Chapter 14 - Week six

Early in the morning, university grounds felt like absolute chaos. Hundreds of people buzzing in different directions, many of them carrying all matter of books, staffs, spheres and other contraptions for their studies as they walked with rushed paced, weaving expertly between all their colleagues doing exactly the same. Most of the people around were Acolytes, going to seminars, workshops or the library, while the rest were initiates heading for their classes.

There were plenty of courses and lectures for those who aspired to become mages, ranging from singing lessons to calligraphy to metalworking to everything in between. All of them were useful in one way or another, but not all of them were directly related to the investiture examination, which is the only thing Lu cared about.

As Jeremiah had explained to them a few days ago, the written exam consisted of five separate tests to be taken over the course of a week: Sigilscript, General education, Arcane Theory, Law and Ethics and History of Magic. In order to catch up and be ready, they would have to focus exclusively on these five topics and while the classes were not mandatory it was unheard of to be able to pass the tests without attending them regularly. In addition to that, the acolyte had arranged for them to assist once a week to Arcane Practice classes. Xherez was apparently footing the bill for all their needs, which was as unexpected as it was welcomed.

Today was their first day assisting to any of these courses, and saying that they were anxious about it was an understatement. Lu had never liked books, large groups of people or having expectations placed on them. Going to school as a teenager was the worst combination of all three things, sprinkled with a healthy amount of awkwardness and isolation. Having to do it all over again was terrifying. But this time it was only six months, for good or ill, and everyone there was an adult so hopefully things would go smoother.

They walked alongside the other students over the paved roads towards the main aularium, an inverted pyramid on the west side of the campus, next to the practice arena. The building seemed to defy gravity, constructed out of stone and glass with a flat top at least twice as large as its base. However, compared to some of the twisting towers and the glass library, the aularium looked pretty tame.

Lu followed the students into the building and up the stairs, to the second floor, towards a set of ebony doors down the hall to the right. Just like Jeremiah had described. He couldn’t be there to guide them at the moment due to some conflicting schedule, but he would come to talk with them after class.

The rest of the initiates kept looking at Lu, who despite their best efforts to fit in, still seemed to stand out. Tessa had let them borrow a light blue tunic and linen trousers, better suited for the tropical weather, as well as some comfortable sandals that were way to big for them. Lu had to borrow some belts from Prakash in order to get the massive clothes to fit them properly, giving the whole outfit an exotic look, as the vestali had expressed it. Lu felt naked under the thin cloths, without their sword, instead having to carry a bag with their books and a set of bone wands. They were as ready as they could be to look the part of a proper initiate and a dedicated student, and yet the stares and mutterings of their colleagues indicated they were perceived as an anomaly. Maybe it was in Lu’s nature, some sort of aura that made people immediately tag them as an outcast. Maybe it was the almost two-metres tall dragonkin guard following them. Maybe both.

“I hope everyone has done the appropriate reading for today...” An older woman dressed in pink robes and with a few dozen metallic wristbands was standing at the central stage in the room, in front of a black slab of slate at least thrice her size. “...because I don’t want to have to slow down again, we are behind of schedule.”

Lu sat down at the back of the class, on the top row of desks. Most of the other students rushed to the lower seats, closer to the teacher. Helvia sat next to them, leaning back on the chair and stretching her legs.

“Let’s turn to page three ninety-two, Spell assimilation and alternative forms...” The teacher continued once the tide of people had subsided.

There must have been at least two hundred initiates in that room, and some more that already had a notch or two in their stoles.

“...Unless there are any questions regarding Infusion and Exfusion.”

Someone in the front row raised their hand to ask and the teacher took the time to answer, but Lu did not understand anything of what was being discussed. Even the context escaped them. The teacher was standing in front of the slate, waving her hand around to magically create on the slate images of people, squares, circles, lines and other abstractions to illustrate whatever she was explaining to the students. She shuffled her wristbands around constantly, which led Lu to believe that they had something to do with the images and the spell that the teacher was using.

“You probably should be paying attention.” Helvia whispered.

“What for? I don’t even know the basics for this, it sounds like elven to me.” Lu dropped their head on the table.

“Just try to take some notes and you can check with Aregoma tomorrow.”

“I can’t focus on listening and writing at the same time.” Lu pulled a notebook and a charcoal pencil. “Why don’t you write the notes while I pay attention.”

“I am not sure that would work.”

“I hope those voices I hear are excited students discussing this week’s topic.” The teacher did not shout, but her voice was projected in such a way that it felt like she was speaking directly in front of Lu. “What are your thoughts on alternative forms? What is the best path for reduction and assimilation?”

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Lu stayed paralyzed for what felt like an eternity, the red eyes of the woman staring right through her. A few hands were raised by other students.

“I... I am sorry.” Lu said.

The teacher shook her wrists and the images in the slate vanished. “You are the new joiner, right? Miss Lowfield?”

Lu nodded.

“Don’t do the reading or pay attention if you don’t want, waste Elbes’kiir’s money as much as you please, but the only thing I will not tolerate is that you disrupt this class.”

Lu lowered their head. The teacher pointed to one of the volunteers.

“Alternative forms are a good path for reduction, specially the transition from full-body to hand-signed.” Their classmate answered. “The best path for reduction is to prescind from the circles first, then transition from body to signs and then reduce the syllables from the chant.”

“Absolutely correct!” The teacher clapped her hands. “However, that is a gross oversimplification of the process, so let’s look at the four components of spells: visualization, sigil circles, chant and form. We will study how we can reduce each one of them. As a rule of thumb, the more you have of one, the less you need of the rest, and what we call assimilation is just reducing the form, chant and sigils in favour of carrying the spell heavily only with visualization. This makes the spell faster and in some ways easier but also less reliable...”

Lu kept their head low for the rest of the class, trying to keep up and taking notes when they could.

*****

The class lasted for about four hours, counting three fifteen minutes breaks. If that wasn’t enough, the teacher expected the attendants to read next week’s chapter, as well as some additional material, before the following week’s class started. The whole thing seemed set up explicitly to target Lu’s worst qualities.

“I don’t know if I can keep this up.” Lu whispered to Helvia while walking out of the classroom alongside the rest of the students. “I can barely focus for the last hours of so, I don’t remember anything and took even less notes.”

Helvia, who had just woken up from her nap, stretched her arms. “If you think about it you only need to attend this class fourteen more times. One way or another.”

“Thank you, that is both reassuring and terrifying.”

A hand waved from among the crowd of staring faces. It was Jeremiah.

He was in a group with six other people, who were whispering and laughing with each other while throwing judgemental glances at the approaching pair. All of them humans of fair skin, dressed in colourful well-kept robes that were definitely expensive. Most of them had some type of gold necklaces, rings or other jewellery adorned with symbols of the noble houses of the empire.

“So... How was your first day?” Jeremiah asked.

“Exhausting, and I am not sure I have learnt anything.” Lu replied.

“We... We were thinking of going to the Broken Teapot, the same place we went the other day. Do you want to join?” He looked nervously at his friends, as if asking for permission.

A blonde man about Lu’s age, cleanly shaven and with the insignia of his family embroidered in gold thread on his chest, walked forwards and rested his arm around Jeremiah’s shoulder. He winced, but his friend did not seem to care.

“Jerry man, are you not going to introduce us to your friend?” He had a forced smile with teeth that were way too white and the poshest accent Lu had ever heard.

“I was about to...”

“I am Arthur of house Aureaga.” He waited for a few seconds, as if expecting a reaction that didn’t come. “And you are...?”

“Lu.” They reached forwards, offering their hand. “Honestly feel like there is some joke I could do here but I am done thinking for the day.”

Arthur looked at the offered hand and shook it with barely disguised contempt. He gave a signal to the group and they all began walking towards the centre of the campus.

“So are you joining us?” Jeremiah asked again.

Lu sighed. “I am not sure, I can’t afford anything and I...”

“That would be no problem.” Arthur interrupted. “I can invite you.” He smiled again, with the same fake grin.

“Can you pay for Helvia as well?” Lu asked.

Arthur looked at the Dragonkin shocked, as if he had not seen her before. “Do you allow your bodyguard to eat while on duty?”

Helvia sighed, barely holding her tongue.

Lu laughed. “She is the opposite of a bodyguard, actually.”

“I don’t follow.” Arthur shook his head. “What has your family requested the empire to do exactly?”

Lu debated in their head whether they should just tell the posh guy about their situation. In one hand, the truth would become known eventually. On the other, he was an insufferable glitter-brain.

“I was not aware the Aureaga sent their children to learn magic.” Helvia interceded. “It was my understanding that you all were blessed by the emperor’s light and used his magic.”

“I am not like my cousins.” He run his fingers through his golden locks. “I sought to find my own magic and my own purpose.”

“So you are not part of the main family and didn’t inherit any of their powers. You were too spoilt to be a paladin and too rude to be a priest so they sent you here so you would not embarrass them at home.” Helvia crouched to look at Arthur in the eyes. “And if I have to guess you have spent almost a decade here and are still not even an acolyte, so I say your family was right in sending you away.”

Arthur, red as an apple, mouthed a few unintelligible retorts before pointing at Helvia and raising his chin. “Consider yourself un-invited.”

He rushed forwards to catch up with the rest of the group. Jeremiah and Lu stared at each other with wide open eyes while Helvia laughed so much she had to use her spear to hold balance. Jeremiah whispered some apologies on behalf of his friend and ran forwards with the rest. Lu heard Arthur shout something at him.

Once Helvia recovered, the pair switched route to head towards the elevator.

“First of all, I loved that.” Lu Laughed once they were out of sight from the posh group. “But what in the dragon’s ass was that about?”

“I have met this person before, multiple times actually.” Helvia exhaled. “It is always some second-cousin third-removed from an actual noble family that wields the name around because is the only thing they have. It is always the same oh I am so important attitude, when they do not have any worth as a person, and have achieved nothing for themselves. I hate them all.”

“Is that not going to have repercussions?”

The Dragonkin shrugged. “What are they going to do? Demote me?”