Of the many wonders of the world, the isle of Wistram and the academy of mages which rests upon it is not, in fact, one of the greatest. It is not the oldest relic of the past, not by far. The tall, dark citadel of stone does not shine with the colors of a thousand glittering ores smelted into metal like the fabled Dwarf-built towers in Baleros.<\/p>\n
And neither is Wistram associated with power, at least not more so than any other ancient structure. The Walled Cities of Izril speak of an era long past, when Drakes fought their distant ancestors from atop those battlements. It is not the oldest building made, nor the grandest, nor is it the most isolated.<\/p>\n
And yet, for every young mage in the world, no other place could capture their hearts so. Wistram Academy represents the pinnacle of magic learning and ambition. To them, it is a long-pursued dream, and to spend just a moment in those fabled halls is what some will work towards their entire lives.<\/p>\n
Which is why leaving is all the harder. The day after the yearly exams finished, the isle of Wistram saw a slight increase in the number of seafaring vessels docking in its stone harbor. Experienced [Captains] chartered from around the world made their way to Wistram to pick up the failed students. Of the hundreds who had come, as usual, less than a tenth had passed.<\/p>\n
The students departed silently, some weeping, others too disappointed for words. They stared at Wistram as the ships took them out of the calm bubble around the isle. As the winds and rain descended, the gray spires of Wistram\u2019s citadel would be the last thing they saw.<\/p>\n
That is what those who had failed saw. For those who passed, their celebration was nearing its third consecutive day.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
It has to be said that mages know how to party. Aside from being able to obtain delicacies and goods from around the world, the students at Wistram had developed quite a number of spells specifically designed to add to a party. Some were amusing, like a spell that disguised a drink\u2019s true nature until it had been imbibed. Others were simply dangerous, as in the case of one party which saw students play a game where they aimed spells at a moving target. Fifteen students were badly injured and one nearly died.<\/p>\n
However, on the third day the partying had ceased to become an all-day affair, and life was returning to normal, although the night\u2019s entertainment was rumored to be better than last year\u2019s. For now though, the newly accepted students stumbled into the banquet hall to eat before class. Some of them jumped in surprise when they heard the cheering from the older students, and several of them flushed red with embarrassment. They were full students of Wistram now.<\/p>\n
\u201cAw, look at them. They\u2019re so awkward. It reminds me of you two when you passed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calvaron laughed as he sat at his customary table with Beatrice, Ceria, and Pisces. The others glanced up as they noted the new students streaming into the hall. Beatrice stopped spooning porridge into her mouth and turned her head to look, and Ceria did likewise. Pisces was still engrossed in his book.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many passed this year?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty-four.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beatrice answered this time. She frowned as a trio of people\u2014Drake, Human, and Lizardman \u2013 passed by. They all had deathly pale bodies and they were clearly Selphids.<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of Selphids this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo? Don\u2019t glare, Beatrice. You\u2019ll scare them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calvaron grinned as Beatrice looked away. She turned her head to continue feeding herself, and Ceria nudged Pisces.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey. Get your head out of the spellbook and take a look.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
At last, Pisces blinked and looked up with a frown. He took in the new students being jeered, laughed at, and congratulated and blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, are the exams over? That was quick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it was. Stop reading and eat with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ceria yanked the worn spellbook out of Pisces\u2019 hands. He protested, but gave in and pulled the cold plate of sausages and potatoes over towards him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou interrupted me just as I thought I was getting towards a breakthrough. I was close to figuring out the [Invisibility] spell, I\u2019m sure of it!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been saying that all month. One break\u2019s not going to kill you so shut up and eat.\u201d<\/p>\n
The half-Elf rolled her eyes as she levitated a tureen of gravy over while Pisces warmed his food up with a simple heat spell. In moments he was happily scarfing down his food.<\/p>\n
Calvaron sighed and shook his head as he stared at the two second-year students sadly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so sad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t start, Calvaron.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no! I have to say this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Centaur pretended to be deeply troubled, sighing and clutching at his chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t bear to see it. How quickly you two become jaded \u2013 it feels like just yesterday you two were eager students, so happy to be admitted to Wistram! Didn\u2019t you, Ceria, burst into tears at the table one year ago? And you, Pisces, I fondly recall you getting so drunk you thought you could cast the [Flight] spell and leaping off your balcony\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
He ducked as Ceria hurled one of Pisces\u2019 sausages at him. Beatrice raised her head so she could glare at everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop that. Behave.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calvaron raised his hands and Ceria went back to her food. Pisces was busy eating. The four students were used to each other\u2019s company after a year of studying together, and so in no time they were talking about the latest world news and gossiping over publicly available secrets. But Calvaron stopped and turned his head as someone new approached their table.<\/p>\n
\u201cUm, excuse me. Do you mind if I sit with you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ceria paused as she reached for her goblet of milk, chewing a huge bite of sausage. She saw a young Human staring anxiously at her, a young woman to be exact, bright red hair hanging in a loose ponytail down the robes on her back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy certainly, miss. Have a seat, please!\u201d<\/p>\n
Calvaron ushered the young woman to one of the padded chairs that went well with the low table. He waggled his fingers at Ceria and she shoved Pisces\u2019 plate over to make room, much to his displeasure.<\/p>\n
\u201cCeria, I\u2019m eating\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces looked up and took in the new arrival. He coughed, and wiped his mouth with a napkin.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, excuse me. Who is this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Montressa du Valeross. I\u2019m a first-year student here.\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman bowed her head slightly, practically radiating nervousness. She seemed intimidated by the older students, especially Beatrice, who was regarding her with her usual calm. Ceria found that amusing, and noted the slight smile on Calvaron\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease, sit, Montressa. Are you here for me, or something else? I\u2019m afraid I don\u2019t have that many secrets to buy at the moment, but if you\u2019re looking to sell a few\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSecrets? Oh\u2014I mean, no. I\u2019d just like to sit and talk and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa stumbled over her words. Calvaron just laughed though, and with his usual charm broke through her awkwardness.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, just talk is it? Well, I\u2019m good at talking. You\u2019re one of the students who just passed the exam? Congratulations! Don\u2019t let my dour companions put you off\u2014Beatrice stares at everyone, Ceria\u2019s always grumpy and Pisces doesn\u2019t see anything when he\u2019s eating.\u201d<\/p>\n He winced as a napkin, sausage, and pinch of salt bounced off his chest. Montressa laughed, covered her mouth, and thus became part of the table.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, why are you here Montressa?\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron asked that after the young woman had begun eating the food she\u2019d brought. Ceria saw her pause as she lifted a forkful of buttered peas to her mouth. Montressa put her fork down and glanced at Ceria and Pisces before replying.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m ah, new here. And I was just accepted to Wistram, but I actually didn\u2019t take the exams. I got in late you see; I\u2019ve only been studying for a week now.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria saw Pisces\u2019 eyebrows rise and she blinked in astonishment herself. But Calvaron only nodded as if it were obvious.<\/p>\n \u201cYour family paid the full fees for this year? Well, no wonder Wistram accepted you.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa blushed.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to take the exam, but I wouldn\u2019t have passed and I missed the first ship you see\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it. A student\u2019s a student. It\u2019s just your good fortune you could<\/em> afford to pay your way in.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cDu Valeross? Oh, you\u2019re one of the Terandrian nobility, aren\u2019t you? You wouldn\u2019t happen to know Timor du Havrington, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe? No. I mean, I know of his family, but I haven\u2019t talked to any of them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Otherwise we\u2019d have to kick you out of the table.\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron smiled to allay the girl\u2019s sudden panic.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry. It\u2019s nothing you\u2019ve done. It\u2019s just that Ceria and Pisces here don\u2019t get along with Timor du Havrington or his friends. I\u2019d suggest you stay away from him as well. He\u2019s a bad egg, you know. And let me tell you, there\u2019s nothing like a bad egg to spoil an omelette.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa nodded seriously, and Ceria had to pinch herself hard not to burst out laughing. She saw the same humor in Pisces and Beatrice\u2019s eyes; Montressa was so earnest she was taking Calvaron seriously.<\/p>\n They kept eating. Montressa explained that she was an aspiring mage\u2014she\u2019d been tutored since she was young, but to really start her education she\u2019d been sent to Wistram by her family.<\/p>\n \u201cMy parents are of the lesser Terandrian nobility. They want me to become a great mage and apparently I have the aptitude, so they made a gift to Wistram for my enrollment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd no doubt you\u2019ve been approached by all the factions already. I hope you didn\u2019t commit.\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman nodded nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cI was told to avoid making promises. And I\u2019m just learning my way around here still\u2014I only found out about secrets yesterday. I don\u2019t want to take sides, just study.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood luck.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces sighed, and Ceria made a face. She was still independent after a year, as was he. But pressure on them was mounting too.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re a new, keen student. That makes sense, but I have to ask, why sit with us? We\u2019re happy to have you, but you seem to have approached us for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa fiddled with her fork.<\/p>\n \u201cI um, heard you all were really good mages. I didn\u2019t study with the other students for the first month, so I\u2019m really behind\u2014I was hoping I could ask one of you to tutor me. I could pay, but I don\u2019t have that<\/em> much coin on me and I don\u2019t have any secrets, so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The older students fell silent. Calvaron stroked his chin as he glanced at Beatrice. She smiled slightly and nodded a bit\u2014Ceria shrugged and poked Pisces. He was busy eating and didn\u2019t notice.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Pisces here is probably the best for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you. Why don\u2019t you help young Montressa with her studies?\u201d<\/p>\n The young man swept a hand through his messy hair, looking distracted.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I am<\/em> studying my [Invisibility] spell at the moment. It would be a time commitment but I\u2026hm. I don\u2019t think I\u2019d fall behind in my own classes\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll pay you. Four small secrets for helping, how about that?\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa opened her mouth to protest as Pisces sat up and nodded. Calvaron waggled a finger at her.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, ah. Don\u2019t object. You\u2019re new and I have a soft spot for new students. After all\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He clutched at his chest as Ceria rolled her eyes and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014You\u2019re only young once. Besides, Pisces really is the best mage in Wistram to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes. Don\u2019t you know who you\u2019re sitting across from? Pisces\u2014wipe your mouth, Pisces\u2014is a hero, nay, legend<\/em> among his fellow students.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa\u2019s mouth fell open as Ceria tried desperately not to burst out laughing. Calvaron continued, eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know he finished his first-year exams by killing a Troll? He was passed unanimously by all the mages. He actually got<\/em> money from Wistram to stay, if you can believe that. A natural genius; he\u2019s the best second-year student at dueling, and debate and<\/em> he\u2019s one of only six students to have passed the Ice Demon\u2019s class last year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIce Demon? I heard the class last year was hard, but the teacher for this year is nice. Who is the \u2018Ice Demon\u2019? Is she actually a demon? From Rhir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClose, but even those demons would probably run from Illphres. You might know her as the grumpy Human who never smiles at anyone. She specializes in ice magic\u2014she had to teach a class in combat magic last year, but it was so grueling that everyone who managed to take it dropped out. Only six students passed. Two of them are sitting at this table.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces straightened up importantly, and Ceria waved a hand. Montressa turned huge eyes to her. It was too much. Ceria stood up, balancing her dishes on top of one another.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got to go. Don\u2019t tell Montressa too many lies, Calvaron.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked offended.<\/p>\n \u201cLies? Not at all. I may exaggerate the truth, but believe me, Miss Montressa, every word I say is absolutely true. Good luck, Ceria!\u201d<\/p>\n She waved at him as she left the table. Pisces was still eating and he waggled his fingers at her. Ceria left, striding purposefully out of the banquet hall.<\/p>\n The Ice Demon? Is that what people were calling Illphres nowadays? Ceria supposed the nickname had started last year when she was teaching. It wasn\u2019t entirely undeserved.<\/p>\n Balancing on poles while firing magic at oncoming targets, learning to cast while in pain or under stress, aiming at targets that were invisible \u2013 in the days after Ceria had won the right to take Illphres\u2019 class, she\u2019d sometimes wished she\u2019d failed the exam altogether. Although she\u2019d traded the knowledge of how to pass Illphres\u2019 test to Calvaron for a good price\u2014as payment for him helping her get the salt in the first place\u2014almost all of the students who took Illphres\u2019 class still dropped out.<\/p>\n The woman was vindictive, mean, uncaring, and frankly, rude. She\u2019d made each student melt the ice with the salt by themselves while she watched, which eliminated over half who simply gave up from sheer exhaustion. And yet, Ceria had leveled up more from her tutelage than anyone else\u2019s.<\/p>\n That was why Ceria stopped in front of the door that was lined with frost two floors up from the banquet hall and waited. She knew better than to knock; Illphres\u2019 room was so cold that the door could tear the skin off of the palm of your hand. Nor did she try to get Illphres\u2019 attention by shouting or calling out. If Illphres knew she was here, she probably wouldn\u2019t come out.<\/p>\n Ceria was fairly confident Illphres hadn\u2019t gone to breakfast yet, and sure enough, after only fifteen minutes or so of waiting, the door opened. The expressionless woman with dark hair paused when she saw Ceria. The half-Elf stared innocently back at her.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Miss Illphres.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman just stared at her. Illphres sighed, and then walked out into the corridor. She moved past Ceria without a word, walking slowly and somewhat stiffly down the hallway. Students and some mages moved aside when they saw her, but Ceria just caught up to Illphres and began chatting naturally.<\/p>\n \u201cI gained a new class today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres\u2019 voice contained not a shred of interest. Ceria smiled cheerfully, forcing her mouth to move upwards.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I gained the [Elementalist] class.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a good start, don\u2019t you? It\u2019s better than being a general [Mage], at any rate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn [Elementalist] is just a mage who can\u2019t commit to one specific element.\u201d<\/p>\n That stung and made the smile on Ceria\u2019s face falter, but she didn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026it\u2019s still a class change. And I owe it all to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou taught me how to improve my magic. You helped me learn so much last year. And you know, I am<\/em> a second-year student now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I don\u2019t have a master right now and I could really use some magical instruction\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n She was going to make Ceria say it again. The half-Elf took a breath.<\/p>\n \u201cTeach me magic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did it last year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I had to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would really like you to be my master. Please?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan I change your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if I got you breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would you like to eat today? They\u2019ve got mashed potatoes and sausage, but there\u2019s also quite a good spread of greens today if you want\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you taught me magic, I\u2019m sure I could help you out so much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPretty please?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ceria didn\u2019t get Illphres to teach her magic that day. Or the next. Or the next. But every day she found herself standing outside of Illphres\u2019 door, and every day the ice mage looked more and more annoyed to find Ceria standing there. But she never wavered, and Ceria never gave up trying to persuade her, much to the amusement of her friends.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not exactly uncommon, what Ceria\u2019s doing. She needs a master, you see. Someone to teach her magic.\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron explained to Montressa as the young woman sat with them and studied. She\u2019d quickly become a part of their group and sat with them when the students ate or studied\u2014usually in Calvaron\u2019s room. She was earnest, enthusiastic, and, Ceria was happy to find, not at all bothered by other species. She treated Ceria exactly the same as Pisces, which was a refreshing change of pace.<\/p>\n \u201cDo all second-year students have to get a mage to teach them?\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa, or Mons as everyone had grown to call her, looked up from her spellbook as Pisces muttered to himself and frowned over his spellbook. He\u2019d managed to figure out how to turn himself transparent, but that was a far cry from true [Invisibility].<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron shook his head and sat up importantly. He gestured to Beatrice, who was sitting next to him and leaning against his lower half. They were sharing a blanket.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see, older students like Beatrice and I, well, we have<\/em> to have masters because it\u2019s simply too hard to progress otherwise. There\u2019s a limited number of spellbooks and besides, older mages can help us in so many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s hard. Masters don\u2019t always need apprentices.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly, thank you Beatrice. Many mages don\u2019t want to have to teach younger mages, so we have to persuade them. Sometimes it\u2019s with services we can provide\u2014I can get my master almost anything he needs thanks to my connections and Beatrice helps her master with his spells. But it\u2019s all variable. Some mages like my master have multiple apprentices and teach them all, and others have only one like Beatrice\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd some don\u2019t want apprentices. Like Illphres.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut if she doesn\u2019t want one, then why\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, well, only Ceria could tell you why anyone would be crazy enough to want Illphres as a teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria raised her head from her spellbook and scowled at Calvaron.<\/p>\n \u201cI think she\u2019s an excellent mage, okay? And I want a master who knows actual combat magic. Illphres is the only mage I actually know, and I think I can convince her.\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron winked at Mons.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a running bet on. Fifty-to-one says Ceria doesn\u2019t manage it by the end of the year. But she\u2019s doing her best, and it\u2019s been done before. Bothering the older mages constantly is a valid tactic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo long as she doesn\u2019t freeze Ceria\u2019s ears off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t do that<\/em>, would she?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria just shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cShe might. But I think she likes me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The first month had passed in the blink of an eye, and the second was almost over as Ceria walked through the hallways of Wistram. She was looking for Pisces so they could get together and study after their class on enchantments. She passed by students and mages, nodding to some, smiling at others, wondering where Pisces had run off to.<\/p>\n This was Ceria\u2019s life in her second year at Wistram. A lot had changed, but much had stayed the same. She still took classes, although they were harder, and she actively pestered Illphres every time she saw her. Being a second-year student only meant you studied more; a student was still a student and Ceria had already gotten used to classes and practicing spells day in and day out.<\/p>\n But one thing was different. Ceria found Pisces by following the excited voices. She heard a roar as she pushed her way through a crowd of students and saw Pisces, rapier in hand, pointing it at another young man who had both hands raised.<\/p>\n \u201cMy victory, Ramon.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces smiled at the third-year student. The other mage flushed bright red, but he reluctantly dropped the sword and wand in his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was unfair! I never saw\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA victory\u2019s a victory. Pay up.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces didn\u2019t lower his rapier until Ramon tore a pouch from his belt and hurled it at him. The bag slowed in midair and Pisces snagged it. He sheathed his rapier with a flourish as the crowd began to break up. Ramon stomped away towards another group of Humans who glared at Ceria as she approached.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother duel? Dead gods, how many is that this week, Pisces? Six?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEight, in fact. And you won\u2019t believe how much I won this time. Six gold pieces and ten silver.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria whistled as she fell into step beside him. Pisces grinned widely as he added the coins to his bulging purse. He had come to this academy poor, but now he was rich in both coin and secrets.<\/p>\n \u201cThey must have been very certain they\u2019d beat you this time. What did that Ramon fellow have? A wand?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cA dancing sword enchantment on one of the daggers and he had a wand with a frost spell attuned to it. He must have thought he could corner me with his sword, but he\u2019s a poor fighter. It was a simple victory.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case, you\u2019re paying for drinks tonight. Come on, I want to go over what we learned in class. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces frowned as he stowed his money pouch at his side.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere? A library? I told you I prefer solitude. Our rooms are back that way, if you recall.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be stupid. Montressa invited us to her room, remember? And it\u2019s a lot less messy than yours and far bigger than mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Of course.\u201d<\/p>\n It was now Ceria and Pisces\u2019 custom to study with Montressa if Calvaron and Beatrice were busy. And the two older students often were. Aside from their more difficult classes, the two were officially an item now, which came as no surprise to anyone that knew them. Calvaron\u2019s obvious affection for Beatrice made Ceria sick sometimes; not the affection itself mind, but the lavish compliments he heaped on her every second.<\/p>\n Pisces sniffed as he adjusted his robes. Ceria eyed him as she walked.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to wash your robes again, or learn a cleaning spell, Pisces. Dead gods, if you can learn [Invisibility] in one month you\u2019d think you could look up [Cleanse] or something!\u201d<\/p>\n He looked down at his robes with a frown.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think they\u2019re that<\/em> dirty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can see stains all over them! Go buy some new ones\u2014I\u2019m sure Calvaron could find you some nice ones enchanted against messes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI prefer to save my coin for more important things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSpellbooks, Springwalker, spellbooks. Even with what I can earn in duels, obtaining a new spellbook will be extremely expensive. I need to save all the secrets and coin I can. Why, a wand would set me back\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust don\u2019t be surprised if Montressa kicks you out of her room for being too messy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t do that, surely?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces looked worried. Ceria paused.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think she would. She likes you, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n He brightened. Ceria made a face at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t tell? It\u2019s pretty obvious. And don\u2019t tell me you haven\u2019t seen Praemla making eyes at you in class.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2014I might have seen, but you know\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n There was no accounting for taste. Pisces grew flustered as Ceria kept teasing him. He was fairly popular with the female sex it seemed, if only because he was a genius at magic. Ceria could only roll her eyes when someone brought Pisces up as a potential boyfriend. He was far too messy, distracted, and besides\u2014<\/p>\n She poked him in the back. Pisces yelped and glared.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s rat dropping on your robes, Pisces! How have you not cleared those things out yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a matter of fact, those are mice <\/em>droppings, Ceria. I happened to run across a few briefly earlier this week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgain? Do you seek out rodents in your spare time or something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He faltered. Ceria glanced sharply at him.<\/p>\n This is what was different. In the time since they had become second-year students, Pisces had made a name for himself with his prowess in magic and dueling. He could beat students with several years on him thanks to his talent with a rapier. But he was also rich in secrets.<\/p>\n Very rich. In fact, Ceria sometimes wondered if Pisces had more secrets than Calvaron. It certainly seemed like Pisces knew everything sometimes. People could be whispering in the halls and he\u2019d somehow pick up on it.<\/p>\n Naturally, everyone suspected Pisces of mastering an advanced eavesdropping spell, but no one could tell when he was using it or which spell it was. More than once Ceria had seen other students casting [Detect Magic] to try and observe him using the spell, but so far they\u2014and she\u2014hadn\u2019t been able to figure out how Pisces was doing it.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething on your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA bit.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned down a corridor and Ceria saw him whisper a standard ward against listening. He kept talking casually with her, as if nothing had happened.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, I\u2019ve been meaning to speak with you, Ceria. There\u2019s something I\u2019d like to show you later.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? What?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA secret. A big one. Remember when we found the spellbook last year? Well\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces broke off and Ceria felt the ward around them vanish. He raised his voice and called out.<\/p>\n \u201cMons! Ah, good. We were just coming to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n She hurried towards him, smiling widely, holding a stack of books in her arms. Ceria greeted Montressa and in a moment they were in her room.<\/p>\n Montressa had been given a large room\u2014probably because her family had bought her way into Wistram. Ceria and Pisces sat at a wonderful table inlaid with ivory while they chatted in between periods of study.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you go to Illphres again, Ceria? I can\u2019t believe you stand outside her door every day!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a habit. I think I\u2019m getting to her\u2014she\u2019s started waking up earlier to try and avoid me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see why she doesn\u2019t turn you to ice. Everyone says she has a temper. She\u2019s so scary!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike I said, she likes me. And\u2014uh, I think she might get in trouble if she does it. I hear she did it once and got in a lot of trouble with the Council. So I\u2019m\u2026probably\u2026safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow many days has it been, Springwalker? Fifty six?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYup. And I told you, stop calling me Springwalker, Pisces.\u201d<\/p>\n He shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you wish. However, I must inquire. Isn\u2019t there another mage with suitable qualifications that might serve as a master instead of Illphres?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere are. But they all already have apprentices or they\u2019re like Illphres. I want a master who can teach me one-on-one, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces and Montressa nodded. He frowned, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the table.<\/p>\n \u201cI support your efforts, but it would be prudent to have a fallback plan. Illphres is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. If I can\u2019t persuade her by the end of the year I\u2019ll give up. Frankly, I hope I can get her to give in before that or passing the yearly tests is going to be tough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYearly tests? No one told me about yearly tests! I thought there were only the entrance exams for new students!\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa sat up, looking alarmed. Pisces chuckled and waved a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need not worry, Mons. You see, the yearly tests only apply to second-year students and beyond. And they\u2019re not so much tests as\u2026qualification exams.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a test, Pisces.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria sighed and rubbed her head as she closed her spellbook. She tried to explain to Mons.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see, at the end of the year all mages have to prove they\u2019ve learned something while studying at Wistram. It can be anything from a spell they\u2019ve learned to reciting something they\u2019ve studied or presenting something they\u2019ve made\u2014it\u2019s just to prove they\u2019re worth keeping. Otherwise the mage might be forced to pay to stay\u2014it can be only a bit for food and lodging, or a lot if the mage is a lazy waste of space like Charles de Trevalier.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCeria doesn\u2019t really need to worry that much, in truth, Mons. Second-year students don\u2019t get tested nearly as harshly as older students like Calvaron and Beatrice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s rich, coming from the mage who mastered [Invisibility] in one month.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, well, all the better to spy with you see?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust so long as you\u2019re not caught peeping in any of the female students\u2019 rooms, Pisces. I\u2019ve heard some of them have learned anti-invisibility spells already.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces drew himself up indignantly.<\/p>\n \u201cI would never stoop to such behavior! If you want to accuse anyone of voyeurism, try Quesm. You don\u2019t think he\u2019s taking scrying classes for purely academic reasons, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n Both Mons and Ceria made noises of disgust. Talk turned back towards spells\u2014this time on wards to prevent scrying and who might be willing to put them up in their rooms. Ceria never did get to ask what Pisces was going to say in the hallway, but she sometimes wondered if he would tell her.<\/p>\n She thought he would, eventually.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere are more and more raids by pirates each week, it seems.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria pursued Illphres down the corridor. The mage ignored her. Doggedly, Ceria continued, trying to keep up a monologue.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people think it\u2019s the Drowned Men\u2014not all of them obviously, but probably a few ships of them. They\u2019re hitting all the major sailing routes, and some of the ships going to and from Wistram. Some nations have offered Wistram a reward if we destroy the ships. What do you think about that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPay for magic. That\u2019s common. So what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026I was thinking I might join in if the Council decides to send a hunting party. There\u2019d probably be a lot of older students going, but it would be a good way to test my abilities in battle.\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres turned her head to stare at Ceria.<\/p>\n \u201cYou? You wouldn\u2019t last five minutes against a group of raiders.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot by myself, but Wistram would hire a group of mercenaries and send a bunch of combat-capable students. Pisces said he might go. Calvaron and Beatrice wouldn\u2019t, but it seems safe enough, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cArrogance.\u201d<\/p>\n That was Illphres\u2019 only comment. She walked out of the corridor and Ceria had to shade her eyes as she stepped out into the light. She found herself on a large walkway directly over the ocean.<\/p>\n This part of the citadel hung out over the calm seas. Ceria wondered why Illphres had come here. She stared down queasily into the water below. They were quite a ways out over the ocean\u2014magic enabled the walkway to stretch far further than normal architectural engineering could allow.<\/p>\n Illphres stopped at the edge of the walkway. It had no guard rails, and so the mage could stare down straight into churning surf. She turned and passed a hand over her face. She was smirking a bit as Ceria halted a few steps back.<\/p>\n \u201cYou aren\u2019t going to follow me over here like always?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI uh, don\u2019t like heights that much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought half-Elves all swung around on branches and lived in trees.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no\u2026we don\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria cursed as her stomach roiled. Illphres was clearly enjoying herself. How had she found out Ceria was afraid of heights?<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like the secret I paid for is true. You hate heights.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014it\u2019s more that I\u2019m afraid of falling. Why did you come here?\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres gestured to the open air around Ceria. She stared hard at the half-Elf.<\/p>\n \u201cFour months you\u2019ve followed me around. It\u2019s annoying and you won\u2019t stop.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria swallowed hard.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no I won\u2019t. Look, I know you don\u2019t want an apprentice, but I need a master and you\u2019re\u2014well, brilliant. Please, won\u2019t you teach me? I learned so much from you last year.\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres considered this. She passed a hand over her face and her smile was slight and mischievous this time.<\/p>\n \u201cI might. That\u2019s why I\u2019m testing you today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA test?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria\u2019s ears perked up. She was going to be tested? She took a deep breath, hope fluttering in her chest.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m willing to do whatever I need to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Good. In that case\u2014jump.\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres said the word lightly as she pointed down to the ocean below. Ceria\u2019s heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJump. And I\u2019ll make you my apprentice.\u201d<\/p>\n For a few seconds Ceria stared at Illphres. The woman was smiling at her. Just smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Hell no. That\u2019s stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? I thought you\u2019d do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not an idiot. Who\u2019d jump just because you said so?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria glared at Illphres. The woman looked amused. She shrugged and walked past Ceria.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least you\u2019re a bit intelligent. I wouldn\u2019t teach you if you did jump. Be careful not to slip.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSlip? What do you m\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria turned to walk after Illphres and her foot slipped on a patch of ice. It was practically frictionless, and as Ceria windmilled her arms desperately and stepped back to keep her balance, her other foot slipped on a second <\/em>patch of ice.<\/p>\n Screaming, she fell off the walkway down towards the ocean below. It was a long, long drop.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCeria, I really think you should stop. You did your best, but Illphres is never going to teach you.\u201d<\/p>\n That was what Calvaron said to her the next day as Ceria sat at their table, sneezing and shivering. She\u2019d survived the fall, but gotten a bad cold from treading the freezing water before someone had helped levitate her out. Given that it was mid-summer, she had Illphres to thank for that as well.<\/p>\n Glowering, Ceria shook her head and coughed hard. Her lungs felt full of phlegm and she resented the way all the other students leaned away from her when she did.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not gibing up. And why are you all hiding?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to get sick.\u201d<\/p>\n Beatrice replied as she placed her head as far away from Ceria as possible. Pisces nodded. He turned to the young woman sitting beside him.<\/p>\n \u201cColds are impossible to cure with healing potions, Mons. You will note that Ceria remains this way even though she is in the capital of magic? The cold is so troublesome that the greatest of mages find themselves susceptible to it. It is simpler to let it run its course, but of course the risk of contagion from Ceria is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria scowled at Pisces. She shivered; she still felt <\/em>cold.<\/p>\n \u201cIb gonna make her teach me. I will.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, before you do that, would you mind convincing Pisces not to join the pirate hunting expedition? And removing yourself from the list as well?\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron snapped exasperatedly at the two. Beatrice nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not safe. You shouldn\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense. This is a prime opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces waved a hand airily.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have no less than four<\/em> experienced captains with their own ships, each with a crew of capable fighters. And with over twenty of Wistram\u2019s best students, we\u2019ll be sure to find these pirates who have been preying on traffic and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet killed. Horribly. Or ransomed.\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron interrupted as he buttered a roll. Beatrice nodded her head with her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense. You\u2019re exaggerating things. Ceria and I will be paid handsomely\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s so safe, why aren\u2019t the mages doing it? Why leave it open to the students?\u201d<\/p>\n The Centaur frowned at Pisces and Ceria. She coughed and replied.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s boring? We\u2019ll be days at sea and might not find them the first time. But it\u2019s fine, really, Calvaron. We can handle ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think you two shouldn\u2019t go. I really do.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria just shook her head. Her mind was made up. Calvaron opened his mouth to argue again, and paused as something flickered and flew past his face. He raised a hand to bat at it, and stopped as he saw the shimmering, fiery insect that flew past him to hover in front of Ceria.<\/p>\n She smiled as she saw the firefly\u2014a literal fly made of glowing lights\u2014hovering in the air. It spread its wings wide and she saw symbols and shapes flickering in the air.<\/p>\n \u201cOh? Is this from you, Mons?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did it! I think I figured out the spell!\u201d<\/p>\n Sitting next to Pisces, Mons\u2019 face lit up with excitement. Calvaron stared at the flying insect and the message only Ceria could read and frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this, Ceria?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces nodded. He straightened in his chair importantly as he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a new spell Ceria and I developed. It helps us communicate at range and no one\u2019s been able to decipher the messages.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo far.\u201d<\/p>\n Beatrice studied the glowing message carefully. Pisces smiled confidently at her.<\/p>\n \u201cI am sure no one will be able to break this spell. It is many times more complex than any [Message] spell you could ever devise, and it can be used up to several miles away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHandy. Will you teach us how to use it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe\u2026but only if you stop trying to dissuade Ceria and I. Our minds are made up.\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron threw up his hands in disgust.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s your funeral.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Two weeks later, Illphres found herself sitting alone at a table in the banquet hall. That was unusual for her, and she couldn\u2019t help feeling something was wrong. Only when she understood that it was because she was used to having Ceria talking to her and pestering her did Illphres realize what she was unconsciously missing.<\/p>\n She passed a hand over her face and let her features change into a scowl. The half-Elf was gone on her adventure chasing pirates, and good riddance. She was far too annoying anyways, and now Illphres could concentrate.<\/p>\n That didn\u2019t improve her mood though, and neither did the tall Dullahan who pulled a chair up at the table with her. He was named Jurix, and he was part of her faction, the Isolationists. That didn\u2019t stop her from glaring daggers at him.<\/p>\n Jurix raised his hands as he placed his head on the table across from her. Two plates of food and a cup floated down next to it. He ignored Illphres\u2019 glare that told him to leave and began to talk to her, quite unperturbed. He was too cheerful for a Dullahan, which contrasted well with Illphres.<\/p>\n \u201cStop glaring, Illphres. We\u2019re on the same side here. Or are you missing that half-Elf that kept following you around all the time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not missing her and she was a pest. What do you want, Jurix?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing. I\u2019m just here to tell you that Ophelia is on board. Totally.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres passed a hand over her mouth, and she was smiling when she lowered it. This was<\/em> good news. Jurix nodded, pausing to smile as he fed himself with a hovering spoon.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. We\u2019ve got four now; if we can get one more mage on our side I think we\u2019ll have a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll talk to Amerys again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTry not to start a fight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo promises.\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres changed her features to a grin as she covered her mouth. She could have done it without covering her face; Jurix knew her secret. But she had grown used to doing it this way. She was about to ask Jurix what had changed Ophelia\u2019s mind when someone began shouting a few tables over.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this now?\u201d<\/p>\n Jurix frowned and picked up his head so he could see. Illphres turned and saw one of the mages shouting in panic as he raced into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a trap! They\u2019re under attack!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho are?\u201d<\/p>\n Someone shouted, and Illphres looked towards the entrances to the banquet hall. She was expecting another loose experiment, or perhaps some of the undead from the catacombs under Wistram, but it seemed the issue didn\u2019t lie within Wistram, but outside of it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe students! The hunting expedition we sent\u2014it\u2019s been ambushed! I just received a [Message] spell\u2014there\u2019s a fleet of nine ships attacking them! It\u2019s not just a few isolated ships\u2014it\u2019s an entire armada!\u201d<\/p>\n The banquet hall erupted into shouts at this news. Jurix turned to Illphres. Her expression hadn\u2019t changed, but her eyes had locked onto the mage who had spoken.<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t that half-Elf with\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuiet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe students say they\u2019re outnumbered and the pirates have mages of their own! And their leader is far stronger than the [Captains]\u2014he\u2019s already slain two! Where\u2019s Archmage Amerys? They need her!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s out hunting!\u201d<\/p>\n The mage turned in desperation.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the other Archmages, then! We need someone who can teleport or fly\u2014if we don\u2019t hurry the students will be dead!\u201d<\/p>\n Jurix and Illphres saw the hall devolving into confusion. Some mages\u2014those who could actually teleport\u2014backed away, unwilling to expose themselves to danger. Wistram was full of mages, it was true, but only a fraction of their number was willing to go into combat.<\/p>\n For his part, the Dullahan stared hard at Illphres. She was seated, motionless in her chair. He knew she was thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you going to help?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe knew what she was getting into. All those students do. It isn\u2019t our job to bail them out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery true. We should let them sort out their own problems. And if they can\u2019t, well, that\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly. It\u2019s not our problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Jurix nodded understandingly. He reached for a plate, and stopped as Illphres stood up. She glared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? Are you coming?\u201d<\/p>\n He grinned and pushed back his chair, already fastening his head securely to his neck.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll message Bastam and Ophelia. We\u2019ll get her to teleport us, but it will take several leaps\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHurry. I\u2019ll go ahead. I\u2019ll be faster.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGot it.\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres strode away from Jurix. She saw heads turning towards her, but paid no attention. Students and mages cried out as ice spread in front of Illphres, but she just stepped forwards.<\/p>\n Her shoes were designed to stick to the ice, but only if she allowed them too. Illphres slid forwards on the ice, gathering momentum as she let the slick ice take her momentum. It spread across the banquet hall, making anyone standing on it slip or be forced to grab a table for support. Calvaron tumbled to the ground with a cry and Beatrice had to grab Mons to keep her upright as Illphres kicked herself across the ice, moving faster.<\/p>\n She shot down the banquet hall, smooth-soled shoes turning as she pivoted, zipping past a group of students. Illphres jumped and cleared the fallen Calvaron. She shot down a corridor and found herself headed at a wall.<\/p>\n Ice rose and curved. Illphres kicked off from one wall and shot up the ramp and onto the far wall. For a few seconds she was horizontal, skating on the far wall, then she dropped down to the ground and kept going, barely losing speed.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t know why she was doing this. Illphres ignored the shouting as her ice magic shot down the hallway, providing her with a passageway to keep skating down, moving faster and faster. There was no reward for this, at least none she cared for. She told herself real mages stood alone.<\/p>\n But she thought of Ceria. She scowled as she shot out Wistram\u2019s front doors, blasting them open with a pillar of ice. Illphres felt herself falling, and gazed down at the steps as they came rushing towards her. The steps froze, and the ice turned the hill down towards the docks into a ramp. Illphres sped down it, gathering more speed. She created a ramp for herself at the end and flew out into the ocean, a missile.<\/p>\n Real mages stood alone. But the half-Elf wasn\u2019t a real mage yet. And neither was Illphres.<\/p>\n Not yet.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGet down!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria screamed as another volley of arrows flew overhead. Half of those who heard her threw themselves down, but the other half were too busy fighting to dodge. She heard screams as several arrows found their mark. One flashed past her head as she held still on the deck of the rocking ship.<\/p>\n As soon as she thought the worst of it was over Ceria was on her feet. She clutched at her arm; she\u2019d been hit once already. The shaft stuck out of her flesh and Ceria felt faint.<\/p>\n But there was no time to rest or scream. The enemy was everywhere.<\/p>\n The deck of the ship she was on was filled with men and women with swords. Not just any men or women though; the Drowned People. They were a race created when parasites from the ocean fused with Humans or other species. Many were peaceful people, the products of an accident. But others were pirates.<\/p>\n And these were no ordinary raiders, no ragtag group of sea bandits. Someone had gotten their information very wrong, Ceria knew, because eight ships had ambushed the expedition from Wistram at sea. Now they swarmed the three remaining ships, wearing bright red bandanas. That way the archers on the other ships could avoid hitting their friends as they loosed arrows on the mages and mercenaries fighting for their lives.<\/p>\n At least the bandanas made them easy to hit. Ceria raised her hand and pointed three fingers at the nearest pirate.<\/p>\n \u201c[Ice Dart<\/em>]!\u201d<\/p>\n Three shards caught the woman as she turned. Two bounced off the crustacean like shell on her chest, but the third hit her in the throat. She choked but didn\u2019t fall. Ceria saw a mercenary turn and run her through\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cCeria!\u201d<\/p>\n She felt someone hit her from the side. Ceria fell and saw Pisces. He\u2019d knocked her to the ground just in time to keep her from being run through by a man with a cutlass. He grinned and slashed fast at Pisces.<\/p>\n \u201c[Flame Jet]!\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria screamed the spell as she pointed her hands up. The man dodged back from the gout of flame with a curse and gasped as Pisces ran him through. The mage pulled his blade back with a grimace and helped Ceria to her feet.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to run!\u201d<\/p>\n He screamed it in her ears as he pointed to the side. Ceria dragged him back.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t jump! They\u2019ll kill us in the water easily!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case\u2014I\u2019ll have to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He turned and swore.<\/p>\n \u201cLook out! He\u2019s coming again!\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria turned and saw a ship shooting towards them, black hulled, the front reinforced with steel to create a ram.<\/p>\n The captain of these pirates stood at the head of the deck, grinning, bloody sword in hand. Ceria flinched as she saw him holding two heads. He\u2019d already killed two of the [Captains] of the four ships and sunk one with his vessel. She braced as Pisces gripped the railing\u2014<\/p>\n The impact splintered the hull of the vessel Ceria was standing on and threw her and Pisces apart. She got up groggily, and saw more pirates swinging down onto the deck, charging the outnumbered Wistram students and mercenaries.<\/p>\n Already half of the students had died. The rest fell back, fighting with spells but unable to defend themselves from the brutally efficient blades and arrows that assailed them. Ceria stumbled backwards, firing shards of ice desperately. It wasn\u2019t supposed to be like this. They were supposed to be doing the hunting. They could have taken any equal force with their mages, but this\u2014<\/p>\n Fire erupted to one side, burning a group of mercenaries as the pirates cheered. Ceria saw a mage \u2013 a man with red robes \u2013 standing on one of the far ships. They had mages of their own.<\/p>\n She was going to die here. Ceria backed towards her friends, fellow students, and the mercenaries who\u2019d formed a desperate semicircle on their deck. This was it. The pirate captain led the charge and she fought for her life.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Across the deck, Pisces found himself fighting for his life. He stepped backwards in a flash, parried a blade, and stepped again, thrusting desperately. But his opponent moved as fast as he did, perhaps faster.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a Skill that\u2019s a match for your spell, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n The man who pushed Pisces backwards was no Drowned Man, but a Human, heavily tattooed on his face and arms. He cut at Pisces, making the mage duck and weave. Pisces muttered under his breath as he took five rapid steps backwards, flashing across the length of the deck.<\/p>\n \u201cRise, rise unto me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He cried out as the man cut his arm with a slash from his offhand. He had a dagger to match with his blade. Now the man stood, sword in one hand, dagger in the other. He beckoned with the dagger at Pisces, challenging.<\/p>\n \u201cI see your bell. Shall we have a duel of it, mage from Wistram?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces grinned wildly as he cast a spell without words.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to try, be my guest.\u201d<\/p>\n They spun away, each attempting to catch the other. Pisces leapt from the railing of his ship towards another one. He landed on the deck and the man followed, laughing. The pirates had butchered the crew of this ship and only the dead remained.<\/p>\n \u201cNowhere to run!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. There isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces\u2019 eyes glinted as something moved on the still deck. He brandished his rapier and circled the tattooed man.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ceria saw Pisces jump, but she could do nothing to help him. She was fighting for her life. It seemed like there was a wall of blades around her. She expected at any moment to be run through, but fought for every second.<\/p>\n Two ships, now. The third was dead in the water, Pisces and the other pirate the only living souls aboard. Ceria saw the other ship approaching, and realized they were coming to help. But more pirate ships were all around, and they were trying to board the other ship. Ceria saw one ship coming dead on, attempting to ram\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cTo port! Hard port!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Someone screamed that. Ceria saw the pirate ship turn, but too slowly. She gaped as a huge blade of ice sudden crashed into the ship, a vertical guillotine that cut the entire vessel in two.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The attackers stopped their assault as they turned to look. The pirate ship broke in two and began to sink. Ceria turned towards the railing and her heart stopped as she saw a familiar figure, skating across the waves.<\/p>\n Illphres. The ice mage froze the very sea around her as she dashed across the ocean. She moved faster than anything Ceria had ever seen on land, leaving a trail of disintegrating ice as she spun in the air and landed, skating backwards towards another vessel.<\/p>\n From her hands came ice, massive pillars of it that crashed into another pirate ship and broke the wooden hull. Illphres turned, and a wall of ice formed in front of her as one of the pirate mages blasted her. She raised a finger and hit him in the chest with a spike of ice.<\/p>\n \u201cMage!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria heard an incredible roar and turned to see the pirate leader. He was on his ship and it turned incredibly fast towards Illphres. Archers shot at her as she raised a second wall of ice to block them. Calmly, Illphres sent a second scything ice blade to cut apart the pirate leader\u2019s ship.<\/p>\n The ice broke as it struck the hull of the black ship. Ceria, ducking back and throwing fire, saw Illphres pause and heard the captain roar.<\/p>\n \u201cI sailed through storms that have sunk islands, mage! My ship and I are one! I am a [Storm Captain]! Come and fight me if you dare!\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres raced towards him on the frozen sea. She leapt, and a pillar of ice threw her up onto the deck. Ceria cried out. It was a trap! There was no way Illphres could fight an entire crew of pirates and their captain alone. She leapt from the deck of the ship she was on and dove into the waters below.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Pisces remembered the past. With every step and thrust and dodge and parry, he remembered the lessons his father had taught him. His sword felt heavy in his hands, but he dared not stop moving.<\/p>\n \u201cTiring, mage? You have skill, but I have Skills.\u201d<\/p>\n The tattooed pirate laughed at him as Pisces gasped for air. He was badly winded. Pisces knew he couldn\u2019t continue. He stepped backwards, towards a place where the dead had been cut down in droves. The man advanced, laughing. He was coming for the finishing kill.<\/p>\n One slash nearly tore the rapier Pisces held out of his hands. The thrust with the dagger cut him across the ribs. Pisces hissed, and tripped backwards over a corpse. He raised his rapier as the man stepped over the body\u2014<\/p>\n And it seized him by the leg. The pirate turned, stabbing at the man who rose from the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n He was horrified to find the man who\u2019d grabbed him was dead. The tears in his chest showed clearly where he\u2019d been killed. But he still struck at the pirate, and another zombie grabbed him from the other side.<\/p>\n \u201cApologies.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces rose to his feet and lifted his rapier. The tattooed pirate stared at him with horror and fury.<\/p>\n \u201cYou coward! This is a duel!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces ran the tattooed man through. He turned, and took a deep breath. More pirates were coming, swinging onto the deck and stopping in horror when they realized who they were facing.<\/p>\n \u201cNecromancer!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces stared sadly at the dead around him. They charged towards the living and he walked forwards, rapier in hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose there\u2019s no hiding it now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Illphres and the [Storm Captain] fought on the deck of his ship, exchanging blows. For Illphres, each spell was a spear of ice, or a storm of frozen daggers that cut down pirate after pirate, merciless, tearing holes in the deck of the ship. But the captain of the pirates dodged each spell, moving with effortless grace and speed on the rocking deck.<\/p>\n And he was strong, too. Each time Illphres raised a wall of ice to block him, he would swing past the wall of ice or shatter it with his enchanted blade. It could pierce her thickest barrier, and she didn\u2019t have the time to fight him and the crew that assailed her from all sides.<\/p>\n He caught her as she froze a score of pirates around her. The captain kicked Illphres off her feet. He tried to stab her through the chest as she lay on the ground, but she pointed and he dropped his sword, howling as it froze his skin.<\/p>\n He drew a dagger from his belt and threw himself at Illphres. She blasted him off his feet with a gust of frozen air, but he was back in a second. He raised his dagger with a yell\u2014<\/p>\n And his foot came down on the patch of slick ice underfoot. Ceria shot an [Ice Dart] at the man\u2019s head as she hauled her drenched body on the deck.<\/p>\n The captain\u2019s boot landed on the ice and he turned and leaned out of the way of the shard of ice. He grinned as Ceria stared at him in dismay.<\/p>\n \u201cOn my ship, I cannot be tripped by air, water, or any other thing underfoot, girl.\u201d<\/p>\n Then he turned and leapt out of the way. A flurry of [Ice Spikes] flashed past him, but each one missed. The [Storm Captain] lunged towards Illphres, and cut across her face.<\/p>\n Ceria screamed. But Illphres didn\u2019t fall. Instead, her face fell to pieces. The [Storm Captain] froze as he stared at what remained and Illphres nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cSee what the face of a true mage looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n Then the air froze. The deck froze. The captain raised his dagger and\u2014<\/p>\n Froze.<\/p>\n Standing on the other side of the deck, Ceria felt the water on her freeze instantly. She cried out in pain and flailed about, hearing it crack. The cold was intense. <\/em>She saw Illphres, kneeling on the deck.<\/p>\n \u201cIllphres!\u201d<\/p>\n It was minutes before the intense chill faded enough for Ceria to dash over to Illphres. She saw the woman kneeling on the deck, eyes closed, panting heavily. Ceria reached down to her, and froze.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres looked up, staring at Ceria. Blackened lips moved, but the rest of her face stayed still. Her jaw, her nose\u2014the entire lower half of her face was blackened, the skin dead. Ceria had seen such symptoms before. It was the look of frostbite.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you see?\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres whispered it to Ceria. The shards of ice that had been the\u2014the mask on her face slowly began to melt as the temperature on the ship began to normalize. Ceria could only stare.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what magic looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re just in time by the looks of it.\u201d<\/p>\n The three mages appeared in the air over the sea. They landed on the choppy water, staggering. Their feet met the surface of the water as if it were solid earth, but the constant movement of the waves still made it hard to stand. One of the mages, a woman with stitching around her hands, gasped for air as the other two caught her.<\/p>\n Jurix, the Dullahan and Bastam, the Drake, turned towards the ships where fighting still continued. Jurix pointed.<\/p>\n \u201cThere! Two ships are still active. A third is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre those zombies?\u201d<\/p>\n Bastam stared intently at one of the ships. Jurix shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cLook later. I\u2019ll take that ship, Bastam. You take that one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGot it. Go.\u201d<\/p>\n The Dullahan spoke a spell as Bastam began to chant.<\/p>\n \u201c[Whirlwind Leap].\u201d<\/p>\n He shot upwards, propelled by a massive gust of wind that hurled him towards the ship he had chosen. Jurix landed on the deck of one of the enemy ships and began casting spells at once. A trio of pirates rushed at him, but their blades scratched uselessly at his now-impervious armor. The Dullahan struck one with his palm.<\/p>\n \u201c[Tremor Impact].\u201d<\/p>\n The broken body of the Drowned Man flew far over the railing and splashed into the water below. The other pirates backed up, but Jurix pursued them, using [Flash Step] to blink forwards and striking them with the same spell.<\/p>\n Caught by surprise, the pirates tried to swarm the ship Jurix was on. But one of their ships slowed as spells began to rain down from the sky upon it.<\/p>\n [Fireball] and [Lightning Bolt] spells struck the deck of the ship with deadly accuracy. Bastam, standing on the top of the ocean waves with Ophelia, hurled the spells hundreds of meters into the air, arcing them to hit the pirates on deck with deadly accuracy.<\/p>\n Three ships sunk and two more taken by the enemy, the pirates attempted to flee. Illphres sunk one by breaking the hull with [Glacial Spears]\u2014the other two fell to combined attacks from the surviving mages.<\/p>\n And then it was over. Ceria stumbled across the deck of the deceased pirate captain\u2019s ship as Illphres connected it to another ship with a bridge of ice. Ceria wanted to support Illphres; the woman stumbled twice as she walked, but the woman just shrugged her hands off.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave me. Find your friend.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria hesitated, but then ran onto the other ship. She called out for Pisces, searching for him among the surviving mercenaries and student mages. Then she remembered he\u2019d gone to the other ship.<\/p>\n \u201cPisces!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The ship was full of people. How? Ceria shouted as the last surviving [Captain] turned his ship alongside the vessel. For a moment she thought one of the other ships had sent people to help Pisces fight, but then someone standing next to her cried out in horror.<\/p>\n \u201cZombies!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n They stood motionless on the deck, swaying slightly as the ship rocked back and forth. The undead. Some were mercenaries, others, Wistram students. More still were pirates, brought back from the dead after being slain. The ship was full of death.<\/p>\n And one living person. Pisces stood at the railing, a bloody rapier in hand. He was cut badly, but intact. He stared across the railing and then stared at the mercenaries and other mages. They all gazed at him, some vomiting, others backing away in fear.<\/p>\n Someone dropped a gangplank. Ceria saw Pisces step up. He walked across to her ship, and stopped in front of her. She just stared at him, not fully understanding. Not wanting to understand.<\/p>\n Pisces couldn\u2019t meet her eyes. He cleared his throat, stared at the ground. He looked at Ceria at last, and there was guilt in his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to tell you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria took a step back. The corpses standing on the deck stared vacantly ahead. The head of one had been hacked nearly apart, but it stood, bits of gore and brain falling to the rocking deck. Illphres regarded Pisces silently as both sailors and the other students stared at him in horror.<\/p>\n But he only had eyes for Ceria. Pisces lowered his crimson rapier.<\/p>\n \u201cCeria\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She backed away from him. Ceria felt weak. Her head was spinning. She took one more look at the undead that Pisces\u2014her friend had created and threw up.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNecromancer.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the word on the tongues of every student and mage in Wistram. Even the dramatic battle at sea paled in comparison to the attention, anger, and hatred focused around one person.<\/p>\n Pisces. He stood in front of the Council, the assembly of mages presided over by the Archmages of Wistram, the body that governed the academy. Normally the Council voted on topics such as policy, Wistram\u2019s stance towards nations, appointing new teachers, but it also served a rarely-fulfilled role as arbiter.<\/p>\n Standing on a balcony in the huge, circular room, Ceria stood next to Calvaron and Montressa as she stared down at Pisces, standing alone as he faced the Council. Beatrice had refused to attend the hearing. Or was it a trial? It felt like one.<\/p>\n The accusation was simple. Pisces was a [Necromancer]. It wasn\u2019t as if Wistram had outlawed that school of magic explicitly\u2014and yet, it was clear that they had. No sane mage practiced necromancy. It violated the dead. It was a tool used by crazed cults and madmen to create armies to assail the living.<\/p>\n It was wrong.<\/p>\n And yet Pisces stood in front of the Council and argued. Ceria heard his voice ringing through the chamber, confident, beseeching the other mages to understand. She stared at Montressa and saw the girl\u2019s horrified face, and the grim look on Calvaron\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cMagic is pure! Necromancy is a force to be wielded for good or evil, not inherently biased in itself! And is Wistram not a place where all mages may study? Consider, I implore you, the case of Az\u2019kerash! His name is infamous as the most powerful [Necromancer] of this millennium. He once studied here before he was slain on Izril. His sins are legion, that is undeniable\u2014and yet, is he not an example to study and admire?\u201d<\/p>\n Outrage. The rumble of voices in the room rose, but Pisces spoke over them.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, admire! I came here to follow in his footsteps, to see if anyone else understood necromancy as he did, or if he left anything behind. Az\u2019kerash was evil, it is true, but he was also a master of magic! He gazed deeper into the heart of magic than any but the greatest [Archmages] before him. Is this not something we should accept? Necromancy is the equal of any other magical school!\u201d<\/p>\n Mages sitting or standing around the room shouted at this, furiously denouncing Pisces. But he ignored them. His eyes were only for the Council. He spread his arms pleadingly.<\/p>\n \u201cWistram Academy is a place where the study of magic comes before all else. Before law, before morality or ethical concern. Here, magic is all. I came to study magic, to deepen my understanding of it. Wistram once held a single phrase to be true: \u2018To ever strive\u2019. I ask that you allow me to study, to be part of this institution and add to it as the one expert in my field. I have committed no crimes, despoiled no graves. I simply wish to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n They debated. And argued. A few stood for Pisces. Amerys was one of them. But slowly, Ceria saw the Council and the opinion of the mages swing only one way. At the end of it, a man stood. He was old, one of the Archmages, and the only one besides Amerys that Ceria knew.<\/p>\n The half-Elf, the ancient mage who had represented Wistram for over a century. Archmage Feor. He stared down at Pisces and spoke quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cWistram will turn away no mage who seeks to learn and is worthy of it. But necromancy is not taught within these halls. It is not accepted. And if you choose to study here, Pisces, you will do so alone. We hereby revoke your scholarship. If you would stay, pay the full dues owed to the academy. Otherwise, you must leave. That is the decision of the Council.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Pisces walked alone after that. He walked through hallways and rooms, but found no one who would speak with him. Some spat, others cursed him.<\/p>\n And when he found his friends, one would not stop to speak with him. Beatrice left. Montressa, Ceria, and Calvaron stayed, but all three looked at him as if he were different. Changed.<\/p>\n Evil.<\/p>\n \u201cI have\u2026one day to come up with the funds to pay Wistram. Or I must leave.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces\u2019 voice shook with rage, pain, and anguish. Ceria wanted to hug him, but she couldn\u2019t bring herself to. He was a [Necromancer]. He raised the dead.<\/p>\n It all added up. Already students were putting clues together. Someone had raided Pisces\u2019 room, found the small army of undead mice he used to spy with. They had been burned, as had almost all of Pisces\u2019 possessions.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have enough coin to pay? I know you had a lot saved up\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron looked at Pisces with a trace of sympathy. Pisces shook his head roughly.<\/p>\n \u201cNot\u2014not enough. I need more, and a lot of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2014I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t lend it to you, Pisces. I could trade you secrets\u2014and I\u2019ll give you a good price for them\u2014but I don\u2019t think you have enough of those either.\u201d<\/p>\n Calvaron didn\u2019t meet Pisces\u2019 gaze. Ceria didn\u2019t look at him either. Montressa just stared at Pisces, as if she wasn\u2019t sure who she was seeing.<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I\u2019ll trade you what I have. But I need more coin. So\u2014this.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces fumbled for something at his side. Ceria saw him lift his rapier up. Calvaron froze as Pisces offered it to him.<\/p>\n \u201cWould this be enough? If you sold it\u2014it is worth a large sum to the right buyers. Is it enough?\u201d<\/p>\n The rapier trembled in his hands, and the silver bell chimed once. Ceria stared at Pisces. Calvaron was silent for a long time before he replied.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough to pay the academy\u2019s fees? I can probably do that. But\u2014are you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces jerked his head. It could have been a nod. Calvaron stared at him, and then took the blade. Pisces stared at it, face white, and turned away. He stumbled as he walked out of the banquet hall.<\/p>\n No one went after him.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It was quiet when Ceria found Illphres. Somehow, the spirit of Wistram had been sucked out, or so she felt. Everything felt hollow, and empty. Even when she saw people laughing, it sounded fake and insincere.<\/p>\n The ice mage opened her door when Ceria called out. She admitted Ceria into her room and for the first time, Ceria saw the inside.<\/p>\n It was just a room. Cold, far colder than normal, but there was a bed and a bookshelf, and precious little else. Illphres only had time for magic.<\/p>\n The ice mage sat at a table with Ceria as the half-Elf shivered. Ceria couldn\u2019t help but stare at Illphres\u2019 mouth. The ice mage had restored her mask of ice, and her flesh looked healthy and normal. But now Ceria knew.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see, it\u2019s why I have to alter my face to smile.\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres showed Ceria, warping the ice around her face to change her expressions. The ice rippled and shifted unnaturally as Ceria watched, making her feel queasy.<\/p>\n \u201cFar easier to hide it.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman passed a hand over her lips and smiled bitterly. Ceria stared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for saving me.\u201d<\/p>\n This was the first chance she\u2019d had to say it. Illphres waved a hand over her face and changed it back to impassiveness.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose the fault is mine. I\u2019m too soft-hearted.\u201d<\/p>\n That made Ceria laugh. But that flash of humor was swallowed up by the hole in her heart. Illphres studied her.<\/p>\n \u201cYour friend has upset the other mages. If he stays, he will only face their hostility. He will not be accepted here, not ever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you know he was a [Necromancer]?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria shuddered.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I had known\u2014I think he wanted to tell me. But if I had known\u2014!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou would have done what, stopped him? It is magic. He is a mage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou think it\u2019s okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria stared at Illphres in horror. She could still see the lifeless eyes of the dead people Pisces had brought back. Dead, and yet moving. Far worse than a golem; someone who had been alive once, forced to shamble about. Illphres just shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is magic. In his own way, your friend Pisces aspires to be what I yearn to be as well. A true mage. And you want the same thing, unless I am mistaken.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do. But Pisces\u2014I\u2019m not the same as him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe is a mage. And you are a mage. And I\u2026I am a mage. But none of us are true mages. Not yet. I lost to that pirate captain. If you hadn\u2019t bought me time to cast that spell, I would have died.\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres said it matter-of-factly. Ceria nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you saved me. You did what I never could. You\u2019re a better mage than I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I am.\u201d<\/p>\n The two sat in silence for a while. At last, Ceria asked the question, knowing the answer.<\/p>\n \u201cWill you teach me magic?\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres paused.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. If you truly wish it.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the answer Ceria had been waiting half a year to hear. But it filled her with nothing. She looked down at her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it really okay? Is Pisces really\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe mages here would say one thing. I say another. Follow me and become a true mage. Then you will know the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n Illphres held out a hand and Ceria stared at it. She looked at the woman, the mage, who hid her pain behind a mask of ice. She thought of her friend, who had hid behind lies. The person she barely knew. She saw what magic looked like, what it truly looked like.<\/p>\n Slowly, Ceria reached out and took Illphres\u2019 hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Of the many wonders of the world, the isle of Wistram and the academy of mages which rests upon it is not, in fact, one of the greatest. It is not the oldest relic of the past, not by far. The tall, dark citadel of stone does not shine with the colors of a thousand […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693083,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693132],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-3726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-3","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n