Feral Mage Book 3: Chapter 2

Bryce’s first impression upon stepping into the university was that the carpenters and masons must have been paid a fortune for the lobby alone. White marble floors led to a massive oak desk, carved in the scene of a noble’s hunt of a stag, which, to Bryce, looked like a bunch of drunks just following dogs as they chased deer through the woods.

They passed stone statues depicting men and women reading and writing along the path to the desk, and Bryce wondered if they were the founders of the university or just notable figures.

When they arrived at the desk, the old man behind it didn’t even look up from his book, instead taking a moment to finish the page before placing a marker and closing it.

“Welcome to Witchbrook University, how might I help—” the clerk paused.

Bryce saw him give a dismissive glance at him, then his gaze landed on Isabelle, and his eyes widened.

“Miss Isabelle, you’ve graced the University with your beautiful presence again,” the clerk greeted as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. “I’ll fetch the department head of acquisition right away.”

Isabelle clung tighter to his arm.

“I’m actually here with my Darling today,” she said.

The clerk’s fearful eyes darted to Bryce, and he gave an uneasy smile.

“How might the University help you today, good sir?” he asked with trepidation.

“I’m here to meet with Alex on behalf of Guildmaster Mark,” Bryce answered.

The clerk quickly nodded.

“Oh, yes! Alex did say he was meeting someone today,” the clerk said as he pulled out a stack of papers, sliding them toward Bryce. “The section of the library he’s waiting in is heavily restricted by the University. The knowledge kept there is potentially dangerous or even outlawed by the Kingdom of Brook. I will need you to give a detailed explanation of why you wish to access it and— ”

Isabelle placed five gold coins on top of the stack of papers. The clerk’s eyes widened before he quickly took them back.

“Ah, yes,” he said, clearing his throat. “Everything seems to be in order here. I’ll go through later and tidy up your script. Please, follow me.”

The clerk slipped the coins into the pockets of his robe as he stood and moved around the desk. Isabelle smiled at Bryce, still clinging to his arm as they followed.

He wondered if Vex would give him hell later for smelling like the gang boss, but with how Isabelle seemed to have pull within the University, it might just be worth it.

The clerk rambled on about the history of Witchbrook University. Though, Bryce stopped paying attention after his explanation of how the place was founded by two mages who uncovered a cache of drow books on the peninsula and built the first building to house them. Instead, he took in his surroundings. Paintings of beautiful landscapes and portraits lined the walls of the hallway they walked through. Every so often, they would pass by a door with a plaque detailing the knowledge that lay beyond it. History, Alchemy, and Metalwork were just a few of the plaques they passed by. One even made Bryce raise an eyebrow.

“Why does Religion have a sign that says ‘No Cheese’ on the door?” he asked.

The clerk sighed before ignoring him, and Isabelle just laughed.

“I’ll tell you the story later,” she whispered while patting his arm.

The clerk stopped at a door with 'Restricted' on the plaque and produced a key from his robe. As he turned the key, Bryce saw several runes glow for a mere moment before fading back into the wood of the door. Their lines were barely distinguishable from the wood grain.

Powerful runes. Useless if your staff can be bribed, though.

As they entered the room, the first thing Bryce noticed was the rows of shelves with iron bars that locked the books behind them, each shelf needing a key to access it.

They moved deeper into the room, passing by dozens of these bookshelves before arriving at a table near a large panel window with iron bars as well. Three tables sat before it, one with a gray-haired man in blue robes reading through a tome.

“Alex, you have visitors,” the clerk said.

The old man closed the book and turned around with a smile.

“Mark, you old—”

He paused, and his smile shifted to a smirk as his eyes landed on the steel dog tag around Bryce’s neck.

“Did that bastard pawn this off on you?” Alex asked.

Bryce smiled.

“I see you know Mark well,” he replied.

Alex laughed.

“We were in the guild together. I left once my bones got too old for the mercenary life,” Alex replied. “Mark and I still go out for beers once a month and bullshit about the old days. I’ll be busting his chops about weaseling out of coming to the University.”

Bryce laughed.

“Good, he deserves it. I’m Bryce,” he said, shaking Alex’s hand.

The clerk wordlessly bowed and left them in the room.

“Isabelle,” Alex said with a more stern expression. “I am surprised to see you here.”

Isabelle hummed happily.

“I like to get out of The Rim every once in a while. Bryce always takes me on the most interesting dates,” she said.

Alex raised an eyebrow at Bryce before looking at the stack of books on the table.

“I would say she shouldn’t be here, but I also know she’s responsible for getting more than a few books on these shelves,” he said, grabbing three of the tomes and setting them side-by-side. “So I’m just going to ignore her.”

Isabelle clicked her tongue.

“Just like Bryce with my contracts,” she said softly to herself.

Once more, Alex raised an eyebrow at Bryce.

“So, Mark said you found what kind of magic uses those wooden hearts?” he asked.

Alex tilted his head slightly.

“Nothing that’s a true match, but something similar,” he answered.

Bryce frowned, wondering if this trip was just a waste of time, when Alex grabbed one of the books and opened it up.

“I first thought it was related to necromancy, given the wooden hearts were placed in corpses,” Alex said as he flipped through pages. “I wasted a month on that path before stepping back and looking at other possibilities. Which I found in a tome on the histories of the Selkie Isles.”

He set the book back on the table, and Bryce saw a colorful illustration of a man standing beside some strange wooden being. Bryce leaned forward to better examine the image.

“Is that some kind of monster from the Isles?” he asked.

Alex shook his head.

“It’s a golem, created by a type of mage called a Soul Mimic,” Alex said. “Soul Mimics were a type of mage native to the Selkie Isles, but not long after the Three Prince War, they were outlawed and their practitioners executed. The school of magic is thought to be extinct.”

“What the hell did they do to deserve that?” Isabelle asked.

Alex scratched his cheek.

“One assassinated the King of the Selkie Isles,” he answered. “The King’s son wasn’t a very stable man. Lasting scars on the mind from the brutal civil war and the death of his father pushed him over the edge. He started to form hunting parties for Soul Mimics and even offered bounties on their heads.”

A deep sigh escaped Alex.

“The aftermath of the Three Prince War was a dark time for the Isles,” he stated, then pointed to the book. “I believe this Harold Volson uses a type of magic that branched from Soul Mimics that were sent to the penal colonies on the continent during the war.”

Bryce stared at the illustration and shook his head.

“Harold used corpses; this golem looks like it’s made from wood.”

Alex nodded.

“They were, and typically, a Soul Mimic could only control one at a time. Their magic essentially mimics their soul into an inanimate object and allows them to control it. The wooden heart, though, is the key connection. That’s the vessel they would use to mimic their soul with.”

Bryce’s brows furrowed.

“So how did it go from controlling a single wooden puppet to Harold having an army of these things that you can’t tell from a real person?”

Alex laughed, which grated on Bryce’s nerves.

“There are whole wings of study in this University and countless theories on the formation and development of schools of magic. Most likely he’s an exceptionally skilled individual and the continent version of the Soul Mimics adapted to using corpses to avoid detection,” Alex answered. “That or the old fables are true.”

Bryce saw Isabelle’s expression shift to a steely one as she glared at the old man. Only to return to her usual cheerful self when she caught him watching her, even winking at him.

“Fables?” Bryce asked, looking from the gang boss to the old man.

Alex shrugged.

“It crops up sometimes in the histories and legends of powerful mages. Claims they were blessed by a God or Goddess, and their magic changed as a result.”

Bryce felt the hairs stand on the back of his neck as he turned to look at the panel window. He didn’t look through it, though, instead focusing on the reflection within the glass. Faintly, he could see four individuals in the room with them and knew one was the elf with four eyes.

“Do you have any books on these fables?” Bryce asked, not taking his gaze from the window.

“Give me a few days and I can gather some for you, if you’re curious about the subject,” Alex said, then hesitated a moment. “Just to be clear, I mentioned fables as a jest, not a serious explanation for the changes.”

Bryce forced a smile on his face as he looked back at the old man.

“Of course. I’m just curious about them,” he answered.

Alex started to speak before Isabelle interrupted.

“Darling, I think we should go. I need to get back to my girls,” Isabelle said.

Alex closed the book.

“Go on, that was the extent of what I’ve found so far. I’ll keep digging and hopefully will have more when we meet again,” Alex said, standing and holding a hand out for Bryce.

“Also, take these two books. They’re older works on the mages of the world and describe Soul Mimics in some detail. They’re not considered restricted, so I can loan them out. Just don’t lose them as they’re worth their weight in gold.”

Bryce grimaced as he took the tomes.

“I’ll be sure to give them to Mark right away. So if anything happens, it’s his gold.”

Alex chuckled before sitting back down and opening the book he had been reading when they entered. Bryce and Isabelle moved for the door, though this time the redheaded sea elf wasn’t clinging to him, and her steps seemed to be quick.

“Everything alright?” Bryce asked as they entered the hallway.

Isabelle smiled at him.

“I just remembered something I needed to take care of,” she said.

Isabelle started humming the tune she had earlier, and Bryce pushed the thoughts from his mind.