Mark of the Fool

Chapter 829: The Final Meeting of COMB-1000

A powerfully built figure appeared in the centre of the lecture hall, drawing the attention of those waiting there.

Alex Roth—just teleported in from the countryside—adjusted his crimson robes as his loved ones materialised seconds later. Around the room, a cluster of graduating students, their friends, and family were a sight to behold, dressed in their finest clothing to honour the day. There was a sea of fine fabrics everywhere, dazzling embroideries, shimmering silks, sparkling jewels, and more.

“I can smell the gold coming off of them,” Mr. Lu muttered, self-consciously touching his finest tunic, it distinctly lacked silks and jewels. “This place is surprisingly empty, isn’t it?”

The room the graduates were supposed to meet in was one of the largest classrooms in the castle: Alex recognised it from his first year Magic Lore class.

And yet, it was mostly empty. If all of the graduating students there had sat down at once, they would have filled less than a tenth of the chairs.

“Wow, you’re right, Mr. Lu.” Selina peered around. “There aren't many students graduating, are there?” She looked at Alex’s tall, cone-like graduation cap. “Most people aren’t wearing those kinds of hats.”

Alex adjusted the tall, stupid cap. He was starting to agree with the chancellor’s assessment.

“I think they look cool.” Selina said, as though reading his mind. “Kinda dumb, but cool too.”

‘Cool…huh? Well, little sister, you shouldn’t ever criticise my taste again,’ the young archwizard thought to himself—though he kept his thoughts to himself—counting the number of ‘graduation hats’ in the room.

One…two…five…ten…fifteen…eighteen…

He paused.

That was it.

“Are there really…so few people graduating?” Claygon asked, having taken his own count.

“It looks that way,” Alex said. “But I don’t think everyone’s here yet: I don't see Isolde. And look, more people are coming in now—Wait, look who it is!”

He nodded at Malcolm the ice mage, as he entered the room, fidgeting with the conical cap perched on his head. He did not look happy. Flanking him was Eyvinder—his hairless guardian—and several more folk Alex didn’t recognise. They included a tall man in green armour, another man with horns and bat-like wings, and a human woman with a wolf-like countenance.

After them came Rhea; the towering elven fire mage was flanked by an enormous armoured man with moose-like antlers, a young elf girl and a small, plant-like humanoid.

Behind them was Nua-Oge, accompanied by what looked like an entire neighbourhood of selachar, along with her hulking sharkman brother, Grimloch. Everyone was chatting excitedly and beaming at Nua-Oge.

“Big family,” Theresa muttered.

Next into the room was—

“Shiani!” Selina called. “Shiani over here!”

The fire mage was surrounded by family members, and other folk she seemed to know well: a dwarf in fine robes, a towering, pale elven man in dark, severe garb, a robed man who wore an eye patch, and a gnome draped in leather with a mane of wild-looking hair.

“Hello! Selina! Alex!” Shiani waved back to the young girl, drawing the attention of Rhea and Malcolm.

His former classmates were all smiles as they approached the group.

“Alex, good to see you. I heard you were making it out of here with us.” Malcolm shook the young archwizard’s hand. “Still can’t believe it, though.”

“Well, I worked hard.” Alex grinned.

“Something Malcolm could have done a little more of.” Rhea looked at the ice mage pointedly.

“Hey, I didn’t have to. Can’t be helped if ice magic comes easy to me.” Malcolm shrugged. “Besides, I’m just shocked that Alex lived to graduation with all the risks that crazy ba—” He paused, looking at Selina. “—aaaad maaaaan…takes.”

“An excellent social sidestep,” Eyvinder said dryly. “I am sure no one knows what you really meant to say.”

“Quiet, you,” Malcolm grumbled.

“I will return to silently watching your verbal swashbuckling.” Eyvinder gave him an exaggerated salute. “It can’t be helped if diplomacydoesn’t come easy to you.”

“Okay, look here, Eyvinder—”

“Aaaanyway.” Rhea cut Malcolm off, turning the attention back to Alex’s group. “It’s good to see you all again. I know Shiani’s spent time with Selina, but the rest of us were left out in the cold around the time you all went off to terrorise the hells.”

“Ya,” Nua-Oge said. “And you also took my brother with you. Could you give him back, please? I hardly see him these days.”

“We’d spend more time together, if you did the kinds of things they do.” Grimloch licked his lips. “Killing. Eating. Maiming. Terrorising. You know, the good stuff.”

Several alarmed looks shot across the room at the sharkman.

Nua-Oge rolled her eyes. “Can you please behave and not frighten everyone you meet?”

“No.”

“Grimloch—”

“No…is what I would normally say,” he continued. “But you’re graduating, and I want you to enjoy it: you worry too much as it is. Today’s your day, big sis.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“I…uh…what…really?” Nua-Oge paused, stunned. “Grimloch? Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes,” he said.

There was a silent moment where all waited for him to continue.

He did not

“Thanks, Grimloch.” Nua-Oge said warmly, patting her brother’s arm before looking at the others. She took a steadying breath. “Well, I guess, today's the big day.”

“It is.” Malcolm fidgeted with a sapphire ring on his right hand. “Feels like those four years went by in a blink, doesn’t it?”

“Three for me,” Alex said. “But it’s true.”

“It makes you almost wish it was longer.” Rhea added. “In the end, I guess that can’t be helped. We just have to move on.”

“Yeah,” Alex said. “But, it feels like just around the time you start thinking you're used to everything, it's suddenly all over.”

“And then you have to get used to whatever comes next.” Nua-Oge wrapped the fingers of her left hand around her left cuff, gripping the fabric tightly.

“Worried about life after graduation?” Alex smiled knowingly.

“Only every waking moment,” she groaned. “It’s been all I can think about lately. Part of me wishes I didn’t apply for graduate studies. How about all of you? What’s everybody doing after we walk across the stage?”

“After graduation?” Malcolm asked. “Oh that’s easy, I’m going to spend some time with some friends, and then…oh, oh you mean way after? Well, I think I’ll go adventuring for a while and see more of the world. After that? Probably cosy up to some ruler, and become their court wizard and personal battlemage. Nice, easy life.”

“Sounds very you,” Rhea said. “Are you thinking of heading northeast?”

“Probably,” Malcolm said. “You?”

“Yes, for sure,” she said.

“Northeast? What’s there?” Alex asked.

“Some of the northeastern kingdoms have put out calls for warriors,” Rhea said.

“Because of the Irtyshenan Empire?” Alex wondered.

The elven mage shook her head. “Apparently, there's some sort of a hellhole that's opened up in the steppes just south of the Empire’s border. They say demons are spilling into the world: not a lot, at least not yet, but more could be coming. Rumours are that rune-marked are joining up with these demons. There should be a lot of work for a good battlemage there.”

“Sounds…wild,” Alex nodded. “There’s always something going on in the world: the Ravener, evil empires, demon holes…we had a demon summoner right here in Generasi for a while. Wait, those are all horrible events, why can’t there ever be a nice apocalyptic, kingdom-wide…event…thing.”

“Like a big hole that opens up and everyone gets something cute, like a pony?” Selina joked.

“Exactly!” Alex agreed.

“Something tells me that if everyone got a pony, people would somehow make it weird.” Malcolm grimaced. “I bet they would.”

“How could anyone make ponies weird?” Selina asked.

A long pause.

“I’d like to see you get out of this one.” Eyvinder grinned, his mouth full of sharp teeth.

“Anyways, just ignore me,” Malcolm said quickly. “What about you, Shiani? What are you doing after graduation?” His was the desperate tone of one who’d put a rather large foot in their mouth.

The fire mage pointed at herself. “I think I'll go adventuring too. There's rumours going around about expeditions looking for treasure in a demigod of magic’s tomb, somewhere within the Desert of Lost Winds in the southlands. I’m excited to see if there's anything to the rumours.”

“That sounds too exciting for me,” Nua-Oge said. “I'm going for graduate studies, researching the magic of the tides. Mana vents under the ocean work a little differently than mana vents on the surface world, and their flow also fluctuates with the tides. So, I want to research that.”

“That sounds like exciting stuff to me,” Alex said.

“Not half as exciting as your life, Mr. Hero.” Nua-Oge said. “You're off to stop great evils, aren’t you?”

“Well, that's on the list,” Alex said. “Actually—”

“I hate to interrupt, but it’s nearly time to start, so we should find our seats,” Eyvinder said, looking at a time keeper on the wall.

“Well, I guess that’s our cue to get going,” Malcolm gave the others a broad smile. “In case we don't see each other after the ceremony, be well. We'll have to catch up sometime and talk about how in every hells we lived through Baelin’s lessons. Oh, and by the way, none of you’d better trip on your robes when you’re crossing the stage, okay?”

“We won’t,” Rhea said. “Well, I mean, we won’t trip on our robes, but we will catch up again. We’ll have to do some sort of reunion.”

“Agreed,” Nua-Oge said, side eyeing Grimloch. “Since that’ll be the only wayI’ll get to see my own baby brother!”

“Do better stuff,” Grimloch advised her.

“I'll definitely see you, Selina,” Shiani said. “Your dress is beautiful, by the way. I love how it shows your journey through fire, and how you're coming out on the other side unburnt.”

“Thanks.” Selina took Shiani’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “We’ll definitely see each other again.”

“That we will,” Shiani agreed. “All of you take care of yourselves. Especially you two, Alex and Theresa, considering the horror you’ll be facing. And don't go dying right after graduation.”

“Ugh, saying that’s like raising a big black flag, isn’t it?” Malcolm snorted. “If this was a story, they’d definitely be dead.”

“Malcolm!” Rhea snapped.

“I'm kidding, it was a joke! A small joke!” Malcolm cried, retreating quickly with his family.

Eyvinder gave him a wry smile as he followed.

As his old Art of the Wizard in Combat classmates departed, another voice called from the entrance.

“Hellooo everyone!”

Prince Khalik—with Najyah on his shoulder—and Thundar beside him had entered thelecture hall. The two powerfully built men were all smiles as they took the steps down two at a time, greeting Alex and Theresa’s family.

“Hey! Welcome!” the young archwizard cried.

“Welcome, my foot! I will never forgive you for this!” Khalik slapped Alex on the shoulder. “Taking all of those exams and leaving us behind! You should be ashamed.”

“Yeah, and as the leader of our cabal, I think there should be some kind of penalty for you! Like you buying me drinks until I can’t move anymore.”

“Deal,” Alex said. “You can redeem it after we fight the Ravener.”

“…you’re just hoping I get killed so you won’t have to buy me those drinks.” Thundar gave him a withering look.

The young archwizard looked away quickly, whistling with his hands clasped behind his back.

Thundar waved his hand at him dismissively. “Forget you!”

Alex laughed, then clapped his two cabal-mates on their shoulders. “I'm glad you could be here.”

“Same.” Theresa smiled.

“It is good…to see you three…” Claygon added, nodding at Najyah.

“Wild horses could not keep us away,” Khalik said. “Nor could wild dragons, in my case at least, Thundar’s tastes might mean—”

“Hey!” the minotaur snapped.

“Fine, fine, I will let it be, my friend,” Khalik smiled. “Oh, and Alex. Sinope sends you her best wishes. She is sorry that she could not be here to see you graduate, but she and other dryads are tending to an ailing tree that one of her sisters is bound to, and she could not leave.”

“Oh, I hope the tree heals soon,” Alex said. “Let her know that if there's anything that I can do to help, I’ll be glad to.”

Khalik beamed. “Of course. Shall we make our way to our seats? It is too bad Kybas was too busy to attend.”

“You all go ahead,” Alex said, looking at the time keeper. “And I'll be right back, folks.”

“So, you’re going to get him, then?” Theresa asked. “Isolde will be happy. We’ll see you soon, then!”

“See you in a bit!” The young archwizard called, teleporting away.

In a heartbeat, he was hurtling through space and the planes, instantly materialising in the spring air of a Thameish clearing. There, a single young man waited, pacing back and forth. He startled, whirling to face Alex, then let out a sigh of relief.

“There y’are! Thought ya’d never get here!” Cedric waved, peering at the sun, then hurrying to the young archwizard’s side. “Th’others, ‘r off wit’ Asmaldestre—bloody scary, she is—smashin’ Ravener-spawn ‘eads t’paste!”

The Chosen ran a nervous hand through his hair, then wiped a sheen of sweat from his face.

Alex was silent, staring at him.

“I been awake since las’ night, an—y’alright, mate?” Cedric eyed the General. “Quiet as stone, y’are.”

Alex was frowning at the Chosen. Something seemed different about him…then it struck him like a boulder.

“You’re…wearing a…a shirt?” the archwizard spat the word out like something rotten had dropped in his mouth.

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