by Alex C Vick
The world, enormous when I was younger, had now shrunk. Of course, it was a lot bigger than just the capital city where I lived, and some of the other settlements were fascinating… but I had still been a tiny bit disappointed not to find more.
Nico regularly got exasperated with me.
“Sometimes I think you won’t be happy until you’re standing on top of an actual star,” he complained.
“What’s wrong with wanting more?” I asked him.
“Nothing, I suppose. But you make me feel inferior. Walking around like you’re only tolerating all this until something better turns up.”
“Well, tolerating you is the most anyone can be expected to do.”
“I’m being serious.”
“So am I.”
“Galen…” he said warningly.
“Yes, Nicodemus?” I answered, grinning.
“Call me that again, and you’ll wish you were on another world.”
We continued our research as the weeks went by, but it was like a game of hide-and-seek with the entire sky to search in.
When summer arrived, it became a lot warmer. Talia and I would sit outside in the evenings and watch the sun sink behind Mount Landor. She held my hand and talked about her day. Sometimes she asked for help with the year three spells I had already learned.
As the stars appeared in the darkness above us, stretching across the sky, I watched and wondered.
Does Androva look like a star to them? How brightly do we shine? Does anyone look up at us and ask the same questions I’m asking?
Nico and I were running out of time. We would have to present our manuscript with a practical demonstration before his year five assessment. Before he came of age and was assigned his profession.
I didn’t know what was going to happen to me. I was the age of someone in year three, attending year four classes, but already learning year five magic.
It had happened at the Seminary before, a very few times and long ago. The underage magicians concerned had been allowed to begin their professions early. Before the coming of age ceremony. This was what Nico and I were hoping for.
We knew we worked really well together, and joining the Foundation for Research at the same time would mean superior, more innovative magic for Androva. Everyone would be better off.
Assuming we can figure out the stupid coordinates, of course. Suddenly I became aware that Talia had stopped talking. I’d been so wrapped up in my own thoughts I had no idea what she’d been saying.
“Galen?”
I made a noise that could have been yes or no. I was hoping she hadn’t asked me a direct question. Then I realised she’d taken her hand out of mine. I probably should have noticed earlier, but I’d been distracted by a particularly bright star.
“Galen,” she said again. Then she sighed.
“I don’t think this is working,” she continued. “I like you so much, and I thought it might be enough. I mean, I hoped, but it’s not, and I can’t—”
Her voice broke. She sniffed. My heart sank. If she split up with me, I would be expected to find someone else. I might even be set up with potential matches by my parents.
I shivered with horror at the thought.
Maybe I can convince her to stay with me a bit longer, at least until I finish the manuscript with Nico.
As I looked at her, the words died on my lips. Her eyes were full of tears. She had pressed her mouth into a line to stop them from falling. Because of me. Because I was more interested in my research manuscript than in her.
She deserved a lot better than that. It wasn’t her fault I was more interested in magic than in being matched.
“Sorry,” I said. “I… Well, I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” she replied.
Then she tossed her hair back, and I saw a flash of the old Talia. The girl who won most of her Combat matches because her determination was almost greater than her magical ability.
“If you ever get your heart broken,” she said, “remember this moment. And you’ll know how lucky you were that I didn’t embarrass us both by getting down on my knees and begging you.”
I ducked my head. The emotion on her face made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t imagine ever feeling so strongly about a girl.
She got up and walked away, and I didn’t look up again until I was sure she had gone. I didn’t like myself very much right then.
The following day, when I told Nico, he said quite forcefully I was an idiot. That Talia was stunning, and if she’d been a bit older, he would have considered her as a potential match himself.
I stared at him in shock.
“Since when?” I said. “Since when have you liked my girlfriend?”
He stared back at me. Is he actually angry?
“You’re so stupid, Galen. Walking around in a daze when half the girls at the Seminary want to go out with you. And she’s not your girlfriend anymore, is she?”
“I… What?”
I couldn’t formulate a proper question.
“Like I said, you’re stupid. Those girls weren’t making friends with you to meet me. They always preferred you.”
Yes, he’s definitely angry .
“Oh, what’s the point?” he said, turning away. “You’ll marry someone the Council chooses for you, and Talia will never take me seriously anyway.”
“No, that’s not—” I started, but he interrupted me.
“Forget it. We need to work on these coordinates.”
Our remaining study time passed in an uncomfortable silence. I was still reeling from the things he’d said to me. When I walked through the Seminary later to go home, I couldn’t look directly at anyone. Just in case they were a girl who liked me. Just in case the crazy things Nico had said were in any way true.
Serena came into my room later, asking what was the matter. I hadn’t eaten very much at dinner, even though I’d tried to smile at the Manipulation Spells she’d been learning.
I remembered how amazing it had been to mix up all the colours, shapes, and flavours on the plate until you had no idea what the next bite would taste like. Mealtimes at first year tables were a lot of fun.
“If you don’t want to talk to me, I’ll understand,” she said, pausing in the doorway. “But the offer’s there if you want it.”
“I split up with Talia.”
Her expression didn’t change, and I huffed a laugh.
“You’re obviously not surprised.”
She shook her head, coming into the room and sitting on the chair opposite me. I was lying on the bed, propped up on one elbow, having just kicked my boots onto the floor.
My room was only of average size, but it was laid out to make the most of the space. Red and silver, my favourite colours, were everywhere. The windows almost took up one whole wall, and they faced into the sun at the end of the day.
It was usually the time I liked best. I would combine the sun with an Illumination Spell to see how many rainbows I could create at once. But I was too preoccupied just then.
I lifted my hand, and the thinner of the two curtains moved across the glass to filter the evening sunshine. Then I rolled onto my back with a sigh.
“It wasn’t just Talia,” I said. “Nico was really weird about it. Almost like he was jealous or something.”
It was Serena’s turn to laugh.
“Maybe because he is?” she said.
I lifted my head and frowned.
“Explain.”
“Well… You’re you,” she said simply.
“Ye-es,” I replied slowly. “And?”
“Best underage magician in two hundred years? Mentioned in Council records already, according to our parents? The bluest eyes and the longest eyelashes anyone has ever seen? Sound like anyone we know?”
She was grinning at my expression.
“You really didn’t have a clue?”
“No,” I muttered. My cheeks were burning.
“Then I guess you can add humble to the list too.”
>
“I still can’t make a remedy properly,” I protested.
“No one ever got famous making remedies,” she said. “As Nico is undoubtedly aware, given it’s his only real skill.”
“You don’t like him,” I said, surprised.
“It’s not about liking him or not liking him. I’m just not sure I trust him.”
“Well, I do,” I said forcefully. “You don’t know what he’s…” I trailed off before I could finish the sentence. “You don’t know him,” I added.
She gave me a thoughtful look.
“No, I suppose I don’t. But I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt if you say so.”
I lay back down again and put my hand over my eyes. The sunlight was giving me a headache.
“Help me to convince our parents they don’t need to match me with another girl until next year,” I asked her. “Please? I’m not sixteen until the start of spring. It can wait until then.”
“I’ll do my best,” she agreed. “If your research manuscript is a success, that will distract everyone for a little while anyway.”
My head was really hurting now.
“There’s no guarantee it will be a success,” I said. “Not without any working coordinates.”
“If it’s possible, you’ll find a way,” she said, getting up to leave. “Do you want me to bring you a Headache Remedy?”
I nodded. After I’d drunk it, I lay down again, waiting for the cool magical energy to trickle gently across my forehead and lift the pain.
I was half asleep when I had an idea. When we were plotting coordinates within Androva, we used the centre of our world as a reference point. The magical energy could almost map itself, as long as the base was fixed.
I needed to find a new perspective. A new centre. Not just for Androva, but for the very sky our world was placed within.
Chapter 7 - Coming Of Age, Or Not?
We ended up using our sun. It made no sense to me at first, but it seemed the fixed point in the sky was the sun. All this time I had thought the sun travelled from world to world, bringing heat and light, when in fact it had to be us who travelled around it.
Summer ended, and gradually the dark and cold of winter came again to Androva. I seemed to spend all my time at the Seminary of Magic, in classes with older magicians, or studying with Nico.
Our early calculations weren’t reliable. It wasn’t until I realised Androva had its own magical signature that I understood. We had to find the same for other worlds. It was no good staring into the sky and guessing how far away they were.
Does all magic come from the same source? Are there other suns like ours? Does another place need to be magical before we can discover it ?
I didn’t know the answers to those questions. Maybe I never would. But Nico and I found the world of rock and water all the same.
“I should go first,” he said, looking at the portal shimmering in front of us. “I’m the oldest.”
“I should go first,” I replied. “I’m the youngest.”
We looked at each other and laughed. Now the moment had finally arrived, I could see on his face the same nervous excitement I was feeling. We’d worked so hard.
The portal had opened. Finally. Which meant there was something, somewhere on the other side. Somewhere we had never been before.
We’d never talked about what we would actually do if we succeeded. We both thought our chances would improve if we didn’t openly anticipate victory.
I had thought it would be more dangerous for the magician that went first, and of course I wanted to protect my friend from that risk.
But now I saw that whoever went first would take a greater share in the glory. Whatever the danger, there could only be one first step. And I did not wish to steal this from Nico.
“You go first then,” I said. “I don’t mind. As long as I’m right behind you.”
He nodded.
“Anonymity Spell?” he suggested. The centre circle of his Sygnus, within its overlapping triangles, was already starting to spin.
“Yes,” I agreed. The spell created layers of invisibility, silence, and a little distraction for good measure. Its use was strongly discouraged outside of Seminary lessons.
Certain skilled custodians, and of course the Council, could detect when it was being projected. Nico and I had yet to try our enhanced version on anyone but his father.
We had learned how to apply one of our unique Distraction Spells to the final layer, something we had tested to great effect. We wanted to be prepared, just in case Professor Cassius ever found us out for real, and we needed to escape.
“Wait, stop!” I said suddenly. “Don’t use the enhanced version. We might forget about each other entirely!”
He opened his mouth and then closed it again, dawning realisation on his face.
“Good point,” he admitted. “I can’t rescue you if I don’t know you’re there, can I?”
I didn’t point out it could just as easily be me rescuing him. He was a bit touchy about our respective magical abilities.
He took a deep breath and turned to face the portal. It was a just a rectangle of gently shimmering energy, but it had a power far beyond what its appearance suggested.
I saw the air shiver around him, and he disappeared under the Anonymity Spell. Hastily I applied my own spell and stepped through the portal after him.
I took three steps, then paused. There was solid rock under my feet. It was almost completely dark. I turned to face the fading source of light and saw a red sun dipping below the horizon.
Water. There was water as far as I could see. The sun was sinking into it. I had never seen so much water before. Lake Semper was small by comparison.
I wanted to project an Illumination Spell, but knew it would be too dangerous. We appeared to be alone, though. The rock stretched unevenly away from me, dark grey and solid. We were on an island.
As I raised my eyes higher, I could see some kind of city. Lights glowed in the darkness, too far away for me to make out the buildings clearly. The air was cool, and the endless water was making a repeated splashing noise where the waves moved against the rock.
Suddenly hands clutched my arm, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Were it not for the silence of the spell, I’m sure my yell would have echoed across the water.
The invisible hands travelled up my arms to find my chin, then turned it to face a different direction, away from the sun.
I gasped. There were two enormous creatures flying towards us, on beating wings slicing powerfully through the air. Purple and silver, they were shining with an energy that did not depend on the dying light of the sun to be visible. I had never seen anything like them.
They had scales, feathers, and sharp points everywhere, from their chins to the spikes on their backs to the end of their long tails. As I watched, one of them roared, shooting flame from its mouth, which was full of jagged teeth.
I flinched instinctively, half fearful and half disbelieving, and then I was being pulled backwards through the portal.
Nico dropped his Anonymity Spell, and just as quickly obliterated the portal symbols on the Seminary walls next to us. It closed immediately.
We faced each other.
“It definitely wasn’t Androva,” he said slowly. “Even my father’s magic couldn’t create monsters like that!”
He was right. I had been concentrating so hard on the fire-breathing creature I’d forgotten the most important thing.
We’ve done it!
For a moment we grinned at each other.
OK, it was slightly disappointing we’d discovered somewhere so unwelcoming, but there would be other worlds. We could find them all. And we’re almost certain to get a place at the Foundation for Research now.
I laughed.
“I’m glad we did that together. It can’t have been my imagination if you saw it too.”
Although it was dark and freezing cold, we celebrated with some Solo Transference dives off the top of th
e Seminary building, too excited to go straight home.
We goaded each other to drop faster and faster. On the last dive we ended up skidding face first across the frosty grass, unable to stop in time.
I pushed myself gingerly to a sitting position. The pain was making my eyes water. My mouth stung, and I could taste blood. Nico had a large graze on his cheek. He held up his hand to touch it and winced.
“I say it was a draw,” he offered.
“I agree.” I nodded. “Now, make us one of your brilliant remedy combinations so I don’t go home looking like I came face-to-face with that flying creature!”
After the year end assessments, we had to write up our findings. A formal presentation of the manuscript was just as important as the magic we’d created. Androva was very proper like that. Our world did encourage progress, but only according to the correct methods.
Nico was now finished with the Seminary. His coming of age ceremony would be held after his eighteenth birthday. He’d been matched with a girl called Krysta. She wasn’t one of the many girls he’d been out with before, but perhaps that was a good thing.
She seemed nice enough, with hair the same blond colour as his, and large brown eyes. There was a hardness to her face sometimes which I didn’t like, but Serena told me I was probably imagining it.
“You’re so protective of Nico. You must know he’s more than capable of looking after himself.”
“I’m protective of you too,” I said with a smile. “Even though you’re just as capable.”
We submitted our manuscript to the Seminary Board of Professors. Two of the professors got up to test the portal we opened in front of them. They looked so utterly astonished when they returned, and I was still so nervous, I struggled not to giggle.
Nico’s coming of age ceremony was postponed, and we were asked to resubmit our manuscript to the Council.
Back in the white stone room, I realised how much I’d changed since my Sygnus adoption ceremony. It wasn’t that I was brimming with confidence or anything, but I trusted my magic would be able to get me out of trouble no matter what happened.