Chapter 46:

  Stryg stared at Kithina’s bust with abandon. They were in meditation class within the large dark dome. There was no lit torch nor magestone light, the entire place was bathed in darkness. Professor Ismene and her students sat with crossed knees and closed eyes, deep in meditation, or at least trying to be.

  Except for Stryg. His eyes saw clearly through the dark and he spent most of his time ogling the pretty students, particularly Kithina, who he grudgingly admitted to himself was the fairest in class. His eyes followed the line of her breasts as her chest rose with every breath.

  After studying her meditating body day after day, Stryg had begun to understand the minute expressions that crossed her face as she tried to clear her mind. It normally consisted of some form of a frown or a stupid giggling grin. He didn’t find the knowledge particularly useful, but he found it even more difficult to study in the meditation dome.

  His training with anger-based meditation was progressing well, but he had learned it was easier to meditate alone. He was too easily distracted among his classmates. Of course, they had the benefit of being blind in the dome, so it wasn’t a fair comparison. Then again, nothing ever was.

  The bells rang in the distance, the sound faint through the dome’s walls.

  “That’s the end of class for today, remember to keep meditating in the evening before you go to sleep and in the morning when you wake up,” Ismene said.

  She waved her hand and the magestone in the center ceiling began to glow softly. After seeing it plenty of times, Stryg noticed the trick lied with the magestone bracelet the old woman wore. It would flicker when she waved her hand, triggering some sort of enchantment that activated the light in the magestone.

  “Stryg, I’d like to speak with you for a moment,” Ismene said as she pushed herself up with her cane.

  “Yes, professor?” Stryg asked.

“I’ve noticed you haven’t been meditating in class.”

  “How did you-?”

  “You’re breathing. It’s too calm. The rest have erratic breathing while trying to focus, but you have a steady breathing pattern. Unless you have become a master of meditation in the span of a few months the only logical conclusion is that you aren’t meditating. What is happening, Stryg?” Ismene tapped the handle of her cane.

  Kithina watched Stryg speaking to the professor. She wondered if he was okay. Before, she wouldn’t have given him a second thought, thinking him a rude simpleton. But, then she heard a story of his childhood, of the cruel nature of his tribe.

  Kithina had screamed into her pillow that night, mortified. She had thought that she was the one with a rough background, a commoner family trying to make ends meet. Her life was as tame as a sheep compared to Stryg’s. His standoffish attitude wasn’t so strange to her anymore. She could only imagine what he may have gone through. What cruelty had he endured to become someone who wouldn’t hesitate to kill their own classmate.

  “Kithina, you don’t have to worry, Stryg will be fine. The old lady won’t hurt him,” Callum said.

“Right, yeah… yeah, of course,” Kithina spoke slowly, as if shaken out of a trance.

  “We should go work on our project,” Callum said.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kithina turned away and walked out with the rest of the class.

  Stryg glanced at the students. It was now only Ismene and him.

“So, Stryg, why aren’t you meditating? Is this class a joke to you?” Ismene asked.

  “Not at all. It’s just… I find it hard to concentrate in the dome.”

“Are you afraid of the dark?”

  “Maybe.”

“Have you been meditating at all in your free time?”

  “Yes, of course. Quite a bit, actually.”

Ismene nodded, “Good, good… Are you still practicing anger meditation?”

  “Yes,” Stryg swallowed.

  “I’m guessing Loh told you it was a good idea? That girl’s talent is too great for her own good. It makes her believe shortcuts are the proper way to attain skill and now she is passing it on to her apprentice.”

  “I never said I was Loh’s apprentice.”

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  Isemene twisted her lips, “Child, I’m old, not blind. I’ve seen the way you speak to each other. I’ve known Loh since she was a little girl who couldn’t walk on her own two feet. I’d be a fool not to notice the way she treats you compared to the rest.”

  “Treats me how?” Stryg didn’t think Loh gave him any special treatment.

  “Harshly. She expects more from you than you could possibly give. It’s how she was trained by her grandfather. I’m not going to stop you, but I do hope you take the time to understand that it is never a good idea to take shortcuts with magic. Even if you train with anger-based meditation, you should still learn how to clear your own mind. It could prove quite useful.”

  “I’ll try,” Stryg lied.

“Uh-huh. Why do I even bother with you children,” Ismene shook her head. “You may go.”

  Stryg didn’t need to be told twice. He made a short bow and left.

---

  “I thought I’d find you here,” Plum smiled, “You’re quickly becoming a bookworm.”

  Stryg looked up from the book he was reading, “I’m not any kind of worm. I’m just studying. What brings you to my outpost?” Stryg waved his hands around the pile of books surrounding the small table.

  He had been spending more and more time in the library, preparing for his written exams. He had already finished the human professor Gette’s with an excellent score, or so Gette had said. Stryg was currently studying for the prejudiced drow Rime's exam, which was said to be the worst for the first years. Stryg worried he might fail and he still had to work on Rime’s dragon project to make things worse.

  “How have you been?” Plum asked.

“I’ve been worse,” Stryg muttered, going back to his books.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with bags under your eyes. It makes your pupils stand out even more,” Plum sat next to him.

“If you're done with your analysis can you hurry on your way? Some of us have actual work to do.”

  “That’s harsh, it’s not my fault the 3rd year's winter break started already. Besides, I still have to work in the library, so I’m technically not even on break... Hey, Stryg?”

“What is it?” Stryg asked without looking up from his book.

  “Did that girl Karen ever contact you? It’s been half a week already.”

“Not that I know of.”

  “Shouldn’t we check up on her?”

“I’m too busy to waste my time.”

  “Stryg, come on. You should go check up on her, I’ll go with you.”

Stryg ignored her and kept reading. He’d deal with the gangsters after he dealt with his exams.

  “Come on, Stryg. Stryg. Stryg, Stryyyyg. I’m talking to you,” Plum kept poking his arm.

  He sighed in frustration, “Fine. Stop touching me. We’ll go, okay. But, only after I’m done with my tests.”

  “Perfect,” Plum smiled.

“Now, will you leave me alone?”

  “Almost,” Plum rummaged through her satchel.

Stryg put his book down, “What is it now?”

  “One second, I’m looking. Ah, found it!” Plum pulled out a purple scarf from her satchel.

“It’s for you,” She handed it to Stryg.

  Stryg grabbed the scarf with slow care, “This is… for me?”

  “Yep, I noticed you didn’t have much to cover yourself in the cold. Spring is right around the corner but it’ll still be cold for a few months. I picked it out myself. I’m not sure you like the color purple, but I do, so you’ll have to deal with it,” Plum grinned.

  Stryg’s hands trembled slightly as he looked over the scarf. Blue snowflakes were knitted into the design. He had never been given a gift before.

“I like it. Thank you,” Stryg smiled.

  Plum’s eyes went round, but she quickly looked away, “It’s nothing. Consider it as thanks for saving me from those thugs at the alleyway a while back.”

  “Oh, yeah, those idiots. I had almost forgotten. By the way, whatever happened with that woman who was attacked? Did you ever go with her to the winter ball?”

  “You’re a little late. The ball was last week,” Plum slumped into a chair. “But, yeah, we went together.”

  “Good, my drinks advice was on point after all. So, did it go well or did you fail at claiming her?”

  “There was no claiming happening,” Plum shook her head, “But, yes, things went great. We danced, drank, and talked. It was fun.”

  “And?”

“What do you mean ‘and?’” Plum raised an eyebrow.

  “After the ball.”

“After the ball, what?” Plum smirked.

  “Did you sleep with her? Screw her? Have sex? Am I getting the point across?”

  “Ugh, I understood what you were saying the first time. I just thought you were being shy about it. Clearly, I was way off point,” Plum groaned.

  Then again this was the guy who found her masturbating and didn’t blink an eye. She shouldn’t have expected any less.

  “So? Did you sleep with her or what?” Stryg asked.

“There are less rude ways of asking that,” Plum muttered.

  “And?”

“Nevermind. Why do you want to know anyway?”

  “I’m mildly curious.”

“Is that it?” Plum stared at him.

  Stryg tilted his head, “What else is there?”

“Nothing, I guess,” Plum sighed. “And the answer is no. I didn’t sleep with her. She invited me to a nearby inn, but I declined.”

  “Wow, you messed up there, huh? She was cute, too,” Stryg went back to his book.

“You know Stryg, sometimes there’s more to being with someone than being cute.”

  “What, like power? Money?” Stryg chuckled, “Or do you mean idiotic love?”

“Yeah, maybe something like that,” Plum stood up from her chair, leaned over and kissed Stryg on the cheek.

  He froze. His muscles tensed, his head slowly craned up, eyes wide, “What was that?”

“That was my thanks for the drinks advice,” Plum grinned. “I’ll let you get back to your studying, see you around.”

  Stryg rubbed his cheek as he watched Plum saunter away, “Right…”