Chapter 6

Classes

Arriving at his first class, Vyrion looked around the classroom. Some of the earlier students were already filling their desks which were set in a semicircle style made of two rows of chairs and desks that looked down onto the stage the teacher spoke from. Glancing around the classroom, he noted it couldn’t seat more than ten students, and he swelled with pride. There were plenty of other students throughout the academy, but the small size of the classroom proved to him he really was chosen to be one of the special ones.

Choosing an empty seat in the front row, he didn’t bother to waste his time speaking with any of the other students. They all looked busy doing their own. Two girls with dark brown skin who sat next to one another grabbed his attention. 

The girl whose hair was tied back and kept out of her face revealed a dark red color in her right iris along with a natural hazel brown left eye. The other slightly more muscular girl kept her hair in a twist out style, revealing a blue left iris and hazel brown right eye that matched the first girl. He had heard of people with a rare genetic trait that showed through the color of their eyes what their magic affinity was, but this was the first time he had ever seen it in person. They sat next to each other at the far end of the front row, chatting with one another about their family and their upcoming assignments but Vyrion couldn’t pick up any details from where he was sitting. 

Another student with dark brown hair set in long braids framing his face sat behind the seat Vyrion had chosen and he looked to be focused on reading an old book that was falling apart at the seams. The cover was so worn that he couldn’t even hope to make out the title. 

Another student, a large Infurnal white tiger with dark skin and a long white mane of hair with black stripes and golden piercings in his ears, was simply resting his head on his desk and Vyrion had to stifle an annoyed laugh. How could someone like that have been allowed into such a school? And in the same classroom he had been assigned to? Could they even be trusted to be a Caster if they couldn’t even wake up for classes?

Vyrion was jerked from his thoughts as the doors to the classroom opened once again and a woman walked in. She looked to be a young adult, with a cute face and shoulder length purple hair that slightly curled around her freckled face. She had a very sweet look about her, even donning the signature Caster outfit with red trim. Briefly, flashes of Chelsea ran through Vyrion’s head as he watched her move to the screen at the front of the room.

“Good morning young Casters-to-be. I hope you all had a relaxing weekend?” Her smile never left her even as the students groaned in unison at her question. They were all focusing on her now, even the student that had been sleeping only a minute prior. “Oh come now, I know last week’s exercise might have been hard on you, but that was only the start. You have a lot more to look forward to this year!” 

She stopped for another moment as her eyes fell on the new student in her class. She stepped forward at a quick pace before stopping in front of him. 

“You’re the new student, aren’t you? Mr. Gale, right?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good! I’m Allison Ren.” She took him by the hand and he found himself following her onto the stage, now the new focus of the other students in their desks. “Well, you may be coming into the school a month late, but that doesn’t mean you get to escape what the others had to do. Now then, introduce yourself and let us know what you’re capable of.”

Vyrion was only allowed to hesitate for a moment before he felt the playful nudge from Allison, encouraging him.

“I’m Vyrion Gale. I’m heir to-” He stopped briefly as he reminded himself. That had all been tossed aside when he chose to become a Caster. He had made his decision, and he couldn’t dwell on it. “You don’t need to know much about me, except that I’m here to be the best Caster. I plan to prove myself to everyone in this classroom. No, to everyone in this school.” Speaking with a confident flare came naturally to him. Something he had honed through his years of schooling and all of the dinners he had attended along with his parents. Speaking in front of a crowd of nobles was normal for him, so speaking in front of a class filled with students his age and younger who hadn’t even made names for themselves as Casters yet was an easy feat. Even if they did have a little more experience than him at the school, they were his peers at best.

The students paid as much attention to him as was required, but only the two sisters seemed to show any real interest in his boastful claims. They whispered and laughed to each other about something Vyrion couldn’t make out from the stage. The way they motioned to him as they giggled would have gotten to a lesser person, but Vyrion held a confident smile as he continued to stand front and center of the classroom.

“Oh, very well said!” Allison cut in to help quiet the two girls and the snickering they had caused among the other students. “With such confidence too! I’m impressed. I can’t wait to see what you’re capable of.”

She ushered him off the stage and Vyrion happily took his seat, pleased with his introduction. He couldn’t waste his time being shy or self conscious of his actions. He had to make a name for himself. The other students would be talking about him after this, and by the end of the day he was sure to be known by the entire school.

“All right, class. As you know there will be a sparring exercise today in your class with Miss Brigitte. Since this will be everyone’s first true experience using their abilities against one another, I’m going to make sure you all remember the basics once more. We don’t want any casualties after all.”

Touching a small pad on the wall behind her, a screen of light came to life hovering beside her. Standing as tall as the wall itself, a very gentle buzz came off of it. Barely audible as it formed the letters the teacher created with her fingers to spell out every question and every response as she quickly quizzed the students on the fundamentals.

“Rule 1 class?”

“Only the provided weapons are allowed when sparring.”

“Rule 2 class?”

“Never aim for a fatal blow when sparring.”

“Rule 3 class?”

Caught off guard by the knowledge of these rules and distracted by the fact he would already be sparring on his first day, Vyrion tried to guess the proper rules through common sense. Attempting to speak along with the class, his words came out as mumbles as he felt his confidence slowly seeping away.

“Treat each other fairly both in and out of the sparring arena. No Caster is better than another Caster. No Caster is more important than those they protect.”

“And the final rule, rule number 4?”

“We are not sparring to win, but to learn.” The rest of the class finished in unison.

Vyrion’s blue eyes darted between the different students as they continued to answer in sync. Obvious to him, even as a new student, these rules were drilled into the students of the academy daily to make sure they would never forget them even by the end of the first month.

“Very good class.” Her soft eyes landed on the new student. “Vyrion, the sparring session is mandatory for you as well. So you’ll be reprimanded the same as any other student if you do not follow these rules. No excuses. Is that understood?”

The serious tone of her voice further surprised him after being shown such a sweet and soft nature before now. He wasn’t going to let it deter him. Sparring meant another chance to prove himself as early as possible. “Of course Miss Allison.”

Class continued in typical fashion for Vyrion after that, very similar to his old school. The teacher moved about the classroom talking about the history of Casters, about some of the greatest Casters in the past 100 years, and of the war that had occured over a century ago. She glided around the room, casually pacing as she continued with her lecture. Going over different facts and terms. Most of it was stuff that went in one ear and out the other for Vyrion. Things he already knew about, things he couldn’t bother to care about, until a key word perked his interest.

“Wands.” She said it again, knowing this was a topic that always interested her students every year.

“Wands have been around since the first discovery of the Magic of this world more than 300 years ago. Of course, back then the wands were like those in fairy tales. Sticks, branches, wood carved into a range of simplistic to intricate designs. They were very powerful weapons of course, however the wands of old had one fatal flaw. Does anyone know what that was?”

There was a silence in the classroom as Vyrion wracked his brain, trying to remember any of the old books he had read. A movement occured in the corner of his eye, drawing him to it and he saw the more muscular of the two girls raising her hand.

“Yes Tasha?” Aliison smiled, eager to hear the reply and see how well her students had already learned.

“If I’m remembering right, weren’t they really fragile? They were powerful, but they couldn’t contain the amount of power they held?” Tasha’s voice was firm and her answer was direct.

“Very good Tasha! That’s right. They were made well, but even the best crafted wands of the time couldn’t withstand use more than a few times even by the best Casters of their time. Not to mention, if you were cornered or someone got in too close, they could easily take them from you or break them. At least, that was the case for the Casters of old. They focused primarily on their magical abilities and neglected their physical abilities.” Reaching down she smoothly pulled a gun-like device from its holster at her waist, holding it in a manner that made sure the entire class could see it clearly.

Vyrion couldn’t believe it. He was barely able to make out the weapon that Chelsea had used when she saved him, so this was his first real look at one of these amazing inventions. It was slick, designed in shape and style to be similar to a handgun, but there was so much more to it. The barrel had a faint glow from the magical energies powering it. The gun was smooth, crafted by the finest smiths, technicians, and inventors the world over who used the most rare materials.

“That is why we’re lucky to live in a time where Wands like these have been created. Thanks to brilliant minds like our very own Dr. Harrle Flaire, our new weapons are much more reliable.” She looked around the room and her eyes landed on the sleepy-eyed Infurnal white tiger boy that Vyrion had noticed when he first took his seat. “Ressio. Can you tell us why these new Wands are so much more useful to our daily lives?”

Giving a small yawn that revealed razor sharp fangs he scratched his head, running his fingers through his white and black hair and idly brushing a few strands from his face. He was built large with heavy muscles..

“‘Cause we don’t have to waste our time mid battle with chanting spells like the old Casters had to. We can prepare ahead of time, inscribe the bullets made for the Wands, and then use them in battle in an instant. These versions of Wands are made to act like guns, allowing us to fire off spells just like you’d fire off a regular bullet.”

Vyrion felt stunned. The sleeping boy had caught him off guard with the knowledge on the subject. He knew Wands existed and that they were powerful, but he had no idea all the details that went into them.

“That’s right, Ressio. Though remember that just because you inscribe your bullets ahead of time, that doesn’t keep you fully safe. You have to use your own spiritual energy to empower your Wand and to allow it to fire off the spell.” She looked around the room and smiled as she stepped forward, taking a hot white bullet out of a small pouch at her hip and slipping it into her Wand. She stopped in front of the desk of the student who had been reading the ancient book before class had started. “Solias, do you have something I could borrow? Just a pencil or a pen is fine.”

Vyrion had turned around to get a better view of what was happening and got a better look at Solias now that his book wasn’t blocking a part of his face. He had a more mature look to him than any of the other students in the classroom. Looking at him was enough to show he held some kind of experience that most others didn’t, but Vyrion couldn’t guess what it might be as he watched him hand over a simple pen without a word.

Giving a small nod of thanks, Allison turned her back to the class and raised her arm high, allowing the students to get a good look at the pen. “Now, you have to be quick and focused. Just like with the original wands, these Wands are still dangerous if mishandled.” She then tossed the pen into the air and with an ease and grace that none of them had seen she raised her Wand from her hip. There was a brief flash of white light accompanied by a whirring before the blast of the weapon echoed in the room. A beam of bright white pure energy shot from the barrel and into the pen.

The classroom was completely quiet as the students all held their breath at the sight before them. Everyone in the class was used to some level of magic. Magic was quite common in the world now, but none of them ever expected to see a pen darting around the room, flying around them excitedly. Whisking by each of their faces, slipping between their legs under their desks, flying freely with a mind of its own before finally coming to a rest back on Solias’ desk. A fresh wave of relief washed over him as Vyrion realized he wasn’t the only one watching in amazement as Allison holstered her Wand at her waist and turned back to smile at the students surrounding her.

“You all saw that I hope? The energy you saw released from my Wand was my own magical energy. No matter how many bullets you inscribe ahead of time, there will always be a limit to how much your mind and your body can endure. Wands are magical indeed, but they are not absolute just as Casters are not immortal. Never forget that.”

After a few minutes she managed to get the class back on track, going over a few more details as she explained Wands in more intricate details. The way they were built, how each Wand was made specifically for the Caster and how it was connected to them to make sure no others could use it. 

There was a quick, high pitched bell ringing through the school’s halls to indicate the end of the period and the students quickly began to gather their belongings as Allison gave them instructions over the noise of their bags rustling and the students talking to one another.

“Remember class, the sparring session for your group and the following class is at noon in the southern field. Don’t be late or it will be held against you. Punctuality is very important for Casters.”

Vyrion joined in with the students as they made their way out into the halls while acknowledging her. His eyes darted around him as he saw other classes emptying out and soon he was swept up in the wave of students as they rushed about from one destination to another. Shoulders bumping against shoulders as the bodies filled the halls. It was hard to believe so many students went to a school meant only for the elite. As he wandered through the hall trying to gather his bearings he felt a hand grab him around the wrist and pull him into a side hall where his eyes met with the two girls who had laughed at his claim during his speech.

“Hey new kid. Having a little trouble on your first day?” The six foot tall girl smiled down at him a little. Her stance was firm and proud just like the other more muscular girl who stood only an inch shorter.

“Hate to admit it, but yeah. A little bit. This place is just massive.” There was a brief pause before he remembered his manners. “Oh right. I know I said it in class, but I’m Vyrion.”

“Fashryn. Fashryn Gemrick.” The taller girl then aimed her thumb at the other girl. “And this is my younger sister, Tasha.”

The comment was enough to cause a scowl to form on the younger sister’s face. “Younger by two whole minutes.”

“Still younger.” A smirk creased the older sibling’s lips, knowing she had won the little battle.

A little laugh escaped from Vyrion at their display and he paused, realizing it was his first real laugh since the horrible incident. It took a couple tries before the voice of the muscular sister wormed their way through his distracted mind.

“Hey, I asked if you were okay?”

“Oh, right, sorry about that. Still just taking everything in.” He brushed a streak of red hair out of his face, trying to regain his composure as Tasha continued to speak.

“Well we just wanted to let you know that we’ll be happy to help you out if you need anything. Notes, tips, whatever you need.”

He wasn’t blind to their kindness, but he had already set his mind to focusing on the goal at hand; becoming a powerful Caster. He didn’t want to risk anything by taking the time to make friends. Already prepared to brush them off as politely as possible, the words got caught in his throat as he reached into his pockets. He could feel the beads of sweat begin to form on his forehead as he searched his pants and jacket pockets.

“Lost something new kid?” Tasha mimicked her sister’s words as she raised an eyebrow and they both watched him rummaging through his pockets.

“My map of the school.” Mumbling, he pulled his hands free of his pockets, revealing nothing. “I must have dropped it in the crowd. You two wouldn’t happen to be able-”

“Oh, that’s nothing to worry about. Come on, we can show you to the sparring grounds. We have plenty of time.” Tasha interrupted him before he could even finish his begrudging request. Figuring he didn’t have much of a chance of arguing with both of the girls without his marked map of the school, he allowed himself to be led by the twin sisters through school.

They gave him a little tour as they made their way through the labyrinth that was their school. Explaining to him where the bathrooms and the lunchroom were and the fastest way to get back to his room. They mentioned how the best meals were served during the weekends, and the best snacks could be found in the very early hours of the morning before classes started. They talked about the most annoying teachers as well as the best teachers, occasionally letting loose juicy gossip they’d heard about certain instructors since their first days here. He couldn’t help but be impressed by how much the two girls had picked up within only a month of school having started.

Ten minutes before the deadline the trio arrived at the field. It was nothing like the normal field at his old school that was used for sports and competitions. This one was filled with training dummies lining the perimeter of the field with their stuffed fillings bleeding out of them. There was a large screen that hovered over the field, buzzing away like the one in Allison’s classroom only much larger. Sitting to the side of the large field he spotted an assortment of weapons made of fine wood, and he quickly assumed they were meant for training purposes.

He felt drawn to the weapons and was busy looking them over when the shrill whistle pierced through his ears causing him and the other gathered students to wince. He covered one of his ears, using a finger to try and clear out the ringing as he turned around to see another woman walking towards the field.

The woman was short but had the face of a stern yet caring mother, walking with poise and grace that would have put the nobles he knew to shame. Her face was smooth, painted with light blue makeup to accentuate her features, and black curly hair that reached just down to her shoulders. The sight of her was enough to distract him until he caught a glimpse of her outfit. Unlike the teachers and students, he couldn’t make out her uniform due to the black silk cloak she wore wrapped around her body, swaying only slightly as she moved to the center of the field. 

The last of the students who had arrived while Vyrion had been distracted quickly followed her and moved into a circle around her made of humans and only two Infurnals. Vyrion was surprised to see it wasn’t just students from his first class, but a few others that he figured came from their own earlier classes. The tiger-striped Infurnal he recognized from his earlier class, but the girl with the long white mane of hair and wolf ears intrigued him. Knowing better than to keep any of them waiting, he quickly fell into place between two of the human students that he didn’t recognize from his class.

“All right class, I’m your battle instructor Brigitte Einfeld. Welcome to your first sparring session of the year. You will be tested once every month after today. Today’s sparring is focused on seeing where you’re at now, and by the end of the year we will give you a final test to see how well each of you has grown. If everything goes well for you and you prove yourself, then you just might be an official Caster by the end of the year.” Though she was shorter than a number of the students, this didn’t keep her from being able to command their attention. There were a few hushed words between two of the boys in the circle. One of the boys was bald and had a couple nasty looking scars on his face and his large muscular body all added to give an intimidating appearance, while the other had slicked back black hair and seemed to have a much more calm presence about him. No one seemed to give their hushed conversation any mind as the rest of the students listened to their teacher.

“Now, we have already gone over your Caster files and chosen the weapons that would best suit you after your assessment tests. Some of you may not like them at first, but trust me. You will be thankful to have them when the time comes. We have also taken the liberty to assign a partner for each of you. Your partner will not change all year, no matter how much you complain. So please learn to get along.”

One of the two whispering boys, the one with the larger muscles and bald head, raised his hand but didn’t wait for permission before speaking up. “But teacher, why do we need a partner? Don’t most Casters work on their own?”

Brigitte gave a low groan, not bothering to hide her annoyance at how wrong he was. “That’s a common misconception. Every new group of recruits gets it in their head that they’re going to go it solo and become world famous. I’m going to tell you right now to forget those ideas. Those thoughts can distract you when you need your focus the most. Many young Casters have been seriously injured and even lost their lives because they didn’t believe their own limitations. Most Casters work in pairs, some even work in groups as large as four to six members. Only a very select few work on their own. A Caster’s partner is more important to them than any Wand.”

This reply managed to silence everyone as they all thought about her words. They didn’t have long though before she motioned for them to step forward one by one as she handed them each a paper. As Vyrion took his and opened it he saw that it designated his sparring weapon as a katana and the image of his father standing like a mountain against the IMP beast flashed before him. Staring at the word, he fought back the image the best he could as he stepped back to allow the rest of the students to take their weapons. 

His attention was drawn to the last of the students. The wolf-eared Infurnal stepped up to their instructor, her eyes darting from classmate to classmate in an anxious manner. The teacher smiled, speaking to her briefly as she handed the Infurnal student her piece of paper. Looking it over quickly, a smile came across her face as though the words she read removed any worries she had up to this point.

Next Chapter: Learning The Basics