“Then I’ll trust your judgment. In the future, will you tell me about this though? I’d hate to step on someone’s toes for no reason.”

  “Of course.”

  “Anything in particular I need to wear?” I asked.

  “Actually …”

  Chapter 26

  ✶

  Auntie’s Party

  Rowena’s aunt lived on the outskirts of the more expensive districts in the city. Perhaps the man she’d married wasn’t a titled noble, or he was lower on the totem pole than most I’d dealt with, or maybe she just liked it there. The area was closer to shopping and the roads leading out, so if she preferred to spend her time away from Exion rather than in it, this would be a pretty good spot.

  Her house also didn’t disappoint. It was not as grand as some of the mansions I’d seen, but really quite nice. The layout was similar to our own home—large interior, with clearly delineated space for the family and guests. I could even guess where the back passages were, and that was confirmed by the sounds of scurrying staff moving about as they tried to do their jobs with minimal interruption to the event itself.

  “I’m so very glad you came,” our host said with a smile.

  “Well, it’s been a while since last I got out, and Rowena suggested this might be a good place to work my way back into society properly after all the unpleasantness, Lady Emily,” I said in response, giving credit where it was due and making sure she knew exactly why I’d come.

  “Oh, she is such a dear, isn’t she? How are you doing, though, after everything that happened?” It was funny, how she seemed so sympathetic, yet at the same time so very hungry for details.

  “Not too badly, Lady Emily. I’ve seen these beasts before, of course.”

  “Please do tell, if it’s not too much …”

  “Of course,” I obliged. “After all, people should know what’s going on, shouldn’t they?”

  I spent the next several hours dictating some, but certainly not all, of my adventures and attacks against the goblins. The audience was rapt for it, too, with old men cheering as if fights were a jolly sport and ladies gasping at all the right moments. Of course, Rowena’s aunt spent the whole time at the center of it all, pushing for more details.

  “And what’s that I heard about you saving some children from a monstrous bird?” one of the women asked, seemingly curious that I’d not brought it up.

  “Oh, that? Didn’t have anything to do with the goblins, as far as I know. I was just enjoying a day in the park when a man pointed it out. We never did find him though. Had he not said something, the poor little ones might well have died. Shame that I never got a chance to thank him. Odd fellow too.”

  “Odd how?” Lady Emily asked, leaning in.

  “Well, his clothes, for one. He was wearing some kind of robe. More than that, his hair was pale white. Talked about how his daughter hated him getting out and about, so I think he may have been sickly or something.”

  “You know, I’ve volunteered in some of the hospitals about here,” one of Rowena’s other relatives chimed in. “If you could give a good description, perhaps I might find him?” People hummed and hawed sufficiently.

  “How about I draw the fellow? I’m no expert artist, but I can sketch a bit,” I offered.

  Paper and a charcoal pencil soon made their way into my hands. It was true, too, that I wasn’t a master artist; nor was I particularly skilled at drawing faces, but I’d drawn enough diagrams over the years and made enough art that I could turn out something basic.

  “No, don’t know him,” the woman who’d spurred the idea said with a shrug.

  That was that, then, and I left the drawing sitting there. We’d had dinner, and after a brief time mingling together, it was time for the men and women to split for evening activities.

  “Ah, my boy, thank you for entertaining my wife so,” Rowena’s uncle said to me after we’d left the ladies to adjourn to the smoking room. “You’ve no idea how much she’s enjoyed this. Been digging into everything she can about that horrid incident.”

  “No need, sir, but please do keep her from digging too deeply. Those monsters are not to be trifled with. They’ve already killed, and I’d like to see that they don’t harm anyone else.”

  “Haha, I’ll make sure to increase the wards on the house then. Can’t hurt, and they’re a bit dated as it is. Wouldn’t worry too much though. She’s not going to go poking around any sewers; she just interrogates the men who do,” he assured me.

  “Are they truly that dangerous?” one of the other men asked.

  “They’ve got magic,” I said. “At least the ones I’ve seen do. Would you underestimate any mage?”

  “No, surely not,” the man said, solemnly.

  “Luckily, it doesn’t look like they’ve got enchanted items, though, so there’s that.”

  They smoked, or at least many of them did, though I abstained. Never liked that habit; the smell was enough for me. I did partake in a little brandy though. Just a little. The flavors danced, enhanced perhaps by my stronger senses, or it was just that good. These men were wealthier than I’d been on Earth, of course, so most of the food that we had was top quality.

  Parties didn’t go on forever, so soon enough the time came for us all to bid one another goodnight. Rowena joined me in the main room once more, looking pleased enough that I doubted she hadn’t gotten something out of all this.

  As we were leaving she stopped, looking down at the picture I drew.

  “Do you know him?” I asked, watching her furrow her brow.

  “I don’t think so, but he’s horribly familiar,” she said, sounding a tad bothered. “Would you mind if I took this?” she asked her aunt.

  “No, dear, so long as you tell me should you find him,” her aunt said with a hint of mischief in her voice.

  “Very well,” Rowena said, folding the paper and putting it in her bag.

  “So, he’s familiar?” I asked as we settled into the carriage, which would take each of us to our respective homes, hers first, of course.

  “Yes, but I can’t place him. It’s quite vexing.” She gave a little pout.

  “Ah, well if you do, I’d like to thank him,” I said with a shrug.

  “Hmm, yes.”

  Chapter 27

  ✶

  New Schedule

  All things have to come to an end, and my winter vacation was no different. Before I knew it, the time had come to pack my things and return to school, and the stress and time crunch that always seemed to follow me there. I hated that. Even if I liked the place, it was just too much. Even if I was being excluded from a few things as my years progressed, I certainly wasn’t getting any more time.

  Several of the staff waited as I boarded the carriage that would take me back to what was more accurately becoming my home. All stood at attention, smiling and giving their quiet goodbyes. Among them Kaylee, her little shield charm and wand tucked away in her uniform. I could almost feel them, almost notice the magic I’d made, which was something totally new to me. It was a sense like something was there, but not an answer to what and difficult to accurately describe. It was more like a smell or a sensation on the back of my neck. A couple others had them, too, and as if by instinct, I could tell who didn’t have theirs on them.

  My little half-sister had tried to refuse my gift, stating it was too much for a master to give to a servant. She’d pouted adorably and held back, but when it became clear all of our magic-capable staff were getting them, she relented. She was right, of course. It was far too valuable a gift to pass off to the help, but I wasn’t going to leave her undefended, even if that meant I had to defend others too.

  Cobblestones clattered under wheels as I slowly made my way down the path. The sound was oddly calming, rhythmic, and soon I felt myself drifting off to sleep. The journey wasn’t too long, as we were going just outside the walls, but it was enough for me to catch a quick nap.

  I was stirred awake when we arrived, but that had been expected, so I suppose I could forgive the world for not accommodating my whims. My eyes fluttered as we slowed, body sensing the change in pace.

  No sooner had we stopped than a younger student ran up to us. He had a letter in hand.

  “You can’t be serious,” I said flatly.

  “You’re Percival, right?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “This is for you from the headmaster,” the kid said, holding out the paper.

  Had I ever been like him? He looked like just a child. With a sigh I took the letter, flipping it open and reading it before sighing again.

  My walk to Headmaster Logan’s office was well practiced. I knew where to go, which halls were best or worst to go down, even the proper way to get a good view as I did so. I really needed to stop coming here; it never ended well.

  “Ah, you’ve finally arrived,” the bear of a man said as I entered. “Sit, join us.”

  Joining us, as he often did when I ended up in trouble, was Sir Kendrick, the man assigned by the king to make sure I was properly trained. The knight nodded to a chair nearby, where I sat. I found the seat pleasant, comforting, familiar.

  “Sir, I didn’t even make it out of my carriage,” I said. “That must be some sort of record.”

  “No lip, lad, and it isn’t. The current recordholder was visited two weeks into his vacation for discipline. Managed to disgrace the school publicly and got the correction he needed immediately.”

  “Hate to be him,” I said.

  “No, I think I turned out fairly well once I got my head on straight. I’ve some hope you will too. Enough chatter though. We’re not here for that.”

  That was a surprise, and an insight into the headmaster’s life I didn’t think I’d ever get. To think he’d been a rulebreaker in his youth, the man who seemed to want nothing more than to beat us into soldier-shaped molds. It had me blinking wildly for a solid five seconds.

  “Attention, Percival,” Sir Kendrick said, bringing me back to the here and now.

  “I’ve been thinking about your training,” began Headmaster Logan.

  Oh shit.

  “And the results we’ve gotten. They’re acceptable, but I’ve considered things. How would you like to take less classes?”

  “I feel like something’s going to be added to that, sir,” I pointed out.

  The man scoffed under his breath, just enough for me to hear.

  “Indeed, you see your grades and work are good enough that we could excuse you from physical participation in a number of subjects, and your professors agree. You’d still need to do the assignments, but you’d do them on your own. Additionally I’d be asking our good knight here to oversee some particular training for you personally.”

  “With all due respect, I’m not sure more combat training would be overly productive. I already do quite a bit.”

  “No, not swordsmanship, tactics, or even the guns you seem so fond of,” Sir Kendrick answered. “I would be training you in magical resistance. Your most recent encounter shows you need it, and it will give you an edge against enemies. Normally, we hold off on this until your final year of education, and even then, it is not a core subject but one left for future mastery. You would join me in mastering the art as well as you can instead.”

  Thinking only took a few seconds. Most of my classes were still something along the lines of high-school level, not particularly difficult with my slightly better memory in this life. I’d already done most of this once, so doing things like math and basic writing was horribly boring. This, though, would give me something useful and clear out some of my schedule at the same time.

  My thoughts flicked back to the little goblin wizard and her goggles. She kept blitzing me with magic, magic I didn’t know how to fight against. If I’d had resistance, well, then we might be able to do something about that. She’d even pointed out that I needed more tricks, so more tricks she would get.

  “I think I would like that,” I agreed.

  “Good, here is your schedule for the year then,” the headmaster said, passing me a sheet of paper. Nearly all of my classes, excluding combat training, were replaced with a mixture of personal study time and training schedules with Sir Kendrick. It was an intensive regimen he had planned for me, but he was a knight in service to the monarch, so I had to guess he knew his business. There was also an hour allotted each week to meet with each of the professors to go over my assignments, which I fully planned to do as fast as I could.

  “We start tomorrow. Make sure to get some rest,” Sir Kendrick said, smiling in a way that sent a chill down my spine.

  Chapter 28

  ✶

  Magical Resistance

  Iwoke up, looking at the ceiling and knowing that the day would be magnificent. My mornings would be much the same of course, with breakfast first thing. Of course, waking up wasn’t the hectic assembly it had been my first year, with our food being disturbed and work thrown off. No, it was as normal as a first day of school could ever be.

  Older students looked tired, blinking and rubbing their eyes, and one or two asking friends to borrow materials they’d forgotten at home. Though I didn’t participate, I was sure there was a thriving black market for such things. First year students were running around either unable to process the morning routine or so panicked that they looked like chickens with their heads cut off.

  Food was good; filling, but simple. Nothing fancy adorned the table my friends and I sat at, but we had a good, filling bread, plenty of fruits and vegetables, some sausages, and porridge. We ate quickly, savoring the quick meal as best we could, knowing full well that these times could be cut short if the staff got a bee in their bonnets.

  “Ready for Killic today?” asked a boy beside me.

  “Don’t have him—the headmaster reworked my schedule,” I informed them.

  “Seriously? How could they possibly fit anything else in there?” Lucas chimed in as he came to join us.

  “Not more; less.”

  “How does that work?” the boy with the initial question asked. Everyone knew I was being put to the grindstone.

  “I’m doing all the work on my own and studying privately with an instructor. I think I’ll actually have free time,” I told them.

  Several boys patted my back, looking on with mock tears in their eyes.

  “Oh, Percival, how you’ve changed, grown. You’ll even get to live this year. That might be a first, seeing you out on anything but a rest day, not looking like you are in the middle of breaking yourself against your books,” Lucas teased.

  “Was I really that bad?” I asked.

  “By the end of last year, your eyes were red every day, and I’m pretty sure you didn’t comb your hair for a full week once,” one of my dorm companions answered, munching a slice of apple.

  “That’s not true … I think,” I said, trying to remember.

  “Well, you looked better than Lucas there. He came back with his face all blue that one time, remember?” he asked.

  I did, indeed. Lucas had been on the wrong end of a sparring match and managed to get himself actually hurt. He’d healed in a day or two, but it looked like his face had been smashed into a concrete wall for a while there.

  “What happened with that anyway?” I asked.

  “Snapped at the professor during a combat demonstration, and he introduced my face to the cobbles,” Lucas replied. “Hurt a bit, but I learned a good trick out of it.”

  “Well,” I said, looking at the people beginning to leave, “looks like it’s time to head out.”

  As one, we rose and made our way to the doors. Lucas, who was in his final year, split off first, having a very different schedule than the rest of us. Only a few moments later, I had to break with the rest of my fellows as well, turning toward one of the smaller arena-like structures.

  Sir Kendrick was there before I was, dressed in armor rather than his normal clothing.

  “Good morning, Percival,” he said. “Come in and let us begin.”

  “Sir, I’m still unclear as to what we’re doing here,” I said.

  “Worry not; you’ll be getting detailed instructions. This is one of the disciplines I had to master before joining His Majesty’s service, so you’ll have exactly what you need.”

  “Yes, sir,” I answered with a nod.

  “All people capable of magic naturally project an aura, as you well know. This is magic leaving the body, and relates to the level of our power. I’m told this is easier to explain to casters who can see such things, but it matters not. I have an aura, you have an aura, all of us. What we’ll be doing is learning to control that aura.”

  “I’m not sure how that helps, sir?” I asked.

  “By pushing outward you are able to fill the air around you with your own magic, which will resist the magic of others. This doesn’t help against secondary effects, like a mage throwing a knife at you with magic, but it does against magic directly influencing you. There are a lot of factors, and it’s not going to be mastered today, but you need to learn to do this, and when you do, hostile spells will flow around you like water flowing around a rock in a stream.”

  “Sounds like something we should teach earlier—”

  “In the past it was, but it was decided that teaching schoolchildren to repel spells while they are still in the early stages is dangerous. A few incidents where one got angry and proved very difficult to restrain led to the change. Some youths still end up that way, though, stumbling upon the technique, or they’re just so naturally gifted at it that they develop that way regardless.”

  That was true enough. All of us physical magic users seemed to develop a bit differently. My senses were far above par, though nowhere near the most extreme. Even at my strongest and fastest, I still fell behind Lucas, but I could hear and find people through walls, something I suspected he’d never been able to achieve. There were also a few people here and there who were like walking tanks, taking blows that would toss me like a leaf in the wind.