The Archmage’s office had an open-air concept, hardly any walls but furnished from top to bottom with a variety of magical, moving trinkets and odds and ends. Beyond the pillars holding up a smaller domed ceiling was a straight line of sight that showed Radiance, only it must've been miles away.
Moving closer to the edge of the office, and apparently a cliff, Emery noticed a barrier between them and the open sky on all sides.
"How did you do that?" Emery asked.
Corinne shrugged and said, "Magic."
"Right, dumb question." Emery said.
The Archmage motioned to the seat opposite her desk. As the young Lamb sat, Corinne snapped her fingers. A tea set floated between them, pouring two cups worth of refreshments.
"Harrison mentioned you like tea." Corinne said as she offered a cup.
"Thanks." Emery accepted and took a quick, polite sip. As the taste hit her tongue, she was pleasantly surprised. "Wow, it’s my favorite!"
"Black with a big splash of lemon?" The Archmage confirmed. "Your mother liked it too."
Emery put her cup down, setting a mental reminder to finish it before she left. "You knew my mom?"
Corinne nodded. "We met through a mutual friend who happened to be a mage. One long conversation, three cups of tea later, and it was like being in college again." The Archmage confessed with a smile. "It's rare to find a non-mage so open to our world... and everything that comes with it."
“No kidding.” Emery agreed. “It’s been incredible but... what’s the issue with being mundane or an Amaranth?"
"Magic is a very old practice, Miss Lamb." Corinne readied the cup of tea near her chin. "There are old ways of thinking still around. Some people are uncomfortable with the idea of change; that inequality is just an excuse for violence. You show them a mundane or an Amaranth and they only see a problem to be solved.”
Emery shrugged, leaving her tea nearly finished. "In the last month, my life's changed like crazy and it's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Corinne laughed at her young student's honesty, "Glass half full, are we? You're going to fit in fine here.”
“Did my mom fit in, you know, since she was mundane?” Emery asked.
“It wasn’t easy for her.” Corinne said. “But she managed better than most.” The Archmage wiped at her eye. “Emery, I never got the chance to apologize for what happened to your mother. I considered Suyin a close friend and the night that she died… I always wished I could’ve done more.”
Emery put down her finished cup. “It’s not your fault, Professor. And you don’t have to dredge up the past for my sake. I know it’s hard enough for my dad to bring it all up again.”
“That’s very kind of you, Emery.” The Archmage smiled. “But I want you to know that if there’s ever anything you need during your time at Radiance or beyond, all you have to do is ask.”
“Honestly, just being here is enough.” Emery confessed. “Until I’m in over my head of course. But this sponge is ready to soak up whatever you’ve got.”
Corinne giggled. “Well, there is one thing I wanted to offer you. A special class for students such as yourself.”
“Amaranths?”
Corinne waved away the empty cups with a flick of her wrist. “Not exclusively. Every year I make it a point to sort out any students who haven’t had as much traditional experience with magic as most. Consider it a group tutoring session if you like.”
“Whatever you call it, I’m in.” Emery accepted.
“Wonderful!” Corinne said with a youthful glee. “Our professor of Arcane Disciplines, Vincent Vale, will be leading the majority of the sessions. He’s an old friend of your dad’s so the two of you should get on well.”
Emery shook her head, “Hearing my dad had this huge life with magic is super weird. He’s always seemed like the most boring guy and now it’s like I’m the daughter of a celebrity.”
The Archmage put on her best smirk, “Don’t worry, he’s boring to us too. Harris just happens to be a magnet for trouble… Look at the time! I've practically held you hostage."
Emery craned her neck to make sense of the chaotic clocks. "Really? That didn't feel longer than ten minutes."
"It'll feel shorter than that." Corinne got up from her seat and offered a ready hand to her student. "My hand, if you would, Miss Lamb."
The moment Emery took the Archmage's hand, she felt another azure twist consume her until her vision settled back into the familiar corridors of Radiance. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she swore she could make out a faint ticking.
Before she could question where she was exactly, Corinne ushered her forward with a quick word, "Run along now, Emery. The tour's liable to leave without you."
"What?" Emery replied.
"Hey, Emery." Thomas called out from the tail end of the tour group. "Weren't you just with the Archmage?"
"I was—we were...” Facing down the fifth-floor corridor, she saw Corinne wave at Thomas before entering the entry way into her office. "How long was I gone?"
"Um, you weren't. You went into the Archmage's office and showed up here." Thomas told her as he waved back at the exiting professor with a hint of confusion. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Emery lied. "Just turned around, I guess."
The tour continued towards the observatory but there had been no discovery of new stars to name after their precocious Archmage. As the first years gazed up at the observatory's dome ceiling, illustrated with an abstract night sky, Emery felt awe and amazement. The world felt as if it had opened up and was ready to unveil even more with just the slightest touch of her fingers. The Archmage though, Emery had the feeling there was so much more to the woman. Perhaps it was the starry look in her eyes, or the mention of her mother, or something as mundane as sharing a cup of tea.
But something in Emery’s mind wondered if the Archmage had a place deeper in her thoughts. In some odd dream that would be half forgotten by the time she started the day.
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