Chapter 18

Tight groups of robed individuals were gathered in disparate clumps, forming a small but dispersed crowd, all gathered just in front of a drawbridge before the massive keep.

“You gonna be ok? I need to get down to the forge,” Justinian asked, as Riley noticed both he and Tobias were focused on a particular group of fellow student sorcerers. One in the center was talking animatedly as the rest gathered around him in a rough semicircle. Their robes were of better quality than most, and for the first time, Riley saw rings and necklaces festooning fingers and necks, many of which had a faint glow to Riley’s eye.

“Yeah, just the normal morning gauntlet. Don’t be late on my account,” Tobias had gone back to mournful and broody.

“See you later!” Justinian said, peeling off, moving past the tight knit cliques over the bridge as Riley observed the well dressed sorcerers with a critical eye.

“I’ve some memories of High School. I suppose those are the rich pricks?” Riley projected.

It was becoming more natural and, in some ways, easier than speaking. She pointed her thoughts in a particular direction, and people seemed to hear her; at least, Tobias and Justinian could.

“Chadrick Astor, the nephew to the king; he’s got a personality like an overflowing chamber pot,” Tobias sighed, uttering the words like a curse.

Riley snorted, “Ok, that makes total sense.”

“Come again?” Tobias wondered as Chadrick spotted them, his eyes locking onto Tobias. A sinister grin spread across his face.

“Have you ever met anyone named Chad that wasn’t a prick?” She asked rhetorically.

The words hit Tobias like a missile. His eyes went wide before a hearty laugh escaped as if a caged bird taking flight.

“Oh, by the dead gods,” Tobias looked down, shaking his head, chuckling to himself quietly.

“Funny joke?” Chadrick sneered. He approached with four hulking monstrosities of fellow students in tow, “Is it as good as the idea of you being a sorcerer?”

“Chadrick…” Tobias acknowledged, his tone stiffened as he looked towards the portcullis date.

He had short cropped brown hair, and his robes were made of a smooth, silky material that caught the light with a dull shine. A large ruby pendant on a gold chain hung around his neck, emitting a faint green glow. Silver bangles hung off his wrist.

Of similar height to Tobias, no more than 5’9, there was a smug superiority that mixed with an oiliness that gave him all the charm of a sleaze bag politician.

“I… don’t like him…” Riley felt a strange pang of fear, her fight or flight reflexes raging, scanning around for danger, while her brain screamed the threat was right in front of her.

“What’s that you have there, Servant? Did your grandpa sell the business in a last ditch attempt for you to amount to anything, or did your mother hang out her shingle? I hear she’s a fine lay for those with low standards at that inn she works in. It’s not going to help; shiny trash is still trash,” His words dripped with bile and hatred.

“Trials are next week; it’s not over till then,” Tobias said, sounding like a trapped animal, looking down at the ground, a quiet rage barely restrained, shone behind his eyes.

“Exactly, and then you will finally know your place. You’re a poor excuse for a caster and an even poorer excuse for a son,” Chadrick said, raising his hands and pushing Tobias, knocking him back a few feet.

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“This son of a bitch needs a beating,” Riley growled, flattening her ears and drumming her hind paw; all the while, Tobias widened his stance. An orange flame suffused his hand as Chadrick grinned savagely.

“Does anyone else feel a slight twinge of magic? What are you going to do, Tobias? Light a candle for me? The Gods know you don’t have enough to warm a crystal,” Chadrick held his palm up as Riley perceived a purple flame wrap around his hand.

A black oily residue rimmed the flame and pooled in his hand, dripping down.

“Go ahead, challenge me, and you won’t even see your trials before they snap a copper torc around your neck,” Chadrick’s voice bellowed into a roar before throwing a kick aimed directly at Riley’s ribs.

Already on alert, she caught the action just in time and leaped back behind Tobias. A new power surged to life inside of her, which only terrified her further. White light flickered around her paws as she tried to pull it back, unsure of what was happening. Everything went topsy turvy as she fought a war between panic and her magic.

“You fucking son of a kraus!” Tobias surged forward, only for one of the bullies in support to push him down.

“Now, now, don’t get uppity,” The wall of a man sneered. Chadrick nodded in approval.

“Thank you, Stanarius, it wouldn’t do to get my hands dirty on such filth.”

A bell began to chime four times…

“I’m looking forward to watching you fail,” Chadrick turned and began walking away, melting into the crowd of the students mustering for class.

Riley dashed to Tobias and pressed up against his chest, “What was that all about? Are you ok?” She sniffed him over worriedly.

“Easy, I’m ok; it’s just the daily morning drama,” he sighed as the rage abated, leaving an exhausted tiredness in its wake.

“This happens every day?” It was Riley’s turn to worry, “Bullies are the worst.”

“For years, Chadrick of Astor is the nephew to the King of Ashes, ruler of the Ashenrealm,” Tobias explained, rising, dusting off his robes.

“So he’s got free range to be an asshole,” Riley’s voice trailed off as the bell tolled yet again.

“Come on, we need to get to assembly,” Tobias began, moving quickly, wiping at his eyes.

Riley could see that he was miserable as she hopped after him.

Crossing the drawbridge, they entered the portcullis, a long tunnel stretched out before them, belying the thickness of the walls. Riley noticed they were smooth. There wasn’t a hint of joints or mortar to be seen, as if the entire massive edifice was carved out of solid rock.

Emerging out, after traveling at least a hundred feet to her reckoning, they entered a parade ground filled with students, seemingly arranged by year, row after row of robed sorcerers stood proudly before a simple wooden stage, on which black robed sorcerer’s with golden torques stood, in a similar rectangular formation.

At the lead, in front of a podium, was a red robed mage. Silver piping highlighted the fringes of his garments, and heavy bangles hung from his wrists. Long white hair was swept back, cascading down his shoulders.

Tobias was moving right for a particular gap, as if left just for him, taking up his position. Riley took up the small bit of space to his right.

“Student Sorcerers, stand ready!” The red robed mage called, as everyone in the crowd drew to a form of attention.