Realm of Monsters

After Stryg had defeated Freya not a single student wanted to spar with him. Even when Tauri threatened them with academic probation no one stepped forward. Tauri had to reluctantly let Stryg go with just the one sparring match. Instead, she made him take the unconscious Freya to the infirmary.

Stryg accepted the task without any impertinence. It was fairly easy for him, the dwarf barely weighed a 100 lbs. He carried her without much effort, though students in the hallways gave him strange looks with the Goldelm girl in his arms. But, he was used to such looks and he ignored them as usual.

Once he arrived at the infirmary he gave Freya over to one of the white magi on duty and went on his way. Class was no doubt over by now, so he decided to head on over to the library to study.

“Stryg, there you are,” Loh called out.

“Master,” he bowed his head. “Did something happen?”

“Lots of things actually. Walk with me,” she turned around and strode down the hall.

He hurried up and caught up with her, “What’s going on?”

“We found you a teacher for personal training.”

Stryg glanced around the hall to make sure it was empty, “You mean?”

“Yup, it’s time to begin to expand your training. I was busy setting up the specifics these past few days, which is why I ended up missing your birthday party.” Loh stopped walking, faced Stryg, and placed her hand on his shoulder, “Sorry about that.”

He blinked, “Oh. You don’t have to apologize. There are far more important things than a party. And you spent that time preparing my training. I should be thanking you.”

“Now that you mention it,” she grinned. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a bracelet. “Happy late Birthday.”

“This is for me?” He slowled grabbed the bracelet.

He turned it over with his fingers, admiring its design. The bracelet consisted of small silver links connected by a platinum lock engraved with an amethyst.

“Yeah, I figured I might as well pick you up a present, since I missed the party,” Loh shrugged.

His face broke into a large smile, his pupils widened to ovals, and his cheeks were dyed a dark shade of blue, “Thank you.”

Loh found herself staring at the rare expression. She couldn’t recall seeing Stryg display his emotions so openly before. It was oddly a nice change of pace from the usual wary Stryg.

“Don’t mention it. I didn’t really go out of my way. I was actually buying one for myself when I thought of your birthday and decided to get you one too…”

Stryg tilted his head.

Loh raised her arm. A silver bracelet with a sapphire hung snugly on her wrist. “Matching set,” she said quietly.

“Wow,” Stryg stepped closer and examined her bracelet. “Hehe, they’re shiny, I like them.”

Did he just laugh? He never laughs, Loh eyes widened. 

A faint memory touched her mind. She was a small child running through the gardens. They were playing. Aizel had found her. She had lost, but he still gifted her a candy that he had sneaked from the kitchens. She couldn’t stop laughing with giddy delight as she ran through the flower beds, sugar rushing through her veins.

“Something wrong?” Stryg asked.

Loh cleared her throat, “Nothing. It’s just… I’m just still a little new to all this master-stuff.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, let’s get going,” she nodded to herself and kept walking down the hall.

Stryg wrapped the bracelet around his wrist and followed without another word. Loh led them to the principal’s office. Stryg looked around the spacious reception area with a curious eye. He had never been here, in fact he didn’t know any student who had ever visited the principal before.

A vampiress sat at her desk, working as the secretary and receptionist. She looked up as they entered, “Lord Noir is waiting for you in his office.”

“Follow me, Stryg,” Loh said.

She pushed the door open and strode inside, Stryg followed right behind her, his head peeked out from behind her waist. Elzri stood looking out his window to the academy below.

“Grandfather,” Loh said curtly.

Elzri turned to look at them, “So, you have finally brought him, our resident prime mage. Why do you hide, Stryg of Ebon Hollow? I do not bite, on the contrary I am told you do.”

Stryg took a hesitant step away from Loh, “You’re the strongest, right?”

“You’ll have to be a little more specific,” Elzri stepped forward.

Stryg stared at the dark elf in his pallid white robes and pale grey skin, it was almost as if he was hovering between life and death, a spectre. Yet, there was power behind his wrinkles and steel-grey eyes. 

“I’ve heard you’re the strongest mage in the Realm,” Stryg whispered.

Elzri raised a finger, “Hm, not quite. I am considered the most powerful mage within the Great City of Hollow Shade, although Mage Lady Glaz would beg to differ. As for all of the Ebon Realm, perhaps I am, but there are around three dozen arch magi in the Realm. It is difficult to gauge which one of us is most powerful.”

Elzri loomed above Stryg, “But, for what may concern you, yes, I am the apex predator in this hierarchy of a city.”

“And for what it may concern you, Stryg is my apprentice, not yours,” Loh stepped between them.

Elzri’s lips curled slightly, “True, but I am his teacher.”

“Teacher?” Stryg asked.

Loh sighed, “He is a six-fold manifold arch mage, there aren’t many as qualified as him to teach you the other colors. Plus, he can be trusted, I think.”

“Oh, please, if I wanted to harm either of you, you would both be dead,” Elzri waved his arm in a shooing-motion.

“That’s comforting,” Stryg nodded sincerely.

“Not really,” Loh said with a deadpan voice.

Stryg tilted his head. The sunlight spilled from the window and reflected off the intricate pattern of silver string wrapped around Elzri’s hair. A rare orichalculm mage necklace with six gemstones hung around his neck. But, there was one other object that caught Stryg’s attention. A silver bracelet with a diamond locket wrapped around the elder dark elf’s wrist. 

“That bracelet, it’s like mine,” Stryg pointed.

Loh grimaced.

“Hm, why yes it is,” Elzri said softly. The dark elf looked over at his granddaughter's wrist and noted a similar bracelet. “It is tradition among dark elves to gift their apprentice a matching silver bracelet as a show of solidarity and a physical representation of the sacred bond between student and master.”

“Can we move this along now,” Loh huffed.

“You threw your bracelet away. I am glad you have found a new one,” Elzri said quietly.

“It wasn’t for you,” she said.

“Clearly.”

“So, um, what chromatic colors will you be teaching me?” Stryg asked.

“I possess the same three as Loh, but I will leave those to her. For now I will focus on teaching you one of my other chromatic colors, red magic,” Elzri said.

“Okay, when do we start?”

“You misunderstand, I will not be teaching you today. That job will be left to the second of your three new teachers.” Elzri flicked his finger and waved the door open. “Is he here yet?” he called out.

“Yes, my Lord, he just arrived,” the secretary answered.

A drow wearing the traditional black robes of a mage walked in, “Hello, everyone. Sorry I’m late, I’m still getting used to my class schedule.”

“I’d like you to meet Vayu of House Glaz, a high-master purple mage and your new teacher,” Elzri said.

“Nice to meet you, Stryg of Ebon Hollow. I just took up a job as a professor at the academy, so you’ll probably be seeing me around. But, I’ll also be teaching you privately. I hear you scored very highly in chromatic purple during your chrome-probe test, I look forward to seeing what you’re capable of,” Vayu held out his hand.

Stryg reached out tentatively and shook it. “You’re Vayu? As in the captain who used to work with my master during her military days?” Stryg glanced at Loh.

“Oh, she’s talked about me,” Vayu smiled.

“Hardly,” Loh grumbled.

“Well, then allow me to elaborate,” Vayu laughed. “I am Loh’s long time friend and admirer. Coincidentally, I’m also her long time fiancé.” Vayu cupped his hand over one side of his mouth, “Don’t ask me when the wedding date is, we’re still working on it.”

“You’ll be meeting with Vayu three times a week, right after your morning class with Tauri,” Loh explained.

“We can worry about the small details later, love. Why don’t Stryg and I just dive right into the good stuff now,” Vayu signaled Stryg to follow him.

“Master?” Stryg asked Loh for permission.

“Go on, Vayu is a good albeit persistent guy,” Loh sighed.

Loh waited until the pair left before turning on her grandfather, “I hate you.”

“And Vayu loves you still, despite all the time you’ve stayed away and everything you’ve put him through. I consider that very fortunate,” Elzri said.

“Of course you do. An alliance with House Glaz is all you ever wanted. You never considered my feelings,” Loh said.

“As usual, you can never see beyond your own needs. I did consider your emotions and desires, and I weighed them accordingly. Deep down you know more than anyone that there is no chance of a life for Tauri and you. You made sure of that. All I’m trying to do now is make sure you have a life at all.”

“How heroic of you,” she rolled her eyes.

Elzri sighed, “I suggest you do not squander this chance with Vayu. You may not believe it, but you still have a future, Loh. You can still be happy. Take it from someone who lost that opportunity, do not let your chance slip by.”

Loh had never seen him look so weary before. It was... odd.

“I’m not attracted to men, you know that. How can I ever have a life with Vayu?” She asked.

“Contrary to popular belief, a relationship does not require sexual intimacy to survive. Vayu does not care if you have sexual relations with other women.”

“You mean like that vampiress sitting outside? I’ve seen the way she looks at you. How long have you been fucking her?”

“Yes, she attends to me in bed, end of the subject. We are talking about you, do not try to deflect. No one is an emotional fortress. We all need someone to weather the hardships of life with, Vayu can be that person for you.”

“Dammit, I don’t need anyone! I don’t care if Vayu is fine with me sleeping with others. I’m not looking to find some other woman to fall in love with. All you want is for me to marry Vayu for your dumb alliance!”

“You must marry a male aristocrat either way, it is the price we pay for being born in House Noir. We must sacrifice for the good of the family. At least with Vayu you have a chance at happiness.” 

“You pretend to know what I need, but you’d never understand what it’s like to be me!” Loh yelled.

Her eyes welled with tears, “I wake up every day and see the woman I love pass me by. Do you have any idea what it’s like to know you are the cause of the pain behind her eyes every time she hides behind a smile. You just want to hold her tight and tell her everything is going to be okay. But you can’t, because you don’t deserve to.”

Loh swallowed, “You think I care about this family? My parents never cared about me. They only ever loved my brother and he’s dead. And you? You only ever cared about your stupid legacy!”

Her shoulders heaved as she wiped her tears away, “...And I’m just as bad as the rest of you. I don’t deserve whatever fantasy you’re trying to sell me. So, stop pretending you understand an ounce of who I am or what I am going through, you cold-hearted old man.”

Elzri stood quietly as Loh slammed the door behind her. He sat down and hunched over, his body a husk of the demeanor he’d shown. “This will be more difficult than I anticipated.”