The Spider Queen

(Zrudread University- Hidden Location)

(Archmage Hollystorm's Mage Tower)

Astrid let out a heavy sigh as she walked through a dense forest looking for a simple run-down wooden shack in the middle of nowhere.

Why her mentor wanted to hide his mage tower in such a remote location remained an unsolvable mystery. 

As an archmage it would be simple to just construct a barrier and give her a runic key to enter.

Instead, Astrid was forced to trek thirty miles everyday to and from class. 

It was fortunate that the Mendolesa girl kept herself fit so she could finish the journey in around ten minutes at full sprint.

Today was the first day of the new semester and Astrid felt nothing but excitement and happiness. 

Her friend Sophie had returned safely from the Unova Syndicate and would be joining them around the time of finals season.

Astrid looked forward to seeing her in person again. They did communicate over the Virtual Net during the winter break, but it wasn't the same.

Speaking of the winter break…

A silly grin spread across Astrid's face as she reminisced about the amazing vacation, she had experienced with Qiana and her siblings.

Emma, Jackson and Isla had really taken a liking to her girlfriend and the time they spent together on planet Etern was enjoyable.

Planet Etern was a popular tourist destination with white sandy beaches, tall mountain ranges and multiple theme parks based on popular shows and movies.

When the five of them were together… it may sound silly, but Astrid honestly thought that they felt like a real family.

Of course, it was much too early to bring this up with Qiana since they had only been dating for a few months.

But maybe one day…

"Did you hit your head? Why are you grinning like an idiot?!" a harsh voice interrupted Astrid's pleasant daydream.

Archmage Hollystorm appeared on top of Astrid's fluffy head with a stern look on his child-like face.

"It's good to see you too teacher!" Astrid replied happily.

Archmage Hollystorm maintained his cold appearance but secretly smiled when he saw the innocent look on his apprentice's face.

Astrid was the first student that he had ever taught and although she did not look like the typical mage…

It was undeniable that her talent was tremendous. 

Archmage Hollystorm wagered that few among her generation would be able to beat her in a fight.

"So, what new spells am I learning this semester?" Astrid asked excitedly.

"New spells? No… no… we still have to go over the theory of mage circles and the implications of the modern-era mana theory on Lewis' Law," Archmage Hollystorm replied.

"In fact, before we even get to that section, I will teach you about the ancient runic system of modification and the spatial disruption spiral…"

The Servie mage droned on for a few minutes before noticing that his apprentice was no longer paying attention.

Instead of listening, she was playing with a stick that she had broken off from a nearby tree.

"Hey! Are my words going in one ear and coming out of the other?!" Archmage Hollystorm yelled in mock anger.

Astrid dropped the stick and immediately replied, "Wha? No… NO SIR!"

Well, this was to be expected… frankly it would be amazing if she absorbed ten percent of what he just said.

Archmage Hollystorm had gotten used to his peculiar apprentice. 

She was extremely talented but was easily distracted unless it was something that she found interesting.

In order to get her to train seriously he needed to literally beat the information into her thick skull during mock battles.

It seemed that only in fighting would Astrid's true potential be unleashed. 

This made no sense since most mages were content to stay in their towers and spend their lives dedicated to exploring the mystery of the arcane.

But Archmage Hollystorm was an adaptable Servie and had learnt to deal with his apprentice.

"Alright why don't I teach you a quick spell," Archmage Hollystorm suggested.

"Really?" Astrid exclaimed in shock.

Archmage Hollystorm crossed his arms and spoke in a stern voice,

"Yes, but you need to promise me that you're going to spend at least six hours in the library learning about modern-era mana theory."

A conflicted look flashed across Astrid's face as she carefully considered her options. She really didn't want to spend the first day back in university in the library for six hours.

But on the other hand, her mentor never disappointed when it came to teaching her cool and interesting spells.

Astrid turned towards her teacher and nodded. She was willing to endure a long study session if it meant that she could learn a new spell.

Archmage Hollystorm smiled and then spoke solemnly,

"Please extend one of your hands outward, follow my movements and then repeat after me…"

"Spatium discidium ferrum."

The Servie mage extended his right hand and began to slowly rotate his palm clockwise and then anticlockwise.

Heavy mana filled the air as the archmage used a mere fraction of his enormous mana pool. Just a small taste of his power was enough to cause Astrid to salivate.

She couldn't wait to become a strong archmage just like her teacher.

Bluish runes appeared in the air around Archmage Hollystorm's palm and then he pointed his hand at a nearby tree.

"Spatium discidium ferrum!" Archmage Hollystorm roared. A translucent wave of energy shot out from his palm and slammed directly into the tree.

Astrid looked on in amazement as the sturdy tree crumpled like paper before vanishing into the void.

She walked over to where the tree was just moments ago and saw nothing. 

It was as if the tree had never existed in the first place.

"Want to give it a try?" Archmage Hollystorm asked casually but the gentle curve of his lips betrayed his prideful state.

Astrid's tail began to wag furiously as she nodded her head up and down. She had an incredible memory and could already recall her mentor's movements perfectly.

The Mendolesa girl extended her right paw outwards and began to copy what she had just seen. 

First, she rotated her paw clockwise and then anticlockwise.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Astrid took a few deep breaths as could feel her mana heart begin to activate. Bluish runes appeared in the air around her palm.

The number of these runes were considerably lower than when Archmage Hollystorm had activated the spell.

Astrid focused on the tree to her left and slowly recited the spell, "Spatium discidium ferrum!"

A small translucent wave of energy slammed into the outer surface of the tree and then disappeared.

Astrid stared anxiously as she waited for something to happen. One second… two seconds… three seconds…

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as she peered at the tree hoping that the space would crumble.

…. Nothing.

"Where did the spell go wrong?" Astrid glanced at her mentor and asked curiously.

"Hmm… well… I'll tell you after your study session," Archmage Hollystorm mischievously giggled.

As if it were fate, the mage tower appeared in the distance with the door to the library already wide open.

Archmage Hollystorm flew into the tower barrier without sparing a second glance at his apprentice.

Astrid could not shake the feeling that she had somehow been tricked but she was a woman of her word, so she walked towards the library.

Today was definitely going to be a long day.

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