Trumpets signed a new day at the Academy of Magic waking up everyone at the grounds.
Echo cursed the day she met Eloken, but that was not all that bad, so she then cursed the day she let him persuade her to help with the Academy. She rolled out of her bed slowly, at 5:30 in the morning, the time she was supposed to be asleep. All her life she loved to sleep in and take her time getting out of bed, but here at the Academy, Eloken had made strict rules and one of them was waking up at 5:30 each morning.
Eloken had gone to the Festival of Gods on the Isle of Moire and left Echo in charge of the whole Academy for the time being. He left for several reasons, to showcase his students and their magic, to try and find recruits, and to meet with their acquaintance Haraz and the council of Moire. Echo wanted to go too, but Eloken was adamant that he did not trust anyone else nearly enough to take care of the whole Academy before they returned, so she had to stay.
Trust was everything to Eloken lately, so when creating Academy he cherry-picked each professor and mostly hired people he knew personally, only a few teachers were people he never met before, but they had multiple other people vouching for them and their persona. Echo never dreamed she would be teaching anyone anything, let alone be called a professor.
She cursed under her breath one more time before leaving the bed with a grunt and looking for her uniform. With Eloken gone she was in charge of the morning roll call that would take place at 6:30, in one hour.
Not long after she got dressed a knock on her door sounded and she rushed to the door.
“Morning Mistress Echo,” A tall skinny man with neatly trimmed graying mustaches said. “Here is your tea!”
"Thank you, Seraphius," Echo replied with a hint of a smile as she accepted the tea.
Eloken had brought Seraphius to the Academy when he founded it to be a personal assistant to all the staff working at the Academy headquarters. Seraphius was the old guard, hailing from a family of long-serving servants who had dedicated their lives to the most notable courts and houses all over the kingdom. Echo didn't know precisely how Eloken and Seraphius had met, but it was clear that Seraphius held Eloken in the highest regard, often claiming that he owed his life to him, a sentiment that Eloken always dismissed with a humble smile, insisting it was the other way around.
What Echo remembered most vividly from those early days was Seraphius's insistence on addressing everyone by their noble titles. It was a direct consequence of his upbringing and the years he had spent in the service of the aristocracy. Echo, on the other hand, had grown up on the streets and felt distinctly uncomfortable with such formality.
Their initial encounters had been marked by a clash of worlds, with Seraphius politely referring to her as "Lady Echo" and Echo staunchly rejecting the title. She had argued vehemently for a more egalitarian approach within the Academy.
"Seraphius," she had said with a mixture of exasperation and sincerity, "we're not in the royal court here. We're a group of people brought together by Eloken's vision, and I'd like us to treat each other as equals."
Seraphius had listened attentively, and after a thoughtful pause, he had replied, "I understand your perspective, Mistress Echo, but I must honor the traditions and respect I was raised with."
It had taken some time and patience to find common ground, but eventually, they had settled on a compromise. Seraphius agreed to address her as "Mistress Echo," a title that retained a level of respect without the excessive formality that made Echo uncomfortable.
As they navigated these differences, Echo came to appreciate Seraphius's unwavering commitment to his upbringing and culture, and Seraphius, in turn, recognized the importance of fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie among the diverse staff and students of the Academy.
“Someone is here to see you, Mistress,” Seraphius said as Echo took a long sip of bruz tea.
“I do not have the time nor nerves for anyone this early,” Echo said frowning.
“It’s Master Trokt,” Seraphius said in a soft tone. “He has returned.”
“Ohh,” Echo was surprised. “Wasn’t expecting him, where is he?”
“He is downstairs waiting for you,” Echo nodded and Seraphius left.
As Echo finally descended to the bottom floor of the Academy, a staff member approached her, informing her that Master Trokt could be found in the dining hall. The dining hall was around the corner for the main stairwell; just two turns to the right and she was already there. As she entered, she saw that Trokt had already finished his breakfast and was diligently wiping his hands on a cloth embroidered with the Academy’s logo. Upon noticing her, his face broke into a radiant smile.
“Echo…” He exclaimed, his voice laden with warmth as he hurried towards her, enveloping her in a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
Feeling the sincerity in his embrace, Echo responded in kind, “It’s good to see you too, Trokt,” she said, her voice muffled slightly as she allowed herself to be drawn even deeper into the hug. It was good to see one of my oldest friends. “I must say, I wasn’t expecting you for quite some time. What Happened?”
“Nothing good, I’m afraid,” he replied, releasing her from the hug and shaking his head solemnly. “I had to leave in a hurry and come as quickly as possible. I am assuming that Eloken already left for the Festival? I tried to come in time to catch him before he left, but my trip here didn’t go as smoothly as planned.”
“Yes, he left a few days ago and won’t be back for at least another week,” Echo responded, her brow furrowing in concern. “What’s going on, Trokt?” she asked, her voice laced with worry.
“It’s a matter that can wait a few minutes longer,” he assured her, his eyes scanning the dining hall. “Let’s step outside and talk in private.” Echo nodded in agreement, and they made their way toward the exit.
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“I see you couldn’t resist indulging in the breakfast as soon as you came,” Echo teased, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“Oh, how I’ve missed the eggs and brine swirlham here,” Trokt admitted with a chuckle, patting his belly contentedly. “I devoured two portions in less than three minutes.”
As they walked, they engaged in light-hearted banter, passing by the majestic gardens of Academy Guildhouse. In front of the Guildhouse lay a well-kept park, dotted with sturdy, ancient trees that provided ample shade and a sense of tranquility. The morning sun casts a gentle glow on the surroundings, creating a beautiful scene.
They continued, exchanging greetings with several students who were already gathered for the morning roll call. Eventually, they reached a more secluded area of the park. Trokt gestured towards a bench nestled under the boughs of a large tree, and they both took a seat.
“So,” Echo began, her voice laced with concern as worry once again etched onto her face. “What happened? Have they found others who can cast spells on their side?”
“No, luckily,” Trokt replied, his tone carrying a hint of relief. “That bastard Zoor is still the only one.”
“That piece of shit,” Echo said, her voice sharp and filled with disdain.
“Yep,” Trokt nodded in agreement. “And he’s even more arrogant than you could imagine now that he doesn’t have to play nice.”
Zoor had arrived at the Academy just one month after its creation, seeking guidance from Eloken. At that time, Eloken didn’t do any background checks and accepted all people who could cast or had the potential to. It was eventually revealed that Zoor was an agent sent by Joixari himself, with a mission to learn not just casting, but also to gather intelligence on Eloken, his plans, and the overall state of the Isari Empire.
Back then, the threat posed by Joixari was unknown to them. It was only discovered when a student, Ishter, accidentally caught Zoor exchanging information with an outsider and promptly reported it to Eloken. Although they uncovered the scheme, Zoor proved to be slippery, escaping before Eloken and the crew could apprehend him.
Fortunately, Trokt, the crew's designated spy, went away just a few days before Zoor's arrival. He was recalled immediately after Zoor's escape, tasked with gathering counter-intelligence and assessing the true threat posed by Joixari and his newfound alliances. Keen on not repeating past mistakes, Trokt maintained radio silence, sending back only periodic signs to confirm that he was alive and well.
“So what is it?” Echo asked, her curiosity piqued and gnawing at her. “Do they have a massive army?”
“They've amassed an insane number of troops,” Trokt confirmed gravely.
“That’s not an issue,” Echo stated confidently. “With Eloken, a few of our more gifted casters, the new Imperial Guard, and some of the Isari army under our control, we can easily overcome almost any army.”
“Most likely,” Trokt agreed, though his expression remained serious. “But their latest discovery puts us at a significant disadvantage, I'm afraid.”
Echo remained silent, encouraging Trokt to continue.
“A week before I left their territory, a group of men riding Pegasus steeds arrived, demanding an audience only with Joixari. Intrigued, I positioned myself and a contact I had made to eavesdrop on their conversation. By now, it’s common knowledge around the world about magic and the ability of certain individuals to channel it. We know that magic users are emerging all across the world, albeit incredibly rarely.
“That’s expected,” Echo nodded. “We’re doing the same—recruiting magic users from all over the continent.”
“Yes, but here's the kicker,” Trokt continued, his voice lowering to a whisper. “These men, referring to themselves as the Stonecutters Guild, disclosed that magic is channeled by harnessing essence from the moons.”
“We assumed Joixari knew that from Zoor; it’s hardly a secret,” Echo interjected, trying to grasp what had Trokt so unsettled.
“Right, Joixari knew,” Trokt agreed. “But these Stonecutters had a meteorite site near their base, where they found fragments from one of the moons, Sylphion. They claimed that by studying these fragments, they’ve managed to harness its power.”
“That can’t be true,” Echo exclaimed in disbelief. “You’re saying they can cast spells using moon debris?”
“Not exactly,” Trokt clarified. “But they’ve managed to infuse weapons and armor with it. I don’t know the specifics—they didn't disclose that to Joixari either.”
“What do you mean?” Echo pressed, her concern growing.
“They've created weapons and armor that almost mimic the powers of magic users. They're similar to our Imperial Guard’s equipment but exponentially more powerful.”
“That’s impossible,” Echo protested.
“I wish it were,” Trokt sighed. “I saw it with my own eyes—a wand, they called it, shooting fire from its tip, a large stone from Eclixor embedded in it. Swords, hammers, and axes cut through regular armor like butter, and their infused armor withstood hundreds of strikes without a scratch.”
“How do they work?” Echo stood silent for a moment before asking, the gravity of the situation dawning on her.
“I got as close as I could, but the Stonecutters were secretive, even with Joixari. However, one of my contacts managed to glimpse their schematics and recreated them from memory.” Trokt produced two folded sheets of paper from his cloak, handing it to Echo.
One of the papers displayed detailed schematics of a sword, its hilt embedded with a gem-like stone, other than that the sword didn’t differentiate much from the regular sword. On the other paper, the schematics showed a slender, elegantly crafted wand. Its body appeared to be made from a refined, dark wood, gracefully tapering to a fine point at one end. Intricate patterns and symbols were etched along its length, possibly denoting magical runes or incantations. The other end of the wand was wider, designed to fit comfortably in the hand, with a small, recessed chamber to house a luminous, moonstone-like gem. The gem, meticulously detailed in the drawing, seemed to pulse with an inner light, even on the static page. Fine lines of energy were depicted radiating out from the stone, intertwining with the wand’s runes.
Wand Schematics [https://i.ibb.co/mTwvQ6t/DALL-E-2024-01-22-13-43-28-A-detailed-schematic-drawing-of-a-magical-wand-presented-on-an-aged-piece.png]Sword Schematics [https://i.ibb.co/y5J1HqJ/DALL-E-2024-01-22-13-43-24-A-detailed-schematic-drawing-of-a-magical-sword-presented-on-an-aged-piec.png]
Before they could continue conversation, they heard squabbling coming from the training ground.
"You are a glorified lamppost,” Makziak yelled. “What are you going to do? Shine a bright light at me and make me mildly squint.”
“You wanna see what I can do?” Odren asked taking a step towards Makziak.
“Yeah, please show me!” Makziak got completely into his face, they could feel each others breaths.
“Enough!” Echo yelled as she and Trokt approached the group of students. “What is this about?”
“He…” Makziak started but Echo cut him how imidiately.
“You know what?” She said in a stern voice. “I don’t wanna hear about it, you two will be on the outside guard duty tonight, but first you are going to suffer through the whole day. Go on start running around the garden, I’ll call for you when it’s enough.”
The boys were visibly frustrated and wanted to protest but knew better than to argue with Echo. “Yes Mistress,” They said in unison and started running.
“Anyone has anything else to say?” Echo asked looking over the remaining students that shook their heads. “Good, go and wait for the roll call, I’ll be there in a second!”
“The position of authority suits you,” Trokt teased her as the students walked away.
“I am going to lose my mind before Eloken returns,” She said puffing away and rubbing her temples. “At least you are here to help now.”