"And over there is the lunch area, you will hear one bell for breakfast and three for dinner. They also signal the start of the day and the end of class." She says as she points to one of the centermost buildings.
"Any questions?"
I quickly fought the urge to raise my hand, as the tone she was using, as well as her poster seemed to scream teacher. If she had not told us that she was a student, I would have believed her to be the english teacher of this school.
Or would it be called english?... wait what language am I speaking! Thinking about it now, it should have been obvious that people on two different worlds would have, not just different cultures, but have different languages as well.
It all just happened so quickly that I thought nothing of it and simply pegged it as 'magic', however, I feel like asking Elora something like that would make me sound like an idiot and noted mentally that I should figure this language situation for latter.
Instead I asked, "so when are we starting classes?"
"I wondered when we would get to that, but young hero, due to your complex situation you will not be joining the normal classes until we have gotten you caught up in your knowledge. You are in luck that many teachers and masters have taken time out of there day to give you personal tutoring on our world." she said giving me a calm smile.
"Oh, um I'm sorry but you seem to be misinformed, I am not the hero, John is" I said, blushing under her gaze.
"I was not mistaken young Alex, I know who you are and know your situation, and anyone who has gone through what you have and survived is a hero in my book." she says giving me a wink and a small smile.
Crap, why the hell am I reacting this way? I'm acting like a school boy with a crush on his babysitter!
"And what of our mage training?" John asks.
"I am taking you to your first lesson right now, and as you are both of the novice rank, you can learn together. You are in luck to learn from one of our greatest of masters, whose taught almost everyone here from me to even the chancellor himself, Master Horace."
Saying so she leads us to a smaller building situated by the dormitory where we are staying, and opens the door for us leading to a spacious area devoid of the desks and chairs that I expected.
Instead it was a windowless room, with an older man sitting in the middle on a cushion meditating. Wearing the robes associated with a master conjurer, and a pair of glasses hanging on his nose. He would have had a mysterious air about him if he was not currently snoring.
Elora walks over to the sleeping man gentle shaking him. "Master Horace it's time for the hero's lesson, wake up."
Snorting awake he looks around in confusion before his gaze lands on Elora's which flash in recognition. "Ah, young Eli when did you get here?" he asks as he wipes some drool off his face.
"I just got here, and I brought the hero with me."
He looks at us in confusion, "I thought there was only one hero? Either I'm getting too old or their are two people- Gyan help me, where my glasses?" quickly distracted he looks around in confusion.
"I very much doubt that the god of knowledge will help with that prayer master, and besides there on your face."
"What? Oh, thank you my dear, and I think I will be fine with…" with the glasses on he looks at us. "yes there are in fact two people, now head along my dear you should get back to studying and I do believe master Alyssa needs some help in the healing ward. I swear those battle mages feel the need to send for her even if its a bloody paper cut."
She smiles at him and kisses him on the head, "I will master don't you fret and take care of the hero, I wouldn't want to see him in the medical bay right after a leave."
He snorts in response as she leaves, "bah, I was handling spry young mages well before you were born and a hero is no different."
When she finally leaves he waves us over, "come over and take a seat, I have much to speak of and little time, the demon lord waits for no one, and I for one want you ready and prepared for the hard times to come."
John and me both copy his pose on two cushions that he floated over, and seeing our stances he nodes. "Now I can assume that you got the basic rundown on being a mage?"
We both nod and John adds, "Yes Alice told us about the two types of mage, the core and some of the ranks, as well as about the soul."
"Ah yes Alice a good girl at heart but much to brash to follow the path of the mage, but yes a core is what makes a mage a mage, but did she explain why we form a core and others don't?"
We both answer no.
"I thought not, now to go over the true basics, when the gods and goddesses of Astalon created the races of the world, they put a little bit of each element to make our bodies. However, to complete us the gods placed a tiny spark of raw creation into each of the beings, any ideas what that is?" he asks looking at us.
"The soul sir?" John answers.
"Correct, what the priests and commoners call the soul is more widely called aether by mages, it is what the primordial beings used in the creation of everything. From aether mana is born and vise versa."
"Wait, I thought that mana is natural energy that is in everything?" I question
Master Horace nods, "That is also true, everything came from aether, from the trees or grass. Maybe not directly, but we can think of aether like clay that the primordial beings shaped everything from, and aether naturally generates and emits mana, so since everything was once aether it to generates mana. Just not as much as pure aether does like the stuff found in living beings. Now why only a few people create a core and others don't is a mystery that has stumped scholars and mages alike since the beginning, however, one thing we can agree on is one's personal aether or soul must generate a certain amount of mana for a mage to grow past the first phase. And that is what I am here to help you with." he looks to the both of us in excitement.
He continues, "Right now you two are at the early stages of the novice rank as you have only just awakened, but being a prestigious academy we have a few ways to shorten the amount of time it takes to reach the next rank." he rubs his hands in excitement. "You should know that very few people get this treatment, but being the hero has its perks, and being the heroes companion doesn't hurt either." he says looking at me.
I sputter in anger, "Companion! Do I look like some British chick ready to go on an adventure with a mad man in a blue police box!"
"Whoa now young Alex, I meant no disrespect, I am only stating what others have told me. Now are you two ready to begin?"
"I'll show you 'who's' a companion." grumbled.
John put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "What my friend is trying to say is yes."
"Good, how I will begin by teaching you meditation exercises to increase the volume of your cores before we can increase your rank. Now first you must…."