29 One Step at a Time

The walls of the Academy were more impressive the closer you got to it. Jacob's mind boggled at how tall the sheer stone face was, the tower behind the walls reaching up to a height unimaginable. He wore his armor, though he didn't expect any trouble to come to him this close to a veritable army of the kingdom's mages, explaining the absence of his sword. Jacob was more concerned about what would happen to his most valuable possession if he left it in the barracks; he was sure he'd find it "lost" or something else along those lines. The city guardsmen were skilled, and that was the parameter by which they were selected, but not all of them were of good morals.

He found Angelica standing close to the walls, as she promised. She wore the robes she had worn the previous day, the dark blue fabric outlined with muted green trim. For every bit that Jacob looked like an official of the duke in his guard's tabard, Angelica matched him. Gone were the days where she approached situations nervously; there was an air of confidence about her that she hadn't had when she left Leafburrow. Jacob smiled at her.

"What's with the armor?" Angelica asked, ushering him past an older, similarly robed man standing at the gates.

"Too valuable to leave behind at the barracks," Jacob replied simply, not wanting to disparage his fellow city guardsmen, despite their dubious natures.

"You'll have to tell me how you got wyrm scale armor. Those things are rare. You've got to be ridiculously lucky to find one of those in the wild." Angelica led him around the inside of the bottom floor of the tower, skipping past the gardens between the outer walls and the tower itself.

The first floor was largely administrative and decorative, meant to impress the visitors the young magicians often brought with them. There was a desk staffed by a mage, assisting students with whatever issues they had. Jacob guessed that the lady's role was similar to a college or guidance counselor. Though the lobby was beautifully furnished and made of expensive stone, it was really one of the chambers that opened up from the lobby that took his breath away.

It was a small, mundane library filled with countless books. Not many were in the room, for the library containing the magical texts was further up in the tower. The smell of piles of paper, new and old, assaulted his nostrils for the first time since arriving in this world. He'd constantly visited the public library back home, so he felt at ease in the room. A few large windows let light in. Anywhere the light didn't reach was thoughtfully illuminated by glowing stones that were fueled by magic.

Angelica, seeing the wonder on Jacob's face, chose the room to be where they'd spend the majority of their time. They found a table in a corner of the room, pulling up chairs. Jacob swallowed, not willing to be the first to break the peace.

"How'd you get the wyrm scale?" she asked. Jacob sighed; it was a softball of a question.

"I heard that there was a pack of wolves terrorizing travelers on the road. I had gotten a point on Will before my training with him ended, and so I decided to go and deal with them to figure out just how good I was. It was my misfortune – or fortune, I guess – that the pack was dealing with a wyrm at the time. I finished the wyrm and defeated the pack, but I think I injured a couple of ribs," Jacob regaled her, leaving out only his use of magic. He trusted her, but she was not the same girl she had been before leaving. If he didn't trust her then not to make a big deal of it, he couldn't do that now. Not when the stakes were as high as they were.

"I bet you wish you had some of my herbs, then!" Angelica laughed, taking his story at face value. Jacob smiled, glad to continue the conversation in ways that didn't involve the death of Ron and his family, along with the destruction of Leafburrow and Rod's final moments. It would get there eventually, but he could enjoy a conversation with a true friend until then.

The suns were setting, an orange glow washing over the books. Angelica looked at a nearby clock – another of the Academy's extravagances – and returned her focus to the conversation. "It's been great chatting with you, Jacob. I'm glad to have met you here again. Unfortunately, I have some classes tomorrow that I need to be well-rested for. Before you leave, do you mind if I ask how Rod and the inn are doing?" she asked, standing up from the table. Jacob's eyes dropped to the floor. He couldn't even look her in the eyes when he retold what he had seen.

Angelica sat back down, not saying a word. Her gaze was vacant, and she looked at a point in the middle of the table. She was like a puppet with her strings cut. And then, the tears began flowing. Jacob approached the give her a hug, something he knew he'd have appreciated. Surprisingly, he was rebuffed. Angelica looked at him, rage and wrath dancing in her eyes.

"You should have been there instead of gallivanting and fighting your gods-damned wyrm! You could have saved him!" she screamed, causing the only other person in the room to look at them. Angelica did not care. "After all the kindness we've shown you, you couldn't be there for him when he needed it? Get out of here, Jacob. I never want to see or talk to you again."

Jacob forced himself out of the room, leaving the miserable girl to herself. Anger gripped him, but he calmed down when he realized that she was looking for a scapegoat. If it made her feel better, he supposed he could deal with it. Besides, he did feel guilt for most of what she said; he could have helped had he been there. Maybe not enough to save the town against more than two dozen bandits, but he could have smuggled Rod out and taken a bandit or two with him.

Giving Angelica peace would be something Rod would want, he was sure. Sending a silent prayer, hoping the message would get passed to Rod, Jacob relayed his gratitude for the kindness the pair had once shown him. He was not close to even with Rod for the older man's kindnesses, but his revenge was near. Once that was done, he might be able to forgive himself for not being there.

One step at a time.