In the morning everyone was awoken early, and the false undead stayed up late, for a mandatory gathering.
Hirum would rather not admit it, and nobody could really challenge him enough to make him see just how many compromises he made and his predecessors had made.
The common belief was that it was related to the death of Chaud Sierra.
Which, technically was half right, as his death is part of why Harlan had chosen violence the night before, and thus lead to Marigold deciding enough was enough.
She stepped in because Harlan spoke with conviction about the problems he could see and how it bothered him to see how hollow Hirum’s words really were.
It made her wish that she had stepped in a few decades ago.
The pain in his voice reminded her all too much of nearly 1500 years ago when she begged her elders to save the people outside of the desert.
In the crowd Harlan saw the boy from the night before, Phineas Seaborn, son of a duke from the eastern coast, using a cane to stand up straight.
The spine could be healed, but less than a day had passed and he was weak, being told that he needed to avoid straining himself.
Hirum began his speech.
“I have gathered you here to say that I am a liar and a fool.”
Hushed voices spread like wildfire.
He raised a single hand and they went silent due to arrays.
“I have said quite a lot about how we must unite and come to understand one another. About how a student must feel safe here, unafraid of being attacked for how they were born or where. Yet I have failed you all, I have neglected the safety of the students here for the sake of those who are highborn.
Starting today, this will end. Phineas Seaborn, Shane Breachwater, Harlan Fomoria, please, come here.”
It was humiliating for him to walk up the stairs to the stage with a cane.
“Sir Phineas, unless you are forgiven, you and your brother will both be expelled, made an example of.
Sir Shane, Sir Formoia, are you willing to forgive him for his assaults against you.”
“What? He could’ve killed me, how dare you my fath-”
A weight fell on his shoulders, forcing him to a knee and into silence.
“I was not asking you.”
Shane was unsure, so Harlan stepped forward first.
“If this is to be the start of a better era, I think it should start with penance instead of retribution.
If Sir Phineas is willing to apologize, I would forgive him.”
While he had been shielded from a great deal of it through some cunning and some luck, Harlan knew full well that the son of a duke’s house making such a public apology to the son of a baron’s house would be humiliating, and it would be likely that if Shane was the one asking for the apology, his family would be the target of the duke.
Shane stepped forward.
“I agree with Sir Fomoria.”
He was allowed to stand, and seeing the crowd made him want to refuse, yet he saw his younger brother who got him wrapped up into this. The boy was hiding it, but he seemed at the verge of tears, their father would be… unhappy, if they returned early.
“I offer my heartfelt apology to Sir Shane for both my actions, and the actions of my younger brother.
I have brought shame to my name, and the name of my family.”
“Sir Shane, do you accept this apology?”
“I do.”
“I am happy that this has ended peacefully. Sir Fomoria, you are to be suspended for a period of one month for your assault on Sir Phineas, while you may have been provoked, everyone here, from the first years, to myself, know that you went above and beyond what was remotely acceptable self-defense.”
“I understand.”
“Before you disperse, I should also mention, on academy grounds, one may now put forth duel requests with the academy itself, and we shall act as your sponsors; no longer will the nobility of any person deny them the right to defend themselves in a civil manner. Marigold created this place as a palace of learning, one which is not to be held to the politics and poisons of the outside. My predecessors brought with them rules and laws from their homes, yet while we don’t bring over attention to the fact, we are a sovereign nation. Once you have crossed the border, you are not nobles, you are people who have come to learn from a collection of minds beyond you. This place should’ve never become a factory in which soldiers are forged to kill others. And, finally, I know each of you who has done things which would not see you forced out of my academy, do not repeat these mistakes. You are all now dismissed.”
He ignored the uproar as he flew back to his tower.
Hirum would spend almost all of the next week on calls with a great deal of people, most of which he shutdown by telling them that if they were so bothered by equality, they could always send their children to a lesser academy, or even one of the pitiful national academies that existed outside of the neutral learning zone.
Each of them was run by a Duke and were part of a failed centuries long hope to take power away from the grand academy and place it into the hands of Ragne.
Harlan walked down from the stage with a large grin, it was chaos, and he was the cause.
People would of course still avoid upsetting people above them, a duke would always have more power than a baron, but things would hopefully get better.
His friends walked with him to his room, there were a few things that he wanted to bring home with him.
“What a load of bullshit.”
Harlan laughed, seeing Adina so fired up.
“I don’t mind, I wasn’t even attending most classes anyway, and now I get to help take care of Balor more. This is a slap on the wrist considering I was almost expelled last night before Marigold stepped in.”
The Golden now got very close to him.
“Pretty please, you must show me what she said. It wasn’t private I hope.”
“Of course, Yara. Ximena, Liat, do you want to see it as well?”
“I think everyone wants to see it. I can’t believe she is still alive, and that you met her, twice.”
Everyone held hands to make a chain as he showed them his memories.
Once they were done Amber wanted to have a private talk with him.
“Harlan, I know I’ve been pretty supportive, maybe I’ve even enabled you too much. I just want to know, are you really ok? I mean, you made a duke household your enemy.”
“I intend to spend some time updating the defenses around my place and the farm.”
“Just, make sure that you stay safe.”
They hugged one another.
“I’ll be back before you know what it.”
“I’m afraid of what is going to happen, things are going to get worse before they get better. I know you can handle yourself, but mom and dad are going to be in danger. Just, don’t go overboard.”
“You know everything that I am willing to do.”
“I’m not joking, you need to take this deadly seriously. Keep them safe, keep yourself safe, keep everyone who works for you safe. Make sure that Blackstone and Redwall know what happened, just in case.
Oh, and the orphan village.”
“Amber, it’s alright, I knew what I was getting into, I understood that I risked getting tossed out.”
“Just, don’t do anything stupid.”
“If you worry anymore you are going to start crying and then I’ll start crying, so don’t do that. Please.”
“Fine, but I’m going to use your money to visit on the weekends.”
“I’d have it no other way. Now, I need to make two calls. Privately.”
“I’m going to wait at the gate office for you, I’m sure the others will be there too.”
Once she was gone Harlan made his first call.
“Hi, Mary. I hate to ask but-”
“I will make sure nothing happens to kith or kin.”
“Thank you.”
“How long have you known about me being an archmage?”
“A long while now. I didn’t mention it before, but I’m an archmage now too. I hope this gives a little more weight to owing you a favor.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Really then, what is your name?”
“Changeling.”
He heard her burst into laughter on the other end.
“That is just too fitting. You don’t need to tell me why you got the name, but I’m Shattersteel, I made a spell that sends a ripple of force through the air and can punch through things for relatively low costs.”
“If all goes well, I could maybe get you a few more years to live. I feel like I owe you, and I can trust you. Maybe I could give you a different body if you are bothered by anything about yours”
“I’ll have you know that I love myself as I am, but thank you. I’m sure that if anyone else knew about what you could do, it would be a huge mess.”
“Thank you for always helping me without me asking for it.”
“What else is a friend for? I’ll see you when you come back.”
He was a little hesitant to make this second call, since he knew that he was going to probably be yelled at and scolded.
“Hello, Sepul.”
“Damned fool.”
“Is that-”
A woman’s voice was cut off by the veil that now covered him.
“I’m sorry that I called at a bad time.”
“No, I just have a noisy guest. Nothing to worry about. However, are you trying to start a civil war?
The Seaborn family is anti-royalist and the Breachwater family is royalist.”
“I’m going to be honest, I made my choices based on other factors, but I did know that.”
“Well I am glad. If a civil war finally blows up we can clean house without needing to stick to the shadows. I’m more worried about the revolutionary groups and how clearing them out is going to be. Better done under Yggdra than any of his children.”
“I don’t want that, the cost of lives would be too high. Nobles wouldn’t be the ones filling mass graves, it would be the people enlisted under them, either willingly or by force.”
“I’m not going to pretend that I don’t care, but there is such a thing as an opportunity cost, not doing it now might be worse than later. Like with Borden. Someone like you could be pivotal.”
“I can only make so many golems.”
“I remember what you said when under the effects of the truth potion, you would be able to let forth a wave of undead after every battle, all we would need is for it to reach a critical mass where we lose less than we gain and the war would be over. We haven’t had a necromancer since about 800 years ago.”
“I don’t want that.”
Harlan said it with a bit too much force, a bit too fearfully.
“I know, I’m sure that you don’t, and maybe when the king passes on everything will be fine. But, do keep in mind what you can do. I will meet you at the gate office to send you home.”
Sepul dropped his veil.
“Can I go?”
“Of course not, wait, where do you think I am going?”
“The gate office to send Harlan home.”
He put his guard up again and noticed a sliver of a dimensional rift.
“If you were not my granddaughter, I would be very cross. But you made a rift which I couldn’t even notice.”
“It really wasn’t impressive, you lose focus sometimes, and then it becomes easy to slip things past you.
If you did that when talking with him, I guess that means that you care. Just like with me.”
“You cannot let him know who you are, but, I could introduce you as another apprentice. If he sees you open a gate, he will buy it.”
When they arrived Amber kept looking between them but stayed silent.
“Sepul, who is this?”
“My second apprentice. Since I’ve began taking them in again, she came to me as a spatial mage of great talent. Though you aren’t likely to meet here often. Introduce yourself.”
“Hello, Sir Fomoria, I am Elsa.”
“Harlan, she looks a lot like you. You could be related if I didn’t know better.”
Harlan made a mirror, looking between her and himself.
“I’m not sure that I see it. Nice to meet you Elsa, feel free to call me Harlan.”
They shook hands.
“Are you a noble?”
“I was raised simple.”
“I was as well.”
“Good grip, strong.”
He noticed that he hadn’t let go just yet.
“Sorry… have we met before?”
“No. I’m sure I would remember someone like you.”
“You just… you seem really familiar.”
“I get that a lot. Anyway, I will be opening the gate to send you home, as a test from our master.”
“Impressive, you can’t be more than what, 19?”
“21. Now, please, step back.”
It took her a few minutes, and the edges were a little hazy, but it was a gate.
Harlan waved goodbye and stepped through.
“That was… really strange, right? She looks like someone I should know.”
“If she is 21, she would have had to be a child when you met her.”
“Eliza didn’t care for children, perhaps she met her as a soldier? One of those odd memories that you can’t ever place, but it just kinda sits in the back of your mind in a haze?”
“Maybe.”
Harlan could tell Ava was inside with Balor and the caretaker.
“Ava, Balor, Vita.”
“Master Fomoria, I was unaware you would be returning so soon. Should I move some of Master Balor's things out of your room?”
“No need, I’ll just be in a guest room for the month.”
Balor furrowed his brows.
“What happened? You know I can handle this, you don’t need to watch me.”
“I broke the spine of another student. So I got a month of suspension.”
Vita flinched, but didn't say a word.
“Ava, are you just visiting?”
“I wanted to get an idea of what it would be like, once I undergo the transformation. I’m starting to hesitate, I need to get used to… this. I always knew you were strong, and you showed me examples, but Balor can barely function.”
“I’m sitting right here. And I just need a little more time, by the end of the month, I should be fine.”
“Yes, Master Balor has been progressing very quickly.”
“Please, Vita, don’t call him master. Balor, is that ok with you?”
“I can’t get her to stop. She is like Lydia.”
“It would be rude for me to call you anything but master, it is also part of my work contract with Ragne.”
“I wasn’t told that you were a slave.”
“Such a barbaric term, I am part of a workers group which was contracted to pay back the debt to Ragne.
I willingly chose to do this and I am free to leave if I choose to do so. Though, I am sure that it is easier to label us all as slaves.”
“I meant no offense.”
“I take none, Master Fomoria.”
Vita left to help Aida with the laundry outside, though Harlan was pretty sure that she was just afraid of him. The casual mention of severely injuring another student tended to do this to people.
After his greetings Harlan left the room to make a few calls.
“You seem to be calling often these days. It does warm my heart somewhat.”
“I’m sorry to be calling with bad news then.”
He couldn’t see it, but Blackstone’s face distorted with fear.
“Have you heard of house Seaborn? I broke the spine of their older son Phineas last night and then caused a series of events that made him publicly apologize to a lower house, Breachwater.”
After a time he wondered if the call had been broken in some way.
“Blackstone, are you there?”
“Yes, sorry, I’m here.”
“If I caught you at a bad time, you don’t need to force yourself, I just wanted to warn you, just in case.
Even if you weren’t family, you are an ally.”
“Yes, thank you, I think I should go now. Should I call Redwall for you?”
“You can call him, I’ll call Autumn.”
When it was over she looked longingly at the bottle on her desk, just one glass to calm her nerves is what she needed, no, wanted.
“Dim. Please come in for a moment.”
“Yes, Mistress?”
“Take this bottle of whiskey to the vault, give it away, drink it yourself, I just can’t have it around me right now.”
“Of course, Mistress.”
Autumn gave him the same warnings that Amber gave him, blowback was not a matter of if, just when.
Redwall called him asking for golems to bolster his defenses shortly afterwards.
Harlan didn’t plan to leave his home much in the next month.
But, for a few days, he would just be waiting on parts, ones which he needed to order.
Brig didn’t yell at him this time, Harlan gave his order, and he told him that because of their business relationship, someone might try to harm him.
“Ya always stirin’ up trouble. I ain’t worried ‘bout no killers come for killin’ you’ll get yer parts.”
“If something happens, just call me, I’ll be there to help, doesn’t matter if you want to use my name to desaude the guards from taking you in, or just want some help handling the bodies.”
Harlan set an amulet on the table.
“Why do ya care.”
“Because you seem like you could use a friend. One who won’t turn his back on you.”
He about about to raise his voice, toss his hammer, tell him he didn’t want any gifts.
“I’ll call when yer needed. Don’t bother comin’ in ta town anymore for orders.”
“But then I couldn’t see your handsome face.”
Brig caught himself laughing happily, for the first time in a long time.
Then he started tossing hammers.
Among what was ordered was yet another set of armor, Balor wanted to actually use it to reduce his strength rather than boost it.
He got some mean glares from people in town who recognized him, and he did not return them, instead he just waved.
Instead of heading back to his home, he first went to visit Sherah and Jerah.
He had a request for them after he performed a check up on her.
“The baby’s soul is forming without any flaws so far as I can tell.”
“Thank you. I know that I should be a bit more wary about this, but you’ve been nothing but good to us.”
“You’re welcome. Now, do you have an idea of which child is best suited to be a mage?”
“We haven’t tested them at all, none of them can even sense.”
“Right, I should’ve phrased that differently. Which ones have the mindset of a mage? Strong sense of self, tendency towards violence, competitive nature, exceptionally good or absent minded in their mundane studies.”
“I don’t think those are good traits for a mage.”
“A mage is like an organ, part of a greater whole that can do great things, but the great mages I’ve met won’t be part of the body, they are a full person. Many army mages go private if they have real talent.
Violence isn’t exactly what I want, but it is a good sign of them being a passionate person, that will require tempering so they don’t become a monster. I don’t think I need to explain the competitive part.
And lastly, magic doesn’t mean someone is smart. Sure it helps, but if they are very good at their work then that means they have focus, and if not, then they just can’t focus on something that they dislike or find boring. I’ve only got a relatively small amount of experience as a teacher, but from the strangers who I’ve taught, they have the traits that I listed and have risen from middling mages ready to flunk out to 10 ten in their classes. The best mages and artists have something in common, they don’t think like normal people.”
The couple looked at him a bit differently, he laid out a pretty good set of things that he believed would make a good mage.
“Well, I have a few children that might fit your criteria, but I’d like to watch them for another week. Would this be alright?”
“I’ll be here for a month. Just send them to the house when you decide that they are what I want.”