The proposed post-dinner meetup never happened. The instructors seemed intent on enforcing the schedule, especially the routine of study and meditation. The next day featured two shorter, back-to-back lectures by different Archons.

The first lecturer was Archon Shabadras, who had gaunt cheekbones and a crooked nose. He started the morning by saying, “Think about the base components used for Nasaru, Asgagu, and Balatu spells respectively. Desert sand. Talcum powder. Beach sand. All of them are dry and granular. It’s for this reason that we often classify those three orders of magic….”

Xerxes rested his chin on his hand and looked in the direction of where the red-haired girl was sitting. And from that point forward, he hardly caught a word the Archon said. As he sat there, he envisioned himself asking her what her name was. Regardless of the answer, he’d be ready to respond with a compliment.

“What a beautiful name,” he’d say. “I’m Xerxes, an Asgagu mage from Mannemid.”

“Xerxes? I’ve heard about you. Except, you’re a lot more handsome than I thought you’d be.”

“Oh, you flatter me. Did you know I killed an Abhorrent in battle once? Also, I can catch knives. What? You’ve never seen something like that before? It’s really a trick, like what jugglers do, but it’s still impressive. I’d be happy to show you!”

“Right now? I can’t wait to see!”

The second lecture of the day was slightly more interesting, as it focused on practical aspects of battlefield formations. Back on Mannemid, mages were treated like wildcards, not integral parts of the military itself. But things were different here, as a major part of their training was going to revolve around strategy, tactics, and leadership.

“Different mages have different strengths and weaknesses,” said the lecturer, a tall, broad-shouldered Archon named Adonia, who reminded him vaguely of Captain Ishki, except she had black hair and black eyes. “What are the four primary types of troops fielded in war?”

Gandash was one of a handful of Seers who raised their hand. The lecturer pointed in his direction. “You.”

“Cavalry, heavy and light. Infantry, heavy and light.”

Archon Adonia nodded in acknowledgment. “Yes. According to Macrides’ Unifying Military Treatise, which is the primary text we’ll be referring to, certain mages lend themselves to specific troop types. For example, let’s talk about heavy infantry, which are the armored soldiers who engage in front-line shock combat. What mage types would do well working among or as heavy infantry?”

Numerous Seers raised their hands, and she called on one. “You.”

“Probably Asgagu.”

Adonia nodded. “Good. Any others? You.” She gestured at a mage on the opposite side of the gathered crowd.

“Balatu.”

“Exactly. It’s little surprise that fighters and healers are generally considered well-suited to roles among heavy infantry. But there are other mage types that can work well in that role. For instance, Hasasu or Buhhu mages. How exactly do you fit mind-readers or summoners into troops on the battlefield? Let’s consider what Macrides said in chapter 3. Listen carefully….”

Despite how the lecture focused on fighting and combat, Xerxes still had trouble paying attention.

After the lunch hour was practical training in the form of a game of capture the flag.

Xerxes had a much better time running around with blood pumping through his veins than he did sitting around listening to endless talking. He was paired with Gandash and two mages from the Harmu starisle named Laxu and Teucer. They worked fairly well together, especially once Gandash took charge and explained how to exploit a weakness he’d found in the other team’s strategy. After exploiting that weakness, they crushed their opponents and won handily, much to the praise of Archon Adonia.

After the practical training was dinnertime.

“Only twenty minutes to eat?” Gandash said. “I’m going to get a stomach ache.”

“You’ll be fine,” Xerxes replied, stuffing a barley cake into his mouth. It was so dry he had to wash it down with water. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”

“It’s not disgusting, but it isn’t banquet fare.”

On the way out, he saw Jad and Enusat on the other side of the dining room and managed to nod in greeting. So far, he still hadn't found any chances to reconnect with them.

The next day at the morning assembly, Xerxes saw the girl with the red hair, and he wanted to catch her eye, but she was too far away.

The first lecture of the morning was about history. Xerxes nearly yawned to death when the lecturer started explaining the origin of the Nightmare Cove, and how it related to the other main parts of the starsea.

Archon Adonia’s lecture on practical magic was about troop formations. She even brought in a few hundred soldiers—King’s Guard or something similar—to help.

The Unsighted troops lined up and Adonia started placing mages into the crowd. As Xerxes trotted to his spot, his heart swelled when he saw the red-haired girl in the next formation over.

Maybe this is going to be my chance, he thought.

It was not his chance, as she never looked in his direction, nor did he get close enough to speak to her.

At lunch, he somehow got separated from Gandash but was happy to find himself at the same table with Jad and Enusat.

“Hey, guys, sorry about not following up on the sword thing,” he said. “I didn’t realize they’d keep us so busy.”

“It’s fine,” Enusat said. “We might have to wait until the weekend.”

“I saw you looking at Katayoun,” Jad said. “She’s a looker, eh?”

Xerxes opened his mouth to deny that he’d been looking at anyone, then paused and grinned. “So, that’s her name. Katayoun?”

Slurping some soup, Enusat said, “The red-‘ead? Yeah, I ‘eard some of the Ashlultum fellas talking about ‘er.”

Xerxes gave an extended sigh. “There’s something about her. Not just the way she looks. But… you know. Her heart. Her spirit! I feel like it’s connected to mine.”

Jad grinned. “You saying she’s your soulmate? That’s pretty heavy stuff.”

“Soulmate?” Xerxes paused with his spoon dunked in his soup. “I never thought about it like that. But maybe so.”

Jad licked his spoon clean and used it to gesture at Xerxes. “In that case, I think we have a more important mission than sword practice.”

Xerxes looked at him. “Oh?”

“Yeah. We need to make sure she knows about you.”

“You’re going to make sure she knows about me? How exactly?”

Jad and Enusat exchanged a glance.