When she woke, she was on a soft couch. Dyani sat up with a groan only to be gently pushed back down. Her breathing picked up as her mind returned to being stuck on the stone ritual table. She shut her eyes in panic to block out the flashes of memories.
"Calm, Dyani. You are in a safe place."
Britt's soothing voice had her body relaxing in an instant. Dyani sucked in a shuddered breath and opened her eyes. She winced at the onslaught of light and tried to rub her eyes to get them to adjust. The room she was in was painted a soft green color, which helped ease her nerves as well. A weight settled near her head and she looked up at Britt's concerned gaze. Without thinking, she lifted a hand and touched his angular jawline. The teacher pulled back and Dyani gasped as her senses flooded back. It was not a dream and things were very much real. She jerked into a sitting position.
"What happened?"
Her eyes zeroed in on the group of people that she was quickly becoming accustomed to calling friends. They stared at her with worry as she rubbed her temples.
"You had one of the worst reactions to the magic of the Dysc that I've ever seen."
Dyani's head whipped over as a woman glided into the room. She looked young, but the swell of magic radiating from her had Dyani leaning back on instinct. The woman paused and gave Dyani a thoughtful look. She unconsciously shifted closer to Britt.
"You will be fine if you take it easy. Britt, I expect you to tell your Headmistress that you will stay the night in the Marketplace. She will not be able to handle another trip today. It's pushing it to leave to go back tomorrow."
"It's okay, I can manage it," Dyani whispered, her throat parched.
Britt gave a low, quiet growl, "To hell if you are well enough to do that. We don't know the type of reaction you are having. It could be seriously dangerous for you to travel more than once a day or at all. I will speak to her about it."
The group protested at having to fight the Headmistress for the safety of their friend and Britt held up a hand to stall them.
"I know that you are concerned with it and I'll handle the Headmistress. She won't have a chance to argue with this."
The finality in his voice stemmed from further comments from the group. Dyani smiled at the genuine concern that she had heard. It had been less than twenty-four hours and here, this group was up in arms for her. She could not have been more touched than she was at the moment. The woman that the couch belonged to, at least that's what she assumed, turned to the door to walk out.
"You can use the couch as long as you need but be aware that the crowds will start coming in soon."
"Thank you."
The woman bowed her head, acknowledging her gratitude before leaving the room. Dyani took a deep breath and stood up, though her legs shook at the effort. Noemi was at her elbow in an instant.
"Don't push yourself. You passed out, Dyani. We understand it will take you time to regain your bearings."
Dyani shook her head, black locks swinging with the movement. Dyani watched as the single, large strand of silver hair swayed with the black. They mixed in a mesmerizing tangle. It was a physical reminder of what she had been through.
"I'll be fine. It'll take me a second but I can do this. I want to see this Marketplace. I want to shop and have things of my own again."
Dyani grinned at the teenagers and shot a shy smile at Britt, who hovered close. His brow eased from the worried frown lines to a relieved expression as she smiled shyly. Her face was tinted a light pink at the care he had provided for her and the ferocity that he spoke with regarding her health. Noemi and Mari loped their arms through hers and helped the unsteady woman. The guys hung back to let them through but remained close enough that one could catch her if she fell again. Britt frowned, wishing for once that he was not in the position that he was. He followed behind them with a deep scowl.
"Britt?" Dyani's voice floated up from the front of the group. Kavan watched as one of his favorite teachers went from being scary to the softest expression he had ever seen someone carry. This went further than either of the two knew and Kavan was interested in seeing how it played out.
"I'm right behind, Dyani. I've got to call the Headmistress to inform her of the plan change."
"Okay. Mari and Noemi are taking me to see how the bank is. Can we meet up outside once you are finished?"
There was an inflection in her voice that had Britt's heart clenching, "Of course we can do that. Ms. Blaxall, please do not let them con her into a loan. She is being taken care of."
The blonde hair bobbed before the group of six took off through the building. A loud slam was heard with a rush of voices before they were cut off again. Britt sighed and leaned against the wall, his head in his hands. This was different from how things were supposed to be. He could not get involved, and yet here he was, growing close to a student. She's twenty-four; his traitorous mind reminded him. She was more mature than the average human teenager he had to deal with on a daily basis. There was a clearing of a throat and Britt turned his gaze to the woman that had lent them usage of the room.
"It has been a long time since you have visited, Britt. Let alone the amount of time it has been since I've seen you attached to someone. Are you sure that it is wise to be with one so embedded within magic?"
Britt turned a single, curious eyebrow in her direction. The woman stared at him critically before the corner of her lips lifted into a slow smirk. A chill crawled down Britt's spine, knowing she must have seen something.
"Sherinya…," Britt trailed off dangerously. The woman just shrugged a shoulder and turned around.
"You will find out soon enough, Britton. Just wait for the right moment and you will know it when it hits. Don't hesitate."
The message was ominous at best, though he knew that it could be as simple as taking a chance at getting something different to eat. It was one thing that Evelyn knew would drive him crazy: the vagueness. She had disappeared just as fast as she had appeared. Britt growled and pulled out his PMA, knowing that the conversation ahead of him would not be pleasant.
----------------------------------------
The journey into the bank was something that Dyani would have never expected. She had learned long ago that this world vastly differed from anything she could perceive. It was hard to go into anything with expectations anymore. Anything she would have thought of went out the moment that she experienced it. The bank had caught her off guard because dwarves ran the place. It made sense when she thought about it, plus it helped that they were more friendly when it came to helping out those who were customers.
Most of the information that they were feeding her went over her head. It still felt like it was stuffed with cotton and trying to retain it was difficult. Although she did her best to remember, the only thing that had continued in her mind was the lack of funds. Even though Britt had told her not to concern herself with it, she couldn't help but feel powerless and dependent. She had not felt that way since leaving for college four years prior.
They quickly settled their affairs, including withdrawing cash and receiving temporary cards attached to their accounts. At her questioning glance, Caleb had explained.
"While we are adults, we are still under our parent’s purview until we pass from Apprentice to Journeyman. We have an allotted amount that can be used yearly, though we can have our own savings account. It’s just easier to keep academic funds separate from regular spending. I’m not sure how yours would work since you are technically an adult, but you are still a ward of the government until you graduate."
Dyani nodded her head and hoped that they would be able to leave the bank soon. She wanted to shop for her supplies as quickly as possible. Her symptoms had faded all except for nausea and she didn't know how long it would be before her energy shot down to where it would be difficult to do anything.
When they walked outside, Dyani's breath caught at the sight of the Marketplace. It was much larger than anything she had seen. It was alleyways and alleyways packed with buildings and stalls. Coming to this place alone would have overwhelmed her beyond belief, so she was glad that the group had invited her.
There was a flash of bright blonde hair that caught her attention. Dyani sucked in a sharp breath as Britt walked through the main alley as if he owned the place. His sheer confidence had others moving out of the way for him. He grinned up at them from further down the alley and Dyani couldn't stop her body as she surged forward to meet him. The group yelled in surprise at her sudden movements, running along behind her. Britt's eyes widened just before she slammed into him. He was safe. He was someone that she was more familiar with and her panic eased away.
"Are you sure that you are well, Dyani? You've had too much going on and I worry that you are dealing with more than you can handle."
Dyani scowled and stepped away from the man, "I'm perfectly fine. I just don't feel comfortable in the middle of this large crowd. Not since—."
Britt nodded in understanding and stepped to the side so the group could gather together. They were talking excitedly about which places to head to first. They wanted Dyani's first foray into their world to start with more of a bang than what it already had.
"Why don't you just take me to the bookstore? I can guarantee that I will love it no matter what."
They collectively groaned but seceded that right to Dyani. Kavan was more interested in the prospect of going to the bookstore, so it was no surprise to the group that he took Dyani's hand and dragged her off. They laughed as the two took off like bullets to reach the store. When they caught up, Kavan took the time to explain the exchange system to her.
"When you place a book into this basket, it will go into another box with this number. When you are ready to leave, you take your basket to the counter and they will exchange it for the books that you want to purchase. It's great and you don't have to lug around the tomes all day."
"We are not spending all day here," Dyani shot Britt a pout at his stern protest. "That won't work and you know it, Dyani."
She huffed in good nature before bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her eyes darted to the group and then over to Britt. He shook his head and waved her off, which she did not hesitate to disappear into the shelves. Small exclamations could be heard from the shelf that she had stepped behind, causing the group to chuckle. They were the first to admit that they were bookworms, but Dyani's love topped all of theirs combined.
Dyani's head popped out from behind the shelf and she held up her PMA, "How do I find the books I need for my classes?"
The guys laughed and took off, knowing that either Mari, Noemi, or Master Briggens would take care of her. She pouted as they went their way but smiled as Britt shooed the two girls off. They watched him draw closer, giggling behind hands while giving Dyani knowing looks. The woman's face pulled into a scowl over Britt's shoulder. They could hear him asking her what the issue was and burst into laughter as they turned away. Dyani's response was indistinguishable but they knew that she was brushing it off.
"So, how do I find the textbooks?"
Britt shook his head and held out his hand for her PMA, "It should be on your schedule."
Dyani's eyebrows raised and she huffed with her arms crossed.
"I didn't see them listed on there. I even looked when I looked for my room assignment."
Britt chuckled at her before handing her the PMA with her schedule pulled up. She took it in her hand and stared at it in confusion. A long finger crossed over the top of the PMA and clicked on her Transmutation class. The class pulled up a pop-up screen that listed a few books. Dyani sighed and hung her head.
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"I feel so stupid."
A deep chuckle caused her to shiver slightly and turn to Britt, "Don't worry Dyani, you are still learning."
Walking through the aisles and picking out books was a lot of fun, at least for Dyani. She would find something interesting and look to Britt before slipping it into the basket. She was much more reserved about picking up books than Britt had expected of her, so the fun part for him was sneaking in the books she showed interest in. He knew that she was keeping herself contained for the benefit of the limited funding.
They walked up the next aisle, which had Dyani grinning. The shelves were crammed with books on the more advanced subjects, such as Runes and Technomancy. She knew she was not ready to read some heavier subjects. They would be useful to have around. A delicate hand traced over the spines with reverence. The occasional reference and beginner book would be placed inside for her to read later. Britt followed behind, gathering books behind her back as she turned to read the opposite shelf.
Over an hour later, the group had to drag Dyani from the store. At the rate that she was going, even without Britt secretly adding in his additions, she would buy the entire store out. Their excuse was that they would need to gather the rest of their supplies and she would have the whole semester to travel to the Marketplace to buy more if it was truly needed. She nodded solemnly as Kavan guided her by the shoulders to the next shop, which had her perking up the moment they stepped through the door.
It was a supply shop, specifically writing supplies. Dyani let out an uncharacteristically high-pitched squeal before tearing off into the aisle that contained the notebooks. The group stared in shock at the reaction, not expecting it from the older woman. They could hear cooing and other soft noises that had them snickering. Britt was pushed from behind to stumble into the aisle she was in, though the others had scattered by the time he turned to look for the perpetrator.
Dyani spotted him, though it was over a stack of notebooks that went above her nose. She stumbled to the side as she tried to move toward him. The corners of her eyes crinkled, and he could tell she was happier in that moment than he had seen the entire time he had known her.
"You have an unusual love of supplies, don't you?"
Dyani giggled and continued walking toward the counter.
"You know that you can use magic to float them to the counter instead of carrying them?"
The person who stood behind the counter smothered a laugh at Britt's comment and Dyani's scowl. She slammed them onto the table and then moved off to another section while flipping him the bird. He followed along behind her with a laugh, picking up a basket on the way. She scanned the shelves that were filled with different writing utensils, highlighters, and even Sticky Notes. She raised an eyebrow at the appearance of the little yellow squares before shrugging off the uniqueness of the magic world. She was slowly getting used to it, but she knew that her trip to this Marketplace was not over. There was much to learn and see.
It was the same as the bookstore, where they had to drag her out of the shop. Britt stayed to pay for the supplies while the others pulled her from store to store. He would shake his head at the number of supplies that she had set aside. He knew that she was getting the average amount that any of the normal students would get, but he could tell just from the trip to the bookstore that she would go through three times as much. Her notes that she had turned in through their time of tutoring told of the amount of material that she went through. One notebook would be used for one book, not for the entire subject. Every shop that he followed them through was an adventure in itself.
He was used to seeing the things Dyani was experiencing for the first time. He knew she would need more things, especially clothes and other necessities. The talk with the Headmistress had been a challenging one. In fact, the woman had insisted that he keep an eye on her as much as possible. He did not know why the Headmistress wanted to keep such a tight reign on Dyani, which he endeavored to ask her later that evening. She was responsible enough that she could have gone with just this group and they watch her back. Although, he was pleased that he had the chance to leave the school this time around. He had been sucked into staying for the summer. Britt had felt the cabin fever settling in until the incident with Dyani had pulled them to the hospital. In a way, her coming into his life had been good, though the circumstances behind it were not desirable.
He shook his head and continued them into a shop he felt they should have entered first. The bags and luggage. At the time, he was carrying all of the shopping for the group. Thank the Goddess for magic. Otherwise, it would not have been possible.
"We should have come in here first," Britt grumbled as they stepped through the door. Dyani raised an eyebrow at him before laughing. "You try carrying all of this stuff."
Dyani held out a hand and tapped her foot, "Well? I offered multiple times but you kept refusing."
Britt rolled his eyes and shook his head at her. She smirked at him and returned to the salesperson who had approached them. His eyes zoomed in on Dyani and Britt felt his magic rise as the man glanced at her. He knew that the media had caught wind of things about the survivor of the ritual but he did not know that people were aware of her appearance. The silver strand of hair was something unique and stood out, though most had ignored it during their trip. This man was sharper than Britt felt comfortable with.
“Welcome to my shop. How can I help you today?"
"Hello," Noemi responded with. "We are looking to set her up with luggage and some bags to carry her supplies in."
He gestured with a hand as he turned to the long row of luggage across the back wall. The group followed closely, watching the man hum and talk to himself.
"What are you looking for exactly?"
"Well, I was thinking that she would need a few compartments, maybe even rooms," Noemi eyed Dyani speculatively before nodding. "Yes, we will need compartments and rooms. What do you have that can fit within a budget."
"No budget."
Dyani's head whipped to stare at Britt in shock. The man just shook his head at her and waved for the man to continue. His crooked smile widened and he pulled them along to the back of the room where large pieces sat. They were a little old-fashioned, but he could see the modern mechanisms incorporated. Dyani's head tilted to the side as she looked at a pure black case with silver vines crawling over the side.
The salesperson caught the gaze and followed it to the piece of luggage. His smile had been happy, but seeing that she was genuinely interested in something turned it into a passionate smile. He launched into a spiel about the luggage itself instead of what he offered as a service. Dyani's hand ran over the smooth wood surface as he spoke.
"You have wonderful taste, dear. This one is a solid ebony with silver inlay. It's been outfitted with the latest of the technomancy. Sensors read your core and fingerprint as you speak a password. It's been protected through runes and other protection spells that prevent thieves and natural damages like fire."
Dyani watched as he pressed his finger on a pad near the top front of the luggage. It popped open for them to see that there was a regular compartment that could contain any item that the person wished to put in.
"This is a basic compartment, usually used for the clothes for the week. Looking at the top portion, you can see where the other compartments can be accessed. If you tap on the screen, it will display the compartments where you can customize their icon and their colors. If you wish to make one more secure, another password option exists."
"What are the options for compartments for this luggage? Do you have rooms included as well?"
"Good that you asked! This one does include rooms, four of them in fact. The first three are compartments, though the third is a closet for your clothes. This model includes an earth magic lab, a library, a small living area, and an extra room you can customize."
The others looked at each other, various expressions on their faces. It was something that they would have dreamed of their parents getting for them, but the sheer expense of getting one would prevent that. As it was, the price was something that they would have preferred never to know.
"How much would this cost?" Dyani voiced the question that all of them dreaded to hear. The salesperson deflated, knowing that once they heard the price, they would most likely reject the idea of purchasing the masterpiece.
"That's not something you need to know," Britt interjected. "I will take that one with a request."
All of the group, even the salesperson, turned their heads to the handsome blond who eyed the luggage. The salesman perked up and grinned, having a customer who preferred to own a masterpiece than worry about pricing.
"What are you looking for in the request?"
Britt turned to the group before answering, "If you want, can you help her pick out a satchel and a backpack? Dyani?"
The woman in question stared at him with suspicious, narrowed eyes. She knew that he was going above the budget and was very aware that he had bought things behind her back. Her family brought her up to be polite, so she had not said anything until now.
"Stop it. We'll talk later. Enjoy yourself. This is your first time in the Marketplace; don't worry about anything. I'll take care of it."
Dyani flushed as heads swiveled in her direction. They moved her along to the front of the store where some satchels were sitting. The salesman turned to Britt with a raised eyebrow. The teacher walked toward the luggage and spoke with the man in a hushed voice. Dyani turned her attention to the two men who talked in the back corner, watching the salesperson's eyebrows raise in shock. Whatever it was that Britt was asking for, it was something that the man had not been prepared to hear. Noemi held up a bag in front of her face.
"How about this one? It's really durable."
Dyani hummed in thought, her attention sufficiently drawn away from the men. Jorge and Mari were standing close to the section next to them that had the backpacks, and they were laughing at something that had been said. Dyani felt the warmth of the situation, feeling like she belonged. Her eyes couldn't help but seek out Britt once more before a different satchel was shoved in her face. Dyani laughed, knowing that Noemi and Caleb were doing it on purpose. Kavan hovered nearby, though he stuck closer to where Britt and the salesmen were. His face was thoughtful, though he appeared to be focused on everyone's conversations at once.
"How about this one? Dyani? Are you paying attention, or are you eyeballing Master Briggens again for the thousandth time?"
Dyani flushed and punched her in the shoulder as Caleb chuckled at her reaction, "Don't go there, Noemi."
"I don't have to; you are already there."
Caleb snorted and she could hear the others doing the same behind her. Dyani shot them a dark look, hoping the comment had not carried through the room. Speaking of the person had apparently summoned him as Britt approached the aisle and stood next to Kavan.
"Have you picked something out?"
Dyani flushed and shook her head, feeling the flush creep up her neck.
"What are you thinking?" He brushed past Kavan and strolled over to where Noemi and Dyani stood. He picked up the one that Noemi had just placed back.
"I'm not sure what I'm looking for, honestly."
Noemi sighed in amused exasperation, "Now you're answering?"
She grunted as Dyani's elbow met her side. Dyani smiled at Britt, ignoring the questioning look shot between them.
"Well, you need something that will carry all of your books and notebooks for the day. It will be easier instead of running back to your room each time. The other is that pockets will help with anything else that you wish to hold. A lot of students carry their pens and even earth magic materials."
Dyani's eyebrows raised, "They can hold that much?"
There was a chuckle from behind them as the salesman finally joined them, "Of course they can. They can hold many things; it just all depends on what your imagination is."
"How about you take this one since it's a basic bag and if there are more things you need to add, we can come back."
Dyani nodded her head and took the black and tan leather satchel. The salesperson held out a hand for the pack and she placed it in his arms. They went to the counter, where Britt handed over a card that held the scene of a forest on the front. He caught her look of curiosity and smiled.
"It's my home. I lived near a forest when I was growing up and miss it dearly. So it's one way that I can carry a piece of it with me."
She cooed at the sentimental value and the guys rolled their eyes. They were still living with their parents and didn't understand, but Dyani knew exactly what it was like to leave home. Her heart ached at the thought of not being able to see her family once more. Britt must have caught the change in her mood because he handed her the satchel and grinned.
"Now you can carry all of these lovely books and notebooks. As much as I enjoy being your courier, you'll have to fend for yourself now that you have the satchel."
Her mood broken, Dyani laughed at his antics.
"Fine then. I didn't want you to carry them anyway. I only allow those of the utmost beauty to carry my prized possessions."
Britt's mouth dropped as everyone burst into peals of laughter.
"I don't know whether to be insulted that you think I'm not the most handsome person to carry your things or you're that narcissistic about yourself."
Dyani flipped her hair dramatically and stuffed the bags of her things into the satchel before flouncing towards the door.
"Why both, of course," she sent him a wink over her shoulder before disappearing through the door. Her newly acquired friends took off after her while laughing. Britt turned to the salesman with a smile on his face. The man handed him back the card and a receipt.
"It will take me most of the night to achieve what you want. I have to call in a few friends from Agria Alley."
Britt nodded, "I will return tomorrow afternoon with her. You can show us the feature and explain how to use the luggage more deeply."
"Overwhelmed?"
"Extremely, though she hides it well," Britt gave a sharp nod and a tight smile.
"She's the one that survived the ritual, isn't she?"
Britt raised an eyebrow, his original assessment of the man correct. He narrowed his eyes and the man held up his hands in surrender. "I mean no harm to her. I am just curious. Much hasn't been said or told to the public after the initial press release."
There was a tense silence before Britt decided to give him something, hoping it would get around. It would buy Dyani time to get settled into school life before things were demanded of her.
"She has been thrown into our world with no knowledge. It's hard for someone who was attending the nonmagical equivalent of our Journeyman programs. If I'm correct, she was very close to achieving her Master's degree. We've spent the last couple of months cramming information but there is still a long way for her to go."
The man's eyes widened at the knowledge that Britt had given him, knowing that it would serve more than just his curiosity. Information was priceless to the right people. Britt knew this, especially given his own life before Dalition. The man would owe him a favor or at least need to do something to reward him for the small information. If he had read the man correctly, then his work on the luggage may exceed the request that Britt had paid for. The man nodded and smiled at him.
"Thank you for your purchase. I hope that we can work with each other again soon."
In other words, the man wanted to be kept up on word about Dyani's progress. Britt gave it a moment of thought before answering, "Likewise. You are welcome to contact me with any ideas that you have for future projects."
The slow curve of a smile grew as the salesman nodded. They had developed a point of reference with one another, which Britt had hoped for once he heard the man held contacts in Agria Alley. The Alley catered to those outside of the normal population of America. Races from all dimensions and worlds congregated there. Having a point of contact with them would be a boon.
Britt walked from the store, feeling that more had been accomplished than planned during his time there. This trip turned out to be a lot different than he had thought it would. This was a good thing. It's a very good thing, indeed.