Torros' biography was fascinating and painted a picture far different from the one I had of Cortos. Even looking at him in the most favorable possible light, Cortos was a controversial figure. While he was brilliant, and I shared several of his personality traits, he was undoubtedly a selfish, arrogant man far more concerned with his own well-being that his country.

By contrast, Torros was a selfless, humble person who felt his duty to Ferris eclipsed everything else in his life. While Cortos sought to abandon Ferris for his ambitions, Torros pursued his aspirations to help strengthen Ferris.

Growing up, Torros set himself apart from his peers early with his incredible prowess as a mage. He was an almost inhuman prodigy, capable of seemingly instinctively improving his magical skills and progressed at an unheard-of pace.

After graduating as the most exceptional student in centuries, Torros joined the Ferren battlemages rather than pursuing a safe, profitable position in the capital. Although he was intelligent and well educated, Torros felt his power meant he had a duty to protect his country. Quickly setting himself apart as a masterful warrior, Torros became feared by the Wandering Cities as one of our greatest mages.

The Battle of the Red Glass, in particular, stood out. One of the Wandering Cities drew close to the border, and Torros rode out to confront them on the sandy dunes and drive them back. Reports say that his lightning magic turned the sand to glass, and the blood of his foes stained the ground a deep crimson shade. Enough men fell in battle to him that the Tinkerers did not dare cross Ferris for a century after his death, terrified that their butcher still lived.

The story that made him a legend, and gave him his title of "Titan-Bane," was his battle against a massive, ancient fire dragon that dwelled in the east. The beast was millennia old, nearly unkillable, and had killed dozens of mages over the centuries, often attacking border towns. Every attempt to slay it had failed, until Torros confronted it on an open field.

Hours of battle and several miles of devastation later, and the dragon laid dead. If I had not seen the destruction I caused when I became an Archmagus, I would not believe it possible.

Torros died an Archduke, one of only several ever to live, but he only took this title because refusing it would be an insult to the king. He showed no personal interest in riches, land or prestige, and refused to marry, having no interest in romance. He died without any living family, or children, alone in a mansion, too weak to contain the might of his mana. In a way, it was a somewhat tragic end to an otherwise incredible life.

While all of this gave me an idea of the man, I was far more interested in his magic.

Some mages focused on overwhelming power, throwing as many attacks as possible. Others used defensive skills to wait out their opponents, until exhaustion set in and they could capitalize on the weakness. Still others preferred unorthodox combat styles, using unconventional methods that were nearly impossible to predict and counter,

Torros fell into the third category.

In battle, he almost exclusively utilized a spell of his creation, known by an exhaustingly long name of "partial-body transmutation of flesh to mana." Or as it was more commonly known, Lightning Form. An incredibly complex piece of magic, the spell imbued the human body with the essence of lightning mana, granting Torros incredible speed and offensive capabilities.

Although it took over a decade to develop and master, more mana than most mages would ever possess and ran the risk of killing the user every time they cast it, the spell made Torros invincible. Even though he was not nearly as fast as real lightning, it was still effectively impossible for any human, and most magic beasts, to follow and defend from him.

Even if no one else had ever replicated it, that was quite an intriguing spell, and definitely worth a closer look. Unfortunately, most of the details beyond the absolute basics of the technique were not included, and I suspected that this was deliberate. Still, I copied anything useful I could find into two separate piles of paper, one for Sophia and the other for my personal collection.

The other books I had grabbed dealt with typical lightning magic spells, techniques, simple cultivation methods, resources, and a dozen other minor variables. They were dry and dense, mostly filled with information that I had already learned, but together they gave me a more complete image of lightning mana.

I would have to thank Girem profusely for his constant drills on speed-reading and information retention, or this would be a torturous exercise. A stack of several pages sat on my desk, and I knew I would need to spend some long nights cross-referencing information and digging further, but for now, it would work well enough.

I glanced over at the genealogy book, feeling a flash of distaste at investigating Amelia. I cared about her, more than I had intended, and it felt uncomfortable digging into her private life. Her business was her business, and if she had a reason to not tell me her family name, I should not pry. After a minute of internal discussion, I decided to put off my investigation until later.

Standing, I grimaced at the headache that made itself suddenly clear to me. I must have pushed myself too hard studying and decided to try and clear my head with some exercise. As mana surged through my body in the movements of Iron Forging, I swung my sword-staff through various stances, careful to make each as close to perfect as possible. Nothing short of that would suffice, and the clarity that came over me made something clear.

Although the safety of Volaris was comforting, it was also a chain that bound me to the city. I could not train in total freedom, and I always moved about worried about the schemes and machinations of others. I had not experienced much in the way of delays yet, but that was because I was stuck tempering, and needed Cortos' chamber. If, or rather when, I finished with that stage, Volaris and the Academy would become a hindrance to my growth.

There, in the cold light of Cortos' sanctum, I made a decision. When I finished tempering, I would make plans to leave Volaris and make my way to the next of Cortos' hidden vaults, to make use of the rest of his legacy.

The remaining days until the weekend passed quickly, as I spent most of my waking time reading and rereading books on lightning magic. My nights were spent alone in the Grand Library, carefully picking my way through massive texts on lightning mages of the centuries, trying to find knowledge from old stories and legends.

Maybe it was my hunger for power and knowledge, or perhaps it was desperation, but I slowly began to pick out bits and pieces of wisdom from the pages. In those pages, I found minor mentions of techniques used by masters, or hints of various cultivation methods that I could use to advance my knowledge. Although it did not deal with Aether directly, I was slowly developing a full picture of the secrets of magic.

By the end of my research, a thick packet of fifty pages sat on my desk, written in my tiny, neat handwriting. I had worked through the previous night finishing it, leaving me without sleep but also with the burning feeling of satisfaction at my accomplishment. I had predicted it would take at least three weeks, but I had managed to get it done in just under one.

Yawning loudly, I rubbed my eyes before standing at glancing out the window at the rising sun. It was early in the morning, but I knew from our trip that Sophia should be up at this hour, likely already training. Making my way through the deserted hallways, I rapped twice on her door with my knuckles.

Several seconds later, Sophia answered her door, glancing around the hallway before inviting me in. I was effectively her servent, which gave me more latitude in entering the room of an unmarried woman, but it seems she was still worried about how it may appear.

Sophia's room was similar to the rest I had been inside, but I noted that her bookshelves were packed with hundreds of tomes. Her desk had several wands on it, and I spotted a strange array on the floor, written in blue. It was too far to note any particular symbols, and when Sophia noticed my gaze, she walked over and covered the markings with a small sheet.

"So, I trust you were successful?" Sophia asked as she crossed the room and sat in a chair. I remained standing, noting that the other seats were all occupied with pages of paper and books. Several of the tomes I saw were ones I had read over the week, and I briefly wondered why she wanted my help if she was already digging into lighting magic herself.

"Yes, my lady. This packet contains all of my findings and my best suggestions to improve your cultivation. I arranged it in order, with chapters individually dedicated to cultivation methods, alchemic improvements, enchanted items to boost training, and spells with potential individual modifications. Unfortunately, most of these are proprietary information restricted from my access or held by specific noble families. Still, with your father's aid, you might be able to acquire some of them." I replied, folding my arms behind my back.

"And what about the non-restricted supplies and information?"

"I have noted all pertinent details, removing as much unneeded information on the techniques and skills. For supplies, might I recommend Simon Helton from our trip to the wilds? His family specializes in enchantments and alchemy, and I am confident they would suit our needs." I fired off my answer with sharp, professional confidence.

Flipping through the first few pages, Sophia glanced back up to me and gave me a smile that I almost believed was genuine.

Almost.

"Thank you, Vayne. You have gone a long way to proving your value to me, and I will be sure to pass along my satisfaction to my father," she said, her smile still on her features.

I bowed in response, not fooled by her praise and wondering what her angle was in requesting my help. On the surface, it made sense, but something told me I was not wrong to suspect her. Still, it was better to remain in her good graces, even if I did plan to leave Ferris. I would rather have as few enemies as I could manage, after all.

When she turned her attention back down to my notes, I assumed she had dismissed me. With another bow, lower this time, I turned on one heel and crisply walked from her room.

Walking down the hallway, I felt a glimmer of satisfaction, glad that I had completed one task. Classes would resume in two days, and I could begin my preparations for my accelerated forging scheme once Simon finished ordering all of the supplies I needed.

Suddenly, I drew up short on the staircase, finding another person standing on the steps, staring up at me.

"Good afternoon, Vayne." Flynn Sion said, a grin on his features.

"Good afternoon, sir," I replied, bowing my head and mentally swearing. I doubted he would do anything in public, but any contact with him was undesirable.

"Flynn is fine, Vayne. We are friends, after all." Flynn said, taking a few steps closer, his grin never slipping. I was reminded of the look the wolf had made before it tried to tear my arm off with its teeth.

"Of course, sir," I said immediately, not taking him up on his offer. Technically, we were all apprentices and equal in rank while still students, but I did not want to give him any chance to take offense.

"You have certainly made quite the name for yourself with your victory against that beast. Tell me, have you considered training as a battlemage? I could always use another, and my family would pay you quite well."

"Forgiveness, sir, but I have never had any interest. I am but an advisor, and I would never dream of betraying the Esttons or trying to rise above my station. I am glad to serve them." I answered, keeping my tone firm but polite.

A flicker of something I could not place crossed his features, and Flynn took several steps closer, placing one hand on my shoulder.

"Understandable. Either way, think about my offer. Take care, Vayne." he said, patting me once hard before brushing past me.

I shivered, some deep-seated instinct that kept our ancestors safe from predators telling me that he was a threat. I glanced back toward Flynn, watching his back disappear down a hallway and stretching out with my mana senses, probing his aura. I was not surprised when I found that his mana was the strongest I had seen in a first-year apprentice.

One problem disappears just as another rears its unwelcome head.