"Calling one of those cheapo products maple syrup is a mockery and a blaspheme to the real thing. You pay for quality, my friend. Sure, those products may contain maple syrup, but just like a soda contains water. You're truly missing out if you haven't experienced the true taste of Maple syrup, it's a life experience you shouldn't go without." – a Canadian philosopher

The sounds of a stampede reach Alex's ears, causing him to slowly rouse from his slumber. The morning light still not deigning to enter his window, but to him, the world stands visible, albeit monotone and blurry. As the noise continues, he sits straight up.

'Did something happen? Are we under attack again?'

In his still-sleepy state, the possibilities that inundate Alex's mind are grim at best. He prepares himself for a fight and waits for it, whatever that it might be. A few minutes later, and still, nothing happens.

'Must not have been anything after all, or maybe it hasn't gotten here yet. Well, either way, I should get prepared.'

Alex relaxes, though still prepared to strike if need be, and takes note of the room he's in.

'Oh, I remember now. This is the room that Reynold and Jeffrey prepared for me.'

Alex takes a discerning eye to his surroundings.

'It's kind of bare, not at all like what I saw Reynold's chamber to be, but it is being given to me to use for free…'

Alex stares at the wooden drawers, and the mirror affixed to the wall next to them. He then turns his gaze to the desk made in the same style of the drawers and the window above it, which overlooked what seems to be a courtyard. Finally, he looks back to the bed he had been sleeping in, nestled into the corner opposite of the drawers.

'It's a cozy place, nothing to compare to my dwellings in the manor, but this is definitely better than what I have experienced since then. Well, let's go face the music.'

Alex composes himself and opens the door to see what all the fuss was about, still leaning on his haunches and ready to strike if the need be.

'I wonder where Jeffrey went, I would have hoped he would tell me if there was a problem…'

The door Alex is opening then knocks into someone, which causes Alex much distress.

'Is something blocking the door?'

He immediately pushes harder to get through and runs into the hallway. He then searches for whatever danger might be there. Finding none, Alex turns back around to see one Jeffrey, his nose red, and his eyes tearing.

"I knew you weren't any different than the others, I really wanted you to be, but you clearly aren't," Jefferey's voice wobbles with his emerging sobs.

Alex looks at Jefferey and tries to think of a way to calm him and ends up patting his shoulder, which only causes Jefferey to flinch.

'Not being able to talk is really annoying, I should ask Reynold later…'

"I was told by the director to let you know that you will be participating in classes for your stay here," Jefferey says, his voice a bit steadier now.

'???'

Jefferey continues, noticing Alex's confusion, "He told me to also tell you that it would be important for you to try to grasp the basics, oh, he also told me to give you this key."

Jefferey hands Alex a dull gray key, which Alex observes, and then slips into his pocket. Jefferey then nods, "that is all he told me to convey to you," Jeffery shows a bit of relief at the completion of his task. Alex supposes that what he had heard earlier wasn't a big deal, considering Jefferey's now relaxed attitude. Suddenly though, Jefferey tenses, and his face grows hardened, an expression that Alex had yet to see on Jeffery's features, which reignites his worries.

"Now, on to the more important matter, if we run, we might still make it."

'Does this have something to do with the stampede earlier, or is it something completely different? Either way, judging by the expression on his face, it must be something serious.'

Alex's face hardens as well.

'I'm ready.'

"Let's go."

Jeffrey starts pulling Alex along before Alex starts to keep pace next to him. They navigate through a series of hallways that are foreign to Alex before arriving in a large room packed with people. From Alex's perspective, the majority of them seem to be between the ages of 13 and 23 cycles, with only a few individuals having ages above that, all of whom seemed to be seated in a different area.

"We made it," Jeffrey smiles in relief, "I was afraid that we wouldn't get here before all the breakfast is gone."

Alex looks to Jeffrey incredulously.

'He got me thinking it was something serious, but it was just breakfast.'

Alex's gaze grows a bit duller.

'It seems that mages and the people who associate with them are simply mad, first Leticia and now this.'

While Alex shakes his head, Jeffrey sprints to a still-growing line of students. Alex, having nothing better to do, not wanting to lose his guide, and now out of bed, follows him and takes a spot a people behind him.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Jeffrey looks to him for a moment, to his place in line, and then back to him. His face becomes clouded before he lets a few students in front of him and comes back to where Alex is.

"I know you don't know this yet, but the meals in the day are very competitive. The earlier your place in line, the better quality food you get… I would usually be one of the first hundred or so, but since I had to get you and relay the message today, we're in the third hundred or so."

Alex shrugs, not seeing much point in rushing to get here just to get better food.

Jeffrey responds with a curious look before a flash of recognition comes across his face, "For a moment I forgot that you are new to magic, with your mutations you look like someone from the bio-mage department if anything" Jeffrey's face softens a tad. His eyes upturn, "If we want to advance as mages one of the easiest ways to increase our internal magic is to eat things that have high-internal magic themselves unless you're going the route of those rogue or bio mages that is, though it would certainly be fitting..."

'So both mages and rogue mages use external means to increase their internal mana, so I wonder how magic beasts and the animals they use for food do it then…'

"You can, of course, draw in the magic, but that usually takes years to get a fraction of the magic you would get through other methods."

Jeffrey finishes his lecture with a smile.

'Maybe that's it? Anyways, he seems like a nice person; I wonder how his opinion would change like Bernhart…'

Alex shakes his head.

'It doesn't matter.'

Alex turns his head as the line progresses forward, and catches a glimpse of Bernhart and Reynold talking, before averting his gaze.

'They're coworkers aren't they, it makes sense to see them conversing.'

Alex looks back to the two.

'Reynold looks so different from when he was teaching me, here he looks like he's more in his element…'

Jeffrey tugs on his shirt.

"You'll have time to talk with the teachers later; for now, let's get breakfast."

Alex notices that indeed, the line has almost vanished, and he goes with Jeffrey to pick up the tray on the counter. Looking up, he sees multiple chefs working on different dishes, Jeffrey notices his gaze.

"Don't mind them, we should get moving before someone gets upset."

Alex nods, and takes his tray with him and follows Jeffrey to a corner, where he starts talking again.

"Did you know that the Irkian Academy grows our own food on campus, at least for the bulk, of course, the also import magic beast meat along with normal crops to supplement the low and high ends of the spectrum for students."

Alex continues to listen while poking through his food.

"We grow the plants at differing levels of high magic intensities, to a normal person this shift would cause their pores to completely close and them to become an internal, and that is why we hire internals or non-mages to garden and farm for us. The reason we do this is to infuse the foods with magic themselves!"

Alex takes a few bites.

'This tastes a little like a pancake.'

Alex reminisces over the taste.

"Our meal system is also unique and inspires competition, creativity, and growth!"

Alex looks up.

'That sounds like a slogan or something.'

"The breakfast is on a first-come, first-serve basis, lunch is based on academic standing, but dinner is the most interesting and also where a new student like you might have a chance to get to the good stuff if you're powerful enough that is."

Alex's attention perks at that.

"It runs based on combat. Sometimes there will be an obstacle course along with student vs student combat, sometimes duels whose rankings will determine the meal for the next season, and sometimes its something completely different, but always there is a focus on combat. It's an efficient way to get students motivated, at the very least."

Alex nods, thinking to himself.

'Mages are a pain, I don't think fighting them would be worth it. Especially over food.'

"Now some might say, 'what's the point?' and why don't they just start the bio-mage route. Well first off, bio-magic is extremely dangerous; another point is that it is restricted to third years on, and another is that there are limited spots in the class. Now that I think about it, though, I have heard that they are planning to expand soon."

'He's been mentioning bio-magic quite a bit… wait, bio-magic like Bernhart practices? I should probably stay away from those in his class then, the might recognize whatever condition I have that made Bernhart chase after me. Though, Bernhart didn't do that until after I talked, if I keep my mouth shut, I should be fine.'

"That's why you might get a different feel around some third years. To be honest, I've never approved of that program, sure bio-magic is powerful, but at the same time, it promotes immoral actions."

"Apprentice teacher candidate Jeffrey, I could not disagree more."

Jeffrey rigidly turns his head and sees Bernhart standing there. Alex, on the other hand, picks up the fork he was using to eat and turns it around, flipping his hold on it to one more befitting of a dagger.

"Bio-magic has often been associated with rogue-mages, and not wrongly either. There have as of yet been few if any legal practitioners, myself being one of those few. I'll admit there is danger to it. Still, there is danger to everything. Just as drawing in energy is much slower than consuming it, bio magic is even quicker than that. It is the natural next progression, and should be treated as such. It is intolerance such as this candidate Jeffrey that makes you less likely to get a job."

'I think that he brought up valid concerns, though…'

Students eyes in the vicinity have started focusing on the scene, with most either inching closer to the action, or stopping their conversations in order to hear the commotion.

That is when another teacher makes their entrance into the scene, this one being an elegant older woman with graying hair, "Bernhart, be that as it may, shouldn't we cut the candidate some slack. He is simply trying to warn a new student of the dangers of your profession, as he should, I am sure he did not want to come out as being against the practice, merely wary of it. You teach your students to be the same, don't you?"

Bernhart looks over to Alex and starts talking, "Perhaps you are right Elaine, I probably just got too worked up. I am very passionate about my work, and I take any perceived slight against it very seriously."

'Oh, there's that glint again.'

Alex shivers.

Bernhart then leaves, Elaine stays behind a moment and gives an apologetic smile, before following him to what Alex could only assume to be the teacher's area.

Alex looks back over at Jeffery and finds him to be quite frazzled, and poking at his food.

'I guess that's it for the conversation for now.'

The two of them finish their meal in silence, the rest of the students of the cafeteria turning their gaze to them from time to time.

Alex finishes before Jeffrey and watches him eat.

'That food was really bland, I always had spices when I was at the manor…'

The memory brings a smile to his face.

'But by now, I barely even remember the taste.'

Alex shakes his head and sees that Jeffery has finished as well, and is now getting up, bringing his dish with him. Jeffery puts his tray on top of a growing pile, and Alex readily does the same. Alex then follows Jeffery out of the cafeteria. After some distance, Jeffery stops, turns to Alex, and says in a monotone voice, "Your classes should start tomorrow, feel free to explore and stuff."

Jeffery then ambles, almost tripping and then catching himself after every few steps, down the hallway, and Alex lets him go.

'He still must be shellshocked from what Bernhart said, is the position of candidates really that tenuous?'

Alex stands in the hallway for a moment before setting off in the opposite direction.

'I hope Jeffery will be okay…'

Alex continues walking, taking in the sight of the academy, before stopping.

'Wait, I'm not really sure how to return to my room, or where it is for that matter.'

Alex takes the key out of his pocket, hoping for a clue, but it is still merely a dull key, with no defining markings on it.

Alex slips it back in, before taking a look at the hallway.

'I'm lost, aren't I?'