White Hall (The High King: A Tale of Alus Book 10)

by Donald Wigboldy

  The girl seemed to spy someone she knew and waved, “Well, go get some food. I’m sure you’re hungry after traveling all day.”

  Neira proceeded to hurry over to a table with other novices by the looks of their clothing. As she had warned, most of those eating or getting their food were easily recognized as the type of students they were. Gray shirts of battle mage cadets clumped on the far side near the kitchen as Neira had said.

  Young men dressed in blue with red trim held several tables off to the side of the cadets for those studying to be soldiers. They were most likely from among the rich or noble classes. Many would train to be soldiers and many would simply take that training and return home to work for their families. Others would go on to become officers in the army or join garrisons in the cities of their birth.

  The remainder of the room, which was roughly half of the remainder of the hall, was split between novices with their gray bands on their necks and sleeves and apprentices. Some had marks of a certain color on their shoulders branding them with the magic that they showed the most promise in based off their revealed talents. Then there were the other teenage wizards in white, but the subtle difference was their stripes encircling necks and lining sleeves with a single color.

  Those also grouped together by color seeming to avoid the novices, but they also seemed to shun other apprentices with differing colors for the most part. Water apprentices remained together and seemed to shun those of fire. Fire might make room for old friends wearing light blue bands for air or even a few earth apprentices with their brown stripes, but most of those tended to band together in their own clicks.

  Green bands for nature might have friends in earth or air as well, Katya’s eyes noticed, but didn’t seem inclined to join with those of fire tendencies. Healers were definitely a group unto themselves, though other guilds seemed friendly enough with them; which was probably a good thing for their future if they went on missions together.

  Only those with the silver bands of the diplomacy magic seemed willing to join the others and could be accepted.

  “Well we are definitely not dressed for this crowd,” Katya said to Cheleya.

  “I could change that with my magic,” the other girl suggested.

  “No, we’ll be fine. Let them know we’re new. The boys will probably be twice as interested to find out about us ensuring that we have dance partners tonight,” the younger girl said with a smile and took the dragoness by the hand.

  Cheleya looked a little worried by the idea and asked, “I don’t know if that is a good idea, Katya. Maybe we would be better off blending in until we know more about these people.”

  “What’s to know?” Katya asked turning to look at the other blond with a confident smile. “You’re beautiful so most boys will love you, while the more popular girls will hate you. Other girls may want to get to know you because of that.”

  Looking very confused by that logic, the dragoness asked, “Why would they hate me? They don’t even know me and others will still want to know me because of that fact? That is strange.”

  “No, that is just the way of human girls. We’re complicated,” Katya giggled navigating the path through the table to find the back of the serving line.

  Before they could make it to the food, Piotr arrived with Job. The boys hurried over to meet up with the girls even as they glanced about looking for other familiar faces.

  “Have you girls seen Briahnna or Niklaus yet?” the twin asked curiously.

  “Not yet,” Katya answered and wondered what had happened to delay the other girl in particular. She thought that Niklaus seemed like the type of boy who would have less trouble fitting in, but Briahnna came off as a little shy and might need help getting started.

  A few other kids looking out of place with regular clothes, which were obviously not uniforms, were there as well. Apparently their search team hadn’t been the only one to return with a few prospects.

  “Do you want to sit together?” Job asked looking hopeful. Neither of the boys was particularly social, so Katya wasn’t surprised by the wish to stick together. They had arrived too late in the day to really meet anyone aside from those roommates who had been around before dinner, but not every student would return to their room between studies and their meal.

  Shrugging in answer, the four filled their trays and found a long table with room enough for more than four on one end. Four boys with earth rings on their apprentice tunics glanced their way with some interest for the pretty girls. One of the boys’ suddenly showed surprise and leaned in drawing his friends’ attention.

  Katya thought the attention was given to Cheleya, which wasn’t surprising given that she was a beautiful girl. Then the younger girl realized that others had been pointing or otherwise gesturing towards the dragoness from their entry for some odd reason.

  “Did something unusual happen during your interview?” Katya asked returning her attention to her friends. The dragoness had been taken to see the battle mage leaders in the school and Cheleya had mentioned talking to them and the leader of the healing teachers. Though the girl hadn’t gone into it, Cheleya had said that she had needed to give a demonstration of some of what she had learned in Mar’kal to be accepted despite the letter of introduction.

  Both boys looked surprised by the strange question. They had been asked some questions as to their background and even been tested for their kind of magic. Piotr’s mentor had even seemed pleased by what he had found, though he didn’t know how Job’s interview had been.

  The dragoness shrugged and seemed oblivious to the interest around her, though Katya knew her well enough to know better. Being the center of attention wasn’t Cheleya’s preference, though some attention was fine. Apparently she had been through enough before reaching Hala to need a break from unwanted interest.

  “The battle mages seem to think that Sebastian wasn’t so much formed by their teaching as he grew beyond that afterwards. I don’t understand why they believe that what they taught him didn’t help make him what he is. Even if he has a curiosity for magic that is unusual for them, I would think it was what he was first taught which has helped him become so unusual now.”

  Neither boy seemed to understand what she was talking about. While she and Katya had been in the capitol to see the Winter’s Edge tournament, a wizards’ tournament; the boys had only heard a few things between the news sent out to the towns of Southwall as well as the stories the two girls had mentioned trying to make them understand. Neither had seen a wizards’ duel yet or truly knew enough about combat magic to know the differences between the magic of mages and wizards.

  “How did you convince them then?” the younger blonde continued trying to ignore the conversations which seemed centered on Cheleya. She was a pretty girl, but this felt like more than just boys appreciating her looks. Male and female, the tables closest to them seemed to speak enthusiastically about the dragoness; though some also argued as if they didn’t believe what the others said.

  Briahnna found the table, but looked a little wary of sitting beside Cheleya as that was one of the spots open. Sitting next to Job would have been more daring, but the young red haired novice chose to sit across from him. It was probably to look at him easier, Katya guessed with amusement.

  She had barely sat when Niklaus came hurrying over with his tray to sit by Job. In a room of such division, a mage sitting with wizards would have been odder if they weren’t all obviously new to the school.

  “Is it true?” Niklaus questioned looking directly at Cheleya.

  “Is what true? You might want to be more precise,” Katya retorted, but couldn’t even draw the boy’s attention off of the dragoness.

  “The entire battle mage wing was going on about how a little blonde haired girl flew above the training courtyard fighting with a gargoyle. A few reports even mentioned an amulet around the gargoyle’s neck and the clothes on the girl pretty much matches what Cheleya is wearing right now,” the boy said lowering his voice while trying
to make sure he was still heard by the others.

  Piotr looked shocked and blurted out, “You showed them your dragon magic?”

  At Katya’s warning glance, the boy closed his mouth looking at the others to see what damage he had just done.

  As her friends all looked at her in surprise, Cheleya shrugged, “It wasn’t going to be a secret too much longer anyway. They seemed unsure of whether I should train as a battle mage as I originally thought, though the healer wizard seemed more willing since I have the strength in magic of a wizard. It came up that I do have some similar training to your battle mages, but we call it dragon magic because it approximates what a legendary dragon can do.”

  “Aren’t che’ther also dragons?” Piotr asked knowing what the girl was inside of the pretty packaging of a human girl.

  “That is what your people call them; but if che’ther deserve such a name, it would be more like lesser dragons or land dragons. We could never fly like the mar’goyn’lya and the legends say that the greater dragon race we call the legendary dragons had wings and could fly. They could breathe fire without a command and induced fear in their enemies with just their presence nearby.

  “Che’ther might be impressive on the field of battle, but a man might fear them simply because they are big. True dragons emit an aura that drives fear into man that is hard to control.

  “Anyway, dragon magic tries to harness what we have heard of their powers and is cast quickly like a battle mage.”

  Katya honed in on something the girl had said offhandedly at the beginning and asked, “You said that the secret wasn’t going to be necessary for much longer, why?”

  Taking a deep breath, Cheleya answered, “Kel’lor will begin teaching the magic to those with the capability of using it soon. I will help him from time to time when I am not studying Southwall’s magic.”

  While most eyes went wide with the new information, Niklaus asked, “When can I learn that? I would love to learn how to fly.”

  Cheleya smiled at him and said, “Usually we train in the basics of elemental magic first. Without the basics to fall back on, it is a bit dangerous for a wizard to have the mindset to maintain their wings and other prolonged spells.

  “You have no training at all, but perhaps battle mages learn differently and might try to use dragon magic sooner. There will be a bit of a learning curve for us teaching our lessons too. We weren’t masters who have trained others, though Kel’lor and I were on the verge of graduating to our next school of magic.”

  Katya looked more surprised at the last part. “How many schools of magic do you plan to learn?”

  Equally surprised by the question at first, Cheleya suddenly seemed to understand the other girl’s ignorance. “I forget that you have seen some magic, but know little of it. In Mar’kal our people live longer lives. There are elder che’ther who still remember the old world from their childhood. We can live over a thousand years. Well at least those bodies could. I am not sure how long I will live as a human.”

  Katya and Piotr’s eyes looked ready to jump out of their heads as the young dragoness accidentally let slip to the others her secret.

  “Wait, what?” Niklaus asked as Briahnna and Job looked at the girl like she was insane.

  Looking suddenly fearful as she realized what she had done, Cheleya’s mouth opened and closed several times without words to say. Her eyes looked to Katya in shock as if to ask what she should do.

  Playing with the new necklace, the younger girl gripped it thinking quickly. “You three can’t tell anyone else unless Cheleya says it is alright. Promise me that you will keep her secret!”

  She felt power behind her words as she spoke. The final demand for a promise seemed to cause a glow in the others’ eyes as Katya’s power leaked out in a controlled flow for a moment. Promising with nods and the words spoken quietly to avoid notice, the seal of her magic bound her friends in secrecy to the dragoness, who looked thankfully at her friends.

  Katya spoke the secret quickly after looking around to make sure that no one else was listening closely. Her magic hadn’t drawn any more attention than before. It was a school of magic and minor spell casting happened too regularly to draw much interest in such a place. “Cheleya has been trapped as the girl you see here, but she was born a che’ther. That is her true secret, so no one can tell anyone else without her permission.”

  Staring at the pretty girl with the strange secret, Niklaus clarified for his reeling mind, “You aren’t a girl? You’re a dragon?”

  Cheleya shook her head. “I am both... was both. For a che’ther I am considered little more than a baby to my parents. I am seventeen and this body was made from using an amulet like Kel’lor has. I’ve been trapped like this for months and keep learning more of being human, because at least for now, I am the human girl you see.”

  “Do you even get attracted to humans? You look seventeen, but you always seemed a little naive, like a younger girl would be,” Niklaus questioned thinking of his dances with Cheleya. She was beautiful and he had always kind of wished to kiss her lips; but now he was confused as to what she really was. It was strange to see a human girl and know that she wasn’t what she seemed.

  Cheleya looked unsure of his question, but replied, “I am not sure what that really means. Maybe it is because I am not as old for my race. I see the beauty in humans and know that if I were to try and mate, a male is what I would need; but I am not sure what that kind of relationship would be. If that is what you mean?”

  Katya waved off the talk of such things and said, “We’re all too young to be talking about those things, so let’s just drop it. Cheleya is our friend and we love her. That doesn’t change. Whether she could change back into a che’ther or not, that doesn’t change.”

  Leaning back, Nicklaus grumbled to Job, “That might change a few things I can think of.”

  Job simply shook his head slightly at his friend with a smile.

  As the students began returning empty trays and clearing tables, three people entered the front door from outside. They were bundled up and two of the three were carrying cases to protect their instruments. Hired from the townspeople outside of the school, entertainers were apparently brought in by the school to keep the students happy.

  Before they began to play, however, a group of fire apprentices moved towards the table of new recruits. Their leader, a dark haired boy who was fairly large and appeared to need a shave, led four others and stood at the end looking at Cheleya.

  “So is it true? Are you the girl they say was flying and fighting with a mar’goyn’lya over the Tower of War?” he demanded as much as asked the little blonde haired girl.

  Katya frowned, “Now is that the way your mother taught you to talk to girls? I mean, you are accusing her of what now and who are you to ask?”

  Niklaus looked like he was unsure if he should step in to defend the two petite young women, but the boy was still unsure what he felt about this new bombshell of Cheleya being a dragoness. The other problem was he had almost no knowledge of his magical powers. With just the fireball spell shown to him, Niklaus had been trying to master that spell for days. Against an older apprentice, especially a fire one, he doubted that it would be enough. Piotr’s magic wasn’t for attacking people either, the boy thought of his twin, and figured Job would be of no help as well.

  “I am Arrimus, the top fire apprentice currently at White Hall. We’ve all heard the rumors of this flying girl. Now we all want to know what is going on with her,” he replied and began to play to the room. Other young apprentices and mages seemed to agree as they nodded approval of the questions.

  Cheleya had been warned that Southwall might not be ready to see dragon magic, if only because seeing someone capable of flying would bring the worry of the Dark One’s forces using the same kind of magic. A forty foot wall running from one side of the southwest peninsula to the other to protect the country would be nearly useless if warlocks could simply fly over the barrier.

  Ka
tya stood up facing the boys who all towered over the shorter girl. “Well, Arrimus, what is the description of this flying girl? Was she blonde? I see a lot of girls in this room with that color of hair. I don’t suppose you knew her hair color or any other description of her looks. After all, if blonde hair and green eyes is all it takes, then maybe I am the girl?

  “Or that one, or maybe that one,” she began to gesture to the other blonde haired girls, most of which wore the white of apprentices and novice wizards closest to them.

  The apprentice’s eyes narrowed and he said, “Her hair was said to be light blond, which appeared to shimmer like silver. Yours is a darker coloring, even if it does qualify as blonde.

  “The girl wore a red blouse and brown shorts, like she is now. Does that satisfy your needs, little girl? If so, you can sit down and let her explain what magic can do that?”

  Katya’s right hand found the crystal gripping it as she leveled the forefinger on her left hand at the taller boy’s chest. “Well, you can just shush and go away. You are pretty rude, so I don’t think that she owes you any answers. Now go away.”

  Her magic seemed to push from her with her words, but it didn’t feel strong like it had been moments before sealing Cheleya’s secret. While Arrimus’ eyes looked perplexed for a moment, the apprentice shrugged it off with a shake of his head. “Did you just try to coerce me with your magic, little girl? You are barely in the door and you think that you can use magic?”

  Katya’s eyes barely registered any surprise. It was too soon for the girl to rely on magic to help her. “Who are you calling ‘little girl’, you big jerk?”

  Laughter followed her irritated comment, which made the boy beside him try to come to his defense. “It’s not like you’re going to be called ‘big girl’, unless you decide to grow fat. Then maybe we’ll call you ‘big girl’ then.”