Trey sat down in his usual seat in his History of Magic class, his mouth forming a slight frown as he noticed Skye’s absence. The mystery was quickly resolved, however, when she burst into the room, bouncing with excitement.

“I did it!” she said earnestly to Trey.

“Did what?” Trey asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Submitted our capture-the-flag team,” she replied proudly. “I even found an acolyte dark mage to fill in our last spot.”

“Nice!” Trey praised, which earned a smile from the black-haired girl. “You’ve been spending more time on capture-the-flag than your classes.”

Skye giggled. “Don’t be silly. I spent hours yesterday studying for this test.”

Nora cleared her throat from the other side of Trey. “When you say this test… what exactly do you mean?”

“Well, I have a water magic exam tomorrow, but yesterday I was studying for the history test we have today in this class.”

Nora’s eyes widened. “Wait, how can there be a test? It’s only the second week!”

“We’ve covered over a thousand years of history already,” Skye pointed out.

Nora’s hand began rubbing her stomach. “I think I had something at lunch that didn't agree with me. Trey, can you tell Professor What’s-his-face that I’m feeling unwell and recovering in my room?”

“Professor Huul,” Skye corrected her, not missing a beat, “and I have a stomach remedy that should help.” The sorceress handed the blonde a vial with a milky pink potion in it.

With a frown, Nora scrutinized the vial. After hesitating for a moment, she took it in her hands, a reluctant resignation settling over her. Skye looked at her expectantly, but before Nora could commit to a course of action, Professor Huul addressed the class.

“I must apologize,” the teacher announced. “I only realized this morning that we have not covered the Strittinger Uprising, which is included in the test. Therefore, I believe it would be best to go over the material today and postpone the test until the next class period.”

Audible sighs could be heard from both Trey and Nora. Properly motivated by the imminent threat of a test, the pair of guardians paid much closer attention to the lecture. At the conclusion of the lesson, Nora immediately turned to Skye.

“So I was thinking,” she said, “because the test got postponed a couple of days, you’ll probably need to study again. To keep things fresh in your mind, right?”

Skye opened her mouth to deliver a retort, but she paused, her expression softening. “You can study with me tomorrow, Nora.”

Nora beamed like a child who got the extra big slice of a cake.

“Uh… Skye…” Trey began.

Skye giggled. “You can come too.”

Trey nodded in appreciation. “How are your other classes going?” he asked. “You mention you have a water magic exam tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Skye said. “I love learning water magic. Professor Mullens even assigned me an upperclassman mentor to help me progress faster. She’s really nice and extremely talented. I'm super excited.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it here,” Trey said.

“What about you? Are you getting along with your roommate?” she asked with a smirk.

Nora butted in with a wicked grin. “Are you sure you want him to tell you just how well we are getting along?”

Skye shrugged. “Trey can have his fun, but he better remember the girl who has been there his whole life.”

A competitive spark lit up Nora’s eyes prompting Trey to step in. “I’m enjoying my weekly training sessions with Jeffers,” he said, redirecting the conversation.

“It looks like you are getting stronger,” Skye remarked, her hand gliding over his arm as she appreciated the solid muscles beneath her fingers.

Trey chuckled in response. "I should hope so! It seems Frye's sole purpose is to water the training ground with our sweat."

Skye gave him a knowing smile. “I think you like it.”

“I might enjoy the guardian training overall,” Trey conceded, “but I do not miss Frye’s voice on weekend mornings.”

“I’ve hear from reliable sources that you’re one of the best guardian initiates,” she said.

“Reliable sources?!” he scoffed. “Who’s spreading rumors about me? And I’m not the best. I have to work harder to catch up to everyone. Some of the other initiates have been training to be fighters for far longer than I have.”

“I know you’ll be the best,” she replied. “You succeed at anything you put your mind to, Trey. You always have.”

Trey fidgeted uncharacteristically, breaking eye contact to look at the ground. The moment of vulnerability only lasted a split second, but the observant sorceress caught it. “I’ll let you know when we get our capture-the-flag schedule,” she said, mercifully changing the subject. After a quick side hug, she packed her bag and headed for the door, eager for her next class. Trey, in turn, ventured over to Goliam’s Sanctuary for the artificing class.

After watching Kronar craft a Starlight Scope, Trey spent some time studying magic history so that he didn’t completely embarrass himself in Skye’s study session. After a deliciously satisfying trip to the cafeteria, he was ready for another lesson with Bree.

With a full belly, Trey walked to the Riv. He found his attractive fire magic teacher in the practice room, setting up targets. Trey pumped his fist in the space in front of him.

“I saw that,” Bree called back, apparently watching him from the back of her head.

“You can’t blame me,” Trey replied. “This is the best part about magic.”

“And here I thought you were more than just a simple-minded eighteen-year-old,” Bree teased.

“Hey!” Trey retorted. “I know how much you like flinging fireballs at me.”

“You have no idea,” Bree said with a mischievous smile. “Just wait until the next lesson.”

With Bree’s guidance, Trey was scorching the targets after just a few attempts. His fire spells continued improving as the night wore on, only adding to his enthusiasm. He ended the session by shooting his arm forward, launching a firebolt at the target on the other side of the room. The spell struck with such force that the mounted target gave way, clamoring to the ground. Trey grinned with satisfaction as he observed his handiwork. “Bree, I think I’m in love.”

The redhead winked at him. “We’ve been sneaking around to meet each other secretly under the cover of night,” she teased. “I can hardly blame you.”

“Who said I was in love with you?” Trey replied in jest, earning a slug to his shoulder.

“Who knows,” she said, her eyes fixated on Trey. “If you ever decide to quit playing games and become a big, powerful fire mage, you might have a chance.”

Trey raised an eyebrow at her statement, but she moved on.

“I’m assuming Marvin’s not going to let you have a streamer?” the fire magic teacher asked.

Trey shook his head no.

“I think we will need one for next time,” she added. “I’ll see what I can do.”

With that, she led the budding fire mage out of their training room. After some brief farewells, they returned to their respective rooms.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

***

The following morning found Trey crawling across the training field with a fully armored Braun on his back.

“Faster!” yelled Frye. “The last one to make it to the other side will have to do extra laps!”

Nora had chosen to team up with Lizzie, not willing to carry Trey on her back. Braun had remarked that Trey wasn't that difficult to carry, unaware that his comment had unofficially earned him the role of Trey's partner.

Braun had lugged the taller guardian across the field for the first leg of the race and was enjoying the return trip on Trey’s back. “Come on!” Braun shouted. “We can’t let the girls beat us.”

Trey glanced over at Nora, who was keeping pace with him. He frowned, suspecting there was some sneaky light magic at play. Still, he managed to eke out the victory.

Jeffers joined them on the training ground, freeing the guardian trainees from Frye’s cruel grasp – except for Damien and Jakob. They owed Frye laps around the field, and the physical training instructor was adamant to collect.

The rest of the day flew by. After lunch, Trey attended Professor Mavery’s lecture, then moved on to the artificing class. As promised, Skye helped them study for the magic history test in the late afternoon. They spent hours reviewing the notes the sorceress had meticulously taken during the lectures.

The gaps in Nora’s knowledge seemed to catch even herself off guard, yet she dismissed Skye's suggestion to adjust her classroom behavior. After reviewing everything from the Archmage to the Strittinger Uprising multiple times, Nora finally convinced the group to head to dinner.

***

Trey sat in silence, staring at the paper in front of him. Who was the founder of Palagon?

The question had been ravaging through his mind, trying to uncover any information that might hint at an answer. Although he wasn't particularly hopeful that inspiration would suddenly strike, he took comfort in knowing that this was the last one left, and he felt confident about the portion of the test he had already completed. He glanced over and saw Skye reviewing her answers for what was probably the fourth time.

Don’t you dare! Trey mentally scolded himself. Mind magic is not supposed to be used to cheat on a test!

With a resigned shrug, he scribbled down the first name that popped into his head.

Marvin Kalo

He knew he was very wrong, but Marvin did seem ancient at times. Maybe I’ll get points for humor?

“Finish what you are writing and then turn your tests in!” Professor Huul announced. “Time is up!”

“How did you do?” Skye asked after the class ended.

“A lot better than I would have done two days ago,” Trey answered.

“Nora?” the sorceress queried.

The blonde lazily threw her hands up. “I don’t think magic history will ever be my strength.”

Trey opted to attend the dark magic class, knowing it might peeve Marvin. He shuffled into the classroom and spotted Dana brooding in her corner. Taking a seat beside her, she greeted him in a very Dana-like fashion. “Don’t get me in trouble this time.”

Marvin abruptly began class with his gruff voice. “Next week, we will be learning Exsanguination.” Excitement tremored quietly across the students. “To prepare for that, we need to review Shadow Binding. I know you probably learned that a while ago in the introductory course, but a strong foundation in binding is essential for Exsanguination.”

With the snap of his fingers, the old man conjured two smoky threads that danced before him. “Remember the core principles of binding and dark magic as a whole. Dark magic is about exercising force to dominate your target before the underlying fragility is revealed.” The threads violently attacked each other, maneuvering themselves into a tight knot before they stretched beyond their limit and poofed into thin air.

“You manipulate your target,” the dark magic professor continued, “ripping away any thoughts of fighting back and striking when they are most vulnerable. The most effective Shadow Binding spells latch on to victims who are devoid of hope that they can break free. Your mana needs to embody this mindset. To others, your dark magic needs to appear unstoppable – inevitable – even if you, as the caster, know it has its weaknesses.”

Deciding to supplement his lesson with theatrics, Marvin produced several large tendrils of dark smoke. With the flick of his finger, the tendrils darted out toward the audience, prompting gasps as students instinctively recoiled in their seats. In the back row, Dana remained unfazed, watching with keen interest. Marvin proceeded with his lecture, drilling the theoretical concepts into his students and preparing them for the coming week.

After class, Marvin walked over to where Trey was seated. Expecting a reprimand, Trey braced himself but was caught off guard when the old man addressed Dana first.“Are you ready for your private lesson?”

Dana nodded eagerly.

“You can head to the Riv,” the dark magic teacher said. “I’ll be there shortly.”

The young specter hopped out of her seat and started toward the Riv.

“You,” Marvin said sternly, pointing a finger at Trey, “need to stop coming to my class.”

“And miss you scaring the shit out of a bunch of mages?” Trey quipped.

Marvin chuckled, but then furrowed his brow. “You’re not getting away that easy. What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I was thinking about meeting my capture-the-flag team and practicing a little bit,” Trey answered.

“No, you’re not,” the dark mage responded. “You’re coming with me to Greshelm.”

“I appreciate you asking,” Trey said sarcastically.

“We need to make progress,” Marvin continued, ignoring the boy’s complaint. “Especially if you’re not going to attend your artificing class. I have a few leads to follow. I’ll let you know the plan tomorrow morning – probably at breakfast.”

“Stay out of my eggs,” Trey warned, to which a flicker of a smile crossed the old man’s grizzled face.

Later that night, Trey found himself facing off against an opponent with hair as fiery as her magic.

“Remember,” his instructor called out, “it’s far easier to redirect fire than to block it. To counter a fire spell, focus on channeling mana to direct the flames where you want them to go.” Expecting him to internalize the lesson immediately, she launched a fire bolt at him.

Trey waved the wand in his hand, swiftly forming a Pyrochannel spell, and not a moment too soon, narrowly avoiding the sizzling fire magic that streaked past him.

“Well done,” Bree said before launching another.

Trey spent another hour learning how to elude fire spells before the redhead granted him a break. “This wand is exceptional,” Trey commented, examining the finely crafted stick that Bree has let him borrow.

“Thanks,” she replied. “It was my father’s.”

Trey nearly choked as his hand subtly shifted to a more cautious grip. “Your father’s?”

“Do you know much about Burning Covenant history?”

Trey shook his head. “Lovarn isn’t known for their scholars, and you know how Marvin is.”

Bree nodded. “My father was Pravion Adams, a fire-earth specter revered as a master duelist. He was a prime target for recruitment by Grimmault, but when he declined their offer, they had no choice but to eliminate him. My father faced Solomon Grimmault himself. Their clash was so intense that even after my father's fall, Grimmault's own followers perpetuated the legend of Pravion Adams.”

“I’m sorry,” Trey said.

“Many people tragically lost family members during the Burning Covenant,” she said, almost shrugging. “From the stories my mother shared, my father wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. He took pride in being considered 'too dangerous to keep alive.' His legacy is the inspiration I used to work so hard to reach where I am today.”

“Wow,” Trey replied, genuinely impressed.. “That’s incredible. I’m a bit envious.”

“Envious?”

“I don’t know who my parents are,” he explained. “I know they were killed in the Burning Covenant, but that’s all. I can only hope their story echoes your father’s legend.”

Bree nodded, looking at the guardian with a hint of pity.

“No, don’t do that,” Trey insisted. “Let’s get back to practicing fire magic.”

“It’s getting late,” Bree said, “but we can do one more round.”

The two separated, putting several paces between them before turning to face each other.

“Let’s see if you can attack and defend at the same time,” the redhead challenged.

Suddenly, the air was filled with the crackling of flames. Trey remained focused as he deflected a fiery projectile and countered with a torrent of flames. Bree grunted with exertion as she defended herself. “You have so much raw strength!” she shouted, an edge of frustration evident in her voice. She unleashed a flurry of spells back at him. “You are a fire mage! And a scary one at that! You can’t ignore that.”

Trey attempted to launch an Infernal Vortex at his opponent. While impressive at the start, a lot of the strength had drained out by the time the spell reached Bree. “Apparently I’m not that strong if I can’t be competitive enough to keep you from yelling at me.” He yipped and lunged to the side as a fireball brushed past him.

The duel lasted several more volleys until Bree, losing herself in the heat of battle, inadvertently overpowered Trey and singed his shoulder.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, quickly assessing the burn. “Usually, we could get a healer to fix this right up, but I guess that’s not really an option given your circumstances.”

“It’s alright,” Trey reassured her, attempting to brush off her concern. “It’s not that deep. I’ll be fine – it’ll heal naturally in a couple of days.”

“You did really well,” she complimented him. “I was using my full strength.”

“The wand makes a difference,” he replied, waving the streamer around in front of him. “How did you get it back?”

Bree smiled. “Believe it or not, Marvin had it all these years.”

Trey snorted. “That doesn’t surprise me at all. Are you sure you want me to use this?”

“Yes,” she said. “Maybe some of my father will rub off on you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Trey asked.

The fire magic professor sighed. “You’re powerful enough to be a leader, Trey. Yet, you remain a follower.”

Trey grunted disdainfully. “I’m neither a leader nor a follower. I'm a… rogue.”

“A rogue, huh?” she replied with an amused look on her face. “That’s cute.”

Trey gave her a mock scowl. “I wasn’t really aiming for ‘cute.’ Perhaps you meant daring?”

“Okay, Mr. Daring Rogue. How about I hold on to the wand until next time because your Papa won’t let you have one?”

Trey frowned. How did she know about ‘Papa?’

The victor of their bantering smirked as Trey returned the wand, and then the two of them left the Riv. “I’ll see you next week,” Bree said, before disappearing into the night.