Chapter 26
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
The Greyson in question had, however, quickly forgotten about the little girl and continued on his way leisurely. He felt rather nervous by the test tomorrow with the Head Teachers. He wasn't sure he would pass. Even he felt that he had yet to master the spells. Maybe he should suggest to be given more time? Greyson felt that it would be better to completely master the spells he already has then to keep heaping new spells into his memory. What would it matter if he had 100 spells if he couldn't use any of them properly. It would just be a waste of mana. Lucius also agreed with his thoughts after he consulted with him.
With these thoughts in mind, he finally reached the gates. He stopped at the same exchange shop and this time he received 30 silver coins since he had more beast cores. Rushing to his dorm room, he peeked into Lyle's bedroom and the meditation room but his roommate was not back yet. A little disappointed, Greyson sighed and went into his room to store his coins away. He decided to go to bed early so he could be refreshed for the next day's endeavors with the Head Teachers. Teacher Elendil had told him that the teachers would all meet him at the same practice field he was at before. Getting undressed, he took a quick bath then went to bed.
He woke up bright and early with the sun and felt refreshed after a good night's rest. He neatly dressed in his school uniform. His eyes were a dark black now as the last time he used magic, it was the dark element. Throughout his practice in the woods, Lucius confirmed that his eyes change colors when he uses a different element. Feeling that his black eyes were rather frightening, he used his light element so that they would turn a beautiful golden color. His white hair along with his golden eyes was quite a combination that made his entire face shine. Lucius looked over and couldn't help but think that Greyson's bloodline might not be completely human. He didn't mention this to Greyson because he didn't want to freak him out, but normal humans do not have strange features like his.
Walking out in his clean white robe, Greyson straightened everything out before heading out the door. Lyle had yet to get up, so Greyson did not wake him up. He walked to the bottom floor and grabbed breakfast for himself. Yet again, the food was delicious and he felt that he should stay at the Academy more just so that he could eat the food here. The unflavored cooked beast meat in the forest was getting old. Thanking the chefs after a good meal, he made his way towards the practice field of the Water Department.
The teachers had yet to arrive so Greyson patiently sat down and began to meditate. After meditating for a little while, a female voice called out to him breaking his concentration.
"Grey grey~ It's me~. Hmph, Elendil is so selfish. He was the only one who met with you while the rest of us had to wait. Well today we all get to see you!" The whining voice gave him chills as he looked over to the owner. He saw familiar light pink locks of hair and bright green eyes with a mischievous glint staring at him. Wind Department's Head Teacher Leilena was standing behind him. She was definitely cute and young-looking, but the actually young Greyson felt put off by her act.
"Hello, Teacher Leilena." He greeted politely.
"Oh no, you are becoming a little Elendil. How tragic!" She dramatically complained.
After only interacting with Teacher Elendil for a while, Greyson felt at a loss at how to treat this trouble-making outspoken teacher.
"Cease your jokes, Leilena. His attitude is much better than yours. He will obviously see more success." A militant voice ordered. Greyson felt unfamiliar with this voice so he looked over to see a raven-haired woman with dark brown eyes to match. Her hair cut very short and a serious expression on her face, she exuded a disciplined and steady presence like a seasoned soldier. Majestic purple robes were donned on her tall and lean body which indicated her element. She must be the Lightning Department's Head Teacher.
"Boo, Vivie, your no fun, either." Leilena pouted her lips.
The other woman's eyebrows scrunched together as she clearly enunciated, "My. Name. Is. Vivienne."
Greyson ignored Teacher Leilena and turned towards the other woman, "Nice to make your acquaintance, Teacher Vivienne." He saluted politely as Teacher Vivienne inclined her head towards him in response.
"Ohh... beautiful women and a cute little boy. What a feast for the eyes~" A flirtatious voice rang out as he walked over.
"HAHAHA, Edwin, if you want to keep your pretty head on your shoulders you better take back any words about Vivienne. You know she hates your flippant comments the most." Another loud voice boomed. Greyson knew the two before he even looked over. Who else could it be if not Head Teacher Edwin and Head Teacher Keenan? A handsome face with a lazy smile soon came into his view along with a grizzly rugged looking man.
"Teacher Edwin, Teacher Keenan, nice to see you again." Greyson greeted.
"Loosen up, boy! It's okay." A hard slap on the back that almost knocked Greyson flying came from Keenan. He coughed a little after the impact.
"For once, Keenan has said something right. You don't need to be too uptight like Elendil." Edwin chimed in.
"Like who?" A icy voice echoed. Everyone's head turned at this voice. Dressed in clean blue robes looking cold as always was Head Teacher Elendil. Next to him on the left side was the old man dressed in black, Teacher Gaius. On the right side was a younger man dressed in golden robes. He had warm brown eyes and matching brown hair with a good-natured smile. He seemed to radiate a comfortable air. Greyson could quickly assume that this man was the Light Department's Head Teacher.
"Teacher Elendil, Teacher Gaius, Teacher..." He looked over at the last teacher searching for a name.
"I am Nicholas Whitehall." He smiled.
"And Teacher Nicholas, nice to see you." Greyson finished while also smiling politely.
"How is your progress with your seven spells? Which seven did you choose?" Elendil quickly cut right to the point.
"I can use them all fairly well, but I wouldn't go as far to say that I have mastered them. I actually wanted to mention extending the time with you. I feel that I should completely master these seven spells and allow them to grow with me. I do not really see the advantage to learning as many spells as I can without really mastering any of them. It seems like a waste of memory and mana." Greyson laid out his opinion clearly, hoping that his teacher would not be angry that he was trying to correct his practice plan. To his surprise, all the teachers just smiled at each other before looking back at him with appreciation showing in their eyes.
"Hmm... we have definitely picked a good one this time." Gaius reflected. All the other teachers nodded happily while Greyson just looked at them feeling lost.
Vivienne cleared her throat and explained, "this was a test, Greyson. A lot of children just want shortcuts to becoming powerful. They ignore the basic and easier spells because they believe they are weak and have no potential. But they don't understand that you can only be powerful through hard work with long term goals. The best spells are not always the powerful ancient spells for high level magicians, but could also be the 'easy' spells for novice magicians that a person has completely mastered and used from a young age. Those spells become more powerful and useful the more a magician's mana grows. We were hoping you would realize these things on your own without us teaching you about it. We wanted to test your patience and attitude towards practice and improvement. Obviously, you have a passed and we are all very pleased with you." She allowed herself a small smile at this point. At this point, Greyson completely understood their concerns. He nodded and felt proud of himself for thinking everything through.
...
"Why don't you tell us the spells that you chose?" Nicholas smiled and requested.
"I chose Shadow Escape, Air Steps, Water Cage, Fire Arrow, Earth Wall, Heal, and Paralyze." Greyson quickly listed out the spells. The teachers listened to the spells and thought of the effects of each one. After thinking about his chosen spells, they all nodded approving his choices. The spells were not flashy at all, but they were all extremely useful and diverse if used correctly.
"Show us your spells one by one. Start with Water Cage. Trap this rabbit inside for as long as you can." Elendil spoke out first and held up a rabbit he had quickly caught running by. Greyson nodded and soon conjured up a large water ball covering the rabbit. He was able to keep it trapped in the water for 5 minutes since the it was a normal rabbit and could not resist at all.
"Not bad." Elendil evaluated.
"Hey, Grey, your eyes..." Leilena spoke out this time and all the other teachers looked as well.
"Oh, they're a different color. Weren't they green before and now that I think about it, they were gold earlier today." Edwin chimed in.
"Oh, I only realized this recently. When I use a certain element, my eyes change to the corresponding color. Since I used water just now, they are blue." Hearing his words, all the teachers seemed to pause in thought. They all came to the similar conclusion as Lucius, but they were not sure if they should inform him or not. They looked at each other and decided to not say anything. It was most likely not that important anyways since only his eyes showed a difference, plus he had no idea who his parents were so it was not like they could confirm anything.
Elendil nodded in understanding and gestured for him to continue.
"Why don't you show me your Air Steps next?" Leilena walked up, looking serious for once. Greyson then quickly went into action and burst out with speed. He ran around in the air precisely controlling the air underneath him.
"Eh~ not bad~ but I can tell that you are still a little unstable with some of your steps. You can't completely control the power boost from the wind." She easily pointed out. Greyson felt much more respect towards her after her words. Although she acted immature and childish, she was definitely powerful and very experience with her element.
"Show me your Shadow Escape." Gaius stepped out this time. Greyson looked around and found a shadow from one of the practice trees and walked into it. He sank down and disappeared and quickly reappeared five meters away on the opposite side of the field. He tried to take the same shadow back to where he was before but he ended up going five meters sideways. It took him two more tries before he was back in front of the teachers.
"You obviously can't control the location well yet, but that kind of feeling comes with practice. It is hard to tell directions in the dark because you feel disoriented." Gaius explained seeing that Greyson looked down about his mess up. Greyson nodded at him and tried to forget about it.
"Well I want to see your Fire Arrows! Let's see them~" Edwin suddenly suggested. Greyson followed his words and lined up with one of the large enchanted trees. He summoned his fire bow and arrow and let loose 5 arrows. They all hit the tree in the middle where he was aiming. Edwin looked impressed and clapped his hands.
"Looks like you have the basics down. How far can you fire the arrow right now?"
"About 150 meters?" Greyson answered.
"Hm... still a little short, but if you continue practicing and your mana level increases the distance will naturally increase as well."
"Alright! It's my turn then! Greyson block my fist!" Keenan suddenly shouted out while running towards Greyson. Greyson quickly responded by summoning an earth wall in front of him. The wall rumbled after the fist hit. It cracked and crumbled from the impact. Jaw dropped, Greyson felt a shiver down his spine at the strength of Keenan.
"Still too weak! You are just letting the earth come up to block you, but you really have to think about what's going on and how to make it harder. It's not just dirt and mud, but stone and metal. Your wall can be much harder, it is only limited by your understanding of everything the earth encompasses!" Greyson felt ashamed of how little his earth wall worked. Of all the spells he used in the forest, he definitely neglected this one the most. Hearing Teacher Keenan's words really woke him up towards all the possibilities of his wall. He nodded seriously and promised to practice harder.
"Alright, I am next. Use your paralyze on me. Try to use it as you fight with me!" Vivienne valiantly walked forward. Slightly afraid, Greyson nodded and stepped forward as well. He activated Air Steps and dodged all around her trying to get a touch in. However, Vivienne continued to block easily. The heavy sword on her back still unsheathed, she easily dodged around him. Greyson took a bunch of hits before he tried to move his Paralyze to his shin and kicked at her suddenly. The kick glanced off her arm, but still made contact. Feeling it hit, Greyson stopped while breathing hard from the exercise.
"Not bad. But it doesn't move freely enough around your body. You have to think too hard about it. You should also learn some close combat skills. Magicians are great, but they are weak at close range normally because they depend on magic. You should learn how to fight with a weapon or bare-handed. It will come in handy if you ever find yourself without any mana left. Self-defense is never useless." Spoken like a true soldier, Vivienne lectured him seriously about the weakness of magicians. Greyson understood her point. His mana was not endless and when he runs out, he is a normal 5 year old kid. If he never learns how to defend himself without magic that could end up his biggest weakness.
"Alright, alright Vivienne let the boy heal his injuries now. You've beaten him up enough." The sunny voice of Nicholas spoke.
"Show me your Heal." He smiled at Greyson. Nodding, Greyson's body was enveloped with light as his bruises and cuts slowly healed and disappeared. After his body was healed, he heaved a sigh of relief and sat on the floor exhausted. After this little performance, his mana had run out.
...
"Your magic control and endurance is not bad. I believe you should continue practicing like this. I do not believe that we need to have meetings like this anymore as you seem to understand yourself well. However, if you have any questions about the spells you can always ask any of us. I think you should start concentrating on advancing your stage and reaching the intermediate level. Once your partner beast manifests, your power increases exponentially." Elendil was as always the last to speak to summarize the plan from thereafter.
Understanding his point, Greyson saluted and began to meditate in order to recover. The Head Teachers all smiled at his perseverance and left one by one. He was excited thinking of his future partner. He wondered what kind of beast it would be.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
The Greyson in question had, however, quickly forgotten about the little girl and continued on his way leisurely. He felt rather nervous by the test tomorrow with the Head Teachers. He wasn't sure he would pass. Even he felt that he had yet to master the spells. Maybe he should suggest to be given more time? Greyson felt that it would be better to completely master the spells he already has then to keep heaping new spells into his memory. What would it matter if he had 100 spells if he couldn't use any of them properly. It would just be a waste of mana. Lucius also agreed with his thoughts after he consulted with him.
With these thoughts in mind, he finally reached the gates. He stopped at the same exchange shop and this time he received 30 silver coins since he had more beast cores. Rushing to his dorm room, he peeked into Lyle's bedroom and the meditation room but his roommate was not back yet. A little disappointed, Greyson sighed and went into his room to store his coins away. He decided to go to bed early so he could be refreshed for the next day's endeavors with the Head Teachers. Teacher Elendil had told him that the teachers would all meet him at the same practice field he was at before. Getting undressed, he took a quick bath then went to bed.
He woke up bright and early with the sun and felt refreshed after a good night's rest. He neatly dressed in his school uniform. His eyes were a dark black now as the last time he used magic, it was the dark element. Throughout his practice in the woods, Lucius confirmed that his eyes change colors when he uses a different element. Feeling that his black eyes were rather frightening, he used his light element so that they would turn a beautiful golden color. His white hair along with his golden eyes was quite a combination that made his entire face shine. Lucius looked over and couldn't help but think that Greyson's bloodline might not be completely human. He didn't mention this to Greyson because he didn't want to freak him out, but normal humans do not have strange features like his.
Walking out in his clean white robe, Greyson straightened everything out before heading out the door. Lyle had yet to get up, so Greyson did not wake him up. He walked to the bottom floor and grabbed breakfast for himself. Yet again, the food was delicious and he felt that he should stay at the Academy more just so that he could eat the food here. The unflavored cooked beast meat in the forest was getting old. Thanking the chefs after a good meal, he made his way towards the practice field of the Water Department.
The teachers had yet to arrive so Greyson patiently sat down and began to meditate. After meditating for a little while, a female voice called out to him breaking his concentration.
"Grey grey~ It's me~. Hmph, Elendil is so selfish. He was the only one who met with you while the rest of us had to wait. Well today we all get to see you!" The whining voice gave him chills as he looked over to the owner. He saw familiar light pink locks of hair and bright green eyes with a mischievous glint staring at him. Wind Department's Head Teacher Leilena was standing behind him. She was definitely cute and young-looking, but the actually young Greyson felt put off by her act.
"Hello, Teacher Leilena." He greeted politely.
"Oh no, you are becoming a little Elendil. How tragic!" She dramatically complained.
After only interacting with Teacher Elendil for a while, Greyson felt at a loss at how to treat this trouble-making outspoken teacher.
"Cease your jokes, Leilena. His attitude is much better than yours. He will obviously see more success." A militant voice ordered. Greyson felt unfamiliar with this voice so he looked over to see a raven-haired woman with dark brown eyes to match. Her hair cut very short and a serious expression on her face, she exuded a disciplined and steady presence like a seasoned soldier. Majestic purple robes were donned on her tall and lean body which indicated her element. She must be the Lightning Department's Head Teacher.
"Boo, Vivie, your no fun, either." Leilena pouted her lips.
The other woman's eyebrows scrunched together as she clearly enunciated, "My. Name. Is. Vivienne."
Greyson ignored Teacher Leilena and turned towards the other woman, "Nice to make your acquaintance, Teacher Vivienne." He saluted politely as Teacher Vivienne inclined her head towards him in response.
"Ohh... beautiful women and a cute little boy. What a feast for the eyes~" A flirtatious voice rang out as he walked over.
"HAHAHA, Edwin, if you want to keep your pretty head on your shoulders you better take back any words about Vivienne. You know she hates your flippant comments the most." Another loud voice boomed. Greyson knew the two before he even looked over. Who else could it be if not Head Teacher Edwin and Head Teacher Keenan? A handsome face with a lazy smile soon came into his view along with a grizzly rugged looking man.
"Teacher Edwin, Teacher Keenan, nice to see you again." Greyson greeted.
"Loosen up, boy! It's okay." A hard slap on the back that almost knocked Greyson flying came from Keenan. He coughed a little after the impact.
"For once, Keenan has said something right. You don't need to be too uptight like Elendil." Edwin chimed in.
"Like who?" A icy voice echoed. Everyone's head turned at this voice. Dressed in clean blue robes looking cold as always was Head Teacher Elendil. Next to him on the left side was the old man dressed in black, Teacher Gaius. On the right side was a younger man dressed in golden robes. He had warm brown eyes and matching brown hair with a good-natured smile. He seemed to radiate a comfortable air. Greyson could quickly assume that this man was the Light Department's Head Teacher.
"Teacher Elendil, Teacher Gaius, Teacher..." He looked over at the last teacher searching for a name.
"I am Nicholas Whitehall." He smiled.
"And Teacher Nicholas, nice to see you." Greyson finished while also smiling politely.
"How is your progress with your seven spells? Which seven did you choose?" Elendil quickly cut right to the point.
"I can use them all fairly well, but I wouldn't go as far to say that I have mastered them. I actually wanted to mention extending the time with you. I feel that I should completely master these seven spells and allow them to grow with me. I do not really see the advantage to learning as many spells as I can without really mastering any of them. It seems like a waste of memory and mana." Greyson laid out his opinion clearly, hoping that his teacher would not be angry that he was trying to correct his practice plan. To his surprise, all the teachers just smiled at each other before looking back at him with appreciation showing in their eyes.
"Hmm... we have definitely picked a good one this time." Gaius reflected. All the other teachers nodded happily while Greyson just looked at them feeling lost.
Vivienne cleared her throat and explained, "this was a test, Greyson. A lot of children just want shortcuts to becoming powerful. They ignore the basic and easier spells because they believe they are weak and have no potential. But they don't understand that you can only be powerful through hard work with long term goals. The best spells are not always the powerful ancient spells for high level magicians, but could also be the 'easy' spells for novice magicians that a person has completely mastered and used from a young age. Those spells become more powerful and useful the more a magician's mana grows. We were hoping you would realize these things on your own without us teaching you about it. We wanted to test your patience and attitude towards practice and improvement. Obviously, you have a passed and we are all very pleased with you." She allowed herself a small smile at this point. At this point, Greyson completely understood their concerns. He nodded and felt proud of himself for thinking everything through.
...
"Why don't you tell us the spells that you chose?" Nicholas smiled and requested.
"I chose Shadow Escape, Air Steps, Water Cage, Fire Arrow, Earth Wall, Heal, and Paralyze." Greyson quickly listed out the spells. The teachers listened to the spells and thought of the effects of each one. After thinking about his chosen spells, they all nodded approving his choices. The spells were not flashy at all, but they were all extremely useful and diverse if used correctly.
"Show us your spells one by one. Start with Water Cage. Trap this rabbit inside for as long as you can." Elendil spoke out first and held up a rabbit he had quickly caught running by. Greyson nodded and soon conjured up a large water ball covering the rabbit. He was able to keep it trapped in the water for 5 minutes since the it was a normal rabbit and could not resist at all.
"Not bad." Elendil evaluated.
"Hey, Grey, your eyes..." Leilena spoke out this time and all the other teachers looked as well.
"Oh, they're a different color. Weren't they green before and now that I think about it, they were gold earlier today." Edwin chimed in.
"Oh, I only realized this recently. When I use a certain element, my eyes change to the corresponding color. Since I used water just now, they are blue." Hearing his words, all the teachers seemed to pause in thought. They all came to the similar conclusion as Lucius, but they were not sure if they should inform him or not. They looked at each other and decided to not say anything. It was most likely not that important anyways since only his eyes showed a difference, plus he had no idea who his parents were so it was not like they could confirm anything.
Elendil nodded in understanding and gestured for him to continue.
"Why don't you show me your Air Steps next?" Leilena walked up, looking serious for once. Greyson then quickly went into action and burst out with speed. He ran around in the air precisely controlling the air underneath him.
"Eh~ not bad~ but I can tell that you are still a little unstable with some of your steps. You can't completely control the power boost from the wind." She easily pointed out. Greyson felt much more respect towards her after her words. Although she acted immature and childish, she was definitely powerful and very experience with her element.
"Show me your Shadow Escape." Gaius stepped out this time. Greyson looked around and found a shadow from one of the practice trees and walked into it. He sank down and disappeared and quickly reappeared five meters away on the opposite side of the field. He tried to take the same shadow back to where he was before but he ended up going five meters sideways. It took him two more tries before he was back in front of the teachers.
"You obviously can't control the location well yet, but that kind of feeling comes with practice. It is hard to tell directions in the dark because you feel disoriented." Gaius explained seeing that Greyson looked down about his mess up. Greyson nodded at him and tried to forget about it.
"Well I want to see your Fire Arrows! Let's see them~" Edwin suddenly suggested. Greyson followed his words and lined up with one of the large enchanted trees. He summoned his fire bow and arrow and let loose 5 arrows. They all hit the tree in the middle where he was aiming. Edwin looked impressed and clapped his hands.
"Looks like you have the basics down. How far can you fire the arrow right now?"
"About 150 meters?" Greyson answered.
"Hm... still a little short, but if you continue practicing and your mana level increases the distance will naturally increase as well."
"Alright! It's my turn then! Greyson block my fist!" Keenan suddenly shouted out while running towards Greyson. Greyson quickly responded by summoning an earth wall in front of him. The wall rumbled after the fist hit. It cracked and crumbled from the impact. Jaw dropped, Greyson felt a shiver down his spine at the strength of Keenan.
"Still too weak! You are just letting the earth come up to block you, but you really have to think about what's going on and how to make it harder. It's not just dirt and mud, but stone and metal. Your wall can be much harder, it is only limited by your understanding of everything the earth encompasses!" Greyson felt ashamed of how little his earth wall worked. Of all the spells he used in the forest, he definitely neglected this one the most. Hearing Teacher Keenan's words really woke him up towards all the possibilities of his wall. He nodded seriously and promised to practice harder.
"Alright, I am next. Use your paralyze on me. Try to use it as you fight with me!" Vivienne valiantly walked forward. Slightly afraid, Greyson nodded and stepped forward as well. He activated Air Steps and dodged all around her trying to get a touch in. However, Vivienne continued to block easily. The heavy sword on her back still unsheathed, she easily dodged around him. Greyson took a bunch of hits before he tried to move his Paralyze to his shin and kicked at her suddenly. The kick glanced off her arm, but still made contact. Feeling it hit, Greyson stopped while breathing hard from the exercise.
"Not bad. But it doesn't move freely enough around your body. You have to think too hard about it. You should also learn some close combat skills. Magicians are great, but they are weak at close range normally because they depend on magic. You should learn how to fight with a weapon or bare-handed. It will come in handy if you ever find yourself without any mana left. Self-defense is never useless." Spoken like a true soldier, Vivienne lectured him seriously about the weakness of magicians. Greyson understood her point. His mana was not endless and when he runs out, he is a normal 5 year old kid. If he never learns how to defend himself without magic that could end up his biggest weakness.
"Alright, alright Vivienne let the boy heal his injuries now. You've beaten him up enough." The sunny voice of Nicholas spoke.
"Show me your Heal." He smiled at Greyson. Nodding, Greyson's body was enveloped with light as his bruises and cuts slowly healed and disappeared. After his body was healed, he heaved a sigh of relief and sat on the floor exhausted. After this little performance, his mana had run out.
...
"Your magic control and endurance is not bad. I believe you should continue practicing like this. I do not believe that we need to have meetings like this anymore as you seem to understand yourself well. However, if you have any questions about the spells you can always ask any of us. I think you should start concentrating on advancing your stage and reaching the intermediate level. Once your partner beast manifests, your power increases exponentially." Elendil was as always the last to speak to summarize the plan from thereafter.
Understanding his point, Greyson saluted and began to meditate in order to recover. The Head Teachers all smiled at his perseverance and left one by one. He was excited thinking of his future partner. He wondered what kind of beast it would be.
The Greyson in question had, however, quickly forgotten about the little girl and continued on his way leisurely. He felt rather nervous by the test tomorrow with the Head Teachers. He wasn't sure he would pass. Even he felt that he had yet to master the spells. Maybe he should suggest to be given more time? Greyson felt that it would be better to completely master the spells he already has then to keep heaping new spells into his memory. What would it matter if he had 100 spells if he couldn't use any of them properly. It would just be a waste of mana. Lucius also agreed with his thoughts after he consulted with him.With these thoughts in mind, he finally reached the gates. He stopped at the same exchange shop and this time he received 30 silver coins since he had more beast cores. Rushing to his dorm room, he peeked into Lyle's bedroom and the meditation room but his roommate was not back yet. A little disappointed, Greyson sighed and went into his room to store his coins away. He decided to go to bed early so he could be refreshed for the next day's endeavors with the Head Teachers. Teacher Elendil had told him that the teachers would all meet him at the same practice field he was at before. Getting undressed, he took a quick bath then went to bed.He woke up bright and early with the sun and felt refreshed after a good night's rest. He neatly dressed in his school uniform. His eyes were a dark black now as the last time he used magic, it was the dark element. Throughout his practice in the woods, Lucius confirmed that his eyes change colors when he uses a different element. Feeling that his black eyes were rather frightening, he used his light element so that they would turn a beautiful golden color. His white hair along with his golden eyes was quite a combination that made his entire face shine. Lucius looked over and couldn't help but think that Greyson's bloodline might not be completely human. He didn't mention this to Greyson because he didn't want to freak him out, but normal humans do not have strange features like his.Walking out in his clean white robe, Greyson straightened everything out before heading out the door. Lyle had yet to get up, so Greyson did not wake him up. He walked to the bottom floor and grabbed breakfast for himself. Yet again, the food was delicious and he felt that he should stay at the Academy more just so that he could eat the food here. The unflavored cooked beast meat in the forest was getting old. Thanking the chefs after a good meal, he made his way towards the practice field of the Water Department.The teachers had yet to arrive so Greyson patiently sat down and began to meditate. After meditating for a little while, a female voice called out to him breaking his concentration."Grey grey~ It's me~. Hmph, Elendil is so selfish. He was the only one who met with you while the rest of us had to wait. Well today we all get to see you!" The whining voice gave him chills as he looked over to the owner. He saw familiar light pink locks of hair and bright green eyes with a mischievous glint staring at him. Wind Department's Head Teacher Leilena was standing behind him. She was definitely cute and young-looking, but the actually young Greyson felt put off by her act."Hello, Teacher Leilena." He greeted politely."Oh no, you are becoming a little Elendil. How tragic!" She dramatically complained.After only interacting with Teacher Elendil for a while, Greyson felt at a loss at how to treat this trouble-making outspoken teacher."Cease your jokes, Leilena. His attitude is much better than yours. He will obviously see more success." A militant voice ordered. Greyson felt unfamiliar with this voice so he looked over to see a raven-haired woman with dark brown eyes to match. Her hair cut very short and a serious expression on her face, she exuded a disciplined and steady presence like a seasoned soldier. Majestic purple robes were donned on her tall and lean body which indicated her element. She must be the Lightning Department's Head Teacher."Boo, Vivie, your no fun, either." Leilena pouted her lips.The other woman's eyebrows scrunched together as she clearly enunciated, "My. Name. Is. Vivienne."Greyson ignored Teacher Leilena and turned towards the other woman, "Nice to make your acquaintance, Teacher Vivienne." He saluted politely as Teacher Vivienne inclined her head towards him in response."Ohh... beautiful women and a cute little boy. What a feast for the eyes~" A flirtatious voice rang out as he walked over."HAHAHA, Edwin, if you want to keep your pretty head on your shoulders you better take back any words about Vivienne. You know she hates your flippant comments the most." Another loud voice boomed. Greyson knew the two before he even looked over. Who else could it be if not Head Teacher Edwin and Head Teacher Keenan? A handsome face with a lazy smile soon came into his view along with a grizzly rugged looking man."Teacher Edwin, Teacher Keenan, nice to see you again." Greyson greeted."Loosen up, boy! It's okay." A hard slap on the back that almost knocked Greyson flying came from Keenan. He coughed a little after the impact."For once, Keenan has said something right. You don't need to be too uptight like Elendil." Edwin chimed in."Like who?" A icy voice echoed. Everyone's head turned at this voice. Dressed in clean blue robes looking cold as always was Head Teacher Elendil. Next to him on the left side was the old man dressed in black, Teacher Gaius. On the right side was a younger man dressed in golden robes. He had warm brown eyes and matching brown hair with a good-natured smile. He seemed to radiate a comfortable air. Greyson could quickly assume that this man was the Light Department's Head Teacher."Teacher Elendil, Teacher Gaius, Teacher..." He looked over at the last teacher searching for a name."I am Nicholas Whitehall." He smiled."And Teacher Nicholas, nice to see you." Greyson finished while also smiling politely."How is your progress with your seven spells? Which seven did you choose?" Elendil quickly cut right to the point."I can use them all fairly well, but I wouldn't go as far to say that I have mastered them. I actually wanted to mention extending the time with you. I feel that I should completely master these seven spells and allow them to grow with me. I do not really see the advantage to learning as many spells as I can without really mastering any of them. It seems like a waste of memory and mana." Greyson laid out his opinion clearly, hoping that his teacher would not be angry that he was trying to correct his practice plan. To his surprise, all the teachers just smiled at each other before looking back at him with appreciation showing in their eyes."Hmm... we have definitely picked a good one this time." Gaius reflected. All the other teachers nodded happily while Greyson just looked at them feeling lost.Vivienne cleared her throat and explained, "this was a test, Greyson. A lot of children just want shortcuts to becoming powerful. They ignore the basic and easier spells because they believe they are weak and have no potential. But they don't understand that you can only be powerful through hard work with long term goals. The best spells are not always the powerful ancient spells for high level magicians, but could also be the 'easy' spells for novice magicians that a person has completely mastered and used from a young age. Those spells become more powerful and useful the more a magician's mana grows. We were hoping you would realize these things on your own without us teaching you about it. We wanted to test your patience and attitude towards practice and improvement. Obviously, you have a passed and we are all very pleased with you." She allowed herself a small smile at this point. At this point, Greyson completely understood their concerns. He nodded and felt proud of himself for thinking everything through...."Why don't you tell us the spells that you chose?" Nicholas smiled and requested."I chose Shadow Escape, Air Steps, Water Cage, Fire Arrow, Earth Wall, Heal, and Paralyze." Greyson quickly listed out the spells. The teachers listened to the spells and thought of the effects of each one. After thinking about his chosen spells, they all nodded approving his choices. The spells were not flashy at all, but they were all extremely useful and diverse if used correctly."Show us your spells one by one. Start with Water Cage. Trap this rabbit inside for as long as you can." Elendil spoke out first and held up a rabbit he had quickly caught running by. Greyson nodded and soon conjured up a large water ball covering the rabbit. He was able to keep it trapped in the water for 5 minutes since the it was a normal rabbit and could not resist at all."Not bad." Elendil evaluated."Hey, Grey, your eyes..." Leilena spoke out this time and all the other teachers looked as well."Oh, they're a different color. Weren't they green before and now that I think about it, they were gold earlier today." Edwin chimed in."Oh, I only realized this recently. When I use a certain element, my eyes change to the corresponding color. Since I used water just now, they are blue." Hearing his words, all the teachers seemed to pause in thought. They all came to the similar conclusion as Lucius, but they were not sure if they should inform him or not. They looked at each other and decided to not say anything. It was most likely not that important anyways since only his eyes showed a difference, plus he had no idea who his parents were so it was not like they could confirm anything.Elendil nodded in understanding and gestured for him to continue."Why don't you show me your Air Steps next?" Leilena walked up, looking serious for once. Greyson then quickly went into action and burst out with speed. He ran around in the air precisely controlling the air underneath him."Eh~ not bad~ but I can tell that you are still a little unstable with some of your steps. You can't completely control the power boost from the wind." She easily pointed out. Greyson felt much more respect towards her after her words. Although she acted immature and childish, she was definitely powerful and very experience with her element."Show me your Shadow Escape." Gaius stepped out this time. Greyson looked around and found a shadow from one of the practice trees and walked into it. He sank down and disappeared and quickly reappeared five meters away on the opposite side of the field. He tried to take the same shadow back to where he was before but he ended up going five meters sideways. It took him two more tries before he was back in front of the teachers."You obviously can't control the location well yet, but that kind of feeling comes with practice. It is hard to tell directions in the dark because you feel disoriented." Gaius explained seeing that Greyson looked down about his mess up. Greyson nodded at him and tried to forget about it."Well I want to see your Fire Arrows! Let's see them~" Edwin suddenly suggested. Greyson followed his words and lined up with one of the large enchanted trees. He summoned his fire bow and arrow and let loose 5 arrows. They all hit the tree in the middle where he was aiming. Edwin looked impressed and clapped his hands."Looks like you have the basics down. How far can you fire the arrow right now?""About 150 meters?" Greyson answered."Hm... still a little short, but if you continue practicing and your mana level increases the distance will naturally increase as well.""Alright! It's my turn then! Greyson block my fist!" Keenan suddenly shouted out while running towards Greyson. Greyson quickly responded by summoning an earth wall in front of him. The wall rumbled after the fist hit. It cracked and crumbled from the impact. Jaw dropped, Greyson felt a shiver down his spine at the strength of Keenan."Still too weak! You are just letting the earth come up to block you, but you really have to think about what's going on and how to make it harder. It's not just dirt and mud, but stone and metal. Your wall can be much harder, it is only limited by your understanding of everything the earth encompasses!" Greyson felt ashamed of how little his earth wall worked. Of all the spells he used in the forest, he definitely neglected this one the most. Hearing Teacher Keenan's words really woke him up towards all the possibilities of his wall. He nodded seriously and promised to practice harder."Alright, I am next. Use your paralyze on me. Try to use it as you fight with me!" Vivienne valiantly walked forward. Slightly afraid, Greyson nodded and stepped forward as well. He activated Air Steps and dodged all around her trying to get a touch in. However, Vivienne continued to block easily. The heavy sword on her back still unsheathed, she easily dodged around him. Greyson took a bunch of hits before he tried to move his Paralyze to his shin and kicked at her suddenly. The kick glanced off her arm, but still made contact. Feeling it hit, Greyson stopped while breathing hard from the exercise."Not bad. But it doesn't move freely enough around your body. You have to think too hard about it. You should also learn some close combat skills. Magicians are great, but they are weak at close range normally because they depend on magic. You should learn how to fight with a weapon or bare-handed. It will come in handy if you ever find yourself without any mana left. Self-defense is never useless." Spoken like a true soldier, Vivienne lectured him seriously about the weakness of magicians. Greyson understood her point. His mana was not endless and when he runs out, he is a normal 5 year old kid. If he never learns how to defend himself without magic that could end up his biggest weakness."Alright, alright Vivienne let the boy heal his injuries now. You've beaten him up enough." The sunny voice of Nicholas spoke."Show me your Heal." He smiled at Greyson. Nodding, Greyson's body was enveloped with light as his bruises and cuts slowly healed and disappeared. After his body was healed, he heaved a sigh of relief and sat on the floor exhausted. After this little performance, his mana had run out...."Your magic control and endurance is not bad. I believe you should continue practicing like this. I do not believe that we need to have meetings like this anymore as you seem to understand yourself well. However, if you have any questions about the spells you can always ask any of us. I think you should start concentrating on advancing your stage and reaching the intermediate level. Once your partner beast manifests, your power increases exponentially." Elendil was as always the last to speak to summarize the plan from thereafter.Understanding his point, Greyson saluted and began to meditate in order to recover. The Head Teachers all smiled at his perseverance and left one by one. He was excited thinking of his future partner. He wondered what kind of beast it would be.
