Temsello POV:

Well, I was finally on my way! I’ve always wanted to do something that I felt truly made a difference. I know that people were always telling stories about my exploits with Xustiza, an Adventuring group that I and my good friend Huldram had founded, but truly, it was Huldram that held everyone together. I had always been a good mage, but when it came to organizing people and telling them what to do, I always came up short.

Huldram was always finding out about things that needed doing, bandits that needed to be brought in, monsters that attacked villages, and how pressing their circumstances were. All I had ever been good for was magical muscle. Sure, I could bring down a fortress with a well placed spell or two, but I couldn’t set up a relief team to take care of the survivors, nor could I raise the fortress back from the rubble.

I had gotten so tired of being a force of destruction, that when Huldram didn’t return from our final adventure, I decided to try to do something constructive. But… I never could. When it came down to it, I was hopeless at planning things. I always felt out of my depth in administration. Is that truly all I was good for? In a century’s time, would that be my legacy? “Temsello Imperian, the man that could flatten a mountain, and who did so, several times.” No! I was not content to leave my mark on the world in such a way, I wanted to build something!

-Slight Flashback-

When I met Raz in a tavern, I was slightly intoxicated. I ended up speaking of my desire to make a change in the scheme of things. At this point, I had already failed to start a guild, and my attempt to found a nation was a matter better off unspoken. My spirit was broken at this point, and I had retreated to my drink. That is when Raz suggested that I try to teach. “Why not take up an apprentice or two, my friend? Wouldn’t that make a difference, you think?” His words were beguiling, but I couldn’t help but consider how small I felt as an Archmage. Would two more mages truly make an impact? That’s when it came to me. A school! Not just one for magic, but for learning in general! If I could get it successful enough, then perhaps I could make a change for the people, the poor, raising their opportunities! That had long been my goal, to free the people from the shackles of society, and let them raise their heads high!

At that point, I had probably been reduced to babbling incoherently, though Raz showed no signs of misunderstanding. After my impassioned speech, though, I fell back into depression. “How on earth am I supposed to run an academy, though? Any project that falls into my hands fails miserably…” I continued, sullenly.

At this, Raz simply grinned widely. “Never fear, my friend. You can start your academy. I believe I have just the person in mind to help you with running it! I’ve actually been searching for an opportunity to unleash this person's potential, and you have provided me with the perfect situation!” My heart soared. Would this be the one? My first project to succeed? I held out my hand to Raz.

“Thank you, my friend. I’ll get right to work on finding the perfect place for the academy, as well as a country to sponsor me!” I spoke with newfound determination. This would be it! I would make sure of it.

Raz took my proffered hand and shook it vigorously. “Agreed! I’ll go fetch him, and I’ll meet you when you’re ready! No need to try to find me, I’ll find you, my friend!” At this, he twisted into the air and vanished. Oh, he was a mage too? Haha, no wonder he understood me so well, he must feel the same way! I had better begin.

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-End Flashback-

Now that Arianne and I, along with… Adam, were on our way to the Lake Quillfort Estate, I felt some doubts begin to rise. An Overmind… Every Overmind I’d ever encountered was now dead. Huldram and I had made sure of that. Overminds were, ironically, mindless creatures. They took over the land around them, in an endless hunger for territorial expansion. Any towns or farms that lay in the path of the Overmind’s acquisitions were destroyed by monsters that the Overmind would enslave. Weak-willed people were not unknown to be mentally devoured, and turned into puppets for the Overmind.

I had never heard of an Overmind capable of speech, or even mere thought. The fact that Raz had found one was concerning. Why would a being like an Overmind consent to becoming an… Academy Administrator? Also, it would build the school itself? Overminds didn’t build, they consumed! The reason that Overminds were so feared is the fact that all the land that they took, they drained of life! Crops on land that an Overmind was expanding into would wither and die as its presence flowed through.

I attempted to rein back my prejudice. Perhaps Raz had… enlightened, the creature? I could well understand the impulse of wanting to build rather than break, certainly. Perhaps I should try harder to trust the creature. It was obviously different from other Overminds in intelligence, and perhaps that was the main difference. Something that could think could have morals, after all.

I was suddenly interrupted in my musings by Arianne. “Temsello, do you know why Adam isn’t responding?” I looked over to see her holding Adam in her hands. He was dark at the moment, the red and green lights on his surface currently not visible.

“He must be sleeping at the moment. My old adventuring party ran into a few Overminds in our time, and they would often regress into a slumbering state in order to regain or conserve energy. We destroyed quite a few in their sleep, as that is when they are most vulnerable.” I stated blandly.

“Wha- Destroyed? Why would you destroy them?” She asked, heatedly. I glanced over in surprise. Overminds may be rare, but they were a well-known menace, as they were such large problems when they appeared.

“Haven’t you ever heard of Overmind epidemics? Overminds are corruptions on the land they inhabit, draining the life out of the soil, as well as exterminating all the people near them. Adam appears to be different, though. I’ve never heard of one that could speak before.” I reassured her, though personally, I was prepared to eliminate him if he ever appeared to be a threat.

She blinked a few times. “Oh.” She appeared subdued, and carefully placed Adam on the seat between us. I continued to drive the horses carefully. We were currently in a carriage, having brought with us all the supplies to stay at Lake Quillfort for a few days while Adam did… whatever he was going to do to build the Academy.

I sincerely hoped that Adam was exactly what Raz had told me, as an intelligent Overmind would be a disaster of the highest order left unrestrained.

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Author Note: Please tell me how you feel about these interludes! I want to know if I should do any more in this manner.