Gavin lay on the bed in the new apartment. It was given to him by Lucia as part of her being his new Patron in the world. It was a singled bedroom, one bathroom apartment that remined him of a studio apartment back in Huston. Stacked on the floor were various books about the world he was living in.
The world was called Aramastis. It had two continents of roughly the same size. He was on the second continent, Jaclis. The city, Nares. Apparently, it was known for its academies. Granted that this was frontier territory so academic pursuits were not always a priority. Still, the city built itself around several colleges. A knock came at his door.
He rolled out of bed and answered. Lucia stood there with a bag in her hand, “May I come in?” Gavin moved out of the way and motioned for her to enter. “How are you settling in?” she asked as she set the bag on the bed. Gavin shrugged, “Honestly, I’m more surprised you have plumbing. Been reading up on your world. There are similarities. Seeing magic used as technology is very surprising.”
“What did you expect?” she asked. “Let’s see. Wizards with pointed hats, castles, dragons, etc. Honestly, it makes sense now that I think about it.”
“That magic would be used for more than just throwing spells around?”
“Yeah, so what do you want to talk about?” he asked and sat down on the bed. Lucia began to unpack the bag to reveal a set of clothes for him as well as some textbooks. “I am getting you enrolled in the Academies,” she said, “As part of our deal, it is up to me to make sure you have all the tools and knowledge you need to succeed. You will need to choose a primary and secondary academy as well as what courses you are going to take. These books here will detail what each academy has to offer and what courses you will take.” Gavin held up the book. It was odd how he can read and understand the language. According to Lucia, it was normal.
She had done research into Outworlders like him. He was not the only one by far and the circumstances between each Outworlder were different. There was one that was brought over because he had died before his time and was given a second chance. Regardless of the reason, each Outworlder was able to understand and speak the language of the worlds they found themselves in as if the information was imprinted into their minds. When she told Gavin, he had agreed. Because he spoke her language, he was able to identify that the words used were different. When he pronounced English or Spanish words, Lucia had couldn’t understand him.
“Alright,” he said and grabbed the first book. “Anything else I should know?” Lucia also unpacked a set of clothes for Gavin. They were in a similar style to the clothing from earth with some differences. For instance, the waist coat she had bought for him buttoned along the side instead of the center. Lucia laid them out on the bed next to the books, “You said you preferred fancier clothes.”
“I did, but could never afford them,” Gavin said and touched the fabric. It was soft, softer than the rough cotton of his clothing. Lucia took a step back, “Get changed. We’ll take a walk of the campus.” Gavin nodded and she stepped out of the room.
Gavin’s stepped out of the apartment in his new clothes. They fit tighter than expected but were still comfortable. He wore a pair of brown pants made of thick wool. A white button up shirt that he had rolled up the sleeves up on. Then he added a dark brown waist coat that buttoned up the side. He took the time to comb his hair and run a razor over his face. There was a nick in his cheek where he accidentally cut himself. Lucia looked him over, wearing a simple blue dress, and nodded in agreement.
The two left the apartment building, a small place in the Hearth Quarter. It wasn’t far from the Academies and provided them with off campus housing for those who had money. Gavin was set up in an inn called the Roses Song.
A rather large building, it specialized in housing for students. There were five floors in total with close to fifty rooms, ten per floor. A large common room which acted as a dining hall. A garden in the back where the innkeeper’s wife grew most of the vegetables used in her stews. Food was free for guests because of it, and it did make rent more expensive than other places, but it was also the least expensive place to live. Gavin waved at the innkeeper as the two left the building.
“Where are we going?” Gavin asked. Lucia turned and led the way towards the Academy District, “Like I said, I was able to enroll you into the Academy’s. The Deans of each of the Colleges agreed that with my patronage of you, that you would start taking classes as soon as the semester starts next week.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea? I just learned about magic two days ago,” Gavin pointed out. Lucia had to smile at that, “From what I could gather, you understand our language, you can read and write as well as a good understanding of mathematics. That puts you on the same level as your peers.” Gavin rubbed the back of his head, “Honestly, I was never good at school. Don’t even know how I graduated High School.”
“But you are a craftsman. Or am I wrong?”
“Well, that’s different,” Gavin said, “I mostly just figured shit out on my own. No one taught me until I started working at the shop and I had to do a lot of reading.”
“It’s basically the same thing. Just listen to the guy in front and read a lot. With your background I recommend the College of Artifice.”
“Enchantment, right?”
“It’s more than that. Artifice it the school of technology. Applying magic in ways that normal enchantment cannot do.”
“So, advanced enchantment.” Gavin said plainly. Lucia grumbled, “If you want to see it like that. It is much more than you are giving it credit for. It also involves understanding the into workings of magic in order to effectively apply it to your creations.”
“Ah, so like engineering,” Gavin said, “My mom is an engineer, someone you would consider and artificer. Basically, she looks at what we know scientifically and applies it in ways no one else thought to do and see if it works.”
“That is a pretty simplistic way of putting it.”
“I’m a simple guy,” Gavin shrugged, “Why don’t we catch a carriage, the campuses are pretty far off aren’t they?”
“They are, one moment,” Lucia said and began to cast an incantation. She moved her hands which glowed with blue, arcane light. She drew a ring with them and it was translated onto the ground. The air warped and a horseless carriage appeared in the space before them. “You have to teach me that one day,” Gavin said as he opened the door for Lucia. He held out his hand for the woman and helped her in. He followed and closed the door behind him.
The carriage was spacious, about twice the size on the inside as the outside. There was room to walk around and a small bar for food and drinks. “This is a smaller model that I have access to for moving around cities,” Lucia explained, “Not so useful when outside the walls.”
“Either way,” Gavin said, “I know people who would actually kill to have this thing. I mean literally. It’s like you have a limo that you can summon anywhere, scratch that. You do have a limo that you can summon. Hell, this thing is free, right?”
“A one-time purchase. I need to maintain certain contracts to keep it, but it requires no coin to maintain.”
“Who do I need to talk to for this?” Gavin asked as he poured himself a drink. Lucia took a seat as the carriage moved, “I might tell you one day. Your world still uses horses?”
“Yes and no. I’ve got an uncle who owns a cattle ranch, and he uses horses. The rest of use get around in vehicles like this, but they can be expensive.”
“Your world must be very rich for everyone to own such things.”
“It is, just that most people in my generation believe that everything is terrible.” He said as he took a sip of his beverage. It was sweet with a hint of bitter to it. He could taste the alcohol in it. Lucia shifted her position, “Is it?”
Gavin shrugged, “I had a good job, a place to live. Worst case, I had family to fall back on. In then end, it is all anyone needs. What about you? You have any family?” Lucia looked out the window, “I do, why do you want to know?” Gavin shrugged, “I figured I’d get to know my benefactor more.”
“I would rather keep our relationship purely transactional,” Lucia said, “I am helping you because you are an investment for me. That is our agreement.” Gavin took another sip and remained quiet.
The carriage moved and bounced along the smooth stone that the city was built on. It rolled to a stop and the two exited. Gavin was greeted by the sight of the grand architecture that made the Academies.
Each building had a different look, each inspired by the variety of regions of Aramastis. Marble pillars and stonework of the Thesian Dynasty in gardens. The black, sharp arches of the Gal North. Painted murals representative of the Kemric Dunes. Werebeast groves acting as area of relaxation or recreation. Aethir temples for meditation. Gavin saw the short and wiry Drungar work on new additions to the halls. “Okay,” he said, “The books do not do this place justice.”
“It was built to attract people from around the world. Gives them a sense of home.” Lucia explained, “We’ll be going to the Administration Office over there. Have you decided what colleges you’ll be enrolling into?”
“Explain them for me,” he said. Lucia nodded and explained, “The College of Artifice is where great craftsmen are born. There, you will learn how to create complex enchantments and the tools to house them. From the plumbing system to medical equipment, the possibilities are endless. You can even create weapons of war that exploration groups will need to delve into the lost ruins of this world.
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The College of Arcana, my alma mater, is where one goes to learn the secrets of the cosmos. It houses the largest library on the continent. You can learn basic enchantments as well as advanced spells from the old days. Spellcraft is also taught, allowing students to make their own spells or rediscover lost arts.
The College of War is rather self-explanatory. Tactics and warfare are taught. It also runs most of the expeditions sent out from the city. They also provide combat training for those looking to become Adventures. IT is also the easiest to get into, but the hardest to graduate from.
Over there is the College of Medicine. Learning how to heal others and treat afflictions is very important. Studying how diseases are transmitted and how to fix broken bones. How to treat infected tissue and what to do to properly clean a wound. Yes, magic can just remove all of that, but we learned that it is not always that easy. A disease can always come back once cured, and studying how may prevent more diseases in the future.
And lastly, the College of Stars. This one is the most unique as it doesn’t fall under typical learning. Divination, theology, study of far reaches of the universe. I would make the most sense for you to join this college if you wish to return home. You can learn a lot and yet so little in the College of Stars.”
Gavin nodded along and opened the door to the administration Office for Lucia. “You work for the College of Stars?” he asked. The woman nodded, “I work as a researcher. The Far Seekers are our current project. You are my personal one.”
“Glad to see I’m needed for something,” Gavin said as Lucia led him towards the admissions desk. There was a balding man there, grey hair and a pair of glasses on his face. Two horns grew from his head and despite his age, he was very muscular. He looked up from the desk, “How may I help you?”
“Lucia Coleuses,” Lucia said and produced a letter, “I have a letter signed by all of the headmasters to enroll this young man into classes for this semester.”
The man took the letter. It had a red wax seal with the symbol of the Academies of Neres, a five segmented circle with each college’s symbol in each segment. The man looked the letter over and nodded to himself. “Very well,” he said after a time and handed Gavin a piece of parchment, “Fill this out and then we’ll administer the test.”
“The test?”
“Admissions test,” Lucia explained, “It is to get a baseline of your knowledge and abilities. It will determine what your starting classes will be.” Gavin looked over the parchment he was given. It was a typical admissions form. Using the pen provided by the clerk, he filled out his name, age, what his previous occupations was and what level of schooling he had efore applying to the colleges. He even had to fill out what his race was. He almost wrote White but figured that a world with different sapient species wouldn’t have that kind of concept. So, he wrote Human instead. He handed the sheet back to the clerk who looked it over. His brow furrowed.
“What is a gunsmith?” he asked. Gavin smiled at that, “I fixed guns, even built some from scratch.”
“What’s a gun?”
“You’ll find out later,” Gavin said, his grin growing. The clerk looked at Gavin and then to Lucia. “He’s an Outworlder,” she explained. The clerk nodded and made a not on the parchment, “Which college do you want to make your primary?”
“Artifice,” Gavin said, “I want War to be my secondary.” The clerk made more notations, “Are you planning on getting your Adventurer’s Certificate?”
“Yes.”
More notations. The clerk stood, “Follow me.” Gavin followed the clerk to a side room. There were several desks with writing utensils on them. “Wait here,” the Clerk said, “The proctor will be in shortly.” Gavin took a seat and waited. As time passed more people were shown into the room and shown to their seats. A young man, a few years younger than Gavin sat next to him.
He was human like Gavin was with bleached blonde hair and emerald eyes. His clothing was better quality than the other participants in the room. A sword rested on his hip. Gavin recognized it as a saber. The thin, curved blade was fitted into a gilded scabbard. “Hey, I’m Alistair,” the man said offering his hand to Gavin. Taken aback at the forwardness of the young man, Gavin shook his hand, “Gavin.”
“What brings you to the Academies?” Alistair asked. Gavin shrugged, “I mean it was a once and a lifetime opportunity. How could I pass it up?” Lucia had warned Gavin that his Outworlder nature might drive people away from him. “What about you?” he asked. Alistair leaned back, “I’m here to learn from the best strategists in the world. I’m planning on going into the College of War. And you? What College is going to take up your time?”
“Artifice,” Gavin said, “I was a craftsman before coming here. I figured it would be the best place for my skills.”
“I agree. Some of the best Artificers have come out of Neres. Mind telling me what your craft was?”
Before Gavin could come up with an answer the Proctor walked into the room. “Alright everyone,” he said, “I’ll be handing the tests out. Do not look at another person’s desk for the right answer. If you do, you will immediately fail and will be barred from taking classes for a semester. Do I make myself clear?” Everyone made signs of agreement. The proctor passed the tests out. When he returned to the front of the room, he set an hourglass on the desk. You have until the last grain drops to complete the test. He flipped the device, and everyone began.
Gavin found the test to be rather difficult. While history and language sections were easy for him to get through, the mathematics was the hard part. There was so much in the test that he was having a hard time remembering what he had learned. His education brought him to the level of trigonometry, but it had been a while, he couldn’t easily remember. Plus, he did not have a calculator which meant everything had to be done by hand. Further difficulty was found when he had to decipher what each of the symbols meant. While his language skills were good and his ability to know the language fluently, there were some that he had to figure out the meaning of. The basics were the same. A plus sign was a plus sign. But it was when the Greek symbols would be present, it was where he struggled. Still, he pulled through and did his best. Then there was Magic Theory and the Basics of Magic.
It was easy enough for him to understand. Lucia had the forethought of getting him several textbooks on the subjects. The basic premise was that anything was possible with the right incantation and enough power to activate it. Magic warped reality to the caster’s whims and it took many years of study to fully comprehend it. The source of it all was the Astral Weave.
He was halfway done when he looked up and saw the hourglass was almost empty. He needed more time, but he also couldn’t rush it. He could see the worried looks of everyone around him. Even Alistair even looked worried. Then Gavin thought of something. He stood, flipped his test over so no one could see it and walked up to the desk. The Proctor was reading a book and he looked up to the young man. “You need something?” he asked. “The test ends when the last grain falls right?” he asked the Proctor. The man nodded. Gavin grabbed the hourglass and flipped it over, the nearly full bottom started emptying itself. The Proctor held a neutral look and went back to his book. Alistair was grinning when Gavin sat down.
With the extra time he made for himself and for the rest of the room, Gavin kept working. Every so often, someone would reset the hourglass before the last grain fell to give themselves more time. Eventually, everyone finished their tests and handed them in. The Proctor studied Gavin’s name when he handed his test in. Still no acknowledgement of what he did.
Gavin met Lucia outside the testing room. “Been waiting here long?” he asked. “I was able to get a few errands done. How did the test go?”
“I did the best I’ll get out of it. I did mess up though.” Lucia raised an eyebrow, “How so?” Gavin shrugged, “I didn’t take the time to study your mathematics and had to struggled with how the symbols worked.” Lucia sighed, “I honestly should have prepared you better. I was just rushing because of how close the semester was to starting.” Gavin patted her on the back, “It’s fine. Worst case, I have to retake Trigonometry. Do y’all use hourglasses to track time?”
“No, we have time pieces,” Lucia explained and looked to the test room, “Who would use- Oh.” Her eye lit up, “You had Magus Ayr. He is notorious for his little tests. If you get him as a professor, you’ll get so much out of his classes. Maybe more than I did. Tell me what happened?”
Gavin saw an excited look in her eyes, “He told us we had until the last grain falls. When I was halfway through my test, it was almost empty. It flipped the hourglass and continued the test.” Lucia grinned, “That is a common one. Best used on new students. What was his reaction.”
Gavin took a moment to think, “He kept reading, but he did linger on my name when I handed my test in.”
“He was committing it to memory,” Lucia said, “Sounds like you left an impression.”
“It was a little thing, not something to brag about.”
“You showed him that you can think outside the box. Something that is useful when you are studying at the Academies. Come on, let me show you the campuses while the tests are being graded. I’ll even show you how to draw magic to you.”
The two left the building, Gavin waving at Alistair as they left. The pair made their way to one of the Aethir temples. The monks who worked them greeted them and led them to a private chamber where they could meditate.
“Magic is both simple and complicated,” Lucia explained, “In order to use it, one must reach out to the Astral Weave and take hold of the power there. Now, meditate, clear your mind. This temple will make it easier to reach out to the Weave.
Gavin did as instructed. Ge closed his eyes and began to meditate. “Breath in, breath out.” Lucias said. Gavin followed her every word. “Magic is potential,” she began, “The potential to do great things, to bend the laws of reality to your will. It is all around us, waiting to be tapped. Feel it flow into you.” Gavin took a breath and tried to clear his mind. But, thoughts of home began to work their way in.
He thought about his uncle, and the ranch he owned. How they would ride horses along the river and herd the cattle of his ranch. He and his father, working on that old chevy that his dad loved so much. The sour tang of his mother’s lemonade when the day was too hot. And of Lucy, the woman he loved. The woman who he was going to marry. The woman who just left him and took everything she could with her. His heart hurt and he could feel the tears welling in his eyes. He stood abruptly. Lucia was startled out of her own trance. Gavin walked to the door of the room, “Sorry, I need a minute.” He left without another word.
He walked the campus alone to clear his head. His heart pounded; his cheeks were flushed. Rage was building in his throat, but he fought to keep it in check. He took deep breaths as he walked. It took time, but he eventually had his emotions under control. He let out a slow breath as the turmoil died down. “Hey there Gavin!” a familiar voice called out.
Gavin turned to see Alistair approaching him. His hand resting on his sword. “Hey Alistair,” Gavin said, keeping his voice even, “What are you doing?”
“Checking out the campus with my father. I didn’t know you knew Lucia Coleuses.” Gavin shrugged, “Yeah, she’s my patron.”
“That’s rather fortunate of you. How did this happen?”
Gavin took a moment to think. How would he react to knowing an Outworlder? Some people looked at them with distrust or warily due to their unknown nature. He could try and trust him, but he saw where his trust led him. But what if things could be different? Better not risk it. Gavin just shrugged, “I guess I impressed her. Look at what I did with that stupid hourglass. She probably saw that potential.”
“I mean, that was pretty clever,” Alistair chuckled, “I didn’t catch where you wee from.”
“Over yonder,” Gavin said smiling. Alistair was confused, “Where’s that?”
“You know, yonder,” Gavin repeated waving his hand in a general direction, “If you don’t know where Yonder is, then you will never know.”
“Come on,” Alistair said, hitting him in the shoulder, “Just tell me.”
“And give out all of my secrets, hell to the no. This is all you’ll get out of me.” Gavin smiled and began walking. Alistair followed with a smile on his face as well, “My good sir, I am the scion of the von Geld family and I demand you tell me everything.” Gavin put an hand over his heart, “I swear on the blood of my kin, that I will not tell you a damn thing.” The two laughed as they walked. Gavin’s mood shifted and his spirits began to lift. Maybe he can make a new life for himself here. He already made a friend. Perhaps there is more for him here.