Chapter 27: A Bloody Lesson


    Stryg waited in a cold ssroom. The room was deep underground below the academy. Long metal tables stretched across half the room, the other half was empty. Several drains lined the ck stone floor. Unlike the meditation dome, this room was filled with torches hanging on the etched walls. Small brown magestones decorated the etched symbols. Yet, the room was cold enough to see ones own breath. Stryg looked around at the two dozen other students, most he didnt recognize. So far all his sses had been shared with the same ssmates, ss 1-C.


    One of the students raised a shivering hand. P-professor, why are we down here? Where are the others?


    Professor Gette was a human of indiscernible age. His hair was a set of vibrant brown curls that he tied in a ponytail. He had the gait of a young man, but his face told another story. His grey eyes were sunken. Wrinkles decorated his forehead and sallow cheeks. Leather gloves covered his hands. His voice rang clear like ss in the stone chamber, If you are referring to your ssmates of your homeroom ss, they are attending their own respective color course. All of you standing here tested into ck mana, hence the name of this ss, Intro to ck Magic, emphasis on the Intro. It is also why I, a master mage of ck magic, Gette pointed to the Onyx stone imnted within his silver ne, am teaching all of you <i>beginners. </i>So, best if you all stay quiet and let me <i>introduce</i> you to finesse of ck magic.


    The student lowered his hand and nodded with chattering teeth.


    Great. ck magic sses have about four times as many studentspared to the other color courses. The reason for this is quite simple. The Ebon Realm produces more ck mana than any other color mana, resulting in the births of more ck mageborn. The same goes for the other Realms. The Scarlet Realm produces more red mana and therefore more red mages. The Azure Realm produces more blue mana, and on and on. You get the idea. Anyway, thats why there are two dozen of you and why the academy requires someone as skilled as I to teach you novices. But, believe me, your group size does make it harder to instruct one-on-one training. So, try to listen well, I wont repeat myself, Gette exined.


    The students nodded in understanding, while rubbing their arms for heat. Some of them even tried to huddle together. Stryg stepped a few feet away. Sure, he was cold, but he was used to enduring cold winters in Vulture Woods. But more importantly, he didnt want to huddle with any men. Perhaps if they were all pretty girls, Stryg might have been persuaded.


    The chambers double doors creaked open to reveal several steel-masked figures d in ck cloaks. Stryg felt a shiver crawl up his spine as he recalled the creatures from his first night in Hollow Shade. They had attacked several humans who had been chasing him. He had barely escaped their iron chains himself. Why were the sentinels here?


    Ah, finally. The sentinels have arrived. Well,e in, hurry up. Gette waved the undead in.


    The sentinels dragged inrge cloth bags and ced them on the iron tables. They then turned to Gette in silence, waiting for his orders. The students kept their distance from them as the undead worked. Even if they werent hostile, no one wanted to be near Hollow Shades nocturnal guards.


    That will be all for now, you may leave. Gette shooed them away with his hand.


    The sentinels obeyed without a word, closing the door behind them. Gette pulled out a knife from his belt, went over to one of the cloth sacks and tore it open. A scrawny human woman, no older than 35,y dead on the table. Many of the students backed away in fear. Stryg stood still, watching the body. There were no signs of decay, she had died recently, Stryg noted to himself. He now understood why they were in this frigid chamber.


    Now the ss can finally begin. Gette said. He proceeded to rip off the clothes from the woman and throw them to the side. Come closer you cowards. You wanted to be magi, yes? Well, this is what it looks like to be a ck mage. Best to get used to it quickly. Death will be a constantpanion to our kind.


    Most of the students shuffled their feet, but didnt actually move any closer, preferring to watch from afar. A few, inched their way forward, little by little. Stryg didnt hesitate to walk up next to the body.


    Gette pped his hands, Good, at least one of you has the stomach to stand unafraid. You will all need that sort of resolve when ites to magic.


    Strygs lips turned slightly upwards in a grin. He was finally beginning to prove himself as a worthy student.


    Gette took his knife and stabbed it deep into the dead womans chest. He then began to bring the de lower, cutting her torso open. As you all should know by now, chromatic energy, also known as mana, has the unique trait of absorbing elemental energy from the environment. Mana will only absorb specific elements based on its color. Each color of mana absorbs two of the ten colors. ck mana absorbs the elements of death and darkness. Thebination of death elemental energy and ck mana allows us magi to cast necromancy; spells of creating and controlling the undead.


    Gette pointed his bloody knife to the door. The sentinels are undead created by the ck magi of Hollow Shade. We created the ones who protect you all while you sleep. ck magi are the backbone of this citys defense. If you have the determination and courage, perhaps you may be worthy of joining us.


    Casting a spell is all about a focused will and a clear image. Now through enough practice and meditation you can train your will to be as strong as iron. But having a clear image is a little different. Gette grabbed the corpses arm and shook it. You can imagine as much as you want what it would be like for this arm to move on its own but it''s not that simple. You have to know what it would take to move the arm. The muscles, ligaments, and bones. You must know how a corpse works if you ever wish to control it. That includes knowing how the body deteriorates and how to prevent the process. Preventing rot is normally done through abination of potions and your spell casting. Potions can be obtained from red magi, but your spell casting is obtained only through knowledge. You will all need to study your anatomy textbooks extensively in theing years to gain thatprehension.


    Gette put the knife on the table and stuck his hands inside the womens chest. He pulled the cavity wide open, leaving her inner organs exposed. Necromancy is the art of controlling a corpse, and among the forms of chromatic magic, it is one of the most information intensive. The best way to learn is hands on knowledge. The rest of youe closer.


    The other students reluctantly drew close to the body, only standing a few feet away. Interestingly they all managed to crowd around the table without being too close to either Gette or Stryg. Once they were all still, Gette began pointing to the organs within the womans chest, naming each one and their purpose. Once he finished, he started to skin the rest of her body, exposing the muscles beneath. A few of the students vomited at the horrid sight. Gette snapped at them and ordered them to leave the ss for the day. They dly left without a word. Gette continued the lecture as if any of the students could remember the enormous quantity of information he was spewing. Stryg tried to memorize what Gette said, but it proved far too much.


    By the time Gette finished speaking he had already dismantled the womans entire body into different sections. Half the ss had already vomited, fainted, or left. The other half struggled to focus on anything Gette said. Stryg was the only one focused on the mans words, but he failed to understand most of what was said.


    Thatll be enough for the moment. Now, it''s time for the practical section, Gette said.


    That wasnt the practical part? A student mouthed in horror.


    Do you think I enjoy doing this? Getting my hands covered in blood and guts of somemon wench? Gette asked. Obviously not. I do this because it''s necessary for you all to learn. A ck mages work is more gruesome than any other color. It is why you must grow desensitized to the work we do. Only then will you be able to focus on what needs to be done.


    Gette understood that most of these students had never seen a body, nor had any seen one treated in such a grim manner. But they needed to grow ustomed to the nature of their work if they ever wished to seed here. Gette didnt believe in coddling his students by slowly introducing them to the topic. He believed they needed to be exposed to the truth immediately and learn to ept it. Of course they were all shocked by his teachings, but they would grow to understand and eventually ept them.


    Little did he know, Stryg was the exception. The goblin had grown up seeing others killed, especially his own kind. Stryg had seen many goblins bodies mutted, even more skinned and prepared into food. The more civilized people of Hollow Shade would think Gettes dismantling of the body brutal. But Stryg saw nothing out of the ordinary, except that it was a human corpse instead of a goblins, and that it wasnt being dismantled to be eaten.


    Gette pointed to the other iron tables with sacks on them. There are enough tables for each one of you. A carving knife istched under each table. I want you all to go grab a knife and open your sack. The bodies are very fresh and unharmed for the most part, itll make casting our necromancy spells far easier. You wont need to do as much to control and support the body.


    Stryg and the rest followed his directions.


    Where did you get so many bodies? A student asked in mild disgust.


    Dont ask questions and get to your table, Gette ordered.


    But Stryg already knew the answer. He had seen the way the corpse of the woman had looked. Haggard, dirty, and thin. She had probably lived a life of poverty in the streets. Stryg recalled the sentinels who had brought the bodies in. He knew what they did to those without nametes who resisted being enved. <i>So, this is what happened to the bodies of all those unluckymoners</i>, Stryg thought.


    Stryg found the carving knife under his table and cut his cloth sack open. An elderly dwarf male body resided within. Stryg didnt know what to feel as he looked at the corpse. More than anything he felt relieved. Relieved he was lucky enough to be a mageborn and not a corpse lying on the cold iron table.


    I wont ask any of you to raise the body, that is far tooplex of a spell for any of you. Well start simple. I want you to try to move your corpses hand, even a finger will be enough for today. Ive taught all that much, Gette exined.


    Stryg took a deep breath, he could do this. He had consciously cast magic once before against the orc, Kegrog. This time had to be easier. He stretched out his fingers and aimed them towards the dwarfs rigid hand. He imagined the hand moving, willing it to move. But nothing happened.


    Try to remember professor Ismenes meditation teachings. Clear your minds and find the mana within, Getted added.


    Stryg frowned. He hadnt been doing great in her sses. He found it difficult to meditate. Hed normally find himself staring at one girl or another in the dark meditation dome. Even when he did try to meditate his mind was always wandering into his own inner thoughts, which only ever led to one conclusion. His inadequacy, his failures, and eventually his anger. The whole process was ufortable, and instead of following Ismenes instructions of meditating in ones free time, Stryg found himself ignoring meditation all together.


    But his anger, born from his frustration, his pain, that was something Stryg knew very well. It had been with him for so long that he wore it like a second skin,fortable within its confines. He reached for the anger that lurked right beneath the surface. It greeted him like an old friend. Stryg felt the almost feverish heat of mana course through his veins and flow into his outstretched hand. He stared at the corpses hand intently. It would move. He needed it to. He wanted it to. But, still it remained still.


    Gette began walking around the tables, inspecting each students work. Sweat began to form on Strygs forehead. His hand began to shake from the increasing heat coursing through his arm. The spell had to work. He couldnt keep failing like this.


    Stop, youre pushing yourself too hard. Gette said.


    But Stryg didnt. He needed the hand to move, even just a finger. Gette would have pped Stryg, but he didnt wish to break the goblins focus. A mage distracted in the middle of a spell could have dire consequences.


    Kid, stop it. <i>Now</i>. Gette ordered.


    Stryg let go of the breath he had been holding and fell to his knees. His entire arm burned in pain. He could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest. He gasped for breath.


    Youre the most willing of this entire ss, but you''re reckless and you seem tock talent with necromancy, Gette sighed.


    Stryg grit his teeth in frustration, but held his tongue.


    At least you have talent with shadow spells, Gette said.


    Huh? Stryg looked up in surprise.


    You may have failed to move even a single finger, but you managed to move its shadow at least. Gette pointed to the wriggling shadow of the corpses hand.


    Stryg mbered to his feet and took a closer look at the shadow. It moved erratically for a few moments before settling back into its natural state.


    ck mana is mixed with two elemental energies. The mixture of death creates necromancy, while the mixture with the element of darkness creates shadow magic, like the one you identally casted, Gette said.


    So, Ill be able to grab things with shadows like professor Loh? Stryg asked with excitement.


    Getteughed, Of course not. Does it look like shadows can grab things? Shadows are intangible.


    But, I saw professor Loh


    Loh is a high master manifold mage, she can do things far beyond the norm. Her whole family is incredibly gifted with magic. You shouldntpare yourself to her.


    I see


    Gette removed his bloody gloves and massaged his own neck. Dont worry about the corpse failure. Most magi are only proficient in one of the elements within their color. Not me of course, I am quite skilled with both shadow and necromancy spells. Nheless, you did good today, kid. Well start shadow magic training next ss.


    Stryg found himself with a rare genuine smile on his face.