With how much Milagre had grown over the last hundred years, it took Samuel much longer than he expected to find what he was looking for. He hadn’t even realized that he’d arrived until he nearly walked into a wall, too distracted by his thoughts to pay much attention to the world around him. He shook his head to clear it and looked around.

He had arrived at the place where his estate had last stood. The building was still there, though many changes had taken place. It was a story taller now, he noticed. It also had a two-meter wall of sturdy stone around it, keeping the other residents of the city about five hundred meters from the home. He took a step back and surveyed the wall, with the simple gate that was attached. He wondered who lived here now, that would put up such an impressive wall.

“What are you doing?” A loud voice called out to him abruptly. “Step back from Lady Rainhall’s estate!”

Samuel hurriedly took a few steps back, looking round to see a guard leaning out of the gate. He was looking at Samuel with a suspicious glare, and the young mage quickly spread his hands to show he was unarmed. This did nothing to impress the guard, so he took a few more steps back and gave a little bob of his head. It wasn’t quite a bow, but it was enough.

“My apologies, sir,” Samuel said awkwardly. “My mind ran away from me, and I took a wrong path.”

The guard made an unmistakable shooing gesture. “Well get a move on then, before I clap you in irons!”

Not the most polite fellow, Samuel thought to himself. But he took a few more steps away, moving backward so he continued to face the guard. “Again, my apologies. The truth is, I… that is, my family lived in Milagre long ago. This was once their estate, and I suppose I was caught up in memory.”

The guard scoffed. “That’s a likely tale. The Rainhall’s have owned this land since Milagre was founded! You’ll find no sympathetic ear for your beggaring here!”

Samuel stopped, his head tilted to the side. Quite apart from knowing without a doubt that the guard wasn’t speaking the truth, he was intrigued by the thought that the Rainhall’s would be so quick to deny the existence of the Bragg family. Granted, it hadn’t been a particularly long-lasting dynasty in comparison to other families, but surely his friends that remained, such as Shigeru, would have bothered to spread the word. Pushing aside a sudden mixture of frustration and confusion, Samuel bobbed his head again. Best to just agree with the man and make his way out, Samuel thought.

“As you say, sir,” he said in a placating voice. “I’ll not bother you further, now.”

The guard gave him a parting glare, his posture upright and smug. Then he slammed the large wooden door that served as a gate shut, and Samuel distinctly heard two voices laughing uproariously. He spared only another brief glance and a roll of his eyes before turning on his heel and trekking down the path to the King’s Road. He made himself a mental note to ask Shigeru to explain all that when he met him. Just another mystery to add to the pile, he thought with a laugh.

“Samuel Bragg?”

Not again, Samuel thought, turning to see who had addressed him. He had just reached the King’s Road and turned towards the Market District, but stopped now. A short and stocky youth in brown robes was standing there, just outside the traffic of city residents. Judging by the familiar owl insignia on the robe and the color, Samuel figured that he was an Apprentice at the Mage’s College.

“How did you find me?” Samuel asked abruptly. “And how do you know my name?”

The youth looked taken aback at his curt reply. He took a step back, automatically bowing, as if slightly nervous of Samuel. The older mage took a deep breath to calm himself, focusing not on his annoyance, but the details of the teenager before him. His robe fit rather snuggly on him, and Samuel could see the signs of a life of excessive eating. He was clearly overweight, and under the hot sun, he was sweating profusely.

“My master told me to come find you, Master Bragg,” he said nervously, his eyes looking in either direction as if seeking an escape. “I… I don’t know how he knows your name, sir.”

“Who is your master?”

The mere mention of the boy’s master seemed to weigh upon him like dread. “M-my master is Archmage Kiinor, sir.”

The name was vaguely familiar to Samuel. He searched his memory for a moment before recalling an angry fellow student from his time in the college. Erik Kiinor. Grandson of the then Archmage of Destruction. As he recalled it, they hadn’t left on good terms. Worse than that, their last interaction had been a duel that Samuel had won. Unless Erik had changed, he couldn’t view Samuel in any favorable light.

“And?” Samuel questioned the nervous apprentice. “What does your master want with me?”

The boy looked glad to be getting to the point of his visit. “My master requests that you come with me to the College, and meet him.”

Samuel deliberated on his response for a few minutes, ignoring the nervous shifting of the apprentice. He really wanted to meet Shigeru again, and learn more about his old friend’s life, not to mention the Rainhalls and this war that people spoke of. But he also did want to visit the College again. Why not take care of the tedious task first, he thought.

“Very well,” he said with a sigh. “I will come with you to the College, and meet your master.”

The boy was turning before he even finished. “Right this way, then, Master Bragg.”

Samuel let out another sigh at the formality but decided not to correct the apprentice. The poor lad looked about to collapse from nerves and exhaustion in any event. So he followed him in silence, distracting himself from the sudden boredom by studying the people who passed them in the opposite direction. The crowd consisted of mostly commoners, either on their way to the farms or a day of trading in the markets. Their clothes were better than he saw of the Harlest villagers but still patched in some places. Like the people of Harlest, they obviously repaired what they could, unable to afford new clothes often.

They reached the Mage’s College faster than expected, and Samuel felt a wave of nostalgia as he craned his neck to survey the twin flags mounting the outer wall. It still looked more like a palace than a place of learning, as he had thought on his first visit. But now that he better understood the way that the different Archmages contributed funds, the impressive buildings made more sense. With abundant gold to their name, the Mage’s Guild could afford to embellish their school.

They passed under the arched gate and stepped onto the College grounds. Dozens of students, wearing different colored robes, were crossing back and forth on the walkways, avoiding trodding on the grass wherever possible. The order and uniformity gave Samuel an uncomfortable sense of Deja Vu that he quickly pushed aside. He’d first spotted Lucian Peran in this courtyard, he remembered. He’d just been a white-robed figure that stood out then. There had been no sign that the man would eventually attack and try to murder him.

“Do you know of an Archmage named Astori?” Samuel asked the apprentice.

“Oh, yes!” the boy replied enthusiastically. “He was a great man. His teaching methods are still used today, particularly by my master.”

That was a relief, Samuel thought. At least his former favorite teacher had found some success in his life. He remembered the stern but witty Transmutation teacher fondly. Astori had been one of the greatest influences on his education, constantly challenging him with new and intriguing puzzles. He wondered briefly if any of Astori’s former students were still with the guild.

The apprentice he was following came to an abrupt halt, and Samuel nearly walked into him. Peering around the youth, he saw at once what had stopped him. Standing at the front door of the school was another Apprentice in brown robes. He was a few years older than the apprentice Samuel had followed here. He stood tall and straight with an unconscious grace that resonated with Samuel in a strange yet familiar way. His robes were in excellent condition, and his black hair was tied back into a neat ponytail. His olive skin and high cheekbones marked him as obviously Nihon-Jan.

“I see you have found him, Apprentice Moran,” the stranger said, offering Samuel a deep bow. “Welcome back to the college, Samuel-san. My name is Tobi, and I have been instructed to act as your guide for the day.”

Almost instinctually, Samuel returned the apprentice’s bow. “Good morning, Apprentice Tobi. It is an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is mine,” Tobi replied smoothly. “May I take you inside to cool off, and meet Archmage Kiinor?”

Samuel spared half a glance at Moran, who looked quite eager to escape the spotlight and return to whatever he’d been doing. “Certainly. Thank you for escorting me here, Apprentice Moran.”

Moran gave another bob of his head and mumbled a reply, then shuffled away very quickly. Samuel raised an eyebrow as he watched the apprentice waddle away, and shook his head slightly. Then he returned his gaze to Tobi, who was waiting patiently for him to follow. Amused at the complete difference between the two, Samuel took a step forward and gestured for Tobi to lead the way.