips as he continued to lick her pussy, and Ellie was soon squirming beneath him.

David, sensing her readiness, moved his mouth from Ellie's opening, up to her clit. He flicked it repeatedly with his tongue, and then delivered one long, slow stroke. Ellie gasped, and her writhing increased in force. He repeated this pattern over and over, driving her higher and higher.

Finally, Ellie screamed out in pleasure, her orgasm washing over her. She bucked her hips against David's tongue, and he held on for the ride, continuing to assault her clit, driving her wild with the sensations. As she descended from her high, however, he stopped, and slid up her body until he was lying next to her, his hand resting on her breast.

"That... was... intense," she said, trying to catch her breath. "What do you call that?"

David chuckled. "It's called eating you out, and any guy worth dating should be willing to do it for you."

"Mmm," she said. "I like it."

David let her rest for a few minutes, but then he asked, "Are you ready for more?"

Ellie nodded, staring at him with a look that pleaded with him to be gentle.

David took off his underwear, and then he moved above Ellie. He used his arms to hold his weight off her, and the head of his dick was resting in her sparse pussy fur. He rocked his hips, causing the head of his cock to slip down and rub across her clit a couple of times. Ellie gasped at the feel of that.

After a moment, David moved so that the head of his dick slipped down further, pressing against her pussy lips, right over her opening.

"Are you ready?" he asked. "This is your last chance to say no before you're no longer a virgin..."

"I don't want to say no. You've made me feel damned good so far..."

"This might hurt some. Or it might not. Every girl's a little bit different. I will go slow."

"Thank you."

David pressed forward with his hips, forcing his cock past her pussy lips, into her tunnel, which was well-lubed, but very tight. He'd already seen that, despite being a virgin, her cherry was already gone. He didn't mind that; it only caused more pain, anyway. He slowly worked his way inside of her, pulling back slightly, and then pressing in further. Finally, he was buried inside of her to the hilt. He paused and looked down at her.

"How do you feel?" he asked seriously.

"Full," she replied.

"Does it hurt?"

"No. It just feels... full."

David smiled. "Are you ready for movement?"

"I think so."

David slid halfway out of her, and then back in again, until he was once more fully inside her. He repeated that, keeping his movements slow and smooth, to allow her to grow more comfortable with the feelings she was having.

Ellie's eyes went wide at first, and then, as he kept moving, she closed her eyes, just enjoying the sensations of his dick moving inside her pussy. Her breathing got more rapid as her arousal rose. David did not increase his pace, but that was not necessary. As he continued to slip in and out of her, she began to moan, and then to cry out. Suddenly, her body shuddered violently, her pussy clamping down on his shaft. Her orgasm washed over her in waves, and David remained still, allowing her to enjoy the sensation.

After a minute, Ellie looked up at David. "Wow, that was nice."

David smiled at her. "Do you want to continue, or are you feeling sore?"

"I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable, actually. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said, slowly withdrawing from her.

"You want me to suck you off?"

"If you want to. You're going to taste yourself on me, just a warning."

Ellie nodded, and then proceeded to give him her best blowjob to date.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"And I'll see you all next class," Prof. Rutherford said, dismissing her students.

David waited until the others had left before approaching her.

"Professor?"

"Oh, hey, David. What can I do for you?"

"I have a... non-class-related question."

"Okay..." she said, looking a bit dubious.

"Do you know what's going on with Prof. Arpilla and her ex-husband? I ask because..."

Prof. Rutherford held up her hand. "I know why you're asking," she said with a smile. "Her ex has been harassing her lately. Mirrors in the night, people knocking on the door and then no one being there... he even mirrored the school a couple times with false complaints about her behavior. His latest idiocy was that he tried to have a piece about her published in the Gorumshead Crier, saying all sorts of mean and spiteful things. She asked us not to tell you. How did you find out?"

"It's kind of hard to miss that she's in a bad mood. When I saw her at my Presentation Day, she looked about ready to cry most of the time."

Prof. Rutherford nodded. "By the way, I did want to congratulate you on your Mastery. As to Cat... I think it's really starting to get to her. She doesn't know what to do about it, nor where to turn for help."

"No, she knew where to turn for help, ma'am. She just didn't want to trouble me."

Prof. Rutherford smiled at him. "I suppose. Now, the question is, what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know yet," he admitted. "But something."

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