“You brought me to a wall?” Koda asked Raine. They had been hiking the snowy mountain trail throughout the entire brisky, cold morning. Raine kept silent most of the way, giving him childish looks from time to time. She never told him where they were going, only that it was a surprise. Finally they stopped at a cliffside wall.

Koda peered at the wall, moving his hand along the crevices and brushing off the snow drifts from the more bulging aspects of stone. Granit, igneous, it seemed to be just a plain, old, rocky wall.

Raine giggled. She placed her hand on the smooth stone and just as she did the wall lit up with a sheen of indigo lights. The blunt stones glowed and hummed with soft runes. Dust shook from the cliff as it split down the middle and churned like gears. They sounded as if they were within the mountain itself. The wall opened with a grinding pull revealing a corridor.

Raine gave Koda a smug look and together the two mages walked through the door. Tiny orbs of light illuminated Koda’s cautious steps. Despite his elven vision, he felt uneasy on the dark pathway. He wasn’t sure what he was walking into and definitely wasn’t keen with Raine’s secrecy. The elf watched as his shadows flickered over the amethyst crystals that jutted from the walls and ceiling. He glanced at Raine who returned the look with a coy wink.

“We’re here,” she said.

Koda blinked. His friend played only more games with. He looked around. They arrived at a dead end. As enjoyable as the crystal cave was, there didn’t seem to be anything special about it. It wasn’t an underground city like Sik J’dio Sahde Alanoon, but he did not want to come off as rude. “Ah, interesting cave, Raine,” Koda finally said.

Raine smirked. She took a hold of a stalagmite and shifted it forward. Once again dust fell from the ceiling and the mountain rang with a churning sound. Koda yelped as his feet gave way and his body dropped through the ground. He kicked out his feet and tried to drag himself down the chute but it was to no avail, the slide was slick and he careened too fast. Before he could react further he was on his rear, staring at a massive staircase. Raine landed on her feet beside him.

“Welcome to my school, Koda,” said Raine. She gestured her hand to follow her up the staircase.

Koda rubbed her sore backside. “This isn’t Michael’s school?”

At the top of the stairs, she pushed open a set of heavy wooden doors. “No, this is another school I studied at.”

She led him down a pair of hallways and into a large open area where students of all color types sparred, read from tall stacks of books, and quizzed each other on homework. Raine gasped and ran to a trio of students walking across the quad. Like her, they were all elves dressed in long violet robes. They carried notebooks in their arms but quickly dropped them to embrace Raine in a long hug.

Raine waved over to Koda. “Koda, these are my classmates and best friends.” She gestured a hand to a tall elf with a crew cut. “Kaiden.” She slapped a shorter and huskier elf on the shoulder, “Enzo.” She then cuffed the chin of a female elf with spiky red hair. “And Pulsa.”

Koda nodded in acknowledgment to each. “I’m afraid Raine hasn’t mentioned much about her past schooling,” Koda said with a frown.

“We’re not exactly allowed to talk about this school,” said Enzo.

Koda looked at the three before turning back to Raine. “What is this place?”

A low voice broke from behind Koda. “Allow me to answer that, Mage King.”

Koda spun around to find an elf, no younger than himself. He had long auburn hair draping over his shoulders and a pair of black tinted spectacles covering his eyes. A grizzle burn mark checkered over the right side of his face. His mage robes were styled like Elucard’s assassin garbs. Complete with a kevlar chestpiece and taped shins and hands. His outfit showed off the colors of purple, brown, white, blue, and red. Whoever he was, he was skilled.

The man continued. “I am called Nova, and this is my precision magic school.”

Koda raised his brow. “Precision magic?”

Raine placed a hand on Koda’s shoulder. “It may be better known as forbidden magic.”

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Koda glanced at Raine and then backed Nova. Baffled that anyone could legally teach forbidden magic. “How—”

“We swear ourselves to secrecy, young king. If I were to divulge any further, you must promise me that our school remains out of sight and out of mind.”

Koda bit his lip. Would spreading the knowledge of such a school get him kicked out of the Academy of Mages? How could Raine bring him into this world? Yet curiosity got the best of him. He nodded in understanding. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Very well then.” Nova nodded to Raine’s friends. “I’m sure you three have a class to get to.”

“It was good seeing you again, Raine,” Kaiden said as he and the others waved their goodbyes.

Nova tilted his head at Raine. “I sense that you have returned as a Tempest Mage?”

Raine bowed to her former teacher. “Yes, Master Nova.”

Nova gave her a curt nod. He steepled his fingers and led the two mage students down a long halfway and into his office. “Take a seat,” he said. “The both of you.”

He waited for the two young mages to sit in a pair of small black leather chairs before leaning against his oak desk.

“Precision magic,” he began again. “Is indeed known as forbidden magic, however it has been a cunning tool in mage warfare for generations.”

Koda leaned forward, resting his chin on his knuckles. He always had a kindling interest in the history of magic and mages. The history of forbidden magic was no different.

“Long ago, when we mages were commanded to fight tooth and nail for our existence, there weren’t any rules or laws on how to conduct our spellslinging. Back then magic battles were not confined to a dueling arena, but the battlefield. It was then a mage needed to know how to cast a spell to save their lives and it was then that precision magic was needed most. To end a fight before it began. To save a life or to save many, that was the difference between the magic you learn today and the magic you can not learn anymore,” Nova explained.

“My master preserves the teachings lost to time, Koda,” Raine added.

Koda nodded. To preserve the teaching lost to time. An excellent way of putting forbidden magic into perspective. “So you taught Master Stryneth?”

Nova looked at Raine in confusion.

“A blue mage, Master. He uses hallucinogens mixed with his water magic,” elaborated his student. “Do you know of him?”

“Stry-neth…” Nova rubbed his chin, attempting to recall the name. “Hallucinogens. A blue mage.”

Raine and Koda looked at each other.

“Strife. Yes, I believe that was his true name.”

“Strife?” Koda repeated slowly.

“Yes, a most sinister student,” Nova answered. “I would stay clear of that one, Raine.”

Is it possible Strife is Master Stryneth? Koda pondered to himself. “Tell us more about him, Master Nova,” requested Koda.

“Hm. He took my teachings to heart. Choosing to use them at every turn. Developing his drug-magic techniques. I’m afraid I created one of my most deadliest students. Perhaps even more so than Mateo—another mage that I regret teaching,” recanted Nova.

Koda’s eyes widened. “You taught Mateo?! How old are you?”

“There are many secrets in the world you may never find out, my king.” A sly grin carved across Nova’s face. “My age being one.”

“I was told we forest elves lost the ability to be ageless when Mateo and Arrelion ravaged the Magi,” argued Koda.

“We did,” said Nova. “But as I said before, there are many secrets in the world.”

“You lost your sight when you became immortal, correct Master?” asked Raine, just as curious as her friend.

“Yes. It was a sacrifice I needed to make to become ageless once more, my student.”

Raine paused. “May I ask a question, Master Nova?”

Nova nodded. “Go ahead, Raine.”

“If Master Stryneth is this Strife; What does he have to gain by joining Koda on his journey? He already recommended him to be trained by the legendary Arrelion. If he were as evil as you say, why help Koda?”

Nova tilted his head to Koda.

“It is true, I am training to become a Silver Mage,” confirmed the king.

“If Stryneth and Strife are one in the same…What is his objective in all this?” continued Raine.

Nova lowered his and removed his spectacles, revealing his flaring magenta eyes. “I haven’t heard from Strife in nearly twenty years. Who might he have met, learned, or done in that time, I know not. If he is Stryneth, I only know this: He can not be trusted.”

Raine’s face turned stern.

“Keep a sharp eye on him, Raine,” Nova suggested.

Koda strayed his eyes away from the two elves. I have my own question for Strife. Questions that I know will lead me to Sable’s master. Raine would never understand my experience with the seal of Dragon Realm Blight. Koda snuck a glance to Raine as she continued to converse with her teacher. I don’t want her to get harmed in all of this, but dangerous or not, Stryneth must remain at my side!