Spirits of the Earth

@Eckhart_Von_Musel

"When I'm in tournaments I usually play with a dragon deck. Basically it lets you play a lot of big monsters earlier. That can really trip people up. Like when I was playing that pillow boy last week's I pulled out a hydra on turn three! The poor kid had no idea how to handle it. He almost shit-" Elwin snorted with laughter. "And then the two-headed one tried to argue with me for five minutes!

Today was either going really perfect, or really badly. Elwin may have let it slip to Juniper Whitechalk that the Headmistress never schedules meetings on Friday afternoons. Now it was 1:00 and the white-heiress was here, but Nettlefield had specified no disturbances until precisely 2:00 P.M. He felt positively awful making Juniper wait, but it gave them time to chat, and he was killing it. Oh Myyla she was just so pretty, and so smart, and not shallow or full of herself like other girls. Elwin never had luck with women, but she just got him. Maybe it was a perfect day. Except that he forgot to shave this morning! Shit! Or did that make him look rugged? It probably did...

"But my favorites are these." Saoirse's pudgy apprentice gave a wry smile, plucking a wad of hexagonal-shaped playing cards from his coat. He splayed for her to see. They were slightly crinkled, as if gripped too long by sweaty hands. There was a stingray with the face of a young woman who sad and lonely, a medusa coiled atop a rock beckoning someone closer, and a winged girl with a bee's abdomen and wicked smirk. "I think these are really the magnum opus of the set. I like how they're so powerful, but its really friendship and stuff that's important to them. You know?

"Some people think that sort of thing is childish. But I think its really shedding misanthropy that makes you mature. When I look at this I don't think the important thing is that she uses Lightning Lure to stun an enemy long enough to use Blackvenom Harpoon. Its that maybe too many ships have disturbed the oceans, and sailors are just what there is to eat. But maybe if someone took the time and showed a little empathy she wouldn't kill humans. You know?"

***

Saoirse was in her plush chair, a cup of spiced cider dangling from her grip. Her large window made the office a touch drafty, but she found the cold bracing. There was a light snow in the air, just enough to make it scenic. She enjoyed watching her school run like clockwork. A wild-haired boy was balanced atop a floating broom on his way to class. Walking beside him was a purple haired youth in an absurd robe of multi-colored fur. Meanwhile a pot-bellied boar-man was naked in the sparring grounds, trying to stand tall while his friend conjured gales of frost in some test of endurance. Two dress code violations? And how did shape-changing factor in? An appendix should be developed to elaborate.

At least her piggish assistant was pulling his weight, if unknowingly. Topping off her drink, she could hear him blathering about those terrible children's cards through her door. He was an utterly perfect assistant when set loose upon the right people. Truly, just who did this Whitechalk girl thinks she was popping in at a moment's notice? And for a first-year student of all things! Wyrdwood had been training magicians for centuries and for a minor donor to waste the Headmistress' time a singular student was absurd. It was in her power to cancel of course, but there had been complaints that six boys to a room was overcrowding...

And more importantly M would be amused. If it were up to him a flame imp would be heating up her doorknob in preparation for Juniper's entry. Crass. But is a man without capacity for juvenile pranks really a man? Once that went other things were bound to follow. She had another hour to enjoy this. Perhaps a crossword?

"Oh, really? I see, very interesting..."

Juniper whitechalk stood in front of the pudgy young man, the most disingenous of smiles playing across her lips. She'd always thought her older brother's fascination with the card game had been rather silly, but this took it to a whole to level. Had it not been for the meeting, she'd have left in raucous laghter a long time ago...

The meeting was, of course, unannounced. It wasn't anything majorly important, really- it was more a matter of Juniper getting antsy when she couldn't see how her new favorite was progressing. Few things brought the young woman more joy than being able to watch as somebody realized their potential- the excited expression they wore, their giddy excitement as thet told all their friends what they'd learned to do. Having to wait until the Susie came home for Myyla's day wasn't quick enough- she wanted to see her now.

Unfortunately, that meant she'd first have to navigate her way past this person. Juniper tilted her head to the side, studying the pretentious blob who called himself Elwin. Aside from a minor skill in summoning his soul was basically useless. Why even bother keeping him around? It was a difficult concept to wrap her head around- if someone didn't serve a purpose then they weren't even worth interacting with, it was as simple as that. Still, there was no way of getting out of this conversation.

"So, do you mostly play against the students here then?" she asked cooly, feining interest in the risque artwork displayed on the gorgon card. "You must be very popular with them then, if that's how you spend your free time. Children do need role models to look up to, after all."

"I do see myself as a role-model." Of course he had never considered his hobby to be on the level of mentoring before, but it sounded right. She really got him! "I find kids really respect authenticity. Something is lost when you get older, you know? Once you're in power a kind of selfishness settles in. I really try and be mindful of it." Most kids liked him, didn't they? Except that two-headed boy who was always sighing, complaining about how Elwin was late and wrong all the time. It wasn't fair there was such a long walk between Nettlefield's office and the conjuration labs! And that awful Beatrix pointing out every time he forgot to put silver dust around his circles. But most kids liked him.

"There are meetings every week; anyone who plays cards can go. There's one today, actually, if you'd like to try?" A pudgy hand offered the stack of hexagonal cards for closer viewing. Medusa and Black Wasp Queen were at the top, and those below just as juvenile and risque. Elwin was positively glowing...

A tiny squirrel was dozing atop one of Saoirse's bookshelves. It rose to attention, eyes narrowed at the pair. What kind of fucking gods allowed him to be made sapient and doomed to this existence? He was probably going to let her in before two. Nothing more pathetic than being given an easy job and fucking it because you're lazy.

***

Six across was two words: Thrifty shopper. Bargain hunter, obviously. And the T in hunter made twelve down, a frozen forest, taiga. She had heard they were lovely in the summer. It was a pity her position made travel near impossible. Still, the piny hills here had their charm.

The snow was beginning to grow heavier. The younger students had begun to creep out into the courtyard, tentetively debating whether or not they were too old to be throwing snowballs. The Rhys boy, still an animal, was lounging against a wall while the blonde began to sculpt something from the snow.

Juniper's eyes seemed to glaze over as the man continued to warble, her smile beginning to look painful. What was he on about, really? When had children ever respected authority? She certainly hadn't. Basil never had either, which had led to the predicament the Whitechalks were in now.

"Basil..."

Juniper shut her eyes tight, then opened them again. "Sage and Auntie will find him." she thought numbly, attempting to put her youngest brother out of her mind. "This is supposed to be a fun trip."

"No." she said sharply, holding up her hand. "I'd rather skip that- unless Susie plays?"

The color drained from Elwin's face at Juniper's firm 'no'. The young man had just spent the last twenty minutes telling her all the best parts of Monster Mash! Was she even listening? Why shouldn't she see? "Well, once-or-twice! She's, um, friends with that two-headed boy. He's always there. Or them, rather."

And with that Skugg leapt from the bookshelf, landing on Elwin's desk and sending papers flying. "Again with this? Have you been following the last twenty minutes? Do you really think she wants to look at your imaginary crushes? She wanted to find out if the Headmistress was really busy, and get you to let her in!" Skugg chittered. "You have exams to grade. She can sit in her sad little corner and pretend she is important or stare drooling at the ceiling. I am sure she will be quite fine without your advances."

"We were just- you missunderstood-!" the youth sputtered. Elwin wished Skugg would not follow him all the time. The squirrel did make magic so much easier, but he could never ever let anything just be. Nothing was ever good enough, nothing could ever just be nice. It was just horrible.

"Have I? Let me talk to her."

"That is not a very good-"

"Let. Me. Talk. To. Her." The squirrel screeched, loud enough to draw attention or at least curiosity.

***

Sixteen down, three letters, A birdly cry. Simple. She finished the last of the crosswords and continued paging through the Maestoto Manifesto. The article was not out yet, but the wretched newspaper was her only reading material. Is the Queen three imps in a dress? A Close Lover says quite possibly! Rubbish. But that did not stop her from reading...

"Not a very good what?"

Juniper's eyes lit up when she saw the squirrel, her smile curling into a nasty grin. It was very rare to see a familiar who's magic outclassed it's master- though, this animal was still nothing incredible. Still, this was certainly a better distraction than disussing card games was.

"What's your little friend's name? He"s very cute."  Juniper said, her innocent tone of voice clashing with the look she wore on her face. "Does he like head scratchies?"

As if to answer Juniper's question the squirrel skittered over to the heiress, stretching out  expectantly, big black eyes staring up at Juniper. "I do. And I bet you would, too, isn't that right?"

Elwin turned an alarming shade of red, almost if he might be choking. "Ah-uh-oh! He wants to speak. But he gets over-excited. I didn't think it was a good idea.

"His name Skugg. He's my familiar. I conjured him myself!" Elwin beamed, like a small child who did his chores without being asked. "And I, uh, well maybe he might?" Did summoning the cute squirrel count for nothing? Maybe this was the closest he'd get to it all...

***

Three years ago a goblin was recruited to replace one of the imps. Given their nature as primordial beings a pregnancy simply would not be possible. The greatest mystery is why the arrangement fell through, and what fate the country shall be. We did speak to a former chamber maid, best kept anonymous, who spotted a tearful green figure, bindle in hand, scampering through the palace gardens one midsummer night.

Perhaps she did not like sitting between two imps day after day? Perhaps there were personality differences? Perhaps she was a free spirit? But our thoughts return to the bundle she carried. It was most definitely not mere luggage. Did she want to raise the child wrapped within on her own? Did she fear assassination of her only son? Where is the Prince of Serendipity?

Amusing to see this humiliating filth published. It was a strange thing the Maestoto Manifesto was being published. Did someone important like it that much to protect it? It was not so hard to threaten an editor's family over a bit of libel.

"Yeah-huh." Juniper said dismissively, waving the portly young man off. "Probably just a fluke. Who's a cutie-pie? Who's a cutie-pie?"

The white haired girl scratched behind the squirrel's ears, cooing gently. "You deserve better! Yes you do! Yes you do!" If Elwin reacted to this, Juniper was too distracted to notice...

Skugg leaned into juniper's nail as he scritched his neck, a look of contentment woven into the squirrel's face as his tail swayed. "I do deserve the best. And this is quite nice, isn't it? Oh, right over there..."

Juniper's veiled insults, meanwhile, did not quite faze Elwin. He could almost feel her touching him. The sensation made his toes curl and his heart pound, his face was visibly flushing. "I, uh, um! Magister Llewellyn had thought that maybe. Ah!-" Thank goodness he was wearing robes.

***

Anything more than an hour long break and she could be remiss in her duties. Still, leaving that poor girl with Elwin seemed an amusing enough torment. It was 1:59 P.M. now. Saoirse watched the big clock over her doorway, styled after a smiling Sun. When she said 2:00 P.M. she absolutely meant it. Seconds ticked by like hours.

There was a gentle click and the door to Saoirse's office was tugged open by a gentle breeze and a bit of magic. "Come." Her sharp voice rang out. Elwin and Skugg jumped to attention.

It was a long journey across a carpet and up a small flight of stairs to reach Saoirse's desk. Busts of the old headmasters leveled a stony gaze at her visitors. The Headmistress sat with tented fingers. Two copies of Susie Rainfeather's progress report were on her desk, and a little black book.

Juniper glanced upwards at the sound, half a smile on her lips. The door to the Headmistress's office had finally swung open- about time, really. The young woman immediately strode across the carpet towards the stairs, not sparing any time to bid the man or his squirrel a farewell. "Worthless..."

Juniper brusquely climbed the staircase and approached the desk, only pausing momentarily to gaze at one of busts that lined the walls. The statue's visage was unusually lifelike- unfortunate, given the man's rather unseemly appearance. Exhaling sharply, she sat down. "So." she asked, crossing her legs. "Has she figured it out?"

It wasn't a questioned she expected an answer to- not from the headmistress, at least. Whatever grades and test scores they'd likely discuss were bound to be boring, however, so it was best to cut straight to the point. "I don't expect she has yet- though, it'd be a pleasant surprise if she did..."

Saoirse slid the reports across the table, ignoring the vagueries. "Her progress is ordinary for first year. She is talented at transmogrifiication, but cannot assert herself or solve-problems under duress. Of course, that is normal for lowborn students. Its not uncommon that they are intimidated better connected peers. It will pass." The girl was a mousy little thing, really, and beneath the notice of most anyone. But that was true for most unblooded students. "But I will guess it is not her you are interested in, more broadly?

"I will tell you what I tell many of our patrons. Sometimes wizards will manifest a small spark of magic, independently, when they come of age. Dylan crafted a path of ice to rescue his drowning brother, Carwyn turned into the family dog, and so on. It can suggest future talents and proclivities. However, at this stage we focus on the fundamentals." The Headmistress drew a quill, hovering it over an inkwell. Ideally it was more amusing to outright dismiss Juniper, but being thorough was important. "Are you expecting something? Her record has no data suggesting native talent.

"Was something omitted from her application?" Many applications were fast-tracked by wealthier patrons, and it was only a formality.

Juniper took the papers in hand, thumbing through them coolly. "Nah..." she said idly. "I just have a good feeling about her."

Of course, it was more than just a feeling- Juniper could tell that the girl was special just by looking at her. Cluing others in to Susie's value would be a disservice to her goals, however. It was better that the student remembered Juniper as the only one who believed in her- her loyalty to the Whitechalk family could be comprimised otherwise.

The corner of Juniper's mouth curled upwards. "Looks like she's doing alright then. Nothing I wasn't already expecting." She gazed at the older woman quizzically. "Is she making friends?"

"Her social engagement is somewhat lagging." Saoirse traced her finger down the crease of the parchment to the metric. "But its nothing to worry about it. Lowborn students tend to be intimidated and feel out of place; it will pass. If you're wondering what sort she is affiliating with you can see right here under 'Cohort'. Kana and Liam. Talented in illusion and elementalism; impulsive. You may notice they share a body. One of our fellows, Anwen ferch Rhys, arranged for it. Liam was a rather late arrival you see."

The pairing worked out rather well, in all honesty, though the magic was of limited utility unless you wanted to create some terrible chimaera. They did prove an amusing display of Wyrdwood's ingenuity. That was how you disposed of busy-body patrons who believed a paltry few coins gave them a say in things. You dazzle them with crafted gossip and select developments and send them off feeling vaguely important despite having done nothing.

"I hope you did not come all this way because you were confused by our metrics." Saoirse sat back, looking down on Juniper with tented fingers. "What, exactly, do you want to achieve for Susie this visit?"

Juniper nodded, smiling. The Hargrove boy's family was from her duchy- a coincidence that would serve to further strengthen the Whitechalk's grasp on the girl. It would seem that everything was falling into place, and the only thing left to do here was...

"Yes, there is." Juniper said flatly. "I'd like to request she be given additional coursework. Based on what you've been telling me, I don't feel she's challenged enough."

"To what end? I don't think middling performance warrants a personal tutor. It costs time and money; I'd only consider it for a student whose mastered what's in front of them. Are you trying to argue some non-specific stress will bring out her hidden talent? It seldom works without genuine ambition and drive." She sighed sharply, "She is an entirely adequate sorceress and will grow with time. And there is really nothing you can do for her development.

"Unless you want help us find a stipend for a personal tutor." The headmistress' usual frown curled into the slightest of smiles.

"That sounds perfect." Juniper said, ignoring the older woman's veiled pushback. The teenager smiled, crossing her legs comfortably "I have no doubt the Whitechalk family will be able to find an amount suitible for your liking."

The family, of course, had unlimited funding- Juniper's mother would see to it that the school recieved any additional funds they needed. More than what they needed even, should the Headmistress continue to grow difficult.

With that roadblock presumably out of the way, the girl had only one request left to make. She folded her arms, smile fading slightly. "May I see her?"

"Ten thousand suns will suffice. We'll see to the details later." A small fortune, far more than a tutor might need, and perhaps enough to make her father cross for reckless spending. It was meant as an insult but the girl would no doubt wave it away. It would be more gold for new projects, still, which was a victory. "I'll say again, If you think you know what she is capable of we could find a suitable tutor."

"But if that's all?" Her lips curled into a pleasant smile, but her violet eyes stayed narrow. "Elwin can show you to her. Though the first years are in class. Primordial magic and ritual." She made it a point to know every schedule in exacting detail, down to the minutiae.

Juniper smiled- she'd honestly expected the price to be even higher. "Very well." she said cooly. "You'll have the payment in full by the end of the week." She stood up, pushing her chair back into place. "I expect nothing but the best for her. I trust you'll be able to provide that."

"...Now, you said Edmund would be showing me the way? That the squirrel's name, yes?"


Susie dashed through the hall, her heavy bag thrown over her shoulder. The temporal windchime the marked the beginning of class had sounded three minutes ago! Nearly colliding with a gaggle of upperclassmen, she turned the corner into Room 32-C. "Sorry I'm late..." shd murmured, nearly tripping over herself as she took her seat. "W-Won't happen again..."

"As always the key is to separate what's actually magical from the superstition. As you'll see with Yoreiqi blood magic, if you want to alter someone's body, you'll need bone as a focus. Any bone will do but the closer in species the greater the effect. You'll notice that Yoreiqi sorcery does involve the bones of ancestors and communion. Can anyone tell me why that is? Anyone but Beatrix-" And Susie trudged through the door, interrupting Anwen and her train of thought. The girl was always a mess and rushing around. She supposed Susie must be bullied by upper classmen, but that didn't stop a murmur of annoyance. "Just sit down.

"As I was saying, the prayers are just the belief that their ancestors are gifting them the magic. But the fact is the bones of relatives will be a superior conduit..."

"Hi!" Kana gave Susie a smile as she sat next to him. Liam was meanwhile scribbling away notes in his sloppy left-headed scribbles. They were right-handed but Kana never took any.

"Oh, hello Susie." He perked up, "I could, um, give you my notes. But they are kind of messy..."

***

"Elwin. He will take you there when we are finished." She flicked a finger and there was the faintest click on the far side of the room.

"Eight tutors across all subjects under the notion with enough adversity she will blossom into something is not effective or worthwhile. You're not sending her here on the basis of a hunch. If you know something, and if you care for her development, share it."

Juniper shrugged her shoulders, sitting back down. "Just focus on the transmogrification then." she said flatly. "Maybe conjuration too."

The young woman tilted her head to the side, studying the headmistress with mild interest. "You know, I'm sure if you asked Susie herself, she'd be more than happy to tell you about her... magic dust. I daresay she told everyone in her village once she figured out how to create it."


Susie's cheeks flushed at the teachers quiet reprimand, and the girl hurried to her seat in embarressment. They turned an even deeper red as Kana greeted her, to the point where one might mistake her face for a giant apple. "H-Hi Kana..." she squeaked quietly. She eyed the two boy's notes, unable to make out a word of what was written. "Hey Liam... um... Maybe we shouldn't..." She reached into her bag to retrieve her own notebook and a worn-out quill. "I don't wanna get in trouble again..."

"Nothing observed, and not a word from Susie I'm afraid." The headmistresses snorted with something between amusement and annoyance. Perhaps this meeting was worth her time, after all, if only to break up the usual tedium?

"Such a shy girl. But that is how children are, in my experience, they prefer the familiar. She'll go shouting her business to half her village, but leave you guessing." Her lips curled into a smile that was not a smile. "I see. You had to drag the secret out of her little village-friends..."

***

"Its not a test Susie. Just notes you missed." Liam tried to assure her, a little taken aback by the rejection. His notes were good even if you took the time to read them! Part of him was sure if Kana offered the notes she would accepted.

Anwen was in in the midst of a flurry of chalk-scratches, outlining a common diagram used to gather the animus within blood. And then she stopped at the sound of whispering. What the hell were they even muttering about? Her? Once chatter started it spread like wildfire. The entire thing was just irksome. She'd always been nice to Susie, and Kana and Liam (who were her idea). How could they take that for granted?

"Can someone tell me why the Yoreiqi most often use human blood in their sorcery, grizzly as that can be? And what is a risk of using another species? How about...

"Susie?"

"I actually knew before she did." Juniper said pointedly. The teenager rested her chin on her fist, a bored expression on her face. "If I hadn't told her, she'd likely have gone through life unaware of it."


Susie squeaked nervously, nearly falling out of her seat. "I-I- yes!" she stammered, staring at the professor with wide eyes. "It's because... because..."

A bead of sweat rolled down the girl's neck. Primal magic was her worst subject! She racked her brain, trying desperately to remember what she'd read the night before. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Beatrix raising her hand, bouncing in her seat eagerly. "It's... ummm..."

Susie hung her head, staring blankly at her desk. "I don't know, Professor..."

"Probably not. In girls it usually manifests at menarche. Very rarely does it simply hide; most magic wants to be found; it is endemic to someone's very being." Saoirse corrected sharply, with a roll of her eyes. "But magic dust is somewhat vague. You're a layperson, naturally, but does it do that you find it so significant?" She flicked a finger to call a quill from a nearby inkwell. It wasn't the sort of thing she'd usually waste the effort on, but flustering the girl for her lack of ability might be amusing. Maybe there was something to Susie? Metamorphosis, simulacrum, or genesis?

***

Anwen offered the girl an encouraging smile, which faltered at Susie's admission of failure. Why wasn't she trying? She knew the answer. Anwen was the same way as a student: hiding in the corner, hoping not to be noticed, perfectly content for the instructor to simply move on and let someone like Beatrix claim the accolades. "Well why don't we think about this?

"If you want to turn yourself into, say, a sheepdog what would the ideal focus be? You'd want a bit of fur from a dog. It goes to say, then, that if you want to manipulate the human mind and body..." It was not that hard. She had gotten this one right on the last examination. Everyone did!

"O-oh... right..."

There were a few stifled giggles as the Professor continued to single out the redhead. Susie's eyes began to water, the stress of being the center of attention eating at her insides. She reached inside of her robe pocket, fiddling with the small cube she'd conjured earlier that day. "It-It's because you need blood from the same animal as you..." she mumbled softly. "Otherwise... you get sick?"

Nothing to say? Oh my.

"We will do an alchemical analysis of the dust. Being able to generate low density mineral matter like that is typical of minor! elemental gifts. From there we will determine how to best develop her gift.

"That will be all." she replied, as if speaking to a student. "And if you deign to share any further information, it can only help her development. It has been a pleasure."

***

"Very good." Anwen forced a smile with some hesitation. But she was technically right; the girl probably just had some performance anxiety.

There came a collection of sighs from the classroom. "Anyone could have gotten that," came a nasal whisper, just a bit too loud. It was Martyn Felbend, a toad-like youth from Jadenshine.

Anwen frowned. Too taken aback herself to even say anything. "Right, well, here is last week's quiz. Why don't we review them?" She handed out a stack of papers which zigzagged through the rows. Fifteen questions total.

Kana whooped at seeing their own score, fourteen out of fifteen. "Perfect as always!"

"You didn't do anything."

"Its a joint effort. The grade is just as much yours as mine. Right Susie?" Kanas lips curled into a little smile. He did know Susie would reflexively agree. Which would piss off Liam immensely. And maybe a little part of him did think it was true.

When the stack reached Susie she rifled through a stack of papers. Most were 12's and 13's. And then Susie saw her own: 11/15. It wasn't bad, and was passing certainly, but surely the lowest I'd the bunch...

"Perfect!" Juniper exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together. "Do let md know what you find. I'm sure it will be very insightful." She stood up, stretching her arms behind her back. "Now, his name was Erwin, yes?"



Susie stared at her feet, what little relief she'd gained from answering the question vanishing. Martyn was right- she'd only been able to get it with the teacher's help. A pit formed in her stomach as Professor Ferch-Rhys began to hand out the results of last week's test, and she silently prayed to Myyla for miracle...

Kana's voice snapped Susie out of her haze, and the girl shook her head defiantly. "Right." she said, a forced confidence in her voice as she rifled through the stack of test results. Her heart skipped at beat as she found the one with her name on it, swallowing nervously before pulling it out...


Susie sighed in relief, passing the rest of the papers to her right. She'd been stressing over this test for an entire week- she was convinced she had failed it. Eleven out of fifteen may not have been perfect, but it was a pass! The redhead smiled, allowing her shoulders to relax. "I guess I had nothing to worry about after all..."


Beatrix stared at her test results, looking nearly on the verge of tears. Her score had been a perfect 15/15, but she couldn't think about it now. She glared across the room at Susie, who'd begun chatting happily with the two-headed boy. "But... my hand was up!" she thought, black irises swirling violently. "I knew the answer! Why did... why did she help you?" The girl looked back to her paper, the professor's voice echoing through her mind. "Can anyone tell me why that is? Anyone but Beatrix."

Beatrix clenched her fists, eyes watering. Had she done something wrong?

"Anyone but Beatrix. Anyone but Beatrix. Anyone but Beatrix. Anyone but Beatrix. Anyone but Beatrix. Anyone but Beatrix. Anyone but Beatrix. Anyone but Beatrix. Anyone but Beatrix."

No. This was how it'd always been, hadn't it? She could do everything right- answer all the questions, pass all her exams perfectly, follow all the rules, and people would still pick the other kids over her. That was just how things worked.

Beatrix wiped her eyes with her sleeve, leaving an inky stain on her robe. "Whatever. It's fine." she thought bitterly, an ugly scowl on her face. "I don't need you. Who cares?" She buried her face in her hands, clenching her teeth. "Who cares... Who cares...

"Elwin. Do pay attention." Saoirse waved her out the door, waiting just until the young woman had neared it to wave it open.

Elwin was daydreaming at his desk, shuffling through his deck of cards. Only fifteen minutes and his day would be over! And- "Oh! Juniper!" Elwin straightened, straightened and reshuffled his papers to create the illusion of work. "How are you? Did your meeting go good, ah, well? Did you still want to play cards? I'll be going in a few moments. If you'd like to join me, that is?" The portly apprentice squeaked out the last bit with baited breath.

***

The classroom was rife with shuffling papers and muffled whispers as students set about making corrections. For most of them it was a chance to chatter moreso than an opportunity to learn. Liam felt Kana jabbed his cheek as the class drew to a close. "Oh. Nice job by the way, Susie." He gave the girl a shy smile.

"We were going to go play cards with Arthur after this, by the way, wanna come?" He gave the girl a smirk. "And you never answered. Grade's just as much mine as it is Liam's, isn't it?"

With a satisfied smirk, Juniper turned on her heel and left the room. She'd gotten what she wanted, though it'd taken a bit longer than she would have liked. Still, Susie would be getting that extra push...

The portly apprentice was sitting at his desk when Juniper arrived, playing with a stack of cards absentmindedly. He perked up when he saw her approach, babbling excitedly. "It went perfectly, thank you." the noblewoman said, putting a hand in her robe pocket. "Will Susie be playing cards with you?"


"I-I thought I said yes!" Susie stammered, blushing profusely. Had she been too quiet when she said it? She had been preoccupied by her paper- maybe she hadn't said it at all, and only imagined she had? She did that sometimes, and it was always embarressing when it happened. "And yeah! I'll come with you guys, sure!"

Monster Mash! was not a game she enjoyed- in fact, she outright hated it. She'd lost every game she played, which caused people to make fun of her when she tried. She could do without the condescending advice from Arthur and Elwin, too- it wasn't her fault the cute monsters were weaker! "Um, I'll just watch you guys play this time." she said meekly. "If that's okay..."

"Well, all the kids line up to. They look up to me, ya know? We can play with her for sure." Elwin was elated. The Whitechalk heiress would really get to see him in his element now. But who was Susie anyway?. Why the hell was she so interested in this boring little girl he hadn't heard of? "I think its good you really seem to care.

"Most patrons here just think the students they send are their property. They don't really take the time to get to know them or what they want out of life; just see them as a tool." And he did mean it. He just- he just loved strong and forward thinking this girl was! "When I'm in charge of things I really think I'd like to change how that all works..."

The apprentice lumbered through the halls. His younger counterparts ducked and whirred around him; feet pounding as they played chasing games. Elwin had all the functionality and grace of a middle aged man by contrast.

***

"Watching? I'd feel real bad if you came with us and all you got to do was watch. We'll help you!" Kana beamed, helping Liam gather up their bag.

Liam chewed his lip nervously. "You like Oratilla's right?" He squeaked, recalling just how many of the glittering rodents she'd used. The game was pointless but Liam had a better head for numbers and figures than Kana. And spend enough time watching people and you just get to predict them. Susie always picked pretty cards that were utterly ineffective. "I can help you make a deck with one! I mean, um, I always make Kana use a Hylop Faun in our's." He just liked the grinning little goat kid; some little vestige of the mischievous kid he wished he was instead of always so serious? Did Kana play aggressive games because he liked to seem tough because his village was conquered?

As the trio navigated their way out of the mahogany amphitheater they found Anwen lingering near the door. "Susie? Do you have a minute?" The junior instructor fumbled with the lock, balancing an open ledger and pencil awkwardly in her other hand. It all looked very precarious.

Susie carefully placed her quill and parchment inside her bag, eyes lighting up at Liam's offer. A species of small, fluffy rodents native to Altas Verde's mountain range, Orratilla had long been Susie's favorite animal. As a child she'd begged her parents for one, but had been denied at every turn- Orratillas required precious metal ore to burrow in to, allowing only the most wealthy Verdans to keep them as pets. "You'd really help me?" she asked hopefully, slinging her bag over her shoulder and follwing the two boys towards the exit. "Arthur keeps saying their cards are- eep!"

Beatrix had shouldered past her, shooting the redhead a nasty glare as she left the classroom. For a split second their eyes met- or they would have met, had Beatrix's eyes still been there. Susie froze, suddenly feeling very cold. A wave of fear had unexpectedly washed over her, and for a moment time seemed to slow down. She tried desperately to look away, but her gaze couldn't find it's way out! Was this some kind of hex?


The professor's voice broke Susie out of her trance, and Beatrix soon disappeared down the hall. Blinking, she shook her head. "O-oh... Of course, yeah..." Turning to her friends, the girl gave Kana a smile. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right behind you..."

Anwen supposed she ought to give Susie some sort of advice; it was sad, and uncomfortably familiar, to see the nervous girl bumbling about. She fixed her gaze on the student and tried to search for the right words. "You remember the question I asked, Susie, about using same-species tissue in blood magic?

"You had some trouble with it but you knew the answer, right here, see?" she pointed to the entry on Susie's latest assessment, offering a gentle smile. "If you forgot that's fine. But I think you did know the answer. You shouldn't be scared if you think you know it. Its better to try and be wrong, really..."

"Um..."

Susie started up at the professor, face flushed in embarressment. She settled her gaze on the professor's nose, finding herself unable to make eye contact. "I-I really did forget!" she stammered awkwardly. "I was so busy practicing my dust, that I- um, I mean, I..."

Suddenly realizing that admitting to prioritizing something other than classwork was probably the wrong thing to be telling a teacher, Susie trailed off. "I-I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."

"Well you don't need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. Its just if you're going to be a wizard some day you need to project authority. Sometimes even if you're not sure about something you'll be the one who knows the most. And if you can't get people to listen, well, you'll just be someone's pet who does magic tricks.

"And its fine to be excited about a new spell. Just don't forget everything else. There's going to be a lot of magic you've never seen before, and if you can't figure out how it works you might get into trouble." She offered a quiet smile, though it faltered for a moment. Wanting but failing to understand was one matter; apathy was unforgivable. But, her own annoyance aside, Susie was meant to be watched. Anwen was not certain why but the instructions were clear (well, relatively speaking, an underlined name was not 'clear' but it meant something). "What've you been doing with your dust?"

"I'll be a witch." Susie instictively corrected, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Once again remembering who she was speaking to, she covered her mouth in horror. "I-I'm sorry! I just- I just really think there's a d-distiction between the two, and..."

The redhead trailed off, looking rather mortified. It was such a silly thing to get upset about, but Susie found it annoying all the same. Wizards were boys, and had staves and scrolls. Witches were girls, and had brooms and pointy hats. Susie was a girl, so she'd be a witch. Her mom had already sewn the hat! Oh Myyla, would she get a detention for this? The girl's heart pounded in her chest, and she felt as if she were about to throw up. "I'm... I'm sorry..."

"Well, well I-I don't think I'd call you a witch..." A brief look of hurt and anger flashed over Anwen's face. If this was anyone else she wouldn't! The wizardess mustered a sharp, and dismissive laugh wash to it all away. Laughter hurts more than anything. Ewan always had a way of making you feel like a stupid child for disagreeing with him, and with a big smile on his face. "There is a difference but no one, here at least, is training you to cut away unwanted babes or make offerings to storm gods for rain.

"Witch, hedge wizard, cunning woman, and medicine man are what I like to use for magicians who perform magic as spiritual leaders, especially in the country. People who think a slyph is a sky goddess, or that woundwort stops bleeding because they planted it under a full moon." Susie's minor slight was quickly forgotten, Anwen growing more and more animated. "That's not to say they don't know anything of value! We can learn a lot from them. Early Serenian druids and witches laid the groundwork for mostly everything. They just don't have a scientific or scholarly approach to magic."

Anwen paused to catch her breath. The girl was just staring. Probably bored. She hated being boring. But then again how could you not find this interesting? "Susie? Did they call you a witch at home?"

Susie stared uncomfortably at her professor, feeling rather guilty. The woman seemed more hurt than angry, as if the topic was a particulary sore spot for her. "My-my mum did..." the girl replied softly, voice shaky. She hugged her chest tightly, eyes on the floor. "She said I'd be the best witch in the province, and, um..."

Susie shook her head. "Uh, Altas Verde, I mean. That's the province. And, I, I don't think she knew any of what you told me..." She looked up at the adult's nose, than away again. "I'm sorry if I... If I bothered you..."

"Well there's really nothing to be sorry about. The phrase is common. Its just not something we use in magical circles, you understand? If you're more interested I have a few books I could-" It took a few moments to register the downcast eyes and slumped posture had little interest in such matters. "Anyway, don't hesitate when you answer. Its fine if you're wrong sometimes.

"And I'm sure your mother is very proud." The sorceress offered a small smile. She supposed some students needed to hear it, but Anwen heard it so often the sentiment was meaningless. Of course there were far worse things in the world than unconditional love, but Anwen always knew she was never what made her parents most proud. You could always tell.

***

"So basically what I did was play Fattened Orratilla which counts as bait, to bring out my Screeching Harpy Queen." A smug little smile crossed Elwin's face and he held up the hexagonal card for Juniper to inspect. It was a seductive looking female with black feathers, talons, and a crescent shaped hat. "One thirty pounds of pure terror. She is really strong, you see, but you need a huge sacrifice to bring her out usually. So she comes way early.

"Hey kid, want to play?"

"I got some real good pointers. Just a friendly game...

"That card is terrible. Why would you do that?

"See! You messed up! Let me get that out way too early!

"Bad move. Its over!"

It went on like that. The portly young man heckling anyone and everyone to play cards, or at least, any new faces or eager young beginners he could find. There was always the promise of a few pointers, though it amounted to little more than gloating in the end. From time to time he'd look over at Juniper in hopes the noble girl was sharing in his delight.

***

Kana narrowed his gaze at Elwin, sighing sharply. "Kind of old for all this, isn't he? His age people do proper duels. Or- well- chase girls, I guess."

Liam was meanwhile lost in playing cards with Arthur. It was taking all of Kana's effort not to tell his other head what to do, though even he couldn't quite figure it out. The young illusionist had his favorite card - a beautifully illustrated hydra leaping from a swamp - and seemed to be employing some convoluted strategy where his own monsters attacked the hydra to multiply its strength attribute. Their heads did regrow, after all...

"Yeah-huh. Weird."

Arthur stared at his hand intently, finger hovering over a particular card. Liam's strategy was clever, yes- but not without counterplay. "I retreat my Brownie..." he said softly, moving a card depicting a plump fairy carrying a broomstick from his frontline to his barracks. "...And use my Call Of The Deep spell to summon my Cave Salamander."

The boy plucked a card from his hand, placing it face up opposite Liam's Hydra. On it was a fat looking newt with white, sightless eyes. Arthur smirked. The Cave Salamander wasn't a very strong monster, but it had the unique ability to ignore an enemy's attack boosts- meaning the Hydra had it's health whittled down for nothing. "Kay." the pilow-headed boy said quietly. "Your move."


"Wow... That is impressive..."

Juniper eyes were fixated on a student sitting in the back of the classroom, ignoring the portly man's attempts to impress her. She bit her lower lip. The woman had sensed the potential as soon as she stepped through the door, of course- there was just so much of it that pinpointing it's source had proven challenging. She'd initially assumed it'd be nothing more than a group of mildly talented students bunched together, but to think it was all coming from a single boy...

"Edwin..." Juniper said hungrily, pointing in the child's direction. "I want to see you play against that boy."

"Its Elwin.

"And him? He's just a kid. We've played a lot. It would be boring to watch" They had only played once and Arthur beat Elwin handily. Of course he was rich and could afford better cards. Also if Elwin had gotten out his deepfisher mermaid he would have won. "But fine I guess. Hey, Arthur! Play me." He called out.

Skugg screeched angrily. "That is the third time this filthy cunt has gotten your name wrong? What is wrong with you? Look at her. Do you really even think she- and you always lose to him why the pissing hell are you just doing what she says?" The rodent swished its tale in exasperation, sinking its teeth into a nearby goblet. "

***

Liam had kept a number of spell cards on hand he'd use to get rid of the salamander, but they'd been exhausted against other threats Arthur kept on hand. Minutes filled with sharp sighs and eyerolls went by as Arthur seemed to have an answer for nearly every spell he tried to remove the salamander. "How did you get so many-" Liam huffed, only to be interrupted by Elwin. He gave the pudgy man a glare for interrupting. "Sorry. Play him if you want. I think I'm just dragging this out."

"That was amazing!" the Duhjari boy grinned. "Think your deck can counter almost anything! Totally wasn't expecting the cave salamander. But you know how Liam is - he always has to use that dumb hydra."

Arthur sat up on his knees, adjusting his hat as the Salamander weathered each attack the Hydra dealt out. It woildn't be long until the game was over- he just just had to wait for Liam's deck to run out of spell cards, and victory would be his!


The pillow-headed boy blinked, turning his head to see Elwin standing a few feet away. A creepy looking girl stood by his side, staring at Arthur uncomfortably. He squinted- she looked familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd seen her before. He shrugged to himself, as if deciding that it wasn't worth the effort to try and remember. "Hm? Oh. Well right now I'm in a duel with-?"

Arthur looked back at Liam, puffing out his cheeks. "Oh. Well, yeah. I guess you're right..." He gathered up his cards, shuffling them. "Good game Liam..."

The boy put his deck to the side, rummaging through his schoolbag. Finally procuring a second stack of cards, he slowly stood up and turned to face Elwin. "I came up with a new deck yesterday." he said, trying to ignore the strange woman's gaze. "Hope you don't mind, I've been wanting to try it out...

"Yeah. Good game..." Liam said glumly and forced a smile, fumbling with the cards as Kana tried to help him put the deck away. A tiny crowd of the students ceased their game and meandered beside Arthur to Elwin's table.

"Oh, um, well-" Elwin's mind raced, as fast as it could at least. He built an entire deck to counter the one Arthur usually used. All winged monster girls to avoid his traps! Of course he was afraid of it not working, and never actually played him to avoid humiliation. "B-but what about your signature deck? You always use it... I really think you should."

The apprentice cast look to juniper, as if the the girl's support meant everything. She was tall, pretty, and intimidating anyway.

"Erm..."

Arthur's eyes drooped, shoulders slumped. Elwin was the pushy sort, rarely letting go of trivial issues like this without conflict. Was testing his new deck really worth the inevitable whining? The boy sighed in resignation, reaching for his bag once more. "Alright..." he murmured. "I guess that's-"

"No."

Arthur flinched as the newcomer inturrupted him, accidentially biting his tongue in surprise. The girl's voice had an unnerving, almost musical resonance- like an orchestra that had a few instruments out of tune. He glanced upwards, immediately looking back at his deck upon meeting her gaze. "Use your new deck." she warbled, giving the boy the uncomfortable feeling that he didn't really have a say in the matter. "I want to see it."

The boy gripped his cards to his chest, a shiver running down his spine. "...Kay..." he murmured finally, hastily shuffing the deck and laying it face down on the table. "Um, Elwin, you can go first..."

"Are you sure? I made this just for his deck. Not fair to just change it.

"Some of us don't have silver spoons like the Clearwaters, you know, and can't always be buying new cards." Of course the Stormbane family had some notable mineral wealth along the Adelan border, but what about all those other children who didn't? Elwin gave Juniper a crooked smile, searching for any sign of sympathy. He helped her out with Nettlefield! Why wasn't she making it easy? Something in the girl's expression - her sharp voice - made him flinch. "Fine, I-I guess..."

"Fattened... Orratilla!" With a showman-like flick of his wrist, and a wink to Juniper, Elwin placed down the hexagonal card. It showed one of the rodents snoozing in a wooden cage, fur glistening in the sun.

***

Kana-Liam scrambled atop a desk to watch, left leg kicking to and fro with impatience. "Stop! So annoying!" Kana clamped a calloused hand on their knee. He hated fidgeting. "Sorry. Thinking about Susie aren't you?" A smirk crossed his face. He knew this for several reasons.

"Wasn't she coming?" It had been thirty minutes. Had he upset her? Her marks on that exam? Eleven out of fifteen was just passing. Maybe he should not have brought attention to it.

"Maybe she didn't feel like it?" Kana shrugged. They'd stuck close to Susie since she arrived at Wyrdwood, and even if she was nervous as a mouse he liked her a lot. But Liam's buzzing around her was annoying. What was so wrong with spending time together that the girl always needed to be involved?

"Come on Elwin! The whole point is to keep people guessing what you're going to do!"

Arthur grimaced- Elwin was being difficult, as he'd predicted. If it was going to cause this much trouble, it'd be better to just use his old deck like he'd planned. He began to reach for his bag, but a glance from the woman cause him to freeze in his tracks. The boy's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly sat back up. Elwin seemed to have gotten the memo as well, and drew his first card...

Huh. Well, Fattened Orratilla was an... interesting choice of leads, certainly. The boy's mind raced as he tried to determine what kind of strategy he was up against. If Elwin's deck had indeed been made to counter Arthur's old one, than that meant it'd either need to rely on powerful wallbreakers, or employ some sort of gimmick. The card in play suggested the latter, which meant Arthur would need to choose his moves carefully so as not to inadvertantly fulfill Elwin's win condition. Yawning softly, the pillow-headed child chose a card depicting a heavily armored walnut from his hand and set it down on the table. "M'kay. I summon my Seed of Yggdrasil..."


Susie rushed down the hall, bag clutched tightly to her chest. Professor Ferch-Rhys didn't need to have kept her that long, did she? The girl's face flushed in embarressment. Hopefully Kana wasn't worried...

A sour frown of consernation crossed Elwin's jowly face. Seed of Yggdrasil? Why? It was pretty useless outside a strong defense. "I could probably just make Oratilla use Grind to lower its defense and kill it. But I really want to show the Lady how my deck works. I don't want to ruin the spirit of it.

"I use Bait to bring in Bloodfeather Queen with added health." He flicked the card off the field, lazily, placing down the Bloodfeather Queen in all her glory. Black feathers tipped in red, luxurious thighs ending in sharp talons, and a little silk corset. "I really love the artwork on this. There's just so much soul in it, you know?"

Kana snorted in annoyance at the playing card. He never understood why so many boys liked the Dreadful Damsels set. "Its not that pretty. She's all gangly and flabby. Looks like a vulture." His expression faltered soon as he said it, eyes darting around in search of some flicker of support. Pissing off Elwin was not a good idea.

***

As Susie rounded a bend a taller figure, in the azure robes of a Magister, was rounding the bend. The girl ploughed into him. "BAH!" there was a scream of rage and, in a split second, a globe of ice and frost enveloped the figure -- blasting everything else away.

"What mushheaded nonsense are you rushing off to, girl? Hm? Not important enough, not yet, to be tearing about the school. Got to earn that." Icy blue eyes locked onto the meek first-year.

"Art's okay, I guess..."

So that's what the Orratilla was for. Arthur gazed at Elwin's card, face turning a bit pink. He'd always been conflicted on the Dreadful Damsels expansion. On one hand, none of the cards were particularly useful from a competitive standpoint, the best ones being generic wallbreakers that were easily outclassed by other monsters. On the other hand, the girl on his Jenny Green-Teeth card was really cute...


Arthur glanced upwards to find that the creepy girl was still staring at him. A shiver ran down his spine, and his gaze returned to his hand. "...Kay. I forfeit my Seed's attacking turn to use Fae Fen." He placed a terrain card with an illustration of a gloomy swamp onto the table. As long as it was in play, monsters on both sides of the field would regain a small amount of hitpoints each turn...


"Eep!"

Susie had collided with somebody, an was immediately sent tumbling backwards by a blast of frost magic. Slowly pushing herself up, she looked up to see Magister Maergath towering over her. "I- I- I'm sorry!" she squeaked, shivering from the cold. A fine dusting of snow had coated the hall, and there were a few icicles clinging to her robe. "I-I had to talk to- and, and I need to get to the club, and-"

The girl stared wide-eyed at the magister, praying he understood. "And- and it won't happen again!"

"Regeneration won't outpace my harpy even with strong defense! That was stupid." Elwin snorted, looking to Juniper as if the girl might laugh along with him. Of course he found her icy stare fixed on Arthur. Why? He was intelligent and kind and had been nothing but nice! He knit his jowly face into a frown; one way or another she would see. "Keeping in mind she is nourished by the Fattened Orratilla, my Bloodfeather Harpy attacks your seed!" He slammed his hand on the table for emphasis.

***

His expression softened at the girl who was shaking uncontrollably. "You're telling me it won't happen again because you think that is what I want to hear, or because you've weighed the risks and benefits in your mind?

"The very first rule of wizardry is you need to be careful. Magic is prediction. Control. Arriving two minutes early at the risk of tripping down a flight of stairs? Careening into some poor alchemy student? Impaled on a gargoyle?" He took a step forward, leg clanking on the floor. He grunted in annoyance. Unfortunate. Some droopling imbecile watching might think his ranting drawn from jealousy and ravages of age.

"...Kay."

Arthur puffed out his cheeks, doing the math in his head. If the Bloodfeather had an attack stat of 90, plus the extra 30 from sacrificing the Orratilla, then matched up against the Seed's base 100 defence and 70 hitpoints, then the total damage dealt was...

"That does twenty." the boy murmured. "Ten after regen." He put a damage counter on the card, then looked at his hand. "Kay. I summon Matango to the field... flank position."

Arthur placed a new monster on the table, positioning the card next to his first one. Depicted on it was a bipedal mushroom with a pout on it's face, sitting in a cloud of it's own spores. He'd take a penalty for doing so- spell cards couldn't be used when two monsters fought side by side, and he'd still only be able to have one monster attack per-round. Matango itself was not a strong monster, save for an admittedly enormous amount of hitpoints. With no offensive power to speak of, all it could do was...

"And he'll use... Anger Spore." Arthur said quietly. "You'll have to attack him next turn instead of Seed."


Susie flushed bright red at the Magister's comment, feeling incredibly embarressed. She had thought it was what he'd like to hear, but apparently it hadn't been the best response...

"R-right..." she stammered, slowly standing back up. "T-thank you for the advice, sir..."

"How much did your father pay for that?" It was a rare card from an older set. The entire thing made him bristle, though, as his harpy was meant to finish the thing off in one blow! "It doesn't matter because it can't do anything to her. Fine. Bloodfeather Harpy hits Matango with one-twenty attack.

"And I play Emerald Hive Queen. She's named after, uh, some jungle wasp. See?" Elwin was positively giddy to show juniper the design, wafting it uncomfortably close to her face. The card showed a woman dressed in green chitinous armor, with gossamer wings, and an insectoid abdomen, tipped with a stinger, extended from her backside. She was drawn straddling some poor young adventurer and driving the barb into his belly. In her defense he seemed excited about being stung but it was this sort of 'art' that made the Dreadful Damels notorious.

***

"You're off to what then? Some little social club?" Maergath scoffed. "Run along then.

"Unless you want to show me you've actually learned something about caution and anticipation? A little test. That imbecilic girl who calls herself your patron is rather one-track when it comes to your development. Quite a pity." He arched a graying brow. Most students would run away from a Magister's microscope. Or, worse yet, be entirely apathetic like that melon-headed Clearwater boy. Only the runts with something to prove were worth his trouble.

"Oh, go fuck yourself..."

"I got it from Obedience, actually." Arthur said pointedly, eyes narrowing. "Traded my Primal Tarrasque for it." The boy clenched his teeth, hands balling into fists. Elwin's comment had struck a nerve- his father had never approved of his hobby, and the thought of him ever buying his son cards was laughable...

The boy hardly reacted to Elwin's second card, focusing instead on adding up the damage Matango would take this turn. At this stage, it really didn't matter what monsters the older boy had in play. Sighing, he placed a number of damage tokens equal to about half of the mushroom's total hitpoints next to the card. He also removed the last token from his Seed- his enviroment card would restore it to full heath this turn. "...Kay." he said. "Seed will use his signature move, Fortify. He'll take no damage from attacks next turn." Arthur glanced upwards, then back at his cards. The woman was still staring at him. "...And, uh, Matango will use Aromatic Spore. That heals thirty..."


"I-imbecillic? But... She's not..."

Susie stared at the man, looking as if she'd just been slapped in the face. The girl was used to people making jabs at her own quirks, or at her family's lack of means, but almost never at her patron. She wasn't sure why the comment stung as much as it did, but it was enough to make her angry.

Very, very angry.

"You aren't going to take that, are you?" a voice in her head whispered. "He asked to see. I say you show him."

"I... I have been learning!" Susie finally said, voice shaking with rage. "I've been learning a whole lot!" She extended her arms, pointing her hands at the floor. Squeezing her eyes shut, she began to visualize what she wanted to make. She'd never done anything more complicated than a pyramid before, but it couldn't be an ordinary shape this time- it had to be more impressive than that. At a loss for ideas, she thought back to what she'd wanted to be before being accepted to Wyrdwood...

A gritty, hissing sound echoed through the hall - similat the noise sand makes when being poured out of a bucket. Opening her eyes, Susie's heart skipped a beat. Sitting between her and the Magister was a small recreation of Wyrdwood Castle, about two feet tall. While still only made of the white material she knew how to conjure, most of the minute details of the building were present- the towers, the arches, the pillars. There were even tiny gargoyles lining the roof...

The redhead stared breathlessly at her creation, anger fading as she admired what she'd made. "See?" she asked, beginning to get excited. "I told you!"

"See the healing is pointless. My Queen Bee is going to do Toxic Kiss on Matango." Elwin plucked a green marble from a pile and placed it stop the fungus. It represented poison; a persistent damage effect. "And my Beautiful Bloodfather attacks with Talons for another one twenty. So that's one thirty to your Matango. How much health didnir have again?" A smug smile crossed his double-double-chinned face.

"Not sure Primordial Tarrasque is really a good trade for that thing. It's rare and from an older set. But Tarrasque has a massive statline." Juniper was watching that boy again instead of paying attention. His heart was pounding. It was now or never. Gently, his sweaty hand slid across the table and rested on her's, to redirect her attention toward the game, to his little victory.

***

Maergath snorted with surprise at the display of magic. Unusual. More to the girl than expected, even, but this was how you brought it out. Heavy silence hung in the air as the wizard regarded her creation, searching for just the right reply. "I did not think pre-Di'Veerian third age castle construction was part of our curriculum."

He reached for a vial at his belt, coating his hands in an inky black oil, and moved to inspect it. The tiniest ghost of a smirk crossed the Magister's face at the sight of the gargoyles. Three horns; two curved and a straight crest. "Fair eye. Did you memorize it or call the image to your mind?

"And this material. Not ice, stone, or wood." A black hand tugged at one of the tower, testing its strength.

Arthur looked on as Elwin piled the damage counters onto Matango, face expressionless. When the older student had finished, the boy gave him a wide grin. "'Kay. So Matango goes down, but since Faefen's effect is still in play, that means that Seed is being healed while at full health, so...."

Just then, without so much as a glace in Elwin's direction, the strange woman dug her fingernails into the portly man's hand. Arthur cowered back in his chair, the card he was about to play clutched to his chest. "Bounderies." the girl hissed softly, eyes still fixated on the pillow-headed child. "Respect them."


"M-memorized it, sir..."

The newly-formed sculpture was light, and the strength of Maergath's arm was enough to slide it a few inches towards him. Susie winced at the sight, silently praying the model wouldn't fall apart then and there. "I... I really wanted to be an archetect before..." She shook her head violently- she'd gone back to stuttering again. "Before I came to Wyrdwood." she finished, trying her hardest to channel the confidence she'd had moments earlier. "I've read a lot of books on how castles were designed in the third and second ages, so it, um, came naturally..."

"Ah- AH!" the color drained from Elwin's face. He was pale and trembling Why was she doing? "I just- I thought since we helped eachother out today-" The portly young man tried to put aside his sulking. It wasn't her fault. Enough stories and songs about charming princes and girls just think that's the way to go.

He just had to show her.

"So my bloodfeather and queen bee both attack Matango. Bloodfeather is satiated-" It had not occurred to Elwin that Arthur was not done.

***

"Pity more of our students don't have an interest in creating something." An eiditic memory was an amusing trick. Useful for learning, at times, but at most an amusing aberration. 

"Light material." The wizard pulled at one of the spires, producing a knife to cut one off. His golden eye flickered to Susie, rattling off questions before doing taking a sample. "Your aspirations aside what does this materia you created do?  What are the properties? Tensile strength? Ley conductivity?"

Arthur's locked eyes with the young woman for a brief moment, then immediately shifted his gaze to the card he was holding. There was something wrong with her eyes, but he could quite place it. They were.... empty? No, there was something there, but what?

Elwin's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, causing the boy to jump. "Wait! My turn isn't finished yet." He put the card he'd been holding face down onto his active monster. "Since Seed recieved healing energy while at full health, that mean's he's ready to germinate." he said matter-of-factly. "I summon Yggdrasil to the arena.

Arthur flipped the card over, revealing artwork that depicted a gigantic ent bursting forth from a mountain. Moss covered hills still covered the creatures back, rivers falling off it's body like waterfalls. The monster's stat's were ludicrously high, of course- some of the strongest in the game. "So, I'll have him use his Root Rot attack. He's big, so he can target both your monsters at once."


"Well, it can..."

The redhead scrunched her face, thinking. Did it do anything? "It, um... Well, the thing is... What it does, is- hey, wait!"

Susie flinched as the Magister cut off a piece of the tower, sagging her shoulders in defeat. "I mean... please ask first next time..."

Elwin snorted in annoyance, an ugly snuffle. "How is this even allowed? Fine. My Queen Bee uses Sensual Sting to causes paralysis, that being a fifty percent chance not to act, and my satiated Bloodfeather hits with her claw. She's satiated." The portly apprentice was in a dour mood, nursing the scratch along the dorsum of his hand. 

***

"You cast the spell is cast here in the hall. I'd be remiss if I did not inspect it." The wizard popped a lens, bright green, into his right eye and squinted at the brittle material. "And if you did it once you can do it again.

"Now, what does it do?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "...'Kay." he mumbled, scratching his nose as he did the math in his head. "Subtract the defence, and... that only does twenty." He placed two small tokens on the card. "...And so I'll have him use his Take Root ability. That lets him heal thirty each turn at the cost of being unable to retreat..."

The boy looked up at Elwin expectantly. There was nothing the older student could do at this stage of the game- it would just keep going until Arthur won by attrition. "Guess that's it. Good game, man."


"Um...."

Susie stared at the professor blankly, unsure of how to answer. Would se be able to do it again? "It... doesn't do anything, I think..." The girl looked down at her feet, beginning to feel rather silly. "It... it just kinda exists now."

Elwin frowned as he went over the tally in his head. The numbers were just too low; there was no way his girls would win. With a sneer he slammed his hand down on the table. "Fine. You win, with a card no one else could possibly get." None of it was fair at all. Arthur ruined everything with Juniper. It was such bullshit.

"Anyway, I didn't mean to waste your time with this. I guess Susie decided not to show up. Why don't I help you find her?" he rose, with some difficulty given his carriage, and extended his chubby hand to Juniper with a fluorish.

The gaggle of students, perched on desks, watched the outburst in uncomfortable silence. Seeing a grown man throw a temper tantrum and slam his fist was not pretty to watch. Elwin was still their better in some sense and few dared outright compliment Arthur on his victory. Liam rolled his eyes, murmuring just above a whisper. "He barely even tried. Or wasn't ready for healing. Its not like you can't do anything about it..."

"Yeah but did you see the look on his face!" He did not hide a gleeful snicker. They were seated a little behind Arthur and Kana had very little in the way of volume control.

***

"Now unless you intend to move this castle, here, back to your room I want more of the material. Low tensile strength and minimal elasticity, but its infusion capacity does make me wonder." The wizard prepared to slice off another chunk of the castle. "You know, I hope, what that measures? Otherwise you can go. Next time, make me something else."

Doesn't do anything. Was the girl ignorant, or had some idiot allowed emotion to cloud their judgment on the entrance exam? Yes, yes, some freckle-faced mousy little girl becoming a proper wizard would be very amusing, but would it ever really happen? Her memory seemed the main thing.

Arthur flinched, eyes widening at Elwin's reaction. It wasn't unusual for students to get huffy after losing, but this was a full-grown man! He hastily began to gather up his cards, until the feeling of a weight on his shoulder caused him to stop short. He glanced upwards, dreading what he might find...

Juniper had flit to the other side of the table, twirling gracefully before resting a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Sorry Edwin." she said coyly. "How does the saying go? To the victor goes the spoils?" The young woman stroked the top of the boy's hat, looking down at him posessively. "Here's an idea; why don't you go find her! I'm sure it will only take someone like you only a few short minutes..."

Arthur stayed silent, feeling much more like the spoils than he did the victor. His eyes glanced around the room, desperate to find a way out of this situation...


Susie took a step back, disappointment rising in her chest. She had wanted to bring the castle back with her, but the now-broken tower had sullied it for her. "Um... It means it can be enchanted, I think." she said, taking a deep breath. "You.. you can keep it." Tenatively she took a few steps forwards. "I'll, um, be on my way now. Thank you for your time, Magister."

If she wasn't stopped, Susie would begin down the hall once more- this time at a slower pace. "I hope I haven't missed Kana..." she thought, the image of her crush pushing her to move a bit faster. "What if he thinks I wasn't interested after all? What if he's already left?"

Already forgetting what'd just gotten her into trouble, Susie began to run down the halls once more...

Elwin was utterly furious she spurned him for that stupid kid. After he'd been so gods-damned helpful! Still, there was something in her voice that made the portly youth perk up. Maybe just maybe he could redeem himself. Prove he was the better man. "Well, Arthur's the junior student, why don't we send him and-

"And I'll go find her straight away. Don't you worry." Straightening his robes, Elwin lumbered to the door and out into the halls.

There was an afternoon lull between classes and dinner. A few students, uniforms askew, neckties undone, lounged in the parlors trading in gossip. A few of the smaller ones nearly bounded into him and were warned off by an angry glower. Elwin had gained a reputation for humiliating pupils in the fewer lower form classes he'd helped teach. That, and he was big. Now where the hells was Susie? Juniper had mentioned her last class was in black magic. He descended a stairwell to a row of cramped old rooms below the Lyceum. As he did so he heard a patter of feet below the stairwell as a tiny figure went barreling into him.

"Susie! There you are! Lady Whitechalk is looking for you!" A pudgy hand reached out to corral the girl and usher her along. "Even if you do need to stay after for extra help you can't keep your sponsors waiting. She's in charge, you know."

The portly apprentice tried to argue, but a harsh look from Juniper was enough to send him on his way. There was a moment of silence, which quickly subsided as the surrounding students went back to their own games. As the low hum of chatter filled the room one more, the noblewoman looked down at her prize. The boy squirmed in her grip, his golden eyes fixated on the door. "Uh, well that was a fun match, but I..."

"You said your name was Arthur, yes?" Juniper asked, ignoring his attempt at excusing himself. All boys behaved this way at first, Juniper had learned. Much easier to keep them in one place where they couldn't scurry away. The noblewoman leaned in close, as if to observe him. "You look familiar... what family are you from?"

The student met her eyes briefly. "C-Clearwater." he stammered, trying once againg to shake free of Juniper's grip. "M-my dad is the High Justicier..."

Juniper's smile faltered. "I see..." She loosened her hold on the boy slightly, eyes growing cold. She had heard the news about this one, of course- nearly everyone in the province had. She had assumed his betrothal to the surviving Feyal was simply politics, but if he had this much potential...

Well. That would cause problems, wouldn't it?


Susie yelped as she once again crashed into somebody, barely having any time to react before she was being ushered along down the hall. "I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked, cheeks flushed. "I-"

"Lady Whitechalk is looking for me?"

The girl's heart nearly stopped. "M-Mistress Whitechalk is h-here? Now?" she stammered, looking around wildly. "I-I never got a letter or-- or..."

"What if she's mad at me? What if the headmistress told her about me copying Kana's notes? Will she stop paying for my tuition? Will I have to go home?"

A chill ran down the redhead's spine, and her eyes began to water. "She- she's not upset or anything, right..?

"What's she doing?" Kana whispered, shooting Juniper an odd look. It made him uneasy. Arthur was too old to be fawned over the way a woman might a child, but surely too young for a woman to want him. The female sex had always confused him.

"What?"

"I don't know? Its weird." Kana squirmed.

"Thinks he's cute, I suppose." Liam canted his head. His other half could be so sensitive.

***

Elwin pursed his lips angrily. That did explain why Juniper had been so short with him, right? The poor girl was just worried and anxious. It was a chance for him to put everything right!
"Well she is a little mad." Elwin warned. This stupid, stuttering, imbecilic peasant girl had ruined his day and time with Juniper; he had every intention of letting her know it. "Its a good thing I've found you. Just what were you doing anyway?"

"She- she is?" Susie sputtered, panic overtaking her. She'd wasted too much time! Would Juniper yell at her? Would she tell her parents about Susie's misbehavior? "I- I was just talking to- I mean, I was stopped, and..."

It'd only taken a few minutes to reach their destination, and soon Susie was standing in front of recreation room. Taking a deep breath, the girl hesitated for a moment before slowly pushing open the door and peeking inside. The room was full of students playing Monster Mash, all of whom seemed to be having much more fun than than she was. Kana and Liam were playing with weird boy with the pillow hat, and for a brief moment Susie thought she'd been led to the wrong room- until she spotted her patron hovering over them. "He's the Justicier's son, isn't he?" she realized, slinking quietly through the door. "They're probably discussing nobility stuff..." Meekly making her way to where they were standing, Susie cleared her throat. "Um... Mistress Whitechalk?"

Juniper's head turned at the sound of the redhead's voice, face brightening considerably. Immediately she shooed away the Clearwater boy, who quickly scambled away. After staring at her for a few moments, the teenager moved floatily towards the girl and locked her in a tight embrace. "Susie!" she cooed gently. "It's good to see you!"

"Um- ah, hello!" Susie squeaked, feeling rather uncomfortable. She hesitated, then reciprocated the hug awkwardly. "You... You aren't mad at me?"

The noblewoman pulled away, a curious expression on her face. "Of course not, dear." she said flatly. She suddenly ran her fingers down Susie's hair, her head tilted to the side as she tugged at the child's ponytail. "You changed your hair."

"Ow! I- I mean, yeah." The girl winced, shifting uncomfortably. "Is... is that okay? Do- do you want me to change it back?"

Juniper merely shrugged in response. "Dunno. Come on, it's too crowded here for my liking." Susie flinched as her patron took her by the shoulder and begun lead her back out the door. The noblewoman seemed to make a point of ignoring the apprentice who'd brought her there, steering Susie past him without so much as a glance...


"Ex... Extra work?"

Susie stared at her patron, mouth agape. The two had settled in the outer courtyard, a dusting of snow falling gently around them. "But... but, I had gotten into a routine!" she whined, balling her fists in frustration. She could barely finish her homework as it was!

Juniper pursed her lips slightly. "Susie, I don't want to hear any buts. If you want to reach your fullest potential, you must push yourself."

"But- but I do-"

"Susie! What did I just say?"

The redhead went quiet, looking as if she was about to cry. "No buts." she said said softly, voice barely audible above the sound of snowfall. "A-Alright. I guess I can try..."

Juniper smiled. "There's a good girl. You'll do wonderfully- I have faith in you." The teenager put a finger on her chin, putting on a mock expression of wonder. "Now... Why don't you show me that trick you do with the dust? I bet you've gotten much better at it since the last time I saw you."

Susie froze- both because of nerves, and the fact that her school robe didn't offer much protection from the elements. It should be simple to show her, right? She had just made a huge leap of pregress, but what if Juniper was only interested in the dust part? Would she be disappointed of it wasn't the same as before? "Um, well, the trick is different no-"

"Show me!"

The young woman bit her lip impatiently, and Susie folded. Drawing her wand from her pocket, she pointed it at the ground and did her best to imagine her house back in Altas Verde...

There was a sound like static electricity, and a small model house materialized in the snow. It was smaller than the castle, and a bit shakier- as if it'd been assembled by somebody with a shaky hand. Juniper stared at the girl's creation intently, like a cat who'd just caught a particularly fat mouse. "That's perfect." she said breathily, squeezing the redhead's shoulder gently. "Very good job."

Susie breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness." she said, relaxing her shoulders. She scooped the model up in her arms, brushing the snow off the bottom. "I didn't know if you'd like it..."

The noblewoman smiled. "Of course I like it. You needn't worry yourself like that." She stretched her arms, snow gently falling off her shoulders. "Come on, I'll take you to dinner."

"...At the Centra Hall?"

Juniper furrowed her brow, a strange grin plastered onto her face. Taking Susie by the hand, she would lead the girl towards the outer gates. "No, child. At the inn I'm lodging at. Fiorina's a wonderful cook, so long as you can get her to turn on the stove."

"Are- are you sure this is okay?" Susie asked nervously. "I won't get in trouble?"

"You'll be back before school curfew." Juniper assured her. "You know... I may have a gift waiting there for you."

Susie's face perked up, and together the two made their out the school gate and towards Juniper's carriage...