Weeks Ahead - Part 1

The state and college both had come under some scrutiny for the deaths of young students, especially the headmaster whom had allowed it all to happen, but after some time the true blame was put on the Republic system itself.

Because it was the system that had sent them out and not the headmaster personally. Vazal had always questioned the idea of sending youths on dangerous missions and had openly objected it many times.

But the senators that held equal power had always voted against his objections. The other archmages of the original eight cities did not do much to lift any finger of concern either, until the report with how many had died came in.

Toneri Löda was the only other archmage of the Mage Council that had openly supported Vazal, but when the news came about all the other Archmages and the High Masters below them openly supported Vazal.

They all saw the issues and as such the scapegoat the Rejuan Council had tried to create backfired, especially when many of their own senators were already against the idea of a scapegoat. The Senatorial council was split in half, but with the Mage Council that held a big power as well they easily voted down any stupid notion made by those wanting a scapegoat.

Weeks passed and the Rejuan State slowly recovered from all their blunders and mishaps. Life went on for everyone, even Samuel who was working his way ahead. Rivalries and festering anger was swept under the rug for many, and there it would lay waiting.

Many also swept it away completely and looked to the future, missions that needed doing had their bars raised, simpler missions were always backed up by veterans on standby. They had people ready to move in and help at a minutes notice, and oftentimes they sent veterans or elite warriors in the first place.

They did not want any more mistakes happening.

The second year grew close to an end and Samuel was finally able to complete the Transmutation specialization when he was able to turn a copper coin to silver and then the silver coin to a gold coin and finally into a platinum coin.

It was a straining process that most students hoped to complete at the third year, it had been tough as hell but Samuel had managed to do it, without it showing any signs of breaking or decaying.

Of course the transmutation spell wasn't permanent, he would require some actual silver, gold and platinum if he wanted to fully change the origin material. But the magic allowed for change for a short amount of time.

But any alchemist could transmute at basic levels if they had the original metal or material, changing it with only magic was the hard part that only a master could do, Samuel had even made himself a small lab at his house.

Where he kept all kinds of lab equipment and material to research with. He had only just begun and there were so many ways one could use alchemy. The first thing he concocted in his own lab were a few healing potions.

Seeing as how he completely sucked at any form of healing magic and the only healing cantrip he could do was a simple wound closing one that frankly wasn't helpful against big wounds, he needed a drawback to rely on.

His bloodline ability allowed him to ressurect himself, but he didn't know how far he wanted to trust that ability, besides he didn't actually want to die even if he could be brought back. Some mages warned that slowly one would lose pieces of oneself if one kept getting brought back to life.

As in pieces of memory and ones self perception. Also there was the fact that he didn't know how fast he would ressurect and the healing made by his ability often left him feeling weak, so simply put it was something that made him vulnerable.

If he couldn't put up a fight then he could be taken prisoner or kept weak indefinitely, and those were not ideas he wanted to entertain. So healing potions it was to keep himself going, since he also knew he did not have the best constitution either.

Samuel was something other mages might refer to as a glass cannon. He had his magical protections and spells to put up and he hit his enemies extremely fast and hard, but as he had experienced - he wasn't good with taking a lot of damage.

During the weeks that passed he had also started a litte side project, as he opened up a large closet, he put a few steel plates into place over the artificial core.

He had spent many weeks trying to construct an artifical core with magic. Using a compressed little stone called a Dark Stone, it could contain magic very well and it had not come cheap. About a thousand gold he had spent.

Using his transmutation he had slowly built a metallic golem, although it was still far from finished he was slowly getting there. His faction had also aquired a little gnome named Tonk Poofoo, who was going in a master tinkerer class.

He had helped Samuel construct all the wheels and cogs inside the golem, Samuel had often read about wizards that created golems out of stone or steel with simple cores, but he did not want a simple golem.

So he decided to combine the art of science and magic - with a little help from his new friend of course They had come along quite nicely and both shared a passion for creating things, and even though he hardly understood any of the tinkering parts he was slowly learning.

The reason why it took longer than it could have is because Samuel wanted to enchant simple protections and wards on each armor plating he put in, and that was truly a taxing process on magic usage. He often had to refill his magic once or twice for one plating.

But here he stood several weeks later and it was almost completed, "Say Night it is almost finished. You really think you will be able to use the entire thing?" Samuel asked the tiny dragon that was skipping around.

Night stopped in her tracks and looked at him and snorted, "Of course I can!" She suddenly turned into a black mist that seeped into the golem and a small black light could be seen in the gaps of the armor.

Then she slowly moved the arms and fingers before proudly stating, "Told you so!" To which Samuel could only sigh, "Alright alright... You made your point!" He rolled his eyes and the shadow moved out of the golem before materializing as a shadow elf in front of him again.

"Well thats what you get for questioning my abilities!" The woman spoke and held up her finger and pointed it at him. "Besides I-I-I" She suddenly looked at her finger and then her hands and looked up at Samuel in shook.

Before touching her face and starting to touch every piece of her body to make sure it was real. "I-I am a mortal again this is-" The form suddenly collapsed and she was back to being a small dragon in a shady poof.

"Noooo! Bring it back!" Night exclaimed with a sad dejected tone and her head slumped down. "Will I ever come back again?" She sobbed and Samuel was quick to walk over and pick up the small dragon.

She was sobbing in his arms until he kissed the small dragon on top of her head. "Trust me! We will find a permanent way soon enough!" He reared back with a smile and the dragon grew quiet and just nuzzled in closer.

They shared some quiet time just comforting one another before Night finally nodded and went back into the shadow to rest.

Samuel now had three completed specializations, something almost unheard of from a second year student, but it wasn't like a lot of people knew, he didn't go around announcing it to anyone and the people in the specialization classed hardly spoke to eachother so they wouldn't know if he had passed the others.

But rumors do tend to spread and soon people were saying how he completed one or two specializations already. But no one really knew the truth since no one actually asked him or bothered to ask the teachers anyway, as far as Samuel was aware.

But there were other wonder students as well, he wasn't the only one to complete one or two specializations during the second year, but just because someone has completed a specialization didn't mean they were graduated from the college, far from it really.

Things would still only become harder and harder during the third year when they learned about the 6th level of spells. Third year students were not allowed to learn or practice a lot of spells at that level, but they had to learn the fundamentals because of the severe power gap between 5th and 6th level.

Most third years passed the college with only 4th level in the capability. Because learning higher levels of spells take many many years the higher you get, or that was one of the ways to learn it at least.

The most common way for mages were to spend a lot of time studying and training, the second more controversial way that was faster was to travel the world and constantly be put under pressure and gain experience that way.

Being thrown into the fire several times and coming out alive was a way to get strong, hence why many adventurers that travelled the world could be so powerful. Oftentimes being hired by the nations, cities, towns and villages to help with troubles.

Adventurers were free spirits walking the world, and Samuel was of the intention to join their ranks to explore the world and find out more, more about himself and his ancient people, but also of the world itself and of the amazing people and magic that existed out there.

The second year exams came around the corner and he easily passed them and just like that, his second year was over and his third and last college year had begun.