Abaddon's Mark

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Maeno was brought back to the grand ballroom by the same family, and he suspected the same man, who had brought him to his temporary home. The pageantry wasn't lost on him. The Seven were the only ones with enough men to mobilize so quickly. Thanks to their family ties, they could expect absolute loyalty because they were family.

And family meant something to them.

He was sat in the same place he had been sitting before. Students were already sitting, along with several adults. Maeno assumed mages and those from outside the university who had been brought to be judged.

The council had not called on him.

They were also absent from their table. Once everyone was seated, the council returned. First the lords sitting at the short table, then those sitting at the raised seats in behind. Silence followed as several of the lords appeared to read reports and papers before them.

"This council is ready to deliver verdicts," Luk said to those gathered. "If your name is not called, be aware that life shall not change. We are aware of you. All of you. We will call names. If you are called, you are to come and sit in the pensioner's place. You will take this council's verdict. Kaulu will speak first."

Luk sat and Kaulu stood.

Maeno struggled for a moment, trying to recall his lessons.

Drune was Lord Kaulu, married to Lady Preena, father of Andle, an uppity Seven heir with three years on Graydon and a vicious cut to him. Graydon had the cold beauty and intelligence of the Seven. Andle had the harder line of the northern peoples from which his family claimed descendance. Cockatrice dragon, gold colour like that of a nearly bloody sunrise, the words 'fear not the lightning' but they had secondary words that Nendan had taught Maeno.

Anger begets madness.

Somehow, with the smallest dragon, Kaulu put some claim on the war mages. Once there were so many that the family had an army of them. Imagine an army of war mages working for the Seven. The only thing more frightening to Maeno would have been if they had an army of snakes.

He shuddered.

"This council has reviewed the destruction of a dragon," Kaulu said. "Others will speak of that, but on the part of the Coven of Aelynn Magi o Scalea, this council found a failing which directly resulted in the death of the dragon. Had the coven successfully performed the casting spell, that dragon would still be alive and only a unified and grounded coven can perform the spell. In the past, the council has agreed and granted Shorel access to the spell to take Wyver's place among the coven in times of need. Given that the issue was his legs and not mind, body, or soul, we agreed with this arrangement. We continue to support this decision. Wyver still has much to teach us."

Aelynn Magi o Scalea was the proper, formal name of the school. Even staff used the name Amos.

Which was an acronym, Maeno realized, quite stupidly, as he sat there. Amos was an acronym of Aelynn Magi o Scalea which meant ... the Aelynn Magi School? The Aelynn School of Magic?

He decided then and there to study languages until he knew for certain. Because once he learned that, he was going to learn what aelynn meant. He felt like knowing what it meant could answer his questions, though his only question then was why it sounded like the school was named after a girl.

Kaulu hesitated and glanced down the table to Fox, who gave the barest of nods.

Fox, led by Soren and his Lady Enaya, heir was Halor... Maeno didn't know much about Halor which typically meant the heir was underaged and untested. Colour purple, saying 'adapt and overcome,' claimed spell mages, and had the dragon...