All around Kaltis, the seas rose, and still the Avatar roamed destroying whatever lay in its path. Nations fell, even those not in the direct path of the destruction, trapped as they were between the rising seas and the raging wildfire.
-A Brief History of the Flood by Albert Moonsuckle
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Astronomy 101 was an introductory class required for essentially all divination classes. While not all forms of divination required tracking the stars, enough used them that not having any knowledge on the subject left one at a large disadvantage. As part of Kole’s plan when enrolling, he hoped to learn enough divination to be able to search for his parents. With Tal’s offer to help look, Kole had put those plans aside—trusting in the legendary mage to do what would take Kole years to even learn enough to try. But with that same mage’s disappearance, Kole reverted to his original plan.
While the class was introductory and none of the other students had any formal education on the stars, there was a stark difference between “any formal knowledge” and “any knowledge at all.” For most of Kole’s life, growing up in a city buried beneath the waves, the stars were as alien as they were to the giant lobsters that roamed the oceans floors.
It was with great effort he held back his surprise at even the most mundane of revelations, such as the fact that most stars were distant suns, and a small handful were actually other planets not nearly as distant.
So once more, Kole found himself engrossed in note taking, not wanting to miss a detail, for he was quickly realizing that even the basics were foreign to him.
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Throughout the week Kole contemplated sharing his astral revelation with his friends, but he was almost certain Rakin would make fun of him. There was a small chance the dwarf knew as little about astronomy as he did, but the risk of derision wasn’t worth the potential conversation. Even if the dwarf didn’t know, he wouldn’t be as fascinated at the idea as Kole was.
Throughout the week, Kole found himself glancing up at the sun, trying to comprehend how far a star must truly be for them to appear as mere pricks.
Aside from unadvisedly staring at the sun, Kole spent his first week of the second semester as he’d first expected his schooling to be, going to classes, practicing his magic when he could, and not getting involved in any crazy adventures or battles.
He quickly found that this was rather boring.
“And those are the best three ways to fight a troll using magic if you don't have access to Fire magic,” Professor Underbrook said, concluding his lecture.
He gestured offhandedly to a raised hand, and asked in a bored tone, “What is it?”
“But you said all those things wouldn’t kill a troll at the start of the lecture,” an older student Kole didn’t remember the name of said, visibly confused.
When Underbrook continued to look at him expectantly, the student continued.
“How are you supposed to kill the troll then?”
“With. Fire,” Underbrook said, punctuating each word. “I strongly recommend everyone always have access to fire magic if you think there’s even the slightest chance you’ll see a troll. That or a way to run away. They won’t chase you if they lose sight of you.”
Underbrook waited another moment and then said, “Well, if no one else wants to repeat my own lesson back to me, does anyone want to fight me?"
The room continued in silence. Kole looked around and saw all the other students had a sudden keen interest in reviewing their notes. His eyes met Gray’s who was also scanning his classmates, and both boy’s hands shot up into the air.
“I will!” they said in unison.
The bored expression left Underbrook’s face, replaced with an eager smile. He pointed from Gray to Kole as he spoke a rhyme, switching with each syllable.
“Halfling, razzling, dazzling, loo. What’s a hungry halfling to do? If he eats he’ll have to chew. And later on he’ll need… to… poo.”
For the last three sylibals, he slowed down, going from Gray, to Kole and then back to Gray on “poo.”
“Looks like you’re the lucky poo Mr. Holder,”
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“Thanks?” Gray said, gathering his things and rising.
“Oh, it's quite the honor, I assure you,” Underbrook said. “Now, come up front, and let's fight.”
Kole made his way up to the front, checking his holster and confirming that it held his blasting rod and not a spoon.
Despite many of Kole’s classes being outside the Dahn after the school had shunted away most of its extra dimensional spaces, this classroom was in the Dahn proper, and as such had certain amenities. Underbrook had explained earlier that the wide flat area between the chalk boards and the seating had an antimagic field that could be activated to protect the class from any duels that took place.
The fighting area was long and narrow, only thirty feet wide and twice that across, but as Underbrook had explained it, “This class is about technique, and the best way to master magical technique is when you have nowhere to run or hide to cover for your lack of skill.”
Kole wasn’t sure he agreed with how the professor phrased it, but he did see the merit in divorcing the tactics and strategies of PREVENT from the pure magical combat of a duel. He had other classes to hone his body, and teach him to use his environment. In such an open and bare landscape, he would truly be pitting his own magic against his classmates—or in this case his teacher.
Gray went to the front of the class, calmly, but he looked back to his things.
“Can I use my rapier?” Gray asked, looking back to the professor.
Underbrook nodded, and Gray went back to his seat and grabbed his sword.
Armed, Gray returned to the front of the room.
“You may cast any preparatory spells you wish,” Underbrook said, removing something small and metal out of a pocket.
Gray cast two spells in quick succession, neither of which Kole could identify from the verbal components Gray spoke or the somatic gestures that accompanied them, but the effect of the second spell was immediately apparent when a translucent shimmer appeared around Gray.
I guess he figured out Mage Armor, Kole reflected, remembering their first conversation.
Remembering the sparring match he’d spied on, he guessed the other spell to be the physical enhancement that let Gray leap around so quickly.
Kole looked to Underbrook to see what preparations he was performing with the tiny wand-like device he’d drawn but saw that the halfling was using the small metal stick to file down his nails.
Of course, Kole thought with a sigh.
Gray noticed around then too and laughed.
“You can begin whenever,” Underbrook said.
Gray took a step back, and then ran two forward before leaping. His jump sent him soaring through the distance between them in a blur, enhanced by his movement spell.
As he landed in front of Underbrook, he pressed his rapier forward in a thrust, which Underbrook met with an open palm.
“Bo-Rak,” Underbrook said, as a Shield appeared before his palm, stopping Gray’s attack cold.
“Ah, Jump,” Underbook said appraisingly, even as Gray leapt backwards.
As he sailed back, Gray thrust his offhand forward, the air around it turning to frost as he did so coalescing into a jagged shard of ice that flew at the professor.
Despite himself, Kole was impressed with Gray’s performance so far already, especially his casting of an Ice Bolt with his non-dominant hand.
This time instead of blocking, Underbrook vanished, and the Ice Bolt shattered on the wall behind him with the sound of breaking glass. As soon as Gray landed, he spun around looking for his opponent, who was behind him.
Underbrook, waiting for Gray to find him, spoke the words of another spell as soon as the student did.
“Roh-t-ka,” Underbrook spoke thrusting his own hand forward, sending three bolts of force at Gray
“Bo-Rak!” Gray shouted, a little too forcibly, conjuring his own Shield.
Despite Underbrook’s telegraphing the attack, Gray’s overloud verbal component disrupted the casting and the Shield flickered to life a moment later than it should.
The first of the three bolts struck Gray, passing through the shimmer of his Mage Armor, and striking him in the gut. The Shield solidified just as it passed, stopping the next two bolts.
Gray clutched his stomach with his free hand but no blood dripped from the spot.
“Training Magic Missile,” Underbrook announced to the class. “All the pain, none of the lasting damage.”
Realizing he wasn’t dying, Gray’s grimace vanished, and then so did he.
He reappeared behind Underbrook, rapier swiping down.
Underbrook however, was expecting this move and already turning when Gray appeared.
Underbrook lifted a hand, and a small magic barrier appeared in front of his palm which he used to deflect the attack.
Gray kept up his attacks, as Underbrook back-pedaled, using small barriers in each hand to deflect Gray’s swipes.
After traveling the length of the room in retreat, Underbrook clapped his hand in front of him, the clap turning into a thunderous boom as the halfling cast Thunderwave.
Gray tried to block the spell with Shield, but either the spell was ineffective against Thunderwave, or he was too slow and he was sent flying back across the room.
“Not bad,” Underbrook said, giving an approving nod. “Any questions?”
“What was that little shield?” Gray asked from the floor, even as the rest of the class shot their hands up to be called upon.
“Buckler,” Underbrook said, casting another spell.
A Force Disk appeared below Gray, lifting him into a standing position.
“It's the cantrip of the Font of Barriers,” he continued. “It can’t stop the full brunt of a strike, but there’s no reason to waste Will on a first-tier spell when a cantrip can do it for free.”
He looked to the class, holding his hand out before him, a blasting rod appeared in his palm.
“Don’t neglect practicing with cantrips,” he said, holding the rod up. “The cantrip for the Font of Space is Conjure and can be used to summon items from on your person to your hand. Handy in battle and for when you want to get a pebble out of your boot—which is incidentally also useful in battle.”
In his other hand, a ball of light appeared.
“Glow isn’t as bright as a first-tier Light spell, but it gets the job done. For homework, I want each of you to think over the combat applications of all the cantrips you have access to and come prepared to use them. Class dismissed.”