The Magic, Warped

by Rick Field

  Becoming aware of some sort of disturbance up ahead, she stopped and watched as people scurried out of the way. She, however, remained where she was, out in the middle of the narrow street lined with stalls.

  As sufficient people cleared the road, she noticed the disturbance itself.

  It was a medium-sized floater. The cart stopped in front of her, the driver looking down at her from his elevated position on the floating cart. The floater bopped up and down once when its forward speed abruptly stopped.

  Liane and the driver locked gazes, and at once she recognized him as a Commoner, probably driving the floater for either a rich Commoner or a Noble. The man looked around frantically, trying to find a way to navigate the floater around her. She remained where she was just long enough to make a point – she didn't have to move. She was Noble. Decorum demanded that he move for her, but she realized that he had no room to do so.

  She smiled faintly, then stepped aside.

  Besides, she had only seen a floater from afar once. The driver bowed repeatedly as he drove past, and Liane watched the floating cart as it came past, getting a good look at the wheel-less cart floating on the power of magic. After the floater was past, she turned back to continue her journey through the market. She had startled some Commoners, and had seen a floater. It was a good visit so far.

  She looked at a fruit stall, and was about to walk past when she noticed a really nice looking pear shining in the sunlight. She loved pears, and it was still a full hour before she had to be at the Academy for her formal initiation, and longer still before lunch.

  She picked up the pear. “May I ask how much you require for this wonderful piece of fruit?” she asked the woman politely.

  The vendor startled visibly, stared at Liane and her snazzy white Initiate robes, and finally managed to say the price. “T-two coppers, Milady.”

  Liane had a small allotment from the Academy to do with as she pleased. The Lord Master had been right; Kiria did not forget its Nobles, even when they had neither parents nor money. It was not much, but she had nothing to spend it on, and as such, she had utilized the arts she had learned as an orphan – save your money.

  Even though she hadn't purchased anything in a while, she knew that a single pear shouldn't cost two coppers.

  While Liane was debating this, the woman became acutely aware of the young Noble just staring at her. “O-one copper, Milady.”

  Liane dipped into her pouch, extracted a single copper, and placed it in the woman's hand. She had still overpaid – a single pear would go for half a copper, tops, but she hadn't felt like arguing. Turning, she bit into the juicy fruit, sidestepping a puddle that was lying, inconveniently, in the middle of her path.

  Puddles were one of the few things that did not step aside when she tried to pass. One day, she would have magic of her own, and even puddles would step aside.

  Especially puddles.

  Her annoyance made the magic in her chest startle, and Liane closed her eyes, drawing a few deep breaths, trying to regain her balance. Her magic calmed down.

  Taking another bite of her pear, she continued her exploration of the local marketplace, enjoying the sights and sounds and smells, ignoring the fluttering of magic in her chest and the rising anxiety for her upcoming education.

  The small vibration of the alarm band at her left wrist drew her attention. Almost at the same time, the large bells of the temple chimed the half-hour. “Almost time,” she muttered sadly to herself, aware that her trip had to be stopped before she felt she had finished. Turning, she left the market. She had an appointment to keep.

  Fifteen minutes later, she passed through the large double doors leading to the Academy. Having learned some measure of control over her unstable magical abilities in these last two years, she ignored the symbols of the wards. It seemed to her that the wards ignored her in return, as if they were angry at her for not paying attention to them.

  She sighed, and looked. Yes, they were still as pretty as ever – not that she would use those words out loud. And, for a moment, Liane felt as if the glowing symbols and sigils stared right back, and found her just as interesting as she found them. She had learned some runes and glyphs over the last two years, mostly related to rewriting magical spells. The symbols on the doors were of the warding and shielding variety, and so she only recognized a few familiar signs.

  She blinked, and the connection was broken. Dipping her head to the symbols, she turned and left. They did not freeze up this time.

  Knowing exactly where to go, Liane emerged into the large ceremonial hall of the Academy of Magic, and took a seat near the far wall, where she could study everyone who was there, and everyone who entered, without being bothered.

  That was the plan, at least, as within five minutes, someone walked up to her.

  “My apologies for the interruption, My Lady, but may I ask whether this seat is spoken for?” he asked, motioning faintly for the seat next to her. She looked up, studying his features. Like her, he was ten years old, with dark blond hair and rather unremarkable gray eyes.

  Liane swallowed. His tone of voice, mannerisms, and fluidity showed just how comfortable he was using Decorum. She motioned for the same seat. “It is not spoken for, My Lord. If it pleases you, please be seated.”

  He sat down, and turned slightly to face her. “It appears as if you had the same idea as I had, My Lady.”

  She glanced at him, not sure what to say. Finally, he spoke, “This appears to be an excellent place to study those who are already here, and those who arrive late.”

  Liane nodded. “You are correct, My Lord, we did have the same idea.”

  He must have recognized something with her mode of speech, as he looked at her for quite a few long seconds. “My name is Milor,” he finally introduced himself. “As the Rules of Equality forbid all students from discussing their background, I am unable to give you a family name until one is assigned to me.”

  She dipped her head deeply, understanding what he was saying; they would be assigned a new last name based upon the abilities of their magic, and it would change depending on the levels they achieved in mastering it. It was a fair system, one that prohibited people from using a family name to gain promotion over those who did not, and insured that every student was treated on their own merits.

  For a moment, she thought about the correct response in this situation. Used to being around Doctorii, she knew the correct way to address them, but she hadn't been around her peers until now. Her delay was getting a bit long, and she could see his face starting to tighten. She took a guess.

  “My name is Liane. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, My Lord.”

  The tightness in his face slowly ebbed away as realization made him calm down. “Please correct me if I am wrong, My Lady, but it appears to me that you do not have a lot of experience with the Decorum.”

  She swallowed, before giving a small nod, not daring to say anything else, in fear of making things worse.

  “Please allow me to help you, My Lady,” Milor went on, as if she had spoken instead of nodded. “One does not use the name given in introduction to address a person, unless given leave to do so, and even then, only in private. By addressing me with the correct title, you have made the correct choice.”

  She let out her breath, glad that she had made the right decision. “Thank you, My Lord,” she said.

  He nodded, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “You are welcome, My Lady.”

  Liane remained silent, not entirely sure what so next. In silence, the two ten-year-olds stared at the other children, all of them dressed in the same white Initiate robes. The large room filled up quite nicely, and she guessed that there were over a hundred new students present.

  The room stilled immediately upon the entrance of a Doctora, dressed in the dark-blue robes of a Water-specialized Mage. She strode calmly to the center of the room, not bothering to look around. Her head was held high, and the Initiates present could feel the magic inherent withi
n this woman.

  “My Lords and Ladies, if I may have your attention?” She did not bother to raise her voice upon reaching the exact center of the room, yet everybody heard her as if she were standing right next to them. It was a subtle piece of magic, and Liane found herself impressed by the sheer simplicity with which this woman had done it. There had been no incantation nor movement to give her away, not a single sign that magic had been used, yet the results were so obvious that there was no doubt in anybody's mind.

  “Thank you,” she went on, as if it had indeed been her voice and not her very presence that had instilled silence on the present students. “I would ask you all to follow me, please. We will make way to the classroom we will be using for the next month. I must ask you to remember it well, for you will need to make your own way there in the future.”

  She turned, and walked to the entrance, not once looking anywhere else but forward, fully expecting everyone to follow her. Liane and Milor followed her without hesitation, as did over a hundred other students.

  Five minutes later, the one hundred and twenty new students were gathered together in one of the classrooms on a lower floor of the laboratory complex. As everyone found a seat in the stadium-style classroom, the Doctora spoke to the door, a single word of command that made it vanish and leaving an uninterrupted wall. Liane knew about these commands. It was standard practice at the Academy to seal rooms when in use. Finally, the Doctora walked to the center of the room, and looked at the gathered students.

  “My Lords and Ladies, welcome to your initiation course in magic. For the next month, we will be studying the general magical theories, the setup of the Academy of Magic, and everything else you will need to know before your education can start,” the Doctora spoke. “I shall give this course, and in the future, perhaps you may once again join me in my chosen subject, that of Wards, Shields, and Magical Protections.”

  The students remained silent, some of them nodding at this information. “Good. You are all quite attentive. I shall begin by giving an overview of magic. I am well aware that some of you may have gleaned some of this from your families, however, not everybody here has broken the Rules of Equality, and as such, I will be expecting everyone to pay attention.”

  Some students looked a little embarrassed, Liane thought, but she soon focused her complete attention to the Doctora once again. “Very well. Who here knows something of magical theory?”

  Four arms went up, the same four students that had looked a bit embarrassed before. Now, however, they looked proud to be able to say they, at least, knew something of the subject already. Liane raised her arm as well. She had learned some basics of magic from the Lady Mariam, now two years ago, and she had learned even more when the Doctorii had worked on her magic. They had been forced to teach her things, including Runes, in order to give her even a chance at succeeding at the Academy. She shifted nervously.

  The Doctora looked at the five students who had raised their arms. She motioned to Liane. “If I may ask you to start us off, My Lady?”

  Liane swallowed. “Yes, Doctora,” she said. “Magic as it exists within Nobles comes from a talent that is not present among the Commoners. Through a process not fully understood, a Noble is able to gather the energy of the world around them inside themselves, and in turn, use this energy to manipulate the world.”

  The teacher nodded. “Quite succinct, but in essence, correct, My Lady,” she said to Liane, before looking at the other students present. “Magic is indeed the 'energy of the world' as My Lady put it. We Nobles are able to gather this energy within ourselves and manipulate it, releasing it back to the world from where it came – in essence, subjugating creation to our wills. As larger manipulations require more energy, and not every Noble is able to gather and hold the same amount of it, there are spells that are outside the reach of some. There are, indeed, spells that are outside the reach of all but a select few.”

  “As I assume you have all received the required tools for the Academy, I would ask you to write this down – it is important,” she finished. The gathered students sheepishly dove into their packs, and took out writing utensils, as well as sheets of paper.

  The Doctora pressed on as the students scratched out the information. “As Nobles are different from each other, so is the magic they gather, their mastery over it, and the finesse with which they are able to use it. In one month, at the end of this course, you will all go through the Ceremony of Determination, where the affiliation of your different magics will be determined. You will learn there what spells you have an affinity for, and what spells you will have difficulty with. At the end of the ceremony, you will be presented with a new family name, a name which will stay with you, and grow as you do.”

  Her eyes traveled the room. “Now, I keep repeating 'spells', even though they are not, essentially, spells. As we manipulate the magical energy within ourselves, we do so by ourselves, and not through muttered words or incantations. At first, we will, however, teach you words and gestures as they assist us in focusing and manipulating this energy. As you grow in strength and ability, those will hold you back, and you will be taught to manipulate the energy at a level that is deeper. You may see a 'spell' as a crutch with which you will learn to walk, but you will be expected to walk, and run, on your own.”

  Her gaze sharpened. “At the higher levels, spells will be taught that do not conform to this. You will be taught words, or entire sentences, which will enable you to cast spells that make the very fabric of reality quiver on its foundations. These are the highest-level spells taught at this Academy. You will also be taught the complete incantation for every action you will see at this Academy; this is because a word or gesture will still enable you to add more power to a spell than is normal, which is useful for combat or dueling purposes.”

  She stopped, and looked at her attentive students. “Did everyone understand? It is no matter if you don't, we will go into more detail about this later.” She received only nods. “Good. Now, a small overview of the Academy, and then we will settle down with a small introduction in general magic, and perhaps, get you to cast your first spell by the end of class today.”

  That got everyone's attention. Liane had been taught how to create spells, modify them for her exact core, but apart from a few extremely low-powered spells for testing purposes, she had never been allowed to cast magic.

  She had learned, through those intervening two years, how to work with her magic, rather than control it. Unfortunately, this meant the continuous use of a magical focus. This lack of absolute control resulted in strange ways – she could see magic, for one.

  For two, her magic reacted to her emotions, influencing her when she was not paying attention.

  Drawing a breath to banish the unwelcome thought, and the flutter of magic in her chest it brought, she focused on her teacher. “As you may or may not know, we hold many completely separate areas of study here. Predominately, there are two major areas of study, normally split along the gender lines. Men tend to study the path of the warrior, known as the Warlock. Warlocks train for up to four hours each day in the combat arts. Women, on the other hand, usually become Mages, the generalists among magic-users. They usually become researchers and teachers. As with everything, there are exceptions. It is not forbidden for women to choose to become Warlocks, nor is it forbidden for men to become Mages, and even a Warlock can become very good in a diverse area of magic. For example, you need only look at our Lord Master, the headmaster of our Academy. He, as Warlock, became Master of the Deep Secrets, and teaches this subject here.”

  The Doctora stopped, waiting a few seconds to ensure she had everyone's undivided attention, and said, “We also have minor lines of study, lines that are completely separate from the Mage or Warlock paths; for example, Necromancy, Druidism or Priesthood studies. These areas are restricted, and only those that show special aptitude are allowed to study them. If you have this aptitude, you will learn more if you are selected. Those fields are, by their
very nature, secretive. Now, let us return to our major fields of study.”

  “As Mages and Warlocks, you will be held to different areas of expertise and different standards, but the method with which you graduate remains the same. There are eight years of study here at the Academy, divided into different levels, each level tied to a corresponding graduation exam. In other words, you will be expected to graduate four times before you are entitled to leave this Academy at the highest level.”

  “The first three years are the Initiate level. During these years, you will study the basics of magic, applied to your chosen field. An upperclassman may choose to honor you with an offer of assistance. Should you choose to accept, you will become the Assistant of said upperclassman. They will proctor you, teach you, and guide you. In return, you will assist them with their studies, their classes, and their tasks. It is hard work, but usually results in higher marks for the Assistant and Proctor both. After the first three years, you will take your first graduation examination. Graduation means becoming an Assistant, and being allowed to continue your education.”

  “Fail to promote and you will be asked to leave this Academy. You will probably find a position as an Assistant to a Master. Assistants are desired, for they know not enough to really understand what the Master is doing, yet know enough to still be of use. The next two years are the Assistant level. Here, you will learn to think for yourself. The first three years teach you magic. Years four and five will teach you to think. They will teach you how and when to use magic, and, how to reason for yourself. No longer will faultless copying of text be enough. You will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of the material. Promote here and you become an Apprentice, able to continue your education.”

  “Fail to gain promotion, however; and you will be allowed to Apprentice yourself to a Master, usually in perpetuity. An Assistant is valuable, but an Apprentice can actually be expected to complete tasks on their own, and may be set to work on simple tasks without supervision. Next is the Apprentice level, depending on your chosen field. These years will teach you the more complicated magics, and prepare you for independent tasks. You will learn how to exist within society as an independent Mage or Warlock.”