Standing before the large, arched wooden door high up in the Tower, Velaya took a deep breath and tentatively wrapped her knuckles against the Archmagus’ office door.
It had been four days since her attack in the school grounds and thankfully things since then had been blissfully mundane. She had faced no other threats or hostility from anyone but whispers, glances and pointing accompanied her everywhere she went. As did her classmates. Her friends.
It was a relatively new concept to her. Back home in Bellaurose her relationship with others was always cordial but wasn’t something that extended far beyond court or classrooms. It didn’t help that she spent most of her free time in the Rosemore Keep library or practising her magic alone in her rooms. Doriel had always been her closest confidant. It’s one of the reasons she always enjoyed visiting the Ayradora Kingdom, as spending time with her brother and Athone were some of the few occasions she felt connected to others around her age. For her to now be surrounded by those who shared similar interests and treated her as equal was far more heartwarming than she expected.
And surround her they did. She could hardly go anywhere on the island without one of her Mage classmates, Lime or Athone accompanying her. She had to admit that while it was a little smothering, it was also comforting to know that they were protective of her. Even Rose made a point of knocking on her door each evening to bid her a good night. On the rare occasions she found herself alone, she couldn’t shake the feeling of someone or something watching her.
In gratitude to their efforts to ensure her safety, Velaya spent most of her time with them helping with their studies and homework, which was beginning to pile up.
Their morning lessons were always spent with the rest of the first-years and were dedicated to less class specific studies, such as Archeology and Magical Artefacts, or Alchemy or Divination.
Their Divination classes in particular added hours worth of homework for them to pour over each night. Though they wouldn’t work on any sort of forecasting until their second year, they were required to review prophecies of the past and to compare them with world events to determine the validity of them. The intention was to recognize patterns to prove their legitimacy and then categorise them. It would provide a roadmap of what prophecies could be taken seriously in helping them predict the future.
Their afternoon lessons were spent with one of the four specific classes. Due to her day spent in the infirmary she had missed out on their first Elemental lessons with the Shamans but had since spent the last few days with the Druids and Paladins.
They had all been surprised when they had passed through a doorway in the Tower into a forest landscape for their Physical lessons with the Druids. They couldn’t determine if they had all been teleported off the island and into a nearby wood or if the trees, lake and forest floor below them actually existed in a room within.
For their studies of the Light, they had joined up with the Paladins in a space similar to that of the Sorcerer’s Dark magic classroom. Except their room was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows. Even the ceiling was made of glass to allow as much light into the space as possible - which was quite odd as the classroom couldn’t have been more than halfway up the tower.
As with their Dark magic lessons, the individual magical class teachings were based on fundamentals with very limited practical applications. There really wasn’t anything new Velaya didn’t already know but Ingrid and other students often seemed overwhelmed. She knew that these first few months would be spent on ensuring everyone had the same foundation and understanding before they would dive into more advanced topics. So for the time being she spent her energies helping her friends as much as possible.
It was clear that out of all the first-year students, she was miles ahead in her magical training. Although Athone could give her a run for her gold with their studies of the Light. Neither of them missed the snide remarks from Zyler and a few others throughout the week regarding their wealth and privilege and the advantages they had been afforded. It was something both of them had grown accustomed to as royalty so they paid it little heed, even though their friends were always left unsettled by it.
“Come in,” Archmagus Ena called from inside her office.
Velaya gently slid the door open and stepped inside. The last time she’d seen the Headmistress was the night of the attack and unlike then she now appeared fresh and alert with her long white hair combed perfectly, quietly swaying down the back of her cloak.
“Please have a seat, Miss Rosemore,” Ena waved towards a single chair that sat before the desk. “I am pleased to see you looking well and understand you’ve been keeping up with your lessons. But tell me, how are you feeling?”
“I’m doing much better, Headmistress. Thank you,” Velaya hesitated, “And you were right, my classmates - friends, they’ve been a great support.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that,” Ena stood up suddenly and moved to the edge of the room to one of the bookshelves that contained the strange object Velaya remembered from before. Four balls in red, green, black and white swirled around a blue one in the centre.
“The reason I’ve asked you to study with me is twofold,” she said as she returned to her desk and set the object down between them. “The first one should be obvious but I, along with Magus Tessa, believe you need advanced lessons in Dark magic in order to protect yourself. You would typically not receive these lessons until your second or third-years here but given your political standing and the volatility of the world, we believe it’s in your best interest to engage in this sooner rather than later.”
Velaya smiled and tried to hide the excitement in her voice. Receiving advanced magical lessons was a dream come true. “Yes, that would be appreciated.”
Archmagus Ena nodded. It was a moment before she spoke again, her eyes never leaving Velaya’s face. “The second reason is due to the prophecy.”
Velaya’s smile faded and she swallowed. She was fairly certain she knew what prophecy the Archmagus spoke of but had to be sure.
“The one believed to be made about me?” Velaya asked quietly.
Ena raised her hand, a blue glow within her fingers. A scroll from a shelf behind her flew towards them and landed face up on the desk. The text across the page was written in a deep purple ink that shimmered in the candlelight. Words that Velaya already knew glistened before her:
BORN OF KINGDOMS, A QUEEN SHE WILL BE.
A MAGE OF POWER, YET TO BE SEEN.
THE FATE OF AESOR’S HEART IN HER HANDS,
TO BE USED FOR DESTRUCTION OR CLEANSING OF LANDS?
Supposedly this prophecy had been delivered by an old Mage shortly after Velaya’s birth. Only a few Magi of Manatide Tower and her parents, who’d been told its contents and relayed them to Velaya, knew of its existence. If she had been studying this in her Divination lesson she would have questioned the legitimacy of it. There were many Queens of the past who had been powerful Mages and one could argue that the leaders of any Kingdom could be responsible for great destruction or healing.
“Of course, there is no proof of who specifically this speaks of, but the timing of its arrival and your magical potential is reason enough for it not to be discarded,” Archmagus Ena said.
“But you think it is about me?” Velaya shifted in her seat.
“I believe the coincidences are not to be overlooked,” Ena stated.
“So you want me to study with you so I don’t destroy the world then?”
“No, Miss Rosemore. I want you to be able to protect yourself and for you to have complete control over your magic. The depth of which is still unknown. As it relates to the prophecy, if Aesor’s heart is involved I would caution that the God of Destruction - Saeligos, will wish to infringe upon it. I would prefer it if that did not occur.”
Velaya tilted her head. “Are you suggesting that Aesor’s heart is more than a metaphor?”
“That’s the puzzling thing about prophecies. The language is almost always abstract. Trying to discern the truth from between the lines is a task many Magi and alumni here dedicate their lives to. We may never know what the truth of this prophecy is, but if there is a risk to Aesor then I believe it’s wise to ensure this future Queen is well prepared.”
Velaya sat back in her chair, biting the inside of her cheek, her mind racing. She was still not convinced the prophecy was about her. She was not born to be Queen. Doriel was four years her senior and that burden of responsibility had been his birthright. Their parents had accepted his intention to abdicate the throne, in part because of his preference to be at sea, but more-so because of this prophecy. They believed that if a Mage was born of power the likes of which the world had not seen, that it was fate that she should one day rule their Kingdom. She had never summoned the courage to ask them if they would have accepted it had the prophecy never been made, or she never been born.
Stolen story; please report.
“You seem troubled by this,” the Headmistress drew her from her thoughts.
“I just…” Velaya paused, unsure how much she could confess. “I’m not so convinced it’s about me,” she finished weakly.
“Which is why for now, I’d like us to focus on the magical portion. We can address the theological nature in the future. Be it true or not, there is no denying your potential. Your ability to tap into the ley lines is further proof of that. In all the years this Tower has stood, there has only ever been one other student capable of such a feat. That power saved your life earlier this week, but it could have very easily had the opposite effect.”
Velaya could hear her own heart beating in her ears, as a shiver went down her spine.
“I understand that Magus Tessa has already assigned you some additional materials and I have asked her to work with you further on your Dark magic studies. She is one of the best Sorcerers to have studied here and I believe her guidance will be invaluable to you. Though I must impress upon you the importance of her lessons. Her time is limited but she has agreed to spare as much as she can for you.”
“I’ll be sure to provide her my full attention,” Velaya assured.
The Headmistress nodded, before the lines around her periwinkle eyes tightened. “Then we shall work on discovering the depths of your mana pool and focus on your ability to control it. Only once I am confident you have full command of your own mana will we address the ley lines. Until then, I must insist that you do not attempt to draw from them again. Be it fluke or fate that you survived their influence before, I am not willing to put your life at risk. It may take years before I am comfortable in allowing it.”
How many years would it take before she would study them, Velaya couldn’t help but wonder. Four years was the requirement for graduation and while many spellcasters stayed at Manatide to further their learnings, they weren’t responsible for caring for a nation of people. It was expected that she would return home after her graduation to resume her duties to Bellaurose Kingdom.
‘Yes, of course madam,” she replied as evenly as possible.
“Excellent,” Ena leaned forward and gently pushed the swirling object in front of her towards Velaya. “This device before you represents the classes of magic in Aesor. The white orb represents the Light and the Paladins, black for the Dark and the Sorcerers, green for Physical magic of the Druids and red for the Elemental Shamans. As you are aware and can clearly see, they all stand in balance with one another. The one in the middle is of course intended to represent the Mages who have access to all four.”
As Velaya stared at the unique apparatus, she could feel her mana stir, as though waking fresh from a nap. “What does it do?” she questioned, and again had the urge to reach out and touch it.
Archmagus Ena was watching Velaya closely. “Go on then,” she said softly, and when Velaya looked up with her brows raised, a hint of a smile crossed the Headmistress’ blush lips. “Touch it.”
From the moment her fingers grazed the golden base, she felt a mysterious power crawling up her hand, through her arm and into her chest. It was not painful, if anything it was oddly comforting. It felt like something had crawled within her and was searching for something. Her mana pool reacted immediately, seeking out the source and when the two merged together the colourful orbs froze in their midair rotations and dropped to the base of the structure. The central blue orb flashed a blinding, brilliant bright blue light before fading to its normal colour and one by one the other orbs lifted up and began spinning again. The red orb was the first to react, its pace quick and fast as it orbited the furthest out from the blue orb. The white orb was next, and though it didn’t extend as far as the red orb, it rotated faster than the green one that rose after it. The black orb appeared for a moment as though it wasn’t going to move but once the other three had started spinning, it eventually slid into a shallow orbit near the centre and spun slowly around.
“That was to be expected,” Ena said, watching the orbs rotations.
“What does it mean?” Velaya asked.
“This device is calibrated to analyse your mana pool. It’s mapping out what school of magic it's most drawn to,” Ena pointed to the outermost red sphere. “Elemental magic seems to be your preferred source to draw from. I’d imagine that does not come as a shock to you.”
Velaya shook her head and Ena then addressed the other orbs.
“You also have a proficiency towards Light magic. Your Physical magic is likely on par with the second-year students here at Manatide Tower. Your Dark magic leaves much to be desired,” Ena said, frowning slightly as she watched the black ball’s slow spin.
Velaya couldn’t help but feel a little defensive. “I didn’t have a lot of tutors that specialised in Dark magic growing up.”
“Most do not. It is unfortunate that Dark magic has such a strong stigma associated with it,” the Archmagus’ eyes drifted over the centralised blue orb. “However, what is most interesting is your own internal power. For many who touch this, the blue orb does not react, and even when it does, it’s not as dramatic.”
“Is that because my mana pool isn’t yet developed?”
“No. Many of the Magi here will take instruments similar to this out on their recruiting missions. We use these to measure the strength of magic and help determine if someone is capable of drawing all four forms or just one. This helps us in sorting them into their respective classes. These tests are often commissioned by parents to be conducted on spellcasters younger than you. From what I’m aware, most do not react in this manner. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but it is rare.”
Velaya withdrew her hand from the base and frowned. The orbs slid back into their original, balanced rotation. If she wanted to believe the prophecy was not about her, she was having a hard time convincing herself.
“How come it didn’t react when you touched it?” she asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from where her head kept wanting it to go.
“Because I didn’t allow it to,” Ena said simply.
“How? I felt as though I had no choice in the matter.”
“This is where your studies with Magus Tessa will come in handy. Dark magic affects your mind and we all use our mind to control our mana and the direction of the magic we draw from. With practice you will be able to ward off all magical intrusions.”
Velaya’s curiosity got the best of her as she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “What happens when you let it?”
The Headmistress’ eyes scanned Velaya’s hopeful face, catching on the eagerness within her eyes before she offered a small chuckle, surprisingly light compared to her deeper voice. She reached out and placed her hand on the base.
Immediately the room was bathed in a blue light so bright and powerful that Velaya had to shield her eyes with her arms. When it dimmed, she withdrew them and her mouth fell open. Where Velaya’s orbs didn’t extend out more than a few inches away from the central blue orb, all four of Ena’s spheres spun in a multiple feet-wide circumference above the desk. They were in perfect balance with one another - each one rotating at the exact same dizzying speed as the next. They rotated so quickly around the centre that they trailed lines of streaking colour in the air behind them.
“I have a lot of catching up to do,” Velaya said, awestruck.
“I have many years’ head start,” Ena said politely as she removed her hand and the orbs collapsed back to their starting point. “However, I do believe with practice, you will be able to achieve a similar reaction. For now, it is not the strength of your magic that I am overly concerned with but rather your control of it.
Your strong Elemental affinity is throwing off the balance of your other schools. That is to say that your mind subconsciously favours it and draws on it first. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it will cloud your Light, Dark and Physical magics making it harder to draw upon them. If left unchecked, your Elemental magic may even consume them entirely, leaving you unable to draw from the others. Being a Shaman with only one source of magic, this does not pose a problem, however as a Mage, this could leave you unstable. This instability could lead to many unexpected consequences and with someone as powerful as yourself, the effects could be quite disastrous.”
Velaya nodded along with Ena’s words. She’d heard far too many tragic tales of those who lost control and it was something that had always frightened her. A sudden image of clouded red eyes and blood soaked grass crossed her mind and she blinked furiously to rid it.
The Archmagus didn't appear to notice and continued, “Until the next time we meet, and outside of your classes with the Shamans, I will ask that you refrain from drawing on your elemental magic. Not even to extinguish a candle.”
Ena’s eyes seemed to twinkle and Velaya could feel the heat creeping up her neck.
“Your additional studies with Magus Tessa should help you draw more Dark magic and your Light magic should be ok as it is with your regular lessons. I would like for you to focus on your Physical magic. Have you practised much healing or shapeshifting?”
“I’ve been able to mend some minor fractures. I have not yet been able to transform into anything of substance. I had been working towards an aves form before I left home.”
“Good. Keep practising that. I understand that you have befriended a few Druids from your year. I would consider reaching out to Miss Sashandoral and Mister Ro for assistance, if it will not deter them from their own studies. Often working with a spellcaster of one specific school can prove beneficial to your own learning. Even if their knowledge is more limited than your own, being in the presence of others who draw similar magic can be empowering.”
“Yes of course. I’ll talk to Lime and Cerwan this weekend.”
“I’d also like you to spend some time in the infirmary with Magus Ossacus. As you can attest, he is a talented healer. As the school year progresses he and his staff are always in need of extra hands. I will inform him that you will be spending Sunday mornings with his team. Most injuries sustained here are minor and should provide you with an opportunity to work on drawing from Physical magic to help. As you are aware, Light magic can also be used for its healing properties, but your focus should be spent on the Druidiac means at this time.”
Spending another minute in the infirmary wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do, but Velaya knew that if she were to learn to control her magic better, she must be willing to do so.
“Alright,” she agreed.
“Very good,” Archmagus Ena stood and rounded her desk and made her way to the door. Taking the cue, Velaya stood and walked towards the exit.
“I will be in touch with you again next week, where we will see if these measures are sufficient enough in steering you towards a more balanced state,” Ena said, pulling the door open for her.
“Thank you, Archmagus,” Velaya bowed her head slightly.
“I should hope that it goes without saying that the contents of the prophecy I shared with you is to remain within this office,” Archmagus Ena said when Velaya passed over the threshold.
“Of course. You do not have to worry about me sharing those details, Headmistress,” Velaya asserted, her jaw set. She felt the Archmagus’ eyes follow her all the way down the stairs and couldn't decide if that made her feel better or worse.