Algernon Black

(Chapter 100) The Food Chain

After the tourney of winter, everyone returned to their respective routines and classes. Especially Algernon who kept up his very careful distance from Lucy while discreetly monitoring her. Although this time it was all very intentional as he kept remembering back to his father's words and the memory of their first meeting. He had to keep more vigilant, to remember the danger she was in if he wasn't cautious, but seeing her every day was quickly depleting all of his already thin patience.

And when his endurance would waver, Lucy would catch his eyes. And they would make her recall the tourney's ball and how he publicly shammed her into leaving. And it swelled her feeling of rejection too an almost excruciating extent.

Both of their thoughts kept them so fully distracted that the teacher's voice became ambient noises to their inner worries.

"Class, watch closely," Punditwood said, holding out his palm for all to see. "When you concentrate on synthesizing light energy you have to go into a state of complete focus." A ball of sizzling light formed in the hands of the professor, the size of a head and with his control, it began to compress, shrinking to the size of a large marble, while the power it radiated grew exceptionally.

"By consolidating the energy into a smaller state it forces a charge from the particles expelling off each other, magnifying the power significantly. Though synthesizing like this does take quite a bit of practice and concentration, it can be a great advantage in battle." Punditwood aimed the small ball of light at a statue he had set up in class for demonstrations. The magic exploded the stone, shattering it to pieces. "And a lot more dangerous."

"Of course, it's not as easy as it looks," Punditwood stated. "It's like threading together every channel of energy into one, and very hard to perfect, but by all means, I welcome you to try." He looked at class for volunteers, specifically one sweet girl who had seemed rather down on herself lately, but to his disappointment, it was Wilham who shot up from his seat.

Punditwood sighed and had no choice but to call the boy to the front. Wilham tried to form the ball in his hands but all he was producing was a small ray of light energy that shifted erratically in intensity.

"Concentrate Wilham," Punditwood said. "Not on supplying the energy but letting the energy bind."

Wilham looked at his palm but nothing formed but a throbbing vein in his temple. He grew frustrated and a beam of light energy from his hand burnt the top end of his bangs, creating a crack in the stone ceiling as dust fell on his head.

"He is a true idiot." Jasper rightfully noted. "And like all true idiots, he never knows when to quit."

Lucy didn't respond as her head was still in her thoughts. This was not the first time Jasper noticed Lucy downcast over the last few days, but this was the first time he thought of a way to improve it.

"Lucy," Jasper said, nudging her side. "Watch this." Jasper took his pen and held it between his center fingers and palm. He concentrated his magic on hitting the flat bottom of the pen to fling it across the room, sharp end first, to skewer Wilham in his butt.

"Ow!" Wilham yelped, rubbing his behind. "Who did that?" He eyed his classmates and his gaze landed on Jasper looking as inconspicuously guilty as he could.

"Fenney!" Wilham yelled, eyes of rage locked onto him. "Your ass is mine!" He said running down the row of desks to get to Jasper who immediately got up from his seat to run in the opposite direction.

"No, we switch off," Jasper replied, jumping over desks and students to escape his wrath. "This time I get to have yours."

"Not with the hole you just put in it!" Wilham yelled, chasing him still.