Lightning spells were out. After spending weeks practicing what Yaric had thought would become his go-to spell, he discovered that the casting time was simply too long. At least for now.
On the other hand, Lloyd had inadvertently revealed how augmentation spells could do far more than simply increase strength or durability. There were versions for everything, and some focused on very specific physical attributes. Like the mind.
Emil had a lot to say on the matter as well.
“How are you going with your lesson plans?” he asked, passing their desk for the first time that morning.
“Well, thank you,” Lauren replied.
“Have you managed to cast the lightning spell yet? You’ve been working on it for weeks now.”
“Yes, we did. It’s just… it’s a very slow spell.”
“Ha, that’s true. Or it is at your level at least. But give it a couple of years and you’ll be able to channel arcana at a far higher rate. It’s good that your technical abilities exceed your physical abilities. You will always be able to cast spells at the limit of your potential, not to mention that you’ll be pushing your potential to grow more rapidly.”
“Our channeling rate will increase that much?”
“Of course, look how much time you spend channeling right now. You’re constantly using the ability. By far the fastest way to improve your ability to channel is to simply channel arcana as often as possible. Many arcanists believe that pushing your limits can help as well. Keep practicing your lightning spell and you’ll increase your power in no time at all.”
“So we shouldn’t switch our focus to augmentation then?” Yaric asked.
“Why did you decide to do that? It’s not wrong, I’m just curious.”
“Well we can’t use any lightning spells any time soon, so we want to focus on something else. And we were completely outclassed physically in the last Tournament. Hopefully this spell will close the gap.”
“Hmmm… It would help, yes. I am concerned that you might be focusing too much on the Tournament, however. Placing highly isn’t the focus of this class, your magical education is. That said, you four have become rather well known for shaping spells, switching to augmentation might catch people by surprise.”
“I don’t think we’re that well known,” Yaric objected.
“Is that so, Dragon? You were shaping in your seventh year, which never happens. Augmentation is considered the easier of the two disciplines, so most of the ninth and tenth year students have focused there. They can all cast the same shaping spells, and far more advanced ones as well, but very few can use them in combat like you four. That makes your fights stand out. And the fact that your classmates are following in your footsteps just makes you stand out more.”
Yaric was looking uncomfortable, but Li Na saved him.
“Augmentation isn’t easy though. Both take just as much time to learn.”
“True, but you must remember that you augment things in use. Whether you are strengthening yourself to make a jump or take a hit, or you’re strengthening an object to withstand undue stress, you’re always going to be using the spell while completing other tasks. Shaping spells are learned and practiced in isolation. You learn how to make a fireball, and then you throw it at a target. That doesn’t give you the ability to do the same thing while fending off a spear and simultaneously using an augmentation spell as well.
“And don’t forget that shaping changes reality. You create the rock for the spell you were just practicing. Augmentation is exactly that, you use magic to augment that which already exists. That inherently makes it less complex than shaping, at least in general.”
“Yaric’s sponsor told us about different things more advanced augmentation spells could do. Aren’t they more complicated?” Li Na asked.
“He did, did he? Yes, some are more complicated than what you are learning now. But shaping spells can get exponentially more complicated than that. I’m not saying that augmentation is simple, merely that it is simpler by comparison.”
“We were also told about augmentation spells that can speed up our minds,” Yaric prompted, hoping for more information.
“Ah, yes. You don’t have any spells that can do that yet, but it will be included in your next lesson plan. Always try to keep in mind that you can augment almost any aspect of any object, but how much is always limited by how much arcana you can channel. That’s why we use different spells for different things, instead of trying to learn a more complicated spell that boosts everything. The size of the boost would be limited because you’re splitting arcana between all those aspects.
“It is far more efficient to only boost muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments if you need more speed and power in a fight, for example. But if you are able to boost them far enough you’ll also need some measure of protection for other organs, and you’ll need to boost the speed of your mind to keep up with what is happening. On the other hand, if you’re keeping track of multiple measurements while crafting something complicated, you might only need the mental boost, and you’d be wasting arcana that could boost your mind even further. You never know when you might need to slow the world around you and focus on smaller details.”
“Oh, I do that all the time,” Li Na said. “Mostly when we’re fighting in groups though. It doesn’t help much one-on-one, then it’s just easier to react.”
Emil stared at Li Na once again. “Of course you do,” he muttered.
“Lina augments her weapon, so it’s no surprise to us,” Lauren laughed. “She probably just doesn’t want to make her mind faster when she can make her mace even stronger.”
“Doesn’t make a difference,” Li Na said. “You just switch between things.”
“Do you mean that you change spells?” Emil asked.
“No, we’ve only known one spell for years, and everyone says it’s not even a real spell. I mean that you can augment yourself so you hit really hard, then switch to making the mace hard and heavy just before it hits. That way always hits the hardest.”
Emil shook his head. “You really should have made your talents clear much earlier than your eighth year, Novice Jakobson.”
“I never hid them,” Li Na objected.
“She’s good with augmentation,” Sven acknowledged.
“No,” Emil said. “Her talent lies with abstract applications of magic. It is far easier to cast spells based on science than it is for concepts, but Novice Jakobson does so instinctually. There are many shaping spells that require the same abstract applications of magic. Most arcanists try to study those applications so they can explain them numerically, because understanding how it works is a requirement for them to cast the spell. Arcanists who are skilled with concepts don’t have those same requirements and often pull off spells that others believe to be impossible.”
“Lina is impossible,” Yaric agreed, earning himself a playful kick to the back of his chair.
“But when can we learn those spells that boost our mind?” Lauren asked. “Preferably one that only makes you think faster. We were hoping we could get proficient enough that we could use it to practice our other spells. It would be like making more time.”
“Many arcanists do, particularly when conducting research. But you aren’t quite there yet. Once you can use every augmentation spell in your lesson plan you may come and ask for one of those spells to be added. They are more complicated than anything you have right now so until then there simply isn’t any point.”
“Thank you,” Lauren said, quickly followed by the others.
Emil had them demonstrate their progress with their first true augmentation spell, before quizzing them on their progress with shaping.
“You did what?!” Emil exclaimed. Yaric had just explained how he had started powering the lightning spell before finishing the spell form. It had dropped six seconds off the cast time. “And what do you think would happen if something interrupted your spell before it was fully formed? You’ve already started powering it. What if you haven’t finished the guidance, or set the anchor point? Your spell could fail catastrophically because you’ve already started casting it before it was fully formed. And that’s not even taking into consideration that there are spells that can be powered up faster than you can create them.”
“So it’s dangerous to start powering the spell in advance? I thought everyone would do that.”
“Many do, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. It’s also an accepted method for speeding up casting time – for older and more experienced arcanists! Mages at the very least! No one can shield you from some of the things that could go wrong during casting, the risk simply isn’t worth it.”
“Understood,” Yaric replied, though privately he was determined to practice both methods. It seemed like a great way to get ahead in the future. He’d have years of experience at the point in time that others start using the method for the first time ever.
Yaric also got to demonstrate the spell Ivan had taught, which at least lightened the mood somewhat. Emil was very impressed with an eighth year using space magic.
“This whole category of magic is amongst the most complex. Few who study it would use it for something as simple as shortening the distance a projectile must travel. I will discuss your lessons with your instructor and see if we can add a few more spells to your plan,” Emil said, smiling widely.
“I already have a second one, Instructor. This one is instant transference like a transporter.”
“Already? That seems like a leap.” Emil actually looked concerned.
“It isn’t that bad. I’ve already learned the new components, I’m just making sure I’m comfortable with them before I start trying to put the spell together.”
“Hmmm… acceptable. If you need to take a break, try switching to a spell that is similar to what you already know. All four of you have an explosive fireball in your lesson plan, for instance. I find that learning something familiar is far less stressful than learning something completely new.”
“Thank you, I will.”
“And for you, Novice Jakobson. Let me know when you’ve mastered the four ice spells in your plan. I have a more advanced spell for you that would greatly increase your power, but most struggle because it requires some abstract thinking.”
“More powerful?” Li Na asked, looking excited. “Will it hit harder?”
Emil paused to think for a moment before answering. “Not really, no. It will be very similar to the rock spell you’re using. In fact, your second ice spell also creates small darts and propels them into a target. This new spell is almost exactly the same, but it dramatically reduces the temperature around where it strikes. Enough to instantly freeze water or cause frostbite.”
Both Lauren and Sven looked puzzled. “How can it do that?” Sven asked. “The temperature gradient can't be high enough to flash-freeze water, surely?”
“It isn’t,” Emil said, smiling. “Like I said, it’s conceptual in nature. The spell imposes your will on reality, and your will is shaped by your perceptions. You will also have to learn how to do this if you want to advance far with life-related spells. Novice Miller will need to as well, or at least he will if he wants to lean into his shadow affinity. That is one of the most conceptual areas of magic there is. And it will be vital for Novice Silver if she wants to go into research.”
“Can we try that ice spell as well?” Sven asked.
“Of course. I’m sure you’re all borrowing from each other anyway. Just ask Novice Jakobson.”
They spent the rest of the lesson making minor adjustments to the augmentation spell according to Emil’s suggestions, but they really wanted to focus on using the spell in practical situations.
Short-term plans were set long before the class ended. Focus on working through their first true augmentation spells, along with all the newer types of shaping spells. That meant that they needed to start learning spells from each other earlier than anticipated. No one but Sven had any magma-related spells, and Li Na had the most useful ice spells. Then, once they were able to cast earth, space, ice, lightning, and every other type of spell they had in their collective lesson plans, they would start focusing on expanding their repertoire.
Even spells as disparate as fireballs and jets of flame shared significant similarities, enough that further fire related spells often built on spells they already knew. Even when fire spells were completely different from each other and had entirely new foundations, they still shared many components. Learning the first spell of any type was always the hardest. A second spell of similar complexity was much easier to learn, and more complex spells had a smaller jump than if they had gone straight there. Their method might slow them down slightly in the beginning, but the foundations they were planning to build would make things far easier in the long run. Not to mention how versatile they would be.
Lunch should have been a quick and light affair, as they had to get to the bestiary for their next lesson, but Sven had a different idea.
“What’s that?” Li Na asked, seeing the parcels Sven was bringing with him from the back of the food hall.
“I asked them for packed lunches. We can go early and eat there before the class starts.”
Li Na seemed particularly excited about the idea of a picnic. She ate the small sandwiches she had already taken as quickly as she could, even going so far as to stuff the last two in her mouth before gesturing for everyone to leave.
Yaric and Lauren simply picked up their sandwiches and walked out with them in their hands.
With all the extra time they had, there was no rush to get to the Bestiary, but Li Na hurried them along regardless. They finally picked up the pace when they found out that Li Na had never been on a proper picnic before and had always wanted to. No one had the heart to tell her that this wasn’t exactly what she was talking about either. Instead, Lauren whispered in Yaric’s ear to plan a proper picnic, and Yaric could tell by Sven’s glances that he knew exactly what they were talking about and was on board as well.
They were the first there, so getting past the front counter was quick and easy. Lanyards and a warning not to feed the creatures were handed out, and then they were through, heading straight to the horses to eat beside a paddock.
The atmosphere was far better than their last class there, where they had studied baby Namazu, catfish-like creatures that could spurt foul smelling, poisonous mud. The only plus was they weren’t fully grown Namazu, which meant they weren’t able to create earthquake-like shockwaves as well. Now they got to sit on the grass beside the paddock, enjoying the sun while horses grazed and frolicked nearby.
None of their classmates had shown up by the time they finished, so the four of them reluctantly made their way back to the entrance to find out where the class would be held. Lorelle was already there, along with most of the class, so Yaric joined the group along with his friends.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Today is going to be very busy,” Lorelle announced once the class was ready to start. “We’ve recently managed to procure several new creatures, some of which will not be staying here permanently. This will be your only opportunity to study them in person instead of via a book, so we are not going to miss it. The staff here also need some help from us, as they are temporarily overwhelmed by the influx. There won’t be any issues once they get a handle on things, so we’re going to help them along.
“Follow me to the aviary section.”
Yaric still didn’t know the entire place by heart, so following her was the only way he could find the aviary.
The building she stopped in front of was fairly small, far too small for the entire class to enter, so Lorelle went inside by herself to fetch the new creature.
Several people gasped. Even more awed.
A large bird sat perched in their instructor’s arm, its crimson and gold feathers glowing in the sun. The body reminded Yaric of an eagle, but the head was more like a crane, complete with feathers that looked like they could be raised as a crest. One wing was bandaged with a visible splint holding it straight.
“This is a phoenix. As you all know, they are usually able to incinerate themselves in a form of rebirth, extending their lifespan near indefinitely. That, however, takes preparation. A sudden attack or mortal wound can kill them just like any creature, so long as the phoenix doesn’t have time to prepare for its rebirth.
“One must also keep in mind that it is a full rebirth, meaning they are like hatchlings. Weak and defenseless. A phoenix will always try to seek out others of its kind before immolation. They need protection, and more importantly, they need to be fed. A phoenix is unable to fly or hunt effectively after rebirth. They are completely dependent on others for the first three to four weeks, even though their initial growth phase is greatly accelerated.
“Which brings me to the phoenix I have here. This phoenix was found injured, unable to fly. In the wild that would usually mean death. True, the phoenix would immolate and be reborn as a healthy chick, but it would face true death within days of its rebirth. Here it can be looked after and cared for, at least until it is healthy enough to fend for itself.”
“So it won’t be kept here permanently?” someone asked.
“It’s possible. Sometimes rehabilitated creatures might choose to stay, but we never force them to. This was a rescue, not a capture. Pheonix’s are typically species that like to roam, they need vast spaces to live comfortably.”
“Can we get a feather before it leaves?” Kaylin asked.
Lorelle just smiled and held the phoenix out further so she could get a better look. She spent a moment brushing through the feather with her free hand until she found what she was looking for.
“This is a loose feather. Watch what happens when it is shed.”
Using just her fingers, Lorelle brushed through the feathers a few times, staying in the same spot. One bright, crimson feather came free and drifted to the ground, touching down gently. It seemed to sparkle in the bright sunshine. A moment later, the entire feather was engulfed in flame, burning down to ash in just seconds.
“That is what happens to phoenix feathers, or any part of their body really. Sometimes birds in rehabilitation will need their talons clipped, and even those clippings burst into flame if they came from a phoenix.”
“But then what would want to eat a phoenix?” Li Na asked. “If it turns to ash, won’t the same thing happen if you eat it?”
“That’s actually a good question. There are only two occasions when a phoenix might be eaten. One is a juvenile or inexperienced predator that simply doesn’t know better. The other is if the predator is undead. The phoenix is highly prized by all manner of undead, as they don’t have much need for the flesh, but rather the life force. As I’m sure you can guess, the phoenix has a rather powerful life force, even more so than intelligent and complex creatures like yourselves. Feeding on a phoenix would be a true feast, able to sustain most undead creatures for months.”
“Wouldn’t that also mean it should heal quickly?” Gerrick asked.
“I take it you mean the powerful lifeforce?” Seeing Gerrick nod, Lorelle quickly continued. “The strength of something's lifeforce has no bearing on healing. Look at yourselves. Each of you would make a far grander meal for an undead than something like a starfish, yet they can regenerate themselves from a single limb. We will grow scar tissue over a bad cut, and it will take weeks. A reptile will regrow perfectly healthy skin in days. I can’t think of any undead species that would ever bother feeding on starfish, or most reptiles. Not unless they were truly desperate.”
“Can’t a healer help speed things up?” someone else asked.
“Proper healing requires detailed knowledge of anatomy, so unless a healer has intimate knowledge of a creature’s physiology, there isn’t much they can do. They also tend to be focused on healing people, not creatures. In this case, though, there is an additional problem. The phoenix is known to be highly resistant to any magic that affects the body. Even studying its ability to be reborn is all but impossible. We’ve had some success with things like shed feathers, even though the time available is fleeting, but there is only so much we can glean from a shed feather. Much of the magic behind the phoenix is still a mystery. But no, the phoenix is beyond our ability to heal using magic. Not unless you want to give it a wound serious enough to force it to immolate and heal itself, but that is something we would never do. Nor would we allow it.”
Lorelle proceeded to go into detail on their diet and hunting methods, followed by preferred habitats and nesting habits. There was a lot of detail to go through, but by far the most popular was when they were shown how to groom a bird. Every student got the chance to try. Yaric was amazed at how docile the phoenix was. It just sat there calmly while student after student groomed and petted it.
‘Then again,’ Yaric thought, ‘I’d also be calm if I could recover from death.’
Next they moved on to a large enclosure with a warehouse-like structure covering half of it. The whole building looked newly built.
“Our last lesson today will be on another new creature, but this one will be available permanently. We actually intend to breed these. Pay attention, because you will be helping us take care of these creatures today.”
Lorelle opened the large gate and ushered the whole class into the enclosure, closing the gate behind them.
Dark shapes were standing in the shade, gazing out at the assembled students. One of them moved cautiously toward the light, followed by another, until the whole group began taking faltering steps closer. Their eyes began to glow once they got nearer to the sunlight, revealing reptilian eyes three meters off the ground. Even before stepping into the light, it was obvious what they were.
Horses. Although not like any horses Yaric had ever seen. Besides their size and unusual eyes, they had one other striking characteristic. They were covered, head to foot, in sleek, dark scales. That changed once they were in the sunlight, as several of them ranged from white to cream in color, while others retained their darker greys and black.
Despite never having studied the phoenix, Yaric had seen it before. They all had. It was one of the creatures covered in their current textbook, and they would have been studying it even without the live phoenix currently on campus. This was a creature that Yaric had never even heard of, however.
Lorelle stepped up to the side of the class, causing the creatures to stop where they stood.
“Everyone relax, Longma are very friendly. These individuals are a bit nervous though. We purchased them very recently from a special trader, and they’ve only just moved into their new home. Everything is new to them.”
The herd started moving again, stopping around four meters from the nearest students. They snorted and milled about, but none came any closer.
“Longma come from the north, on the other side of the Abyssal Fields. We’ve never had this species in the Academy before, so everyone is quite excited about the purchase. This breeding herd is one of two we have received so far, with two more next year if the trader follows through with our deal and possibly more after those two. That is why you will be learning about them today even though they are not normally a part of the syllabus.
“Can people ride them like a horse?” Li Na asked.
Yaric moved to stand slightly between her and the Longma.
“Yes, that is why we bought them. Longma can be ridden once they are broken in, and they have several advantages over horses, depending on the circumstances. First, while horses are famous for their endurance, Longma are particularly well known for their strength and power. They can pull incredibly heavy loads over short distances, and no horse can hope to match their speed over short distances.
“They also have a special affinity with water. Longma enjoy swimming, but they can also walk over water as if it were solid ground, should they choose to. They can even do this with a rider on their back.
“But probably their most famous feature is their scales. They’re tougher than iron, and no iron or steel weapon is likely to penetrate their hide. Longma are effectively impregnable to unconnected, they’re effectively covered in natural armor.”
Sven raised his hand.
“Yes, Novice?”
“Is the Academy breeding these Longma for the military?”
“Not exactly. Their primary purpose is in the case of war, but we will be breeding them for arcanists first and foremost. No one else could use them as effectively as we could. That said, I’m sure there will be some sold to the military for their elite units.”
“Do they hunt for meat?” Vano asked.
“Ha ha, no,” Lorelle laughed. “They mostly eat grass, and they’re strictly vegetarian. Longma are entirely unrelated to horses, but their similarities go much deeper than appearance. They have similar diets, habitats, and even breeding habits. Longma have a deep affinity for water, so they tend to stay closer to permanent sources, but other than that you can expect them to have the same behaviors. It was once thought that they were in fact the offspring of a horse and a dragon, though dragons back then were very quick to disabuse people of that belief. Their scales may be exceptionally tough, but they are in no way related to either horses or dragons. They are their own species.”
“How are we supposed to help take care of them today?” someone else asked.
“I’m glad you brought that up. Unfortunately your task is very urgent, and we don’t have enough time left to both complete that task and also have a proper lesson, so we will need to come back to the Longma in the future. For today though, you will be cleaning their scales and washing them down with an antiparasitic solution,” Lorelle said, pointing to a pile of brushes with stiff wire bristles and dozens of buckets. “There’s no need to be concerned with hurting them, you won’t have the strength to do so, and you need to be very firm with your scrubbing. I’ll demonstrate for you before we begin.”
The rest of the lesson was spent scrubbing the scaly hide of the Longma. They’d seemed skittish at first, but despite their hesitation to come any closer to the students, they had no issue with the students coming closer to them. Sven, Gerrick, and a few of the taller students were given small step ladders to scrub their backs, while the rest of the students scrubbed everywhere else. Luckily the staff would be cleaning the enclosure.
“That was fun,” Lauren said, smiling as they left for their next lesson.
“I can’t wait until we can ride them!”
“Lina, we might never get to ride them,” Lauren pointed out.
“Yeah we will. Armored, powerful, great sprinters – they were made for smashing through enemy lines.”
“Which we don’t do.”
“Pfff…”
They had to jog to get to their woodwork lesson in time, but that didn’t dissuade them from talking.
“Don’t forget that we need to finish our project today,” Yaric said, nudging Li Na.
“Project?” Lauren asked, glancing up at Yaric curiously.
“Oh yeah, I forgot,” Li Na replied. “We have to build a house for your friend.”
Until recently the summer had been unusually wet, and it wouldn’t be long before the weather started getting colder as well. Since everyone had already decided that they were associated with each other, Yaric had decided that he would do what he could, and Li Na had insisted on helping.
They were going to build an owl box.
----------------------------------------
Lloyd strode purposefully into the Council Chamber, intent on delivering his report. Sending people ahead was a major advantage in this regard, as he would mostly be confirming answers they had already received from Archie, but as he had overall command, he was also ultimately accountable for both the mission and the report. And Lloyd also wanted to make sure there was no confusion.
Wedal bore responsibility for the terrorist attacks. They were already at war. Moreover, with the nations between themselves and Wedal’s current conflict, Wedal was likely attacking multiple nations at once.
Sandy wasted no time either, and the current meeting was obviously already in session. “Give us your report,” she said curtly.
Lloyd could see the dark bags under her eyes. The situation had never been a good one, but while rogue arcanists were bad, very bad, war with another nation was worse.
Two hours were spent going over every detail of their incursion, including his initial impressions and overall opinion of the events when they took place. The subsequent attack at their base camp in Malvec was also discussed.
“Samples of equipment and clothing have already been sent for assessment,” Lloyd concluded. “Though I doubt the results will conflict with the confessions we received from two of our prisoners.”
“How can we be certain they were telling the truth?” one of the Council Members asked.
“We can only be as certain as one can be when any person gives information they swear is true. But one of those prisoners is a career diplomat who has been captured and brought to what he considers a hostile nation. He’s terrified. That can work against us if he starts telling us what he thinks we want to hear, but he seems motivated to demonstrate his willingness to help. The other prisoner is a Wizard, and he knows he won’t be treated as a prisoner of war. We’re not formally at war to begin with, but his actions would disqualify him anyway. Terrorist attacks tend to come with the death penalty, no matter which nation you are in. He’s just desperate to survive.”
“And the third prisoner?” Sandy asked.
“A High Wizard, as I’m sure Archie reported. He’s been… uncooperative. We’ve had to keep him drugged most of the time, he keeps attempting to cast spells if we don’t.”
“I need those assessments as a matter of urgency,” Sandy said. “Bring each result to me as it becomes available. Insignia, clothing, saddles, everything. I want to know where they were manufactured, who uses them, what they’re used for, the works. Ideally before royal representatives arrive. What of their motives, did they give any reasons for why Wedal would attack us? They’re already in another war.”
“No, but they aren’t exactly privilege to information like that.”
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Eli complained loudly. “Why would they skip four other nations to attack us? What do they gain?”
Lloyd continued to look at Sandy, not bothering to turn and face Eli. “My job is to report the facts as I find them, not to speculate on possibilities.”
“Still,” Sandy said reluctantly. “You were there. You have insights that none of us possess. Your thoughts on the matter may be helpful.”
Lloyd sighed. “Who knows? I personally don’t believe any nations were necessarily skipped. Signals were sent through the other transporters to mark the location of the hidden rooms on the other side, we’ll see soon enough where those signals turn up. They were created by the twins, so whatever signal they create will be unmissable. As to the purpose of these attacks, they could be weakening us, distracting us, or both.”
“Their attacks were terrible, but we’re hardly weakened,” Eli scoffed.
“We are,” Lloyd contested. “Maybe not by much, but we are weakened. And this is over the short term. What if these attacks continued? Some pest species could make entire swaths of land uninhabitable for months, if not years. Others can destroy entire towns. We would take small but noticeable hits to the population, not to mention the disruption of trade and production. Military units will take casualties as well, which will continue to incur disability costs and retirement payments to immediate family long after they’ve been replaced.
“But what happens when these attacks continue even then? What happens when Dukes are under pressure to stop these attacks and they start reforming their local military, adapting them to fight ogres and wyverns and goblins? Then they won’t even need to inflict any casualties, in just a few decades our forces will lose much of their effectiveness in battle against other armed forces. And we will go through great expense to lose those abilities too.
“All the while we are focused on the attacks within our borders. Around sixty years ago Wedan defeated the Boclaron Federation after a fifteen-year war. Just recently they defeated the Kingdom of Brackburn in less than two. Both have been occupied and absorbed into Wedan. What happens when they move on to the next nation? And the next? We won’t even notice, because we’re busy keeping manticores from wiping out a dozen towns. None of those issues will seem like major problems with terrorist attacks occurring up and down Malvec.”
Sandy stared in silence at Lloyd for a long moment. “Council Member Jeeves,” she eventually said, turning to her right and talking to one of the members close to her. “Assemble a team to brief the King immediately. Don’t give him anything but the facts for now. You are to leave by the end of the day. He needs to come here in person, or the Crown Prince at the very least. They need to witness the interrogation.
“Council Member Wright, get the Mind Bridge ready for the prisoners. We need to begin the interrogation as soon as they arrive. This cannot wait. Wedan is far away, and we have large buffers, but under no circumstances will the King allow this to go unanswered. We can expect significant action to be taken. All evidence and information must be ready for the King.
“High Wizard Chen, wait here so we can talk. Council dismissed.”
Council Members began filing out immediately, with several heated discussions beginning before they’d even finished standing. Lloyd waited in silence while everyone filed out the main entrance.
“Come with me,” Sandy said, heading for the side door that gave access to her office.
Lloyd followed, though neither spoke a word while they navigated the corridors. It wasn’t until they were inside with the door closed that Sandy finally raised the question that had been bugging her.
“How are you doing after all of this?” she asked.
“Huh? Fine. It’s my job.”
“A job that involved taking people you know into a dangerous situation, one that would have been too much to handle if you hadn’t been the one leading them. You saw those people come close to being overwhelmed, and when you came back you returned to find your Apprentice barely conscious and under attack.”
“Which is the job, like you said. I’ve been doing this for decades; don’t think it’s suddenly become too much for me.”
“Lloyd, you’ve been restless for years. You’ve been getting gradually worse for decades now. This isn’t the same as previous jobs, because you aren’t in the same place as you were those other times. Things are going to start getting difficult, and you’re going to be one of the first people called to do something about it. You need to be on top of things when that happens.”
Lloyd took a moment to think before replying, then leaned back into the chair. “There’s nothing wrong with the last few years. Some of the more recent events have been great. It’s just… there isn’t much to do. I used to travel all over the place fixing problems, now I just watch other people do the same things I used to do.”
“You’re a High Wizard, Lloyd, and not just any High Wizard either. You can’t go around capturing bandits or exterminating Huodou.”
“Why not? Because it’s overkill? That only means I can do the job better. This policy of ranking jobs and individuals is absurd. Jobs can be too difficult, not too easy.”
“Some jobs are beneath you. Leave them to the lower ranks.”
“No job that helps people could ever be beneath anyone.”
Sandy took a deep breath to center herself. “Fine,” Sandy sighed. “Take a few appeals, go stop Stirges from harassing a village or something. Consider it a holiday. Just make sure you’re ready for bigger jobs than the one you just went on. I have some suspicions about how the King may respond, and many of them would include you.”
“You’re serious?” Lloyd asked, sitting up straight.
“Yes,” she replied, waving him off. “Go make yourself feel useful. Catch some pickpockets or whatever.”
“I’ll do that. Just don’t act surprised when I bring down the pickpocket kingpin,” Lloyd teased.
“Hmph, I wouldn’t be surprised if our students did that. Now go,” she said, dismissing him.
“I guess now I’m not going to be available to teach next year,” Lloyd called over his shoulder. “Pity!”
Lloyd slammed the office door closed before Sandy could reply.