Wizard City, 13 years later
Tucked away in a snug corner of the Wizard City commons, Professor Merle Ambrose was bent over his crystal ball. He stroked his long, silvery beard in contemplation, occasionally adjusting the monocle situated over his left eye. Every now and then, he'd let out a small grunt, flexing his bony fingers around the long staff in his other hand. Perched atop this staff was a snowy owl in a small purple scarf with gold stars and a crescent moon. A graduation cap was perched on his head and a pair of circular glasses rested on his beak. He let out a soft hoot, getting the Professor's attention.
"Professor." it warbled. "Yooou've been staring at the ball for days now."
"Our situation has grown too dire to ignore any longer, Gamma." Merle explained, never taking his eyes off the ball. "All of our efforts to save our world have failed, but there must be someone that can."
He ran his hand over the ball, the clouds within swirling in time with his movements. In the center, a figure began to form, vague in shape. Black energies were drawn towards it along with the surrounding green etherium until they mixed into one figure. Gamma leaned in closer, raising an eyebrow as two more figures began to shape.
"Whoooo." The owl let out.
One was a narrow figure of pure black energy, slender in its form but nearly bursting with power while a third form was created of the remaining green etherium formed into the shape of a woman. The shapes were vague, no features for Ambrose to identify them by as he leaned in closer, his nose bending against the crystal.
The green woman began to cough, the black entity catching her as she collapsed to the ground. One more, strong cough and the green entity vanished. The black figure grew in anger, his form growing, thrashing around the empty space, causing the very orb itself to shake on its stand. Ambrose launched back before the figure of black and green returned to the ball. The two entities fought, energies exploding in the glass before finally, a bright light blinded everything and the ball returned to how it was before.
"Oh my." Gamma hooted, ruffling his feathers in shock and surprise.
"The crystal ball continues to show me this scene." Merle told his owl companion, adjusting the pointed hat on his head and straightening the collar of his robe. "I've tried every incantation I know to try and show me who this mysterious savior is, but when I try to focus on them, something blocks my sight."
"Perhaps whatever realm they are in is interfering with the crystal ball." Gamma suggested.
"Mmm, perhaps." Merle allowed, stroking his beard again. "This calls for a change in tactics. If I cannot see them, perhaps I can summon them."
Turning away from the crystal ball, Merle walked towards his desk, opening a large, leather-bound tome. It had the words "Secretum Secretorum" inscribed on the spine. He flipped through the shimmering, shifting pages, until he finally found the one he was looking for. He read over what he would need for the spell, then turned to Gamma.
"Come along, Gamma." he told the snowy owl. "Time is of the essence."
…
Pomp and circumstance echoed through the gymnasium of Coleman High School, the whole school band playing as the last student accepted their diploma and walked down the stairs to their seat. The principal, a stout, balding man with a comb over, walked to the microphone. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief before tucking it into his suit pocket. He leaned forward and breathed into the microphone, causing a slight feedback which deafened the room.
"Congratulations to you all, you have passed this significant milestone and have made excellent progress towards a better future." He recited. "I am so proud as I look upon this group of smiling faces and know that, as an educator, I have prepared you all with the very best tools to succeed in life. Go forth and carve your own destinies in this big world! This is your time, Class of 2019!"
Pushing a button underneath the podium, a net above the graduates opened up, releasing a rain of balloons and confetti. Graduation caps were thrown high into the air as parents walked to greet their children.
Amongst the celebrating student, 18-year-old Elspeth turned to where her parents had been seated to see they weren't there anymore. She began looking around frantically, trying to find them amongst the ever chaotic crowd. That was when two arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind. She stiffened up as her father's voice filled her ears.
"My little girl is all grown up now!" He wept, his voice cracking under his tears. "I remember when you were just a little girl playing Wizards and Witchcraft in the backyard with your little friends and-"
"Dad..." Elspeth let out, groaning slightly behind the smile on her face. "You're acting like it's my funeral, not my graduation."
"Hun, you know how your father is." Her mother said, crossing her arms as she stood and watched. "Just be thankful he didn't tackle you like at his super bowl party."
"Ugh, you got me there." Elspeth replied, her back stinging from the memory alone.
Her father finally released her, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand as he smiled.
"Where did the time go?" He murmured, "Next thing I know, you're gonna be going off to college, getting married, having kids, becoming a doctor and curing diseases, or an astronaut exploring distant worlds, or-"
"Eugene." Her mom interrupted, "Aren't you being a bit overambitious? This isn't one of your novels, this is your daughter."
"Besides, I'm still not sure what I want to do with the rest of my life." Elspeth added. "I mean, it's not like my childhood dream of becoming a wizard can work."
"It worked for Harry Houdini," Eugene pointed out, "and he made millions and-"
Her mother raised her hand, cutting off her husband's latest tangent.
"Houdini was a stage magician and escape artist who died in poverty." she corrected. "And besides, Ellie needs to decide for herself what she wants to do. You can't make that choice for her."
"When you're right, you're right, Martha." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her. "Whatever you decide to do is up to you, sweetie."
He turned to Ellie smiling wide.
"We'll support you, as we always have." He promised.
Ellie smiled, then hugged both of her parents tightly, grateful to have such wonderful people in her life.
...
Ambrose walked through the stone archway that lead to the Ravenwood campus, entering the circular area that stood in the center. There, at the heart of all of Wizard City, sat Bartleby the World's tree. The ancient, sentient oak looked down at Ambrose with a single, sapphire blue eye.
"Ambrose." Bartleby spoke, his voice deep and laced with untold wisdom and immeasurable age.
"I must get to the Spiral Gate, Bartleby." Ambrose insisted. "Would you mind?"
The bark that served as Bartleby's mouth slowly parted, revealing a natural staircase leading up. Ambrose stepped in, entering the hollow area inside the World's Tree. Glowing seed pods floated in the air, illuminating the intricate interior. Interwoven vines and branches formed support columns that led to a small platform in the center of the room.
On top of this platform sat a single door frame, a thick, wooden door with ancient runes engraved into it. Ambrose approached the door, the Secretum Secretorum under his arm. He released his staff, a sparkle of energy keeping it suspended in place as he flipped through the book again. Once he found the correct page, he took up his staff again, the book now being suspended in front of him by a similar sparkle of energy.
"Oh I do hope this works." he said to himself as he prepared the spell.
The top of his staff began to glow brightly as he aimed it at the door. A flood of power then shot forth from the staff, striking the door in the center of the wood. The door began to open, revealing a spiraling vortex of endless energy. A bead of sweat trickled down Ambrose's face as he focused hard on his target.
...
The Blood household was a small, single story home in the middle of a quaint neighborhood. Freshly trimmed hedges and tightly mowed grass framed the whitewashed house, a meticulously cleaned picket fence surrounding the entire property. In the backyard, which extended onto a small forested area, Ellie walked out with a sketch book under her arm.
Ellie had shed her graduation gown, now clad in an old Fall out Boy tee-shirt with some dark jeans and scuffed up combat boots. She headed out into the forested area, sitting down on an old rope swing that had been tied to one of the branches.
Getting herself situated, Ellie opened her sketchbook, flipping past several detailed sketches and drawings. Some were of people she'd never seen before, others of mythical creatures that occasionally visited her in her dreams. A few were of strange neighborhoods where the elements seemed to reign supreme. Ellie wasn't sure where all these images came from, but it always felt good to see them.
At the moment, she was focused on trying to finish a picture of a small family. It was a mother, a father, and a young child. While she had managed to draw every single detail of their clothing and hair, she was never able to get their faces right. Still, she continued to try, becoming engrossed in her project and unaware of everything that was going on around her.
Unbeknownst to Ellie, the trees surrounding her tree swing were beginning to move, their roots entangling and forming a perfect circle around her. Once the circle was complete, the roots began to move upward, creating a natural wall of wood. The shadows growing from the wall of wood was finally enough to pull Ellie from her reverie. She looked up, just in time to see a streak of lightning shoot down from the sky, hitting the tree supporting her swing.
"What the-?!" Ellie exclaimed, dropping her sketchbook in shock.
She turned towards the tree, watching as it began to bulge outward, eventually splitting open to reveal a spiraling vortex. Instinct kicked in and Ellie began to back away in fear, but that's when long tendrils of red energy began to slither from this vortex. Like the tentacles of an eldritch being, they lashed out, catching Ellie around her arms, legs, and around her stomach. She let out a shriek as the energy began pulling her towards the vortex.
She disappeared just as the tree closed, the roots returning to their natural position and the wind dying down. Her sketchbook remained where it fell, the wind blowing the pages until it closed.
...
Power continued to flow out of Ambrose's staff as he gave it a hearty tug. The tendrils of energy came flying out of the portal, dragging Ellie through the Spiral Gate. She landed in a heap at the old wizard's feet, the tendrils disappearing as the door closed behind her. Ambrose lowered his staff, wiping his brow with his sleeve before looking at the unconscious girl before him. Adjusting his monocle once again, his eyes widened slightly.
"My goodness." he let out. "It seems my spell worked after all."
Ambrose glanced down at Ellie's prone form, his brow furrowing in worry when she did not move.
"That should not have happened." he let out, his tone laced with a bit of fear. "I wonder..."
The old wizard approached the prone young woman. He waved his staff over her, the crystal at the top of his staff turning green as he did. He then lifted it up once more, examining the crystal as small runes formed inside it.
"Ah, it is as I suspected." he commented. "This poor girl is suffering from a bout of Spiral Displacement."
He shook the staff to get rid of the rune, then waved it over Ellie a second time. This time, a swirling mist gently billowed forth from it, coalescing around her and gently lifting her off the ground. Keeping part of the mist tethered to his staff like a leash, he gently pulled her out of The World Tree.
"Perhaps Moolinda can help her." He mused as he exited.
…
Ellie clenched her eyes, flaring her nostrils as she grit her teeth. She was stiff and sore, rolling her shoulders and her neck. The faint smell of bamboo and smelling salts danced in the air as a bright light entered from the pagoda styled windows. Blinded, she covered her eyes with her hand, groaning softly as she did. Her head was aching and her body was still numb, the only real mercy she was granted was the soft massaging of her head, a pair of thick hands tangling themselves in her hair as they pressed deep into her scalp.
Ellie didn't remember being in a massage parlor, nor did she know of one this nice back home. It didn't matter now, her head was aching and the thick, hoof-like hands were working their magic. She loosened her shoulders and her back eased free. She leaned into the futon she was laying on, the soft mattress giving way to her form.
"Ah, I am glad you are relaxed." A female voice spoke, "You were quite stressed when you rested. I had to really work your chi and energies."
Ellie didn't respond, her body relaxing as she twisted her neck. Why was she so tense, she wondered? It felt like her body was made of iron. It was then, her headache finally broke. She gasped, before sighing as her back arched.
"There we go. All done." The voice said, "You have quite the condition, it is truly fascinating."
Ellie was too relaxed to care, all she wanted to do was pay the lovely masseur and begin to head home. Reaching to her pants, her hand was met with a soft fabric. A robe, perhaps. But she didn't remember changing. Her hand danced around, trying to find something. She sat up in a start. Where was her wallet?
"Is there something wrong my dear?" The voice said calmly.
Ellie turned to explain, when her tongue fell into her throat. The woman before her was, in fact, a cow wearing a kimono. She had black hair that was done up in a geisha style hairdo, complete with jade chopsticks with cherry blossoms dangling from them. She wore surprisingly tasteful make-up, her eyes sparkling with kindness as she looked down at Ellie.
"Is everything alrigh-"
Ellie screamed bloody murder as she grabbed the blanket that covered her, throwing it at the cow being. She jumped off the bed, shocked to see her clothing had been transformed into a simple red robe with gold trimmings.
"What the- where's my-What's happening!?" she stammered, clearly panicking.
The cow woman dislodged herself from the blanket, setting it aside. She then sat down and folded her hooves in her lap.
"The Headmaster did say you would be disoriented." She remarked before giving a deep bow. "I apologize for scaring you. It was not my intention."
Ellie was panting heavily, leaning hard against the opposite wall while trying to process what was going on. Upon seeing the cow woman bowing, she came to the realization that she meant no harm. This fact allowed her to calm down, regaining her senses.
"Uh, no problem." Ellie told her. "It's just… you are not what I expected."
The cow woman lifted her head, flashing Ellie a disarming smile.
"I am Moolinda Wu, the Life Teacher and resident healer of Ravenwood School." she introduced.
"Ravenwood?" Ellie repeated in confusion.
Just then, the doors at the far end of the room opened. In the frame stood an elderly man with a purple robe and a pointed wizard cap. In his hand was a wizard's staff adorned with a glowing red gem at the top.
"Ah," Merle spoke, "I see our young student is awake."
He turned to Moolinda, slowly with a soft smile.
"You may leave. I understand you have classes to take care of. I can help the young one become more accustomed to our world."
Moolinda bowed in respect before venturing out of the room, the door closing softly behind her. Ellie watched her go, then turned to the old man.
"Hi." she said, giving a small wave. "Who are you?"
"Greetings, I am Merle Ambrose." he introduced. "I am the Headmaster of the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts. I imagine you have quite a few questions."
Ellie gave a slow nod.
"That's an understatement." she said. "First one… where are my clothes?"
"Oh yes, I'm afraid your trip to our realm was far more exciting than I anticipated." Ambrose informed her. "They got a bit torn and dirty. I had them sent to Victor Darkwood, the Robe shop keeper for repairs. In the meantime, I had Moolinda put you in one of the freshman robes."
Ellie looked down at her robe a second time, finally noticing the crest on the center. It showed a large tree on a floating piece of ground with a banner above and below it. The banners read "Veneficus Iunctum En Magus Nos Fides." Having taken a few Latin classes in middle school, she was able to read what it said.
"Wizards Unite, in Magic we Trust." she read. "Magic?"
"Right, I nearly forgot." Merle chuckled. "The realm you hail from does not even believe in magic. It makes me wonder what kind of wizard you will become."
Ellie went wide-eyed.
"Whoa there." she insisted, holding up a hand. "Me? A wizard? That's impossible."
"As impossible as everything else you have witnessed in the past few minutes alone?" Merle countered with a playful twinkle in his eye.
Ellie's words caught in her throat, unable to come up with a suitable reply. After a moment, she simply gave up, sighing.
"I suppose not." she relented. "Still, I can't be a wizard. I think I would have noticed having magical abilities."
"Perhaps, or your realm's lack of belief led you to subconsciously suppress your abilities." Merle suggested. "I have faith that when the time comes, your magical gifts will show themselves."
He adjusted his grip on his staff a bit, clearing his throat.
"And personally, I can think of no better place to nurture said gifts then here." He declared.
"Right." Ellie nodded. "And where is 'here' exactly?"
Ambrose smiled, then offered her a hand.
"Come, let me show you."
…
As Ellie and Merle left the school of life, she couldn't help but compare the interior to the exterior. Where the inside was bamboo floors, sweet smelling woods and clay, the outside was a bizarrely medieval in appearance. Carved gray stone with stained glass windows that were covered in thick vines. The garden was filled with large shrubs, each carved into ultra-realistic sculptures of mythical creatures and a large sakura tree just to the side of the building, to which Moolinda seemed to be tending. Much to Ellie's surprise, the tree had a face on it, one that seemed like that of an elderly woman. The tree gave Ellie a kind and gentle smile, one that seemed to fill her with warmth as she followed Ambrose.
They approached a main road, where an archway crossed over to a tower. The archway, like the school, was carved gray stone with vines that seemed to cover the sides, with exception to a carving of a leaf and a phrase that was embedded in the stone. "Ut diximus creata, sic et nos debemus crea".
"As we have been created, so must create." Merle said softly, causing Ellie to turn to him. "The motto of the life school. Quite fitting if you ask me."
Ellie remained silent but nodded before turning to the next school in the plaza. They began to walk, under the archway, to the next building which looked almost identical in nature with exception to the golden shingles which covered the roof, the lack of vines, and the change in motto. This one read "Future temperare, necesse est ad praeteritum." Ellie quickly translated the motto to "To control the Future, one must look to the Past."
"This is the School of Myth, one of our more prestigious schools. Those who come here are of a fine aptitude and possess a thirst for knowledge as well as-"
"What is she doing here?" A voice came from behind.
Ellie jumped as she turned to see a bald man with clean shaven features. His robes were a bright gold with royal blue trimming and shiny silver buttons. On his blue scarf was a golden pin of the Myth School emblem, a triangle with a swirling eye and a tail underneath.
"Professor Drake, so glad you could meet with us." Merle greeted. "This is a prospective student, Miss Elspeth-"
"I am a very busy man, Headmaster Ambrose." Cyrus interrupted, his eyes never leaving Ellie. "I do not care for disruptions on my campus from a non-student." He glared down at her with an intense look of pure disdain. "Especially one who has been creating so much commotion. If you excuse me, I have classes."
With that, he pushed through the two of them before whistling loudly. The students, almost in unison, began marching into the building before him. He glanced back, giving Ellie a dagger-like glare before closing the doors.
"Causing a commotion?" Ellie questioned. "I just got here, and I've barely said anything to anyone aside from you."
"Do not fret, child." A voice called out from beside the school.
Ellie turned to see a massive, sentient oak tree sprouting next to the Myth School. It only had one eye, which looked upon Ellie with compassion.
"Professor Drake has been on edge lately, ever since…" His branches shuddered slightly, his eye drifting off to the left as he spoke. "The incident."
"Incident?" Ellie repeated before catching sight of something behind Ambrose. "Would it have anything to do with that?"
Ambrose turned to where the road met with a large crevasse of torn earth and crumbling ground. The road hung precariously, with chunks breaking and dust falling into the spiraling ether below. The whole landscape around it was also ripped apart with even a large part of the pure white castle walls that surrounding the schools was missing. Even the archway, which all schools had, was missing. It was as if whatever school once stood here never had existed in the first place.
"Unfortunately, Yes." Headmaster Ambrose replied. "Here at the Ravenwood School, we pride ourselves on the great diversity of magic we teach. Almost every possible type of magic in the realms."
"Almost?" Ellie repeated.
"Yes, unfortunately our previous Death School professor left rather violently." Ambrose lamented. "When he did, he sent the Death School falling into the abyss. Now, what few Necromancers we have are reduced to a small study session in the school's library."
"Ouch..." Ellie winced. "I feel sorry for them."
"Never mind all that." Ambrose insisted. "There are still more schools to visit."
They moved on to the fire school. As they approached, Ellie couldn't help but notice that the radiant temperature had quickly increased. What was once warm with a pleasant breeze had become almost blazingly hot. The grass around the fire school turned from a lush green to a withering greenish brown. Suddenly, Ambrose stuck his arm out to Ellie's chest as a fireball of great power flew only inches in front of them.
Ellie's eyes grew wide as she turned to its source. Two muscular wizards were holding wands at each other. Their eyes blazing with fire as one waved his wand in the air. The ground seemed to crack open as lava spurted forth, two great wings rising from the pool as fire erupted and a deadly screech boomed. It was then a hand gripped the shoulder of the wizard, cutting the spell off before it could be finished.
"Now, now, not in front of the Headmaster." A woman with flaming red hair and a long red dress spoke. "If you wish to duel, go to the arena. This is a place of learning after all."
"Yes professor." The two spoke in unison as they put their wands away.
"Good children, now run in." she commanded. "You'll be late for class. You wouldn't want to make me angry, would you?"
The two stiffened up before running into the building. The woman sighed before approaching Ambrose.
"Honestly Ambrose, I swear these children get more and more reckless every year." she said, running her hands through her flaming hair. "Soon we'll need to ask the School of Ice to come in and cool things down on occasion."
"I trust your talents, Mrs. Falmea." Ambrose assured her. "You can keep these students in line."
"Aw, you're sweet." She leaned over to glance at Ellie. "And who is this?"
"Elspeth Blood." Ellie greeted. "Pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine. I am Dalia Falmea, though you may call me Professor Falmea. I sense great potential in you, perhaps we will see you here at the fire school. We have just gotten our dragon cages so we can start Dragonology lessons."
"I'm not even sure if I'm capable of performing magic." Ellie insisted.
"You are." Dalia spoke with such astute confidence. "After all, if the Mind is a like a candle, the heart is like the sun. I can sense you will do great things here and I haven't been wrong yet."
It was then a loud roar of a dragon echoed and the sound of students screaming from inside the building echoed. Falmea sighed.
"Sounds like someone let loose the Marleybonian Irontooth." She said, "I have to take care of this, I hope to see you soon. Ta-ta."
With that, she snapped her fingers and disappeared in a blazing inferno. Both Merle and Ellie shielded their eyes as she disappeared. From over next to the school, a tree that had burning flames for leaves and surrounded by a dense pool of rolling magma rolled the blazing embers that served as its eyes.
"Showoff." He muttered.
They moved on, the temperature suddenly dropping. The ground, which was once a dried savannah was now covered in snow and ice. Ellie smiled, sticking her tongue out to catch one of the many falling snowflakes when suddenly a snowball struck her in the face. She sputtered, wiping the cold frozen slush from her face as she attempted to find the culprit of the arrant attack.
One student, a young man with shoulder-length dark black hair, sparkling blue eyes, and wearing upper class winter robes, smiled as he glanced at her.
"You're no Ice Wizard." He chimed before dropping his second snowball.
It was then an elderly woman with large blue fairy wings and a very grandmotherly appearance with snow white hair.
"Now, now, Mr. Snow. No need to harass the potential students." She said sweetly,
"Apologies, Professor Greyrose." The student told her. "I'll head inside, don't want to miss my lesson."
"Excellent, I'll be in shortly."
As the wizard walked into the school, Professor Greyrose approached Ambrose and Ellie. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and began to clean Ellie's face.
"Terribly sorry miss." She said, "That was Edward Snow, one of our future graduates. A promising young man, if not a bit arrogant at times."
Ellie wiped her face, returning the handkerchief.
"It's alright." She assured the fairy. "I'll take a snowball to the face over a fireball."
"Yes, Dalia's students can be quite rambunctious." The fairy agreed. "But enough chit-chat. I'm Professor Lydia Greyrose."
"Elspeth Blood." Ellie returned.
"I see the Headmaster is giving you the tour." Lydia noted. "Are you planning on attending our prestigious school?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure yet." Ellie admitted.
"Well, once you make up your mind, feel free to come and visit me." Lydia offered.
She gave a small curtsey, then flitted inside her class. Next to the school, a snow-covered pine tree with a long nose gave Ellie a smile.
"Seems she likes you." He remarked. "Then again, she likes everyone."
Ellie smiled warmly, sparing a glance at the ice school arch. There, she found the school's motto: "Cum perseuerantia Tibi victoria promittitur" which translated to "With persistence, victory is assured." Ellie smiled at the positive message, then they moved on to the final school building.
The final building was surrounded by a torrent of rain clouds. Wind whistled and rain fell, but it seemed so natural for the area. The amount of rainfall had caused a massive lake to surround the entire building to the point that there were docks leading to the front door, and to the sentient Weeping Willow next to it.
"This is the School of Storm, one of our more creative and adventurous schools. I personally enjoy this school simply for the amount of talent that comes from it." Ambrose said, smiling as he gripped the umbrella. "Oh look, here comes the professor now."
Ellie glanced around, not seeing anyone approaching. That's when a voice boomed from beneath her.
"Greetings and Salutations My Dear Ambrose! Is this a prospective student? She looks positively enchanting!"
Ellie blinked twice, glancing down to see a rather dapperly dressed frog. He wore a purple suit and a yellow shirt with a thick black belt around his waist. His suit was adorned with lightning bolt buttons and his large feet are dressed in finely fashioned spats.
"You're- you're a frog." Ellie murmured.
"Come, come, my dear child. With the power of imagination and a little effort, I can be so much more than an idle frog." He declared with great jubilation before coming to a realization. "Oh dearie me, where on this fine green earth are my manners! I am the one, the only, the impressively dressed Halston Balestrom, the fine director of divination at this spectacular school of stormy weather. After all "that which can be imagined, can be achieved", as I always say."
It was then he tipped his hat to her and took a bow. Ellie couldn't help but clap after that impressive speech. Ambrose gave him a smile and a small nod.
"I would love to stay and chat, Halston, but we do have one last teacher to visit." Ambrose informed him.
"But of course, but of course." Halston replied, giving a nonchalant wave of a hand. "Please do not allow to be the fretting in your frocks! I only hope that when you do decide to join a tribe of terrific Thaumaturges that you keep us in mind! Ta-ta, cheerio, and farewell for now!"
It was then that Halston performed an amazing display of backflips to the door of the school before taking a final bow as the doors slammed shut. Ellie watched him go, letting out a whistle.
"I don't think I saw him take a breath throughout that entire speech." she remarked.
"It is one of his many talents. It truly amazes me how students can keep up with his lectures." Ambrose added, "Now come along."
Ellie tried to imagine being a student in one of Halston's classes, the very idea making her brain spin. She quickly ditched that train of thought, following Ambrose to the final teacher. At first, she wondered if they had missed a building, seeing only a tunnel to "The Commons" and the Life school up ahead. However, Ambrose instead led her over to the small alcove before Bartleby.
Sitting by the tree, atop a 19th century steamer truck, was a dog man wearing a tweed suit with a black vest that possessed golden buttons. On his right eye, a shimmering monocle was seen and atop his head was a well-kept top hat. The man reached into his pocket, pulling forth a watch on a long chain before reaching for a still steaming cup of tea. A robotic sip ensued before he turned to greet Ambrose. Reaching for his watch again, he sighed.
"You are 4 minutes and 13 seconds late." He said coldly. "I had to cancel two appointments and a class to ensure that this visit was not missed. I hope it is worth my time."
Ellie winced, not liking the harsh tone that this… dog was giving her. Thankfully, Ambrose was there to break the tension.
"Yes, I do apologize for that." Ambrose said remorsefully. "Spiral Displacement, and a rather bad case of it."
"Ah, I see." The dog said with a nod, his tone lightening to something far more friendly. "Then it is not the fault of human error but rather the fault of nature. Then I cannot blame you for your lateness any more than I blame a clock for running fast."
He tipped his hat towards Ellie in a polite manner.
"Greetings child, I am Arthur Wethersfield." He introduced. "The proud teacher of the school of Balance here in Wizard City. I do hope you will consider me as a teacher when and if you decide to attend here. I cannot advocate favoritism, but if you so choose to come to my class, I will attempt to ensure the best education possible."
"Why don't you have a school building like the others?" Ellie questioned.
"Yes, the lacking of any real infrastructure is a bit of a disappointment, but as a new school, I must start humble and work my way up." Wethersfield informed her. "It is the way of things in life, as I have learned in Krokotopia. After all, 'Balance is the thin wire between survival and disaster'."
"Wow." Ellie let out, genuinely impressed. "Well, I wish you luck."
"Yes, I am quite fortunate to have come at such a time of upheaval." Arthur told her. "With the loss of the death school, I can only hope that more students will see the light of reason and come to the school of balance with a genuine interest."
"Well, I'm afraid this is all the time we have for the tour." Ambrose informed him. "Come along, Miss Blood. We'll talk more in my office."
He gently placed his hand on Ellie's shoulder, ushering her towards the tunnel to the Commons.
…
The Commons was a massive area that was dominated by a large lake in the center of it all. Wizards of various schools could be seen milling around. Some were studying, others were practicing, and a few were just enjoying the day. All in all, the atmosphere of the place was peaceful, something that made Ellie feel warm. Ambrose noticed this, giving her a smile.
"It seems you're enjoying yourself so far." he remarked. "Perhaps you would like to stay."
Ellie sputtered for a moment, looking a bit surprised.
"Stay?" She asked. "Are you sure? We're not even sure I have magic."
"Oh I am quite certain of it." Ambrose insisted, recalling the vision that lead him to summoning her. "All you need is to try."
Ellie mulled this over, part of her really wanting to stay. She couldn't explain it, but just standing in the city made her feel like something inside of her was buzzing. It was a pleasant feeling, one, she thought to herself, felt oddly familiar to her...
Suddenly, lightning struck in the distance, a loud clap of thunder echoing across the sky. Both Ambrose and Ellie turned towards the source of the calamity: an arch declaring that it led to "Golem Court." Just beyond the stone wall, the two could see an unnatural storm gathering. Dark clouds began to swirl around, sending out more blinding lightning flashes and deafening thunder claps. Merle squinted at the storm with furrowed brows.
"My word." he let out. "Something's not right here."
He began heading for the court, Ellie quickly rushing to catch up to him.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Whatever is causing this storm is using very powerful and very dark magic." Merle explained. "I fear I may know who is responsible, but I must check to be sure."
...
The two made their way into Golem Court, which was a lush cul-de-sac that was taken up mostly by a massive stone tower. The two looked up at the tower, seeing a bolt of lightning strike a weathervane on the roof. As the light faded, they saw a figure move in one of the high windows. Though none of them were able to get a good look at the figure, something about it sent a chill down Ellie's spine.
"Headmaster, I don't like this." She voiced.
"Just stay near me, Miss Blood." He insisted. "I promise I will keep you safe."
With that, the two entered the tower, walking up the winding steps to the top. There, they found a lone man standing in the center of the room. His skin was ashy grey, his nails blackened. His eyes seemed sunken in, black where the white should be with silver irises. His hair was so black it looked like it was made of darkness itself, pulled back with a severe widow's peak with two braids on either side of his face, a long ponytail going down the back of his head. A long, thin mustache and goatee hung from his face, adding to his sinister appearance. He wore a long black robe with a golden sash, golden dragons emblazoned upon it. In his hands he carried a long staff with a red gem, a golden carving of a dragon on top of it. Upon seeing this man, Merle straightened his back, tightening his grip on his own staff.
"Malistaire..." He growled. "I should have known."
"Ambrose." Malistaire sneered.
"You are no longer welcome here." Ambrose declared, pointing his staff at the dark mage. "Why have you returned?"
"I am here to resolve our unfinished business." Malistaire declared before taking notice of Ellie. "Is this your latest student?"
Ellie gulped and Merle steeled himself, stepping between her and Malistaire.
"Leave her out of this, Malistaire." Merle demanded. "Your quarrel is with me, not her."
"I think not." Malistaire declared.
Suddenly, the doors to the room slammed shut. Ellie jumped, turning around to see a terrifying pair of creatures blocking the door. They were dragon-like in appearance, standing with hunched posture as smoke rose from their nostrils. They hissed at Ellie, snake-like tongues flicking menacingly.
"Draconians!" Ambrose exclaimed. "Miss Blood, look out!"
It was at that moment that one of the Draconians pounced on her, sharp claws digging into her shoulders as she was forced to the ground. The beast began to cackle, speaking in hoarse tone.
"Not so tough, are you, little wizard?" It jeered.
The Draconian began to cough, a small light beginning to form in the back of its throat. Panicking, Ellie put both of her hands on the creature's chest, trying to shove it off.
"Get off of me!" she shrieked.
Suddenly, black mist gathered around her hands. With a small boom that almost sounded like the tolling of a church bell, the draconian was sent flying back. He struck the wall hard, clutching his chest in pain.
"You little-!"
His curse was cut off as his words caught in his throat. He looked down, watching in horror as the robe he wore turned grey and threadbare. It split apart, revealing his scaled-chest. There were two grey handprints where Ellie had shoved him, the lack of color spreading across his entire body as his scales began to fall off. His muscular physique began to shrivel as he reached out for her. Before he could get to her, he crumpled to the ground, nothing more than a draconian skeleton.
Ellie stared at the skeletal remains before her eyes drifted to her own hands. She didn't know what had just happened, but instinctively knew she had caused it. Merle looked shocked as well, as did Malistaire.
"Such power for someone so young." Malistaire remarked. "How I would have loved to have someone like you under my tutelage. But now, you are a threat to my plans."
He turned to the other draconian, who was staring at the remains of his partner in abject horror.
"You!" Malistaire shouted, pulling the Draconian from his terrified stupor. "Destroy her!"
The Draconian's scales turned a paler shade of red. It literally quaked in fear as it fell to its knees.
"Pleassse Masster." It begged. "We have what we came for. Let usss leave thissss place."
"Insolent beast!" Malistaire snapped, a black beam of energy shooting out from his staff.
The beam struck the draconian in the chest and he began to suffer the same fate as his comrade. He screamed and cried the entire time, begging for mercy before he too was reduced to naught but bones. Malistaire gave a snort of derision before turning his attention back to the two wizards.
"Still, he had a point." he admitted. "Be grateful that I have no further use of this wretched place. I shall take my leave and let you two doddering fools live for another day."
With that, Malistaire slammed his staff on the ground, black mist emerging at his feet. It swirled around him, engulfing him in darkness before he disappeared into nothing. Merle stared at where Malistaire had been, then his eyes drifted over to Ellie. The girl was just sitting there, her hands shaking. After a moment, her hands fell and she began to wobble. Realizing what was about to happen, Merle quickly caught her before she passed out.
"I've got you, Miss Blood." He assured her.
Gently laying her down on the floor, Merle summoned the same cloud of mist from earlier, taking her out of the tower.
…
Ellie woke up for the second time that day. This time, she found herself draped over a chaise lounge in the middle of a large office. Stacks of books and parchment were in every corner, shelves dotted with knick-knacks and jars of various odd alchemical ingredients. Ambrose was sitting at a desk in the corner of the room, a large quill in hand as he did some paperwork. Ellie slowly sat up, going to say something when she heard an owl warbling behind her.
"Whoooo." Gamma let out, ruffling his feathers. "I'm so glad you're awake. Those ruffians sure did a number on you."
Ellie turned to Gamma, looking at the owl with mild surprise before shaking her head.
"This place continues to surprise me." she remarked.
Ambrose looked up from his paperwork, setting the quill aside and rising from his desk.
"Ah, Miss Blood." He called out. "How do you feel?"
"Well, aside from my head pounding and my shoulders killing me, I'm alright." she admitted.
She rubbed her sore shoulders, trying to alleviate the pain. As she did, green light surrounded her hands, the sound of harp strings accompanying them. The light poured into the wounds, closing them and even cleaning the blood. She pulled her hands away, watching as the green sparkles faded from view.
"Whoa." She let out. "First I disintegrate a draconian, and now I'm healing myself?"
"This is… highly unprecedented." Merle spoke up, looking shocked. "It's quite common for a wizard to practice two different schools of magic, but to be able to wield opposing forces? Why, it's practically unheard of!"
"Opposing forces?" Ellie questioned. "What are you talking about?"
"The spell you performed against the Draconian was a Death Blast, a Necromancy spell." Merle explained. "As for healing yourself, that is the Life School's main focus of study."
"So not only can I perform magic, but I can wield two opposing schools of magic." Ellie surmised, letting out a breath. "How?"
"I am not sure." Merle admitted. "However, mastering these two schools will take a great deal of practice and tutelage, lest you lose control over one or the other."
Ellie cringed, remembering the disintegrating draconian.
"Right." she let out. "I guess my mind's been made up for me."
"Indeed it has." Merle agreed. "As of today, you are officially a student at the Ravenwood School of the Magical Arts."