From first light to sunset, the Indraracha Institute bustles with activity. The docks continually ferry people in and out of the campus. Meal, study, repeat—every day is a routine at the academy, a routine strengthening the minds and sharpening the skills of the future sorcerers and politicians of Tang Mai.
For one young boy, though, things were different. School was just school. Sometimes, all he wanted to do was to just run around, not bury himself nose-deep in a book about the nation’s history. One morning, he was doing just that—running through the halls of the Institute, weaving between his classmates that filled rooms and corridors studying all things magical.
Asok’s circuit ended in one of the many gardens. Resting under a tall banyan tree, the boy began to doze off. He snapped his eyes open when he heard a familiar voice.
“What are you doing here?” A tattooed young man strode over, a basket of herbs in hand.
“Thanom!” The boy scrambled up to his feet, putting his hands together in a greeting. “I’m just on my way to study hall... unless you need help in the gardens?” He gave a wide grin.
“And take you away from your studies? Your instructors will have my head! And if I’m gone, there will be even fewer people who tolerate your behavior.” He pulled out a mangosteen and handed the fruit to Asok. “Now go to class. Next time I need help, I’ll come to you. When you’re not trying to hide from your instructors.”
Asok gave another huge grin to the alchemist before rushing off to his class, conveniently located in a quieter corner of the Institute. He tucked himself alongside his classmates as they all settled in, twisting open the mangosteen and eating the meat inside. Mali, his seatmate, glared. In return, he smiled and offered a piece to her, but she turned her head away in annoyance.
“Remember, students, placement tests are coming up soon. While you all are young, it’s important you take your exams seriously.” Teacher Chai walked around, handing out textbooks. “We want to make sure you all end up learning subjects you enjoy and excel at.”
Asok opened the book to the lines, “Sorcerer diplomats provide the Chaophaya counsel and identify magical phenomena to aid them in their rule. Following the precepts of the Indraracha Institute, diplomats must be impartial...” The text was dizzying.
“Aiyyyyy, I’m tired,” he groaned.
“Shhhhh!” Mali nudged him. “Stop complaining. You’re going to get us in trouble.”
“It’s hot and it’s sooooo boring.” Asok began fanning himself with the textbook.
“It’s always hot,” the girl reminded him, “and you say everything is boring.”
Asok nudged her back. In a huff, they both started jostling each other, though mostly in jest.
Their instructor eyed them with suspicion, but before he could say anything, sparks coalesced in the air.
“Teacher Chai!” An illusion of an older student sprung into being. “Apologies for the disturbance—we could use some assistance with an artifact in the south research laboratory.”
“Of course. Right away.” The instructor turned to the class, saying, “Now, students, be diligent while I’m gone,” before hurrying out.
In the heat and humidity, diligent self-study didn’t last long. Mischievous as ever, Asok got to his feet and reached for the magic within him. A small flame sparked to life in his hand.
“Asok, stop,” Mali chided. “You shouldn’t be doing that.”
“Come on, we’re studying, right?” Asok juggled the flame between his fingers. “If we don’t break anything, it’s fine. Unless you’re a scaredy-cat?”
Illustration by Ilina Naydenova.
“Am not!” She frowned before standing up, a spell coming to her as easy as breath. “You know I’m sooooo much better than you at casting.”
Students discarded their textbooks and started chatting among themselves. In a moment, the alcove filled with all sorts of spells. A young nagaji girl conjured a bubble of water and began shaping it into a flower. Another student drew a monstrous face on a nearby stone before levitating it to chase their classmates through the alcove.
Between the two rival factions, a heated competition quickly drew the class’s attention. Mali shot her hand up in the air, spraying an array of bright colors. The crowd was mesmerized with the lights. She gave her opponent a playful grin.
Asok huffed, “It’s just colors—isn’t this so much cooler?” He caught the ember in his fist before shooting it out. The small burst of fire cut through the rainbow. The boy puffed his chest in pride.
The “oooohs” from the crowd turned to a giggle as Mali wiggled her fingers and a second image of Asok appeared next to him. While crude, the illusion was unmistakably of the boy. It hopped around, flexing in an exaggerated manner. Asok frowned at his double, which frowned back.
Not to be outdone, Asok threw his memory and being back into his blood, finding the might of elementals. He breathed in deep before releasing a gust of flame that spilled from his lips and billowed outwards. The fire dispersed the illusion before launching upward to the sky. Asok was careful to not let it hit Mali or their classmates, but the size of the breath was growing larger than he could control. The expanding heat licked the roof of the outdoor galleries that surrounded their study area, lighting up small pieces of foliage.
“Asok! Look what you did,” Mali yelled, taking a step back from the sparks.
“I didn’t mean to,” Asok stammered, ashamed about his mistake. “I—I’m sorry!”
“Come on, we have to stop this before Teacher Chai comes back.”
The nagaji student guided her water magic to the fire. While it extinguished some of it, the flames were spreading faster than she could handle. The class chipped in with various spells, with little impact.
Suddenly, a chill wind gusted through the alcove, frost trailing in its wake and collecting on the stones. The winds roared across the roof, blowing the fires out as easily as candles, making Asok and Mali shiver and clutch their arms close despite the fires and the Tang Mai sun. Turning around, the students saw Teacher Chai with an expressionless face, magic still trailing from his fingers as his incantation left him.
“Spellcraft is not allowed without instructor supervision at your age.” Teacher Chai said sternly as he walked toward the panicked students. “I expected as much from you, Asok. But you, Mali...”
“I—I—I’m sorry, Teacher!” Mali bowed her head, “We tried to stop it ourselves. We know it was wrong, but—”
The teacher put a hand up to stop the student. “While you all showed responsibility in fixing your mistakes, magic is volatile. One misstep, one wrong incantation, can cause chaos. Now, back to your studies.”
As the young students began to quiet down and shrink themselves back into their texts, Teacher Chai looked at Asok and Mali. “Though, I must admit it was quite the impressive feat. You two have the makings of incredible sorcerers.”
About the Author
Collette Quach (they/she) is a Chinese-Cambodian narrative designer with an interest in mythology and identity. They've worked on projects such as the Tian Xia Character Guide Unbreakable Anthology, and the ENNIE-winning Uncaged Anthology. She has an MFA in Interactive Media from USC, where she explored branching narrative and agency through her video game, Last Broadcast. You can see more of their work here and on Twitter.
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