The New Bond

Aster

Kat’s assumption was proved correct throughout the day and into the night. There were periodic shouts and the sound of people storming out of their rooms. Thankfully, that noise was extremely muffled, even in the main room. There was only a bit more discussion with Kat until we both got bored talking about ourselves. She ended up pulling out a set of cards and teaching me how to play a game called Artium.

It revolved around getting specific cards without the other person discovering which ones they were. I found it fun, but another few people playing might make it more interesting.

Mostly, though, we talked about the academy and ideas on what our shared instructors would be like before we both retired early to get some sleep. When I was alone in my room, I checked in with Umbra. To my relief, she had been told by Roslin already what had happened, and she seemed upset but at least knew it wasn't my choice.

The following day, I was up well before I had to leave. I showered and dressed as quietly as possible to avoid waking Kat, and when she finally appeared out of her room, I was snacking on a piece of bread in a chair, reading a book.

She looked much better with some sleep, her eyes brighter than they had been now with a gleam in them. She still rolled her eyes as she looked me up and down, then grumbled, “Morning, people.” before she went to take a shower as well. Once she was out, I offered her a loaf of bread that she accepted after watching it appear out of nowhere.

“So you have a spatial storage skill?” she asked, biting into the bread.

I shook my head, taping the collar. “It’s a bound item I got before leaving home.”

“Lucky, I hear those are a pain to make. More likely to find one in a dungeon, but speaking of your home, are all humans there like you? You know, with the ears, I’ve never heard of a race with them.” She bent her fingers above her head, wiggling them. “If it’s okay to ask.”

Laughing at her attempt to mimic them, I put my book away, feeling my ears twitching as they flicked off some water left from the shower. “No, not exactly. Well, what I mean to say is humans aren't exactly common where I’m from.” It was putting it lightly, considering I was the only human. “This is the first big city I’ve been in, and everything’s so different, it’s hard to get used to,” I admitted.

Kat nodded. “I visited Durlin, the biggest city near the Karvum border when I was five. It was eye-opening for me, too, since my village only had around a hundred people.”

Our conservation was interrupted by a distant dining noise that seemed to ignore the golden clasp’s enchantment. It was the city bell.

Once it had finished, Kat spoke, “Since we have the first class together, do you want to walk together? We can stop by the cafeteria. It should be on our way, and the food is free as long as you’re a student.” Giving an agreeing nod, we both got ready. Kat had a bag she used to carry her books and items she had to get first.

Peeking outside quickly, I saw the dorm hallway was active, full of other students moving about, but not as cramped as it had been. We moved off and beelined for the cafeteria, where we picked up some muffins to eat as we walked. I figured that it would become a regular routine with her. The first-course room was big, with at least a hundred students. One of the first things I noticed was almost everyone was carrying a bag like Kat, and I led a bit closer as we found some seats near the front, whispering, “Why does no one here have a storage like me? Is it really that uncommon, like you said?”

She huffed, not quite a laugh but a mix of an amused sigh and a groan. “They are more common when you have the coin to actually spend on them. Commoners like me and most of the people here won't have one because of a lack of coin. It’s the same reason they're taking this class. It’s focused on the basics. Most nobles were taught them while growing up, but commoners don’t have that source of education.”

I pulled an empty book and then a quill out, setting it in front of me as she spoke. I was starting to see the difference that split the two groups. Money seemed to be a big factor.

After a few minutes, a man walked out on the small platform in front of us, and the whispers died down. He was older and, like the Director, was wearing robes, but his were styled in a yellow color and seemed more fitting with wraps to make his arms and legs easier to move. He stood behind a podium and opened a book before speaking. Like the Director, his voice echoed out.

“Good morning, class. I am Mage Eldrim, your instructor for this course. You can refer to me as Mage Eldrim or Instructor Eldrim. We will be going over the basics of what we know as the system while you are with me. This course will show no major gains in terms of skills or spells but will give you the knowledge that you will need to improve in both of those fields. With that introduction out of the way, let's begin. I advise you to take notes. The first thing I wish to cover is the basics, then build on them.” He assumed a lecturing pose similar to the one Kulni had sometimes used.

“Levels and grades, what are they?” He asked, scanning the room.

There was a moment before a voice belonging to a boy hesitantly answered, “A way to grow stronger?”

Mage Eldrim smiled, giving him a nod. “Close and partly correct anyone else?”

Another voice belonging to a girl answered, “A way to show improvement and judge strength?”

“Very close, Levels and grades, if all of you would take a look at your status sheet to see them. They are the system's measure of how advanced you are. Sentient races use it as a way to judge someone, but the system uses it as a way to see what you're capable of by its own standards. The first grade is considered level one, not zero, as all races will eventually reach it without having to do anything more than survive. The average for humans and elves unlocks in the middle months of sixteen years. This grade consists of levels one through seventy-five. It is the only grade we know of that does not increase in thirty-level increments. The highest grade we know of is grade seven, which, if you do the math, is level two hundred and twenty-six to two hundred and fifty-five. Grade one is by far the easiest to improve in but also the most limiting in ways it allows improvement."

Mage Eldrim waved his hand, and blue text written in common appeared floating behind him, big enough for all of us to see a list of all of the grade and level requirements to grade seven.

"A good example would be that grade one allows for the learning of skills through action. This is still possible later in grades but much harder because of the introduction of skill points, something you won’t need to worry about until grade two and something we will cover later.” He flipped a page in his book, and I had a chance to see the golden trim of the page. To my surprise and confusion, nothing was written on it. “On to rarities for a moment as it is similar and will pertain to my point.”

“Rarities, which is how an item is judged, act in a similar way to grades. The order is as follows. Common, uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Mythic. These are not the only the way they're graded, as there are outliers such as Historic, Unique, and Ancient.” He looked up to the class, his gaze moving over everyone again.

“What does this mean then? Is an uncommon item worse than an epic? No, all it means is the item is merely more refined, and more potential has been unlocked and pushed in a direction. A shovel that turns to water when touching dirt would be mostly useless but still could be rated at the least as uncommon because it has an enchantment.”

“You must be curious about how this pertains to grades and levels. I see that some of you understand already. To explain, grades, while an honest tell of strength doesn't tell you everything, it is what is behind that level, your class, that matters. That does not mean you can beat someone two or even one grade higher than you, as their stats are probably leagues above yours, but advantages and disadvantages stand everywhere. My overall point stands as this: don't rush through levels to grow stronger. Focus on refining what you have and learn more. Let the levels come naturally and, if needed, set them to the side to focus on skills as grade one is by far the best time to earn a wide range of them."

I was enthralled as I listened, taking notes as fast as possible. Most of this was knowledge I knew but had never put together. Hearing that there was a grade rated above legendary was crazy to me, though. Then he dropped the biggest revelation to me.

"Now the next question is obvious: how do you gain a skill? If it's so easy, why don't you have hundreds?"

I nodded my head. With as much as I've done, I should at least have a few dozen.

"Now, you might be a little put out by this answer. You can only gain skills related to your classes and have to actively think about trying to earn the skill while doing the practice. Before you feel too defeated, know that skills are retroactive and what you have done in grade zero will be rewarded eventually. Every class allows for the learning of basic skills such as Basic weapon proficiency, Swimming, Running, and many others. I advise you all to learn skills from everything you do. The last thing I would like to point out before we move to questions is the evolution of skills."

He closed the book, and it vanished with a pop as blue words behind him altered to a flowing chart showing a sword in one panel moving into another with a bigger sword, then two crossed swords in the last.

"Skills unlike spells can advance with practice and use naturally. Once a passive skill reaches grade ten, it will evolve into a new, better, but more specific skill and be set back to grade one. For example, basic sword proficiency turning into dual wielding for rogues is a common evolution."

I perked up at that. When I could advance my sneak skill, what would it evolve into? That brought up the idea of learning a riding skill before flying with Umbra. If I could get the basic skill, then I could rank it up and evolve it with Umbra. The rest of the class passed as he answered dozens of questions. Mage Eldrin never seemed to run out of patience, as some questions were asked twice or even three times. By the time we were getting ready to go to our next class, I had a good chunk of notes and my own ideas I wanted to try out.

"What do you think?" I asked Kat as we left the room.

She seemed lost in thought, making a humming noise, but looked over to me as I spoke.

"I think if all of the classes are like this, I'm going to need a lot more books to write in."

I nodded, glad I had gotten a few dozen empty ones.

We also had the next class together, so we made our way there as a pair. I was even more excited about this class, and I heard a laugh from Kat as we went into the building where it was. I turned to her. She was covering her mouth. Looking around, I didn't notice anything, but she only shook her head as she tried to stop giggling. Once she had it under control, she pointed at me.

"Your tail is wagging. It really gives you away, or at least how you’re feeling."

I looked down at the rapidly moving part of my body with some embarrassment and had to focus for a moment for it to stop. I had given up on getting it under control, but now that I was out of the forest, I promised to revisit that challenge. I couldn't help getting a little defensive, muttering, “It helps with balance too.”

The next course had a much smaller room than the last, with only a dozen desks for two people each. We were lucky enough to be one of the first people there, and we took one of the front desks. As people filed in, I looked around the room. Glass cases were wrapped around the top of the ceiling with half-built items or weapons and even some armor. All of them had some type of mana in them, and I figured they were all enchanted in some form.

A younger man with glasses and what I assumed was naturally gray hair walked into the room. The first thing that drew my attention was his left leg. It was made of metal and made a creaking, thump noise with every step. He walked with a limp and a cane, not hesitating to sit down on the big desk at the front of the room.

"Good morning, class! I am Professor Fore. Welcome to Enchanting Basics, the most important class for anyone, in my opinion, but oh, what does a level one hundred and fifty-two enchanter know?" He chuckled at his own joke.

"Well, this class is about the basics of Enchantment. Most of this class's beginning months will be spent learning enchantment runes and how they function. I don’t have much else in the way of an introduction, so let’s get started. The sooner we can get going, the sooner we can make a storage ring.” His grin grew at the gasp his words earned. “That’s correct. This course will include the creation of that item with the help of a few other courses.”

"These runes are the basic building blocks of enchanting any item." He waved his hand next to his desk, a stack of books appearing on his table. "The first thing I will assign you is the learning of the first twenty runes. They include the mana storage rune, the movement rune, the activation rune, and other crucial runes needed for any working enchantment. I want you to work on copying them into your own notes so you have a way to study them when not in class."

Groans filled the back of the room at the prospect of work, but I was excited to finally start learning.

"None of that, while it is mundane work, it is needed knowledge and will pay tenfold in future work. Now, please come up and collect your books because I'm not going to be moving much."

After collecting the book, I opened it up excitedly. Each page had a large rune as well as a description of it and what it did. The class was different from the first and much more quiet as we all worked to copy the runes. I found the work a bit boring after finishing the first few, but Kat seemed to be in her element as she worked, and I couldn't help but whisper to her.

"What do you think we'll make?"

She paused in her work, lifting her shoulders in an I don't know gesture. "It doesn't bother me. I want to know how the runes work because it'll help in dungeons when it comes to disarming traps. It’s the reason I took this class. That and to identify enchantments, I don’t really plan on making anything major after this class."

I titled my head thinking about it, but I knew next to nothing about dungeons, so I nodded, deciding to ask her about it later.

Once we were all done with writing the runes, Professor Fore proceeded to go into each rune with large amounts of detail, writing them on a board.

"Once you pick up the skill Basic Rune Craft, something I plan for you to pick up around the end of the week when we start engraving wood with runes, you’ll find the runes start auto-correcting themselves, fixing minor details. It's a necessary skill in later works as the runes get more complex, and a simple line can change the rune completely. Our first actual item will reflect all of these. It’ll be a self-lighting torch. Sounds simple, right? No, I expect all of you to ruin the first dozen pieces of wood you use in the attempt."

He was halfway through the explanation of the runes when the time for the class ran out, not seeming bothered by being cut short, just giving each student a nod as they left. He didn't show any surprise by my appearance either, but I guess at the level he was at, you might have seen quite a few interesting things.

I had to split up with Kat after that, with us having different classes, and I checked the map as I headed to my next class bonded.

It turned out not to have a building, or more specifically. It had its own walls as it was set outside in a closed-off section of the school. As I went inside, I didn't know what to expect from the class, but it was definitely not a flying bird made out of fire coming towards me.

I jumped backward, unsure what to do, but it turned out the bird hadn't been aiming for me, instead bearing off, landing on the shoulder of another student who had been sitting on one of the benches that lined the wall. The student snorted after looking at me and then focused on the bird. None of his clothes had caught on fire, and he himself seemed unharmed. I didn't know what to think.

"It is a beautiful creature, a phoenix, and exceedingly rare in our Arilon." I jumped for the second time in less than a moment. Turning around, I saw a man who must have been our instructor standing a few feet away. Dressed in just a tunic and pants with the symbol of Arilon, he didn't look very imposing, but his white-silver colored hair and the blue sparks that seemed to go off in his eyes somehow seemed out of place on him, reminding me of Cassin in a way. He gave me an apologetic smile as he half bowed. "Apologies, I didn't mean to startle you..." He trailed off, waiting.

I took a moment to steady myself and gave him a smile. "It’s okay, I was too focused. I'm Aster"

The man raised an eyebrow. "One of my six students, I assume?"

Giving a grin, I nodded and then frowned. "That's it? Shouldn't there be more students? I thought bonding was a big deal." It was a big deal

"It is, but binding so early is usually unadvised in most cases as it can affect the young more strongly, hence why we bond with babies."

I walked with him as he made his way to a pair of benches next to a table. I sat on one of the benches that had no one on it. Once there, he turned to us and spoke up. “My name is Union. I will not ask for you to call me an instructor or by any other title as I’m not a normal instructor by the Academy term. What I have to teach you isn't taught from a book because what I teach will be different for each one of you. I see that the two of you have already bonded. Those who have not bonded and have picked this class to gain a bond face this bigger struggle.”

I looked at the two people he gestured to. One was the boy with the phoenix, and the other was a boy with a big cat creature that had a spotted black coat sitting next to him.

“I will get with each of you personally this week to see what needs to be learned. For today, I want to go over how the system works with bonds, one of the few things that applies to all of you. Are there any questions before I start? Don’t hesitate to cut me off if something doesn't make sense. I want this to be clear for everyone.”

The boy with the phoenix spoke up first. “There were two teachers named for the course. Who’s the other?”

Union nodded. “Her name is Squall, and she will be taking on the other side of this learning. She will be getting with your bonds and teaching them what they should know. She is busy with a task we agreed was necessary, something we can discuss when she returns in the next few weeks.”

No one else asked a question. Probably, they were all like me, waiting to see what was said first.;

“Ok, so this is the only speech that I will need your undivided attention on. Any other talks we have will be your decision to take anything from. A bond is a life-altering decision. It will affect you for the rest of your life regardless if anything happens to either of you. It alters your classes and how you advance in grades. It is a binding of two beings and is unbreakable without the death of one of them. The system takes the act seriously, giving a title to all who bond, preventing another bond from occurring with that creature or person. This class is to help you gain a bond and improve that bond, not to make you stronger. If you are not yet ready to make this decision, have any uncertainty, and have not bonded, I recommend you take another class and return next year. You will not be looked down upon or shunned in any way.”

He paused and waited. One student got up, and another followed. Both looking uncertain. He smiled at them. “A wise choice. If you do ever get a bond even after leaving the academy, do not hesitate to see me.” One of the students nodded, and the other gave a slight bow before they left.

He turned his head to face the four of us. “For the rest of you, let’s start with the fundamentals. When you bond, your class gets altered at your next grade. You also gain a title, as I said. The other thing, though, is you gain the ability to gain bonded skills, something I want all of you to work towards while here. With that being said, I want to welcome you all to my course.”

“I have a question.” The boy with the phoenix said, and Union nodded. “I understand bonding is a big deal, but I haven’t seen many with a bonded creature. Is there a reason for that? I would have thought at least one in every few people would have a bond. “

Union nodded. “A good question. May I know your name?”

“I am Wallace Duvan, and this is Kinder, my bond.”

“Ah, a Duvan, your father is captain Duvan of the guard in Crais?”

Wallace nodded, seeming to puff up at the recognition.

“A good question, Sir Wallace, with a good answer. First, not everyone wants to share their life and personal secrets with someone, and second, some people can’t bond because of their class type. Something people fail to realize is that a bond requires give and take. A bond needs a person who will fit with them. In other words, think of the dragon riders we have, even the griffons of Karvum or your bond, Kinder. Their eggs only hatch when they find someone suitable they would like to bond with. This is still the same for other less exotic creatures but to a much lesser degree.”

The class continued with a question-and-answer format, and my question about there being a skill for riding bonds was correct. Although it was Wallace who had asked it about his phoenix when it grew to its adult size, I assumed it applied to dragons as well.

When the time came for the next class, I was trying to think of a way to ask about Umbra and any skills I could try to learn relating to her without saying she was a dragon. It would be a question to think of later. Glancing at the map, I was surprised to see that Natural Magic was actually close by and based outside as well. It was based in a pocket of trees around a small pond. This was one of the classes I knew the smallest bit about, not that I wasn't enthusiastic about it. To my surprise, as the time we had to get between classes ended, I looked around at the other dozen students. All of them were elves, and one was Holly. She seemed surprised to see me, and I smiled at her, excited to see someone I knew. Before I could go over to her, however, I heard a whisper from the other side of the small bond where a few elves were standing.

“Is that thing human?.”

“I don’t know, but it’s not an elf.”

“Why are we stuck with it in our class? I thought only elves liked to take this course.”

I had to force myself not to turn towards the group of three. I was angry at what they were saying, but the rules prevented me from doing anything about it besides reporting it to an instructor or challenging them to a duel, neither of which I wanted on my first day. Instead, I focused on what the last one had said. Why would only elves want to take this course?

“Gooood afternoon class.” The slow, rumbling voice sounded everywhere in the clearing, coming out in slow words. I looked around like the rest of the students, lost on who had spoken.

“Ahhh, always good to see young people eager to learn.” The voice continued to speak, and I finally was able to locate where it was coming from. A tree. A tree was speaking.

The tree rustled and creaked, and I couldn't help Identifying it.

[Tree Spirit - Unknown - Level: Unknown]

The Tree Spirit moved slowly, its arms and legs hard to make out. Only its eyes were non-tree-like green pools with black iris. No one spoke as it moved into the clearing and sat down or rooted itself, its legs sinking into the ground.

“Take a seat around me, and we will begin.”

We all followed its orders, sitting in the grass cross-legged.

“I am Elder Trekum and am glad to teach you all the way of natural magic. Today, we will think and rest, listening to the trees and water and learning. Let us begin.”

There was nothing else said from it as it grew still and unmoving. Everyone was confused as I looked around. None actually tried to speak, but my confusion was matched by most, all except for Holly. She had her eyes closed, and her shoulders relaxed.

I blinked as I realized she had followed Elder Terkum’s orders, and after thinking about it, I only had two options. Follow Holly's lead and listen to the Elder’s orders, or do nothing. I had no idea how naturally magic worked, and the Instructor did, hopefully.

So I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I didn’t know what to do next, but I tried to relax, and I breathed out. With my eyes closed, my hearing felt much higher. I could hear anything I focused on in this small forest. The rustle of the leaves, the creaking of the wood of the trees. I even heard a squill jumping from branch to branch. For the shortest moment, I let myself think I was back in the forest, near the cave, and could hear the distant calls of the wolves. It was nice, even with as short as it felt.

“Goood. Very good students. Now that most of you are starting to relax, I want you to focus on relaxing more, focus on it.”

Terkum’s voice wasn't an interruption and didn’t seem to bring me out of the relaxation. Instead, it seemed to guide my thoughts as I focused on my body, evening out my breathing. I could hear my heart beating.

Everything seemed not peaceful but calm.

[Through understanding and the guidance of a teacher, you have gained the Skill: Meditation - Rank 1.]

I blinked, opening my eyes as I looked over the skill description.

[Meditation - Grade 1 - This skill allows you to enter a trance-like state that calms the mind. Allows for clearer thoughts and understanding.]

I looked up at the tree and was a little unnerved to see it looking back, its eyes on me.

“Understanding comes fast to you. You are…Ahh, a child of the wolf mother, I see. An honor to teach you.

I, for the first time, understood why people might bow. I bent my head slowly in respect. I didn't know what natural magic was yet, but now I was more excited than ever.