Skype Session 1: Clara de Roelef

While pretending to contemplate the words of Captain Stantiati, I looked around inside “La Scrivania Galeggianti”. I took my time as I did not want the captain to think I was eager to infiltrate "The-guild-we-have-never-heard-of" under the leadership of the notorious Casanova. Rushing into a deal is simply bad negotiating tactics. Anyway, the place was clean and simple with an intense hushed quality due to the fact that everybody here was whispering. Indeed a rather weird restaurant. After a while I could feel the Captain becoming irritated, so I told him that the job sounded dangerous considering the reputation of mr. Casanova – Stantiati nodded like he was aware of the fact. “As payment for your work I have some magical texts”. I told him that I had to see the texts before saying yes to become his rat. The captain agreed and went to fetch them. I waited for an hour while tasting a local dish called "Tortilini" and drinking more coffee. The food and beverashes of Little Tilea is growing on me. When the captain returned with 15 scroll cases, I realised that the magical text was no book, but a collection of very old scrolls – at least 2000 years – describing the lore of air and various magic spells about controlling, creating and summoning air elementals. I was shocked – how had captain Stantiati obtained these valuable texts? It did not matter – the knowledge inside could be mine if I said yes to the job. As a typical Marienburger I told him that I would consider his offer and come back to “La Scrivania Galeggianti” in the coming week after having studied the scrolls. The captain agreed, but warned me not file a claim to the scrolls with the college. It was to be our secret and his garantee that he could trust me. As I returned to the College by boat steared by a tilean friend of the captain, it was very late and I was tired. I contemplated copying the scroll, but soon realised that it was so long, that I would not be able to finish in a week. it seems the captain had also realised this. Otherwise he would probably not have allowed me to leave the scrolls like that. Even so it seemed to me that the captain was taking a serious gamble on me and it felt a little weird.

The next day, I got up early, skipped breakfast and was therefore able to study the scroll a good hour before heading to the “Brush ‘n Gull”. Otherwise everything was routine, Herr Südenwald greeted me at the door and escorted me to Sibo's room, here we started to work straight away. At lunch, Sibo told me that the time had come for me to start lecturing Clara de Roelef in the art of throwing lightning and that she was expecting me tomorrow evening at the mansion of de Roelef in the Oudgeldwijk district. I was not prepared for this. I had only used the art of throwing lightning during my time enchanting gemstones with Sibo at the Brush'n'Gull and as such I eld really inexperienced and unable to teach anything. But Sibo dismissed my concerns, insisting that the customer, Clara de Roelef, was very inexperienced in the ways of magic, so there would be many things I could teach her. Sibo got his way and so when my working day at Sibo’s was over, I cleaned myself up a little and hired a boat to Oudgeldwijk. The mansion of Director de Roelef was amazing with a lot of foreign art. However, the place looked very defensable in an old school kind of way. A servant answered the door and led me inside – I was expecting to be led to the young Miss de Roelef but instead I was introduced to Director de Roelef herself. She was a beautiful middle aged woman with stern eyes clad in rich garments. For some reason she sounded angry with me – she told me that she was expecting me to teach her niece to use the magical gemstones she had bought, but if her niece and heir was hurt in any way during the lectures or if the Curse of Tzeentch occurred in her mansion she would personally punish me and my family in the next 7 generations. I got the feeling that she was serious – so I nodded and said “Yes, master Director de Roelef”. After having led out a lot of steam she lightened up a bid and told me that her niece had a dream of becoming a wizard but if I could talk her out of these stupid dreams she would pay me a thousand Guilders! After the meeting with Director de Roelef I was led to the personal chambers of Clara de Roelef. I was told to enter and a strange sight met my eyes. The room was decorated with a mix of religious and magical art, items and furniture. My magical sense spotted several items that was indeed magical but the most enchanted object in the room was the beautiful young girl that lay seductively on a sofa. She wore a sexy – almost transparent dress and had long curly blond hair. I felt that her blue eyes could see right through me and I felt like my heart was bursting inside my chest.

“So this is how it feels” I thought to myself. Then my eyes caught sight of a strange black raven next to her and some large bone knives that was attached like a claws to her hands. At first I was unable to tell if the knives was fashionable, if they served a defensive purpose and whether I should be worried. I used my inner strength to talk like a Newstaff and not some teenager in love – and introduced myself as Marius van Tasselwijk. Immediately the young girl asserted herself and her will in a way that I found most uncharateristic for her age. She was obviously used to being in charge and was not willing to relenguish power just because I was her teacher. After an awkward introduction, I started to teach Miss de Roelef the art of Throwing Lightning. She turned out to be a bright and dedicated student and we talked about many things besides the art of Throwing Lightning. She seemed very dedicated to her goal of becoming a Newstaff and agued elequantly for the profound difference between power bought and power earned. While we discussed all things magical, her mannerism changed from that of a commanding noble heiress to that of charming young intelligent beautiful woman. It seemed like we were becoming friends, so I asked her about the bone knives she had been wearing earlier and about the raven, who was commenting ones in a while. Miss de Roelef explained that she trained in the arab martial art called Silat Mubai and that the knives was part of that training. She also introduced me to her bodyguard, Hakim, who so far had somehow managed to hide in the shadows of the room out of my sight. Once again she mentioned the difference between power bought and power earned. Remarkedly it seemed Hakim was not getting payed for his services! Anyway, even towards Hakim trust is limited as we spoke latin to avoid being overheard. The raven was introduced a well trained bird, but the commentary seemed strangely in context. At some point, the conversation touched upon the gemstones I have ben enchanting, it turned out that Clara and her aunt, the director, had struck a bargain in which Clara would not hold the aunt to her word in exchange for a magical gemstone dress, which would double as armor and evening gown. The lightening would do as a misile weapon, while armored Silat Mubai would do as melee weapon, besides the gown was a work of art and prestige. The director apparently payed 15000 Guilders for the gown. That evening the questions of Miss de Roelef was virtually endless and I much enjoyed the company, so it was not until midnight that one of the private de Roelef boatmen sailed me back to the College. It is safe to say that that night marked the begining of a new rythm. Every day I would go to enchant gemstones with Sibo while yearning for evening and every evening I would be in heaven teaching Clare de Roelef how to throw lightning and answering her endless stream of questions. After a couple of days, she offered to teach me the art of Silat Mubai, which I happily accepted as an excuse of physical contact. However, I soon learned that physical contact ment me hitting the floor hard and not much else. But hope springs eternal. Already I have assimilated the forms and phrases of high society as I have noticed that Miss de Roelef likes it, when I converse with her in the correct manner.

The next three months was the best in my life! – not because I finished my tedious job with Sibo at the Brush'n'Gull and therefore was able to pay 100 Guilders to the University granting me the right to one more year of education as well as the 10 Guilders to renew my membership of The College. Not because I mastered he Lightning spell so that I may cast it without fatigue and the consequential daily exhaustion of enchanting. Not because I said yes to be Captain Stantiati’s rat and got access to the old magical scrolls. Not because I have made an agreement with Newstaff Tim Heydenmann to teach each other a spells, the spell Lightening for the spell Stench, and in this way have a legitimate way of obtaining my lightning-spell knowledge and thus finally shielding myself again threats on my licens.

No, the reason why those three months were the best in my life was due to fact that I could be close to Clara de Roelef and smell her hair when she was concentrating deeply on the technique of Throwing Lightning and thus not not paying attentention to me or feel har skin when she bested me in unarmed combat. Sweet Ranald – I have never meet a girl like her – so sensual and determined. She has a natural talent for languages and she speaks latin fluently. She has obtained knowledge of magical myths and legends and the history of magic. I have offered her to be her sponsor even though I know her aunt will be mad as the Nine Hells at me – but I feel in my heart I must grant her the access to magical knowledge and it was not really like she gave me a choice anyway. Somehow she knew that my Lightnings skills were rogue. A fact which she with charming reluctance used to push me to sponsor her application to the College. Her College tuition is already payed – but until her interview her identity is a secret and she is only known as Clara.

The reason why the happiness lasted only three months can be summed up in one name: Director de Roelef! Yesterday after working with Sibo, I hailed a boatman to take me to see Miss de Roelef as I do every day, but this day I was once again led to see Director Clotilde de Roelef. In no uncertain terms she said she wanted a writen status and prospect report within the week. The report was to include my strategy for dissuading Miss de Roelef from studying at the College and any relevant observation I might have made in the three months I have been granted audiences with Miss de Roelef. On the positive side, she did mention in passing the Miss de Roelef seemed to be talking less and less about the College, which led the Director to comment that it seemed I was on the way to become a rich man. That evening I was denied access to see Miss de Roelef as it was implicitly assumed that I would return to the College to write my report. As usual one of the private de Roelef boatmen sailed me back to the College. Having missed dinner and not wating to eat at the College, I found my way to the ”Laughing Maiden”, which is a tavern not far from the College, where the Clergy unwind. It is not a particularly festive place, but they serve a decent meal. Now it is a well known truth that poor tidings and misfortune travel in packs. As I was eating a tired looking man joined me at the table. He did not present himself, but told me that Casanova had sent him to tell me that Casanova expected me to work late into the evening together with Sibo tomorrow at the Brush'n'Gull. It was stressed and underlined that the workday was not to end before midnight. I said that I did not know how to accomplish that, but the stranger simply answerd that Casanova had faith in me and that it would be most unwise to disappoint him. The stranger further reminded me that I owed Casanova a debt of gratitude both from hiring me in the first place, but also from giving me the book of Andrian Tempelhof. The comments were said in a tone that ruined the rest of the meal, so I got up and walked away. I am now sitting in my room back at the College, trying to focus on the report to Director de Roelef, but my mind keep thinking about what I should do tomorrow at the Brush'n'Gull.