WWDtS Chapter 142 (Patreon)

**** its been how long? Whoops. Not abandoned, I'm just slow.

The last day of the winter holiday always seemed to creep up on me, no matter how closely I accounted for my time. One day it felt like there was still plenty of time before the start of classes, glorious days where I could truly apply myself and avoid crowds bristling with hidden daggers, the next I walked into the cafeteria with Miranda at my side and found it utterly transformed. 

Though it was still quite early by the standards of a day with no classes, the hall was already packed with students. The long table laden with food was pushed into a corner and the small round tables usually scattered around the room were missing altogether, replaced by several long ones flanked by narrow benches and crammed together so as to seat just as many students but with a quarter of the space. 

The rest of the hall was filled with small, neigh-identical booths, the sort one could find in practically any city market in the world. They were arranged in four long double-rows that filled the rest of the hall, with lanes between them already starting to fill with bustling students. Most of the booths were still closed, flimsy-looking wooden shutters blocking the entrances, but some already had a student or even a professor laying out their goods or starting to hawk their wares to the crowds.

I panned my gaze around the hall, taking in the rush of bodies. It felt like half the academy was here already, and more students streamed in through the cafeteria’s many entrances. My eyes lingered on a handful of unfamiliar faces gathered in one corner, the weight of the mana radiating from them noticeable even from the other side of the hall. Through the crowd I caught a flash of pastel pink that might have been Janna, but I lost track of it a moment later. 

My mana sense cried a warning and I took a quick step to the side as someone jostled past me, a pair of fourth-year girls babbling to one another and not watching where they were going.I let out a breath and deliberately turned to walk towards the less crowded space around the food table, Miranda’s heels clicking a staccato rhythm against the polished stone floor as she hurried to keep up with me. There were too many people, and the air was so thick with power that I felt practically blind. 

Though intellectually I’d known it was coming up, I’d practically speaking completely forgotten about this year’s winter market. I’d been so caught up in correcting my newly-discovered deficiencies when it came to internal mana control, furthering my research into natural circulations, and dealing with people that it had been the furthest thing from my mind. The past two years that wouldn’t have mattered—I’d had neither the pieces with which to buy, nor the goods to sell—but my situation had shifted significantly since then. 

This year, I actually did have money I could afford to spend, though whether or not doing so was a good idea was a different story altogether. 

Avalon’s winter market was an…interestingly structured affair. In many ways it was intended to be a continuation of the Founding Day festivities, a way for the Academy’s mages to show off their crafts and trade in materials sourced from all around the world. Any student or member of the faculty could apply to receive a booth, and the event was open to all students and graduates, meaning that truly absurd fortunes often changed hands side by side with goods worth a bare handful of coins. 

The issue for me however was that, despite being considered a sort of extension to the festivities, the winter market wasn’t actually on Founding Day, and thus didn’t share in what I considered the day’s most important feature: the Myrddin’s absolute assurance of safety. The event tried to get around that by being hosted in the cafeteria, which had its own divine protection against violence and conflict, but that protection extended only as far as the cafeteria’s many doors. 

How could anyone feel comfortable coming and going from the market knowing that everyone was watching them and they could be ambushed and robbed the moment they tried to leave or before they even made it to the cafeteria? 

It was lunacy. I felt uncomfortable just carrying a small purse of pieces on my person in case of emergencies, constantly hyper-aware of the coins clinking behind their silencing and anti-scrying enchantments, and here were students spending mana-forged gold by the fistful! It was one thing if you were a seller or graduate—the organizers provided special constructs designed to transport goods and coin directly from student rooms to the cafeteria and back, and an archmage could just teleport away—but I could see students of all seven years with bulging money bags and containers of all shapes and sizes to hold their purchases. 

As I began to fill my plate, I was struck with a reckless urge to demonstrate to my classmates just how foolish they were acting. The major hallways leading into the cafeteria were too busy to set up a proper ambush, but there were plenty of lesser paths between the student rooms and the cafeteria that were still in use but far more isolated. 

Between Miranda and I, I was rather confident that we could kill or disable the vast majority of my peers when attacking from ambush, perhaps even a small group of them if we could catch them unawares. Usually such a prospect came with far too much risk for too little reward, but usually my classmates weren’t wandering around with bags stuffed with coins and boxes of precious reagents. It would almost be a crime not to separate them from their unearned wealth. I could certainly put it, and them, to better use than they could themselves.

I picked the next blin up from the serving tray with less care than the task required, metal tongs piercing through the delicate golden-brown confection, and the round cake tore near in half as it stuck to the blin beneath it. I took a deep breath, carefully transferred the other half onto my plate, and squeezed my eyes shut for a long moment. The allure of wealth and power was almost overwhelming—what could I achieve with even a fraction of the resources so many of my peers received out of hand? 

But with my recent showing against Delphin, the risks had increased as well. Before, I’d managed to mostly fly under the radar, but that would no longer be the case. Even now I could feel eyes on me, so many eyes. It made my skin itch and my fingers twitch, instincts telling me to hunch in on myself and hide even as the thrum of my circulations guided the set of my shoulders and kept my poise carefully controlled. 

If I tried to set up an ambush now, more than likely I’d just end up getting ambushed in turn. Too many people had seen me arrive and too many would see me leave. Perhaps I could return to my room, erect a shroud of illusions and non detection spells, and then try to set something up, but that carried its own risks as well. I didn’t necessarily want a reputation as someone who fought from ambush—that would only make things more difficult if a far more valuable opportunity arose in the future. 

It was frustrating. I’d been confident that I could wield reputation as ably as I had anonymity, only to stumble before I’d even reached the first hurdle. 

I found an open patch near the end of one of the long tables and sat down to eat, Miranda carefully holding her skirt as she stepped over the bench and settled in across from me. I eyed the lonely teacup in front of her and suppressed a grimace. I knew she’d already eaten this morning––twice, in fact, if the sounds Lea had been making while I was showering were any indication––but there was something oddly disquieting about eating while someone next to me seemingly went hungry. 

Focusing back on my own plate, I stabbed a piece of egg with my fork, only for my gaze to rise back to Miranda. She was smiling faintly, a far-off look in her half-lidded eyes as she cradled her cup in both hands. Steam curled off it and she leaned forward to breathe it in, savoring the flowery, herbal fragrance. 

I’d learned a lot more about Miranda’s eating habits in the time since she’d first told me about her difficulties with regular food. While she could eat and drink like anyone else, it all tasted like nothing to her and didn’t provide any real nutrition. She still needed to consume a little water from time to time, but preferred to go fully without food as much as possible. However while she couldn’t taste anything that didn’t have mana in it, she could still enjoy the smell up until she actually tasted it. Sometimes when she brought food down to my room for Lea (and sometimes Rea to give her a break from her usual rations), I would catch her holding the plate right under her nose before hurrying to grab her own meal from its cabinet and vanishing into the bathroom. 

I took another bite and through the thick interference suddenly realized that there was someone practically right on top of me. Turning, I found Ayula, the girl I’d met before my fight with Delphin, standing just a foot away with a plate in one hand and a cup in the other. 

She looked much more relaxed today than she had in the stadium. A pale blue and white headband patterned with interlocking hexagons made to look like flowers kept her short bangs off her forehead and matched the blue off the shoulder blouse that ended just above her belly button. Instead of shorts she wore baggy, low-slung white silk pants that brushed the floor and almost looked like a skirt, held up by another blue ribbon tied into an intricate bow. I couldn’t even see the scars on her arms anymore, though I could feel the fragile ilusion shrouding them from view.

“Is anyone sitting here?” she asked, gesturing beside me with her drink.

I stared at her for a moment in surprise, then let new instincts guide me. I smiled widely in a way that tugged on my cheeks. “I thought you were.”

She blinked, then grinned and set her things down. “Right you are.” She sat down much too close beside me stradling the bench, then brushed my leg with hers as she slid it around to face the table. She took a moment to arrange her plates and silverware to her liking, then looked up at Miranda. “Oh, hello there. Miranda, right? We didn’t have much of a chance to talk during the Challenge. I’m Ayula Yelloweye. It's a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hand out palm up, three fingers pointed towards Miranda and her thumb and pinky finger touching. 

Her words didn’t sound like anything out of the ordinary to me, but I was slowly getting better at reading what my newest set of circulations was telling me. There was something hostile, or perhaps probing, in her voice, even if I couldn’t recognize it for myself. 

I had no doubts that Miranda noticed it as well, but her response was warm and cheerful. She set her cup down and leaned forward across the table, taking Ayula’s proffered hand in both her own and drawing it in towards her until it was practically pressed against her chest where it spilled out from her dress. “Yes, that’s me. Orion has told me so much about you. It's wonderful to see him coming out of his shell and talking to new people. Can you believe that he wanted to skip the solstice festival to hide in the library? Even after I convinced him to come out, he spent the whole time sulking!” 

Ayula jolted as Miranda fell silent. “He’s lucky to have a friend like you to look after his interests, though I heard he spent the whole night with Brenda Goodwitch?”

“Oh yes, those two are just so cute together!” Miranda giggled bouncily and finally released Ayula’s hand, laying her hands down flat on the table between them. “But enough about that. I just love your outfit, that ribbon really makes your eyes pop and the color is just gorgeous. Did you get it here? All the shops in Xethis were so boring, but the variety here is just wonderful. All the fabrics are so light and airy and the colors, oh the colors! You have to tell me where you got it!”

“Ah,” she reached up to brush her ribbon with her finger, “I’m afraid this is something from my homeland, though I believe the locals cultivate a similar dye. The pattern is something of a specialty of my clan.” She plucked the sleeve of her blouse, “this however is local. I got it from one Master Corandora’s in the central district. They had an excellent selection of fabrics and styles, though I’m not certain they would be to your…tastes.”

Miranda sat back and stretched exaggeratedly, and I didn’t need any sort of magic to notice the way Ayula had to tear her gaze away from my not-so-little pet. “Oh, I love all sorts of pretty things.” She focused on Ayula, just barely tilting her head back and to the side. “I’m sure I’ll find something I like.”

Ayula’s tongue darted out to wet her lips and she swallowed heavily. “Yeah, yeah. Definitely. Um,” she turned to me, visibly flustered, “So Orion, uh,” her eyes darted to Miranda, then back to me, “what classes are you taking this semester?”

I was instantly on guard. Her byplay with Miranda had put me at ease, but there was only one reason I could think of that she might want to know what classes I would be taking. The first week of classes was always chaotic as students found groups to move with and identified the best routes between their classes––the perfect time for an ambush. Since she was friends with Alan and Ulan I’d initially categorized Ayula as not an immediate threat, but perhaps I would need to reassess.

The higher you stood, the more hands rose to drag you down. 

Miranda’s bare foot brushed against my ankle and I felt a wave of comforting confidence through our bond. Before I could say anything, she leaned forward again, instantly recapturing Ayula’s attention.

“Oh, Orion is much too humble to say it himself, but he’s signed up to take not one but two fourth-year courses this semester, can you believe it?” She reached forward and snatched my left hand, gripping it tightly in her own. “I was so worried about him, but he promised that he knew what he was doing and Orion wouldn’t lie to me. He’s so talented and hard working; I didn’t even know that you were allowed to sign up for upper-level classes as a third year!” 

I was slightly irritated at Miranda, but she hadn’t really given away anything that wouldn’t come out in just a handful of days regardless. I jumped into the conversation with what I hoped was a bashful smile. “It's nothing, really. They're both primarily theoretical classes so it will practically be next year already by the time I need to actually cast anything.” I shrugged, “If I can’t manage a spell or two by then, I’m out of luck anyway, right?”

Ayula grimaced, but nodded in agreement. I wondered if she’d heard about me casting a fourth-circle spell during my Evocation practical last semester.

“What about you, Ayula?” I asked with feigned interest. 

She waved her hand dismissively. “Nothing nearly as interesting as that! I still have to take one of my required classes for the year, and then a few––”

She was cut off by a cheerful voice coming from practically right behind me. I made a mental note to practice sensing mana through heavy interference because I was already sick and tired of surprises. “Hey Orion!” Janna greeted cheerfully as she settled in on my other side. “Hey Miranda. Great showing against that Delphin guy! I wanted to come congratulate you at the Festival but I couldn’t find you.”

Ayula laughed. “Not a surprise. He spent the whole time hiding apparently.”

“I wasn’t hiding,” I protested quietly.

Janna peeked past me and her face went blank when she saw Ayula. “Oh. Hi Ayula. I didn’t know that you and Orion knew each other.” Though she phrased the question as though she was asking Ayula, she was looking right at me.

I shrugged. “We don’t, not really. Alan and Ulan––the bonded twins, you know––introduced us during the Challenge.”

She didn’t visibly react, but I could feel her mood brighten. “Oh, how fun.” She proceeded to completely ignore Ayula. “So how was your holiday Orion? I had a lovely time back home, you know you really must visit sometime this semester. The moon-lilies are just about ready to be harvested, but it won’t be long till the ice-drops are blooming and there’s nothing else quite like it in the whole world.”

I most certainly didn’t trust Janna enough to leave the safety of Avalon in her company, especially not for a trip long enough that I’d need to spend the night. I knew first-hand the sorts of binding spells that Gulivine Justicars made use of in their day-to-day work, and there was no way I was going to volunteer to visit one in his own home. 

Not unless I got to Janna first, but I certainly wasn’t going to tell her any of that.

“That does sound lovely,” I lied, “but I’m afraid I’ve registered for a rather heavy set of classes this semester. I doubt I’ll have the time.”

Janna was a good enough actress to fool even my magical senses, pouting up at me dejectedly, but I wasn’t that soft of a target. “Awe, are you sure? I should be able to arrange with House Vaalis to use their teleportation platform, so it can be a quick trip! Just for a weekend.”

And I most certainly wasn’t going to step into an unknown teleportation platform on Janna’s say so. Did she really think so little of me?

“How about we revisit the question once I’ve had a chance to see how much work my classes will be first-hand?” 

Janna brightened. “Sure!” she chirped. “That works for me!” She stood up and brushed out her long, puffy dress, each layer dyed a subtly different shade of pink ranging from a pale periwinkle to a dark magenta. “I need to go get my booth ready. You should stop by and say hi!” Then she was gone, rushing off towards the long rows of market stalls. 

I turned back to Miranda and Ayula and found the short-haired girl glaring at Janna’s retreating back. “Don’t let her act fool you,” she told me sharply. “That girl is a viper with rainbow scales.” I didn’t need to recognize the saying to know what it meant. 

“Her? A viper?” Miranda exclaimed, sounding dumbfounded.

“Thanks Ayula, I’ll be careful,” I said softly. 

This time I felt someone coming a moment before they were close enough to be heard over the din of the cafeteria. “Hey there Orion,” Liam called out, his greeting echoed a moment later by a ginger-haired seventh-year named Shrav who I was only passingly familiar with. Liam had introduced us once, but I’d only ever exchanged a handful of words with the older girl. 

I returned the greeting, and was slightly surprised when both settled around the table, Liam sitting beside me while Shrav sat next to Miranda across from him. There was a brief round of introductions, and then Liam gestured to his classmate. “So Shrav was curious about that rusting spell you used and I figured why not go right to the source? How did you––”

I would have preferred to eat my breakfast in peace, but at least this conversation was less exhausting than trying to keep up with Miranda and her ilk…