Liliana walked into the depths of Headmistress Wraithe’s office, the door behind her shutting without a hand moved nor word said. Liliana didn’t jump, as she had the first few times she’d entered. She knew now that the little show was meant to unsettle any who entered the office, and make them easier to read and manipulate. A valuable lesson to learn, a reminder that it was always best to confront others, allies or enemies, in an environment you had control over.

As always when she came to this office, Liliana’s eyes hungrily devoured the tomes filling the bookshelves on the wall. Tomes so old, so rare, she couldn’t even find their match in the depths of the Academy library. Hakim allowed her even into the areas restricted to other students, one of the chosen few he trusted enough to handle such rare one of a kind books. Only Emyr among their group was similarly allowed. She knew there were a couple others in their year across the classes also allowed. A rare gift, as Hakim did not often think the students were capable of the necessary care to handle such unreplaceable books.

Marianne still had not gotten over it. But she’d spilled tea on a book in second year during one of her characteristic all nighters when she’d fallen asleep at her desk and knocked it over. Hakim had not forgiven her for it, and as such, she would never be allowed to touch the rare books.

But even there, Liliana had never found the same books the headmistress kept in her office. They were far from the only impressive items on display. There were mystical devices Liliana could hardly devise the purpose of—[Identify] was useless in this room—made of precious metal and stones. Pieces of obscure beasts Liliana had been mostly convinced were nothing but myth and legend laid behind protective spells and glass. Wraith had filled the room with treasures that would have any dragon drooling.

The office was perhaps more aptly described as a den, or a treasure hoard. It lent itself to one of Liliana’s theories that the Headmistress was a dragon. Or some kind of magical magpie.

“Take a seat, Ms. Rosengarde,” Headmistress Wraithe waved a hand at a plush seat before her ornate wooden desk.

Liliana wasn’t sure of the wood type. It looked like mahogany, but it had a luster like gold to it that no ordinary mahogany would have. Liliana took the chair she was directed to, the same one she always sat in when she visited. It was made of a deep red, satin like fabric covered in gold embroidery of different magical birds. Which added a point to her magical magpie theory. Or perhaps Wraithe was a dragon, and attempting to mislead her.

“Headmistress.” Liliana inclined her head to the woman, regarding her with a wariness she always had. The woman looked human right now, but Liliana would never let herself forget she was a Rank 1 beast.

She was dangerous, and while beasts could emulate humans in many ways, they were not and were not half so predictable. No matter the time they spent around humans, a beast would always be a beast, and always think and act like one. Liliana knew that better than most.

Wraithe’s hair, the same color as a raging fire, hung loose around her body, thick and straight looking somewhat like folded wings if Liliana unfocused her eyes. Her reddish orange eyes were focused on Liliana with the same severity as that of a bird of prey watching a rabbit it was considering swooping down to kill. Or a dragon watching a foolish adventurer stumbling into its hoard, waiting for the right time to crush them in their jaws. She didn’t talk, but raised one slashing brow at Liliana in a silent order to speak.

“Six from my group alone. I asked around, four others from class S, those that are back from assignments and since the last time we talked, so far.” Liliana answered the question Wraithe hadn’t asked.

“Ten confirmed then,” Wraithe murmured, eyes narrowing as her thin hands came up and steepled in front of her face, hiding her thin lips and part of her hooked nose from Liliana’s view.

“Likely more than that. I don’t have as much of a good connection with the other classes. I’ll have more information soon, however.” Liliana didn’t say it was Emyr who would gather than information for her.

She suspected Wraithe knew that much. The woman had more than a finger on the pulse of the Academy. She had eyes and ears everywhere, and Liliana suspected she wasn’t the only student tapped for the headmistress’ personal attention. She liked to think she was the only one who spent so much time around the woman, though.

“This is… less than ideal information to receive,” Wraithe said, her tone kept even. Liliana knew it must rankle the woman, the beast, to know someone was interfering in her territory. If she knew anything about beasts, it was that they treated interlopers or threats in their territory with a vicious kind of justice.

Liliana’s hands clenched into fists at the word choice. “It’s less than ideal to have to save a group of kids from a named Rank 3 Gorgon,” she retorted, tone waspish. They would’ve died had she not gotten there in time. She could’ve died had the Gorgon not been so willing to talk at first, letting herself be distracted.

Wraithe blinked at her slowly. “It’s escalating,” she said, head tilting in a motion Liliana recognized as distinctly avian. Or reptilian. She’d seen a few lizards cock their heads like that when considering if they were going to attack.

“Are you going to ban outside assignments for second years?” Liliana asked bluntly.

If it kept escalating at this rate, someone would die. There weren’t enough fourth years to guarantee they’d have someone in the area and strong enough to handle whatever happened. It could be a Rank 2 the next time.

“Changes will need to be… made,” Wraithe allowed, for the first time anger flashing like flames in her eyes.

Liliana watched her with the stillness of a predator waiting in the brush for its prey to walk into its grasp, unwilling to show fear before the woman. It would be a foolish mistake. Wraithe finally gave in, likely not from intimidation but because she wanted to. She always seemed pleased when Liliana acted more like a beast than a human, rewarding her with information. Liliana was never sure how to feel about that, if it made her uncomfortable or if she was glad to be around someone who got her less human-like tendencies.

“I will introduce a new requirement for the second years, where a fourth year or staff member must accompany them on any outside assignments. The rewards for fourth years will be increased, paid from the Academy itself, to compensate for taking assignments beneath their skills,” Wraithe explained and Liliana sighed in relief.

That would help keep the younger students safe, somewhat at least. Unless the events continued to increase in danger to the point even fourth years would be at risk. Liliana hoped it didn’t come to that, and they found the culprit before it got that far.

“The students won’t be happy,” Liliana pointed out, and Wraithe inclined her head in a nod. But they will live was left unsaid.

Some casualties every few years were expected for the Academy. Their world wasn’t kind or fair, death was an accepted eventuality, oftentimes coming far earlier than any wanted it. But the Academy stood to lose students in droves if they didn’t implement more safeguards. Or have all assignments canceled, or the Academy itself shut down to keep the students safe.

“Have you figured out if the tampering is happening inside the Academy or before we even get the assignments?” Liliana redirected the conversation, now that she was assured the younger years would be marginally safer.

The fourth years would be upset they were being asked to be bodyguards. It went unsaid that they wouldn’t be allowed to intervene unless it was a matter of life or death in younger year assignments, so many would spend days or weeks twiddling their thumbs. Which would likely mean tempers would be flaring.

“The method used is still escaping my knowledge. Preliminary investigations have revealed that some of the assignments sent to us by various adventurer’s guilds match what I’ve been told some younger years have faced. But they were marked for fourth years,” Wraithe divulged slowly.

“Others match what we’ve been given, only for what the students face to be entirely different from both what the various adventurer’s guilds received and what we received.” Wraithe continued, face like stone as she finished.

Liliana bit down on a colorful curse that was not appropriate to say around a headmistress. So their best guess was still someone inside the Academy then. Likely a staff member, as they had access to the assignments.

There was little Liliana could do to further investigate staff members that Wraithe couldn’t do herself, and better than anything Liliana would manage. She’d tell Emyr, because he had a knack for ferreting out secrets, but she wasn’t sure even he could manage it against an Academy staff member or professor.

“For now, I want you to focus on your studies and assisting any students who send out a beacon. Keep giving me information from the student side of things. As much as you believe I see everything that goes on behind our walls, students are canny and will hide things when they know a professor is watching,” Wraithe spoke up, diverting Liliana’s attention.

Liliana nodded. It was the same orders as she always got from the headmistress and she hadn’t expected a change. Liliana relaxed into the seat, now that the subterfuge part of their meeting was over. Wraithe hadn’t tapped her simply because of the unusual assignments and her ability to face anything that might crop up.

“You’ve bonded again, a young Axolong?” Wraithe asked, her hands dropping and a smile crossing her face.

Liliana smiled softly. “Serenity, yes. She’s a healer.” The memory of her gentlest bond yet filled her mind.

“Good, she’ll fill a hole in your abilities and enable you to keep your focus on more appropriate paths for you to pursue,” Wraithe nodded her head sharply and Liliana felt herself sit up straighter under the praise.

It was obvious she was referring to Liliana’s Vitality, as she’d discussed increasing the points she distributed to it before. Wraithe had been against it, as it would ultimately make her weaker if she spread her stat points out too far. She was already taking a chance with being a spell blade rather than a dedicated mage or fighter.

With a flick of her wrist, Wraithe summoned a book from her shelves and it settled on the desk between them, opening to a page without a word. Liliana leaned forward, eyes drinking in the illustration and words on the page.

“As a pseudo dragon, she will never have the power of a true dragon. But taming one of those is impossible, even for one as interesting as you, Ms. Rosengarde. Not unless you found an egg,” Wraithe’s voice held a trace of amusement, her eyes sparkling as if she knew something Liliana did not.

Liliana was tempted to demand if the headmistress knew where a dragon egg was. No one had ever found a dragon egg, not unless they were a myth. It was reportedly the only way to tame a dragon, to raise it from birth. But a dragon defended their eggs more fiercely than they defended their hoard. None had ever managed to get their hands on one, for any purpose. Finding a dragon alone was hard enough as it was.

“But she will be strong. Pseudo dragons don’t hold the moniker of ‘dragon’ for no reason. They are not the strongest of beasts, but they are incredible forces of nature once they come into their own. With her strength augmenting your own, along with the others you have bonded to, you may be the first dragon slayer we have ever seen in Cista. Or at least, you would have the potential to be one,” Wraithe continued, eyes gleaming now with something akin to greed.

Greed was something Liliana was comfortable with, something she understood. As her power had grown, the opinions of those in power had shifted. More and more had been willing to forget her mother’s commoner status, as her power outstripped her blood. Many nobles now looked at her with the same kind of greed. They wanted to have some tie to the power Liliana held now, the power she would have if she continued as she was.

Liliana looked over the page of the bestiary Wraithe had brought out. It detailed the different kinds of paths pseudo dragons, and specifically Axolongs, could take. And spoke of their power levels and how they could differ, and a general approximation of how they would grow. How they, to properly intimidate their prey and foes, had to reach a power level that any who had not faced a dragon could feasibly believe to be from a true dragon.

Liliana felt her breath still in her lungs. She’d known pseudo dragons were rare and strong, not often tamed, but she hadn’t realized they were so strong. According to the book short of taming a dragon, or other mythic type creature like a Phoenix, Kraken, Typhon, Fenrir or other such devastating beast, any of the pseudo dragon lines was the strongest she could tie to herself.

Or a kitsune, Liliana thought, remembering Minori’s power. The power that one day Polaris would hold when, not if, he reached Rank 1.

Liliana committed the page to memory before Wraithe shut the book and sent it back to its place. She watched it go with naked want. She wanted to have that book for herself, to read it over and over again until she had every line memorized. Wraithe only ever allowed her to look at a few pages at a time. Gifting Liliana the smallest morsels of priceless knowledge. That book held information on beasts not seen in thousands of years, beasts thought to be extinct or nothing more than legend.

Liliana had considered stealing it many times before. Each time she saw it, her resolve and fear of the woman was worn down just a bit more.

“The touch of Vita is stronger around you than it was the last time we spoke,” Wraithe spoke idly, but Liliana didn’t miss the small hitch in her voice when she said the goddess’ name. As if she was biting down disdain.

It seemed all beasts held a similar lack of love for the gods. Not that Liliana blamed them. She had no love for the gods herself.

Liliana grimaced in distaste. “I ran into a paladin. She had a message to give me,” she curtly explained. Wraithe raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Liliana rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back, knowing she looked every bit the petulant child she was not. “The task she set for me draws close. I’m running short on time,” Liliana spat out, the words forcing themselves out of her under those predator’s eyes.

“Is it possible this task has something to do with the trouble we’ve been facing?” Wraithe asked after a moment to examine Liliana’s words.

Liliana’s arms dropped as her mouth opened, shock slamming into her. “I-I don’t,” she stammered, unsure as her mind reeled.

“Fuck, maybe.” Liliana shook her head, wincing at her curse, but Wraithe didn’t chastise her as Liliana ran her hands through her hair.

It hadn’t been like this in the game, but nothing had been like the game for years except the smallest of things. Too much had changed by now. Liliana had long given up using the game to try to predict anything, and had used her own judgement to make her decisions for years. Still, it seemed, she was able to fall into the trap of thinking just because something hadn’t happened in the game, it wouldn’t happen at all.

“Something to consider, then. Perhaps this is merely one small piece of a plot we cannot yet see.” Wraithe hummed thoughtfully, eyes flashing.

Liliana opened her mouth, hesitating before she pushed on. “Would you… help, if it was?” she asked. She had never considered asking the headmistress for help in her quest. She was all too well aware that the headmistress’ concerns were for the Academy, nothing more or less.

“Whoever or whatever is behind this trickery and deception in my Academy will suffer gravely for what they’ve done. Whoever they may be,” Headmistress Wraithe said decisively, voice sharp and cutting, heated like the flames she loved to use. Her eyes flashed again, looking so much like fire that Liliana wanted to flinch back for fear of being burned.

Perhaps she had gotten an ally, in the most unexpected and unwanted manner imaginable. But Liliana was practical enough to take whatever allies she could get, especially ones as powerful as a Rank 1 beast.

Liliana almost felt bad for whoever was behind this. She doubted Wraithe would see the crime suitably punished by finding the person who had actually done the assignment changes, not if they were working for someone else. No, Wraithe would only see it as finished when the one fully responsible for it was dead. Beasts took malicious infringement upon their territory incredibly seriously. It was essentially a declaration of war.

Then again, if Liliana could solve her quest by setting Wraithe loose on her enemy, if they were behind this, then she’d be happy.

“Then if we share a common enemy, I hope they fall screaming to your flames,” Liliana nodded her head in something closer to a bow.

“Or to your blades,” Wraithe nodded her own head. It was an informal alliance, but the words had been said. As long as they shared an enemy, the one who had, in Wraithe’s eyes, waged an attack on her territory, they would be allied.

Liliana found herself hoping that it was the ‘great evil’ Vita had set her against that was behind this. It would make her life simpler if there weren’t multiple things with that kind of power running about. But that would require some amount of luck, and Liliana had never thought of herself as particularly lucky.

“I believe you should return to your studies. I do believe the coursework for fourth years stays fairly demanding, despite the added responsibility of assignments given,” Wraithe was dismissing her and Liliana’s head ached from the new information and revelations that she took it gratefully. It would be a relief to process this somewhere that she did not feel like she was being watched by a deadly predator waiting for her to slip up so it could strike.

“I’ve been informed we have some pressing assignments due soon, so I shall attend to them, and my other duties,” Liliana said as she stood and sketched a shallow bow to Wraithe before she backed out of the room.

You never turned your back on any predator.

Wraithe’s eyes danced with amusement as they always did when Liliana backed out of her room. It was clear Liliana knew she was a beast, and she found that fact entertaining. Liliana would take her amusement over the chance of being attacked if she turned her back and activated some instincts in the headmistress.

The door to her office opened and allowed Liliana to leave, and closed when she had stepped out with a quiet thud. Liliana walked out of the building with her head held high and back straight, and did not allow herself to relax her posture or breathe out a sigh of relief until she was out of the building.

Gods dealing with the headmistress was stressful.

Liliana ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. She had some things to think on, and she’d need to talk to Emyr soon, tonight, preferably. If Alistair hadn’t monopolized his time already. Once those two got wrapped up together, it would take a world ending threat to get either of their attention.

She started forward, only to come to a stop when a student stepped in front of her. A fourth year, she thought. Probably in a different class. It was a boy, no one Liliana readily recognized until she checked his name.

Jeames Fletewoode. She recognized the name, vaguely. Noble, heir to a western barony, she was fairly certain.

Liliana held back a groan, feeling stressed now for an entirely different reason as Fletewoode pulled out a jewelry box from his pocket. A gods damned cursed courting gift.

“Liliana Rosengarde I wish to formally request-” Fletewoode started when Liliana held up a hand to forestall him.

“No.” She cut him off and then stepped around him while he seemed to be stuck in shock. She employed more of her Speed than she typically would walking around the Academy to get away before he recovered his wits and tried again.

Now she remembered the other reason she tried to take as many assignments as her grades would allow.

Her power was a double-edged sword. As it grew, so did the attention on her. And with that attention came admirers. Both those deluded into believing they were in love with her, and those looking to climb the social ladder. And those who were pressed by their family to make overtures.

At least Emyr or Alistair hadn’t been with her that time, or there would have been bloodshed. Again. And probably far too much teasing.