The Autumn Assignment
By Sivvus
Blurb: A Tortallan history student's research into the forgotten Immortals war and the Mages who disappeared afterwards reveals a bond between the heroes of the past and of the modern-day Tortall.
A/N: For the parts of this story set in the present day, I have based the Tortallan school system on the British system, because it's the only one I know. I think the main differences are in the Terms, usually 2 lots of 5 weeks, (Which, I think in America is called a Semester?) and the classes. Advanced History, for example, is an A2 which we would take at age 17-18.
I'm switching the viewpoint between chapters and between times, so for example one chapter will be in modern Tortall, and the next will be during ROTG.
This story is just an idea I'm playing with at the moment- not totally sure if I'm going to continue past 5 chapters yet. Please feedback with ideas, critique, whatever. :)
And as this is the intro chapter, it'll be shorter than the normal chapter length.
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This story is set in Tortall, several centuries after the end of the immortals war.
The world has evolved.
Magic, Gods, Demons and Warriors have all become common enough in legends, but are slowly dying out in the modern world. Mages are no longer as common, monsters no longer terrorise the people, and heroes have faded into dispute.
History has become fragmented. Without magical preservation, many historic accounts, books and documents have disintegrated. The people view the Immortals war, the warriors and victims, with suspicion.
As far as modern Tortall is concerned, the "Tortallan Ages" have been forgotten. All that is left is folk stories.
Electronics, feminism, universal agnosticism and all other aspects of what we call modern culture have developed. Without the dependency on magic, people have developed technologies very similar to ours on earth.
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The Autumn Assignment
Chapter 1
Modern Day: Daniel
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"It was a time of legends.It was a time of creation and discoveries, hindered only by the threat of war. It was a time of passion and purity, violence and bloodshed. From this age come our legends, our beliefs, even some of the mechanical inventions that have shaped our modern world.
It was…it is…
…a waste of time."
Daniel sniffed and slammed the book shut, nearly tearing the cheap paper cover as people giggled around him. "It's all a load of rubbish!" He declared a second time, tossing the book onto the cold stone floor. The Advanced History class was glad of the diversion- last lesson on Friday always seemed to drag, especially in the Autumn. Most sat staring out of the window, gloomily watching the sky growing darker and damper and colder, just ready to rain while they were walking home…
"Is it the assignment you have a problem with, or just the school property?" The dry voice cut through the class. Daniel looked up at the teacher. To his surprise, the woman's expression wasn't angry, merely curious. He fumbled for an answer, disarmed by the cold silence.
"Well…"
"Because, Daniel, if you have a genuine issue with the curriculum, I'd be more than happy to assign you another project." The teacher's eyes sharpened as she glared around the silent room. "The same applies to all of you. I'm sure Mr. Kitwake has a perfectly logical reason not to spend his precious time studying history."
"Um." Said Daniel.
"So, please- share your unjustified opinions with the rest of the class!" The teacher smiled brightly and sat back down at her desk, interlacing her fingers and watching him with feigned anticipation. The class giggled again, this time at the gangly teenager as he stuttered awkwardly.
"Well, I…um… the thing is, is this really history? I mean, I heard all these stories when I was a kid, and… well… they're just stories. There's no proof. They're things you tell to kids to get them to behave."
"Interesting. That's actually a valid point!" The teacher smiled at the mock applause from the rest of the group. "It's true there is little evidence. Can anyone give me an example?"
"Immortals!" Piped up a thin, reedy voice from the back of the room. Daniel rolled his eyes, waiting for Joe's usual nerdy answer. Next to him, Katie mimed retching. "One of the inconsistencies is immortals! The barrier broke, and then there was a war against them, and then they all disappeared again! And since then there's been no reappearance, and no skeletons or remains of any of the creatures. So it can't have happened!"
"Didn't people disappear, too?" Katy said slowly, her interest caught. "There are graves and stuff for some of the people in the stories, but not for the others. Others that you'd think would have graves, I mean."
Daniel shrugged, remembering a very tedious visit to one of the ancient temples to Mithras from the last term. "Like: the king was buried, and the queen, but none of the warriors or mages that they were supposed to be so close to. I reckon they made the stories up, to glorify their country. They could have done it for trade… or something stupid like that."
"Yeah, and how come there are hardly any mages any more?" Piped up another student. "No-one can do any of that powerful stuff they talk about in the stories- it's impossible! Even the strongest mages can only do small things."
The teacher held up a hand, silencing the class instantly. "This is why you've been given this assignment. You have until the end of term to research, and write a paper, on the differences between the legends and the history of the Tortallan Age. You are expected to show careful research, logical reasoning, and imagination. This does not mean I want thirty different stories about The Lioness, or the Black Mage, or the Giantkiller on my desk. You are historians, not writers. I expect a full bibliography at the end, and quotes in every paragraph, and at least ten sides of A4!" She smiled as the group groaned theatrically.
"But the good news is- this is an open assignment. You don't have to come into class for the rest of the Autumn term, except to hand me all your lovely essays!" She waved a hand in dismissal as the school bell rang. "Now, scat!"
"I hate that teacher." Daniel muttered to himself as he picked the textbook up from the floor. Katy grinned at him as she stood up, stuffing her own textbook into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
"I think she delights in torturing you…" She cackled in a fake 'witch' voice. "Giving you all this free time until the winter term! How horrible!"
"Drop dead." He said absently, examining the book. "Hey, some moron's written all over this book. How am I supposed to study from this?"
Katy pursed her lips and squinted over his shoulder. The book's cover had been completely covered in scrawled graffiti, the words "A History of Tortall" barely visible under the black ink.
"Apparently, someone shares your taste in history." She said, "Look, 'Fairy stories are for kids'. Right under the author's name."
"Yeah- and "J.B. is fit" right under that. I agree with everything this book says!" Daniel ducked his friend's playful swipe and stood up. "I guess I'd better be going. Mom wants me to babysit tonight."
No that there's much to it. He thought later, as he watched his baby sister attempt to eat her own foot. The autumn rain that had been looming over them all afternoon had broken just as his mother was climbing into her taxi, adding a depth of gloom to an otherwise…gloomy…day.
"Stoy!" Declared baby Leanne happily, her voice muffled by her foot. Daniel peered over the edge of the cot at her, wondering if he'd have a chance to sneak round the corner shop before she started her nightly crying fit. She seemed happy enough, her blue eyes sparkling indigo in the electric lights. He stood up just as thunder growled across the sky.
Leanne screwed up her eyes and wailed. The sound made her brother jump, the involuntary action making his hand slam against the sharp corner of a cabinet.
"Damn it!" He yelled, shaking a hand in which every bone was screaming. The baby sobbed harder. Daniel gritted his teeth and picked up his sister.
"Shh, shh, little pest, I didn't mean it." He muttered soothingly. The baby hiccoughed a few times.
"Stoy?" She said again, patting his cheek with a sticky hand.
"Not tonight, Lee, I have to start my history project." Daniel put her back in the cot and opened his bag. Leanne peered at the textbook blearily and pointed at the first page.
"Stoy!"
"….yeah. Sure. It's a story." Daniel glared at her and opened the book. "It's a really boring story that I have to study."
"Stoy!" Leanne said happily and sat down in the cot, smiling at her brother. Daniel sighed and flicked to the first page after the sentimental drivelled introduction he'd read in class.
"Fine, Leanne. You're the boss.
Five years after the end of the first " immortals war" (cross ref. page 43, also "Chaos War") the established monarchy of Tortall called a meeting of the great minds of the era. The purpose of this meeting was to tell them…"
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