Today was their first day of instruction. At Jale’s prompting, he strapped his axe to his back. Ronin’s phantom blade had disappeared, he was told that it reappears when Ronin calls it. Jale’s many knives were hidden around his body, invisible to the naked eye.

They met the girls at the bottom of the tower. They had obviously gotten friendlier the night before because the animosity had completely disappeared. Ronin still looked cautious but seemed to ease up when it was clear that the two where friends.

Aron remembered the bow and arrows he had in his bag. Ruby had no weapon and elves were known for their use of bows.

“Uh Ruby, I’m not allowed any more than one weapon, and I have this bow, so uh, do you want it?” Aron stuttered out. The other weapons he had given away in times of danger, but just asking if she wanted it was far more nerve wracking.

Ruby grinned in amusement. “Aaaw, aren’t you sweet?” Aron’s face turned a brighter shade of red. Ruby was a very forward and playful character, and it made Aron nervous. “So, you’ll take it, right?” he mumbled hopefully. At this point, everyone burst out laughing. Even Ronin suppressed a smile.

“Yes Aron, I’ll take it, and with my thanks.” Ruby grinned sweetly at him. “Good. I’m going to crawl in a hole and die now.”

The group spent the rest of the way to the tower messing around and laughing. Ruby learned some of Ronin’s sign language, nowhere near fluent, but a few basic phrases. They mostly got by with Hazel, who was well versed with sign language, acting as a go between.

They arrived at the top of the far-left tower, where a woman in her thirties was waiting. She was beautiful, but an outlandish beauty. She wasn’t from anywhere in the five kingdoms.

When she spoke, she had a Northern accent. “I am Freya. I will be your instructor in sorcerer-on-sorcerer combat. This class is purely magic based.” She looked meaningfully at their group. “So, no weapons.”

Aron’s heart sank. He had yet to learn how to use his abilities, except for his resistance to magic, but if he couldn’t fight back, they would either run out of magic or beat him. he looked around at the friend group and realised it would be about the same for a lot of them.

Phantoms didn’t have any non-physical moves, all of them required him to evade ranged attacks then use his powers to beat them up. It was similar with Bestials. Jale had explained a lot about the magic type, he had characteristics of several different animals that essentially made him the peak of humanity, but no magic really. He could throw his knives farther and more accurate than any human, but they were physical.

As for Ruby, Aron had no idea what necromancers can do. Maybe she could do well. To Aron, Hazel was the only that had a chance.

“First up, Andrew versus Jerome.” Freya announced. Andrew stepped up to face a skinny noble. Despite Jale beating him, Andrew had a look of supreme confidence on his face.

Jerome fired the first spell, a fire spell, which meant he was elemental. Andrew threw a shield and then filled the air with mage bolts. Around twelve tiny bolts zoomed at Jerome. He tried to throw up a wind shield, but they pierced it. Andrew, with a look of concentration on his face, directed the bolts at different parts of his body. Jerome dropped like a sack of rocks.

While two of Jerome’s friends dragged him of the platform, Andrew raised his hands in triumph. Roxian nobles started clapping, but they quickly fell silent under Freya’s icy glare. She turned to Andrew. “Your attack was good, but against a stronger opponent, your shield would have crumbled. You were too confident going into that fight. Never go into a fight expecting to win.” With that, she motioned Andrew of the stage. Her comments had angered Andrew, but he got off the platform, nonetheless.

“Next up, Andromeda versus Dexter.” The Cinnowan princess was up against a burly Verran noble. The noble was a mage, but Aron had heard that the most powerful Cinnowan enchantresses could use mage abilities to compensate for their lack of offensive talent.

Freya signalled to start. Dexter started to conjure a large mage bolt, but he never got to use it. “Stop.” Immediately, Dexter stopped conjuring his bolt, and he wasn’t the only one. Almost everyone, excluding Aron’s group, had gone stock still. Even Freya was visibly struggling. It seemed she succeeded, but it was a close thing. “Kneel.” At Andromeda’s command, everyone knelt.

Aron felt the pressure, the want to please the princess. He resisted it, but he understood how others couldn’t resist it. He looked around his group. Ruby had her signature look of disdain, Hazel had one of concentration, she was the only one of the group without some sort of immunity and resisted with willpower alone. Jale was completely impassive and Ronin’s expression, once again, was one of loathing. It surprised him to see such a strong emotion on his friend’s normally blank face.

Everyone had knelt except them and Freya. Andromeda looked at them and obviously noted who they were, like she had at her arrival. It’s a test. Ronin signed to him stealthily. Aron realised he was right; she had done it to see who an easy pawn would be and who would require work.

She returned her attention to Dexter, who was still kneeling in front of her. Aron noticed a gleeful expression on his face. She wanted to humiliate him, Aron could tell, she wanted to make him to a slave. You are now mine Dexter. You will do exactly what I tell you to, when I tell you to, for the rest of your life. That is what you want. That is what you need. You need to make me happy. Do you understand? The next part was what scared Aron the most. Dexter eagerly nodded and smiled in delight.

Andromeda looked around at all of the people in the room. Freya went over and confronted her. “Release him now! if you try something like that ever again, I will have you expelled!”

Andromeda gave her a beatific smile. “No, you won’t. you will forget about this. Aron noticed that her charm was far more powerful than before. He could feel the need to forget, but he held it off. His friend’s faces had changed as well. Ruby’s was now one of dismay, Jale was concentrating, and Ronin had actually conjured his sword. When he saw Hazel’s face, his heart sank. She was the same blank slate as everyone around her, although her face was flickering. She slowly knelt down like the others.

Freya suffered a similar fate. Her face turned blank, and she knelt before Andromeda. The Cinnowan’s face creased into a smile. She looked at Aron and his group. “You are stronger than most. I’m impressed. But you will tell no one of this, are your friend here kills herself.” She pointed at Hazel. Jale hesitated, then nodded. The others followed his lead, Ronin last.

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Quick as lightning, Ronin unsheathed a pocket-knife and pricked Hazel in the arm. She jumped up and looked bewildered. “Wh-what?” she stammered.

Andromeda frowned. “Bad phantom!” she scolded. “It doesn’t matter if you tell anyone I’ll make any or all of these people die. I will control you later.” With that she walked back to the centre of the people, where they were waiting for the princess.

“You will all forget about this, but for the rest of your life, if I ask you to do something you will do it. Now, Freya I am going to release you from my control and the duel is going to continue. Remember you are still mine. I will be your first thought when you wake up and the last before you go to sleep. Dexter, shoot yourself with a mage bolt.” Dexter, still with a smile on his face, threw a mage bolt at himself. He fell to the floor from the force of his own magic.

“You are released.” Andromeda announced, “except you Dexter.” She reiterated. Everyone collectively blinked, and then they were back on their feet.

Freya looked at Dexter and then at Andromeda. “Well done, Andromeda. That mind shock was well used.” She dismissed Andromeda as Dexter got to his feet. He shook his blow off and followed Andromeda. When she took her place near the front, Dexter stood behind her, ready to do anything she wanted.

Aron shuddered. The best thing he could do was put it out of his mind and tell Sommers about it later. “Next is Hazel versus Ruby.” Freya announced.

The two exchanged glances, but they walked up, side by side to face each other. Freya nodded for them to start, and Hazel immediately sent fire at Ruby. To Aron’s surprise, spears of pure black rock shot up from the ground and shielded Ruby from the attack. Ruby then sent the spears at Hazel. Without blinking Hazel pulled a wall of earth up and the spears impaled themselves on a mound of dirt. Ruby then held up her hand, and darkness enveloped it. Ruby pointed her hand at Hazel and the dark energy raced toward her. Hazel swept it aside with air.

The duel went on for nearly ten minutes, the two girls blocking and attacking nearly in sync. Eventually Ruby held up her hand in surrender. “I don’t have any magic left.” She explained. Freya nodded. “That was one of the best showcases in years! I have no doubt it could have gone on forever. Do you not have a conduit?” she asked Ruby, who was breathing heavily. She shook her head, “not yet. I haven’t found one.” Freya nodded, satisfied with her answer. She dismissed the two.

Freya turned to the class. “that’s the end of the class. You are all dismissed.” People started to stream out. “Aron! I’d like to speak with you.” Freya called.

Aron stopped dead in his tracks. He turned and nervously faced Freya. He couldn’t figure out what she wanted. Did it have something to do with Andromeda or something different entirely?

“Aron, I feel off.” Freya told him frankly. “I don’t trust Cinnowan’s very much; they ravaged my nation of Sorn with their magic and it is only recently we regained independence. I think she did something to me and made me forget.” Aron was stunned. he didn’t think that Freya was that wilful. He had assumed that Andromeda had destroyed her mental defences.

“I see you know what I’m talking about. The princess must be powerful to manipulate me so badly. You are a warlock, so it didn’t affect you. I know somethings about warlocks. I know that they can take away enchantments and even people’s magic. I want you to destroy the charm.” Freya said flatly.

Aron nodded affirmative. He hadn’t figured how to consciously use his power yet, but Hazel had described how to access it so many times he was confident he could find the well of magic in him. he focused on himself and pictured a lake of magical energy, not thinking about the selection. He felt a burn at the centre of his being; he had found it. Now he had to figure out how to use it.

He placed his hand on Freya’s arm and visualised the energy rising from the lake and going to his hand. His hand glowed with magical energy. Then he imagined the energy going into Freya. The energy floated into her. She gasped, but Aron realised that the energy wasn’t doing anything, just giving her power.

Aron focused on the energy he had put in Freya. When he looked, he could see her magical well. He noticed a pink tinge that surrounded her head . Figuring it was Andromeda’s spell, Aron focused his energy on the aura and pulled it out. He released his magical energy he had used, and it floated back into him.

He let out a deep breath as Freya sighed. “I felt that. I feel released. Now, tell me what she did.” Aron explained to her the events of the lesson. Freya seemed to visibly age as he told her and when he finished, she groaned. “I will inform the headmaster and Sommers about this, but there is nothing we can do. She holds the prospects lives in her hands. We also can’t prove it; she can make anyone vouch for her at any time. You had better go to your room and talk to your friends.”

Aron left the room and started down the corridor and saw Andromeda and Dexter at the end of the way. Dexter was literally crouching at Andromeda’s side, it seemed that Andromeda was testing him.

When she looked at him Aron felt something inside of him stir. she wasn’t the cold witch he had first thought she was. she was a vulnerable, kind young woman that needed, protected, served, and helped with what she wanted.

She laughed in delight. “Oh, this is wonderful! You took my magic out of Freya and into yourself! It will be interesting to study a warlock.” Aron nodded amiably. Why shouldn’t she? She was better than humanity, she could do anything.

Andromeda seemed to know what he was thinking and laughed delightedly once again. “I could make you do whatever I want! Maybe I should make you humiliate yourself. Dexter!” she called. Dexter shot up and waited for Andromeda’s command like Aron. “you two are now in love. You can’t resist each other. Am I understood?” Dexter and Aron nodded affirmative.

Aron looked at Dexter and lost himself in his eyes. That was the thing that woke Aron up. Dexter was nothing to look at, and Aron didn’t swing that way.

Andromeda had gone too far in her attempt to humiliate him. he looked at his own magical energy and instead of pulling the tinge out, he annihilated it. Once that was done, he turned to Andromeda, who was staring at him with her eyes wide.

Aron lifted the smaller woman and pinned her against the wall. “You ever try that again and I’ll rip you apart, consequences be damned.” With that, Aron dropped the girl and stormed off.

Inside, Aron was fuming. He had been well and truly embarrassed, and the vile woman enjoyed every second of it. One good thing came out of It though; he could find people’s magical well.

He caught up with his friends. He explained what happened, bright red with embarrassment. They were getting angrier and angrier, especially Ronin, who looked ready to kill Andromeda there and then.

Jale put his arm on his shoulder. “It could’ve happened to anyone Aron. Anyway, we have skirmishing next, we can use whatever is at our disposal, not just magic.” Aron nodded, grateful for the change of subject.

He turned to Ruby, remembering what Freya had said at the end of the duel. “What is a conduit? You mentioned you didn’t have one.” Ruby looked annoyed; it was obviously a topic of great frustration. “Necromancer magic isn’t like the other magicks. While we have some energy in our bodies, it’s not comparable to most other magical wells. Our talent is being able to manipulate what is already there. A conduit hold onto shadows and makes it easier to harvest and control the darkness.” She explained. “You have to make it out of Stygian Iron and a precious gem or metal. My family, while poor, are noble and have very specific notions about what magic users are acceptable. They refused to let me make one. I’ve heard the tower’s forge has stygian iron, so I’m going to look later.” Hazel in particular was interested in the last part. You could nearly see the gears turning in her head. “We could help! Elemental fire is hotter than any forge, and Aron was training to be a blacksmith and all Ragali are taught in how to use and care for weapons, Ronin could help as well!” she seemed very excited about the prospect, even more so than Ruby who was beaming in delight. “And I’ll come as emotional support.” Jale added wryly. They all laughed, and Ruby thanked them.