In the Grand Hall
"They're all deployed in various Forbidden Woods across the Kingdom, Headmistress," Master Felicia announced, a note of satisfaction in her voice. " I've ensured their safety by teleporting them to areas with less aggressive creatures."
Headmistress Ophelia, seated at the head of the long tutor's table, nodded with approval. "Excellent work, Master Felicia. Your strategic deployment is commendable."
She turned to Master Dianara who sat quietly by the table's edge. "Master Dianara, have you completed the enchantment you always do?"
Dianara, the tutor of the Priests and Priestesses at the Academy, who is also a powerful Priestess, stepped forward, her Scepter radiating a gentle golden light. "Yes, Headmistress Ophelia," she replied. "I've imbued each student's class badge with a connection ward, linking them to my Divine magic."
Headmistress Ophelia's eyes gleamed. "Very good. Now, perform your spell to know what our students are doing."
Master Dianara, radiating confidence, lifted her Scepter. As she began the chant, a brilliant light erupted from the tip, bathing the room in an incandescent glow.
"Heavenly Light, a whispered plea,
Show me what I need to see.
Your power flows, unveil the scene,
Hidden truths, forever keen."
"Divine Magic: Guiding Light!"
Spell explanation:
(Divine Magic: Guiding Light is a powerful yet demanding spell that projects a holographic image onto a reflective surface, allowing the caster to track the actions and locations of distant individuals. This ethereal projection, created by harnessing divine energy from the heavens and channeling it, provides a real-time glimpse into the targets' activities. The success and clarity of the image depend entirely on the caster's skill, their connection to the target's energies, and the precision of their mental visualization. The spell requires significant connection, focus, and control.)
Seeing Master Dianara struggle to locate all the students, Master Felicia, her eyes narrowed in concentration, a vibrant fuchsia aura blooming around her, and her amulet glowing brightly, instantly used her Cognitive Recognition ability.
In a flash, a huge, glowing holographic image of the Forbidden Woods appeared, revealing a breathtaking panorama. Students were everywhere: some walking, some building fires, and others battling monsters.
"Wow! They're having a wild time, Headmistress!" said Master Ophelia.
The Headmistress scanned the scene, her gaze searching for a specific group.
Klera's Point of View
I opened my Magic Tome, searching for an ability useful in our current situation. "Oh, Almighty Andromeda, please help us!" I silently prayed to myself.
"We have to help them!" the priestess cried, her desperate plea barely audible over the chaotic battle. She dashed toward the center of the fight, snatching up a stone she'd spotted.
"You need to find a offensive Wind spell in your Tome," I told the Wind Mage, who was already flipping through his own. "Yeah, right," he muttered, the pages rustling.
"I've found something in mine," I announced.
"Me too," he replied, a hint of relief in his voice. He looked up, our eyes met; a nod and a sign that we should cast our power at the same time.
Seeing the Alpha Dire wolf approaching Raven and the wounded Priestess, we rapidly chanted our incantations.
"By the weave of thought, the currents of mind, a tide of mental energy, release!" I read from my Magic Tome, then braced myself as my Amulet pulsed with purple light.
"Mind Blast!" I shouted, and purple magic surged into my hands, forming a visible force that blasted the wolf.
"The storm's teeth awaken! By the fury of the gale, wind blades fly! Tear and rend!" the Wind Mage chanted his incantation.
Aiming his wand at the Alpha leaping towards Raven, a white magic circle flared at the Wand's tip, unleashing a gust of wind-blades that struck the beast. "Wind Magic: Razor Winds!" he shouted. A combined purple energy force and gust of wind-blades struck the Alpha, sending it flying. Our combined power proved overwhelmingly effective.
The Alpha Dire wolf groaned in pain, barely able to stand as the wounds from the Wind mage's blades bled freely. He crawled away from the open space, and seeing their alpha retreat, the other Dire wolves followed suit.
Our attention turned to our bleeding companion. We rushed to her side as the Priestess moaned in pain on the ground, her arm deeply ripped by the Alpha's fangs.
"Quickly, the healing potion!" Raven commanded, kneeling to support the Priestess's injured arm. Then, everything went blurry. I became dizzy and fell to the ground; the last thing I heard was Hebrew calling my name.
Fast forward
Waking from my slumber, I sat up and looked around. I was in a medium-sized tent. Stepping outside, I found my companions sitting on the ground around a campfire, seven small logs forming a circle.
"Hey, you're awake," Hebrew greeted, carrying a wooden box filled with food.
"Hey, you okay now?" Raven added. I nodded.
Other companions waved their hands at me; I looked for the Priestess and saw she was fine and eating.
"Don't worry about her, she's fine now. The wounds are gone thanks to the healing potion she took earlier," Raven explained.
"I'm glad," I replied, looking at the Priestess.
"Here's your food and water," Raven said, handing me a wooden box filled with food and a water flask. "Since we don't know each other that well, we should properly introduce ourselves," she continued.
"I am Raven, the Headmistress's daughter, and I want to thank our Priestess for bravely throwing that stone at the Alpha earlier. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to do this," she said, giving Hebrew's head a hard pat. She then sat on her log. Everyone laughed as they saw Hebrew's annoyed reaction.
"Don't worry about it! We're a team, right? Together, we're unstoppable!"
"I'm Sofia, your Priestess. Pleased to meet you all," she said with a gentle curtsy and a warm smile. A ripple of applause followed.
"I am Efren," the Swordsman said, bowing and resting his Scythe at his side. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be of more help earlier; I'm still new to all this."
"That's quite alright!" the Fire Mage replied with a chuckle. "I couldn't even manage a single flame myself," he added, standing and holding up his Magic Staff. "I'm Pyro." A warm applause followed.
"Hahaha! Step aside, peasants! Hebrew, the next Master of Arcane Spells, is here!" Hebrew boasted, flexing and raising his nature-designed Magic Rod. Everyone looked at him and laughed.
"You can't even produce a single dirt, Earth boy!" Raven responded teasingly. Everyone laughed.
"Hey, my name is Hebrew, not Earth boy!" Hebrew retorted. Their teasing intensified the atmosphere.; they looked like a married couple fighting with each other.
The playful chaos subsided when the Wind Mage introduced himself. "I am Windel. Nice to meet you all," he said, standing shyly before sitting back down. A ripple of applause followed.
"Don't be shy, my boy," Hebrew said, putting an arm around Windel's shoulders. "I'm the one who helped you regain your balance earlier, remember?"
"I am Klera," I announced, a slight tremor in my voice. "I apologize for collapsing earlier; my body was probably overwhelmed."
"Mother told us not to push our limits," Raven exclaimed. "We should only practice simple magic and not force powerful abilities, skills, and spells. Powerful magics are risky until we've built up our strength."
"But thanks to both of you, we were saved by your powers earlier," Raven said, looking at Windel and me.
"Right, let's get some rest," Hebrew said, a yawn escaping his lips. "Long, tiring day."
Raven nodded, glancing around. "Someone needs to keep an eye out, though. You never know what monsters might appear. We should switch places when you're done resting—let's take turns."
"I'll take the first watch," Efren declared, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "I didn't act like a Swordman earlier. This is my chance to make things right."
"Well, good luck, my boy," Hebrew patted his shoulder.
To be continued....