Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

Jinelle, Gella, and I entered the auditorium for the written portion of the exam and sat near each other. Since everyone seemed to be ignoring me, none of them noticed that Jinelle had been quite close to my side as we walked in.

“Good luck.” Jinelle whispered.

“Thank you.” I whispered back.

A moment later, she had an odd look on her face.

“You don't need it. You know the content better than I do.” I responded and she smiled.

“All right, quiet down.” A man said a bit loudly and Greta gave him a pointed look. “This is the Advanced Potions exam and you will be thoroughly tested.”

“I'm pretty sure they know that. This is the exam.” Greta said softly and a few of the students laughed and tried to cover it up with coughing or clearing their throats.

The man ignored her. “My assistant...”

A small fireball hit the back of his head and exploded, singed his hair, and pushed his head forward.

“My colleague will pass out the exam papers.” The man corrected.

Greta walked around to distribute the papers to everyone's desks and placed them face down.

“Nice one, Auntie.” Jinelle whispered as Greta passed her.

Greta smiled at her and then put papers on my desk and Gella's before she moved on.

“I sincerely doubt that any of you will successfully complete this exam in the short time you have.” The man said when Greta came back to the front of the room and the desk he leaned against. “I can only hope that you'll do enough on them to give me some idea of what you're capable of.”

I couldn't let that comment go and raised my hand.

The man's eyes went to me and he frowned. “Yes, Inquisitor Drake? You have a question?”

I didn't correct him on my title. “Are you marking all the papers or just the ones of the students you taught?”

“All of them.” The man said with squinted eyes.

“I assume that Mage Marks will be consulting you for the ones you didn't teach personally?” I asked and the man frowned.

“Are you questioning my integrity?” The man almost spat.

“No, your competence.” I said and everyone in the room gasped while Greta groaned and rubbed her face.

The man looked indignant. “I will have you know that I...”

“...have pushed the difficult to teach students onto another more capable teacher and you have no experience at all with dealing with us.” I finished for him, which made him even angrier. “Your limited view of a person's growth and knowledge can't account for the students she's looked after and shepherded into the best potions students in the school.”

“You cannot claim that she did any such thing!” The man spat.

I smiled and pointed to Jinelle. “When she started the class, she was abusive, self-entitled, and thought she could cast magic in a potion ingredient filled classroom.” I said and his face paled. I pointed to Lorna. “She absolutely refused to work with anyone at all, except for her betrothed. His father bought his entry into the class to keep her subdued and calm enough to listen to the teacher.”

“Hey!” Lorna gasped.

I smiled at her and then pointed at myself. “I've been making potions since I was a child. Unfortunately, I also knew everything by different names and didn't know any of the references in the books or in the examples. I also brew things differently and used different ingredients to achieve the same results.”

“Better results.” Greta said.

“Only after we started figuring out how to get your knowledge into my head.” I said.

“You were the one working your ass off in the library and getting the ingredient lists and properties to compare to your own knowledge.” Greta said.

“You were understanding enough to let me figure things out and then you adapted your teaching technique to accommodate my eccentricities.” I added.

Greta laughed softly. “Only rich people call them that.”

“I'm still rich, so that's okay.” I responded and she laughed.

“You are delaying the exam!” The man almost shouted.

“I'm sorry that you can't wait to mark me unfairly.” I said and waved at the rest of the room. “Perhaps you should talk to Director Pavinca Chasma before taking your anger out on me for what I did to the old mages guild?”

The man snapped his mouth shut and glared at me. “I am a professional.”

“That's good, because whatever mark you've already decided I'm going to have on this exam, will be ignored when Mage Marks and the director review it on my behalf and fix it to reflect reality.”

The man stood up and pointed at the clock. “You all have until noon to disappoint me!”

“I've already succeeded in that, so this exam should be easy.” I said and flipped my exam papers over as I ignored the man's mutterings about making me pay for my crimes. I read the first question about the best binding agents for potions and their importance for opposing ingredients to be used. I smiled and started to write.

_______________

Montage mode engaged. Skipping miscellaneous details. Speeding up time. Done.

_______________

I flipped my exam papers over with an hour left to the morning and the man glared at me. I gave him a little wave and then reclined back as much as I could and put my arms behind my head to relax. I heard a soft laugh from beside me and didn't turn to smile at Jinelle. She clearly liked that I was openly disrespecting the man that tried to slight her aunt.

Greta didn't quite hide her smile at me, considering that I almost did the same thing in her exam yesterday.

I stayed there in my chair and didn't speak or make any noise, because I didn't want to disrupt the other students. It wasn't their fault that the man had no impulse control and would do everything he could to screw me over in the only course that the marks had to be given fairly for actual work, unlike the core subjects where I automatically earned a 65 and could increase my score from there.

I wasn't counting the Botany course, because Victoria already knew that I knew all about what to do and the procedures that she had imparted to me. I proved that over the last weekend when we worked on the third floor of the growing area, which was growing in even better than she had told me to expect. The custom enchantments and lighting requirements really made a huge difference.

Jinelle let out a sigh and flipped her papers over with twenty minutes to spare and she rested back in a similar posture to me, only she let it look as demure and classy as possible, because of her training as a Lady.

I glanced at her and saw that she looked quite nice wearing the academy uniform like that and my eyes went to her thighs. Her skirt had ridden up after she had leaned back and she showed off a dangerous amount of leg. I looked back up at her face and she blushed as she winked at me.

I held in my laugh and she saw that, so she smiled and looked back towards the front of the room. I did as well and saw Greta's shocked expression. I smiled at her and resisted the urge to wave.

Just as the bell rang, Gella flipped her papers over and sat back. “Finished!”

Her voice cut through the very quiet room like a knife and made several people jump.

I felt someone come up from behind me and leaned away from that side as the academy director picked up my exam papers. She flipped through them as she walked to the front of the room. She made the papers glow slightly and then held a hand out to the man.

He glared at her for a second, then he handed over the exam score sheet. There was a 65 marked beside my name, technically a fail, because I used to need a 70. He didn't know that the previous director had reduced the qualifications to the basic mark for me to enter the course.

“You're fired.” Pavinca said to the man, who shot to his feet.

“What for?” The man asked, incensed.

“You intentionally tried to fail a student without actually reading his work.” Pavinca said and tapped the mark. “Fortunately for you, a passing mark on a final exam can be altered by me.”

“Wh-what? Passing?” The man asked, confused.

“Yes, the previous director lowered the passing grade so that Lord Drake could take the course.”

A collective sigh of relief came from most of the students.

The man's face changed from confusion to anger. “Good luck finding another teacher for this course!”

Pavinca pointed at Greta. “Oh, look. There's one.”

The man's face flushed red. “You... you...”

“I'm sure that with you gone and the graduating students, the four remaining students she taught will easily fit into the new class.” Pavinca said. “Clear out your desk and only take what you personally own. If you try to rob the school, you will be dealt with as if you were a commoner.”

Everyone gasped at that and the man's face lost all of its color.

“The guard will be checking you when you leave.” Pavinca said and waved at the door. “Good luck finding another job after everyone finds out you tried to fail Lord Drake after he spared your life.”

The man didn't say anything and walked passed her and ignored everyone as he left the room.

“Mage Marks, please gather up the other exam papers.” Pavinca said and sat down behind the desk as she looked over my exam papers. She was absently nodding her head as she read my answers while Greta quickly gathered up the other exam papers. Pavinca put mine on top of the stack and bundled them together, then stood. “See you all this afternoon for the practicals.”

The auditorium cleared out and Gella, Jinelle, and I were the last to leave. I wasn't surprised when neither the director nor Greta tried to stop me or talk to me.

“That was interesting.” Gella said as we walked over to the cafeteria.

“More like embarrassing.” Jinelle said. “If he had been even a little cautious, he could have marked the sheet after we left for lunch and no one would have known.”

“He was too confident in his opinion and righteousness to think logically.” I said and held the door for them to enter the building.

“Thank you.” Gella and Jinelle said as they passed me and started walking up the stairs to the cafeteria.

“You think he would have been grateful and not spiteful.” Gella said.

“Most of them can't see past their own self-importance to realize they should be grateful that I didn't just kill them all indiscriminately.” I said and Gella laughed.

“Would you really do that?” Jinelle asked.

“No; but, I could have. I was fully justified, especially for the ones that knew what happened and did nothing to stop it or to help me.” I said and nodded at the guard on the open door of the cafeteria. “Most had their own sedition involved that was separate from the conspiracy that the Hag had set up, so they died as well.”

Jinelle sighed and we walked over to the gold table to get our meals. Robin came out and saw Jinelle was with us, so she sent for a second bottle of wine and joined us at what had become our regular table.

“Do I even want to ask how this developed?” Robin asked as she glanced at Jinelle.

“Intense study session for advanced potions. Once we got together, it took nearly all night to finish up.” I said and Jinelle blushed deeply. “We did some last minute studying this morning as well, so I expect to go to sleep right after the potions practical this afternoon.”

Gella nodded. “We really jammed a lot into ourselves last night.” She said and started eating the piece of roast boar that she had on her plate. “Hanna was still exhausted when we left after breakfast this morning and I'm sure Farra's taking the day off from doing anything except copying Jinelle's notes.”

“Jill had to do a lot of work this morning, too.” I said and took a bite of the large piece of the near-deer steak that I had cut off. “She's going to be tired as well.”

“Then it's your turn to cook supper tonight, my lord.” Gella said with a smile.

I nodded and kept eating, while taking an occasional sip of wine.

“How did you all do on the exam?” Robin asked.

“With Mage Marks and Director Chasma marking them, I'd say we're going to pass with abnormal scores.” I said, which made Gella laugh and Jinelle look affronted.

Robin looked amused by that. “I'm sure that abnormal means unexpected in that context.”

I nodded and Jinelle relaxed and kept eating. “I missed the last six months of the course and I'm sure that she's going to be shocked by what I wrote.”

“I think that applies to me, too.” Gella said. “I never realized that talking about potions with someone as knowledgeable as Jinelle and my lord would give me so much more information than just reading the notes did.”

Jinelle blushed at the compliment. “Thank you.”

“It was a unique way to study so much content in the shortest amount of time possible.” I said and looked at Gella. “They're going to have separate setups, so please be careful how you separate and store the ingredients they are going to provide to you.”

Gella looked thoughtful. “Do you think they are going to make us brew again? We did that yesterday.”

I thought about what the exam covered and nodded. “I believe they are, except they are only going to give us the ingredients.”

Jinelle gasped and Gella looked worried.

“Yes, I think that's what's going to happen. It's the best test, just to see what we can come up with.” I said and pushed my nearly empty plate out of the way. “There will be tricky ingredients that could go in several potions that were covered and some that weren't in any potion we've done so far.”

“What... what do we do?” Jinelle asked in a whisper.

I took her hand and shared some magic with her. “We do what we can. Write down the ingredients in preparation order, then try to recall what recipes its similar to.”

Gella caught her breath. “That's ingenious, my lord!”

I smiled. “Just looking at the ingredients won't help, since you and I didn't make the potions before. We have to compare the information to make an accurate guess.”

“What if... what if I can't guess?” Jinelle asked and gripped my hand tightly.

“Then look over the ingredients and make whatever potion you want.” I said and her jaw dropped open. “We're advanced potions students. If we can't make a potion from a bunch of ingredients by now, we should drop the class from embarrassment.”

Jinelle got a particular look on her face before she blushed.

I knew what that look meant, since she had given me the same one last night before we had sex, so I reached over and touched Robin's necklace. The enchantment activated and the obscuring fog covered us and surrounded the table. Jinelle let out a happy sound and dove at me to kiss me soundly.

Robin stared at us making out in front of her and didn't know what to say.

“That really is a great idea.” Gella said. “Even if all you make is a basic recipe, you still did it without having them provide that recipe.”

Robin nodded in understanding and then Jinelle broke the kiss.

“You are brilliant, David.” Jinelle said and licked her lips as she sat back. “Just brilliant.”

Gella laughed softly and pointed to Robin. “He's not that brilliant with a witness around.”

Jinelle blushed deeply and ducked her head.

“It's all right.” I said and pat her hand. “Robin's a friend and doesn't mind keeping a secret.”

“Of course not.” Robin said with confidence. “The last thing I would ever do is betray your trust.”

I heard the truth in her words and smiled as I tapped her necklace to end the enchantment. “I'll make you something to keep you safe in exchange.”

Robin looked at Gella's neck and saw the very nice pendant she wore and nodded.

“Let's get to the testing auditorium.” I said and stood with my nearly empty wine glass. “Thank you for sharing this meal with me.”

The others stood as well and drank to my toast, then Gella, Jinelle, and I left the cafeteria.