Chapter 13: Mind Magic

The hologram changed, showing humans standing triumphantly over the Elves, the banner of the Empire flying high. "With these blessed engines, we found victory, pushing our foes out of the outer ring and reclaiming our lost planets. At the forefront of these efforts were what many have come to know as the Heroes of Humanity, a force I was lucky enough to be a part of." Dozens of tall humans appeared, each unique in their own right. Magical energies floated around them and their weapons, their faces confident and strong. Some were shrouded in darkness, others looked as vibrant as the stars. Fire, lightning, blood, and many other powers danced along their bodies, their control impeccable. ’The heroes!’ It was a familiar sight to Charon, who had read about them all his life. He recognized most of them on sight, from Aralin the Daring with his flaming cutlass to the Light Hunter and his twin daggers. With unrestrained excitement, he softly nudged Emerius, as if he wanted confirmation that he was also seeing the awesomeness of it all. His roommate, however, was completely calm and collected. His eyes gleamed softly, but his body was still, the image of a model student. ’Jeez, this guy needs to lighten up! Doesn’t he know how important those people were? They saved us all, time and time again!’ Growing up, Charon had little to do, so he had always turned to stories to fill his days. The men and women might have been distant figures, but to Charon, they were something more. Not letting Emerius’s lack of reaction bring him down, he continued to watch the spectacle. "With the heroes and the Colossus Machines, humanity grew close to victory, and yet the gods sought to test us once more. More Elves were rallied, and the battles became long and arduous. We have even begun to lose more planets in the outer ring, and yet we march on, growing ever closer to ending the Elvish menace once and for all!" With the sound of trumpets and a chorus chanting, the room became full of soldiers standing in unison, their fists raised in a salute. As one, they spoke, their voices coming together. "We serve the Emperor, now and always!" The holograms then vanished, the machines turning themselves off. The classroom burst into applause. Many even gave a standing ovation, Charon being one of them. Through it all, Emerius sat silent, giving no clues to his inner thoughts. Charon couldn’t care less, however, as he was too caught up in the show. ’Now that’s what humanity is all about! We are going to destroy those Elves for everything they’ve done! I’ll personally help take vengeance for my home!’ A stray thought occurred to him that he had judged the students for showing a similar level of pride at the initiation, where they had happily cheered on the upcoming death trials. ’Maybe it’s just part of being a mage. They know their duty and are happy about it. Why should I be any different? I have a rare element, shouldn’t I try and use that to succeed and beat everyone else? I can become something incredible, a weapon for the empire to use to destroy the Elves!’ Professor Estin clapped, silencing the hall as everyone sat back down. "I see many of you are dedicated to your coming tasks, that is good to see. Sadly, that is all I have for you today. Next class, we will take a closer look at our church and the God of Death, so feel free to study up before then! We only have a few classes together before the first trial, so treat each one with respect!" The classroom erupted into conversations as everyone stood to leave, Charon following Emerius as he did the same, his thoughts alight with daydreams. ’I need to do well! If I practice and study hard, I can graduate from this school with incredible powers! I can be one of those heroes!’ The moment they left the classroom, Emerius stopped and turned to him, his gaze hard and tone serious. "Charon, calm yourself." The words hit him like a slap, causing him to frown. "You saw that too, right? How am I supposed to stay calm after that? That is our future, a future of glory and success!" Emerius leaned in close, his eyes never leaving Charon’s. "Don’t fall into the propaganda films so easily. They are touched with Mind magic to cause these kinds of effects. You need to control your thoughts." Charon’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Mind magic?" Emerius nodded, glancing at the other students passing by, many excitedly chatting about how incredible the war was. "Focus on each thought and slow them down. Our next class is combat practice, you don’t want to be thinking about distant conflicts when you have to be protecting yourself." Taking the words to heart, Charon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to be calm. ’Think slow thoughts. If it really is Mind magic, I don’t want it to affect me. I want to control my actions.’ He could feel the energy leaving him with the zeal, but he also felt more in control. It wasn’t completely gone, but it was a step in the right direction. Emerius seemed to notice, taking a step back to give him some space. "Good, you’re a fast learner. The Empire is great, but we are being trained as soldiers. View everything through the lens of what the government will gain by teaching you these things. Nothing here is free, least of all information." Charon never expected such a warning from someone who seemed so proud of his rich heritage. ’I thought everyone from the inner ring was incredibly loyal, and yet Emerius is telling me to second-guess the government.’ As they made their way to the next classroom, Charon continued practicing his mental focus, chipping away at the propaganda piece by piece. By the time they arrived, he felt nearly fine. ’Without the haze, I have more questions than anything. The lecture was short, and it told me very few details. I should try and learn more about it, I imagine it will come up eventually.’ Stepping through another large doorway, he stopped to glance around a wide open room. It was large, bigger than the classroom by at least double. On the far wall were weapon racks, each carrying different items. Off to the right was a gathering of a dozen students, each holding a weapon, their faces full of tension and worry. Some were sitting or lying down, with painful marks all over their exposed hands and faces. Emerius nodded in their direction, before saying: "That’s the class before ours. They will be finishing up, and then we will swap with them. I’ve heard that the professor is a very stern man." The clash of metal brought Charon’s gaze to the center of the room, where he saw a middle-aged man wearing what could only be described as combat robes. The cloth was much tighter to his body, leaving little to flow around. Metal plates covered his shoulders and joints, with his chest having a sleek piece to protect his vitals. It did little to restrain his movements while also providing some protection. He was currently wielding two steel staffs, twirling them to deflect the two students attacking him. One held a blunted sword, while the other charged with an axe. Their strikes were full of strength but held no rhythm; the professor easily dodging and smacking back. ’He’s so fast! I can barely track him with my eyes!’ After a few blows connected, the axe-wielding student gave up with a groan, dropping his weapon and crawling away. The sword-wielding student didn’t last much longer, unable to keep up with the continuous onslaught. Once finished, the two students stood together and gave the professor a bow, who returned a slightly more shallow one before addressing the group. "Next." With shaky movements, the next two stepped forward, their knuckles white as they clutched a katana and a set of daggers. The professor slightly inclined his head, and the battle began, the two throwing themselves forward. Just like the first fight, the second ended with the complete humiliation of the students. Neither had even come close to landing a single strike, while the professor countered every attack with four of his own. Bruises and welts were already forming on the faces of the poor souls who dared oppose the man. With jerky movements, the professor slammed the bottom of both staffs onto the ground, assuring he had everyone’s attention before speaking. "Leave us. Practice your movements before next class. I will not hold back then." With some quiet cries of joy, the first class rushed out of the room, barely pausing to return their weapons to the racks. Turning to Charon’s group, the professor just jerked towards the racks. "Welcome to weapons instruction. Now pick a weapon and stand in line."