I started to go home after I picked up the place, no telling when Celina would be back, though knowing her the little that I did, it would be soon. I was about to leave when I saw the elder leaning against the door frame, “finally found out about Cloe huh?” he said a smirk on his face. “Good maybe she’ll be less of a bitch in council chambers.”
“Shit! You mean she was that way with all of you?” I asked shocked. “I thought to you guys she’d at least be a lot more civil.
Laughing the elder nodded his head then he got serious, “How many more levels have you gone up?” The elder asked him.
“As of today I have raised seven and a half, I might have enough to piss him off that’s about it, I might even get him to feel it.” I told him with all seriousness.
“Seven and a half? Crap son I can only think of one, no two that are of a higher power, I’m not about to go ask them to help.” The elder said a faraway look in his eyes.
“You mean Johnathon and his father Tom Timmings?” I told him.
Shocked a moment he could only nod. “They are older than you think the elder said.”
“I know I was there when Johnathon was training with his father. Though I think Johnathon is higher I seem to remember something about them having a fight; though it was a few days before I came out of hiding. Oh yeah that’s right YOU were the one that found me, though I still don’t know how you did.” I said looking at the elder suspiciously.
The elder’s mouth was hanging open, “You know them? Personally? Damn! I didn’t think anyone was allowed into their keep without an invitation.”
“Oh, they aren’t actually, no one is now, not for the last 50 years or so.” I told him trying to remember everything that Johnathon had told me when I had stopped by to give him the second living talisman, for their second baby. Laughing I remember Johnathon groaning when I handed it to Lana then growling when his mother gasped. Yeah I knew about her grandfather he was a good man, he was the one that had taught me how to make them. Forty years shit! I had reduced it to almost twenty and they were still as powerful. Shaking my head this was one thing I’d take to the grave with me I had made a promise to the old man. As a few had found out I kept my promises though he had left me a loophole, hell what a loophole!
I heard the elder clear his throat, “Oh sorry I was reminiscing about the last time I visited the Timmings keep, not too long before they closed it though, I think I am powerful enough to get through now.” Again I saw the elder’s mouth drop open.
“Just how in the hell do you know them?” he asked.
“Oh you don’t know? Johnathon and I went to school together. Johnathon used to get his ass handed to him almost every day ’til I stepped in. I got a few beatings as did Johnathon but we got through that first year. After I taught him to fight we were almost unbeatable mid-way through the second year we were actually feared a little.”
“No, none of this is in either of your files, though I don’t understand why.” The elder stated a little confused.
“You know that Johnathon’s father, and then Johnathon are the sub-council members,” I said, the elder nodded.
“Though I am unsure of how you know,” the elder said.
“As I said I know the entire family as well as Lana. They have been good friends for well over 200 years, long before I became the council’s enforcer.” I told him.
“You just seemed to forget all of this?” the elder asked.
“No, when I showed up to help Johnathon before Lana and he had their first child, I was a mess I was falling apart.”
Here I hung my head; so many memories had flooded back into my mind that Evelyn Timmings had hidden, ’til I was ready. Though I hadn’t at that time thought it would take so damn long, or be so damn painful.
“Evelyn Timmings healed me, in a way she was and to me is still the greatest healer. I thought at the time she performed it I would be out of it in a few years, 50 at the most, I didn’t think it would be 200.” Laughing I looked at the still shocked Elder. “I know you know about all the missions I did as a bounty hunter for the council up to 200 years ago. I was considered the best, ’til I met up with Cedric, then I was a shell, that battle drained me of myself, my abilities hell almost all my emotions. Not many realized I almost died that day, after losing Tyler I really didn’t care. Johnathon was the only one left who cared, so I went to him to help him as I heard he was in trouble. He helped me instead; I can never fully repay him though I have tried for centuries, maybe one day.”
Shaking my head I thought a moment, “Oh I think I found another part of the solution plus with the added power I might actually revert you.”
The elder looked at me suspiciously a moment then nodded and sat. I started to concentrate, remembering the part of the counter spell I had learned. It took about thirty minutes and almost everything I had but I could finally feel the elder start to change. Opening my eyes I saw he looked almost my age now.
Smiling I said, “There, I think I finally did it as I promised 100 years ago.” It had taken a lot more out of me than I thought when I turned and saw the entire rest of the council watching including Cloe who had tears in her eyes. Turning back to my now younger looking friend I stated, “You didn’t have to bring them I said I would I promis…ed.” That was the last thing I remember as the world went black, though I remember Cloe screaming, and several arms grabbing me before I hit the floor.
I awoke in my bed, the strange thing is I was alone trying to sit up I groaned as the room began to spin. Crap I thought, I must have really used up everything, reserves included. As I started to sink back into the bed Cloe ran to me with something to drink.
“Here drink this, not too fast, it will help.” Not really in a mood to argue I started to sip the drink then almost to chug the awful tasting brew. Not sure what the hell it was but it was damn sure restoring me real quick.
“How long,” I tried to squeak out.
“Two days,” she said with a smile, a true smile, Christ she was beautiful, but then again she was stark naked as I had ordered. “I wanted to thank you,” she said.
“Thank me? For what?” I said trying to unscramble my brain.
“For finally letting me cum, though I had wished it had been you, I knew your heart was in it.” She told me an even bigger smile on her face.
“You more than deserved it,” I told her. “You had a right to be the way you were toward me. I really didn’t … I thought you just hated me as a man that you were just a natural bitch. I never got to tell you that I was so sorry for taking so long getting it back to you.” I watched as she fingered the star pendant around her neck. I had felt so guilty for wearing it all those years never trying to rely on its power but on my own. I just hope that the charge I put into it every week made it a hell of a lot stronger than it was.
Then it hit me, “Two days!!! My god I’ll never be ready in time. Help me up Cloe I have to start building up again I am going to have to push as hard as I can and hope I don’t over extend.” As I started my exercises I noticed out the corner of my eye that Cloe was doing them with me. I had just gained up to the ninth level when I felt the strain start, well I got one, and a quarter today that might help to make up. Though I felt I was a hell of a lot stronger, I was afraid that Cedric still had me by 10 levels I had to admit at nine higher I was no slouch now but I still thought he could kill me almost with ease.
I felt Cloe had gone up almost as much as I had though her strain wasn’t as bad as mine hmmm interesting. Looking at her I decided that the rules could finally change after all it wasn’t all her fault for everything that had happened to her. Reaching out I snapped my fingers making clothes appear on her naked body; she looked at me odd for a few moments then smiled at me.
“You know you really don’t have to, really, I don’t mind staying naked here for you,” Cloe said winking at me; hmmm I thought I might just get lucky after all tonight. Shaking my head I tried to clear it wouldn’t be good to get distracted now. Looking at Cloe again I had to agree she could be a big distraction.
“That was a punishment Cloe; I should let you go…” I started.
“NO!” she almost screamed, “No I want to belong to someone, I haven’t had a purpose like that in an extremely long time. Even with all the bad history I have with you, I am still closer to you than to anyone I have ever been with. I am asking that you give me a few weeks ok?”
Sighing I nodded ok, her almost squeal of delight was a shocker in its self damn I guess she really was happy to be here. Eating quickly I saw that I didn’t have a lot of time before the students started to arrive. We were going to have to work damn hard in order to get back on schedule. Nodding again to Cloe I waved my hand and appeared at the front doors of the school. I’d barely gotten the doors open when the council elder’s son appeared.
“I heard that you would be back today, I’m glad for that, and I also wanted to thank you about father, he told me a very good friend was trying to help him with a spell that had been put on him. I just hadn’t connected you and him ’til I remember you saying that you were a gold class-1 rating in almost everything you do. Glad it was you and not a rank amateur trying to heal him. It may not appear to be, but father and I do have an extremely good relationship.”
I must have looked like an idiot with my mouth open, ‘cause my friend’s son was smiling at me strangely.
“Come on you had to know we were on good terms?”
“Actually from the way that you acted, one would have thought that you hated you father, plus had a great disdain for authority.” I told him.
“You have to understand about my family, my father you do know quite well from what I’ve seen. Then there is my mother, I am sure that father has warned you about her?” I nodded slowly as I looked up at him. “Yeah I thought so, so he didn’t.”
“He told me she still has influence on a lot of the old Mages and that he’d never won a fight with her. So I assumed that she is quite formidable.” I replied.
“Not sure about that power wise but she has connections that not many have, though I am sure in your case she would only be a nuisance.” Here he chuckled, “I’d love to be a fly on the wall if she ever met up with you and pissed you off.”
I had to smile, so it appeared that the pup had a sense of humor and god it was so much like mine had been at that age! He turned to go then turned back, “Oh you might want to do another scan of all of us someone is hiding a secret that I was unsure of ’til I heard her talking to another female mage.”
I was shocked a moment someone was hiding something from me? In plain sight?! Pissed for a moment though not sure because the pup had discovered it first or I had just missed it. I set up as my students began to appear one by one, I carefully and as unobtrusively as I could began to scan each of them as they entered. Finally twenty minutes later I had found two that were more hidden from me than the rest. The first one a young male student had a simple charm that was hiding the fact that his family was well known other than that there was nothing else. Then there was the second one, who just so happened to be the same young woman I’d overheard the other day. The strange thing was, the more I tried to see the more everything remained hidden, funny I thought, but the power that was blocking me was very familiar. Unfortunately I didn’t really have all that much time to find out what, we were days behind and I didn’t want to delay any longer. Looking over the student roster I saw that her name was Gena Vishnew, why did that name ring a bell.
Starting out the day I had to work them extra hard and long, we had two days to make up for, and I wanted them to be almost mage strength at the end of the second week. Still her name bugged me the whole day, for some reason I couldn’t get it out of my head. During a break I went into the office and looked over her file hmmm it appeared she was from Europe, from an old family though which had been left blank. It appeared that she had been recommended by someone on the last council before they stepped down and it had been left. I decided I’d talk to her tomorrow, first I sent a note home with her requesting to talk to her parents, this hiding wasn’t allowed, and I’d get to the bottom of it. Done for the day I stopped her as she was leaving I handed her the note and asked her to give it to her parents with a smile she nodded then vanished. I didn’t really expect an answer from her parents for a few days, when there was a knock at my office door.
I opened the door and received the biggest shock in over 200 years standing there in front of me was none other than Evelyn Timmings! I must of looked like another kind of idiot as she smiled that huge friendly smile of hers and came in.
“Hello Tyrome long time no see.” she started.
For a moment I was unable to speak, when I finally found my voice she was smiling larger.
“Hello again Mrs. Timmings,” I started.
“Please not so formal Evelyn please!” she told me.
“Yes ma’am,” I answered, “How can I be of service to you? Is Johnathon ok? Does he need help again?”
“No, unfortunately this isn’t a social call.” Pulling out the paper I had sent home with Gena, she handed it to me. “I have come about this; you see Gena is my granddaughter.”
Again I must have looked foolish as she was staring at me oddly, “your granddaughter?! Her last name is Vish… Ah!” I snapped my fingers, “Lana’s family name I thought it sounded familiar. Wait! Then the reason I can’t scan her is the living tree talisman?” Evelyn only nodded. Sighing now I had an extremely difficult decision. “Under the rules established by the council I am supposed to expel her, though the reason is about the only one I’d except for hiding one’s self.”
Evelyn’s eyes opened wide as she focused on me, “You know you can’t do that Tyrome.”
“Yeah I know it but I may have to, besides I think it would be safer in the keep than here.” I told her.
“Safer whatever in the world are you talking about?” so I started in on the tale of the banishment of Cedric when she’d met me over 200 years ago. All the way to today, “you mean to tell me you are ten levels higher now?” she asked.
“Yes I have been trying to get high enough to be able to defeat him this time; I don’t have much time as the barrier is extremely weak. I’m sure all of you will be safe enough with Johnathon and your husband’s power, though as for her I will do my best.” I told her.
“You and Johnathon are so much alike, I have never seen as pig headed, stubborn people as I have you two, well maybe with the exception of Tom and Ben.” she said I had to smile I was well aware of how stubborn Ben was. “I’d rather you didn’t tell Gena you know, though I am afraid her empathic power is growing.”
“Yes I know,” I told her, “she was projecting the other day and I could ‘hear’ her.”
“I can see we are going to have to tighten her control more, though as strong as you are getting even that may not help” Evelyn murmured to herself.
I made a promise to Evelyn I wouldn’t mention it; I knew how embarrassing it could be to be called out. As I watched her go I told her to let me know when Lana was due with their third child. Evelyn looked at him suspiciously, “so you did know my father,” she told me with a smile.
Sighing I guessed I’d have to ‘fess up, “yes I knew him briefly about 300 years ago, and yes he taught me to make them.” Leaning close I whispered, “Though I now have it down to twenty years just as strong.”
Evelyn’s eyes grew large, “WHAT!? HUMPH! I always thought father took too long in the making of them I can make them in twenty-five years though I haven’t made one in 150 years now.” she laughed as my eyes got large.
“That liar!” I shouted, “He told me he wasn’t going to teach anyone else!”
Smiling slyly she replied, “He didn’t teach me I watched him every day for years.” Again I must have looked ridiculous because she started giggling softly at me, “He told me no one ever watched when he was making them.”
“Well … kind of hard to notice someone when their wearing the Merlin’s cloak.” she said with a devious smile on her face. “Yes I still have it, and no, Johnathon does NOT know I have it and I’d like to keep it that way.”
I could only nod my mouth hanging open I’d have loved to have gotten my hands on that a few hundred years ago; invisibility would have helped the job greatly. Chuckling again Evelyn moved close and kissed me on the cheek I got a warm glowing feeling, ah god it must have been nice growing up with a family mother. There were times so many times that I had envied Johnathon his life and family something I’d never had. I watched her as she was starting to leave; there was a sudden racket in the outer office. In a loud and noisy din a woman named Wilhelmina Pena waltz in the door. “I’m looking for the instructor Tyrome Greenstick,” she bellowed. I was told the detestable wretch was here.”
I drew myself up and stood in front of the woman, “I am Tyrome Greenstick and you are interrupting…”
“It is of no consequence what you want I am here…” she started.
That was all it took as I blew my stack, “Look here you pompous windbag. I RUN THIS school. If you want something then you talk TO ME and you do it in civil tones or you can take your fat ass out of here!”
Obviously upset but not about to back down she tried again, “You will address me…”
“I will smack you down faster than you can breathe woman, you don’t know who or what you are dealing with. You interrupted a meeting between me and a true lady,” I stuck my finger in her now beet red face, “You could learn a few things, no I think you better learn a few things, come here again like that and I will freeze your mouth for a week. First I think you owe a most grievous apology to my guest, Lady Evelyn Timmings.”
I heard Mrs. Pena’s sharp intake of breath then she slowly turned to face a now frowning Evelyn Timmings.
“You my dear are a most uncouth lady, if that is indeed what you truly are.” Turning to me she smiled and winked, “I am sorry my dear fellow that I haven’t the time to spend catching up with you, do take care, and remember you don’t have to follow the mandates set by the council, I’m sure you remember the family position.”
A wide smile lit my face as I remembered that Johnathon and his father were on the sub-council, they could overturn almost everything the council set.
“Thank you my Lady I remember, please give my best to Johnathon and Lana, and please remember I have the third one when it is time.” I told her.
I could see that Pena was shaking now; she’d sat and not uttered a single word or sound. With a flourish Evelyn left with a powerful wind and a whoosh. Smiling, I thought now the fun could start as I turned toward a still shaking Mrs. Pena.
“Now then how may I help you Mrs. Pena, your husband is a dear and old friend of mine so I will over look this altercation … this time.” I told her as sternly as I could.
“Y-y-yes sir,” she stuttered as she started, “I am worried about my son. After he came home with the creeping arbor spell I was worried he would be put out.”
Hmmmm so his bitch of a mother was truly caring about him, “Not to worry Mrs. Pena he has straightened out and is actually a star student now. I dare say his power is border line lowest level of mage now.” Her eyes shot open at this.
“Already?” she asked. I nodded that it was true.
As she rose and started to leave I stopped her a moment, “Please remember this is a school, I am open to teaching all who wish to or NEED to learn.” she vigorously nodded yes then turned again. That’s when I saw why my friend stayed with her, she might have a mighty mouth, but by all that was holy she had a tight if not large ass. Ummm I thought I might have to look into the older women after all.