“Miss Brightmane.” Nithonsandorthrope greeted Shae from outside her room after knocking.

“Hello Mage Nith. It is a pleasure to see you again. How may I help you this evening?” While Shae was being cordial, she really just wanted to get to sleep. It had not been a hard day; however, she and Mel had gone out for sweets earlier and had had one too many. Mel had said she was looking forward to be spending more time together in the coming days, and said she was looking forward to it. Shae didn’t mind Mel inviting herself into her spare time, they did have fun together, so Shae didn’t contradict the woman adventurer.

“I tried you earlier, but you were out. This is for you.” The tiny mage handed Shae a folded paper with her name on it and a simple wax seal keeping it closed. “Good luck!” Nith then turned and left Shae in a ponderance.

She closed her door looking down at the letter in her hand. Her name was the only thing written on the outside of the page. The paper itself was of the higher quality papers used by the college itself.

Shae plopped herself down on her bed, still a bit lightheaded. She popped the wax seal and opened the letter.

Miss Shae Brightmane.

You are required by the mages college to report to the adventurer’s guild tomorrow morning. You are being put under contract to help guide and protect an excursion co-run by the College of Mages and the Academy of Mages here in Hombek. Please equip yourself for at least a four-week excursion out in the wilds. If you require help selecting your gear, please see the quartermaster at the adventurer’s guild at dawn to get yourself sorted out. You will then be placed into an existing adventuring party for learning purposes. While this is considered a training run for you, you are required to fully participate in any and all encounters, and to follow orders set before you from said adventuring party or the leaders of the expedition. All your expenses will be cover by the college for all items of necessity. As a student at the college, you will receive no recompense other than your travel expenses as per the original deal signed upon entering into the college.

Best of luck

Nithonsandorthrope. Vice head Hombek College of Mages.

P.s. I hope you enjoy your time in the field. We know you have looked forward to stretching your legs.

Shae’s mind began to a full gambit of emotions. She was excited for the chance to get out and see somewhere new. She was worried she wouldn’t get along with the adventurers and hoped Mel would understand her having to leave. She was ok with not receiving any pay for the trip, after all her expenses were going to be covered. She felt a little worried about learning to co-ordinate with another group of warriors. So far, the biggest fight she had been a part of was a two on six, with herself and Ms. Fell against another party of adventurers. She had done ok working with Ms. Fell, but that was because the two had spent the better part of the last four and a half months working together. She was a bit sad about leaving Ms. Fell and Mr. Forest’s sides. They had become almost close. Well beyond teacher student, though not quite friends. Close acquaintances? Well Shae would miss them for her part. She was curious about the expedition. She had not heard about one happening before and was a bit surprised she would be a part of it, considering her limited time here. Then again, she was very much coming into her own in her ability to protect herself. She was hopeful she would live up to the expectations of the College and Nith. These things and more ran through her head for the next while. Until she realized she was wasting time she should be using to rest.

Shae quickly dressed for bed and tried her best to relax enough to get some sleep. It took her several tries of clearing her mind and going through the exercise of concentrating on relaxing one muscle at a time from her toes up, until sleep finally claimed her.

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In the Academy of Mages an older mage was throwing a bit of a childish tantrum. Books were tossed chairs turned over. The light spell in his room was broken. His room lit now by a smaller spell of his own creation.

“Every avenue I have tried has been blocked! How can they do this to me!” It was more of the same for the last week, gradually getting worse. The man’s temper finally got the better of him.

“They must have shipped Ford off, blocking my attempts of making contact! The college has done this… to ME! How dare they! I will have the final say in this. I will have my day!”

This went on for some time.

When he learned about the planned expedition, he began making plans. He called in favors and reworked his schedule. He would see to this matter himself. Now!

The man was far beyond obsessed by now. His every attempt to get close to Shae had been foiled. Maybe he should have stepped forward himself, but he did not want to be seen as the one behind the scenes. He was trying to work from the shadows to get control of her talent in case he needed to use her for a more expendable role. He did not want to be seen as the one who wasted good talent if his plans had gone wrong. His plans lately were always going wrong.

If that damned Ford had not abandoned him, he would have been the one controlling her!

“I hope he rots in hells!” The mage finally snarled.

His mind finally snapped. The man had been slowly losing control for the last few years now, unbeknown to most. He couldn’t even really figure out why himself that he did not just go and recruit the girl. It was like something in his mind was keeping him from doing the simplest thing. There was no recognition of the state of his own mind by this point. He was perfectly fine and in control as far as he was concerned. He was the master of his own destiny.

He was after all Kail Darmore. Mage supreme of Hombek Academy! And he would have his revenge upon the college and their little prodigy!

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The small silver eyes that glinted from the shadows of the mad mages room shone with maniacal delight as they watched the old man’s mind twist and burn with fury. They did not blink through the whole episode, taking dark pleasure in the man’s pain.

Then once the mage stormed out of his room, the eyes finally blinked once, and turned away to look farther into the darkness, the shadow acting like an extra-dimensional space for the two demons.

“You have done it master. The mages mind has been broken.” The imp gleefully spoke the words the mind demon already knew. For it had been urging the man’s breakdown on.

It had worked on this mage’s mind for six years now. Six long years, just for this day. Revenge was sweet as ambrosia to the mind demon.

The mage had summoned the mind demon for a small favor. Humans were so petty. The man had wanted power. He had been given power. The mind demon had augmented his mind, but unbeknown to the mage, he had done so by inserting a part of its own consciousness into him. Which made it a small thing to make the mage believe he had properly unsummoned the demon, giving it time to work itself deeper into the man consciousness. Twisting and changing him slowly. The one human who could have placed it here on this plane of existence now gone mad, and soon the human would be off to his own death.

Just for a little longer the demon would hold on to the man’s mind. Keeping him on track. Until the day he chose to confront his fellow humans. Then the demon would release the human fully, which would leave the human completely insane in the midst of his colleagues, and at their throats. Once the human died, then no one would have ever known the demon had been here. Was here. Free to do whatever it’s twisted little heart desired.

Humans thought mind control was impossible. It was possible of course. You just needed the right path, and an invitation in. Then all it took was time to interweave yourself with the other mind, making it your own. But then again, humans did not have the endless years of a demon, or the drive to do nothing but chip away for years to gain that connection that control. But a bored demon who wanted to be free from the hell’s, here in this soft dimension, free to play its games, free to feed on the tasty soft minds, yes, a bored demon could.

“Come little imp. We have plans to enact. Lives to destroy. Countries to topple. A world to watch burn in chaos.”

“Yes, my master. Thank you again for summoning me to enjoy in the chaos great master.” ‘And once you are gone, I will be free to play at my own games!’ Thought the imp maliciously. It had watched and learned a few things from its demon master. It was making its own plans of betrayal and chaos. Then it would be the lone demon left to revel in the worlds pain.