Chapter 15: Bending the Rules

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“I’d never have made an exception for you, young man, if Lukas hadn’t written to me. Those who miss the tests usually have to wait till the next year, as is protocol. I almost refused Lukas’ request too, but fortunately for you, the High Priestess seems to have taken a small interest in you,” Headmistress Sah’ra said. They were gathered in her office, seated around a small table.

Draygor noted with interest that her office was quite plain, as compared to the overall grandeur of the Academy’s buildings. It was a good thing, in his opinion, as it meant that the funds for the Academy were being used for more important things, though it resulted in the room having a bit of a gloomy and drab atmosphere. Sah’ra cleared her throat as she continued, addressing Draygor primarily with her words.

“That being said, I’m impressed in your potential. Skilled in close combat, and unexpectedly proficient in mind magicks. Most students practising mind magicks would only be able to communicate telepathically after at least four years of practice, and even then their transmissions are choppy, at best. You… are an interesting specimen, Draygor Mithras.”

“There’s more that I’m capable of, though I’m not prepared to reveal the full extent of my abilities yet. If it’s possible, I would like to request unrestricted access to the library, as well as freedom from the… simpler classes. If I’m accepted, of course," Draygor thought to Sah’ra.

It was a bit of a stretch to ask for such conditions, but if they were granted, he would be able to save a lot of time. If the gods were to be believed, there was trouble approaching, and he needed to be prepared for whatever was coming. He needed more information, and he needed more strength.

“Those are tall orders – I’m sure you know that yourself. You carry yourself far beyond your age would suggest, young man… I won’t ask what you need those for at the moment, as I’m sure you won’t tell me just yet. I do need some proof, however, of some of your capabilities. For all I know, you could be trying to shirk your studies by requesting freedom from the beginner classes,” Sah’ra explained with an amused smile.

“Very well, Madam Sah’ra,” Draygor grinned.

He wasn’t capable of casting higher tiered magickal spells yet, but he’d give her a glimpse of what he knew. With a snap of his fingers, his right arm burst into flames, while his left froze into solid ice. Little bolts of lightning crackled between his hands, and he clasped them together to form a small, tri-coloured globe. With a thought, the flames withered away, and the ice melted, leaving only the coloured globe behind. The globe was transparent, and within it, a sea of flames enveloped a smaller ball of solid ice, though the ice did not melt. Bolts of lightning streaked through the globe, causing it to glow every time the lightning appeared.

Sah’ra gasped, her eyes bulging at the sight. “Permanent elemental manifestations and spatial containment?! Along with mind magicks… I’ve lived for over six decades, and I’ve only ever seen less than a handful of people capable of such skilful manipulation in multiple fields of magick – I myself can only boast about my proficiency in water magicks, and that took years of practice after I graduated to master. Even then, only one of them was capable of using more than two fields of magick. It was that immortal protector of the Ely, the White Death…” As she mentioned Draygor’s previous incarnation, she looked curiously at his white scales. Other than her already apparent surprise, however, she revealed no other expressions that he could discern.

Similarly, Lhi’ra and Kha’na were watching with awed, yet puzzled expressions. They weren’t able to follow the conversation due to parts of it being communicated telepathically. “Where did Draygor learn to do all this?” they thought.

While practitioners of mind magicks could tentatively read the minds of others, it was an extremely strenuous task, even for Draygor at his full power. People were never thinking of just one thing; their minds always had hundreds, if not thousands of thoughts – both conscious and unconscious – running through them, and it would take an absurd amount of time and effort in order to find a specific thought. The most efficient way was to simply give a mental order to the target, instructing them to say the thought aloud, but Draygor decided against using such a method here. It was extremely rude, and he considered it to be too immoral for his tastes, especially when used against people who meant him no harm. If the Headmistress had managed to make any connections between Draygor’s white scales and his previous life, she made no indication of it.

“I can see why you want to skip the easier classes. They’d certainly be of no use to you… such techniques are what students learn in their last few years here, and not all of them are able to do them! Most aren’t even able to glimpse any understanding of spatial magicks…” Sah’ra continued, partially understanding his request. “Alright. I’m prepared to admit you to both the warrior and mage academies. Less than fifty individuals have been offered something like this in the history of the Academy, so consider yourself lucky – no, lucky isn’t the word… you certainly have the ability to warrant such privilege.”

“As for your request, I’ll give you leave to not attend the magickal classes on subjects which you feel you’re comfortable with. Though, you will still have to take the tests and examinations when necessary. All floors of the library will be free for you to access, except for the top floor. Access to that level will only be allowed with my express permission, which I will provide if you can give me a good enough reason. As for your classes in the warrior academy, I will not be allowing you to skip them. The other students there will benefit from your presence. Sparring benefits both fighters, and I hope you’ll continue to inspire other students with your skill. These are the concessions I’ll provide for you for your admission. Are you agreeable to them, Draygor Mithras?” Sah’ra declared, looking at Draygor for his answer. Her conditions were beyond generous, especially for an eight year old she knew almost nothing about, and Draygor had no reason to refuse.

He nodded his agreement with a grin. “Agreed, Madam Sah’ra!”

“Wonderful! You’ll start in three days’ time,” she said, clasping her hands together with a wide smile. “I can tell things will be… entertaining with you around, and I hope you’ll give this old lady the pleasure of witnessing the fun.”

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Lhi’ra had bombarded him with questions as they made their way home. She had been curious about his growth before, but now after witnessing his spectacular progress, she only had more questions. She could accept his martial skills to be a product of Kha’na’s instructions, but she didn’t understand where his magickal skills had come from. If she’d heard the Headmistress correctly, her son was the first to be able to be skilled in magicks from so many fields at once. As Lukas had told her in her childhood, mages usually only chose one field to specialise in, since spreading out their expertise meant abysmally slow progress in each individual field. Furthermore, most mages had an affinity with certain types of magicks; some just weren’t able to venture out of their field of magick.

“I’m not sure either, mom… they just came to me over the years, like I’d known them all my life,” was Draygor’s explanation when she’d pressed for answers, but she found that hard to believe. Mages didn’t simply have information on how to cast certain spells popping up in their heads without someone teaching them! Still, Draygor provided no further details, and after giving it much thought, Lhi’ra accepted his explanation reluctantly. She was sure he was hiding something from her, but if he didn’t want to tell her about it, she wouldn’t pressure him. A wry smile came onto her face at the thought. A child keeping secrets from his parents surely meant that he was growing up – it wasn’t too long ago that she was keeping secrets from her parents as a teenager, and Draygor was definitely maturing faster than she had.

“Mom! Kha’na and I are going to the toy shop!” Draygor shouted from the entrance of the house. They had gotten home from the Academy a few hours ago, and Draygor had taken a short nap with his baby sister, having been tired out from the morning’s events. To be precise, the spar had been the one that exhausted him, since his body was still developing. The magical demonstration that he had given to the Headmistress was child’s play in comparison.

After his nap, he had spent an hour entertaining Tah’ra, playing with the doll he’d given her as well as reading her a children’s book. She had fallen asleep after he had finished the story, and he ruffled her little tuft of blonde hair as he tucked her into her cot. Having done that, Draygor decided to visit the toy shop with Kha’na, since the shopkeeper’s granddaughter had asked him to bring Kha’na along the last time he’d went.

“Come back soon!” Lhi’ra responded, popping her head out of the living room, where she had been polishing her armour.

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The old shopkeeper was as welcoming as ever. “So what are you here this time for, boy?”

They were seated in a small room at the back of the shop, watching Kha’na play with the old man’s granddaughter. Draygor retorted sarcastically. “I’m not here for you, old man. Your granddaughter’s much cuter, and much more fun to be around. Don’t you have a business to run? Surely you wouldn’t have time for a little kid like me.”

“Hah! Glad you know it, kid.”

Draygor had gotten closer to the old man after the many times he’d visited. They shared a weird relationship, and Draygor had gotten used to exchanging half-hearted insults with the man.

“You remind me of my son, boy. We used to fight all the time. He was a lazy bum, that kid, never wanting to learn the secrets of my trade. All he wanted to do was to go around exploring the world… can you believe the nerve? Hundreds of people want to learn my secrets, and he wanted to go exploring! Bah, he was a stubborn one. He went down fighting to his last breath during the invasion – only thing he’s done that I’m proud of,” The shopkeeper leant back into his chair as he reminisced about his son in a soft voice, his eyes sparkling with memories of the past.

“She really reminds me of my son when he was younger too…” he continued, turning to look at the little girl playing with Kha’na, his eyes cloudy with emotion. “She’s not my biological granddaughter, you know? Her parents went missing three years ago, when she was two. I found her nearly dead in one of the alleys. She’d left the house to find her parents after they didn’t return for two days, and nearly starved to death in that time… I’ve since adopted her, and I don’t know what I would have done if she’d been taken away the other day.”

Although his words were harsh, Draygor could see that he had really loved his son, as well as his adopted granddaughter. Though he was partially responsible for the death of Goddard's son, Draygor didn’t feel as guilty as he did before; he couldn’t right the wrongs that he’d done in the past. Instead, he’d decided that he’d live for those he had wronged. Draygor also wondered about the girl’s missing parents. Was it related to the unease around the city?

“Stubborn, eh? I can see where he gets that from,” Draygor said with a chuckle, turning to gaze at the little girl as well. “All that matters is that she’s safe now…” he muttered under his breath.

“Hahaha! Exactly like my wife used to say, kid!” the shopkeeper laughed, slapping his thigh. “It feels like we’ve become good friends, eh kid? Talking like this…”

“I’d never dream of it, old man,” Draygor gave another chuckle in return. “I’m curious – what do you actually do, that hundreds would want to learn your trade?”

“Finally you asked! Took you long enough, kid! And here I thought you were smarter! I make weapons, or well, I used to. Finest in all the kingdom, they’d say. Warriors from all over would come to commission a weapon from me,” the old man said proudly, thumping his chest for added effect.

“Used to? What changed? And why haven’t I heard of you, if you’re so famous?” Draygor asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Well I haven’t given you my name, have I, kid? To be honest, I don’t think you’ll know me even if I did. I’ve probably faded into obscurity by now,” the shopkeeper retorted, giving Draygor as serious glance as he continued. “Name’s Goddard, Goddard Jarne. I swore never to make another weapon after my son died, for as long as I live. War is a hideous thing, and I refuse to make tools to perpetrate it. I’ve put my skills to better use, as you can see. Making toys for the children and other essential tools if I’m commissioned. That small wooden dagger your friend bought doesn’t count as a weapon, in case you’re wondering. At least, not in my books.”

Draygor nodded solemnly at Goddard’s assessment of war. “War is a hideous thing indeed…”

“Bah, what do you know about war, kid? Thank the gods for the peace you have now, and keep praying that it lasts,” Goddard cursed.

Draygor said nothing at Goddard’s outburst. He understood where the man was coming from, and hoped that peace would reign for a long time. His heart told him otherwise, though – he knew that peace never lasted. At least, it never lasted long enough.

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It was in the evening when Draygor and Kha’na left Goddard’s shop. Despite that, the market district was still crowded with people, as it always was. It would only be quiet during the wee hours of the night, when the merchants went home to rest. As they exited Goddard’s shop, they were approached by a female soldier, clad in conspicuous white armour – a sign that she was one of the temple guard. While it represented her post, it also drew glances from everyone else in their vicinity.

“Draygor Mithras? The High Priestess summons you. Now,” the guard went straight to the point, relaying her message to Draygor. “Worry not about your parents, we’ve already informed them of the High Priestess’ instructions.”

“I take it that my companion is allowed to come along?” Draygor asked, referring to Kha’na. It was an unexpected call of summons from the High Priestess, but he decided to go along with it, since he needed to talk to her anyway.

“…The High Priestess made no specifications. Just… bring her along. Now, follow me,” the guard said hesitantly, before turning to push a way through the crowd as the pair followed her toward the direction of the temple.

“I’ll have to talk to the High Priestess about her choice of messengers… such obvious actions probably factored in a little to my kidnapping,” Draygor observed with a frown as he followed the soldier through the crowd.

“Ah, yes, master. It was one of the reasons we managed to identify you in the first place,” Kha’na whispered disdainfully in reply. She wasn’t looking forward to meeting the prophet of an ‘enemy’ god, though she offered no other resistance, since it was her master’s idea to bring her along.

As the trio made their way toward the Great Temple of Mhi’ra, a pair of eyes followed their every step, before the unknown figure slipped off into the shadows, unseen by the ones it had been stalking.

Heyo, here's Chapter 15! Hope you guys enjoyed it as usual.