Individuals with inconceivable power had always existed throughout the long history of Exarria.
While the new calendar had only passed its 330th celebration on New Year’s, tens of thousands of years of kingdoms and empires had long come and gone. And at the center of every change lay an individual with incomparable power. There were those who lived quiet lives, sealing themselves out from the winds of change, but sooner or later, they would emerge from their dwellings only to cause the winds to blow once more.
Scholars of the current age were certain that these godlike beings had existed. Whether they were actually gods or not was a topic of much debate, but countless historical documents pointed towards those agents of change.
Sooner or later, established countries would fall at the hands of these individuals. Those with great magic could destroy and build cities within a week and even change the nature of the land itself.
Yet, despite a few thousand years after its construction, there was one city that had refused to fall. One city that had remained unchanged, an elven city untouched by the harbingers of change. Perhaps it was due to its astounding size, its cultural importance, or its military might, but none had dared to lay a finger on it.
That city was Naerathim. Thought to be created by the goddess Naera herself, the ancient yet polished city stood firm like it had done the first moment it had come into existence.
“There are many myths surrounding this city, and you can see why,” Eilae explained. “The city wasn’t called Naerathim at first. This city was Yrmar. This is where the first elves created their civilization and built their cities. Isn’t that astonishing? There are cities inside the city itself!”
Eilae was trying to hide her excitement, but her round eyes and jittery body language gave It all away. However, Shaden couldn’t judge. His body wasn’t listening to him, shaking all over. His lips had widely spread across and up before he could control himself.
“This—doesn’t make any sense!” exclaimed Shaden. Including him, everyone on deck was gazing up at the entrance of the city. The walls seemed to escalate forever into the sky, easily touching the clouds.
But among the passengers, it was Shaden who was the most shocked. At a glance, the walls would never be able to support their own weight; they were far too thick and tall—yet they were. This was far taller than a skyscraper. Incomparably taller. He felt like an insignificant ant as he stared at the city, and his head spun due to the pure magnitude of the sight.
He breathed in deeply as his eyes noticed something else. “Why aren’t there any shadows…are the walls glowing?”
Despite the mountainous structure looming over everything, the land was—bright. Bright as day. Bright as noon, except that the time was nearing four.
“The walls are glowing,” agreed Eilae.
Shaden’s jaw dropped even further. He understood immediately why it was called Naera’s masterpiece. And they were only at the gates. The Hyla River flowed through the gates, yet not only the gates—it flowed through the giant holes in the walls. The crashing noise of water grew in volume as they came closer to the city.
“Now here’s the question: Where does all this water come from?” Eilae said loudly. The river’s roar was drowning out her voice, even though Shaden was standing next to her. “The gates are far too small, and the holes don’t seem that big compared to the river, right!”
“Where then!? Where does it come from?!”
“There is no wall below the river’s surface! From the east to the west, everything below the wall is empty!”
“That doesn’t make any sense!”
“I know!”
They were both laughing in excitement as the boat passed through the gates into the city. Tree-Gates had been the name Eilae had used to describe the entrance, but So far, Shaden hadn’t seen anything like gates. There were two giant trees on each side of the entrance like pillars, however, whose branches spread across the top and sides of the wall. But their bark was far too dark, and their thick branches looked lifeless.
“There aren’t any gates!” Shaden exclaimed.
“Yes, there are! Those trees—they are the gates.”
“How?”
“Apparently, their branches grow out and enclose the entrance. But the gates have been open—all four of them—for the past hundreds of years. I assume that is why the trees look dead.”
“They look like they should be replaced.”
“I think so too.”
Eilae seemed to have regained her calm.
“Elves dislike change. But I suppose that is the reason why this city has been able to stand for so long.”
“Isn’t it because of the goddess’s influence?”
“Oh, that too. But she has long since vanished.”
After breathing in deeply like a nervous girl, Eilae continued to look around with a smile on her lips. She looked truly happy for once.
“I’m glad we made it.”
Shaden followed her example and enjoyed the fresh smell of the city. He hadn’t expected to be blown away starting from the walls. It was like seeing Danark for the first time, but much more fantastic. Danark’s walls did not reach the clouds. The walls of Naerathim did.
He looked sideways to find his tutor grinning at them.
“What’s so funny?” demanded Shaden with a frown.
“No, no, it’s just that you two looked so amazed. I was just surprised,” said Lytha, her grin deepening. “I can’t wait to see your faces after everything else. Oh, this is just too funny.”
“Everything else?”
“Come. Let’s go get the bags. And yes, everything else. The walls are just the beginning.”
〄 〄 〄
Bridges. There were so many bridges.
The Hyla River ran through the center of the city, so it was natural that there were hundreds of bridges, wide and narrow, that stretched across above the river. The bridges themselves were like floating roads in the sky, all connected to each other like a maze. Shaden could see figures flying around too, though they were too far away to make out. And of course, despite the many bridges blocking the sunlight, the river was bright, since the bridges glowed like the walls.
The ship continued to sail up the river until it finally reached a dock-looking area. The east bank had been surprisingly empty; there hadn’t been any shipping districts, farmland, or anything noticeable. Everything was grass and trees.
He hadn’t been able to look past the riverbank into the city as another tall wall, though not as nearly tall as the main walls, blocked off passage into the city. Shaden understood why Ronar and Prem hadn’t been able to sneak into the city from the sides. The hundred-meter tall walls made it impossible to do so. He guessed that the west bank had the same walls.
“What should we do with Prem?” Shaden voiced as the party stepped off the ship. “Apparently, Ronar got a job on the boat. Which leaves Prem without a guardian.”
“Couldn’t he work alongside his brother?” Eilae suggested. “We can enjoy our time here, then regroup just like we did at Ofphlendum.”
“Maybe. Could you two wait for a moment? I need to go speak to them.”
Leaving his companions aside, Shaden put down his bag and quickly went back to the boat to find Ronar and Prem. He found Ronar at the side of the boat, tying up loose ropes.
“Ah, you don’t need to worry about Prem,” he told Shaden. “We’ve burdened you too much. The captain said he found Prem a place to work at one of the inns here. You know, where travelers who don’t go into the city can stay in.”
“And you?”
“I’ll be traveling with the captain. He’s taken a liking to me,” said Ronar proudly while flexing his biceps. Compared to the skinny person he had been some weeks back, he looked vibrant. His skin had regained its color, and despite being under debt, he didn’t look discouraged.
“Maybe me loosing that crystal was a blessing,” he chuckled. “I’m learning so much. Honest work really does make you a new person.”
“What’s with the sudden change?”
“Hey, it wasn’t like I wanted to rob in the first place! It’s just…I didn’t know how to find work that would let us return sooner. I really need to thank you, don’t I? Because of you, I can do earnest work without worrying about my way back home. At least, my brother’s way back home.”
“Is that really alright with you?”
Ronar beamed like the sun. “I feel like I matter here. It was always my dad who hunted, you see. Us brothers were too weak for anything. I think I might have found my purpose.”
“That’s…great.”
Shaden himself would never be satisfied with sailing after everything he had experienced. Though Ronar’s purpose seemed shallow to him, he really couldn’t judge. Everyone lived different lives, right? The fact seemed even clearer to him now, looking at Ronar’s smiling face.
“Hey. Would you visit my brother once in a while? Maybe once a week. It’s the first time he’s going to be without me, and I’m…a little worried. Would that be…too much to ask?”
Ronar bent over his body and lowered his head to Shaden. “Please.”
“If it’s just visiting, I can do it.”
“Really! I mean, thank you.”
The beastman got back up with a smile. “Anyway, I hope you enjoy your time here.”
“Hey Ronar, before I go. Would you mind giving me your mother’s tooth? You wanted to find a cure for her, right?”
“You would…do that for us?”
Shaden shrugged. “Both of you won’t enter the city, right? I could at least do that much for you.”
“You’ve done so much already.”
“Well?”
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“The tooth is with Prem. Don’t bother finding him now. You can visit him whenever you’d like and pick it up then.”
“Gotcha. See you soon. And good luck.”
“Thanks for everything!” yelled Ronar as Shaden left the boat. Shaden waved back and went to regroup with his companions. Things were going very well. Eilae would be satisfied, and Ronar would be able to pay back his debt faster with Prem also working. Shaden had ideas on what to do if Ronar wouldn’t be able to finish in time, but it was still a far way off.
“Alright, let’s go!”
Now was the time to enjoy the magical city.
〄 〄 〄
“Demund,” called the teacher from the front of the classroom. Demund hurriedly got up from his seat along with the other students who were getting their names called to receive his test. As he approached, the teacher gave him a very noticeable smile and handed him his test. After receiving his results, Demund returned to his seat to check the contents.
An excellent score. He had scored perfectly.
He celebrated internally as he put away the test into his bag. A perfect score on a major test. All those hours of hard work were pulling through. He felt an immense amount of satisfaction go through his body, further stimulating him to try harder. Hard work never let him down. He smiled as he remembered Ronar looking so happy. Yes, he agreed with him completely. Hard work was a bliss.
“There were two people in this class who scored perfectly,” suddenly announced the teacher. “Congratulations to those two. I hope to see more similar results from the rest of you.”
Her eyes briefly met his and moved on to the side. Demund knew who the teacher had focused on after him. It was none other than the smartest person in school.
“As promised, class will be dismissed early today.”
“But teach! I thought you said ten minutes early.”
“There were two perfect scorers, right? So twenty minutes.”
The class cheered as everyone began to stuff in their textbooks and chat with each other. Demund likewise packed his bag. He wanted to shout, ‘you should be thankful to me!’ to the whole class. They had treated him like an outsider, and according to Enariss, it was due to the fact that most of the students at TISE High had transferred over from Tartis Middle School, meaning that the majority of them were already familiar with each other.
The students naturally crowded over to Enariss, knowing she was the one who had scored perfectly. While Demund did feel a little jealous, he thought, it really didn’t matter that much. He had friends, so it wouldn’t really matter much if he was popular.
He was making sure his prosthetic leg was securely clamped when the noise in the room suddenly died down. He hadn’t heard the students’ footsteps leave the room, which was weird, so he looked up—to find Enariss in front of him with her hands on his table.
“Demund! You scored perfectly, didn’t you!” she literally announced to the whole class.
“Huh?” He felt everyone’s eyes focus on him. “Yeah. I did.”
“I knew you could do it. Anyway, see you at the MMA Club!”
Just as fast as she had come, Enariss waltzed out of the room lightly on her toes, leaving Demund alone to suffer the fate of unnecessary attention. Slowly but surely, the students resumed moving again, but Demund could clearly hear the murmurs arising from all of the room.
Ah, shoot, he thought. He didn’t like being at the center of attention. He never had been. But that had only been one incident.
He got up from his seat and tried his best to ignore the eyeballs that so clung onto his body. An uneasy feeling came up from his stomach, but he masterfully suppressed it. Compared to Lytha’s training, this was nothing…was what he would have liked to say, but they were different matters. Social attention was something he hadn't gotten used to.
But he was a master at keeping a poker face thanks to his tutor. So keeping himself blank, he left the room.
〄 〄 〄
“Ena.”
“Hmm?” she hummed innocently.
“In the classroom…that was so not necessary.”
“Oh, don’t sweat it. Sooner or later, people were going to find out. Information spreads quickly in this school.”
“You didn’t need to tell the whole class,” Demund sighed.
“But they don’t understand your value,” Enariss grumbled with a pout. “You never seem to be included, and you’re always going to the club alone after class.”
“Says the one who leaves early.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was a joke. I know how busy and popular you are. You’ve known your friends longer than you did me, right?”
“That’s correct.”
Demund spun his pencil on his hand. “Don’t sweat it. I’m used to this lifestyle.
“Would you two stop flirting?” Rhyne groaned. “Unlike some geniuses who got hundreds on their tests, there is a dude here who scored very poorly.”
“I don’t think 88 is a bad score,” commented Riley.
“Says the one who got a 94. Ah, seriously, I really tried hard this time around, you know.”
“Hard as in you only studied while you were with us then played games the rest of the week?” rebutted Riley sarcastically. “You need to try harder.”
“That is trying hard! We study for two hours. Twice a week!”
“Rhyne, look at Demund.”
“……okay, okay. I get it.”
Demund grinned. He loved being with these two. They weren’t like his classmates.
Rhyne dropped his pencil and slyly eyed Demund, making an exaggerated motion of changing his body into a more comfortable position. He pointed towards Demund and narrowed his eyes.
“By the way, Demund, you’re pretty popular. Did you know that?”
“Huh?” Demund was taken by surprise. “What do you mean? Who says I’m popular?”
“Well, I guess popular isn’t the right word. Well-known. Yep! You’re well-known around the school.”
“How? I don’t meet anyone besides you guys.”
“I guess it started last year? When you beat Enariss during the sports tournament. The last relay race.”
“I remember.”
“Apparently, a lot of guys were angry because of that. You know, the opposing team, and also people who expected Enariss to win. Enariss, you’re partly to blame. You were acting all friendly with Demund out in the open. Of course he’s going to get attention.”
She shrugged. “Let them think whatever they want.”
Rhyne cleared his throat. “Anyway, if that was it, no one would care. But then, you got into the freaking accident. The principal announced it on the loudspeakers, and everyone was like, ‘Oh, who? It’s that guy from the sports tournament.’ There’s also the Student Life Committee to blame. Like Enariss said, information spreads quickly, and many students don’t keep their mouth shut. Hmm…or maybe it’s because there are a lot of people in the committee…”
“And then?”
“Then you entered the special class as well as the MMA club. Everyone was just about to forget until you got Enariss’s approval at the club, defeated some members despite missing a leg—”
“You’re also friends with us,” Riley added. “People already knew us and Enariss very well. Since you always hang out with us...”
“You’re exaggerating,” Demund laughed. “There’s no way someone would pay that much attention to me.”
“You’d be surprised. People love to gossip,” said Enariss. “Don’t worry; you’re not the only well-known person around here.”
“I guess that’s including you three.”
“Eh, I’m pretty outdated.”
“Same for me.”
“Just have in mind that people might try to approach you,” predicted Enariss. “Especially during group projects. They’re not bad people, but it’s good to decline invitations sometimes. There are many leeches in the class.”
“Leeches…I’ll keep that in mind.”
The four continued to small talk until Enariss instructed them to begin studying again. Demund was glad to see that Rhyne was completely focused during study sessions now. Of course, there was the occasional banter here and then, but it only lasted for five minutes or so. Their old group, now re-established, continued on even stronger than before. It appeared as if this peace would last until they graduated.
But unknown to them, the seeds of envy were being watered continuously.
〄 〄 〄
Tartis Institute for Secondary Education, also known as TISE High. It was created in 2074 for students who were unable to control their powers. With numerous teachers and staff who could handle these special children, the school was a sort of training area more so than a school. However, there were much fewer special students back then. As the years passed and the number of people with superpowers grew, the school expanded to accommodate even normal students.
The school continued to spread its influence, and its long history and line of model individuals who had graduated from it made the school highly sought-after. The school would not only provide quality education, but also a means where students could explore their powers in a controlled environment.
However, ever since the Preliminary Islands and its managing system were established, the steady supply of students with superpowers decreased. Many institutions around the globe suffered the same fate as the newly established world government (UWM) required that all students with the C rating or above had to be transported to the Islands. Many years have passed since those perilous times of instability. Now, no one is forced. But everyone is monitored.
As the years passed, there were certain rumors about the Islands. Not clear ones, but rumors that the rich parents of their special children did not take well. The Islands provided numerous benefits, but the rich had no need for those benefits. Therefore, they sought the schools of old that had been created before the Islands.
TISE High, that had lasted until those moments, quickly grew in influence as the wealthy began to register to it. More and more people wanted to send their children within its walls, and the school surpassed its former glory with unbelievable speeds. Even among the less-aware commoners, the school was seen as an elite institution for those who had failed to pass the Selection.
At the Preliminary Islands, gifted students always had a place where they could test out their abilities. Tartis had a similar system through the use of various clubs. Most prominent of these was the MMA Club that included everything from hand-to-hand combat to target practice with model weapons. Without the Club, students were likely to turn on each other to establish dominance. The ranking system provided the talented students with a means of separating themselves as the elites.
The special classes further created the rift between the talented and the untalented within the school. As a result, the majority of the students in the special classes were holders of powerful abilities, children from wealthy families, or both. One could not be demoted from a special class once they had risen to it. It was to prevent the powerful from causing problems within the talentless.
Violent urges could be vented through clubs, and the rich were happy to be separated from the commoners. The system continued to stay this way throughout the school’s history. It worked very well.
However, once in a while, there would be exceptions. A powerful ability holder from a lower family who had refused to go to the Islands, or individuals who had overcome the high tuition cost of the school by receiving a scholarship.
And there would be grumbling. The wealthier students didn’t like commoners donning the same golden-red emblems that they had.
Students with powerful abilities were simple to target out. If they caused an incident, they would be expelled, and that would be the end of it.
But scholarship students…they were a tricky case. So, they were simply ignored.
However—
If that scholarship student hangs out with the highest-ranking, most popular individual in the school and shows off within the MMA Club, scores better than any student even within the special class—
Some people just might seethe with anger.
〄 〄 〄
The Riverside Inn was bustling with guests as usual, and the merry cheer of the night floated around its bright interior. Laughter would erupt from the sides once in a while, but even without it, the inn was never without noise. Amidst this busy atmosphere, a small boy scurried about with a large tray, trying his best not to run into customers. His arms, legs, and head were tightly covered with clothing to prevent his fur from falling out. He was a cleaner, and his job was to clean.
“Over there! Fifth table!” barked the manager. Her keen eyes never gave the workers a chance to rest.
“Got it!” answered Prem as he ran to where he had been instructed. This was his life now—running around clearing and cleaning tables. Just until last week, he had been tasked to pick up scraps from the floor, but he had been promoted to a platter-carrier. It was somewhat of an accomplishment for him as his pay had risen. Just barely though.
The bells rang as the doors swung open, revealing a trio donned in jackets of quality material. Though their clothing was simple in design, an observant merchant would surely recognize their wealth. The beautiful woman with two kids went to sit at a table in the corner. They ordered some things off of the menu and waited.
“Prem! Your break time is here!” called the manager after recognizing the customers. Prem quickly swept up the last of the trash and took the platter to the large garbage basket at the back. He took off his head covering and wiped his forehead. Sweat had formed despite the cool weather.
He walked over to the table.
“Sit down,” Shaden said. “I ordered something for you too.”
Prem nodded and took a seat next to the younger boy. The other girl was ignoring him, and the lady didn’t seem to care. Why Shaden was kind to him had always been a mystery since his companions felt like the others—elves who could not care either way.
“So…did you…find it?” Prem said cautiously.
“Yep.”
Shaden reached lifted up a small cloth bag from the ground and placed it on the table. He also took out a familiar pouch from his pocket and put it on the table too.
“Do you know what Blood Fever is?” he asked. Prem shook his head. Shaden reached into the bag and pulled out a small wooden box. It was an ordinary, light-brown wooden box with rectangular dimensions.
“It’s a common disease. Without medicine, it could be lethal, but with this—it goes away within a day or two. The doctor told me a little about it. Apparently, the germ ingests your mana and creates miniature eruptions in your body. This makes your smaller capillaries break, making the skin look red and diseased, hence ‘blood……”
The rest of Shaden’s words fell on deaf ears. Prem’s every being had focused on the wooden box. This was what they had so desperately searched for but had failed miserably. Shaden had been able to obtain it within a day. An emptiness welled up from Prem’s stomach. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the box.
“Can I…look inside?” he asked carefully.
“It’s yours now. Just don’t break it.”
Prem nodded and carefully grasped the container with his fingers. Slowly, he took off the lid. Inside was a small glass vial filled with a pink-tinted liquid.
“Five drops and the sickness is cured,” Shaden quoted. “That vial is enough for ten people at least. Or do you need more?”
“No…this will be enough. This is what we were looking for.”
“Hey, the food’s here. Prem, make sure to keep the vial safe.”
Prem tucked away the vial into the box again along with the stuffing and sealed the lid on. It fit inside his pocket.
The four began to eat after the food arrived. It was good, hot food, created with fresh ingredients from all over. Shaden seemed to be enjoying his meal immensely just as a normal boy would. Prem had received the same dish as Shaden, and he would have dug in as soon as the food placed itself before him. He sliced the fish and put it in his mouth. He ripped the bread, stabbed the vegetables and stuffed it in his mouth. He chewed.
He couldn’t taste anything. His body continued to go through the motions, but his mind was somewhere else, somewhere far away, caught in a trance of rumination.
He felt the box in his pocket.
So heavy.