Interlude A
Heather
Heather raced through the streets dodging people as they went about their business. She was finally going to become a sorceress. Ten years of study had been leading up to today, the annual testing for admission into the sorcery academy. Every month one of the twelve academies on the higher floors would send a few of their professors to proctor a test for the regular citizens on the lower floors. Hardly anyone got in through the tests, most of the magic folks came from their own families. Generations upon generations of new students were born to the same families in the higher floors.
Heather though, Heather had searched every library she could and studied every book she could find ever since she was a teenager. She was going to pass the test and ascend to the Sorcery Academy to learn magic for real.
Heather had been incredibly excited and rushed off as soon as she had finished her chores. Being so early meant she didn't need to run and ended up waiting as she arrived well before the proctors and their servants had finished setting up. More potential sorcerers arrived over the next hour. Even though there were few who passed each year, the Tower was massive and the area quickly became crowded with hopefuls.
The Tower was home to more people than anyone had bothered to count. The lower floors were home to regular people. They did the jobs that needed doing in order to supply a tower full of magic users. Heather herself was a baker, her mother and father were bakers as well, it was even in their name, they were the Bakers. The middle floors were the academies, the professors and students lived on whichever floor their academy was on. Once a student graduated they would ascend once more and reach higher floors. The Tower was wide enough that each floor was like a town on its own. There were even buildings inside the Tower, if you didn't look up to see the magic sun and moon that crossed along the ceiling you might not realize you were inside. No one was quite sure what went on up on the higher floors, or even how many floors there were but Heather intended to find out.
Once the circles had been set up for testing one of the proctors stepped onto a raised platform. The man made a series of arcane gestures and his hands left a trail of distortion in the air. Once he had finished his spell the distortion glowed with the shimmering blue of raw magic before fading away.
The proctor spoke and his voice reverberated through the square and off the buildings like the walls were speaking for him, “I am Senior Sorcerer Bernard. I will be the head proctor for today's testing. Behind me you will see ten of the finest Sorcerers in the academy, you will follow their instructions quickly and efficiently. When you are disqualified you must leave the area immediately and without fuss.”
Bernard made another series of gestures and cast a spell that created translucent walls of color separating the crowd into smaller groups
“I have just divided you into roughly equal groups. Each group will form an orderly line and report to their proctor for their test. If we move this along at a decent pace we might be able to finish before dinner. Do your best. Good luck. And other such platitudes”
With that Bernard stepped down and moved to the head of one of the growing lines.
Heather tried to get a look at the front of her own area as she hurried into line but the crowd was too thick to see anything.
“First time testing?” a tiny voice asked from behind her
Heather looked around but didn’t see anyone who looked like they had said something. As she went to turn back the voice spoke again.
“Down here, I swear you humans are so high up you can't ever tell what’s going on around you”
Looking down Heather saw the speaker. It was a gnome girl. Gnomes were a magical race that held a distinct advantage when learning certain forms of magic. Sorcery was a form of magic that was solely based on study and hard work though so finding a gnome in line to test for the sorcery academy was a rare sight. The girl was only a foot tall and carried a stick twice that. She used the stick to whack the shins of anyone who got too close so she wouldn't be stepped on.
“So?” she said, “Is this your first test?”
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Heather nodded once in agreement, “Yeah how could you tell? And do you need a… boost or something?”
The gnome laughed and held her stick up with pride, “No this is pretty fun, I don't usually get to thump so many people. As for your other question you were making faces and standing on your tip toes like you won’t be able to see the Sorcerers when you get your turn. I’m Daisy by the way.”
Heather blushed, “Oh yeah. Nice to meet you Daisy, I'm Heather .”
Daisy beamed, “Heather is a good name, like a gnome name. And don’t worry, we are pretty close to the front, and it doesn’t take long to test, you’ll get your turn soon.”
Heather stepped forward to fill the gap in the line before nodding, “Yeah, I watch every year so I’m really excited to get to be a sorceress.”
Daisy raised an eyebrow, “Pretty confident huh? Don't get too excited, only a handful pass each year.”
That was true, Heather had seen years where only one or two passed from the hundreds that showed up each test. Sorcery was one of the more popular test days because theoretically anyone could perform sorcery. Many other forms of magic required special gifts or secret teachings only passed down through a magical family.
“Right… but I’ve been studying and practicing the spell for light for ten years now. I’m going to pass” Heather smiled
Daisy whistled and smacked an ankle that got too close, “Ten years huh? Can you cast it?”
“Of course, I can make it brighter or dimmer, make it linger or fade, even change the colors and make it move.”
“Really? That’s pretty impressive I can only make the magic distortion last a few moments, not nearly long enough to draw out a spell yet.”
The two chatted as the line crept forward, eventually it was Heather’s turn and she could see their proctor up close. It was a stern looking woman with wrinkled skin and grey hair tightly tied up in a bun. She wore the crimson robes that everyone affiliated with the Sorcery Academy wore.
“Step into the circle applicant" The woman said with disinterest
Heather took her place in a circle of rope that had been laid out at each test area. The other circles were visible and Heather could see several tests happening. It seemed there would be some questions and a demonstration of skill. Some of the testers were being checked with a strange device as they repeated the same gestures over and over. It looked like you didn’t need to be able to fully cast a spell with sorcery, just prove that you could. The sight reignited Heather's excitement.
“Do you know any sorcery?”
“I know the light spell”
The proctor seemed a bit surprised by that, “Can you cast the spell?”
“Yes"
“Do so" she said as she leaned forward and stared intently
Heather took a deep breath and began the motions. The air didn't distort like when Bernard had cast his spells, instead she left a shining blue trail in the air wherever her fingertip went. Just before Heather finished the spell that would create a softly glowing ball of light that would hover in the air, the proctor stopped her.
“That’s enough, you fail, leave now" The Sorceress hurriedly said she almost sounded frightened
Heather was shocked and didn't react immediately. Failed? But she didn't even let her finish the spell. Heather knew that was a flawless light spell, she hadn't failed casting a light spell in three years! She didn't get a chance to protest because a servant roughly grabbed her wrist and hauled her out of the circle and away from the testing site. Looking back she saw a sad Daisy waving to her as she took her place in the circle.
Heather lost sight of the testing area before Daisy could start her own test.
“Wait, I'll leave, let me go that hurts"
The servants grip was iron as she was dragged into an alley and pushed against the wall.
The servant leaned close and stared at Heather, their eyes seemed to glow in the dark of the alley.
“Who are your parents?” The servant hissed
“What? Leave me alone”
Heather tried to push them away and run. The servant spoke in a twisted backward sort of voice that hurt to listen to and Heather froze… literally. Frost collected on her clothes and ice gathered around her joints chilling her blood and locking her in place.
“I’ll ask again, and please don't make me force you to answer, Who. Are. Your. Parents?”
The frost around her jaw cleared enough to allow her to speak, “The Bakers on seventh street”
The person posing as a servant considered that before their eyes turned green and they spoke in another foreign language Heather didn't recognize for a moment, at least this one didn't hurt to listen to. Once they stopped talking they paused and the alley was silent for a moment. A small breeze blew through the alley and that seemed to stir the person. Their eyes went back to a piercing blue and they talked to Heather again.
“I see. Well this is quite a surprise…” The servant person stepped back and looked the still helpless Heather up and down for a moment before continuing, “You are not going to be a sorceress”
The words cut Heather deeply, she had spent ten years studying and perfecting the light spell, why could she not be a sorceress?
Heather's despair was cut short when the servant drew back their hood and revealed a shaved head covered in tattoos.
“Let me phrase that better. You won’t be JUST a sorceress. You weren’t using sorcery in that test, you were freely manipulating magic through an inborn trait. That’s how mages use magic, you were also drawing a proper spell that had been modified, like an experienced sorcerer. I also sense magic in your blood, as is the case with Arcanists. I can’t sense every form of magic but I suspect you have a natural affinity for every type of magic so you won't just be a sorceress, you’ll be every kind of magic user.”