The Mages' Guild

"The mages with the blue trim on their robes are ArtMages," Queen Adeline explains as you look around. "ArtMages are one step below CraftMages. Most are content to stay that way. The mages with the purple trim are CraftMages. Those are the ones that mostly teach the students who plan to stay and work at Stronghold for most of their lifetime. The other students, who plan to go home after they get control of the Bond, are taught the basics by ArtMages. ArtMages also teach students whose Bonds are not as strong."

She leads you across the room to a table where a student is being taught by a CraftMage. The mage looks up and sees Queen Adeline, but does not move or make any noise. Instead she looks back to her student and watches him intently.

Queen Adeline is not offended. In fact, she is more pleased, and interested herself. You follow her example and watch the student, who has not realized you and the Queen stand behind him, and his work.

He is concentrating so hard his brow is sweating a little. His hands are trembling a little from stress. You look across to the mage, and you see something that alarms you for a second. Her eyes have taken on a purple haze. You look over at the Queen and her eyes have done the same. You realize it must be normal, and make a point to ask the Queen about it later.

The student is looking at a dead plant in a pot in front of him. You can't see anything happening, but you see the plant is brown and wilted, and has been dead a while. After a minute of watching you begin to get a little restless; then something amazing happens.

A bit of green pushes itself into the brown and starts to work it's way up. It gets to the first leaf, makes it to the middle and tries to expand to the entire leaf, but the student fails, exhausted.

The purple haze is gone from both the Queen's and the CraftMage's eyes, and the mage straightens and applauds softly.

"Why are you applauding?" the student asked, obviously disappointed. "I failed."

"Not completely," the mage frowns. "The plant is alive."

The student looks down at it as if he doesn't believe her. The green has not grown, but it has not disappeared, either.

"Your next task is to keep it alive. By the end of this ondai I want the plant healthy and vibrant." She smiles. "Now turn and greet your Queen."

The student whirls around so quickly he almost looses his balance. "Your Majesty--" he stammers, "--I did not know you were--"

"That's quite all right, William," she replies, amused. "Very, very nice work. How long have you been here?"

"About four ondais, your Highness."

"And already doing such fine work?" she askes, feigning surprise. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised. You have fine teachers."

The woman smiles. "You flatter too much, your Majesty. I'm not half as good as Master Marie."

"Maybe not, but you are still a CraftMage. And Marie is Head Mage, after all. Besides, she's a heck of a lot older."

The woman chuckles.

The Queen smiles generously at the student. "You did wonderfully, William. Why don't you take a break?"

"Thank you, your Majesty," he grins happily, bows akwardly and runs off."

The Queen smiles. "This is Rita, a teacher at our Academy and an esteemed CraftMage."

"Pleased to meet you," the woman nods, and extends her hand.

You exchange greetings and the Queen asks Rita to explain a little magic to you.

"Well, of course I can't teach you any," she says, "but I can explain the basics. Magic is simply the manipulating of energy. For all mages who aren't Craft level, they manipulate their own energy. They use it, twist it, convert it. They make it do what they want it to. Obviously, some mages are better than others.

"CraftMages simply use other energy, energy from other sources. Plants, animals, dirt, even air. Fire, water, living or dead, moving or still. It doesn't matter, because everything is made out of energy. The trick, the challenge for a CraftMage is to leave enough of that energy behind so that whatever he or she borrowed it from doesn't die or cease to exist.

"This does not explain why CraftMages are still exhausted after magic use. The thoery would be that with the constant energy running through them, even their own supply would be replaced. But CraftMages loose mental energy using their MageEyes looking for substantial sources to use for energy."

"MageEyes," you repeat. "Was that the purple haze you both had to your eyes?"

"That's exactly it," Rita says. "That just shows that the person is using MageEyes. Some people without the gift have MageEyes as well. When you are below Craft and you use them, the energy is a small glow. That signifies that you cannot use it. But when you advance to Craft energy blares at you like bright rays of sun all directed at you. I've heard the Queen, when she first discovered her MageEyes, was already to the level of Craft."

The Queen blushes a little. "My Bond had been blocked. After I met Jacob and discovered he was a mage, I asked him to take a look. He removed the barriers, and that knocked me out, and when I awoke I had my MageEyes. Everything blared at me, as Rita said, and I didn't know what to do. My eyes were closed until Jacob linked with me and showed me how to put up shields."

"Yes, when I first received Craft I was a little surprised," Rita smiles. "That's pretty much all there is to it, though. It's quite a lot of work. It takes an enormous level of concentration."

"It's very fascinating," you say.

"Thank you, Rita, for your time," says the Queen. "We must have lunch together sometime soon."

"Yes, that would be wonderful."

"But now we must be on our way," she sighs. She begins to depart, and you nod to Rita as you follow her out.