Magic School

by Phoenix Grey

  “Uden!” Azure furrowed his brow at his friend.

  “What? Man’s gotta eat.” The half-imp chuckled.

  “Not appropriate.”

  Good God, it was like babysitting a kid sometimes.

  They sat on the grass outside of the school and waited. Time passed slowly with nothing to do, and Azure was beginning to wonder if he should go off to forage, though it would be quite the walk thanks to the magical barrier protecting the forest around the school. In the end, he was just too lazy.

  About an hour later, Uden was finally called back. Azure thought to return to the library and check on Cheryl, hoping she didn’t associate him with the threat. It would be awkward if she tried to run whenever he entered the library. Hopefully, she was smart enough to differentiate the two. But Azure wasn’t sure if he had Uden’s scent on him since they’d tried to ride bareback together. That might be enough to drive her away.

  By the time Azure had motivated himself to stand, Uden came around the corner, a deep scowl on his face.

  “That was fast,” Azure noted. It hadn’t even been fifteen minutes.

  “They won’t teach me,” Uden threw out, stomping past him and away from the school.

  “What?” He turned and jogged a few paces to catch up.

  The half-imp stopped suddenly, pivoting to the side and pointing at the school. It looked like he was pointing directly at Miss Ogden, who instantly looked up from her desk. “They fucking won’t teach me because I’m a half-imp!”

  Azure quirked his head back. “Why? You’re not evil.”

  “You tell them that. This is racial discrimination!” Uden crossed his arms over his chest.

  He had almost forgotten that was a thing in this world.

  For the first time in a while, Azure felt bad for the half-imp. All he had ever wanted was to become a mage. The guy could be bad sometimes, but Azure wouldn’t go as far as to say he was evil. There was still some good in him.

  He frowned and shook his head. “I’ll go talk to her. You stay here.”

  Leaving Uden behind, Azure marched up to Miss Ogden’s desk. “I need to go back and see Elise.”

  “You’ll have to make an appointment,” she told him dryly.

  “He didn’t even get his full time.” Azure gestured back to Uden.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s the policy,” Miss Ogden told him.

  He glanced back at his friend, wondering if he should schedule a meeting with Elise before his appointment with Mareike tomorrow. The half-imp was kicking at the grass, looking depressed. It wasn’t an emotion that Azure had ever associated with Uden before.

  “No.” He turned back to Miss Ogden. “I’ll speak to her now.” Then he walked back to her office, not giving the receptionist a chance to stop him. Uden might not be a student, but Azure had paid good coin to attend this school. And besides, he knew that the land magic professor wasn’t busy. She’d make time to see him.

  Elise was eating a sandwich when Azure got to her office. It was as if whatever had transpired between her and Uden hadn’t affected her at all. Just another day at work. Azure knocked on the doorframe to get her attention.

  She lifted her head and coughed, then set down her sandwich and quickly took a drink of water from a cup on the corner of her desk. “Azure. What are you doing here? You don’t have an appointment.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry for barging in like this, but the person who was just in here is a friend of mine, and I can assure you that he’s mostly human. I mean, I’m not sure if you can see racial percentages that I can’t, but I’ve been with him long enough to tell you that he is not evil,” he rattled out quickly in case Hawking’s had some guards that were about to retrieve him and escort him out of the building.

  “You came back here for the half-imp?” She seemed surprised.

  Azure nodded. “He doesn’t always do the right thing, but he’s a good person at heart and worthy of learning magic.”

  Elise shook her head. “I’m sorry, Azure, but Hawking’s has a strict policy. We don’t teach monster races magic, even if they’re half-breeds. If the genetics are strong enough to manifest in his character sheet, then the darkness inside of him is too strong. Teaching someone like that magic could have dire consequences. Hawking’s isn’t willing to take on that liability.”

  Everything she had said sounded ominous.

  “Are you saying that if he was mostly human, the half-imp part wouldn’t have shown up in his character sheet?” He wasn’t quite sure why he was asking this. Azure had known from the beginning that Uden was equal parts imp and human. Perhaps his physical appearance had tricked Azure into believing otherwise.

  “That is what I’m saying. Humans have neither a dark nor a light affinity. Imps only have a dark affinity. Mixing the two still makes him mostly evil. No school in all of The Realm would ever be willing to teach him magic.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  THE REALM – Day 88

  “Come on.” Azure gestured for Uden to follow him back to Squall’s End. “We’re going to the tavern, and I’m going to pay for you to get hammer-smash-faced. And then we’re going to figure this out together.”

  “I take it it didn’t go well.” The half-imp sulked beside him.

  “There has to be a way to get you into magic school.” He shook his head, thinking as they walked.

  “There is. I just have to keep trying different schools until one of them lets me in.” Only a hint of depression left his voice.

  Azure felt bad for having to drop more bad news on him. “Elise said that no magic school would be willing to teach you.”

  “I bet the one in The Deathlands would. Where do you think all the evil mages come from?” Uden raised an eyebrow in his direction.

  “Maybe. Still, The Deathlands isn’t going to have beyond novice level of any of the other spells.”

  “Piss on my dreams further, would you?” He scowled.

  “I’m sorry, Uden. We’ll figure something out.”

  A soft laugh left his lips, and a moment of silence followed. “You’re a good friend, you know. I give you shit all day long, and you’re still nice to me. Why?”

  Azure glanced at him, thrown off by the sentimental tone of the half-imp’s voice. “Because you’re the closest thing I have to a brother here. You may be a dick, and I truly want to murder you sometimes...but despite all that, I’d prefer your company over Lonnell’s any day. At least you keep things interesting.”

  “Aw. My little black heart.” Uden clutched at his chest. “You know, it really is black. I’m not just saying that. Did you see it when I disintegrated?”

  Azure chuckled.

  They joked as they walked back to Squall’s End, trying to keep the mood light. A veil of sadness hung around them, though. It seemed like adversity followed Uden every step of his life. Perhaps that’s why he placed so many points into Luck. He needed it to help counterbalance the discrimination he faced on a nearly daily basis. Whatever the case, it didn’t seem to be working. Even if the half-imp was partially evil, Azure wanted to make the world a fairer place for him. Uden did try to be good...probably more than any other half-imp ever had. It didn’t seem right that he was getting screwed out of opportunities afforded to everyone else.

  Once they reached the tavern, Azure ordered them both a pint of beer.

  Unsurprisingly taking advantage of his offer, Uden sucked his down before Azure was even a quarter of the way finished with his. It was clear that the half-imp was ready to drink his woes away.

  “I’ll jus keep buyin’ black market spells from Ruthy,” Uden slurred when he was three beers in.

  Azure was pretty sure that the merchant wouldn’t appreciate them talking about his secret wares so loudly. The mention of black market spells had a few eyes darting in their direction.

  “It would probably take several lifetimes before he had every spell you’d need to become a Grand Master Mage,” Azure told him, k
eeping things real.

  “Well aren’t you damned depressin company.” Uden sneered, slumping over the table.

  When the barmaid walked back over and the half-imp tried to order again, Azure stopped him. “I think you’ve had enough.”

  “I’ve had enough when I say I’ve had enough. And as long as yer buyin, it won’t be enough until I’m dead.” His head nearly hit the table from the drama of his words.

  Azure ignored him, looking up at the barmaid. “He’s had enough.”

  She smiled politely and went about her business checking on the other tavern patrons.

  “Come on. Let’s get you up to bed.” Azure drained the rest of his beer, then stood to help Uden up.

  He slung his arm over Azure’s shoulder lazily. “I wanna sleep in yer room tonight.”

  Again, ignoring Uden, Azure lead him up to their room. “Give me your key.”

  The half-imp paused, looking around. “This isn’t yer room.”

  “No. It’s your room.” He refrained from sighing. “Now give me your key so I can let you in.”

  “I don’t wanna.” Uden pouted.

  The sigh finally escaped. “Don’t make me pat you down.”

  A doofy grin lit up the half-imp’s face. “I might like that.”

  “Of course, you would. I’m not playing, though. Give me your key.” Azure pulled himself from under Uden’s arm and opened and closed his hand.

  With the self-control of a child, the half-imp’s whole body shook as he whined. “I don’t want Lonnell ta know. He’s goin ta be soooo disappointed in me.” Uden rested his forehead against the wall.

  “He’s not going to be disappointed in you.” Azure pressed his lips together. “Look. Lonnell isn’t even here right now. He’ll probably be out all night on whatever quest he took.” He knocked on the door. Surely, if Lonnell was inside, he would have come just from hearing their voices.

  “Please. I don’t want ta have ta explain this ta him when I’m drunk.” Uden slapped his palms together.

  “That’s why you should go to sleep. You can explain it to him in the morning.” Azure’s frustration was beginning to build. Why did the half-imp always have to be such a pain in the ass? “I’m going to leave you here if you don’t give me your key.”

  Uden simply stood there, his hands still in a begging gesture, his eyes glazed over as if he might pass out in the hallway at any second. When Azure walked past him to leave, the half-imp reanimated, clutching onto the back of his chainmail. “Please, brother. Please! Just for tonight. I’ll make Lonnell pay you for the room.”

  How brotherly of you. Not even offering to pay for it yourself. Azure couldn't help but smirk. Even when he was wasted, Uden was still a natural dick.

  Not saying anything, Azure continued to his room, and the half-imp stumbled after him. Part of him had hoped that Uden would have passed out in the hall. Of course, Azure wouldn't have just left him there. He wasn't that big of an asshole. No. He would have done the good friend thing, got into his pockets for the key, then carried him to his room.

  But the half-imp hadn’t passed out. He leaned against the wall while Azure fished into his Bag of Holding for the key to his own room. Then he barged right in as soon as the door was open, throwing himself down onto Azure’s bed and immediately falling asleep.

  Azure shook his head. “You are the little brother I never wanted.” Then he searched Uden’s pockets until he found the key. The half-imp didn’t even stir as Azure jostled him around, and he most certainly wasn’t being careful about it.

  Azure sighed as he stood over Uden. The guy had definitely drawn a hard lot in life. Even though he was in a town where no one knew who he was, as soon as anyone discovered his heritage, they immediately disliked him. The Adventurers Guild had blatantly tried to get him killed on his prerequisite quest. Either that or scare him away. Hawking’s School of Land Magic clearly didn’t want him there. It seemed like there was no real place in this world for the half-imp.

  Begrudging himself for feeling so much sympathy, Azure took Uden’s shoes off. Then he pulled the sheet over him, tucking him in, and left, heading to Lonnell’s room to sleep there for the night instead. If the elder brother did happen to return, Azure would bear the burden of explaining what had transpired at Hawking’s, even if it wasn’t his business to do so.

  He knew that Lonnell wouldn’t be disappointed. Azure wasn’t sure why Uden was freaking out about it so much. Maybe just the heightened emotions and alcohol. Whatever the case, everything would be all right. The real question was, what would the half-imp do now that he couldn’t fulfill his dream of becoming a Grand Master Mage?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  THE REALM – Day 89

  Lonnell didn’t return that night, and Azure awoke to find Uden still sleeping in his bed. He let the half-imp lie and ventured off to Hawking’s, wondering what Uden would do when he did wake up. All he really could do was either wait for Lonnell to return or take a quest at The Adventurers Guild. Or disappear. If Azure feared anything, it was that Uden would go AWOL. There was nothing keeping him in Squall’s End now besides the companionship of his brother and friends. Somehow, Azure doubted that would be enough to tie the half-imp down.

  Azure had a bit of time to kill, so he practiced trying to mount Flicker while standing for the first ten minutes that he had her summoned. By some miracle, he was able to get on her once using Uden’s method. Before losing the enchantment, he cast Summon Mount again and took off for his destination.

  Mareike was drinking a cup of hot liquid when he entered her office. She seemed overly relaxed, her eyes not even moving up to acknowledge him until he was sitting in the seat across from her.

  “Did you finish your quest?” she asked, practically choking on the beverage as if coming to life mid-drink.

  “That’s why I’m here.” Azure took out his quest sheet and slid it across to her.

  Mareike pulled it closer and searched for her stamp at the same time. It quickly became clear that multitasking wasn’t her strong suit when she knocked a stack of papers off of her desk. Part of Azure didn’t want to help her pick them up, but he knew that he’d only waste more time if he didn’t.

  The stamp wasn’t on her desk. She spent another ten minutes searching drawers before finally finding it under her desk.

  What is wrong with this woman? It took everything in Azure not to shake his head at her.

  Finally, she stamped the word 'Complete' on his quest paper, and a notification popped up.

  Congratulations! Magic School Quest: Thin Out the Gnolls has been completed.

  Thanks to you, the gnoll guards will be bothering the people of Mightrest no longer. The threat is abated...for now. You have earned 280XP.

  Azure liked the way the prompt said for now. That meant the same quest would likely pop up for someone else in the future.

  “Here’s what you have left to learn.” Mareike slid three spell scrolls in front of Azure. There was only one in the pile that he hadn’t seen before.

  Spell Scroll: Greasy Summon

  Quantity: 1/1

  Weight: 0.0 kg

  Mana Cost: 20

  Range: 6 feet

  Cooldown: Ten Minutes

  Magic Class: Enchanting

  Uses: Summons a blob monster from a greasy surface that deals damage equivalent to the caster's base unarmed stats. Lasts for 3 minutes, then turns back into a greasy surface. You cannot have more than one summon at a time.

  This one actually looked useful. It complemented the Grease spell he already knew, which means that if he used it frequently, it could help him level both his land magic and his enchanting at the same time. Choosing it as his next spell was a no-brainer.

  “This one.” He tapped the scroll.

  “You know the drill by now.” Mareike inhaled deeply as if she were bored, then turned to the wall and said her magic word.

  Azure followed her into the secret ro
om, going through the motions of absorbing the spell. Within a matter of minutes, the magic was a part of him.

  Congratulations! You have learned the enchanting spell: Greasy Summon. Fighting is dirty business. Even the playing field by using the grime of battle to your advantage. Your familiar will fight for you until its health is depleted or three minutes have passed.

  Sweet! Azure couldn’t wait to try out this spell. It would make fighting multiple enemies so much easier when he was questing alone.

  He was chomping at the bit to get his new quest when they sat back down at Mareike’s desk. Of course, patience needed to be one of his virtues, because it took her forever to remember where she had put her quest papers.

  “You know, it might help you a little if you keep your stuff in the same place all the time,” Azure suggested.

  “Would it?” She gave him a vacant look. It seemed like she hadn’t even heard him as she pulled a quest paper from her stack and placed it in front of him.

  Magic School Quest: Size Does Matter

  A local bestiologist has noticed that the critters in The Dreaded Flatlands have recently doubled in size. The professors at Hawking's have been tasked with finding out why. But first, we need samples to analyze. Unfortunately, this literal growing problem is causing some other issues. Please thin out some of these oversized monsters and bring back the samples we need.

  Difficulty: Easy

  Success: Kill 5 Oversized Spiders

  Kill 5 Oversized Snakes

  Loot and return 1 Oversized Spider Venom Sack and 1 Oversized Snake Venom Sack to Hawking's School of Land Magic

  Failure: Cancel quest

  Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

  “Looks good to me.” He rolled up the paper and placed it in his Bag of Holding. “Before I go, I was wondering if the magic school in The Deathlands would take on a student with a dark affinity?”