Discovering What's Within

After leaving Lazrus' quarters, Riniock returned to his dormitory as instructed. By the time he arrived, most of his peers had already settled in for the night. Some were sprawled across their beds, lost in deep sleep and dreams. Others, like Urael and his gang – despite their animosity towards Riniock – displayed enough sense to remain awake, diligently harnessing and refining odh energy from the surrounding air.

 Riniock had the same intention. He knew that refining odh regularly would give him a critical edge in future exams and challenges. The more he advanced now, the better his chances would be later.

 He climbed onto his bed and settled into a cross-legged position atop the soft sheets.

 This isn't like Rhetrick's classroom, he thought. The odh here is so thin. And with so many others drawing on it, there's barely enough left to gather.

 Focused entirely on the process, Riniock lost track of time. Night melted away, and morning arrived with a sharp jolt as the dormitory doors swung open with a resounding crash. The senior maegi entered, his calm tone edged with authority as he barked, 'Attention!'

 Riniock, Urael, his lackeys, and several others leapt to their feet, standing at attention beside their beds.

 'It seems some of you still fail to understand that defiance has no place in this college,' the senior snapped, a vein pulsing at his neck. With a swift gesture, those who hadn't awoken were lifted into the air, suspended helplessly. 'The rest of you, proceed with your day. I will deal with these miscreants.'

 Tempted as he was to stay and see what fate awaited the others, Riniock knew better than to defy orders for the sake of curiosity. Without hesitation, he turned and left the room.

 'There you are, Riniock,' a voice called from behind. 'I'm glad I woke up when I did, or I might've ended up like that lot…'

 Riniock kept his pace, unwilling to meet his addresser.

 'Good morning to you too, Niann.'

 'Good morning,' Niann replied, his tone shifting as he tried to brush past the awkward remark. 'Heading to class?'

 'Yes. Anatomy is our first lesson today.'

 'Have you visited the library yet?' Niann asked.

 'Not yet, but I plan to go soon.'

 'You should. There are plenty of books worth reading. They even have spell tomes, though you can only read them inside the library – you're not allowed to take anything out.'

 'That's fine by me.'

 'If you say so. The anatomy classroom is just over there!'

 The anatomy classroom soon came into view. It resembled most other classrooms—a spacious room with table counters and no chairs, ensuring the students remained standing. The walls were adorned with detailed drawings and charts of human anatomy, skeletons, and an assortment of tools neatly arranged on shelves.

 'Welcome, everyone,' the teacher greeted them, already positioned at the centre of the room. 'Please find a spot to stand while we wait for the rest to arrive.'

 'Excuse me, professor,' Niann spoke up, raising his hand. 'The others are going to be late.'

 'Is that so?' The professor chuckled softly, moving towards the blackboard. 'In that case, let's get started shortly.'

 The classroom held one more person – a senior student standing beside the professor, patiently awaiting further instruction.

 'We've waited long enough,' the professor finally said, his patience wearing thin. 'Welcome once again. My name is Telian Hekat. For your first anatomy lesson, we will be joined by another student.' He gestured towards the young man next to him. 'Please introduce yourself.'

 The young man nodded and spoke with a firm tone. 'I am Giln. I'll be in your care.'

 'With introductions out of the way, we can begin the lesson,' Telian announced. 'Like humans and animals, maegi and monsters possess special constitutions that allow them to tap into and utilize magick. However, there is one key difference between them. Can anyone tell me what it is?'

 Silence filled the room. Whether due to confusion or lack of knowledge, no one ventured an answer.

 'Monsters are born with this special constitution, while maegi develop it through external means,' Telian explained.

 He beckoned Giln forward, guiding him to sit on a raised platform so the entire class could see him clearly.

 'There are two primary and essential components of a maegi's constitution. Pay close attention here.' Telian adjusted a large contraption of magnifying glasses and positioned the smallest lens over Giln's arm. 'These are what we call conduits.'

 Through the magnifying glass, the class could see beneath Giln's skin. Delicate lines, both similar to and distinct from veins, traced through his arms, pulsing faintly with the flow of odh.

 'Conduits are pathways that allow odh to circulate throughout a maegi's body. But more importantly, they channel the energy towards this...' Telian adjusted another lens, now focusing on Giln's chest. 'The Vessel.'

 The Vessel, often called the heart of a maegi, is where odh is stored within the body. Working alongside the conduits, it distributes odh to the organs and limbs, allowing for the use of magick.

 'For acolytes like you, the Vessel is your ultimate goal,' Telian explained. 'The reason you cannot yet cast spells is simple: you do not yet possess a Vessel, a reservoir of odh to draw from.'

 He paused and glanced around the room. 'Professor Rhetrick must have taught you how to harness and refine odh, correct?'

 The acolytes responded with nods or whispered affirmations.

 'Good. That wasn't without purpose. In these early stages, it's essential for fresh acolytes to absorb and refine as much odh as possible. This process helps form your conduits and, ultimately, your Vessel. When your Vessel is fully developed, you will have taken your first real step on the path of magick.'

 'Is there any way to speed up the process?' an acolyte asked.

 'I'm afraid not,' Telian replied, his tone firm. 'This is a delicate process, and trying to force it with supplements will do more harm than good. Your progress depends entirely on your body's natural ability to refine odh and the environment in which you harness it. Patience and diligence are key.'

 Professor Telian used the remainder of the lesson to illustrate the various types of conduits, drawing precise lines with charcoal on Giln's body to emphasize their structure and function. He detailed which conduits were the most crucial, which ones could channel the greatest amount of odh, and how they interwove throughout a maegi's body.

 As the lesson concluded, Riniock's mind buzzed with newfound understanding. The pieces were finally falling into place. The professors had been guiding them step by step towards a single goal: the formation of their vessels.

 Gieller provided the odh node to refine their energy reserves. Rhetrick taught the technique to harness odh. And now, Telian had revealed the ultimate purpose of it all.

 Determined, Riniock resolved to be one of the few who would earn the chance to harness from the coveted odh node.