Nar from the fire IV

Many kids would have crawled through broken glass to be able to enter an Alchemy School, learn how to do magic, experience adventures around the world and meet extraordinary and powerful people.

But reality was a little different. To begin with, not everyone who entered an Alchemical School ultimately became an alchemist.

Although the basics of the Science could have been passed on and learned by anyone, those who actually managed to develop enough power to actually call themselves Alchemists were a small percentage: most of the children who started the study of Alchemy stopped at theoretical knowledge and use of existing materials to make simple potions.

There were very few alchemists who were able to produce matter and control it: doing so required years and years of study and practice, a well-trained mind, but also an innate inclination for the discipline, without these three characteristics even the most erudite of scholars would never become a brilliant alchemist. It was said that this tendency had something to do with the blood.

At the age of thirteen it was already clearly visible in which disciples this natural inclination was present. Usually around the teenage years a young alchemist reached a level of study high enough to be able to create his own alchemical core, in the school of Nar this translates into becoming able to satisfactorily control - and create - the element of fire.

Some disciples succeeded before the age of fifteen, the most laggards around twenty, and many others never succeeded, and, if they did not choose to abandon alchemy, they generally became academics.

Ren had formed his alchemical core a few months before.

His Masters had been unanimous in considering him a promising student since childhood, but that goal had certainly put him at the center of attention of all the Sages of Nar, his precocity was not unheard of, but it was certainly rare.

Especially since his potential seemed brilliant almost solely in alchemical practices.

He was not a particularly brilliant student in theoretical subjects, much less in worldly studies. But his predisposition for alchemy was nothing but amazing, he was capable of making potions and formulas more advanced than his level of education and excelled in spells.

In history, in mathematics, and in all the rest of the more "traditional" knowledge, he merely kept himself floating, just above mediocrity.

And this worried his Masters: "It is not good that such a lively power has such an erratic ground to grow." They used to observe. In this metaphor, the unreliable ground was evidently the boy's mind, which was considered by most to be too lazy and frivolous, unable to concentrate for long on study and prone to disobedience.

Ren was, in short, a loose cannon.

He had the kind of personality that some teachers instinctively can't tolerate, preferring naturally more docile and polite students. But there are indeed other teachers who are particularly stimulated by students like Ren, it was the case of Master Celso.

Celso d'Altavilla[1] was a young Master of French origin. Where "young" means if compared to the average age of the other Masters.

He was in his forties, but his small build and clean face made him look younger, plus he still had all his black hair and if it weren't for the few wrinkles that marked his face he would have been said to be thirty or even younger.

Celso was born in France, in a small village near Lyon, but he had lost his parents when he was still very young and returned back to Italy to his father's family, from where he was later sent to Venice to study Alchemy.

He was a mild-tempered and kind-faced man, but it was said that in his youth he was a real brawler, so much so that there was more than one rumor that he had originally been educated in another Alchemical School, from which he had been expelled.

Due to of his rebellious character and had to turn to the more tolerant and liberal School of Nar.

Whatever the truth about the life of the Master was, it was certainly not known to his very young wards, who were bound to show respect and fear towards him.

Celso was a teacher who believed in the old saying "learning by doing", therefore his lessons were rarely held in the classroom, and were often held outside the walls of the school.

That day was no exception.

Having prepared four boats and eight oars, Ren's classmates set sail from the small dock of the School towards the Shore, in groups of two on each boat, except for the Master who had one all for himself.

The boys immediately began to play, holding an oar each yelling to coordinate their rowing without any success, rather than moving forward they ended up turning in circular.

The Master patiently let them vent for a few minutes, then ordered them to follow him composed, and tapped firmly on the back of his boat, which began to flow placidly on the greenish water.

The Nar School overlooked the southern part of the lagoon, which was particularly devoid of islets and rocks, thus giving the impression of being in the open sea. They did not have to row long before they began to notice that the surface of the water was starting to ripple, and the current grew stronger.

They proceeded like that for half an hour, the Shore on their left, the mainland on their right and the School behind them. With a motion of his hand the Master beckoned them to turn right, in the direction of some sandy islands.

"Where do you think he's taking us?" Ren asked Nasir, who was holding the other oar of the boat they sat on.

The kid shook his head, meaning he didn't know. His forehead was sweaty and his face red, evidently, he was already too short of breath to speak.

"Hey! Someone's there!" One of the companions exclaimed, Ren out of curiosity, quickly raised his head, and in fact he saw that from the dunes they were aiming at, people were waving their arms to catch their attention.

"Who are they?" Asked a young alchemist with dull blond hair and rabbit teeth.

"Comrades." The Master replied, without providing any further explanation.

The kids exchanged a few excited glances and rowed faster, quickly reaching the dunes.

They got off from the boats getting bogged down immediately in the muddy sand of the lagoon, there was no dock to moor so they had to pull the boats onto the beach.

The boys rolled up their sleeves and began to push the wooden wrecks on the dunes, someone came to their aid to offer help.

"You have finally arrived." A voice said, extending his hand to Ren to help him lift himself out of the lagoon mud. The boy raised his head and saw that the one holding out a hand to him was a kid more or less his age, he was wearing a uniform of fine fabric finished with gold filaments, sporting a dazzling smile and wore a foil at his belt.

Ren accepted the hand that was offered to him with gratitude and finally managed to free himself from the mud. The boy who helped him patted Ren on the shoulder as if they were old friends.

"We had almost lost hopes" He said cheerfully, but it sounded a bit like he was making fun of them.

The boy then followed a group of other young kids dressed like him toward the center of the dune, where a man dressed in a Master's robe of the same fabric was waiting for them: a proud look on his stern face.

"The Mulberry School." Someone muttered in a low voice.

"Spoiled damsels." Another commented.

Ren could only compare his companion's and his own appearance to that of the young people of the Mulberry: on one side there were the disciples of Nar with mud up to their knees, looking like untamed beasts, their hair cut short to resist the heat and tanned bodies for the hours spent outdoors. On the other side there were those of the Mulberry, with expensive clothes, refined weapons and perfectly neat faces and hair. It could not be denied that if compared to Nar's, certainly the boys of the Mulberry appeared like polished noblemen.

Nar was famous for raising outspoken alchemists with a frugal lifestyle, Mulberry was the exact opposite. Therefore, the two schools often found themselves in disagreement and the rivalry was normal, especially between kids of that age.

However, Ren was naturally curious rather than hostile, so he was genuinely interested in these new people.

"I say it will be fun." He grinned, taking off a muddy boot and shaking the water out of it. Ren later left the soaked boot to dry on a rock and walked barefoot towards the group of distinguished people who was waiting for them: his companions giggled and ran after him.

[1] Celso: is an old Italian name, it means "sublime".