Ch 4– 

I bathed in the icy mountain waters of a little stream I knew. It was a shame to lose the delicious scent of Lucy that had covered me along with her pleasure. But I couldn’t very well reappear from my flight smelling of sex. 

The memory threatened to stir me, and I vigorously doused myself again. 

My damned cock was insatiable. 

It was a problem I would have to learn to control. 

Especially given that I was going to go to an all girls school. 

My eyes flew wide. 

I hadn’t registered my class with the school's representative. 

The one who’d come to Emberdome specifically to confirm my acceptance once I got classed up. 

I dressed, doused my coals, and sprinted. 

The Bayloft representative was walking toward a swirling blue portal when I skidded to a halt behind her. 

She was a tall, dignified woman in a navy blue suit and a bun of grey hair. Clasped casually under her arm in its ornate sheath, a huge double-bladed broadsword, almost as tall as herself.

She radiated professionalism as she turned a raised eyebrow on me, over a beautifully aged face, lined not with wrinkles, but with a multitude of deep scars. 

I huffed, damp, but clothed. And slightly dirty. 

“I’m so sorry—“ I started, still gasping from my sprint. 

“Students at Bayloft are expected to be in control of their comportment, both in terms of punctuality, and in terms….” She studied my disheveled state. “Of appearance.” She finished, resoundingly. 

I nodded, hurriedly straightening my clothes and running my fingers through my damp hair. She looked at me with pity and I stopped– scowling. 

“I’m sorry.” I said. “I had an unusual awakening, and needed a moment to—“ 

“Unusual in what way?” She cut me off. 

I hesitated. 

“Are you so determined to waste my time that the morning is not enough, and you must waste my afternoon as well?” She remarked, coldly. 

“My class isn’t from the Architect.” I blurted. 

I wanted to shock the mean lady. Not that I hadn’t genuinely wasted her morning. The more I thought about it, the more I was surprised she was still in town at all. 

Shock was achieved. 

She stared at me, eyes slowly growing wider and wider. 

“It’s a Wayfinder class, though.” I added. “Just not… not what I had planned on.” 

She studied me over her sharp nose. 

I squirmed. 

Finally she said, ”Your claim is easily tested. Will you submit your Animus?” 

I nodded. That was what I had already agreed to, for her to be here, anyways. 

She took out a piece of glass in a silver frame. It was blank. 

She looked at me through it. 

And looked. 

Her eyes grew fractionally wider as her expression changed from skepticism, to disbelief, to acceptance. 

To my shock, she placed the window on the ground and deliberately smashed it under her heel.  

“Your provisional acceptance to Bayloft is confirmed.” She said, handing me a thick, square envelope, and still studying me intensely, like I was a rare beast. 

“Uh… great!” I really wanted to ask about the bizarre behavior, but I didn’t want to jeopardize my acceptance.

Abruptly she turned to her portal. 

“Now that you are one of my students, allow me to advise you: tell no one the origin of your Class.” She said over her shoulder. 

She strode through the blue portal, which closed without a trace. 

I was left alone in the square. Except for the small crowd of onlookers I now realized we’d drawn. 

I hurried away towards my little apartment, clutching my acceptance letter to my breast.

The details of the encounter ticked over in my head. 

Tall, older woman. Some kind of Bayloft faculty. Portal skill. Duelist. 

I stopped and covered my face with my hands and groaned in misery. 

I’d just met the school’s weapons master, Grace Valant. One of the most dangerous Wayfinders alive. And now occupying a key position at one of the most prestigious Wayfinding schools in the world. 

And I’d made her wait all morning and then been sullen to her like a child. 

FUCK! 

I wanted to melt into a puddle and soak into the ground, never to be seen again. 

“Want to talk about it?” Asked Wally, trotting to catch up to me. 

I peeked between my fingers guiltily. 

He held up his hands. 

“No explanation required.” He offered. 

All I’d put him through, and now, running off and disappearing. And he didn’t ask me to owe him anything. Just offered more support. And showed up for me. Again. 

I crashed into his arms and cried. 

The stress, confusion, and just… weight! Of the day all poured out of me at once. 

Everything I'd done all day had felt like it had my whole future riding on it. 

But it had worked out. If not how I intended.

He held me, rubbing my back a little. 

It took several minutes for me to get it together. 

I stepped back, snuffling and aggressively wiping my eyes. 

He just waited patiently. 

“I got into Bayloft.” I ground out, gruffly. 

He broke into a relieved smile. 

“You had me worried.” He laughed. 

“Sorry.” I muttered. 

“No matter, don’t mind.” He waved it away. “The important thing is you’re one step closer to your dream! Congratulations. Everyone will be so proud of you.” 

He beamed confidently. 

I had doubts about everyone else’s pride. I didn’t think most people in this town would ever accept someone like me. But I kept it to myself. Wally looked too happy to spoil it. 

“Did you get the class you were hoping for?” He asked, encouragingly.

“Not exactly.” I admitted. “But it’s a Wayfinder class. And that’s enough.” 

“So it is.” He nodded.

 I could tell he wanted more detail, though. 

“Chimera summoner.” I said. I showed him my new little arm tattoo. 

He made a fuss of admiring the obsidian diamond. 

“That sounds very good!” He said. “Really! A summoner, that’s excellent for a Wayfinder. Can take a Class like that in a lot of different directions!” 

I raised a brow. “I didn’t realize you knew so much about Wayfinding, Mr. Priest.” 

He snorted. “It is impossible to spend time with you regularly, and not learn a great deal about it.” 

I scratched my head ruefully. Wayfinding had been my obsession for as long as I could remember. “I just didn’t realize you were listening so well.” 

He smiled. “It’s important to you. Even more now! Bayloft! Look at you go!” 

I smiled back. Damned Wally magic. It had been an emotional rollercoaster of a day. But he could still make me feel stable and secure in his presence. 

“Thanks, dad.” I said. “I gotta go pack. But I’ll talk to you before I, you know. Before I go. It’ll be soon. Tomorrow or the next day. I’ll talk to you.” 

I looked up and was surprised to see tears in his eyes. But he waved me away, and I accepted his dismissal and headed up to my apartment to pack. 

It wasn’t until I was inside I realized what I’d called him. 

I paused. Then decided it was right and moved on. If he wouldn’t be weird about it, neither would I. 

I resolved to tell him everything about my awakening, when we talked tomorrow. Valant’s warning had definitely spooked me. Maybe he’d know what she was so worried about.

~~~~~~~

SukiSays

You may be thinking, its probably too late to be commenting on this chapter. Authors only like responding to stuff on the new chapters. I have to catch up before I yap. WRONG. Yap if you want to, dang it! Tell me what you're thinking about the story! Tell me who your favorites are and what you hope happens for them! Tell me your theories! <3