“To enlist as an Academy Guardian, one must either have served as a Redcloak for five years or a town guard equivalent position. Or, one could be an Academy graduate on the martial track during their time here and with a recommendation from the lead instructor. Further training will be provided upon selection into Guardian ranks. If one is interested, student or otherwise, feel free to apply for the Guardian Trials public or private. Public trials are open to all and meant as a nice test of one’s skills. Private trials will be focused on testing one’s aptitude to become a Guardian and requires above conditions to be met and/or successful completion of public trials with merit. Those with potential will be contacted afterwards.”
- Academy of Arteria, Guardian Trials Flyer - Wall Outside Justice Hall
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There was a magical feeling in the air as they stepped out into the middle of what felt like a dozen castles. The old Arterian fortresses now turned into exquisite looking buildings that contained the different faculties of the Academy. They had arrived in the central courtyard or at least the central square as she spied numerous actual students milling about in the distance. Sophie sucked in a small breath as she gazed at the landscape around her.
Gone were the cramped yet lively Arterian districts or the imposing buildings that stretched high above the townhouses. They were replaced by dozens of stone brick pathways that led off into various directions, reaching their endpoint at majestic castles turned Academy buildings, each decorated by flags, banners and statues of various kinds. Trees that would stand in place of town houses by the roads, smaller rustic yet elegant buildings served as dining halls and atriums, not to mention the dozens of flowerbeds and their accompanying pavilions littered throughout Academy grounds. The air here felt crisp, fresh and ocean-like in a pleasant way, unlike the city in which it felt more lively but stuffy. Even the clouds above seemed fluffier, though in Sophie’s personal opinion, anything that wasn’t the clouds in Carrador could be considered fluffy. Though the slight wind chill and cold in the air still remained, much to Aryana’s worry, Sophie just basked in the cool breeze.
Still, the moment of admiration lasted for longer than expected as the duo and even the Traxian quartet took the time to soak in their surroundings. One of the Traxian’s even grumbling about how nice it all felt. For the meantime at least, Sophie was just glad that their attention had just as quickly turned away from her and Ary as it had arrived.
“I am Assistant Ishra, here to lead you to your accommodations.” An Academy staffer curtsied, her modified blue robe sporting a few white stripes, “Follow me please. We’ll be heading over to the Rosewood dormitory where you’ll get a chance to unpack before you proceed with administrative and introduction ceremonies tomorrow.”
The group nodded and followed along. Seeing the other carriages from their ferry having already arrived and their respective students also accompanied by Academy staffers. They were all supposedly on an elevated part of the island but from this location, it felt more like they had dominated the entire landscape and surrounded it with large and imposing walls.
“Down the main road you can see the main building that now forms the majority of administrative and fourth year classrooms. It is officially called Miyascot but we all just call it Mascot Hall after the Sainted founders of the Academy. That’s where you’ll have to go tomorrow morning first thing.” Ishra pointed.
Mascot hall was a place of contradictions in Sophie’s eyes. Much like how strange the Eryanian elven quarters seemed out of place within the city of Arteria itself. Here, there stood a heavy brick fortress much in the vein of Carradorian fortifications; blocky, thick, and utilitarian stones meant to deter an attacker from breaching the walls. Yet there was an artistic flair to them, the stones were painted a marble white and the patterns they were built in took inspiration from the remnant elven spires that still surrounded the structure. The end result being a strangely circular and angled castle keep with a spired top much like the council hall in Arteria.
“Besides it on the right you’ll see the Talsfolk, Three Saints and Aura halls. The old elven spires are repurposed remnants that look even more elegant on the inside.” Ishra’s eyes sparkled admiringly much to the annoyance of the Traxians, “They also act as the main buildings for the departments of Economics, Strategy and History respectively. Of which I’m part of the history department.” The staffer bowed.
Beyond the path, trees swayd gently in the wind as students in the distance giggled and talked amongst themselves. A few playing some form of sport or activities before pausing to quickly gawk at the newcomers. The glittering elven spires and main building seemed a strange contrast to the more dreary looking castle walls that surrounded it, but the open spaces were so wide that the less decorated walls barely mattered. The air of freedom around them being more than enough to offset any dreariness brought about by the presence of the walls.
“Strategy department?” Carla asked, breaking the silence of the group.
“Mmhmm, strategy department. It’s where those who want to study tactics, military engineering, logistics, and anything related to the grander scheme of combat. Quite a popular department for nobles leaning towards a martial education or standing in line to inherit some form of military command.” Ishra chuckled, “Though of course, the Academy’s official stance is that we don’t favor one side or another of any particular conflict despite the education provided.”
A few grim snickers came from the Traxians. They knew the truth, that if Arteria and Traxia were to go to war, the Academy would certainly be picking a side.
“On the left side… ah.” Ishra tutted to herself, almost as if she was chiding herself, “For now, the most important buildings you should know about are there,” She pointed to one of the halls with the Academy greens, “and there.” She pointed at their dormitory.
Admittedly, Sophie was more than a little awestruck. Their dormitory looked to be a separate keep of a castle all unto itself. The weary looking structure seemed almost a relic from the past when compared to the much more vibrant and modernistic hall that Ishra had gestured at.
“The hall is called Pressel Hall, named after a lesser known saint from the Era of Darkness. But all you need to know is that it is the main food hall for first years like yourselves and what you’ll want to go to later today after unpacking.” Ishra smiled. “And the Rosewood dorm is your dorm, of course.”
“Why Rosewood?” Aryana squeaked from behind.
“What?”
“Umm why’s it called Rosewood?”
“Ah! That’s because of how the wooden boards within the dorm were all shipped here from Eastern Cyndralia and built using well… rosewood.”
“That’s it?” Aryana asked before immediately dropping into an embarrassed blush.
Sophie found Ishra letting out a small giggle of her own.
“That’s it!” Ishra beamed.
Sophie felt Aryana shrink a little closer to her and gave the redhead a gentle pat. The poor girl was mortified at how she had just quipped back without thinking. Cute.
The rest of the walk was rather uneventful, the Traxians asking a few questions here and there but learning nothing of much value besides the presence of a ‘training ground’ for more combat focused students. That has made Sophie’s ears perk up a little, herself having worried a little that her skills would recede without practice.
It wasn't long when they finally arrived in the shadow of the keep, Rosewood Hall feeling far more imposing up close. Curious but cautious, Sophie glanced warily up at the stones. Though it had clearly been given a contemporary face lift, there were still scratches and marks that seemed to cry out from ages past. Curious. For them to not replace the stones or just paint over it… perhaps something arcane once took place. The outer walls were drab grayish red, though even the paint job did little to lift the dour mood cast by the shadow of the castle. When the double doors to the castle were pushed open however, it was almost as astonishing as when they stepped out of the carriage.
Ishra gestured for them to gather in a small lounge area at the end of the entrance hallway where others from their ferry ride were already waiting. Sophie found herself standing under a few ringed chandeliers, her boots now clacking softly against the polished stone floors. From above her, she could sense the faint tingling of some magic nullification field, likely in addition to whatever spell was keeping the magelight in the chandeliers and on the sconces along the walls lit. Must be complex, null magic and still having certain spells work… I wonder if that has anything to do with the Myndir… ahh shit! The towers! I didn’t even look to see if any of them might’ve had a crystal in it. Damn.
“Alright and this would be…?” A jovial voice asked.
“Group five, so we’re just at half.” Ishra answered, "Six to ten should be arriving right about now."
“Excellent. In that case can you fetch the last ones with Molly and the others?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks Ishi!”
“Right, while you get to just chill.” Ishra rolled her eyes, “Later.”
The jovial man jokingly shrugged before he clapped his hands and gathered everyone’s attention.
“Alright! Since now half the group’s here I’ll send you guys off to get settled in first!” He smiled at everyone, “For you new guys, I’m Assistant Casper, though you can just call me Casper. I help the dorm mother, who is currently unfortunately out, run this place. It is a pleasure to meet you all and I’ll be helping you guys get settled in, okay?”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
A series of small nods, some more bored than others. The man seemed undeterred however, and moved to continue. Sophie noted that though his peach fuzz and mostly clean shaven appearance seemed youthful and bright, there was a profound sense of tiredness and dejection that shone through his eyes at having to welcome yet another gaggle of students.
“Right. So we’re in Rosewood Hall right now. On this floor is the main meeting room, entrance hall, as you can see. And the staff offices down the right hand corridor. Above us is the rec room, some dormitories, lounges and a study room. Third floor is mostly first and second year dorms. Fourth and fifth are mostly for third and fourth years.” Casper said before glancing around, “So I’ll be calling out names and your room numbers. Some of you will be rooming with people in the second batch or who have already arrived but are in your academic level. A few of you are already paired up and well, lucky you I guess.” He chuckled dryly. “Anyhow, any questions?”
Sophie looked over at Ary and found the girl clutching on just a little bit tighter.
“Alright, good. I’ll start calling names now so please try to pay attention! Ahem… Issac…”
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“Aryana Frostfyre and Sophie… no house name.” Casper called out.
The duo stepped forth compliantly and Sophie could feel the tension in the air as everyone had their attentions properly turned towards her.
“Uhh… Aryana, right?” The man looked hesitantly at the redhead who bobbed in acknowledgement. “As for you…” He turned to Sophie, “might there have been a mistake? I believe the elven contingent is currently in Aratheal hall completing their matriculation requirements.”
“What?” Sophie asked.
“Errm, the elven arrivals should be in Aratheal hall doing their signing in and official requirements right now.”
Sophie frowned and grew confused. But she shook her head nonetheless. “I am Sophie.” She stated plainly. Though she could hear a few confused sniggers coming from the children and more than one snort from the Traxians.
“You are Sophie? No house name or other such affiliations?”
“No sir.”
“And you’re an elf.”
“Half elf.”
“Right, but half elves still get admitted through the elven scholars program. Are you sure you’re Sophie?”
“I am.” Sophie stated, a little uncertain about her own identity.
“And are you certain you didn’t mix up with another Sophie or something?”
“Pretty sure.”
“Huh…” Casper froze for a moment before he looked through his paper up and down in befuddlement. “Well… I guess welcome to Rosewood Hall? I see why you were marked with an administrative notification now. Special case, you are. And you two are related? Or at least know each other?” He looked between the duo.
Sophie and Aryana traded looks before they turned back and nodded emphatically at the hall assistant.
“Okay then… I guess that’s the last of this half. So here you go.” He handed out a small satchet with keys and a number on it, “Room keys, number, same drill as the others. Take today to rest and be sure to be back down here at eight o'clock in the morning tomorrow. Everyone got that?” He raised his voice, “Eight O'clock in the morning tomorrow! Meet here!”
A wave of murmured agreement echoed through the hall and Casper tapped his lips for silence. “Alright then, you’re all dismissed, enjoy your evening and get settled in. Remember, the food vouchers in your packets only work in the dining hall here and the large building outside, Pressel Hall, for tonight. Have a good evening folks and I’ll be down here if you need me.” Casper waved them off.
The crowd hurriedly scattered towards the stars and the magitech elevators. Two of such wondrous machines were located on the west side of the building whilst an older but still functional clockwork elevator ran on the east. Sophie found it funny how many of the nobles carried suitcases and large packs that now made it difficult to navigate upwards. Whereas Aryana and herself had kept as much as they could stashed in just their backpacks. Seeing the crowds around the elevators Sophie gestured at the stairs, Aryana letting out a dissatisfied harrumph but acquiesced anyway.
Together, they hiked up the massive stairway up to the third floor, ignoring the handful of curious glances thrown their way from students staring at the stray elf in their hall. After what felt like an arduous climb, they finally slotted in one of the keys and turned the knob to their soon to be home.
Room R322 was much like the tavern room in size if a bit larger. Yet there was something undeniably different as well in terms of atmosphere. Though the wooden floor was also there, the enchanted rosewood coupled with a well placed circular rug meant that every step they took no longer creaked loud enough to wake a village. The walls too were painted a light purplish blue that evoked feelings of calm which surrounded the room. The center of the room was also nothing more than a small oval table and two chairs, but the openness that came from the room being more circular than square was more than welcome. Beyond that, on the north wall were two large windows, shaggy but still pretty curtains draped over them, the light shining through the edges.
Aryana had been the first to notice the two large beds were actually located on the eastern wall of the room, embedded within two large cubbies that even had privacy curtains around them. It was a clever use of space and Sophie could see how it both maximized room usage but also still provided comfort for the user by allowing one to snuggle up in their little bed nook. Next to the beds were an armoire and small cabinet, one for each of them. Two desks and an empty bookshelf were located on the western wall, a few dings and scratches showing their years of service.
To Sophie’s amusement, Aryana had waddled over to one of the beds before lazily plopping her belongings into a pile and flopping onto the bed with a satisfied hum. She rolled around for a bit, messing up the bed covers when she paused and flicked her head upwards, cocking it sideways as she glanced at Sophie. Sophie smiled in return and gently waved for her to go back to relaxing.
Sophie started unpacking her belongings when she felt a sense of hollowness overtake her. The past few months had been so hectic that when she looked through her bag, all she had of note were her adventuring clothes, the armour she currently wore, the Lion’s Mane, a few books, her underwear, toiletries and the strangely revealing outfit that Ary had chosen for her. It felt remarkably little compared to some of the larger suitcases and packs that she had seen from the other students. But then again, though Ary had a few more articles of clothing and books, the girl didn’t exactly have that much more than herself.
Sophie chuckled softly, I suppose that’s what traveling so much gets us, she sighed languidly. Not much time to really buy souvenirs when things keep trying to kill us. She looked back up at the redhead currently rolling around and grinned, well at least she's safe now.
“Sooophieee.” Aryana grumbled from the bed, the girl now sitting upright with a frown, “I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh? And have you never before?” Sophie reflectively quipped.
“Sophie!”
“I’m kidding. So what were you thinking about?” Sophie asked, moving over to sit beside Aryana.
Aryana stuck out her tongue before she flopped herself back down on the bed, Sophie taking the chance soon after. Huh, actually pretty comfy. A nice bounce and still fluffy, I wonder if Eva likes these kinds of beds too?
“Hmmm. I guess I was just wondering what life here is gonna be like?” Ary mumbled.
“What? What do you mean?”
“I get the idea of learning. When… when my ma and pa were around… they taught me plenty. But after that I mostly learned on my own.” Ary turned and Sophie met the girl’s gaze, noticing a sense of sorrowful nostalgia on her face, “So I guess I’m just wondering what things will be like here.” Ary sighed.
Sophie inched a little closer and Aryana took it as a sign to huddle up. Sophie flinched slightly from the initial contact but found a sense of contentment just stroking the girl’s hair.
“Well you’re free to choose what you want to study and learn, I suppose.” Sophie answered after a quiet moment. “You said you were a saint, err Vaettagh too right? Can you recall anything about school, college or boarding school?”
Aryana scrunched her face up for a second before she shook her head, a glum expression on her face. “No.”
“Well it was worth a shot. Was gonna say it’s just going to be more or less like that, at least based on what I remember Eva telling me a long way back.”
“Ahh… oh.” Aryana’s face dropped a little more.
“You know, I never got the chance to ask this since you mentioned it before. But you really can’t remember anything from… well… the other world? Cause Eva remembers most of it pretty clearly. At least what she tells me anyway.” Sophie asked.
“No. Only the briefest of glimpses.”
“Hmm. Well I suppose here is as good a place as any to help with that. We could always ask Eva or her students. You know, considering they’re all saints, err Vaettaghs. could chat to them more, see if any of them can help you remember.”
"Ehh." Aryana nodded solemnly before she stared at the ceiling. “And what about the learning?”
“The learning?” Sophie scratched her nose, “I guess you can imagine it as a room full of people, one person speaks, everyone takes notes. Then you get tested on everything kinda like the entrance exam.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. At least if what Eva described is true.”
“That sounds…”
“A little mundane after everything you’ve been through?”
“Heh.” Aryana chuckled, “I guess.”
“But the highlight is that you get to learn lots, meet new people and make more friends.”
At that the redhead smiled and Sophie smiled back.
“Friends sound… nice.”
“You don’t sound too excited.” Sophie noted.
“I have you, I have the two siblings, maybe Eva. That’s enough.” Aryana stated firmly.
It was Sophie’s turn to chuckle, “Sure, sure. But more is always nice, I mean…” Sophie toyed with her own ponytail, “I never got much of a chance to make that many friends. Would be fun to try.”
Aryana grumbled something unintelligible before she flopped onto her belly and planted her face buried in the bed sheets.
“Fine, fine. I get it. Gonna nap?” Sophie asked.
“Mmpf mmm mmm.” Aryana let out a muffled noise.
“I’ll wake you before dinner then. Want me to unpack your stuff as well?”
Sophie watched as Aryana tensed for a moment, the indecision in her body as the redhead wondered whether or not Sophie should be allowed to touch her stuff. After a quick pause however, Sophie watched her deflate and mumble out a curt agreement. “Mmmhmm.”
“Sweet dreams.” Sophie whispered as she stood up.
“Mmm.” Aryana pleasantly mumbled.
Friends huh? Goddess, that does feel a little strange now doesn’t it. Not just allies but just friends. I mean I guess Anna and Mila were somewhat like that, but I never got to know either of them that well, and now... Goddess help them. No point worrying about that now though, may the stars guide us all.