Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

I went back to the library and went to the back room. Locked doors made no difference to me and I opened them without a key and entered the storage room. Eludora was still asleep, so I crossed the small room to the bed and sat down beside her prone form. It took her another hour before she woke up and she gasped and opened her eyes.

“It wasn't a dream!” Eludora exclaimed, eerily similar to Jinelle's proclamation after she had napped when we had our first time.

“No, it wasn't.” I said.

Eludora's hands reached up to tug on my shirt. “No buttons?” She asked and then her eyes widened. “I tore them off!”

I nodded and she pulled my coat off before lifting my shirt. “Allow me.” I said and pulled my shirt off in two pieces. “It's useless as it is, anyway.”

Eludora moaned a little at my show of strength. “David... please... I need...”

“That's why I came back after my exam.” I said and the smile on her face lit up the room.

Eludora moved the blanket and I climbed in on top of her. She moaned loudly as I entered her once more and her arms wrapped around me to hold me tightly. She started kissing me tenderly, as she had before, and we had sex like that for several more hours. She didn't mind that at all, even being unable to do any other actual sexual positions because of her very long limbs.

“My lord?” Gella asked as she entered the room and saw Eludora trying her hardest to cuddle up on my chest, only she was much too big for anything like that and most of her legs hung off of the bed. Gella couldn't stop her giggle when she saw that.

“I'm jealous of you.” Eludora said with a sigh and sat up to pull her legs back onto the bed. “I can't cuddle him like I desire to.”

Gella walked over to us and smiled. “Just switch roles. He's tiny compared to you, so let him cuddle up on your chest instead.”

Eludora gave her a brilliant smile and pulled me onto her chest as she laid down without even asking me, not that I had a chance to say no. “Yes! This is much, much better! Thank you!”

“Yes, thank you.” I said sarcastically, with my head shoved between Eludora's breasts.

Gella laughed. “We need to get back to the dorm, my lord. You have the Math exam in the morning to study for and the History and Geography exam in the afternoon.”

Eludora sighed and stroked my head. “David, don't go.”

“You know I must.” I said and sat up. She didn't stop petting me, though.

“If you leave, I... I'm afraid that you will never come back.” Eludora said, her voice sad.

I gave her a pointed look and she blushed.

“Yes, you're back from the dead. I know.” Eludora whispered. “Will I see you again next week?”

“If you want.” I said and she nodded. “Then I will see you on Tuesday afternoon when I have the Civil Construction practicals.”

Eludora smiled brightly. “I'll expect you after class!”

“No, I'll be here about twenty minutes after the exam starts.” I said and she looked surprised. “I would be quicker if I had my original number ten potion. Whatever they assign me, I'll finish it long before any of the other students.”

Eludora nodded. “I will expect you then.”

I bent over her hand and kissed it as I shared some magic with her.

“OHHH!” Eludora gasped and a wet spot formed on the blanket. “Oh, damn.”

Gella laughed and helped me dress in my pants and then used my suit coat to cover my bare chest. “Bye, Eludora.”

“Goodbye, my friend.” Eludora said and waved.

We left the library, locked the doors behind us, and went back to the dorm.

“There you are.” Jill said and took a sniff. “I see.” She pointed to the bathroom. “I'll be right in.”

I went into the bathroom and stripped out of my academy uniform, what was left of it, anyway. I set up the bath and Jill and Hanna came in. To my surprise, Hanna didn't try anything as she and Jill scrubbed me all over. She also watched intensely as Jill performed the ritual.

“Now soak for a while and relax. I'll have Farra bring in your reading.” Jill said and I nodded before reclining.

Hanna, not missing the opportunity, sat in front of me on my lap. “My lord, you're still hard.”

Before I could say that it would wane on its own, she moved up slightly and positioned me at her opening, then she sat down with a contented sigh.

“Hanna.” I said, not really knowing what I was going to say. It didn't really matter, because she leaned back against me, rested her head on my shoulder, and closed her eyes. She didn't wiggle her hips, rubbed herself where we were joined together, or tried to piston me into her. She could have, and didn't.

I wouldn't realize until much later that she did it exactly like that, just so I wouldn't protest. I would also admit that it was a smart move on her part, since I knew she wasn't trying to take advantage of me or our newly changed relationship.

“The notes.” Farra said as she handed them to me, then she stripped off. “Gella! I need my bath partner to relax!”

Gella laughed. A moment later, she entered the room. “I swear that sometimes you're as clingy as Hanna!”

Farra gave her a wicked grin and helped her undress in seconds, making Gella laugh some more. I didn't comment that Gella seemed to be laughing a lot more lately, even though she was supposed to be the stoic one. The two young women entered the bath and washed up, careful of splashing me, then they settled down with Gella on the bottom and Farra cuddled up on her lap.

We stayed there for quite some time, with Gella reading the notes after me. Unlike the other times we studied, talking about math wasn't going to help. It was all calculations and physical work, so no verbal help was going to make much difference. It was all personal achievement and nothing that could be memorized, except the techniques used to do those calculations.

“Supper!” Jill called.

We all got out of the bath, dried off and put on robes, then went out to the kitchen to eat. After supper, it was History and Geography study time. Luckily, this could be talked about and discussed, so we all had a great time talking and looking over the facts and dates. Even the geography of the country and surrounding areas was interesting when put into the context of going to visit the interesting places that were mentioned in the notes.

We crawled into bed and I wasn't surprised that it was only Gella this time. Neither of us commented about that and cuddled together to share magic. Gella didn't try to manipulate me into having sex or tried to get me to play with her. She had no problems with me doing so, however. Apparently, once that avenue was open, it was always open.

The night passed by quickly and the morning arrived. Breakfast was a quick affair for Gella and I, then we dressed and went to the testing auditorium. It was just as crowded as the other written exams were for the core subjects. We found seats near each other, even if it didn't make any difference.

A mage I didn't know by name, handed out the exam papers. The stack seemed a little thicker than any other exams I had taken before. When I looked around, I saw that Gella's and a few others that were nearby, their stacks were half the same thickness. I immediately put up my hand and the man ignored me. I held in my sigh and stood up as I waved my arm to get the ignorant man's attention.

The man sighed, almost with a growl, and looked at me before he snarked. “Yes? What is it?”

“Unless I give you leave to do so, you must address me as Lord Drake, you peon.” I said.

The man's nostrils flared and he looked very angry.

“Why are my exam papers twice as thick as all the others?” I asked and waved my arm around towards the other students.

“You were away from the academy for quite some time.” The man's anger faded and he smiled. “More testing material is required for... people... like you.”

“Ignore my title again and my sworn sword will remove your hands.” I said and the man's angry face returned. “Now, you will give me the standard test, or you will be removed and replaced with a competent teacher.”

The man laughed. “Despite your fake title claim, you do not have the authority to question me or my methods.”

“Actually, I do. You see, I was granted more land than anyone else in the kingdom and am personal friends with the royal family...”

“The illegal family that claim to be running the country, while mages did their best to hold things together.”

“Your words are traitorous, as they were during your interview.”

“It's just too bad that I didn't commit any crimes of sedition against the kingdom, isn't it?” The man said, smugly. “Your writ of dispensation from the supposed crown doesn't allow you to kill for crimes that you're not investigating.”

I reached down and tapped the papers on my desk. “Unfortunately for you, this tactic won't work.”

“I believe it will. You will be unable to complete it in the allotted time, making it ineligible to be marked, therefore you get the default failure for not completing the work.”

I smiled. “That's where you are wrong. I was given the default passing mark for every core course offered, meaning you physically cannot reduce it beyond that. I can spit on these papers and pass them in, and still get a 65 for a passing mark.”

The man smiled. “You should read the revised deal that was made instead of making assumptions.”

“Lord Drake.” Pavinca said as she stepped out of the corner of the room, surprising no one that she was hidden there. “This man's assumptions are quite incorrect.”

The man whirled to her. “You are only the director! I am in charge for this course now and...”

Pavinca waved a hand over the man and whispered an incantation. The man froze mid-word with his mouth open. She gave me a pointed look and then pulled out the vial of truth serum I had given her to test.

“I assume Greta is here as well?” I asked.

“I am, too.” Linette said as she and her sister came out of the same corner and into view. “If this works, it could revolutionize the medical field.”

Pavinca chuckled and poured the vial down the man's throat.

He was frozen in some kind of paralysis, so he couldn't spit it out or stop himself from letting it go down into his stomach. He glowed slightly and then his eyes glazed over.

Pavinca released the spell and looked at the man. “Tell us your real motivation for this farce?”

“I want to discredit the fool by giving him work that even the third year academy students would be unable to do. He's so ignorant of the way things are, he is easily tricked.” The man said, then realized what he said. He snapped his mouth closed and shook his head.

“Tell me why you are trying this?” Pavinca asked.

The man tried to keep his mouth closed, and couldn't. “I'll become the new Grand Mage when he's gone. There's only so many of us left and taking over will be laughably simple, unlike trying to work through the guild like before.”

Pavinca, Greta, and Linette laughed.

“You're delusional. There is no Grand Mage or Mages Guild anymore. The post was abolished and the organization was disbanded by royal decree.” Pavinca said. “I should know. I signed the petition for it.”

The man glared at her.

“As did we.” Linette said and waved at herself and her sister, Greta. “As did all of the healers across the country, the independent mages, and everyone that the old guild marginalized or removed.”

“That's why you were removed from the ranks!” The man spat. “You wouldn't listen, follow orders properly, and don't deserve to be among your betters!”

Pavinca shook her head. “You're the one that doesn't deserve to be among your betters. You're fired and under arrest for inciting sedition among the students.”

“I only told my students that those willing to work for me will be greatly rewarded. We won't try to take over again until we have enough manpower and trick the royal family into believing we want to be in their good graces. Once they are removed, the mages will take their rightful place as the leaders of this nation. That's years away, so for now, I can only gather like-minded people.”

“You really are an idiot.” I said. “Gella.”

“My lord.” Gella said, seemed to disappear, then the man's head was detached from his body. She knocked it off and the body fell to the floor. “Planning sedition counts under our writ of dispensation.”

“He must have only come up with the plan after your interrogation.” Pavinca said with a sigh.

“That's the problem with ideas. Once it's planted, it takes root and grows, no matter how much it's pruned.” Gella said and walked back to her desk. “You need to dig it out and remove it completely, for it to work and remain weed free.”

Pavinca went to the desk at the front of the room and used a levitation spell to move the body out of the way. She hid it behind the desk and picked up a normal exam paper. She brought it over to me and reached for the stack on my desk.

“Leave it.” I said and she looked surprised. “I'll need something to do while I wait for the exam time to end.”

Pavinca gave me a searching look, then she shrugged and put my new exam paper face down on top of the other stack. “Good luck, Lord Drake.”

“Thank you, Director Chasma.” I said and bowed my head slightly.

Pavinca smile at me and then nodded to Greta and Linette, who rushed over to the body to examine it. They knelt behind the desk and furious whispers were exchanged. Pavinca moved back to the desk and sat on the front of it, then looked at everyone.

“You have until lunch to write this exam. Since there's no physical practical for this, your entire mark will be composed from this exam.” Pavinca said and we all heard a young woman's nervous peep. “It's all right. Believe me, I checked this exam personally. Just answer as much as you can and with the best answers you can come up with. You will be judged fairly.”

“That's a relief!” A young man said into the silence.

Pavinca laughed softly. “Despite what everyone thinks, getting the wrong answers can actually help you. As long as you show the work, even the wrong result can give you insight into what to do next time. It's what exams are for, to show you the knowledge that you do have and what you need to learn next.”

Nearly everyone nodded.

“Then flip your papers and get to work. If you need more scrap paper than what's provided, raise a hand and some will be brought to you.” Pavinca said. “Good luck.”

I sat down and flipped the exam over, read a very simple calculation question, and got to work. Needless to say, I blew through it fairly quickly. Pavinca had been right. As long as you show the work for the calculations, when you made a mistake and checked the results, it was pretty easy to find out where you went wrong and helped you to fix it.

I finished the exam and flipped over the large stack of papers. The top question was a word problem, something that I hadn't read before. I had to use a scrap piece of paper to write out numerically what the question was asking. I checked it twice to make sure that was the right interpretation, then proceeded to solve the numerical problem.

When I did solve it to my satisfaction, I copied out my work onto the actual exam and went to the next question. It made the work go twice as long, slowing me down significantly; but, I was getting through it. If the man was still alive, I was sure that he would have been shocked that I was doing so well.