Beneath the Dragoneye Moons

My energy levels crashed almost the second we took off towards the flying island where the School of Sorcery and Spellcraft was located. I hit myself with [Zenith Everlasting], then briefly split off a thought process to work out why.

The solution hit me like a pie to the face. It was because I was doing something about Auri’s situation now, instead of restlessly waiting. All of my restless pacing around had done me no favors.

To my mild surprise, Fenrir was now faster than I was. When had that happened? I used to be able to dominate him in speed contests with my greater stats, but I suppose the brutal realities of physical ability and his stats catching up was bound to eventually tip the balance.

I strained myself, flying faster to catch up, trying not to shed a tear.

They grew up so fast.

How much different would Auri be when we reunited?

Iona shouted something at Fenrir, who slowed down enough for me to grab onto some of the netting over his armored body, then he sped up again.

I climbed hand-over-hand over the ship-inspired netting that was keeping various bags, chests, and other luggage secured - we never knew when we’d need extra stuff, and there were situations and possibilities where [Vault] wasn’t accessible - reaching Iona and her saddle there in no time.

She lightened the mood with a smug look on her face, not needing to say anything about Fenrir’s flight speed.

“I was thinking about what we should say to the people at the School once we land!” Iona shouted over the wind. I held up a finger, and a spell later, we could talk at normal volume.

“I think you should do the initial talking. Now, mentioning we’re both alumni will open a number of doors, and…”

We continued to discuss our plans as we traveled across the Sea of Stars, Nippon-Koku, and Vollomond. The travel was most uneventful - not many creatures could catch us, and wyverns stood at the top of the food chain. Our biggest risk was rustling the feathers of a dragon, and I still had the map of known lairs memorized. Our speed was a clear indication of ‘just moving through’, which could tweak someone’s tail, but hopefully not enough to start anything.

We did steer clear of a pair of rocs engaged in a mating dance. Nothing made people and animals stupid like sex did, and they regularly included elephants in their diet.

On the elvenoid front, we were big, high level, armored, and moving fast. They’d need to see us - a challenge at the height we were flying at - scramble a response team, and more than that, want to scramble a response team fast enough to catch Fenrir.

Everyone here was content to let flying wyverns be. I was honestly concerned about Fenrir in the North - I suspected he was a medium-sized fish there, but without the necessary survival instincts. He’d be a great big shining ball of experience and food for half the monsters there.

“Is this the place?” Iona asked, circling over a town. I felt a tiny bit bad for any panic or worry we might be making.

I checked the position of the sun against the map, squinting down at the town. My eyes shifted and refocused, letting me see the signs outside in clear detail, [Manuscript Mastery] helping me read the ridiculously-tilted letters.

“Yes, this is it. I think- Ahha!”

I shouted and pointed towards where I’d spotted the School, speedily flying along.

“There!”

I reflexively grabbed onto Iona as Fenrir turned on a dime, speeding on an intercept course to the flying island. The School was much harder to get onboard when it hadn’t slowed down.

Fenrir matched pace with the island, and we started to move in for a landing at the School’s designated spot. I smiled as I looked over the rings of buildings dominating half the island’s space, feeling a surge of nostalgia.

This was where I’d found my feet again after getting fucked by the fae. This was where I’d met Iona, where we’d started dating. I’d gotten my third class here, learned biomancy and applied it in a practical fashion to myself, and been cursed by White Dove.

My smile faded at the unpleasant reminder.

I could almost ignore apples in Exterreri. The Silver Horde, where most apples were grown, was half a world away.

The School, on the other handed, prided itself on its diversity. Not only were apples semi-regularly on the menu, Bridget, Auri’s main teacher, was a dryad of an apple tree.

There was a small landing party waiting for us at the skyport. A number of black-robed students - ooh, one purple robed student! - and a green-robed professor were waiting for us as we landed.

I jumped down from Fenrir’s back first as we’d planned, putting on a cheery smile like Iona had recommended.

“Hi! I’m Elaine - no really, that’s my name - and I’m a graduate of the School! We just came by to meet some old friends. Hope that’s fine?”

The students looked to the Immortal professor, whose jaw dropped. He pointed at me.

“Are you the same Elaine that graduated with Platinum in Medicine!?” He almost shouted. I shot him my best cheery grin as Iona dropped next to me like an anvil.

“Yeah! That’s me! Hope it’s fine for us to stay here for a short time?”

“Yes! Uh, well, I need to double check the rules for that wyvern. It’s been a long time since we had someone that large here. Ah. Awkwardly, we’re about to head north. That might interfere with your plans a bit?”

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One of the students leaned over to another and whispered.

“Who’s she?”

“No idea.”

I didn’t roll my eyes at them, but I was a little hurt. Clearly, among the faculty, I was remembered, but to the students? I was multiple lifetimes ago. I also hadn’t exactly been famous among the student body.

It was a short microcosm how the wheel of time turned, grinding fame and accomplishments to dust. Only the rarest and most famous of events continued to echo and reverberate through time, gaining strength and potency with each retelling. Which was, I suppose, the entire reason for my fame in the first place - the Medical Manuscripts.

‘Famous student graduated with the highest honors over a decade ago’ didn’t mean much. But-

Iona pointed over her shoulder with her thumb at me.

“She wrote the Medical Manuscripts. The original ones.” My wife explained with merry cheer, then shot a cheeky wink over her shoulder at me.

Most of the jaws dropped.

“No way.”

A bunch of unruly students seemed to have snapped the professor out of his stupor. He imperiously clapped his hands together.

“Oi! What are you lot standing and staring here for? Don’t you remember the rules? You knew how to behave when one of Jurcor’s [Supreme Justices] was here last week! Dylan! Find room for the wyvern. Nathan! Word with the rider for food. Elaine, do you need an escort to the Wandering Inn, or would you like to go there on your own?”

Iona and I traded a quick look, wordlessly communicating. She wanted to make sure they didn’t mess with Fenrir - they wouldn’t do anything deliberate to him, but he could be tricky, plus all the armor - and I’d get us settled into the inn. Then we’d go looking for Artemis.

“No thank you, I’ll find my own way!”

I made it to the Wandering Inn with only a few stares dogging my steps, mostly because of my clothes. I wasn’t dressed in the classic witch and wizard robes that most members had. I hopped onto the ramp leading into the inn, the building still scuttling around on dozens of crab-like legs. It swayed slightly, like I was onboard a ship. I supposed a slightly moving building was more accurate than the completely still ones, given how the island was flying around and all that.

After checking into our rooms - I’d sprung for a nice suite, but not the super luxurious ‘the [King] is visiting’ - I popped into [Vault], changing my outfit from my tunic to the purple robes I hadn’t worn out in public since the last time I’d been at the School.

I smiled as I looked over the intricate stitching, marking me as a graduate, in what fields, and what tiers of mastery. Platinum for Medicine, of course, Silver for Jiwa, Bronze in Anaconda, Gold in Radiance Sorcery and Bronze in Biomancy.

I did not agree with that Bronze in Biomancy. After all this time, after how well everything performed and continued to perform, I really thought I deserved Gold.

After having studied under Kunchenjab, I felt a little embarrassed about my wizardry grades. Seriously, that had been the standard for a degree in Jiwa? Who on Pallos had let me think I had any sort of mastery in the language!? I’d been a rank amateur who’d memorized a few neat tricks!

I let the frustration go, figuring I should visit a [Tailor] and get myself a set of robes in blue, for when I crossed the 1024 threshold and earned the right to wear them.

Iona showed up a little later, a pair of trunks in tow.

“Everything settled in alright?” I asked, recognizing the look on her face.

“One of those idiots is going to get bitten by Fenrir if they’re not careful.” Iona complained. “We weren’t that stupid when we were students, right? We had self-preservation instincts?”

I snorted.

“Yes, we did. Like taking on seven noble elites without shields by yourself. The self-preservation instincts were shining like the sharpest bulb in the shed.”

Iona was nodding along, then her eyes opened.

“Hey!” She protested, grabbing at me. I skipped back with a bratty grin. “No! There was a good reason for that!”

I mimed getting shot by an arrow.

“I’m hit! I can leave and preserve my life! But no! I’m going to press on! Must! Get! Revenge!” I mimed getting hit with a bunch more arrows, then fell over, my tongue sticking out dramatically from my mouth.

Unfortunately for me, that gave Iona the perfect chance to jump on me, pinning me down with her weight, amused murder in her eyes.

“Arrow death is far better than… DEATH BY TICKLES!”

We left a few minutes later to the fancy administration building, to see if we could find a hint of where Artemis was. Most cities didn’t have a big list of who lived where, and the School and the island town attached to it were no different. The letters Artemis and Julius had sent to us had been suspiciously devoid of a return address, although everything we sent to “Artemis and Julius, The School of Sorcery and Spellcraft” had gotten delivered. That and the ‘big news’ they wanted to share had me deeply suspicious that Artemis had somehow wrangled herself into a bigshot position, and finding her would be as easy as asking for directions.

If that didn’t work, I was going to mail her a letter, and stalk the [Courier] who took it.

It was fun blending in again! Iona and I walked arm-in-arm down the wide paths, admiring the magic that filled every facet of the School. A student was on a levitating, plush armchair, furiously reading while Lightning crackled off it, propelling it dangerously down the path, students flinging themselves out of the way. Iona paused and dared the chair to hit her, and I had visions of tragedy. Luckily, he noticed at the last minute, pulling on the controls and crashing by the side of the road. He got up, and started to yell.

“You IDIOTS! Watch… where… I’m very sorry.” His tone took a dramatic turn as he took in Iona’s outfit, level, and stature. She lifted an eyebrow at him, pointing a finger.

“You are not the only one on this road. I fully expect you to be more considerate of others. Don’t let this happen again.”

The full force of her charismatic disapproval had the student muttering at his feet. Iona nodded, twirled the two of us as we turned down the road, and we carried on.

One student cast an extremely basic fire-breathing array, throwing flames up into the air to impressed oooohs from his friends.

That was impressive!? I supposed they were just students.

Most students got out of our way with barely a glance, and one [Healer]-tagged student’s jaw dropped when she properly read the graduation inscription on my robe. She elbowed her friend.

“Look!” She hissed.

Why’d I ever leave this place? The ego boost was amazing.

A student hurried by, cradling three open books in her hands. I was hit with a sudden surge of nostalgia. I’d seen something similar when I’d first arrived at the School, wanting to be able to do it myself.

Now I could.

I peeked over her shoulder, flash-reading the title, table of contents, and first chapter. Acid element studies, economics, and a spicy bodice-ripper that I’d hesitate to read in public.

Was I sure that turning my third class into a Wizardry class was the best move? I loved reading, and I had excellent logic for a hobby class dedicated to things I loved.

Things for [Luminary Mind] to ponder over.

We made it to the fancy administration building, which was almost entirely devoid of people. Made sense, the School wasn’t in a slow-down phase so the number of people who’d be in here would be at a minimum. I let Iona take the lead, confident in her silver tongue being able to get us through anything.

Plus, I could take notes and ask her about it later. I’d never be as good at it as she was, but there was no reason for me to utterly abdicate learning social rules.

“Hi! I’m sorry if this isn’t the right place, but we’re looking for Artemis, a friend of ours. She’s been a bit cagey about what she does and where she lives, and I’m taking a wild shot in the dark here, but do you know anything about her?”

Iona got a slow, skeptical look. In slow motion, almost like she was cursed or something, the [Clerk] asked Iona a question.

“Are you Yamana Utzuki or Jarl Kalmar?” She asked, each word excruciatingly painful.

I furrowed my eyebrows as Iona answered in the negative. Jarl I recognized as Lithos pseudo-nobility - the power structure was flat enough that it was hard to justify, given the lowest peasant would be able to semi-regularly talk with the local Jarl, tempered by their, well, temper and disposition towards violence - but where had I heard Yamana before… Yamana, Yamana… I searched through [Astral Archives], eventually finding the name in the geopolitical section as opposed to the people section.

What did Artemis have to do with the ruling clan of Nippon-Koku!?

Wait, hang on. That wasn’t the important part.

How did the first person we asked for help not only know who Artemis was, but had a guest list immediately available?!

“Iona and Elaine? Ah, yes, you are on the list. High priority too. Wow. That’s quite something.”

I had no idea if the [Clerk] was fucking with us or not, her tone was so slow and emotionless.

“Here’s a token. It’ll get you onto the water basin island. Have a nice day.”

Iona and I traded identical shocked looks.

Artemis was on one of the orbiting subislands!? The same ones that the White Witch and Long Zhi had!?

I was starting to suspect that the School of Sorcery and Spellcraft was the School Artemis had founded.

Nothing else made sense to me.

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