“All right class, recite the components of an inscription circle once more,” the professor said as he paced back and forth at the front of the classroom. Tall, thin, and with premature gray hair, he seemed as if he was constantly withholding a bitingly sarcastic remark.
“Element,” the class began in unison, but then strayed into a jumble of differing answers.
“It’s element, circle, shape modifier, flow lines, glyphs, then an activation circle around everything at the end,” one student spoke up.
“Yes, thank you Talynn. You need to memorize your spells in this order if you are to perform them efficiently. I see too many of you still haphazardly forming inscription circles with your lumi in no particular order. It slows down your casting speed, which makes you an ineffective mage.”
“Speaking of ineffective mages,” one of the students named Gelusik gave Talynn a pointed look. His light green tunic and red cloak matched the rest of the student's uniforms, but his wavy black hair and haughty green eyes stood out from the crowd.
“If you’re going to interrupt class, at least have something intelligent to say. Moving on,” the professor continued. “Remember to pay attention to the orientation of your glyphs. Inscription circles are directional, facing components the wrong way will either cause the spell to fail, or to backfire. Quite literally. You could accidentally fire a spell at yourself.”
“Professor Kano, when are we going to learn spells that use more than one element?” A student asked.
“Jayce, you can hardly cast a single element spell without injuring yourself, stop worrying about multi-element spells,” said Kano, eliciting chuckles from his students. “You’ll learn those in your secondary school if you’re lucky enough to make it there.”
“Aw, it’s almost the last day, can you show us just one multi-element spell?” One of the girls pleaded.
“I guess practical demonstrations count as teaching. Here is a basic dual-element spell,” Kano began drawing a complex series of shapes and glyphs on the chalkboard.
“Oh lord, it’s horrifying,” Jayce said as the daunting inscription circle took form.
“This is why they don’t teach this until secondary school. It’s an inscription circle linked to another inscription circle which is then encapsulated in another inscription circle. That means you have to transmute two different elements and manipulate at least three times as much lumi to cast the spell. Observe,” Kano held his hand out in front of him in a ‘stop’ gesture.
The faint green aura of lumi began to form around his hand. He then concentrated it and began molding it, the lumi forming dancing green lines in the air. After the first inscription circle was made, he formed a second next to it, this time with red lines that seemed to spark and flicker. Enclosing the two within another circle, he then cast the spell.
A brilliant stream of flames began to mix with the wind, turning into what looked like a small, fiery tornado on its side. At the bottom of the vortex the flames condensed into a thin line, rushing through a narrow tunnel of wind. The beam of fire shot back in a straight line over the heads of the students and into the light-tan brick wall. Bits of rubble flew out as the fire bit into the brick before vanishing, leaving a small crater and a large black soot mark on the wall.
“Behold, the Flame Spear spell. The wind amplifies the flame while also containing it, condensing the power of an entire forge into a single spot. As you witnessed however, it is not a simple spell. You have to create an inscription circle and then sustain it while making another circle and then hold that one while creating a circle around both of them. It takes incredible lumi control, in fact most mages have to use two hands to cast it.”
“How the heck are we supposed to remember that long of a spell,” Jayce held his face in his hands.
“This is why you see mages carrying handbooks with them. Powerful spells require complex inscription circles, and it’s virtually impossible to memorize them all. But you need to at least understand how they work.”
“How does that help us?” Jayce asked.
“Mages are scientists, not miracle workers. What others see as ‘magic’, we know as science. Lumi is not supernatural; it is a form of energy. Spells are just applications of that energy. Inscriptions are not mystical incantations; they are formulas,” the professor said as he resumed pacing back and forth.
“I’m not telling you this as some philosophical discussion, I’m telling you this because it can save your life in battle. If you can read your opponent’s inscription circle and predict their attack, you have a chance at winning, even against a mage far more powerful than you.”
“So you mean Talynn has a chance at beating someone?” Gelusik piped up.
“Oh shut up. At least I can pass basic math,” Talynn shot back.
“At least I can cast a spell without using lux chalk,” countered Gelusik. “You should have just been a scholar considering how talentless you are at magic.”
“Whatever,” Talynn muttered.
“Settle down you two. I’d be lying if I said I’ll miss your constant bickering. Now, tomorrow is the tournament, make sure you’re in the assigned arena for your bracket at your assigned time. If you are late, you will be disqualified. Class dismissed. Talynn, come see me.”
“Yes, professor Kano?” Talynn said as the rest of the class exited the room.
“It’s difficult for me to say this, but I’m pulling you out of the tournament tomorrow.”
“What? Why?” Talynn dropped his books onto the floor. “My grades are perfect in this class! What did I do?”
“You’re a good student, Talynn, but quite frankly, you don’t stand a chance in this tournament. Your other teachers might be afraid to say it, but I’m not. I’d be doing you a disservice if I lied to you like that.”
“So you’re pulling me from the entire competition just because you don’t think I’ll win?” Talynn slammed his fist on the table. He began pacing back and forth, taking his trusty wizard hat off to run his hands through his hair. “How else am I going to graduate?”
“I’d like to say that you can do it if you just believe enough, but that’s just not reality, Talynn. When you first entered the academy through the emperor’s scholarship, you showed a lot of potential. Your teachers were certain you’d discover your elemental affinity by the end of your first year. When that didn’t happen, they were sure it’d be by the end of your second year. And the third. But it’s your fourth year now Talynn, and you still can’t perform a basic element transformation. I don’t know what to tell you,” Kano shrugged.
“Please Professor Kano, don’t pull me from the tournament. I need to graduate, I can’t be held back while my friends move on to their secondary school! I might not be the smartest or most talented kid in class, but I work hard and study hard” Talynn pleaded. “It’s just this one little thing I can’t do.”
“Not being able to cast a spell on your own isn’t a ‘little thing’. Talynn, if you can’t get past the second bracket in the tournament tomorrow, they’re going to hold you back anyways. You’d have to beat two mages when you can hardly use magic. I know it’s difficult, but I’m sparing you public humiliation.”
Talynn exhaled in resignation and sat down at a desk. After a minute, he gave a weak nod and got up to leave the classroom. He lingered for a moment in the doorway, turning his head to say one last thing. “Don’t take me out of the tournament. At least let me fight. I’d be more humiliated if I didn’t even get to try.”
“I’ll see what I can do. But don’t get your hopes up, kid. Like I said, we’re mages, not miracle workers. You can’t win with lux chalk.”
Talynn cast his gaze outside as he walked, his disquieting thoughts weighing on him like a ton of bricks. The arched stone windows of the sky bridge overlooked the grand mage academy building, the warm noon sun reflecting brightly off of the light tan brick walls and dark red conical roofs. He headed down a wide spiraling staircase to the bottom floor and entered the sprawling courtyard where students took their lunches.
“Hey guys,” Talynn gave a half-hearted wave as he sat down at table with half a dozen familiar faces, each of them much fresher faces in the academy.
“How are you Talynn? You look stressed,” one of the girls said as she watched him pick at his food.
“I’m okay, Milana. Just a little nervous for the tournament tomorrow. Be glad you guys still have some time before you have to face it. If you don’t score any wins, you don’t get to graduate.”
“Oh look, it’s Talynn and the rejects,” Gelusik smirked as he walked by with his group of similarly snobby students. “Good luck on the tournament tomorrow. Can’t wait to see you get crushed.”
“Get out of here Gelusik. I’ve had enough of you for one day,” Talynn said before taking a bite of his food.
“What, you trying to fight me you little faker?” Gelusik pushed his clique to the side and got into Talynn’s face.
“Nope, I just like to eat my lunch without stupid people yelling in my ear.”
“Watch yourself, you little phony. You’re lucky I don’t ice you before the tournament.”
“Geez, what is his beef with you?” one of the boys at their table asked as Gelusik’s group walked away.
“Gelusik is a jerk who likes picking on people because it makes him feel superior. And he doesn't like when someone like me fights back. But who cares, we’ve got better things to do than worry about people like him.”
Talynn paused for a moment, struggling to recall something. “Better things to do… Oh crap! I’m supposed to be at Mavence’s fight!”
“Wait, what? Where are you going? Are you skipping class?”
“The knight academy is having their tournaments today,” Talynn scrambled to grab his belongings. “See ya!”
A little over a mile away, in the back of Albustone city furthest from the entry gates, lay the knights training academy. Instead of one large building like the mage’s academy, the knights academy consisted mostly of barracks and outdoor training facilities. Knights-in-training and their families milled about the academy, eager to watch the day’s events.
A large open area towards the back of the academy housed a makeshift stadium, with wooden bleachers surrounding a dirt field. At the center, three arenas held pairs of contestants as they dueled with their respective weapons studies. Talynn scanned the crowds until he found a familiar face.
“Versutana!”
“Talynn! Over here, I saved you a seat,” beckoned the brown haired girl, about fifteen years of age.
“Thanks! Did you manage to sneak out of the castle without the emperor noticing?”
“Father had foreign dignitaries visiting, and Lumenaeva is still training under the archmage. Pretty easy to sneak out,” she smirked with her mischievous green eyes.
“Nice. Let’s hope you don’t get caught again,” Talynn said with a knowing wink. “Oh look, there’s Mavence!”
“You missed his earlier fights. He made it to the final round for the swordsman division. Won his first two matches pretty easy, but this last match might get him.”
“How so?”
“His opponent is Kaidan Ensisco,” Versutana said as the challengers entered the center arena. “For generations, every boy from the Ensisco family grew up to be talented and well-known swordsmen of the imperial army. People say they each knew how to swing a sword before they could walk straight.”
“Ah, whatever. Mavence will beat him. Just watch.”
Mavence took a moment to stretch before donning his helmet. The cheap armor given to him was too small for his broad frame, and the heat of the beating sun upon the metal nearly seared any exposed skin. He eyed Kaidan, his opponent.
His armor was polished and well-fitting, given to him by the blacksmith that serviced their wealthy family of knights. His face was obscured by his helmet, but his cavalier demeanor was evident in his stance.
The scorekeeper announced their names and gestured for them to take their positions, his right hand holding a small white flag. The hand holding the white flag dropped, signalling the start of the match.
Mavence immediately rushed forward, swinging his sword down at Kaidan in a diagonal strike. As Kaidan blocked with his sword, Mavence used the recoil to spin around and strike at Kaidan’s back. Without looking, Kaidan leaned out of the way of Mavence’s blindspot attack and took a quick step towards his opponent, smacking his sword against Mavence’s chestplate before he could react.
The scorekeeper assigned Kaidan a point on the scoreboard while the contenders reset to their starting positions in the arena. The white flag dropped.
Mavence held back this time, waiting for his opponent to make the first strike. Kaidan quickly advanced, swinging his sword in an elegant combination of attacks as he met his opponent. Mavence blocked and parried until Kaidan lured him into locking blades, each trying to overpower the other. Suddenly, Kaidan withdrew the pressure from his sword, causing Mavence to fall forward off-balance. Mavence felt Kaidan tap his sword on the back of his armor as he lay sprawled out on the ground.
Having seen quite enough, Talynn rushed down the stands and called out to Mavence from the edge of the arena. Mavence heard the familiar voice and gestured to the scorekeeper for a timeout.
“Hey, you made it,” Mavence said with a smile as he removed his helmet and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
“Sorry I’m late! You doing okay? You seem to be having trouble with this guy. If he wins this round you lose the match, which puts you in second place. Second place doesn’t get you into the Empress’s Guard.”
“I know, I know. But he’s tough. He keeps outmaneuvering me with his fancy footwork and throwing me off balance. I don’t know if I can beat this guy with my level of swordsmanship. He’s been doing this way longer than I have. I don’t know what to do, Talynn. You’re the clever one, any ideas?”
“If you can’t beat him with swordsmanship, don’t beat him with swordsmanship.”
“What does that even mean?” Mavence gave a befuddled look as the scorekeeper beckoned for him to return to the arena.
“I don’t know, but it sounds wise,” Talynn shrugged as Mavence departed. “Remember, you’re not a swordsman, you’re a brawler who happens to have a sword!”
Mavence flipped his helmet down and faced his opponent, trying to get into the zone. The flag dropped. The contestants began racing towards each other, swords at the ready. Kaidan went for a horizontal slice, which Mavence slid on his knees to duck under. Each spun around to face the other and began to duel, their metal blades humming after each strike.
Kaidan parried Mavence’s blade to the side, hoping to expose him to a frontal attack. Mavence quickly leaned out of the way as Kaidan’s sword lunged towards him. Mavence grabbed hold of Kaidan’s forearm with his left hand and released his sword for a moment to change his grip with his right. Now holding the sword in an underhand grip, he brought it forward and drove the hilt directly into Kaidan’s outstretched arm.
“Gah!” Kaidan dropped his sword, his entire arm tingling painfully. Mavence lazily smacked his sword against Kaidan’s chestplate, winning him a point.
Good, yes. Fight like a brawler, Mavence thought to himself.
“Lucky win,” Kaidan said as they squared up for the next round. The flag dropped.
Mavence rushed in, this time keeping his sword attacks high, drawing his opponent’s attention away from their lower halves. As Kaidan brought his sword up to block a downward swing, his foot was suddenly pinned by Mavence’s boot. With a quick shoulder check, Mavence knocked him to the ground. His sword struck Kaidan’s chestplate, leaving a gouge on his armor.
“Cheater! Get off the field, commoner!” Kaidan’s family booed from the stands.
The scorekeeper assigned Mavence another point. The crowd began drumming their feet on the bleachers, eager for the final showdown between the tied opponents. The white flag dropped.
“The son of a poor commoner can’t beat that of a venerable knight. It’s a disgrace that you were even allowed into this academy,” Kaidan spat as his blade clashed with Mavence’s. The contestants went back and forth, striking, parrying, and blocking. Finally, Kaidan caught Mavence’s sword at the right angle and disarmed him with a quick flick of the wrist.
As Mavence’s sword clattered on the ground, Kaidan turned to pronounce his own victory when Mavence stepped in and slammed his elbow into Kaidan’s face as hard as he could. His body crumpled to the ground, the sudden jarring of his skull knocking him unconscious.
“See? Now that’s what I’m talking about? That guy thought he won and Mavence decked him in the face,” Talynn began laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his seat.
“Penalty! Cheap tricks like that are against regulations, he should be disqualified!” Kaidan’s father immediately protested.
“You are not the one to declare a penalty; I am,” the scorekeeper said. “This contestant was within regulations. I declare Mavence Sevar the winner of this year’s tournament!”
“Mavence! Mavence! Mavence!” The crowd chanted, stomping on the bleachers with each syllable.
“You killed it, man!” Talynn high-fived Mavence as the trio walked out of the academy after the celebrations.
“Your vague wisdom did prove to be quite useful. Now it’s your turn to win tomorrow!”
“Oh lord, don’t remind me,” Talynn groaned.
“I hear you practicing for hours every night at the castle, can you still not cast a fire spell?” Versutana asked.
“Not even a little bit. I still can’t light a pile of tinder.”
“If you want, I can get you a muto stone again. I know a guy,” offered Versutana.
“No thanks, last time I nearly got expelled for cheating.”
“Oh come on, that’s not ‘cheating’,” Versutana said with air quotes. “In a real battle you should take every advantage you can get.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Mavence waved dismissively. “You should win with your own strength and skill. You can fight honorably and still win. You don’t need tricks and you don’t need luck. Just use that brain of yours.”
“I doubt it’ll get me very far. Either way, lux stones and muto stones are strictly forbidden in the mage’s tournament. Lux chalk isn’t technically on the no-go list, but that’s probably because its spells are weak.”
“Don’t stress about it too much. We have the entire day ahead of us! So, since Mavence’s tournament is over, what do you guys want to do?”
“You, miss Versutana, should head back to the castle before your dad catches you,” Talynn pointed. “I think I’m going to go practice for a few hours, bang my head against a wall for a few hours, and then spend a sleepless night contemplating my doom.”
“Don’t stress about it too much, bud. You’ll get it,” Mavence gave him a reassuring pat on the back. “Go get some rest.”
Talynn smiled and gave his friends a nod. He returned to the castle where the emperor had invited him and Mavence to stay at, the rest of his night proceeding exactly as anticipated. For hours he practiced, trying desperately to force his lumi into the fire element, but to no avail. Early the next morning, Versutana found him snoozing on the grass in one of the castle courtyards.
“Talynn? Talynn!” She said as she sprinted over the smooth cobblestone in her robe and nightgown.
“Are you okay? Did you even sleep last night?” She lifted him up by his shoulders, the wet morning dew having soaked his tunic.
“W-what time is it? Urg,” Talynn croaked, his voice raspy and his eyes with heavy bags under them.
“Just after dawn. Come on, let’s get you to the banquet hall. We’ll fix you some breakfast.”
As Versutana helped him along, a cheery hum accompanied by bare feet skipping over the cobblestone echoed through the corridors.
“Good morning, sister! Who’s that with you?”
Talynn’s ears perked up, his head quickly turning to face the princess. Lumenaeva continued skipping merrily to meet them, fully dressed in her white and purple ballroom gown.
“Lumenaeva! I haven’t seen you in so long it feels like. I-it’s good to see you,” said Talynn, suddenly having difficulty regulating his breathing.
“Good to see you too, Talynn,” Lumenaeva said with a smile that could melt a frozen tundra. “I apologize, the archmage has me training every hour of every day it feels like. Oh dear, you look ill! Are you feeling alright?”
“I’m fine. Just stayed up too late, that’s all,” Talynn waved it off.
“Talynn’s hardly slept, he’s been training for the tournament today. But we’re fine, you can run off and tend to your training,” Versutana attempted to shoo her sister away.
“Tournament? There’s no way you can compete in a tournament in that kind of shape,” Lumenaeva protested. “Your lumi flow is exhausted, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think good for a mage.”
“You can feel my lumi?”
“I can now! It’s part of my training to wield the Lucidaros stone. Here, let me try this new spell I learned on you.”
Lumenaeva drew closer and placed her hand on Talynn’s chest. Talynn gulped nervously. Versutana did not look pleased. The purple stone on Lumenaeva’s necklace began to glow.
Talynn’s body suddenly tensed, his head tilting back and his arms sticking out to the sides as his breath awkwardly escaped his lungs. Lumi poured from the Lucidaros stone directly into his body at an overwhelming rate, like trying to swallow an entire river in one gulp. After a moment, it stopped. The stone’s glow faded.
“Whoa. What just happened? I feel… I feel… amazing,” Talynn looked down at his hands in disbelief. His exhausted body now felt strong and vibrant, as if he had just awoken from the most refreshing week-long nap.
“Your lumi flow should be good as new! I have to leave now, the archmage is expecting me. Good luck! Tell Mavence I say hello,” Lumenaeva waved before skipping off down the castle corridors.
“Hey Talynn, before you go,” Versutana began to pull something out of her robe pocket, but trailed off as she saw Talynn’s gaze lingering on Lumenaeva. With downcast eyes, she turned and began walking away.
“Oh, sorry, what were you saying?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“Come on, Ver, don’t do that to me,” Talynn caught her arm. “Just tell me what you were going to say.”
“Well, I might not be able to restore your magic or whatever, but I made you something,” Versutana pulled out two bracelets made with brown leather cord from her robe.
“Ooh, what’s this?” Talynn picked one up and inspected it.
“I had the blacksmith show me how to cut out these two strips of material and shave them so they have a slight bend, and then I tied the leather cord through these little holes on either end of the strips. So this part stays on top of your wrist, while the leather holds them in place,” Versutana said as she demonstrated with the other bracelet.
“Neat. What are those strips made of?”
“The black one is flint, and the silvery one is steel. So when you take the bracelets off and strike them together, you can start a fire with them!”
“Really?” Talynn eagerly grabbed the other bracelet and struck the strips together. A smile lit his face as a small shower of sparks appeared.
“I know you’re always trying to start fires with your magic, but if you ever get tired when practicing, at least you can use this to start a fire,” Versutana gave him a smile.
Talynn looked down at the bracelets once more, realizing now how many hours she had put into making them.
“Thanks, Ver,” Talynn ran forward and gave her a big hug. Versutana smiled and squeezed him back.
“Well, I’d better get going, don’t want to be late for the tournament. Wish me luck.”
“Mavence and I will be there! And Talynn,” she called out as he started to leave.
“You don’t need luck.”
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