The little things in life, though unnoticed, have much influence on us. I was made aware of it on the twelfth of March.
I had woken up at six in the morning and had completed my bath. Ms Parkinson lay on the ground, beside my bed. I tried not to wake her up but my rustling must have. She stood up right away, hoping to help me. I insisted her to rest, but she did not comply. She saw me struggling to wrap the bandages and helped. She had a gentle touch, much steadier than mine. I asked her not to worry about me and to take care of her own routine. I felt burdened by her hospitality. She had stayed with me for days and with nothing more than two gowns that she wore alternatively. I thought about procuring for her a present, but I was one of the few that could boast of empty pockets. When I have money... I told myself while being helped into my black suit. I ruined the green one, I thought, worrying how Mr Hillary would react.
Soon, I was dressed and fed by Ms Parkinson. Eating with my left hand did not bear the results I had hoped for. It consumed a frustrating amount of time. Neither steady nor quick. My left hand was untrained. I needed to learn to use it quickly.
I felt my right hand. The pain had lessened despite its ugly state. There was an alien heaviness to it. Moving the fingers felt unnatural, and the thumb did not respond. It was a funny feeling, and only now did I feel the consequence of my actions. My left forearm would throb by overuse and movement that was natural to the other one. Both were very difficult to work with. Life of a cripple, I surmised.
The early morning was dark, but soon, the light entered the depressing chamber. And with a goodbye to Ms Parkinson and a glance at sleeping Ms Lasfield, I left for my lecture.
The hospital was the very same one I had brought Ms Lasfield to. We weren't transferred? I supposed that there was no need. The academy was a lavish place; they could afford the best care.
I walked the lonely paths and soon came into view of the familiar scenery. The narrow paths and the lilac trees welcomed me. I liked them still, but an imaginary miasma of blood and horror seemed to have embraced them. I ignored it; I needed to be myself again. I walked the path, finding a few students on the same path. They greeted me, and some inquired about my health. That was a lovely gesture, respectable.
When I arrived at the area where the house of the haunted was, I saw guards — black-uniformed, arms-bearing arms. I suppose that is natural. They were there to protect us. The academy lacked any other place for a subject of our magnitude. I walked, thinking that the place will not seem as scary to the children.
'Hello, Professor,' I heard. Someone had called me.
I looked to my side to find a woman in a black uniform. 'Ms Olsberg?' I said, surprised. 'You will be stationed here?'
'Yes, Professor,' she said. 'I will be here when lectures are taking place, otherwise, there would be a unit here.'
'I see.' This is a pleasant encounter, I thought.
'What have you thought of the hunt professor?' asked the woman as I was about to take my leave.
'I will be participating.'
'That is a pleasure for us.' She seemed happy. 'I will be there too. The Professor of Theology is very interested in this hunt.' She left after a few queries about my health, which I indeed entertained.
I went to my office first after seeing the men that were keeping guard at the entrance of the basement. Is it still there? I thought for a moment. The empty space in my office did not bother me anymore; I had seen worse and I was not alone in the building.
The night before, I had prepared some notes with the help of Ms Parkinson. A word or two was enough to remind me of the topics I had prepared. I gleaned through them, and when the watch struck eight, I entered the lecture hall. There was one empty seat. And though it attracted my gaze, I began the second lecture on Arcane Knowledge. 'We will not speak about the incident that took place a few days ago,' I said, standing at the podium, looking up at them. 'That is for another day. From today, we begin one of the Magics — Elemental Magic.' They looked elated.
I saw gazes directed at my gloved hand and the arm that closely stuck to my side. It was better to not hurt it further, so I was being careful. They seemed very interested in it, except for the girl at the front. Her hazel eyes were on me. Why do you look at me? I ignored that curious gaze and spoke, 'Let us begin with what is Elemental Magic.' I kept humming softly, trying to keep a light atmosphere. 'Does anyone know?' A few hands were raised. 'Yes.' I pointed at one of the students. He was a tall student.
'Magic that uses elements of nature,' he said, without giving me his name.
'Right. That is correct,' I said, walking around the platform. 'Elemental magic is the field in Arcane Knowledge that concerns itself with the elements of nature.' I tried to write on the board with my left hand but could not. I gave up right away, ashamed. My shoulder hurt still. I hadn't been used to such a change. I continued, keeping a façade of composure, 'This field or branch of Arcane Knowledge primarily involves commanding the elements. How to accomplish such a baffling feat then?' A girl with blue eyes raised her hand. I recalled her name. 'Ms Mer Valet.'
'Using Mana.'
'But how?' I swept a quick gaze across. No hands were raised. 'What does Mana do? Let us learn that first.' I used my magic, and the air in front of me swirled, blowing a few papers. 'The papers flew because I commanded the air to blow in that specific direction,' I spoke while looking at the papers on the ground. That was rather regrettable. I had to clean them. 'Refer to the previous lecture's notes and you may find it easier to understand. Just now, I commanded Mana to alter the flow of wind in this room in a specific way, resulting in the turbulence in front of me.' One by one, I collected the papers. 'Mana is an intermediary — the only intermediary between man and magic. It is the connection that allows us to employ desired effects on the silent strength that is nature.' I cleared my throat. 'Now that we know what mana is and how it works, let us dive into the world of Elemental Magic.'
I told them a few things, some precautions, and continued, 'Every element is different. Remember that always. Water is formless. It can be shaped the way one wishes it to be. While Earth is solid and difficult to be formed into an intricate shape. Wind is invisible to the eye; controlling it requires sharp senses. Fire is destructive and spreads along a material. Ice and Snow, while common in the north, are difficult to be seen in Celbrun. This country — Oland — sees snow only once or twice a year, rarely that too.'
'So, throughout our studies, we will focus on these four elements. Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth.' I was not prepared to teach any other. 'There may be other elements yet controllable and unknown, but we have not learnt of any so far. Much research is needed, and some elements are rarely seen being controlled. Many do not have aptitudes for such elements.' The hazel-eyed girl in the front raised her hand. 'Yes, Miss—?'
'Eve Marie Heles,' said the girl, and I saw some stares of wonder towards her. I knew why. That name — Heles Dukedom? The Heles were smart. They did not cling to the past glory, but when the Industrial Revolution took place, they invested heavily. Now, they are rich, very rich.
'Do speak, Ms Heles,' I said, trying not to offend her.
'What other elements do you know of, Professor?' she said. Her voice had a curious tone to it. It was pleasant to listen to, calming. I liked it.
'Please elaborate.' I was worried about where this conversation was leading.
'Do you have any rare aptitude? An element a select few mages control?'
I looked at the girl for a while. She was polite in her conduct, and there was not the slightest amount of hostility present. Her hazel eyes were curious but not overbearing. She seemed calm of nature, and yet she made me wonder about her motives. 'No,' I said. 'I do not share such a rare aptitude.' That was not a complete lie. After all, no other man shared my aptitude. It was unique to me.
The little things in life, though unnoticed, have much influence on us. I was made aware of it on the twelfth of March.
I had woken up at six in the morning and had completed my bath. Ms Parkinson lay on the ground, beside my bed. I tried not to wake her up but my rustling must have. She stood up right away, hoping to help me. I insisted her to rest, but she did not comply. She saw me struggling to wrap the bandages and helped. She had a gentle touch, much steadier than mine. I asked her not to worry about me and to take care of her own routine. I felt burdened by her hospitality. She had stayed with me for days and with nothing more than two gowns that she wore alternatively. I thought about procuring for her a present, but I was one of the few that could boast of empty pockets. When I have money... I told myself while being helped into my black suit. I ruined the green one, I thought, worrying how Mr Hillary would react.
Soon, I was dressed and fed by Ms Parkinson. Eating with my left hand did not bear the results I had hoped for. It consumed a frustrating amount of time. Neither steady nor quick. My left hand was untrained. I needed to learn to use it quickly.
I felt my right hand. The pain had lessened despite its ugly state. There was an alien heaviness to it. Moving the fingers felt unnatural, and the thumb did not respond. It was a funny feeling, and only now did I feel the consequence of my actions. My left forearm would throb by overuse and movement that was natural to the other one. Both were very difficult to work with. Life of a cripple, I surmised.
The early morning was dark, but soon, the light entered the depressing chamber. And with a goodbye to Ms Parkinson and a glance at sleeping Ms Lasfield, I left for my lecture.
The hospital was the very same one I had brought Ms Lasfield to. We weren't transferred? I supposed that there was no need. The academy was a lavish place; they could afford the best care.
I walked the lonely paths and soon came into view of the familiar scenery. The narrow paths and the lilac trees welcomed me. I liked them still, but an imaginary miasma of blood and horror seemed to have embraced them. I ignored it; I needed to be myself again. I walked the path, finding a few students on the same path. They greeted me, and some inquired about my health. That was a lovely gesture, respectable.
When I arrived at the area where the house of the haunted was, I saw guards — black-uniformed, arms-bearing arms. I suppose that is natural. They were there to protect us. The academy lacked any other place for a subject of our magnitude. I walked, thinking that the place will not seem as scary to the children.
'Hello, Professor,' I heard. Someone had called me.
I looked to my side to find a woman in a black uniform. 'Ms Olsberg?' I said, surprised. 'You will be stationed here?'
'Yes, Professor,' she said. 'I will be here when lectures are taking place, otherwise, there would be a unit here.'
'I see.' This is a pleasant encounter, I thought.
'What have you thought of the hunt professor?' asked the woman as I was about to take my leave.
'I will be participating.'
'That is a pleasure for us.' She seemed happy. 'I will be there too. The Professor of Theology is very interested in this hunt.' She left after a few queries about my health, which I indeed entertained.
I went to my office first after seeing the men that were keeping guard at the entrance of the basement. Is it still there? I thought for a moment. The empty space in my office did not bother me anymore; I had seen worse and I was not alone in the building.
The night before, I had prepared some notes with the help of Ms Parkinson. A word or two was enough to remind me of the topics I had prepared. I gleaned through them, and when the watch struck eight, I entered the lecture hall. There was one empty seat. And though it attracted my gaze, I began the second lecture on Arcane Knowledge. 'We will not speak about the incident that took place a few days ago,' I said, standing at the podium, looking up at them. 'That is for another day. From today, we begin one of the Magics — Elemental Magic.' They looked elated.
I saw gazes directed at my gloved hand and the arm that closely stuck to my side. It was better to not hurt it further, so I was being careful. They seemed very interested in it, except for the girl at the front. Her hazel eyes were on me. Why do you look at me? I ignored that curious gaze and spoke, 'Let us begin with what is Elemental Magic.' I kept humming softly, trying to keep a light atmosphere. 'Does anyone know?' A few hands were raised. 'Yes.' I pointed at one of the students. He was a tall student.
'Magic that uses elements of nature,' he said, without giving me his name.
'Right. That is correct,' I said, walking around the platform. 'Elemental magic is the field in Arcane Knowledge that concerns itself with the elements of nature.' I tried to write on the board with my left hand but could not. I gave up right away, ashamed. My shoulder hurt still. I hadn't been used to such a change. I continued, keeping a façade of composure, 'This field or branch of Arcane Knowledge primarily involves commanding the elements. How to accomplish such a baffling feat then?' A girl with blue eyes raised her hand. I recalled her name. 'Ms Mer Valet.'
'Using Mana.'
'But how?' I swept a quick gaze across. No hands were raised. 'What does Mana do? Let us learn that first.' I used my magic, and the air in front of me swirled, blowing a few papers. 'The papers flew because I commanded the air to blow in that specific direction,' I spoke while looking at the papers on the ground. That was rather regrettable. I had to clean them. 'Refer to the previous lecture's notes and you may find it easier to understand. Just now, I commanded Mana to alter the flow of wind in this room in a specific way, resulting in the turbulence in front of me.' One by one, I collected the papers. 'Mana is an intermediary — the only intermediary between man and magic. It is the connection that allows us to employ desired effects on the silent strength that is nature.' I cleared my throat. 'Now that we know what mana is and how it works, let us dive into the world of Elemental Magic.'
I told them a few things, some precautions, and continued, 'Every element is different. Remember that always. Water is formless. It can be shaped the way one wishes it to be. While Earth is solid and difficult to be formed into an intricate shape. Wind is invisible to the eye; controlling it requires sharp senses. Fire is destructive and spreads along a material. Ice and Snow, while common in the north, are difficult to be seen in Celbrun. This country — Oland — sees snow only once or twice a year, rarely that too.'
'So, throughout our studies, we will focus on these four elements. Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth.' I was not prepared to teach any other. 'There may be other elements yet controllable and unknown, but we have not learnt of any so far. Much research is needed, and some elements are rarely seen being controlled. Many do not have aptitudes for such elements.' The hazel-eyed girl in the front raised her hand. 'Yes, Miss—?'
'Eve Marie Heles,' said the girl, and I saw some stares of wonder towards her. I knew why. That name — Heles Dukedom? The Heles were smart. They did not cling to the past glory, but when the Industrial Revolution took place, they invested heavily. Now, they are rich, very rich.
'Do speak, Ms Heles,' I said, trying not to offend her.
'What other elements do you know of, Professor?' she said. Her voice had a curious tone to it. It was pleasant to listen to, calming. I liked it.
'Please elaborate.' I was worried about where this conversation was leading.
'Do you have any rare aptitude? An element a select few mages control?'
I looked at the girl for a while. She was polite in her conduct, and there was not the slightest amount of hostility present. Her hazel eyes were curious but not overbearing. She seemed calm of nature, and yet she made me wonder about her motives. 'No,' I said. 'I do not share such a rare aptitude.' That was not a complete lie. After all, no other man shared my aptitude. It was unique to me.
