Shadows in the Smoke - 16 - The People's College of the Arcane

"When the People rose up to take power, not all of the ruling classes of the then-Kingdom of Itria opposed liberty and equality. Many so-called nobleborn showed far greater nobility than their brethren and joined the revolution. However, one of the most prominent supporters of the People among the more privileged classes was the Arcanist Thore Nordhagen. A man who matched unparalleled skill and Talent with unimpeachable morals, he has continued to serve the Republic with honour and devotion."

The Struggle for Freedom by Bjarne Midthun

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Once Ester had returned to the People's Palace, she was left twiddling her thumbs. No one came to take her back to the Police headquarters and Citizen Ina informed her that Sonja had been caught up with some administrative requests. By the time the second day had passed without any word from Lean, Ester was getting frustrated.

Velxe was off doing Spirits only knew what, so she couldn't go to him for entertainment and she didn't want to bother the Ambassador. It wasn't completely dull. She was able to have a very pleasant tea with Leixu. He was fascinated by the problems with the poison, but had precisely zero useful suggestions. He had, at least, said he was confident she'd be able to find a solution. She could only wish she shared that confidence.

In the end, Ester found herself spending far too much time in her room, sketching out ideas for Schemas, in between interruptions from Citizen Ina. The only other highlight was a thoroughly interesting tour of the People's Palace with one of the workers there. She was fairly sure much of what he said was untrue and designed to make the Republic look good, but it was still interesting hearing about the place's history.

After a third day of boredom, Ester was getting increasingly frustrated and irritable. So, it was something of a relief when Citizen Ina delivered a note from Sonja asking her to be ready 'for an adventure' at 9th bell the next morning.

With that mysterious invitation on her mind, Ester woke up far too early the next morning and was up and ready to go at least two hours before she needed to be.

When Sonja eventually knocked at her door, she had to compose herself before she answered it. It wouldn't do for her to act like an excited, new apprentice when she was a Chartered Mage on a diplomatic mission.

"Good morning, Sonja, I hope you are well." Ester was quite proud of how level she kept her voice.

"Good morning, Ester. Very well thank you." The Arcanist sounded as cheerful as ever, but there were dark bags under her eyes. "Are you ready?" Had the administrative requests really been that taxing or was there something else going on?

"Of course!" Ester took a breath. "I would not want to keep you waiting. Shall we go?"

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Rather than heading directly out into Nilrava, Sonja took Ester to the stables, where a carriage awaited them. When Ester asked where they were going, Sonja just gave her enigmatic smiles and changed the subject. By the time they were out of the drab streets of Nilrava and into the countryside, she was practically ready to set trees on fire in frustration. Sonja's amused smirk was not helping with that either.

It was only when their destination came into sight, an hour or so out of the city, that Sonja deigned to explain where they were going.

"That, Ester, is the People's College of the Arcane. The greatest magical school in the Republic. Some would say in the world."

"Really?" Ester refused to take the bait. It might have once been a prestigious school, but they both knew the Academy was better. "Why couldn't you tell me we were going there though? Surely it is not a secret." She couldn't see how it could be. Even she'd heard of the People's College of the Arcane, although the Empire normally referred to it by its old name, the Royal College of the Arcane.

"Well, if I'd told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it? Don't worry, I think you'll enjoy yourself."

Ester couldn't think of a counter to that, given the thought of seeing how things worked at the College made her want to squirm with excitement. So instead she just huffed and leant out the window to try to get a better view.

A low wall surrounded the huge compound, with ornate carvings of fantastical creatures interspersed along it. It would do little to defend the place, but Ester could feel the wards before they even got close to it. They weren't as overwhelming as those on the Academy, but their crackling energy went beyond anything she'd felt outside Trevayn.

Hard-faced guards stopped their carriage at the gate, insisting on inspecting it at length and checking the papers Sonja had brought with her before they were allowed through. It was a show of paranoia that went beyond anything Ester had seen in the Republic so far. The Empire didn't have anything like that at the Academy either. The Academy's guards were more focused on keeping misbehaving students in than intruders out. Perhaps it was because of the war. It would make sense that they might be worried about saboteurs, but surely the College would be safe. They were nowhere near the Republic's borders and it must have hundreds of Arcanists in it.

The carriage came to a halt in front of what must be the College's main building. A towering edifice of pale sandstone, unstained by the soot that marred every building in Nilrava, it stretched into the sky, climbing at least sixty paces.

"Here we are!" Sonja threw the carriage door open and climbed out with Ester close behind her.

Uniformed guards and youths in grey overalls bustled around, going about their business, some had magic dancing around them, but that wasn't what drew Ester's eyes. There were so many girls! As she followed Sonja into the building, she tried to keep count, but couldn't. There were absolute hordes of people, most of them in the grey overalls, presumably apprentices. It wasn't like the Academy at all. There were still more boys, it was true, but if she had to guess, more than a third of the apprentices were girls.

Sonja followed Ester's gaze. "Everyone with sufficient Talent has the opportunity to study at the People's College of the Arcane. Whatever their background and whatever their gender." Her proud smile sent a surge of embarrassed irritation through Ester.

"It is the same in the Empire, where Talent is found it is nurtured."

"As you say." Sonja's amused agreement left little scope for Ester to argue, despite the hint of scepticism in her tone. "Now, this isn't just a social visit. I actually have something quite special arranged for you today."

"Oh?" Ester looked after a young girl who was talking animatedly to a pair of boys, all in the grey overalls. She looked so happy and relaxed… Ester gave herself a shake. "Thank you Sonja, what will we be doing?"

Sonja's smile widened into a grin. "Well, today is graduation day for a cohort of Arcanists, some of whom have been trained in combat magic. I suppose like your Battle Mages. They'll be putting on something of a display for the rest and I thought you might like to see it. Given your interests, I think you'll find it quite… enjoyable."

Ester did her best to clamp down on the surge of excitement that threatened to overwhelm her good sense. How did Sonja know that she'd like to see Battle Mages, or whatever the Republicans called them? Had she said something when she was drunk?

"I see. That does sound interesting. Perhaps I could even meet some of them afterwards?"

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"Yes, I'm sure that could be arranged." Sonja took a turn down a corridor. "Now, come along. I want to introduce you to one of the professors here and then we don't want to be late for the show."

"Of course. I would be delighted to meet them." Normally she'd have been delighted, but the opportunity to meet a skilled Arcanist just wasn't as exciting as the chance to see their combat magic.

A few more turns through increasingly empty corridors took the two of them to a wooden door that looked just like any of the others they'd passed. Sonja rapped sharply on it and then opened it without waiting for a response.

A neatly dressed man looked up from his desk, annoyance painted across his weathered face. "What have I told you about… Oh, Sonja! What are you doing here?" He stood abruptly and strode over to her. "It's been far too long. I'd thought you were avoiding me!"

"Ha." She stepped forward and they enveloped each other in their arms before stepping apart again. "No, you know how it is. Duty calls and things are ever busier. Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to Ester Mazar here, she's visiting from the South and I've been her liaison."

"Oh!" He looked over to Ester and gave her a shallow bow. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Professor Leif Holen, I teach ethics and political history here."

It took Ester a second to stop staring at the way they'd embraced before she returned his bow, carefully matching it. "Pleased to meet you, Professor." What sort of ethics did they teach in the Republic, a place that murdered its king? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

If Sonja noticed Ester's introspection, she gave no sign of it.

"Actually, I was bringing young Ester here to see the graduation ceremony. Which we'll end up missing if we're not careful. She has an interest in combat magic you see. I just wanted to drop by and say hello first."

"Oh she does does she?" Professor Holen grinned. "Well I'm sure she'll enjoy the display then. Shall I accompany you to the viewing galleries?"

"Well, only if you have the time."

"Of course I do, let's go!"

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It wasn't a long walk, but Professor Holen and Sonja barely stopped talking throughout, alternating between reminiscing about old friends and telling Ester about the wonders of their College.

She was more than a little sceptical of that. The number of female apprentices was exciting, but other than that it wasn't all that impressive compared to the Academy. The walls didn't practically buzz with power in the same way and the little displays of magic she saw as they passed apprentices and professors were nothing special. However, that didn't stop her from wanting to bounce on her toes as they reached the viewing galleries.

Wide railings held a crowd back as they looked out over a gigantic hall. Sonja marched straight to the edge, a gaggle of apprentices hurriedly giving way to her as she did. In the hall below them, rows of young men stood at ease, clad in black leather. Not just young men though, scattered among them were occasional women too!

An older man, one of the College's professors presumably, glanced at Ester and scowled before looking away, but she wasn't going to let that dent her good mood. She was here and she had the opportunity to see the Republic's Battle Mages. Battle Arcanists? Whatever they called them, in action. It was an exhilarating thought and she'd be doing her duty to the Empire at the same time, by getting an idea of the Republic's capabilities. Everything was coming together surprisingly nicely.

Below the viewing galleries, a grey-bearded man emerged from the shadows and strode out onto the floor. He wore simple, brown robes and held a smooth, wooden staff in one hand. When he reach the front of the rows of young men and women he stopped before smashing the staff down onto the stone floor. The sound was shockingly loud, echoing through the huge hall and bringing the murmuring of the audience to a dead stop.

"Colleagues, Citizens, honoured guests," Ester wondered whether that was aimed at her, "welcome! We are gathered here today to celebrate the graduation of another cohort of new Arcanists. Every single one of you standing in front of me has passed their final exams and is ready to stand proudly with their brethren as a Citizen Arcanist of the Republic."

He gestured grandly around himself as Sonja leant in and whispered, "That's Thore Nordhagen, the Archchancellor of the People's College of the Arcane."

Ester could only assume that meant he was in charge.

"Each of you will serve the Republic of Itria and its people in your own way. Some will work to better the lives of your fellow citizens, others will strike out on your own and devise new wonders to bring wealth and prosperity to us all." He lowered his voice a hair, suddenly more serious. "And some of you will go north, to defend our people against the undead hordes. Know that I am proud of every single one of you, whatever path you have chosen. You will bring honour to your names and glory to the Republic!"

Ester jumped as every young Arcanist smashed a booted foot into the floor in perfect unison and shouted, "Glory to the Republic!"

"Excellent, excellent." The Archchancellor sounded genuinely pleased. "I look forward to welcoming all of you as equals once more at the graduation feast tonight, but first, a demonstration. Let our new graduates show what they are capable of, show us why the filthy Liche Kings will tremble before the Republic's might!"

He bowed low and then retreated backwards from the main floor as the murmur of conversation rose up from the viewing galleries once again.

Ester leant forward, eyes wide her hands grasping at the railing, as four black clad Arcanists stepped forward. Three men and a woman. An actual woman.

She didn't tear her eyes away, even when Sonja spoke beside her. "Like I said, we don't share the Empire's prejudices about the role of women. If a woman wants to fight to improve the world, then we do not say know your place. We say thank you."

Ester wanted to reply with something snappy, but nothing came to mind. Especially with the distraction that was unfolding below her.

The four new Arcanists stalked out into the middle of the floor, each step that of a predator, smooth, unhurried and menacing. They paused and a hush fell over the room.

The silence was broken a second later by a shout from one of the men.

"Saig!" Fire erupted around him, sweeping out towards the others.

The thrill that shot through Ester started to fade almost instantly. She frowned slightly and then gave her head a tiny shake. He probably wasn't using much power because it was a show.

Right before they'd have been hit by the expanding wave of fire, the other three moved. One yelled a spell and stepped through the fire, another dove straight through it with unnatural speed and the woman threw some kind of device in the air, parting the fire around it in a storm of magic. A Schema then.

The man who'd enhanced himself sprinted towards their attacker, far faster than a human should be able to move. He jinked left, then right, as fire exploded into being near him.

Ester's frown deepened. Something other than fire would be more sensible. Tripping, or maybe something esoteric.

With a triumphant yell he launched himself at his opponent, covering at least ten feet in a single leap, his fist cocked to deliver a devastating blow.

The other man pivoted smoothly, catching the blow on his arms and then throwing his attacker past him to land with a crash and slide along the floor.

Ester couldn't help but wince at the impact. It must have been painful, but the Arcanist sprang straight back to his feet and launched himself forward again.

This time they met in a flurry of blows. Almost too fast to follow. Almost. Ester couldn't help the feeling of disappointment gradually growing in her stomach. Were these really their best graduates?

It was completely irrational of course. She should be delighted if the Republic's Arcanists weren't to the standard of the Empire's Mages. But she wasn't going to find many interesting secrets or techniques from this. In fact, she suspected Mohsen could have taken both men on at once, however much of a horrible person he was.

The fight came to an end with both men springing apart and then bowing to each other to enthusiastic applause from around the room. Ester joined in, she didn't want to be rude after all.

Once two men had moved off and the applause had died down, the other two Arcanists started circling each other. Maybe they'd be more interesting. With an effort she forced herself to stop frowning. She didn't want to be rude after all.

Thinking about it, maybe if they weren't using as advanced magic as the Empire, they might be more open to her learning from them. It was a thought.

The woman struck first, sprinting forward with magically enhanced speed. Her opponent didn't move, just muttering a spell that blew her off track with a gust of wind.

It didn't faze the woman and she came at him again, just as quickly, and was blown away again. She was fast, they were all fast, but not as fast as Mohsen had been, let alone Aziz Deljou.

Twice more the woman tried and was stymied. Then she stopped.

A muttered spell that Ester couldn't quite make out and a pair of rocks flew out from somewhere in the audience of new Arcanists to slowly orbit her head. With a shout of triumph she thrust out her hand at her opponent and both rocks flew at him.

He turned to meet them and literally smashed one out of the air with his bare forearm, sending shattered rock into the ground with a crash. It wasn't enough, the other one took him in the stomach sending him tumbling across the floor to applause from the audience.

Ester pursed her lips, they were just slow. They clearly had been taught combat magic and how to enhance themselves, but they were still disappointing. Despite that, she couldn't help but be jealous of the woman standing triumphantly in the middle of the floor.

With the display over, the four of them stood together, facing out and bowed deeply before jogging back to their fellow graduates while the Archchancellor returned to the floor.

"Thank you for that impressive display. To all the students watching, take inspiration from that. One day you too will be able to serve the People as an Arcanist!" He paused, slowly scanning across the crowd of graduates. "Normally I would now tell you all to go and celebrate. However," his lips quirked up, "this year we have a special surprise for you. An exciting guest straight from the frontlines. An Arcanist of unparalleled skill, power and devotion to the Republic." His voice rose as he spoke, genuine fervour filling it. "I am honoured and delighted to announce that we are joined by the scourge of the undead! The Ashen Vow! Sigrid Lindholm herself!"

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