At the very beginning of the Majesty's Jaunt

[bigbookofd]

This is Ringabel, and I seem to be quite myself. Who else is in possession of their true memories?

I've found myself outside of the curtain wall of a castle on a floating isle. I smell brimstone and saltpeter, and there's a fleet of airships here coming from the direction of the rising sun.

Yet we're among cheering and laughing children barely old enough to lift a sword, and the mood is jovial. What have we stepped into this time?

I'd like to know what I can so as to avoid drawing undue attention to myself. Fortunately, a Black Mage's robes seem to be in fashionable style here, so my first mistake was not fatal.

Comments

[photonicfighter]

Yes! It's something I've been working towards! This is the first time I've managed it.

Let's see... so, we're arriving in England, right now! To Majesty's Academy, they're hosting the Triad Creation Tourney this year. It's a competition between their school, the Lone Star Academy of the United States and... [This bit is carefully but correctly pronounced] Teikoku Majutsu-shi no Gakuen of Japan!

[bigbookofd]

A tournament of creation? The creation of what?

...Teikoku Majutsu. That sounds like the tongue of Wa, from home. Which I've little faculty in, alas.

[photonicfighter]

Of art! Because art is how you make magic, here. Everyone that's coming here is an artist of some sort.

...and it might be similar. I haven't heard of that, but it's very similar to a dialect that's common on the planet Neudaiz, where I'm from.

[bigbookofd]

...Art as the catalyst is very good to know, thank you. Thorne - Charley for the duration - confirms it.

It prevents me from waving my rod around like a lunatic and merely shouting "Fira" to call flames, and getting all the odd looks I'd richly deserve for it. I'll have to add a literal song and dance to it at the very least...

[photonicfighter]

I imagine it's something worth trying out, for people that are investigating? It sounds like it might be fun!

...don't set anything on fire that doesn't need setting on fire, though. If you can help it.

[grimjeaper]

...the name makes sense, at least, if there's three schools competing.

I'll definitely be looking into how magic works here a bit more - do, uh, do you think you could help me with that? If you remember how the locals here do it?

[photonicfighter]

I can help! Or, at least, I can try. I haven't had much experience in teaching things, but I'll certainly do my best. Er, so you're normally someone that uses magic? How does it work for you?

[grimjeaper]

I'm uh. Just a wizard. Got a wand and everything.

[...actually let him check his pockets real quick--]

Still got my wand, in fact, that's good.

[photonicfighter]

A wand! Oh! That sort of wizard! [Though honestly, she's picturing an entirely different sort of wand than what Barry is probably carrying around.]

Magic isn't done with wands here. It's done through art! Through making things, or performances or.... or all sorts of different creative things.

[grimjeaper]

Oh, that's interesting...! [And he does genuinely seem to think that; there's a tangible sense of his curiosity growing.] Kind of like a Bard, I guess, their performances can inspire strength or courage or whatever else they want.