Cassie and Skadi were in a different combat class, just like last year. That meant they had missed the joy of seeing Archibald humiliated. But we were happy to tell them all the details later.

Cassie snickered. "A shame it was not Archibald who got burned."

"How did they even pass the first year?" Skadi wondered.

"We only had one on one fights during the exam. And no magical combat." I pointed out. "Also, our group combat lessons were extra classes, not everyone had them."

"Everyone had the field trip. There was group combat, for example. We did have some training." Skadi replied.

"Archibald got himself eaten by a plant, remember? I don't think he learned much on that field trip." I countered.

"Not everyone is as awesome as we are and goes hunting during their break!" Helena added.

"Not everyone gets ambushed as often as we do as well." Cassie mused.

Skadi shrugged. "Still, after one year at the academy I would have expected better from them."

"Uh, maybe they get extra classes now!" Helena said.

"That would be fun." I mused.

"Speaking of classes, I have been approved to become a spellblade." Skadi announced.

"Congratulations!" I said.

"When do you get your runes?" Helena asked.

Skadi shrugged. "Soon."

"I have been allowed to help with the ink." Cassie added.

I was really curious how it would turn out. It took until the end of the second week for Skadi to get her runes. After some pleading we were even allowed to watch.

Skadi was sitting on a stool in just her underclothes. Cassie was holding the ink and stood next to the inscriber, Mary. Curiously the woman was an elf, so I had a hard time judging her age. She had fiery red hair and bright blue eyes.

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"Ah, you must be Skadi's friends. Don't worry, inscribing is a safe process." Mary assured us.

"We are mostly just curious about the process." I replied.

"Oh? Considering becoming a spellblade yourself? It has been a while since I made a death knight." Mary mused.

I shook my head. "No. I just like magic. I am fascinated by it."

Mary smiled. "Marvellous! I like a curious mind. Just stand over there."

We complied. Besides Helena and myself Hatsumi and Nyx were here as well. Nyx was sitting on Hatsumi's head.

Mary grabbed a special needle, it had a small container for the ink at the back. She dunked it into the pot Cassie was holding, somehow that filled the needle. It was probably a magical device.

"Only a blood mage can create a spellblade." Mary told us as she readied the needle. "The runes need to bond with the body. This requires some magic and personalised ink. It was made with Skadi's blood so the body will accept it."

Then she knelt down and began at Skadi's legs.

"Huh. I thought just the arms had runes." Helena mused.

Mary was concentrating on her work but still replied: "The control runes are on your arms. They can change your power configuration and manage the whole system. But in order to truly change your body we place runes on multiple locations. The legs, the arms and the back, in Skadi's case. The exact location can vary a bit based on preferences. The stomach would be an option too, for example. Some men also like to put runes on their chest."

"What happens if someone cuts the skin with the runes?" Hatsumi asked.

"It will regrow with the runes, unless there's some magical damage. But if the arms suffer too much damage it can temporarily make it hard to change your configurations. Ultimately though, these runes change the body permanently. Keep in mind that a part of your core is bound to them. Your skin, your bones, your muscles,... they are all fed with magic. They will change. They will make you more. These runes transform you into a creature of magic!" Mary explained.

Her eyes almost shone as she praised the process. She seemed really into spellblades. Was she one herself? She wore long sleeves, which meant she could not touch any control runes…

"Are you a spellblade?" I asked.

Mary smiled. "Yes, I am. You would not expect a spellblade to inscribe, would you? But the improvements help with the fine motions needed. Not that I became a spellblade to inscribe better." She chuckled. "I served in the army. I experienced the power of being a spellblade. I experienced the transformation. So I decided to help others achieve the same. Most inscribers are normal mages."

"Why do you have long sleeves?" Helena asked.

"Because I do not need to touch my runes. I can change things mentally." She replied.

"Are you the only inscriber at the academy?" I wondered.

"No." Mary replied. "I only work here occasionally. Irene told me she had an interesting student and convinced me to come help this year."

Skadi had been really quiet so far. "Skadi, are you ok?" I asked.

She nodded. "I am just focusing on my magic."

Mary smiled, she had finished with the first leg and was now working on the second. "A good mage will help with the integration of the runes. A bad mage will just expect the inscriber to do everything. Of course, it always helps if you have blood magic yourself."

"Those runes look awesome." Cassie commented. She had been intently watching the process while holding the additional ink.

"They certainly do." Mary agreed.

The whole process took two hours. While the legs were relatively simple the arms had a lot more complexity. We stopped talking as Mary focused on her work. I also had to agree with Cassie, the black runes looked nice.

Eventually the final line was drawn. Then came an activation process. All the runes lit up simultaneously. Skadi was breathing heavily. Sweat formed on her skin and she almost fell from the stool. Cassie caught her.

"Is that normal?" She asked, worried.

"I… I am good." Skadi replied.

Mary nodded. "Having part of your core bound to the runes is an exhausting process. Not to mention the shock of the mana which is now changing her body. It will take a few days for her to recover. It will take months until the full changes take effect. And the changes will grow with her and her core. Have a good night's rest. Tomorrow start with some light exercise. It will help the change. Oh, by the way. I have talked with your headmaster and you will have some extra classes with me, Skadi. I will make sure you will become a proper blood mage spellblade."

It seemed like the process was a success so far. And it had been fascinating to watch. Now we had to wait and see what Skadi could do with her new spellblade powers.

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