The RA (Had To Meet Nika)

Almost a week has passed sense the plot against Guldrick concluded and you’ve seen neither hide nor hair of your monotone RA.

She said that you would be rewarded handsomely for your efforts, and at this juncture you’d take whatever is on offer, gold, favors or tutoring.

You take a moment to straighten out your robes, you still feel a little unclean from spending so much time around Guldrick.

Exiting your room you head down the hall, gently rapping your knuckles against the enchanted wood of her door.

The door pops open on its own, inviting you into Nika’s cell, stepping inside, you walk through the quiet forest path, arriving at the rustic entrance to her domain.

You head along the main path of the village, arriving at the bonfire you had previously met her that rages on just as powerful as ever and sure enough, sitting at the edge of the pyre is Nika.

She stares into the pyre, seemingly lost in thought as the embers shift under their own weight.

You take a seat beside her, just as before, waiting for her to initiate the conversation.

The silence becomes a companion in itself, filling the void left between you two as you sit there, taking in the moment.

Finally her voice pierced the silence, shaking you from your own musings, though she doesn’t bother to look at you as she speaks.

“You’ve done well… Guldrick has been cut off from daddies coin purse just as I said he would… it will be some time before he has the time to sabotage me, and best of all he has no reason to think me responsible…”

Another silence fills the void as you wait for her to reach a conclusion, silently preying your about to get paid for such a stellar job.

“‘Glink hitess, Glink dil los…’ do you know what that phrase means..?” She asks turning to look at you her voice monotone, matching the sobering look in her wide yellow eyes.

“Its an old goblin proverb… well it’s a proverb ABOUT goblins made by Kobolds… in the human tongue it roughly translates to ‘Goblin debt, Goblin Oath’ meaning that when a goblin feels indebted to a creature they take up an oath to serve that creature until both parties feel the debt is repaid…”

You think to stop her in her tracks, you don’t need a **** or someone in debt, you need money, you need an ally, but she gives you no room to speak.

“I’ve no money to offer you, nor can I be with you every step of the way during our shared time at the academy”

“So where does that leave us then…?” You ask, curious as to where this line of discussion is leading when she looks back into the flames which reflect in her pupils.

“I’ve spent substantially more time here then you, I’m a second year student after all, my knowledge would be quite useful for someone in your shoes…”

“What I propose is I take you under my wing as my protege, you’ll learn from me in between classes until I run out of things to teach you, and then…? The debt is paid in full”

She turns to you once more, you’ve grown all too used to those emotionally dead stares, as if she were looking at a blank stretch of wall.

“So… what say you…? Do you agree to these terms…?” Her eyes on you, through the grim facade you can sense a little something inside her, something you can’t quite place.

You agree, her knowledge will be invaluable both in terms of magic and in making your way through this academy.

“Very well, your tutelage begins now” she says rising from her seat upon an overturned log, stepping several feet away from bonfire that never seems to die.

You stand beside Nika, both of you facing a boulder that’s larger then yourself, Nika’s eyes are shut, lost deep in concentration before finally they snap open, she strides forward and digging her hands into the dirt beneath the boulder, then to your surprise she lifts it with ease, hefting a boulder more then twice her size over her head before tossing it back into place with a dull thump.

“This is a rudimentary spell, it uses your internal magical energy to fuel your body, allowing you to perform physical feats you’d normally not be capable of”

“Now you will try, close your eyes and imagining yourself lifting the boulder, the mana shall not falter, the body will not break” her words fill your mind as you focus on your task.

Those words repeating again and again in your mind as you channel your energy inwards, absorbing the ambient mana around you to fuel your body.

Then your eyes snap open, you’ve never known what raw physical power felt like until now, filling your muscles and reinforcing your bones.

You bend down and with shocking ease you’re able to lift the boulder, holding it over your head just as Nika had done.

You stay like that for some time, wondering if you would notice the mana draining from you, by the time you feel your strength start to diminish almost a whole minute has past, with that you toss the boulder back onto the dirt.

“Very good, before long I think you’ll be ready to take on some of the more challenging lessons…” she says giving you a small nod at grasping the spell so quickly.

“But now you must be leaving, it would be irresponsible of me to keep you from your studies…”

You figure it’s best to leave while she’s being cordial, it wouldn’t be wise to upset your tutor so soon after acquiring one.

[Gained: Enhance Strength Spell]