Welldark B1 Ch. 05

Our eyes met, as I had hoped. The three stages of approaching someone unknown were resolve, attention and conversation. I found the best way to grab attention to be a few seconds of uninterrupted eye contact. Enough to make clear it wasn't a fluke, not too much to make it creepy and with a confident smile to slide right into the first words. "Hello," I said and realized again that my voice was quite hoarse. The word I wanted to sound like honey on warm bread was more like roasted toast. Not unpleasant either, but bland and crispy on the surface.

Aclysia's expression was unmoving, just as her mouth remained close. Her feet soon followed suit and she stopped in her tracks. Something about that amused me. Maybe because she was the second disciplined woman I'd gotten interested in lately, I knew that her silence wasn't a sign of disinterest. Although her quiet diligence was different from Esther's demanding sternness, I recognized that she was choosing her response carefully. After about three seconds, she gently bowed her head, "Good morning, Karitas."

I was about to respond with something approximating 'It barely still qualifies as morning,' but managed to bite my tongue. After ten didn't strike me as morning, but I had just told myself to not be as cheeky as usual. Instead, I went with, "I'm honoured you remember me, Aclysia."

"I am, likewise, honoured," she straightened back up and looked at me, chin slightly raised. She was noticeably smaller than me, about a hand's width, but that was enough to please me. Not to bash large women, they had their own appeal, but in general I preferred my partners shorter than me. How much size difference there was didn't matter much. From the supermodel to the shortstack, I appreciated a vast array of shapes and sizes. As long as the sexy woman looked up to me with their adorable eyes, I was satisfied. It was one of those things that let me get up in the morning. A basic, protective instinct, sure, but potent as well.

After a few seconds, I noticed the expecting look in her eyes. She wanted me to continue the conversation. That was yet another difference to Esther's attitude. The raven-haired lady cared only for words as a way to communicate and was happy to remain together in silence. How Aclysia looked at me carried the wish to hear me. The half elf's diligent attitude appeared to have created a more subservient conversationalist. That was to say, she was a listener, not a talker.

That was my theory, at least, and one I got swiftly to testing. "I thought you might appreciate some company," I said, ignoring the light sting of pain in my throat that came along every word. I took a small step and made an inviting gesture. She took the pointer and both of us resumed our walk, now next to each other. "Your fight during the introduction ceremony was graceful. A very impressive display."

She stiffened up. I had hit a nerve. I knew what I had done. It was a controlled explosion. Unpleasant topics could be a good way to start conversations. "I lost," was her simple retort, giving me a side glance. She was re-evaluating if I was worth her time. A thought-process I had to quickly stir in my direction.

"Yes, you lost, but you still fought well," I clarified my position, keeping the warm smile on my lips. "I realize that it wasn't that pleasant an experience, but you're still one of the most powerful amongst us newcomers. If you keep training, you will be one hell of a powerful woman. With your strength and beauty, it is doubtless that many shall desire you. Indeed, it may as well be written into the stars themselves." It was most certainly written in my eyes.

Aclysia's shoulders dropped, as the tension in them dispersed. My strategy seemed to have worked splendidly, as she gave me a slow and thankful nod. The most important thing was that she knew I wasn't making fun of her. 'Maybe I should offer to train with her?' I considered. It was certainly an easy excuse to spend time with her. It also seemed a bit early for such an offer. I discarded the idea.

"I thank you for the kind words," Aclysia replied and then looked at me with new silence. I had the suspicion that it would be on me again to keep the conversation going. However, Aclysia proved that she may have been more prone to listen, but she was not a quiet onlooker. "Esther's appearance was unforeseen... Still, it shames me that I lost..."

I was reminded of the talk between Aclysia and her mother that I caught the tail-end off. They had said something about Esther's true identity. Given her status as the headmaster's daughter, Aclysia likely knew things that weren't in the public profiles. My curiosity was immense, but my self-control was out. She was neither the person to ask, nor did I deserve an answer through this method. "That bad?" I asked instead. "Did your family demand that you win?"

"My family expected me to succeed, but they didn't demand it. The disappointment I feel is a burden of my own making," she softly shook her head. "It doesn't matter. My failures are mine to learn from."

"A wise policy," I agreed and backed off the subject. A casual one immediately came to mind. "Did you already have any classes today?"

"No, I would have stayed on campus if that were the case," I half-hoped she would gift me with a little smile, but her face stayed the same. Diligent, inviting to have a conversation, but not overtly friendly. Initial success at approaching her wasn't the same as immediately having a strong bond.

"You're not heading towards the next Astral Cultivation class, by chance?" I asked, somewhat hopeful. Greedy as I was, I wanted her to become interested in me as quickly as possible. Esther was my number one priority, but I knew that a gorgeous and high-profile woman like her would be swarmed by suitors. It was best to get my foot in the door early and for that I needed to expose her to my charms.

There would doubtlessly be complications, stemming from both Esther and her being in the room at the same time. Perhaps arrogantly, I thought I could handle it. When it came to romance, I was more than willing to jump additional hurdles to get what I wanted. Only things that made me feel like I was wasting my time or disrespecting myself would stop me.

Aclysia shook her head, ending that line of thinking. "Servant class," she told me where she was going instead.

My interest in her increased by about three margins. One because I liked diligent girls. Two because I liked maid outfits. Three because I liked housekeepers. "Is that a class about how to handle servants?" I asked, half-joking, just to be sure.

"No, it's about learning how to optimally work as a servant," she wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed by this. On the contrary, she clutched her salver pridefully and faced me. "You must understand that my mother is of the opinion that women should know how to keep a home, something that I agree with."

It was a pretty conservative worldview, one seldomly found on a campus with people with supernatural powers. Some people would call it antiquated. Personally, I thought that there was some fundamental truth to it, so I was pleased to hear her being in tune with it. Not that any general leanings should have forced any individual into a certain lifestyle.

'If she is willing to take care of it, I'm more than willing to create a home,' the thought came naturally to me - and I meant it. Every hardship and obligation that came with that prospect would be worth it, if that beauty greeted me at the door and that ass in the bedroom. "You seem quite eager about that," I observed, digging deeper into the subject. She seemed passionate about it and passion was an easy way to keep a conversation going. "What would your servant duty entail?"

She quite happily began to list the various chores, some of which I hadn't even considered existing. Making sure the place was clean and laundry ironed were obvious ones, but that a servant should have known every dimension of the room so they could advise during furniture shopping seemed a bit much. Sometimes, she took a pause and then said something in a peculiar tone of voice that I quickly realized was here insinuating something more. Something unsavoury and very pleasing. Each time after she said something in that manner, she cast down her gaze in a submissive fashion.

I noted this behaviour with great interest. Derilea hadn't struck me as the submissive sort, despite her maid appearance and demeanor, and so I had categorized her daughter similarly. If it turned out that Aclysia was a servant inside bedroom as well, if she was a submissive and perhaps even a bit of a masochist, then she was absolutely someone I needed in my life.

When I spoke up, I did my best to keep my lecherous comments to teasing. As interested as I was in her sexual preferences, I remained on careful footing. Our conversation continued smoothly. The little gaps between our turns talking diminished and ultimately disappeared. I allowed myself to let my less immediately charming qualities of overly wordy philosophizing and cheeky banter to come out in small doses. One time, I even managed to make her laugh. It was just a small giggle behind a raised hand, but it was the sound that hearths deserved.

I would have accompanied her all the way to her class on other days, but the closer we got to the building, the more I was reminded of my situation. Between spending more time with her or resume contact with Esther, I had to choose the latter. My lovestruck heart left me little choice in the matter.

As such, we separated at the outskirts of the university grounds. Just before we did, I asked for contact information and she gave it to me swiftly, it was clear she had just waited for my question. With this, I would be able to text or call her and she anticipated when that would happen.

A good amount of progress for a mere thirty minute talk.

________________________________________

With strident anticipation, I flew down the paths and hallways. I stopped in front of a door, clearly different than any others around. Rather than a wooden, expertly carved, generally simple rectangle, I was looking at a golden frame that held in it a beautiful arrangement of stained glass. It was another depiction of the night sky, albeit far more detailed than the street had been.

I opened it without hesitating and stepped into the small foyer behind it. A sign on the wall informed me that I was to leave all I had with me there, including my shoes. I recognized Esther's blue shoulder bag among the items others had left, a thing of moderate quality and practicality. It didn't suit her and I had let her know as much when I had accompanied her buying it. It had, however, also been cheap. I hung my own bag next to it, a black backpack that was worn from years of use.

My anticipation peaked. For all the things that could go wrong, seeing her again was my foremost desire. A second door separated me from the proper classroom. This one depicted the sun and a green field, the former being the dominant force in the image. Through the stained glass, I could see the movement of people as blurred shapes.

It occurred to me that the main reason for the foyer was the increase the isolation to the world outside. Astral Cultivation was a process of deep concentration. Noises being allowed to disturb our meditation would be detrimental to the effort.

I hung my bag next to Esther's, left my shoes next to hers, and turned to the door. My strides remained firm. Doubt did exist in my mind, but want and confidence were stronger. I wouldn't have given all I was to date Esther, such would have been the start of a very unhealthy relationship, but I was prepared to give it my all. Almost the same words, yet worlds apart in their meaning.

The room I entered was circular, with a dome acting as the ceiling. Equally spaced out windows interrupted the dark walls and dulled the daylight with their stained glass. Each window depicted a different celestial body or formation. The moon of Titan on the opposite side of the room caught my eyes for the longest. Most of the others, I didn't know. The golden, slanted windowsills had the names of the depicted stars and planets engrained on them, but I had no interest in reading them at the moment. Instead, I looked at the people, scanning for her.

There were about 30 students in the room, 28 of them women and only 1 other guy besides myself. That number populated that room quite well, making it feel filled but not cramped. Some were standing, others sat comfortable on one of the mats that had been arranged in a circle that ran parallel to the walls of the room. While the mats were of a midnight blue, the ground was of polished black marble. White veins ran through it, spreading outwards from the centre of the room like a mixture of lightning, nervous system and an eye. That central point was depressed, like a bowl, and also black. At first I thought not much of it, but then I noticed that this was the scorched colour of ash, not the glistening smooth of marble.

I had never heard of anything being burned during Astral Capacity training. Neither did the white, plastered ceiling show any signs of soot. The silver-spotted twilight of the room was transcendently clean except for that empty central point. 'I do still have things to learn, otherwise I wouldn't be here,' I reminded myself and looked back down. Then I spotted Esther.

I hadn't seen her immediately, courtesy of the other man in the class standing in front of her sitting form. He was taller than me, broader than me and generally fell in the category of 'mountain of muscle'. There were quite a few of those types around Welldark. If the women were at their peak physique, it followed that the men were as well. He didn't look half bad either, his buzz cut harmonized well with his square jaw.

I wasn't remotely interested in men, but I could at least acknowledge it when they made the effort to look good. Respect didn't change that he was currently talking to my Esther. A possessive thought that rose on its own and that I let remain in my mind. Not everything that had to do with love was undiluted sunshine and I didn't want it to be either. It was the motivation to be competitive.

As my enthusiastic steps carried me over, I realized the almost total lack of sound they made. Everything was quiet, like the nightly tundra. No sounds from the outside reached in, despite this room being directly adjacent to some sort of courtyard. Not even the conversations of my fellow students properly reached my ears. They were dulled to whispers, just like the light was dulled to dusk. The quiet was almost oppressive, now that I had noticed it.

I extended my hand and put it on the taller fellow's shoulder. "Excuse me?" I asked, my cordial tone temporarily shattering the quiet. The man turned his head and glared at me with his dark eyes, as if challenging me to keep speaking. Without hesitation, I faced that threat. "I would like to talk to the lady in private. Would you mind leaving us?"

The challenge ebbed away in the seconds it took the tall man to answer. Doubtlessly he recognized who I was and, and as a fellow freshman, he likely realized that a confrontation with me would have been unwise. Twice, he glanced back and forth between me and Esther. Then he nodded, "Sure," he said, in an almost friendly tone. If he was bothered that I was 'robbing' him of an opportunity to flirt with Esther, he didn't let it show. People of his stature were easily stereotyped as aggressive bulls, but I didn't get the feeling that he was anything but a normal human. That was, in the common sense way. The crocodile tail growing from his lower back changed things on the species layer.

He stepped away, doubtlessly going to talk to any of the 27 other, less attractive women in the room. My interest in that was fleeting at best. Instead, I took the last two steps I needed, before sitting down next to Esther.

The raven-haired lady of my desires sat with her legs crossed, her shapely butt partially resting on her heels. My eyes instinctively glided over her hourglass figure, the red shirt and the dark pants hiding so little and yet so much. I swiftly moved up, my ogling reserved for a less tense time in our relationship. Her eyes were closed, showing that she had fully ignored the crocodile-man the entire time. Only when I was comfortable, did they open a gap-wide. Then she fully turned her gaze to me. Like a pair of small suns, the amber of her eyes seemed to glow in the room's twilight.

"Hello," I said, quietly. The unnatural silence had the advantage that my words didn't carry far. Distantly, I heard laughter that I knew should have been loud, coming from the group of women the crocodile-man was now speaking to. Their interference was limited and my own voice wouldn't reach anybody, as long as I kept it down. I was thankful for that relative privacy.

The amber of her eyes grew brighter, reaching the colour of sulfur. The very sound of my voice seemed to annoy her. I was prepared for anything she could have thrown at me. Any scolding or viscous insult, I had steeled myself for. Only a wish to never see me again, I didn't know how I would handle. Otherwise, I was prepared for the worst.

Esther closed her eyes again and took a slow and controlled breath. "Ka-ri-tas..." she responded, and I could hear how she was measuring every syllable. She spoke my name with annoyance and appreciation, equally. When she revealed her eyes to me again, they had returned to their amber colour. The controlled breathing continued. She was obviously trying to stay calm.

There was an urge to just tell her to spit out what she was actually feeling. After spending so much time preparing for another explosion, her calm demeanour was almost offensive. Rather than demand that she got unreasonably mad, I said what I knew I had to say. "Look, I realize that I'm terrible at handling my money. I'm sorry that angered you. I wanted to spend time with you and prioritized what worked. I... yeah... " I sighed, feeling like I should have said so much more, but I didn't have all of the words. "You got angry because I wasn't looking out for myself... I'm sorry that I created that situation. I'm sorry... I..." I stopped there and waited for a reaction.

I waited for a whole minute. Although I had largely gotten used to Esther's habit of only speaking after she had formulated her thoughts, in this particular instance the topic and the sheer length of the delay had me try my best not to tense up. That she kept staring at me the entire time didn't help. Still, I kept my composure. We were like two predators measuring each other. I refused to be the mouse before the snake. We were equals.

"I will compensate you," was all she said before turning her head and closing her eyes again. The shoulder that pointed to me felt as if it was made from ice.

All is fair in love and war and every war had battles there were best delayed to an opportune time. That those were all the words she had for me after careful deliberation meant I couldn't coerce more from her if I tried. However, with the avenue of talking temporarily closed, I turned to another one that regularly brought me success with her.

Two days without her had left me thirsting for the sight of her. The cute swing of her nose, the perfection of her round ears, and the enticing mixture of order and chaos in her bound hair, each silky strand seeming to have a will of its own, they all served to recharge my batteries. The scent of citrus and cherry. The curve of her profile. The large breasts that rose and fell with every breath. Shamelessly, I partook in it all.

Her eyes were open a bit again, barely but clearly observing me. She said nothing, showed no disapproval of my clear display of attraction. Testing the waters, I inched a little closer to her. Then a little bit more still. Centimetre by centimetre, I bridged the distance, until our shoulder touched. It was most definitely not made from ice. Her smell was more fulfilling, now that I was so close to her.