Page 8 of Lucent Academy 2: Trinity Awakens
We were still discussing the nature of the three Gods when the bell rang. I felt my heart leap with excitement. Just one more subject, social studies, then it was off to the training grounds for my first magical lesson.
"All of you get started on an essay describing your mate's realm and the relationship they have with their Patron God. This will require you to interview your mates. The essays must be handed in the first week of the second term, so you'll have plenty of time, even during the holidays. See how generous I am?" Then she looked at me, "Miss Wood, stay a moment, please."
I already thought I knew what this was about, but I waited until all the other students had left for their next classes. Miss Jenny closed her classroom door before turning to me. "Since you have three mates, I thought I should specify that you need only hand in the essay about the mate whose magical affinity you are currently focusing on."
It was strange to hear anyone refer to my status as the Trinity. Amber and I had avoided discussing it since my conversation with Principal Lucius. We didn't want to risk anyone overhearing us. I had almost forgotten that being a member of staff meant that Miss Whips would know all about it.
She regarded me for a moment, then said, "Though it may be interesting to interview the rest of them as well. Knowledge is power, Miss Wood, and the more you know..."
I nodded, understanding that she meant I'd need to learn about all three realms anyway. Besides, I really was curious to learn more about my mates, and it might be rude to just ask Vaerathabout his, since I was focusing on fire magic this term. It made my stomach turn to realize that the other two might be jealous that I was spending so much time with Vaerath. I'd have to wait for a day when we didn't have magical training, so I could summon all three of them and explain.
"You'd better get going. What is your next class?"
I pulled out my schedule. "Uhm, social studies with Miss Blyburg."
"Ooh, you don't want to keep her waiting, that's for sure."
She was right, Miss Blyburg gave me a long, irritated stare when I entered her classroom and sat down. Her mate, who was an Ogre, looked daggers at me from his corner in the classroom. It made for a very intense disciplinary tactic.
I couldn't believe the amount of homework we already had when the bell rang again, and it was time to go to the training grounds for our first magical lesson. I was already tired, and the day wasn't even halfway over. It wasn't just that it felt like so much had been crammed into such a short amount of time, or that the classes I was taking were so much harder and more complex than anything I had learned at school. It was also that I felt I hadn't been properly prepared to come here.
School back in Hartwick had consisted of learning about the town, learning to read and write, and gaining some skills in mathematics and science. The rest were learned at home, hands-on experiences that meant many young people would just follow in one of their parents' footsteps because that was what they knew and were exposed to.
Right now, it feels like I am being introduced to a whole new world and a different way of thinking within it. It was more thana little overwhelming for a girl from a backwater town who had just been the gardener's daughter only a few weeks ago.
I wondered uneasily if everyone felt this frazzled or if it was just me.
Chapter 4: First Magical Lesson
The training ground was in a perfectly round colosseum measuring 450 feet across and fashioned from pale sandstone. The outer walls were over 500 feet high and had been enchanted to resist fire, wind, and cold. It could withstand projectiles that would crack and crumple most buildings. It was another impressive structure hidden within the bowels of Lucent Academy.
I was following the rest of the students through the archway leading into the arena. With the walls looming high all around, I felt dwarfed by its gargantuan size. Principal Lucius was already waiting for us. Standing on either side of him, the instructors also noticed our arrival. Their mates were standing just behind them.
The excitement was palpable as the first-years in the Apex Group, those the Principal had handpicked as his own students, waited anxiously to begin their very first lesson. I wasn't sure how I felt about the name, it implied some pressure and a high standard I wasn't sure to meet.
One person gave me a steady and measured look: Cleopatra Invicto, who stood apart from the others with her arms folded across her chest. With a braid of thick, violet hair that fell past her waist and eyes the color of amethysts, she stood with her shoulders back and her chin slightly raised, at attention but clearly comfortable in her own skin. Her perfectly sculpted face was set in an expression that was very hard to read, but I could feel the aura of competitiveness radiate off her. It was as if she told me, with her body language, that today was the day she would judge my worth for herself. The air around herstill shimmered with that aura of power. Given what I had seen of her almost inhuman level of control, her natural ability to wield magic that far outclassed my own abilities and those of the people around me, I knew her self-confidence was in no way overblown.
At the Summoning Ceremony, she had been the one to tell us all about the Trinity and her intention to be the chosen one. She had bonded with one of the most powerful beings, an Archangel, a Diamond-Tier being, but she wasn't the Trinity.
Then my own summoning had taken such an interesting turn. I had ended up bonding with three Diamond-Tier mates. Later in the Principal's office, Cleopatra had publicly voiced her doubt about my ability to hold such power.
Now, here she was in all her splendor, the kind that didn't need adornments or fancy dress to make her seem compelling. She was everything that, in that moment, I felt I could never be. Regal, controlled, self-confident, and powerful.
What I felt was my stomach turning as if it had been infested by a dozen snakes, all writhing in a slimy mass over each other. It was as if I only then realized that I would have to attempt magic with her close by, judging my every action.
Principal Lucius stepped forward with his mate, Crystalline, following close by. She was a frost phoenix. The first time I saw her, I was overcome with awe as she appeared among the assembled students. A creature of raw elemental power, she had had feathers that glittered like raindrops on ice, and her very presence had sucked the warmth out of the room.
At the moment she appeared in her human form, which was equally breathtaking, just in a different way. She was short and beautiful, with hair of the palest blue, reminding one of awinter's sky. Her eyes sparkled with good humor. At our first meeting, I had laughed and had called her cute. It was a moment I wanted to forget. It still had the power to embarrass me. For some reason, though, it had made her like me, as was evident in the way she smiled and gave me a wink when she and the Principal stood before us. I returned her smile, and then my attention was drawn to four men and five women who had drawn closer as well.
When the Principal spoke, his baritone voice commanded attention. "After the Summoning Ceremony, I mentioned that I would be undertaking your teaching myself. Some of you are on a low control ranking. Therefore, I will be pairing you with an instructor who can help you improve your control meaningfully so that you may start using more advanced forms of magic. Every instructor you see here has been personally assigned to this group and will be available for questions if you need to consult a different instructor at any time. Make use of their expertise, take note of what they have to say. Learn to ask for help. I will be making an appearance among the smaller groups now and then to see how you are faring. At the beginning of next month, we will meet in the Grand Colosseum, and you will be required to summon your mate and then attempt to perform the spells you have learned. It will be your first practical demonstration, your mid-term exams."
I swallowed at the sudden dry lump in my throat. It was all starting to feel very real and business-like. This wasn't a regular school or a club. We weren't here to socialize and make friends. We were here to be trained to join the Void Wars.
Principal Lucius started calling out names to step forward. Those of similar ranking were quickly paired with an instructor with the same elemental affinity. I recognized one of theinstructors as Caleb Stone. He had told me he would be our instructor in the magical classes when he gave me the message to meet Principal Lucius in his office. For the first time, I caught a glimpse of Caleb's mate. She was a tiny thing with golden curls, pointed ears, pupil-less, white eyes, a plump figure, and cherry-red cheeks. A golden aura surrounded her, and everything about her suggested warmth. In her human form, she looked something like a cherub. She was an Efreet, or Fire Jinn, a Silver-Tier mate. Another student, called Oliver Bishop, joined Amber and me as we were introduced and assigned to Caleb. I recognized Oliver as the one who had summoned the Lamia Princess as his mate.
Finally, when everyone was paired with an instructor, there was just one person left.
"Miss Invicto, you are with me," The Principal said. "We will focus on your holy light fusion spells."
