Return of the Runebound Professor

Dinner went quickly – though it was one of the few times that Noah had actually eaten instead of sustaining himself off monsters in recent memory. It was strange – he’d thought that he’d value the taste of food more than many other things after spending so much time dead. Instead, after the first meal or two, it had lost a lot of its call to him. It was just another way to survive.

That didn’t stop him from stuffing his portion of meat and cheese into his mouth happily. Isabel erected several more stone tents in the time it took them to all finish eating and start preparing for the night – seven, to be precise.

Once food was done, Brayden clapped his hands on his knees and rose to his feet. “I’ll take first watch. Moxie will take second. Allen will take third. Vermil will take fourth. Good?”

They all nodded. And, with that signal, everyone headed off to bed. Noah stepped into the small hut that Isabel had made. He was tempted to slip right back out into the night, but that was a poor idea. He couldn’t risk someone seeing him leaving. Waiting too long wouldn’t be optimal, as then he’d have less time to find out what monsters were in the area and figure out how to fight them.

I’ll wait for Brayden and Moxie to swap shifts. That should be the best time for me to sneak out.

And so, Noah settled down. He had some time to kill, and it was as good at time as any to practice some Body Imbuement now that Lee had given him the rundown.

***

Brayden stretched his arms over his head and yawned. He glanced up at the moon, which was now well along its track through the sky, and rose to his feet. Brushing dirt off his backside, he thumped over to Moxie’s stone tent.

He wasn’t particularly silent, but the dirt helped muffle his steps far better than stone. He rapped his knuckles against the stone. Moxie stepped out an instant later, ducking through the dark opening.

“That was fast,” Moxie muttered.

Brayden shrugged. “They always seem fast to the sleeping and long to the waiting. There shouldn’t be much trouble, if any at all. Even a Torrin should be able to handle this.”

A tiny grin flickered across his face, making it impossible to tell if he was trying to insult her or was just playing around. Brayden turned and headed off to his own tent, which was over twice the size of the others.

Moxie watched him leave. A vine slipped from the cuff of a sleeve and curled around her palm. She absentmindedly stroked it with a finger, like one would pet a snake. The fire had burned down to dull cinders, and a thin pillar of smoke curled into the blueish purple sky.

A breeze, just enough to bring goosebumps up on her skin, swept through the camp. Moxie walked up to the firepit and looked into the embers. The night was quiet. Almost too –

A rumble shook the camp. She sent a glance back at Brayden’s tent. He was snoring. Loudly.

Moxie’s eye twitched. She paused for a moment, waiting to see if anyone would wake up. Nobody did.

Well, at least he was fast.

Moxie’s hands tightened into fists. She knelt and the vine pushed itself into the ground, pulling away from her as Moxie stood back up. The vine grew in size, rising until it stood taller than the tents. Its tip curled into the shape of an eye.

That’ll do for a few minutes. That’s all I need.

Turning, Moxie strode away from the camp. The open plains weren’t the best for hiding, but they were sloping enough that after just a few minutes of walking, she’d completely lost sight of it behind one of the other hills.

Moxie’s eyes swept across the red grass, now dulled by the moonlight, and landed on a large bush. She approached it, trepidation building in her chest, and knelt on the ground beside it. Pulling a small seed out of her pocket, Moxie pressed it into the dirt.

Even as she leaned back, a small crack came from beneath the ground. Soil churned and rose as a form pushed out from it. Within moments, an old woman had risen from the ground. She leaned heavily on a wood staff that was only slightly less wizened than she was, and her thinning white hair was pulled into a bun behind her head.

Despite her age, the woman’s eyes were full of with intelligence – and a warning of danger. She looked around, adjusting her grip on the staff, and grimaced.

“What is this location, Moxie? Such ugly surroundings.”

“We’re on a trip, Magus Evergreen,” Moxie replied, bowing her head slightly.

“It has been a long time since you last reported,” Evergreen said, disapproval in her tone. “And now you go on a trip? What has possessed you?”

“I have been very busy. More has happened than I had expected. A lot more,” Moxie said, forcing herself not to let any of her emotions show in her body. Evergreen was a master of reading body language – among other things.

“The more that happens, the more you should be reporting,” Evergreen said curtly. She tapped her staff against the ground. The ground beneath them cracked and shifted. Roots swirled out from beneath it, rising up and forming a dome above the two of them. “It has been weeks since you last spoke with me. What has happened?”

Moxie bit her inner cheek. “A lot, Magus Evergreen.”

“Out with it. Are you a chided schoolgirl or a Magus of house Torrin? What has gotten into you?”

“Nothing. I am just tired. The Hellreaver Ape is dead.”

Evergreen arched a thin eyebrow. “Dead? Fascinating. The Linwicks must be furious. When did that happen?”

“Very recently,” Moxie replied. “Within the week.”

“Fascinating. Continue. We will discuss more after your report is complete.”

“Emily passed the exam.”

“Of course she did. She’s a Torrin,” Evergreen said, speaking as if Moxie were a child. “Next, girl. The Hellreaver was interesting, but I’m more interested in the Linwicks. You told me you were getting close to one that could be easily manipulated. What is the progress on that?”

“We are traveling together as we speak.”

“Alone?” Evergreen’s eyebrow rose even higher. “I did not realize you possessed such talent. Perhaps even the prickliest of roses still has a flower.”

Moxie’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t dare let any anger slip through the mask of her features. “Not alone. We go with our students and Brayden, in the direction of the Linwick estate.”

“The Linwick estate? Whatever for? Do you plan to strike on your own?”

“No. I – it is a training field trip.”

“A training trip.”

“Yes.”

“I see,” Evergreen said, piercing Moxie with her cold gaze. “An odd choice. There is no doubt in my mind that Emily would have passed this upcoming exam without such a frivolous waste of time. What if she is injured? Arbitage is safe. The wild is not. You were never this reckless before, Moxie.”

Not nearly as safe as you think.

Moxie swallowed. “I believed it would be a good teaching opportunity for her.”

Evergreen scoffed. “Delusional child. Still believe you’re a teacher, after all this?”

The old woman stepped forward and jabbed her finger into Moxie’s chest. She winced, but didn’t move.

“You are not a teacher. You are a guardian. A servant. Your job is to protect Emily. To do what she asks, and to ensure no harm comes to her. Yes, yes, you may share knowledge to make sure she isn’t completely incapable, but I would not have her pure line stained by your incompetence. The teaching will be done by a proper member of the Torrin family once she is strong enough. There is no rush to push her to greatness. That is how the great fall. Once she reaches Rank 4, we will have more than enough time to properly bring her up.”

Moxie’s back stiffened with anger, but she bowed her head in understanding. “Of course, Magus Evergreen. But she wanted to go on this trip.”

Evergreen pursed her lips. She walked in a circle around Moxie, forcing her to turn to keep her eyes on the older woman. “Then I suppose you are doing at least part of your job.”

Moxie remained silent, waiting for Evergreen to speak again.

“You didn’t finish answering the question. What of this strange Linwick that you encountered? Will he be pliable to our plans? Or is this just a dalliance – another way for you to try and skirt your duties?”

“I would never dream of acting against the Torrin family’s will.”

“Fast response. Very practiced,” Evergreen said with an approving nod. “Good. Then all goes well with him?”

“I am… unsure how useful he will be,” Moxie said, choosing her words carefully. “I may have overestimated the strangeness I told you of. He is still a Linwick, I had just avoided him for so long that he managed to start improving himself in that time.”

Evergreen’s lips pursed in annoyance. “Disappointing. You made it sound like he trusted you enough for us to manipulate him. Are you certain there is no further path here?”

“None,” Moxie said firmly. “He is the same person I always knew, just with a cover of respect. He may share something of relevance about the Linwick family in time, but he is not worth us putting any extra attention to.”

“And what of the Hellreaver?”

“I am unsure,” Moxie replied. She used every single strand of training that the Torrin’s had inadvertently given her over the years to make sure her face remained as straight as possible. “There are several under investigation.”

“Who?”

“I do not know all of them,” Moxie admitted.

“But you know at least some,” Evergreen said.

Moxie’s fingers twitched at her sides. “Vermil was under suspicion.”

“Fascinating. One of their own, and a Rank 1 at that? How could that be?”

Moxie just shrugged. After a moment, Evergreen yawned and glanced at her fingertips. They’d started to blacken, like the ends of a rotting plant.

“We run out of time. Is there anything else that you need to inform me of today?”

“Nothing right now,” Moxie said.

“You shall continue doing what you have been, then. I am not convinced that the connection to this Linwick is not an angle we can use. You were so confident before. Pursue it. I expect to see results, Magus Moxie. We do not keep you around for mediocrity.”

“Understood, Magus Evergreen.”

“Good. Continue on your path then. If Emily has requested this, then you shall continue to do as she asks. Ensure she does not come to harm though, Moxie. I trust I do not have to tell you what will happen if she does.”

“And what of her own feelings?” Moxie asked, a spark of rebellion igniting an instant before she could crush it out. “What will she think when she learns of all this, and that her teacher never had any choice in the matter?”

Evergreen’s lips twisted into a cold smile. “That’s hardly your concern. Watch that flame inside you, girl. It’s not healthy for plants to be near such heat. They’re likely to burn.”

Black wrinkles spread across Evergreen’s skin, quickly covering her entire body. It deepened, expanding to her clothes and hair. Then the elderly woman fell away, blowing into thin scraps that dissipated in the air. The root cage peeled away from Moxie and slithered back underground, leaving her alone in the darkness.

Moxie’s hands clenched at her sides as she looked at the dirt before her. She bit her lip so hard that the taste of copper filled her mouth. Then she rose, brushing the dirt from her pants, and headed back to the camp. For some reason, the night felt colder than it had been when she’d left.