Apprentice of the Archmage

Chapter 1: The Magic Academy (Part 1)

The girl stood in front of a grand stone-brick wall. It towered over her, ending beyond her sight on either side. The girl puffed out her chest breathing in, then collapsed forward breathing out. She looked up, focusing her gaze at the main gate. She picked up her leather backpack. She must be brave.

The main gate stood at least two metres tall and half as thick. Its black steel glistened in the sunlight. Two women stood on either side. One held a spear. The other held a sword and shield. The girl slowed her pace. She eyed both women, scanned them from head to toe. They didn't seem to be human.

The spear lady slammed the hilt on the ground, while the sword lady slammed her sword on her shield. The gates cracked open. It shook the ground as the bending of metal resonated in the girl's ears.

"Welcome to the Innis Magic Academy," both droned.

Once the girl walked past, they resumed their guard duty and the gates shut behind her. Golems, the girl thought. She saw her share of magical beings, both man-made and natural. In fact, her travels showed her many things. However, these golems were far greater, more complex, than any man-made being she'd seen before. A long time had passed since something excited her this much. Longer since she felt this nervous.

The girl thought of this place for the past year. The Innis Magic Academy. A prestigious school for learning magic, mostly attended by nobles, those with great powers, and the occasional talented or sponsored commoner. It stood at the outskirts of the Galland Kingdom, though it had its own autonomy and stayed separate from political affairs. Students from all four continents travelled to study magic here and none of them should be used as military forces. At least, that's what the girl had heard.

She never had the aptitude for magic in her life. Yet, a letter of recommendation had been left in place of her master. And a note that said:

"Study at the Academy. I will meet you when the time comes."

She debated on going to the Academy. For a year, she wandered through different towns, different cities; some beautiful, others ravaged; all slowly bringing her to the Academy. The same thoughts rushed by whenever the girl relaxed.

What was the point of learning at the Academy? Did she have any potential for magic? Had she become a burden without magic? Why had her master left this letter? Where did her master go? Why hadn't he taken her with him? How long was it until she saw her master again?

Loneliness, the girl thought, is a feeling I want to avoid.

The scurried to the Admin Office – a white building labelled with a large sign on the front. It felt out of place in the open, grassy area that greeted her when she passed the main gate. As did the two large buildings behind it and the four smaller ones on either side. The isolation didn't bother the girl as she walked inside the Office building.

Furniture filled the waiting area while the wooden reception counter confined walls of bookshelves at the back. Stone stairs sat off to one side of the room. The lady behind the counter smiled as the girl walked towards her.

"Welcome to the Academy. I'm the secretary, Lori. Are you here to enrol for the new school year?"

The girl nodded. She wondered if she had to hand over the recommendation letter, the last connection she had to her master. She dug it out of her bag and hoped that they would return it.

"Oh, a recommendation letter?" Lori examined the envelope's front and back, then took out the letter inside. Her eyes narrowed as she read, and as she finished, they glared at the girl. "I don't know how you got this, but it's bad taste to fake a recommendation letter from the missing Archmage."