The Shamanic Training
Part Two: The Night Walker
Continuation — The First Lesson
Sometimes Sean wondered whether Saladrax was truly his mentor or simply enjoyed watching him make trouble.
Probably both.
The mirror returned to its ordinary reflective surface, leaving Sean alone with his thoughts.
He had barely settled into his chair when the communication crystal began glowing.
“Master Sean?”
Alysha sounded concerned.
“Yes?”
“We may have a problem.”
Sean closed his eyes.
“Of course we do. It’s been almost five minutes since the last one.”
“Madame Alenna has encountered several members of the teaching staff.”
“And?”
“They’re refusing to allow her into the instructors’ quarters.”
Sean stared at the crystal.
“On what grounds?”
“They claim vampires are forbidden within the school.”
“According to whom?”
“The Tribal Circle.”
Sean sighed.
“Naturally.”
He rose from his chair.
“Tell everyone involved to remain exactly where they are. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Yes, Master Sean.”
The crystal dimmed.
Sean looked toward the mirror.
“Not a word, Saladrax.”
A faint chuckle echoed from somewhere beyond the glass.
—
The Instructors’ Quarters
The eastern wing of the school had been designed to accommodate some of the most powerful magical practitioners in the world.
Each instructor possessed private chambers protected by personal wards. The corridors themselves were reinforced with ancient enchantments intended to prevent magical confrontations.
Unfortunately, no amount of protective magic could prevent stupidity.
Sean arrived to find Alenna standing calmly beside her luggage.
Three instructors blocked the entrance.
One was Master Eldrin, a Wizard specializing in defensive magic. The second was Marissa, a Shaman whose gift allowed her to manipulate the elements of earth and stone.
The third was Laranee.
Sean stopped several paces away.
“Would someone care to explain why my newest instructor is standing in the corridor?”
Eldrin stepped forward.
“Master Sean, surely you understand that we cannot permit a vampire to reside among the students.”
“Why not?”
“Because she’s a vampire.”
Sean waited.
Eldrin frowned.
“Surely that is explanation enough.”
“Not even remotely.”
Marissa crossed her arms.
“Vampires have always been considered dangerous.”
“So have dragons,” Sean replied. “Yet Saladrax teaches here.”
“Dragons are different.”
“Yes. They’re considerably more dangerous.”
Alenna covered her mouth, concealing a smile.
Eldrin’s face reddened.
“Master Sean, the Circle has strict regulations concerning the presence of cursed races within magical institutions.”
Sean’s expression hardened.
“Cursed races?”
“Yes.”
“How fascinating.”
He stepped closer.
“Tell me, Eldrin, what exactly do you consider me?”
The Wizard hesitated.
“Master Sean, that is hardly—”
“I’m waiting.”
“You are a Shaman.”
“A cursed Shaman.”
Silence settled over the corridor.
Sean continued.
“If we intend to exclude every individual touched by a curse, perhaps I should resign immediately.”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
“Then choose your words more carefully.”
Laranee watched the exchange without speaking.
Sean turned toward her.
“And you, Laranee? Do you also believe Alenna should be forbidden from teaching?”
She looked toward the vampire.
“I don’t know enough about her kind to make that decision.”
Sean nodded.
“An excellent answer.”
Eldrin looked horrified.
“You’re encouraging ignorance?”
“No. I’m encouraging someone to admit what they don’t know instead of pretending that centuries of prejudice constitute an education.”
Alenna laughed.
“I believe I’m going to enjoy working here.”
Sean turned toward the gathered instructors.
“Madame Alenna has been appointed to teach the history and magical practices of the Vampire Kingdoms, the Demonic Realms, and the Magic of Night. She will also instruct qualified students in Shimmering.”
Eldrin blinked.
“Shimmering?”
“Yes.”
“But that ability hasn’t been successfully taught here in decades.”
“Then perhaps it’s time we corrected that.”
Sean gestured toward Alenna’s luggage.
“Now, unless someone has a legitimate concern regarding her conduct rather than her ancestry, I suggest you allow her to settle into her rooms.”
Nobody moved.
Sean smiled.
It was not a particularly reassuring smile.
“That wasn’t a request.”
The instructors stepped aside.
Alenna inclined her head.
“Thank you, Master Sean.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t seen the dining hall.”
She laughed and followed Alysha toward her quarters.
Sean watched the other instructors disperse.
Only Laranee remained.
“Master Sean?”
“Yes?”
“May I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Bringing creatures like her into the school.”
Sean studied her.
“Because the next generation deserves to understand the world they’re inheriting.”
“But vampires are dangerous.”
“So are you.”
Laranee flinched.
Sean immediately softened his tone.
“Laranee, you possess the ability to destroy an entire village if you lose control. Does that mean you should be forbidden from teaching?”
“No.”
“Then why should Alenna be judged by what she is rather than who she chooses to become?”
Laranee considered his words.
“I suppose she shouldn’t.”
“Good.”
Sean began walking away.
“Now get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be interesting.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re attending Alenna’s first lesson.”
Laranee stared after him.
“What?”
Sean smiled without turning around.
“Consider it professional development.”
—
The Magic of Night
The following morning, Sean stood at the rear of one of the school’s larger classrooms.
Twenty students sat in a semicircle, whispering excitedly.
News of the vampire instructor had spread through the school overnight.
Some students were fascinated.
Others were frightened.
A few had brought protective charms.
Sean noticed one particularly nervous young Wizard clutching a silver pendant.
He wondered who had told the boy that silver would protect him.
Probably Eldrin.
Alenna entered precisely as the classroom clock struck nine.
She wore a flowing black robe embroidered with silver symbols that shifted subtly whenever she moved.
Her long curls fell freely over her shoulders.
She smiled, revealing her crimson fangs.
“Good morning.”
The students fell silent.
“My name is Alenna, and I will be teaching you about the Magic of Night.”
A young Shaman raised his hand.
“Are you really a vampire?”
Alenna smiled.
“Yes.”
“Do you drink blood?”
“Yes.”
Several students gasped.
“Do you kill people?”
“Not unless they give me an exceptionally good reason.”
Sean coughed.
Alenna glanced toward him.
“That was a joke, Master Sean.”
“An interesting choice for your first lesson.”
“I thought so.”
A few students laughed, and the tension began to ease.
Alenna moved toward the centre of the room.
“Many of you have been taught that darkness is evil.”
Several students nodded.
“That vampires are monsters.”
More nods.
“And that the Magic of Night is something to be feared.”
She raised one hand.
The classroom lights dimmed.
Shadows gathered around her fingers, twisting into delicate strands of black energy.
“Tell me something. Is the night itself evil?”
Nobody answered.
“Does darkness choose to harm you?”
A young girl shook her head.
“No, Madame Alenna.”
“Precisely.”
Alenna opened her palm.
The shadows transformed into a small, fluttering bird.
It circled the classroom before dissolving into darkness.
“Magic does not possess morality in the way people imagine. The choices of those who wield it determine whether it becomes a force of protection or destruction.”
Sean watched from the back of the room.
An excellent lesson.
One the Tribal Circle could certainly benefit from attending.
Alenna continued.
“Night Magic allows us to manipulate shadows, conceal ourselves, and sense energies that remain hidden beneath the light.”
She gestured toward the silver pendant held by the nervous Wizard.
“Young man, would you mind coming forward?”
The boy hesitated.
Sean gave him an encouraging nod.
He approached.
“What is your name?”
“Tomas.”
“Tell me, Tomas, why are you wearing that pendant?”
“My father said silver keeps vampires away.”
Alenna smiled gently.
“Would you like to test that theory?”
Tomas looked terrified.
“Will it hurt?”
“Not at all.”
She extended her hand.
“Hold out your pendant.”
He did.
Alenna touched the silver.
Nothing happened.
The students stared.
“But…” Tomas whispered. “My father said…”
“Your father was repeating something he had been taught. That does not necessarily make him foolish, but it does mean his knowledge was incomplete.”
She released the pendant.
“Remember this, Tomas. Fear is often born from what we do not understand.”
Sean felt a familiar pang at those words.
He had spent years fearing his own abilities.
Perhaps he was not so different from the students.
—
A Lesson in Shimmering
“Now,” Alenna announced, “who would like to see something truly interesting?”
Every hand rose.
Even Laranee, standing near the doorway, appeared curious.
Alenna laughed.
“Excellent.”
She turned toward Sean.
“Master Sean, would you care to assist?”
Sean raised an eyebrow.
“Should I be worried?”
“Almost certainly.”
“Wonderful.”
He walked toward the front of the room.
Alenna extended her hand.
“Shimmering is a form of magical transportation. Unlike traditional teleportation, it allows the practitioner to move through the spaces between physical locations.”
A student frowned.
“Like opening a portal?”
“Not exactly. A portal creates a doorway. Shimmering allows the individual to become the movement itself.”
Sean nodded.
“A difficult distinction, but an important one.”
Alenna smiled.
“Shall we demonstrate?”
Sean took her hand.
The air around them began to ripple.
For a fraction of a second, their bodies appeared to dissolve into thousands of tiny fragments of light and shadow.
Then they vanished.
The classroom erupted in astonished cries.
A moment later, Sean and Alenna reappeared at the rear of the room.
Tomas nearly fell from his chair.
“How did you do that?”
Alenna laughed.
“Years of practice.”
Sean looked mildly irritated.
“You could have warned me about the destination.”
“Where would the fun be in that?”
He shook his head.
“You’re going to get along with Saladrax far too well.”
“Is that the dragon?”
“Unfortunately.”
The students laughed.
Alenna returned to the front of the classroom.
“Shimmering requires exceptional concentration and control. It is not an ability that can be mastered through brute force.”
Her gaze moved toward Laranee.
“Something that applies to all magic.”
Laranee stiffened.
Sean noticed.
So did Alenna.
The vampire continued without comment.
“Power without discipline is dangerous. But discipline without understanding is equally limiting.”
Sean smiled.
He was beginning to think hiring Alenna might be one of his better decisions.
Naturally, that meant something terrible was probably about to happen.
—
The Circle Responds
The disturbance began shortly after midday.
Sean was reviewing the school’s protective wards when the communication crystal flashed an angry red.
He stared at it.
“Oh, this should be entertaining.”
He touched the crystal.
“Master Sean.”
A stern voice filled the room.
“Administrator Sean, this is Daralan of the Tribal Circle.”
“Daralan. How delightful.”
“Do not mock me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“We have received disturbing reports regarding your recent appointments.”
“Only disturbing? I must be losing my touch.”
“Enough!”
The crystal pulsed.
“You have admitted a vampire into the school.”
“Correct.”
“Without consulting the Circle.”
“Also correct.”
“And you have granted her authority to instruct our students in forbidden magical practices.”
Sean leaned back.
“Which practices would those be?”
“The Magic of Night.”
“Not forbidden.”
“Shimmering.”
“Also not forbidden.”
“Instruction concerning the Demonic Realms.”
“Knowledge is not a crime, Daralan.”
“You are deliberately undermining the Circle’s authority.”
Sean’s smile disappeared.
“No. I’m exercising the authority granted to me as Administrator.”
“You forget who appointed you.”
“On the contrary. I remember perfectly.”
There was a long silence.
Then Daralan spoke again.
“You are still cursed, Sean.”
Sean’s fingers tightened around the crystal.
“I am aware.”
“The Circle showed considerable mercy after your crimes.”
“Is that what you call it?”
“You would do well to remember your position.”
Sean stood.
“My position is to protect and educate the students entrusted to this school. I intend to do precisely that.”
“Even if it means inviting monsters into their classrooms?”
Sean’s voice became cold.
“Be very careful with that word.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No, Daralan. It’s a warning.”
The crystal crackled.
“The Circle will send an observer to investigate your administration.”
“Wonderful.”
“You will cooperate fully.”
“Naturally.”
“And until the investigation is complete, you are ordered to suspend the vampire’s teaching duties.”
Sean looked toward the window.
Students were crossing the courtyard below, laughing and discussing the morning’s lessons.
He thought of Tomas and his silver pendant.
Of Laranee struggling with her fear.
Of Alenna teaching children that darkness did not automatically mean evil.
“No.”
The crystal went silent.
Then Daralan spoke very slowly.
“What did you say?”
“I said no.”
“You dare defy the Circle?”
Sean smiled faintly.
“Daralan, if you believe this is the first time I’ve disappointed the Circle, your memory is considerably worse than mine.”
“Your defiance will have consequences.”
“I’m certain it will.”
He ended the communication.
For several moments, Sean stood motionless.
Then he sighed.
“Well, that went better than expected.”
The mirror rippled.
Saladrax’s reptilian face appeared.
“Did it?”
Sean turned.
“How long have you been listening?”
“Long enough.”
“And?”
The dragon grinned.
“I believe you have finally accomplished something remarkable.”
Sean raised an eyebrow.
“What’s that?”
“You have managed to annoy the entire Tribal Circle before lunch.”
Sean laughed.
“Give me time. The day isn’t over.”
—
Shadows of Tomorrow
That evening, Sean stood alone in the school’s central courtyard.
The sun had begun to set behind the distant mountains.
Students were returning to their quarters, and the last echoes of conversation faded through the stone corridors.
For the first time that day, the school felt peaceful.
Sean closed his eyes.
He allowed his Sight to awaken.
Blue light shimmered beneath his eyelids.
The future unfolded before him.
He saw Laranee standing before a class of young Shamans, teaching them to shape flames into delicate patterns without allowing the fire to spread.
He saw Alenna guiding students through shadows, teaching them to move without fear.
He saw Saladrax soaring above the school in his magnificent dragon form.
For a moment, Sean smiled.
Then the visions changed.
He saw the Tribal Circle gathered in judgment.
He saw unfamiliar figures moving through darkened corridors.
He saw the school’s protective wards burning with an unnatural black fire.
And finally, he saw himself standing before the Prime Gate.
Beyond it waited something he could not identify.
Something ancient.
Something powerful.
Something that had been watching the school for a very long time.
Sean opened his eyes.
The blue light faded.
“Well,” he murmured, “that can’t be good.”
Behind him, a familiar voice spoke.
“Another vision?”
He turned.
Alenna stood beneath the courtyard archway.
“Something like that.”
“Anything I should know?”
Sean considered her.
“Perhaps.”
She approached.
“Master Sean, I’ve lived long enough to recognize when someone is carrying a burden they don’t wish to share.”
“You’re eighty.”
“Which is considerably older than most of your students.”
“Fair point.”
She studied him.
“Whatever is coming, you don’t have to face it alone.”
Sean looked toward the distant mountains.
“I hope you’re right.”
Alenna smiled.
“Besides, you have a dragon, a vampire, and a fire-wielding Shaman on your side.”
Sean chuckled.
“When you put it that way, we sound rather dangerous.”
“We are.”
The wind moved gently through the courtyard.
For a moment, Sean felt something he had not experienced in years.
Hope.
Then, somewhere deep within the school, a protective ward flickered.
Neither of them noticed.
Far beneath the ancient foundations, something stirred.
And in the darkness, a voice whispered a name.
“Sean.”
The End
To be continued…
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