Chapter 4 First Magical Lesson
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 her still 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 a winter'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 the instructors 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."
The groups followed their appointed instructors and scattered into different sections of the training grounds.
For a moment, I watched Cleopatra depart with Principal Lucius and Crystalline.
Caleb followed my gaze. He was leaning casually against the barrier wall surrounding the arena, his feet crossed in a devil-may-care attitude that I knew I could never pull off.
It was safe to say that I already liked him.
He bent closer as if he was about to share a very important secret.
"Impressive, isn't she?" When I didn't respond, he seemed to take it as an indication that I wanted to know more.
"Diamond-Rank control. Far ahead of any student I know, and she's never been trained.
She bonded with an Archangel, a Diamond-Ranked mate.
You can bet the school is all abuzz with gossip about Cleopatra. "
Caleb turned his eyes to regard me. "And then there's you: the Trinity. You bonded with three mates, and yet here you are, stuck learning Iron-level magic. It must suck for you."
For the first time, I felt fully understood. I merely nodded, aware that Amber and Oliver were standing just a few feet away, wrapped in their own discussion. I didn't really want anyone to overhear me lamenting my fate.
"Well then," Caleb sighed. He pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against. "Shall we get started?
I hope whatever I can teach you will be a very swift, small stepping stone on your way to discovering your true potential, Leah Wood.
" His mate was standing close to him, and I could feel heat baking off her like an oven.
Up close, she was very beautiful. She smiled at me, and I returned it just as Amber and Oliver were drawing closer.
"This is Tanwen, the light of my life. Literally speaking. "
The Fire Jinn rolled her eyes at Caleb's bad joke, and Amber, Oliver, and I groaned.
Tanwen slapped her mate playfully on his arm.
"If I weren't as devoted to you as I am, your sense of humor would have put a damper on my passion.
" She turned back to us and whispered loudly, "Luckily, he has other talents that I'm rather fond of. " She gave a saucy little wink.
We laughed as Caleb blushed. "Yes, well... Perhaps we had better focus on the lessons, hmmm?"
They led the three of us to a quieter section of the training grounds.
As we passed other groups, I saw instructors demonstrating elemental spells to the students watching with rapt attention.
The air was thick with magic as Frost, Air, and Earth elemental spells were demonstrated.
One of the other instructors, Lady Tisterra, was producing a large stone boulder that tore itself from the ground with an ear-splitting, ripping sound.
Her students clapped heartily after she had launched it at a nearby target, taking its head clean off.
She didn't even crack a smile at her students' admiration, but folded her hands in front of her and waited for them to quiet down.