With four new traveling trunks, purchased from the school store, I loaded all my books, research journals, clothes, and a few personal effects from my student dorm room.

The fourth trunk only had my dress clothes and a few personal effects. Should I be sad about that? I only need one set of daily clothes anymore with the cleansing and repair spells. I can even change the coloring if I want to. Besides, I'm still growing and will need bigger clothes again soon.

My small dorm room is now empty of all my things. No need to wait any longer, so I began casting my Finals Spell proudly. 'Floating Carriages!' A disk of golden light appeared under each trunk. The light expanded and adjusted until every bottom corner of each travel trunk was showing a small amount of light from the disk beneath it. Then they began to rise into the air slowly, stopping at my waist height. The space between each of the lights shrinks or expands until each barely touches the next.

As I go out the door and turn to lock it, the four disks follow me into the hallway, never losing contact with one another. The first disk stops directly behind me, the next is slightly off to the side behind it, just as the third and fourth disks continue the pattern. Thus, they stop in a circle around me, as if they are on a path. Locking the door for a final time, I'm off to the front desk with the trunks following along through the crowd of students.

I reflected on my years at school as I walked to the teacher's dorm. I began school two years early on my fourth summer and only needed eight summers to complete the standard ten years of schooling. Others are smarter than me, but none worked as hard as I did. When others would relax and play, I studied or spent hours upon hours in the library reading. I love to read books, and I am always taking notes when reading, thus the massive number of research and idea journals I have.

All graduates are required to enter the Kingdom's Service for two years after finishing school. It's mandatory. Then, unless you paid the tuition each year, you must pay all that back. If you only have to serve the Kingdom, it would take you decades to repay the cost.

Not being required to start my service to the Kingdom until my sixteenth summer, I had four years to do other things. Rather than go home, or some other foolishness, I opted to request a teaching position. I hoped to teach students runes and rituals. Being too young to enter any of the service postings with the Kingdom's service, I was able to get the assignment. So, when they told me I would start with runes for first-year students to see if I could teach. I was thrilled, and if successful, the school will let me teach students runes and rituals to higher grades.

Teaching positions only counted for a half-year for each year served, which means that with four years of teaching, I would be able to complete my mandatory two years of service. Some postings counted for two, or even three, years of service for each year served due to the danger involved. Not many volunteered for those stations.

Also, because of finishing in only eight years, the school refunded two years of tuition into my account.

If all goes well by my sixteenth summer, I will be a High Mage, with all my Kingdom Service completed, and have plenty of gold for research.