Chapter 3: Professor Curiosity

The woman at the desk let a heavy sigh fall from her lips. Pale fingers that once settled her head in place now lifted to drag loose strands of black hair back behind her ear. Actually, now she simply undid the bun she had most of those tresses tied into.

"It's after hours anyways, who's going to care…" The woman mumbled to herself. Once again her hand came down to her cheek, and she lazily rested her head in her palm. Her other hand held a quill which she just dipped into a tiny vial of ink.

'Anomaly report; Professor Antheia Runeward - 433, 36th of Sailman's Wind.'

Being responsible for an anomaly report always felt like a huge drag. Antheia already had two classes a day to prepare for, teach, and grade, after all. Another piece of paperwork just took away from her sleep.

'Location: Abingdon. Mid-day, on Market Row.'

This one was ridiculous as well. She couldn't believe what she was about to write.

In my personal visit to the trade town of Abingdon, I felt the world's mana shake. I've never felt such a violent shock wave in all of my years. Antheia's tongue was pinched between her teeth while she wrote. Her mind worked overtime still trying to understand what she was writing about.

'Soon after, I witnessed a curious creature,' her handwriting was soft, yet it carried swiftly with thick strokes of ink as if demanding both attention and respect. 'What looked to be a mere farm animal held an unprecedented amount of mana, a mass comparable to my own.'

Indigo hues glistened in the woman's eyes, each pupil darted side to side, following the tip of her feather as she quickly dashed words onto the page.

'The creature's aura flared as if it were not attempting to conceal it.'

A curious thought popped into the lady's mind, and it made her sit back for a moment to think. Mindlessly, the tip of Antheia's thumb found its way between her teeth before she leaned forward to write once more.

'I can only theorize, but it seems to me that it was no mere farm animal. Of course, that should be a given, but then again another type of magical creature will soon be in the area around Abingdon. Dire Wolves, however, rarely possess mana comparable to an acolyte. Let alone a Witch, or Wizard.'

A cold gust of air blew through her open window, and the Witch ignored it. A thin black night robe barely covered her warmest regions, but any thought of the chilly breeze was put to the back of Antheia's mind. While the report would only pile on her work, she couldn't help the curiosity that always rose with odd events like this.

'The appearance of this chicken may be what caused the shock wave, and is most likely attracting the Dire Wolves to the area as well. If that is the case, the farmers of Abingdon will be facing a class three emergency that we have a responsibility to react to.'

'That's right,' Antheia thought, 'the possibility of a class three emergency requires the deployment of at least two mages.'

'I, along with Rania Sailman, are ready and available to begin investigating the matter immediately.'

'Sorry Rania, just getting back and you're going out again.' The witch laughed to herself as the thought crossed her mind.

With that, the Professor wrote her quick salutations at the bottom of the report and placed the paper in an envelope. She grabbed her wax stamp from its burner, and pressed it against the fold of the little container. Pulling it away revealed the violet rendition of a crow, Antheia's House symbol.

"Telana Locas." Antheia chanted quietly, her extended hand birthing a violet glow of mana which reached the oak table top the envelope rested on. It drew a small magic circle, and soon enough the letter disappeared in a quick flash.

Antheias arms reached high, her muscles stretching with a satisfying yawn telling the woman it was time for her to sleep. But, she knew better. Any moment more work would come for her, and it did. In the form of a knock on her office door.

With the sun's light kissing the great meadow, across which lay the grand city of Midtrade, one brunette girl's aqueous eyes dined on the springs' picturesque setting. Her button of a nose took in the misty air as her hands weaved the water from it.

Small, light blue traces of magic formed from her fingers, and dragged the water out of the air itself from her open window. The girl filled buckets by her side while another man trucked them into a room off to the side, one in each hand.

"Rania, take a break. Tatsuo's bath is ready." The man said. He was both tall, and clearly physically strong.

"Okay," the girl said, spinning in her seat. She looked up at the man, and noted the dirty bandages. "Riese," the girl said, "after you take your bath I'll replace those for you."

"That sounds good, Rania. Thank you."

"No problem! I'll take mine last as well." She stated, beginning to turn back to the window. "Oh, could you hand me the canteens?"

"Oh, yeah." Riese said, grabbing the three scattered around the room. Just as the giant handed them to Rania, the girl's spine shivered and her breath caught in her throat, causing her to drop them.

"Rania!" The man fell to a knee, a hand on each of the woman's shoulders. "Hey, what happened?"

"Is…" The girl could hardly speak through labored breaths. "Did someone just appear outside?"

Riese stood, and moved around the woman to peer out of the window. Upon noticing nothing immediately, he leaned out of the window to gaze at their surroundings. Nothing stood out to him as he gazed at the busy morning Midtrade was having.

"Nothing is unusual, Rania. Did you have a mana flux?" Just as Riese asked, Tatsuo burst from the bathing room door with his hands up and ready to fight. Nothing but a towel covered the limber boy's bits, yet that was furthest from anyone's mind. His amber eyes cast around the room, and a look of disappointment flashed over his features when he realized there was no enemy here.

"I know if I felt that, she had to feel it ten times more. What was that?" The blonde apprentice asked.

"I don't know." Rania finally said, breath back in her lungs. "But it was heavy. I'm actually surprised you didn't notice anything, Riese."

"I had a tingle, actually. But yeah, nothing like you two, I've never been so in tune with the world's mana like you guys." The giant of a man said.

"Which is why you're a melee caster, brawny." Tatsuo said, slapping his friends back.

"Really though, I think we should hurry up with our morning and get back home." Rania said, "Professor Runeward might have a better idea than I do."

"What is your idea though?" Tatsuo asked, Riese even looked at her with curiosity written into his eyes.

"Well…" Rania fidgeted with her fingers together. Her gaze turned back to absorb the rising sun again. "I think it felt… sinister, but I'm not sure."

"I mean, of course it was sinister. To send a shock wave like that through the area." Tatsuo said, causing Rania to look back with a slightly annoyed gaze.

"Go finish your bath so we can get ours!" She said with a raised voice. Tatsuo, scurried back into the bathroom. Again, Rania began to drag water from the air and fill their canteens. Somehow, everything felt weird now. "What… was that?"

"Come in." Antheia called. Three of her students entered. "Oh, actually just who I wanted to see! How was the training mission in the meadow?"

"It went fine!" Rania stated, taking a seat without it having been offered. She was quite familiar with her Professor, and sure it wouldn't bother her. "We came across very few monsters, the patrols in that area are quite vigilant."

"As they should be, I would think. Midtrade is the primary market town for trade between us and the Republic, not to mention it's centralized location in all of the human lands."

Riese was quiet while the two spoke. It wasn't his style to ramble on about things that didnt pertain to any conversation that was being had. However, Tatsuo spoke up to interrupt the girls' conversation.

"Yeah, anyways, did you feel the shock wave earlier?"

"Rude, Tatsuo." Rania said, looking a little annoyed.

"It is fine." Antheia said, her violet gaze landing on the blonde boy now. "I did, in fact. I imagine that's why the three of you came tonight instead of tomorrow morning. Too curious to sleep, hm?"

Guilty as charged.

"Well, I did want to talk about it anyway. It happened near Abingdon, and-"

"Abingdon?" Tatsuo interrupted again. "We were in-"

"Tatsuo!" Rania raised her voice at her junior again. "Stop interrupting!" Antheia laughed at the bickering between the two to herself.

"Rania, please don't berate him for his curiosity. It is a healthy thing to have, he'll learn manner's separately." With that, Rania turned back to her teacher, her irritated features evident to all in the room. "Anyway, yes, Abingdon. I'd be surprised if Riese even didn't feel it. It was the most violent shock wave I have ever felt."

"I did, in fact." Riese said. "Very mildly, anyways. It was a tingle that washed over my skin."

"I see, perhaps you would have felt what we usually do if you were in Abingdon with me." Antheia said, with a sweet smile to the man.

"Do you know what caused it?" Rania asked.

"Well, not completely. I know that something was either summoned, or conjured. You and I will actually be investigating it, Rania. If Cottie signs off on it, of course."

"I would love that!" The girl said, straightening herself in her seat.

"Aw, I don't get to look into the massive magical anomaly?" Tatsuo questioned.

"You, Sir, have general education courses that I am not rescheduling again." Antheia said, thwipping the boy's blonde hair with a quick whiff of her magic. "It would be the fifth time, after all. I'm not doing it again."

"You heard her Tatsuo." Riese said with a chuckle. "And I'm making sure you actually go to those classes now, so you don't get to skip out."

"Ugh, with my magic I shouldn't-"

"Just because you're talented doesn't mean you can ignore skill and intellect, Tatsuo." Rania interrupted him now.

"Okay, time for you boys to go. I am going to speak with Rania about this mission in case it does get accepted."

"Fine, but before I do, will you accept a duel when we have the time, Rania?" Tatsuo asked, causing Riese to roll his eyes as he stepped out of the room.

"Focus on your studies first, and we may. When we have time." She said, smiling to the blonde who grinned a fierce smile back.

"I'll get you next time!"

"Goodnight boys!" Antheia called as Riese shut the door behind them.

"So, what did you want to tell me personally?" Rania asked. She could see the hint of worry in her Professor's eyes.

"I have a feeling this is going to be something quite big, Rania." Antheia said, without a doubt of her serious demeanor hidden in her voice. "It is entirely possible you, or even I could be hurt doing this. Or worse, if we aren't careful."

Antheia's dead honest voice shook Rania to her bones. It truly made her consider whether or not she would accept the mission. However, the girl's sense of adventure and heroism made it impossible for her to deny it.

"I will go with you, if you would have me. I want to help discover the future." She said, a determined look in her oceanic eyes.

"Alright, then I'll fill you in with the other little details…"