Elegy for a Star Ch. 011-020

Chapter 11 - The College and Corps

The first place Tess was introduced to after her first experience with teleportation was the infirmary. According to what she'd been told, this holds true for many first timers here at Kravana Hall. Located high in the peaks of the branch of clouds, Kravana was home to the Expeditionary Corps and the Arosian College. Respectively, one was focused on acquiring information, and the other on deciphering it. During their time traveling together, Gwen had told Tess that she was joining the Corps.

While in the infirmary, Tess had met the doctor, Calliope. A dark, intelligent woman, Calliope appeared to be somewhere in her late twenties, though one wouldn't think it by how she acted. She was constantly humming or singing some tune or another under her breath. Tess didn't recognize any of the melodies or words, not that she expected to. Tess had mostly been given time to rest and overcome her sudden nausea. During that time, Calliope has been a most gracious hostess, delivering hot tea and small bites of bread when Tess felt like she could tolerate it.

Once she was feeling better, Tess sat up and let her legs rest off the edge of the bed. The bed wasn't anything to cry home about. It was simple, but it was far better than sleeping on the ground. Though, maybe not better than sleeping in the same sack as Gwen. Tess' heart fluttered at the thought.

"Tess," Calliope said, approaching her from behind. When Tess turned to look at her doctor, she had a lot more to look at than she initially expected. Calliope was wearing some strange type of gauntlet. It was clear that it wasn't meant for protection, as it was unwieldy, unable to grasp anything, and there were enough gaps between bands of metal and gears that it wouldn't protect much, either. Upon the bottom of it were needles attached to a metal arm and along the side was a small, odd, blue sphere. Stranger yet, it moved on its own. Whenever Calliope's arm swung with the natural movement of her walk, the device whirred and clicked to keep certain parts balanced and in place.

"What is that?" Tess asked with a suddenness that betrayed her fright.

Using her free hand, Calliope gestured to the device, "This is Edwyn."

More questions sprung to Tess' mind, but she had to decide upon one, "What does it do?"

"Edwyn does all sorts of things, but right now we are going to give you some medicine to calm your stomach," Calliope said, approaching once more. Those needles along the bottom of the contraption adjusted their placement, arms and gears rotating and switching positions with a series of clicks until one of the needles, willed with some sort of purplish fluid, stuck out ahead.

"Whoa, wait, wait.." Tess said, rising from the seat and taking a few steps away, "Keep that away."

"Edwyn is perfectly harmless," Calliope assured Tess, but she followed Tess' instructions and didn't approach anymore, "He's my medical assistant. I built him myself."

"You built him? With what?"

"Copper, brass, some glass lensing and threaded joints, and some magic," Calliope says without hesitation. She's answered this line of questioning before.

A familiar voice echoed from around the corner of the infirmary. "Tess?" It was Gwendolyn's voice, and Tess felt safer for it.

"Gwen!" Tess likely sounded more panicked than she meant to. Calliope stood by, looking back as Gwen rounded a corner and stepped into the room. The needle on the mechanical arm clicked back into place where it was before.

Gwendolyn inclined her head to Calliope and explained, "I need to take her. Do you need her for anything else?"

Before Calliope could respond, Tess blurted, "No, I'm done, I'm coming." Tess began to scoot around the doctor and move toward Gwen instead. Calliope didn't seem disheartened by any of this, but she looked confused as to Tess' behavior. She pulled the gadget off of her dark-skinned arm. For a moment, Tess thought the gold material looked pretty on Calliope. She would appreciate it more if it didn't come across as a death trap.

"Thank you," Tess said with a breath of relief.

Gwen looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "For?"

Tess gave a chuckle, "For saving me from... whatever she was going to do."

"Oh," Gwendolyn said, thumbing over her shoulder, "Believe me, you don't need saving if you're in the care of one of the Keszriona. Calliope's family is famous for their ingenuity and excellence in whatever field they decide to learn. Where I come from, you have to pay a lot of coin to get access to their expertise."

Tess felt a little stupid now, and hoped that she hadn't insulted Calliope. She made a mental note to visit her again and apologize. Something dawned on her, though. "Where are you from, anyway?" She asked.

The hallways here were made of arched stone, high enough that someone twice Tess' height could move through it comfortably. She wondered what may have lived or visited here to warrant such excessive space.

"The Empire," Gwen replied. That was one of the few things that was immediately familiar to Tess. She'd heard of the Empire, but there was a nagging feeling that, in her life before the ritual that brought her here, she wasn't much of a fan. "I'd been most of the way from Lannercost by the time I ran into you," Gwen explained with a laugh.

Tess' expression must have conveyed the lack of understanding. She had no idea where Lannercost was in relation to Kravana Hall. "Uh," Gwen started with a grimace, "It's a long way, okay?"

The hallway opened into a massive atrium, brightly lit from the glass ceiling high above. A spiderweb of hallways extended out from all sides, with murals of heroes painted above each one. Tess hadn't gotten a good look at it when she was last here, on her way to the infirmary, far too dizzy to pay attention to anything but the floor. It wasn't a busy intersection on the scale of a city, Tess would estimate, but it was certainly the area of Kravana Hall that saw the most foot traffic. There were a couple dozen others meandering about. Some of them looked quite average, but others far from it. Among the most extraordinary was a short, pale woman garbed in red, whose hair blazed and whipped about like tendrils of flame.

Gwen must have caught her staring and leaned in to whisper to Tess, "That's Aziza, the Fire Witch."

"What about her?" Tess whispered back, pointing to another woman.

This one displayed large expanses of tan, unblemished skin, far too perfect to be natural. Her long, black hair traveled down well past her hips, but Tess' gaze stopped there. Tess normally wouldn't be staring at a person's hips, but this one was an exception, and not just for being pleasing to look at. From this woman's lower back, just above either side of her buttocks, stretched two, bird-like, black-feathered wings. Proportional to her body, they were small, and Tess couldn't imagine that the woman could fly with them. Tess only wondered what they could be for. All in all, he was dressed in jewelry and gems, golden headdress and golden bracelets, and wrapped in black tattoos that guide the eyes across her body.

Tess was enthralled, and it wasn't until she looked back up that she saw the woman's yellow-eyed, narrowed gaze looking back at her. For a heartbeat, Tess could only observe how exotic this winged woman appeared to be. During the next heartbeat, panic struck her, and Tess immediately redirected to stare straight ahead.

"Smooth one," Gwen said under her breath, "And I don't know about her. Never seen anything like her."

Chapter 12 - Registration

"Will you please hurry up?" Miri whispered into Tess' ear, which caused her to startle. The demoness floated in the air just behind Tess, an arm draped over her shoulders.

Tess let Gwen walk ahead a few paces as she whispered under her breath, "Are you sure you won't be seen?"

Miri sighed, "No. Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters. I don't think demons are common body-mates," Tess huffed, "In fact I don't think body-mates are all that common to begin with."

"Fine," Miri grunted, fading from view. Tess could still feel an arm around her shoulders, "Better?"

Tess was unsettled a bit, but it was something she could get used to, "Better. So why did you want me to 'hurry up?'"

"I'm horny," Miri whined pitifully, "I want to make you cum, Tessy." Tess could feel Miri's hand slithering down her chest, her stomach, to the waist of her trousers, "Can you help me make that happen?"

Tess felt a shiver run up her body and her heart skipped a beat. She tried to keep her composure, but could feel the swelling beneath her pants. She chose not to respond to Miri and instead caught up to Gwendolyn, causing Miri's touch to slip away.

"So where are we headed?" Tess asked Gwen. Tess wasn't sure if she was genuinely curious or just eager to satisfy Miri's desire. Her thoughts were somewhat cloudy in that regard, and she had no interest in puzzling it out right now.

Gwendolyn gave an easy answer, "To get you a job here."

Gwen didn't break stride for a moment. Her pace was dutiful and confident, which made Tess have to consciously keep up. In fact, most people in Kravana Hall were the same way. Everyone seemed busy, moving about with hasteful purpose. The rooms that Tess noticed seemed to be something one would find in a city barracks. Armories, latrines, dining halls, dormitories and training yards were labeled along some of the rooms and passages.

One of the rooms stood out to Tess. A stone archway marked with constellation runes. Tess only recognized the Wanderer once again, but she stopped Gwendolyn and pointed toward another rune. It was somewhat heart shaped, with lines down either side and its anchor star at the bottom point. "What's this one?" Tess asked.

"Red poppy," Gwen replied.

"War and... and strength, right?"

"Blood and murder too," Gwen concluded.

As the pair resumed walking toward their mystery destination, Tess questioned, "What was that room?"

"If I had to guess, it'd be the Void," Gwen replied, "They have a stabilized pocket of the Black Sun in there, from what I've heard. It's for training."

Tess' mouth formed a circle as a dozen questions filled her head. Just how could that happen? Who could do that? How long has it been here and why is it not destroying everything around it? Before Tess was able to ask any of these questions, Gwendolyn pivoted into a room ahead. Tess followed her in.

Within were a few tables with inkpens and parchment scattered about. Along the wall was a large, strange, glowing board with deep, black scrawl written across it. The words and the board both floated, unattached from the wall, but were easy on the eyes and clearly legible. On the wall behind it was a ritual circle done mostly in black chalk, with the symbol of the Stag behind it. Tess couldn't remember all of the uses of this particular constellation, but remembered that work was one of them.

Tess turned to find a front desk with a man sitting behind it. He had short, cropped hair of a dark brown color and equally dark eyes. He was friendly enough, greeting Gwendolyn with a smile when she approached. Tess followed in tow soon after, propping her elbows up onto the wooden counter. On top of the desk was a wooden sign with one word painted upon it: Registration.

Wondering just how much Gwen was planning for her, Tess decided to just listen in on the conversation. Was Gwendolyn really looking out for her best interests? She saved Tess and shared some very scarce gear with her. She'd fought the wolves. Maybe saved her life twice, then? Plus, she knew Tess' secret summoning, she knew about Miri and... Tess' endowment. She hadn't run away despite many reasons to do so. Tess decided to trust the warrior and see what she had in store for her.

By the time she approached the desk, the conversation was already underway.

"Zero documentation? No pedigree? No invite?" The man asked with an incredulous look that left his face looking drained.

Gwendolyn nodded her head, "Unfortunately. She's got nowhere to go, though. A black ritual really fucked with her head."

"Well, something is getting fucked," Miri said, appearing to stand beside Tess, hands on her hips, "But I'd argue I'm more boon than bane.". From this vantage, Tess could see Miri's ample cleavage and she forcefully redirected her gaze. "Oh please, I see what you see. You pervert," Miri mused.

Tess chose to not respond, worried that she may come off as crazy if anyone else heard her. She redirected her attention to the conversation that had continued without her.

"Unorthodox, sure, but if I know my history, there's a bit of a precedent for taking in the lost," Gwendolyn said with a little smirk in her voice.

The man shook his head, "You can't possibly compare every abandoned amnesiac to-..."

"Of course not," Gwen replied, holding up a hand, "I'm only saying that it's worked out for the College in the past. What's the harm? Fit her into classes that aren't full."

"I'll bring the request to Lord Brandt," he replied, scribbling away on a scroll, "But I can't promise anything. For now I'll get her a bed in the dormitories."

"No need," Gwendolyn insisted, "I have space in my room. 254."

"As you say, Dame."

As they departed the registry, Tess turned to Gwen and asked, "Dame?"

"I am knighted," Gwen responded, "Dame Gwendolyn Mirabenise."

Miri cooed, "That just makes it all the hotter that she watched you cum. What a naughty knight."

Tess could only agree with the unseen, unheard demoness, but didn't want to admit that in front of Gwendolyn. Tess kept quiet.

"Is your family famous?" She asked.

Gwen placed her hands on her hips and said, "Maybe a little. We're well known in the Empire as a lesser house. We're not the Pomeroys, for instance. We're known even less and less the further out you go."

Tess wasn't sure what to ask about that, and felt that it may be bordering on something too personal for Gwen to share. "So I'm staying with you?" She said, trying to hide the excitement in her voice.

"Don't get too excited," Gwendolyn said with a roll of her eyes, "There are two beds. No dormitories for me. Perks of being a little bit famous."

"So..." Tess said, trying to distract herself from the disappointment she was feeling right now, "What did you sign me up for?"

"Registering you in the College. I'll be swearing into the Corps tomorrow. Next week, you start classes," Gwendolyn explained, "You need some basic knowledge before they'll give you a job here. Even just as an armorer or librarian."

"Classes?" Tess asked, now unable to hide her utter disappointment, "What if I wanted to join the Corps with you?"

"It's dangerous, Tess," Gwen reminded her, "Too dangerous. You have no practice. You'd be torn apart by the Black Sun."

Tess didn't know enough about the situation to argue back. All she knew is that she wanted to stand side-by-side with Gwen against whatever threats the Black Sun posed to the world. "I'll figure something out," Tess said with unfounded determination.

Chapter 13 - Miri's Room

After an introduction to the dining hall where Tess could fill her stomach once again, the two women departed to the "little bit famous" Dame Gwendolyn Mirabenise's room. It wasn't spacious, per se, but it was definitely better than the description of the dormitories that Tess had heard. It was room enough for two simple beds, a small bathtub, a writing desk and a pair of dressers. Everything was lit by a pair of those rune-made torches that didn't produce any smoke.

With all of the day's events, Tess was sore and tired. Just the astral travel seemed to take a toll on her body. She was ready to sleep. Gwen seemed to be in a similar position, entering into the room and immediately doffing most of her clothing.

"Hope you don't mind if I go right to sleep," Gwendolyn said as she pulled her blue undershirt over her head, leaving her in nothing but her bra and simple, thin undergarments. Tess was surprised by what the Dame wore. For having such a fancy title and coming from such a fancy family, she wore underwear that was barely more than thin straps slipping over the hips and barely covering her sex.

A sigh pulled Tess from her staring, and she looked up to see Gwen looking right at her, "I understand that you have a dick and all, but must you always ogle me when I am undressing? Do I need to change in another room?"

Tess felt embarrassed, and more so because of the swelling between her legs. "No," Tess assured her, "Sorry. I don't mean to stare." She truly did feel bad for it, but part of her wondered if Gwendolyn liked the attention. She certainly wasn't covering up despite Tess' gaze. "You're very beautiful, Gwen. It's hard not to watch you," Tess explained.

"Gwendolyn. And thank you," the Dame replied, tucking some hair behind one ear, "Get some rest, Tess. I've got enlistment tomorrow, and you... well, like you said. You'll figure something out, right?"

Tess tried to take it in stride, but couldn't help but feel a bit mocked. Gwendolyn must have sensed it.

"Sorry," Gwen explained, "I didn't mean it to come off as sarcasm. I really do hope that we can convince them to let you enlist. But I'm.. I'm worried about you. The Black Sun is a dangerous place, as you might've guessed. And I'm worried about that demon in you."

"It's alright," Tess said, giving Gwen a soft smile, "I am too." She could feel a sting of Miri's amusement at the nape of her neck.

It wasn't long after that the pair had covered the smokeless flames and tucked themselves into their beds. Just what could she say to have the opportunity to enlist? Like Gwendolyn said, she had no training. Having Miri's phantasmal help was beyond useful and probably made Tess worth having in a fight. The demon seemed to be quite adept at slashing creatures to ribbons. But Tess knew that if she used Miri's help in front of a Corps official, it would raise a lot of questions. If Tess were found to be harboring a demon, then who knows how they would respond?

Tess could feel herself fading quickly, letting the weight of these questions drift out of her mind and off of her shoulders. Just as quickly as her consciousness slipped away, she awoke elsewhere.

She was lying down on a comfortable rug, feeling the warmth of a crackling fireplace on her skin. The ceiling was high and decorated with crimson drapes. The rest of the room was equally luxurious. A large hearth, a chaise lounge and one of the biggest beds Tess could imagine. It looked expansive enough for 4 people to fit comfortably side by side without touching one another.

The sight that most tempted the eyes was Miri posted along the edge of the bed. She sat with her legs crossed, hanging off the side, with her hands pressed to the bed just behind her, offering support. As Tess arose, she couldn't help but gaze at Miri's form. The athletic, lean muscle of her limbs and abdomen softened along her many curves. Everything about Miri's body just screamed enticement, and Tess was no exception to the demon's draw.

"Evening, Tessy," Miri hummed with a big smile on her face. Tess could see the dark lining around Miri's eyes that made their amber glow all the more gorgeous. Her lips were painted a light red and even the demon's horns seemed to shine in the firelight.

Tess' voice was caught in her throat for a moment, but she managed a couple words, "Hi, Miri. What is this place?"

"My room," Miri said, gesturing around the place, "You like it?"

"Yeah," Tess' voice slipped away toward the end as she was more distracted by the surroundings. Regaining her focus, Tess raised her brow and asked, "And... where is this place?"

Miri lifted a sharp-tipped finger and tapped at her temple with a wide smile.

"In your-..." Tess caught herself, lips parting wider, "In my mind?"