Penelope didn't know if it was just her woefully low intelligence score - seriously, she would have to check with somebody else later to see if 8 was really a bad starting point or not - but she was fairly confident that these were not just "basic, remedial lessons". Professor Vix's lecture was exceptionally thorough and covered a wide variety of topics ranging from sensing the affinities of natural mana in the air to weaving complex spells through focused mana formations. She even set out a course plan for which they were all expected to be able to cast some basic spells by the end of the month. These basic spells encompassed mana bolt, mana shield, and many other examples of combat magic. The Professor also included spells for weak telekinetic actions and mana construction, among some other more eclectic selections with less of an obvious use. She claimed that the latter group of utility magic would be in any "self-respecting academy's essential curriculum" and that it was ridiculous how much the Inheritor council insisted she focus on combat, although Penelope wasn't quite sure she agreed with that assessment given that combat magic would directly be involved in keeping them alive. Besides the fact that shooting a fireball seemed way cooler than heating a pot of tea with your mind.
It would have been terribly interesting to Penelope if it weren't for the one small problem that she couldn't understand any of it.
Sure some of the theory sounded interesting, and whenever the Professor made a flashy, dramatic presentation of her magic Penelope had to hold back the urge to clap - unlike her neighbor, Millie, who did clap enthusiastically every time, much to the Professor's obvious pleasure.
The core issue was the way the Professor spoke about "mana" itself. Penelope had the vague idea of mana as some form of magical resource, but Professor Vix seemed to treat it as if it was expected for everyone to be able to interact with mana as easily as if it were a physical object that was both observable and could be easily manipulated. To Penelope, who simply saw people waving their hands in the air to perform feats of magic, the Professor's explanation of spellcraft was like trying to explain color to a blind person. Only instead of explaining it to her level of understanding, the Professor was narrating what it was like to paint a portrait of a rainbow.
With all that said, it's probably easy to guess that her first magic lesson did not go as Penelope had hoped, but she tried to console herself that it wasn't a total bust. The Professor talked at length about celestial attributes and affinities, a topic Penelope was acutely interested in due to a certain notification's presence on her stat screen. As such, when the Professor mentioned the subject, Penelope refocused and tried to break down the opaque language involved to the best of her ability.
According to the Professor, all mana had natural affinities which colored how it interacted with the world and the effects it could invoke. Professor Vix referred to these as "metaphysical enthalpic weaves" and made a few complex glowing diagrams and esoteric graphs to demonstrate the strangely mathematical theories involved in their origin; as far as Penelope understood it, fire mana had a tendency to behave like fire, and that was probably as good of an understanding as she could expect at her current level of experience.
Where this became unintuitive was in the strangely conceptual ideas behind utilizing something based in fire. Fire mana could easily craft a fireball, but higher order fire magic could also utilize the concept of a burst of energy to create an impulse of speed, or even a burst of generative healing.
Incidentally, fire was the go-to centerpiece of the discussion because, to no one's surprise, the fiery and dramatic professor's celestial attribute was fire. Celestial attributes weren't quite as closely tied to their corresponding affinities the way ambient mana was; that is to say, ambient mana of a certain affinity would naturally only obey that affinity while internal mana could forcefully behave in a way counter to one's attribute. But the amount of work involved in doing so often made the practice a useful thing to learn, but less than ideal overall.
When the Professor mentioned this she also off-handedly mentioned how the average person only had one innate affinity, making Penelope glow with smug satisfaction that she was a rarity with multiple options. However, none of what Professor Vix said really made Penelope feel confident in choosing a primary attribute from her options. In fact, the Professor made a point to say that attributes are based on one's lineage and that if their personality is at odds with the nature of their primary attribute then it may be exceptionally difficult to utilize any magic. Hearing this, Penelope felt confident she'd made the right decision to hold off on choosing hers and decided she'd have to learn more about what sorts of affinities existed and what she might be offered before choosing her attribute.
Another interesting though tangential topic that was broached was the subject of skills and talents. Penelope had learned a bit about talents last night due to her questions about how Nerris'
Essentially, "skills" seemed to be a cross between actual cultivated skills and abilities like in a game. It was important to practice skills freely, just as one would in a world without the existence of skills. Then, once a certain degree of expertise was established, it would be registered by Messages as an acquired skill. This results in the skill itself becoming both more natural to use as well as more powerful. Further developments to the skill could also be made through dedicated work to push one's skill level further, past the assistance offered by the Messages. Professor Vix made the bold claim that if her students were dedicated they could easily develop or enhance several basic magical skills based on her class' lessons.
Talents, in contrast, went a step further and actually fundamentally changed the principles of one's abilities passively and drastically. In other words, they sounded much cooler to Penelope compared to skills which made one slightly better at something they could already do, even if she was still wary of the physical alterations that Nerris had told her could occur from Talents. Talent choices were offered by Messages based on certain level ups in a class, though obviously certain Talents could be acquired through other means such as through a Legacy Inheritance. These choices would vary based on one's developed skills as well as their life experiences. The Professor said that one should always choose a talent that aids in conjuration and spellcraft, but based on the near manic way Professor Vix spoke of "wielding the sheer destructive power of the elements", Penelope had her doubts on how true the statement was.
As a summary, by the end of the lesson Penelope learned 3 things: She learned a little bit about what affinities and attributes were. She understood the basics of how skills and talents worked. And she now knew that she really needed to learn more about the basics of how to sense and manipulate mana ASAP. Archie had informed her that these magical lessons would be happening every other day, and if Penelope was going to get anything out of any of the more advanced lessons down the line she would absolutely have to study hard to supplement her lack of basic understanding.
"Thus the beginning of the weave can be modified in this fashion to achieve a variety of adaptations in the final formation," the Professor gestured up at her artificial blackboard as a collection of new scribbles and diagrams were emblazoned upon it. Penelope had long since zoned out at this point, thinking about how exactly she could work on understanding mana, when suddenly her attention was drawn back to the floor by the Professor's blackboard shattering in one great crash.
The Professor seemed unsurprised and looked in distaste at the short, unassuming man who'd appeared where she'd been presenting. "Holton."
"Isma." The little bald man nodded towards her. Unlike the Professor, this man was a lot more casually dressed, wearing understated mono-color blue vestments that hung low down his arms. Penelope had learned from her conversations with Archie and Nerris that the place they were residing in was the Temple of the Zodiacs, and though she was still trying to piece together what exactly this religion involved, she guessed that this man was some sort of priest.
Penelope noticed that the three Inheritors who'd been missing were filing in the room behind the man and she perked up a bit. She hadn't known that there would be another lesson after this one and was cautiously optimistic that it might be a magic lesson she could actually grasp. Hopefully this teacher's lessons wouldn't be quite as esoteric as the previous one's.
Professor Vix sighed and turned towards to address the Inheritors. "Forgive me if my lecture ran a bit long, I tend to get… passionate about my area of expertise." The stern professor actually seemed sheepish for a moment before her expression firmed back up. "Now that we have outlined the basics of what will be covered in the course of your training I expect each of you to be prepared for more advanced lessons come our next session. We will begin practical spellcraft within the week." Penelope groaned at the rushed time frame. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Cadfael cast a concerned glance in her direction.
After those final words, the tall Professor spun on her heels, spinning her cape about and began to walk from the room.
"Oh and Isma," the shorter man called out to her. "Do try to arrive using the teleportation arrays. It wouldn't do to cause our acolytes undue stress by fatiguing the wards with your usual method of travel."
At this Professor Vix audibly grumbled, before swiftly exiting the room.
Shaking his head, the man waited for the Inheritors to all get settled in their seats before speaking. "As you may have heard, my name is Holton Bor. I am to be your humble guide to understanding your roles as Heroes of the Zodiac and the many challenges you will face in protecting our lands from the forces that seek to destroy it. While magic or physical combat may be your tools, I am here to teach you the knowledge necessary to apply these tools for the sake of the Empire - ensuring you fulfill your responsibilities soundly and are aware enough to protect yourself from the many dangers that inhabit Cygnus."
Mr. Bor raised his hand and the skylight overhead dimmed. With a few more gestures a series of runes began to thrum to life upon the domed ceiling, casting light into the space around and above the teacher. It reminded Penelope of an LCD projector.
Stolen story; please report.
Next to her, Millie slumped over, thumping her head on the desk and startling Penelope. She nervously glanced over to Cadfael who merely shrugged and suppressed a yawn. Penelope surveyed the rest of the room and was surprised to see that most of her fellow Inheritors seemed similarly disinterested in Mr. Bor's speech. She spitefully sat up straighter in her seat and got ready to pay close attention. To her, getting a chance to learn more about their actual roles as Heroes and about the world in general sounded like a dream come true.
"The Heroes of the Zodiac have long and storied legacies as champions of our mighty empire and have always heralded a new age of prosperity in their times," the priest began. "Throughout the ages, honored Inheritors have themselves risen to become legends and achieve glory in their duties as protectors of the Felis Empire. But we most of all must never forget the origins from which we draw our strength." With this, he gestured and a zodiac wheel appeared overhead depicting the twelve animals. "Our exalted ancestors, the original Zodiacs. Those who transcended our plane to lay claim to the very Heavens that our glorious empire may flourish beyond our mortal coil and shirk the confines of death itself. The Verdant Boar. The Mighty Ox. The Wise Snake. The Noble Rat. The Blessings of our Zodiacs you now wield by divine right, but so must you bear the responsibilities intrinsic to being representatives of our Holy Lords."
"Now, while we shall one day speak at length about how you must carry yourself before the people, presently we must prepare you for your most important duty of all as guardians, the one thing you must elevate above all else in order to carry on your legends: Your own survival."
The image above flicked from the zodiac wheel to… something Penelope couldn't quite make sense of right away. It looked like a patchwork of many, many different colors all merged together into one big inkblot. Ragged black lines marred the quilt like tears, and all around the edges of the blot was blue. After looking at the image for a few seconds she noticed that there were a few places where a small black dot had been placed with some text over top of it. Finally it clicked: This was a map!
When she realized what it was, Penelope recoiled in shock. She could see it now, the outline of a green landmass, some recognizable features that may have been rivers, mountains, or forests, but in so many other ways the picture before her looked completely alien. To the Northwest, strange sections of bright purple and crimson were scattered about, to the East there seemed an entire plain colored a pure bone-white. The continent itself seemed at some points severely fragmented, with a large landmass off to the Southwest surrounded by several chains of islands colored in their own uniquely impossible ways.
"Behold, the myriad lands of Cygnus. There are many dangers present in our world which threaten the lives of its denizens and that you all must do well to be wary of in your travels. And yet not do we quiver in fear for the passing of a storm, and just so we do not fear the natural cataclysms that mar our lands. The Mists of Swamp Hirud, though ever present on the horizons of Lake Teren, pose little threat to those wise enough not to seek it. The bone serpents of the Ivory Sea may roil in undead frenzy, yet so too do they guard our most sacred treasures in the Vault of Cirilsis. The Crystal Chasms of Hlim are both deadly allurement and valuable mines.
"No, the most insidious threat of all that you shall face is the threat which borrows the guise of our language and our peoples to worm its way into the hearts of our cities before bringing about their destruction. Though we have reclaimed our fair lands from their vicious grasp, this threat still lurks within the Elphamian Wildlands, and we must always remain vigilant lest they attempt to make their return. This threat I speak of is the Fae."
As Penelope continued to study the bizarre map, trying to guess which landmarks Mr. Bor was referring to, the image flickered again to that of a close-up of a striated eye. Instead of a normal iris or sclera, it was as if several ever-larger circles of colors were spreading out from the center throughout the entirety of the eye. "The Fae look just like you or me but for their eyes. But be not beguiled by their forms or their words, for they are dangerous magical creatures whose entire natures are dictated by instinct and drive to unnatural compulsions befuddling the logical mind. And while the wild and territorial Spriggans may ruin crops in a fit of rage, and the dangerous changelings may play 'harmless' pranks upon the absentminded traveler, we must not disregard these strange creatures as mere benign, fanciful oddities. For from within any member of the Fae, a Demon may arise." The image of the eye shifted suddenly, the innermost ring of red expanding to cover the eye until the whole room was cast in sinister red light. "Murderous and contemptible creatures which bear unparalleled powers of destruction and malevolence, Demons have not yet fully shed their mortal guises and some even retain the power of speech, but they cannot be reasoned with. Although many dungeon denizens and beasts of this world can easily prey upon the higher races who wander into their territories or provoke them, Demons are driven solely by their desire to destroy our kinds and actively seek to infiltrate and bring ruin to our lands. Many Demons are capable of magic, trickery, and planning, and in their wickedness they are leagues more dangerous than a common pest."
Penelope wrestled with herself on if it was a good idea, but eventually chose to raise her hand. Just as she made to move she heard a voice to her left. "Don't," Cadfael spoke firmly. She looked at him in surprise, and he met her with his own level gaze and a shake of his head. Stubbornly, she turned and raised her arm. Cadfael sighed. "Every time…" he muttered.
Mr. Bor paused what he was saying to look at Penelope curiously. She realized that this probably wasn't a normal gesture for students to make in this world and blushed as she lowered her arm. "Mr. Bor?" she asked.
"Yes, Lady Morris?" He responded in that strange deferential way Archie always referred to her. She tried to steady her nerves and ask the question that was on her mind.
"Not all Fae are Demons though… right?"
The man stroked his beard thoughtfully. "No. No, Fae are illogical creatures driven by strange compulsions and instincts, but many are capable of reason, and indeed even positive relations with higher races. Yet this only makes dealings with the Fae more treacherous. It takes the mere slightest divergence for a Demon to emerge. And once a Demon has been created it cannot revert to a Fae, and may only know peace in annihilation."
Penelope thought about pressing the question further, but in the end she nodded and kept her thoughts to herself. She had to acknowledge that she didn't know about this world, and applying her own understanding of things might be inaccurate. Still, certain thoughts nagged at her.
The priest moved on to topics of other dangerous creatures that they would face in their duties. But all the while, Penelope continued to mull over her thoughts in silence.
—--
"It's wrong, isn't it?" Penelope asked Cadfael quietly over a hot plate that looked almost like green spaghetti but smelled strongly of oranges.
In the present moment however, Cadfael was refusing to look at Penelope while he ate. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes. "You know what I'm talking about." Cadfael didn't respond and she gave a huff of dissatisfaction.
After the two lessons for the day, Cadfael, Millie, and Penelope had been given a tour of the Temple by their retainers. Although Cadfael and Millie had been prepared for their move here after the Inheritance Ritual, prior to actually becoming Inheritors they weren't allowed in the temple for some reason or another. As such, the pair were just as clueless as Penelope was when it came to the layout of the facilities. During the tour, Penelope chatted with the fellow two members of her Triad and got to know them a little better.
She was surprised to learn that Millie and Cadfael didn't actually know each other very well before last night when they were assigned to be roommates. From the way they had bantered with each other in the lecture hall she had assumed that they'd been friends for a long time. Then again, she and Nerris had gotten on pretty good terms after just one dinner together last night, so maybe she shouldn't have been too surprised.
Cadfael had started off the tour cracking jokes and doing his best to make a clown of himself, but after a while he retreated into his own thoughts and spoke less and less. Millie and Penelope whispered and giggled to each other about the apparent pattern in his behavior.
The common areas of the golden wing of the building were much less confusing and labyrinthine compared to the cerulean administration section Penelope had been lost in the previous day. There was the large mess hall where several private lounges were sequestered off for guests of the Temple, a small library which (much to Penelope's dissatisfaction) seemed to mostly contain theological texts, the great ceremony hall where Penelope had first woken up, and finally the transport station with several teleportation arrays leading to various other locations in the city. When they had been shown the transportation station, Penelope asked where the doors to the temple had been located, earning her a befuddled glance from Archie and a boisterous laugh from Cadfael's large, gruff attendant. Penelope chose to let the matter drop rather than demonstrate her ignorance any further.
Millie had left just a little while ago for private arcana lessons with Elder Ptoly, leaving Cadfael and Penelope to eat dinner by themselves in one of the private lounges. There was a lot that Penelope wanted to ask the boy after they'd first met, but right now she had something more pressing on her mind.
Penelope chose to press the issue that he'd tried to wave off. "Some Fae can be good, right? So isn't it wrong to treat them all like monsters?" She asked adamantly. While she wanted to assume that they had been brought here for a noble purpose, all this talk of "higher races" and how evil the Fae were made her a bit skeptical of some of the claims that were being made.
Cadfael shook his head. "Representatives of the Empire and the Temple may exaggerate certain details, but Bor wasn't lying. Fae are dangerous because they can easily become Demons, and Demons are without question. It's best to leave it at that."
"But, they are sentient, aren't they?"
"So are bandits and murderers, but do you think soldiers hesitate to put down those who would slay innocents without an ounce of regret?" Cadfael countered.
Penelope didn't have an answer for that. She hadn't even thought of how Heroes might have to do the dirty work of protecting people from themselves. On Earth there were certainly some horrible people, but up until now the worst of humanity had seemed like such a distant thought to Penelope. Being confronted with the reality that she might need to face some grave duties in her new life made her thoughts turn to a dark place.
Seeing Penelope picking at her food listlessly, Cadfael started to brighten again and tried to cheer her up. "Hey, it isn't all bad news! You had your first magic lesson today, right? That must've been exciting!"
She grumbled noncommittally, remembering how poorly the lesson had gone, but thinking about the woes of academic troubles was a welcome and familiar respite from the harsher topics they'd been discussing. After some time the tone of their conversation picked up a bit and the two ended up having a pleasant, if somewhat solemn, evening together.
Long after Cadfael had finished eating, Penelope was still nibbling at the strange food on her plate. He got up to leave, but paused in the doorway to give Penelope one last long, lingering look.
"What?" Penelope asked, feeling a bit awkward.
"Nothing. I just enjoyed getting to chat a bit. By the way, Happy Birthday, Penny," he said casually as he started to exit again.
"Wait, how did you know it was-" she began to speak, but he cut her off with a dismissive laugh that told her she wasn't going to get any answers out of him. She sighed and shouted after him. "My name's not Penny!" But he was already gone.
Penelope looked at her still half-full plate of noodles and decided to get up and look for Archie. When she brought him the leftovers he looked absolutely mortified that she hadn't finished her meal and, in a feat bolder than she'd thought him capable of, sat her down and insisted that she finish her food. Reluctantly, she began to nibble on the strange pasta again lest she incur another speech from her retainer on the importance of proper nutrition.