44th of Sifdras - 7th Isharil

  In E. Marblebrook’s office this morning, we are going through the extensive list of all the mishaps I can recall from my nearly 18 years of life. Obviously the earlier memories are a bit scarce as I could not recognize early on that there was anything but a lesson to be learned from Father about the nature of magic and mana threads. If I’m being honest, the light spell with Liddy and her friends was really the first time that I noticed that anything was “wrong” with my magic in the first place.

  The other more strange happenstances, some of which I told Mistress Yevvena already, have only occurred within the past five years or so; starting with the event on that Darkened Veil night. This did not go unnoticed by Professor Marblebrook whose keen rose colored eyes narrow at me upon reading the event, telling me to show her the mark on my neck.

  I hesitate, despite knowing that this is coming, before pulling back my long sandy blond locks and turning my head so she can inspect the two birds circling behind my left ear. After a few moments, she only hums softly to herself and moves on with the other occurrences on the list. Still self conscious of exposing the mark to her, even in confidence as we are, I smooth my hair back over it, trying to soothe my uneasy mind.

  “Quite a few of these have happened in the last few weeks since coming to Court.” She looks up from the list and I am brought back to the present. “Have you noticed this?”

  I try to peak at the list again as I fidget with my fingernails, wondering which events she is talking about specifically. “Uh, yeah,” I start, trying to find a tone where my voice doesn’t shake. Why was this so difficult to discuss? “It has become quite a disruption.”

  “I don’t doubt that. Considering you neglected to tell me that you ‘fell’ in the Eldwood two weeks ago.” Her cunning eyes find mine and I can’t help the heat that blossoms on my face.

  I knew listing this event would cause some kind of backlash, but I figured it would be more of a reprimand for going into a place that is clearly marked as “do not enter”. I honestly hadn’t expected the reason for the momentary ire in the professor’s expression to be about the omission. “Am I,” I start meekly, “Am I in trouble for going there?”

  Professor Marblebrook scoffs, waving a lazy hand as if to dust away the remark. “No, no. There are obviously some extenuating circumstances for your…visit. Besides, I’m sure the Dean has already been made aware of it considering whom you met there.” She goes back to the list with a contemplative expression.

  “Wait,” my heart races with a sudden anxiety, “what do you mean, who I met?”

  “The Beast of the Eldwood, of course.” She stops for a moment, looking up at me pointedly, giving the paper a shake. “That is whom you describe here.”

  “The Dean can…talk to it?” I ask incredulously.

  “Hmm. I suppose it’s Yevvena that he speaks to, but considering that he was the one who asked us, so nicely, to keep our students out of the Eldwood for a time, its a safe bet that she, and therefore the Dean, already know.”

  My mouth works soundlessly for a moment, trying to comprehend it all. The Beast of the Eldwood is a “he” and he can speak?

  “As for your other escapades,” the professor marches on and I catch up quickly in her brief pause, “I would say the one that is most concerning to me would be your reaction in the Void of Reflection. I am guessing that this is the event that made you want to look into all this ‘being cursed’ business?”

  I nod, holding back a sigh and think of Calas asking if I am unlucky. Even though he was the cause of this particular event that this wild rumor stemmed from, he had still asked. Come to think of it, that didn’t make much sense. Wasn’t he the one who started that rumor to begin with? Even more curious, was his reaction to when I asked him to confirm the weird tales I had heard about him. He practically admonished me for even the hint of gossip.

  More and more, I get the feeling that maybe Calas wasn’t the one who started any rumors about me. Especially since he was a part of the event that started it, there should have been a rumor about him, too. Right?

  “Well, Miss Crowfoot,” the professor says in a decidedly light tone, “I feel like there is most definitely a pattern here to explore. Unfortunately, I have a feeling I am not precisely the one to uncover this particular mystery with you.”

  I can’t help but feel a bit betrayed. “But Dinwold. The cosmos!”

  She nods solemnly, “Are precisely how I know that a different kind of specialist is needed for this.”

  I slump in my chair, feeling like I am back at square one; so frustrated I could cry.

  “Not to worry, though, I will arrange a special session with Mistress Yevvena for you next week.”

  “Mistress Yevvena?” I ask in a dull tone.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Again, she nods in that serious, but not unkind way. “Of course! Not only is she the foremost name in Prophecy, being a highly gifted medium, she is also well versed in understanding nature of the Paragons and their Pactbearers.”

  I sit up straight at the mention of Paragons. What did any of this have to do with the gods, as they were more commonly known? The nine Paragons of Power are well known throughout Akeroth, each having their own regional folk lore and mythos. “What are Pactbearers?” I ask alarmed, having never heard the term before.

  Professor Marblebrook glances up at me from her writing, sounding distracted. “Oh, it’s just a term for those who have made a contract or pact with a Paragon as indicated by the mark on your neck.”

  I sit back in my seat slowly, stunned by the casual cadence of her response. I would call it an answer, but all I can think of are more questions. When I attempt to ask the professor them all, she tells me that Mistress Yevvena will explain it better than she can.

  I muddle through the rest of the day, trying to make sense of this new piece of the puzzle. What do the gods want with me? Are they the real reason for all my mishaps? I rub at my neck and think of the fear and dread in my mother’s eyes that night on the Darkened Veil. Had they known? What had I promised? Why don’t I remember?

  All of these questions and more keep me tossing and turning all night long.

  45th of Sifdras - 7th Kaldros

  Cira and I meet before lunch after our morning classes and it feels good to just relax with her again. I am more than happy to tell her about the stupid beetle project and the major progress I have been making there. She smiles at me as I describe my elation and relief in that I finally feel like I might actually belong here.

  “Of course you do, silly!”, she cajoles. “Magic is a part of you just the same as me!”

  I smile softly at the compliment as I gather my cloak, ready for our walk. “That’s super nice of you to say…” I respond, my voice trailing off; not really knowing what else to say. I know that Cira’s elven heritage makes magic a physical part of her, but I am aware of no such thing that normal humans are born with.

  “It’s not just being nice, Serea, it’s the truth. I can see the magic in your aura all the time! You must have some pretty amazing heritage to have an aura so saturated.” She pauses putting on her cloak as we walk out of the dining hall with our lunches. “I mean,” there is a hesitation in her voice now, “that is why your parents sent you here so young, right?”

  I bite my lower lip, not really knowing how to respond to that without explaining much more than I’m willing to. We head outside and through the campus in the slush of Everdawn’s melt. I pointedly don’t respond until we are well on our way to our favorite spot; a covered gazebo near the Eldwood.

  “I don’t know much about my heritage past my parents. Mother has some Drakari in her bloodline I’m told, but my father doesn’t really talk about his side. I guess his family didn’t really approve of his choice of spouse.” I pause, really thinking about it for probably the first time in my life. Why would I question those things? My parents never seemed to think it mattered much at all. Why would I?

  “That is how the story goes, anyway.” I pause and look up at Cira, whose tall, lithe form always seems to dwarf me.

  She is looking thoughtful and a bit puzzled. “So,” she starts, as if unsure, “why did they send you here, then?”

  I purse my lips, contemplating what I should say. The memory of having to tell Professor Marblebrook and finding out that my issues are beyond her help is still fresh in my mind. On the other hand, Cira is more than trustworthy, she’s my best friend here. Sleeping gods, she is my best friend anywhere! She can handle this part of me, right? This still unknown, unexplained part of me?

  I take a deep breath to try to calm myself before speaking. “I am here to learn how to protect myself from all the unexplained mishaps that happen around me.”

  Cira stops, blinking as if having trouble processing what I just told her. I take the opportunity to explain more. “Ever since I was small, magical oddities have happened to me. Some mundane, but others have been more dangerous.”

  I wrap my arm around Cira’s and lead her into the gazebo so she can sit. I probably should have waited until we were inside the gazebo to tell her, I suppose. “My father was always there to protect me from the worst of them, but he still worried that one day, he wouldn’t be. So last year, I applied to the Midnight Court asking for me to be admitted as a student a few months early.”

  Cira seems to be following what I’m saying by the nod of her head and asks, “This whole time? Have you had anything… odd happen here?”.

  I nod emphatically, a sheepish expression pinching my face. “Yeah, I accidentally interfered with your light spell when we moved in…”

  Shock is plain on her face, jaw agape. “All this time!? That was you? But…”

  She trails off and I interject quickly, “Yeah, sorry. I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”

  “So that is how you knew how to handle it!” She says, starting to understand.

  “Yeah.”

  She thinks for a moment. “The Void of Reflection? Was that you or Calas?”

  Confusion hits me at the question. “Ah, that was probably a bit of both…”

  “The Hall of Equity?”

  “I think maybe, yes. Professor Marblebrook thinks so, too, after I explained it.” I shudder, thinking about it.

  “You told Marblebrook!? Wait, which one?”

  “Professor Elandria.” I reply with a wince. “I didn’t have much choice, but she isn’t mad or anything.”

  Cira’s expression become serious. “The thing you wouldn’t tell me about when you sneaked out before dawn?”

  I hesitate, looking toward the Eldwood so close to us. “Yes, that was one, too.”

  “Oh by the gods! Will you please tell me about it now?”

  I nod, taking out my lunch of smoked sausage, fresh bread, and a soft brie. Cira does the same, taking out a crusty bread with a piping hot filling inside which smells savory and delicious. As we eat, I tell her about the morning I went into the Eldwood and roamed where my feet led me. How I happened upon the enormous Beast of the Eldwood and barely escaped with my skin. I also told her of the research I did afterwards, as well as what Professor Elandria told me about it and the Eldwood. So it was confirmed as an actual “event”.

  Cira hugs me fiercely when I finish my story and our lunch. “You could have died.” Her voice is a harsh whisper in my ear.

  I hug her back but not as tightly as she clings to me. “I guess I’m kind of used to that.”

  “Promise me,” she starts, pulling away and gripping my shoulders so we are eye to eye. “Promise me that you won’t run off by yourself like that. I will happily go with you! Anywhere!”

  I smile shyly and nod. “Yeah, okay. I promise.”

  My focus shifts back to the Eldwood looming in front of us as all those questions that kept me up last night start to cycle through my mind again. I decide not to worry Cira over something that has me this addled. Besides, what would I tell her? I also might have made a deal with a god. Sounds very sane.