THE APPLE OF SNAKES

x. school hymns

When the teacher walked into the classroom, they didn't hush immediately.

Nerluce, because he respected no authority, and others because she didn't look much like a teacher. She was young. Younger than any other teacher Nerluce had ever had. She was probably in her late twenties, making her a bit older than Coam. Her hair, however, marked her distinctly as an experienced magickian with a fire affinity.

Magick altered physical appearance. Alterations were linked to the amount the person practiced magick in a certain element. They could be as minor as smelling like smoke or as major as someone's entire body turning into fire. Nerluce had never met anyone who had turned into fire before but there were plenty of myths about it happening and he figured those kinds of things had to come from somewhere.

The teacher had hair that looked just like fire. She had it pulled up in a ponytail but there was no mistaking the waves which danced like flames and the coloring. Her hair was a yellow-golden-blonde at the roots but it became orange at the tips. Her robes seemed a little bit singed around the edges as if they were burning up upon contact with her skin, though that might've been Nerluce's imagination. Her eyes were that of gray smoke, blotting out the skies.

What got the class to shut up was when she pointed at one of the two basins of oil in the front of the class and it caught on fire.

Even Nerluce had to shut up. His eyes went wide and his lips twisted into a frown. What... how did she do that? She hadn't snapped her fingers nor had Nerluce seen her transfer a spark. His attention was drawn in a single action. Maybe the teachers from academic studies should try lighting something on fire.

"Alright then," the teacher said, sitting down at her own desk, though it was in the least proper way Nerluce had ever seen. She was sprawled out even worse than Nerluce was, her elbow propped on her shoulder. "Anyone have an idea 'bout what just happened?"

The class was silent.

The teacher smirked, eyes skimming the room as she hunted for her victim the way teachers so commonly did. But when those predatorial eyes landed on Nerluce - or Nerluce's white hair - the teacher's smirk widened into a grin and Nerluce swore he saw fangs. "Hebikotis always seem to know a lot about fire. Answer."

And that meant she knew Nerluce's clan and, more specifically, Coam.

Nerluce stood up, not knowing the answer and ready to bring shame to his family name. But... why bother guessing when he knew he'd just get it wrong? It was much easier to just get it wrong and then the teacher would stop expecting things from him, whether she knew he was related to Coam or not.

"Well," Nerluce said, slow and thoughtful. "It seems you have an affinity for water."

"Wr-" The teacher, who so clearly wanted Nerluce to be wrong she prepared her answer beforehand, cut herself off to give Nerluce a look, probably realizing that he was, in fact, not Coam. Rather he was his own dumbass. He smiled at her, the most pleasant smile he could manage, and sat back down. "Wrong. Sasaquī, does the High Priestess's little favorite have any ideas?"

At this point, Aristide stood up, unprovoked. "Elder Priestess harnessed the heat magick when she pointed at the oil basin and transformed it to create the fire magick."

The teacher whistled. "Ain't yuh a clever one?"

She pointed to the other basin and it, too, was engulfed in flames. Nerluce was just as fascinated by it the second time it happened as he was the first. It was the perfect display of power and control - subtlety and dramatics. Nerluce couldn't help but be awed. Coam was always praised as the best fire wielder in the Clan but she had nothing on this woman.