{ACT 1}

{SCENE 1.1 - Finding my way}

After having spent the rest of yesterday pacing around the room and occasionally spacing out while staring at the water, I've woken up bright and early.

It was my intention to beat the morning rush of people going to their jobs or the market, so that there's less of a chance that I'll get into some heated situations.

I know a few very minor spells, but I highly doubt that they'd do me any good in a real fight.

My parents have also cautioned me, often, that doing magic should be a last resort. As long as I'm not more educated about it.

I've never really understood why, and they would never tell me the reason. Only that they don't want me hurting myself.

I don't really see how casting some dancing lights could hurt anyone, but whatever. Maybe if I looked directly at it, but that's more like some <i>Now son, don't be stupid.</i> advice, and not about the usage of magic at all.

In any case, I took a quick bite at the inn and left as fast as I could.

The sun is still rising, and the mountains in the distance are casting shadows over the whole valley. It makes the air chilly, and I can't wait for sunlight to reach the dusty road that I'm walking on.

It's actually a side path to my destination, but once again, I didn't want to run into bad company.

A sudden thought strikes me.

I've always assumed that I only need to look out for regular people that'd want to hurt us. But there's nothing stopping someone from throwing a fireball at me either.

...

Where are these paranoid ideas are coming from lately?

Not that I'd call myself the boldest person, but so far I've always been reasonably courageous.

Am I really this nervous?

Taking some nowhere road to a school of magic, because I'm afraid of peasants now? Come on.

[STAY ON THE PATH]  [GO BACK TO THE MAIN ROAD]



[STAY ON THE PATH]

No, this is just being cautious. It would be irresponsible to risk my whole future solely to give my ego a boost.

There's nothing shameful in being smart about a situation. I'm sure I'll have many chances to prove my bravery soon enough.

It's not like anyone will know about this anyway.

Having decided the course of action, I resume walking towards town.


{SCENE 1.2.1 - A roller coaster of introductions}

The sun have long climbed its way above the peaks, yet the town is nowhere to be seen.

The only thing breaking the monotony of the barren expanse - not counting a sparse group of jackalopes - is a large tree on the horizon that I'm gradually getting closer to.

Otherwise I might have convinced myself that I'm in some kind of a time loop devised by a rogue sorcerer. Moving forward, but not really going anywhere.

As I get nearer, I can almost make out a figure under the tree. They're rather short, and seem to be wearing dark hooded robes.

Another student? Maybe they're lost.

I instinctively want to see if I can help the situation, but I'm also uncomfortably aware that they might be dangerous.

After all, no one with good intentions wears black robes. With a hood. Do they?

The figure turns towards me, probably hearing my footsteps getting louder.

It's a girl, and what I've mistaken for a hood is actually her long, jet black hair which ends in straight cut bangs just above her eyes.

Bright green eyes. That are surrounded by a generous amount of makeup. Dark, of course. So is her lipstick.

Her cheeks are a bit puffy, but her expression is very stern. Like a statue.

I'm taken aback, especially with her gaze focusing on me.

Her expression unchanging, she just keeps looking me in the eye.

A rather long minute passes in this odd stalemate as I get my bearings.

~Anon
"Uh, hi! I'm Anon."

She takes a few seconds to look me over. It's not very pleasant.

~Fumiko
"Fumiko Seiren."

Her voice is smooth, but cold. It gives me goosebumps.

She's apparently content with this short exchange, finally taking her eyes off of me.

I'm relieved, but also surprised. Since when am I so easy to intimidate?

I watch her- return to her lunch? A piece of bread that I haven't noticed, being too busy acting like an idiot.

Taking the opportunity, I decide it's my turn now to examine her. Not that I can make out a lot from the dark robes she's wearing.

The only thing painfully obvious is that she's very well endowed.

I quickly avert my eyes. I certainly don't want her to catch me staring.

Did she?

I casually flash my eyes over hers, hoping she wasn't paying attention.

Of course.

She's already looking me dead in the eye.

...

I cannot read her face at all.

~Anon
"So um, what brings you out here, Seiren?"

She takes another bite, carefully chewing it before answering. I'm petrified under her analytical gaze.

~Fumiko
"That's not any of your business now, is it? Anon."

I furrow my brows. I mean, she's right, but that's way too aggressive.

She surprises me yet again by giving a lighthearted chuckle, hiding her smile with a hand - as if it was inappropriate for some reason.

~Fumiko
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be impolite towards another magic user. There's so few of us, right?"

// She's practically beaming by the end, her eyes sparkling with energy.

// What on earth? This sudden mood swing leaves me even more confused.

This sudden mood swing leaves me even more confused.

Wait. How did she...?

As if she was reading my mind, she quickly points to my robes. Right. Makes sense.

I open my mouth to say something, but she continues on.

~Fumiko
"Thank you for agreeing. Anyhow, I was on my way back to the school. As I'm sure you are too."

~Fumiko
"And you can call me Fumiko."

Once again, it takes me some time to even form a reply. I don't even think that I've said anything to her since my original question.

But I must have, because she thanked me for agreeing.

Suddenly, her face goes bright red. For whatever reason I cannot even fathom. She turns away from me in an attempt to hide it.

I give up on trying to understand what's happening.

She tries to act casual about it and starts down the path towards town.

~Fumiko
"Shall we, then?"

I don't have many options, so I simply take my place beside her.

We walk in silence for a while as she finishes up her meal.

Just as I'm about to sort out my thoughts, Fumiko speaks up. She seems to have an unnatural knack for breaking one's thought process.

~Fumiko
"I'm sorry."

~Anon
"For what?"

~Fumiko
"For back there. I didn't notice that I was interrupting you, because I was reading your mind. It's really improper, and I'm sorry about it."

She says all this in such a casual tone that it takes a moment for the gravity of her words to sink in.

We stop and face each other.

~Anon
"You were reading my mind?"

~Fumiko
"Yes. I'm sorry."

~Fumiko
"It's my field of study, and I practice so much that I sometimes forget that I shouldn't do it to people, even if I can."

Looks like she wants to add something else, but instead she gulps it down, biting her lip.

At least she seems embarrassed about it. I don't know what to say.

I mean, I feel somewhat violated, but if she's only caught that one half formed sentence then it's not like she learned anything personal about me.

~Anon
"Right, well, no harm done. Just please don't do it again."

~Fumiko
"I'll try."

That's not very convincing, but it's better than nothing. I guess. I keep this comment to myself though.

She's already back to her normal, gloomy self.


{SCENE 1.3.1 - Avoidance maneuvers}

We continue on our path for a good chunk of time.

The mountains grow ever so high above us, hiding the sun behind them. This way I can't really tell, but it should be late afternoon now.

Still, no signs of our destination. Or any form of civilization for that matter, save for the road that we're on.

I decide to ask Fumiko about it.

~Fumiko
"Oh, this road takes us directly through the forest. Haven't you ever used it?"

I've already forgot how unsettling her voice is.

~Anon
"I, um..."

~Anon
"I'm actually a new student here. Or rather, not even a student yet."

I fish the letter from my pocket and hand it to her.

She reads it, then gives it back to me nonchalantly.

~Fumiko
"Well, there's this forest we have to cross, then we're there."

~Fumiko
"I'm not sure where you'll sleep this night, but that's not really my problem."

Wow, what's happened to be nice to your fellow mages? Does she have an issue with me not technically being a student yet?

Or does she think that I've lied to her? Or rather, that I've deliberately tricked her to get here?

I'm about to say something, but as per usual, she does so first.

~Fumiko
"Come on, I want to get back before nightfall."

She noticeably picks up the pace.

I don't really get her. We weren't exactly on a leisure stroll till now either. Did she actually consider it quality time? Just walking in silence.

I mean, we're barely acquaintances - if that -, so if she wanted to arrive before the sun sets, then it shouldn't have anything to do with me.

In fact, what was she doing under that tree anyway? I came from the other end of the road, and there is nothing in between.

It doesn't really feel right to ask, but I'm curious nonetheless.

Although for now I'll just concentrate on keeping up with her. We're practically jogging at this point.

Her enormous chest bouncing up and down with every step doesn't escape my attention.

{...}



[BACKTRACK TO THE MAIN ROAD]

This is ridiculous.

If I want to be a great wizard, I'll have to be more confident in my skills - in myself!

I turn back around with newfound determination.

That's right. If I want to stand out of the sea of students there, or even just of the ones admitted this year, I'll have to be able to take risks.


{SCENE 1.2.2 - Highwayman}

It doesn't take me long to walk back and find my way to the main gate. Even though I made sure to visibly flail my robes around, no one has really paid me any notice.

I feel foolish and a bit disappointed, but it's probably for the best.

I can't really ponder on that for long as a familiar spectacle catches my eyes.

Someone in elegant robes is about to be beaten up. The same person from yesterday, actually.

I can now definitely tell that he's really a she. Looks to be around my age, except way taller and way slimmer, which is greatly accentuated by the tight clothing.

Looks like she's being help up by the guards for something. Maybe just for good measure.

But it looks to me that they seriously don't want to let her through. Halberds crossed and all that.

It's apparent that she's a natural talent for conflict, though that might be an unfair remark in this town.

I deliberate getting closer to be able to hear her conversation, but I don't really want to get dragged into whatever this is. A group of sailors wanting a go at someone is one thing, but guards are supposedly just keeping the order.

Breaking the law is not what I had in mind about taking risks. I'll settle for observation.

There's a long back-and-forth going on, both parties often pointing to a bag by her feet. She doesn't seem like the type that'd need to steal, so I'm not sure what's that about.

She seems to be more annoyed than anything. Like this is so much below her.

Eventually, she's let through with her bag.

I wait a till the guards return to their posts then I mutter a silent prayer hoping that I won't be stopped, and hastily cross the gate. Either I don't look suspicious, or they're just too tired to care.

The mystery girl hasn't gone far, and for some reason I feel obligated to catch up to her.

~Anon
"Hey, wait up!"

She looks back with a pained expression which quickly turns into one of surprise. She was probably expecting the guards to call her back for a second round.

~Girl
"Can I help you?"

~Anon
"Are you a witch?"

...

You know, if the robes and being harassed on the street aren't obvious enough. I try keeping my face an straight as possible.

To my pleasant surprise, she seem to take my bluntness in stride.

~Girl
"Yes, although I prefer the term sorceress."

Huh.

All of the female mages that I knew liked to be called witches.

My mother.

Her girlfriends.

My sister.

Her girlfriends.

That girl I sort of dated that one time.

I wonder what has happened to her. We're the same age, so could she have also been admitted to--

~Girl
"So, can I help you with something?"

Right, let's focus on the girl in front of me for now.

I cough a little in embarrassment.

~Anon
"Umm... I don't want to be nosy, but what did the guards want from you?"

She just shrugs.

~Girl
"Eh, they're assholes."

~Anon
"I see."

...

~Girl
"If that's all, then I'd rather go. It's a day's walk to the school."

~Anon
"Oh! I'm a new student so that's actually where I'm going too. Would you mind if I tag along?"

She shrugs again. I can't really read her expression, but I hope that I won't be a burden. It was a pretty rash way of asking a favor after all.

We start walking, and I realise that I haven't even introduced myself.

~Anon
"By the way, my name is Anon."

~Sai
"I'm Sai."

It suits her appearance, but I keep that to myself. Although it does make me want to examine her a little more in detail.

Robes usually hide whatever is beneath, yet her stylish jade green clothes are pretty tight, almost skin-tight at places. They're really fancy too, especially compared to mine. What they lack are pockets of any kind, as far as I can tell.

Her hair is cut shorter than mine, something that I'd imagine weird on any girl, but in this case it feels right.

She gives off a business first kind of vibe, in contrast to her nonchalant behavior. My assumption from earlier that she might just think herself above the world around her may actually be correct.

Makes me wonder if she let me tag along just like that because she literally doesn't care what I do. But then again she did bother to explain herself to a complete stranger - in a fashion.

It could be that she simply wanted to be polite towards another magic user. She doesn't seem like a first year, though I couldn't guess her age. Could very well be older than me.

~Anon
"So, Sai, are you a sophomore?"

~Sai
"Yeah, something like that."

Wow, okay. That was a pretty binary question so she's either way too jovial, or really defensive about personal stuff.

~Anon
"Something like that? What do you mean?"

Another shrug.

~Sai
"I've been here for some years."

I can't decide if I should risk another question. This feels more like an interrogation rather than a conversation.

Hmm, how about something less personal?

~Anon
"What's the school like?"

Miraculously, I get something resembling an actual answer this time.

~Sai
"It's like... Well, it's like a castle except there's no king."

~Anon
"Huh, there's no headmaster?"

~Sai
"There is, but it's... Well... How should I put it?"

She thinks on it for a second, pouting a little while doing so. It's pretty cute.

~Sai
"Okay! So you know you can be like a soldier and drone about doing whatever they expect from you. Right? You do your duty and get your reward and that's totally fine. Then there'd be like a dozen others to replace you."

~Sai
"But you could also be a trader or mercenary that just happens to live there for a while, and focus on your own stuff. The tools are offered to you, but you need to have your own agenda and use them to further that, you understand?"

I think I do. She's basically saying that I could attend classes and study and whatever and be a mage on paper, but what I should really be doing is to find my own calling. I need to stand out.

That's not that much different from my original plan.

~Anon
"I see, so specialising in some field is really encouraged huh?"

She looks like she wants to say something in response, but ends up just shrugging.

~Sai
"Yeah, like that I guess."

Silence settles between us for a good while after that. I'm left thinking about what I should occupy myself with outside of classes.

I've always been fascinated with summoning and conjuration, though I'm unsure if that's what I want to dedicate my life to.

Maybe some class will catch my attention. Or a club, if those are a thing.

Could Sai be in one? What would her field of study be anyway?

She looks relatively fit and healthy, so a few things such as necromancy or healing that take a heavy toll on the body are out of the question. So are transmutation and enchantments, as people that study those almost always end up with a scaly hand or wings or whatever outlandish thing that they fancy.

I shudder at the thought. Altering your own body like that is just unnatural and irresponsible to me.

The only spell that I've seen her perform was teleportation, but that's more of a jack of all trades kind of deal.

There are still many, many other fields of magic that she could major. I decide against asking her about it though, since she seemed to keep her guard up about personal stuff.

I'm so lost in though that I almost don't catch her high pitched shout.

~Sai
"Stay back!"

Sai has already assumed a defensive stance, and is currently shooing me off of the road. I notice that she has what seems to be a small wooden charm in her left hand.

I look past her shoulder, and there's a caravan coming our way. One heavily guarded at that. A column of armored soldiers on each side, and a woman aiming a crossbow at us from the leading wagon.

We hastily get several feet out of the way. I don't know what they're escorting, and I don't even want to find out. Sai looks to be on the same page.

For once, her expression has really gotten serious. She may act sassy or casual, but she's not oblivious to the world around her.

We get some stern looks, but the company passes us without incident. Sai waits till they're far away until she let's herself relax. To be honest, my own heart is beating twice as fast as before, and there's a visible amount of swat on my palms.

~Sai
"Did you notice?"

~Anon
"Notice what?"

~Sai
"They each had magical shields. The wagons, not the soldiers."

I almost blurt out that I was rather busy looking at the variety of sword, axes, and maces ready to cut my head off or bash my face in, but I hold myself back.

~Anon
"How could you tell?"

She points to her eyes, as if I could read the answer from them.

Hold on.

...

The more I look, the more I'm certain that there is a slight tint of yellow to them! I haven't committed the color of her eyes to memory, but I'm pretty sure they are not yellow naturally.

It quickly fades however, and I realise that I'm looking Sai hard in the eyes. I feel myself blushing and quickly avert my gaze.

She puts away her wooden charm, and we get back on the road in silence.

...

She has brown eyes.



{SCENE 1.3.2 - Myskolz}



{...} setr & b