A Virtual Temptress

Staff, check. Professor's robes, check. The back of Dan's hand still stung from yesterday's tattoo, but the mark itself was invisible. He'd only been allowed the simplest runemark, Ms. Brightwind had explained. It would last 90 days (89 now) and transport him from the circle at City Commons to the school's outer grounds.

"Professor Firewilde, huh?"

Dan looked up, not bothering to conceal his irritation as Jimmy perched on the corner of a table. "Dude, if you're not going to help, just shut up. I need to make sure I have everything."

"Sorry man. Are you missing a wand? One of those magic sticks you use?" Jimmy produced a large green apple, took a large wet bite, and began to chew with his large wet mouth.

"It's not..." Dan sighed heavily, resting his hand on his forehead. "I have the staff, yeah. Why... are you even here? Remind me?"

"Oh yeah!" Jimmy's eyes lit up as he talked around a mouthful of apple, flecks of juice spewing from his mouth. "Dude, I wanted to thank you for being so cool about things with me and Lexi."

Dan turned back to the trunk and continued rummaging.

"Like, I know you guys had a thing or something, don't wanna break bro code or whatever, but dude, she just started hitting on me and I went with it, you know?"

"Weren't you stalking her for a week?"

"Nah, it's in-game so it's legally different."

Dan opened his mouth, pursed his lips, then went back to the chest.

"It's just like, I haven't had a girlfriend since like 6th grade, you know? So I just wanted to say sorry if it's kind of weird, but bro she's so cool. Last night I came over and she wanted me to twist around in this weird position and -"

Notes

, Dan thought to himself.

That's what it was

. He rummaged through his inventory, checked the contents, and looked over to interrupt Jimmy. "Look, I'm super happy for you but I do

not

need to hear about that."

"Oh, uh. Right." Jimmy blushed, still smiling. "Sorry dude."

"It'll just... take some time to adjust. That's all." Dan stood, holding up a hand as Jimmy started talking again. "Sorry man, I've gotta go. Can't be late for the first day. But uh... you can't really stay here without me or Lexi."

"Right, cool. Catch you later, dude." Jimmy pushed himself to his feet and adjusted a black wool mask over his face. "I'm gonna go lurk around the docks. A few of the guards there have a super high perception and I figure that might help with... you know."

"The ninja thing."

"Right." Jimmy coughed into his sleeve and vanished.

Dan stared at the spot his friend had been. Class supplies in hand, he walked out of the townhouse and locked the door. "Gotta admit," Dan muttered to himself, "He's gotten really good at the batman exit."

Dan started to review his materials again, then turned at the clicking of heels on hardwood. Lexi flowed gracefully down the staircase, dressed in a pencil skirt and black stockings. Her blouse could have been conservative, but it was a size too small and the top three buttons opened to reveal a tantalizing spill of cleavage.

"Daniel," she said, frowning behind her rimless glasses, "Surely you aren't lecturing in such a state?"

The pyromancer glanced down at himself. "I was going for a rough-and-tumble adventurer look. Intimidating." His formal robes were slightly wrinkled, face unshaven, hair tousled.

The succubus raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I'm only a few years older than the students. If that. I didn't want to look like - Lexi, don't look at me like that."

"Slovenly, Daniel." She shook her head. "May I?"

"Um..."

Lexi stepped forward, silvery light gathering around her hands. "I understand what you were attempting, but you've gone about it all wrong. A tough, masculine, professional appearance would serve you well." A mild glow settled over Dan's face as she worked. "But you misunderstand the aesthetic. Ruggedness in an academic setting is cultivated, not let to wither. Clothes must be worn but clean, crisp, neatly pressed. Facial hair should be rough but well-shaped. You care little for the opinion of others, but much for the honor of your rank."

"Where do you learn this stuff? Online?" Dan closed his eyes as the spell rippled across his face. Skin grew taught, shifting and changing. It was the same magic any NPC face sculptor could accomplish, but subtler and more precise.

"Appearance is vital to a succubus, Daniel. A matter of survival." Her hands moved in a final flourish, the light fading as she stepped back. "Visit the mirror. See if it's to your liking."

Dan withdrew a hand mirror from his inventory and examined himself. "Shit. This is... perfect, actually. You don't think the salt-and-pepper beard is too much?"

"It agrees with you. A graceful aging."

"I don't hate it." Dan looked up, scanning Lexi's expression. "Thank you. That was, well. Unexpected."

"My pleasure." She inclined her head forward.

"Are you heading out?" Dan asked, waving a hand at the succubus' outfit and trying not to linger on her cleavage. "Or more testing?"

"Both. Emma requested my assistance with an especially reluctant inductee at the compound. Her message was not specific, but the girls were in need of assistance." Lexi gestured to herself, taking a half-step back to pose. "I thought I might blend in with their attire."

"Right. Good. Let me know if they bit off more than they can seduce." Dan cleared his throat. He started to turn back to check his school materials, then thought better of it. "Look, I was thinking about what you said the other day."

Lexi raised her eyebrows. "

"Not

that

." He flushed and scanned the room, trying to collect himself. "I mean, you know. About not being at odds with each other."

"Go on."

"I don't... really have time to gather my thoughts. So this is little awkward, but I just want to start the conversation. You're right - we've worked well together. And your attempts at seduction have been... well, less aggressive than they could have been."

Her eyes sparkled. "I would hate for you to think I'm disinterested, Daniel."

"... right. Anyway. I realized we've never sat down and had an actual conversation. Hashed things out, cut a little of the tension." The pyromancer frowned. This was getting away from him. "Look, I have to get to class, but do you want to meet afterward? Just... hang out? Talk? Anywhere you like, my treat."

Lexi's cheeks flushed with genuine delight, almost dispelling the predatory hunger behind her smile. "The beach?"

"Yes, we can go to the beach. Yes, you can wear the swimsuit you keep asking about." Dan checked the time. "Shit. I'll meet you at the zone entrance after class, okay?"

He'd meant to wait for her response, but the half-opened door triggered the character's auto-pathing and he was running through the maze of city streets. Dan wasn't sure if he was excited or terrified of what the conversation would entail and did his best to push the thought out of his mind.

Now he just needed to get through class. It was only the first day, though, so Dan was hoping things would go smoothly.

* * * * *

The Nath Valen Arcanist's Society was a colossus of rising columns and rain-scarred stone. It had endured through the centuries as petty kings and aspiring tyrants added wings and libraries, gardens and amphitheatres. The grounds swelled and overflowed, chronicling architectural styles with its sprawling campus as empires fell and the school remained. Now it sulked beneath the darkening sky, legacy to empires that had left their mark in stone if not history.

The teleportation pattern flared, blue light spilling across carved stone. Dan's nausea was worse than last time. He leaned against a rune-scrawled pillar, trying to catch his breath. Was it supposed to work this way? Surely this should be getting easier with each trip.

Dan drank in the sight of the vast, rambling campus as his equilibrium returned. Every trip was more impressive. You couldn't really get a sense of the place from below, silhouetted against the horizon as you looked up from the city streets. But here, beneath a crown of black clouds, wind baying at the rising storm, it was something else entirely.

"Mister Firewild?"

Dan blinked and focused on the man in front of him: muscular frame, professor's robes, austere expression. Another teacher? Glorianna hadn't said to expect anyone.

"Uh, yeah. Yes." Dan cleared his throat. "Can I help you? I need to get to my class."

The man's eyebrows twitched, but his tight-lipped smile held. "Naturally. This is your first visit to campus, is it not? I'd be happy to walk you."

"I was up here once before, actually. To get the teleport mark." Dan looked around, trying to remember the directions. He'd taken notes, but... "But sure, nice of you to offer. Mister..."

"Professor Rangrave." He extended a hand. Dan took it, flinching at the man's aggressive grip.

"Uh, right." Dan withdrew his hand, stuffing it into his robes and flexing in discomfort. "I'm actually in a hurry, so do you mind...?"

"Not at all." Rangrave set out at a brisk pace with Dan at his heels. Thunder growled as they walked across the campus, pushing through crowds of nervous students looking to avoid the rain.

"What do you teach?"

"Pardon?"

"At the school. Academy." The growing tension was making Dan regret his earlier acceptance. "What's your area of study?"

"Combat training." Rangrave didn't turn as he spoke.

"Oh! Me too, actually. Which group?" Dan hesitated. Was he being too chatty? He hadn't invested into social talents and it was hard to get a read without seeing the man's expression.

"Advanced students. Elemental magic."

"Oh, that's actually..." Dan stopped walking. "Shit. I poached your class, didn't I?"

Rangrave slowed his pace, turning to face Dan. "Speaker Brightwind has decreed new blood necessary to teach the future of our city. Who am I to gainsay her decision?" His lips curled, not quite a sneer. "I thought that, given your expertise, I might observe your lecture this morning. Seeing as you have so much to offer."

Dan took a step back, holding up his hands. He looked around, fairly certain the training arena was just ahead, but seeing no one else in the vicinity. "Look, this is a shitty spot. I get it. I'm not trying to put you out of a job. I was asked to pick up one of the advanced classes, and I'm just here to do that. Okay?"

"Of course. By your urbane demeanor, I'm certain you're equal to the task."

"Are you just here to make snide comments? I don't really have time for - "

Rangrave withdrew a pocketwatch, tutting as he inspected it. "Quite correct, as you seem to be already late. A strong first impression is so vital with young minds, wouldn't you agree?"

Dan exhaled slowly through his nostrils, choking down his next comment before striding past Rangrave toward the arena. He could taste the smugness of the man's expression as bells began to toll in the city below.

There's no point getting pissy at an NPC,

Dan told himself.

He's baiting you. It's obvious.

"Look, dude..." Dan grimaced. "Professor Rangrave. "I realize I'm inexperienced..."

"That much is clear."

"... and I get you're annoyed. Adventurers are dicks." Dan hesitated. He wasn't great at this kind of thing, but he wasn't going to improve faction with Rangrave without laying it on thick. "Would you mind observing the class today? I'm a practiced mage but new to teaching. If you could share any, uh... pedagogical insights? I would really appreciate it."

Rangrave froze, unsure whether to sneer or laugh, at last settling on a distasteful squint. "Why should I bother myself with your little struggles, Mister Firewilde?"

"I don't know. We literally just met, and you seem pretty set on me failing. Do you mind saying why?"

The man's brows rose. "I, a professor of seventeen years, have been displaced in favor of an untrained upstart who suited the ephemeral whims of our esteemed Second Speaker. And he apparently lacks the wit to see the source of my irritation."

"Speaker Brightwind fired you, then?"

"I am hardly 'fired,' but yes."

"So I get why you're pissed at her. Makes perfect sense. Why are you mad at me?"

Rangrave took a half step back, scoffed, and left his mouth half-open for a moment. "You - you are my rival in this matter!"

"If I fail, I assume I'll lose the job?"

"Gods and Speaker Brightwind willing, yes."

"So at worst, you're out one class and you get the entertainment of an adventurer embarrassing himself. Right?"

"I suppose..." Rangrave frowned, glancing down into the city as the bells finished their eleventh chime. "You really should hurry. Punctuality may mean little to your kind, but it is worth a great deal at this institution."

Dan nodded. "So you'll hang out for class?"

His nostrils flared. "... if only to observe your educational failings."

"Right. Good." Wind slashed at Dan's cheeks as he crossed the last stretch of open ground, passing through a low arch and into Practice Arena IV. Rangrave followed at an asocial distance, moving toward a patch of stadium seating.

Sound grew dim as Dan passed through the arcane barrier that enclosed the training grounds. Glorianna had promised that the wards within would prevent any serious injury from occurring. Dan still wanted to test how that applied to players though, as an extra precaution. Best to avoid incinerating any students on the first day.

Twelve men and women were loosely huddled at one end of the arena. A few looked up as he crossed the field. Dan exhaled slowly through his nose.

Just a game

, he thought.

Not like it's a real class. You've practiced this.

"Hello everyone, my name is Blaize Firewilde. I'll be your instructor this semester for Advanced Combat IV. We're going to focus on irregular forms and modern approaches to duels and small unit fighting."

He scanned the crowd. Two men and a woman were holding a muffled conversation. A crowd of four had the hoods of their gray-green cloaks pulled up and were turned away; one glanced over, raised his brows, and returned to the group's murmuring. The rest watched their professor apprehensively, all except for a man leaning against the barrier, expression calm, arms crossed. Dan stared for a moment, then turned back to the group.

"Right. Any questions before we get started?"

Silence. He waited, giving them another twenty seconds before a tall, freckled woman at the back raised her hand. Dan gestured for her to speak. "Yes, Ms. ...?"

"Myra of House Kiren. Where's Rangrave?"

Dan craned his neck, then pointed. "Over there. He was kind enough to observe the class."

Myra shook her head, nose wrinkling. "No, I mean why isn't he teaching? We've had him for combat instruction the past three years. Is he hurt?"

"Not as far as I - "

"So why isn't he teaching?"

The rest of the students had turned from their conversations, watching the interaction with mixed expressions.

At least they're paying attention

.

"Speaker Brightwind assigned me for the semester."

An ashen-haired young man with an excellent scowl took a step forward, glancing at Myra before turning back to Blaize. "Rangrave has been a combat instructor for the past twenty years, right? Why the change? What's so special about you?"

"Well, uh." Dan flushed, trying not to fumble his words. "You'll have to ask the Speaker, I guess."

"But if you had to speculate?"

"I mean, every mage has a different approach to spellcasting, especially in something as individual as single combat."

Myra walked next to her classmate, warming to the interrogation. "So?"

"... so learning about different combat styles can help you prepare for different opponents, conditions, and circumstances." Dan frowned. "Can we get moving? I'll answer more questions after class."

"What house are you from, Firewilde?" The man at the back pushed off the barrier and walked till he was just ahead of the other students. He rolled his neck, ran a hand through his cropped blond hair, and raised an eyebrow. "I don't recognize the surname."

Dan could guess where this was leading. "And your name is?"

"Kipling, of House Bravenor." He smiled, his teeth excessively white. "Kip."

"Alright, Kip. I've taken contacts with Gloamshire, Vanifir, and Kiren, but I'm not directly associated with any of the great houses in Nath Valen." Dan sighed. He looked around at the students, not bothering to mask his irritation. "Can we wrap this up? We're cutting into class time and I at least wanted to assess your level by the end of today."

"My point," Kip explained as though to an especially slow child, "Is that Rangrave is the best combat mage among the faculty. Right?" He looked around, gathering nods from his classmates. "Of course, I'd exhausted the man's lessons by Advanced Combat II, but at least he let us use the field for practice." Kip snorted. "So I'm not sure why we'd listen to an outlander in thrifted robes... who make his living off rabbit pelts."

You can't light him on fire,

Dan thought.

Patience.

"Still, I guess we could come to an arrangement.." Kip smiled, a little too wide. "You might even learn something." He turned to the class and began pointing out students. "Celeste, you're with Harmon. Calliope, why don't you try your matrix patterns and get up to speed -- you're always slow at the start of the semester, and - "

"Enough, Kip. I was assigned this class and I'm going to teach it. The practice fields have study hours -- feel free to book them if that's what you want."

Kip's chest expanded as he drew up to his full height, a few inches above Dan. "Are you challenging my authority, Firewilde?"

"What authority? If you want to teach the class, take it up with Brightwind. Now fuck off and let me do my job."

Silence.

Myra spoke up, her voice small. "Professor... maybe we could talk this out, and - "

"We are talking this out." Dan tried not to let irritation bleed into his voice. "Just... let's get started. Okay? Please."

"How dare you talk to her that way?" Kip bridled, smug grin diminishing his mock outrage. "You don't have to let this guy push you around, Myra." He turned to face Dan, the temperature rising as he spoke. "Blaize Firewilde, I challenge you to a mage duel in Practice Arena IV. Single combat, to incapacitation."

"Are you serious?" Dan stared at the student. "Now?"

"I cannot allow you to demean the students of this noble university." Kip gestured broadly to the others, warming to his own rhetoric. "By proving you incompetent, I will free this class from your false authority."

"... are you sure?" Dan stared at Kip. An NPC actually asking him to 1v1? In front of an audience? It was hard to say what the kid's level equivalent was, but even for boss fights the combat programming wasn't

that

good in Saga Online. "I'm sure you're at the top of your class or whatever, but I've spent a lot of time - "

"I am the prodigy of Bravenor," Kip called, gesticulating wildly. "Pride of my House and heir to flame!"

"Sure, but - "

"It is you who should be afraid, Firewilde." Kip's eyes shone with anticipation as he set out for the far end of the arena. "Enough of your talk - it is time we finished this charade."

Dan stared at the man's back. He glanced at the students, but none would meet his eye as they began walking toward the stands.

"... what just happened?" Dan asked, then realized he was talking to himself. He shook his head and began walking to the opposite end of the arena, 50 meters distant from where Kip was posed. "I've gotta talk with Brightwind about this... whatever this is," Dan muttered. "I was

not

prepared for House Bravenor."

"Since you people don't follow rules," Kip called across the arena, "I will explain them to you."