[center][h2]The Hermian Academy[/h2][/center] “Hm!” The hum was one more of frustration than thought. Zhong Wang slipped his ink covered stylos back into a wooden bowl filled with charcoal based ink. The rice paper in front of him was nearly blotted out with Shengshese characters, save for the bottom most, which seemed to be the target of a frustrated glare. Luckily the stone room was cool and the fire was unlit, because Zhong Wang could feel the anger burning in his chest. His head turned to the pile of completed sheets and he sucked a breath through his nose and closed his eyes. Fidgeting himself into a perfectly upright position, his legs perfectly bent at right angles and his hands resting open in his lap, he began to slowly breath. As his lungs emptied, his slowly sucked in a control breath, his chest expanding and his frustration cooling. Out. His breath spilled over the desk as he emptied his chest once more. In. He started to suck in a longer and deeper breath- “Master Wang?” A gentle rap against his door was followed by Nergui’s voice, the scion of Temujin already halfway through the doorway. Caught off his rhythm, Wang coughed loudly on his own breath. He pounded a fist to his chest, choking harmlessly on his own hiccup, a tear running out of his right eye. Seeing the empty plate of food near his desk, Nergui’s face paled more so than normal and rushed over. Wordlessly she wrapped a wrestler’s grip around the man and pulled him off his chair. Zhong Wang flailed but Nergui pushed his back into her front, her fists forming around his stomach. Her body tensed, about to squeeze when suddenly Zhong Wang found his voice again. “Nergui! Wait!” Nergui’s arms went limp and Wang turned around, nearly headbutting the woman. Nergui did her best to hold a stern face, but a deep red in her cheeks matched Zhong Wang’s in embarrassment. “I thought you were choking...” Nergui explained, suddenly adding, “...Sir.” At the moniker, Wang straightened his robe out and took a step back, closing his eyes and wiping his stray tear from his face, “That’s quite alright, Nergui. I appreciate... your fervor for my health.” Nergui knitted her brows and let out a single chuckle. Wang opened his eyes and arched a brow, but before he could ask, Nergui cleared her throat. Her different colored eyes turned to business and she bowed her head, “In manners of health, Doctor Zhou wishes to discuss a new project with the academy.” Zhong Wang tugged on his beard, “That may be a fruitful endeavor. Is she here?” “Yes, Master Wang,” Nergui nodded, “I have her waiting in the foyer.” “Send her in.” “Yes, Master Wang,” Nergui bowed her head. She went to turn around but then hesitated. Zhong Wang arced his brow again and Nergui idly nudged her chin towards the empty plate on the desk, “It’s good you know...” Zhong Wang cocked his head and she continued, “That you’re eating.” “Your cooking is second to your scholarship,” Zhong Wang stood up straight and folded his arms behind his back, “So thank you.” Nergui bowed her head once more and exited the room, a content look on her face. [hr] “So… We boils these?” Taishan asked uncertainly as he held a fistful of green leaves and brownish bark over a bubbling pot of water. Zhou raised her eyebrows, the doctor having found her way into the kitchen. She smiled, her dark purple lips spreading into a hermian crescent as she gently patted Taishan’s back, “Only if you want to aleve that headache of yours.” “Which of them aleves the headache?” the young scholar-in-training asked absentmindedly as he dropped the ingredients into the pot. “The willow bark,” She nodded, “The leaves cut the nausea that follows.” “O-oh! I see!” Taishan gave the pot a curious hum and cringed a little at the bitter smells. “How long should I boil them for again?” “Just until the-” Zhou was cut off as the door to the kitchen opened. A silent Batbayaar pointed a heavy finger and Nergui slipped in. “Thank you,” She whispered to the large warrior poet as he hulked away. The apprentice stepped into the kitchen and tipped her head, “Master Wang wishes to see the doctor, now.” “O-oh, I was in the middle of...” Zhou shook her head, “Lead the way.” The doctor turned back to Taishan and pushed the pot out of the fire below before tapping the scholar’s arm and beckoning for him to follow. Taishan blinked around in quick confusion before dutifully and hurriedly followed along. The three made their way through the decorated halls of the academy before finding their way to the large door that stood between the main hall and the Master’s study. A gentle meditative hum from the back of the throat could be heard behind the door, as well as the smell of burning flowers. Nergui wrapped her fist around one of the large wooden knockers that dressed the thick door and let it fall flat against an inlaid stone, creating a resounding crack. The throat singing halted and Zhong Wang’s voice could be heard, “Come in.” Nergui pushed the door aside and ushered Zhou in, who tipped her head respectfully to Nergui before passing through the portal. Zhong Wang stood by his desk, arms locked behind his back as his stare fell on Taishan who remained on the other side of the door. “I invited him, Master Wang,” Zhou explained, tiny wrinkles in the corner of her eyes deepening as she grinned respectfully. Wang couldn’t help but smile back at Zhou and waved a hand at the door. “Then won’t you join us Apprentice Taishan.” “E-excuse me, then,” the young man said and stepped inside. He gave Zhong Wang a deep bow and then shuffled his feet anxiously. Zhong Wang gave an acknowledging tip of his head, but not enough to formulate a bow. He turned to Zhou and waved to a seat, “Please sit.” The master then took his own seat behind the desk, the others sitting shortly after. Zhong Wang looked to Taishan, “Apprentice Taishan, take up a wooden slate, paper and stylo -- record this meeting.” He looked to Nergui, “Could you check on Scholar Yang and Master Scholar Li Jian?” Nergui bowed deeply and backpedaled towards the door before turning. With a soft click the door was shut and all attention fell on Zhou. “You certainly know how to make an atmosphere,” Zhou folded her hands and smiled. “I am sorry, Lady Zh-” “Doctor Zhou,” The doctor winked and Zhong Wang winced. “Of course, my apologies,” Master Wang swallowed, finding every inch of this as awkward -- being only a decade older than him, Zhou had babysat him as a child before learning the ways of the medicine men and women. Master Wang cleared his throat, “Taishan, strike that insult to our good doctor from the record.” With an audible lick of the brush, the young scholar overlined the remark and instead added the much more appropriate title of “doctor”. Zhou looked as if she was about to laugh at the whole ordeal before pursing her lips, “So I came to talk about medicine.” “Of course!” Wang said a bit too quickly before composing himself. “You see, with the installment of the military, we have been getting a lot of new illnesses and wounds,” Zhou sat back in her chair, looking as if she belonged there -- looking as if she belonged anywhere she desired, “And I think it would do our city good to catalogue known treatments and research new ones.” She looked over at Taishan, pulling the apprentice into the conversation, “I was actually just going over a rather fresh treatment for headaches and small pains with Taishan, isn’t that right?” Taishan looked up from his sheet of paper. “Huh? O-oh! Yes! She was.” He looked back down at the paper. “Was that intended for the notes or should I strike it out?” Master Wang seemed to cringe slightly before waving his hand, “Keep it in, but strike your last question.” Zhou smiled innocently and Wang continued, “Well I think that’s a marvelous idea, our scholars and scholars to be could use the work, no doubt.” Wang tapped his chin just as Nergui reentered the room. “Scholars Yang and Li Jian are making ample progress in the remaining writings of Elder Master Zhongcheng,” Nergui announced out of turn. Wang sucked in a breath and nodded. “That’s good news, inform them that a new task has risen,” Zhong Wang smiled at Nergui who smiled back. “Master Wang?” Zhou crossed a leg and leaned back. “Yes, good doctor?” “Since I will no doubt be aiding in whoever is tasked with this endeavor, would it not be fair to give me a say in who I work with?” Zhou was smiling. Zhong Wang nodded slowly, “I suppose that is fair, you proposed the idea and we all know you to be wise. Please, who would you pick, Master Scholar Batbayaar?” “Apprentice Taishan,” Zhou folded her hands in her lap, a humming grin on her face. Both Nergui and Zhong Wang looked dumbstruck. Taishan looked back up from his paper. “Sorry, did you call my name, doctor?” “Yes,” Zhou shrugged her shoulders proudly, “I want Apprentice Taishan and add Master Scholar Batbayaar if it makes you feel more comfortable, but really I had already started dictating to Taishan, and our medicine tradition says I best finish his education, least I be responsible for any of his mismanagement of medicine in the future.” “Well Doctor Zhou,” Master Wang folded his hands on the table, “That’s very noble-” “It is isn’t it?” Zhou gave a toying smile and Wang exhaled through his nostrils. “Taishan, stop writing,” Zhong Wang stood up, causing Nergui to give him a concerned stare. The apprentice put down his brush and started passively reading through what he had written. After a moment, his eyes went wide. “Wait, you choose me?!” “Taishan!” Master Wang scolded before looking back at the doctor, “I know you have been against the more rigid restructuring in our more hierarchical institutes, Zhou, but really Taishan is not yet ordained as a scholar of this academy.” Zhou made a face, “You know I approve of all that you do Master Wang, I really do, but this is beyond my distaste for change, I think.” She sucked in a breath, “Since we Dreamers first entered the land of medicine, it has been unheard of for a medicine man or woman to stop teaching all they know once they started, or the student could get very hurt or hurt someone else with misinformation. Now I admit I was tricky enough to start talking to Taishan about it before consulting with you and I apologize, but you can’t deny the little spark of intelligence behind his eyes.” Master Wang went silent as he chewed his lip, “I know.” He finally said, “I said his name to His Lordship Shengshi for that very reason.” He sighed, “Fine, on one condition.” “Name it,” Zhou tilted her head up to look at the standing man. Zhong Wang broke into a wide grin, “Stop making me look like such a fool in front of my students.” Zhou laughed and the tension left the room, “I don’t think that was me.” [hider=Summaree] [/hider] [hider=Prestigio!] Hermian Academy start: 3 +1 Minor role +1 Major role +1 Funtime with friends End: 6 prestigios. [/hider] [hider=Members of the Order and their rank] Master Wang Master Scholar Batbayaar and Li Jian Scholar Yang Apprentice Nergui and Taishan [/hider] [hider=Summary] Doctor Zhou recruits the academy to help write down and research dreamer medicine. She enlists Apprentice Taishan to aid her with Master Wang’s permission. [/hider]