The soft morning light of the sun shone down upon the white stone of the University of Arcana, it’s mighty walls and tower seemingly set ablaze by the orange and yellow hues. For as long as any could remember, the university had stood as a beacon on the open green plains, a place of mystery and beauty that seemed untouched by time. It was said that there was a time before Serrin, when the university welcomed travelers, granting them shelter from the wilds that surrounded it. That time however, was gone and its walls held firm against any who might seek to enter its hallowed halls.
The courtyard within the university was vastly different from the wild untamed landscape that stood beyond, having been developed by the mages who inhabited it. Many different buildings lined the wall, each connected by a stone walkway that stretched inward and formed a circle around the great spire that stood at the center of it all. Gardens of fruits and vegetables from across the world lay between the buildings, cultivated by those who had wished to bring a piece of their home with them when they had come seeking to master their magical talents.
Within the base of the tower was the grand library, a sprawling chamber filled with books on every subject, from the magical to the mundane, written by beings of every description and of every race. Several large, crystalline chandeliers hung from libraries high ceilings, reflecting ample light down upon those who wandered in the labyrinth of shelves. A hush seemed to perpetually envelop the chamber, drowning out all but the sounds of turning pages and the occasional pair of shuffling feet.
Hidden away in the deepest, darkest corner of the room, sat a young mage his focus fully upon the pages of a basic spell caster‘s text. His warm green eyes scanned over the words, absorbing every syllable and concept, and giving only a brief pause when a lock of his brown hair drifted into view. He found himself lost within the words, enraptured in the quill strokes of master magi whose names had long since been lost in the annals of time. The world around him had disappeared, dissolving away and leaving only the pages, and the warm light of the day.
“Armon.” came a soft, but frustrated voice, shattering his concentration completely. The male looked up a start, finding himself staring directly into the annoyed blue-grey gaze of his friend Shay. She and Armon had been friends for as long as he could recall, and despite being the same age as him, her skills with magic had far surpassed his own. The male took in his surroundings, having forgotten for a moment where he was. The girl’s heavy dark blue robes appeared almost black even in the light, with sleeves that hung loosely past her elbows. Her feminine face was perfectly framed by her long dark hair which stopped half way down her back, which normally Armon found appealing, but presently it served only to accentuate her irritated expression.
“W-What?” Armon stuttered, blinking once becoming fully aware of his surroundings. “Your late is what.” She replied simply, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she spoke. “We were supposed to meet in the grove at dawn to practice your torch lighting.” The male sighed softly and nodded, his gaze shifting to her shoulder where a small black crow perched staring at Armon with an unreadable expression. The bird’s name was ‘Knabbs‘ he knew, named for it’s habit of attempting to take anything that glittered around Shay’s room to his cage, and had been her companion for nearly two years.
Closing the book he had been reading, Armon gave a sigh and pushed himself to his feet. Torch lighting was among the most basic of practice spells to learn, meant to teach novice mages how to control their energy and impose their will upon the world. Despite this, the male had tried innumerable times to cast it, but had never once succeeded. He had found some success in alchemy, and finding the potential benefits of the various plants around him. He had told this to Shay many times, but she refused to hear it, making a point of dragging him off to the small grove of apple trees near to the student quarters to practice his spells almost every day. Occasionally he would attempt to avoid the practice by finding a quiet place to hide, but when he did, Shay would just ask for Knabbs to fly by the windows of various buildings until he had spotted Armon and told her where he hid with the mental link the bird and she shared. “Your right…guess I lost track of time.” he offered, drawing a sharp look from the girl. “You were trying to skip out on me. “ She said bluntly, “Just come on Armon, I refuse to let you give up on this.” Without letting him reply, she grasped his forearm and drug him towards the exit.
