The rest of the week was what had started to become routine for them, with only one major change. They left the history class as they had found out it would only disqualify them from positions in the academy or capital. They spent that extra time studying in the archive instead.
Up at the third bell as usual, Gregory put on the second outfit Yukiko had bought for him on their last day off. We’re going down to visit Felina’s and have lunch somewhere. I still don’t know how she talked me into that… I feel like I’m taking advantage of her. She insists that she’s the one who owes me, but… The tap on his door ended his train of thought.
He picked up his bag and opened the door to see Yukiko waiting there for him. “Sorry, Yuki, I’m ready now.”
“It’s fine, Greg. You look good.”
Gregory brushed at the outfit, “Thanks. You do, too.”
Yukiko pushed a few strands of her hair behind an ear, “Thank you.”
“We should get going,” Gregory said quickly.
As they were exiting the dormitory, Dia stopped them. “Novice Warlin, a moment, please.”
Yukiko looked at her curiously. “Yes, Keeper?”
“I received a few scrolls for you last night, but you’d already gone to your room, so I held onto them. Please wait a moment.” Dia clapped her hands twice and a rabbit eurtik appeared from the dormitory. “Bring me the scrolls for Warlin.”
“Right away,” the eurtik replied before hurrying off.
They only waited a minute before the servant came back with six scrolls. “I believe they are invitations from various clans asking you to visit them today,” Dia said. “They at least had the decency to wait until a day off to request to speak with you.”
“Thank you,” Yukiko said, putting the scrolls into her bag.
“Good day to you both,” Dia said as she took a puff on her pipe.
“Keeper,” they said together, bowing.
“I wonder who you’ll pick,” Dia murmured, exhaling a thin line of purple smoke as they walked away.
~*~*~
Breakfast was the same, but the teachers not being there was different. The cooks greeted them with smiles and wished them a good day. Once they had finished, they headed for the archive to study. Greeting the eurtik on duty by the door, they went to their table and dove into their respective books.
When fifth bell rang, both of them closed their books. Gregory was still lost in thought over the last portion of the economics book as he got to his feet.
“Greg?” Yukiko asked.
“Sorry,” Gregory smiled at her with chagrin. “I’m good, just trying to understand it all. I’ll ask tonight if I can’t puzzle it out.”
“Okay,” Yukiko replied as they headed for the door.
“All done?” the bull-horned eurtik asked.
“Yes. We’ll need new books tomorrow,” Yukiko replied. “Rafiq knows which ones we are looking for.”
“I will inform him,” the eurtik bowed his head.
“Thank you,” Gregory replied for them. “Have a good day.”
“You as well, Novices.”
The walk to the postern gate was quiet, but they caught sight of a few people taking different paths. “I enjoy the mornings,” Yukiko murmured as they walked. “It’s peaceful.”
“Not like later when everyone is bustling from place to place,” Gregory agreed. “The city will be even busier, which brings it back into perspective.”
“True,” Yukiko smiled. Her smile slipped when she saw who was waiting with the guards on the postern door.
Magus Aldum stared at them as they approached. “Novices, going into the city?”
Gregory did his best to not stare, but knew he was failing. “We are, sir.”
“Be back before sundown or you shall face discipline. Sergeant, open the door.”
Gregory and Yukiko exchanged a look as they walked toward the street, wanting to find a rickshaw. “Do you think that was because of…?” Yukiko trailed off.
“Yeah,” Gregory nodded. “Also explains why he gave us the stink eye. Probably blames us for him being there. Oh, what about the scrolls? What do they say?”
Yukiko grimaced and waved down the first rickshaw she saw. “I’ll read them as we go down. Do you want to train physically first to make the massage better?”
“Go to the park for a couple of hours… that at least lets the businesses open for the day.”
“From what I’ve heard from Michelle, Felina’s is open all the time,” Yukiko sniffed.
“Still good to get our training done first. We don’t have anything else to really do today.”
“There is one other stop I want to make, but we can do that afterwards,” Yukiko told him as she climbed into the rickshaw. “Take us to a secluded park, please.”
The driver’s lips wavered, the smirk coming and going as he bowed to her, “As you wish.”
Gregory winced internally at the phrasing, but got in next to Yukiko. At least no one else heard that, he sighed to himself.
The driver did not take them far, pedaling barely a dozen blocks away down a number of side streets. The park in its entirety was about the size of one of the small arenas, but different thanks to the dense tree line that helped set it apart from the surroundings. Inside the tree line, there were more hedges and trees to separate the park into smaller sections. In the middle of everything, there was a gazebo with a table and bench.
With the sun starting to lighten the sky, they did their stretches in preparation for running and sparring. As they went through the routine stretches, Gregory felt his aether stir and move with his muscles. When he began to run, his aether dimmed, helping him keep the pace longer and easier.
Smiling as he ran, Gregory was surprised when Yukiko matched him stride for stride. When they finished the laps, Gregory was a little winded, but nowhere near as badly as he had been two weeks prior. Sixth bell was chiming when he finally caught his breath.
“Did your aether move, too?” Yukiko asked as she caught her breath.
“Yes. I was wondering how you kept up with me, but figured that had to be it.”
“This means we’re on the first step of the body path now,” Yukiko said a little hesitantly. “I haven’t felt the mind path at all, besides some things becoming easier to comprehend. The spirit path, I’ve felt brief moments of when we’re meditating.”
“The same for me, but I’m certain the mind path is working,” Gregory said. “I doubt I would have understood half of what Magus Marcia teaches if not for it and you.”
“Are you good for a little sparring?”
“If you’ll explain some of the attacks and defenses you use,” Gregory chuckled. “At least Magus Paul said we’d be starting that next week.”
“Yes, we’ll need all the time we can get if we want to do well during the tournament.”
“Ready when you are,” Gregory said as he set himself to defend.
~*~*~
The seventh bell ringing brought an end to their sparring. Gregory felt an ache in his muscles, and he smiled at Yukiko. “Managed to tag you once.”
“Yes, you pick things up faster than I anticipated. Are you ready to be pampered?”
“Yeah. Oh, you never did tell me what was in the scrolls.”
“As Keeper Dia thought, they are invitations to stop by and speak to the clans about joining them. Some are offering gifts just for stopping by.”
“Are you?”
“No,” Yukiko said firmly. “The opening offer is never the right offer, and by not replying, they have no idea of how much value I place on myself. That will make it harder for them to find the right way to approach me.”
“Yuki, clans are helpful. Everyone has said so,” Gregory said as they left the park. “Why aren’t you at least talking to them?”
Yukiko’s jaw set, “I have my reasons. Please let it be for now.”
Seeing her dig in her heels much like Amoria used to, Gregory shrugged. “Fine. If you want to talk about it, I’ll listen. Just keep that in mind.”
Yukiko sighed, glancing at him then quickly away. “I will. Thank you, Greg.”
Back on the main street, they found the city had started to wake up. Yukiko flagged down another rickshaw and instructed the driver to take them to Felina’s Spa. The rickshaw driver delivered them to a four-story structure that took up most of the block it occupied. The exterior was done in a rose-colored stone that seemed to soak up the sunlight.
Yukiko paid the driver, and they walked up the low, wide stairs to the double doors. The doors were some golden wood that had a single stylized ‘F’ carved in the middle of each. Entering the building, Gregory’s eyes widened slightly at the amount of subdued wealth on display. The floor was rose marble and the walls were paneled in the same golden wood as the doors. Two golden lanterns affixed to the wall behind the counter across from the door easily illuminated the entry room.
“How may I help you?” the woman behind the counter asked. The makeup she wore helped emphasize her deep blue eyes, and she was wearing an elaborately decorated kimono.
“We have come to see about being cared for,” Yukiko said as she presented their scrolls.
The woman read the scrolls and her smile widened, “I see. Esteemed friends of the Eternal Flame are always welcome here. Please go through the door. Your needs shall be taken care of.”
“Thank you,” Yukiko replied as she moved toward the door.
“Thank you,” Gregory said and followed her.
The next room they entered was a large lounge. Three women and one man were in there, relaxing. The moment they walked in, those four people all rose to their feet and bowed to them.
Gregory shut his mouth— his jaw had dropped open when they went into the room. The large golden chandelier in the room had a dozen lanterns that filled the room with light. The chairs and sofas were well-padded and covered in velvet. The four people in the room were all wearing brightly-colored kimonos with intricate artwork sown on them.
“Welcome to Felina’s,” one of the women said, moving in front of the others by a few paces. “How might we serve you today, mistress and master?”
Yukiko glanced at Gregory and whispered softly, “At twelfth bell we are going to eat. Don’t forget, please.”
“I won’t,” Gregory said. “That’s a while away…”
“You might never see anything like this again, so you should enjoy it.” Yukiko’s smile was wooden as she spoke, “Don’t forget to meditate, either.”
Gregory took a deep breath, “Training. I won’t forget, Yuki. If they do dual massag—”
“I can’t,” Yukiko cut him off gently.
“We do have a room with a silk divider so the mistress can be in the same room. It keeps the propriety of the woman sacrosanct, but allows for you to converse.”
Yukiko looked at the woman and hesitated. “Does the room include a bath and laundry?”
“It can be made so, if that is your wish.”
“Our conversation will be held in confidence?” Yukiko asked.
“No conversation that takes place inside these walls is repeated,” the woman replied.
“Yuki, if you aren’t comfortable, we can split up.”
Yukiko glanced at him. “I’d rather not, but I have restrictions I have to abide by. Unless you’d rather be alone with one of them.”
His mind went to Jess back at the Proctor’s Rest and what that might mean here if he was alone. Seeing Yukiko’s uncertainty, though, he shook off that thought. “Rather train with my partner.”
Yukiko stared into his eyes for a long moment before her smile thawed. “Very well, Greg.”
“You’ve decided?”
“The joint room with the divider,” Yukiko said firmly, though her voice held a hint of a tremor. “I will have you care for me, and the one you choose for my friend.”
“Nisha, you are to care for the master,” the woman said, addressing another of the women in the room. “If you will both follow me, I will take you to your room. Would you care for tea, sake, or other refreshments?”
Yukiko’s smile grew slightly, “Whatever is the best you have for novice magi.”
The woman smiled, “As you wish, mistress. I’m Mitzi. If you need anything, please let me know.”
The room they were led to was divided by a wall similar to those in the dorm, but made of silk panels instead of paper. Each side contained a tub large enough to relax in, as well as a waist high table. Nisha guided Gregory to the right, motioning him to the tub.
“If sir is willing to disrobe, we can start with the bath. This will allow us to get your clothes laundered while the massage takes place.”
Gregory caught the same words directed at Yukiko, as the silk wall did little to mask the sound. He thought back to Jess again and knew that if he was not in the room with Yukiko, he could easily have had the exact same experience again. Exhaling deeply, he stopped thinking about her, though with some difficulty.
“Of course,” he told the servant.
“Did you wish for me—” the woman began with a knowing smile on her lips.
“As formal as possible, please,” Gregory replied before she could offer.
“As formal as you can,” Yukiko’s voice came through the silk. “I don’t wish to cause my friend any discomfort.”
The idea of Yukiko naked and enjoying Mitzi flitted through his mind, and Gregory swallowed hard. Damn, this is going to be hard, he sighed to himself before looking down. Yeah, like that.
Once the initial awkwardness was over, Gregory was able to relax. Nisha stayed clothed while she bathed him, her hands firm and warm as she cleaned him. She did not stray from work, for which Gregory was grateful and saddened by at the same time.
“Did you wish to soak for a bit first, sir?” Nisha asked once he was clean.
“For a few minutes, please.”
“Greg?” Yukiko called to him.
“Yes?”
“Have you considered which clan you’re interested in joining?”
“I don’t know anything about them, and none of them have approached me.”
“We should have the archive give you books about the clans so you know more than just what they’ll try to tell you.”
“That isn’t a bad idea,” Gregory agreed. “I had no idea that Nick’s clan was so slanted.”
“Most clans have an agenda one way or another. The trick is knowing what they really favor and if you can accept that.”
“What about you?”
“I’m waiting for the right clan and moment,” Yukiko replied. “There are a few I will have nothing to do with, as I can’t stomach what they represent.”
“Let me know which those are, so I can avoid them, too.”
“I will.” Those two words held a happiness that even Gregory could hear.
“Meditate during the massage?” Gregory asked.
“A good idea. Mitzi, we’ll be meditating during the massages. Take your time, and try not to disturb us as much as you can.”
“As you require, mistress. Would you like some more helitop tea?”
“I’ll have some after the massage.”
