by Jillian Keep
“Luka. Find what’s keeping me in here.”
The diligent familiar went to the task, and she watched as he snuffled about the room, seeming to pinpoint one place, then another. And another.
It wasn't until he had found several such points of interest that he yipped and turned to her, giving that subtle sign of affirmation that a job was complete.
She went to the last one he’d found, her hand moving behind his ears before she knelt to inspect it. A little security system. It made sense there’d be multiple points, she supposed, though she had no real knowledge of these things. “Good boy,” she purred, stroking him tenderly.
The shimmering fox nuzzled against her arm and hand, the creature so closely linked to her own soul it craved her affection and approval it seemed, eagerly twining itself up against her ribcage.
She still didn’t quite know what to do, to get rid of those invisible spots that kept him trapped.
For all others’ talks of cleverness, there were times she felt like she couldn’t be more daft.
Varuj had taught her how to command the fox in many various tasks, how to retrieve things for her, how to change its shape so that it could better perform certain duties. He had told her the options were near limitless for her dear pet, and it’d help prove that by finding the wards so effectively.
Luka raised its front paws onto her knees and brushed its nose up against her collarbone trying to get her attention.
It occurred to her then.
“Remove the wards, Luka,” to which the fox immediately yipped and bounced down from her lap.
It was a curious sight then. The familiar sat in the middle of the floor and before her very eyes seemed to begin to unravel. The strands of light coming apart as he swirled and increased in size, but not density. She could feel the magic all around her, Luka versus the academy’s defenses.
It swayed and shifted, but only barely. The wards were strong for the poor fox, and she could sense it wouldn’t be a short or easy struggle.
As she waited and watched, it occurred to her that it would be awhile yet before Varuj rejoined her.
Chapter 23
The morning was going slowly. Firia was anxious to know when the seals would be broken and Varuj could return, but her obligations to study were unavoidable. She couldn’t let anything interfere with that: not her tiredness, or her confused feelings from a night of curious dreams. Though as the elderly wizard demonstrated at the front of the class for them, one thing that began to draw her attention was the feeling of being watched.
She drew her focus from the lesson for a moment and caught Bran, a row ahead of her and to her right, watching her with as much rapt attention as she gave her lessons. Unlike Mae’lin, however, he didn’t look away shyly, or appear embarrassed. He smiled to her, confidently, the expression standing out amongst a sea of elves. He was, after all, the only one like herself she ever saw on a regular basis.
Her brows raised at him curiously, not sure what to make of it before she turned back to the teacher. Still her skin prickled with the sensation and she let her dark hair partially shield her face as she tried to take her notes.
It was hard concentrating, knowing you were being watched. It was an odd sensation of being out of control, of awareness of just how visible she was, and it made her heart race.
Once the class ended, Bran met her as she exited the room. He was a big man, not quite so tall as Mae’lin, but a bit broader, as human’s normally were. “You never let anything pass you by without studying and absorbing it, do you?” he remarked as they walked, a smile on his face as he looked to her.
“I try not to,” she agreed, her lips turned up gently as she glanced to him. “I can’t imagine it’s that interesting to watch.”
He was very different from Mae’lin, he didn’t flush or shirk her looks. He seemed to embrace her attempt to embarrass him. “You’re the only other human I get to see regularly,” he remarked. “And you’re very special. You’d have to be to get in here, after all. So that means we have some major things in common,” he pushed open a door for her in a gentlemanly sort of fashion, leading out into the sunny day outside.
She laughed lightly. “Well that must mean you think you’re pretty special too. They couldn’t wait to get you enrolled, after all.”
With his chin up he moved back beside her as they went. “I am,” he remarked with full confidence. “Like I said, we’re both very special. If we weren’t, how could we have gotten here, huh?” He brushed his arm up beside hers, walking so closely beside her as they went. “It makes sense to stick together. Two magically-inclined humans, with the ability to show up elves much older than us. That’s noteworthy.”
She was partially just glad he wasn’t holding it against her that she’d been so bitter about him at first and so gave a quick nod. “Well yea. Though if I don’t study my ass off, well… they’ll have no trouble getting rid of just another stupid human who couldn’t make the cut, I’m sure.”
With a derisive sneer Bran looked off ahead for a moment. “Well we won’t let that happen, will we?” he remarked so firmly. “Firia,” he said looking to her as he took her arm and pulled them both to a stop. “We should make an alliance. You and me, sticking through this together. I can help you,” he stated, looking at her with his confident gaze. “Ala’nase said you don’t have the kind of formal training the rest of us do. So I could give you a boost while we’re at it.”
She bit her lower lip, her eyes narrowing a bit. “Ala’nase was talking to you about me?” It wasn’t like it had been confidential, but still she was embarrassed that anyone knew she was struggling, let alone having it talked about behind her back.
With a nod he said, “I asked her why you were spending so much time with that elf, Mae’lin. She assured me it was just to try and catch up.” He smiled confidently and reached out, taking her arm by the wrist and lifting it gently. “Meet with me at lunch. I know a quiet place off behind the library. I can help you a bit,” he said with such calm authority.
She stared up at him, scrutinizing his face as she thought it over. She was so far behind, but her pride was holding her back. Making her want to not admit to her struggles.
“Mae’lin and I usually study during lunch,” she shrugged.
“But what can he teach you that I can’t?” he remarked with a raised brow, sliding his fingers down to her palm, holding her hand. “There’s no way he can understand what it’s like for one of us.” He bent down and kissed the back of her hand in a gentlemanly fashion. “I’ll see you behind the library, Firia,” he said with a confident smile, turning and heading off.
She sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She shouldn’t be so ungrateful to people willing to help, she reminded herself, but it was still no less embarrassing.
At least she’d be able to teach Mae’lin whatever Bran taught her.
Chapter 24
With the first exam of the semester fast approaching, Firia couldn’t afford to turn down help. Especially since she didn’t know whether Varuj could be freed in time.
So as planned, she went to the back of the library as instructed by Bran. There was nothing of note there, just a few bushes and trees near the wall. Was it truly where he wished to meet?
When her classmate emerged from betwixt the bushes he gestured for her to follow before vanishing back between.
It was one of the most curious sights she’d seen in a while, and she’d been at a magical academy for some time.
Following after him, instead of the strange little hidey-hole on the other side of the bushes she’d expected to find, she instead found herself standing in a beautiful grove, at the heart of a lush forest. Flowers everywhere, birds chirping and…
“Welcome,” came Bran’s voice, as he stood by a lovely little picnic setup. Blanket and basket at his feet, a great assortment of food ready for her.
Firia was impressed, she had to admit. Her smile spread across her cheeks as she placed her books down atop th
e blanket, shrugging her bag off after it. “Alright, this seems a little more than what I figured for some homework help,” she grinned.
“It’s a nice time together with the only other human you know anymore,” he said with a cheerful smile, gesturing to the blanket. “I figured if I could share this secret with anyone, it’d be you, Firia.”
“Well, thanks,” she said as she sat down, crossing her legs beneath her heavy robe. She’d been fretting about it all morning, about what he knew. About how much she could admit to him. Everyone kept saying she was so special, but coming here had made her feel anything but. She was struggling just to understand things that the other students had been taught since they were kids.
“I mean, it is really nice here. How’d you find it?”
Seating himself beside her, he laid out the offered food. “I knew where to look,” he said with a wry grin. “Though, might I add, you look lovely today, Firia,” he remarked with a confident smile as he looked to her.
Unlike those she grew up with, Bran had a certain air of formality about him, something that seemed to come from training, or at least practice.
She suppressed a self-disparaging laugh, pulling her book into her lap and opening it up, even as she looked to the food with interest. She was surprised how much her appetite had grown since being surrounded by food. She still couldn’t eat a lot at once, but she felt like she was constantly chewing something.
“You really went all out.” She ignored his complement entirely, seeing it as just another nicety.
“It’s nothing,” he remarked without hesitation, beginning to snack. “Fortunately I had the apprenticeship of a magician before I came to the academy. It helped prepare me for the trials we face now. And as you know, our kind need all the help we can get, or else those elvish bastards will never let us live it down.” He gave her a broad grin.
Her shoulders softened and she nodded gently. “How’d you manage to get that?” It was so beyond her reach growing up she’d never even considered it an option.
“A wizard took interest in me when I was young, I was told. So tutoring was covered for me, and I was placed in a magical immersion program. I was surrounded by elves, but everyone except us children were magicians of a sort. You can pick up a lot that way.”
“I can only imagine.” It sounded amazing, and she felt that dark jealousy turn in her stomach. He tried to act like they were the same, that they had to stick together, but she had far more in common with Mae’lin in that regards. Bran was just as pampered as the other elves, and the envy made her squirm.
They ate in quiet until Bran finally broke the silence. “You’re still learning the arcane syllabary I see?” he asked, indicating her book.
“Uh…” she glanced down and felt her face redden. “Yea. It wasn’t taught to me. Obviously, or I wouldn’t be learning it now,” she replied, flustered.
Bran looked a little surprised but then took her notepad from her and studied it. “Aha, here,” he said, taking hold of her pen then correcting something. “I know technically it means ‘consume,’ but in practice it really means destroy. It’s an important distinction,” he said with a genuine smile. “I can help you learn this. It’s like a second language to me now.”
She studied the letter, pursing her lips to the side. “Well… good, because I’m pretty sure it needs to be a second language to me, like, last month. Or six months ago.” It was so frustrating how far behind she was, and she took a deep breath.
With a laugh he got up then shifted across to sit beside her, shoulder to shoulder. “Well, I don’t know if I can be that quick of a teacher, but… with some extra time and effort, I can get you there soon I think.” With his strong jaw jutted out, he gave her a confident smile. “Now let’s run through some practices,” he said.
He was speaking her language, and she nodded eagerly. If there was one thing she excelled at, it was studying. Still, she had a lot of years to catch up on.
Lunch was too short for her liking, but as they finished up he smiled to her, handing back her book. “Meet me again tonight. We’ll have a late dinner, just you and me,” he stated firmly. “We can squeeze in a nice bit of time together before curfew kicks in.”
She didn’t argue, just gave him a nod. She felt like she was making some headway at least, and it was better than the blind leading the blind. She couldn’t wait to show Mae’lin what she’d learned, and she smiled broadly at Bran. “Sure, alright.”
Bran put a hand on her shoulder and guided her out the exit. Before rounding the corner he smiled and said, “We’re in this together now. Remember that. I’ll help you, and together we’ll rise to the top of this place. The first human pairing to truly make a name for themselves in magic, that could be our future.” He gave her a broad smile and a wink as he headed off, “See you tonight.”
He really believed it. She let out a soft laugh of disbelief. Did his desire to see more humans represented in the Academy really mean that much to him? Still, it was quickly forgotten as she ran off to her next class, filled with excitement that she hadn’t felt in far too long.
Chapter 25
The final class of the day always ended up being so trying. Firia paired off with Ala’nase for the practice assignment, the immense court giving plenty of room for the pairs of young magicians to work.
“Be warned, I have some practice at this,” cautioned her friend as she held up her hands. The practice for the day was with telekinesis, and using it upon another sorceress. “It’s kind of like arm wrestling. We practice our strength against one another, except the goal isn’t to win here. The goal is to push ourselves as hard as we can without overpowering the other.”
Of course Ala’nase would have practice with this. It was getting so discouraging being surrounded by people who had so much more experience and knowledge than she. Part of her found it inspiring, the push she needed to keep trying so hard, but the other half of her was just getting so frustrated by what a gaping head start the others had.
Even Bran.
“Well… thanks for the heads up.”
“That’s what friends are for!” she said with a smile, just a moment before Firia felt the invisible pressure begin to build and she had to press back with the spell she had only just learned. And barely.
“Easy now,” cautioned the elf as she adjusted her own spell. “You’re a powerful sorceress, for you this’ll be about control, not force.”
Perhaps Firia was better than she realized at this.
She thought back to the competition with Mae’lin and felt a small rush of panic. She couldn’t control that, but now she had developed her skills. Gotten more training. Surely she could control herself – and the magic – better now.
Firia felt her own power radiate out in uneven waves, whereas Ala’nase’s was so controlled, directed. “I wish I had your talent for this,” explained the dark-skinned elf, exhaling a bit as they tested themselves against one another. “We’ll be in for a bruising once you’re caught up on the basic stuff,” she said with a playful smile.
Firia felt pride begin to well up inside her, the warmth flooding through her. Confidence slowly edged into her consciousness and she stood a bit taller. “Hopefully it won’t take too long to catch up on a lifetime of learning.”
With a sweet smile – that happened to twitch a bit at the corner from her struggle to keep up – Ala’nase said, “I could help, you know. I… would’ve offered sooner, but…” she laughed a bit awkwardly. “You’re such a promising sorceress, better than me, and I didn’t want to embarrass you.” She added on quickly, “Not that you should be!”
“What are you talking about? You don’t even need to pay attention in class. You’re always ahead of everything,” Firia retorted.
Ala’nase gave an awkward laugh, trying to carry on the conversation as they maintained their delicate balance. “Well that’s the thing. I know this stuff, but… that doesn’t mean I have the potential to use it as well as you do, Firia. There’s more
to sorcery than just memorizing instructions and spell patterns.”
“But without that, then they could have me reported as being dangerous.” She thought of her dad for a brief moment, wondering if he was still trapped in some jail cell. He’d helped her get to this place, and she wasn’t going to screw it up by being deemed a danger!
“I know,” replied the elf with a sigh. “That’s why I want to help you if you let me. I’d hate to lose my best friend, and have to go it alone at the academy day in, day out from now on. So what do you say? I can help you study. Heck, our rooms aren’t even far apart so there’s not much of a commute.”
“I’d like that.” She paused. “Hey Ala, are you any closer to figuring out how to break curfew?”
“I wish.” She grimaced. “That’s something that takes both finesse and power, I’m afraid. Apparently most students don’t manage to do that until year three. So it’s a long haul ahead for me I’m afraid,” she said with a sigh.
Firia’s nose crinkled. “That’s just cruel.” She didn’t really have that long to wait, so hopefully Luka would be able to… zoom past three years of intensive training and study. Varuj had given her such a head start, and she felt like she could really use another boost.
Though quickly she tried to push away the thought, for as soon as she was reminded of him, she started to turn red from the memory of the dream she had. It felt so real…
More than that, her powers had flared up and Ala’nase looked about to pass out in her effort to resist. “Firia!” she squeaked out as she wavered beneath her telekinetic assault.
Firia gasped, staring wide eyed at her friend. “Sorry, sorry!” She had to get control of her thoughts, and she took a deep breath before biting in her lip. “Are you okay?”
“How about we take a break?” she managed, and she looked about ready to pass out as they both released their magical tension. “Wow,” she said with a sigh, her chest heaving. “I need to help you get caught up just so you’re not a danger to me!” she said with a laugh, not aware of how close to home that joke struck until it was said. “S-sorry.”
