Lydia went up to the board and wrote, "Dragon's Gate", then continued, "The city of Rhydin is divided into several districts. The Dragon's Gate district in the north eastern area of Rhydin is home to the city's most famous structures. On the district's main strip is probably the city's greatest gathering area, The Red Dragon Inn. Many use its lodgings, while others frequent the establishment to have a drink with friends. Of course, where one typically finds drinking, there is usually an accompaniment of fighting or, in this case, dueling. In the basement of the Inn is the Arena, which hosts the official Duel of Swords dueling. Directly next door to the west of the Inn is the Outback, which holds the brawls of the Duel of Fists. To the immediate north of the Inn, is the portal leading to Twilight Isle, which is an enchanted place that hosts dueling for the Duel of Magic. More details about those and the rest of the features of Dragon's Gate district will be featured in our next class."

"North of the Dragon's Gate district is one of the newest areas of development, the New Haven district. At one time referred to as Lakeshore, this area borders on a large fresh water lake that was once part of the Rhydin River, but had split off into an isolated lake a long time ago. The lake serves as a popular recreational area while the residential zone boasts many the city's well-to-do citizens, who have built grander and more luxurious homes there." Under "Dragon's Gate", Lydia wrote "New Haven" followed by "Battlefield Park". "To the west of New Haven is Battlefield Park. It is a mostly undeveloped region, save for a few areas, that preserves the battlegrounds of wars long ago. I have heard of few who wander over the grounds sometimes stumbling upon ancient relics. It is separated from the New Haven, Dragon's Gate, and Old Market districts by a high wall."

Lydia added "Old Market" to her list of districts on the blackboard. "Directly south of the Battlefield Park, is the Old Market district. One of its main features is the Red Dragon Great Hall, which hosts many of Rhydin's largest parties and events. But even the Great Hall pales in comparison to the historic Marketplace square, located in the center of the district. This is, by far, the city's greatest area for trade. There is everything from large conglomerate businesses to the smallest mom-and-pop shops. During our third week's course, we will be exploring some of the older stores that have a longer established history here in Rhydin and how those stores have endured and shaped the current economy.

"The last district to the north of the Rhydin River is the Seaside district, which it is affectionately called Sea Haven. Despite the serene name, the area is primarily made up of steep, jagged cliffs. As a result, the district is better as a vacation spot for tourists with spectacular views overlooking the sea, though the area to the far northwest can be used a nice seaside beach." Lydia wrote "Seaside" below Old Market on the blackboard, then continued, "Offshore, to the south of the district, is Overlord Isle. Resting in the mouth of the Rhydin River, the small island provides a local residence for the reigning Overlord of the Duel of Swords. It features the main lighthouse for Rhydin, as well as a Memorial for Gondor, who was the first Overlord for the Duel of Swords..."

Sitting close beside Lucas, Fliss was absolutely captivated by her first real lesson on the actual history of Rhy'Din itself. It was such a vast topic, with so many differing points of view on the hows and whys, that very few teachers were prepared to take it on, and why should they' Especially at Harkers, where the emphasis was on dueling and control of magical and innate abilities, which was far more important in the early years than expanding basic curriculum subjects to include the more complex topics up for discussion.

Her notebook was open in front of her - not a standard paper notebook; a little experimenting in her Fire Magic classes had provided her with a notebook of specially toughened paper, onto which she could scorch her notes with a fingertip and a very small flame. It was easier for her than scribbling it all down, since her handwriting suffered under pressure, which often led to notes that were utterly indecipherable and completely useless. She and Lucas had found that one out the hard way while comparing notes a few weeks before.

The various districts had always confused her. The Baronies were so fluid, and the Barons themselves unpredictable when it came to their short-lived rules, that it had always been difficult to pin down exactly which district was which for the pyromancer teen. She was familiar with Dragon's Gate - who wasn't' - despite having never actually visited The Red Dragon Inn or the duels. New Haven, she knew as well, but Battlefield Park was new to her, making an extra note to visit it and satisfy her curiosity about old battlegrounds. The Marketplace, too, was familiar, and though she'd never been there except for brief outings when she'd been at the orphanage, Seaside was at least a recognizable place to put a name to.

Her interest piqued as Lydia moved on to the last two districts, however - Old Temple, because that was where her father worked, and also the location of the museum, where at least two of the Grangers worked, as well; and Dockside, because that was where WestEnd was, and in it, the Shanachie Theater. Promised more information on that in later weeks, she bit down on the flurry of questions that rose and tried to work out what it was she actually wanted to know in the context of the lesson itself.

Her hand rose, along with several others, as the floor was opened up for questions, waiting patiently until she was called upon before offering up her question.

"If the Barons are responsible for each district, do we know who allowed what neighborhoods to grow and flourish in their districts?" she asked curiously. "Like ....who was responsible for giving permission for New Haven to be developed, or WestEnd" Or do the Barons just let big businesses, like the Shanachie, pop up wherever?"

Lucas glanced over to find Fliss taking notes with ....Was that fire" He was distracted for just a moment while he watched her with curious interest before turning back to listen to Miss Tolmay continue her lecture, scribbling down notes the old fashioned way with pen and paper. He was new to Rhy'Din, having only been there are few short months, and though he knew some of this already, most of it was new to him, and he was eating it up like a man starving on a deserted island.

He listened as Miss Tolmay explained about the various districts of Rhy'Din, knowing a little about a few of them, but not really the history behind them. He lifted his head, setting his pen aside to rest, while she answered a few questions, one of them posed by Fliss.

Rhy'Din was a confusing place for anyone, much less a boy who had been raised the son of a politician. Politics here were certainly a lot different than back home in California.

Lucas waited until she had finished answering Fliss' question, before he raised his hand with a question of his own, the first of many.

"This has nothing to do with the barons, but what I don't understand is if technology is available in the Stars End Sector, why don't people make use of it more" The same thing goes for magic. Is it just because people don't trust what they don't understand?"

"Like bullies," Fliss said without thinking. She glanced at Lucas. They'd both had their share of bullies trying to make them victims, purely because they'd been seen as different.

She frowned thoughtfully as she considered what they had been told. It made sense, in a way, and in another way, it made absolutely no sense at all. But then again, that was Rhy'Din for you. She'd lived here all her life, and at no point had she ever been told that day to day life here was supposed to conform to any kind of common sense at all. You either accepted the way it was, or drove yourself nuts trying to understand it all. That was just the way it was.

"So ....wouldn't that make the institution of the duels a kind of means to an end?" she asked curiously, the thought only just occurring to her. "I mean, they're a bit part of life here in Rhy'Din City, and there are all these places set aside for their use, but maybe they didn't start as a sport. Maybe they started as a way to stop the mindless violence that erupted because of people not understanding each other and being afraid of each other."

She tilted her head curiously toward Professor Tolmay. "Or is that completely off-topic?"

Far above the city, soaring on the winds, two figures looking down on Rhy'Din City in all its glory ...

"What?"

"I said it looks different!"

"What did you say?"

"I said -"

"I can't hear you!"

"What?"

An hour later, with headsets borrowed from the GrangerGuild R & D department to make communication easier ...

"This isn't going to work, you know. I can't hold you and take pictures."

"I can't hold onto you and look at the maps without them flying away."

"We should land."

"Where?"

On the next clear day, a solution found. Two figures, strapped together by means of secure webbing, one holding a camera, one clutching a tablet into which the maps have been scanned ...

"This is really embarrassing."

"You're the one who didn't want to flame like your dad."

"Knowing me, I'd set fire to you. I feel like a baby strapped to you like this."

"Will you stop complaining and just figure out where we are?"

"Okay, okay ....I think that is the Museum, so ....above Old Temple" Where's the fire station?"

"There."

"How do you know?"

"Your dad's waving to us."

"Oh."

Three days later, two assignments handed in, bearing photographs of the city as it is, comparisons of the current layout set side by side with the old and new maps of Rhy'Din City. Two differing perspectives, offered by a pair who had spent far too long in the thin air above the city. If handwriting could giggle, this homework definitely would.

As not to waste more time, Lydia quickly returned to her lesson. "Some say the Red Dragon Inn gets its name from the red hue from the clay plaster covering its walls. Regardless of the reason for its name, it is undoubtedly a staple of Rhydin City. Many frequent the establishment each night, sitting around the focal point of the first floor, the heavy oak bar that takes up most of the back wall. The large stone fireplace located about mid-way towards the back on the right is built with stones taken directly from the Rhydin River that runs along the district's southern edge. On the second floor are the upstairs rooms for rent, as well as the balcony that overlooks the back of the common room, including the bar area. Just past the hearth are two doors, one of which leads to the lower level under the Inn."

Continuing to lecture, she wrote "Arena" under Red Dragon Inn on the chalkboard, "In the basement of the Inn is the Arena. Fittingly, as the Arena hosts the Duel of Swords, the door is marked with two crossed long swords set against an onyx shield. Taking the stairs down will leave you in the northwest corner of the Arena. There you will find a large display of trophies, banners, swords, and other souvenirs from prominent sword duelers and their houses. Much like with the design of the inn above, the Arena boasts its own bar and kitchen with tables and seats there as well. There are even some bleachers built into the east wall that give center stage to the dueling rings in the south end of the room."

Lydia paused to write, "Back Alley", then turned back to the class. "The other door in the rear of the Red Dragon Inn leads out to the ominous Back Alley. It is a darkly lit, narrow cobblestone pathway between the Red Dragon Inn and its surrounding buildings. Many inn patrons will go back into the alley to continue escalating fights, as to protect other guests from getting hurt in the scuffle. Although its shadowy setting may be ideal for combat, looks can be deceiving. Due to some of the neighboring buildings throwing out their garbage and trash, the gutters can become clogged, allowing the cobblestones to become slippery with oils and other built up liquids, resulting in poor footing."

Slouching in his desk, the new male student smiled knowingly. From his rough posture and demeanor, he looked as though he could have easily been a few back alley fights himself. Despite his constant interest in her lecture, he failed to take any notes. He just sat, closely watching and listening to the instructor.

Despite having a new baby at home, and the upheaval that had been Lucas' move all of five minutes away to be with his mother and brother, Fliss was surprisingly attentive to the lecture once again. She and Lucas had promised faithfully to fly back home the second class had finished, and not to even try and leave the Bristle Crios campus on foot while there was so much going on in the city. She'd noted the new face, lounging in his seat, but hadn't done much more than smile and nod on her way to her seat with Lucas, pulling her specially prepared notebook out in preparation while they waited and talked.

As Professor Tolmay elaborated on the different aspects of the Dragon's Gate District, Fliss' finger guided the flickering flame that scorched her notes into the toughened paper. She didn't have any particular interest in this particular topic, admittedly, having no interest or aptitude for the duels that were such a huge part of the city-wide culture, but it was good to know all these little bits and pieces that went together. Dragon's Gate seemed to be the most well-known of all the districts in Rhy'Din City, but she had a feeling there was an awful lot she didn't know about it, too.

As the professor opened the floor to questions, she raised her hand, patiently waiting until it was her turn to speak before offering up her query. "If the Twilight Isle is in a pocket dimension, does that mean it isn't a part of Dragon's Gate" And if it isn't, is that why the Keepers' Towers are there" Or did I completely misunderstand?"

As she concluded her answer, Lydia glanced around the room. Felicity seemed satisfied with her answer and no other students raised their hands with follow up questions. She proceeded with the assignment.

Turning her torso slightly, she leaned back against the desk to pick up the graded assignments from last week. She stood up and began to walk around the room, handing them to their owners as she walked passed each student. "Last week's assignments were very well done." She always expected the first week's assignments to be a little rough, especially for students that had not previously had her as their instructor. It took a little time for her to get used to their differing writing styles, while they needed time to understand her expectations.

No matter how lacking the work might be, she was always sure to make at least one positive comment, like "what an insightful observation' or "excellent use of critical thinking skills". And, on the reverse, no matter how well the assignment was written, she would always provide at least one suggestion to help the student produce more comprehensive writing for the future, such as "I would have loved for you to develop this idea further" or "more examples would help to prove your point". This was usually what gave her a bad name among some students. For the highest echelon of honor students who strived to earn a perfect score, it was often a slap in the face to earn a one hundred percent "A" grade, yet still be confronted with a way to improve. But Lydia did not view the suggestion in the same manner. She personally always strived, not for perfection, but to continually improve her knowledge and experiences.

She soon came to Felicity and Lucas. Thoroughly impressed with their assignments, she passed them back to them with a smile and various notes. "Way to think outside the box!" "Wonderful three dimensional perspective." If they were watching her closely, they could have easily known even before looking at the papers that they earned an "A" grade. Her sister was right; Lydia had no poker face. As she handed out each "A" paper, she would smile proudly to the author. Felicity and Lucas both received the same sweet smile as she handed them their reports.

As she passed out last week's homework, she began to give this week's assignment. "This week, in order to fully absorb as much of the dueling culture as possible, you will be attending one of the duels." There were a few murmurs among some of the students. Some were eager to watch a fight for homework, while others did not see the value in watching a sporting event for a history assignment. Lydia explained, "Yes, I would like you to watch a duel, but I would like your focus to be on the culture that you observe during the duel. Sometimes the best way to see the past is to see the effects it has caused on the present."

She continued, "Depending on where you observe the duel, you may find certain trophies and honors of previous well known duelist on display. What are they like and who do they feature" Are those people still in the duels" Explore the duelists you are watching. How is their demeanor to their opponent and to their audience" Describe the audience. What are the demographics of the people present' Do they have any stories of their favorite past duelists" Do the majority of people take the duels seriously, or are they performing, or do they treat it as a sport' Include whatever you find interesting and explain how you think this outlook may have changed over the years as the duels have grown."

There were still a few grumbles. Lydia offered an alternate assignment, "For those that would prefer to forego the duels, I would like you to write your one page report on one of the duelists, outlining some of their achievements and history of titles and honors. The library has extensive information on the past Overlords and Barons in the Duel of Swords, as well as past Archmagi and Keepers in the Duel of Magic. In addition to the Duel of Fists Diamond holders, you can also find past winners of ShadoWeaver, FireStar, PathFinder, IceDancer, and MoonBeryl opals. If there are any further concerns, feel free to see me after class.?

As most of the class filtered out, Lydia went up and began to wipe the chalkboard with the thick black cloth covered eraser. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lucas and Felicity making their way to her desk. Quickly turning and going to meet them, she positioned herself behind her desk to hear their concern.

Her eyes lit up at his question.

Her objective in encouraging the students to attend a duel was merely to get them out of the stuffy library and into the world where they could learn firsthand. This was a perfect alternative. They would be interviewing a source directly, but it would keep them safe.

"If you are lucky enough to have that as an option, yes, definitely," she began with a nod. "Just be sure to cover roughly the same material. Do they treat the duels as a sport or a performance or something else completely' What is their greatest achievement' How has their outlook changed over the years as the duels have grown, for better and for worse" Those types of things would be perfect subject matter. Remember, the least flattering elements are just as much a part of the experience as the good elements. I want to hear as much of the entire experience in your interview as possible.?

This would be the second time that they would be able to construct a better assignment than what she had given out. She would have to reconsider her assignments from now on, leaving them open to some creative interpretations.

She wasn't the only one who took notice of their question. The new teen that kept to himself and spend most of the class studying the instructor turned his focus to the couple and their question. Slowly making his way to the door at the front of the room, he took long drawn out steps to overhear as much of the conversation as possible. He didn't look at the three, keeping his gaze planted firmly on the door, but he did little to cover up his sly pace. Once he felt content that he heard as much as he could without overtly stopping, he continued out the door and made his way outside and into the darkness of the courtyard below.

History of RhyDin: Week Three The Marketplace District

Lydia came through the classroom door with one minute left to spare on the clock above the doorway. Her usual perfectly pristine bun had a few loose strands of raven hair falling over the rough spherical mass, though it was the only thing off about her appearance as she maintained her typical business professional attire, wearing a heather grey blazer covering her navy blue button up blouse and a calf length dark gray skirt that extended passed her knee high faded black leather boots.

Most of the students were already in their seats, including the new male student who sat hunched over his desk in the back of the room. Placing her stack of graded papers down on the instructor's desk, Lydia seemed preoccupied, nervous, almost....agitated. She delicately laid an overprotective hand on top of the pile as if making sure nothing would happen to them before going to the blackboard and picking up a piece of white chalk. A couple of teenage male dwarves came in behind her, finishing their conversation about the Hellhounds" ball game last weekend as they took their seats.

As she finished the bold white line under her handwritten "Marketplace District" heading, the female dark elf tried to sneak in the door and walk passed the instructor, one minute after the clock hit the hour. Without turning around, Lydia instantaneously reached back with her free hand and grabbed the girl's wrist. The elf stopped in her tracks, drawing in a gasped breath from the sudden clutch. Lydia slowly turned to face her, the girl's confused and scared eyes meeting her piercing sapphire gaze.

"You will not be late again, Miss Woods," Lydia said severely.

It was not spoken harshly or with anger. Instead, it was completely devoid of emotion with no one word having emphasis over the others. But it was the detachment that was so uncharacteristic for the highly regarded instructor. Some of the students looked as if they witnessed her slap the girl right in front of them. The elf, herself, appeared to be in a sudden shock, her eyes almost glazed over as if trying to truly process what was said. Without waiting for a response, Lydia let go of the girl's arm and turned back to the black slate. The elf quickly and quietly slipped into the closest available seat.

Still facing the board as if putting herself in a "time out?, Lydia looked down a moment before beginning her lecture, trying to collect herself. She felt sick; her appalling display of conduct notwithstanding. Some of the students looked around to each other in horror and others in awe, certainly convinced of their instructor's supernatural abilities now. The still silent loner in the back was sitting up straight now, as the gripping scene was more than to capture his attention. He slowly slumped back down into his seat with a sly grin.

Lydia continued her lecture. "Imp's Little Shop of Horrors is well known in its own right, for better or worse. From its rotting sign and filth covered windows, it is clear before you walk inside the wheezing door that this is not your typical mega mart. The air inside is dank and musty while the floor feels almost soft and spongy. There are many odds and ends on the decrepit shelves that seem almost ready to fall over. The overwhelming clutter certainly doesn't help matters, nor does Imp's two cousins, Guimpdo and Gimpno, who are always running around. Although they are not the wisest in RhyDin, they certainly are willing to help, but they usually spend most of their time bickering while they help."

"I could spend a great deal of time on the many shops in the square, but I'll only focus on one other, the RhyDin Bestiary. Not only can you hear the animal commotion long before you are in eye-sight of the building, but when the wind blows just right, you can also smell the characteristic scent of the building. Constructed brick and carved rock, the building has a large front window that displays the animals of the week. Once you enter, you soon realize that it is considerably larger on the inside, which is appropriate for the many varied animals that are kept there while they wait for a new home. Like with the other stores mentioned, the bestiary also has a well known keeper. I would estimate that Mara Longfoot is a good ten and a half feet tall, so you will certainly know her when you see her. The big hearted brunette is easily able to wrangle the fiercest wild boar or care for an ill calico kitten. She is always happy to share what she knows or adopt a pet that is in need of a good home."

Lydia shifted her posture slightly. "With all of the shops in the Marketplace district, there are several other important areas of note there, as well. Town Hall. The Courthouse. The Chamber of Commerce. The Great Hall. All of these places help to keep the city of RhyDin functioning from day to day." She added as a footnote, "Of course, I would be remiss in not including a staple of the community, Teas"n Tomes. I imagine most of you are more than acquainted with the bookstore that also serves as a tea and pastry shop. I've heard more than a few of you do your homework there on occasion." There were a few quiet giggles and elbow gouging among a few of the students.

Lydia made her way over to the front of her desk and lightly leaned against it. She said casually with a smile, "As you can tell, the Marketplace District has its fair share of important features. I'd be happy to answer any specific questions anyone might have regarding them.? Although her focus of the class was commerce, and the people driving the trade systems, she knew the district had much more to offer than that, so she would welcome any inquiries to delve into any area the students were interested.

Lydia pulled in her lips a moment, biting them back. It wasn't that long ago when it seemed like every other day the marketplace was being bombed or a building set ablaze. She stood silent in thought, but she wasn't considering Felicity's question. Instead, she wondered why the random violence had died down. Maybe even the "bad guys" were tired of the monotony. She remembered a conversation she overheard once of two unsavory members of society plotting an attack that never came to be.

"Want to bomb City Hall?"

"No, we did that last week..."

"Want to burn down an orphanage?"

"No....We did that Tuesday..."

Lydia answered Felicity, "I believe there may already be a great deal of security in place, but due to the number of people in and out of the district each day, it would make it nearly impossible to police everyone's actions there. Not only is it the focal point for business, but also for the governing facilities. In most cases, from war to terrorist attacks, opponents target the major political and economical hubs. Even if it would hinder their own livelihood, they consider it a major victory in tearing down the society. Some people simply like to destroy." She added with a pang of personal guilt, "In those cases, it becomes even harder to prevent their actions, no matter how great our defenses may be."

If this was a psychology class, they could explore the motivations for people's negative behaviors. Maybe they couldn't control their own lives, so they wanted to control something else, or someone else. Maybe they felt as though they didn't have enough and, instead of attempting to earn more, they would "even the odds" by destroying other people's businesses so others would have less. Maybe it was just a fun pastime for them, nothing more than a recreational puzzle to break into complicated technological security systems or overcoming magical defense wards. At the end of the day, the reasoning didn't really matter when people's homes, businesses, and even lives were destroyed.

"Those are good questions, Mr. Foster. To answer the first, I believe someone important once said something along the lines of..." Lydia trailed off long enough to make a teasing smile before adding a varied version of the quote, ?"If you build it, they will come"." A few students scoffed or rolled their eyes while the usually stoic instructor smiled proudly as if she just completed a prize winning stand up comedy routine.

Her smile faded as she answered seriously, "I believe that even after setbacks, people have a way of moving forward. If a shop is destroyed, it is often rebuilt, mostly on the support from its patrons or those willing to help after a disaster. In times when it is not rebuilt or if a business owner retires, soon enough, a new store will open in its place, usually started by someone eager to start a new venture. Either way, it proves that strength and determination of our community ensures that Rhydin will keep growing, no matter the hardships it may go through." It was then when the quiet, brooding new student in the back rolled his eyes.

She continued, "There is also some truth to the argument that even if the market's location was changed, that area would become the new target in its place. But I think a major factor as to why the market is so popular is because of its location. If you think of RhyDin and its districts as a "Y' shape, then it is clear to see on a map that the Old Market District would be the fork in the "Y", lending it as the central point that connects most districts to each other."

"As far as its age, according to what may be feeble minds, most agree that the marketplace has been there as long as Rhydin has existed. If you remember from the Old Rhy"Din City Map from the first week's assignment, you may recall that the marketplace was truly the center of that map, which is some indication not only of its age, but also its importance for the community."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Lydia was visibly unnerved this week," the new student reported.

A woman that looked identical to the instructor nodded in response to him as she leaned back in Lydia's executive chair in the Headmistress's Office at the Academy. She instructed him to meet her in Lydia's office about a half hour after his History class, so Lydia would be knee deep in her next class. "Yes, I was counting on her to be upset since I broke in to take a look at her students" reports each week. You know how she is about security and the safety of her charges." Unlike her scholarly look-a-like, her long raven hair was down around her shoulders and her black attire was a far cry from the teacher's professional blouses and pencil skirts. "But, of course, I never would have known what tantalizing material I would find without your observations, Ethan."

"She lashed out at a student," he added, trying to explain the gravity of the situation. She only gave a half smile in response, proud of her affect on her twin. He continued, "I think she may have dominated her, Leta." He was familiar with the distinct way Lydia stared into the girl's eyes and the same glazed over look the girl had as Lydia gave her the order not to be late again.

"Hm," Leta said softly to herself, considering the impact. Lydia shared all the same powers as her twin, but she would never use them....voluntarily. The stress must have been too much and caused her to snap. "Maybe we should lay low for awhile, then. I do love easing her into a false sense of security. Besides, we have accumulated quite a bit of useful information to keep us busy for awhile." Although Ethan's part was minimal in the operation, she continued to use "we". It was something she had grown accustomed to working for The Company. The Company was bigger than one person, one power. It was everywhere, thanks to the coordination of those like Leta and the work of those like Ethan, though Leta had quite a few people working on this particular assignment, each with their own valuable parts to play. Ethan was merely there to watch the class, observing Lydia and the students for anything of importance. It just so happened that the assignment Lydia gave out the first week to observe areas of the city could be used for more than ordinary student research.

"Really?" Ethan asked.

"Oh yes," she said proudly, "The first week, two of the students did an excellent job on surveying the city. Since it was so current, it was better than Google Maps, and the tech they used gave us amazing quality shots - of people doing things they shouldn't. Do you know how many people I was able to blackmail" And I even saw where one of our rivals has been hiding their weapons cache. Honestly, I'd love to hire those kids, if they weren't from such a goody good family. You've been doing a good job keeping an eye on them in class, but outside the classroom would prove too dangerous. The girl's father is that fireball guy." The last statement had its own disadvantages, as both vampires were susceptible to fire.

Leta continued, "And last week, they turned in an impressive interview with the Baby Baron herself." She was impressed to learn that the child ruler had empathic gifts in addition to animal and elemental magic abilities. Though the two students in question displayed their own unique abilities as well. Ethan took special note of the way the female took notes.

For once, Lucas and Fliss were quick with getting their assignments in. They'd dragged Johnny along to the Market and explored a little, coming home with plenty to write about, though their work focused mostly on the Rhy'Din Bestiary and Imp's Little Shop of Horrors, together with an interesting discourse on the variety of baked goods for sale at Teas'n Tomes. Each essay handed in came with proof of their outing, too - namely one each of the pins available at Imp's.

If they were followed by anyone, it was unlikely that someone could pick up anything too interesting from their outing, except perhaps a hint toward one private thing The Human Torch liked and shared only with his wife.

History of RhyDin: Week Four Dockside District

A few days before the class, the history students heard an announcement that a guest instructor would be sitting in on their course. After the rumor of their instructor losing her cool with a student the week before, it was pretty obvious that the Board of Directors must have decided Headmistress Tolmay needed to be supervised for awhile. Lydia didn't seem to let it faze her as she walked in with a bright smile on her face a few minutes before the clock above the doorway struck the hour.

After placing their previous week's graded assignments on the teacher's desk, she turned to the class and announced with the same bright smile, "I am pleased to announce that we will be having some guest observers with us for the last half of our course. I hope you will grant Instructors Spiritor and D"Arcstorm and..." she paused, debating how to introduce the third observer, then finally deciding to go with, "Mr. Stormgaard the same respect you have given me." If there were two instructors sitting in, maybe the administration was more upset than was initially thought, but it was anyone's guess as to why a janitor was there.

As she had spoken, she looked around the class, taking a mental head count to see if everyone was there. Miss Woods arrived long before Lydia arrived. Even Ethan was back in his spot in the back of the classroom, but something seemed off. Colt Alexander was suspiciously missing from the class. She hesitated before beginning the lecture, fearful that maybe he dropped out due to her in digression last week.

Walking up to the slate blackboard, she picked up the dusty piece of white chalk on the thin ledge. She wrote, "Dockside", drew a thick white line under it, then turned to face the class. In typical form, Lydia was dressed in a soft pink pastel button up blouse with a white cameo gold necklace, a dark brown pencil skirt, and brown cone heels. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and began.

"The appropriately named Dockside District is located in lower West Rhydin, edging on the Rhydin River. Unlike Seaside to the north, Dockside's shore slopes gently into the sea, making it perfect ships to dock. As a result, many importing and exporting businesses have their warehouses and offices located there. Likewise, due to the neighboring sea, there is quite a large fish market and abundant seafood restaurants that dot the neighborhoods seeking to tempt hungry tourists since there are quite a few important cultural areas there as well. I will hit on just a few of the older ones later."

Her bright smile faded to a look of concern and her tone became more serious. "With as many wonderful qualities as Dockside has, it has its drawbacks as well. Just as imports can bring in great new products, it can also bring in weapons and other deplorable items to be sold on the Black Market, which arguably does most of its dealings in the district. Local bars, brothels, and gambling houses that once started out as popular destinations for sailors on shore leave have become well established there, some even modernizing to fit changing standards....of debauchery. This is undoubtedly how the district got its nickname, "Badside". Since it is located on the western side of lower Rhydin, it is also known as the "WestEnd". Like many of its residents, it has quite a few of its own aliases.? She paused, looking to the notes on the desk that she had prepared for the class. Despite her calm presentation, she was deeply nervous.

Atticus arrived promptly, not early; he had the precise amount of time he needed to make his way in without drawing undue attention. His clothes were black and high collared with a splash of electric blue running diagonally down from shoulder to waist. Being as punctual as he was, the seats were mostly full when he arrived and so he chose to position himself as near to Ammy as he could - not being familiar with most of the other students.

He bristled somewhat at being designated as an instructor; at best he was akin to a reclusive professor who'd never deigned to take on new students in any formal capacity. It might be argued that he acted as a mentor to some of the more advanced students of magical theory, but they often ended up leaving his tutelage with both student and would be instructor frustrated at the mutual inability to communicate.

Nevertheless, the classroom atmosphere always relaxed him - or almost always, depending on the instructor; something highly structured he found almost meditative, and his mind would silently plot out and organize the points presented in a lecture. The presence of other academics and even other students who were sincere in their pursuit of knowledge acted as a balm against the sores of his social incompetence. This wasn't the first class that he had chosen to audit since awakening from Lazarus Sleep, nor would it be the last, until he felt properly himself again.

After assessing the student body present for the lecture, Atticus splintered a portion of his mind through his Myriad, newly awakened alongside him, Archon, and sent part of his mind streaming into cyberspace, and across various SMS networks in the form of a text. He could text and communicate via electronic or arcane means, without use of a focus or verbal casting.

For a moment, the mentally unifying calm of the classroom wavered as he noticed a rather suspiciously dressed fellow - and then noticed who he was. Inwardly, he sighed. Brend.

Brend's sudden interruption was enough to make Lydia look up from her notes in surprise. He wondered when she was going to come around to this part" As he continued, her look changed to one of general annoyance. His little rant on unfounded conspiracies distracted her from other less audible conversations going on, though it wouldn't have mattered much. Her general policy was one that, as long as no one was disturbing anyone else from learning, then she did not mind what one did or didn't do in her classes. But Brend's questions were certainly becoming an unnecessary distraction.

By the time he finished speaking, it wasn't only her eyes boring into him. Ethan's heavy stare was focused on him as well.

"I doubt dragons in the sewers would be a sensational notion since there are enough dragons walking the streets," she said with a slight tone of aggravation. "And as far as Mount Yasuo goes" we will be covering that next week," she added, trying to finish his tangent. She purposefully ignored his comments about shadow Companies and vampires" for her own personal reasons.

Once he seemed like he would behave, she began again, "While there are many well established businesses, restaurants, and other areas of note in Dockside, I will only be hitting on a few of the" historical landmarks, if you will." She paused, and turned towards the blackboard. She wrote "The Gatehouse" under her Dockside heading. Turning back to face the class, she added "As Rhydin's official welcome center, The Gatehouse is a massive building of stone and brick. At the top, it reads "The Gatehouse" and "Port of Rhydin" below in large polished letters. Inside its doors, one can change currency, purchase maps of the city and its outer regions, and locate temporary or more permanent lodgings. As a result, the Gatehouse is often the first stop for most immigrants arriving in Rhydin from its shores. Considered the "Gateway to Rhydin", the structure is one of the most central and, arguably, the most important landmarks in Dockside."

A simple smile broke through as she spoke of her next topic. "I have always loved the tale behind the statue of The Lost Sailor. Cast in bronze, he stands atop a great boulder facing the sea beyond the docks. The statue is a human male posed facing into a strong wind, gripping a telescope in his raised right hand. His wool coat and trousers are forever frozen in motion." She turned, and wrote "The Lost Sailor" on the board as she continued, with a sweet smile, "At the sailor's feet sits an ethereal mermaid with long, wavy hair stopped in mid-flow around her shoulders. Her upturned gaze begs the sailor's attention, but, with his focus set to the sea, he does not see her." Turning back to face the students with a look of care and concern, she added, "Some say that she was trying to warn him of the impending dangers of the sea, while others claim that she lured him to his death. Despite the stories, to this day, many leave offerings, either for the Sailor or the mermaid, hoping to take a bit of good luck with them for their own journey over the raging seas beyond."

"The last of the landmarks has its own intrigue," she said as she turned and concluded her list with "The Divining Shoreline". Turning one last time to face the classroom, she continued, "The Divining Shoreline runs along the northern area of Dockside. This sandy stretch of beach where the ocean meets the river's mouth is said to have magical properties. After a gentle wave has retracted back into the sea, you may write your question in the sand, step back, and watch. As the next wave rolls in, washes over your question, and pushes back towards the sea, it will reveal an answer written in the sand. But there is a warning that comes along with the tale. Sometimes the answers are not simple yes or no responses as one might hope. Sometimes, instead, they answer in the forms of riddles, never revealing their true answer until the questioner sees their future unfolding. Other times, the questions are not seemed to be answered at all, though, again, they may reveal other important warnings. Each person's perspective is different. Many claim that the responses have no meanings whatsoever and are the simple games of fairies or sea sprites. I'll, of course, leave those decisions up to you," she said with a smile, placing her piece of chalk on the thin blackboard ledge.

"I know there are many other important areas of Dockside. These are just a small sample of the most historical places, places that many that have been in Rhydin all of their lives do not know about." Lydia said as she walked in front of the desk and lightly leaned against it. "I will be encouraging you to explore more of Dockside for this week's assignment. But if anyone has any initial questions about the district, I'll be happy to take those questions now." She quickly clarified, sensing another onslaught of anecdotes coming her way, "Founded questions, I mean. Save any rumored or speculative discussions for after class, please.? She didn't even look at Brend, hoping not to encourage him.

Ammy was doing her level best to fully pay attention to Lydia. She had never intended to be discussing matters with Professor D'Arcstorm during class. As it was, she was feeling apprehensive that she may be caught and given demerits by Lydia. This realization had her draw a small insight on something. Was it common for students to find themselves in situations where potential reprisals may suddenly arise in class" Granted her hands were not upon her cellphone tucked into her satchel. She may have have to have a word with Professor D'Arcstorm about upholding student standards. This little internal dialogue had her almost laughing in class at the fact she was wanting to take on a professor for nearly costing her some demerits. Interesting and worth reviewing later.

The comments by Brend had her ears twitching towards the back of the class. Ammy would have to agree with Lydia that most of the voiced myths were better left for a different class with a focal view on mythology and the mysticism's of a society. She went back to her notes and rubbed her chin. She hadn't heard of any of the these sites at Dockside and she'd been a resident off and on for eight years. What else had she missed being so busy' She jotted down that she wanted to visit all three landmarks that Lydia had mentioned: The Gatehouse, the Lost Sailor and The Divining Shoreline.

Ammy would raise her hand with a small tingle of excitement to ask a question and would speak when called upon. "Professor Tolmay, about the Divining Shoreline, do you think it would work for only mortals" Has anyone ever manage to become very successful in the Rhy'Din and give credit to asking the Divining Shoreline a question?"

She would put her hand down not having another question to ask.

Lydia saw Felicity's hand go up first. After calling on her, she couldn't help but smile, silencing a laugh, at Felicity's use of the word "whorehouse". Choosing to focus on her last question, Lydia answered, "I believe that people tend to see in things what they choose to see. That could apply to places, or other people. Some may walk through even the most elegant street in the WestEnd and only see a wadded up piece of trash in the gutter, ignoring the beauty around them. Others may walk through the darkest alley by the docks and only see a flourishing backyard garden hidden among dilapidated buildings." She added simply, "I like to think that there are a few people who did not let a bad reputation hold them back from the potential they saw in Dockside" and their work there has more than paid off. Due to the support of the community, Dockside has become as much as a place of good reputation."

When Felicity seemed happy with the answer, Lydia moved on to Ammy. After listening to her question, she answered, "I don't believe so, Ms. Spiritor. I've heard of many who claim to have received an answer that proved true or one that helped to inspire them to follow a successful route, no matter if they be mortal or supernatural. I must also admit that I've heard just as many stories where the recipient claimed their answer was just as untrue. But no, I do not think that the sands "work" for only mortals."

Lydia looked pensive for a moment, regretting admonishing Brend for speaking out of turn regarding groundless rumors of evil supernatural forces manipulating things when she went on to tell tales of nothing more scientific than fortune cookie prophecies written in sand.

She finished answering the rest of Ammy's questions. "I have not heard of any successful people in Rhydin who have given credit to the Divining Shoreline, though I find that many people do not always give credit where credit is due. I think that even if it were the case, people would not publicly attribute their success to the sands, instead hoping that people will assume that they achieved their status through their own hard work, which may be just as true." She added thoughtfully with a smile, "There is much to be said for making your own luck.?

Lydia had already been looking at Brend oddly, her head half cocked to one side trying to figure out exactly what he was doing as he waved and spoke to what seemed to be thin air. By the time he got up from his seat, she was squinting at him, confusedly, waiting for his question. As soon as he offered his invitation, her eyes shut tightly as if hoping to make the situation go away. But he just' kept' talking.

Overwhelmed with the embarrassment of being asked out in her own classroom, in the middle of a class, she fell back to sit on the desktop she had been half leaning against. Her eyes opened just in time for him to ask about her opinion of student-teacher relations, causing her hands, which had been laying in her lap, to both come up and cover her face. Those listening closely would hear a short, muffled laugh in between a feeble "oh....no". She held her hands there for what seemed like an eternity, and slowly brought them down, hoping all of this had been imagined and he would be in his seat like nothing happened. When she saw him still waiting for a response, she was horrified. Her typically lightly pale face was now an embarrassing shade of rose.

Though she could feel the weight of every eye in the room on her, which under normal circumstances would have been appreciated, she purposefully kept her eyes on him. At least that way she could pretend her students could not see her in this completely mortifying predicament.

"Mr" Stormgaard?" she tried to choke out as politely as she could, "I don't think it would be? professional for?" She paused, trying to figure out the best way to say what she meant. For someone who essentially spoke for a living, when it came to personal matters, she was at a loss for words. It was more than just an issue of maintaining a sense of professionalism in the workplace. It was that her workplace had become her life. She didn't like to have these personal moments in general, let alone on display in front of a full classroom of students and her peers" no matter how" flattered she may have been.

"I don't believe this is something we should even be discussing," she blurted out as she jumped up from the desk, unable to deal with the stress any longer. Addressing the whole room, she added quickly, hoping to dissuade Brend from continuing, "I will be happy to answer any questions about Dockside." It was said almost as a plea. "Any other questions can wait until after class," she said in her normal softer tone, wishing to allow the students the opportunity to come up later if they had any class related questions outside of this week's topic.

Only someone looking at him full, face on, would notice that his eyes had been changing color, from vibrant blue, becoming orbs of chrome, and finally to solid, glossy black.

He raised his hand, mimicking the rules of the classroom that Ammy so tenaciously clung to. It was not, however, a question he asked, but rather a comment.

"The home you recently purchased, are you not living close to Dockside yourself, now?" his voice quavered as he spoke, unusual for he who often seemed to be no more than machine wrapped in flesh. "No, that's right you live....closer to the Nexus proper....just....down from the Inn." He looked across towards Brend, allowing observation of the subtle change in his eyes to anyone along that route.

The hand he'd raised for attention slipped to his brow, which furrowed as if in pain; there was little in the gesture that would have garnered any attention in itself, certainly his preceding comment would have been more so inclined to do so. When his hand dropped, his eyes were normal again.

He had frowned as he'd begun to compose the letters that sat before him, having looked just then around the room to gauge how his comments - or rather, his questions - had been taken. He felt bad because he'd obviously put her in a spot, and in the few moments he had between the ticks of the clock he'd had the insight to realize that perhaps he asked like that to make it all seem like something she - and he - could laugh it off if she said no.

In his taking the time to gauge the rooms reaction, he'd noticed the strange change in Atticus, which persisted only a moment and then vanished. The serious side of him - what little of it there was - wondered for a moment if perhaps he should be addressing the sudden change in Atticus, recognizing immediately one of the symptoms of possession; unfortunately the serious side of him was immediately set upon by the rest of him, which trussed it up in a burlap sack and threw it in the corner. And that was the end of that (for now at least).

He took one of the pages in front of him, folded it up carefully into a paper airplane, and threw it down towards the front of the class, cringing as it banked hard to the left and dived - almost to its doom he feared - before rising out from between the seats, cutting between the heads of two of the other students, buoying up further, then diving dramatically towards Lydia's desk, coasting to a rest directly on her notes.

Dear Lydi, I'm really sorry for what just happened, that's really not the way I'd envisioned it going down at all - then again I should have realized how shy you were right from the get go, knowing what I know of, um, you.

(And yes, he writes exactly like he speaks. It's a compulsion.)

The truth of it is, I've wanted to ask you out for a while, I just haven't been able to work up the nerve. I mean, you're the headmistress of the school, you're kind of high profile, not to mention intelligent and attractive; meanwhile I've been a janitor. I guess maybe I just needed the confidence boost. Regardless, I'm asking now, and would be honored if you would accompany to this Red Carpet event & after party. I'll even make this pledge; if you enjoy it, I'll try to make it last forever, but if you don't, it'll be over before you know it. Think about it. Please.

Yours, Brend

ps No pressure, but if you say no, you're going to create a whole paradox thing - really not sure how that'll play out yet.

pps Oh, and if you say no and this paradox thing happens, your evil sister will probably win. Just saying.

ppps I can't wait til we're done with this whole, Time Travellers Wife meets Memento thing.

pppps I was kidding about the evil sister thing, you know I'm alright with her, right"

While the rest of the class was preoccupied with his final act of defiance in class before he would absolutely obey the headmistress and remain largely silent and attentive, he took advantage of the distraction and balled up the remaining letter on his desk and fired it - hookshot style - over his head towards Lucas. Though it fell within a short arms reach of the boy, Brend had never even watched where he was throwing it, and had instead maintained a mask of innocence despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Hey kid. Whatever you're thinking about doing" Do it. Cool Hand Luke style, know what I mean' You're more likely to regret the things you don't do, than the things you do, get me?

Cheers, Brend

Yep. Nothing to see here. Picture of innocence.

Suddenly he swore out loud, albeit softly. He slapped a hand over his own mouth.

He'd just realized that he should have included IMDB links in the underlined portions of his letter to Lydia.

To say Lucas was confused was a bit of an understatement. He was trying to understand everything Ms. Tolmay was teaching them, but the distractions in class were confusing, to say the least.

He'd thought about raising his hand to ask for clarification regarding Dockside, and just where Dockside became WestEnd. Was WestEnd part of Dockside, even though it wasn't anywhere near the docks" Why wasn't WestEnd its own district' Was it too small for that"

But before he'd had a chance to raise his hand, he found a crumpled up piece of paper tossed into his lap, which he shoved into a pocket to read later for fear his teacher might see him and ask for it, and then she was dismissing them and handing back their papers on the way out.

Lucas tipped his head close to Fliss as they rose from their seats to start toward the door behind the other students. "Is it me or is something weird going on around here?" he whispered.

Frowning a little at the way the class seemed to have so abruptly ended, Fliss glanced at Lucas in time to see him pocket a balled piece of paper. Curious, she made a note to ask him about it when they were out of the classroom, gathering together her belongings and rising with him as he murmured to her.

"No, something weird is definitely going on around here," she murmured back to him, casting a reproving glance back at Brend as they headed for the desk.

She enjoyed learning, and she knew she was lucky to have the privilege of doing so in such an ordered environment. That order seemed to have been threatened, and Fliss felt unsettled. How were they supposed to learn anything at all if another student was grandstanding and disrupting everything? She didn't want to fall behind, and she knew Lucas would be even less inclined to ask the questions he wanted to ask if he felt as though he was just setting himself up to be mocked.

Collecting her former homework without the usual smile from the professor was an odd experience, leaving her still frowning as she and Lucas headed out of the classroom. As they reached the outside, She took his hand. "C'mon, let's go somewhere private. I need to make something burn before I can calm down."

Lydia was grateful as the students came up to collect their reports, then leave.

"You're welcome, and thank you," Lydia said to Ammy in return for her compliment.

Then it was only her with the two male observers. She was about to thank Atticus for his compliment, but the sudden mention of previously meeting her at the docks hit her. She closed her eyes hard and left them closed a moment, trying to collect herself. The Registrar's Office was located on campus" nowhere near the Docks. She had employed him as an instructor, and certainly would never claim someone to be an "asset". He was certain he had met her before but she was certain of one thing " Her twin sister, Leta, could not keep her hands out of her school.

She opened her eyes wide at his question. She had suspected that Leta might have a spy in class, but Atticus had only just started in the course, so she ruled him out from her sister's mess. But he displayed his own telltale signs of something foul being afoot with his shifting eyes.

"I don't feel comfortable?" she began, hesitating on saying "with you?, but feeling better that at least someone else there if anything went bad, she continued innocently enough, "with something like that in my classroom." She considered defending herself by explaining that she had already had a security threat during the class, and how some of her papers had been gone through without her permission, but she thought better of it. She hoped a simple "no' would be enough.

"As is best, Headmistress," Atticus said before turning and exiting the classroom.

Finally, only one more lay in between her and her moving on to her office. She walked around to the front of her desk, much like she did for the question and answer segments. This time, she sat back on the desktop, letting her heels come off from the floor. "Ok," she said softly to herself, staring at Brend, trying to mentally prepare herself for him. She leaned back, crossed her legs, and rested her palms on the desktop behind her. Feeling the paper airplane she dismissed before, she picked it up, and began to read it.

Her eyebrows raised in his address to her. Only a select few she would allow to call her the nickname. Her focus shifted quickly as she lightly smiled at his apology. "Why can't he be more like this"" she mused to herself, engrossed in the brief note. She opened her mouth to answer, but paused in seeing the first postscript. She smiled brightly at the light paradox threat. Her eyes narrowed slightly, though she still wore a smile as she read about her "evil sister". Squinting, she read the movie references with a canted head of confusion. But by the time she got to the last postscript, she had the page only a few inches from her face. She put it down quickly, not being able to help herself from a soft laugh as she looked to Brend. He seemed constantly full of surprises.

He frowned a moment, "I know you're no one other than yourself, Lydi." That might seem audacious, but its hard to say what he really knew of her, now wasn't it' By her own admission, he could know something from her sister. Of course, he also called her....that nickname. So who's to say' He reached onto her desk and grabbed a couple of papers, whose name at the top was "Colt Alexander".

"Sorry, just picking up some homework." It was two weeks worth of Colts marked hand ins; as far as covering the subject material, he'd been 100% - there was a slight underlying sarcasm to his work that made you not want to give it full value though, as if the person who'd done the work was, well, kind of a little jerk. He paused in retrieving the papers, his smile beaming, "Yeah, I think you'd look great in blue," he started ticking off a list in his head, except that he was speaking it - softly but audibly, aloud, "We'll do dress, heels, hm, panties?" He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lydia a bit more speculatively now.

Lydia jumped up from the desk defensively as he grabbed the homework. As if her sister rifling through them wasn't enough, now he was doing so right in front of her. She was about to stop him, but paused, trying to sort things out. By the time he got to the "panties" remark, she was half tempted to slap him. "I don't understand. Why are you taking Colt's assignments" Why was he not in class today?"

He never missed a beat in his deception, mostly because it wouldn't do anyone any good just at the moment for her to realize the complete truth. "I'm his guardian. I'm picking up his assignments. You can check with the registrars office, or with Rebecca," he gave a small smile, "I was, um, with him when he signed up personally for your class. His tone became less teasing and more gentle, "Too much work" ....Come on. Come spend the night away with me. Before you burn out." He waved the papers subtly, "Sorry, I should have asked. I just saw his name at the top."

"No, thank you. I enjoy what I do," she said tersely, quickly gathering up the rest of her notes from the desk. "And I have more work to do tonight' if you'll excuse me?? she said distantly as she attempted to go passed him. She would definitely be checking with Rebecca when she got back to her office. She suspected his story would prove true, but she wanted to verify it for her own peace of mind.

"That's too bad, you'd really like it." he frowned, he was moving with her - not before. He'd start for the door when she was ready, kind of escorting her....also kind of unwilling to leave. "And it's Brend, if you don't mind. Or some version of that. No one's been called Mr. Stormgaard. Ever. Not even my father."

She looked at him strangely, but still smiled. "Ok" Brend," she said, taking note of how he moved with her. "And if we're discussing preferred names, if you like, you can call me Lydia," she added extra emphasis to her "A" ending. "You don't know me well enough for anything other than that?" She added softly, "yet."

"Oh?" he was asking in regards to her claim he didn't know her well enough yet, and maybe she wouldn't put it together that that's what he'd latched onto, but...."Sometime when I'm not focused on entertaining you, or making you laugh....we've really gotta talk history, bet I could tell you some surprising things - if I could make you believe them would be another matter." He'd likely sound like an outright liar, but she'd probably laugh and smile at his oddball stories - never realizing they didn't come -close- to the truth, that they were in fact -the- truth. He smiled warmly at her as they left, his hand ever so lightly hovering over the small of her back, barely ever touching. With that, they walked out the door.

A few moments after they left, the door opened again and Brend's head peeked around the door jam. "Um. Hey guys. For those of you who got here....late, or, maybe you're early for next class....or I dunno, maybe you're just, reading through - in which case, no loitering - just thought I'd clear up, she said yes to the whole date thing. I know what you faithful readers are thinking, either, "That was really up in the air!", or maybe, "Can you believe she's going out in public with that animal?" and another thing..."

Suddenly Brend was jostled from behind and tripped into the room proper, as some older guy with a mop and bucket elbowed him out of the way. He muttered something mostly unintelligible to Brend, who rubbed at the points of impact from the mans mop handle. "Alright, I guess show's over for now. See y"all again in the next installment." Brend ducked out of the room, leaving only the old janitor who looked up after Brend as he left, muttering as he pulled his cap down over his wild, snowy hair.

"Weirdo."

Ammy's assignment report was sent directly to Lydia's office, folded, precise and accompanied with home made ginger candy and some chocolate chip cookies. A small note was attached as well.

The note would simply read:

I thought perhaps some ginger and some home made cookies would help ease the tension I sensing from you. I don't know what is going on, but I do hope you'll find comfort soon. Attached is my history homework for week 4 and no I am not bribing you for good grades. Should you ever want to talk to me about.....some things that have happened I will happily accept your company any time of the night. I do need to ask about something misplaced that I have yet to find any trace of. Would you happen to know where my Chaemera Pistol went during the Kracken attack" I have spent a year atoning for any wrongs I have done against the Academy and that gun is the last atonement needed, for within it . . . the Kracken would look like a pet compared to what core can do.

Just a Student, Ammy Spiritor

History of RhyDin: Week Five Mount Yasuo

At the end of the last class, the over protective Lydia attempted to look for the missing student, Colt Alexander. As soon as she looked at the contact information her secretary Rebecca had given her, she realized the streets and area codes did not exist in Rhydin. In a last ditch effort, Lydia pulled his student number, but it was not a student number" it was a staff member's, specifically, a janitor. Brendryck Stormgaard. Looking back, it shouldn't have been a surprise. Both had the same azure blue eyes and tousled blonde hair. Learning the alternate identity of her 'student", she felt foolish after their exchange last week. As if she didn't have enough working against her, she could add 'dating a co-worker" or worse, "a student", to the growing list of grievances against her.

On her way to class, she wondered how she managed to keep her job. Today, she told herself, I will maintain control.

Lydia walked through the classroom door a few minutes before the clock struck the hour. Determined of her priority for the evening, she kept her head up, higher than normal, with her raven hair held secure in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Her usual professional attire was even more straight-laced, as she wore a simple white blouse buttoned up to the collar with a harsh black blazer over it. A smooth citrine stone hanging from a yellow gold chain gave little color against the white blouse. Her lower half was encased in black, from her black pumps, solid black nylons, and black circle skirt cut modestly passed her knees. The black of her ensemble gave a stark contrast to the pale cream skin on her face and hands as she smiled to the class and placed the graded papers on her desk.

As the clock struck the hour, she was up at the board writing Mount Yasuo with a solid line underneath. Turning to the class with her gentle smile, she began.

"Although this class is devoted to the history of Rhydin, I would be remiss to skip two areas that hold just as much culture and connection to our fair city. This week I will be discussing the stories of the history of Mount Yasuo."

"About a week's travel north of Rhydin City lies a mountain range famous for its natural vistas, high plateaus, and deep valleys. In addition to the beautiful flora from its wildflower dotted rocky ranges to its heaven reaching forest trees, animals are just as plentiful in this area of Rhydin. Everything from rabbits, squirrels, deer, wolves, mountain lions, bears, and various forms of hawks and eagles call this stunning land home. But it is the tales of its people that make the land great.?

The even more strait-laced appearance of Professor Tolmay did not go unnoticed this week. In fact, it made Fliss feel a little ashamed of her own thrown-together appearance - she was still in uniform, but her blouse was unbuttoned at the neck, her cardigan was rolled up to her elbows, and she was very aware of the ladders in her tights. Not to mention the tiny blue dragon clinging to her shoulder, dribbling water down her arm whenever he felt the need to display some pleasure with whatever was happening.

Still, the change of pace with the topics was welcome. After being grounded, Fliss was anxious for something, anything, different to liven up her days, and this lesson seemed more of a story than a lesson at all. With one hand scorching notes onto her special notepad, she listened in fascination, her other hand idly flicking a flame onto the tip of her thumb to keep Lir amused during class-time. The little dragon was still experimenting with being able to put out a flame, enthralled by the way she could turn one on whenever he fancied it.

When the professor paused, she raised her less occupied hand to ask a question, rather than wait until after the lecture was done. "Did all that really happen, or is it like an allegory?" she asked curiously. "Just, you know, the Circle of Nine ....the towers, or wizards who made them, or whatever ....seems like a metaphor for the virtues, and Whose-it Khan is like the vices. So it's sort of like good overcoming evil, like every culture has a story of. Right?"

It did seem new students came out of the woodwork when it was near the end of classes. Why would the history of Rhydin be any different' Having enrolled in the school rather late Dove found herself playing catch up with he class by going through old notes and the like. Assignments were found, written down, then tucked away for a later time period. For now, she would focus on the class.

"Shush," the words were ordered to Flower. That skunk was sitting in the chair beside her the two of them somewhat near the back of the class. Often she found herself here since it was easier for her to be able to do her thing without others to nearby. Pen was on her paper having used one of the older enchanted pen and ink bottles that automatically wrote down the notes. She found sitting in a few of these classes, be it for fun or other, she often missed things and the word for work manuscript helped her study.

Chittering of the skunk could only be heard a few seats away by human ears but weren't most of these people non-human' If they looked over they could see her grasping the creature to hull onto her lap the legs coming uncrossed to give him more room to sit. Flower tucked his head along her thigh as he nuzzled her nails digging into the back of the creature's neck stroking it.

Like any child of great adventures the first thought in her head when it was spoken teleporting was barred was to try to break that. Corner of her mouth twitched as she leaned back setting the nails further into his fur while whispering to her pet. "Challenge accepted."

Looking around at the class that was quickly becoming a literal zoo due to the addition of pets and familiars, Lydia's eyes soon closed for a moment as Fliss raised her hand. She would expect an interruption from Brend, but not her sweet, innocent Fliss. "Yes, Miss Storm," she answered with her eyes still closed, pretending to maintain control of her once structured lesson plan.

When Fliss asked her question, Lydia opened her eyes with a smile, answering kindly, "Well, it certainly could be a simple myth to explain the phenomena surrounding the mountain range and valleys, but there may be some truth to the stories. For example, it is true that the nine towers do stand, and they do have certain "guards" that many claim to be powerful, mystical keepers of the towers. It is also true that there are mysterious wards that protect the mountains and valleys, preventing many electronics and even some magicks to work within its boundaries. I guess, at the end of the day, one may have to go to Mount Yasuo to decide the differences between fact and fiction. Until I hear otherwise, I personally like to believe the tales. As you call them, stories of "good overcoming evil" can be soothing to the soul."

When Fliss seemed satisfied by the answer, Lydia went on to answer Lucas. "Well, Mr. Foster, there are always the good old fashioned ways of getting around without the use of magic and technology. Keep in mind, one may use any and all types of transportation, magical and technological included, up until the boundary of the Circle of Nine. So do not feel as though that week's journey on foot will indeed take the whole week. Now, once inside the barrier, it has been said that some technology and magic may work, but it is essentially "cut off" at that barrier. I would imagine if one "fixes" their machinery or 'recharges" their magic source, then it may work once again. Again, due to the distance and the obvious initial setbacks, many due not typically venture into Mount Yasuo, so not much is known as fact."

Realizing that the interruptions had only been caused due to the enthusiasm for the material, she added with a smile, "It has been discussed to offer a few week course exploring the varied aspects special to Mount Yasuo, from its flora and fauna to its historical landmarks to assessing the details of its technological and magical limitations. There has not been enough of an interest in the past to warrant a trip, but that is always up for discussion in the future??

Realizing she'd interrupted the lesson in mid-flow, Fliss winced apologetically, subsiding as Lucas added his own voice to hers in curiosity. With the professor continuing into the rest of the lesson, she exchanged a slightly shame-faced smile with her boyfriend, unaware that Lir was leaning out through the curtain of blonde hair that fell down her back to study the skunk at the back of the class.

Her hand rose again as they were invited to ask questions once again. "How does that work, though?" she asked curiously. "The whole magic and technology thing not working inside the barrier. Because obviously they've got magic, or it wouldn't have been created in the first place, so does it only work on magic and technology from outside the Barrier?"

Atticus had been listening intently to the lecture on Yasuo. He hadn't said anything during the midway point because he was only supplementing his own private study of the area with this lecture, and felt it would be more insightful to listen to the queries of others.

One question in particular caught his attention, from the young woman, Fliss. It was very close in nature to his own study and expertise, and immediately piqued when he gauged what she was talking about before she had finished the sentence. As she'd spoken, he'd silently raised a hand, finger upraised and waited for the Headmistress acknowledgment. Her nod was subtle but she did acquiesce.

"If I may," he began, standing, "you've mentioned twice in the same line of questioning, 'magic and technology', as though the two are immediately lumped together; fascinating how the mind immediately creates that bridge, is it not". Specifically, the Barrier prevents magical transportation - teleportation - within its limits; it also prohibits technology, anything beyond simple machines such as wheels, and the like, from working within its barrier. I do not believe it has been extensively tested, whether a spell cast from one side of the barrier can effect the other; certainly a cell phone from one side does not work on the other, while a burrow pulling a cart does not have the wheels fall off as soon as it crosses the boundary. What could be interesting, would be the development of technology exclusively on the other side of the Barrier - would it work" Could it cross back to this side, and if it did, could it return again?

"To my mind, it seems much more likely that the spell which was cast was done so to specifically target technology - and that teleportation spells within its boundaries no longer work is caused by the same effect, but that it was unintentional. Certainly, there is correlation between magic and technology both being able to transport people and things almost instantaneously, via spells or aptly named 'transporters', or the like.

"The land within the Barrier is quite suffused with magic, though initially while doing my own research I assumed it must be as barren of magic as it was tech. This is not the case. I strongly suspect given the history we've just heard, along with the basic facts at hand, that during whatever confrontation happened, the magicians were overwhelmed in numbers - and the technology the aggressors were using was so vast in scope that it equalled the threat of the wizards spells; a wizard is potent in battle, but is easily matched by enough men with guns, or even crossbows.

"It seems as though the mages must have enacted some kind of massive enchantment, a mythal perhaps, or a geas over the land itself, that suspended the laws of physics so that science based effects were muted, except those laws which were subsequently enforced by other spells, or some continued effect of the original muting spell."

He was about to go on, to clarify, he wasn't sure he'd made complete sense to the young woman - or the class in general, for that matter.

Then someone vanished in the back of the class. Problematic, in the fact that the week previous he had established a Mage Eye which monitored this specific class, and was visually inverted so that - like the caster who had just vanished, it was also invisible. Though with no dramatic flare to draw attention to it. Atticus rounded where he stood, his eyes becoming blue chrome spheres as he glanced to where the woman and her entourage of Skunk had been sitting.

Prepare yourself, and keep in mind he has little to no social grace.

"This is not Mage Hall," he stated coolly, "that type of display will be distracting to the students, and more than that, given that we are in a science wing, has a marginally higher chance of drawing Paradox spirits - were myself and Lady Spiritor not here to raise the level of Consensus."

He turned away from her, back towards Lydia.

"The most succinct I could manage, Instructor." He nodded, and appeared as though he would say no more.

If he could have, he would have felt bad for drawing out the caster in the back row; in this case she was truly simply unfortunate to have drawn the lot of him sitting in, and having already set up sensory devices from the class before. Furthermore, he was capable of understanding - but not seeing - the irony of pointing out to a student they were distracting, when the week prior he had been distracting to the Lady Spiritor.

The lack of the professor's social graces was not lost on her. Students were sitting right in their seats, trying to look as proper as possible, and generally trying not to draw his attention. Then there was her reaction. In the recess of her mind, the man's vocals and phrasing reminded her of one of her Mentors, Godfry. The first lesson she had with him was in their first meeting before she signed up to be his student. It ended up with her having a sprained wrist and the understanding for a proper mage name.

A luminous smile danced along her features and the butterflies in her stomach calmed as the warmth of those memories washed over her. The forefinger traced the stone, the one responsible for her hiding, then casually flipped it. Flecks of blue stood out in those normally grey eyes giving away the fact that something about the encounter relaxed her. No one would understand why their encounter provoked such a reaction and she believe no one would ask either.

Then there was Flower's reaction. His head popped up from her lap setting his front feet onto the desk as he eyed the man. Unlike her he was a rather grumpy guy and might have been debating sneaking into his in campus housing to steal all of his left socks. If you steal both the person is none the wiser to the lost but if you steal one they go on looking for the other sock not willing to admit defeet.

With the story of Mount Yasuo firing their enthusiasm, Fliss and Lucas found a workaround to complete their assignment without getting Fliss in trouble for breaking the rules surrounding her being grounded. It helped to have a professor of Anthropology living less than five minutes away, after all.

Ammy was studiously listening to all the commotion going on as the class had hit a full storm of question, answer and distraction phase during the lecture. Lydia, she was amused to see, was doing well keeping her composure. The professor and Head Mistress of Bristol Crios Academy was a fine example of learning how to take notes from prior performance issues. Something the Lupe professor chastised herself to do more often with herself in the future.

However, she couldn't idly stay quiet as much had been said that had piqued, then dragged her overstimulated mind out of the calm state she'd put it in. She prioritized how she'd respond to things as she heard them, though she knew Lucas had given her a slight look of puzzlement. The look was not taken wrong. Being in the coven and the academy for a few years now, she was used to the looks and wouldn't be surprised to be classed as a werewolf. That filed and she'd speak up some to address both Fliss and Professor D'Arcstorm.

"Pardon me, professor D'Arcstorm, but why is it wrong to equate magic and technology together" Let me quote a famous writer from the Prime Universal Earth, Arthur C. Clark who quoted that 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' I wont get into a full blown magical debate with a renowned magi like yourself here as you stated, this isn't Mage Hall, Professor D'Arcstorm, but Magic and Technology both use the same fundamental principle. Energy. In any state or form, both fields use energy. I would said quite likely that the 9 towers are quite possibly a very ancient design on a directional EMP barrier meaning that you could teleport out of Mt. Yasuo, but it would be a one way trip.

This said, with an EMP field, any actively powered technology or active magic crossing it would fail and fizzle. The cart as you imply, uses simple physics. No energy except for kinetic and potential is imparted, thus there is are no polarities to reverse to cause circuitry to fry or Spells to reverse and collapse. Though I think by now maybe I've lost people. Perhaps you and I should do a paper together for Professor Tolmay and take a trip to Mt. Yasuo. Do you like flying?" Ammy grinned to D'Arcstorm.

As to the vanishing student using the invisibility spell, Ammy just smiled. It seemed the child was just perhaps skittish, or feeling out of sorts thrust into things abruptly. She would still decline to ask any questions as her current little monologue suggested her mind was working in a different direction, then again, when was the Lupe thinking in a single, solitary trajectory?

Ammy was about to say something, perhaps defensive, perhaps argumentative or debatable in direct stimulation to what Professor D'Arcstorm had spewed out. Instead her parted lips closed and the classroom may have heard the audible click of canine teeth clamping shut. It would seem she had found something that her and the professor were at extreme odds with. She let any further prompts at a joint paper between them at Mt. Yasuo die in silence.

She would lapse back into observation mode during the rest of the class time, a small smile given to Lydia when her paper was returned and then a sort of frigid, stern mask slipped onto her furred features that only her senior class saw once, back when Mage Hall was being terrorized by tentacles. When they'd be given leave to go, she'd be up out of her chair and briskly removing herself from the classroom before she did something stupid as she did not need further attention to her own issues as a professor. That and she'd need to talk to her business partner Amar and her friend Marilla about a hang-glider and a free one way ride to Mt. Yasuo.

Turning back to face the class, she continued, "Star's End Spaceport is RhyDin's direct line to Gateway Station. Passed the mountains to the west of RhyDin City, Star's End is very much a central hub that handles most of the planet's off-world commerce and tourism. In its early stages, the appeal of the spaceport was how easily ships could come straight down from orbit without the need for landing clearances or licenses. What started out as a way to bring more people and products to RhyDin, soon became a haven for many "unofficial" businesses and practices as well. Over the years, the small spaceport has grown into a bustling mini city of its own with businesses, warehouses, and housing. The most prominent business is undoubtedly, the Star's End Bar and Grill.

She paused to write "Star's End Bar and Grill" on the blackboard. Learning from her previous weeks" mistakes, she added quickly, before there could be any interruptions, "The unimposing one story bar is made of metal and permacrete. Neon signs on the walls cast a harsh glow on the rough metal surfaces and through the cloud of exhaust and cigarette smoke that seems to cling in the bar. Everything seems to be covered in the same grime that fills the air. It is rumored the last one who tried to clean the establishment was shot dead with their first swipe of cleanser. Whether or not it lends some truth to the story, there is in fact a small spot in the upper left of one of the windows that allows the only hint of clear natural light in the bar."

"Much like the renowned Red Dragon Inn, the bar has a, well, bar. It features exotic liquors and spirits from a countless other worlds. Thanks to an agreement with the Red Dragon Inn, the staff and their "cash' machines are able to accept and make change for and convert to off-world and local currencies. At the end of the bar is a hallway marked "Staff Only." There is the kitchen where several small aliens churn out whatever sort of food is requested. In the off hours, a salvaged auto-vending machine takes up a section of one wall. It is able to pop out sandwiches, soup, or even some exotic delicacies. When it is working, there is also a food replicator. Also back in the employee only section are the back office, storage room, and loading dock with a large waste disposal chute. It is suspiciously large enough to fit a body, but the staff claim that the scratch marks on the sides are most likely just from broken glassware.?

Ammy filed in last into class, peculiarly odd for the Lupe professor who was usually early to each of the remaining lectures she had attended. Some of the students may have noticed the professor was wearing more comfortable clothing in the air of less hugging and more loose jeans and a hoodie. The subtle waft of healing salves drifted from her fur and some parts of her white fur where seen were neatly shaved cleaned, the hints of pink scars starting to vanish. Some of her red crimson and gold strands too were short among that cascade waterfall and the professor held a certain air of someone who'd trekked through most of Rhy'Din's backyard wilderness.

She'd dip her head in apology to Lydia for arriving so close to the starting time and slid an envelope with her assignment, late, onto the teachers desk for later review. She'd take her seat with ginger grace and settled down to take notes looking quite tired. Her satchel was mysteriously missing though her notebook and pen present if not in very battered condition.

Ammy had no questions come to her mind currently as she settled her mind to the here and now of class. She'd let another speak to see if that knocked something loose in her mind.

Lydia acknowledged Brend's raised hand with a nod. "At least he didn't interrupt," she thought, gratefully. Her smile quickly faded before a word came out of his mouth, concerned that he might try to throw the class into disarray or into some random topic. Though she could tell full well that his first question was more in jest than for the sake of learning, she still gave an informative answer based on what little she had to go on. "Regarding the dragons" you may be able to find those statistics through the Rhydin Air & Space Guard." Trying to show she had loosened up, she gave a half smile and offered playfully, "And I bet you a coffee that that has never "happened at least once"."

"In regard to the moon events," she began, answering his second question, "Yes, Bristle Crios held three moon events each year for three years. Snow Moon in February, Rose Moon in June, and Blood Moon in October. To my knowledge, the importance had little to do with Rhydin's moons, and instead had to do with the Irish, Celtic, and Pagan based cultural heritage of the founders of Bristle Crios."

She wasn't quite sure how to answer his last question. "It may be out of place for dragons and starships to be occupying the same air, but there are many things out of place in Rhydin. A drow may be talking to a minotaur in a bar. A half demon may be doing a business deal with a faerie. And even the beings themselves are their own curiosities and conundrums. A man might identify himself as a brooding, guitar playing, half dragon, half country boy, ladies" man. A woman might describe herself as an empathic, half werewolf, half vampire, seamstress assassin. And as far as vampires go?"

She continued with a hint of cynicism verging on bitterness, "I thought it was silly when I saw a movie about a vampire that glittered in the sunlight, but apparently the sun doesn't do anything to all of these new vampires in Rhydin?" She quickly stopped, realizing her sudden, and maybe a little too revealing, rant. "I guess my point is," she tried to recover, "Rhydin is filled with oddities and even we ourselves may be contradictions at times."

Seeing the lull in questions, Lydia stood and picked up the graded assignments. "For your last assignment, I would like you to write about your favorite spot in Rhydin and why it means so much to you." She began making her way through the aisles between the desks, handing back papers to their rightful owners. "Ideally, it would be nice if you could write your paper there or at least do your note-taking there, immersed in its surroundings, so that you would be able to write about it more accurately. Sights, sounds, scents, and, even more importantly, your feelings there. Is it your way of getting away from the world, or is it a way to surround yourself with more people" Why is that particular place a comfort to you?"

Since they sat conveniently next to each other, Lydia smiled as she handed back Fliss's paper of insights into the The Lion of Jenli and Lucas's outlook on The Slumbering Dragon. Dove received a similar smile as her assignment was returned to her. As Ammy had brought in her last assignment at the beginning of the class and Lydia hadn't had time to look at it, let alone grade it, she politely nodded to Ammy as she walked by her seat.

"You will have one week to complete this last assignment. Grades will be sent to your preferred method of communication." Although she loved the traditional method of writing on a chalkboard, Lydia still understood and valued improvements on technology. There was even a laptop in her office, though it was usually closed and left on a bookshelf. But grades would be emailed, electronically posted, called out, mailed out, and even texted out via her secretary. "And for those who rather learn your grade or discuss it in person, you are certainly all welcome to make an appointment at my office," she added as she returned back to the front of the class. "If there are no further questions, class may be dismissed."

Ammy seemed to smirk hearing Brend's question about Dragons versus Sub Orbital Vehicles. She didn't speak but she already knew the stats on Wyvern's versus Old Bi-Planes and Hang Gliders.

The comment made by Lydia about sparkling vampires and the sun not affecting them had the professor looking down at her furred hands. It had taken her nearly a year to learn how to mute and turn off her radiant glow as a sun goddess so she wouldn't harm some people on campus. She could still remember the vampires that attacked her in the back alley that started the whole ordeal and she watched them vaporized with her touch. Ammy swallowed a bit apprehensive and wary that maybe taking this class was not wise or safe. She did remain calm though.

The topic of how people identified themselves did tease out a small comment from her muzzle when 'Werewolf' was mentioned. "Just because it has fur, talks and walks on two legs doesn't make it a were-anything..." she mumbled under mild amusement and in a spirit of agreement of Lydia's point.

She did give Lydia a nod of understanding when the reports were handed back minus hers. She was just happy to have returned from said trip in one piece. She noted the final assignment and once they were allowed to live she'd limp her way out to do her homework.

Within the weeks time, Lydia would receive an envelope with Final History Report and a note attached that she was more than happy to receive a personal visit to Ammy's Office to discuss anything about the reports or her assignments in class.

Leta's blank expression slowly changed to a slight grin as she leaned forward and said teasingly, "What makes you think I was only there for one class?"

"Ooh," he said softly to himself, mirroring her own wicked smile. "Well, now that the class is over, what?s my next mission?"

Pulling the chair up closer, she then laid her elbows on Lydia's desk and rested her chin on her interlaced fingers. "One of my storage areas became" compromised. I need to move what I can to a safer location." Of course, there was much more to the story, but it wasn't necessary for him to know. Ammy might have liked to know. Her "missing" gun was among the many items Leta had been saving away there. "Here are the directions," she said while unlacing her hands and using one to carefully slide a paper that was resting face down on the desk in front of her towards him.

Ethan nodded as he picked up the paper. He folded it a few times and slid it into his tattered jeans pocket. He had made the mistake once before of attempting to read one of her notes in her presence. She scolded him for wasting her time because, as she had pointed out at the time, if she wanted him to take the time to read it in front of her, she would have just taken the time to tell him herself. Though she looked just like her twin, her method of giving instructions differed greatly. As he turned and walked out, he could tell he was going to miss getting homework assignments from the other Miss Tolmay.

Leta leaned back in the officer chair, debating whether to wait around until Lydia showed up. How she would relish the chance to shove it in her face how she taught her identical twin's class right under her nose. It was easy enough to do. She had done it countless times before, though she doubted Lydia had even known. All it took was a simple call to one of the parents with an upcoming parent-teacher conference and ask them to move up their appointment. Then all Leta had left to do was to compel faithful secretary Rebecca into calling Lydia to inform her that the parent needed to adjust their meeting time, but not to worry, as she had already found an instructor to substitute the class or classes she would have to miss. It took a little more manipulation at first, but as the years went on, Lydia's trust in Rebecca made things so much easier.

The emotionless artificer was a different story. Leta was unable to read him as well as the others. What an irony, a lifeless creator. It was hard to take advantage of someone with no discernable motivations to exploit. He could make unstoppable weapons for an army if he so chose, but putting in the work to manipulate him was far greater than she wanted to give. She had no use for armies anyway. If you have to go to war, you've already lost. She enjoyed messing with people on a more personal level.

And then there was the little bird that flew into class and made quite a name for herself with her dramatic show of talent, or didn't make a show as the disappearing case may be. Silly girl left her name right on her alter outside the museum during their Yasuo assignment. The contact Leta had in the museum told her about the girl's oddities when she met with him and exchanged business cards. He was nice enough to send the card to Leta, along with photos of her alter. The magical record keeper was definitely experienced in her craft, experienced enough that she just might be of use to Leta, or The Company, one day.

Last, and certainly least in Leta's eyes, was the unruly janitor. She was sure she could sway the seemingly uncontrollable master of time to do much of her bidding, as long as she was able to take advantage of his interest in her sister. But she had dealt with him in the past, and it never seemed to turn out in her favor. If memory served, it usually resulted in him getting too close to Lydia, and Leta having to wipe her poor vulnerable sister's mind to make her forget about him. Leta didn't want to do it, at least this time. Her and her identical twin had built quite a little life for themselves here in Rhydin. It would be a shame to have to start over somewhere else.

"No," Leta thought to herself. "Better not disturb Lydia now. I think I've done enough damage to her for now."

Leta slipped away while Rebecca was preoccupied with her typing, allowing Lydia to regain control of her perceived sanctuary.