Chapter Nineteen: Small Steps

  Jace hesitated, feeling the weight of everyone’s eyes on him. Professor Blackwood waved towards a nondescript wooden shed that seemed to melt into the sprawling field. Jace hadn’t seen it there before. “There are things, even here at the University, which live amongst us, hidden in plain sight. This shed, for example, leads into an underground cavern that few would dare open.”

  The centaur handed Jace a key, its cold metal biting into his palm like an overenthusiastic handshake. “Good luck,” he whispered.

  Jace turned it over, feeling the gravity of what was to come. The old hinges groaned as he forced the latch open, the sound like a reluctant ghost.

  He paused and looked around. Blackwood gestured for him to move forward. He stepped inside, feeling the earth soft and yielding beneath his feet. From the shadows, a tiny creature stepped forward. At first, it was just a flicker of movement against the backdrop of darkness. Jace squinted, his eyes straining to make sense of it. The creature moved again, more confidently this time, stepping into a sliver of light that pierced the gloom.

  It was small, no taller than two inches, with goblin-like features and sharp, glinting eyes. Its skin was a mottled green, its movements quick and jittery. The soft rustle of its tiny feet against the floor seemed magnified in the stillness of the shed.

  A chill ran down Jace’s spine as more creatures began to appear, their eyes reflecting the dim light. They filled the shed, a small army of goblin-like beings. Each one was as tiny and menacing as the first, their presence both fascinating and terrifying.

  Nervous chuckles rippled through the group of students behind Jace, tension settling over them. Blackwood walked over to the door, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “Meet the brownies,” he said, his tone dripping with irritating smugness. “We have an arrangement with their king.”

  The student’s amusement quickly turned to shock as the brownies launched their attack. They swarmed over Jace’s feet, knocking him off balance. He stumbled, barely managing to stay upright as other students began to back away, trying to flee the onslaught. The centaur’s voice boomed, “No running away, now. What fun would that be?” Stone walls shot up around them, trapping everyone inside the courtyard.

  Chaos descended.

  The brownies, surprisingly strong and agile, darted between the students, tripping them with tiny ropes and jabbing at their legs with sharpened sticks. “Ouch!” “Get off me!” echoed through the night as they tried to fend off the relentless little monsters.

  Professor Orion Blackwood’s laughter boomed above the fray. “Don’t go easy on them! They’re tough little things.”

  Jace ducked and weaved, dodging a barrage of tiny arrows. A group of brownies roped his ankle, yanking him off balance. He hit the ground hard, the creatures swarming over him, their tiny hands pulling at his clothes and hair.

  “Get off me!” Jace shouted, swatting at the brownies. They were everywhere, like ants at a picnic. Ropes tightened around his legs and arms, binding him to the ground. Each sting of their tiny weapons sent jolts of pain through him.

  Nearby, Ell stood amidst the chaos, her eyes closed in concentration. A faint glow surrounded her, and with a sudden thrust of her hand, an invisible force sent the brownies flying. “I did it!” she squealed. The brownies tumbled through the air, landing in a heap several feet away. Ell had unlocked her first Affinity.

  Dex wasn’t faring as well. He swung wildly at the brownies, but they were too quick. Tripping over their ropes, he fell face-first into the dirt. “This is not what I signed up for!” he yelped, spitting out grass and glaring at the tiny tormentors.

  Alice, usually the picture of composure, was flustered, her movements erratic as she tried to fend off the tiny attackers. “Is it just me, or are they multiplying?” she shrieked, batting at a persistent brownie clinging to her hair.

  A tall student with glasses fell to the floor. “Get these things off me!” he shouted, flailing as the brownies climbed up his legs.

  A girl with bright red hair conjured a small flame in her hand, trying to scare off the brownies. “Stay back!” she warned, but the creatures seemed more annoyed than frightened, advancing on her with renewed vigor.

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  As the battle raged on, some students showed their magical abilities. Sparks flew, waves of energy erupted, and elemental forces burst from their hands. About a quarter of the students had unlocked their powers, pushing the brownies back with their newfound abilities.

  Frustration boiled inside Jace as he fought against the brownies. He watched in awe as his classmates unleashed their powers, each one discovering something new about themselves in the heat of battle. Just as he felt the battle was hopeless, Blackwood’s voice cut through the chaos.

  “Enough!” he bellowed, and the brownies froze in place, their tiny eyes darting around nervously. He stepped forward, surveying the scene with a satisfied grin. “Terrible. Just terrible.”

  He looked around. Some brownies had their heads bowed in shame. “Not you, little ones. You did great. Thank you for your service, as usual.” The brownies immediately smiled as one and retreated in an orderly fashion back to the shed. The field, moments ago a battleground, was now eerily quiet.

  Blackwood clapped his hands, the sharp sound bringing the students to attention. His demeanor was once again rigid and formal. Some students were still catching their breath, others nursing minor bruises and scrapes.

  Jace, still struggling against the ropes, freed himself and stood up, brushing dirt off his clothes.

  “Some of you might think my methods are heavy-handed, but do you really expect gentleness when facing the Dark One’s minions?” Blackwood asked.

  “The who?” Jace asked, breaking the tension with his confusion.

  The professor sighed deeply. “For eons, the Twelve Great Kingdoms of Terra Mythica flourished. From the scorching deserts and tumultuous seas to the towering mountain realms and fertile river lands beyond. But there is a thirteenth, ruled by a disciple of the Eternal Void, a malevolent force waging an unending war on all that breathes and grows. He is known only as the Dark One. Over the past millennia, the Thirteenth Kingdom has gradually gained ground, casting its shadow over far too much of our world.”

  Blackwood reached into a pouch and pulled out an ancient scroll. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the air. The scroll unfurled, revealing a grand map of Terra Mythica, vibrant with the colors of its kingdoms but marred by a creeping darkness. The map seemed almost alive, its edges curling and twitching. An intricate dial upon it shifted, showing the relentless march of time. Darkness surged and retreated, beaten back again and again, until nearly eight centuries ago. The birth of the Thirteenth Kingdom saw it consume one of the Twelve, obliterating the grassy lands of the Kingdom of Roandia.

  “This is not merely a clash of armies. It is the Infinite Potential against the Eternal End. Mount Olympus University was founded to prepare you, the next generation, to face this peril, to fight back against the encroaching shadow. Should the Thirteenth Kingdom prevail, light will turn to dark, beginnings to ends, and life to an endless void.”

  The students exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of Blackwood’s words sinking in like stones in a pond.

  “Alright,” he said, his tone serious and leaving no room for questions. The scroll rolled itself back up before returning to his pouch. “Some of you have unlocked your first Affinities. Stay back after class so we can discuss them. The rest of you, I expect to see progress in a week’s time, and if you haven’t unlocked something by then, it’s only going to get more painful… for you.”

  As the class dispersed, those who had unlocked their Affinities clustered near Blackwood, their expressions a mix of pride and curiosity. The open field, now a chaotic landscape littered with tiny ropes and scattered projectiles, bore witness to their first real test of abilities.

  Just as they thought the ordeal was over, a shrill cry shattered the uneasy calm. Jace whipped around to see Dex, still tangled in ropes, being dragged unceremoniously across the ground by a few very determined brownies. “A little help here?” Dex shouted, his face a display of unbridled annoyance.

  Ell sighed dramatically but couldn’t hide her smile. “How will you learn if I we do everything for you?” she asked, her voice teasing.

  Dex scowled as he was slowly dragged across the field toward the lake.

  “Think we should help him?” Jace asked, glancing at the others.

  “I think he’s got this,” Alice said, her tone light but her eyes watching Dex closely.

  Professor Blackwood, who had been observing the scene with a mixture of indifferent amusement, finally turned back to his students.

  “I hate you guys,” Dex muttered as he was dragged further away.

  They laughed, but eventually helped Dex. Charging at the brownies and shouting, they scared the creatures away and quickly untied him.

  Ell stayed behind with the others who had unlocked an Affinity, while Jace and the rest of the gang made their way out of the field. Alice, brushing herself off, sauntered up to Jace.

  “You know,” she said, a twinkle in her eye, “I didn’t think our first lessons would be quite so... hands-on.”

  Jace nodded, a grin spreading across his face. “Welcome to the academy, where survival of the fittest is taken literally.”

  Alice’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “And where even the cute things are out to get you?”

  Jace smirked. “Who knew death by brownie was on the curriculum?”

  Alice rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. “Seriously, though, it’s kinda thrilling, isn’t it?”

  Jace tilted his head, considering. “Yeah, if by thrilling you mean slightly terrifying. Death by a thousand tiny little pokes.”

  The tension from the class melted away as they walked. Behind them, Dex, finally fully untangled, shot a look at the retreating brownies. “Next time, I’m bringing bug spray,” he muttered.

  Jace shook his head. The academy was a madhouse, no doubt about it, but it was their madhouse.