by John Corwin
A crystalline dome covering an oval building to the right of the white castle sparkled in the sun. Stone buildings several stories tall rose to the left of the castle. Wide pathways wound between them and across the verdant grounds. An even more imposing structure that looked like a massive stadium loomed behind and to the right of the complex.
A thick, black iron fence wound the perimeter of the campus. It looked shiny and new when compared to the aged buildings behind it.
Max flourished his arm across the scene. "Welcome to Arcane University."
"It's breathtaking." Ambria's eyes glistened. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Let me give you the tour," Max said. He pointed toward a snow-capped mountain rising behind the university. A thick, black forest ringed the peak. "That's the Dark Forest. You don't want to go in there."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Well, there's a giant beast called the tragon that lives in there." Max held his hands wide, as if demonstrating the size of the creature. "It's as big as a tyrannosaurus rex and can breathe fire like a dragon."
Ambria gave me a look of pure disbelief. "If you say so, Max."
"It's true!"
"I believe you," I said. At this point, I could believe anything he told me.
"It's also where most of the monsters were sent after the war." He shuddered. "I've heard there are giant toads with teeth that could tear a man apart and mutated insects big enough to ride lurking inside the forest. Don't even get me started on the laserphants or the frogres."
"Laserphants?" Ambria asked.
"Yeah, elephants that shoot lasers out of their eyes." He wiggled fingers next to his eyes as if shooting lasers. "Pew, pew, pew!"
I hesitated to ask him about the war. Being new to Queens Gate was one thing, but ignorance about something large as a war would only expose us as frauds.
Ambria's lips peeled away from her teeth. "Where did these monsters come from?"
Furrows formed in his forehead. "The Overlord, of course." Max shrugged. "I guess we're all kind of young to remember the war, but it seems like it's the only thing they talk about in Overworld history class."
I diverted the conversation to something safer. "Tell us more about the university."
"Sure. Why don't we get something more comfortable to fly around on, though? My legs are getting cramped on this tiny carpet."
Resuming our flight, I took us toward the tall iron fence, intending to fly over it.
"No, wait!" Max tugged my sleeve. "We need to get our security charms from the gate guard." He pointed toward a small shed near the gate. "If you try to fly over the fence without one, the shield will knock you silly."
I hastily amended our direction and halted at the shed.
A man in a distastefully bright green robe put down a novel and came out to us. He looked at Max. "You already have a charm."
"Yes, sir. My friends need them."
The man took out a slender wooden rod and ran it over Ambria. He pursed his lips. "A fourteen. Very nice, very nice." He did the same thing to me and shook his head sadly. "Poor boy. I hope you have the smarts for Science Academy." Before I could say a word, he pressed the rod to my chest and uttered a few words. I felt a tingle in my chest. He repeated the procedure for Ambria.
"Oh, how odd," she said.
"You may proceed." He turned for his shed, stopped and looked at Ambria. "I've only seen one other person higher than a fourteen and that was Nigel Davenport himself." The guard picked up his novel and dropped back into the chair.
"Can we walk a bit?" Max asked, holding a hand to his back as if he had a knot in his muscle. "That carpet isn't designed for three people."
I rolled it up and tucked it under my arm. "Sure."
When we passed through the gate, Max grinned at Ambria. "I didn't know you were a fourteen. That's amazing!"
I suddenly remembered where I'd heard that number in reference to her. It was something the Goodleighs had mentioned.
He glanced at me. "Are you going to Science Academy, or are you just staying in town with Ambria?"
I didn't know how to answer that question. "I don't know yet."
"Well, the entrance exams are in a month. You'd better study hard if you want to apply."
"How exactly do the tests work?" Ambria asked. "And how much does it cost to go to school here?"
"I can't believe you weren't contacted by the school with an AP that high." Max shook his head slowly. "If you do well enough on the entrance exam, you might get a scholarship. The cost varies drastically depending on your potential, your elementary performance, and so forth."
"Can you start from the beginning?" I asked. "We don't know anything about the school system."
"You mean, you never even attended a magic school at all?" Max looked flummoxed.
"As orphans, we didn't have many opportunities," I said. "We attended a normal school."
Understanding replaced his confusion. "Ah, you went to a nom school." He shuddered. That's awful." Max started walking again. "Overworld schools all follow the same path. Core school starts around age five. You learn reading, writing, math, and all the basic skills for five years. After graduating core school, your AP is measured. The early bloomers who show potential at age ten can qualify for neophyte training at Arcane University."
"I hate to sound totally ignorant, but what is AP?" Ambria asked.
Max grimaced. "You two were practically raised as noms, weren't you?"
Judging from the earlier reference, I knew he must be talking about normal, non-magical people. Since he didn't seem overly concerned about our pedigrees, I reasoned it might be safe to be more honest with him. "I'm afraid we were."
"Tragic." He led us into a courtyard surrounded by the apartment buildings and sat down on a bench. "AP stands for arcane potential. It's the magical equivalent of your SP. AP is important for admission to the university, while SP is the primary measuring stick for Science Academy."
"SP means science potential?" I asked.
Max nodded. "Scientific."
My forehead pinched. "How is that different from IQ—intelligence quotient?"
It was Max's turn to look puzzled. "You must be talking about a nom term because I've never heard it."
"It's how noms measure intelligence," I said. "You take a written exam."
"Noms and their reliance on written testing." He sighed.
Ambria tugged on Max's sleeve. "Back on the topic of the school system, what happens to those children who don't qualify for neophyte school at the university?"
"Ah, they continue to learn other real-world skills that will serve them in case they never show any arcane potential." Max held up a finger. "However, if students display remarkable intelligence, they can be probed for SP and perhaps gain early admission to Science Academy, provided they pass the entrance exam."
"Probed?" I didn't like the sound of that. "Do they poke you with a stick like they do for AP?"
Max blinked a couple of times. "Oh, the stick is called a wand." He shook his head. "No, they have a machine that measures your intelligence." He shivered. "I don't much care for the academy. They're all sorts of strange."
Ambria smirked. "I think everything here is strange."
"Of course you do. You were raised as noms." Max gave us a sympathetic look. "Don't you worry. I'll make sure you know everything you need." He continued explaining. "If someone hasn't shown arcane potential by the time they're thirteen, it's highly unlikely they'll ever have it. Most of us manifest it by age twelve." He jabbed a finger at his chest. "I developed right after I turned eleven, but it was too late to apply for the university that year."
"What's your AP?" Ambria asked.
"Eight." He waggled his hand. "Even if you have a low AP, you can still raise it with a lot of hard work. My older brothers already raised theirs by three points. My sisters don't seem to care as much."
The conversation Dr. Cumberbatch had with Mr. Goodleigh made more sense now. This should have been a s
pecial birthday for me. In a way, it had been, I supposed. I'd become smarter and my vision had improved, though that had probably been due to the blow to my head and not because of my birthday.
It was no wonder the Goodleighs were so disappointed in me. I'd just turned twelve and had absolutely no potential at all. Ambria had blossomed right on time. It was evident she fit into this new world we'd stumbled into and that I had no place here. With my newfound intelligence, I might be smart enough for Science Academy. Even if I wasn't, this new life was far better than the old one. There were probably plenty of opportunities for noms here.
"What's the entrance exam like?" Ambria asked.
"There are two parts to the test—arcane and science. Even if you're only interested in the university, you still have to take the science portion." He took out a small scroll and unrolled it. "This is the basic list. You can read through it and ask me if you have any questions."
Ambria took it and ran a finger down lines and lines of text.
"I'm ready to see more of the campus," I said. Since I wouldn't be taking the test, there was no sense in reading it.
"Sure!" Max stood and walked toward a small shed. He tugged on the door. When it failed to open, he looked up and down the path and then swiped a small gem over the handle. The door swung open, revealing wall-mounted racks filled with old brooms. "Grab one and we'll take a tour the easy way."
Ambria and I looked at each other then back to the brooms. Max fetched one, turned it sideways, and released it. It hovered in place. The broom handle supported a leather seat similar to the ones used on bicycles. Metal stirrups protruded from the bottom of the saddle.
Max hopped on his and looked at us expectantly. His forehead wrinkled when he saw our confusion. "Oh, yeah, guess you haven't seen these before." He patted the handle. "They fly."
Ambria took one, held it out, and let go. It fell to the ground with a clatter.
Chuckling, Max got off his ride and picked up the fallen broom. He pointed to a notched section near the front of the handle. "Give this a squeeze and it activates the hover spell." He demonstrated and let the broom hover. "These are real simple models—self-stabilizing and all that so you don't have to work to keep yourself upright." He nudged the broom. It wobbled then righted itself.
I took one for myself. It was a bit heavy to hold. I squeezed the notch. The broom went light as a feather and levitated when I released it. I mounted it as I would a horse. The broom bobbed as if floating on water before settling into place. Using the leather straps behind the seat, I secured the rolled-up carpet to the broom.
Ambria climbed on hers as well and giggled. "This is amazing." She gripped the notch. "How do you—" The broom shot forward. Her laughter turned to a shriek as her ride streaked toward one of the dormitory buildings.
"Pull back on the notch!" Max yelled.
Her forward momentum turned vertical as the broom jetted nearly straight up.
"Back, not up!" Max shouted.
The broom looped upside down, flipped right-side up, and then looped again, curving upward in a zigzag pattern. Ambria's desperate screams faded as she climbed higher and higher. I jumped on my broom. As my hand gripped the notch, a strong sense of déjà vu hit me. I've ridden one of these before. The strange controls suddenly seemed quite familiar.
I twisted my hand on the notch and the broom took off. I pulled up on the handle and it climbed straight up. Thanks to Ambria's erratic flight path, I caught up to her quickly. Just as she looped backward and the broom righted itself, I grabbed her wrist.
She looked at me with wide, terrified eyes.
"Let go!"
Her white-knuckled grip didn't relent. Seeing only one alternative, I pushed her wrist hard, causing her hand to twist on the handle. The broom eased to a halt beside mine.
"Conrad!" Ambria released the broom and reached to hug me.
"No!" I shouted back. I didn't want her to lose her balance and fall off.
She suddenly seemed to remember how high we were and gripped the broom handle with both hands.
"Take a deep breath," I told her, and followed my own advice. My heart thumped so hard in my chest, I thought it might fly out.
Max flew up to us, eyes wide. "Are you okay?"
Ambria gave him a cross look. "Max, you nearly got me killed."
He looked down. "I'm sorry. I should have explained better." His features brightened with a grin. "It looked like fun, though."
I couldn't help but laugh. Ambria relented and managed a weak chuckle though her face was white as a ghost.
"I must have looked so silly." She put a hand to her chest. "Perhaps you should tell me again how to control this thing."
Max looked at me. "Where did you learn how to fly so well? Are you sure you've never seen a flying broom before?"
"I'm sure." I had no idea how I'd taken to it so naturally. It was just like when I knew what the carpet was without having ever seen one. I should have been happy. Instead, I felt a little scared. An unknown part of me was slowly revealing itself and I had no idea what else lay in store.
Chapter 13
After practicing the broom controls for a few minutes, Ambria announced herself ready to take on the world—or at least the university campus.
We flew over the castle first. It stretched for acres. Gargoyles lined the towers and roofs. I pointed out the odd symbols carved into the walls. Max explained they were Cyrinthian symbols, a language used by Arcanes to craft spells. In this case, they were charmed to protect the castle in case of attack.
"That's the library," Max explained as we flew over the oval building with the crystal dome. "I'll be spending a lot of time in there for sure."
I saw tiny figures walking on the floor far below and people riding flying carpets up to the terraces jutting from the walls.
Next, we flew over a colorful garden filled with flowers and hedges trimmed into likenesses of people and various animals. At the center, a bush shaped like a unicorn reared on hind legs, its horn pointing majestically into the sky. I didn't understand how it was possible to so meticulously craft a plant into something so intricate.
"This used to be the candy garden, but it was destroyed during the war." Max twisted his lips wistfully. "They figured it was healthier to replace it, I guess."
"A garden of candy?" Ambria looked doubtful. "I don't see how it's possible to grow sweets like plants."
"Magic, remember?" Max nodded his head toward the large arena behind the garden. "That's Colossus Stadium. They used to hold the Grand Melee there, but someone built an Obsidian Arch there during the first war and they haven't demolished it yet."
"First war?" Ambria asked. "How many wars have happened?"
"Two." He paused for a moment. "Oh, that's right. I guess you wouldn't know about them, would you?"
"I suppose you can tell us all about them later." Ambria took off for the stadium. "I'd like to see everything else first."
We flew over the stadium and looked down at rows upon rows of seats. It looked as if it could seat thousands. Tattered banners hung from wooden poles all around the top level. Dirt and broken stone occupied the benches, and large black marks in various sections gave it a war torn look. Patches of grass poked through the mostly barren turf. In the center rose a tall, black arch like the one I'd seen in the cavern.
That must be an Obsidian Arch.
There was so much to learn about this place, but I preferred to save the questioning for later. Seeing so many new things was like savoring the wonderful pancakes I'd had for breakfast. I couldn't possibly consume all the new information at once.
A large, grassy meadow ran behind the university and all along the Dark Forest. On the opposite side of the stadium lay another field guarded by tall stone walls. A thick patch of woods bristled in the middle. Beyond those rose the ruins of a mansion. It looked as if something had demolished its right wing.
"Those are the Fairy Gardens," Max said. "The house back there used to be where the Arcanus Prim
us—the head of the Arcane Council—stayed when he was visiting. They never got around to repairing it, though."
"Fairies?" Ambria clapped her hands. "How wonderful! Can we say hello to them?"
Max chuckled. "Fairies don't exist. That's just what the place is called." He pointed to the woods in the center of the estate. "There are dryads, though, and the Lady of the Pond lives in the water there."
I thought back to fairy tales I'd read. "Aren't dryads fairies?"
Max pressed his lips together. "Technically, I suppose they are, according to nom folklore." He shrugged. "They don't have wings and they're pretty, but they sure do have an evil streak from what I've heard."
"Can we see them?" Ambria asked.
"If we go in there, the Lady of the Pond might stop us. She doesn't like trespassers." He rubbed his stomach. "Besides, I'm starving. Let's go get some lunch."
"You're hungry again already?" Ambria crossed her arms. "I feel like I just ate."
Max ignored the comment. "Let's go down to Queen's Gate. We can take the brooms there."
Ambria puffed out her lips. "But I want to see the dryads."
I wasn't exactly hungry yet either, but my backside was tired from sitting on the broom all this time and my throat felt dry. "Let's save it for another time."
We flew the brooms down to Queens Gate and landed in a cobblestone plaza. The bronze statue of a young man with angel wings and demon horns stood in the center. He wore a confident smirk on his face and seemed to be looking down at passersby. The statue might have been more impressive if not for the buildup of grunge and graffiti marring the marble base and the statue itself.
The placard on the bottom read: Justin Slade, Savior of Eden.
Eden. The name jolted my brain.
I see Justin Slade and a dark-haired girl entering a white arch veined with obsidian. He leads an army of people in blue cloaks and skin-tight black armor. "Now is the time, Serena," I whisper. "Let them enter and shut it down."