{listair}
Sunlight peeked through the curtains.
listair stirred, his eyes fluttering open. Margaret was in his arms, still asleep.
He leaned over, planting a tender kiss on her cheek.
Margaret mumbled sothing incoherent, a small smile gracing her lips as she nestled deeper into the pillows.
listair chuckled, carefully extracting himself from the bed so as not to disturb her further.
He stretched, his muscles flexing as he shook off the remnants of sleep.
[Ti to start the day,] he thought, getting ready and later making his way to the kitchen.
The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted him as he entered. Javir was already there, leaning against the counter with a steaming mug in her hands.
listair and Javir had developed a certain camaraderie over the last 8 years.
Probably, at least in part because they were both Margaret's lovers, so yeah.
"Morning, l," she said, lifting her cup in a casual salute.
"Morning," listair replied, grabbing a mug for himself and filling it with the fragrant liquid. "Up early as always, huh."
Javir shrugged, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
"Gotta be. Early bird, worm, all that."
"Couldn't agree more."
listair grinned, taking a sip of his coffee. The warmth spread through his chest, chasing away the last of his grogginess.
"You know, as much as I appreciate the roof over our heads, I gotta say, letting us taste this every morning might just be the best thing you do for us." He winked at her playfully. "Well, that and getting to see your lovely face first thing in the morning."
Javir raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"Careful there, l. Flattery like that could go to a woman's head."
listair chuckled, leaning against the counter beside her, his shoulder brushing against hers.
"It's not flattery if it's true. I'm just calling it like I see it."
Javir rolled her eyes, though the smile on her face didn't go away.
"Well, aren't you the charr this morning? What would Margaret say?"
listair shrugged, his own smile turning sly.
"Probably to stop hogging the coffee and pour her a cup. You know how she is before her morning fix."
Javir cackled.
"Right."
listair, of course, was well aware that Ms. Folden's preferences skewed heavily toward won. So, in a sense, he was barking up the wrong tree.
But given the grin on her face, he guessed she didn't mind this sort of thing too much.
Just then, the patter of tiny feet announced the arrival of the youngest mber of the household. Hazel trudged into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes with small fists, her dark hair sticking up in adorable tufts.
"Aaaah," she yawned like a rising dragon.
"Morning, pumpkin," listair cooed, scooping her up into his arms. Hazel, evidently still half-asleep, nuzzled into his chest.
"Mowning, Papa," she mumbled.
listair pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
[Gods, feels like just a day ago she could fit in the palms of my hands... Fuck, ti flies, huh?]
He hadn't focused on it too much but as he'd been getting ready earlier, he did notice more grey hairs on his face. Oh well.
He sighed and, with a final squeeze, he set Hazel down, ruffling her hair affectionately.
"Papa has to go to work now, but I'll see you tonight, okay? Be good for your Mama and Auntie Javir."
Hazel nodded, already perking up little by little.
listair drained the last of his coffee, setting the mug in the sink. He grabbed his toolbelt and hardhat, slinging them over his shoulder.
"See you later," he said, giving Javir a kiss on the cheek before heading for the door.
"Have fun, uh... moving shit around, I guess," Javir said and listair chuckled to himself.
"It's exhilarating stuff, Miss Folden. You wouldn't get it."
"Clearly."
---
The walk to the construction site was short, the morning air crisp and invigorating.
As he approached, he could already hear the sounds of activity, the clanging of hamrs and the whir of saws.
"l! Over here!"
listair turned, a grin spreading across his face as he spotted Rax, his nim coworker and friend, waving him over.
"Morning, Rax," he said, clasping the other man's hand in a firm shake. "Ready to get started?"
Rax nodded, his red eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"You know it. We've got a lot of ground to cover today."
listair rolled up his sleeves, flexing his fingers in preparation.
[Ain't nothing I'm not ready for.]
The day passed in a blur of sweat and labor, the sun climbing high into the sky as they worked. listair lost himself in the rhythm of it, the satisfaction of watching a structure rise from nothing, crafted by his own hands.
It was honest work, good work. The kind that left him bone-tired but fulfilled at the end of the day.
As the final whistle blew, signaling the end of the shift, listair wiped the sweat from his brow, surveying the progress they'd made with a critical eye.
[Not bad, if I do say so myself.]
"Oi, l!" Rax called out, jogging over with a wide grin. "We're heading to The Red Horn for a pint. You in?"
listair hesitated for a mont, glancing at the sun dipping low on the horizon. Margaret and Hazel would be expecting him ho soon.
But the lure of a cold drink and so friendly companionship was hard to resist. Especially after a long day of toil under the blistering sun.
He'd been spending so much more ti there, lately.
"Sure, why not," he agreed, falling into step beside Rax as they made their way to the hidden nim bar.
The Red Horn was already busy when they arrived, the air thick with the sll of ale and the sound of raucous laughter. listair and Rax wove their way through the crowd, finding a spot at the bar.
As Krom, the burly bartender, slid a frosty mug into listair's waiting hand, he couldn't help but overhear the conversation happening next to him.
"Did you hear about that nim girl at Syux Academy? The one who can use magic?"
listair's ears perked up, his grip tightening on his mug.
"Yeah, I heard she's causing quite the stir. A nim mage, can you believe it?"
A chuckle, followed by the clink of glasses.
listair grinned.
[Oh, little do they know, haha...]
But, his smile went away quickly.
"I give her a month, tops. No way they let a nim get too big for her britches. Especially not in a place like that."
listair felt a chill run down his spine, his good mood evaporating like morning mist.
"Yeah, poor girl's head is probably gonna be on a pike pretty soon."
To be honest, the thought of anyone wishing her harm, even in idle gossip, made his blood boil.
But as much as he wanted to talk about her, to shout her praises from the rooftops, he knew he shouldn't. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
[lisa wouldn't want to put a target on my own back too.]
So he sat, his jaw clenched, his knuckles white around his mug, as the conversation continued.
listair's stomach churned, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck.
It was his greatest fear, the one that kept him up at night. The thought of his brilliant daughter being cut down, simply for being who she was.
He took a long pull from his mug, the ale bitter on his tongue.
[Gods, please. Don't let anything like that happen.]
---
{Javir}
Javir sat in her office, her shoulders slumped and her brow furrowed.
The weight of recent events still hung heavy on her shoulders.
Miria's final words echoed in her head, again and again.
"You can't stop order."
Javir clenched her fists.
[Order? Is that what they call it?]
The revelation that her closest friend, her confidant for so many years, had been a Shadow Mage all along...
It was a blow that Javir wasn't sure she would ever fully recover from.
[How could I have been so fucking blind!?]
She shook her head.
A sharp knock at the door jolted Javir from her spiraling thoughts. She straightened in her chair, quickly schooling her features into a mask of professional neutrality.
"Co in," she called.
The door swung open. Headmistress Eliana walked in.
The older woman strode into the room, her face grave.
"Javir," she greeted, inclining her head in a curt nod. "We need to talk."
Javir gestured to the chair opposite her desk, silently inviting the headmistress to sit. Eliana sank into the seat, her posture rigid and her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
"I'm going to make a bold assumption and say this is about lisa."
Eliana nodded, her lips pursed in a thin line.
"Indeed. Her na is on everyone's lips!" Eliana began pacing around Javir's room like she usually did these days. Javir was surprised the floor wasn't dented with her heels. "The newspapers, the maids up in the palace, the older students here. All I hear when I walk around is lisa Blackfla's na. Pretty sure I hear her na more than I hear my own these days."
Javir sighed, rubbing her temples.
"I know. And with her newfound notoriety, the Shadow Mages will undoubtedly double their efforts to eliminate her." Javir leaned back. "She's on her way to becoming a symbol, even if she doesn't know it. They won't let that stand."
Eliana leaned forward, her gaze intense and probing.
"And yet, you chose to spare the life of the very assassin sent to kill her. Raven Nightsong remains within these walls, a free woman. Why?"
Javir t the headmistress's eyes unflinchingly.
"Because handing Raven over to the authorities would be tantamount to signing her death warrant. The Shadow Mages have infiltrated every level of governnt, every branch of law enforcent. If we turn her in, she'll be dead within a day, and we'll have lost a valuable source of information. An asset."
Eliana's brow furrowed, a flicker of skepticism in her eyes.
"Asset? The girl is a trained killer, a tool of the enemy. What makes you think she can be trusted?"
Javir's lips curved into a humorless smile.
"Because I've seen the way she looks at lisa. I saw the way she stepped in front of a potentially killing blow, willing to sacrifice her own life to save hers. That kind of loyalty, that depth of emotion... it can't be faked. Raven may have been a Shadow Mage, but she's not anymore. She's one of us now, whether she realizes it yet or not."
Eliana sat back, considering Javir's words with a thoughtful frown.
"And you think she'll be more valuable to the cause here, at lisa's side, than locked away in a cell?"
Javir nodded, her conviction absolute.
"I do. Raven has skills, knowledge, and connections that could prove invaluable in the fights to co. And more than that, she has a reason to fight now. A reason to protect lisa with everything she has. To save her own hide. That kind of motivation is a powerful thing."
Eliana sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly as the weight of the situation settled over her.
"I hope you're right, Javir. For all our sakes."
She paused, a distant look in her eyes as her mind turned to a different matter.
"There's sothing else you should know. Whispers have begun to reach the royal court. Whispers of a nim prodigy, 'the first nim mage', a girl with the potential to change the very fabric of our society. It's only a matter of ti before they start reaching for lisa."
Javir leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Perhaps that's not such a bad thing," she mused, her mind already spinning with possibilities. "If lisa can capture the attention of the court, if she can win them over."
Eliana's eyes all but popped out of their sockets.
"Win them over?"
"Yeah," Javir smiled. "You haven't interacted much with this girl, huh? lisa is sothing else, Eliana. With her talent and her charm... she could open doors, create opportunities."
Eliana raised an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
"You think they'll welco a nim with open arms? That they'll embrace the idea of a non-human wielding such power?"
Javir shook her head, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
"Not at first, no. But, I've seen it myself. lisa has a way of winning people over. That girl's too sweet for her own good. Could charm a lionwolf into licking her palm without wanting to bite her arm off. If anyone can change their minds, it's her."
Finally, the headmistress nodded slowly.
"Alright, Javir. I'll trust your judgnt with regard to these matters. But I hope you know what you're doing."
Javir t her gaze steadily, her voice firm and unwavering.
"I do, my friend. I do."
---
Javir left her office, her mind still churning.
The path to the academy's training arena stretched before her. As she approached the arena, the rhythmic sound of steel cutting through air reached her ears.
Javir paused at the entrance, her eyes narrowing as she took in the sight before her.
Raven moved with grace, her blade flashing in the afternoon light as she went through a complex series of forms. Her face was set in intense concentration, sweat beading on her brow as she pushed herself through the routine.
Javir watched silently for a mont, assessing the young woman's technique with a critical eye.
There was no denying Raven's skill. Her movents were precise, each strike calculated and controlled. But there was so room for improvent, a few areas where her form could be tightened. Her efficiency increased.
Without a word, Javir stepped into the arena, drawing her own blade. As Raven went for a swing, Javir's sword flashed out, parrying the strike.
Steel t steel with a resounding clang. Raven's eyes widened in surprise, her body instinctively shifting into a defensive stance.
Slowly, she lowered her guard once she realized who was in front of her.
"Professor Folden," she greeted, her voice carefully neutral. "I didn't expect to see you yet."
Javir raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusent tugging at her lips.
"Clearly. Your awareness of your surroundings could use so work, Nightsong. An assassin being caught off-guard? What would your previous masters say?"
Raven's jaw tightened at the reminder of her forr endeavors.
"That my target would either get away or kill if it happened out in the field."
"Right. Make no mistake, that's still the case. Even if who you call your enemy has changed. Now," Javir took a couple of steps back. "Ready?"
Curiosity flickered in Raven's eyes. She kept her sword low.
"Can I ask you sothing, professor?"
"Sure."
"Why are you training ?"
"Hm..." Javir circled Raven slowly, her blade held loosely at her side. "I already told you."
"I'm not too sure I believe what you told , ma'am."
Javir snorted a laugh.
"Well, I'm sure you've noticed the whispers, the growing tension. lisa's fa is spreading, and with it, the danger she faces."
Raven nodded, her grip on her sword tightening slightly.
"The Shadow Mages won't stop coming for her just because I failed."
"No, they won't," Javir agreed. "Which is why we need every advantage we can get. You, Raven, with your skills and your knowledge of their thods, could be a significant asset in keeping lisa safe."
Raven's brow furrowed.
"That's really all?"
"Yep, that's all." Javir's lips curved into a humorless smile. "You've made mistakes, Nightsong. All I want is to give you an opportunity to atone, if you will."
Miria's face flashed before Javir's eyes.
For a mont, she imagined it was her standing in front of Javir, not Raven.
She raised her blade, settling into a fighting stance.
"Now, show what you can do. Let's see if we can't polish those skills of yours a little further."
Raven hesitated for a mont, searching Javir's face for any sign of deception.
Finding none, she nodded, bringing her own weapon up.
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Javir's expression softened slightly.
"Oh, don't thank yet, Nightsong. By the ti I'm done with you, you might hate my guts."
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