Chapter 21: Uncanny Tour

         A Large slice of toasted bread pops in the air and lands on the desk, cooked as well as Rowan has envisioned. His mouth begins to water as the shock of magically appearing toast does not stall him from grabbing it. Chomping on the corners, piercing the crust, and reaching the soft chewy center of the bread makes Rowan's eyes roll back. Before he realizes it the toast is finished, but the desire for more intensifies. There are no more thoughts there is only more toast as Rowan conjures more on his desk. One loaf later, Rowan sits at the desk feeling accomplished with himself.

Now being full of bread and thoroughly awake, rest is the last thing on his mind, Rowan decide to take a more personal detailed tour of this academy. Leaving his room he explores the other wings of the dormitory, Rowan's room is on the lower left wing of the dorm. Reaching the main hallway if he went further in he could see the higher branching wings. The main hall has two connecting commons areas, with tables and seating, between the commons stands a bulletin boards along the wall. The boards mainly advertise projects and incentives to participate, as well as a series of advertisements for up coming events.

Rowan leaves the dorm and explores the campus grounds, the main grounds have the similar cobblestone paths like the rest of the town. On the edge of paths there are decorative grass and bushes that looks to be constantly and carefully maintained. Center of the compound linking the common roads between the buildings is a fountain with a large basin. A few Magi can be seen at the fountain and grassy areas reading books, and writing notes, a few others talking amongst themselves. "It really feels like I am back in college."

Moving to one of the large L shaped buildings, it stands threes stories tall, with a circular tower at the connecting joint of the building. Rowan enters to see the main entrance with a duel staircase leading up to balcony second floor. A few Magi can be seen walking from the hall to the balcony, one sees Rowan and whisper to the other Magi they are walking with but continue on their path. Trying to not pay them any mind, Rowan goes down one of the branching hallways.

Down these halls lead to a series of class like science rooms, with about six to ten people per room reading books, writing as if in the middle of a test. Another room a person summons a creature out of thin air, then it fades from existence as the room claps to the demonstrator. More bulletin boards are seen along the halls some show the same advertisements as the dorm, others showing time slots to use the rooms. Rowan sees a set of stairs at the end and goes up the second floor, everything he is seeing looks familiar but feel so foreign. Almost like he is more of an intruder, but he wont be able to leave these grounds.

He concludes, "I might as well familiarize myself with the place, at least till I can find a way home." Rowan continues down the second floor hall, seeing more rooms, they are either vacant or only about five people at most in most of these rooms. Someone leaves one of the rooms and does a double take to look at Rowan. Rowan sees a man looking at him, Rowan gives a sheepish hand wave, and continues walking down the hall passing the man at the door. "Are you lost?" asks the man behind Rowan, he remembers that any words he speaks will look out of sync to how they are heard. Rowan does not turn around, "I'm new here, so I am just giving myself a tour if you don't mind?"

The man even more perplexed, "Actually I do mind, only academy students aiming to be full fledged Magi are allowed on the premises." The man walks up to Rowan and grabs him by the shoulder to turn him around. "Oh no, I am not sure how they will deal with realizing I am a prisoner." Rowan panics and tries to pull his hands up. The man with sharp looking yellow eyes and short black hair examines Rowan from top to bottom. "You look nothing like anyone from here, let alone from any other country, who are you?!" Rowan shifts his head and talks from the side of his mouth, "I swear I was just brought here from Alphis, I have no clue what they want from me?"

While slightly unsettled by Rowans lip movements not matching his words, he does recognizes the name Alphis. "Alphis? how would you know? Are you some weird spirit hybrid conjured up to test us?" The yellowed eye man continues to examine Rowan, "I got to hand it to him you look like the most convincing spirit disguised as a man yet." A devilish idea comes across the man, "I have new formula I want to test out, your coming with me." The man pulls out a dagger and points it at Rowan.

Rowan was not prepared for this to escalate to this degree, is poked to follow the directions of an insane person to the practice grounds. While leaving with hands held up at knife point other academy members see the commotion and start following. They reach the center of the field, "Here is good, stop here." Knife pointed down the man walks ahead in front of Rowan then turns to face him. "We are going to have a little mock duel, it should not dismiss you right away." Rowan takes this opportunity to clarify the rules, "A duel? Then what are the limits? We just don't have to kill each other?"

The man thinks it over, "Sure, for a spirit it does not really matter for you, but come at me with whatever element you are comfortable with." Rowan tries to clear the misconception, "For the record I am not a spirit, I am just not from around here." Rowan not wanting to use fireball this close and on the ground no less. Trying to figure out a non-lethal approach, "I really do not want to kill someone on the first day school." Rowan looks back for any elemental runes and lands on one, "Yeah that should work!"

Rowan readies himself, "Alright then, I wont try to kill ya." He holds his hand out and imagines a rune, "1st level spell slot." Frost blows out of Rowans mouth as he breathes.

"Frostbite."