by Eric Vall
She called on more people for examples of crystal-powered objects.
“Lamps and lights,” one said.
“Radio,” chimed another.
Arwyn’s eyes found mine. I don’t know if I looked like I wasn’t paying attention, but she called on me. “Gryff, can you give me another example?”
I racked my brain for one, but couldn’t think of another. Maybe the military and Enclaves had better uses for essence crystals, but out in the wilds, we didn’t use them for much more than summoning. So, I shrugged. “Sorry, ma’am. I can’t think of another.”
She frowned. “I’d expected a summoner would especially have more examples.” She didn’t mean it in a snide way, I knew, but that pissed me off. She didn’t see that as she kept on lecturing. “Crystals can, of course, be used in mana potions, though as most know, they are rare and hard to make. The military also has guns that are powered by crystals, but they aren’t mass produced yet.”
I chastised myself. How could I have forgotten mana potions when I’d just used one to save my life? I didn’t know about any of the other things she mentioned, but I grimaced at my own feeble memory.
We discussed the grading system for monsters after that, which I didn’t know because that was never important to people in the wilds when they were attacked by a group of monsters. So, when she called on me, I didn’t have an answer.
“Can you tell me the difference between a Grade A and Grade B monster, Gryff?”
I couldn’t.
She again looked disappointed, which again made me feel simultaneously mad and ashamed, but her face quickly lightened. “That’s okay. Apologies, Gryff, you arrived late, and I forgot you missed this class earlier in the semester. Grade A monsters are the most powerful of all. The biggest, physically, but they also have a propensity to use magic, or otherwise have another bodily function that makes them deadly other than their sheer size. A fire-eye or a bluewing would be examples of Grade A.”
We went down the list. Grade B were massive monsters too, but without magic or other weapons. Grade C were medium sized and magical or otherwise better equipped. Grade D were grunts, like trolls, goblins, and ogres. Grade E were smaller monsters or those helpful ones like cementrolls and other construction monsters. Grade F monsters were tiny and mostly harmless, like speed slugs. It was helpful information for me, but I didn’t need to feel humiliated by it. I found it odd that I was learning about this in Arwyn’s class and not Rori’s, but then I figured the others were expected to fight these higher graded monsters when I was not.
After the lecture was finished, my classmates began to file out of the room and head to lunch. I followed Braden and Layla, but then Arwyn called out for me.
“Oh, Gryff, could you wait a minute? I’d like to speak with you.”
My fellow summoners gave me a look. I didn’t know what she would want, so I shrugged. They accepted that and left me to go eat. I turned back to the beautiful Miss Hamner, who leaned against the chalkboard and smiled at me as I approached.
“Yes, ma’am?” I asked.
She put a soft hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle rub. “I’m sorry if I made you look a fool in front of class. Please know that it hadn’t been my intention.” Her lips hovered in an anxious line, waiting to either frown or smile, her voice light and earnest.
I hadn’t expected that, but I accepted it with a smile. “It’s fine. I can play the fool perfectly well.”
Her lips tugged up into a wide smile. “I just assumed you would know those things. On that same topic, I’d like you to come to the library with me. I want you to take every opportunity to learn and to catch up with the other students since they have a head start on you. You’ve proven your natural skill, but you need more studying.”
“Okay,” I replied without a complaint. She certainly wasn’t wrong with any of that. Besides, I did love reading.
I followed Arwyn from the class after all the others had left. My stomach rumbled, and I desperately wanted to go to lunch, but Arwyn insisted that she show me the library now.
“You can get some food after,” she said quickly, a smile playing at her features. “If you’re late for your next class, I’ll write you a note.”
And that was that. I had no choice but to follow. As it turned out, the library was beneath the dining hall, or to be more accurate, it was beneath the entire central school building. It was a massive collection of texts that was split into several branches that covered an area just as large as the building. It wasn’t merely for texts about learning, but military and scientific records, as well as fictional stories and other things. It was a true library, one that boasted one of the largest selections in the world.
A wide hallway surrounded the dining hall like a moat. On the eastern side of it, the far side from the main entrance, was the regular entrance to the library. Arwyn opened it and led me in, where we then descended a spiral staircase that ran beneath the circular hallway above.
“There are entrances to the library all over the school,” she began, her face forward, “but this one was the closest to us.”
I nodded even though she was ahead of me. We walked in silence the rest of the way down until the stairs ended in a pair of massive wooden double doors with bright sconces on either side. The doors were open, and beyond them, I could see a room every bit as large as the dining hall above, if not even larger.
Arwyn led me in, but I didn’t pay attention to her as my jaw went slack. The circular walls were lined with huge bookshelves that went up nearly two whole floors. Sliding ladders were evenly spaced so students could retrieve higher books. There were dozens of tables, chairs, and sofas for studying, as well as smaller bookcases near them. A few students milled about, studying and doing school work.
At the center of the room was a massive desk, with built-in shelves and filing cabinets. Atop it sat an incredibly old woman in flowing white robes that matched the cloudy wisps of hair atop her head. She wore thick glasses and had saggy cheeks that had been weathered by the years. Arwyn nodded to the librarian, who gave her a wrinkly smile and nod in return. I offered her a small wave, but she was already looking down at her book and missed the gesture.
There were four massive hall entrances around the room, one ahead of us, one each on either side, and of course the doors we’d just come through. I followed Arwyn as she led me to a large opening on the left that had the words Monsters and Magic etched into the stone above.
“This section houses all the texts on magical theory, monsters, their anatomy and weaknesses, among other things. Basically, if you ever have a question about any of those things, this is the section for it.” She turned back to me, her lips curled into a smirk. “I expect to find you down here often. You didn’t go to the juvenile academies, so you have some catching up to do.”
“I know enough to get by,” I said coyly
Arwyn snickered. “I don’t doubt it, Gryff, but we don’t want you to ‘get by,’ we want you to excel and thrive.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Besides, I did enjoy reading and learning. The only reason I hadn’t spent all my life doing both was that we didn’t have the luxury of wealth or safety living out in the wilds. I’d tried to read every night, and Maelor had encouraged it, but my days had been long and laborious, so there hadn’t been much time for it.
Arwyn pulled me deeper and deeper into the library, so far in that I was sure I’d never find my way out. It was like a labyrinth. We finally stopped between two tall bookshelves that rose up like trees. It was dark here, as the place was too large to have lamps lighting every aisle. Yet Arwyn didn’t seem to have a problem seeing.
“This whole section is about essence crystals, as well as few books about summoning, though there’s another entire section on that subject.” She ran her fingers along the spines of books before she pulled some out and handed them to me. They were thick, heavy, and dusty from sitting idle for who knew how many years.
I read the names of them as she pil
ed them into my arms: Essential Rules of Monster Energy. The Beginner’s Guide to Proper Summoning Use. Intermediate Studies in Essence Crystals. Dynamics of the Power of Monsters. The titles seemed ridiculous, but I knew I could handle them.
“Those are good to start you off,” Arwyn said after she’d piled my arms full of books.
I nodded. “Excellent. Is that all?”
Her eyes burrowed into me, and she chewed her lip as her gaze traveled the length of my body. She wanted to say something, but her words never came. Instead, Arwyn took one bold step, grabbed my face with both hands, and pressed her mouth against mine.
Oh. So this was what we were doing.
I dropped the books, which clattered loudly to the floor, and kissed her back. Her kisses were aggressive and hungry, filled with moans and groans and lust. She tore at my shirt and slipped it off my shoulders without ever letting her lips leave mine. Her fingers ran along the muscles of my back, which made me shiver with anticipation. Her nails traced the contours of my back and then wound through my hair and undid the knot it was tied in.
She only broke off her kiss to gasp for breath and fumble at the buttons of her shirt.
I started to undo my belt buckle. “Is this allowed?”
Arwyn grabbed my face and kissed me hard. “Absolutely not. Headmaster Sleet would have us both on the street if he learned about this.”
That should have made me pause and consider the consequences of what we were doing, but then Arwyn dropped her clothes, and I dropped my jaw. The robes she always wore disguised the perfect physique she sported beneath. She was all curves. Large breasts, wide hips, perfect thighs. I practically salivated.
Once I was as naked as her, she lifted a brow and grinned wide. “Glad to see you find me irresistible,” she said with a wink.
I smirked. As if any man could not find her anything but. She jumped into my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist. Our kisses grew louder and hungrier as I laid her down onto the makeshift bed of clothes that we’d haphazardly laid down. As I did, she kissed my neck and nibbled on my earlobe.
“Remember,” she whispered, “we have to be quiet. This is a library after all.”
I cracked a grin. “That will be hard.”
“Yes, it will.”
I didn’t know how long we were down there. It could have been an hour, or only a few minutes, but it was amazing.
We hastily dressed, careful to make sure that we looked presentable. I was a bit sweaty, but it was hot down here, so I could wave that concern off. Arwyn’s hair was a mess, but with a quick twirl, she corralled it into a long braid that trailed down her back. Even with her clothes back on, she looked impeccable.
She smiled at me. “I believe you’ve missed lunch.”
My stomach grumbled in response. I shrugged. “It was worth it, I think. Feeding off knowledge can be just as important.”
“Of course,” she said with a chuckle. “Come. We’ll check out those books, then we can eat some lunch and talk about the lecture today.”
“What about my next class?”
She walked up to me and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. “You’ll be with me for private tutoring. A note will be enough of an excuse.”
I smiled. “Fair enough.” I followed her out of the stack of shelves. I didn’t hear anyone else present or see anyone that could have caught a glimpse of us. “So, is this a one time deal or…?”
“It depends.”
“Depends on what?”
She looked back at me and winked. “Depends on my mood. So always be prepared for some private tutoring.”
The grin that played across my features was wide. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Oh, and I do sincerely expect you to be down here most nights studying. One of the conditions of this agreement.”
That was a condition that I would gladly follow.
Chapter 13
After dinner that night, I had to go to the stables to start my punishment with Nia. I quickly returned to my dorm with Braden to drop off my things and change out of my uniform and dining robes. My outfit was simple, a pair of scratchy wool trousers and a loose-fitting black shirt that I wore to sleep on occasion. Once dressed, I bid Braden farewell for the night and left. While I was doubtful that it would take too long to clean the stables, Braden liked to fall asleep early.
The stables were on the eastern side of campus, near the main gate. It was a long wooden building, with a low roof and lots of windows for the horses to stick their heads out of to view their surroundings. A few of them peered out and neighed at my approach.
The large stable door, nearly as tall as the roof and painted pale grey, was ajar, a bright orange glow emanating from within where I heard voices. I found Nia inside, along with someone who I assumed was a stableboy. He was tall and pudgy with dark tanned skin. His long-sleeve button-down shirt was dirty and stained with sweat from a long day of work.
“Ah, good, you’re here too,” he said, his voice rich and pleasant. His smile was as warm as the lantern that sat atop the wooden crate behind him.
“Evening,” I replied with a nod.
Nia folded her arms and nodded at me, her lips pursed indifferently. She wore tight brown breeches that hugged her legs and really showed off her curves. I would have made a comment about it if I didn’t think she’d break my nose. Along with the breeches, a sleeveless cotton shirt hung loosely around her. Her ashen hair looked gold in the lamplight and was tied back in a tight tail that ran down her back.
The stableboy gestured for me to stand by Nia, so I did. “I was just explaining to the lady here what you two will be doing,” he told me. “You ever clean a stable before, boy?”
I nodded. “Yessir, plenty of times.”
“Of course you have,” Nia muttered next to me. I rolled my eyes at that.
The stablehand nodded and ignored her comment if he even heard it. “Good. You two need to give all the stalls new hay, shovel out the crap, give them clean water, and refill their feeding troughs.”
I furrowed my brows and frowned. “That sounds like a lot more than cleaning the stables, as we were instructed.”
“Aye, but Headmaster Sleet decided to amend it a bit,” he said with a sly smile and a shrug. “Don’t worry, it shouldn’t take you more than an hour or two.”
I wanted to shout at the man, but it wasn’t his fault. Or maybe it was, but complaining wouldn’t get us anywhere. Still, Nia looked as pissed as I was. We had to do this every night for the next two weeks? What about my studies or taking baths for that matter? We weren’t allowed to be out on campus after the tenth hour except for rare exceptions. This would push that limit for us.
“You two got all that?” the stableboy asked after he sensed the hesitation from us.
“Yes, sir,” Nia and I grumbled together.
The stableboy put his hands on his hips with a sigh and a smile. “Good then. I’ll let you get to it.” He strode for the exit and left us to stand and stare. “Be sure to lock the padlock when you leave,” he called over his shoulder.
With that, he was gone.
Nia grunted and picked up a pitchfork. “I’ll replace the hay. You can deal with the dung.”
I chuckled. “Oh, will I? And do you even know what you’re doing, or how much hay to give them?”
She put a fist on her hip, the other hand with an iron grip on her pitchfork as she glared at me. “As a matter of fact, I do. My father had me do military training with my brothers and cousins, and caring for your horse is something all soldiers, mages or otherwise, have to know whether they like it or not.”
I put my hands up and backed away. “Okay, fair enough. Just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing.”
“I do,” she answered with a faint grin. “I’m sure you know how to deal with horse shit since you’re full of it.”
My eyes went wide as a snort of laughter escaped me. “Look at you, cracking wise. I think I may be rubbing off on ya.”
Nia shook her
head at that. “You’re so annoying. Get to work.”
I saluted her. “Yes, boss.”
To her credit, she hadn’t been lying when she said she could take care of horses. Nia, as always, moved with speed and efficiency, so much so that she likely would have made the stableboy look like an amateur. She knew exactly how much to give to each horse without even thinking about it. Impressive. Her knowledge seemed to have no limit, except for the topic of summoners.
Meanwhile, I shoveled shit, but it was hardly the worst job I’d ever had. I worked on a farm for a brief time while Maelor was away for some emergency work that he never deigned to share the details about. I had to do all of this and more, including clean all the animals on the farm, help give birth to a few cows, and even had to help milk a stallion, which was an odd experience. But overall, I found farm work worthwhile, as I’d always felt accomplished after a hard day of work.
As we worked, I asked casually, “So, what’s it like being a Kenefick?”
Nia stopped working all together and stared at me, straight as a board. “What did you ask?”
I sensed some tension. Had I asked a bad question? “Uh… I asked what’s it like being you? Being an illustrious Kenefick?”
She scowled. “Why do you want to know? It’s not like you could relate.”
I ignored the venom in her answer. “I don’t need the attitude, Kenefick. I’m just curious.”
“Well, don’t be so curious then,” Nia growled.
“That’s not how curiosity works, you can’t just turn it off,” I said with a bemused smile.
“I wish I could turn you off.”
I couldn’t help myself, “Sorry, all you can do is turn me on.” Which of course, was the wrong thing to say to a girl like Nia Kenefick. She whirled on me, her eyes glaring, and pointed a finger at me. Her grip tightened on her pitchfork.
