Ch 04: Orientation

Going out of the tent, Garion found himself and the crowd in a large field and people were talking about what had happened.

At first he was too stunned to talk, but after he recovered he decided that he did not want to bring up the fact he was considered basically worthless as a person.

Still, he had to laugh occasionally. Someone had actually admitted that their Evaluator started cackling madly when they examined them?

Eventually the crowd settled down after someone got on a small platform.

She called out to the crowd “Listen up people! You are now officially students here! This means you can access out facilities, but you have to find out where they are first!

“There are 6 main points of interest inside the school grounds, and this area is the first. It is called the Portals, because people portal in and out from here. You won’t be able to use them until after you finish a week of your course. Just to confirm for you, considering some are from places that have different length weeks, that is seven days. You will be able to use them afterwards, with limits.”

She pointed to some paths and hedges that led away from there. There were 5 straight paths, and the hedges curved.

“The Hedges go in a circle around the school grounds proper. The main locations all have paths between them. The school is designed as a pentagram inside a pentagon. The middle set of paths lead to the main building where most classes will be held. That set forms a magic symbol in a world meaning the elements in balance and harmony.”

She got very serious “Yes, the Headmistress and the Deputy have even designed magic symbols into the very land here. The entire school itself is a magic circle they can use to fuel rituals, or to control you. This is a subject you may be able to learn.”

There was a mummer of unrest as the implications sunk in. Just what kind of deal had they gotten themselves into?

She waited for the muttering to die down and told them, “I know you find it hard to believe that all of you can go as a group together. There are 300 of you. We will be breaking it up into groups of roughly 75 each. Each group will finish at the main building at the center of the grounds.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The first 75 people headed towards a waiting . . . . 3 headed gnoll?

Someone next to Garion nudged him in the ribs and said “I guess someone’s got a Cerberus in the family tree!”

Garion just shook his head “I guess. Question is if he has gnoll linage?”

“What do you mean? With those . . .dog . . . heads. Oh, guess the number of heads might not have been the only Cerberus features he got.”

Garion joined the next group and their guide was human at a glance, dressed in a short skirt, high heels, tight fitting top and too much makeup. Only when their hair moved were the elf ears revealed on him.

As shocking as that was, someone just had to play a joke and use a wind based power to make a breeze directed at the skirt. Luckily they were wearing undies.

Garion and others were sinking deeper and deeper into shock.

This guide led them to the right, and started talking to them.

“This entire plane of existence was only recently created, and more things are being added. We can’t tell you what is beyond the school grounds much, as we don’t actually know and things change all the time. However, there are some things we can tell you.”

He led them to a gateway with a massive arch of trees and vines over it and said “Here is the main entrance. Down that road is there the school town is, or will be. Between here and there, on either side of the path is where the graveyard is planned,”

Garion asked “Graveyard? For who?”

The elf smiled evilly. “For all who flunk the final test, which is to survive! No-one’s died yet, but you lot are the first to enroll. Well, those who have enough left over to bury.”

The worried group went down the next path, and came to a large building. It looked like a stadium, because it was.

Not only was there a large empty area in the middle, but what looked to be enough seats for tens of thousands. There was an ominous feel to the place as if it was just waiting for bloodshed and death. Those who had affinities for such things and war felt a sense of peace there that was lacking elsewhere.

They were taken inside, and the guide said “This is not just a stadium for sporting events, but also where you will be training and learning how to fight. It is also the arena. If you and others want a proper even fight, declare it and you can book this place. People will turn up either for their own amusement, or to bet on the outcome. Yeah, the boss really hired some twisted people here.”

One of the students was a tall fit man who told them “I have a Domain over gladiators, and I can feel this place calling to me already. Many shall die here, and the cries of the crowd shall be praise of worship to my Domain.”

The guide chuckled. “We shall see, ‘because others are going to try claiming this place. If you are going to try claiming it, best take it up with the Headmistress as she owns it already.”

Getting an evil faraway look on his face, “Knowing her, and the deputy, they could just tell you and others who seek to claim it to come back here and fight it out all together while everyone else watches.”

That silenced many of them. Staff actually wanting students to kill each other! Others were already thinking of ways to use this to kill potential rivals.

Looking at them the elf frowned “No questions? Guess it’s off to the next place.