Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

12. Class of Misfits

The Arcanum's main obligation was to govern and monitor the practice of magic throughout the country. The Military was an indomitable force, no doubt, but not even they could account for every "incident" involving the mystical arts, nor could they comprehend how exactly to approach such fragile anomalies. Most of them were the shoot first, ask questions type.

But magic was a delicate, sacred exercise. Tragically though, not everyone was of the same opinion. Some, like the bizarre lab rats in the State Military, sought to weaponize it. Reachers and others in the science communities loved to run their experiments on it, aspiring to usher in a new revolutionary age of magically enhanced technology.

And then there were rogue mages, criminals or wanted fugitives who somehow managed to procure themselves wands. Needless to say, the Arcanum had their hands full, being entrusted with a monsoon of different magic-related problems. And so their ranks were primarily composed of some of the best mages and Professional Sorcerers they could find.

Not every sorcerer took that path, however. Some found honor in serving in the Military as State Sorcerers. Many of them were revered as famous war veterans and heroes. One such sorcerer among them was Allan Marsh, the Abyssal Sorcerer.

There weren't many that knew of him. In fact, up until recently, Elaine was no different. This was mainly due to how elusive and discrete the sorcerer was when it came to his work. Based on her eldest brother's description—being the sorcery-obsessed freak that he was—Allan Marsh was one of the strongest sorcerers in the entire country and had quickly risen from being just a novice State Sorcerer to a lieutenant general.

He'd participated in numerous civil conflicts and was responsible for capturing some of the most dangerous rogue mages Incante had the misfortune of bolstering. How did someone like him wind up as an educator of Glyph Academy, Elaine wondered. 

Ellend had mentioned that he had just randomly turned in his letter of resignation one day and then disappeared into the country. But in actuality, he was hired as a professor? No, Elaine didn't buy it. There had to be more to that story. Plus, the man didn't really seem to be...professor material. 

"Alright, let's see here," he yawned, staring at the clipboard in his hands. Sleepy eyes, drooping shoulders, a couldn't-be-bothered attitude. Was he related to Raze, perchance? "I suppose our first order of business is taking attendance," Marsh dryly said. "So here's how we're going to do this, we'll start from the front of the class and make our way to the back. When your name is called...uh...give us an introduction. Tell us a little about yourself, I don't know; it's up to you."

Glad to see he's excited to be here, Elaine thought.

"Oh, and try to keep your intros as brief as possible, will you? We're already running late," he said. "There's twenty-three of you, and I have a few announcements to make at the end, yeah?" Nobody in the class responded—still processing that the Abyssal Sorcerer was their teacher more than likely—and Marsh gave a shrug. "I'll take that as confirmation. Okay then, who's up first?"

Elaine sat forward in her seat. If nothing else, this would serve as a pristine opportunity to get acquainted with her other classmates. At the very least, she'd know their names. True to her expectations, a good majority of them were indeed nobility. There was even a couple of fourth and third cule amongst the bunch. They'd be heirs to thriving businesses or high noble bloodlines; they came from kingdoms that were to her as alien as the Celestial Realm.

But you'd be hard-pressed to guess, however, that they were meant to be goldbloods. Based entirely on personal experience, Elaine could easily identify a noble from out of a crowd of lowborns. They'd talk a certain way or dress expensively or have their servants open the door for them. Surges, on one occasion, she'd spotted a noblewoman complaining that her transport—a fanciful carriage reined by land dragons—wasn't in the color she had requested.