Unbound: Mage's Academy I

by Finley Morrow

  The classroom eventually filled in and the professor walked in. He was older with a long grey beard and a tweed suit. I liked him instantly. I tended to be suspicious of people when I first meet them, but I got a good vibe from this man. The class naturally settled into silence after several moments. We all watched him in anticipation. I assumed that this was a class of only first years. He wrote his name on the chalkboard in a flowing cursive script. Professor H. Atwater. We all waited expectantly for him to speak. When he did, his voice was warm and jovial.

  "Welcome, friends to your first year, and likely first course here at the Mage's Academy." He smiled warmly. "I'm sure you're all ready to get started performing magic," He said with a chuckle. "I can't say I blame you. However, we take magic very seriously here and there is much preparation to be done before we can begin. Like planting a garden, we must prepare the soil if anything worthwhile is to grow." He continued with an explanation of the importance of readiness when it comes to magic.

  "This class will teach you the theory that you will need to perform magic safely, and effectively. We will plumb the depths of the arcane and journey into worlds of mystery. By the time you finish this class, you will have a strong foundation in magical theory and principles and will be ready to take on your own practice, whatever that might be. But I warn you, this class will not be easy. You will need to study hard and the tests won't be easy, but the reward will be great."

  The rest of the class flew by as he began describing the way that magic worked. I was used to spending like the whole first week just going over the syllabus, so I was a little surprised that he dove right in. This was a school that took its subject seriously. Magic, as it turned out, was deeply fascinating. I felt in awe of it and inspired by it at the same time.

  Professor Atwater drew a large symbol on the board. It was a circle with two triangles inside, one right side up and one inverted on top of the other. He pointed to the circle, "This is what we call the Luminous Ether. It is the source from which we draw our power. It is depicted here as a circle, but it is really an eternal sphere encompassing all that is."

  He then pointed to the triangle on top. "This is the above, and the realm that we affect when we use magic. Mirrored here, is the below." He gestured around the room. "If you haven't guessed, we are in the below. Everything in the above mirrors the below. So by changing the above, we can change our circumstances here, in the below." I was sitting on the edge of my desk. This was unlike any philosophy or any subject I had ever studied before. I was hungry for more. I was jolted out of my intense focus by the bell, which sounded as though it was an actual physical bell that somebody was ringing.

  "Ah, that is all for now, please make sure to read the first chapter in your books and do the exercises that follow before next class." He trailed off as everyone left the class. I had Magical Correspondences next, then a meeting with my advisor, then lunch. I was excited to talk to Ligeia and Maeve about everything so far. I was always a good student, but no subject had ever drawn me in the way magic had.

  Unfortunately, my next class put a damper in my spirits. Aria was sitting right in the front row of the class. After last night, I was in no mood to deal with her again. Then the professor turned out to be a pudgy balding fellow with the most monotonous voice I'd ever heard. The subject matter was as boring as the professor's voice. Our book held endless charts of correspondences for nearly everything you could think of, herbs, moon phases, astrological signs, you name it, it was in there. We already had homework. We would be quizzed on the first ten pages of charts as soon as next week. My hand sped across the page as I took notes, and I had to stretch my fingers by the time the class was over. This was going to be one of those classes. However, we were assured that all of this knowledge was absolutely essential for building a strong foundation to practice magic. I was starting to see a pattern. When would we be able to do some actual magic?

  I was exhausted by the time my third period came around. It was an appointment with my advisor. I was pleased to see that my advisor was Professor Atwater. I was already fond of the older teacher. His office was in a different building, slightly away from the main campus. I entered the small brick building, not sure what to expect. However, there was no confusion because Professor Atwater seemed to be the only one to have an office in this building. His door was closed so I knocked. I heard his voice say, "Come in, come in." I opened the door and almost blanched to see Kairn sitting in the seat across from Professor Atwater.

  "Ah yes, we were just finishing," He said. "By the way, have you two met? You're my only two advisees." He asked.

  I shook my head, feeling it difficult to make eye contact. This is the closest I had been to him, and I was desperately curious, but after last night, I had a healthy dose of fear. I lifted my eyes carefully and saw that he was staring at me. And why not? We were being introduced.

  "Kairn, this is my newest advisee Esther," I smiled as he continued. "Esther, this is Kairn. He's a Third Year this year." He reached out his hand formally to shake mine. I grasped it and noticed that his skin was quite warm and very soft. The sleeve of his black jacket slipped up just slightly and I saw that he had a swirling pattern of tattoos running up his arm.

  For a moment we met eyes. It was probably only a second or two, but at that moment it felt like we were exchanging information. His eyes were dark, nearly black. He had a hard edge. He broke the glance and caught me looking at his tattoos. He dropped my hand quickly and moved to adjust his sleeve. Was it just me or was he trying to keep from having to touch me? I couldn't be sure, but I was probably just being silly. And what were those tattoos? Some kind of mark of a demon? It sounded so farfetched. Plus, I"d never had a real conversation with him, so I didn't need to jump to conclusions.

  He grabbed his backpack and walked out without saying a word to me. I noticed his leather bag matched mine. Was he in the same situation as me? Did the school have to provide these items for him? It made me even more curious about him. His movements were oddly graceful, although I got the impression that he was very strong.

  Professor Atwater broke my chain of thought. "He's a good student." He said smiling.

  "Oh, um yeah." I wasn't sure what to say. Had he noticed me staring? I tried to change the subject.

  "So you only have two advisees?" I asked.

  "That's right. I get special cases." He beamed. Special Cases. That didn't sound good. What made me special. Special was never good. Hmm, speaking of which, what made Kairn special? Was he really bound to a demon? I couldn't ask, that seemed dangerously inappropriate, but there had to be some way to find out.

  "What do you mean special cases?" I asked, hoping for more information.

  "Well, you know, unusual, out of the ordinary. In your case, it's because you are unbound. Yes..." He paused as if to think about it. "Very interesting, that."

  "How so?" I asked.

  "Well, you've exhibited enough magical ability to get noticed by the school, and yet you have no connection to any deity. So where is your power coming from?" He answered his own question without waiting for a reply from me. "Of course that is what we must uncover together, Esther."

  "There isn't much we can do yet until you have a stronger foundation in magic, but within a few months, there are several things that we can try. There isn't much we can do yet until you have a stronger foundation in magic, but within a few months there are several things that we can try."

  "I'm looking forward to it," I said. I was utterly caught up in the words he was saying. He had very light golden eyes that felt like a warm hug from your grandfather. He seemed confident that we would get to the bottom of it.

  "I'm glad to hear it. Well now," he said glancing at his watch. "I don't want to keep you from lunch with your friends.

  10

  I met Maeve and Ligeia in the Dining Hall where they were serving some sort of meat pies with roasted potatoes. We gathered at a table to discuss classes.

  "Have you guys had Magical Correspond
ences yet?" I all but groaned.

  "Ugh, I had that class last semester." Maeve commiserated.

  "I have it later this afternoon." Ligeia grimaced pushing her locks out of her face and tying them into a knot behind her head.

  We sat chatting for a bit when I saw the redheaded girl from my first period coming into the dining hall. She was looking around blankly. I knew that look well. She didn't have anywhere to sit. I got up saying, "I'll be back in a minute."

  I walked over to her, "Hey I'm Esther I recognize you from Philosophy of Magic this morning. Do you want to join my friends and me?"

  Her expression relaxed and I saw the relief in her eyes. "I'm Sybelle, and yeah, thanks. I haven't really gotten to meet anyone yet."

  "No problem," I said. I was always the one that didn't have anyone to sit with, so it felt nice to have some friends to share.

  We walked back to the table where my friends were sitting and I introduced Sybelle. Ligeia and Maeve were both really welcoming and I felt that I made the right decision in trusting them. We talked about schedules for a while and Sybelle asked where we were living.

  "We all live in the Halewick House," Maeve replied. "It's the oldest building on campus." She added.

  "I didn't know that," I replied. I liked that. Our house had history.

  "I'm living in Wisteria," Sybelle sighed.

  "Isn't that where Aria Swift lives?" Ligeia interjected.

  "Yeah, it is." She replied. "She's not been very happy about me intruding on her territory. She said with air quotes around the word territory.

  I checked the clock on the wall briefly as I was finishing and I was shocked to see that it was almost 1 o'clock. I was going to be late for my next class. I checked my schedule again quickly, before saying goodbye and heading out. It was Practical Thaumaturgy next.

  The building was on the other side of campus and I was nearly running to get there on time. I checked the number and found that it was in classroom 83. However, when I entered the building I saw only numbers starting at 100. I searched up and down the halls until I found a narrow spiral staircase carved in stone to the basement. Was my class in some kind of dungeon?

  There was no time to stop and wonder about it because I was officially late. I finally found the room after a long walk through a dark, mildewy smelling hallway. Thankfully the door was still open. This room like the basement it was in, was dark and made of earthy smelling stone. I hurried to take an empty seat but didn't see one. Until I did. There were only about five long tables in the room, each with two chairs. They were all filled except for one. In the back of the room was one empty seat next to a terrifyingly beautiful dark-haired boy. It was Kairn. The professor at the front of the class announced, "Ah yes, you've decided to make an appearance Miss Crenshaw." I hated the way my face crumpled at the teacher's sharp words. I apologized quickly. She brushed away my excuse with a smooth gesture and pointed toward the back of the class. "You may take a seat beside Mr. Wilderwood."

  He didn't look up at me. In this case, I was thankful for it, because my face was red and hot.

  The professor continued. She was wearing a sharp suit of emerald green and had piercing green eyes to match, along with wild brown curls. She had an ethereal appearance, although she obviously took no-nonsense. She introduced herself as Professor Jane Malus. She would be teaching us how to actually do magic, which I learned is more formally known as Thaumaturgy. She then explained that much of the work in the class would be done in pairs. My heart sank. I could feel him look at me then, but I didn't glance his direction. I was afraid that he was thinking the same thing I was. I didn't have to wait long, because Professor Malus added, "Your tablemate will be your partner for the year. Are there any questions?"

  I didn't dare raise my hand. I heard a sharp intake of breath beside me and I carefully turned my eyes toward Kairn hoping that he wouldn't notice me looking. If he had been angry or upset, I couldn't tell, but he also didn't seem particularly pleased. He kept his steely gaze straight ahead. I endured the rest of the class feeling the overwhelming tension of my awareness of him beside me. Whatever may or may not be true about him, he certainly had a presence. I felt the ache of the tension release as the bell finally chimed signaling the end of class. This was my last class of the day, which I was happy about. However, I wouldn't have minded a distraction from what had just happened. After class, he didn't say a word to me. Like an idiot, I said nothing to him either. Would it have made it better if I would have said something? I finally decided that it wouldn't have because I probably would've made some dumb joke and looked like a fool. I mentally berated myself on the way back to Halewick.

  * * *

  As soon as I got back to my room, I started in on my homework. The academics here were no joke, and there was no time to get behind. The Magical Correspondences had to come first. I pulled out the thick textbook of correspondences. It was written on heavy paper or vellum. The words almost appeared handprinted, but I couldn't see how that was possible. Slouching over the desk I began to laboriously copy charts filled with symbols and strange words. It was utterly tedious, but somehow also one of the strangest things I'd done. I tried to burn the charts into my mind. Still, when I got to the practice questions, I had to refer back to them several times.

  One question asked: If stinging nettle is picked on a Sunday at 7:00pm can it be used during a waxing moon? There was so much in this single question. There was the humor of the plant, to begin with, the day of the week based on the Gregorian calendar, the time, and the moon cycle. Then, of course, there was the matter of what I didn't know. What astrological sign was ascendant at the time of the picking? And at the time of use? And what was it being used for? I flipped back and forth between the heavy pages until I though my eyes were failing me. In the end, I decided that there was not enough information present to answer the question. I hoped that was it. Otherwise, I would never get the hang of it. After ten more questions like that, I was desperate for a break.

  Philosophy of Magic was much more pleasant. Professor Atwater had assigned us reading, which was deeply fascinating. The textbook covered the earliest Mage's and how they viewed magic. It also discussed the discovery of the luminous ether. I wanted to keep reading when I got to the end of the chapter, but I wanted to savor it. If I read it all now, I wouldn't have anything left to break up the monotony of my other classes. We hadn't had any homework in Practical Thaumaturgy, but I didn't get the impression that was any indication of it being an easy class. Professor Malus seemed... well ... pretty hardcore.

  By the time I was finished with my work it was almost dusk. My eyes and writing hand were strained and I felt a grumbling in my stomach. Unlike breakfast, the dining hall was packed full. I saw Maeve and went over to her. I wondered if she ever sat with her boyfriend. Strangely I didn't see Aria or any of her friends. This was strange because she usually liked to be the center of attention no matter where she was. And people couldn't help but fawn over her. I had come to realize it was part of her magic. She had used it on me the first time we met, and I had nearly fallen under the spell. Thankfully Ligeia was watching out for me or I'd been bound to some strange entity by now.

  Maeve seemed wistful, and I noticed her looking around.

  I asked, "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing really." She sighed. "It's just that it's getting to be that time of the month again?"

  Her period? That sucked. "I might have some painkillers for cramps back in my room," I suggested.

  She laughed, which seemed odd. "No, not that time of the month. I meant the full moon." She was still laughing, though I didn't feel like she was mocking me.

  "Oh," I responded, feeling stupid nonetheless. "What happens at the full moon?"

  "The Lycans all leave campus and head for the woods," She said. That made sense. That was why she was so forlorn. "They stay away for the three days surrounding the full moon. They get really unstable around that time like it's hard to control their changes. It's not that they're dange
rous exactly, but they get really pack oriented. They think more as a group than individuals. They don't like to be around humans as much. Anyway, I think they get special training during this time so the school allows it."

  "Wow," I said, still in awe of everything I didn't know. "What's it like, dating a werewolf?” I hesitated to ask, but I was so curious.

  "It's mostly really great," She said smiling. "He's cute and sweet and really loyal." She paused for a second to collect her thoughts, "but sometimes it’s the worst."

  "How so?" I asked.

  "Well, for starters Aria and her lackeys hang around them incessantly. They are of course obsessed with Luke. So that gets old sometimes. Otherwise, it’s mostly just hard to come second to the pack."

  "That sounds difficult." I commiserated. We talked a bit longer about her boyfriend. I wanted to ask her for more information about Kairn while I had the chance but I talked myself out of it. I didn't need any more information. It would only make me more curious and that was the opposite of what I needed. Plus, I couldn't trust my motives. I couldn't figure out why I was still thinking about him. It was absurd.

  11

  I woke up bright and early every day that week. The Mage's Academy was challenging, but I was loving my classes so far. That day I had Practical Thaumaturgy with Professor Malus first thing. I packed up my backpack with the last night's homework and made my way through campus. It was exceptionally foggy, which wasn't that out of ordinary except for the sheer density of it. It was difficult to even see the ground in front of you to walk. I hurried through as best as I could. Professor Malus was not a person who would accept tardiness. I didn't want to ever have a repeat of my first day in her class.