With my awe overcame and my bearings caught, the realization that the others had been following arrows of bioluminescent moss was made apparent. They were practically skipping toward the large double doors set into the base of the roots. And for once, I had to fight against the impulse to skip after them. An all-too-familiar sensation washed over me the moment I crossed the threshold. My domain spells of gravitation and spatial magic both canceled in ways similar to the rings the Guild Association used. Something almost... attacked the spells; or perhaps the energies the mana was attuned with, dispersing it to meld with the ambiance.
I wiped the shock from my face and caught up before I fell too far behind them. Down a short flight of steps, the path opened up into a wide and expansive corridor of ash-white stone that seemed a little too large for how it looked from the outside. It was well over ten meters wide, permitting relatively large groups or even wagons to pass through the halls without imposing on anyone else. Seamless doors, alcoves, and stairwells broke the hall apart every few meters and highlighted to passersby via unseen enchantments that radiated the light of dusk.
At the end of the maze, we eventually arrived in an auditorium full of dozens upon dozens of individuals of a surprisingly wide range of species. Eager to study them from afar, I quickly found a seat near the back to gauge my future classmates. From a glance, I counted around fifty, including us. Among them were the obligatory humans, dwarves, and halflings. But there was a slew of green and red-hued individuals; some with scales, some without. One had feathers and wings. Others had long and sharp tusks jutting out of their lips. There was even an elf I managed to spot. And the humans seemed to be a wide range of eye, skin, and hair colors than I’d seen in quite some time.
After only a few minutes of us silently scanning the crowd, an absurdly tall man with dark red-brown skin and curled horns waltzed on stage with five others trailing behind his back. His long robes were colored brown and green and seemed to be made from the finest silks adorned with many jewels as possible with the way it elegantly flowed behind him, scattering light amongst the crowd of eager students.
“Welcome Pages, to the Bodhi Tree of Arcane Knowledge.” He gave a gentle smile once his booming voice calmed down. “I am both the groundskeeper of the Bodhi Tree Peninsula and your Headmaster. Zorrenor Knagh, the Magus of Love.” He paused at the most auspicious moment to allow the inevitable snickers to echo across the room. Particularly from a few rows in front of us and nowhere else. Making it easy to pinpoint the origin of the echoing hecklers. I know for a fact he heard it. Everyone did, and they all followed his amiable eyes to the Epethian nobles quickly quelling their giggles. Even then, though, the headmaster simply smiled and stared at them like they’d given him a round of applause instead of laughing at him. Then turned to continue as if he wasn’t just interrupted.
“First.” He beamed. “I want to congratulate each of you for arriving safely at the Bodhi Tree. Here, you will take the next step in becoming evolved mystics. I am sure you all are eager to make the first steps. But before that, comes orientation. And before that, I must share with you the Bodhi Tree’s history and its mission statement. And, I will give a short explanation of what to expect during your time here. At its heart.” The Headmaster pointed a clawed finger to the ceiling above. “The Bodhi Tree is a Tree of Knowledge, known to the realms as a Divine Tree. I discovered this particular tree in the Second Century. After a... tumultuous start, many of the sentient species agreed to compile our knowledge and use this tree as a hub, of sorts. It was decided that the Bodhi Tree would be where prominent youths from all the realms could come and learn the secrets of might and magic.
“Since the year four-ninety-one.” He continued. “The Bodhi Tree’s mission has been to train Pages and guide them through the ritual to bear the fruit of their labors, all so they can travel across the realms and reconnect with the forsaken societies who ventured through the portals over a millennia ago and impart the knowledge you are here to receive. That is our mission, yes.” He took an almost nostalgic sigh as he paused. “Yet, it is also our mission to only guide you. What you study within these halls and what you do beyond them is your choice, young Pages. Always remember that.
"Now then. Onto the knowledge you will be obtaining: Class Evolution. It is a power that lies dormant in all sentient creatures and awakens only when one consumes the fruit spawned by a Tree of Knowledge. However.” His lips curled back into a fanged grin. “One cannot simply eat any fruit from the tree. Some of you may have noticed it already, the trickle of mana the Tree siphons from you. That is but a simple portion of the formula, the nourishment for the ripening of your unique fruit. Like all fruits, pollination comes first. That will be done at the close of our orientation. You will drink the sap of the Tree of Knowledge!” He declared. “And then your studies will begin in earnest.
"During this first year, you will be trained in the basics of everything in the hopes that you may have the widest range of classes available. You will study martial and magical theories and put them into practice. You will learn of the different realms and study the creatures found there. You will go through introductory courses in alchemy, crafting, and healing. And you will learn about and decide what Class you wish to choose throughout the course of this year. At its end, your fruit will mature and upon eating it, your spiritual bodies will go through significant changes. You will gain an influence on mana that you never had before. In rare cases, your body may even change. This.” He smiled. “Is Class Evolution. As the name suggests, it involves following one or more paths that will grant you ways to use mana that you never had before. Your second year will be dedicated to venturing down those paths as much as you can. And in your third year, you will gain practice with both your new abilities and guild operations as you shadow a prominent guild.
“Finally.” He spread his arms in closure. “The best and brightest students will be given the privilege of attending the Guild Master Course from either the Nonusian or Marulean Guild Association. After graduating from that course, you will be given an automatic promotion to Master Mystic and will receive a few prizes to aid in the creation of your guild. Including but not limited to a Divine Tree Seed.”
‘And there it is.’ I grinned to myself. While I already knew about the course, learning about the reward made me all the more excited. And then there was the nature of Classes. I knew more than the average due to my conversations with Telin and my ancestors. But I had no idea it involved such a lengthy process and extensive rituals. Not to say that was offputting, however. On the contrary, the talk of fruits and trees and seeds and evolutions made me just as excited as the majority of my classmates. And all the more impatient when the Headmaster continued.
“As first-year students, you are considered ‘Seeds.’ You will live and go about your classes here, in the roots.” He gestured beyond the room, then turned to face us with a warm smile. “As Seeds, the political or social standing you had where you came from is inexistent. Here, your worth is determined only by points. And points are your currency. They are gained by excelling, and they are used to purchase materials and equipment throughout your time on this Peninsula. However.” He bowed in closure. “It is late. So I will close by declaring that tonight marks the start of the weekend. Though, you will not exactly be off. Upon our dismissal, you will be divided into your parties and squads, receive your uniforms, and be free to eat and bed down for the night. Tomorrow will mark the beginning of our orientation period. You will be given a tour of the grounds and learn the rules and customs of the Bodhi Tree. Additionally, you will be given time to get to know your peers and enjoy yourselves. Orientation will conclude with a formal dinner and the Divine Tree Ritual, on the night of the following day.
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“Now.” He clapped loudly, prompting the mangled ceiling to untwine and reach tendril-like vines down to drop a single leaf onto our laps. “At this time.” He gestured to three of the five who followed him on stage, now standing on the edge of the dais to the left, right, and center. “Please gather before your homeroom teachers.”
The assumedly partially dwarven, red-haired woman on the left abruptly pointed to the ground first. “I am Olga Godzuik, teacher of A-Party. To its members, stand right here.”
I took a glance at my leaf to see the ‘C’ written on the surface in the same bioluminescent material as the arrows from earlier and attempted to study it further, But was distracted by Toril, Lucia, and Roheisa rising from the stands.
“Well.” The latter sighed as if she was preparing herself. “Nice to know I’m not alone. I’ll see you around.”
With waves and 'see you laters' Roheisa and the others departed and left our little area alongside a few of the Epethian nobles and two of the Amazonians. Besides them, there was a few red-skinned people, two of which I assumed were demons or something. Then there was a blue-scaled fish-like person standing in the center of several humans gawking around what appeared to be a bald cat-man.
“Zeff Yurich!” The man in the middle announced next. He was short like a halfling but densely built like a dwarf, wearing a three-piece suit topped off with a trench coat and a pair of wide-rimmed glasses atop his grayed face. “B-Party, to me, please.” He smirked.
“That’s me.” Ed sighed and rose. And so too did Jaimess, the dwarven destroyer, the rest of the Phaegratheans, and all but two of the Epethians.
Unlike Alpha Party, Baker Party was a lot less diverse. It was humans and dwarves for the most part. There was another Fishman and a couple more scaled creatures paired with a large woman who seemed to be made of stone. But that was it.
“C-Party, to me.” The last man said next, and he seemed the most familiar. He was lean, tall, and had pewter-white hair like that of the chef hired by my father. Only, this man's was tied in a long ponytail and his face was much more worn with scars. “My name is Doyle Wolfgang."
With Winston Epeth and Peter Boyd, I stood from the seats to stand before the right side of the stage. With us were six humans and a dwarf as well as two more of those rock men, another cat creature with a likeness to a panther, a bird-like man, and; quite shockingly. A strange mix between a man and a dragon.
“Let’s go.” Doyle hopped down from the stage and guided us through an exit with a wave. After winding our way through the corridors, we were led inside a room with dozens of stall doors lining the walls and a long table standing in the middle, stacked high with folded clothes and shoe boxes.
“These are your uniforms.” Doyle gestured to the table. “Everyone gets one, no matter the species. They'll reform to fit your particular styles, but they're necessary to guarantee your safety and keep track of your points. If you don’t have a storage device or spell, come see me. Otherwise, get changed and we’ll continue to the dorms.”
With his words spent, I took a pile of clothes and a shoe box and stepped off to the nearest stall while Doyle’s words whispered behind me. Interestingly, he was explaining that he was giving the students the choice to take a Sack of Containing. A small enchanted satchel or some other bag containing contained ten cubic meters of storage space inside. In doing so, however, they would be set back fifteen points. Otherwise, they could hold on to their clothes and store them in their dorms later.
Putting that aside, the clothes were much like school uniforms from across Saturnia. The shoes were brown loafers and the pants were brown slacks paired with a white button-up shirt and brown blazer with green embroideries and red stitchings. Much like my family clothes, they resized to fit my body the moment I pulled the items on. Only, they also morphed on the spot to resemble the clothes I was wearing before. Albeit with a few variations. The boots and pants were more or less the same, tinted wood-brown now. Sadly, I no longer had a sash, and my shirt was now a button-up robe like the garb I could’ve chosen back at the royal armory.
In all, it wasn’t bad. But I missed and wanted my sash. And in time, I would have it. For now, though, I returned to the central room and waited for Doyle to guide us through the corridors and out through a door leading outside to one of the courtyards made by the roots. It was around a kilometer to each side and contained everything from park benches to nature trails and even gardens, all huddled in a cluster to the north under the Bodhi Tree’s trunk. On the other side of the platform was what appeared to be both a training ground and an outdoor courtyard. That courtyard was the very place Doyle guided us to before he instructed us to form a semi-circle around him, albeit with a warning to not get comfortable.
“Forgive my rudeness.” He palmed his chest and bowed. “But I'm not one for theatrics so I’ll keep this short. As I said before, I’m Doyle Wolfgang. Magical Aptitude Instructor, and homeroom teacher of the fifteen of you. C-Party. This is your courtyard.” He gestured around us. “Every Party has its own. Members of the other Parties can only come here with permission. The gyms, library, and cafeteria are through that door and to the right.” He pointed to the arched door on the western side of the yard. “Now follow me.”
Without another word, Doyle turned to guide us through the opposing door, down a short flight of steps, and into a vast, rectangular room with slightly curved corners. Besides the door from which we came, there were only two staircases in each of the far corners that assumedly led to the rooms. Fashioned into the wall between them sat a grand fireplace, bordered by an archway of mail slots that were each filled with thick stacks of papers and pamphlets. And above the mantle sat a wide board displaying all of our names and the points we had. To the left of that was a spacious common area lined with bookshelves and filled with desks, tables, or beanbags while a communal dining area and kitchen sat on the opposing end, illuminated by the wide windows straddling the door.
“Welcome to your dorms.” Doyle spread his arms with a smile before nodding to the mantle across from us. “You’ll find your mailboxes and your progress reports on that display over there. Within the boxes are pamphlets giving an in-depth explanation about the rules at the Bodhi Tree, Classes, and information about your classmates’ species. The board displays your points for now, but later it’ll display the points of your teams and how you compare to the other Parties. While the common area is coed, the rooms are not. You may have guests in your rooms. But you may not share rooms, and intercourse is strictly forbidden. If you attempt to try, a warning will sound, the entire class will have their points deducted, and those responsible will face the Headmaster.” He grimly warned before pointing first to the stairs on the right, and then the left. “Now, males will live on the left side, females on the right. There are enough for each of you and they’re all capable of reforming to accommodate your needs. You are hereby dismissed to pick whatever room you want, head to the cafeteria for dinner, or retire for the night. Expect me here at nine tomorrow morning for our tour of the grounds.”
Doyle left without another word and many of the students followed behind him. To stuff their faces in the cafeteria, I assumed, if not then to do some exploring before bedding down for the night. I, however, was one of the only ones to eagerly approach the mantle. And after claiming my treasure, I dutifully stepped downstairs to make my free pick of the available rooms.
The set of stairs led to a dead end with corridors branching off to either side, with five rooms each. I decided to take the last door on the left side and waltzed to my room with nary a glance behind me to read and think and meditate the rest of the night away.