own. Since
Flagstone was the strongest wolf in the university, I highly doubted Darnell
would ever be a real problem.
“Secondly, the council has been offering some of the
older wizard families a share in the power when they start their taxes. They’re
tagging them. Some of the students here have been marked against their will and
they’re not happy about it.”
“I imagine not.”
* * *
Defensive Magic took place in the practice field.
Professor Watson, who was teaching the class, promised that we would manage
even if we were waist-deep in snow. Fortunately, there would be no essays or
reports.
“Is everyone ready for your pretest?” Half of the
twenty students in the class blanched. The professor was cheery, which we all
knew to be a very bad sign. “Good, good,” he said when nobody answered. “Your
pretest is to survive a dragon attack.”
One woman screamed when a dragon flew overhead. I
recognized the red and yellow coloring and shape of the dragon easily. Although
I didn’t know that many dragons, I was certain this massive beast was Professor
Nightshade.
When she landed between us and the castle, two women
took off running into the forest. Becky, Tali, and two other wizards struck the
dragon with energy bursts. Jackson hid behind me. “In the face of an enemy such
as this, a human must decide whether to use defense or offense. Wizards must
also decide how best to use their magic.”
The dragon roared and blew a short burst of fire,
just far enough to scare the closest student. “Devon, do something!” Jackson
said.
“Like what? Brush her teeth?” None of the students
knew that one of the teachers was a dragon. As a couple more students struck
her with magic, she blew fire at them. She wasn’t hurting them, but she was
keeping them away. Whatever magic the students did hit her scales with no
effect. Becky took two steps closer to the dragon and prepared to strike.
“Becky, stop.” I didn’t use my magic, but she obeyed just the same. Even the
other students who were attacking relented. “She isn’t attacking anyone.”
“What do you mean it isn’t attacking?!” Jackson
screeched. “It’s a dragon!”
“I see that, but if she was really trying to attack,
she wouldn’t have missed.”
“Very good, Mr. Sanders,” Professor Watson said.
“Your first lesson for this class is not to make enemies out of allies.” He
then approached the dragon and patted her on the snout. She snarled. “That’s
all for today, Dejarus.” The dragon took flight and disappeared over the
mountains.
Psychology of Shifters was taught by Alpha
Flagstone. There were ten two-person tables. The room was decent, with solid
walls and a solid ceiling… except for the pit hole in the middle of the room.
It was about four feet wide and completely dark inside. “If anyone fails to
complete your homework, you will spend the night in the pit,” Alpha Flagstone
said as everyone gathered around the hole. He closed the door, indicating the
twenty of us was the entire class.
“But you never assign homework,” a student said. She
and two others were very similar in appearance; sisters if not triplets, all
with matching gold hair and gold eyes. They were athletically built for young
adult women.
I sensed his approach, so I wasn’t startled when
Darwin tried to sneak up on me and slapped me hard in the back. On the other
hand, despite being very small for a fully-grown man, he was strong, so I
nearly lost my step.
“Sorry!” he said, thinking that he had snuck up on
me. “I’m in all shifter classes now, which is better than magic classes.
Professor Watson thought I should learn about the psychology of shifters
because I’m still at odds with my wolf.”
I looked around at all of the first-semester shifters.
As if I didn’t feel old enough. Most of the students came to the university
right out of high school or the other paranormal schools, so a lot of
Flagstone was the strongest wolf in the university, I highly doubted Darnell
would ever be a real problem.
“Secondly, the council has been offering some of the
older wizard families a share in the power when they start their taxes. They’re
tagging them. Some of the students here have been marked against their will and
they’re not happy about it.”
“I imagine not.”
* * *
Defensive Magic took place in the practice field.
Professor Watson, who was teaching the class, promised that we would manage
even if we were waist-deep in snow. Fortunately, there would be no essays or
reports.
“Is everyone ready for your pretest?” Half of the
twenty students in the class blanched. The professor was cheery, which we all
knew to be a very bad sign. “Good, good,” he said when nobody answered. “Your
pretest is to survive a dragon attack.”
One woman screamed when a dragon flew overhead. I
recognized the red and yellow coloring and shape of the dragon easily. Although
I didn’t know that many dragons, I was certain this massive beast was Professor
Nightshade.
When she landed between us and the castle, two women
took off running into the forest. Becky, Tali, and two other wizards struck the
dragon with energy bursts. Jackson hid behind me. “In the face of an enemy such
as this, a human must decide whether to use defense or offense. Wizards must
also decide how best to use their magic.”
The dragon roared and blew a short burst of fire,
just far enough to scare the closest student. “Devon, do something!” Jackson
said.
“Like what? Brush her teeth?” None of the students
knew that one of the teachers was a dragon. As a couple more students struck
her with magic, she blew fire at them. She wasn’t hurting them, but she was
keeping them away. Whatever magic the students did hit her scales with no
effect. Becky took two steps closer to the dragon and prepared to strike.
“Becky, stop.” I didn’t use my magic, but she obeyed just the same. Even the
other students who were attacking relented. “She isn’t attacking anyone.”
“What do you mean it isn’t attacking?!” Jackson
screeched. “It’s a dragon!”
“I see that, but if she was really trying to attack,
she wouldn’t have missed.”
“Very good, Mr. Sanders,” Professor Watson said.
“Your first lesson for this class is not to make enemies out of allies.” He
then approached the dragon and patted her on the snout. She snarled. “That’s
all for today, Dejarus.” The dragon took flight and disappeared over the
mountains.
Psychology of Shifters was taught by Alpha
Flagstone. There were ten two-person tables. The room was decent, with solid
walls and a solid ceiling… except for the pit hole in the middle of the room.
It was about four feet wide and completely dark inside. “If anyone fails to
complete your homework, you will spend the night in the pit,” Alpha Flagstone
said as everyone gathered around the hole. He closed the door, indicating the
twenty of us was the entire class.
“But you never assign homework,” a student said. She
and two others were very similar in appearance; sisters if not triplets, all
with matching gold hair and gold eyes. They were athletically built for young
adult women.
I sensed his approach, so I wasn’t startled when
Darwin tried to sneak up on me and slapped me hard in the back. On the other
hand, despite being very small for a fully-grown man, he was strong, so I
nearly lost my step.
“Sorry!” he said, thinking that he had snuck up on
me. “I’m in all shifter classes now, which is better than magic classes.
Professor Watson thought I should learn about the psychology of shifters
because I’m still at odds with my wolf.”
I looked around at all of the first-semester shifters.
As if I didn’t feel old enough. Most of the students came to the university
right out of high school or the other paranormal schools, so a lot of
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