Chapter Text
In hindsight, she shouldn’t have accepted the invite. The city of Waterdeep was somehow busier than Balder’s Gate had been and it took her a solid hour to finally find the academy, and that was after she sent her companion ahead to scout. Once she arrived at the grounds of the university, she found herself in a maze of pathways, buildings, and students rushing from place to place. She certainly stood out in the crowd of academics, dressed in their near-identical uniforms and carrying various tomes in their arms and packs. She had opted for the more formal of the two outfits she owned, a slightly worn leather jacket over an olive-green jerkin and khaki pants that she had spent most of the previous night mending the holes in. If the outfit wasn’t enough to instantly signal her outsider status, the longbow strung across her back and the dire raven hovering over her shoulder made her stick out like a potato in a grain sack. She had attempted approaching a few seasoned-looking students to ask where she might find the evocation department, but the moment she got too close they looked at her like she might bite their hand off and quickened their pace. So, she resigned herself once again to wandering around a strange, alarmingly populated environment with hopes of somehow stumbling across her destination.
If she was smarter, she would have given up and left by now; back to the familiar calm of the forest and her modest dwellings. She had absolutely no place being in the city, let alone a university for aspiring mages, the dullest of which could run mental circles around her. But every time she considered leaving, her mind traveled back to the party two months ago. How everyone spent the night laughing and dancing, luxuries that they had not afforded themselves for quite some time. It was freeing, knowing that the looming threat of mindflayer transformation was finally gone and that their actions had all but saved the Sword Coast. There was still much to be done to repair the damage caused by the Absolute, but that could wait for another day. Tonight, they enjoyed the thrill of life and conversed amongst themselves without a care in the world. He had asked her then, if she would come visit him at the academy and give a guest lecture to his class. Every rational part of her knew that she was not qualified to teach a class on magics and that she would only make a fool of herself. But the way he had looked at her when he asked and the joyful earnestness in his voice, she found herself agreeing to his proposal without a second thought. The way his face lit up when she accepted, she couldn’t help but smile back. Even now, as she scanned building after building for any indication of where to go, the memory brought a smile to her face.
Her daydreaming was interrupted by a light peck on her shoulder. She turned, raising an eyebrow, as her companion jerked its head towards the next building over with a sign above the door stating “Aumar Hall - Evocation Wing”. Giving her friend a grateful pet under the chin, she jogged over to the building and entered. Thankfully, the wing was easier to navigate than the campus. Going off the room number she had been given, she made her way up to the fourth floor and began going down the hall until she found her destination: a simple wooden door with a placard reading “Gale Dekarios – Assistant Professor”. Taking a deep breath, she gave three short knocks, and after a few seconds the door opened to reveal a familiar face.
“Kaedwen! You made it”
And gods above, the way he said her name made her forget all the trouble it took to get here. He didn’t look too different from how he had those months ago at the party. The main difference was his robe, which was a deep blue with the emblem of the school embroidered on the front left of the garment in gold thread. Part of her wondered if it was real gold, with the air that some of the students had about them, she had no doubt that this school wasn’t lacking funding. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she returned his smile,
“It’s wonderful to see you again, Gale. Hopefully I haven’t made you wait too long”
He shook his head, “Not at all. We actually have a few minutes before we have to head to the classroom. Please, come in”
He opened the door farther and held out his arm in a welcoming gesture. Taking a few steps inside, the smell of books and mahogany hit her nose as she glanced around. The room was simply adorned, bookshelves lined one of the side walls and a desk with papers stacked atop it was positioned towards the other side of the room. Two simple chairs sat opposite the main seat at the desk, likely for students who stopped by. Across from the door a tall, narrow window let in the late afternoon sun and looked over one of the courtyards. The sudden sound of metal-on-wood drew her attention back towards the door, where her raven companion had apparently knocked over a coat rack as it tried to enter the room. Instantly, she dismissed the bird in a flash of green light and went to put the coat rack back in its rightful place.
“I am so sorry. They’re not really used to small spaces, and I forgot that most doorways aren’t designed with dire ravens in mind”
Despite the brief commotion, Gale chuckled lightheartedly, “Well, most buildings don’t anticipate dire ravens desiring entry to the premises. I’m honestly surprised that you weren’t stopped by security”
“Thankfully not, though I got more than a few sideways glances from passing students. I gather ravens aren’t a common familiar here?”
“Ravens perhaps, but not ones as large as your friend,” he commented as he sat down in his seat and gestured to the chairs across from the desk, “please, sit. Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? Something a bit…stronger?”
Kaedwen chuckled, “Day-drinking on the job? What have you been getting up to, Professor Dekarios?”
A small smile alighted his lips, “I’m still getting used to that. Though I think saving the world as we know it should put us on a first-name-basis”
“Very well then, Professor Gale,” she replied with a playful smirk.
He sighed, “Walked right into that one”
“That you did. Now, what exactly did I sign myself up for?”
“Nothing too trying, I can assure you. We’re nearing the midpoint of the semester and I’ve no doubt that my students are getting tired of the sound of my voice. Thus, I thought it might be a nice change of pace to have a guest speaker and, as someone with a less traditional background with magic, I thought they might find your insights particularly interesting”
“‘Less traditional’ is a very…diplomatic way to put it,” she commented with a rye smile, “I fear that my insights may not be the most useful to a roomful of aspiring academics”
“Your perspective is exactly what aspiring academics need,” he shifted forward in his seat, “It’s a good reminder that magic can be found outside of tomes and equations. That there isn’t one correct way to harness this power and that each caster’s relationship with magic is unique. That, is the beauty of the craft”
Kaedwen’s eyebrows lifted slightly and he bowed his head somewhat sheepishly, “Ah, apologies for rambling. I can’t seem to stop myself sometimes”
She shook her head, unable to deny that the complement had caused her chest to flutter, “Don’t apologize for being passionate about your work. I think it’s wonderful that you enjoy it so much and I’m certain your students appreciate your enthusiasm as well”
Gale opened his mouth to respond but the dull chime of the clock on the wall cut him off. He looked over and let out a small sound of alarm, “Oh, we best start heading over to the classroom. My class will never let me hear the end of it if I am late again”
With that, he stood up and ushered her down a few sets of stairs and past several identical doors before he entered one that had been propped open. The room was certainly larger than the office had been, though not quite as big and she had been expecting. To the left, six rows of long tables lined each side of the room, with a path down the center to walk through. Most of the seats were occupied by students who appeared to be the equivalent of young adults for their respective races. Several had already begun setting out their books while others chatted with their neighbors about a recent test they had in another class that, from the sound of it, was much different than the practice test had been. Just in front of the door was a wooden lectern with a chalkboard behind it which was littered with numerous equations that she could only assume were of a magical nature. The wall across from the door held several windows similar to the one in Gale’s office, though most had been shuttered leaving a few scattered sconces as the only sources of light.
As Gale stepped into the room, he glanced at the chalkboard and a scowl fell across his face, “How many times do I have to ask her to clean the board when she is done? It’s just common curtesy, honestly”
With a wave of his hand and a few muttered words, the chalk disappeared from the board, leaving a blank slate. He then turned to the class and waited for the ambient chatter to die down before speaking,
“Good evening class. I’ve heard from some reliable sources that midterms have been particularly challenging this semester. So, in an effort to lower stress, we have a guest speaker here today to talk about her experiences with magic. And don’t worry, nothing from today’s lecture will be on next week’s exam,” he gestured for Kaedwen to step forward before continuing, “this is Ms. Verdeloch. Take this class session as an opportunity to ask her questions and learn about magic from a different point of view”
Gale stepped away from the podium and took a seat in one of the open chairs in the front row. Cautiously, she approached the lectern and addressed the class,
“Uh, good evening. As Professor Dekarios mentioned, my name is Kaedwen Verdeloch and I am here to answer any questions you might have”
A silence fell over the room for a minute before one brave student, a tiefling with ram horns, raised their hand, “Where did you study magic, Ms. Verdeloch?”
“I never had any formal education in magic, but I picked up some things naturally throughout my life. Mostly spells that help me with day-to-day activities like Ensnaring Strike, Goodberry, and Pass Without Trace”
Another student spoke up, “What sorts of activities require those spells regularly?”
“Well, if the longbow didn’t give it away, I’m a hunter by trade. Those spells help me catch prey and avoid encountering potentially dangerous creatures”
Some students near the back of the room exchanged a few looks at her admission, but Kaedwen was honestly used to it. She wasn’t ashamed of the work she did, quite the opposite really. What she did put food on her table and the tables of other families. She wondered how many of those present enjoyed meat with their meals but preferred not to know, or willfully ignored, how that food came to be on their plate. The sound of a new voice snapped her out of her thoughts, though it appeared that the student was not directing their question at her,
“Professor Dekarios, how did you and Ms. Verdeloch meet? Pardon me saying this but it doesn’t seem like the two of you operate in similar circles”
Gale turned toward the speaker, “Life often has interesting ways of bringing people together, though let’s focus our questions on the topics of magic. Perhaps we could ask Ms. Verdeloch for a demonstration of some of the evocation spells she uses”
Kaedwen gave a slow nod, “I can certainly demonstrate if that would be helpful”
She searched her mind for a spell and eventually settled on one of her favorites. Lowering down on one knee, she placed both of her hands on the floor and spoke a brief incantation. Almost instantly, the floor in front of her became covered in a mass of thorny vines. Several students had to tuck their legs up onto their chairs to avoid getting cut by the brambles. Standing back up, Kaedwen brushed her hands on her coat and inclined her head towards a halfling student who had raised their hand,
“Question?”
The student put their hand down, “Isn’t Spike Growth a transmutation spell?”
She looked over at Gale, “Is it?”
He nodded slowly, “That it is. Good memory, Kara”
“I thought you had said transmutation spells change things?” Kaedwen asked, an eyebrow raised
“At a fundamental level, yes”
“Then how is this transmutation?”
A brief pause, “You transmuted the floor to spikes”
“I covered the floor with spikes. The floor is still there beneath the vines” she said as she gestured to the mass of brambles
Gale pinched the bridge of his nose, an act that he often did when the two of them got into topics concerning the intricacies of magic “The spell only changes the top layer of the surface into spikes. So, individuals can continue to traverse the space, though doing so is more harrowing”
“But when the spikes are gone the floor is intact”
“Because the conclusion of the spell returns the transmuted surface back to its original state”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just add spikes on top of the floor?”
“That’s not how…” he paused, taking a none-too-subtle breath to calm himself, “Why don’t you demonstrate Cure Wounds? We learned about the theory behind that incantation two weeks ago so it might be interesting to see it in action”
Accepting the change in subject, Kaedwen nodded and dismissed the vines. She began the motions for the healing spell but paused mid-cast, “I thought this class was on evocation spells”
“Cure Wounds is an evocation spell” Gale responded plainly, his face willing itself to a neutral expression
She placed her hands on her hips, “Now how does that make any sense? You told me that evocation spells did damage”
“That’s not what I said”
“That is basically what you said”
Gale’s eye twitched slightly as he responded with an almost patronizing slowness, “Evocation spells channel raw energy. This energy can be used to create damaging blasts, or it can be harnessed to heal. But either way, the fundamental principles behind the spells remain identical”
Kaedwen lifted her eyebrow for the nth time today as her frustration began to build, “Says who?”
“Says the authors of arcane principle!” He responded, standing from his seat
“And who made them the end-all-be-all? They were probably just making stuff up”
“‘Making stuff up’?” he was shouting blatantly now, “they were scholars who devoted their lives to the pursuit of magical knowledge! Their findings are the basis for modern spell craft, without which we would have no understanding of the workings of the Weave or how to manipulate it properly. Without this basic understanding, one would produce nothing but disorganized chaos!”
Kaedwen scoffed, “You might only produce chaos, but there are plenty of us who have figured this whole magic thing out without knowing the ‘principles’ or the ‘theory’ behind it. Isn’t that why you wanted my insights, as you put it, or was this whole ordeal a set-up to prove why you academics are superior to us common folk? Well excuse me for not having the luxury of a proper education, Professor Dekarios,” she spat the title like a curse, “next time you want to feel good about yourself, try finding someone who actually cares about your opinion of them”
The instant the words left her mouth she knew she took it too far, but in the moment she hardly cared. The students, who she had honestly forgotten about, looked aghast as their gazes flitted between her and their professor. They probably thought she was deranged, and she was fine with them thinking that. If her methods were ‘chaos’, then she may as well act like it.
She turned away from Gale and stormed out the classroom door. He made an attempt to follow her, but she quickly summoned her companion in the doorway behind her. The bird cawed angrily and she could hear the various alarmed gasps of the students at the creature’s sudden appearance. Mercifully, it was easier to find the exit to the campus than it had been to find the classroom. She passed through the gates and soon found herself running through the unfamiliar streets of Waterdeep, eyes brimming with tears of unknown origin. Her actions began to gather the stares of passersby as she pushed through crowds and tried to regulate her breathing. Summoning all her concentration, she cast Pass Without Trace on herself and slowly the unwanted glances began to dissipate. Now thoroughly lost, she peeled off into a gap between two buildings and sat down with her back to one of the walls.
She never should have come. She had been a fool to fall for his obvious flattery and charming glances. After everything their party had been through, she had foolishly begun to believe that maybe he didn’t see her like most did. That they had built a connection through shared victory and pain that could overcome the differences in their upbringings. That he had seen her worth and wanted to show it to others. He had said everything she wanted to hear and she fell for it. She knew it was too good to be true and yet she let herself hope.
What she didn’t understand is why it hurt so bad this time. She had fallen for empty words before in her youth and was able to let the betrayal roll off her like water off a duck’s back. But this time it felt like an enchanted arrow in her gut, its ice spreading inside her and consuming all in its path. Her breath was coming in short bursts and tears continued to flow as she sat in the dirt cursed herself, cursed her heart, for acting so recklessly. Because that was the difference, wasn’t it? She could let the insults of strangers wash over her, but Gale meant more to her than they ever had. She valued his company and his insights, after all they faced certain death together. But it was more than just that. There were multiple members of their party that had, at one point or another, commented on her wild nature and she had let it slide with a practiced smile. This was different. Gale was different. She thought back to his invitation at the party, how she couldn’t help but smile at the stories he told of his work. How she could comfortably go weeks without speaking to anyone save her animal companion but would happily talk about nothing in particular with him for hours, never growing tired of his company. How fury had boiled inside her when the Elminster told him of Mystra’s wishes. Gale had always been too good for Mystra.
And he was certainly too good for her.
A frustrated sigh left her lips as the tears continued to fall. She never had a chance, and she definitely didn’t now that she had insulted the topic he was most passionate about so harshly, and in front of his class no less. She hit her head against the wall behind her. She was an idiot, but it was always going to end like this, wasn’t it? She would get her hopes up and reality would come crashing down like the Netherbrain into the ocean. She should have known that their differences were too great to overcome, and after the scene she made, she was certain his opinion of her had only diminished.
A sharp caw caused her to snap her head up and in the sliver of visible sky above she spotted her raven friend as they swooped down and landed on her knee. She brushed the feathers on their head lightly and wiped her tears with her sleeve,
“Thank you for your help back there. Hopefully you didn’t have too much trouble finding me,” she sighed, “I was a fool to think today would go any differently. I’m sure you saw this coming”
Her friend cocked its head to the side and let out a small chirp. She chuckled, “You were always the smarter of the two of us. Well, it’s in the past now, so all we can do is move forward…or try to at least,” the raven brushed their head against her cheek, “thank you, friend. At least I know that I have you no matter what may come”
She stood up, allowing her companion to reposition itself on her shoulder, “Let’s go home, shall we?”
With a caw of agreement, the pair made their way through the winding streets as Kaedwen tried to distract herself by thinking of what they could make for dinner upon their return.
It didn’t work.