Same delegation, different carriage, and different pompous bastards. And quite a lot more of them. Seems like I wasn’t the only one who suffered one way or the other after the ambush and neither of us wants a repeat. I’ve heard stories about the Academy begging to sweep the whole incident under the rug and offering mind-boggling sums of money for anyone to keep their mouth shut.

I would’ve taken the bribe with no issue, money is great and money can solve problems. The Fist, on the other hand, just showed them the finger and made a huge deal about Blessed ones being kidnapped and the Academy’s mismanagement. Let’s hope this proves as valuable as the coins they refused.

The two fancy-robed mages keep their arrogance on a tighter leash this time, even having some small talk with the top brass. Meanwhile, the about twelve armed and armored heavyweights, wearing top-notch equipment, wait around with their professional demeanor that makes even Fist veterans raise an eyebrow.

If anybody wants to give a shot at me kidnapping this time, they'll need to send an army. Another one.

Finally, after exchanging enough empty words, the older of the fancy Mages approaches the six of us soon-to-be students. “In the name of the great Sereban Academy and the Chancellor I greet thee, bright children of the Fist.” I almost forget to blink when his attitude is the staunch opposite of what I expected. “Our duty is to safely escort you to the Academy where your knowledge and abilities will be tested before beginning your studies.” He conveys firmly yet gently. Conscious of the weight on his shoulders.

I’m… pleasantly surprised. My view on these fancypants won't be favorable for the foreseeable future, because I can and will judge them based on my previous encounter. I hope the whole relationship will morph into a ‘you do you and leave me alone’ style. I like that one the most.

“We were made aware of your special status,” The same old dude looks at Val and me specifically this time. “and will do our utmost to prevent any incidents and provide outstanding guidance for you, the brightest flames.”

He just had to add this last part, didn't he? Now the other four beside us have their face changing colors and even the people around us are rolling their eyes. And the worst thing is the way he put it, ‘brightest flames’. Everyone knows they die the fastest and I’m almost certain it wasn’t a coincidence.

Will I only be traveling with people who generously fucked up the last time? Absolutely not. I’ll have Mom and Dad traveling with us separately. Yeah, theoretically they won't be part of the convoy, just moving alongside us the whole trip. I can’t blame them for coming along.

The Fist will also double their ‘delegation’ for no particular reason, beside the courtesy trip.

“Don’t bring shame on my head, the six of you.” Martha comes to bid us farewell. “For those of you who think learning is just a sidestep on the path to power…” She sighs. “Let’s just say, if I had this same opportunity when I was your age you’d call me Commander Martha right now.”

Bennett steps up next to her and I throw him a nasty look. “Let’s skip the pleasantries old man. Don’t die before I can kill you.” My words are insolent to the point where I see almost every eyebrow around us climbing upwards.

The recipient just chuckles. “Go kick some ass kids!”

I just nod while the others respond in a more polite manner, just the way an officer deserves it. An officer other than Bennett that is.

Our ride isn’t the fancy over-enchanted carriage it was the last time. It’s three different carts, all of them armored and filled with inscriptions, not for luxury but for protection. And I’d love to give them a proper look.

While our stuff is loaded onto the rooves and other baggage areas I quickly skip over to my ever-squabbling parents as stops will be rare along the way and I’ll stay mostly inside the carriage while they camp around us.

“I’m saying we should buy the horses, we can’t rent for a week!” Mom is slapping her palm while nearly full-on shouting by now.

Looks like I arrived for the best part.

“The little apartment we bought in Sereban doesn’t even have furniture yet woman, what makes you think we can waste the little money we have on horses?” Dad counters, massaging his nose and slowly losing some of his patience built through decades.

Oh, yeah money is tight now. Val and I decided to ask for Martha’s and more importantly the Fist’s help with handling our loot. Gems aren’t the basic currency and the value of the complete haul was a little too much to leave in our amateur hands.

Leaving it for someone else, well-trusted, to handle was a difficult decision. It means a lot less indulging and shopping sprees in the capital of all places but it was the smart decision.

Even if we sort of need a little extra funds right now. Not that my parents would ever accept it.

“We’ll sell the horses when we arrive, obviously. And after Eli enrolls we’ll have plenty of time to ear some coin.” Mom says.

“Sell the mediocre horses in the capital? Brilliant idea, how did I not think of that?” Dad counters hard. “And exactly what work will we find around one of the biggest city on the continent that doesn’t involve sewers, gangs, or delivery tasks, huh?”

“But-”

“Sorry Mom, I think you lost this round.” I chime in just as I’m called for departure. “Don’t argue much until we get there, and eat well and maybe inquire about possible gigs along the way. Oh, and stealing the horses is also an option.” I wink and scuttle back to the carriages before Mom’s wrath could strike me.

“...the space inside the carriage is limited and thus at most five people are able to sleep comfortably per carrige.” The old Mage is discussing quarters with the four Fist members I’ve never seen in my life. “Two kids, one of your escorts and maybe-”

“Dibs on the second!” I shout and drag Valka away.

“Your belongings are in the first.” I recognize Bennett’s voice giving a helpful hint before changing directions.

The inside feels like a cross between the previous fancy ride we took to Sereban and the prison carts that rattled through Solermo oh so many times. It’s somewhat furnished and obviously well made, while also insanely crammed and barebone basic.

I’ve had worse.

***

A few days of staying in said secure but merely functional carriages miraculously managed to change my mind. I wanted pillows more fluffy, more legroom, more, air, walks and literally anything to help with the boredom.

No explosions this time at least. Some squabbles about sleeping arrangements, pee breaks, and portions of meals were inevitable and were resolved as quickly as they appeared. Last year's mishap from the Academy’s side was a powerful tool.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Lots of grumbling, plenty of hours, and only one person to keep me company. The only problem was… Valka is even less suited for long and boring trips in a tiny space. Especially when staying put and enjoying the ride was our only possible activity. This resulted in her begging until they let her run alongside the carriages while I dove back into my new hobby.

To my misfortune, one of the younger Academy wanna-be mages graciously decided to give me a lesson on The Flow, which I never asked for. It quickly spiraled into a speech about his research and achievements. His presence did have one positive side-effect, however, as I reached new breakthroughs with manipulating sound to preserve my sanity.

I even told him I was not interested both kindly and the proper Elyssia way and my words just bounced off him so I made sure his words properly bounced off me as well.

But I’m excruciatingly bored by now.

While sitting and skimming through a book called Lelkam’s Guide to Inscription Weaving the air starts to feel stuffy. The sensation has been there for a few minutes now and grew strong enough through the minutes to become noticeable. Imagine it cold and soothing like a breeze in the boiling summer while also making me feel light as a feather. And that fizzy sensation on my skin…

And while the sensation is without a doubt pleasant I’m extremely uneasy. Scared even. Scared of the unknown and scared of what this growing sensation could mean. An impending disaster or attack? The arrival of the comet again?

“You seem restless.” The elderly mage sitting in front of me looks up from his book. “Is something bothering you?” When I describe to him the feeling, instead of caution his face shows surprise. “Quite sensitive to the mana, are you? A Skill maybe?” He ponders before explaining. “You must know about the Ley lines if you hope to enroll, and you must know that one of those gifts of Aelion is right under Sereban…” He leaves the sentence open as it dawns on me.

Looking through the small glass window as thick as my thumb a few very hard-to-miss structures appear on the horizon framed by the glistening surface of the Weslis Sea. The biggest and most obvious are the walls, spanning as far as my eyes can see and reaching tall. It’s unlike any other simply tall and sturdy fortification, not because of its size but the way it's painted blue and white, inlaid with gold and shimmering light blue under the rays of daylight.

It’s majestic.

The things that really pique my interest, however, are the massive bastions across the surrounding land in similar colors and just as imposing. They are spaced irregularly and as we get closer to one of them I activate Mana Vision…

I’ve been astonished, bewildered, and most often curious when the Skill activated and something new presented itself before my eyes… never before have I felt fear. I stumble back and shield my eyes with my arm as looking at the tower with Mana Vision is like staring right at Solaire. The structure’s brilliance and presence were so overbearing…

“Eli? Are you alright?” Valka's voice rings in my ears and I turn off my perception Skill.

“I should’ve warned you not to try anything funny before getting this close, my apologies.” The same wizened wizard puts his book down finally and glances out the window. “Those are no simple bastions,” Well no shit. “they are called the Pillars of Power, each of them equal to an army and capable of subduing smaller nations on their own.” But there are about nine of them… “They are the reason the Emperor has an iron grip on the northeast of Eborden. Wonderful creations of ancient masters.”

That explanation didn’t make much sense old man… How could defensive structures conquer nations?

The Fist mercenary, similarly old scoffs in the corner. “Wonderful, huh? Well, for now they merely defend against wandering hordes drawn to the Ley Line, but once they start moving… Krieg would be delighted.”

What do you mean by moving? Don’t drop the conversation there, explain Gods damn it!

***

The closer we draw to the wall the stronger the weird sensation grows. The pillars of military wiener measuring are an imposing sight for sure, even if likely more expensive than entire nations. They stand tall between wheatfields and snaking lines of people and carriages traveling towards the capital of the neatly paved roads.

They are a message. One heard by everyone loud and clear.

The peninsula Sereban was built upon is not small by any measure, yet the size of the city is so enormous that only the southern side needs to be walled, the rest is guarded by the sea. The three gates allowing traffic in and out are so massive that even some crawling buildings and shops on wheels are seeking entry.

I already dread the queuing ahead of us because. From my experience, the bigger the city, the more people want to get in, and the longer the line. And that line… We’ll be here all day.

“The Pillars of Power,” The old man from the Academy continues the conversation out of the blue. Did his mind suffer a temporal attack? “roll the earth beneath themselves and ride it like a wave to advance and crush anyone in their path.” Yikes, up there on the list of things to avoid. “Inscriptions cover every surface inside those stone beasts, and a Hadron crystal so large that most nations could only dream about obtaining one fuel the war machine.” And it just keeps on getting more ridiculous. “The Commander of each construct is a Lord Castellan, one of the most prestigious noble titles one can receive. The great Emperor…”

I stop listening to the political babbling right as the topic changes from inscription to politics and instead attempt to visualize the magic at work inside those towers. The scale, the complexity, the amount of mana… I hope the Academy teaches even a fraction of what I think makes the Pillars move.

To my delight, we don’t join the queue. I prayed, I actually did, for this possible outcome as the Academy does enjoy some privileges and it came true. Some soldiers have a chat with the drives and escort knights, peek inside the carriages and we’re off. Simple as that.

What a great day…

Even simple soldiers checking the people passing through here are above my Identify limit and I also sensed some kind of prickle crawling up from my toes to the top of my head as we waited. My guess is? They checked everything, thoroughly.

I don’t get any more time to ponder about either security or maybe the secrets of the wall that is thick enough for both the carriage and horses to disappear beneath it. That is because the interior, the heart of the Empire, opens up before my eyes.

Cities usually expand horizontally because it’s easier to build new houses and expand the wall than to raise those same houses on top of another one. The land area of Sereban is already massive so I was expecting buildings to be… normal here.

They’re not.

There seems to be no restriction on how tall a building can be and even if there is, they must’ve been very generous when deciding it. Spiraling towers, buildings of different heights crammed next to each other like steps, stone sky bridges massive outcroppings providing a backyard with only thin air beyond their fences and multi-story streets. Not just streets actually, canals flowing between and under some houses with both boats of varying sizes floating on the water and a few people casually strolling between the boats.

Some carriages are pulled by horses, others by goas, lanky bipedal lizards, and even people. And Then there are the ones pulled by thin air.

“Ah, the Vortexwork coaches.” The old mage catches my gaze again. “Some nutjob decided that no beast is luxurious enough so what if the carriage rolled by itself? A ridiculous waste of mana.” Scoffs the man even though the things sound ingenious to me.

Everything is congested. The sidewalks, the roads, the water, and even the damn air. Not with people flying mind you, no… levitating boards of advertising. I should say a quick prayer to get there fast.

“Don’t get your hopes up girly, we might be in the city but it’s gonna take a few more hours to reach the Academy.” The joke comes from the very same mercenary who should be on my side instead of making fun of me.

Traitor.

***

He didn’t lie, the only thing between me and a fine nap was the amount of noise coming from the streets even through the armored walls of the carriage. Okay, the noise and curiosity. I peeked out the window, with Valka looking over my shoulder, checking on what our new city for the next three or so years looks like.

Everything would be a good word to describe the sight. The poorest and the richest, cheapest and ridiculously expensive, fur and not even hair… Anything you can think of.

After some time, a building like none other comes into sight as we approach the sea. Like a gigantic layered cake of stone precious metals and unbelievable splendor. Then there are the towers both thin and tall or just simply chunky, like candles on the layered cake of a palace. Lines run in circles and up and down the walls, shining bright with the unmistakable gleam of mana. Even the massive square between the building and the rest of the city is a sight to behold.

“Wow, is that the Academy?” Mutters Valka with her eyes sparkling.

I wanted to ask the same words, although I doubt my words would’ve been coherent as my mind is preoccupied with taking in what my eyes relay.

“Haha, I can see why you would think that, but I must disappoint. That over there is the Imperial Palace, White Flame Keep.” The old, robed man answers without the need even to look out the window to check on what we’re talking about. “Look toward the docks.”

And we do…