The Woodward Academy, Year 4

Chapter 8: January

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David finished getting dressed, and then he looked over to Jailla, who was preening himself in front of the mirror.

"You want to wear one of your decorations today?" David asked him. For Christmas, David had gotten Jailla a set of magical adornments. They were similar to the one that Lise had made for him, except these could be taken off and reused, rather than just fading away.

"Yes, I think the one for the throat would be nice today," Jailla said. David grinned, and reached for his wand in its holster, which was still sitting on the bed. It was under David's new bathrobe. As David grabbed the bathrobe, he felt something. He realized that there was something in the pocket. He set it down, and pulled out a piece of paper. He read what was written there, and he smiled. He would do something about that later. He slipped on his holster, and withdrew his wand, so that he could apply Jailla's decoration.

Now that both of them were "dressed", they went downstairs. The Yuletide decorations were gone now, and the Christmas mess was cleaned up long ago. The house was dark and quiet, since the rest of the family was still sleeping. Jailla, in fact, returned to sleep shortly after they came downstairs. David could not, of course; his sleep for the day was done. He sat on the couch, staring out at the lightly falling snow and just thinking about all the things that had happened to him over the last few years.

David was gently roused from his reverie when someone sat down on the couch next to him. He looked to see Gwen. He greeted her quietly.

"It's gotta suck, having to be awake when no one else is."

David shrugged. "It's a bit boring here. At school, I make better use of the time."

"Yeah, I figured. That's why you're kicking everyone's butts with your grades."

David chuckled. "Yeah. But it's not like your grades sucked..."

"No, A's and B's aren't bad. They'll get me whatever job I want at the end of the school year."

David frowned. "Are you not planning to continue with school after this year?"

"Probably not," Gwen said. "To tell you the truth, Jess and I are starting to get pretty serious, and she has plans for after this year. If I want to stay with her, then we'll have to leave school together."

"But is that what you want?" David asked.

Gwen frowned. "I really have no idea what I want to do. I'll probably end up working as a store clerk somewhere. I don't really have any ambitions. If I thought I could make the pros, I might try a career in baxayr, but that's short-lived, anyway. By the time you're thirty, you're pretty much done. The game is too brutal."

David nodded. "From what I've seen, you're pretty good. I think you could do it, if you really wanted to. But that would be a lot of traveling, I bet, which might not be best for a new relationship..."

"Yeah."

"So, the question is, is your relationship with Jess important enough to you to forget about that career option?"

Gwen paused for a long moment, her face twisting this way and that in thought. Finally, she said, "Yeah, I think it's certainly getting there. If we keep going the way we've been, I would say that yes, it will be that important to me by the end of the year."

"Well, then, congratulations, for one, for finding a partner. And... good luck, finding something that you'll enjoy doing."

"Thanks. What about you? What are your plans for after your citizenship exam?"

"I'll be staying at Woodward for a while longer yet. I may go for the full eight years, just to give myself all the possible options. I mean, it's not like it's shortening the time I can spend in a career, now is it?"

Gwen chuckled. "No, it definitely isn't doing that."

"I wonder, though, if I'll have any friends left after this year. Well, other than Ellie."

"And Anne."

"Eh," David said. "Anne's not really my friend. We never say more than hi to each other."

"I'm sure someone else will be staying. Please don't make me feel bad about abandoning you..."

David reached out and put his hand on Gwen's arm. "You have to do what's right for you. Don't worry about me. At the very least, I still have the teachers. They love me."

Gwen giggled at that. "Some of them, quite literally," she told him.

David grinned.

The two of them continued to chat as the sun rose higher in the sky. Soon enough, Denise was up, moving around in the kitchen.

"I'd better go get my sisters up," Gwen said.

David nodded. They both left the living room. Gwen headed upstairs, and David went to the kitchen. He slipped in behind Denise, and gave her a soft kiss on the neck, his hands sliding around to her abdomen and pulling her back against him.

"Mmm," she said. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he replied quietly. "What's for breakfast today?"

"Egg and cheese casserole."

"Sounds tasty. Gwen went to wake up Ellie and Anne." Roy had already left while David and Gwen had been chatting.

"No need to rush. This will take a while to cook."

"You could speed it along..." David said.

Denise shook her head. "I can never get it to come out right that way."

David smiled. "Well, okay. Do you need a hand, or..."

"You know I don't need any help making breakfast. Just stand there and look pretty."

David snorted. Just then, there was a knock at the front door.

"I'll get it," David said. Denise nodded.

Upon opening the door, David saw a man dressed in a formal coat and a businesslike shirt and pants beneath.

"Yes, can I help you?" David asked.

"May I speak with David Stroud, please?" the man asked politely.

"That's me," David informed him.

"Ah." The man pulled a scrolled parchment out of his coat's inner pocket, and handed it to David. "This is a notice that you are being sued and a summons to appear before the magistrate."

"Sued? By who?"

"Douglas Savolar."

"Over what?"

"A broken wand. He is suing for the cost of the wand, plus the cost of the court proceedings, as well as a punitive amount."

"When do I need to appear, and where?"

"Tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock." The man told him where to go, and then excused himself. David closed the door, and then looked at the parchment, which merely told him in legal language what the man had already said.

"What was that about?" Denise asked when David re-entered the kitchen.

"I'm being sued," he said, and then explained it to her.

"That louse," Denise said angrily. "The whole incident was his son's fault. He just wants to cause you trouble."

David shrugged. "I broke his wand, I freely admit that. I'll happily pay to replace it, just as I did Marcus' coat when I destroyed it in our first big fight. He could have just asked."

"That is not the Savolars' style. They like to make a public spectacle of everything they do. And I'm sure the 'punitive' amount he's asking for is excessive in the extreme."

"Well, whatever. I guess I have to dig out my dress uniform for tomorrow."

"You're going to wear your uniform to court?"

"They're the best clothes I've got."

"What about the idea of associating your actions with the school, though?"

David frowned. "I hadn't thought about that."

"Your friends the Garibaldis gave you some nice clothes for Christmas. Perhaps you could wear those, instead?"

"Maybe. I'll think about it."

Denise nodded, and returned to preparing breakfast.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

The next day, David walked into the hearing hall wearing the clothes that Joe and Zyla had sent him. They weren't a suit and tie, but they were nice dress clothes, and a dark gray Comfort Cloak coat, much like his school coat.

The hearing hall wasn't quite like a courtroom in Earth. The magistrate sat in a high-backed, plush chair in the middle of a long table, with similar, but smaller, chairs at either end for the plaintiffs and the defendants. A chair, which sat back from the table, but was directly across from the magistrate, was used for witnesses to sit in while being interviewed.

When David arrived, the courtroom was almost empty. Douglas and Marcus Savolar both sat up at the magistrate's table. A woman, whom David presumed was Douglas' wife, sat in one of the few seats away from the table. These were clearly for witnesses, and David wondered what she was doing there, as she had not been present for the altercation.

David had brought several witnesses himself. The entire Hasterscant family had come, as well as three other people, known to the Hasterscants, who had also witnessed the encounter.

When Douglas saw David enter the room, he scowled. As David approached the table, Douglas said, "We'll see, now, who has the last laugh, Stroud."

"Nothing about your family is funny, Savolar... well, except your abilities are something of a joke."

Douglas Savolar sputtered in anger, but the magistrate came in at that point, and he could not retort.

"All right, if everyone will take a seat," the magistrate started, "we'll get this proceeding underway. This is the case of Savolar v. Stroud, is it not?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Douglas Savolar said.

"Before we begin, are there any procedural comments anyone would like to make?"

David waited a beat, to see if Mr. Savolar was going to say anything. When it was clear that he wasn't, David said, "Yes, Your Honor, there are two things I'd like to mention."

"Very well, go ahead," the magistrate said patiently.

David had spent all of the previous day, and all of the morning, going over the rules for the court. He had wanted to be as prepared as possible, just in case Savolar tried anything funny.

"Your Honor, the notice of suit that I received mentions only one plaintiff, a Mr. Douglas Savolar. As such, he should be the only individual at the plaintiff's table."

The magistrate nodded, and turned to Douglas. "He is correct. Your son needs to withdraw from the table."

Marcus scowled at David, but didn't dare to argue with the magistrate. Instead, he went to sit beside his mother.

"Your second concern?" The magistrate asked David.

"As I understand it, there are no spectators allowed at these proceedings. Therefore, I have to ask if the woman which Marcus Savolar is now sitting next to is a witness. If she isn't, then she should be removed from the proceeding."

"Mr. Savolar, do you plan on calling the woman as a witness?"

"She is my wife," Douglas responded.

"That's not the question I asked," the magistrate responded calmly. "Is she a witness?"

"No," Douglas admitted grudgingly.

"Then I'm going to have to ask that Mrs. Savolar leave the chamber at this time."

As Mrs. Savolar got up to leave, Douglas demanded, "And what about all of his people?"

The magistrate turned to David. "Are any of the people who entered with you here as spectators only?"

"No, Your Honor. Everyone I brought with me was an eyewitness to the events to be discussed here. I will, if necessary, call each of them to be interviewed."

"Guess that's that," the magistrate said. "Are there further procedural issues? No? Very well. Let's begin with the complaint. Mr. Stroud, you are accused of destruction of private property, namely Mr. Savolar's personal wand. You are further accused of causing undue emotional distress due to the loss of such a personally important item. Mr. Savolar is asking for the sum of two hundred granas to replace the wand, five hundred granas to cover court costs, and four million granas in punitive award. I would like you to respond to this request before we begin interviews."

"Yes, Your Honor. I will gladly pay the two hundred granas for the wand. Mr. Savolar is not legally entitled to the five hundred granas for court costs, however. As to the punitive award, since Mr. Savolar instigated the action which directly led to the destruction of his wand, I don't feel that such an award is warranted."

"On what basis do you make the claim that he is not legally eligible to recover court costs?" the magistrate asked.

"According to the law, in order to recoup court costs, he is required to have sent me a certified request, filed with the court, to settle the matter outside of court. He did not do so. The first contact I had with Mr. Savolar concerning this matter was my summons to appear here today."

"Is this correct, Mr. Savolar? Did you skip over the non-judicial negotiation?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"There is no but, Mr. Savolar. If you did not follow the necessary protocol, you are not entitled to recover court costs. I am immediately finding in favor of the defendant for that request. Further, as the defendant has already agreed to it, I am also finding in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of two hundred granas, as the cost of replacing the lost wand. Therefore, the only item still at issue is your punitive award request. By what determination do you claim the loss of a wand is worth four million granas?"

"I have felt completely adrift without my wand, Your Honor," Mr. Savolar said, forcing emotion into his voice. "I have been unable to function. My job requires me to perform magic regularly, and I have been unable to attend work for over a week now. My boss has threatened to fire me, and the stress I have been under has affected my health. As such, a punitive award is warranted. In order for the award to actually be punitive, it must be commensurate with the defendant's wealth. As Mr. Stroud is an extremely wealthy individual, the award must be correspondingly large."

"And how do you know how wealthy Mr. Stroud is?" the magistrate asked.

"He flaunts that fact everywhere, Your Honor."

"I have an objection to that statement," David said quickly.

Douglas scowled at David, and the magistrate asked, "What is your objection?"

"He hasn't actually answered your question. In what way do I 'flaunt that fact everywhere'? Personally, I would be interested to know just exactly how he knows how rich I am, when even I am not entirely sure."

"Mr. Savolar?" the magistrate asked.

"I..." Douglas stammered. "I have a friend in the financial firm where Mr. Stroud has his money managed."

"I see. So you're admitting to violating his privacy?"

"It was an innocent conversation a couple years ago, Your Honor."

"No, it definitely wasn't innocent, though it may have been a couple years ago. Either way, just how wealthy do you believe Mr. Stroud to be?"

"He is by far the wealthiest person in the kingdom, with the exception, of course, of the king."

"Is this true, Mr. Stroud?"

"I honestly have no idea, Your Honor. I don't even know how much money I possess."

"Four million granas..." the magistrate asked.

"Would not be that hard to come by, no," David replied, answering the magistrate's unasked question.

"But you're not willing to pay it," the magistrate responded.

"Not to someone who doesn't deserve it."

"You claimed that Mr. Savolar was responsible for the events that led to the breaking of the wand. How, exactly, did that happen?"

"The Hasterscant family and I were attending the Day of Celebration, during Yuletide. We were just about to head home when Marcus Savolar threw a snowball at me. We exchanged words. At that point, Mr. Savolar joined the... conversation. After further words, he threatened me by drawing his wand."

"I made no threat!" Mr. Savolar interrupted.

"You'll have your chance, Mr. Savolar. Continue, Mr. Stroud."

"After preventing Mr. Savolar from hexing me, I walked over, picked up his wand, and snapped it in half. I then dropped the pieces on the ground, said some more things to him, and left."

"Are you leaving out any physical details?" the magistrate asked.

David nodded. "When I approached him, I did place my foot against his throat. I did this to prevent him from moving while I picked up his wand. At no time did I apply enough weight to cause any physical harm... though he was having trouble talking. I make this assessment by the fact that he wasn't talking, which seems to be his favorite pastime."

The magistrate smirked. "Do you have anything to add?"

"Only that, had the man simply left me alone from the beginning, or walked away without drawing his wand, nothing would have happened. Since he was the one who chose to draw his wand, it is up to him to take responsibility for the result of his actions.

"Perhaps he was just defending himself?"

"From what, Your Honor?"

"Did you have your wand out at the time?"

"I did not draw my wand throughout the confrontation," David replied.

"That's a lie! He hexed us with bara!"

"Is this true?" the magistrate asked David.

David snorted. "No. I did make them fall down. It was not by using bara."

"What means did you use?"

"I used aquamandy on the snow beneath them. It was a thick enough layer that its movement removed their sure footing, causing them to end up on their backs."

"He admits it! He must have had his wand out!" Mr. Savolar shouted.

"Mind your volume, Mr. Savolar," the magistrate said. "And your facts. Aquamandy is not performed with the use of a wand."

"But he was clearly dangerous without his wand!" Mr. Savolar insisted. "He could have hurt me at any time!"

"How do you respond to that, Mr. Stroud?"

"He's right. I could have hurt him at any time, but didn't. If I'd had malicious intent toward the man, there's nothing he could have done to prevent me from hurting him. The fact that I was able to snap his wand in half proves that. All I wanted was to be left alone."

"Then why did you break his wand?" the magistrate asked.

"I honestly didn't feel that I could safely turn my back on the man and walk away, without removing his primary ability to hex me. That meant either rendering him unconscious, or rendering him magicless. I had a feeling he wouldn't be able to easily come up with a spell that he could do without his wand before we were out of range. I was right."

The magistrate smiled. "Okay. Let me be clear about what has been presented as the facts of the matter. Mr. Stroud and the Hasterscants were attending the Day of Celebration, as were Mr. Savolar and his son. Upon seeing Mr. Stroud, Marcus Savolar threw a snowball at him. Mr. Stroud and Marcus exchanged unpleasant words, but no actual violence..."

At this point, David interrupted. "Your Honor, I would like to point out that Marcus did, in fact, draw his wand, as well. He never raised it in preparation for a hex, however."

"And why didn't you feel it necessary to break his wand?"

"Because I knew he was too incompetent to be a threat," David replied plainly. The Hasterscants chuckled, and David could see that Marcus wanted to shout a retort, but held his tongue.

"...Okay, then," the magistrate said. Continuing, he said, "Mr. Stroud and Marcus exchanged heated words, and Marcus drew his wand, but no magical or physical violence took place. At this point, Mr. Savolar arrived, and more heated words were exchanged. Mr. Savolar drew his wand, with the apparent intent to hex. Mr. Stroud used aquamandy to prevent either of the Savolars from hexing him. He then detained Mr. Savolar by means of a foot on the neck, and snapped his wand in half, but did not snap Marcus Savolar's wand. At this point, David said more words to Mr. Savolar, and then left.

"Does either party dispute the facts of this event?"

"I object to the idea that I was attempting to hex him," Mr. Savolar said.

"I said apparent intent, Mr. Savolar. You had your wand raised above waist level, did you not?"

"Well, yes..."

"And your attitude was hostile?"

"Yes."

"That is apparent intent to hex, according to the law."

Mr. Savolar was clearly trying to find something else to object to, but he couldn't think of anything reasonable, as the judge did have the substance of the event right.

After a pause long enough for him to see that there were no objections, he said, "So, what we have left is the mental and emotional trauma allegedly endured by Mr. Savolar. Mr. Savolar has already stated the reasons for that trauma. Mr. Stroud, do you have anything to say, or any questions to ask him, in regards to this?"

"Just one, Your Honor. Mr. Savolar, how much money do you have in your bank account?"

"I object, Your Honor! He has no right to know that!"

"Why not? You dug into his..."

"That was an innocent conversation. This is obviously irrelevant to the matter at hand!"

"Is it?" David asked.

"Perhaps if you elaborate on your question," the magistrate asked.

"I'm curious to know if Mr. Savolar has sufficient funds in his account to have easily afforded the replacement of his wand."

The magistrate nodded, and turned to Douglas. "You have made an issue of money in this case, Mr. Savolar. You are going to need to respond. Do you have, shall we say, at least one thousand granas in your account?"

Gritting his teeth, Mr. Savolar said, "Yes, Your Honor."

"Was that money available to you at the time of the wand breakage?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Mr. Savolar replied, seething, but keeping his tone civil toward the magistrate.

The magistrate looked to David. "Is that sufficient information for the point you are trying to make?"

"Yes, Your Honor. It proves that, whether you find that Mr. Savolar is responsible for the breaking of his own wand or not, Mr. Savolar's mental anguish was clearly contrived and, if it truly existed, it was self-induced. He could have replaced his wand before ever going back to work, and so therefore would not have felt 'incomplete', and it certainly wouldn't have impacted his job in any way, shape or form."

The magistrate nodded. Turning to Mr. Savolar, he asked, "Do you have anything to add to this discussion?"

Mr. Savolar sat for a long moment, his mind obviously churning for something to say, some gambit to try. Ultimately, he had to say, "No, Your Honor."

To David, the magistrate asked, "Do you have anything to add?"

"No, Your Honor," David replied immediately.

"Very well. Both parties have agreed to the court's stipulation of the facts of the case. Do any of the witnesses present wish to dispute any of the facts as outlined here?" After a brief wait with no response, the magistrate continued. "Because the facts of the case are not in dispute, I do not need to interview any of the witnesses. I am hereby rescinding my previous findings in this case."

There was a bit of a stir among the Hasterscants when the judge said that. Was he going to find in favor of Mr. Savolar on all counts?

"I am hereby entering a finding in favor of the defendant on all three claims. Mr. Savolar, you obviously entered into the situation with malicious intent. I am not going to punish your victim just because he happens to be a better wizard than you are. Let it be a lesson to you that actions have consequences, no matter who your father is. This case is closed."

The magistrate got up and left the chamber. David rose as soon as the magistrate did.

Douglas Savolar was seething as he rose, which was well after the magistrate left.

"You may have won this battle, Stroud," Mr. Savolar said, "but you will never be a true wizard."

David snorted. "If you're an example of a 'true' wizard, I sincerely hope not." With that, David walked away, joining the Hasterscants and the others. He decided to take them all out for a celebratory dinner.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Why is it that you don't have to ride the carriage this time?" Denise asked him after Anne had departed on the school carriage. Ellie and Gwen would be going back with him, in his glidecar.

David said, "There's not really anything for me to do. There aren't any new students to guide. Everyone on the carriage knows the school by now. So, no point in me riding if I don't need to."

"What about students who start during the spring semester?" Ellie asked.

"There's no such thing," David said. "The school only admits new students in the fall."

When they returned to the house, Denise said, "Are you girls all packed?"

"Almost," Ellie said. Gwen nodded in agreement.

"Well, you better get to it. I don't know how long it'll take you to get to school in the glidecar, but you don't want to be arriving too late."

The girls headed upstairs to finish their work.

"You packed?" Denise asked.

David smirked. "My stuff was in the car before any of you even got out of bed this morning."

Denise smiled. "It's been great having you here, David. Not just for the sex," she said, her voice barely audible, "but because you're a good friend to me, and this family. And I can't thank you enough for hiring that contractor for us. So many of the things that have been wrong here for years are now fixed, and we don't have to worry so much. It will make life much easier."

David smiled and put his hand on her arm. "It was my pleasure," he said. "Speaking of pleasure... and of sex," David said, walking her down the hallway toward her workroom. "I found this little note in the pocket of my bathrobe, that says I'm entitled to one free blowjob..."

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find that," Denise told him with a blushing smile. They stepped into her workroom and closed the door. Denise sank to her knees and unfastened David's pants. In a couple more seconds, her mouth was working over his cock, her lips sliding sensuously along his shaft, her tongue slipping back and forth.

David enjoyed the sensation for a couple minutes, holding back his climax as long as he could. Finally, however, he couldn't resist any longer. He grunted a warning, and then blasted his spunk into Denise's mouth. She swallowed it all, then licked his cock clean before slipping it back into his pants, and standing up.

"There, now your Christmas present is complete," she said with a grin. The two kissed strongly for a long moment. Since Christmas Eve, the pair had had sex many times, using the privacy field, which David was now an absolute expert with. He'd even used it once to have sex with Ellie in her bedroom, but he wasn't about to tell Denise that.

Once Denise and David had finished, they left the workroom, and stepped outside. The day was cold, to say the least.

"So, who gets to sit next to you?" Denise asked with a grin.

"I'll let them fight over the middle seat. Sitting next to me is not the benefit of that seat today."

"Oh?"

"Today, it's the warm seat. It won't be getting any wind."

Denise chuckled. "True. I wonder why they didn't put doors on it."

"I don't know. But I'm thinking about having some added."

"Not a bad idea."

After another couple minutes, Ellie and Gwen came out with their bags. David opened the trunk, which was already over half-full.

"I'd wondered where Butlertron got off to," Gwen said. "I thought Mom was hiding him so I couldn't take him with me!"

David chuckled. "I packed up what I could before you got up. I didn't have anything else to do." He threw the rest of the luggage in the trunk, which was far bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. He closed it up, and they were ready to depart.

Gwen and Ellie each gave their mother a hug, and she wished them well. David then gave her a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. She wished him the best of luck, as well.

"C'mon, Jailla!" David said. Jailla had been keeping himself warm by sitting in the thick branches of a pine tree. He now winged his way to David's shoulder. "Hmm. Looks like Ellie won the battle," David said to Denise. Ellie was sitting in the center seat.

"Keep an eye on them for me, would you?" Denise said seriously.

"You know I do," David replied. "Take care, and thank you for letting me stay here."

"You're always welcome here," she told him.

With that, David got in the car, and started off. He waited until he was out of sight of Denise to put his arm around Ellie, who then snuggled in close to him. Gwen took the opportunity that provided and scooted slightly toward center, to stay more out of the wind.

-----

The ride back to school was long, but uneventful. It was well past dark when they arrived, though they had beaten the carriage by at least an hour. They had stopped for meals, but had gotten lunch "to go", and had eaten in the car.

David helped Gwen and Ellie get their stuff up to their rooms, and had told them he would see them in the morning. His own stuff, he had packed into his Conjuring Room, and so he headed for his dorm room next.

When David opened the door, it looked as though a whirlwind had passed through the room. Books and papers were thrown everywhere. Items were dumped off desks, and drawers were pulled open.

"Not this shit again," David grumbled. He didn't go inside, but stepped back away from the door, instead. He dialed up security to report the break-in. They said they would call the Rimohrs, and that it would be some time before they arrived.

David nodded at that, and then he called up Mr. Garibaldi himself.

"I'm not there yet, David. I just got the damned call!"

David grinned. "I know that. I was wondering if you and Vivian wanted a ride."

"We can catch a coach..."

"Which will take you an hour. I have a glidecar. I can be down to you in twenty minutes, and it'll be twenty minutes back here."

"Um... sure, if you don't mind."

"The sooner you get here, the sooner I can see what's missing."

"Okay. I'll contact Vivian, and we'll meet you here."

"On my way," David told him. He locked up his room, and then headed for the glidecar. On the way, he called Jim and told him about the problem.

"Well, shit. What did they take?"

"I haven't looked yet. I didn't want to contaminate the room."

"Okay. I'll stay with Sherry until you let me know they're done."

"Don't you want to see if anything of yours was taken?"

"Eh, I don't have anything worth taking. I'm sure if they took anything good, you'll notice it's missing."

"Uh-huh. Well, I'm on my way to pick up Joe and Vivian, so I'll talk to you later."

"Will do."

-----

"So, what's missing? Were they after your amulet again? Or that book?"

"No, both of those are still kept elsewhere. They took my orb clock, for sure. Also, it looks like I'm missing my wand maintenance kit. Good thing I got a new one for Christmas. I was just about to check my potions to see if anything was missing."

"Go ahead," Joe told him.

Once David opened his potions kit, the missing item was obvious. "Uh-oh."

"What is it?" Vivian asked.

"My Incorporeus potion is missing."

"What does that do?" Vivian asked.

"It turns people into a living ghost," he told her. "They could pass through walls without ever opening the door."

"I'd forgotten about that potion. You sure this wasn't stolen before? Maybe that's how they're committing the thefts."

"I use these potions regularly, so I'm always in this box. If it had been missing before, I'd have noticed. But they couldn't use it to steal anything, anyway."

"Why not?"

"Well, the potion makes them insubstantial. Apart from being able to walk through walls, it also means they can't touch anything. They couldn't pick it up and carry it off."

"Oh, I see," Vivian said. "So, why steal it?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe to make it look like I'm doing it? Or that I've provided the thief with a way to do it..."

"There's a thought," Joe said.

"But there's a problem," David said. "Well," he said, "Perhaps not actually a problem. It might be helpful, actually..."

"What's that?"

"Almost no one knows about this potion. I've never used it, personally. The only person who has is my roommate, Jim. The only people who know about it are the people who were at my Masterpiece Presentation. Well, and whoever they may have told. But it's not a widely known potion. Since they didn't just grab the entire kit, but they did specifically grab that potion, I have to assume they know what it does."

Joe and Vivian both nodded. "It gives us something more to think about."

David said, "Did you ever narrow anything down from the TEM 101 notes?"

"No. Too many people fit the possibilities."

David nodded. "But, now, with five thefts, they still haven't hit Pegasus Dorm. Why not?"

"Maybe they live there? Too easy to be spotted and remembered?"

"Could be," David agreed. "Seems kind of obvious, though."

"True. Would you avoid Pegasus Dorm, if you were going to steal things?"

"Joe!" Vivian exclaimed. "What kind of question is that?"

"I'm just trying to figure if the thief is trying to think like David."

David frowned. "It's hard for me to say. I've never once thought about stealing anything. But I can't see any reason I would avoid Pegasus Dorm, or any other of the single-year dorms."

"You'd avoid the upper dorms?" Vivian asked. "Why?"

"Outside access. In order to get in, you'd have to stand outside, where anyone could see you, not just from the dorm hallway, but also from the rim of the moat. It would be far too easy to get caught."

"And that might explain why our thief isn't stealing from those. But it doesn't explain the avoidance of Pegasus Dorm."

"No. That's very confusing. I'll have to think about it," David said.

"If you get any answers, let me know. I think we've done all we can here."

"Okay. You want me to drive you back to Bolmont?"

"Only if it's not too big an inconvenience," Vivian told him.

David shrugged. "Got nothing else to do, except clean up. That can wait."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Nice try, Stroud, but it isn't going to work," Aaron said, upon seeing him in the lunch room. "You can steal from yourself all you want, but we all know you're the thief."

"Apparently 'we all' doesn't include the Rimohrs, who have repeatedly cleared me of guilt," David said.

Aaron scoffed at that notion.

"Aaron, what's your real problem? Are you so hard up for something to do that you have to invent things to bitch about?"

"You don't belong here, Stroud," Aaron sneered. "This is our school!"

"Who is 'our'? This school has about a hundred non-human students in it."

"I'm well aware of the freaks and rejects," Aaron replied.

"Ah, I see," David said. "Well, guess what? This is our school, too. Maybe more than it is yours. And if you don't like us, you can feel free to go to a different school. I hear that Sheindam Hall only accepts humans."

"Sheindam Hall?" Aaron said in disgust. "That's the worst school in the kingdom. The students there are a bunch of morons!"

"So you should fit right in," David told him maliciously. "What does it tell you that the only people willing to go to a humans-only school are a bunch of idiots? Rag on me all you want, it won't change the fact that this is my school as much as it is yours. It will, however, make you look like a jerk. But then, I'm pretty sure you are a jerk, so at least you're being honest."

"Fuck you, Stroud."

"You're not my species," David replied. "I don't sleep with slugs." With that, David walked away, to join his friends at their table.

"What is that guy's deal?" Gwen asked.

David shrugged. "Like Marcus before him, he thinks humans are the only ones who should be here."

"What a bunch of bullshit," Simon said. "I heard about the break-in, though. What did they take?"

"Nothing critical. A clock, and one of my potions."

"Just one?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, just one. It was my Incorporeus potion." David explained what that did, for those who had not been at his Presentation Day.

"So now they have a whole new way of making it look like you're doing these crimes."

"They can't actually use it for the thefts," he replied, explaining why.

"What if they just use it for long enough to enter the room, and then turn back solid?" Olissa asked.

"It would be tricky to get just the right amount to do that. It is possible, though. But I'm sure this isn't how they've been getting in previously, so... why bother?"

"Because it makes you look even guiltier. Now, even if you aren't directly involved, it looks like you're providing them a new way in and out," Simon said.

"Yeah, I guess. That's why I want to catch whatever shit-for-brains is doing it."

"Good luck," Heath told him.

-----

"Good morning," Prof. Thropp said to the class. "Welcome to Enchantments and Curses 402. This is the final class of the Spells curriculum. Should you wish to continue with your spells training beyond this semester, you will need to make arrangements with one or more of the Spells Department instructors.

"This will have no bearing on your coursework this semester, however. We will continue our work on stronger, more long-lasting enchantments. We will also work towards somewhat greater complexity in what our enchantments can do. Previously, we've had some impressive work done, especially for mid-term exams. This semester, all of your enchantments will be expected to last over time, and they will become more complicated as the semester wears on.

"Are there any questions so far?" There were none. "Very good. Now, we're going to start with a short review sheet, just to make sure you remember everything you're supposed to know, before we try to cram even more stuff into those heads of yours."

The class groaned at the idea of a pop quiz on the very first day of class, which was what Prof. Thropp always meant when she said "review sheet". Prof. Thropp glared at the lot of them, and then she flicked her wand. The stacks of parchment flew down the aisles, single sheets flying off the top of the stack to land on individual desks. Shortly, everyone had their review sheet.

"Begin," she said.

David looked down at the questions, and realized it had been a long time since he'd done any enchanting. He scrunched up his eyes, then shook his head, and returned to his paper, trying to remember the answers to what seemed very hard questions.

-----

"How did you do on that quiz, David?" Flo asked. She and Olissa were walking out of Sabrina Hall with him, as they were both in his E&C class.

"Struggled a bit in the beginning. It took a while for my brain to kick in. I don't use enchantments much."

"Maybe you should start," Olissa said. "Don't want to forget all of what you've learned."

"I suppose... but I haven't found much need for them, really. I mean, most of the stuff around here already does what I want it to."

Flo chuckled. "You could enchant Aaron's chair to slide out from under him every time he sits down..."

David and Olissa both laughed at that.

They rode down to the terrace together, then Olissa broke off, to go to the dorm, as she did not have a class. David and Flo walked together toward their classes, and separated so she could go into Animperium. David had TEM.

-----

"Good morning, class. I see one or two faces I'm not familiar with, so let me say that I am Prof. Niobi Rutherford, and this is Theory of Elemental Manipulation 302. This is the last formal TEM class, and is, by far, the hardest for most students. In here, you will learn the art of electromandy. That is, you will take an electric charge, and you will learn to manipulate it, direct it, strengthen it, or dissipate it. I would caution you not to try redirecting lightning, no matter how good you think you are. It will not have the results you expect.

"So, what can you manipulate? Well, if you go to Earth, there's electricity everywhere. They pipe it right into their homes. They use it for their technology. Here in Dugerra, electricity is somewhat more scarce, but you can, when you are skilled, pull sufficient amounts right from the air around you. Here in class, we will be using an electricity generator, which will give you all you need to practice these skills. We will work on how to draw it from the air in the last quarter of the semester.

"For the record, electromandy does not play well with the other elemental manipulations. In particular, electromandy and aquamandy are, generally speaking, a dangerous combination. Electromandy and aeromandy can be used to some effect, if, for instance, you form a ball of electricity, you can use air currents to direct it. But then, you could just use electromandy to direct it, so why bother?

"Anyway, that is our study for the semester. Let me hand out the syllabus, and then we will get started."

David was not as surprised as some of his classmates about what they would be learning this semester. He'd read ahead in his book, and he'd seen the section on electromandy. He wondered just how hard this was going to be.

But electricity's like the air. It's always moving. I didn't have any trouble with aeromandy... Maybe this will be like that. In truth, David hadn't had any real problems since getting over his difficulty with terramandy, but he still wasn't a very strong elemander, his aquamandy final notwithstanding. He could perform the tasks, but they generally took him more time and concentration than would be useful in an emergency situation. He could make use of his skills as long as he had plenty of time. That would have to be sufficient.

David's thoughts were interrupted as Prof. Rutherford began her lecture, and he started taking notes.

-----

"Good afternoon, David," Tracy said. "Do you need to see the dean?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You call me ma'am again, and you'll never get in there," Tracy said with a smile.

David grinned.

"Go on in, she's free at the moment."

David knocked, and then entered when bidden.

"Well, David. Your arrival is fortunate. I can't find my fish!"

"Excuse me?"

"My goby. I can't find him. He's not in his bowl. He's nowhere on the floor... is this some kind of prank? A disappearing fish?"

David smirked. "That would be funny, but no. Have you checked the fern?" Dean Lengel had a large potted fern sitting close to the large round bowl that was the goby's home.

"I looked in, and didn't see anything. I even looked in the branches."

"Hmm. Well, I don't know what to tell you. Either he'll turn up, or maybe he got eaten. If you can't find him soon, I'll get you a new one."

Dean Lengel continued to look around, until she forcibly stopped herself, and walked back to her desk.

"Well, what can I do for you today? Is there a problem we need to deal with?"

"That depends on how you look at it. I just wanted to ask you about Brent Losterman." Seeing the look on her face, he said, "The student I had a fight with at the very end of last year, he wanted my amulet back?"

"Oh! Him. Yes, what about him?"

"Did he ever tell you how he had managed to get in and out of my dorm room without using the door?"

Dean Lengel frowned and shook her head. "He couldn't tell anyone anything of use. He became rather unhinged after your fight. I think the very notion that you didn't know all about that amulet, plus the fact that he'd been completely unable to get it back from you, cracked something in his head."

"Oh, I don't know. I think it was pretty cracked already."

Dean Lengel chuckled. "Quite possibly. Why did you want to know how he got in?"

"The thief. What I keep coming back to is, how is this rat getting in and out of the rooms? They all have magically locked doors that won't let just anyone in, so how did he do it?"

The dean frowned. "That's a good question. I don't know."

"The magic on the doors... that's an enchantment, right?"

"Right."

"Who could I talk to, to see if there is a way of defeating that enchantment?"

"Oof. The only one who might know something is Prof. Snooch."

"I don't know... him?"

"Yes, him. E. Benjamin Snooch. He's older than I am, and he's been here for a very long time. Be aware he's rather mercurial and has mood swings."

"Well, at least you didn't tell me to go talk to Prof. Teller."

"Do you not like him?"

"Oh, he seems like a great guy, but... how do you get him to shut up?"

Dean Lengel laughed heartily.

"Anyway," David said when she'd calmed down, "I'll have a talk with Prof. Snooch at some point. Thanks for the advice."

"No problem, David. Have a good day."

David rose to leave, and his eyes slid over the fish bowl. Nonchalantly, he said, "Your fish is back." He kept walking, as Dean Lengel jumped up from her chair to step over to the bowl, finding, sure enough, that the goby was now happily swimming around in its bowl. She stared at the door David had just gone through.

Is he messing with me?

The fish flashed a rainbow of colors, mimicking his owner's confusion.

-----

"Excuse me, Prof. Snooch?" David asked after knocking on the professor's door frame.

"Yes, can I help you?" the man inquired. He was clearly elderly, his white hair slightly unkempt. He had no beard or mustache, but his sideburns were significant. He wore an old, worn robe in the traditional style, but of a faded red color. At least, David hoped it was faded, and that the man had not originally chosen pastel pink.

"Sorry to bother you, Professor. We haven't met. My name is..."

"I know exactly who you are, son. No one on the staff of this school isn't aware of the dean's fair-haired boy. Just state your business."

David was a little taken aback at that pronouncement, but plunged forward, anyway. "Yes, sir. It was the dean, in fact, who suggested I talk to you. She said you were the only person who might be able to tell me what I needed to know."

"Did she, now?" the man said, obviously pleased. "Well, then. By all means, ask away!"

"Sir, is it possible to defeat the magical enchantment on the dorm room doors?"

"Of course it's possible. Anything is possible, son. What business is it of yours? You don't need to defeat the doors, anyway. You can just walk through them."

David grinned. "Yes, sir. Well, I don't know if you're aware of the thefts that have been occurring on campus?"

"I'm old, not senile. I know what goes on around here. What about them?"

"Well, I've been helping the Rimohrs with their investigation, and the problem we're having is that we can't figure out how the thief is getting in and out of the rooms. I was wondering if they might have figured out a way to defeat the magical lock on the doors."

Prof. Snooch frowned. "Unlikely in the extreme."

"Sir?"

"For someone to do what you are suggesting, they would have to be a Master Wizard. And not even all of them could do it. That magic is some of the strongest known. No Master Wizard would waste his time stealing things."

"I see. So, there's no, like, 'trick' way of getting around it? You'd have to defeat the enchantment through... well, magical 'brute force'?"

"Yes, exactly. You're fairly bright for a... what year are you?"

"I'm in my fourth year, sir. I'm a mage."

"Yes. Very bright for a mage. But you couldn't defeat that enchantment. Nor could any of your classmates."

"I see. Do you have any idea how they might be getting into the rooms, then? Since they can't go through the door, they must be getting in somehow..."

"Perhaps they are merely conjuring items out of the rooms, without going in at all," Prof. Snooch snapped. "Did you think of that?"

"Yes, sir, actually I did. The problem is that they couldn't see what they were conjuring, and, as I understand it, you have to have a pretty good idea of what you're conjuring, and about where it is. You can't just randomly conjure an item from a room. Unless, that is, you conjured everything out of the room, into another room, took what you wanted, and then conjured everything back."

"And that's not an option?" Prof. Snooch inquired.

"No, sir. That kind of conjuring leaves a magical trace, which we haven't seen. Plus, we're back to an extremely powerful wizard, to do that kind of conjuring."

"True. Well, then, you've only left the obvious."

"Sir?"

"Think, boy!" Prof. Snooch sneered. "If you can't go through the door, you must, somehow, go around it!"

"Um... yes, sir. How would you do that?"

"I can't do all your work for you. I have a class to instruct."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for your help."

"You are most welcome."

-----

"Good afternoon, everyone. You are here for History 402, I hope. My name is Prof. James Burke, for those of you who don't know me, and I do see some faces I don't recognize. The title of this class is Government Operations.

"So, what are we going to study in here? Well, in your Civics class, we told you what the government does in order to keep the country running. What we didn't tell you is exactly how it does those things. For instance, we told you that the King's Council passes laws, but we never discussed the specific procedure for them to do so. We told you that the Office of Outlawed Magic watches over prohibited spells, but we didn't outline how that happens, and exactly what they do about it when something happens.

"In this class, we are going to go into detail. We are going to delve into the day-to-day operation of the government, and discuss exactly how they get the job done. We will cover all of the major government offices, and especially all of the legislative offices. By the time you are done with this class, you will have an intimate familiarity with the way Callamandian government does things. Should you choose a career within that government, you will already have a level of comfort with the operation of whatever department, agency, or office you end up in.

"This is mostly a lecture class, with some discussion. As such, there will be a bi-weekly test. There will be no term papers necessary in this class, so your tests are important. Your final represents one-third of your grade. I will expect fairly complete comprehension of this study material, so please do not think you are going to breeze through this class.

"Now, let's begin, shall we?"

David looked around, and realized that most of the people in this class were unfamiliar to him. Those people he did recognize were people he knew to be in their upper years at the Academy. Only one of his friends were here, and that was Jess, who was not sitting near him. David shrugged; it wasn't the first class he'd taken "alone". He turned back to face the professor, and listened intently to the lecture.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, this semester we will start on mixed-weapons practice. What this means is that you will learn to use your sword to defend against a staff, and your staff to defend against a sword. You won't always be faced with an opponent who is armed the same way you are. It is important that you learn to use your weapons' full abilities, no matter what challenge you are faced with.

"First, however, we must do our warm-ups. Everyone, take your separation..." All the students spread out, to have the usual ten-foot empty space around themselves. As they began their calisthenics, and then their warm-up drills, Prof. Teller gave them some basic information about the theories behind mixed-weapon combat. He felt it saved time if he did this while they worked out. Besides, it was David's firm belief that the man thought if he stopped talking, his jaw would freeze shut.

Once they were done with warm-ups, Prof. Teller said, "Okay, pair off." Brock came over to David.

"Hey, can I pair with you this semester?"

"I guess... it doesn't look like Arthur's here this time. Wonder why not." Arthur had been David's partner last semester, but he was absent from the class.

"Don't know."

Prof. Teller said, "One of you choose staff, the other take sword. You will reverse later."

"Which you want first?" David asked.

"Sword."

"Right," David said, and took out his staff, activating it to its full length, and then doing a couple of twirls, just to loosen up his arm and get the feel for his weapon again. After that, he held it down along his right side, as was his custom when he was not actively using it. Brock had drawn his sword and done a couple maneuvers with it, as well, to likewise prepare for their lesson.

Prof. Teller led them through a half-dozen different maneuvers before having the pairs switch weapons and go through them all again.

"Okay, now," he said, once all that had been done, "I want you to take what we've learned today, and put together short mock-battles. Do not use force; focus on correct movement. I've given you three attacks, and three defenses, for each weapon, so chain them together to make up your own little fight. Begin."

David and Brock moved together, correcting each other on posture and position as they worked out a likely combat scenario. Prof. Teller came by them at one point, and said, "Good, boys. You're getting the idea. Keep it flowing, use moves that seem to follow from the previous move. Good work."

With that, the professor moved on, and David and Brock continued their little scene.

-----

"Hello, David. How are you this evening?" Prof. Blackstone asked.

"Pretty good, Professor. You?"

"Doing just fine. Well, I guess it's time for us to really pick it up with your apprenticeship, isn't it?"

"How will this apprenticeship go, sir?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, as an example, with my potions apprenticeship, first she had me learn to make potions well, then she had me study ingredients, and then I had to invent my own potions. What's the... well, the process for Conjuring?"

"Ah, I understand your question now. This will not be like that. There is very little left to discover in Conjuring. At least, we don't think there is. To become a Conjuring Master really means to excel at the skills you've been taught. To that end, your apprenticeship here will be a lot of hard practice. You could equate this to a sort of physical education, I suppose. You are pushed to your limits, to perform the task at hand to the very best of your abilities, until you have mastered all of the concepts you are capable of."

"Kind of like martial arts, then? I learn harder skills as I progress, and I don't progress until I learn the skills?"

"Yes, very much like that. You're already well ahead of your class, thanks to Delquin's idiocy, plus your own talent and interest. From here on out, I am going to force you to fail."

"Sir?" David asked, concerned about just what he meant by that.

"If you can perform a task easily, I'm not going to ask you to do it anymore. I will always be looking for the edge of your skill set. I will keep you right there on that edge. You will be failing most of the time in your apprenticeship, because as soon as you stop failing at something, I won't ask you to do it anymore. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, tonight, and for as many sessions as it takes me, I am going to have to look for your limit. So, prepare to wear yourself out, because we're going to be conjuring like mad."

David smiled. "Yes, sir."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"So, how are things going so far?" Gwen asked David. They were sitting at dinner, the first time they'd all been together as a group since classes had started. Jim was, of course, absent, as he was sitting with Sherry.

"Pretty good. Of course, it's only been a few days."

"Any classes look like trouble?" she asked.

"Maybe Government Ops. Other than that, no. And that one only because Prof. Burke has made it quite clear that he's going to expect us to remember nearly everything."

"Why are you taking that class?" Simon asked him.

David shrugged. "On the advice of Dean Lengel, I'm considering the idea of a government job after school. In order to be ready to do that, they recommend you take GovOps."

"What kind of job do you think you'll do?" Olissa asked.

David shook his head. "I'm not sure yet. I'm kind of hoping that GovOps will give me a better clue. Since we'll be talking about how all the different offices do their jobs, it will help me get an overview of all of them, and maybe help me decide if any of them are the kind of place I'd like to be working."

"Good luck with that," Flo said.

Just then, Ellie approached the table and sat down. After greeting everyone, she looked at Flo. "Pickles," she said, drawing out his name. "You come out here."

Pickles peeked his head out from under Flo's hair, and gave a brief chitter, as if to say, "What?"

"Get out here right now," Ellie said.

Pickles climbed down Flo's arm to sit on the table.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Ellie asked sternly.

"What's the matter?" Flo asked, concerned.

"Peanut... is pregnant!" Ellie said.

The entire table burst out laughing as Pickles cringed, ran around in a circle, then ran back up Flo's arm to hide in her hair once more.

Flo looked abashed. "I'm sorry, Ellie!"

Ellie giggled herself, and waved Flo off. "Not your fault, it's theirs. Bound to happen, the way they were going. It's possibly going to be a problem for you, though."

"Why?"

"Peanut wants them to raise their children together, which means either you take in Peanut, or you give up Pickles, while they raise the litter."

"How long would that be?" David asked.

"About three months," Ellie replied.

"So, nearly the rest of the school year," Gwen said.

"It would be the rest of the year, by the time the kits are born, which will be around the end of next month."

"The question is," Simon said, "Is Pickles interested in helping raise them? Or is he going to be a dead-beat dad?"

Pickles uttered some very unfriendly sounding chitters. Flo didn't bother translating.

"I think it's safe to say that Pickles is willing to play Daddy," Olissa said with a grin.

"Did Peanut have a preference for where she wanted to raise her kits?" Flo asked Ellie seriously.

"She likes your room," Ellie said. "She said it was more fun and fluffy than my room."

David snickered, and Flo blushed. Flo said, "Well, I'm willing to look after her, if you're okay with that."

"Don't have much choice but to be okay with it, or get nipped on a daily basis," Ellie said. "I'll let you know when she's getting close to giving birth, then we can make up some kind of nest for her."

"Don't let her use your new squirrel slippers," David said with a grin. Flo giggled. David had gotten them for her for Christmas.

Gwen just shook her head. "All the antics that go on around here, and who gets pregnant? The familiar!"

With that, the entire table broke out laughing again.

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