Spellcaster Academy

It took her all day, but finally, at sunset, Cossette Godfrey stands in front of a building called The Haunting Joker. She stands at the front of the building, taking it all in while looking for the correct entrance. Even though the sun is just going down, the building before her is shrouded in a misty darkness that would normally only be seen on a pitch black night. It’s a two-story building covered in worn, chipped paint. Even the sign distinguishing the name of the building is worn and broken in some spots. Cossette sees three different entrances, the first has stairs leading to the second floor, the second is on the ground floor and the third looks like it’s down a set of stairs next to the second door. Not knowing which one is the entrance she’s supposed to use, Cossette looks down at the letter in her hands. The letter is never very straightforward in telling her what to do, but then again, her brother is always good at dodging the issue at hand.

After reading over the letter again Cossette decides it is the third entrance that she’s supposed to enter. The stairwell is even darker than the front of the building, Cossette has to hold onto the cold metal railing as she makes her way down the chipped stone stairs. Once she makes it to the end she tries grabbing the metal handle of the warped door, but it won’t budge. A little window in the door then slides open near her head and she can only see dark eyes staring back at her, “what haunts the joker,” asks the gruff voice behind the door.

Cossette realizes she needs a passcode to get inside, but her heart starts to race and she can’t think straight. She takes the letter her brother gave her in her sweaty hands, looking for some sort of clue. When she thinks she’s found something she takes a deep breath and with conviction gives her answer, “the truth.”

The bolt on the door becomes unlocked and opens wide for Cossette to walk through. She takes a hesitant step forward as all eyes are on her. Somehow the inside of The Haunting Joker was just as dark and shrouded in mist as the outside is. With only a few magic crystal lights inside to light the place up, Cossette slowly makes her way to the bar that’s on her left. She takes a seat on the tattered red leather stool, sitting beside the wall with a booth to her back. She then waves the bartender over and does the one thing that was actually obvious in her brother’s letter, she asks for her brother’s favorite drink, the class clown with a swirl on top. The bartender’s eyes go wide as Cossette mentions the name of the drink and then they proceed to make the drink much to Cossette’s surprise.

When the bartender is done they give the drink to Cossette with a dusty envelope that has her name on it. She opens it to find that the letter is clearly older than all the other ones that she has received with how weathered it looks and how differently her brother talks to her in the letter. Cossette’s eyes widen as she continues to read the letter, her own brother had gone to the Spellcaster Academy. The place where they train children to become soldiers for the current war the country is going through. That doesn’t make any sense, though. Her brother isn’t a soldier. Did he escape somehow?

As several thoughts race across Cossette’s mind an interruption pops up on the screen of the video marble that is shining above the entrance. It’s the White Shadow, the rebel group that wants to stop the war from inside the country. They’ve hacked the system, again, to show a live feed all over the country. The screen is split, with members in The Golden Land of the Summoners, the country we are at war with, on the left side of the screen; and members in our country, The Four Tigers Empire, on the other side of the screen. The one speaking on the left side of the screen is the leader of the White Shadow, Maslow Godfrey, Cossette’s brother.

“From my family to yours, this is how the Golden Land of the Summoners are living in this war, like it hasn’t affected them at all,” Maslow says as he swings his hand out as if to say ‘look at that’. The video marble pans out to show the village that they are in. Villagers walk around with smiles on their faces, the kids are laughing and playing ball, everyone is dressed in nice, clean, and crisp clothes. The people of the Golden Land of the Summoners look genuinely happy.

“While over here, in our own country, the people outside of the capital are suffering,” says Alastair Cavendal, the White Shadow’s main PR man, as the video marble pans out to show the poorest part of the country, The Province of the One-Thousand Ravens. It’s especially dark in The Province with the skies always overcast and there barely being any lights to light up the ground. From what can be seen on the video marble there are people laying in the streets dressed in rags and all the buildings are haphazardly made with anything that can be found like stone, wood, cloth and paper. Most of the buildings look like they would topple over with a gust of wind. The people all look sickly with their sunken cheeks and eyes and being so thin they look as fragile as the buildings do.

“I believe it’s time that we rise up and defend ourselves,” Maslow starts talking again, “not from the country that has everything, but from the country that is taking everything away from us, from our own country, what we call home, it’s time to make the empire pay up and help the people stop their suffering.” The screen goes black to show the rebels’ symbol and words slowly scroll up, ‘We will go back to our regularly recorded videos next Tuesday, November 17’.

“Is he crazy,” Cossette balls her fist and mumbles under her breath, “they’re his family? What about me? I’m his blood. Didn’t he send me on this wild shadowduck chase so that I could find him!?” She isn’t as quiet as she thinks because the bartender and the couple in the booth behind her hears what she says.

“Are you a fan of the White Shadow?” one of the young men in the booth behind Cossette turns around and asks. Cossette turns to answer this man, but pauses when she notices the giant scar stretching from his hairline to his jaw over his right eye. Cossette can’t help but think this guy could be dangerous, so she gives a half-baked answer.

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. I am looking for some information on them though.” The guy with the scar waves Cossette over. She gets up from her stool and stands in front of their booth, leaning down to rest her hands on the table to listen in on what the guy has to say.

“If you go to the Red Dog and ask for a red dog dump you can get any kind of information you want, for a price of course.”

“Thanks.” Cossette smiled and stood up straight.

“Anytime for a friend in need.”

With that Cossette leaves The Haunting Joker. Once she steps outside she shivers a little from the cool autumn air, but mostly because she’s creeped out that the guy had called her a friend. She doesn’t need any friends, nor does she want any. All she needs is her brother.

After getting lost a few times and asking several people how to find The Red Dog, Cossette finally makes it. She walks into the small bar in the furthest corner of the Market Sector to find that it’s pretty empty even though it’s around midnight, prime time for barhopping, but that could also be because it’s a Tuesday. Apparently there are only a few people who drink this late on a Tuesday. Cossette goes to the bar and sits a few stools away from another customer. She waves the bartender over and asks for a red dog dump. To her surprise the bartender pours her a glass of water and asks her what she needs.

“I...I need everything you have on the White Shadow.” Cossette isn’t sure what kind of information she needs, she just thinks if she knows everything about them then maybe she can find more clues as to their whereabouts.

“Sorry kid,” the bartender sighs, “even I don’t know that much about the White Shadow. The only thing I can tell you is that most of the high profile members went to the academy. They all disappeared about five years ago and then popped up a year later as the White Shadow.”

Cossette sits there for a moment with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide, staring at the glass of water in her hand. Her brother really did go to the academy. All of the clues and answers to her brother’s whereabouts lay at the academy. While still in a daze, Cossette takes off and heads toward the academy on the other side of the city.

“Hey, wait! You still need to pay me!” The bartender yells, but it’s too late. Cossette already ran out of the bar. The bartender is about to run after her when a fellow who is sitting just a few seats down gets up and slaps a few extra silvers on the counter than he needs to.

“For your troubles, Gav.” He starts to walk outside.

“But Mr. Quartz this is too much, you don’t owe this much.” The man stops in his tracks, like he has to think about it for a second.

“No, but that young woman owed that much,” he starts to walk out the door with a wave, “And I told you to stop with the Mr. Quartz thing, I’m still just plain old Sine.” He walks out of the bar and starts walking on the main road heading towards the academy.

The next morning Cossette gets up before the sun rises and leaves the hotel she is staying at, heading toward the other side of town where the academy is. She couldn’t go the night before because the gates were closed, but she figured that they should be open by now. On her way through the town she notices a couple of people putting up posters wherever there is a blank space to put one up. One of them notices her as well and Cossette quickly turns her attention back to the road in front of her, back towards the academy. They run towards her and give her a poster. Cossette tries to refuse it, but they’re determined, so she takes it and keeps walking. She reads it as she walks along. It’s a recruitment poster that’s recruiting anyone and everyone willing to learn and worship magic to the religious magic cult Fidelis. This is news to Cossette. She’s never heard about anyone worshiping magic before. She thinks it’s intriguing, but will have to check it out later. Right now she’s on her way to find more clues to her brother’s whereabouts.

As she nears the gates she sees someone pacing back and forth just outside of them as the sun peeks over the horizon. Sine spots Cossette walking up the main road toward the Academy. As she approaches the gates Sine stops her.

“Wait. You shouldn’t go in there yet.” Cossette pauses and glares at Sine.

“And why not? I’m sure I have the right to an education if I want one.” Cossette continues walking, almost to the gates now.

“I overheard your conversation at the red dog yesterday and I want to help.” This gets Cossette to stop. Sine walks up to Cossette, getting close to her and whispers, “I knew Winslow Godfrey.” Cossette’s eyes grow wide and she spins around to look Sine in the eyes to see if he is really telling the truth. It takes her a moment to come to her senses as she stares at his piercing green eyes that contrast his red hair.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, but you have to follow every order I give you if you want all the information I have on him.”

“Okay, I believe that you knew my brother and that you have information about him, but you’re a stranger, so why should I do what you tell me to do?” Cossette then turns back around and starts to head back toward the gates when Sine grabs her arm.

“Because you’re in danger.” At this, Cossette turns around again.

“Why would I be in any kind of danger? This academy is supposed to be safe for those 19 and younger wanting to learn magic, right?”

“Yes,” Sine gives a hefty sigh, “in normal circumstances. Your brother,” Sine clears his throat, “the Empire, and especially the academy, considers your brother a heretic. So, if they found out that his sister was trying to get into the academy, well, who knows what they would do to you, but I know you aren’t safe. If you want to get in without any trouble then you have to go in under a different family name, preferably a lower name, that way you don’t attract too much attention and you can’t mention anything about being related to Maslow or being a Godfrey or doing your family magic. Once you do all that, then you should be safe, for a while.” Cossette looks down at the ground to think for a second. She’s been lucky so far, but the city is a dangerous place. One wrong move and she could get sent to the frontlines.

“Okay, but only because this is my only choice. It’s the only way I’ll be able to find my brother.”

“Come on.” Sine starts walking toward the academy, waving for Cossette to follow him. On the way Sine pulls out a clear marble and speaks into it. Once they reach the steps leading up to the main doors of the academy a couple of spellcasters walk out.

“Mr. Quartz, you’re back. And is this the caster you found outside the gates,” says the first spellcaster that walks out the doors.

“Yeah, Khan. Can we just hurry up with the test already? I didn’t get much sleep last night and could really use a nap.”

“Per usual I assume. Alright, come on kid.” Khan walks into the Academy and heads straight towards another set of large double doors. Inside those double doors is a gigantic room that could fit an entire army in it.

“This is the Magic Aptitude Testing room, or for short, the MAT room. Here we test magic type, power, and ability. Mostly everyone uses this room at least twice during their stay here. Once when you have to test in, to find what class you will be in and another time when you test out, to see where you will be placed in the spellcaster army. Right now I want you to fight that spellcaster standing over there with all the magic you could possibly have. The better you are, the easier it will be for you here. I only have one rule and that’s to not kill that spellcaster. Do you understand,” Khan says as he faces Cossette. She gives a nod as she is still processing everything he just said.

“Alright. Then whenever you are ready, you can start.”

Cossette is a little uneasy about having to use her magic at full power. She closes her eyes and thinks for a couple of seconds, taking in the energy of the room and looking for the spellcaster’s energy. She raises her hand and taps her thumb and index finger together. The spellcaster falls to the ground with a thud.

Khan heaves a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of nose, “not again.”

Sine glares at Cossette, “did you just kill him? You were told that the only rule is to not kill him and now look at what you’ve done.”

Cossette turns towards Sine with a smile on her face, “I didn’t kill him. Actually I controlled my magic a lot better than I thought I could. I’m actually pretty surprised he isn’t dead. He’s just passed out.”

Sine goes over to check the spellcaster’s pulse, “yeah. Khan, she’s right. He’s not dead, just passed out.”

“Oh, thank the Spatium. I really was not looking forward to having to do that paperwork again.”

“I’m surprised you guys are more worried about whether he’s dead instead of my magic, though. Usually whenever people see me use it they freak out and are absolutely terrified. Most of them either run away or pass out,” Cossette says, genuinely confused and a little upset by their lack of a reaction to her magic.

“Oh. That. I’m so used to it that I kind of forgot that it’s the rarest magic there is. I’ve got a kid in my class that can use it too. And then there’s another kid that can use it in the class next door,” Sine informs Cossette, “But you can be a part of my class. I’ve got two open seats, so it should be fine, right Khan?”

“Yes, just don’t forget to do the paperwork later.”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, my class is this way.” Sine starts walking out of the room and heads back toward the entrance, but before they get there they turn right. All the way at the end of the hallway, at the second to last class, they stop. Cossette looks up at the crooked sign above the door that’s just barely hanging there, it reads, ‘Class Y’.

“Uh, is that good or bad?”

“Honestly, I don’t know anymore. Oh, wait. You mean the ranking system? There’s 26 classes in total ranging from A-Z. A is ranked the weakest with Z ranked the strongest. So, I can only assume it’s a good thing that you’re in the second strongest class, but at the same time, the people in this class are—well, you’ll see. Don’t walk in directly behind me. Wait till I give you the signal to walk in, alright.”

Sine opens the classroom door and immediately puts up a defensive spell to ward off a lightning strike that is headed toward him. Sine calmly shuts the door behind him. The door doesn’t have a window, so Cossette can’t see what is happening inside the classroom. She puts her ear up to the door to try to hear what is going on but can’t hear anything at all. After a couple of minutes, Sine opens the door and waves Cossette in. As she walks in she looks at the other people in the class, her new classmates, and finds that one person is tied up in his chair with a gag over his mouth. Since everyone in the room is acting like that’s a normal sight Cossette also chooses to ignore what she sees.

“Uh, so anyway, this is your new classmate, Cossette uh,” Sine turns to Cossette with a questioning glance as he realizes he forgot to ask her what name she would be disguised under, “what was your last name again?”

“Go – uh Golem. My name is Cossette Golem.” Sine squints his eyes at Cossette wondering why she would choose a non name as he’s sure he told her to choose a lower name.

“Right, Cossette Golem. Anyways, you can sit in one of the open seats in the back.” Cossette heads to the back left corner of the room where there are two desks open next to each other in the last row. Cossette sits in the innermost desk next to a blob of black hair face down on their own desk. Cossette is going to mentally question it and then thinks against it, remembering the guy tied up just a couple of rows in front of her.

Sine explains that class Y isn’t a normal class, obviously. It’s an upper ranked class and he has the authority to teach it however he sees fit, so they don’t usually meet everyday. On the days they don’t meet it’s self-study. Everyone in the class has mastery in different magics, so self-study makes it easier. There are some topics that everyone could utilize and that is what Sine teaches on the days everyone comes to class. Today he had intended to have a practical exam to see where his students are in their practices, but since Cossette is new he has to help her get her grimoire and get her registered. Sine ends class there and waves for Cossette to follow him to the library. Cossette just nods because it takes a moment to register what just happened as it happened rather quickly. She didn’t expect him to end class just like that, all for her to get her grimoire and officially register as a student.