The strangeness began in the morning.
The alarm clock which always sounded exactly at 7:00 this time woke him up almost an hour earlier. And as a result he could not finish the dream where he was soaring in the sky on the back of a huge bird whose plumage shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow, and the bright crimson sun pleasantly warmed his skin giving a feeling of peace and happiness.
Tim tried to sleep again, but failed. The remnants of such an amazing dream were gradually fading from his memory and by the time he finally woke up his mind was filled with the cares of the day ahead.
On his way out of the bathroom after washing he felt as if the reflection in the mirror grinned after him. Tim looked around seeing his own face again, but he didn't notice anything suspicious.
The neighbor's cat met on the way to bus stop suddenly stood on end its hair and with heartbreaking meow rushed away. Although usually he greeted Tim with a tail up and sometimes even allowed to pet him.
Not far from the school building he was hailed by Alex, his friend since the first school year. As Tim approached him, Alex looked at Tim's feet in bewilderment.
"Hey! Where did you lose your shadow?"
Tim turned around. The shadow was in place.
"But just now it wasn't there... um, maybe I was wrong."
Geography and English classes went as usual, but in math Tim suddenly felt someone staring at him. Perhaps with the similar look a biologist examines frog prepared for dissection. The feeling was so unpleasant that when the teacher asked him to solve a relatively simple example at the blackboard, Tim blurted out the nonsense, though under other circumstances he might have had no problem giving the right answer. The classmates laughed and the angry teacher gave him a 'F' promising to call to the blackboard again the next day.
So after returning home and lunch Tim reluctantly took his math book out of his school bag and opened it to the right page. After the meal he wanted to lie on the couch and take a nap rather than work with decimal fractions. To cheer up it would be nice to go to the online-game 'Fantasy Worlds' at least for an hour, but there was a problem - the computer is password-protected, before 6 p.m. he can't launch it. And before that time his parents, whose efforts to protect him from temptation are too correct and therefore boring, will have time to return from work and demand a report on what he did in their absence. Willy-nilly at least a part of the homework must be done. And for what all these mathematical rules are!? Four arithmetical operations are quite enough. Not without reason someone of wise men noticed once: eighty percents of knowledge obtained at school nowhere will be useful in real life. But adults decided so, it's too difficult to argue with them. Three hundred years ago the weighty argument in their hands was rod, now it's the access to virtual reality. Even though times are changing, the 'stick' in the system of education is still more weighty than the 'carrot'. As a result, many years later you will have nothing to remember except your studies!
Reflecting on the injustice of life Tim turned the page mechanically. The rows of equations suddenly blurred and transformed into a sentence that had nothing to do with mathematics:
The best school of magical arts in whole Universe
invites you to study! Would you accept?
The parents are right about something - too much interaction with the computer and especially online games will begin to produce glitches in real life as well. Well, no one has ever died from them, a short break is enough for restoration. Having calmed himself with this thought Tim tried to concentrate on his homework. But the strange sentence arose in his mind again and again.
It is interesting, what will happen if he agrees?
"Are you sure?" someone whispered in his ear.
"Absolutely!"
If you make a decision, don't stop halfway - Tim always tried to follow this simple rule. But if he'd known what would happen next...
With a sudden jerk an unknown force yanked him from his chair and lifted him up. And then with great speed it dragged him along, through the absolute darkness of endless space illuminated only by the cold twinkling of distant stars.
And Tim could not see how his grinning doppelganger got outside from the mirror. Flunging the math book under the table, he flopped down on the couch and pulled the TV remote to him.
Book One. - The only earthling.
Chapter 1.
But then the flight stopped and Tim felt the solid surface beneath him. The darkness around him receded, scattered by the hundreds of multicolored lights that illuminated a huge hall, the size of which he had never seen before. The ceiling and walls were adorned with cave paintings: mysterious buildings that resembled ancient Eastern castles, distant misty shores and ocean depths, inhabited by strange creatures, and many other, no less impressive works of an unknown artist, executed so realistically as if he saw it all with his own eyes.
At that moment, however, Tim had no time to look at pictures - he found himself in the middle of a crowd of boys and girls about the same age as him. When he tried to move, he found that he was unable to do so. He couldn't speak either, so all he could do was turning his head around. The others seemed to be in the same condition, since no one made any attempt to start a conversation. A pointy-eared girl to his right, with matte white skin, bluish-black hair and bright red lips, noting Tim's interest smiled so as if in his place was something delicious. Probably she poses as a vampire, he thought.
A boy on the left looked even more exotic, covered from head to toes in 'scaly skin' tattoos and with vertical, reptilian-like pupils in his eyes. At first Tim was slightly frightened when he saw this, but then he realized that such an effect may be achieved by implanting special eye lenses. Surely, the boy pretends to be a lizard-man!
Tim looked around the crowd and was even more amazed: it was as if he had arrived at a carnival rather than a respectable educational institution. All the people around him had extravagant hairstyles and the most unimaginable colors of skin and clothing. Dressed in a daily blue T-shirt and home shorts Tim was a little embarrassed. But no one had warned him about the necessity of dressing up in masquerade costume!
A few bright flashes on the dais in front of the crowd distracted him from seeing his future classmates. Five figures materialized before them. A stately man with a chivalrous bearing and an unyielding expression of his face framed by waves of golden hair. Another man, less stately, a full head shorter than the first, was staring sorrowfully into the distance. A girl in a long-skirted green dress, her pointed ears peering through her brown hair. A third man, in contrast to the first and second, smiled good-naturedly, his fiery red curls flaring brightly as he did so. And finally, a woman in a burgundy color suit who looked something like the girl on the right, also black-haired and with scarlet lips.
A sixth figure appeared a few seconds later - a green-skinned midget with a big crooked nose, dragging a cart in front of him on which was placed a glass cube the size of a microwave oven. The hall darkened, and a blue-grey fume filled up the cube forming vague outlines of someone's face. And then came a voice, unlike the image, clear and resounding.
"Greetings, apprentices! Have you come here to learn the art of sorcery? And you dream of becoming powerful wizards, don't you? Our school will give you that opportunity. But you'll have to work hard, - a mockery was in the voice, but it was as if the people present did not notice it, listening to the speech in awe. - You must master the manipulations with the magical energy called mana, learn by heart dozens if not hundreds of spells and prove in practice that you are worthy to be the best of the best!
You're probably already wondering who I am. I won't torture you with doubts: for the past three hundred and forty-eight years I have been Principal of the school. And during this time, thanks to my modest efforts our school has not only become a treasure trove of priceless knowledge about the art of magic, but it has also greatly expanded its territory. So now its young disciples have enough space for study and for rest. At your disposal will be everything you need for this, but remember - you cannot go above the second tier and down into the dungeon. Violators will be severely punished... if they live to see it, of course!
And now let me introduce your future teachers. Master Aerg (the man with a stern knight posture stepped forward) will teach you the basics of the magic of Light. Master Nimikel (the girl in the green dress dropped a curtsey) is skilled in the magic of Nature. Master Saag-Kof is an acknowledged expert in the magic of the Elements (the man with fiery red curls waved both hands in greeting). Master Iskitt (the man with the sad gaze nodded absently and paused again in thought) knows the magic of Mind better than anyone else. And finally, Master Ven'A'Sash (the woman in the burgundy color suit smiled ironically) will tell you the secrets of Twilight magic. And you have to be diligent students and not to upset your teachers with laziness and disobedience.
Our school is a closed boarding school, and you can't leave it without completing your studies. Vacations, visits with relatives, exchange of letters and parcels are not allowed either. Nothing should distract you from your studies! Don't worry: while you are here, your copies will remain at home, knowing and able to do the same as the originals, so no one will detect replacement. And when your training is finished, your minds will be merged upon return, and you'll know everything what happened while you were away. Standard training lasts five years, but usually most people graduate ahead of time - it is enough to earn thousand points and you'll be sent home the same day! How do you obtain them, you ask? Very simply: you need to demonstrate your talents to your teachers for rewarding and win tournaments that will be held regularly. Thus, all in your hands!
As to the internal regulations – daily schedule of activities will be posted regularly in front of the classroom. Each of you will be given your own room and a set of our school's traditional uniform. Dining room is open throughout the day, but please remember that you are not here to fill your bellies! All the textbooks you need, as well as scientific and educational literature about the mysteries of magic can be found in the library. If you have any other questions, you can contact either your teachers or Sir Pulsok, the school's caretaker."
With a crooked smile green-skinned midget dressed in buttoned up grey suit made a bow. He looks like a goblin, Tim noted to himself. What if he really is a goblin? After all, the school, as the invitation said, is the best in the whole Universe. That's why his future classmates looked so strange - they are not freaks, but real extraterrestrials! The ones with the pointy ears are probably elves. The girl on the right also has them, though for elf she is looking too oddly. But which of his compatriots can boast of having seen a real elf? Hmm, and what a weird ring is on the ring finger of his left hand? It looked like silver; if the school is really serious, it could hardly be iron. He got the answer almost immediately, though.
"It is his responsibility to keep order in the school. And to punish those who disregard the rules of conduct. You'll find them, by the way, on the same tier where your rooms are located. How can you read them if they are written in enhiu, the ancient language of magicians? Very simply, thanks to the rings each of you received when you got here. They allow you to read any text and understand what others are saying. And for successful creation of sorcery each of you will receive a wand that concentrates and directs the blow of magical energy. They will be given to you at the same time as your uniform. As to me, I wish you only one thing: good luck!"
The image inside the cube disappeared. Before Tim had time to comprehend what he had heard, everything around him plunged in darkness. Fortunately, not for long: a few seconds later it was bright again. Now, however, they were in a another room - less huge and more squat. The teachers were gone, only the goblin stayed with them, guarded by a giant who was three times Tim's height and as much broader in the shoulders! Of course, who was going to obey an ugly midget? And with such a giant it's quite another matter! The goblin considered it beneath his dignity to introduce him to apprentices, and took the lead instead.
"So, we're going to the storeroom now to get things, and then you'll be settle into your rooms. Don't scatter from there: when the pink eye lights up, we'll have a celebratory dinner. And remember the Principal's words!"
The last one was uttered with the intonation with which the expression 'memento mori' (don't forget death – Latin) is usually uttered. Judging by the absence of windows in the halls and the domed ceilings, they are somewhere inside the mountain. A little unusual, but in principle nothing supernatural. Worse if there weren't any windows in their rooms either, it would feel like you were in a prison cell. Where's the way out? It would be not bad to see the world outside the school. Only if they are inside some asteroid... but his father once said that asteroids have practically no gravity, and it is enough to jump up to fly to the ceiling. There is no such thing here, Tim immediately checked finding that he could control his own body again. Eh, they didn't even let him say goodbye to his parents. Although they certainly wouldn't let him go anywhere. That must be why the wizards here had invented the trick with the doppelgangers. How identical are they to the original? Probably sufficiently, otherwise the forgery would have been exposed at once. After all, he wasn't the only one invited here to study!
Tim didn't have much time to think about it as the crowd around him started moving, the boys began stretching their limbs, the girls - putting on their makeup. Together they followed the goblin into a wide tunnel that led to the wide-open doors of a storage room where five dwarves, three men and two women, met them on the threshold. Just as many fantasy books describe them: stocky, with a perpetually concerned air and, of course, bearded. The women, however, did not wear beards (although some fantasy authors claimed otherwise) - Tim certainly would not have survived it.
"New apprentices?" the dwarf, dressed more representatively than the others, asked indifferently. He must be the head of the storehouse, and the others must be his assistants.
"That's right, Rugud. You may begin your service. When they get their things, our disembodied friends will show them where to live."
A second later about a dozen of translucent creatures resembling enormous, adult-sized jellyfish appeared near the goblin. The similarity was enhanced by continuously stirred tentacles. The frightened pupils bunched in a crowd.
"Don't worry, they don't bite," the goblin chuckled, pleased with the effect. "I don't advise you to ignore them, though. They will make sure that you do not wander around and stay in your rooms at night. They themselves need neither rest nor sleep, and therefore are able to patrol the school territory day and night. Besides, they don't have to pay a salary. See how convenient that is? The genius idea to hire them also belongs to our Principal. Before him, the place was such a mess! But now it is fixed completely!"
Personally, Tim did not see anything funny in it - if he met such a bogeymen at home may be he would become a stutterer.
"Put some order into it, Pulsok," Rugud grumbled. "Otherwise how shall we serve them?"
"Agyg, do it," the goblin commanded, and the giant began to form a line, without any hesitation pushing back those who were happened to come across not in their turn. When he finished, the dwarves began their work inviting two people inside. The first who got young sorcerer's set, was the girl with ashen hair, light-grey skin and glistening black eyes. In the right hand she had a suitcase, in the left – something like small pointer. Tim couldn't make out the details of it: one of the ghosts breaking away from the group of its congeners with nasal whisper offered her to follow it. The same fate befell a boy with sharp-pointed ears that had left the storehouse after.
Tim was lucky to be in the top twenty. Ahead of him was a puny boy half a head shorter, but with small curved horns peeking out from under his curly hair. If there were goblin and dwarves here, the horns must be real, but Tim was too shy to ask directly.
Soon two boys and girl approached them; all three were well-proportioned, blue-eyed and with sunny locks hair. Undoubtedly they are from the same people as the teacher of Light magic.
"Hey, tilfing, we were in line before you, remember?" one of the gold-haired fellows began without any preamble.
"No, actually," the boy with horns cringed in fear.
"Let me remind you," the second golden-haired boy said between his teeth. Coming closely he pushed the horned boy forcing him to fall down to the floor. Tim instinctively helped the poor boy to stand up.
"Hey, yellow-haired freaks, you sure weren't here!" a swarthy-faced square-built boy with tough black hair and peeped out from the lower lip fangs appeared somewhere from behind.
"Get off, orc, otherwise I'll beat you," the first golden-haired boy promised, and the girl from their company smiled contemptuously. Insulting by her smile swarthy-faced boy attacked the bully, but he easily dodged moving aside. The second blow was with the same result. Preparing himself for the third strike the swarthy-faced boy suddenly felt rising in the air: in the heat of the fight he didn't note Agyg returning.
"The school forbids fighting, and those involved will be severely punished," commented the goblin, who happened to be nearby. "For the beginning give him a good shake and put in the end of the line. If he starts kicking, he'll be locked up in a cell. And what are you standing around for? Take your places!"
The company of golden-haired abusers went away with chuckling. Curiosity literally ate Tim, and in the end he dared to ask the owner of the horns why did they attack him.
"But they're anzimars! There is a long-standing feud between our peoples!"
"Why?"
From the confused narration of the boy Tim could understand the following. Once upon a time the people of tilfings lived free and happy in the world called Edlim sowing knoszu and breeding zhritu, and didn't think too much about the future. But one ill-fated day anzimars literally fell from the sky and began to create lawlessness taking for themselves the best lands, and those who tried to resist were killed or turned into slaves. Tilfings had to retreat in places which anzimars didn't want to populate and the armistice was declared. But it barely improved the situation: a tilfing can visit anzimar settlements only having sign of loyalty, and even then he can become an object for sneers and walloping. Several times tilfings rebelled but without any success: anzimars are better armed and master powerful magic, mainly Super-Abilities which are able to convert any weakling in unbeatable champion.
"Why do you think the anzimar beat me so easily? For sure he applied Super-Strength; with it you'll knock down even ihrig (animals resembling earth oxen, as Tim found out later)!"
"Now I see why that orc couldn't hit his opponent."
"Yes, it also wasn't without the magic of Super-Abilities. Therefore I don't recommend you to stay on their way!"
"Unless it's a matter of principle. Don't worry: almost certainly we also shall study this magic."
"That's right! Then we'll see who's who! Our own magic isn't very useful in battle. It's actually good, but not when you're getting hit."
He didn't have time to narrate for details what the sorcery is inherent to his race: he was invited in the storehouse. Tim was the next.