Mage-Trainer Ascot

Mage-Trainer Ascot had a premonition that today would not be a good day. A black crow had circled him twice as he crossed the courtyard and entered the secluded wing of his Lordships training facility. While he gave no credence to ill omens, noting this, from the long list of signs and portents drummed into to him as a child by his mother, reminded him of how much he missed her.

Today need to go well. A lot was riding on the success of his eldest charge gaining a good class. Mage, Wizard… even Enchanter would be acceptable.

Stepping into the facility, there was a muted hush as the speech dampening enchantment ensured that there was silence. The guard looked at him and made the trinity gesture to remind him not to speak, count or write.

Training a mage was a delicate and decade long task. While success was never guaranteed, the Rules of Trinity resulted in an 80% success rate of some form of magical ability being given by the system.

1. You must not read

2. You must not count

3. You must not speak

Only after the system granted a class at the age of 15 could education begin. It was hard on his charges, not living a normal life, but society needed some bulwark against the simple mages and the destruction they often inadvertently caused. Mages (even if of a lesser ability) who could be organised and trained were all that kept the kingdom safe.

Yesterday he was informed that Toby had fallen and was unable to be woken. Clearly, he had received his class and now, 24 hours later, it was time to initiate the system.

Toby seemed a little confused to Ascot, but at least he was dressed and clean, despite the smell of vomit within the room. The staff would take care of it and, after all, Toby would be unlikely to every return to this room. Placing a hand gently on his elbow, Ascot let him from his room and out the door of the facility. Hearing the muted hum of background conversation begin again, he looked over to see what Toby would make of this new environment.

Toby looked like he didn't notice that there was something new. While it was good that he was still calm, Ascot worried that perhaps at some time in the past he had heard speech before. No matter, after his class was granted yesterday, it was what it was.

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Joining the line in front of the Initiators Class hall, Toby seemed to be increasingly distressed and confused. Expecting this, Ascot broke a calming enchantment with Toby as its target. Calming, Toby looked around, yet still moved forwards as the line advanced.

“Initiator Klondike is ready for you” informed the receptionist.

A few steps and they were within the office. Sitting Toby as directed, Ascot stepped back. Klondike had a good reputation, and it was the 3rd time he had initiated a system with him.

“Anything I need to know?” asked Klondike.

“I gave him a calming enchantment, but nothing else. Everything should be fine”

“Very well, I will initiate his system. Let us hope for a good result, as reports from the southern waste seem troubling, if not dire.”

Toby

Mellow, Toby decided, was the best description of how he felt. The walk, brief though it was, was both amazing and frightening. Fortunately, amazing was the only emotion “mellow” allowed through. The sight of a medieval town was amazing enough, but what was truly astounding was the smells. No modern nose should ever have to experience that, Toby assured his inner self.

Toby had a reasonable knowledge of the sounds that different languages made (even though he could only speak English and Spanish). The gibberish that seemed to be language here was outside his experience, nothing like the European or Asian languages he often experienced during conferences abroad.

Now he was sitting down and seemed to have lost control of his body and emotions, remaining passive when the correct response was… well, running screaming from the room would be a bit pointless, but “mellow” seemed a bit on the low side of possible responses. It wasn't a dream, assuming the pinch test was a thing, so there seemed little to do other than accept whatever reality he was in.

What was that guy doing? The intensity with he was looking at Toby, even without the finger twitching, was odd to say the least. Seconds later, there was a release of… something. It hit Toby.

And then everything changed.