II. Nose Dive
Many years later....
The graduation ceremony for the aero mage academy was drawing near, far too near. Students scrambled about frantically and crowded around the campus libraries in hopes of finding the elusive solution to acing the infamous Magus Examination.
Amaya Magna was one of those unfortunate souls who had been sucked into the illusion that there was still plenty of time to prepare.
The mage cast the incantation for a basic medicinal spell and etched the sigil of a caladrius bird into the air. Only a wimpy puff of air emerged from the tip of her quill to congratulate her efforts. As expected, no rejuvenating auras were emitted.
Her mind wandered back to her dorm mate’s indoctrinations about the importance of education. At the time, she dismissed it with a cavalier wave of her hand and snidely responded that her friend did not experience campus life to the fullest. While she was known for sneaking into the courtyards after school to have engage in duels and quests with other magi, her friend immediately retreated to their dorm and studied continuously.
She didn’t regret it of course. The variety of experiences she had helped her glean experience and connections. Still, Amaya supposed that she could’ve spent more time hitting the books.
Education was truly a blessing in Lux. Thanks to the policies that the Academy’s Headmaster had implemented, everybody in Lux was provided with the equal opportunity to study at the academy. Housing, basic needs, and materials (though they had the tendency to be rather decrepit) were all provided at no cost to everybody.
All jobs required placed thresholds based off a student’s academic capabilities. It goes without saying that the most sought after careers had the higheset standards. Therefore, those who didn’t do well were assigned menial, laborious tasks that nobody else desired.
Only one attempt at the final exam was permitted.
She knew for sure that she did not want to spend her life slaving away as a virago’s maid and never having the opportunity to put her skills as a mage to use. Amaya was a wanderer at heart. She yearned for the thrill of venturing into the unknown.
If it wasn’t for the education system in Lux...
A thundering screech snapped her out of her haze.
She turned to her left, initially annoyed at the sudden intrusion but then she immediately recoiled in fear.
A massive alabaster dragon, whose ivory scales were outlined with streaks of bold blue, thrashed about, beating its armored wings repeatedly and shaking its head to and fro. It let out a deafening whine and lunged at the stained glass window overlooking the library. A raucous clatter of glass ensued and a myriad of prismatic shards emerged.
As the dragon burst into the archives, the floor shook ferociously and every bookshelf began to collapse on top of one another. Tomes in every color known spilled onto the floor in continuous streams.
Amaya had been watching the whole scene in awe but then reality had dawned upon the magus. Once realization that the mammoth beast was only a few feet away struck, she bolted away and muttered an incoherent string of incantations. Somehow, it managed to teleport her out of the library despite no sigils being used in the ritual.
Meanwhile, various younger magi were crowding around the exit in a frenzy. The copper skinned magus stifled a laugh as she watched their helpless expressions and frenetic gesticulations.
“Everybody, please report to the Great Hall.” A silky baritone voice boomed.
The mage recognized the distinctive voice immediately. Who wouldn’t?
Amaya cast a glance to her left. An endless hoard of frenzied mages were clamoring around the corridors leading to the Great Hall.
The mage chuckled and cast a teleportation spell while the rest of the student body was trying not to get trampled.
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Curses.
She had forgotten that the Headmaster had put a ward around the campus that prevented anybody from teleporting out of and into the Great Hall. If anybody attempted to, the charm that was placed on the ward would automatically transport the unlucky mage to the academy’s entrance gates.
The Headmaster had stressed this daily and harped upon each and every student to never attempt teleportation within the campus grounds.
How had she forgotten?
The enormous brassy entrance gates were bound together with an unsightly mass of ceaseless chains. On top of that, wards upon wards were cast upon the gates that a novice mage like herself could only dream of deactivating them.
She did know somebody that could though. With a grin, Amaya patted the sides of her cloak and opened every compartment there was.
Empty, empty, empty. Had she forgotten her communication sphere as well?
The dissonant cacophony of the trashing beast and the crescendo of her pounding heart composed a grand symphony of adrenaline. Energy shot through her veins and the mage rushed forward. Her eyesight was blurred with tears. But she continued forward, trusting her instinct.
She needed to flee the campus immediately. The capital city of Stratus was only a few blocks away from the academy and while she was not gifted in the physical department, she was nimble and determined.
But the brick bridge connecting the academy and the capital city Stratus had been cleaved straight into two.
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Amaya fell onto her knees and a cloud of pastel red dust emerged upon his descent. Her royal blue hood hung over her head and darkness engulfed her peripherals. A shock of ebony locks, which hung limply over her face, the bold blue corners of his hood and the shattered cardinal bricks beneath him were all he could see. It was kind of pretty. They were all shades of red, black and blue. Just like the emblem of Lux.
This was farewell. It seemed that the transience of life transcended her will.
“Farewell,” she mumbled under her breath.
To her left, an avalanche of bricks crumbled into dust. She heard the rattling prattle of the dragon’s footsteps drawing near.
She shut her brown eyes and drifted into a brief respite.
“Hiro! Hiro!” A warm, sweet voice, like honey, hollered.
Hiro certainly wasn’t her name.
She wanted to yell that she wasn’t Hiro. But her entire body was numb.
A soft hand clutched her shoulder and all the numbness in her body ceased.
“I’m taking you home.”
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The mage found herself lunging blindly into a bog of mystifying blues and purples. The rock beneath her soles were seething cold and stung with every step she took.
There was no discernible source of light. Although she should have been terrified, she was put at ease. It felt nice, exploring this foreign area. The cold air embraced her and she accepted the gesture wholeheartedly. Once she did, the wind beckoned her to take a seat. She complied and sat down, with her knees close to her chest. The rocky, frigid surface she had perched upon rewarded her for her efforts and lulled her into a meditative state.
She could stay here forever.
“No.” A strained voice cried.
The mage turned her head in every direction but the darkness only grew.
“They got another one.” The same voice lamented. “I didn’t think this would happen.”
The air’s embrace was no longer calming. It chilled her to the bone and left a stinging pulsation of pain in its wake. The mage felt her heart begin to race. She wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled them closer to her chest in a futile attempt to fight off the sudden change in atmosphere.
“Listen to me very carefully.”
The mage’s body shuddered at the sudden announcement, but she wordlessly shook her head.
“Never follow the gleam of amethyst.”
The person (was it a person?) must have taken note of the mage’s bewildered expression because he said “You’ll see what I mean when the time comes.”
“I’m afraid I’m a rather inexperienced magus. I can’t talk to you any longer without getting caught. What I’m saying right now will confuse you, but in due time, it will all make sense.”
Amaya nodded as she clutched her cloak closer to her body.
“If you can help it, never come here again. I trust you to pick up where I failed.”
The mage felt a hand clasp her shoulder before a freezing gust of wind shot up her nasal cavity.
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The darkness ceased and was replaced by a bright, golden glare.
Her eyes were bogged by an invisible weight but the persistent light that forcibly batted against her eye lids pried them open.
Amaya’s eyes tentatively fluttered open and finally adjusted to this new change.
A harsh aroma, accompanied by a searing sensation that shot through her nose, greeted her awakening.
“Smelling salts.”
The mage quirked her brow in confusion.
“It was the only way I could get you to wake up. Now listen carefully.”
The hooded figure inched closer and she felt hot air against her ear.
“I don’t know why since I have no clue who you are. At first I thought you were a friend of mine but I digress. For some reason, everyone I’ve come across wants to kill you. Now you see, I’d really appreciate it if you can tell me what’s going on so I can either help you if you’re innocent, or kick you out of my house.”
Lady Luck did not favor her whatsoever
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