understanding. Those laws might not exist here.
“You have the potential to be a proper sorceress, he says.” The Grandmaster looked down at the table, as if he couldn’t be bothered looking at her. “We will have to verify that, of course, and in doing so we must ensure that you receive a proper grounding in all forms of magic. There will be several days of testing before we start assigning you to classes, as well as exercises and other tricks to hone your powers in the proper direction.”
Emily nodded, feeling her head spinning. There were more forms of magic than just two?
The Grandmaster looked up at her, sharply. “Have you worked magic already?”
Emily hesitated. “I ... I don’t think so,” she said, finally. “I sensed magic, but...”
He shook his head. “We’ll have to show you how to unlock your powers. I’ll have Mistress Irene work with you, at least at first.”
He studied her for a long moment. “Void wasn’t entirely clear on where you came from,” he said. “Would you care to enlighten me?”
It wasn’t a request, Emily realized. Quickly, she ran through the entire story, from when she’d been kidnapped by Shadye to the moment Void had put her on the dragon and sent her to Whitehall. Uniquely, at least in the adults she had met, he had the ability to listen without interrupting. The Grandmaster listened until she had finished, and then asked her a couple of questions for clarification. Emily answered the first one easily, but the second was impossible. There was no magic in her world, as far as she knew.
“Interesting,” the Grandmaster said. He looked down at the table again. “First things first; Void or Shadye gave you a translation spell, probably Shadye. There is something about it that suggests that it was designed for use on someone who might not want it. You can understand us, but I suspect you won’t be able to read our writing.”
Emily shook her head, remembering the painting. She’d wondered how she could talk to the locals; neither Shadye nor Void would know English. Of course they’d used magic to translate their words into something she could understand! Under the circumstances, it bothered her; one of them had cast a spell on her and she hadn’t even realized it until the Grandmaster had pointed it out. What else might they have done to her?
But the Grandmaster pressed onwards before she had enough time to ponder that thought.
“I will have Mistress Irene teach you a basic translation spell for written words,” he said. “Beyond that, you may be well advised to study the language and learn it as quickly as possible. A proper understanding will make it easier to take your studies forward to the highest levels.”
It wasn’t a request, Emily realized. Part of her wanted to chaff at the requirement–no one had ever forced her to learn another language–but the practical part of her mind told her that she had no choice. Besides, she had never studied outside the country before. The rules were probably different for exchange students. They had to be able to communicate with their hosts.
He smiled, thinly. “You’re not from this world, but I’ll give you the standard lecture anyway. The Allied Lands may have countless disputes, ancient and modern, but they are not tolerated in this school. Students who pick fights with other students over such divisive issues are punished; those who remain here long enough to enter the advanced classes are expected to swear an oath to the White Council and abandon their nationalist beliefs. There are too many necromancers out there for us to be distracted by infighting.”
“Yes, sir,” Emily said. Questions filled her mind, demanding answers. What was the White Council? And what were the advanced classes? She pushed them aside, knowing that there would be time to find out later. She needed to get her bearings first.
The Grandmaster shrugged. “You should be able to rise above it, as whatever disputes there were
“You have the potential to be a proper sorceress, he says.” The Grandmaster looked down at the table, as if he couldn’t be bothered looking at her. “We will have to verify that, of course, and in doing so we must ensure that you receive a proper grounding in all forms of magic. There will be several days of testing before we start assigning you to classes, as well as exercises and other tricks to hone your powers in the proper direction.”
Emily nodded, feeling her head spinning. There were more forms of magic than just two?
The Grandmaster looked up at her, sharply. “Have you worked magic already?”
Emily hesitated. “I ... I don’t think so,” she said, finally. “I sensed magic, but...”
He shook his head. “We’ll have to show you how to unlock your powers. I’ll have Mistress Irene work with you, at least at first.”
He studied her for a long moment. “Void wasn’t entirely clear on where you came from,” he said. “Would you care to enlighten me?”
It wasn’t a request, Emily realized. Quickly, she ran through the entire story, from when she’d been kidnapped by Shadye to the moment Void had put her on the dragon and sent her to Whitehall. Uniquely, at least in the adults she had met, he had the ability to listen without interrupting. The Grandmaster listened until she had finished, and then asked her a couple of questions for clarification. Emily answered the first one easily, but the second was impossible. There was no magic in her world, as far as she knew.
“Interesting,” the Grandmaster said. He looked down at the table again. “First things first; Void or Shadye gave you a translation spell, probably Shadye. There is something about it that suggests that it was designed for use on someone who might not want it. You can understand us, but I suspect you won’t be able to read our writing.”
Emily shook her head, remembering the painting. She’d wondered how she could talk to the locals; neither Shadye nor Void would know English. Of course they’d used magic to translate their words into something she could understand! Under the circumstances, it bothered her; one of them had cast a spell on her and she hadn’t even realized it until the Grandmaster had pointed it out. What else might they have done to her?
But the Grandmaster pressed onwards before she had enough time to ponder that thought.
“I will have Mistress Irene teach you a basic translation spell for written words,” he said. “Beyond that, you may be well advised to study the language and learn it as quickly as possible. A proper understanding will make it easier to take your studies forward to the highest levels.”
It wasn’t a request, Emily realized. Part of her wanted to chaff at the requirement–no one had ever forced her to learn another language–but the practical part of her mind told her that she had no choice. Besides, she had never studied outside the country before. The rules were probably different for exchange students. They had to be able to communicate with their hosts.
He smiled, thinly. “You’re not from this world, but I’ll give you the standard lecture anyway. The Allied Lands may have countless disputes, ancient and modern, but they are not tolerated in this school. Students who pick fights with other students over such divisive issues are punished; those who remain here long enough to enter the advanced classes are expected to swear an oath to the White Council and abandon their nationalist beliefs. There are too many necromancers out there for us to be distracted by infighting.”
“Yes, sir,” Emily said. Questions filled her mind, demanding answers. What was the White Council? And what were the advanced classes? She pushed them aside, knowing that there would be time to find out later. She needed to get her bearings first.
The Grandmaster shrugged. “You should be able to rise above it, as whatever disputes there were
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