There were whispers in her dreams. Those moments just before you fell into the deepest of sleep. She would hear conversations even though there was no one in her sleeping chambers. The first few times confused her but the longer it happened the more she would hear. In the months since she arrived, Dyani had heard something almost every night. It had been earlier this morning that she had woken to the feel of skin on her hand and forehead. Fingers ran through her hair. Britt's magic was soothing, especially to the raw scars of the blood ritual on her chest. She could hear a whisper of voices but they were indistinguishable.

  That stayed with her through the day and the next week. On the occasion, she would get a faint sense of his magic but it would fade away within moments of it happening. It had been two weeks and there was no other sign of it happening any clearer. Dyani sat at the study table in Ifera's office, waiting for their lesson. The Masters had not asked more about the ritual since that night they first met. Instead, they dove deep into teaching and testing her. Dyani was feeling the aches and pains on a consistent basis from her physical instruction. She was horribly out of shape and not prepared for the intensity that came from practicing against nonhuman beings.

  The door opened and Dyani sat down the book that she had picked up while waiting. Ifera wasted no time in beginning the lesson before she sat down at the desk opposite Dyani.

  "What do you know about the Black Arts? I know that we have had a discussion based upon what knowledge you currently have from Dalition."

  Dyani thought for a moment before shaking her head, "There is not much. I was told it was taboo to look into and study. I was shut down before I could get further than understanding that there are many branches."

  The woman stroked her chin, a severe frown on her face. Standing, she walked over to a shelf, running a finger over the spines while muttering. There was a small stack of books in Ifera's arms within moments. She placed the stack in front of Dyani.

  "I want you to read over these. All of them are varying theories upon what qualifies as Black Arts. Some of these are unreliable, but teach a solid lesson on how it is viewed. I want you to go through and make notes on the books and the author's perspectives. Write a scroll for me on your ideas of what Black Arts actually are and why some authors are wrong and others are right. I want to see you looking at all sides of the learning process and not just the ones I approve of. Get a larger picture of your learning and not a specific point of view. Sometimes learning comes from reading authors and perspectives that do not match our own."

  This was exactly the reason that Dyani was thrilled to learn from these Masters. They wanted her to explore the various theories and understanding through perspectives. Even the ones that are clearly biased or problematic for various reasons. It was exactly what she loved to do and made it more complex with her understanding of a topic. Including giving her the best idea of what a problematic view was and how to counter argue their theories.

  "Now, I wanted to go over some of the topics we left off with last time. If you bring out your notebook, we can begin our discussion of why it is important for you to know all of the different branches of magic before deciding which to pursue."

  Dyani grinned and pulled out her notebook for these sessions. It was nice not having to write in scrolls since she had brought up the alternative to the Goddess. Now, she had hardbound leather books that served as her journals for writing. A part of her hoped that there would be some way for her to retain these journals when she returned to the physical realm. They would come in handy for her lessons and for studying in general.

  Their lessons ran for however long that Ifera decided to run them. This time was a bit longer than normal and Dyani was ready to eat something. She was waved off with the parting comment to read the books before their next lesson. Dyani was thankful that she had a schedule closer to what her university had done and not daily instruction. It gave her time to truly put work into the studying that she wanted to do. It was one of the peeves that she had with Dalition. There was not enough time between lessons.

  Dropping her bag onto her bed, Dyani ran through a quick stretch session before heading off to soak in the bath. It was a daily routine to soak now, with the potions for sore muscles helping her to not feeling too much like a punching bag. A bell rang, signaling that the Goddess wanted everyone gathered for dinner. The time for soaking was not that long but she felt the soothing cool of the potions begin their work. Clothes were set out for her and Dyani shook her head. Of course the Goddess wanted her to wear something specific. She wondered just what the Goddess wanted to speak about. Fancy clothes were usually only required when she had news.

  It was a long dress that hugged her curves and had a high neckline with open back. She enjoyed the silvery white color that shimmered with each movement. Her hair was a mess but she attempted to put it into a nice french braid before joining the rest. Dyani didn't bother with shoes, as she hated heels with a passion and no flat would look decent with this dress. Dyani was positive there would be a horrified comment from Lora, since she had been talked to about the appropriate wear for different occasions.

  Dyani had stepped into the large dining room when she was accosted by Lora.

  "Dyani! By the Magic, where are your shoes?" Others stopped their conversation around her and looked to where the woman was pointing. Dyani smiled to herself, pleased that she could predict the woman so easily.

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  "I decided that barefoot was much better than wearing those painful heels. I'd rather this than that."

  The woman huffed and crossed her arms, "You should be more conscious of what is socially appropriate. That is the purpose behind our lessons."

  "Ah," Dyani smiled, "but I chose this specifically knowing the social taboo it was. Therefore, I willingly and knowingly chose to ignore social convention."

  Lora threw up her hands and walked away with a dark mutter. The other Masters were outright chuckling and shaking their heads. Dyani gave them a mischievous grin and sauntered over to the table. The Goddess had not arrived yet, so she took her glass full of wine and wandered off to join the Masters that were talking in duos. She wanted to join Sisef and Ifera, who were in a heated conversation about Runes and Blood Magic. Dyani stood back from them and observed, trying to absorb the concepts being thrown around. They were getting deeper into more complex theories that went straight over Dyani's head and she took a sip of her wine. There was a clap, drawing their attention. Aerase had arrived.

  “Please join me, everyone."

  Aerase gestured to the table, where the silverware and setup was fancier than anything she had attended before. Like the first night, everyone settled into their normal seating, giving the Goddess their full attention.

  "I have thought over this for awhile now and I think that it would benefit Dyani to be aware of the plan. I know I made you all aware that it was a possibility, but I am confirming." She turned to Dyani. "Dyani, I have been thinking of a way that you can integrate into the culture and improve your knowledge of the world. While we cannot return you to the physical world yet, or at least the time that you came from, there is other options."

  "The time I came from? What is that supposed to mean?" Dyani asked.

  Sisef chuckled, "Dear girl, what the Goddess means is that we are here to train you and teach you as fast as possible. You will be sent back in time to help you immerse in the culture that you are about to step into."

  "That I'm about to step into? What is going on, Aerase? I am completely lost."

  The Goddess set down her drink and sighed. "I had feared that you would not take this well. To explain, I feel that you would benefit greatly from living for awhile in the magical world. The world away from most humans and around my Blessed. They have a vastly different culture to the humans and when the time comes, you will be joining them in your own timeframe. I wish to send you back in time to experience this new culture before you are introduced to the newer concepts of the modern age."

  Dyani gaped, "I'm going back in time. That's what you are saying."

  "Correct. I have yet to decide when and where but once I do, it will be up to you to be ready for it."

  "I don't think that I will ever be ready for something like that. You're dumping a whole lot of information on me in a short time. Time travel?"

  Ifera leaned forward, "This is something that will greatly benefit you. Not only will you get a more traditional learning of magic before technology, but you will be able to learn the traditional culture as well. It's an incredible gift to be given."

  Dyani frowned, "Please do not take this as me being ungrateful. I truly am appreciative of all that you have done for me and continue to do. I just... time travel?"

  "Why is this the thing that gets mortals wound up? It is not that complex to understand, is it?" Phiphas asked incredulously.

  "It is, actually. The only place that time travel is possible are in movies and fiction. It's not something we are taught that is real."

  "It always amazes me how mortals have changed since the Golden times. You remember the height of Greece and their rituals and magic worship?" Sisef commented, taking a sip of his drink that Dyani suspected was not wine.

  "Well, Sisef, that's not entirely correct. There are many cultures and traditions that have managed to stay into the modern era. There's actually a surge of practitioners that believe in magic and intention, they just cannot wield it in the same manner that magical beings and humans have. They are not part of the Blessed, but still believe."

  The Goddess perked up at that and stared at Dyani, "Truly? I have been more out of touch with the humans than I thought. I will have to look into this. Thank you for mentioning this, Dyani. It may very well come in handy."

  Dyani just stared at the Goddess with shock and confusion before shaking it off. It was better to not question that and instead focus on the plan ahead.

  "Alright, so time travel. It is a thing. What are you wanting to do to help me prepare, other than learning from the Masters?"

  Aerase steepled her fingers and touched her fingertips to her lips in thought. She hummed for a moment before answering, "Working with the Masters shall help you get the basics down so that you do not stick out too much. I am working with your dreams to help with the childhood knowledge and testing you as you go. Is there anything else that you can think of that I have missed that you would need?"

  "Less sleep?"

  The all chuckled at the suggestion. Aerase patted Dyani's hand in sympathy with an amused smile, "Nice try. You need your sleep to be able to learn and perform your magic better."

  Dyani shrugged, "Worth a try."

  "Then, if you do not have questions, shall we enjoy our meal?"

  Aerase clapped and the food appeared before Dyani could respond. She did not mind as her eyes found the meat that smelled delicious. It had been a few days since she had some meat and the regular physical training took a toll on her body. Dyani served herself some hearty foods and by the time she finished with dinner, she was leaning back in her chair with a groan.

  "I see you enjoyed yourself this evening."

  "Absolutely wonderful, thank you." Dyani replied, her eyes closed in contentment.

  "You are very welcome. Do you wish to stay with us this evening or will you return to your quarters?"

  Dyani cracked open an eye and smiled, "Thank you for the offer but I must do some reading and writing tonight before sleep. I shall see you tomorrow."

  She stood up from the table and gave the Goddess a small bow before doing the same for the Masters. They acknowledged her with a dip of the head before returning to their conversations. Dyani meandered out of the dining hall and through the hallways that led up to her suite. Dyani stopped at the study to grab a new journal for her studies into basic Black Arts theories. It would be better to have a separate book on those studies. There would be enough to put into her regular lecture journal without having this large foundational theory to take up half the notes. There was a darker colored leather journal that she spotted. It was soft to the touch and Dyani was pleased to take that one for her notes. She walked the rest of the way to her room. Her books and studying waited for her and for once, she was truly in her element.