I retrieved a crate of empty vials and used them to empty the potion into. Lorna took the cue and did the same for hers, as did a few others that were confident that their potions would pass the grading. Mage Marks finished testing the potions and the wood panels folded away, then she put the potions in a display rack behind her with the grades on them. It wasn't for shaming like some of the girls whispered, though.

“This is the bottom of your scale and to show your improvement as you keep brewing it to make it perfectly. It's here on display as your first officially produced potion.” Mage Marks said. “Some of you need a lot of improvement, some only need a little, and some need none at all.”

Nearly everyone turned to look at me and then at Lorna.

“Mr. Drake doesn't count.” Mage Marks said and then she smiled, I assumed to take the sting out of what she said. “His and Vanessa's is there only because it's the first time they made the potion. Only Vanessa will be making it in the future.”

“Don't worry. I'll figure out how to improve it more.” I said and Vanessa nodded.

“Any more improvement and even a primer won't work to ease the symptoms.” Mage Marks said. “It'll just cause severe headaches and pain for a while.”

“I know. I have one that nearly knocked me out when I was a child because it hurt my brain so much.” I said and a few of the girls gasped. “I've been meaning to tear it apart and figure out where the potion is wrong, and what better way to do that than building up from a basic version?”

Mage Marks sighed and shook her head, probably because she knew that discouraging me wouldn't work, then the bell rang. “Go on and get out of here before you make all the women here fall for you.”

“Does that include you?” I asked and she caught her breath.

Vanessa laughed and picked up her knife, then looked like she didn't know what to do with it. I held my coat open and tapped a slot in my bandoleer. She smiled and easily slid her knife into the slot.

“Thank you.” Vanessa said and pat my coat.

I picked up the crate of potions and we left the class.

“We need to get you a nice reinforced bag to take half of these with you.” I said.

“Hmm? Oh, you're giving me half?” Vanessa asked.

“We made it together. It's only fair.” I said and she held a hand out to stop me from walking. Lorna was lagging behind the other students because she was struggling a little with her crate.

“Lorna, a word, please.” Vanessa said.

“Thank the Light.” Lorna said and put the crate down in the middle of the hallway. “It shouldn't be so damn heavy!”

“It's full of liquid.” I said.

“I shouldn't be carrying it at all.” Lorna said and put her hands by her mouth. “Nick! NICK!”

Another student with a number 2 on his academy suit coat appeared in the hallway from the throng of other students. “You called, my future?”

Lorna rolled her eyes and Vanessa laughed. “As you can no doubt tell, this is my promised betrothal when I graduate.” She said to us and looked at him. “I need you to carry this crate of potions for me back to my dorm room.”

“Right away.” Nick said and bent down to pick it up.

“Wait!” Vanessa commanded quite loudly and Nick froze as he looked at her with shock on his face. “Lorna, I propose a trade.”

Lorna looked at my crate and at hers. “Oh, I see.” She said with a smile. “One for one.”

Vanessa laughed and shook her head. “I'll be making my own next week, so you know this is a limited time offer.”

Lorna scrunched her face up a little. “I'm not doing two for one, that's just stupid.”

Vanessa nodded. “How about two of mine for three of yours?”

Lorna looked at the crate. “He's giving you half?”

Vanessa nodded. “I'm willing to give up six of my sixteen for nine of your thirty-two.”

Lorna had to think about that. “I won't be getting much out of that.”

“Nick, go into the potions classroom and grab six empty vials.” I said.

He looked at Lorna and she nodded. He took off and was back fairly quickly with six empty ones.

“I'll give you six quarter doses of my health potion as well to ease the symptoms.” I said.

“Deal!” Lorna agreed immediately.

I put my crate down and Vanessa did the transfer. She took out six of our potion vials from the crate and replaced them with six of Lorna's potion, then put the three extra vials carefully into her pockets. I took out the healing potion with only a quarter dose in it and poured it into one of the empty ones Nick held. I took out another healing potion and poured exactly a quarter dose into four more vials, then took out another healing potion and put a quarter dose into the last vial.

“I'm not going to ask how you can do that so accurately without measuring.” Lorna said as she put the six vials of our potion and three of the quarter dose healing potions into her crate and put the last three into her pockets like Vanessa had.

“It took years of practice without any real measuring devices.” I said as an explanation.

Lorna held a hand out to Vanessa to shake. “It was nice doing business with you.” She looked at me and held her hand out again. “With the both of you.”

I shook her hand briefly and then Nick picked up the crate and they left. “Do you want to go to lunch first or visit my dorm?”

Vanessa looked surprised for a moment. “You mean for you to make me a sheath and a bag for the potions and not for anything else, don't you?” She asked and I nodded. “Then we can go eat first.”

I picked up the crate and we left the main class building and went to the student administration building with the giant cafeteria on the second floor.

“Please tell me you won't repeat what you did yesterday.” Vanessa said.

“I really am sorry you had to see that.” I said. “You can relax, because I have a plan for today. It might not work tomorrow, though.”

Vanessa smiled at me. “I'm so glad that I trust you already.”

The man in uniform by the entrance looked worried when he saw me.

“I won't do it again.” I said to him and the man let out a relieved sigh as he waved us through. Nearly everyone in the large cafeteria stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me. I wasn't surprised that Selena didn't wave to get my attention today.

Vanessa waved to her friends and we went over to their table first and a couple of the girls covered their mouths as I approached. “He's not doing that today.” She said in a normal voice and the girls at the table let out startled yells.

“Van!” One exclaimed and hopped up to hug her. “What happened?”

“David's potion happened.” Vanessa said. “It'll only last another forty-five minutes.”

“She has more.” I said and put the crate down. “Ten of the dark ones and six of the light ones are hers.”

They all looked into the crate.

“The light one I recognize as the first potion we ever made.” One of them said. “What's the dark one?”

“It's the same potion.” Vanessa said and they all gave her strange looks. “That's exactly what Mage Marks looked like when we infused it.”

“Woooow.” One of them said. “I guess it's stronger?”

“Very.” Vanessa said. “Do NOT take any of them. Sixteen of the dark ones are David's, and if you try to steal from him, he'll take your hand.”

The girls at the table started laughing.

“I'm not joking. He'll sever your hand at the wrist and will wear it around his neck.” Vanessa said and they stopped laughing as their faces drained of color. “They handle thieves much differently near the front lines.” She turned to me. “I'm going to the silver table to grab something for lunch. Are you going to do your plan now?”

I nodded and waved for her to proceed before me, and she smiled and nodded graciously. She went over to the first Silver table and everyone stared at me as I followed her.

“You can't eat from here.” The cook behind the first table said. His job was to go back into the kitchen to tell them when something needed replacing and he would put the used dishes on the Bronze tables.

“I know.” I said and looked over the food. I was in the mood for a solid meal this time, so I waited for Vanessa to take what she wanted. When she nodded that she was done, I made a very big show of licking my palm and then sucked on my fingers to get some good saliva going. Everyone in the room stared at me and wondered what I was doing, so I held up my quite wet hand to show them, then I slapped it down onto a huge roast.

“EWWWW!” Nearly all of the women in the room yelled as one.

I stuck my hand into a pot of mashed potatoes next and the cook standing behind the table gawked at me like I was a monster. I didn't want to miss out on gravy, so my partially potato covered hand went in there next.

“Hey, that's boiling hot. You might want to reduce the heat on the warming plate with the next pot you bring out.” I said and picked up a napkin to wipe off my hand, then licked my other hand, so I couldn't be accused of tasting the food I had contaminated, and I put my fingers into the top of a nice cake that had two slices cut out of it.

Everyone stared at me as I wiped off my other hand and tossed the napkin into the trash, then I walked down to the Bronze table to wait. Even Vanessa stared at me with a look of surprise on her face.

“You should sit down to eat.” I reminded her and she nodded and went to the table with her friends.

A minute later, the roast, the pot of mashed potatoes, the pot of gravy, and the cake were delivered to the Bronze table, because no one else was going to eat them now. I did up a large plate and filled it with tasty meat, several scoops of mashed potatoes, and smothered it in gravy. The potatoes almost floated off of my plate.

“I'll be back for the cake.” I said and then pointed to the roast, potatoes, and gravy. “Can you bring these ruined dishes to the servant's serving room, please? My maid won't go hungry at lunch again today because of your department's stupid rules.” I said and the cook caught his breath, as did a lot of the people that were listening. I went to Vanessa's table and bowed slightly to her. “My lady, may I join you and the other ladies at your table for lunch?”

Vanessa didn't even look at her friends to see what they thought about it or being called ladies. “Of course, my lord.”

“Thank you.” I said and sat down across from her, then we started to eat.

Life seemed to return to the cafeteria, now that my little show was over, and everyone went back to whatever they were doing before.

“You're right David, that's not going to work for you tomorrow. They'll institute a rule that you won't even be allowed to approach that part of the room.” Vanessa said. “What will you do then?”

I paused in eating and gave her a smile, which she hadn't really seen before. “I'll ask for your help.”

Vanessa caught her breath and looked at the food tables, then she smiled and nodded in understanding. We ate the main dish and then went back to the tables to get dessert and ate that, too.

We finished lunch and she bid her friends farewell, as did I, and we left the building to walk to my dorm. We had plenty of time before we had to go to afternoon class, so we had a nice leisurely walk, even with me carrying a crate of potions. After a couple of minutes, Vanessa leaned in close and put her arm around mine.

“I hope it's okay that I'm this bold.” Vanessa said. “I want the last few minutes that the potion works to be the ones I remember most.”

“You have more potion.” I said.

“I'll have to conserve it with only ten doses. Each is only an hour and a half, so I'll need to be careful when I take them to get the most effectiveness out of them.” Vanessa said as we approached the old dorm building. “David, is... is that...” She stopped talking as we came close enough for her to realize it was the old and mostly wrecked building, except that it looked newer and grander than the main academy building. “Oh... my... GOD!”

“You said you wanted the last few minutes to be memorable.” I said and brought us to a stop.

“David, this... how did you...”

“I have the best work crews in the capital.” I said and nodded at the very ornate and expensive looking doors with my two guards beside them.

The two men took the cue and opened both doors.

“Welcome to my dorm mansion.” I said and led a very surprised Vanessa inside.