Best try on Chrome browser.
Endangered: The Demons of Monstrum Academy Pt. 2
*****
© 2024 S. Round. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. All ually active characters in this work are eighteen (18) years of age or older.
*****
Ch. 7
“Oh my god,” Evan said. “You brought me here just to make babies.”
“That’s not really”
“I’m like a prized poodle, here to make a legion of more prized poodles.”
“Evan.”
“Holy shit, that’s why I’ll be at the hospital all the time! Am I just going to be locked in a lab providing semen forever!? Wait, am I even going to get to go to school? Do I even have a choice!?”
“EVAN!” Ms. Vaduva shouted. “Please, calm down. Just breathe for a second, ok?”
Evan realized he was reacting poorly and shut up. He took a few deep breaths like she said. He may have stopped his spiral, but he still felt panicked inside. From what she said, he felt it most likely the government brought him here to be their lab rat. He thought it made more sense than the that he was some super gifted wizard.
“It is a lot to dump on you all of a sudden,” Ms. Vaduva said. “I get it. But I promise you, that is not the only reason you are here. And nobody will force you to do anything. I will make sure of that.”
“…”
“What I told you before about you showing a rare capacity for magic is true. You were not asked to be here solely because of your healthy sperm. I told you about your ability to procreate with all types of mages only to explain why the women here may treat you a certain way. It was not to put any sort of obligation upon you.”
“Ok,” Evan said, calming down slightly. “So, if it isn’t the sperm thing, what makes me so special?”
“To answer that,” Ms. Vaduva said. “I will need to explain what mages are and teach you a little about the different types of mages out there.”
“So, mage is the term we use to describe a human with a large amount of magic within their body. Most people have some magic power within them, but it’s too small an amount to matter. Because it’s something that you must be born with, magic is not something that just anyone can learn.”
“There are two different classes that mages fall in,” Ms. Vaduva continued. “The first is the most common. These are the mages that can use their magic to enhance their bodies in some way. We refer to these mages as augmenters.”
“Within the augmenter class there are two subclasses. Internal augmenters and external augmenters. Internal augmenters use their magic to directly enhance their physical attributes. This leads to superhuman strength and speed. Many of the famous athletes around the world are most likely humans with slightly higher than average magic power that are using internal augmentation subconsciously.”
“External augmenters also use their magic power to strengthen their body, but they do so with the help of outside influences,” she said. “Vampires, werewolves, mermaids. All the so called ‘monsters’ of the world fall into this category. Long ago, certain families of augmenters chose to infuse their bodies permanently with certain desired qualities, often those found in animals or nature. These traits were passed down to their children, leading to populations of people the rest of society saw as inhuman creatures.”
Evan was totally captivated by Ms. Vaduva’s . He felt like he was learning the hidden hi of the world. He wondered if there were any augmenters as strong as Superman? And it sounded like there might be monsters in the world that he had never even heard of before!
“One thing to be aware of,” Ms. Vaduva said. “All augmenters can use their magic to strengthen their physical abilities, but internal augmenters are able to do so a little more efficiently than external augmenters can. This leads to them being slightly stronger and faster on average. This is due to some of the external augmenters’ power being tied up in their other inherited gifts. Does that make sense?”
“I think so,” Evan said slowly. “So, augmenters. They can’t use magic outside of their bodies at all?”
“Correct.”
“So then, how did external augmenters get abilities from nature into themselves? Did they just force their bodies to change to mimic what they saw?”
“Great question,” Ms. Vaduva said, smiling. “Originally, there were no such things as external augmenters. They had to get help from mages that could use magic outside their bodies to achieve their transformations. Those mages used spells to combine outside forces with the augmenters’ DNA. Thus, creating monsters.”
“So, they teamed up?”
“Yes,” Ms. Vaduva said. “The monster mages that you know of today were only made possible by the cooperation of many great mages of the past.”
“What do you call a mage that can use magic outside of their body?”
“People that can do that fall into the second class of mage,” she said. “They are known as generators. This is because they output power, and because they create things with it. It was generators that used their magic to help the first monster augmenters be born.”
“Generators are far rarer than augmenters,” she continued. “And their potential is far greater as well. They are the mages that people usually think of when they hear the word magic. Generators are able to influence the world around them to create miracles. All magical folk are referred to as mages, but only generators are also called magicians.”
“You, Evan, are one of these generators,” she said, pointing a delicate finger at his face. “A magician capable of producing magic spells.”
“Seriously?”
“Mmhmm. In fact, it is because you’re a magician that you are compatible with all the different augmenter variations. Augmenters of all kinds can’t breed outside of their own populations. Even internal augmenters that spring up spontaneously outside of Tourmaline would find they were incapable of having children unless they coincidentally hooked up with another like themselves. But the special nature of generators allows them to cross those barriers.”
“Wow,” Evan said. “So, there are others like me out there that were born with magic power but don’t know about it?”
“Yes, but only internal augmenters and generators can be born to nonmage parents,” Ms. Vaduva said. “No parents receive a surprise monster baby.”
“Magic will always pop up in certain individuals over time,” she continued. “When we learn about them, we invite them to join us here, much like we did with you. However, you are the only magician we have managed to discover so far.”
He had many questions he wanted to ask, but he was not sure where to begin. So many surprising things had been revealed one after another, and he felt like his brain was being overloaded. He was still mostly worried about his wellbeing, but also, why all the secrecy?
“Why didn’t you tell me all of this before?”
“Some were worried it would scare you away,” she said. “And we felt it was very important that you should come here.”
“So, what’s the purpose of this place? Why bring me here if it isn’t just to make me produce children?” he said.
“This town was made by surviving monster communities from around the world banding together to form a safe place to live in secret,” she said. “Together, they were able to share resources and keep their cultures alive. It made this town the center for magical knowledge in the world.”
“Basically, this is the only place to really learn about magic. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Essentially, yes,” she said. “But it is also one of the only safe places for mages as well.”
“Safe from what exactly?”
“There are many dangers in the world, Evan,” Ms. Vaduva said seriously. “Mages of all types have been hunted and killed throughout hi. Sometimes because they showed great power, sometimes simply for being different. There is also no shortage of evil people in the world that would exploit your power for their own gain. You must always be wary of those that try to use you, understand? Even here.”
Evan nodded uneasily.
“Tourmaline was mainly founded by the efforts of one man,” she continued. “A great magician called Elias Monstrum. After the second world war, he travelled the globe seeking out the ravaged populations of monster mages and invited them to form a community. He convinced them all to come together, and he made a deal with the U.S. government for protection. The deal was they would give us a place to live in secret while helping in our efforts to combat the disease, and in return, the mages would assist the government with their research on magic. The mages relocated here at this location and built the town along with the academy where they could teach future generations. The base was built by the government for protection and research.”
“Thanks to Elias Monstrum, many varieties of monster mages were able to evade extinction. He is the reason we have a safe place to call home, and for that reason, he is considered the benefactor of all mages today.”
“While it isn’t perfect,” she said. “This town truly is the best and safest place to live for mages. You will be safe here, Evan. We look after our own.”
“And I will also do everything in my power to make sure you are not forced to do anything you don’t wish to do. Including making lots of babies,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
He blushed and nodded at her statements. He felt like he finally understood his situation. Or the basics at least. But he got the feeling Ms. Vaduva was on his side, and that was comforting.
“Thank you, I appreciate it,” he said.
“It is nothing,” she said with a smile. “You can come by to talk at any time, ok? I know this is all very new to you, and I expect you will face many challenges in the future. So just be sure to ask for help when you need it.”
“I will.”
“Now you know why you are considered special, so I’m sure you can understand why your security has been made a priority,” she said. “Many in charge wanted to have a security agent by your side at all times, hence, your own personal agent. I knew that would be no way for you to live your life at college, so I fought and made them agree to keep some distance. Security officers like Robin will probably always be nearby, but they at least shouldn’t interfere with your daily life.”
“I see,” he said. “I’m not sure if that’s reassuring or creepy.”
They shared a quick laugh, and he could tell that much of his earlier tension had dissipated.
“There is one thing I would like you to consider, Evan,” Ms. Vaduva said after a few quiet moments. “It is understandable to not want to be treated as a piece of meat by the women here, and nobody will force anything on you under my watch, but there is more than one way for you to help them. If you are willing to regularly donate sperm, you will be able to help a lot of women achieve their dreams. Just think about it, ok?”
“Ok, I will,” he said. “I think I just have a lot to digest right now is all. Got to wrap my head around this whole thing.”
“Perfectly understandable,” she said.
“Now, as far as your schooling goes,” she continued. “I have arranged for you to meet your advisor tomorrow to set your class schedule.”
“Oh, great!” he said. “If I’m being honest, I still have no idea what I want to study.”
“Well then, hopefully this meeting will be of good use,” she said with a gentle smile.
Evan left shortly after that and returned to his dorm room. He did not see anyone in the common room when he returned, so he was able to avoid any more probing eyes. He spent a few long hours contemplating the events of the day before he was able to sleep. There were many things to ponder, but he was sure of one thing. If life on campus was going to be as eventful as this day had been, it was going to be a very interesting year.
Ch. 8
The next morning, Evan got up and ready for his meeting with his advisor. He was looking forward to seeing what classes would be available. He hoped there wouldn’t be any requirements that he didn’t meet because he went to a different high school. He didn’t think there would be, but it was true he was clueless when it came to using magic power. If the classes had a heavy magic focus, he would be way behind. He finally decided not to worry about it too much when the time for his meeting came. He pushed those worries to the back of his mind and made to head out. As he exited his room, he encountered two girls who were walking towards him in the hall. They looked surprised to see him and stopped in their tracks.
“Hello,” he said and waved awkwardly after locking his door.
“Hello!” one of the girls said. “I’m Clara!”
“Evan.”
Clara was tall, coming only a couple inches under Evan’s 5’10” body. She had long light brown hair and dark eyes. She also had a pair of brown furry ears sticking out from her head. They did not look like the ears he saw on the girls that were playing pool, and he couldn’t quite place what animal they reminded him of.
“Hi, I’m Zayla,” the other girl said.
She was a little smaller than her friend. She was also a monster variety that Evan was already familiar with. Her green skin and pointed ears made it obvious she was a goblin.
“Nice to meet you,” he said.
There was a pause where nobody said anything before Zayla quickly elbowed Clara to get her to speak.
“Oh! Yes, nice to meet you too!” Clara said in a rush.
Evan could already feel his skin crawling from the awkward energy in the air, so he decided to make his exit.
“I have to get to a meeting,” he said starting his walk to the stairs. “See you later.”
“See ya,” Zayla said.
As he started his descent, he could hear the girls burst into giggles behind him. He sighed loudly and shook his head. Was it going to be that awkward every time he met someone new on campus? He was in an uncomfortable position where everyone seemed to know about him, but he was totally in the dark about them. He hoped that wouldn’t take too long to change, but he had no idea how long it would take for people to adjust to his presence in town. Based on what Ms. Vaduva had told him, he would probably be treated as a celebrity for a while.
Evan was able to easily find the building where his meeting was thanks to Ms. Vaduva giving him directions the day before. When he got to the office, he found the door open, but he still knocked politely to announce his arrival.
“Hello?” he said. “I’m supposed to meet Mr. Oliveira?”
The office was not very big. It simply had a desk, a few cabinets, and a couple chairs for guests. There wasn’t much room for moving around even. Evan was confused when he looked inside, because there looked to be a child sitting behind the desk at first glance. He thought maybe it was his advisor’s kid.
“Ah! You must be Evan!” the person at the desk said. “Have a seat!”
“My name is Theo Oliveira, or Mr. Oliveira as the students say,” he said as Evan sat down. “I believe I have been assigned as your advisor.”
“Uh, yeah. Yes! That’s what I was told.”
“Are you surprised by my appearance? It’s ok, it’s a normal reaction,” Mr. Oliveira said with a laugh. “Especially when you come from outside Tourmaline.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“It’s fine,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I’m a hobbit. My ancestors tailored their bodies for lives in underground cities where space was limited. It was a curious way of life, but it had its advantages, such as staying safe and hidden from those that would do them harm. And well, if you couldn’t tell, I teach hi here at the academy, and the stories of the origins of mages are my passion!”
A hobbit? It wasn’t one of the magical monsters he had in mind when he was thinking of what he might find at the academy. He was sitting down, but it was easy to see that Theo was quite short. Unlike someone with dwarfism, all his proportions looked to be the same as any normal sized man. That was why Evan initially mistook him to possibly be a child. There was also the fact that his hairless face looked quite youthful.
“I’m a little surprised to meet another man here,” Evan said. “I was led to believe there weren’t many around.”
“Ah, true, true,” Mr. Oliveira said solemnly. “Not many around for sure. But there are a few of us here and there. I suspect they assigned you to me so that you might be able to make a connection with a man who can sympathize somewhat with your situation. Not always easy being the only man in a world full of women after all.”
“I suppose not,” Evan said.
“How about we get to it!” Mr. Oliveira said, rubbing his hands together excitedly. “Do you have a degree in mind you’re aiming for?”
“Umm, no. Not really,” Evan said. “I was hoping there might be a program to help me learn how to use my magic?”
“Hmm, no luck there I’m afraid,” Mr. Oliveira said. “There aren’t any magicians in Tourmaline, you see. There just isn’t anyone that can teach you those skills.”
“But Ms. Vaduva said this was the world’s center for magic knowledge?”
“And she was right. You could learn plenty about how augmenters use their abilities. You can learn about the many eccentricities of the various mage tribes. They have even begun to make some breakthroughs combining magic with science! But I’m afraid lessons on how to use your gifts just aren’t available.”
Evan’s face dropped. The thing he was most excited about when he made the decision to come to Monstrum Academy was that he was going to learn how to use magic. Now he was being told it wasn’t possible. It felt like he was scammed.
“How am I supposed to learn how to use my magic then?”
“The typical fashion would be for you to learn directly from a master, but there hasn’t been a master magician in Tourmaline since Elias Monstrum himself.”
“Are there no other magicians in the world?”
“Well, I’m not sure about that,” Mr. Oliveira said. “There are likely to be some hiding away somewhere out there. But there aren’t any that are associated with the academy.”
“So, what do I do?”
“The best you can do is read from what resources are available at the library. I’m sure there are some insights to basic magic use that can be taught by the staff here, but much of your learning will have to be selftaught.”
This was getting worse and worse. Selftaught? Evan had never been big on studying. He did well in his classes, but it wasn’t through long study sessions. He paid attention in class, and usually he was able to understand the material. He didn’t have much confidence in his ability to just learn something from scratch without a teacher.
“Didn’t Elias Monstrum leave behind any material for people to learn from?”
“You know, now that you mention it,” Mr. Oliveira said, sitting forward. “There was an old legend that said Dr. Monstrum had secretly left behind a great inheritance somewhere in the academy. According to the legend, it was said to be a library holding the knowledge and treasures collected throughout his life.”
“Naturally, it was just a fantasy tale created by his fans,” he continued. “Nobody has ever found any hidden treasures in the academy in over 70 years. No, I’m afraid that any knowledge left behind by Dr. Monstrum would only be found in the academy’s library along with all the other books.”
Evan was annoyed at having briefly gotten his hopes up at the mention of an inheritance only to have them dashed a moment later. He wasn’t happy about it, but it looked like there were some difficult years of study ahead of him. It wasn’t like he could just not try. His desire for magic was too great, and he had already committed his life to Tourmaline, for better or worse.
“I guess I don’t have anything in mind to study then,” he said after thinking for a bit.
“That’s ok,” Mr. Oliveira said. “Even if we can’t teach you how to use your magic, there are plenty of subjects related to magic for you to study! Hi, for example!”
ero
