The morning was sunny and still. The city of Marum in northern Saragesia was slowly awakening to face the day ahead. Butchers stretched their bodies and set about preparing the meat, town officials rushed down the streets to meet their stacks of forms and files as sun spilled her light over the magnificent wings of the Royal Academy. The massive building was centuries old, being the epi-centrum of magical learning for many neighboring kingdoms and duchies. They accepted only those truly gifted, several of her alumni being among the greatest and most respected magi of the known world. Her students numbered some 2000. The majority had gained entry through both means and ability, receiving patronage from the nobility in return for sworn service upon graduation. A smaller number were granted stipendiums based on their talents, and a smaller number still were granted entry by personal selection of the professors. Alice Pihl was one of these students.

She was a foreigner, having grown up half a continent away, which along with her magical expertise and excellence caused rifts with her fellow students. Her chestnut hair and fair skin drew mocking comments from her peers, and her thin, strong body drew further jeers from the boys, calling her a stick for her lack of shapes. Duels had been a daily occurrence in her earlier basic magical education, though to call them duels were a bit misleading. Street brawls was a far more fitting term. Several fellow students would assault her on the streets, using whatever magical abilities they could. It was very rare that she lost, with her opponents usually walking away with severe (yet not untreatable) burns. Wielding fire had always come naturally to her and she used it to blast her attackers away with overwhelming force. Never to kill them however, she held back just enough for it to really hurt but not more. One of these brawls, this time against a bruiser called Daggio and his compatriots, caught the eye of a man named Bartolomeo Vespi when he chanced upon it in the streets. “Keep your guard up, girl! Not that way, watch your left! BAH you don’t know what you are doing!”, he had yelled before stopping the fight by freezing all of the participants in an instant. Casually he walked over to Alice, her piercing pale blue eyes aflame with rage. “You waste yourself on these nobodies, girl. Your rough style could take you to greatness if someone only helped you hone it into something…dangerous. As it stands, you would last but a moment against real opponents. A pup, snapping it’s jaws at a wolf.” Embers and smoke burst out of Alice’s nostrils. He chuckled. “Very well, girl. I’ll make you an offer. Appear at this address tomorrow after midday sun and I shall show you what you could be.” A little scrap of paper appeared in her frozen hand. He turned towards the opponents, 4 frozen boys, all staring at the magi with panic in their eyes. “Your mothers miss you, turn and go to your homes”. Vespi flicked his wrist and the four boys’ expressions became blank. They thawed and turned around, wildly running in different directions. He turned towards Alice again.

“My name is Bartolomeo Vespi. Prove yourself tomorrow, and I shall ask you for your name.”

Vespi gave Alice a wink and an amused snort before leaving. A few minutes after he had left, Alice thawed and fell to the ground. She took a deep breath…but then slammed her fist in the ground with embers flying. After taking a few deep breaths she rose and gathered her thoughts. It was clear that the man was highly skilled. His clothing had been of fine quality and his speech was finer, as if accustomed to higher parts of society. He had influence, most certainly. Hmm…to not seize on this opportunity would be a waste. Perhaps her skill would finally be recognized and developed as it deserved to be. She continued these self-absorbed thoughts as she ventured home. She had taken up housing at a convent in the outskirts of town, her board provided in exchange for chores and a dedication towards her studies.

The next day, just past midday sun, Alice found herself outside of a large mansion in the middle of the city. There was a large, silver bell beside the door. She rang it, and a serene sound spread into the street like a wave of comfort. She scoffed but admitted to herself that deep down the sound did make her feel at ease. She looked to the west; the Academy was clearly visible. Heard as well, apparently there was some form of outdoors practice going on as rather loud explosions could be heard from its general direction. She also saw colourful explosions splatter against the large bubble-like shield that enveloped the building. Alice lost herself in a dreamlike state of longing, the academy had been her dream ever since she first heard of it. A place where she could finally develop herself and show what she was made of. You see, she had a very simple goal. She wanted to be the greatest magi that ever lived. Silly and rather vain, for sure, but it drove her on. It was the source of her fire inside. The mere thought of how much power she could attain from her studies there... She shivered with excitement.

Just as she was losing herself completely to dreams and longing, the door sprang open. A short, bald man was behind it, looking questioning at her. His clothes gave the impression of a steward or other trusted servant.

“Can I help you?”

“Ahh, yes. I was summoned here yesterday by…ehm…well, a man. A magician to be specific…”, she nervously fumbled forth.

“I see… if you would please follow me.” The steward disappeared into the house. Alice followed, with the door shutting behind her. They were in a long hallway with reddish walls. A multitude of awards, diplomas and paintings covered the walls. One in particular caught her eye, about halfway down the hallway. It was a crest depicting a lynx with a trident within its mouth. It was beautiful, she thought. The words Mont et Maris were written underneath.

“The master’s family crest.” She jumped a bit, startled by the Steward’s sudden words. “The words mean ‘Mountain or Sea’, a motto symbolizing his family’s history, from mountaineers to seafolk. Master has been meaning to update it, as the family have been magicians for over 150 years but officiating the change proves to be quite a hassle. Now, if you please.” The steward gestured once more to follow him.

They went further into the lavish mansion. The furnishing was exquisite. Down a set of stairs, they came into a small area with a fighting ring filled with sand dug into the floor. 4 young magicians were warming up in it. Vespi was sat on a small stool overlooking the ring. He rose to greet Alice as soon as he saw her.

“Welcome to my abode. I trust it was not too difficult to find.” He gestured towards the fighters in the pit. “As you can see, I have gathered 4 of my best students: Arkatarnox.” A very tall man with steel gloves nodded his head at Alice. “Giulia” a blond woman of athletic build with leather armouring gave Alice a sour look. “Petrun.” A red-haired woman with a wooden cane gave her a smile. “And lastly Hannus, my champion.” A very athletic man of medium height and black hair nodded towards her. He had no weapon or armour on him.

“They all have one thing in common: they all study at the Academy because of my patronage. In exchange, I ask only for them to fight for me in tournaments of magical duels, be they against other colleges or the teams of my dear colleagues. I think you see why I’ve brought you here now.” Vespi smiled slyly. “If you prove yourself against one of my students, I will offer you that same deal. I will let you choose whom to face, any one of them should prove adequate testament of your abilities but…perhaps a demonstration first?” Vespi clapped his hands. The four students gathered in formation, facing Alice. “Arkatarnox!”, Vespi yelled.

The tall man stepped forward, braced himself and slammed his steel gauntlets together. A mighty quake followed, shaking the building. The Steward, who had remained silent in a corner of the room, let out a concerned yell and run upstairs when the sounds glass shattering against the floor reached him. Arakatarnox stepped back. Alice gulped.

“Giulia, step forward.”

The athletic woman stepped forward, and lightning formed in her hands. She jumped into the air and started flying around the room at incredible speed. Alice could barely follow the woman as she darted past. She landed back at the place she had started.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Petrun, you’re next”

The red haired woman stepped forward. Her staff grew and enveloped her in a protective armour of hardwood with several arms protruding from the back and shoulders. The arms formed into various weapons and tools before crawling back into the cane in her hand.

“Hannus!”

The champion stepped forward and took a deep breath. Suddenly, he explosively flexed his entire body. His flesh grew darker, appearing like blackened steel. He fell forward with a heavy thud that shook the room. He stood up, his entire body made of metal.

Vespi looked at Alice “well, whom do you choose as your opponent?”

Alice pondered for a moment, analysing the 4 contestants carefully.

“I would choose Petrun”

Vespi looked at her amused. “And why is that”

“She has what appears to be the weakest ability here…or so I thought.”

Vespi chuckled. “How so?”

“Her ability does not drain her as much, at least seeing how she did not break a sweat when compared to the others. Arkatarnox’s arms has been mildly shaking ever since he used his ability and I can hear him grunt softly from the exertion still. Giulia is clearly winded from using her ability. And Hannus does appear to be untouchable, but the steel makes him slower as well and drains him. Petrun keeps her strength up while being flexible and focused on beating opponents with stamina, drawing the battle out as long as possible to gain an upper hand. The worst counter for my own style…but the only way for me to improve is to counter my weaknesses. So my choice is still Petrun.”

Vespi burst into laughter. “Well stated. Not entirely correct, but a good analysis, nonetheless. She is indeed focused on prolonged fights. But as any of these four will tell you, focusing on a single aspect of combat is folly.”

The four students fired up once more. Arkatarnox’s gloves enveloped his body much like Petruns staff had, Giulia’s body transformed into a vapour-like state, Petrun slammed her staff into the sand which caused a quake. But Hannus still remained in his metal state. Electricity ran up and down his body as he took a pose like preparing for a sprint…and took off. He was even faster than Giulia had been before, darting around the room wildly before landing back where he started with a smash that shook the room. Alice eyes where like empty plates, staring in disbelief. Her mouth was agape. Her cheeks grew red with shame. She had thought her answer well developed. Stupid assumptions, she should have known there was something else going on. Tears formed in her eyes.

“So you see what you lack now, don’t you? Your brawls and your anger may have developed your fiery nature, but what will you do if faced with an opponent equipped with far more tools than you? Ready to counter your limited abilities? No, you are presumptive and foolish.” Vespi paused and eased his tone. “You show promise, and with work you can become a top contender. Obviously, I would not have you fight any of my students in your current state…it would be a bloodbath.”

He paused and looked into her eyes, weighing his next words. ”I’ll grant you the scholarship. However if you do not dedicate yourself to this wholeheartedly and make progress I will rescind my offer again. I will send my steward to fetch you in 3 days time. Dismissed”

That had been more than a year ago. Alice had entered the academy and excelled in all regards. The three main fields of magical study were Conjuration, the art of creating something from magic, Manipulation, the art of changing something already in this world with magic, and then the magics related to the soul, called Animatia, Wesenlere or other terms depending on where in the world one was. Animatia was usually teached sparingly, as it was dangerous for both receiver and user. Some smaller, more obscure colleges taught it almost solely, but they were highly selective in their recruitment. In theory there was some crossover between Animatia and the other two, but in application the magics used were wildly different. It is a seemingly easy thing to turn an apple blue, but to make a person turn against their friend or loyal friend was a far more nuanced and complex process. Each field was further divided into different subjects. Alice performance in all subjects was well above average, but there were two fields she proved herself extraordinarily in: Elemental conjuration and projection…and their limited venture into the Animatia subject of necromancy. During their lecture they had each been given a deceased rat and tasked with making it move. Not only had her rat moved, it had sprung to life and, apart from the decay and smell, appeared as if it had never died in behaviour. The lecturer, Magister Catanel, had incinerated the rat on the spot and dismissed the class with a worried look.

This had not affected her as much as perhaps it should. No, the thing that affected her the most was a lesson in General Magical Theory that had been held in the first month. It had been taught by Magister Margareta Vespi, whom she learned later was the divorced spouse of Magister Bartolomeo. The lesson concerned the foundation of magics, where the abilities came from and what fuelled them. “Inside each and every individual, there is a natural born amount of magical capacity. Many liken it to a muscle, but we at this college find that to be a misleading representation. A muscle can be built and improved. You magical “pool” as it is called, cannot be expanded. What happens is that your body becomes more in tune with your pool, allowing you greater and more flexible access to its reserves of energy. Pools are refilled by resting and eating well, usually a night’s sleep will be enough. However sometimes in the case of greater pools, more rest is needed to fully recover. This is also why magicians in warfare always work in duos or trios depending on role and abilities, as greater tasks require larger amounts of energy.”

This simple, basic lesson had disturbed her more than anything else. It was a permanent obstacle in the way of her desires for greatness. She had brought this concern to Vespi once. “You underestimate what you can do with training. My wif-…Margareta has a tendency towards understating that part. You have heard of the mage Vordegard? His pool is said to be rather small, but his aptitude and finesse with its usage made it possible for him to do incredible things. Do not worry, Alice. It’s all training and work.”

And so she applied herself. Her progress was even greater than before, as she trained both in duels and privately. Her social life was far above what it had been, but her relationships with the people around her could at most be described as a professional respect. She had only one real friend, Iocasta. They shared housing in the southern wing of the academy. Iocasta came from the south of Saragesia, fertile land with orchards and a great many villas. Her family was moderately affluent and had paid for her entrance into the academy. The two girls had found common ground in being generally uninterested in the people around them.

The same morning as the two rogues were detected in the Lockbox, Alice was preparing for her attendance of a royal exhibition at the Academy. She was up even before the sun had risen. It had taken her about 2 months to get into the habit of rising before the school alarm sounded. About a century back, the school’s leadership had decided to introduce a drastic mechanic to the beds of students. They would become ice cold at exactly the seventh hour from midnight. When they said ice cold, they meant literally freezing. It was a brutal but effective method of ensuring that students did not sleep in. More or less every student learned to wake up and rise slightly before the seventh hour.

She rose just moments before the alarm set in and left her bedroom. Her bedroom went straight into a small kitchen combined with office-space. Iocasta met her in the kitchen.

“Morning” she yawned.

“Good morning. Excited?”, Alice asked as she reached for a boiled egg and charred some toast with her hand.

“For the exhibition?” She sighed deeply. “What’s there to be excited about really, I mean everybody knows its just like…like a fake competition. So there’s not really any actual struggle involved. It’s like trying to grill something on one of those…what are they called…you know those fires that people think are really clever.”

“Uhm…you mean those that Terrance had? Coldflame?”

“Yeah, you cant cook anything on them so what’s the point? Also, why is anyone impressed by it, you just infuse some kind of suppressant for the heat and like supercharge it. People are so easy sometimes. Gah, stupid!” Iocasta had lit her toast on fire while talking, the ‘stupid’ most likely meant for herself. Iocasta was a bit of a cynic, but Alice found her little rants and complaints amusing.

Alice sliced the egg with a few quick flicks of her wrist. She was proud of her wind-slicing. “Well yeah, but I bet it’s still going to be rather interesting. The King is coming, after all. You’d have to assume they would do something extra for that reason.”

“Perhaps…he probably wants to inspect the prospecting mages for combat. I overheard some guys from the east wing discussing that there have been skirmishes to the south with Silesia.” Iocastas face turned a gloomy colour as she finished the sentence. Alice knew that she feared for her family’s holdings, quite close to the border with Silesia. They continued eating in silence. Alice hated these situations, she never knew what to say or what to do. As soon as she felt bad for herself she immediately chastised herself as well. Your friend is fearing for her future and safety, and you’re feeling sorry for yourself. Grow up. “Hey, they’ll be safe. Why don’t you write to them after the exhibition?” Alice tried to be chipper without seeming flippant. Iocasta simply nodded. Alice returned to her toast and looked out through the window. Looks like rain. I wonder if Sister is also seeing rain now. She finished her toast. The exhibition would be starting soon.