“I see a circuit!” Nathan couldn’t help but exclaim. How could he have more than one circuit when he hadn’t even reinforced his body with mana?
Mage Bistro let go of Nathan’s hands. “That’s good, after all, we’d have a problem if you didn’t. Now—” He motioned to the cube. “Touch it and concentrate on directing your aura towards it. It’s fine if it takes you a bit of time. I can even go and make us some tea. Just because…”
Nathan didn’t let him finish. He didn’t know why, but the surprise of gaining a new element was more than he could handle. Touching the cube, he channelled all his aura to it, and near instantaneously the cube glowed a pale, sky-blue, and then a dark purple, so dark it was nearly lost in the black cube.
It was then a sense of pride, and joy washed over Nathan. However, a very different feeling drenched Mage Bistro.
At first, his brows creased, then, he squinted while pulling hard at his beard, before finally getting up and grabbing another appraisal cube. “Do it again!” He slammed it on the table and took away the other, which he stored in a black box.
Stricken by the sudden change in the mage, Nathan hurriedly placed his finger on the cube and gathered his aura on his fingertip. And then again, a sky-blue light and then a dark purple one appeared.
“How!” Mage Bistro brought this other cube closer to his eyes.
Nathan began to sweat, afraid that he had been exposed for having cheated the Tower. “Is … is this impossible?” He asked.
“To dismiss something as impossible is the height of stupidity…” He murmured.
“But will I be able to enter the Tower?”
“Of course!” His response was prompt and quick. “I won’t speak of this, neither should you, but I will call you back here when I’ve done a bit of research. Here, take this.” He opened his desk’s drawer, but just as he was about to pull something out, he stopped himself. “Never mind. I’ll contact you when the time comes.” He grabbed a piece of parchment from another drawer and dipped his quill in a blue liquid.
“Is that Grenold crystal liquid?” asked Nathan surprised.
“Um … yes,” he answered while writing. “It lets one imbue their writing with one’s aura for verification and identification purposes.” Mage Bistro signed at the bottom of the document and passed it to Nathan. “Here, with this, you’ll be able to get your robe and emblem. And remember not to speak of the purple light for now. It’s for the best.”
Nathan grabbed the parchment, but Mage Bistro didn’t let go.
“You swear.”
“I swear,” replied Nathan.
“Good, and welcome to the Tower Mage Nathan. You will find it like nothing else.”
Nathan nodded, and Mage Bistro let go of the parchment. “You may exit through where you came, the guide will lead you to the other room.”
“Thank you.” Nathan rolled up the parchment.
But before he could get to the door, Mage Bistro exclaimed, “Oh! And by the intensity of the light, I can tell that your mana is in the top 95th percentile. It is great for a mage, but for a noble it is about average. At the very least you will become a sixth-ranked mage, but beyond that I cannot promise you anything. Perhaps consider becoming a scholar. And know that my lab will be open to you.” Mage Bistro’s eyes stared into Nathan’s.
However, Nathan’s was still engulfed with the excitement of having two mana circuits as a first-ranked mage. Saying goodbye to Mage Bistro, he opened the door, and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
“How was it?” asked the gilded mage.
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“Great; good,” he corrected himself. He didn’t really know what emotions to display.
“Well, then,” the mage ignored his reaction, after all this was a big part of any mages’ career, even if that mage was a noble. Anxiety was all but unexpected. “Let’s go and get that hideous grey thing off you,” he said, looking at Nathan’s robes. “You are now a mage of the Tower and should dress like one.” The mage led him into another door. Through this one, one didn’t find a small room, but a large, spacious hallway. On both ends were stands on which different robes were displayed. Most were blue, but there were at least three or four of each element. But what they lacked in colour variety they made up in style. Some had layered shoulder pads, others were thicker, or had coloured seems like that of the mage he was with now or Julia’s robe. After passing a couple dozen mannequins under white spotlights and a display case with all ten of the emblem variants for the Northern Tower, they reached a heavy-looking wood door. With this one, the guide didn’t bother knocking. He pushed it open without hesitation. And on the other side they were faced with a giant room where at least fifty mages sat at different stations. It was loud. There was the clanger of hammers on steel, of clothes rubbing across tables, of clanging glass, and other sounds Nathan couldn’t place.
Once they reached a counter, the gilded mage yelled out, “Mage Theodore, I have brought a new noble Mage!”
And soon enough, an overworked looking man in white robes, perhaps a decade younger than Mage Bistro with a full set of black hair, and a 5′ clock beard. “You really had to come just before the general admission.” His eyes looked dead, and large purple eye bags sat under his eyes.
The guide gave him a look, and Mage Theodore scratched his head. “Fine, I’m just tired, that’s all. Who cares about me anyway? We’re always glad to help our new nobles. Here, give me the parchment.” He motioned to it.
Nathan handed it.
Reading the document while massaging his temple, Mage Theodore continued to speak. “Sure, let me get your measurements.”
This time, the guide came with Nathan and the other mage. There, Nathan removed his grey robes, and a cool wind wrapped around him for a few instants.
“Wait here for a bit, I’ll get you your clothes.” And soon the mage returned with a blue robe.
It fit perfectly.
“Since you’re still growing, feel free to come back next year to get a new one. And for now, I’ll need a bit of blood to make your emblem.” Mage Theodore pulled out a small knife, a potion, and empty vial from his robe.
Nathan gave him his hand and although the mage hesitated once he saw Nathan’s scares, he went ahead anyway, slightly cutting Nathan’s finger and pressing it on the empty vial, filling it before pouring a potion on Nathan’s finer.
“You’ll get your emblem during the official entrance ceremony. For now, you can keep your parent’s emblem. Just keep it on your left side of your chest.”
The guide and Nathan left and returned from where they came, where Nathan was guided onto the grey and white platform. But just as it began to glow white, Nathan spotted dark purple strands of light emanating from the light’s source. And just as his body was about to disappear, he felt the whole of himself being consumed by a power much greater than himself.
#
“You’re back!” the ice wisp.
Nathan was in the snowy fields of Grival. And this time, when he saw her for the first time, a chord was struck in his memory. “Have I met you before?”
“YES! YES! YES! You remember! It was, oh, maybe a few hours ago, I haven’t been counting. And that was the second time we’d met.” She began to fly around Nathan. “I’ll speak quickly. I need your help….”
A buzz began to ring in Nathan’s ears and his vision warped and the wisp of ice began to distort.
“…if you don’t help me… I will give you power… Please…” Its words grated at his mind, before morphine into a worm.
Nathan took a step back, and it retook its shape as an ice wisp. But now, the world changed forms as it flickered between the icy plains he knew so well and a black void.
“Are you okay—Sit down, don’t strain—” The spirit continued to speak, but its voice twisted his mind.
Nathan fell in what felt soft like snow, but he couldn’t see anything there. When he passed his hands where there should be the ground, he felt the drag of snow and the feel of frozen earth, but he saw nothing. The world was so dark, although certain that his eyes were open, the world was so dark he doubted his control over his body. “What’s going on, asked Nathan?” Panicking, on his knees and wadding through the snow trying to find his sight.
“#$%^!34@$%^^$*&%)#)#)$%^.”
The metallic cry of a beast rang through Nathan’s mind. His heart quickened, and when he realized he wasn’t getting tired, anxiety and fright nearly burst through his chest. “Help! Help! Help!” He screamed. He couldn’t think of anything else to say.
His hands were on his face, trying to see if by bringing them as close to his eyes as possible he could see something, but it was for noth. And so, he crawled around, trying to find an exit. “Helllllp!” He continued to scream, but the sound, like the grating of iron on rocks, continued.
“@#$!!#)#%*^^&^$%^^& #$% @@@$^($#($#^^$%.”
The sound seemed to come from everywhere and ring throughout the earth, making its way into his heart through the tip of his fingers and toes.
“Hey, are you alright?”
Hearing someone’s voice, Nathan lunged at it. “Help! A beast!” His voice cracked. “A beast!”