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Dark Duality
The Grand College

The Grand College

Zed observed the gathering of noble children as he strode inside the main building. It was quite clear which faction the surrounding nobles pledged based on a golden badge pinned upon their right chest. A single golden sword pointing upright representing the Military faction and two intertwined golden hands signifying the Governance faction.

“If it isn’t the ever reclusive Zed Zalvador. Who could have imagined your family would finally let you grace our presence, though I suppose they had little choice on that matter.” A condescending voice sounded from behind.

Zed turned to face a noble child he had met once or twice throughout his life. A proud young man with vibrant red hair and matching eyes wearing the black and gold robes of the college, a glistening golden sword badge shining against the black cloth of the uniform.

“Greetings, Donavan Calcutta.” Zed replied impassively with zero imperfections in etiquette.

The Calcutta family was the family of the Grand Commander and the leader of the Military faction. Needless to say, Donavan would become the controlling member of the Military faction within the college with his entrance to the institution.

Donavan’s expression faltered at the little reaction he received as he looked upwards at the giant that was Zed. “I wonder, they say you’re well mannered nowadays. The perfect example of a gentleman. Though, I also remember hearing you’ve been medicating with Railef for several years now. Don’t forget to take your medication Zed, I wouldn’t want to see you like ‘that’ again. He replied with a slight smirk that failed to hide the disgust and anger hidden beneath with a slight hint of fear.

Donavan had been present for one of his ‘episodes’ when they were younger. It was an unpleasant experience for both the boys and the reason for the long scar that marred Zed’s otherwise handsome face.

“Have no worries, I have no intention of having something like ‘that’ occur again. If that is all, it is time for orientation.” Zed replied again impassively in a calm and gentlemanly manner before he turned and strode towards the main hall.

“Do enjoy your time here Zed. I will make sure it is as ‘pleasant’ as possible.” Donavan’s voice sounded from behind, the hidden anger and spite breaking through his political facade.

Zed paid the young noble no further mind. He had things that needed to be done during his time at the College, the sooner the better and with as few distractions as possible.

The main hall showed little of the kingdom's difficulties. It was opulent to say the least, a large circular room supported by large white marble columns engraved in gold with the history of the kingdom and images of the gods and goddesses. A giant black and gold brazer hung from the dome like ceiling illuminating the hall. The main seating area was divided in two by a walkway covered in a long lavish black rug leading to the white marble platform that was situated at the front of the room. The seats were all black leather and darkwood and were aligned symmetrically with enough space between the seats to maintain a comfortable distance between the others.

The hall was mostly filled by the time Zed arrived, he headed towards the rightmost side where the Governance faction was seated and took a seat towards the back. He ignored whispers about his size and the Zalvador family before a jovial voice came from one of the nobles seated in the row in front.

“Zed is that you, good lord my cousin in the flesh. My father sends his best wishes to my aunt.”

Zed looked towards his cousin Talas Gretchen. The only son of one of the two Dukes that held power in the kingdom, Talas Gretchen shared the same golden and black starred eyes as Zed and also had the typically inky black hair of the royal family tied behind his head by a golden band; a happy grin spread across his handsome face. Zed had met other members of his family very few times and Talas happened to be one of the few he had somewhat a good impression of.

Zed briefly glanced at the golden hands interwoven pinned upon his cousin's chest before reaching into his pocket and removing an identical badge which he pinned upon his own chest before responding.

“I am sure that mother will be pleased with uncle's well wishes. I am glad to see you in good health and doing well Talas.” He responded with a warm smile, his many years of practice showing effect.

“I am doing quite well cousin, did aunt tell you of my engagement to the crown jewel of the Ridger kingdom? I am positively ‘delighted’. He replied in his typically happy tone.

“You and Priscilla have been pushing for this engagement for a long time. I am happy for the both of you.” Zed replied with a smile and a practiced laugh.

‘Aren’t they disgusting living in their little world of ignorance and bliss.’ Evil Z’s quiet whisper sounded in the back of his mind. Zed’s smile cracked unnoticeably before ignoring the malicious voice.

The brazer hanging above the hall started to dim and the conversations around the hall quickly died down.

Talas took notice of the dimming light before responding. “We can leave the pleasantries for another time, it looks like orientation is beginning. I’m glad to have you here, cousin.” He gave a pleased smile to Zed before taking his seat.

Zed nodded before taking a seat as well, turning his gaze towards an older man walking towards the marble platform in confident and graceful strides. The man had long white hair with a matching well-groomed beard and benevolent golden eyes. The largest difference in uniform from the crowd of noble students gathered being his bright white and gold robes. The elder walked to the platform and surprisingly jumped well over 5 feet to gracefully land atop the white marble facing the students.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“First let me start by saying welcome to the Grand College.” The elder’s voice filled the entire hall echoing slightly.

“It is here that you young lords and ladies will be further educated in the ways of your chosen paths, it is here that you will shape your bodies and minds into shields and swords to protect the kingdom's interests and to fight back against the Abyss!” The elder’s voice rose with emphasis on the mentioning of the enemy of all humankind.

“You will learn of insignia and how to best utilize their power to fight against abyssal terrors. You will learn governance, of managing and bringing stability to the citizens that populate your realms and you will learn the discipline required to hold a high position of military station. These are not easy paths, however they are necessary for the continued survival and prosperity of our kingdom and of all humankind.” The elder paused, taking a breath.

“I am Drakon Bellvoure and I am also the Headmaster of this institution. I pledge to facilitate your curriculums and success to the best of my ability by the will of Thera.” A gentle golden glow appeared around the headmaster and the inscriptions upon the columns of the hall shone as well.

‘Insignia are truly wondrous in many ways.’ Zed couldn’t help but appreciate the magical experience.

“The Pantheon for this year's class has been opened. May you rise to claim a seat amongst the gods, and may wisdom guide your paths. Allow me to once again welcome you all to the Grand College.” The headmaster finished his speech.

Zed flinched slightly at the mention of the Pantheon, understanding that the only way to gain access to the Atrium he would first have to obtain a seat of power.

‘Fake gods and fake power, playing house with the meat puppets. You sure know how to have a good time Zed.’ A dark glint passed through Zed’s eyes and Evil Z's amused voice filled his mind to his annoyance. Zed, however, didn’t notice the Headmaster take a subtle glance towards him, detecting something abnormal.

Two other individuals dressed in similar robes to the Headmaster appeared seemingly from nowhere on both sides of the glowing man. The rightmost elderly man had black hair and bright red irises and had a disciplined expression and the pretty elderly woman on the left had light blonde hair and golden irises and wore a calm expression.

“Hello everyone, I am Head Professor Maximus and to my left is Head Professor Ingrid. If you are in the Governance faction you will follow Professor Ingrid. If you are in the Military faction you will follow me. We will guide you to your housing accommodations and introduce you to some of the different buildings on campus.” Suddenly both professors jumped from the marble platform and landed at the front of the hall.

The students rose from their seats and orderly followed the professors from the hall. There was a discipline and tenacity required to seize a seat in the pantheon and following the wills of the professors was a basic requirement. No one talked, and no one joked around, there was enough time for that later.

Zed was naturally following Ingrind along with the other students of the Governance faction as they exited the Main Hall and took the rightmost walkway along a black and white tiled path. The architecture spoke of majesty, of grandeur, but also of discipline. Simple archway windows allowed natural light to illuminate the path ahead. As the students walked a soft echo rang from the walls as footsteps steadily passed down the walkway.

Suddenly, the professor stopped and turned to face the students when they reached the end and passed through two large cast-iron doors leading outside once again. The area ahead could only be considered as a small city, large buildings situated in calculated format to give an impression of largess and elegance. The area was oval-shaped and the pathways smooth white marble. On the botanical side of things, the area was impressively symmetrically lined in both tree populations along with more exotic plants.

“This is the Governance district. It is mirrored in style with a few exceptions from the Military district, however, there are unique aspects to your domain. Firstly, there is a main library for you to peruse at your own discretion, it closes at sunset.” She pointed towards an extension added onto the main hall, however, this building was much taller and winded up into the sky in a circular manner.

“Then there is the Training arena,” she pointed towards a large colosseum-like structure situated in the middle of the district. “There are rules to the use of the arena, no death matches, no wagering, and the use of lethal insignia abilities are forbidden. There is no time restriction for when you may use the arena, only that you must ask a professor to oversee duels. Practice matches and group battles can occur unsupervised, however, reported rule breaks will be met with strict suitable punishment.” She had a sharp glint in her eyes at the mention of rule breaks.

“On your right you will see your dormitories,” the male and female structures were more modest in design in comparison to the main hall but were still massive in size. “The rules regarding the dormitories are simple, you are forbidden from entering the dormitories of the opposite sex, lights out at midnight, and you are forbidden from fighting within the buildings. There is a cafeteria and basic shop within each dormitory, however, you may enter the Emporium,” she pointed towards a mercantile area on the opposite side of the district. “There you can exchange the Denari you accumulate from exams, battles and research reports for more exclusive goods.” Zed noticed a slight monotonous tone in Professor Ingrid’s voice, as if she had repeated the words a multitude of times.

Suddenly, the Professor’s eyes shone in a slightly brighter light. “The final place of interest is the Academia,” she pointed towards an extension behind the Main Hall which proved to be the largest building on the campus. It was as beautiful as grand and matched the architecture of the surrounding buildings with the main point of peculiarity being two glass domes situated at the top. “It is the main building of the campus and the only structure that is shared between the two districts, most of your classes will be held within its walls.” She paused for a moment. “Atop the Academia you will have noticed two glass domes. That is where the Pantheon and the Atrium are located.”

For the first time since departing the Main Hall there was a quiet and excited murmuring between the students. The Grand College was an incredible place indeed, but the students all knew that to truly stand on top and rise above everyone else those two areas were the end goal.

Zed’s eyes shone with determination.

Professor Ingrid raised her hand and silence quickly ensued. “Understandably, you are all excited at the prospect of entering those legendary areas. However, you are all fresh students and there is an order to which we do things here.” Her eyes suddenly took on predatorial glint as she squinted slightly.

“You will all now follow me to the Training arena. There I will assess your combat capabilities and talent which is standard regardless of what district you are located in. Currently, every one of you has a Denari balance of zero. If you are deemed passable in the combat preliminary exam you will be credited 100 Denari, if you do not it will remain ‘zero’.” A grin appeared on her face making her appear charming in a deadly fashion.

“However, do not worry. You can obtain Denari through written tests, attendance and practical exams when classes begin… two days from now. Oh, did I mention that everything here costs Denari, including use of the cafeteria, however water is provided free of charge.” She was positively beaming at this point a sadistic aura leaking from her otherwise professional demeanor.

‘This will be fun.’ Evil Z’s voice rang out with something that both he and Zed could agree on. ‘Fighting is very ‘fun’ indeed.’ Zed didn’t notice that he had matched her predatory grin.

“Follow me ‘initiates’ its time for your ‘test’.” She turned and began a brisk walk towards the arena.

And so they followed…