breathed deeply, feeling the magic
in the air and strengthening my core.
“From the heart!” Yu said, and gave the signal.
I threw my right hand out towards the target, and in
the final second before the magic left my body, infused it
with all of the frustration I was feeling towards Phoenix
and the whole situation of this world.
A tongue of emerald flames erupted from my fingertips,
roaring towards the target. It reached further than anyone
else’s, and before I could blink, had reduced the wooden
target to ashes.
“Excellent,” Yu said, bouncing on the balls of his feet
with his hands behind his back. “Just excellent. What’s
your name again?”
“Sky,” I replied, feeling the sheen of sweat on my brow.
Wielding magic was just like exercise; it was exhausting.
“Well, everyone else has homework but not you. You
just continue your breathing exercises. Everyone else will
report to this hall after your dinner tonight for extra
classes.”
Everyone groaned just as the bell rang to signal the end
of class. Yu left quickly as everyone began to migrate
towards their bags, and some of the other servants of the
castle had come in to begin cleaning up. I had almost
reached Dena and Theresa when someone spoke to me.
“So... that was pretty impressive.”
I turned around to face Eleanora.
“Thank you.” I said stiffly.
She tossed her hair, tilting her head on one side.
“You know, you could almost be from this realm,” she
said pensively. “You’re much better than any of the other
humans.”
“We’re not humans,” I said before I could stop myself.
“We’re mages just like you.”
“But you’re from the human realm.”
“So?” I challenged. “Just because we’re from another
realm doesn’t make us any less powerful than you.”
The whole class was watching now. Any pretence of
friendship that Eleanora had been projecting was gone.
“Oh really? I bet you don’t even know what continent
you stand on.”
I inwardly thanked Petre for last night’s geography.
“We’re on the continent Lotheria, in the state of
Stanthor. The capital city is Castor, just south of us. To the
west is Gowar, to the east is Abdoor and to the north is
Orthandrell. From your accent, I’m guessing you’re
from...” I recalled Ispin’s clipped words and swallowed
vowels. “Gowar.”
Silence had filled the hall. I saw Phoenix out of the
corner of my eye watching along with everyone else.
“So you found some books, big deal,” anger flashed in
her violet eyes. “You’re still from the human realm and
you’ll never ever be a true mage.”
“Well if that means overlooking slavery, then I’m glad!
I don’t want to be a true mage if that’s the case!”
The servants stiffened, but they didn’t look up. The
mages from the human realm were looking confused,
whilst the local mages from Lotheria were puzzled that I’d
even brought it up. I decided addressing the human mages
would be best.
“The servants who come to your room and wait on you,
they don’t get paid,” I was looking around at the students,
my hands outstretched and my heart beating frantically; I
hated public speaking. “They get one day off every two
weeks and no pay!”
I heard a few outraged murmurs, and the servants left
as quickly as they’d come. Phoenix wasn’t reacting at all;
he just kept watching me.
“It is our way of life,” Eleanora snapped, echoing Ispin
from the night before.
“It’s disgusting!” I replied angrily. “What makes you
think that you’re better than everyone else? The fact that
you can create fire and magical stuff? Please.”
I turned around to leave, my palms slick with sweat. I
was shaking with anger at Eleanora and the other
Lotherian mages.
“Sky!”
Dena’s shout was the only warning I had before
something hit me hard in the back. I went sprawling on
my face.
“You think you can just waltz in here and tell us how to
live?” Eleanora was shouting. I picked myself up slowly
from
in the air and strengthening my core.
“From the heart!” Yu said, and gave the signal.
I threw my right hand out towards the target, and in
the final second before the magic left my body, infused it
with all of the frustration I was feeling towards Phoenix
and the whole situation of this world.
A tongue of emerald flames erupted from my fingertips,
roaring towards the target. It reached further than anyone
else’s, and before I could blink, had reduced the wooden
target to ashes.
“Excellent,” Yu said, bouncing on the balls of his feet
with his hands behind his back. “Just excellent. What’s
your name again?”
“Sky,” I replied, feeling the sheen of sweat on my brow.
Wielding magic was just like exercise; it was exhausting.
“Well, everyone else has homework but not you. You
just continue your breathing exercises. Everyone else will
report to this hall after your dinner tonight for extra
classes.”
Everyone groaned just as the bell rang to signal the end
of class. Yu left quickly as everyone began to migrate
towards their bags, and some of the other servants of the
castle had come in to begin cleaning up. I had almost
reached Dena and Theresa when someone spoke to me.
“So... that was pretty impressive.”
I turned around to face Eleanora.
“Thank you.” I said stiffly.
She tossed her hair, tilting her head on one side.
“You know, you could almost be from this realm,” she
said pensively. “You’re much better than any of the other
humans.”
“We’re not humans,” I said before I could stop myself.
“We’re mages just like you.”
“But you’re from the human realm.”
“So?” I challenged. “Just because we’re from another
realm doesn’t make us any less powerful than you.”
The whole class was watching now. Any pretence of
friendship that Eleanora had been projecting was gone.
“Oh really? I bet you don’t even know what continent
you stand on.”
I inwardly thanked Petre for last night’s geography.
“We’re on the continent Lotheria, in the state of
Stanthor. The capital city is Castor, just south of us. To the
west is Gowar, to the east is Abdoor and to the north is
Orthandrell. From your accent, I’m guessing you’re
from...” I recalled Ispin’s clipped words and swallowed
vowels. “Gowar.”
Silence had filled the hall. I saw Phoenix out of the
corner of my eye watching along with everyone else.
“So you found some books, big deal,” anger flashed in
her violet eyes. “You’re still from the human realm and
you’ll never ever be a true mage.”
“Well if that means overlooking slavery, then I’m glad!
I don’t want to be a true mage if that’s the case!”
The servants stiffened, but they didn’t look up. The
mages from the human realm were looking confused,
whilst the local mages from Lotheria were puzzled that I’d
even brought it up. I decided addressing the human mages
would be best.
“The servants who come to your room and wait on you,
they don’t get paid,” I was looking around at the students,
my hands outstretched and my heart beating frantically; I
hated public speaking. “They get one day off every two
weeks and no pay!”
I heard a few outraged murmurs, and the servants left
as quickly as they’d come. Phoenix wasn’t reacting at all;
he just kept watching me.
“It is our way of life,” Eleanora snapped, echoing Ispin
from the night before.
“It’s disgusting!” I replied angrily. “What makes you
think that you’re better than everyone else? The fact that
you can create fire and magical stuff? Please.”
I turned around to leave, my palms slick with sweat. I
was shaking with anger at Eleanora and the other
Lotherian mages.
“Sky!”
Dena’s shout was the only warning I had before
something hit me hard in the back. I went sprawling on
my face.
“You think you can just waltz in here and tell us how to
live?” Eleanora was shouting. I picked myself up slowly
from
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