The combined effort of conjuring Caliban and the thrilling triumph of last night ensured that Gwen slept like the dead until midday, awakening only when her hunger caused her stomach to contract.

There was a brief moment of disorientation when she opened her eyes and found herself yet again in an unfamiliar bedroom. The return of pleasant, yesteryear memories, thankfully, returned her to the embrace of expensive linen.

Another snooze later, Gwen dressed.

The servants had retired for the day, so she helped herself to the fridge and made herself a cold sandwich of leftover roasts. Being famished, Gwen polished off the rest of the ham, washing meat down with glasses of cranberry juice.

When she finished, she found a note left for her by the kitchen counter.

"Gwen, I am heading back to Prince's. Good luck with the training. Kwan and Tali are going over to Surya's. Gramps told me to let you sleep. We'll catch up for luncheons."

\- Richard

Ding!

Just as Gwen considered whether she should call Richard or Surya, a Message spell bloomed beside her ear.

It was Alesia.

Gwen took the Message on her device.

"Hey, Tiger! I just spoke to Master. Well done, sister! I can't believe I was away when all these terrible things happened! Are you free to catch up today?"

"Allie!" Gwen gushed. "Yes! I am free!"

"Awesome, I am dying to meet up. Also, I have your new team member with me, do you mind if I bring him?"

"A guy?" Gwen paused for a moment. She hadn't heard that their new member was going to be a guy. Wouldn't another girl give a better vibe? After all, a well-spiced team naturally included Posh, Ginger, Sporty, Baby, and Misc No.5.

"What's he like?"

"Ha, curious? He's incredibly handsome, dashing and dreamy. A real melt-your-heart kind of heartthrob."

Gwen laughed, Alesia was much too young at heart.

"He sounds like a magazine model," Gwen retorted. "Do you think he's the right fit for our group?"

"You'll have to come and see," Alesia replied mysteriously. "He's trustworthy. Completely clean. The Auckland Tower's Master owes Henry a big one and so loaned us his protege. You girls will have to play nice while he's on exchange for the next six months."

"Oh?" Gwen was very much interested now. An exchange student from another city, another country! "I'll be along shortly, where do you want to have our luncheon?"

"What do you feel like?"

"Sushi?" Gwen said the first thing that came to her mind. She had already eaten the better quarter of a leftover ham but was confident seafood should be no obstacle to her starved body. After all, meat digested in one stomach, seafood in another, dessert sat in the appendix, which serves as a reserve stomach for teenage girls. Everybody knew this.

"Great, see you at Pyrmont, we'll meet at Sokio's. I'll get us a table."

Alesia hung up, and Gwen was impressed. Even she had heard of the most expensive sashimi bar in Sydney. Gwen had vague memories of eating there once, courtesy of her mother, but only recalled eating the cheap stuff, such as the Tamago rolls. From memory, she recalled that Sokio's was booked out weeks in advance, how is Alesia hoping for a three on the first day of the New Year?

Gwen looked herself over in the mirror of the kitchen splashback. She was in no mind to change her outfit, but Alesia never showed up anywhere without dressing up.

The clock showed eleven.

Gwen changed into an unbranded long sleeves dress she had found in the country town. The fabric was coarse, but the cut was trim and minimalist, it was only forty buckaroos, but Gwen was confident she wore it like couture.

From Kirribilli, she crossed the bay via the ferry, mindful of the public.

This time, thanks to the NoMs keeping their distance, the journey was completed without incident.

It was the aura she now carried; something Henry said Senior Mages acquired after years of devotion to their craft. As the caster's Astral Soul attuned to their element, they assumed the quirks and qualities of said element, becoming akin to Demi-humans. When in public and especially among NoMs, non-magical humans innately understood that here was a being capable of crushing them like vermin.

Which suited Gwen fine; if someone groped her tooshie again, the ferry might just sink.

Some distance away, Gwen was glad to find that Pyrmont Wharf had remained unchanged from her old world. It was still a series of gentrified warehouses converted into fancy restaurants with impressively high ceilings. As it was the first day of the new year and a Friday, Alesia's preferred fine-dining establishment had patrons spilling on to the sidewalk.

Gingerly, Gwen approached the maitre d', watching the woman's eyes scanning her from cotton dress to leather sandal.

"Hello, I have a booking under Be Botton?"

The madam browsed her notebook.

"I have no appointments under a Miss de Botton." The maitre d's ruby red lips had a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Also, I am afraid we're booked out for lunch entirely."

Gwen blinked.

No booking?

Retreating, Gwen found a comfortable position under a shade-cloth and waited. The cork heels of her sandals bite into her ankles uncomfortably. Cheap was cheap, Gwen sighed. Magical shoes weren't something she could currently afford.

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long for Alesia.

In retina-searing red, Gwen saw a figure cutting through the crowd.

Alesia de Botton was radiant as always; her striking appearance made more so alluring by her dark makeup. Presently, she wore a flowing red maxi that wrapped around her peerless figure. As she walked, her dark auburn hair bounced and bobbed, her tanned legs peeping in between sheets of scarlet chiffon.

Beside Alesia, stomped an iron giant.

Gwen did not use the word giant lightly, for the young man beside her could only be described as Brobdingnagian. The Mage was a Maori; his cultural roots made evident by the ta moko across his nose and cheeks. A block of green jade hung from his muscular neck, dangling from a length of twine. Around his torso, a tight black t-shirt barely constrained the man's well-defined chest and shoulders.

Ye Gods! Gwen heard herself say. That boy has brawn for days. As the duo approached, the crowd parted as though the Red Sea before the Magi Moses.

"Gwennie!" Alesia ran the last few steps toward her, enveloping Gwen with the full momentum of her body. Gwen likewise wrapped her arms around Alesia, sinking into the soft folds of her beautiful dress. "Gods, it feels like a lifetime since I last saw you."

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"It does, doesn't it."

Alesia hugged Gwen with the fierceness of a mother hen folding her wings over a long lost chick.

Finally, Alesia stepped back and introduced the seven-foot giant.

"This is Whetu Tikitiki O Taranga, your new Abjurer. Whetu, say hello to Gwen Song, the youngest future Magister this side of the Coral Sea."

"Kia ora, Gwen Song!" Whetu greeted her. To Gwen's surprise, the young man had a voice that was gentle and pleasant.

"It's lovely to meet you, Whē-tú am I saying that right?"

"Ay, you've got it down pat." Whetu's dark eyes scanned his teammate. "Youse fully beeutiful Gwen, I amejened some when very pretty, but yew blue all egg-specations."

"Aww, that's sweet, thank you, Whetu," Gwen answered. The young man was well mannered; his eyes had not wandered at all.

They shook, his hands swallowing her white fingers.

"You... understood what he's saying?" Alesia had a shocked expression.
"Whetu, are you using the stone? I can't understand a word you're saying."

"Gimme a phew sex, Miss." Whetu fiddled with a jade earring. "How's this?"

"Much better!" Alesia patted him on the shoulder. "Let's not have that pug sandwich incident again, shall we?"

Gwen laughed, did people here not understand the Kiwi accent? Was it because the cities were so geographically and socially isolated?

"On the trip over, Whtu asked for 'sex fush cockies', then 'sucks pack of hot weens'. We almost got chased out by the old lady at the ferry's canteen."

"No!" Gwen was beside herself. "It's not that bad! He asked for six fish cocktails, then a pack of hot chicken wings."

"You understood all of that?" Alesia's blue eyes were the size of almonds. "You're not wearing a Translator Ioun Stone, are you?"

"You can't?" Gwen asked in surprise. "The Kiwi's are a part of the Mageocracy; they speak English!"

"That's derogatory, Miss Gwen," Whetu declared, "The ki-wee is a sacrid and benevolent spirit of the land, and many of our tribes see them as owners of the land. I am from one of these clans, and we always speak of them with respect."

"Sorry, Whetu," Gwen apologised sweetly. "Assuming Allie can get us in there, it'll be my shout. Have you had sashimi before?"

"Not much for raw fush me-self, Miss, but I'll take you up on your company."

Across the walkway, Alesia flowed towards the maitre d' who'd been keeping an eye on the conspicuously eye-catching trio.

"Seat for three," Alesia demanded in a tone that indicated the sky was blue. "Window area."

The maitre d' visibly began to sweat. Alesia was a powerful Mage, perhaps one of the top Combat Mages in Sydney. Even if she didn't declare herself, the aura she exuded was palpable.

Thankfully, a passing floor manager knew his VIP list well enough to recognise the auburn air and flaming dress, if not Alesia's face.

"Magus de Botton!" He leapt down the stairs in twos and threes, sprinting across the lobby toward the podium. "Thank you for humbling our establishment."

The maitre d' gazed at her manager with careful inquisitiveness.

"Sophie's new. We're so sorry," The manager mirthfully scolded the junior manager. "Sophie— apologise to Miss de Botton and take them to the third floor, harbour view suite."

Sophie bowed smartly, lowering herself. "Please accept my apologies, Miss De Botton. Please, come this way."

Alesia motioned for the other two to join her. The crowd waiting in the long line said nothing.

Gwen felt ambivalent. The whole differential treatment of those who were privileged remained a bit of a stickler in her throat. Presumably, she could also receive the same regard once she was famous enough, but the mere thought of doing what Alesia had done make her scalp crawl.

The three of them were seated in a spacious private room.

Outside was a view of the harbour, with seagulls battling the dizzying heat of Sydney's summer. It was getting hotter year by year; the News had said, resulting in increased Mermen activity along the coast.

" _Anata no tanoshimi no tame ni—_ ," said the Japanese chef with a heavy accent.

The chef retrieved a struggling red snapper from its salt-water tank, pinning it to the chopping board. Gulping air, its mouth silently screamed. The fish was rare, or so the chef assured them as he filleted its still-living flesh. Once plated, its crystalline flesh laid like white jade over a bed of enchanted ice.

"This is an aboom-a-nation." Whetu uttered unhappily. "Wot are they doing to this poor fush? Why is it still moving?"

"It's to keep the flesh fresh and its mana intact." Alesia stabbed a chopstick into a slice and dipped it gingerly into the ponzu sauce. "Oh my, it's as good as I recall. Beautiful."

Gwen likewise skewered a chunk. Knowing that the fish didn't register pain the same way as humans soothed her conscience.

Watching the girls eat, Whetu finally tried a piece.

"Tastes like see." He sighed. "Poor fush."

When finally the fish ceased its death throes, Whetu's nostrils flared. Sensing the big man's unease, Gwen ventured to ask him some questions.

"So Whetu, can you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"Shure thin Miss." He made himself comfortable as possible on the tiny stool.

"Please, Whetu, just Gwen is fine."

"Alright, Gwen, what do you want to know?"

"Where are you from?"

"Auckland, east coast of the north island. My people originated from the hot springs to the south, near Turangi. Mermen raided Rotorua. Dad moved us out of the hills and into the city, where I attended high school."

"I am sorry to hear that. Are your family safe?" Gwen asked compassionately, giving him a pat on the knee.

"Most of us lived, that's good enough." Whetu shrugged stoically, shaking one leg reflexively. "We were two thousand odd when we left Rotorua, about three-quarters made it."

"How old are you, Whetu?"

"Sex-teen on sivven-teen, same as you."

"You are very tall!" Gwen marvelled. "Are all your people so stout?"

"Me brother's taller." Whetu smiled, his tattoos moving and shifting accordingly.

"How many siblings do you have?"

"Had four, three now," he replied.

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that." Gwen was taken aback by his frankness. If Sydney, with millions of souls, was considered by the tier one cities to be a frontier, she couldn't imagine how Wellington or Auckland was surviving the Demi-human incursions.

The chef reappeared with a glass tank full of writhing squid. Gwen watched with fascinated horror as he splayed a multicoloured cephalopod across the chopping board. With one deft swish, the chef degloved the creature, extracting its single bone plate. As a finishing touch, the still-living squid was placed atop a small bowl of delicate-looking rice, painting it rainbow as it danced and oozed.

"Beautiful, look at that," Alesia cooed. "I love this dish, Rainbow Dancing Squid."

Gwen and Whetu silently watched two more bowls of rainbow squid receive their carcasses. Once the performance was done, he pointed to a small teaspoon of wasabi-laced soy sauce and made the motion of pouring it over the squid.

" _Tanoshinde kudasai!_ "

"Here we go!" Alesia uttered with anticipation and delight. She took the teaspoon carefully and poured it over the squid. Where the rainbow had previously faded, it now burst into multicoloured hues, misting the air with an incandescent spray of colour before beginning to "dance".

"These are four HDM crystal per serve, you know," Alesia looked like she was having the time of her life. She waited until her squid had spent its last motes of vitality before mixing it in with the rice and tasting it with a look of heavenly pleasure.

Gwen looked over at Whetu, whose face was both ashen and disturbed.

"I guess we better dig in, Whetu, that's someone's weekly wage, it'd be more disrespectful to let it suffer all that for no reason."

Whetu nodded and sloshed the squid into his mouth, swallowing it without chewing.

Gwen mixed the squid into the bowl before adding the enchanting sauce, feeling no love for the macabre display.

The taste was so-so, but the vitality she felt contained within was unlike anything she had never experienced. The squid bowl was akin to a mouthful of Sufina's mead. Food like this was why wealthy Mages had better health and bigger mana pools.

With mixed feelings, Gwen and Whetu sat through the rest of the meal, watching the same chef butcher a Spiny Octopus, a jewel-like Abalone, then a live scampi the size of her arm.

Whetu protested each dish by shoving each serving the food into his mouth, swallowing without tasting.

Alesia appeared a regular, savouring each dish.

Gwen ate in silence, guiltily absorbing the vitality. She ended up eating Whetu's portion when a live Eel was grilled on hot coals, citing that torturing a Sacred River God was profane. Alesia loved the eel. As for Gwen, she was too afraid to confess that she had picked sushi.

"So, what are your abilities like, Whetu?" Gwen changed the topic.

"I am a tear 3 Abjurer." Whetu pointed a hand at the greenstone necklace that hung heavily from his neck. "I specialise in dis."
Gwen leaned in closer.

The block of greenstone glowed. When Whetu activated his innate talent, the stone changed into a stylised fishhook.

"Whoa!" Gwen did a double-take. "Is that mineral or stone?"

"It's the Pounamu their people worship, a kind of jade," Alesia butted into the conversation. "Its got above average physical and elemental resistance. With Whetu here, your team is sure to rise in the ranks."

"I'll be sure to thank the man later." Gwen grinned confidently. If Alesia was impressed with Whetu's element, then it meant he was something special.

The Japanese chef once again returned.

He thanked the diners one by one for their patronage and presented them with a gift from the restaurant for the new year, a slice of imported Shizuoka muskmelon, its redolent flesh dripping with flavour and mana.

The three of them savoured the moment, crushing the crisp melon in their mouths, feeling its energy infusing their bodies.

"Dis amazing. I feel like a verjun again," Whetu said.

"I am pretty sure you're still a virgin, Tiger, at least from what your Master told me." Alesia snickered. "Plenty of opportunities, though, your new team are all girls - beautiful, pretty, unattached girls."

"Sweet ass." Whetu swallowed his melon and gave them a thumbs up. The tattoo about his mouth somewhat resembled an impressive beard in the atmospheric lighting of the restaurant, making him look far older than his tender years.

"Gwen, you wanna take him back to the dorm?"

"Sure, are we're resuming training from the school?"

"Of course, Tiger, you can't represent Blackwattle without training at its facilities. Once you pass the prelims, the school will also serve as your home base. You guys are going to have to have home ground matches there, and away matches at the other schools."

"What about the stadium match?" Gwen asked. The notes her Master gave spoke of an arena.

"That's for the regional Top 8. Are we feeling ambitious now that Whetu is here?"

"Ah, right." Gwen made a note to do more homework as soon as possible. In a world without Google, how did anyone know anything about anything?!


The day had begun to wane when Gwen and Whetu finally made it back to the dorm. To Gwen's surprise, the young man didn't yet receive his Storage Ring, so Gwen had Alesia transfer over Whetu's luggage into her's.

"Whoa, big spender. A medium Ring!" Alesia whistled. "Nice work, Tiger!"

"It was a gift from Opa and the big man," Gwen answered euphemistically.

"Lucky you, I had to maim a Magus for mine," Alesia said nostalgically. "I suppose that's why they banned honour duels to the death these days. The war was a great time for picking up bric-a-brac trinkets from rivals."

Sweating, Gwen and Whetu ignored Alesia's explosive revelation.

"Gwen, do you think we can stop over some shops? I need to purchase some supplies," Whetu requested.

"Of course, Whetu, we'll get right on it."

They arrived at the dorm a few hours later, Whetu having purchased all the necessary supplies for living in a new home.

"It keeps the colour fresh and the lines clean," Whetu introduced Gwen to the finer points of tattoo maintenance. "The creme also keeps my skin smooth like a babe's."

Gwen gave her approval, then helped Whetu settle into his room before returning to her own. The shared loft was as the trio had left it. From the looks of the undisturbed furniture, neither Yue nor Elvia had returned.

Gwen called Debora.
Debs answered within a second.

"Hey Debs, I am back at the dorm, how about yourself? Are you back?"

"Yep, can't wait to get started on the sweaty training, where are you now?"

"I'll meet you down at the canteen, got our new Abjurer with us."

"Oh nice, what's she like?"

"It's a guy, and he's super cute."

Debora grew silent.

Gwen hung up and placed her luggage and clothing back in the wardrobe. She then bushed her hair to straighten out the salty tangles from the harbour. When she met up with Whetu again, they were both starved for supper.

"Very nice building," Whetu remarked.

"This is luxurious?" Gwen asked, puzzled.

"It's sweet-ass." Whetu placed a hand on the aluminium handrail of the elevator. "In my old dorm, the lift is for cargo, the doors, they close like dis."

He made a motion with his hands like two parts of a jaw enclosing.

"Youse can get stuck in there. Ooo it can cut your head off."

The young Maori was so expressive that Gwen couldn't help but giggle. Whetu was a funny guy, and his easy manners helped her relax.

Arriving just as dinner was being served, Whetu rubbed both hands together expansively.

"I love it already, Gwen. Free food?!"

Gwen nodded, saying a prayer for the cook.
She watched the big man polish off a whole BBQ chicken by himself with a side serving of a dozen dinner rolls and a small mountain of mash. The rest of the canteen marvelled at Whetu as well, wondering who this giant was and why he was eating enough for three grown men.

Mid-meal, the lift opened and revealed Debora in a tight singlet and bell-bottom shorts that rode high onto her buttocks.

"Gwen!" She ran across the foyer and into the dining, wrapping her arms around Gwen's neck, kissing her on the cheek.

"Hey Debs, meet Whetu. Whetu, this is Debora Jones, our transmuter."

Debora had no intention of removing herself from Gwen's neck, so she arched her back and shifted her weight instead, extending a hand towards the gigantic Maori.

Whetu looked up from his half-chewed chicken, embarrassed, his mitts glistening with grease.

"Finish up, no rush." Debora retracted her hand, moving it over Gwen's waist. "What's wrong, Gwen? You're so tense!"

Gwen endured. "So what did you do for New Years?"

"More church, plus stuff with the family, I heard you went back home?"
Unlike Yue and Elvia, Debora was never privy to some of Gwen's more personal affairs, especially those involving her family. Debora had only a vague idea that Gwen had a bad relationship with her parents, something involving a messy divorce.

"Nothing, in particular. Sorted out some drama with the fam. I am free from mum for a while."

"Awesome." Debora's hands were wandering a little too north from her wait. Politely, Gwen arrested her friend's wandering hands.

Debora hugged Gwen from behind, then suddenly withdrew herself.

"You're still using that scale?" Debora accused Gwen cattily.

"Yeah, why?"

"It's dangerous. You don't know what's gone into it. You should get rid of it."

"Sorry, no can do, Debs. My grandfather crafted it for me."

Debora removed herself with a huff, then sat crossing her legs. Gwen couldn't help but notice that Debs was sporting the traditional Aussie flip-flop, her toenails painted a dark cherry.

"Do you like the colour?" Debora asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, they suit your skin tone well," Gwen remarked.

"I wish I had your paleness." Debora placed a hand on Gwen's knee. "If I get anymore tanned, I am going to look like a rock."

"I heard that folks use Polymorph for cosmetic effects, though only temporary," Gwen assured her. "You're only two tiers away."

"But it won't be natural" Her fingers moved up from Gwen's knee.

Gwen spanking Debora's increasingly adventurous hand with a flick from her fingers.

"Whetu, are you done?"

"YES!" Whetu eyes flittered between Gwen and Debora. "You chucks dating?"

"No," Gwen refuted, much to Debora's chagrin. "We're friends though, and I trust Debora."

Debora's mood lightened up.

"Dobra Jones." She extended her hand toward Whetu.

"Whetu Tikitiki O Taranga."

Her friend shook Whetu's bear-sized mitts without a single kink in her brow. Confused, she wondered if the Indigenous folk specifically triggered Debora. But then again, that hypothesis didn't hold water either - Debs was chill with Tommy; it must be something to do with the Spirit Magic.

The three of them made small talk, mostly regarding the monsters of New Zealand.

"No way," Debora uttered in surprise. "You guys have Halflings?"

"Ay." Whetu shrugged. "Had em for years, they came over with the Brits during the colonial error."

"Hobbits?" Gwen inquired with great interest.

"What are Hobbits?" Whetu questioned.

The big man informed the girls that halflings were a humanoid sapient species common on the Island of the Long Cloud. In a place as rich in mana as New Zealand sapient demi-human species such as Halflings, Dwarves, and even the occasional Elf could be seen in the human cities. The caveat was that demi-citizens had to be especially warded against the barrier's repulsion effects through Abjuration offsets.

"They're good farmers. Great with growing food, bad at fighting. We buy their vegetables on the regular. They cost quite a pretty crystal."

"What do they do with human currency?" Gwen asked, surprised by the cosmopolitan nature of it all; Sydney was strictly human.

"Some of them send it home to Europe, for their families there who don't do so well," Whetu replied. "Others barter for materials."

"Wow, Wellington and Auckland sound like a treat." Gwen marvelled.

"Gwen!"

Yue and Elvia popped into the cafeteria, having returned from New Years at the Lindholm's. Gwen could just about imagine Yue's mother spending the entire night on wobbly legs, speaking to high and mightly Mages that came and went.

"Everyone!"

Whetu watched the girls hug, studying the foursome that was to be his teammates.

"Whetu Tikitiki O Taranga," he introduced himself. "Aim your Abjurer."

"Elvia Lindholm"

"Yue Bai."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Alrighty!" Gwen had the girls all sit so that they were five around a circular table. "The crew's all here. Let's get some dessert and introduce ourselves to Whetu."

The kitchen staff brought out five serves of custard pudding.

"I'll start den." Whetu straightened himself. "Aim an Abjurer, and my element is Pounamu."

"What's pounamu?" Yue asked, imagining a jackfruit or a durian.

"Dis is ponamu," Whetu replied, placing a slab of greenstone on the table. The girls felt a pulse of Abjuration mana emanate from the Kiwi. The chunk of stone came alive, forming into a dome.

"It's beautiful." Yue reached out and touched the conjured dome of jade-like substance. "Is it strong?"

"Very strong," Whetu promised. "Resist water, fire and cold. Good against physical attics too. The only drawback is that Pounamu is extremely dense."

The girls nodded approvingly, looking at Whetu's biceps. Whetu's muscles were very larger than life; his biceps have a personality all of their own.

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As the mana faded, the dome crumbled into motes of diffusing mana.

"Okay, me next," Yue announced. "I am half-arsed tier four Evoker, tier five fire. My best spell is Fire Ball, and my best record is six consecutive casts before I am OOM."

"Coor! Impressive." Whetu resoundingly applauded. "I bet you kick ess in a head-on fight!"

"Ha, thanks, Whetu, I'll be counting on you." Yue turned to her diminutive partner. "Elvia, you're up!"

"Hi," Elvia announced demurely, her face reddening. "I am a tier 3 healer, hybrid Conjuration-Evocation. I can do Cure Minor Wounds and Healing Word, Remove Diseases and Minor Restoration, as well as some simple vitality buffs."

"A healer!" Whetu reached out and grasped her hand. "You're my number one priority."

Elvia blushed ever more adorably, and Gwen felt her heart sing songs of worship. She reached out and enveloped Elvia, pulling the struggling girl against her chest. That Positive Energy! Evee's soft blonde hair, her boneless body! Snuggling with Elvia was heaven incarnate.

Debora looked on saltily. "As you already know, Whetu, I am Debora Jones. I am a tier 3 Transmuter, Tier FIVE Earth element. I have a spirit of sand which allows me to control grains of elemental earth and mould them as I see fit."

"Very impressive!" Whetu was genuinely impressed.

"Then there's me." Gwen awkwardly coughed. "Can we bring our heads a little closer?"

The team made a huddle.

"So er… I am tier 4 Lightning, and tier 3 the 'V-word'. Tier 3 Evocation and Tier 3 Conjuration." Gwen whispered lowly.
soundedNo matter how many times Yue had heard Gwen's talents, it still sounded like a bald-faced lie. The numbers were just too absurd, not to mention she also knew that Gwen had other untapped potentials.

"I am working on reaching tier 4 Conjuration for this competition," Gwen added.

Whetu visibly shivered. He had read the data which Henry had sent over to his Master in Auckland.

"I'll show you everything when we have some privacy," Gwen suggested, then caught her faux pas.

"WHOA-HO!" Yue clapped. "Nice!"

Gwen blinked, then caught her faux pas.

"Spells, Yue. I'll show Whetu my SPELLS."

Elvia blushed in Gwen's arms.

"For now, let's get some rest because tomorrow is the beginning of a long three months!"

The oddly shaped group retreated from the communal dining. There was some time before their Inter-High training begun.

Debora leaned in for a kiss, received one on the cheek, then called it a night.

"Let's head up," Gwen announced. "Big day ahead."

Midway, Whetu disembarked for his suite while the girls returned to their long vacated home.

"Uhh~ Home sweet home!" Yue bounced onto her bed, instantly ruining the efforts of the housekeeper.

Elvia meticulously checked through her closet, replacing her linens, changing into something more comfortable. Gwen went into the bathroom and materialised her toiletries, preparing herself for a shower and a brush down.

The girls convened for another meeting before they slept in their PJs, where Gwen revealed to them the developments with Surya, Henry, and her mother.

"Yes!" Yue shouted jubilantly, ignoring the shushing from the other two girls. "Good on ya, Gwen!"

"I am happy for you." Elvia hugged her friend endearingly.

"Yep, with that episode is behind us at last. Let's focus on the days ahead! For Inter-High victory!"

The two girls bumped fists against Gwen's own.
The lights dimmed.
Tomorrow was a long day.

"UP! UP! UP!"

Gwen shot out of bed, gasping for air.
What the hell was happening, and what is that racket?

The racket was Alesia, and she was slapping Yue across the chest in the manner of a man playing a pair of bongos.

"Arrg!" Yue slapped away at her Master with futility. "Let me sleep!"
Elvia was already up, timidly dressing in the corner.

"Training starts at 7 AM! Didn't you read the memo?" Alesia asked incredulously, her face full of mirthful sadism.

"No?" Gwen replied, confused as hell and still groggy. "What memo?"
Alesia looked at Gwen blankly. She materialised a thick, leather-bound notepad, which dropped at Gwen's bedside table.

"This memo!"

Alesia patted the book. "I forgot— hahaha... Fine. Just for today, you get thirty more minutes!"

Hell began.
The five of them had stamina training in the morning, followed by the inspiriting vision of watching Whetu devour enough breakfast for five. Then they had individual training with Alesia, joined by an assortment of tutors sent over from the Tower. Lunch was mana-rich, vitality-filled food by the tableful. Following lunch came meditation and mana management. The afternoon involved more physical training, followed by dinner at six, where once again, they ate the town. After dinner, the girls had individual theory lessons with their various tutors.

Every second day was group training, fighting mock battles and working on cooperative strategies.

The girls had Saturday and Sunday off for personal training and reflection. Gwen took each opportunity to visit her Master in the Tower, where Henry personally taught her the nuances of her new spells - Dimension Door, Morden's Faithful Hound, and Eilard's Dark Tentacles.

"Morden's a Mage's Mage," Henry explained. "Truly the best of us. He was a nineteenth-century Scot, a Highlander, originally from the Greyhawk Citadels in Suilven. He invented numerous spells as a Conjurer supreme. A born genius, the Mage built a Tower alliance before such concepts existed - eight obsidian towers across Scotland known as the Circle of Eight. Unfortunately, not all the towers had Mages as rulers; some were local lords, one of which was the King of Scotland at the time. Inevitably, the mixed-company meant that the coalition failed at keeping out the Britannic Mageocracy. Morden blamed it on the rulers lacking equal skill and talent. He believed very strongly that only men of intellect and sorcerous skill, whose primary interests were more than material, could keep Scotland free and magic pure."

"Sounds like he was an amazing Magi," Gwen marvelled, fantasising if she too, was destined to be like this fabled Morden.

"His apprentice was another legend, you know, I am sure you've heard of him."

Henry made the motion of opening and closing his fingers.

"Bilby's Hand is a highly utilitarian spell."

Sufina manifested a mass of tendrils that became a humongous hand. The overall appearance was green and friendly until Gwen noted the barbed thorns covering its surface. Gwen observed the fist sail through the air, opening, closing, and grasping at nothing.

"Imagine that, with Lightning or Void." Henry laughed. "Ah— Gwen, what I'd give to see you mature. Though I'd dare say this combination of both Evocation and Conjuration would significantly drain your vitality—"

Henry coughed violently. While Gwen practised, Sufina saw her Master through his fits via a steady stream of Golden Mead.

The first few time it had happened, Gwen had rushed to her Master, but Henry had told her that it was an old wound acting up, that all he needed was rest. After all, he stated, Sufina was supplying him with raw life-force channelled from the heartland of an island paradise, there was nought for Gwen to do but wait for the episode to pass.

As their training progressed, Gwen realised she was once again the recipient of a rare privilege. Usually, students worked through theory, but she needn't worry about the usual, slow-going process.

Henry instead opted for brutal efficiency, putting Gwen in the Greater Cognisance Chamber to directly demonstrate how the conduit of mana and the invocation of Sigils should take place. Under her Master's peerless guidance, thus, what was a complex system of calculations and conjurations left no secret unexposed to Gwen's cognisance.

As a result, it took Gwen only a few hours to learn Faithful Hound, even though she couldn't cast the spell with combat efficiency nor guarantee a fully functional manifest, she could invoke the dog into the material plane without issue.

"Master, this feels like cheating," Gwen announced after observing her stoic hound, a mass of flickering electricity that was all but invisible to the caster and his allies. "I am learning this too quickly. Learning a tier 4 spell is meant to take months. My progress doesn't feel concrete."

"Can you afford the time?" Henry asked in turn. "One month is to learn to cast the spell, not use it in combat and under duress! You, my dear Gwen, need to master the spell! What use is Dimension Door if you cannot escape from your enemies in the split-second a Fire Blast or a Sleet Storm struck?"

"This feels so surreal," Gwen confessed. "I can't believe I just cast a spell I've never seen before in less than five hours. Those other kids at the private academies, wouldn't they have access to this method too?"

"Well," Henry smirked proudly, twirling his moustache in delight. "I have the only Greater Cognisance Chamber in Sydney. A standard chamber is incapable of sustaining a live broadcast of phenomena. You don't think your Master is only as good as someone which can be purchased with crystals, do you?"

"Master!" Gwen realised the extent to which Henry was providing for her. He was monopolising a precious resource of the Tower just to give her an edge, how could she ever repay her Master's kindness and generosity?

"Focus, Gwen, it would make me happier than you know to see you succeed in three months. If you wish to repay me, show the world that the Void element can be controlled!"

"I will, Master," Gwen promised. She turned to the wallless space of the chamber and began practising her spells again. First with Lightning, then with Void, fuelled by Sufina's generous vitality.

"Gather-round!" Gunther Shultz, Paladin of Sydney, shouted over the sound of explosions ringing out in the training field. Bartlett had not only allowed them the privilege of using the arena exclusively; the principal also had set up a privacy screen. He too wanted a team that excelled in the Inter-High, for it would bring incredible boons for the public school, maybe even propelling them into the status of a Selective High School should they best the private academies.

"Magus Shultz!" Whetu left the field and ran towards his idol. Gunther Shultz! Even in New Zealand, Gunther was a Mage of legend.

"Whetu, good work."

"Sah!" Whetu saluted.

The girls came down one by one. Gunther's lips twitched.

"Alright! Listen up!" Gunther told his students. "We're going to play a little game."

The girls were already exhausted, but Whetu was keen for more.

"It's called 'Beat Whetu'."

Yue sniggered.

"Wot?" Whetu spluttered out. "Why me?"

"The aim is to Break Whetu's barrier. You get a Ten-second countdown. At five, you get rice. At six, you get Salads. At seven, you get mains. At eight, you get dessert."

Paladin Shultz waited for the horror to sink in. "I once played this game with Alesia. She lost five kilos by the end of our month-long training. Instructor De Botton swears by it as a crash diet."

The girls regarded one another. They turned to Whetu.

"Do we get more than one go?" Debora asked.

"Best of three."

"How do I do this?" Elvia leapt up and down, waving her hand. "I can't attack!"

"The punishment or reward is collective," Gunther pointed out. "Though Gwen, I would advise against using your Void element, if you know what's good for you."

"How come?" Gwen asked, curiously narrowing her eyes.

"Mr Tikitiki O Taranga isn't so easily defeated." Gunther grinned.

The girls turned to the punamu Mage.

"One sec gills, lemme get ready!" Whetu took a deep breath. "Shield Wall!"

A semicircle dome of punamu instantly formed around Whetu, creating a protective barrier of jade.

"Shape Stone!"

The surface of the Punamu grew geometric, forming into little hexagonal shapes that bulged from the once smooth exterior.

A lattice fabrication! Gwen felt impressed. An application of physics in the magical world? Who could have come up with such an idea? Was there someone, somewhere that practised material science through magic?

Gunther noted Gwen's dismay.

"That's Magister Hildenbrandt's signature Shield," Gunther revealed conspiratorially. "Don't think of trying to learn it from Whetu though, his Master was inspired by watching honey-bees build hives in her Tower's garden. Only her registered Apprentices can use the spell."

"Resist Elements!" Whetu finished.

"Alright, come at me bro," Whetu shouted from behind the barrier, his voice muffled by the layer of protection. "Give me everything you got."
The girls looked at one another.

"Alright, who goes first?" Debora asked.

"Fireball!" Yue flicked a spot of flame towards the shield before Debora could finish, it struck the outer layer and erupted into a blossom of heat and death. In the next moment, fire dissipated, revealing a scorched shield that was flaked but otherwise undamaged.

"Fuck, for real?" Yue marvelled at the shield. "A dent only?"

There was then the sound of stones clinking into place. The shield was repairing itself.

"Fuck!" Yue shrieked, firing off another four blasts of Scorching Ray. Without the kinetic force of the Fireball, the strikes did less than nothing, piercing only the surface layer of Whetu's punamu barrier.

"Lightning Bolt!" Gwen gestured with her finger, a beam of lighting shot toward Whetu, skidding across the stone and grounding itself. "Well, fudge."

"My turn!" Debora summoned her Spirit and clad herself in sandstone. "Enhanced Strength! Magical Weapon! Haste! Jump!"

Using a successive burst of self-buffs, Debra launched a flying kick. Upon striking the shield, she felt the satisfying crunch of the punamu below. She kicked again, feeling another layer collapse. Then, Debora used both hands as a hammer, hardening her fists before crushing the shield with the impressive force of a cyclopean hammer.

Splinters of the stuff went everywhere, but still, she couldn't penetrate the shield.

From outside the action, the others saw the shield rapidly replenish itself by shifting stones from the parts which remained undamaged.

"Fuck!" Dobra cursed.

Haste was a skill that required incredible physical capabilities. Having now exhausted her mana, Debora puffed her bronzed skin slick with sweat.

"Well, that's about a minute and a half. You girls want to try again?"

"Elvia, get ready, I am going to need a double dose after this," Gwen warned her battery pack.

"Okay!" Elvia took a deep breath and readied herself to channel positive energy into her friend.

"Whetu, I am going to use it, the thing I showed you before! Are you ready?"

"Let me live!" Whetu shouted.

"Void Bolt!" Gwen felt the vitality leaving her body as the corrosive energy surged through her conduits. A second later, a dark bolt struck Whetu's shield and bit into the hardened outer layer.

There was a sound of shifting matter— then nothing.
After only three of six layers of Pounamu, her bolt was spent.

Gunther laughed heartily. "We have the same problem, Gwen! Our spells possess increasingly diminishing returns on subsequent targets. Against a multi-layer barrier, our mana cost is exponential! I hope you're learning from this!"

"Cheeky Whetu!" Gwen turned to the girls. "Hit em with everything at once! Debora, rapid-fire Catapult! Yue! Swarm tactics for your basic Explosive Bolts! Elvia! Magic Missiles!"

Whetu groaned.

It took their combined power to whittle Whetu down.

"Two seconds left." Gunther tsk-tsked with his tongue. "Guess no lunch, hmm?"

The girls glared at Whetu.

"No free passes." Gunther pointed out to Whetu. "Your very best. If you don't last five seconds, no lunch for you."

Whetu moaned despairingly.

"Shield!"

The barrage continued.

In the end, the girls managed to down Whetu after five seconds.

The girls ate their meagre meals, Whetu ate his three courses meal while the girls received their just desserts.

They stared at the plain, colourless rice balls. At least they had salt.

"Whetu," Yue said innocently to their Abjurer. "Next time, prepare to die."


The blurring of days took on a life of its own. During the weekday, the girls worked their craft until their brains throbbed. On the weekend, when the party went their separate ways, Gwen visited the Tower.

She was a regular now, a welcome distraction for the guards, who would snatch a few minutes of polite conversation with her. As a result, her reputation among the staff was excellent, and many enjoyed the company of an uncommonly pretty young lady visiting the Tower Master.

The levitation platform stopped when it reached Henry's chamber.

"See you guys next time." Gwen flashed the guards a sunny grin.

Gwen parted, stepping into the Grot with the effortless grace of a dancer.

"Mate." A guard felt his chest constrict. "I reckon she's into me."

"…" His companion punched his mate in the arm. "Get back to work, stop day-dreaming, and work on your Fire Bolt."

Gwen's lesson of the day was Dimension Door. Her primary objective was mastering spatial transfer.

Her first exercise was to conjure a set of markers in a location Henry designated, marked by cute little shrubs where her body would theoretically manifest. Each "tag" consisted of a glowing crystal, and her job was to translocate four markers, forming a grid around Sufina's shrub.

It had taken Gwen a few weekends to competently envelope the exact location of Sufina's designations with her Conjuration markers. Her progress, her Master had explained was aided by the fact that lightning spells operated on the same concept of spatial targeting.

Next was the invocation of the door itself. Unlike volatile Evocation magic, Conjuration was a delicate operation. Any miscasts or lapse in manifesting the arcane phenomena would distort, then bruise the caster's a physical body coming through the immaterial. At best, she'd be bedridden for days; at worst, she could lose a limb.

The maximum range of the Dimension Door was determined by the caster's Elemental Affinity, a trait that likewise affected casting speed, cost, and stability.

"Could I try a Void Dimension door?" Gwen asked out of curiosity.

"I have no idea." Henry sounded uncomfortable with the idea. "I am not sure how that would work, and I would not venture to experiment with your life on the line. Dimension Door works perfectly fine without elemental mana. Your Lightning merely lubricates the process by manifesting quickly and violently at the point of arrival."

"What do you propose, Master?"

Henry scratched his beard thoughtfully.

"I knew a Salt Mage, like your brother, once," he replied. "His Dimension Door enabled a blast of Salt upon arrival, which acted as both defence and offence. That's what you're learning, and your Void would perhaps work in the same manner. Still, fleeing from certain doom and imminent harm, I would hardly advise on spending vitality and weakening yourself on arrival, not when you have a perfectly suitable element to spare."

Gwen agreed, though she secretly wondered if she should experiment in private one day, especially with Elvia on hand to provide a layer of insurance.

As the days went by, Gwen found herself increasingly proficient in achieving the efficiency and fluency of incantations necessary for combat teleportation. All that was left was to test out the spell under live fire and discover if she could maintain the same efficacy under the shadow of death.

A few weeks later, the girls had finally managed to get Whetu's shield to collapsed before the four-second mark. Though they'd made up for their failures with large breakfasts and big dinners, a light lunch was nonetheless undesirable.

Through the process, Gwen had tested several theories against the lattice shielding, finding that Whetu's unique skill responded exceptionally well to a wide-area barrage. Instead, the girls needed to concentrate on attacking the same area at a controlled cadence.

"Yue, your incantation Blast Bolts takes four seconds, Debbie— your Catapult takes two seconds, I can time my Lighting Bolt to fire in conjunction per three seconds. Likewise, I can get Ariel to guide the Call Storm from the cloud into the same area, which can be followed immediately by my lightning bolt. Elvia, I want you to open up with a Magic Missile, fire one set per five seconds."

"Right!" The girls affirmed.

"Resist element!" Whetu refreshed his buff, looking worried.

"Magic Missile!" From Elvia, a swarm of invisible missiles rocked the surface of the punamu shielding, splintering its surface.

A Catapult followed, smashing into the shield and entering the second layer. Straightaway, the stone began to repair itself but was interrupted when an electric bolt lit the interior like a bulb. A spray of electricity-fuelled darts from a snarling Ariel further guided Gwen's Lightning Bolt into the crack, breaking the Pounamu apart.

"Aarrgh!" Whetu leapt out of the way. "Shield Break! Shield Break!"

The shield splintered, the energy contained from within shattering its outer crust and sending bits of greenstone splintering all over. The girls dived for cover, hiding behind their barriers as a wave of green fragments flew through the air.

"Three and a bit, improving, but you need to work on a tighter formation, consider how well your spells synergise," Gunther advised.

He called for their attention and began to lecture them.

"Gwen's lightning has the least travel time and incredible penetration against unshielded targets, an absolute God-send against monsters, but for Mages, there are many ways to ward against electricity."

"Earth and Water just happen to be two of the most common Mage Shields, and they both dissipate Lightning well. As such, Gwen, you need to focus on timing your spells. If you can get a single spell through a shield, it's all over. Either your enemies will deplete their raw mana shield, or they will be paralysed."

Gunther then turned to Yue.

"On the other hand, Yue, your fire is the most balanced element, good against both Monsters and Mages. The force of the blast, the heat of the flame, the AOE, all of it performs exceptionally well against critters and humans."

"Fire Evocation's weakness, however— is travel time and trajectory. A throwaway shield can easily stop your blasts, or even do something like this— Whetu, perform a back-burn Shield on Yue's next spell."

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"Sure tin, boss." Whetu turned to Yue. "Do a Fire Blast. I show you buck-burn technique."

Yue threw a Blast Bolt toward Whetu.

Just as the flame left her fingers, a small semi-circle dome of Pounamu materialised. Yue's bolt caught the shield and erupted, sending out fragments of greenstone all over. Yue herself suffered the blast and fell on her buttocks, shielding her face while her hair singed.

"Shit!" Yue screamed out, her mana shield springing to life and deflecting the fragments. "My hair!"

"That," Gunther affirmed. "Is the back-burn method. Only Abjurers with an extreme affinity and large mana pools can cast a shield so far away from their own astral body. As you can see, it is a hard counter for you Evokers who like to AOE the battlefield carelessly."

Elvia rushed over and dropped a Healing Word. Just as she was about to heal Yue however, a Shield of Pounamu sprung to life around Yue, cutting off Elvia's access to her touch spell.

"Wha?!" Elvia likewise stumbled back, shocked by the sudden appearance of the barrier.

"That is called a counter-shield," Gunther commented. "For the confident Abjurer who believes they can protect their teammates with spells to spare, "offensive" shields exist for battlefield control."

He turned to his youngest sister-in-craft.

"Gwen, what's the counter for such a thing?"

Gwen considered the scene before her, her mind racing through a dozen scenarios.

"Nail the Abjurer?"

"Good!" Gunther applauded. "Only the Abjurer's "individual" shield can be extended in this way, which means if they send their barrier away, they become without protection. Of course, there is only one element here fast enough to catch them before they can retract the shield - Lightning."

Gunther observed their faces.

"Which is why many specialist Abjurers at the Magus level choose to further specialise in Conjuration or Illusion, giving them many more options for defence."

Gwen felt understanding dawn upon her like a god ray piercing through the clouds. So that's why Richard was so keen on becoming a Conjurer-Abjurer.

She considered the possibilities.

As Ol'Dicky partnered with the alluring Lea, the possibilities he could create with Abjuration's suite of defensive skills was numberless. For instance, Undines are virtually immune to physical damage - what if Richard empowered her to use his spells so that he used his shield offensively, while Lea protected him? Such utility! An unstoppable, self-regenerating, sapient spirit of water that could disrupt incantations and dispel magical buffs; attack physically as well as discharge water bolts.

Gwen smacked her lips. If Richard can do that, what of herself? She could shelter herself in a double-layered shield, while externally, Caliban, Ariel, the Faithful Hound, as well as a set of Dark Tentacles, took care of business. Perhaps she should invest in Summon Elementals as well, and once her beasties were out and about, she could also use Lightning Bolt.

Her mana would be drained in under a minute, but she could engender an orgasmic orgy of destruction and mayhem!

Gunther watched as Gwen chuckled to herself.

"Gwen?" Gunther appeared worried when Gwen grin idiotically to herself. "Do you need to rest?"

"I am fine!" She shook herself from her fantasies. "You were saying?"

Gunther shook his head.

"Looks like you're all tired. We'll try again tomorrow— Now. Go and get lunch."

To break the monotony of training, Gwen took the opportunity to pass on some of her insights.

"So, you compress the two sides of the Shielding, then fill the gap with motes of loose mana, like so," Gwen was explaining the non-newtonian shield technique to Yue and Elvia, but her friend could not comprehend the physics aspect.

She was just considering if she should go down to the dorm kitchen and ask for potato starch and a container when Elvia slumped on her shoulder.
Gwen stared.
Evee's petite, pink lips twitched as she mumbled softly, an adorable rosebud against her ivory skin, as fragile as porcelain.

"Aww, Evee got so bored of your theory-craft she fell asleep." Yue giggled, ebullient and mischevious.

Gwen slowly cupped her arms around the petite girl, whose form was limp like a ragdoll's.

"So cute!" Gwen brushed a finger across Elvia's cheek, parting the tiny slivers of invisible, silver-blonde hair. "She smells nice, too."

Yue crawled into Gwen's bed and made herself comfortable.

"Let's sleep like this," Yue suggested mischievously. "I heard that if you hug a positive element Mage at night, it revitalises your skin."

"Really?" Gwen cooed.

"Only one way to find out.' Yue grinned.

The two girls sandwiched their healer in the middle and laid down to sleep on the cramped bed.

"Good night." Yue yawned, then was gone from the world.

"Yue?" Gwen demanded of the empty air. "Seriously?"

Gwen allowed her breathing to slow, welcoming a restful night of sleep.

With the extension of summer came the mornings bright and early.
Gwen left Yue and Elvia to their beauty sleep and jogged out for a brisk morning run. Guiltily, Gwen had wondered if she should have called Debora - but ultimately chose her privacy over having company.

When she had returned from the uphill slope, she became surrounded by gawking students, as though a Gwen shaped displacer beast had found being found in the inner-city.

Students, hundreds of them, gawked at Gwen in her sweat-stained sportswear, engendering a riot of noise and jubilation.

The school term.

THE BLOODY SCHOOL TERM STARTS TODAY!

"Oh, my God!" Having risen so early to jog up Ascension hill— a steep incline high enough to make a runner wish for death. She had run smack bang into the returning students.

"Oh. My. God. It's Gwen Song!" someone called out.

Gwen burned with embarrassment.

"Goodness, she is tall."
"She's the Lightning Mage right?"
"I heard she's training for the Inter-High!"
"Our shitty school is eligible?"
"Someone said she's dating Debora?"
"I heard it was Yue."
"She's two-timing."
"Ice Queen."
"Bitch."
"Whore!"

It was time to go.

"Expeditious Retreat," Gwen muttered under her breath, then tore through the crowd as a blur, leaving behind nought but a few wayward sparks.

The crowd stared.

"Wasn't that a Transmutation spell?" Someone asked the general assembly. "Isn't she an Evoker?"

Despite the false start, training continued, heedless of the academic term.

"Here it comes!" Alesia incanted, her spell forming faster than Gwen could see. "Fire Ball!"

"Dimension Door!"

Gwen teleported behind Alesia just as the blossom of fire erupted on the field.

"Wall of Fire!" Alesia following through; flowing from one spell to another without seemingly any effort nor delay.

"Dimension Door!" Gwen gritted her teeth and teleported again, consecutively casting the spell was a significant drain on her mind. "Spell Fatigue" it was called, overtaxing one's brain caused dizziness and at worst, mana burn.

"Flaming Hands!" Alesia spun without looking, letting loose a gout of flame a dozen meters in length, about three times the average range of a Flaming Hand spell.

"Shield!" Gwen couldn't manage another Dimension Door immediately, so she switched to a defensive barrier.

Against Alesia, her barrier instantly dissolved.

"Dimension Door!" Her mental cooldown was over.

Gwen reappeared some twenty meters away, then hurled her breakfast.

"Looks like three's ya limit, Tiger." Alesia rested a hand on her hip. "Wish I was a Conjurer. Such convenience."

"You have your Djinn form, and you can fly," Gwen pointed out.

"Give it a few years, and you'll be able to fly and teleport," Alesia returned. "You better remember how hard I trained you when that day comes. Tell the Press and the world that without Alesia de Botton, there would be no Gwen Song, Magister of all Magic."

Gwen laughed, feeling her mental stress diffuse. "Alright, I think I am good, shall we go again?"

"Whoa?" Alesia raised a flawless brow. "Already? It's been what, a minute? You sure?"

"Yeah, I am sure." Gwen felt no particular fatigue from the consecutive incantations. "Master did a good job teaching me."

"Hmm…" Alesia thought about it, but she didn't relish the mental strain of thinking too deeply about something that was probably beyond her ken. "If you're confident, then try to dodge this— Flame Strike!"

"Dimension Door!"

Three months may seem like a long time on the calendar, but time had a way of fleeing from one's notice. More than once, Gwen would awake with confidence that it was Monday, only to find that it was Thursday.

Then, as sudden as it was unexpected, the training was done.
The preliminaries for the Inter-High were upon them.

Yet, there was no news of an invitation. Gwen's Team had heard nothing about their enrollment in the Inter-High.

When questioned by her other team members, Gwen instantly suspected Alesia.

"Alesia, I need to ask you something," Gwen Messaged Alesia, her voice full of wary suspicion. "Have you submitted our application to the Inter-High competition board?"

"The what?" Alesia replied, her voice full of puzzlement. "What application? When I participated, I just showed up!"

Gwen's blood suddenly ran cold.

"Alesia... no!"


"Alesia, we don't have a participation slot, we're qualifying for one," Gwen explained carefully. "The big man even told us so, you are our instructor, and we can't apply without your written consent and appeal."

"I thought Gunther was taking care of that?" Alesia asked innocently. "He usually does."

"Alright, wait up, I'll call Gunther."

Gwen closed her Message Spell and inputted the glyph for Gunther, citing an emergency.

"Gwen, you shouldn't be calling me inside work hours."

"Alesia forgot to apply for the special provision entry."

"Impossible, I made sure she did, I had her sign the form. All she had to do was send it out to the committee."

"She said we just had to show up."

There was the silence on the other side of the Message spell, followed by a deep sigh like someone was pondering the meaning of life and had found it wanting.

"I'll call Alesia, hold on."

Gwen waited, twiddling her thumbs and dangling her long legs back and forth to offset her anxiety.

Ding!

"Gwen, are you there?"

"Gunther! So what's the deal?"

"Alesia, you tell 'em."

Alesia cut into the conversation.

"Sorry Gwen," her sister-in-craft sounded like a puppy who's just been told off for shitting on the lawn. "I'll make it up to you guys! I'll fix it! I know a way for you guys to get an invitation."

"It's alright, Alesia." Gwen tried to sound untroubled, but she was just as annoyed as Gunther. Alesia's a grown woman for God's sake. She's almost thirty! If Alesia weren't an engine of destruction, she would probably be taken advantage of, a lot.

"So, there's an old rule we can exploit," Alesia continued with a more hopeful tone. "I am pretty sure that's how I got in last time. What you need to do is challenge a school that had a team in the top 8 last year, and if you can defeat them in the 1v1, 3v3 and 5v5— best out of three, you can take their seeded position in the tournament."

"Gunther?" Gwen asked. It seemed a rather dubious scenario.

"It's an old custom, and Alesia was the only one who had exploited it in the last two decades. It was implemented as a boast by the Greater Public Schools. They wanted to show the commoners that they were superior to any government-funded school."

"What's the likelihood that someone would accept this challenge? Can they decline?" Gwen inquired.

"They can, and therein lies in the problem," Gunther replied. "You have to make them an offer they can't refuse."

"Crystals? Spells? Favours?" Gwen asked, thinking of the scale on the back of her neck. "Rare Magical items?"

"Perhaps, but unlikely. These schools have deep pockets. I am talking something more concrete."

"Like?" Gwen asked quizzically, premonition tinging her spine. She was getting very good at detecting trouble when it came to herself.

"Like a sixteen-year-old girl who can tap into three schools of magic," Alesia interjected. "We need to offer you up, Gwen. If we lose, you join that school and become their show pony."

"I'll have to leave Blackwattle?" Gwen apprehensively measured the scenario. "No way."

"At worst." Gunther's voice was emotionless and rational. "At worst you might be compelled to be apprenticed to a Magus of the School. Of course, our Master won't let that happen, but it'll be a messy settlement. After all, who would willingly let you go?"

"She just has to win, easy peasy," Alesia said with a nonchalance that rivalled an invitation to coffee.

"Just?" Gwen's tone was such that even half a city away, Gunther could imagine her rolling her eyes.

"Pick a school Gwen can crush, Gunther."

"Hmm…" Gunther hummed. "Well, our Master's Rival, Magister Ferris, is the sponsor for Rosebay. If you're going to make an enemy out of a whole school of well-connected Mages, you may as well dig deeper into a hole that we'd dug already."

"Wouldn't that piss off this Magister Ferris?" Gwen sounded suspicious and sceptical.

"Oh yes, gloriously." Alesia could be heard clapping. "That woman's a real prickly pear."

"Gunther, translation please," Gwen implored her brother-in-craft.

"Ferris is from the grey faction, the ones who believe that we should be mingling with the Magical Races, trading with them, learning from them. She's one of the Ten who supports 'organ' trading for Magical components, like cores, spirits, 'unicorn horn,' you know the type."

"Since Alesia disgraced Magister Walken in the past, our Factions have always shared an antagonistic relationship."

"Antagonism?"

"Yes. The Greys believe, wrongly of course, that the future lies in the Wildlands, that we should abandon the whole idea of human enclaves and join the sapient humanoids who live in the Zones."

"Wow." Gwen puzzled her head. Was co-existence so bad?

"Almost a crazy idea, I mean, sure, most of the Mages survive. Then what? We leave billions of NoMs, each potentially the progenitor of one more magical bloodline, to die? To be eaten by the monsters? Hell, where would you be, Gwen? You'd be dead or sold off before you even awakened."

Gwen recalled that her Master had indeed spoken sometimes in the past of his frustration with the so-called Grey Faction, whose operations included the Grey Markets. After her incident, Gwen recalled hearing from Gunther that Blackheath was likely a supply point for the Greys.

"Right, so we go to Rosebay, and?"

"Alesia will set it up," Gunther replied confidently. "If she's good for one thing, it's stirring up a hornet's nest."

"Hey!" Alesia uttered sulkily.

"Don't screw this up, Allie," Gunther warned her. "If you do, Master would have to use the Tower's influence to sponsor Gwen's team directly. That would be a significant detour to our intended goal."

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"Alright, alright. Sheesh." Alesia closed her Message spell.

"Keep an eye on her, Gwen. I trust you more than Alesia." Gunther likewise terminated his Message spell.

Gwen bit her lips. Offer her up as a prize for a bet? She supposed it wasn't any worse than their original scenario. After all, she couldn't afford to lose a single battle.

While waiting on Alesia's negotiation abilities, Gwen mediated for the rest of the afternoon.

The more she knew about this world, the more she resented its dystopian roots. As a sterling example, her courses entirely omitted information about tier 1 cities. Instead, "capitals" were noted offhandedly as unattainable paradises. Additionally, Richard had mentioned something called Contribution Credits, a merit system that operated as magical currency in the Tier 1 cities, but her textbooks appeared wholly uninterested in such a thing. It was in consulting with her Master that she knew a whole system of merit existed with the Commonwealth's Towers.

Alesia's call came through two hours later.

"I'll pick you up in the Firebird. We're going to Rosebay to see the Headmistress, dress up."

Alesia abruptly hung up, as rash and fiery as ever. Was it the influence of her fire affinity? Gwen wondered. The bestiary had stated that the flame Djinn was indeed proud, arrogant, easily driven by impulse.

Gwen didn't like the detour, but she did prefer the issue resolved between themselves than ask her Master to throw his influence around.

Gwen dug through her outfits for something that would go well with her Mary-Janes. She dug through her mother's stockpile. She felt a little guilty for still using them, but waste not, want not— if anything she couldn't afford to splurge on luxury goods right now.

To her surprise, she did find something that was serendipitously appropriate. Soon, she re-emerged in a pleated-cady minidress, a long-sleeved white blouse, and a ribbon to tie together the formality.

Gwen examined herself in the wardrobe mirror. White blouse, black mini, dark, polished shoes, she looked the very picture of a blue-blooded young lady.

Gwen ventured below, delighting fellow students with a vision of class and grace. They came to greet her, some bravely asking her questions about the Lightning element while others gawked.

VROOOM!

A sudden thrum in the air signalled the arrival of Alesia's Firebird, so red it hurt one's eyes. Vaucluse was twenty-minutes away.

"We're going to have a meet and greet with Mildred Stone, the Headmistress of Rosebay." Alesia stepped on the gas and weaved through the traffic. "I am sorry about this, Gwen, I was careless."

"I am sure it'll work out in the end," Gwen comforted her friend and sister-in-craft. "Just as you said, I just have to win, right? That was the plan from the very beginning anyway."

"True that." Alesia blasted past a truck. The lorry driver honked.

Past the bridge, the girls turned into the coastal road and watched the scintillating blue sea beyond the headland. It stretched magnificently, kissing a shimmering glow on the horizon that was the Shield Barriers.

"Beautiful, hey?" Alesia asked. "Murderous mermen aside, of course."

"Yeah," Gwen replied, her eyes buffeted by the wind. The breeze, the salty scent, the brine— she was reminded of her old life, of lazy Sundays by the sea.

"Rosebay isn't the best in terms of the qualities of its Spellcraft, but it has a long and established history of being an incubator for elites. Magister Irene Ferris herself was a graduate of the school and once served as its Dean. She still sits on the school's board, despite occupying one of the ten seats on the Tower Council."

"I see."

"When we see the Mistress, you'll need to demonstrate Conjuration, Evocation and Transmutation. We're keeping Void under wraps. Let's not get them too excited."

Gwen nodded. She knew.

The ocean view persisted until they reached Rosebay.

Rosebay Private Girl's Catholic School perched atop a cliffside moulded by Transmuters into a three-tier escarpment overlooking a two-seventy degree view of the ocean. The primary structure of the school itself was a cathedral with twin spires that rose into the dying sky like lances. On top, twin pinions fluttered through the wind, decorated with a scarlet rose on an ultramarine backdrop.

Alesia's Firebird coupe turned into the entrance and slowed. The powerful engine-cores thrummed as they drifted towards the interior.

"Your business?" A greying security guard inquired respectfully.

"De Botton, here for Headmistress Stone."

"Of course, one second." The guard fired off a Message spell. They watched him receiving his orders, nodding and bowing toward thin air.

"I'll let you through now. There'll be someone waiting for you at the church."

Alesia swung the car toward the cathedral. It was even more impressive close-up, towering above the duo with its soaring gothic visage, its architraves shaped with arcane patterns of warding.

A nun awaited them at the side entrance, a skinny, older woman with a face like a skull, covered from head to toe in a penguin habit. She looked at Alesia's flaming red dress distastefully, lingering on her cleavage with a twist of her lips. Toward Gwen, her attitude was kinder. Though Gwen's dress was short, it was couture and matt black.

"I am Sister Teresa. You may come with me. The Headmistress awaits you in her study." She immediately turned and began to move, expecting the two to follow without question.

The trio climbed the revolving stairs, with Gwen noting that the cathedral was rebuilt into four levels, split into a stratum of classrooms, prayer rooms, staff rooms, and offices.

From the fourth floor, they looked out through enchanted windows that appeared as stained motifs of the Christian Saints from the outside, but served as unobstructed windows from within, giving them a breath-taking ocean and the barrier beyond.

"In here." The Mother Superior knocked twice and opened the door for them.

Alesia entered without a word.

Within, they met the unfriendly eye of a thin, gaunt-faced woman with silver-grey iris.

"Magus de Botton, always a pleasure."

"Magus Stone, likewise a pleasure."

The two of them exchanged praises and pleasantries.

"So, this is the prize student that you speak of, the promised protege. Gwen Song, is it?" Stone motioned a hand toward Gwen casually. "Stand up, honey, let us take a look at you."

Gwen stood and walked before the heavy mahogany table.

Magus Stone put on a pair of spectacles. Gwen noted that they were faintly glowing with motes of Divination magic.

"Take a turn. Let's see what you're made of."

She felt like she was a prized Bullock put up for sale, now being inspected for quality and pedigree. She spun slowly, gracefully, keeping her hands by her sides to tuck in her hem.

"My, you are certainly a lovely young thing." Magus Stone tapped her fountain pen against some parchments on the table. "Please manifest if you are able."

Gwen began with Evocation, opening the Sigil and producing an orb of lightning.

"Tier 4 Lightning! Impressive," Stone commented.

Gwen then conjured a Warding Bolt orb, which hovered as a glowing orb that orbited around Gwen before eventually dissipating.

"There's Conjuration, beautiful." The woman's voice ran dry.

Gwen extended a hand and produced the whip of lightning. She cracked it against the air, sending out a shower of sparks.

"And Transmutationm" Stone uttered, her voice full of wonder and awe. "I must apologise, Alesia, when you'd told me, I'd assumed you were up to your old tricks."

Gwen curtsied.

"So, what's the catch?" Stone asked Alesia suddenly. "She's one in a million. I've never even heard of this level of talent. Why offer her to us for something as trivial as the Inter-High? It isn't the International University challenge, you know. It's just a regional competition for the kids."

"There is no catch. We want your seeded invitation to the Inter-high." Alesia shrugged innocently, her big blue eyes glinting with earnestness. "That's all. Alternatively, you can give it to us, and Gwen shall remember you kindly a few decades down the track."

"OR— Give me the girl, and I'll sign it over right now," Stone offered.

"No can do." Alesia smirked, "that would be beside the point, we've got a team and a school already anyway."

"What if I said no? We're not having a contest?"

"Nothing. There's absolutely nothing I can do. Except maybe ask Lilith's, or Lakeview, or any other girl's academies or co-ed schools with a seeded position. Hell, why not ask a selective school? There's three in the top 8 after all. One was even champion one year."

"That was your year, no?" Stone breathed out harshly from her nostrils, her voice full of disdain. "I'd hardly call that a fair contest. A battle veteran from the Coral Sea Campaign against school children? I still have no idea why you qualified."

"Heehee." Alesia chuckled.

Magus Stone measured Alesia, trying to read her face.

"Is Gwen connected to your employer? Magister Kilroy?"

"Gwen, you tell her." Alesia gave Gwen a nudge in the gut.

"Yes, the Magister has been kind to me," Gwen spoke the half-truth.

"Hmm." Stone paused. "Master Kilroy is alright if Master Ferris wanted to Apprentice Gwen?"

"No," Alesia spoke truly. "He would be beyond livid."

Stone smiled.

"Alright, we agree to your terms." Stone signed the agreement in front of her, then turned it over, and slid the page across the table.

Alesia signed, then finally Gwen also signed.

Their signatures glowed golden for a split second.

"That's submitted to the Tower now, no cooling off period." Stone cunningly smirked. "I hope you don't mind that I was a little hasty in affirming our contractual obligations."

"Not at all." Alesia stood from her chair; her grin split from ear to ear. "I heard that Rosebay has one of the best medical facilities in the area, is that true?"

"Indeed," Stone affirmed.

"Good." Alesia motioned for Gwen to follow. She stopped at the door, her own blue eyes coldly meeting Stone's steel-grey orbs. "I'd make sure your best Clerics are on hand in two days. Gwen?"

"Yes, Alesia?"

"We're going."


Good Morning, neophytes ~

I am your instructor, the one and only Magus Alesia de Botton!

_[blows kiss]_

Today, we are going to go over the basic aspects of Magic and Spellcraft.

First, the schools of Magic courtesy of D20 Open gaming and the Open Gaming License::

**Evocation** is a school that manipulate energy. **IT IS THE BEST.** It is also the most commonly awakened school of Spellcraft. Due to this fact, we become the mainstay of the citizen-soldiers, wielding spells of fire, earth, water, and more exotic elements such as lightning or radiance. As Evokers grow, we become more specialised in their elemental affinity, taking up specialist equipment and enchantments, attunement and contracts. In the popular eye, the Evoker is the archetype Mage, the spell slinging, fireball blasting Sorcerer of yore, tapping into and drawing limitless power from the elemental planes. _Yea for Evokers!_

Next are **Abjuration** casters. These guys weave spells that protect, block or banish. An Abjurer is a common but highly sought after profession. They were the mainstay of the protective barrier shells that shielded Human cities. An Abjurer possesses the special ability to also utilises restoration spells and a number of AOE combat buffs. Specialists in this field typically contracted elementals of earth, ice, and water, with exceptional individuals possessing more exotic quasi-elementals.

**Conjuration** is a school that materialises creatures or materials for the Mage, also called a Summoner. A Conjurer is a one-man army when trained to a sufficient tier of proficiency. Through contracting magical creatures, Conjurers gain life-long companions that grow with the Summoner in power. Due to this advantage, it is not uncommon for Summoners to become several magnitudes more powerful than Mages of equal tier. The disadvantage of Conjuration is the persistent mana drain caused by most of its sustained effect spells. Certain Conjurers choose to focus upon the summoning of items or beings. These valuable individuals are responsible for the Teleportation Circles around the cities.

**Divination** is a school that reveals information, highly prized for their cognisant abilities in detection and foretelling. Many diviners go on to become telecommunication specialists, becoming key intelligence and strategist operatives that served a number of roles. Other schools of Divination focused on disaster deterrence, by reading the threads of time and fate. Despite their lack of offensive capabilities, it is said that the most influential Magi on the U.N Security Council is the Oracle of the Acropolis. Though the Divination school has no preference for elemental afflictions, it is a school that synergies well with subsequent studies of other schools. Many Diviners go on to become Magus or Magister. Remember, if you are caught using Divination for nefarious purposes like spying on girl's showers, you'll go to prison and get assaulted!

The school of **Enchantment** remains the most difficult and expensive to train of all schools. Capable of imbuing items and buildings with protection, strengthening items and imbuing persist phenomena - enchanters are essential to humanity’s existence. The world's most successful manufatoriums are all operated by skilled Enchanters. Unlike regular Mages, enchanters seek specifically the mastering of additional schools such as Transmutation or Abjuration for the creation of magical items. A dangerous school within-a-school of Enchanters are those whose abilities allow them to control, manipulate, and glamour the minds of others. These Mages are closely watched by government forces, and the misuse of mind-altering effects on others could lead to stasis imprisonment or banishment.

**Illusion** is the school of Mirage, the altering of perceptions to create false visions. Many Illusionists go on to become involved in espionage if they choose the path of the militant. Many others, however, have chosen to be involved in the media, creating spectacles for adoring audiences, crafting impossible scenarios, and even becoming superstars in their own right for their creativity and passion. Illusion spells which deal damage attack the mind directly, creating what is known as psychic attacks. Likewise, aftereffects vary by spell and intent.

**Transmutation** is an unusual school in that it changes the caster and the objects they touch, manipulating the properties in powerful ways. Yours truly is a Transmuter herself. In the greater world, Transmuters become builders, architects and creators, working hand-in-glove with Enchanters. In combat, some transmuters choose to specialise in manipulating life itself, changing plants, creatures, and even themselves to become deadly and proficient in the art of war. It is said that Transmuters posses the most versatile school of all, and enjoyed the most lauded status after that of Evokers. As I am both a Transmuter and an Evoker, my Fire spells enjoy the benefit of being shaped! Whilst my Transmutation spells have the power of my Evocation blasts! _Huzzah!_

Then we have Necromancy.

_[Shudders]_

The dreaded School of **Necromancy** was banned after WWI following the Geneva Convention. Currently, the school is studied only by sects that are authorised by the U.N, having proven that the study of souls and the afterlife is intimately connected to beliefs of faith, culture, and religion. The irony of the matter is that Necromancy is most likely the most ancient school of magic that exists. Dating back to the Egyptian Pharaohs, in an age when man first uncovered magic. As such, it is more specific to say that the summoning, raising, and animation of the death is strictly forbidden, as much of the world was turned into ash and cinder following The Great War with the No-Life Kings of Middle Europe. So remember kids! Stay away from Necromancy! Life Drain, not even once!

Finally, other schools of magic likely exist but were out of reach of the common man. These include various forms of item deification, ancestral worship, old world shamanism, naturalism, animalism, and so forth. By the same measure, rumours about of humans learning the magic of monsters, magical beings, and demi-humanoids. These are seldom taught or learned in Frontier Human cities though.

Now, let's look at where all your mana goes to get super charged into spells.

After activation by one's Sigils, the pure mana taps into the Elemental Gates within your body - everybody has one - to manifest the phenomenon. Usually, everyone has just one element, certainly, this is true for 99% of the Mages out there, but you never know what you'll run into out there in the wild, wide world.

Hence - the elements:

The **Primary Elements** of the Material Plane are what astrologists suggest the material plane is made from. It is the very stuff of existence itself, existing in perfect harmony. It is suggested that when a Mage is attuned to a certain element, it is because that element is present within their body.

To be perfectly honest, we in the tier 2 cities don't have too much interest in that kind of existential theory - we're busy just trying to survive.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Oh, what's that? Am I from a tier 1 city? Of course not, who am I, Gunther Shultz? What's that? Did I go to university? Yeah, I did. I went to University of hard knocks called the Coral Sea War! How's that for a graduation?

Look, stop interrupting me, let me continue.

_[Pouts sulkily, plays with hair before flitting it backwards with a flourish]_

The **Positive** Plane is obviously a place of life, it is where the healers draw their power to heal and mend your broken bodies. The undead is afraid of this energy, and we should be too. Too much positive power without the ability to channel it and you know what you get? Strange mutations, cancer, weird tumours, its a pretty dangerous element. There's always danger in having too much of a good thing, just like foie gras.

**Negative** Energy is the other side of the coin, where positive is life, negative is death. The Undead are closely tethered to this plane, drawing their undead lifeforce from this domain. When creatures with life use energy from this plane, they suffer what we call negative drain - or just straight up loss of lifeforce and vitality. In the old days, the Mage world saw this as just another source of power. After WWI, we knew better. There are no elements with a worse rep. Trust me.

The next four are common so I shall take the liberty of glossing over them.

**Earth** is one of the most useful and common elements seen in Human Mages, it is the element responsible for most of our industry, mining for Mana Crystals, building our cities, and so on. The **Air** element is as it suggests, a place of air, space, the stuff we breathe. **Fire** is another common element Mages manifest in. After all, is it not said that Fire was stolen from the Gods themselves? Well, I certainly felt like I stole something from the Gods. With fire, man has created many useful tools and beaten back the tides of monstrous creatures. Finally, **Water** is just as important as Air, after all, did not the Magi John Baptiste proclaim the Waters of Life in Revelations 21:6?

Of the four core elements, Earth and Fire are most common, whilst Air is the rarest of primary elements. Water is exceptionally common among coastal communities.

Next, we have the Parallel Elements of Nature, also know as Para-elementals.

Of these, the most common element is **Ice,** a useful element that creates immense drops in temperature - being a combination of Air and Water. Ice is capable of slowing your enemies, as well as providing good defence and offence capabilities. It's pretty much useless against someone like me so I don't really know what it really does, that's what they tell me anyway.

**Ooze** is a stranger element, exceptionally rare and virtually non-existent outside of, especially isolated bloodlines. Ooze Mages are specialists, pending on their school, with spells that focus on entrapment, debilitation, poison, and other strange and mysterious effects. A speciality of the Ooze Conjurer is the ability to summon the creatures that exist within that element plane - oozes. It is said that some oozes are virtually indestructible except by Mages tiers above their summoner's levels. Ooze, if you were wondering, is the combination of Water and Earth. I had to fight an ooze Mage once and let me tell you, Oozes, people, you get 'em hot enough and they boil all the same.

The **Magma** Mage is truly unique indeed, being a rare combination of Fire and Earth. Exceptionally rare, these Mages are typically found where there are volcanic islands or fjords. We still know very little about this class of Mages, but sufficient to say, their power combines the physical prowess of the Earth Mage, with the damage potential of the Fire Mage. Truly a power that is frightening to the extreme. Man, what I'd give to be a Magma Mage, the best of both worlds!

Finally, we have **Smoke,** the marriage of Air and Fire. This is an element that is said to only exist in legend. In fact, in all my years, I have only known a single Smoke Mage. We really don't know what they specialise in. One can assume that whatever they do, we'll know cuz they vape.

Now, let us discuss the stranger elements of what occurs when the Positive and Negative elements interfere with the Primary Elements.

These are the rarest and most coveted abilities of sorcery and Spellcraft.

One element with has rarety on par with Magma is the quasi-element of **Mineral.** This is a distinct source of power that takes its capabilities from the form of mineral that the caster is attuned to. As such, it creates extremely distinct abilities that differ from Mage to Mage. A Mage capable of summoning volcanic stones, for instance, would create obsidian barriers which are brittle and fragile, but by the Gods, their offensive power is nothing to scoff at, capable of shredding General class magical creatures to shreds.

What's that? You over there, what did you say? Alesia, have you ever seen, you know, a Diamond Mage?

I am fairly sure they don't exist, but if they do, they would be my best friend.

Then we have the power of Zeus himself, the mainstay of Thorian Priests of Norway fame. **Lightning!** The power to harness the most concentrated force in nature. Existing between the Air and Positive Elemental planes, Lighting is the most penetrative of all element due to its electrical nature. It can cause stun and paralysis as well, in addition to the power to manifest instantly and deliver its payload in a fraction of a second. Lightning Mages are preferably Evokers, Conjurers or Transmuters for it is truly wasted on the other schools.

Likewise, when Positive and Water meet, you get **Steam.** This is a rare element. Beyond rare. In fact, only a handful of Mages were recorded as having tapped into a Goldilocks' zone where two elements can meet in harmony. What does it do? I must confess that I have no bloody idea. There are worse ways to die than by scalding water so hot that it melts the flesh. Trust me, you can ask Yue the in the front row what happened to the Murlocs.

Finally, we have the element that belongs to Mr Shultz, the **Radiant** power of Fire and Positive energy. To be frank, this is the power of Light. In theory, it should be useless, too weak to be used offensively, to dispersed to be used defensively. It takes a special Mage, therefore, to change something so immaterial into a powerful projection of power. For my husband to be, he has found a way to concentrate it's power using a combination of Schools, refracting it's power a hundred times over.

What's the spell called? That's a secret, the ones who'd see it are all dead now.

You there, what did you say? Gunther ain't my husband? Well, you want to repeat that? Those who had are all dead now too.

Alright, alright, take a joke. Sheesh.

Finally, there are the big Negative Quasi-elementals.

**Ash,** a power of fire that rains corrosive ash and dark flames. The most destructive element which exists of all the powers. Ash Mage rarely live long. They are said to be bred especially through sorcery and magic, tortured beings whose every summons of the powers of Ash wreck their bodies with unbelievable pain. We've never seen them amongst humanity. The Demi-humans however, such as the orcs occasionally throw up a rare-spawn that has this power. If you see one, run.

Which brings us to **Dust,** a strange element indeed. Dust is probably the most stable of the Negative Quasi-elements, next to Salt. It doesn't have any offensive capabilities of its own but enjoys the same corrosive ability drain as Ash. The most annoying part of fighting a Dust Mage is their ability to mute all your elemental damage. It consumes fire, water, air, lightning, even ash. It is said to be the most powerful Abjuration skill next to Mineral Mages.

**Salt** is likewise a very stable Negative element, with the additional ability to form into a range of crystalline shapes. It's capable of dealing extreme damage to Slimes and Oozes, as well as an assortment of creatures composed mostly of water - which includes us. The desiccation caused by the Salt Mage direction draws out elemental water from the bodies of its enemies. For a full-sized human? A few direct hits and its all over.

Lastly, we have the rarest and strangest of all elements. **Void.** Truly, I have never seen it myself, only ever heard it in history lessons by my master. What does it represent? Think of it as a place of vast, unending darkness, where strange, forgotten things lurk in the spaces that are darker than black, always hungering, hungering - there's no good, no evil, no light, just a place of nothingness that desires to be made manifest in the material plane, to not be so... empty.

Well, that's about all we have time for.
Next time, we can hopefully pick up our sociology lesson on the dynamics of the Mage world and the NoM world.

_[Winks, pulls back hair senusously]_

Class dismissed!