[ID: a digitally drawn banner. On the left, a man with light brown skin and dark curly hair holds a lute. Glowing blue flowers grow out of the lute’s sound hole. On the right, the text reads “The Stray Spirit.” End ID]
Emry Karic Learning™
Slightly ashamed to say I didn’t really nail this until draft 8, but better late than never, right?
Have some Emry for your Monday, from The Stray Spirit:
(no tw/cws)
Chapter 11
“Cal, you said something about a scholar,” Aspen said before Emry could respond with something unwise. “What is that? Is that like a student?”
Cal’s face smoothed out as soon as she looked away from Emry.
“Not really,” she explained gently. “I’m a student now, but I’m hoping to become an official Academy scholar within a few years.”
Aspen frowned. “So…what exactly is it?”
The annoyed spark simmering in Emry’s chest flared into words, fast and biting.
“It’s someone who has all the knowledge in the world and chooses to do nothing with it,” he snapped. “Someone who refuses to go out and actually use their talent. That’s what an Academy scholar is.”
Chapter 31
“And what about after that?” Dev swirled a spoon around his own teacup. “Surely you’ll be graduating from the Academy soon?”
“Oh.” Cal hesitated. “Not just yet. I’ve still got a few courses I’d like to take…”
Emry’s twinge of annoyance was brief this time—a dull spark, easy to shrug off. “What sort of classes are you looking to—”
Then Dev cut him off, dropping his spoon on the saucer with a clink. His eyes were locked on Cal. “Wait, I know where I’ve seen you.”
Cal narrowed her gaze over her own cup. “On campus?”
“No. Hasek’s election three years ago. You were a volunteer, weren’t you?”
It was Cal’s turn to choke on her tea as Dev continued blabbering.
“Yes, I thought I recognized your voice! Flyers at the square and all that, right? I recall someone beating the opposition’s aide so soundly in a debate, I thought they were going to cry. The victor was you, wasn’t it?”
Cal looked as if she wanted to sink into the discarded jackets covering the couch.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said sharply.
“No, no, it was definitely you!” Dev had resumed his circular pacing, while she remained in place. “Your stance was on maximum working days, wasn’t it? Too bad Hasek didn’t actually believe all that campaign talk…” He slurped his tea. “So what on earth are you still doing at the Academy?”
Emry’s annoyance flared, but not towards Cal.
“Studying what she wants to,” he cut in, his words as edged as hers. “Now, I believe Cal wanted to go through the presentation one more time?”
