Every time she turned the page, her hand aged more. That’s how it felt to her at least, as Francisca sat at her desk pawing through another tome. She had now been training to be a wizard for twenty three years, give or take a few months. Was she anywhere nearer to finishing her training than five years ago? Who knew? She most certainly didn’t.
Master Telebrinx was a hard ass. She had been warned when he was offering to take her on as a pupil when she was ready to advance to third circle. Jasar had told her that he had approximately thirty six thirds under his tutelage scattered across the world, almost triple the number of the next Master, and that the last time any of them had been promoted was at the end of the Gold Dragon Rebellion, a date that was long enough ago that people were not sure exactly when it ended. Was it the twelfth of Midsummer seventy four years ago or the seventeenth of Hellsmouth seventy two years ago?
The scholars debated it to this day with no clear answer due to a number of factors. Something that she had read twelve years, three months, five days, four hours, three minutes and fifty-four seconds ago when she was regretting her choices with a particular scholarly vigour that led her to write a scathing book on the subject.
It became a useful study guide stocked in many school rooms. She probably resented that most.
Jasar had warned her. But did she listen? No. She thought she would be the exception? The Elizabeth the Bold of her generation who would amaze the masters with her grasp of spells even with her past and skills and become something indescribably amazing for all to see. Even better, unlike Elizabeth she had spells in her blood (or at least they might be in the blood, there are a bunch of theories as to where magic lies in different species. Again, another book in the making). She could naturally manipulate life energy to a high degree – it had come in very handy. Since then she had learnt and mastered the principles of all basic schools of magic. She knew she had. She could do four part bindings and replicate abilities to a high standard.
She knew she could.
But would Master Telebrinx acknowledge this? No. No he bloody well wouldn’t.
Stubborn ass.
So instead, another book. Francisca read more and more, with the hope that she would learn something from the endless library in the university. Once she had learnt everything, she would travel to the next and learn everything in that one, then the next and so on. She had already read one third of the books in the collection, which was an accomplishment that most never achieved. The archivists kept a tally on these things, she knew that only twelve other people had read as many as she had. Only four had read half. One had read all.
Master Telebrinx – obviously.
That was her way in. If she could read all the books, she would prove herself to him. If she could read all the books in the world, she would surpass him, then he would have to acknowledge her. There was no way he couldn’t at that point.
Stubborn ass.
Red Mage Darni 