The Skyhome Academy

The barracks was dimly lit and quiet, save for a girl snoring somewhere in the room. Everyone else slept more peacefully as Mei sat across the chessboard from Emma atop their bunk bed. The healer reached forward and moved one of her pieces.

“You can be surprisingly sneaky,” Mei groused telepathically as she studied the board. But then she spotted a vulnerability in her opponent’s defense and took her turn. “But it won’t save you this time. Check—and mate in one.”

Emma studied the board. “Good game,” she sent before clearing it to put away the pieces. “I guess we should turn in…”

“Is something wrong?”

“Not really. I was just thinking, it must be difficult for you to go from being belle of the ball at the last formal to playing chess with a serf for this one.”

Mei shook her head. “I do find some pleasure in the jealously of others. But chess with a friend is preferable to twirling about with countless imbeciles.”

“Well, you can be sure that I’m jealous of your skill at chess.” Emma smiled warmly.

The nearby nexus crystal on the wall lit up, and Mei heard Prince Robert’s voice in her head. “Mei? Emma?”

“We’re here,” the telepath replied. There was a second occupied bunk bed and a cot within range of the crystal, but she could not sense anyone besides Emma accessing the mental conversation. “And the link is secure. Since you’re calling this late, I take it Margas is on the move?”

“He just left his apartment.”

“We’ll gather everyone up. Tell the others to be ready.”

“Understood.”

The crystal stopped glowing, and Mei looked to Emma. “Start your mana transfer, and I’ll cast the empathic field.”

The healer nodded, and Mei felt her rate of mana regeneration increase. Once the field was cast, the telepath was able to sense every mind in the barracks. “There’s a lot of people in here still awake,” she noted. “Including that woman in the cot next to us.” The castle servant in question did look to be sleeping, however.

“Must be the latest arrivals for the tournament—I always have trouble falling asleep my first night in a strange place.”

Mei nodded. “Let’s turn in,” she whispered for the sake of anyone listening. “But I have to use the bathroom first.”

“Me too.”

Fortunately neither of the cadets had yet bothered to change out of their uniforms, so they only needed to climb down from the bed and put on their boots before walking out of the barracks. Emma then grabbed Mei’s hand.

“What are you doing?” the telepath asked in alarm.

“I need to cast a shield on us so we can’t be sensed telepathically. I’m not an arcanist, so I can only project it by touch.”

“Oh, of course.” Mei was embarrassed to have forgotten something so obvious. Emma cast the spell on them, causing the usual brief glow.

The pair then made their way down the halls of the spire. The paintings and other decorations took on an ominous look in the dim lighting after curfew. Mei was at least grateful for the carpet muffling their footfalls. She could sense a great number of minds, but most were asleep.

When they reached the elevator they found the darkness even more oppressive—were it not for her field, Mei would not have been able to tell if there was anyone in the levitation-powered passages even three floors away from her location. As it was, she detected no one inside. They went up one floor to a level of peasant boys’ barracks.

They found Simon waiting by the restroom next to his barrack. He cast his shield, and Mei added him to her mind link. With only a grim nod to them, he followed the girls onward.

The trip to pick up Rose was a little more complex, as Mei had to change the group’s route once to avoid a patrolling guard. Eventually they arrived outside the noble’s room to find her waiting. Once more the telepath expanded the link.

“Did your roommates see you leave?” Mei asked Rose.

“No—Alice was asleep, and Avice never showed up for curfew. I figure she’s sleeping in a friend’s room to avoid her sister.”

“Rose, could you take over Mei’s shield?” Emma sent. “She can’t concentrate on one while keeping up the empathic field.”

“Got it.” Emma released Mei’s hand, and the noble took over. “I can only project shields a few yards, so stay close.” The telepath nodded to her, and the group started back toward the elevator.

“How was the formal?” Emma sent while looking to Rose.

“We kissed,” she replied excitedly. Simon grinned, while Emma shook her hands before her chest in an excited gesture. Even if Mei was indifferent to her companions’ romantic lives, she had to admit that the healer’s enthusiasm on the subject was endearing.

The final leg of the journey took the group up closer to the top of the spire. They were met by Robert and all four of his guards outside his apartment. Thankfully, the prince’s mage guard was able to expand the mind link in place of Mei—it was difficult enough to keep concentration on both spells.

“Rose, should we alert your father to what’s happening?” Robert asked. “I know spying on Margas is illegal, but I’m sure he’d keep that secret for you.”

“I don’t want to put him in a position where he has to lie for me. Stick to the excuse that we’re all just breaking curfew for fun—we should only alert the castle guard after we’ve confirmed Margas really is up to something wrong. Or if we can’t find him.”

The prince nodded, and the gathering of conspirators began a search of the castle with Mei in the lead. They took a trip down the elevator, as it would allow her to search quickly. It was as they were all floating downward that the telepath suddenly picked up on her quarry.

“This way.” Mei exited the elevator, and the others followed. “Margas appeared suddenly, within the radius of my spell—he must have had a shield up and then lowered it for some reason. Someone else is with him, and they both feel agitated. Or maybe excited—the field is difficult to interpret.”

“Hey, this is my floor,” Rose sent in surprise.

They finally arrived at the door to a supply closet that was only a short walk from her room. Further away from the elevator at the end of the corridor was a window that overlooked the courtyard. Mei brought everyone to a halt. “They’re in here. I can also sense another mind that’s awake in the next room over, but there’s no reason to suppose whoever that is is involved.”

Robert looked to his head guard. “Mage Averitt, can you listen in on them?”

He put his head next to the door and then withdrew. “It sounds like there’s a struggle inside!”

Rose raised a hand before her, in a pose that indicated her readiness to cast a bolt. She then pulled open the door, revealing Margas and Lady Avice aggressively making out with each other within the closet. The latter’s uniform jacket was partially unbuttoned.

“I suppose that’s like a struggle,” Mei muttered. Margas gained his feet, while Avice held her jacket closed before also standing.

“…⁠What the hell, Margas?” Rose whispered in disgust.

“How dare you address me that way!” the high noble asked indignantly, though thankfully he matched her volume.

“How dare you be so cruel to Alice, My Lord.”

“You think this was my idea?” he answered with a grin. Everyone but him stared at Avice, who looked away from them. Margas continued in a contemptuous tone. “Not that it matters. If Lady Alice hears of this, I’ll see to it you never inherit your father’s land.”

This threat took all the fight out of Rose. “Avice, how could you?” she asked sadly.

“You don’t understand!”

“Please don’t be so loud,” Rose whispered.

“Shut your mouth,” Margas told Avice. “We don’t want to be caught.”

But then Mei felt the unknown person she had sensed nearby move. Before she could warn anyone the door to next room opened, and Mage Isabel floated toward them with a furious expression. Despite the late hour, she was still in her uniform.

Mei ended the empathic field—there was no longer any point to it. “You can stop the transfer,” she sent to Emma, who did so.

“Mage Isabel! What are you doing here?” Rose asked awkwardly.

“A better question would be, ‘why did I hear shouting just outside my room after curfew?’”

“Well, the semester’s over. So we figured it would be fun to see the spire at night. Ma’am.”

“I find it hard to believe you’re that stupid.” Mage Isabel surveyed all of those gathered out in the corridor. Emma withered under her gaze, while Robert and Simon looked embarrassed. The prince’s soldiers were hiding any emotion from their expressions, as did Mei.

After this Mage Isabel glanced into the closet. “Since when do all of you do anything with Margas?”

“They’re not with us,” Rose explained. “We heard a noise and looked inside. They, um…”

“Button your jacket, Cadet Lovell,” Mage Isabel said in exasperation. The girl finally did so, while the hovering professor again looked to the study group. “Just because the semester’s over doesn’t mean you can’t all receive punishment next year. Maybe the intendent will forbid you from attending the tournament as well.” There was a pause, and she touched the nexus crystal on her belt. “My crystal isn’t working,” she said in alarm.

“That’s impossible,” Margas said, finally stepping out into the corridor. Avice timidly followed him. “You must be using it wrong.”

“I know how to use a crystal, Little Lord Jackass! The signal’s being jammed.”

Margas paused a moment, and then grabbed at his own communication device. “My crystal isn’t working,” he repeated in surprise. Mage Isabel groaned in frustration, while Robert and his men all looked to their own crystals in confusion.

Just then Mei caught movement out of the corner of her eye. “Something flew by out the window!”

“At this time of night?” Mage Isabel asked. “Shields, all of you!” She glowed with her spell and then floated quickly toward the window. Everyone followed.

Mei cast her own arcane shield, causing Rose to end the spell she had been projecting on the telepath. Margas and Avice also obeyed the order.

After she arrived at the window Mei looked outside. Soldiers who had been guarding the outer wall were converging on the spire. But then they came under magical attack from above. There were a dozen fliers, their riders wearing brown uniforms. They were led by a woman astride a cockatrice. The hideous creature resembled a two-legged dragon, with bat wings and the head of a deformed chicken.

“That’s General Griffonskull,” Rose said in shock. “We have to get out there and help!”

“Don’t be foolish,” Mage Isabel snapped.

“Lady Rose is right,” Robert insisted. “We can’t turn away from this battle.”

“My Lord, you should escape the castle,” Mage Averitt told him urgently.

“I refuse. That traitor killed my brother!”

“Stay if you want,” Mage Isabel said impatiently to the prince. “But charging out there is only going to help Griffonskull change her name to ‘Griffonskulls.’ Those fliers mean the academy shield is down. The singularity chamber is lost! There’s no choice but to wake everyone else and retake it.”

“Shouldn’t Mage Averitt be in charge?” the prince asked.

“She has far more combat experience than I do,” the bodyguard admitted. “We should follow her orders until we can find Mage William.” Mage Isabel nodded to him.

“My father had a shift on the wall tonight,” Rose said urgently. “He must be out there!”

“We’ll have to trust him to hold out while we secure the spire,” Mage Isabel told her. “I know it’s difficult, Spellshield—but you need to follow orders if you want to save this castle.”

Rose nodded reluctantly. Mei was still looking out the window when she saw the soldiers in the courtyard begin taking fire from inside the spire. Arcane bolts and elemental attacks hit the statues the defenders were using as cover, loudly breaking pieces out of the stone. The return fire from the soldiers was directed toward the spire’s gate.

Mage Isabel turned away from the window and lead everyone into her room. Her husband was inside, sleeping on a large bed.

“Wake up!” she yelled at him. When he failed to respond, she shook him. He still did not stir. Mei noticed that the nexus crystal above the bed was glowing faintly, though they normally did drain some mana when a spellcaster slept.

“What’s happened to him?” Mage Isabel asked.

Emma stepped forward and held out a hand above the doctor. “The crystal’s taking his mana faster than the safeties should allow—he’s enervated so badly he can’t wake up! His life isn’t in danger at the rate he’s being drained, but he won’t regain consciousness while he’s in range of the crystal.”

“Help me move him,” Mage Isabel ordered. With Mage Averitt’s assistance, she deposited her husband on a chair some distance away.

With another shake from his wife, Dr. Ramos finally awoke. “Where am I?” he mumbled. His eyes were almost closed.

“He won’t recover well enough to accept a mana transfer for half an hour,” Emma said.

Mage Isabel shook her head. “That’s not soon enough to help us. And we have to assume that everyone who’s asleep has also been drained.” She floated lower to reach eye level with her husband and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Fallbottom, wait here. And don’t go to bed! …⁠I’ll come back for you.” He nodded.

Just then, Mei felt the castle begin to move beneath her. Everyone standing shifted awkwardly, but after a few seconds the floating fortress achieved a constant velocity.

Mage Isabel released her husband and regained her normal elevation before addressing the group. “We’re heading west toward Peasant Army territory. If we can’t retake the singularity chamber before we get there, the war will be lost. …⁠The idea of leading children into battle makes me sick, but every noble in this castle might be taken hostage or executed if we don’t fight to bring those soldiers outside into the spire.”

“I can’t believe I’ll have the chance to kill traitors so soon,” Margas said with vicious glee. Mei was not the only one to look to him in surprise.

“You’ll have your fill of death before the night is over,” Mage Isabel said grimly.