“When we spoke of paths, you hinted that when I choose one, it will exclude the others. Why?”
“The number of magi who can grow their aether via multiple paths can be counted on the fingers of a single hand for the entirety of the empire. No one has ever managed to train using all three paths, except maybe the emperor, but no one knows, because he has never said.”
“I need to choose a path to grow my aether?”
“Yes, but doing so before your magic is known might hinder your overall growth. If I had taken the spirit path with my physical enhancement magic, I wouldn’t be able to do nearly as much as I do now.”
“I should wait, then.”
“That is the safest bet,” Bishop nodded. “Unfortunately, that will likely put you at a disadvantage in the tournaments. You will be even further behind the others.”
“Tournaments?”
“At the half year mark, the first novice tournament is held. It will help rank your class, and bring honor or dishonor to the clan you join based on your standing. There is a second tournament at the end of the year, as well. That one will help solidify your standing before moving onto the next tier. At the moment, all novices are supposed to be equal.”
“But we aren’t?”
“Not at all,” Bishop smiled grimly. “Your past isn’t supposed to matter when you arrive here, but as I said previously, having connections because of your birth still matter. You have none of that and an unknown magic. It will make people stand off until they know more. Use this time wisely.”
Gregory lapsed into silence for a moment before he asked his next question, “Where are the books kept?”
“The archive… I could stop there, but I won’t. It is located on the far side of the grounds from the gate. Respect anyone wearing black inside those walls; they are the keepers of the tomes. Any of them can help guide you to the right type of books, as that is part of their task. As a novice, the selection of books available to you will be limited, but it is a good place to learn.”
“Is there anything else I should ask, Proctor?”
Bishop chuckled, “Do your best to make at least one friend, but be wary of false ones. Train as hard as you can in your chosen path, as well as physically. Study, and do not make enemies of the magi who teach you. Avoid as many conflicts as you can, but do not shy away from brutally putting down those that you can’t avoid.”
“You mentioned clans. Do I need to find one to join?”
“Clans pick who they want to join them. They will approach you. Joining a clan will get you help in training and a stipend for you to use.”
“That would be helpful. Thank you, Proctor,” Gregory said, bowing from his seat on the floor.
“I need to see about my own lodgings,” Bishop said. “I will show you to the mess hall, if you are hungry?”
His belly growled, and Gregory blushed, “I will accept, Proctor.”
Bishop laughed, “I remember what being young was like. Follow me, and don’t forget your medallion.”
~*~*~
The mess hall was a two-story building, with stairs on either side of the exterior that gave access to a balcony where magi in emerald, cyan, and cobalt were sipping tea or smoking. Gregory made out a set of large sliding doors in the middle of the balcony. “Where do those go, Proctor?”
“That is where the academy adepts, magus, and masters take their food normally,” Bishop said. “No other tiers are allowed up there unless as the guest of a member of one of the aforementioned groups. The floor has a private kitchen where food is made to order, but only after the sixth bell. The first floor is different, and that is where your meals will be.”
The interior of the mess hall was like nothing Gregory had seen before. Rows of low tables with cushions beside them filled over half the room. A half-wall divided the room, and the rest of the space was taken up by a large kitchen with four people working in it. Four eurtiks stood behind the wall, serving food to the magi who were lined up next to it.
Bishop joined the line of magi. She picked up a wooden tray and followed the person in front of her, and Gregory copied her. The first eurtik, a weasel, handed Gregory a small bowl of soup. The scaled one after him gave Gregory another small bowl containing salad. The third eurtik, a rat, motioned to the trays before him, which held a selection of cooked meats.
“Fowl?” Gregory said in question.
The eurtik smiled and placed a large serving of cooked fowl onto a plate, then passed it to the mink beside him.
“Rice,” Gregory said, picking the same items as Bishop.
The mink scooped rice onto Gregory’s plate and handed it to him with a smile. At the same time, she extended her hand to touch his medallion, which was glowing faintly.
“Thank you,” Gregory said, returning the smile.
He followed Bishop to the side where pitchers and cups stood waiting on a small table with small baskets of utensils to one side. Gregory filled a cup with the same tea Bishop had chosen and picked up a set of utensils, as well. Wish I had known they had them for use. I could have saved myself some vela, Gregory sighed to himself.
He sat across from Bishop at one of the tables, and focused on his food. The soup was something he had never had before. It was thick and yellow, with bits of white floating in it. Covertly watching Bishop sip directly from the bowl, he did the same. The flavor of egg and corn washed over his tongue. It was warm, but not scalding, allowing him to enjoy it without pain.
His aether began to warm him from the inside as he ate. Unlike the meal at the Proctor’s Rest, which his aether had accepted without reaction, this was different. His aether felt like it was burning the energy as it came into his core, making him a little uncomfortable.
“Hmm, potent,” Bishop said, looking up at him. “Seems you are having problems. Sip the tea or eat some of the rice. Give each bite a chance to be accepted before eating more.”
“Yes, Proctor.”
Once he was doing as she said he was still uncomfortable, but it did not get worse. The meal took him longer than he would have anticipated, so he was glad he did not have to rush off to a class. Make sure to give yourself lots of time to eat, Gregory told himself.
When they both finished eating, Bishop showed him where the dirty dishes went. The otter eurtik took them with a smile. Exiting the mess hall, Bishop stepped aside and sighed. “That completes my duties as your proctor, Novice. I wish you the best in your education and path.”
“Proctor,” Gregory asked quickly, “would it be okay for me to watch your challenge with Harrison tomorrow?”
“It’ll be held in one of the arenas,” Bishop replied. “How you spend your time before classes start is up to you. Do your parents and village proud.” With nothing else to say, she turned and walked off.
Gregory watched her go for a minute before he went back to the dormitory. The sun was setting, the last rays of sunlight supplemented by lanterns that had been lit while he was eating. He paused near a pool of fish. Gregory smiled when he spotted a much smaller fish darting among the larger ones. That’s how I feel, too, he chuckled to himself before he started walking again.
Chapter Fifteen
When he got back to the dormitory, he could hear voices from the left, just past the entry hall. Gregory put on his slippers and went that direction. Opening the door to the room opposite the one Keeper Dia had been in, he found a large room with five tables and cushions. Four of the tables had novices in white robes sitting around them.
“Another new face,” someone called out, alerting the room that Gregory was standing there.
“New, indeed. He’s still wearing his old clothing,” another said.
“Just come in today?” a third asked, waving him over to a spot at his table.
Gregory gave the room a polite bow of his head before shutting the door behind him and moving to the offered spot. “Yes, just a few hours ago.”
“Make sure you’re in your robes tomorrow, or Keeper Dia will scold you,” anothe
r novice at the table said.
“I remember my lecture,” a third shivered. “Stay on her good side if you can.”
“I will. Thank you,” Gregory said.
“It’s late for new novices to get in,” a novice with a haughty bearing added from the nearest table. “Where are you from?”
“Alturis,” Gregory replied.
“Where is that?” the haughty one asked with a smirk.
“Wait, I know,” another novice at the same table said. “My father deals with ores. It’s way out on the northwestern fringe.”
“A fringer… yes, that explains things,” the haughty young man snickered. “What magic do you have? I’m betting it’s earth.”
Gregory took a dislike to the novice. “Can’t tell you.”
“Oh, why is that? We’re all taken to the Blade when we register. Or did whatever backwater proctor that found you forget to do that?”
Gregory’s eye twitched, “The master didn’t know.”
The conversation in the room dimmed, and everyone was now interested in hearing more. The haughty novice sniffed, “Impossible. Master Damon is the foremost expert on the Blade.”
“Hayworth, no one knows everything about it. It’s Aether’s Blade, for Aether’s sake,” the novice who had invited him to sit sighed. “Which stone was it?” he asked, turning back to Gregory.
“Ryuite. I’m Gregory Pettit, by the way,” Gregory offered his hand.
“Nick Shun,” the novice said, shaking his hand. “Sorry about the lack of introductions. Let me fix that,” Taking a minute, he introduced Gregory around the table. “We mostly use given names, since we’re supposed to ‘all be equal.’”
“What’s your village like?” Michelle, the novice who had been lectured by the keeper, asked.
“Normal?” Gregory said questioningly. “It’s a small village, smaller than any of the other places we went through on the way here. It has a mine, where most of the people work. The rest are mostly hunters or farmers. We have people skilled in the basic crafts, and a good clothier.”
Hayworth snorted, “Good… so not worth using for the servants, you mean.”
“What in Krog’s balls is your problem?” Gregory snapped. “You don’t even know me.”
“Who would want to?” Hayworth hissed back, before he coughed and held up a hand as if in apology. “You do have a point, though. I should make allowances for a fringer. Your mother also being your older sister must have been hard enough. It has to be inbreeding; I mean… just look at you.”
Teeth grinding, Gregory got to his feet, “What did you say, you—!”
The door to the room shot open and Keeper Dia stood there. She sternly cut Gregory off, “Fighting is not allowed inside the walls of the dormitory. If you have a need to fight, challenge each other and go to the arena.”
Hayworth got to his feet. He had a sneer on his lips as he looked at the keeper. “If that is your word, Keeper,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. Hayworth headed for the door and Dia stepped aside when he got close. The others who had been at his table went with him.
When Dia looked back into the room, Gregory had calmed down enough to bow formally to her. “I apologize, Keeper. He insulted my mother. I will do my best to abide by your rules.”
“Very good, Novice,” Dia said, her gaze sweeping the room. “This room is for novices to use to relax, read, play games of chance, and even have debates, as long as they are kept civil. Good evening to you all,” Dia said before she shut the door.
“Well, that was one way to make an enemy,” Nick said. “Hayworth is an asshole, but one from a powerful clan, which is why he has friends and lackeys. You’ll be having some difficulty in the coming year.”
“I didn’t even say anything to him.”
“Didn’t have to,” Michelle sighed as she got to her feet. “Being a fringer is enough for him. If you aren’t from wealth or power, you’re either nothing to him or you’re a target for his enjoyment.”
“We should be going to get dinner,” Nick said. “Would you care to join us, Gregory?”
“I ate before coming here. It was very good.”
“We’ll see you later, then,” Nick said as they left.
Most of the others also left, talking about dinner. Discouraged, Gregory headed up to his room. What the fuck is wrong with people? Gregory wondered as he climbed the stairs. Why hate someone you don’t even know?
Lost in his thoughts, he did not notice that the door next to his room was standing open. Opening his own door, he was about to enter when a voice broke him out of his thoughts.
“Excuse me?” the soft voice called out.
Pausing, he looked over and saw the novice he had been with in the Blade room. “Did you mean me?”
A quick bob of her head and a small smile answered him before she said, “Yes. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course,” Gregory said. “My room or yours?”
“Yours is fine,” the novice said, shutting her door behind her and following him.
She was wearing the white robes of a novice, which covered her from the neck down and looked a little loose on her. Gregory shut the door behind her, moving over to take a seat at the table.
Giving her a smile, he introduced himself first, “I’m Gregory Pettit.”
“Yukiko Warlin,” she replied, taking a seat across from him and folding her legs underneath her. “I wanted to thank you for catching me earlier. I might have been injured if you hadn’t, and it was rude of me to not thank you.”
“Anyone would have done the same,” he said.
“No, no they wouldn’t,” Yukiko replied.
“Why do you think that?”
“My heritage…” Yukiko sighed before meeting his gaze, her cyan eyes locking on his. “I have eurtik snow owl blood. It’s only a little, but enough that many others would let me fall if they knew.”
“I’d catch you every time,” Gregory said simply.
Blinking slowly, Yukiko’s head tilted slightly to the side. “You mean that?” A small smile started spreading on her face.
“My mother always said help those you can,” Gregory replied, returning her smile. “Your heritage isn’t noticeable, outside of your eyes.” Which are gorgeous, he added in his own head.
“My eyes, my hair, and my pale skin make me stand out, bringing trouble,” Yukiko sighed again, looking away from him. “Father took me on the road with him to help me avoid the troubles, which is why I’m here so late.”
“Your father travels a lot? Is he a merchant?”
“Yes. Warlin’s Mercantile. He does a lot of business in the east, along the Buldoun border. I almost missed the ritual altogether, but we were in Jezup when Proctor Harrison arrived, and father decided to have me do the ritual to become an adult. We never thought…” Trailing off, Yukiko’s eyes began to fill with tears.
“You didn’t want to be a magi?” Gregory asked, unsure of what to do for her. “I’ve wanted to be one since I was a child.”
“I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” Yukiko sniffled, doing her best to hold back her tears. “I’ll never be a merchant now, only a magi.”
“You can be both,” Gregory said slowly. “Some of the clans are merchants.”
Yukiko’s smile dimmed, and her eyes crinkled in displeasure. “They aren’t merchants, they are bullies. They use their power to intimidate others into doing what they want. They have no finesse, no soul for the deal.”
“Oh,” Gregory said awkwardly.
Yukiko looked at him again, “You didn’t know that?”
Gregory sighed. Might as well just tell her... it’s already out. Clearing his throat, he shook his head, “I’m from Alturis, in the northwest fringe.”
“That explains why you are here so late, too,” Yukiko said softly. “Jezup is on the eastern fringe.”
“You’re not from there, though.”
“No, my home is… was… Tivano. Father will be heading home to tell Mother, if he isn’t
back already. I didn’t get to say goodbye to her.”
“Can’t they visit?” Gregory asked.
“Only during the tournaments,” Yukiko said.
“But they’ll come. Your father obviously loves you a great deal if he went to such lengths to keep you with him and see you become an adult.”
Tears began to fall, and Yukiko nodded, “Yes, he does. They’ll both be here for the first tournament without a doubt, but I’m going to disappoint them.”
Aether's Blessing (Aether's Revival Book 1) Page 11