"I'm here for the class, obviously."

"Yes, but why? You've never once had an interest in any kind of learning. What's gotten into you?"

"Mister Turing."

Michael turns to face Instructor Felmin, who is currently finagling with a handful of crystals.

"Yes, sir?"

"I would ask that you not cause a disturbance in my classroom. If you have something to discuss, you may discuss it later. Until then, please remain seated."

The tips of Michael's ears go red. He awkwardly takes the seat next to mine, and prepares his notebook. Sir Demetrius takes the seat next to him. Our eyes briefly meet, and his red eyes flash yellow.

I set about choosing a notebook color for the class, and ultimately settle on red.

Instructor Felmin opens the wooden box he brought with him, and starts to unpack a few crystals. My curiosity piqued, I turn to Dame Alex and strike up a conversation.

"Hey, what do you know about magic weapons?"

"Not much, Your Highness. Just that they are very difficult to create, and even more so to control."

"Ahem. I thought I requested no disturbances."

I cock an eyebrow at Felmin. "I don't see how a quiet conversation between two people is a disturbance."

"Because if I lose my focus while handling these…" He gently places down another crystal on the table. "The results could be disastrous. Even the slightest hint of an intrusive thought could result in one of these weapons being activated. And while the Academy may have measures in place against certain magics, some weapons can bypass that."

Oh, damn. Alright. I simply nod, and he nods in return.

Notably, his eyes haven't flashed any color as of yet. They've stayed their natural steely gray. Maybe he just doesn't have an opinion on me?

Once all the crystals are on the table, he claps his hands.

"Right! So, then - Magical weapons." He leans on the desk. "Each of these crystals are embedded with an unstable Intention. If one is not careful, they could be easily activated. Some of these are as simple as a hidden blade…" He picks up one stone, and with a flash of light, it transforms into a beautiful crystalline sword. When he sets it down, it retains its form for a few seconds, before returning to the shape of a crystal.

"Or as complex as a timed explosive." He carefully points at a bright red crystal, which is held within a glass case.

The stern, meticulous man then completely surprises me.

He smiles.

"Now…who wants to go blow something up?"

Ohhh, I think I'm gonna like this guy…

A large group of students, myself included, are gathered in a large field of dirt, pockmarked with craters and splintered wood. Felmin leads the pack, carrying the red crystal in a glass container.

"So. As your introduction to magical weapons…what would you like to see blown up?"

I scratch my chin in thought. Oh, man, the possibilities! I've seen plenty of explosions on TV and in movies - and not just fake Hollywood explosions.

Hmm…what would be the best thing to blow up…

Ah-ha!

I raise my hand, and Felmin nods to me.

"What about meat? In particular, maybe a pig carcass?"

My suggestion is met with disquieted grumblings. 

"Your Highness…don't you think that would be a bit…gruesome?"

I turn to Dame Alex, incredulous. "But…that's the best part of an explosion…"

"What is wrong with you?" I turn to find Michael staring at me with an expression of pure disgust.

"He's not wrong…"

For the first time, Sir Demtrius speaks!

"The sheer destruction caused by an explosion can be…beautiful."

"But it used to be a living thing…" Michael protests. Some of the students murmur in agreement. I shake my head in confusion.

"Hold on - you said you wanted to go into this track, right? What d'you think these things would be used for? Tickling? They're weapons. They're designed to kill. If you can't handle seeing a butchered pig get blown up, then you should give up on making weapons now - because they'll be doing far, far worse things than this."

I don't remember their name, but I'm reminded of the inventor of TNT. They went on to regret their invention, after learning it had been used as an instrument of death. So, too, did the Winchesters.

"He is absolutely…hrmph…correct!" Felmin's strained voice catches my attention. I didn't even realize that he had walked away, but now he's returning, with the body of a pig slung over his shoulder!

"You…you can't be serious…" Michael turns pale, and Felmin nods.

"Deadly." He places the pig carcass on a hook in the middle of the field. "Mister Moore actually made the perfect choice. Pig carcasses are how we test new weapons. Kitchen guts 'em, we freeze 'em, and then we blow 'em up. Closest analog to a human, by the by."

Michael presses his hand to his mouth. I find it hard to believe that a kid that wants to work on weapons never thought of this.

"Right - everyone, back up into the shelter. I'm going to prime the explosive, and then join you." Felmin points at a wooden shelter nearby.

I lead the way to the shelter, as the rest of the students slowly lag behind. The commoner kids don't seem very perturbed, but almost every one of the nobles seems to be nauseous. Most of the knights seem to be fine.

Once under the shelter, I look for earmuffs, but I don't find any. Maybe the explosion's pressure wave isn't all that strong?

"Okay - arming now!" Felmin's voice reaches us from about ten yards away. I hope we're far enough away…

"Fire in the hole!"

Immediately after he yells that, Felmin turns and sprints to the shelter at an insane speed. I think he may actually be faster than Usaine Bolt!

Once he's made it, he turns and watches with rapt attention.

The tension mounts as the second slip by, and we all know what's coming next.

First, there's the smoke, and a red mist.

Eyes widen, and jaws drop. But Felmin and I simply smile.

Because less than a second later, the shockwave hits.

Even though I was expecting it, I still jump. Some of the other students end up flat on their ass!

Dame Alex grabs me as a knee jerk reaction. In fact, all the knights grab their charges, except for Demetrius, who is watching with a small smile.

Then, the debris.

Chunks of shredded pork fall from the sky with loud plaps.

There's a long moment of silence.

"That…that was…" Michael stares at where the pig used to be. "That was…amazing!"

"Right!?" I turn to him with a grin.

"The pig is…it's gone!"

"Fuckin vaporized!"

"But…oh my God, if a person were hit by that…"

"And that, class, is why this is a perfect example." Felmin gathers everyone's attention.

"As Mister Moore said, these are, indeed, weapons. Weapons intended to kill. They've only ever been deployed against the Northern Demons, but some say it's only a matter of time until we turn them on ourselves.

"But despite the risks, we cannot stop development of these weapons. At nearly every turn, those demons have come out on top in terms of the raw power of their weapons. We were only able to drive them back with the help of both the Elves and the Dwarves.

"Right now, we truly have no idea what kinds of terrible weapons they're preparing. We can only hope that your bright minds are able to create new weaponry that will allow us to hold our own, this time.

"But you must keep in mind the weight of these developments. If you cannot bear the thought of these weapons being turned against our own kind, I would strongly advise against pursuing this track."

There's a long moment of silence. Finally, Michael speaks up.

"My uncle was killed in the last war against the demons. There was barely any of him left. If weapons like this are what we need to survive…then so be it."

Felmin nods, and leans out from the shelter to take a look at the large clock tower in the center of the campus square.

"Well, it should be about time for you to carry on to your final lecture for the day - Magical Engineering, I believe. Get a move on - unless you want to help with cleanup?"

I break into a grin. Finally! This is exactly what I've been waiting for!

"C'mon, Dame Alex - we've got to get good seats!"

"Your Highness, the class is starting in ten minutes, we have more than enough time..."

"Oh, quit your whining. Come on!"