Knight of the Black Rose

by Nissa Gordon

  "So it's not everyone in the estate then?" Jess asked.

  "I’m sure we'll find out," Lucy said as the rest of their classes arrived and the bell rang.

  The classroom door slowly opened and they all started to make their way in, but before they could start looking for their assigned tables a tall man stepped out in front of them; he had short tidy hair gelled into place and was wearing a navy pinstriped suite.

  "Morning, I am Professor Jevidah, your Potions and Science teacher," a list appeared in his hand. "We'll do roll call first as you take your seats." He called out their names and directed them to their desks; they were set out in fours, two on either side, every table was mixed with Cadell and Disa. Once everyone was seated, he moved back to in front of his desk. "As you've found out from your other classes, your partners have been chosen by the school. So has the people facing you, they will be with you for the whole year and you don't have a say in it."

  Will looked over at his two best friends, he didn't mind sitting with Lucy because she was basically like one of them, but these two other girls facing him, what was with that and they kept glaring at the two of them with dislike even though they didn't even know them. As he looked over at his friends on either side, he noticed that they were on tables full on lads, and the atmosphere didn't appear to be any better than it was on his.

  "Today is a basic introduction to the craft of potion making and science," Jevidah told them, everyone listening to him in complete silence. "It isn't just about throwing ingredients in a caldron and hoping for the best, you will learn what can be used together to make effective potions, brews, creams; and then of course what not to mix together. We'll be going through the basics of what you will be learning and what will be expected of you. We'll start now with what is expected of you each term, your on going homework until the end of each term is to make a potion of your own. You can use a potion out of your book, and then improve on it; the potion is your choice which you will then show to the whole class. You will be graded on the effectiveness of the potion and how imaginative you are at creating a new mixture.

  “In this classroom you will be learning an art form that has been in use on hundreds of worlds for tens of thousands of years, and is still carried on today; though in most cultures it has changed to suit with the advances of technology. Which I am pleased to tell you, you will also be learning. Medicine as you know it began in this manner, another great form of this art will be learning. Magic isn't all about using a few words and waving your wand about, which I'm sure has been mentioned to you this morning in your other introductory classes. Potions, brews, incense, oils, everything that you are going to learn in my class; it can all be used in conjunction with your magic, just as long as you know how. Something else that will be taught in this class...or rather in the adjoining room, some of these potions could also be used in some of your other classes, just as long as you know how to use them effectively."

  Jevidah waved his wand and a list of ingredients in a different language appeared on the board behind him, then caldrons appeared in front of them all.

  "As you can see, this is a basic recipe to make incense," Jevidah told them. "Yes it isn't a potion as you may think, but incense is still used effectively as long as the right ingredients are used. Incense is a good way of getting into the art, learning a skill no matter how basic you may think it is, it is a good stepping stone into learning how the basic ingredients react to each; before moving onto the more complicated and dangerous ingredients. Now, hoping that you have at least looked through your books; what are the fourteen basic human ingredients used in incense?"

  A few of the students looked at each other with blank looks as though they had no idea what he was talking about, and a few even seemed uncomfortable as though they might know the answer but was unsure if they wanted to speak.

  Jevidah wasn't at all pleased by this reaction. "We will not be moving on, until this simple question is answered,"

  Eddie slowly raised his hand and everyone looked at him.

  "Yes, as many as you can remember?" Jevidah prompted.

  "Sage, Thyme and Pine," Eddie said.

  "Five points." Jevidah said as he looked around the room for someone else, but as he turned back Methos had his arm up this time, and he nodded for him to speak.

  "Clove...and err Cedar,"

  "I'd expect nothing less from the two of you, raised by a teacher here; I would have been more disappointed if you didn't answer," Jevidah told them. "Five points, and that's five...anyone else?"

  This time it was Selena who put up her hand. "Rosemary and Cinnamon,"

  "Another five points," Jevidah said annoyed. "That makes fifteen points for Cadell so far,"

  Lucy raised her hand and he waved at her to speak. "Allspice, Arabic Gum, Bay, Benzoion...err...Copal, Dragon's Blood...Frankincense...err...Juniper...Myrrh and I think Sandalwood, Basil and Rose Petals."

  "Impressive...ten points. Though it is more than I asked for," Jevidah said as he waved his hand again, and the ingredients on the board were translated. "These are two simple incense recipes, you can chose which one you want to do or both of them depending on how much time we have. First, I would like to know what they are used for? Miss Shepherd if you please...considering that you knew most of the ingredients, what would they help with?"

  Lucy looked at the board, starting to wish that she had never said anything as everyone in the classroom stared at her making her face burn red, she could actually feel the heat coming from it. She tried to remember at least one thing that all the ingredients had in common but couldn't quite think what Saffron was used for and none of them had said it either, so she had to think what the other four ingredients had in common, rosemary, juniper berry, then myrrh and cinnamon with the saffron.

  "Well, it's wroth another ten points for your estate, if you don't know then I'll ask someone else," Jevidah told them.

  "Ere...err...health...healing...I'm not sure," Lucy admitted a little thrown that she was just put on the spot like that.

  Jevidah looked at her annoyed, he hadn’t really thought that she would know. "Ten points, they're for healing. The ingredients are behind you on the counters around the room. You are to mix them together, and then mould them into the cones or sleeves, depending how one wants to describe them. You are to make four; one will be tested to make sure it has been correctly made. If so, then you may keep them to begin your collection. The cones and sleeves will be provided for you today and the rest of the week; but it is something important that you have to learn, so after that you’ll have to make your own."

  He nodded and everyone got up to get their ingredients.

  "I can't believe that you knew all that," Will said impressed.

  One of the girls who had been sat facing them; Catherine, nudged Lucy out of her way. "Know it all,"

  "Wow...and I thought guys were bad," Troy said as he came up behind them. "You alright?"

  "Yeah...yeah I'm fine," Lucy said, but also a little unsure that they wouldn’t like her when they didn’t even know her.

  "And damn, you actually knew all that," Troy said smirking at her.

  "See that's why I wanted to be on her table," Alex teased. "I bet you know how to do these incense things as well,"

  Lucy smiled back, as she didn't really mind them teasing her. "It actually tells you how, in the book we have,"

  Lucy picked up a cutting knife and board, a mixing dish and then went back to her table; Will quickly collected the same things and then went back to get their ingredients, enough for them both.

  "So...do we actually have to use the caldrons for this?" Will asked her.

  "Nope...just cut them and mix them," Lucy told him quietly as she flicked through her potions book for the right page. "I think I read about these somewhere..."

  Will and Lucy got started on cutting the ingredients into smaller pieces and then put them into the mixing dish, before mixing them together; doing this several times before they had made enough. They de
cided to do both recipes considering that they had the time, and it was good for them to practice in doing this.

  Jevidah walked around the room commenting on everyone’s work, telling them what they were doing wrong and also writing notes on them all in a notebook that he carried around with him.

  Lucy and Will were getting quite nervous as he made his way over to them, the girls facing them had already made a mess of their first batch when they actually tried to boil their ingredients and then poured them into the cones.

  Jevidah walked over to their table finally, and picked up the swopping wet cones. "What is this?"

  "I'm sorry sir..." Catherine said upset.

  Jevidah turned on Lucy. "Well Miss Shepherd you seem to be doing well, is there a reason why you didn't inform them of what they were doing, was wrong? Did you want them to get it wrong so that you would look good?"

  "What, no," Lucy said offended and upset by his question.

  "Then why?" Jevidah asked her.

  "I...err..." Lucy stammered.

  "It isn't a hard question," Jevidah said, as he walked over and inspected her incense cones and then Will's. "Well, it looks as though you knew what you were doing, which meant that it would have only took you a moment to inform them,"

  "But sir..." Lucy said, not knowing what to say to him to defend her self; wondering if he was right and she should have told them, but would they even have listen to her.

  Jevidah walked off writing again in his notebook as he went onto the next table, while Lucy slumped into her chair and Will tried to reassure her that everything was alright, but all she wanted was the lesson to be over after waiting ages for this, but he had ruined it for her.

  Finally after they had cleared everything away the bell for lunch rang and they were all dismissed, Lucy couldn't get out of their quick enough; her friends closely behind her, ignoring the comments from the Disa lot as she passed them.

  "Wait up Lu!" Troy shouted as he jogged to keep up with her, she finally slowed down so that they could catch up. "You know he only said that to you because he was probably annoyed that the Disa lot had no idea what they were doing."

  "Yeah, they didn't even get one point," Alex agreed.

  "I heard a rumour that he favours the Disa, so yeah; he'd be annoyed if we all did better than them," Eddie told her as he walked past.

  "See there you go," Will said. "Your work was great, it isn't your fault that they didn't have a clue what they were doing, or that he didn't tell anyone what they were really supposed to be doing,"

  "I did wonder about that...it was like; yes create incense now, as though we all knew how to do that," Jess said agreeing with them all, as she herself was a little confused about what she had been doing to begin with. "So, unless you actually looked it up in your book you wouldn't know,"

  "It was a test," Selena told them. "He wanted to know how much we knew, and probably if we could follow basic instructions,"

  "So he gave us a test on our first day...how is that fair?" Will said annoyed.

  "Well come on...lets forget about it for now," Jess told her as she linked her arm and they headed up the corridor for the food hall as it was finally lunch time.

  Once the others had gotten far enough in front with Will, Troy and Alex hanging back slightly, did they finally look around to see if anyone else was close by.

  "So...what do you want to do?" Troy asked.

  "I'm surprised that you don't want more food?" Will teased.

  Troy smiled. "We can grab some food before we have a look around,"

  "We'll do that then...the building does have four floors after all," Alex said as they started to walk.

  "What about the kitchen's?" Troy asked thoughtfully.

  They came out into the lobby of the ground floor, doors were open that lead into the loud food hall; to their right was the lifts and stairs to the upper levels. They walked over to them debating which way would be best to checkout.

  "I say we take the stairs," Will suggested.

  "Are you kidding?" Alex said not at all impressed.

  Will pushed him forward so that he would have to go first. "Come on,"

  They went up the stairs, which were painted basic white; but every so often Will noticed that the wall seemed to shimmer but whenever he touched it, it was just a solid wall. As they got to the fourth floor after quickly checking out each floor, realising that they're all basically set out the same they decided that they might as well get something to eat before they carried on. This food hall wasn't as packed as the others, in fact most of the students in here were much older, probably in their last two years at school and had piles of books laid out on their tables.

  "Wow...it's only the first day and they have that much work," Alex whispered as they walked over to the buffet that lined the wall, and grabbed a plate and tray.

  "I still can't believe how much food there is in this place," Troy said.

  Will filled his plate beside them. "It's probably easier considering how many students there are in the school, this way if you put out a selection like this you can have whatever you want,"

  "There's no pudding," Troy said as he skipped to the end of the buffet.

  "Maybe that's just for special occasions," Alex suggested. "It is in my house,"

  "I guess," Troy agreed giving the buffet one more scan, while Will went over to the nearest table sitting down; when there wasn't anything he wanted at the moment he went back over and joined them.

  "There must be something interesting to find in this place, it's big enough," Alex said disappointedly.

  "It's only one building, and anyway...what if they're rooms hidden by magic?" Will suggested.

  Troy smiled. "That sounds cool...but how are we supposed to find them?"

  "I'm not sure, but we'll figure it out," Will told him.

  "Lucy, we could ask her," Troy suggested.

  "She is always up for anything," Alex agreed looking at Will for support.

  "Fine...we'll ask her at the weekend, if we haven't figured it out ourselves," Will told them, as he thought it would be more fun to try to figure it out themselves instead of having everything handed to them; as Lucy did kind of find that sort of thing a lot easier than them, not that he knew how she managed it.

  Chapter Ten

  Tuesday morning, they had gotten up early and were at school even earlier than they were the day before, mainly because of the subject they were taking this morning. This was the lesson that they were all looking forward to, though perhaps just not who they were having the lesson with, as it was Disa again; it was one of the things that they didn't like about their lesson schedule. As they walked onto the corridor of the fourth floor, they realised that they weren't the only ones that had turned up early for the lesson; it looked as though everyone was looking forward to it, because most of the Disa class was already here.

  Reagan stepped forward from his friends."You might have shown off yesterday in potions, but today we're going to show you how it's really done,"

  "I bet he hasn't got a clue," Lucy whispered behind Troy.

  "We'll soon find out," Troy said.

  "It would probably be wrong to show him what we can do before class even begins right?" Will asked.

  "Maybe we should," Alex said grinning broadly.

  "Probably not such a good idea," Lucy said looking up the corridor behind everyone distractedly; they followed her line of sight but there wasn't anyone there, nor anything else what they could see.

  The bell rang finally and the door opened on its own, like with the rest of their classes; everyone slowly made their way inside and again checked the tables to find out where they were sitting. While Ordin Domnus stood at the front of the classroom watching them, and waiting for them to settle; he was dressed in a basic black suit and shirt, without a tie.

  "We're going to show you just how it's really done," Reagan whispered as he pushed past Lucy and Troy to get to his desk.

  "Come along now, take your seats, you've already b
een informed that you sit next to the same person in every lesson," Ordin told them.

  They hurried up into their seats and then waited for him to speak again.

  "Well then, I'm Professor Domnus, and I will be taking you for Defence. Before I go on, I want to make sure that I understand what you all think it is, before I tell you what it really is."

  The class was silent again like when they had been in potions, a few people looked around to see if they would hold their hand up, but it seemed as though no one was brave enough to speak aloud.

  "Now I know for a fact that some of you know," Ordin said, a little annoyed that no one was answering his simple question, and if someone didn't even attempt it, he was going to start signalling people out.