9. Chapter Nine

The scholars of the Studium offered counsel to all new Conduits upon entry, where they provided a particular route of courses to take within your first year. It wasn’t required, but it was firmly recommended.

The Studium and the elder city-state of Sophrosyne operated under the principle of free access to the knowledge of the gods. It was built for the pursuit of a deeper understanding of our world, so that we may study the arcane sciences that bound us and make use of this fundamental, powerful knowledge to go forth and make the realm a better place.

As such, there was no graduating from the Studium, the way one might celebrate the completion of education elsewhere. There was technically no required coursework, no enforced order of operations, and no tests that you had to pass in order to become recognized or respected. Once you entered the city and began your studies, you were a Conduit.

There were a few exceptions, of course. I imagined there was likely some type of formal training required in order to become a professor or High Scholar of the Studium, for example, but I had very little knowledge of such things. I probably should have paid more attention to Amaretta’s talk of her early years here.

Sophrosyne was essentially our oyster, and we were responsible for our own individual pursuits of the pearls of wisdom in the worlds held within these walls. Ultimately, I decided to go with what the scholars recommended, starting my first year off with some foundation building courses on history, the natural sciences, and arcana.

Today, I was attending a lecture in the Wyldwoods, focused on the fundamentals of Resonance within the natural world.

It was presented by High Scholar Jude Larkin—widely lauded as a master of Bios, a true genius in this particular field of study. That said, I could not help but feel somewhat amused, biting back a smile when I first saw him approach. Our professor was a small, diminutive looking man in clean cut robes, with thick, goggled lenses and a very impressive mustache. Scholar Larkin looked like a complete caricature of a man, the very essence of what a High Scholar should look like. It was delightful.

Larkin led our group down the streets of Sophrosyne to the Eastern Gates, where several men from the Elder Guard were waiting to escort us into the woods.

Though many of the monsters and other dangerous beasts of the world had been culled from the natural areas which surrounded our city, it was not without risk to go into the Wyldwoods alone. Typically, these guards were tasked with the overall protection and peace-keeping within the city, but I suppose sometimes they got stuck with more mundane tasks.

As the scholar took us through the bustling streets of Sophrosyne, I was admittedly not paying very close attention to his introductory notes amp; warnings.

I couldn’t help myself—it had only been a few weeks since my arrival, and both the campus and the city itself were absolutely sparkling with life, creativity, and curiosity. I suppose that’s what happens when you build an entire enclave dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.

My mind was a greedy, willful thing, as Amaretta would say, and I was hungry for every new sight and sound, and gods—even the scents around me. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted by as we passed a bakery, and I practically salivated at the sight of pastries in the window, dusted snow white with confectioner’s sugar.

I made a mental note of our location with the full intention to return once the lecture had concluded. It may seem like a silly indulgence, but I didn’t often have sweets growing up. In our village, resources were pooled and shared amongst those in need first and foremost.

That was another unique thing about the Arcane Studium.

The Convocation graciously provided new Conduits both room and board at no cost for our first year, including a small monthly stipend of Lyra to be spent however we wished. After your first year, you were expected to do some work, anywhere within the city. Any vocation with an opening was an eligible option, so long as you were contributing to the overall maintenance and quality of life in Sophrosyne.

In turn, the city provided these businesses with the funds to see us paid for our work, all the while continuing to provide us with food and housing if we chose to remain on campus. There was also an annual pool of Lyra allocated for basic living costs, which was granted equally and universally amongst the active Conduits in study.

It was all a bit surreal to me. Sure, my village back home had operated under similar principles, but to successfully do so in a massive city-state such as Sophrosyne? I couldn’t even imagine the amount of resources and organization it took to maintain such ideals.

Naturally, there were those that lived in Sophrosyne who were no longer active students, but still chose to remain in the city and make a life for themselves. These guardsmen were among them, I imagined. I couldn’t say I blamed them. With every passing day, I understood more why people around the world spoke of Sophrosyne with reverence and wonder. It truly was a city of gods.

I pulled my head from the clouds to focus on what the scholar was saying now as we drew closer to the trail that led into the forest. The towering fir and pine trees began to darken the skies, cooling the air as we reached the entry point.

“Remember, young Conduits! Stay within the group, respect the orders of the guards, and, most importantly, open your senses to the world within these woods. Allow yourselves to attune to the elemental energies around you, identifying each reflection of aether. The Wyldwoods are some of the oldest surviving forests that remain untouched by mankind, and you may find that the aether within feels stronger.”

He wasn’t wrong. The air around here almost felt heavier to breathe in, even more dense to walk through. The invisible weight grew with every step further into the forest. As Larkin began to explain the basics of Resonance and elemental parallels, my mind wandered off again.

I held the High Scholar with utmost esteem and respect, of course, but Amaretta had already beaten much of these basics into my brain. It was not particularly difficult to tune him out and marvel instead at the massive, ancient trees, gnarled bark covered in moss and tiny little mushrooms.

I also enjoyed watching the expressions on some of the younger Conduits’ faces as they learned some of this for the first time. Surprised interest, delight, awe. In these moments, I felt as though I could begin to understand why the Aetherborne had loved us enough to dedicate their immortal lives to our safe-keeping. Human curiosity was a beautiful thing.

Human curiosity was also one of my many weaknesses, and so I continued to explore my surroundings with my eyes, as Larkin—or Jude, as he kept reminding us—had so kindly asked us not to do so with our feet.

“Don’t look now, but one of those guards is staring at you,” one of the other Conduits beside me murmured.

I glanced over at her and found her face to be vaguely familiar. I recognized her eyes, which were a gorgeous shade of sage green, like a bay leaf—particularly offset by her deep, olive skin and a head full of long, dark curls. I was fairly certain that she had been aboard the same ship that brought me here to Sophrosyne. She was one of the few other Resonants who would catch my eye and grimace when Percival was being a prick.

“Laurel, right?” I whispered, and she nodded. “Which guard?”

“Okay so full disclosure, I’m a lesbian, but… the hot one. You’ll know when you look. Be subtle!” Laurel whispered back with a conspiratorial grin.

I caught a glimpse of the offending guardsman out of the corner of my gaze, giving no indication that I noticed him, unless he could see the whisper of my smirk. I was trying my best to keep it contained, but Laurel’s cheeky expression was not helping in the slightest. Once the man appeared to have glanced away, it was my turn to give him a once-over.

It was one Hel of a once-over.

The guardsman was very tall, built with lean but apparent muscle beneath his coat and leathers. Prior observations had told me that certain pins and tassels on the breast of the Elder Guard’s uniforms indicated rank, and his was decorated enough to suggest seniority. He had to at least be a lieutenant… or, judging by the difference between his uniform and that of the others next to him, perhaps he was a captain. There was certainly an authoritative aura about him.

What was a captain of the Elder Guard doing on minor babysitting duty?

That particular curiosity could wait though, because as I watched him laugh at something one of the other guards said, my mind went blank. Good gods, he was attractive.

“See what I mean?” Laurel murmured.

I most certainly did. While the two men he was standing closest to weren’t unattractive by any means, the other Conduit had a point—the captain stood out, partially because he was so tall. The man would likely tower over me if he were closer, and I wasn’t particularly small in stature.

I also liked the deep, golden tan tones of his skin, and the way that his dark hair was lengthy enough on top that it fell into his face as he leaned forward into his laughter. When his more disciplined posture returned, he brushed the longer locks back with one hand and my breath caught in my throat for a moment.

The left side of his face was marred by the slash of a scar through his brow, eye, and cheekbone. It had to have come from a vicious blow, or one Hel of a sharp blade. The scarred eye in question was white and clouded, I could only assume it was now blind. The other eye was a stunningly light shade of glacial blue, noticeable even from a distance.

Whoever this guard was, he was a lesson in colors, angles and contrast, and—oh gods, he was looking at me again.

I averted my eyes, pretending to be focused on the lecture.

“Do you know him?” Laurel asked.

“I most certainly do not,” I murmured back, though a reckless part of me very much wanted to get to know him.

I didn’t come to Sophrosyne or the Arcane Studium looking for romance, or even friendship, really—but one thing was certain upon my arrival: I could spend hundreds upon hundreds of hours in this city and still only glean a fraction of the information it contained.

In all likelihood, I would be here for years to come, searching for my answers and hopefully mastering arcana along the way.

I still wasn’t looking for romance, but with handsome strangers like that walking around the place? I could be convinced to open my mind to the possibilities of a casual fling every now and again. There was more to life than lectures and dusty old tomes, after all.

Even as a guardsman, I could sense a wicked, dark sort of edge to the man that I found strangely intriguing. It wasn’t just the scar, or the hint of a tattoo I could see crawling up his neck. It was just in his energy, the way he carried himself, the way he laughed. It felt dangerous, but also beautiful.

I kept stealing hungry, hidden glances in his direction for the entirety of the lecture. Sophrosyne was a big city, and he was the most attractive creature I’d encountered so far… by a long shot. The odds of encountering him again felt slim.

You have to appreciate such ephemeral beauty while it lasts, right?

Or maybe it was just that higher concentration of aether in these woods getting to my head. One or the other. Probably both.

Besides, he had been staring at me first.