EA Chapter 16 - Days of an Academic

When it came to classes, Luna considered herself to be astute and well-read. But that still led to her having notions that raised concerned eyebrows.

Proctor Castor, the lecturer on military theory, posed a hypothetical to the class on one verdant morning. "How would you, as a field commander, deal with a rebellion within your ranks? For the sake of the scenario you and your squadron are far from the Bulwark, supplies are low, and your loyalists have successfully quelled the rebels. They are detained but alive."

To which Luna had bluntly replied "Crucify the rebels." This earned her more than a few looks, yet the flat-faced old man had asked her to elaborate on her logic, stressing that cruelty was not an ideal field commander trait.

"It's not mere cruelty. It is practical. The loyalty of those who stood by me will be reaffirmed, seeing the consequence of a long, painful death posed to traitors. Wood is always in abundance among field squads, but even if it is not our guidebooks tell us that the Ashlands are populated by tall, gnarled trees that somehow survive in spite of the harsh environment. Thus forming crucifixes is no issue. Additionally, in culling the traitors, our supplies of food and water will be greatly bolstered. This will instil a sense of... gratitude in the loyalists."

A few people in the lecture hall had looked at Luna as if she were a mad woman. Yet Castor had given her a pass for her solution. It was violent and grim, yes, but functional given the parameters of the scenario. When it came to the Ashlands, the mission to explore and reclaim it trumped all else.

Monster Anatomy was said to be one of the most important classes taught at the Citadel, where students of all classes attended the lessons together. The bodily makeup of their enemies was as useful to a Ranger as it was to an Arcanist, after all. And Luna would admit, she was thoroughly intrigued by the lessons. After all, destroying the monsters and liberating the Ashlands was a major objective for her and she wanted to know how to kill the beasts when the time came.

The classes were taught by a lorekeeper known as Amyrrah, a lanky woman with a shaved head and a face tattooed with a series of strange white letters. Not exactly the most exciting of orators, but she delivered the material in a concise, insightful manner. And the lesson for the day was of great interest.

"Today, cadets, I have something of great importance to show you. Ordinarily we are not to remove samples like this from the Citadel's vaults, but exceptions can be made for the sake of education." The dark-skinned woman reached for the crate beside her podium with a pair of tongs in her hands. And, with great care, she lifted a great mass of ebony-coloured crystal from the container. It glittered in the light of the room, highlighting the sharp angles and protruding spikes of the construct.

"Our foes come in many shapes," she said. "From fire-breathing hellcats that stand shoulder-high to the average man, to lumbering gargoyles who tower over even the largest of men. Yet every Ashlands monster has one thing in common: A crystalline heart like this one." That particular heart bore a deep gash in the middle. No doubt the death blow that had killed its owner.

The class looked at it in awestruck silence. Luna narrowed her eyes, burning qi to sharpen her vision. The crystalline matrix truly was beautiful, undoubtedly quite dense, and could likely conduct much more energy than a normal ground-grown quartz. But the shape was chaotic and jagged, clearly not something that had been constructed with care. It was more like a feature of the ground that had been torn from its moorings.

"Even after all these years," Lorekeeper Amyrrah said, "we know very little about how our foes are born. The sweeping storms deeper into the Ashlands have scuppered many expeditions, worsened by the presence of progressively stronger beasts. But we know, for a fact, that they are born of the ground just as drowned men are born of the sea. Ash and rock animated through magical power. They have no organs to speak of, and most superficial damage to their bodies will eventually be regenerated. But, a direct blow to the core is a swift death for their ilk."

Luna listened, committing more notes to her notepad. It was simple stuff, but she supposed there had to be more to it if Elthreme had struggled against these creatures for so long. Perhaps their numbers were inexhaustible. Or perhaps the stronger ashborn were so mighty that they could flick the likes of Old Scratch aside with ease.

Well, whenever she got beyond the wall herself, she'd know the truth of the matter.

The sun was starting to dip by the time classes ended for the day. Amyrrah had gone on for some time describing the dimensions of a standard crystalline core, the density of the matter (which was like tenfold steel even in the smaller ashborn), and what weapons cut best through the material.

The Red Hawks filed out of the lecture hall, each of them slightly deflated in their own way. "So many words," Romula murmured, rubbing at her eyes. "I'm exhausted."

"Me too," said Rema. "I wanna collapse and sleep for a whole week."

"Doesn't matter where the heart on those things is. I'll still kill any of them I come across, no matter how many little pieces I need to tear them into," Kiharu said, scratching lazily behind her right ear.

Luna gave her a flat look. "You better be paying attention in lectures. I won't give you a rematch if you fail any tests," she warned.

Kiharu sagged slightly, a whining noise rising in her throat. "You are such a pain." But, ultimately, she would oblige Luna's demands. Anything to try and even the score.

"Well, she's not wrong. We're expected to be as capable with theory as we are in combat," said Syri. "It's been a long day. We should probably grab some food and then head back to our dorm."

"You go on ahead," Luna replied, turning her back on the others. "I need to visit the library."

"Again?" Rema asked, tilting her head like a curious dog. "You're basically at the library whenever you have a second of free time."

"I take my education seriously. And, as an Arcanist, book learning is an ideal way for me to steadily grow my skills." That would normally be mere common sense. But, in Luna's case, she was mainly looking for any techniques that diverged from what she currently knew. "I am serious about us winning that tournament. Stick with me, and I'll do everything I can to put us at the top spot." With that she turned and left her teammates to their own devices.

Luna's footsteps echoed softly in the vast halls of the library, the scent of ancient parchment hanging heavily in the air. The shelves loomed above her, each rung straining from the weight of ancient tomes. The ones unguarded were free for any cadet to take. But the ones locked away were only for those with the rank of lance cadet or higher. Certainly not something a tin rank cadet would get.

Luna wandered through the aisles, her fingers brushing against the spines of the books at her level. She read the name of each book she passed, at least those that hadn't been worn away by the passage of time or grubby human hands. To let books fall into a state of disrepair... unforgivable.

Slowly, she began to fill her hands with tomes on arcane history. And, finally, she came upon a book that seemed almost out of place compared to what she normally had access to: A novice spellbook simply titled 'The Foundations of Qi.' Curiosity piqued, she lifted the book to her mounting pile and pressed on toward a vacant temple near the central aisle of the library.

Deciding to start with the spellbook, as it was the first of its kind that she had found here, she flicked the cover open and slowly began to pick through the lines.

The first few pages were, unsurprisingly, incredibly basic spells that even a novice in her own world could have learned with minimal time and effort. Clouds of boreal wind, smokescreens, and basic clairvoyance. Nothing she needed to relearn. She read on, deeper and deeper into the slim book.

Eventually, however, her eyes were drawn to a mercifully unique spell.

Stuttering Ear: The art of using your own qi to manipulate the hearing of your foe. Regarded as a technique for tricksters, Stuttering Ear delays their hearing by roughly two seconds. Some would ask what the point of such a technique is. But if an opponent cannot hear an attack coming, for the noise of the attack was rushing their way two seconds earlier then they could anticipate, it can make for a major tide-turner in the heart of battle.

An intriguing little spell, Luna reasoned. There were no doubt countermeasures known to more seasoned Arcanists, especially if this was meant to be a foundation-level technique. But it would be a neat trick for the tournament.

It was as she was pondering this that a pair of footsteps quietly echoed toward her. She stirred from her reading, looking up as a shadow fell across her. A tall man adorned in a long coat in Elthremian colours stood over her, his salt and pepper hair swept back. He grinned down at her with his sharp, owlish features. "You're the silver haired girl from the boonies, right?"

"I'd rather you not call me that. But yes, sir, that's me."

He nodded, his smile lingering. "Sergeant Calvert. Nice to finally meet the girl who helped my former apprentice."

"Your..." She trailed off, before her eyes widened in shock. "Helsen?" It couldn't have been anyone else.

"Indeed. I had high hopes for Helsen, a lad with such potential. But I'll admit, I am curious to see what the man may have taught you."

Luna nodded, halfway focused on the spellbook. Not that she was finding any new abilities worth taking from it, just more novice-level nonsense. Of course the Elthremian army saw great use for her... if she could prove herself as potent as the others believed her to be.

"Considering the tournament is coming up soon, it would be an ideal chance for you to show off and let us all see your capabilities. And... if you follow my training, you'll be strong enough to stand at the top of the food chain."

Luna managed a faint smile. "Is that so, sir?" she asked, tilting her head. Calvert certainly seemed confident, but his qi wasn't particularly impressive when compared to Old Scratch or Gallow. And yet... there was an unmistakable air of mystery to the man, where there was more to him than met the eye.

"Oh yes. In fact, if you follow my guidance, I guarantee that you'll be able to win the tournament, despite the... reputation your team has," Calvert replied. Luna looked him in the eye, and found no hint of dishonesty or uncertainty in his gaze. That sort of confidence was reassuring, at least.

"I suppose I'm intrigued, sir. I'd like to at least try your methods out, just to sate my curiosity."

Luna wanted to scoff. Helsen may have considered himself a mentor to her in some respects, but in truth he was little more than a stripling. "Why? You looking to finish whatever he may have started?"

"Perhaps. And, well, the upper brass have been muttering about you since you arrived. The girl who took out a dire crayfish with a single attack. I suppose I have a vested interest in seeing that talent properly nurtured, for the good of the entire kingdom."

Luna nodded, halfway focused on the spellbook. Not that she was finding any new abilities worth taking from it, just more novice-level nonsense. Of course the Elthremian army saw great use for her... if she could prove herself as potent as the others believed her to be.

"Considering the tournament is coming up soon, it would be an ideal chance for you to show off and let us all see your capabilities. And... if you follow my training, you'll be strong enough to stand at the top of the food chain."

"I suppose I'm intrigued, sir. I'd like to at least try your methods out, just to sate my curiosity."

"Then, come the weekend, pay a visit to training ground three. I'll be waiting for you after dawn."