The Book of Terrus: The Wise and Powerful

Chapter 8 - King's Word

Next to a two-sided tray of water with a pair of metal pegs;

Zn metal dissolves, Cu metal grows

Power flows through water? Or along the salt bridge?

And then, beside what looked like a wooden carving of a bird's wing;

Lift in air = (Speed x Wing Size) / Density

Attempt to lesson human bone density with earth magic?

Potential side-effects? (See the White Rose paper)

Whatever Tomur had been trying to do, it could not and would not concern Arzai in the present. For now, her first priority was to get the Magicol back to some semblance of normalcy. The training of the Ovates was primarily the responsibility of the High Obad, and what a heavy burden Arzai was coming to realize that was. Suddenly her own days as a student felt as close as yesterday.

Pushing away from the desk, Arzai slouched down the velvety cushions of the High Obad's chair in a most unprofessional manner. Her long black plait dug into her shoulder blades, deepening her scowl. Moments like this were when Arzai once would have gone looking for Margalee to pick her brains. Bright blue eyes flashed before her red ones, and she squeezed her eyes shut. When Arzai opened them again there was just the crowded yet empty study.

"How can one Obad teach four theories?" she demanded of the dragon skeletons. They just grinned toothily back at her.

"What an incredibly helpful suggestion. I so appreciate it."

Thank the stars, Tomur at least had had the wherewithal to plan lessons for the Ovates ahead of time. Even reading through his notes had done little to help Arzai though. With Roran being only a year or two away from Obad status, his lessons in earth magic were well beyond Arzai's comprehension. Brand's air lessons were only minimally less perplexing. The only Ovate whose subject material she could see herself confidently teaching was Ijireen. A look at the sundial in the window confirmed that the Ovates should have started their lessons hours ago. The silence downstairs was not exactly comforting. Bvhoros and Davenir must have sent the Ovates to their rooms.

That was when an idea seized her. Scraping the chair indelicately across the worn tapestry rugs, Arzai gathered up each stack of lesson plans and tucked them under her arms.

"Bvhoros, Davenir!" she called.

OoOoO

Tomur or Lirien may have been able to do better, but it was the best that Arzai could do at the moment. Summoning the two other Obads to her, she had thrust the scrolls of theory for their corresponding elements at each of them.

"Bvhoros, you've been working with Roran more and more lately as he approaches his initiation. I need you to continue on, now as his sole teacher. Davenir, you likewise must take up where Tomur left off with Brand."

"You're giving us authority to take over the Ovates' training?" Bvhoros sounded skeptical.

"Not all of them," Arzai corrected the eastern Green Obad. "I will be working with Ijireen."

"You know..." Davenir began a thought but trailed off, the feathery hairs on his chin moving with his unspoken words.

"Know what, Davenir?" asked Arzai.