The applicants sat down at wooden tables in the bland room. Young men and women no older than twenty two patrolled the isles, watching the applicants with close scrutiny.

‘Looking for cheaters and testing us.’ Kael got it. The people looked like students considering they all wore the same uniform. They were examining the students to see how well they could handle the stress of writing such a test. A mage needs to have willpower to continue being a mage, at least that if a mage is to be good at magic.

The sound of the clock in the corner of the room permeated the ears of all the applicants, adding onto the stress of completing such a difficult exam.

Kael flipped through the test, seeing what he was up against.

‘Magic theory, history, concepts, runic studies…’ Kael wasn't bothered by the content of the test. His master had taught him well and he knew everything he needed to pass the test. Most of the test was about the nature of magic, mana, mana behaviour and advanced theories. Other than that the test included some questions regarding the history of magic. Famous mages who were pioneers in the subject.

Kael was wholly prepared for the test, and by the look of his peers in the room with him, about seventy percent were also prepared.

The hardest section of the quiz was maths based, but Kael had always been good with numbers. The question was based on mana input for spell output. Angles, size and other such questions. Unlike what most believed, magic was very scientific. A Lot of it was based on maths and physics, some even chemistry depending on your major.

For example, someone practising magic based on explosion would first need to know how to create an explosion from certain elements and compounds. Druids, practitioners of taming and nature magic, would need to have great knowledge of Biology to even be competent in their art.

A Necromancer too, would need biology and chemistry. Certain spells Kael's master spoke of involved creating an explosion from a corpse, or even causing Necrosis to bloom in flesh.

‘Magic doesn't just happen after all.’ Kael sighed before using all of his brain to answer the questions.

This test isn't like most others, where a mark past fifty would suffice, but a test where anything below ninety percent would mean failure.

‘Looks like all that studying has paid off…’ Kael thought back to his time with the Lich. The Lich lived in an ancient crypt. After Kael was accepted as his disciple, the Lich took him in.

The Lich commanded many powerful servants in the form of skeletal undead. Some warriors, some even mages. The Lich even commanded an undead that could speak the human tongue.

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A smile overtook Kael’s once concentrated and focused face as he thought back to those times. He truly did belong in the classroom… learning magic had given Kael a joy no other task could. Of course he needed to learn for a rather morbid reason, but perhaps had his village not been destroyed and his parents not killed, Kael would find himself in the academy anyways.

The Lich truly did make a place in Kael’s heart. He guided Kael and taught him to be strong and powerful. He taught him the virtue of patience.

When Kael first began learning, he was all too hasty to learn powerful magics, but the Lich had made sure Kael understood how important it was to be patient.

Kael snapped himself out of his thoughts and went back to focusing on this life-altering test he was taking.

Soon enough Kael submitted his paper and walked outside of the room. He was the fourth person done with the test, but he came out feeling confident as ever.

“In three days your test results will be sent to you. If you pass, you'll come back for the magical evaluation, if not, you'll have to find tutelage under one of the other academies.” Kael nodded to the water sage who awaited the students outside, wrote down were he planned to stay, and walked off.

‘Looks like i'm going to have to find some place to stay…’ Kael opened the pouch attached to his leg and looked into it. The lack of any large amount of money caused him to sigh.

‘Good thing tuition is cheap.’ tuition for the academy could be paid with military service, as the academy was a government institution. The war with the demons caused things to change. The Lich spoke of when the academy would cost thousands of gold coins to attend for even one year. Treacherous student loans used to be commonplace among the poor academy students.

‘Hah, in comparison to that, what's two years of my life?’ Kael planned to become a Lich like his master one day anyways. To be a master of the undead, controlling large armies and leading them into hordes of demons was a dream Kael has had ever since he first began learning magic.

Kael looked down to his grimoire and sighed. His real grimoire didn't even exist yet… his real Grimoire would hold his Necromancy and Shadow spells. Death sorceries were highly illegal, and shadow spells were what Kael planned to be his second most powerful magic type. He wanted to have all his primary spells located in one book. But as things stood, Kael didn't need a Grimoire for that yet. Kael still had a blank one for when he eventually got them, but without a storage ring to keep his illegal dark magic safe, he didn't want to risk putting down the spells he knew.

Kael left the academy and went to the location he put down. The place was of poor quality and was called the “Fishtank Tavern.” As Kael walked through the aged wooden doorway the sound of jubilation and drunken chatter hit him in the face. The stench of drunkards attacked his nose, causing him to cringe. Hot meals of questionable standard were being served. An old man with a missing tooth and only one eye manned the bar. Kael walked towards him inwardly sighing at his lack of any money.

“Oye! What can I do for ye today?” The man sounded like an aged pirate who had been scouring the seas for treasure as long as he breathed. Kael made the connection because of the appropriately named “FishTank Tavern.”

‘The name certainly fits.’ Kael reached for his pouch and grabbed a fistfull of silver. He placed his fist full of money on the table with a thud. The sound of his fist slamming down attracted the murderous and greedy gazes of many suspicious individuals. Kael paid no mind to the gazes of others, he could handle anyone of the drunkards eyeing his now mostly empty pouch.

As the retired pirate saw the metals his eyes became star struck.

“I would like to stay for three days. Two meals a day and hot water at dusk each day.’ The pirate greedily reached for the metals sparing Kael a single glance.

“Hehe, I think we ‘ere at the Ole FishTank can help ye out! The names Patches, pleased to make your acquaintance.” The pirate gave an exaggerated bow before grabbing a key hanging on the wall behind him. The key was clearly aged and had specks of rust throughout it.

“Room four, upstairs!” Kael quickly grabbed the key before thanking the pirate. He walked up the creaky old stairs and wandered down the hall. The sound of passionate lovemaking invaded the thin walls and door of room three. Kael sighed and hoped for a quick resolution to his noisy neighbours' nighttime activities.

Kael walked into his room and examined it closely. The room had cobwebs in the corners, and dust on its furniture. A desk with a mirror, and a bed were the only things in the small room. Kael walked towards his desk and sat in its chair. He looked into the mirror to examine his face. His lucious, short black hair matched his black eyes. His healthy looking skin had a slightly pale pigment to it. Kael rubbed his eyes and yawned before deciding it was time to head to bed. The moment his head touched the horrible pillow he went to sleep.