As I lay in my bed, staring up at the shadows of the Lightstone’s frame that covered the ceiling, the three duels I had fought for the day continually played through my mind.
The first match I was happy with. While the aftermath left something to be desire, for the duel itself, I had rightly guessed from our prior interaction that Auxis had little to no experience in fighting, and exploited that. As soon as the fight had begun, I quickly gained the upper hand, immediately running to attacking, and disarming the scrawny boy.
Though, that could hardly be called an achievement. If he were part of the Baron Elef's army, even if he was to fight in the rearguard, Auxis likely wouldn't survive to the end of the week.
My second opponent, Nira Elass, I had mixed feelings about. I not only had the reach advantage from my spear, but I had also taken the initiative by attacking first, yet Nira had avoided each and every one of my thrusts, and somehow, even successfully retaliated, forcing me on the backfoot. If he had used his mana from the very beginning, I very likely would have tasted defeat.
The only reasons I had achieved victory was that he went easy on me, and I had fought dirty, suddenly throwing my spear at his face and spitting blood into his face.
Though my methods were detestable, I had won, and he had lost. Even if I were given the option to redo that fight, I'd still make the same decisions. Victory was the difference between life and death.
In my third duel, the one where I fought the blind girl with long black hair who I didn’t know the name of, I had been completely and utterly outclassed. She had immediately overwhelmed me, and I lost. In every single category, whether it be speed, strength, or technique, she had me beat.
I could make a thousand excuses for why the match played out the way it did. I could say that my separation from Jule still weighed heavily on my mind, and I was mentally unfit to fight. I could reason that I was still injured from the previous duel, and not at full strength. I could even delude myself; say that I barely knew anything about the girl; that I was unable to devise a strategy against her, as our first meeting was in that arena, and that we immediately fought afterwards.
Even so, there was no line of thinking I could use to in any way shape or form support the notion that I had even tied with her, let alone won. Objectively, and subjectively, it was my loss.
Shaking my head, I slapped my cheeks, and jumped out of the bed, attempting to distract myself from my failures.
Pulling the wooden chair out from the desk against the wall, I sat, and peered out the window. It was likely already past midnight, as the stars were out in full force, shining brightly against the inky blackness of eternity. I gazed up, where the twin moons floated in the air.
Jule always loved star gazing. Even when she was still just a babe, and father would walk with us outside, her eyes would be glued to the stars in the sky.
Her love was expressed especially on those sweltering summer nights, where in damp, sweat soaked sheets, I would sleep with the windows open. She would always tip toe into my room, gently shaking me awake, and beg me to go outside with her, too scared to do so by herself. None too pleased at having my beauty sleep disturbed, I would grumble, saying that it was too late, too hot, or too dark. But in the end, I would always relent, and accompany her, hand in hand, through the dark forest path, to that lonely oak tree.
There, laying on the cool green grass, with the backs of our head craned against the cragged bark of the tree’s roots and gusts of wind softly blowing against the sides of our faces, we would stare up into the night sky. With nary a sound in the air save our whispers, we would talk about everything, but also nothing, throughout the night.
Eventually, too tired, lazy, and comfortable to go back, we would just close our eyes, and gently fall asleep to the melody of chirping crickets. Of course, the morning after, first brother or third sister would shake us awake, fuming mad that we had snuck out yet again even after having previously promised that we wouldn’t. Sometimes, while we were still slumbering, it would even begin to drizzle. We would be startled awake by the gentle pitter patter of rain droplets against our skin, and having no other option, we would run home, desperate to not catch cold.
Though, we had probably still gotten sick nine out of ten times that happened.
Those moments we shared felt special; we had a bond that couldn't be described with words. I loved all of my family, but Jule especially, and her me.
After father left, and she began to gradually withdraw, each day speaking less and less until she became a mute in all but name, I was the only one who could sometimes get a word out of her, and she would almost always ask me to go out stargazing with her.
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There, Jule remained silent, just quietly holding my hand with her eyes transfixed on the sky, but I was fine with that.
If it made her happy, I was willing to go with her anytime she wished.
And I did, our nightly excursions increasing in frequency from every three or four days to becoming a daily occurrence, even up to the night before I had left.
As I stared up into the sky, a thought ran through my mind. That Jule was currently looking up at the same stars as I was.
I couldn't see her, speak to her, nor touch her, but I still felt connected to her.
Was she wondering where I was, wondering why her big brother had abandoned her, like our father had? Had she grown up in the time I was away from her, now able to go through the forest, and up to the little hill all by herself?
I looked down to the ground, where moonlight blanketed the uniform, gray box buildings surrounding the five gargantuan buildings.
I closed my eyes, leaning into the window sill and covering my mouth with my forearm.
I smelled distinctly of soap.
Part of me wanted that to be true, to know that she had become strong; that even if I wasn't by her side, nothing would be able to hurt her.
But the other part, the emotional, selfish, loathsome side, prayed that it wasn't; that she still feared those things that went bump in the night. I wanted her to still need me in her life.
And for that, I hated myself.
***
The sounds of banging on my room’s door startled me awake, causing me to fall and hit my head against the hardwood floor.
Momentarily seeing stars, I quickly realized that I had fallen asleep staring out the window. Forcing myself to stand back up, I turned off the still running Lightstone, before rubbing my head where I was hit hardest, and opening the door.
The lightstones in the hallway shining down, and reflecting off of its sleek, black metal body, a lithe golem stood in front of my door, a large closed sack over its shoulder.
“Student Sol,” it began, “The details of your assignment have been sorted out,” it passed the scroll in its hand over to me, “If you are illiterate, please make your way to the administrative offices as soon as possible, located near the entrance of the U shaped building,” it made a U with it’s fingers, “Where we will have someone read it to you, and enroll you in supplementary courses. Please leave your belongings here, as we will transfer all of them to your future residency before nightfall. Thank you.”
Making sure that I had taken the scroll, it turned, making its way to the next person.
Closing the door behind me, I unfurled the parchment, and began to read.
Student Sol,
Congratulations on your enrollment into Celestia Academy!
You have been placed into Grade C, at Rank 4, and assigned to Building 55 for Mana 101
Due to your placement in the top 10 of C grade, your monthly point allowance has been set to 150
Please report to Dormitory U, where you will exchange this parchment for your point band, which will grant you access to the point system
Points can be earned through the aforementioned monthly allowance, academic excellence, dueling, the setting of records, or in the Dream
Points can be officially exchanged for a myriad of goods in the store, located at buildings 32 and 42, as well as for curing and mending of all ailments and injuries, irrespective of their severity at our healers offices, located at buildings 63, and 64
But be aware, the children in your class range in age from 12-14. At this crucial time of development, we understand, tempers will flare, and conflicts will inevitably rise. This is an indisputable fact, but if you do not resolve these situations independently amongst yourselves via duels, or whatever method you so choose, and rules are deemed to have been broken, demerits will be issued to the offending parties
For a more comprehensive review of the many rules in place at Celestia, please request a copy of the rule book from administration
We wish you an enriching, full 7 year long stay at Celestia
Sighing, I rolled the scroll back up, and placed it on my desk, next to my lightstone, sub level one sword, and half filled glass container of numbing ointment.
My problem wasn't that I was I was incapable of reading, thanks to the help of Aurelia, I was perfectly literate. I just didn’t like the idea of leaving what little I did have to be rummaged through.
It felt like a violation of some sacred, implicit commandment.
Like, ‘Thou shalt not rife through another man’s dirty underclothes.’
Snorting in dry amusement at my own thoughts, I shook my head, and made my way to the communal bath to wash up for the day.
Changing into a set of the ill-fitting pure white clothes the academy stored in a room next to the entrance of the bath, I fought my way through a stream of boys going in the opposite direction of me, and re entered my room.
Somehow feeling as if the bath had been pointless after making contact with so many people, water dripped down my neck and body, as I pocketed the scroll.
I went down the building’s main staircase, and exited through the front door, when suddenly, the rays of the sun, and the slightly cold, high altitude air of Celestia hit my skin.
Despite everything I had gone through, the years of near daily suffering I had endured, a warm, hopeful feeling washed over me.
I smiled, optimistic for the future.