Gra Gryning

[Cherico]

Ralph Essen

I was 18 when I joined the Navy. I drew an unlucky number, got pushed through the rapid learning chambers to learn magic as quickly as possible and get my degree in mechanical engineering. I got stuck in the Ganges, going up and down that river while we tried to save India from the Chi Coms.

We pulled it off, but while we were distracted Vietnam was lost, Cambodia was lost and if the dice had landed a different way Thailand would have been lost. That was what it was like fighting Ivan. No matter what you did you didn't really win, you just managed to keep your head above water.

Ivan didn't believe in letting you have a clear win.

"Should have given us some shore leave."

Goldstein, we had met on and off over the years, the Navy kept moving us around. There were too few of us, and the navy had to compete with the rest of the military for every mage they could get. I remember those first 4 years, me and a small ship going up the Ganges.

That lasted until Chang got a lucky shot on our ship. We fought our way to shore, we fought our way back to allied lines and when the fighting was over I was the only one left.

"This was important and you know some idiot jarhead would have ruined everything."

Goldstein nodded at my comment, it was standard navy protocol, when all else fails blame the marines. We watched as flashes of light came from the other boats.

"Going home."

He looked at me.

"Really, want to leave all this?"

I was 18 when I joined the navy, I was 38 now. I remembered the first time I took some leave, I remembered returning home to Chicago, and I remembered one thing from that vacation.

The world moved on without me, my friends moved on without me, the old neighborhood had changed, I had changed and I didn't belong there anymore. That was the last vacation I took, the last time I returned to Chicago. I wandered from post to post, from boat to boat.

I did what was asked of me, life became a collection of people wandering in and out of my life. They say the military gives you direction, maybe that's true for some people. Not for me. I had a plan, I had direction and then those plans shattered like glass on a small patrol boat in a river.

There were sign up bonuses and I put them into savings. I got CDs, I lived cheaply and simply. Occasionally I had company but nothing came of it. I drifted in and out of other people's lives and they drifted in and out of mine.

"Yeah, I did my duty, Uncle Sam can find someone else."

Goldstine nodded.

"What then?"

I thought about it.

"I want to find out the truth, find out where we all went wrong."

I checked my watch.

"Show time."

We gathered into our circle and chanted. Our weight was prime, it was midnight and the leylines were powered and ready to go. Our hands went down and the world blurred. With that done we went out and looked outside, 2 moons glowed in the distance as we floated towards San Diego.

"Be it ever so humble."

We were all silent as we headed into port. I gathered the few things I owned and put them into my rucksack, I looked around. I didn't bother decorating my room. I turned off the lights one last time and slept. When I woke up I joined a line of men and went to administration.

I was given the honor of being told I would recieve checks in the mail until my unused vacation time ran out, and was given a handshake. With that done I left. I didn't have a direction to go in, not really, my old life was over and I could do anything now.

So what did I want to do? I wanted to find out where it all went wrong, that one moment that caused our downfall. That mistake that caused the end of an entire world, 4 years after the end and no one knows why the russians went crazy. No one knows why everything ended.

I wandered the city and froze.

"Aram's used books."

The bell tinkled as I went in, and older man looked at me in annoyance.

"I don't sell porn."

I frowned.

"I'm not here for that."

He shrugged.

"What are you here for?"

"History, I want history books, journals, biographies, the past, I want to know where it all went, well..."

"Wrong."

The man nodded at me and motioned with his hand.

"You're not the only one with questions. When the end came I sold out of everything."

I followed him into the stacks.

"Really?"

"Yeah, some people wanted to escape, some people wanted to know why, and some people wanted new skills for a new world, it was a good time."

"And now?"

"And now people want science fiction, they want cowboys, they want to pretend that nothing changed, it doesn't work but it makes them feel better."

He pulled a book out and blew on it, I coughed as the dust hit me in the face.

"Louis Le Pen, part of the orginal 1337."

I blinked.

"Compass' first class."

I remembered the mural, the room of statues dedicated to each student, the first class, the first magi, I had to have it.

"Do you take credit?"

The old man frowned.

"Cash then."

I had to have this book, he smiled and stacked on other books, I bought them all.

"Here."

He put them into a cloth bag.

"Hope you find what you're looking for."

I left the book store smiling. I had over 20 years of savings, more then enough money to buy a boat, more then enough money to buy supplies. I decided I needed to travel. I needed to read and wander. I got a hotel room and started reading.

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le Pen 1820

"Unhand my sister foul sorcerer!"

Jaque held his sword in the sky, my heart beat as I took in the scent of Anderea's hair.

"NEVER!"

I pulled out my sword and the two of us clashed, my skill had grown but Jaque had been trained by an actual sword teacher while me? Well I didn't have that luck.

"HAH VILLAIN, Your blade is gone! DIE MONSTER!"

I felt the sword hit me, I fell to the ground and chortled and died.

"FOOL, I WAS SO CLOSE TO VICTORY!"

I gasped and closed my eyes, the darkness comming. I laid there for awhile until I heard clapping.

"Bravo, bravo good job brother."

I got up and joined Jaque as we bowed to Andrea, my heart beat just a little faster as she smiled, I was 12
years old, she was 10 and she meant the world to me.

"And good job to you Louis."

We moved over and she gave both of us a kiss on the cheek, then we helped move her forward. Andrea couldn't walk, she had been born crippled, thankfully she was a member of the nobility, if a minor branch. She would have servants to tend to her, to make sure she was alright.

Servants like me.

I was 12 now and the time where I could play and be friends with Andrea and Jaque were coming to an end. I would be expected to work, Jaque would go into some boarding school and then into the military and become an officer, Andrea would be wedded to some noble man eventually, and I would be left behind.

I helped Jaque move Andrea back into the house, she was stoic as we moved her wheelchair, and I thought about my future, a future of cleaning houses, doing chores and being one of the invisible masses. I wouldn't have a chance to join Jaque at school, or learn a trade or be someone. 12 years old and my life already looked gloomy and bleak.

"Nonsense."

I blinked as we walked in.

"I assure you Pierre it is completely true, Merlin is very real."

"Brother your time in the war may have knocked a few things loose, mystical creatures, magic it isn't real."

The younger man brought out a glowing blue feather.

"I grabbed a soviener when I was over there."

My eyes settled on the feather and I watched as the other man brought out a small knife, and cut himself.
Then I watched as he waved the feather over the wound, and I watched it heal.

"Merlin is real, I watched him destroy the british army, watched him destroy their ships, watched him heal our people."

He placed the feather on the table.

"He's building a school of magic, if we send Jaque there he could learn things, and come back and help your
girl walk."

"Lets say this is real."

I leaned forward.

"I'm not damning my son's soul with witchcraft, I'm not."

Sometimes in life, there is a moment where you see opportunity where one thing, one action can change your entire
life.

"I will do it."

The two men turned their heads, Andrea stared at me.

"Even if it costs me my soul, I will help Andrea walk again."

My master looked shocked but his brother smiled.

"And you are?"

"Louis Le pen a servant of the family, you have done so much for us, it is only right that I return your family's kindness sir."

"Louis..."

My master grimaced, and his brother patted me on the back.

"Pierre, this is for your daughter, I have enough savings to send the boy over to this school of magic, I do not
know what they charge but together we can do this."

My master closed his eyes.

"You don't have to do this Louis."

"It's for Anderea sir."

He clenched his hands.

"I will help you pack."

I smiled and bowed, the old road that seemed so dreadful was gone, replaced by something far more uncertain and at that moment I was happy.

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

I said goodbye to my mother soon after that and was put on the next boat to the Americas. You think things would take more time but Monsieur Gaston, my master's brother only had a short vacation from the army, and he wanted his niece cured and walking as soon as possible. My mother was a woman of faith but she also understood that our continued survival depended on her position as the family's maid. So she stoically hugged me and told me to stay true to the lord.

I set sail that night. The journey was a dull one, the sailors didn't want to talk after they found out why I was traveling to the Americas. I was the cursed child, the damned child, I suppose I should have taken it more personally but this was an adventure. I never thought I would have a chance to leave brittany, much less learn the dark arts, but I was determined to do so.

I prayed that Jesus would forgive me for the transgression but I needed to gain this power to save Andrea, to help out one of the few children that I proudly called friend.

"We are getting close witch boy."

The sailor didn't sneer at me, and I didn't hear any scorn in his voice, there was more pity in his voice then anything else. I grabbed my trunk and got out of the corner that I had claimed for my own. I felt the wind as I moved to the top of the ship. It was then I saw the strange glow in the distance.

"It's unnatural captain."

The sailors were all on deck staring at the glow.

"Of course it is, it's magic, but we're not here to stay, we're just here to unload our cargo, get some goods
and get out of here."

The old man looked at me with wary eyes.

"You can still change your mind boy, I... if you have no where to go I could make you a member of the crew, it's not much of a life but it's an honest one."

I held my trunk tightly.

"I made a promise to a little girl that she would walk again sir."

The man sighed.

"I guess a man has to do what he has to do."

The old man offered me a bottle and I took a drink. The alcohol burned in my throat, then I gave it back to him. I watched as the glow changed color as we drifted up a river, I saw what looked to be a small harbor village as we passed by, eventually seeing a massive tree.



It was the single biggest thing I have ever seen in my life, it jutted straight out of the water, and it's leaves glowed with ever shifting light. I felt a sense of awe and wonder.

"It's real."

I stared in wonder as we got closer and closer to the tree. The ship stopped and creatures with tentacles for legs floated towards the ship. The one in the lead brought out a letter, the captain grimaced as he read the note.

"Bring out the cargo!"

I walked forward along with 3 other people, an older man and a young couple who held hands. The creatures brought out a chest and opened it, the captain stared at the gold and shook his head as he took it, we walked forward off the ship, into the depths of the great tree.

The insides were unlike anything I have ever seen, everything was rounded, smooth and curved. I saw strange symbols on doors, the walls and the ceiling. We walked in silence, the creatures holding our belongings until we got to a great hall.

I saw a large throne made out of swords, guns and cannons and other weapons, on it sat a giant blue owl that glowed with light. He looked at us as we walked into the great hall. I saw row after row of tables, it was mostly empty with clusters of people inside. The owl nodded.

"It looks like the last of my students have arrived just in time."

He looked at the rest.

"Congratulations, you are the very first class of Compass Academy of magic."

The creature got off of its throne.

"There are exactly 1337 of you, somehow I don't think I should be surprised at that number but I somehow am. 982 of you are americans, the rest of you are from Europe, the Americas, the caribbean, and huh one person from Korea."

He lifted his wing.

"Welcome to Compass Mr.Park! Congratulations, Korea got here before either China or Japan."

The man waved back.

"Oh by the way the hall is under a translation spell so the're not speaking your language everything's just being translated for your benefit. So going further, most of you are men but there are 312 women here, they're not servants they are fellow students."

He nodded.

"Compass does not discriminate based on race, religion, sex or country of origin... that last part as per the compact might change if there's a war between america and your country of orgin. Your food, your housing, even your clothing will be provided by the academy for the duration of your stay. There are no entrance or tuition fees. There is a scam going round were people pretend to be my agents to get people's money."

The owl's eyes narrowed.

"We're currently in the process of bringing those men to justice, but quite a few of you, well I'm sorry you were lied to but the good news is that your education will be free, those of you who brought money here, feel free to keep it."

The owl smiled as plates of food were brought forward.

"There are of course rules, which we will go into depth to later on they basically all boil down to this."

The owl got up.

"Don't be an ass, oh and as for age, rang it looks like it goes all the way from age 2... why do we have a 2 year old here? To well the venerable mister Franklin."

An old man brought up a glass of wine.

"School hours are during the week days, the weekends are yours to do with as you please, within reason. You can also take a ship to the nearby city of Brockton bay, please note that the 'do not be an ass' rule is firmly in place there. We are a part of the great bay community and you will treat them with respect."

He paused.

"And if you knock some girl up there you will take responsbility, I have spells that can firmly settle the matter of who the father is, you know who you are."

Mr. Franklin shrugged and took a drink, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Very well, you'e all tired and hungry go ahead eat, after that you will be taken to your rooms and we can start your education. Welcome to Compass Academy."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

I opened my eyes and then closed them. It was too bright and I felt a sense of pain.

"It takes awhile to adjust to your new senses."

Merlin's voice echoed. I felt cold and wet, and miserable.

"Huh?"

"And for the memories to return."

I took in a breath and fell the chill in my lungs, and remembered the dinner. We were the first class, our season would be chosen randomly, our abilities picked on the whims of fate, other future classes would have more control over their fate but the school needed to start out roughly even.

"So what season?"

"Winter, Mr Hebert, the other seasons have 334 people winter has 335, you were the last person to be picked."

I took in a breath.

"Everything feels so cold."

"That feeling will fade in a few hours. I know it doesn't help but everyone else is also experiencing the after affects of their awakening."

"Awakening?"

"That moment when you contract with your season and connect your very soul to its power. You have made your first step in becoming a magi young one."

I opened my eyes and saw a knight in armor.

"I thought you were a phoenix?"

"I am talking to you through a golem, and to the others also through golems. I think teaching magic one on one is the most effective way to teach it. Yet there is only me. The enchantments of this school allow me to split my attention and hold over a million conversations and actions simultaneously."

"Wow."

"Wish it worked outside of the school but we all have our limitations Mr. Hebert."

I remembered when Merlin left, the scattered conversations after our lot was cast as the Spring magi took their turn first, then summer, then autumn then finally us. Our worries.

"I want to talk to the real you."

The knight nodded.

"Very well I will be in shortly."

I closed my eyes, I still felt cold, my head hurt, and everything I sensed just felt wrong, felt off. I saw a glow and heard the door open, Merlin walked in. He got closer and then stood at the very edge of my bed. I stared in wonder at the giant blue bird, it glowed just a little, its orange eyes looked at everything as if it was slightly annoyed.

"You wanted to speak to me Louis?"

My hand went forward touching his chest, I felt the feathers.

"So soft."

The giant owl blinked.

"Can you please not do that?"

I wipped my hand back and felt my face flush with embarrassment.

"Sorry sir, um you're not going to ask for my soul are you?"

The creature's eyes opened.

"No of course not, that would be unethical."

I felt my new shoes and my coat.

"But you're feeding us, giving us clothing, our own rooms, that thing..."

We had been shown our rooms briefly before our turn came,given time to put our things away and have the functions of the room explained to us.

"Shower."

"Yes, and you're not asking for money, a lot of people are wondering why sir."

The creature nodded.

"So you can focus on your studies and become productive members of society Louis."

"So you wouldn't have a problem with us taking the secrets of magic and spreading them?"

"This is a school Louis, the whole point of a school is the dissemination of information to bring the light of knowledge to the world."

"Most unviersities charge money sir."

The owls eyes narrowed.

"Magic is humanity's birthright Mr. Hebert, I will not extort money from people looking to get what is rightfully theirs. If I need money I will find other sources for it, you concentrate on your studies I will worry about the school's finances."

I took in a breath.

"I won't worship you."

The creature somehow shrugged.

"Good."

I blinked at the statment.

"You're not angry?"

"I am your teacher and headmaster, not a god. I do not need or desire worship, only that you study hard and that once your studies are over you become a good man."

"But the bible says suffer not a witch to live."

"Mistranslation, it's actually poisoner, and if someone poisoned the town's well, endangering an entire community including children and even infants would you want them around?"

"I wouldn't, but consorting with demons is....

"A bad idea. They do exist, they're always evil and I refuse to teach you how to do such things, and just to be sure I have removed all such books from the libraries. On this matter your church and I are on firm agreement, demons are evil."

"But you...."

"I am a phoenix, not a demon, did you honestly think your god would just create you? A little arrogant, yes?"

I looked away.

"I haven't been to church in a while."

"There is one in the nearby city, if you need transportation for religious services I would be glad to arrange such."

"You're not angry?"

"Louis I don't want you to be forced to choose between magic and your god, if you want to go to church, go to church."

"It's far."

"If that is an issue I fly you over or you could write a letter to the Holy sea and maybe the Pope will send a
priest here."

"And you would be fine with that?"

The owl some how smirked.

"Louis as long as there are tests there will always be prayer at school, don't abandon your faith for the sake of magic and power, it's a tool, a very useful one but a tool, not a spiritual path."

"And if you cant find a boat to the mainland?"

"Then I will let you fly on my back to your church."

I felt better then, comforted, maybe I wasn't damned after all.

"Why does everything look wrong?"

It was hard to describe.

"You have awakened."

I tilted my head and Merlin sighed.

"Imagine you are a bird who has lived their entire life in an egg, you peck your way out of the egg and see the world for the first time. You have spent your entire existance in the egg. Now you see more of the world, of course it feels wrong."

"Oh so this is?"

"Your senses have permanently changed, your mind has expanded, and the power of winter flows through your veins. You have touched winter and winter has touched you."

I got up and looked over at a nearby plant.

"It's glowing."

"Winter is the season of death and new life, it is where the cycle turns, as a magi of winter your ruling arcana is spirit and life. You will be able to sense and see the aura of living beings. Healing will be easier for you in a way that other magi will not be able to match."

"So winter is the best season?"

"No, Winter's strength is life and spirit but it has trouble with the material world, Spring magi gain senses that make them masters of space and matter but their focus on the material makes their energy slower, worse at movement, they are bad at forces."

He stopped.

"Summer magi are masters of energy Forces and Prime, the gathering and manipulation of raw magical energy, but this light blinds them to the power of enthopy or fate magic, which is where Autumn excels."

"And Autumn?"

"Are masters of Fate and time, but their time is limited autumn is the season of the harvest, not of new life so their weakness is..."

"Life."

"Good you get it, each season excels in certain magical fields, each season perceives the world differently but no season is superior to another. Each season exists in balance with the others."

"I thought you said magic wasn't a spiritual path."

"It isn't, magic simply is, a mage is like a sailor at sea, a sailor does not worship the sea but a wise sailor respects the sea. Respect magic and it will provide you with a good life, disrespect it and you could lose your life."

He nodded at me.

"So can this let me live forever?"

He shook his head.

"No, Magic can not extend your time on this Earth, not really. In the end all things end, even beings like myself grow old and die, consumed by the passage of time. Magic will improve the quality of your life, you will never lose the strength of your prime, your mind will remain sharp and if you want your looks will never truly vanish, just fade with time, but that's because your season is fixing things. Filling in the holes, covering up the ravages of time, sooner or later it won't be enough."

"And I will die."

"Magic gives you a couple more decades at most, it will not make you immortal. I have already had this conversation with Mr. Franklin, it was a rather sad one."

"You like him?"

"He is a good man, but his time is running out."

"And you can't do anything?"

"He has accepted that fact, and is talking to his family, getting his affairs in order, his journey is over but yours is just begining."

The creature nodded.

"The rest of the day is yours young magi, tomorrow we start your studies."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen


I decided to get out of bed. I still felt cold but the chill was going away, I looked at a pile of clothing. At my uniform. I felt the outfit in my hands, it was blue and white and...

"Why are there so many belts?"

I didn't quite understand why there were so many belts, the outfit came with white and blue boots that had two belts on them, the gloves were missing their fingers and also had two belts, the white pants were held up by a belt and then the coat had a belt that was actually two belts with a metallic plate that said hope. I put on the white shirt that thankfully didn't have a belt and assembled the rest of my outfit.

"Too many belts."

I walked out of my room and wandered the halls.

"Hello?"

I turned my head and saw two people I knew from the ship, also dressed in the same blue and white outfit I had on. I nodded my head.

"So the belts?"

They smirked and we started laughing.

"Mon dieu, the belts."

The man was a little older then me, the girl next to him held his arm tightly.

"My name is Louis Le Pen and you?"

"My name is Simon and this is my wife Julia."

I nodded.

"So why did you come?"

The man smiled.

"I wanted to be with Julia and Julia wanted to be with me but our parents disagreed so we left the country. We came here because, well we didn't have much idea of where else to go, but Merlin will teach us magic and a trade and we will make a living yes? And you?"

I held up my head.

"My childhood friend she has a condition and cannot walk, I want to learn magic so I can heal her."

The two of them smiled at me.

"Good, I wish you luck with that young Louis."

They held hands as they walked away. It was then I noticed that they were covered with a slight nimbus of light, as I paid attention to them I noticed that I could sense their heart beats, the blood running through their veins their...."

"Aura."

I turned around, and saw the old man from earlier.

"Monsieur Franklin."

I bowed to him, this was one of the most important people in the country. He was famous, I had seen his picture in camberpots.

"I'm afraid I don't know your name?"

"Louis Le Pen."

"Ah good it looks like we have both been sent to winter then, though it's a slightly different experience for me then it is for you."

I grimaced.

"I am sorry for the bad news."

He chuckled.

"Only a decade more? It is worth it just to be rid of the gout!"

He smiled.

"Merlin is a good friend, if an unusual one."

"Do you understand why there are so many belts?"

Mr. Franklin lifted a finger and then shrugged.

"I have no idea why Merlin thought this outfit was a good idea but it is very distinctive is it not?"

I nodded my head.

"I took a tour of the school with Merlin before it opened, want to follow me?"

"Yes sir."

I walked with him to a tree and watched him push little dots on some kind of stone tablet. The tree opened and I saw a small room.

"Come on."

I walked into the room and he pressed something again.

"Merlin calls it an elevator."

We traveled downwards I think, until I heard the tinkling of a bell. The two metallic doors opened revealing water, lots of water, and fish and.

"He calls it an aquarium."

I followed Mr. Franklin as he walked around.

"Are we?"

"Safe, yes, Compass academy is truly one of the wonders of the modern world."

I stared at the fist and then I saw a turtle press a flap against the glass. I pressed my hand against where his flipper would be, and I saw his aura, his life force. The creature was young, it tilted its head and floated away. I felt a sense of wonder, as I watched the turtle do so.

I continued walking with the older man as I stared at the fish.

"It's beautiful."

The older man smiled.

"I know, officially the public is invited to visit Compass to see all of this, but so far not very many people have come."

"But it's so beautiful."

He nodded.

"It is."

"Do you know why he built this?"

"The school or the Aquarium?"

"Both."

Mr. Franklin closed his eyes.

"I talked to him about that once."

I blinked.

"And?"

The old man looked away.

"He's the last of his kind, the last of his people, the last phoenix."

I grimaced.

"You mean?"

"Once Merlin dies the Phoenix will vanish forever from this universe, he has searched a long time for a people to be the heirs to his people's knowledge, to their wisdom."

He smiled as he stood in front of the glass.

"He has chosen humanity, despite all of our flaws, all of our issues we will be given all the knowledge of the phoenix race."

We watched as the jellyfish floated by.

"I hope we will be worthy of it."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen


"Breath in. Breath out."

I took another breath.

"This is boring."

"You must learn how to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run. Prime is the art of gathering and manipulating mana. Without mana you can not use magic at all."

"But my new wizard eyes are on all the time."

"Your wizard senses use mana, they just use a very very small amount if it, your new senses are less spells then a state of being. Anything pass the first level will require effort, which will require mana."

I closed my eyes and took in a another breath then I felt a small shock, I opened my eyes.

"Congratualtions, that's mana but you just brushed against it, you did not take it in, try again."

Breath in breath out, I felt that shock and worked through it trying to take in the power, I shuddered as energy filled my body.

"Good."

"What is mana?"

"The power of the higher realms is all around us, pieces of that power are inside every living being, in the air, water, and even the emptiness of space, it is especially concentrated on leylines."

I stared at him.

"Lines of power, of concentrated magical energy, they cover the entire universe though most of them are found on planetary objects, stars, and things that are rather large."

"Why?"

"Because the high affects the low and the low affects the high, magic is about imposing the rules and powers of the seasons onto the universe, the more powerful the effect the more it is outside the core strength of your season, the harder it is."

The golem stopped.

"But that's not the issue right now, right now you have to study the basics."

"And?"

"The basics when you made a contract with Winter, it affected you mind, body and soul. The mind is your wizard senses, which we're currently training, then the body your aura, and then finally the aspect of your soul, your element."

"And after that?"

"You need to learn how to communicate and commune with your element."

"And that's done?"

"Sign language, speech in the high tongue, music, dancing and runes."

I blinked.

"Dancing... dancing lets you use magic."

The golem nodded.

"Yes, magic is about the impositon of a season's rules onto the world, to do that you need mana and a way to communicate with that higher realm. Dancing is one of those methods, some of the most effective combat magic that I know requires you to know how to dance."

"I don't know how to."

"It's on the very big list of things you will learn at Compass."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

I walked alongside Merlin and stared at the room.

"Everything is upside down."

The golem leaned against a wall and I stared up, a table was nailed to the ceiling and I saw two chairs.

"Yes."

I stared at the weird sight before me.

"So what is this about?"

"We're going to have a cup of coffee."

The golem walked up the wall and then to the roof and took a seat on the ceiling.

"Ready to join me?"

"I can't do that."

The knight shook its head.

"Of course you can do this, you are a magi."

He walked back down to me and then clicked his head to the side.

"Walk up the wall."

I placed my foot on the wall and fell to the ground.

"It's not possible."

"739 people have already done exactly this, it is possible."

"739?"

"You took longer to get the fundamentals of breathing and walking then some other student's and were slightly faster then others. Magic isn't a race though so don't worry about the others, instead concentrate on your own progress."

I closed my eyes and took in a breath of air.

"The ground is down."

I opened my eyes.

"What?"

"Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn in the higher realms the ground is aways down, this is the nature of the seasons, the power of your season has the power to override the rules of the world, now what is before you?"

"A wall."

"No that is the ground, place your hands against the ground."

I put my hands against the wall.

"What are you touching?"

"The wall?"

"Incorrect again."

"The ground."

"Don't just say it, believe it, say it."

I took in another breath.

"The ground, the ground, the ground, the ground, the ground."

I felt weight as I pressed against the wall, Merlin took a step and stood next to me.

"Get up."

"But?"

"I have worked very hard to make us lunch, and we must eat it before it gets cold."

I got up and stood next to Merlin, I felt unsteady and then fell, I felt an arm stop me.

"What are you walking on?"

"The ground."

I took in another breath.

"The ground, the ground the ground the ground."

I chanted as I walked with him to the table on the ceiling, we stopped and took our respective seats.

"Do you like your coffee with sugar or milk? Or both?"

"I have never had coffee before."

"Good then it is both."

He took a pot and poured it into a cup and took a sip, he then motioned to a cup. I grabbed it and he poured me a cup and it fell away onto the ground. I stared at the ground where the coffee fell and slammed against the table I gripped it like my life depended on it.

"Were are you?"

"THE GROUND!"

"Where is the coffee?"

"On the floor."

"No it is not on the floor, it is on the ceiling this is odd but these things happen, now where are you?"

"ON THE GROUND!"

I slammed against the ceiling my heart racing.

"Where is your cup?"

"On the table."

"Where is the table?"

"ON THE GROUND!"

He poured another cup and I watched the coffee drip down.

"Please stop throwing your coffee on the ceiling."

"I...I am on the ground, the coffee cup is in my hands, the ground, the ground, the ground."

The liquid stayed in the cup.

"The ground, the ground, the ground."

I took a sip, it was cold.

"Iced coffee for a first lunch, no use burning one's mouth right?"

"Yes sir."

I took another sip and he unveiled some dish. I saw a plate of pasta.

"We will now eat lunch, please do not throw your food on the ceiling."

My stomach rumbled.

"The ground, the ground, the ground."

The first bite fell to the floor, but as I chanted it got easier and easier to eat. I then stabbed the last meatball and ate it in triumpth.

"Good."

I nodded.

"Thank you sir."

He nodded and took another sip, he tapped my hand and watched as my body glowed.

"This is your aura, a bubble of your season that surrounds you at all times. It protects you, it can help you become faster, stronger, walk on walls, walk on water, but it does not make you invincible and this bubble can be popped with sufficient force."

"Like guns?"

"On the battlefield you will survive the first volly unharmed, but the second one kills you. It takes time and rest to recharge your aura to repair this bubble. Once that bubble is popped your ability to walk on walls, on water, all that strength and power vanishes like dew in the desert sun."

He stopped.

"A magi is not invincible, you are not a god, forget that at your own peril."

He looked at the empty plates.

"It is friday, your lessons for the week are over, feel free to talk to your fellow magi, just remember the golden rule of Compass Academy."

"Don't be an Ass."

He nodded.

"It might be a crude way to put it, but I want the message to be a simple one."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen


I spent my Ssaturday wandering the aquarium. The academy was a big place but for some reason I felt drawn there. I spent my time watching the fish swim by lazyly, feeling somehow at peace, it was there I saw a boy my age. He hard dark hair, pale skin, and was wearing a uniform much like my own. He was seated in front of a shark, his eyes closed as he breathed in and out.

"Um hi?"

"Hnn, you speak french."

His accent was thick.

"So do I."

I smiled.

"Good everyone else speaks English and mine is not good."

"Are you a Russian?"

I blinked.

"No."

"Austrian? Prussian?"

"No I am French."

The boy got up his face sever.

"Good these are my enemies."

I blinked at him.

"Oh."

The boy stood up.

"Why?"

"Because I am Polish."

He turned away from me and put a hand against the glass, I decided to make conversation.

"So, um three countries?"

"8 years ago they invaded my country, left unchecked they will destroy us."

I grimaced, my knowledge of the world outside of France was limited.

"So you came here to save your country?"

The boy nodded.

"Me and others, to save my country I would gladly damn my soul."

I frowned.

"Merlin doesn't want us to do that."

The boy clasped his hands behind his back.

"I know, I have talked to him."

He turned his back to me once again.

"So why are you here?"

His head tilted.

"Sharks, remind me why I am here."

He raised a hand.

"Russia, Prussia, Austria, like any shark their attracked to blood and when they sense weakness they feed. To save Poland I must become strong and teach others to be strong."

"And get allies?"

"Like France? Like Britain? America is half a world away they can't help us, no to be polish is to be alone."

He stopped.

"Do you miss your family?"

"Yes, I do my brothers, my sisters, my mother, my father I miss them all but I also know why I am here."

I decided to change the subject.

"So did you do that thing where he forced you to walk on the ceiling?"

The boy stepped forward and planted his foot on the glass, he walked up the wall and onto the ceiling.

"I might have had a cup of coffee with our teacher."

"My name is Louis."

"Paul."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

Sunday came and we formed a slight crowd at the exit of the Academy. Merlin towered over us.

"I apologize, I was not able to get you a ship to get to the nearby town for those of you who have requested religious services."

I few people looked upset.

"Therefore you will have to ride on my back as I fly you into the city."

A few of my fellow students looked nervous, a few looked excited, and a map was drawn up. The city in the distance had 4 places of worship. I along with the other catholics would be ferried on Merlin's back in groups of five, well that was the orginal plan at least.

"Right so I might have underestimated how many of you would show up."

Merlin blinked as he looked at us, he then used a wing to point to a basket.

"So this basket can hold around ten people, and another five can ride on my back and I will be honest this might take awhile."

A line formed, the basket filled up and Merlin knelt down reveling that he was wearing a harness with seats I got on and we rose into the air, I felt a sense of exileration as the breeze blew across my face.

"It's amazing isn't it?"

I turned around.

"Paul?"

"Yes."

"I thought you, you know?"

"Were not religious? I have come to the conclusion that maybe god helped this situation happen and gave my people a chance to fight back. It would be rude to throw that away."

"And if it's the devil?"

The boy smirked.

"Then I assure you my services have already been paid in full, at least according to my mother."

We landed in the city and people stared at us. Merlin knelt and we got off his back. The people were frozen in fear and he looked at them with a bored expression.

"My students wish to pray to their god, I respect the religious beliefs of all my students. I wish I could stay longer but they need my help."

He grabbed the empty basket and flew into the air, the 15 of us walked into the church and took our seats. The other members of the congregation got up and moved to the other side of the church, slowly it filled with more and more students until our half of the church was standing room only. The priest got up and started talking.

I didn't understand English but he smiled at us and the american magi seemed to relax. The service was much like the ones I had in France, I took communion and then sat outside with the other magi.

"That was fine I guess."

Paul nodded as we sat on the steps.

"They were afraid of us."

"I know."

He looked impassively at the city.

"Doesn't that bother you Paul?"

"As long as the Austrians fear me I will be happy, as long as the Prussians fear me, I will be happy, and as long as the Russians fear me I will be happy, but I do not need anyone else to fear me."

He nodded at me.

"It is wasteful."

"Wasteful?"

"Yes, father once told me there is only so much fear to go around Louis, I would hate to waste it on americans."

He bowed politely at a older couple as they passed us, I didn't know much about polite society but I copied him. We waited in silence until Merlin came and we flew back to the Academy. I felt troubled as we ate dinner, the food was good, better then what Iwas used to back home but I felt guilty.

When it was over I went to Merlin's office and knocked.

"Can I come in?"

The door opened, Merlin looked up from his desk. I could see a newspaper on it.

"I would like to talk sir."

"Take a seat."

I took a seat as Merlin towered over me.

"They're afraid of us."

I let the words out and Merlin nodded.

"People fear what they do not understand, the cure for that is knowledge and time."

"But it's um..."

He sighed.

"They need time to adapt to us Louis, communities take time and effort to create, friendships take time to forge."

"Speaking of that, I have this friend and he wants to use magic to hurt people."

Merlin put the newspaper to the side.

"Are you this friend Louis?"

"No, it's Paul. I like him, he's good to me but he's so angry and-"

I shrugged.

"I don't think magic should be used as a weapon."

Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you think that?"

"Well it's just that your people, the Phoenix died right? You're teaching us their secrets, it seems..."

The old bird sighed.

"Wrong, and why did you pick us? All we do is hurt each other and we're mean and we're..."

The bird chuckled.

"What?"

"Louis I know all about humanities history, do you think war is rare out there in the greater universe?"

I blinked.

"There are others."

"Sapient species yes. Murder, war, rape, slavery, these are not unusual things Louis, even my people the Phoenix had wars."

"Is that how you got."

The old bird closed his eyes, a look of pain on his face.

"It was a meteorite, a dumb little space rock. We had the potential to go out there into space but we felt it was too much effort, too much money and then we noticed it was comming for us, we tried to stop it but it was too late. Our greatest magi tried to secure what eggs and teachings they could but we all died."

He paused.

"My egg hatched last and I lived my life in an empty world with only the shades of the dead, and the writings of my people to keep me company."

"It sounds lonely."

"It was, and then I travelled, looking for a species to be our heirs, to inherit our art, our teachings, and most of them failed. They didn't have the intelligence, or the aptitude or the basic moral fiber. I have searched a long time Louis and humanity for all it's flaws has been tested and judged and found worthy."

I clenched my hands.

"So if Paul goes to war?"

"Then he will go to war, there might come a time where my students will be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice for thier nations, where magi will fight magi. The universe is full of tragic events, some people think humanity isn't ready for magic but truthfully...."

The bird sighed.

"No one is ever really ready for anything, you just kind of take things as they come and do your best."

"It doesn't seem right."

Merlin leaned back.

"You want to learn magic to help a girl walk, Paul wants to keep his nation free, some people want to use magic to make money, others for revenge. This is not a place of judgement Louis, everyone has their reasons, motivations and dreams."

"So people just want to make money."

I felt a little depressed at that statement.

"Magic is a tool Louis, sailors make their living from the sea, fishermen make their living from the sea, it is only natural that magi make their living from the seasons."

He tried to smile.

"Try to be more understanding of your fellow magi, we are all making this journey together, it would be best if we got along."

"Thank you Sir."

I got up and left the room and went back to the Aquarium. I watched the fish float by, I felt frustrated somehow, it didn't seem right that people would try to profit from the wonder of this place, but maybe Merlin had a point. I closed my eyes and remembered Andrea running her fingers through my hair, I decided that it would be best to write her a letter.

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

"Ten thousand hours."

I stared at Merlin.

"That's how long it takes to create a genius how long it takes to truly master any art. That's roughly three years of constant study, but magic isn't just one discipline by itself, it's a host of disciplines, wards, bounded fields, runes, wand magic, your element, some of this power is by its very nature constrained by your seasons limits. Some isnt, but before you leave and go into the outside world I require you to have a decent foundation in magic."

I took in a breath.

"And?"

"That takes a minimum of 12 years."

I blinked as the news hit me.

"Ouch."

"That's why I speed up the process using magic, using your link to time and some very good enchantments I
can speed up the learning process."

The room split and I saw 5 other me's sitting at a desk.

"So far everything I have taught you has been physical but if you feel a sense of Deju vu, that you have done something before it's because you have. In this manner a process that should take a minimum of 12 years is shorted down to 2."

I smiled.

"So my studies will be finished in 2 years."

"You will have finished the bare minimum in 2 years."

The golem loomed over me.

"If you were a parent, or had something pressing to get back to in 2 years I would release you."

"Andrea."

"I'm willing to give you a sabbatical Louis but I am going to ask more from you then just two years. My students are people who will teach others how to use magic. You are the bleeding edge, the vanguard of a new era, I'm not going to send you out unprepared."

I felt depressed.

"I miss home."

"A lot of people here feel the same way, this is normal."

I grabbed some more soup and took a bite.

"Well I think you're ready to learn how to walk on water now."

"Like Jesus?"

The golem shrugged.

"I wasn't there so I can't comment on the event."

I strugged and got out of my chair and walked towards the wall, down off the ceiling.

"You're doing better, now."

"Thank you sir."

We walked together and went into the elevator.

"So how big is the academy?"

The door opened.

"Big. How big? Using imperial measurements?"

"Um yes?"

"My landgrant was 3 square miles, in perpetuity for my services during the war. The size of the trunk is on average 1 square mile big, the leafy branch section occupies 3 square miles, it goes below the water line, below the Earth's crust and right into the magma that's um..."

"Big."

"Huge I mostly use the underground sections of the tree for agriculture, the area above that but below the waterline is the Aquarium."

"It doesn't seem that big."

"That's because you're walking through the sections mostly occupied by fish, it's actually pretty massive."

The door opened and we walked into a hallway.

"This is the aquacenter, where I keep all of the swimming pools."

He opened a door and I stared at the multitude of water before me, I saw numerous pools of water of various
lengths and size, I even saw a ramp going into one of them.

"What's that?"

"A water slide."

I stared at it.

"Why did you build that?"

Merlin shrugged.

"You're going to have to accept that sometimes I just build things because I think it would be interesting to have them around. Honestly the school is incredibly overbuilt even for an Arcology."

"Arcology?"

"Think of it as an entire city inside a single building, technically it's still not finished but Compass Academy already has more housing then the entirety of New York city."

I took in the sight.

"Why?"

"Because I want this to be the best school of magic in the world... in retrospect I may have gone a bit overboard."

He then took a step onto the water.

"Ok take off your shoes and socks."

I did so and stared at the pool.

"This is... small."

"One foot deep, big enough for our purposes but also safe, step onto the water."

I did so and watched as my feet and pants got wet.

"Um it didnt work."

I stepped out of the pool.

"Think of the water as being solid like the ground."

I tried to think of the water as solid and spashed down.

"Again."

The ground, the ground, the ground, I fell again.

"Try thinking of it as a floor."

I took in a breath.

"Floor, Floor, Floor."

I took a step onto the water and it felt like solid ground, I put my other foot on it and felt elation I was walking on water.

"I did it!"

Then I fell to the bottom of the pool, I frowned.

"Good, now try again."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le Pen

"Breath in breath out."

Dance lessons on water.

"So the point of this?"

"Your senses, your aura, your element, these are the only things that not bound by the laws of paradox, and not limited by mana, or can be taken away from you like a mystic code or a book of shadows."

"Huh?"

"You will learn how to make those later, we concentrate on the basics first and that means mastering your element."

"Which means dancing, on water."

"Yes, dancing is one of the first ways to communicate with your season, to pull power from it. What do you think about when you think about winter?"

"It's cold and miserable."

"True but incomplete, Winter is the time where enemies call truces, were blood feuds are called to a close and people break bread with their enemy. It's a time of compromise, of flexibility, winter is like water. At times cold and harsh, at times soothing, and life affirming. Life and Spirit, that is winter."

I moved and nothing happened.

"It isn't working."

"You're trying to command the water, trying to control it, that would work with earth, but water isn't earth."

I moved forcibly.

"You're trying to dominate it, compete with it, that's summer, that's fire."

I stopped and took in a breath, and moved more slowly, I frowned and felt spiteful.

"Sarcasm, spite, joking this is autumn the wind, still your thoughts and think like water!"

I stopped, completely and took a breath, winter always seems so cold to me but what if there was more to it. I thought about a snowball fight during a particularly cold winter.

"Please."

The water rose with my movements.

"I get it."

Work with the water, think of it as a friend and ally, not an enemy or a slave.
The water spun around me as I danced, slow and wobbly I felt tired and weezed.

"Walk out of the pool."

I did so and collapsed.

"Hard."

"Everything starts off as hard and then as you become more experienced it becomes easier."

The golem sat down and crossed his legs.

"Put your hand in the water."

I did so.

"Now that you have introduced yourself, close your eyes, think of the water, try to feel it."

I did so and felt it pulse. I felt spirit, I felt life, I opened my eyes and saw a rising tentacle of water watching me.

"Wow."

The golem nodded, and I waved at the water, it shook its head like a dog.

"Winter is a season of spirit and life, water is life, without water you will surely die."

The tentacle retreated into the pool.

"You will learn to commune with your element, sense it, and work with it, it will protect you, it will aid you and it will be there for you always. You are a child of winter now."

I felt cold then but it didn't feel bad, it felt bracing.

"Good."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

"One month down."

Paul stared at the glowing jellyfish as they swam by, his words echoing through the empty hall.

"Is it everything you expected Paul?"

His hand pressed against the glass.

"More then I ever hoped Louis, this place is one of the wonders of the world."

I nodded.

"It's Saturday, want to go to town?"

He clasped his hands behind his back.

"Why?"

I shrugged.

"It's something to do I guess."

He sighed.

"I don't see why we should bother, the town is so small, here we can go swimming, we can go ice skating whenever we please, the library grows each day, buying books from all over the world and inside there are books of magic that can be found nowhere else. Leaving all that behind to be gawked at like some freak, no I do not see the attraction Louis."

"It was just a suggestion."

He sighed.

"It's frustrating."

I blinked.

"What's frustrating?"

"These americans, to be given such a gift, such a wonder and hold it in contempt."

"Most of the students here are americans."

He nodded.

"This is true, but out there."

He pointed.

"The ingratitude vexes me Louis, this land was won on the battlefield to give them a country."

I shrugged.

"Merlin says it will take time."

"So he will just wait forever for acceptance?"

I shrugged, and we continued watching.

"I think maybe we should talk to the headmaster, see if he can give us further lessons."

"More classes?"

"A chance to learn more magic."

I walked next to him as we went into the elevator. Ee slowly rose up and then entered a room covered in white and black tiles. We walked into the hallway until we heard the sound of music, a sound of some instrument I had never heard before. We followed it and opened the door. The Chine... no Korean that was the word, was sitting, Merlin glowed as he blew into a strange horn.

The Korean nodded and then played something into a smaller version of the strange horn, we stared at them until they stopped.

"Good Job Mr. Park, you're improving."

"I am still not as good as you Teacher."

"That's ok, no one expects you to master a brand new instrument in a month, given time I'm sure you will be even better then me."

"Thank you teacher."

He got up and nodded.

"If I have taken too much of your time..."

Merlin turned his head and noticed us.

"Do you mind waiting for a bit? Mr. Parks still has 15 more minutes of his Sax lessons."

We nodded and took our seats and watched as the two of them played. Merlin had told me that music was one of the paths to using magic, but there's a difference between having a golem say that to you and watching a giant glowing bird play a musical instrument right in front of you.

"What's that?"

"A sax, an instrument of my people, Earth doesn't seem to have them yet. I've already patented it and released said patent."

He stopped, and shrugged.

"So you wanted to talk?"

Paul stepped forward.

"We wish to learn combat magic."

The bird tilted its head.

"When you have finished your training with the basics."

"We're ready for it, we're-"

"No."

"But-"

"Your senses, your aura, your element, mind, body and soul. You need another two months to master the
basics."

"But we can do more, we can..."

The bird tilted its head and a glass of water appeared before us, the water flowed out and then turned into sharp needles. The bolts of ice moved towards a training dummy and then flashed, I couldn't see them move because of the speed, but I watched as the dummy was demolished before my eyes. Then the assault stopped and we looked at the mass of leather, wood and fluff that used to be a training dummy.

"What was that?"

Paul's voice was filled with apprehension.

"The basics."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

I sat down on the ground, my legs crossed as I meditated. We were in a garden that smelled faintly of strawberries, outside the great tree the land was covered in snow, but here there was greenery and life.

"You can open your eyes."

I looked up at the golem.

"You're ready for the deeper mysteries."

I smiled.

"Good."

"Do you know why I named this school Compass Louis?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know Sir."

The golem brought out a stick and drew a cross.

"4 seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autum."

He drew another cross and drew tiny circles their were now 8 spokes.

"Magic, I have told you of the 8 paths, Life and Spirit, Matter and Space, Forces and Prime, Fate and Time, but before I teach you the deeper mysteries you need to understand that a magi can not do everything, you must understand your limitations or they will destroy you."

He took a breath.

"Compass looks like a tree, this is done for many reasons practical and otherwise but one of these reasons is symbolism. The closest human idea for how one aspect of magic works is the Sepiroth or the tree of life. The tree of life has 10 spheres from the lowest to the highest. Magic likewise has ten spheres."

He drew a strange tree.

"We won't use the proper hebrew terms because I want this to be simple Louis. The more powerful the spell, the more it tries to overide reality, the higher the sphere or level."

He looked at me.

"The basics do not require mana, they are a part of you, but deeper mysteries require mana, and the higher the sphere the more mana required and the more risky the spell is to cast."

He pointed at the top of the tree.

"As a winter mage, provided you have enough mana you can cast even the most difficult Life and Spirit magic in relative safety. You can cast anything up to the 5th sphere safely, but in your minor Arcana matter you can only cast the 1st sphere safely. Anything more then that is risky."

"Why sir?"

The golem froze.

"Paradox, the more you try to change the world the more the world resists. Casting magic of a higher sphere could make you sick, it could hurt you, if you're unlucky it can even kill you and those around you. Paradox can break things, hurt people and is dangerous. If you think the risk is worth the reward? Let me tell you it isn't, stay where it is safe and play to your strengths."

I thought about it.

"Ok that sounds reasonable."

"You have other weaknesses, magic is the art of contracts, of communication. You will be able to sense oathbreakers. I'm not talking about minor broken promises Louis I'm talking about serious oathbreaking, and if you break your oaths magic will hurt you."

I leaned forward.

"How?"

"Sickness, pain, until you reach a level where the suffering you experience is equal to the suffering your oathbreaking caused. Then and only then does it end, do not make promises lightly Louis, do not sign contracts that you can not fullfill. Magic is the power of connections, you break the connections in your life only at great risk to yourself."

I nodded, and he pulled out a dying rose.

"Touch it."

I did so.

"Close your eyes, take a deep breath. Do you feel energy inside you?"

"Yes."

"Take some of that energy, put it into the concept of touch."

I did so, my eyes opened.

"It hasn't been watered in over 7 days."

My teacher nodded.

"Fix it."

I felt that well of power and drew from it, putting it into the flower. I watched as it stopped drooping as life returned, the rose stood strong and alive.

"I could heal Andrea with this power."

He nodded.

"Yes you could, you can help a lot of people with this power."

I smiled and got up and stumbled.

"What."

"Your mana reserves are small right now, it will take time and effort to get more and there are tricks to storing mana. When you run out of mana you will pass out, that is why we are starting out small."

"I understand sir."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

I looked at my letter to Andrea. I also had a letter to her father Monsieur Chabot, keeping him informed of my studies at Compass. With the end of my lesson in basics I was learning the fine art of runes. Runes, at least what I was learning from Merlin didn't use an alphabet, instead it was a hyroglific system.

Merlin said that in rune work precision was everything, words needed to be static, meanings needed to be static. Runes were the first class in making magical goods. I finished the letter and hurried over the school's post office. The office was a recent edition to the school, I exited the elevator full of smiles and then frowned at the massive line.

"Oh no."

I sighed, there were a lot of people here, not just students but merchants, sailors, travellers and others. I went in line and waited carefully as a bored man collected our letters and packages. When I got to him I took out some of the money Monsieur Chabot gave me and paid him. Then I went to my class, my magic professor looked at me.

"You're late."

The golem tilted its head.

"The line to the post office was too long sir, I didn't even have time for breakfast."

The golem shrugged.

"I will let it go then, you have to keep in touch with your benefactor."

We walked over to a table, a sailor looked around nervously at us, he had reddish hair and looked scared and frightened.

"They... they said you could help me."

The golem nodded.

"Yes that is with in my power, there is a price Mr. Johnson."

The man gritted his teeth.

"Fine, what do you need?"

He motioned for me to come forward I did.

"This is a school, I wish to teach young Louis how to cure your condition so that one day he will be able to help other people like yourself."

The man took a breath.

"That's it?"

"Yes Mr. Johnson, the price of your cure is helping me teach others how to cure your disease. I do not require financial compensation but I do need you to work with me to the best of your ability."

He nodded.

"That's more then fair."

He took a breath.

"I don't have much of a choice, this is kind of my only hope now."

My teacher nodded.

"Bring out your hands."

He did so, I looked at the sores.

"What you're looking at is secondary stage Syphilis, this starts 4 to 10 weeks after you get infected, normally these symptoms go away after 3 to 6 weeks, but they can come back."

Mr. Johnson cringed.

"They did."

"And be thankful they did, too many people want to believe that it's over and if you do not treat the disease it will cause suffering, maddness and death."

He brought out a needle.

"I suppose there's a lesson there sir, about not sleeping with whores."

The golem froze.

"Louis are you a priest?"

I blinked.

"No."

"Are you a Rabbi? A man of the cloth, do you have any religious training whatsoever?"

I sighed.

"No sir."

The golem got on its knee and looked at me.

"Your job isn't to judge people, it isn't to lecture people, it's to fix their problem. Syphilis is a very contagious disease yes, it is mostly passed through sex, but you can also be born with it, or in some cases get it with a very unlucky kiss. You know nothing about Mr. Johnson's circumstances or how he got the disease."

"It was whores."

I blinked, the sailor shrugged.

"I, um decided to be honest."

My teacher got up.

"Regardless of how you got it, my student needs to learn that he has to treat all patients with respect, especially if he wants to be a healer."

The sailor nodded, and my teacher grabbed a needle.

"I need a blood sample."

The sailor brought out his arm and Merlin plunged the needle inside, he then pressed a finger on his arm and I watched the wound heal. He motioned for both of us to come to a strange device, he grabbed a weird glass thing and put a single drop of blood on a glass slide and put it inside the device.

"That's an invention of my people, a microscope. Louis press your eye on the black cylinder."

I did so and saw something.

"What is this?."

"You are looking at the enemy of man, diseases are caused by viruses and bacteria. That is the thing that is hurting Mr. Johnson, that is the thing that is making him suffer, that is trying to take his health, his mind and even his life. This is the enemy Louis."

I nodded.

"Mr. Johnson do you want to see your enemy?"

I got up and let Mr. Johnson look.

"That's it, that's the thing that killed my friends, this..."

"There are millions upon millions of them all smaller then the eye can see, the good news is that not all bacteria is bad, there are bacteria that feed upon and eat bad bacteria, we call them phages. We are going to grow some for you and use them to kill the disease and restore your health."

The young sailor nodded.

"I'm in."

Merlin brought out a mug I had made in our pottery class, at the time I didn't understand why I made it.

"Put your mana into the cup Louis."

I pressed a finger and felt that sense of exhaustion, the runes that surrounded the cup glowed, my teacher put some water into the cup, then some sugar, and finally small bread crumbs. The water glowed white and then Merlin took the blood sample and put the blood into the cup. The glowing white turned red and then a rich purple.

"This isn't a cure all Mr. Johnson, this is will target exactly one disease."

The sailor nodded.

"Drink up."

"Is it safe?"

"Yes but I will warn you it tastes absolutely terrible."

Mr. Johnson nodded.

"Fair enough."

He pinched his noise and drank deeply.

"You're right, it does taste terrible."

He got up.

"So I'm cured?"

"No normally this would take several procedures but you have to get back to your ship so we're going to go to the next stage of the treatment,. Louis, that circle we made yesterday?"

"With Life and spirit magic?"

"There is going to be a very important test today, one with much on the line."

I took a breath and looked on the desk. I saw chalk, candles, and bowls filled with flower petals. I sat at the desk and ground up the flower petals and shaved off pieces of chalk. The bowl had glowing runes on it and I smiled as I got each mixture right.

Then I poured in some water and grabbed each bowel and some brushes. I carefully drew a double circle, putting runes inbetween the larger and smaller circles. I looked up, Merlin studied my work.

"Hmm good, this will work Louis. Mr. Johnson step into the circle but do not step on Louis' work."

The sailor was careful and then sat down with his legs crossed, I put 8 candles around the circle and lit each one. My teacher sat across from me.

"It's time."

We placed our hands on the circle and poured mana into it and suddenly the three of us were in a black void, Johnson looked panicked.

"Where are we?"

My master no longer looked like a golem, this was him in his true form, a giant glowing owl, a phoenix.

"We are in the spirit world, a place of the mind, with the phages doing battle inside your body we have the means to challenge your syphilis to a duel and destroy it here."

I blinked as I saw a giant monster, I felt afraid.

"Louis, imagine a sword and shield."

"But Monsieur Merlin-"

"Louis do it."

A sword and shield appeared in my arms, my body was covered in armor.

"Your sword is the sword of life, your shield is the sheild of spirit, Louis you have a monster to fight."

"Sir it's huge."

"Size means nothing here, if you need help I will aid you, but you are a magi, fight."

I flew out terrified. I screamed as I attacked the monster, there was no finess in my attacks just fear filled desperation. It grew tentacles and I blocked its strikes with my shield and as my desperation grew I attacked even faster, and then the creature fell, and shattered like glass.

My breathing was heavy. I looked around, we were back in the real world, the sailor looked at his now pristeen hands.

"It's gone?"

Merlin nodded.

"Congratulations Louis, for generations Syphilis was considered an uncurable diease, today you proved the world wrong."

I smiled, feeling tired but flush with victory, and I knew that day that I had found my purpose in life.

 

[Cherico]

Deaf Culture and Magic- Abigal Williams


Compass Academy was America's first school of magic but it was also the first school in America that taught sign language and made it mandatory for all of its students. This information filtered outside of the academy, and the parents of deaf children in New England given the choice between sending their children to schools in Europe, or Zone city chose Zone. It was closer to home, provided food, shelter and clothing, and most importantly was free.

The more religious parents squared this decision to send their children to a school of magi by deciding that their childrens deafness was a sign that god wanted their children to become Magi, if things had turned out differently, if Merlin had not made his decision to found his school in New England then it is likely that american sign language would have been influenced by either British or French sign language then adopt Merlin's Phoenix style wholesale.

But he did and this was the world that Tomas Galludet was born into.

Tomas Galludet grew up a religious man and planned on becoming a minister, this plan was put aside when he met Alice Cogswell. The young 19 year old girl had lost both her hearing and her ability to speak at age 2.

Tomas became fascinated by the young witch and asked why she went to Compass.

Her father told him that Compass academy of magic was the only school that had found that was willing to try to educate his daughter, and the only school he found that had the tools to successfully pull it off. This information intriged Tomas and he asked if there were any other schools that had the ability to teach deaf students.

After scouring the nation with letters Tomas Galludet was shocked to find out that there wasn't a dedicated school for the deaf in the United States, in fact America didn't even have an official language of the deaf. So the two men decided to travel north to New Hampshire and talk to the mysterious Merlin. Once there they were greeted with respect.

Merlin taught the two men his style of sign language and gave them book after book about both the subject and ways to teach deaf children. He also generously provided them some money and some of his students to help them.

The two men then founded the American school for the deaf. The school was sucessful, but the Magi volunteers often found themselves eager to pass their arts along to their deaf students to give them a way to make their way in the world. In time magic became a standard part of the curriculum at the school and as other schools for the deaf were founded others followed suit.

When funding got hard to come by many of these schools decided to accept hearing students who wanted to learn magic. The dedication to teaching sign language, one of the principle ways of using magic was not lessened by this inclusion, if anything it became more intense. This was the birth of the silent school of magic.

A philosphy that sign language should be the primary form of communication in a school of magic. This philosophy spread, resulting in some of the most gifted magi being deaf. The trope of the deaf magi was born.

Magi culture and deaf culture became intertwined, many european, asian, and african students of Compass academy ended up bringing ASL back back with them. Most people assumed sign language to be some universal language. This is not true French, british and Japanese sign language were all seperate languages with their own history and culture.

But as magic spread many deaf people found that the only people they could really communicate with Magi used a different language then they did, American loan signs ended up becoming more and more common with some local sign language forms being wiped out by the american colossos.

As for deaf culture, for many deaf people magic was one of the few and most lucrative ways they could make a living so many did. Using magic to sell ice, make roads, heal, send messages, create, and fight for their country.

Deaf culture and Mage culture became deeply intertwined, and still are even to this day


The New Yorker 1981

Robert Kline


After confering with experts of industry, magi, and students we have come up with a list of the best magic schools in the world.


10. An-Kor School of magic

Located on top of Yudal Mountain Mokpo Korea, An-Kor was founded by An-Kor Park the first east asian to learn magic at Compass. A member of the first 1337 An-Kor traveled home with books of magic hand translated into korean by Merlin himself. A native of Mokpo who had been kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery An-kor's long journey made him tough. He slew the pirates who enslaved him and was gifted with land to start his own school by the korean government in return.

When Japan took over Korea the students of An-Kor seemingly destroyed their school and scattered across the country. In truth they sunk the school deep underground and led a movement to preserve korean culture, history and fight a resistance movement. With the end of japanese rule An-Kor returned to the surface in triumpth and helped rebuild Korea.

During the communist invasion of the 1950s An-Kor students took the lead in defending their country. An-Kor in the modern era has one of the largest libraries in Korea, state of the art facilities, top notch staff and is one of the most respected schools of magic in the world. If you're looking for an education in magic it's hard to top An-Kor

9. Gallaudet school of magic

A specialist in the silent school of magic Gallaudet is the single best school of magic in California, Located in Oceanside Gallaudet is located right on the ocean offering its students a chance to enjoy the ocean. Gallaudete however is not a party school, it is a proud proponent of the silent school of magic and requires every student to complete a one month vow of silence to better master their craft.

Gallaudet's mixture of location, high standards, and excellent teaching staff all help it earn its spot in the top ten.

8. Vanguard Academy

Located in Auch France Vanguard is first and formost a miltary school, all students upon graduation are expected and required by law to serve in the french military. Students who are not native to France are required to serve in the foreignn legion.

Producing some of the most capable combat magi in Europe Vanguard has earned its reputation as an elite school of magic, but their focus on military matters and requirement to join the military, and other limitations force us to place it lower then their biggest rival Stonehenge.



7. Stonehenge Academy of magic

Created in 1840 Stonehenge is located In Amesbury England. Amesbury has the honor of being located on one of the strongest leylines on Earth. It's also the first true school of magic in the United Kingdom. Stonehenge remains an elite institution that only accepts the best of the best, as an educational institution is competes with Cambridge and other elite schools.

If you want your children to get connections with some of the richest and most powerful families in the UK then Stonehenge is a good bet. If you just want a quality education in the mystic arts Stonehenge still has you covered.

6. Salem Academy of Magic

Located in Salem Massachusetts

Compass's biggest rival Salem was founded by Richard Core,y a decendent of Giles Corey one of the men killed during the Salem witch trials. Salem's school motto is "more weight" and they built a reputation for excellence and defiance.

Salem is a school proud of its magic, its history, and thumbing its nose at anyone who has a problem with magic. Its facilities are beyond reproach, its staff is excellent, but its tendency for fanaticism, and the sometimes cult like attachment to their fallen mater's and a focus on magic as a lifestyle choice instead of a tool or a way to make a living forces us to place it much lower on the list then it could be.

5. Brunnsberg school of magic

Part of Sweden's mystic trinity, Brunnsberg is the only school in Sweden that teaches all four seasons. Unlike Trosa and Stockholm which focus almost entirely on the medicinal arts Brunnsberg has a more open mind. Teaching engineering, architecture, and focusing on the practical sides of magic. Despite receiving little financial support from the state Brunnsberg built a hard fought reputation for excellence.

The school itself was built and improved on by the students as class projects and over the years they have created a work of art. Brunnsberg is an elite school with a hard scrabble work ethic, an underrated Gem Brunnsberg deserves far more recognition then it gets.

4. Soloman academy

Located in New Jerusalem Israel, Soloman was the country's first school of magic, and over the generations they helped the country make the tundra bloom. Soloman's focus on practical studies and cutting edge research makes them a good choice for any prospective student.

3. Neuschwanstein

Built by Ludwig the mad, Neuschwanstien castle was built to be the late king's Magnum Opus, but as he borrowed more and more he found himself in debt. In order to save his vision he contacted the fabled Merlin for help. A deal was hatched, Merlin agreed to help fund the project in exchange for the castle being a sister school of Compass.

Delighted to have an actual magical castle Ludwig agreed, the result was the biggest castle in human history. When Ludwig died as per the agreement Neuschwanstein became a school of magic. The school itself is a master piece of construction and is considered to be the single best school of magic in Germany. It managed to survive both world wars intact with students surrendering to the western allies in defiance of orders from Hitler himself in exchange for sparing the school.

2. Warsaw Academy

The Polish city of Warsaw managed to hold out in a century long siege, and it owes much of its survival to the Warsaw Academy. The school is strict and exacting but they are the formost experts in wards in the world. If you want a quality magical education in Europe Warsaw is hands down the best.

1. Compass Academy

Located in the great bay in the city of Zone, New hampshire Compass is the first school of magic to ever be created. Funded by several means Compass does not charge tutition and never has. Its staff is numerous and at times it feels more like a small city then a school.

It teaches at every grade level, in every subject. It's not only the first school of magic but also the biggest school on planet Earth. If you're looking to learn anything compass teaches it. For the sheer breath of knowledge available, for the housing, food, and other option Compass simply can not be beat.

Tomas Pines CIA report A36b 1964

Different countries have different attitudes towards magic.

Most countries see it as a tool.

Korea though sees it as a part of their national identity, they were the first country outside the west to learn actual magic, the first country in asia to make a school of magic. They're also pretty much the only institution in Korea that didn't fold when Japan took over in 1910.

The military, the intelligensia, the government as a whole fell but for Korea's small magic community the annexation was the last straw, they literally took their largest school underground, scattered across the country and renamed themselves the Jayu and proceeded to successfully run a resistance movement against Japan for the next 35 years.

If a Japanese officer, or even just a regular japanese man raped your wife and daughter the Jayu would punish them. If they stole your property they were your only hope of getting it back. When Japan tried to destroy every aspect of Korean culture, their books, their history, the Jayu hid the books in underground libtaries.

Clothed in black coats and white masks the Jayu were a constant thorn in the side of the Japanese, it got to the point where they banned Saxophones upon pain of death. When Japanese occupation ended the Jayu contacted the americans and started the process of creating a free Korea.

Being a mage means something in Korea, and they're easily the most pro magic country in east asia. I fought side by side with the Jayu when the commies invaded, when the Chinese invaded and they're some of the hardest sons of bitches out there.

With this war in India we're going to need all the help we can get, the Koreans will send the Jayu. M, make sure our boys understand that these aren't normal spookies these are some of the hardest and scariest sons of bitches on the planet.

Thank god they're on our side.

Magic and Poland, Jacob Karazim


In the wake of the first Partition members of the polish nobility and upper classes desperately looked for some way to regain the territory they lost. Unfortunately for Poland they were a nation with enemies. To the east the russian giant stood like a colossos, to the west the Prussian army, the master of land warfare and to the south the Austrian Empire.

The news that America had allied itself with an actual Phoenix who wanted to open a school of magic was treated as a fairy tale by most of the world. A way for the british to excuse their defeat to the americans as propaganda. The first magi from the old world were a mixture of adventures, refugees, the desperate and the damned. The only organized push to educate people in the magical arts came from Poland. The first class of Magi had 108 polish students, the largest contingent from Europe.

Going into accelerated training programs these magi came back and trained other magi, and in secret more magi were sent to train at Compass to bring back this power to Poland. By 1790 poland had become terminally weakened by its alliance with Prussia. A new constitution was created, one that enfranchised the middle class. Russia then used this as a pretext to invade Poland.

The new constitution had cased some polish nobles to side with Russia but upon finding out that there would be a second partition they changed sides. The tiny polish magic corps inflicted grave casualties and helped turn the tide in numerous battles. It looked like Poland would beat Russia. Then Prussia, Poland's nominal ally at the time invaded.

Cathrine the Great with the support of the Russian church made the infamous July 13th edict that all polish magi were to be killed on sight. Surrender was impossible so many magi went underground, escaping to Warsaw, hiding amonst the populace and teaching more people. Eventually in 1794 they rose up.

This event was called the sorcerers' revenge, using magic carpets, traps, guerrilla combat and numerous other tricks the Magi were able to liberate the city of Warsaw, and staged an uprising against their oppressors. The war ravaged the country and the numerical and material superority of the enemy was unmatchable. Desperate Polish magi raised walls around Poland and started creating wards everywhere they could inside the city.

The city of Warsaw contains one of the worlds major leyline nexuses and they used this power to create defenses. When the russian army invaded the Magi struck hard. The weather, the air, the ground beneath them was turned against the russian army. The slaugher was so great that the russians decided to instead siege the city, building a series of forts around it killing anyone who tried to get out.

The Poles decided to double down on magic seeing it as their only tool for survival. Everyone inside the city of Warsaw would be forced to learn magic, using what knowledge they had they carefully managed their resources growing food, gathering water and keeping the city alive. The russian army was unable to invade the city with its increasingly more sophisticated wards and growing army of magi and the magi were unable to break the siege and the growing number of forts.

This stalemate ended with Napoleon's invasion and liberation of Poland. With the forts gone the Magi of Warsaw sought revenge on the russians, 1807 brought the short lived rebirth of Poland in the duchy of Warsaw. This was shortlived, though the magi inflicted numerous casualties the russian army was still too large. That said polish magi had used their moment of freedom wisely, converting the old forts into a giant wall and extending the city's wards.

The russian army once again failed to breach the wards and settled in for a long siege, once again Warsaw refused to surender and a stalemate came into being. Polish Magi could only exist in their city and even with great difficulty the russian army could not breach Warsaw's defenses. The Russians thought the siege would only last a few years. The year at this time was 1813, by 1913 the city of Warsaw was still free from Russia and still a thorn in their side.

In 1915 Germany offered the besiwged city a chance to regain Poland if they fought the russians, of course the area Prussia and Austria had taken would not be given back but Russian occupied Poland would be free.

With lack of better options Warsaw agreed and helped liberate Poland from the russian army.

With the collapse of Russia into civil war, and the defeat of Germany, Poland was able to negiote their freedom. After a century long siege Warsaw stood as the capital of a free Poland once again. The leaders of Poland decided to extend the teaching of magic seeing it as a tool of national survival. They also took over the old russian forts and once again extended Warsaw's defenses. The long siegee had in many people's opinion made Poland paranoid.

This paranoia was validated when the Soviet Union and Germany allied together and invaded Poland. Polish Magi fought well but its military and Magi were forced to flee to Warsaw. The Soviet union tried to invade and like their imperial forebearers were slaughtered to a man. The Soviet union decided to create forts around the city of Warsaw and starve it and bomb it out.

This didn't work and when Germany invaded the Russians were swept from the board, the german military tried to invade Warsaw and like russia was slaughtered to a man, so the german army upgraded the forts around Warsaw and decided to concentrate on conquering Russia, Warsaw would come later.

This moment did not come, with the D-day Invasion and with disasters on the Eastern front the Poles saw a moment of weakness and opportunity, the polish resistance in coastal cities got ready, and the Poles inside Warsaw broke out. By the time the German army brought enough forces to even attempt to quell the uprising the Poles had successfully liberated a few coastal cities.

They held out for allied support and with the whole world watching the western allies sent forces to help liberate Poland. It was thought that the Soviet Union would help aid the allies in liberating Poland. Sadly with the death of Stalin in the battle of Moscow, Lavrentiy Beria took over the Soviet Union. The Beria regime decided that they would let the west bleed and would then be able to sweep in uncontested.

The western Allies instead, managed to conquer Germany at great cost, then America asked the Soviet Union to keep their bargain and help defeat Japan. Beria hemmed and hawed and decided once again to not help. With the end of the war there was a great deal of bitterness that would lead to the current cold war.

 

[Cherico]

Ralph Essen


Alone in a room in a no tell hotel. I looked up at the ceiling and sighed as the light went through the window. I turned on the TV and sighed, Saturday morning cartoons.

He-man sat on his giant cat, his friend sat on his.

"I know we can make things right this time old friend."

His friend nodded and then they looked up.

"He-man."

The thick russian accent of Man of Arms echoed through the vally, the evil king sneered at the two heroes.

"Are you ready to die?"

Man at Arms pointed his sword and arrows were unleased.

"NO!"

He-man's friend's hands moved, and I sighed they had it wrong, completely wrong. The show always screwed up magic. The two of them fled into a ravine, the warrior went first the mage followed. Their cats moving under the water until they got into a cave, the two of them were silent as Man of arms troops passed. He-man looked at his friend.

"I'm sorry."

His friend removed his hood, revealing the skull like face.

"Don't be."

"If we had been faster I could have fixed your face, could have-"

His friend placed a hand on his shoulder.

"My face doesn't matter, what matters is restoring the republic."

He man nodded.

"Thank you Skeletor."

I turned off the TV. I could only handle so much shlock in one day. I got up and got dressed I stopped myself from making the bed. I gathered my things and headed towards the train station, the walk seemed to take forever. I was hungry when I got to the station and I sighed.

"Of course there's a Jollybee."

I walked inside and ordered a beef Tapa, I turned around and blinked.

"The hell?"

There was a Jollybee across the street from another Jollybee. When I recieved my meal I got out of there and looked for somewhere else to eat, the train station had a bunch of places.

Ediya's coffee,Sibylla, white castle, you know the normal fast food chains that seemed to be everywhere, I even saw a green weenie. I bought a newspaper and sat down.

"Mc Donalds declares bankrupcy."

What the fuck is a McDonalds.

"Local chain."

I looked up at the bored teenager who sold me the newspaper.

"They are mostly limited to southern California, well were, looks like they're closing them all down."

He didn't sound that broken up and honestly I couldn't bring myself to care that much about a chain I never heard about before. I ate my breakfast in silence, bought my ticket and got on the train, I passed a few people and then froze.

I looked at their hands and recognized the ring.

"Gallaudet."

I sat further down and kept my distance, it's not that I hated the school, I didn't. I had a very healthy respect for the west coast's school for the deaf/school of magic, but I was wearing a compass ring and I didn't want to deal with school rivialries.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder he gave me a piece of paper.

"I'm deaf and I need help."

I stared at the paper, and tried to communicate with him with sign language.

"It's a really bad idea to do that here."

He nodded his head and shrugged.

"No it's a really bad idea to do that here, whatever issues you have for the love of god do not do this."

He signed back and....

Gibberish, oh fuck we have an idiot. I sighed and gave him a dollar he smiled at me and walked forward, the man wasn't deaf. I shook my head as he tapped on the shoulder of the magi ahead of me. The train compartment went completely silent.

"Moron."

I met a few deaf people in the service, they mostly tended to be either army or Jarhead's but they really really hated posers, especially one's who tried this kind of stunt. I saw glowing block letters in deep red above one of their heads.

"You're not deaf."

The glowing letters turned into an enraged face, the man yelped as one of them, a woman grabbed him by the ear and twisted. One of her hands remained free she dragged the man back. Her free hand summoned an illusion.

"Did you give money to this man?"

The words formed over her head, I then noticed that she wore glasses, her skin was dark and though her clothing was conservative they reveled a nice figure. She looked at me, I signed back.

"Yes."

"He's not deaf."

"I know, I gave him the money because he has a disease, a horrible one called stupidity."

The woman smirked.

"He's still giving the money back."

Her eyes opened and the man cringed as the blocky red letters formed.

"RIGHT?"

The man handed back my dollar and was dragged by the ear further into the train, I opened my book and picked up where I left off.

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le Pen

It turns out that the next aspect of my training revolved around learning how to make things, lots of things. Pottery, smithing, chemistry, sewing, and glassmaking.

I stared at the twin glass mirrors.

"I finally got it right."

My teacher nodded.

"I know this was hard Louis, but with your season your ability with matter is limited to analyzing material and doing very basic repairs, anything else risks..."

"Paradox."

He nodded, I had met people who had pushed too fair and gotten hurt when they tried magic outside their grasp. Merlin made sure we all knew the price of magic and tried to make sure we used it safely.

"Are you ready?"

It was a rank 3 space spell, I placed the two mirrors on a desk. Glowing crystals filled with mana helped me as I carefully applied enchanted ink to the outside of the mirror, in groves that I had put runes into. I smiled as each quartz crystal went dark, as they did so each rune lit up until all the crystals were empty and the outside of the mirrors glowed.

The runes died, becoming invisible, I tapped the mirror and saw my reflection.

"Hello."

I heard my voice come out of the other mirror and saw my face on it, my mirror just showed the ceiling.

"Good, you have created your first magical artifact. What do you want to do with it?"

The twin mirrors were forever linked, no matter what the distance I could talk to whoever held the other mirror, it was a miracle of magic.

"I, I want to send this to some one special."

It had been over six months at that point and I wanted to see Andrea again.

"That sounds like a good idea, but first come with me I have a surprise."

I carefully placed the twin mirrors in a wooden box and followed my teacher into the elevator. We went up into the clouds, when we got out I saw other students with other golems. The golems walked away and I saw the glow of Merlin's true form. A man with a beard and a bald head looked at us with piercing green eyes. I blinked.

"A priest."

Paul stepped next to me.

"Yes."

Merlin raised a wing the priest blinked but remained standing, his arms folded behind him. His face was impassive.

"I know quite a few of you are catholic and that traveling to the mainland for religious services is quite a pain, to this end I have contacted the Holy sea and other religious groups. I never want my students to have to choose between their god and magic. You should have both."

The priest stepped forward.

"My name is Father Russo of Milan, I have been sent by the mother church to look after your souls. If you are wondering whether you are damned or not, we do not know. The Pope has decided to withhold judgement and the Jesuit order will send people to look after you and study Compass."

He paused.

"We will hold services this friday and I would like to remind you that lent is here, I understand some of you have been eating meat on fridays. I have informed your headmaster about that religious condition and fish will be provided to you on fridays, but since vegetarian meals have been provided this entire time that excuse isn't valid. I will be here to hold confession and absolve you of that minor error in judgement."

We nodded at him, and then Merlin opened the large doors, our eyes opened in shock.

"Oh my."

Merlin nodded.

"I spent some time in France ferrying diplomats during the war, I'm unfamilar with your human churches especially your catholic ones, so I decided to just copy one. Notre Dame Cathedral to be exact."

The priest was frozen.

"I tried to make this as exact a copy as I could Father Russo."

The priest took a breath.

"The mother church appreciates your generosity and hospitality Mr. Merlin, but my duty is first and formost to god if this is a bribe then I assure you it will not work."

Merlin wings rose in a shrug.

"As long as my students spiritual needs are taken care of then I will call this even."

Our teacher left and we followed the priest as we marched towards the church, we opened the doors and the priest nodded.

"Very well, I will hold confession."

We got into a line, and I waited patiently, when my turn came I went into the confessional.

"Hello child what do you have to confess."

I thought about it.

"I have been judgemental father."

"Explain?"

"On the weekends Saturday's I look after people with sicknesses, illnesses for extra money."

The priest was silent.

"That isn't a sin my son."

I took in a breath.

"They often have um, diseases like Syphilis, from whores, the headmaster says that it's not our place to judge, that we should leave those matters to men of god or the law."

Father Russo was silent.

"Your headmaster has a point, I still do not know if your gift is from the devil or from nature like your headmaster claims, but if it is a gift then your duty is to cure these men's bodies, matters of the soul belong to us."

"Yes Father."

"Why did you become a magi?"

"My master's daughter cant walk, when she was young a horse threw her off. No one could heal her and I volunteered to go."

"Master?"

"My mother was a servant, as was I Father."

I couldn't see him.

"Your reasons for coming here are noble, but you need to leave matters of god to men of god, and god himself. 10 hail mary's and make sure to abstain from meat this friday."

"Yes father."

I left the confessional and looked up at the cathedral, and somehow I wasn't impressed or in awe. Compared to some of the things I've seen at Compass this just didn't compair, I looked at Paul as he walked next to me.

"How did it go?"

"I was told to be more forgiving... it isn't going to happen."

I shrugged as we continued to walk.

"Going to the aquarium?"

It was our favorite part of the school. I thought about it.

"I have things to do first."

Paul shrugged and I walked over to the post office, I paid for a box and carefully wrapped my package with of the two mirrors and a letter. The bored official took my letter and I decided to thank our headmaster. I went into the elevator and went up to his office. I heard a man talking.

"The situation is getting worse."

I spoke english now. I froze.

"I am well aware of how bad things are out there Alex, I fought alongside these men during the revolution, I understand their points."

"If I had a command, if I had fought, if I had..."

"I'm not going to apologize for helping this country win the war Alex, you're going to have to win glory with your mind, not on the battlefield."

There was a pause.

"You served with George, that should be enough for anyone."

"This system isn't workable Merlin, we both know that these articles of confederation are a disaster."

"I know Alex, but as much as I sympathize with you I have to think about the school, my position here is precarious right now."

"You're a living force of nature, I saw you destroy an entire army Merlin."

"And that power means nothing if I'm not able to pass on my knowledge. If I fail in this effort Alex nothing will remain of my people. Everything we did, all of our efforts will be worth nothing."

"And if this country fails the same will happen to me!"

The two paused.

"I can put you in contact with students, we're working on long distance communication devices, flying devices things like that. I can even slip you some money with the agreement you will help me find some teachers for my school."

"That isn't much."

"I'm sure there are learned men amongst the veterans, men with skills. I'd be willing to hire any of them, and if they want to become students I have another class opening next year. I'm sorry Alex but Compass has to be an apolitical organisation to survive. This is the best I can do for you right now."

"Thanks Merlin, I appreciate it."

The door opened and a man walked out, he had eyes that burned with an inner fire.

"Um sorry sir."

He looked at me.

"Looking to talk to Merlin?"

I nodded.

"I wanted to thank him."

The man took several breaths.

"Merlin, does this boy know how to make those mirrors you were talking about?"

Merlin walked out.

"Yes."

The man smiled at me and put out his hand.

"My name is Alexander Hamilton and I want to talk business."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

The deal was simple, Monsieur Hamilton needed a pair of communications mirrors from me. I was sure I wasn't the only one contracted to make these mirrors, the students who were children of spring were better at this task then I was. I didn't feel the limitations of my powers before I started, but as I made mirrors with spring magi I noticed how easy it all was for them.

I noticed that they could shape and manipulate glass, metal and other materials with their hands alone, that they could craft faster and more precisely, but I was at long last finished. Monsieur Hamilton walked with another man and tapped our mirror sets, once he was satisfied that our goods were good enough we were paid.

With that done I head headed towards my room. I relaxed on my bed, I looked at the clock built into the room and picked up my mirror, I tapped it again and smiled at Andrea.

"Hello Mademoiselle."

I heard a squeeking sound and Andrea's face shifted, I heard her take a deep breath.

"Louis?"

I smiled.

"The same, do you like my gift?"

She smiled at me, her hands going through her curly brown hair.

"It's... it's really you?"

I smiled.

"Yes."

She tapped the mirror.

"This is magic."

"Yes well, I am learning to become a wizard so I thought it only natural to make you a magic mirror."

She smiled and my heart warmed a little. I always liked Andrea, she was nice to me, to all the servants, she was our little princess.

"How is um your training going?"

I took a breath.

"I'm working on learning runes, that involves a bunch of other stuff blacksmithing, sewing, pottery., Merlin requires his magi to know how to do a whole bunch of things."

She nodded and bit her lip in thought.

"I'm working on learning how to fix your legs, help you walk again. The headmaster says he's willing to give me a sabbatical and let me return to France in 82."

She smiled.

"Good, I missed you."

"But he also wants me to finish my training. I will return home and by then I will be able to help you, but I gave my word that I would return and-"

"I understand Louis."

She smiled warmly at me.

"Jauque has gone off to school to learn how to be a soldier, you have gone off to learn how to be a wizard and I'm still here."

I felt a little bad at that, like I abandoned her.

"I just wanted to help."

"And I understand, it's just lonely here without you."

She smiled.

"How about playing with other girls?"

"They don't want to play with a cripple, my only friends in the entire world are you and my brother. I miss you both terribly but with this new mirror, it's not so bad."

She blinked.

"Oh can you show me all the things in the school you told me about?"

I felt my heart warm as she got excited.

"Of course."

"Thank you Louis. It's strange, all those games where you were the evil sorcerer trying to steal me away and now you're a wizard, and my brothers a soldier."

She smirked.

"You're not planning on stealing me away for real right?"

I smirked back.

"First chance I get little princess, I will wisk you away and make you my dark bride."

I gave an evil laugh and Andrea giggled.

"I missed you, Louis."

"I missed you too Andrea."

I heard a knock coming from the mirror, Andera looked around.

"I hope you don't mind Louis but I have to hide this yes? Mom won't understand."

The image went dark and I stared at the ceiling. I missed Andrea, I missed my friend, this mirror even if it was just for a moment gave her back to me.

"I love magic."

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen

It was getting hotter now, I sat on the edge of the docks and watched as ships negiotiated with the strange servitors for goods. I watched as Coffee, chocolate and a seemingly endless varity of spices and goods were loaded onto the ships. In return the smiling captains handed over huge amounts of paper money. As they left more ships came. This process continued on throughout both the day and the night.

The small towns and farms that remained in the zone also came, I remembered not too long ago when they avoided our school like the plague and now they rushed here in seeming desperation.

"Why?"

I heard a chuckle and looked up, he was an older student, a man in the middle of his life. He took off his hat and brought out a pipe. He gave me a piece of paper.

"Because of this kid."

I looked at the piece of paper.

"What is this?"

"A continental, the official currency of our proud young republic, it's also completely and utterly worthless."

He lit his pipe and took a deep drag.

"This school is prettly much the only place that considers continentals to be worth anything. Now a continental is worthless but chocolate, coffee, pepper, salt, sugar, all these spices and tropical fruits that the old bird sells they are worth something."

He smirked.

"So when word finally got out that someone was willing to sell you goods for worthless continentals all those merchants with worthless continentals rushed here. You see dollars might be worthless but spices, sugar, all those things the old bird grows here? That's worth something."

He took a deep drag.

"So they come from all over the place, even far south as Georgia, coming with their continentals. They buy everything their ships can buy, give the old bird their dollars and then sell the goods all over the world. Lots of people getting rich right now."

He sighed.

"They're cheating us."

The older man chuckled.

"Asked the old bird 'bout it once, and that's the point. You see before word got out, everyone out there?"

He pointed to the land that surrounded us.

"Hated our guts, they even created the county of Zone because no one wanted to deal with us, but now that people are making money off of us? Now their tune is starting to change."

"Because of money."

He smiled.

"That's part of the plan kid, you can't spring something new on people and just have them accept it. You got to give them a way to buy in, a way to profit, there has to be something in it for them."

I thought about it, and the older man had a point.

"I don't like that they're cheating Merlin, it's not right."

The man took another drag.

"Merlin's old kid, real old and his folk live a very very long time, when we're dead and buried he will still be alive, when our grandchildren die he will still be alive. The dollar is worthless now, but it's not going to be worthless forever."

He smiled as another ship left.

"And when it stops being worthless all those people will be used to buying stuff from us, they will be used to the school, they will be used to us."

I closed my eyes.

"That makes sense. I'm Louis Le pen."

The man cracked his neck, I noticed the red cross in his jacket or was it a sword, either way that made him a summer magi.

"John Smith. So kid, why did you come here all the way from France?"

I blinked.

"I was a family servant, my master's daughter can't walk. We have to move her around with a wheelbarrow-like contraption. No one could cure her and I came here to um... fix her."

The man nodded.

"How did you know I was french?"

"The accent's dead givaway, your english is decent enough though."

"The headmaster has been teaching me, and you?"

The man looked ahead.

"My wife, my ex wife ran off with a redcoat. I got home one day and everything I owned was gone. She had sold everything, even our house and ran off to Jamaica. At that point I had nothing but a gun she had left behind in a shed. She had also borrowed a whole bunch of money and I was on the hook for all of it."

He took another smoke.

"So I joined the Revolution, fought with Washington. I was there in Valley forge, I had just lost my leg, I had gangrene and I was scared and terrified. I prayed to god for a miracle."

"And?"

"And then the old bird came down from the sky, we were all terrified, too terrified to even shoot at him. This giant bird looks at us, I remembered a few folks screaming but Washington rides in there with his horse and stares this giant monster down."

He tapped his pipe.

"'I heard you were having a war sir, how can I help?'"

The man laughed.

"Thank god for the old bird, he fixed my leg, made sure we were all fed, even made us some proper boots. After that he talked to the general and they made a deal."

He took another smoke.

"Merlin would help us in the revolution and in exchange the old bird gets to be a citizen, gets to buy some property and make a school of magic. I fought by his side after that, before the old bird came in things were tough. After he came in it was just victory after victory. We liberated New York, we liberated Boston. Got to the point where the lobsterbacks would just run away whenever they saw us."

He smiled.

"The war ended and I didn't have anywhere to go. I lost my house, but the old bird did right by me during the war, did right by all of us. You don't spend 3 years fighting by a man's side without getting to know 'em. I remembered talking to him around the fire. Remember him being so excited about his school of magic, about all the things he wanted to teach us."

He yawned.

"That's why I'm here kid, the old bird saved my life so I'm here to help him with his dream and if I manage to figure out a way to make a living off it so much the better."

He tossled my hair.

"The old bird isn't stupid, he's just playing a longer game then you're used to."

I nodded and got up.

"I better get back to my lesson then."

"You and me both kid."

 

[Cherico]

Revrand Johnson- Famous preacher of Americas first religious awakening

Now folks, let's talk about the devil.

There's this misconception by some folk that magic's a tool of the devil, now let me tell you a secret that isn't true, and let me tell you why. Some people think that God and the devil are equals, let me tell you the truth, he isn't. The devil can't create anything, all he can do is corrupt God's creation. His power is illusion and temptation but he ain't anywhere close to God's equal, got it?

Now when I was a young sailor I got duped by the devil, went into a house of sin and got myself a horrible nasty disease. Syphilis, I did wrong and that came back to bite me. I was going to die, I prayed to the lord to save me and the lord answered, just like when our boys in Valley Forge were praying for help the lord answered.

Compass ain't the devil's work, the devil can't create anything, Compass was sent here by the Lord. Magic ain't good that's true but it ain't evil. It's a tool and it can be used by the righteous man and it can be used by evil men. Magic folk? They need the lord just like we do, that's why the old bird doesn't try to stop anyone trying to get himself some Jesus. Can I have an A men?

Amen, you leave to Rome what belongs to Rome and Merlin leaves to God what belongs to God and that's us. You see this? All this is a part of God's plan, he wants us to have the tools we need in this world to make it, but the devil's always trying to corrupt things.

Take my disease, that syphilis, lots of good bacteria that helps us digest our food, make our beer, make our cheese but the devil corrupted some of them, and that's disease, that's sickness, nasty stuff that kills the good and the bad alike. We had a real problem fighting them so God gave us a way to go out and fight the devil's boy hand to hand.

That's what happened to me on that dark day in Compass, just me and a scared little french boy. I was scared too, I was going to die, I will be honest with you folk at that moment I'd give anything to be cured. You know what the old bird asked from me?

To let me be an example, to help train that boy to fight the devil's minions and far as I know he's still fighting the good fight, but we have to fight our own fight. Devil's a loser that's trying to ruin everything, he uses fear and ignorance to destroy, he uses hate too.

Be better then that, you see one of those magic folk you remind them that God still loves them, that he still cares. We're all God's children at the end of the day, magic doesn't change that one bit.