From the journal of Madeline Le Torneau: “All the information made my head hurt.”

  “This first lesson isn’t really a lesson insofar as the next lessons will actually have a structure,” Professor Herbert explained, standing at the head of the class. “This first one is done as more of a question and answer period. Outside these walls, the machinations within are kept intentionally vague. That’s done on purpose. It’s also one of the Academy Commandments. Offering Academy details to anyone not of the Academy is strictly forbidden. Any questions on that before we move on?”

  Silence greeted the Professor, indicating full understanding of her words.

  “Good,” Herbert grabbed a piece of chalk, tossed it in the air, caught it then turned toward the blackboard.

  She wrote one singular word on the board in big, blocky letters: ‘Rot’.

  “We’ve all been touched by the Rot, directly or indirectly whether we know it or not. This is generally accepted. But can anyone detail what the Rot actually is?”

  The soft-featured Professor waited with a gentle smile. As most classrooms that held people who barely knew each other, nary a hand raised into the air. Except Hayden. Hers didn’t necessarily shoot up, no, it raised with the slowness of someone hoping another hand would be called upon instead.

  “Miss Nakis, please go ahead,” Herbert encouraged. “No need to stand up, just make sure you project your voice.”

  “Yes, Professor. Is that good?” Hayden spoke in an elevated voice, not quite a shout but close.

  “Yes, dear. Go on, then.”

  “The Rot is an infection, basically. It’s the influence of dark forces on our world, coordinated by Rotbosses and other bad guys. I mean, bad guys probably isn’t the technical term but you know what I’m trying to say,” Hayden explained, flushing red when the proper terminology didn’t come to her.

  Professor Herbert nodded and spoke to the class at large, not just Hayden. “We do, Miss Nakis, thank you for being brave and volunteering to be the first to speak. It’s never easy to go first and you are correct, besides. The Rot is an infection upon our world and as Hayden points out, it seeps into every place that will let it and most places that don’t. We cannot close our eyes to this.”

  Hayden raised her hand again, this time without thinking and then paled when she realized what she’d done. She put it down by her side. Professor Herbert noticed and called on her again. Hayden shook her head but Professor Herbert insisted. “It’s alright, dear. Ask away, that’s very much the point of this exercise. Not to mention that usually if you’re thinking something that means others are as well.”

  “Yes, Professor,” Hayden said, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I was just going to ask if the Rot could infect the Academy?”

  Madeline furrowed her brow watching the exchange between the petite Hayden and Professor Herbert. She’d been wondering the same thing.

  Professor Herbert didn’t answer right away, searching for the correct words. “It’s possible, yes. We’d be negligent to ignore the possibility of bad actors trying to take over the education of you all. That being said, everyone in a position of authority here has gone through extremely thorough vetting processes and are necessarily graduates of the Academy. You can feel safe.”

  This line of commentary seemed to open the floodgates of conversation as several of the boys raised their hands. Hayden sagged in her chair, thankful that the spotlight moved elsewhere in the room.

  Herbert called on a pudgy boy, shorter and with shaggy hair who she introduced as Stefan Starr. “How can we be sure of that, Professor?” Stefan asked.

  This question, challenging as it might be, only lit up Professor Herbert’s face. “Yes, excellent question Mr. Starr. You’ve stumbled onto one of the most vile parts about the Rot. Trust. If the Rot infects every part of our society including possibly the most influential power brokers in the Empire and indeed the Academy, how can we trust anyone or anything? The Rotforces prey on this. They want us to fight with one another, to be inherently suspicious of one another, to argue and to plot. It’s a good plan. Every minute we spend working against each other is a minute spent not working against them. So, you must decide. I choose not to let paranoia take over.”

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  The other hands went down as they considered Herbert’s words. In a way, they made sense. In another, Madeline thought that offering unconditional trust made about as much sense as dunking her head into a vat of Mapelore Syrup and trying to breathe.

  “Okay, let’s move on then, shall we?” Professor Herbert urged the class. “Let’s talk about the magic.” The Professor turned back to the chalkboard and drew five circles along a horizontal plane at the bottom of the board. “Stick with me now,” she said. “These are the affinities.” She drew a letter inside each circle, signifying the five affinities. “You’re all Energy Warriors. Well, I am technically the only Warrior in the group, you’re all initiates. Let me rephrase. You will all become Energy Warriors one day.” She put her piece of chalk on the circle marked with an ‘E’. Then, violently, she dragged the chalk a quarter of the way up the board.

  She turned around and gaged the class's startled reaction. She laughed softly. “Sorry, that’s always so much fun. This line is your power level. Now, for the sake of this argument I’m assuming you’re all going to be roughly the same. That’s not true, of course, but alas. The obvious question becomes why can we only wield the power of one affinity? Anyone know?”

  Madeline frowned. She had no idea. She’d never given it any thought, this was simply how things had been done for a thousand years. Most people had no magical spark but those that did could only wield one type of power. Looking around the class, it seemed like most of the others knew the answer to the question, most hands went up including Talia’s along with Hayden, Stefan and most of the boys.

  “Miss Vansaghe, please,” Professor Herbert instructed.

  Talia answered. “Being good at one thing means pushing down the ability of other things.”

  “Indeed,” Professor Herbert smiled.

  “My parents taught me that one,” Talia whispered and nudged Madeline.

  “Your inherent power is finite. Think of these circles as wells. You can only pull so much water from the well before it runs dry. That’s even assuming you have the spark to even access more than the dregs of all five wells - which is not guaranteed - as most people with the spark only have it in one or two affinities.” She took the chalk and drew four more lines, identical in size with the one she drew from the Energy circle. “So, it’s technically possible for you to be able to access this amount of magic from each affinity but functionally it’s pointless. You’d barely be able to light a match with this much power or grow a small leaf or…well, you understand my point.”

  Professor Herbert grabbed an eraser and erased the four lines she just drew.

  Madeline shook the cobwebs from her head and whispered back to Talia. “Do you understand any of this? How can you pull from all five wells if you can’t access more than a trickle from all five wells?”

  Talia nodded, a short motion from top to bottom then whispered back. “Yes, don’t stress, it’ll snap into place. Promise.”

  “So,” Professor Herbert continued, “instead of trying to use all five wells to wield all five disciplines, we use all five wells and -,” she went back to the chalk Energy line and dragged it all the way up the chalkboard until it hit the top. Then she threw the chalk in the air to signify continued height of her chalk line and let it fall to the ground with a clatter. “Exponential growth. None of you will ever be able to use any necromantic power for example. But you’ll be able to launch some pretty badass fireballs,” the aging Professor smiled, grabbed her scepter and snapped her finger, a fireball appearing in her hand. She threw it at the hearth and it crackled into the wood, burning higher.

  “Fuck yeah,” Stefan said, wiping sweat from his greasy brow.

  “Language, Mr. Starr,” Herbert said. “Any questions?”

  Madeline had about a million. She asked none. Willow raised her hand, tucking a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. “This will help us fight the Rotmonsters?”

  “Indeed, Miss Riggs, indeed. This is a battle school, first, foremost and some might say only. Our roles are critical in the battle teams. In time, talking years here not weeks, we’ll liaise with the other affinities and form teams. To give a very basic overview, teams are made of five members, one from each affinity. Each have their own responsibilities within that team but the Warriors are most often those leading the lines.”

  A silence washed over the group as they considered what it meant to wield the power in an actual fight. Professor Herbert smiled knowingly. The conversation began to meander, they discussed the various roles Energy Warrior’s typically occupied during fighting, both in their teams of five and as a part of the larger battle collective.

  After about an hour, the lesson concluded with Professor Herbert glancing at the ornate clock on her desk. “Ah, and right on time,” she said, just as the classroom door opened. She waved toward the entrance, beckoning Professor Carolina Walcotte inside. Professor Walcotte wore the classic black and red Energy Warrior garb, holding onto her scepter with the casual grace of a preying cobra. Despite her beauty - her sandy blonde hair complimented her full lips in a dangerously alluring way - Professor Walcotte gave the impression that anyone trifling with her would meet a very bad time indeed.

  “Professor Walcotte, punctual as always. I’m getting the sense that all this classroom talk is making the students' eyes glaze over,” Professor Herbert’s eyes sparkled. She’d obviously been through this before. “A little bit of practical demonstration should perk them right up. Good work today class. Next, we’ll discuss the machinations of Rotdens. Initiates, clean your stations, pack your things and follow Professor Walcotte.”

  Madeline gathered her notebook and pen, putting them carefully into the Academy provided bag.

  “Ah, except for Miss Le Torneau and Miss Vansaghe. I do need to speak with you a moment.”