The Bronze Barrel’s main room was packed, with a vast crowd of people loudly socializing. Some danced, some played cards and all appeared at least half-drunk. I have never been a fan of alcohol. I found it makes you dumb and careless, an opinion supported by what I saw now.

Weaving my way through the fringes of the crowd, I headed towards the stairs to drop off the vial I had smuggled back with me. Girem and the others were nowhere in sight, but then again, it would be nearly impossible to spot them through all these people.

Even as I finished this thought, I faintly heard someone yell sounded like my name across the room.

“Hey, Vayne! Where you off to?!”

Turning, I scanned the crowd and saw the friendly face of Neil, one of the senior warriors serving Duke Estton. He was the guard in charge of the troops sent with Girem, as well as one of the few I genuinely liked. I also suspected he felt some sympathy for my situation, though he would never say outright.

Smiling back, I held up a hand with one finger extended, then gestured towards the stairs. Neil raised his drink and nodded before turning back to the rest of the table.

Moving quickly up the stairs, I pulled the room key out and opened the door to my room. After a few seconds of deliberation, I decided the best hiding place would the dresser in the corner of the room, buried under a few sets of clothing. I doubted anyone would search my room too carefully, a duke’s name was a good deterrent for thieves. But just in case, there was no sense in making their job too easy.

I also took a minute to change clothes into something more reasonable. I only had a few higher-quality sets of clothes, and I would rather not risk one of them in a crowd of drunken travelers. It would be better to save them for when I visited the Academy, to maintain an appearance that would not tarnish the Duke’s name.

Hurrying back downstairs, I waded into the crowd moving towards the far wall. More than once, a stray arm knocked into my side, or I bumped into the back of an unaware patron. Neil and a few other guards were sitting around a square table, with half-empty mugs scattered on the table.

I noticed Girem was absent, which meant he was likely with Leon and Sophia discussing their Awakenings. He came to the city with me, in part, to advise the Duke’s two children on what classes to take when they met with their advisors. Girem had been south on business when the twins had left for the city and had been unable to advise them. After he returned, he had decided to accompany me to Volaris and meet with all three of us at once, rather than take multiple trips.

Sitting down across from Neil, I greeted the rest of the group with a friendly smile and a nod of my head.

“So nice of you to join us, ‘Apprentice Vayne.’ I hope you won’t forget us little people after you spend a year rubbing shoulders with nobles.” said Neil, nudging me with an elbow. I knew from experience he was trying to get a rise out of me, and the best solution was to have a good comeback ready.

I shook my head a bit and smiled at Neil. “The semester is ten months, and technically, I need to attend my advisory meeting and be accepted before I can be called an apprentice. Right now, I would still be just an applicant. But on that note, I hope you remember to bow next time I come sit with you.”

The rest of the group laughed loudly, mostly due to how much they had drunk, I suspect. Neil motioned to a nearby barmaid to bring another round of beers, including for me. While technically, it was against the law for anyone under sixteen to drink, I doubted anyone would notice or care enough to bring it up.

After she delivered the mugs to our table, I vaguely tuned into the tail end of the guard’s conversation while taking a sip of my drink. The drink was cool and refreshing, though I would have preferred water. It seemed they were in the midst of a story about some bandits they had driven off a month prior on the edge of Duke Estton’s lands. I had heard this story ten times, at least, and I noticed that the number of bandits increased every retelling.

“So then, I managed to parry the big one’s hammer swing with my shield. Bastard was so big he must’ve been part titan! Damn near broke my arm too, but it left him open for a thrust through the chest. After they saw their best warrior fall, the rest of the cowards broke ranks and fled into the forest. They must have known better than to take their chances against me in a fight!”

The one talking was a wiry man named Thomas, who had joined a few years earlier. He was a bit full of himself, and far from the most skilled guard. I had heard from Neil that the bandits consisted of four poorly-armed and half-starving men, but the way Thomas told it they were a dozen masterful warriors that he had fought off almost single-handedly.

Neil ignored the changes in the story and laughed along with the rest of the group. He knew well enough to let his men tell all sorts of tales if it helped morale. It was part of the reason why he was so popular among the Duke’s guard. There were rumors that when the current captain retired, Neil was the top candidate for promotion due to both his popularity and notable skill with a blade.

As Thomas finished retelling the story, Neil turned to me curiously. “So, how did it go? You going to be some big-shot in the kingdom when you get older?”

I laughed, knowing he was mostly joking. “I saw some pretty interesting things, but I should wait until Girem gets back. He will want to hear it as well, and I would rather tell him at the same time.”

A calm voice came from behind me right after I finished speaking. “A wise choice Vayne.”

Turning in surprise, I saw Girem standing a few feet away. He was not a massive man, but he retained an intimidating aura that was nearly palpable in the air. The guards became noticeably more stoic as he approached, straightening in their seats and doing their best to appear sober.

Taking a seat at the table with us, Girem motioned to a nearby barmaid for a drink of his own, which she produced in around half a minute. I had always marveled at the casual commanding presence he wielded, and it seemed even the staff of the Bronze Barrel felt it.

“Good afternoon, sir. How was your meeting with masters Leon and Sophia?” I said after a few tense seconds of silence.

Girem took a long drag of his drink before replying. “Pleasant enough, I suppose. Both had interesting Awakenings and are eager to begin their training. But that is a conversation later. What did you see in your visions?”

I was glad I had rehearsed what I would say on the way back, since I already felt nervous under his unwavering stare. I put on a stern expression and jumped right into my prepared story.

“The first thing I heard was a voice discussing what my training would entail. I am guessing that was my advisor, telling me what lessons a typical mage counselor would normally attend.”

My first sentence was not a lie, which I hoped would help support the validity of the rest of what I said. I had heard a voice, and it noted my training would be in classrooms and the library.

“I also heard a voice promoting me as a mage, which should mean I will pass my training and graduate from the Academy.”

Another mostly true statement, though I had left out what rank I would achieve in this retelling and purposefully avoided mentioning where the promotion took place. It was precisely what Girem would want to hear, to confirm the Duke’s investment was well-spent.

“At the end of my visions, I saw myself visiting a fortress on the coastline, overlooking the Azure Expanse. I did not see much, though I could spot ships in the ocean. My guess is maybe I visited the coast with our lords at some point, possibly for trade reasons.”

Girem raised an eyebrow at that, clearly a little skeptical. “The Duke does not have any investments in fishing. Why would he send you there, when we have no stake in ships or coastal affairs?” he said curiously.

Damn, that was faster than I expected. Girem was already suspicious of my story. I carefully schooled my features to remain relaxed, to avoid showing any nervousness.

“Well, sir...truthfully, I am not sure what I saw. My visions were a little unclear. The mage that brought me to my room said that the Astral Plane tends to be confusing. I saw for sure that we were at some large fortress, I smelt saltwater and saw ships in the water. Is it possible that Master Leon or Sophia, or even Duke Estton, may get involved in this trade in the future? It is one of the cornerstones of our economy, and things could change decades from now, after all.”

It was a reasonable assumption, as Duke Estton was continually looking to expand his power and wealth. In truth, both Girem and I knew that it was a lucrative enough industry that the move made sense. At least, that was what I focused on to keep myself from getting too nervous. I hoped I could avoid showing any signs of discomfort on my face by concentrating on truthful and reasonable statements.

My story was plausible enough that Girem should buy it, a mixture of lies and truth. I was far from a perfect liar, but it was the best I could do with so little time to plan. Luckily, I had never shown any signs of rebellion against the Duke, so Girem would not have any reason to suspect me now. At least, that was what I was hoping.

Staring at me in silence for what felt like hours, but was probably only a few seconds, Girem finally nodded. “The Duke’s children should have a very bright future ahead of them. It sounds like you will do an adequate job of assisting them in your role.”

I nodded at his words and kept my relief hidden carefully behind a neutral expression. Despite seeming convinced, I knew I would have to be careful around Girem in the future. He was notoriously distrustful of anyone outside beside the Duke himself, and would notice even the slightest difference in my behavior.

Leaning back comfortably in his chair, Girem considered me for a few more seconds before speaking again.

“We are headed to the Academy tomorrow with young masters Leon and Sophia, to attend your advisory sessions. I have spoken with them on what to expect, but I need to go over a few things with you before then.”

I nodded in affirmation and sat up a little straighter to appear as focused as possible on Girem’s words.

“I have already paid the innkeeper here to prepare a bath and cleaning supplies for you to use tonight. A servant will be up to wash and trim your hair, and shave off that fuzz you call a beard. Wear your finest clothing tomorrow as well, you will be representing a duke, and it will reflect poorly on the Estton name if their sponsored applicant looks as if he crawled out of a hovel.”

Nodding again, internally, I cringed at the thought of being groomed by another servant. I hated how I looked with my hair cut short, and part of me wanted to refuse, though I discarded that rebellious thought. I had not wholly abandoned the idea of working with the Esttons and instead maneuvering for an equal partnership rather than being a servant. If I made an enemy of Girem, I would cut that avenue off forever.

“When we arrive, you will be called into a meeting with a Master to discuss which classes you will be taking. Each semester at the Academy is five months long, and both semesters consist of six classes. The classes you’ll be expected to focus on won’t be combat-related. The Duke wants you to spend as much time in a library or classroom, not on a battlefield.”

It took me a moment to realize why his last few sentences sounded familiar, but when I did, I froze in shock. They were the same words I had heard at the beginning of my Awakening, spoken in my first vision.

On the Astral Plane, they had sounded distorted, and I was unable to recognize the voice, but I doubted it was a coincidence. That first voice had been Girem, telling me what was expected of me this first semester.

Snapping back to reality, I realized Girem had stopped speaking and was instead closely examining my face.

“I apologize, sir. I think the Awakening wore me out more than I thought.” I said. I realized after I said it that it was true. My entire body was sluggish with exhaustion, and I was looking forward to lying down.

Narrowing his eyes, Girem replied sharply. “I understand, Vayne, but I have to prepare you for tomorrow. To continue, when you are in your advisory session, you will sign up for the counselor lesson track. It should be focused heavily on supplementary magical knowledge. Your primary goal during your training is to learn skills to assist the Esttons. That leaves them free to focus on more practical talents befitting their status. After your advisory session, you will return to the entrance hall of the Academy and wait for Sophia and Leon to return.”

“I understand, sir.”

A glimmer of warmth found its way onto Girem’s face, and he gave the slightest grin. It was surprising, although he had been cordial to me over the years, outright compassion was scarce,

“You have done well today, go upstairs and wait for a servant to bring you to the baths. After they finish cleaning you up, return to your room and get some rest. I am sure you will need it. Tomorrow, you officially become an apprentice of the Academy.” Girem said, his tone making it clear it was an order.

Standing up, I bowed politely and made for the stairs. Internally I felt no small measure of displeasure at what had just transpired. Already, I was beginning to fulfill the life I had seen in my visions. Girem was right about one thing. I would need to get some rest. The real work at changing my future began in the morning.