![]() A simple place, the town actively eschewed ‘modern’ conveniences many similar towns had delegated to magic. I’ll see you in a week,” she managed.ĭuul was a small town, nestled near the head of Shadow Valley in the Northern Reach. Metatrix winced and lunged to snatch the book, stamping out the embers with bare hands and clutched the cindered volume against her chest. Alchemy and Magic have no overlap, nothing in common.” She casually tossed the book into the fire, where the flames eagerly engulfed it. Only Alchemy commits the five sacred elements to symbols on the page. A nonsense field, heretical to the established practice of magic. The Enchantress snatched the book and walked the room flipping pages, her face looked as if she’d smelled an unkempt barn. Tightly written notes and diagrams filled the space around the printed words. “Would you just look at my notes…” Metatrix pulled a book from her satchel and flipped it open to a middle page. “With no prior formal magical training, it’s a very generous schedule.” Metatrix held her composure, focusing on her ultimate objective. Week.” The Enchantress emphasized each word with a bony finger stabbing at her broad oak desk. “Well, Enchantress” she overemphasized, “Can’t I just… take a series of tests right now? I’m older than most of the students here, and I’m sure I’ve already mastered some basics.” You are an Acolyte until you have graduated Academy.” I am Rank Seven, so you may call me Enchantress. “It can take some getting used to for those from the hinterlands, but at the Academy, we are referred to by our magical rank title, not by our role within the school. Once per week, you may return here, and you may attempt a test to be promoted along.” “As with all newly matriculated students, I’ve placed you in our Beginners cohort. It did not appear to have the same effect on the Academy’s headmistress, and she took her time before speaking. The ancient room seemed to amplify silence, in spite of the crackling fire burning in a wide hearth, and it made Metatrix uncomfortable. ![]() My assigned prompt was Genre: Fantasy, Topic: A Grudge, Character: A Gatekeeper. The following was my submission for the first round of the 2022 NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge.
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