Niles
Niles held hands with Birgit and Farah as they left the great hall and headed for their first class. He didn’t mind holding Birgit’s hand, but he was only holding Farah’s hand to keep it from roaming. He could not believe she’d snuck her hand up his surcoat and shirt right at the table. Fortunately, she just wanted to make skin contact, so once she had that, she didn’t let it wander too much. She’d stayed above the waist, anyway. He was amazed no one had noticed, but fortunately, the drama at the table must have kept everyone’s attention. Solar and lunar elves really did not get along. If looks could kill, neither of them would have survived breakfast. Both had stuck it out, though, and were still tagging along, one on each side of their little group.
Both elves seemed quite determined to get on his and Birgit’s good side, though Sinja had gotten a head start by helping them prepare for their match against Yarl. But what could their angle be? Was Ingadrid just interested because Sinja was? And why was Sinja? Niles could certainly understand her helping them make Yarl look bad, but why the continued interest? Was it just his magic she was after? He wasn’t naive enough to think she actually liked him. He would just have to be wary, though that was going to be tough. They were both being very friendly to him, if not each other, and both were extremely attractive, with slim, willowy builds, big, beautiful eyes, and delicate features. At first, Niles had half expected Sinja’s ‘surprise’ was just going to be some attempt to seduce him, but she’d invited Birgit, too, so now he didn’t know. He would just have to wait and see.
From what Niles had heard from Birgit, the classes this semester were all going to revolve around their field study. Their first class today was simply called Introduction to Field Study, and Professor Kahn was the instructor. Niles was actually pretty excited about the semester. Less boring lectures and more crystal hunting sounded great. He was actually looking forward to this first class to find out more about what was in store for them. It was almost enough to make him forget about this morning.
That had been so bizarre. He’d been having a vivid dream about Cynthia waking him up in that sexy way she used to sometimes, back when things had been good between them, but then he’d noticed she felt different, and he found out he was kissing Birgit. The trouble was, he didn’t know where the dream ended and reality began. When he’d finally fully come to his senses, he was holding Birgit by the shoulders, but had he really kissed her before that? She’d acted a little shaken, but she said she was fine. She hadn’t mentioned him kissing her, but maybe she was too embarrassed by it and wanted to pretend it never happened.
Niles could certainly understand Birgit wanting to draw on his magic as much as she could, since it was making her own magic stronger, and with her probably getting married at the end of the semester, she had little time left. Niles liked Birgit, and he really wanted to help her out, but sharing a bed with the pretty girl was obviously driving him a little crazy. He would try to make it until their next contract negotiation, but things would have to change after that.
Entering the classroom, they saw over a dozen students were already there, including Princess Vedika and her brother, who were talking to some of the other students. As soon as the princess saw them, though, she smiled and broke away from her group.
“Brigit, I’m so glad to see you,” the princess said, actually coming up to give the kappa a hug. The move came as even more of a surprise to Birgit than to Niles. “You must tell me all about your trip home, but first, come with me. I want to introduce you to my brother.”
Niles followed along as the princess led Birgit over to where Prince Advick stood.
“Brother,” the princess said, interrupting whatever conversation was going on. “This is Lady Birgit of Hazzerbog.”
The prince smiled. “Oh, yes, I saw some of your matches at the tournament. You are quite an accomplished spellcaster. I was very impressed, though I admit I was a little disappointed I did not get to see your familiar do more. He impressed me by his fight with that fomori at the ball, and expected him to be more hands-on in the tournament. You certainly did well enough with him just standing behind you, though, so I guess you know your familiar best.”
The prince was as tall as Niles and looked very fit. His voice was deep and confident, but friendly, and his clothes, though obviously custom-tailored from the best materials, were not overly flashy. Niles had to admit he cut a quite dashing figure. He noted Birgit certainly looked quite taken by him, so much so that she was having trouble speaking.
Niles decided to intervene. “Birgit’s probably the best spellcaster in the school, from what I’ve seen, anyway. So, I’m usually just her backup.”
“Truly?” the prince asked. “I heard a rumor that you can actually see magic. Is that true?”
“Yep,” Niles replied. “So, I can tell how complex the spells people cast are, and Birgit and your sister are top of the class in that department.”
“Really, and how do I rate?”
“You’ve got the most raw power in the class, and your spells are better than average, but not in the same league as Birgit and your sister.”
The prince let out a deep, rich laugh and clapped Niles on the shoulder. “You were right, sister. He has no fear of social rank. I like you, Niles. We shall have to spar sometime. It will be refreshing to go against someone who does not care that I am a prince.”
“We had best find our seats,” the princess cautioned. “Birgit, will you and Niles sit with us?”
“Oh, I want to sit with Niles,” Farah whined.
“Farah,” Pam snapped. “I am sorry, Princess Vedika. I am afraid Niles’ magic draws her like honey to a bee.”
The princess raised an eyebrow. “I can see. You are Lady Pamella of Pypes, correct?”
“I am, Princess,” Pam replied, and curtsied. “I will make sure my familiar does not disturb you during class.” The satyr grabbed Farah by the arm and pulled her away from Niles.
The princess thanked Pam and chose a table in the middle of the front row for them to sit at. Niles was a little disappointed. He usually liked to sit in the back of the class so he could watch the other students if the class got boring. Sitting four to a table was a little crowded, and Niles ended up wedged between Birgit and the princess, with the prince on the other side of Birgit.
“Birgit, would it be alright if I drew on Niles’ magic during class?” the princess asked, once they were seated. “If that is alright with you as well, Niles?”
Both Birgit and Niles agreed, and the rakshasa took Niles’ hand.
Leaning over, the princess whispered to Niles as the professor walked in. “If you don’t mind, please let me have as much of your magic as you can spare.”
“Okay,” Niles whispered back. “Give my hand a squeeze if it gets to be too much, and I’ll cut back.”
It was easy for Niles to comply with the princess’s request. He simply did not resist as she pulled at his magic. He heard her let out a small gasp of surprise and saw her eyes widen when she pulled on his magic, but she didn’t squeeze his hand and a moment later she looked over and smiled at him, her look of surprise replaced by one that was closer to appreciation he thought.
“Good morning, class,” Professor Kahn said, pulling Niles’ attention away from the princess. “Welcome to Introduction to Field Study. In this class, I will cover all the information you will need to participate in and, hopefully, survive your field study. As I am sure you are aware, every year we select a magically dense wilderness area that has had no recorded crystal harvesting for at least several decades. There, we will leave you students for two weeks. During that time, you are all expected to gather crystals, clear the area of threats, and not die in the process. Now I know many of you have been going out on weekends and during your breaks to harvest crystals. I commend those of you who have taken the initiative to do that. It will give you a leg up on those who have not. However, I expect that what you will face during your field study will be far more dangerous than what you have faced so far. How many of you have faced an other-planar horror?”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Birgit raised her hand. Niles looked around, surprised to see that less than half the class raised their hands. Neither the prince nor princess raised theirs.
The princess leaned over to Niles and whispered. “You have fought a horror?”
“Yeah, a few of them, they’re nasty,” Nile whispered back.
After looking around the room and giving everyone in class time to do the same, the professor continued. “It is good to see that some of you have actually been pushing yourselves, but have any of you yet encountered a planar rift?”
Looking around again, Niles saw no one had their hand raised.
“It would have surprised me if any of you had, and you should be glad that you have not,” Professor Kahn said. “Who can tell me what a planar rift is?”
Birgit raised her hand and was called on. “A planar rift is a tear in the barrier that separates our plane from other planes and the aether.”
“Very good, Lady Birgit,” Professor Kahn commended. “As I am certain you all remember from your beginning magic theory courses, crystals form when the concentration of a particular magic element grows too dense. As the crystal grows, it begins to have a negative impact on the environment. Normally, the first sign we see of this is the appearance of tainted beasts. Most of you who have gone crystal hunting have most likely encountered these monsters, and while these creatures are certainly undesirable, they fortunately are so territorial that they kill any other tainted beasts that emerge in the area so you will seldom encounter more than one, and they never willingly leave the immediate vicinity of their crystal.”
“The second danger presented by crystals is the other-planar horrors that some of you have encountered. These are, by and large, denizens of the aether, though they could potentially come from other planes. Once they become strong enough, the crystals draw these horrors to this plane. These creatures are almost always more dangerous and destructive than tainted beasts and will occasionally wander from the crystal that originally drew them, making them a much larger threat.”
“The third and most dangerous product of unharvested crystals is a planar rift. As Lady Birgit correctly answered, these are actual tears in the very fabric of the barrier that keeps our plane separate and protected from everything outside it. This only happens when a strong imbalance remains and grows for a long period of time. Generally, this period is many decades, but it can be shorter if the imbalance is unusually strong. These tears provide free access to anything that wishes to enter our plane, and the strong crystals in the area act as a lure to entice all manner of horrors to it. In general, horrors are not sociable creatures, and so as more and more of them exit the tear, they spread out. To make matters worse, once a tear forms, it usually grows larger over time, allowing more and larger horrors to enter our plane.”
“This is why all nobles are required to sweep their domains regularly for crystals. It is also why each year the kingdom funds large-scale crystal hunts into the wilderness areas in and around our country. And it is why, in addition to seeing how well you are able to apply what you have learned, you will all be sent out to clear a wilderness area. I hope you will not encounter a rift, but just in case you do, the first thing I am going to teach you are the spells you would need to close a rift and repair the planar barrier. Before we get into that, though, let us discuss logistics.”
“As the top-ranked class, you will have the honor of facing the most dangerous of the areas chosen for us this year. A lovely vacation spot called the Haunted Wastes,” Niles heard a few gasps and some quiet murmuring at that. “Those of you who paid attention in your history classes know that this area was once the site of a large city built by the solar elves in ancient times. Long before the founding of Deca, it was destroyed by magic more powerful than anything we have today. Not only did it destroy the city and the surrounding land, but it saturated the area so thoroughly that, to this day, it remains one of the most magically dense areas in the kingdom. It has been four decades since it was last harvested, and it is overdue. Normally, four decades would not be enough for a rift to form, but with the saturation of magic in the area. It is entirely possible that there will be one or more.”
“You are to form teams of five with your classmates, and in five weeks’ time, you will travel to the wastes and spend two weeks harvesting the crystals, dispatching any tainted beasts or horrors you find. You will also be expected to close any rifts, if you can, and reporting them if you cannot. As an added incentive to do your best, the members of the team that bring in the highest value in crystals will each be granted the title of Protector of the Realm.” Quiet mummers again broke out behind Niles at that announcement. “So, choose your teammates carefully. You will have two days to form your teams. As you know, this semester you will only have classes the first four days of the week, giving you three days each week to work with your teammates to get ready for your field study. Use your time wisely.”
After that, the professor broke into a lecture on the spells needed to close rifts, and Niles quickly lost interest. He liked the sound of the field study, though. Crystal hunting in post-apocalyptic ruins sounded cool. He wondered who they would team up with, though. If the princess had been serious, she’d want them on her team, but that probably meant she would pick the other team members as well. She seemed pretty close to her brother. Would she want him on her team? Aside from Pam, Sanja, and Ingadrid, Niles didn’t know anyone else in the class, so maybe it would be best to just let the princess pick the rest of the team.
As soon as the class ended, the princess turned to her brother. “We need to have Birgit on our team. Niles has some unique abilities that will all but guarantee us victory.”
The prince raised an eyebrow and turned to Birgit. “Do tell. What are these special powers your familiar has?”
“Niles can see crystals glowing from a great distance,” Birgit answered, “much farther than our detectors can pick them up, and he can tell what type of crystal it is by the color it glows.”
The prince nodded thoughtfully. “I can see how that would be most useful. Yes, I agree, Sister. Lady Birgit, would you do us the honor of joining our team?”
Birgit gasped. “Yes, yes… I mean, it would be an honor, thank you.”
“Excellent,” the prince said. “Now all we need are two more members. Who else should we ask?”
“Oh, pick us,” Farah called out, pushing people out of the way and practically climbing over a table to get to Niles.
The prince laughed, “And who do you belong to, my dear?”
“Niles… I mean, Pam… Pamella of Pypes,” Farah answered, throwing her arms around Niles from behind and slipping her hands right down the front of his shirt. With his hands claimed by Birgit and Princess Vedika, there was nothing Niles could do.
“I am so sorry,” Pam apologized, catching up with her familiar. “Farah, what did I say about asking before touching? And that is not good touching. Now, come with me this minute.”
“But I have to be on Niles’ team,” the efreet whined.
Pam finally had to grab Farah around the waist to pull her away.
“Well, that was rather unusual,” the prince said with a chuckle.
Niles noted Princess Vedika’s normal smile slipped for a moment as she glared at the efreet, but the look quickly vanished, replaced once again by her unusual smile.
“Elementally aligned beings seem to be drawn to Niles’ magic quite strongly,” Birgit explained. “My first life elemental familiar almost never leaves Niles’ neck.”
“My word, that is an elemental?” the prince exclaimed. “I had thought it was some kind of necklace he always wore. How remarkable.”
“I do not think Lady Pamella and her familiar would be good for our team,” the princess said, returning to the topic of the team. “I fear her familiar would be too distracted, and distracting, around Niles.”
“I agree,” Birgit said, and all eyes turned to Niles.
He sighed. “I agree, too. She’s cute, but she only wants me for my magic.”
“Prince Advick,” Sinja said, stepping up to their table. “Did I overhear you discussing forming a team with your sister and Lady Birgit? If so, I would like to offer myself and my countryman, Jabari Brightlance, for your consideration. We have both earned high ranks in class, and as the hunt will take place in the ruins of a solar elf city, we may be able to provide insight that no one else in this class can share. Lady Birgit is already well acquainted with me, and I hope she will speak to how helpful I can be.”
Sinja gave the prince a dazzling smile. Jabari was there as well, though it looked like he was there more to block other students from getting to the prince than to participate in any discussion.
The prince turned his gaze to Birgit, who looked down shyly before answering. “She did provide some very useful advice before our match against Yarl Nightfall in the tournament.”
The prince looked back at Sinja. “You make a compelling case, but this is not a decision I take lightly, or will make quickly. I will consider your offer and discuss it with my sister. I expect we will have a decision by tomorrow.”
Sanja thanked the prince for his consideration and left with Jabari, only to be replaced by a string of other students interested in being on their team. All of them approached the prince, not the princess, though. The prince gave them all pretty much the same answer he gave Sanja. More than half the class offered to join them before they were done, so they had plenty of options, or at least their team did. Niles didn’t get the feeling he and Birgit were going to have a lot of say in the decision. Being on a team with two royals could have drawbacks, but at least so far, they both seemed pretty down-to-earth.
