* Extra Curriculars: Operation Sticky Fingers

*

Learning at Al’Magi had been different for Sharzin since she and the triop had welcomed Ishara into their group.

While she struggled to put it into words, there was something about his energy that was unlike anything she had ever experienced. While he was still a typical boy, regularly ogling her and the others, he wasn't like other Esserians his age who would have attempted to act on this lechery. Yet unlike other teens and even university students, it felt to her as though he had a singular purpose. As though he was always working towards a secret goal, and when he finally reached it, he just moved the finish line farther away for himself.

He was a puzzle to her, and in some instances, it drove her mad, yet in others, it sent her heart racing. But Sharzin tried not to think too deeply about either of these moments. Instead, she decided it was easier to simply trust him—at least, until she didn’t anymore.

For the time being, she was just happy to have someone who understood her way of thinking. That supported her when she wanted to stay hidden and stood up to Rionriv's electric personality on that topic. Ishara would have been insufferable if he had used his awkward charm to force her to go to class, but instead, he did something she hadn’t expected. He appreciated her talents and gave her his undivided attention. That, and he trusted her to do what she was good at.

That led her to their current outing. While he hadn't been part of their lives that long, he had pulled her aside one day with a hushed whisper and a shady look. He insisted he needed her for a specific job, one that required her to swear secrecy.

And of course, that piqued her curiosity. This was why she was hiding in the bushes outside one of the larger faculty buildings under the cover of night. Rionriv and Aesandoral shared a midweek evening Magical Accentuation class, which usually left Sharzin alone in her room. But tonight, Ishara knelt beside her, wearing his usual confident smirk as he scanned the front of the structure that held a tantalizing prize.

“Okay, so it’s in that building,” Ishara explained once more as he peeked through the brush. “Southwest corner, second floor.”

“And, when you say every test—” Sharzin looked deeply into his eyes, trying to see if there was even an ounce of deceit.

“I mean every test that Al’Magi has ever had and will ever have.” He responded without hesitation. “Most magical principles have remained the same over the ages, so once a test is built, you rarely need to update it. They have about twenty-five years of worth of tests per class that they cycle in and out.”

Truth. She thought to herself as she leaned in closer as though to speak even more quietly. But in reality, she was attempting to get a better look at Ishara’s eyes in the dim light.

“And you know this because you’re…an oracle.”

“That’s what I’ve said.”

Hmm. There's that wall of his that makes him hard to read.

“Hey, I’m—” Ishara whispered back. “I’m on your side. School is dumb. In particular, this school. And, as I already said, I want you to steal the test questions and answers for Aes and Ri, too. Even though they’d never accept it, you and I can work together to slip them into the study sessions. They won’t even know. Then everyone passes the tests in their own special way, and Ri is happy.”

“Okay.”

At that, Ishara's smile widened before handing over a small sack filled with a dozen low-level spell scrolls.

“Copy-Script spell,” He spoke smugly. "Have you ever used one?"

Sharzin withdrew the scroll, examining its glyphs closely. She glanced at the magics, which were more of a Rionriv thing, before shifting her stare to the incantation at the bottom of the page. She never forgot things, so when she shook her head, confirming that she had never seen the spell before, she meant it.

“It's easy, okay." Ishara then reassured her. "Just read the incantations and lay it on the test. It’ll copy everything over. Don't worry, I made sure to refill the magenta ink on these badboys. Just remember, southwest, second floor. This year's tests will be in Cabinet D-dash-three-seven-one-point-seven.”

Ignoring the boy's strange comment, Sharzin turned to leave before—

“Wait!”

Ishara quickly took her hand, stopping her. She froze, looking back at it as her heart began to race. He had touched her. She didn't like it when people touched her, but his hands were, for some reason, okay. It was delicate, like that of a jeweller, an oddity for such rough fingers and worn knuckles. She gave into his soft, almost non-existent grip for a moment, imagining his touch against her shoulders, before snapping back to reality in an instant.

“Don’t forget the traps are on—”

“The first-floor staircase,” She replied quickly, pulling her hand away and tucking it closer to her chest. "Has steps three, five, seven and eight alarmed. And the painting across from the test room is regularly peered through via spell. I’ve got this.”

She gripped her cloak tightly, pulling it over her shoulder before rushing into the night. Her heart raced almost as fast as her feet silently stepped forward. 

Gah, dummy. She thought to herself, ducking into the shadow of a cart. Getting me all flustered before a mission. That's just reckless behaviour.

Glancing around, she ensured the coast was clear before continuing onward. Sharzin may have been the shortest and slowest in the group, but she used this to her advantage. Her quiet steps moved through the dim light, taking her to even the slightest bit of shadow as though it was hers alone to traverse. And compared to everyone she had met attending Al'Magi, it was obvious that it was indeed hers to own. Effortlessly, she ducked around bushes, kept to soft ground, avoided the lamps, and, before the campus police made another pass, had picked the lock on one of the first-floor windows.

Sharzin was in with ease, closing the window behind her and securely latching it. Creeping through the small study room, she peeked past the door crack, confirming she was in fact near the first-floor staircase, as Ishara had said she would be.

So far, so good. She thought. The kid knew which window got me the closest. Okay, I guess I can trust him concerning the traps, too.

Stepping out, she avoided the squeaky left side of the hall, which would have awoken the security statue midway between her and the stairs. Gracefully, she bounced from step to step, reaching the top without triggering a single alarm.

Okay, that's another plus for the Oracle. She thought and, after giving a quick celebratory bow to no one, she turned and made her way down the hall to the final room. 

Stopping short, she observed the security portrait from a deeply shadowed corner. She waited patiently for a few minutes, watching the picture frame that Ishara had warned about. With a focused stare, she waited until finally the sleepy man’s eyes opened, and he looked around before returning to sleep. Instinctively, she began to move before remembering something her partner in crime had said. 

Quickly stepping back into the shadows, she froze, holding her position for another minute before the man in the painting peeked open a single eye, giving one more sly look until finally settling into sleep for another fifteen minutes.

Spot on. Okay, this kid definitely knows things. Sorry for doubting you, Oracle.

Sharzin slipped into the unlocked room and quickly found the cabinet that held her prize. Within seconds, she had the cabinet locks picked and the requested tests in her hands. A few minutes later, the originals were returned, and the copies secured in her bag. She emerged again from the room and, with the same stealth and grace as before, returned to Ishara.

Sneaking up behind him, she paused for a moment. With a soft nibble of her lip, she took in his physique. Her eyes focused on the way his body filled out the exercise shorts that he wore as though they were his official travelling gear. Finally, getting her fill, Sharzin made her last steps forward.

“Iz.”

“Aah—” He yelped, grabbing his mouth to stifle the cry. “Sharzin! I’ve told you, you can’t sneak up on allies like that.”

She watched him take a moment to catch his breath, noting his adorableness before finally directing his attention back to her.

“Did you get them?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about—” She gave him a wink.

“Nice,” Ishara replied, standing from the bushes with a stretch of his arms. “Well then…drinks?”

Sharzin examined him closely, locking her eyes on his proud, dumb grin. Turning away from him, she revealed a pleased smile of her own.

“Sure.”