7 The Imperial College

The next morning I awoke in a daze. A pale light flooded the room as Mirelle drew the curtains. The ethereal stillness of the imperial palace made the strangeness of last night seem like a dream. It seemed only right to leave as though I never came. The bags were packed and I was waiting for the coach to be called when I heard a rap at the door. It was Lucian.

"I bring news", He said with his usual aloof. He smiled, brushing passed me and taking a seat.

I turned to follow and his eyes met mine. There wasn't a hint of what was said last night in his expression. I felt exhausted by his ability to stay above everything.

"What is it?" I asked with feigned interest.

"Your father wrote me this morning", he pulled a letter from his coat, "He wants you to stay on in the capital."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Lucian passed me the letter. I scrolled down the words quickly.

"Called away on business...doesn't know when he'll return", I read slowly, "So, I cannot return home? I don't understand this?"

The timing seemed abrupt. Was this related to last night. I felt annoyed. So that was it- I was abandoned here. A failure? Lucian seemed to comprehend my expression and rose to his feet. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"This is good news", he said triumphantly.

"You can't possibly mean that", I inhaled sharply, " He is angry with me. I have..I have made a fool of myself and now Father is...leaving me here"

Lucian scoffed. He shrugged his shoulders, his expression as impenetrable as always. I felt my blood rise. His utter indifference was insufferable.

"So I am right? I am being punished. What will I do?" I said to myself. Lucian sighed. He seemed disappointed by my reaction.

"If I am keeping you, Sir, you need not concern yourself with me any further. You have fulfilled your duty to my father. I will manage on my own"

My words seemed to catch him off guard.

"Your father is not angry. He scarcely keeps apprised of anything to do with high society", he answered finally.

"Then why.."I interjected.

"...I KNOW your father. Your father is simply...distracted by other business. He has arranged provisions for your stay. This is a blessing!"

"How so?"

"Well now you can stay and well..do whatever you want"

"Whatever I want?"

"Is the concept so foreign to you?" He laughed. He shot through the room and burst open the doors onto the balcony. He turned around with his arms open, "Look, Bella!"

It seemed all formality had dropped. It was strange to hear my name said with such enthusiasm. No one had called me Bella before. I followed, somehow taken in by his strange energy. He gestured eagerly over the balcony.

I looked over the railing to the courtyard below. I could see over the gates and beyond. The capital was vast.

"Have you ever been this free in your life?"

His word hit me all at once. I had never thought about what it meant to be free. I never saw myself as constricted. And yet, in this moment the endless possibilities gave me a new sense of what freedom could be.

"I can really do whatever I want?" I asked giddy. Lucian smiled in a curious way. He brushed back his hair with one hand. His eyes seemed like gold in the sunlight.

"Bella, I have just the idea", he pointed to a large white tower in the distance. My eyes followed and I recognised it instantly.

"The imperial college?"

"Why don't you take a class? Only those with means can attend. I've met a lot of interesting people there. It is the done thing in the capital. Everyone who's anyone goes there"

I never thought I would have the chance to go to the imperial college. It seemed like the perfect idea. Father wouldn't disapprove. My teachers had all come from the imperial college.

"So you were a student, Lucian? Somehow I can't imagine it", I chuckled.

Lucian laughed and turned his back leaning on the rail.

"I was quite happy there. It's half the reason I return to the capital.Just to see my old friends and walk the campus grounds"

"What did you study?"

He paused for a moment.

"Magic"

"Magic?"I turned to him excitedly, "Then you are a mage! How wonderful! Can you do the tricks?"

"Bella, magic is not just tricks. It's like gaining a new sense. It's vibrant and beautiful. I know that they say magic is for the lower classes. But I think you have to try it for yourself to really understand what magic is"

"Perhaps I will", I said in the jest. Though after I had said it, I became more curious about the idea. A part of me thought I ought to learn something practical but the idea settled into my mind.

Two days went by, Lucian brought me to the college and showed me around. It was beautiful. The old world energy seemed revived inside the college. The building had largely been concerned from the previous era. It was erect with great marble pillars, open lawns and fountains.

"This tower was created by the first imperial arch mage", Lucian explained, "Back then magic must have been much stronger. During the first demonic war, apparently nearly the whole capitol was destroyed except this tower. Isn't that interesting?"

"You seem to know a lot about that era. I was told, we know very little about since so much was destroyed"

"I studied what I could", Lucian smiled. We stepped under the great arch doors where a young woman was waiting.

"Lucian! Late as usual", she said breathlessly.

"Did you run here?" Lucian laughed.

"That..that is besides the point", the woman pulled her short platinum hair behind her ears. She wore thick glasses and a dark dress that stopped at her ankles. She had elfish features and dimpled cheeks.

"You must be Bella", she stuck out her hand, "I'm Charlotte".

I shook her hand. She briskly escorted us around the tower.

"Charlotte is a resident mage", Lucian began to tell me, "she studies everything from enchantments to old world magic"

"By that he really means I am stuck in the library most of the day with my head in some old tomb! Still, it's better than being one of those imperial idiots who shoot first and ask questions later", She took a sharp breath.

"What's happened now?" asked Lucian.

" You remember the site I mentioned to you last time?'

Lucian nodded.

"All they had to do was wait! We would have found a way in, if they had just let us study it a bit more. But , no! They sent in the imperial mages, blasting away centuries old inscriptions.I just can't stand those arrogant..." She paused as an older mage passed by. She made a face once he passed and turned back to us.

"I've been getting carried away haven't I?"Charlotte grinned, "Put it down to passion", She looked at me and smiled.

" On the contrary, you and Lucian make it sound so interesting. I've been thinking about studying magic. But the truth is, I've never cast a spell in my life. I don't know if i'm cut out for it", I explained.

"Hmm", Charlotte pressed a finger to her lips, "Well it's true that aptitude is important for magic. Most people can't focus their mana enough for a true spell. However, the majority of mages don't cast true spells. They use enchanted items. It's part of the reason why magic has become so weak over the year", Charlotte said wistfully.

"I haven't really studied magic before. Do the enchanted items create the magic for mages?", I asked.

"Oh no, mana is still being drawn from the user. But they don't need to concentrate that mana for a spell to work. It means though that they can only cast spells that the enchantment allows. For example, If I have an ice staff, I can only cast ice spells"

"So anyone can cast a spell if they have a magic item?"

" Pretty much. But without real mages to enchant the items eventually the magic would run out. That's half the reason why the imperial mages have so much power in the capital. The army relies on them. So they get to operate practically above the law", She breathed in angrily, " Ah, I'm going off topic again. Sorry, it's just been rough the last few months research wise"

"What is it you're researching?"

"I won't bore you with that", Charlotte laughed. She turned suddenly to me. "However, I can answer your first question. There is a way to tell if a person has aptitude for magic"

Charlotte led us to a room in the tower. It was filled with piles of books. Charlotte searched through a desk filled with magical items. Eventually she pulled a small, white crystal from the drawer. She moved some books off of the bed to the side and gestured for me to sit. Lucian lent against the wall and watched silently.

"This is a rare crystal mined from one of the old world excavation sites. It's called a divine stone'', she showed me the white crystal, "On its own ,it's nothing but a stone. However, it glows when mana is released. Since you don't know how to release mana yet, we'll use a magical item to draw mana", she pulled a gold ring from her finger.

"This ring casts shadow magic. As your mana is drawn out by the ring, the stone will activate and start to glow. The colour and the strength of the brightness will give me an indication of your mana. The brighter it glows, the more mana you have and the better your aptitude for magic", Charlotte explained.

"I understand"

Charlotte paused. She took my hand.

"Now whatever the outcome, you shouldn't be deterred. Being a mage is not just about the ability to cast spells. It's a way of life. Even if you haven't got an aptitude it doesn't mean you can't become a mage."

"Thank you," I said. Her earnest nature was endearing. But a part of me felt that It wasn't to be. Someone like me doesn't end up being a great mage. I started to think the test was a bad idea. Maybe it would be better not to know. Then I could learn magic in blissful ignorance. But seeing Charlotte's eager face, I resolved to face the music.

"Okay since you've never used a magic item before, i'll guide you through it", she handed me the gold ring. It put it on my finger. Seeing it up close I could see words were engraved on the band.

"That's the enchantment. You just have to say the words"

I anxiously held the ring close to me and read the words.

"Light's bane"

A prism of darkness expanded out from the ring and filled the whole room. It was as though night had descended on the room. From the corner of my eye, I saw a purple glow. The stone bathed the room in mauve. I began to make out Charlotte holding the stone in her palm in front of me.

"Right now, I'm using my mana to cause the stone to glow. The colour shows my divine affiliation. Purple is the god of wisdom. All the gods offer different magic. You give it a try", Charlotte handed me the stone.

For a moment the room remained purple. Then the light began to grow dull. The stone grew darker and darker. Finally we were back in complete darkness. I suppose it was what I expected. I removed the ring, feeling more disappointed than I had anticipated. The shadows reflected back into the ring and it was back to normal.

"I suppose that means I have no mana", I said trying to laugh.

Charlotte looked at me dumbstruck.

"No..it can't be that. This makes no sense, every living thing has mana. And think about it, you definitely cast the magic with the ring. Yet somehow the stone couldn't register your magic. I've never seen anything like it", Charlotte concluded, "Have you ever heard of something like this Lucian?"

I had almost forgotten Lucian was still there. He titled his head and smiled.

"Never"

Charlotte turned back to me.

"This is fascinating. We need to do more experiments. Lucian you try", Charlotte jumped to her feet and began scribbling something onto one the the papers on her desk.

"Maybe next time Charlotte. I wanted to show Bella more of the college", Lucian answered.

"Oh right, of course. I had quite forgotten. Perhaps I'll see you off from here then. I want to talk to a friend of mine about this", Charlotte turned to me, "I do hope you'll decide to study magic. I know you won't regret it!"

I smiled and nodded. Lucian and I descended the spiralling staircase down the tower. After he finished showing me around, we went back to the palace.

The next morning I awoke feeling resolved. I would attend college and study magic. At least until my father called me back. Lucian seemed satisfied with my decision. He told me he would visit often and send me any news from my father. As he stood up to depart, he paused and turned back to me.

"Bella, do you know why the gods gave people magic?"

"No, I don't"

"It was to protect people from what the gods couldn't control. There is a hungry darkness out in the world that not even the gods can save us from. If you lose sight of what's important it will consume you. Use magic to focus your mind and free yourself from it"

I wasn't sure what Lucian was trying to say. All I knew was soon I would be enrolled in the Imperial college. I would be a mage.