"Good morning, class!" The man greeted everyone with a smile, "I'm Dr. Leyo."
The students exchanged puzzled glances with one another.
"Maybe he's Terry's husband?" Said one gnome girl.
"But why is *he* here instead of our professor?" Asked an elf girl.
One of the human girls spoke up, "Where's Terry?" She asked the man, "Dr. Terry Leyo."
The man looked down and sighed before facing the class again, "That would be me."
"Huh?" Said the students as they became more confused. The man then grabbed a piece of chalk and turned around to write on the board.
"I am Dr. Terence Leyo." Said the man as he wrote his name on the board. He then turned to face the class again and began to walk towards the front of the desk, "But everyone calls me Terry. I have a PHD in alchemy from The Oxford University of Wizardry. I've been working here for nearly two centuries. And (in case you were wondering) yes, I am the only male professor at this school." He then stopped walking and stood in front of the class, "Any other questions?" Dr. Leyo looked around the quiet room and noticed that nobody had raised their hand or seemed like they had anything to ask. "Alright then," he smiled, "Let's begin our course." He walked over to the board again and wrote 'Alchemy' on it. Dr. Leyo then turned to face the class and pointed to the word, "What is alchemy?"
He asked as he began looking around the room, "Can anyone tell me the definition?"
The entire class was silent. The man looked at them and frowned, "If nobody wants to volunteer," he pointed to a piece of paper on his desk, "Then I'll have to pick a name from the list." Mairey raised her hand.
Dr. Leyo noticed and called on her. "Please state your name for the class."
"Mairey," said the elf girl, "Mairey Bhatti."
"Well, Ms. Bhatti, can you please tell us the definition of alchemy?"
She gulped and nodded, "Yes," she took a deep breath before answering, "Alchemy is the study and practice of transforming, creating, or combining matter."
"Correct!" Said Dr. Leyo with a smile.
Nearly three hours had passed and the students began packing up their stuff. Dr. Leyo peered at his watch, "Looks like our first class is over," he faced the class and chuckled, "I guess time flies when you're having fun." He then pointed to the board, "Don't forget to read pages 235 to 245 in your alchemy textbook and answer the questions on page 246. That's your homework for this week. Next week, we'll be discussing the ethics of alchemy as well as experimentation on sentient beings so remember to read that article about the alchemist who experimented on his daughter and their dog. If you have any questions about class or just wanna chat, I am available in my office between one thirty and three o'clock."
Mairey left the room with a copy of the article in her hand. *What kind of monster would fuse his dog and daughter together?* Thought Mairey as she read the piece of paper while walking.
"How the hell did a man end up working here?" Asked one red-haired human girl.
"Maybe he blackmailed Headmistress Biyagi into hiring him." Said a blonde elf girl.
"I heard he slept with her in order to get the job." Said a brunette gnome girl. The three girls began to giggle.
"Of course he would!" Said the human girl, joyously, "He seems too stupid to teach here and sleeping with his boss is the only way a man can get hired at a place like this."
Mairey, who was standing a few feet behind these girls, glared at them and she clenched her jaw. *This is college,* thought Mairey, *Stop gossiping like a bunch of immature teenagers and act like adults!*
During lunch, Mairey sat with Tilda again at a table with mostly human girls.
"People are spreading a rumor that he slept with Headmistress Biyagi so he could work here." Said Mairey, clearly frustrated.
"So?" Said Tilda before she put a spoonful of clam chowder into her mouth, "What's the big deal?"
"'What's the big deal!?'" Mairey was shocked, "That man has a PHD in alchemy and people still think he's not qualified enough to teach the subject. Rumors like that can be very harmful."
Tilda just rolled her eyes and swallowed the food in her mouth, "For a woman? Yes! But stuff like that isn't the same for men." She took a sip from her cup.
"She's right!" Said a blonde human girl with braids, "Unlike us women, men enjoy that kind of attention."
"Huh?" Mairey looked at the blonde girl in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"Well," said the girl, "Men always like to brag about how many people they've slept with. Not only do they enjoy being promiscuous, they also enjoy the attention they get from such behavior. Therefore, spreading those kinds of rumors about Dr. Leyo isn't a bad thing," she took a bite of her sandwich, "Besides, father says that promiscuous people should not be allowed to complain about getting negative attention from others." She swallowed, "Father also said that many years ago, when he used to work for them, the church would prosecute these sinners." She then sighed, "Unfortunately, the church has lost that power due to heretics taking over the government and having more authority than them. My family used to be very influential but nobody listens to us nowadays."
"Bridgette," Mairey began, "The church has no right prosecuting people for their personal choices."
Bridgette narrowed her eyes and clenched her fist, "That's bullshit!" She slammed her fist on the table, "Our deity appointed the bishop to perform his godly duties and punishing heretics is one of them. Therefore, our bishop can do no wrong."
Mairey gritted her teeth, "This church and bishop that you speak of burned my mother at the stake for witchcraft. So I would disagree and say that your bishop *can* do wrong!" The two human girls went silent for a moment.
"She's right, Bridgette!" Tilda snapped at her, "The church has been holding us female mages back for centuries. Did you not listen to Biyagi's speech at the orientation yesterday?"
The blonde girl sighed and got up, "You two are both a bunch of heretics!" She then left the table.
Tilda looked at Mairey, "Sorry about her. Her father is a religious nut that brainwashed her into thinking that anyone who disagrees with the bishop is a heretic who must be punished."
The elf girl shook her head, "It's fine. I've had many run-ins with those types of people." She took a bite from her salad, "Why is she attending this place if her family hates witchcraft?"
Tilda sighed, "She told me that her aunt, who's a wizard, got custody of her after her father was arrested. Now, Bridgette's aunt is forcing her to go here, hoping that this place will help undo her brainwashing.
"Oh dear!" Said Mairey in shock, "Sounds like she's had a rough home life."
Tilda nodded, "Yeah she has but that doesn't excuse her from treating other people poorly." She put her hand on Mairey's shoulder, "My grandma was also killed by the church for practicing witchcraft many years ago and my family had to go into hiding afterwards. They didn't come out until after the commoners revolted and overthrew both the church and the king."
"That's terrible!" Said Mairey.
Tilda nodded, "Yes, it was. But things are different now, or so they say."
"I've encountered many people who despise mages," said Mairey, "I've even met plenty of men who are alright with sorcery as long as it's not being done by a woman. They always assume that female mages are evil for some reason."
Tilda looked at her, "We women need to stick together and help one another, both casters as well as non casters. That's how we will achieve equality for our gender."
The elf girl nodded, *Maybe I can trust her,* thought Mairey.