12 - Arrival
While her sister and brother left to attend to Master Elric, Ari had to figure out how to pack the extra clothes into her box. There was enough space, but she didn’t know what orientation to place things in. These were new clothes, with a new color scheme, and she needed to arrange them in a cohesive pattern that also matched the box's dimensions.
Before she'd gone down, Celie had offered for Ari to take her box instead, but that didn’t make the problem any easier, because Celie's travelling box was moss green instead of wood bark brown, and that was just too unsettling to deal with right now.
Eventually, though, Ari hurriedly packed everything and took a few deep calming breaths to keep from screaming.
She then washed up and went downstairs, where her mother was having a conversation with Elric, and her brother approached her with a large deer leg in his mouth.
"Ari," he said. "Before you leave, let's see your battle stance one more time."
"Why?"
"Archmage Elric says the first years might be subject to some hazing. You need to know how to take them down,” he said. “You’re a Mossborne, so you’re sturdier than most, but those wizards are sneaky.”
“They’re not called wizards. They’re Ascendants. I’m one too.”
“Whatever. Show me."
She didn’t want to, but she decided that doing it was easier than arguing with her brother.
After she'd assumed the stance and he'd adjusted her body to his satisfaction, Ari was finally free to eat breakfast. While she ate, her mother hugged her tightly and kissed her hair, her tears wetting the strands.
Her sister also hugged her again, and Brom managed a head pat.
When she was done, they walked her outside.
“We'll see you soon, okay?” Thessa said, and Ari nodded.
"See you," she said, heart heavy.
Celie raised an eyebrow. "Really? Not even a single tear, Ari?"
"I don't like crying. It gives me headaches," Ari said. "But I'm sad on the inside."
"I'm sure. We'll take your word for it."
Elric stood to the side observing, and once Ari was done, she finally walked to him. "I'm ready."
He'd brought the griffin carriage again, and as they climbed in, she stared at her family, who were all watching her. The ache strengthened in her chest, and she felt the need to say something. She wouldn’t see them again for months, likely not until school break.
“I’ll write letters," she said. Maybe she could also get them a messaging scroll, so they could communicate more easily.
"We'll wait for them," her mother responded.
Ari waved one more time as the carriage rose in the sky. She watched her home become a dot on the ground.
This was likely how her father had felt when he was leaving, Ari realized. He knew he wouldn't be back for a long time, and he probably felt all the emotions I'm feeling now.
She wondered how he would react when he came home and found her gone.
She couldn't predict it. She could barely remember him at this point.
“Can you get them a messaging scroll?” she asked him. “So we could…” She trailed off when she realized that she was requesting a favor that might be too much.
“Yes," he answered, regardless. “Of course. And here's your messaging scroll." He waved a hand in the air, manifesting a smooth notebook with sand-like, gritty pages that somehow had a distinct sheen to them. He handed it to her.
"You write on it with your quill, and once your message has been read, it will disappear from the page," he told her. "There's a special spell which you can use to preserve an old message, even after it's read, and there's another spell that can be used to recover all the messages that have been sent through this scroll. I suggest you also seal the scroll for privacy, which is done with another spell. Regardless, we won't discuss anything too incriminating through this means. If you need to tell me sensitive information, simply send, 'I need you on campus.' That will let me know it's urgent, I'll teleport here, and we can talk in person."
She nodded. "Are you going to teach me all the spells you just mentioned?"
"Yes. Starting with the sealing spell. [Warden Seal]."
Massa and Luxa essences arranged themselves in an interesting pattern that featured a circle of Luxa surrounding and loosely bonding with the outermost layer of a tightly packed Massa cube. The Massa particles buzzed but stayed in place thanks to the Luxa offsetting their negative charges, and also strong triple bonds between them."
After the spell formed, a puff of current hit the messaging scroll book.
"Try to open it," he instructed her.
She tried, and it refused to open as though the pages had been plastered together.
"What I just utilized is a multi-use adept-tier spell that locks any item and acknowledges you alone as the warden who can open it." He took the book from her and opened it with ease. "The spell is pretty useful, but it can be counteracted by a master-tier spell called [Master Key] that allows one to break any basic adept sealing spell and gain access. That's another reason why we have to be careful with what we discuss through the scrolls because [Master Key] can break in, and [Full Message Unveil] can reveal everything we've spoken about."
"Is there a stronger spell that can't be broken by [Master Key]?"
He pursed his lips, answering slowly. "Yes, but it would not make sense for you to know such a spell, and it could raise suspicion if the notebook is investigated and found to be protected in such a way. So I will not teach you."
Ari was disappointed, but she chose not to show it.
"[Master Key]" Elric said, and she watched intently as the Luxa, Massa, and Vacu essences arranged themselves in a complex pattern holding multiple triple-bonded Massa particles, double-bonded Luxa, and Vacu interlinked around both, like keys on a keychain. The air around the book glowed, and when Elric prompted her, she opened it again. This time it opened freely.
"Alternatively, you can also use another spell, [Warden Unseal], to undo the first spell. However, that can only be done by the initial Warden, who is me." He showed her the Warden Unseal spell, then handed his reservoir and asked her to practice.
Excited, she moved to repeat the first spell form, but he stopped her. "Use your wand. You should get in the habit of that."
"Right." She reached over and took her wandbox out of her sack, smoothing her hand over it reverently before opening it to reveal her wand.
It glittered at her, and she smiled.
"Let's start with the first spell. [Warden Seal]. Now there's something complex about the spell, in how close the Massa essences are packed together. They're held there by triple bonds, but you have to arrange them and the Luxa in a very precise orientation at the right time and hold them there for the bonds to form. Focus and timing are key here, and it might take you a few tries to get the right–"
"[Warden Seal]." The essences pulled together, and despite the Massa particles repelling each other, Ari held them in place long enough for the Luxa to surround them. The Luxa presented an overall positive environment, triggering the bonding capabilities of the negatively-charged Massa, but remaining far enough away so the inner Massa bonds could not reach them.
That forced Massa to bond with itself.
It took her about two seconds to complete.
When she was done, she told Elric, "I did it. It wasn't that hard."
He sighed deeply. "Of course it wasn't."
Immediately, Ari got an alert from the system.
NEW SPELL DETECTED.
Name: [WARDEN SEAL].
Tier: Adept
Experience Points: 3
Would you like to incorporate it into your Grimoire?
"The system is asking me if I want to incorporate the spell into my Grimoire," Ari informed Elric.
"Yes, it will ask you that every time it detects you using a new spell."
"So what do I do?"
"Well, incorporating it into your Grimoire means you earn points from the spell. +3 points for learning an adept level spell, and an additional +3 points for executing it skillfully. Those points then boost your experience points and help you level up into a different tier." He spread his hands in the air as he explained it. "There are two major reasons people incorporate spells into their Grimoire. One, because it makes it easier to recall the spell script, and the system can prompt you if you need it. Two, because that is essentially part of what the system calculates to level you up. But if you level up too fast, Ari, that might be problematic, so I caution against adding too many spells to your Grimoire at this time."
She nodded. "I can still use the spells without the Grimoire, right?"
"Yes, as long as you have a good memory of the spell form. In fact, Ari, at your level, you probably don't need to incorporate any of the lesser spells into your Grimoire at all, but you should probably do so to fake a more reasonable levelling."
"Okay."
He brushed his chin and pointed. "On second thought, Ari, you can add the warden seal and unseal spells. They're adept-level spells, but you're a highly skilled apprentice, so it's normal for you to know them. Do not add the master lock spell, as that one is far more technical."
She nodded. She performed the unseal spell, and after she incorporated the first two spells, she received two additional alerts.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
CONGRATULATIONS! [WARDEN SEAL] IS NOW IN YOUR GRIMOIRE. +3 XP
CONGRATULATIONS! [WARDEN UNSEAL] IS NOW IN YOUR GRIMOIRE +3 XP
TOTAL SPELLS EXECUTED: [WARDEN SEAL] (+3XP), [WARDEN UNSEAL] (+3XP)
CURRENT POINTS ACHIEVED: +12XP
TOTAL POINTS ACHIEVED: +12XP
Ari was excited by the numbers adding to her final count.
She wondered how many she needed to level up as she performed the [Master Key] spell–slightly more complex than [Warden Unseal]–perfectly. He also taught her the [Message Save], [Message Recall], and [Full Message Unveil].
She saved the first two and received more alerts.
CONGRATULATIONS! [MESSAGE SAVE] IS NOW IN YOUR GRIMOIRE. +2 XP
CONGRATULATIONS! [MESSAGE RECALL] IS NOW IN YOUR GRIMOIRE +3 XP
TOTAL SPELLS EXECUTED: [MESSAGE SAVE] (+2XP), [MESSAGE RECALL] (+3XP)
CURRENT POINTS ACHIEVED: +10
TOTAL POINTS ACHIEVED: +22 XP
At the end, he taught her a final spell, [Empath Sense].
He showed her the spell form first and had her direct it at him.
While she was doing so, he executed a severe frown that confused her, until the spell landed on his face.
Suddenly, it was superimposed with a slightly shadowy image of him, smiling.
Happy, whispered in her mind.
"What is that?" she asked.
"You said you had a problem reading people's true emotions, so I crafted a spell that will show and tell you anyone's true feelings. Surprising that such a thing didn't already exist, at least not in this simple manner."
Ari was surprised. "You said we would craft it together."
"Yes, but this seemed easier and faster. We'll craft another spell together."
Her sadness at not getting to craft was overpowered by the elation bubbling up in her chest. Finally, a tool she could use. A grin split across her face. "Thank you, Elric. This is such a useful spell for me."
"It is, but do not abuse it. Even if you're sneaky about it, some people can perceive when a spell has been performed on them, and they might consider it rude. Also, it's a near master-tier spell, so I wouldn't recommend adding it to your Grimoire."
"I won't."
He gestured for her to hand back the reservoir, and she did very reluctantly.
"Do I get one of those on campus?" she asked because she was very eager to continue her spellwork.
"You'll receive your EPUQ on campus, but you won't get a reservoir until your second year. You know what an EPUQ is, right?"
"Essence purifier and unit quantifier."
"Yes. Essences exist all around us, but they're not infinite and they're not all usable. Some can be purified for our use, others cannot. Across all the continents, usable essences are drawn into leylines by giant essence towers and spires, quantified and dispersed between the cities according to their needs. That all trickles down to the individual level, and EPUQs not only further purify the usable essences, but it also limits how much each person can use, according to their tiers. Legendary Mages and Archmages get the highest allowance, followed by Masters, then Adepts, then Apprentices like you. The EPUQ ensures that you do not surpass your quota."
"Who decides the quota?"
"The Celestial Assembly and the High Ascendant himself."
She knew who that was, even though she'd never seen him. The High Ascendant was the only Mythical Mage left alive. He had lived for millennia and was practically a god.
Elric cleared his throat. “Now that we’re approaching, I should tell you a few more things about the academy. There are four cohorts in the academy separated by about a year to a year and a half. The amount of time it takes to graduate depends on the need and how many mages are in the system."
“Is it because of the pyramid? The limit on how many mages there can be?”
“Yes. Typically, there are no strict allowances for the number of apprentices, as most of them are expected not to finish the program anyway, and the ones that do, do not use up a significant amount of essence for it to matter. There are soft limits on the number of adept mages but those can be negotiated. There's a slightly stricter limit on masters of about two hundred, but that can also be negotiated.
"However, only fifteen archmages can exist in the universe at a time. An archmage would have to die or ascend for another to take its place. Or one could offer a celestial challenge, and if they lose, they must voluntarily have their powers suppressed. "
“How often does that happen?”
"More often than it should. The typical lifespan of an archmage is extremely long, but it's also a dangerous line of work. However, the more skilled you are, the less likely you are to be replaced easily. So most hopefuls are better off challenging the younger archmages."
"Is that how you became archmage?"
"No. For me, there was a vacancy, and I was the first available master to ascend. It was all very clean. But Gio challenged an older Archmage for their spot and won. At the time, the man had been the most powerful Archmage we had. After Gio's win, he took that title."
"How did Gio manage to beat someone so powerful?"
"Gio is...a special type of beast. His bloodline trait is formidable, and that, combined with his refined cores, makes him a force far more dangerous than his tier would suggest. The other Archmage also underestimated him in the challenge. That was part of why he lost."
“I see." Ari digested that. "But what if Gio, as skilled as he is, remained only a master or even an adept due to lack of space. Would the system allow him to remain having archmage-level skills without being an archmage?"
"I suppose it would up to a point, but that doesn't usually happen. Once you're incorporated into a system, it will note when you reach that tier and will prompt you into a challenge with the closest available archmage, or will ask you to bind some of your power."
"What if they just hide their skill level by never uploading their higher-tier spells to their Grimoire?"
He gave her a warm smile. "Most people cannot do what you do, Ari, especially not with master and archmage tier spells. I'm considered pretty skilled myself, yet to advance as I did, I needed my Grimoire to keep my more complex spells readily available to use. So it would be very difficult for even Gio to use a spell of that magnitude without it being in his Grimoire."
"Oh."
"Besides, when one completes a spell that is far above their station, even if it's not recorded in the system, it can be marked as a [Hidden Skill]. That's something of a warning, telling people that you've performed an unusual or outranked spell."
"That was what Gio had on his screen."
"Yes. Gio likely began performing archmage-tier spells as an adept. It's not strictly forbidden to do so, but it is frowned upon as it uses up all your essence allowance, and it can be dangerous. However, Gio is, and always has been, a special case."
"I see."
“Yes. So, back to the academy structure, the very nature of ascension affects how fast things progress and how many people ultimately graduate from the program. There are four cohorts. The first cohort has the highest attrition rate, with more than half of the class not making it more than a few months in. This is thanks to something called Severance Trials. There are four of them in the first year, months apart, and they're for whittling out the less skilled in the program. That's also what allows for late admits like you, although you would have to be particularly skilled to be admitted this late."
Ari bobbed her head. She was skilled.
"After the first year, things do ease up, although the attrition rate is still there. Severance Trials continue until Cohort 4, of which only about ten percent of the initial students will make it to. Only forty to fifty percent make it to Cohort 2, and thirty percent make it to Cohort 3. That means that though there might currently be about a hundred or so in your class, only fifty will move to Cohort 2, and only thirty will move to Cohort 3, and maybe ten to twelve of those will end up graduating. Because of the rigor of the program, at least a couple will go on to be Master's or even Archmages in the future. That's what makes Erynwall such a prestigious academy."
“At your skill level, you certainly don't have to worry about attrition, but you also don’t want to draw too much attention to yourself. You'll have to fake as normal a progress as possible; however, I don't think you can hide just how skilled you are. Very soon, your classmates and seniors will catch on. They will know you’re exceptional, and they will feel threatened enough to challenge you. Some might also harbor misplaced anger towards you, feeling like you're only here because someone they liked was expelled. I don't want to alarm you, but it will probably be a rocky start."
Her stomach tightened. She told herself she was used to being disliked. Although this wasn’t ideal, she expected it. She expected to have to work to win people over. “How can I make them like me?”
“To be honest? The easiest way is by impressing them,” he said. “There are two types of people. Those who will be threatened by your skill and those who will be impressed. There’s nothing you can do about the first group because they will dislike you anyway, even if you try to downplay your skills. But those who respect you might seek to form a coalition with you, and they will reach out a hand in brotherhood. "
"How will I know them?"
"In my experience, they'll be the ones closer to your level. The weaker ones might coagulate around you at first, out of self-preservation, but those friendships often don't last and are parasitic by nature. Be kind to them, but be wary as well because jealousy is a powerful motivator, and they might turn against you. Seek out friendships with other skilled people in your year. Help them out when you can. Don’t rub their failures in their face. Don’t be too plainspoken, but also don’t shrink yourself for anyone.”
“Hold on. Let me write that down before I forget.” She took out her journal and began to scribble all the instructions he'd just given her.
When she glanced back at him, he was smiling.
“Making friends is as much an art as it is a science,” he said. “Sometimes, certain tricks work for some people that don't work for others. You need to get to know each person before you can be certain if they should be your friend or not."
“Get to know people,” she murmured as she wrote. She had a plan for that already. She would make notes for every person she conversed with and analyze their likes and dislikes. She would then figure out their problems and help solve them.
“There will also be alliances formed already that you might be able to profit from, but steer clear of getting involved in any clan or sect nonsense. Most of the students are from noble clans, and some of them are in direct conflict with each other. They might choose to recruit you. You must say no.
“Also, take note of the most powerful student currently at the Academy. Selena Gregor. The Calor Princess is in the Fourth Cohort. She’s currently a Master, the only teenage Master at the school, and is on track to be the youngest recorded Archmage. I’ve heard she’s friendly to even first years, but don’t get on her bad side. She has quite the temper.”
"Calor princess," Ari recited. "Don’t get on her bad side."
Elric nodded and glanced out the window, where they were currently soaring over the sea.
"What about your sister?" Ari asked. "Should I also steer clear?"
"Hmm." He brushed his hand through his hair. "I'm not sure. Anne and I don't have a typical sibling relationship. She's the youngest child of my father's sixth wife, while my mother is nothing but a concubine. Her mother hates me naturally, and I'm not sure about Anne's feelings towards me beyond that. She might dislike me."
"Just because of her mother's hatred? But you didn't do anything wrong."
"It's not just that. It's a combination of factors, but I think it’s also thanks to how much pressure she’s receiving from the clan elders. So far, she’s the most powerful of the Patriarch's children, and she's on track to become a good Master someday. However, there's debate on whether she'll have what it takes to lead, as she might not make it to the Archmage tier. Some people would rather I be the new Patriarch."
"Oh."
"Yes. I don’t want it, but I have heard whispers, and I try to distance myself to show her that I'm not a threat. I don't attend any of the clan meetings, nor do I entertain any idea of taking over. However, she might still be wary of me."
He sighed. “One more thing. You’re good, but don’t underestimate the rest of the students. Physical power isn't everything, and some of them even have legendary abilities in their bloodline."
"Okay." Ari looked out the window as the carriage began to descend.
They'd flown over the sea and were descending on a series of islands, arranged in a five-point radial pattern like a star below them,
On the central island was a white stone, tall building that looked almost translucent in the sunlight. It branched out to five other buildings that all looked different from each other. One was made of red gold stone, the other, black basalt. One looked like a terraced garden, within a circular, squat building, and the other was a crystalite tower that reached up almost as high as the central building. Then there was a huge stone fortress that sat behind it. Around that were rings of similar-looking buildings that circled out to the edges of the forest and the shore.
“The buildings in the middle are the academic buildings,” Elric said as they began their descent. “That’s where you’ll have most of your lesson. The buildings surrounding are the dorms."
The griffins touched the floor, and Ari got out, taking her bag. Elric got out too, closing his eyes and inhaling.
“It smells exactly as I remember.”
It was so colorful, too, the essences flowing around the buildings in straight lines. Ari wondered if they were as excited to see her as she was to see them.
“Hello,” she said to the spirits around her. “I am Arielle Blacksoil."
Elric gave her an odd look. “Do you always introduce yourself to buildings?”
“No. I introduce myself to the spirits around the buildings. So they welcome me and treat me well and know that I’m a friend and not a foe.”
“Right,” he said, then added under his breath. “Must be that Vitae-spirituality.”
"Elric!" A voice called as the castle doors opened, and a smiling elderly man hurried out. "Welcome back."
"Dean Octavius!" Elric was about to smile, but then he paled. "Oh bollocks, Ari, there is something I forgot to warn you about."
"What?"
"The Dean's test."
"His what?"
Elric wasn't looking at her and was instead looking at the quickly approaching robed man. 'Well. It's too late now. Just...don't overdo it."