'I asked for a portrait,' said the brunette. She introduced herself as Ms Rosella Solvent. I was walking down the hallway with her and Ms Orchard. 'Would you?' she asked with some excitement.
'That would be a scandal, Ms Solvent,' I said with a face of false regret. Being naked in front of students and faculty? You do that if your body is chiselled out of stone and pure manliness. Mine? Well, let us just say, a woman's carcass has more strength in it. 'I am a professor. I shan't engage in such activities even for the sake of art.'
'That is a shame,' she murmured. 'We have drawn many men, Mr Dew. They were good, but how many have been drawn in history? Quite a lot. I require a change, something new and unique. You stand out with your pretty face.' I ignored that 'pretty' thing. I was quite used to it by now. 'It would have been such a great portrait.' She sighed. 'I was going to draw it personally. I even had a name in mind. Imagining you crouching down with a face pretty and hurt...' She sighed again, this time more effortlessly. 'The Hopeless, I was willing to name it.'
Pardon me? Hopeless? I looked at her, wondering if she meant to insult me. 'I am sorry to hear your regret, but I am sure some better model will present themselves.'
'I doubt it,' she said as we approached the ground floor. 'Well, I am rather busy today. I hope you will excuse me.' And without hearing our end, she vanished in the crowd of students waiting for her in the hallway.
'She has the mind of an artist,' Ms Orchard said, looking in the direction our brunette colleague disappeared.
I looked at Ms Orchard. She is younger than most professors here. Not as young as me but still young. Their ages remind me how I do not fit in. I have much yet to learn, and I have more still to prove. 'How old is Ms Solvent?'
'Twenty-eight, if I recall. She is young for a professor,' Ms Orchard said. 'You are more so, of course.'
I nodded my head and made my way outside. I had the suitcase in my hand. I was afraid I may have lost it, but it was leaning against the piano. The thought of losing it scared me. It was terrifying. I could care less what happens to my body as long as the case was safe and sound. It is worth more than me— well, perhaps not. I am a mage after all. But some may debate otherwise.
I pulled out my fashionable pocket watch, a little disappointed that Ms Orchard had one too. One less thing to boast about. It was half past nine. 'We have an hour, I believe.' The blonde nodded.
We continued our walk. I appreciated Ms Orchard being with me. It was a kind gesture after what I went through. The woman has more empathy than she shows, I thought. A good person. I was quite quick to judge her. Our whole country likes judging people, you see. A pastime enjoyed with tea. Lovely people, us.
It had only been five minutes since we left, but Ms Orchard was silent the whole way. She showed me to the nearest drinking fountain, where I washed my dazzlingly sweaty face. I felt refreshed. I thanked Ms Orchard.
She looked at me for a minute, wondering if she should ask. Then, she said, 'How do you feel?'
'Fine,' I answered solemnly. I could tell what went through her mind, and she confirmed it with her next words.
'What happened there?' she asked without looking at me.
I thought for a second. 'I do not know,' I answered. She turned to me with a gaze of uncertainty, and I said, 'I have theories. Some that fit well and some that are ridiculous.'
'The most likely one?' she asked after seeing that no one was eavesdropping. 'You were not yourself there. You were hallucinating.'
'I was.' I watched the droves of students walking by. Outside the gate, a tram arrived. More students poured out. It was like watching sheep leave their smelly abode, so desperate to wander into the wide world. They were so excited, but they knew not the dangers of reality. If there are sheep, then there is a wolf. My eyes were sharp, nothing like my foolish, winsome self. 'Someone...used magic on me.'
I could see the shock on Ms Orchard's face. She must have been thinking an answer similar to 'I ate mushrooms!' or 'Fungal infection!' but it was much more grave. I knew it. I knew the moment I started seeing those images. 'I was affected by magic. It was done without my knowledge.' The whole world seemed so silent suddenly. The gravity of this conversation was unimaginable, and I did not expect an ordinary woman to understand that. As a mage, I did.
Seeing me like that, Ms Orchard said, 'What happened?' She seemed to grasp from my expressions that it was far too serious than she could imagine. 'How did you not know?'
'Do you know how King Sacrament the II was killed, Ms Orchard?' She should; she is a professor of Literature. It is a story that has much significance in literature. Many have made songs and plays upon it.
The woman replied almost instantly, 'He was fed poison.' I saw realisation dawn on her. 'Little by little,' she murmured, her hands behind her back.
'Yes. That is how they did, or at least that is what I believe.' We had walked the brown pavement that led to a small park. Students sat there, some chatting, some stuffing their faces. We took a seat on one of the isolated benches as I continued, 'They kept affecting me with magic. It is a difficult thing, arcane knowledge. It is charming and it is inviting, but above all, it is elusive and without a definite form. It can do things that even I, as a mage, should find difficult to accept.' We stayed silent for a moment, then as the cool wind brushed past us, I opened my mouth once again. 'They did it very well, I must say. I just arrived from a tiring journey, and I have been busy ever since. My mind is in a fragile state, and I have no knowledge of such magic. I will never be able to defend against it.'
'How do you suppose they did it?'
'Senses. The way to our mind is in our senses. Sense of smell, vision, hearing, taste, touch — these are the doors to our mind. They could have used one of them or all five. Very little by little, they kept affecting me. Little and constant, until I was on the edge.' My voice shook a little at the end. I took a heavy breath, calmed myself, and wondered, Who could do this? There shouldn't be a mage on the academy grounds...
'I should not say this, but do you not suppose me as the culprit?' The blonde looked at me, with eyes of curiosity. I could tell that look. It belonged to one who found something intriguing in their trade. There weren't many such trades. Mage was the best of it. You find something new each month. Arcane Weekly, Monthly Magic, The Knowledge, and Discovery Atlas — the four greatest presses concerning magic. Mages found them a necessity. It was a way to be connected to fellows of the same profession and learn more about the trade. And the common man? Well, the common man is no better than a child. They too read them, for fun, to be amused. I was grateful for that. For if they didn't, I would not be able to sneak glances while they read. That is the tale of the Mage of the Beggarly Hills, or was it Lord of the Beggarly Hills?
Anyway, the blonde asked, 'I was there when it happened to you.'
'No, you couldn't have done it,' I said with enough confidence to earn admiration from a fool. 'I doubt the culprit wished anything good.' I looked around, finding birds nearby. I shooed them away. That was very manly of me, I noted. 'In that state, I should have been destructive, not playing the piano. In such a state, you would be harmed if you stayed by my side. Only a fool of a culprit would do that, and I doubt this one is a fool.' I suddenly felt very regretful. Did I insinuate that she is a fool? I did not mean to. I thought of apologising, but the way she seemed in thought, she must have been oblivious. It would be moronic to bring it to her attention by asking for forgiveness, I thought, telling myself that fear and cowardice had nothing to do with my decision. Good reasoning, I have. 'And you didn't seem surprised, finding me the way you did.'
She looked at me and stared for a second. 'I was,' she said. 'I was surprised.'
'I meant, when I opened my eyes, you did not seem surprised,' I reiterated. 'Even when the torrent of water was dispelled.'
'I see.' her firm voice said. 'Magic that took such dedication to set was broken. That should be disappointing to anyone.'
'Well, yes. Of course, you are right.' I looked at the pocket watch. It was five to ten. I got up, as did Ms Orchard. 'But you see,' I said as we sauntered around the park, 'when the torrent of water was dispelled, it fell to the ground and vanished.' I looked into her eyes. Finding no sign of realisation, I continued in relief, 'An element simply does not vanish, Ms Orchard.' There was a slight smile on my face, I believed. Speaking of the knowledge I possessed, somehow brought joy to my face, even in such uncertain times. 'It cannot be conjured and it cannot vanish — the first rule of elemental magic I shall teach my students.' She was about to protest, but I interrupted her. 'But it did, right? It vanished into thin air. You should visit my first class. It will be knowledgeable and fun, I assure you. But back to my point—' I saw a few students passing by. When they left, I continued, 'Any good mage should know, that elements cannot be conjured. I found no sign of a water pouch, bottle or any source of water. If I were walking around with such magic, there would be a ruckus.' I cleared my throat. 'So, it most likely was conjured out of thin air, and it vanished similarly. Never have I ever heard of such magic.'
'Why would I be surprised if I had cast that torrent?'
'But you didn't,' I said with a smile of pride. 'I did.' My remarks, as wonderful as they were, left the woman stupefied. I clarified, 'That torrent of water was cast by me, unbeknownst to me. Should I say it was a response my subconscious came up with to protect myself?' I thought, stroking a lock of hair that rested against the frame of my spectacles. 'It was as if it was born from my imagination. It was cast, not the way I would cast magic upon elements. I wonder if it even was elemental magic or something entirely different.' I thought about it, again and again. Somehow, in all this terror, I found it fun. I was ecstatic. After all, I did something that any mage would leer at with eyes full of greed, jealousy, envy, and lust. 'I made a discovery, in magic.'
'I asked for a portrait,' said the brunette. She introduced herself as Ms Rosella Solvent. I was walking down the hallway with her and Ms Orchard. 'Would you?' she asked with some excitement.
'That would be a scandal, Ms Solvent,' I said with a face of false regret. Being naked in front of students and faculty? You do that if your body is chiselled out of stone and pure manliness. Mine? Well, let us just say, a woman's carcass has more strength in it. 'I am a professor. I shan't engage in such activities even for the sake of art.'
'That is a shame,' she murmured. 'We have drawn many men, Mr Dew. They were good, but how many have been drawn in history? Quite a lot. I require a change, something new and unique. You stand out with your pretty face.' I ignored that 'pretty' thing. I was quite used to it by now. 'It would have been such a great portrait.' She sighed. 'I was going to draw it personally. I even had a name in mind. Imagining you crouching down with a face pretty and hurt...' She sighed again, this time more effortlessly. 'The Hopeless, I was willing to name it.'
Pardon me? Hopeless? I looked at her, wondering if she meant to insult me. 'I am sorry to hear your regret, but I am sure some better model will present themselves.'
'I doubt it,' she said as we approached the ground floor. 'Well, I am rather busy today. I hope you will excuse me.' And without hearing our end, she vanished in the crowd of students waiting for her in the hallway.
'She has the mind of an artist,' Ms Orchard said, looking in the direction our brunette colleague disappeared.
I looked at Ms Orchard. She is younger than most professors here. Not as young as me but still young. Their ages remind me how I do not fit in. I have much yet to learn, and I have more still to prove. 'How old is Ms Solvent?'
'Twenty-eight, if I recall. She is young for a professor,' Ms Orchard said. 'You are more so, of course.'
I nodded my head and made my way outside. I had the suitcase in my hand. I was afraid I may have lost it, but it was leaning against the piano. The thought of losing it scared me. It was terrifying. I could care less what happens to my body as long as the case was safe and sound. It is worth more than me— well, perhaps not. I am a mage after all. But some may debate otherwise.
I pulled out my fashionable pocket watch, a little disappointed that Ms Orchard had one too. One less thing to boast about. It was half past nine. 'We have an hour, I believe.' The blonde nodded.
We continued our walk. I appreciated Ms Orchard being with me. It was a kind gesture after what I went through. The woman has more empathy than she shows, I thought. A good person. I was quite quick to judge her. Our whole country likes judging people, you see. A pastime enjoyed with tea. Lovely people, us.
It had only been five minutes since we left, but Ms Orchard was silent the whole way. She showed me to the nearest drinking fountain, where I washed my dazzlingly sweaty face. I felt refreshed. I thanked Ms Orchard.
She looked at me for a minute, wondering if she should ask. Then, she said, 'How do you feel?'
'Fine,' I answered solemnly. I could tell what went through her mind, and she confirmed it with her next words.
'What happened there?' she asked without looking at me.
I thought for a second. 'I do not know,' I answered. She turned to me with a gaze of uncertainty, and I said, 'I have theories. Some that fit well and some that are ridiculous.'
'The most likely one?' she asked after seeing that no one was eavesdropping. 'You were not yourself there. You were hallucinating.'
'I was.' I watched the droves of students walking by. Outside the gate, a tram arrived. More students poured out. It was like watching sheep leave their smelly abode, so desperate to wander into the wide world. They were so excited, but they knew not the dangers of reality. If there are sheep, then there is a wolf. My eyes were sharp, nothing like my foolish, winsome self. 'Someone...used magic on me.'
I could see the shock on Ms Orchard's face. She must have been thinking an answer similar to 'I ate mushrooms!' or 'Fungal infection!' but it was much more grave. I knew it. I knew the moment I started seeing those images. 'I was affected by magic. It was done without my knowledge.' The whole world seemed so silent suddenly. The gravity of this conversation was unimaginable, and I did not expect an ordinary woman to understand that. As a mage, I did.
Seeing me like that, Ms Orchard said, 'What happened?' She seemed to grasp from my expressions that it was far too serious than she could imagine. 'How did you not know?'
'Do you know how King Sacrament the II was killed, Ms Orchard?' She should; she is a professor of Literature. It is a story that has much significance in literature. Many have made songs and plays upon it.
The woman replied almost instantly, 'He was fed poison.' I saw realisation dawn on her. 'Little by little,' she murmured, her hands behind her back.
'Yes. That is how they did, or at least that is what I believe.' We had walked the brown pavement that led to a small park. Students sat there, some chatting, some stuffing their faces. We took a seat on one of the isolated benches as I continued, 'They kept affecting me with magic. It is a difficult thing, arcane knowledge. It is charming and it is inviting, but above all, it is elusive and without a definite form. It can do things that even I, as a mage, should find difficult to accept.' We stayed silent for a moment, then as the cool wind brushed past us, I opened my mouth once again. 'They did it very well, I must say. I just arrived from a tiring journey, and I have been busy ever since. My mind is in a fragile state, and I have no knowledge of such magic. I will never be able to defend against it.'
'How do you suppose they did it?'
'Senses. The way to our mind is in our senses. Sense of smell, vision, hearing, taste, touch — these are the doors to our mind. They could have used one of them or all five. Very little by little, they kept affecting me. Little and constant, until I was on the edge.' My voice shook a little at the end. I took a heavy breath, calmed myself, and wondered, Who could do this? There shouldn't be a mage on the academy grounds...
'I should not say this, but do you not suppose me as the culprit?' The blonde looked at me, with eyes of curiosity. I could tell that look. It belonged to one who found something intriguing in their trade. There weren't many such trades. Mage was the best of it. You find something new each month. Arcane Weekly, Monthly Magic, The Knowledge, and Discovery Atlas — the four greatest presses concerning magic. Mages found them a necessity. It was a way to be connected to fellows of the same profession and learn more about the trade. And the common man? Well, the common man is no better than a child. They too read them, for fun, to be amused. I was grateful for that. For if they didn't, I would not be able to sneak glances while they read. That is the tale of the Mage of the Beggarly Hills, or was it Lord of the Beggarly Hills?
Anyway, the blonde asked, 'I was there when it happened to you.'
'No, you couldn't have done it,' I said with enough confidence to earn admiration from a fool. 'I doubt the culprit wished anything good.' I looked around, finding birds nearby. I shooed them away. That was very manly of me, I noted. 'In that state, I should have been destructive, not playing the piano. In such a state, you would be harmed if you stayed by my side. Only a fool of a culprit would do that, and I doubt this one is a fool.' I suddenly felt very regretful. Did I insinuate that she is a fool? I did not mean to. I thought of apologising, but the way she seemed in thought, she must have been oblivious. It would be moronic to bring it to her attention by asking for forgiveness, I thought, telling myself that fear and cowardice had nothing to do with my decision. Good reasoning, I have. 'And you didn't seem surprised, finding me the way you did.'
She looked at me and stared for a second. 'I was,' she said. 'I was surprised.'
'I meant, when I opened my eyes, you did not seem surprised,' I reiterated. 'Even when the torrent of water was dispelled.'
'I see.' her firm voice said. 'Magic that took such dedication to set was broken. That should be disappointing to anyone.'
'Well, yes. Of course, you are right.' I looked at the pocket watch. It was five to ten. I got up, as did Ms Orchard. 'But you see,' I said as we sauntered around the park, 'when the torrent of water was dispelled, it fell to the ground and vanished.' I looked into her eyes. Finding no sign of realisation, I continued in relief, 'An element simply does not vanish, Ms Orchard.' There was a slight smile on my face, I believed. Speaking of the knowledge I possessed, somehow brought joy to my face, even in such uncertain times. 'It cannot be conjured and it cannot vanish — the first rule of elemental magic I shall teach my students.' She was about to protest, but I interrupted her. 'But it did, right? It vanished into thin air. You should visit my first class. It will be knowledgeable and fun, I assure you. But back to my point—' I saw a few students passing by. When they left, I continued, 'Any good mage should know, that elements cannot be conjured. I found no sign of a water pouch, bottle or any source of water. If I were walking around with such magic, there would be a ruckus.' I cleared my throat. 'So, it most likely was conjured out of thin air, and it vanished similarly. Never have I ever heard of such magic.'
'Why would I be surprised if I had cast that torrent?'
'But you didn't,' I said with a smile of pride. 'I did.' My remarks, as wonderful as they were, left the woman stupefied. I clarified, 'That torrent of water was cast by me, unbeknownst to me. Should I say it was a response my subconscious came up with to protect myself?' I thought, stroking a lock of hair that rested against the frame of my spectacles. 'It was as if it was born from my imagination. It was cast, not the way I would cast magic upon elements. I wonder if it even was elemental magic or something entirely different.' I thought about it, again and again. Somehow, in all this terror, I found it fun. I was ecstatic. After all, I did something that any mage would leer at with eyes full of greed, jealousy, envy, and lust. 'I made a discovery, in magic.'
