Me, My Spirit, And I [Book 1 Complete]

"Actually, due to some oddities of our situation I think it would be best if my companions and I were escorted to see the Headmaster Finstrata. He should be expecting all three of us. He and Archmage Aseraelis have been exchanging letters, after all," Shada said in a voice that held far more gravitas than a 13 year old ever could. When combined with his otherworldly appearance, it became rather difficult to argue with him.

Luca and Westlin shared amused looks, as Shada appeared to be frightening the poor man in green. The man gulped and looked at the referral letter without opening it.

"Ah, I do remember the Headmaster mentioning that we would have a rather unorthodox new Professor from out of Westlin, but uhmmm…the Headmaster was short on details. Are you…uhmmm sir?...Shada Aseraelis?" It seemed that the man in green didn't quite know how to address a Spirit.

"Yes, I am." Shada gestured to Luca. "That is [Baron] Lucanarius Intarius Aseraelis of the Queendom of Gloddus, third in line of succession, and my bonded companion."

The man looked between Shada and Luca in confusion, but chose to keep any questions to himself. "Kenick?" the man said, turning to the teenager next to him. "Please escort the [Baron], the new Professor, and their companions to Headmaster Finastra's office; quickly, please."

The teenager, Kenick, stood gulped and nodded. "Right this way, please."

Luca was impressed that Kenick's voice was steady. Not everyone could see a Spirit manifestation and not get at least a little spooked.

As the group walked behind Kenick, Westlin decided to speak up. "Should I be offended that I didn't get a full introduction with titles?" he asked jokingly.

Luca looked at Westlin weirdly. "You don't have any titles, System granted or otherwise. Besides, I know you hate hearing your full name, just like your mother. Mr. Westlin Currackle," Lusha said with a giggle.

Westlin visibly twitched at the mention of their last name. It was an odd name and not one he liked to bring up. Mina had an amused grimace on her face, as she didn't like her full name, Philomina Currackle, any more than Westlin did.

"If you use my full name, I will use all your titles Princess [Baron] Lucanarius Intarius Aseraelis," Westlin said while immaturely sticking his tongue out at Luca.

It was Luca's turn to wince. The two titles and his full name just sounded awkward.

Kenick paused and turned around looking at the two quizzically. "Princess? [Baron]? Shouldn't it be Prince and [Baron] or Princess and [Baroness]?" Kenick, like many from the Mentalist Tower, was a stickler for details and not the most tactful of individuals.

Luca looked at Westlin for help, but Westlin was looking off at the nearby bushes as if they were the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. With a sigh, Luca started to explain before being saved by Shada.

"It is a bit of a translation issue. The System translates all titles into the person's native language. In your case, Eastern Imperial has gendered [Titles of Nobility]. In the Wylderfolk tongue, all titles are gender neutral." Shada's voice took on a lecturing tone. "When the System translates between a gender neutral language and a gendered language it defaults to the masculine version of the title for convenience."

"I beg you pardon, uhmm Professor, are you saying that what I am hearing is different from what you are actually saying?" Kenick asked in confusion.

"Yes, if you concentrate you will hear me saying [Baron] in Wylderfolk Tongue, but if you don't concentrate you will hear it as [Baron] in Eastern Imperial," Shada explained.

Kenick looked confused still, but chose to drop the topic and continue towards the Headmaster's office.

The Academy campus covered a large area. There were the five main Towers and a mixture of smaller Towers and more conventional buildings. The largest was the Headmaster's Palace, which also acted as the administrative hub and center of the campus.

The guards stationed outside the Headmaster's Palace glanced at Kenick, checked their badge and uniform and allowed everyone to pass without issue. Luca and Mina looked at each other in confusion, as they expected tighter security. The moment they passed through the door Shada's Manifestation seemed to blink before being highlighted in an ominous red glow.

When Kenick noticed, he turned to look at Shada in thought before realization appeared on their face. "It seems that you triggered the wards, uhmmm Professor. Spirits are marked and forced to manifest to prevent spying. It shouldn't do you any harm, but you won't be able to demanifest inside the wards."

Shada nodded. "I am familiar with Spirit wards. Let us continue please." It wasn't the first time this had happened to him and had been one of the reasons he learned to manifest in the first place. Spirit wards were rather common in any buildings of significance. The wards at the Dark Crown in Gloddus had ignored Shada's manifestation due to recognizing him as part of Luca.

At the speed Kenick was moving there wasn't much time to get a good look at the Headmaster's Palace, but Luca noted that it had a subtle elegance and an absolutely staggering amount of enchantments; the magic that Luca and Shada could sense kept distracting both of them from the overall decor.

After several twists, turns, and flights of stairs they came to a marble rotunda. In the center was a desk and what appeared to be a receptionist. Kenick bowed politely to the receptionist before speaking. "Madam secretary, I was instructed to escort this group to the Headmaster's office," he then pointed to Shada. "That is Shada Aseraelis, a new Professor that Headmaster Finastra should be expecting."

The secretary barely glanced at the group, and didn't seem to be disturbed by Shada's appearance in the least. She continued writing on some form of paperwork while Kenick stood there awkwardly. Without looking up from her work she used her other hand to point at the group. "Please have a seat, the Headmaster already knows you are here, and will see you soon." With that statement she completely ignored them.

Kenick continued to stand awkwardly for a moment before turning to the group. "Right, well there are seats all around the edge of the rotunda. I will leave you to your meeting. I will be needed back at the orientation table." With that, Kenick bowed politely and left without saying anything else.

"Kind of an awkward fellow, wasn't he?" Westlin said as they sat on one of the benches near the columned walls.

"From what I have seen, those with Mind Paths have a tendency to be awkward in social situations. Give them books and numbers and they will be thrilled. Put them in a crowd and they become rather uncomfortable," Shada said sagely.

"You know that is stereotyping, right?" Luca said to Shada.

Shada's manifestation gave an exaggerated shrug. "As they say, if the Path fits,"

"Is it really a stereotype if it is true?" Westlin asked, which started a conversation on what did and did not count as a stereotype. This continued until the secretary suddenly spoke up.

"The Headmaster will see you now. Proceed through the double doors. Don't stick your hands in the fire fountain, and remember to be respectful." Again she didn't even glance up from her paperwork.

The double doors parted behind her and the group could see a fountain of fire that was somehow flowing like water. It was a fascinating effect; both Luca and Shada had to be pulled away from examining it by Mina and Westlin.

"Important meeting now, fancy fountain later," Westlin said to both of them like a parent to young children.

Beyond the short antechamber with the fountain was another round room with multistory tall bookshelves to the left and right. In the center of the room was a large desk that seemed to be dwarfed by the room itself. The far wall was covered in multiple wall to ceiling windows that showed a scene that didn't match any of the landscapes in the Palace. As they approached, the scecne changed. No one in the group knew if the fantastical views through the windows were mere sophisticated illusions or scrying views from far off places; either way, it was impressive. Once they approached the desk the group glanced up at the domed ceiling that looked like the night sky.

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"You know, I never quite tire of the looks on people's faces when they first get a good look at my office. It is quite the sight, isn't it?" Headmaster Finastra said as they got close enough.

The man sitting behind the large carved desk was not what Luca was expecting, and yet was at the same time. He wore gold embossed robes covered in mystical sigils, and gold framed enchanted glasses. The robes made him appear larger than he was. The robes, glasses, and desk covered in various objects all fit Luca's idea of a Wizard, but the dark hair and relatively youthful face did not. Luca had to remind himself that people aged differently under the effects of Body Cultivation and that one's appearance and age rarely matched here.

Shada floated forward and bowed to the Headmaster. "Thank you for seeing us so promptly, Headmaster Finastras. As you likely already know, I am Shada Aseraelis, this is Lucanarius Intarius Aseraelis, Westlin Currackle, and Philomina Currackle."

"Yes, I already know your names. Old Zaney included them in his letters. Please, have a seat, everyone." The Headmaster waved his hand and comfortable chairs appeared for everyone. Including Shada, which he made an effort to appear to 'sit' in.

"Now, I would love nothing more than to get to know each of you, but registration and orientation are always a busy time." He shuffled a few papers while looking for something before speaking again. "As you likely know, our Magical Languages Professor retired and I was having a bit of trouble finding a replacement. I wrote to my dear friend Archmage Alexandrous about my troubles and he suggested a most unorthodox solution. Based on my understanding, you are an expert in magical languages, correct?" the Headmaster asked while looking at Shada.

"I could be referred to as such, yes," Shada replied.

"Excellent; while I trust Old Zaney's judgement, I will have to test you a bit to make sure. How many languages do you know?"

"Mundane, magical, or both?" Shada asked carefully.

"Both, please; while I do not intend to waste your talents on any mundane language classes, we do have students who do not speak Imperial, so it can be important to have translators available," Headmaster Finastra responded.

Shada and Luca shared a look before turning back to the Headmaster. "Before I answer that, how much do you know about the bond between Luca and I?" Shada asked rather than answer.

"Only the basics I am afraid. You are a guardian spirit bound to the Aseraelis family, and young Lucanarius in particular. Your freedom of movement is currently restricted until you both Rank up," Finastra offered helpfully.

"I see; that is quite basic. While I won't go into detail, Luca and I share a Trait and Skill combination called Ployglotism. It is a more advanced form of the Polyglot Skill you are likely already familiar with," Shada explained while gesturing between himself and Luca.

"I am familiar with the Ployglot Skill. It is fairly common among anyone that speaks more than a few languages. I was unaware there was something more advanced. Do enlighten me, please."

"It essentially allows us to parse all languages. We still have to learn them, but the Skill assists automatically and is not limited to mundane languages like Polyglot," Shada said in a serious tone.

Headmaster Finastras had a brilliant mind, so it wasn't surprising when he sat up straight and focused on Shada and Luca with more intense interest. "Are you saying your Trait and Skill combo works on magical languages?" A hint of excitement could be heard in the Headmaster's voice when he asked that question.

"Yes; we speak Wylderfolk Tongue, Eastern Imperial, Sylvan Elvish, Wyld Elvish, Stone Mountain Dwarvish, Dwarven Shale Tongue, and several other Dwarvish dialects. We can learn more through exposure…" Shada paused to let the information sink in before continuing. "As for magical languages, our knowledge includes the Lingua Arcana, Celestial, Infernal, the Fae Tongue (also known as High Sylvan), and Systemic. This includes spoken and written versions of those languages."

The Headmaster had an intrigued look on their face and gestured towards his bookshelves. Various tomes began flying from the shelves seemingly of their own volition. "Were you not referred to me by my old friend I would kick you out of my office and call you a blatant liar, but I do not sense any dishonesty. So let's test your knowledge, shall we?" From the flock of books circling above the Headmaster, one descended. Finastra snatched it from the air and flipped through it quickly before turning it towards Shada. "Could you tell me what language this spell is in, what it does, and what is wrong with it?"

It only took a glance for Shada to read the spell and spot the obvious mistake. "It is written in the Lingua Arcana and is a spell meant to create a water based hemispherical shield, but it has several flaws. First, the targeting and shaping parameters are off, so instead of a bubble it would create a skin tight film of water. Next, it doesn't account for people's inherent need to breathe, so it would likely result in suffocation. Finally, it doesn't enhance the water's cohesion, so it would be rather useless as protection."

Headmaster Finastras looked suitably impressed by Shada's precise and succinct analysis. "You can tell all that from a glance?" Ignoring his own rhetorical question, Finastra pulled down another book. "What about this one?"

"I'd rather ask why you have a copy of that, but if you must have an answer, it is an Infernal ritual. It takes a live sacrifice to create a bridge between the caster and a demon from the Infernal Plane. The purpose seems to be compelling answers from the demon, but it is a trick. There is nothing to compel the demon to speak the truth, no safeguards against possession, and it could call up anything from an imp to a hell king." Shada was shaking his head in disgust at the poorly written spell.

"Excellent, and now this one." Finastra said while gesturing to a new book.

"That one is easy. It is a common purification spell used by Sierra's clergy, but it mixed up the Celestial terms for purification and cleansing." Shada recognized the spell from helping Vreen study Celestial years ago.

"Why does that make a difference? Don't the two words essentially mean the same thing?" The Headmaster was smiling while asking what was clearly a trick question.

"You know it does, obviously; but in order to get through, the full answer is that if you use cleansing in this particular spell it will remove anything harmful from water, but only harmful things." Shada made a look of disgust. "It could leave behind silt, sand, and other debris that are technically safe to drink. Using the Celestial word for purification would result in nothing but pure water."

"Absolutely correct. I can see that you know your stuff, but it seems that Old Zaney may have undersold your capabilities." Headmaster Finastras had a look of excitement and something akin to greed on his face. "In order to do what you just did, you must have not only a strong command of the languages involved, but also in spell structure and design." Several books floated down and landed on the desk. "How are you at enchanting and ritual design?"

Westlin couldn't help but giggle before quickly suppressing it. "Did I accidentally say something funny, Mr. Currackle?"

With a slight blush, Westlin answers quickly. "Yes and no, it is…well…" Westlin looked at Shada for help.

Shada sighed. "Have you heard of the Shadow Company?"

Headmaster Finastra held up a pen that Shada recognized as one of the high quality luxury pens created by the Shadow Scribe division. "Yes, I see that you have. Luca is the owner of the Shadow Company. I am known in the citystate of Westlin as Mr. Shadow."

Headmaster Finastra started laughing loudly at Shada's statement much to everyone's surprise and confusion. "That explains how the Shadow Company has risen so fast! Shada means little shadow, and you call your secret identity Mr. Shadow? Hilarious!" he said while continuing to laugh.

The irony was clear now that Shada looked at it. He had been particularly uncreative when coming up with names. He put Shadow on all his Companies sub-divisions, his ship, and even his physical self's barony. "I can see why that might be amusing."

"It is obvious in hindsight. How no one has made the obvious connection, I don't know!" It took a few minutes for the Headmaster to compose himself and continue the conversation.

"Let's get back to business. You are officially hired as the new Professor of Magical Languages, but I would like you to consider being a guest lecturer in a few other classes like spellcrafting and enchanting." The Headmaster pulled a stack of papers from their desk and handed them to Shada. "Take these to my secretary," he then began jotting down several quick notes. "And this. The first is the employment contract, and the second are the amendments. She can make the necessary changes, and answer any questions you might have."

After that, the Headmaster turned to Luca and Westlin, having clearly finished with Shada. "Now for you two. You will both take the placement exams in one week, but as of today, you are both official students of the Eastern Imperial Academy and subject to our codes of conduct." He looked between Luca and Shada. "Due to your special circumstances, Lucanarius, we will need to adjust your schedule to allow you to be present during your bond's lectures, but since you will be essentially acting as a teaching assistant, you will get paid and credit for those classes." He jotted down more notes. "Take this to my secretary and she will get you sorted."

The rapid change in subject caught Luca off-guard, but they rallied quickly. "Thank you sir, but what about Westlin?"

The teen in question perked up at the sound of their own name.

"Ah, forgive me Mr. Currackle, but my mind is already going to other places. My note to my secretary included accommodations for you as well, but we won't know much about your schedule until after the entrance exams. However, to be clear, you are automatically a student based on Old Zaney's referral."

The Headmaster looked at everyone before a thought made him pause. "You know, I nearly forgot about accommodations. Normally, new students are housed in the first year dorms regardless of status, and professors are housed in the Unaffiliated Tower, but neither seem appropriate here." Finastras hummed to himself in thought. "I assume that all of you would prefer to share accommodations, since it is a necessity for Shada and Lucanarius. What to do…hmmm. Yes, that works. Ok, here." They were handed another note. "Take this to the Orientation Table. It directs them to house you in one of the multiple room suites for older students. It is a bit irregular, but has been done before for those that had special circumstances. Any questions? Good, please see my secretary on your way out. I hate to rush, but I have another meeting in just a few minutes! Have a great Orientation Week, and I look forward to seeing you in the faculty meetings, Shada!" With that, Headmaster Finastra's attention shifted completely back to the paperwork on his desk.

With a group shrug, everyone stood, bowed politely, and headed toward the secretary's desk. What followed was the tedious bureaucracy that seemed to exist throughout the universe. Luca, Shada, Westlin, Mina, and their hidden Shadows were shuffled from desk, to office, to Orientation, and back again a few times before a random student was assigned to guide them to their dorms.