by Andur
Adea is the only one who doesn't look shocked. Instead she is just sitting there, her hands on her temples and staring at nothing. Due to the silence I can even hear her mumbling. “...bad wish. Never should have wished for something. She warned me, but as the fool I am, I didn't resist the temptation...”
Well, maybe I was a little harsh. The class could certainly need a little success after seeing their prince defeated in such a manner. Adea should be able to pass the test. I trained her in a similar way and she learned very fast to avoid the backlash. I just have to avoid using her name. Otherwise people will know that we are related. I point at Adea. “You there, pay attention during class. You are next.”
I point at two other students in the first row. “And you two, clear that up. You know first aid? Lay him in a corner so that he can't swallow his tongue, then return to your seats.”
The two chosen students nod and hurry to execute my commands. I really could get used to this... being a teacher I mean. It's almost like being royalty, just that the circle of people to command around is smaller.
I turn my attention to Adea and smile. This will be fun.
An hour later, three quarters of the class are out of commission and I am happily skipping along the hallway towards the exit. I already had two other classes today and it's evening, so there is not much more to do than going home. All in all, I think I did a great job for my first day as a teacher. Though I must say that Adea's class was the most trouble.
The students of the previous two classes were much smarter and avoided drawing my attention. Though that will only help them as long as I need to study the curriculum.
Seriously! How do they expect me to teach from scratch. The only reason why I got at least some things accomplished was that I already have a general overview about what the students are supposed to know. The month I spent teaching Adea was a great help.
Though I still have to know what I am supposed to teach next. Back at home in Dedessia, we avoid all the schooling and teaching nonsense. Instead we focus our time on awakening the memories of our previous lives. Why relearn something when you already know it? Recovering the memories is much easier.
The people of this world are apparently not willing to risk their lives in near death experiences, which are the best motivation to recover old memories.
Hah... but all that isn't important right now. I still have plans for this evening. Like sneaking into the director's office and finding out who is responsible for the subjects I have to teach. And it's also a good warm-up exercise for raiding the palace. Yes! I seriously need to gather some dirt on these people. Enough of leaning back and enjoying a different culture.
Tonight I am going to spy!
Turning around the corner, I run face first into a broad, hard chest. Definitely a man. I step back, but the obstacle catches my hand and kisses it.
“Seria! It's so great that I managed to intercept you. What do you think about going on a date tonight?” Marcus smiles down at me in a way which makes me want to commit more than a small sin with him under me. He looks at me as if I am sex on a stick.
What's wrong with this guy? Always kissing my hand? Is that a fetish of his, does he like hands? Not that I would complain, it's kind of flattering when he does that. I force myself to smile. Well, maybe spying will be more difficult than I thought. This man is worse than gum in my hair. “If it doesn't get too late?”
13. ~Stalker.~
“Life, or death? Or both?”
The Journey to the Afterlife
Kingdom Newerth, Capital City
Marcus
“Will you continue to teach Adea?” I ask. It's more to keep this evening's conversation going and less because I've actual interest in Adea. But Seria obviously likes her and my little brother has a crush on the girl. Adea seems to attract everyone once she manages to break the ice. So I guess that I have no choice but to include her in our discussions.
And I honestly don't know what else to ask Seria. This evening's date progressed quite smoothly and I have the feeling that I asked every question possible. Sadly talking to Seria always feels like I am getting fed only half the truth. I don't know why I have this feeling. It makes me sad.
On the other hand it doesn't feel like Seria is doing it out of malicious intents. And there are always my father's words in the back of my mind.
My father's spirit form came with the very rare gift to predict the future. I don't think that relying too much on it is a smart move. But when my father says that someone, or something, represents an important decision, then he is almost always right. And when he isn't, the person in question had at least something to do with an important event. So Seria is more than she seems...
She nods. “Sure. Adea and I have an agreement. I gave her my word to be her tutor. Once I give my word, I try to keep it. Of course that also means that I won't allow her to back out of it, even if she wants to.” An evil smirk appears on Seria's face.
“Ohoho... so I have to be careful if you promise me something?” I snicker. It would be fun to catch her with her own web of responsibilities. I wonder how she would react if her own principles become inconvenient.
I take a sip from my wine and study her. She is sipping on a cup of coffee and at peace with the world. “You really like coffee, do you? I think you are the only person I know who consumes so much of that stuff at eight in the evening.”
Broadening my smile, I see a chance to steer the evening towards the bed. “You won't be able to sleep, don't you want to join me in my house? It feels lonely there. We could continue the evening just with the two of us.”
“Seesh... my motor is running on the stuff. Maybe I am even addicted. The only thing which keeps me alive is the fact that I am a divine!” She then blushes upon realizing what I just said. “And I am sorry, but not tonight. Despite the amount of coffee I consumed, I can hardly stay awake. I've the feeling that taking you up on your offer means that I will get no sleep. None at all. And I need my beauty sleep if I want to catch up on the curriculum.”
I sigh. “I've thought that it wouldn't be easy. Admit it, you think that I am a creep for seeking you out like this, even though we said that it was a night without strings attached. And on top of everything I even follow you around. Are you mad at me for uncovering that you are... were a rogue?”
She shrugs and purses her lips. “I always knew that I would slip up sometime. And to be fair, yes, you are creepy. But in a strange, gentleman kind of way. So the fact that I don't want to take this night any further is nothing to be held against you.”
I take her hand and kiss it. “Then I'll apologize nonetheless. Sorry for falling for you. Sorry for stalking you. But I simply had to know if there could be more between us if I just had a second chance.”
The corners of her mouth twitch upwards and I stand up to help her to her feet. “The bill is on me. I won't delay you any further then, for tonight.”
To my surprise she hugs me. “You are a creep. But a gentlemanly and nice one. Good night. Something tells me that I don't need to be told that we'll see each other again.”
Then she lets go and I smile. “Really?”
She looks me up and down, judging my eyes for a long moment. “Yeah, you are a creep. Surely you will be stalking me again by tomorrow. I don't know why, I simply know it. And another part of me tells me that I should run to the next court to obtain an injunction against you.”
I slap a hand to my heart. “An injunction against the second prince!? Scandalous! They will arrest you for denying the royal bloodline an heir. Goodnight, the prince of all creeps is glad that you forgave him.” I bow.
She rolls her eyes and waves me goodbye. “Bye.” Then she stalks away, using those legs of hers to tell what I am missing out tonight. If my personal sin of lust had a name, it would be Seria.
Pulling at my lower lip, I stand there until the waitress finally brings me the bill. I pay and leave the restaurant.
On the yard in front of the building I close my eyes and br
eathe in the night's air. It's becoming a little frosty, but that doesn't bother me. I am concentrating on Seria's mana. The first time we met she already intrigued me. Her control over her aura and her spells is almost perfect. Most people leak so much energy, they are like barrels with a fist-sized hole punched into them.
Not so Seria. Hers is just a small trickle, but I am getting better at sniffing her out. Slowly, I reach out and search for her trail. There is none besides the one which leads to the restaurant. Did she teleport? No. The whole area would be full of mana. And I would have sensed it, even from inside the restaurant. That can only mean that she backtracked the same path we came? But that would lead her back to the academy and her apartment is in the other direction.
I place my hands in my pockets and try to think about this. Then I follow Seria's path, careful not to lose her tracks. I seriously don't like my father's opinion on her. But maybe I should keep an eye out, just in case.
After a few minutes of following her, I finally get the feeling of catching up. Then I glimpse a shadow in the dark area ahead of me. Seria's trail led me back to university grounds where she strolled around in a seemingly random manner. I lost her several times and wasn't sure on which direction to take. Sometimes she simply turned around and walked back the way she came. Other times she crossed a path she already took and chose a random direction, creating a confusing network of tracks.
She knows how to throw off people who are trying to follow her.
If mana itself wasn't my primary talent as a deity, she would have shaken me off long ago. In fact, I doubt that someone else could have managed to track her. I peer out from a shadow between two street lights. The trail leads directly to the figure who is crouching in the dark next to a wall.
I watch in silence as the figure suddenly scales up the wall to the third floor of the academy's administrative building. Staying in my hiding spot, I watch as the cat burglar disappears in a window. A few minutes pass. I don't move, I don't even breathe, relying on my magic to keep me alive. A perfect part of my surroundings. Undetectable.
Then the figure reappears, dropping from the third floor and dashing off. A strange magic of shadows is surrounding the figure. Even the light from the street lights seems to part as the figure disappears in the night.
After a few more minutes I decide that it's safe to move and breathe. Was that Seria? Or someone else? Concentrating, I follow Seria's trail towards the dark spot where the figure was crouching.
And there Seria's energy simply vanishes?
I crouch down and touch the ground, then the wall. Seria's mana is full of life and feels like earth and nature. Clicking my tongue, I notice my mistake. Seria's trail didn't vanish. It's crossing another trail, equally faint and well controlled. Someone with at least as much control over his aura was here. But the residing mana is cold and promises death. Not Seria's. And... maybe a hint of... mana storm? Chaos?
Running a hand through my hair, I furrow my forehead. Did the strange spirit come here? It surely feels like her. Dark magic, chaos, light and, something else. Is Seria hunting it? This makes no sense.
In absence of any further clues, I follow the trail of death up the wall and commit a little cat burglary of my own. The two trails are still mixed.
Upon reaching the window with levitation magic, I realize that all the wards are disabled. Whoever did this broke into more than one magically secured facility. The best thing is that it was done in a way which leaves the wards active, just not functionally.
When I slide through the window, I realize that this is the director's office. Quickly and professionally, I check everything for traces of mana. In the end I find some very compromising... toys... and documents in a hidden and locked vault behind a wall closet. If the mana hadn't caused me to investigate closely, I would have never found it.
The documents trouble me, but the sex-toys even more. The director and his secretary? Oh, man... he is married! I always thought of him as an upright man with principles. And I never knew that he has gambling debts.
Following the mana back to the director's desk, I find out that the academy's organisational documents where thoroughly searched. I pull out a folder which holds a high amount of the dark magic. The user of the dark magic had it in his or her hands, that's for sure.
Flipping through it, I find out that it's Seria's dossier. A small magelight casts just enough light for me to read it. Upon reading the signature of the person who organized her lessons I squint my eyes. Trebor.
I was wondering why she got exactly those lessons which are held during my free time, denying me to meet up with her during the day. Trebor, you are in for a horrible little revenge party from my side.
But that's not important. What's going on? I have one person who stinks of spirit and black magic, and Seria is somehow related to that person? Her trail is overlapping with the spirit's, so she was researching what the spirit was interested in. Bad news, it held Seria's folder.
I massage my chin and return everything to its previous state. Then I jump out of the window and follow the trail of dark magic which is now overlapping with Seria's life magic.
She went after the spirit and I have no idea how she knew that it would be here. And the spirit obviously knows of her. Crap. Crap. Crap.
I reach an open yard and both trails of magic simply end. Baffled, I run a few circles around the yard, but am unable to find the trail again. Whatever trick the spirit uses to throw off any followers, Seria knows it too. And that disturbs me. It hints that there is a deeper relationship between the two.
I huff, annoyed at the fact that I lost the trail. So far the spirit and Seria are the only ones who ever escaped my tracking skills. That dents my ego and I'll move heaven and earth to restore my perfect score. Something in the back of my mind is screaming that I misinterpreted something, but I simply don't know what it is.
The easiest way would probably be to confront Seria with everything. But she is a divine and she already made clear that she won't tell what she doesn't want to. And using force on a divine always ends badly. If she casts that greenery spell inside the city, we would be busy with lumberjack work for the next two generations. No.
I'll find out her secret... and the colour of her favourite underwear. The corners of my mouth curl downwards. Yes, first her underwear, then her secret. A man should have priorities.
14. ~Practice field.~
“An old man pokes a vaguely humanoid piece of meat with a stick. 'Do you see that? You can tell that they are well done when you poke him and no blood comes out. They stop screaming long time before that. If you take them off the fire at that point, it usually means that they are just crusty, but still raw on the inside. Remember, we don't eat our enemies, it makes us sick. Though a little nibbling is okay when you are hungry. Just their hearts.'
Kingdom Newerth, Capital City
Seria
“Okay, guys and girls, time to pack up. We've ten minutes to return the training field to its proper state. Everyone who is still standing has to help.” I clap my hands together, urging them to work faster. The holes in the ground have to be closed and new boundaries laid.
The students grumble, but they already know that disrespect only results in harsher treatment and more intensive training. Chuckling, I lean back and watch while they work. Of course, that is just until I spot a certain someone homing in on us.
“Well, shit.” Yes, that's a proper way to describe my willingness in dealing with Perseus. He approaches me like a king, his body all muscles and tendons with not a single ounce of fat. Of course that last part is just guesswork. It's not like I've ever seen him naked, though my body certainly would like to.
“Look who reappeared out of nowhere. Never would have thought that my brother would fall for a rogue,” Perseus opens the discussion as soon as he reaches speaking distance.
I raise an eyebrow. “If I remember correctly, you also tried to add me to your list of conquests.”
Perseus laughs. “And
the offer still stands. Unlike my brother, I wouldn't deny a woman her wishes.”
He reaches up and touches my cheek, much like Marcus did. The touch sends a rush of desire through me and I step away. Even though it was just a simple touch, I still feel a prickling sensation running down my spine. Why is my body betraying me like that? Did he try some sort of seduction spell?
Perseus didn't move when I stepped away. Instead, his eyes are on the students. A few of them looked up to listen in on our conversation.
I scratch at my cheek where Perseus touched me, trying to scratch away the taint he left in my flesh. “If you ever do that again, I'll rip you to pieces and use your bones as a decoration in my apartment!”
He gapes at me. Is he surprised that whatever he tried to do didn't work? It's his turn to raise both eyebrows. “That's interesting. It's the first time that I've met a woman who can resist my charms. Now I want you even more to belong to me than before. And it isn't just because my brother is interested in you.”
Great, what's this? Some soap opera in which two princes are fighting for the maidservant? “I am sorry to inform you, but I don't belong to anyone. And just for your information, I was classified as a divine. If you ever come anywhere near me, be prepared for collateral damage!”
He hesitates for a moment, but then he places his hands behind his back. “You would do something that would harm the city? You were living in this town for your entire life.”
I hiss. “And I have even more memories of places you can't even dream of, so try me!” Then I realize that Perseus's attention isn't on me, but rather on someone behind me.
“Back off, Brother. I think the lady made it clear that she wants some space.”
Turning around, I find Marcus behind me. He is inside my personal space, but I've no idea how he got there. I didn't even feel him approach. Startled, I step away and return my attention to Perseus.
The huge man purses his lips. In the end he decides to smile.
“It was nice to meet you again, mysterious lady in a red gown. I am glad that we will be able to meet much more often in the future.” He turns away with a silent promise in his eyes and walks towards the academy buildings, away from the training field.