by Shanon Chong
“They gave us some holy water,” Rachel replied. “I mean, you work on this kind of stuff, right?”
“Public safety isn’t my main role, but my job has a slight relation to stuff like this.” Alista sighed. “Of course, I’ll see through with it, but I mean, the holy water they gave you has some really potent stuff in it.”
“You can get free access to it on the third floor of the Church,” Rachel said, uncapping the flask the Church had provided. “It smells familiar.”
“Made with a common herb, it’s created using alchemy. It gives people a sense of temporary euphoria for some of their energy,” Alista said. “I mean, the stuff is really evil. I remember the crisis that Arcana pushed through because of it.”
“Ah! I got it! CxHk47!” Rachel exclaimed. “My dad talked about it recently.”
“Doesn’t your dad have a job related to economics?” I asked, remembering the conversation we’d had in my hometown.
“Oh, well, I mean, he talks about the economics of illegal substances in relation to the criminal justice system,” Rachel explained. “He works in the system, too.”
“Daniel Indallias?” Alista said. “Yeah, he’s quite famous within my line of work… Anyway, I’ll take this information and get Arcanan Special Forces to begin the groundwork.” He smiled. “How are you getting back into the school?”
“Can I participate in the raid?” I interrupted rudely. “Sorry, just curious.”
“Theo. Just let them do their job, okay?” Rachel scolded me.
“If Theo wants, he can join—”
“Thanks,” I said quickly.
“Don’t be so quick to thank me,” Alista remarked sharply. “Just get strong enough to fight someone twice your strength.” He exhaled. “Anyway, the raid won’t begin until later this year.”
“I’m pretty sure that isn’t safe,” Rachel said. “I mean, if you think about it, Theo won’t have any combat experience when he joins the raid.”
Alista chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll have plenty of stronger mages to take care of you two.”
“You two? Since when did I get involved?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to your mother.” Alista smiled at the two of us. “Come on, I’ll take you back to school.”
Chapter 15: A Slight Growth
“Theo.” Harrold opened the door to the spatial transfer tower. “You’re back.” He smiled passively. “I’ll be in the teacher’s offices when you’re ready.” He walked away, casting a shadow behind him.
“That was strange,” Alista declared. “Well, anyway, I’ve got to talk to Mrs Indallias.” He chuckled slightly and then followed Harrold to the main building.
Rachel turned to face me. Hatred seethed through the pupils of her crimson speckled eyes.
“Why?” The single word echoed from her mouth.
“Why what?” I replied cluelessly, taken aback by her aggression.
“Why are you so desperate to follow in your father’s footsteps?” she barked as her hair fell over her face, obscuring her eyes. “Why do you have to put yourself in danger!”
My father’s footsteps? Danger? Rachel had made a fair point; my answer was mostly selfish and conceited. “I just want to be known myself.” I repeated the words several times in my mind, letting them echo within my head. “I don’t want to be stuck within my father’s shadow!”
“Then why don’t you be yourself?” Rachel exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around me, lifted her chin to my chest, and looked up at me as small tears rolled down her cheeks. “Why can’t you just wait for the right moment?”
“This is about the raid, isn’t it?”
“What else could it be about?”
“Just-just let me find myself, okay?” I proposed, hoping for an amicable end to our discussion.
“I can’t.” Rachel bit her lip, straining to hold back tears. “I can’t because I care about you.”
“I have to. I need to become stronger!”
“But… Fine! Be like that, but when the raid comes, I’ll protect you!”
“I’m sorry,” I murmured quietly into her ear, holding her tightly in my embrace.
“You better be,” she whispered. The spite in her words told me I was in for a rough ride.
“I’ll go talk to Harrold. I’ll get stronger for your sake.”
“How romantic,” Rachel muttered. “Just go. I need to settle something for myself.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah. Take care of yourself, okay?”
“Sure!” I shouted back, pulling open the school’s back door.
I ran through the halls, finding the stairwell situated to the side of the building. Looking for Harrold, I approached the teachers’ offices, a large combined unit with a multitude of desks arranged in neat rows. Teachers sat in front of their luxurious and spacious tables, pondering and planning for their next lessons. None looked at me as I entered; I noticed a small sign on the door plastered on in a rough and unkempt manner: “Knock before you enter.” I cursed quietly under my breath and then went to leave and come back in for a second attempt.
“Wait, who do you want?” A male teacher approached me. His thin brown hair and tall, lean physique gave a story similar to that of the other teachers: ex-military. He used his index finger to raise his wire-frame glasses. “You’re here for a teacher, right?”
“Yeah,” I said confidently. “I’m looking for Harrold—” I felt a sharp pain in my mouth. I had bitten my tongue. “E-excuse me, I’m looking for Mr Bloodwind,” I finally stammered, holding my jaw awkwardly.
“Are you okay?” he said, his mouth agape. “Do you need some first aid?”
“Statler, what are you doing with my student?” I glanced over and saw Harrold storming up to us.
“What do you mean, Bloodwind?” Mr Statler turned slightly to look at Harrold before continuing. “I’m trying to help him.” Sighing, he straightened his back and pivoted his entire body to face Harrod. “Do you want me to just ignore a student who’s looking for assistance?”
“Look, I was just wondering if you were bothering him,” Harrold replied. “I mean, you’re famous for creating the strongest students.”
“Only after Rhimmage,” Mr Statler responded humbly as he walked back to his seat. “Well, I’ve got MERCs to mark.”
“Yeah, yeah. When you’ve got time, Statler, I want to test your mettle.” Harrold chuckled. “I hope you do have time.”
“You want to fight me?”
“Did you misunderstand my simple statement?”
“I didn’t, but for what purpose?”
“I want Theo to see a high-level fight,” Harrold said with a smirk.
“That’s your excuse to fight me, is it?” Mr Statler chuckled. “I’m pretty sure Theo already saw you get ruined by that tier-eight mage that helped kidnap my student.”
“Don’t remind me.” Harrold smiled playfully. “We can fight another time. For now, I’ll begin Theo’s training.”
“Sure, go ahead. I wasn’t stopping you.” Mr Statler laughed as he walked off. “We’ll talk later!” he shouted as he sat back down.
Piper entered, holding a pile of papers. “Oh, Harrold, I cleared up that room downstairs for you.”
“How can I repay you?” Harrold offered, leaning on the doorframe. “I could mark some MERCs for you.”
“Yeah, I’ll leave them on your desk, then,” Piper replied. She set them down and then walked to her own desk.
“Thanks.” Harrold yawned and then left the office, with me following several steps behind. “Anyway, the teachers have an afterschool meeting today, so today’s training will be a little shorter.”
“It will be a good introduction before we get serious,” I remarked casually. “I mean, we won’t be doing as much right?”
“Well, we’ll start you off with a warm-up,” Harrold proposed. “Wear these and do three laps of the Northern District.” He handed me four cotton bands. “They’r
e weighted bands, but you’ll be able to do the laps easily.”
“Do my doctors believe my body can handle this amount of exercise?”
“Definitely. I’ve already consulted them about this. Your body just can’t sustain much impact.”
“How many could Rachel do?” I asked, standing straight as I faced him directly. “Five? Six?”
“Twenty. Most mages in the army can do the same easily. I mean, this is to build your physical body so your magic can improve.”
“You have to be joking…”
“Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but maybe doing the laps would be the best option. I’ll go finish up some other important stuff for you while you’re doing them,” Harrold commented sarcastically. “I’ll be impressed if you can do four.”
“Thanks, I guess,” I muttered, willing my legs into walking out of the school’s front gate. I wasn’t fit by any means; I hadn’t run this much for several months now. Of course, there had been the run to the council representative’s office. Now I realised my body probably wasn’t strong enough to even make the entire three laps. Rachel hadn’t even broken a sweat after running the entire way with me; I, however, had been drenched.
The Northern District’s luxury and premium market stalls rushed past me, their well-decorated exteriors filled with the items of their trade. Jewellers, tailors, shoemakers, and clothiers passed through my peripheral vision as I ran the first lap. A wall appeared in my vision; the word “East,” in large letters marked the partition between the two districts. I hadn’t really understood the concept of walls within a city until Rachel had explained their former purpose.
The city, having been built slightly before the Essence Wars, had been made for the sole purpose of defending against an invasion. The partitions within the walls would reduce damage if an army were to invade the city. Of course, Rachel had named the city planners, but I had totally forgotten what she had told me. The city, which still hadn’t been named after decades of debate, ended up being called the Capital of Arcana due to its geographic positioning and relative importance.
Soon my body got the hang of running, creating a rhythm as I went. My lungs strained at the slightest breath. My heart beat rapidly, straining to pump oxygen through my body. When I finished my laps, I gasped for breath and I leaned against the metal school gate.
Harrold tapped me on the shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yeah…never been better,” I replied, still inhaling and exhaling rapidly. “What’s next?”
“Well, that took you forty minutes,” Harrold said as he opened the gate. “I’m taking you somewhere. Let’s go.” He slung his arm around my shoulder, dragging me toward the Western District.
“Where exactly are we going?”
“A military facility. They’ll let you in free of charge.”
“What exactly are you bringing me to a military facility for?”
“Training. What else?” Harrold said. “See, it’s just over there.” He pointed at the tall facility that barely peeked over the partition between the Northern and the Western Districts.
As we entered the Western District, I saw the building in its full glory; its metal spire stretching well above my field of view.
“What am I going to do in there?”
“Climb.” Harrold grinned as he pulled open the door to the facility. A large wall stood tall, with rocks embedded into the sides. Several soldiers connected to pulleys were making their way up the vertical surface. The doors to the other parts of the building were closed to outsiders; the only visible part of the facility was the climbing array.
“You want me to climb this?” I pointed in disbelief at the wall, which stretched the entire way up to the building’s ceiling.
“Yeah! Come on, let’s get you started!” Harrold exclaimed, and then he pulled me over to the large foam mats that would soften the fall for anyone who failed their climb. “We’ll have you aim for one hundred yards. The slopes here aren’t too bad.”
“Artificial slopes…” I commented quietly, looking at the steep overhangs some provided.
“Well, we’ll start you off with the one hundred yards straight up.” Harrold handed me a vest. “Your harness. If you fall, that’ll save your life.”
“How do we stop at one hundred yards?” I asked, staring at the sheer cliff I was set to climb.
“There’s rest stops. You’ll just stop there,” Harrold explained. “I’ll hook you up to the pulley system so that if you fall, I’ve got you.”
“Don’t most climbers put dust on their hands?”
“Chalk? I mean, you can use gloves if you want. We’ve got some here that would work.” He handed me two gloves made of thin fabric. “Anyway, start whenever you want.”
I smiled confidently as I grabbed one of the lower rocks on the mountain face, lifted myself up, and got my footing. Rhythmically lifting myself, I continued up the face. The rocks got smaller and sharper the moment I hit fifty yards. Past sixty, I decided that looking down wouldn’t be of any good to my heart, but…I decided to anyway. The large foam mat below me looked surprisingly smaller from the height I had climbed to. Harrold looked up at me and waved for me to continue the climb.
Reaching the hundred-yard mark, I looked at a clock on the wall. Barely able to make out the hands, I saw that it was six in the evening. My arms felt limp. I’d been climbing for an hour—straight after my exceedingly long run.
“Good job. I didn’t think you’d make it to fifty,” Harrold commented as he offered his hand to me from a ledge to the side of the wall itself. I grabbed it, and he lifted me onto a metal ledge. Taking off the harness, I walked down the stairs that led up to the hundred-yard mark. My legs felt wobbly, no longer in perpetual motion.
“Thanks. I pride myself on strength,” I replied sarcastically. “How long did I take?”
“Two hours. You went from four o’clock to six. Exhausting day eh?” he commented casually. “Anyway, that’s it for today. Make sure you take a warm shower and stretch.”
“Huh?” I grunted, looking at him. “What?”
“You’ll be sore if you don’t stretch.”
“My father told me to have you teach me how to use Zone.”
“Zone?” Harrold asked. “I mean, sure, let’s go back to the school first. We’ll use the room Piper cleared out.”
I nodded slightly, dragging my feet along the brick path. As we passed by the cluttered houses to the west, they surrounded us, almost suffocating me. We approached the partition, a wall made of sandy limestone and reinforced with cobblestone and bricks. The scenery changed as we entered the cleaner Northern District. The houses were made of various materials, no two having the same layout or design. Harrold chuckled slightly as he wrote something in a small notebook. He slipped it into his pocket after he finished writing.
“What’s that?” I pointed to the rear pocket with the notebook.
“It works like a remote communication device. I can write something, and someone on the other end can reply,” Harrold explained, twirling the leather-bound stack of paper. “I’m in contact with Steph.” He showed me a neatly written set of runes and then Mrs Indallias’s full name.
“Seems useful. Is it just runes?” I asked, hoping to recreate something similar. “I mean, there doesn’t seem to be anything else there.”
“Runes and magic. It’s simple in theory, but I wouldn’t rely on it.” Harrold sighed. “I mean, I can’t really send anyone messages outside of a certain radius.”
“What stops it?”
“My own strength in magic is limited.” Harrold chuckled. “Apart from my title, nothing about me is exceptionally strong or unique.” He grinned slightly. “However, I’m still strong enough to change the mind of anyone who questions me.”
“I remember being told that magic takes time to build up,” I said. “If I remember correctly, there’s a limit to how much energy is contained within your body.”
“I’ll explain inside. Piper cleared
up an old alchemy room for us to work in.” Harrold held open the door, letting me through. “I set up some extra stuff for your leisure.”
“What’s inside?” I wondered, pushing the door fully open. “What the…”
I held my breath as I looked from left to right. Towers of books and gym equipment lined the walls of the room. A small oil lamp lay by the side of the door, and newly installed runic solutions to the lighting problem were mounted to the roof. The room’s relatively short height left me wondering how Harrold and I would fit inside.
“It’s a little short, but we’ll make do.” Harrold hunched his back to fit into the room. “You’ll have to crouch to get in, and when using equipment, you’ll have to lie down.”
“Yeah, all good. This is cosy, isn’t it?” I sat cross-legged in the centre of the room.
“Well, I’ll get started with fundamentals before we move on to Zone training,” said Harrold. “Magic is energy within your body, correct?”
“Yes?” I answered, unsure as to how I should reply.
“Well, as mages, we use techniques to manipulate our energy, and those are called spells, magic, arcane arts, etcetera. Our peak strength is determined by the amount of energy our body can hold and manipulate; other nations have the same core founding concepts, of course.” Harrold took a breath and then exhaled. “Zone is the ability to spread your magical energy thin and maintain it for a long amount of time.”
“Sounds simple enough.”
“Well, it is,” Harrold claimed quickly. “Of course, it takes forever to learn. I mean, you’ll start now with some image training.”
“Image training?”
“Well, it’s just imagining something inside your mind and then actually doing it. Close your eyes; it’s just a five-minute exercise.”
“Yeah, so what do I do?”
“Imagine you are inside a bubble,” Harrold began. “I want you to slowly expand that bubble.”
I imagined a bubble as per his instructions. The clear, reflective edges of the bubble diffused whatever light I imagined in my mind. Magical energy spread itself within its confines, giving me a sixth sense within the limited region of the spherical space. Its size was merely an arms-length in diameter, and slowly I pushed the boundaries, making it larger. I added another hands-length, but Harrold didn’t say a word.