Chapter 1

Dante was staring at the small mirror like puddle that moved before him. It didn’t have eyes, ears or even a mouth but Dante felt connected to the weird creature somehow. The puddle glided from side to side before it rose up, reaching eye level with him. Dante watched in awe as his reflection stared back at him. He could clearly see his lightly tanned face topped with a mop of black hair and dark brown eyes.

The puddles surface started to bend and stretch, contorting the boy’s reflection. Dante laughed aloud at the creature’s antics. Moving slowly, Dante attempted to poke the creature, but it scurried to the side and that was all it took for the two to become fast friends.

They chased after each other playfully and after a long while, Dante sat down, out of breath and the puddle joined him.

“What’s your name? My name is Dante.”

“A portion of the puddle separated and landed on Dante’s palm. The creature was cold to the touch. Dante held his palm up so the miniature puddle was at eye level. Then a feminine voice entered his mind.

“Hello, Dante. I am Essence.”

Dante’s eyes went wide. “You’re one of the thirteen Gods?”

She giggled as she moved around in his palm. “No, you silly boy. I created the Gods. In a sense, I am their Mother.”

Dante looked unconvinced. “How can a puddle monster be a Mom?”

Essence couldn't help but laugh at the comment. “I am no puddle monster. I am Essence, creation given form.”

Dante raised a brow but wasn’t going to argue. Just in case she was who she said. No reason to make Mother of the Gods angry.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Essence.” Dante said as politely as he could manage.

“And you, as well, Dante. Tell me, what do you think of Mages?”

Dante smiled wide. “They’re amazing! No one can stand against a Mage!”

Essence watched the boy, tickled by his enthusiasm. “Mages are indeed powerful but they used to be more so than they are now.”

Dante’s eyes widened. “Really? What happened?”

Essence moved closer in Dante’s hand. “Thousands of years ago, Mages were few. They were taught using the old teachings. The affinities you know of today were simply the beginnings of a Mage’s learning. Though the Academy you so wish to attend teaches many Mages, they are mere shells of their predecessors.”

Dante jumped to his feet. “Then we just have to teach them the right way to be Mages.”

Essence laughed again, her whole mirror like body shaking. “It would be a difficult task. Are you sure you could do such a thing?”

Dante bit his lip. He was only twelve years old. Not even a Mage yet. But maybe he could help Essence out at the very least.

“I can try.” Dante said. “I mean, if I was given some help, maybe.”

Essence drew closer, almost touching Dante’s nose and causing his eyes to cross.

“So be it, Dante.”

Essence disappeared and suddenly, Dante stared at his empty hand, wondering where Essence had gone. A loud roar made him flinch before he was swept up by a current of silvery water. He splashed about in confusion and panic. Like most people who were born in the Towers, Dante couldn’t swim. He moved his arms and legs wildly, trying to stay above the surface. The more he struggled, the faster the current seemed to move and he was quickly pulled beneath the surface.

The roar of the current muffled as he was submerged. The water was cold and his eyes were wide as he clawed for the surface. He kept struggling in vain until the current vanished and he found himself floating along in a deep silver sea.

Dante looked around; the sudden roar of the current gone leaving him hearing only his hear pounding in his chest. He didn’t know which way was up and his fear consumed him.

“Help me.” He pleaded. He prayed to the Gods in hopes that one would save him.

“I am helping.” Essence answered. Her voice was soft and apologetic.

“I’m drowning!” Dante thought. “I can’t swim!”

“Breathe Dante. I won’t hurt you.” She replied quietly.

Dante was too scared to listen. His lungs burned as he sank, the sea of silver becoming darker and colder.

“…Dante…”

A voice called out to him from beyond the darkness but it wasn’t Essence.

“…Dante…”

The voice echoed and Dante tried to force his eyes open but they were heavy and his thoughts became fuzzy. Where did he know this voice from?

“DANTE!”

Dante snapped awake to the sound of laugher. He looked around quickly, noticing the familiar classroom, the students and one irate looking teacher. He wiped his arm across his mouth, wiping away the drool on his chin.

Miss Telis stood at the front of the class, rubbing her temples while muttering to herself. She brushed her blonde curls from her face and looked at Dante with vivid pink irises.

“Dante, I swear I could set my watch by your naps.” She said sternly.

Dante felt his cheeks heat up as the classmates quietly giggled. He had been having a lot of difficulty as of late to stay awake in class. He had no clue as to why but he definitely didn’t care for the ribbing his classmates continuously gave him for it.

Ferris, a tall and deeply tanned boy with messy shoulder length hair, decided to try and help his friend out.

“It’s not his fault, Miss Telis.” Ferris said. “Dante even skipped dinner last night to go to bed early.” Dante would have appreciated the assistance if Ferris had not been trying to hold back his own laughter. The class erupted into laughter again.

“Alright, settle down.” Miss Telis called out. “Now that Dante has joined us, we can continue.

“The Tower of Metris is one of fifty-six towers across Kahlea. In diameter, they average from three miles across to six miles and can reach over a mile in height. This is only possible from the essence crystals embedded in the structures of each Tower. The crystals provide magical support and don’t run out of energy due to the essence density in the Towers. Why is the essence density stronger in the Towers as opposed to outside?”

Hands raised quickly and Miss Telis picked a young girl near the front.

“The dungeons below each Tower provided a naturally essence dense environment.” She stated quickly.

“Thank you, Kelsi.” Miss Telis said with a smile. “How many dungeons are below the Tower of Metris?”

Hands shot up again.

“Five.” Ferris stated excitedly.

Ferris was Dante’s best friend and roommate. He was also a magic nerd, always babbling on and on about one magic or another. The dungeons were one of his favorite subjects as Dante well knew. He rolled his eyes as his friend continued.

“The five dungeons also provide us with valuable resources such as essence crystals, rare metals and gems, a variety of plants and even components from the monsters that dwell there.”

Miss Telis smiled. “Thank you, Ferris. It seems I won’t need to ask the next few questions I had planned.”

The class laughed as Ferris smiled sheepishly. Dante laughed as well. He felt it was decent payback for Ferris’ lackluster assistance. Miss Telis continued and the class settled back down.

“It was very accurate but there was one more thing that the dungeons provide that Ferris didn’t mention.”

The class was quiet and Dante wondered what she could mean. To his knowledge, Ferris gave a word-perfect answer. Once she saw that no one was going to speak up, she continued.

“Mages. Essence density, is the reason in which we have Mages today.” The room exploded with questions and it took a while for Miss Telis to calm everyone down again. “The closer you are to a dungeon, the more saturated the surrounding area is with essence. All Towers are built on top of these dungeons, meaning that the essence density is more concentrated in the Towers than anywhere else on Kahlea.”

Miss Telis activated the crystal board set into the wall behind her. The clear crystal took up most of the wall and was surround by enchantments etched in polished steel and filled in with gold. The crystal board lit up showing a map of Kahlea, marking each Tower across the expanse of the world.

“Here are the fifty-six towers across Kahlea.” Miss Telis said. “And here,” She pressed the screen. “are the Kingdoms of our ancestors from before the Towers were built.”

The Towers disappeared and the map became filled with several different kingdoms spanning across the map, each highlighted with the area it controlled. Where there was nothing but wild forests, rivers and mountains, now stood kingdoms branching out across all of Kahlea.

“Considering that the past kingdoms were spread out, that meant that there were far less Mages than there are today. Back then, the Mages numbered one in every thousand people. It wasn’t until the Towers were built that we discovered how essence density contributed to the number of Mages born.”

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Dante’s eyes widened. He couldn’t imagine people living without magic. Every child is born without the ability to one day cast magic. The plain brown eyes of him and his classmates was proof of that. It was a symbol of the magicless. But when they received their blessing, that would all change. Each of them would gain an affinity and they would be known to the world as Mages.

He, and every other child, had grown up reading the stories, legends and fables of famous Mages. Adventurers who accomplished amazing feats. The Essence Mages were at the top of that list but none had been seen in centuries. Still, what would he do if he couldn’t wield magic. The mere thought of that absence was too horrifying to ponder. Miss Telis’ voice cut through Dante’s thoughts, bringing him back to the class.

“Why else would we live in the Towers?” After another brief silence, she continued.

“To survive. Before the Towers, kingdoms were spread far and wide. There were still Adventurers but most were magicless. These Adventures would go out, searching for the very dungeons that reside under each Tower today. But every few centuries, dungeons that hadn’t been culled would over populate with monsters. These hordes would flood the kingdoms, set to consume all in their path. The kingdoms of Kahlea would survive, but just barely. It was as if humanity itself was being culled.”

The class remained quiet, stunned. Dante rose his hand.

“Is that why every citizen of the Tower becomes an Adventurer?” Dante asked.

Miss Telis nodded. “Correct. The Academy that you will all be sent to will not only teach you about your magic, but will also teach you how to become an Adventurer. The dungeons must always be culled or we would face another horde. That is why it was set into law and you will not be allowed to take on another career until you have served the Tower as an Adventurer.”

Another student raised their hand.

“How long do we serve as an Adventurer?”

“It depends.” She answered. “There are completed quests, materials sold and achievements gained. All of those go towards your service. Some even stay on as Adventurers but make no mistake, it is a dangerous life.

The room quieted again. The students understood all too well that many Adventures die. Another product of Adventuring is death and dead Adventurers create a lot of orphans, which is what these students were.

Orphanages were common in every Tower. There were several in the Tower of Metris. The Councils of the Towers saw fit to protect those children by funding the orphanages and creating laws to deal with the children left behind. The law stated that any child under the age of thirteen was to be stripped of their home, possessions and family name in the event of their parent’s death. It was a harsh rule, but it also ensured their survival.

It is an unpleasant truth in the earlier histories of Towers. Children, whether wealthy or not, could be taken advantage of if their parents died. Even close family, such as an aunt or uncle, had been known to squander riches from a young and unsuspecting child. The laws were created to honor those who served the Tower. These children were cared for, clothed, fed, educated and then sent to the Academy where they could make a new name for themselves.

Dante had never known his parents. He was given to the orphanage as a babe so he didn’t feel quite so bad about being an orphan, but as he looked at his classmates, he noticed the tears that were shed. Not every student came to the orphanage as young as he did.

Miss Telis let the children have a moment. It could be thought of as cruel to dredge up these memories but as a former Adventurer, she knew well that her students needed to face those feelings now instead of in the dungeons where they could die from a moment of panic or hesitation.

“Alright, moving on.” Miss Telis said, snapping the children out of their thoughts. “Essence Farms. Each farm in the Tower provides enough food to feed thousands of people every cycle. This is because Life Mages are essential for quickly growing crops. How many Life Mages need to be employed by each farm?”

Slowly, hands started to raise and Miss Telis was able to pull the children back to their usual selves.

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“Gods dammit, stew again.” Ferris moaned overdramatically as he sat next to Dante and Kelsi. “Look, I’ve eaten so much stew, I’m turning the same color.” Ferris said, pointing to his dark brown skin.

Dante looked at his friend in amusement. Ferris was darker skinned than most others in the orphanage but it wasn’t actually odd. The Tower held a mix of different looking people. It had to do with the many people from different lands coming together. Ferris was also larger than any boy of twelve had the right to be. He stood a foot taller than Dante and Dante wasn’t considered short.

Ferris threw a quick smirk at his friends and Dante shook his head while Kelsi rolled her eyes, but they still smiled at Ferris’ attempt at humor. Dante turned back to his lunch, hungry from skipping dinner and missing breakfast.

Ferris laughed. “Dante, I don’t think you can actually breathe stew. If you pass out, I’ll have to ask Jasmi to give you mouth to mouth.”

Dante coughed as his meal went down the wrong pipe. Ferris laughed again and slapped him on the back. Dante could only manage a weak scowl at his friend.

“You know, I think she does like you.” Kelsi said teasingly, brushing her straight black hair out of her face. “Why don’t you ask her to go for a walk around the gardens.”

Dante rolled his eyes. Jasmi was one of the newest arrivals at the orphanage. For some reason, she continued to compete with him during their field training. At first, Dante didn’t mind the attention. Jasmi was athletic, almost as tall as him and had dark red hair, which according to Kelsi, was very exotic. But her competitive streak tended to cause problems, such as when she bumped into Dante, knocking him off the obstacle course. He had almost broken his leg and then Jasmi had gotten mad at him for falling. No, Dante would not ask her for a walk in the gardens. She might push him into a rose bush.

It wasn’t hard to avoid her though as most of their field training consisted of mock battles. Kelsi, Dante and Ferris had been on the same team for three years, ever since Kelsi first showed up at the orphanage. She had immediately taken charge of the group and was a natural at leading their team. Ferris, due to his size, had been their tank, fighting at the front. Although Kelsi continuously complained, Ferris would never use a shield, instead preferring a large, two-handed sword. That left Dante as the main attacker.

He found out early on that he was exceptionally talented with weapons but he normally used a staff in order to stay safely out of range of Ferris’ wide swings. He would occasionally use odd weapon combinations, just to test his limits. That had led to more than a few losses but who didn’t want to see if a mace could work with rapier?

“So,” Ferris began, as he tore a bite out of his bread. “What affinities are you both hoping for?”

Dante and Kelsi both snorted. It was Ferris’ favorite question. He was absolutely ecstatic about magic and the fact that their affinity test was drawing near made him insufferable. Oddly enough, he would change his answers from week to week, citing effective uses for each affinity.

Kelsi eyed her friend, casually brushing her long, black hair from her porcelain like skin. “The real question is, what are you hoping for this week?”

Ferris smiled. “I have been reading up on Metal Mages. Not only can they make their weapons sharper than normal, they can also decrease the weight, making even plate armor feel as light as leather. There’s also a Metal Mage in the Tower of Cohlest that can turn part of their body into steel!”

Something about what Ferris had said made Dante pause. It was as if he had forgotten something but he couldn’t figure out what. He shook his head pushed his tray away.

“Why wouldn’t you just wear armor since it’s lighter anyways?” Kelsi quipped. “There would be no practical use turning your body into steel then.”

Ferris opened and closed his mouth, trying to find a retort. Dante just grinned at his friend, thinking he was doing a good impression of a fish.

“What about you, Kelsi?” Dante asked. “Still hoping for the Water affinity?”

Kelsi nodded. “Pretty much. Although Life or Enchanting would be amazing as well. As long as it’s not Death.”

Dante’s smile faltered. The Death affinity was only given if you had a strong emotional connection with your past and that was especially common for orphans. Death Magic requires an ability to face your past and see the truth of it. Sadly, many new Death Mages don’t make it, unable to face their past and commit suicide.

He didn’t think Kelsi could handle having to be constantly reminded of her late parents. She was a strong leader but just the mention of her mother or father could send her into a fit of depression.

A ranged ability would be perfect for her though. She wasn’t a natural leader because she was bossy or arrogant. She was a natural leader because of her situational awareness. She could move their team through fights like pieces on a chess board and their wins in the mock battles were usually due to her planning.

Ferris elbowed Dante in the side. “And what about you?”

Dante winced. He had thought about it for a while now and decided that he really did know what he wanted. He was just worried that his friends would laugh at him.

“I want the Essence affinity.” Dante answered quietly.

Ferris and Kelsi just stared at him as if he were making a joke. Essence Mages weren’t bad, they were just really rare. Every Essence Mage in history had accomplished something truly amazing. They were praised as the heroes of mankind. How could an orphan boy ever think to become one? The fact that there hadn’t been an Essence Mage in a few hundred years didn’t help either.

Everyone knew how affinities were gifted. Every affinity was chosen to match the traits of the Mage. If you were passionate, you had a good chance at becoming a Fire Mage. If you were ambitious, you might be a Light Mage. If you liked to make things explode or didn’t like your eyebrows, you had a good chance to become an Alchemist. But no one, including Dante, knew what you needed to become an Essence Mage.

“Dante.” Ferris said with suspicious concern. “I don’t think you can become an Essence Mage. You are far too short.”

Dante sighed but he had been prepared for his friend’s ribbing. “Ferris, I’m the second tallest kid in our class. Exactly what height requirement would be needed?”

Ferris grinned. “Well if you go by the stories, apparently all Essence Mages were ten feet tall and rode around on dragons.”

Dante snorted.

“How would you even become an Essence Mage?” Kelsi asked.

Dante could see the wheels turning in Kelsi’s head. She always looked for the answer, no matter how odd the question. If Dante had said he wanted to be a fish, she would try to understand the how and why.

“I don’t know.” Dante said with a shrug. “The thing is, I have been having these weird dreams about Essence. I even talked to her in my last dream. Maybe that could mean something?”

“Or it could be the same dream that every other kid has?” Ferris countered.

He knew his friend had a point. He sighed and wondered what other affinity he could possibly get. He doubted Death considering he never knew his parents and he doubted Fire because he wasn’t particularly passionate about anything. Maybe Earth? He liked being able to support his friends. Also, Beast Mage would be good. Being able to have another companion watching your back was invaluable.

RING!

The bell rang announcing the end of lunch and all three of them had to hurry towards field training or they would be late. They put away their trays and raced for the field, their prior conversation already forgotten.

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Miss Telis quietly paced outside of the Orphanage Directors office. She had requested the transfer months ago but there was still a risk of her being discovered. It wasn’t unheard of for teachers to transfer to the Academy, but if they dug deeply enough, it might raise questions she would rather avoid.

She paced back and forth, thinking on the promise she had made so many years ago. For a moment, the world faded and her memories came to life.

Once again, she was surrounded by the bodies of her fallen teammates, holding her dying friend in her arms. In the dark tunnels of the dungeon, she had listened to her friends last words. “Watch over him.” She had died moments later, her eyes staring off in the distance and the sound of crying babe echoing through the tunnels.

The laws were clear on the subject of orphans but Telis didn’t care about the Tower’s laws at that moment. Nothing would keep her from fulfilling that promise. She had planned for years and bribed many people, but there was still a chance she could be discovered. She had been very careful, but no amount of planning was infallible. Years of her life could be forfeit and she could do nothing but accept it. Even now, her friends and teammates still laid somewhere in the bowels of a dungeon while she alone, lived on.

The door in front of her opened and the memory faded away. A short, portly man in a black and gold robe smiled as he waved the teacher in.

“Stephanie! Good to see you. I trust you’re here about your transfer?” Director Jessen asked.

Stephanie Telis smiled at the Director. He was a good man, a hard worker and utterly incorruptible. She couldn’t bribe her way into the Academy. Even if it was planned and timed perfectly, she could fail to be granted the transfer. She couldn’t help but feel sick to her stomach.

“Yes, Director Jessen.” She said politely, stepping into his office. “Were there any problems?”

“Problems?” Jessen asked confused. “Why would there be a problem?”

Stephanie Telis felt a quick stab of fear. She was nervous and had asked a stupid question that could potentially unravel years of her work. She could feel her stomach tying in knots but she flashed a quick smile and rolled her eyes playfully.

“Well, I am younger than most transfers and I only handled a single class here.” Miss Telis said. “So, I thought they might not except a transfer.”

Director Jessen gave a laugh and waved away her worries. She took a relieved breath but hid it well.

“Oh, that’s not a problem at all.” The Director said. “You are more than qualified to teach at the Academy and staying in the same class for seven years is not for everyone.”

The Director handed over a file sitting on his desk.

“Here are your transcript papers. They will expect you on sixth day to get up to speed before the new year starts up. I hope you enjoy the Academy Stephanie, but you are always welcome to come back if you change your mind.”

She shook his hand, thanking him and left soon after. Under her confident walk and easy smile, her heart was beating a mile a minute. “That was too close.” she thought to herself.