Gregory groaned as he opened his eyes. His whole body ached, as if he’d been put through the worst physical exertion of his life, then had to do it again and again. Forcing his eyes open, he was seated at the table in his room, face pressed to the table. Both Yukiko and Jenn were still in their seats.
“Dia…” Gregory mumbled as he started to get up, his muscles protesting with every movement.
“Why didn’t you cut it? They are apprentices, Brown!” Dia’s irate voice was clear even through the door, and was coming closer. “If any of them are hurt, I will make sure you…!” The door opened abruptly and Dia trailed off after seeing the three of them. “Gregory, are you okay?”
“Not sure,” Gregory grunted as he leaned on the table. “I feel like Master Chen beat on me for a week straight.”
Dia’s lips thinned and she looked at Brown behind her before stepping into the room. “How are they?”
“Asleep still, I think.”
“Asleep?” Brown asked. “They should have just been meditative.”
“If they were a magus!” Dia snapped.
“Too much sleep root,” Gregory said, recalling what Darkness had told him.
Dia’s nostrils flared and she went over to Yukiko first. Checking her for a pulse, she moved to Jenn and did the same. Exhaling, she relaxed fractionally. “They are breathing fine, and their pulses are strong.”
“Then there is no problem,” Brown said from near the door.
“That remains to be seen,” Dia said tightly. “Is there a skilled healer in this town?”
“No,” Brown said. “The alchemist here is skilled, but they aren’t a magi.”
“They should be able to make what I want,” Dia said. She looked at Gregory. “Sit, please? I want to check you.”
Gregory grunted as he fell back into his seat. “Yes, Dia.”
Dia came over to him and began to gently feel his muscles, making Gregory hiss at times. When she touched his abdomen though, he sighed in relief, as her gentle prodding felt good. The relief on her face was pronounced when she removed her hands.
“You will be fine, thank Aether. Your aether tried to cycle through your body. A dedicated body path follower would not be as sore. It will pass, but you three will be staying here tomorrow. I will inform your instructors. No training of the body at all, understood?”
“Yes, Dia,” Gregory said, lowering his gaze. “I’m sorry. This is because I wanted to use a tea house.”
Dia touched his head gently, in an almost motherly way. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to make sure your path is true. Next time, wait for a tried and tested method.”
Gregory swallowed hard. The memory of his mother doing the same to him as a child surfaced in his mind. “Yes, Dia.”
“Brown, if they wake and are only sore, I will apologize for my words,” Dia said, heading toward the door and the cook. “If they are harmed beyond that, I will make sure the elder knows, and he will be most displeased.”
Brown blinked slowly, his face paling slightly. “I will go speak with the alchemist and bring back what you require, Dia.”
The two left the room, and Gregory looked toward the sleeping women. “Sorry, Yuki, Jenn. I should’ve just accepted it or waited until we returned to the academy. If either of you is hurt, it will be my fault…”
~*~*~
Gregory didn’t know how long he was sitting there with his worry eating at him, but when Yukiko groaned, he grabbed her hand. “Yuki?”
“Greg…? I feel like a wagon hit me, then rolled over me a few times,” Yukiko whimpered lightly.
“I know. Dia will be coming back with something to help. She was pissed at Brown… He didn’t cut the potency down for us. She was worried we’d been injured.”
“I feel injured,” Yukiko grunted as she sat upright and blinked slowly. “All of my muscles ache… How’s Jenn?”
“Sleeping, still,” Gregory said, looking toward the small, lightly snoring woman. “Dia said that things would be easier for us if we were focused just on the body path. It was our aether that was trying to cycle through us that made us feel like this.”
“But we do cycle our aether.”
“I think it was a matter of the volume and force. We were filled to bursting by the end of the meal. I feel a little drained now, though.”
Yukiko sat there for a few moments before nodding. “I feel similar.”
She looked at the door only a few seconds before it opened, revealing Dia. Dia smiled when she saw Yukiko awake, and went over to inspect Yukiko as she had Gregory.
“You will be fine, too,” Dia exhaled. “Jenn still being asleep is troubling.”
As if waiting for those words, Jenn hissed and sat up. “That feels horrible,” she whispered, “like my veins caught fire.”
Dia was beside her before Jenn realized she was there. She blinked at Dia when the older woman began to poke and prod at her. Jenn watched her with confusion, but not showing any pain from the examination.
“Hmm… you are in a better state than the other two,” Dia said.
“She was on just the body path before she joined the clan,” Gregory told Dia.
“Ah, that might explain it,” Dia nodded. “Your veins feel painful?” Dia asked Jenn.
“It’s fading now, but yes. I also feel tired… worn.”
“We can fix that,” Dia said. “You three are to stay here tomorrow. No physical training, or work. Understood?”
“Yes, Dia,” Jenn said as she shifted in her seat.
That movement brought her medallion out of her kimono, the disk spinning slightly before settling against her chest. The third ring was glowing a sunflower yellow. Yukiko and Gregory saw it before Jenn did, and they both smiled.
Jenn looked down to tuck it away, but she held it as she stared at the third ring. “I ranked up? I ranked up!”
“You did,” Gregory smiled. “You’ve tied us again.”
“I’ll be in sync with you at rank five,” Jenn said softly. “Darkn—” She cut off, glancing toward Dia, who was pulling things from her pouch. “I hope,” she said instead.
“Dia,” Yukiko said, “since we’re being restricted from physical training and work tomorrow, would it be possible to shop a little?”
Dia looked thoughtful. “That is possible… We’ll discuss it tomorrow. You all need to sleep after taking this medicine. You’ll also need someone close to watch you, just in case.”
“Jenn can sleep in here with us,” Yukiko said before anyone could suggest otherwise. “This way, we’ll all be able to keep an eye on each other.”
Dia gave Yukiko a look before she nodded. “Very well. Did the dinner at least do what you’d hoped for?”
“It did, Dia,” Gregory said.
“Hmm… Each of you, drink these,” Dia said with a touch of a smile on her lips. “I’ll have bedding brought in.”
They took the offered vials and drank them down. Gregory’s lips twisted as he forced down the anise-flavored liquid. Grimacing, he put the vial on the table. Jenn didn’t seem to mind it, and Yukiko was smiling as if she actually enjoyed the flavor.
“I hope you all sleep well,” Dia said, collecting the vials. “If you experience any troubles tonight, come for me at once. Understood?”
“Yes, Dia,” they answered.
“I tried to before we collapsed,” Gregory said softly. “I tried to get up and get you when I felt the lethargy start to take me. I couldn’t force myself out of the chair.”
Dia gave him a nod. “If not for the meditation I had thrust upon me, I would have been here sooner. It was how I knew you were in danger.”
There was a knock on the door. Dia went to it, opening it to reveal Brown. “Yes?”
“I brought something in apology,” Brown said stiffly.
Dia stared at him for a long moment before she stepped aside. “Go ahead. Apprentices, if you do not wish to, you do not need to partake. He will not take it badly.”
“Dia, I don’t think any of us wish him ill will. We did ask for his help, after all,” Gregory said. Jenn and Yukiko nodded in agreement. “And his food is always amazing, so we’ll accept.”
Brown bowed his head and went over to the table. “Apprentices, I put you all at grave risk. While I thank you all for not holding my mistake against me, you shouldn’t be so quick to forgive. Others might do similar to you intentionally in the future, and act as if it was a mistake.”
“That is a valid point,” Yukiko said, “but your remorse is clear. If I thought for a second it was malicious, I would not forgive you an inch, for you would have endangered my heart.” There was an edge of steel to Yukiko’s words. “I might not have been able to repay you now, but I would never forget, and when I became stronger, I would make sure it was paid back with the appropriate interest.”
“He’d be paying it back now,” Dia said simply.
Brown placed three small plates on the table. Each had a single purple disk that reflected the lamplight. “These are based on purity plums,” Brown said. “It’ll help ensure that your aether is able to shed anything harmful. The flavor is plum, infused with honey and spice. They will dissolve the moment they touch your tongue.”
Gregory ate his first and blinked as the intense flavors hit him. The disk might have vanished, but the flavors lingered. “That…” Gregory trailed off when the flavor suddenly came back three-fold. “Huh?”
Brown smiled. “I call it triple plum.”
Gregory was about to ask him why triple when the flavors came back again, magnified even more from the last time. “That… I don’t even know what to say.”
Jenn and Yukiko both ate theirs. Gregory grinned when he watched them deal with the shock of the flavor intensifying and coming back repeatedly.
“Thank you, sir,” Gregory said. “I will remember that for years.”
Brown bowed slightly. “I have only shared it with a select few. It takes a year to make a single disk.”
“We accept the apology, sir,” Gregory said, bowing along with the other two.
Brown smiled, collected their plates, and left.
Dia gave them a smile. “That was well done, but he was right.” She stood up and looked at them one more time. “The bedding will be brought up shortly. I will see you in the morning.”
The moment Dia left the room, Jenn spoke up, “Darkness spoke with me alone for a few minutes. She said she was using the excess aether I had to push me along so I can catch you. She said I’d match you at the fifth rank.”
“Is that why you were so late to wake?” Gregory asked.
“No. She said that because I was behind you, the damage that could’ve been done to me would’ve been even worse. She stepped in and helped siphon off the excess that would have hurt us.”
“Thank you, Darkness,” Gregory said. “I almost got us all hurt just to make me feel better.”
Yukiko pushed herself to her feet and moved around the table to him. “No, dear one. You were doing your best to safeguard us from ourselves.”
Jenn winced as she went over to join Yukiko on Gregory’s other side. “Thank you, Greg. For being you, and for accepting me.” She kissed his cheek. “I’ll wait for you to be truly comfortable with me… but please, don’t take too long?”
Yukiko giggled. “Maybe she should wait six months like we did. I’m sure Darkness can give her a dream or two.”
“I’ve been with you both for six months already,” Jenn said.
“But not betrothed and having to wait for marriage,” Yukiko replied. “Those six months were so difficult. If not for Darkness’ dreams, I would have failed.”
Gregory’s face was bright red and felt like it was going to combust as he sat there, flanked by the two beautiful women. “It was trying…” he croaked.
A knock on the door stopped them from saying more. Jenn hobbled over and opened it, revealing a maid with a bedroll. She thanked her and took it before shutting the door and wobbling back across the room.
“We should turn in for the night,” Jenn said.
“Take the bed with Yuki,” Gregory said as he stood up and took the bedroll from her. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Greg,” Yukiko said softly, “the bed is large enough. We could all sleep in it.”
Gregory blinked at her, his face burning as he glanced toward Jenn. Jenn was blushing hotly and shifting from foot to foot, stealing glances at him before looking away. He was going to turn down the idea when a flash of insight hammered him like a plank of wood to the back of the head. All three of them were laying in the bed— Gregory beside Yukiko, and Jenn on the far side of her.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at Yukiko, then Jenn. “Sleeping only.”
Yukiko giggled. “Fine, dear one.”
Jenn swallowed, a wide smile on her face. “I’m fine with that.”
“We should get ready,” Yukiko said. “Jenn, did you want to get some clothing for tomorrow?”
“I’ll be right back,” Jenn said happily as she left the room.
Gregory watched her go, and his fear and anxiety over her joining them faded.
“Thank you, dear one,” Yukiko said, kissing his cheek.
“You’re welcome, dearest.”
Jenn was swiftly back, and paused at the door. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Gregory said. “Shut it and slide the latch. We’ll get ready for… bed.” He trailed off, thinking of the fact he slept in the nude.
Jenn slid the small wooden bar across the door so it was secured against being casually opened. She hesitated to turn around after Gregory spoke, obviously thinking of the same thing.
“Yes, it’s time,” Yukiko said and began to strip. “It’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked for weeks now. Come on, you two. Don’t back out of this now.”
With that gentle chiding, Gregory disrobed. “I’m not backing out. I’m just still warming up to what this will all entail.”
“I was just shutting the door,” Jenn said, turning back to the room. She went over to the table and set her clothing on it, then stripped, her eyes not staying in any place for too long.
Gregory was the first one naked. He went right to the bed, climbed in, and slid over to the wall. Yukiko gave him a smile before she slipped in beside him. They both looked over at Jenn, who was removing her shift. Cheeks hot, Jenn walked over to them, then got into bed beside Yukiko.
“Will you blow the lamp out, Jenn?” Yukiko asked before yawning.
“Yes,” Jenn replied and the room became dark. “Thank you, both. Good night.”
“Good night,” Gregory murmured, feeling sleepy again.
