Vesper and Danisque waited for a while as one by one cadets entered the tent and never returned.
It seemed to be a policy that one couldn't exit the way they entered. Masking the result. If a person who had gone inside had… passed… exempted from the game or even lost…
The cadets outside had no clue.
This simply added to the fear and gnawed at their hearts with paranoia.
Danisque glanced at Vesper as he whispered quietly.
"What do you think is happening inside?"
Vesper was silent for a few seconds. Contemplating his answer before he spoke.
"They are playing Cabo. I can sense that with my vampyric senses as much as that enchanted tent allows me to… however there's something more. A game within a game."
Danisque chuckled self-deprecatingly at his answer as he threw a pebble onto the ground. He spoke sarcastically.
"Of course. How could the academy make anything ever simple?"
Vesper shook his head.
"You are right. However this time, it does seem rather simple. It's just a card game."
Danisque paused… and sighed.
"Her choice of game is interesting. Cabo is a popular game among soldiers and heroes. The nobles avoid it… preferring more sophisticated ones but Cabo is the common man's choice."
Vesper nodded. Indeed. Cabo was an extremely popular game all across the universe and a very enjoyable one.
"Vesper it's your turn."
A cadet walked up to the young vampyre. It seemed as if his retort and apology had spoken volumes.
At least now the cadets were treating him a little bit better than before.
Vesper glanced at the slightly open tent. A frown crept onto his face, a hint of unease.
'Already?'
He glanced at the cadet and nodded. Standing up, he dusted off some of the dirt from his pants as he dapped Danisque up.
"See you on the other side."
Danisque nodded. A grin crept onto his face.
"Of course."
Vesper entered the tent. It was slightly dim inside. There were a few candles upon wooden holders and shadows crept all around the expanse.
In the middle sat, Olleufa Bellenia comfortably on her pillow. The shadows flickered and the flames glowed brighter.
For a moment Vesper felt as if his instructor was the source of all darkness rather than the candles. The shadows bent to her presence and all the room as well.
Instinctively he bowed to her. Olleufa nodded.
"Take a seat, Cadet Vesper."
It didn't sound like a request.
Vesper humbly sat on the cold hard floor across from her, all that separating the two individuals… a wooden table with a few droplets of dried blood here and there.
"Yes, Ma'am."
Olleufa raised an eyebrow and chuckled. She raised her perky ass for a moment and grabbed one of the pillows underneath particularly the one she sat on.
Then she handed it to Vesper.
"Here."
Vesper frowned, he was slightly confused but took the pillow nonetheless. Noticing his gaze, Olleufa chuckled.
"It's been a harrowing journey. You must be tired. Heroic soldiers such as you at least deserve a warm seat."
Vesper chuckled awkwardly and showed a small smile to the bombshell of a woman in front of him.
He placed the pillow underneath him on the cold floor and sat on his new seat. Surely, the pillow was warm… terribly so.
He couldn't help but gulp his saliva.
'Her hot ass sat on this. I can feel her warmth. Her… shape. The indent of her thighs. The press of her-'
He stopped that thought immediately.
Fortunately, there was a table between them…
…or else the instructor would have seen his humongous boner that was threatening to tear his pants.
He smiled kindly and spoke politely to the instructor.
"Thank you for the warm welcome, professor."
Olleufa smiled softly waving her hand nonchalantly.
"Oh please. It's what you deserve. Call me Olleufa."
Vesper nodded a little stump and smiled.
"If you say so, Olleufa."
The instructor's smile widened. Her delicate fingers grabbed the deck with grace as she shuffled it with ease.
"I trust you know how Cabo is played."
Vesper nodded.
"You can not look at your cards. Not unless you draw a seven or an eight. Those let you peek at your own, nine or ten let you peek at my own. Jack skips a turn. Queen is an unseen swap between my cards and yours and King is a seen swap, it lets you look at the card and decide if you want to keep it. The goal is to have a cumulative number less than 5 before you. Since this is a two-player version. You and I both get two cards at the start. None that we can peek before the game begins."
Olleufa nodded.
"Indeed."
She smiled, her fingers shuffling the deck as she then distributed four cards. Two to Vesper and two for herself.
Olleufa grabbed a new bottle of celestial spirit that was nearby. Opening it she poured it into two cups… pushing one to Vesper and one that she chugged on the spot.
"Gods it's hot in here don't you think so Vesper?"
Vesper in question stared at the spirit in front of him. He glanced at Olleufa who was fanning herself with her palm.
'Am I supposed to drink this?'
It felt like he was supposed to.
"Ma'am. Nothing to mix it with?"
Olleufa raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
Vesper chuckled awkwardly.
'Of course. This is Troy.'
The academy was indeed cruel.
"All the mixers are over unfortunately. I finished them while y'all were fighting out there. Turns out six days is a lot of time to be doing nothing…"
She shrugged nonchalantly, a small smile on her face.
"…and Diet Coke is a nice way to pass it."
Vesper almost spat out his drink but forced himself to swallow all of it. Feeling the burn in his stomach and throat, the vampyre shook his head… feeling the pure alcohol running in his veins.
Turns out Vampyres do get drunk… and more easily… and faster than humans.
"You must have been terribly bored, Ma'a- Olleufa."
The lady of merciful moonlight chuckled while pouring herself and Vesper another glass.
"Bored? Yes. Terribly so. Though… you are here now… to entertain me."
Vesper politely took the glass, his face flushed as he chugged it down.
"Oh yes. Definitely momm- ma'a- I mean… Olleufa. I will entertain you."
Olleufa smiled devilishly, fiddling with a card from the deck.
"And how do you plan on doing so?"
Vesper opened his eyes as well as he could.
"Well, there are many ways to entertain a beautiful woman like you, Ma'am."
Olleufa laughed. The sound of her laughter was sonorous to his ears, bringing a small smug smile to his face.
"I hope you'll entertain me in all of those ways then."
She picked the hairclip that was lying on her executioner table and began to tie her hair back.
Vesper gasped. His gaze travelled to her slightly damp armpits and her bosom that was showing from her tight fit pristine snowy grey suit.
He felt his lower body twitch a little, specifically his monster that was begging to be unwrapped.
Olleufa placed her clip at one end of her pony, having tied her pony well. She patted her hair once.
She gazed at Vesper with utmost seriousness. Noticing his passionate expression, Olleufa almost covered her face to laugh at him.
"You should learn how to handle your liquor well, Cadet Vesper… and your emotions. Or else it'll be easy for anyone to seduce you. A hero like that… tch… tch… You wouldn't make it."
Vesper blinked. Dumbfounded. Forcing himself not to facepalm.
'Of course. What an Idiot I am. Seduction is part of this test it seems.'
He brought himself to meet Olleufa's teasing gaze and almost looked away in embarrassment but then remembered…
What's there to be ashamed of?
'I'm shameless.'
Noticing Vesper's change in demeanour who was now openly staring, Olleufa raised an eyebrow. Very amused.
'Hehe, what a cutie.'
"Well, then. Let's play some Cabo."