The expansive grounds that made up the Academy of Alistri stretched almost three miles. An institution of learning most children started at age eight graduating ten years later. First constructed after the 4th breaking as a place to train young witches. The great libraries contained within brought together all the knowledge that had remained from that time.

As time passed and the world changed other academies began to take shape having differences in how magic should be used and taught rifts naturally formed. Of the twelve academies that operate within the empire six openly contest the strength of their students in large shows of valor and glory.

Basically, a series of tournaments lasting over a three-month period. Being a platform for previewing the young talent most just enjoyed watching a good fight between two witches and their male partners that fought with them.

It was being a provisional partner that melryn had spent most of the previous year. Common practice in academy circles was for a pairing between a witch and her partner be permanent throughout their academy tenure. Provisional partnerships were not something done unless a participant in a tournament absolutely needed a partner.

Having replaced three seniors the year previous due to them having been forced out because of injury melryn had become well known as a superior Fengdreim Regalia user. Being the only means of which a male human can use magic learning how to properly use this form of regalia was something that all academies desired to cultivate.

That being said melryn was fourteen while tournament participants were restricted to the general academy level students being sixteen and up. It was only through him being used as a provisional partner that they could slide a thirteen-year-old in to participate.

Regardless he took all three of his partners to their respective finals and won will easy. That being last year melryn had little interest in participating again. However, there were upperclassmen who desired a sure win when it came to these tournaments and so would regularly cause him a great deal of annoyance in getting him to reconsider.

As he had dictated upon arrival melryn lay slumped over his desk with an open book in front of him. Dead to the world and the three pieces of chalk that had hit his shoulder, there was no way he was waking up.

Sleeping in class while not something he did often was something that drove his professor Alrien Crimstal absolutely mad. A young witch in her early twenties who had a great love for learning and a short fuse when it came to they who did not seem to sleep enough.

Standing over the sleeping melryn's desk, the rest of the class simply looked ahead with many openly laughing and talking to one another. Slamming her hands down on his desk melryn jumped out of his seat with a start then simply mumbled.

"Oh is it lunch already?" [melryn]

All his classmate as one laughed at his unserious attitude. While some found his antics disturbing to the class like his teacher others found great fun in it.

"No, we still have twenty minutes before lunch now a question for the class. What purpose do the six great clans play in our society today?" [alrien]

An interesting question out of the hundreds of clans that inhabited the land only six had the greatest influence in the empire. Having built themselves on a millennium of magical knowledge and strong family genetics they were immovable.

"Professor each of the six clans holds vast territories that encompass much of the empire itself requiring other smaller clans to either rent or loan from them in order to have space to live."

"Correct almost eighty percent of the land in the empire is ruled by one of the six with the rest belonging to the royal family. Anyone else?"

[alrien]

The classroom was alive with different opinions on this topic. with almost everyone stating positives to the continuation of these clans and their way of doing things. Melryn, on the other hand, knew different just how cruel and overbearing living under the shadow of his grandmother who sat at the head of the greatest clan of the six.

Hearing the bell for lunch rang saving him the deeply distasteful topic he packed his lunch in hand and processed out to one of the courtyards. Eating outside was better than a crowded cafeteria. Stepping out into the sun melryn stopped for a second for his eye to adjust to the difference in light.

Looking about for a place to settle down and eat his lunch melryn noticed aldain with syrelia together under one of the many trees.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Well, how was your day so far aldain don't ask about mine I slept through most of it." [melryn]

"Nothing new on my end arithmetic and the rest, as usual, going to be in physical training for the rest of the day after lunch though so not a bad day in my book" [aldain]

The two brothers report their day to each other as if they would be leaving for home after eating. A silly habit that they had gotten into in order to deal with the amount of work they had to deal with.

"You seem to be happier than usual syrelia has something happened?" [melryn]

Eating silently like in her own little world their little sister seemed not to hear the question at all.

'Ah, she must be having a viewing she likely doesn't know where she is.' [melryn]

Having been born with the ability to view the future syrelia would occasionally be caught in moments where she would literally step into a scene from the future. While such things did not happen all the time knowing when they happened was always nice.

"So this is where you all are I have been searching everywhere for you." [leinea]

Arriving from behind them leinea looked like she had spent a good deal of time looking for them even though lunch had just started. Chuckling to themselves both brothers made space for the new arrival.

"I don't know if the two of you have heard but there are two students that arrived today from out of the country. Her name is Talreym Wrilmath and she has challenged Yetolis Vaijra to a match." [leinea]

Having not touched his food melryn looked towards the dragonness with confidence in his eye.

"I assume you are her to ask me to play the part of her partner in this match?" [melryn]

Neither looked away from the other. It was true that melryn was out of all other candidates the logical choice. While aldain could have done this kind of thing with just as much skill as himself the younger of the two preferred not to use a blade to deal with his problems.

"Would you actually talk to anyone else without having to be caught first?" [leinea]

Thinking on the question it was likely that he would just run and cause a great fuss before eventually relenting.

"You should participate, brother, It will please our older brother." [syrelia]

Caught off guard by his sisters sudden words melryn softened his resolve toward not attending. Seeing as she had just come out of her viewing syrelia seemed slightly off balance.

"All we have done until now has been to please our brother it was only because of the teachings he left us that aldain and I are as powerful as we are now." [melryn]

Remembering back almost six years previous to that day when inside lanthim's no longer used rooms both aldain and melryn found on the side stand a stone with the most incredible carvings. Interested in its origins, they handled the stone with great care feeling its every edge.

Until without warning, the stone began to glow with an intense brightness. Still holding onto the stone both children began to hear a voice their brothers voice. Looking about them they no long knew where they were as if in an instant the entire world had changed.

It was within this void space that they were taught the five forms of Tolenan a fighting style that lanthim had devised in order to allow him to fight stronger enemies relying on his regalia only and not on his own mana. Adapting this again, he had prepared this stone to teach his brothers to strengthen themselves after he had left.

Even to the current day that stone continues to be the foundation of both of their training and way of life.

"He knew that all we would have access to was the Fengdreim Regalia so in order that we could achieve results similar to himself he prepared everything we would need." [aldain]

"Yes, our brother planned for our future from before he left he even left teachings for syrelia as well and she the highest ranked student in the school." [melryn]

Both looked to their sister who by now was bright red with embarrassment. It was very rare for her to openly receive praise from her brothers in public so it felt so of awkward.

"Lanthim must have truly loved all of you to leave so much behind." [leinea]

Having been close enough with the family to have seen the two brothers grow. The fact that it was something so simple that moved them to where they were now was in her mind a beautiful thing.