Magician School for the Elementally Inclined

11

"Scaramouche!" Childe grinned, opening the door to his cottage. 

"What are you doing here again?" Scaramouche nearly dropped his tea. 

"Do you have clothes?" 

"Uhm," Scaramouche looked down at the clothes he was wearing. "Yes?" 

"No, I mean, do you have fancy clothes?" 

"Even if I did, why would I lend them to you? You aren't even my size." 

"The annual ball is coming up and I don't have anything to wear," Childe sunk to the floor and covered his eyes with his arm. "They're even going to announce one of the archons." 

"What element are you declared at the school?" Scaramouche placed his teapot down and went over to Childe, leaning over his face. "You're Hydro, right? Right? Not Electro?" he panicked, forgetting he already knew the answer to that question. Scaramouche knelt down and grabbed Childe's shoulders, shaking him. "Right? Answer me!" 

"I'm Hydrooooo," Childe's eyes rolled around as Scaramouche shook him. 

"Good," Scaramouche sighed, releasing him. 

"Why are you freaking out? Isn't it a good thing to be chosen as an archon?" 

Scaramouche's face turned pale. He shivered, hugging himself. "Archons aren't what you think they are...not anymore..." 

"Are you going to tell me what they are then?" 

"Once you know, you can never un-know. That bastard headmaster wouldn't let me off if I told you." 

"Please," Childe grabbed Scaramouche's arm, squeezing it a bit too tight. "Please tell me," his voice cracked. "I know someone that is likely to be picked...you have to tell me!" 

"I shouldn't have said anything," Scaramouche covered his mouth with his hand. "I shouldn't have..." The door opened with a gust of wind and he pushed Childe out. "Don't come here again!" he snapped, slamming the door shut. "I'm never going to teach you how to use that eleme-" Scaramouche gasped, staring up at the sky. The familiar shape Childe came to know as Dainsleif's opening sequence: a portal. Sure enough, the familiar headmaster dropped to the ground, landing in a crouched position with his hand on the ground itself. 

"D-D-Dains...leif..." Scaramouche tried to close the door and protect himself but a string of stars kept it open. He struggled and failed against the string. 

Dainsleif stood up and walked toward the cottage. He turned Childe around and guided him back inside, gesturing to the chair. Scaramouche backed up into the wall but Dainsleif stared at him, gesturing to the other chair. Scaramouche shuddered, sitting down. Dainsleif remained standing, with his arms crossed, at the edge of the table. 

"The archons," he began, holding out his hand, a mixture of constellations formed in his palm like holographic images, visualizing the tale he was telling. Scaramouche's eyes widened. He didn't believe Dainsleif was actually going to tell Childe the story. "Long ago, the archons battled a group of people in the city of Khaenri'ah. The humans there were technologically advanced, skilled in their craft, but attempted to erase the guide of elements entirely: replacing it with mechanisms beyond their control. They were destroyed," Dainsleif curled his hand into a fist, the image dispersed and he crossed his arms again. 

"B-by the archons?" Childe gasped. "But, I thought- Aren't the archons good?" 

"A group of strong humans from Khaneri'ah that were supported by divine beasts and made a pact with the archons," Dainsleif continued, ignoring the question. "The elements would not be erased from humanity entirely. A select number of the population would be chosen and enter an academy, while the rest of humanity continued to move forward without magic. However, alchemy was not allowed in this new version of Khaenri'ah. If the supernatural were to be erased; it should be erased entirely. The archons agreed and went back to Celestia. Due to the nature of their departure, an additional pact was created..." Dainsleif sighed. "After a set period of time, new archons would be chosen to take the original's place. Their memories would be inserted into the new host to create imitation archons to govern the elements." 

"I don't understand."

"Thousands of years worth of memories," Scaramouche held his face in his hands. "Enough memories to make a person insane. If not, then the person's original personality is overwritten. The human becomes the archon and nothing remains of who that person was. This is usually the case in order to compensate for the stress of the memories. Even if it manages to work out, the lifespan is decreased drastically, and the human is unable to remain the archon for long. The chances of survival are one in ten," Scaramouch sighed. "They're sacrifices to keep the archons from descending! Sacrifices!" Scaramouche slammed his hands on the table and gritted his teeth. "But this bastard still does it!" he pointed to the headmaster. 

"If the selection goes well, the human-archon becomes the head of the house and watches over the students. Something of a temporary teacher, if you would. But in all reality, the human-archon is the original archon's viewpoint into the academy. It's an elaborate way to spy on us and make sure the agreement is still being kept." Dainsleif placed his hand on the table directly in front of Childe. He leaned over him, pointing at him with his spare hand. "Your circumstances are very unusual given you have two elemental affinities. I've been waiting for someone like you to show up again." 

"Again?" Childe choked. 

Scaramouche looked at the mask resting on a table next to the wall. "You were not the first person to have two elements." 

"I don't understand." 

"Controlling two elements is difficult and often leads to damaging one's own body. The previous user did this and was unable to uphold my plan." 

"Your plan!" Scaramouche scoffed. "Your plan is to get people killed when it suits you!" 

"I cannot battle all seven archons alone, Scaramouche." 

"You've grown weak!" Scaramouche snapped standing up. "The old you would've died trying!" 

"Weak, you say," Dainsleif's eyebrow twitched and he stood up straight, towering over Scaramouche. Strings of stars forming constellations levitated him off of the ground as his hair stood on end. His eye hiding underneath the mask appeared to glow. He outstretched his arms and the stars surrounded him. Scaramouche tripped over his feet trying to back up. He fell on his ass and started shaking. "I have offered you, time and time again, to relieve me of my position as headmaster and conduct your own schemes," Dainsleif hovered in the air about Scaramouche. "And you have refused, claiming you'd never agree to the old pact even for a moment to bide your time. Look at you now," his uncovered eye began to glow as well, "you sit in this cottage, refusing to assist, and still dare to ridicule me for my attempts!" 

"P-please," Scaramouche's voice cracked. "Please forgive me, Most High Abyss Herald," he muttered quickly under his breath. 

Dainsleif ceased levitating and his aura diminished, returning him to his usual appearance. "If you wish to protect, you must get strong," Dainsleif curled his hand into a fist. "Approximately thirty days after someone has obtained archon memories...they begin to lose their sanity. The first ten days that period of thirty, the human-archon is in a comatose-like state." Dainsleif exited the cottage. 

"I can barely control Hydro, what point is there in telling me this information?" Childe turned his attention back to Scaramouche. Scaramouche curled up on the floor, hugging his knees. He was in no state of mind to answer Childe. 

"This is no time for me to worry about outfits!" Childe ran out of the cottage and into the woods. "I need to practice as much as I can as if my life depends on it! Because," he stopped in his tracks and held his face in his hands, "Zhongli's does. No," he shook his head, "I still don't know which element will be announced at the ball. I have time- I ...I have time..." he muttered and began running once again.