funny to me.”
“Well, it’s not. This is serious. It’s dangerous.”
“But why did he beat up Charlie the Chipmunk if he’s scared of him? Wouldn’t he run away?”
“Fear aggression doesn’t exist in your society? The dryad cast a hasty spell without considering the repercussions. Of course, she was dying so that explains it. But now these demons go around trying to kill all of these animals they’re so scared of.”
“I just don’t see how you’re going to take care of this, Darakin. You can’t possibly protect all of the squirrels and chipmunks here. They’re everywhere!”
Nora stared at Darakin for a minute. “Do you realize how crazy all of this sounds?” She looks at her audience of pigeons. “I am sitting here with, if he’s to be believed, a mage –”
“An elemental mage,” Darakin interjected.
“Right, an elemental mage from another realm of existence who can talk to cats and is now preparing to do battle against a lizard man demon thing – also from his realm – that might be here looking to wipe out the squirrel and chipmunk populations?”
“They’re not just aggressive toward squirrels, Nora. The dryad’s spell may have made them violent toward woodland creatures, but they’ve always been dangerous to humans.”
Nora took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s say all of this is true. Do you know how to stop this krek … lizard-man thing?”
“No.”
“No? What do they do with them in your world?”
“Combat mages take care of them.”
Nora couldn’t contain another burst of laughter. “As opposed to the elemental mages?”
“Yes. I’m sorry that you find my existence so funny.”
Darakin started to stand, but Nora grabbed his arm. “No, please, sit. I’m sorry. You just have to understand that all this stuff you’re talking about is what fantasy novels are about here. Nobody really believes in demons and magic.”
Darakin sat with his arms crossed, refusing to speak.
“Please, explain the differences between the mages to me. I want to understand.”
“I will, but only if you promise not to laugh anymore.”
“No more laughing. I promise.”
“Fine. I am an elemental mage. There are other types of mages, such as conjuration and transformation, but those are different than what I am. Each type goes to their own school to learn the type of magic that they’ll do.”
“How do they determine what kind of mage you’ll be?”
“Well, there are some aptitude tests, but mostly it’s whichever school your family chooses or can afford to enroll you in.”
“So tell me about the elemental mages.”
“There are three classes. The first are the stationary mages. They come from families with money or power. Their families are able to afford the mage academy tuition and buy them a position with a village or a rich family. They lead pretty normal lives, have families and live in one place.”
He looked sideways at Nora for signs of amusement, but she kept a straight face and gave him a nod of encouragement. “Go on.”
“The second group is the traveling mages. Their families pay the school tuition but can’t afford to buy them a post. So, they have no permanent position and spend their lives traveling around looking for work wherever they can find it, usually from outtown families, other wandering merchants or ships. They never settle down and few have families because of that.”
“That sounds really lonely.”
“It is.”
“You’re a traveling mage, right?”
“Yes. At least I was, back home.”
She gently rested her arm on his and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, I’m used to it.”
“What about the third class?”
“Those are the combat mages. Most of them come from poor families that have no power or money to pay the mage academy, so the government trains them and uses them for combat.
“Well, it’s not. This is serious. It’s dangerous.”
“But why did he beat up Charlie the Chipmunk if he’s scared of him? Wouldn’t he run away?”
“Fear aggression doesn’t exist in your society? The dryad cast a hasty spell without considering the repercussions. Of course, she was dying so that explains it. But now these demons go around trying to kill all of these animals they’re so scared of.”
“I just don’t see how you’re going to take care of this, Darakin. You can’t possibly protect all of the squirrels and chipmunks here. They’re everywhere!”
Nora stared at Darakin for a minute. “Do you realize how crazy all of this sounds?” She looks at her audience of pigeons. “I am sitting here with, if he’s to be believed, a mage –”
“An elemental mage,” Darakin interjected.
“Right, an elemental mage from another realm of existence who can talk to cats and is now preparing to do battle against a lizard man demon thing – also from his realm – that might be here looking to wipe out the squirrel and chipmunk populations?”
“They’re not just aggressive toward squirrels, Nora. The dryad’s spell may have made them violent toward woodland creatures, but they’ve always been dangerous to humans.”
Nora took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s say all of this is true. Do you know how to stop this krek … lizard-man thing?”
“No.”
“No? What do they do with them in your world?”
“Combat mages take care of them.”
Nora couldn’t contain another burst of laughter. “As opposed to the elemental mages?”
“Yes. I’m sorry that you find my existence so funny.”
Darakin started to stand, but Nora grabbed his arm. “No, please, sit. I’m sorry. You just have to understand that all this stuff you’re talking about is what fantasy novels are about here. Nobody really believes in demons and magic.”
Darakin sat with his arms crossed, refusing to speak.
“Please, explain the differences between the mages to me. I want to understand.”
“I will, but only if you promise not to laugh anymore.”
“No more laughing. I promise.”
“Fine. I am an elemental mage. There are other types of mages, such as conjuration and transformation, but those are different than what I am. Each type goes to their own school to learn the type of magic that they’ll do.”
“How do they determine what kind of mage you’ll be?”
“Well, there are some aptitude tests, but mostly it’s whichever school your family chooses or can afford to enroll you in.”
“So tell me about the elemental mages.”
“There are three classes. The first are the stationary mages. They come from families with money or power. Their families are able to afford the mage academy tuition and buy them a position with a village or a rich family. They lead pretty normal lives, have families and live in one place.”
He looked sideways at Nora for signs of amusement, but she kept a straight face and gave him a nod of encouragement. “Go on.”
“The second group is the traveling mages. Their families pay the school tuition but can’t afford to buy them a post. So, they have no permanent position and spend their lives traveling around looking for work wherever they can find it, usually from outtown families, other wandering merchants or ships. They never settle down and few have families because of that.”
“That sounds really lonely.”
“It is.”
“You’re a traveling mage, right?”
“Yes. At least I was, back home.”
She gently rested her arm on his and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, I’m used to it.”
“What about the third class?”
“Those are the combat mages. Most of them come from poor families that have no power or money to pay the mage academy, so the government trains them and uses them for combat.
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