"Crows, huh?" Custas snickered. "I kinda like it. Makes us sound mysterious, enigmatic, bold!"

Elaine rolled her eyes. "It wasn't meant as a compliment, Custas. According to Hound, everyone thinks of us as a blight on the academy."

"Again, not really seeing the issue here. If anything, it just paints us as sorcerers not to be trifled with."

"Forget it," Elaine sighed. This "bad news" obviously wasn't getting through to him, its connotations flying ignorantly over his head. 

The snickering boy leaned arms crossed against the side of her desk as Fearne, having yet to get over her confrontation with Minerva—her expression bled anxiety and pain—seated herself at the desk next to her.

She hadn't spoken much since then. Perhaps she was too taken aback by what happened. Regardless, Elaine knew when not to pry. They'd make a certain kind of soggy expression—one that made their eyes droop or mouth warp—walk with a slouch, or occasionally disperse defeated sighs.

Liam got like that whenever he got told off by Mother, most usually because he did something he wasn't supposed to. As such, Elaine was well aware of the common symptoms of a person longing to be left alone. 

She trusted that Hound would honor his word and conduct a discussion regarding the trio of bullies with the headmaster. But was she being too optimistic? She'd learned that even a noble who wasn't a mage had enough power to will the world to their design, if not with tokens then through sheer force. 

If Minerva's father really was such a viable contributor to the academy as a whole, was the headmaster—or any staff member on campus, for that matter—really in the position to reprimand them?

Furthermore, despite Fearne's insistence to drop the subject, she just had to know who was spreading these secrets around the school. How did they find out about her last-minute enrollment or Fearne's status as a halfbreed? More importantly though, what other dangerous secrets were they in the possession of, and how much longer would it be before they began circulating Glyph as well?

"So, you had a run-in with the Barrows, did you?" asked Custas.

"Unfortunately," Elaine grumbled. "And I can't say they were the most friendly of folk. Stopped us from coming to class simply on account of me owning a commoner's wand instead of a "high-class" Advanced Wand."

Out of the corner of her glance, Elaine spotted Fearne wince in her seat. She wouldn't admit to Custas the real reason why she'd been targeted. Secrets were the property of their owner; that was the way it should be.

"Man, guys like them really make me sick," Custas spat. "I swear they'd have you believe the entire world revolved around them. Delusional sulmos."

"You know them?"

"Eh...sort of. Saw them once at, let's say, a social gathering for nobles in the Capital. I doubt they remember me though."

Elaine raised a brow. "You live in the Capital?"

"Lived, past tense," Custas corrected. "And...kinda...."

"Right, and tell me, just what were you doing at a noble event?"

"Hey, a guy's gotta make a living somehow," Custas snickered. "In any case, House Barrow are kinda like celebrities. They're known for their lucrative trading businesses, specializing in the mass production and distribution of enchanted items in and out of the country. 

"Word on the street is that they've got their fingers in quite a few upper-status circles. People these days crave their notoriety, their influence. So it isn't too surprising to hear they're sponsoring Glyph to some extent. But it does make dealing with their snobby nobleings that much more difficult."

Elaine dwelled back on Minerva, her nasty, condescending face. As she did, Elaine realized she'd been struggling with the urge not to snap the pencil in her hand. She settled for gripping the edge of her table instead, ushering a curious stare from Custas as well as a few other classmates around her.

That wand, Minerva had pointed the fancy-looking thing straight at her. It took a while for Elaine to realize it at the time, but the two of them were on the verge of initiating a duel. What would have happened, Elaine wondered, if she had accepted the challenge? If she had grabbed her wand and shot at the noble a blast of magic.

But the hesitation consuming her at that moment, Elaine owed it a great debt. It was one thing to accept a duel, and another to actually win one. I ask that you not antagonize them, she heard Hound's voice say inside her head. Lest you're capable of beating them in a duel, that is.

Elaine was a mage, a sorcerer in training. She was by no means a fighter. She didn't think she ever wanted to be, no matter how enticing and exhilarating the thrill that came with a duel was. She wasn't interested in toying with such a deadly weapon.

Once when she was young, she'd heard that a local farm boy had accidentally set his property on fire due to not being able to control his magic properly. His father had been severely wounded, and they lost a good portion of their livestock. On that day, she learned a valuable lesson, one echoed throughout numerous sorcery texts of old.

Magic was like a griffin, or a veladora snaptrapper. Inherently dangerous yet undeniably fascinating. It would be wise for her to temper this dangerous and scorching stimulation. Otherwise, it might just very well convince her to enter a duel that would result in her own destruction. She'd seen it happen before, with her eldest brother.

"Hey, Fearne, I don't mean to be nosey but maybe it'd be better if you sat this lesson out, yeah?" Custas carefully suggested. Fearne wrapped her arms around herself, and she didn't meet either of their concerned stares. "We could always just ask the professor to excuse you if you're not feeling well. I mean, it's kind of hard to focus when you've got other...problems on your plate."

"You mean for me to miss a class on my first day here? And what good would that do?" Fearne asked, her expression distant and barren. "I came here to study magic. I won't let one bad encounter jeopardize my dream. I'll just have to live with it, for now."

Custas glanced at Elaine. Was he expecting her to say something, to challenge Fearne's sentiment? No, she had nothing. And if her friend really was intent on dropping the matter then she'd leave her be. Realistically speaking, she couldn't think of anything to say that would automatically cheer the girl up. She hadn't that much light in her, certainly not enough to illuminate an abyss. As morbid as it sounded, sometimes people procured contentment in isolation.

A thunderous slam! erupted in Elaine's ears, getting her to jump in her seat out of sheer surprise. It ushered a reaction from the rest of the class too; some poor student at the front of the room had tripped over his boots and stumbled into a nearby desk.

"Alright, you imps! Go ahead and take your seats! Class has officially begun!" In marched a large tan-skinned fellow with a bald head that practically shined and a hulking frame contained underneath the dark blue jacket he adorned. He possessed a pair of darkish eyes, sideburns that ran down the sides of his square-shaped face, and his wide teeth had already formed a plated grin.

Something about this man, Elaine noticed, was oddly familiar. Most of the staff in Glyph were noteworthy sorcerers enlisted from other organizations such as the Arcanum or Medical Mages. Could the same be said for him? Although Elaine felt that she would have remembered seeing, or at the very least, hearing mention of such a...loud character.

Her mind rippled with minute waves of recollection, yet she ultimately failed to grasp any memory of note. The giant mage—who was around the same size as Hound, just not as muscular—moved for his desk in a heavy march, boots slamming on wood.

"It's a pleasure to be here today!" he announced with a roar. His explosive yet solid tone would take some getting used to. "My name is Jared Knight, and I'll be your instructor for this Spellcasting Course!"

Jared Knight...? Elaine thought. Nope, still not ringing any bells.

"Now then, we've got a busy semester ahead of us so let's get right to it. Hmm, first on our list...is that of...err, what was it again?" Knight's eyes flashed with what could best be described as bubbling agitation, as if he'd forgotten something important, or a frustrating memory had returned to haunt him. "Hmm...shall we begin with the criteria...?" he muttered.

"Sir," called Adeline, raising her hand, "I don't mean to interfere, however, wouldn't it be better if we started by taking attendance? This is our first time attending your course, after all."

"Ah! Attendance, right," The large man shuffled through the documents on his desk, and he clicked his tongue as he procured three long sheets of thin paper. "Okay, then, first up is...Malcom Agott."

"Present," said the light-haired boy seated at the desk next to a window at the front of the class.

"Okay, Lily Binx."

"Here!" called the short-haired girl with a round face and pigtails sitting in the second row.

"...Abigail Bovine...?"

The quiet, tan-skinned girl gave a nod at him. "That would be me—"

"Argh! This is too boring!" Knight screamed to the ceiling, grabbing the sides of his head. "I hate the start of new semesters! They always force me to do this useless crap! Don't those surgin' sulmos upstairs know that someone like me isn't built for patience!"

Elaine furrowed her brow at him. But won't you have to take attendance every day?

Their steaming professor slumped into his chair, plainly defeated, plopping down with a loud thump! He would stay in that unmotivated state for the next five minutes or so—nobody in class had the courage to interrupt him, not even the adept Adeline—until a wide sneer split on his face.

The man hopped out of the chair, clenching a fist in front of him. "It's settled then!"

"Uh, what is, sir...?" Simon reluctantly asked.

"Ah! We won't be wasting time running through the motions. I'll leave that sort of nonsense to the others," Knight grinned at him. "You don't know a lot about me, I get that. But if there's something I advise that you keep in mind, well, it's that I was taught from a young age that it's easier to practice Spellcasting effectively when you've got your blood pumping!"

"Blood pumping?" Adeline repeated. "Care to elaborate, sir?"

Knight's smirk grew even wider. "Now why would I do that? It'd spoil the fun."

*

* *

The professor had guided them to an expansive room on the seventh story of the academy, the walls of which were made of thick, orange-colored bricks.

In the center of the room, there was a magic circle that had been inscribed into the floor. The circle had an amethyst color, and its runes were in the shape of a huge star, while its outer rim was made up of various spiraling symbols. The circle was surrounded by earthen stumps and rocks that formed a perimeter around it.

As Elaine entered the room, she was immediately struck by the grandeur of the campus. The towering stone pillars that extended from the floor and reached all the way up to the high ceiling were an impressive sight to behold. Meanwhile, the corners of the room were shrouded in darkness, but Elaine could make out the shapes of wooden crates and burnt training dummies scattered around. She couldn't help but wonder how these items would be incorporated into the Spellcasting lessons. The dummies appeared to have been used extensively, with numerous burn marks and scars all over them.

As she moved further into the room, Elaine noticed a set of metal bleachers on her left. The bleachers looked like they had seen better days, with rust and wear and tear evident all over them. To her right, an arched way extended out of the brick wall and led to a series of bizarrely shaped tools and rusted weapons that were hung on the wall. The weapons looked like they had been used in ancient battles, with intricate designs etched onto them. Enchantments, more than likely.

The space was illuminated by torches that emitted flickering flames, casting a warm and oily glow on the surroundings. The dancing flames created mesmerizing shadows and reflections on the walls and floor, bringing life to the otherwise dull and gloomy atmosphere. The smell of burnt wood and oil filled the air, adding to the surreal ambiance of the place.

Knight strode down the stairs leading to the magic circle, and then he spiraled around—arms on his waist—to face the crowd of bewildered and silent students that Elaine was a part of. There was an eagerness in each of his steps. Obviously, their professor was excited to put into motion whatever lesson he had concocted. 

"Wow!" exclaimed Jack next to her. "Now, this is a training arena! I bet we'll learn some wicked spells in here! Ain't that right, teach?"

"Something like that," Knight chuckled, and he snapped his fingers.

In a flash of light that forced a few of her classmates to turn away appeared an ensemble of strange, dead-eyed humanoids. Their skin was that of a gray complexion, riddled with segmented stitching lines, and they kept empty frames with lanky arms and legs. None of them had mouths.

Elaine recognized them for what they were. Homunculus, artificial creatures made by skilled enchanters designed to fulfill a specific purpose. They came in many shapes and sizes, taking on alien forms that made this lot look tame by comparison. Still, Elaine felt the rattle of fear that made her gulp. There was something about their lifeless, slit-shaped eyes, something foreboding.

In their chest shimmered a turquoise-colored crystal that beat like a heartbeat. Worker golems were powered by hearthstones; homunculi had their charge cores, modified wunderstones—arkstones—made exclusively to power artificial lifeforms like them.

Every one of the homunculi lingered idly, although some of them shifted their weight from side to side, patiently waiting for their master to issue a command. Yes, these weren't living organisms, just pale replications. Masks that could walk. 

"I'll have to apologize to Mantle later," Knight admitted with a laugh. "He won't be a fan of me swiping his prized homunculi collection at the last second. Ah well, nothing in this life is won without a bit of sacrifice.

"Gather around, you imps. These guys were enchanted to relentlessly attack their designated target: all of you. Ha! Isn't that fun? You'll each have your own personal combat buddy, one that doesn't talk back, get tired, or complain that you accidentally broke their arm!"

Elaine felt her mouth hang open. "...You want us to...fight them? Here and now?"

"Sure do!" Knight happily exclaimed. "This is a Spellcasting class! So I want to see how well you cast your spells."

"Hell yeah!" exclaimed Jack. He pounded a fist into his palm. "Now we're talking! I've been itching to let loose!"

"Wait, hang on a sec," said Custas, making his way to the front of the crowd. "This is a class, isn't it? What if some of us don't know any combat spells? Aren't you going to teach us the bare essentials first?"

Knight laughed. "I believe a sorcerer's natural instincts are great teachers all on their own, and fear is a more than serviceable motivator."

Knight snapped his fingers once again, and one of the homunculi broke free from the group. A cloud of dust followed it as it quickly closed the distance between itself and the students. However, to Elaine's relief, the creature didn't seem to have any interest in her, nor Fearne, Simon, or Jack. It ignored everything else around it and seemed to be focused solely on Custas. The homunculus rushed towards him, almost as if it were being pulled by a magnet. It extended one of its spindly limbs towards the mage, who was left stunned by the sudden movement.

Custas himself seemed to have realized that he was being targeted, as he quickly pivoted on his heel and darted away in a feeble attempt to escape. As he weaved and squirmed his way through the crowd, the homunculus pursued him with such speed that it made Elaine's hair billow as it passed by her. "You've gotta be kidding me!" Custas screamed as he retreated. The desperation in his voice was palpable as he tried to outrun his pursuer, but it seemed that the homunculus was always a breath behind him. 

Custas pushed his way through the crowd of students, who were all too stunned to react to the situation, and bolted towards the exit doors. He quickly wrapped his fingers around the handles and pulled with all his might, but the doors wouldn't budge. He tried again, putting all his strength into it, but they still wouldn't move. Frustration and panic set in as he realized he was trapped. He gritted his teeth and pulled harder, arching his back and using every ounce of energy he had, but the doors remained firmly shut. "What the?! Why won't these surgin' things...!"

"I'd give that up if I were you," Knight called. "Those doors have been enchanted by yours truly to only open once the lesson is over. No, I suppose it'd be more accurate to say they'll let you out once I deem this exercise to be finished."

"No way! You jerk!" Custas growled.

His homunculus pursuer lunged for him in a hurry, and Custas hastily rolled out of the way just in time for it to smash a bony fist of long fingers into the entrance doors. There was so much force behind the punch that it was enough to make both doors shudder violently. If Custas had been struck by it...

"Today is all about aptitude, you worthless imps!" Knight announced as Elaine watched Custas scramble away as the homunculus chased behind him. "Sure, I can teach you a combat spell or two but every one of you has made it into this school on your own merits. And so I'm eager to witness your skills for magic firsthand."

Another snap of fingers sounded off. This time, the entire homunculus horde jetted into action. They stampeded for them in a hurricane of kicked dust. Elaine gasped, and she noticed that those around her—those who hadn't petrified at the horrifying sight of over twenty homunculi charging at them—already held wands in their hands.

Elaine figured freezing up in terror wouldn't do her much good. Show them that you're earnest, someone's voice rang inside her head, that you own the right to attend their classes. Yes, this was it. Knight was no different than any of the other professors she'd met so far.

He, too, was testing them, and Elaine was determined to pass by any means. Reaching for her humble commoner's wand, she steeled her emotions and shoved all ponderings aside. If this was a battle she was in for, then she'd need to be focused, rational, and above all else, strong.