The History Class

Professor Anderson's history class would start in ten minutes. Fortunately, Nick knew the palace like back of his hand. 

They reached the class and Tom opened the door. Fifteen three-seater wooden benches on both sides of the class were placed one by one. 

Professor Anderson had not entered the class yet. Tom and Nick were after an empty bench but didn't find any due to being late.

looked closely, two empty seats were remaining on the first bench which was exactly in front of the blackboard but Tom didn't like going there as Debora Foster was sitting there. 

Nick went towards her and Tom was forced to follow him. 

"Hello, little sister. What a big bench! Can you go a little further so me and my friend can sit?" Nick said after reaching the bench.

Debora pulled herself to the edge of the bench without any words or resistance. Nick sat in the middle and Tom on the right side.

Tom placed Olthama's history book on the bench and opened it for the first time. 

"The Strongest" was the title of the first season.

Professor Anderson opened the door and entered the class at the appointed time. Passed by the benches and placed his books on the table. Shaped his long and white hair and straightened his silver robe. Picked "Olthama's History for the first-years" up. 

"Umm…everything is right," whispered. 

"The Strongest" Professor Anderson wrote on the board without using chalk but with his finger.

"Good morning everyone. My name, is Gorge Anderson, and we are going to learn Olthama's history together…"

He drank some water.

"The first season of your book is about the strongest. But the strongest creatures? No! it's about the strongest species of sorcerers. You may have heard from your family that in Odegaard's era, sorcerers with different powers had lived, but not anymore,"

Professor Anderson went near the blackboard again.

"Well, could any one of you name the sorcerers' species at Odegaard's era so I can write it down?"

No one said anything. Tom didn't have any idea sorcerers have different species. The class was overwhelmed in silence. Suddenly, a familiar voice broke the silence from the left side of the first bench:

"Absorbers, Exchangers, Shapeshifters, Maldytos, and normal sorcerers,"

Everyone in the class looked at her.

"That's a simple question, it's written on page seven!" said Debora with pride.

"You've read the book before the class?!" said Nick

"Yes, what about it?"

"Nothing… it's just weird for someone to read the book before the class and on the first day,"

Professor Anderson said:

"Absolutely right, young lady. Now, who can rank these species by power?"

Again, none said a thing.

"I think Absorbers were the strongest as they could absorb other's power," said Debora again.

"Exchangers were the strongest!"

A girly voice said that from the last bench. The tangled-haired girl with glasses continued:

"Exchangers could keep a fraction of the power they have exchanged between two people by themselves every time. They could even do this with people's lifetime,"

"Absorbers could do the same," said Debora.

"Yes, you both are correct in a way but they weren't the strongest!" said Professor Anderson, "Maldytos were! The public thought because Absorbers and Exchangers were destroyed at the very two hundred years after Olthama's creation, they are the strongest. Because people feared them, they killed them all. But this way of thinking is wrong. Absorbers and Exchangers lacked the ability to survive, that's why they went extinct,"

"Maldyto" Professor Anderson wrote on the board with a thick line.

"No one is stronger than a Maldyto. People tried everything but couldn't destroy them," Professor Anderson said as he was looking at Tom.

Did he know anything about Tom?!

"There are two ways to kill a Maldyto. First, Maldyto will become mortal in the middle of every month on the night of the full moon, and second, when a Maldyto is at its peak power which is called The Possession State. they will be vulnerable in this state too but killing Maldyto in the possession state is close to impossible.

This information scared Tom. What if Professor Anderson has a dirty plan in mind? If that's true, what Tom even can do?

Magistudents were looking at Professor terrifyingly and their expression was bothering Tom. Even Debora Foster who appeared to be a fearless person, or better to say, a human without any emotions had her eyes shaking.

Professor Anderson finished the class with Maldyto's Topic. At the end of the class, everyone had a complete information related to Maldytos and this fact was making them fear.

The class had ended. Magistudents were hanging around in the training area. In that barren area, many long wooden tables were placed.

Magistudents sat around those and were kind to each other apart from what year they were from. Almost!

Tom and Nick reached the training area later than others. Charlie McHale was sitting by one of the tables under the shadow of a dried tree with some other people.

Tom was confused as to why this area and even the whole Olthama was dried and barren! Surely here can be fixed by magic so why no one has ever done so?! Why that forest and that lake haven't been dried up yet?

"Nick…why Olthama is this dry?" asked Tom.

Nickolas gave his book to Tom and turned his short cloak. Pointed at the picture of the phoenix.

"Because of this! according to the history books, Olthama was formed by Odegaard with the help of Merlin's magical dragon. At that time, people deemed magic to be ominous and the world was like hell to the sorcerers. Odegaard created this land with the dragon's last might…all these weird creatures were created by Odegaard and the dragon. The dragon dies as Olthama was created and a phoenix comes out of his heart. Some say that this phoenix is Merlin's dragon that is shaped to be like this…long story short, Olthama is alive because of the phoenix and will be destroyed without it,"

"So, the phoenix is dead now?" asked Tom.

"No, he is just gone," answered Nick firmly, "If he was dead, Olthama would be destroyed in three days. But now fourteen years have passed since the phoenix left. I personally hope he returns otherwise, I don't think this place would last too long. Half of the people have already left," 

"How these creatures are alive?"

"The phoenix's curse works only on humans. Everything is flourishing and ordinary for other living beings but not for us,"

"Then, these foods…" 

"They are brought here from the outside world. The very world you grew up in it,"

"A forest and lake haven't been dried up, why?"

"I don't know the exact reason but I think it's because those places are considered to be among the mysterious locations and have high survivability,"