It's not what it looks like
Codatorta was rushing down the halls as he used the locator to Blade's bracelet pinpointing her inside his own school, 'The police attacked her?! Why didn't she call for backup? … Damn, that girl's so stubborn. How did she even hack the bracelet? If I get my hands on Memphis…' As out of nowhere a scream rebounded from down the hallway.
"SON OF A- LET GO! THAT HURTS!"
'That's her! Oh, for crying out loud,' The Drillmaster rushed and nearly slid past the door as he gazed at the bracelet data, yet while the vitals were spiking it still was nothing life-threatening at all. He ripped the door open. Julius, Keith and Michael were pinning Blade down to the ground. Mercury sat on top of her helping the guys. Blade was turning and bending under their grip with a death glare of pain in her eyes, her shoulder horribly dislocated. Dean panickily searched for something, all their stuff was on the floor. All over the place were bandages and wound pressings some were used others were still clean. And to top, it all off Blade was currently muffled by Kai with her own shirt in their boy's locker room. Codatorta was ready to speak, yet all that got out was a sigh. He pinched his nose bridge, 'Thank the Great Dragon, she's alright and with her team…'
"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"
If Blade wasn't in so much pain from her dislocation he would have laughed. They had utterly missed the mark of what they were probably trying to achieve like he rarely had seen in his whole career as a teacher at Red Fountain. To anyone else that scene probably would look like they were forcing themselves on their Fairy team member against her will. The Drillmaster with a piercing stare looked up, took a step forward, picked up the healing spell book from the ground and hammered it shut before the boys could say anything else. "Oh, so this isn't the worst screw-up of first aid I have ever seen? And you are indeed trying to RAPE HER?" He was ice-cold and deadly serious and cracked his knuckles.
"No, no, it is EXACTLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" The boys corrected as they were sweating buckets unsure how to explain that mess.
"GET OFF and LET HER GO," Codatorta demanded, "Or is your plan to inflict so much pain that she will pass out right under your noses?"
They jumped away raising even their hands high to signal they did nothing of the sort, unable to speak a word.
Codatorta stepped towards Blade who was pulling the shirt out of her mouth, coughing, still moaning as she played tough. "What a mess…" He pulled her up to inspect the shoulder.
"Fuck, that…" She whisperingly complained while her eyes were rolling back because of her dizziness. Once upright she defended her team, "They did-" Blade's voice cut out she grimaced, "nothing..." She wanted to take some heat off her team of course she would not tell him that Keith had made everything worse in his attempt. 'No wonder Memphis said no…should have listened…'
"I can see that," Codatorta growled angrily. "Hold her still and straight." He ordered Keith without a second glance.
Keith rushed to aid him, "The spell didn't work and the potion ran out… I-"
"Shut. Your. TRAP." Codatorta concentrated as Keith followed his instructions. "Blade, breathe slowly. Relax. Hey," He looked up. She could barely hold her head up, she was at best semi-conscious. He shook his head and seized the arm to check if it was relaxed again. Not a second later with a subtle determined movement of his own, the shoulder popped in again.
An exhalation on Blade's part as quickly as the pain had originally come and increased it subsided, now that the shoulder was back where it belonged. Still, out of breath, she was held up by Keith.
The guys relaxed. They had been on edge themselves without even noticing. "Let's not try this again so quickly…" Kai was the first to comment. He slid down the wall behind him.
Master Codatorta popped a potion or rather a smaller bottle, he had pulled out of his belt pocket and tilted Blade's head back and chucked it in, "Drink up, Princess."
Blade couldn't even react so fast. It tasted so yucky. She flailed her arms around to take hold of his arm and push it back, but Codatorta's arm wasn't budging an inch. Instead, she tried to turn her head away.
"Gotta drink it all. Don't make this hard or I will use other methods and believe me you don't want that," the Drillmaster warned her sternly and used his other hand to fixate the head and squeezed the bottle slightly. "I know it tastes like shit."
The boys watched as their Master filled their Battle Fairy up with the entire bottle in less than twenty seconds. "Is she alright she looks green…" Julius was a bit confused.
"She will be," Codatorta stood up.
"Uuurghh, taste like shit? That's an understatement…I gonna puke…" Blade complained half loud. "What was that?" Her tongue felt furry and she laid down on the cold floor.
"Go ahead, I brought more," Codatorta sighed relieved that would help her shortly. "And now to finish you off," with a stare that could kill people he turned to the guys, "Laps, now." He pointed out of the door.
Everyone had expected that. "How…many…?" Dean had found the mini-computer just in the nick of time holding it in his fist. But placing it somewhere safe right now was impossible, so he kept it.
"Till I say so…" The Drillmaster stated bluntly. "Move it!" He threw them all out of the locker room. "And ON THE DOUBLE, I might add!" He shouted after them. He turned back to Blade. Keith was still sitting there clenching his fist.
"I'm so sorry, Blade. I, next time I'll do better, I promise…" Keith felt guilty.
"Not your fault, I asked too much," Blade shook her head slightly. It was so hard to move, she felt sluggish. 'Am I that exhausted?'
Keith closed his eyes as he bit his lip, "No you didn't. We had this just last week. I should have…"
Codatorta whistled stridently, "Hey, no moping. Laps!" He nodded to the door. 'Patience people, patience… why does youth always want everything right from the get-go…I told him this would take time.' He glanced at Keith as he ran past him. "Oi, and what do you think you are doing?" He watched Blade attempt to pull herself off the floor onto her feet.
"I'm leaving, my shoulder is fine again after all," Blade felt a tingly sensation rush through her shoulders, the potion was taking its effects, 'Hope that will heal it up quickly. I don't want to stay here for another interrogation… I can't even tell him the truth, what am I going to do!?'
Codatorta declined firmly, "You're not going anywhere in that state. So, sit your ass down," He closed the locker room's door.
'Shit, I can't blast my way out of two schools… Man, they'll revoke my magic yet again…' Blade looked super unhappy.
"Headmistress Griffin called she wasn't happy with you leaving prematurely. Was this worth it?" He picked up a shirt of the boys and threw it to her. "She could have healed you no problem…"
"Oh, don't you start with her," Blade put the shirt on which was way too big for her. "She's just so…Uurgh…" She tried to at least temper herself.
'They got into a fight… great of course she would leave that out…typical,' Codatorta breathed in, "Blade, I gotta ask. Who did that?"
"No one, I fell down the stairs that's all," Blade checked her shoulder. That potion had done wonders so far.
"Blade…" Codatorta admonished her straight away and didn't believe her one bit, and why should he? He knew combat wounds when he saw them.
"It was a Sorceress mission, I don't have to report to you," Blade was getting a bit nervous now her thoughts were racing. 'How the heck do I get out of this?! If I tell the truth Lilly is without a father… not to mention those fights are illegal and that outfit! Griselda will have my head, kick me out of Alfea. I'm so screwed.'
Codatorta crossed his arms, "You come into my school all banged up, ask MY team for help. That makes it my business."
'He isn't wrong, damn it…' Blade sighed, "I filled out an official report with Officer William. Everything worth of note-taking is in there."
"Blade, that report is full of shit. I just skipped through it. You can't even use half the spells needed for that. But that's beside the point, you didn't even mention being attacked or falling down some 'stairs'," Codatorta shook his head, "So, I'll ask again, who attacked you?" He was getting a bit impatient. 'Why is she stonewalling me? She trusts me, so only four reasons, fear, she isn't allowed to talk about it, she's protecting someone or she's embarrassed. She is allowed to talk about it so that's not it.'
"I'm fine. I can deal with it myself," Blade avoided his gaze.
"You did well, Blade, you are catching up already. You don't need to pretend. Don't start being stupid now. Just spit it out," Codatorta wouldn't let this go.
Blade growled, "I know, I did great. I am telling you nothing happened. There was no police officer. I wasn't mauled or anything."
"Sure, those wounds just appeared on their own. Blade, those wounds are nothing to joke about, you don't need to bleed to be in danger. It doesn't matter if it was from the police or some thugs. I know you defend yourself admirably otherwise you'd be in intensive care. Do you even understand how lucky you are?" Codatorta got upset. "These things have to be processed, so it doesn't happen to the next person. This is not just about you! Don't be a stupid Witch and stay silent just because your wounds are healing. There is no reason to fear. I am here for you and it's nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Sorceress…not Witch…" Blade corrected but it wasn't her concern right now. She clenched her fists, staring at the floor of the locker room. She searched for words, "…You…you…- You're not listing to me. NOTHING happened, I got the jewellery back, I finished my mission. Just drop it."
Codatorta started at the young fairy, "You know, we can protect people. That's what we do."
"You're not the only one…" Blade sighed a bit tensely.
"At last some colour is back in your face…" Codatorta stepped forward. 'So, she is protecting someone. And knows she is fine or too stubborn to ask for help…ahhhh…kids…' He slung her good arm over his shoulder. "Well then, off to the infirmary with you."
"Infirmary? But, but-"
"Another but out of you and I kick yours. That shoulder needs to be properly checked as does the rest. Potions only can do so much. And you will not fly back to either school tonight, IS THAT CLEAR," Codatorta scolded her harshly. There was no wiggle room there.
"Fine… you're just like Faragonda… mother hen…" she mumbled half loud to herself.
"Oh really?" He pinched her bad shoulder.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch…ahhhhh…" Her feet gave way just for a second there.
Coda used that second and simply flung her over his shoulders, "Seems like you're not up for walking either."
"Oh, come on, let me down, hey!" Blade tried to get loose but that actually hurt and his grip around her ankles and wrists was not budging. So now she was stuck with him parading her around like a shot deer to all the people they passed in the hallways, 'Shit.' Now that was an embarrassing punishment, even if she did deserve it.
Once in the infirmary, a wizard from Oskuria College took care of finishing the healing. Blade leaned back on the bed and closed her eyes once the healer was finished, now that the pain was gone and the superficial bruising taken care of.
"Verdict?" Master Codatorta ask the wizard as he gazed at Blade.
"Exhausted. Nothing a bit of sleep can't fix. So, all good, it was nothing serious. Not more than the usual we get from training incidences. She's good to go," the boy smiled satisfied. "When you brought her in like that, I was scared something bad happened…" The student admitted relieved.
Codatorta had turned around to the closets and rummaged through some other potions, "Well then, give her some of that. I have some calls to make," He pressed a potion into his hands.
"But Sir, this is…" The student was a bit confused.
"I know. And I know her…" Codatorta looked at Blade who was beside her protest fast asleep already. "Just do yourself a favour. You don't want her jumping around in three hours, now do you?"
"No…" The wizard could only watch as the Master Specialist left the infirmary to go back to his duties. "EH?"
Professor Avalon carried Blade still deep in sleep inside the Owl they would take back to Alfea. It was a sunny morning and the only one missing was Saladin. "What did you give her, Coda? She's out cold. I thought it was just minor injuries. She won't wake up in time for the meeting."
"Sleep never hurt anyone, a few minutes more don't matter," Coda smirked and shrugged, "Besides I have more to do than place my guards at her bedside. Just so she sits still. It's called management." He warmed up the engines and checked the time.
Avalon sighed deeply, "Don't make it a habit…" He laid her down and made sure she was secure for the flight back to Alfea and then stepped to Codatorta, "Why did you ask me to come here to pick her up? This is overkill, but you know that."
"Ah, well," He turned around in the chair, "That little Fairy of yours won't tell them squad. I can promise you that."
"What? I think you are misjudging her, she has learned from her past and-" Avalon held straight against it.
Codatorta chuckled, "Oh, she learned from the past, alright. I think she is protecting someone. AGAIN. I doubt it's princesses this time around though. Just make sure she's okay and not over in her head when you do your rainbow reading, Lord Angel. Alright? You know how school Headmasters are. And there is no need to blow something wide open that should stay as it is. She's smart – most of the time."
Avalon raised his eyebrows, "And for that, I had to come all the way here…" He quieted down as he heard footsteps closing in.
"Avalon! So good to see you," Saladin entered the Owl. "To think you come all the way here just for a pickup."
"Good to see you, too, Headmaster Saladin. Well, I hoped to talk to you about her advancements with element attacks. It's so hard to find time these days," Avalon gave his buddy a telling side glance and engaged in conversation.
Blade heard a discussion going on. She was lying on something soft with pillows. 'A couch?'
"For this to happen to her of all people," Faragonda sighed.
Saladin stomped his staff down, "I told you this was too dangerous. Fairies are not made for solo missions. Their strength lies in numbers, after all."
"Oh, please, she can floor half your school," Griffin rolled her eyes.
"So? My Specialists, still don't go out there alone. Doing who knows what. What is that bullshit report even? She can't use half the spells needed to pull that off," Saladin still stared at the printed-out report.
"You always can find someone to trade with… She circumvented your, oh, so sacred bracelet after all. I certainly wouldn't put the names of other Witches into the report either. If the police hadn't gotten to her, they would," Headmistress Griffin laughed superiorly yet also angry. 'How dare they attack my students, again…I'll…' Her face darkened again.
"What did Riven say? How did he even manage to lose her? …" Professor Palladium resounded from the far corner at the windows, next to Avalon and Codatorta.
"I told you we should have asked Helia…" Griselda complained to Faragonda.
Saladin shook his head, "Total overkill to ask a Bounty Hunter or a Master Specialist."
"Someone like her student then? Even Riven lost her," Faragonda sighed displeased as she glanced at Griffin. 'What was he up to…that's so unlike him to lose a target out of sight.'
"Where is that boy anyway? I thought you recalled him," Griffin ground her teeth.
Griselda adjusted her glasses, "He got another URGENT mission, he said." She wasn't buying it though.
"Blade, anything you want to add?" Professor Avalon asked out of nowhere and everyone shut up in an instant.
'Of course, he noticed…' Blade sat up. "No, got nothing to add…" She checked her bracelet for the time. "Monday morning… But I…I…ehhh?!" Blade jumped from the couch. "Crap, I still have to write that report for Wizgiz," she was ready to leave the room.
Griselda stepped in front of the door, "That's the least of your problems, MS ASHFALLOW."
'Great, I'm fucked,' Blade stopped. 'At least Lilly is fine and safe.' Knowing that, she breathed in, sure of herself she stood there, straight without a doubt in her mind, "Fine…can we at least hurry, I am pretty sure we all have better stuff to do than this. No offence intended," Blade turned to face Faragonda behind her desk who was eager to get this conversation on track. Saladin was leaning on his staff as always, he was pondering and Griffin was on Faragonda's left growling pissed arms crossed. Codatorta and Avalon were statues and Palladium was shaking his head.
Before anyone else could even speak up Griffin was all up in Blade's face, "Oh, I have better stuff to do. NOW who attacked you, SPIT IT OUT! Which officer was it!?"
"Now, now, let's stay calm and civilised", Headmistress Faragonda soothed.
Saladin shook his head in astonishment, 'She just woke up and they are at it, again. Amazing…'
'Oh, that insufferable woman…' Blade breathed in, ignored Griffin and stepped past her, "Quite frankly, I don't see the problem, Headmistress Faragonda. I finished the mission. At least all I could do, I did more than fine. I finished the mission like it's supposed to be done, officially, and with the jewellery, all of it, on its way back to the owners."
The Fairy Headmistress interlocked her fingers, "No one is disputing the results, Blade."
"Your approach to this mission is the problem here and you know it," Professor Palladium stepped forward.
'He's not completely wrong there. Am I glad he doesn't know…' Blade grimaced internally and shook her head, "Because they are so sorceressy? You take all my Alfea ID, send me off alone, give me a Sorceress mission, no information and now you complain that I did it their way? That's rich," Blade crossed her arms.
Saladin sighed deeply, "Who had that idea in the first place?" He glared at the other two school directors. The Fairy wasn't wrong there.
"For fuck sake, face me when I am talking with you," Griffin snapped. She had no patience for Faragonda's mind games and Blade's behaviour was vexing to say the least, 'I won't be ignored!' A death glare to pierce her soul at the back of Blade's head, "I don't care how you found that stuff or if you hacked that stupid bracelet. You'll tell me right now, which officer attacked you!"
"NONE! I TOLD YOU!" Blade hissed back and turned around.
"OH, YOU LITTLE!" Griffin already lost it again. "How dare you!?" The two were right back at it again as if Blade never had left the tower.
"Ladies!" Saladin stomped his staff down on the ground, again. "This is getting us nowhere."
Blade pointed at Griffin pissed, "Tell that to her."
"BLADE!" Griselda admonished her, "Not in that tone!"
"She started it," Blade turned to Griselda. 'How am I the bad guy here?'
Mockingly Griffin hissed back, "You're such a child."
"She's not the only one…" Palladium muttered to himself, which made Master Codatorta chuckle slightly.
"And I END it," Faragonda cut Griffin off, who was ready to have another go, as she smashed her hands down on the desk and rose from her chair. She lowered her voice again. "Blade that bracelet is your lifeline, to keep you safe, especially on a solo mission. You cut it and look what happened. How can we trust you with other missions, when you circumvent the safety measures we set up?"
"It's a glorified dog leash, and you know it," Blade blurted out without thinking. 'Oh, shit…damn you Kitty…' They had had many discussions in the Cloud Tower about that thing.
"…" Everyone was staring at her wide-eyed those were totally new tones from her. Very reminiscence of what a Witch would say. Palladium wasn't even sure how to counter that statement himself and the rest wanted to jump in but weren't sure how to go about it.
Faragonda breathed out loudly, "You can view it that way, yes. Or it is the one thing that will save your life. A lifeline. You are far behind magic-wise even by Witch standards," She shook her head and corrected herself, "Sorceress standards not to mention Fairies. All of them have more years under their belt. We had this talk after the bear fight. This is a condition for you to stay at this school. You may hate us for it, but I'd rather take that than have you dead in a ditch somewhere with no one knowing. Yet if you are not willing to accept those conditions-"
"I know the bracelet has many advantages for Fairy missions and Sorceress missions. But you all know how Sorceresses work, are you seriously asking me to leave an open record of all the bullshit I have to do on those missions? I'll end up with even more punishment than you not knowing and scolding me for it. My methods to circumvent the bracelet can be easily rectified and quickly, there is no reason to worry." Blade tried to calm the Headmistress down.
"The bullshit you HAVE to do?" Griselda's voice sounded like she was questioning Blade's sanity.
Palladium had the same opinion, "Easily rectified? Are you even listening to yourself? You ended up in the infirmary." He was upset and concerned.
"With minor injuries…it wasn't from an attack, well not an unprovoked one," Blade moaned annoyed, "I saw worse in Codatorta's training sessions. If this's the new standard you can scrap half the training program you came up with. I'm not some Princess, I can take a punch."
"And with no one around, even one punch can be fatal, what if you bleed- wait, unprovoked? Does that mean you provoked someone on purpose?" Professor Palladium couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Griffin lost it, "YOU PROVOKED THE POLICE OF ALL PEOPLE? Are you INSANE!?"
Palladium looked to Avalon and Codatorta they were unusually calm. Not one ounce of doubt or worry. 'Why is Avalon so chilled?' He frowned for a second. "You are not a sword master yet, Blade."
"You can't protect me from everything. No one can… Jewels died in her OWN palace…." Blade lowered her gaze to the ground and closed her eyes. '…Urgh… they just want me to be safe…ahhh, I should have thought ahead.' A moment of silence befell the room.
"Great, now that your moral problems are solved and you all can sleep at night. Can we please get back on topic?" Griffin made it obvious that she didn't care how many rules she had broken. She was simply interested in one thing and one thing only. "Names, now."
"Seriously?! Not that stupid revenge stuff again…" Blade was ripped from her thoughts and she tensed up again, "For the hundredth time, there were NO police officers! What the heck is your problem with them!?"
"My problem?! You have seen and met them, how can you be so blind?! Going into a station all alone. That's super dangerous, you could have -" Griffin wasn't letting this go at all, but she didn't dare speak about what she had seen back then. "There are worse things that can happen than a busted shoulder!"
"Griffin…" Faragonda tried to calm her. She was worried as well. The tensions between police and Witches had risen quite a bit. Yet she herself had no clue how bad things were at the moment.
"NO!" Griffin stepped towards Blade staring down at her, "You will tell me right this instant. I'll not watch them hurt my students any longer. Enough is enough!"
Blade didn't back down, "They aren't all bad! William proved it!"
"Oh, to the shadowlands with that William! That changes NOTHING! Get that in your head the police are dangerous!" The Cloud Tower Headmistress was unrelenting.
"What? NO! It changes everything! I gave you an in, a base to build on and you are too stubborn to even try!" Blade hissed back unyielding.
"It's too risky! You'll not only get yourself killed, you get others killed. SPIT IT OUT! FOOLISH FAIRY!" She flared up dark magic a cloud of sickly green smoke around her.
In response Griselda facepalmed, 'Kindergarten.'
'Griffin…' Faragonda sighed, 'That will never work on this one…'
"PREJUDICED WITCH!" Blade answered with her own Light Magic flare-up, yet again.
"…" Everyone froze as their fight reignited. Blade never ever called anyone a Witch. She viewed it as an insult after all, but Blade didn't know about the past where Cloud Tower was just reopened and Witches had died in police custody.
"I'm a SORCERESS to YOU!" Griffin clenched her fists. 'How dare she insult me like that?! I'm just trying to keep her safe.'
Palladium spoke up, "Blade there was a tim-" Yet Blade totally steamrolled over him.
Professor Avalon leaned on his friend, "Later…" he whispered.
"That title is reserved for people who deserve it," Blade growled in a deep voice.
"Deserve it!? Oh, you little… I petitioned the Magic Council to reopen the Tower after Domino's fall. I created a safe place for young Sorceresses to learn and study magic. I help them not to fall into the darkness, unlike what happened with me and Valtor. You have no idea what that cost me, how much backlash that created. I told them to get on board or get lost and that's the reason you can even attend MY school! You think your hearing was hard, mine was a WAR ZONE! You will RESPECT ME!" Her hand trembled as her grip hardened. Blade wouldn't respect her. But Griffin needed her to listen or she wouldn't heed her warnings.
"Great you bought a building and what then!? NOTHING! All you want is revenge! BUT there is ONE willing to work with you and any other Sorceresses, OFFICIALLY NO LESS. I created an opening and you CONSTANTLY refuse it! They did NOTHING!"
"NAVIE CHILD…" Griffin's voice thundered, "NOTHING!? They shot at you another man nearly DIED! The Council Guard had you nearly arrested WITHOUT a second thought if that Zenith Official hadn't spoken up for you. How dare you take their si-"
"EXACTLY! And who's fault is that!? I will find trouble for no reason eventually. And why? Because of YOU!" Blade interrupted her harshly, "Cause you know everything, right, Headmistress Griffin? Yet you did NOTHING to patch things up with anyone. Because admitting faults is a weakness to you. Yes, they shot at me, but William stepped in right away. The police don't just kill! If at all, your 'get on board or get lost' attitude will get someone killed! You'll get MY friends killed! You STAGNATED. ACCEPTED THINGS as they are. Even worse you CREATE HATE! You feed that CYCLE! You don't LISTEN! You don't ask for HELP! It's just I, I, I,-"
Griffin cut her off, "Of course it's I, I, I. No one will help a Witch you learned that yourself. That Officer didn't care for your safety, but for the civilian! If I don't watch out for the Witches no one else will!"
"So, you just do what's easy for you! You don't improve things. You might be powerful enough to deal with anything. I'm not and others aren't either. You are the leader of the Sorceresses, you have the political power. Yet you squander it! Leading is not about the Leader but the people under them and what THEY NEED! A Leader without Vision is WORTHLESS! "
"No vision? All I want is for all my Witches to be safe! Why is this so hard to understand?" Griffin was at a loss for words, nothing was getting through to that Fairy. "You don't go to the police on Witch missions; IS THAT CLEAR!"
"I'll work with William as often as I have to. I'll find more like him, just you wait and see. The police are not some monsters!" Blade wouldn't budge. Her magic subsided as she breathed out deeply and looked to the others, slowly relaxing, "I won't be part of feeding that cycle of hate. I'll fight it with everything I've got," She looked back to Griffin, who was still engulfed in her magic, staring at her. "I learned a lot on that mission. So, thank you for that… but I won't follow in your footsteps. I saw the differences, yes, they're there, but isolation? Hiding? Revenge games… That's a path I'll NEVER take. You teach them to be Witches and I want to help my friends to become Sorceresses because that is what THEY WANT. And so, do others. You know how dark magic works, you're good at it. I would be stupid not to use you; there is a reason the Council ordered you to teach me after all. But I won't follow your philosophies. They are bullshit," Blade crossed her arms.
'How did she manage to compliment and insult me at the same time!?' Headmistress Griffin was baffled unable to form a comeback straight away.
Griselda took hold of the doorknob and turned it and opened the door, after Faragonda had nodded to her, "After classes, you come straight back to this office." She ordered sternly.
"Yes, Professor Griselda…" Blade stepped through the door.
