by Ian Rodgers
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Liliana said with a bow of her head and the mage smiled before patting her on the head fondly.
“You remind me of when my own little brats were adorable. Now they’re all old and cranky like myself,” Arnolt said with a chuckle.
“How did you deal with the sorrow and regret afterwards? Did it hurt?” the princess asked in a hushed tone.
“I kept their memories close to me. And I took in all the rage of being worthless before a much more powerful being and turned it into motivation. I realized I had neglected many important aspects of my training as a mage when I was boy. I had scorned the basics for more flashy and deadly spells. But that was what cost me my friends.” He took a deep gulp of wine to steel his nerves before speaking on.
“I wasted so much mana on big spells early on when I should have taken care to figure out its weaknesses and probed its movements. And then, do you know how I slew Yolmoro, the Dragon of Weeds?”
The royal children and myself leaned in, enraptured.
“The final blow was done with a single Magic Arrow. My spell went through the remains of its right eye, which was ruined thanks to the enchanted axe of Borin, my close companion. I splattered Yolmoro’s brains inside its own skull with the only spell I could cast because I had wasted all the rest of my powers earlier.”
“Eventually I climbed my way to the top of the food chain at the Royal Varian Mage’s Academy. I tore apart the curriculum and insured that future generations would not make the same mistakes I did,” the Archsage said with a sigh as the past weighed upon him.
“That is why students now are required to perform in-depth research projects to fully explore and understand their magic. It is why I make them exercise their muscles as well as their brains so they can be sound in body and mind. It is why I expect the best from all of them. Because I do not want them to suffer like I did.”
“I’m honored to hear this,” Liliana said slowly and I nodded. “This only makes me want to become a mage even more.”
Companionable silence descended on our section, Petrus in contemplation over the man he’d idolized and myself deeply engrossed in thoughts of magic. Liliana though was thinking over everything her soon-to-be headmaster had spoken of. Her emotions were stable, but they were focused on preparing her heart for her own time as a student.
“You have a very clear mind,” Arnolt praised my owner as dinner finished. “Some mages and thinkers will claim that a sharp wit is one of the best tools, but in my experience only someone who can think their own actions through and see past their own knowledge can improve. Based on what I’ve gleaned so far, I am relieved to see my initial thoughts have been vindicated.”
Liliana blushed deep red at hearing the praise, her complexion also partly due to a few cups of wine.
After dinner I morphed into my bipedal form and helped Orleen carry her off to her room. It was her big day tomorrow, and she’d need all the rest she could get for that.
Cuddling up with her amid the soft pillows of her bed, we drifted off to sleep as one.
The next morning was a subdued rush of activity. An early bath was prepared and my owner, still bleary eyed from sleep and wine, was scrubbed and cleaned by a group of maids in her luxurious bathroom.
It was amusing to see my owner manhandled into the tub and then lathered up and scrubbed. I let out a faint laugh at the scene, and earned a glare from the drowsy princess.
My laughter quickly vanished as some of the maids shared a look before pouncing on me, beginning to do the same to my body that was being done to Liliana’s. It was utterly demeaning, and the little coos and comments from the bathroom attendants didn’t help. I was not ‘cute,’ and I have never been a ‘dirty boy!’ Their giggles and my owner giving me her own amused snort made me grumble out loud. Honestly, sometimes I think women are as odd as I am, and that’s saying something!
Half an hour later and smelling faintly of roses and lavender my owner and I stepped into the dining room for breakfast. The rest of the family and guests were there already, having set up gifts and a brunch beforehand as a surprise.
“Happy birthday, my dear little Lily,” King Tiberius said, tenderly embracing his daughter.
“Thank you, daddy,” Liliana replied, breaking formality for the moment and giving him a squeeze in return. I slithered over to the table while the rest of the people went and offered hugs and handshakes to the newly minted fourteen year old. Morphing into my bipedal form, I took the time to remove my gift from within the strange magical storage space I now possessed and grinned in my mind. She was going to love it! I gently placed it in the pile already waiting near Liliana’s chair.
“Impressive technique. I’ve never seen an Ooze mimic human form before. And that Dimensional Magic I sensed just now… how did you obtain it?” I turned to see the Archsage watching me intently and shrugged.
“I devoured a Bag of Holding. It was quite delicious,” I noted, remember the taste of the artifact’s magic. “Not unlike grapes with a hint of chocolate.”
“You continue to impress me.” With that, Archsage Arnolt turned away and moseyed over to the table, a sheen of eagerness in his eyes as he looked over the breakfast spread.
I shook my head. What a strange old man!
The morning meal passed by quickly, and I leapt over into my owner’s lap as soon as it was finished. It was time to open gifts! And I wanted the best seat in the house!
There was quite the assortment.
“This is from me, Lily. A grimoire of rare and obscure magical beasts and how to tame them, what their components can be used for, and more,” King Tiberius said as he passed over a thick tome bound in pale purple leather. I could tell that whatever monster had been used to make the cover, it had been no easier foe to bring down. It reeked of magic, and the various preservation spells inside it created a medley of confusing sensation for me.
“In my family, it has been traditional to pass this down from mother to daughter when they go on to practice magic,” Queen Amdora said, trying to keep her tears from spilling out. “My mother gave it to me when I was going to the Academy, and she got it from her mother, and so on and so forth. All the way from my ancestor, Camilla the Crimson Bloom. I know you will do fine. You’re my daughter after all.”
The artifact was a wand made of willow and capped with an amethyst, the purple gem held in place by a thin piece of silver made into the shape of a lotus flower. It gleamed in the light of the dining room, clearly well taken care of and full of experience.
“Thank you mother,” Liliana said, having no compunctions about tears. She wrapped her mother in a tight embrace and the pair spent a moment of bonding only parent and child can.
“Since you’ll be at school the next year, I thought this would be nice to have some supplies.” Her brother showed off an impressive assortment of quills and inkpots.
“Maybe you should keep them, Julius. After all you need all the help you can with math. Don’t want to fall behind on your own studies, do you?” My owner teased, earning some chuckles from the rest of the people.
“Oh, come here, brother! You know I love you! Thank you for the thoughtful gift. I’ll be sure to use them well,” Liliana promised, dragging the ten year old into a hug which was quickly joined by their parents.
“Tiberius said you’d been practicing needlepoint. I thought you could do with some more bits and pieces for it,” Varda explained as he revealed a knitting set, with many unique and expensive colors of thread, including Royal Purple and Turquoise Blue.
“It’s lovely, Varda! Thank you!” The much smaller girl hopped up and wrapped her arms around his tree-trunk like neck while the Headsman patted her back gently.
“What good luck that my gift compliments this,” Rene said with a grin. “This is a very popular book on knitting techniques and simple objects like scarves and mittens.”
When the baroness’ grin fell on me and was joined by Liliana’s I wondered with a hint of worry if my o
wner would try and make me a sweater or something else to wear.
Not that I wouldn’t like a gift from her, but I draw the line at wearing anything that has tassels. And those were what my owner included in anything she sewed. I think she believed they looked cute and fashionable.
“So, I wasn’t sure what would be an appropriate gift for a princess, so I got you a set of healing potions and medical supplies. The Academy is as safe a place as you can find, but you know what they say, better say than sorry!” Petrus said with a nervous chuckle. He placed a collection of vials onto the table in front of Liliana. “As you can see there is a Minor Healing Potion, a Major Healing Potion, and a Grand Healing Potion!”
From left to right, the trio of potions shone, taunting me. Pinkish red, to a darker crimson, to a hue not unlike liquid rubies. But although I looked longingly at the tantalizing drinks, I restrained myself. They weren’t mine. I had better control than in the past. But they did look really tasty…
“I also have this, the directions for casting the Parchment Preservation spell. A must have for any student, Academy or otherwise.” Petrus handed over a folded piece of paper, and when Liliana opened it I could see the intricate runes and magical array along with written instructions for properly using the Level One spell.
“Many thanks Petrus. I’m sure we’ll see each other on campus soon,” Liliana said with a bow towards the mage.
The skinny apprentice just blushed and turned away while scratching the back of his head while grinning. The Archsage gave Petrus a pat on the back as he stepped up. I saw the young mage wiggle in pleasure at being acknowledged and I wished him all the best.
“It isn’t much, but I hope you don’t mind some primers on the general study subjects all First Year students had to take. That way you’ll be able to review and catch up to where all beginner mages are supposed to be.” The Archsage offered up the princess a small assortment of worn tomes and books, each one easily half a century old. But despite their tattered nature they had been well loved. I could see the care that had been put into them over the years.
“Amazing… I’ll be sure to take good care of them,” Liliana promised, bowing to Arnolt. He just smiled and waved her off, but I saw the approval in his eyes.
“And this is mine,” I said, presenting the final gift. It had taken lots of effort and I had started work on it after the Winter Solstice had passed. With a kind smile down at me, she picked up my gift, which I had placed inside a basic leather pouch.
“You didn’t have to get me anything, Jelly,” Liliana protested.
“I didn’t think you could afford anything,” King Tiberius said under his breath, earning a sharp jab into his side from his wife.
A gasp slipped past Liliana’s lips as she stared at what I was giving her. From the crowd there were similar intakes of breath.
It was a ring, a simple band of opaque, glass-like material that was etched with a few runes. However, it was more than just a pretty accessory. It radiated a pale, ghostly light that felt alien yet soothing. Magic oozed around inside it, frozen yet flowing.
“I made it myself,” I explained. “I separated and crystalized a fragment of my core and then shaped it with my magic.”
Her jaw dropped, as did that of Queen Amdora and Petrus. After all, what I had done was take a fragment of my own being, my soul, and turn it into an accessory.
“Jelly…”
“I understand it seems like a lot, but I want you to have this. You will always know where I am when you wear it, and I will know your exact location in turn. If either of us are in danger, we’ll know about it instantly.”
“But most importantly, if you channel your mana through it, the runes I have carved on the ring will act as a summoning catalyst and drag me through time and space to your side. No matter how far I am, I shall always be nearby. It’ll shatter afterwards though, as such a powerful summoning ritual will put too much magical strain on it. The backlash will reduce the ring to powder after a single casting. But it’ll be an excellent last line of defense.”
“Do you like it?” I asked, tilting my body upwards in an approximation of looking at my owner’s face.
“Oh Jelly, I love it!” Liliana squealed, slipping the ring onto her right hand immediately. As soon as it was on, the magical aura faded and it no longer could be detected without magical senses.
“Thank you so much! I’ll treasure it always,” she claimed happily. A brief but loving nuzzle later, and I was aglow with pride.
“Well, it seems we’ve gone over the initial presents. I believe there are some well wishes from the king and queen of Brune, as well as from King Redarik Greatgold as well…” King Tiberius spoke up, distracting everyone.
In the hubbub of new items being brought it, I slipped out of my owner’s lap and waddled over to the Archsage. Those runes had been a last minute addition, and one that I had shamelessly begged the Archsage for.
“Thank you again for helping me with my gift,” I began, but he waved me off with an impatient hand.
“No need to thank me. You paid with a lot of Extract, which will go a long way towards crafting some high-end potions. So why are you really over here, Jelly? I thought your profuse thanks from last night had been sufficient to convey your gratitude,” Arnolt said with a pondering look in his eyes as he examined me.
“Teach me.” I made my request without preamble. He blinked, taken aback. He recovered quickly as he peered down at me.
“My lessons will be neither easy, nor cheap. I am a powerful man, and thus extremely busy. You have to give me good incentive for me to teach you personally.” And so it began, the bargaining phase.
“I can produce more than just Soul Slivers and Ooze Extract,” I began. “I can also help you discretely clean up any ‘messes’ that might appear on the campus. After all, who would suspect a slime?”
“Why should I take your offer?” Arnolt inquired. From the beginning, I knew he’d accept. After all, I could provide rare materials and various esoteric services a man like himself could appreciate. However, he had to act the stoic, had to hear me give an offer and then a reason as to why I wanted this. So I obliged.
“My owner is in danger, and I must protect her.” It was simple and selfless. So pure that it was either a lie, or I was just that altruistic. And we both knew which one it was.
“You know, that little brat with that rainbow colored soul spoke highly of you when I last saw him,” Archsage Arnolt mused. Ah, so Tomas Nierz had mentioned me before. It made sense that two X-ranked individuals would know each other.
“He claimed that for such a tiny creature, he’d rarely seen such massive reserves of courage and loyalty.”
“I did what I felt was right.” Not an excuse, just a statement of facts. Arnolt nodded silently, before glancing over at my owner and then his estranged wife.
“I know a bit about that too, you know. Fine. Call me a sentimental old man, but I cannot deny such zeal,” the Archsage sighed, accepting my deal.
“As soon as you arrive at the Academy, I expect you in my office at midnight. Our lessons will begin then.”
I bowed before hurrying back to rejoin Liliana as she opened the rest of her gifts. I could hear the elderly sorcerer sighing, but I also ‘saw’ him smiling faintly.
Things were about to change. I could feel it in my core. Enemies of the court and the world itself were moving, and I feared I would soon have to take a role in these conflicts one way or another. Because no matter what happened, I would die before I let my love suffer.
This, I swore. On the Divine Family, on my life, on the miracle that is my owner.
“And we await the day you call upon us, and the day we call upon you. The World Rebels, and heroes will be needed.”
The voices faded, and I knew I was on the right path. It was time for a new chapter in my life.
