(Jason, 16)

"Hey, Alex," I say, and Alex jumps, startled. "Sorry to startle you, but I had to do a quick gate, we're leaving in a minute."

"I was on my way over?" He says uncertainly.

"I know," I say, then pull out a piece of paper and hand it to him. "Not saying you have to leave, but I know your friends are looking for an actual place to stay. That's a list of places that can take six to eight tenants, as well as a few that can do less. There are ones near the universities or the guild, and some in a few other random locations. The bigger ones range from two thousand to four thousand a month, I tried to factor in what would be the average earnings for a group of three hunters, since you mentioned that Peter turns sixteen soon, so he'd qualify, then factor in what Mikey and Colin will probably make once they find a job. On the back of that page are a list of places that are looking for young workers that would not have an issue with former street rats, as long as they don't bring their past into work and cause problems, which I don't think they'd do if they want to do the same as you.

"If you do want to move out with them," I continue. "Please at least just let me know, so I'm at least not surprised if you don't come home the first time."

"Alright," he takes the paper.

"Also," I say. "The valet has the weekend off, so if you want to take the carriage somewhere, talk to the butler. I don't mind if your friends ride in it with you, though it can only really seat four at a time."

"Alright," he says.

"JASON! TIME TO GO!" One of the other students hollers at me through the gate.

"You heard them," I smile at Alex. "See you Sunday!"

I give him a wave, then step back through the gate, where the students in S-Class of both universities are waiting with the professors supervising the whole trip and all of the Royal Knights and Royal Mages escorting us on this trip.

"Everyone paired up?" The professor in charge of this trip asks as I approach Jacob. "Good, good. Let's head out."

The group of us make our way to the university's stables, where several wagons wait for us. We're loaded into them eight at a time, four students and four advisers. For this session, we'll be working in pairs, though some of our sessions will have us work in quartets or groups of six.

The Royal Knight and Royal Mage assigned to supervise, assess, and advise Jacob and me give us uneasy looks. I've not seen Jacob fight before, not in an actual fight, but I've heard he's pretty good, and then there's my above-average abilities.

"Is there any word on her location?" Jacob asks one of the Royal Mages as the wagons start moving.

Her location?

"No," he answers. "But considering who we're talking about, that's not all that unusual."

"True," Jacob responds. "But we have finished three week of lessons, and she has yet to show up."

"She lives on a mountain with a red dragon," the mage snorts.

"Who?" I ask.

"Our actual professor for Magical Beasts," Jacob answers. "The man lecturing us right now belongs to the aged classes."

The aged classes are for students older than the starting age for university. If someone like one of Alex's friends tried for entry next term were to pass, they would be placed with everyone normally as they've proven they have the knowledge required by the previous terms they would have studied had they begun the first term of their sixteenth year of life.

But if someone who was, say, twenty-six began, they would be too old for that, regardless of knowledge. There is a separate exam for those who do not qualify for the 'standard' lessons, and from what I have heard, they are not as strict on things and do not give practical field experience lessons.

"So we're borrowing him because our actual professor lives on a mountain with a red dragon?" I ask.

"Correct," Jacob nods. "She is more than a little eccentric, and has been warned not to live there. Red dragons are quite temperamental, as you know. Unfortunately, she made that her home before it moved in twenty years ago, and is too stubborn to leave. In fact, she said it gives her a unique insight into red dragons, living so close to one. The real reason she moved there originally was to be closer to several varieties of magical beast that live only in that mountain range."

He looks thoughtful for a few moments.

"You know," he says. "The Ilkabi Mountains, yes?"

"I know of them," I respond. "They're a range of mountains around a hundred and twenty miles long and maybe twenty or thirty wide, depending on the area of them, with a pass about a third from the eastern side. It's near our southern border."

"Yes," he says. "She lived on the western side, where the red dragon made its home. Around ten years ago, a black dragon made its home on the eastern side. Part of its domain covers that range, and it demands a small tribute from anyone who wishes to travel through the pass.

"So here is the deal, Jason," he continues. "The red dragon? No chance of negotiation with. The black dragon? Its domain includes an adamant mine we had to abandon when it moved in. No one has been brave enough to risk angering it by mining within. Next weekend, would you make a trip down there with me and see if the dragon would be willing to allow us to resume mining?"

He must have thought of this because of our discussion on Monday.

"Sure," I answer. "To reach there easily by blind teleports, I'll need to study an accurate map of the area between here and there so that I can gauge the distance properly. Do you know how old the dragon is?"

"By its size," Jacob answers. "They estimate it to be around one hundred years of age."

A dragon never stops growing in size as it ages. Initially, it goes through a period of rapid growth, which lasts around ten years. At that age, it generally stands around twenty feet tall if a red dragon and around thirty if a black dragon. The general rule after that is ten feet per century for a red dragon and seven per century for a black dragon.

Eventually, a dragon grows so large that they cannot sustain themselves through food alone and usually begin to die a slow death. At that point, they often quiet down if they interact with people, though still demand their tributes. Usually, they have a den with one or two other dragons at that point, younger dragons to take over. This typically takes around a thousand years for red dragons, which require more food than black dragons, and around two thousand years for black dragons.

There are exceptions, of course. Rumor has it that a dragon in the mountains to the northeast is over three thousand years old. If that turns out to be true, it would be a very, very old dragon with a lot of magical power, which is what they use to sustain themselves when their food intake alone isn't enough.

If they believe this dragon to be around a century in age, then it's likely to be around thirty-seven feet in height. Steven is probably around three hundred years old, since he's roughly fifty feet in height.

Hm. I look at Niko.

"Niko," I say. "I used the term 'anti-gravity' when we were discussing dragons last weekend. Looking back on it, I realize you made a strange face. You didn't know what that meant, did you?"

"I did not," he answers. "What is 'anti-gravity'?"

"Gravity," I explain. "Is the force that causes all objects to fall to the ground when tossed up or held out and released. If it did not exist, we would simply float up into the sky, eventually reaching the land of stars."

"Anti-gravity magic would let us reach that?" Jacob asks, astonished. "If-"

"The land of stars," I shake my head. "Is not a place where we can live. We would die upon entering it. There is no air to breathe, and it is cold enough we would freeze to death within moments. Dragons use anti-gravity magic to allow them to counteract gravity. Without it, they would be crushed under their own weight. It's why they can fly without flapping their wings, which is only done to assist their flights. It's a natural magic, or one inherent to them and used without conscious thought. They want to fly, so they do."

"Ah," Jacob nods. "I see. So you'll go with me next weekend?"

"Sure," I answer. "If it's only around a century old, I can prepare a proper offering for it. Do you know its preferred food?"

"Cattle," he answers. "Especially dairy cattle around two or three years of age. It's also been known to hunt deer in the forests to the north of the mountains. Generally, it eats around one cow or one cow and a deer per month that we know of."

Standard for a black dragon a century old, then. At least, for the public eats. It probably has a separate diet that we humans don't know about.

"And its tribute?" I ask.

"One cow," he answers. "And either five hundred gold coins, one hundred mithril coins, or their equivalent value in gems."

So a more reasonable dragon, then. Most black dragons are a bit more loose on what they demand and are willing to accept two or three different things as payment. The coins themselves probably have no monetary value and are forged specifically for the dragon, which means they likely have its likeness on it. A red dragon would probably demand a single thing, no negotiation allowed, no alternates. Either meet it, or they cause a bit of destruction and steal herds and women as payment.

"What about the red dragon?" I ask.

"Two cattle per month," he answers. "And one thousand gold or silver coins per month. In addition, it also wants one virgin male or female age thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen at least once per year."

A human sacrifice? If the sacrifice were older, then I might expect something else, but that age range…

The dragon itself is making offerings to the gods. Since many marriages among lesser commoners occur between that age, it specifies that they need to be virgin. An 'impure' offering to the gods would be considered insulting to the gods.

"Understood," I say. "Are the names of these dragons known?"

"No," he answers. "The black dragon has never given it nor been asked, and the red dragon is, well, a red dragon. No one's brave enough to bother him."

"To be expected," I shrug. "While we're down there, do you want to make a stop over by the red dragon and see if he knows what happened to our professor? I can arrange another offering to it that should appease it enough to at least allow us to live, whether or not it answers."

"That would be awesome," Jacob responds. "If it works, then I will see to it that you are reimbursed for the cost of the offerings."

"That's really not necessary," I tell him. "I can cover the whole thing myself, and it would be an interesting experience, attempting to talk with dragons."

Instead of just exchanging an attack.

"I'm not sure what I should be worried about more," Kyra says, reminding me that there are those who don't know me that well around. "The fact that you're interested in talking with dragons, or the fact that you're discussing doing such a thing so casually, as if it's something normal."

"Haven't you read the texts on dragons?" I ask. "Many of the older ones reference times when people tried and successfully negotiated with dragons."

I have memories of doing that as High Magus Nolan, too. Sadly, most dragons spoke to him through telepathy, and it seems that such a thing doesn't translate into memories. I don't actually know what we discussed, but do know that it resulted in the changes I wanted based on succeeding memories.

"Do you really expect anyone to believe that those stories were anything more than that?" She asks.

"Yes," Jacob and I answer in unison, and the way he responds, I suppose he has some proof that it's possible beyond just my conversation on Monday.

"My papas and I," I tell her. "Have negotiated with dragons before. There are some areas with resources we want to mine that are in the lairs of various dragons, and we negotiated with them to be able to mine there. As long as we pay a proper offering to them, we're allowed to use the mines."

"Are any of them red dragons?" Jacob asks.

"Admittedly, they were all black dragons," I say. "And my papas did the negotiating before they found me. I'm sure I can manage it just fine, though."

Kyra and the Royal Knights and Royal Mages sigh in unison, looking exasperated. Jacob has a grin on his face, and Niko looks a little confused. The rest of the ride passes in silence, and we're eventually stopped inside of a forest.

"Alright," the Royal Knight supervising Jacob and me says once we step out of the wagon and look around. "Jacob, Jason, you two are with us. Do you have the camping gear?"

"Yes," I answer. "We stuck them into our spatial storages."

He gives me a funny look.

"Dimensional space," Jacob tells him. "Jason uses an odd terminology for it."

That probably comes from my memories as Lucas, but if someone can't figure out that 'spatial storage' and 'dimensional space' are the same thing on their own, they're probably a bit helpless in some areas. I literally call mine a storage.

"Let's go, then," the Royal Mage tells us.

The four of us begin walking. Due to how advanced Jacob and I are in our studies and training, we'll be heading deeper into the forest than most of the others.

"Admittedly," the Royal Knight gives me an odd look. "No one really knows what to do with you. You're required to go through these field training sessions, as with all of the other S-Class students, but you've also been hunting ogres and corrupted since you were what, ten?"

"Something like that," I answer as Jacob gives me a shocked look. "Uncle Zach never told you?"

"No, he didn't," Jacob says. "How often have you hunted ogres and corrupted?"

"Randomly," I shrug. "Papa Samuel and Papa Michael would take me out camping in the Unwild Lands sometimes to see if we could find any. They never did take me near any of the villages and stuff in kingdoms or neutral zones, but we traveled pretty far. I killed around five hundred ogres and corrupted when Niko and I visited Mar last weekend."

"You didn't cause an incident, did you?" He nearly yells.

"Probably not?" I answer. "They were living in some mines near the castle, making it impossible to use those mines. I decided to give them a hand, since they're my allies' allies and my friend's people. I probably could have gotten away with fighting them without casting magic, but didn't want to put that much effort into it."

The Royal Knight, Royal Mage, and Crown Prince all stop and stare at me in shock.

"What?" I ask. "You both know that training your body with greater magical control and a high amount of mana alters yours body, making you stronger, faster, and tougher. I'm upper violet and have been training with my body and blade since I was little. It would have probably taken me around twenty or thirty minutes, but I could have managed fighting the ogres and corrupted without casting a spell. Less if I imbued my sword with magic."

The Royal Knight appraises the sword at my hip.

"What is it made of?" He asks. "I know your knife is mithril."

"Star iron."

All three of them give me even more shocked looks.

"What?" I ask.

"Please tell me you're joking," Jacob says.

"No," I answer. "A star iron meteor crashed in the Unwild Lands a few years ago. For my coming-of-age ceremony, Papa Jared gave me a chunk he had yet to refine. Once I gained more skill in smithing, I smelted it down to the pure star iron and forged it into a sword."

I still have some of it left, though not much. One of the dragons in the mountains has a decent-sized chunk of it, though it might be an actual meteor of it. Whatever it is, it makes me sick anytime I draw too close.

"If the sword is made of star iron," the Royal Knight says. "Then it could likely cut through the hides of ogres and corrupted beasts quite easily. What happens when you imbue magic into it?"

"It activates the enchantments," I answer. "By the way, there are three ogres heading in our direction. I don't think they've noticed us, but-"

"How can you tell?" The Royal Mage asks. "I'm not sensing a scan from you, only Jacob."

"I'm using a scanning spell," I say. "The ogres around one hundred yards in that direction."

I point off in the direction of the ogres.

"For the most part," the Royal Knight tells me. "This training is for Jacob. Provide backup if necessary, but let him perform the kills."

"So King Papa rules," I nod, and he gives me a funny look. "What? King Papa rules means 'defend the king, but let him take 'em out'. It's something Papa Michael and I did when I was younger and doing regular hunts."

Jacob snorts in response, then the four of us begin moving in the direction of the ogres.

"Remember," the Royal Knight tells Jason. "Ogres can stand anywhere from ten feet to fifteen feet in height, with their chieftains and standing up to twenty feet. The majority of them are dumb and slow, and incapable of casting spells."

Actually, most of them can cast spells, they're just too stupid to do it. Their mages and chieftains are the ones with a little bit more intelligence, which is why they've been known to cast magic. Stupider ogres do know how to start a fire for food, though. When they bother to cook it first.

"You'll want to," the Royal Knight continues. "Aim for its legs first, not its chest, even if you think you can reach its heart okay. Get it on the ground, then finish it off."

"One thing I have always wondered," Jacob says as he draws his sword. "Is why we do not use spears for this sort of thing."

"Ogres have a habit of breaking the shafts of spears," I answer. "While they can bend swords just as easily as the metal shaft of a spear, they still have an easier time striking a stick jabbing at them than a blade swishing and slashing. It ends up becoming very expensive, both in terms of weapons and lives."

"Your job," the Royal Mage tells me. "Will be to create barriers to block attacks, when necessary. Distract the two that he isn't fighting, but don't kill them. Let him claim the experience for himself. You can work on teamwork in kills once your partners have more experience in this."

I nod, then we continue moving until we reach the ogres. They smell us before they see us, and like all big brutes, the first thing they do is charge us. Flicking my wrist as we dodge to the side, I push the two on the left backwards with wind as Jacob charges the ogre on the right.

The ogre swings at him, and Jacob barely evades the attack as he strikes out with his sword, pivoting and stabbing it into the ogre's heel, before twisting it and slashing it to the side as he pushes forward with one foot, launching himself a few feet and cutting through the other heel.

Roaring, the ogre starts to go down, and Jacob plunges his sword into its back. The beast twists its torso and attempts to swing at him, and Jacob ducks under, pulling out his sword and slicing the ogre's left armpit. Its left arm goes limp as it reaches around, trying to grab him, and at this point, the ogre is kneeling. Jacob simply jumps out of the way and moves in front of it, plunging his sword into its chest, killing it.

He turns to look at the other two ogres, then stares at the trail of destruction through the trees.

"I forgot to hold back," I say when he stares at me. "The, uh, ogres are now scattered in many pieces through the woods, ripped apart by the force of my wind. I'm not used to needing to hold back when fighting ogres, so just… did that out of habit."

He laughs as the Royal Knight and Royal Mage groan. They did notice the trees breaking, just didn't comment. They were probably waiting for me to comment on what happened.

We decompose all the bits of ogre we can find, then travel another few hours before setting up camp, arranging two sets of tents for us to sleep in. One for the advisers, one for the students. We build a fire in the center, and the Royal Knight informs us that for now, we should just relax and rest unless something comes our way. Until we're more used to this, the advisers and supervisors perform the watches during the night.

After hanging out at the campfire for a little while, I head into the tent and change into a nightshirt before lying down on my mat and thinking about things. Mostly, I'm wondering about Alex. Will he move out with his friends? I'll miss him being around if he does. I hope he waits awhile, first.

I can understand wanting to be with his friends, though, and I know he thinks I'm just trying to use him as a charity case, even though that's not true. I really do want to help him, and I really do enjoy having him at the house.

But he knows his former gang a lot better than me, and it seems like they were extremely close.

My stomach feels like it knots up as I think about the way he was joking around with the one last Sorday when Niko and I saw them. Why do I get this uncomfortable feeling every time I think about it?

They were just messing around, it's not like I don't do that with Niko, Jacob, and Lina. I mean, we do it in a different way, of course, but why would him messing around with others bother me? It can't be because of the kiss itself, that kind of stuff doesn't bother me. I know most people do not look kindly upon that sort of thing in the current era, but it really doesn't-

It's the kiss, isn't it? Not the fact that it was two guys kissing, but… the fact that it was someone kissing Alex. That's what's bothering me, isn't it? When I think about it, it's the kiss that makes my stomach knot up and my anger rise, not him goofing around with his friends.

What is this feeling? Why does someone kissing Alex bother me?

Turning over on my mat, I pull one of my stuffies out of my spatial storage and hold onto it. Ever since I was little, doing this has comforted me, even if it doesn't help me figure out what's wrong. I pulled out a stuffed leviathan that I made a couple of years ago.

As I stroke the leviathan's soft fur, I think about real leviathans. They don't have actual fur, but scales. This one is a deep blue, like the one from so long ago, in my memories as High Magus Nolan. It reminds me of that time, and of Alex, and I guess that's why I pulled it out.

I've sparred against him, to help him train a little. Alex fights in a fluid style, swiftly moving from one movement to the next. He's a force of nature that wields both force magic and water magic, even if minimally, to fight and take down his foes.

He's got a lean, fit body with defined muscles, probably from his years on the street. He's never told me who taught him how to use a sword, but they were probably good, since his moves are quality enough to enter the Royal Knight University.

What's he doing right now? Is he out drinking with his friends? Having them stay the night? Staying the night wherever they are? Did they all go and get a place to live together already?

The thought of Alex with the other boy makes my stomach knot up even more as the image of them not just sharing a home but a space to sleep enters my mind, the two of them kissing and cuddling.

As I push that image away, I realize what this feeling is inside of me.

Jealousy. Jealousy… and love.

That's why I feel so protective of him, why I don't like it when Jacob makes him uncomfortable, isn't it? That's why I'm upset at someone else kissing him.

Because, thinking about it now, I wanted it to be me.

I love Alex, but was too dense to realize it before. And… I may have been too dense to realize that Jacob picked up on it, and that Alex might like me, back, even as much as he tries to push me away. That could explain why he insists on paying me, on telling himself, no matter what we do, that I don't like him and am just making fun of him behind his back.

Because he likes me and wants to reject those feelings because of our differences in class and power.

Jacob knows this, though. That's why he keeps making those comments. Now that I realize what I'm feeling, when I think back on things, I can sort of guess at what Jacob was implying or suggesting with them.

What should I do?

(Jacob, 16)

I can't believe Jason knows a way to create a scan spell that doesn't interfere with others. Wyatt and I discussed it at length for the last hour, after Jason went to bed, and even tried it, but the Royal Mage couldn't figure out how to do it.

Probably, Jason will teach anyone who makes it into his advanced group how to use it.

After we give up on trying, I tell them that I am turning in for the night, then enter the tent Jason and I are sharing. He is wearing a night shirt and hugging a stuffed leviathan with a blue and green body that is around four feet long. The reason I know it is a leviathan and not some sort of regular snake is not just the coloration, but the off-white whiskers and grey eyes.

You are so obvious.

"Thinking of hugging someone else?" I ask softly just in case he's actually asleep and not just resting with his eyes closed.

The sudden force magic gently striking the back of my knees, dropping me down, tells me he is awake, and I grin at him, then start changing into a nightshirt.

"You could've brought any stuffie you wanted," I say. "And you brought the leviathan. You know, if I didn't know better-"

The air is suddenly pulled from my lungs, and I struggle for breath for a few moments, wheezing as my body tries to force itself to breathe.

"Alright, alright!" I chuckle when I recover, and he gives me a light glare. "Point taken, don't do this stuff on the trip."

Yeah. Definitely obvious.