by Eric Vall
“Very good, miss Kenefick.”
It went on like that for a while. Miss Arwyn would lecture, then ask a question, and Nia would answer immediately. There were a few that I even raised my hand for, but Nia was always first. It struck me that both Nia and Arwyn should have given someone else a chance to participate and show their knowledge, show that they’ve learned something, but what did I know? I wasn’t a teacher.
As I was taking notes, Arwyn asked another question. “What was the name of the first city to be erected ae?”
Nia’s hand naturally went up, so Arwyn called on her. “That would be Hartmire Enclave in 2 ae.”
“Incorrect, Miss Kenefick.”
A few muted gasps followed. The great Nia Kennefick got a question wrong? How scandalous. I had to suppress a snort. A few more people tried to answer.
Gawain, with an arrogant air, was next. “Varle Enclave.”
Miss Arwyn smiled. “That is incorrect, Mister Madox.” Gawain cursed. Now I really wanted to chuckle.
Another student raised their hand. This was a skinny guy, with long white robes over his uniform that looked too big for him. His messy brown hair needed a good brushing. His large nose seemed to bulge from under his glasses. “Would it be Garvesh Enclave?”
“It would not be, Mister Lansten. Come on, students, think well. I didn’t say the first Enclaves to be erected. I said the first city. Nia, Hartmire was the first Enclave, which was followed by Varle and then Garvesh, but again, I said city, not Enclave. Does anyone have an answer for me?”
I smirked as I realized that I did. I raised my hand and watched as all the eyes fell on me and watched with curiosity if the simple summoner could get it. Arwyn called on me.
“Terron’s Hope.”
“Very good, Gryff. That is indeed the correct answer.”
Some seemed impressed, and others scoffed. Nia frowned and cursed to herself. Clearly, she wasn’t used to having the wrong answer.
Gawain snorted angrily. “Well, well, looks like piggy has a brain.” A few chuckles at that. Arwyn either didn’t hear him or didn’t care, for she continued to lecture.
“Terron’s Hope was established months after the first monsters appeared, but we had yet to start using the magical stone that covers all Enclave walls today. A massive army of monsters beset that city in October of 1ae. The city was destroyed. A year later, Hartmire was founded, her walls lined with the magical xanyarstone that keeps us safe. Terron’s Hope was forgotten, for no one wanted to remember that briefly, our hope had been destroyed.”
I nodded along. She told it almost exactly the same way as Maelor. She didn’t talk about why some people didn’t go to the cities, though. Back then, people lived all over. People lived free. With the advent of the monster attacks, people flocked together and created the Enclaves and hid behind their walls. Meanwhile, people like Maelor and me stayed out and got paid decent money to make sure the people in the Enclaves could live their safe and cushy lives. Maybe these mages didn’t know this, but I and most others who lived our lives bravely day to day knew.
We continued the history discussion for about another hour before Arwyn pivoted to a new subject. “Okay, now, let’s talk about portals. Turn to page thirty-five in your books.”
I perked up. This was something that I cared to learn. I flipped to the page that she said and scanned the title quickly. Chapter 2: The Anatomy of a Portal and How to Engage Them. Yes, these were things I needed. I knew enough about portals, about as much as any regular person would, but I was sure this class could tell me a lot more.
Arwyn clutched her notes in her hand and smiled as she scanned the room. “Now we will start with the basics. Portals only open during daylight hours. Why is that?”
Folli raised his hand in front of me. Arwyn nodded his way. “It’s because the moon hurts monsters. They can’t survive at night.”
“Very good, mister Dedarian. Who can close a portal and what they must do to do so?” Nia’s hand was the first to raise, no shock there, though not many raised their hands for this. I didn’t particularly know the answer either, so I listened closely when Arwyn called on her.
“Only banishers, adepts with the innate ability to channel monster energy like an essence crystal can do it,” she started matter-of-factly. “They do this by entering the Shadowscape through the portal and finding the Catalyst, which is the anchor that holds the portal open to our world. Once they funnel the energy from that into their bodies, the Catalyst breaks and closes the portal.”
“Excellent, miss Kenefick, and real quick, could you tell us what happens to the banisher once the portal closes?”
Nia gave her a confused look like it was an odd or stupid question, but the answer wasn’t obvious to me. “Well, they simply appear back in our world in the spot where they are in the Shadowscape.”
“Correct. I only ask because it is a commonly held belief that banishers and others who are in the Shadowscape are brought back through the portal when it closes, but in fact, they stay where they are. The Shadowscape is what leaves, for it is a dark mirror of our world. So let’s say the Catalyst is found in a field in the Shadowscape. Once the portal closes, the banisher will be in the real world version of that field.”
I frantically wrote down her words, along with everything Nia had said. From a cursory glance, I could see that all this information was in the book, but this was new for me, and I wanted to absorb it like a sponge.
In a blink, another hour had gone by. The clock that sat over her chalkboard chimed nine times for the ninth hour, and in the distance, I could hear the booming bell of the One True Maker’s cathedral going off in time with the clock. Arwyn stopped what she was saying and closed her notes.
“That’s it for today. We’ll continue our discussion next class.” Everyone started to gather their things. I placed my book into my bag and stood. “Be sure to read the next chapter by our next meeting. I might test you.” She shrugged and gave the class a coy smile. “Or I might not.”
We all filed out of the class. I could hear the gossip about me as I exited. The glances cast my way were more than obvious. Someone shoved my shoulder and moved past me.
“Move, summoner.” Gawain. I scoffed, but I didn’t say anything. I could handle pricks like him no problem.
“Don’t mind him,” Braden said as he came up next to me and draped a massive arm around my shoulders. “He’s all talk, but no bite.”
“I wish he had some bite, that way I could bite back,” I said as I glared at the back of Gawain’s head.
Braden gave me a nervous sidelong glance. “I wouldn’t want to fight an elemental, especially a fire mage.”
I would. “Well, maybe you and I are different. I want to throw that pile of roach shit in the garbage.”
Braden snorted and gave me a look. “That’s an odd thing to say.”
“Just something people would say where I’m from.”
We got to the end of the hall where it forked. Most of the other students, no, all of the others went left. We went right. I said as much to Braden.
“They’re going to their magical classes,” he said with a smirk. “As are we. Are you ready for your first summoner class?”
Oh? Yes, yes I was. Finally, something that I could really look forward to. Something that I was very good at.
“Bring it on,” I told him.
Chapter 7
Braden led me from the central school building and out to the grounds. We circled around the dining hall and emerged on the far side of campus, where there were several large fields of dirt and grass. There were some raised wooden platforms and another smaller ring that was lined with a rubber boundary. Most of the fields and open areas also had several dozen targets set up.
“Those are the practice fields,” Braden pointed out. “That’s where we practice with non-magical combat. Guns, bows, swords, hand to hand. You name it..”
“Good to know.”
He chuckled. “You’ll be seeing a lot of
it.”
Great.
After the sparring and practice arenas, we came to a large building in the back of the academy that almost looked like a standard warehouse, but I knew better. The white gold stone that it was built from was xanyarstone, the magical brick that could repel monsters. At the bare minimum, those bricks were unbreakable, so monsters, no matter how large, strong, and magically powerful, were unable to get through them.
It’s the prime reason why so many people flooded to the Enclaves when they were built. They were the safest places to be.
Braden opened the door and went in, with me a step behind. The room we entered was a tall box, all stone and wood trim. It wasn’t the entire building though, only the front room. Large diagrams of monsters lined the walls, and some had writings on monster weaknesses and whatnot. That made me smile.
When we entered our classroom, there were a little more than a dozen desks facing the professor’s desk. However, there was only one other student inside, and she was seated beside where Braden and I sat down.
“Where’s the professor?” I asked Braden as I glanced at the only other student and wondered when the others would show up. I didn’t think we were early, but perhaps we were?
“The professor is late as always,” Braden replied with a shrug.
“Ah,” I said as I turned my attention to the other student. She had short auburn hair that was barely shoulder length and swept to one side. The reddish color of it complimented her golden skin. She seemed to be a few years younger than me.
“About time, Braden,” she began, her eyes down as she looked at her fingers. “How was class? Did I miss— Oh. Hello.” She finally noticed me and flashed me a smile that could melt steel. Her mouth was small, but that didn’t stop her smile from being brilliant with a hint of mischief. “I guess I did miss something important.”
Her large hazel eyes gave me a once over and resulted in a cheeky smirk. She had a small button nose that fit her face perfectly. Petite and pretty was the best way to summarize her, as was obvious when she hopped out of her seat and strode up to me. Her head barely reached the base of my neck. She put her hand out for me to shake.
“Layla Bethel,” she stated simply, “I didn’t realize we’d be getting another summoner. Thank goodness, ‘cause this big oaf is a big boring sack sometimes.”
“I appreciate that, Bethel,” Braden said with a grumble. That just made her smirk even harder.
“What’s your name? Where’re you from? Hmm?” she asked before I could even get a word in or shake her hand. I just blinked at her. She talked so fast that it was almost comical, but I found that it suited her perfectly, so I cracked a grin and shook her hand. Hers was dwarfed by mine.
“I’m Gryff.”
“The pleasure’s all yours,” she replied, then sat at her desk. Braden and I each took a seat around her as she kicked up her legs atop the desk.
“Why didn’t you come to class again?” Braden asked.
She yawned. “I wasn’t really feeling it this morning.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you care about getting in trouble, or not learning all you can?” Layla turned and stared at me incredulously. Then she snorted, which turned into a chortling laugh.
“That’s cute. But learning is not on the top of my list of priorities.”
“Then why are you here?” I asked with a hint of annoyance in my voice.
She swung her legs around so that she faced me fully. Her smirk was gone. “I don’t know if you know this, Gryff, but when it’s discovered that you have magical ability, you’re forced into the Academy. I was just living my meager excuse of a life when I found an essence crystal and accidentally summoned a troll. Scared the shit outta me and got me a ticket to this damned fluffy snob-house. Course, I can also use earth magic, but I don’t want to fight. I’d rather not die, and summoners don’t fight.” She smiled then. “So here we are.”
I guess I understood where she came from. I didn’t really have a choice in coming here, though I was now on board with why I was here. Her lack of motivation concerned me, but I couldn’t say I’d be much different if I was in her shoes. Yes, I hadn’t had a choice, but my mission was greater than myself. Layla didn’t have that, so I’d give her the benefit of the doubt. She seemed nice enough. I would just have to get over her lack of effort.
Before we could go further with our conversation, the door slammed open and in walked our professor. I immediately knew I was going to be disappointed.
He swayed with each step, which clearly told me he was either drunk or had a particularly wicked hangover. There was a flask in one hand and a large satchel in the other. From within it, I could hear the familiar clinking of essence crystals. A groan escaped him as he took a seat, which had to be squeezed into since the arms of it had trouble containing his girth.
“Good morning,” he began before burping obnoxiously. Even from where I sat, the ripe stench of alcohol breath reached me and caused my nose to scrunch up. It was vile. I was a fan of drinking, but not when it would affect my ability to work. Clearly, we didn’t share that same sentiment.
Everything about him was round, from his bulging gut to his fat chins and flabby cheeks. There were wrinkles on top of fat, even though he didn’t seem that old, and his brown hair was turning white in a hurry. His brown eyes struggled to look at me over his huge nose and his alcohol haze.
“Who the hell are you?” he asked with a hiccup and a few slurred words.
“I’m Gryff, sir.”
“Oi, the Headmaster didn’t tell me nothing about this.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you sure he didn’t? That doesn’t sound very headmaster-y of him.”
The professor scratched at his dirty summoner robe. “Ah hell, maybe he did. I’m still a tad sauced from last night.”
I rolled my eyes. Yeah, it was obvious to everyone on earth that he wasn’t sober.
He coughed and adjusted his robe. “Well, good to meet you Gryff. My name’s Rori, but you will call me Mister Brevens in this class. You got me?”
There wasn’t much to get, so I nodded.
“Good.” He turned away from us and started to flip through one of the books on his desk. His desk, unlike the tidy surface of Miss Arwyn’s or the ‘crammed with important books’ desk of the headmaster, was sparse, with only a few loose papers and a couple of textbooks with torn leather spines. He didn’t seem to care at all. Guess he and Layla had that in common.
Mister Brevens grumbled as he read through some papers before he stood and belched. “Alright, uhh … today we’re just gonna go over how to acquire monsters and then we’ll talk about some of the basic construction types for general labor, so it should be a nice and easy day.”
I furrowed my brow. Nice and easy? General labor? And I already knew how to get monsters. That’s not what I wanted to hear.
He scratched his belly as he started. “The most common way to acquire monsters is through crystals they drop when they are defeated in our world, among other materials such as blood, scales, skin, bones, and others. Whole towns can spring up around the bigger monsters when they fall, and the whole loot industry is a booming one, though the military is trying their best to impose stricter regulations.”
I frowned. I knew all of this, but who didn’t? It was common knowledge that smaller monsters mostly decayed into their crystals rather quickly when defeated, but the much larger ones simply died, their bodies decomposing at a more natural rate. In that time was when the harvesting began. It was useless information, but I took the notes like a good student. Maybe he would add something helpful.
“Anyway, most essence crystals only contain the latent energy of a monster, and that can then be used to power a myriad of things,” he said then paused to burp again. “But… s-sometimes ...” Another burp. “Sometimes, they can capture the monster themselves, as the monster tried to fade back into the ‘Scape, but instead was captured by its own crystalized energy.”
I rolled my eyes. I kne
w this.
“There’s a one in four chance that an essence crystal can contain a monster,” Brevens droned on, “so that’s why any good scav team worth their salt has at least one summoner on their payroll so they can identify if they do. Now, can any of you buggers tell me the other way to acquire monsters?”
None of us raised our hands. I knew how, but I didn’t wish to indulge him. His bloodshot eyes got annoyed. They unfortunately locked onto mine. Great.
“You, newbie. You got an answer for me?”
I stifled a snort and a groan. “Yessir,” I said with mock politeness that he didn’t pick up on. “You have to enter the Shadowscape itself with regular, unfilled essence crystals and capture the monsters as you defeat them.”
Rori coughed. “Correct. This is the more direct way of getting monsters, but obviously infinitely more dangerous, and it takes a few seconds of concentration to properly capture a defeated monster, so it’s hard to do in the middle of combat. Like the loot industry, there are whole companies that go into the ‘Scape to collect monsters, but this is highly illegal. The black market trade thrives, regardless.”
He droned on for a few more minutes about this stuff, mostly about prices and the different grades of crystals and how not to be scammed. It wasn't very helpful for a military summoner if you asked me. Finally, though, he gathered up his papers, adjusted his robe, and made for the door next to his desk.
“Come, time to go over the basic labor types of monsters,” he said. He waved for us to follow, so we did, though I was apprehensive. We exited the classroom and entered the warehouse proper. It felt even bigger from the inside, as the ceiling had glass windows built into it to allow for lots of natural light. There were fake trees set up in one section, a large mound of dirt and mud, and even a huge rocky edifice. What was all this for?
Mister Brevens dug through his bag. “Okay, so there are many varieties of monsters that are used for everyday construction and labor. They aren’t overly dangerous, are easy to control, plus they are generally easy to catch. If you don’t have any of these in your repertoire, then you’ll need to get them soon from the summoner vault, but for the time being, I’ll be demonstrating with my own.”
