Cassian stayed a little longer. He had questions he wanted to ask the professors about what he could and could not do during the quest. Once he was satisfied, he thanked all three of them and took his leave.

  A heavy fatigue settled over his mind. It was worries piled upon worries. They had three trials to complete, one reserved especially for him, and he was convinced there was no way his pathetic Arbiter spells would be up to the task. Then again, there was a chance he would not even get that far. Siegfried could knock him out the moment the quest began, convinced by his sister’s plan that Cassian intended to betray them. Or worse, Athena might deal with him personally, humiliating him in front of the entire academy.

  No matter how hard he thought about these problems, he could not find a solution to any of them. The more he considered it, the more he noticed that annoying ringing in his ear creeping back again. So, he decided he would break his resolution. He would share his new troubles with Sabrina and Todd.

  His chance came during their practical magic lesson.

  They entered a spacious room that transformed the moment they stepped inside. The walls and ceiling vanished, replaced by an open meadow. No doors remained except the one they had used. A gentle river cut through the grass, and a single tall tree stood at its center, where the professor waited.

  She welcomed them warmly, took attendance, and then went straight into the explanation of the day’s spell: changing the properties of liquids.

  “Liquids,” she began, “are far easier to transmute than solids. They require far less Mana and offer much less resistance. What matters is the image in your mind. You must picture not only what the liquid will become, but its consistency, its state, its smell, and its color.”

  She walked slowly along the riverbank as she spoke.

  “If your image is incomplete, the transformation will be partial. You may turn water red, but it will still be water. You will not have made wine. Only when you can almost feel it, smell it, see it, and taste it in your mind can you command the liquid to change.”

  The professor raised her staff and waved it toward the river.

  “Transform.”

  In the next second, the water turned a deep crimson, and the rich scent of wine filled the meadow.

  “Transform.”

  The river shifted again, becoming a transparent golden yellow, the sharp fragrance of olives replacing the sweetness of wine.

  “Transform.”

  Pure white milk now flowed between the banks.

  She lowered her staff one final time.

  “Transform.”

  Clear water returned as if nothing had ever happened.

  “I will be here if you have any questions,” she said, seating herself beneath the tree. “You are free to practice.”

  As she finished, wooden enchanted blades flew into everyone’s hands and then the class broke into groups. Some hurried straight to the riverbed and began practicing the spell, waving their hands and chanting, trying to make the water change. Others wandered to different parts of the meadow, speaking excitedly among themselves. A few students approached the teacher with questions, though not all of them were about the spell she had just demonstrated.

  Priscilla and Jurgen remained close to the professor, each surrounded by their own circle of friends, both groups keeping a wary eye on the other.

  “She’s very nonchalant,” Cassian remarked.

  “Oh right, you weren’t here yesterday, you see, last class she told us we can do anything we want.” Todd said dramatically

  “That’s not what she said,” Sabrina corrected. “I wrote everything down so you’d know what’s going on Cassian.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a notebook, but before she could hand it over, Todd snatched it from her fingers.

  He flipped to the page and began reading aloud in a terrible imitation of the professor’s serene voice.

  “You do not have any theoretical magic classes this year. This is intentional. In these formative years, it is of the utmost importance that we develop the power of your imagination. It is the key to all magic. If you cannot exercise your imagination, you will become a failed magic user.”

  Todd continued, swaying his head as if performing on a stage.

  “My class will grow stricter as your curriculum advances and more theoretical subjects are introduced. But for now, you are free to explore the limits of your powers. Practice the spells as you wish, inquire about new ones, test what you are good at and what you are not.”

  Sabrina reached for the notebook, but Todd dodged her easily.

  “I may begin class by showing you a spell or two,” he read on, “but you are under no obligation to practice those specific ones. Do note one thing: if, during your examinations, you are unable to perform the required spells, you will be held back or expelled. So, use your time wisely.”

  Todd finished with a triumphant grin- just as he tripped spectacularly forward and face-planted into the grass. A stray blade had somehow coiled around his ankle.

  The professor’s calm voice drifted over the meadow.

  “I do not recall giving you permission to disrespect the faculty.”

  She looked at him with mild amusement. “Imitate me again, Mr. Todd, and I will transform you into something cuter. Perhaps a rabbit, so you may hop around the meadow. Is that understood?”

  Todd lifted his head from the ground, cheeks burning.

  “Yes, Professor Illustris,” he muttered.

  The class laughed heartily. Then everyone went back to doing their own thing. Cassian felt sorry for Todd. He thought that if something like that had happened to him, he would have been absolutely destroyed. He was already wondering how to comfort him when, to his surprise, Todd sprang back up as if nothing had happened.

  “We’re also allowed to duel each other,” Todd said cheerfully. “They say soon we’ll be able to do it anywhere in the academy, but for now we’re limited to this place.”

  “You’re exempt, however,” Sabrina added. “You may challenge no one, and no one may challenge you before you take your quest. They don’t want an accident to happen and you getting hurt before it.”

  That might have been the first good news Cassian had heard in a while.

  “Oh yeah, Jurgen was all mad about that,” Todd chimed in. “Here I was planning on breaking him the first chance I got.” He finished the sentence in a terrible imitation of Jurgen’s voice.

  “You never learn, do you, commoner?” Jurgen’s actual voice asked.

  He and his friends had heard Todd and were now approaching them.

  “Didn’t you hear what would happen to you if you started imitating people again?” Jurgen said mockingly.

  “You need to learn how to listen, Jurgen,” Todd shot back. “She said not to imitate her, she didn’t say anything about imitating a big meathead.”

  Jurgen turned his face toward Cassian. “You better tell your pet to behave. Wouldn’t want him to get himself into trouble when you can’t protect him.”

  His friends laughed stupidly. Cassian decided to try something. He looked at them, not with a scowl, but with calm disapproval. The laughter died instantly, and the boys suddenly seemed sheepish. How about that, he thought. Jurgen looked rattled by how easily his friends had backed off.

  “You better watch yourself,” he said defiantly. “As soon as that quest is done, I’m taking you down a peg.”

  “As if he would waste his time on the likes of you,” came Priscilla’s sharp voice.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  She and her group had closed the distance while everyone was distracted.

  “If you need someone to knock your head straight, I’ll be more than glad to help you,” she continued.

  “Oh? Need me to help you remember your place again, Virinterviros?” Jurgen said, raising his sword.

  “Your imagination is so vivid, you’d think you’d be better at magic,” Priscilla replied, raising her own.

  “If that’s what you think, then say the words. Unless you’re scared,” Jurgen taunted.

  “Jurgen Quiascendus, I challenge you to a duel,” Priscilla said, not a trace of fear in her voice.

  A crowd gathered quickly, forming a circle around them. Professor Illustris said nothing. She merely waved her staff, pushing everyone back a few feet, including Cassian, Sabrina, and Todd.

  “Remember to keep a safe distance,” she said lazily.

  The next moment they were at it.

  Priscilla launched small fireballs while Jurgen slashed through them, trying to close the distance. He answered with a couple of thunderbolts, forcing her to raise walls of earth to slow his advance.

  “I’m surprised it took them until the second day to start fighting,” Cassian said.

  “Oh, it didn’t,” Sabrina replied. “It was the first thing they did yesterday. I think the current score is three to three.” She tugged at his sleeve. “Come on, Cassian. They’ll be at this a while, and you said you had something you wanted to tell us.”

  The three of them moved to a calmer part of the meadow. When they were far enough from the duel and the shouting crowd, Cassian explained his new predicaments, how there was a part of the quest where he and his meager arbiter spells would be the center of attention, how Athena seemed to be provoking her brother, inevitably inching him to attack them at the very start of the ordeal.

  When he was done, Todd reacted immediately.

  “You’re doomed…”

  Sabrina spun around and hit him on the back of the head with her open palm.

  “Either try to help or stay quiet,” she said sharply.

  “Sorry, sorry!” Todd raised his hands. “It’s just… I don’t know what he can do. Do you have any idea, Sabrina?”

  Sabrina didn’t say a word. Cassian felt discouraged by her silence. It must have shown on his face, because Todd spoke again, more carefully this time.

  “Well… maybe her plan won’t work. Your cousin, I mean, the girl. The big one isn’t stupid, is he? I’m sure he’ll see through it.”

  “He’s already promised to knock me out quickly if I don’t resist,” Cassian answered.

  “Oh… oh, no…” Todd said simply.

  “That girl will do anything for victory,” Sabrina added at last. “I’m sure her brother knows that, so he won’t be expecting cooperation at all.”

  “There’s no way she’s that bad, is there?” Todd asked incredulously.

  Neither of them answered. Todd scratched his head, clearly uncomfortable with the silence, then tried again.

  “If you’re sure they’re going to betray you, fight back! You’re a Viamnova, after all!”

  Cassian felt a sharp pain in his stomach. That’s what they’re all going to think when I’m next to my cousins. Is he even a true Viamnova?

  “Todd, they are Viamnovas too. And they’re older. More practiced,” Sabrina said.

  “Oh yeah…” Todd deflated for a second, then perked up again. “Alright, then what if you get prepared with some really powerful magical tools so you can fight back? Even if they’re older than you and know more magic or whatever, the tools can compensate! There are some really powerful ones!”

  Cassian already knew there was a problem with that idea as well, but he still believed it was worth a shot to visit the place Todd had suggested, so he didn’t argue.

  “Yes,” Sabrina added quickly, “and we can also go to the park I told you about yesterday and train some more. Make sure you’re ready.”

  “Yeah! We can train with the magical tools and make strategies!” Todd said, full of energy again.

  The two of them continued talking, planning what they were going to do to make sure Cassian was ready. They still hadn’t given him anything truly tangible, any clear course of action he could take, yet, strangely, Cassian found he felt a little less worried.

  The signal for the end of the lesson took Cassian a back. The bright daylight of the meadow suddenly softened into a warm orange glow, as if the sun had decided to set all at once. Shadows stretched long across the grass, the river turned the color of molten gold, and then, in a single breath, the sky shifted again. A deep velvet night rolled overhead, filled with stars that had not been there a moment before.

  Professor Illustris lowered her staff and informed them calmly that practice was over for the day and that she would see them tomorrow. The illusion of the classroom dissolved. The meadow faded back into the familiar spacious hall, its walls and ceiling returning as if they had never left. Students began to gather their things and make their way out, still talking excitedly about duels and transformations.

  Todd wasted no time. As soon as they stepped into the corridor, he took the lead, guiding them through the tower and out into the city. Cassian had expected they would remain near the plaza, but Todd kept walking. He led them beyond the merchants, beyond the polished streets, toward the edge of the inner district. Cassian felt stupid, of course he would take me there.

  The capital was divided by a circular river that wrapped around the heart of the city like a silver band. At its center stood the Tower of Wisdom, and around it spread the inner circle-the place Cassian had known all his life. Here lay the great plaza, the estates of the Viamnovas and the other noble houses, the dormitories of highborn students, and the clean, orderly streets of cobblestone.

  Beyond the river was the outer ring of the city. To reach it, one had to cross one of the small bridges that connected the two halves. Todd headed straight for one of them. Cassian was a little worried, he had rarely been to the outer ring.

  Timothy had insisted he walk the streets and greet the people, but those walks had almost always remained within the inner circle. It wasn’t because he avoided the place, he just didn’t have a reason to go. As they crossed the bridge, the change became obvious at once.

  The buildings were closer together, their colors faded by time. Roof tiles did not always match, walls showed cracks that had been repaired more than once, and the streets were narrower and less carefully kept. Shops here catered to common folk rather than nobles, their signs simpler, their windows filled with practical goods instead of elegant displays. There was also very little magic around, ignoring the lamps filled with ever-burning fire, Cassian could not find any signs of magic in the buildings. No spells in the walls for self-cleaning, no arcane letters in the signs so they would shine at night.

  It was not an ugly place, Cassian decided, if anything it was rather dull when compared to the inner circle. He wondered how many people here recognized him as a Viamnova, and how many simply saw a boy out of place.

  Todd moved confidently through the unfamiliar streets, clearly at home in this part of the city. Cassian followed, trying to hide how strange it felt to walk somewhere he did not already know by heart. Sabrina walked calmly behind the two boys, unbothered by the change of scenery. As they continued walking, Cassian started to notice whispers growing louder and louder. Todd seemed to hear them, too.

  “That’s strange. What are they whispering about?” he said, looking back at his two friends.

  Sabrina simply shrugged, but Cassian had an inkling of what was going on. The whispers followed them as Todd led them deeper into the outer circle. Groups of people were beginning to gather, and some even started pointing at the three of them. It was then that a man stepped forward, blocking their path. Todd, surprised, took a step back. The man wore plain brown clothes and looked as excited as a child. He pointed straight at Cassian.

  “You’re a Viamnova, ain’t you?”

  Todd and Sabrina seemed a little panicked at being stopped by this unknown older man, but Cassian had already anticipated something like this might happen. He looked into the man’s eyes, letting him see the blue of his own, and said, “I am Cassian Viamnova. How may I help you?”

  The man grinned, showing he was missing some teeth. “Ohh, Ser Cassian, may I have a handshake? Just one?” He extended his hand toward the boy.

  Cassian did not hesitate. He placed his small hand in the man’s large one, and the man grabbed it firmly.

  “Thanks a lot, ser. Thanks a lot,” he repeated.

  That opened the floodgates.

  People began approaching, asking for handshakes too, or just a word. Cassian was very accustomed to this, but then the requests started to grow strange. One man asked for a blessing. Cassian had to tell him he was no priest and had no right to give such things, but the man insisted it would be fine, that he needed this blessing for his business to thrive.

  Cassian awkwardly answered that he blessed his business and hoped it found success. Then more people began asking for blessings, for themselves, for their children, for their mules and horses. A young woman stepped forward and asked him to kiss the forehead of her newborn baby, who she held in her arms. When the crowd heard this, others began asking for kisses too, mostly for their daughters.

  Cassian felt this was crossing a line and tried to explain that he needed to be somewhere else. But more and more people kept coming, and it became clear they had been following them for a while. The mob that was forming pressed closer and closer, their voices blending together until their words became unintelligible.

  Todd was shoved against a wall. Cassian could no longer even see Sabrina as the mass of people crashed forward, all trying to get nearer to him.

  Then he heard Sabrina’s voice shout something and the next second, a gust of wind pushed the mob back. Many of the people closest to him fell over, knocked off balance. Others stumbled a step away. Cassian feared that might have made them angry.

  Instead, they cheered.

  “That’s the magic of the Viamnovas!” someone in the crowd exclaimed.

  “Even their kids are formidable!” another voice called.

  “Make way for him!” a third cried, and soon the chant was picked up and echoed through the street.

  Even though it was clearly Sabrina who had used the magic, the people had convinced themselves it was Cassian’s doing. The crowd began moving aside, forming a path for him and his friends to walk through. Todd didn’t waste any time. He grabbed Cassian by the hand, and Cassian grabbed Sabrina’s, and the three of them ran.

  Todd led them through the narrow streets, the three of them running without stopping, their footsteps echoing against crooked walls and uneven doors. Behind them, the crowd’s voices still carried, the chant of “Make way, make way” chasing them like a stubborn wind that refused to die.

  Cassian barely registered where they were going. The streets blurred together, one bending into the next, colors smearing like wet paint. The smell of bread, smoke, and damp stone mixed into one heavy cloud that pressed against his chest.

  Todd darted left, then right, Sabrina followed close behind, her earlier confidence gone, replaced with quick, nervous glances over her shoulder. The chant faded slowly, stretched thin by distance, yet Cassian could still hear it inside his head, louder than his own breathing. At last Todd slowed, skidding to a halt in front of a crooked building squeezed between two taller ones. The sign above the door was faded, the paint peeling so badly that the letters looked more like scratches than words. Todd didn’t hesitate. He pushed the door open and dragged them inside.

  The shop smelled of dust, old metal, and something faintly sweet he could not place. Shelves crowded the room, piled with trinkets, boxes, and objects that glimmered with tired enchantments. The door creaked behind them, cutting off the last echo of the street.

  From somewhere behind the counter, a man’s voice exploded with familiar fury.

  “Oh, it’s you, you little shit! I told you not to come back here unless you had money to buy something!”