“I was hoping to get to the cafeteria before everyone else,” Trey confessed to the volatile situation standing in front of him.

“Uh huh,” the ice queen said. “Do mind mages have large appetites? I’ll have to ask the Grand Oracle about that one.”

In an effort that would have made Marvin proud, Trey maintained his composure. “What’s a mind mage?”

The elf squinted her eyes at him.

“Sorry!” he said, throwing his hands up. “My Intro to Magic class is right after lunch. It interferes with my afternoon nap.”

She scoffed at him. “Is that why you were staring at me when you tried to invade my mind?”

Trey fiddled with his hands. “I… I didn’t mean to stare,” he stammered. “I just thought you were really pretty.”

“What?” the elf exclaimed. “No! You were trying to use mind magic on me.” Even as she said it, Trey caught the subtlest hint of uncertainty in her voice.

“I’m sorry,” Trey continued, ignoring her accusation. “I didn’t mean to make it awkward. I wanted to ask you something, but I was just scared after…”

“What are you talking about?” she replied. “What did you want to ask me?”

Trey was prepared to face judgment. If he needed to be slapped to protect his secret, then his cheek was ready. “I wanted to ask you on a date, but I heard what you did to the other guardian who asked.”

A brief flash of confusion crossed her face before her eyes widened. “He did not ask me on a date! He told me to get on my knees and… nevermind! I’m not repeating what he said.”

“So you’ll go on a date with me?”

The ice queen wore a bewildered look on her face as she wondered how in the Archmage’s name the conversation ended up where it was. “You are a mind mage!” she insisted, though at that point she was trying to convince herself.

“If that’s what it takes to get you to agree to go on a date with me,” he conceded, "then I will be your mind mage.”

The elven girl unexpectedly let out a laugh. “You’re clever,” she remarked, “but I will catch you. I accept your invitation to court.”

Trey held back a groan. He was in trouble. “What’s your name?” he asked.

“Why don’t you read my mind?” she replied snarkily. “Much easier than asking, right?”

Trey put on his best mind-reading face and focused intently on the elven girl. He rubbed his fingers against his temples and hummed. “Eva!” he finally exclaimed. “What a beautiful name.”

The ice queen was stunned, her mouth agape. “How did you get past my—”

Trey burst into laughter. “I heard Derrick call your name earlier, but we should keep pretending I can read minds. It can be our thing.”

“Don’t bring Derrick into this,” she said curtly. “When is our first date?”

Trey was taken aback. Why did she say ‘first?’

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I thought for sure you would say no. I didn’t plan that far ahead.”

The elf placed her hands on her hips and humphed. “The first guy to ask me out and he’s completely clueless.”

“I’m not clueless,” Trey countered, his pride unable to let that one go. “I’ll come up with something.”

“You better,” she warned, “or I’ll have to ask around for the mind mage hiding on campus.”

“I’ll go with you,” he responded. “Our first date can be finding a mind mage together.”

“Yes,” she replied with a smirk. “It seems that I’ll need to brush up on my mind mage hunting techniques for our time together.”

“I suppose I’ll be seeing you around then,” he said. Eager to end the conversation, he resumed his walk towards the cafeteria, exuding a confidence that he did not feel, hoping he had done enough.

***

After lunch, Jeffers organized an optional training session to help guardians sharpen their capture-the-flag techniques. Many, including Trey and Nora, were impressed by the head guardian’s performance in the kickoff match and curiosity compelled them to attend.

The sun hung high overhead as the guardians gathered on the training field, which held a couple of new props. Freshly removed from the arena, a ramp and a tall wooden barrier was situated in front of them.

Jeffers led them over the ramp first. The guardians took turns sprinting up the incline, leaping into the air to practice their aerial moves, and then landing into a cushioned pile of sacks. Karl, who was watching from the side, grumbled about how Jeffers was too soft. The head guardian coached them on timing and landing, offering tips that would give them an edge in future matches.

Next, the trainees were beckoned over to a wooden barrier. Trey somehow ended up in the front of the line, staring up at the imposing structure. Undeterred, he took a deep breath and launched himself into a sprint. Upon nearing the wall, he jumped and threw his feet forward, slamming them against the rough wood. Using his momentum and the friction to his advantage, he propelled himself higher, his long arms reaching up to grasp the top edge. With a swift motion, he pulled himself up and over, only to tumble down on the other side, landing hard on the ground, immediately missing the cushioning that had softened the impact in the previous exercise.

“Well done, Trey!” Jeffers called out. “That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen someone do it on their first try.”

“His arms are longer than a troll’s dong!” Nora’s easily recognizable voice complained from the other side of the barrier, followed by a chorus of laughter. “Give him a real challenge!”

“Nora!” Jeffers shouted, masking his amusement. “You’re next.”

After scaling the barricade, the training shifted to tracking down runners. “The key is to observe their center of gravity,” Jeffers explained to his pupils. “There are two main strategies for catching someone. The first is to catch them unaware – sneak up and surprise them. The second is to scare the shit out of them. Magic users are terrible at running full speed through a capture-the-flag field while being chased by a guardian. If you can invoke enough fear in your prey, you increase the chance that they make a mistake and then they’ll tackle themselves.”

“How do you scare the shit out of someone?” Gerald asked.

Without warning, an ungodly screech pierced their ears, and in the blink of an eye, the head guardian was charging at them with a crazed look on his face. He threw himself at the group of students he had been instructing just a moment before. Panic erupted as the trainees yelped and scrambled to escape, some unable to evade the rampaging guardian. Bodies collided as the scene devolved into a flurry of movement, shouts ringing out while others tumbled to the ground, sprawled across the training field in disarray.

Jeffers arose and brushed himself off while others groaned, remaining on the ground. “Do you get the idea?” he asked in a calm and casual voice.

Nora raised her hand. “May Braun be excused? He needs to change his pants.”

***

After the training, Trey and his fellow guardians headed to dinner, chatting about their evening plans. Jeffers had given everyone a city pass for the night, opening up a realm of possibilities. Lizzie, one of the initiates, proposed a tavern that was just a bit farther from campus than some of the usual hotspots. “The Frosty Maiden is the best place to go on weekends,” she said. “Not only do they offer the best drinks, but they offer a way to pay for them too.”

“What do you mean?” Braun asked, intrigued.

Lizzie grinned, clearly excited to share. “Based on custom, you can challenge others to arm wrestling matches. If you win, you earn free drinks! So you can effectively muscle your way into a night out.”

“If that’s the case,” Nora interjected, “then I’m not drinking with Trey. Lizzie, do you need a partner?”

Lizzie laughed, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. “I’m not arm wrestling. I was hoping some of these big, strong men can try and win some drinks for us.”

“I’m down,” Braun said, eagerly committing.

No one else voiced any opposition, and soon there were ten null guardian initiates garbed in their tunics trekking through the streets of Greshelm. As they approached the Frosty Maiden, the weathered wooden door swung open, and a trio of departing patrons laughed as one of them continued a story. The doorway revealed a warm interior bustling with guests. The tavern was alive with activity; servers navigated between tables balancing trays of frothy mugs and steaming plates of food, while an arm wrestling match was in progress on one of the tables.

Finding a table large enough to accommodate their group was a small challenge, but a helpful barkeep flagged their attention with a wave of his hand and then gestured to a long, rustic table in the corner. The group slid into their seats with anticipation, excited to see what the night would bring – and excitement arrived soon enough.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“Look boys!” a burly man exclaimed. “Some Windrakers got lost and stumbled into our tavern.”

“Not your tavern, Borin!” the barkeep yelled from the background.

“I’m just having some fun,” Borin retorted. “Should we see if the Windrakers are all that they are cut out to be?”

Cheers sounded from across the tavern. “Pick your champion,” Borin demanded, issuing the challenge to the table of guardians. “Arm wrestle me – right here, right now. The loser pays for the other group's drink.”

Braun immediately answered with gusto. “You’re on!”

“Are you the unlucky bastard who gets to face me?”

Suddenly, there were several pairs of eyes on Trey. “What?!” the tall guardian exclaimed. “Braun’s the one that accepted.”

“Come on, Trey,” Lizzie said. “I think it’s obvious who has the best shot.”

“No it's not!” he argued.

“I might be a little stronger than Trey,” Braun added, “but his longer arms will have more leverage.”

Lizzie chortled. “Very sound reasoning, Braun,” she said sarcastically.

Trey shook his head. “I wouldn’t be able to afford their drinks if I were to lose, and they don’t look like the forgiving type.”

Nora patted his shoulder. “I got your back if that happens.”

“You’ve got my back as in you’ll pay, or you’ll patch me up after the brawl?”

Nora smirked. “Hopefully we don’t have to find out.”

He groaned. “Let’s get this over with.”

Trey reluctantly rose from his seat and stepped toward the table where Borin sat, flexing his massive arms and grinning broadly. The tavern was enlivened by a mixture of encouragement and taunting. His heart raced as he grasped the edge of the table, feeling the rough wood beneath his fingers.

Borin leaned back in his chair, exuding confidence. “Let’s see how long you last!”

Trey could almost hear the crude comment that was surely crossing through Nora’s mind. He took a deep breath, positioning his elbow on the table and curling his fingers around Borin’s meaty hand.

“Ready?” an unnamed cohort of Borin’s called out, raising a fist in the air that drew cheers from the crowd. The tavern was electric with excitement, and Trey could feel the weight of their curious gazes upon him. “On three! One... two... three!”

With the shout, they pushed against each other, and Trey immediately felt the strain in his arm. Borin’s strength was formidable, like trying to hold back a raging bull. For a moment, Trey felt like he might topple over, but he steadied himself, digging his feet into the floor to gain leverage. The cheers of his friends momentarily faded into the background as he concentrated on the duel before him.

Borin broke into a hoarse laugh. “You’ve got some fight in you, Windraker! But not enough!” He flexed harder, and the crowd gasped in anticipation.

Beneath the strain, Trey could feel his muscles quivering, but he also felt his opponent tremble. Encouraged by the prospect of victory, he threw everything he had into his arm. Bit by bit, he began to gain the upper hand against Borin, slowly advancing over the wooden battlefield in front of him. The tavern erupted into chaos, the cheers growing louder and more frantic.

“Go, Trey!” Nora’s voice echoed behind him.

Borin’s eyes widened in surprise, realizing that he was losing ground. He adjusted his grip, muttering under his breath but unable to regain his earlier confidence. Trey pressed forward, and with a mighty roar, slammed his challenger's hand down onto the table. The tavern erupted in cheers, tankards raised high in celebration.

Borin glowered initially but eventually softened into a defeated expression. “Not bad, Windraker. Don’t spend too much of my money.”

Trey weakly chuckled, breathing heavily but riding high on adrenaline. “Thanks for going easy on me.”

Borin snorted. “There’s no way I would go easy on a Windraker. You were a worthy competitor.”

Trey returned triumphant back to his table, feeling exhilarated and honestly surprised at the outcome. Others were surprised as well. Nico clapped him on the back. “I can’t believe you pulled that off! That guy was huge!”

They celebrated with the spoils of Trey’s victory, the sense of camaraderie and friendship swirling invitingly around them. As Trey surrendered to the moment, a wave of relaxation coursed through him, lifting the heavy cloak of secrecy he had worn for an entire week. Yet, some secrets were more difficult to escape.

“Trey, who is your roommate?” Gerald asked after taking a swig of his ale.

“Yeah, and where’s your room?” Lizzie added, leaning in with curiosity.

“Why do you want to know where his room is?” Nora asked suspiciously.

“No reason!” Lizzie claimed, throwing her hands up. “I just thought all the rooms were occupied. I was wondering where Jeffers stuck him.”

“I’m staying in Nora’s room for now,” Trey replied casually. His answer prompted a roar of laughter from everyone else at the table – except Nora, who just grinned knowingly – as if he had just told the funniest joke.

“Fine,” Gerald said after wiping his eyes and catching his breath. “We’ll just pry it out of you after you’ve had a little more to drink.”

Trey shrugged. “What magical electives has everyone been attending?”

Damien, Gerald, Patrick, and Nico all had schedules that allowed them to attend a fire magic course.

Braun grumbled. “One of these days, I’m going to ditch my magic history class and go watch Professor Adams – teach, of course.”

Lora shared her thoughts on the earth magic class and Jakob told the others about his explorations. “I attended Introduction to Dark Magic with Professor Kalo a couple of times. It’s… different.”

“What are you doing in a dark magic class?” Gerald asked.

Jakob shrugged, his voice sheepish. “I didn’t mean to go! I was trying to find the fire magic class and ended up in the wrong room.”

“You back again, though?” Gerald questioned.

Jakob grumbled something to himself.

“What was that?”

“I got lost again.”

The table erupted in laughter at their peer’s folly.

“I’ve been to Professor Kalo’s class,” Lizzie said. “Honestly, I really like him. He takes a no-nonsense approach with the magic users and it’s hilarious. You think you’re going to hate his class at first, but as you listen, you realize he’s a brilliant teacher.”

The mood remained light with the drinks flowing freely. Trey limited himself to one, worried about abusing Borin’s forced generosity, a worry that was not shared by the others in his group. Eventually, Trey suggested they call it a night, and the group stumbled back out onto the streets of Greshelm.

“Jakob!” Gerald shouted to his perpetually lost companion who had begun walking. “Where are you going? Windrake’s this way.”

***

Finally, after a long day, Trey and Nora returned to their room. They prepared for bed, but Trey knew they couldn’t end the night yet. “Should we have our talk?”

“I was wondering how long you would try to avoid it,” Nora replied.

“You’re avoiding it too,” Trey shot back.

“No,” she said. “I was just letting you take the lead.”

Trey grunted and sat on his bed. “Let’s start with your divination magic. Tell me exactly what you’ve seen. Be as detailed as possible.”

Nora joined him, taking a seat next to him. “I don’t have much control over my divination magic,” she confessed, “but I’ve seen two visions so far. One, Marvin is torturing my dad. He uses me as leverage to try and get information out of my dad. He threatens to harm me if he doesn’t comply.”

“What information is Marvin trying to get?” Trey asked.

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Nora scolded him with a scowl.

Trey raised his hands in a brief apology. “I think that would be relevant to know if we are trying to resolve this without getting anyone killed.”

Nora simmered down slightly. “I suppose that makes sense. I didn’t happen to catch what information Marvin was trying to extract.”

“What about the second vision?” he asked.

Nora’s face fell. “I saw a dark magic spell kill my dad.”

“And you saw Marivn cast the spell?” Trey inquired, seeking confirmation.

Nora looked at him confused. “Based on the first vision, it has to be him.”

Trey’s jaw dropped. “Nora, are you telling me you don’t actually see Marvin killing your father?”

“Who else could it be?!” she exclaimed, defending herself.

“You snuck into Windrake with plans to assassinate a professor because a dark magic spell of unknown origin kills your father?” Trey asked in an elevated voice.

“Unknown origin?! Stop making me doubt myself! I can’t sit around and do nothing.” The blonde was nearing tears.

Trey took a deep breath, trying to avoid escalation. “Okay. Let’s focus on the first vision, then. We need to figure out what Marvin wants and what your dad has.”

“What would my dad have that would be so important to Marvin?” Nora asked, genuinely confused.

“What does your dad do?” Trey asked. He had the foreknowledge from Marvin’s research, but he was keen to bring Nora along.

“He’s an artifacts dealer,” she replied.

“Does he have any clients that might have nefarious backgrounds?”

“Not that I know of,” she answered.

“Does he go on any business trips he doesn’t talk much about?”

Nora frowned. “Yes, but that’s normal for an artifacts dealer. Trey, my dad isn’t a criminal. He’s not dealing artifacts on the black market.”

“So there’s no secret tunnels or hidden storage areas?”

Nora’s face paled. “That’s… normal for someone who deals in artifacts.”

“Have you ever been in these secret areas?”

“No, I wasn’t allowed. What about Marvin? Does he go on trips? How do you know he’s not conducting illicit activities?”

“He does go on trips,” Trey conceded, “and I don’t always know what he does. It’s a possibility.”

Nora sat in silence for a long time with a miserable look on her face. Finally, Trey tried to soften his approach. “I’m sorry, Nora. I didn’t intend to attack your father’s character. I hope we find a way to resolve this without all the torture and death you’ve seen. I would love to meet your parents.”

“Already wanting to meet the parents, huh?” Nora said with a weak smile. She still looked troubled, but at least Trey could see the faint signs of her usual humor returning.

“Your dad won’t zap me with one of his artifacts, will he?”

“As long as he doesn’t find out we’re roommates,” Nora replied with a giggle.

“Good thing we are good at keeping secrets,” Trey said.

“I don't know about that,” she said. “You literally told everyone we were roommates at the tavern.”

“That was part of my master strategy,” Trey jested.

Nora giggled. “We both revealed our secrets to each other within a week of arriving. I think that disqualifies us from being good secret keepers.”

Trey shrugged.

“So, what’s next?” she asked.

“Maybe we can look further into this artifacts angle,” Trey suggested, stifling a yawn. “I know Marvin has an interest in artifacts, especially from the Burning Covenant.”

“My dad wouldn’t have anything like that,” Nora answered quickly.

Trey felt a pang of sympathy for the girl beside him. He didn’t need divination magic to know what was coming. “We can’t rule out the possibility, Nora, but I’ll start by looking into Marvin’s dealings. I’ll see if I can find any clues there.”

Nora sat next to him for a long moment, staring blankly at her side of the room. “Trey, what if my dad…”

Trey slid his arm around her shoulder. “We have the start of a plan, Nora. Let’s go to bed and see what tomorrow brings.”

Without much conscious thought, Nora rose and shuffled toward her bed, her posture still noticeably heavy with unvoiced despair.

“Nora,” Trey called out to her gently. “You’re not sleeping alone tonight. Come here.”

She paused, turning slowly to face him. He could see a storm of emotions swirling in her eyes – conflict, vulnerability, and a flicker of hope.

Trey stood up and moved toward her, wrapping her in a reassuring hug. He felt her tension begin to melt away as he held her close, his warmth offering a sanctuary from her troubles. Without a word, he lifted her effortlessly into his muscular arms, cradling her with care as he carried her to his bed. He set her down, then crawled over her and settled on the other side, positioning himself so he was spooning her. His arms pulled her tight against him, and together they drifted off to sleep.

Trey’s last conscious thought was accompanied by a silent sigh. When did I become so manipulative?

He told himself that it would all be worth it, but that didn’t comfort him as much as he had hoped.