Abaddon's Call

Chapter Twenty-One

"Monday," Ereil said as he entered the classroom late. "I apologize, everyone. The dean wished to join us, but it appears he was indisposed and forgot to mention it. So, here we are. Naena."

He spoke her name as if she had missed an appointment with him. Maeno saw her snap to attention, eyebrows rising.

"Yes, sir?"

Ereil gave her a long, hard, considering look.

"All you did was hold a glass orb?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

"You're either very smart or very stupid," Ereil said with a chuckle. "Now, come and present something to your fellows about barriers and boundaries."

The whole class stiffened. None of them were prepared to be called upon to present.

Maeno gulped and shifted as Naena stood slowly, dragging herself up. Nendan hadn't said anything about how the classes would go, just drilled Maeno on information for his presentation.

"What did you all think this was?" Ereil asked as he looked over the class. "Naena, four to five minutes, no more. Go."

"Paper?" she asked.

"You didn't bring paper?" he asked.

"No, I don't get paid, and there's some new rule about shields having to pay for their supplies. Found out this morning. Ran out in Basic Charms."

"Did you... complain to Trathor, by chance?"

"Not yet. I've not had the chance to make it there."

"What did you do over lunch?"

Naena stared at Ereil for a moment. The shield mage's tone was accusatory as if Naena should have known better. Ereil expected more of Naena.

"Service," she said finally.

Ereil sighed heavily and gave her a frustrated, annoyed look. He pulled a sheet of paper and a pencil from his desk, both of which he handed to Naena. She drew something on the paper and then looked out over the class.

"Boundaries stop the physical," she said. "Barriers stop the magical. A typical spell will have both because the magic causes a physical reaction in the world, and without the boundary, the reaction you want can't manifest properly. So—" she held the paper up with one hand and slipped her other into it, only to have it appear six feet away to wave to the class. "How does this work? A party trick made by bankers during some spat with the teleporters. Mage families see it as beneath them. A sideshow for the poor to be entertained by. But where's the boundary?"

As she withdrew her hand, Maeno began wondering at the possibilities of that spell: if it was an illusion or based in an actual spat between bankers and teleporters? If Naena hadn't just created magic to reach between two places? If she could draw an object back through with her hand?

Or send it through to unleash something on the other side.

When she flipped the paper over to show the class, Maeno jotted down the spell and began documenting the effects of it. Nendan could fill in the rest.

As his notes finished, Maeno realized there was no boundary or barrier. The edge of the paper could only count as one.

As far as he was aware.

"Thank Mason, Trathor wasn't here to see that," Ereil muttered as Naena finished and he stood. "It is brilliant, Miss Naena, but never do parlour tricks in front of the dean, not even to make a point or save the day, apparently. Can you tell me how it works? That spell, there."