A Single Stone...

If you have ever known what it was like to spend a long time swimming in a stagnant pool of water, finally to find that there is now a flow pulling you along in another direction, then you know what comes next. Your curiosity gets the better of you and you follow that new path, consequences be damned.

Will felt it tug at him in a sense that can really only be equated to that. In his world of grey monotony, the stone drew him away in his arcane senses. It pulled sharply like the way a cool fall breeze asks you to walk out into it and just go…

And for once, Will felt as though he could go. A thought opened in his mind about leaving all this dull grey behind. Something that had been long overgrown by the lessons of repetition and requisite.

Maybe there was a way to crack the hold on his mind. He breathed deeply - so much that it hurt. Then exhaled and inhaled again, feeling the world around him as he tried to think… “Out there, where do I feel the voice strongest… where do you call me…”

He was tempted to clutch the stone tightly, but the pulsing forces made him relax his grip.

However, even as he held grasp over the stone, in the back of his mind he knew that keeping something like this a secret would be difficult. Where nearly every classmate was also a potential rival, anything secret was quickly confiscated or stolen. It was this overhanging thought that gave him pause more than anything. How long could he conceal this before someone found out? And when they found out, what would the headmaster say? Even with his talents and high marks in the classes, the fact that he wasn't a pure-blooded magi meant that trouble was guaranteed.

In fact, these days, even pure-blooded magi were becoming less and less common. Families that had been magi for generations were producing fewer and fewer 'heirs' with even a fraction of their ancestors talents. It made people like Will even more disliked. Nothing hurt their egos more than non-elites who had talent greater than their own offspring. The great families were growing weaker by the day.

At this point in Myrhh's history, nearly all people who used arcane arts needed canes, staves, or wands to cast spells and incantations. It was impossible for them to even use spells without calling forth the sacred words to invoke their arts.

It was a slightly unwieldy system since any one could hear what you were going to do before you did it. Will always thought it made things a little redundant at times.

Even as long as a century ago, some magi were able to cast spells without staves or even so much as speaking. This was the last great generation before people started to lose their powers.

Will had been severely punished when he had last tried to use magic without his staff. It was only a lightning spell, but the proctor of the test had sent him to solitary study in the basement detention. The system was a broken system at best that produced individuals with similar skill sets, but at the same time cut off any real growth of the arts.

As Will started back to his room, he knew he'd have to act quickly. Even getting past the gate sensors would be tricky. Then he'd need to pick up his staff. His pace quickened as he saw the school in the distance coming into view. His heart was really starting to pound with fear and excitement as he could see the front gate.

One of the mentors had also gone out for a breather and looked at Will as he came back to the gate. “Out for a breath of fresh air, boy? Well, looks like it's time for afternoon sessions.” He was one of the combat teachers who usually took charge of the trouble makers.

“Nice just to have some space to walk around,” Will replied.

“Did you take time to practice your scatter shot spell? Last time your execution was good, but your aim was a bit off.”

“Yeah, I'm still trying to get used to landing vectors. We just started that in my last year. First time I've used a spell that isn't horizontally aligned.”

As Will walked through the gate, he started to tense up. His first steps were slightly hesitant as he watched the scanning lights switch colors from blue to red. With a mentor behind him, he would have nowhere to go.

He stopped as the lights changed back to blue and then to red, then the lights started flashing red angrily.

“What's wrong now?” the mentor asked as he stepped up to the gate.