After thinking it over, you finally nod, accepting Lu-sensei's reasoned conclusion. You didn't exactly have your heart set on becoming a regular martial arts competitor to start with, and you got more than enough of being ambushed by grudge-bearing supernatural characters at the World Tournament. Besides, you've got quite a few issues on your plate that still need dealing with - shoring up your mental defenses, working on your spiritual skills, and a whole range of other training plans - enough of them that they'd really only interfere with your ability to perform to your best. Perhaps in the future, when your schedule is less-packed, the regional Winter Court has had time to get distracted by other matters and forget about mysterious sorceress-grabbing metal-eating jelly monsters from nowhere, and your family is a bit better-placed financially to afford the expenses of travel, hotel bookings, and sundries - whatever those are - you'll come back to the notion of getting into the world of competetive martial arts. For now, you're content to let it go.
That resolved, you turn to the matter that brought you to Lu-sensei's door, and seek your teacher's advice on how to best go about telling your parents about the people, creatures, and forces that exist in the shadows and behind the scenes of the world they know.
"I'm afraid there's no easy answer to that, Alex," Lu-sensei replies, after you've explained your primary motivation for being here today. "I've been party to several attempts to introduce regular folks to the Moonlight World over the years, and the methods and reactions have been different every time. A very traditionally-minded Japanese couple I'd pegged as easily-convinced refused to believe what they were hearing; on another occasion, a thoroughly modern American man with no patience for 'such silly superstition' believed me with barely ten minutes' discussion." Your teacher pauses, scratching his chin. "Of course, it may have helped that time that his daughter had just set the vampire that used to be her ex-boyfriend on fire right in front of him..."
"So, live demonstrations are helpful?" you inquire.
"I suppose you could say that. But I wouldn't recommend inviting in a vampire just to make a point."
"It never crossed my mind to, Sensei," you reply. "I have glowy kung fu magic for that."
"...yes. Yes, you do." Lu-sensei rolls his eyes. "I think the most important thing, in your case, is not to spring too much on your parents at one time. Look at what you know of the supernatural, break it down into manageable sections, and then introduce it to your family a piece at a time. Ideally, the least-threatening end first."
You consider that. What is the least-threatening aspect of the supernatural that you're familiar with, anyway?
Considering your options, you decide that Briar is probably your best bet for an inoffensive introduction to the world of the supernatural. Especially since, as far as you know, your folks' only exposure to fairies is of the cute, friendly, and occasionally mischievous cartoon variety, as opposed to the borderline and often blatantly horrifying Old World tales of the Fair Folk. Kung fu is a bit too martial, and magic, well, it's just too MUCH, at least as an opening gambit.
Though that does bring up a point. How are you going to let your folks see Briar? It would be really convenient if she could just turn her natural invisibility off, but unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way. Half the effect exists in your parents' minds, after all; if they don't believe in fairies, they'll never see one. Not on their own, anyway.
You briefly consider using Illusion to create a real-time overlay of your tiny companion, but a quick mental estimation of the calculations involved shows that such a spell is somewhat beyond your current abilities. Certainly, it'd be too powerful for you to hide, and if a local sorcerer or magic-sensitive demon happened to pick up on your presence because of it, it'd sort of defeat the purpose of introducing your parents to Briar as a "safe start." The Spell to See the Unseen has a similar drawback, albeit on a much lower scale. You suppose you might be able to get away with casting the relatively-weak magic, as long as you were indoors and kept it brief. Then again, maybe you should do the reveal at Lu-sensei's place, or get his permission to copy part of his wards onto your house? Or at least one room therein? While you're not sure what the entire design does, the anti-scrying part is pretty straightforward, not unlike a written form of some of the concealing spells Briar has taught you or helped you to work out from basic principles.
Another option that comes to mind is to just use a bog-standard visual Illusion to let your parents see Briar. You're capable of casting and hiding such a spell, as is Briar herself, and while it wouldn't allow your folks to hear Briar, you could easily do the interpreter thing that you've been doing for Lu-sensei.
Leaving the magical solutions aside, you suppose you could also do something like hanging a small napkin over Briar or have her push objects around to prove to your folks that she does exist, even if they can't see her. You're not convinced of the effectiveness of that approach, though it would completely remove the possibility of anyone noticing you casting a spell.
You consider your options. You have quite a few of them - magic is great that way - but you can only call upon so many of them safely while you're on the Hellmouth. Kind of a drag, but what can you do?
Actually, now that you stop and think on it, there is something you could do about that.
"Lu-sensei," you venture cautiously.
"Yes, Alex?"
"Would you object to my studying the ward you have over this building?"
The old man's brow furrows in thought. "That would depend on what you plan to do to it, and also your intentions for whatever you learn from the study."
"I was thinking," you say, "that if I could decipher the part of the ward that conceals magical emanations, I could copy it and apply it to my house - or at least one room in my house."
"...go on," your teacher replies.
You do so. "Then, once I'm sure the ward is up and running, I'd have somewhere I could safely use minor spells - like, for example, a Spell to See the Unseen, which I could modify to let my folks see Briar. Then I could introduce her to them - because let's face it, she's easily the least frightening entity I've come into contact with on the supernatural side of things. She'd be much less likely to freak my parents out than their learning that I can summon monsters, shoot fire from my eyes, and play fast and loose with the space-time continuum."
Lu-sensei strokes his chin. "That could work," he admits. "However... I believe Briar has an alternative suggestion."
You blink, momentarily confused. Your teacher helpfully points off to one side, and when you turn, you find Briar hovering in mid-air. It takes you a moment to realize that she's glowing more brightly than usual, and that rather than obscuring her small body, the light appears to be outlining it, making her easier to see. On top of that, she's radiating a very faintly stronger magical signature than she typically does.
"Briar?" you ask, puzzled. "What'd you do?"
"It's called Faerie Fire," she replies. "It's a thing. I mean, I sort of generate it naturally, but I can also cast it as a spell - and while adults can't see my normal glow any more than they can the rest of me, they can spot the spell just fine."
"...and you've never done this around Lu-sensei before, because...?"
"Two reasons. First, most of the time, he's not the only person around who'd see me - and that'd be dangerous. Secondly, just being mostly-visible doesn't do a thing to help people HEAR me."
You stop, and turn back to your teacher. "Can you hear her, sir?"
"No, I cannot. Why, what did she say?"
You explain.
"Ah, I see." Once again, your teacher looks thoughtful. "Briar, could you use this spell to communicate by writing?"
Briar raises her wand, causing motes of pale blue light to coalesce into inch-high glowing letters, which hang in mid-air.
Lu-sensei studies the symbols for a moment, then dryly remarks, "I cannot read the fiery letters."
"They're in Hylian, Sensei," you explain on Briar's behalf. "It's the only language Briar's literate in, and while she can use the Spell to Comprehend Languages to make up the difference for herself easily enough, she doesn't have the raw power necessary to affect creatures as large as humans - not for more than a minute or two a day. And draining herself to that extent's just too dangerous."
The old man nods. "Well. That aside, I'd say you have a way to reveal Briar to your family."
"I'd say you're right, sir," you agree. You pause, then add, "I'd still really like to study your wards, though, if that's okay."
Lu-sensei smiles. "I expected as much. How long do you expect the study to take, Alex?"
"I've never tried my hand at wards before," you admit, thinking on the matter. "It could take..."
"...a while," you reply. "I'm thinking that, since this would be my first go at creating a long-term magical anything, I should take the time to study the conveniently-available working example first. I'm thinking a few hours of observation and very careful testing over the course of several days - a week at the outside - to see how it behaves, before I try to lay down a ward of my own."
"That seems sensible," Lu-sensei notes. "Although it does bring up the question of what days you'll be doing this study, and for how long each time. Were you planning on arriving early for class, staying late afterwards, taking some time out from your training, or some mix of the above?" His tone is neutral, offering no hint of what he thinks on the matter.
"Actually, I was kind of curious about who put the wards together in the first place, Sensei," you answer.
"And whether or not they might be interested in giving lessons?" He smiles, then shakes his head. "Unfortunately, Alex, the wards were the work of a practitioner older than myself, who has, regrettably, passed on in the years since then. Not too long before you started taking lessons from me, actually."
Ah, nuts. Potential magical educational source, denied. Guess that leaves self-study and any insights Briar can spare - the full complexity of the ward is well beyond her, but she might be able to give you tips on the basics.
Anyway, as far as time goes, your lessons with Lu-sensei are on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting at four and running until a quarter after five. The advanced class that you belong to also spends a couple hours every other Saturday afternoon learning about meditation, ki, and enlightenment, both with and without the Stick, running from three 'til five. Showing up early is easy enough to arrange; you'll just have to take your training clothes with you to school and then come to the hall directly after classes are out for the day, rather than going home to drop off your books and change as you usually do. Staying late would be a bit more problematic; you'd need to get permission (or beg forgiveness) from your folks, and you could only stay so late. You've no desire to risk being out after dark, or even near dusk. Studying the ward during class is technically doable, but it'd be rather disrespectful to your teacher and fellow students. Maybe you could work something out with Lu-sensei, like being a training dummy for the rest of the class in exchange for getting some time to do your own thing...?
Of course, you could always visit Lu-sensei's more often. The main problem there is that people would notice, wonder, and possibly talk about what you were doing, especially if you started showing up on a daily basis, for example.
With all of that in mind...
You hammer out the details of your "study plan" with Briar and Lu-sensei. Not really seeing the need to cut class or inconvenience your teacher and draw attention, you're satisfied with just getting to your regular training sessions early for the rest of the upcoming week. That plus an extended study session on Saturday afternoon feels like it should be enough time to get the job done, or at least for you to learn just how much you still have to learn in order to create a working ward.
Lu-sensei certainly appreciates that you're not shirking your commitment to martial arts training in favor of magic.
Gained King of Men D (Plus)
Gained Young King E (Plus) (Plus) (Plus)
That said, there's a slight obstacle to your hope of spending the rest of this afternoon hanging at your teacher's place and checking out his magical wallpaper. When Lu-sensei said yesterday that he could spare you a couple of hours to talk, he meant it literally; Sunday afternoons are when another batch of his "advanced" students get together for their training.
"You're welcome to sit in on the lesson, of course," Lu-sensei says. "Introduce yourself to your seniors, get an idea of where you stand in comparison to them and vice-versa, that sort of thing. I wouldn't recommend trying to slip magic past this group, though; most of them have good enough threat awareness to notice if you start mumbling or glowing."
With Lu-sensei's permission already implicitly given and your mother previously informed that you were going to be out for "a few hours" - which in kidspeak can mean anything from, "I'll be back when I get bored" to "see you at suppertime" - there is no pressing reason for you not to stay. So you do.
And while waiting for the first of Lu-sensei's older students to show up, you manage to slip in about forty-five minutes of study on his wards. It's just the preliminary stuff: making note of how many of those magical symbols are hidden in the decor; determining which parts of the ward are anchored to what glyphs; and of course, trying to ID the characters that were used. You recognize some as Japanese, but they're pretty complex - full-blown kanji, most of them unfamiliar and thus illegible to you. Others are completely foreign to you, and feel more... "eldritch," you suppose... than the semi-common linguistic characters. Even with your inability to comprehend exactly what the symbols MEAN, your ability to glimpse the otherwise-hidden weave of the ward itself gives you a rough idea of what they DO, which is invaluable.
Gained Item Crafting E
On a side note, you realize that your spell-gained fluency in the Japanese language has degraded in the weeks since you returned home and stopped using it. A surprising amount still persists, however, a legacy of the time you spent in the country talking to native speakers.
Gained Japanese D (E without Comprehend Languages)
Once the students start showing up, you dismiss and suppress your magic, and focus on making the best first impressions that you can. In short order, you're introduced to David Grey, Kenneth Carpenter, Paul Gleeson, Charity Kendall, and Sam Manheim. They're all middle-school students: David and Paul are in Sixth Grade; Kenneth and Charity are Seventh-Graders; and Sam - who is a girl - is currently an Eight-Grader, who will be moving up to Sunnydale High this fall. They're also all noticeably bigger than you, although in the case of the youngest boys and Charity - who just doesn't seem to be a big person - it's not by much.
Not too surprisingly, they all know who you are. You detect hints of envy from David and Sam when they meet you, while Kenneth doesn't even try to conceal it; Paul, on the other hand, greets you like an old buddy, while Charity - and yes, she confirms before you even have to ask that she's Harmony Kendall's "cool big sis" - squees and dubs you and this meeting awesome.
You manage not to flinch at the high-pitched noise.
Whatever preconceptions about you the older students came in with, your forthright manner and efforts to be polite appear to make a good impression on them. Even Kenneth's open dislike fades - out of the corner of one eye, you see him shaking his head in clear amazement and mild amusement as you meet Charity and manage not to wince at her tone.
Gained Manners D (Plus) (Plus) (Plus)
Gained Totem of the Raging Boar C
Lu-sensei gives you a few minutes to talk to your seniors before he starts the lesson, having each of the older kids demonstrate their ability to harness ki, to see whether or not they've kept up their training in his extended absence. David proves to be the weakest of the group, producing only a mildly-heightened sense of presence, but from the way Lu-sensei nods, it's not because he was slacking off without a teacher around to keep him on task. Charity is stronger, but gets a meaningful look from your teacher that makes her fidget and blush shamefacedly. Kenneth and Paul both manage faint glows that earn more of the old master's approval, and Sam goes as far as generating a distinct aura around herself.
Then, without a word, Lu-sensei turns to you. The other students follow his example, their faces reflecting eagerness and curiosity.
Lu-sensei has always encouraged you and your fellow students to give your best effort in training, so that you can learn what you're capable of and how to apply it in a safe, controlled environment - or as safe and controlled it gets on the Hellmouth, you suppose. He has occasionally whipped out the Enlightenment Stick when he thought someone - not you, of course - was being lazy, and having been enlightened once already today, you'd rather not go for a repeat.
As such, you inhale deeply, reach inside yourself, and will your ki to rise.
In deference to your recent spiritual injury and the bandages protecting it against infection, you exercise your control over the upwelling energy, building it up relatively slowly rather than unleashing it all at once. You see a couple of the older students shift as they feel your enhanced presence, followed by looks of surprise all-around as you begin to glow. Over the course of thirty or forty seconds, you raise your ki aura as far as it will go, then hold it steady for a five-count, before drawing the power back in and letting the aura fade away.
Gained Ki Control C (Plus)
While it's clear that you've impressed your seniors with this display, you can't help but notice that your ki hasn't grown noticeably stronger since your return to Sunnydale, even with the previous day's adventures. Not to mention that while you're stronger in this respect that some of the older students, Sam would appear to be your equal - and as far as you can tell, she's a fairly normal kid. Probably not a ninja, definitely not a part-demon, and not obviously touched by magic or divinity.
It's odd to find yourself breaking even with a regular person for once. Even if she is six years older than you.
Lu-sensei nods, satisfied by your demonstration. "Now then," he says. "Sparring. And as we have an even number of attendees for once-"
"Sensei!" Paul bursts out, all but overflowing with eagerness. "I humbly volunteer to spar with Alex!"
"Denied, and don't interrupt."
Paul's face falls in dismay. At the same time, Kenneth and Sam raise their hands.
"Yes, students?" Lu-sensei asks.
"I volunteer, Sensei," Kenneth says firmly.
"Likewise," Sam adds.
"No fair!" Paul protests. "I was first!"
ENLIGHTENMENT! FOR SOMEONE ELSE!
Huh. So that's what it looks like when you aren't on the receiving end of the Stick.
"Again, you speak out of turn!"
"Sorry, Sensei," Paul groans from the floor.
You wonder why Lu-sensei is being so... direct... about enforcing manners in this class. He's never seemed to bother with it with your group, or the main class. Maybe he just holds the senior students to a higher standard?
Anyway, while Lu-sensei is reminding Paul - and by extension, the rest of the class - of dojo etiquette, you consider Kenneth and Sam. Kenneth is physically larger and more obviously muscular, and you've seen that he has a decent grasp on his ki. Sam isn't as large as the slightly-younger boy, though she's just as tall, and her ki is stronger and better-controlled. Either could make for an interesting sparring partner. Since you're technically a guest for this class, you could probably get away with requesting to face one of them - or maybe, possibly, even sitting out the spar - as long as you remember to raise your hand before speaking. Or you could stay quiet and let Lu-sensei choose one of them, and see who he thinks the better match-up would be.
You decide to hold your tongue, mostly out of curiosity over who Lu-sensei thinks is the more appropriate match-up for you: the bigger boy who appears to have a bit of a grudge against you for being more accomplished than him; or the girl who may not be quite as physically-formidable, but seems to have a better handle on what it means to be a martial artist.
Given the choice, you'd lean a bit more towards sparring with Sam, partly because she has the better self-control, and partly because she's the most capable when it comes to ki use, and thus the most likely opponent for you to be able to snag some tips off of.
Lu-sensei regards the three of you in silence, then nods. "Very well, then. Alexander, Kenneth, please take your stances."
Looks like you'll have to get used to disappointment. Or request a spar with Sam some other time.
Kenneth grins slightly as he gets to his feet and steps over to one of the slightly-elevated mats. You follow, doing your best to size up your opponent, and quickly find that it's easier to read this boy than it was to assess most of the competitors from the World Tournament that would have been in his age bracket. Not hugely easier, but the difference is there; if you had to guess, you'd say that where most of the Under Fourteens contestants that you saw had been in serious fights before they got to the Tournament, Kenneth's experience has been limited to playground scuffles and training matches. That actually makes you feel a bit better about your chances, depending on the rules Lu-sensei sets.
"Standard sparring rules apply," your teacher says, as if on cue. That means no hitting above the shoulder or below the belt, no throws, no attacking a downed opponent, and you stop and back off immediately if Sensei says so - at the risk of Enlightenment if you fail to move quickly enough for his tastes. In your case, Lu-sensei has added a "No magic" qualifier, but other than that, anything goes.
"Ready?" Lu-sensei asks formally. "Begin!"
You fall back quickly as Kenneth closes in, not wanting to take a blow in the first second of the match if you don't have to. As you backpedal, you focus your ki and send it coursing through your body, bringing your physical performance up to a level that should more than make up for the difference in stature between you and your opponent.
Gained Evasion E (Plus) (Plus) (Plus)
Even as your energy rises, you start to sense a similar increase in Kenneth's aura - not as fast or as intense as yours, but it's building steadily. If you'd stayed to meet the attack, Kenneth would have hit you with slightly more force than he'd normally be capable of - it's hard to say how you'd fare against that with your own Ki Enhancement up and running, but if you hadn't used that technique at all, you'd have been in trouble. Lucky you.
Or not so lucky, as Kenneth's opening charge forces you to the edge of the mat. It occurs to you that your combat history - specifically, your fights in the main ring at the World Tournament, the volcanic caldera where you faced the Hawaiian sorcerer, and the arenas in the Silent Realm - may have spoiled you somewhat in favor of relatively large and open spaces. The mats Lu-sensei keeps out for classes cover perhaps a quarter of the space that the Tournament stage did, and just a few steps have taken you clear to the edge.
Kenneth grins as he closes in and raises both hands to grapple.
Only for them to close on empty air as you blur and vanish.
Gained Body Flicker C
You reappear near the middle of the mat, already focusing ki into an orb between your hands, which you let fly a moment later as Kenneth spins around with admirable speed. The look on his face as he sees the glowing beam coming his way is one of pure shock, but it doesn't stop him from raising both arms and hardening his aura around them to intercept the attack - the leading edge of which breaks and flows over and around him in all directions, like a wave hitting an outthrust rock.
Gained Ki Blast E (Plus)
Kenneth shifts slightly at the moment of impact, but you can tell even through your passive ki sense that he's not hurt. Rather than pour more energy into the largely-ineffective attack, you let the Ki Blast end. The older boy's aura of physical enhancement has stabilized at a level that is weaker than yours, but not by all that much. You'd guess he's about twice as strong as normal now, maybe two and a half times if he pushes. Taken with his natural advantage of size and strength, the two of you may actually be even as far as pure physical performance goes.
Having seen you pull out two mid-level techniques in rapid succession, Kenneth is a lot more careful now. Rather than charging in, he keeps his guard up and advances one step at a time, shifting slightly to the right as he comes on.
Having burned a bit over ten percent of your ki in the span of a couple seconds to relatively minor effect, you decide to set aside further use of your flashier skills for now in favor of taking Kenneth on the old-fashioned way. Hand-to-hand. Fist-to-fist. Man- er, boy-to-boy.
...you do leave your Ki Enhancement up, however.
You're not crazy.
Two steps carry you into Kenneth's striking range, and with his guard up from the start, he's ready for you.
Strike-block-counter-dodge-dodge-strike-block turns into a redirection and counter-EVADE that was too close AN OPENING!-
Gained Battle Awareness F
Gained Hand-to-Hand (Five Elements Style) F (Plus)
Gained Strength E (Plus) (Plus)
The brief clash lasts maybe ten seconds. In that time, you learn quite a bit.
Firstly, when it comes to pure technical skill in the Five Elements Style, Kenneth is not at your level. He's not BAD, by any means - he definitely belongs in the advanced class, and he definitely knows how to exploit his size advantage against a smaller opponent. It's just that he's a bit slow and not quite able to compensate for it. Too eager, you'd say.
Secondly, fighting a guy who has the edge on you in size, reach, and raw striking power flat-out sucks. If this is what everybody who went up against you at the Tournament felt - you know, apart from the giantkin and the demon assassin and the Looming Shadow-Giant of Doom - you probably owe them an apology, or something.
Thirdly, Kenneth can take a ki-boosted blow to the ribs pretty well even when he's caught off-guard and not able to specifically reinforce that part of his body in defense. He felt that strike, but it didn't break his focus enough for you to slip in a second attack.
You keep the pressure on, trying to find or force another opening.
Strike-block-strike-block-strike-block, man, he's really guarding that side now, so let's try to hit the other-block-counter-dodge-WHOA LEG DODGE AGAIN!-and again!-and AGAIN!
It appears safe to say that Kenneth has gone back on the offensive.
Dodge-counter-HIT!
It's also safe to say that when he's focused on the attack, his defense falters. According to Lu-sensei, it's one of the classic failings of a fighter: good on offense; good on defense; but not good on both at the same time.
Seeing an opening, you press your attack. You get in one, two, thr- okay, two solid blows before Kenneth manages to get his guard back up. And while your third strike doesn't hit in a soft or sensitive spot, it does shift the older boy slightly, letting you slip in a follow-up - which he blocks more solidly, having corrected his stance.
Gained Hand-to-Hand (Five Elements Style) F (Plus) (Plus)
Gained Sneak Attack F (Plus)
Following that last hit, Kenneth tries to grab your arm, but you were prepared for such an attempt, and your limb slips away from his grasp.
Gained Battle Awareness F (Plus)
Gained Reflexes F
You chamber a kick. Kenneth sees it coming in time to step back, and again, makes a grab for your leg. This time, he succeeds in getting his hands on you - for all of a heartbeat, before your readied Body Flicker kicks in and carries you around and directly behind him, ideally placed for a single blow. As a bonus, your high-speed escape has yanked the older boy badly off-balance.
There's no need to get fancy. You have your target. All you need to do is hit it.
So you do.
Gained Sneak Attack F (Plus) (Plus)
Gained Strength Control E (Plus)
Kenneth howls and drops like a rock as you hit him in the lower back. You move to pin him-
"Hold!" Lu-sensei barks.
-and immediately freeze in mid-motion, before straightening up and backing away. Your teacher strides forward and crouches to inspect Kenneth's writhing form, murmuring something to the boy, who gasps out a reply. Nodding, Lu-sensei slowly helps his older student uncurl and lightly probes the area of the injury, getting some shifting and pained grunts.
"Can you sit up, Kenneth?" Lu-sensei asks calmly.
"I think so, Sensei." Kenneth follows the claim by making the attempt, which succeeds, although he's clearly feeling the effort involved.
Lu-sensei nods. "Right. You can sit out for the next half-hour. Meditate on your ki, and try to focus it to the area of the strike. That should ease the pain. If it starts to feel worse, stop immediately and let me know, understood?"
"Yes, Sensei."
Lu-sensei gets up to face you and the rest of the class. "Well, that's match point to Alexander. Though for future reference, lad," he continues, giving you a meaningful look, "kidney punches are generally not for sparring, either."
"Ah." You scratch the back of your head. "Sorry, Lu-sensei. Sorry, Kenneth. It just... seemed like the right move."
Gained Warrior Born D (Plus)
With his back turned, Lu-sensei doesn't see the dirty look Kenneth shoots you. Instead, he simply nods.
"For ending a fight quickly, it most assuredly is. In training, it's not so productive."
"I'll remember that, sir."
"Please do. Now then - Charity, David, it's your turn."
The rest of the sparring matches are less interesting than your bout with Kenneth. Charity and David are both clearly below your skill-level, and while they aren't a bad match-up for one another, you don't really see anything new or useful in their spar. Paul and Sam are closer to matching you for technical ability, but Paul doesn't appear to have the hang of ki enhancement yet, and Sam - clearly knowing this - doesn't use her own, giving her partner a fair shot. She still beats him, but it's pretty close. After that, Sam spars with Charity, and this time the oldest girl is clearly holding back in the physical sense as well as the mystical; it seems that Harmony's big sister just isn't as much of a natural fighter as her opponent. When David and Paul have a turn a couple minutes later, it's more even, but again, you don't really see anything worth writing home about.
Neither you nor Kenneth are asked to spar again, incidentally.
For the next part of the lesson, you spend half an hour reviewing meditation exercises, and after this Lu-sensei announces that it is time to practice manifesting and directing ki.
You opt to spend the last hour of class working on your newest technique, largely because you really need access to a reliable source of pure spiritual energy, and you don't want to risk straining your still-healing soul by drawing on it directly - or by risking another meeting with your less-than-hospitable totem beast.
Given that you only came up with the skill yesterday, chronologically - Navi only knows how many functional days ago it was - this is the first time you've tried to use Ki Filtration in Sunnydale, or indeed any environment other than that of an empty dome in the Silent Realm. It proves a bit harder to be getting on with. There are a lot more distractions here, for one thing: the ki presences of your compatriots; the noises of the town outside; the omnipresent spiritual stench of the Hellmouth; and even the faint magical signature of Lu-sensei's wards. All combine to distract you. Then, too, there is Lu-sensei himself, who notices what you are doing and finds it interesting enough to inquire after and comment on.
Although your teacher's involvement interrupts your progress, it also proves helpful. Lu-sensei's never had to work out a skill like this himself, since he has unfettered access to his own spiritual energies - such as they are. He wasn't kidding when he said he didn't have much aptitude for the spiritual aspect of his school; his soul has more metaphysical weight to it than the average person's, but that's after decades of life-experience and martial training, and who knows how many battles. Some of the kids you met at the World Tournament had similar levels of spiritual strength, and then there was Kagome - and of course, Ichigo. Even if he's not going to be exorcising any ghosts, Lu-sensei still has enough power to perform a few basic spiritual exercises. From those and his much better knowledge of ki use, he's able to intuit a fair bit about how one might go about separating the power of the soul from the total essence of one's being.
Gained Ki Filtration F (Plus) (Plus)
Gained Spiritual Knowledge F (Plus) (Plus)
You might have made more progress, except that as the end of class draws near, you find yourself distracted by another concern. Finally, you sigh and give up on your exercises, deciding that you'll have to deal with this other matter. Once class has ended and the other students are gathering their shoes and coats and filing out, you approach Kenneth.
"Hey, Kenneth?" you ask. "Do you have a second?"
"What do you want?" the older boy asks, frowning.
"I just wanted to apologize, again, about the punch. It was a good match right up 'til then, and I screwed it up because I didn't completely understand the rules."
"Huh." Kenneth's frown... fades. Slightly. Though now, instead of angry, he looks puzzled. "How did that happen, anyway? Lu-sensei goes over the rules for full contact spars with us every time a new student joins the group, and again every couple of months as a refresher."
"Uh, yeah. The thing is, the group I train with? We don't do the full contact bit so much. Like, ever. The closest we get to it is when Lu-sensei is chasing one of us all over the hall, and, well... it's Lu-sensei. If he'd ever hit one of us full-force, we'd probably wake up in China or something."
Kenneth snickers. "Yeah, tell me about it. Geeze, so even with that, Lu-sensei still took you to the World- wait." He stops, blinking rapidly. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me that you won first place in your age division at the World Tournament, and you'd never even had a full contact sparring match against somebody your own age before?"
You hesitate. "...yes?"
The older boy stares at you, aghast. "What are you, the second coming of Bruce Lee or something?"
You tilt your head forward and slightly to one side, regarding Kenneth from beneath furrowed brows. Then, with a sudden explosion of movement, you assume an exaggerated "stance" - arms spread, fingers clenched like claws around empty air, muscles tensed - and let out a single, wordless cry:
"Oooowwwwaaaahhhh-!"
Gained Acting D (Plus) (Plus) (Plus)
Gained Trolling E
Kenneth stares at you.
You pause. "What do you think? Too much?"
ENLIGHTENMENT!
"I'll be having none of that in my hall, thank you very much, Alex," Lu-sensei remarks firmly. "Jun-fan was a fine young warrior, and I don't care for seeing him caricaturized, especially not by one of my students."
"Yes, Sensei. Sorry, Sensei."
Kenneth is now staring at Lu-sensei. "Sensei, you knew Bruce Lee?!"
Sam and Paul, who are still present, stop in the middle of getting their shoes on and join their fellow in boggling at this news.
"Yes, but that's a story for another time."
"But-!"
"I believe your father is here, Kenneth." Lu-sensei makes a shooing gesture. The boy turns and glances out the front window, then yelps and hurries to get his shoes when he catches sight of a moderately-big guy just stepping out of a car on the curb. He's out the door with a jangle and a slam a moment later to meet the man, who claps him on the shoulder with a smile and ushers him towards the car.
"You as well, Alex," Lu-sensei says. "Unless there was something further...?"
You've taken up quite a bit of Lu-sensei's out-of-class time already today, and a part of you really does feel that you should wish him a pleasant evening and be on your way already. On the other hand, you DO have some fairly important issues that you could use a knowledgable adult's guidance on, Lu-sensei IS in the know and HAS offered you said direction, there's that whole student/teacher dynamic at work here, and if the old man really did want you to leave, you're quite certain that he wouldn't hesitate to say so.
"Two things, actually, Sensei," you answer his last leading question. "Then I'll be out of your way for the day."
"Well, then, by all means; ask."
"The first one has to do with those people you mentioned knowing that might be able to help me with my little past-life-dreaming problem. I'm not asking to meet them, yet," you say quickly, raising one hand to forestall comment, "but I was wondering if some or all of them would be willing to take... well, magical favors, in trade for teaching me."
"Like that shopkeeper, Gen, you mean?"
"Yeah, exactly."
"A couple of them might," Lu-sensei admits without missing a beat. "Though it would depend on what you were offering. The rest wouldn't, for various reasons."
You nod slowly. "Okay, and the other thing, which also kind of goes back to Gen... do you know of any trustworthy magic shops I could for work in the same role? To earn enough money to pay for those lessons on dreamwalking and such, if and when I decide that I need them?"
Lu-sensei frowns thoughtfully at this. "I would not recommend dealing with the local magic store," he says slowly. "It changes hands almost annually, and the typical owners are not the sort I would consider trustworthy. Some don't really believe in the supernatural, and think they're simply exploiting a thriving New Age community, while others are simply greedy enough to deal with anyone and anything who can meet their prices, regardless of what they are or will likely use their purchases for."
That's disappointing to hear, though Lu-sensei did say that TYPICAL owners were untrustworthy, implying that there could be exceptions - and opportunities.
"There are some other local dealers of magical goods and services," Lu-sensei continues, "but they tend to deal only with select clientele, and their procurement and hiring methods are all worked out 'in-house,' so to speak. A couple are strictly family concerns, or as good as, and won't deal with you unless someone on the inside invites you to join them. And I am not actually a member of any of them. On the rare occasion that I have need of magic, I prefer to deal with out-of-town sources."
"Don't trust the Hellmouth, Sensei?" you guess.
"Not even on a bet, lad."
You nod, understanding completely.
Gained Local Knowledge (Sunnydale) E
"Well, that's all I was really curious about," you say, going for your shoes, "so I'll just be on my way." You slip your feet into your footwear, tap them toe-first against the floor to make sure they're settled, then bow to your teacher. "Thanks for all your time today, Lu-sensei."
"You're welcome, Alexander. Take care on your way home, and I'll see you tomorrow."
You nod and head out the door.
The rest of Sunday passes without incident, as does much of the next week. Aside from you showing up early for each of your classes with Lu-sensei, in order to study the wards on his building, nothing too interesting happens. Well, no, that's not completely accurate; nothing supernatural or supernaturally-related happens. There's a class trip to the Sunnydale Zoo on Thursday, an all-day thing that the school does like clockwork at the end of each year, or so you're given to understand from overhearing the conversation of older students in the halls. Like most kids in Sunnydale, you've been to the zoo a time or twenty yourself, so the prospect of getting to see all the animals in their unnatural habitats is not as shiny and bright as it might otherwise be.
On the other hand, it's not about the animals. It's about not being in class.
Your favorite animal(s) at the zoo would have to be...
"You claim not to have a favorite animal," Cordelia notes, as the two of you, along with Amy and Larry, move about in your own little group. "And yet, you bring that mutt of yours everywhere you can get away with it."
You look down at Moblin. He looks back up at you and wags his tail. You grin, and scratch him behind the ears.
"Okay," you admit, "I think animals in general are neat, but I will admit to a fondness for dogs. Especially big, ugly, half-wild ones."
"So we should stop by and see the wolf exhibit while we're here," Larry concludes.
"Wolves are okay," you reply, although a part of you feels decidedly differently on the subject.
"I heard they have puppies," Amy adds.
"Really?" There is a gleam in Cordelia's eye of pure girlish delight at the prospect of seeing something cute, fuzzy, and awkwardly adorable. "Hey, Briar? If they do, do you think you could talk them into letting us hold them?"
"No," the fairy replies firmly.
"Why not?" Amy joins Cordelia in protesting.
"First off, they'd be behind bars or glass of some kind. And before you suggest having Alex bust them out, wolves don't do the snuggly thing with strangers. They especially don't let strangers near their pups."
The girls are clearly disappointed, but you still end up going to the Wolf's Den - as the sign on the front of the stone-facade building proclaims it. From the outside, the structure has the look and feel of a cave, which is probably part of an attempt to make the wolves feel "at home." It's attached to an enclosed habitat, a mix of grass, trees, rock, and water sunk a good fifteen feet below ground level; the overall space is big enough for a couple of houses, though from what you know of wild animals, it probably feels hopelessly small and crowded to the residents.
After a quick examination of the outdoor area reveals no wolves, you head inside the Den. The interior proves as cave-like as the exterior, with close walls, a low ceiling, and little light. There are several self-illuminating panels and stands worked into small recesses "carved" into the mock-stone walls, offering information on wolves as both individuals and species, but your group bypasses these, more interested in seeing the animals in person.
At the back of the Den, there is a more open area that ends in a three foot tall barricade of steel bars, looking more like something you'd expect to find in an old prison than a zoo. Several feet beyond this, the faux-rock architecture resumes, as a large, lowered chamber that connects to two or three areas farther on by means of low, narrow tunnels. Lounging around the main chamber are three wolves with various mixes of grey fur. Two of them appear to be sound asleep, but the third glances up at your group, yellow eyes cautiously curious.
"Aw," Amy pouts. "No puppies."
At your side, standing up on his hind legs to see what it is that has the interest of you bipeds, Moblin spots the wolves and begins to rumble.
Down in the pit, the wakeful wolf's ears go flat, and you hear it start growling back.
"Hey, Briar?" you ask, as you take hold of Moblin's collar and haul him back from the bars. "What are these two saying to each other?"
"Moblin's pretty much saying he could take the wolf if he tries anything funny, and the wolf is basically telling Moblin the same thing, with an added element of 'get out of my cave.'"
"A couple of boys having a pissing contest, in other words," Cordelia says.
"Pretty much." Briar taps Moblin on the nose with her wand. "Cut that out."
Moblin whines, but obeys.
Down in the pit, the wolf opens his mouth, tongue lolling out.
"That goes for you, too, Scruffy," Briar warns.
The wolf blinks, and it's Moblin's turn to laugh.
You decide not to say anything. Moblin IS your dog, after all, so you're on his side by default. You know, except when he makes a mess of the carpet or something.
With Briar having apparently handled the potential problem, you take a moment to inspect the wolves and their lair more closely. The three animals that you can see appear fairly normal, though there's a certain wildness to their auras that reminds you of the woodland critters you spotted while visiting Briar's portal. Even if they do live in a zoo at the moment, these definitely aren't tame wolves, if such a beast even exists. You can also dimly sense some additional wild, wolfy life-signs from one of the tunnels in the back - one that feels similar to those of the three canines taking their ease below, and several smaller ones that feel quite young.
Before you can bring up the subject of the puppies, you frown. There's something else in this room, not a living aura, but something faintly magical. It doesn't feel active, hostile, or even particularly strong, but it's there... below you, and around you. Looking at the floor and squinting against the gloom, you spot a very strange circular design painted on the floor. It's like nothing you've ever seen before, and it's the source of the strange magical signature, which you recognize as largely Necromantic in nature.
Gained Dark Affinity E
Despite all the odds against it, you and your closest friends in the world have managed to quite literally walk into the middle of a spell-circle, without breaking it or setting it off. Knowing that every second you spend within the mystical diagram is just one more opportunity for it to activate, you very much want to get everybody out, but at the same time, you're keenly aware that you don't know what the trigger condition for this painted spell is. By alerting your companions to the potential threat at their feet, you might very well cause the magic to take effect. By the same token, probing the circle with your powers to find out what makes it tick would also put your friends at risk. And that's just not acceptable.
Thinking carefully, you formulate a course of action that should - hopefully - get everyone safely out of the way.
"Well," you say, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. "Seeing as how we're interrupting these guys' mid-day nap, and there are no puppies around to make it worthwhile, I vote we head out and leave them to their sleep."
"Before Moblin tries to start something again?" Cordelia asks.
"That works."
Amy sighs. "Yeah, I suppose. Phooey. I really wanted to see the puppies, too."
"Better luck next time, Amy," Larry consoles her. "Hey, how about we go to the Ape House next? See the little guys with the fuzzy tails?"
"Lemurs?" you venture.
"Yeah, those."
Gained Cool D (Plus) (Plus)
"...why not?" Amy says, heading for the exit. Larry isn't far behind her, and you follow along in their wake, firmly tugging Moblin along so that he doesn't get the last "word" in with the wolf. Mission accompli-
"Okay, Alex," Cordelia says quietly, walking up next to you. "Spill. What's got you so eager to leave all of a sudden?"
-shed. You briefly debate the merits of silence versus disclosure, then decide that since Cordelia is going along with you regardless, there's no real reason to hide anything.
"Tell you in a sec, Cordy," you murmur. "Hey, Briar?"
"Yeah?"
"Take a look at the floor where we just were."
"Why, what's wrong with... oh. Oh, boy."
Miss Chase looks back and forth between the two of you and the diagram on the floor, squinting at the latter. "Okay, so there's a tacky, off-yellow, sort-of-tribal pattern on the floor. Why is that making the two of you go all quiet and nerv- oh, hell. It's magic, isn't it?"
"Good guess," you congratulate her, as you carefully gather, shape, and then release mana as you cast the Spell of Identification.
"Are we okay?" Cordelia asks at once. "Did it do anything to us?"
"It didn't go off," Briar assures her quickly. "I'm not really sure what it is or what it's supposed to do, but we all would have noticed something if it had activated while we were inside of it."
"On that note," you add, eyes glowing, "it seems to have been a single-purpose spell. Hybrid Necromancy and Summoning, though I don't recognize the style. It seems... kind of primitive, for some reason."
Gained Arcanology E
"And whoever cast it really wasn't very good at magic at all." You frown. "Actually, I'm not sure they even knew they WERE casting a spell. The aura coming off of that thing is really faint. I mean, there are parts of the diagram where the mana is so thin that it almost doesn't form a complete circle. The spell might burn itself out if it was activated, and anything that actually got called into it would probably be able to bust free just by flexing its arms."
"That would explain why neither of us noticed it at first," Briar admits.
"Hey, guys," Larry asks, coming back into the Den. "What's the hold-up?"
"Evil magic graffiti on the floor," Cordelia replies, indicating the main chamber with a thumb.
"Whoa, seriously?"
You roll your eyes, but don't stop to correct Cordelia's choice of words. Really, she's not entirely wrong.
While you decide that messing with the circle involves more risk than you're willing to contemplate, and that cleaning up other people's arcane messes is not really your responsibility in the first place, you'd kind of like to have a copy of this crude circle on hand for future reference. That said, you don't have a pencil or paper on you at the moment, and your friends are similarly ill-equipped, which leaves going to a teacher or one of the better-prepared - read, geekier - students and seeing if they'll loan you the necessary supplies. Though trying to commit the design directly to memory is also an option, if not a spectacular one.
Trying to memorize a pattern like this for later study is really just asking to get bitten - whether by the magic itself, or by whatever it calls up when the spell goes wrong, as it almost inevitably would due to your forgetting or mis-remembering some of the details. A paper sketch is the way to go, and since you don't want to have to come up with a story for one of your teachers to divert their interest and attention from what you REALLY need the paper and pencil for, you decide to ask one of your fellow students.
"You want to ask Rosenberg for help?" Cordelia exclaims, when you state your decision. "Really?"
"Yes," you reply slowly. "Unless there's something I'm missing...?"
Cordelia snorts. "Boy, I'll say you missed something. She pretty much hates your guts."
You blink. "Why? I could count the number of times I've spoken to her on one hand, and I was never rude or mean or anything like that."
"Willow was kind of scared of you to start with, Alex," Amy pipes up, with an apologetic note. "I mean, you're the biggest kid in our year, you can be really scary-looking without even trying, and you're learning martial arts on top of that."
"Not to mention that you hang out with me," Cordelia adds, "and Rosenberg hasn't liked me ever since I told her that she needs to stop letting her grandmother pick her clothes."
You and Larry trade looks. You know for a fact that Larry's favorite shirt - which he's wearing right now, as a matter of fact - was a birthday present from his grandmother.
"I saw that," Cordelia warns the two of you.
"We didn't say anything," Larry answers, hands raised defensively.
"But you have to admit, it's a bit... inconsistent of you, Cordy," you add. "Picking on one person for wearing clothes picked out by their grandmother, and then not saying anything about another."
"Please. Larry's grandmother is totally with the times; Rosenberg's grandmother, or whoever does her shopping, has their head stuck in the Fifties." She turns to Amy. "Anyway, you were saying?"
"I was saying," Amy continues, "that on top of everything else, Alex, you get good grades. Not AS good as Willow's, but she's got this idea that people who are popular and good at sports can't be good in class, too."
Wordlessly, you point at Cordelia, who is all of those things.
"I know, I know," Amy sighs, "but it's what she believes, and Willow can be really stubborn when she thinks she's right. THEN the Tournament happened. You missed a month of school to go and beat up kids from all over the world, 'enforcing a negative stereotype of Americans on a global stage'-" she catches the fourfold look of bewilderment "-don't look at me like that, I'm just repeating what Willow said. And then not only did you NOT get in trouble for being away so long or for fighting, you got made into a local celebrity for being 'the best bully your age in the world.'"
There is silence.
"...so, yeah," Amy concludes. "Willow doesn't like you."
"Why are you her friend, again?" Larry asks.
Yes, that. So much that.
Amy sighs. "We have history. My mom used to babysit Willow when her parents were out of town, back before Pre-K, and she still spends a lot of weekends with us when they're away. Plus she knows my mom is crazy about cheerleading, so she figures I HAVE to hang around Cordelia at school 'for the sake of keeping peace in the home.'"
"Cordy's not a cheerleader, though," Larry points out.
"Not yet," the two girls proclaim in stereo.
"But I am training for it already," Cordelia adds, "and so are some of the other girls at school - the ones who take it REALLY seriously."
"Like my mom does," Amy finishes. "I'm not really sold on the idea of joining the middle school pep squad, myself, but it would mean a lot to Mom, and she doesn't make a fuss about me going to Lu-sensei's class because of how much it's helped my endurance and flexibility, so..." She trails off with a shrug.
"Getting back to the matter at hand," Briar says. "If Alex were to go up to Willow and ask for a piece of paper..."
"She'd avoid him," Amy says confidently.
"She'd laugh in his face," Cordelia says, at exactly the same time, in exactly the same tone.
They look at each other.
You hold up a hand. "Okay, okay. New plan. Amy? Would you mind asking in my place? And not letting on that it's for me?"
Amy smiles. "Sure. Give me... five minutes."
And she hurries off.
"Seems like a heck of a lot of trouble to go to, just for some school supplies," Larry comments. "Can't you just, you know-" he makes strange gestures with his hands "-magic some up?"
"My Conjuration isn't good enough to make anything that'd last longer than a few minutes," you answer. "Not without pouring in more mana than I could hope to hide. As for Summoning... I don't actually know a Spell to Summon Paper. It probably wouldn't be that powerful, but I'm not sure how long it'd last, either. And this isn't the best place to experiment."
Larry doesn't seem entirely convinced, but he nods. "You're the expert."
Your little group waits for Amy to return, making idle smalltalk. At the three-minute mark, you notice another group of students entering the Wolf Den. Three of them in all, all boys, none of whom are from your class. At a glance, the way the two bigger boys have hemmed the third in between them and the unfriendly grins they're wearing make you suspect that you're seeing some genuine bullying in action. It comes to an abrupt halt when they catch sight of your group.
"Um," one of the two bigger boys says slowly. "Hey. What's up?"
You smile at the trio of new arrivals, broadly and without a hint of malice. In the same instant, you wrack your brain, trying to recall the names of these boys, assuming that you ever knew them. You draw a complete blank with the guy on the left, but you're reasonably certain that the one on the right is named Lance. As for the middle guy... ah.
"Morgan!" you boom cheerfully, as you step forward with your arms open. "Good to see you, man! Come to see the wolves? Good choice; alpha predators rock. Unfortunately, it seems like we've interrupted their nap time, so they're maybe just slightly less awesome than normal. And sleeping. But hey, plenty of information still to be had! Check out these displays! Did you know that a wolf can function perfectly normally in what we'd consider darkness? Or that their jaws are strong enough to break the bones in a man's leg? Is that wicked, or what?"
Nobody in the Den seems to know quite how to respond to your sudden outburst of friendliness and canid fanboyism. Morgan looks as confused as his unwanted bookends, although he catches on fast, and puts up no resistance when you step forward and force Lance's nameless buddy back a step, as you usher your "friend" towards the nearest display.
"Um," Lance says.
"Yeah," his companion replies.
"Huh? Oh, hey. Do you guys like wolves, too?" you ask with an innocently curious smile.
"...I'm not that big on dogs, actually," Lance admits. "More of a cat person, really."
"Oh, too bad. But to each his own, right?"
"...yeah, whatever."
Separated from their victim, with a good-natured, enthusiastic wall blocking any further attempts to recover said quarry, and now with a crowd of witnesses that outnumbers, outmasses, and outclasses them, the two bullies make some flimsy excuses and soon depart.
They're no sooner out the door of the Den than Morgan lets out a relieved sigh.
"Thanks, man," he says, leaning on the display.
"No problem."
The door opens then, allowing Amy to return. You notice at once that she has a sheet of paper and a pencil in hand, as well as a puzzled look on her face.
"Hey, guys," she says. "Is there some reason why Lance and Eric are hanging around outside trying not to look like punks?"
In the fluorescent light coming from the panel that describes the structure of the wolf skull - specifically, the jaw - Morgan pales slightly.
"Hey, Morgan," you say. "How do you feel about sticking with us for a bit?"
"...you don't mind?"
"I don't, or I wouldn't have offered." You look at your friends. "Do any of you guys mind?"
"Not really," Amy says.
"Adding another guy to the group is always good," Larry remarks. "I kind of feel outnumbered half the time as it is."
Morgan looks puzzled, glancing from Amy to Cordelia and then back to Larry. "There's only two of them, though."
"Not when Cordy brings her other friends around," Larry replies, carefully not mentioning Briar.
"Ah."
"Oh, man up already," Cordelia snips at Larry. "We don't bite." The brunette regards Morgan a moment longer, then shrugs. "I suppose I'll survive having you along - although while you're here, Morgan? We need to talk about color-coordination."
You regard Morgan's clothes. Bright green windbreaker, hanging open around a cherry-red t-shirt. Pale blue jeans, fading to white in places. Neon orange hightops, over banana-yellow socks.
...what's the problem, exactly?
Well, even if you don't see it, you know better than to question Cordelia about fashion. "Alright, then," you announce. "Motion carries. Just give me a couple minutes to get some sketches done, and we can go."
Even with the prospect of having to endure Cordelia's criticism of his wardrobe selection, Morgan's smile makes his gratitude obvious.
Gained King of Men D (Plus) (Plus)
You return to the viewing area, stopping just outside the circle. The light is low enough that you can't get a clear view of the far edge of the broad ring of swirling characters, but fortunately, there's enough space between the edge of the spell-circle and the actual walls of the room for you to move around and view the patterns more closely, without actually stepping into the ring. Laying the paper Amy obtained for you down atop one of the pedestal displays, you start to sketch.
Gained Drawing F
It soon becomes clear that you are not very good at the artsy side of things. Normally, you wouldn't care, but getting an accurate recreation of this circle is kind of important, if you hope to properly understand its origins and function. You could potentially get a more precise sketch by modifying a cantrip meant for creating copies of written works, but Morgan has wandered over, curious about what you're doing, and would be likely to see it.
Taking another glance at the circle, you decide that having a hamfisted attempt at a cheap copy of an amateur's accidental magical activities will be fine. It's not like you were planning to replicate the thing, you just wanted something to help refresh your memory of the original, for if and when you manage to track down a reference that can identify whatever tradition came up with this mystical diagram in the first place.
And so, you sketch. Your first attempt sucked, and the second and third aren't much better, but on the fourth try - and the last, since you're running out of paper - you manage to produce a drawing that isn't entirely pathetic. Rather than an exact copy of every little detail, it's more like one of those summaries found on the back of paperback novels - just enough information to hint at what's inside and, maybe, hopefully, grab the reader's attention.
Gained Cheap Drawing
Gained Drawing F (Plus)
"Right," you say, folding up the piece of paper and tucking it away in a pocket. "I'm done. Let's leave the wolves to their nap."
As the rest of the group heads for the door, you hang back slightly, murmuring under your breath as you carefully gather mana. Then, when you're sure Morgan isn't looking or close enough to hear, you release the spell at the circle.
There is so little mana bound up in the ritual site that when your bottom-tier Spell of Dispelling hits it, it doesn't even create a visible flare as it dies. Only your finely-tuned magical senses pick up the abrupt cessation of the flow of untapped power through the circle. Though its physical form remains undisturbed, something magically-critical within the diagram has been destroyed, leaving it no more than a mildly-interesting arrangement of paint on the floor.
Nodding to yourself, you turn to leave - and then pause, seeing that the single wakeful wolf is more alert, and watching you.
He almost appears to nod, before lowering his head to his paws and going back to sleep.
...feeling a bit uncertain as to what just happened, you head out after your friends. As you leave the Den, you spot Lance and his buddy off to one side, giving your group dirty looks but making no attempt to approach.
Having found one potentially-problematic arcane symbol where there shouldn't have been any, you're concerned that there may be others in the zoo, primed and waiting to go off at some uncertain trigger, with no-doubt terrible consequences.
It's the Hellmouth, after all.
Rather than hang back to wait and see what happens, and then run damage control in the aftermath - or even do nothing at all - you decide to be proactive about nipping this issue in the bud. As you walk along with your friends plus one, you bring your Mage Sense up and begin sweeping your surroundings. You grimace as the Hellmouth's foul emanations leap forward in your awareness, but a moment's effort shunts that aspect of your heightened sensory acuity aside, letting you focus on the pure magical spectrum.
Gained Corruption Sense D
Given how weak the mana signature of the circle in the Wolf's Den was, you're not holding out a lot of hope for your ability to pick up additional circles at a distance. Any of them that are inside other habitats will be rendered undetectable to you, simply by dint of the walls surrounding them, unless you go inside and look around. Still, you're more likely to pick up something useful this way than you would be walking around, relying only on your eyes, and it avoids the telltale luminous gaze of Mage Sight or an active Spell to Detect Magic.
Even with your main focus being on the hunt for magical signatures, you retain enough presence of mind to chat with your companions. Cordy spends some time interrogating Morgan about his choice in clothes and then telling him why his current attire doesn't work, and what would. While the brunette has your temporary companion's attention occupied, you quietly caution Amy and Larry to be on the lookout for more "tribal graffiti," and then go into a bit more detail about why you wanted to copy down the circle you found in the Den. Amy responds by giving off a faint flicker of mana that you recognize as her waking up her own magical awareness. Larry doesn't have that ability, for better or worse, but his ki shifts slightly, suggesting that he's using some of Lu-sensei's basic techniques for enhancing one's senses. You hadn't realized that Larry was that far along in his training.
Briar, meanwhile, observes that if you're really serious about making sure whether or not there are any more ritual circles in the zoo, it'd make sense for your group to split up. Amy and Larry would go one way; you, Cordy, Moblin, and Morgan would go another; and Briar would take off on her own. It'd maximize your searching ability, and each group would have the magical power to break any circles they find. One the other hand... they might also find whoever MADE that first circle, and that might not be safe.
You decide to veto everybody splitting up to search, mainly due to not wanting any of your friends to potentially run into an adult practitioner when you aren't around to lend a hand. Or a fist. The others accept that reasoning easily enough - Briar more so, since she has prior experience with what happens when you run into grown-up magic-users. From the good (Mrs. Lawson) to the bad (Hawaii Guy) to the annoying (Ambrose), it tends not to end well for you, one way or another.
Your search doesn't turn up any additional magic circles in the half-hour before lunch, but then again, you only manage to visit two habitats in that time - the Ape House and the Rhino Pit, to be specific. When your class meets at the zoo cafeteria, Morgan sticks close to you and your friends, casting wary glances at Lance and his buddy, who have been joined by four other boys - some of whom return looks of their own, although when one of them catches YOUR eye, he visibly blanches and looks away.
You make a note of faces. Just in case.
Towards the end of the forty-five minute lunchbreak, your teachers remind you that you're expected to meet up at the entrance by two-thirty for the bus ride back to school. Based on your progress so far, you figure that gives you enough time to visit six, perhaps seven habitats, assuming you hurry. You're not sure if that's such a good idea, though. It's not that you're worried about anybody commenting, because a bunch of kids running around to see all the sights, while they still have time? Perfectly normal. What concerns you is that haste might lead you to overlook something, or just not leave enough time for you to examine any interesting new details that turn up. Taking things slower would, of course, prevent you from checking as many buildings as possible, and it might also lead to problems with Lance and his pals.
On reflection, you decide to take your time with your investigation. While you don't particularly like the idea of leaving half the remaining habitats unchecked, you'd rather not let haste lead to you missing something - or worse, walking into it again.
That decided, you're left with the question of where to go. Speaking personally, you really want to go see the boars, the bears, the big cats, and the reptiles - and if you've got time, maybe the rodents and/or the elephants.
Cordelia and Briar give you knowing looks when you mention the boars, while everybody else seems politely puzzled. The girls wouldn't mind seeing the bears or the cats, Larry would prefer the bears, and Morgan - who looks surprised when you ask him - admits he'd rather see the bears. Briar also states her preference for seeing, "Anything but the cats."
Nobody really wants to go see the rodents. Elephants it is, then.
Looking at one of the handy maps of the zoo, you plan a route. Bears first, then the cats - sorry, Briar - then the boars, and then the reptiles. If you've still got time at that point, you'll finish off by seeing the elephants.
Consensus reached, you set off, warming up your Mage Sense once again.
The Bear Cave proves to be devoid of suspicious magical symbols. Instead, they've gone big with bear-paw markings in various unthreatening colors - mainly green, blue, and white. While you, Larry, and Morgan awe at the size of the resident grizzly and his claws and fangs, and the girls are busy cooing over a pair of black bear cubs rolling about in another enclosure, Briar busily flits about, asking the bears if they've noticed anything suspicious. For her troubles, she gets growled at several times and swiped at once - she promptly blasts the bear responsible, turning most of his head neon pink - and basically learns nothing productive.
Leaving the Cave, you proceed to the Lions' Den, which is actually not a single habitat, but half a dozen of them grouped together in a fairly sprawling complex. They have the eponymous pride of lions, of course, including one very impressive male, one adult female, and a single cub, but their closest neighbor is a lone tiger who looks like she might be able to take both lions in a fight. Another enclosure claims to be home to a leopard, but the cat is so well-hidden amidst the trees in his domain that you have to resort to your Ki Sight to spot him. A couple of lazy-looking cheetahs are lounging around in another, much more open habitat, while a jaguar is swimming through the small pond in his territory, and after that are the smaller areas holding lynxes, ocelots, a cougar, and a couple other "small" cats.
"Oh, hell," Briar groans, as soon as you're inside. The source of her annoyance is plain for you to see, as there are three more of the poorly-made magical circles laid out on the floor - in front of the lions, the tiger, and the jaguar, specifically. "I suppose you're going to want me to talk to these overgrown furballs, now."
"It might help us figure out who's responsible for these things," you say, while considering ranges. You can only dispel one of the circles without breaking cover, but if you were willing to risk notice, you could get them all with a single, higher-level casting. Alternately, you could just break the circles physically. It'd be slower, but it would work just as well, and it has the advantage of near-absolute stealth - at least from the magical perspective.
"It could also get us stuck in here when bully-boy and his buddies catch up," Briar notes. "Or was I the only one who saw that kid take off when we came in here?"
"No, you weren't," you admit with a sigh. The guy was trying to hide, but with emphasis you've put on honing your awareness of your surroundings, he might as well have painted himself Day-Glo orange and announced that he was going to fetch Lance and the rest of his cronies.
You study the Den. Aside from the main entrance, there are two side doors available to the public, one of which would put you fairly close to your planned next stop of the Boar Pit, while the other would send you in the opposite direction. That's assuming you decide to leave, rather than stick around and face down the would-be delinquents.
"Right," you decide, "we should probably get rid of these circles before a bunch of people who don't know they might be dangerous show up and start stomping through them. I'll dispel the one by the leopard; Briar, would you mind getting the other two?"
"On it." Briar zips towards the viewing area adjacent to the lions' habitat, where - not unlike the set-up over in the Wolf Den - sturdy steel bars and a goodly distance, both vertical and horizontal, separate the human side from the cavern-like indoor "lair" where the big cats rest when they're not roaming their adjacent outdoor domain. Even with your long familiarity with Briar and her unique magic, you're only dimly aware of the mana moving around and through her as she goes to work on the first circle - and that faint, fleeting signature is promptly washed out by your own, as you set to work dispelling the circle by the leopard exhibit.
Gained Mana Concealment D (Plus)
Gained Stealth D (Plus) (Plus)
You neutralize the circle without incident, and take a moment in the wake of its fading power to study the diagram. It's definitely of the same style as the one from the Wolf Den, and if your memory hasn't failed you, it's actually a carbon-copy of that circle.
A moment later, something does the magical equivalent of going "snap" behind you. Glancing towards the tiger display, you see Briar tucking her wand away and floating in your direction.
"Well, that's done," she says, hovering near your ear. "And both of those circles had the same signature as the one from the wolf habitat. Yours?"
"Likewise," you agree. "If whoever's doing this knew what they were doing, I would have expected at least one of the circles to be a bit... well, better than the rest. But that doesn't seem to be the case."
"Nope. It's starting to look like we're dealing with somebody who found a ritual pattern and thought, 'gee, that looks like it'd fit right in with a bunch of animal exhibits.'" Briar makes a noise of annoyance. "He's not even being CREATIVE in his blundering ignorance, he's just using the same pattern over and over."
"Would that have affected the result, if one of these had gone off?" you inquire.
"Depends on what that design was intended for. Ritual circles like this aren't exactly flexible; they're meant to do one thing, and well, not for the 'one-size-fits-all' approach. If the base spell was meant to interact with animals in general in some way, then yeah, it might work out alright, but if it was meant for one particular type of animal? That could screw up the whole spell. And that's assuming it's supposed to work with animals at all, which we can't say for certain." Briar shakes her head. "Anyway, enough speculation. Are we going to hang around and wait for the mini-goon squad to make an appearance, or are we booking?"
You consider that. You find it hard to believe that Lance and his pals would be dumb enough to pick a fight with your group. From a strictly combative point of view, four of you have a couple years of kung fu lessons under your belts, two of you are larger than the average second-grader, and one of you is a big dog. That's not even getting into the social consequences.
On the other hand, you're dealing with a bunch of eight-year-olds. Who knows what they might do?
There's also the question of whether or not you want Briar to try talking to the big cats about who was responsible for painting those circles. While you have every confidence in her ability to look after herself, running out and leaving Briar alone in a room full of apex predators who outmass her about a thousand times over strikes you as the sort of thing a friend should not be doing.
Yeah, you don't really see any benefit in hanging around waiting for a bunch of troublemakers to show up, or in leaving Briar behind for any reason. You let your companions know that you'll be moving on, and try to usher them towards the "boar-side" exit.
"Huh?" Morgan isn't the only one who looks surprised by your decision to beat feet, but he's the first to verbalize it. "But we just got here. Why the rush?"
You raise one hand to jab a thumb over your unoccupied shoulder, indicating the main entrance. "I spotted one of Lance's buddies outside."
"Erk."
"Yeah, and he took off fairly quickly once he saw us come in here."
"Grk."
"So I figured, we should probably move on before they get here."
"Do my ears deceive me, or are you proposing we back down from the possibility of a fight?" Cordelia takes a moment to stare theatrically, and then narrows her eyes. "Who are you, and what have you done with Alex Harris?"
Briar snickers.
"First of all, I am not that bad," you reply.
The stereo look Cordy and Briar give you says otherwise. You ignore it and continue.
"Secondly, we don't know that it would come to a fight - if anything, it probably wouldn't. Five on six, when four of us know kung fu and one is a big, mean-looking dog?" You shake your head. "I hardly know Lance from a hole in the ground, but he didn't strike me as stupid. Mean, jealous, and not exactly bright, but not stupid. And finally," you conclude, "assuming we did get into a fight with those guys, it wouldn't bring us anything except trouble no matter the outcome. So why bother?"
Amy smiles. "Lu-sensei will be happy to hear you've been paying attention to his lessons on avoiding conflict."
"Yeah, I think he was getting worried you were just running around looking for trouble," Larry admits.
"Oh, come on..." As you leave the Lions' Den, you look down at Moblin. "Do you want to have a go at me too, buddy?"
Moblin gives you a puzzled, doggy look, then pushes his head forward under your hand, hoping for a scratch. You oblige him.
You see neither hide nor hair of Lance's group as you head for the Boar Pit. Briar breaks off for a minute, zipping around towards the front of the Lions' Den, and returns a moment later, snickering.
"What did you do?" you ask under your breath.
"I may have arranged for a Grease spell to go off when that Lance guy's aura reaches a certain point inside the House of Evil," Briar replies with false innocence.
You try to picture that. Lance, and any of his friends within about five feet, suddenly finding themselves on a patch of floor covered by a sheen of slime as slick as ice, only about a thousand times more gross.
You have to smile.
"What's so funny?" Morgan wonders, having caught sight of your expression.
"Just picturing the looks on their faces," you say with complete, albeit misleading honesty.
The rest of your walk to the Boar Pit is uneventful. Unlike the other animals you've seen thus far, the boars - half a dozen of them - are outside in the lowered area of trees, scrub, and tall-ish grass rather than dozing within an interior lair. You wonder if that's a sign that they haven't had lunch yet, or if they've simply digested faster than the predators.
Do you want to stay outside and observe the boars in their faux-natural habitat? Or would you rather go inside and see what the educational displays have to say?
Although you are tempted to hang around outside and watch the boars do their thing, you didn't come here to spectate. You're on a hunt of sorts, with a limited timeframe to work in, and it just wouldn't do to let yourself get distracted by the sights.
Besides, the boars will still be here tomorrow, and in the days and months to come. You've got a whole summer to fill up with visits, if you really want to.
You head into the somewhat misnamed Boar Pit, and shortly thereafter, have determined that the place is as clean of magical influence as any other part of the zoo. No mana-imbued tribal circles decorate the floor, which instead features hoof-print designs along what you guess is the path visitors are expected to follow when touring the place.
With the security of this place confirmed, and your own affinity for the Boar weighing in, you decide that you can spare a few minutes to read some of the displays. While it's not the most detailed assessment of all things porcine, you do pick up some things you didn't know, or perhaps more precisely, hadn't really considered correctly. For example, wild boars are just as omnivorous as their domesticated counterparts, but as they don't have people bringing them food, they have to go out and get it. While they are primarily foragers who don't object to adding unlucky bugs, the eggs of ground-nesting birds, carrion, and the occasional slow-moving lizard to their diet, some wild boars do hunt larger animals. They just aren't as optimized for it as the dedicated carnivores you've seen today.
You wonder what that means for you, who has the Boar as totem-spirit. Perhaps that you're capable in many fields, but lack the sheer aptitude of those who possess natural talent for specific fields? That... sort of fits. You've left most of your peers behind in pure physical and magical terms, but you know for a fact that there are students who get better academic marks than you, Cordelia still trumps you when it comes to social skill and dominance, and enough of the kids you faced or saw fighting at the tournament were good enough that you had to - or would have had to - work for a win. Heck, your little "title bout" with Altria could have gone either way at the very end. And then, of course, there's your ongoing issue with spiritual training, though that one's up to a lack of a proper teacher as much as anything else.
Gained Totemic Knowledge E (Plus) (Plus)
Gained Zoology F (Plus) (Plus)
You drift around the exhibits in the Boar Pit for perhaps a quarter of an hour, enjoying yourself and giving Briar time to chat with an even-tempered sow taking her ease indoors, rather than going out in the sun with the rest of the... you glance at one of the displays, seeking the proper term for a group of pigs.
'Sounder.'
Huh. You would never have guessed.
Anyway, while the lady pig is cooperative, she apparently doesn't have much to say. The most interesting thing Briar learns is that the interior of the Boar Pit building got re-painted not too long ago - a few days ago, maybe a week. Briar admits it can be hard to get a precise notion of time out of animals. Still, the relatively recent redecoration makes it seem unlikely that any new work will be done here for a while. It's possible that the other buildings were also painted recently, as part of regular maintenance; if so, it would make sense for that to be the time when the magic circles were set down. Briar didn't get anything on that from the unhelpful bears, and she didn't talk to the cats, so you might have to go back and check if you really wanted to be sure.
In any case, once your stay in the Boar Pit is up, you head for the Reptile House - and then, because of your abbreviated stay in the Lions' Den and the good time you've been making all-around, you move on to the Elephant Enclosure. No magic circles pop up at either location, and Briar is able to confirm from the residents that their buildings were also painted quite recently. You also don't see Lance or any of his friends, leaving Morgan hopeful that you shook them at the Lions' Den.
While looking at the zoo's small family of elephants, you glance at a nearby clock. It's about five after two. If you wanted, you could probably visit one more habitat, or re-visit one of the ones you've already been to. On the other hand, you could just head for the zoo exit to meet up with the rest of the class.