Chapter Thirty-One

In one hand, there was Gary, and in the other hand, there was Don. Two not-so-lovable best friends at this magical academy. Both sputtering and choking as Harmony lifted each of them off the ground by their throats while they helplessly tried to peel her fingers away.  “I will remind you that you agreed to physical consequences for your behaviors, since all other methods of dissuasion were not working.”

Was this extreme? Yes? But this was their sixth tutoring session at the start of the fourth week, and the pair would not stop. The giant, violent bear had been easier than these two; young men or bear, it was an easy choice. The only saving grace was that they paid well. There was also frustration to burn after another week of only a skeleton crew at White Manor, as the post-Ascendant Games celebrations and events were still ongoing. And that the best of the protections offered by Tun-Knee required her to allow the beast-kin to sink their claws into her deeper, and none of them matched the diplomatic immunity that could have been provided.

Gary was first to reach for a skill when a flicker from [Shadowed Graves] froze him in his tracks. If she was going to go this far, it should be a lesson the pair won’t forget. It wasn’t just that they had alchemy-based classes and were lazy; they were constantly propositioning her and making jokes about passing her back and forth between the two of them.  You couldn’t set a line without them wanting to cross it.

Lectures. Then fines. Those had to be taken away because Gary paid for the privilege to be gross. He had a skill that allowed him to turn invisible. He put five coins down for the consequences that brought. A bribe for continued tutoring, and Harmony added in this new agreement a physical punishment for malfeasance.

Don’s eyes bulged, and one good shake dislodged his hands from her wrist. But it was his heartbeat and the flow of his soul she paid attention to. Both of them had body types that could handle the choking while she watched the vital signs for real problems.  By managing their mental distress and using flickers of [Shadows Graves] and [Final Silence] that worked in tandem to counter potential skills, she could keep them like this for a long time.

“There will be no partying right up to my ass if you achieve the second and third highest Iron body potion viability grades behind mine. And I don’t appreciate the thrusting motions you made when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

It was unclear if they could understand her while they were twitching. But the words gave her anger weight.

Hyacinth had told on them for the latter, and her hearing was too good for the former.

To hold them suspended over the ground she had to grow bigger; it split the seams of her uniform, but it had not been enough to bust her out of it, as it had only been a couple of inches.  [Mend] would take care of that when she set them down and returned to her proper size.  They were really lucky she’d left her blood sickle behind because part of her wanted to murder the two of these fools, and that nudge of encouraging violence might have been too much.

Verus’s annoyance at Gary Crotter’s rise in success over the past few weeks had been noticeable. It was clear he’d hoped to eliminate the boy and his friend at the six-week mark, and Harmony’s tutoring had ruined that. Her success had already made her Iron body potion nearly good enough to pass what would be needed. Using the sickle as a stirring rod for more intimate interactions helped boost her percentage even more as she understood exactly what half-step potions did. The books on curses and working on prisoners’ ravaged bodies completed missing information on what made an iron body function.

The secret was that there was a lot of necromancy in the reaction, specifically, you die a little before you can revive in a more powerful form. A body was always naturally cycling through its cells, and a body type altered that process on a fundamental level. Von Trell must have known being a revivalist would shine here.

But these boys… A drop of blood curved along Harmony’s nail as a thin red line from a pin prick in Gary’s neck.  At her whim was an understatement, as perfect control held them on the brink of where a sneeze on her part would end them. That was the illusion of control.  “The truth is, I’ve taught you both enough to pass this class. Cotter, [Alchemized] will get you far if you use it properly. Don…” Ashes, they were really turning purple now. “You’ll be fine. I quit.”

Letting go, she returned to her proper school-sized body. Harmony smoothed the uniform’s rips out with [Mend] and [Beautician]. In a strategic retreat and a quick turn on her heel with [Style and Grace], and rushed away as they gasped on the floor like fish.

Please, don’t let the damage be permanent. Please don’t let the damage be permanent. A [Mend] on them instead of her clothes might have been more prudent.

Just faintly earshot, “Don,” Gary exclaimed breathlessly, “That was the most erotic thing a woman has ever done to me in my life.”

Nevermind. Part of her wanted to change her mind, go back there, and kill both of them. No one would blame her. At least no one who met them. Instead, she kept walking back towards her dorm.  Halfway there. [Recall] reminded her she should collect payment for the tutoring session.

“Bleed me.”

Hyacinth wisely stayed silent and did not laugh from her breast pocket as her other pockets were missing the gold hex she usually charged.

The very idea of going back to ask for the money, knowing there was a chance that she would be asked to choke him again, was a big enough ‘no’ that she knew she was going into the dungeon tonight despite the crowds and risks. Then there was the concept of facing either Gary or Don in potions class tomorrow, and that answer was also no.

This required a side trip.  

Instructor Verus’s office hours were listed on his door. The potions teacher was due in about an hour, so Harmony chose to wait with a copy of a book she’d borrowed from the Immortalists library. After her fourth repaired item, she was given that privilege. Now her association job as their archivist felt less like a cheap way to attract new followers, but only slightly.

Lessons in Constillatology might have fallen out of favor, but it was new to Harmony. It was mostly an autobiography about one woman's struggle to piece together possible hidden achievements that led to different path options. It would be an engaging and reflective way to rewrite her  personal journals.

There was nothing, however, in the book about becoming a sworn vassal of the beast-kin nation. Tun-Knee’s offer stank of politics and maneuverings she didn’t fully understand. Since she wasn’t one of them, she wouldn’t be a shin-ee, only a sparkle. Granted holdings equivalent to her shine, whatever that was, but would also have to undergo rites, owe a fur-debt, and present patterns. It would register her class under their language, making it incompatible with the forbidden list.

Loap's opinion was needed. Which is why it was so frustrating when no one was there when Max summoned her; all she could do was send a note. Not an excuse for her behavior, but one more thing that pushed her over the edge, which led to her hand around both those boys’ throats.

“Student White, you’re the last person I expected to show up for office hours,” Verus stated in the cold, dry tone he seemed unable to shake, no matter how much warmth he tried to put into his voice.

After three classes, she was at 76% viability and had a lead on what it would take to get higher. [Dust] hadn’t been fine enough control in the liquid, but with a drop of her blood and [Manipulate Dead] added in, she knew she could shape the connections and extend past the veil enough to get what she needed for the next one. Ironically, it was watching Gary’s alchemy skill put his own essence and soul into the processes that solidified her hypothesis.

“That is why I’m here, actually. I’d like to leave your class and join potions 301 instead to create my own half-step potion.”  

Verus’s long stare was withering, but it always was. “While it has been clear that a revivalist is an excellent class for crafting half-step potions, creating an original one comes with many risks. I know Curie and Flint have taken an interest in you, but I’m not one for favoritism, even when it is talent and not family connections leaned on to help one advance. I know you care for your teammate’s predicament, but Tasha would be better off buying one of the standard sets, even if not ideal, than having a first-year craft a potion, despite your gifts.”

“Tasha?”

“Yes. I heard about the explosion that injured the maester working on the potion being designed for her. Can’t be much time left before she quickens and levels. I underplayed the risks of taking a half-step potion after that happens. I hope she hasn’t pressured you into doing this for her, or worse, you’re choosing to be a hero. No bathtub brews, that kind of alchemy creates monsters.”  Verus added with some bite.

“I didn’t know.” Adric probably knew. He was closest to Tasha since they romanced women together. Being less of a hero and more attuned to helping a friend would feel like a better option than the truth. “I came here for the entirely selfish reason of not wanting to share a class with Gary and Don anymore.”

  “That is actually the most understandable reason. Lost a pair of girls in the last potions class they were in. An alchemist failing a class with potions is a rare thing. The tutoring was probably only to get you into their company. What did they do?”

They did plenty. [Recall] could bring every little creepy act. But she’d been a maid, and before that a girl on the streets, Tyler in his grasping awkwardness had done acts as bad several times, and others had done worse. It had never gotten to her in the past. She’d shielded herself from the worst damage and come out mostly intact.

“I nearly killed them.” They hadn’t reached the levels of offense or threat that others whom she had killed had passed. They weren’t assassins waiting to kill her or monsters playing at being human. Yet here it had been close.

Verus’s whole body relaxed, “A damn shame you didn’t. I’m on your side if they press charges.”

Harmony laughed. “Funny thing is, I don’t think they will. But I don’t want there to be a next time.

“Well, I can’t just pass you out of the class. What I can do is give you an opportunity to test out, and if you fail, you will be dropped from the class. Five drops or fails and you’re expelled. There is a reason why The Academy is so rigorous about its standards. There are plenty of classes like Curie’s that burn through students. I’d hate to see you start picking those up in your first quarter.”

“What do I need to do to pass?”

“I don’t set the standards. I know you’re proud of your last batch, but to test out, you need to get at least a ninety percent, and those last few points are a fiend to get. It’s not meant to be passed by anyone but a person who has mastered the art behind their class or profession. Passing the class is easier.”

Well, if she could pass it, then maybe she would be considered worthy to attempt to help Tasha with her problem. If the ranged fighter were forced to settle for a half-step iron body, she wouldn’t be as useful to the group as she could be. The revivalist class inside warmed to that idea.

“Sign me up.”