Magi's Path (Aether's Revival Book 3) by Daniel Schinhofen (motivational books to read txt) 📕

“Slow,” Gregory replied. “The first month is going to be that way, though, since they have to cover the basics of Empire’s Gambit.”

“Yes, that’s how it normally goes. Are you fine with the reading you already have?”

“We are, but we’ll probably need new books tomorrow,” Yukiko answered.

“Very well. I wish you good studying.”

~*~*~

They were just finishing making the Magi Squares to be done for the day when the novices arrived.

“Good morning,” Daciana said brightly.

“Good morning,” Gregory replied, looking up to see Victoria yawning. “Tired you out, did they?”

“I’m not sure I would have made it yesterday if not for them,” Victoria said, nodding at Nessa and Daciana. “If not for the little bit of training ahead of time and the breathing technique they taught me, I would’ve been one of the worst in the class.”

“It’ll improve after the first few weeks,” Jenn assured her.

“I’m sure it will,” Victoria agreed. “History was as bad as we thought it would be.”

“We’re dropping that class,” Daciana said.

“We’re going to spend an hour of that time doing history, and the other hour working on whatever we want,” Nessa said. “It’ll work out better for us. None of us were worried about having a posting here or in the capital, anyway.”

“Just as long as you keep to your training,” Yukiko said. “That’s the important part.”

“A question?” Victoria asked slowly. “In your aether introduction class, did a magus strip side-by-side with a student to show the difference in what the body path can do?”

“Yes,” Yukiko said, “though it was Proctor Bishop for us.”

“Bishop?” Victoria asked with wide eyes. “I can’t imagine her down to her small clothes.”

“Gregory was the one beside her, helping,” Yukiko added, her lips twitching, fighting the smile as she watched the three novices process that information.

Gregory shook his head, recalling the memory. “I was so thin when I first got here. I’ve filled out since then.”

“Yes, you have, indeed,” Yukiko smiled as she watched cheeks flush and all three novices start sneaking glances at Gregory. “Now, we have studying to do. Papers to the left today.”

~*~*~

Finished with the Magi Squares, they all became absorbed in their books. Gregory was just finishing his when the fifth bell began to toll.

Not a lot of real information on the gem. Maybe I’ll go up to the second floor tomorrow and look at the books there. If we stay here for the Magi Squares and just go up after that, it’ll still give us time to spend with them. Ah, well, thoughts for later, he told himself.

“I had no idea that Aether’s Guard was one of the oldest clans,” Victoria said as she shut her book.

“Yes,” Daciana nodded. “One of the first three. It fell, but with us in it, it’ll rise to be among the great clans again.”

Gregory smiled at her words. Always so damned confident. Clearing his throat, he spoke up, “Daciana, I was wondering... when you approached us to begin with, was it because your father pushed you to?”

Daciana blinked. She stared at him for a moment before looking down, her cheeks flushing. “No. I wanted to join your clan for my own reasons.”

“Oh, okay. I just worried that maybe you were being pushed into it,” Gregory said. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just know what it’s like to have a father telling you to do what he wants and not what you might want.”

“We should go,” Yukiko said.

“I wanted to say,” Gregory coughed, getting to his feet, “I’m going to check out a book upstairs tomorrow. After Magi Squares,” he added quickly, seeing the sudden downcast expressions on the younger women.

“We understand,” Nessa said once he’d added his addendum. “We don’t want to hinder your studying.”

“You haven’t, and won’t,” Yukiko said. “We want to help our friends grow. Gregory is right, though. We do need to check the books on the next level. Starting tomorrow, we’ll split off after Magi Squares.”

“We understand,” Victoria said. “Thank you for studying with us.”

Daciana clearly didn’t want to agree with the other two, but she nodded her head.

With their goodbyes said, the two groups went their separate ways.

“The book on ryuite was nearly a bust,” Gregory sighed. “It was almost identical to what was in the clan archive.”

“The book on mythrum was okay, but it mostly extolled the virtues of it in enchanting,” Jenn sighed. “I hope the second floor has more information.”

“What have you been working on Yuki?” Gregory asked.

“I was reading a history on Empire’s Gambit,” Yukiko said. “It was explaining why Lionel Lighthand started it, and how much simpler it was to begin with. I hope the second floor has books about the emblem in the temple.”

“We’ll find out tomorrow,” Gregory said.

~*~*~

The rest of that day went as the previous one had. The only difference was that the group training session was Inda, Indara, and Dia. While the apprentices didn’t win, they did much better against the three they’d been pitted against.

Before they retired for the night, Gregory went to speak with Dia.

“Excuse me, Dia, do you have a moment?” Gregory asked, finding her in the garden.

“I will always have time for those of the clan,” Dia smiled. “What can I help you with?”

“I had a question, and I don’t know if you have the answer for it... I heard there was a way to regrow lost fingers. Is that true?”

Dia considered for a few seconds. “There are a few ways. A healer could manage it, if they were of a high enough tier. There is a salve that is said to help with freshly lost extremities, and there is another salve for older injuries, but that costs a lot more. Why do you ask?”

Gregory moved over to take a