face. A sad look, house-shaped eyebrows, a small mouth. Although, in combination with delicate features, it looked harmonious. But, as for me, he looked more like a girl, and not like a war magician of Water. Although who am I to judge. My mother is also delicate and fragile, but among the Royal Guard she is one of the strongest.
– Until Pontiar calls. Okay. We need to see dean Dassay. See you later – Peter waved and led us to the academy building.
– And what kind of colored bands do the students wear? – I inquired.
– It is for teachers to distinguish faculties. The elders will you give them to you. You need to wear them only on the territory of the academy.
But magidemists sometimes forget about it.
– Magic… who? – I asked.
Magidemists or magids – are magicians of the academy, – explained Peter.
I nodded as a sign that I got it.
– Is brown the color of earth magicians? – clarified Dinah.
– Yes. Faculty of Terra. Yours will be a Firemen’s, the color is red. I have a blue, faculty of air – Kaelli. Those guys over there, – Peter pointed to the students with silver bands. – are Healers. Dark blue – are water magicians, faculty of Liquidus. And the golden – are Lightgivers, under the auspices of our goddess Sherida. There are few of them among the students, as, indeed, on planet Pyramid as a whole, you know. That’s why the Lightgivers were even given a separate building in the garden, near the canteen. Over there.
Peter gestured toward the ball-shaped trees.
– Everything is extremely clear and informative – smiled Dinah.
We entered the hall. There was a statue of Sherida in the center. She was truly beautiful with flowers in her hair. The sculptor did his best. Her penetrating gaze looked into the very soul and gave hope, faith in yourself. Peter called me, and I hurried to follow him. The ceilings were decorated with stucco moldings of grape-vines. And in the spherical ceiling there was a map of the universe. Seven worlds-planets that circle one by one in an endless universe around an unnamed star-sun, the mother of all seven deities. Opening my mouth, I climbed the steps. We walked along the art gallery of all known rulers of the history of Pyramid. There were also heroes of battles. I saw my father among them. He stood proudly to the right of the ruler’s throne. The throne was partially depicted. I read the inscription on the metal plate: «Phirin Lodesco. Guardian, war magician, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Guard. Let Sherida protect you and all your family!»
Wow. It will be hard for me to get away from my father’s glory. But I will try very hard. Although. I think when the students find out that I am not a magician, the glory of Phirin Lodesco will be washed away from me like rainwater…
We kept walking. On the sides there were several high doors to the halls and classrooms. And at the very end of the corridor there was a double-leaf gilded door. Against the background of dark blue walls, the door seemed to lead to different reality.
Peter knocked.
– Come in, – a man’s confident voice sounded from the study as if this door didn’t exist at all. To our surprise, the door opened itself.
The study smelled of tobacco and mint. It was a nice combination, at least I liked it. There was an antique furniture, apparently, very expensive. One wardrobe to our right, with intricate carvings of ebony was something! And it was filled with ordinary books. I swear some of them were more than one hundred years old. And what about the carpet! I read that these are made by the masters of the world Vitem, where the magic of healers comes from. This is a masterpiece of hand-made creativity! The table, of course, is massive, made of the same ebony as the rest of the furniture, but it is ordinary, rectangular, only the legs are made in the form of the paws of a feline mirses. These animals can be found in the northern forests of the Pyramid. Oh, and they are very dangerous beasts. If you meet one, it won’t leave you alive.
There was also a pair of armchairs with emerald velour upholstery and curtains on the window of the same color. Several vases with fresh flowers. Lilies. Mom loves them very much. And the portrait of the dean with the king over the fireplace. The fire was kindled only in the cold season, judging by the empty hearth. While Dinah and I were looking around, open-mouthed, Peter stepped onto the carpet.
– Greetings, Christian. At the behest of the ruler Pontiar, I brought new magidemists. Let me introduce them. These are Dinara Lezy and Nicolas Lodesco.
The dean was studying something in the yellowed manuscripts, so we couldn’t see his face.
– Yes, yes. Phirin’s son, – he raised his head. – You may not have a magical gift, but the mental energy in you is very powerful.
The man looked a little older than my father. Wide cheekbones, high forehead. Penetrating eyes, meticulously studying me, a long, slightly curved nose, like a kite, and the ears are enormously huge!
– Hey-hey, young man. Please, don’t comment my ears! – the dean grinned and folded his hands behind his back.
«It seemed I didn’t say it out loud. How did he…?» – I felt uncomfortable and ashamed.
– Your mental protection is weak. But, don’t worry. I will teach you to put up a mental shield. And you will stop thinking out loud as a bonus. Yeah, extremely wide mental field, extremely… – the dean grunted, thinking.
The clothes emphasized his status. Black shirt, burgundy vest with drawings of the sun about seven colored rays. Probably, it is a coat of arms of the academy.
– What kind of bird is on your shoulder? – the dean asked thoughtfully, bowing his head.
I shivered; I didn’t want the dean to read my thoughts. Inis, who all this time had been sitting quieter than a mouse, stirred and pinched my ear.
– Hum. Young man, you are a quick learner. Great shield! Not every magician magister the mental barrier so quickly, much less an ordinary person. I’m delighted, – the man praised.
Strange, but I didn’t do anything. Probably, Inis did. I looked at the phoenix, he tilted his head to one side. No? Does it mean no? But how then? Okay. We will figure it out.
– This is a phoenix, sir… – I decided to answer his question.
– You can call me Christian, young man. Phoenix? But this is a fabulous bird, they do not exist anymore, just like…
– Dragons? – I suggested.
– Well, I’m not sure about the fire-breathing. But the phoenixes… Where did you get this miraculous bird with multi-colored eyes?
He’ even noticed! I set my bag with tool.
– I had made him out of metal, stones and feathers, and Dinah revived him. But something went wrong, and he completely revived. He transformed into a real bird.
– Very interesting. Have you tried to repeat it?
– Yes, – I sighed. – In the palace of king Pontiar. But in vain.
