My elder tigress reached up for a vial on the highest shelf of the immense library wall. Her crimson blouse raised from her black skirt as she stretched, showing off a thin muscular back, striped darkest blue on white fur. The same markings wrapped around her muscular legs, and her tail which always swayed knowingly behind her nicely shaped rump...
I told myself to stop. She was my elder in the academy, yet still I couldn't help myself to admiring her catlike curves.
She must have felt my lupine eyes, because she peered over her shoulder and smiled knowingly back at me before snatching the vial off of its perch. For a cat, she was more than easy to look at. I've shared intimate time with few other lupines, but never a tigress like Elder Fur Belize Starthong, and never someone of her age. Her exact age was a mystery to all students in the academy, including me to this day.
Outside of her presence I wondered what it would be like to have her under me; though I never spoke it, and hardly thought it out of fear she could read my mind. Which wasn't out of the realm of possibility. She had vast command of many magical arts, though we studied under her as healers.
She was my academy senior by nearly six decades. I was her apprentice, if you could even call it that. More a student, quite inept compared to Belize's vast knowledge of the healing arts. I was learning quickly. In fact my colleagues made fun that I had become something of a pet to Elder Fur Belize. It was no secret, Belize had a reputation for quickly indoctrinating brilliant furs, while publicly discarding less talented students.
I luckily, was her favorite. Sometimes in the company of my peers it was a curse. Still, I liked Elder Belize Starthong. I knew that I had much to gain from our relationship, as strangely professional and exciting as it was for me. I wondered if the interest was mutual; I often times expected it was.
She moved across the room to me gracefully, and put the vial in my hand. "This will do the trick my little puppy." She said to me grinning slyly. Her paw grazed my arm, and sent a vibe of vulnerability through my body. I suddenly felt very awkward. The magical container fumbled in my paw before I recaptured it. "Are you feeling okay Deorrmic?"
"Yes," I said, trying to sound assured to my teacher. "I, I was just wondering how I apply the contents."
A Junar bug had bitten me nearly a week ago on my neck, during an expedition to the Halic Valley. The bite remained inflamed for nearly a week, during which time I treated it with a number of minor salves and spells - all of which had failed. In the past hours, the bite had swollen to the painful size of a walnut under the silver fur of my neck and was beginning to spread. If not treated soon, the infection could become rampant, even deadly.
Out of frustration and a but of fear I sought Elder Fur Belize's expertise.
"I was hoping you would ask," she said in a typical instructing voice, which twisted consonants in a gentle purring accent. "As you know, not all potions are ingested. In fact, some potions use no form of content contact at all."
I knew this to be true. I had heard of Likala potions, that upon spoken word, would disappear, but then magically perform the desired deed asked of it.
Belize turned toward me, her golden cat eyes dilating vertically. "This potion has a most unique application Deorrmic." She purred the rr's in my name slowly as she stepped towards me. "This potion was fashioned by the faeries of the Halic Valley. It's nature is intrinsic."
I hastened to open the vial while mumbling. "You mean it must be taken orally."
Belize seized my arm before raising the potion to my lips. Her movements so quick I nearly lost balance. "No, my little puppy. I'm disappointed. Orally would most certainly mean death."
Her grip on me was strong, and her claws had extended just enough to prick my skin, yet almost instantly she let go. For a moment I wondered then why she had just given me the potion without instruction, but this was Elder Belize's way. She had taught me well to respect magic, even that which seems harmless. So she expected more from me. I felt ashamed, I lowered my eyes respectfully and muttered "I'm sorry."
"Do not fret." Belize said, while raising my chin with her paw. "This is just another lesson in your path to being an experienced healer." She smiled knowingly, non threateningly. Which surprised me, for I had felt her wrath before for mistaken judgments. It was said half the toads in the academy moat were Belize's students.
"Apparently, I have another lesson to teach you today. One that will surely bring us closer together, and you further along my little puppy."
