Basic Arcane Runes

The instructor had yet to arrive.

There were only a little over a hundred apprentice trainees in the public classroom. Aside from a few exceptions, they had split into small groups of two or three, whispering among themselves.

Orendo was one of those exceptions.

He did not know anyone here, so even if he wanted to join a discussion, there was no one he knew to join.

But there were always people who made friends easily. An apprentice trainee who looked a little older than him came over and casually greeted him.

"Hi! Hello. I've been in Dalaran for three days. This is my first time seeing you. Are you a newly arrived apprentice trainee too?"

Orendo nodded.

"I arrived two days ago, but this is my first time attending class. Is there anything I should pay attention to? I mean during class later."

"Nothing much. Just listen to what the instructor says!" The blond boy smiled carelessly and introduced himself. "I'm from the South, from Stormwind. My name is Nielas Aran. Nice to meet you?"

"Orendo Seferosa. That is my name." Orendo instinctively said his own name. "I'm from the central Hillsbrad Foothills."

Nielas Aran?

That name sounded familiar.

Where had he heard it before?

Orendo remembered hearing the name, but he could not recall the details.

However, the Eye of Truth remembered perfectly.

[Host memory indicates: Nielas Aran, a court mage of Stormwind, was chosen by Tirisfal Guardian Aegwynn to become her husband. Aran was Stormwind's most gifted court mage, as well as a respectable man loyal to his king.]

Prompted by the Eye of Truth, Orendo recalled the identity of the person before him. Looking at this guy, who was at most one or two years older than himself, he thought, So this is Medivh's future father? That old dog in Karazhan?

Hmm... for now, he was probably just a little puppy.

Having finally met a famous figure who would appear later in the "original story," Orendo chatted a little more with the young Nielas Aran.

"You said you're from Stormwind. Do Stormwind mages have to study in Dalaran too?"

"What a strange question! What human mage doesn't study in Dalaran?"

"Oh. Did you come by ship, by gryphon, or through teleportation magic?"

"I came by ship. I took a Kul Tiras passenger ship and disembarked at Southshore! Gryphons? I've heard the dwarves have those, but we don't. Heh, I'd love to use teleportation magic. That would be so stylish... but I still have a long way to go before I can use it!"

"What is the South like? Is it hot?"

"It's all right. It's warmer than here, at least. Listen, Orendo, right? I should be asking you some questions now. Don't let it always be you asking me."

"Oh... okay."

"I want to ask..."

"..."

Before Nielas Aran could finish, a full-fledged mage walked into the public classroom. The whispering apprentice trainees immediately fell silent.

The instructor had arrived.

The public lesson officially began.

Nielas Aran promptly shut his mouth.

The instructor looked expressionlessly at the quiet students, his voice somewhat low. "My name is Abel. I am a full-fledged mage of Dalaran. I will be teaching today's class. Please take out your Fool's Guide to Runes: Arcane Edition. Today, I will be covering the fundamentals of runes."

The trainees quieted down, opened the textbooks they carried with them, and looked eagerly at the instructor.

Nielas Aran did the same.

Orendo paused for a moment, then took out his own copy of Fool's Guide to Runes: Arcane Edition, which he had long since memorized and whose runes he could already use.

"I believe you have all read this tome, so I will not spend much time introducing it. We will go straight into the rune content within," Instructor Abel said directly.

"This foundational rune tome contains the essentials of ten basic runes."

"Let us begin with the first rune, Talar. Talar is a common rune used to reinforce arcane rituals. This versatile rune can be used in the vast majority of spells."

"If we wish to use magic to strengthen buildings or other objects, the Talar rune is what we use most often."

"To use the Talar rune well, you must become familiar with its inscription, model construction, and energy arrangement. At this point, you need to..."

"..."

After listening to more than ten minutes of the public lesson, Orendo found that he could not learn anything at all.

Everything Instructor Abel said was standard content from Fool's Guide to Runes: Arcane Edition.

It was simply easier to understand when explained by Instructor Abel than when written in the tome. Abel had also taught some of his own research and insights, making it comparatively easier for magic trainees to get started.

Orendo glanced to the side at Nielas Aran. The trainee from the South was studying earnestly, and so were the other trainees in the public classroom.

Sir Seferosa wanted to pay attention as well, but he truly could not concentrate. He had already completely mastered the material this instructor was teaching.

It was like asking an outstanding second-grade student to return to first grade and learn how to pronounce the alphabet. It was hard to take it seriously.

The longer he listened, the more dull and tedious he found Instructor Abel's lesson. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

This body of Orendo's had only just turned thirteen. For Azerothian humans, this was the stage of fastest physical growth—and the time when they needed the most sleep.

Orendo's sleep quality had been terrible during his two days in Dalaran. On the first day, he had read in the library until he collapsed from exhaustion, sleeping only a few hours.

The previous night, he had stayed up until late as well. He had barely slept before being woken by the noise, then had spent another hour or two on edge before finally falling asleep.

Over two Azerothian days and nights—fifty-six gnome mechanical hours—he had slept fewer than ten mechanical hours in total.

He had already forced himself to stay alert for class, but Instructor Abel's lecture was simply too dull and boring. Before he knew it, Orendo had fallen asleep.

In his haze—

"Orendo! Orendo! Wake up!"

"Orendo! Orendo!"

"Stop sleeping!"

Orendo felt someone shaking him.

He jolted awake and muttered groggily, "What is it? What happened? Is class over?"

But when he looked up, he saw Instructor Abel not far ahead, his face dark with anger; Nielas Aran beside him, looking somewhat anxious; and the other classmates around him wearing smug, mocking grins.

Damn.

He had actually fallen asleep in class.

Orendo instantly became fully awake.

"Sorry." He immediately stood and apologized, his attitude sincere. "I haven't rested well these past few days. Anyway, I'm very sorry!"

Instructor Abel did not seem to accept his apology. The teaching mage said slowly, "As an instructor, there is nothing I can do to you. But when high-ranking mages select apprentices, my evaluation carries some weight. Would you like to hear my evaluation of you?"

Before Orendo could apologize again, the teaching mage continued, "My evaluation of you is this: you are a frog that has blundered into Dalaran!"

Mages were cultured people. Even when insulting someone, they would not put it too harshly. Still, the teaching mage's attitude was terrible, and it was clear that he was furious.

Orendo, who had still intended to apologize, tightly shut his mouth. He looked again at the displeased teaching mage and the Fool's Guide to Runes: Arcane Edition in the mage's hand, and the viscount could not help but smile faintly.

The young lord stretched out his hand and traced through the air with his spread fingers. Incantations flowed from his opening and closing lips as arcane energy gathered at his fingertips, blue radiance flashing.

Mage Abel frowned. A layer of pale-blue mage shield immediately formed around him. Even though this was only a novice apprentice trainee, there should have been no reason for him to be capable of attacking him.

Still, to be safe, he added a layer of protection.

Of course, Orendo was not foolishly trying to attack the teaching mage. He merely wanted Mage Abel to understand that there was a reason he had fallen asleep during the public lesson.

Five breaths later, ten arcane runes shone above the young lord's outstretched fingertips!

They were—

—Talar, a basic arcane reinforcement rune. Commonly used to reinforce objects and ritual arrays.

—Anthony, a basic arcane acceleration rune. Commonly used for spell acceleration and in enchantment.

—Shavando I, a basic arcane deepening rune. Commonly used in purification rituals and to purify spell particles.

—Shavando II, a basic arcane deepening rune. Similar in function to Shavando I, it was the former's primary supplementary rune.

—Alodi I, II, III runes...

—Meryl I, II runes...

—Verin rune...

Ten basic arcane runes in all, runes named after the mages who had created them—the ten foundational runes that no mage wishing to study the arcane could possibly avoid.

The ten arcane runes shone from the young viscount's fingertips. Their radiance cast a faint blue glow across the trainees' faces in the classroom.

It also turned the teaching mage's pale face blue.