Trey and his fellow guardians were back at it the following morning. The crisp air was filled with the sounds of clanking armor and their instructor’s sharp commands. Frye stood at the center of the training ground, barking orders and curses alike, as the trainees dashed across the terrain, each piece of their armor rattling with every hurried step.
“Halt!” Frye’s voice boomed, cutting through the morning haze. The trainees immediately froze, caught mid-stride. “Drop and give me ten!”
Trey grunted in response, breathing hard as he hit the ground. His palms pressed against the cool earth; he was surprised they didn’t sink down into it, given all the extra weight.
Before long, the group transitioned to weapons instruction. Karl handed out round bucklers and short swords, then guided the trainees through stances and techniques with his signature aggressive barking. Trey took his weapon and spent the next bit sparring with Nora. His goal was to keep her teasing wit at bay with a flurry of vigorous strikes. Nora danced around him, initially deflecting his blows, but as he pressed harder, she struggled to keep up with his relentless assault. Despite the intensity of their impromptu sparring match, they still managed the occasional good natured laugh.
At lunch, the banter continued. Nora leaned across the table, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she playfully chided him for his rough treatment during their sparring match. “You know,” she said with a theatrical sigh, “I would prefer you take your aggression out on me in a different way.”
Trey smirked. “Are you complaining that the training is too hard? It’s too bad you’re not a mage; you could’ve had it so much easier.”
Nora slapped him on the shoulder and continued eating.
After lunch, they settled down for their history of magic class—or rather, Trey did, and Nora struggled to sit still. Once the lecture concluded, Trey made his way to the artificing class. Professor Leek started the week off by introducing the different components needed to craft a Starlight Scope.
Trey tracked Kronar down after class. “Have you thought much about joining a capture-the-flag team?” he asked the dwarf.
“Not really,” Kronar replied. “I went to the kickoff event. It was entertaining to watch the teachers show off their magic.”
“Some others from the Intro to Magic class are forming a team. We are looking for an artificer to join.”
Kronar scratched his beard. “You can count me in. I can’t promise I’ll be any good.”
“I doubt we’ll be very competitive anyway,” Trey admitted, “though don’t tell Skye I said that.”
Having taken care of his recruitment assignment, Trey went to the dining hall, hoping to grab some dinner before the crowd rolled in. He was surprised to spot Dana stowed away in her usual corner. She radiated an intimidating aura that appeared to Trey to be doing its job nicely, deterring any unwelcome socialites who might have dared to approach her. With a chuckle, he decided to join her after he filled his plate.
Dana briefly glanced at the tall guardian taking the seat next to her. “Ah,” she said, “thanks for reminding me.”
“Reminding you?” Trey replied, raising an eyebrow.
“I need to schedule your disappearance.”
Trey laughed. “Have you figured out your capture-the-flag team yet?” he asked, having noticed the reserved mage’s interest in the sport.
“Today, actually,” she responded. “Apparently Derrick creeped some guardian girl out—no surprises there—and she was more than happy to have another competitive option.”
“That’s good,” he said, glad that the Lizzie situation seemed to be improving. “Do you feel—”
“I don’t want to talk about me,” she interjected. “Tell me more about Professor Kalo.”
Trey shook his head playfully. “He shares your fascination with interrupting me.”
The dark-haired girl shrugged. “I generally don’t engage in conversations. I usually ignore rather than interrupt.”
“I’ll consider myself special then,” Trey jested. “The almighty Dana has graced me with her interrupting voice.”
“And instantly regretted it,” she added.
“Why do you want to know about Marvin?” he asked.
Dana hesitated. “He’s the best-case scenario for someone like me.”
Trey scrunched his face. “What do you mean?”
“We’re not talking about me,” she reiterated.
“Right,” Trey said, trying to sneak past her guard, “which is why you were telling me about Marvin.”
She scoffed at her lunch neighbor, but he’d tickled the right spot. “Professor Kalo wields powerful dark magic that evokes both fear and fascination. His shadowy background doesn’t mesh well with the image cultivated by the so-called ‘heroes’ of the realm. Yet, he is held in high esteem—a figure whose morality is never questioned. Why? Because of his immense power and the extraordinary feats he has achieved—accomplishments so remarkable that they leave no room for doubt or dissent regarding his character. Simply put, that’s the only way I’m ever going to be rid of the chains that are holding me down.”
Dana was surprised to find herself leaning toward Trey. She quickly leaned back and away, and erased any trace of passion from her expression.
“I see,” Trey said after a moment.
“Aren’t you going to say something philosophical to change my mind?” Dana asked.
“No,” Trey said simply. “You cannot fix misguided conviction with outside persuasion, only internal growth can do that.”
The mage snorted. “There it is.”
“I’ll help you on your quest to find out more about Marvin,” Trey said.
“It’s not a quest,” she argued. “I just want to know how he got people to not hate him.”
“In Lovarn, the townsfolk put up with him because of all the zucchinis he gave away. Have you tried gardening?”
A smile almost broke out on Dana’s face. “It’s hard to imagine one of the most formidable dark mages pulling weeds in a garden.”
“Oh, he didn’t pull weeds,” Trey corrected her. “He made me and Skye do that.”
Dana rose from her seat, having finished her food during the conversation without Trey having noticed. “I may postpone your disappearance,” she said with a straight face.
“I take that as a sign we’re friends now,” Trey shot back, his lips starting to curl into a grin.
“Absolutely not!” she retorted firmly.
“Have you ever postponed anyone else’s disappearance?” he asked, a smirk firmly on his face.
Not willing to dignify his question with a verbal answer, she shot him a glare sharp enough to cut through armor. After giving him a proper lashing with her hazel eyes, she turned on her heel and marched away.
Trey cocked his head to the side. “That went well,” he said to himself.
***
Bree was running through an array of fire magic fundamentals with Trey, enthusiasm evident in her voice even as she focused on demonstrating a few relevant spells. Trey soaked in every word and action, his eyes wide with curiosity and his admiration unconcealed.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
As they dove deeper into the finer details of the fire affinity, the world outside their practice room faded away, and hours slipped by unnoticed. Finally, a yawn escaped Trey''s lips, causing him to lose control of the fireball that was circling his head. The teacher and student exchanged glances, simultaneously realizing the late hour and feeling a bit abashed. Bree hastily declared the lesson over and began packing up.
“Was teaching at Windrake always the dream?” Trey asked as they departed the training room together.
“Definitely a goal,” Bree responded, “but maybe not the end goal.”
“So you might not be here for too long?”
“You could say that,” she said.
Trey studied her, noticing how she’d bitten her tongue to avoid saying more. “If you could stick around for the next three years, I would appreciate it.”
Bree’s head snapped around to meet his gaze with disbelief. “You can’t seriously be thinking about hiding out as a guardian for three years?!”
Trey shrugged. “I hope our… objective doesn’t take that long. I don’t mind the null guardian training, though. I figure it can only benefit me.”
The teacher groaned. “Marvin’s got your mind all addled.”
“It’s not all Marvin’s fault,” he said. “I am here voluntarily.”
“You were practically begging me to make you do fire magic last week,” Bree shot back.
“So maybe I don’t completely agree with all of Marvin’s methods,” he replied.
“Why are you hiding?” she asked pointedly as they stepped out in the cool night air.
“Oh, Professor Adams,” Trey playfully chided her, “it’s only our second date.”
The teacher chortled.
“What’s next after Windrake?” Trey asked, realigning the conversation
“Changing the subject on me,” Bree said. “Classic Marvin.”
“That was the original subject,” he countered, “and you don’t know Marvin well enough to know what ‘classic Marvin’ is.”
“I’ll tell you what I plan on doing after Windrake when you tell me what you plan on doing after you get caught.”
“It depends on who catches me,” Trey said slyly.
“The Grand Oracle is going to use his mind magic on you one of these days,” Bree warned half-seriously.
“Hopefully not before I learn to do a proper Infernal Vortex,” he said, trying to keep the mood light.
The fire magic teacher laughed. “We better schedule your next lesson, then. Are you open the day after tomorrow?”
Trey nodded.
“Don’t get caught before then,” she said with a smirk, then broke away from his side, heading to the Arc.
“Goodnight, Bree.”
***
The following day, Trey found his usual seat next to Skye in their Intro to Magic class. “Kronar is on board,” he reported proudly.
Skye raised an eyebrow. “I was just about to remind you,” she replied with a smirk. “Maybe there’s hope for you becoming an adult after all.”
“I’m older than you,” Trey retorted.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” she mused. “We’re just trusting that Papa revealed our true birthdays. What if he mixed them up and I’m actually the older one?”
“Why would he do that?” Trey asked.
“It’s Papa,” Skye stated matter-of-factly. “He enjoys being mysterious for the sake of it.”
Trey caught a glimpse of Professor Mavery walking to the front. “How do you explain my higher level of maturity then?” he smugly jested at the black-haired sorceress.
“What?!” Skye exclaimed. “I—”
“Quiet down, class,” the professor said loudly. “Today we will be learning about spellcrafting.”
Skye pinched his arm in a final act of defiance before turning to pay attention. Trey chuckled to himself..
“Spellcrafting holds significant importance in the world of magic,” Professor Mavery began. “It is the ability to channel mana and shape it into spells, a skill that is crucial for both mages and sorcerers alike. The foundational spells you are currently learning in your introductory magic courses were all created by ancient magic users. However, as you advance, you may reach a level where you can begin crafting your own spells, potentially pioneering new paths at the magical frontier.”
Trey noticed that even Nora, who was sitting beside him, was diligently scribbling notes as she absorbed the teacher’s every word.
“The most thrilling spellcrafting is accomplished by specters and exceptionally skilled sorcerers,” Professor Mavery continued, glancing at Jeremiah. “With their access to multiple affinities, they have the unique potential to blend different types of mana, leading to the creation of entirely new and unprecedented spells.”
The professor delivered the rest of her lecture and reminded the students of the spellcrafting club led by Professor Lokia. Once class wrapped up, Nora turned to Trey, her voice animated as she tried to persuade him to join her in the light magic class. With each argument she presented, her persuasive techniques grew bolder, leading to a few lewd innuendos that made Skye blush furiously. Trey wasn’t particularly interested in learning how to craft a Starlight Scope, and was about to relent when the blonde pushed their game over the edge.
“If we sit in the back and I keep the slurping to a minimum, I bet we could sneak—”
“Nora!” Trey interjected. “Fine! I’ll come with you.”
“I bet you’ll be cumming,” she teased with a mischievous smile.
Trey shook his head, holding back a grin. He bid farewell to Skye, who was still bright red, and followed Nora to the Elspy. As they approached a classroom several floors up in the tower, Trey recognized the elegant woman from the capture-the-flag event. She maintained a graceful posture, her gaze sharp and welcoming. Trey followed Nora through the threshold and sat next to her. Only after he settled in did he realize they were in the back row. A light sorceress strode into the room and sat right next to Trey; he was simultaneously relieved and disappointed.
“Who successfully practiced the spell from yesterday?” the teacher asked after the class filled in.
A student raised his hand.
“Jeremiah,” the teacher called out. “Could you do a demonstration for the class?”
“Yes, Professor Jiva,” Jeremiah replied, eagerly making his way to the front while dragging a spear behind him. With a decisive thrust, he sent his streamer high into the air, and an orb of light burst to life.
“Excellent work,” Professor Jiva praised. “How’s your tracking coming along?”
Jeremiah began to pace back and forth in front of the classroom. At first, the orb wobbled slightly, but soon it stabilized, following his movements.
Professor Jiva nodded. “Does anyone else want to demonstrate?”
A couple more mages ventured to the front to show off their progress before the instructor continued. “Our next spell to learn is Quickening. This one can be tricky because, to cast it on yourself, you should not use your streamer.” The light mage professor offered a few more pieces of advice, then walked the class through casting it.
Nora leaned over to Trey. “I’ve got this one down,” she whispered.
“I know, you cheater,” Trey responded. Nora’s eyes went wide before she brought her hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle.
Trey sat through the rest of the class, then spent his free time before dinner searching through the library. He discovered some supplemental reading materials for the spellcrafting class, which he delved into immediately. However, the persistent growling of his stomach soon became impossible to ignore, prompting him to make his way to the cafeteria.
At dinner, Jeffers found Trey and inquired about his availability for later that evening. Trey revealed he had no significant plans, so Jeffers offered him his weekly personal training session, an offer Trey gladly accepted. After finishing his meal, Trey arrived at the training grounds, eager to learn from the master guardian.
“Have you given much thought to what primary weapon you will focus on?” Jeffers asked as they strode onto the training ground.
“Yesterday’s training was the most natural,” Trey answered. “The sword and shield combination felt right.”
"That''s a great choice. Many guardians prefer that setup. While it''s important to master various fighting styles to adapt to different situations, let’s concentrate on that tonight"
They walked over to the wooden office, selected a pair of shields and swords, then returned to the center of the grounds.
“Let’s warm up with some sparring,” Jeffers said.
The instructor took a defensive stance, inviting Trey to practice his attacks. The sound of metal clashing against metal quickly filled the air, rhythmic and intense. Jeffers had no trouble deflecting and dodging many of Trey’s offensive maneuvers. After a while, the head guardian shifted gears. With a sudden change in posture, he advanced on Trey, unleashing a rapid sequence of strikes that kept Trey on his toes.
Trey''s heart raced as he struggled to react. Each swing from Jeffers forced him back on his heels, and despite his best efforts, he found it increasingly difficult to keep up. The master guardian''s movements were fluid and precise, reminding Trey just how proficient his opponent was.
Jeffers wore Trey down sufficiently and then finally called an end to their sparring. “You’ve been improving,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow. “After just one week of training, you have much better control over your movements. That’s impressive progress.”
“I’m still nowhere near your level,” Trey admitted, panting slightly. “What do I need to work on?”
“Continue to harness control over your raw strength,” Jeffers said, his tone steady and thoughtful. “Work on drills that enhance your balance. Regarding your fighting style, remember that your shield can be used as a weapon as well. Use it to push back against your opponent; it can play a crucial role in launching a successful counterattack.”
Jeffers continued the training by instructing Trey on how to wield an onyx steel shield, teaching him the positions he would need to know to deflect magic—a crucial precursor to engaging with a mage in close combat. Trey mimicked the guardian leader''s movements as closely as he could. While the seasoned warrior couldn’t compete with Bree for Trey’s attention in certain ways, the young man nevertheless appreciated and even enjoyed the one-on-one time.
Once their session wrapped up, Trey left the training ground and headed off to wash up. Upon returning to his room, he was taken aback to find a naked blonde lounging in his bed. “You were out late last night,” Nora said with mock accusation. “You’re going to have to make it up to me tonight.”
Trey quickly shed his clothing and approached the sexy blonde, feeling like a predator about to pounce on his prey. Nora watched him with a lusty glint in her eyes, spreading her legs wide to welcome him.