Gregory smiled when he opened his eyes and saw the silk canopy hanging over him. “Darkness, how are you?”
“I’m good, dear one,” Darkness replied. “Already to the tenth rank of the novice tier, hm? Goodness, how your enemies will hate you.”
“I think they already do,” Gregory said, rolling to his side to look at the dark corner of the room. “Thank you for the time with Yuki.”
“You’re both welcome. It was difficult to not sit here and watch, but I figured you’d want privacy for the first time, at least.”
“That would’ve made it awkward. I appreciate you giving us the time alone. It made for a very memorable solstice.”
“Yuki and I are working out how she can repay me,” Darkness said with a hint of laughter.
Gregory shifted in the bed, his libido more than eager to offer up suggestions. “Really?”
“Oh, I do like some of those ideas, dear one. You still need to be able to handle me for those to come true, though. It won’t happen while you are still a novice.”
“Wait… you’re talking to Yuki? How is that possible? I thought you were my aether?”
“The fire in your cavern is your aether,” Darkness said. “I’m something much greater, but because you are who you are, I can speak with you. I can speak with Yuki because she is your heart. The more you love someone, the easier it is for me to contact them, and that’s the only reason it was possible for me to bring you together as I did. Currently, I’m talking to both of you.”
Gregory’s lips pursed in thought as he considered what she had said. “That’s separate from those around me being able to open up multiple paths, right?”
“Those who trust in you and want to be beside you can walk the same paths as you. The moment they betray that trust, things go badly for them. No one who betrays my heart deserves to keep the gifts he bestows on them.”
Gregory exhaled in relief, as he’d been worried that allowing Jenn to join them might become a problem for them later. “You can do that?”
“Because of you, yes. You being safe, protected, and loved are what I wish for. I help those beside you connect to the paths, and I can just as easily sever them if they prove false. Yuki and I have only your best interests in mind.”
“Thank you?”
Laughter came from the darkness. “Oh, you are welcome, dear one. I doubt you’ll ever hold anything against us… unless we ask for it.”
Gregory’s body responded to the intent behind her slightly delayed addition. “I will, when asked,” he agreed, then changed the subject. “I’ve been seeing glimpses of aether more often.”
“Yes. That should be the first part of your magic that you recover. It will be a long time before you get back to what you are fully capable of, though your mother’s magic might be the first magic you can use with intent.”
“Foresight?”
“Yes. It’s very taxing, but you can bring insight about the future to you. I would suggest waiting until you’ve reached the apprentice tier before you try.”
“You haven’t led me wrong yet, Darkness. I’ll do as you suggest.”
“Have you been gleaning any insight from watching Yuki and Jenn’s training?”
“Not much… I get the odd feeling that I know it all, but just can’t remember it.”
“It will come back to you in time, dear one. Alas, our time is growing short again.”
“Darkness, are you okay with this?” Gregory asked.
“With Yuki getting all of your love? There’s a small part of me that’s envious of her. It hurts occasionally when you two share a look, hold hands, or sneak a kiss. I don’t resent her, though. I could have done as I told her; whispered to you in your dreams to sour your feelings for her. However, that would have been wrong of me. I am here because of my love for you. Making you reject the love of another to try keeping you to myself would be anathema to who I am.”
“Thank you,” Gregory said. “I can’t imagine life without Yuki beside me.”
“I know,” Darkness said. “Being loved by you is something that only the very special will know. Sleep well, dear one. I will see you when you reach your next rank.”
“But—” Gregory started before the darkness rushed from the corner of the room and swallowed him.
~*~*~
“Can’t believe you’re both tenth rank already,” Jenn was saying as they walked together. “I thought I’d been making ground up on you.”
“You’ll still likely match us again before we become apprentice-tiered,” Yukiko said.
“I hope so.”
“Good morning, Novices,” Rafiq greeted them when they stepped into the archive. “What can I do for you today?”
“I’d like a book on Empire’s Gambit,” Yukiko said.
Rafiq was silent for a moment. “I see… Interesting. You want the introduction, correct?”
“There’s more than an introduction?” Yukiko asked.
“Oh yes. It’s a technical and tactical war game. There are dozens of books that break apart conditions, maneuvers, and more. Novices don’t ask for them normally, but you can read them.”
“The introduction, please,” Yukiko said.
“I’m fine with what I have,” Jenn smiled.
“I’m still working my way through the law book,” Gregory said.
“You’re getting into the archaic parts of it now,” Rafiq said. “It can be difficult to understand some of the phrasing.”
“Yes, but I am still making headway.”
“Before the Second Eurtik War?” Rafiq asked.
“Between the first and second, currently.”
“Most have given up by that point. You are tenacious.”
“Learning is invigorating,” Gregory said.
“Very well. I’ll have the books brought to you. I hope your studying is productive.”
~*~*~
Leaving the archive, Yukiko explained the first part of what she had read, “It’s going to be complex. It makes that clear at the start. It also isn’t designed to be fair, nor balanced, as war isn’t either of those. It uses miniatures, depicting units, on a terrain map. Each type of unit has different statistics at the start of each game, but those stats change depending on a large number of factors.”
“This sounds like it’ll definitely take longer than a week to learn,” Gregory chuckled. “He’s a sly one, roping me into this.”
“Yes, but it’ll give us a leg up next year… or as he said, at least not a severe handicap,” Jenn said.
“What kinds of factors?”
“Weather, supplies, commander, loyalty, morale, opposing forces, and other things like that,” Yukiko said. “I had no idea there was something this complex to learn about. It tries to simulate field conditions for units in battle.”
Jenn’s smile grew wide. “I like the sound of this game.”
“I think we found our next nightly study session,” Gregory said.
“That’s a good idea,” Yukiko agreed. “We should see if the clan hall has the same books on the subject.”
“Finally, a fun subject to study with you both,” Jenn said.
“We’ll likely need to mock up the board and units, as well,” Gregory said. “That way, we have references for what we’re learning.”
“The clan hall might have them,” Yukiko suggested. “If this is something magi learn here, it stands to reason they would have the materials.”
“We can ask Dia after class,” Jenn said.
“Bean, I challenge you!” a gruff voice called out, interrupting their conversation.
All three of them came to a stop and looked toward the man who had spoken.
“Franco Ichor,” Jenn said levelly. “Why would I accept such a thing from you? Aren’t you still beating on the Iron Hand novices?”
“I need a challenge and I’ve heard that Master Chen of the Iron Hand is teaching you. What better way to be challenged than to beat the personal student of a master?”
“You’ve still given me no reason to accept,” Jenn shrugged. “Excuse us, we’re on our way to class.” She started to move forward when Franco rushed to block her way.
“Afraid, are you? You have reason to be. I’ve already reached the seventh rank,” Franco said proudly, pulling his medallion out. “The clan values me highly and is invested in my ascension in the academy. I’m fighting my way through the finalists of the tournament. You’re the next one for me to fight.”
“Still no reason to fight,” Jenn said flatly. “Give me an incentive or go away.”
Franco laughed darkly. “You would’ve done better in the Hardened Fist with that attitude. Fine. If there’s one thing my clan knows, it’s how enticing the right incentive can be. The challenge must be martial combat between you and me. Aether must be allowed, as well, just as it was in the tournament. If you accept those conditions, I’ll offer you a tidy sum of vela.”
“I don’t need the coin,” Jenn shrugged. “My clan provides that.”
Franco ground his teeth. “I’ll offer my powders, pills, and other aether aids for the next four weeks as an incentive, but you only get them if you win.”
“No,” Jenn said. “I have no need for those. I already have more than an adequate supply.”
“Then what would you require?” Franco snapped.
Jenn smiled at him. “You have to be the champion of any novice who asks you to fulfill that role. When they are challenged, you will fill in. You will not charge them anything for doing so, either, and will always fight to your utmost ability.”
Franco glared at her before he nodded. “Accepted, if you accept my conditions for the fight.”
“I accept. We’ll need an unbiased party to adjudicate.”
“I’ll arra—” Franco began.
“No,” Gregory said, catching a glimpse of the future in that moment. Franco would hire a person to adjudicate unfairly in his favor if he was allowed to. “I’ll arrange for one by asking the council to name who should fill that role.”
Franco’s eyes bulged. “You’d waste that reward?”
“The safety of my friend isn’t a waste. We’ll send your clan the information of where and when after an adjudicator has been arranged.”
Franco’s lip curled up in a sneer. “I’ll be getting to you after I get through the others.” Eyes shifting to Yukiko, Franco glared at her. “I haven’t forgotten your trick. When I face you again, you won’t be let off lightly.”
Yukiko gave him a smile. “I’ll be waiting. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a class to attend, which you don’t seem to have.”
Franco laughed and started to walk off. “Class? Why bother? I don’t care where they stick me— I’ll finish my time and then join my clan in making money to make even magi masters weep with envy.”
The three friends didn’t stick around to watch him go, as they were already jogging for economics class.
