Darksteel

Chapter 15; Secrets and spellbooks.

Matthias Potter seemed unusually happy in Lore and Legends that day, Asta thought. 

His lips were pulled back into a charming smile, his eyes sparkled jovially from behind the glass windows of his spectacles, and his cheek beheld the merry flush of someone who was happy enough to shed the dismal greyness of the weather outside. 

It was most unnerving.

Who did he think he was, being happy on a rainy day? Why, people had no business being happy on days like this! It was downright unnatural. 

Yet as soon as Miss Ruse entered the library, it became apparent as to WHY Mr.Potter was so unusually happy, for he took one glance at the pretty form of the professor of Lore and Legends and his smile seem to expand to nearly half the bredth of his face.

It was almost amusing, really.

Feeling a knowing smirk tug at his lips, he leaned over to Jeremiah and whispered, "I think our Guild master has a crush on Miss Ruse."

 "I'm surprised it's taken you that long to notice." Jeremiah replied, grinning as he watched Potter practically trip over himself in trying to say 'good afternoon' before he obviously lost the nerve to do so. "He's been mooning over her since the first class."

 Well, if Asta hadn't noticed, Miss Ruse CERTAINLY did not know, for she treated Mr.Potter as simply a coworker, giving him a polite smile here and there

Or perhaps she was playing hard to get.

 Either way, she paid no heed to Mr.Potter's flushed face or the way he stuttered out most of his sentences around her, choosing instead to focus on beginning class, much to Asta's relief.

There was only so much romance one could take in a day, after all.

"Good day, class," Miss Ruse said in her lilting voice, "Today I have picked a very special legend for us to study, so hopefully you all can stay awake."

 Feeling his face flush beat red, Asta sank down lower in his seat, feeling as though he were two steps away from dissolving into a pile of ash when Nico giggled at his expence.

 Thankfully, Miss Ruse ignored his burning face and simply went on as though she had not embarrassed him before the entire class.

Simply wonderful.

"As most of you may have noticed, there are quite a lot of Monsters in Tirus, but some of you must be wondering where they all came from and what is their history."

 Personally, Asta had never wondered that question--infact, he preferred not to think of monsters at all-- but Miss Ruse obviously enjoyed this subject, so he kept quiet and watched as Mr.Potter pulled a small pouch of something out of his coat pocket. Then with a nod from Miss Ruse, he threw the pouch into the hearth fire, his eyes flashing as the flames flared up and turned a bright green, flickering slightly as the storm raged outside.

With a gasp, the students leaned forward expectantly in their seats, eyes transfixed on the fire as Miss Ruse began waving her hands in intricate patterns, making the flames leap and dance, forming into shapes; people, ships, and hideous creatures.

Asta gaped at it all in awe, leaning in to listen intently as the professor spoke, her voice only slightly louder than the sharp crackle of the flames.

 "When humans first came to Tirus out of the ruined ashes of their homeland, they found the land laden with terrible beings they called Monsters." The flames writhed into the forms of creatures that Asta had seen in the maze; their bodies moving as if they were alive. "These were beasts they could not tame, though many an unfortunate soul tried. The Monsters inflicted terror in the night, some destroying crops, others spreading disease." The green flames now revealed a gruesome sight, with towns and villages being destroyed, people run down and torn to bits by terrible wolf Monsters, and wailing women chasing victims through the streets, their shrieks making Asta shudder.