First Day's End

The last fifteen minutes of the Illusion lecture had Bulut and Faxon playing a game of Guess That Sensation. While the latter's Illusions were far weaker than the former's, it added a bit of challenge to it. Making education fun or interesting played a great deal in its effectiveness. Neither knew that was typically how the first Illusion school lecture went. Their other classmates playing similar games of their own gave them hints that was the case though.

"This class is over," Linos said. "For all that is decent, do not use what you've learned maliciously or you will be disciplined." He waved goodbye before their surroundings changed once again.

Faxon blinked and Bulut went from sitting by his side to sitting on the opposite side of a mess hall table. "Oh, it's time for luncheon." He hummed as he looked down at the balanced assortment of food on his plate. "I didn't notice they forgot to give us breakfast."

"Probably a result of Transmutation doing things to the food or maybe Illusion manipulating our sense of hunger." He looked at the unfamiliar girl to his classmate's right then to the familiar pale-skinned boy to his own left. "This is Rumen." He held out a hand to his new acquaintance. "Rumen, this is Faxon."

"Hello, Rumen." He looked to his silent acquaintance before mimicking the gesture to his new one. "This is Bulut. Bulut, this is Mei."

The Illusion student raised an eyebrow with his own roommate. "They partnered you with a girl?"

"Our history tutor told us we were all given rooms with our opposites."

"Me and him come from warring countries," Rumen said, eyes focusing on Mei. "What is your opposite?"

Faxon shook his head while she began cutting apart the meat they were served into bite-sized bits. "She doesn't talk much, but I think she's supposed to be a noble." He took a glance from her as confirmation.

"I have heard some countries have nobility made up of only people who can use magic," Bulut said.

"In our history class, the tutor only brought up old magic kingdoms and warlords."

Rumen scoffed. "Those with power will do what they will, even if it's wrong or right."

"You said it." Bulut patted his shoulder.

Faxon raised an eyebrow. "You already get along?" He hummed when they nodded. "No one else said anything the first day."

"Other places don't go to war as much as they should." He gave his contrasting partner one more pat before grabbing hold of his eating utensils. "Good enemies make good friends."

"I come from a small town in the Kingdom of Jerran."

He scooped up an assortment of cut greens only his roommate recognized. "Never heard of it. I come from Otto."

"Balka." Rumen beat his chest in pride.

"I've never heard of either of those places." Faxon tilted his head. "Why do you go to war? They say the last one where I'm from ended sometime before I was born."

He shrugged. "Why not?"

Bulut swallowed his mouthful of vegetables. "One day we all die, and there is much to fight over in this life." He murmured. "Although, I wonder if that is true: the Archmage is said to have killed a god, and they died out long ago."

"I thought there were a few left." Rumen began digging his fork into his own meal.

"Could be." He shrugged. "Why don't your people go to war?"

Faxon pursed his lips. "One of my grandmothers once said the King of Jerran and the kings of the surrounding realms are all related."

"Brothers fight all the time though. It's how they learn to live with each other."

"You're right, but I don't really know anything about my land or families." He looked to his roommate. "Is the place your from prone to war too, Mei?" A smile spread across his face at her nervous expression. "You don't have to say anything. Nod for yes and shake your head for no." He nodded after she shook her head. "I thought so."

Bulut stared at the girl, making her more demure. "Nobles in Otto usually demand more respect." He smiled. "I like you. Are all girls where you're from so polite?" A laugh left his lips when she blushed.

"Please." Faxon rolled his eyes. "Slight her, and she'll show you her real self." He smirked at her glaring at him. "See?"

"Everyone is a snake waiting to show their fangs," Rumen said.

"That is why you make friends with the ones that bare them the least or at your enemies." Bulut turned to Faxon. "Do you know where she's from?" He clucked his tongue at him shaking his head. "Instead of talking of the past, our tutors should talk of the present and how things are now."

Rumen rolled his eyes. "But learning about the 'mistakes' of our forefathers we couldn't possibly know anything of is sooo important."

"I understand what they're trying to teach us, but I'm not sure just telling us the old mages did something wrong over and over again is the way to get the point across," Faxon said.

"What passes for philosophy in this place is going to be so boring."

"Do this, do that, don't do this, and don't do that." Rumen groaned. "We all came here to learn magic."

Faxon nodded. "At the very least, they're teaching us that." He blinked when the boy from Balka and his roommate deflated. "You haven't learned anything?"

"The strange man said I was incapable of Mysticism, and I couldn't do anything with Necromancy." A whine from Mei drew his attention. "You took the same schools?" He raised an eyebrow when she tilted her head from side-to-side. "One of them?" He hummed after she nodded. "Mysticism?" He did the same as she did again. "I understand your pain." Confusion filled his mind at her shaking her head. "You passed but didn't learn anything?" Her nod confirmed his question.

"Wow… You understand her far better than I do."

"My father said I must have patience with girls, and I will be rewarded for that one day."

Bulut hummed. "My father said not to bother with them unless they like you."

"I don't have a father: I came from an orphanage." Faxon took his eating utensils and began digging in.

"If your parents were willing to give you up, they were not worthy of having you." Rumen flinched. "If they died, you have my condolences."

He shrugged. "Don't know anything about them, not that it matters." He glanced at Mei. "How are your parents?" He grimaced when she shivered. "Bad, huh? I won't bring them up again."

"Nobles are demanding," Bulut said. "Being of a certain status makes them have high expectations, even if they don't even fulfill them."

"How do you know so much about nobles?"

Rumen laughed. "Our countries are run by them, so the country is them. Of course, there are good nobles, but there is always bad to clash with good."

"War helps sort them out. Bad nobles become nobles or bad nobles die. Good nobles die too, but that's a sacrifice for the greater good." Bulut put another spoonful of vegetables into his mouth.

"Your 'Kingdom of Jerran' is probably filled with rot thanks to all that peace." Rumen looked to Mei. "Does your land go to war too?" He shook his head when she did. "Your land is also rotting." Her glare made him frown.

"I learned how to do basic Transmutation," Faxon said, preventing tension from growing.

Bulut raised an eyebrow. "What exactly did you learn?"

He put his hand on the table. "How to tell the differences in the 'primal elements.' And physical things, I guess." Looking down at it, he pursed his lips. "This is tough and heavy but…" He blinked, recognizing something different. "I think it's been enchanted."

"You can tell that just by touch?" Rumen asked.

"I have to really focus to do it. We're supposed to learn how to transform one of the primal elements into the other. The basic Illusion ability was harder to get."

Bulut puffed his chest out. "I got it in the first five minutes, and it normally takes everyone the entire class!"

"You might want to keep that to yourself." He glanced at squinting onlookers.

"Let them gawk!" Rumen patted his roommate's shoulder. "There is no shame in having pride in yourself!" He turned to him. "What exactly is it?"

Bulut put his arm over his shoulder. "I can read your mind, and manipulate some of your senses."

"...Oh." He ducked his head under and out his grasp. "That is very scary."

"Relax! I'll never use it on you." He hummed at the sight of Mei shaking. "I won't use it on you either." He turned to his Illusion classmate. "He can resist: everyone who knows Illusion can."

"That's what I'll learn in place of Mysticism then.

"What magic schools did you all pick?"

"Necromancy aside from the two I told you about." Faxon turned to Mei as she nodded. "You're taking that next?" He hummed at another nod. "Then we'll probably be sharing the rest of our classes." He rolled his eyes when she looked away, huffing.

Rumen grumbled. "Mysticism, Necromancy, and Destruction, but I guess it's just Necromancy and Destruction until I get started on Illusion."

"Conjuration, Illusion, and Transmutation for me," Bulut said. "Not as interesting as reading minds or playing with senses, but it lets people break things they should not be able to with their hands."

Faxon put his hand on the table. "I think we're a long ways off from anything approaching that level, if the basic ability is so simple. I haven't even learned how to change the primal elements." He tapped his fingers against the odd material. "This is made up of several, and I'm sure most other things are."

"But one day you will with enough effort, just as I will one day be able to manipulate all your senses at once." He snickered at their uncomfortable faces.

They continued eating in an awkward silence. More than a few odd and suspicious looks were being shot their way. All of them just received a similar lecture about the sins of their forefathers a short while ago. While some shared similar sentiments, most were more afraid of drawing the ire of the godlike sorcerers leading the institution. One of the three boys occasionally said something to alleviate the tension, trying to reignite the conversation they were having.

When they were done and a half hour in total had passed, the four were warped away for their next lessons. Faxon and Mei checked their surroundings to find no sign of the other duo in their lecture hall, save each other. They did find a brown-haired and robed woman at the bottom of the room with a book in her hand. Both of them and almost all of the other students could tell she was different from their other teachers by how much younger she looked.

"My name is Dorina, and I'm going to be teaching you all ethics and philosophy." She adjusted her glasses. "The two might seem a little disconnected, but morality, right and wrong, has always been a philosophical matter." Putting the book on a podium, she parted the cover pages. "I'm not here to tell you what you should believe in or rant on about the sins of past mages though: this class is aimed to help you learn how to live with your magical abilities." She looked up from the book and out into the crowd of students. "How many of you think you can have a normal life after this?" She nodded when barely any raised their hands. "None of you can. Some of you might be outcasts or the most popular kid back in your home town, but that's going to change if you go back with magical abilities in your possession."

Faxon looked down at the tabletop. He was certain the orphanage would welcome back with open arms, but he never thought about the town he lived in itself. There was rarely a time he left the cramped building he lived in, save to help his caretakers with groceries. All of them liked to gossip, but he doubted they'd tell stories about the mages of long past seeking out one of their charges. While not reviled, his people knew better than to speak casually of them.

Mei didn't care whatsoever. She was not the first mage in her family, and in all likelihood, she would be far from the last. Even if she weren't, it wasn't like any other life could offer her as much as one filled with literal magic. There was nothing she was sacrificing by joining The Six-Pointed Star. She knew that wasn't the same case for some of the other students, but that wasn't something that concerned her personally.

"Being gifted with unique abilities or just being slightly different makes others see you in a different light. Take your roommates for instance: you barely know them yet you already dislike or are distrustful of them because they're unfamiliar to you. Some of you may have already had a tutor that pointed that out, but it still stands." She folded her hands together. "You were all given counselors to help guide you personally through this transition. While not apparent now, there will be a time you experience a major change in what you're normally used to or can tolerate." A sympathetic smile formed on her lips at their frowns. "That is simply the way of this world we live in and how we human beings are."

Faxon and Mei shared a look before grimacing at the thought of their counselor, who had to be the most casual official either ever met. One of the orphan's grandmothers was playful, yet she wasn't so different from the others he thought there was something off about her. It was possible they were letting their own ignorance guide them to false judgments, but that their judgment seemed accurate when they compared him to all the other heads, even the Head of Destruction. At the very least, his performance on orientation day showed a dedication to his craft. The Head of Mysticism, on the other hand, barely regarded the crowd he was introducing himself to.

"First of all, I want you to think about why this place exists and why mages so beyond you fledglings, no matter where you came from or who you might be, are willing to mentor you. By all means, the heads of the schools here could conquer the world if they really wanted to, but they don't." She laughed. "If you asked Master-Wizard Set or Master-Wizard Xo, they'll tell you it's not worth the hassle. Master-Wizard Zhao, Master-Wizard Morgan, and Master-Wizard Alice will tell you it never came to mind." Her face scrunched in irritation. "Master-Wizard Batara will tell you he's aiming for a second try in a hundred years." The expression remained as the children laughed. "I wasn't joking: some of you know him as The God of Destruction where you're from for good reason." She shook her head when the laughter died. "People gather together in clusters we call towns, tribes, cities, kingdoms, empires, countries, states, and nations because more sets of hands are better than one. One person may think of a solution where another person may falter." She held up an educational finger. "No single person can know everything or be skilled in everything. In these clusters, people provide something for each other for what they can't provide for themselves. Many philosophical and ethical thinkers, ancient mages and normal humans, hypothesize morality was born by this exchange or the need for it."

All of the onlookers were taken back to various degrees by those words. It was something for their adolescent minds to think about, as the class was intended to make them. Each of the location they came from was different in one way or another. There were beliefs, morals, and sayings that tied them together as well as dictated how they behaved. As barely young adults, their interests lay in other subjects, so this was their peak into a somewhat complex subject other than their innate differences.

"The Six-Pointed Star is one of those clusters for people with magical abilities by mages either sick or uninterested of the endless quarrels of years past. All mages help maintain this tower, The Six-Pointed Star itself: a masterpiece tied together by and constructed with enchantments of every major school of magic." She smiled. "Some of us leave to pursue our own interests after receiving permission from the higher ups, but most of us stay to keep in contact with the friends we made along our road to mastery and for the living conditions you are no doubt aware of by now." Her eyes swept from one side of the room to the other. "In every community or cluster, disputes aren't solved with violence or directly with violence. There is a code of conduct everyone is expected to live and be judged by. It helps keep the exchange of providing go ever onward as smoothly as possible. At the very center of this conduct is what we hold to be ethics. While the code itself differs from place to place, the core remains the same. I want you to think about what we hold to be our code of conduct for a few minutes before I tell you what it is."

They already had most of it in their heads. From the orientation speech to their history classes, it was all but spelled out for them. Its repetition in their implications was more than beginning to annoy them. Just because they were young didn't mean they were stupid. If their teachers didn't consist of reality-warping demigods, a lot of them were incline to voice their irritation in the most abrasive way possible.

Dorina cleared her throat, signaling the end of their contemplative period. "It's regarding each other with respect, not abusing our powers, and solving our personal disputes without violence." She smiled at their confused and understanding looks. "It's really that simple yet there's a lot behind what they mean, isn't there? Respect, abuse, and violence is different to all of you but you also understand what I'm saying to some degree. When you feel tempted or do break the code of conduct, I want you to think back about this lecture. Chances are you're all at some point going to, but it's okay. What matters is if you learn something from it." Tapping her book against the podium, she flicked through its pages. "Now, what it means to be a mage."

For the rest of the class, they were given examples and hypotheticals that distinguished the differences between a normal person and a mage. The essence, much like there was for code of conduct, was the same yet the meaning of them was different. Different people from completely different walks of life got into situations the other would never be in. Similarly, as mages, they may be in alien complications the likes those incapable of the craft couldn't even begin to fathom. One about encountering an ancient ancestor with power on the level of a god in particular stuck out because it actually happened to the woman lecturing. She received specific instructions to hone her skills for the day they'd inevitably clash. When Archmage Typhon heard the news, he thoroughly thrashed the ancestor in question before having them make amends. He, Teshub the Earth-shaker, now visited on the weekends or whenever he was so inclined.

"Tha–" She blinked. "And our time is up." Shutting her book, she bowed. "I hope I didn't bore any of you too much with my personal melodrama." She burst into laughter at the utter disbelief on their faces. "Chances are you're going to experience something like for yourselves soon enough." She raised a hand and waved it. "See you tomorrow!"

Their surroundings changed again to a different lecture hall. They still sat beside each other, but unlike the previous hall, a dead potted plant was placed on the tabletop before them. One was in front of every other student in the same class. It took little thought for them to realize what they were about to do. The school of Necromancy was the manipulation of life energy.

A blond-haired man in a casual white shirt and black set of pants in the teacher's area waved. "My name is Kalervo." He pointed at a dead plant at his own demonstration table. "You've probably already guessed it." The withered black sprung into vibrant green, complete with red flowers. "Necromancy's a bit unique when you compare it to the other schools." Putting down his finger, he looked out at the class. "Focus on feeling the life remaining in that dead thing. Close your eyes, hold your hand out over it, wait until you feel a kind of warmth, and try to make it grow. Even if this isn't your first time using magic, it's going to take you a while to accomplish."

Faxon nodded before following his instructions where Mei immediately began. After a few minutes, he started to recognize the description their tutor gave. It wasn't quite warm but rather a spirited sensation, akin to getting splashed on by cold water or taking a deep breath during winter. What stopped him from thinking it was his imagination was the outright tug he felt. There was a desire in it to fester and thrive like it once did. He almost mistook the strange blip for being aware. Focusing on the glimpse of life energy, he imagined it expanding, turning the blackened plant back into the same vibrant flower on their Necromancy tutor's table. He opened his eyes to find that to be the case.

Opening her own eyes, Mei saw the same blackened waste in front of her and the vibrant green of her roommate's success from the corner of her sight. She twitched in irritation born from childish envy. It wasn't lost on her, but her complete failure in her first magic class and the lack of any learning in the second was beginning to make her feel inadequate. She looked away with a huff when he turned to check on her progress.

"Ten minutes," Kalervo said, observing his revived plant from afar. "Nice." He rolled his eyes at the looks of jealousy on the other children's faces. "Focus on your own work. Just because someone is better than you at something doesn't mean you should be angry at them for it. Take it as motivation to catch up to their level." A grin spread across his face. "If you're angry at him, you're telling yourself you can't do it. Do you really think so little of yourself?" Their looks turned into anger at him. "Good. Get back to work. If you're done, try to zap the life force instead; really play around with the states of decay and bloom."

Their tutor redirecting their attention and saving Faxon from their ire was a relief. He was used to being the center of attention, but that was with people he knew. The orphan kids and caretakers didn't look at him with any ill will either. While he didn't really care that other people disliked him, it was an uncomfortable experience. He followed his tutor's instructions, smothering the life energy and feeding it into varying states. His roommate's complete lack of any change whatsoever attracted his eye.

Mei looked away, doing her best to ignore is existence as she did after orientation concluded. While she didn't want to admit it, she needed his help. Reaching out, whether through word or gesture, would be awkward after everything. Digging herself deeper into the hole she found herself in was a more pleasant short-term ineffective solution over the unpleasant effective long-term.

"Close your eyes and concentrate," Faxon, staring at his own plant, whispered loud enough for only her to hear. "It's not warm but more like a shock. Don't be mad if it takes you a while; I'm not even sure how I managed it." He inclined his head. "This just might be something I'm good at, like Bulut is with Illusion. You'll get it if you work hard enough. Don't let failure distract you."

The words were not exactly what she wanted to hear, but they were what she needed to. She returned to working on their task, following her tutor's instructions and Faxon's. After ten more minutes, she began to feel something among the lines both described. It was far more like a shock than a warmth. The way it flared the more she could perceive it was akin to a flame. Some part of her wondered if their tutor was misleading them or didn't register it the same as everyone else did. Slowly and gradually, the spark began to respond to her will. More time passed, but she was too busy on making it grow to notice. Her eyes opened only when the life energy was on an unrecognizable level compared to what it originally was almost half an hour in.

Faxon nearly laughed at her amazed look. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" He winced, remembering what the Head of Necromancy did to the rat. "And really scary when you think about it." Humming, his focus drew to his own rotting and blossoming flower. "This is what we are to our very core." Wonder filled his eyes at its changing states. "Is it really this easy to play with?" He blinked as she squinted at him. "What?" Realization struck when she twitched. "Oh right… It took you a while." Holding back more laughter, he glanced at her plant. "Now try withering and growing it, like he said." He smiled when she followed his advice.

Kalervo clapped his hands at the green growing in his sight. "See? Look what you can get done when you're focused on improving yourself." He smiled at their mixed looks of understanding and anger. "This is just the basic Necromancy ability: manipulating the most basic form of life energy. Living creatures are far more complicated. Sentient beings have the most complicated form of life energy of all, so healing and withering yourself or other people takes way more focus, but it's the path to immortality." Grimacing at their excited faces, he shook his head. "I'd like you all to remember what our Head of Necromancy said in orientation. I know she said it because she did during mine and every single one before that: you'll find no happiness or enjoyment in the higher arts." He rubbed his hands together. "But enough about that. For the rest of class, I want you to work on it until you can shift it to any state in the blink of an eye." He snickered while they groaned. "Everything takes time! If you can't do that, you're not even gonna see the life force of a real living thing."

All heard their necromancy tutor and obeyed. Nearly every one of them accomplished reviving their potted plant by the end of their time, but the mastery of the basic ability was outside their reach. While Faxon could wither and bloom it the fastest, he wasn't anywhere near that level yet. It was to be expected for the school that led to immortality. They were still young and had plenty of time yet that was something typically lost on the youth.

"And, just like that, we're out of time." Kalervo took a deep breath and sighed. "Just like living life." He looked to the few disappointed barely teenagers. "It took me until the second class too!" Focusing on the rest, he admired the plants in varying stages of death and rebirth. "This is your last class for the day, like it is mine. Some of you might've gotten everything down, only some bits, or even nothing at all. It happens. Don't be in a rush: you've got your entire natural lifespan and possibly then some to learn magic. Being jealous, feeling angry, feeling sad, or being bothered is perfectly natural, but it won't help your progress." He shrugged. "Really, it's going to hold you back more than anything else." With an overly unnecessary bow, he bid them goodbye.

Faxon and Mei went from sitting beside each other to standing in their room. They shared a look and turned away out of embarrassment. No one was there to give them something to do or talk about. The way they regarded each other immediately sprang to mind with no obstacles to draw their focus. Even then, they were behaving like a pair of foolish kids.

Mei clenched her eyes shut and turned to face him, making him reflexively face her. "...I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted?" He blinked before stepping back to give her space. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Raising a hand to rub the back of his head, he laughed nervously. "I'm sorry too."

She nodded. With a turn of her head, she focused on a pouch she took with her to orientation. It was for times when she needed it, but he helped her in a time of need. She walked over, picked the embroidered bag up, walked back, opened the sack, and took out a black marble-like ball. When he parted his lips to ask what the object was, she shoved it in his mouth.

Faxon stepped back. "Wha–" He froze at the miraculous blend of flavors gracing his sense of taste. "...Whoa!" Rolling the treat around with his tongue, a pleased purr-like hum emanated from his throat.

Mei patted his head like one would their most loyal pet. They were her favorite snack. It was one of the first sweets she had as a child, and something only her family could get a hold of. She secured his loyalty and trust without giving any of her own with a childish bribe. Her selfish act laid the groundwork for friendship regardless.