“Kids are great. They’re a bit like Summons. You just point them in a direction and they destroy everything in their path. Slightly more uncontrollable, but hey, what are you gonna do? You just have to love them, right? It’s a bit like being bound to their will… Actually, perhaps adults are the real Summons?”

- Excerpt from Ponderings of a Prosperous Prodigy, by Veigus Witsbane

The next few turns were just sad to watch. Ethan couldn’t keep a monster out long enough for it to attack. The crazy attack rating on the rabbit simply made it impossible to deal with. And with the slow gain of mana, nothing in his hand was playable. It almost hurt to watch.

Or it would’ve, but Percy was already well acquainted with the kind of guy Ethan was. So he took much pleasure in the brutal defeat, instead, although Mrs. Balligan stopped the match after Ethan’s Monarch was destroyed. Kids flooded the field after the epic ending, many of them slapping Mako on the back and, if Percy had to guess, telling him all about how cool he was. Selena was front and center, and Percy couldn’t help it—he was a little jealous. Even if he planned on going home still, Selena was beautiful.

Headmaster Blask pulled him back to the present. “Well, that’s about all you’d need to know regarding a duel between mages. Everything seem clear?”

Percy nodded. “Yeah, all the rules make sense, though I still have some questions about how I got here and why.”

Blask stood up, stretching, then patted Percy on the shoulder. “All in due time, Mr. Allblythe. For now, why not go out and make some friends. Who knows? They might save your life one day. You can even watch the duels with them. There’s a certain schadenfreude to it, I’m sure you’ll agree, considering you were able to watch the defeat of the one who tried to kill you.”

“Wait, you knew about that? Why didn’t you do anything?”

The headmaster chuckled. “Oh, Percy. It’s something I say rather often, really. Truly great Summoners will succeed no matter the conditions. You must brave dire straits for strong Summons, as I’m sure you understand. Either do so, or you’ll never be anything more than mediocre.” He walked to the door and held it open. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve some business I must attend to. Being the headmaster of a school does afford me many perks, but I can’t spend all day simply watching duels, yes? Out you go.”

Percy stammered as he was herded out the door, trying to put words to his many questions, but Blask simply shoved him out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him with an apologetic wave.

Well that went well, Silvaroth muttered. You didn’t even ask him if there was a way to get me out of this card peacefully.

“Peacefully?” the boy asked his deck box. He pulled the dragon’s card out and eyed it. “What do you mean, peacefully?”

Silvaroth snorted. Would you rather I burst out of here in a crowd of small humans, breathing fire and spouting riddles?

“I’m almost tempted to say yes to that. Hey, wait! I was imagining that earlier!” Percy whispered indignantly.

So you, in all of your infinite wisdom, thought I could communicate to you through your mind, but that you couldn’t think things back?

“Don’t…” Percy began, before repeating the thought in his mind. Don’t make me put you back in the box!

Oh no, Silvaroth replied drily. Not the box. I’m so scared. It’s not like I’m already trapped inside a simple piece of parchment!

Good point. Percy placed the dragon back into his deck box, patting it. He headed back outside to join the crowd of students. Standing on the porch, Percy took in the sight. Everybody was milling around chatting excitedly. Ethan was nowhere to be seen, but Percy could see Kollum, Selena, and Mako sitting next to each other with some of their other friends. He made his way over.

“Hey!” Kollum called out, waving. “Welcome back from the land of the doomed. So you survived, then?”

Percy smiled, tilting his head. “Land of the doomed?”

Selena answered him. “Faculty calling you out on the first day? Doomed. You get a meeting with Blask, by name? Super doomed.”

“Well, I thought he was pretty nice. He gave me tea.” Percy realized he’d forgotten to drink the tea and wondered if the headmaster would be offended at all.

“Doomed!” Mako shouted, waving his hands over his head for dramatic effect. They all laughed. Selena patted the grass and Percy took a seat in the open space between her and Kollum.

“Was it any good?” Kollum asked as he sat down.

“Was what good?” Percy replied.

The other boy gave him a look. “Your last bowel movement. No, the tea, of course. What else?”

“Oh, yeah. I don’t actually know. I forgot to try it.”

Selena giggled. “Remind me never to pour you a cup, then.”

“Did you see my duel, Percy?” Mako piped up. “I’m Mako, by the way.”

“I know. The headmaster told me your name when we watching you duel. Nice to officially meet you.”

Mako’s eyes went wide. His mouth dropped open. “Headmaster Blask watched me duel?!” he chattered excitedly. “Did he say anything? Was I good? Did he like it?”

Selena smiled. “Of course you were good, Mako! You won!”

The boy’s smile grew wide across his face. “Yeah! I did, didn’t I?”

“You sure showed Ethan,” Percy added. “Thanks for getting him back for me, by the way. He threw me off a cliff.”

The group broke out into laughter and Kollum passed around some pita bread he’d apparently snuck out of the kitchen inside. It wasn’t much, but it’d been so long since Percy had actually eaten… Actually, he hadn’t eaten yet since waking up in this world. And he was starving.

It seemed like everyone was, as they voraciously devoured the meager portions, except maybe Kollum because he’d been in the kitchen, and Percy suspected this wasn’t the only food he’d gotten his hands on. Not that he was complaining. His stomach thanked him.

“Well,” the voice of Mrs. Balligan came from behind. “It seems that some of us can’t wait for lunch.”

Kollum squeaked. Selena made a face, trying to hold in her laughter. Mako inflated his cheeks and looked away. For his part, Percy just didn’t turn around to look at her.

“I suppose,” she continued, “that we should maybe break for a meal then, no?”

Cheers rose up from all around as word spread that food was going to be made available.

---

“Thanks, Mrs. Balligan!” the chant rang out again as the kids grabbed their food from the tables that had been brought outside as the academy staff prepared the meal. The woman simply nodded, all traces of her earlier humor gone.

She presented as a cold woman, but Percy could already tell that she was much kinder than she would like her students to know. Maybe it was a teaching method. She’d inspire fear so her students would take her more seriously. But back home, Percy found it was easier to pay attention when you actually liked your teachers.

Well, either way, he liked her now. She’d given him food, after all. And there is no better way into a teenage boy’s heart than free food. Especially free, delicious food. His old matron, Ms. Morrison, knew that well.

During the meal, the boy learned a lot about his new friends. Kollum and Selena both came from noble households, though the latter had made it into the school entirely on a scholarship. Mako had been bullied a lot growing up thanks to his slight stature, Ethan a primary antagonist of his. He’d asked his parents to get him into Valdarthan’s Academy as a way to get away from his bully, not realizing the other boy would do the same.

Selena had only met Ethan during the campus tour. And she’d instantly hated him. She’d grown up with Vincent, though, and wasn’t surprised to see he’d joined up with him. Pearl was an unknown to the entire group.

“Speaking of those three,” Percy said, swallowing a mouthful of pita bread and cheese. “I guess I have you to thank for them throwing me down into a volcano?”

Selena’s face turned red. “Oh, um, yeah, I guess I did kind of sic them on you, didn’t I?”

Percy chuckled. “Hey, no sweat. I might not have gotten your cool Monarch. Plumeria, right? But I did get my hands on something I like even more.”

She squinted. “Something better than Plumeria? Unlikely.”

Percy shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to wait until I duel to see it.”

She raised her eyebrows, lips pursed into a sarcastic smile. “Oh yeah? I guess I will, won’t I? You’d better hope you’re not up against me, Mr. Big-Shot. I’ve been studying Plumeria since I was little girl. I’ll take you down a notch.”

“Well, what’s your number?”

She shook her head, grinning. “No, no, no! You only get to find out if you’re dueling me when we’re called up!”

“Fair enough.”

“Hey, Percy!” Kollum spoke up, now that the two had finished their conversation. “I’m hoping after your duel that you’ll let me take a look at your deck so far? I’ve got a lot of cards in my estate, so once we’re back at the academy, I might be able to offer you some trades.”

“I don’t really have anything to give, though,” Percy replied apologetically.

“No problem!” the stocky boy said enthusiastically. “I’ve got to get some practice in anyway, if I want to be at the top of my game.”

“Practice?” Percy asked.

“Well, yeah,” Kollum replied. “You think we’re just going to stop dueling once we’re done here? I even heard that people duel for cards at the academy, sometimes. So, I’d be willing to offer you some cards as a little win-centive.”

“Deal.”

Kollum smiled. “Yeah? Good to hear!”

You should be a bit more careful about exactly who it is you go trading strategies with there, little Allblythe, Silvaroth muttered.