ALEXiThymiA: Chapter 87 The Recruit

Chapter 87

The Recruit

Tuesday

Time Until Integration 1 Month, 25 Days, 8 Hours…

It was Tuesday afternoon; no electives were supposed to be attended. The afternoon fair where everyone was supposed to choose their next afterschool elective was cancelled violently thanks to the red Countess and an unlikely challenger. Well Challenger isn’t quite the right word when they challenge and win, underdog, overachiever? Regardless of the actual term, the outcome was clear, Alexa Thyme had not only won the battle, but had caused the Red Countess to be desiccated, a process that supposedly was a combination of Healing and Water magic.

Clara St. Brown, the school nurse thought about that, then she found herself wondering about all the minor events of the day. It had been a long twenty-four hours, a night where she didn’t have much sleep. A night that she was thankful she could just stay in her healer’s hut, and take a well deserved nap, before she made her final report.

There was even the video that showed Alexa in her Aru’ka healer’s outfit not just healing people. Not just creating light and metal, no she went one step further and managed to give the gift of Healing magic to a little girl.

Of course, that feed of events was soon edited when rebroadcast, all previous links to it were taken down, but Clara had seen with her own eyes the truth. Not just Clara, but Jane Juleman, her accomplice for most of the night, and most of her time here on campus.

She had been there, with her on their impromptu assignment by the General. She had seen and felt the moment of freedom, then she like Clara had seen the moment when they both realized something was wrong. They had both heard defiance against not just the Orcs, and the Dragons, but also the elves. The girl was preaching madness right there in the woods.

But an odd thing happened, rather than the devotion to the cause that would normally pulse through her veins, forcing her first to strike at the infidel, then to report everything immediately to General Mackie, she felt calm.

In the end Clara and Jane just watched the class of girls have a typical bonfire party, that most girls their age would have. Clara could see the waves of discontent being woven subtly by Alexa, someone who was far more mindful that Clara had ever given the girl credit for.

Also, there was the unsettling way that she would subtly look over to the corner where both Clara and Jane had chosen to hide. Rather than confront the two, it almost seemed like the girl made a few speeches just for them.

“Tomorrow, I will teach you two things. First I will teach you all the arts of magic, how we can share our knowledge freely in one of two ways. The first is a complete merge where you see and experience all of my memories. The second is where I can bestow upon you the first tier of any school of magic I have mastered. It is this second step that I intend to do at least once with all of you, so that you might be prepared for your trials into dungeons. This of course leads me to my second key point. Each dungeon is designed to teach a few key things. This dungeon on campus is meant to teach the basics of fighting. I will go over the basics with you all, so that you might pass without need of the broken dungeon that had been designed to hide classes and options from you. We will practice fighting techniques, then you will go into the dungeon, earn the dungeon’s reward and a class.”

What she was speaking was blasphemy, straight and utter blasphemy, but the girls and even her moronic brother ate it up.

Later on, once the students all settled down to sleep, June and Clara made their way out of the woods as silently as possible. Of course, they weren’t silent enough to avoid werewolf hearing, but for some reason the girls never came to investigate, it was almost as if they were told to stay behind. Knowing Alexa, this was likely exactly what she told them to do, but why? If she knew that both June and I were there, then why did she let us leave?

Once they were out, they went over the details, or at least they tried to go over the details. June of course wanted nothing to do with it.

“I, I just don’t think we should.” June said, her words having a form of fear to them.

“You want to betray the General?” Clara asked.

“What? No, but we don’t have to tell him everything do we? He thinks she is part of the faction, right? Why don’t we just, you know, keep that going.”

Clara locked gazes with June and for a moment she wondered where that fervent resolve that normally shone in the girl’s eyes was. “This is our chance. We finally have a chance to get magic, what you and I have both dreamed about.”

“Yes, but how many times have they dangled that same carrot in front of us. How many times have we been forced to bow and scrape at the will of those creatures, all to be told we aren’t good enough. This could be our chance. You heard her right? She is willing to share, to willingly share magic.”

“I heard her, but did you hear what she said. She said she would just share the first stage, as if it was something easy, as if all it took was a simple waving of the hands and it would be done.’

“Clara, what if it can be done that way? We have never seen it shared. Those that have the magic never speak of it or its origins, part of the elven gaeses that they are placed under. But, what if it were that easy? What if we had been lied to all this time?” June pleaded.

At that, Clara realized two things. First her friend had many of the same doubts that she too had felt. Doubts that she had chosen to ignore for now, as before there was never an alternative solution. Before if she wanted magic, there was only one source willing to teach. Which of course meant, only those willing to pay any cost would earn their reward. But now there was an alternate source.

“Look, all I’m saying is give her a day before you turn her in.” June said.

“A day?”

“Yeah, we go give her a day. If in that day she doesn’t show proof that she can teach other’s magic, then we both go and turn her in to the General.” June said.

Rustle.

At that statement, a sudden rustling of branches could be heard. But when June and Clara both looked, they could only see woods. Whatever animal had been there was clearly gone by now.

At that a faint chill ran down Clara’s back, she realized this was an important moment. Turn in the traitor to the cause and get one step closer to learning magic from the elves, or take a shot at a complete stranger.

“Fine, one day, but we tell the General if we think that even for a moment she might be lying.” Clara said.

“Deal.” June said.

With that the two made their way back on campus, where they were immediately met by General Mackie.

“How did it go?” General Mackie asked.

At that Clara felt her throat tighten as she felt she had been caught.

“It went well. The Countess recruited the entire pack to her cause.” June covered smoothly, no lies, only omissions.

“Very good, you two should get your rest.” General Mackie said.

“Thank you sir.” June said, bowing slightly then moving forward.

Clara seeing the movement followed forward herself.

Badump, badump.

Her heart raced quickly, as she thought her own body would give her away. Taking a deep calming breath, she forced herself to breathe and forcefully calmed her body and mind.

Poof.

Within a second General Mackie was gone, likely teleporting to some other location on the school from where he would sit to monitor the entire school.

All of these thoughts coursed through Clara’s mind. She had almost been ready to turn in Alexa early, at least that was her plan, until she got a message just before noon.

June: Turn on Local News 9.

Clara: What?

June: What we spoke about last night. She did it, is doing it…

Clara was confused for a moment, but turned on the live news feed and saw Alexa in her Aru’ka costume holding her hand on the back of a little girl, who could be no older than six, maybe seven at the most casting Healing magic.

Clara watched as the two interacted in what one would almost call a truly scripted moment.

“You are tall.” The small girl Samantha said.

Alexa, in her Aru’ka costume, just nodded, “you will be too. Now why don’t you tell us what you got from the system?”

“Oh right, it says He-all-ing.”

“Healing.”

“Right, Healing Tier eye.”

Hearing the words, Clara’s heart raced and pulsed as it felt like her whole body was close to collapsing from shock. She did it, she gave the gift of magic to a six-year-old. At first Clara was angry at the fact that a little girl learned magic for nothing other than being in the right spot at the right time, but then she realized that this meant that what Alexa said wasn’t a lie.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry.” General Mackie said, coming into her office where the news was still playing. “I meant to come by earlier, but you know how things get.”

“Oh right?” Clara said, her mind working quickly. Why had she called the General, oh yeah, it was to out Alexa and what she was doing. But seeing the moment on the news just now made her change her mind. But how could she cover that with the General who would be suspicious of everything. “She’s done it again.” Clara said.

“What?”

“Alexa, just look. She has not only healed people, but she just gave a six-year-old the magical school of Healing.” Clara said, gesturing to the television.

At that General Mackie also peered at the tv, then she watched as his face changed from calm, to confused, to surprised, and ultimately settled on concerned.

“You were right for bringing this to my attention. Thank you, I will make sure future rebroadcasts have this part edited out.” General Mackie said. “Is there anything else?”

Clara shook her head, not trusting her words to not give away that she was holding something back from the General and his amazing lie detection skills.

“Very well then, I shall go fix this immediately.” General Mackie said before turning about on his heel to exit.

As he turned around, Clara let out a sigh of relief, one that was cut short as the general turned back around at the door and spoke again. “Oh one last thing…”

At that Clara felt like the entire weight of the world was crashing down on her, as if he had waited to now to cast his line. He had given her chance after chance to come clean, to tell the truth and she blew it. She was almost ready to throw herself on the floor and beg for forgiveness right then and there, but fortunately the General continued his thought before Clara’s frozen body had any time to react.

“Good job bringing this to my attention. As you can guess the Countess will be very important to our cause going forward.”

Tap, tap.

With that the general patted the metal door frame twice, and was gone.

Clara held her breath, counting to ten until she felt the energy come back to her limbs where she could go out to the hallway and check for the General, only to find that he was gone.

Phew.

This time Clara let out a long sigh of relief and finally let her body relax. Of course, she was too old to continually go through such things. She had collapsed into a chair and watched the rest of the news in its entirety. Then when classes were gone, out of habit she found her way out here to her Healer’s Hut. Since extra curriculars were still cancelled, she thought this would be the perfect afternoon to take a much needed nap.

Knock knock.

Of course, it seemed that fate would not be kind to her today and grant her the slight mercy of a much needed nap.

“Come in.” Clara found herself saying on reflex as she sat up from her bed she had been sitting on and stood to greet the person who dared interrupt her nap.

Then seeing the person who came in, her body froze.

“Hello. I think we should talk about what you said last night.” Alexa’s cold and yet melodic voice caused a shiver to run down Clara’s spine.

“I don’t know what you…”

“You were there, along with Ms. Juleman. I have proven I can do what I said, now it is time for you to let me know if you are willing to join me and my faction…”

Hearing the words Clara realized one thing, "the woods last night, that was you?"

Alexa nodded.

Clara was about to ask more, when she received a system message.

Countess Alexa Thyme has offered you a lifetime pact. Join her faction to learn Healing magic, do you accept?

Seeing the message Clara’s eyes went wide for a moment, and realized with this there was no turning back, there was no second chance, this was it, her dream come true.

“Yes.” Clara said, and with that one word, she felt her entire world change.