Chapter 93 - The Master Meets the Apprentice

Their farewells were bittersweet and brief. The children were struggling with a mix of excitement over the prospect of independence, and fear at facing the unknown without their parents’ protection for the first time in their young lives. The parents, on the other hand, tried to look as confident as they could in their decision, but Skyle could recognize the cracks in their carefully constructed facade when he thought back of the recent times when he had also wanted to reassure his younger siblings with a confidence he did not truly feel.

After their parents left, only the children and Talon were left waiting with all their meager possessions packed away into bags and neatly stacked on top of a luxurious carriage drawn by four majestic steeds. They didn’t even have to load the bags themselves. The carriage had come with its own complement of a driver and two page boys who had yes’sir and pleasure’sir’d their way through their things before any of the children could even react to give them a hand. The only one who hadn’t looked out of place was Kassandra, who acted like this was the treatment she justly deserved, at long last.

As for Uncle Talon, he had somehow managed to find himself a black vest of finely woven wool, along with a tunic and breeches of a similar material. The dye job was beautiful, and the many silver chains decorating its surface spoke of detailed craftsmanship a common person could ill afford. In fact, his entire persona had changed completely, from the way he stood with his back arched straight and head held high, to the delicate way in which he gripped the silver-tipped walking cane he held on one hand.

A single gold monocle hung by his face, held up by a thin frame of the same expensive material. He wore a mustache, not the one scribbled on yesterday by Kassandra, but a real one with dark, richly oiled curls so authentic, Skyle could barely resist the temptation to reach out and give it a tug, just to make sure it was really fake.

“Remember, children. You have been commended into the care of the Lord Inquisitor Bismarck, who happens to be one of the most honorable patrons and clients of the law firm I belong to. I’m not privy to the arrangements your family has made with his holy grace, but on the behalf of the Law Offices of Locke, Wellsworth and Associates, I will take care of your every need to the best of my abilities.”

All three children nodded solemnly at this. Though they had joked and laughed yesterday, each one of them knew just how important secrecy and discretion was, especially when it came to Uncle Talon’s job. They each vowed they would take such secrets to their graves, even under threat of torture or worse!

Skyle glanced briefly toward his siblings and couldn’t help but let out a wry smile. The little tykes would take to their new roles with great enthusiasm, he knew. Perhaps too much. Still, if it would keep their naughty little minds busy, then so much the better.

As for himself, he had more important things to worry about - such as not getting slaughtered in his first day at the academy as the only ungifted student in a renowned tier 2 institution where all the very top of the elite elemental warriors, mages and summoners would gather.

In all honesty, Skyle did not feel inferior to any of his peers, elemental gift or no. Still, entering the academy which had been his dream for so many years now loomed so large before him that it honestly took his breath away. He did not know what to expect, and the anticipation was both gripping and terrifying.

His thoughts were interrupted by the humming buzz that cut through the air above his head. When he lifted his head, he saw twin bars of solid blue light pirouetting through the air and coming to a stop right in front of the twins.

Before Skyle had time to even open his mouth, a large sphere of water soared through the air, following tightly along the blue lines of water element at hair-raising speeds. It came to a smooth halt right before it struck the ground. The entire thing resembled a gigantic bubble of water, and though a vague humanoid shape could be distinguished within, Skyle squinted in vain to try to discover the person’s identity.

Then he didn’t have to guess anymore. A ripple ran through the surface of the water bubble, then it vanished into thin air, evaporating into bubbles that flew into the wind even though there was no steam or heat. Skyle had no idea what wonder of magic this was, but he could tell it was a deceptively powerful spell. Then he had no more attention to spare, as he was riveted by the passenger of the water sphere.

An attractive woman with sun tanned skin and huge emerald eyes stepped forward with a dazzling smile on her face. She had elaborately curled black hair that fell to the middle of her back, with countless jeweled chains and rings hung throughout its length. There were two silver rings piercing her left eyebrow, and a single diamond stud glittered brightly on her right nostril. Several more rings - Skyle could not count exactly how many, but it was a lot - could be seen dangling from her delicate ears. He was only surprised there were not any piercings on her lips.

All three children were completely taken by surprise by the woman’s countenance. Even her clothes were completely outlandish and shocking. She wore the Aegis colors of silver and blue, but instead of the voluminous robes they had grown used to seeing magisters wearing, a scandalously close-cut vest was the only garment that covered her generous breasts. They seemed to threaten to explode from the confines of the puny vest, jiggling back and forth with her every movement. Even more outrageous, Skyle could see a dark line of tattoos reaching all the way from her neck down into her plunging bosom, and circling around to her back. Just what kind of degenerate had imprinted tattoos on such indiscrete portions of a lady’s body?

The vest was short enough that it bared all of her mid-section, putting the sparkling blue teardrop-shaped jewel hanging from the silver chain that pierced her navel to prominent display. Skyle could only swallow with a loud gulp as he saw that not one ounce of fat was visible on the woman’s abdomen. Her slender waist stood in stark contrast to her generous breasts and the shapely curves of her hips.

All in all, Skyle would have expected such a voluptuous woman to be an exotic dancer at one of those shows rumoured to be favored by rowdy sailors and other nasty old men. That she wore the Aegis colors and obviously held tremendous abilities in the elements only made Skyle even more shocked.

Thankfully, Talon seemed perfectly at ease as he smoothly stepped in front of the children and bowed with impeccable grace.

“Madam Syrene Le Sueur Aegis’sur, I presume? I’m Thurblin Vespermond, Attorney at Law at the Law Offices of Locke, Wellsworth and Associates. Allow me to express what an honor it is for this humble servitor of the law to have the honor to greet an esteemed Aegis’sur as vibrant and full of grace as your noble self.”

Skyle tried his best not to goggle at the mouthful that Uncle Talon had spewed forth without so much as a twitch of his eye.

“No wonder he’s with Shadow. Even I have the urge to kick his oily, slick, boot-licking arse away from me, and he’s my uncle!”

“A pleasure, I’m sure, Mr. Vespermond.”

Syrene nodded indifferently, her gaze already moving on to the children standing behind the man. Just at that instant, however, the Aegis summoner seemed to pause for a moment, tilting her head sideways and looking back toward Uncle Talon with a flicker of a frown.

Talon, for his part, did not so much as twitch. Instead, his lips spread in a slow, appreciative smile as his gaze wandered just a little lower than a proper gentleman should allow. He immediately stopped himself with a nervous cough, but not before Syrene caught his stolen glance. This expertly played card had the desired effect, and Syrene Aegis’sur dismissed this lecherous man from her mind with a contemptuous flick of her head.

“Incredible, how he manipulates other people’s prejudices to his own advantage with such ease. How does this summoner know Uncle Talon, though? Has she met him before?”

Skyle slowly shook his head, and he barely caught the brief look Talon threw his way. It was full of meaning, and Skyle realized that the lessons had already begun.

“Hello, children. I’m Syrene Le Sueur Aegis’sur. I’m here on behalf of Aegis Academy to ease you into your new lives within the academy complex. I’m told this will be your first time taking full-time residence within the student dormitories. I’m sure you have many questions, but they will all be addressed in due time.”

Her words seemed to be addressing all of them, but unsurprisingly, she only had eyes for Kassandra. For her part, Kassandra looked at the Aegis’sur with a dismayingly transparent mixture of instant dislike and disdain.

“Don’t make things difficult, Kass.”

As though hearing Skyle’s whispered plea, Kass glanced briefly over at Skyle, and with a visible effort of will, put on a neutral expression on her face. At least, it was an improvement.

Interestingly, Kass’ brief look in her brother’s direction did not seem to go unnoticed by Syrene, whose lips twitched briefly. However, her next words were addressed to Talon.

“Mr. Vespermond, I trust you have the proper address for the new student dormitories?”

“Indeed, we do, Madam Aegis’sur.” Talon wiped errant drops of sweat from his brow.

“Then I will ask that you ensure their belongings are properly conveyed to their destinations. I will be taking the children with me in order to expedite their enrollment process.”

Syrene began to turn away toward the children while lifting her hand, but an uncomfortable cough from behind interrupted her.

“Yes, Mr. Vespermond?” Syrene glanced back over her shoulder, but her voice dipped in temperature until it was noticeably colder..

“Beg your pardon, Madam Aegis’sur, but it was my understanding that all enrollment procedures had been completed through direct negotiation between the children’s parents and the Academy Board of Directors.”

“You have been informed correctly, Mr. Vespermond. Still, proper testing should be conducted upon all newly inducted students so as to properly measure their current capabilities as well as latent potential. I’m especially interested in the results in this particular case.”

“But, Madam Aegis’sur, and forgive my pointing out so, both Kassandra and Reikard Farrow have already been thoroughly tested and their records should be available back at the academy.”

“Once again, you’re correct. However, it is not the twins’ results that most intrigue me. I must confess I am rather extremely interested in this one,” Syrene said, coming to a stop before Skyle.

She reached out and ran her hand down his cheek, richly lacquered nails catching and reflecting the sunlight into Skyle’s eyes. Her shapely, crimson lips glistened wetly as they curled into a slow, teasing smile.

“I look forward to getting to know you better, Skyle.”

“Uh, p- pleasure is all mine, I assure you, ma’am. I mean, Madam, ah, Madam Aegis’sur.”

A rich, husky laugh teased Skyle’s ears as Syrene threw her head back and enjoyed his poor first stab at proper summoner greeting etiquette. He could feel her touch upon his cheeks as intensely as though her skin were burning, and his own face began to flush with heat. As the Aegis’sur laughed, her vest struggled to contain the massive mounds of her chest, threatening to spill out at any moment. Skyle’s eyes were drawn by the movement, mesmerized by the spectacle of it.

It only lasted for a second before the boy tore his gaze away, but the damage had been done and an even more incriminating flush overwhelmed his entire face. Syrene did not fail to catch this, and let out a gasp of girly delight that was shockingly uncharacteristic of the dignity of the office of an Aegis’sur, pulling Skyle forward and burying his face within the seemingly endless expanse of her bosom.

Skyle could only recall having been this close to one other woman’s breasts, and those were his mother’s, which didn’t really count as such because well, they were his mother’s. Kassandra, the only other female he had such close acquaintance with, was still flat as a board. As for Ria, any such details had already been scoured clean in the labyrinth of his mind.

A heady, unfamiliar yet not unpleasant scent of flowers and rain entered his nostrils, making his head dizzy. Suffocating in the soft, plunging depths of the charismatic, if exotic beauty’s breasts, Skyle flailed his arms around uselessly, completely at a loss as to how he ought to deal with the current situation. He couldn’t very well push her away, as it felt as though the yielding softness of her chest encompassed the whole area in front of Skyle. His face lay buried in the valley between her two mounds, and her embracing arms pinned his own so that the only area they could reasonably reach out to were those same scandalously expansive breasts.

In the end, he was rescued by his little sister, though suddenly he wasn’t sure he had wanted to be rescued at all.

“Hey, let go of my brother, you ugly cow!”

Skyle gasped, or tried to, and only ended up burying himself even deeper into the summoner’s embrace. Then suddenly, he was free. He looked up in a daze and found an amused grin stretching those rich, scarlet lips.

“Looks like you have a valiant knight protecting your honor, little Skyle.”

Skyle blushed furiously as he looked down, unable to think past the embarrassment that flooded his brain. It pushed out all reason or thought dribbling out his ears for the time being.

“Much as I appreciate the loyal love you hold toward your brother, ugly cow is hardly the way you should be addressing your master, little Kassie.”

Skyle heard the outraged spluttering behind his back and turned around just in time to see Kassandra raising a shaky finger toward Syrene.

“Y- you! What did you just call me?”

“Aw, little Kassie, I’m not a bad person at all. I’m sure we’ll get along famously once we get to know each other.”

“My name is Kassandra Farrow! Not K- Kassie. Certainly not your little anything, either!”

A mysterious smile spread across Syrene’s lips as she gazed dotingly upon the red-faced, furious Kassandra.

“Ah, but that’s where you are wrong, Kassie dear. I’ve been assigned as your master, and as such it is up to me to register your newly arisen name as a summoner of the Empire and an Aegis’sur. This means that if I should decide your name is Kassibertha Lanky-legs Gertrude, then that’s how posterity and all later generations shall remember you as. So, what shall it be, Little Kassie.”

Skyle couldn’t help but give a grudging nod of respect, impressed in spite of himself. This woman had certainly done her homework. First, he had struck into the weakest chink in the armor of the Farrow siblings, which was the more vulnerable eldest brother. He might be a fierce fighter and precocious child, but he only now realized just how poorly equipped he had been to deal with the double-breast attack.

It had certainly done a number on poor Kassandra, who had forgotten all about her aloofness and cold indifference, and shown her true nature which she seldom, if ever revealed before strangers. Then the Aegis’sur had struck home while Kassandra still lay reeling, targeting the enormous vanity which likely comprised the single largest character flaw in Skyle’s little sister.

Glancing down at the lithe, chocolate-toned arms that still curled possessively around his neck, Skyle couldn’t help but wince because through his back he could distinctly feel the summoner’s jiggling breasts rising and falling with each of her breaths.

“Fine. Call me whatever you want. However, let go of my brother, you hag,” Kassandra said, seething.

“Or what?”

“Or I will fulfill my promise of that day at the arena.”

The words were said without any of the heat her face seemed to suggest, and were only made all the grimer for it.

“Tall boasts for such a little girl. I wonder if you have what it takes to carry through on it, though.”

Kassandra’s eyes burned with sudden liquid fire that glowed an actinic blue. Her blond hair flew wildly in all directions as currents of elemental essence began to gather between her cupped hands. Reikard tried to step forward, but surprisingly, Talon took hold of his arm and pulled him back with a slow shake of his head.

“Kass!” Skyle cried out in alarm, trying to disengage the arms around him. The strength of the woman surprised him, however, and he was held fast.

“Shush now. I could hardly bear to hurt my little apprentice upon our first meeting.”

Skyle only had eyes for his little sister, so he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt lips upon his cheek. It was hardly more than a fond kiss, meant for coddling a cute child. Skyle knew it would not make a difference, for the effect upon Kassandra would be the same.

A sudden flare of blue radiance burst out from Kassandra’s hands, converging into three shimmering coils of water that danced with ethereal light. They wrapped themselves around the young summoner’s hands, like liquid serpents that waved sinuously as they rose to loom over her head.

“Last warning,” Kassandra said. “Let. Go. Of. My. Brother.”

Skyle felt Syrene’s answering laughter vibrating through his back. Before he could open his mouth to protest, Kassandra threw her hands up high and the three snakes became streaks of blue that pierced high into the sky. They howled in the wind as they drew an arc through the air, then descended towards Syrene’s head with blinding speed.

“Kass, don’t-!” Skyle began, but then felt a crushing power coursing through the air around him. In the True Sight, he saw countless streams of azure essence spring into life around him. Each was shaped like a small hook, almost like the ones his father used for fishing. There were hundreds at a glance, and they all orderly began to link together and snap into place as though they were soldiers in an army.

In a mere instant, a circular shield of interlocking water essence was formed in the air before Skyle. Syrene reached out with a beckoning motion, and the shield obediently flew into her grasp, all the while adding more and more of those small hooks. By the time Syrene raised the shield, it had already formed three layers of essence that each spun in different directions, their hooks seamlessly integrated together.

“Come, then, apprentice. Show your master what you can do!”

There was a challenge in her voice, along with thinly veiled excitement. A deafening explosion was the only answer she received.

The first stream of water essence crashed down upon the shield and burst apart into a blinding cloud of mist. Droplets splattered all around them with a crackling hiss, kicking up a cloud of dust and small debris. The shield, however, held fast and only the first layer seemed to have briefly slowed its spinning motion.

“Try harder!”

Skyle winced at the summoner’s cry, and recoiled instinctively at the humming whine as the second stream of water seemed to accelerate even more.

It exploded against Syrene’s shield, submerging Skyle's world into a blue haze for an instant as light flared brightly above his head. Though his physical sight was blinded by the sudden brilliance, his True Sight saw with incredible detail how the hooks on the first layer stopped spinning under the crushing impact of the second blow. A series of sharp cracks hissed next to his ear as first one, then more and more hooks disintegrated under the impact, until finally the first layer of the shield was obliterated.

The fearsome torrent of water assaulted the second layer of the shield then, but could only fizzle uselessly against it, most of its strength already spent.

“Is that all you’ve got, Kassandra Farrow?”

This woman really could not keep her mouth shut. Skyle could only rear back reflexively as Kassandra let out a high-pitched cry in response.

He didn’t need to raise his physical eyes to see the final incoming strike, but for just a moment he couldn’t quite believe what his True Sight was telling him, and so he lifted his head in stunned fascination.

There, piercing through the white clouds above, and streaking in a blur of motion that left only an azure shadow in its wake, the third and final attack unleashed by Kassandra began to draw more water essence from the very air it passed through. This added essence did not increase its mass. Instead, it acted like a spring, further accelerating its momentum, and even adding a spinning rotation to its mass.

Even without any experience with spells and elemental essence attacks, Skyle could tell this final strike was on a whole different level from the previous ones. He opened his mouth to cry out a warning, but could only stare as countless streams of water essence coalesced from the air around them and were rapidly drawn into the shield above, thickening its two remaining layers and intensifying their glow manyfold.

An earth-shattering explosion rattled Skyle’s bones as he felt the violent impact of Kassandra’s strike even through the intervening layers of shields. A howling whine filled his ears as the bolt of water essence drilled through the smallest of gaps between each of the hooks, twisting them away, then blowing them apart altogether. In a mere instant, the second layer was shattered completely, and the water lance struck down upon the third and final shield.

The world exploded into a shower of water essence that filled the entire area with blinding flashes of raw, ruptured elemental power shearing off from the torrent of water. The third layer of the shield began to twist and bend under the relentless force of the attack, crackling noises coming from its surface. However, the shield drew constant nourishment from the essence in the air around them, glowing brighter and brighter until it stopped giving way, then began to push back.

A thundering explosion rang out, and the water lance burst into myriads of water droplets that shot out like stinging arrows that riddled the ground with countless tiny holes. Fortunately, Talon stood in front of Reik and shielded him with his cloak. It barely rippled, and left behind only drops of water upon its surface. Kassandra herself fell back a couple steps, swaying unsteadily as the water drops struck an invisible shield in the air in front of her. Skyle’s True Sight revealed a shimmering lattice of water essence that drew all the water essence into it, though its ripples seemed to weaken Kassandra’s own aura with each strike.

“Not bad, piercing through two layers of a Minor Vortex Shield. Maybe you’ll earn a right to your name yet, Kassandra.”

Only now did Skyle realize that he was finally free, and rushed forward to support Kassandra as she tottered backwards on her feet. He just barely managed to catch her at the same time Reikard did. Both brothers exchanged a grim glance, before turning to look at Syrene.

“My little tigers, I can tell the next year will be very interesting.”

Skyle allowed himself a small, knowing smile, and a flicker of surprise flashed across the Aegis’sur’s expression.

She surreptitiously drew her right hand behind her back, but Skyle did not need his physical eyes to see the small cut that ran down the middle of her palm, or the welling blood that began drip from the shallow wound. There, blue essence lay clustered in a chaotic clump of energy that continued to churn and twist, much in the same motion Kassandra’s water spear had before.

What surprised Skyle the most, however, wasn’t the whole confrontation that had been instigated by the Aegis’sur, nor its results. Instead, what shocked Skyle and gave him a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, was the radiant, almost manic grin of excitement that flared clear and bright behind Syrene Le Sueur’s eyes.