So.

Alex was now an Ascentionalist.

It had taken literally less than 20 minutes. His and Michael’s joke was heard by a fellow Ascentionalist, who was not so subtly eavesdropping at a nearby table. The mage in question wanted to win some faction points, so he immediately fired off a |Message| scroll to his direct faction superior. Who, wait for it, also wanted to win faction points, so he’d let Narh know along with a slight suggestion of mentioning just who delivered the news along. The centaur in question wobbles his way across the room to Regitris and that was that.

It seemed that the old elf thought it either a miracle or a brilliant plan from Michael to get the famous or perhaps infamous ex-Martial and Team Captain to join them. That was how Michael and Alex got teleported to an office, next to a smiling Narh and a beaming Regitris.

Some introductions, cajoling and promises later, Alex was named an Ascentionalist, changed his leather armor with a set of white robes and was invited to the Ascentionalist meeting later that day, thrown in his honor.

Personally, Michael thought this whole happening was in part done by Regitris to spite Kelunad and Aex probably figured it out as well. But his friend didn’t seem to mind and was actually happy to be a part of the ‘family’. Especially since, unlike the Martials, the Ascentionalists involvelved themselves more with missions than just the fighting. Clearing our rooms that were in their interest and retrieving interesting artifacts were more along their main goals. So, of course they spared little expense into decking Alex with whatever he wanted, as long as he went to missions they had on their agenda.

Which the Team Captain was more than happy to do.

Life’s weird.

That still didn’t change the fact that Michael’s own status was in flux. Kelunad claimed he was a Martial. Regitris claimed he was a Ascentionalists. The rest of the faculty… stay well clear of this mess. To him, it didn’t matter as much. Oh, it certainty messed up a few of his plans, but he thought they would work it out in the end. Somehow.

So, Monday came and with it Sinestra’s class. Which went about as well as always. They learned some more theory, the gorgon made half the classroom stare at her by stretching out her ‘scarf’ and they left with some reading material for the next class. At least, Sinestra stopped teasing Michael in front of the entire student body. Mostly.

Nahil’s Class, however, proved to be more interesting.

“Alright, settle down. This class will start right off, so stop gawking and find your seats. You, Michael, front and center.”

Michael saw that an arena had already been set up, though for the moment only Nahil and Erea were standing in it.

What… they want me to do another exhibition fight?

He noticed that his elven girlfriend was smiling, but… she wasn’t grinning. So, something was up, but… not bad, not terrible.

“Any idea what’s going on?” Micah asked.

“None. This shit always gets sprung up on me.” Michael complained.

“Professor Nahil seems to be part of it.” Bob reassured him. “This should mean that there is no danger.”

“Michael! Front and center!” the centaur bellowed.

With a wince, the young man stepped up, but the centaur started to speak before he could get an answer out of Erea.

“I will start of by saying that this is foolish. It is stupid and only serves for you to stare at a magical duel far outside your means. If anyone will learn anything it will be a miracle. However. It is a… tradition of this Academy, that should an organized duel take place, it should at least be attempted in such a way that our students can stand to learn. Not that you will.”

Michael saw the same confusion that he felt reflected on the faces of his colleagues.

“Me and Erea will stand here, protected by a secondary ward, to stand as judges, in case the victory is not clear. Michael will as well, as he is the prize of this fight.”

“The what?”

“Be silent! You’ll see soon enough.” Nahil thundered, before moderating his voice to a level almost grudgingly grandfatherly. “I know you think this stupid. I do too. But such is sometimes the way of this Academy.”

He turned forwards again, leaving Michael in even more of a wondering state and spoke.

“On my right, we have Mage Kelunad. His claim to have Mage Michael as a member of the Martials will be put to the test.”

Kelunad stepped forward from… nothing. It was as if He stepped out from the air. Camouflage spells… or a Skill.

“On my left, we have the pretender. A high mage of the Ascentionalists, here to defend Mage Michael’s initial pledge. Please welcome-“

Oh, hell no. They’re gonna duke it out in front of the entire Class? But how does Nahil think his ward can even hold-

“-Mage Narh.”

The chubby centaur stepped out of his own camouflaged corner and waved at the students.

…what?

“This is a joke and not an inspired one, Narh.” Kelunad spoke. “Regitris should challenge me himself, if he wills it.”

“Yes, well, that is the difference between our factions, Mage Kelunad. We don’t need to fight our battles alone.”

“Yet alone you stand.”

“Enough. Mages, restrain yourselves. I am raising the secondary ward, now. Erea, Michael. Do not step beyond it. The fight will commence in three, two, one… now!”

Michael had to hand it to him. Chubby as he was… no. No, let’s be honest. Fat as he was, the centaur really was a high mage. And an Ascetionalist one at that. He went on the offense immediately, Spells flying faster than Michael could have thought of.

Swirls or steaming water, followed by fireballs that split in the air, homing to attach from different directions. Lightning bolts that zig-zagged, sometimes earthing themselves in the jets of water propelling forwards at the orc. And all this time, Narh had been moving. Never staying still, always on the lookout for the inevitable counterattack.

The orc however… seemed uninterested. He blocked most of the spells with shielding Spells. Arrays of light and rarely air appeared in front of him, catching most of the Spells. Rarely, he let some Spells hit him, perhaps only to demonstrate that they couldn’t hurt him. Not once did he reach for the sword.

Until he did.

“|I Cut|.” The orc spoke and waved his sword in a lazy arc.

With a shout, the centaur fell down, his right front leg cut away below the knee.

“That Skill was a low blow, if I may say so myself, Mage Kelunad.” Nahil severely said.

Yeah, not shit. He just one-offed him.

“He should not have faced me, if he was this unprepared. It seems I have won. Yet, this is a challenge, not a simple duel. Tell me, Mage Narh, as the loser of this challenge, do you accept that Mage Michael is now a full Martial? Does your faction relinquish all claims of him?”

“Never.” The centaur said with a snarl.

“I thought as much. Then I regret to inform you that by Gnosis Rule, set in place long before either of us ever walked its halls, a challenge ends when one side relinquishes their claim or when the victor claims victory over the pretender. The exact definition of this victory being left to the victor.”

Michael didn’t like the sound of that. And he especially didn’t like the way Kelunad stalked forwards, sword still in hand.

“Kelunad! Restrain yourself. This is barbaric.”

“Yes. It is. Yet my people have often been called barbaric, have they not?”

“Sir?” Erea asked uncertainly. “What are you-“

“Silence, child.”

“Kelunad.” Michael spoke. “Whatever you want to do, don’t.”

The orc glanced at him amusedly.

“You are one of mine, Michael, even should I defeat a score more of pretenders. That, however, does not give you the right to challenge me.”

Michael saw what he was about to do, as the orc stood in front of the downed centaur and raised his sword. But why wasn’t Nahil doing anything? Because of the traditions? The rules? Maybe, but… Michael though his battle professor would have intervened, damn the rules. It was just that…

The orc was too strong. And he had the rules on his side. And Narh?

“Final chance. Will you accept?”

No. Dammit, he wasn’t like this before? Why am I so important?

“I am an Ascentionalist, Kelunad. We don’t back down either.”

“Spirit. Too little and too late.”

The sword started to descend.

Michael didn’t know when he ran forwards. He didn’t know when he stepped in front of Narh and when he raised his hands, willing desperately for something, anything to happen. He just knew that he shouted.

“NO!”

The orc had less of a second to widen his eyes, before something lifted him off his feet and slammed through Nahil’s barrier and into the far wall.

The entire classroom was silent. Michael was breathing hard and suddenly felt dizzy. He fell to his knees.

How… how did I do that?

His eyes were swimming, but is gaze focused enough to see Kelunad pull himself up from the ruble. It was odd, but the orc was smiling. Michael thought he looked… satisfied.

He woke up in a rather luxurious bed, the sound of shuffling around him.

“Michael! My boy, are you alright?” Regitris asked, looked worried, coming to sit on a chair next to his bed.

“Uhm… yeah. I’m… fine. Sir, can I ask? What am I doing here?”

“My boy, what is the last thing you remember?”

“I… was in Class and… there was a duel and… Narh! Sir, is-“

“Narh is quite alright, Michael and he’ll be happy to know you’re so worried about him. That cut was made by a Skill, but fortunately Kelunad used no others. Hector reattached the leg without a problem.”

“Good…” he huffed. “Good. Sir… why is this happening? This has gotten out of hand. I’m just a First Year.”

Regitris looked at him strangely, as if holding something back, but finally he nodded.

“Until recently, I thought the same. Oh, you are certainly a very valuable mage. Studious, intelligent, brave. All as Acentionalist should ever wish to be. Ever striding. I have though Mage Kelunad only wished you for his faction because of your fighting prowess or because the deal between you two. Perhaps even to spite me. But… I now believe he had seen something that I had not. Which saddens me, my boy. I have given you far less attention that I should have.”

“Sir, I really am just a First Year, and you are the Ascetionalist leader. And the |Exemplar of Gnosis|. I understand I’m perhaps better than those of my year, but I don’t believe I merit special consideration.”

“Yet you receive it.” the elf laughed. “From more than one faculty member. As for me being the Exemplar… Tell me, Michael. Do you remember how you managed to deflect Kelunad? About how it felt.”

Michael thought back to that time between seconds. It had been an impulse, really. Just a desire not to see Narh killed or maimed. He just remembered pushing. And… pulling?”

“I’m not sure, sir. I think I felt that I ‘moved’ something. I can’t properly explain it.”

“I thought as much. And have you ever felt that you could ‘move’ energy around? Perhaps, what you think of the as the ‘will’ of Gnosis.”

“Uhm… not exactly move. But… yes. I did feel Gnosis move around me. I half thought in was in my head.” He confessed.

“Strange events? Strange feelings?”

“Yes.”

The mage sighed.

“Once more, his brilliance moves ahead of me. I believe that is why Mage Kelunad acted the way he did. He must have seen it and forced you to… well, ‘order’ instead of ‘ask’. Push yourself to control Gnosis directly instead of bartering with it.”

“Gnosis, sir?”

“Yes, Michael. My Class, |Exemplar of Gnosis|. It means much and it is hard to explain wo one without it, but it allows me to exert my will upon this academy. It is a gift, born of study and loyalty to these halls. One I strived for. Yet, I know it is also something one can be blessed with.”

“Oh. So… the reason Kelunad claimed as one of his own and pretended to kill Narh was to, what, wake this up in me?”

“Only the latter, I believe. The former… no. I truly believe Kelunad sees you as a Martial. And wants you for his faction. I also believe he wants shape your Class. You see, Michael, both you and I can ‘communicate, for lack of a better word, with Gnosis. But where I carry a dialogue, I believe Kelunad would want you to order it. To be its master, not its partner.”

“I se. I think. But why?”

“That, my boy, I do not know. Me and Kelunad have not been… as close, of late. But one thing I am sure off. I cannot be sure of his plans, be they beneficial or not, so I must end them. It seems I must finally confront my former student.”

Michael left Regitris, more worried than ever. If the two fought then no matter what the outcome was, their factions wouldn’t just take it lying down. There’d be an outright war. And this was supposed to be a school!

He wasn’t sure anymore. Of this fight, of this… ‘gift’. Of too many things.

Yet even so, a sardonic part of his mind, which kept a mental check of his ‘character sheet’, spoke.

Hidden Abilities, check.