chapter 6

It had been more than two years of studying at Ban Ard for Andries. The events were mostly dull. Andries simply avoided conflict and studied. The protection spells in and around the academy ensured that nothing dangerous or exciting could happen.

Andries excelled at learning magic, he was designed to master it, after all. He was proficient in alchemy and magical items but average at everything else. He took Elder Speech and Nilfgaardian classes, where he performed neither exceptionally nor poorly. He also participated in close combat training. Without using magic, he was a little faster and stronger than kids his age, but he was again average at learning new techniques.

In these two years, Andries barely changed in appearance. Without his mother constantly altering his body, he remained physically thirteen but grew stronger. His psionic abilities also strengthened, though they were still not enough to satisfy him.

One notable discovery Andries made was his need for sleep. During a group project, he realized that everyone else tired faster than him. Testing his limits, he found he could stay awake for three days after just half a day of sleep. This ability greatly aided his studies.

Thanks to Andries's newfound wealth and status as a nobleman, he was given a small private lab in the academy, just like other nobles. Unlike others, Andries spent extensive time in his lab. Tonight, the night of his fifteenth birthday, was no different.

Andries stood near a table with a drowner corpse in front of him. The body was cut open, and Andries, wearing gloves and an apron, was experimenting on it.

Nearby, Mathies sat on the ground, playing with Andries's black cat, Felix. Despite being two years old, Felix still looked like a kitten. From time to time, Felix would run to Andries, sit down, and gently tap Andries's leg with his paw. Andries would cut a piece of the drowner he didn't need and feed it to Felix, who seemed completely fine with eating monster meat. These were thanks to Andries mutating the cat with alchemy.

As Andries was working, he heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, he saw a boy around sixteen entering the lab. This was Lucas, a classmate and friend. Lucas was the third son of a noble family. He had blond hair, green eyes, and a face that could be considered good-looking. Lucas was fit and wore a coat over a tunic paired with trousers. Other than his green coat, the rest of his clothes were black.

"Hey Lucas," Andries said.

"First, that is disgusting," Lucas said with a small laugh. "Secondly, how the hell did you manage to find a drowner? We are in a mountain, they don't live in these parts."

"I paid a witcher." Andries said. "I always pay this witcher to bring me monster corpses. So far, he's brought me small things like this, but he promised if I pay well, he can bring me an Ekimmara. He usually does work with the headmaster so I get to meet him from time to time."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, impressed but slightly horrified. "An Ekimmara? Those are no joke. What are you planning to do with it?"

Andries shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Experiment, study, maybe learn something new. Who knows what secrets these creatures hold?"

"What did you learn from the drowner?" Lucas asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Come here, let me show you." Andries replied, gesturing for Lucas to approach.

Using a forceps, Andries held a part of the drowner's brain he had removed earlier. He brought it toward the drowner's tongue, which he had placed on another table.

"You see, this part runs from the top middle of the brain to the center." Andries explained, holding the brain piece up. "Now watch when I add a little power to it."

Andries channeled some energy through the brain piece, holding it above the tongue. The tongue began to move randomly, causing Lucas to jump back in surprise.

"What the hell?!" Lucas shouted, eyes wide.

"This isn't the best part." Andries said with a laugh.

Andries added more energy, this time using his psionic power as well. The tongue started moving according to Andries's command.

"I've learned that it's possible to control Necrophage using their brains." Andries said, his tone triumphant.

He moved to a cupboard and brought out two jars filled with alcohol, each containing a different tongue. One looked like a drowner's, and the other belonged to a different monster.

"This one is a drowner, and the other is a devourer." Andries explained.

He repeated the process with the brain piece, bringing it close to each tongue. The drowner tongue moved while the devourer tongue remained still.

"This seems to be something specific to necrophages." Andries said. "If you have a brain from one of their kind, you can control the bodies of the rest. The brain of course have to be from the same race as them. Now I just need to find a way to do this to live ones and I could control necrophages."

"What are you trying to do? Get an army?" Lucas asked, half-joking, half-concerned.

"Sure, why not?" Andries replied. "It's about time a sorcerer officially ruled over a kingdom. I'm sure the people of Cintra would love to be under the rule of anyone other than Nilfgaardians."

"I don't think it's going to be that easy." Lucas said, shaking his head.

"Oh, it's not." Andries agreed. "I still have to finish the work on how to do it, and I also have to find a way to make people hate Nilfgaard even more."

"Well, I'll leave you to your conquest, King Andries." Lucas said with a smile. "Now, are you going to come out and spar with me a little? I've been beating Dorian all day, it's not fun anymore."

"Do you want to fight Mathies?" Andries asked with a grin.

"I want a challenge, not a death sentence." Lucas said, laughing.

"All right, I'll be there." Andries said. "Just let me store some of these things, clean up, and I'll meet you in the courtyard."

Lucas nodded and left. Once alone, Andries carefully stored the body parts he needed in magically sealed jars, set aside some flesh for Felix to eat and incinerated the rest. He removed his gloves and apron, cleaning off the little blood that had splattered on him.

Andries donned a tunic, trousers, boots, and a long coat. Picking up a wooden quarterstaff, he was ready to leave.

"Come on, Mathies." Andries said, and he and his loyal companion walked out, heading to meet Lucas in the courtyard for some much-needed sparring.

Mathies picked up Felix and the flesh in his hands. He smiled as Felix continued eating the drowner flesh from his palm.

"Sorry, Mathies, but remember, you can't talk in front of others." Andries reminded him.

"Okay, I play with kitty." Mathies replied.

"Sure, that would be great." Andries said, giving Felix's head a gentle rub.

The two walked through the halls of the academy. The students had grown accustomed to the mutant walking among them, but they still cast him odd looks. Andries knew that many of those looks stemmed from jealousy, which filled him with a perverse sense of joy, confirming that he was doing something right.

They made their way out to the courtyard where students were busy with their activities under the afternoon sun. Some studied, some practiced harmless magic, and others sparred under the guidance of Thaddeus Harkon.

Harkon was a tall, muscular man who appeared to be in his late thirties but was much older. His black hair had streaks of white, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to see through the students' souls. He wore a long coat similar to the ones worn by students who understood the need for freedom of movement. A sword and a long dagger were sheathed at his hip.

Harkon was overseeing a sparring match between two students, who fought with staves, occasionally casting weak spells at each other. The match ended when the long-haired student defeated his opponent.

"Good work. Who's next?" Harkon called out.

"Andries is here, so I guess me." Lucas said, gripping his staff.

"All right, take your positions." Harkon said, then pointed at Mathies. "Make sure your golem has the right orders. If it attacks during the match, I'll have to destroy it."

"Sure." Andries said, hiding a smile as he gave Mathies the correct orders. He then took his position opposite Lucas.

"Remember the rules, students." Harkon announced. "You can use physical enhancing potions and spells. You can use weak signs for protection and attack. Do not use anything lethal or complicated spells. Is that understood?"

"Understood." both Andries and Lucas responded in unison.

With Harkon's signal, the fight began. Lucas was the first to move, sprinting toward Andries with impressive speed. Andries smiled, holding his ground. With a quick motion of his hand, he created a sign commonly used by witchers, the sign of Aard. He amplified the sign, sending a blue wave of telekinetic energy toward Lucas.

Lucas, anticipating this, channeled air energy to cast a simple spell that boosted his jump, allowing him to leap over the wave of energy. He held his staff with both hands, descending toward Andries with force.

Andries sidestepped, avoiding Lucas's attack. Though the strike was potentially lethal, Harkon did not object, knowing Andries had enough time to dodge.

Andries countered, swinging his staff from the left toward Lucas's head. Lucas deflected the blow by bringing his staff up just in time. He then attempted to use the same sign Andries had used, the sign of Aard.

Recognizing the movement, Andries moved forward, gripping his staff with one hand while seizing Lucas's wrist with the other, redirecting the telekinetic wave away from him. The wave struck a few students, knocking them down but leaving them mostly unharmed.

Lucas spun his staff, aiming to slam it under Andries's chin. Andries released Lucas's wrist and backed away, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Andries and Lucas engaged in a fierce exchange of physical attacks. Despite Andries's smaller frame, he matched Lucas in strength, launching fast and strong strikes. Lucas used his size to his advantage, skillfully keeping Andries at bay.

Suddenly, Andries feinted to the left and twisted to the right, aiming a low sweep at Lucas's legs. Lucas jumped back just in time, but the maneuver threw him off balance. Seizing the opportunity, Andries thrust his staff toward Lucas's midsection.

Lucas parried the blow but felt the force behind it. Andries's speed and agility were proving difficult to counter. Realizing a need for a new tactic, Lucas decided to combine physical attacks with magic.

Summoning a small whirlwind around his hands and staff, Lucas increased the momentum and force of his strikes. As he swung toward Andries, the wind-enhanced strike created a powerful gust. Andries, anticipating the magical augmentation, rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow. The gust hit the ground, sending dust and debris into the air, a simple spell that was still within the allowed limits.

Using the distraction, Lucas muttered an incantation under his breath, conjuring a protective barrier. Andries, seeing the shimmering aura, knew he had to act quickly before Lucas could stabilize it.

With determination, Andries channeled energy into his staff, causing it to glow with a faint blue light. He rushed forward, striking the barrier repeatedly. Though the barrier held, each strike weakened it slightly. Lucas, inside, concentrated on maintaining it while planning his next move.

Andries suddenly backed away when he was sure he had weakened it enough. He then thrust his staff forward, unleashing the energy in the form of a pure blast. The blast hit the barrier, shattering it. Lucas staggered, feeling as if he had been punched in the chest.

Andries feinted a head strike, causing Lucas to defend his face. Seizing the opportunity, Andries went low, slamming his staff behind Lucas's legs. The powerful blow lifted Lucas off the ground and slammed him onto his back. Andries then positioned his staff at Lucas's neck, prompting Lucas to surrender.

"Good work, both of you." Harkon said. "Clear the field for the next challenge. Inform the infirmary if any of you are hurt."

Andries helped Lucas up, and they exited the sparring ground.

"So, I beat your ass again." Andries said.

"You got lucky." Lucas retorted. "A few more moments and that barrier would have helped me beat your ass."

"The result would be the same. I just would have had to work more for it." Andries said.

"So, you're asking for a rematch?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, we just have to wait three matches until we can fight again." Andries said.

Andries and Lucas waited for their next turn. Andries played with Felix and Mathies between matches, while Lucas meditated. They fought three more times, with Andries losing the first two but winning the last one, evening the score. Finally, Harkon chose three students, including Andries and Lucas, to fight him simultaneously. Harkon easily overpowered them, and they decided it was enough sparring for the day.

"Hey Andries, want to hang out with some of the guys?" Lucas asked. "Some of the illusionists managed to steal an enchanted horn. It produces ale as long as you feed it power. We thought we could have a few drinks."

"No, sorry, I have things to do in the lab." Andries said.

"You're always in that lab. What do you even do there?" Lucas asked.

"You saw what I am doing." Andries said. "I am trying to control Necrophage, drowners to be more specific. That way I can attack Cintra and Attre, taking over two of the port cities. I will be a king, and northerners would love me for it."

"Yeah, right. Good luck." Lucas said with a laugh as he left.

"Bye." Andries said, heading back.

Andries first went to the cafeteria. Thanks to his status and some lies about his mutation, he managed to get triple portions of food. He then took Mathies to his room and gave him two portions. Mathies thanked him and started to eat.

His room was larger than most students' rooms due to his wealth and noble status. He had set up an area for Mathies to sleep and another for Felix.

Andries stayed with Mathies as they both ate. They chatted about random things and seemed to enjoy each other's company. Lucas and other students were friends, but Mathies was Andries's true and constant companion.

Andries stayed until Mathies felt sleepy. Mathies didn't have the same stamina as Andries, so he got tired quickly.

Andries picked up the still playful Felix and returned to the lab. He had mutated Felix to have more stamina, but Felix still enjoyed sleeping close to Andries.

Back in the lab, Andries donned his lab attire and resumed his work. He was developing a device connected to a drowner brain. Andries was intrigued by Megascopes, devices that use internal energy sources like crystals to activate magical effects. Megascopes can facilitate communication, teleportation, and more. Andries envisioned a similar device to control an army.

The device he was working on was a cubic object with a slot for an energy crystal and an area for his hand. He retrieved two drowner hands from his storage and activated the device by placing his hand in the designated area. Andries felt the device linking his mind to the drowner's brain. The dead brain offered no resistance, allowing Andries to take control. He then used the device to manipulate the hands on the table.

Andries could move the hands as if they were extra limbs. The device removed any limitations, giving him full control. It felt like necromancy but without negative energy. Then he wondered, what if he used negative energy in this experiment?

The crystal he used was filled with pure Ether, or spirit energy. Deactivating the device, Andries retrieved another drowner brain from his storage.

He carved protective runes on the jar and fed them some Ether energy to activate them. With the brain protected against the rotting effect of negative energy, he began his experiment.

Tapping into the negative energy plane, he connected to the brain. This time, without using any psionic energy, he felt his mind link to the brain. The brain easily connected to the two hands, giving Andries the same level of control as the device did.

Andries wanted to test something further. Placing the jar near the hands, he retrieved a ghoul hand from his storage. Usually, a drowner brain couldn't control a ghoul hand even with the device, but with negative energy, Andries could control it weakly. Now he wondered, what if he found a crystal of energy connected to negative energy?

The implications of this discovery were vast. Andries envisioned using negative energy crystals to control a variety of Necrophage monsters. The potential to command an army of Necrophages, perhaps even more diverse creatures, seemed within reach.

He recorded his observations meticulously, pondering the next steps. Finding or creating a negative energy crystal became his new goal. The idea of wielding such power thrilled him, and he was determined to see it through.

As Felix curled up near his feet, Andries couldn't help but smile at the progress he was making. The path to his ambitions was becoming clearer, and he relished the challenge ahead.

Andries changed into his normal clothes, cleaned up, grabbed his notes, and picked up Felix, placing the cat on his shoulder. He then began to walk out of the lab.

It was midnight, and most of the students were asleep. Andries walked to the library, finding it open but deserted. The library was protected by spells to prevent the books from being damaged or removed, and arcane lights illuminated the space, allowing students to study even in the darkest hours.

Andries started to gather books about energy sources. He brought them to one of the desks and began to read. Felix, perched on his shoulder, slept contentedly, occasionally rubbing his head against Andries's cheek. Andries returned the affection by gently rubbing Felix's chin and head.

He delved into the texts, learning about potential energy sources and ley lines and how mages used them. His mind raced with ideas on how to utilize such devices. He envisioned towers connected to other elemental planes, controlled by a golem-like mind that could follow orders. Automated towers could create rain during droughts or use earth elementals to rapidly grow plants. Ether could form shields against natural disasters, and necromantic towers could command armies of the dead.

Andries realized these grand projects would need to be built over intersections of ley lines, often marked by monuments called places of power or circles of elements. Such undertakings would require both significant personal and political power.

Next, he researched crystals of power, learning about various items connected to different planes. Obsidian crystals, found in volcanoes, had strong connections to the fire plane. The Lake of the Nine in Brokilon Forest was linked to the water element. The Mahakam and Blue Mountains, though extremely dangerous, were rich in earth energy. However, the air element remained elusive, with mages still uncertain about how to locate its sources.

For Ether and negative energy, the information was vague. Ether could occasionally be found at intersections or in ancient elvish ruins. Negative energy, though acknowledged by mages, remained elusive and poorly understood. Ley lines were never connected to negative energy, which bothered Andries. He suspected mages avoided these areas due to the destructive potential of negative energy if not properly controlled.

Andries immersed himself in the books until the sun began to rise. Having slept the previous day, he still had two more nights before he would feel tired unless he chose to sleep sooner.

Gathering his things, he went to the cafeteria. As usual, he took the food back to his room. Mathies was still asleep, so Andries left the food, some juice, and water for him. He ate his meal while also feeding Felix. Once finished, he left Felix in his bed and headed to his classes, ready to tackle the day with newfound knowledge and determination.

Andries went through his classes as usual. The subjects of the day were illusion, elemental magic, and alchemy, all of which reiterated knowledge he had already mastered. He realized that, apart from practice, there wasn't much more the academy could offer him in terms of advancement. The library and the resources provided were the only reasons he had stayed, but he began seriously considering leaving.

After his classes, Andries fetched some food and returned to his room to eat with Mathies and Felix.

"Hey Mathies, do you like this place?" Andries asked as they ate.

"It's okay." Mathies shrugged. "I like staying with you. Better with you than the scary lady Tissa… Tissaia."

"Yes, Tissaia." Andries said, nodding. "I was thinking of contacting her. I want to tell her about my decision to leave this place. Or maybe I just do it and apologize later. But before that, I need to make a few devices. It will take a day or maybe two."

"Good, leaving good." Mathies said.

"Great, let's go to the lab. We have to get ready." Andries said.

The three of them left the room. First, Andries packed his personal belongings and then went to meet the headmaster to get permission for teleportation, which was granted. He returned to his room to pack the rest of his things. Moving to the lab, he gathered his materials and prepared for the move.

Andries began working on a portable megascope, about the size of a large human and mounted on wheels. This device, with the aid of an Ether crystal, could open a portal. Activating the megascope, Andries felt a significant shift of energy. Soon, a lens on the megascope emitted energy toward the wall. Andries directed this energy until it formed a shimmering blue portal leading to his mansion.

Andries and Mathies gathered their belongings and made several trips through the portal. Thanks to the stability of the megascope, everything went smoothly. Once all their items were moved, Andries called his golems to distribute the items throughout the mansion: clothes to his room, lab materials to the lab, and so on. Andries and Mathies then moved away from the portal to a safe distance, with Mathies holding Felix to shield him.

Andries tapped into the portal's energy, drawing a large amount to weaken it gradually. He then used this energy to create a portal beneath the megascope. Normally, Andries wouldn't have enough energy to create such a portal due to the distance, but the megascope itself provided the necessary power.

The portal opened, and the megascope fell through. Andries swiftly closed the portal, causing the megascope to reappear behind him and land on the ground. The sudden removal of the energy source from the original portal caused it to become unstable, resulting in an energy explosion.

Reacting quickly, Andries created a shield from the remaining energy he had drawn from the megascope. The shield held firm as the energy slammed into it, protecting Andries, Mathies, and Felix. Once the explosion dissipated, Andries instructed the golems to clean the area.

Andries was about to leave for his lab when he felt another portal open in the mansion. Both Andries and Mathies braced themselves for a potential fight but relaxed when they saw Tissaia emerge from the portal. Her expression of worry quickly turned to anger upon seeing Andries.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Tissaia demanded furiously.

"Hi Tissaia." Andries greeted, and Mathies mimicked his words.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Tissaia continued. "The last time we met, I told you that you still needed two years of study before you could safely open a stable portal. That was only two months ago. Using a portal was foolish and, as you can see, extremely dangerous."

"No, don't worry, I used a megascope." Andries explained, detailing his process. This only seemed to infuriate Tissaia more.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Tissaia repeated, her anger unabated. "That excuse is worse than the first assumption I had. You deliberately disrupted a powerful portal, that's asking for disaster."

"I understand you're angry, but I can explain." Andries said calmly. "I made some discoveries that could make me a target for most sorcerers. If you let me show you what I've found, you'll understand why I had to do this."

"This better be good, or I'll have you flogged in the city." Tissaia warned.

"Oh, don't worry, it's great," Andries assured her with a smile.

Andries led Tissaia to his lab, where he began unpacking the items he had brought from the academy. He demonstrated the connection between the brain and body, showing how it was possible to move the body with psionic energy and a bit of added power. Tissaia watched with interest but remained unimpressed.

"This is interesting." Tissaia said. "It confirms that the brain controls the rest of the body, as many surgeons and mages have theorized. But it's nothing groundbreaking."

"You're right, but this is groundbreaking." Andries replied, bringing his cubic device to the table.

Activating it, Andries began manipulating drowner body parts, making them perform complex tasks. Tissaia's eyes widened in realization but quickly returned to her composed demeanor.

"This is… fascinating." Tissaia admitted. "You've managed to create a device that can produce various magical effects. This is…"

"It has great potential," Andries interjected. "Imagine using water elemental sources to create rain when farms need it, or earth elemental sources to improve soil quality and help plants grow. I'm even considering creating a golem-like mind for these devices so they can follow orders, like irrigating the ground when it's dry, though that part is still theoretical."

"I admit, you were right." Tissaia said. "Devices like this could change the world and grant immense power to those who control them. You must be careful about revealing this device to others."

"I know." Andries agreed. "I also need to do more field tests and get some more materials that money alone can't buy. I need to explore the world."

"Yes, but your studies are still important." Tissaia insisted. "You can't be an inventor of this device without the power to protect yourself."

"My studies are complete." Andries stated firmly. "I've learned all I can from the academy. Now I need practice and research. Staying at the academy won't help me anymore."

Tissaia considered his words for a few moments. She had maintained contact with Andries and visited him occasionally. She had to admit he was right but worried about what he might become if left on his own. However, she feared even more what he might do if forced into something against his will.

"Fine." Tissaia sighed. "You're right. The academy can't offer you much more. I'll need to handle the paperwork to officially release you from the academy and they likely think you're dead so I have to fix that aswell. For now, tell me everything you've learned."

"Sure." Andries said, and he began to share his discoveries with Tissaia.

Andries began explaining everything to Tissaia, detailing his discoveries and the processes behind them. Initially hesitant to mention the necromancy aspect, he finally confessed that his ideas for the various devices stemmed from his experiments in necromancy.

To his surprise, Tissaia listened intently, her initial anger gradually giving way to fascination. She found herself oddly captivated by Andries's enthusiasm, almost forgetting that he had a reputation as a cold-blooded killer. His excitement was infectious, and she couldn't help but admire the ingenuity behind his inventions.

Tissaia observed the device closely as Andries demonstrated its capabilities again, this time explaining each step in greater detail. She watched as the drowner body parts moved with precision, directed by Andries's will through the device.

 Tissaia decided to finally depart after she was satisfied by the explanations. She reminded Andries the crystal she had given him and that he should contact her when anything important happens. When she was gone, Andries was more determined than ever to pursue his innovative ideas. Encouraged by Tissaia's support, he felt a renewed sense of purpose.