Supermage

by Aaron Oster

  After Morgan had put his few possessions away, he and Sarah sat down on the sofa. He explained everything that had happened. By the time he was finished with his story, she looked worried and was biting her lip nervously.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes as Sarah mulled over what he’d just said.

  “Do you really think we can trust this man?” she finally asked.

  “I don’t see that we have a choice,” Morgan said, reclining into the soft material of the sofa.

  He couldn’t remember ever being this comfortable in his life!

  “I really wish you wouldn’t keep getting us into these situations,” she said with a sigh, “but, what’s done is done I guess.”

  “So did you find out any information about the school? Where we can buy food or clothes, or where we meet Gold in two days when the term starts?”

  “Gold said he’d be living here with us. I’m guessing his room is on the other side of the house and he’ll probably explain about the school stuff later. As for clothes and food…” He shrugged, “not really sure about those. Maybe check the kitchen.”

  “I don’t know how to cook, Morgan,” Sarah said in an annoyed tone. “I spent my entire life having people do that for me. Do you know how to cook?”

  The relaxed expression disappeared from his face and he sat up, becoming a bit worried now.

  He’d never been able to afford anything to eat, let alone learn how to cook. The only places he’d gotten food were from garbage bins, or when he visited Sarah.

  “Well, school doesn’t start for two days; let’s go look around and see if we can find a place to eat,” he said, rising reluctantly from the sofa.

  Sarah agreed wholeheartedly. After they’d both gotten some money from their rooms, they headed out of the house, making sure to lock up behind them.

  It was surprisingly easy to find a dining room. Apparently, the way it worked, was that every block had a central dining room. For those enrolled at the school, meals were served three times a day and were free.

  Since the two of them were not officially part of the school yet, they were charged six bronze for the both of them; which Morgan had to pay since Sarah didn’t have anything smaller than a gold.

  They picked up their food at a long counter set against one side of the room, then went to find a table amid the hundreds of students already there. They each had a metal tray with a serving of chicken, vegetables and a mug of some amber colored liquid. The food was surprisingly good and Morgan looked around in wonder at all the people around them.

  Was the academy really this big?

  “Do the nobles eat here, as well?” Morgan asked.

  The only nice noble he’d ever met was sitting next to him; and he somehow doubted that the haughty and self important nobility would stoop so low as to sit amongst commoners.

  “From what I’ve heard, the nobility live in their own block. They have the nicest housing, the finest chefs and the best security,” she said, with a shrug.

  Morgan felt a little bad when she said that.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to be transferred to the noble block? After all, this must be uncomfortable for you.”

  Sarah actually laughed when he said that.

  “I appreciate your concern, but I’m actually enjoying myself. Sure, the housing isn’t what I’m used to, and the food isn’t as lavish; but I’ve never eaten in a room with so many people before. You’re the only friend I’ve ever had, that wasn’t all stuffy, or interested in boring things. like gossip. It’ll be a nice change to just be a regular person for once.”

  He smiled back, completely understanding what she meant by just fitting in.

  Back in City Four, he’d have been singled out, beaten by the guards and even been sentenced to death; just for being who he was. But here no one even gave him a second glance and, looking around the packed dining room, he could see why.

  People of all the kingdoms were gathered here and some appeared so different, that he couldn’t even compare. At least a quarter of the students had the dusky brown skin of the West Kingdom. Over half had strange colored hair; and sitting just a few tables away, were a group of people with yellow eyes!

  He’d never felt more at home in his entire life and he was loving every minute of it.

  It didn’t take too long for them to finish their meal and when they dropped off their trays, they asked one of the serving women where they might buy some clothes.

  The woman smiled and bent down to retrieve a folded up piece of paper.

  “The CAMS grounds are very large and often confusing to newcomers, so we have maps readily available throughout the campus. I’m surprised you didn’t get one of these when you were accepted into the academy. One should have been included in your welcome papers.”

  Morgan thanked the woman, while inwardly cursing Gold for not even bothering to mention this very important detail.

  Sarah was very poorly trying to cover a laugh at his annoyance, as they left the dining room. Morgan, choosing to ignore this, unfolded the map with a huff and began to examine it.

  The map showed that the academy was laid out in a sort of grid, each section divided by lines. There was a tiny line at the bottom for scale, and judging by what he could see the academy was over ten miles wide, and fifteen across.

  Looking a little closer, he could see their section clearly marked. He could also see where they’d come into the academy, as well as where he’d taken his test.

  Searching around for a bit, he soon found an area marked, Market & Shops, which was located at the center of the map.

  “I think this is where we need to go,” Morgan said, pointing the place out on the map.

  Sarah nodded and he was about to put the map away, when something caught his attention. There was an area marked Block A, and there was clearly a wall or fence around it.

  “Hey Sarah, do you think this is where the nobles live?” he asked, pointing to the map.

  “Well, seeing as it’s in the best location and is fenced off; it’s a pretty good bet,” she said with a shrug.

  Well located didn’t even begin to cover it. The two of them were so far out, that they would have to walk miles to get anywhere.

  He tucked the map away and they began their two mile walk to the shopping area.

  It took them nearly an hour to get there, what with all the people constantly getting in their way.

  More than once, Morgan was tempted to just grab Sarah and use fly, but he decided against it.

  After all, it wouldn’t do to draw unnecessary attention to themselves.

  Once they arrived at the shopping district, Morgan was glad they’d made the trip. The area was packed with people, but there was so much to see that he feared he might be tempted to spend all his money.

  He was immediately drawn to a store that had several sets of armor and weapons on display. Thinking back to his shredded clothes, he decided to stop there first.

  Sarah wasn’t at all interested, so the two of them decided to meet up after they were done.

  A bell tinkled overhead as he walked in and Morgan could feel himself growing excited as he looked around. Oddly enough, the store seemed empty, which surprised him.

  Wouldn’t a store like this normally be packed?

  A friendly looking man entered the shop from a back room and flashed a professional smile. “Welcome, young sir, is there anything I can help you with?”

  “Yes. I need a few sets of sturdy clothes that can take some punishment,” he said, walking up to the counter.

  “The ones I’ve been using haven’t held up well.”

  He motioned to his pants, which were already showing signs of tearing, despite only being a few weeks old.

  A genuine smile touched the man’s lips this time and he motioned Morgan to follow him.

  “I do, in fact, have what you’re looking for. Just got in a new shipment today; follow me around back and I’ll show you what I’ve got.”

  “I am cu
rious about something, if you don’t mind answering,” Morgan said, as he followed the man into a room full of clothing and bits of armor.

  “Not at all. Ask away.”

  “Why is your shop so empty? I don’t mean to sound rude, but shouldn’t your store be packed? People should already know that their regular clothes won’t stand up in any sort of combat.”

  The man laughed, as he took out a long piece of string and began measuring him.

  “You must have a least a few ranks under your belt already, am I right?”

  Morgan nodded as the man continued measuring him.

  “Most of the new students are either rank 0, or maybe rank 1. They’ve likely never seen any actual combat, so they don’t know what to expect. You’re lucky you came now; by next week this place will be so packed that you won’t be able to move and the selection will be very limited.”

  He finished his measurements and took a few notes on a piece of paper.

  “I have four different options that I think would suit your needs. I have wool, wool with a metal mesh weave, leather, or canvas with a metal mesh weave.”

  “What would you recommend?” Morgan thought to ask.

  The man’s smile grew even wider, if at all possible.

  “A sensible boy as well,” he said with a laugh. “The wool is the cheapest and most popular, and you can’t go wrong with leather. But if you have the coin to spare, I would recommend getting the canvas with the mesh weave. It’s comfortable, light and can stand up to some serious punishment. It’ll also give you more protection than that breastplate you’re wearing now without impeding your movement at all.”

  This sounded perfect to him. A material that could stand up to all that and give him great protection? He was definitely interested.

  “How much?” he carefully asked.

  “For a full set of the canvas uniform, which include a shirt, pants and a pair of boots, will be two gold.”

  Morgan winced at the price.

  His leather breastplate had only cost forty silver and it had hurt to pay even that much. But if these clothes were as good as the man said, then it would be worth the investment.

  “Would you mind if I looked at a set before I make my decision? And can you recommend anything else I might find useful?”

  “Of course. Just give me a moment and I’ll be right back.”

  The man left the room and came back a minute later, with a set of clothes over one arm. He handed them over and Morgan fingered the material, amazed at the quality along with how durable it felt.

  The shirt was a dark blue and had long sleeves that buttoned at the wrists with slim metal rivet. There were no other buttons; instead the shirt would slide over his head and he could tighten it with a series of straps that ran along each side.

  The pants were much the same, but were black instead of blue. Inspecting them, he could see that there was no need for a belt and that there were several pockets running down each pant leg.

  The boots were also made of the same black material, but they felt somewhat different.

  Probably some sort of treatment against water and dirt, Morgan guessed.

  Finally looking up, he smiled at the man.

  “Would you happen to have three such outfits in my size?”

  “Of course,” the shopkeeper said with a grin, hurrying out to fetch them while Morgan changed into the new clothes.

  They felt just as amazing as he’d imagined.

  The smooth material hugged his body in all the right places, allowing for the most comfortable and flexible movement possible. He couldn’t even feel the steel mesh that was threaded throughout and was glad he’d decided on this purchase.

  The boots were snug and light and he moved around a bit, getting a feeling for the outfit.

  The shopkeeper came back with the other two sets he’d asked for, as well as another bundle tucked under one arm.

  “How do you like them?” he asked, setting the clothes on the ground.

  “They feel amazing! Thank you,” Morgan said, pulling six gold from his pouch and handing it over.

  The man smiled, accepting the gold and pocketing it.

  “From the way you mentioned combat and armor, I’m guessing you have a super ability?” the man asked.

  Morgan nodded as the man presented the other items he’d brought along.

  There were two gloves, but they were missing part of the fingers and seemed to be lightly padded. There were also two long pieces of hardened leather with straps running around them.

  “These gloves are for extra protection in case you need to hit something. They’re great for training when your constitution isn’t yet high enough for you to hit things with your bare fists.”

  Morgan nodded in appreciation.

  Those gloves would have come in handy when fighting the stone golem earlier. He’d been forced to hit open handed, or risk breaking the bones in his hands. He could hit people without gloves, but he was still risking a painful injury.

  “And what are those?” he asked, pointing to the two pieces of leather.

  The shopkeeper became a little more excited as he explained.

  “These are a new invention thought up by an armorer in the East. They are extra protection for your shins and ankles, and differ quite a bit from traditional steel shin guards. They’re also much lighter and a whole lot more affordable. You simply slide them on under your pants and slip these top ends into your boots.”

  Morgan could have cheered at his good fortune.

  He’d injured himself quite badly against the bear when they’d fought against it and once again when he fought the golem. Until he got his constitution high enough that he wouldn’t injure himself, these would be invaluable.

  “I’ll take them both,” he said with a smile.

  He paid the seventy-five silver required after the shopkeeper explained that the gloves were made of the same material as his clothes. He inwardly groaned at the price, but told himself that it wasn’t too high a price to pay to avoid broken bones.

  “If you need anything else, come on by. My name is James. Just ask for me and I’ll be more than happy to help.”

  Morgan thanked the man and left his shop. Taking a peek into his purse, he could see that a little over twenty eight gold remained.

  He just hoped that this was the most expensive purchase he would have to make.

  He looked around for a few moments and after not spotting Sarah by their meet up point, he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down to wait.

  17

  The sun was already beginning to set when the two of them finally made it back to their house. After Sarah saw his new clothes and Morgan explained what they were for, she had insisted on going back inside and buying a few sets of her own.

  The shopkeeper, James, was so delighted that he’d brought in another good paying customer, that he’d offered him a ten percent discount on all future purchases.

  After they were done shopping, they stopped in at the house to drop off their things, then Sarah had paid for their dinner. She’d gotten some smaller currency while they’d been out and the two of them enjoyed the delicious meal of venison and fried onions.

  Now thoroughly exhausted and ready for bed, Morgan unlocked the front door.

  “Oh, good. You’ve got perfect timing.”

  Morgan looked up to see Gold, sitting by the table and eating dinner. The room was well lit by several lamps and the smell of roast meat was thick in the air.

  Sarah stepped nervously up next to him and Gold’s eyes turned to settle on her. He appraised her for a minute, before smiling and gesturing them to take a seat.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you, Sarah. I read your paper and was thoroughly impressed. The highest ranking mage of the new students and ranked at the top of the first year mages.”

  Sarah’s cheeks colored slightly at the praise.

  “It’s nice to meet you too, Sir. What do you mean by ‘ranked at the top of my class?’”


  “I was going to get to that in a few days, but since you’re both here, I’ll get the explanation of how the school works and what your lessons will entail out of the way now. I’ll also be happy to answer any questions you may have.”

  They both nodded and Gold continued.

  “At the beginning of the year, all students are given a ranking of where they stand in the class. This ranking is very important, as only the top fifty supers and mages will receive a scholarship. Right now, Sarah holds the number one rank in the mage class and Morgan holds the number nine rank in the super class. Any questions so far?”

  “Are these rankings fixed? If not, is there any way to move up or down in them?” Morgan asked.

  “The rankings are not fixed,” Gold answered.

  “Every week, students wishing to keep their ranking, must fight in at least one official match. You must fight someone within nine ranks of your own for the match to count. If you beat someone at a higher rank, you will move up by two, while the other person moves down by the same amount. The same is true if you lose.”

  “What happens if you don’t compete?” Sarah asked.

  “For every week you don’t compete, you will suffer a loss in rank. The first week it’ll be one, the second two, the third three and so on. So if you decide not to compete for six weeks in a row, you’ll be in danger of losing your scholarship.”

  “What exactly does the scholarship cover?” Morgan asked.

  “The scholarship covers your meals, all lessons that you may want to take, your living expenses and a small budget for clothing. Speaking of which, I can see you were smart and got ahead of the crowds for some quality uniforms. I know they’re expensive, but the school will reimburse you for the full cost once you’ve been approved.”

  This particular bit of news cheered Morgan up immensely.

  “The scholarship will last the duration of one term, which is three months, after which it will expire unless you’re still holding a spot in the top fifty. If you fall below fifty in your class, there’s no need to panic, as there will be one last fight before the end each term. This gives other students a chance to distinguish themselves and move up quickly in the rankings. This fight is normally followed by a tournament, but we’ll get into that later on in the term.”