Firebrand

Sun or Stars

The first two bells after breakfast, Martel spent doing work for Master Jerome, making the most of all his spare time on Mandays. As his only class did not start until sixth bell, he had time after lunch to himself as well. With his new silver in his pocket, he went into town.

Setting a course west, he soon saw his destination rise against the sky. The glittering spires of the temple of the Sun beckoned him. As he approached, he saw more and more members of the clergy, filling the streets. Most of them seemed like ordinary folk, occupied with tasks or errands; only their clothing set them apart. The occasional inquisitor could also be seen, and Martel kept his distance as a rule.

Reaching the great square before the temple, Martel took it in with a deep breath. Tall trees lay scattered with circles of green surrounding them. The winter sun, weak as it was, reflected itself on the building to shine upon the area; Martel blinked and raised one hand to shield his eyes.

Given the size of the place, he had to walk around to find the person he was meeting. Just when he started to wonder if perhaps he was early, a slim hand grabbed his arm.

"There he is!" Shadi smiled. "The warrior mage."

Martel coughed. "Don't say it too loud, or people will think I know how to fight."

"Is that so bad?"

"There's always someone who doesn't believe it and wants to fight, just to check. In this case, they would be right," Martel explained.

"You think too little of yourself." Shadi shook her head. "Fine. I was going to shout it from the rooftops, but I'll refrain."

"Thanks," Martel laughed. He looked around at the square, the great temple, and the many people hurrying about. "Why did you want to meet here?"

"Why not? It's a nice place. Even if it's not for my beliefs, the temple is the prettiest building I've ever seen."

"Well, you like flames, right. No bigger flame than the Sun," Martel argued.

She gave him a lazy slap on the shoulder. "That should be considered heresy. Don't let the Sun-crazed Asterians hear you say such."

Martel could not help but glance around, just to check no inquisitors were nearby. "I'll keep my heretical thoughts to myself. Though while we're here, there's a nice place nearby."

"Oh? Show me!"

Leaving the square, Martel led her to the small shrine for the Stars. It lay in shadows, thanks to the buildings surrounding it, and the air felt noticeably colder.

"Hey, what's this place?"

"It's dedicated to the Stars. Well, not just any, there's lots of stars. The Triumvirate of the Heavens." Martel approached the small building with its statues.

"Whoa, I never heard of them before."

"You wouldn't, I guess. Malac, Perel, Glund." Martel pointed at each of the statues as he spoke the names. "Warrior, Jester, Sage."

"This is a strange place. Such a prominent part of town, yet hidden away."

He nodded. "You're not supposed to worship the Stars too much. But a little respect is deserved."

"This is your faith?"

Martel shrugged. "Sort of. I grew up with a temple of the Sun in my town, like anywhere else, I suppose. But the Stars, Father Julius – the priest back home – said they gave magic to humanity. So I always felt an affinity for them."

"Well, that was nice of them. I wish they'd given me some," Shadi considered.

"Hah. Yeah." Martel felt a little awkward talking about this, but he wanted Shadi to know more about him. "I think my magic is stronger at night. When they shine."

"Oh, that's amazing. How do you know?" She walked into the shrine and let her hand slide over the marble statue of Malac.

"Hard to tell. It just flows easier, like there's less resistance. Or like the wind is at my back, pushing me forward, rather than forcing me backwards."

"It's funny, isn't it. It's like I'm blind and you can see, and you're trying to explain to me what that's like." Shadi turned to look at him with her own dark eyes.

Martel returned her stare, unable to think of what to say. The moments passed; it felt as if something had happened, or could happen, or would have, but did not.

"It's cold here." Shadi shivered a little. "Let's get back to the sunlight."

"Sure. Let's."

As they left the shadow of the shrine, they strolled in the pale sun's light, already beginning to fade for the afternoon.

"It's weird to think that's always been there, and I've never seen it," Shadi mentioned.

"It's well hidden for sure."

"Nice to have more places to see. There's so little to do in Morcaster during winter. It's so dull." She dragged out the last word.

"Really? The city is so big, I thought there'd be lots going on."

"Nah, even the market is slow. Wait until spring, at least, and you'll see! The equinox festivities draw people from all over," Shadi explained. "You'll love it."

He glanced at her as they walked side by side. "Sounds good."

"Alright, wizard guy, I'm heading back home. See you another time?"

"Definitely."

~

Entering the classroom, Master Fenrick waved a bunch of parchments around. Martel sat on his spot, as did the six remaining mageknights in his astronomy class. They ceased their chatting to look expectantly at their teacher.

"I have examined your star charts. Six of them are near flawless. One has room for improvement." He looked at Martel and dug one out of the bunch. Stepping forward, he placed it on the desk before Martel. "Your calculations are off concerning the rotation of Malac."

A few of the mageknights snickered, including Cheval.

"Find your errors and show me. I don't require a new star chart. A simple parchment containing your new calculations will suffice, and I will consider you to have passed."

"Very well, master." Martel breathed a little sigh of relief. Finding a few errors should not be too difficult.

Returning to the front of the class, Master Fenrick raised his hand holding the other star charts. "As for the rest of you," he began to say, his voice growing louder, "you must take me for a fool!"

The acolytes exchanged looks.

"You think that you are the first to come up with the idea of buying a star chart from an older student?" Their teacher waved the maps around. "These are near identical! Do you foolish children understand that if you fail my course, you will not graduate?"

The looks turned shocked.

"Typical. You thought you could swim through this course without paying attention or doing the least work."

Eleanor raised her hand. "Forgive me, master, but –"

"No, I am in no mood for excuses," Master Fenrick told her curtly.

She lowered her hand with a frustrated expression.

Not happy about challenging a teacher, Martel steeled himself nonetheless and raised his hand. "Master Fenrick?"

The teacher turned his head. "What?" he snapped.

"Eleanor helped me with my chart. She didn't have to cheat. Her chart is flawless because her work is good," Martel explained.

Master Fenrick leafed through the maps until he found hers. He glanced over it before turning his eyes on Eleanor. "How often does the Triumvirate converge?"

She blinked. "Three times a year, master."

He pulled her map out and placed it on her desk. "Congratulations, Fontaine, you have passed astronomy. You still have to attend the remaining lessons, of course."

"Yes, master." She gave Martel a grateful look, and he felt his cheeks hurt from smiling.

"As for your fellow mageknights, you have one fiveday to turn in your own work before I inform the headmaster."

Glancing at Cheval, Martel's smile persisted. It faltered as it fell on Maximilian, sitting to his left. He leaned over. "I'll help you."

"Of course you will. If I was expelled, what would you do without me?" the mageknight jested.

"Quiet!" Master Fenrick barked. "Now, today we will discuss when Malac is retrograde, and what impact that might have on empowering magic..."