Cara leaned over and inspected the blade. “I recognize a couple of those runes.” She opened her magic book and flipped through the pages until she got to the right one. “There. That one is for fire, and the second one is ice. Your blade has elemental magic. That is so cool.”
Professor Logston made his way through the class until he finally was standing in front of Cara and Jack. “Well, what have you discovered?”
Cara held up her wand. “This one is modern. It is a basic channeling weapon.”
“Very good, Miss Dale. You may go to the practice area.” Professor Logston turned to Jack. “And what do you have there?”
“A magically enhanced dwarven short sword.”
Professor Logston took the sword as started looking it over. “How did you come across such an object?”
“I got it in Combat Basics.”
“You picked out a magical ancient weapon from the pile? How very fortuitous.”
Jack nodded. “I was lucky, but I have some experience with ancient blades.”
“Ah, yes, I suppose you would. Your grandfather would’ve taught you that.”
Jack was surprised that Professor Logston knew about his grandfather. Perhaps the Academy had files on all the students? Or maybe just the scholarship ones?
“Tell me what you know of the weapon so far?”
“Two of the runes are for fire and ice. I don’t know what the others are. There is also a ruby in the pommel. I didn’t see anything else.”
Professor Logston nodded. “There are a couple runes that I know. You’ll have to research the others. The ruby is a basic mana gem, so your sword can be used to amplify spells as well as whatever magic is contained in the weapon. It greatly reduces the amount of mana needed to cast that spell. I’m comfortable suggesting you use the fire and ice magic to start. I wouldn’t go beyond that until you know more.”
“And how do I do that?” Jack asked.
“Simple, you focus your magic into the blade, the same way you’ve done before, only this time you think about what spell you want the blade to achieve. If you push magic into the blade and think about fire, you’ll activate the fire spell. I recommend making sure you are holding the sword carefully and aim it at one of the dummies while you do that. Wouldn’t want an errant fireball hitting a fellow student, would we?”
“No, sir. I’ll be especially careful.”
The Magic Basics classroom was somewhat unique in that it had a large second room with dozens of dummies positioned in rows. Some were up close, while others were set up for ranged attacks. Jack found an empty row with a close-up dummy. He wasn’t sure what the fire magic would be so he didn’t want to go into a distance attack to start.
Standing in front of the dummy, Jack stood with both hands on the sword and the blade angled so that the tip was lined up with the stomach of the dummy. He channeled a small bit of magic into the sword while imagining fire. The entire blade lit up in flames, and there were no fireballs.
Jack grinned. A flaming sword. It was a powerful spell, but basic enough that he could do it, and he didn’t have to worry about a misplaced fireball hitting a fellow student.
Jack waved the sword, going through a few attack patterns. He then stopped letting his magic flow into the blade. The fire disappeared.
Resetting himself with his blade once again pointing towards the dummy’s stomach, Jack repeated the process. This time he imagined ice as he sent a small amount of magical energy into the blade. A blast of energy shot out of the end of the sword and a chunk of magic ice was sticking out of the dummy’s stomach. Jack looked around to make sure no one near him was casting a spell. He walked up to the dummy. The magic ice was the shape and size of the sword’s blade. The only difference was it was cold, and unlike the smooth sword blade, the magic ice was rough, like a million tiny snowflakes had been mashed together and the edges had never been touched.
“Projectile ice blades. A good ranged attack,” Professor Logston said as he walked up behind Jack. “And what was the fire spell?”
“A flaming blade.”
“Interesting combination. Your training in Combat Basics will be enhanced with a fire blade. However, you probably haven’t been practicing using your sword to fire ice projectiles, so you’ll need to work on that.”
Jack nodded. He certainly hadn’t been using his sword in that way at all. Other than a few classes where they worked with a bow, he had not done any ranged attacks. Using the sword would require a lot of practice before he’d be comfortable using it.
“You’ve demonstrated everything as asked. You may go and frantically study for your midterm exams like the rest of your class.”
Jack looked around. He was the last one in the practice room. “Yes, Professor.”
As Jack was leaving, Professor Logston spoke, “Jack, that sword has runes I don’t recognize, but I do recognize that it is a powerful weapon. You are incredibly lucky to have it. Do take the time to learn its magic. As a first-year student, you will likely only be able to access the basic spells it contains. However, as you grow your magical power and knowledge, you may unlock more spells. It is rare to have a weapon that is valuable to a beginner and an expert, but I believe your sword is such a weapon. Treat it well, and for the love of all that is holy, get it a proper scabbard. Carrying around a weapon wrapped in a blanket is not how things are done.”
Jack’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “Yes. Thank you, Professor. I will look after it.”
As Jack left the classroom, he spotted Cara at the end of the hallway talking to someone. She spotted Jack and turned her head towards him, smiling. The person she’d been talking to turned and was out of sight. Jack hadn’t seen much of him, but it had looked like Isaac Dixon. Cara walked towards him.
“How’d it go with your sword?” Cara asked.
“Good,” Jack said. “Was that Isaac?”
“Yes. He wanted to study with me tonight, but I told him I was busy. I have to run a quick errand and then I’ll be ready. Meet you at the room?”
“Sounds good,” Jack said.
24
Jack returned to his room and found Stannerios and Colin were already there.
“How did Magic class go? Did Professor Logston give you a sneak exam or anything like that?” Colin asked.
“No, but he didn’t let us study either. Actually, it was a pretty cool class. I learned more about my sword. It has runes for elemental damage. I can do a flaming sword and ice projectiles.”
“Cool,” Colin said. “That could be handy one day. You’ll never need a torch, and you’ll be a hit at parties. No one will ever run out of ice.”
Jack laughed. “Good point.”
“You should name your sword,” Stannerios said. “Many heroes name their weapons.”
“I’m a first-year student who might be getting kicked out of school if he doesn’t pass all his exams tomorrow. The last thing I need to be doing is giving my weapons pretentious names. That’s something a rich wanker would do.”
“I named my axe,” Stannerios said.
“I stand corrected. That is something a rich wanker or a badass warrior would do.”
“You could give it a cool name, something ironic or funny. Stannerios does have a point, a really cool weapon like a magical dwarven ancient blade should have a name,” Colin said.
Jack sighed. “Shouldn’t we be studying Ethics?”
“We’re waiting for the girls, now quit procrastinating.”
“What is Jack procrastinating on now?” Lana said as she entered the room.
“Stann and I think he needs to name his sword. He learned it has elemental spells in it today.”
“My people name their weapons,” Lana said. “Your weapon is worthy of having a name.”
Jack threw his hands up in the air. “Fine. We’ll name the weapon.”
“How about Deathbringer?” Stannerios said.
Jack looked at his friend. He didn’t like the name, but he also didn’t want to hu
rt his feelings. He’d already insulted him once already in the last five minutes. “I’m not so sure about that one. A little too ‘savage warrior’ for me.”
“Dwarven Revenge?” Lana said.
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“It isn’t bad,” Colin said. “Dwarven blade, you’re half dwarf. There is something there.”
Jack thought about his father. He knew nothing about him other than he was a dwarven warrior. Maybe he could actually learn something about him here. It had never come up, but Professor Cyr had been a friend of his mother’s, maybe she knew about his father too. He’d have to visit her and have a conversation about his parents, something he’d been putting off for too long. “Colin, you know some Ancient Dwarven, right?”
“Yes, Ancient Dwarven and Modern Dwarven are very similar, although mostly dwarves speak the common tongue now.”
“What’s the Ancient Dwarven translation for ‘dwarven bastard’s blade’?”
Lana cocked her head to the side, a look he’d learned meant she didn’t approve.
“What? It’s appropriate. “They were never married. I am a dwarven bastard, and it is my sword.”
“It isn’t a direct translation but I think Morgun Rog is accurate,” Colin said.
“Morgun Rog. That doesn’t sound bad,” Jack said.
Stannerios laughed. “I like it. I like dwarven bastard’s blade more, but Morgun Rog sounds rough. It is a good name.”
Jack looked at Lana.
She sighed. “I suppose it isn’t the worst name ever.”
Jack pulled his sword out of the blanket. “Let me introduce you all to the power of Morgun Rog.” The blade lit up in flame.
“Morgun Rog,” Stannerios said in reverence. “A true battle mage’s blade.”
Jack wasn’t sure he’d ever be a battle mage, but he certainly liked the sound of it. He released his magic attachment and let the flame extinguish.
“Hey, guys.” Cara said as she entered the room. She was carrying a cake. “I brought you all a little surprise.”
“What is it?” Jack asked.
“Pytav cake. It helps you focus and with short-term memory,” Colin said. “How did you get that?”
“I found a magic baker in Ansby.”
Jack had never been to Ansby. It was only two miles from the Academy, but he’d never had the time. He was always too busy studying or practicing. But if the small city had a magic bakery, maybe he needed to see what other cool stuff it had. As for the cake, it smelled delicious, like strawberries and mint. “What is pytav?”
“Pytav is a shrub that grows in the Ancient Lands. It has long been used for its abilities to enhance study. Mages love it,” Colin said. “It is expensive.”
Cara handed each of them a piece. When she was done there was none left.
“What about you?” Jack asked.
Cara sighed. “I wish. I’m allergic to pytav. I used it during my prep school and I always broke out into hives and felt terrible. It just isn’t worth it.”
Jack paused with the piece of cake almost to his mouth. “What if I’m allergic?”
“Are you allergic to anything?” Colin asked.
“Not to my knowledge,” Jack admitted.
“If you can eat berries, you can eat pytav,” Colin said.
Jack looked at Cara. “You’re allergic to berries too?”
“Only strawberries and korva berries. Blueberries give me a little bit of a problem but only if I eat lots of them. A few doesn’t bother me.”
“That sucks,” Jack said. “I love berries.”
Cara shrugged. “There are lots I can eat. It’s no big deal.”
Stannerios raised his piece of cake for a cheer. “To Cara and passing our exams.”
“To Cara and passing our exams,” the rest said before eating their cake.
“Now, let’s get studying Ethics so we can murder this exam tomorrow,” Colin said.
Everyone groaned.
“Oh come on, you know that was funny,” Colin said in protest as everyone pulled out their books.
The rest of the study session went well. By the end, they were all confident that they were going to kill it on the Ethics test.
25
“Jack Vance.”
Jack took a deep breath and headed to the circle at the front of the class. Inside the circle was one of the school’s top fifth-year students. The exam was in parts; the first part was simple. Jack had to demonstrate the techniques they’d learned so far, and Instructor Brazee had fired questions at him. Jack had been prepared for that. What he hadn’t been prepared for was a full-out sparring session with one of the school’s best students.
So far, the sparring matches had been quick. A few of the more experienced students even made the fight last more than a minute or two before they were defeated. A few students made critical errors early and had been defeated quickly.
Jack took his spot and settled into position. The one thing he’d noticed while watching the others was that the students who went on the attack first were usually beaten right away. Jorge, the fifth-year student, was remarkably quick at countering others’ strikes, while he took a more conservative approach when he was attacking.
Instructor Brazee stood at the side of the ring. He raised his hand. Jack tensed up, waiting nervously. His hand went down and he barked at them. “Fight.”
Jorge feinted a lunge, but Jack didn’t flinch. He simply held his ground. Jorge smiled and started to dance on his feet, he looked like he was just bouncing back and forth, but Jack had seen this technique against another student earlier. Jorge was actually ever so slightly moving to his left.
Jack moved to the right, keeping Jorge directly in front of him.
Jorge finally came forward with a lunge. Jack blocked the attack, but didn’t try to counter. He just waited for the next attack, which came in a flash as Jorge sent a flurry of slashing attacks at Jack. Once again, Jack had already seen this technique from Jorge. He knew that Jorge was waiting for Jack to miss a block or make any mistake.
When Jorge stepped back, he grinned. “You’ve been paying attention.”
Jack nodded. Not wanting to get sucked into a conversation that could distract him from what he had to do.
“I’ll have to give you something you haven’t seen yet,” Jorge said. Suddenly he spun in a circle and his blade slashed through the air. Jack quickly blocked the strike, but then Jorge reversed and spun the other way, bringing his practice sword down, slashing at Jack’s legs. Jack managed to block that attack. But Jorge didn’t slow down—he came forward with a series of attacks that were like a blur. Jack blocked as many as he could, frantically moving his short sword from one blocking position to the next until finally he made a mistake.
Jack didn’t even know how it happened, but he ended up on his back and Jorge’s sword was pressed against his chest.
Jack sighed. He didn’t know if he’d done enough to pass the exam or not, but he’d done his best.
After the last few students finished their matches, Instructor Brazee stood in front of the entire class. “I am actually impressed. None of you buttmunches failed.”
Jack let out a sigh of relief; so far the day was off to a good start. One exam down, four to go.
…
Jack finished the last question on his ethics test and handed it in. That was it, the last of his exams. The day had gone surprisingly well. For all of Professor Logston’s threats and bluster, his exam had been no harder than any of the other classes. Jack had to answer questions on the history of magical knowledge, among other topics they had thoroughly discussed in class, and he’d had to demonstrate his magical abilities. It had been the same for his healing class. Professor Cyr had everyone in the class demonstrate at least two healing spells and that had been it. Advanced Dragon Studies hadn’t been any harder. All he’d had to do for that class was demonstrate that he and Lord Scratches could work as a team. And the last of the exams was Ethics, and after the long g
roup study session the night before, Jack had known most of the answers, if not all of them.
“How did you do?” Colin asked when Jack joined him outside of the building.
“I actually think I did well. As long as I didn’t fail Ethics class, I’m OK.”
Colin laughed. “Man, there is no way you failed Ethics. We all were killing it last night. I think I had every answer perfect.”
Jack grinned. He didn’t want to jinx it, but he felt the same way. There was no way he’d failed. “So what do we do now?”
“We wait, official results won’t be posted for at least a few minutes. We might as well wait until after dinner. Stannerios is still inside. Lana went back to her room and is going to meet us at the cafeteria.”
Jack nodded. He was hungry. “Hey, want to see something cool?”
“Is water wet? Does a dog want a bone? Does a bear s—”
“I get it,” Jack said with a chuckle. He raised his pointer finger and his thumb to his mouth and let out a loud whistle.
“A whistle? You think learning to whistle is cool? How old are you? Six, seven?”
Jack raised a finger. “Wait for it.”
Colin frowned. “Still not impressed.”
Suddenly Lord Scratches flew out of the sky and landed on Jack’s shoulder.
“OK, I stand corrected. That is very cool. When did you teach Lord that trick?”
“We started working on it this week. Most of Advanced Dragon Studies is about training Lord Scratches. Dragon Keeper Clifton is showing me all sorts of neat tricks.”
“I hate you,” Colin said. “You are so lucky to have a dragon familiar.”
“I’ll push you into the dragon pits if you like.”
“That would be awesome, except with my luck I’d hit an egg and a mother dragon would eat my eyeballs for breakfast. No, I’d rather just stay alive and jealous, thank you very much. Oh look, Stannerios is done.”
Stannerios walked over with a big smile on his face.
“Judging by your grin, I’d say you feel confident,” Colin said.
“I crushed it,” Stannerios said.
“Good job, big man,” Colin said. “You ready to go get something to eat?”
Menacing Misfits: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (Darkthorn Academy Book 1) Page 19
