It was the silliest of notions. A fanciful request. After all, by his calculations it was probably late March in this world, early April at the very latest. If the months even lined up the same way as they did back at home. It was far too many months away from October, and there weren\u2019t even any children around to begin with.<\/p>\n
But to Blackmage\u2019s greatest surprise, it turned out that the Mages of Wistram loved the idea. Within the hour, illusion spells were being cast across Wistram, and the banquet hall turned into something right out of his dreams. Sugary treats were heaped up along with the daily banquet of food. No one objected. That was because [Mages] loved dressing up and having fun. If there was anything Blackmage had learned so far, it was probably that. Oh, and how to shoot lightning from his fingers. He was particularly pleased about that, too.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
His name was Blackmage. Actually, it was Aaron Vanwell, but he hadn\u2019t been called by his real name since entering this world. Within the Academy\u2019s walls, he was referred to as Blackmage and went by that as his name. But since most of the [Mages] found the name incredibly amusing, they often just said \u2018new student\u2019, \u2018Human\u2019, \u2018otherworlder\u2019, or \u2018you\u2019.<\/p>\n
However, Aaron would admit that every time Archmage Feor, one of the few most powerful spellcasters in the world, called him Blackmage, he grew slightly giddy inside. Now, he watched as the aged half-Elf sat only a few feet away from him, his silvery-white beard practically glowing as he inspected the hat in front of him.<\/p>\n
It was a wizard\u2019s hat. That was to say, it looked like what most people would imagine a wizard\u2019s hat to be, rather than, say, any hat that happened to fall on a wizard\u2019s head. Blackmage had expected glowing stars or maybe a few glowing mystic words, but the [Illusionist] had sneered at such basic spells and enchanted the hat with a nimbus of light that shimmered like the aurora around the hat. To top it off, little flying dragons made out of magefire flew through the colored lights, roaring soundlessly.<\/p>\n
The half-Elf who\u2019d presented the Archmage with the hat clearly thought it was an abomination of design that should be burned, but the Archmage laughed instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cDressing up as [Witches]. How amusing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Archmage Feor chuckled at the quaintness of the idea. He inspected the pointed hat, smiling at the illusion magics. Then he placed it upon his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs for [Wizards]\u2026well, I suppose the look suits the occasion. Tell me, young Blackmage, is this custom of dressing up solely reserved for this holiday in your world? Halloween?\u201d<\/p>\n
Two pale blue and silver eyes peered at Blackmage. The pupils were bright in a way that had nothing to do with the ambient light. Blackmage felt a jolt as they met his. That was the real magic. Feor\u2019s hat shone, but the half-Elf himself was timeless. And when he looked at you, you could feel the power in his glance. The young Human man, barely nineteen years old, stammered as he replied to the half-Elf who was easily twenty times older than he was.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s, uh, right, Archmage Feor. Well, sometimes people dress up for fun for other events. But the holiday only comes once a year. But I thought it would be appropriate for the new students. Because it\u2019s a celebration. And it\u2019s like Hogwarts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh. The fictional magic school of your world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Feor\u2019s eyebrows rose slightly. He looked down the banquet table at the other mages. The head table in Wistram\u2019s grand dining hall was reserved for the highest-level [Mages] in the academy. Well, it wasn\u2019t reserved, but any arrogant young [Mage] strolling up to the table probably would be subjected to some kind of hex to put them in their place. It was rare to see more than ten bodies at the long table except for dinner, so Blackmage, Feor, and the third half-Elf had plenty of space to sit.<\/p>\n
Not that Blackmage felt quite comfortable up here. He was aware of the staring from the other students and mages in the room, but Feor\u2019s personal invitation meant that he could sit with the other elite mages, none of whom looked younger than forty. He saw half of them were also wearing hats or had spelled their already enchanted robes to look more grandiose for the occasion.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is incredible to me that a place of fiction can be known throughout your world. Almost as incredible as the notion that magic does not exist where you come from. I must wonder if our worlds are tied in some way. That both would have a center of magic, an academy where mages gather\u2014if only as an idea in your world\u2014speaks to me of some kind of resonance. And certainly, this idea has quite enlivened the academy. Still, dressing up as wizards and witches\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Feor laughed again. Blackmage saw his pointed ears raise a bit and stared. He had to. Even after several months of staying in Wistram, seeing Elves<\/em> or rather, half-Elves in the flesh was incredible. He shifted in his seat and coughed.<\/p>\n \u201cArchmage Feor. May I ask a question?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf peered at Blackmage, and again, the young man had to try not to shiver with delight. There was something entirely too Gandalf-ish or, perhaps, Dumbledore-esque about Feor. Not that Blackmage thought of himself as having entered the world of Harry Potter. It was only his favorite book series and movie of all time. He was aware the world he was in wasn\u2019t like that. But still.<\/p>\n \u201cArchmage Feor, I understand that a [Witch] is a\u2014uh, weaker spellcaster in this world than most [Mage] classes, but what about [Wizard]? Why does Wistram have [Mages] rather than\u2026[Wizards]?\u201d<\/p>\n The question made Feor smile and earned Blackmage a silent glare from the female half-Elf [Mage] waiting patiently by the table. It was a stupid question he was sure, but Feor only pondered a moment before replying.<\/p>\n \u201cA [Mage] or [Magus] is commonly understood to be a general practitioner of magic. By contrast, Wistram does have a few [Wizards]. They would be considered more scholarly and wield magics in the form of prepared spells or items. It would be easiest to understand them as \u2018[Mages] who rely on wands\u2019, whereas a [Mage] may choose to use an artifact or not as the situation demands. One is a general class, the other is specific, even cumbersome to obtain. Does that make sense?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt does. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery good. It would make sense for an academy of magic to boast a higher percentage of [Wizards]. As for [Witches], well, we have had a number of them in our halls from time to time, but they generally keep to their covens. Their magic is more specialized\u2014a blend of alchemy and spellcraft. I do not mean to impugn their abilities, but they are considered weaker in purely magical terms to a [Mage] of the same level. Now, I believe this hat will suffice, and a small demonstration would not go amiss. I shall consider the appropriate spell. The first ships should have already arrived in the harbor\u2014why don\u2019t you inspect the new arrivals as they enter the hall? Teura shall escort you.\u201d<\/p>\n Feor nodded to the half-Elf woman, and she inclined her head. Blackmage stood up hurriedly. He\u2019d hardly eaten his poached egg, but a flick of Feor\u2019s fingers sent both his plate and the Archmage\u2019s floating over to a cart laden with used dishes. It turned out there were no house elves or disappearing plates in Wistram, much to Blackmage\u2019s disappointment. Not that he was comparing the two places! Not at all.<\/p>\n \u201cThis way, please.\u201d<\/p>\n Teura beckoned, and Blackmage stood. He followed her away from the table, out of the dining hall, and into one of the many corridors of Wistram. Dark stone and bright windows replaced the lit dining hall, and Blackmage had to hurry to pass before a giant figure carved of stone. The Golem waited as students passed in front of it, its hands gripping one of the laden carts. The Golem\u2019s face was crude, and it looked weathered from years, centuries of service. But it moved with a steady, unwavering pace as it followed Blackmage and Teura into the academy.<\/p>\n This was Wistram. Blackmage\u2019s heart beat faster every time he passed by a gossiping group of Lizardgirls holding wands and spellbooks, or saw a ghostly pale Selphid wearing magical robes flicking colored sparks of magic up into the air. Everywhere he walked, every time he turned his head he saw magic.<\/p>\n To say he was enthralled would be an understatement. Sometimes, Blackmage wanted to run about screaming. He was here! In a magical world. When he\u2019d been ten, he\u2019d dreamed of magic, and he\u2019d counted the days until his birthday. When he\u2019d been eleven, he\u2019d been crushed. Now, eight years later it felt like he was a kid again.<\/p>\n Of course, it wasn\u2019t all fun and games. Blackmage knew that. In fact, after the jubilation of seeing Archmage Feor wearing a magic hat had faded, he stared at the half-Elf he was following with some degree of annoyance and chagrin. She too was a half-Elf, and like Feor, she radiated magical power. Unlike Feor, Blackmage would have given anything to not be around her.<\/p>\n His trailing footsteps meant that Teura was moving faster than he was. Blackmage hoped she might turn a corridor and lose him, but she seemed to notice and stopped. She turned her head, and he instantly quickened his pace.<\/p>\n Teura was a half-Elf. She had bright red hair, sable eyes, and the kind of effortless grace that made Blackmage flush and stumble every time he focused on her. So he stared past her instead. The half-Elf clicked her tongue softly as he caught up.<\/p>\n \u201cArchmage Feor used to teach one of the highest-level magic courses for students in their eighth year. He still has quite a number of apprentices and fellow mages whom he advises. His private instruction is something you should be honored to receive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am, uh, Mage Teura.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is most wise. Please try to keep up. And as I have informed you, please do not openly identify any of the new students. Speak to me in private once the banquet has begun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded and strode off. Blackmage stared at her back. Identify them? And how was he supposed to do that? Humans looked the same in both worlds! Okay, the ones here sometimes had identifying elements like actual swords at their waists, but it wasn\u2019t as if he could make sure of anything! He stomped after Teura, noting how the students and some of the mages got out of her way.<\/p>\n She was one of the better mages of Wistram, as Blackmage understood it. He didn\u2019t know her level\u2014that was a secret, and the mages of Wistram guarded their secrets as fiercely as a Dragon guarded their treasure. But Teura, like Feor, stood at the higher end of badass. She was senior to many [Mages], having lived in Wistram for over six decades<\/em>. Too, she was part of Archmage Feor\u2019s personal faction. As was Blackmage himself.<\/p>\n Factions and power and politics. Again, sort of like Hogwarts. But not. Blackmage resolved to stop making the comparison soon. The first month he\u2019d been here, he\u2019d annoyed everyone in earshot by mentioning Harry Potter references, and they hadn\u2019t even understood what he\u2019d been talking about.<\/p>\n How would he explain it to the others? Blackmage tried to figure it out as he walked. Wistram was\u2026well, it was an academy located on an isle in the middle of the sea. Literally in the middle of the sea. The bubble surrounding Wistram kept it from being besieged by waves, but sail just a bit away from the academy and you could find yourself in the middle of a storm. But Wistram was a safe haven. The citadel sat on an island, large from the outside, but enormous once you passed through the metal doors.<\/p>\n Because Wistram was magical. Within its halls, you could run for hours and still not reach from one side of the academy to the other. If there was even a straight line in Wistram. So many mages had built and added onto the academy over the thousands of years that it had stood that it contained more secrets and hidden spaces than anyone could guess at. And it was knowledge of those secrets that defined Wistram. Mages traded in secrets like coin, and they fought with each other to gain more influence, power, and above all, magical knowledge.<\/p>\n There were factions in Wistram. Almost any powerful mage would be in one of the major factions that controlled Wistram\u2019s Council, or allied to one of the big players. Feor was part of a faction in Wistram, the Centrists, but he also had his personal group of half-Elf mages whom he trusted implicitly. Teura was one of his best [Mages], so she watched Blackmage like a hawk.<\/p>\n That would be the downside of it all. Blackmage stared at another Golem he passed in the hallway. This one was sand. Living sand. Its body shifted constantly as it walked, bearing a load of mana crystals which all shone different colors. Blackmage would have loved to follow it and stare, perhaps ask about how it had been made, what it could do. But he had to follow Teura. Because he was a prisoner. Of sorts.<\/p>\n Blackmage wasn\u2019t an idiot. Okay, [batman] had called him an idiot, but she\u2019d sounded really paranoid when they talked. Even if she was right about some things.<\/p>\n It had been months since the day when Blackmage had appeared out of nowhere in the room with the Golems. He remembered walking to the door of his college dorm to get a pizza and opening it\u2014<\/p>\n Before finding himself standing in a room with three Golems. They rose as Aaron stared. One was a being of fire, a creature of burning magma formed into humanoid form. The second was a giant metal knight, armed with a sword that was twice as tall as he was. It couldn\u2019t be real.<\/em><\/p>\n Aaron\u2019s gaze turned to the third, a tall, thin creation of metal that looked like it had stepped out of some kind of sci-fi movie. It was too thin, insanely <\/em>tall! Three giant creations stared at him across the room. <\/em>The fourth bounded towards him, a creature of stitched flesh and shadows. It rotted as it bared its teeth, its jaws opening wide, <\/em><\/span>wide\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n He\u2019d screamed then and fainted. When he\u2019d woken up, he\u2019d found himself staring into a white, porcelain face. She\u2019d called herself Cognita. She had demanded to know how he\u2019d come here. After many explanations, she\u2019d summoned four people who called themselves \u2018Archmages\u2019. They had debated, cast magic on Blackmage, and then accepted his words as truth. Thus, he had entered Wistram. He had not left since.<\/p>\n A Human from another world. Blackmage understood the significance, especially after he had managed to actually tinker with his phone and get it to actually call the other iPhones in this world. Over eighty [Mages] had linked to perform the spell that he and Feor had worked for two weeks on.<\/p>\n Blackmage could still remember the sweat on his hands as he typed responses and the [Mages] of Wistram debated every line that had appeared in the air. He remembered the shock as they read the King of Destruction\u2019s declaration, realized that someone was spying on the chat. Funny, he\u2019d laughed as he read [twinTrouble_53]\u2019s messages. Now he realized the significance.<\/p>\n He had not left Wistram. For his protection. Teura was there every time Blackmage turned his head, or another one of the half-Elves that Feor trusted. Again, for his protection. The mages of Wistram let him take classes, learn magic, and they\u2019d given him his own personal rooms, spellbooks, and a wand! But they were determined not to let go of him.<\/p>\n One example of the danger he was in\u2014might be in\u2014was Blackmage\u2019s name. He hadn\u2019t asked to call himself Blackmage. But as soon as it was discovered that someone was scrying others by their real names, Feor had informed Aaron never to use his real name in Wistram\u2019s halls. Wistram guarded its own, but an individual could be bought, and a true name could be used for more spells than just scrying.<\/p>\n Sometimes, Blackmage stayed up at night thinking about that. But mainly he tried to live in the positive side of things. Magic was incredible. He was learning spells\u2014<\/em>he\u2019d already reached Level 18 in [Mage], which was incredibly fast! He would have been content to stay in Wistram his entire life, especially if he could find more people from Earth. Just without Teura glaring at him, thanks.<\/p>\n They were nearly at the entrance hall when Blackmage carefully spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really think there will be any people from\u2026my place with the new students?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps. That is what Archmage Feor wishes to know. The first group of students has already disembarked. You will inspect them as they pass. These\u2026decorations and the dressing up is meant to aid in that inspection, is it not?\u201d<\/p>\n Teura had a witch\u2019s hat on her head, and she looked good in it. Also peeved. Blackmage nodded quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, totally. But, uh, aren\u2019t the odds really low of anyone coming to Wistram? I mean, I know we\u2019re looking for people from Earth\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He broke off as he remembered not to mention Earth in public. Teura frowned at him. Blackmage blushed.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, people I know. But Wistram is hard to get to, right? People have to pay lots of money to get in. Couldn\u2019t you waive the fee or something?\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf sniffed.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd let a horde into Wistram\u2019s halls? That is a Revivalist notion. I will admit, the Council deliberated on that idea to attract those like you. But the change in policy would have been too drastic. We are simply relying on those you contacted to make their way here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Okay. I guess that might work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed. As for the others scattered across the world, the Council is preparing to send teams of [Mages] to each continent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish they\u2019d hurry up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Council does not move without due deliberation. Now, we are nearly at the hall. Stay behind me and keep si\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Teura walked forwards and froze. She looked up and nodded slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cCognita.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMage Teura. And student Blackmage. Greetings.\u201d<\/p>\n Someone stood in the entrance hall. Not a person. A Golem. A towering woman carved out of stone turned, her dress rippling. She was eight feet tall, a giant. She inclined her head as Teura walked carefully past her.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Cognita.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage grinned up at her. Cognita was a Golem, the leader of the Golems of Wistram, the mage\u2019s silent, tireless workforce. She alone could think. She was a Truestone Construct, an adjudicator of Wistram\u2019s laws and beholden to no one. Not even the Archmages. He enjoyed seeing Teura get nervous around Cognita. Then he remembered why <\/em>she was nervous and got a bit nervous himself.<\/p>\n Cognita guarded the upper floors. To pass into the higher levels of Wistram, one would have to defeat her and the other four Golem guardians that Archmage Zelkyr had placed there as a test. To Blackmage\u2019s knowledge, no [Mage] had ever attempted the test and survived. Still, Cognita was unfailingly polite and helpful in all other capacities, so Blackmage edged over to her as Teura stood several paces away and watched the doors.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Cognita, everyone in the banquet hall is dressed up. Even Archmage Feor. I was wondering if you would\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n The Golem woman turned her head and stared at Blackmage with a neutral expression. She had been carved so perfectly that she looked like she really was a living person, albeit eight foot tall and made of stone. Her mouth moved and her eyes blinked, the stone moving like flesh. Blackmage hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will not. My role as steward, protector, and guide of Wistram will not be compromised by your desires.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n It was fairly hard to argue with that, so Blackmage stood and waited. He did not have to wait long. Within minutes of arriving in the entrance hall, he saw the double doors slowly open. He heard a loud voice.<\/p>\n \u201cNew students, welcome to Wistram!\u201d<\/p>\n A Lizardman strode through the doors. Blackmage recognized him instantly. Cessic, his rainbow scales polished and the red frill at his neck bright, stepped into Wistram. He had a hat on his head and a wand in one of his clawed hands. He grinned at Blackmage and turned. Behind him streamed in students.<\/p>\n They had come by ship, through the stormy waters, from every continent. From Rhir, Baleros, Izril, Chandrar, and Terandria, they had paid or been given scholarships for outstanding magical ability and been sent here to learn magic. Blackmage saw young Human faces, a pale Drake with blue scales staring around wildly, a pair of Selphids wearing the bodies of twins\u2014fresh students.<\/p>\n Wistram admitted new students at regular times each year, and this spring crowd was the first Blackmage had ever seen. He grinned in delight as they filed in, exclaiming at the mage lights hung in the air, the staircases high above where [Mages] walked, the Golem made of rusted iron who passed by\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cPay attention.\u201d<\/p>\n Teura\u2019s voice made Blackmage stiffen. He realized he had been caught up and guiltily started inspecting all of the Humans by face. They weren\u2019t a majority in the crowd, but they were the largest minority. Humans were one of the most prolific races in this world, although it looked like this crowd had come mainly from Baleros. Unfortunately, Blackmage couldn\u2019t tell if they were from Earth. They were all staring around wide-eyed.<\/p>\n Everyone jumped when Cognita moved. She had been standing so still she had literally been a statue. Now she strode forwards. Cessic gulped and moved out of the way as Cognita stood before the first crowd of arrivals.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah. Um, everyone, this is Cognita\u2014she\u2019s\u2014uh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He was cut off as the Truestone Construct spoke. Cognita\u2019s voice echoed as she spoke loud enough for even the students still climbing Wistram\u2019s steps to hear. The new students stared up at her, some afraid, many simply wondering.<\/p>\n \u201cI am Cognita. I am a Carved Golem, or rather, a Truestone Construct designed to oversee Wistram and its mages. I and my kindred maintain and preserve this building and will assist you for the duration of your stay. In a few moments, you will be led to your rooms, but before that I must tell you of the rules of Wistram.\u201d<\/p>\n She stared down at each person in turn, her emerald eyes serious.<\/p>\n \u201cFirstly. You must never venture into the high parts of the castle or the lower reaches unaccompanied, and even then, only with great cause. Dangers lurk within Wistram, ancient magics and spells and creatures called here and never destroyed. The very enchantments keeping this citadel intact sometimes fray. Only a mage with true power is allowed into such places. Second. Some of the Golems here were made as I am, but most lack any form of intelligence and simply obey orders. Do not attack or obstruct them in any way or they may react unpredictably. Third. Anyone attempting to cast area-wide magics must first consult with me or an experienced mage. Unpredictable results may occur if a spell affects a wide area of the academy at once. Is that understood?\u201d<\/p>\n No one spoke. Blackmage saw Cognita pause. She stared down at the students and then nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is all. Follow me, and I will lead you to your rooms and give you your keys.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the same speech she gave every year. She\u2019d given Blackmage an identical speech, word for word. Cognita strode off, and Cessic jumped. Remembering his job, he called out.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst years, this way!\u201d<\/p>\n He winked at Blackmage, and the young man grinned in delight. He\u2019d said the thing. He heard Teura sigh as the students hurried after both Golem and Lizardman.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you sense anything from the Humans present?\u201d<\/p>\n The slight hope in her voice was dashed by Blackmage\u2019s denial. Teura shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. You will have ample opportunities to study the other students in time. You will be placed into the first-year classes when they begin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? But I\u2019ve been studying from Feor for months!\u201d<\/p>\n Teura looked reproving.<\/p>\n \u201cArchmage<\/em> Feor\u2019s instruction has indeed given you far more levels than any typical first-year student should hope for. But the fundamentals of magic theory require years of study. And Archmage Feor does not have the time to personally tutor you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Too late. Teura was already striding back to the banquet hall. Blackmage stared darkly at her back. So, he was losing his usefulness if they were going to make him a regular student. That was fine. The less attention on him the better. He had a plan of his own tonight. After a moment, he followed Teura into the hallway.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The first banquet was wondrous. Archmage Feor was as good as his word and conjured a giant, spectral Dragon to fly across the banquet hall and awe the first-year students. The other mages were dressed up more than usual, and the stunned arrivals found themselves eating and gaping at the magicked banquet at the same time.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a good idea. Dazzling the new students takes little effort and it befits Wistram\u2019s reputation. I cannot believe we were so casual in years prior to this. A little custom and ceremony should be part of our traditions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed. Appearances must be kept up. To that end, I\u2019ve put a motion forwards to tinker with these, ah, movies<\/em> that the academy\u2019s producing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? Do tell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI quite insist on adding a mandatory opening to each one. Something that mentions Wistram. \u2018This production is brought to you courtesy of Wistram Academy\u2019 or some such. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI like the notion. Not the wording.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, what would you write? This is<\/em> only a motion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, of course. Pass the buttered bread, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage saw a basket of bread float past his head. He watched it go to the mages as they talked at the high table. He was sitting a ways down from them, near Archmage Feor and a group of very senior [Mages]. He felt out of place. But Feor had insisted he be present and with good reason. The talk between Wistram\u2019s elite mages\u2014those who sat on the Council or were otherwise in the know enough to know who Blackmage was\u2014turned instantly from the first years to the various subjects of debate that they always had when Blackmage was present.<\/p>\n \u201cThese movies. Agh. What a word. I quite like the idea, though. We\u2019ve always had moving images, but mass-producing them and selling<\/em> the recollections? A splendid notion! If only it were as simple as enchanting a bunch of crystals.\u201d<\/p>\n A Drake sitting across from Blackmage spoke, waving a fork filled with some kind of meatball. The Human next to him nodded and floated over a tureen of soup. Blackmage wished he could do that.<\/p>\n \u201cProduction will be extremely limited. However, displaying the siege of Liscor was well worth the effort. We\u2019ve already seen interest from countless [Merchants]\u2014even some of the nobility who might invest in this venture. I agree with the idea of creating, ah, movie<\/em> theatres<\/em> to view such entertainments in, though. They are apparently quite popular where you come from, young Blackmage?\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled at Blackmage as a grandmother would to a child. He nodded nervously as every eye turned to him.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. Movies are, uh, a household staple. Where I come from. People who make movies\u2014producers, we call them\u2014are very rich. Very rich. They make billions of d\u2014gold coins each year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n The sigh that rippled around the table was long and satisfied. Blackmage bit his tongue. It was hard to speak in code with the other mages. They seemed perfectly at ease. Feor smiled at Blackmage, and he remembered the injunction not to talk about certain things. Even among Wistram\u2019s Council, there were things Blackmage had only told the Archmages.<\/p>\n \u201cA profitable enterprise indeed. As was the idea of creating an interconnected communication network across the world. Of course we have Mage\u2019s Guilds, but they are not affiliated with Wistram by and large. A central network produced by the academy would benefit Wistram\u2019s interests greatly.\u201d<\/p>\n A Dullahan nodded, adjusting her head as she fed herself some corn.<\/p>\n \u201cAs would a number of other innovations. I am still seeking a number of [Alchemists] to procure a supply of ingredients for our workshops. As for electricity, we have any number of mages, but the [Engineers] and [Alchemists] I\u2019ve spoken to have no idea how to produce what I seek based on vague descriptions. I wonder, Blackmage, if you might have time to do some sketching? Or perhaps some unobtrusive mental divination so we might have a clearer idea of how to produce a few of the more\u2026interesting concepts you have presented the Council.\u201d<\/p>\n She peered over her plate at Blackmage, and he felt a jolt. Feor\u2019s smile cut off any response he might have made.<\/p>\n \u201cAll in good time, Mage Gelia. Mind magic is by its nature somewhat intrusive. Let us first focus our attention on what is easily producible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs you like, Archmage Feor. But I have detected a number of inquiries in the same vein. Those asking about black powder. A suspicious run on high-quality steel. And I believe my inquiries were also traced back to Wistram.\u201d<\/p>\n All the [Mages] glanced at each other. Blackmage held still. There were more Humans out there. And someone else might have had the same idea. He had no idea how gunpowder was made\u2014or electricity. He had an [Engineer] class, but it was only because he\u2019d painstakingly taken apart his watch and iPhone, relying on Feor\u2019s [Repair] spell to put it back together. Actually generating an electrical current\u2014he wished he\u2019d read a textbook.<\/p>\n Technology was a prized possession in this world, even for the powerful mages of Wistram. True, they could do almost everything he could. Record sounds? They could use a spell. Take a picture? Spell. But the fact that Blackmage could do with ease what a [Mage] had to study for years to achieve was telling. Blackmage wished he could duplicate his iPhone somehow, but no [Blacksmith] could replicate the fine metalwork.<\/p>\n And Feor had told him that the [Repair] spell could mend, but not recreate. Creating new material, new, permanent<\/em> material like duplicating components of Blackmage\u2019s phone or watch? That was high magic even he didn\u2019t have access to.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we shall just have to take advantage of what we do know. Movies for instance. I would quite like to see one showcasing Wistram\u2019s splendors. Perhaps with commentary from a few select [Mages]?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike yourself, Foulton? Hah!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have a complaint\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cForget movies for a moment. I\u2019m more intrigued with all of these little cultural advancements. You know, I\u2019ve had a craftsman working on a deck of cards. It should arrive with the next shipment from Izril. I would like to invite you all to a small session. Perhaps with wagering?\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage saw a few mages look up at that. He hadn\u2019t just told the mages about technology. Things like card games and even chess had been of great interest to them. Especially since chess already existed in this world. Feor had asked many<\/em> questions about that.<\/p>\n \u201cGambling already, Welaiat? I should have known a Libertarian would throw his money around carelessly. Just so long as your lot doesn\u2019t want to waste Wistram\u2019s resources, you can enjoy such trivial pursuits.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the Drakes leaned forwards and smirked at the Human [Mage] who\u2019d been offering the card game. The mood at the high table soured. Blackmage groaned as he anticipated what was going to come.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course a Preservationist would lecture me about coin. Still saving copper coins, Failess? Or are your coffers not deep enough to afford enough spellbooks for your newest members?\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake flushed and made a fist. Sparks spat out of his mouth as the mages sitting between the two leaned back.<\/p>\n \u201cThe very notion of spending recklessly is the exact reason why you Libertarians keep trying to drag us into continental affairs! You have to keep running back to those with deeper pockets to finance your spending! Whereas a proper, budgeted system\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHah! You\u2019d have us cut everything that attracts prospective students to Wistram! Food, supplies\u2014this is what makes the academy thrive!\u201d<\/p>\n Failess growled.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I should blindly vote to take loans to finance projects like these fanciful movies? Ridiculous! Spend what we have, don\u2019t overspend!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA loan pays for itself. Moreover, debt is not something that need concern the academy. Any lender knows that what they give will be repaid with interest. It is not a debt, in fact. It is an investment\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHah! Don\u2019t mince words. How can any nation, any institution survive permanent debt? The very idea of being beholden to a band of [Merchants] is surely ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot according to our young guest. Blackmage, pray tell us what you spoke about when we talked about, ah, the economy of debt.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage gulped. Welaiat of the Libertarian faction gestured at him, and again, the [Mages] stared. He hated this. The Drake known as Failess looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cNations from your homeland truly endure crippling debt, Human?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026yes. It\u2019s sort of how we operate. I mean, we try to balance the budgets, but we always spend more than we have.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow could that be viable? The instant someone called in their debts\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t. They get interest each year. I think. And my nation keeps repaying debt and getting more, I think. They spend more money than they have to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSpend to thrive. You see, Failess?\u201d<\/p>\n The Human Libertarian grinned at the Drake Preservationist. Failess scowled and replied sharply, but some of the other [Mages] were looking thoughtful. Blackmage sat back, sweating, afraid to even touch his food.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t think he\u2019d explained the way America managed its debt well. The problem was that the [Mages] wanted to know everything<\/em> about his world, and Blackmage, in a very real sense, knew very little about the underlying economic, cultural, or other structures of Earth. He told them what he could, and they used it in their debates. Archmage Feor smiled at Blackmage as the conversation turned into a hot argument about Wistram\u2019s spending budget.<\/p>\n \u201cTeura tells me you did not spot any familiar faces in today\u2019s arrivals, Blackmage. Perhaps tomorrow will be different? It would be reassuring to see more companions, I am sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Archmage Feor. I, ah, well, I\u2019ll do my best to mingle. Actually, I\u2019m a bit full, so I might go and talk with the other students.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. I imagine it\u2019s hardly entertaining to listen to politics. Please, enjoy yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n Archmage Feor watched as Blackmage excused himself. He looked to one side, and Teura rose silently. The other [Mages] watched Blackmage go. When he was making his way down the dining hall, they spoke amongst themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder how aware he is of his position.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Human\u2019s young. Young, even for his age. Na\u00efve, I think. Feor has him on a tight leash.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet him. The Human\u2019s of no interest to us. Whatever Feor learns we\u2019ll learn in turn. The real trick will be if the search teams find anyone else. But filling the roster with our side will be next to impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll have to be a balanced team. Maybe even one [Mage] from each faction. Dead gods, imagine how we\u2019ll have to explain it to the mages not in the know. The point is to get them here. And then\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Blackmage wandered down the banquet hall, disconsolate. [batman] was right. Batman was always right, come to think of it. He was a pawn. There was danger in Wistram. There was danger everywhere, which is why Blackmage was still trying to find as many people from Earth as possible and bring them to the academy, but within these walls, he had very little power. Feor\u2019s faction had him, and Blackmage\u2019s only bargaining chips, his knowledge of Earth, were mostly exhausted. If he wanted influence, if he wanted freedom\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n Secrets ran Wistram. Secrets were a currency here. If you had a big secret, you could trade it. Cash it in with secret brokers, or use it. Blackmage knew that some secrets were worth thousands of gold coins. His secret, the secret of why he was at the head table, was probably worth that much. He knew the students and mages were burning with curiosity about him, so he fanned the flames as he walked down the banquet hall.<\/p>\n \u201cMage Rievan, I\u2019ll be one of the students in your class next week. I\u2019ll be studying with the first-years. I hear great things about your, uh, teaching methods.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage introduced himself to a group of Humans sitting at one of the tables. The [Mage] he\u2019d addressed, a gaunt fellow who was always looking down his nose at people, looked startled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are? That is to say, I look forwards to it. May I ask where you come from?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I, uh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage hesitated just long enough for Teura to step in. The half-Elf quickly nudged Blackmage backwards and not-so-subtly nodded her head. Blackmage moved back, mouthing an apology, and Teura turned. The smile she gave Rievan was entirely fake.<\/p>\n \u201cBlackmage\u2019s<\/em> identity is a somewhat touchy issue, Mage Rievan. Please understand that he is to be treated as any other student.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBlack\u2014is that his name? Mage Teura, I\u2019ve seen that young man sitting with Archmage Feor. I understand the need for privacy, but I think that if I am to teach him properly, I should\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Rievan stood up somewhat pompously. He and the other Libertarians did not agree with Archmage Feor\u2019s faction\u2026or non-Humans if it came to that. But he paused as Teura stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is a student. His name is Blackmage. That is all you need to know, Mage Rievan. I would suggest that a mage of your caliber not ask any more questions. Or he might land himself in undue trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n The Human man froze. Teura looked at him and then at his companions, all of whom suddenly found themselves ravenously hungry. He turned, and he sat. The other Libertarians stared at Teura\u2019s back in frustration, but they dared not ask their leaders at the high table for help. They were out of the know. Teura turned, searching for Blackmage. By that time, of course, it was already too late.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The instant Teura had been occupied with Rievan, Blackmage had turned and swiftly walked for another table near the back of the great hall. Unlike the tables with formal seating, there were groups of more casual spots for those students whose body types did not easily squeeze into chairs. A ring of couches and plush stools sat around one table he walked towards.<\/p>\n Some centaurs were sitting at a table to the left, but the one he was moving towards was occupied by a pair of students. A Human woman talking with a Dullahan. The Dullahan had dark metal armor, and her head was sitting on the table, alternately talking and munching on food. Both [Mages] looked up as Blackmage approached, a smile on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cHi there. Mind if I sit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Beatrice looked up flatly, and Montressa du Valeros, also known as Mons to her friends, looked up as the young man approached. Neither one was happy to see him. Interested males of any species were not whom Montressa wanted to share her table with. She saw the young man, younger than she was by a few years, hesitate.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis table is occupied. By us. Get lost.\u201d<\/p>\n Beatrice was a Dullahan. Her dark, polished metal arms turned her head so she could glare at the young [Mage]. She was not hospitable to begin with and especially not at dinner. Montressa saw the young man gulp.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just that I was actually hoping to do business.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Oh dead gods. Montressa tried not to roll her eyes. He had to be a first-year, fresh off the boats. Only a first year would be so blatant about wanting to sell or buy secrets. She was about to advise him to get lost and try Beatrice at another time or get blacklisted when she took a second look at his face.<\/p>\n \u201cWait a second. Beatrice. That\u2019s him.\u201d<\/p>\n Beatrice paused. She looked like she\u2019d been about to draw a Rune of Pain on her napkin and throw it at the young man\u2019s face. But as she frowned at the young man, she recognized him as well. The strange young man who\u2019d appeared in Wistram. The one called\u2014Montressa tried not to laugh\u2014Blackmage.<\/p>\n \u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n The Dullahan glanced around. So did Montressa. Then they moved over.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, sit. And keep your head down.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage sank into one of the padded benches next to Montressa. He seemed nervous as Beatrice put her head on her shoulders and secured it in place. He didn\u2019t look like he was used to seeing Dullahans. Montressa filed that information away. She inspected him from head to toe. So this was the strange newcomer who was attracting so much attention. Rumor had it that he was taking lessons from Archmage Feor. Personally.<\/em> She didn\u2019t see what made him so attractive. Her sense of him as a [Mage] put him at Level 20. At best.<\/p>\n \u201cSo what do you want\u2026Blackmage?\u201d<\/p>\n Beatrice stared at the young man. He jumped.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know who I am?\u201d<\/p>\n The Dullahan woman rolled her eyes impatiently.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a secret broker. Of course I know. Little rats know who you are. Speak.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright. I know you buy and sell secrets. And, uh, get things for people. You also do services, is that right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI make connections.\u201d<\/p>\n Beatrice\u2019s eyes narrowed. Montressa winced. Her friend\u2019s patience was getting dangerously thin. Beatrice had never managed to acquire even a shred of Calvaron\u2019s easygoing air for all she had inherited his network of connections after he had\u2026passed. That people still came to her was because she had a lot of influence, not because she was easy to work with.<\/p>\n Perhaps Blackmage realized he was stretching her patience, because he went on quickly. He kept looking around. Montressa rolled her eyes again as she cast several ward spells to hide their conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing is, I have a secret to sell. And I need something done. There\u2019s this half-Elf who follows me around all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMage Teura. Part of the Centrist faction. Feor\u2019s group. Say things outright or you can go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa couldn\u2019t take it any longer. She leaned forwards and saw the young man lean back. He stared at her. Montressa had grown since the first days she\u2019d stepped onto Wistram\u2019s shores. She was no longer an apprentice looking around with wide eyes but a full student of Wistram, on the verge of being recognized as a [Mage]. Beatrice had long since passed her final test and was now an official mage of Wistram, a [Runeshaper] and one of the secret brokers of the academy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want, kid? You want her to stop following you? An accident? If that\u2019s your goal, you might as well give up. No secret broker will cross Archmage Feor\u2019s faction whatever you\u2019re offering.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if I said I wanted her distracted for\u2026twenty minutes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm. That would cost you.\u201d<\/p>\n Beatrice\u2019s eyes narrowed. She looked around. Now, Montressa saw the half-Elf in question. She swore.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got less than a minute before she spots which ward spell we\u2019re behind. Make it fast, Beatrice.\u201d<\/p>\n She began muttering more ward spells, although she didn\u2019t have high hopes of hiding from a mage as experienced as Teura. Still, Montressa had been helping Beatrice out for years now, and she knew her way around disguise and ward spells. Blackmage leaned forwards, whispering fast.<\/p>\n \u201cSay that\u2019s what I want. Can you do it? Tonight? Give me a window to slip away and prevent anyone else from following?\u201d<\/p>\n The Dullahan traced a rune on the desk.<\/p>\n \u201cI can do that. The question is how much you have to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow about a secret?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt would have to be a truly massive secret. Doubt you have that. But give it to me and I\u2019ll tell you what you\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa saw Blackmage hesitate. He reached into a pocket and pulled something out. A piece of paper? She nearly laughed. Any [Mage] could read what was on there! If they wanted to look. But she went still as she saw Beatrice unfold the paper. The Dullahan stared at what was written and then blinked. Twice.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh. That would do it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you serious, Beatrice?\u201d<\/p>\n The Dullahan looked up. She immediately set fire to the paper and nodded at Montressa.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s good for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDead gods.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa blinked at Blackmage who was looking slightly smug. What kind of secret had Beatrice read? The Dullahan glanced around.<\/p>\n \u201cTeura\u2019s on to us. Human, you want this done now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs fast as you can. Is it possible?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGive me five minutes. When Montressa finds you, go.\u201d<\/p>\n Beatrice stood up. Montressa got up casually, dispelling the magics around her. She could see Teura heading towards them. She left Blackmage behind, hoping he wouldn\u2019t be obvious about what he\u2019d been doing. Then again, it didn\u2019t matter. They had a contract.<\/p>\n \u201cHe really gave you a secret worthy of that, Beatrice?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then some. I\u2019ll get a distraction ready. Can you help?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPoint to whomever you want. What if he\u2019s lying?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen he\u2019s blacklisted. But the secret\u2014I don\u2019t think so. How could he know?\u201d<\/p>\n Both older Wistram students looked back at Blackmage. He was wandering around the banquet hall, doing his very best not to look their way. Montressa grimaced. Teura was following Blackmage closely, but she kept glancing suspiciously back at the two of them.<\/p>\n \u201cShe knows he talked to us. Bet she knows we\u2019re secret brokers too. Let\u2019s move fast.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n The two split up. Montressa and Beatrice walked around the great hall. The new students were gossiping at their tables, talking loudly while some of the older students went over to talk or introduce themselves. Montressa slid past a table of wide-eyed Selphids and found a group of older students, all in their seventh years. They looked up as she approached.<\/p>\n \u201cHey. Beatrice wants a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? What\u2019s she offering?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnything you want. The mission is Teura. Distraction. Twenty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the students, a Dullahan, whistled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s above our grade.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll get help. She doesn\u2019t leave the hall. Think you can do it?\u201d<\/p>\n The students looked at each other. Then they nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in. Signal?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll see it.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa left them. She circulated the room, tapping other mages on the shoulders. In the hubbub of thousands of [Mages] and prospective mages eating, it was hard to keep track of her. By the time she strolled over to Blackmage, it was ready. She tapped him on the shoulder as Teura got slowed by a gaggle of loudly gossiping Lizardfolk.<\/p>\n \u201cGo. Leave the hall through any entrance and then run for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage nodded. He steeled himself and then began to walk speedily for one of the exits. Teura followed like a hound on the scent. She passed by a group of two tables of students and saw one of them raise their wand.<\/p>\n \u201c[Force Beam].\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[Sticky Webs]!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[Stone Barrier].\u201d<\/p>\n A dozen students and [Mages] called out. Teura spun. She raised her wand and was hit by disabling spells from all sides. A shimmering barrier formed around her, blocking the attacks, but more wards and barriers were rising between her and Blackmage. He ran as she cursed and spun.<\/p>\n At the high table, Feor looked up. He saw nearly twenty [Mages] casting spells, some dueling Teura as she tore down the barriers. He frowned and pointed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks like an altercation has broken out.\u201d<\/p>\n His words were pointed. Three more half-Elves rose. They instantly made a beeline for the fighting. Mages attacking other mages wasn\u2019t exactly a criminal offense. The offenders would probably be hexed with something nasty or fined so long as they hadn\u2019t attacked to truly harm. But there were a lot of mages casting spells, and even Feor\u2019s experienced disciples struggled to overwhelm the quantity of magic coming at them. And meanwhile, Blackmage had vanished.<\/p>\n Feor hesitated. He half-rose, saw the other [Mages] watching him, calculating, and slowly sat. He waited impatiently as Teura and the others tried to battle through the ambush and find Blackmage.<\/p>\n Politics. And the two instigators, Beatrice and Montressa, were nowhere near the action. Beatrice had relocated to a far end of the room and was casually watching the mage duels while counting down in her head. And Montressa had vanished from the dining hall entirely.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Blackmage ran. He wasn\u2019t an athlete, but the excitement gave him wings. At last, he was alone! Only, he wouldn\u2019t be when Teura caught up. And she would be mad. So he ran faster, down a corridor and then down a long, winding passageway full of steps.<\/p>\n \u201cI should\u2019ve asked for\u2026thirty minutes!\u201d<\/p>\n He gasped as he tumbled down a flight of steps, dashed down a side corridor, ran through a room, slammed out the doorway, and found another staircase waiting. Wistram was a labyrinth even to [Mages] used to it. The further you went, the more convoluted it got. Even now, there were places that kept getting discovered. So many secret places\u2014but the spot he was headed to wasn\u2019t secret.<\/p>\n If the upper levels of Wistram were blocked off, the lower ones were less frequently used simply because of expediency. The dining hall was far away from the basement areas, and the proximity to areas like the crypts or dangerous zones where magical experiments might eat an unwary mage didn\u2019t exactly make for good company. Blackmage wasn\u2019t headed down that far, though. He was running to a section of tunnels without any rooms nearby. He\u2019d memorized the route from the dining hall and had gone here twice as practice. When he finally reached the blank section of wall he was looking for, he was out of breath, but he was still on time.<\/p>\n \u201cFantstalidephoron! <\/em>Dammit! Fantstalifepheron!<\/em> Wait. Fanstali-delif-pheron.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage recited the word from memory. On the third try it worked. The empty corridor glowed, and suddenly, part of the wall rippled and vanished<\/em>. Blackmage cried out in amazement and then rushed into the opening.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my god! It\u2019s here!\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage stared around the room. His first impression was that of dust. And cobwebs. Spiders and dust mites had infested this room, creating huge drooping webs. But even the spiders had died from lack of food. The layers of dust covered the chairs and tables and bookshelves. But even they couldn\u2019t disguise the grandeur of the room. Or rather, rooms.<\/p>\n Expensive couches sat in the first one around tables that were free of mold or rot. Brushing at one, Blackmage saw the faint runes carved into the wood that had protected it. He sneezed, wished someone were here to clean all the dust up, and spotted the bookshelves. They sat at the end of the room, next to a fireplace that still burned with light. Magical fire danced there, providing warmth, while the rows of spellbooks and tomes stood in shelf after shelf. Waiting.<\/p>\n \u201cHoly crap. And over here is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage ran into the second room and gasped as he saw a mage\u2019s laboratory. Summoning circles drawn in melted gemstones on the ground, mana crystals lined up on shelves, glowing potions\u2014he saw a bottle had cracked in one spot. A very<\/em> large and very<\/em> mutated rat was lying in front of it. Dead. Blackmage backed away.<\/p>\n \u201cHoly crap. Holy\u2014it\u2019s real! It\u2019s real!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He shouted and threw up his arms, racing back into the library room. Library, mage\u2019s workshop\u2014and there were more rooms yet! Then his eyes travelled to something above the fireplace.<\/p>\n The massive magical fireplace roared with life even after the room itself had been forgotten. But it was magic that had made this place, and the magic remained. And above the fireplace, someone had written\u2026something. Glowing runes had been etched in the brickwork. They shone as Blackmage stared up at them.<\/p>\n It was nothing in any language. Not in the common tongue. They were the words of magic, and Blackmage\u2019s brief study wasn\u2019t enough to help him read them. He frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cIt says\u2026it says\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Evermote Study. That\u2019s what it says.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage spun. Montressa stood in the entryway, staring. The young man looked at her in horror. Montressa looked at him and then the rows of books, pale with shock.<\/p>\n \u201cYou found it. The Evermote Study. It\u2019s legendary. It has to be one of the most sought-after places in Wistram and you found\u2014how?\u201d<\/p>\n She took a step forwards, and Blackmage stepped back.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no. No, no, no!<\/em> You can\u2019t have followed me! This isn\u2019t right! It\u2019s all ruined!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCalm down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCalm down? The secret\u2019s out! You promised me\u2014I thought no one would follow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBeatrice was curious. Sorry kid, but that\u2019s the way it works.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa shrugged. She\u2019d used an [Invisibility] spell to slip out after Blackmage. He hadn\u2019t even run that fast\u2014not to someone who\u2019d learned [Flash Step]. Her stomach clenched as she remembered who\u2019d taught her the beginnings of both spells. She suppressed the feeling. She\u2019d put it to rest for good soon enough.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, I didn\u2019t hear the passphrase for the room. I wish I had, believe me. It was a passphrase, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage stared at Montressa, lips sealed. He glared at her. She sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be stupid. And don\u2019t reach for that wand\u2014I\u2019ll hit you with a [Flame Arrow] straight between the legs if you so much as try it. I\u2019ve studied magic for years here, and I\u2019ve won more duels than you can count. Be reasonable. You\u2019ll never be able to use a tenth of what\u2019s in here, so you might as well make a deal now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHardly. You think Beatrice and I could shift all this? We\u2019d get so many questions\u2014no. With a haul like this, you\u2019d have to talk to a big player. Someone like Archmage Feor. But why do I think you don\u2019t want to let him know about this place?\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa cocked her head, smiling slightly. Blackmage hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to make another deal?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like a finder\u2019s fee, yeah. Teura\u2019s going to be here any second. She probably can locate you even with the anti-scrying spells we cast on you. You\u2019ll need someone to make contact, and I bet you she won\u2019t let you out of her sight. So why don\u2019t we walk out of here, close this place up\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt closes itself. I don\u2019t need to say the password out loud.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bet it does. Thanks for telling me there is a password.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage shut his mouth. Montressa laughed. She looked around wonderingly.<\/p>\n \u201cDead gods. One of the legends of Wistram. How did you know? No, first tell me who you want me to contact. Unless your entire plan was finding this place? No, not even a first year\u2019s that stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n The young man eyed her balefully. But he had no choice, so he nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to talk to someone. Actually, I was going to talk to Beatrice again. She\u2019s a Revivalist, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. Wait\u2014do you want to talk to Naili?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNaili\u2014that\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh. That is<\/em> good luck. For you.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa narrowed her eyes. She nodded after a second.<\/p>\n \u201cWorks for me. I\u2019m a Revivalist too, by the way. We\u2019ve never been introduced. Montressa du Valeros.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. I\u2019m\u2014Blackmage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I heard. Afraid of someone learning your true name? It\u2019s not that<\/em> dangerous. Come on, we\u2019d better get moving if you want to speak to Naili tonight. Not even Feor\u2019s people will follow you that deep into Revivalist territory.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. I shouldn\u2019t trust you but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got no choice. Don\u2019t worry. Secret brokers are as honest as they come. If we\u2019re not, we get into more trouble than it\u2019s worth. Let\u2019s run.\u201d<\/p>\n Montressa left the room and saw the door close as soon as Blackmage stepped out. She whistled.<\/p>\n \u201cIncredible. How did<\/em> you know about this room anyways? It\u2019s a legend in Wistram. You have to pay for the secret about <\/em>the secret of the Evermote Study.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage glanced at Montressa. For the first time since he\u2019d met her, he smiled. This time in what she thought was genuine relief. He was sweaty, nervous. Just a kid. But not just another first-year.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a secret too. Wanna pay for it?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Mage] glanced at the younger man\u2019s smile and shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt I could afford it. Come on.\u201d<\/p>\n She led the way at a run. Blackmage ran behind her. Montressa had to shake her head as she went. Secrets, new students appearing out of nowhere, and politics. It reminded her of her first years in Wistram. She bit her lip as she remembered. But that had been a long time ago. Everything was different now.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n There was trouble retrieving Blackmage. He was gone for over an hour, which was far too long. Feor retired to his rooms before he received a [Message] indicating that Blackmage had been returned to his chambers. Feor wondered where the young man had gone.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t matter. He had made up his mind already. It was too dangerous to have Teura follow the young man around at all hours. A lock spell preventing him from speaking about confidential matters would do the job far more effectively. It would be complex, but Feor had set aside all of tomorrow to cast it with a circle of his trusted allies. They would do the same for the other Humans from Earth before anyone realized what had been done.<\/p>\n That was Feor\u2019s plan. He meditated in his rooms on the spell before he slept and rose early to do the same. At breakfast, he patiently waited, dining on a light meal in preparation for the exertions to come.<\/p>\n Blackmage was not sitting with him. He had been escorted to the great hall, but allowed to sit wherever he pleased. He was sitting with a Dullahan and young Human woman. The same two he had visited last night. Secret brokers. Feor\u2019s brow furrowed. If Blackmage was giving out secrets\u2014he wouldn\u2019t be that foolish. But then again, he was<\/em> Human. And young.<\/p>\n It was past time to cast the spell. Feor rose and nodded. He had brought six of the experienced [Mages] from his faction, the Centrists, with him. They were all on Wistram\u2019s council. They stepped away from the high table and walked across the floor. Feor kept his eyes on Blackmage. He saw the young man turn, and then someone stepped in front of him.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my, Feor. I hope I\u2019m not in your way.\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf looked up. He saw a smiling half-snake, half-humanoid creature slither into his path. She looked like a Naga, but while they were more powerfully built, she was slim. Her scales were light white and rose, and across her arms and back ran a pattern of glowing scales which shifted with bright blues and purples and yellows. The Lamia\u2019s face resembled that of the Lizardfolk from which she had evolved from. But the brilliant power in her gaze was her own.<\/p>\n \u201cArchmage Nailihuaile. I thought you were secluded in your private chambers, meditating on the theory of using rhinestones to bypass the material components of jewel spellcrafting.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lamia beamed at Feor, and he cursed her timing.<\/p>\n \u201cI was! But you know how it is with me and spellcraft. I sometimes want to move about and then I thought that I hadn\u2019t eaten in days<\/em>! So here I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFascinating. I would love to speak with you, but later. I have business to attend to.\u201d<\/p>\n Stopping to chat with the most talkative of Archmages was not an option. Feor stepped politely around Naili, but she slithered in front of him. This time, he stopped and sensed the trap. Naili bared sharp teeth at him in a grin.<\/p>\n \u201cI know you\u2019re busy, Archmage Feor. That\u2019s why I\u2019m here, actually. I was rather hoping to spoil your day. That little Human you want to take? He\u2019s mine now.\u201d<\/p>\n Feor paused. Behind him, Teura and the other half-Elves and Centrist mages froze. Some of them reached for their wands, others murmured warding spells. Archmage Naili didn\u2019t move. Feor felt the magic in his blood hum<\/em> as he frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be an unwise decision, Archmage Nailihuaile.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould it? You know how I am with bad decisions. I keep making them.\u201d<\/p>\n She had a staff in her hands. Her<\/em> staff, the Serkonian Lance. A treasure of the Lizardfolk. Archmage Feor hadn\u2019t prepared for a duel. He eyed her, reciting a list of spells in his head.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be most unwise to engage in conflict now, Archmage Naili. We agreed that the otherworlders were a matter for Wistram as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we did. Only it seems your little faction has been monopolizing him. Hmm?\u201d<\/p>\n She couldn\u2019t know their plans. There couldn\u2019t be a mole in his faction. Not among his trusted people. Surely this was coincidence. Feor\u2019s brows snapped together. The white-haired half-Elf reached for his wand.<\/p>\n \u201cStep aside, Archmage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr what?\u201d<\/p>\n She moved, her tail undulating as Feor stepped left. He glanced at the other Centrist mages. Teura gave him a nod.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it comes to it, we will use force.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, she grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cOh good<\/em>. I was hoping you\u2019d say that. Because we\u2019d be only too happy to oblige.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned her head and hissed<\/em>. Across the room, over four hundred [Mages] stood up at once.<\/p>\n Feor froze. His eyes flicked past Naili to the mages who\u2019d gotten to their feet. He hadn\u2019t checked their faces when he\u2019d come in for breakfast. If he had, he would have recognized them. Each mage, over two thirds of the mages here for breakfast, was part of the Revivalist faction.<\/p>\n Every member of the Revivalist faction present had stood up in the banquet hall. Old mages and young, Lizardfolk, Humans, Dullahans, even rarer species like Garuda and Selphids, walked forwards. Hundreds of [Mages]. They gathered behind the smiling Archmage Naili, forming a wall between Archmage Feor\u2019s few followers and Blackmage.<\/p>\n The banquet hall of Wistram was still as they watched the standoff. Still, but not silent. Mages from other factions and independents whispered to each other, some speculating, some taking bets on what would happen next. Feor stared at Naili.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a mistake, Archmage Naili. Committing to one Human is foolish. If you intend to monopolize him, the other factions will\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome at ours? We welcome it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lamia\u2019s eyes narrowed. She grinned at Feor, and he was reminded of the Lizardfolk\u2019s ancestry, that of hunters in Baleros\u2019 swamps. She flicked her tongue.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re outnumbered, Feor. Turn around and go.\u201d<\/p>\n He hesitated, but she was right. Four hundred [Mages] watched as Archmage Feor and his Centrists stepped back. They moved unhurriedly, as if the staring wall of [Mages] were nothing more than an inconvenience. But they did leave. And Wistram\u2019s [Mages] saw it.<\/p>\n When Feor left the grand hall, he stopped. The other [Mages] were afraid to look at him. He spoke without turning around.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Revivalists have never<\/em> played their hand so strongly before. They mean to take the Human into their faction and throw their support behind him, not divide his knowledge as agreed upon. Why? What prompted their change?\u201d<\/p>\n No one answered. Feor stared out a window at the clear skies surrounding Wistram. He turned to Teura. She flinched.<\/p>\n \u201cFind out what they know. And call a meeting. This must be discussed at once.\u201d<\/p>\n He strode off, not waiting for a response. Something had changed in Wistram. But what? Feor\u2019s mind blazed as he connected Blackmage to the encounter with Beatrice and Montressa. That missing hour\u2026but Blackmage had been watched every time he left his room. What had he found? What had he done? What did Naili know? Secrets ruled Wistram. Archmage Feor was not afraid of the Revivalists. He was afraid that they knew something he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n After Feor had left, Blackmage saw the Revivalists disperse. They went back to their tables, laughing, calling for drinks, in a jubilant mood. Their leader, one of the famed Archmages, was no less ecstatic. Archmage Naili led the way down the hall as Blackmage walked with her. Alone. He tried not to stare at her body, until he remembered Montressa telling him that Lizardfolk liked to be admired. They were also very chatty.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was so much fun! I haven\u2019t tweaked the Centrist\u2019s noses like that in over a decade! The look on Feor\u2019s face was magnificent. He and the other factions will be scrambling all night to figure out what we know, which is excellent because most of our lot don\u2019t know what we know!\u201d<\/p>\n For an Archmage, Naili had a down-to-earth side of her that none of the other Archmages had. Blackmage saw her glancing back at him and grinning, swishing her long tail back and forth. Unlike the Drakes who used their tails as support as they walked, Naili\u2019s tail was her entire lower torso, and it undulated as she slithered across the ground. She was actually shorter than he was, although the long staff she carried made her seem taller.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we get to talk at last, young Human! I mean, we talked yesterday, but that was all negotiations and me saying \u2018what, you can\u2019t be serious!<\/em>\u2019 a lot. It\u2019s nice to meet you! I see you looking at my scales. Aren\u2019t they pretty? I\u2019m a Star Lamia in case you were wondering. See my scales? The glowing ones store magic. It\u2019s very good for spellcasting, although it makes sneaking around very difficult unless I use illusion spells.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI, uh, that\u2019s very cool.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded happily.<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t it? I was so proud when I became a Lamia, and then when I became a Star Lamia! It\u2019s such an honor. Most Lizardfolk don\u2019t evolve at all which is sad! But the majority of the ones who do evolve become Nagas, Gorgons, or Lamia. From there, they can change into other forms. It\u2019s very complex, and some people think we\u2019re all different species, but we\u2019re not. It all depends on what we\u2019re good at! Gorgons are huge fighters. Nagas are smaller, but very strong\u2014it\u2019s the kind of form Lizardfolk turn into most of the time if they don\u2019t have a set path. Lamia are small, but we have larger brains! Does that make sense? Are you following me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2014I think so. Can Lizardfolk become other species? Like\u2026say, a Medusa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh! You know about our kind! Or is that something from your world? Wait, was I supposed to keep that secret? Yes I was. No one was listening, were they? Good.\u201d<\/p>\n Naili looked around rapidly. No one was there to listen. Blackmage wondered if all Lizardfolk were as chatty as she was. He\u2019d met Cessic\u2014and so far they were two for two in terms of hyper energy.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for agreeing to help me. I don\u2019t know what I would have done if you\u2019d said no.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I would have said yes! I can\u2019t let old Feor get away with everything. Us Archmages have to counter each other. And I\u2019m a good match for Feor, magically or otherwise. He hates when I chatter. Thinks it\u2019s \u2018unbecoming\u2019. That\u2019s half-Elves for you. Snobs.\u201d<\/p>\n Talking to Naili was like watching a stream of thoughts go past. You had to grab for the one you wanted or get lost. Blackmage chose one at random.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a good match for Archmage Feor? How?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cArchmage Feor is a generalist. Quite boring, don\u2019t you think? He wants to be like a proper [Archmage] of old, but he doesn\u2019t have the class. Not yet. And I say generalist, but he prefers to use big spells in battle and everywhere else. Big spells. They take too much time. I like spells to be quick! I learned that in Baleros. You can\u2019t cast [Blackflame Fireball]\u2014silly spell, by the way, why is that considered an upgrade of [Grand Fireball]?\u2014when people are trying to hack your tail off with enchanted swords! Anyways, I specialize in enchantments. I can do artifacts, but I\u2019m best at making scales harder than mithril or casting mass-[Invisibility] spells. Actually, I\u2019m probably the best in the world at it. Aside from this guy in Pallass who\u2019s crazy about physical enchantments\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, wow. You Humans say the silliest things. I\u2019m an Archmage! One of five in the world! Well, six if you count Amerys. I wonder if she\u2019s lost her rank? Oh well, five or six. And all you say is \u2018wow\u2019. But I don\u2019t want to judge! Except that I do.\u201d<\/p>\n Blackmage blinked at her. Naili grinned at him, showing entirely too many pointed teeth for him to be comfortable.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, we\u2019re on the same side now. We have an agreement, and I can\u2019t break my word so easily. Well, I could, but that would be a lot of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n So Blackmage understood. But he was still nervous.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you\u2014do you think you can really protect the others from Earth?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely. That\u2019s the deal. We get access to the Evermote Study, and in return, we\u2019ll protect your friends. Archmage Feor and the Centrists can try, but the Revivalists have the numbers to resist any faction\u2026especially with that many magic tomes to offer our people. I don\u2019t suppose you\u2019d care to sell me the secret of how you knew where to find it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI, uh, no. That\u2019s a bigger secret.\u201d<\/p>\n Naili laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cA bigger secret than the Evermote Room? I suppose even I <\/em>might not afford it. But just remember that every secret comes with a price. And we all pay that price sooner or later.\u201d<\/p>\n She stopped and looked seriously at Blackmage. He paused, and his stomach jumped. Then Naili laughed again.<\/p>\n \u201cHah! Your face is priceless. I\u2019m funny. Okay, let\u2019s see this study. And we\u2019ll find you some new rooms, Aaron. Oh, don\u2019t worry about the name. You\u2019re with us now. You\u2019ve got protectors. Allies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhose?\u201d<\/p>\n Aaron closed his mouth. Naili stared at him and then grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is why I love Wistram. Alright then. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n That evening, the second boat load of new students entered Wistram. They trudged up the steps, staring up at the magical citadel. Wistram was taller than any castle. It soared up in the bubble of calm, its windows shining with light. One tower was entirely aflame, another engulfed by plants. Yet one more was leaking bright blue smoke, the product of a failed experiment. But what lay on the outside only hinted at what was within. The students stumbled up the steps, still on their sea legs.<\/p>\n A small group of weary Humans perked up when they saw the academy. When they stepped into the entrance hall and saw the waiting [Mages], complete with pointy hats, they couldn\u2019t help it. One of them, a young woman, grabbed her friends and shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Hogwarts! <\/em>I told you! We\u2019re in Hogwarts!\u201d<\/p>\n That was a big hint, all things told. Blackmage strode through the crowd, staring. He saw a dark face turn, saw eyes widen as they fixed on him. He didn\u2019t know what his face showed, but he raised a hand and pointed.<\/p>\n \u201cEarth? Are you guys\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He got no further. One of the Humans leapt at him and nearly knocked him to the ground. She hugged him, sobbing, as the other bewildered students turned and saw the Humans from Earth gathering around each other, shouting in surprise and hugging each other.<\/p>\n It was a pleasant sight. Or it would have been a day ago. Archmage Feor stood on a balcony high above the entrance hall. He was displeased. The Revivalists had come out full-force, and they had made their goals clear. They were going to shelter the Humans from Earth, give them autonomy, support. They were willing to fight with every other faction in Wistram to do it. He had no idea what was giving them the confidence.<\/p>\n He would find out. Wistram always gave up its secrets in time. Feor turned, letting Aaron celebrate his victory for now. Someone had helped him. Not just Naili. That someone would turn up. Or Aaron would make a mistake. And in truth, he mattered less right now. He wasn\u2019t the one otherworlder in Wistram now, he was one of many. And there were more out there, waiting to be found.<\/p>\n Feor flicked his hand, and a scroll popped into his hands. He looked at the list of names, nodding perfunctorily as he travelled down the list. The groups were sorted by location, by the routes they would take and the difficulty of their task. He paused as he came down to an entry on the list and turned.<\/p>\n \u201cTeura.\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf looked up. Feor pointed to the list of four names on the parchment.<\/p>\n \u201cHave we any more information about Liscor and its environs? Our graduate is located there, is she not?\u201d<\/p>\n Teura nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cFalene Skystrall has indeed been confirmed in Liscor, but obtaining information has been problematic. She has made several requests for information on two of our expelled students. I believe you are familiar?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh yes. Ceria Springwalker and\u2026the [Necromancer]. A pity. Springwalker might have been one of ours. Falene does not wish to aid the academy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot in giving confidential information away, Archmage. She claims it would be a conflict that goes against her team\u2019s interests.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA pity. Our former graduates do not owe the academy as much as one might hope. It is ironic that we obtain more information from independents. Have you confirmed the Gold-rank [Mage] Typhenous\u2019 report?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Archmage. We have assigned the team to the two additional objectives as you requested.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n Feor glanced back at the parchment. A name stood out to him on it. Montressa du Valeros.<\/em> He glanced at their objectives.<\/p>\n \u201cInvestigate the presence of [batman] and \u2018L\u2019. Investigate possible Earth connection to Erin Solstice. Retrieve magical door\u2014\u2018The Wandering Inn\u2019. Investigate expelled student Pisces\u2019 location and whereabouts\u2014The Horns of Hammerad. Very good.\u201d<\/p>\n He rolled up the scroll. Feor made it vanish with another gesture and turned.<\/p>\n \u201cHave the teams begin leaving as soon as the first years begin attending class. We are in a race, Teura. These otherworlders are a resource. And Wistram will collect them.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned his head. First-year students were still celebrating. Cognita strode towards them, and behind her, the double doors slowly closed. They slammed shut, keeping the mages, the students, and the secrets within the walls.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It was the silliest of notions. A fanciful request. After all, by his calculations it was probably late March in this world, early April at the very latest. If the months even lined up the same way as they did back at home. It was far too many months away from October, and there weren\u2019t […]<\/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":[11693085,349],"tags":[],"twi_volume":[11693134],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-5063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-5","category-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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