Glass Magic

Chapter 29

It has come to my attention that they're likely going to be anywhere from 40 to 60 chapters in this book may be even more (I'm lying to myself it's going to be around 100) so do enjoy as 2/3 of this story was actually written this week alone and that leaves the possibility that I might have this finished by the end of the month. If you got any input on something you'd like to see in these remaining chapters just tell me and I'm more than likely to find a way to get it in and if I don't I apologize.

         It worked wonders. So much so that a teachers meeting was called with me proposing the different ways they'd be useful throughout the different classes. Tactical classes were easy to find uses in and were really the only ones I needed but I needed what it to be too suspicious and extended into the other classes.

       Free labor was clearly not something I could convince them I was willing to do out of the kindness of my soul so I went with a small monthly fee considering the work. After a few minutes of discussing, they agreed, the meeting ending but I remained seated in the front, my legs crossed and a smile playing at my lips while I waved at those leaving. Already used to how quick the council was to weaponize any and everything they could.

        And man were these some pretty toys.

       "... How much?" He asked only him miss H and the fire elite remaining, more and more elites having to go to the front lines to keep the empire off our back before the next batch was ready.

       "Unfortunately, I an unwilling to sell them," I smiled calmly linking my fingers over my knee knowing this was going to go in a very bad direction and not wanting them to see through my sham of confidence.

       "No matter what?" Miss H asked thinking she could get me to budge with that kind smile and some sweet words. This wasn't information to be collected. I wasn't worried I was going to be beheaded for treason. I knew she was actively manipulating me.

       "No matter what." I shut her down fast and hard, her smile faltering for a moment before she cleared her throat, my grip on my knee tightening while I held my breathing knowing it was coming. The fire elite slammed his fist against the table as it flared, a glare in place as I bit my tongue to keep from flinching. You're fine, they won't do anything, they can't do anything.

      "... What if you rent them for their work like the rest?" The earth elite asked calmly, his eyes calculating while I shook my head gently.

      "I'm afraid not, I haven't perfected them and I'm afraid they'll do more harm than good," 

       "Not even one?"

       "Not even one." The fire elite opened his mouth to shout but the earth elite put his hand up and we stared at one another for a very long moment. Which was very very hard, those brown eyes of his looked like they could sink a ship.

      "... Alright, but we will be waiting for the perfected verse and before you leave, I would like to ask about the White Stag," I felt my insides liquify and throat clench at the topic but my smile was set in stone at this point. My breath catching in my throat as a flicker of electricity flashed in front of me, a hand sized Stag glowing a vibrate blue as it raced around me, like I called it. Which I did not. There was no contract and I didn't even attempt to summon it.

       "What of it?" I asked staring at the small bit of lightning that would take very little effort for the beast to shape and manipulate from the spirit realm. Opening my palm it pranced right into it, shaking its antlers with a crackle of lightning filling the air while I swallowed, my smile straining as I had no idea what was going on but flipping out was not the best cause as I had wanted them to think I could call it at will.

      "Is that...?" Glancing back at them I found them staring at it, glancing away only when lightning sparked somewhere within the room.

       "Of course not, do you see a summoning circle?" Please say you do, please say you do, "The mount of the mourning is far larger than this," And this meant it was keeping an eye on me. Possibly playing with me.

       "Indeed... There are no summoning circles anywhere near here but lightning is a magic for holy beasts," Yep. That is true. Don't mind the internal screaming.

        "I simply said that this wasn't the beast itself, that I didn't summon it, I never said the beast wasn't..." Trailing as I tried to figure out where I got the gall to spout such utter bull without a second thought. Is it a survival instinct? I feel like it's a survival instinct. I'm going with that thinking is not something I should be doing right now I should be finding a way to get away and figure out what was happening.

         "So it's true you already hold a contract, a holy beast of such a standing at that," Ooookkkkaaaaaayyyyyy. I don't like being looked at like I was a piece of meat. And he was looking at me like I was a piece of meat. One that could end his war. One that's about to duck this conversation.

       "Of course not," I chuckled waving him off as I crushed the stag on my palm like I remembering Vixen doing to that fairy she made. The thing disappearing with the chains of lightning flickering around the room.

       "I don't have a contract of any sort when it comes to spirits, they aren't really... Flexible you see, make a contract with one and you can't summon another, there are other ways to get spirits to do what you want," Like offering a cost instead of doing some simple circle and summoning it without a reward of any kind. Swallowing again as my throat was still very dry I painted that smile on thick while staring at them.

      I wasn't lying, it was true that with the proper circle and a cost they agree too then you can summon them before giving them a task and returning to the spirit realm. Contracts were very unflexible as you can't summon a different spirit if you've bound your soul to another.

     "And what are these ways?" He asked, his eyes burning more while my gaze flicked away on instinct.

       "Difficult," I said flicking my brow up as I ran my finger over the diagonal scar on my wrist, a motion that did not go unnoticed. 

        "... You came back unconscious from heavy blood loss did you not? I don't think we asked just how you sustained such an injury." You're almost done. You can do it. Just a little more.

      "Indeed," I grinned in the most predatory way I could, surprise flickering in his eyes as he stopped leaning forward on the table he was seated at, "You'd be surprised by what a holy beast demands... Especially one that's supposed to place you in the arms of the gods," 

         A very loud and powerful strike of lightning struck just outside the class while I glanced out the window not wanting to be smited but continuing anyway, "It's got quite the personality you know, you should try summoning it, I bet it'd come willingly if you were the one to do it,"