Gregory and Yukiko watched the students leave the aether introduction class. Nick, Jason, Michelle, and a half dozen others walked out together. Their conversation wasn’t hard to hear.
“Figures they wouldn’t show up early today,” Jason snickered.
“Little bitch deserves to pay for what she did to me,” Michelle grumbled.
“Oh, she’ll pay,” Nick sneered. “I made sure that some things are in motion.”
Gregory frowned as he watched them go. “Assholes…”
“I wonder if being part of Aether’s Guard will matter to them?” Yukiko said. “I doubt it will.”
“For them, it might not,” Gregory replied.
“I think that was the last of them,” Yukiko said when two more students rushed out well behind everyone else.
Before they could step out of the shadowed area they had waited in, five people in emerald kimonos and two in cyan left the training area. Gregory and Yukiko exchanged a glance, both wondering if the other had a guess.
“Hands-on training today?” Gregory guessed with a questioning lilt.
“Possibly… the majority were adepts.”
“Let’s go see,” Gregory said, leading them toward the class.
More people in emerald robes sat at a table inside, sipping tea. When the pair came into view, their conversation dropped off. They bowed to the adepts that were present.
“Good day,” Gregory said.
“You’re the first ones to class,” Dunn said. “Missing your previous class?”
“We haven’t been to history in months, sir,” Yukiko replied.
“Have a seat, but don’t get too comfortable. Today is a hands-on day,” Dunn said.
“Thank you, sir,” Yukiko replied.
“I’ll get my notes ready, sir,” Gregory added.
“I’ll still want you to try copying the others,” Dunn said.
“Yes, sir.”
As the other novices started to show up, the adepts got up from their break. Another three adepts joined the ones who had stayed behind, along with a single magus. When the bell for the hour rang, Dunn moved to the front of the class.
“Today, you will be learning another technique for your magic with an adept or magus that has the same magic. For fire, you’ll learn what you saw during the tournament: the ability to throw a globe of fire. Wind magi will be taught how to use the environment to distract your opponent, and so on. Crafters, the adepts will join you to help you better understand your magics so you can use your aether in less stressful ways. Now, the grounds are marked out with places for each of you to learn. Separate and begin.”
The single magus was staring at Yukiko. “Novice Warlin, when you are ready.”
“Of course, Magus Aldum,” Yukiko said.
“Warlin, there is no spot marked for you to learn, but the tree near the wall would be best,” Dunn said.
“Yes, sir.”
Gregory watched the others for a few moments before he got to his feet. Starting with the crafters, he paused to listen to each adept instructing the novices. The adept teaching alchemy to one of the novices had a single green leaf embroidered on their kimono.
“Now, this part is the tricky part— you need to infuse the leaf with aether,” the adept was saying. “It’s a finely balanced thing. If you give it too little, the potency is lost. Too much and…” Trailing off, the adept pushed too much aether into the leaf. The vibrant leaf glowed for a moment before it went up in smoke. “You lose the leaf, and have to start all over. This matters even more in later recipes. A failure like that in the later stages means having to start the whole thing over.”
Gregory wondered if the same was true for recharging enchanted items. Thinking it over, he headed for Dunn. “Excuse me, sir? If an enchanted item needs to have aether pushed into it to charge, can it be given so much that the item would be ruined?”
“In theory,” Dunn nodded. “In practice, it’s nearly impossible. You wear enchanted rings. Have you tried doing as you ask?”
“No, sir. They recharge off the ambient aether.”
“Ah. The answer we are taught is yes, but it’s improbable. When overcharging an enchanted item a little, the extra vanishes. The material of the item, along with its total capacity, can tell you a lot about how much you’d have to overcharge one.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Of course. Are you trying to do as the adepts are instructing?”
“I will, sir. I was just watching the alchemist, which prompted the question.”
“Very well.”
Gregory spent the next hour going from group to group. He never had any luck with the magic being taught, but he did catch a few glimpses of aether strings. The adept teaching fire glared at him when Gregory paused to listen. Seeing the flame on her kimono, Gregory didn’t stay long with that group.
Finally making it over to where Yukiko was working, Gregory smiled as he watched her manipulate the shadows. Her strings were easier for him to catch sight of.
“It was an item? That explains a lot,” Aldum nodded. “A novice shouldn’t be able to do that. It caused a stir in the clan.”
“I didn’t mean for it to do so, sir,” Yukiko said as she focused on a shadow that was slowly reaching out for a leaf.
“As it is, the ability to shadow-bind and trip is what you should be learning now. Which magi taught you how to do those tricks?”
“It seemed like the next natural step, sir,” Yukiko responded, evading the question.
“Hmm. What is it, Pettit?” Aldum asked sharply when he noticed Gregory.
“I’ve been instructed to watch each person and try to do the same, sir.”
“Dunn…” Aldum sighed. “He wastes all our time. If you had the magic to do this, we would know already. Just stay back so Warlin can work.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gregory smiled when Yukiko was able to deftly pluck the leaf from the limb.
“Passable, but you’re taking too long,” Aldum sniffed. “If you joined the right clan, though, they would greatly advance your ability.”
Yukiko’s neutral expression didn’t shift. “I’m aware, sir. I’m still considering all my options.”
Aldum’s frown grew. “It’ll be such a pity to see your talent stunted. The wrong clan will surely stifle your chance to grow.”
“I’m aware, sir,” Yukiko said, again doing her best to placate him without saying anything she’d regret.
“I need to make my notes. Excuse me,” Gregory said.
“Will you make me a copy, Greg?”
“Of course,” Gregory smiled.
“You know, if you were to both join… a clan…” Aldum said, his voice slowing as he tried to hint at his own clan without saying it, “I’m sure your magic could be found so much faster, Pettit. Master Damon may be knowledgeable, but no one person will know everything a clan might about Aether’s Blade.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, sir. I’m still weighing all my options.”
“A pity,” Aldum tsked. “Warlin, back to work!” he snapped at her, as she had paused for a moment.
“Yes, sir.”
“Still nothing, Novice?” Dunn asked when Gregory went back to his table.
“No, sir.”
“I’m sure Master Damon will find something in time. Have you started on a path, at least?”
“I’m torn on which would be best, sir. What if the one I pick isn’t good for my magic?”
“A valid fear, Novice. Even though it’s widely looked down on, the spirit path has no disadvantage with any magic. It just doesn’t have many it synergizes with, either.”
“I will consider it. Thank you, sir.”
“I’m glad to assist those under my tutelage.”
“Sir,” Gregory asked slowly, “how hard is it on novices who don’t pick a clan?”
Dunn thought about it for a while. “Very. The first year, you have four classes, but you don’t have four next year, as that time is spent with your clan. Next year, your only class is tactical analysis. You can request aether studies and physical conditioning if you don’t have a clan, though.”
“Tactical analysis is to prepare us for third year?” Gregory asked.
“Yes. That year is different. You’ll see when you get there.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Dunn gave him a nod before wandering off to check on others.
Gregory began to take notes. He was a page in when he saw a gathering of aether strings start to form in front of him. Looking up, he found the fire adept staring his way. Gregory pushed himself backward just before the paper he’d been writing on burst into flames. The heat of it was intense— if Gregory had stayed sitting there, his hands would be badly burned and he would have minor burns across his front.
“Adept Mawic!” Dunn shouted, advancing on the fire adept. “What happened?”
“I was jostled by a novice when forming the spell,” Mawic said indifferently.
Gregory stood up, dusting his kimono off. “Luckily, I wasn’t injured.”
Mawic frowned for a second before she smiled. “Oh, good. When Novice Petak bumped me, I was worried.”
Novice Petak had a nasty smile on his lips. “Sorry. I caught a foul odor and my near-retching made me bump into the adept.”
“What did you smell?” Dunn asked, having come to a stop a few feet from the fire group.
“Refuse, offal… something that doesn’t belong in a city, but would be right at home on the fringe,” Petak snickered.
Dunn nodded in understanding. “I see. If it happens again, we might need to remove you from the class, for your own good. Can’t let a novice get sick in class.”
Petak’s face went blank. “What?”
“If you’re incapable of managing to not get ill, I will remove you from the class,” Dunn said.
Mawic sneered. “You think that you can go that far, Dunn?”
Dunn met the woman’s eyes and nodded. “As the instructor of this class, I am well within my purview to remove anyone who is impeding my class.”
“Then why is the magicless novice still here?” Mawic hissed.
“Because Pettit has not interfered with others,” Dunn said simply. “He’s been trying to do what the academy has failed to do for him.”
Mawic looked like she had swallowed her tongue for a moment. “You would insinuate the academy has failed?”
“The Keeper of the Blade, Master Damon, has yet to find out what the ryuite means. No one has been able to assist Pettit with finding his magic. If that isn’t failure, what is?” Dunn’s calm monotone voice laid out the facts simply.
“How—?” The bell chiming the hour cut Mawic off.
“It seems we’ve run late,” Dunn said. “Due to the fire, I would say. You’re all dismissed.”
Gregory gathered his unburned things and got ready to leave. Yukiko was there a moment later, picking up her things, too.
“Greg, are you really okay?” Yukiko whispered as the class began to break up.
“Yes. I’ll explain later,” Gregory whispered back.
“Lucky fringer,” Petak sneered as he went past. “You’ll be getting yours in time.”
Gregory met the other novice’s eye. “Anytime you want to challenge me, feel free.”
Petak sniffed and kept walking. “There’s that stench again.”
“Now that class is over,” Magus Aldum said, approaching the pair, “I want to once again offer you the chance to truly learn shadow magic by joining the clan, Yukiko. Your friend would be welcome to join us, as well. It would deter… things.” The last word was tacked on to emphasize what was going on.
“We appreciate the gesture, sir,” Yukiko said. “We’ll come to a decision soon.”
“Before it’s too late, I hope,” Aldum said before the shadows swallowed him.
