by Melody Rose
Nathan nodded as he contemplated the dish I had described. “I see. We know that in your world, you need to raise and butcher your livestock. Some of us have heard that you’re all on your way to create real meat that’s kill-free in your stations of rudimentary magic called ‘laboratories.’ Lemuria’s mages haven’t slaughtered an animal for centuries.”
He grinned thoughtfully. “Our ancestors developed a magic to envision the best qualities of animals in order to summon meals. I heard that they designed this new craft to allow them to strengthen their bond with enchanted beasts. The old saying goes to adore all animals, lest you slay a familiar.”
I blushed in embarrassment about how uncivilized humans must seem to all the mages here, but Nathan wasn’t like that. I was grateful that he understood and accepted the differences between our worlds. With my people’s inability to harness imagination like Lemurians, we could only achieve in decades what mages could in a matter of minutes.
I looked down at my feet, a bit ashamed, and that’s when I realized that there were only a few pairs of feet shuffling ahead of us, and at last, we were at the front of the queue. I looked up and raised my eyebrows as I took in the registrar’s desk. The man before me looked like a Zoltar machine from carnivals behind the times that didn’t figure out that they’d have better luck selling their animatronic wizards on eBay than waiting around for a kid to pop a few quarters in for a creepily delivered fortune. This had to be Azohr.
He had long black hair, a well-groomed goatee, and blue eyes that shone in contrast to his weathered tan skin. He wore a plush eggplant colored vest paired with a shimmering gold robe that included showy, puffy sleeves. Behind him, several beige scrolls were suspended in mid-air. I figured he was biased toward Nathan because even though we stood side by side, Azohr regarded him first.
The wizard plucked one of the rolled-up parchments and handed it to the athlete with a respectful nod.
“Monsieur,” he addressed Nathan in a thick accent. “We at Bouclier celebrate your presence and await your fine performance in our noble contests. I see that many classes will cultivate and refine your innate fortitude.”
Azohr finally acknowledged my presence, though with a haughty look and an annoyed sneer. Bouclier put me in a constant state of vertigo because I was either having my head pumped full of compliments or the wind knocked out of me with nothing in the middle.
“Ah, the mortal,” he uttered with a tone that reeked of bitter disappointment. “How novel. Abelard has always had a flair for the unusual and eccentric. Well, your kind isn’t designed to thrive here, so I won’t be surprised if you’ll need to withdraw from your studies.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Nathan spoke up. Since he was so mild-mannered, I hadn’t countered on him to intervene on my behalf. “Nascha’s vouched for her too, and she already told me about cooking with Chef Douglas. Thanks for the concern though.”
I bit back a laugh. The guy really had a talent for poking fun at others without compromising his kindness. There were always good intentions folded into his jokes. His barb was perfectly executed without ruffling Azohr’s feathers because the brooding wizard just smiled in response to Nathan’s defense. Either the sarcasm sailed right over his head, or he tolerated the young athlete’s cheeky defiance because of how much Bouclier had to gain from his talents.
“Ah, ever the valiant guardian. That will serve you well for the trials to come,” the usually moody wizard remarked with subtle fondness. “Just beware of drowning in the tears of damsels waiting to be saved as that is a quest that does not safeguard the academy’s honor.”
“Luckily, I’m neither a damsel nor fragile, so I’ll just have my class schedule now, thank you very much.” I ended my request with some testy, artificial sweetness.
Azohr recoiled at my boldness and leaned his head back as though I stung him with a scathing insult. His brow wrinkled and his lower lip curled out, but he nonetheless grabbed the scroll intended for me. The wizard seemed to apply more pressure than was necessary, and the parchment crinkled in his firm grip.
“Con comme une valise sans poignée. Time will tell,” he extended his arm and arranged his severe features into a mocking smile.
“Thanks,” I spoke loudly and clearly. I didn’t want to make him think he had gotten under my skin, and besides, whatever Azohr said sounded neutral and even harmless enough. Of course, I needed to be patient and wait to see what I was capable of.
However, Nathan shot a seething, challenging look at the snooty man and steered me away from the desk so that we could walk off, and I struggled a bit to keep up with his long strides.
“Whoa there, pal! What’s wrong?” I asked light-heartedly to try to understand why the usually upbeat athlete was so worked up. “I mean, he’s not the sunniest character, but he’s right that some time has to go by before I prove myself.”
“Yeah, that’s part of what he said,” he grudgingly admitted. “The rest was in Lumerian and completely warps the message. He was completely disrespectful and has no idea what he’s talking about.”
“Well, what was the whole meaning? What was he driving on?” I pressed on, but I was already wincing in preparation for the insult. It wasn’t hard for me to believe that Azohr had bad-mouthed me without giving me the chance to piece together a timely comeback.
“The expression translates to ‘useless as a suitcase without a handle.’ So, if you pair that with ‘time will tell,’ he’s basically telling you that Bouclier is bound to find out that you have nothing to offer here.” His eyes snapped open, and he blushed as he looked over at me. “He’s a cranky old owl. All hoot and no sense. You’ll make him eat his words when you master your crafts.”
I wanted to stomp, but because I didn’t want to look like I was throwing a tantrum, I just sharply inhaled to settle my nerves. I didn’t force my way into Bouclier, and I didn’t parade around bragging about how great I was. You’d think that everyone ragging on me for being a human would cut me some slack knowing that those at the top had vouched for me, but I had very little to say in that matter.
“So that’s how he wants to play?” I asked saucily with a fist firmly planted on my hip. “I’ll ace my classes purely out of spite. Real big of him to throw shots without saying it to my face in a way I’d understand. So let’s see what we’ve got here.”
I unfurled my crumpled scroll and read the contents, “The Wielding of Wands, Mystic Cooking, and Arcane Protection. Three classes? Seems like a pretty light course load. What do you have?”
He unrolled his class list, and I already noticed it stretched out further than mine before he even rattled off all that he’d have to learn. “Giant Wrestling, Arcane Archery, Siegeball, Elemental Duels, Divine Dexterity, Demon Quelling, and Chaos Magick.”
I blinked rapidly as my head spun fathoming all the effort his schedule would demand. “I guess they have a ton of confidence in you to assign all those classes to you! Me, on the other hand…” I trailed off doubtfully.
Nathan completed my sentence on a much nicer note. “Must have so much capability that Bouclier wants to make sure it’s channeled well! It also sounds like this is the best path for you because you, in a sense, dictated it for yourself. Maybe you’re taking your time to perfect your crafts?”
The icy defensiveness that Azohr provoked in me now melted with gratitude for Nathan’s encouragement.
“That must be it!” I said as I was buoyed by his positivity. “I really don’t want to make a bad impression, so I hope I can be punctual for my classes. I haven’t seen any clocks around, though. How do I get a sense of time here?”
He nodded and treated my question as perfectly natural. “When you become more attuned to your energy field and Lemuria, your body will send you the proper signals to alert you to your classes and mealtimes. Luckily, you ran into me, so I’ll cast a little charm to make your stay here a bit more convenient until it becomes old hat, as they’d say in your world. Such a good one, that saying! Works here too.
Hats get better with wear, don’t they?”
I was pretty excited because it sounded like life could become easier after conquering the steep learning curve at Bouclier. “I would really appreciate that,” I remarked. “What are you going to do?”
“Well,” he began, “I’m going to infuse you with a chrono-sigil that you can check whenever you like.”
“A chrono-what?” I blurted out in bewilderment.
He laughed and clarified, “A sigil is a symbol enchanted with a specific purpose. It has its own power, but it also acts upon and becomes a part of you. A chrono-sigil is focused on time and reacts to your desire for a schedule. Here, I’ll show you.” He gestured to my wrist and bent his hand toward himself. “We have about twenty-five minutes. Just enough time for me to concentrate my will and get you set up before your classes.”
I trusted him, so I extended my arm and allowed him to work his charm. He tapped the top of my wrist and then paused momentarily to reconsider.
“Well, this is usually where humans keep their watch face, but I don’t want anyone to give you a hard time,” he said matter-of-factly, effortless in his kindness. “So let’s imprint this underneath. It’ll be hidden to everyone else, but you can discreetly flip your wrist over when the time’s right.”
I listened intently and followed his suggestion by turning my wrist over. He smiled and placed two warm fingertips on my pulse. He applied moderate pressure and closed his eyes as a serene but intent expression transformed his cheerful face.
“Aidez-moi à donner l'heure. Help me tell the time,” he announced with a deep tone that evoked a sense of safety within me.
A rainbow-colored symbol shone on my pale skin, and I was quite pleased because it looked like a quirky tattoo. The “sigil” was in the shape of a sundial and started to shift colors like a mood ring. After it had shifted through a whole spectrum of hues, it settled on shamrock green.
“It’s beautiful!” I praised his charm, though I still didn’t quite know how it operated. “How do I read it?”
He beamed with pride as he explained. “It’s like traffic lights! Green lets you know that you have plenty of time, yellow warns that you’re running out of it, and red means you are beyond late! It idles in rainbow mode when you don’t have any set plans.”
“Also,” he inserted, “you don’t have to worry about that being seared on your skin! It will fade in due time once you’re completely in sync with your energetic rhythms!”
“Good to know, but I’ll enjoy it in the meantime!” I exclaimed and then decided I had to ask one more pressing question before I headed to my classes. “One thing before I go… can I bring my familiar to my classes? I’m worried that Aurelius, my pup, will get bored and hungry all cooped up in my room.”
“Bouclier encourages it,” Nathan remarked. “Of course, if you have a very weak energetic cord with your familiar, and it’s bouncing around breaking potion bottles and chewing up tomes, then you’ll be sent to the detention cellar, so bear that in mind.”
“You’re kidding!” I giggled awkwardly to break the tension, but he remained straight-faced. “... you’re not kidding.”
“Well…” he rubbed his neck. “It might be roomier than your average cellar, but I hear that the punishments can be quite severe depending upon the transgression.”
“Yikes,” I mused and tried to banish the perturbing images from my mind. What if the detention monitor was worse than Theo? What if he was Theo? Well, I guess that would be pretty irrational because he seemed to have a lot on his plate worrying about his physique and staying on the top of his class. Surely he wouldn’t have time for any extra responsibilities.
“Well, I’ll try to stay out of trouble!” I attempted to be bravely optimistic. “Even though we don’t have any classes together, I sure hope I run into you again!”
“There’s always the dining hall! I’ll be damned if I miss a meal! I really need all the sustenance I can get with my classes.” He grinned. “Oh, by the way. I have one more way to make today easier for you. It’s really not that big of a deal since you have just the three classes.”
“I’d appreciate any help you could give me, just so long as it doesn’t put you out,” I said thankfully.
“Well, I’m a hope and harmony specialist with my craft since I’m the eldest and have so many siblings to care for,” he explained. “I can concentrate on your class subjects for resonance and tap into where they are and who your professors will be. I’ve also done the liberty of scrying for their attitudes and personalities. Always thought that would be good to know!”
Before I could protest, he shrugged with a shy smile. “It’s no trouble, really. I’d to it for myself, but this type of magic only applies to assisting others. I’d have to develop an entirely different craft if I wanted to serve myself. Looks like I may learn that once I summon servitors though!”
“Don’t wear yourself out tending to everyone else’s needs,” I lightly warned, even though I was extremely grateful for the assistance. “Here’s another human expression to consider. You can’t pour from an empty cup!”
“Yeah, but that applies to a world where resources are finite, silly!” He poked my shoulder playfully and then made a flourish with his hand. Within moments, the map that I held glowed brightly and spelled out ‘Joan’s first day of classes!’ in bright red ink.
“Well, it’s about time for me to prepare for my first drills, so maybe I’ll see you at lunch or dinner! Bonne chance! Good luck with everything today!” He waved and then walked off with a relaxed gait, while I took off speedily to relieve Aurelius from being pent up in my room.
21
Joan
When I rushed in to fall down on my knees and beg Aurelius to forgive me for my prolonged absence, I saw that I didn’t have a reason to worry. Yavo was just in the middle of summoning a bowl full of kibble while Irk rough-housed with Aurelius. It looked like my pup was winning as he pinned down the puny goblin and slathered his face with saliva. Irk contorted his face with fake disgust.
“Blegh! You slimy-mouthed monster! I’ll get you back one of these days!” he warned, but no one in the room was convinced.
The moment Aurelius sensed that I was back, he leaped off of Irk and bounded toward me. He looked up at me with eyes full of wonder and anticipation. The clever pup must have known that I’d let him tag along with me and explore the castle. I only hoped he’d remain well-behaved.
“I bet you’re stoked to stretch out your legs again and go wandering, aren’t you?” I ruffled Aurelius fur’s and then turned my attention to my beloved buddies. “My stomach was all tied up in knots worrying about Aurelius! I’m so glad that you looked after him while I was gone, but how did you know to check up on him?”
I didn’t bother to ask how they got into my room. They did create the protections on the place, after all, and since they had an unbroken streak of overprotectiveness, I knew that they wouldn’t enter my private space unless it was really called for.
“Mademoiselle, Abelard has assigned us to you, and our foremost task is to make sure that you are well taken care of at all times. It is our pleasure and our calling!” Yavo laced his small fingers together and looked bashfully happy. I wondered if this was his favorite job in quite some time, especially since Theo seemed callous and ready to exploit or threaten them at any moment.
“And part of our role in striving for your happiness and security at Bouclier is to avoid Aurelius dying of boredom or hunger,” Irk said flatly. I wasn’t offended because it was just his unique method of delivery. The little guy didn’t pull any punches and just said whatever was on his mind.
“I can’t argue with that.” I smiled warmly. “Hey, it looks like this chrono-sigil that a new friend created for me is in yellow mode, so I should focus on getting to class. Apparently, I can bring Aurelius with me, but there will be Hell to pay if he acts out. Could you help a girl out and say a prayer, or, er… a good luck spell… so I don’t get tossed in a detention cella
r?”
“Ah! We would be ever obliged and thrilled to lend you aid with this matter, mademoiselle,” Yavo exclaimed. “And we are so very glad that you’ve already made a new friend. As for the detention cellar…”
He looked down sadly, “Yes… that is an unfortunate possibility now. It had been outdated as cruel and unnecessary, but Theodore has an inclination for the old-fashioned and decided to reinstate it. He’s convinced that it is for the good of Bouclier’s mages.”
“Maybe if we’re all lucky, he’ll get thrown in himself and regret his decision!” Irk chimed in with a defiant grin. “If Fortuna is in our favor, maybe she’ll pull some strings.”
“In the meantime,” the frisky goblin softened with fondness for Aurelius and me, “of course, we’ll cast a protective spell to calm Aurelius down during today’s classes so that you don’t get imprisoned on your first day!”
A wave of relief washed down on me like soothing rays of sunshine as the kind-hearted duo shuffled close to me and closed their eyes with precious sincerity. I could tell that they both would put their all in designing a defense that would serve me well throughout the day. They fanned out their tiny fingers and exchanged looks awkwardly as they considered my height.
“Mademoiselle, if you’ll be so kind, you’ll need to arrange yourself so that you’re within reach,” Yavo softly explained. “We’ll need to touch your head and Aurelius’ in order to finalize this spell.”
I didn’t want to giggle and make light of their earnestness, so I nodded and knelt down. They then resumed with their impromptu ritual and shut their eyes yet again, placing their right palms on my forehead and their left palms on the crown of Aurelius’ head.
“S'il vous plaît protéger cette femme et son familier. Please protect this woman and her familiar,” they synchronized their heartfelt chant.
