Hungry Earth (Elemental Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

brightly. “So can I.”
     
    *          *          *
     
    Laws of Magic: Circle Two , was exactly like
the Circle One version. Alpha Flagstone looked more relaxed, which I assumed
was because he had Remy. He still glared at everyone, but less intensely.
    I was a little worried when I entered the History
of Asian Magic classroom because both the floor and ceiling consisted of
mirrors. The walls were unpainted stone. There were six four-foot long tables
facing the teacher’s desk in the front of the room.
    Since Professor Nightshade was in hiding from the
wizard council, Tanaka-sensei taught the class, which seemed fitting because
she was Japanese and did magic. Once again, Zhang Wei was her assistant.
    Unfortunately, the closest seats to the door were
already taken, so I took a seat near the front. Becky sat next to me. “Hi,
Devon. I got fire this year. What did you get?”
    “Earth.” I didn’t have time to ask her anything else
because Tanaka-sensei started going over the syllabus. It was generic, boring
first-day stuff. I wondered if the children’s school was more exciting.
    “You could use the book from the–” Tanaka-sensei
was cut off as the back wall shook from an explosion in the hallway. She sighed
and continued, as this was obviously a normal occurrence.
    My last class of the morning was Elemental
Configuration , taught by Asrik Watson.
    When we entered the room, he told us to sit at the
table of the element we mastered the previous semester. There were four tables
aligned in a large square, each about eight feet long with a glass bowl in the
center. One table had a bowl of dirt, one had a bowl of water, one of fire, and
the last bowl was empty. I sat at the table with the bowl of water on it.
    The room was only twelve-by-twelve, so it was cramped
with the tables, but unlike many of the classrooms, it seemed structurally
sound. The floor was rock tile, the walls were brick, and natural light poured
in from the large windows on the north wall.
    Professor Watson was a middle-aged wizard with short,
medium auburn hair and light green eyes. He wasn’t particularly tall, short, or
thin… he was just very average in appearance. However, he struck me as the kind
of man who downplayed his power. Something about the way the man walked to the
front of the room told me that his image was a carefully constructed façade. Or
maybe that was my instincts.
    “Hello, class. I am Professor Watson. This class is
designed for Circle Two students of any element. All of you have mastered one
element and are beginning on your second. In this class, you will learn to use
the elements and how to combine them. Some things you will learn in my class
are considered extremely dangerous. If you fail to listen to and follow my
directions, many of you will be injured. Your required textbook is Initiation
Into Hermetics , by Franz Bardon. I know some of your professors don’t care
if you use the textbook or not, but you cannot pass my class without it. Don’t
read the first section; the theory part, because it was ruined in the
translation from German to English. Now, is everyone ready for your pretest?”
    There were collective gasps of shock and horror, but
after a class with Professor Langril, this was nothing.
    “Good, good,” he said when no one agreed or
disagreed. “Fire students, what element do you want to duel against?”
    The students at that desk pulled themselves together
and discussed it quickly. The only woman at that table turned to the teacher.
“We want to go against air,” she said.
    “Alright. Everyone outside on the practice field. One
person for each element will be voted to spar with the opposing element. You
will eventually all get a chance, but we don’t have enough time today to cover
everyone.”
    “It’s the first day of school!” one of the women in
the air group said.
    “I am aware. Each student will earn a ranking in your
element, and each element will earn and lose points