Dante had to wipe the sweat from his eyes as he struggled for air. The whole team was sprawled out on the training field in similar states of fatigue. The initial plan was to run through the obstacle courses and practice their team formations. Those plans were unceremoniously thrown out when Instructor Perez happened to walk by and couldn’t help but ‘instruct them’ on the proper way to train. Instructor Perez was quite pleased that they were training on their day off. Their initiative wasn’t often seen in first years but he was disappointed that they were not pushing themselves.

“There is no use training if you half ass it!” He shouted. He had shouted this numerous times as the team ran through the obstacle courses over and over. The last few laps might have been given as punishment when he caught Gretta humming to herself. She hadn’t done it intentionally, she was always humming or singing, but this particular tune was giving the team a boost to their energy, like a second wind times ten. We were briskly reminded that Instructor Perez does not allow first years to use magic on his field.

Instructor Perez looked over the team as they were laid out in complete exhaustion.

“Now that is proper training!” Instructor Perez said cheerfully. “I expect each of you to train everyday as hard as you did today. Make sure to eat lunch and drink plenty of water.”

With a nod of approval, he turned and strolled off. Dante hadn’t even known he had left until he was finally able to sit up. Everyone was drenched in sweat and it wasn’t even noon yet. After a few minutes, they were finally able to stand and head back to their dorm to clean up.

“Ow, ow, ow! I’m going to be sore for the rest of my life!” Ferris complained as he sat down. The mess hall was somewhat empty on sixth and seventh days so Dante found it bearable to eat lunch on those days. They were all sore and tired from training.

“That was hard, even for me.” Jasmi added. “I don’t think I will ever look at the obstacle course again and not cringe.”

Kelsi just shook her head. “This is what we should have been doing when we first got here. We all do well enough but it seems we haven’t been pushing ourselves. There is a reason the rest of our class is catching up to us.”

They nodded but still gave the occasional grumble as they ate. Dante started to sense something odd. He tried to shrug it off but then noticed the familiarity of it. It felt exactly like the feeling he felt during the first day, a cloying hatred that made him sick to his stomach. He looked around the room at the few tables that were occupied and recognized someone a few tables away.

Teron was staring at him. No, not at him, at Jasmi. His gold eyes stared unrelentingly at Jasmi. Dante realized he had never told Jasmi about his previous encounter with him.

Teron was sitting with a group of people as finally dressed as he was. They all wore the same uniform but theirs seemed to stand out more. A girl with black hair and olive skin was whispering in his ear and laughing. She would definitely be considered pretty, but her smile made Dante’s skin crawl. The other two boys at the table had their backs to him but they were almost, if not as big, as Ferris. Unfortunately, Jasmi saw where Dante’s attention was and as she looked towards the other table, Teron gave her an amused smirk. Jasmi’s hand suddenly grip Dante’s arm and he felt her hand shaking. The rest of the table noticed as well but Gretta quickly stood from the table, a tray of half eaten lunch in her hands.

“Let go back to the dorms, please.” Gretta said quietly. The rest of the group looked a little confused but followed her out of the mess hall. Dante took another look at the table and noticed Teron was still staring, as was the rest of his table. His smirk was still there and his eyes glowed intensely.

Gretta waited until they were in the common room before she spoke.

“Jasmi, I think we you need to tell the rest of the team a little more about your history with Teron.” Gretta said.

Jasmi sighed and nodded after a few tense moments.

“Teron’s grandfather is the head of Atahchi family. Teron and I were…betrothed.” Jasmi said.

“Betrothed? As in engaged?” Dante asked.

Jasmi nodded her head.

“Wait, how did you get engaged so young?” Ferris asked in confusion.

“Many of the upper tier families have arranged marriages.” Gretta said. “Usually being set up when the children are still young.”

“Gretta, how do you know so much about this stuff?” Kelsi asked.

Jasmi interrupted before she could answer.

“Yes, I had an arranged marriage but that’s not unheard of, especially since we are both from successful merchant families. The real problem is that even though my Grandfather had the right to set me as heir, he did not have the right to arrange my marriage. My parents were furious and had the arrangement called off and Teron’s family did not take kindly to that.” Jasmi slumped down in her seat. She looked exhausted just from sharing that little bit of her past. After a few moments, she walked back to her room with Gretta and Kelsi closely following her, leaving Dante and Ferris behind.

“Dante, let’s go to Academy Workshop.” Ferris said.

Dante shrugged, getting up to follow Ferris.

“What’s at the Academy Workshop?” Dante asked.

“It’s a place where you can buy certain things produced by the Academy and it’s students. You can buy armor or weapons or other specialty items like potions enchantments.” Ferris said.

“Ferris, I don’t know if you have realized this, but we don’t have any money.” Dante said.

Ferris shook his head. “You don’t need money. The workshop only takes student credits.”

“And how do we get credits?” Dante asked.

Ferris grinned. “They have a request board set up. Just like the Adventurer’s guild. We get what they need and we receive credits.”

Dante just shook his head. He had spent so much of his time training that he didn’t even know the Academy had a place like this. He followed Ferris outside the dorms and over towards the middle of the Academy grounds. Just to get to the workshop, it had taken them almost half an hour to walk there. They were both still sore from their earlier workout but the walk had warmed up their muscles, slightly easing their pain.

The Workshop towered over the other Academy buildings. The six-story marbled building had a steady flow of people heading in and out which worried Dante. The crowd wasn’t very large but he could already feel them on the edge of his perception. Most of the older students were passing the store front which covered most of the main floor, and disappeared up a side staircase.

“Wonder where they’re headed.” Ferris said.

“Those students are most likely working in the workspaces located above.” A familiar voice stated from behind. Ferris and Dante turned around to find Miss Telis casually standing behind them. “Those students are mostly Enchanters and Alchemist. As long as their work is approved, they can sell their items to the Academy which will in turn, sell them in the workshop store.

“Do they earn credits as well, Miss Telis?” Ferris asked,

Miss Telis smiled. “So, you have heard about student credits already? Yes, they earn credits for their work.”

“And the other ways to earn credit Miss Telis?” Dante asked.

She shook her head smiling. Every student finds out about student credit sooner or later. The orphans usually jump at the chance to earn something for themselves. It was very common at the Academy and she suspected that the entirety of her former class would find their way here sooner or later. “Follow me.” She told the boys and headed to her office.

On the second floor, doors lined a long marble hallway. Some rooms were work spaces while others looked like small classrooms. Miss Telis led them to the end of the hall. Her office was impressive. Shelves lined the walls and were filled with books and scrolls. A large office desk was towards the back and there was even a separate desk along the back corner that had several projects and tools laying atop. Miss Telis sat behind her desk and motioned for the two boys to sit.

“There are several ways to earn student credits. Many assume that you need to be an Alchemist or Enchanter but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While those affinities are able to sell their work at the workshop, they still need components such as herbs, essence crystals and a number of other ingredients for their craft. They either don’t have the time or don’t want to waste the time getting these themselves so they buy them from the workshop. The workshop will then post what they need on the request board and students much like yourselves can go and get them.”

Ferris and Dante smiled at the idea of being able to earn credits.

Miss Telis continued. “Now you need to know the restrictions.” The boy’s smiles dimmed a little at that. “Some requests can only be taken if you are the appropriate year. You must be a second year or higher to go on the weekend expedition trips outside the tower. First years however can’t leave the Academy without written approval so there is only one option. Pest control.”

Dante and Ferris grimaced at the news.

“So, we need to kill bugs and rats?” Ferris asked.

“Among other things.” Miss Telis answered, flashing a brilliant smile at the boys.

Dante remembered seeing that smile when she had convinced Head Historian Louis to teach him magic. Dante did not have a good feeling.

The next day found Dante, Kelsi, Ferris, Jasmi and Gretta hunting along the copse of trees spread throughout the campus. The group was armed with nets, clubs and a large leather sack.

“Explain to me again why we need to do this?” Gretta complained.

Dante sighed. The request had asked for wood beetles. They were used in Alchemy potions and they also tended to ruin the trees so they needed to be culled from time to time. The request was actually two in one so it gave extra credits.

“If we want to earn credits, then we have to do the requests.” Dante said for the fifth time.

“Yes, that I understand.” Gretta said. “But why do we have to deal with bugs? Weren’t there any fluffy, non-disgusting animals on the request board?”

“We could always hunt rats by the beast enclosure.” Ferris said happily.

Gretta turned a little green and shook her head.

The biggest problem that the group came across was that the wood beetles were the same color as the bark on the trees. They hadn’t found anything for an hour and the group was starting to detest the request. They were checking a group of trees near the dorms when they came across some solid advice.

“Hit the trees.”

The group turned to see an older student walking by. He must have been at least a third year given his build. He had light skin and dark brown hair and his eyes glowed Jade, identifying him as a Beast Mage.

“I’m sorry?” Kelsi asked.

“Hit the trunk of the trees with the clubs. The wood beetles become agitated and move around so you can spot them. Then use the nets and toss them in the bag.” The student said.

“Thanks a lot. We would have been searching all day. I’m Ferris by the way, this is Kelsi, Jasmi, Gretta and Dante.” Ferris said.

“Whoa!” The student said as he saw Dante’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I heard that there was an Essence Mage here but I figured it was just a rumor. Oh, I’m Collin by the way.”

“It’s not a problem.” Dante replied. “It’s all still pretty new to me.”

Collin smiled. “Yeah, I could see how that would be a bit odd to deal with. Well, I hunted plenty of wood beetles as a first year. Make sure to check the far side of the training field, there are usually a lot there.”

Collin waved goodbye and headed off while the group finally caught some beetles. Gretta was probably the least comfortable with the request but she pulled her weight and by the end of the day, the sack full of beetles gave them forty credits each. It wasn’t much but it was their first hunt together.

“We should hunt every day!” Ferris exclaimed. His enthusiasm was well shared by the group.

“I don’t think I will be able to.” Dante said sourly. “Historian Louis will have me on a new routine starting tomorrow so I don’t know if I will have any free time.”

“Well at least we should hunt during the weekends. It only takes a few hours so we can fit that in.” Ferris said.

Kelsi nodded. “It is a good idea. Plus, the added benefit of working as a group will be invaluable to us.” The rest of the team smiled at that.

“Head Historian Louis? I’m not sure I understand.” Dante said worriedly.

“What’s hard to understand boy?! Just feel the Essence around you and then mold into a solid shape.”

Dante was even more confused. “And how do I mold something I can’t physically touch or see?”

The Historian threw up her hands in frustration. “With your mind! If you can sense Essence than you should be able to affect it as well.”

“But doesn’t every Mage sense Essence when they use their magic?” Dante asked.

“No.” The Historian sighed. She had no idea why children were not being taught things this simple. “When a Mage pulls in Essence to use their affinity, they are not actually feeling raw Essence but their own magics reaction to the Essence.” Seeing that Dante was still confused, she tried another tactic.

“Every human has a small amount of Essence in them, correct?” The Historian asked.

Dante nodded.

“Well, that Essence is actually attuned to a specific affinity! At first, it is unformed but after a child has been able to experience life for a time, they develop certain traits that define their personality. That is why the affinity reflects upon the personality, the Essence attunes to the child’s desires. When a student pulls in Essence, they are actually converting the Essence into their affinity magic as it enters their body. They store it and then use it as needed. The problem is that it takes time to convert the Essence into an affinity magic so Mages need to be careful how they use it in combat.”

Dante nodded again. “So, what about my affinity then?”

The Historian grinned. “That, child, is the question. Are you converting and storing Essence as well or are you using the Essence directly around you? Essence Mages don’t appear very often and when they do, Historians seem to forget that facts or more important than legacy. There are too many damn contradictions. So, you and I are going to solve that puzzle.”

“Wait, you don’t know if this is actually going to work?!” Dante asked.

“Of course, I don’t know if it’s going to work! Do I look like a Gods-be-damned Essence Mage to you?! Now concentrate boy, we have a lot of work to do.” The Historian yelled.

“But what about my Empath abilities? I still can’t control it.” Dante said dejectedly.

“I’m still working on it but after what you told me and how you dealt with the small gathering in your common room, I think I have a few ideas.” The Historian said encouragingly. Dante nodded and sat on the floor to attempt to mold Essence.

Nothing happened. For hours, Dante sat in the Historians library. He could somewhat sense the Essence around him but he couldn’t see it or feel it. Dante was worried that he was out of his depth. He worried that he would never understand his abilities or how to control them. He worried that his friends would leave him behind in their progress. He worried that he would never be able to set foot in a crowd without passing out. His face must have betrayed his thoughts because Dante was suddenly hit on the head. A thud echoed through the room.

When he opened his eyes, Historian Louis was standing over him with a book in her hand and a grimace on her face.

“I told you to feel for Essence boy, not wallow in self-pity! You think worrying about things will solve your problems? You need to start focusing on it. Take it apart piece by piece and examine it. This is just another step in your life and you’re just standing there waiting for something to happen. Get out of here and think on it.” She said angrily.

Dante jumped to his feet and headed back to his dorm. The Historian might give good advice but his head still hurt from that hit. That book was not small.

Dante was startled awake as he felt a chill run through his body. As his eyes opened, he saw the familiar sea of Essence around him. He slowly looked around himself to see that he was floating near a glowing orb. The same orb that had nearly blinded him over a month ago. “Has it been that long since I had this dream?” Dante thought. The orb pulsed as if responding to his question. Dante stared at the silvery ball of light. It didn’t seem to be too bright this time. Instead, the soft glow gave off a comforting feeling. Dante made his way to the orb slowly. The silver light pulsed and swirled as if delighted the Dante was there. Unsure of what to do, he reached out towards the orb, placing his hand delicately on the surface. He was greeted a familiar voice.

“Hello.” The voice said happily.

“Umm…hello. Who are you?” Dante said nervously.

The voice giggled in his head. “I told you, Dante. I am Essence.”

“Oh.” Dante said. “What do you want?”

“What do you want?” The voice replied.

“To understand.” He replied with a sad laugh.

The orb laughed. “Yes, understanding is good but it must be learned.”

“Can you teach me how to learn?” Dante asked hopefully. He desperately needed a starting point to work from. “I don’t know how to start all this. I keep getting overwhelmed and passing out. I have an Instructor and she is helpful, mostly, but even she admits that she isn’t sure.”

“You start with feeling, you continue with purpose, you achieve through will.” Essence replied.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.” Dante said downhearted.

“It is the essence of all things. You must first know what you are feeling. Then you must have a reason. Then you must believe in it.” The voice said kindly.

“Feeling, purpose, will.” Dante repeated.

“Yes. You must be honest with yourself. You cannot doubt or you will be unable to act.” The voice said.

Doubt was something Dante was familiar with, especially as of late. He doubted he would move forward. He had doubted he would ever learn how to become a Mage. He had doubted so much and all of it seemed to press down upon him.

“I am creation. The will of being.” Essence told him. “You are overwhelmed by your doubt. You cannot create with doubt.”

“I will try harder!” Dante pleaded.

“That is a good start Dante.” The voice said approvingly. “Feeling, purpose and will. Remember that and cast aside your doubt. As an Essence Mage you are more attuned with creation. Your empathy is not an ability, it is your connection to Essence. You must accept that connection.”

“How?” Dante asked quietly.

“Feeling, purpose, will.” Essence stated.

The world around him faded, leaving him in darkness.

Alistern Atahchi sat behind his desk as he read reports from his several businesses. The head of the family was old but that had not affected the man’s bearing. His gold eyes shined brightly as hit tan skin held few wrinkles and his hair was mostly still black with a few strands of gray throughout. Alistern did not mind it however, he had earned those gray hairs with hard work and efficiency. He would not dye it like some of the other vain merchants who worried more about their looks than they should.

A messenger entered the room and Alistern waved him forward, the messenger approached nervously as he handed him the scroll. He read it thoroughly and then read it again to make sure.

“Is it true?” Alistern asked the messenger.

“Yes sir. The girl is at the Academy and the boy, Dante, is one of her friends.” The messenger answered.

“So, she is alive. I thought orders were for her to share the same fate as her parents.” Alistern said with disappointment. The messenger noticeably shivered.

“Yes sir, that was the order. Her handmaiden was missing as well so she might have taken her to the orphanage that very night.” The messenger quickly replied.

Alistern nodded. It was a problem but it could be solved. “And the boy? He is really an Essence Mage?” Doubt was evident in Alistern’s voice.

“I saw him myself sir.” The messenger said eagerly. “His eyes were shining silver.”

Alistern sat back in his chair thinking. “This will change things. Keep watching him. If another house moves in on him, kill him. We will have that boy or no one will.”

The messenger paled but nodded and left the room quickly.

Alistern smiled to himself. An Essence Mage is just what he needed.