Freedom was fantastic. No obligations, no schedule to keep, and no classes to attend. That didn’t mean that Yaric wasn’t busy. The first full day off was spent meandering around Lekton, on what appeared to be a random path. Sven was the one who usually picked the direction, however, and they seemed to pass a suspicious number of stores that he wanted to have a look at.
All manner of clocks were on display in the first store they visited, which came as no surprise to anyone. Sven almost always found a store selling clocks. They didn’t normally stay for long, unless the store in question was also the workshop that produced the clocks. Which, coincidentally, this store was. Li Na had to drag Sven out 20 minutes later.
Then they came across a large store with a simple sign outside, ‘For Travelers’, which was much like the store they had purchased their expedition supplies from, only far larger. And their range of items was much larger as well, featuring displays with astrolabes, globes, cam buckles and even basic pulley trucks. There were entire displays for fire starters and axes, hatchets and knives had an entire wall of their own. Sven spent a surprising amount of time going through the fishing equipment, until Li Na had had enough again and started pushing him toward the door.
Several small and interesting stores later, the group came across an emporium selling a wide range of telescopes, cross staffs, and armillary spheres. There was even a large mechanical device that calculated the movements and positions of stars and planets. Made of brass, it was so big that it lay across an entire table, yet four simple dials controlled everything.
Finding himself in yet another store, this one with novelty gyroscopic ink wells, musical instruments, and desks with hidden compartments, Yaric couldn’t keep quiet anymore.
“We’re stumbling into a lot of stores like this today,” he observed, watching the back of Sven’s head while he examined a puzzle box that functioned as a safe.
Sven acted like he hadn’t heard Yaric, but it was obvious that Sven was now avoiding looking at Yaric no matter where he stood.
“Yeah,” Li Na eventually added, “it’s almost as if someone knew where all these places were and led us right past them.”
Acting like no one had said anything, Sven moved stiffly to the next display, carefully picking up a metronome and setting it into motion, before placing it back, next to the display of music boxes.
“Sven?” Lauren asked, laughing at Sven’s attempts to act normally.
“Yes?” he asked, his face turning red. No one answered. “Fine,” he eventually sighed, “my sponsor recommended that I look at these places. He thinks some of them might fit well with my future studies.”
“How can this junk help you?” Li Na asked curiously.
“It’s not junk!” Sven exclaimed, unable to help himself. “And he thinks I should consider studying a craft.”
“What?” Lauren, Li Na and Yaric asked at the same time, shocked at Sven’s revelation.
Sven shrugged, looking helpless. “I’ve always liked making things,” he explained. “And my affinities can all be used to make interesting items.”
“But you led our team in all those fights. You win every Tournament,” Yaric stammered.
“And I like making things too. It’s not one or the other. I don’t even need to decide right now, and there’s no harm in looking. It could be fun to make new things.”
Lauren smiled while Sven explained himself, while Li Na just stared at him like he’d grown another head.
“You could have just told us,” Yaric muttered.
Leaning forward to look at the next item that caught his interest, Sven’s hair shifted, partially hiding his red face. “I should have, sorry. The least I can do is treat everyone to lunch.”
Yaric smirked, knowing that Sven didn’t have any issues financially. None of them did, since they all at least had sponsors, even if the rest of them weren’t from nobility.
“You’re right, it is the least you could do,” Li Na replied brightly. “And you wouldn’t settle for least, would you?”
Lauren and Yaric just grinned, moving next to Li Na in support.
“Yes, yes, I will find a way to make it up to you all. I knew you would react like this.”
“We never expected it, that’s all,” Lauren consoled him. “We might have, if you’d let us know before now,” she added teasingly.
Sven nodded in acknowledgement and led them back out onto the street, looking for a place to eat. Lauren quickly took charge, leading them to a nice-looking place that had its own garden, right in the middle of the city.
To his credit, Sven didn’t even hesitate, agreeing immediately. They found a table in the middle of the garden, and soon had large plates of food in front of them.
“My parents brought me here a few times,” Lauren said quietly, looking longingly at the entrance.
“Do they live close by here?” Yaric asked.
“Yes. The shop is 15 minutes from here.”
“Why don’t you go visit then?”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Sven interrupted. “We have set days when family can visit, but we aren’t allowed to go and see them until we’re full students.”
“Even when they are so close,” Yaric asked, surprised.
“Doesn’t matter,” Li Na answered. “We are expected to stay with the Academy until full acceptance, thems the rules. No exceptions.”
“That sucks,” Yaric said, looking apologetically at Lauren.
“Yes. They have it worse,” Sven explained, gesturing to Li Na and Lauren. “They could conceivably visit on any day that they have off.”
“And we will,” Li Na pointed out, “we just have to wait one more year.”
“But your family is too far away?” Yaric asked between mouthfuls of pie.
“Yes, our holdings are closer to the capital. It’s almost two weeks by road.”
“And when he says, ‘by road’, he means on horseback,” Lauren smiled. “Us common folk would take longer, since we would probably be travelling on foot.”
“Not us,” Li Na countered, “we’d run faster than the horse would walk.”
“Yes, that’s true,” she acknowledged, laughing with the others.
Everyone headed back to the Academy after lunch, too tired to keep exploring. The months in the forest, followed by the interview, and then a late night with their team had left everyone exhausted. Everything came crashing down after they had eaten.
No one did much after that, just lazing around in the common room and lethargically playing games. Several classmates were in the same condition, relaxing with them in the common room, while some others were already asleep in their rooms. They even ate at the food hall instead of leaving the campus grounds, before going to bed early. Despite the fatigue, Yaric still spent half an hour channeling with his cube, for the first time since the competition had started. He was very happy with himself when he finally went to bed that night.
The next morning was crisp and clear. Lloyd was expecting Yaric to meet him after breakfast, and the other three had accepted the invitation that had been extended to include them. The only catch was that ‘after breakfast’ wasn’t exactly a time, and no one was willing to risk being late.
Yaric suspected that Lloyd would take his time eating breakfast, but they still arrived early. Yaric was wrong.
Standing right in the middle of the gates was Lloyd, swaying back and forth on his feet while people moved around him.
“You’re all here!” he called, waving them over. “Come on! We have a bit of walking to do.”
Lloyd started walking away from them before they could say anything, forcing the others to run and catch up.
“Good morning,” Yaric said pointedly, ignoring the looks his tone of voice earned from Lauren and Sven. Lloyd ignored his tone of voice just as effectively.
“Morning,” he replied cheerfully. “Don’t worry, I won’t take up too much of your time today. We just need to get to a friend of mine, and have a little talk, and you four can get back to your own plans.”
“You’re taking us to see this friend of yours?” Yaric asked, feeling a little confused.
“It’s not him we’re going to see, not exactly. But you will find out when we get there. Now, I hear you four made a lot of noise over at the Burning Barrel the other night?”
Lloyd kept up a casual conversation while they walked, taking them halfway around the campus and then deeper into the city. Yaric couldn’t help but notice that this area seemed more affluent than the parts of the city that he had usually visited, and soon found himself walking down wide streets flanked by large estates. It took over an hour to reach their destination, another road lined with shop fronts and restaurants. Only these stores looked far more upmarket than any he had been in before. Yaric was very happy to have chosen to wear his best robes.
Lloyd led them straight to a large building with a tiny sign protruding from the doorframe, which could only be read if you were close by and on the same side of the road.
‘Arnold’s Magical Armory’.
“Your friend is a blacksmith?” Yaric asked before glancing at Sven.
“Amongst other things,” Lloyd answered mysteriously, walking up to the door and entering without looking back. The other four quickly followed him inside.
Everyone paused just inside the doorway. The store was even bigger than it had seemed, going back at least 30m’s. There was a 2nd floor as well, with a flight of stairs leading up to a wooden mezzanine floor above, covering two thirds of the rear of the store.
The walls were covered in armor of all types, with leather and brigandines along one side, chainmail and plate along the other. Some even had wooden figures with the armor displayed over, as if it was being worn by an actual person. Here and there Yaric noticed armor that looked miniature, obviously for dwarves, and oversized armor that looked too big for any normal person to wear. Or maybe Hiawatha, if he could be considered ‘normal’.
Low tables had all sorts of bracers, helmets, greaves and every other piece of armor you could think of. There were even rows of boots, most made of sturdy leather, a few covered in armor plate.
The back wall was lined with various pole arms. Most were spears of varying types, but Yaric spotted different halberds as well. They couldn’t see much of what was upstairs, but there were clearly swords down one side and shields down the other. He could only imagine what else would be kept up there.
Lloyd, meanwhile, had walked straight to the back of the store, where he rang a small bell on the counter, making everyone flinch. No bell that size should ever be able to make that much noise.
The shop owner thought so too, as he came barging through a back door, already scowling. He paused when he saw Lloyd though, just shaking his head.
“Of course it’s you, who else would make such a damn racket.”
“Well if I didn’t enhance your bell, how would you hear me over your anvil?” Lloyd asked, smiling.
“I was cutting leather!” the man growled. “And you know damn well that it wouldn’t matter anyway!”
“Oh,” Lloyd replied quietly, with an innocent looking smile. “I’ve come to pick up my order.”
“Yeah, yeah, I figured. Wait here – and don’t ring that damn bell!”
The man stared at them, until Lloyd took a very large, very exaggerated step away from the counter. Looking satisfied, the man turned and went back through the door he had come in from, leaving his five customers to look around.
“How did you know I was going to do it again?” Lloyd suddenly asked, leaving Yaric to look around in confusion.
“Because it’s what I would have done,” came the reply. Surprisingly, it was Li Na who had answered, and Yaric quickly noticed that she was now holding the bell that Lloyd had used earlier.
“And you disapprove?” Lloyd asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I do when I have to listen to it as well,” she smirked, causing Lloyd to smile in return.
“Noted.”
Just then, the man came back in, carrying a large object wrapped in cloth.
“This is it?” Lloyd asked, earning another scowl.
“Of course it is, why else would I bring it out?”
Lloyd just smiled, picking it up and starting to unwrap it. “Which materials did you manage to get hold of?” he asked, looking up while he continued unfolding the cloth.
“Karkadann horn, mostly. There is also an inner layer of Sianach horn, bonded to the maple spine. The limbs are lined with Baku sinew.”
The last of the cloth fell away, revealing an unstrung composite bow, beautifully crafted and meticulously polished. The central grip was whiter than the pale slivers of horn that made up much of the limbs, while the sinew laminated to the outside was unnaturally dark, almost black, combing together to create a striking look.
Lloyd whistled. “This came out better than I’d expected, Arnold.”
Arnold smiled for the first time, looking not at the bow, but at his customers’ faces as they admired his work. “The different horns compress differently, so they work well together, and the tension that Baku sinew can hold works well with the compression levels of the horn. The fact that Baku have black sinew is just coincidence, but yes, they look great together.”
Lifting the bow, Lloyd examined it carefully. He was very thorough with his inspection, flexing the limbs and going over every part, before finally putting it down and turning back to Arnold. “Throw in the bowstring, and I’ll take it.”
“Of course you will,” Arnold answered, dropping another small package on the counter. “Two bowstrings, both made from hairs from the same Karkadann that supplied the horn.”
Lloyd grinned, moving around the counter to pay Arnold.
Yaric and his friends were left with the bow, taking turns to look it over in detail.
“How far do you think this thing can shoot?” Li Na asked, looking interested despite hating archery.
No one answered her before Lloyd returned, rewrapping the bow and picking his package up.
“Thank you, Arnold, quality work, as always. I’ll be back here for the upgrade in a few years.”
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“Just leave the bell alone next time,” Arnold grumbled, waving goodbye and heading into the back room. He hadn’t said a word to the four students the entire time.
“Come on,” Lloyd said cheerfully, leading everyone back into the main road and down to one of the small bakeries that lined the road. They all sat down, and Lloyd ordered for everyone.
“He didn’t seem to like having customers in his shop,” Lauren observed, referring to their interaction with Arnold.
“In a way, he doesn’t,” Lloyd explained. “He likes making things, not selling them. We arrived before his assistant starts work. He handles all the sales.”
“I’m surprised he has any customers at all,” Sven mused quietly.
“Well, he is one of the best. People don’t go to him for his dazzling smile, they go to him for the product he makes. Like Yaric’s new bow,” Lloyd said, lifting the package for emphasis and smirking slightly.
Yaric whipped his head around. “What?”
“Oh, didn’t I mention?” Lloyd’s smile was creeping up further. “It’s tradition for a sponsor to give their students a gift after their first competition. This bow is yours.”
Stunned, it took Yaric a few seconds before he reached out to take it. Everyone else laughed, having suspected as much from the moment they’d walked into Arnold’s Magical Armory. Yaric held the package almost reverently, to the continued amusement of his friends.
“And make sure you visit Armor Up, here’s the address,” Lloyd added, placing a slip of paper on the table in front of Yaric. “They will be expecting you. Your armor has been looking pitiful for a while now, and it’s getting a little small.”
“But it fits fine,” Yaric objected, feeling embarrassed with all the attention and the handing out of expensive gifts.
“It might fit ok, but it doesn’t cover you properly anymore. The biggest problem is the damage, you can’t repair most of the damage it has taken.”
Yaric still looked unsure, so Lloyd smiled and added, “I sponsored you, and you’re wearing that worn out mess. You’re embarrassing me…”
No one was fooled, but Yaric still picked up the slip and nodded gratefully. The arrival of sausage rolls and miniature pies broke the silence, and gave Lloyd the opportunity to talk to the others.
“Your sponsors will have something for each of you as well. There are a few milestones where sponsors give their students a gift in recognition, and one of them is traditionally supposed to be an upgraded version of whatever you get now, so this gift is fairly limited in options. But whatever you get should help you.
“And don’t forget what you were all told about working together. You four have been noticed, so keep it up.”
The rest of the morning was spent telling Lloyd stories of their competition, with Lloyd telling them stories of his own in return. Yaric somehow doubted that Lloyd had built siege engines and taken down three forts in a single day, but his stories were still interesting. His story about capturing and holding another team's porter prisoner was hilarious, especially when Lloyd began describing the confusion and desperation that team had shown when trying to figure out what had happened to all of their supply drops.
It didn’t escape Yaric’s notice that Sven seemed to be taking notes.
The walk back was just as pleasant, with Lloyd giving them a lot of ideas for things they could do on their time off. Every year had included exploring the city and eating out, but Lloyd told them about the many activities available as well.
Yaric chose to say goodbye part way, intending to go and sort out his armor immediately. His friends followed him, saying goodbye to Lloyd and thanking him for the food.
True to his word, a beaming elven woman came rushing to greet them as soon as Yaric introduced himself at the counter, and she immediately ushered everyone into a back room. It quickly became apparent that Lloyd had already given instructions for Yaric’s armor, as she mostly just took measurements, only asking the occasional question regarding his current set of armor.
“What did you have problems with?”
“Where was your old armor uncomfortable?”
“What would you have liked your armor to be able to do?”
Yaric answered every question as it came, watching the various tools float to her before moving back to their place, seemingly of their own accord. Less than 15 minutes later, everything was done. They were all ushered out into the main area of the store, where the woman, a Mage Moirin, promptly dismissed them.
The armor would be delivered directly to the Academy once it was finished, and Yaric could come back for a final fitting if he felt adjustments were necessary. The look on her face when she informed him of the option to make adjustments made it abundantly clear that they would not be necessary.
With that, they had the rest of the day to themselves, and spent the entire day following Lloyd’s suggestions. In fact, the rest of the week was spent going from one place Lloyd had recommended to another.
They watched a puppet show in one of the town squares, spent a day at a fair, and even paid for cooking lessons. One entire morning was spent on the river, after the four friends rented boats that they rowed around on, augmenting themselves and racing to see who could go upstream the fastest. The looks on passengers faces when row boats cruised past their powered river boats were priceless.
Li Na even managed to extend her augmentation spell to the oars, allowing her to pull far harder than the other three and leaving her looking very smug… until she managed to sink the prow into the wake of a passing boat and almost sank with the amount of water she took on. She looked very sorry for herself in her soaking wet clothes, and spent the rest of the day squelching wherever she walked.
It was Sven who impressed everyone when they went for horse-riding lessons, as he was already highly skilled. Lauren, as usual, was very capable by the time the lesson was over, and by the last day of lessons she looked like she had ridden all her life.
Plays and contests were a chance to sit back and enjoy the entertainment while eating and drinking, all while laughing at acrobats or watching unconnected actors pretend to be powerful wizards. No other time off had ever left them as relaxed and decompressed before, especially when others started joining them frequently, sometimes swelling their group to over a dozen students and former teammates.
Sven’s sponsor, High Mage Mersha, took them all to lunch. She doubled down on her crafting suggestion, presenting Sven with a mobile woodworking kit and beginners inscription set. Mersha was extremely friendly and down to earth, and she seemed to be almost as popular and recognizable in the city as Lloyd. The fact that she was a mage, and therefore looked young, not to mention extremely attractive, also seemed to help. Mersha always included Sven’s friends in their conversations, and some of her comments and insights left Yaric with the distinct impression that she had researched them before their meeting.
“Of course she did,” Sven laughed when Yaric pointed this out after Mersha had left. “You know what my family’s position is. I was tested and discovered by a career diplomat. My sponsor spends her time in various courts, mixing with nobility and powerful business owners. I’d be surprised if she hadn’t researched the waiters that served us.”
In contrast, High Wizard Jerold was a quiet and kindly man who looked to be in his fifties. He actually took them to see a show, which they watched from a box he had booked while eating from platters brought in by attendants.
They had friendly conversations during the intermission, and when it was over, Jerold pulled an ornate wooded box out of seemingly nowhere, placing it on the table before Lauren.
“You know, there is always a lot of discussion around what gifts we should give those we sponsor. It’s not normally all that hard. Everyone has their own talents and interests after all… but what do you get for a young woman who has some measure of talent with almost anything she tries?”
Jerold chuckled when he saw Lauren’s cheeks flush, while she started fidgeting self-consciously.
“Instead of something specific, I thought I would rather present you with something that would help you more generally.”
“Books!” Li Na exclaimed confidently. “You love books,” she explained, turning to Lauren.
Jerold just smiled amiably and gestured to the box.
Leaning forward, Lauren carefully unclasped the lid and lifted it slowly. The inside was lined with black velvet, and had three custom made depressions. Inside those depressions were three large, clear slabs of crystal, with very obvious grips carved into their sides.
“Go on, give the one on the left a try,” Jerold prompted.
Lauren picked it up delicately, holding it up as if it were a book.
“I bet it’s a magic book,” Li Na immediately asserted.
“Just channel some arcana in through the grips,” Jerold explained, waiting for Lauren to give it a try and discover its purpose for herself.
Almost immediately, a small, glowing dot appeared in the center. It sat there, glowing softly, before gradually starting to shift faster and faster, moving toward the edge.
“Try using the arcana you’re channeling to push it back to the middle. You’ll have to channel different amounts through each hand.”
Lauren concentrated, and the small dot started slowing, before shifting its movement upward. Focusing harder, Lauren managed to slow it down again, pushing it back toward the center. It started drifting in another direction almost as soon as Lauren had it moving back to the center. She looked up, and the dot faded away as she stopped channeling.
“These are games that are designed to help beginners practice their channeling skills. Most advanced spells demand a high degree of finesse, and these games will help you to develop that long before you will need it. If all goes well, you should have quite the advantage in later years.”
Lauren gingerly placed it back into its slot, then surprised everyone by turning back to Jerold and giving him a hug.
“I had hoped you would like it,” he said, smiling gently.
Lauren let him go and leaned back into her own chair, now blushing even more.
“The other two are the same, but get more and more advanced. The second one is three dimensional, which becomes much more difficult. The third one will need you to control your aspects as well, and you will be prompted to use basic instructions to get any effect.”
“Basic instructions?” Lauren asked curiously.
“Ha,” Jerold chuckled in reply. “You will learn about those soon. Use these games to practice and you will be casting spells far more advanced than your year.”
Lauren thanked him repeatedly, and refused to allow anyone to help her carry the box when it was eventually time to leave. Yaric did have it suddenly placed in his arms when Lauren gave Jerold another hug to say goodbye, but she took it back immediately after and led her friends back to their rooms to put it away.
Yaric was surprised to find that Li Na’s meeting went exactly as she had said it would. A messenger intercepted them on their last day off, just as they were about to exit the campus, holding an envelope addressed to Li Na. As she had predicted, it was an invitation to have breakfast with Council Head Ivers, immediately, and only included her.
The others agreed to meet her at the Muzzled Mule, one of their favorite taverns and the closest to the campus grounds, being less than 10 minutes away.
Yaric, Lauren and Sven went back to browsing some stores, once again mostly led by Sven, only stopping occasionally to pick up street food to snack on. They arrived at the Muzzled Mule just after midday, and once again Yaric was surprised.
Li Na was already there, waiting for them. As was High Wizard Sandy Ivers, Council Head for Lekton Academy.
“Good afternoon,” she greeted them, smiling. She was seated right beside Li Na, and motioned for them to take the seats opposite her.
“I’ve heard some good things about all of you,” Sandy informed them, after everyone had greeted her in turn.
“Not from me,” Li Na mumbled quietly, smirking.
Sandy looked sideways at her before continuing, and smiled. “I thought I should meet the people my student is spending so much time with. I can’t have any of you exerting a bad influence, now can I?”
Li Na grinned mischievously, making Yaric wonder what Sandy had been told.
“Of course, we’ve met once before,” Sandy added, nodding to Yaric. “I understand that the situation you faced has improved since I intervened?”
“Yes, Council Head Ivers,” Yaric answered formally.
“Please, just ma’am, or Miss. No need for such long winded formalities.”
“Yes Miss.”
“I was very pleased with your performances, all of you, both in the competition and during the expedition. The anomaly that Li Na discovered was of great importance, and I know you three helped in various ways as well. Continue as you have been, and all four of you will have a great future at the Academy.”
Sandy spent some time repeating what each of their sponsors had already told them, before saying goodbye to each of them and standing, turning to Li Na as she did.
“Don’t forget any of the things I told you, I want to see everything put into action before your interview next year.”
“I won’t,” Li Na grinned, walking with Sandy to the exit.
Their last day was spent entirely within the tavern, where they joined some of their friends who were already there. No matter how hard they pushed, Li Na refused to tell anyone what Sandy had given her. She just smiled playfully every time, and whenever anyone got more insistent, her smile would shift into a mischievous smirk while she looked them up and down, as if she were trying to determine the best way to strike. Even Lauren had to eventually give up, though she privately admitted to Yaric that they would find out soon enough. Li Na wasn’t the type to keep something hidden for long.
Everyone headed back early, actually looking forward to resuming their classes. There were so many hints dropped over the last few days that no one wanted to wait any longer. Yaric spent half an hour channeling with his cube, then went to bed, eager to start their new magic lessons.
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The weather had turned much colder overnight. Thick, swirling clouds hung low in the sky, threatening to burst at any moment. A frigid wind was gusting below, billowing their clothes and forcing everyone to wear a jacket. The thick grey clouds blocked out most of the sunlight, casting everything in a dull, grey monochrome.
It all felt slightly ominous, after spending months in a forest with good weather, and then having five days off in the sunshine of early autumn, only to find themselves being hit by a cold front just as classes resumed.
They had been instructed to go straight to their magic lessons, where High Wizard Spyros was already waiting for them. Two hundred students filed into class and took their seats in record time, sitting quietly and staring at Emil with rapt attention. The dwarf waited patiently, looking over the whole class with a knowing smile.
“Good morning,” he greeted them warmly. “I’m sure that by now, each of you have already heard at least one person say that you have not yet learnt any spells. But how can that be, you may ask. Have you not seen us run faster than a horse, lift loads three times our weight, jump two stories high? How can you say that we have not yet learned any spells?
“Well, it is true. You have not learned any spells yet.”
Everyone around Yaric began murmuring quietly, either protesting Emil’s statement or questioning their friends around them.
“No spell is a simple construct. Each spell is an intricate set of instructions, made up of multiple components. That is also why learning magic is so dangerous. Before we continue, I want each of you to follow me outside, where I will give a demonstration at the nearest practice range. Over many years of teaching, I’ve found demonstrations to be the most effective way to keep students from killing or maiming themselves with their own experiments.”
There was a different tone to the murmurs now.
“Follow me,” their teacher instructed, making his way out of a door behind his desk.
Everyone filed down the stairs, bunching up at the door and pushing their way out. Emil was waiting a few meters away from the door, and once everyone was out, he led them down to a fenced off field. The area was flat and open, 80m’s long and 25m’s wide. The sides and opposite end of the field were bordered by a high earthen mound, and multiple barrels and wooden posts were placed throughout the field.
Emil turned to the class, waiting for everyone to quiet down. As soon as everyone was silent, the High Wizard continued his lesson.
“Everyone of you need to understand, and keep in mind, that all spells are made of up of complicated components. Each component has a different function. Some carry instructions, some store energy, some create energy. There are many different possible parts, and many different ways to connect them.
“If it helps, try to think of a spell as a recipe. Even if two people are making the same dish, they will usually make that dish with slightly different ingredients, and with slightly different methods. The same is true for any but the most basic spells.”
Raising his hand with his palm up, High Wizard Spyros conjured a floating orb of flames, causing a ripple of excitement amongst the waiting students.
“This is one of the most basic possible fireball spells. It simply creates heat energy, visible in the form of a kind of plasma. This spell keeps the heat contained and maintains the reaction within. There is also a component that links it to my hand,” Emil paused there, moving his hand around to show the assembled students how it maintained its position relative to his palm, “and a component that propels it forward at my command.”
At that, the dwarf quickly swiveled on his heel, pointed his palm at a nearby target, and wordlessly sent it shooting forward. The fireball burst against the post, scorching the wood and quickly going out. Yaric joined his friends in their excited discussions.
“We’re going to learn how to throw fireballs,” Li Na exclaimed enthusiastically. Everyone began talking loudly, some students even hopping in place.
“Now, now, calm down,” Emil said quietly, waving his arms. “This is just a basic spell, and only one part of this demonstration. I need you all to pay attention.”
Emil proceeded to stare pointedly at the gathered students, shifting his attention to anyone who was still talking, until finally, everyone fell silent.
“This next spell is also a fireball,” he explained, holding his palm up and conjuring another fireball. “Only, this one is entirely different.” Emil looked around after his pronouncement, and he wasn’t disappointed. Everyone had a frown on their face, looking confused.
“It’s true. Where the previous spell was exceptionally basic, this one has some more to it. You can’t see it visibly, but inside this fireball is a highly compressed powder, made up of just two elements. In the center of that ball is another, this time made up of compressed oxygen. Surrounded that is a thin vacuum, before we have the same fireball spell as before. The fireball is still connected to my palm, while the inner ball of powder is anchored to the fireball around it. Watch the difference in effect.”
This time Emil targeted a barrel further out. The fireball shot forward just as the previous one had, but this time when it burst, a huge shower of thermite blew out, showering the surrounding area and covering everything with a blazing incendiary. Emil watched quietly, knowing that none of his students would be paying him much attention until the flames had died down.
“Now, I want you to imagine what would have happened if I had messed up the vacuum between the fireball and the thermite. Or if the incendiary was not properly anchored to the outer fireball. Or if the compressed oxygen was released prematurely,” he said, driving his point home.
“Learning new spells carries many dangers. While you won’t be practicing anything too dangerous over the next year, you will be able to injure yourselves badly. Or worse, you may accidently injure others.”
“Pshhh… ‘accidently’,” Li Na snorted quietly.
“This last fireball is one of my own invention, which you will one day have the opportunity to learn should you feel so inclined.”
Another fireball came into existence above Emils hand, thought this one was almost twice the size.
“This version is far more complicated. In the very center, I have another sphere of compressed oxygen, this time held in place by a carbon shell. Another carbon shell surrounds the first, with a thin vacuum between them, inside of which are small carbon shells just a few molecules thick, filled with either magnesium or compressed steam. A much wider carbon shell surrounds all of this, this time filled with fine aluminum dust and more thin balls of compressed oxygen, with more balls closer to the center. The fireball spell that surrounds this is admittedly more of a misdirection, as it is not necessary to the spell.”
This time Emil ushered his students back a few paces, before targeting a barrel near the far end of the range. The fireball shot through the air, propelled at such high speeds that the unshielded flames left a comet-like trail behind the spell.
For a fraction of a second, Yaric was deeply disappointed. The spell impacted a barrel head on, only for the flames to instantly die. Then faster than Yaric could confidently follow, a cloud seemed to instantly manifest around the barrel, spreading out rapidly, only to detonate almost instantly.
Yaric felt the shockwave in his chest, and a second later his clothes billowed slightly despite the wall shielding them from the gusting wind. Smoke covered the target, and debris rained down in the area of the explosion.
At least the range itself wasn’t shielded, allowing the cold wind to quickly blow the obscuring smoke away. Yaric looked for the barrel that had been struck, shocked by the difference in power.
There was no barrel.
There wasn’t much of a crater either, but wooded posts for meters around were badly scorched, many of them peppered with shrapnel, which included posts even further out than those that were scorched. Nearby barrels contributed to the shrapnel, while those slightly further away made up much of the debris lying on the ground. Many of the barrels even further out had been knocked over, some cracked or splintered.
Silence had fallen over the whole class.
“Now, to the lesson at hand. We are going to head back to class before we continue, where it is much warmer. This year you will be learning how to create various components used in basic spells, as well as how they are connected. Once you have become proficient, you will also be able to start constructing proper spells, and one day, even develop your own. Now close your mouths, and follow me. You have much to learn!”