“Watch it closely!” Teacher Philinna pointed to a spherical bottle containing a few pieces of burning coal. “Just as we can starve the flame of air and kill it like any other living being, we can supply it with different substances to change its character.” She opened another valve on one of the many glass tubes connected to the spherical bottle, this one connected to a bottle containing a liquid bubbling over a flame. Within a few moments, the flame in the bottle turned green.

The students in the room let out a silent “Ooooh”. It were about a handful, usual class sizes at the Houses of Mysteries, just what fit into the backroom laboratory of apothecary Philinna' shop.

The teacher demonstrated other colours, from a deep red to an icy blue, all by mixing different valves or dropping various substances directly onto the flame until they heard the university’s bell tower ring outside. The teacher finished up the lesson and the students left the tight room, almost all of them bundled together closely, chatting among each other; except for Nannade. She had only been here a dozen days but she had already figured out she was not welcome with the others. Despite many of the students being of varying age, from twelve to thirty and being from all around the continent – and even further – the students got along fine, yet Nannade hadn’t found a connection or common ground with many. They answered her few questions about technicalities, but the moment she inquired further about them, the conversation seemed to stop. Nannade didn’t mind that much. The exotic fascination of the people of Sturreland was nice, but finding out Carsten only liked her because of her status was still a somewhat jarring experience. She could handle this. Her goal was to seek unity within, not without. She was learning again, that’s all that mattered, it was a bit dry and a bit more difficult, but learning would propel her forward. Her first mark of approval might have taken six years, but this she would acquire in two years, three at most.

She had some breaks in her schedule and most of the time, she used those to finish her notes and review the lessons, but right now she felt like enjoying the sunny weather. She would have preferred relaxing on the branches of trees, but the city guard was enforcing a strict no-climbing-rule. Instead, she sat in the shade of a tree in the large public park that was the gardener’s terrace. There was also Sylvania’s terrace, but it was reserved for the royal family and in part for the Royal Academy, the university of this city. While the Houses of Mysteries granted a seal to its graduates, it understood itself more like a repository of knowledge and keeper of often forgotten arts than a real university, and its size and organization reflected that. Nannade didn’t really understand the latter, but the former was obvious from how much she had seen; she guessed it had less than fifty students of lower rank and even less students of higher rank, maybe a dozen teachers who weren’t also students of higher rank. A few of the students were even finishing their second studies here, having already graduated from a university somewhere else and enjoying the vast and deep secrets found only within these Houses of Mysteries.

She wasted her time a bit, letting her thoughts wander, with closed eyes; she couldn’t stand the sight of people right now, especially couples. She knew she was being bitter, but bitterness was such a sweet perch to look down upon others from. She wondered how long until she ran for the hills. The wild had been such a logical place, but now she was back in the muck of having to deal with people all the time.

The clock tower of the royal academy rang again and she returned to Paramonos’ house, or how he had insisted to be called, Master Paramonos’, even if the title left a sour taste in Nannade’s mouth. She would have to prepare some notes soon. Back at the house, she settled into the small study where she and the other two students had their own desk each, but she couldn’t get much done before Timaeus entered the study.

“Nannade, I'd like to talk with you about the next lessons, we need to prepare a few things.” He said while coming in with his wax tablet and some notes on paper. “I hope you have a moment.” He grabbed a chair and sat down next to her.

“What do you mean next lesson? I have to be in language classes after noon.”

“No, the lesson we are going to have.” He made a gesture towards himself. “The students of higher rank. Korinna and me.”

Nannade didn’t quite understand him and when he noticed, he giggled. Was something wrong with her face?

“You’re our study subject, have you forgotten?”

“WHAT? Does that mean you’ll measure me again for half the day?”

“No no! The body studies are done, for now, but we will be taking more in-depth looks at some parts later on. Next lesson will be about your connection to your familiar. Or guardian or god or whatever her title is.”

Nannade was still sorting things in her head. Master Paramonos did say they would delve into her psyche, but she didn’t know the other two would be involved. “So what do you need from me?”

“Would you please prepare a few statements and insights for us?”

“Can’t I just arrange for Black Surgeon’s notes to be delivered to you?”

“Oh no, we need our own observations, we don't work with other people’s notes, that adulterates the knowledge we glean.”

“I guess. If it is what Master Paramonos needs to help me... What exactly is it that you need?”

Timaeus smiled and handed her a piece of paper with several questions written down. “Thank you Nannade. Here. The lesson will take place three days from now, in the afternoon. Don’t worry if you have struggles with some things, you can leave a few answers out if they are still too personal for now, I am sure Master Paramonos will understand.” On his way to the door he turned around and addressed her again. “And Nannade,... I hope you don’t dislike me because of our professional involvement. I can keep a secret, I promise.”

She looked into his eyes while he said that and his words seemed to hit hard like crossbow bolts. He was kind of cute when he talked like that. The Serpent disagreed. “I appreciate that.” She answered and he smiled when she did.

The door fell shut and Nannade read some of the questions. What were you promised at the time of the pact? What did you gain? What were your interactions with the entity before the pact? What form does the entity take in your mind? Does the entity frequently try to convince you of certain things? Many more questions were listed. Nannade decided to start writing at least some answers down.

“Nannade, clear your mind.”

“I know how to meditate, Master Paramonos!”

“Do not concern yourself with answering, just let go of everything.”

“I am trying.” Nannade exhaled. She meditated a lot in the last few days, but never with someone sitting this close to her. It reminded her a bit of when Faan still dreamed with her from time to time, but he was empathic, genuinely concerned for her and cuddly, Master Paramonos was none of these. She was sitting on the floor of his study, face to face with Master Paramonos in a circle of salt drawn around them, strengthened with runes. Next to her were Korinna and Timaeus to observe what would happen. Nannade inhaled. She felt the Serpent inside of her spiritual body. Nannade exhaled and with it, she let Ssil out. She unfurled like a fern leaf in spring.

“What do you see, my students?” Master Paramonos asked the two others.

Timaeus spoke up first. “A snake. Black and smoky.”

“An animal, not unlike a snake, dark and cloaked.” was Korinna’s account.

“Very good. Take good note. I will keep it still and we can see how it reacts.” Master Paramonos bent forward and grabbed Nannade’s head with both hands. She felt his mind grasp the serpent. He closed his eyes and started to whisper ancient words, some unknown even to Nannade. The Serpent screamed as she squirmed in his seizure. His words pressed onto her scaly skin like strings of a web, every breath of his like another knot.

“Let up, Nannade! No harm will come to the two of you.”

Nannade tried to sway the Serpent, without voice, she recited poems and lullabies in her head, but the Serpent would not heed.”

Timaeus sounded concerned, almost worried. “She escapes your grip, Master!”

“No, observe and take note of everything you see.”

The Serpent was not relenting. Hissing, spittling, lashing she tried to come free from the iron grip of Master Paramonos’ words. She drew upon Nannade’s mind and essence to fight back, but Nannade was under strict instructions to not lend the Serpent any of her own might, so that she might not subjugate Nannade whenever she wished. And so, the three were struggling. Nannade against Ssil, Ssil against Paramonos and Paramonos against both of them.

The ordeal taxed Nannade, she eventually had to give in and Paramonos stopped the experiment, to not risk Nannade’sstate of mind. She let herself fall backwards in exhaustion.

“Very well. I think we got some useful observations noted down today, Nannade, if you wish you may take the rest of the day off. You did very well.” He stood up and took a step towards the door. “Korinna, Timaeus, we will meet back here to talk about what we have seen in an hour.” He turned to the door and beckoned them to leave. Korinna and Master Paramonos went about their other businesses. Nannade, still out of breath, sat down in a chair standing in the hallway and Timaeus came to her side.

“I admire you, Nannade. That being is no simple spirit. For you to struggle against it that much, to defend your mind against her every day, is amazing.”

Nannade looked at him. His eyes were of a bright blue, more colourful than Teacher Garetas’ eyes. “Thank you for your words. I think I’ll go out for a while.”

Timaeus went on down the hallway and Nannade was alone. With the Serpent. She would have to come up with a way to make her convene with her again. This silent treatment was starting to make her nervous. She started to feel pressure from the Serpent, but with no clear demands or direction, just... pressure.

She returned to her bedroom to get ready for leaving the house when she found a letter on her bed. Korinna was not there at the moment, but she still looked around the room before opening it. The letter was written in a cipher, but Nannade could already tell by the handwriting that it was from TeacherGaretas. The cipher wasn’t particularly hard to figure out, it wasn’t to relay critical information safe from enemy spies, but rather to fend off snooping noses of people who couldn’t keep them out of others’ business.

“We meet tonight, after sundown, at the ramp from harbour’s to craftsman's.”

She was sure it was finally time. Their first contract together as proper Hidden Hands. She went through her equipment and readied it for tonight. She had almost replaced most of it. Her cast book and flux flask were the most important ones and with those, she was already well equipped, but she still had no knives or dagger of her own. A chest guard of hardened leather, fingerless gloves, a cloak, her bow and quiver, a good length of rope and a grappling hook. The bow was surely too conspicuous to take on a contract, if Teacher had thought it necessary, he would have told her. But still, she took care of it, waxing the string and the wood, to make sure they kept well, even if she wasn’t using them much. She was done sooner than she thought. The Serpent finally raised her head in interest in the promise of food, although Nannade was sure it would not be an assassination, or even a confrontation. Still, she felt her joy shared with someone. It would be good enough to see Teacher again, a face she can actually talk to.