"Can anyone recite Ulek's three principles on magical resistance?"
A few shuffled a bit.
"Who knows the spell set for melee combat?"
A cough.
"How about the Summoner's Oath? ...Or even the Necromancer's Rite?"
Nervous breaths followed.
"Any clue as to why we're here?"
"Spiritually or academically?" a response came.
Some snickered and the tension dissolved.
"Nice response, as both have great importance in the field of Refined Magic. Class, meet Salek Alon. He is a second year student in the academy and enjoys philosophy, combat magic, and females." The class laughed at the comments as the boy blushed deeply.
"I'd tell you who he likes but I'll spare him the shame, as I will spare all of you. Salek, would you be so kind as to tell them how I knew a complete stranger's identity and information so quickly?"
"...T-Telepathy, Ma'am," he mumbled to the floor. The class quickly quieted down again.
"Correct! Now don't worry about me prying into your thoughts; I avoid it like paperwork. Why? I prefer death to insanity, that's why. Oh, and Salek?"
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Use some of that courage you had earlier and ask that crush of yours out after class. She likes the South Gardens and I think she'll like that spell you've been practicing recently. Now before I embarrass the rest of you,... open your books to the first chapter: Fundamental Forces!" she announced with a grin.
----
Five years...
Before the war...
Before the hate...
Before... her...
----
A pair of teenagers lay upon a grassy hill above the city, watching the sky.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Remember that spell I showed you when we first met?"
"Heh, yeah. How can I forget? It was beautiful," she replied in a tone of sleepy joy.
"How about a three year anniversary showing?"
"Hehehe, that would be great."
"Alright, prepare to be amazed by Salek the Illusionist!" He jokingly announced as he waved his arm dramatically. They both laughed at his theatrics. He rolled up his sleeves and put his hands together. As he slowly separated them, yellow light swirled between forming threads of energy. The colors shifted to green, then blue, then cycled through the rest of the rainbow. Then some threads broke, startling the boy. The rest of the threads snapped and dissipated.
"That's never happened before," he thought aloud.
"Hmm... try it again."
"Yeah, I probably wasn't focusing enough."
He dismissed the fluke and exhaled, reseting his hand positions. He once again slowly separated his hands. The yellow light reappeared and... faded away.
"What's wrong? What can I be doing wrong?"
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine, except for this!"
----
That day...
I lost it...
No one knows how...
But it's gone...
----
"...So you're sure about this?" the dean asked.
"Yes. I'm leaving the Mage Academy. I can't possibly continue like this. I'm useless around here."
"Nonsense! You've reformed the logistics mess and inspired Professor Balt to establish a Non-Magical Relations department for next year!"
"By doing what? Being the first person to lose their magical ability in all recorded history?! Charts and numbers are the only things left for me to do around here anyway. Even after the fact, I hate it when we use half of class to find more alchemy ingredients or runestones. What am I saying? This is all pointless. I have no purpose here."
"Now just a minute! Before you leave, I want to let you know something. I've told your accomplishments to some friends of mine in high places and they are interested in having you help solve problems in more influential groups, such as, say, the Council?"
"...The Council? Really?"
"Well, a select few, but after you show them your talent, I believe that the entire Council will see your potential. I've arranged transportation for you to the Capital next week, provided that you are up to it. You seem to feel that you're future is not here, so I doubt that it will inconvenience you too much to miss a few weeks of 'alchemy ingredients and runestones,' as you put it. I'll be expecting an answer in the morning, so think about this tonight, or if you know the answer already, then pack up for your new life. Dismissed."
A new life...
Born from loss...
Forged hope again...
For my future...
----
"...You have been commanded to report to the Capital immediately for an emergency meeting of the Council, Advisor Alon."
"Advisor? You don't mean-"
"Sir, we need to leave immediately! We shall explain on the way."
The squad escorted the official from the construction project to the airfields.
"Drakes? You're telling me we are riding dragons to the Capital? Even this remote town has enough mages to teleport us to the Plains, at least! Drakes are temperamental in the best conditions! I'm not riding one of those until I get an explanation! Besides, I'm not an advisor! I'm just an assistant!"
"Sir, the city of Till has been lost to an unprovoked Energist advance in the western provinces. We have reason to believe that Advisor Hunley and Archmage Kyrjen have been at the very least captured or more likely killed *sigh*. You are now the new Advisor of Resource Management in the Council. As for the drakes, the mages are being conscripted for the defenses and are unavailable at this time. Sir, once again, we must not delay our return."
"Hunley's... gone?"
"Sir, he won't be the only one if we delay our preparations for the next attack against us."
"R-Right! Let's ride these accursed creatures then. We've got a war on our hands."
Tides changed...
Here I stand...
Running a nation...
Into fresh flames...
----
