All was well in the world.

For some measure of well. At the very least, Erea wasn’t mad at him anymore. She was back to her usual, stalky, possessive self, but she did wave and smile at him every time she passed him in the hallways. Which he had to admit was nice. It also made Sinestra up her game, the woman now actually flirting with Michael in public, to the point where Narh quietly asked him if he wanted to take the matter up to Regitris. Given that she was still his tutor, he declined, but… well.

Erea saw that and now glared daggers at the Gorgon every time she saw her. The gorgon saw that and poked even more fun at everyone involved. It had gotten bad enough that the Gnosian rumor mill had labelled the three as a love triangle. He mentally decided that if his life story was a book, it had turned from a YA one to a romance for at least a few chapters now.

At least he had gotten out from that floating platform quickly enough. Not even an hour after Erea called for help, a group of senior mages walked in, cancelled the illusion or dimensional or whatever Spell, and got them out. The platform had apparently been used for astronomy a while ago, it had the benefit of allowing one to fly around and better observe the entire sky. Not that Michael had ever seen stars at Gnosis, but you know… mages.

The rescue team had also informed them that the Rock Chaser had been captured for study, that the hallway was deemed clear and that their mission was a success. Fifty gold coins had been deposited into Michael’s early retirement fund. Alex, Laen and Bob were also unharmed, though thoroughly amused by their ad-hoc imprisonment. And in Alex’s case, also slightly worried for Michael’s well-being.

Still. All’s well when it ends well.

Michael went to sleep that Friday happy to be in his own bed and not in the infirmary. The next day he woke up, took a long shower, got dressed and sat down to eat lunch-breakfast in a good mood. Which all lasted until his communication mirror started to vibrate and emit a high-pitched sound.

The sound was a normal staple of such minor artifacts, but the vibration was something he had suggested to Sinestra, the one who further enchanted it for him. He now dearly wished he had left the most known qualities of smartphones back on Earth.

“Yes?” he said, looking at the mirror.

In response he got a view of Sinestra, smiling at him, before the mirror abruptly angled down and he was rewarded with a view of her cleavage.

“Why?” Michael asked, not even bothering to look away.

This wasn’t the first time she had done this, evidently.

“Oh, you’re no fun. It used to be I could get a reaction out of you, at the very least.”

“I’m sorry my misery no longer amuses you, Sinestra.”

“Apology accepted. Now, what are you doing?”

“Eating b-“

“Good, good, you’re not busy. I need you to come to see me immediately.”

“I am seeing you. We are scheduled for a tutoring session in an hour.”

“Yes, I know that.” The gorgon impatiently said. “I need you to see me now. And not in my chamber. Do you know where the classroom-sized lunch room is, on the second floor?”

“There are dozens-“

“The one with the gargoyle statue? Where the gargoyle lays on its back, looking like it’s begging for treats.”

“Uhm, yeah. Yeah, I do.”

“Good. Don’t go in there. Instead, close the doors to it, knock three time on the left door, two times on the right one then open both doors at the same time.”

“…really?”

“Yes.” She hissed. “Now go.”

With that the mirror returned back to being a normal mirror.

Michael would have groaned, but even though the Gorgon was smiling, he had learned to spot when she was serious about something. So he sat up, got his wand and wand holster and walked out the door. The lunch-room wasn’t difficult to find, especially since he and Micah used it, primarily since they could amuse themselves with the gargoyle statue. It actually did beg for treats, every once in a while.

Reaching it, he closed the doors and, feeling mightily stupid, he followed Sinestra’s instructions. Three knocks on the left, two on the right, open them both and…

“Wow.”

The chamber he saw wasn’t the lunch-hall. It was as large as the lunch-hall and similarly spaced out, but this room was rougher. Sturdily hewn stone bricks formed both the walls and the floor, while massive stone archways let in light. It inspired strength, but also age.

“I almost expected that to be a trick.” Michael said, stepping in.

A woosh of air was all that let him know someone was behind him. Hearing the door close was the second clue. He turned to the only possible intruder and backed away immediately, eyes wide and focused.

“Is this where I find out you found a way to break |Oath|?”

“My, wand already out.” She said. “Do you believe I’d harm my favorite student?”

Sinestra walked out of the shadows into the light and revealed herself in her full splendor. She was taller than he had known her. Her skin was scaled, but not as before. Her scales were now very much more snake-like. They stood out, visually and physically. There was no separation between the human and the snake halves, the scales being the same all over.

She was taller than before too, by at least a foot. More muscly, yet still lithe. Her hair was now composed of longer and thicker snakes and they seemed much more dangerous than before, a number of them being colored.

She wore no clothes, yet there was no cause for indecency, as even though her breasts were plain to see, they were also covered by the scales. Her face as well, her mouth sporting a new set of long, poison dripping fangs.

All in all, she now looked exactly like the Gorgons in the games Michael used to play.

“Harm me, eat me. You seem like you have options.”

“Not harm or eat, my young morsel. I am here to bring you to the highest peaks of carnal pleasure!”

“…yeah, not buying it. I know there are rooms for sex hidden around Gnosis. Micah told me. You wouldn’t have picked this old dungeon if you wanted that. What gives?”

She lost some of her monstrous appearance at being discovered. Not the appearance itself, she still looked like she did. Her mannerisms simply switched from ancient snake monster to playful woman again.

“Yes, I know. But I couldn’t have made my big reveal in one of those rooms. You would have been too busy examining them. Besides, why would an innocent woman like me know where such rooms are?”

The look Michael gave her was skepticism incarnate.

“So, what’s so important? This illusion Spell? It is impressive, but if it’s just that, I’m going to be annoyed.”

“It isn’t.” she grinned in an unsettling way.

“…alright. Do you want me to beg? What else did you learn?”

“It isn’t an illusion. This is all me! This is a Skill.” She laughed.

“What?”

“It’s a Skill.” She hollered, laughing and hugging him fiercely. “The book allowed me to receive a new Class. Look at me!”

“Wait, what? But I thought you didn’t want a new Class.”

“Yes, well. We both knew I had to take one eventually, didn’t I? And now look at me. I look like one of the Gorgons of old. All sinew, and magic and beauty!”

“I don’t know about beauty…”

“Oh, shush. I saw how you looked at my breasts when I’m smoothed skin. That’s how male gorgons will look at this.” She said, brandishing her scales.

“Look, Sinestra, not that I’m not happy for you, but… what’s with the big reveal? Why couldn’t this wait until our session?”

“Well, partly it is because of my attempted joke.” She confessed, calming down. “But part of it is the Class. Do you remember how I told you I would need a new Class in order to teach certain types of magic?”

“Yes. Oh, I see. This is it.”

Michael had almost forgotten that. Good. It was about time for him to learn some high-level magic.”

“No. It isn’t.” the gorgon simply shook her head.

“What?”

“This isn’t that Class. I wanted to tell you this, so you would understand and so that the magic of the |Oath| would not consider me breaking the terms of my arrangement-“

“You mean so that I wouldn’t consider you to be breaking the terms. Because you know the |Oath| would swing my way in sensitive matters like these.”

“Yes, yes, alright, that’s true. This isn’t a Class for magic. And so, I learned nothing from it that would help me teach you more. I’m sorry.”

“Why? Sinestra, I don’t mind you getting this Class after you’ve taught me, but why now?”

“Because I didn’t know if I’d get it again. My ancestor was proud of me for accepting it too. He said it was a relic. But I understand your concern. And so, in the spirit of our agreement, I will tell you what it is and what it gave me. It will be a valuable secret for you. My way of apologizing. And I promise the next Class I’ll learn will be magic oriented.”

“You were worried about having three Classes. Now you’re ok with four?”

“Not ‘ok’. But, I promised you something and I intend to deliver. Besides, you already learned |Serpentine Senses| even without my help. You’re on the right track.” She smiled.

Michael thought about it. She did seem to be sorry if she had gone this much out of her way to apologize. Which meant this was an opportunity.

“No. If you want me to forgive you and the |Oath| to forgive you too, then you will tell me about both of your two other Classes too. As well as inform me of your next Class’s name.”

“What?” she asked, angrily. “Why don’t you just ask me to come to your room for you to bed me?”

“Because you’d like that?”

“…point taken. Slithering Gods, it’s like talking to my elders back home. Fine Michael, but this secret I am asking you not to use.”

“You know I won’t.”

Probably.

“I am a |Mage|, but during my time at Gnosis I have also gained the |Scholar| Class. It helped me with understanding and accumulating magic. I… believe it’s what gave me the edge to obtain this teaching position.”

“Thank you for sharing. And your new Class?”

“I am now a |Scale Scion|. A representative of my race. Not only of my race even, but of all scaled races.”

“And that’s good I take it?”

“Good? This is wonderful!” she gleamed. “It means I have been judged true by the very concept of my race. I have rekindled the embers of years. I understand that you do not get this, Michael, humans do not by and large aim to match their legends. But for gorgons? This makes me somewhat iconic.”

“And I’m guessing you’ll be using your newfound influence?”

“Well, not at first. I still need to keep this a secret, at least until I level the Class up. And having one more Class will not be looked at kindly by others. Yet, yes… in time.”

“Can I ask what this Class means practically?”

“You may. But that is not part of our agreement. And you have already obtained what you have asked for.” The gorgon grinned.

“Fine, fine. I’ll just have to live with the fact that this Class allows you to change into a snake completely.”

“Not a snake, Michael. Simply a form of the gorgons of old- …well played.”

“Thank you.” He smiled.

“Well then, Michael.” She said, turning back to her smooth-skinned form. “I have informed you of my new development. And I have promised you that my next Class will be magically oriented. Should we head on to our tutoring session?”

“I believe it would be about time.” He sighed.

They opened the doors and walked out of the faux lunch-room, but not before Sinestra got one more barb in.

“By the way, would you mind me winking at you whenever your little elf friend is around? She is absolutely delicious to infuriate.”