“Sit down we’re doing business now, I need you to see this. Drink?” Reese said waving toward an assortment of different colored liquids in crystalline glass bottles in the back of the room.
“Do you have any Kopa?” Daemon asked. “I don’t quite know the local drinks to be honest.”
Reese took a second to glance at the table and then nodded gently. “Of course, good stuff too we get shipments from Baserri in the west. Undisputedly the absolute best Kopa around! Fine taste young man, though myself I’d still rather have a nice whisky” Then he got up and went to the table rustling around before bringing another bottle of light blue liquid hidden behind the assortment of other bottles, procuring two glasses from who knows where.
For a young boy like Oxso, just barely on the cusp of adulthood and having grown up in an isolated area far away from civilization, the ‘education’ he received from the merchants in his caravan was one that was most definitely needed but not all encompassing. Still he was grateful he didn’t have to already look like a country bumpkin so soon. He gave a quick prayer of thanks before turning to his new boss and taking the drink. The room they were in was like the open-air pavilion before, all white marble no walls warm breezes and literally no one else. Now, however, they were on some sort of raised platform overlooking a sort of ringed-in area. Rows of seats stretched out from either side of the platform all the way around in an oval shape and facing inward into the dirt patch in the middle.
“Do you know what I do?” questioned Reese, before continuing immediately, “I assume not of course but guess for me.”
“Something important?”
This got Reese laughing for a little before resuming. “Indeed, ha-ha! Well to put it simply it was decided by a great many people that I am to help run a certain portion of the needs of the city”
“That does sound important.”
“Stressful, too!” he added with a nod, “But more than that it can be antagonizing.”
Oxso tilted his head, unsure now of what he meant.
“Let me explain, in this city there are many differing interests, people come here with dreams to make it big, provide for their family, maybe become famous! All kinds of desires, and with it all kinds of trades and businesses, following still?”
Oxso nodded staying silent.
“Well, in a city such as this I am most definitely not the only important and neither am I the MOST important, in fact if I were to try to place myself I might not really even be relevant regardless if I am one of 5 elected officials or not.”
James took a pause to breathe and swing his arm grandly at the structure around them,
“This, this is one of those, a path to glory or doom, and only I can decide what is to be done with it. Unfortunately, no matter what I do doors open for some and close for others, it’s simply impossible to make everyone happy and there will always be disgruntled members from all parties even those benefitting.”
“Of course, everyone has a different opinion not everyone can always agree.” Oxso chimed in.
“Indeed, in fact some of the decisions recently are rather more impactful and have caused much more… controversy as of late. As of now however this is just the beginning and soon a lot more people will be even angrier. This city is beautiful but that’s merely a façade, a mask, this a land of death and cockroaches, a new wave is coming and if I’m to survive the flood the only way is to establish roots and grow bigger. Tall and wide enough no storm could bring me down.” He lifted his drink to the sky in another ceremonious movement before downing the whole glass and exhaling exaggeratedly, “stay loyal to me and you’ll get everything you’ve ever desired.”
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Thinking back, it was a very good speech and the grandiose-ness of the claims he was making were enough to hook Daemon on their own.
He sighed, this however, was not what he was expecting.
In front of him was a grand building with towering spires and large courtyards all around. Occasional groups of young and old people alike would pass through the entrance and observe him as he stood there afraid to enter. How’d he get convinced to go back to school? Back home he was already more than un-enthused by the repetition, when he learned to read and write he was more than happy to stop and never go back like all the other kids in his village.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t possibly live up to your expectation in this regard, how could you expect me to be able to pull something like this off? I know nothing about this place my world is so different” Daemon asked.
“Indeed, then maybe in a different position. Something more suited to you perhaps? This is the long game we’re playing, and enemies are on all sides, growing your best talents is a priority in order to keep both of us breathing.”
“Is this that serious? I still can’t quite wrap my head around this.” Daemon whispered.
“More so. The children here dream to fall into careers like this, and soon enough you’ll be my champion, my right hand so to speak with medals and all. I know you might not completely understand now but as time goes and you learn about this world, you’ll know the truth. Here, everything’s already set for you, it was a little close but I managed to move things around a little, you must…”
“Hello?” a voice suddenly asked from behind, causing him to jump from his thoughts in surprise, turning around a wide-eyed young girl in formal attire was looking at him.
“Did you need help mister? You’ve been standing outside the academy for almost 20 minutes now.”
Daemon took a second to gather his thoughts, then calmly asked, “Yes, I’ve come from very very far in order to take your entrance examination please?” He added a slight bow, because that’s what he was supposed to do, right?
The girl paused for a second, almost as if she was scrutinizing him then quickly said, “Of course, follow me I’ll lead you there you’re a little late but you’re still able to participate they haven’t even started yet.” Then she walked off in some direction.
Daemon felt himself start to sweat a little before he followed her, first day and almost messed up the whole thing, thankfully the girl had found him otherwise he wouldn’t have known what to do.
Eventually he caught up to her, but when he did he lost his breath, he couldn’t actually count so he had no idea how many people were in front of him but it was definitely more than both his hands several times! Double or even triple the amount of people in his village probably!
“Do you have your entrance fee mister?” asked the same girl.
He nodded and passed her several shiny coins, she glanced at it briefly then placed them in a satchel at her side.
“Perfect! This year we have quite a lot of contestants, somewhere around 400 people have turned up so far this year so we’re randomly testing around a dozen or so people a day take this token and wait for the number on it to be pulled, if it’s not today come back tomorrow, and so on if you’re not called tomorrow either”
400? What a large number! Oxso nodded straight faced and then proceeded to join the crowd, it seemed they were pulling similar tokens out of a box and calling out what was on it. Supposedly this was a ‘warrior’ academy, but none of the people around him looked quite like warriors, in fact he caught a couple glances toward him that quickly turned in fear, not warrior like at all in his opinion. Most of the people were around his age but much, frailer looking.
He wasn’t quite a stocky man himself, but he was slightly taller than average and definitely bigger than most of the young men around him, however there were definitely some older and more built characters in the crowd. In fact, he almost blended in, black hair and tanned skin were something of a common characteristic and he stood only a few inches over the average so he was never head and shoulder above anyone. At the front, were two older men with graying hair and they were definitively warriors in Daemons eyes. He could feel an aura of calmness and comfort that could only come from the confidence of skill he had seen in the elders of his village.
Suddenly Daemon was getting nudged from the side, he looked at the boy next to him in confusion.
Thankfully seeing that the boy said, “That’s your token guy, get up there!”
Shocked he looked around and saw several other people walking forward following one of the old men and he hurried to catch up. Eventually they were led to a side entrance in another towering building, however when they entered it was a giant empty space with a table directly in front of the door.
“Welcome to Pernarth’s Academy Gymnasium,” the old gentleman shouted “We’ll start your entrance examinations now.”