Lina wasn't a suspicious person by nature but she still decided to make a left instead of a right where the hallways crossed to avoid crossing a black cat's path. It was probably someone's familiar and she would catch hell, both from the faculty and from the familiar's owner, if she stepped on its tail or something. And Lina didn't want to get into any trouble now, not when she was finally about to leave this place.
Not that she didn't like being here, it was great being able to discuss arcane theory and thaumaturgy with people and not be looked at as if she was crazy. Plus there was the library full of ancient and magical tomes, free browsing for all students and staff, and the specially designed rooms for magical experimentation, she could never throw around fireballs the size of boulders at home without torching a field of grass.
No, the Tower, the premier school of magic on the peninsula, located in Sairaag, the City of Magic, was the place to be for any aspiring sorcerer or sorceress. But at fifteen, Lina had finished not only her schooling and apprenticeship but also her journeyman training. She was a recognized spellcaster, a Tower sorceress, and had even been granted the honor of a Color Title from the Sorcerer's Guild.
Even if she wasn't too crazy about the color she was given.
She arrived at the doorway of her destination and remembered herself just in time to knock politely on the door instead of just barging in. One could never know what exactly was going on behind it. Better to be safe than sorry, even if the only thing on the other side was an irate professor correcting magical theory essays.
"Come in," said a familiar clear voice almost right next to Lina's ear. Out of habit she glanced to the side, knowing already how futile that would be. This particular instructor had created a number of minor unique spells, which many of the more mischievous apprentices have mimicked for tricks. One was the disembodied voice.
After taking a quick look around to ascertain that no one was around, Lina rapped the wooden door with the appropriate signal and chanted the string of Chaos Words that would drop the protections on the door. Everyone who was given a personal room or set of rooms placed wards and magical defenses on and around it. Usually the caster would also drop said defenses so guests could enter but the instructor Lina was visiting was the one with whom she worked with for her journeyman work. Of course, even then, most sorcerers don't teach their charges how to lower the wards but Lina and her instructor were different.
"Kelva~an!" Lina called, sticking her head in. She knew he was alone, otherwise he would have let her in himself. Rumors could get started if it was known that she could enter his quarters at will. "I have new for you!!"
Lina's arcane instructor was quite young himself, a mere twenty-two, a child prodigy who had achieved archmage status before he needed to shave. The young man looked up from his desk, red eyes only briefly acknowledging Lina before returning to the mess of paperwork before him. The red sash draped across his shoulders and over his silvery-gray robe was the mark of his high status within the Tower and the robe was the garb of an instructor.
"Hey, aren't you interested at all?" She was piqued, but only slightly so, at being ignored. She was admittedly closer to him than to anyone else in the Tower, not as close as some dirty rumors might say, but even she couldn't derail him from work if he was fully engaged in it. So young and yet so desk-shackled. A tragedy really, especially Lina thought, to all of the female apprentices who kept sending goo-goo eyes to the oblivious, blond sorcerer.
"Congratulations on your Color Title," Kelvan replied absently. "I must write home about it."
"Don't you dare!!!" she exploded then clapped her hands over her mouth. "Er, I meant, I didn't mean to..." And here she wanted to act like it wasn't such a big deal. Good going, Lina.
Kelvan raised an eyebrow at her, with that faintly amused and arrogant half-smile that just simply infuriated her. Gods, even though they weren't really blood-related... She took a deep breath, knowing he had successfully goaded her again.
"Of course, I wouldn't," he continued glibly as if the interruption had never occurred. "Likewise, I haven't reported back home about your progress in your magical studies though I really don't see how that would prevent your family from learning about any other way if they were really determined to do so. May I be so bold as to inquire why you wish to keep it a secret?"
"No, you may not," Lina replied tartly, flouncing like she's seen over-powdered ladies of society do, hoping it would cover up the rising flush on her cheeks. Looking over one of his shelves as if she found something interesting though she had read everything on it already, she tried to be casual when she asked, "Have you heard anything from home?"
"Hmmmmm... you mean like my foster brother was turned into a chimera?"
"Wha?!? How did Zel-"
"Or that the great Red Priest Rezo is blind because the demon king sealed within him is trying to trick the great priest into freeing him?"
Lina stared at him. "Oh. Okay, I get it. This is pick-on-Lina day isn't it? I get one of the highest honors a sorcerer can get and instead of congratulating me like any normal person and showering me with gifts, you go and annoy me. And I don't know how you can say such a thing about Rezo, he's like a grandfather to you for crying out loud, I know he's a crackpot sometimes but to say he's blind -- "
"Great-grandfather to be exact though he certainly doesn't look his age. If he wasn't so well known as one of the Great Sages, I'm certain the Sorcerer Guild's would have been clamoring for his secret," Kelvan shrugged before eyeing Lina shrewdly. "By the way, why did you pick Zelgadiss when I said my 'foster brother'? I have three you know."
"..."
"I thought so," he said sagely, returning to his paperwork.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'I THOUGHT SO'?!?!?" the girl roared, illusionary flames howling around her. Kelvan was not impressed. She may be an impressive sorceress but her social education was severely lacking.
"If that's all you came to tell me, then I ask that you leave me to my work. Don't slam the door on your way out, it causes the papers to fly."
"Oh come on, you have to have some kind of graduation gift for meeee," Lina whined, tugging on first one sleeve then the other like a child. "I want my gift!!"
"Are you really fifteen?"
"Yes," in tones that would freeze fire.
"Well, I suppose I do have something around that you could have..." His red eyes scanned his room for something and settled on one item. With a flicker of his finger, it flew unerringly to his open hand. "Here you go," he tossed it to her, "now shoo. I need to have this presentation finished for tomorrow. Give my regards to Zelgadiss and everyone."
"Wha-What makes you think I'm going to see that arrogant, insufferable -- "
"Yes, yes, insensitive, stone-headed, trollish jerk, we've all heard it before. Good day, Lina," Kelvan said firmly, giving her a push out the door and shut it with an authoritative slam. For all his youth, he certainly acted like a stuffy old goat.
Lina stuck her tongue out at the door that of course did nothing. She sighed, wondering if she was really that obvious but chalked it up to Kelvan cheating somehow with magical prying spells or something. As far as anyone knew, she hated Zelgadiss's guts.
And for good reason too. Zel was a good six years older than her and hung around with the older kids in their group. She and his younger brother Jedah, who was the same age as her, often ran after them but were always driven away by the older ones. That Zelgadiss even had the audacity to say that she'd not amount to anything and that wasn't the worst thing he's ever said.
"Heh, well just you wait, Zelgadiss Graywords. Lina Inverse has finished her hellish training and now she's going to show you who the real top dog is!" Lina laughed madly in the hallway.
If anyone noticed her, they pretended not to and hurried past. Lina's temper was quick and so were her Flare Arrows.
Chapter 2 | Fanfiction