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Subject: {ASSM} Dragonseekers, by Net Wolf [16 / 20] (ff, mF, mf, first, inc, rom, solo, teen, voy)
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Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:10:04 -0400
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Story is (C) 2006 by Net Wolf

This story will be posted one chapter a day until it is finished.  If you
don't want to wait, or you want to see my other stories, you can visit my
website at

http://netwolf.wolfpub.org

The Mystic Wolf Pub also has several other good authors.  Check it out:

http://www.wolfpub.org

Please let me know if you enjoy the story.

Net Wolf

**********

Dragonseekers
Chapter 16 of 20

Genre: Fantasy
Codes: first time sex, incest, romantic, solo, teen, non-sexual
violence, voyeurism
Pairings: ff, mF, mf

Description:
Don White and his friends are transported to Zemlia Nov through a computer
RPG. Their mission? Find a way home. But that's not the whole story...

**********

                          --===Dragonseekers===--

Chapter 16



    As Don walked up to Veronica's door, his mind mulled over
the last few weeks.  Ever since he'd had that fight with Gill, the
tension between them had been high.  Gill had made several hostile
gestures, shoving Don in the halls and other minor incidents that he
had not bothered reciprocating, or in fact reporting.  Don figured Gill
was entitled to a little ill feeling, but he hoped he wouldn't push it
to the brink again.  The two had not said a civil word to each other in
all that time, but they'd also not had to threaten each other again.
Don feared that this was the best he could hope for.

    Don was still mulling this over as he rang the bell.  His
mind wandered over all the events again, wondering if he could have
easily done anything different.  He had just come to the conclusion -
again - that there really was nothing else he could have done when the
door opened.

    Without thinking, or even looking, he said, "Hey,
Sweetheart."

    "Well!  Aunt Veronica *said* you were affectionate, but
really!  We barely know each other!"

    Don blushed crimson as he saw a beautiful young lady
standing before him.  He felt that she couldn't be more than a couple
years older than he was.  Her dirty blonde hair flowed down just past
her shoulders, and her green eyes evaluated him with a friendly
twinkle.  There was something amazingly familiar in her face, but he
couldn't begin to place her.

    "I'm sorry!  I didn't expect someone else to answer the
door.  I...uh... have we met?"

    "Yes, we have.  Come on in."  The young lady stepped aside
to let him in, and then she closed the door.

    "I'm sorry," Don said again.  "I can't place you.  What's
your name?"

    The young lady held out her hand.  "Amelia Norris.  Please
call me Amy."

    Don shook her hand gently, as she was a fairly
frail-looking girl.  He still could not place her.  Finally, he let go
of her hand and shook his head.

    "It's not coming to me.  Where have we met?"

    "Don't worry about it," she said with a giggle.  "Come on.
Aunt Veronica is waiting in the study."

    Don tried not to stare at Amy's butt as she led him to the
study, which was what Veronica called the room they normally worked
in.  He saw her smiling at him as he walked in.  He wasn't sure exactly
what to do with a visitor there, but he decided to Hell with it, and he
went over and gave her a warm kiss that lasted for many seconds.

    "Mm.  Good to see you, too," she said to him softly.
Turning to Amy, she asked, "Did he give you one of those?"

    "No," she said with an exaggerated pout.

    "You're the one who complained when I called you
Sweetheart," Don said, teasing her.  Amy blushed herself, and giggled.
Veronica raised an eyebrow and smiled at the two of them.

    "Amy is here to help you," Veronica said finally.

    "Oh?" Don asked, serious now.  He sat up on his usual
stool, and looked expectantly at Veronica.

    "Your second-circle test is coming up soon."

    "Test?  What kind of a test?"

    "In order to move from second circle to third circle, you
have to be tested by some of the higher-level mages."

    "There wasn't a test to pass first level..." Don objected.

    "Actually, there was.  If you hadn't been able to open your
spell book, you'd not have joined second circle.  Now you must be
tested in order to join third circle."

    "Okay, no problem... what's wrong?"  Don could see the
worried look on both of their faces.

    "You only get one shot at it," Amy explained.  "If you
don't pass the test this time, you'll *never* be allowed to join the
third circle.  You don't get a second chance on a test until you try to
join the fifth circle."

    "You mean if I screw up, for whatever reason, I'll never
become a better magician?"

    "That's right.  That's why I asked Amy to come and work
with you.  She just entered third circle a few months ago.  She
remembers exactly what her test was like."

    Amy shuddered.  Don began to worry.  *Just what the hell
are they going to do to me?*

    Suddenly, a question occurred to him.  "Wait... Amy, you've
got to be a couple years older than me, at least..."

    "Three."

    "So... am I moving too fast?  I mean, I haven't been at
second circle for very long..."

    Veronica moved over next to him and took his hand.  "You
are moving a little faster than usual.  Normally we wouldn't push you
to test for third circle for another couple of months.  Amy got started
in her training late.  She was... distracted.  You may be at third
circle for a year or two.  There's a lot more to it.  As you know,
first circle spells were purely illusions.  Second circle spells work
on the basic physical attributes, such as strength, speed, and some
coordination.  Third circle spells focus more on the mental
attributes... such as the confusion spell I taught you to help you
fight Gill.  There are also some more advanced physical spells, such as
the timing and aiming spell I taught you.  Amy already knows about the
fight, so you don't have to hide that from her."

    Amy walked over and put her hand on his arm with a smile,
to show support.

    "Anyway, the point is that the spells in third circle are
trickier to work out, because you must work around another person's
perceptions... their innate balance, or their own clumsiness - or
*your* own.  Anyway, you may be a third circle magician for quite a
while.  The first two levels are rudimentary, really.  That's why they
don't have a formal test between first and second circle."

    Don nodded, a little dizzy at all of this.  "So... when is
my test?  How long do I have to practice?"

    "We have a couple of weeks yet, but they won't tell even me
the exact day.  You'll be told when the time comes."

    "Peachy."

    "You'll do okay," Amy said encouragingly.  "C'mon, I prefer
working outside, instead of in this stuffy old room."

    Don turned to Veronica, who smiled at him.  "Go on.  I've
grown used to her."

    Don followed Amy out into the back yard, and they spent
their afternoon working to perfect what he knew.



-----



    "Hey, Katie," Don said, entering the living room.  He'd
just gotten home from his magic lessons, which had stretched an extra
two hours; he'd missed dinner.

    Katie picked up on the worry in his voice.  "What's the
matter?" she asked.

    "Huh?" Don replied, startled.  He realized that he was
probably showing his stress, and he waved her off.  "It's nothing.
Don't worry about it.  I'm gonna get something to eat."

    "Okay," she said.  She sat on the couch, thinking about
it.  She was concerned that Don seemed to be so upset about things
lately.  She had thought that, having the attention of not just one,
but *two* of her friends, he would be happy.  And when he was with
them, he did seem to be truly happy - a fact that caused her an odd
twinge of jealousy.  She sat wondering what it was that was bothering
him.

    *Gill.  It has to be Gill.  Is there anything I can do
about it?  Maybe.  I hope so.  I'd have to talk to him... can I do
that?  He's not going to want to hear anything I've got to say...
especially not because I'd have to tell him what Susan told me about
his obsession with her... He's liable to get really mad.*

*    But I can't let Donny go on like this, can I?  It's not
bad enough that he lost one friend, does he have to lose both?  Shit.
I'm gonna have to do something.*

    That decided, she just had to figure out when.



...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...



    "Focus, Stelwicht!" the coach bellowed.  Gill did his best,
took his steps, hurled the metal sphere through the air... and it made
an unsatisfying *thunk!* on the ground.

    Gill grumbled at himself.  It was only his second throw of
the day, but still...

    "Stelwicht, if you weren't our best shot-putter I'd bench
your sorry ass.  Now *focus*!"

    "Yes, sir."  Gill retrieved his shot put, and lined up
again.  He got into his stance, and raised the shot put to his neck,
adjusting his arm until he knew his position was right.  He took three
deep breaths, releasing the frustration and anger he was feeling,
letting his body loosen and prepare for what was to come...

    Gill lowered his body, straightening his left leg.  His
hips began to pivot, and all of his frustrations melted into kinetic
energy.  As his body began to stretch, he began to turn his upper body,
his left arm whipping forcefully.  As his body reached the appropriate
position, he thrust his right arm forward, hurling the twelve-pound
ball with all his might.  He grunted as he let out the pent-up energy,
and he kept his eye on the shot put as it left his hand.  He made the
necessary maneuvers to keep himself inside the circle, but he didn't
stop watching the sphere as it arced through the air.

    The shot put sailed in its ballistic arc, and made a
satisfying *whump!* as it hit the ground right next to a small yellow
flag.  This flag marked the best throw ever by a student on this
field.  Gill had just beaten it by six inches.

    "Yes!" he screamed, triumphant.  The others there shouted
praise, as well.

    "Good job, Stelwicht!" the coach said, impressed.  "All
right, you're done for the day.  Go cool down, and then hit the
showers.  Rest up for our tournament.  Our last chance to beat
Maryville High.  We're counting on you."

    "I won't let you down, Coach!"  Gill had a big grin as he
packed his gear quickly, and began a jog to cool down.  Twenty minutes
later, he was coming out of the track area, clean and feeling good.
One of his buddies was congratulating him on his record.  He nearly ran
into Katie, as she was waiting for him.

    "Hi, Gill," she said softly.  She'd been waiting since
school let out.  She had asked Julie to keep her brother busy, so he
wouldn't see her and wonder what she was doing.  Now that she was here,
however, she was feeling very nervous.

    "What do you want?" he said, his tone indicating
impatience.  He didn't want to let her ruin his good mood.

    "We need to talk," she said.  She motioned to the picnic
tables set up under some trees.  No one knew why they were there, as
the students weren't allowed to eat out here.  Gill glared at her for a
minute, pondering.

    *What the fuck does she want?  I bet prick-head sent her to
talk to me.  On the other hand, maybe she wants to get back at him for
something!  Hey, turnabout's fair play... I wouldn't mind fucking her
little cunt...  Nah, she'd go to someone else for that... Maybe.
Anyway, she's probably going to hound me until I listen to her whine or
whatever.*

    "Fine.  See you tomorrow, Ray."

    "Yeah, catch ya later."

    Gill motioned curtly for her to walk ahead of him.  She
moved quickly over to the tables and sat down.  Gill dumped his gear on
the table and sat across from her.

    "Now, what do you want?" he said impatiently.

    Katie hesitated for a long moment, until it was clear that
Gill was about to complain.  "It's about you and Don."

    "That's none of your business," he said rudely.

    "Whatever upsets my brother is my business," she said,
trying not to think about how uncomfortable she was.  "You're hurting
him, and it's not his fault, and that's just mean!

    "You and I both know that Susan wasn't ever going to sleep
with you!" Katie stopped.  She hadn't meant to put it that way.  She'd
meant to approach the subject more calmly, to be more polite.  However,
there it was.

    Gill got very quiet for a moment.  Then, composing himself,
he said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

    "Oh, horseshit," Katie replied, bulling on through now that
she'd broached the subject.  "Susan's told me and Julie all about it.
Look, I know that what she did was pretty damn low, but that's not
Donny's fault!"

    "He's still sleeping with her, ain't he?  That makes it his
fault."

    Katie had to pause for a second.  First off, she'd felt a
twinge of something when Gill had mentioned it, and second, she wasn't
sure at all how to defend that action.  She tried something a little
different.

    "Why can't you accept that they care for each other, and
just let it go?"

    "Why should I?  He *knows* she's doing this just to piss me
off!  And he's *helping* her!"

    "That's not how it is at all!  Donny wouldn't do that to
you!  He's with her because he cares about her."

    "And Julie, too, I suppose?  He cares about her, too?"

    "Yes, he does," Katie answered.  Her response was a little
weak.  She hadn't had the chance to really put it all together.  Or,
more pointedly, she'd never bothered to do so.

    "And I'm supposed to just accept that?  Say, 'well, gee,
guys, go have an orgy, I'll catch you later?'  I don't think so."

    "They don't have orgies!" Katie said, then blushed just
from saying the word.  "I don't even know if they've ever... you
know... in the house."

    "It doesn't matter.  He crossed the line.  He broke the
rules."

    "And you think you're any better?  Since when is fighting
part of your friendship?  You could have really hurt him!"

    "Yeah, and I should have."

    "Dammit, just stay away from my brother, then!"  Katie
admitted defeat.  She hadn't been able to make any headway in this
conversation.

    Gill looked at her closely.  "You're in love with him,
too.  Aren't you."  It wasn't a question.

    "Of course I love my brother.  Duh."  Katie affected a
valley girl persona for just a second.

    "I didn't say you love him," Gill said, getting up from the
table.  "I said you're *in love*.  Christ, what's he got, some kind of
fucking magic spell?  Don't bother me again with this shit."

    "Gill..."

    "Don't," he said, raising a finger to her to silence her,
"bother me again."

    Katie sat still as he walked off.  She was very confused
now.  It was a long time before she got up and went home.



...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...



    Don swung around to evade, but not fast enough.  He got
cocked upside the head with a softball, which was luckily not thrown at
any really great speed.

    "Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his temple.

    Amy came quickly to his side, to examine the wound.  She
sighed softly.  "Sorry.  You really should have been able to avoid that
throw.  What spell did you choose to cast?"

    Don blushed.  "I hadn't decided on one yet."

    Amy rolled her eyes at him.  "Any spell of the right class
would have been better than none at all.  Consider: I won't let you use
your eyes, so any spell involving your sight is probably useless.  What
else can you use to sense the ball coming at you?"

    Don stood for a moment, a frown of concentration on his
face as he thought it over.  He knew he depended on his eyes in a
fight, but didn't everybody?  Amy waited patiently while he
considered.  Suddenly, she began to hum the theme to Jeopardy.

    "Stop that!" Don said crossly.  Amy began to hum softer,
but she didn't stop.  When he looked at her crossly, she lowered her
voice again, until her hum was just barely audible.  Don was about to
snap at her when he finally got the point.

    "I can hear it coming, can't I?"

    "With the right spell," Amy replied with a smile.

    Don sighed.  "Okay.  Sorry, I know I'm cranky.  Life is a
bitch right now."

    Amy put her hand on his shoulder.  "I'm sorry.  Just a
little more, and we'll quit for the day."

    Don nodded, then turned around.  Amy went and retrieved the
softball, and stood behind him.  She saw him utter the spell, but she
didn't throw right away.  She counted to twenty, then lobbed the ball
at him.  A slowly moving ball makes less noise than a fast-moving one,
and so she felt if he could hear this, he could avoid an actually
dangerous one.

    Don didn't move for half the ball's arc, and Amy began to
worry.  Then suddenly he whirled out of the way, and, in fact, reached
out to catch the ball in flight.  He wasn't blindfolded, but he knew
better than to cheat on the test.  However, catching the ball wasn't
part of the test; he was merely showing off.

    Amy grinned broadly at him.  He tossed the ball from hand
to hand with a smile on his face, proud of himself.  Neither he nor Amy
saw the incoming object.

    The ball hit Don squarely between the shoulder blades, and
felled him to the ground rather hard.  Amy screamed, and ran to him.
She knelt down to help him, and rolled him over.

    "Are you all right?" she cried.

    "Ugh.  Anyone get the license of the truck?"

    Amy looked up accusingly.  "Aunt Veronica!  You could
really have hurt him!"

    "They're not going to go easy on him during the test,
dear.  He needs to be ready for them at all times."

    Amy stood up, fuming.  "In the test, he'll be *expecting*
to be attacked from more than one direction without warning!  You never
told him - *or me!* - that you were going to interfere in today's
training!"

    Veronica backed off a little, raising her hands in
supplication.  She had not quite expected her niece's strong negative
response.  Amy glared at her for a long moment, then, turning so fast
that her hair whirled, she knelt back down to look after Don.

    "Are you okay?  Can you get up?"

    "I think so."

    Amy took his arm and tugged, helping him to get to his
feet.  He staggered just a bit, but he let Amy hold onto him until he
gained his stability.  She held onto him after that, as well.

    "We need to take a look at your back.  Lord knows what kind
of bruising that caused," she said acidly, glaring over her shoulder at
her aunt.

    "I'll be okay," he said, not wanting to blame anyone.

    "Sure you will.  As soon as we've healed that, you'll be
fine.  Don't argue with me."

    Don knew better than to do so, anyway.  They'd been working
together every day for the last week, and he'd been foolish enough to
argue with her on more than one occasion.  He had lost on all counts.

    Amy led him into the downstairs bathroom, and ordered him
to remove his shirt.  He did so, setting it on the vanity.  She had him
turn around, and he was a little worried when she gasped.

    "I'm going to kill her," Amy muttered under her breath.

    "Is it really that bad?" he asked.  It stung, but he
thought maybe he was still a little numb from the shock.

    "Yes.  You're going to need to stand still.  I'm not a very
good healer yet.  This may take a while."

    "Okay."  He wondered why she didn't just make Veronica fix
it, but then he realized that would be an offensive notion to Amy, who
was acting as his protector and trainer, while Veronica was trying to
play the part of the testers.

    Don shivered when Amy put her hands on his back, one on
each shoulder blade.  She began a slow, quiet chant that repeated many
times.  After about the third cycle of the chant, he began to feel an
icy cold spread between her hands, to cover the bruised area.  He
shivered slightly, but it wasn't very unpleasant, so he didn't mind.
After a couple more cycles, the icy sensation was replaced with a
tingling energy that felt as if it was penetrating deep into his body.
The energy traveled the length of his spine, and up into his skull,
where it felt as if his nerves were over-energized.  It was an
unpleasant sensation, but he found he couldn't move now if he wanted to.

    Amy continued her chant, oblivious to whatever discomfort
the spell itself caused him.  After about five more cycles of the
verse, she stopped chanting, though she left her hands in place.  She
looked closely, and what had been a horrible red spot that had already
begun to turn black was now a fading yellow-brown.  She could not heal
the thing entirely on her own, so she had instilled a pain blocker for
the next day or so.  This was at the very edge of her training; she
hadn't learned all the spells yet.  She was tired from the effort, but
gratified that it seemed to have worked.

    Suddenly, Don felt the tingling energy wash from his body,
and he could move again.  He slumped suddenly, his body rebelling from
having to be that rigid.  He could still feel Amy's hands on his body,
but she didn't seem to be doing anything at this point.  Carefully, he
turned around.  Amy's hands stayed more or less where they were,
sliding across his skin.  He looked down at her once he was facing her,
and smiled.  She looked back up at him wearily.

    "Thanks," he said softly.

    Amy smiled at him.  "My pleasure."  She let her fingers
feel the muscles beneath them.  he was by no means a jock, but the last
few weeks had certainly given him some tone.  Her fingers absently
traced light patterns in his skin.

    Don shivered at her touch, and instinctively put his arms
around her.  She didn't recoil, but instead slipped her hands around to
his back.  She leaned against him, and sighed softly.  Don was
comfortable holding her.  He leaned back against the vanity, pulling
her with him.  She came easily, and then looked up at him.

    Without a word, he kissed her softly, their lips pressing
lightly against each other for a long moment.  Finally, their lips
parted, and she smiled warmly at him.

    "That was nice," she said quietly.

    "Yeah," he replied.  "Where *do* I know you from?  It's
really bugging me."

    Amy grinned impishly.  "I'll tell you later.  C'mon, you
better get dressed, or Aunt Veronica might get jealous and come looking
for you."

    Don blushed, but eventually let Amy go and grabbed his
shirt, slipping it on stiffly; his back didn't hurt, but it didn't want
to work fluidly, either.  Amy noticed.

    "The stiffness, I can't do anything about.  Sorry."

    "It's okay," he said, leaning down to kiss her again.  He
put his arm around her for just a moment as they left the bathroom, and
then they separated, as it was time for them to get back to the
business at hand.



...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...



    Gill spent the next few days stewing over Katie's intrusion
into what he considered to be none of her business.  *How dare that
bitch try to tell me what to do!*

    Another part of him, however, told him quietly that he had
to come to some kind of resolution.  His anger was beginning to cost
him sleep, and it was ruining his concentration for sports and school.
He considered for an entire afternoon what he should do about the
problem before coming to a decision.

    That night, about an hour before bed, he knocked on Susan's
door.

    "Yeah, what?" she called out, knowing it had to be him from
the tempo of his knock.  He opened the door, walked in, and closed it
behind him.  The last thing he needed was for his parents to hear this
conversation.

    "You and I need to talk," he said sourly.

    "Okay, so talk," Susan said, swiveling her chair to stare
at him.  Gill was uncomfortable with her gaze, which was openly hostile.

    Gill began to pace, which wasn't easy in her small room.
He said, "For the last few weeks, I've had to watch you falling all
over Don.  It's disgusting.  Why he would ever let you use him to hurt
me like that..."

    Susan interrupted.  "I'm not *using* him to do anything.  I
did that once.  It had... unexpected results."

    Gill looked at her angrily.  "Bullshit!  What, you're going
to sit here and tell me you love him?  *Him*?  You've been making fun
of him as bad as you have me ever since you two met!"

    Susan stared at him for a long moment.  Finally, she said,
"Things change."

    "Yeah, like my best friend suddenly stabbing me in the
back."

    Susan sighed audibly.  "Why are you bothering me with
this?  It sounds like your problem is with Don, not with me."

    "My problem is with *both of you*!" he said, his voice
rising.  "What the hell did I ever do to you to-"

    Susan cut him off.  "Oh *please*.  You whine and complain
about this, but let's not forget who started it!  Remember I did it the
first time to get even with you!  With the shit you pulled, you had it
coming!"

    "And now?" Gill demanded angrily.

    "*Now* has nothing to do with you, as far as I'm concerned."

    "You expect me to believe that?"

    "I don't give a flying fuck whether you believe it or not.
My life is my business, not yours.  I will date and/or sleep with
whoever I damn well please."

    "Do you really hate me that much?" he asked.

    Susan immediately answered, "Yes.  You're a jerk.  You've
been drooling at me since the day I moved into this fucking house.  You
disgust me.  I know what you want from me, and you're never going to
get it.  I might not have minded if you were a decent person, but
you're an asshole.  All you wanted was a fucktoy.  The reason I'm still
sleeping with Don is because he treats me nice.  He really cares about
me, he makes me feel good.  All you want is to beat me, to come out on
top.  You're only interested in *winning*.  Now get the hell out of my
room.  I don't need to answer to you!"

    Gill stared at her for a long moment in silence.  She
glared at him harshly, barely blinking.  Finally, his jaw set tightly,
he turned around and left.

    Gill moved down the hallway to his room, and, closing the
door, went to sit on the bed.  His sister's words had stung deeply.  He
knew she didn't like him, but the level of her disgust had never been
clearer to him than now.

    What hurt more than that was his fear that she might be
right.  He'd seen her as a competitor since the day she had moved in.
*Was my obsession with her my plan for putting her in her place?*  He
didn't know, but he needed to find out.



...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...



    Don was in his room, studying for his final exams with
Julie.  They were not in the same grade, but she had wanted to be near
him while she studied, and he wasn't going to object.  Susan had told
him about her confrontation with Gill, and he was a little concerned
that this meant Gill would soon return to overt bullying.  He couldn't
let himself worry about it just now, however, as Julie was struggling
with her math, and he'd promised to help her.

    The two had just resorted to kissing in order to relieve
stress, when there was a knock at the door.  Don grumbled good
naturedly, and Julie giggled.

    "C'mon in," he said.

    The door opened to reveal Katie, with the cordless phone in
her hand.

    "Donny, you've got a phone call from that game lady."

    Don arched his eyebrows in surprise, and reached for the
phone.

    "Veronica, hi!" Don said with mock cheerfulness.

    "You must be at my house tomorrow at one o'clock.  Don't
come any earlier than that.  Expect to be gone for at least three
hours."

    Julie could feel Don's body shiver.  "Okay.  I'll be there."

    "Good.  Don?"

    "Yes?"

    "Try to relax."

    "Right."

    They said their good-byes and Don handed the phone back to
Katie.

    "What's the matter?" Julie managed to ask first.

    "Uh... nothing to worry about.  Just some stuff to work out
with Veronica.  I won't be able to spend time with you tomorrow,
something's come up and she needs me to work on it with her."

    "Oh," Julie said, pouting.  Katie could tell that she had
interrupted something, and so she made a quiet departure.  Seeing that,
and silently thanking her, Julie moved closer to Don.

    "So, where were we?" she asked, her hand running across his
back.

    Don smiled at her, and leaned in.  "About right here, I
think," he said as his lips touched hers.

    Veronica *did* tell him to relax...



...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...



    Gill slammed his fist into the bag, over and over.  His
eyes were focused intently on the spot in front of him.  He knew that
he had to come to a decision.

    *You just lost the track meet because you were too
goddamned preoccupied with this shit!  It's going to eat you alive!*

    His hands continued to pummel the heavy bag.  He was trying
to work out his frustration here at the gym, rather than take it home,
where he might get in trouble for lashing out at someone - probably
Susan - in his anger.

    *Shit, what made you think you could handle her?  You can't
even control yourself!*

    That one sentence froze his hand as it smacked the bag.
His eyes went blank as he realized what he'd just thought.

    *Is she right?  Did I simply want to control her?  Is it
possible that I just didn't like that she wouldn't be bossed around,
like I regularly do to John?  Is it really that fucking stupid?*

    Gill stepped back away from the bag, and breathed heavily.
He had to sort this out, and do it now.  He walked over to the
treadmill, and set it for a jogging speed.  He began his jog, thinking
things over.

    *So I can't have her.  So what?  Is that really such a
fucking big deal?  I mean, yeah, Don's being an asshole by not breaking
it off...  But why do I care in the first place?  The bitch has never
liked me...*

    As Gill's thoughts kept running faster and faster, he
turned up the speed dial on the treadmill.  After only five minutes, he
was in a full-out run.  The people in the gym with him could see that
he wasn't really paying attention to anything.  The manager of the
facility decided to keep an eye on him.  Gill noticed none of it.

    *They're doing what they want to do.  Why is it my business
to tell them they can't?  Okay, they're both doing it mainly to piss me
off... or at least it seems like that.  So, should I let them win?  If
I remain mad, they get the best of me, don't they?*

*    But dammit, why'd she have to do that?  And now?  It's not
like Don and I were exactly on good terms to begin with... what with
him fucking that little whore, Julie...*

*    Am I jealous?  He's getting laid by two different girls,
I'm not getting anything.  Is it that?  Hell, yes, she's a slut, but
would I have turned Julie down?  I wasn't going to do the whole big
brother act like he did... hell, I don't know what the fuck he was
thinking... unless he did it just to get in her pants...  But damn,
she's got to be good in bed, after all the practice...*

*    Am I so self-centered that I can't let him have fun
without me?  We've been best friends for years... I've thrown that away
over... a girl.  Shit, if I'd gotten in Susan's pants, or any other
girl's, would I be spending *my* Saturdays waiting around on him?
Probably not...*

    It was this final admission that broke things for Gill.  He
nearly tripped as he finally set the machine to slow to a stop.  He was
winded, and sweaty, and nearly exhausted.  He wobbled slightly as he
got off the machine, and headed for the showers.

    *Don may be wrong to do what he's doing.  Or it might just
be that I still don't get it.  Either way, Gill me boy, you fucked up
first.*

    He decided what to do about it while he was showering.



-----



    Don didn't have a chance to ring the bell this time, as Amy
was waiting for him on the steps.  He walked up calmly, but he could
see the worried expression on her face.

    As a way of relieving her fears, he said, "Hey,
Sweetheart," repeating his line from the first time they'd met.  Amy
smiled at him warmly, this time, and she gave him a ferocious hug.  He
leaned back just slightly, and gave her a soft kiss.  She extended
that, using her hands to hold his mouth to hers.  Her tongue requested
- and received - entrance to his mouth, and they spent a solid minute
just kissing on the porch.

    When they finally broke off for breath, Don continued to
hold onto her.  She didn't pull away or resist him at all.

    "You're worried," he said quietly.

    Amy nodded.

    "Is the test really that tough?"

    "I had nightmares about mine for a week afterward."

    "What was it?"

    "You know I'm not allowed to tell you about it.  But
everybody's is different.  The test is decided upon by the examiners.
I don't know any of your examiners, so I don't know what they might
do.  Please, be careful, and remember what we've practiced."

    Don kissed her again, drawing her against him tightly.  He
did it not only for her own comfort, but because he was growing anxious
himself, and needed her support.  She gladly gave it, and they were
still kissing when the door opened.

    "I told you that you'd have no trouble keeping him
outside," Veronica said with a soft chuckle.  Amy blushed, but Don was
now too nervous to worry about it.  He still hadn't let Amy go.

    "Is it time?" he asked Veronica.  She nodded.

    Don turned, releasing Amy.  He felt her hand clasp his, and
he squeezed gently, keeping hold of her as they walked into the house.
Veronica led them back to the study, and it was at that point that he
had to let go of Amy.  He was directed to a silver circle that had been
laid on the floor.  He stepped into the middle of it, and was
immediately surrounded by a green glow.

    Don turned, to see that Amy and Veronica had taken
positions on either side of the room.  These were marked by squares,
but neither of them was surrounded by a glow.  He turned back to face
forward, at Amy's direction.

    Three figures stepped forward, out of the darkened corner
of the room.  They were wearing cloaks with the hoods up, obscuring
their faces.

    "What is the name of the one who comes before us?" the one
on the left intoned.

    It was a long moment before Don got his voice to work.
"Donald White," he said finally.

    The one on the right asked, "And these are your sponsors?"
He motioned to where Veronica and Amy were standing.

    Don sensed a trap.  More than that, he didn't really know
what responsibilities a 'sponsor' might have in this test.  He said, "I
have not asked them, because I did not know I needed sponsors.  I can't
put them in that position without knowing more than I know."

    The three before him were silent for a moment.  The center
magician, who turned out to be a woman, spoke.

    "Well said, Mr. White.  Miss Melchior, Miss Norris, do you
willingly sponsor this individual?"

    "Yes, Mistress," they said in unison.

    "Very well.  Mr. White, you are to be given your
examination today.  Should you complete this examination favorably, you
will pass into the third circle of this guild.  Should you fail, you
will *never* pass into the third circle.  If you leave now, not having
taken the test, you may not apply to retake it for another year.
Knowing these things, do you wish to proceed?"

    Don thought about it for a long moment.  Veronica told him
he was ready; Amy had confidence in him... but she was also worried.
The deciding factor, however, was that he wasn't about to put up with
another year of this dread.  He nodded to her.

    "Very well.  You will now be transported into another
location.  There, you will be tested.  Please prepare yourself."

    Don closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.  As he opened
them to tell her he was ready, he shouted in surprise.  The room he had
been standing in had been replaced by a forest.  He was standing on a
path.  He turned around, and found himself to be alone.

    "Walk along the path toward the ravine," a voice from the
nothingness called out.

    Don walked very slowly and carefully, looking for traps.
The voice, sensing his hesitation, spoke soothingly.

    "You need not fear.  Your test has not yet begun.  Stop
when you reach the ravine."

    Don took that for what it was worth, and walked out of the
forest.  The ravine in question was at least sixty feet across.  There
was a rope-bridge stretched across.  On the other side of the ravine,
he saw a tower.  His eyes followed the tower up, until they came to a
window.  He thought he saw something in the window, but couldn't make
it out.

    A quick spell sharpened his vision to the point of not
needing binoculars.  He could clearly make out Amy's face.  He could
see that she was chained in such a position as to be specifically
visible from where he stood.

    "What the hell is this?" he screamed into the air.

    "Your test," Veronica said from off to his side.  Don
whirled at the sound of her voice.

    "What's Amy got to do with it?" he accused.

    "She is your primary sponsor, at her own insistence.  That
means she has put herself in jeopardy during your test.  If you do not
rescue her within three hours, she may be seriously harmed."

    Veronica cast a spell, and a floating countdown appeared
beside Don's head.

    "Since you chose not to wear a watch, I'm allowed to give
you a clock.  I cannot help you.  I cannot even give advice, once you
start.  I am allowed to give general advice right now.

    "I don't know what they've put between you and Amy.  I
don't know any of the specifics of the test.  My advice is mainly what
I was told.  Always pay attention to even minor details.  Cast spells
you think you will need *before* you need them.  Never assume that
anything is exactly what it appears to be.  You are still on Earth; the
normal rules of physics apply.  Remember what you've learned, and don't
let Amy's predicament distract you.  If you do, it will only slow you
down, and perhaps prevent you from succeeding.

    "You have three hours from right...*now*," she said, and
the countdown clock began ticking backward.  "Good luck."

    Don wasted no further time, but turned back to the rope
bridge.  *Well, it seems straightforward enough*, he thought to
himself.  He assumed that all the real danger would be inside the tower.

    Before making any moves, Don cast a few basic spells to
increase his strength, speed, and agility.  Having that done, he walked
toward the bridge.

    The test almost ended as quickly as it had begun, as Don
attempted to step onto a bridge that wasn't really there.  He plunged
off the cliff, and only his magically augmented agility allowed him to
twist around and grab an outcropping of rock.  His body slammed against
the side of the cliff.  The air whooshed out of him, but he held fast,
his temporarily greater strength aiding him.

    Don cursed himself repeatedly and loudly as he clung to the
cliff face.  He was angry that he'd fallen for the very first illusion
they'd thrown at him.

    *No more.  That's the last time you get my goat!*  He
looked down, and realized he was hanging off the side of a two-hundred
foot cliff.  He would have to climb down.  Quickly, he cast a stamina
spell; this was far more work than he was used to undertaking.  Having
perked up his energy, he began to move down the sheer rock wall.

    As Don's feet touched solid ground, he breathed a sigh of
relief.  The climb had been strenuous, even with the aid of the spell,
and he was sweating profusely.  He chanced a look at the countdown, and
cringed.  He had less than two and a half hours to complete his quest.
If he had to climb up the other side of this ravine... he would
probably not make it.

    Looking across, he saw, about a hundred yards away, an
opening in the rock.

    *Maybe that leads to some kind of stairway, or is at least
easier to climb than the face of the rock would be.*

    Now, of course, his only challenge was the twenty feet of
swiftly-flowing river separating him from the other side of the
ravine.  He stared at it for a minute, wondering if it might be an
illusion, as well, to slow him down.  He concentrated on it, and it
certainly *appeared* real... but he wanted to make absolutely sure.

    Picking up a rock, Don hurled it into the river.  A
resounding splash occurred, and he was standing close enough - on
purpose - that it got him wet.  That was all he needed to know; the
river was real.  So, how to cross it?

    Don walked down his side of the river until he was across
from the rock opening.  He saw a sloping pathway leading upward, set
into the rock.  He knew that was his only way back up to the tower.
Now, he just had to get over there.

    *Twenty feet.  Can I jump it?*  Looking behind him, he had
only fifteen feet to get a running start.  It wasn't enough, even with
a spell.  He pondered for a moment, pacing back and forth.

    Finally, his thoughts centered on one of the few trees that
had grown down here.  This one was dead and rotting, but quite tall.
It was growing right at the edge of the river.  He walked over and gave
it a tentative shove; it was real enough, and it swayed ever so
slightly from his push.

    Casting another strength-augmentation spell - one that he
could not keep up for more than a couple minutes without endangering
the rest of his test - he put his hands to the tree, and heaved.  The
tree gave several loud cracks, and then began to topple.  Don moved
quickly out of the way, dispersing the strength spell and watching as
the tree collapsed, making a clear path from one side of the river to
the other.

    *Christ, I hope that thing holds my weight.  If I fall in
that river in the middle, I'm toast.  There's no way I could swim in
that current.*

    Gingerly, Don made his way out onto the tree.  It groaned;
it creaked; it bowed.

    But it held.

    When Don was safely on the other side of the river, he
looked back, amazed that he'd made it across.  He'd wasted another
twenty minutes, however, and now had little over two hours to find Amy
and rescue her from whatever they might do to her if he failed.

    Don rushed up the path cut into the rock, but then realized
how foolish he was being; any trap would catch him this way.  He slowed
himself, and proceeded more cautiously, making his way slowly up the
path.

    After a few hundred feet, the path opened onto a terrace,
again cut right into the rock.  There were a half-dozen paths leading
off this terrace, but he could discount three of them automatically;
his magic-sight told him they were illusory, and he had no desire to
bust his nose walking into a wall to prove it.

    He was just about decided on the middle path, when a voice
called out.

    "Don!  Over here!"

    The voice was...

    "*Katie?*  What the hell are *you* doing here?"

    "Veronica came and asked me to come for your test.  Take
the left path!"

    Don was very confused.  He thought he wasn't supposed to
get any help... He started to walk toward the left path.

    "That's it.  There's a secret passage that leads right into
the tower..."

    Don stopped.

    *Was* that Katie?  The voice sounded... strange.

    "Katie?"

    "Yes, Don?"

    "How do you know there's a path?"

    Don listened very carefully to her answer.  "Because they
told me, silly!"

    Now he knew.  It wasn't Katie.  It was another illusion.

    "Nice try, guys!" he said with a smirk.  *Yeah, nice try,
indeed!  You nearly fell for it, too, you twit!*

    Don made his way up the central path for another hundred
yards, before it opened into yet another terrace.  This terrace had
four doors and a pathway, still leading up.  Don tried every door; they
were all locked.  He supposed he might be able to break them, but he
had no idea what would be behind them, and he didn't have time.

    As he was about to make his way into the open pathway, he
heard an ominous growl.  Don stepped back away from the path as a
shadow appeared ahead of him.  The shadow was of an animal.

    A *big* animal.

    The rumbling growl sounded very feline.

    As the sunlight finally reached the big cat, Don got a
glimpse of orange body and black stripes.

    *Holy shit, that's a tiger!*

    The animal glared at him.  Don looked back, and then he
looked forward.  He could see, beyond the tiger, that the path ended in
a large door.

    The door stood open.

    *If I can get to that door, I can close it, and he can't
get me.  Of course, that just means minor things like getting past the
tiger without him killing me, and running faster than he does.*

    Don began to chant the one spell he knew he'd need.  He had
no idea how to get past the tiger, but running, he would definitely
have to do.

    The tiger roared, and padded forward.  Don was panicked; he
didn't know what to do.  His strength spell would not be enough to
match the tiger.  His speed would only get him just so far before it
faded.  He couldn't outmatch the tiger on anything except intelligence.

    *So, smart guy, what're you going to do?  Challenge it to a
game of chess?*

    *Hey, that's not a bad idea.*  Don knew there were two ways
to play chess; straight on, and by gambits.  He knew the tiger would
play straight on.  What Don needed to do to win was to feint the tiger.

    *How?*

    Don had little time to think, with a large cat prowling in
his direction.  In the nick of time, he came up with an idea.  Quickly
chanting, Don cast an illusion spell.  A loud roar - a mimic of the one
that the tiger had just let loose - filled the small space.  The tiger
whirled toward the sound, and was faced with a mirror image of itself.
 The big cat roared in response, and lunged.

    Don watched long enough to allow his mirage to sidestep the
real tiger's attack, and then he broke for the pathway, using his
augmented speed to move as fast as he could.  The mirage held until Don
was about ten feet into the pathway, and then the tiger let loose a
fearsome growl, and Don knew that it would be on his tail.  The door
was a mere hundred feet ahead of him.  Would he make it?

    Don felt his lungs were on fire, and his legs were burning
with the strain.  He could hear the large cat breathing heavily behind
him.  The distance between himself and the door closed rapidly; he only
hoped the distance between himself and the tiger did not close more
rapidly.

    Fifty feet....twenty...ten...five...

    Don reached the door, and yanked it shut behind himself.
Less than a second after it was fully closed, it creaked under the
weight of a 500-pound animal slamming into it at full speed.  Don threw
the bolt shut - not that he thought the cat could open doors, but he
was taking no chances - and then slumped against the wall.  He looked
up at his clock, and was astonished to see that another twenty minutes
had passed.

    *What the hell else can they throw at me?*  Don wasn't sure
he wanted to know the answer to that question.

    After a brief rest to let his heart rate return to
something approaching normal, Don looked around the room.  There was
only one exit to the room, a doorway that led to a flight of stairs.
Slowly, carefully, he made his way up them, and into the tower proper.

    The stairs led to a hallway, which shortly gave way to a
large room.  Don stopped and considered his actions before entering.
There were a dozen doors leading out of this large room, and he would
have to check each one to know where to go.  In that time, he would
have his back to most of the room.

    Casting a hearing spell and a sight spell, Don moved
carefully along the wall of the room.  Reaching the first door, he
pushed it open, to find a kitchen.  There were no people to be found,
and so he backed out of the room again.

    Just as he was about to turn, he heard something swishing
through the air.  Without bothering to turn to see what it was, Don
dove to the floor and rolled, just in time to see a javelin embed
itself in the door he had just closed.  Don cursed quietly, and shook
himself off.  Rising to his feet, he looked at the javelin with some
dismay; that would surely have been a fatal hit.

    Don had looked into six more doors, and was approaching the
seventh, when he heard another, lower, whooshing sound from one side.
He whirled and saw a battle-axe spinning toward him.  He stepped to one
side, and watched it go whizzing past in fascination.

    Don's attention was not so focused, however, that he did
not hear the *third* hiss of an object, and he dove to the floor again,
rather than chance it.  When he heard a horrendous crash, he looked up
and saw a spiked metal ball embedded deep into the wood of the door he
intended to open next.

    *Jesus!  I don't think I like this game!*

    Don rose to his feet shakily, and opened the door, which
led to stairs.  He could only see up for about five feet, for at that
point, the stairs turned.  He wanted out of the large room, however, so
he stepped in and closed the door behind himself.

    When he reached the turn in the stairs, he could only see
another five feet, before they turned again.  As he rounded this second
turn, he froze.  Before him was a straight run of stairs, twenty-five
feet long.

    On fire.

    Don turned to go back down, but then he stopped.  *If this
was the wrong path, they wouldn't bother putting obstacles in my way.
If there was an alternate path, it would be blocked as bad or worse.
I've got to find a way to get past this.  I've only got* - he checked
the floating clock beside him - *a little under an hour.  Now, how do I
get up these steps?*

    A little concentration confirmed that the fire was real, if
magical in nature, as it was not consuming the stairs upon which it was
burning.

    *If only I could levitate like I did back in Zemlia Nov!
How else am I supposed to get past this?*  After some further
consideration, Don came up with a plan.  He once again cast his speed
spell, hoping that he had not already drawn down too much on his
magical ability.  Prepping himself, he finished off the spell, and
lunged for the first step.

    Don's feet barely touched every second step as he bolted up
the stairs, and he didn't slow down until he was well beyond the end of
the fire.  Finally, ten feet down the hallway at the top of the stairs,
he stopped to take a breath.  His lower legs were singed, but he was
all right.  He gasped for breath, trying to settle himself down for the
next task.  He knew that he was nowhere near the top of the tower;
there could be dozens of things between him and Amy still.

    When he had finally calmed down, Don found himself
presented with four doors, all closed.  He was getting tired of looking
at closed doors, quite frankly, but he had no choice but to open each
of them.

    The first door Don chose, miraculously, led to stairs going
up.  Don was suspicious of things that were too easy, but figured he
would accept this one for now.  He worked his way up the stairs, which
seemed to spiral up the outside wall of the tower.  Ten minutes later,
as he had been moving more cautiously the further he went, Don came to
the top of the stairs.  There wasn't even a door between himself and
Amy.

    "Amy!" he shouted.  She turned her head and smiled at him.
He ran over to her, to look over the situation.  At that point there
was a tremendous growl behind him, and Don turned, almost fainting at
the sight of the grizzly bear raised up on hind legs, advancing on him.

    Don could see the faint 'glimmer' that he now associated
with illusions, and he let out a deep sigh of relief.  He turned back
to Amy, and said, "Ignore it."

    Amy still seemed panicked as he worked on freeing her from
her chains.  She struggled and cried out unintelligibly as the bear
illusion rumbled and roared, getting closer to them.

    Don was annoyed, and was just about ready to blast the bear
illusion into oblivion, when he suddenly stopped.  He looked back at
the bear, and then he looked to Amy.  He realized she had not spoken a
*word* since he'd seen her in here.  Don cast a spell he'd not had need
to try before; it was a magic-detection spell.  Suddenly, Amy's body,
too, glimmered.

    Don cast a spell even more foreign to him than the previous
one; it was an illusion-dispersal spell.  Not having been fought by
other magicians before, he'd not had need of these spells.  After
thirty seconds of chanting, he extended his hands, and Amy and the bear
both vanished.  What had been Amy turned out to be a mannequin, chained
as Amy had apparently been.

    Where the bear had been was... Amy.  Sitting with her hands
bound loosely and her mouth gagged.  She had been belted into a chair,
merely so that she could not easily escape.

    Don rushed over to her, and removed her gag.  He hugged
her, and she kissed him on the cheek.

    "I thought you'd never get here!  Do you have any idea how
creepy it is to stare at yourself as an illusion?"

    "We've got to get you out of here.  My time is running-"

    He didn't get to finish his sentence, because the room he
was in vanished at that point.



-----



    "-out...what?"  Don looked around, to find himself back in
Veronica's study.  Amy was still tied in the chair she was in.  Don
stood up, looking to see that Veronica was standing some feet from him,
and the three examiners were also there.

    Realizing the test appeared to be over, he turned back to
Amy, and worked to untie her.  The rest of the room waited in silence
until she was free, and Don helped her out of the chair.  She hugged
him ferociously in gratitude, and kissed him sweetly.  She finally let
him go, and he turned, returning to the circle before the three
examiners.  When he stepped into the circle, the green light that had
enfolded him before was now a pale blue.

    The examiners stepped forward, closer to him than they had
been before.  The woman stepped an additional pace ahead of the others,
and pulled her hood back, revealing jet-black hair, bright green eyes,
and a friendly smile.

    "Welcome to the third circle, Mr. White."  She extended her
hand, and Don took it.

    "Don," he said as he shook her hand.

    "Melanie Harris," she replied.  "Fifth circle."

    The other two came forward and introduced themselves, as
well.  Both of them were fourth-circle magicians.

    "I thought I'd blown it on the bridge," Don said, his
stress bleeding off.   He was gently pulled out of the circle by
Veronica and led over to the couch, rather than his usual stool.  He
sank down on it, and Veronica sat next to him.  Amy came over and sat
on the other side, putting her hand on his arm.

    Melanie chuckled.  "*Everyone* misses the bridge.  You
caught yourself faster than most people."

    Don looked to Amy.  "I thought you said your test was
different."

    "It was.  These three didn't test me.  My test involved a
lot of water and ice."

    "Yes.  There are several groupings of magicians used for
these tests.  If and when you reach fourth circle, you will be added to
a testing team."

    "So... Katie knows nothing of this, right?" Don asked,
uncertain.

    "You haven't told her yet?" Veronica asked him in surprise.

    "You told me not to tell anyone."

    Melanie looked at Veronica with a smile, and then back to
Don.  "You take your oaths seriously."

    "I don't make promises I don't intend to keep, if that's
what you mean," Don replied.

    "Good.  I'll now release you from that promise.  As a
third-circle magician, you are allowed to let others know of your
power.  You have reached the strength where those that we would rather
didn't know can already sense it in you, so there's no point in hiding
it any longer."

    "Wait a minute... who is it you don't want to know?"

    Veronica explained.  "There are good magicians and bad
magicians.  Good guilds and evil guilds.  The evil guilds will not like
you.  Also, evil magic often draws on demonic forces, and those demons
will be able to sense your growing strength.  Any evil magician who is
worried about other magicians in the area will know you're here by now."

    "Great."

    "Not to worry.  I'm still here to protect you, as my
apprentice."

    "Thank God for that."

    Veronica smiled.  "I can't believe you didn't tell Katie,
despite my request."

    "Katie's got enough to deal with without me dumping
weirdness on her."

    "You care a great deal for your sister?" one of the men
asked.

    "I love my sister," Don replied simply, thinking that he
was keeping the *truth* from them.

    "I see," the man said in a way that revealed that Don's
attempt was pointless.  "You should perhaps tell her as soon as is
convenient.  If she is that close to you, she will find out, anyway."

    "I guess.  So, you're telling me I don't have to hide my
magician status now?"

    "Don't go flaunting it," Melanie advised.  "It's best not
to do parlor tricks or use it obviously in public.  But in an
emergency, or simply when you have the need, feel free to use what you
know.  Unusable power is fairly useless, isn't it?"

    Don chuckled.  "Yeah, I guess it is."

    Amy had been sitting quietly beside Don, her hand resting
lightly on his arm, but she was getting impatient.  "Are you guys done
with him now?"

    Melanie smiled at her.  "Yes, I think that covers it all
for now."

    "Good."  Amy grabbed Don's arm more tightly.  "In that
case, I need to talk to him alone for a while."  She pulled him off the
couch and out of the room.  The others looked on in amusement.



-----



    Don followed Amy wordlessly up the stairs and down the
hall.  He had never been in this part of the house before, but she was
moving far too rapidly for him to take much of a look around.

    Amy turned and went in one of the bedrooms - he assumed it
was hers - and dragged him in after her.  Once he was inside, she
closed the door, and pushed him back against it.

    "What-" he started to ask, but her lips plastered to his,
cutting off his question.  Her kiss was mostly the answer he needed,
anyway.  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him,
rubbing his hands over her back.  She let her hands press against his
chest, her fingernails digging just lightly through his shirt.

    Don took a chance and let his hands slide down onto her
ass.  He squeezed her cheeks through her jeans, and she moaned, pushing
herself even more tightly against him.  Her hands slipped out from
between them, and down to the bottom of his shirt, where they began to
yank it free of his pants.

    When Amy finally got his shirt free, Don gently pushed her
away.  She looked upset, but he smiled at her.  Gripping his shirt, he
pulled it off and tossed it on her desk.  He put his hands on her
shoulders, holding her away from him while he looked at her.  Her
T-shirt was tight on her, and the points showing through it indicated
she wasn't wearing a bra.  He let his hand slide down onto her chest,
running lightly over her tit, making sure to brush her nipple.

    "Oh!" Amy groaned.  Her body shuddered at his touch.  Don
pulled her T-shirt free of her jeans and gently peeled it up and off
her body.  It joined his shirt on the desk, but Don was more interested
in what it had revealed.  His hands now both massaged Amy's bare tits,
and she moaned in bliss.  Her hands were already working at her jeans.
In seconds, she had them off her hips, and she was kicking her shoes
and pants off.

    Don let his hands fall from her breasts, and down onto her
hips.  He pulled her closer to him, and kissed her.  This time, he
pressed his tongue against her lips.  She parted them almost
immediately, and soon their tongues were dueling with one another.  For
a long moment, they stayed that way, unmoving, except as their hands
rubbed each other's backs.

    Finally, Don broke their kiss.  He took Amy's hand and led
her over to the bed.  She sat down at his urging, and he gently pushed
her back until she was lying on the bed.  Then he grasped her panties
at the waistband, and pulled.  Amy lifted her hips, and the silky
garment was soon on the floor.

    Don looked down at her; he loved the way she smiled at him,
and her body was heavenly.  Her pubic hair was trimmed back to a
pleasing triangle, and he could see that she was already wet for him.

    Amy wriggled under his gaze; it was making her hotter
almost than his touch had.  She longed for him to take her in his arms
again.  She wanted him inside her, and she mewled at him, giving him a
come-hither look that a blind man would have been able to notice.

    Don smiled at her, and began to remove the rest of his own
clothes.  It didn't take long before he was completely nude, and his
hard cock became the focus of Amy's world.  She licked her lips, and
then bit her lower one, waiting for him to approach.

    She didn't have to wait long.  Don climbed onto the bed
with her, his body above her own.  She slid further onto the bed until
they were both comfortable, and then she smiled up at him.

    Don leaned down and kissed her.  This time, her tongue was
the invader.  As her tongue slipped against the soft wetness of his,
she felt him shift.  She moaned in anticipation when she felt the head
of his dick resting against her opening.  Don wrapped his arms around
her, supporting himself on his elbows, as he pushed himself into her in
one long, slow motion.

    Amy growled her pleasure into his mouth, vibrating his
tongue.  When he was finally buried to the hilt inside her wet sheath,
he paused, and broke their kiss.  She was very nearly panting already
from the pleasure.

    "Fast... or slow?" he asked her softly.

    Amy groaned, "Oh, God, fuck me hard!  I need a good
pounding!"

    "Your wish is my command," he said to her, and pulled back
about halfway, and rammed back into her.  Amy screamed at the
sensation.  He did it again, and again, and soon her body was bucking
back up into his.  She was lost to the pleasure, her mind filled with
nothing but sparkles of pleasure.  She continued to grunt and groan
with each thrust, her body racing toward orgasm.

    Don rammed into her as hard as he could, driving deep into
her.  He was holding her tightly, letting his chest rub over her
nipples as they fucked.  He could see from the look on Amy's face that
her climax was fast approaching.  He began to roll his hips at the end
of each stroke, grinding his pubes against hers.  It only took a few of
these before Amy screamed out, her body frozen in utter pleasure, her
orgasm taking hold of her.  He continued to thrust into her throughout,
and it prolonged her pleasure.  Only when she began to come down did he
slow down, and then stop, though he kept making small movements to keep
himself hard.

    Amy looked up at him when she was able to regain her
senses, and her eyes showed awe.  "Oh, Gods, I missed that."

    "Excuse me?" Don said.  "I know we've met, but I'm pretty
sure I'd remember if I slept with you..."

    Amy pulled herself tightly against him, and kissed him.
Then she said, "Not really... I didn't look like me at the time."

    Given that there was only one woman left from the game that
he had slept with, Don came to his conclusion pretty quickly.  "Neiela?"

    "As I said, my name is *Amelia*.  Not that far a stretch
from that to Neiela.  God, you fucked me so good that night, I just
couldn't wait to get you back inside me.  I didn't want to distract you
from your test, though."  She kissed him again, passionately, and her
pussy rippled against his cock.

    "Somebody hasn't come yet," she said when she broke the
kiss.

    "You're right.  Somebody hasn't."  He smiled wickedly at
her, and then set her down on the bed, pulling out of her.  She
pouted.  "Roll over," he said, and her eyes lit up.  Once she had, he
pulled her up onto all fours.

    "Oooh, you bad boy," Amy said, her voice dripping with lust
and anticipation.  "Okay, fuck your bitch!"

    Don pressed his cock back into her cunt, and then bent over
her back, slamming into her hard.  Amy cried out in surprise and
immense pleasure.  Don reached down and began to fondle her tits.

    "You like it this way, don't you?" he whispered in her ear.

    "Ungh," was all she managed to say, as he began to rut into
her at that moment.  She repeated it again and again as he continued to
slam into her.  She could feel him penetrating deep into her, and she
loved every millimeter of his cock.  As his fingers found and gently
twisted her nipples, he began to really thrust into her.  Amy began
screaming again, lost in another small orgasm.  Don barely noticed, as
he started to ride her harder and faster.  As his cock slipped against
the front of her pussy, it found her g-spot, and Amy went into
overdrive, bucking her hips back at him and squeezing his cock for all
it was worth.

    Don released Amy's tits and grabbed her hips for leverage.
He was moving as fast and as hard as he could, thrusting into her with
all his might.  Amy was lost to the sensations, right on the verge of a
massive orgasm.  Don was close to coming himself, and he let himself
plunge over the edge, his cock spewing its load deep inside of Amy's
pussy.

    Amy cried out at the first touch of his cum, her orgasm
gripping her body and causing her to buck frantically on his dick.  She
was milking him for everything he had, and their bodies thrashed
together, until Amy had simply had all she could take.  With a final
scream, she collapsed onto the bed, Don's cock slipping from within
her.  His last small spurts landed on her ass, and he shivered at the
sudden cold that surrounded his dick.  It took him a few seconds to
settle down, but when he did, he checked on Amy.

    Amy was breathing comfortably, so he gently turned her onto
her side so that she would be comfortable.  He was a little sleepy
himself, but he first got up and went into her bathroom.  Grabbing a
washcloth, he wet it with warm water.  Taking it back out to her, he
cleaned off her ass, and then very, very tenderly wiped off her pussy
and inner thighs.  Once he'd finished with her, he wiped off his own
self, and tossed the washcloth back into the bathroom.

    Lying down beside her, he pulled a blanket over the both of
them, and fell asleep.



-----



    "So, what would you have done if I hadn't rescued her in
time... or for that matter, if I'd fallen off that cliff?  How would
you have explained my death?"

    Melanie smiled softly at him.  He was surprised that she
was still there, since it had been a couple hours since Amy and he had
gone to her room to celebrate.  The other two men were nowhere in sight.

    "You were never actually in mortal danger.  Amy was never
in any danger at all.  We don't tell you these things before the test,
of course... you have to have an incentive.  Had you fallen off the
cliff, a spell already in place would have slowed your fall long before
you hit the ground.  The tiger would never have been allowed to harm
you, and the objects you so adroitly dodged would have disintegrated
upon hitting you, rather than causing harm.  We don't put you in actual
jeopardy until your fifth-circle test."

    "You shouldn't tell me that, should you?  I mean, what
about my fourth-circle test?  Now I know it won't be dangerous."

    "The test isn't conducted the same way, so there is no need
for you to be deceived.  And, as I said, your fifth-circle test *is*
actually dangerous.  Thus, the ruse is no longer needed."

    "Well, thanks... I guess.  I need to get home now.  My
family will be wondering where I've gotten off to."  Don rose, and so
did Melanie.  "Will I see you again?" he asked as he held out his hand
to shake hers.

    She grasped his hand and shook firmly.  "I think you can
count on that.  Good luck, Mr. White," she said with a mischievous
smile.

    Don grinned at her, then he walked over and gave Veronica a
warm hug and an even warmer kiss.  He whispered in her ear, "I believe
there's a full moon coming up in a few days.  I'll be here to make sure
we're properly bonding."  Veronica blushed, and he kissed her on the
cheek before he turned and left.

    Amy accompanied him to the door, and out onto the steps.
Once the front door was closed, he turned to her and embraced her,
kissing her passionately.

    "You did great today," she said when they finally broke
their kiss.  "Thanks for rescuing me."

    "Apparently you didn't need rescuing," he said somewhat
sourly.

    "You didn't know that at the time.  You're my hero."  She
kissed him again to prevent him from arguing.

    "When will you be leaving?" he asked, his voice regretful.
He really liked Amy, and she had been a lot of help to him.

    "In a few days or so.  We'll see each other again before I
leave, don't worry.  Now, go on.  You have something to tell your
sister."  Amy kissed him passionately, then shooed him down the
stairs.  He waved at her before getting in the car and driving home.



-----



    Don paid little attention to the cars in the driveway,
though he recognized both of them.  He was whistling when he stepped
inside, but as he walked into the living room, his cheerful tune died
off.  His face took on a neutral mien, and he tried to keep his voice
flat.

    "Gill..." he said, indicating a question without asking
one.  *What are you doing here?*

    "Don, we need to talk."

    Don caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and
looked to see Susan and Julie on the stairs.  He wondered where Katie
was, until he sensed someone behind him.

    "Let's go out back, then.  You mind if they tag along?
Otherwise I'm just going to have to tell them about it later."

    "Whatever," Gill said dismissively.  He led through the
house and out the back door.

    "Everything all right, honey?" Don's mother asked him.

    "Just going out back to talk," he said on his way through.

    Once out in the yard, Don went and leaned against a tree.
He kept his eyes on Gill, but made no provocative or threatening
gestures.  He didn't know what was coming.  He *did* know that if Gill
wanted a fight this time, he'd wipe the floor with him.  Having been
released from not letting anyone know about his magic, Don was just as
likely to use a spell on Gill as to let things get out of hand as they
had last time.

    "So what's on your mind?" Don asked finally.

    Gill looked at him.  This was hard enough for him to do,
but Don's self-satisfied attitude...

    "What the hell are you so smug about?" Gill demanded.  "I
ought to beat the crap out of you right here and now for what you've
done to me."

    "Gill, you said-" Susan warned, but Don raised his hand to
request silence.  She acquiesced rather quickly, Gill noted sourly.

    "Look, I've had a very long and trying day, and you are
*not* the worst thing I've faced today.  If you want to take a swing at
me, go right ahead, but I guarantee you won't like the fucking
results.  I'm in no mood for your shit.  You had something to say, so
say it."

    Gill glared at him, trying to decide whether to swing on
him or not.  He had decided one thing in the shower at the gym, but
being faced with Don's *arrogance*...  He had not noticed Don muttering
something under his breath.

    Gill swung on Don, but he suddenly found his hand enclosed
in Don's, his punch having no effect.  Don stared straight into his
eyes, and again, said something quietly.

    Suddenly, from behind Gill, there were three screams and a
growl.  Gill wheeled, and nearly pissed his pants.  Not five feet from
him stood a large tiger.  It was the same tiger that Don had conjured
earlier in the day.  Gill stumbled backward as the illusion lunged at
him.  As he fell over his own feet and the tiger appeared about to land
on him, Don made it vanish.  He could see Gill was shaking.

    Pushing himself off the tree, he stepped between Gill and
the girls.

    "The reason you couldn't beat me last time, and the reason
you can't beat me now, has nothing to do with my fighting ability.  You
know and I know that I haven't got any.  But I've spent the last
several weeks learning magic.  *Real* magic.  I spent today doing all
sorts of shit to prove my skills.  If I use my magic, you aren't a
challenge for me.  I could beat you into the ground."

    "Then why don't you?" Gill snarled as he got to his feet.

    Don was unmoved by his anger.  "Because I have no reason
to.  Regardless of what you may think, I don't hate you.  What Susan
and I have together has nothing to do with you, in my mind.  Now, you
came over here to say something.  What was it?  Or did you just feel
the need to try to beat on me again?"

    Gill walked up to him, but kept a personal distance.  "I
had thought we might be able to talk this out.  What the fuck did I
ever do to you?"

    "You mean, besides trying to beat the crap out of me?" Don
asked with a hint of humor.

    Gill's mouth twitched, but he didn't smile.  He waited.

    "You keep assuming that it had something to do with you.
 Look, you've been told time and again.  Susan wanted to get even with
you.  I didn't know anything about it at the time, and I could hardly
take it back after it was done.  What happened after that had nothing
to do with you, and everything to do with *us*.  What happens between
us is, quite frankly, none of your damned business."

    "And you're still seeing that..." Gill caught himself
before he got hurt.  "Her?" he asked, pointing to Julie.

    "I don't have an exclusive relationship with either of
them.  They've known about each other from day one."

    "So you don't love either of them.  You're just *using*
them."  Gill was trying to drive a wedge into the relationship, hoping
to break them up.

    He didn't realize how hopeless that was.  "Nobody is being
used.  We're all just having some fun together.  You remember that?
Fun?  You know, enjoyment?"

    Gill glared at him, but then took a deep breath.  He
brought himself back to the thoughts he'd had in the gym, the
realization that his own attitudes were probably the faulty ones.  He
opened his eyes again, and looked at Don.

    In that moment, he realized that it wasn't Don who was
being arrogant.  He, himself, was the one expecting everyone to live
according to his rules for them.  Don was merely doing something, as he
put it, that was fun.

    Despite that, he couldn't bring himself to like the person
before him anymore.  "You and I are never going to be friends again,
are we?" Gill asked.

    "No.  Probably not.  Sorry."

    Gill nodded, and straightened himself.  "Okay," he said,
mustering as much dignity as he could manage.  "I'll leave you alone
from now on."

    Neither offered to shake, but Don nodded in
acknowledgment.  Gill marched out the back gate, and closed it, and was
gone.  In a few moments, they heard a car start up, and pull out of the
driveway.

    Don visibly slumped.  Susan and Julie were there in an
instant, on either side of him.  They both led him up to the porch,
where they settled down next to him on the steps.  Katie seemed to have
disappeared back into the house.

    For a long time, Don sat and talked with the two girls.
Finally, it was time for them to go home.  Julie promised to take Susan
home, so Don kissed them both good-bye, and then headed back into the
house and up to his room.

    "Since when do we keep secrets from each other?" Katie
asked as soon as he entered his bedroom.  She was sitting on his bed,
and rose shortly after he closed the door.

    "Sorry, Katie.  I wanted to tell you, but I wasn't
allowed.  My M..er, my magic instructor told me I couldn't tell
anyone.  Today after I passed that test, they told me I was allowed to
tell people, so..."

    "I'm your *sister*, dammit!  And I thought I was your
friend."

    "Katie," he said, going to her and hugging her, "you *are*
my friend, and I didn't want to hide it from you.  But I couldn't go
against my Mistress."  *Whoops.*

    "Mistress?"

    "That's just what you call your magic instructor when she
happens to be a woman."

    It didn't take Katie long to put two and two together.
"Veronica?"

    Don nodded.  He noticed that Katie was not pulling away
from their hug.  He was in no hurry to do so, either.

    He could see Katie relax a little.  She'd clearly been
upset at him not telling her.  She hugged him more tightly.

    "I knew you'd been different somehow... but none of us
could put a finger on it."  She put her head on his chest, and he held
her affectionately, trying to will his body *not* to react.  It was a
very tough thing to do.

    Suddenly, her head came up.  "Did you mesmerize Julie and
Susan or something?"  Her tone was accusatory.

    He quickly shook his head.  "I don't even know how to do
that.  I'm not even sure it's possible.  Besides, if I was going to do
that, I'd probably have picked a target closer to home."  He'd said the
last without thinking, and was already kicking himself for it.

    Katie blushed, but she didn't pull away from him, which was
a surprise.  He'd loosened his grip as soon as he'd realized what had
come out of his mouth.  She didn't take advantage of the opportunity to
go.

    There followed an awkward silence in which they stared at
each other, but no one said anything.  The silence was finally broken
by their mother calling them to dinner.

    Don made to leave, but Katie didn't let go of him.  He
looked down into her face, and was startled when she reached up and
kissed him - very quickly - on the lips.  Then she let him go, turned,
and opened the bedroom door.  In a flash she was down the stairs.

    It was a bit longer before he followed her, and not nearly
as steadily.



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