AN- The Academy scores grades on a 1 through 5 scale…it's simpler that way.

Firilya- Of course Punkin's ego takes over but at least she tries to contain it some. A rogy-rogie bush is a thorny little brown leafed….okay, I made it up. I like Jude too, I think the whole good and evil thing is much simpler than I (Punkin) made it out to be. If you don't think yourself…than you're good in my book. That's my thought. One more chapter until Amberlee and I think you'll understand more of why she's the way she is. :-).

Witchwolf- Beat me by mere minutes, shoot. –Laughs- I wish I could explain how much Punkin getting under his skin but I'd give away a lot of things that I shouldn't. Anyway have fun, and you get to know a bit about Meris' deep dark secret in this one.

Chapter 6

By the end of the week I had finally fell into the groove of the rhythm of class; I had figured out that anything I did or said in Minsc's class, than Boo liked it which meant the ranger liked it also. In my alchemy course, Jansen only needed a little sweet talk to let me out of doing anything but I enjoyed making explosives…which most people, especially Sharwyn, have found it a lapse in judgment to allow me and volatile materials to co-exist. But hey, I haven't blow anything important up…yet. Now that my voice was returning to my, I've shown Tibitha a glimpse into the magnificence that is my extraordinary resonance, but I think she feels I'm limiting my vocal capabilities by wanting to adventure instead of being a professional singer…but it's my life. The only teacher that I've failed to utterly impress is Master Takrath…

I was able to have a slight conversation with his pixie companion, River, who also doubled as his most trusted advisor, and she informed me that he thought and I quote…

"He thinks you're a decent spell caster as far as bards go…more than that I don't know exactly how he feels about you."

She made it sound like a compliment but I knew what all that meant…I was average and how could he tell if I could even cast spells…we hadn't even started, yet. All we did was have discussions about things that I had little opinion on. Should the elements be manipulated? Can anyone cast spells? Which is better…adventuring in groups or alone? I never thought about any of these things, I always just went with the flow…wherever life took me I'd make the most out of it. But Meris was with out a doubt Master Takrath's most astute student…I think he was the pale master's favorite. But in the same sense I feel like he sees the same things I see in the daemonfey…but I doubt he sees the same quantity of the things I see. I thought about his body more and more everyday…I was being to get obsessed even though we saw very little of each other.

But tonight was the eve of a new me…after tonight Master Takrath, Meris and everyone of those mages would look at me in a new light but I had one problem to solve, I had two pages of a three page report done after getting a few other people's comments including my roommate Akyrra's ideals and principles from her training in the way of Shenron. I really wanted to end with clout, with something so amazing it would make Master Takrath lose a knuckle over.

I needed inspiration.

The library became my only refuge, where I had to figure two things out; first was this question was ultimately answerable, what should magic be used for and secondly why was it important to answer. The second, I could almost answer because if we have something than we need to learn how to harness that thing but the first thought was troubling. I shifted my opinion a great deal, at one moment it would seem sensible that it could be answered…then I became frustrated I thought that it was just a mental trick by that pale master.

The ageless debate focused on this very issue in its most simplistic view; should magic be banned as it is in a few providences or should people embrace magic as a fundamental truth of creation's control over its own environment. That sounds good I'll write that down. I'm amazing.

Neither side has much advantage in the argument. Anti-magic critics have stated the simplistic point that a city without magic is safer and usually has a lower amount of criminal activity. No Harper's Scouts either.

Pro-magic advocates state that aside from a world without magic falling apart, that magic is just a tool and anyone that thinks it should be outlawed should also think every weapon should be also, that would drop criminal activity to all-time lows but the threat of oppression would make the populace live in constant fear. And more than that all living things are imbued with magic itself…no magic, no life.

In the end magic is neither natural nor malevolent, it is merely a tool like the sword or the catapult and needs to be used as such. So in the end magic should be used by one that has mastery over it, someone that has carefully studied the effects and tribulations of casting…magic should be used for the service of those that a capable of using it and since magic itself is neither good or evil, lawful or dishonest, then it must be in all reason a neutral entity and used as such.

This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and at least I was finished now even if Takrath hated it, I had done his first assignment and I would gloat about that as long as I lived. But for now I'd leave my gloating to Meris…

XOXOXO

I knocked on his door and to my great surprise his roommate the charming Everiegn appeared before me with the most sour face I had ever seen on a man or beast. Your mother told you your face might freeze that way

His response to my visit, "What do you want?" To sharpen my blade with your backside but…

"I was looking for Meris, you didn't run him off did you?" I said in the most polite voice I could muster.

"Unless I'm a shifter than he's not here," Okay so we want to have an attitude.

"What in Nine Hells is your problem anyway, Meris hasn't done anything to anyway since he came here, he's been an exemplary student and more than anything he's put with your bull better than anyone else would." Your head would be over my bedposts by now.

"Perhaps I'm the only person that sees him for what he truly is. There's more to him than meets the eye…the human eye at least."

"Okay, I think I get it, you're one of those elven superiorist that feels no one is virtuous and perfect other than your kind…I'm glad to be a poor breed human that can't see in the dark…"

"That's not what I meant…"

"And of course since Meris is technically an elf he's worse than even I…since he is contaminated with demonic blood, huh. I can see why he's the way he is…"

"He's the way he is because he's evil. I bet he hasn't even told you way his mother sent him here…I have my own skeletons in the past but your Meris has some that make mine look diminutive in size."
Meris told me he had things in his past but I doubt that cowardly letting his family be killed would look small in comparison, "Are you trying to say you're better than Meris because your iniquities aren't as bad as his…"

"Of course…I'd rather be a coward than die trying to kill a blue dragon. I'm not an idiot nor am I a headstrong conqueror. I know who I am and I'll someday avenge my mother's death." Just his mother's…I thought his whole family was killed…except his grandmother…this guy was weird than even me.

"I hate people like you…" I don't know where that came from, "You go around and expect for people to accept your way and your God as right and then what do you do…you act as if you have no god in your life…"

"And your god is better…" Everiegn said with a bit of venom in his voice.

"I don't have a god. I doubt the gods, if there are any, care for our puny little problems…"

"So not only are you infatuated with a demon…"

"I never said I was infatuated…"

"Well are you?" Everiegn, you asking for your own head.

"I doubt you would care if I told you anything…but Meris is the only person in this entire school that cared enough to visit me after I got hurt. Even Sharwyn, though she was busy, didn't even come to see me personally. He's got a good heart…better than most people I've met, better than my own."

"He's just using you…" That's the last time you say anything like that…

"I don't care for your attitude and if you continue to give Meris trouble than I might have to cash in a favor or two to Sharwyn. I'm sure she'll look one death over for the many times I've come to her aid," I scrunched my eyes and smiled mischeviously, "And don't worry…I don't MISS my targets."

"What do you see in him?" he asked ignoring my threat.

"He's caring, kind and selfless, he hasn't fired an arrow at anyone…I cannot think of any rules he's broken at the Academy…"

"HE leaves the campus at night…that's against rule 41.002 in the student handbook…"

"HE has permission from his instructors to do so also…"

"Oh yeah, from the bony armed freak…" This guy really, really must have a death wish.

"I will pretend I didn't here that," said the sharp voice of the pale master who was trying to keep up with the long strides of Meris that traveled down the hallway beside him, "and Misses Capernum, I believe you aren't supposed in the male dorms…"

"I needed to see Meris about the essay and the rules state that before lights out, I am allowed to be outside the door and six inches away…"

"I understand," Jude blinked, "That's probably why Sharwyn made every student have a roommate. She's more clever than she looks, although that doesn't say all too much."

Meris grinned, "Don't be angry that she made you escort me back to my room after my training time, we wouldn't want something unfortunate to happen to me…"

"We no…I'm thinking I might though." Master Takrath said and began to walk off, "And make sure that essay is satisfactory, we're not starting casting until my intellect has been appeased." The pale master must not have sense the tension or if he did he cared little as he disappeared.

The three of us, bard, wizard and ranger, stood statuesque looking at one another, wanting one of the others to break the silence.

Meris coolly cracked the quiet air, "So, it would be my guess that you two were talking about me."

"And if we were…what business would it be to you, it's not like you're her boyfriend or anything." Everiegn said looking at me the whole time, "She also figured out your little secret." The bastard is trying to screw me over.

Meris looked away from me and entered the room with more speed than I've ever seen from a wizard. Everiegn smirked as he closed the door. Piece of shit, I'll kill him before I graduate.

XOXOXO

My essay was fine or as Takrath said…

"It lack a little something but what you had in it was enough appease anyone's intellectual appetite…I'd give you a 2 for the fact that it's the minimum but I'll give you an extra point for creativity…3 is your grade."

I was angry until I found out Yandor and Treva got a 1…man, he must be really hard to please. Meris didn't come to class. I was afraid that I would never see him again but Linu gave me a note from him that simply said…

"Don't hate me without knowing the whole story." I don't know any of the story.

XOXOXO

The next few weeks came and went. Meris finally start coming back to Master Takrath's class but he wouldn't look or say anything to me…he was very distant. I wanted to force him to tell me what he was so heartrending over, but I knew I wasn't good at these things and I let me get over it. If he thought I didn't care about whatever it was that I didn't know about, then he'd eventually let everything out…I was sure he'd get over it. But these few weeks gave me a crash course in Merisology, he was a very calculated and chary guy and he wouldn't let his guard down easily.

Akyrra, who I got the privilege to spend most of my time with, gave me some pointers on guys, since she is sadly more experienced in that department.

"Don't let him thing he has control of the situation…if he thinks you're the one ignoring him, he'll crack sooner…it's just how guys are."

She always reminded me to tell her what Meris was keeping from everyone.

The day he revealed what he didn't want anyone to know was probably one of the gloomiest in my life. I still remember the day like it was outside my window. No sun, just clouds in the sky, and not fluffy fun ones but the dark, sinister ones filled with saline. The ground was wet and sticky as was the air. I hated that day but I would always remember it because of him.

"You think I'm revolting…" That was the first words he said to me after months worth of silence.

I smiled remembering when he visited me when I was hurt by the shadow, "I never thought that you were horrible…you saved my life remember."

"But Everiegn said…" He and the elf had all of a sudden become friends…not close ones but ones nonetheless.

"He lied…I don't know anything about anything. I'm sure whatever happened I've done worse…" I said as we walked back from our magical practice arena way in the back of the academy. I still remember the way the droplets of rain ran down my fishbone braid.

"I killed someone…"

"So." I interrupted. I had killed people, too. Nothing I was proud of but it was nothing I wanted to hide either.

"An innocent person." He said looking at the rain falling over him.

"I'm sure you were in the right," I said but his look gave everything away. I knew he felt guilty…he'd tell he never felt guilt but I knew that he did this day.

"I killed my best friend." That's not what I was expecting to her and I guess it showed on my face, "See, I knew you would think I was a monster…just like everyone else."

"No, no. I just didn't think you had a lot of friends," smooth line, Punkin.

"But I had too. I had…you'd never understand." And that was all he told me. He was probably right, that I wouldn't understand it all at that moment…but I knew he wasn't the kind of person that would brutally kill someone over nothing. And in my head I started to figure out how I could get the entire story.