Mothfire

Chapter 2 - Courtyard Meetings

Erma smiled when she saw the college, feeling her heart race a little bit. It wasn't like this was really a big deal, but she was excited nonetheless. Other young, talented mages, just like her! Of course, Levi wasn't going, and that was somewhat disappointing, but hey, that was his decision, not hers. He would have enjoyed it, though. She'd have to tell him about it later.

The cab stopped in front of the college, and she let herself out, giving the driver a tip. Standing in front of the buildings were several other people, including... "Guy! William! You guys didn't tell me you'd be here," she greeted the two boys, bumping fists with Guy, who laughed.

"Well, we wanted to surprise you, of course! Well, that's sort of a lie. It's not like I actually checked whether you'd be here or not," he replied, grinning. William waved at Erma, murmuring a small 'hello', which made her smile. This was certainly a pleasant surprise, she hadn't seen them in years.

A car drove up, and two teenagers and a young woman got out, and Erma checked her phone. "I think it's about to start soon, we should probably head up there. The starting lecture is in B5, right?" she asked, and the twins both nodded. She put her phone back in her pocket, and they started going up the stairs that led up to the main building.

When Erma sat down, she noticed that one of the teenagers from earlier was there too. It was the boy with caramel skin, and long, reddish-brown hair. It looked like he wasn't sure whether he felt irritated or overjoyed. There was a girl and a grown woman with him. They didn't appear to be staying beyond dropping the boy off.

"As you know, this is the Young Mages Workshop. I am Professor Sienna Black, and I am the spell teacher here. I welcome you all to Daybrook state university, and I hope that you all enjoy your time here. My assistant, Ms. Pudella, will hand out sheets of paper. On this sheet of paper, you can sign up for a variety of classes - fighting, healing, familiars, etcetera, and it also contains the schedule. Once you are finished, please hand it in to Ms. Pudella. The first classes start at 12:30," a lady with a microphone at the front of the room explained.

As was said, a girl with dark skin and even darker hair handed out small, square papers with options for classes, and when they would take place. Erma whispered 'thank you' when she got hers, then marked off the classes she wanted. Fighting, familiars, magic history, and finally, magic and technology.

She waited for a few moments before getting up, and handing the paper to the girl, then went back to her seat up, tapping on the desk as she waited for it to be time to go to the first class.

"For those who chose the spell casting class, I will see you in an hour. Go, and have fun!" Professor Black stated, and they all rushed out of the room. "Courtyard...courtyard..." She mumbled, and saw people gathering near one door in particular, so she decided it would be best to head over there as well.

Lo and behold, the door was labeled 'to the courtyard'. They entered it, and they were greeted by the sight of a beautiful garden, with a clearing in the center. A man in his late twenties stood at the back, as well as the girl from earlier. "Please, take a seat wherever you like," he said, gesturing at the benches to the sides and also the ground.

Erma took a seat on the ground next to Guy, who smiled at her. "Now then. I'm Mr. Ghilradi, and today I will be teaching you basic fighting techniques and their relationship to magic. First, we will give you a proper demonstration of how to use magic while defending yourself. Mimi?" The girl, who was next to him, nodded and stepped back.

Energy built up around Mimi and formed into a great sword and a shield. They looked somewhat translucent, being made of energy, yet strong and sturdy all at the same time. The stern look stayed on her face, though there was a smile playing at her lips. She lifted the sword slightly higher, getting into position to attack, and then jumped forward at Mr. Ghilradi.