Normally, I would never consider such things; but, frankly speaking; we were the same age. And Corvus was a non-living testimony to the benefits of mixing our blood with a vampire's. With that in mind, I deemed it wise to keep her on the back burner for the off-chance I ever wanted a kid. Not only that, but I liked her as a person. What little of her I knew anyway. And, she was strong. So, like many of the others, she would prove to be a powerful asset to my Guild.
Still, a small part of me felt bad. My actions reminded me of my old college days. Of the times I'd senselessly flirt and charm my way in and out of things.
As I expected, however, Zakira was more or less ecstatic to hear my answer and skipped off to her room before we even made it to the entrance.
Upon returning, I found my room had changed yet again. My pillow was now placed on a raised platform on the back wall sunken social area had been placed in the center. Surrounded by a few pillows and chairs sitting around a fire pit-like lantern. Other than that, my desk, the cooking area, my bathroom, and the other furniture remained in the same place.
After taking note of the changes, I stepped further into the room and paused to allow a wave of relaxation to come over me before I moved to my desk to skim through the few pamphlets I had yet to read.
In all, there were only two: the grading criteria and my schedule.
Like the Assessment the Guild Association sponsored, the Bodhi Tree measured our performance on eight metrics, as well as three additional metrics.
As before, the first eight were Intelligence, Strength, Constitution, Agility, Dexterity, Combat Ability, Manipulation Mastery, and Magical Prowess.
The first of the others was Charisma. Which essentially boiled down to our likability. It was a measure of how we were seen in the eyes of our peers. Of how easily they listened to us and our ability to persuade both the teachers and our peers.
Wisdom basically translated to street smarts. To use an analogy, Intelligence was knowing that horses had a strong kick. But Wisdom was understanding not to stand behind one. Two sides of the same coin, yet inherently different. Like many things in life.
The last one was self-explanatory. Leadership. Which did encompass things like giving orders, planning tasks out, and seeing them through. But it also included much much more. To put it in simple terms, being a boss meant barking out orders. While being a leader meant inspiring your subordinates to want to follow your orders in the first place.
A distinction few individuals in positions of power were aware of.
Putting that aside, I quickly skimmed through the contents of my schedule and prepared myself to bed down for the night.
As Doyle said, we'd begin each week in his Magical Aptitude course and move on to Zeff's Magic Theory lectures the next day. Leaving Olga's Artificer Introduction course for our final block of instruction.
Each day, classes would begin at 8 am. From there, our instruction would proceed without pause until lunch, at 11. Which would last until 1 in the afternoon. After that, our classes would proceed as scheduled until 5. At which time we were free to do as we pleased until the next day of class.
With my documents read through, I sat atop my small throne and closed my eyes to meditate and dream of dragons for a few hours until I rose and fashioned myself a quick breakfast. Then emerged to see Curious Twig, the Tabaxi, and Zakira lounged about on opposite sides of the room, staring longingly out the window.
Upon seeing me, however, Zakira brightened up and strode to my side to pull me out the door for a walk. Which turned out to be her leaning against me while I sat in the courtyard and smoked the morning away.
During which, we had a brief talk about Classes. She felt as if Rogue was the only option available to her. Because of her kind, I assumed. But I tried chalking up Artificers to no avail. So I told her what I intended to take instead. And she screamed her confusion into the night in response.
She claimed to understand my reasons for becoming an Artificer and even for taking the summoning course. But she couldn't understand why I wished to go with Monk. And, considering her earlier reaction, I didn't feel like explaining it to her. So I deflected and continued our periodical small talk through the rising sun and the migrations to and from the cafeteria.
Eventually, we found ourselves lounging on a sofa and remained there for the remainder of the day.
She remained attached to my side during the entire time. But was never close enough to interrupt my thoughts or annoy me in any way, so I let her be. Despite the curious gazes that fell on us.
It seemed she simply enjoyed being in my presence, so I left it at that and let my thoughts wander until sundown came and Doyle rapped on the door to shepherd us to a formal dining area in the trunk, above the classrooms.
Inside was a circular room with wood grain walls and marbled floors splayed in gentle amber light. Like many other places in the Bodhi Tree, the roof was a mangled mesh of vines and branches that gave the place a sort of dream-like quality that I found quite hard to describe. The interior was dominated by a fountain placed at the center of the room, before four clusters of stunningly carved tables of glowing wood and marble that'd been placed to each side of the room.
As Doyle was doing for us, Olga and Zeff were also leading the classes through doors in opposing corners of the room to instruct the students to sit by teams and wait for the Headmaster to give his speech.
Which thankfully didn't take long. As he strode in with two women trailing close behind him. While they took their seats on either side of him, he remained standing and spread his arms to greet us.
"I welcome you, Pages of Class nine-nine-nine." He grinned. "To the conclusion of your orientation. Tomorrow starts the beginning of your studies. But tonight, we feast. However." He raised his pointed nail. "First, you must hear some words from me, and undergo your first ritual.
"I'll start by introducing our staff. First." He gestured to the woman to his right. She had brown-red skin with freckles and a lion's mane of curly hair paired with thick-rimmed glasses that magnified her perpetually stern gaze. "Our Assistant Headmaster, Mallory Monet."
For whatever reason, Doyle and the other teachers erupted in applause after her introduction. Prompting a majority of the students to follow suit.
"To my left is Bodhi Tree's Healing Director, Felicity Licht."
Not that I could, but I didn't even need to feel her magic to know she was a family of light. Her hair was almost a radiant blonde. And so to were her eyes. Which looked out with hope and expectation at the crowd of young faces.
"The rest of the staff are as you know them." Headmaster Knagh continued. "Some of you may be concerned about the number of staff we have on hand. But I assure you, each of us you see before you have been adequately trained for the job. It is because of this and the relatively small size of our classes that we are able to put more care towards the individual student. This had made the Bodhi Tree the best institute for higher learning in all the realms. The fifty-five of you are the best in all the known realms. As such, there is no tolerance for bullying or unruly behavior within these grounds. Problems are to be solved through dueling or words. And nothing else.
"Now. With that out of the way, we can move on to the second-most important event of the night." He boisterously chuckled to himself before turning his gaze to the ceiling and sending out some unsensed command that ordered the mangled ceiling to unravel and hang strange wooden bowls before our eyes.
They appeared like the bowls of the Monkey Cup plant. Only made of wood and filled a thick syrup that radiated a blue-green hue like the arcana within me.
"What you hold, is the sap of the Bodhi Tree." The Headmaster ceremoniously monologued. "In this state, it is like a magical flower in liquid form. Unpollenated and destined to die without this ritual. By drinking its contents, your flower will first be molded by your Magical Signature and undergo fertilization from your Spiritual Body. And the resulting seed shall grow into the fruits of your labor by year's end.
"So, young Pages. Drink!" The Headmaster thrust his arms upwards in cheer. "Eat! Party on this night to your heart's content and begin the steps down the path to greatness in earnest!"
Upon his order, many of the students including myself upturned our bowls into our mouths.
It tasted… dangerously sweet, but also hellishly spicy. Like honey had been mixed the essence of a Carolina Reaper. Still, it was almost addictive. Like how blood was for vampires, I assumed. I wanted to keep drinking and drinking it and lick the bowl once it was gone.
Until the burning fire spreading inside pulled my eyes within.
With my mana vision, I saw what could only be described as a parasite writhing through my spiritual body. Weaving in and out of my Cores and Well as if it were a ghost.
Or half a ghost, I realized as the moments passed and its body began to change. With each circuit through my spiritual, body, with each loop through my Cores and Well, the transparent eel-like creature the sap solidified into took on a darker and darker hue as if it were absorbing energy from my Void Core. Only, that and a sort of aura were the only attributed types of mana that I could sense within it. And it wasn't even void mana. Nor was it death or shadow mana. It somehow felt more… wicked. Sinister. Like something from the Under.
And the aura was like a golden brilliance that was unlike the light produced by my electromagnetic or nuclear magic. It was a dense type of energy of the likes of which I never felt before. And from its radiance around the black mass of the parasite, it looked just like the annular of a solar eclipse back on Earth.
'What-' I began to ask myself. Only to lunge forward and almost collapse from the intensity of a feeling I hadn't felt in years.
Nausea.
Thankfully, it wasn't just me. Every student in the room was doubled over like I was. Spreading the horrid sounds of retching through the room. And knowing it was my turn, I prepared myself for the worst.
I always hated throwing up and this time was no different. But what came out certainly caught my eye.
What landed in the vine's bucket was a wilted sack that looked a lot like a dried-up fig. Among other things.
Like the eel, however, my acclaimed seed had a purplish-black skin and emitted the same brilliant radiance. But before I could lean in further for a closer look, the vines whisked mine and everyone else's bucket away and into the ceiling. And Headmaster guided the rest of the staff in a thunderous round of applause.
"I'm sure you all have many questions." He smiled at us once the noise died down. "I assure you that they shall be answered in the coming weeks. For now, I implore you to eat to your heart's content and make contact with your peers. Once the call is made, you may leave whenever you so wish."
With a final bow, he settled into his seat. Prompting the sea of heads to swivel around to the nearest console and order whatever they fancied.
I, for one, ordered a steaming pile of past and endured a bit of small talk with the other members of my party. Save Winston and Urshure, who respectively brooded silently and dug into their plate without remorse.
In that time, I managed to pair names and faces with everyone in my party and even a few from the others until the Headmaster called the dismissal. At which time, I and half the room rose to go our separate ways.