Sounds of the city wandered into the academy as night pretended to come. The vibrant glow of lanterns and the shouting of drunks kept the darkness and silence away. Zeek, tired from a day of exploring and dodging spells, sat at his desk with the Book of Spite in front of him. He’d put off reading the updates, and the book was nice enough to give him the day off. He was unsure if that was intentional or if it had some sixth sense for what he was doing.

Progress: Mana Tier 4

Task List:

1. Clock’s ticking! Learn the mana strengthening technique before you reach the capital. (Complete)

2. Hope you figure this one out. Learn the circulation technique and hide your mana tier before the opening ceremony.

3. Daddy’s little boy and his boyfriends didn’t like the tea. Win the duel and uphold your culinary honor. (Complete)

“Well shit,“ Zeek sighed.

He took a breath and focused on the positive messages first. Mana circulation was a straightforward affair, and one he’d been expecting to some degree. Each mana tier level led to a new exercise, and he suspected they could all be improved with practice. Mana circulation proved this, since it was nothing more than a slightly advanced version of mana manipulation. It focused on varying the speed mana rotated in your core.

According to the book, the faster his mana moved, the purer it became, as mana moved faster in the body than other foreign elements. Moving his mana slower would make him appear at a lower mana tier than he actually was. The technique wasn’t difficult in theory, but after his first attempt Zeek realized it wasn’t so easy.

The whole speech about mana being a part of every living being? The one Archi had given him on the ride here? Turns out he was right. Zeek tried to stop his mana completely on the first try and passed out, waking up on the ground a few seconds later.

Speeding mana up was easier, but it made the flow he’d created harder to control. The faster his mana moved, the more attentive he had to be when shifting it to his limbs and head. He realized he’d grown accustomed to a certain increase in strength and energy even when he wasn’t actively channeling his mana into a physical action.

Slowing the mana into his arm, for instance, left him feeling weak. A few weeks of practice felt like plenty, but hitting mana tier 5 was going to be the first real challenge he’d faced since receiving the book.

Oh, and there was the pressure of death.

Zeek was…confused by that reward. He hadn’t really offended anyone important, as best he could tell. Nor had the book made him aware of any dangers.

“What’s with the reward?” he muttered.

Large source of divinity detected.

That was all the book said. No explanation what it meant, who it was talking about, or why divinity would be lethal to him. From what he’d gathered that day, the opening ceremony was monotonous. They’d gather up all the new mages and the headmaster would give a speech, followed by the archbishop.

Zeek tapped his chin. Was that it? Did the archbishop have some grudge against the magic he was learning? Even if they did, why would they want to kill him? Until this moment, he figured the worst that would happen was someone discovered he was a bit different than the standard kingdom mages and he’d lie about being a genius. They may even draft him into becoming a war mage or something, but being executed wasn’t part of the calculation.

All the tasks he’d done over the past few days were pure fun, from getting more powerful to petty revenge. Zeek realized he hadn’t been taking it very seriously, just acting like he was playing a game. The threat of death made his stomach knot.

He'd take the night to think about it as he carefully worked on speeding up and slowing down his mana circulation. Even with the knight bootcamp he’d promised to attend, he had time for the library and an investigation. Penny planned on going there often anyhow, so he’d have a good cover story.

Zeek rubbed his face, turning back to the positives. The new task list confirmed another theory he’d had, that he could start casting spells at or above mana tier 5. Glancing over the mana tier section of the book, he noticed that the space between mastery levels was vague. The difference between mana tier 5 and journeyman tier 1 wasn’t qualitative; his mana would be the same purity and speed. In fact, to advance he had to be able to cast a spell outside of his body.

The information on later tiers was still locked, but it made sense that purity and control were equally important. Every exercise so far focused on one of the two qualities.

But why mana ball? Why not just teach him fireball? Did the book choose something based on the duel earlier? There were just too many questions he didn’t have answers to, and there was no one to turn to. Archi seemed nice but Zeek didn’t fool himself into believing everyone here would be so kind. His limited life experience proved otherwise.

Zeek pulled the curtains shut and lay in bed. His first night at the academy was…troubled. He woke up every few hours either from dreams or tossing about. By the time the sun started to rise, only mana strengthening made him feel refreshed. A morning stretch and many yawns later, he got dressed and knocked on Penny’s door.

She was already dressed and ready.

“Zeek?”

“Hey, I’m going to spend the day in the library. Did you want to come?” he asked. She nodded and followed him through the dormitory, stopping for a quick breakfast before leaving. The dining hall was quiet. Zeek commented it was strange, but Penny explained the reason.

“The more mana a mage uses, the longer it takes to replenish. Lots of people practice hard, then take a rest day. Sometimes even more if they’re newer and practicing often. That’s why our classes will start later in the morning,” she said.

Zeek shrugged; he hadn’t noticed an issue regenerating his mana throughout the day. They stepped out of the building to find Sirius sitting on a bench by the door, watching the sunrise. He didn’t notice them until Zeek sat down next to him and said hello.

“Hey buddy!” Zeek said cheerily as Sirius gripped his robe. He noticed the young noble’s face was turning red again, but it felt more like embarrassment than anger. And his star-crossed lovers weren’t around.

“Why didn’t you cast any spells?” Sirius asked without looking up.

“I don’t know any,“ Zeek replied with a smile.

Sirius put his hands on his face. “I lost to a brand-new mage.”

“Zeek, let him be,“ Penny said.

Zeek ignored her. “So about my prize.”

“Anything you want. I won’t stain my honor by reneging,” Sirius said. Zeek could see how nervous the young man was. Servant for a whole year was quite the prize, and Zeek imagined he could ask for just about anything and the idiot would probably do it. But the duel was over, and he’d embarrassed Sirius enough. Zeek wasn’t one to torment people, unless they deserved it of course. He made a big show of tapping his chin and muttering for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Take Penny and me around the city this weekend. You’ll pay for everything. Then we’re even.”

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“Don’t insult me. I wagered a year of servitude, that’s not remotely equal to what you just proposed,” Sirius said.

“Don’t be so serious, Sirius,“ Zeek replied.

“You’re joking?”

“Nope.”

“Why? Why not ask for money or something larger?” Sirius asked.

“All I really wanted was to punch you in the face and I got that already. Everything else is just a bonus,“ Zeek answered.

Sirius began laughing.

“If that’s what you want, it’ll be my pleasure. Let’s meet here in two days at the same time. And Zeek? I’m sorry about yesterday…It wasn’t my intention to offend you,” he said, as he stood up and walked towards the laboratory building. Penny watched him go in disbelief.

“Do you ever make friends the normal way?” she asked.

“What’s the normal way?”

“Shared interests, enjoying each other’s company, meeting through common friends.” She mentioned several other methods as she counted them on her fingers.

“Sounds boring,“ he replied, getting off the bench and moving towards the library.

“Don’t you think it’s odd he wasn’t angry with you today?”

“Why would he be angry? Men use their fists to talk. We talked it out yesterday,” Zeek quipped.

“Boys, Zeek. Boys use their fists to talk.”

“What’s the worst that happens? He takes us somewhere bad to eat and I punch him again? Besides, no guards showed up to my room, so I think it’s alright. He’s one of those weird honorable types that always keeps his word.”

“It’s not weird to keep your word,“ Penny chided.

“Details, details,“ he replied while waving his hands like something stunk.

The two arrived at the library a short walk later. They’d seen it the day before, and it looked like a stump. A stump the size of a building covered in brick with blackened windows and radiating mana, not that Penny noticed the last part. Zeek felt the book vibrate but patted it reassuringly before entering. He wasn’t sure why he did that. The book was a cheeky little shit after all, but Zeek was starting to like him.

Each wall was covered in bookcases in a hexagonal shape with several levels heading upward and a few staircases leading below ground. In front of each side were rows of more books, pointing like arrows towards a central square area. A few counters created a sectioned-off place where librarians stood motionless behind podiums holding tomes wider than their bodies. Prism-like crystals floated around the open areas to illuminate it and Zeek noticed two flew off a shelf somewhere nearby and floated behind them. In the distance he could see researchers walking in and out of the stacks with their own lights bobbing behind their heads.

Most impressive was the book return system, which looked like a large chest with a slot on the top and back. Each time a book was dropped in the chest, a metal butterfly with hawk-like talons fluttered out the back, carrying the book in its grip. Penny and Zeek gawked at the entrance before finally heading towards the center. They approached an old man with crooked fingers thumbing his way through one of the large tomes. He had thick glasses so old Zeek couldn’t tell if they were fogged, worn, or both.

“Can I help you?” the librarian asked.

“Could you direct us to the section with beginner spell models?” Penny asked.

He pointed towards the staircase nearest them. “Go down one level. You’ll see a series of practice chambers and another librarian outside. They can help you find whichever model you’re looking for.”

Zeek and Penny went to the staircase and found the chambers. They were outfitted with practice dummies and targets. A few other new students were visible, sitting cross-legged with book-sized manastones in their laps. Penny hurried towards the librarian, but Zeek told her he wanted to see what else they had here before heading back to the main level.

He asked for the section on mage families and their history, which the old man was much more interested in. He led Zeek to the second floor, where half the stacks were dedicated to past mages and their accomplishments. The section was arranged alphabetically, making it easy to find whatever name he wanted. Zeek was worried the old man would follow him around, since he took Zeek’s interest as a request to be lectured.

A half hour later, the old man happily waved goodbye before making his way downstairs. Zeek had already forgotten the names the old man suggested he look up. Before delving into research, he opened the Book of Spite and noticed a line on the bottom of the title page.

Mage Library detected. Scanning mode activated.

Zeek was very excited to learn that the book was able to copy any text he found. He decided to test it by finding a book on the Yenson family, who had a whole line of successful archmages before Sirius’s father. He wasn’t too interested in the subject, but there may be other treatises in here that he could find useful. All he had to do was tap the book on the spine of whatever he wanted to copy, and it would store a version. He could either ask for the specific text or ask a question that required a scanned book for the answer. Nodding happily, he pocketed the book and went to the section label “O.”

He combed the shelves repeatedly trying to find the name Orthan, but nothing was there. Orthanimus, Orthanimal, and plenty of other names beginning with O sat on the shelves, but Orthan was absent. Zeek tried looking for empty spots on the shelves, guessing the book was being used, but the constructs that returned books kept each shelf tidy. It was impossible to tell if the book was being used or non-existent. Having no luck, he returned to the old librarian.

“Are there any records of mages before the kingdom was founded?” Zeek asked.

“Excellent question! And a fascinating subject. The short answer is yes, but you can’t view them.”

“Why?” Zeek wondered.

“The kingdom is just over five hundred years old, and the books detailing mages from before are limited. The library does have a rare books collection, but we only give access to researchers since they are irreplaceable. You can read them if one of the faculty accompanies you. But don’t fret, many of the general history books contain stories of pre-kingdom mages and their feats. Most are fanciful if not completely fabricated, but you may stumble on the mage you’re looking for there.”

Zeek followed the old man’s directions and found a section labeled general history. The majority focused on the kingdom and its territories. There were books on wars, trade agreements, landmarks, even whole sections on various duchies or noble families. The pre-kingdom section consisted of one bookcase stuffed between historical fiction and a section on the Goddess of Light.

Hours later, Zeek realized the section was placed intentionally. He started with a book called Great Mages of the Lost Age. The stories were written as factual, but each one seemed to end with either a dragon dying, a princess being saved, a plague being cured, or a god being killed. Moving past the narratives, their descriptions of magic felt otherworldly.

Deathgiver Bertrand was a necromancer who could raise any corpse regardless of how long it had been dead. He somehow turned a forest’s inhabitants and the numerous skeletal remains below it into an army of undead that followed him around as he conquered city after city. He was killed by a mage who shot pure light from his hands and could turn night into day.

The Flame of Alcazar was an archmage from the south who could create such heat that stone become lava and sand become glass just from his footsteps. His legend involved burning a fire dragon to death and using its hoard of gold to create a kingdom.

Coldinus Ship was an enchanter who became so skilled he could create dolls that were indistinguishable from living humans. He became so enamored with one such creation that he married her and developed an enchantment that let her give birth to his children.

Filn Stargazer was a space mage who could move from one side of the continent to the other with the snap of his fingers. He invaded the realm of a lesser god and warped space until the god was ground to dust. The book claimed he was still living there to this day.

Most interesting to Zeek was a summary at the end of the book. It had a theory on the limitations of magic based on these stories. The rules were equally fascinating and relieving:

Magic is capable of affecting nearly anything a mage can perceive. Time, for example, is merely a concept we use to explain the growth and decay of life. But no story even suggests that time magic exists.

Similarly, we use the word soul to describe an individual’s personality, history, and skills. But all attempts at soul magic have been fruitless. Resurrecting the dead, at best, created corpses capable of obeying commands but nothing more. Some authors suggest Coldinus was capable of soul magic, but critics accurately point out he created artificial life that obeyed the same laws mortals do. In one story a doll he had befriended over many years was stripped of its mana in battle. When Coldinus tried to recreate his friend, the doll had no memories or skills from its previous “life.”

Mind control held a similar fascination for mages from the Lost Age. But even attempts to invade the mind of a non-magic user with mana simply left the person in a vegetative state. Control of bodies ran into similar issues. Some mages were alleged to have spells that gave them control over the body of an enemy. But further scholarship claims it didn’t work on a magic user and the type of control was accomplished by exerting force on the person’s body such as air, earth, or metal in a manner similar to a puppeteer. There are no instances of a mage injecting mana into a living human and taking control of their faculties.

So what can we learn from these tales? If believed, magic has two limitations. It cannot affect something we can’t perceive, and it cannot impede a person’s will. Concepts such as time, the soul, and consciousness are things we observe through circumstantial evidence, but can’t perceive directly. Similarly, every sentient creature retains sovereignty of will in the face of magic.

Zeek copied the book to read later. He wasn’t sure how much to believe, but the stories were entertaining and filled with theories about the nature of magic. The name Orthan never appeared in the text, but the Lost Age was an arcane subject that he’d need to examine further. Glancing at the shelf, he spent a few minutes copying every text with the Book of Spite.

There was no sunlight in the library, but his stomach indicated he’d been sitting there for the better part of a day. Ready for a meal, he collected Penny and returned to the dormitory.

After research came training.