I was hesitant to actually return to my room, going to be chewed out was never fun. When we arrived I just opened the door, the guard looked at me with a frown, as I imagine he'd gotten told off as well.

My former teacher had a look of near rage on his face. "Alana, why did you leave without telling anyone?" He didn't even comment on Charles, who'd followed me in.

"Because you would have stopped me, or asked questions that I didn't care to answer."

"Well... at least you're truthful. Do you know why we were keeping you here?"

"Because my dad is insane and overprotective? I've lived on my own for years now. I hardly need someone looking after me every moment."

He got up and flicked me in the head, then set up a silence bubble around the two of us. His was not as complete feeling as mine, but it did have a shader so that nobody could look in. I noticed that he'd even set it so that Charles was just outside.

"Alana, you are still dense, and it might get you killed. You are a military asset to whatever side you're on."

"I'm a sixteen-year-old girl who isn't even fully trained."

"Who taught me something about water I didn't know. That increase in power alone allowed us to sweep away a number of forces that would have otherwise posed a much larger issue. Now you have instantaneous communication over distance. Do you have any clue how valuable these little items you made are? What if I gave them to generals in different regions and we coordinated like that? That is only one small thing you could do with them."

"I don't think they'll work over more than about a city or so of distance... I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure that they can't communicate over that far. Also it's not quite instant."

"That is absolutely beyond the point! I don't think that our enemies have found out about you, yet, but if they do you are in real danger! Good grief, just think for a second, you are the child of a general in a city that was invaded less than a season ago! That alone makes you a target."

"I'M DENSE? Mystien I've lived on my own for YEARS! If you expect me to stay locked in a room because you think it's best you've lost your mind! You say that I'm capable and then treat me like a glass ornament that will break from anything, I won't! I can take care of myself, and I can decide who I need to trust with important things. As for those communicators, I only gave them to people who I knew were safe. I haven't even told anyone else about the water thing, or any of the other stuff I've been working on. Except you with the whole pi bit."

He sat down and buried his face in his hands. "Alana, this is dangerous. Obviously we won't keep you here forever, but you do need to be more careful. At least don't go running off alone for now, out into the city where we can't help if things go wrong. If you get hurt or killed..."

"I don't really have much of anywhere to go, except the temple district, and even then they're busy and it's winter and basically sucks outside. That said, I need to be trusted to take care of myself, to move about when I feel like it, and get rid of the damn guard outside of my door. I think I've demonstrated just how useful that is."

"Fine, I'll speak to your father tonight. Will you remain in place until then?"

"Alright, but tell him that if he thinks he can lock me in my room forever he's lost his mind too." I pouted a bit, feeling like this wasn't a complete win.

"Good, now, before we have any more surprises kindly tell me about what you've been working on. The things you left out too please. If I know I can at possibly obscure their source, or at the least tell you how much you absolutely can't tell anyone about them."

"Um, so I learned some things about sky-metal."

"The mythical, non-real substance that mages of the past claimed to have?" He asked with the, 'I wouldn't believe anything you said if you weren't someone who gave me crazy things.' look.

"Oh, it's super real. Wanna know how to make it?"

I told him about everything, except the 100 digits of pi and the being able to read the core. The orb still weirded me out a bit and I didn't want more of them floating around. He didn't ask where I'd learned some it, and I didn't volunteer information. If he did I would explain to him that I cracked the core's internal language and got it from there. It was at least plausible that that was possible, but I didn't really want to lie to him, unless I had to.

Mystien didn't take any notes, he just looked at me as I told him how to break down matter. It was a hard thing to explain, so I just told him that I focused on the thing, trying to take out every different bit, kinda like sorting grains of sand.

He didn't seem to believe me about the communicators and how they were basically a mix of a lamp and light detection script, but he'd test it and find it to be true, so I had no issues. He did ask for a lot of specifics on the frequency and the like. It seemed that wizards knew that light could be put at those levels, but nobody bothered because it seemed useless.

When he'd finished up he dropped the dome. Charles was still sitting quietly by the door, waiting for us.

"Thank you for bringing her back. We talked and I think we will be okay now." Mystien said to him, nodding.

"Of course, you did tell me to keep an eye out."

"Wait," I interjected. "You said Lucien told you to keep an eye out."

He smiled as I glared at him. "I said the old man, you never asked which."

"How do you two even know each other?" They were getting along far too well for my taste. The last thing I needed was for all of my friends to be arrayed against me.

"Lucien," they said in unison. It seemed I was going to have to go have a chat with the old bartender some other time.

Mystien did talk to my father, who was not angry. He was furious, enraged... really, really mad. He didn't yell, or scream though, he just showed up at my room and told me exactly how irresponsible he thought I'd been. I might have thought he was calm had his aura not betrayed him, but he'd completely lost focus on that and it was an angry black cloud filling up the doorway. He did take the guard away though, and told me that we'd speak in the morning. All in all I felt that that was about as good as it could have turned out.

The next morning both dad and John showed up. I hadn't seen my brother in a few days but he looked smug, perhaps because brothers are like that when their younger siblings get in trouble.

"Mystien seems to think that me trying to keep you locked in is a bad idea, so I've got good news."

"You're going to let me be as I please?"

"No, but I won't try to restrict you to your room. I will ask that if you want to go outside you take someone responsible with you."

"I am responsible," I pouted, probably not the best time, but I could take good care of myself.

"Your actions yesterday strongly disagree, someone responsible who is strong enough as well. Your brother, or me, or Mystien, or... we'll think of some others. As for now, I've got something to cheer you up a bit, and keep you busy."

"Oh?" One did not normally expect presents for irritating their parents, but what did I know.

"Yes, we managed to capture one of the professors, who I understand taught you. I'm also as certain as I reasonably can be that she has no loyalty at all to the former nobility, and she agreed to tutor you. So you can keep up with your education as well as we can manage until we get the academy back up and running."

That last part peeked my interest. "Wait, you're reopening it?"

"Yes, there will be some changes, but young mages still need guidance." He looked a bit smug at that. "And you are going to be attending. I'm staying here for the foreseeable future and not having you go would not look good."

"Hooray!"

"Good, I'll go and prep your tutor. Come down to the training area in a bit." With that he left us.

"You really managed to tick him off, you know that?" John offered after dad had made his exit.

"He'll get over it, or he won't, either way I'm not five anymore and he can't just keep me locked up."

"Oh he totally could. If he wanted it you'd be in a locked and really warded room. You might eventually escape, but it would be a good long time. From what I hear Mystien talked him down from that though."

"Because Mystien has some sense."

John just shook his head for a few moments, seeming to not believe that I could, or definitely would, find some dumb way out of whatever prison dad might have been envisioning. I hadn't experimented with a whole load of things that were on the list, but I just didn't have time for, yet. Locking me up would have been a surefire way to see me poof like smoke at a magician's show.

"So, who's the professor who he found?" I asked, hoping it was someone fun.

"No idea."

"Seriously? You didn't even ask?"

"Nope."

"Come on then, let's go find out." I turned and left, heading down the hall. We made it all the way to the end before John told me I was going the wrong way.

After a few times of my trying to lead the way before my brother took over. I was hoping he would after my first wrong turn, but he seemed to think that he had years of teasing to make up for. Eventually though we did arrive at the training area.

"You took long enough," dad said a bit gruffly as we came in.

"We got a bit lost," John responded, chuckling.

"Right then, I believe you've already met?"

I looked past him to see Professor Etia standing there, looking pleased as punch. "Good morning Alana, I'm so happy you're alright. Is this charming young man your brother then?"

My dad gave her a brief look. "John, you are not to sleep with your sister's tutor." He seemed to have at least some sense of what Professor Etia might try.

She looked a bit scandalized but recovered her smile quickly.

"I agree completely father." Two could play John's game. "It would be completely inappropriate."

"Thank you," my father said.

"I mean, while she may be an excellent dancer, and would probably blow his mind it's just wrong. I mean, while those hips may not lie, it's just unacceptable."

"Where in the world did you learn that song Alana? It's classical, I haven't even heard it in years." Professor Etia gave me a look as she asked.

It took me a full moment to process that. It would seem someone was a fan of 2000s music. Interdimensional copyright infringement aside, I had work to do.

"Uh... a book I think. Anyway, my brother definitely shouldn't try to end up with you."

"Whose side are you on?" Dad asked as he turned back to us.

"Whichever one lets me tease John more of course." That got a lovely chuckle from my professor, she at least understood.