by Luka Petrov
We came upon the newly remodeled bolt ranges. “Wow! These turned out nice,” I exclaimed as I noticed the newly painted wood frame of the range. The range was longer than the last ones, allowing us to practice spells at a farther distance. The gravel and hay that were on the ground on the previous bolt range covered the ground of this one as well.
Another addition to the bolt range was the number of lanes. The bolt range was expanded to include ten lanes. That meant ten mages could work on their spells at a time.
I took in the bolt range that came close to the Enchanted Forest and was adjacent to the dueling square. I had longed for this. To practice magic once again and to be back at a place that felt like home. I was still casting the Mage Light as Mistress Lathurna and I entered one of the lanes of the range.
Chapter Two
“Let’s go into this lane,” suggested Mistress Lathurna, pointing to the lane all of the way to the right. She took her hands and performed Seen Servant, summoning back the barbarian sparring dummy. “Stand back,” she commanded, pushing me to the back of the lane. “Oh and keep going with the Mage Light.” I nodded.
I watched Kyna Lathurna cast a spell. As I watched, I saw the runes appear. They flickered slightly, I almost missed it if I was not watching so intently. Then, almost instantly, Kyna hurled a firebolt down the lane and set the barbarian on fire.
“How did you do that?” I exclaimed realizing the firebolt launched much faster than I could hurl a firebolt with exact precision.
“Do what? Oh, you mean quick cast?” Kyna asked as she blushed. “You need to dial the spell to the lowest setting to cast it,” she explained. “Now, you try.”
I took my place behind the line of the bolt range. Looking at the barbarian I dialed the spell to the lowest setting. I summoned the energy of the fire element and hurled a firebolt from my palms. Watching the bolt move down the lane, it slowed. What was going on? Then it dispersed into smoke around halfway down the lane. I thought I had cast it perfectly.
“You must perform the spell quicker,” barked Kyna.
“Quicker?” I went as fast as I could with that spell setting. I did not want to seem confrontational, but did she know who she was talking to? “Let me try it again,” I relented.
When the runes appeared, this time I made sure to launch the firebolt right after the slight flicker. This would mean that any adjustments that needed to be made to the runes must be done within a tenth of a second. How was I going to do this? As I nearly became flustered over trying to adjust the runes in the allowed time, something clicked. “Ouch!” I said as I held my head. I actually felt a click inside my head. The pain felt like something snapped into place.
I had to start the spell over because of the click I felt. Summoning the runes again from my memory, I saw them appear before me. Weird. There seems to be a new box that I had never seen before. Looking at this box further, I gathered I could save the setting for quick cast and a number.
“Ah!” I shouted. “Mistress Lathurna, “You startled me,” I said, realizing the professor was hovering behind me.
“Here, let me help you, or I’m afraid we’ll be here all day until you figure this out,” she said examining the runes that appeared before me over my shoulder.
Very funny. She sure loved to patronize me.
“So this is the quick cast box. I’m glad it finally appeared for you,” she explained.
“Finally?” I asked. I realize that I was behind in her class, but these jabs were getting old.
“Right, finally. Most mages have them appear much sooner. It’s taken at least several hours for this box to show up. Now, back to how to use this. You must include a number and the words of power if you want to use the quick cast ability. Otherwise, you can utilize another ability,” she explained.
“Another ability?” I clarified.
“Right. When you get them.”
I summoned the runes for a third time. This time I wanted to use a spell that was more advanced than a simple cantrip, but one that was authorized by the Mage Order. I did not need Kyna knowing that I knew several of the lost and the undiscovered spells. I had to search my memory, looking for the optimal settings for individual targets. Runes appeared before me, and like a computer from my past life, I quickly ruled out certain spells. I felt Kyna still hovering over me. “Oh, sorry. I did not mean to ignore you,” I said. “I just want to make certain that I get the correct setting to hit the barbarian before I got distracted.”
“Try that one out,” she suggested.
“Ice Bolt. Perfect, you went over that one in class earlier today,” I affirmed. That was one of the four that she gave us the optimal settings for. Ice Bolt, Ice Cone, Fire Bolt, Fire Cone.
I employed dual cast along with quick cast. I figured I needed to impress her since I apparently was the slow student. I summoned the runes and entered the numbers in the boxes, both for dual cast and quick cast. I added a Fire Bolt along with the Ice Bolt. I shouted, “Glacies pessulum” and watched the stream of ice energy come from my palms, hurling toward the barbarian. Then I shouted, “Ignis pessulum.” I watched a bolt of fire emerge right after with no gap in between. Both bolts met the barbarian at the end of the lane. One rendering heaps of cold damage and next the fire damage. I was quite impressed with myself.
Now to really show off, I felt it necessary to do the same thing, but this time with the cones. I mean, Mistress Lathurna should be humbled that I am utilizing her very lesson and applying it. These are her settings after all.
After summoning the runes that appeared before me, I made the necessary adjustments and shouted, “Glacies conc”. I watched as a sixty-foot frosty cone come from my hand. Without skipping a beat, I shouted, “Ignis conc.” A fiery blaze in the shape of a large, all-encompassing cone shot out from my palm. Both hit the barbarian servant at the end of the lane.
From behind me, I heard three slow claps. “Very good, Edward. I did not realize that you could dual cast at your level,” exclaimed Mistress Lathurna.
“My level? What does that mean?” I asked, looking to clarify her sentiment.
“I will stand with my original statement that I made after class. You know more than you led on. You seem to be overpowered for your level yet are missing big fundamentals. This is something that will need to be addressed. It’s as if you have some sort of natural ability but seems as though you have been caught up in learning advanced spells when you should have worked hard developing your fundamental abilities.”
I did not have much time to appreciate Kyna’s adoration, as I doubled over, exhausted. She explained, “You really must have exerted yourself with the last double cast of cones. I’m impressed that you lasted this long. Head to lunch now, and then go on to your remaining evoker classes afterward. “
I did like to show off, but now I was overextended. I needed a break. “Right, Mistress Lathurna. I told my friends that I would meet them for lunch. I’m sure they are waiting for me,” I explained.
As I started off toward the cafeteria, Mistress Lathurna said in an ominous tone, “I will be checking to make sure that you are casting Mage Light until sundown. It is only for your own good.”
My shoulders slumped after hearing those words. I was hoping I would be off the hook after she saw that I could double cast. Oh well.
Arriving to the cafeteria after hiking across campus, I saw my friends. Walter, Cecily, and Yves had already gotten their food and were sitting chatting. “Hey guys,” I interrupted their conversation.
“Oh hey Edward!” Cecily replied. “Nice to see you, how was your first day so far? Yves and Walter told me that you decided to take classes this semester, that’s fantastic!”
I went to reply, but found my words only came out in a whisper, “Right,” I answered as I nodded.
Yves must have realized that I was low on mana because she interrupted my attempt to answer Cecily. “Ed, go get some food,” she instructed. “We will wait here for you.”
Finding it sluggis
h to move around the cafeteria, I opted for honey braised boar ribs from the carving station, seared rabbit, and minted pea soup. As I was heading back to where my friends were, I stopped and looked at the food on my tray. This was not enough. I went back and picked up two baked pheasants with leeks, and a meerkat dumpling seasoned with sage. That looks better.
Back at the table, I heard Walter, Yves, and Cecily speaking, but what they were saying was not registering in my mind. My only focus, getting this food down. It felt like I was trying to fill in a bottomless hole as I kept shoveling food down my gullet, only to find that the food did not have an effect on my energy level. “Ed, you’re eating quite ravenously,” said Walter as he watched me stick the entire meerkat dumpling in my mouth without even biting into it.
“I wish I did not have to cast Mage Light while I ate,” I explained. “Magicae lucis…Declinemus!” I said in between bites. The last thing I wanted was for Kyna to walk into the dining hall to find that I had not been doing as I was instructed.
“The pace at which you are eating Ed is frightening,” exclaimed Yves.
“Seems strange. Ed, are you OK?” Cecily asked.
“I’m fine,” I answered. “Magicae lucis…Declinemus!” The orb above my head turned on and off.
“What are you doing with the Mage Light?” Walter asked.
“I’m casting this spell continuously to expand my magic pool. I think you guys should do the same. Your magic pools are smaller than mine, and my new mentor said that I have a tiny pool to be competitive among the advanced students,” I explained.
Cecily was the first to buy into my idea, “I do believe that Ed has a point. I do get frustrated running out of mana all of the time. I’m going to do it as well.” “Magicae lucis…Declinemus!” Cecily said as she summoned the white orb to appear over her head and then shut off.
“I really want to become better at magic,” relented Yves. “I will join you in increasing your magic pools.” “Magicae lucis…Declinemus!” Yves shouted, joining our endeavor.
“I’m not sure that will increase everyone’s magic pool,” argued Walter.
“That’s what I was told,” I refuted. “My new mentor, Mistress Lathurna.”
“If that were the case, then we would see all of the other students doing this. We don’t,” explained Walter.
He had a point. I’ve never seen anyone cast Mage Light over their head for an entire day. “She’s a new instructor, I think she has a different method to doing things than normal here at Draererth,” I rebutted.
Walter relented, “The logic makes sense.” He paused for a moment looking around the dining hall. “It just must be a different way of doing things. I’m not opposed to it as long as it makes us better in the long run. Plus, let’s face it. Our shallow magic pools are one of the biggest detergents in our abilities to battle and duel.” As Walter paused again, I wondered when he became so logical and well spoken. Then he summoned the Mage Light. “Magicae lucis…Declinemus!”
Yves chimed in as we repeatedly casted Mage Light. “Don’t you think our magic pool is sufficient for our ages?”
“I believe we are good for our ages,” I affirmed. “But that is not my measure. I want to be good at anyone’s age. And that means increasing my magic pool as quickly as I can.”
“I like that idea,” confirmed Cecily.
Finally, I found the bottom of my tray after consuming all of the food. Our Mage Lights continued to blink on and off above our heads at the table. I did feel as though my energy returned after eating such a large meal.
Cecily broke the silence, “I’ve decided that I want to become an evoker. Ed, I heard that’s the course of study you are pursuing.”
“Right, the fire and ice elemental spells seem to come the easiest to me,” I explained.
“They come easy for me too,” replied Cecily. She was right, she was very good at Fire Bolts and fire in general. I hated when we were separated from her while we were out getting the Magi Staff. She had grown to be a great friend and an even better teammate. I did appreciate her chaotic nature. She appeared to be either going to start a fight or on the verge of an explosion at a moment’s notice.
Walter volunteered, “Hey guys, after today’s morning class, I have decided what I should be when I grow up.”
“What is that?” Yves asked.
“After our battle with Balfomeir, I was blown away by his skill, his ability to meld magic and martial arts into one discipline. I found that after today’s class that I am obsessed with ritualist magic. That way, I would not have to have the spells prepared beforehand but could activate the magic through rituals. I think that was what was getting me before, and I wasn’t able to tap into my full ability.”
I became amazed by Walter’s insight. “That is really self-aware of you,” I stated, partially still in complete shock. “Out of the eight schools of magic, abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation, which do you think you will lean toward?”
“Ed, I won’t be a mage or wizard like you all. I would continue deepening my magic pool and work on the ritualistic spells, but I would become a magus. However, the spells that I’m best at are illusion and abjuration. I’m fairly certain that I would prefer my melee weapon, but I could see myself becoming an Arcane Archer just as easily,” explained Walter.
“A magus?” Yves asked.
“Right, a magus. They are similar to Eldritch Knights, like Balfomeir, but are slightly different. I would join one of the Eldritch Societies,” explained Walter.
After I realized what Walter was explaining to me, I wondered why he would remain at a school for mages when he clearly needed to develop his martial arts abilities. “So you plan to finish your studies here at Draererth?” I asked.
“I do. I had to give it some thought and figure if this is the best place to study to advance my training. I will train on martial arts on my own. Perhaps where there is an empty field after the dueling squares,” answered Walter. “I do need to figure out which melee weapon I’ll be using.”
“Yves, we haven’t heard from you yet,” I said, turning my head to Yves who had been quiet this entire time.
“Oh, right. I wasn’t really certain what I wanted to do,” she started off. “Everything seems to be overwhelming and I enjoy studying.”
“You don’t have to decide today,” I affirmed. Reasoning if Walter thinks he could be a Magus, then the sky was the limit for Yves. Cecily leaning toward evocation was not a surprise at all. I imagined that Agnes would have chosen abjuration, since she was very keen on making shields and protective fields.
“I think I really want to focus on ice magic,” relented Yves.
“Ice magic?” Cecily asked.
“Right, I want to become an ice mage and specialize in ice magic. I’d be in the evocation school, but only one element. My powers lean that way as well,” explained Yves.
“Why wouldn’t you just be an evoker like Cecily and me? Why specialize in only ice magic?” I asked.
“Because there is more money and less competition if I focus on only becoming an ice mage and performing ice magic.”
She did have a point. Good for her that she was looking down the road at viability and sustainability of her career choice. I still wasn’t sure how Walter would wind up being a magus, but I’ve heard of weirder things. I sure hoped he could work on his martial arts training somehow. I did want what was best for Walter, and I cared about his growth as a person and a magic user. At the moment, however, I resented him. However, I know Agnes would want us to help him become the best magic user he could possibly be.
“Hey guys, I better get going to my next class,” I announced. “I have Dastardly Defense with Professor Wolford right now. Where is everyone else going?”
“Right, we all should get going,” barked Yves. “I have Pillars of the Polar with Professor Wintersteen.
“I’m headed to Flames, Fire, and Fury with Professor Emberstaff,” repli
ed Cecily.
“And I have Rituals and Rites with Professor Oberwon,” said Walter as he stood up from his chair.
The rest of us stood up from our seats, this section of the dining hall had been our safe haven all of last year and now I was glad to see us back together. Even though Agnes was no longer here physically, I could feel her spirit with us. We all went on our way to our respective classes.
I found the room of where my class was held for Dastardly Defense with Professor Wolford. Based on the title of the course, seemed like there would be good information to know. Charged with still having to cast Mage Light repeatedly, I wondered if I would stick out in class. I found a seat in the back, not to disturb anyone while I continued casting.
This classroom was arranged in desks and chairs, just like the other classes I were used to from last year. Also, the class had more students than Mistress Lathurna’s class, but less than what I was normally accustomed to. The other students came in and sat down, some gave me odd stares as I sat in the back, repeatedly turning on and off my Mage Light.
“Greetings class,” the professor said as he came from behind his desk. He had been writing there while the students got situated. He was tall and lengthy, with long limbs, as slender build, and long dark hair with a beard. He seemed to have a refined aura about him, an aristocrat if you will. “Welcome to Dastardly Defense. This course will help each of you refine your defensive skills. Remember, during battle, defense is fifty percent. Always. Everyone works diligently on their offensive magic, but few really take the time to develop their defensive magic.”
After hearing this introduction, my ears perked up. What he said, made sense. I found that I had to defend more. While still casting the Mage Light, I listened to his lecture. “Class, the first spell that I want to go over with you is Arctic Wall and Fire Wall. This elemental defensive walls are brilliant for neutralizing the opposite element being attacked at you. For example, if an opponent is sending Fire Bolts at you, Arctic Wall is a great defensive strategy.”