Riss Cobalt helps a young female student who has a problem with her male teacher.
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Back To School:
An Early Adventure in Sorcery
So there I was, sitting at a table in Tully’s Tavern in Ad’Dumarh that sunny afternoon, enjoying one of the dishes favored in the city that is the capital of the world of Andor and the center for white magic study. I had a fork full of Fallahlah Fruit Salad lifted to my mouth and was about to take a bite when she suddenly sat down across from me.
Who is she, you ask? She is a pretty, fourteen-year-old blonde girl in one of the school uniforms – a white robe and tassle - issued by the priests who teach white magic at the large and famous Ad’Dumarh Library that also serves as a university for magic.
“Miss Marissa…” she said tentatively.
I sat my fork down. “Yes?”
“I…I need your help.”
“Of course you do. Why else would you interrupt my dessert?”
Her face colored slightly. “I…I’m sorry…”
I shook my head of blue hair just a little. “No. It’s all right. What can I help you with?”
“I…I have a problem at school…”
“With your studies? I’m afraid I can’t help you there. I know a little white magic, but my specialty is black magic.”
“I…I know that, Miss Marissa. But my studies aren’t my problem. I’m one of the top students in my class.”
“Then what is your problem?”
“It’s not so much ‘what’ as ‘who’. It’s my teacher, Master Thronton. He…he’s been…“overly friendly”…towards me. And his attentions have been growing more and more lewd and serious. I’ve made complaints to the superiors, but they don’t believe me. I’m the only witness I have, since everything that’s happened has been when no one else has been around. So it’s my word against his. And I’m afraid he might soon try something far worse than what he has been doing. And I can’t skip class. We have a major test in a few days.”
“I see…”
“Pleeeeease, Miss Marissa,” she said, leaning over the table and staring me deep in the eyes. “I need your help desperately.”
“Okay, okay. There’s no need to beg. I’m going to help you, Miss…”
“Alicia. Alicia Dallarin”
I nodded slightly. “Miss Alicia. I’ll help you. And for such an important job like this, I’ll give you a discount on my price. This job’ll only cost you five gold pieces.”
She jumped up out of her seat, a big smile on her face. “Oh, thank you, Miss Marissa! Thank you!” She pulled five gold coins from the pocket of her robe and sat them on the table.
I gave her a small smile. “It’s no big deal. Pretty, fourteen and fifteen-year-old girls like us have to defend ourselves against such perverts, after all. I’m just in a better position to do it than you are.”
“Still, thank you for helping me, Miss Marissa. Uh…what are you going to do?”
“Don’t worry. I have an idea. What time does school start tomorrow?”
“Eight in the morning.”
“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
She looked at me questioningly for a moment, then left. I went back to my Fallahlah Fruit Salad and worked on my idea.
***
Early the next morning I left my room at the inn and proceeded to find shop where I could find a wig. There was no way I could pass myself off as a student with my blue hair. Everyone would recognize me instantly. And for some odd reason, magic won’t change my hair color. So I was left looking for a wig and managed to find a decent one in a pawnshop for a reasonable two gold pieces. I slipped it on as I left the shop. Now, I was a redhead.
I made my way to the center of the city and the large marble building in the direct center that was the Ad’Dumarh Library. I entered the large bronze double doors. A priest in white robes with a black tassle approached me, and after I explained that I wanted to become a student, he took me to a room where he registered me under the name Marissa Callis and gave me a white robe and white tassle to put on.
After registering, he led me down a couple of halls to a classroom lit by magical globes floating near the ceiling. While my priestly guide talked to the teaching priest, I took a cursory glance of the students. Teenage boys and girls in white robes shared tables and chairs and took notes on parchment with qwill pens, copying runes for spells that had been written in white chalk on a long slab of slate that had been mounted to a wall. I saw that one of the girls was my client, Alicia Dallarin. My guide returned to me and bade me go inside. I did as he said, and my guide left, shutting the door behind me.
The teacher was a tall, somewhat attractive dark haired man. I judged him to be in his thirties. He came over to me, put an arm familiarly around my shoulders, and led me to the front of the class. Inwardly, I grimaced. I already didn’t like him from what Alicia had said. Now, I REALLY didn’t like him.
He removed his arm as we stopped before the class. “Class,” he said, “This is Marissa Callis. She will be joining us. Please make her welcome.”
“Welcome, Marissa Callis,” the class said as one.
“Hello,” I said.
“Marissa, you may take a seat next to Alicia,” the teacher said.
“Yes, sir.”
Alicia motioned to a seat next to her, and I made my way over.
“Now, Class,” the teacher said, “let us continue with our lesson on the various healing magics.”
***
A few hours later, a bell rang outside the door. Qwill pens were lowered to the tables and parchment was rolled up.
“Okay, then,” the teacher said. “Class is dismissed for the day. Good day, everyone.”
“Good day, Master Thronton,” the class said.
Students filed out of the room. Alicia and I went last. As we passed by Thronton on our way out, he opened his mouth to say something to Alicia, but she ignored him. We walked a little ways down the hall, and then she turned to me and gave me a questioning look.
“Miss Marissa…” she started to say, but I cut her off with a curt shake of my head.
“Shhhh…” I said softly. “Gone on ahead. And don’t worry.”
I glanced quickly behind me, saw no one, then ducked into an empty room. Alicia slowly walked on ahead, alone.
I hid by the door and watched the hall, and a minute later I saw Master Thronton pass by hurriedly. I peeked out after him. The hall was deserted except for him and Alicia, who was near the far end of the hall. I sneaked quietly down the hall after him.
“Alicia!” Thronton called.
Alicia stopped dead in her tracks.
Thronton came up to her side.
“Alicia, please!” he said. “Don’t treat me coldly any more! You know how I feel about you! I’ve told you so many times, and I’ve tried to show you…”
Alicia turned to him and glared at him. “All you’ve shown me is that you are a pervert! I’m at least half your age! You can’t possibly love me like you claim. All I am to you is an attractive young girl that you want to…to… Oh, just leave me alone and find a woman your own age!”
Thronton snapped. He growled and grabbed her arms. “NO!” he said. “I don’t want a woman my own age! I want YOU, Alicia! And I mean to have you!”
He pushed her back towards an empty room, and Alicia screamed in fright.
I had seen enough. Time for me to take action.
“HOLD IT!” I called out.
Thronton froze, and the two looked at me.
I stood there with my arms over my chest and glared at the man in anger.
“What do you want?” he asked in irritation.
“What do you think I want? I want you to leave her alone, you pervert.”
“And what are you going to do if I don’t? Huh, little girl?”
I gave him a truly evil smile. “You don’t want to find out.”
“Oh, is that so? Why not?”
“Because…” I took off my wig of red hair, revealing my blue hair, and took off my white robe, revealing usual mercenary sorceress’s outfit of leather pants, cotton shirt, leather tunic, and black dragon’s leather boots. “I’m really Marissa Cobalt. And Alicia is my client.”
Thronton’s jaw dropped. “Ma…Marissa Cobalt?” He let Alicia go in his shock and she ran off.
“That’s right, you pervert!”
“But…I’m not a pervert! I love Alicia, and only wanted to show her that.”
I shook my head. “No. It’s not love. It’s lust. And you are a pervert for lusting after a girl half your age. And for your lewd, inappropriate actions towards her – and for daring to put your arm familiarly around me, as well - you must pay.”
“But…but…”
My eyes narrowed. “Sorry. But I cannot allow you to continue to harass young teenage girls.”
He trembled at my look, then turned sharply and ran down the hall.
“Oh, no you don’t! Dagger Bolt Shock!”
A lightning bolt flew from my finger and struck the man in the back, knocking him to the ground. He spasmed for a second before passing out into unconsciousness.
I walked over to him, grabbed him by the arms, and dragged him along the hallways to the room by the front door where I had registered. The priest who had registered me stared in astonishment.
“Ma… Marissa Cobalt? What…?”
“This pervert of a man needs disciplinary action. Do with him what you will.”
“Wha…what do you mean?”
Quickly, I told him all that had happened.
“I see...Well, Miss Marissa, I will certainly take care of this matter. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.”
“You’re welcome. Just don’t punish him too lightly.”
“Oh, no. I won’t. He will get what he deserves, I promise you.”
“Good. Well, good day.”
I turned and left the room. As I left the marble building, my stomach growled.
“Heh heh. Lunch time. Where do I want to eat? Well, that fruit salad I had yesterday was good. I think I’ll have another one. So, back to Tully’s for Fallahlah Fruit Salad!”
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