The following day Seth met Owen outside the Celestial Tower.

"We didn't get all the cantrips done," Owen said. "You think the professor would care? He wasn't even here last week."

"Probably not. I didn't read the travelog either." To be honest, Seth was pretty mad about the travelog. He wanted to learn about dimensional magic and mana sources, not read some guy's diary. Which he found weird, because normally he'd have loved to read something like that. But right now it felt like a waste of time.

At least the tower wasn't locked. Mau clung to his shoulder and refused to get down. He was going to need to put pads or something in his uniform before too long. Her unintended claw usage was becoming more and more painful.

On that thought, Seth asked Owen, "Hey, do you think Mau is getting bigger?"

Owen examined the cat. "Hard to say. I see her every day, so I wouldn't really notice. Maybe we should measure her or something?"

Mau jumped down and sauntered off. "I don't think she likes that idea," Seth said. He dropped his bag on a table in the tower common area and looked around. Last time the tower was empty, and Seth expected the same to happen this week. Instead the professor was partially reclined on a couch reading a small book. He was watching the two of them with mild irritation.

Seth noticed he didn't look homeless anymore. His hair was combed and his clothes were clean.

"You showed up," Professor Kaban said.

"You didn't show up last week," Owen said.

The professor shrugged. "It happens. It'll happen again."

"What will we be working on today?" Seth asked.

"Got your essays for me?"

"We're still learning all the cantrips," Seth said. "We haven't done them all yet."

"Then do that. If you haven't done your work I don't see why I should do mine." Professor Kaban picked his book back up and started reading again.

Seth sighed and scanned the bookshelves. He was sure there were books about the stars on those shelves. There was a time when he'd happily have spent all day reading. He had loved learning new things. Maybe someday he could be that person again.

Right now he was here in place of Saben. And Saben wouldn't waste time that way so Seth shouldn't either. Being a bookworm hadn't helped Seth with Dad, the caravan, or with Blaise. Indulging in books was time he needed to be training or practicing.

Later. After I master my power and can stand firm. When I'm not a sandbag anymore, I can get back to what I like to do.

Fortunately learning spells was something that did both for Seth. It scratched the itch to learn and felt like he was making progress.

"Do you want to practice more cantrips?" Seth asked Owen who shrugged and pulled out the book.

Seth wanted to ask the professor about the difference between the two books, to try to find out why Owen could read the travelog better than the cantrip book, but that wasn't really his choice to make. Owen's inability to read was likely embarrassing.

"You don't think you're going to practice here, do you?" Professor Kaban said.

"Why not?" Seth asked.

"Spell practice is in classrooms or designated spaces only. It's in the handbook."

"I haven't read the handbook," Owen said.

"Me neither," Seth said.

"Then start with that. You should've read it before school started." Professor Kaban shook his head and turned back to his book. "First years."

"How do you want to do this?" Seth asked softly.

"You read it," Owen said just as softly. He sat down next to Seth so he could read over his shoulder.

"A guide to the Magic Academy of Rosia," Seth began.

"Don't tell me you are going to read that out loud?" Professor Kaban interrupted.

"Why not?" Seth asked. "You'll know we read it."

"Do you look for new ways to get under my skin?"

There was a resounding crash from the hallway.

"Now what the fuck?" Professor Kaban was on his feet and over by the hallway before Seth and Owen had gotten to their feet.

"How did you even find this? This room was locked," Professor Kaban said. He planted his fists on his hips and glared at Mau.

Mau was inside what looked like a weapon storage room with nearly every weapon now on the floor. She sat with her tail curled gracefully around her paws while surrounded by the sharp edges of swords, spears, and axes.

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"How did you get every single one of them on the floor? They were all hung up individually," the professor said.

Mau yawned widely, showing off her fangs and stretched, putting gouges in the floor, and then sat calmly again.

"You brat." Professor Kaban turned to Seth. "I'm not cleaning this mess."

"Why are there so many swords here?" Owen asked. "Isn't this the space tower?"

"Myself and a few others associated with the tower are proficient," Professor Kaban said.

"Would you be willing to teach me?" Owen said. "Instead of the space magic you said we can't learn yet, can we learn swords?"

"No. I'm retired."

Seth bent down to pick up a slender sword with a white blade. The pearly sheen reminded him of the seed he'd chosen for the Circle Tower project. Before he could touch the blade Professor Kaban stepped in the way. Seth saw that Mau was looking over the swords too.

"No, You need to stop," Professor Kaban said. "None of these are for you." He turned to Seth. "Get her out of here."

Mau did her 'important' meow, and looked from the swords, to Owen, to Kaban and back.

"Come on, Mau," Seth said. He navigated the swords to pick her up. She ducked and put her paw on the white sword, with her claws just peeking out. She meowed again.

"Not that sword." Professor Kaban's tone was glacial.

Mau nodded and moved her paw to a plain looking sword with a hilt wrapped in scaleskin.

"You seriously intend to hold swords hostage to coerce me into teaching these boys?" Professor Kaban asked Mau.

She cocked her head and flicked her ears. Then slowly extended her claws.

Professor Kaban folded his arms and glared at the cat. "Damage that sword and I'll report you for damaging school property. I'm aware Seth is responsible for what you do and he will be punished, not you."

"Mau…" Seth eyed the sword and the cat. He might be able to grab her before she could claw the sword. He watched her as she engaged in a battle of wills with the professor, each glaring at the other.

"No," Seth said firmly. The cat ignored him as expected. He stomped on the pommel of a nearby sword with a basket hilt, sending it clanging through the other swords. Mau jumped straight up, and Seth snatched her before she could do more mischief.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Seth said. "She is definitely a handful."

"She has good taste. That is the most valuable sword here after the white one."

"We'll get this righted up," Owen said. "I don't reckon you should put the cat down though."

"Definitely not," Professor Kaban said. "How did she get in here anyway?"

"I don't know, sir. She just does things," Seth said. He held Mau in his left arm and started picking up swords with his right. Mau continued to glare at Professor Kaban. Seth was just glad she wasn't trying to get down.

The professor picked up the white sword. He gazed thoughtfully at it while the boys picked up the others. The boys got the weapons put away pretty quickly, with Professor Kaban directing them on where to put specific weapons. He hung the white sword last. When the professor closed the door to the weapon room the door instantly blended with the hallway, looking like an empty wall.

"How did you know this was even here?" Seth asked Mau.

She growled and lashed her tail, still glaring at Professor Kaban.

The professor nodded as he studied the cat. "You're going to be a problem forever more if I don't agree to train these boys, aren't you?"

Mau blinked slowly.

"Yeah, I thought so. Fine. It's been a long time since I trained students, but I'll make a deal with you. I will train these two so long as you stay out of… no. That list would be too long. You are only allowed to go to the places that Seth is allowed to go. And you agree that you won't go where he isn't."

Mau flicked her ear.

"If you break that promise, I will stop teaching."

Mau cocked her head and then nodded once.

"Bullied by a fucking cat. All right then. Looks like we're going to be doing training after all, boys. Get your crap and get over here."

Professor Kaban led them to the elevating platforms they'd used during the Gauntlet. "Floor six. Do not, ever, go higher without a professor with you." The professor cast a spell on Owen and then Seth. Seth felt the Celestial Tower symbol on his wrist change slightly. He looked at it but didn't notice anything different.

"I just gave you access to the sixth floor. Class will be there from now on." The platform stopped and the Professor stepped off.

The whole floor was a training gym, very similar to the ones at the Royal Palace. There was a section of the floor that was covered in soft mats, another area was sandy with targets, one had what looked like an obstacle course, and last was a large section where the floor was springy wood. The pillars with sigils that were everywhere outside were also here. This space was clearly expanded.

"Neither of you know how to use those yet, right?" Professor Kaban gestured to the pillars.

"No sir," Seth answered while Owen shook his head.

"Right then. Over here." Professor Kaban led them over to a section that had black lines on the wooden floor. There was a weapon rack with wooden training weapons along the wall.

"You. Your power lets you make old stuff better, right?"

"Yes, sir," Owen answered. "If I can look through them I can find the best one."

"Won't be necessary." Professor Kaban tossed him a wooden sword. "Brand new, never used. Your talent should leave it alone." He tossed a second sword to Seth who promptly fumbled it.

"Your cat has decided you should have weapon training. So here we are. There are changing rooms over there and the gym uniforms are clean. You have five minutes."

Seth and Owen trotted off to the changing rooms. Seth was surprised to find shower stalls and sinks in there. Come to think of it, they had come in through a bathroom window during the Gauntlet, so maybe it wasn't too unusual. The gym uniform Seth pulled on was a little too big, but was comfortable and smelled clean.

When they trotted back into the gym, Professor Kaban was just finishing attaching strings of bells to the ceiling with a spectral hand.

When he was done Professor Kaban turned to face Mau. "I'm thinking you should get some training too, since you started all this. You, cat, need to get up to that platform there," he pointed to a platform near the ceiling. A line of cylinders of various heights made steps up to the platform. The strings of bells hung down around the cylinders. "And do it without ringing a single bell."

Mau looked at the obstacles and circled them.

Professor Kaban smiled smugly. "That should keep you–"

Mau leapt directly from the floor to the platform.

"Brat. That's not what I meant and you know it."

Mau shrugged and walked down the cylinders. The first one she stepped on swayed beneath her and her tail slightly jingled one string of bells. None of the cylinders were stable and swayed when unbalanced. Each one was only a couple of inches around. Mau paused on the first one and examined the other cylinders.

"Fine then. For now, practice that, and maybe see how quick you can do it. I'll think up something harder for you to try later." Professor Kaban shook his head and turned back to Seth and Owen. "All right. You two. We'll start with warmups and then do forms. Let's begin."