"...It will take a bit longer than the brute force method most of you have learned but with enough practice, not only will the spell be sturdier while you cast it, but you will also begin to see it as similar to a puzzle, making it immeasurably easier to cast once you learn said puzzle. Everything fits into place the same exact location as it did the first time you successfully completed it, with slight variations depending on what you'd like it to do. With much more extensive practice and certain spells crafted in this manner, you should be able to create it even faster than a chantless caster would be able to make the same effect."
Damien listened on with rapt attention for the first time since coming to this class, as did the other students. He didn't particularly want or need to learn spellcasting, but from what Mr. Feival had said last time they'd met and what he was claiming now, it was hard not to be interested.
"Now then, get into the same groups you had yesterday and practice this new form of spell construction, please. Don't be discouraged if you don't understand it or figure it out before the year ends, either. Simply start with whatever spell you know best and work off that. You won't get much further in this class or be allowed into more advanced ones until you all master it. And don't forget, if you have any questions, I always take my lunch period in the classroom. Now, for those that already use this method, please move near the podium," Mr. Feival said, removing his hand from the chalkboard and turning around to face his students. "Again, don't fret. If you stand here, you have the talent to learn it. Additionally, if your spell is destructive in any way, please pick a different spell to learn with and practice the other outside on your own time."
The board was covered in scribblings and drawings of how one learned a different form of spell building. The brute method, what Damien had learned from the few times he'd asked Garrett about spells, was a linear form of spell crafting that was constructed piece by piece, like creating a rope.
This... this was like building different sections of the rope at once and piecing them all together to form the spell. Similar to multi-casting, but more intended to finish spells much, much quicker. Utilizing this method, you could finish ten, twenty... an infinite number of spells all at once and unleash them upon your enemies; assuming you had enough mana, multitasking capabilities, time, and knowledge to fuel them. It was akin to creating a giant tunnel for mana to go through, morphing and changing as it traveled down it, eventually shooting out in whatever form you wanted or needed it to. A massive advantage at the beginning of a fight, but much less so after the battle had begun in earnest.
Though, there were a few old Mages that used this method and were capable of unleashing upwards of four massive spells off in an instant, in the middle of large altercations. Entire army's offensives decimated, equally proficient opponents, chantless and not, defeated without warning... Enough practice could overcome almost any wall in this world.
Damien stood up and made his way down to the podium. A few days had gone by since his trial by fire in the obstacle course and Layla hadn't been back yet. Instead, they'd had a substitute of sorts take over the class. The man had tried to be as strict as their Kreel instructor but fell so far short it was almost laughable. It was a splendid break from hell at least, only getting bruises for once. No one had even cried yet.
Three other students, two darker haired Humans and a member of the Dwarven race, were also making their way down, holding their heads high as they walked on with self-important gaits. They showed in no uncertain terms that they'd been blessed with a lucky start in life, especially being granted knowledge and understanding of this specific spell manufacturing process already.
There were many forms out there, Damien had learned, but this was widely accepted as the best, while also being the most confusing. Other schools opted to teach their students lesser variations of spell casting and made them learn this method on their own, outside of the school grounds once they'd left. They mostly did this because they didn't keep their students for very long before they left due to family matters, to adventure, or were killed during winter break by war or another of the many deadly things one could encounter in the world. For those reasons, they instead gave them more natural methods created for quick casting, hoping it would help them out in a pinch more than one they didn't fully understand and would take tens of years to truly get a hold of.
Eleram, as Mr. Feival explained, opted to teach all those they took in that couldn't cast chantlessly this method. The people they had in attendance of their academy were given the option of staying on campus over winter, and there was honestly never a shortage of students applying. One was here for seven years, and if by leaving they got themselves killed, that was just as far as the Mage would have ever gotten in the academy's eyes. They offered the best and would put out the best as long as the student was committed.
Arriving down at the podium, taking more time than the other three had intentionally, Damien listened in as Mr. Feival dismissed the other students to their practice.
"...of this method. For the next week, this is all class will be about until everyone understands enough to practice at home. Refine it until then and try to build off it. I understand you three don't feel you belong here but do try to be diligent," he finished with a smile.
The three nodded and bowed almost all at once before turning and heading outside the classroom. Damien was pleasantly surprised to see they were the opposite of stuck up. He wondered what he'd told them to practice specifically but put it out of his mind as he wandered up.
"Damien. Good to see you. I figured you'd be coming up and I've meant to get ahold of you," Mr. Feival said.
"Good to see you too, sir," Damien responded.
"We've been over this, call me Finn, my boy. Well? What have you got for me today? Let's hear you first."
"Right... I wondered if I could get your suggestion on a few books. I've compiled a list of subjects I'd like to learn more about, but I'm not all too sure of what I should seek for that Author wise. I have no idea which ones are best or anything like that. I'd also like one that expands on this specific method of spell crafting," Damien stated, lifting up a piece of parchment he'd scribbled a vague list on.
"In fact, that was the very thing I'd wanted to speak with you about, with regards to what we'd discussed a few days back. It gives me no small amount of satisfaction that you've asked for more though, especially on Yevlue's Method-"
'There's that name again...' Damien thought.
"-This is definitely not an easy thing to master," Feival continued, waving his hand about the room, "It's a tad disappointing that no one else asked for recommendations besides you. No matter I suppose, maybe they'll search on their own, hmm? Let's see what you need," Mr. Feival said, reaching his had forward.
"So, this list," Damien said, sliding the note forward, "is basically what I'd like your suggestions on."
"Let's see let's see... Illusion, gravity, offensive and defensive mind magic, Combatants, history, teleportation, enchanting, messaging magic, nature, sensing magic, a Bestiary and... maps?" Mr. Feival finished, tilting his head slightly and looking at Damien. "Are you trying to learn everything on your own? What exactly do you need maps for?"
"I was hoping to see a general layout of our continent, at least underneath the Dwarven ranges," Damien explained. "And I have a lot of time at home. I should probably utilize it to read up on what I'll be experiencing or learning about later."
"Well, alright... While our maps show all of that and above the ranges, they aren't accessible by someone of your tier and... well, they are scarce in other cases. Maps are not widespread and we are lucky to have what we do in such detail. I'm sure we could scrounge up a very broad map of the region, however. In fact, why don't I just come with you?" he stated.
"I wouldn't want to imp-"
"Nonsense. The students are all in their own worlds, and if they have any questions, their textbooks should suffice until lunch. This way, I don't have to write everything down as well. Then, shall we?" Mr. Feival asked, motioning for the door.
Damien shrugged and nodded. Having the man around would be a boon with regards to finding what he needed to, anyway. All the more so because of the sheer complexity of the Library.
"Well then, we have some time it seems. Tell me a bit about your family! Where are you from and who are they?" Mr. Feival called out as they both entered the corridor, following signs that lead them toward the western entrance.
Damien was a bit caught off guard but smiled and responded.
"Nothing too interesting. I was born and raised in Carlon, a town over the eastern pass. My mom was a Combatant and my father an Alteration Mage, so they'd had me learned in the ways of Rumination young. We have a fox, another fairy, Alexa N'moran, Vanessa N'moran, and Kastra in our family. Not big, but it's nice," he explained casually.
Mr. Feival smiled.
"Sounds nice. Not what I pictured with the two Celestials. I've had the pleasure of teaching that young healer once back in the day, about a hundred some odd years ago now... A sharp one she is. Not the friendliest, however. I'm glad to hear that has changed."
"Not exactly..." Damien said with a dry chuckle as Mr. Feival laughed as well. "She just loves us. Anyone else... it's up for grabs. Well, how about your family?" Damien asked.
"Heh, a bit of a sad story, I'm afraid," the instructor responded, deflating slightly as they continued walking. "My first family that is. They all moved across the ocean to seek a place they could live outside of the Emperor's thumb. I was just of age to move to Eleram to attempt learning here when they'd decided on the trip, and I opted to stay behind with a few of my distant cousins. Unfortunately, I suppose, I was the only one to make it into the school. My first year went splendidly and I moved into silver."
After finishing the first part of his explanation, he paused, and Damien glanced over to see the man's eyes and face void of emotion. Stoically moving forward, not smiling, not energetic as usual... just silent.
"I went home that winter to see where they had left to, my family saying they'd leave instructions on the direction they'd headed before we had left for the academy so I might visit one day. I was excited to share my stories, perhaps at least send a letter their way, only when I arrived I found a house burnt to ashes and a note of anger at my success and my cousin's failure. My cousin's had always a superiority complex, being more closely tied to the count in our family by blood, and decided if they couldn't have Eleram, I couldn't have my family... They burnt my home to the ground and with it, any chance I'd have at finding my parents and siblings in the vast sea."
Damien stopped observing him and turned forward, keeping his emotions in check. It was obvious he'd told this story many times from how clear and concise his words were, yet a slight twitch, the faraway look, and the crinkled brow all showed how much the memory pained him to this day.
"I searched the nearby cities for information and found nothing. Bit unfortunate, but in my despair, I came back to Eleram and made my own family. I've been calling this country my home ever since. I leave for a few years now and then to explore with my wife, but we always come back and... well, have yet to find anyone from my first home," he finished with a wide smile and shrug, turning to look at Damien. "Sorry about all of that! Sad story I suppose, but I let go of the sorrow over a hundred years ago."
"Could you not find your family through magical means? Divination?" Damien asked, certain that the man had tried everything but unsure how to respond to someone confiding in him this much.
"Perhaps if I had their blood, but I don't. I was adopted, you see..." Feival trailed off, again turning away from Damien.
The words cut deep into Damien's chest as he felt a stinging erupt in his throat and behind his eyes. It was almost as if the instructor was recounting his own experiences, his own loss at this point. For the man and for himself, Damien's chest ached.
"Enough about that story though! Here we are," Mr. Feival smiled again, spreading his arms out at the library while glancing at Damien. "You've been here already then..." he said, dropping his arms and deflating even more at Damien's weak reaction.
"Ah, yes. Sorry," Damien said, scratching his head awkwardly and moving forward with a fake smile adorning his face. "Just as majestic the second time though," he tried to reassure, doing his best to drive the previous emotions out of his mind and focus on the present.
Mr. Feival seemed to be a bit down until they moved closer and closer to the obelisk, the doors still not opening. Damien noticed he was even falling behind slightly and figured it would be best to allow him a moment to himself right as the glass doors splintered across with countless hairline fractures going in all directions. Damien stopped moving forward on instinct, concerned as the cracks got worse and louder.
"Uhm... I-" he started, trying to take a step back only to run into Mr. Feival, who responded by shoving him back towards the door.
"Shitshitshit," he exclaimed, hastily generating a shield of ice in front of himself and ducking just as the large slab of solid glass shattered right before him.
The magical glass exploded outward toward him as Damien wondered whether his ice would even be enough to protect him, only to be surprised as it all skillfully avoided his person and mana. The door's many pieces floated around him like he was in a dream, prompting Damien to stand up slowly and marvel at how the pieces moved out of his way while dismissing his ice shield. Some as big as he was, others as small as a snowflake, yet all avoiding any contact with him as he moved his arms through the area.
"Beautiful, isn't it? Only opens this way when a member of the faculty wills it. Sorry about having a bit of fun at your expense, but I definitely got the shocked expression I was expecting to see," Mr. Feival stated, chuckling slightly.
Damien let out a sigh of relief that the man was well enough to prank and moved toward the library, watching the glass continually shifting out of his way just before he touched it. When he tried to grab it, it always seemed just a few inches out of reach. He moved forward in this manner until entering the building entirely with Mr. Feival in tow, turning around and watching the shards coalesce back into a door once they were inside as if it had never broken.
"Evening Rodrick," the instructor said with a wave to the library's keeper.
Damien pried his eyes off the door to look at the reception desk. The emotionless robot said nothing back, only nodding to the teacher and Damien. They moved toward his station and then past, unmolested.
"Doesn't bug anyone for ID after their first trip in if you were wondering. The desk serves as a scanner of sorts, allows him to interact with your ring and see who you. Though, he doesn't use it. From the thirty or so years he's been around, I've never seen him actually reference the index to determine whether or not he's scanned their ring before. The man has a nose like a Grask: never forgets your smell once it's smelt you," Mr. Feival explained, stepping in front of Damien. "I'll lead, we'll head toward the top floor and work our way down from there."
Damien's eyebrows rose at that information as he nodded. They moved inward with him standing somewhat behind and to the left of Mr. Feival as he led them to the staircase on the right side of the ground floor.
Each floor looking upward was shaped like a thick n: the center hollow and the outsides bordering the walls and covered in books. When they reached the second and fifth floors, Damien had to insert his ring into a square cut out on one of the rails to allow him to move further in without setting off an alarm. Once on the fifteenth floor, they distanced themselves from the staircase.
"Finn! Damien! Excellent to see you both," an obnoxiously loud voice boomed out as a wide-smiled older man moved toward them the moment they stepped off the staircase. "What brings you up here!"
"Dean Lemshire," Mr. Feival responded professionally, bowing his head while losing his earlier jubilant attitude. "Excellent to see you as well. We were just about to start gathering books for the boy's study."
"Hardly a boy, the pain in the ass," Lemshire said as Damien turned to face him with lifted eyebrows. "Let me see the list; I could be of use to you both! I've luckily just determined that what I was working on isn't important anymore," the older man said, reaching forward as the robe he wore fluttered outward dangerously.
Damien leaned forward casually and grabbed the list from Mr. Feival's hand quickly as he'd slowly began to extend it. "Not necessary to take up your esteemed time. Mr. Feival is more than ca-"
With speed bordering on supersonic, Damien found the list missing from his hand and in Lemshire's hand as he grinned down at it. Damien sighed.
"Yes yes... all acceptable books for you, I suppose," Lemshire said with a disappointed tone. "Boring though. Everything is mundane. I thought you to have a love for magic, Damien. Nothing on this list gives off your vibe so far. It's all boring. Except teleportation, but you won't find books on that on this floor! Not allowed! Finn my boy, I will take it from here," he said, roughly wrapping an arm around Damien's shoulder. "He and I must discuss his curriculum after this travesty."
"Sir, I hardly thi-"
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Yes yes, esteemed time... well, as I said, I just finished my activities in the 'secret room' upstairs," Lemshire said, lowering his voice's pitch but not it's volume as he motioned upward with his left thumb, "so my time is my own. Your class, Finn. Th- *pop* -ey need you," Lemshire stated, waving his hand as Mr. Feival instantly disappeared from where he stood.
Damien's eyes widened at yet another casual use of excessive magic before realizing he was still being gripped a bit rough.
"Can you not d-"
"I leave you for a few weeks and you're making friends with the teachers. Not a good past time for one of your caliber, I'm afraid," Lemshire interrupted. "Hundreds of years old, overly passionate about mana, and a magical anomaly in front of their very eyes. They'd sooner lock you up than allow you freedom, you know? Especially Finn; dudes got deep-seated issues," the Dean finished, whispering in Damien's ear.
"Well, what about you? And hold on... are you serious?" Damien asked, furrowing his brow.
"HAH! NOT AT ALL. Feival? The man is as harmless as a newborn puppy. Wouldn't hurt a fly. Guy goes out of his way to help students all the time. Only amount of slight malice in him goes to tricking the young ones like you into walking into the brilliance that is our academies masterpiece multi-layered spell door. You know how hard it is to make every single one of those shards bend to our will like that autonomously? It is the most complicated enchantment in the world! Then again, with a mana stone large enough, and a diverse enough enchantment, you can practically overcome any 'rule' magic pretends to have," Lemshire finished.
Damien nodded as he stared at the Dean skeptically, "Right. Your ramblings aside, can we just get my books-" Damien started, sighing as he felt Lemshire's presence vanish from beside him.
Looking to his left, Damien confirmed the Dean had disappeared. Looking back down at his hands, he realized that the old middle-aged man had taken his list with him and he was now out of a list and guide.
'That insane bastard might not even be coming back... I hope he isn't...'
He looked up and his eyes rested on the top of the tower. The forbidden section of the library, plain to see for everyone. He wondered what was up there.
"Wondering what's in there?" Lemshire asked from behind him, startling Damien as a nervous sweat spread up his back.
"Don't... do that... for the love of God. Don't do tha-"
"Gods," Lemshire interrupted.
"What?" Damien asked, exasperated and refusing to turn around.
"Gods. For the love of the Gods. Don't leave any out; you might get smited. Smitten... Smote?"
Damien sighed again and turned. In the Dean's arms were about twenty books stacked on top of one another.
"Isn't that... well a bit much? Tha-"
"Don't thank me or I'll put them back. Did it cause I wanted to, not as a favor. Also, as for what's in there, do you wanna know?" the Dean asked pointing up.
Damien fought another sigh and nodded.
"Are you sure?" the man asked, leaning around the tower of books toward Damien.
Damien nodded again, curiosity overwhelming his common sense.
"Well," Lemshire said, leaning in closer and whispering, "tough shit."
Damien's head dropped to his chest and Lemshire began laughing.
"Why can't you just be normal?"
"THAT BE BORING MY CHILD! Anyway, if you can break the door down I'll let you see what's inside. How's that? In fact, if anyone can break the door down," he stated, leaning over the balcony backward and screaming at the top of his lungs, "you can go into the forbidden closet! Find what ye will and don't blame me if you die!"
The Dean righted his body and stared at Damien for a few terse moments before suddenly letting go of the books, which floated in place, and pointed a finger forward. A lightning bolt, looking to be made out of pure, condensed mana, darted towards Damien's ring and seeped inside it.
"There, privileges to the Diamond floor for ya. Explore to your heart's content. Good luck not dying if you try."
Damien stared at his ring breathlessly for a few moments before returning his gaze to the Dean. "How did you do that?"
Lemshire looked back at him, seemingly confused himself for once.
"The lightning bolt? Just a mana trick. Did you think it was real? You can mimic any spell or element with raw mana if you want. Doesn't mean it does anything. Always liked the way lightning looked though; the real stuff, not the little fuzz we can all create. Spent years watching it in the mountain passes trying to replicate that bolt there! Fancy, isn't it?" he finished with a smile.
Damien nodded back to him, feeling relieved. He had been wondering if the Dean somehow knew something about his preferences. Luckily that seemed not to be the case.
"Well, I'm leaving now. Good luck, pain in my ass. Try not to die on Layla's first excursion. That's where most die since she tends not to teach you anything about actually fighting with beasts, other people, or your actual power until after it," he said, turning around. "Pain tolerance... necessary, but brutal. Gotta love her energy though..." he said, trailing off as he moved for the staircase with Damien's books.
"My- Woah!" Damien exclaimed.
He'd been about to ask for the books when they'd appeared in the air in front of him and his arms had involuntarily shot outward and caught them, faster than he'd ever been able to move them before. Once the books settled in, he nearly dropped them to the floor because of how heavy they were and the release of his limbs. He sent as much mana into them as he could contain without oversaturating himself and the load eased up minimally.
"And boy," the Dean said, turning back to look at him one last time. "No one I've ever met has exclaimed to only one god before, except fanatics who only cared for one. Take care who you slip up around, you're too normal to be a fanatic."
With that last statement, the man looked away and ascended the stairs while Damien cringed inwardly. He'd known for some time he should work on that particular saying, but... something about saying gods had always felt weird. He wanted to keep the sayings from his old world, lest he slowly began to forget the pieces...
But saying something like that, which directly contrasts something so widely accepted and proven as the gods were in this world, was just asking to be outed as someone... different. It was the same as saying something was like white on rice around those who had never seen white rice ever before. Anyone would consider someone strange who continuously mentioned purple crocodiles as if they were the norm... He needed to decide if his nostalgia and ties to Earth were worth the indication something was off about him, or not.
Eventually, Damien gave up on thinking about it, resolving himself to decide later, or never. Arms becoming sore from standing in place for over a minute to consider the Dean's words, Damien created a mini cart out of rock and set the books in it. He glanced up and saw the Dean's robe trail moving along the staircase slowly, as if the man was on a leisurely jaunt.
Damien shook his head and turned around, moving for the table section nearby. When he got closer, he noticed the smaller Celestial from his Beast Handling course, Jasmine, sitting at one of the tables by herself, browsing a book. With a light smile, he made his way toward her-
"Hey Jas-"
-And then felt horrible at scaring the girl as much as other peopled did to him. After knowing what it was like to dislike jump scares, the fact that he'd given one to a girl that was reserved and shy already was even worse.
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Damien said as he stopped in place, holding up his hands. "I... sorry."
"No. It's... well, fine. I just don't..." she said, looking away.
They were the only two people on the floor, he noticed. The girl was probably here for solitude, and he'd absolutely ruined her moment of zen.
"Sorry I ruined your quiet. I can go-"
"NO!" she yelped out, startling Damien this time and looking down afterward. "No, it's fine. You can stay. I didn't mean to yell. I should have been on the Platinum floor anyway," she said.
"Can't hide from me there," Damien said with a chuckle as she leaned away very slightly, eyebrows twitching. "Dean gave me a ring... upgrade... Yeah, that came out wrong. I'm just gonna sit and start reading over there," he stated, pointing at a different table as she looked up at him concerned. "Sorry again."
"N-no, you two were talking so loudly I should have... known... it's fine. Sit," she replied, smiling lightly while motioning across from herself.
He nodded and moved to sit down, pulling off the book from the top of his pile: a white one with cursive, black writing on it. The title was way too fancy to even begin trying to read, elaborately decorated with intriguing scenery, flourishes of color, and calligraphy, so he opened it up while hoping the inside words would be more ordinary.
Luckily, they were. In fact, they were so easy, he was done with the book instantly.
"Haha," he read aloud, the only word written down.
Damien shook his head at the crazy old man's interference.
He closed the book and moved to place it back.
"Look at the cover now," Jasmine said quietly, causing him to glance up and see her still engrossed in her own reading of An Introduction to Teleportation.
With a longing to read her book instead, he tilted his head down and watched as his books cover seemed to re-arrange itself into an actually legible string of letters.
'How to fool a fool, by Yevlue Nerelle. That name again, huh?'
Damien remembered Mr. Feival mentioning this was an excellent book on illusions, so he thanked Jasmine before opening the book back up a second time and beginning his first delve into Illusion magic.
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"damien.... damien.... Damien!" a voice yelled into his ear as he refocused on his surroundings and glanced around, finding Jasmine standing next to him about a foot away.
He looked back down to the book and found he was still on the first page of it, once again blank. Making to turn to the second page, he felt a hand stop his own. He looked up at Jasmine confusedly.
"Don't start at the second page. Read back to front for the lecture, front to back for practice fighting illusion magic. It gets stronger up to the third page, with the sixth through twentieth holding enough mana to power the enchantments for the magic. Good book though, isn't it?" she asked after pausing, removing her hand as she smiled widely. "Forcing someone to experience Illusion or Mind manipulation first-hand helps them understand and wield it. His other books always start out similarly, and when you get to different branches of the magic like forcing emotions, the enchantments get stronger and there is an actual stone inside the book. Unfortunately, the library only has a finite amount of those ones... It's the best way to build up a resistance to manipulation spells too if you want to practice. I particularly..." she raved on, coming to a stop suddenly and looking away as her smile dropped. "I'm sorry. That was... I hate that I ramble on like that, it must be boring for you. I have a tendency to with a few things... mainly books. I wish I didn't."
"No. No, not at all," he responded with a reassuring smile. "I thought it was interesting. I didn't know books could do that; your explanation was fascinating. Please, ramble more around me, I enjoyed it."
She looked at him and seemed to relax a bit, lightly smiling at his response.
"But, uh, how long was I out for?" he asked, noticing the shadows around the library were in drastically different locations.
"About two hours. Break is starting in thirty minutes or so."
"Two hours! Wow. Uhm... Yeah," Damien said, standing. "Do you want to go to the Cafeteria together or do you have other plans?"
"I... usually don't go in there. I get my food back at my house. I'd be ok with going I suppose, but I really don't want to be a bother..." she replied, slowly standing as well while marking where she was in her book.
"You wouldn't be in the slightest. You can sit with us if you'd like. Gallion is a little boisterous but everyone is excessively nice," he said, making sure the books were in place in his makeshift mini carriage before moving for the balcony.
"That... We'll see when we get there I gu- what are you doing?" she interrupted herself as he began creating a crane-like structure off the side of the balcony.
"I'm lowering my books to the ground," he stated as he began to make a platform for his makeshift hoist.
"Just use the chute..." she stated, pointing to a blank wall in the far corner. "You're weirder than me," she finished, chuckling slightly.
"Chute?" he asked, ignoring her latter comment.
"Yeah, look," she said, moving over to the wall she'd been pointing at and pushing her book near it.
A slot immediately opened up and she dropped her book into it, dropping it out of sight.
"Who thinks to create a pulley system before even asking around?" she added, turning back.
Damien dispersed his magic and moved toward her with his cart. After getting it in place, he started chucking his books through one at a time.
"This... is convenient. Is there something to make it easy to carry this many books at once?" he asked to which she shook her head.
"You aren't supposed to have that many books at once. I don't know if you'll even be allowed out until you put them back," she said with a shrug.
Damien sighed again. "Lemshire... Sorry. Ok, let's go then," he said with a smile. "Hopefully it works out. Also, I definitely forgot I'd have to make a trip home to put these somewhere. I'm sorry. If you don't mind... you could tag along?"
"Ok. It's not too far of a walk and we have time," she said with a nod, following after him.
He looked at her, confused.
"Are you sure? I can always meet you somewhere else to go to the lunch area."
"That would take planning while this is already acceptable. Lead the way," she said with a forward tilt of her head.
He nodded after a moment, and they made their way down to the ground floor, gathering their books and recreating a cart before heading for Rodrick.
"Ring," he stated to Jasmine.
She held her hand out and the book and he moved an object over them both before nodding her forward. He looked to Damien, then to his cart, and sighed.
"Ring."
Damien did as he was told and held it out with a book like Jasmine had done. Once they had gotten past the sixth book without incident, he noticed Rodrick's eyebrow lift a fraction of an inch before his face went back to neutral. After the tenth book, it lifted slightly again.
He waved Damien forward once he'd finished all twenty of the books and looked away, seemingly losing interest in the interaction as he pretended Damien didn't exist. Damien obliged his wishes and disappeared.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Diamond rear entrance that led to the school from the lake's northern side; they'd been moving at a fast clip and had arrived quicker than expected, Jasmine and he both pushing the cart. Damien led her through it and toward the house where she stopped.
"Would you like to come in and sit down? It'll take me a moment to set these in place," he said, turning to look at her.
"No, thank you. I don't enter strangers abodes," she responded.
Damien nodded and refrained from chuckling. Now she'd decided to be logical; an odd one, she was. He moved inside and threw the books in their shared bedroom, haphazardly strewn about on the bed, before leaving, locking the door and gate leading onto their property.
"Ready?" he asked Jasmine as he walked up to her.
"I've been ready?" she said, tilting her head. "You needed to come here, remember?"
He laughed and nodded, leading the way towards the Cafeteria at a healthy clip. He got a few steps in before a hand grabbed onto his left arm and he stopped, turning to look at her questioningly.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"Yes?" she responded questioningly.
"It's just... you're grabbing me?" he asked again.
"If we are going to move so fast again I'd like a guide. I can't see well at all with so much motion," she stated with a shrug.
Damien looked at her eyes, feeling bad for the blatent action as she looked right back at him. They were grey, similar to his.
"Are... are you blind? Or..." he asked, trailing off.
"Yes and no. An alteration master created the glasses for my family when I was younger. He did a wonderful job, but I can't move fast with them on. They work the best when I'm motionless and stare at something for a few moments. I can almost see perfect... though never in color. Moving around makes everything look really blurry, almost as if it all leaves a trail behind," she replied.
Damien immediately felt like an asshole. He'd made her move so far and so fast without considering for one moment why she'd been holding so tightly onto the cart, but not really pushing it. He couldn't have known unless she'd said something, anything, but still, his mind blamed him.
"Then I'll slow down," he responded determinedly, with a wide smile while maintaining eye contact for a few seconds.
She nodded and looked away, removing her hand.
"Sorry if it made you uncomfortable, I just figured-"
"No, no. Not at all, it's ok, here," he said, grabbing her hand with his. "I can lead you. Alexa might not like it, but that's alright," he finished.
"Thank you," she responded with a nod as they began walking again, albeit at a much more leisurely pace as he led from beside her.
Twenty minutes later, they were entering the Cafeteria through the back door by their table. Gallion made eye contact with Damien first and grinned evilly, causing Damien to shake his head. Alexa and Kastra noticed next, and to his surprise, Alexa seemed unconcerned. While nice to see her calm, his mind got a bit nervous at the unexpected reaction. He was used to her jealousy, liked it a bit even. It felt nice to be wanted, after all. But, Lover's day was tomorrow, and he had a plan...
"Hey guys, this is Jasmine. Sh-"
"Beautiful third you have there, Damien. A gift for your other wives for Lover's day?" Gallion piped up, causing Alexa to glare and Jasmine to reflexively tighten her grip slightly before letting his hand go.
"LIKE. I. WAS. Saying. This is Jasmine. Please be nice; I figured I'd introduce her to you all," he finished before lightly holding Jasmine by her elbow and pointing to people in their group. "That is Alexa and Kast-"
The fairy jumped from Alexa's shoulder before becoming full size and landing in front of Jasmine, embracing her in a tight hug as the girl seemed to freeze up at the contact.
"She's adorable. Thank you for the early present, love. Alexa look!" Kastra said, smiling from ear to ear as she continued hugging the small, confused, and slightly trembling Celestial with an incredibly intimate hug.
"I- uh... uhm... I."
Damien pried Kastra off her and put the girl behind his back slightly.
"She's a bit shy, try not to do stuff like that. Just be polite for now, please, sweetheart," he said to Kastra.
The Fae nodded and moved forward once again, grabbing Jasmine's hand as Damien moved to sit down next to Alexa. Kastra brought Jasmine along after them and sat her next to Damien on his other side, the seat Kastra usually occupied when in her large form, while she sat on the Celestial's shoulder.
He leaned toward Alexa and whispered in her ear.
"She isn't a third. She's blind. I was leading her over, I promise," he said.
"I know her," she snapped back immediately. "And I don't mind i-"
"Oh please. You looked like you'd kill me. I love you and Kastra, no one else. Stop worrying," he finished, placing a kiss on her cheek as she blushed and pushed him off.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him on the bench as she responded while turning her face to the side and smiling slightly.
"I'm fine. And we aren't married, I don't get a say in your romantic life. I'd just be concerned for Kas."
Gallion's smirk told Damien all he needed to know. Damien flipped him off.
"Where is Sunder?" Damien asked up to the King of the table.
Gallion raised his shoulders and shook his head.
"You need to stop bringing your possy to my table. My poor lovelies are getting pushed further and further down," he said, pouting as he waved to his table.
"Please, we get you every night. They can have you for lunch," a man called out.
"Speak for yourself, I'm jealous!" a girl called out afterward, prompting the table to laugh.
Gallion sat on high smiling and waving down at everyone else. It looked like a scene out of a movie. Damien wanted to gag.
"So how have your duels been going, Prince of the Flaming Legion?" Gallion asked from on high.
"Don't call me that. Ever. Don't ever call me that," Damien said. "And they're fine. Annoying, but a source of my own money. I'm glad I only have to accept one a week. Next one was supposed to be today after classes, but I think the guy injured himself bad in a different duel, so it was canceled."
"Yes," Gallion said, rolling his eyes as a wine glass appeared out of the arm of his excessive chair, "because Alexa won't just buy you whatever you need. You are a lucky man, beauties on each shoulder and one is rich. You'll never want for anything," he finished, rolling the wine around as he stared into it with a forlorn expression.
"I won't buy him anything he wants. I just get what we need, like those two cuties," Alexa replied with a shrug, pointing down the table. "And I'm not HIS anything. Stop confusing peo-"
"Oh shut up," Gallion said, waving his hand at her. "What are you two doing for Lover's day tomorrow anyway?"
"Gallion! That-" Alexa started, words cutting short as the sounds of crashing and banging sounded out from further down the table.
"Hahaha!"
"Look at them go!"
"Excited as always to see Dad, aren't they?"
"He even brought you a new mom!"
Piper landed on Damien's neck, sprinting all over his body before Emra who arrived shortly after, white fur covered in food and drink. She was less graceful than Piper and also growing much quicker than him. Not very quick, though, as Piper hadn't really grown.
Yes, Emra was a she. Apparently, Alexa had been right about one. He'd asked Ms. Dewitt the following day and indeed, he had been a she. Damien renamed her once again before Alexa could get her claws into the process and now she was Emra.
The instructor had also let him keep them both but charged him for Emra. Apparently, she'd usually cost around one Diamond coin. The breed of Sylphen's were almost impossible to come across in the wild unless you had an expert tracker. Ms. Dewitt had charged them a mere two hundred gold coins and a promise to take care of her. It was the best two hundred coins he'd ever spent, only covering the instructor's costs of travel for the entire year to attain it. In fact, she had sold most of the creatures the class had fallen in love with for dirt cheap.
Piper launched from him onto Jasmine and explored her again and again like he had in Beast Handling the past weeks whenever it wasn't Alexa's turn to watch them. Jasmine smiled and played with him while Damien cleaned Emra's fur.
"...really think you should consider it. We kiss at n-"
Damien reached up and snagged Kastra off Jasmine's shoulder, resting her on his left. "What are you- Stop filling her head with Gallion's nonsense. She is not a thi-"
"I wouldn't mind. It sounds ni-"
"NOT. A. Third." Damien stated firmly to his surroundings as Kastra, Gallion, and the table began laughing.
Damien closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. He had ENOUGH on his plate with Alexa and Kastra. No way in hell was he going to allow more to interfere with what he already could barely handle.