When the Tempest subsides, you must sail south until you encounter a massive ship. You must do everything in your power to send it down to us. I know not what is on board that ship; it is not that treasure which we usually seek. No! Wherever it is that ship is going, it must not be allowed to arrive. Go, my champion! May the goddess of fate bless your journey.

  -Intercepted communications of Eris, the Devil of Lust, to her chosen among the Ravagers.

  Lerrum woke to the sound of distorted bells ringing and the bursting of flares throughout the castle grounds. Classes had been canceled in anticipation of the Tempest, and because many of the students still needed time to finish their preparations for the practical. The academy lifted the confinement for the final day, as no would-be kidnappers could make their trip back to New Pellant before the Tempest would hit.

  “Heh, looks like Evran forgot his staff. What am I going to do with that kid?” Lerrum asked himself aloud.

  Having finished all of his preparations already, Lerrum had decided to take a nap, not expecting the Tempest to arrive until the evening. He didn’t want to be tired if the event ended up taking place well into the night. Lerrum put his uniform back on and grabbed a map from atop his desk. He patted his uniform pocket, checking to see if his wand was still in its usual spot. Better not make the same mistake he’d just criticized Evran for making.

  Lerrum exited the dorms alongside a few fellow nappers, each giving the others knowing nods of solidarity. He quickly uttered a wish under his breath and sent it up with a purple flare. Satisfied, he took the map from his pocket and unfolded it. It was time to find the entrance to the crystal chamber.

  Castle Aldea was built to protect that entrance, and one of the simplest means by which it did so was confusion. The castle layout was designed to be difficult to navigate, much to the annoyance of its current inhabitants.

  The map Professor Merrilus gave him the other day contained a few notes on how to find the chamber entrance, though Lerrum still remembered the route from the trip his class took in his second year. He wormed his way through various buildings and courtyards until he reached the faculty dorms. He entered, walked to the far side of the main hall, then descended a long flight of stone stairs. The entire time, Lerrum did not see a single student, teacher, or administrator. He walked down an inconspicuous corridor and entered the third door on his left.

  Lerrum found himself in a large room designed specifically to kill unwanted guests entering through the door he’d just opened. Stone ramparts towered several stories above him, surrounding him on all sides. It was much like the courtyard above him, only underground. Soldiers with crossbows patrolled the battlements above, while knights in crimson capes stood guard over the door opposite the one Lerrum entered. Despite having permission to pass, he felt extremely uncomfortable around the many armed guards.

  A knight approached Lerrum wielding a flat, wand-like magical instrument. The knight waved the wand across his chest. He felt a strange tugging sensation, as if the wand had grabbed his heart and pulled slightly. The knight then held the wand with its flat part parallel to the ground. A gemstone at its center turned from white to green, presumably confirming his right to pass.

  Lerrum walked past the remaining crimson knights and climbed a switchback ramp at the far end of the killing room. He felt a weight lift off his chest as he exited. Lerrum recalled a lecture from his visit three years ago. His professor mused that for all its intricacy, no one had ever attacked the castle or even attempted to breach the crystal chamber.

  The stone that lined the corridor beyond the room changed from the familiar quarried brick of Aldea Castle to the rough-hewn walls of a labyrinth. The air here tasted stale, but there was a curious absence of miasma in it. He used magic to conjure air in front of his face, and he took his first breath of truly fresh air in over a week.

  After a few minutes of walking, Lerrum emerged into the crystal chamber. The room bustled with activity as attendants were setting up beds and catering refreshments. He and around a hundred others would be spending the next few hours here, fighting to keep the island in the sky.

  An attendant pulled Lerrum aside and directed him to sit with the other students. Selsey and that fourth year, Depri, were already present, as well as a nervous first year boy he didn’t recognize.

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  “Oh good, you’re all here!” interrupted Professor Merrilus, emerging from the crowd of attendants. She sauntered over to her prized students and placed a hand on Selsey’s shoulder. “Did you all read the instructional pamphlet I gave you?”

  “Yes,” replied Lerrum, along with Selsey and Depri. “But do we really have to go until we run out of mana? I really don’t enjoy passing out.”

  “Of course you have to!” shouted Selsey. “It’s tradition for first-timers.”

  Depri added, “The crystal will pull mana out of you a lot faster than you realize. You’ll probably run out, even if you try not to.”

  “Ms. Tallahan is correct, Mr. Ilner. However, the tradition thing is merely an excuse for us prideful mages. No one will yell at you if you stop just short of total exhaustion. That said, we have plenty of comfortable cots and attendants that will take care of you when you inevitably pass out.” The professor winked knowingly at the girls.

  “Now, I have a few things to attend to myself. This is a big moment for the three of you, so please try to make the most of this experience. It might not be as thrilling as fighting tempest spawn, but make no mistake. Ours is the most important job.”

  Professor Merrilus turned to face the first-year. “Oh, and Mr. Cairn. Since you’re just here to observe, consider volunteering with the attendants if you get bored. Honestly, I don’t know what your father was thinking.”

  “I’d rather be out fighting monsters anyway,” said the boy, nodding in agreement.

  The professor dismissed herself and disappeared back into a crowd of administrators. Lerrum pulled out a few books he’d checked out of the library in anticipation of this moment. He read for a while, occasionally glancing up to see more and more people arriving. Eventually, mages from the town arrived, seemingly all at once. The room was becoming quite crowded.

  An administrator interrupted Lerrum’s reading and handed him a lot with a number on it. Fifteen. He would be the fifteenth person to give his mana to the crystal. Selsey drew thirty-two, but Depri managed to get seventy-one. She cursed in disappointment. For an island the size of Aldea, around fifty mages were needed to keep it afloat. There were eighty present for safety reasons, so a large number of mages would go unused.

  “I bet you could find someone with a lower number to exchange with. Most people don’t actually want to be drained of all their mana,” said Selsey.

  Depri nodded and started asking the other mages to exchange their lots. At first, she found a willing partner, but had to reject him when he offered her the ninth lot. First-timers were prohibited from taking any of the first ten positions. Eventually she ended up with number twenty-six, and a few coins for the trade. She was apparently as clever as her reputation suggested.

  Lerrum continued reading for several hours, taking small breaks here and there. At one point, Selsey asked to borrow a book. They had a brief conversation about the flower incident a week ago, for which Lerrum apologized for his minor role. She appeared to be somewhat receptive to the idea of forgiving them, but it wouldn’t be anytime soon.

  Suddenly, and without warning, the room fell silent. Everyone had felt the awful sensation of nakedness that accompanied the start of the Tempest. Their connection to the aether had been lost, and with it, their ability to replenish mana.

  The mages with the first three lots were already in position at the foot of the island crystal. They sat in meditation, slowly feeding their mana to the crystal keeping the island afloat. Each of the next three lots stood behind one of the meditating mages, ready to take their place when they tap out. Or pass out, which is often the case when people completely empty their mana pools.

  After a little over nine minutes, the first mage retired. He was immediately replaced by the one standing behind her. An attendant clicked a button on the magical construct he was holding and shouted for the seventh lot. Not long after, the second and third mages bowed out, and the announcer called for lots eight and nine.

  Nine minutes was the time to shoot for. Anything less is considered quite shameful. A Tempest can last anywhere from two to three hours, which makes nine minutes the average time a mage would need to spend at the crystal for an average Tempest. Most mages selected for the task could average ten, and there were plenty of extras in case of a longer Tempest.

  Lerrum waited nervously for his number to be called. He thought about the chaos outside his peaceful little chamber. People were fighting horrid monsters spawned from the abundant miasma, winds and debris were ripping apart people’s unprotected homes, and countless islands were falling out of the sky — some with people still on them.

  “Fifteen!” shouted the attendant.

  Lerrum had already moved to the front after fourteen had been called. He took his place behind a mage who had been going for thirteen minutes already. He wondered how long Narro could last. The boy could probably pull a double shift. The man in front of him passed out after fourteen minutes and three seconds. He’d been trying for the island’s record, but the man fell short by more than a minute.

  An attendant swiftly pulled the unconscious mage out of the way, and Lerrum darted in to take the man’s place. He began slowly releasing his mana, which the crystal eagerly drank up. The sensation differed from any he had previously felt. It wasn’t quite like casting a spell, nor was it like feeding mana into a construct. He felt in tune with the crystal.

  A strange sense of warm nostalgia flooded his mind, as if he were an old man sitting down to eat with a good friend he hadn’t seen in many years. The feeling was overwhelming. Lerrum stopped thinking, stopped worrying. All of his problems faded into pure bliss. At the height of his ecstasy, Lerrum thought he could hear a familiar voice. It was Kestie. She was confessing her feelings for him on that warm island so many years ago.

  After eleven minutes and seventeen seconds, Lerrum passed out.