Fox, Satyr, Dragon Pt. 01

"It's fine, Natalia." Branigan chuckled. "I won't tell you a full answer. But I will tell you that it has to do with love. A show of how much I loved someone resulted in me being completely unable to do magic. Clearly I got it back." Branigan raised his pointer finger and a small flame shot out from the tip and remained lit like the wick of a candle. He extinguished it a few seconds later. "If I can go from not being able to do magic at all, to where I am now... You can heal your fein. It's not as though you have a birth defect preventing you, a full-fledged Dra, from performing magic. Aside from that, there is only one thing in this world that can damage you so thoroughly that you can never do magic properly again: Giving up. Somehow I have the feeling that giving up isn't in your nature."

Strong emotions make magic stronger. Even when they are controlled so the feelings don't wash over to others, the power increase is noticeable. Love is the most potent of them, hence the prevalence of polyamory and polyfidelity among Dra. Even non-romantic feelings of love had a discernible impact. Natalia was so used to thinking of love as an augment to magic that she was surprised to hear that it was what resulted in Branigan losing his magic. "You're right. It isn't."

"Excellent." Branigan said. "Who or what is causing you this problem?"

"Well. It started a while before I broke up with Lucas." Natalia said. "And it stayed even after."

"Ah. So love has you messed up as well?"

"I didn't love Lucas. I mean. I liked him enough to start dating him. But it never turned into love." Natalia said. "If anything it turned into dislike."

"Hmm. Core imbalance." Branigan said, knowing that by 'dislike', Natalia actually meant 'hate'. She just wouldn't say it.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's do a review, shall we?" Branigan held up a fist. "Let's say this is your core. Where all your magic is. By itself, your magic has no way of 'escaping' and interacting with the outside world. That's how it is for normal people. Do you have a pen?" Branigan took the pen she handed him and put the tip in the small gap he made in his fist. "Your fein, your magical concentration or focus or whatever you want to call it, is the bridge. It's what makes Dra different from normal people." He wiggled the pen. "If your core is imbalanced..." He moved his fist so the pen was partially out of the gap. "It can decrease your magic's effectiveness." He moved his fist so the pen was out entirely. "Or it can rid your ability to do magic completely. Like me."

"I thought my problem was my fein..."

"They're both involved. You either need to adjust your fein to match up with your core again." Branigan said. "Or adjust your core back to where your fein is. Sync them back up."

"So...Me disliking Lucas threw my core off?"

"Mhm." Branigan handed the pen back. "As we develop our magic, by using it, it grows comfortable in the main emotions we find ourselves in. Our fein develops with it. If our core changes significantly enough the fein doesn't adjust automatically."

Natalia nodded slowly. "I get it. I don't normally draw power from core negative emotions so my fein doesn't know how to concentrate it properly."

"Precisely." Branigan smiled. "It doesn't matter if we feel angry on the surface. Those in the moment, strong feelings can augment magic in the moment but it won't be a permanent thing. If you're normally happy but suddenly very angry, your fein isn't going to be thrown off kilter."

"Because I'm still fine at the core." Natalia said. "That means Lucas messed me up more than I thought. To affect my core."

"Relationships of any kind can build you up or destroy you." Branigan said. "Now. If you want your core to go back to its original position, you'll have to rid yourself of those negative emotions through forgiveness. Meditation is a good way to go about it. I'll even give you fein focusing exercises you can practice with. Or, if you're completely fine with feeling that way...give it time and keep doing magic. Your fein will adjust to where the core is on its own. How long has your fein been acting up?"

"Umm... Early summer break? A little before I went to Persia with my family. Lucas had a problem with the distance even though it was just for vacation." Natalia said. "I broke up with him two weeks before school started."

"Ah. Not enough time for the fein to adjust. It's an especially slow process if you're not aware of what's going on." Branigan said. "I suggest you go the forgiveness route, Natalia. It'll make your core stronger."

"I will. I don't like the thought of drawing power from negative emotions."

"You'd make an awful dark Dra." Branigan laughed. "Come to the dark side. We have cookies!"

Natalia laughed. "I'd use raisins instead of chocolate chips."

"Nevermind. You'd fit right in." Branigan said right as she shivered. "If you want to talk some more, we can go to my cabin. Starting to get chilly."

"Okay!" Natalia said brightly, even though she wasn't sure if she had anything else to talk about. She had been wondering what route Branigan had gone with to fix his fein, but she was happy to not ask him about it. She'd get an evasive joke answer at best or anger him at worst and she didn't want to risk that.

"Ah Leela!" Branigan waved to the runic magic professor who was returning from the lake, picnic basket in hand. "Did Gilroy like the aioli?"

"He didn't show up." Leela sulked and shoved her glasses up her nose. They slid back down. "Cancelled and, as usual, didn't let me know he cancelled."

"Aw I'm sorry, Leela." Branigan stopped since the woman stopped. "Would you like me to speak to him?"

"No no it's alright. I'm not too upset." Leela said. "I know how busy he gets at the start of the semester."

"You get busy too and you made time for him since he's your boyfriend." Branigan said. "You need to remind him to respect your time! Clearly he loves you, anyone can see that, but he needs to understand this."

"I will, I will." Leela said. "He has gotten better about it since you pushed me to talk to him about it a few months ago."

"Good! It's hard to change things like that, so it's nice to hear that Gilroy is trying." Branigan smiled. "The aioli will be fine for another week or so. Save it for your rescheduled date."

"Got it." Leela said. "What are you two up to?"

"I was helping her with some questions she had but it started to get cold." Branigan said. "Decided to move the tutoring to my cabin."

"I see. Well don't let me stop you." Leela said, stepping out of their way. She gave Natalia a sly wink that only the girl saw before continuing. "I'll see you tomorrow, Natalia. I missed having class with you."

"I missed your class, too!" Natalia said. "Can't wait, Professor." Natalia watched the woman go before smiling at Branigan. "You're very popular aren't you?"

"I'm quite loved, yes." Branigan smirked.

"So humble."

"You're popular, too." Branigan said, opening the door for her. "All your Professors mentioned how brilliant you are during breakfast yesterday. Leela even told me to give you any resource you need." He chuckled. "As if it isn't already my job to do so."

Natalia blushed and didn't say anything. The cabin was cozy, with a small kitchen and dining area to the left of the door. A sofa and coffee table were on the right and facing the entrance was a door leading to the bedroom. "No golem?"

"Nah. I prefer doing my own housework. Take a seat." Branigan opened the fridge. "Juice? Water? Soda?" He pointed to a bottle sitting atop the fridge. "Wine?"

"It's a school night." Natalia sat on one end of the couch, enjoying the sinking feeling.

"I'm not telling you to get plastered."

"Oh. Um." Natalia twiddled her fingers. "No. Just water is fine."

"Damn." Branigan poured two glasses of water and came over, handing her a glass before sitting down on the other end of the sofa.

"You don't like wine?"

"Don't drink much." Branigan said. "A cousin got it for me as a 'congratulations on getting a job' gift."

"He should've just gotten you a book. That's always a good gift."

"Always?"

"Okay maybe not always." Natalia conceded. "But you're definitely the type to appreciate a book as a gift."

"That's if I don't already own a copy."

"Right?!" Natalia said. "People just give me money for books now. Much easier."

Noted. Branigan thought. "Smart. So what else do you need help with?"

"Uhm. Well. Nothing really. I just got caught up in talking to you and wanted to keep going." Natalia wondered where that boldness came from.

"Good to know I'm popular with the youths."

"Please you're not that much older." Natalia said. She was definitely not bold enough to add that her dad is 8 years older than her mom. "You're still one of the youths."

"Am I?" Branigan smiled like he was hiding something. "By the way I don't believe you when you say you have no more questions. You nearly burst at the seams wondering if I let my fein adjust to my core or adjusted my core back to sync up with my fein."

"I felt it was rude to ask. Too personal." Natalia said. Am I that obvious? That sounds so annoying.

"You're right. It is too personal."

"Then why'd you bring it up?!"

"I like the attention."

"In general or from me?"

"Yes."

"That wasn't a yes no question."

"Wasn't it?"

So does he mean that he likes attention in general AND attention from me? Or was he just answering one of the two and it's up to me to decide? Mother Dra take him, he's annoying. "If you aren't going to answer the questions you know I want to ask, then why'd you invite me to your cabin?"

Branigan smiled at her from over the rim of his glass. "I enjoy your company."

That was a far more straightforward answer than Natalia had expected, causing her to blush slightly. "You...You barely know me."

"I'm an excellent judge of character."

"How can you fairly judge someone that you haven't spent time with?"

"There are certain things that speak magnitudes on who someone is. Don't even have to pay too much attention to find them." Branigan said. He smiled at her then. "Your mercy, for example, toward Lucas. A guy that altered your core emotions enough to damage your ability to cast your magic. A guy that, judging by how he acted after you broke up with him, is completely unworthy of that mercy. A guy that you do feel hate and anger towards but you pull away from those feelings because they are fundamentally not who you are. Your core will return to its original state, Natalia. It's just who you are." Branigan said. "If you're that compassionate towards a man like that, then what would you do for the people who are more deserving, Ms. Natalia Fox?"

Natalia opened and shut her mouth multiple times.

"So." Branigan said. "Is it fair for me to enjoy your company?"

"...Yes."

Branigan studied the girl who was now looking everywhere but his eyes and he smiled to himself. He murmured her surname - Fox - while focusing his fein, just as he'd do if he were casting a spell. His hair ruffled as a breeze played with it and he felt the smell of a forest - dirt, leaves, bark, flowers, fruit, dew - fill him. While the cast of her name was upon him, Branigan knew the meaning of earnest companionship as nature itself called him friend. When it left, he felt a pang of loneliness. For a blessed few seconds his burden had eased, shared by the welcome shoulder of an ally. What a family hers must be to earn an effect like that, the values they must have held to for centuries on end. What a family hers must be to keep it. "Natalia."

"Hmm?" She jumped.

"Are you hungry?"

"A bit."

"Let's have dinner then." Branigan stood and walked to the kitchen, assuming correctly that she'd follow behind him. After washing his hands, he took a cutting board out from one drawer and a knife from a different one.

"What are we having?" Natalia finished washing her hands and began chopping baby potatoes in half after he pointed at them, tossing the halves into a steel bowl he provided.

"Simple meal. Roasted baby potatoes and grilled chicken." He opened his fridge and took out a covered bowl. Opening it revealed chicken breasts soaking in a marinade. "I've had this soaking for a few hours. Are you allergic to anything?"

"No."

"Good." Branigan placed a cast iron pan onto the stove, which he lit, then set the oven to preheat for the potatoes. "Should all be ready in about 30 minutes."

"I should let Sasha know where I am." Natalia stopped cutting the potatoes and looked around. "Do you have a phone I could use? To call the dorm."

"In my room." With a gesture from Branigan, the door to his bedroom opened. "Go ahead."

Natalia smiled her thanks and walked in. The room was simple and cozy, with a queen sized bed, a desk to its right side, and a wardrobe to its left. A bookshelf next to the bathroom door was facing the bed, crammed to the brim with, well, books. The phone was on the desk so she took a seat at it before dialing the girl's dormitory front desk, keeping a finger on the phone after doing so. A smiling, golden face shimmered into existence just above the phone. "Hey, Nat! What do you need?"

"Hey, Sheila." Natalia said. "Could you get Sasha please? I need to speak to her for a bit."

"Sure thing!" Sheila pressed a button and disappeared, though the golden aura remained above the phone.

Sasha's head appeared a few minutes later, her face becoming golden just as Sheila's had. "Hey! Where are you? I was just about to head to dinner."

"I'm at Branigan's place."

"You're what?!" Sasha exclaimed. Fortunately for those around her, Sasha's shout went unheard by them. Unfortunately for Natalia, she heard the brunt of it.

"Relax! It's nothing weird. He was helping me with my fein issue and then offered some dinner. That's all."

"Natalia." Sasha frowned. "You can't do this."

"It's just dinner."

"For now."

Natalia smiled. "Maybe."

"Naaaaat." Sasha's eyebrows knit together. "You are so stubborn!"

"I learned from you." Natalia said. "By the way, I think he wouldn't mind hanging out with you as well."

Sasha was silent for only a brief second but Natalia caught the pause. "So?"

"You can ask him for help. With your project."

"I'm asking Jack."

"You can ask more than one person you know." Natalia said. "The more the better."

"I...I'll think about it." Sasha said. "But I still don't approve of you doing anything with him!"

"What do you mean by anything?"

"Nat!" Sasha said. "It's against the rules!"

"Since when do you care so much about the rules?" Natalia said. "Besides, if the teachers don't care, why should we?"

"What do you mean?"

"Professor Wayne saw Branigan and I head to his cabin." Natalia said. "She winked at me."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Coach Harmon saw Branigan flirt with us during the dinner. Also didn't say anything."

"All that says is that they're both irresponsible."

"Or that they know that Branigan does not mean harm and we can trust him."

"Even if that's true, it's still wrong. He's in a position of power. Whether he does it on purpose or not, that fact is still there."

"What power does he have over us exactly?" Natalia said. "Not our grades, that's for sure."

"He can..." Sasha frowned. Branigan really didn't have anything to hold over them. He offered his help but it's not that they would be at a total loss without it. He could, in theory, make it hard for them to use the library's resources but Sasha could have one word with her grandfather and that'd be the end of that. And an end to Branigan's career at Foxcastle, at the very least.

"I will take your silence as approval, Miss Blackvine." Natalia said. "I'll be back after dinner."

"Fine. Bye."

Natalia hung up and returned to the kitchen where Branigan was tossing the chopped potatoes in the steel bowl. Behind him, two chickens were being grilled. Much of the smell was sucked up by the vent but Natalia was still able to catch a hint of it. "Wow, that smells so good!"

"Thank you." Branigan poured the potatoes onto a sheet, spreading them out evenly before putting them in the oven. "Has your girlfriend granted you permission to hang out with me?"

"Yeah she has." Natalia smiled. "She warned me a bit first but that's just how she is."

"Warned you? About what?" Branigan smiled innocently. "Me?"

"Yep." Natalia said, sitting at the small dining table and looking out the window. "Apparently it's inappropriate for us to be hanging out."

"Sasha has quite the imagination." Branigan set her glass of water in front of her before returning to check on the chicken. "Nothing inappropriate about a librarian and a student having dinner together."

"Nothing at all." Natalia sipped at her water, admiring him when his back was turned. She wondered what he did to keep himself in shape. She liked the dress shirt and vest he had on but she preferred it when it was a sweater. Ideally, when fall fully arrived and later turned into winter, he'd begin to wear sweaters often. For a moment she grew self conscious. Natalia knew her face was pretty but her body gave her grief to think about. Special diets hadn't worked and working out only served to make her butt slightly bigger and firm. She gave up on everything except the squats, figuring she should take what she could get.

The two made small talk while their dinner cooked, with Branigan keeping an eye on the chicken and occasionally opening the oven to check the potatoes. When it was all finally done, Branigan plated the food and came over to the table. "Dinner is served."

Natalia cut into the chicken immediately. After blowing on it a few times, she ate the piece she had on her fork. Her eyes widened immediately. "This is so good!" She stabbed a potato and ate that as well. "So is this!"

"Thank you." Branigan said, watching with a small smile at Natalia tearing into her meal.

"Who taught you how to cook?"

"My dad." Branigan said after a short pause.

"Arthur Branigan Stone the Second." Natalia said like she was announcing a king's name. "Wish he hadn't retired while I was still a second year. I wanted to take his Demonology class."

"Ah right the age requirement." Branigan said. The class had been reserved for 8th years due to the nature of some of the rituals studied.

"And Headmaster Blackvine never found a replacement." Natalia sighed.

"I'll let my dad know how disappointed you are in him."

"Oh no don't do that!" Natalia said. "I am disappointed. But not in him."

"I could have him send you some reading material." Branigan said. "He has retired entirely from the study but I don't think he'd mind an eager penpal."

Natalia clenched her fists around her knife and fork. "Really?! You'd do that for me?"

"Why not?" Branigan shrugged. "I'll give him a call later."

"Tell him it's okay if he doesn't want to. No pressure at all."

Branigan noted her fidgeting. "Right. I will."

Natalia wanted to ask why his father had retired entirely from Demonology. While looking into the librarian, she had seen that his last year in school had also been the last year the Demonology class had been conducted. With Branigan mentioning that he had lost his magical ability at the end of his eighth year, Natalia briefly wondered if there was a link. She didn't wonder for long, telling herself to mind her own business.

That's a lie. She wondered about it for the rest of dinner, wondered about it while Branigan walked her to the dormitories, and wondered about it while cuddling up to Sasha. It was only when Sasha made a pass at her - by giving Natalia a lecherous ass grab - did the wondering leave.

Chapter 7: Favors