The door to the house opened and James walked in. Sonia and I both turned to greet him but someone followed him in.
Sonia stood up. "Commander Titus, it is good to see you! What brings you here this evening?"
Titus smiled. "Sonia, it's been a while. I came at James's request. Apparently your son caused quite the commotion earlier."
I turned to Sonia. "Mom, is he one of those people?"
Sonia laughed and shook her head. "No, sweetie. You can trust him. Titus is a great commander but more importantly, he is a good man."
I smiled and turned to Titus. "Commander, my name is Callum. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Titus smiled and walked up to me, offering me his hand. "I like your attitude, young man."
I smiled and nodded as I shook his hand. He had quite the firm handshake. "So what are we gonna do?"
Titus gestured towards the table. "Let's take a seat."
Everyone sat around the table. I sat next to mom and across from Titus. Dad sat next to the commander.
Titus reached inside his jacket and took out a gauge. It had a small blue crystal on the end and a meter with various numbers on it. "This is a mana gauge. It will tell us how much mana you have at this time. Do remember that your mana capacity will grow as you mature. Give me your hand please."
I nodded and reached out with my right hand. Using his free hand, he flipped my hand so the palm was facing upwards. He then gently placed the gauge in the center of my palm.
I tilted my head. "Why are you putting it there? Wouldn't it get a better reading by my belly button?"
Titus looked away from the gauge and straight into my eyes. "You are quite the smart one. You haven't even gone to an academy and you already know about your mana pool."
I raised my brow in curiosity. "Mana pool?"
Titus laughed. "Pool, core, reserve, tank, it has many names. It is essentially where the majority of the mana in your body sits."
I nodded. "Ahhhhh. But that still doesn't explain why the gauge goes on my palm."
Titus nodded. "There are five spots on your body where you can release mana easiest. Those five are your mouth, the center of your palms, and the bottoms of your feet. If you become skilled enough, you can release mana from anywhere like this."
He flexed his shoulder and a cylinder of stone emerged from his body. He then pulled it back in and it disappeared.
I was staring with wide eyes. "How did you do that?"
Titus laughed. "State secret, kid. Anyways, let's see what the gauge…" He fell silent as his eyes laid on the gauge. "This…"
I became concerned. "What's wrong?"
Titus shook his head. "This can't be right. The reading is zero."
I tilted my head in confusion. "How can that be?"
Titus sighed. "Callum, can you perform any magic? It's fine if you can't. You only were awakened this morning afterall."
I nodded and went through the motions. This time, however, I summoned the water like mom just taught me. I created an orb of water in my hand before shaping it into a knife and slowly freezing it. I then turned and launched it towards my bedroom door, lodging it in the wood.
Titus laughed. "James, you have a genius on your hands. No one in the history of this kingdom has ever progressed so fast. I can see a bright future ahead of you."
I smiled. "Thank you, commander."
Titus shook his head. "No, thank you, kid. Your father and I will both be rewarded heavily for discovering such a potentially powerful mage. You might even be good enough to join the Royal Court as a mage."
I sighed. "That sounds… boring. No offense. Can you tell me more about the academy?"
Titus nodded. "Of course. That is a wonderful idea. I did attend one of the royal academies after all. There are 6 royal academies. Each one is named after the kingdom, it's name being the Dragon Kingdom. It is named this way due to the large amount of dragons that inhabit our skies and mountains."
"Each academy specializes in a specific element. Admitted students are sent to an academy based on their elemental affinities. The academies are named the White Dragon, Blue Dragon, Brown Dragon, Electric Dragon, Blowing Dragon, and Red Dragon. The academies all have the same courses but the depth of education varies based on the specialization. There is some more to it but you do not have the necessary clearance to know it."
I yearned to know that classified knowledge. Was there some kind of special seventh academy? I could only find out. "How do I get into an academy?"
Titus laughed. "Quite eager, aren't you? Well typically, you would apply to an academy after you turn 12. There is an entrance exam that will place you in the right academy. Occasionally, they will allow students that display exceptional skills to enroll before they turn 12. I believe you would be the youngest to ever attend an academy if you were to make it in."
My eyes lit up. "Can I take the exam?"
Titus nodded. "The exam to enroll this coming fall starts in a few months. I can take you personally so there are no issues."
My eyes widened in excitement. "That'd be amazing. Thank you so much!"
Titus laughed. "Just remember who helped you out when you become a big shot."
I nodded. "Of course. I have a short list of people so far haha."
Titus nodded. "Great. All I need is the approval of your parents and I can handle the paperwork." He looked towards Sonia and James.
The both nodded so he smiled. "Great. It's all set then. I'll come check on your progress every so often."
I smiled and nodded. "Thank you, commander. Have a good night."
Titus stood up from his chair and walked towards the door. "You too. See you tomorrow, James."
James waved. "See you tomorrow, commander."
In the blink of an eye, the night passed and I was out the door the next morning. I was headed to the library to see a certain old woman.
As I approached the library, I started to sneak. If I want to impress her, I need to make an entrance. I crouched next to the door and closed my eyes. I was able to feel the flowing mana from a cup of water next to Mrs. Warren.
I grabbed hold of the flow and lifted the water out of the cup with the old woman being none the wiser. I gently slowed the flow until it froze into the shape of a hand. I then slowly waved my hand such that the ice hand would land on her shoulder softly.
I heard a startled scream from inside and laughed. Suddenly, there were angry footsteps coming towards me.
Mrs. Warren flew around the corner but her anger subsided and turned to confusion when she saw me. "Did you just smack me with ice?"
I looked up at her fearfully and nodded slowly.
She sighed. "Well, it's about time I take a student. Come to my study."
I nearly ruined my perfectly good pair of pants upon hearing that. "Wait, it's that easy?"
She laughed hysterically. "Of course not. While I train you, you'll help me with my work."
I shrugged. "Sounds fine to me. I expected it to be a lot harder to secure a teacher."
Mrs. Warren nodded. "Well it usually is. Then again, usually the master hasn't known their student since they were a baby."
I nodded. "That does make sense. So what are we gonna do first?"
She smirked, making me nervous. "First we are going to figure out your elemental compatibility. You plan on taking the entrance exam, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah, Commander Titus told me about it. He said he would handle the process."
She laughed. "Oh that little Titus. I remember when that boy was a little runt. He was my student at one point."
My eyes widened. "Were you a professor?"
She nodded. "Yep. I was one of the best. I decided to retire to a more relaxing life after some things happened."
My eyes lit up. It was like I was starstruck. "Which academy did you teach at?"
She chuckled. "State secret, my dear pupil."
I sighed. "The commander said the same thing."
She laughed. "I'm sure he did. Anyways, let's do a proper introduction. I am Janna Warren of the Warren family. I am an Archmage of the Dragon Kingdom in hiding as a librarian." She put her finger over her lips and hushed. "Don't tell anyone." She winked. "Your turn."
I nodded. "I am Callum, son of David and Lisa. Do only nobles have last names?"
Janna nodded. "Indeed. Mages also can be bestowed last names by the crown along with a noble status."
My eyes shined. "Wow. That sounds cool. What's it like being a noble?"
Janna scoffed. "It's a pain in the ass. Enough questions. Let's get started. Follow me."
She led me through the maze of bookshelves with precision. She probably could navigate this place blindfolded. We soon reached a stone wall in the back of the building.
I looked at her. "I thought you said we were going to your study."
Janna laughed. "We are. Watch and learn, kid." She raised her right hand and swiped it across her body. The wall lit up in a pattern of runes and circular patterns. The wall shifted inwards and then to the side, revealing a huge room.
It was filled with various equipment and bookshelves that were overflowing with huge tomes. Several tables that appeared to be workbenches were scattered around the room with sets of shiny, metallic tools on them.
I nearly choked on air. "You call this your study?"
Janna laughed. "This isn't even that crazy. You should see the labs that belong to active duty professors. They're at least twice this size and much better equipped."
I sighed. "I did not expect this."
Janna shrugged. "Expect the unexpected. Anyways, let's get started."
She walked to the middle of the room and turned to me. "Can you summon elements yet?"
I nodded. "I've only done it with water."
She smiled. "Fantastic. If you can do it with one element, the others will come quite easily. Go ahead and try."
I nodded hesitantly and raised my right hand, palm up. I grabbed onto the stable mana of earth and pushed it out of my hand. A small rock started forming and getting bigger.
Janna applauded. "Wonderful. Now keep going through the elements and see what you have trouble with. That will determine your affinities."
I cycled through the elements a few times. Water and rocks were scattered on the floor around me. "Mrs. Warren?"
Janna raised her brow. "What is the problem?"
I shook my head. "I don't know if this is a problem, but I didn't have trouble summoning any of the elements. They were quite easy to grasp and manipulate."
Janna squinted her eyes. "Hmmmmmm… this… I have an idea. I heard from a little birdie that you have a monstrous amount of mana so this could just work. If you are successful, you are guaranteed to get into any academy you want."
I smiled. "That's good news."
Janne nodded. "Indeed it is. It means my fame will grow even more! Other than that, I heard you have taken a liking to ice blades. Is this correct?"
I raised my brow in confusion. "Where did you hear that?"
Janna laughed. "The same little birdie. I'll take it as that being true. Ask James to train you in swordsmanship."
I tilted my head. Now I was really confused. "What does swordsmanship have to do with becoming a mage?"
Janna shook her head. "That is your first assignment. Answer your own question. Do it on your own. You are free to do research but do not ask anyone for the answer. I'll know."
I nodded. "Okay. I'll get it done. Now can you tell me about this crazy surefire method you have?"