Andrew Rowe - Sufficiently Advanced Magic

The Tyrant moved, faster than I’d thought him capable of, rushing toward Vanniv.

I wasn’t idle. I crawled — yes, crawled — toward my fallen weapon, picking it up with trembling hands.

As the Tyrant approached Vanniv, I felt the ground begin to tremble.

The Tyrant raised his blade, a golden glow manifesting along the surface of the weapon as the floor of the chamber began to crack. More and more bolts of lightning poured into the green shield, but even their accumulated damage barely made a dent.

Vanniv pushed out both hands, sending a wave of frost at the Tyrant, but the Tyrant cut right through the energy with an upward swing and then leapt into the air, his blade poised for a deadly thrust.

Vanniv pushed his hands outward, surrounding himself with an aura of electricity, bracing for the strike —

—but it never came.

The Tyrant, the throne, the vines — everything around us vanished.

And the room continued to shake.

Even the carpet disappeared. We were alone in a chamber of white stone, completely bare, as the tremors continued.

“Students, be advised that this test has been prematurely terminated. You will be returned to the briefing room shortly.”

It was Professor Orden’s voice, unmistakable as the real blood on my hand.

A moment later, Orden appeared at my side.

“Take my hand.”

I sheathed my weapon, following her instructions. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain when you’re all together. Brace yourself.”

“ Spirits of wind and air, carry us beyond this place. Teleport! ”

I closed my eyes. When I reopened them, I was back in the briefing room. My stomach still swam from the short-distance teleport, but it was nowhere near as bad as what I’d experienced when Orden had cast that bigger teleport spell that took me to her…safe house? Or whatever that place was.

She released my hand and disappeared again. I saw Jin and Marissa already sitting on one of the couches, looking concerned.

Marissa stood as soon as she saw me. “Corin, you’re bleeding.”

I nodded. “Took a Tyrant punch to the face.”

Jin frowned. “Harm should not be possible in the simulation.”

I’d assumed that, too. “I think we have bigger problems to worry about.”

Another tremor, as if to punctuate my words.

I’d never experienced a normal earthquake. Both my home city of Hathridge and Beaufort, the city that housed Lorian Heights, were protected by environment-controlling magic. The vast domes over the cities were the most obvious indication, but the magic stretched deep into the earth, too.

So, if we were suffering from an earthquake, that meant we were dealing with something seriously bad .

When Orden reappeared next, she had Sera with her. She grabbed Patrick on the next trip… then Vanniv after that.

I was a little surprised the summoned karvensi was still around after Sera had been teleported, but hey, I wasn’t complaining.

“This is a very unusual test,” Vanniv noted.

With our group gathered, Orden turned to Sera. “You may want to dismiss your friend.”

Sera folded her arms. “Why? What’s happening?”

Orden folded her hands in front of her. “The city is under attack.”

Sera was, as usual, the quickest. “By who?”

Orden glanced toward Sera. “Monsters from the tower. I don’t know numbers yet.”

“Oh, goddess.” Patrick took a step back, hugging himself. “Is anyone hurt?”

The professor turned toward Patrick. “It’s an attack on the city ; of course people are being hurt. Pull yourself together, Mister Wayland. You’re supposed to be an attuned. Act like one. Panicking will not save any lives.”

Patrick nodded, but he was still shaking. “Yes…of course, professor.”

I walked over and nudged him on the shoulder. My hands were trembling, too, but being next to each other seemed to help us both.

Sera folded her arms. “What type of threats are we looking at?”

“A broad variety of monsters, including a swarm of karvensi.” Orden turned her head toward Vanniv, narrowing her eyes.

Vanniv put a hand over his chest. “I don’t know what you’re implying, madam professor, but I have a strict ‘no attacking cities’ policy.”

“As humorous as that might be, your true self could be up there, and we can’t have you carrying information back to him.”

The stone figure stretched his wings. “Fine, fine. I understand. But Sera, we still have a deal.”

She nodded. “We do. And if you are willing to help against other karvensi, I may have a need for you again soon.”

“That would be no problem. It would be no worse than humans killing other humans, after all.”

His nonchalance at that particular idea chilled me more than I could put into words.

Sera waved a hand at Vanniv. “Very well, then. Karvensi — or, rather, Vanniv — I dismiss you.”

A glowing circle of runes appeared around Vanniv and he bowed at the waist as he vanished.

Orden turned back to the group. “Good. With that threat addressed, you should all head to the shelters immediately.”

Ugh. I did not want to go to those again, especially not after how useless they felt last time.

Marissa spoke up before I had a chance. “Beggin’ your pardon, Professor, but I’d rather be fightin’ then buried in one of those tombs.”

A little more direct than I’d have put it, but it echoed my fears about the stability of the shelters pretty well.

Patrick turned his head toward Marissa. “Uh, Mara, are you sure that’s a good idea? I know you’re stronger than the rest of us, but…”

Marissa raised a hand to scratch the back of her head. “S’not that, Patrick. I’d just rather get stabbed than crushed to death. ‘sides, better to have Orden next to us than try to run on our own, yeah?”

Patrick paled a little.

Orden chuckled. “You seem to have a misconception, Marissa. I’m not going to be going anywhere near that fight. Being a teacher does not make me equipped for battle with monsters, nor would I be in any condition to fight even if I was properly trained for it. Who do you think has been making illusions and constructs for you to fight for the last hour?”

I folded my arms. “If you made that Tyrant punch me in the nose, you owe me a clean uniform.”

The professor turned to me, grimacing upon taking in my face. “I…may have calibrated that construct a bit too strong. It was necessary to give him a degree of solidity to — never mind. It’s not important. I’m afraid I’ve already sent the Menders away to the shelter, but I could teleport you to one?”

I shook my head. “No. This is irritating,” I could hear a wheeze in my voice, “But I’m with the Marissa. I want to fight.”

Patrick turned and stared at me for a moment, then tightened his jaw.

The door to the room swung open, and Professor Teft was standing in the doorway. “Lyras, I need you now.”

Orden swung a glance in his direction, sighing. “If you insist, dear.”

Dear?

Professor Orden turned back to us. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, furrowing her brow. “Hrm.”

Teft folded his arms. “I don’t like that expression.”

“Oh, hush, Jonathan. The adults are thinking.”

Teft glowered at her. “Commander Bennet is waiting for us.”

Orden’s lips twitched into a harsh curve. “Let Jack wait. I need to properly direct the children.” She snapped her fingers. “Corin. When the monsters were scouting last time they were here, did any of them see you?”

I nodded. “At least one of them looked right at me.”