[53]

Large circular windows intermittently placed along the roof of the dining hall brought natural sunlight to the floor level. At night, the hall would be lit by arcanolamps and starlight, giving an almost ethereal quality to the patrons. During the day of the assembly, however, the shafts of sunlight seemed to illuminate only Headmaster Wetherdan as she stood before us in her golden robes.

“Before we get to the meat of the assembly, as it were, I have some announcements,” said Headmaster Wetherdan.

There was a nervous current running through the crowd, especially among the older students. I gathered some of that had to do with the headmasters’ presence, which was a rare event. Joy said most students never got to see her. The other issue was that there had not been a general assembly like this for decades. Calling one indicated a problem bigger than we were expecting.

“First, it is with great regret I inform you of the cancelation of this year’s tournament.” she said.

That opened the chattering box. Outraged voices fought over whispers throughout the seated students, and I could see that the announcement made several administrators upset. The annual martial tournament was a gigantic source of income for the academy. It was a multi-national event that brought in the richest people in our hemisphere to wager and socialize. More than that, it was a place for students to show off their skills and education to get a powerful patron. This would seriously hurt martial students in their third years.

“We understand that this will hurt many of you, and we are truly sorry. Everyone set to graduate this year will receive an invitation to compete in next year’s tournament,” the headmaster said.

Shouts and jeering followed that statement. Evidently, that was not a good enough option for many. One student, a Jalmese girl in red robes, stood up and yelled, “What the fuck am I supposed to do for an entire year?”

Headmaster Wetherdan’s eyes glowed green. A second later, the student fell to her knees under an invisible pressure, gasping for air. “I understand the cancelation upset you, but you will behave like a student of Ashmere. Adjust and behave like a professional or leave. Those are your only two options,” she said.

“Ergentein and Ankest are on the verge of war. You have but to look around the hall to see evidence of this,” the headmaster continued, waving her hands at the empty seats around us. “Despite the worries you may have for your homeland, we believe leaving Ashmere is against the will of the gods for ascendent students. We will force every ascendent student that left to repeat two days of training for every one they missed in their absence. Our leniency has given the mistaken impression that the politics of man are important to our goals. This is false. At the conclusion of this meeting, we will send out a mandatory return for every missing ascendent student. Any kingdom that fights us on this will be subject to punitive action. The Ministerium will enforce this order with sanctions, and the full might of the ascendent of Ashmere.”

Where only moments before the student body yelled in affront, now you could hear a potato splat. Ashmere had a lot of power, not just in economic resources but also as the home of the highest ranked ascendent in the world. It was necessary to uphold their mandate against the forces of Ruin. They just hardly ever used it. For the Ministerium to threaten two powerful countries openly with censure meant that the administration was very concerned.

“Furthermore, in two weeks' time, we will send a force to Northern Ergentein. A Gozmyr incursion has destroyed the city of Lanvers, and an untold number of northern villages. This is the second biggest undead blight we have seen since the Godswar ended. I will not lie to you; things are not looking good. Besides the substantial loss of life, roughly 20% of the crops in the entire kingdom have been defiled. Famine is imminent.”

“Complicating matters, Ergentein has pulled much of its forces from the undead threat to stave off Ankest. The legions stationed there are barely keeping the monsters at bay. We have a moral duty to intervene.”

“To that end, any student that takes part will receive 250 contribution points, as well as bonus points for slaying the undead. If you are an ascendent, this mission is mandatory. It will count as your end of the year excursion.”

I shared a look with my three companions, all of us feeling a mixture of emotions. Fear won out for me. My death at the mouth of an undead creature vividly nestled itself into my psyche. Dungeons were a safe area to train for your bodies but put your mind at risk. That’s what Instructor Ivo said. And he was right. Since my first run through F-1 I had a recurring nightmare of my death, that was equally embarrassing as it was horrific.

The experience affected me so strongly that I wanted to ensure it never happened again during a dungeon run. I explicitly understood that they required my best, and that meant bringing Ugz with me no matter where I went. That first loss taught me that my familiar was too important a part of my god given power set to venture around without. He has traveled with me in my bag ever since.

While that change in tactics gave me reassurance for the future, in the present I was still working on overcoming my terror of the already terrible Gozmyr. I would need to travel back to F-1 repeatedly to fortify myself mentally for this development.

“Does anyone have questions?” Headmaster Wetherdan asked.

“What about the essence stones you want us to fill for our excursions?” someone in a black robe stood up and asked.

Really, you are worrying about that. I thought.

“We will provide you with empty stones but filling them will not be mandatory. It is the least we can do.”

Another student stood up, a girl I recognized from my classes. “Some of us are low ranked, with little training, and just arrived. Are you planning on making us go too?” she asked.

A question that was near to my heart. I did not leave to assist Elmont on the ride here for that very reason. Changed though I may be from that day, I was still far from confident in my ability to confront an undead horde.

“All will be required to attend, no exceptions.” Headmaster Wetherdan said sternly, causing subdued angry whispering.

Like a conductor, the headmaster held up her hands and received silence again. “Ashmere has resources, but it lacks manpower. We will provide everyone with enough essence to reach rank 4. Additionally, over the next two weeks, we will focus on training you to fight against the undead. When you leave campus, you will have a full complement of potions, salves, and alchemicals with you to complete your missions. Every ascendent team will have a more experienced squad leader directing them on tasks. Please do not mistake the suddenness of the decision to mobilize you as recklessness. It was not a simple choice, nor was it made lightly.”

That made me feel marginally better. Raxx, who had been smiling from the beginning, only looked happier. Joy had a considering look on her face. He and Joy were both still rank 2, on account of not having felt like their lives were in mortal danger every day they spent on campus. Well, that and they did not have a woeful lack of training to overcome like I did. Between the 250 bonus points, and the free ranks that added up to a good amount of advancement for them.

Neither of my companions were alone in their interest at that news. Hushed conversations broke out among the black-robed cliques.

“Can martial students take part?” a red-robed woman asked.

“Of course. All students can join the volunteer task force. Notices are being set up around the campus as we speak. We will accept scholarly students with support skills and martial students with less than one year of training in much needed auxiliary roles. Martial students with over two years of training can sign up for leadership roles and fight alongside or lead the mercenaries we have contracted to engage the horde. Everyone present will get bonus contribution points for participation,” the headmaster said.

“The 250 points and rank 4 bonus?” the same, red-robed girl asked.

“No, unfortunately, that is only reserved for our ascendent students. They do not have a choice and will serve a much more difficult role.”

Joy stood up and shouted across the room, “What role is that?”

A question everyone in a black robe surely had.

“While our military and mercenary guard forces engage the main horde at Lanvers, ascendent students have the job of scouring the north in seek and destroy teams. There are too many stragglers spread out over an enormous distance. Stopping a repeat event further south is a top priority. Also, we believe at least one warlock, but likely more, are helping to spread the blight. Killing them is our biggest priority. It is a mission that we can only trust an ascendent team to accomplish.” she answered.

After a minute or two, the internal conversations of the crowd clarified that there were no further questions for the headmaster.

“This assembly is now adjourned. Thank you, and may the gods bless each and every one of you.” she said, before leaving with the crowd of administrators.

“Well?” I looked at my friends.

Joy shrugged. “It's this or we fight a bunch of monsters in the Ruinlands. Makes no difference to me.”

“I can’t wait!” Raxx said, baring his fangs with an excited gleam in his eye. “We are going to get so much essence!”