All told, it took me about two hours to work through all my questions about mind palaces. We spoke on topics ranging from the broad construction to the mechanics of particular constructs within the palace itself, to common pitfalls and how best to avoid them. By the time I had finished, I had worked through my prepared list and then some.

  Part of this was to ensure I could assist Flynn and Vesper as needed, while the rest was clarifying what I already had learned. I thought I understood the process well enough, but a second opinion always helped clear up any misconceptions or misunderstandings.

  I left Julian behind with tentative plans to meet the following day. The wind mage wanted my assistance with a research project, believing my experiences at the Everforge might provide useful insights. I wasn't sure if he really wanted my help or if it was a ploy to regain some of our lost rapport, but I didn't care much either way. At worst, I could use the opportunity to pry into his magic and learn more about his mother.

  As I walked back towards the entrance hall, my thoughts turned back to the Archmagus. Alexandria had me backed into a corner, and I wasn't sure how best to handle her offer. A part of me wanted to refuse outright, but despite the risk, I couldn't deny a bit of curiosity.

  Alexandria was a near-unmatched master of the arcane arts. There was really only a single living mage who could call himself her equal, and none her superior. What might I be able to learn from her, and was it worth the risk?

  I still wasn't sure what she wanted, but I leaned towards the simplest answer. Alexandria wanted leverage over a possible rival and felt that an unbound favor was the best means to achieve that.

  Flynn was correct in that there were ways to slip out from beneath that kind of restraint, but not many, and none were easy. In fact, the easiest of the bunch might very well be killing Alexandria, and I'd probably need another decade at this rate to stand a chance of that.

  I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I nearly crashed headlong into another person. Strange, considering the hall was more than wide enough to avoid a collision.

  "Pardon me," I said as I tried to step around the man.

  He followed my movement, cutting me off, and I let out a long, low breath as I realized this hadn't been an accident.

  I focused on the man, finding that he was tall, athletic, and dressed in the loose, sashed robes of a battlemage. His face was pale, screwed up in a scowl as though he'd smelled something rotting, and his lightning mana felt like a Drop, possibly a Pool but not much of one, with power bursting at the seams in potent yet poorly controlled ripples.

  "Can I help you?" I asked, hoping he'd say no and we could go our separate ways.

  The man tilted his head back, staring down his nose as he declared, "My name is Desmond Valemont."

  I blinked. "Congratulations."

  He stared at me, then scoffed. "Are you so arrogant that you do not remember the names of your past opponents?"

  I must have been, because I didn't recognize him. At least, not at first. As I examined the man, something about the cast of his features struck me as familiar. That, and the affronted note in his voice, was enough for me to piece together the puzzle.

  "I beat one of your relatives, then?" I asked.

  His scowl deepened. "You insulted my brother and besmirched my family's honor. I am here to repay that insult in kind."

  I nodded a few times, then said, "I refuse."

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  Once more, I tried to step past the man, and once more, he blocked me. This time, I fixed a glare on the man, drawing a hint of Aether from my core as I did so.

  "Move," I said under my breath, meeting his eyes with my own.

  "Make me," he replied in the same threatening tone.

  As he stared at me, I realized that we weren't alone anymore. A small group had gathered around us. Some had on Academy uniforms, their young features and flickering auras denoting them as students. But the lion's share looked to be in the early twenties, dressed in the flashy attire of young nobles. Most of these mages felt stronger, around the level of Valemont in fact.

  I looked around at the gathering crowd, then raised my voice. "Am I right in assuming the rest of you are here to settle some grudges as well?"

  No one spoke for a moment. Then, several of the gathered nobles stepped forward from the crowd. Not all of them had the same faux-aggrieved look as Valemont, but all looked some manner of annoyed or resolved.

  I allowed my eyes to wander over the crowd, then returned my attention to Valemont.

  "You're still in my way," I said.

  Valemont stepped to one side, and as I moved past him, his mana rippled. My own Aether began forming into a Flicker Step, but before I could finish the spell, the man let out a low, dark chuckle.

  "I should've known you'd be too much of a coward to face us in a fair fight," Valemont said, loud enough that his voice carried across the hallway.

  I froze mid-step, letting out a string of swears in my mind at the insult. Apparently, Valemont wanted to press the issue.

  When I was a commoner, that kind of tactic wouldn't do a thing. Even though I was a mage, I didn't have much honor to insult. Refusing challenges and weathering ridicule might besmirch my name, but that was all.

  But I wasn't a commoner anymore. I was a Sion, if only by name, and that carried weight. It wasn't just my honor being insulted and, like it or not, I couldn't weather such comments without a response.

  I turned back towards Valemont, allowing my Aether to settle as I responded, "Very well. I accept your challenge."

  Valemont wore a face of triumph. "Fantastic. Then if you'll follow me, we shall duel—"

  "Tomorrow," I said. "I have prior obligations today."

  Valemont's face darkened. "Are you trying to escape, Sion?"

  "Are you insinuating my family does not keep our word?" I asked, raising both eyebrows and making no effort to lower my voice. "That is quite the implication, but I'm sure it was unintentional."

  His eyes widened a hair, and I saw a flicker of unease there. Pressing the insinuation might force my hand, but it opened him up to other reprisals.

  So far, he'd been careful with his implications. Valemont had called me a coward, but had taken pains to keep his insults personal. By expanding the implication as I had, he would now risk making an enemy of both Flynn and the Duke himself if he kept pushing.

  The pause stretched before Valemont finally nodded once. "Very well. Tomorrow, then."

  I smiled. "Excellent. As for the rest of you, feel free to send letters with your challenges in writing. I'm sure you are already aware of my lodgings."

  With that, I strode away from the group of nobles, leaving them behind as I continued thinking on more important topics than a few bruised egos.

  I made it all the way to the fountain in front of the Academy when I felt someone approaching me from behind. Their aura felt like a crackling storm, bursting at the seams with the power of lightning.

  Valemont must have decided to press the issue after all.

  I turned, a practiced scowl already on my face, but my words died as I saw who stood before me.

  Sophia was taller than I remembered, her hair longer and her face narrower. She wore an Academy uniform, but a few rings on her hands and a pair of earrings broke up the somewhat typical appearance of an apprentice. None of that caught my attention as much as her mana, which felt near the peak of the gaseous stages, yet remarkably well-contained.

  I almost chuckled at the idea that I had mistaken her, however briefly, for Valemont. That man could only have dreamed of having such control over his magic.

  "Sophia," I said, bowing my head. "Nice to see you as well."

  Sophia crossed her arms over her chest, looking me up and down before meeting my eyes.

  "You got taller," she remarked after a long pause.

  It was such a strange thing to hear from the woman that I couldn't help but laugh.

  "I did," I said with a smile. "Thank you for noticing."

  She considered me for a few seconds, then said, "I watched you duel those apprentices at the banquet. Why'd you do it?"

  I shrugged. "I wanted to see how well I measured up against them."

  A lie, but not entirely one. The goal had been to get Alexandria's attention, but I couldn't deny some satisfaction at seeing how far I had come compared to the typical apprentice.

  "And?"

  "I found them wanting," I replied, then added. "What did you think?"

  Sophia paused, then said, "Duel me."

  I blinked. "What?"

  "You dueled them because you wanted to see how far you came. I want to do the same," Sophia said in a tone that suggested she thought I was an idiot. "Duel me."

  "I'm guessing you saw that little confrontation in there?" I asked, waving a hand towards the Academy. Sophia nodded, and I continued, "Then you heard me say that I have commitments today, no?"

  "You're lying," Sophia said, shaking her head.

  "How in the world could you possibly determine that?"

  The woman shrugged. "It's what I'd say if I didn't want to deal with someone. Besides, I know you."

  I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Sophia had only grown more direct and blunt over time, and I wasn't sure I appreciated the change. Worse, I suspected that a duel with her would get certain other mages talking, which wasn't something I wanted to encourage.

  Still...she'd been a better mage than me when we last spoke to one another. I couldn't deny being curious about how much stronger she'd become since we parted ways.

  "I wasn't lying," I said after a few seconds. "But fine. We'll have a friendly match, but later tonight. Let's say an hour after sunset?"

  That would give me time to meet with Flynn, maybe get some practice in with my mind palace, and otherwise prepare myself for a battle against Sophia.

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