Lumina finished the last ten of the two hundred and fifteen outworlders humans were capable of summoning from their worlds before returning her attention to her son. Considered, the other kingdoms referred to them as demons, but not the house of Elzcrid. It was a mistake they would never be caught dead making.Kilvic, her son, began two breath-spans after she had mentioned the last with no order to how he mentioned them. On a few occasions his lessons required he call them by order of their strengths, on other occasions he would be required to call them according to the terrains for which they are best suited. This was no such occasion. Having already mentioned all twelve kingdoms beyond the mountains and the names of the oceans and seas and forests and the outworlders that served as their guardians amongst other lessons of the likes of arithmetic, geography, even the basics of human and outworld medicine and anatomy, this was to be his last lesson of the day.The boy

The docks were least busy during the early mornings when most traders were setting up. Compared to the chaos of the afternoons when ships were pulling in and people took it upon themselves to loiter about, it seemed less chaotic than it really was.“Your grandfather wants you to court a mage,” he said as they passed a stall where a man was calming a rattling cage of wild geese. It hadn’t been a question, but Telvine nodded.“Mages are paid a lot,” she said. “If I marry a mage, then I won’t have to become a peddler like my parents.”Kilvic nodded.Peddlers were merchants too. But while those that held the richer part of the trade were the one popularly known by the title, those who’d failed to make it big and barely made enough to take a few weeks off to rest where referred to as peddlers. Amongst the latter, the more popular ones were known to move from place to place.Kilvic gave a casual shrug

The Academy’s grounds were a great distance from end to end. At its center was a statue, tall and proud, if not of a king, then perhaps the man who’d founded the academy. Although the crown on its head suggested it would be a king.The other buildings were as pristine as the one that housed the headmaster’s office which Diedrich informed Kilvic was called the Administrative building. The building which his classes was held was called the literate building.And as they walked past active classes within the literate building, he felt the air rattle from one of the rooms as someone used magic strong enough to cause acceptable disruption to the elements of air.Eventually, Diedrich stopped before a door. “This, student, is your current class. After you are done here, I will be glad to show you to your quarters.”“I don’t think that would be necessary,” Kilvic told him, adding when he saw the contemplation in the

“So, today we will talk about the kinds of mages,” Tillaman addressed the class as Ariadne sat down. “In Zeldric, mages are defined into classes. This is the reason the academy exists; as a way to help you know where you are most proficient, and help you do your best in that class…”“I’m going to be a sword mage,” Stratin whispered from his side of the desk.Kilvic turned to the boy. He was undeniably built for sword play, but the way he placed his feet when he walked insisted his strengths laid elsewhere. To be a sword mage, he would have to perfect the use of the weapon to the point where he would be capable of infusing his will, not just his reia, into whatever sword he wielded.Being a sword mage required a vast level of physical dedication mages hadn’t always been known for. Whatever swordplay he chose would have to be ingrained in him and the sword he carried, and with his eccentricities—as Ariad

Kilvic managed a smile as he walked down the passage just before Moss and Stratin appeared on both sides of him.“What’re you smiling on about?” Moss asked in his voice that wasn’t certain if it wanted to become a baritone. “Grunald’s class was horrible.”Kilvic discarded the smile. “It has nothing to do with that.”“Then what?”Like his smile, he discarded thoughts of unjustified retribution, giving what was left of it to his new friend in one sentence.“I believe I’ve just made myself an enemy.”They left the comfort of the buildings, substituting the aegis of ceilings and blue lights for the freedom of the cool breeze and an evening sky which was without cloud nor the light of the sun. The lights of the classrooms and their passages really did much to eliminate the knowledge of what the weather looked like outside of them.Kilvic followed Moss and S