MARIN, SUNDAY, FATHERUS 1ST
Marin’s hazel eyes were wide with excitement as she walked along the side of the cobblestone road approaching the premiere sorcerer’s college, Spire. Its namesake towered over the horizon, a symbol of knowledge and prestige. Even from this distance, she could see the great stone Phoenix wings that sheltered the sorcerer college and held its flame aloft.
Marin struggled along with her overfilled pack. She was exhausted but held her holy symbol, which brought her strength. The sacred symbol was twine woven together into the shape of a loaf of bread. This bread symbolized Phoenix, The Father, God of many domains — including baking. Over her shoulder set one long frayed braid. Her brown hair was wet with sweat.
Marin was a lottery apprentice. A child from a peasant family who was lucky in that she developed a talent and was randomly selected to attend Spire. This social equity program was called the Economic Adversity in Magic Program, or the EAMP. Her status is technically Lottery Apprentice, but the struggling woman had never been an apprentice to a master in any capacity. She was self-taught, mainly by accidentally throwing doors and windows open with bursts of magical wind. As a poorer resident of Element, she wore simple, filthy traveling robes and struggled to balance as she walked with all her possessions in a heavy and unevenly stuffed backpack.
Marin had spent weeks traveling the high road to the city of Mistfall, and now she walked on foot to make it the final distance to Spire. There was a steady trail of carriages that passed by her. Most were horse-drawn carriages, but Marin could see some of these carriages moved unaided. Some looked like simple, unadorned hires, but others had heraldry indicating passengers of the noble class.
“By each and every one of the gods, look at the EAMP!” Marin heard as yet another carriage clopped past her. Marin focused on not falling over but raised her head to the voice that taunted from the carriage. “Your struggles are so real. Wow.” A head with curly black hair chirped as she looked at Marin. The woman wore hooped gold earrings. At the center of both hoops were massive emeralds.
A redhead then poked her head out of the same carriage. “The carriage wheel broke, and now we see a real EAMP. This is really starting to feel like an adventure.” It could have been Marin’s exhaustion, but both girls sounded like they had the exact same sing-songy voice.
Marin certainly didn't feel like her existence warranted the label of ‘adventure.’ All of the magical colleges had enrolled Economic Advisory in Magic Program participants, and there must have been dozens of people just like her.
Marin, with effort, stood up straight and smiled at the two young women sailing past her on their horse-drawn carriage. “Hi, my name is Marin of Crowfoot Hill. I am happy to meet you.”
“Yes! You should be; this radiant redhead is Flair of Frostholm. You know, like a burst of fire, but spelled with an ‘i’ instead of the normal way. Driver! Slow it down; we are talking to someone!” The curly-haired woman said. In response, the carriage began decelerating.
“And this wonderful bitch is Bren Twingrove of the Frostholm Twingroves. Watch out, she bites.” Flair said to introduce Bren. Marin noticed that the heraldry on the sides of the carriage had that of two thorn-covered wreaths.
Both girls started giggling, and Bren playfully slapped Flair on the arm. “We agreed not to bring that up, remember? Anyway, it looks like you’re really struggling. That’s pretty cool.”
Marin was proud of her journey thus far. She smiled as she went to respond, “Yes, I have been walking, taking shared carriages, and sleeping in public rooms for the last couple of weeks.”
Flair wrinkled her freckled nose in disgust, “Eugh! Public rooms? In like taverns? That is gross. They store, like horse food and poop in them.”
Marin started to respond, but Bren cut her off. “I bet I could spend a night in a public room, but only if I was the only one there. I can deal with animal smells, but people smells? No thank you. Anyways, Rina, my dad, voted for the EAMP thing that you’re benefiting from. I told him to do it!”
“Yeah, yeah. I also told my dad to vote for it, but he voted no anyway. It's like, get with the times, old man!” Flair said.
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Marin chuckled nervously as the two women talked about her and people like her. It made her feel especially small. As she walked with the coasting carriage, her fingers plucked at her sweat-damp braid. She certainly wasn’t feeling confident enough to confront them or insult them.
“Driver, we’re done now! Take us to Spire!” Bren shouted toward the front of their carriage.
Marin watched in confusion as the well-off women began to outpace her. Had she been lucky enough to have a large carriage, she would have offered a struggling fellow student some help. Marin marveled at the position that some people were in and thought herself fortunate to be in a place where she might be able to be like them someday.
“Don’t listen to them. You are a threat to them. They want to watch you struggle. They want you to fall to make their lives easier.” Said an assertive, feminine voice behind her. “They know how the system works and have already started the politics of breaking the competition.”
Marin started to turn around but was so exhausted that she couldn’t even resist when the raven-haired woman lifted the great pack off Marin’s back and swung it onto her own. When she turned to thank the other woman, Marin was taken aback by her icy blue eyes.
“It seems the only thing you aren’t burdened with is the knowledge of efficient packing. My name is Aellaria of Frostholm.” The taller woman said. ”Take a moment and catch your breath. Spire is further away than it looks.”
“Hi, my name is Marin of Crowfoot Hill. I am happy to meet you,” Marin said again, this time to someone who might understand her struggles. Looking at Aellaria, Marin saw the young woman wearing comfortable-looking gray sorcerer robes. Aellaria also didn’t appear to have any luggage. Finally, on the top of Aellaria’s head was an old-style sorcerer hat with a pink lily stuck in its band. “Thank you for your help, and what did you mean? What competition?”
Aellaria looked confused as she effortlessly walked with Marin’s heavy pack. “Your teacher didn’t tell you? Those girls resent you because of the EAMP. It forced Spire to enroll two more apprentice first-year students than there otherwise would be.”
Marin looks surprised by this. “I-I…I only wanted a chance to be a good magician. I didn't have a teacher…” Marin stuttered.
Aellaria continued, “Of the sixty-six students inducted this year, Spire will only ultimately graduate ten of us. It is the most competitive college in Element.”
Marin watched the train of carriages ahead of her in disbelief. Each carriage held at least one student in competition with her. She nervously watched the icy-eyed woman carrying her burden.
“You are entering a program meant to make you a Master Sorcerer. The very best mages in the world graduate from Spire. The failure rate averages 85%, and the graduation rate is just a hair higher than the death rate.” Aellaria explained calmly. As Aellaria walked, the tip of her sorcerer hat bobbed back and forth. It would have been funny to Marin if the news hadn’t already started crushing her like a weight heavier than the unwieldy pack.
“What do I do? I don’t even know how to cast a spell! Are you telling me I am just as likely to die as I am to graduate?!” Marin shouted.
“Well, if you survive your first year, you can try to transfer to a school that doesn’t aim for greatness. However…” Aellaria paused to take Marin’s heavy pack off her back and returned it to Marin. “I recommend you make it to Spire before registration ends. Or you will sleep outside and likely be late for the first classes tomorrow. Good luck, Marin of Crowfoot Hill.”
The unburdened Aellaria walked off ahead of Marin. “Thanks…” Marin said, trudging onward despite what likely were impossible odds.