Chapter Two
The Meeting

Eight Years Later

“Come on Karis  I’ve got fifty Zagas on this match  You lose and you’re either
paying me back, or you’re going to be needing to find a new roommate ” one of the knights surrounding a small, make-shift, boxing arena shouted. Karis, now twenty-two, was facing the reigning champion of the Sirstream Knight’s academy, a Tireem named Richard Dire. Richard was about 5'4 , wearing some hooded purple robes, and his green reptilian scales were sparkling in the sun. He was a transfer student from a mage academy in another city, and he was a very accomplished necromancer.

“You won’t win Human, I’ve never lost a fight,” Richard said, and attempted to jab his clawed hand into Karis’ arm.

“Neither have I,” Karis replied, and easily parried the attack. Karis was 5'6 , wearing a martial artist’s shirt, and cotton pants. He’d torn the sleeves off the shirt towards the beginning of the match so that he could put on a better show. Then, he slugged the Tireem in the stomach, by focusing his enough energy behind his punch, he sent Richard into the ropes of the arena.

“That was an underhanded move,” Richard said, clutching his stomach, or so it appeared. Karis took a step toward his opponent, when Richard pulled his hand out of his robes, and struck Karis in the face.

Karis clutched his nose to stop the bleeding, “No, that was an underhanded move.” Richard dashed toward Karis, his arm extended. Karis mumbled something under his breath, and tossed some of his blood onto Richard. Richard screamed out in pain, and he stopped in his tracks. Karis jumped up and hit Richard with a roundhouse kick, it was strong enough to knock Richard to the ground.

“One, two, three  Karis is the victor ” shouted Miria Recara. She was the academy’s long range weapons teacher, hand long brown hair, and usually wore bright white robes, although right now she was wearing leather armor that looked more like they belonged on a theif, not a weapons master. Oh, and she was an angel. She put on the fights for her students, the ones participating in the fights got extra credit, and the students could challenge anyone, and anyone could challenge them. Only one student had ever attempted to challenge Miria, and the poor student couldn’t move for three months afterward.  

There were shouts of joy and mourning behind the fighters as those who bet on Rick handed those that had bet on Karis their hard earned zagas. “Nice going Kar, he won’t be able to move for another week after that beating ” the knight who’d spoken before said, “Not to mention won me quiet a bit of zaga. Come on, drinks are on me ”

“You know I don’t drink Tom,” Karis replied.

“I know, that’s why I offered, you’re a cheap date. Unlike Sedra....”

“You mean you still haven’t broken it off with her yet? You told me you were breaking up with her a month ago  You’re hopeless ” Karis said, slapping himself in the forehead, “How is she?”

Thomas rolled his eyes, “Expensive. That girl is attracted to shiny things and makes me buy everything that catches her eye, and that girl’s never seen something with a price tag she didn’t like. She’s running me ragged.”

Almost on cue, a feminine voice came down from the top of the keep, “Hello Thomas ” The pair stopped and saw Sedra sitting on a window ledge. She was half-Cor, cat person. She had most of the features of a human, but some of a Cor; she was five foot even, had small cat ears on top of her head, a cat’s tail, and a Cor’s characteristically, large, luminescent eyes. She jumped from the ledge and landed next to Thomas, who was wearing iron armor. “I saw the most beautiful pendant in town today, and I was wondering if you’d buy it for me?” she said, rubbing her tail underneath his chin.

Karis nudged Thomas with his elbow, who responded by saying, “I know, I know ” he took a deep breath and said, “Sedra, I’m breaking up with you.”

“Good  Now let’s go before the stall... wait, what?” she said, her large green eyes beginning to water slightly.

“No, the waterworks won’t work this time. We are through. I don’t want to put up with you anymore. You want stuff, get a job and pay for it yourself ” Sedra looked like she was about to cry, and she ran off toward the town. The two watched after her for a while, then Thomas said, “Come on, let’s go down to Lady Seri’s pub. She’s got lots of different drinks  I’m sure the old fire demon would have some hot chocolate.”

“Thanks, but I think I’m gonna head inside, bye ” Karis said quickly, running into the keep.

“Wonder what got into him?” Thomas thought, then heard the sound of knuckles cracking.

“An old fire demon, am I?” said a woman behind Thomas. He turned to see a tall red headed woman in a red and white polyester shirt with matching skirt, she couldn’t have looked older than twenty-five. Something a that made her a little unusual was she was tossing a fireball up and down in her left hand.

“Miss... Miss, Seri, how nice to see you... I’d love to stay and chat, but I think I left my wallet in my other armor. Hey Karis, wait up ” he said, running after him.

“You can’t get away from me that easy ” Seri said, tossing a fireball at him. She laughed as she heard him yelp. “He is right about one thing though, I do have to get back to town and open the pub.”

. . .

“Mersi, could you please tend to this customer? I need to finish this healing salve for the academy before the courier comes to pick it up.”

“Of course, Madame Luxor,” Mersi replied. The old woman who had spoken had been the wife of the man who’d found her all those long years ago. Had because the man had died a year previously during a robbery. Mersi was 5'3 , had shoulder length blonde hair, and she was wearing simple clothes, “Welcome to Madame Luxor’s Magical Potions and Spells. How may I be of service?” Mersi had the line memorized because she’d been working in the store for ages. Mersi tried to size up the customer; she was Cor, or at least half Cor, appeared to be somewhere around the same age as herself, and it appeared she’d been crying recently.

“You wouldn’t happen to sell love potions, would you?” the girl asked.

Mersi nearly rolled her eyes, “One of those,” she thought, then said, “No, I’m afraid we don’t.”

The birl rubbed her chin for a moment, then asked, “What about invisibility charms?”

That was a new one, didn’t get many people looking for charms, at least not ones for invisibility anyway, “Well, I think this bracelet should do the trick,” she held up what looked like an ordinary child’s charm bracelet.

“What does it do?”

“Well,” Mersi placed one of the charms from th counter onto the bracelet, “depending on the charms that are placed on it, it can do a lot of things. This charm for instance,” she touched the charm, and she vanished, “makes the user invisible.”

The girl pulled a small amount of zaga from her pocket and said, “I’ll take one.”

Mersi took the money and handed the girl the bracelet, “What are you going to do with it?”

“I’m not sure, yet,” the girl replied before walking out.

Madame Luxor’s voice came from the back of the store, “Mersi? I just got a message from the academy, their courier is currently on an important delivery, and they don’t want to send any of the students. Do you think that you could take the package up the keep? Maybe you’ll see that boy you like.”

“Yes madame,” Mersi replied, her face turning bright red.

. . .

“NOROMI ” came the shout from the top of the keep. Karis jumped out of the way as Noromi Sarca barreled down the stairs. The blade master of the keep came following after, “Karis, did you see where Noromi ran off to?” he asked, his face bright red with fury.

“Yeah, he came down this way. He went off toward the firing range,” Karis replied, and continued polishing his katana. The instructor left down the stairs and Karis asked, “What did you do to get him so riled up this time?”

Noromi climbed out of the closet and said, “I uh... ‘borrowed’ one of his prized swords to show off to... a girl. But when I went to put the sword back, I accidently knocked over his armor and he came running.” Noromi was wearing yellow leather armor, and over his face he had a yellow skull mask.

“Well at least you didn’t do it on purpose this time. And will you take that stupid mask off, you’ve worn it every day for nearly two years. At this point you’d probably get away with more if you weren’t wearing the mask.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but I like wearing it. I feel naked without it now, but do you think he’ll buy that I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Wether I think he would or not, you should probably spend the night somewhere else, give him a couple of days to get over it.”

“Good idea, I’ll go sleep in the Cor barracks, I’m sure Azalas would let me bunk in his room.”

“Isn’t that where his office is?” Karis replied, gesturing down the stairs that lead to the Cor and Angel barracks.

“Good point. Ya know, the only reason he’s even over in that section is he’s got a crush on that angel, what’s her name? The long range weapon expert?”

“Miss Recara? I thought he was dating Lady Seri?”

“He is? ” the sound of a door slamming caught their attention. “Let’s continue this another time. If you need me, I’ll be at the woods training base camp,” Noromi winked, then vanished.

“I have to ask him how he does that,” Karis said, then entered the door to the Human and Naga rooms, then climbed out the window at the end of the hall. A group of new recruits was hiding behind some bushes with binoculars, “What are you doing?”

“Looking at the girl from the potion shop,” one said.

“Madame Luxor? I think she’s a little old for you.”

“Not Madame Luxor, Mersi. She makes the deliveries when the courier is away. She’s turned down everyone that’s offered to take her out,” another said.

“Yeah, I think...” the third said, before Mersi appeared directly in front of them, that is.

“And what would you three be looking at?” she asked sarcastically. Just before any of them tried to respond she said, “Secro, Craw, Coerall ” One turned into a pumpkin, one the body of a scarecrow, and one a raven. “There, now I have a new scarecrow for my herb garden.”

“Never mess with a sorceress,” Karis commented, and saw Mersi turn red, “Something the matter?”

No, n... n... nothing,” she pushed her hair out of the way shyly, “Would you like to... would you like to go on a walk with me?”

“Uh, sure,” Karis replied, slightly surprised that this shy girl’s question. The two walked into the woods, completely unaware of the events, that were about to transpire.
. . .

A tall man in expensive clothing walked into Madame Luxor’s shop, the tinkling of the bell alerting Madame Luxor to the visitor. She walked to the front while tinkering with something in her hands saying, “Mersi, that was quick, did you finish...” she looked up and saw the man, dropped the pocket watch she’d been winding, and said, “You ”

“Me,” the man replied, his ring’s insignia being projected onto the ground by the sun. “So, my failure of an apprentice was taken in by you and your husband? Interesting, but I have a more important matter to discuss with you. Where is your husband’s ring.”

“I’ll never give it to you, you vedra,” the old woman said, then spat on his shoes.

“Now, now. Play nice,” he swiped his rod and sent a large charm hanging on the wall crashing into a shelf, “or I’ll have to play dirty. I will only ask you one more time Midres; Where is Pietro’s ring ” he shouted, his voice barely concealing his fury.

“You will have to kill me, but even then you’ll never find it.”

The man sighed and said, “Fine,” he held his palm into the air and said, “Flarico,” fire engulfed his hand.

“You always were more into your theatrics than your spells. Using such an advanced spell for such an idle threat.”

“Advanced? This is the simplest spell I know,” the fire faded and he turned away, “You will regret not giving me the ring while you had the chance.” Without another word he departed from the store.