Throne of Time [Magical Academy, Time Loop, Mystery]

”So what can we do to prepare?” Suria asked. ”I understand we can train and study, but we’re just students... how much truth can we really uncover?”

”One of my goals is to get into Professor Drazen’s office,” Wynchard told her. ”It’s locked at the start of the cycle, and within a few hours there are mages investigating. Jeilin might be right about that part: there’s something suspicious involving Professor Drazen that we need to uncover. But breaking into a professor’s office isn’t easy, and even the school staff don’t seem to get in until later.”

”He got himself arrested a few times,” Gerial said with a snicker.

”I think we should try the Sequential Library again,” one of the Akrashic women said. ”But until then, some of us are trying to get into the Perception department’s vault. There have to be forbidden books in there, not to mention all the valuable materials.”

That set off a firestorm amongst the loopers, leaving Suria desperately trying to piece together the old arguments between them. What she gathered was that each department had a special vault, generally impenetrable without a key held by the department throne. Because Zaasif Drazen was gone, access was ambiguous, potentially transferred to someone weaker than an archmage.

Apparently this had been tried before, however, with negative results. It sounded as though some of the Akrashic Union faction had attempted to brute force the vault doors, getting themselves killed by lethal defenses each time. Clearly there were deep disagreements about whether or not this was a wise path, or whether the vault was worth it at all.

”Personally, I’m trying to get records from the Endless Pale.” The new speaker was one of the men from Junn, who had been silent before that point. ”They say that Hrakik the Irredeemable had a fortress in the tundra, so books about time magic might have survived there. But the group of explorers I hired keeps disappearing.”

”I’m telling you,” Gerial said, ”they’re taking your money and running off with it.”

”I very much doubt that. The cycle may not have extended far enough... but I’m looking for someone else to go along with them. I’ll offer a favor for it.”

This apparently had come up multiple times in the past as well, inspiring arguments about whether any magic tomes could have survived up there. The looper who was most scornful of this idea was the one from Febek-Rai, who she was reminded was named Dsjaho-an Antef. Even though Febek-Rai was a huge country, Suria wanted to ask Maut-mai about him later.

Except that this Maut-mai barely knew her at all. Suria felt a wave of hollow cold and understood why the loopers might spend all their time together even if they bickered.

Part of the conversation centered around ”favors”, which the loopers clearly used with a more serious definition than casual usage. Suria supposed that it made sense: wealth and possessions reset at the end of each cycle, so the only thing of enduring value was their agreements with one another. It seemed like some kind of formal system, even if she couldn’t figure out how exactly it worked.

”Wait,” Qinq said in a lull in the conversation, ”maybe this is the time to tell Suria about the favors?”

”Most of what we do is erased,” Wynchard said, ”but we need to deal fairly with one another. So we came to an agreement...”

He went on to explain about their system of favors, which was more or less what Suria had guessed. Favors had to be formally acknowledged, could be held indefinitely, and then the person who owed the favor had to repay an equivalent favor with anything that wasn’t permanent. After some sort of acrimonious dealing, there was a rule that favors couldn’t be traded or transferred.

”My favors are fantastic value,” Gerial told her with a grin. ”I have an entire estate in Darmkael, a small fortune I’m happy to waste, and like I said, I can get you almost anything you want. For just one favor, I’ll give you a cycle that you’ll never forget. You can come by and just owe me one - I don’t mind.”

”And what will you want in return?” Suria asked.

”So glad you asked!” Gerial reached into his robes and pulled out an expensive piece of paper that he appeared to have prepared just for this occasion. Given that the cycle had only recently began, he seemed very committed to this role. Setting aside her concerns over him, Suria looked over the items:

Sherlot (874, 877, or 881)

Endelythan mana liquor

Krashic Red (any, in sufficient quantity)

Beiroe palm wine

Vedrazan single malt (100+ years)

Tincture of azure

Wizard pepper

Etherdust

Junnite silk

It seemed to be... a list of alcohols and other drugs? Suria reread the list a few times, trying to figure out if she was missing something.

”You’re offering a favor...” She trailed off, waving the list vaguely. ”In return for a drink?”

”I mean, I need a decent quantity and time to enjoy it,” Gerial said with a sniff. ”I have standards. But oh yes, I’d trade my entire estate for a taste of 877 Sherlot. It’s next to impossible to find. I think you’d probably have to break into somewhere to get it. But no harm done if it’s the end of a loop, right?”

”I thought that behaving decadently was one of the easiest ways to make others suspicious you were in a time loop.”

Gerial wagged a finger at her. ”Only for those who didn’t have my foresight to establish a reputation as a decadent layabout. You don’t need to worry... no one will suspect if you’re away from campus at my estate.”

”This is really starting off on the wrong foot,” Wynchard said with a sigh. ”We can do far more for you, Suria. I have connections to some of the professors, so I can help you get into specialized classes. Some of us have enough Alchemy to offer runic potions or other support. Whatever your goals, someone here can help you reach them.”

Suria had to admit that was tempting: she was a new student and there were severe limits to how much she could achieve on her own. The problem was, she would be racking up real debts with no clear way to repay them. She didn’t want to be in debt to any of the other loopers, even Gerial.

”I want to help,” Suria said, ”but what can I really offer?”

”Nothing,” Adwyrma said as she turned away. She stalked over the blue grass and then disappeared into a shimmer of air as she returned to campus.

”Don’t let her put you off,” Wynchard said. ”None of us can be a specialist at everything, so I’m sure you can develop some unique skills over the loops. And in the short term, I want you to help me get into Convocation Hall so I can investigate.”

That was one of Suria’s only points of leverage, so she gave a noncommittal nod. Some of the others left or focused on their own celebrations while a few clustered around her. Suria learned that there were standing favors offered for anyone who had information about the missing professor, the Sequential Library, or the necromancer.

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”Wait, wait.” Suria looked around the group. ”What’s that about a necromancer?”

”Oh, right.” Wynchard shook his head somberly. ”I don’t have proof, but I’m convinced there’s a necromancer on campus. A few of us were eliminated so strangely... at worst, they might be part of the loop, or maybe they’re just canny enough to kill a clumsy looper. They could well have a soul killing spell, at least.”

”You’re telling me there’s a necromancer on the loose, potentially even in the loop?”

”Hence why there’s a standing favor about them. Anyone who figures out their identity would immediately get a favor from me and a bunch of others.”

Suria hadn’t thought she could feel even less safe at Darkmoon University, but apparently she’d been wrong. The others somehow took this in stride, even though it should have changed everything as far as she was concerned. Necromancer or not, the idea of someone else in the loop stalking them was an ominous one.

”There’s actually a way to survive a soul-killing spell,” Qinq told her quietly. ”It’s called soul armor... the problem is that it’s forbidden to normal students.”

”Obviously we’d all like to acquire it,” Wynchard explained, ”but this is my third year and it’s still too advanced for me, so don’t worry about it for now.”

”There’s something simpler, though.” Qinq turned fully to Suria and gave her a slight smile. ”Have you ever heard of a soul talisman?”

”Not at all,” Suria answered honestly. ”What’s that?”

”Well, my understanding is that you can imprint a glyph onto your soul, somehow, and cast directly from it. As if that wasn’t enough, successfully creating a soul talisman increases your runic capacity. Obviously all archmages use them... the trouble is, it’s not forbidden, but they don’t teach that sort of thing to just any student.”

”I assume you have some kind of lead?”

”I know that Lia Huen Rei can create them,” Qinq explained, ”since there’s a well-known method from Nau Qin Nau. The problem is, she doesn’t have any kind of national pride. I spent an entire cycle trying to ingratiate myself to her and it had no effect. I think the only way would be to get through her class, Magical Analysis In Depth.”

”It’s a puzzle,” Jeilin said. He had been mostly quiet throughout the conversation, but now spoke up with some irritation. ”It’s the first class I’ve ever taken where I couldn’t keep up with the reading. She kept being frustrated that we hadn’t read necessary books and adding more to the list. Either her standards are insanely high or they’re more familiar texts back home.”

Qinq snorted. ”No, I haven’t heard of practically all of them. But the point is: a soul talisman would be useful for all of us. Anyone who can make meaningful progress with the professor is owed a favor from me, and I’ll give it gladly.”

”I’ll help if I can,” Suria said, surprising herself as well as the group with her agreement.

But it just made too much sense: this ”soul talisman” would be a way to permanently improve herself, Professor Huen had been one of those she’d seen in the basement, and even the challenge itself interested her. If she could also earn a favor from a fellow looper, this would be one of the most useful actions she could take in a given loop.

”I actually have a favor to request too,” Jeilin said, coughing and averting his gaze. ”I know this will sound weird, but I need someone to get housing in Oculon Hall and spy on everyone’s movements at night.”

”This again.” Qinq sighed and moved away, joining the Junnite group. Meanwhile, Suria was puzzled and just stared at Jeilin.

”I’m convinced someone is attempting something shady,” he explained hastily. ”Oculon Hall is where most of the Perception department’s classes take place. Professor Drazen has his office there, and the Perception vault is there too. With the head professor gone, the whole department is vulnerable, and I think someone is trying to take advantage.”

”That makes sense,” Suria agreed, ”but why housing and spying? And why can’t you do this yourself?”

”Remember what I said about finishing all my arrangements early? Well, that’s actually a limitation here. You see, a small number of students can get housing in Oculon Hall, but only if they’re taking certain Perception courses, and only if other housing is filled up. I’ve tried a dozen different ways of transferring and it’s never worked out.”

”I see. I suppose I could try...”

”I hoped that you would. I actually got someone from the Junnite group into the right room once, but he didn’t take it seriously and was out drinking half the nights, so the information was worthless. I was hoping you might be able to do a more thorough job.”

”Probably,” Suria said. ”All I really want to do at this stage is read.”

Jeilin seemed grateful and quickly laid out the other details. It seemed that she would just need to secure one of the few rooms in Oculon Hall, then maintain an analysis glyph he’d crafted, which would record anyone moving where they shouldn’t after hours. The only way she could get into that dorm room was if she applied late in the process, and she’d need a connection to the Perception department, but Suria already had an idea how she could pull that off while pursuing another one of her goals.

That gave Suria much more of a plan for the coming term and she wanted to try to work out the details. It seemed like she couldn’t simply slip away, however, as some of the others were inviting her to join them in their drinks, and Wynchard was still sitting opposite her with his arms folded.

”Will you open Convocation Hall for me next cycle?” he asked.

”Can we talk about this at the end of the cycle?” Suria lowered her gaze from his piercing eyes, so filled with purpose. ”I spent... too long in there. What do you want to do, anyway?”

”Search the building, for a start. There really wasn’t anything going on?”

”It was empty, but most of the rooms were locked.” Maybe that was her best option to put him off. ”Do you have spells that could unlock them? There’s also a staircase with some sort of barrier. I’m not sure how much we can explore without more tools in our runebooks.”

”I’ve never been interested in that sort of magic.” Wynchard sighed and for the first time his shoulders sank.

”I know a little.” Suria hesitated, then made herself reach out to touch his arm, since she thought he’d respond well to that. ”I took an artificing class last term. If you give me some time, I can learn more. Maybe with your help we can search Convocation Hall properly.”

”It’s great to have someone else willing to cooperate.” Wynchard beamed at her and gripped her hand. With someone else Suria might have feared there were romantic sentiments involved, but he just seemed very earnest as he pulled her toward the others. ”Do you want to share a drink with us? You should get to know the whole group.”

”Oh, but I feel like there’s so much I need to do to get ready for the term...”

”Come on!” Gerial had been pretending not to pay attention, but now pivoted toward them and waved her closer. ”I heard you spent the entire last loop reading. You need to let your hair down sometimes.”

”It isn’t just that,” Suria said more firmly, taking a step back from them. ”My runic capacity isn’t as high as any of yours, so I need to get started on my training.”

”Worthless,” Gerial said with a snort. ”You know it resets, don’t you? There’s no point grinding away at those exercises when they’ll be erased. I guarantee you, I can get you a potion that will give you five times as much runic capacity.”

”He’s correct that our options are limited,” Wynchard told her somberly. ”Only advanced magic like the soul talismans creates a change that will follow us through cycles. Barring that, our best ways to prepare are to gain information and better access to resources.”

”I see...” Suria had known that there were limitations to her progress, but hearing them stated so bluntly took the wind out of her sails. It also killed her desire to spend time with the group, however. ”I’m sorry, but there are too many things I need to do. Maybe later, when I’m more used to the cycle.”

Gerial merely shrugged languidly, while Wynchard nodded to her. ”Your focus is to your credit,” he said with a hand on her shoulder. ”We’re the only ones who retain our memories, so we’ll be here for you once you need allies.”

Suria said a few paltry thanks and headed away from the group, trying to sort through the chaos of her thoughts. For a while she worried about leaving the Blue, but while walking across the sapphire grass, she abruptly passed through a veil and was back on Darkmoon campus. When she looked over her shoulder, she couldn’t see the entrance at all. Normally she would want to experiment with it, but she didn’t want to look foolish in front of the other loopers.

As she headed back into campus, Suria tried to swallow her disappointment. She had abandoned her hope of being free of the loop, but she could have endured being in it alone, given endless chances to study different subjects. Now she had to deal with so many other people with varying levels of hostility and suspiciousness... there was no way she could forget about the dark mysteries at the heart of the time loop and pretend she was a normal student.

Worst of all was the idea that her training was entirely useless, always being wiped away when the loop reset. The others had so much more experience, and someone like Wynchard wouldn’t have lied, so he was probably correct. That, more than anything else, made her want to give up.

Maybe Suria would have surrendered to it once, but she had endured that miserable first hour, being killed over and over again, and she had found her way out. No, she wouldn’t accept what they told her. They might have had more time in the loop overall, but that didn’t mean they fully understood it.

So instead of giving up, Suria marched to the small campus store that Maut-mai had showed her last cycle. In addition to the basic supplies she would need for the coming term, like paper and stone slates, Suria purchased a simple hourglass.

If she wanted to do this as a proper experiment, she would need to keep as many variables as possible the same. Up to this point, she had only cast a single unlocking glyph. She could recreate exactly the same talismans, purchase the same mass-produced stone, and always use the simple wedge she’d brought with her. Searching through the Taedric Building, she found a corner that seemed completely quiet with a chair beside the window and sat down.

Her current runic capacity was four. Suria turned over the hourglass and began making crossed runes in the stone.