Gregory rubbernecked during the walk through the academy grounds, taking in everything he could. Bishop matched his pace, not hurrying him along. He did not understand why a plot of land with gravel, sand, and rocks had been raked. Another plot had small trees that had been shaped to look like normal sized ones, and a single man in an orange robe was carefully cutting pieces off one. A wooden bridge only wide enough for a single person took them over a stone-lined stream that was five feet wide. Multi-colored fish swam in the water, following the path of the stream.
They eventually came to a long three-story structure made of wood and white paper. He followed Bishop into the building, mimicking her when she paused just inside to remove her boots in favor of light slippers. They went past the front room and Bishop opened a sliding paper door. In the next room was a half-eurtik with furred round ears, sitting at a table.
“Proctor, another novice?” the woman asked, sipping from a cup of tea.
“Novice Gregory Pettit,” Bishop said. “I’m to get him settled.”
“He shall have the room next to the other new novice. Third floor, thirty-third room.”
“Thank you, Keeper…?” Bishop let the sentence trail off in question.
“Keeper Dia, Proctor.”
“Keeper Dia is the one who runs this dormitory, Novice. She is in charge of the servants, and her word is law inside these walls.”
“An honor, Keeper,” Gregory said, bowing formally to her.
A slight smile touched Dia’s lips. “Thank you, Novice. If you have questions, you will find me here most of the time.”
“Let’s not take up her time. Follow me,” Bishop said after the introduction was done.
Gregory followed Bishop to the third floor. They finally came to the room, which had a plaque on the wall next to it reading, “333.” Opening the door, she motioned him inside. Gregory entered a square room marked off by the same paper walls that the entire structure appeared to be made of. It was twice the size of his old room; a mat and bedding were rolled up in one corner, and a low table and cushions sat in the middle.
“The wall across from you is the storage area,” Bishop said as she placed her bags inside the door, taking a seat at the table.
Gregory moved to the sliding doors and found shelving reaching to the ceiling. On one of the shelves, there were two white outfits, some ink and paper, and a clear stone medallion in the shape of ten concentric circles. Putting his bag on the floor inside the closet, he closed the door and took a seat at the table.
“I will answer simple questions, but before that, let me tell you about what your first year will entail.” Bishop paused, watching Gregory lean forward. “In a week, when instruction begins, you will have a number of classes. Since you reside on the third floor, your first class will be economics, followed by history, aether introduction, and physical conditioning. Physical conditioning is the only class that has all novices attending it at the same time. Each class is just short of two hours long, starting from the sixth bell. There is a break for an hour before physical conditioning so you can eat. If you require more supplies, speak with the keeper. She will impose a limit if she thinks you are being wasteful.”
“Where can I get food?”
Bishop chuckled, “The mess hall. You’ll find it easily if you follow your nose. You are allowed two meals and a small snack a day. Your medallion will get you your meals, and it tracks your growth.”
“How should I divide up when I eat?”
“That is a good question. Break your fast before classes, snack before conditioning, and have dinner after. I found that to work best for me when I was a novice.”
“Are there only novices in the building, Proctor?” Gregory asked.
“Mostly. A few apprentices might still reside within the walls if no clan has accepted them, and maybe an initiate or two.”
“Is that normal, Proctor?”
“If they lack power or their magic is not sought after, there would be lack of interest from a clan. For this conversation, you may disregard my position.”
“Wouldn’t your clan accept them?”
“As the member is beholden to the clan, the clan is responsible for them,” Bishop explained. “My challenge tomorrow is a good example; if I lose, it will cause loss of standing for my clan, making our position in bargaining with the other clans harder. That is why clans normally do not take the weakest, unless there is another reason. If the magi came from a wealthy background, they might be accepted, as that could open other avenues for them.”
“The other novice… she has shadow magic. Why is that special?”
“Shadow magic has many uses, but the core of it is rooted in assassination and information gathering,” Bishop explained. “Both of these things are highly sought after.”
“How do I know what my magic is, if the master magi didn’t?”
Bishop nodded slightly, “Another good question, Novice. You will have a chance during aether introduction to find out, unless Master Damon finds something hidden in the archives first. They show each magic in the class.”
“Will he?” Gregory asked excitedly.
“Master Damon has been a master since my time here as a novice. He used to be the head assistant to the chief archivist. If anyone has a chance to find out what the ryuite represents, it is him or Chief Archivist Sarinia. I’m certain he will consult her if he can’t find the answer himself. The one thing he hates is not knowing an answer.”
“When we spoke of paths, you hinted that when I choose one, it will exclude the others. Why?”
“The number of magi who can grow their aether via multiple paths can be counted on the fingers of a single hand for the entirety of the empire. No one has ever managed to train using all three paths, except maybe the emperor, but no one knows, because he has never said.”
“I need to choose a path to grow my aether?”
“Yes, but doing so before your magic is known might hinder your overall growth. If I had taken the spirit path with my physical enhancement magic, I wouldn’t be able to do nearly as much as I do now.”
“I should wait, then.”
“That is the safest bet,” Bishop nodded. “Unfortunately, that will likely put you at a disadvantage in the tournaments. You will be even further behind the others.”
“Tournaments?”
“At the half year mark, the first novice tournament is held. It will help rank your class, and bring honor or dishonor to the clan you join based on your standing. There is a second tournament at the end of the year, as well. That one will help solidify your standing before moving onto the next tier. At the moment, all novices are supposed to be equal.”
“But we aren’t?”
“Not at all,” Bishop smiled grimly. “Your past isn’t supposed to matter when you arrive here, but as I said previously, having connections because of your birth still matter. You have none of that and an unknown magic. It will make people stand off until they know more. Use this time wisely.”
Gregory lapsed into silence for a moment before he asked his next question, “Where are the books kept?”
“The archive… I could stop there, but I won’t. It is located on the far side of the grounds from the gate. Respect anyone wearing black inside those walls; they are the keepers of the tomes. Any of them can help guide you to the right type of books, as that is part of their task. As a novice, the selection of books available to you will be limited, but it is a good place to learn.”
“Is there anything else I should ask, Proctor?”
Bishop chuckled, “Do your best to make at least one friend, but be wary of false ones. Train as hard as you can in your chosen path, as well as physically. Study, and do not make enemies of the magi who teach you. Avoid as many conflicts as you can, but do not shy away from brutally putting down those that you can’t avoid.”
“You mentioned clans. Do I need to find one to join?”
“Clans pick who they want to join them. They will approach you. Joining a clan will get you help in training and a stipend for you to use.”
“That would be helpful. Thank you, Proctor,” Gregory said, bowing from his seat on the floor.
“I need to see about my own lodgings,” Bishop said. “I will show you to the mess hall, if you are hungry?”
His belly growled, and Gregory blushed, “I will accept, Proctor.”
Bishop laughed, “I remember what being young was like. Follow me, and don’t forget your medallion.”
~*~*~
The mess hall was a two-story building, with stairs on either side of the exterior that gave access to a balcony where magi in emerald, cyan, and cobalt were sipping tea or smoking. Gregory made out a set of large sliding doors in the middle of the balcony. “Where do those go, Proctor?”
“That is where the academy adepts, magus, and masters take their food normally,” Bishop said. “No other tiers are allowed up there unless as the guest of a member of one of the aforementioned groups. The floor has a private kitchen where food is made to order, but only after the sixth bell. The first floor is different, and that is where your meals will be.”
The interior of the mess hall was like nothing Gregory had seen before. Rows of low tables with cushions beside them filled over half the room. A half-wall divided the room, and the rest of the space was taken up by a large kitchen with four people working in it. Four eurtiks stood behind the wall, serving food to the magi who were lined up next to it.
Bishop joined the line of magi. She picked up a wooden tray and followed the person in front of her, and Gregory copied her. The first eurtik, a weasel, handed Gregory a small bowl of soup. The scaled one after him gave Gregory another small bowl containing salad. The third eurtik, a rat, motioned to the trays before him, which held a selection of cooked meats.
“Fowl?” Gregory said in question.
The eurtik smiled and placed a large serving of cooked fowl onto a plate, then passed it to the mink beside him.
“Rice,” Gregory said, picking the same items as Bishop.
The mink scooped rice onto Gregory’s plate and handed it to him with a smile. At the same time, she extended her hand to touch his medallion, which was glowing faintly.
“Thank you,” Gregory said, returning the smile.
He followed Bishop to the side where pitchers and cups stood waiting on a small table with small baskets of utensils to one side. Gregory filled a cup with the same tea Bishop had chosen and picked up a set of utensils, as well. Wish I had known they had them for use. I could have saved myself some vela, Gregory sighed to himself.
He sat across from Bishop at one of the tables, and focused on his food. The soup was something he had never had before. It was thick and yellow, with bits of white floating in it. Covertly watching Bishop sip directly from the bowl, he did the same. The flavor of egg and corn washed over his tongue. It was warm, but not scalding, allowing him to enjoy it without pain.
His aether began to warm him from the inside as he ate. Unlike the meal at the Proctor’s Rest, which his aether had accepted without reaction, this was different. His aether felt like it was burning the energy as it came into his core, making him a little uncomfortable.
“Hmm, potent,” Bishop said, looking up at him. “Seems you are having problems. Sip the tea or eat some of the rice. Give each bite a chance to be accepted before eating more.”
“Yes, Proctor.”
Once he was doing as she said he was still uncomfortable, but it did not get worse. The meal took him longer than he would have anticipated, so he was glad he did not have to rush off to a class. Make sure to give yourself lots of time to eat, Gregory told himself.
When they both finished eating, Bishop showed him where the dirty dishes went. The otter eurtik took them with a smile. Exiting the mess hall, Bishop stepped aside and sighed. “That completes my duties as your proctor, Novice. I wish you the best in your education and path.”
“Proctor,” Gregory asked quickly, “would it be okay for me to watch your challenge with Harrison tomorrow?”
“It’ll be held in one of the arenas,” Bishop replied. “How you spend your time before classes start is up to you. Do your parents and village proud.” With nothing else to say, she turned and walked off.
Gregory watched her go for a minute before he went back to the dormitory. The sun was setting, the last rays of sunlight supplemented by lanterns that had been lit while he was eating. He paused near a pool of fish. Gregory smiled when he spotted a much smaller fish darting among the larger ones. That’s how I feel, too, he chuckled to himself before he started walking again.
