Tetragram Secrets

CASE 01 [CRIME SCENE]

'Boy, pay attention.'

The boy blinks. The vision is fuzzy. They are in a garden with shrubs around them. He can hear the chirp of finches at the edge of his awareness. He is in his pyjamas, sitting on a stone stool, leaning on a stone table, on which sits a large open tome.

His mentor stands apart from the setup, pacing the small circular clearing within the collection of strange trees and plants. The boy cannot smell the air. He sniffs.

'Why do you keep doing that? You won't pick up anything.'

The boy wrinkles his nose. 'I can't help it. How do you get used to this?'

The older man laughs, his long hair tied into a ponytail shaking. 'After a thousand hours of dreamclass, you will. Now what did I just say?'

The boy looks back at his tome, and it is now closed. When did that happen?

'Quickly, boy. Your night is almost up, and we are only halfway through the syllabus.'

'Uh, the use of sensor spells depends not just on the weave of the caster, but also the strength of the target.'

'Wrong.' The mentor sighs, flicking his wrist, and the heavy tome slams open again, flipping to the page. There are scribbles, images and glowing sigils undulating or flitting through the paper. 'The sensors are only as useful as how you interpret the incoming signals. Don't just see with your eyes, boy, but observe. Novices always rely too much on their tools, and not enough on the mind.'

'I understand.'

'No, you don't, but no matter. In a few more hours, you'll receive a case to apply what we have covered this week. Remember what you have learnt.'

'Yes, sir.'

His professor looks at him over his pair of fashionable glasses, the brown eyes knowing. 'Your mother called.'

The boy bristles. 'So?'

'Courtesy dictates you reply her.'

'I'm busy. It's the final semester for the course.'

'I'd sooner believe a troll swearing to go vegan.'

'Can we please stick to the topic, Professor Tomazin?'

'Of course. I'm picking up the pace, you have a lot to cover.'

'It's not my fault the books are so thick.'

'It's yours when you elected to skip two years, Monrow Calidah.'

The boy does not answer. The man sees Monrow has lost his mood for study. Tomazin smiles and walks closer. 'We're done for the night—'

'No, we press on.'

'You press on then. I have another student to prepare for.' He sees Monrow's downcast face. 'Go through Tertiary Principles of Forensic Casting, skip the introduction. You won't need it.' The tome flips to the mentioned page.

'Sir—'

'I want a detailed report on the case by the next class, using all the elements you have learnt so far.' The wizard pats the boy's shoulder. 'And talk to your mother.' He breaks apart into mist and is gone.

Monrow looks at the page for a moment. Then he flips it and begins to read the introduction.

***

'Oy!'

Silence.

'Oy!'

Silence.

'If you make me Oy one more time I am going to throw water on your flippin' face.'