The Academy Volume One

by Maxine Mansfield

  The thought of the dragons and Uthiel’s lost love wiped the smile from Briar’s face. She knew she’d sacrifice just about anything in order to heal him.

  But what could she, a novice healer, possibly do that others before her hadn’t already tried and failed at? Deep in the recesses of her heart, Briar knew she must make an effort no matter what. Uthiel had willingly listened to her secret and taken care of her problem, and he’d done it with finesse.

  Could she do less for him? Certainly not.

  Briar sat up and looked around the large, darkened room where almost a dozen young women slept. The only light came from a sliver of moon illuminating the huge window on the far wall. The beds were spaced equally apart, every one identical and impersonal. The only other furnishings in the room were nightstands situated between each bed.

  Loneliness enveloped her. Briar needed someone to talk to or she was, without a doubt, going to burst from all the conflicting emotions flowing through her.

  She looked longingly to her left at the sleeping form of her friend, Alchemia, wondering if the woman would mind terribly being awakened.

  She and Briar had become friends from the first day of classes when one of the other girls had made a comment about Briar’s half-elf lineage not being pure enough to be in The Academy healing program. Alchemia, though barbarian and here for Mystic classes, had immediately jumped to Briar’s defense.

  Briar eased from her bed and scooted toward Alchemia. She whispered close to her friend’s ear, “Alch, are you awake?”

  Drowsy eyes fluttered open. “I am now, Briar. What’s up?”

  “I can’t sleep and wondered if you would mind talking for awhile.” Her friend yawned widely and guilt flowed through Briar. “I shouldn’t have wakened you though. I’m sorry. Forget it. Go back to sleep; it’ll keep ‘til tomorrow.”

  Alchemia rose to a sitting position and yawned again. “No need, I’m up now. Let’s slip out to the conservatory for a little privacy, so we don’t wake anyone else.”

  Arm in arm, and clad in long, warm, woolly gowns and fuzzy slippers, the pair headed out of the dormitory.

  They hadn’t taken more than ten steps before a blur of tumbling arms and legs ran headlong into them.

  Leeky Shortz glared up at the young women when he finally came to a stop. “What the snotty nose of a two-toed sloth with a drippy sinus infection are ya lasses doing here after lights out?”

  Briar had no idea what to say or do. Leeky looked pathetic sprawled as he was. His tunic was riding up above his pudgy little belly, and his entire face, including his overly large ears, shined a beet red.

  At least he didn’t have to worry about his package being exposed. His little gnome genitals were safely hidden from sight behind a pair of snow-white boxers with big red lips all over them, and the words Special Delivery written in black.

  Briar settled for trying to help The Academy’s handyman to his feet.

  Leeky, however, wasn’t in the mood to be helped. Instead, he swatted away Briar’s offered hand and stood on his own power. He placed both of his hands on his hips, and frowned. “Rules, rules, rules. There’s a reason for them, don’t ya know? They must be obeyed. Ya could give a gnome a heart seizure, sneaking about like this,” he scolded. “Unseemly, that’s what it is.”

  It was on the tip of Briar’s tongue to explain, when a bit of black lace sticking out of the top of Leeky’s shirt caught her eye. Leaning forward, she grasped the lace’s edge and yanked.

  Panties!

  And not just any panties, but a large, midnight-black lacy thong with thumbnail-sized obsidian sequins.

  “Whose are these?” Briar raised her eyebrows and smiled at the gnome. “They certainly can’t be yours, can they?”

  Leeky rose to his full, almost-four-foot height and snatched the panties back, stuffing them deep into an already bulging pocket.

  “Can’t a gnome do a bit of laundry without a busybody asking nosy questions these days? If ya must know, they happen ta be a souvenir from a lady. Not that it’s any of your concern, Miss Meddling-in-Somebody-Else’s-Business. Didn’t I tell ya I was a ladies’ man?” Leeky turned, muttered something to himself, and stomped away.

  Briar and Alchemia looked at one another, giggled, shrugged, and continued on their way.

  The conservatory was a huge room filled with soft, welcoming sofas patterned in rich, vibrant colors. Plants of all shapes and sizes adorned large and small pots, giving the room a homey feel. Floor-to-ceiling arched windows graced the entire back wall, framing a breathtaking view. The three moons of Albrath, each in a different phase, cast a gentle glow on the mossy ground outside. The majestic Mountains of Landis outlined the distant horizon.

  For a moment Briar’s breath caught in her chest, and tears stung her eyes. Just beyond those mountains lay her beloved Dak Forest with its stately trees, gentle streams, and, of course, home. But home seemed so very far away right now.

  The two women made themselves comfortable, and Briar gazed at Alchemia, not sure how to begin.

  “How are Gariz and the boys?”

  It was amazing how the mention of Alchemia’s husband and children completely changed her appearance. Not that she wasn’t lovely to begin with, but now she glowed. Alchemia virtually radiated happiness.

  “Oh, they’re wonderful, and I miss them so much. I can’t wait ‘til the semester is over and I can go home, if only for a short time. I received a missive today, as a matter of fact.

  “Gariz told me our youngest, Cimmaron, actually cast his first fireball spell, can you believe it? He missed his target a wee bit and caught the cat’s tail on fire, but he cast it just the same, and apparently the cat’s no worse for wear.”

  Alchemia paused for a moment, a look of pride glowing in her eyes. Briar couldn’t help but smile at the image Alchemia’s description of her youngest son brought to mind, but her heart ached.

  She was happy for her friend, really she was, yet also a little jealous. She tamped it down, though, and continued to listen.

  “None of the other boys came close to casting that high of a spell at the tender age of three. Though each one, in his own right, is extremely talented.”

  Briar sighed. Would she herself ever know the joys of a husband and children? Someday, perhaps, but most True Healers never married. Those who needed their talents usually became their stand-in families.

  Still, the dream of a plump little boy with Uthiel’s stormy blue eyes or a lovely little girl with her own unruly red curls wouldn’t leave her mind.

  Could she have both worlds? Could she be a wife, mother, and healer someday? If Alchemia could become a mystic and still have a family, then why couldn’t she become a True Healer and have one?

  But then, she wasn’t strong. She was no Alchemia.

  From a village in the far northern barbarous land of Alaria―with its ice fields, mammoths, and large fish―Alchemia shared the looks of the people of the region. Her skin was the shade of burnt cream, and she was tall and graceful, her body lithe and strong from the work it took to survive in such a harsh climate.

  In Alchemia’s village, there were only two seasons: a very short summer with temperatures barely above freezing, and a winter the rest of the year. Making a living from the frozen tundra and the ocean was back-breaking work, but Alchemia was sturdy, and so was her family. They were survivors.

  “Briar?” Alchemia’s question forced her back to attention.

  She pinked at being caught distracted. “Sorry, I must’ve been counting dragon bones, as my father is so fond of saying.”

  Alchemia smiled, and her almond-shaped eyes glowed with mischief. “All right, Briar, now what did you really wish to talk about? I’m pretty sure you didn’t wake me to hear stories about my children.”

  Briar blushed even deeper but took a deep breath and smiled into the eyes of her friend. “The most amazing thing happened to me today, Alch. I have no doubt it’ll come as a shock to you, but before today I was still,” she leaned
in close and whispered, “a virgin.”

  Briar watched as a look of horror came over the other woman’s face.

  “You weren’t?”

  Briar nodded. “Oh yes, I was. Believe me, it isn’t something I’m proud of. Anyway, I simply must tell you about Uthiel or I will burst. Oh, Alch, he’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. He’s my Healing the Soul partner, and when I told him my problem, he found the perfect place to take care of it. There was thunder and lightning and trees and the ocean―and oh my, can he kiss.”

  Briar laughed as she remembered what came after the kiss. “And, he’s, umm, very good at many things. It was the most amazing experience of my life.”

  Alchemia smiled warmly. “Ah, it sounds like you had a lovely time, Briar. I’m happy for you. Just be careful with your heart. It’s common for young women to develop a crush on their deflowerers. It happens frequently, I’m afraid. If you fall in love with him, be sure he’s your destiny, Briar. The one you are meant to spend the rest of your life with. I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”

  That brought Briar up short, and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. The words from the strange dream of last night, all but forgotten, now came rushing back.

  “Our destinies―yours, mine, and the paladin’s―are now and forever intertwined.”

  Her destiny. It couldn’t really be a sign she should heed, could it? It was probably just a coincidence that the voice in her dream, and now her friend, used the same word. It didn’t mean anything. After all, last night’s dream had probably been the result of eating something she shouldn’t have before going to bed. Yes, it had simply been a silly dream, and nothing more.

  Briar shook her head adamantly as she stared intently at her friend.

  “No, I’m not going to fall in love with him. I can’t fall in love with him, or anyone else. I’m going to be a True Healer, remember? That’s my destiny. True Healers devote their lives to healing anyone who needs healing. I simply can’t fall in love with him. That would be a disaster. It was no more than a pleasant experience. Anyway, Uthiel certainly doesn’t have those feelings for me. He was doing me a favor and just being kind.”

  Alchemia’s hand was warm against Briar’s cold one as her friend replied, “Oh, honey, I wish life were that black and white. We don’t choose whom we love. Love simply happens when it happens and usually right when we don’t want it to. And don’t be so quick to assume Uthiel doesn’t have affection for you.”

  “You don’t understand,” Briar cried. “He can’t love me. I mean, it isn’t possible for him to―oh, never mind. I don’t know what I mean.” Briar couldn’t believe she had almost divulged Uthiel’s secret.

  Alchemia, fortunately, misunderstood Briar’s jumbled words.

  “Don’t give it a second thought, Briar. All men at first think they can’t possibly fall in love, marry, and settle down. Then, before they know what’s hit them, they’re on their knees before you with their hearts in their hands. Next thing you know, there are wedding bells and babies.”

  Briar cringed, not wanting to leave Alchemia with the impression Uthiel would ever fall in love with her, but at the same time, she couldn’t reveal the reasons why he would not.

  She didn’t wish to answer her friend at all, and she no longer wanted to talk. All Briar wanted to do was go back to her room, crawl beneath her covers, and contemplate her newfound emotions.

  How had a simple late-night conversation gotten so turned around? She was no longer sure how or what to feel.

  She faked a yawn. “I guess we’d better head back and get some sleep. We both have a full day of classes tomorrow, and daylight will be here before we know it.”

  As Briar stood and stretched, she averted her gaze from the suspicious look on her friend’s face.

  “Thank you so much for getting out of your nice warm bed to listen to me prattle on and on. You’re my very best friend, Alch, and I’ll think about everything you said. I promise I will.”

  ****

  Would this week never end?

  At least she hadn’t been plagued with any more strange dreams, but there hadn’t been much pleasure either. Three days had slowly meandered by since Uthiel had made such sweet passionate love to her. Three long days of fighting with herself.

  One minute she knew for a fact she wasn’t falling in love with the man, and her life could go on just as she’d planned. Then she caught a glimpse of him from across a room, or he sat next to her in class, and her heart turned over and her legs felt like brambleberry jelly.

  If this was love, Briar decided she didn’t like it. She couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t eat, she couldn’t concentrate, and all she wanted to do was cry like a blubbering baby.

  But not Uthiel Stoutheart. He wasn’t affected by her presence in the least. No, at this very moment, he sat beside her on the bed in Healing the Soul class with a bored, detached look on his face while Mr. Chamman droned on and on and on about some silly trust-issue point.

  Shouldn’t he at least be as miserable as she?

  He hadn’t so much as laid a finger on her since the day they made love. Not even a light sociable kiss, an affectionate squeeze, or a tender caress. Worse, he hadn’t once mentioned what, to Briar, had been a life-altering event.

  Perhaps it really had been no more to him than doing her a favor.

  It wasn’t as if he was unfriendly, though. He smiled, laughed, and teased like normal. But there hadn’t been any more class demonstrations this week, so there wasn’t even an excuse for him to act amorous toward her, and Briar missed his touch.

  She sighed. There was little doubt about it, she was well on her way to being hopelessly, head-over-hobnobs in love with the man, and she didn’t even know how it’d happened.

  It must be love, because what else but love could make someone so utterly miserable? She didn’t have to like it or give into it though, and she was determined to prove to herself she could resist his charms.

  Her determination lasted all of a quarter turn of the hourglass.

  Class ended and Uthiel stood to leave. Briar touched his arm to stay his departure. An unaccustomed shyness overcame her and she averted her eyes as she spoke.

  “Would you like to, umm, maybe get something to eat, or just go somewhere private where we can talk for a while, or something?”

  His hand warmed her chin as he lifted her face toward him. “I would really enjoy that, Briar, but I can’t today. There’s something I must attend to that I simply can’t get out of. Tomorrow, perhaps?”

  Briar held back the sudden rush of tears and nodded. Uthiel walked away without a backward glance. That’s when an unfamiliar emotion slammed into her.

  Jealousy.

  What did he have to do today that was so important? Another woman?

  Briar chided herself. Uthiel’s plans really weren’t any of her business. She knew for a fact she shouldn’t follow him, no matter how much her heart urged her feet forward. If Uthiel had wanted her to come along, he would’ve invited her. She also knew if the tables were reversed and he followed her without invitation, she’d certainly be angry.

  The rest of the afternoon loomed endlessly ahead of her, however, and Briar could think of no more enjoyable pursuit than sitting back and watching Uthiel.

  Against her better judgment, she allowed her heart to take control of her feet.

  She followed him.

  ****

  “NO, no, no, no, no.” The green-haired gnome in the long blue robe poked Uthiel in the chest with his wand. “How many times must I tell ya, it’s fireball from Sarco, then shield block from you, then fireball, shield, fireball, shield, then the round kick and shoulder block? It isn’t that difficult, Uthiel, and the Board of Directors will be here in just a few minutes.”

  Uthiel placed his hands on his thighs, panting from the exertion. “Yes, Master Magician Thagi.”

  He once more faced his friend, Wizard Sarco Sunwalker. “Shall we?”

  Briar watched in awe from her hiding
place in the shadows of the arena. She’d never seen the likes of this. Uthiel was glorious. His bare chest glistened with sweat as Sarco stretched out his wand and cast ball after ball of blue flames toward the paladin. Uthiel repelled every one of them with his huge shield. The air crackled with energy.

  Sarco flew through the air and spun, his kick aimed at Uthiel’s jaw. A mighty arm shot up and, at the very last possible moment, deflected the effort. The wizard fell helplessly to the ground.

  “Bravo. Very well done. Absolute perfection,” the gnome Thagi sang and clapped. “I do believe we’re ready.”

  The large wooden doors of the arena swung open and in walked a procession of people led by none other than Headmistress Seychelle. The congregation of approximately fifty members was impressive to say the least: high-elves, dark-elves, dwarfs, barbarians, humans, trolls, and gnomes of all shapes and sizes. Silk and satin robes swished as, single file, they took their seats in the center bleachers to watch the demonstration.

  With the last member seated, Headmistress Seychelle stood. “It’s my great pleasure to entertain the Board today with a small demonstration of what we’re teaching our fighters here at The Academy. We feel it is imperative a force―large enough and strong enough to protect the realm―always be available. By combining both magic and muscle, we feel we’ve accomplished this goal.”

  The Headmistress nodded toward the little green-haired gnome. “Mr. Thagi, I leave the demonstration in your very capable hands.”

  With a clap of Magician Thagi’s hands, the lights dimmed and a spotlight illuminated Uthiel and Sarco. From somewhere above, thunderous music reverberated throughout the walls. With a flick of Sarco’s wrist and a flash of light, the first fireball soared across the arena.

  Filled with excitement, Briar leaned forward from the shadows, forgetting she wasn’t supposed to be there at all. Hot air from the deflected fireball warmed her chilled skin, and she leaned out a hair more to get an even better vantage point.