The next morning, Pax found it very surreal to be back in classrooms with teachers just as serious about their textbook learning as if there wasn’t a war going on. He’d managed to make it through Beast Identification and Meditative Healing, despite his mind continually drifting to all the critical things happening outside of class.

Turgan had been beyond ecstatic when he’d heard the news of the successful Tamings by both Tasar and Tyrodon the night before. Even though none of them had unlocked the Taming ability, Turgan had already scheduled testing sessions with their other tamers to attempt duplicating the feat with their own Team Tribal warriors and crafters. He had dumped the complicated puzzle in Besk’s lap to match up the elemental affinities of tamers, the various tamed companions and the wild babies.

Pax blew out a breath, glad he didn’t have to figure it all out, though he’d have to show up to help babysit the process. Once he could help someone besides himself manage the feat, they’d be in business for the big announcement.

When the word of taming for other classes spread, they expected to have a flood of customers. More importantly, they hoped to attract the attention of empire leaders wanting to enlist them. Then they could gain access to the inner circles of the powerful people running the empire.

Pax was more than happy to leave that to Turgan and the other team leaders. He was pretty sure his crew would have their hands full with everything Captain Langley and his second, Mage Lyndara, planned to throw at them. They’d start working right after the wargames training Monday morning.

Pax couldn’t wait. It would be genuine work and, if they were lucky, they’d be able to get everything they needed for the rebels in a few weeks and then bail on the capital. Pax was more than ready to fully join the rebellion and do his part to strengthen them so they could finally overthrow the corruption that had been strangling their empire for generations.

Spotting an empty bench a bit off the walkway among a manicured set of bushes, Pax took a quick break to prepare for his spells class and the new instructor awaiting him. He felt like he was doing well for his first day back to classes in months, but his nerves were jumpy about the Tower Ring instructor this hour.

Pax thought he’d paid decent attention during his first-hour Beast Identification, especially after fighting and killing such a wide variety over the months out in the Wilds. His teacher had tried to make it more interesting by having the assistant bring in a variety of baby beast cages for them to Identify.

Pax had really wanted to ask for the latest news about lightning beasts, but there was no way he’d be the one to bring up that dangerous topic. He’d have to remember to ask Kurt what news had made it out to the public. Then, the second half of class had been all about using level calculations to decide whether it was safe to engage in battle or to run for help. Pax had barely kept from objecting that there wasn’t time to do math when you came up against powerful beasts.

At least his second class for the morning, Meditative Healing, had been useful. Pax had always liked Mage Lorkranna and her no-nonsense attitude. Her initial instruction on how to meditate back at the start of the semester had helped him not only with his healing, but also unlocking all his mana skills and jumpstarting his light magic.

And she hadn’t disappointed today with an in-depth anatomy lesson on injuries that would cripple a mage during battle as well as where to focus healing energy to get back on your feet during an emergency and escape to safety. After the initial summary, she’d focused on injuries to bones, specifically long bones and simple breaks.

Pax had cringed with everyone else at the disturbing sound when she’d cracked a massive beast’s leg bone with her bare hands in front of them. The setting hadn’t been as impressive, but was more informative.

Pax understood it was a critical first aid technique, especially if they were in immediate danger. Healing a bone that was out of place took more mana and time than one that had the broken edges realigned. Seconds could be the difference between life and death in a battle.

Then, in true Mage Lorkranna fashion, she’d offered to break finger bones for them to practice on once they’d finished the section and felt confident enough in their new skills. More than one student had turned a bit green at the idea.

But Pax was proud of his fellow students when even more had nodded in agreement. Months of fighting on the Purge had changed them all. They’d learned that battles didn’t wait for squeamishness, and the more realistic the training, the better.

Even better, during the detailed instruction on anatomy and injuries, Pax had felt his understanding take a leap forward when he saw the connections between the various body systems during the injury and healing process. His Insight had finally bumped up a notch, a sizable chunk probably because of the training he’d done with Turgan’s Tortures, the name he came up with for the various puzzle stations.

Now, though, he needed to settle his mind and prepare for what might come during spells class. An instructor from the Tower Ring would be multiple levels more experienced and powerful than any local mage that fought on the empire’s walls. Pax couldn’t afford to let any hint of his other elements and spells leak.

I’m an air mage. I have three air spells: Chain Bulwark, Aeroshift and Windscale Shroud. But no one will have heard of that last one since I developed it myself. Pax sighed in frustration. Should he let Mage Warwick see him use his Shroud? He could just say it was his air-based shield spell. But what if she asked for the name? Generally, instructors let students keep the specific details of their skills and spells private. But still?

The plan, if questioned, was to attribute his two new spells to items he’d acquired during the Purge. But, considering they’d obviously kept the ruins a secret, that left purchasing the spells at the camp markets with the loot they’d earned. It worked for the Aeroshift spell. While elite and very expensive, it was still a possibility. The Shroud, no one would have heard of it. And if anyone knew all the possible air spells in the empire, it would be a Tower Ring air mage.

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On the other hand, people would have seen him use some kind of air shield when they’d all taken nightly shifts fighting beasts back during the race back to the capital. He’d been careful not to use any of his visible forbidden spells, but had blown through his mana using air spells during all of his shifts.

All right. I just won’t use my Shroud until I talk to Incedis and get some advice. Hopefully Warwick won’t be bothered to check rumors about each student's spells. I’ll just look like the idiot who still has a bunch of empty spell slots because I blew all my coin on an elite spell.

With that settled for now, Pax decided he needed to go over all his gains before he headed to his Basic Spells class. He’d made a bit of progress since that full day of desperate running to make it back to the Purge camp after leaving the light headquarters ruin. And that wasn’t counting his new point to Insight and the progress he’d made in taming.

***

Name: Pax Vipersworn

Race: Mixed Human (monster-touched)

Age: 16

Bound Location: Shieldwall Mage Academy (provisional monthly)

Class: Mage

Element: Light (Hidden)

Specialization: none (Hidden)

Primary Paths of Understanding: (Hidden)

Flame: Level 4 - 23/400 (+20)

Air: Level 4 - 34/400 (+8)

Water: Level 4 - 15/400 (+4)

Earth: Level 4 - 46/400 (+23)

Secondary Paths of Understanding: (Hidden)

Lightning: Level 1 - 21/100

Ice: Level 1 - 18/100

Nature: Level 1 - 12/100

Magma: Level 1 - 13/100

Level: 3

Mage Leveling Points: 5/45

Health: 104/104 (+4)

Mana: 142/142

Attributes:

Strength: 12

Agility: 13

Endurance: 13 (+1)

Intelligence: 16

Insight: 13 (+1)

Charisma: 11

Skills:

General Active:

Identify Level 3 (Common) - 244/300 (+28)

General Passive:

Skinning Level 3 (Common) - 152/300 (+22)

Butchering Level 3 (Common) - 163/300 (+33)

Clubs Level 3 (Common) - 122/300 (+18)

Shields Level 3 (Common) - 32/300 (+20)

Battle Strategist Level 3 (Uncommon) - 148/300 (+18)

Unarmed Combat Level 1 (Common) - 39/100 (+4)

Mage:

Universal Mana Shaping Level 3 (Epic-evolved) - 183/300 (+9) (Hidden)

Light Mana Sight Level 3 (Rare) - 275/300 (+16) (Hidden)

Elemental Meditation Level 2 (Common) - 181/200 (+11)

Light Healing Others Level 2 (Rare-evolved) - 131/200 (+5) (Hidden)

Runes Level 2 (Uncommon) - 25/200

Mana Merge Level 3 (Epic) - 20/300 (+18) (Hidden)

Illuminate Level 2 (Common) - 9/200 (Hidden)

Universal Beast Tamer Level 3 (Rare) - 244/300 (+37)

Companions (2/2)

1. Talpa: Level 3 Earth-based Talpasauria Shade

2. Whisk: Level 4 Polymorphous Vorax

Spell Shaping Level 1 (Epic) - 43/100 (Hidden)

Spells:

Light (5/5):

Haste Level 2 (Common) - 121/200 (+8)

Hallucinate Level 2 (Rare) - 38/200 (+5) (Hidden)

Flashbang Level 1 (Rare) - 83/100 (Hidden)

Extrasensory Sphere Level 2 (Legendary-evolved) - 62/200 (+22) (Hidden)

Ghostlight Illumination Level 1 (Legendary) - 30/100 (Hidden) (+18) (Hidden)

Water (1/1):

Water Blade Level 2 (Common) - 68/200 (+4) (Hidden)

Air (3/3):

Chain Bulwark Level 2 (Elite-evolved) - 158/200 (+25)

Windscale Shroud Level 1 (Elite) - 37/100 (+18)

Aeroshift Level 1 (Epic) - 32/100 (+17)

Earth (1/1):

Earth Skin Level 2 (Rare) - 2/200 (Hidden)

Flame (1/1):

Scorching Touch Level 1 (Uncommon) - 69/100 (Hidden)

Lightning (1/1):

Overcharge Level 1 (Rare) - 13/100 (+3) (Hidden)

Ice (1/1):

Ice Mirror Level 1 (Uncommon) - 22/100 (Hidden)

Nature (1/1):

Animate Flora Level 1 (Elite) - 19/100 (Hidden)

Magma (1/1):

Primordial Golem Level 1 (Epic) - 19/100 (Hidden)

Class Evolution Points Unused: 19

Inventory: 9/30 available.

Assignments:

Steelshade Vanguard Probationary Intern

0/30 hours work and training

0/20 messages delivered

0/1 Supervisor approval

Coin Count: 5 Gold, 42 Silver, 81 Copper

Academy Points: 23

***

Pax was getting better at skimming his menu, noticing the changes and figuring out where they’d come from. Obviously, the eight-day march back to the capital and fighting off beasts during the nights had given him an overall boost to almost everything, including another point in Endurance, which had been extremely helpful during that last long stretch.

He hadn’t advanced the spells he had to keep hidden or things like Runes that weren’t part of the struggle to stay alive. But it was the new point in Insight and progress in Taming that made a smile of satisfaction emerge on his face. With the rigorous Taming schedule Besk was currently making, Pax should be able to level Taming to level 4 soon, his first skill or spell to reach that level.

He couldn’t wait to see how much it improved his ability to Tame adult beasts. And the amazing boost of nine leveling and evolution points a level 4 achievement earned would be extremely helpful. It would also finally earn him the required 25 evolution points to bump up one of his evolved skills or spells to the next level.

The point in Insight was also very welcome. Facing an official Interrogation made Pax quail inside and want to boost his protections as quickly as possible. His Intelligence had to be close too, which would come with an additional bump in mana. He’d force himself to find time for Turgan’s Tortures regularly.

The running feet of a student whizzing past him on the path jerked Pax out of his thoughts. Seeing the few students still out all in a hurry made him realize he’d let time get away from him. Showing up late was not the first impression he wanted to make on his new instructor, Mage Warwick.