Trey was frozen for a moment, but then let out a heavy sigh, which was enough of an answer for Nora.


    “How much do you know?” she pressed.


    “Enough,” he answered. “You think you can take out Marvin, huh?”


    “No,” she answered honestly, “but I have to try.” She paused, squinting her eyes at him. “That’s why you wouldn’t sleep with me. You probably think I’m a psychopath.”


    “I don’t think you''re a psychopath,” Trey said, looking straight into her eyes. “I just couldn’t get involved with you in that way knowing that I might have to betray your trust later.”


    Nora’s eyebrows scrunched in contemplation as she studied him with a frown. “That’s surprisingly mature of you. I would have still fucked me.”


    “I almost caved after your shaved pussy comment,” he said.


    “No you didn’t,” Nora refuted. “I eventually figured out you weren’t budging. My Windrake Academy experience will forever be marred by me throwing myself at you in the first week.”


    “I’m sorry, Nora,” Trey said.


    “You did promise you’d make it up to me,” Nora said matter-of-factly.


    “I know what I promised,” he said, pulling out a bag of chocolate truffles from his pack and handing it to his roommate.


    “You did not!” Nora exclaimed, snatching the bag. She peered inside and then glanced back at Trey. “They’re poisoned, aren’t they? That’s how you’ll get rid of me.”


    He laughed. “I do know your weakness.”


    A giggle escaped from her mouth, melting just a bit of the tension in the air, but then her face fell again, unable to stave off the seriousness of the new rift between them.  “Does this mean we are enemies now?” she asked quietly, and Trey could see the despair behind her eyes.


    “It doesn’t have to be,” he replied thoughtfully. “We could work together instead.”


    The blonde raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to help me kill Marvin Kalo?”


    “No,” he answered immediately, “but I could help you figure out what’s really going on. Maybe we can find a better solution.”


    “That won’t work,” she replied, shaking her head.


    “Why not?” he countered.


    “I know things,” she said, using his own line against him.


    “Like what?” he prodded.


    Nora took her first bite of a truffle, groaning as she savored the rich chocolate filling. “Why should I trust you?” she demanded, crossing her arms.


    “Because you’ve been seduced by my irresistible charisma and rugged looks?”


    Nora glowered at him, his antics failing to amuse her.


    “How about this?” he tried. “I’ll share one of my secrets with you if you agree to share your secrets with me in return.”


    “I don’t know,” Nora thought out loud with a mischievous glint in her eye. She popped another truffle into her mouth. “What secrets could a pretty boy like you possibly have?”


    Trey could tell he had piqued her interest. “You’re only calling me a pretty boy because I claimed rugged looks,” he pouted.


    Nora had a smug smile on her face. “What’s your secret?”


    “I’m a mage.”


    “You are not a mage,” she replied skeptically.


    Trey extended his arm, palm up, and let a small flame erupt from his hand, flickering brilliantly in the air.


    Nora’s eyes widened. “Okay, you’re a mage.”


    “Your turn,” he said.


    Nora stared at him, deep in thought. She placed a third truffle in her mouth, hoping the chocolate would grant her a spell that would fix everything. “Do you know what I am?”


    “Why don’t you tell me?”


    She huffed, not liking his answer. “Fine. I’m a light mage… and a divination mage.”


    Trey did his best impression of someone who had just heard the most shocking news ever, but Nora saw right through it. “Unicorn piss! You already knew that, too? It’s like you’re a fuckin’ mind mage. Where do you get your information?”


    “Marvin is the master of secrets,” Trey answered. “You have to be both adept and a little bit senile to beat him.”


    “I still don’t understand how you know so much,” she said with a puzzled frown.


    “Marvin has advantages that others don’t know about,” Trey replied ambiguously.


    “You’re not going to tell me?”


    Trey shook his head.


    “And Marvin knows about me?”


    Trey nodded.


    “Then why am I still alive?” she asked, checking behind her for an assassin.


    “Because he thinks you’re carrying my kid.”


    Nora’s eyes widened.


    Trey held back as long as he could, but it only took a moment before laughter burst from his mouth. The blonde reeled back and punched the same shoulder that Bree had hit earlier that night. Nora was shaking her head in mock disappointment, but Trey could see the smirk she was trying to hide.


    “Marvin is still trying to figure out how dangerous you are,” Trey said after calming down. “Tell me what you know.”


    “I don’t know much,” Nora replied. “I’ve just foreseen my dad dying at his hands. You understand why I have to stop him, right?”


    “I understand,” he responded. Then he paused, mulling over his thoughts. “It’s getting late. Perhaps it would be better to talk about this more tomorrow?”


    His question prompted Nora to yawn. She vacated his bed and strolled over to her side. Before lying down, she turned back to him. “Just so you know, I’m not making the first move again.”


    Trey chuckled. “We should wait until our… situation gets resolved, right?”


    “That sounds like the responsible thing to do,” Nora replied, not necessarily agreeing with him.


    “We are just eighteen,” Trey added with a hint of amusement. “Sometimes we don’t do the responsible thing.”


    “Sometimes we give into our passions instead,” Nora tacked on, doing her best to sound innocent.


    “You know which side I’m on now,” he reasoned, “so I wouldn''t be deceiving you.”


    “You did give me chocolates that were not poisoned,” she said. “That’s a pretty low standard of trust, but it’s something.”


    “If you’re willing to lower your standards, then I guess I can too,” Trey said.


    “What?!” Nora shouted, fury suddenly burning in her eyes.


    “I’m kidding!” Trey quickly exclaimed. “You are beyond gorgeous, Nora, and I’m amazed at how easy it is to spend time with you. It’s only been a week, but I feel like I’ve known you forever.”


    Nora glanced over at him, her scornful expression quickly shifting to a seductive look. “Keep talking.”


    Trey smirked. “I enjoy seeing your smile every day–”


    “Too cheesy,” Nora commented. “Let’s stop while you’re ahead.”


    The attractive blonde rose from her bed and sauntered over to Trey. She extended her arm, placing a hand on his chest. Applying a firm but playful amount of pressure, she pushed him onto his back. After climbing on top of him, she gazed into his eyes while straddling him. Her fingers combed through his hair as her face rotated through expressions. “This is going to get messy, isn’t it?”


    “Well, right now the mess would just stay in my pants, but I was kind of hoping—”


    Nora snorted, lightly slapping him on his chest. “Not like that!”


    “It will get messy,” Trey replied more seriously.


    “Are you worried about that?”


    “Not at the current moment.” He pulled her face down to his.


    There was no hesitation as they locked lips in a long and passionate kiss. Eventually, they pulled apart.


    The blonde was smiling, but Trey could tell that her mind was racing. She only made a simple sound. “Hmm.”


    “Having second thoughts?” Trey asked in a neutral tone.


    “I’m not,” she replied, “but I feel like I should.”


    “It’s very late,” Trey acknowledged, “and I just dumped a lot of information on you. Maybe it would be better to sleep on it.”Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Nora frowned. “I want to do it now, though.”


    “But what I’m saying makes sense, right?”


    “Yes,” she begrudgingly admitted.


    “If you still feel the same way tomorrow,” Trey said, “there’ll be no stopping me.”


    ***


    Trey woke up feeling exceptionally cheerful. His good mood could be directly attributed to the warm, wet sensation he felt on the lower portion of his body. He peeked down and saw a head full of blonde hair bobbing up and down.


    “I take it you’re a morning person?” he asked.


    Nora looked up. Her lips detached from his shaft, but her hands kept stroking him. “This guy is too,” she said, her eyes indicating his raging erection. “We decided to get started without you.”


    “Well don’t stop on my account.”


    Nora smiled and returned to her morning goal of sucking him dry. Her lips wrapped around his thickness with a tight seal while her tongue swirled around the head. He tilted his head back, letting out a groan of pleasure as the blonde slowly took him deeper. She established a steady rhythm with her movements, skillfully using her tongue within the confines of her mouth to enhance his stimulation.


    A few strands of her hair slipped across her face, but she quickly brushed them aside, providing Trey an unobstructed view of her performance. She maintained eye contact while she applied extra suction to his tip. She pulled her lips off with an audible pop, then kissed the underside of his shaft.


    “You’re very big,” she said in a sultry voice, her breath warmly caressing his saliva-coated dick, “and you know how competitive I am.” Before he could respond, she shoved his length back into her mouth and attacked it with renewed vigor.


    Nora’s less-than-gentle approach and Trey’s inability to keep his hips still meant that it wasn’t long before he was ramming the entrance to her throat. Her blue eyes sparkled with intensity as she glanced up at him, with undeniable desire burning in her gaze. She managed a grin despite the big cock stretching her lips, then instinctively drove forward, taking him deeper. Trey felt the rush of pleasure as she embraced him fully. She gagged briefly, but a few tears were nowhere near enough to quench her fiery determination.


    Nora was voracious in her efforts to engulf Trey’s member in her throat. Between the sloppy sounds emanating from his fellating lover and the saliva dripping down to his balls, it was all Trey could do to prevent himself from shooting off. “Nora, you’re about to get an early breakfast,” he warned.


    The girl bobbing wildly between his legs let him know she was hungry; she gripped his hips firmly, making sure her meal wasn’t going to escape. She felt him throbbing in her mouth and knew her hard work was about to pay off. With one last dive, she crammed as much of his massive cock into her mouth as she could and held herself there.


    Trey groaned as he exploded, unloading multiple heavy streams of cum directly into her throat. He heard loud gulping sounds from his blonde roommate as she ensured nothing would be wasted.


    Trey''s eyes fluttered closed as he lay back in his bed, completely incapacitated by post-orgasmic bliss. Nora crawled up his body, nestling against his chest, her head resting comfortably on his collarbone. He attempted to embrace her, but his limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. When he tried to speak, only a soft mumble escaped his lips.


    “What was that?” Nora asked gently.


    “I think I forgot how to talk. Fuck, Nora. What did you do to me?”


    Nora beamed with pride. “You know my weakness,” she stated, pointing to an empty bag that had formerly held chocolate truffles. “Now I know yours.”


    “I thought you weren’t going to make the first move?” Trey teased with a grin.


    “I didn’t,” she replied. “You kissed me last night and then told me I had to make a decision when I woke up.”


    “I did not say it like that!” Trey protested. A slight smirk from Nora prompted him to shake his head slowly. “What am I going to do with you?”


    “We still need to have that talk, don’t we?” Nora said a little more seriously.


    Trey pursed his lips, considering her words, before finally nodding. “Should I return the favor first?” he asked suggestively.


    A flash of desire crossed Nora’s face, but she shook her head. “Tonight,” she said, mostly convincing herself. “Once you get me going, we will be locked in this room for several hours. I don’t want to miss the capture-the-flag kickoff. In fact, we should head to breakfast – for you, at least.”


    Trey nodded. “I know what I’ll be thinking about all day.”


    “I did have one question that’s been bothering me since last night,” she said. “Why are you here? I’m assuming you''re not sneaking around as a null guardian just for me?”


    Trey sighed. “I can’t share that. Disclosing that secret would summon Marvin directly into this room.”


    “That must be some powerful dark magic,” she said with a snort.


    “Not dark magic,” Trey jokingly corrected her. “Old-man-instinct magic.”


    “Eh,” she remarked casually. “A couple more blowjobs and you’ll be telling me everything.”


    Trey chortled and tried to come up with a witty response, but the blonde was already getting ready for the day.


    ***


    After breakfast, a group of null guardian initiates ventured over to the Riv for the kickoff, with Trey and Nora bringing up the rear. Skye and her friend Kayla came up from behind them, jogging to catch up.


    “Trey,” Skye called out.


    “Hey, Skye!” he greeted her.


    “You’re happy this morning,” she commented. “Did you sleep in?”


    Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the widest smirk break across Nora’s face, but she kept her mouth shut. “This morning was very refreshing,” Trey responded.


    “We’re on the same capture-the-flag team,” Skye informed him.


    “Oh, are the teams assigned?”


    “No,” she replied. “I’ve recruited you.”


    Trey chuckled as they crossed the bridge to the Riv. Their progress slowed as the crowd thickened. They filed into the amphitheater, and then the line broke up; there was no assigned seating.


    “There’s a lot of people here,” Trey thought out loud.


    “I’ve heard there are about five hundred students at Windrake,” Skye replied, her gaze scanning the sea of students. “It looks like most of them are here. I guess a few must not be interested in capture-the-flag and chose to relax somewhere else.”


    Gerald, who was still walking in front of him, turned around and joined the conversation. “During competitions, many spectators come in from Greshelm, too. I’ve seen this place get really packed.”


    “You’ve seen it?” Trey asked, intrigued.


    “Yeah,” Gerald answered, a grin spreading across his face. “I came a few times to watch capture-the-flag matches before I enrolled. I’m so stoked to finally be part of it.”


    Struggling to break through the bustle, Trey glanced over his shoulder down one side of the concourse, reminiscing about the previous night''s magic lessons. After some effort, his small group finally found a few empty seats and settled in. He looked across the large space and saw that the opposite half of the amphitheater was completely empty.


    “There must be an entrance on the other side,” Trey noted.


    “That’s how people from Greshelm get in,” Gerald answered from behind him. “It’s much simpler than having them cross the campus grounds.”


    Trey examined the arena before him, searching through the coordinated chaos that made up the capture-the-flag field. The area, which appeared from his angle to be ovular, was divided into two distinct but symmetric sides, each with a trio of flags that were strategically placed. At the heart of each side stood a central fort-like structure that housed one flag.  Another flag was cleverly tucked among a grove of trees situated on a rocky outcrop, while the last one bravely stood in the middle of a small pond, a tempting challenge for any would-be flag snatchers. The abundance of trees and underbrush provided ample cover for those looking to employ stealthy tactics, and Trey couldn’t help but admire how the natural features had been expertly integrated into the design despite the indoor setting.


    The terrain was filled with a variety of obstacles that enhanced the maze-like feel of the arena. Towering barricades made from wood offered numerous options for strategic maneuvers, while solid rock walls provided studier nooks for players to take cover behind. Well-placed ramps added an element of flair, presenting opportunities for quick escapes or surprise ambushes. With so many dynamic elements at play, Trey was already looking forward to watching his first match.


    The crowd quieted as a regal figure took his place atop a platform adjacent to the playing field. Trey’s eyes fixed on the man, knowing exactly who he was despite seeing him for the first time.


    “Greetings,” the Grand Oracle spoke, his voice carrying well to the audience. “Who’s ready for a thrilling lecture on magical history?”


    A few students were brave enough to groan.


    The headmaster chuckled. “Or… are we here for capture-the-flag?!”


    He received a much more overwhelming and positive response to that query.


    “Fine then,” the elderly mage conceded. “Welcome to the kickoff event for capture-the-flag!”


    Cheers accompanied his proclamation.


    “Capture-the-flag is the most popular extracurricular here at Windrake,” he explained, his voice echoing across the arena. “Fame, adventure, and even danger welcome the competitors who dare to step into this field. Every journey starts with a single step, and every great victory is forged with the determination and strength of those who work together. Your greatest allies and friends can be discovered in this arena.” The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, as everyone’s imaginations raced with the possibilities.


    “I will now review the rules. I apologize, as some of you may be hearing these rules for the fourth time, but based on what I saw last year, some of you upperclassmen need a refresher… I’m looking at you, Derrick.” The headmaster emphasized his callout by shifting his eyes to an area on the front row. Both he and his target received a rumble of laughter – much of it knowing, but some simply along for the ride.


    “If you’ll bear with me,” he continued, “I think you’ll like what comes after.”


    The old man pulled out some parchment and began reading. “In gameplay, each team is assigned three flags, strategically placed in universal positions throughout the arena. The objective is clear: the first team to successfully capture two of their opponents'' flags wins the match. A flag is captured when it is snatched and carried to the opposing side.”


    He cleared his throat and continued, not bothering to check with his audience. “Teams can choose their preferred strategy for flag capture, whether that be leveraging strength through brute force or utilizing cunning and subtlety to outmaneuver their foes. Many will charge forward with overwhelming offense, while others will wear down their opponents with a stalwart defense. I personally love seeing a well-coordinated assault on the main fortress.”


    The headmaster’s smile faded and his tone turned serious. “However, it is important to adhere to certain regulations. Intentionally casting spells into the audience is strictly prohibited. Any player who exits the designated boundaries of the arena is considered eliminated from the match. Teams can only move their own flags if they are returning them to their original places. While players may engage in combat to render their opponents unconscious, inflicting any harm beyond that is forbidden. This rule promotes a competitive yet responsible atmosphere, ensuring that all players can enjoy the game while prioritizing safety and respect for one another. Some spells are banned; please refer to Professor Mavery or Captain Jeffers if you have questions.”


    He took a deep breath and smiled. "Well, that was quite a lot to take in, wasn''t it? My priority is to ensure everyone plays fair and stays safe... relatively speaking. We’re fortunate to have amazing healers here at Windrake, but let''s not push the limits of what they can handle."


    He gestured somewhere to his side. “Professor Mavery will discuss how to form teams.”


    Trey’s Introduction to Magic teacher took her place next to the Grand Oracle. “Team composition is crucial for success in the league,” she began. “According to Windrake’s rules, each team consists of seven members and must include at least one representative from the four classifications: artificer, null guardian, sorcerer, and mage. Teams may field up to a total of six players for battle, allowing for artificers the option of sitting out during the fighting. Instead, they play a crucial role in preparing for the match by crafting powerful artifacts for their team. The team may use any artifacts that their artificer has crafted in the week leading up to the match.”


    “To register your team,” the professor continued, “You’ll need to fill this form out and turn it in to myself or Captain Jeffers in three days'' time. Next weekend, schedules will be released and the first matches will be the weekend after that.”


    “Do not procrastinate and turn in your registration forms late,” the headmaster interjected. “Thank you, Professor Mavery.” The teacher left the platform as the Grand Oracle re-addressed the audience. “Now, we want to start the year off with a blast, so get ready for an incredible showcase match featuring last year''s top performers as they go head-to-head against… a team of teachers!”


    Thunderous cheers erupted from the student body as twelve figures emerged on the field after the headmaster’s announcement. They swiftly split into two groups, taking their positions on opposite sides.


    On the teachers’ team, Trey recognized Bree, Jeffers, and Karl. Skye pointed out Professor Mullens, the water magic teacher. Two other staff participants remained unidentified: a stout, balding man whose physical strength appeared to rival Jeffers’ warrior frame and a tall, graceful woman with two swords sheathed on her back.


    On the student side, Trey recognized a squire he believed to be named Klemmons. He was initially taken aback to see Dana, but as he thought it over, he didn’t know why he’d been surprised. She wore a sour expression while a boy next to her chattered incessantly. On the other side of Dana’s blond-haired irritant there were three other female competitors.


    After the two teams had the chance to huddle and then assemble into their respective formations, the headmaster readied to signal the start of the match.


    Trey noticed another figure joining the Grand Oracle on the platform. A slender female elf with white hair took a place directly beside him, her gaze fixed intently on the field below.


    Gerald’s voice called out from behind Trey. “Hey, Braun! Look! There’s your date. Think she’d slap you in front of the Grand Oracle?”


    Laughter erupted around them as Skye leaned forward, observing the elf. “She’s so lucky to be at his side. I can’t help but wonder what she learns from him.”