“It’s just taking time.”
“No. It’s not healing. At all. The damage is too severe for your body to manage anything on top of already fighting to maintain the rest of your system.”
I ran my fingers over the pale-blue patch of what would appear to laypeople as just ice, but was in fact a great deal more, interspersed with white jagged veins of glacial fusion.
He hissed.
“I can fix it for you.” I gestured around the room with my free hand. “But it can’t be here.” I released his arm and sat back. “And then we’ll talk about the Keuric situation. Just… don’t refer to him as myexagain.”
“Don’t want his stain on you?” he asked, carefully.
“Something like that.”
“What did he do to—”
“Ah, all ready and waiting. Primed to learn,” a voice came from the door.
We both turned to see Professor Jornol Dryvan walking in. He was Dark Fae, and a highly experienced magic-wielder. He appeared to be in his early-forties by human standards, but he was actually in his fourth century of life.
His silky black hair was secured in a neat braid. A beige waistcoat hung loose on his willowy form, a white pressed dress shirt beneath was tucked into a pair of gray slacks.
Despite his slight build, potent power rolled off him as he glided down the aisle between the desks and reached the front of the class.
With a graceful twirl, he slapped his hand to the miniature magical sun, activating it, while then using the momentum to face us and look out at the room.
Letters floated out and spelled out the name of the class.
They were quickly followed by little magical animated constructs a few inches tall each—a cyclone, a crashing wave, sparking lightning, flaming embers, a mountain of ice, and a ball of shimmering swirling magic, which I assumed represented arcane magic as opposed to the rest which were demonstrating elemental magic.
He had the whole class riveted already as we tracked the moving and levitating animations.
I watched him take in four students sitting at the desks by the front, the corner of his mouth turning up. I wasn’t surprised, it was amusing. Maybe a little disturbing too, actually.
There were four sorcerers decked out in long black leather coats with the collars turned up. Their hair was all styled the same—dyed a deep brown, short on the sides, and tousled on the top. They were Kai Hunter fanboys. It had become a thing over the last decade as that infamous sorcerer’s feats had been engraved deep in the hearts and minds of many, and Kai had popped in to several academies for a single guest lecturer class, which had put a real person to the legend.
“Now,” Professor Dryvan began, his tone carrying that quiet resonance particular to those who’d lived centuries. “Arcane and Elemental Synergyis often regarded as an entry-level course. That, however, is a misconception. While it is offered to first-year students, its inclusion in your curriculum is not due to simplicity, but necessity. Every magic-wielder, regardless of origin or discipline, must learn how to interact safely and effectively with others. To prevent harm. To deepen coexistence. To understand the very currents that connect us through power itself. This is why you’ll find students of varying experience seated among you—first-years beside upper-years, for instance. Some of you are here because your power level demands a disciplined understanding of synergy; others because your temperament or the nature of your species makesinteraction with unlike magics more volatile. Whatever your reason, this class offers something essential to all who wield magic: the mastery of coexistence through control, respect, and comprehension. Remember that harmony between magics is not achieved through dominance, but through understanding their differences—and their union.”
With a flick of mauve magic, he stilled the magical animations.
“After completing four sessions of the prerequisite for hybrid beings to this class, first-year hybrids will join us also.”
The door opened and a large man with spiky golden hair strode on in, a contrast to Professor Dryvan as he was super casual, wearing a pair of gray ripped jeans and a navy tank that revealed his swirling blue dragon markings that looked like waves all over his skin.
I recognized him from my childhood. He’d run in political circles in the Dracoryn Realm for a while, and my dad had even had meetings with him in Vortimer Palace—private meetings, but I’d seen him walking about a couple of times.
The professor smiled and gestured for him to come forward.
When he reached the front, he introduced him to the class, “This is HICI Educator, Carnis Parlant, a Dragon-Sorcerer. On his dragon side, he is a water dragon from House Lavadon, and resides primarily in the Dracoryn Realm.” The professor’s gaze flicked to him. “But he has kindly agreed to share his expertise with us all.”
Carnis caught my eye and winked, before then greeting the class.
Professor Dryvan went on, “We will begin with the foundational aspects of magical harmonic attunement. Today, instead of sitting through a theory-based lecture, you will partake in a lab.” With another spark of his magic, he called forth a scroll. “Ah,” he said, looking it over and sharing itwith Carnis. “We have a lovely variety in this class already. sorcerer, sorceress, Celestial, Light Fae, Dark Fae, dragon, Shadowmancer. And an even assortment of hybrids—Sorcerer-Wolf, Light Fae-Shadowmancer, Light Fae-Vampire, Sorceress-Vampire… the list continues on. This is excellently conducive to the goal of this class.”
“Absolutely,” Carnis commented. “Ready to roll it out, get them partnered up, Jornol?”
“Let’s see to it.”
A chuckle rang out at how buddy-buddy they were, and Carnis bringing a very informal element to it all.
