Birgit

  Birgit had never been so terrified in her life. When her shield spell broke and she saw Yarl pointing that wand at her, she knew she was going to die. All his pre-cast spells had been so powerful, but then Niles had stepped in front of her. He had survived lightning before, but never anything so powerful. When he fell to his knees, she thought he was dying. Only the fact that he somehow kept his hand on her gave her hope. She probably should have just jumped from the circle and ended the match, but her first thought had been to throw up a defense, so she used her own pre-cast spell. It had worked, and they had won, but now here she was crying like a baby, when Niles was the one who was really hurt. She saw how badly burned his chest had been. It was amazing he could even stand.

  The roar of the crowd pulled Birgit back to her senses. This was hardly the image she wanted to portray to the entire academy, looking like some little girl needing comfort. She pushed away from Niles, quickly dried her eyes, and then marched resolutely to the exit. Glancing behind her to make sure Niles was following, she saw him waving to the crowd and hamming it up. That brought a smile to her face as the enormity of what had just happened began sinking in.

  Bonzo, Hilaria, and Uma were all waiting just beyond the exit and rushed to congratulate her, their excited voices and hugs overlapping. When their enthusiasm finally began to ebb, Birgit noted they were not the only ones who had come to congratulate them. Sinja was there as well. The solar elf, however, had her attention on Niles and was actually running her hands over his chest.

  As if sensing Birgit’s attention, the elf turned to her and smiled. “Congratulations. That was a stunning display of spellcraft. That arrogant fool burned a small fortune in pre-cast spell items, and you still defeated him. I can scarcely imagine a better outcome. You were spectacular. Will you come and sit with me to watch the final match?” The dark elf was still caressing Niles’ chest under the guise of concern for his wound.

  “Thank you for the offer,” Birgit said, trying hard not to sound angry. “But Niles is hardly decent. I need to go find him something appropriate to wear.”

  “I think Niles looks just fine. In my country, we would celebrate a physique like his, not hide it.” Sinja said in a sultry tone, but then sighed. “But I understand things are different here. Would you care to go out for drinks to celebrate your victory once you have him properly attired?”

  “Thank you again,” Birgit replied. “But I think it best if we get our rest so we will be fresh for tomorrow’s round.”

  Sinja nodded and finally took her hands off Niles. “I expect we will have many more victories to celebrate before this tournament is complete, so perhaps another time.”

  Just as Birgit thought the elf was going to leave, she turned back and once again kissed Niles on the cheek, running her hand across his bare chest once again before sashaying away. Birgit frowned as Niles watched her go.

  “Elves really do have different views on propriety,” Bonzo whispered as Sinja disappeared around a corner.

  After letting Sinja have a good head start, they parted ways, with Birgit and Niles heading for the stadium exit, while the others returned to watch the final match.

  They had just about reached the exit when a streak of red charged into Niles. “Oh, Niles, are you alright? I was so worried.”

  Farah threw herself at Niles, practically knocking him over.

  Pam arrived a moment later at a more measured pace. “Congratulations, that was an amazing victory.”

  “We knew you would win,” Farah added, slipping her arms around Niles’ waist through the gaping hole in his shirt. “Pam even bet money on you.”

  “There was gambling?” Niles asked. “What odds did you get?”

  Pam grinned. “Twenty to one, you were definitely the underdog going in.”

  “I wish I’d known,” Niles sighed. “I’d have put some money down.” He rested his hands on Farah’s shoulders, but at least seemed to ignore her immodest familiarity.

  “Oh, you could not have bet on your own match,” Pam informed him. “It is all unofficial and probably technically against school policy, but the administration turns a blind eye to it as long as the bets stay small and friendly, and people do not bet on their own matches. I would be happy to take you both out for drinks with my winnings, though. There was something I was hoping to discuss with you, anyway.”

  Birgit tried to hide her frustration. “I am afraid I need to get Niles some proper attire, and then we need some rest, so we will be unable to go out with you tonight. If you have something important to discuss, we can do that here, or we can meet sometime tomorrow.”

  Pam glanced over at Farah, who was still rubbing herself indecently against Niles’ bare chest. “Well, you see, our match in this round was fairly easy, but the rest of our rounds will most likely all be against higher ranked students, so we want to get every advantage we can, and Farah says that Niles’ magic greatly strengthens her.”

  “Oh, it does,” Farah purred. “His magic is just so amazing. I can feel it coursing through me, making me feel strong, and oh so wonderful.”

  Pam cleared her throat, at least having the decency to look embarrassed. “Anyway, I was wondering if I could borrow Niles for a bit… just for tonight… or part of tonight. I will do nothing to keep him from returning to his plane so he can get his rest whenever he likes.”

  Birgit was almost too shocked for words. “What? No, I could not possibly allow that. It would be entirely inappropriate.”

  Pam raised her hands in a placating gesture. “You are right, of course. Farah was quite instant that I ask, though. I am sure you know how familiars can be. Would you mind if we joined you for breakfast again tomorrow?”

  Birgit was torn. She liked Pam and had enjoyed her company at breakfast today. Farah, however, was not someone she wanted around Niles.

  “Breakfast would be great,” Niles answered, before Birgit could make up her mind.

  “Excellent, we will see you in the morning then,” Pam said, grabbing Farah by the back of her dress and pulling her away from Niles.

  For a moment, Birgit was afraid the dress would tear before the efreet let go, but finally, Farah released her grip, and the pair headed back into the stadium.

  “Why did you agree to let them join us for breakfast?” Birgit hissed once they were out of sight.

  Niles shrugged. “Pam’s fun, and Farah’s… friendly. If my magic can help them out, I’d like to do it.”

  Birgit let out an exasperated breath. “Well, next time, ask me first.”

  “Oh, like you asked me before you turned down their offer for tonight, and Sinja’s, too, for that matter.” Niles said, his voice rising in volume and pitch.

  “Would you have gone to spend the night with that… efreet?” Birgit asked, her own voice rising.

  Niles looked away. “I don’t know, probably not, but it would have been nice to have the choice. That’s what I hate about this whole familiar thing. We hang out with your friends, attend your classes, and go to your events,” Niles hammered the word your every time he said it. “My whole life revolves around what you want, while I wait for you to find time to look for a way to get me home. Come on, let’s head back to your place so we can get rested up for the rest of your tournament.”

  Niles set off toward the dorm without looking at her. Birgit stood speechless for a moment before hurrying to follow.

  “Are you really so unhappy here?” Birgit asked quietly once she caught up.

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  “I…” Niles began, but then his shoulders slumped and he sighed. “No, it’s not that bad. I like your friends, and parts of this world are really cool. Plus, I have magical superpowers, so that’s great. But I just got out of a relationship where I put my life on hold and pushed aside everything I wanted to help my ex achieve her goals, only to have her run off with someone else. Now I can’t help but feel I’m doing the same thing again, except this time I’m trapped. I feel like my life is completely out of my control.” Niles let out a huff and straightened up. “But I’m a big boy. I’ll be fine. I’m sorry I snapped. Ignore my whining. I know you’re doing what you can to find a way to get me back home, and to be honest, home wasn’t that great when I left anyway.”

  Niles looked over at Birgit and smiled, his tone shifting back to the carefree, pleasant one she was used to. “We should be focusing on the tournament now. You just beat the second-ranked student in the school. How cool is that? And the next few rounds should be a cakewalk. Here, take my hand so we can get you pumped up with magic again.”

  The following morning, Pam and Farah were there waiting for them in the Great Hall. The efreet closed her eyes and practically moaned when she clasped onto Niles arm. Now that Birgit had gotten used to it, the feeling of Niles’ magic flowing into her was pleasant enough, but she suspected the feeling was much more intense for the fire-aligned other-planar entity.

  Birgit did her best not to object to the display. If Niles did not want Farah to do it, he would say something, would he not? Last night had once again reminded her that Niles was a person, not just some elemental spirit there to serve her wishes. He was normally so compliant, though it was easy to forget. She was beginning to understand that he was the type of person who bottled up his feelings. She really needed to stay mindful of that. If he ever bottled up too much and exploded… well, she didn’t want to think about how disastrous that could be for both of them.

  Uma, Hilaria, and Bonzo joined them as well, forcing them to choose a larger table than usual. They were just sitting down when they received an unexpected guest.

  “Lady Birgit, do you mind if I join you?” Princess Vedika asked politely.

  “No, not at all, please do,” Birgit answered quickly.

  “I am Vedika,” the princess said as she took a seat across from Birgit, as if everyone did not already know who she was. But Birgit realized she was prompting for their names and giving them permission to use her name without her title. That was good because Niles pretty much never used titles. Birgit quickly introduced everyone else at the table.

  “Congratulations on your victory in your match yesterday,” the princess said, once the introductions were complete. “That was a most impressive display of spellcraft. I tried to find you after the last match yesterday, but I fear I missed you.”

  “Yeah, that’s my fault,” Niles volunteered. “That lightning bolt pretty much destroyed my shirt, so we had to duck out before the last match to get a new one. I should just start carrying a spare set of clothes with me all the time, with the rate I go through them.”

  “I am quite impressed you survived that,” the princess replied. “I do not know what crystals Yarl used in that wand, but that bolt looked extremely potent.”

  “It did pack quite a punch,” Niles confirmed.

  “How did your brother’s match go?” Birgit asked. “I am sorry we missed it.”

  Since Princess Vedika’s twin brother, Prince Advick, was the top-ranked student at the school, his match had been the last of the day.

  “It was an easy win for him,” the princess answered. “He was fortunate that he missed facing you by one rank. I think you would have given him a real challenge. His magic potential is probably the highest in the academy, but I think your spellcraft is greater. It is certainly more subtle and refined. And now that you have Niles to increase your own potential and give you an endless source of magic. I suspect you will be very hard to beat.”

  Birgit could feel her face getting hotter. “Oh, I am sure I would never be a genuine challenge to your brother. I probably only beat Yarl because he underestimated me.”

  Vedika rolled her eyes. “Yarl is a brute who relies too much on power and not enough on skill. He has only held onto his rank so long by virtue of a powerful familiar and deep pockets that allowed him to burn through money on powerful, pre-cast spell items. Frankly, I am a bit surprised. Normally, the exchange students the elves send are much more skilled and subtle. From what I saw in your match yesterday, though, you are one of the finest spellcasters in our class, and with Niles at your side you could well become one of the most powerful mages in the kingdom, if that is what you want.”

  Bonzo laughed. “Who would not want that?”

  “Being one of the most powerful mages in the kingdom means that, in times of need, the kingdom may call on you,” Vedika explained.

  “With great power comes great responsibility,” Niles cut in, as if quoting some proverb from his world.

  “Exactly,” Vedika agreed. “Not everyone wants that responsibility. Some people prefer a more peaceful life. What do you want, Birgit? What are your plans for after graduation?”

  Birgit looked down at her plate. “To be honest, I have been more focused on my studies. Before Niles, I lacked the potential to consider any position that would require truly powerful casting. I always assumed I would either get married and settle down if I could find a good match, or possibly become a teacher.”

  Vedika smiled. “Well, now your options have greatly expanded. You should take some time to decide what you really want.”

  “Maybe we should become professional crystal hunters,” Niles suggested as he pulled yet more pancakes onto his plate. “We’ve been making great money just on weekends. Think of what we could do if we went at it full time.”

  “You enjoy crystal hunting?” Vedika asked.

  Niles only nodded since his mouth was now full of pancake, but Uma spoke up. “Niles is an amazing crystal hunter. He can see magic crystals glow from much farther than our detectors can pick them up. He can even spot them from the air.”

  Vedika’s eyes grew wide, “That is amazing. Birgit, you must be on my team when we go on next semester’s field study.”

  Birgit was almost in a daze as they left the great hall. Her thoughts had been troubled this morning, but now she almost felt giddy. She hardly even cared that Farah was still clinging to Niles. It was too bad Princess Vedika had to go take care of other business this morning. Breakfast had been so nice with her there, and she had given Birgit so much to think about.

  The princess had always seemed so unapproachable to Birgit before. Not that Birgit had ever known her to be rude or haughty, but her station had been so much higher than Birgit’s, and then there was her beauty and her skill with magic. She had just assumed the royal would never want to talk to her. But now that Birgit had gotten to actually sit down and talk with her, she seemed quite down-to-earth and friendly. Had the princess been serious about inviting Birgit to be on her team for the field study next semester? The trip was two weeks long. That would certainly be a wonderful chance for them to get to know each other, and could open many doors for her future. That thought sent Birgit’s mind back to the princess’s advice about considering her future plans. What did she want to do?

  Had Niles been serious when he suggested they become crystal hunters? He was right that it could be very profitable. They had certainly made quite a bit on their last couple of hunts, and he always seemed to be happiest when they were out on their expeditions. But would that be a satisfying life for her? That was the maddening thing. Forging a relationship with the princess might open doors for her, but all those doors hinged on Niles. Without Niles, she would go back to being a low-magic-potential nobody. True, she was sure her potential had increased some after a few weeks with Niles. Maybe if she could convince him to stay for the next semester, she would have enough potential to be a moderately powerful mage on her own, assuming her potential did not return to its previous state without Niles around to keep exercising it. But right now with Niles, she was not just moderately powerful. She was exceptional. She had beaten the second-ranked student in their class and gained the attention of the princess. With Niles, she might become one of the greatest mages in the kingdom. But could she find something that he wanted badly enough to stay with her?

  Birgit’s thoughts kept her distracted all day and almost cost her the match that afternoon. Fortunately, her opponent in the second round was not nearly as challenging as Yarl had been. It was a closer match than it should have been, but she still won. The following day, she forced herself to push thoughts of the future off until after the tournament. Her opponent was tougher, but with her focus back, she was once again able to win.

  Going into the fourth day of the tournament, only thirty-two competitors remained. All the matches were to be held in the stadium, run one at a time, and two rounds were to be held. The first round, in the morning, would whittle the field down to sixteen, and the second, in the afternoon, to determine the top eight.

  “So, are you excited?” Niles asked as they waited in the staging area for their match.

  “More terrified,” Birgit answered, staring out at the massive crowd of spectators.

  “You’ve got this,” Niles said with confidence. “You are the most skilled spellcaster in this class. Remember, I can see the spells everyone casts, so I know yours are the best. And I’ve got your back. You have nothing to fear. I have complete confidence in you. Nothing can stop you. This match is yours. This day is yours. You are unbeatable. Now let’s go out there and show them who the top mage is.”

  Niles had been doing his best to be supportive ever since their talk after the first-round match. Birgit did not believe all their issues were resolved, but she appreciated him putting them aside to support her in the tournament. And it was very comforting to know he ‘had her back,’ as he called it. After the tournament, there would be a two-week break before the next semester started. She hoped they would be able to use the time to come to a better understanding.

  Birgit pushed all those thoughts aside and began setting her focus on her magic. She was facing the thirty-first-ranked student this time, a skilled spellcaster who had fought in many more rank duels than Birgit. This was going to take all of her concentration.

  Her opponent was very skilled, but lacked the raw power of Yarl, and fortunately did not turn to pre-cast spells. Birgit was able to outlast and out cast her. The afternoon crowd was even larger, and the king was even in attendance. Birgit had seen the king at a distance a few times, but this was the first time that she would do something that the king would take notice of. Once again, Niles gave her a pep talk. It was an odd practice, but it did help boost her confidence.

  The match was extremely close. Birgit took down her opponent’s defenses at almost the same time he took down hers. Once again, Niles stepped up to shield her, this time getting torn up by ice shards in her place, but it gave Birgit time to cast a quick force spell that knocked her opponent off their circle.

  “Oh well, that’s it for this outfit,” Niles sighed as they walked off the field. “But you are in the top eight now. How cool is that?”