The three priestesses sat two rows below, their expressions a mix of nervous anticipation and excitement. Valen Aldrich, ever the noble, took a seat front and center, straight-backed and exuding an air of superiority, as if merely being present was beneath him.
A hush fell over the room as the door at the front of the hall swung open.
A tall, silver-haired woman strode in, her presence commanding the immediate attention of every student. Her sharp blue eyes scanned the room like a hawk searching for weaknesses.
"Welcome to Wildeguard Academy," she said, her voice crisp and precise. "I am professor Yveris Kaelthorne, and this is ‘Introduction to Combat Magic and Tactical Spellcasting’. If you are here for relaxing, theoretical discussions on magic, you have walked into the wrong hall… and the wrong academy at that. Here, we will deal with magic as a tool of battle. Your spells will save your life… or cost you it, if used improperly. My job is to ensure you do not die due to incompetence."
A few students shifted uncomfortably at the bluntness of her words. Darken, however, grinned. "Oh, I like her already."
Yveris ignored the murmurs and continued, "In this course, we will cover the practical use of magic in direct combat. That means battlefield awareness, energy conservation, counterspells, and, most importantly, application under pressure. Magic is not just about throwing fireballs. It’s about knowing when not to throw one, how to break an opponent’s focus, and how to survive against someone stronger than you."
She tapped the blackboard behind her, and glowing golden script appeared, listing the course structure.
Course Objectives:
- Spell Efficiency & Energy Management
- Defensive Casting & Warding Techniques
- Combat Movement & Positioning
- Breaking an Opponent’s Concentration
- Magic Versus Mundane Combatants
- Duels and Live Combat Exercises
"Before we begin," she continued, pacing slowly along the front row, "I want to assess what I’m working with. Each of you will stand, introduce yourselves, and state your primary field of magic. I do not care about what ‘class’ you chose. Tell me what you specialize in. If you do not know, that is acceptable. You will by the end of this semester."
The room fell into a momentary silence before the first student hesitantly rose.
"I'm Eris, I specialize in elemental spells," said a lean, dark-haired girl, her voice steady but cautious.
Next, a young anubian boy stood, his ears straight up from nervosity. "Torvin. Earth magic, mainly defensive."
The introductions continued, with students listing their magical specialties. A wide range of themes like fire evocation, healing and support, illusion, and frost manipulation.
Valen Aldrich, when his turn came, stood up and proclaimed confidently. "Valen Aldrich of House Aldrich. Specializing in combat magic."
Professor Yveris arched an eyebrow. "Combat magic. Broad category. Have you mastered anything specific, or just setting things on fire?"
Valen’s jaw tightened. "I am quite proficient in a variety of fire, lightning, force, and wind-based combat spells."
"Hm. We shall see," she remarked, before nodding to the next student.
A heavy thud shook the floor as the next student rose to his feet. He wasn’t just muscular. He was massive. A wall of sheer bulk, his custom-made robe barely containing his bulging biceps and thick, corded forearms. His chest looked like it had been sculpted from stone, broad enough that it seemed a size too large for the classroom setting. Thick veins traced over his skin and his neck alone looked as if it could snap a lesser man’s arm like a twig.
"Kane Veldig," he rumbled, his voice as deep and heavy as the rest of him. "Specializing in alchemical and magical body enhancement."
Professor Yveris arched a delicate eyebrow. “I see,” she said dryly, looking him up and down. “That explains why you look like you bench-press horses instead of spellbooks.”
A few chuckles rippled through the room, but Kane merely folded his tree-trunk arms across his chest and gave a slow, confident nod.
“I use a combination of alchemical mixtures and enhancement magic to push my body past its limits. Strength, endurance, resilience. I become the weapon rather than wielding one.”
Professor Yveris tapped a finger against her chin, still appraising him. “A fascinating approach. You’ve turned yourself into a walking fortress, rather than a spellcaster. Let’s hope you have the brains to match the brawn. Otherwise, your first duel will be a very short one.”
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Kane grinned, flexing slightly, and a few students swore they heard the fabric of his robe strain. “We’ll see, professor.”
The introductions continued, though it was clear that the mountain of a man had left quite the impression.
A slender female elf stood. She had short black her, that emphasized her pale skin. “Lyriel Dawnwhisper. Stealth magic, wards and fear spells.”
The professor nodded. “Good combination for combat support. Subtle fear magic can enhance stealth. Fear spells enhance the effectiveness of most wards.”
Weylan felt Selvaras claws tighten painfully into his shoulder. He had dismissed the elf, but now looked again. This time he noticed what Selvara had spotted first. Lyriel wore a pendant of dark iron, depicting a portal crowned by a skull. The symbol of Nistrul. Before he could react, the professor’s eyes fell on him. He was next.
He stood. "Weylan. Shadow magic.”
The professor frowned slightly. "Specialized or restricted?"
Weylan paused. “I… I’m not sure about the difference.”
The professor elaborated patiently. “Have you specialized into learning shadow spells, but could learn other spells, or are you restricted to only using shadow affinity mana?”
"Restricted, then. I know a single spell I would prefer not to disclose and I can move shadows. And I have a familiar."
Selvara gave a small, prideful caw.
Yveris studied them for a moment before nodding. "Shadow manipulation. Not common. Mostly quite niche use cases. We’ll see what we can do with that."
When Ulmenglanz stepped forward, the teacher stepped forward before she could even speak. "A dryad? That means some serious inborn combat potential. I assume you will be using druidic magic?" she asked.
Ulmenglanz, however, shook her head calmly. "I’m a healer first and foremost. I use standard healing spells, not druidic magic." She let that sink in for a moment before adding "And while I can hold myself in battle, there is still much to learn."
"A pure healer. Rare in this academy, but useful." Yveris nodded in approval.
Lastly, the priestesses stood together. Alina spoke for them. "Alina, Faya, and Mirabelle. We’re priestesses of Lieselotte, trained primarily in healing and protective magic."
The professor considered them for a long moment before speaking. "More healing specialists, willing to learn combat techniques. Very good. Too many support mages think defense is only about healing and wards. If you’re in this class, I expect you to be willing to fight. You are aware, that it will be hard for you to adapt new spells to your priestly casting style?"
Mirabelle nodded, while the other two priestesses looked confused. “Of course. Our spells rely on channeled prayers rather than structured arcane force. We will have to find the appropriate chants and gestures, as well as get the approval of our goddess for each spell.”
The instructor nodded. "Then be prepared for a lot of work. Divine magic isn’t as flexible as arcane spellcasting, and combat spells will require precise adaptation." She clapped her hands, and a ward on the floor around her flared to life. The same phenomenon they’d seen in the arena. "That’s enough talking. Now, I want to see what you can actually do."
The professor made a grand gesture. "Wildeguard was built for hands-on learning. And today, you learn by dueling."
A murmur of excitement and nervous energy rippled through the students.
"Pair up," she ordered. "Two against two. Healers, I expect you to be in the fight as well, not just standing back. Chose a non-healer partner. You all claim to be competent. Let’s find out if that’s true."
When the dryad stood up and went looking for a partner, professor Kaelthorne stopped her. Her usual stern expression softened. “You’re, of course, exempt from active combat training,” she said crisply. “You may use the time to rest or study...”
“Why would I be exempt?” Ulmenglanz interrupted, blinking. “I can fight.”
Kaelthorne hesitated. “Because of your... condition.”
Ulmenglanz narrowed her eyes. “What condition? I am in excellent health and fully capable.”
The professor cleared her throat. “Calla reported seeing you arrive with a sapling. I assumed it was... symbolic of a new life.”
There was a pause. A very dry pause.
“Oh,” Ulmenglanz said, blinking slowly. “That. No. Thank you for your consideration, but I’m not pregnant. It was a gift. Not a birthtree.”
“Understood,” Kaelthorne replied, already moving on as if nothing had happened. “Carry on.”
* * *
While professor Kaelthorne continued organizing, Faya sidled up beside Ulmenglanz with barely contained curiosity.
“So,” she said, lowering her voice, “about that... sapling. Do dryads really, um, carry their young in pots? Or... is it like a tree magic thing?”
Ulmenglanz turned to her with serene composure. “No, nothing like that. Dryads conceive much like most humanoids do. We just have to also create a seedling, since a dryad needs a birthtree.”
Faya blinked. “Wait, much like...?”
Weylan noticed the professor stopping and listening in with an expectant smirk. He assumed she knew Eichenkiel for years and therefore knew what was coming. She even shushed a student who had a question.
Faya didn't notice.
Ulmenglanz nodded. “Of course. The couple meets at the female’s birthtree. The male brings a bag of pollen from his tree and applies it the female's tree. Brushes work, but I prefer having a druid with wind magic present. Streams of golden pollen twirling around the tree, touching every flower... It's quite beautiful. After uniting the birthtrees, the bond between the dryads is reaffirmed and we come to the intertwining. Flesh to flesh.”
She continued with a vivid description of her favorite foreplay.
Faya’s eyes widened. “I... Oh. Oh wow.”
Ulmenglanz continued without hesitation. “It’s a beautiful process. The aura of the birthtree strengthens the connection. Some prefer to climb up and use the branches for support, but I prefer leaning with my back against the trunk...”
Kaelthorne interjected: "Do you use your bark skin ability to prevent rashes from the rough bark?"
Ulmenglanz shook her head. "No, that can't be used selectively, so it would be quite uncomfortable on the parts where the partners are touching. Sometimes barks kin is unintentionally activated by inexperienced dryads due to the unfamiliar excitement. Embarrassing, really." She continued her description, including some quite explicit gestures.
Faya was already red. Selvara gave a strangled squawk from Weylan’s shoulder and the rest of the class had fallen silent and was listening intently.
“...and if the male partner is unusually large, one could use more oil. But I’ve never minded size, so long as the rhythm matches...”
“I... I’m going to faint,” Faya whispered, clutching her notebook to her chest.
“I was just asking about the sapling!” Faya finally managed. “Not your favorite mating rituals!”
“Oh,” Ulmenglanz said, tilting her head. “Well, you should have been more specific.”
Faya made a noise somewhere between a whimper and a wheeze, then promptly turned on her heel and power-walked toward the far end of the training field, her ears glowing bright red.
Ulmenglanz simply returned to adjusting her belt for the combat to come, entirely unbothered.
Weylan suppressed a snicker, then got serious again. He stood up rolling his shoulders. Next stop would be the arena and finding out how good his competition truly was.