"August, come on! Supper's ready."

August spun around from where he was kneeling beside a garden and yelled back, "Who are you and how do you know my name?"

"I'm your sister, dummy. I told you to stop before the sun bakes you too much."

August struggled to process what was happening. I just laid down, he thought. This has to be a dream.

"Sister, what's your name again?"

"Talia, brother. You're just so silly sometimes," she said with a chuckle.

When he heard her name, it was like an explosion in his mind. Memories flooded in of his family. His mom and dad crying when he left. Talia begging him not to go. August remembered the cultists slaughtering his village and him using his life as a bargaining chip to protect his family. The woman in charge of this tragedy found his deal amusing and agreed. The last thing he remembered was his sister's tearful face, looking at her doting brother as if he were already dead.

----------------------------------------

August woke to a knock on his door, sweat having soaked his bedding and nightwear while he was asleep.

"One moment," he said loudly as he changed his clothes and dried his face.

He opened the door to find Simon looking slightly contrite. August asked what was going on.

"I would like to apologize, I was expecting you to regain your memories and go on a killing spree like a crazed cultist. I feel like a fool knowing you were being truthful. Please come down for breakfast, the others are already there."

"I'll be right there," August said closing the door. What was that? I have a family I saved by offering myself to become a killer? What do I tell Simon and Adria, August thought.

After a minute or two, August calmed his rushing heart, straightened himself, and headed down to sit at the table the others occupied.

"Good morning, prodigy, are you ready to learn magic today and form an empire tomorrow," Adria said in a cheery voice.

"Yeah, we deal with someone giving us wrong directions and having to fight an ogre, and you turn out to be some hotshot. What's up with that," George taunted.

"Ogre, how bad are those," August said, interested in this new creature.

"Ah, vile things. They're taller than most humans, starting at eight feet, covered in matted hair and dense muscle and their skin can go anywhere from grey to as green as leaves in spring. The worst part, though, is they can regenerate limbs very quickly, because their heart doubles as a spell organ, giving their blood insane healing properties. Thankfully, Meghan here used her fancy education and imbued my sword with Death essence, it fell shortly after that. Got us a pretty penny for our troubles."

August leaned back hearing how powerful the monster was. "And you defeated it just like that?"

"We're not at Peak Convergence for nothing, especially with Simon going melee, you'd be dumbfounded to hear he is even better at range."

Adria butted into the conversation frustrated she missed the fight, "So, what should we call you anyway, if your memory isn't coming back, you should at least have a name. Do you know how annoying it is to talk about you as 'that guy' or 'wonderboy?'"

August shifted in his seat before saying "About that, my name's August, and apparently I have a family."

All movement at the table stopped and all eyes were on August. "I had a dream of my sister last night." He went on to tell them his dream and the portion of memories he got back.

"So you were forced to join those scum," Simon asked. "And that is all you recovered?"

"That is all I remember, and you can use a truth spell if those exist."

"There is nothing that I know of, but you leave me with a troubling issue," Simon said looking at the table. "What if you regain more memories?"

"I don't know if or when I'll get more but I promise I am not a murdering cultist."

"I have never been good at the moral dilemmas, but I know someone who is." With that, Simon rose, followed by the rest of them and they left the inn, breakfast half-eaten. Simon led them to the League's branch and marched to the row of counters.

"Well, what can I do for you all today? Looking for a quest," the attendant asked. She looked at the group more and noticed that the tall young man with black hair next to the small redhead girl looked very familiar. "Weren't you two the pair from yesterday, squeaked like a mouse climbed up your leg and ran for a private room. Now what did you do to her, young man?" She leaned forward, amused by the blush that appeared on Adria's face.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"You can talk to them later, I have urgent business with Branch Manager Lystra," Simon said sternly.

"Spoilsport, what's wrong with having some fun to pass the time," the attendant muttered. "Come with me."

The lady brought them through the facility in silence, and before she could knock to announce the visitors, the heavy wooden double doors opened without warning.

"Ah, Simon, it's been too long. Come in, bring your friend, the rest can stay." A woman with beautiful, long black hair sat at her desk. Dressed in an intricate dress uniform with hints of wizard's robes, like the commanding officer of a mage corps. Simon steeled himself and strode forward with August as the attendant quietly closed the doors and left as if she were trying to hide.

"Ms. Lystra, I have an interesting quandary that is out of my depth. I know you like a good mystery. Here is August, a former cultist who lost most of his memory and all of his cultivation."

"Delightful! You must be the presence I felt yesterday. Simon, please leave us and don't call me miss again." She waved her hand and a pebble smacked the back of Simon's head. He left rubbing his head and the instant the door shut, Lystra seemingly teleported to mere inches from August's face.

"Now, what to do with you? You give off a sense that I cannot fathom like the very world has no idea what to do with your existence. I could kill you as cultists deserve but from what I heard between the girl you were with and Simon, it isn't so simple. History has made it clear that losing your cultivation is tantamount to dying, and since you are still alive, I could almost call you a completely different person. "

Lystra roamed around her office and stroked a few trinkets from years past.

"A great human emperor from the Founders' Age said this, 'The worth of my existence is proven through my choices, for from the heart flows villainy or virtue.' He was a right and just man who fought the Death's Horde valiantly on the frontlines. With him in mind, I have a proposition. I will give you a letter to be immediately placed in the advanced course at Hearthfire Academy. You will relearn magic and the professor teaching combative courses there is my friend. You will take his class and prove the worth of your continued existence. Do you have any questions?"

August gave a big smile.

"So how did it go," Simon said as he stopped leaning against a wall.

"You can go back in there if you want the full story," August said deadpan. "It seems I'm attending Hearthfire Academy."

They walked back through the halls as Simon begrudgingly nodded. He led the way to the front gate and paused.

"Well, August, I still don't know if I like you but you saved our lives back there, for that, I am indebted to you. Take care of yourself and try not to get into any trouble while I'm gone."

They clasped forearms as August said, "wouldn't dream of it." With that, Simon left and August entered the administrative building.

"Welcome to Hearthfire Academy, are you looking to become an initiate," a lady behind the desk asked.

August handed her Lystra's letter, "Yes, ma'am, I was told you'd know what to do with this."

She looked at the seal and quickly stood.

"Follow me, sir."

August was then led to a pedestal in the center of a bright but windowless room. The walls were sheets of polished metal, engravings adorned the walls and tall ceiling completely.

"Please put your hands on the pedestal, sir. It will tell us everything else needed for your admission."

He did as instructed and felt a familiar pull when a display appeared.

Name: August Dawn

Age: 21

Cultivation: ???

Soul: Mighty

Aptitude: Blaze

Strong Death Affinity

"That's never happened before," the lady said while placing a cube made of crystal on his hands. Light shone out at the contact and slowly moved into the crystal.

"What hasn't," August questioned.

"Most people either have no cultivation or just started. It looks like the device couldn't get a good reading of your core, that’s weird."

August scrunched his face but relaxed as the lady proceeded as normal. She led him back to the lobby and out a different door than he entered.

"Go down that path and the second building on the right is men's housing. Classes begin tomorrow"

August thanked the lady and strolled down the white paved bricks, staring at the mix of stone, metal, and wood architecture. Tall buildings stood on either side of the road, a general store faced a tailor shop and passed the garden décor and other pleasantries. An immense arena stood imposing. Stone columns and vaulting arches of colored metal tangled into the Academy's sigil. August reached the dormitory and entered into a lounging area with a few students relaxing. One of them noticed August and called him over as he stood.

"Hey there, greenie, my name's Titus. I guess we'll be classmates. I arrived here last week, so if you want, I can give you a tour after you get your room number."

August lifted a hand to shake and said, "And mine is August. I don't know what I'm doing quite yet, but getting a lay of the land sounds nice."

"I have nothing else to do, so I'll wait for you to deal with those guys," Titus said as he went back to lazing around.

August went to the building attendant's corner and handed his letter to the student.

"I was told this would get me a private room," He said.

When the student on duty saw the seal, he exclaimed, "It'll get you more than a room to yourself, these letters mean you're in the advanced course. Do you need help with your luggage, Mr. Prodigy?"

"No, thank you. I just need the room number."

"Ah yes, it will be room 411, fourth floor. Can't miss it," the attendant said with a hint of envy.

August went up the wooden stairs and soon came to his door.

"How do I open this," August wondered as he waved his hand in front of the door. A lock audibly shifted and he pushed the door open. August stepped through the threshold and was amazed at the size of it all. A kitchen with a dining area, an adjoined resting area with comfortable furniture, a beautiful bedroom with a bed much bigger than the one from the inn, and finally, a sizable bathroom with a tub fit for a king and an equally ornate shower with the same engraved patterns from the kitchen and the pedestal room in the administrative building.

August jumped on the bed and luxuriated at the softness of it, sighing and sprawling out over the covers. He got up when he wondered how the others felt and almost spilled from one cushion to another to find the one most suitable for avoiding responsibility like any good student. In a moment of boredom, August noticed that Lystra hadn't told him who the letter was for, just to show it to get admitted.

Might as well see what it says, she didn't leave me with much instruction other than to take her friend's classes.