believing inevitability

Royal Road

SomethingOtherThanRain

A Nerubian's Journey by Fizzicks

Chapter 3

Report

When Krivax realized he had been reborn into a fictional world as a giant spider person, he expected much more monster-fighting adventures and fewer academic tests. It seems that even in a fantasy world, he wasn't able to escape test anxiety; though to be fair, Krivax had very little to be anxious about. He was as prepared as he could possibly be for his coming-of-age examinations.

Ceaseless efforts to attune himself to arcane magic had borne fruit and the many late nights he spent studying made him certain he would be sent to the Circle of Viziers. He had completed his basic education in nerubian language, writing, laws, and web weaving now it was time for him to prove his mastery to the academic administrators. He already completed his combat and web weaving examinations, now he only had to finish the written portion and then demonstrate his magic.

Krivax finished scribbling on the silk-woven parchment as he completed the portion of the exam dedicated to Azjol-Nerub's history and moved on to the portion dedicated to its government.

Azjol-Nerub was nominally an empire that was ruled absolutely by High King Anub'arak, but in practice, political power was fairly decentralized. Considering the empire covered half of Northrend, it was not surprising that regional cities far from the capital held a lot of say in their own affairs. Especially when it took a significant amount of time to travel from one part of the empire to another; portals could only support a limited amount of traffic due to leyline restrictions, after all. This meant that if the capital wished to rule over far-off territories, they would need to delegate power to local governments.

One would think that the nerubian lack of family units would prevent the creation of an aristocratic class, allowing the Spiderlords to hold absolute power over their cities, but this was not the case. The Warriors, Viziers, and the various groups of Weavers all held significant power in nerubian society and frequently acted to protect their own interests.

Of course, the capital had created a legal framework that would allow for them to quickly centralize power during times of war, but Azjol-Nerub had seemingly been in a state of peace for millennia. Nerubians as a people seemed to have little interest in fighting the other races of Northrend. In fact, they seemed to have barely any interest in the surface world at all!

It was deeply vexing to Krivax to discover how absurdly insular the nerubians were. It would make his job much harder.

Krivax reined in his wandering thoughts and refocused on the exam; the test was simple, but he still needed to give it the attention it deserved. He carefully finished the exam, making certain to put great care into writing legibly.

Soon enough, Krivax finished the written portion of the exam and gave his completed parchment to the administrator. Nerubians valued efficiency, and the city wished to assign their newest generation to their positions as quickly as possible, so the administrator immediately started grading the exam the moment he received it.

Kriltes had told him that the Custodians were constantly reporting the progress of the clusters they were responsible for and that most of the administrative work for their designations had already been completed. The examinations were simply a method of verifying the Custodian's observations, and if no inconsistencies were noticed, then he may be assigned to the Circle of Viziers by the end of the day.

This seemed a bit fast to Krivax, but frankly, he was glad for the expediency.

Even if nerubians matured much faster than humans, three years was a long time for someone who used to be an adult to be saddled with a babysitter. Krivax was looking forward to ditching his Custodian and regaining some semblance of autonomy.

Krivax left the administrator to his work and started making his way to the magic exam. He ignored the administrators he saw who were hastily skittering by and carrying piles of parchments. Today was a busy day for them, and the testing center was a… hive of activity.

Krivax held himself back from snicking at the pun as he entered the testing room. He doubted the proctors would appreciate his levity on such an important day.

"Hatchling Krivax, correct?" asked the administrator responsible for overseeing the test. The room was typical for nerubian architecture, the only distinctive feature being an arcane glyph situated in the center of the room. "Are you prepared to demonstrate your magic?"

Krivax did not enjoy being called a hatchling, but he recognized that it was unavoidable until he was assigned to his position.

"Yes, Administrator. I am prepared to demonstrate the results of my learning."

The proctor chittered approvingly before speaking. "Good. The arcane glyph will record your demonstration. I will then weave the recording into a web and deliver it to those responsible for your designation. If you are as skillful as your Custodian claims, then I expect your designation to be a simple one."

Krivax was surprised to hear the proctor's words. Over the past three years, he had not heard much praise from Kriltes, so to hear his Custodian had spoken well of him to the administrators was unexpected. Perhaps Kriltes had not wanted him to grow arrogant?

Krivax put the matter out of his mind. He had more important things to worry about at the moment.

"Thank you, Administrator. I am glad to know Custodian Kriltes thinks so highly of me. I shall endeavor not to disappoint him."

"As you should," said the administrator with noticeable approval. Krivax had found most nerubians reacted well to formality and politeness. "Step into the glyph and demonstrate a basic Illumination spellweaving."

Spellweaving an Illumination spell into a thread of silk was the exercise young nerubians were taught in order to attune themselves to arcane magic. If he couldn't do something so simple by now, then there was absolutely no chance he could be assigned to the Circle of Viziers.

With a quickness that spoke of extensive practice, Krivax spun a thread of silk and swiftly infused it with a spell of Illumination, causing the thread of silk to glow brightly. Finished with his spellweaving, Krivax presented his work to the administrator.

After a few moments of inspecting the spell, the administrator nodded his approval.

"Well done. Your next task is to steadily channel arcane magic into your hands and alter the arcane energies between fire and ice."

"Understood."

Krivax put away the spell-woven silk to his abdomen and began channeling arcane magic, pushing it into his hand. After he succeeded in attuning himself to arcane magic, the process of calling upon it was as simple as breathing. Learning how to alter that magic between fire and ice had proven much more difficult, however. Thankfully, after a significant amount of practice, he had gotten a hang of it.

Krivax focused on thoughts of heat, energy, movement, and passion as he willed his arcane magic to become fire. Sure enough, a comfortable flame that did nothing to harm him materialized in Krivax's hands.

"Good. Now ice," the proctor said after a moment of examination.

Krivax started altering the fire back to arcane without responding to the praise. His proficiency was not yet good enough that he could alter arcane magic without concentration. Once the fire had returned to the familiar violet glow of arcane magic, Krivax started the process of altering it to ice.

He found that ice came to him much easier than fire as he focused on thoughts of cold, lethargy, stillness, and deliberation. A blue glow grew in his palm, and Krivax could feel the temperature of the room noticeably chill.

"Well done. It is rare that a hatchling can alter arcane magic between fire and ice so quickly. Your ice magic is particularly skillful. I am glad to see Custodian Kriltes did not exaggerate your abilities. I suspect deciding where to place you will be an easy decision."

Krivax bowed to the nerubian and expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you. It is through the guidance of my elders that I have achieved such learning."

That was not true. He had learned most of his magic through his own efforts. Kriltes had merely given him the right exercises and pointed him in the right direction, but nerubians are a communal people who appreciated open displays of loyalty to the greater nerubian society.

I worked my ass off to learn how to do this. If I wasn't capable of this much after putting in so much work, then I'd be hopeless.

Krivax did not know exactly how he compared to his peers in magic, but he suspected his talent was either average or slightly above average. The only magic he had encountered so far that came somewhat easily was ice magic. Thankfully, a work ethic brought upon by a constant feeling of impending doom was enough to compensate for talent somewhat. Krivax doubted he would become the next Jaina or Khadgar, but he was still proud of what he had managed to accomplish.

After answering a few questions on magical theory and receiving more compliments, Krivax thanked the proctor and left to meet Kriltes at his cluster's predetermined meeting point. The Custodian was already there waiting, but everyone else besides Masruk had yet to finish their assessments.

"Greetings, Peer Krivax. Congratulations on completing your assessment; I know you are eager to finally join the Circle of Viziers," said Masruk as Krivax approached the meeting point.

"Thank you, Masruk, but I have not yet been assigned to the Viziers," Krivax responded fondly. He had not grown close with any of his other cluster mates aside from Masruk. Spending all of his time learning and practicing his magic was not a good way to make friends.

However, while Masruk was a bit stiff and overly formal, he was the only one who had gone out of his way to socialize with Krivax. He found Masruk to be kind and a good friend, so the two of them got along relatively well. It helped that Masruk had decided to become a Warrior and offered to spar with Krivax on occasion.

In a world as violent as Azeroth, it was important for Krivax to learn how to fight with magic, so he agreed without hesitation. While the prospective Warrior defeated Krivax more often than not, at least he was now capable of casting a well-aimed frostbolt while being charged by a giant spider person.

"Your designation to the Circle is nearly guaranteed. I know how hard you have worked for this, Peer Krivax. There is no need for modesty."

Krivax merely nodded his agreement. What he said was true, after all.

"You have worked hard as well. You will make a good Warrior, Masruk. You are managing to wield your Intuitive Magic more and more skillfully with every passing day. My carapace is still aching from our last spar."

It was a good thing that nerubians were so hard, especially because they lacked access to widespread healing magic. They had some knowledge of nature magic, but that was mainly limited to accelerating the growth of their farming and forming bonds with jormungar or with nonsapient arachnids.

"Thank you. Would you like to join me in eating while the rest of our cluster finishes their assessments?"

Krivax perked up and agreed eagerly. It had taken him a while to get used to nerubian food, but he'd grown to enjoy it.

After requesting and receiving permission from Kriltes to go get some food, the two of them left the administrative center and traveled to the merchant section of the city. Kilah'kuk did not have a very large merchant class given that many things were provided by the government, but things like food, recreational items, and luxury goods were sold in the merchant section.

Krivax went straight to his favorite vendor, a farmer who created an edible silk thread that he covered in a delicious variety of insects. He offered the vendor a few pieces of copper and received a long string of silk covered in insects.

At first, he had been curious why nerubians traded with copper, but apparently, there was something special about the metal's magical properties that made it very suitable to be used as a currency. The same was true for silver and gold, which were also used as currency by Azjol-Nerub, as well as cobalt in some cases.

Krivax thanked the man and made his way to a cavern covered with giant bioluminescent mushrooms. In his opinion, it was one of the best places in the city and was his favorite place to enjoy a meal.

Krivax enjoyed his meal and made small talk with Masruk while trying to push away his anxious thoughts. He knew that there was no reason for him not to be assigned to the Circle of Viziers, but he couldn't help but worry that some kind of freak accident would sentence him to a life of farming bugs.

If that were to happen, he didn't have a backup plan other than running away and hoping for the best. There was simply too much information necessary for his future plans that could only be accessed by members of the Circle.

He didn't have much time to stew in his anxiety, however, because he was soon interrupted by his Custodian.

"Hatchling Krivax. Your designation has been determined."

If Krivax still had eyebrows, his Custodian's words would have caused him to raise them as high as he could. Given his unfortunate lack of human facial features, Krivax settled for clicking his mandibles in confusion.

Already? I knew it could happen pretty quickly, but this seems unusually fast. Has the rest of my cluster even finished yet?

"Vizier Hadix is here to escort you to the Circle of Viziers," said Kriltes. In the three years Krivax had known him, the Custodian had always been dutiful and stoic, but now he could hear a note of pride in the older nerubian's tone.

Krivax turned his attention to the entrance of the cavern and noticed a Vizier wearing teal robes and the traditional Vizier headdress, waiting patiently for Krivax to approach him.

Turning to the man who had been responsible for caring for him for the past three years, Krivax bowed deeply in an expression of gratitude. They were not particularly close due to Kriltes going out of his way to avoid forming a parental relationship with his cluster, but he was still due respect.

Unlike Masruk, who he would be keeping in contact with, it was unlikely he would have any reason to meet with Kriltes after he left with the Vizier.

The Custodian nodded at him stoically and after taking a moment to arrange a later meeting with Masruk for them to talk about their designations, Krivax made his way to the waiting Vizier.

The Vizier had a purplish carapace that was not commonly seen in Kilah'kuk, whose residents generally had brownish carapaces. When he spoke, it was obvious from his accent that he had been born in the empire's capital.

"Hmph. Hatchling Krivax, correct? You are the talented young one who requested to be assigned to the surface world research division of the Circle of Viziers?"

"Yes, Vizier Hadix."

"I see," Hadix said impassively. He looked over Krivax for several moments before continuing. "If you are as smart as the results of your examination suggest, you are likely wondering why your designation was concluded so swiftly."

Well… yeah. Kinda want to know why I'm being singled out. I think I've done pretty well for myself, but it's not like I'm some kind of magical genius.

"It is as you say, Vizier. I am quite curious."

"Hmph. Come with me then, Initiate Krivax. I will explain to you the circumstances of your designation and your future role in the Circle."

Without waiting for a response, Hadix turned and started making his way out of the cavern, obviously expecting to be followed. After making a final glance at his former Custodian and waving farewell to his friend, Krivax followed the Vizier to the next stage of his second life.

Royal Road

SomethingOtherThanRain

A Nerubian's Journey by Fizzicks

Chapter 4

Report

Krivax was filled with a sense of both excitement and trepidation as he followed behind the Vizier. Excitement because he was finally about to reach the goal he'd been working toward for the past three years, and trepidation because things were about to get a lot more serious for him.

Until now, the only thing he could do to further his goal of not becoming a zombie spider was to grow and learn as quickly as he could. There would still be some more research and learning to do after he gained access to the information available to the Circle of Viziers, but after that, it would soon be time for him to start fighting against fate.

Krivax was so preoccupied with such thoughts that he remained in complete silence as he and the Vizier traveled through the city. Thankfully, it seemed like Hadix was not one for small talk either.

Krivax noted with slight discomfort the degree of deference nerubians seemed to afford Hadix as they passed by. It wasn't exactly surprising given he'd been living as a nerubian for three years and grown to understand their culture, yet such reverence was something he'd always found hard to get used to.

Eventually, the two of them reached their destination, and Krivax got his first look at the Circle of Vizier's headquarters. He'd already known the Viziers worked in a ziggurat similar in design to Naxxramas, albeit smaller, but it was another thing to see it in person. Now that he could see it with his own eyes, Krivax understood why the Scourge had decided to expropriate the nerubian ziggurats for their own purposes. Even with his budding magical senses, he could immediately tell that the building was absolutely drenched in potent magic.

The building itself was massive by the standards of nerubians. The only reason it was not the biggest building Krivax had ever seen was due to this not being his first life. The ziggurat was wreathed in carefully crafted webs that allowed for Viziers and Initiates alike to skitter easily from floor to floor through its many entrances.

After a moment, he realized that he had stopped to stare at the ziggurat and that Vizier Hadix had continued without him. Krivax hurried to follow the Vizier; he had a feeling Hadix would not be impressed if he managed to get lost on his first day.

Passing by many Initiates—and a few Viziers—going about their business, he struggled to keep track of his surroundings as they passed through a series of confusing hallways. The building was too large, the roof was too tall, and there were too many Initiates skittering about and disappearing into random rooms.

Eventually, Vizier Hadix turned into a hallway that was notably less active than the ones they had passed earlier. Krivax had a feeling that they were reaching their destination.

The farther they traveled, the fewer initiates they passed by and the less rushed they seemed to be. It was rather amusing to watch them startle and try to act busier as Hadix passed by. Soon enough, they reached a room that Krivax assumed to be the Vizier's office. That was confirmed to him as Hadix closed the door behind them.

Hadix did not immediately start speaking the moment they had their privacy, so Krivax decided to take the opportunity to look around.

Some parts of the room looked like something he would expect from one of his college professors, namely the bookcases lined against the wall and the desk messily covered with various papers. However, the collection of skulls that belonged to various surface world creatures made it hard for him to confuse the Vizier with a harmless college professor.

Krivax felt a bit concerned that he'd seen a troll's skull in the office of his new boss before he'd gotten to chance to see an actual living troll.

"Fascinating, isn't it? How different they are from us?"

Krivax was brought out of his thoughts by the Vizier's words. He turned to see Hadix staring at him with a searching gaze.

"Yes, Vizier Hadix," said Krivax, hurrying to agree. "The creatures of the surface world are very interesting."

The Vizier's body language did not change, but somehow, Krivax felt like Hadix was pleased with his answer.

"Hmph. Before I explain the circumstances of your designation and explain your role here, I would like to ask you a question. Why did you request to be assigned to the Surface World Research Division?"

Krivax took a moment to consider his answer. The real reason he had requested to join this division was because it was the best way for him to acquire the information he needed and further his plans.

When he first started to think of ways to avoid dying to the Lich King, the first plan Krivax considered was to run. This plan didn't last for very long given the problems with it soon became obvious. Even if he were to ignore how difficult it would be to escape Azjol-Nerub in the first place, if he ran, then he would be a giant spider person on a hostile continent with no allies. He would likely end up dead even before the Lich King became an issue.

Krivax then considered making the Lich King someone else's problem by pretending he could see the future. Unfortunately, this plan would have to be relegated to a last-case scenario. If he tried to play himself off as a prophet, they would assume Krivax either possessed some kind of gift with such magic or he was pulling nonsense out of his spinneret. If the leadership had some way of verifying if he was telling the truth about future events, then they would also be able to tell he was lying about how he knew what he knew.

Krivax really did not want to tell anybody the full truth. Not only because he didn't want to find out if nerubian xenophobia extended to former humans, but also because the information in his head could be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.

After deciding he couldn't run or pretend to be a prophet, Krivax had moved on to thinking about ways to help the nerubians defeat the Lich King. The problem was, the Lich King had managed to defeat Azjol-Nerub, the Drakkari, and turned many dragons into Frost Wyrms in the lore. Even if Krivax knew about him beforehand, he was still a threat that was hard to plan against.

Eventually, Krivax settled on two possible plans, depending on a few different factors. If the Lich King appeared before Krivax could find a different option, then he would focus his efforts on convincing the nerubians to ally themselves with the trolls or dragons against the Lich King.

This was not his favorite plan for a few different reasons.

Firstly, he didn't know whether or not he could actually compel such an alliance, even in the face of an existential threat. He had no idea what nerubians wartime politics would look like and the internal politics of the Drakkari and dragons were a complete mystery to him.

Secondly, there was no guarantee they would win, even if they all worked together.

As far as Krivax could tell, since the Lich King was defeated by forces that came from outside of Northrend in the lore, then trying to pull the Alliance into the conflict was the best course of action. He had thought long and hard about how to actually make that happen.

If the nerubians were to learn of the continents south of Northrend, they would likely be very willing to support a colonial expedition, despite their xenophobia. After all, Northrend is not a hospitable land, and the nerubians understand the risks of putting all of their eggs in one basket.

If Azjol-Nerub established contacts with the Eastern Kingdoms, then the Alliance would become aware of the Lich King the moment he popped up. Even if the governments of the continent didn't offer to help, that contact would still be invaluable to the nerubians.

Not only would they have somewhere they could run in the worst-case scenario, but it would also offer them access to new technologies, magics, and resources.

There was a possibility that Krivax would arrive to the Eastern Kingdoms only to discover that the Alliance did not yet exist, but if that happened then he would have plenty of time to prepare for the future.

However, this plan depended on Krivax being able to prove to the nerubian leadership that other lands besides Northrend both existed and were within their reach.

Krivax did not know for certain whether there was regular travel between Northrend and the Eastern Kingdoms, although, he did think it was likely. He knew there were humans native to Northrend and that the governments of the Eastern Kingdoms were aware Northrend existed, so it was unlikely that contact was completely nonexistent. Even if it was uncommon, Krivax found it extremely likely that there would be some people who traveled to Northrend for either trade, exploration, or research.

So why did Krivax ask to be assigned to the Surface World Research Division?

Well, because it was simply the best place for him to learn about the surface races and gather evidence for the existence of the Eastern Kingdoms. If that failed, then it was also the best place for him to push for an alliance with the other races of Northrend.

Obviously, all of this was not something he could say to Hadix.

"I requested to be assigned to this division because I believe our people may be able to benefit greatly from the surface world, Vizier Hadix."

"How so?" asked Hadix. While his tone remained even, the focus he directed to Krivax was intense. "Azjol-Nerub is the most advanced civilization in the known world and does not lack resources. What could we have to gain from the surface world?"

"There are many resources that can be found on the surface that may be of use to our people," said Krivax. He did not know the Vizier's opinions on the surface world, but it was probably safer to emphasize his desire to help Azjol-Nerub. "The surface world holds countless unknown plants with potentially beneficial alchemical properties. Also, even if those who live on the surface are less advanced, there is still much we could potentially learn from them if only we were willing to talk to one another. Different people mean different magic, ideas, and knowledge of the world that we could use to benefit our people."

Once Krivax started explaining his point of view, he could not stop himself from speaking passionately on the subject.

It had been extremely frustrating for him to be reborn into such an amazing and fantastical world, only to be completely surrounded by people who possessed absolutely no interest in it. Now he was finally speaking to one of the few people in the city who might share his interest, and he couldn't hold back the desire to reach out.

A small part of Krivax expected derision for his interest and a large part hoped for commiseration. Instead, he found himself surprised when the Vizier started to chuckle.

"You remind me much of my colleague, Vizier Malas," said Hadix after he finished laughing. "You seem to share his remarkable enthusiasm to learn more about the surface races. Though I suspect your perspectives are quite different."

Krivax was thoroughly nonplussed by the comparison. Malas? That creepy dude who showed up to explain the role of the Viziers a few years ago? I would have never guessed that guy studied the surface world.

"Ah. I can see you are familiar with him," said Hadix, his tone amused. "Were you one of the young Hatchlings fortunate enough to watch my misanthropic colleague try to convince the younger generation to follow in his footsteps?"

Krivax was not sure how to respond to that, but the longer he hesitated, the more Hadix seemed to grow amused.

"Yes, Vizier Hadix," Krivax said cautiously. "I… had not expected for Vizier Malas to be interested in studying the surface world."

That guy gave me the vibes of someone who would be more interested in studying void magic in his evil lair.

"Vizier Malas is quite fascinated by the surface races, especially the Drakkari and their magic," said Hadix. Krivax could feel himself growing eager for a chance to finally meet a nerubian who lacked the disinterest for the other races so prevalent in the rest of their species.

"At first, Malas wanted to see if he could summon a spider Loa from which he could gain power, but he eventually learned that without knowing its name, summoning such a being would be impossible. When his ambitions proved infeasible, he managed to create a regenerative potion by kidnapping lone Drakkari and harvesting them for their magical blood. The Circle was quite impressed."

Krivax sighed internally as his growing excitement turned to disappointment.

Damn it, I should have known.

"It seems my suspicions about your perspective differing from my colleague were correct," Hadix said perceptively. "If I were to guess, I would assume you wish to research the other races in a less… antagonistic manner. Correct?"

Krivax held back a wince. He still was not sure what stance the Vizier held towards the other races, but this was not something he could lie about. His tolerance towards other races would eventually become obvious.

"No, Vizier. I believe a cooperative relationship with the other races would offer a chance for us to mutually benefit from each other's knowledge and strengths. We could teach each other so much about the world, and I find myself… disheartened that my people do not seem to share my opinion."

After Krivax finished speaking, Vizier Hadix remained silent long enough for him to begin feeling nervous. However, when he did respond, it was not with an admonishment, but rather with a question.

"How much do you know about the historical reasons for Azjol-Nerub's isolationist policies?"

Krivax found himself surprised. He'd asked Kriltes about those reasons for a long time, but he was never given a satisfactory answer.

"Very little, Vizier. Everyone who I asked simply told me this was the way we had always been."

"Hmph. That is unsurprising. The Kingdom's propaganda is extremely effective for the common nerubian," said Hadix with a hint of disdain. "We of the Circle of Viziers, however, must strive to perceive the world as it truly is, rather than how others wish for us to see it. If you would like to know more about the insular nature of our people, then I suggest you study the Nerubian-Vrykul Wars."

Krivax was taken aback to be so easily pointed toward explanations that had eluded him for so long, but he was also very grateful.

"Thank you, Vizier Hadix," said Krivax, bowing to the older nerubian. "I will take your words to heart and study this matter at my earliest convenience."

"Good," said Hadix, nodding in approval. "As a member of the Circle of Viziers, you will have access to libraries of information not available to outsiders. You will also have access to the libraries of our Research Division. You are now an adult. There is nobody who will tell you which direction to point your spinneret, so I expect you to spend your time wisely."

Krivax felt a growing greed for knowledge after hearing the Vizier's words. Free access to these libraries would offer him a chance to not only advance his plans, but would also allow him to learn more magic.

"I understand. This is not an opportunity that I intend to waste, sir."

"Hmph. See that you don't. I had to expend significant political capital to ensure you were assigned to this Division, so I would be quite upset if my investment was wasted."

"Investment?" Krivax asked with trepidation.

"Correct. Your potential was judged to be quite high. Without my intervention and your stated preference, you would have likely been designated to either the Arcane Research Division or the Lost Knowledge Research Division."

"My potential is high? I understand my performance was likely better than average, but I don't feel like I am someone worth fighting for, Vizier Hadix," said Krivax uncertainly. Had he misjudged his own progress so greatly?

"While your talent in magic is not prodigious, it is significant enough that when paired with your abnormal work ethic, you have succeeded in drawing attention," Hadix said matter-of-factly.

Krivax felt strange to be described as someone who drew attention; in his previous life, he had been a wholly average individual.

"After learning of a fairly talented hatchling who wished to join my Research Division, I pushed to make certain you would be designated according to your preferences. Most of the Division's Initiates were designated here against their stated preferences. This is both to your benefit and your detriment."

Krivax waited for the Vizier to continue talking, but he didn't, so he decided to respond to the obvious prompt.

"How so, Vizier Hadix?"

"Joining this Division is to your detriment because we are not as prioritized for resources as the other Divisions. It is to your benefit because you shall be the sole recipient of my tutelage. Congratulations. Most Initiates strive to gain the attention of a Vizier for years after their designation."

Krivax immediately started bowing and expressing his gratitude to the older mage. Personalized instruction would definitely allow him to learn faster than trying to figure everything out on his own.

"Enough, your gratitude is unnecessary. If you wish to thank me, then work hard to ensure my efforts are not wasted on you. Your performance and future contributions will reflect on both myself and this Division, so I expect much. If you fail to live up to your potential, then you will be relegated to performing administrative duties for the rest of your time here."

That would suck. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a fantasy world as a low-level bureaucrat.

"I will work hard to prove myself worthy of your attention, Vizier Hadix."

"Yes. You will," said Hadix sternly. "If you do not, then any ambitions you might have will fade away. In return for good performance, I shall allow you to pursue your goals in regard to the surface races, and perhaps aid you. Without my assistance, it is doubtful you would succeed in securing permission to go to the surface or contact the other races. I confess, it seems unlikely to me that your efforts will result in significant benefits for our people, but it is a good enough research project for a young Initiate."

Krivax did not know how to respond to the Vizier's speech, so he fell back on bowing and polite gratitude. Over the hour, Hadix would detail his expectations to Krivax in great detail. The Vizier would only allow him to go to the Surface after he gained a certain amount of proficiency in magic and proved himself capable of protecting himself. Apparently, he would also be expected to learn some skills that could benefit Kilah'Kuk.

Members of the Circle of Viziers were expected to perform tasks that required skilled magic such as alchemy, enchanting, or complex magical silk crafting. It made sense to Krivax; if the Circle was not expected to do such things, then they would likely spend all of their time researching esoteric magics that would fail to justify their funding. Krivax was not certain which of these skills he would focus on—likely whichever took up the least amount of his time—but Hadix assured him that he did not need to choose immediately.

Eventually, they finished their talk and Krivax felt optimistic as he left the Vizier's office to go find whichever administrator was in charge of distributing supplies to the newly joined Initiates. Vizier Hadix's assistance—as conditional as it may be on Krivax's continued success—would make many things easier. Not only that, but while the Vizier did not seem particularly enthusiastic about Krivax's goal of establishing communication with the Surface races, he did not seem to be derisive or dismissive either.

It felt… nice for Krivax to have someone who would support him, even if that support came from selfish intentions.

Looks like things are looking up for me.

Next chapter