What We Do to Survive

Class on Monday sucked even more than it usually did. I was in no way, shape, or form recovered enough to make attending a good choice, but unfortunately skipping was an even worse option. Not only was this our last class before the final, but missing it would also be an obvious sign of weakness to all of my watching classmates.

Disappearing for a weekend was one thing, everyone knew that consolidating gains took time, but I could count the number of classes I’d missed in the past two years on one hand and doing so now would be noticed. It would completely undermine the show of force I’d made on Friday and just open me up to more attacks in the coming weeks

Still, knowing that on an intellectual level didn’t do anything to make the actual experience any less painful. Despite my best efforts, I was still barely functional an hour before class was due to start. My mana was barely half-full, the majority of my regeneration constantly devoted to powering the changes in my body and keeping everything under control. I hadn’t even finished cleaning out the tangled web that had formed out of my collapsed circulations, the task made even more difficult by the outsider’s newly integrated abilities, much less started rebuilding them.

I felt as weak as a newborn and utterly naked without them. I could barely even cast spells, some initial tests sent painful shudders through my mana core and I had a feeling that trying anything over second-circle would be a… bad idea, to say the least.

In an ideal world, I would have spent the next several days lying in bed slowly getting everything in order, but that was not an option. Instead, I took a hot shower, leaning heavily against the wall the entire time and needing Rea’s help to make sure I was properly clean, got dressed, and set out towards the class under the cover of Miranda’s illusions.

Thankfully we made it without any trouble, though it took all my strength to simply walk with a straight back and not wince with every step, and I sank into my seat, doing my utmost to hide the relief I felt from letting my legs rest.

If anyone noticed something was wrong, they didn’t make it obvious. I really didn’t like the whispers I could just barely make out from the trio of fourth-years sitting in the row behind me, nor the pointed looks of other students in the class, but no one seemed keen on testing me.

The exception was Professor Meadows herself, who absolutely knew that something was wrong. I hadn’t really expected Miranda’s illusions and my meager acting skills to do anything against an archmage like her, but I still didn’t like the idea of one of my more sadistic teachers knowing that I wasn’t at my best. I was pretty sure the rumors of her petrifying students that displeased her were just that, but the stories also said she happily accepted ‘gifts’ from her mentees in exchange for bonus help and there were a lot of eerily lifelike statues in her classroom.

Fortunately, she seemed perfectly happy to limit herself to peppering me with questions throughout the class as we reviewed the semester’s material. I would have seriously preferred to stay silent today, but it wasn’t like I didn’t know all the answers and a throat-soothing potion taken before class ensured I could talk without making my throat feel like I was gargling nails.

A few of the questions were slightly tricky and wrapping my currently un-enhanced mind around the complexities of on-the-spot spell modification was somewhat more difficult than I would have expected, but the professor seemed pleased with all my answers so I counted that as a victory.

The trip back to my room was also without any excitement and thankfully Camille hadn’t tried to corner me after class today. This time when I staggered through the door, I managed to keep my feet under me until I made it to my desk and collapsed bonelessly into my chair.

All I wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep the rest of the day away, but I had already done far too much sleeping in the last three days and there was so much work that still needed to be done. This was the last week of classes and I had a number of exams, particularly practical spell-casting exams that I needed to be ready for very soon.

Additionally, the Avalon portal was going to be moving just a few days after my last test and I still had a number of things I needed to take care of in Xethis, such as the Warbringer heiress who’s heavy breathing and quiet sobs had cut off just a few moments after I’d stepped through the door.

That wasn’t even starting to get into the other obligations I had coming up. Between the dueling challenges, winter market, and other yearly events, the month between the fall and spring terms was always packed.

For now though, I had to focus on getting back into casting shape. I spent a few minutes just focusing on my breathing and mana, counting slowly in my head as I inhaled, held my breath, and then exhaled rhythmically. A cup of tea was silently placed on the table beside me and I hurriedly gulped it down before returning to my basic meditation.

Once I was feeling slightly more in control of myself, I got to work properly. Before I could make any more serious progress, I had to finish cleaning out the ruined remains of my many circulations that had collapsed throughout my body. Though not technically harmful, having so many aimless mana channels inside your body could seriously interfere with mana control and regeneration, and it was incredibly difficult to build new circulations with them taking up so much space.

Unfortunately, my usual method of clearing out circulations, slowly spinning my mana core in order to wind them up like fishing line onto a reel, wasn’t going to work in this instance. The threads were so badly tangled and torn that doing so would risk causing actual damage to my core if I tried it. Instead, I would have to manually absorb them one by one which was a slow and laborious process. I had already spent nearly six hours doing so and I was only about half done.

Well, it wasn’t something I could afford to put off. I was almost done clearing out my head and key portions of my nervous system. As soon as that was finished I could reestablish some of my mental enhancements which would make the rest of the job go slightly faster.

I sighed heavily and got to work. At least the earplugs I’d snagged from Mistletoe’s bonds ensured Rea could also use her time productively taking care of Daphne without disturbing my work. Typically I would have used a sound barrier, but I just didn’t have the control for it right now and they were a really nice bit of enchanting and were working just like I hoped they would. With any luck, Daphne would be ready for me by the end of the week even without having me on hand for any needed healing.

Ivius Ambrosius sighed in exasperation. “You know I can’t accept this yet,” he told the woman sitting across from him flatly. “Promising or no, he’s not even done with his third year yet. Our policies exist for a reason. If you’re still interested next year, come back and do things properly.”

Gayle Williams grinned back at him, completely unaffected by the same frown that had once brought an adult dragon to tears begging for his forgiveness. “I know. I just need your rejection on the form. For posterity, you know? What was it that delightful girl of yours would say? Doohickeys? Yes, I want to call dohickeys.”

Ivius covered his eyes with his hand. “Dibs. It's dibs. And you know you can’t do that.”

“Hmmm, maybe. But I just did. He’s mine. He’s perfect, Ivy, perfect! This time next year, you’re going to be flooded by applications. I want him to know that I wanted him way before any of them would give him the time of day.”

“You’re just going to keep pestering me about this until I do, aren’t you.”

Gayle nodded, her wide, toothy smile never wavering.

“Oh fine, you insufferable girl. You win this time.” He shook his head, but accepted the pile of forms from his one-time student. “I was far too gentle with you back in the day,” he muttered sourly, “spare the rod, spoil the child.” A stamp teleported into his hand and he slapped it against the top of the first page, marking it with the date and reason for refusal in his inimitable mana signature.

“You know I would have loved to accept the rod,” Gayle told him with a salacious wink.

Ivius threw the stamp at her face. It bounced uselessly off an invisible shield maintained a scant few millimeters over her skin, but it still got the point across. If he actually wanted to hurt her, he certainly wasn’t going to use a stamp. The stamp disappeared in mid air, teleporting back into its secure storage box buried somewhere in the walls of his office.

Ivius shoved the stack of papers back towards Gayle and a moment later they disappeared into a spatially-expanded pocket in her robes. “Thanks Ivy, you’re the best!”

Ivius rolled his eyes and harrumphed loudly, but there was a soft smile on his face. There were very few people willing to act as casually around him as his former student, and as much as he enjoyed the respect and fear of his colleagues, sometimes it was nice to have someone act childish with him.

Unfortunately, there was only so much room for such pursuits in his life. “I assume that's not the only reason you scheduled this meeting, Williams?” he asked seriously.

Gayle’s smile vanished and she sat up straighter in her hard-backed chair. “Yes sir. I assume you saw my report?”

“I did.”

“I didn’t manage to get much. It was a fresh specimen, powerful, yes, but young and inexperienced. Its mind was weak, but it knew little of value.”

“Unfortunate. Were you able to identify the summoner?”

“No. It had memories of several human mages, but none fit the picture. I don’t think it was summoned at all.”

“Called?”

“Probably. It remembers little beyond its hatching and a long, instinct-driven trip through the void. It remembers others, at least two but probably more, but they are well hidden.”

“Lovely.” Ivius tapped his finger slowly against the table. “He’s fine, by the way. It was touch-and-go for a few hours, but Avalon is well protected. Your ritual worked, perhaps even somewhat too well.”

Gayle scowled. “It worked perfectly! It was all perfect! Oh, the most beautiful mountain of coincidences! A blank slate with the talent, the power, the resources! All to pull it off perfectly! I could never waste such a valuable specimen on a maybe, but I didn’t have to! My theories were correct!”

Mana rose from her skin in a diffuse cloud of tangible fury “Everything was perfect! And those ingrates almost messed it up! If they’d been a little bit more careful, if his slaves had been a scant few moments slower, then it could have all been ruined! I should––”

All sound in the room suddenly cut off. Ivius’s mana, once perfectly intermingled with the room’s ambient mana until it was all but undetectably, suddenly stood out in razor-sharp contrast. Faint symbols twisted and writhed in the air, invisible to Gayle’s mana sense but just barely noticeable out of the corners of her eyes.

His eyes gleamed, tiny pinpricks of light shifting and turning within the impossible voids of his eyes. “And you will, of course, do nothing, Professor Williams,” he said simply. “Such trials are part and parcel of a proper education, as you well know. I accept that sometimes my educators will go slightly above and beyond their obligated duties, but that is all I am willing to accept. Understood?”

He held the frozen moment in place for an indeterminate amount of time, simply staring across the desk at Professor Williams until her boiling mana calmed. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, his mana vanished back into the background and Gayle almost collapsed onto the desk in front of her.

“Yes Headmaster. I understand.”

“Good. Now then, I do not believe there should be any lasting consequences. He is recovering quickly, no doubt the creature’s influence is beginning to take effect. His control is admirable for someone with his level of experience and, as you said, the specimen was very young.”

Gayle took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Thank you. That was my conclusion as well, but it's good to hear a second opinion.”

“Of course. It is always painful to lose out on a high-quality investment.”

“Right.”

“...and I know how quickly you grow attached. It’s always been one of your greatest flaws.”

Gayle’s scowl returned for a moment and then she sighed. “You’re not wrong.”

“Of course I’m not.”

“You suck.” Ivius raised a single eyebrow and Gayle sighed again. “I’m done, I’m done.”

“Good. Now then, I have some new work for you. I have a feeling that our recent voyeur is the same creature we are searching for. I would prefer such a creature not have a direct conduit into my domain, but I imagine you would be opposed to the most expedient solution.”

“I certainly would be.”

“Then make sure it ceases to be an issue.”

“Understood.”