Not a minute after the clock struck 10, a small woman entered the hall from another door. She had long black, frizzy, hair and thick spectacles. She wore a long brown cardigan, a cream sweater, and a long grey skirt. She looked to be in her late thirties.
“Hello everyone, it’s good to see you all this morning.” While the woman’s appearance gave off the atmosphere of shyness, her voice was anything but. She spoke loudly, with a clarity that meant her Amercian accent reached everyone’s ears. “My name is Henrietta Borg, I am the chancellor of Madley Academy. I will be your teacher for the introductory course, and the advanced course should you choose to continue your education with us.”
De Waal stepped forward. “A pleasure to meet you, it is reassuring to have someone of such calibre teaching us.”
The short woman nodded. “It was deemed necessary.” There were a few confused looks shared between a majority of the people in the room, which she noticed. “I know that not everyone here was made aware, but I will explain it in due time.”
Due time happened to be a few minutes later, once she had ushered everyone into a smaller room that contained a dozen comfortable seats facing toward a lectern. “I’m sure some of you have noticed, but this class size is markedly smaller than you may have expected, with a high degree of people of important backgrounds. This class was formulated with the express idea of collating some of the brightest talents that emerged from the recent testing. Each of you here is likely to become an influential figure of Madley in the coming years, and we believed it prudent to make sure you were taught together.”
That statement raised some eyebrows. Danny looked around the room with fresh eyes. He could clearly identify the people that were perhaps in the room due more so to their backgrounds, than any likely talent. The people, like himself, who clearly did not fit that social class were likely to be the ones with more of the talent. He wasn’t the only one who realised this. He caught De Waal and the woman who looked too normal looking at himself and the neurotic woman. He also noticed Franklin Fullerton more covertly assessing the room, his eyes appraising each individual anew.
Danny had to suppress a shiver when those eyes landed on him. The man’s weak appearance clearly hid a far more powerful mind.
“So like,” the athletic brat spoke up, unaware of the unspoken assessments taking place around her, ”What is it that we’re actually doing here?”
Henrietta cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. “This course will run each day this week, from 10 AM to 2 PM, with a break for lunch at 12. The core material of the course will be facilitating each of you to connect with your mana, then teach you the basic manipulation of your mana, the basic theory of mana, and then finish with beginning to teach you spells related to your affinities. We will also be touching on the geopolitical state of the magical world, the history of magical societies, and of course, the rights and responsibilities of all practising wizards.
“Today we will begin with the rights and responsibilities you will take on by becoming wizards, then we will work on connecting each of you with your mana. Any questions?”
The room remained silent. Danny had thousands of questions bubbling in his mind but kept quiet. He was now more cautious than ever of the impression he’d have on the others in the room. He’d just been told that the people around him were going to be the big wigs, some probably already were, of the scene in Madley, everything he did would be scrutinised, torn apart and-
“Yeah, ah dun really care for all the words and that yer talkin’. Ah’m fixin’ to learn how to do the magic part.” The Highroller spoke up.
“Mr Dia, I will endeavour to make it brief, but I assure you, it is vitally important. Some rules and customs must be followed, especially here in Madley, with dire consequences if they’re broken.”
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
“Ah guess Ah could sit for that,” the man waved his hand.
“Anything else?” Henrietta asked the room. “No? Wonderful. So we will begin with…”
What followed was a lecture so dry, that Danny struggled to remain conscious. The Highroller, Mr Dia, had a scowl that deepened with every word spoken. From what Danny was conscious of, he picked up that previously using magic in front of the non-magical was a serious crime, but that was going to be a thing of the past. It all boiled down to not using magic to hurt people or cause property damage. Apparently, this was rather lax in some countries, but Australia, more specifically Madley, the law was incredibly strict. When someone asked why, Henrietta’s answer drew everyone’s attention.
“Madley is the site of the largest, and most secure, prison for the criminally magical in the world. This city is under close monitoring, and the direct supervision, of some of the highest-trained combat mages in the world. They don’t take chances and are told to hit first and ask later. Any violation of the True Wizard Law will be swiftly met with corrective action here in Madley.”
That was a sombre message to hear. “And what is this True Wizard Law?” Fullerton asked.
“Beyond what I have already said? A few other rules around the practice of outlawed magics, afiliation with associations outside of the True Wizard Consortium, and the like. A full copy of the law will be made available to you.”
Mr Dia sat forward in his chair. “Outlaw magics?”
“Yes Mr Dia, there are some forms of magic out there that the TWC prohibits the practice of. You don’t need to worry, you will only be taught the magic of European Elementalism, which is the only practice that is almost wholly unregulated and allowed for. There are some members here who will be learning from the Panacean School of Healing.”
“What are the other allowed practices?” Danny couldn’t help but ask.
“There are only three, Mr Skala. European Elementalism, which is allowed to be used by anyone and taught freely. The Panacean School of Healing, with is only allowed to be taught to those of healing affinity, by other practising members. Finally, there’s Grimlock’s Runic Engineering, a highly regulated field of practitioners who develop all of our magical technology. You have to be personally scouted by another member and then approved by the Council of the TWC to engage in any magical engineering practices.”
At the mentioning of his name, the all-too-normal woman’s head snapped to him. Danny internally sighed, he now had a feeling he knew the background of the suspicious woman. He tried to ignore her and focus on what he’d just been told. There were three approved magical practices, but only one that appeared to actually be accessible, European Elementalism.
Henrietta then took them all back into the hall they had previously been in, somehow two hours had already passed, and it was time for lunch. “We will provide food here, but feel free to venture into the city for lunch. The class will start again at 12:30. I encourage you to get to know each other.”
Danny was more than happy to indulge in the free food on offer, picking up a couple of sandwiches and a muffin. He sat down at a table in the corner and watched the rest of the room. De Waal was doing her best to introduce herself to everyone, acting like the matriarch Danny suspected she was in the other domains of her life.
Danny watched as the man he’d pegged as a tradie walked over to his table, similarly carrying some sandwiches. “G’day mate,” he greeted. “You seem like one of the only other normal guys here, name’s Jack.” He reached out a calloused hand.
“Danny.” He shook the offered hand. “Yeah, definitely not my usual crowd.”
That earned a laugh from the older man. Danny learned that his guess was right, he was a pool tiler by trade but had been running his own business for the last ten years. He seemed like a pretty normal guy, good company at the least. Danny watched as the neurotic woman finally settled on a plate containing one of everything that it could fit, and sat at an empty table near to his.
Danny was about to get up and go speak to her when his eyes caught the all-too-normal woman looking at him. As soon as eye contact was made, the woman excused herself from the person she was talking to and made her way toward him. Danny sighed and excused himself from the table with Jack. He purposefully walked over to a corner of the hall away from everyone else.
The woman smiled politely as she approached him. “Dante Skala, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s Danny. Cut to it. What do you want from me?”