The World Around Us

The week and a half passed in much the same manner as before. I'd wake, eat, and head to the training court to practice elemental manipulation or develop new spells until the sun began to rise and I went to retire for the day.

During that time, I'd gotten quite used to the relative solitude I was now afforded; if I were to ignore Jonet following me around and only sometimes practicing her ice magic. So when my father randomly appeared out of my personal shadow, I couldn't help but flinch in surprise.

"Oho!" He beamed after settling himself in the physical world. "Seems as if we were both startled, Son." He grinned, nodding down to my shadow. "I see your shadow clone has made himself comfortable in there."

'Seriously?' I scoffed inside before nodding to him. "I have. I call him my Doppelganger."

"Fantastic." He airily sighed. "Have you learned to control it yet?"

"I have…" I nodded while the doppelganger reached his hand into physical space to give him a thumbs up. "Did… you have something to tell me?" I asked somewhat impatiently

"Ah!" He recoiled as if he'd just been struck. "Yes! If you'll come with me, Amun. There are a few things I wish to discuss with you."

"Okay." I shrugged, stepping after him into the Shadowfell.

"As… Grandpa Lich told you." Father's voice echoed back to me a few moments later. "You'll be receiving two vassals of your own. Like Jonet, they will follow you for the rest of your life and have each started an education down paths that will help you in the future. As such, your formal education will soon start. You'll learn of the world and its history as we know it. And most importantly, you'll learn manners and etiquette. This is your teacher." He paused to step back into reality and appear in the service wing behind a slim, blonde-haired man dressed in a white suit. "His name is Wilmont Brooks."

Upon hearing his name, the man in question turned on his heels and immediately lowered his waist into a formal bow. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Your Grace," Wilmont said somewhat loudly after raising himself and allowing me to capture his face into memory. "Your father has told me much of your brilliance."

Somewhat paradoxically, he had both a slim, bony face as well as a prominent cleft in his chin. Centered on his face were a pair of wiry glasses that comically magnified his blue-green eyes. Triggering my inner child and nearly forcing an outburst of laughter to erupt in his face.

"The pleasure is mine." I nodded in turn, attempting to distract myself by resurfacing those questions burning deep in my mind. "I'm free to begin my lessons now if you wish."

Mr. Brooks seemed taken aback at my offer and began stumbling over his words. "Ah- well. G-Give me some to prepare." He finally uttered. "I'll fetch Your Grace when I'm ready."

"Very well." I shrugged internally; nodded externally, before asking. "Do you have any reading material for me to study in the meantime?"

He again seemed taken aback, but nevertheless reached in his bag after taking a short but significant look at my father and handed me four large textbooks one at a time. "This is the material we'll be going over in our first block of instruction."

I gave him a warm smile as I took the books and deposited them into my shadow one at a time before heading to the courtyard to read to my heart's content.

Nestled under a tree, I brought out the first book and began scanning it in the same way I had to every piece of art or literature my eyes have happened upon since I was days old.

The first book was about the history of this world, Maru. Or realm, as it was called in the text. Regardless, it was a topic that I found great interest in, and rather quickly, I found myself taking my time in actually reading the material; albeit at a far faster pace than would otherwise be possible. Eventually becoming so absorbed in the information that I hardly noticed my father approaching me from the service wing with Jonet in tow.

"Amun." He called. Then beckoned me to him after I met his gaze. "Follow me."

Rather than venture back from where he came, however, he continued on towards the final area of the estate once I'd fallen in step beside him. And I immediately felt the strange, mixed sensations of my stomach roiling in displeasure while my heart skipped in excitement.

While I still had no desire to venture too far into such a politically focused world, I couldn't deny that I was curious as to what lay beyond those doors. Surely a library, I assumed. As it seemed to be the only thing missing from this expansive place.

"Due to all the changes coming to you." My father started. "Your mother and I agreed to lift your restrictions around the estate. From now on, you can freely move through any part of the grounds that you wish; including the exterior yards. And you may go hunting with Gerolt as well."

"Thank you." I bowed a little and turned my head after my father waved off my thanks and pointed to a closet-like space set into the wall next to the great doors leading into the formal area.

"Your belt contains an enchantment that has a direct link with this shade door. All you have to do is pour shadow mana in it, and you'll be brought through it immediately." He paused before the large double doors of carved black wood to gaze at me intently through the side of his eye. "Use it only in the event of an emergency."

I couldn't even ask any questions before he pushed the doors apart, granting us entry to an elevated platform of slate tiles and black iron borders that looked down on a short set of stairs and a vast great room filled with doors and alcoves and large windows on each facade. At the center of which stood a massive U-shaped desk and an assortment of lounge chairs and couches filled with individuals resting or waiting for some unknown thing to happen.

Looking down on even us, was a wraparound terrace on the upper floor and a plethora of people moving in and out and in between the glass-walled rooms or offices lining the walls. While just to our right was a smaller reception and lounge area that sat before a smaller version of the double doors that gave us entry to the place.

"This is the center of business and politics for our family." My father stopped just short of the doors to explain. "Lawyers, accountants, and others come here every day to earn their livelihoods. In addition to that." He added, pointing off to our right. "This is where our library is located. Now, come with me"

Half self-conscious of any frothing of the mouth in response to my father's words, I wordlessly followed after him down the steps and towards the large reception desk to approach two boys standing tall beside the desk.

Like Jonet, they seemed to be just around my age, and judging from posture and dress alone, they appeared to be twins; though by appearance, it was clear they were nothing of the sort.

They stood like a soldier, at the position of attention. Back straight, arms held at the sides with the heels together and toes pointed outwards at 45 degrees. Eyes level and looking straight forward, despite my father and I approaching.

They were entirely unmoving up until the moment my father and I stopped just before them. Then they immediately dropped to a knee in unison.

The one on the left had the signs of a fighter's build in his small frame. With well-developing muscles and a height that'd be surprising for one his assumed age. He had skin that was brown like caramel and black hair fashioned in a tapered fade. With eyes a vibrant cobalt blue, much like Jonet's. And like the one next to him, he wore khaki slacks and leather dress shoes, coupled with a black button-up shirt that'd been covered by a fur-lined black and gold coat.

His counterpart had slightly darker skin, like tea, with his hair twisted into locks that were only a few centimeters long. He was just as tall as his other, only far leaner. He was lean as I was, surprisingly. And more surprisingly, he had tan-colored irises that stared at me with the same anticipatory gaze as his other part.

"These two; along with Jonet, are your vassals." My father explained as he gestured to the first, then the second. "Toril O'Connell, your knight. And Jaimess. A. Corey, your quartermaster."

In response to my father's introduction, they each looked up to me with resolve flooding their eyes before somewhat shouting from where they kneeled.

"I, Jaimess Corey, pledge my lifetime loyalty to His Grace, Amun. High Duke of Odissi."

"And I, Toril O'Connell, pledge my lifetime loyalty to His Grace, Amun. High Duke of Odissi."

"Jaimess, Toril." I nodded to each of them in turn as if to commit the names to memory. "Can you tell me of your affinities?"

"I have lightning magic, Your Grace." Toril bowed his head lower.

Followed by Jaimess. "And I, paper."

'Paper?' I inwardly recoiled in surprise. "Interesting." I slowly nodded as an idea began to form in my mind. "How many sheets of paper can you make at a time?"

Jaimess seemed initially puzzled at my question but quickly regained his composure and answered. "Easily hundreds of the standard size, Your Grace."

'Perfect.' I smiled. "Can you make me a few hundred sheets, here an now? It would be of great help."

Jaimess said not a word and simply focused on the desk beside him. Within a second or two, his eyes were ablaze with a tan light and soon, a single sheet of paper seemed to peel itself from his arm and lie flat on the desk.

Then it multiplied. And multiplied. Again and again, until the flow of mana ceased within him. Leaving a relatively thick stack of paper on the desk next to him.

"Excellent." I grinned as I approached my new bounty to lift up a corner of the stack and expose the shadow underneath. And after throwing a bit of shadow mana into the area, the smoky black energy spread around the borders of the stack and began consuming the stack of paper whole. "You have my word that I will give each of you every tool you need to succeed," I said, turning back to them. "That said." I sighed. "I'm due for a block of instruction with my tutor soon. So I'd like you to get yourselves situated.

"Show them to their quarters and get them acquainted with the grounds," I said to Jonet. "We'll have a proper discussion after I see to a few things."

"Yes, Your Grace," Jonet and the others said as they all bowed in unison.

'Yeah.' I sighed to myself. 'That's not creepy at all.'

As they were walking deeper into the estate, I noticed my teacher entering the lobby and immediately scurry towards me after catching sight of me. Then diverged towards an empty office after seeing me step towards him.

"How goes His Grace's progress with his reading material?" He asked after I entered the surprisingly expansive room filled with a few plush chairs facing a chalkboard above a cackling enchanted fireplace.

"I learned that this world is called Maru." I began explaining after gathering my bearings and seating myself. "And that recorded history dates back to 1,481 years ago when humans began to be born with affinity cores. At that time, five portals opened on the continent of Ulai, allowing creatures from the previously unknown worlds to invade our lands. Giving rise to twelve hundred years of war."

I paused for a second or two to give him a moment to comment in some way or form about my summary. But after receiving no reaction other than an agape mouth, I quickly continued. "While the wars on Maru waged on in vain, other humans began venturing through the portals to establish guilds or colonies in these far-off worlds to keep our race from going extinct. And that continued until another portal appeared in what would later become the Odissian empire, in the year 1,230. Through that portal came elves, and from those elves came the knowledge of both enchantments, and how to awaken additional affinity cores. Finally granting humanity an edge in the war.

"And in 1,255." I continued. "A mage by the name of James Epeth sealed the Ulaian continent behind a magical barrier. Paving the way for other mages at the time to begin culling Maru of those otherworldly creatures. Among them were the Necro King and His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Deapou. Who stabilized the island that would become our empire before using magic and enchantments to revitalize the land into what it is today.

"And that was all I was able to go over." I politely bowed. To remain candid, I had absolutely no desire to spend years and years listening to the lectures of a teacher. I spent a good portion of my past life doing exactly that, after all. So I figured I had some sort of alibi to skip school in this one.

I just had to prove to my teacher that teaching me traditionally was a waste of time.

Much to my delight, he seemed flustered at the fact that I just summarized his entire lesson in less than a few minutes. In fact, I think I even heard him curse under his breath just now as he turned to a tote bag to begin shuffling through its contents.

"Here's your book back," I said, handing him the first book out of the stack he'd just given me. "Do you have any more?"