Summer went by faster than Senna could’ve ever anticipated.Each week was filled with her own self-imposed regimen of studying, workouts, and learning how to harness her mana. The lynx-like creature Rez’nir hadn’t been in contact since the park incident, but she found herself subconsciously looking for him whenever she ventured out to the garden or market alike.
During this new self-imposed regimen, Senna had only been taking one day a week to be her day of rest. On the Messarin equivalent of Sunday, she relaxed and either read or spent time with Celica. It was an adjustment period to push herself to grow like this after much of her motivation on Earth had been beaten out of her.
The hard work had been paying off, too.
By late summer, she was already fluent in basic reading and writing, now aiming to reach an intermediate level. The formal alphabet of the seven kingdoms was known as Himmelcranz, and served as the language of all business and scholarly settings, while the spoken form was known as Ellyrian. Meanwhile, on an individual level, each nation used their own native tongue.
Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Senna didn’t bother questioning her luck as to why her native tongue was identical to Ellyrian, let alone that it was also the most universally used spoken language. She had been wondering if it was mere coincidence or if some invisible translation device was working full time in her head.
One of the subsequent lessons she learned was that orphans such as her mother often didn’t have a native tongue outside of Ellyrian, worsened by the Threnodian War. Many villages and regions were wiped out, either by massacre or diaspora to escape conflict, leaving abandoned or orphaned children with no connections or memory of their native culture. What few received an education and survived the war in subsequent years merely stuck to the only tongue they had now grown familiar with. Some scholars even feared that the consequence of this social collapse would be the extinction of entire languages and many regional dialects.
Although all of this was strange, undeniably fascinating and horrifying to Senna, she still quietly wondered what the circumstances of Celica’s childhood and family were. Afraid to trigger potentially painful memories, she hadn’t brought up the topic since it was first mentioned, nor had her mother offered since. Keeping it tabled at the back of her mind, she had a feeling that it would come up when appropriate. After all, her mother had been extremely forward and honest since day one of waking up.
Her eyes fluttered open as slivers of sunlight kissed her cheeks, Senna rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before rolling out of bed. After a few drowsy steps forward, she stretched and yawned loudly. She still possessed the wiry frame she had woken up with months prior, yet now she found strength and muscles beginning to fill her limbs that hadn’t existed prior.
Letting her limbs relax, she put her hands together and nodded a moment to utter a prayer that Celica had taught her to the goddess of law, Ves’ra. It was a unique experience for Senna, who had been an atheist in her last life. The skeptic inside would’ve ordinarily laughed about offering a prayer to any deity, but now that she lived in a world where magic and myth exist, she figured it didn’t hurt to offer her politest regards.
“When in Rome, I s’pose,” her hands fell to her side as she raised her head, flipping around to pull an outfit from her closet.
Her outfit of choice had been predetermined, chosen in advance for this day in particular. Senna and her mother would be making a notable trip together into the city for orientation day at Brydelgard Academy, where new students would be receiving a campus tour. Tenderly grasping the clothing in her hands, she laid the tie, jacket, shirt, and skirt onto her bed, almost giving them an air of reverence. Awestruck that this day had arrived, she let herself savor the moment.
The uniform was primarily an ashy gray, with accents of gold fabric and buttons. Nearly forgetting the beret that came with it, she fished it off the top shelf of her closet. Donning the uniform, she sat back on her bed as she pulled on the boots that Reyna had handcrafted herself for the occasion. A brief glimpse of the assembled outfit in the mirror gave her a rush of excitement that left butterflies fluttering about in her stomach.
This shit is FIRE!
A soft knock sounded at the door as it slowly swung open, revealing a beaming Celica. “Are you rea-“ her words fell short, as Senna turned towards her.
“Hey mom! What do you think?”
Senna struck a silly pose, one foot forward with both arms posed like an Olympian.
“Wow… This really takes me back. You’re the spitting image of Phaedra when she was your age. You both wear the outfit a lot better than I did nearly thirty years ago. Supplies weren’t really there, and they didn’t take the time to make uniforms fit closer to the individual. Though, yours is going to fit even better, thanks to Reyna. Make sure you thank her today when we see her.”
“Auntie Reyna’s coming? I feel like I’ve barely heard from her lately.” Her eyes widened, not having seen the seamstress in at least a month.
“She’s been taking dozens of uniform commissions from other families with children that will be part of the new freshman class. Regardless, she said she doesn’t want to miss this and doesn’t want me to go alone since Phaedra is still tied up with work on the frontier and won’t be home to visit for another month.”
It had been four months since Senna had awoken and she still hadn’t met her sister, Phaedra. She had become a rising star of an adventuring guild known as Equinox, spending the entirety of her time helping protect frontier settlements recovering from the Threnodian War. Originally, she was supposed to have visited a week or two after Senna had left the hospital, but her work kept her occupied.
“Anyways, once you’ve had breakfast we can depart for the day. We’ll meet Reyna at Gejdra Square.”
Senna had later learned that Gejdra Square was the same city square where she had seen the fountains depicting the mythic origin story of Enzen. She hadn’t been back since her awakening, but the sights and sounds of that day still echoed in the back of her mind.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Celica had only made a small serving of toast and eggs. Reading the mood accurately, she knew that Senna wouldn’t be able to stomach much. The latter choked down the food; any other time it would be delicious, but anxiety had crept beneath her skin, leaving her nauseous. Still, she knew that low blood sugar during an all-day outing would be a mistake.
Outside, Senna started to take deep breaths while Celica locked up the house. Somehow the thought of attending high school again was more panic inducing than anything thus far, let alone the lingering social anxiety from her past life.
Gently slapping either side of her own face, Senna tried to pep talk the nerves away.
“It can’t be worse than regular high school, I didn’t even have magic there!”
“Plus, you don’t have to stay in the dorms by yourself in a strange new city!” Celica chimed in, a smirk on her face.
“Yeah? What was it like attending a school like that all by yourself?”
“Yes, it’s true. When I first came here from the orphanage, I didn’t know anybody and was alone in a strange new city. I was scared beyond belief; despite everything I had been through already.”
“If it’s not too painful, will you tell me about it someday?” Senna asked, turning her head towards Celica as they walked. “I realized awhile back that I don’t really know much about you.”
“I’d love to tell you everything soon. Today, however,” She rested a hand atop Senna’s head for a moment. “Today is about you.”
The journey to Gejdra Square was over in what felt like an instant. They made idle conversation as they walked, commenting on shops they’d like to visit together or the occasional café they could get coffee together at. It was the first proper look at Enzen since Senna was discharged.
Every so often Senna noticed a child pointing at her uniform or a nod from a smiling passerby. In her ordinary casual clothing, it wasn’t something she had ever noticed before. Was the uniform a status symbol of some kind or was the academy just well regarded in general?
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“I feel like people keep acknowledging me while wearing this uniform. Is that my imagination?” Senna shyly asked her mom once they moved away from a crowd of laborers.
“Many, many graduates of the academy have strived to make the world a better place. Whether it be adventurers that join guilds and help the general interests of towns and cities, or people who seek new avenues of knowledge to advance the quality of life for the people of their hometowns or city they reside in.”
“Sometimes this place feels like a utopia compared to where I came from…”
“I sincerely wish I could say that’s true. The end of the war spawned unprecedented inroads of dialog and cooperation between the kingdoms, but it left rifts, scars, and tensions, too. Monarchs are still out of touch with their populace, nobles and tycoons hoard wealth while workers live in squalor, and there are those in the warrior class who wish they were as revered as they were during the war.”
Reaching Gejdra Square, a familiar tawny woman with feline ears could be seen sitting on the stonework rim of the central fountain. Reyna was absentmindedly fiddling with her tail that was curled into her lap, watching a group of pigeons that an elderly woman was feeding. It caught Senna mildly off guard because despite the outgoing, cheerful nature of the woman, the expression on her face seemed quite somber. She didn’t know if that was merely her resting facial expression or if some of the excitable nature was forced.
Upon drawing closer, one of Reyna’s ears twitched and her gaze shifted to the pair. A Cheshire grin spread across her face, leaping up and striding to embrace Celica in a hug.
“Howdy, lovelies! Purrfect weather we’re having, no?”
A slight breeze had been keeping the late summer heat off the stonework just enough to make the day more pleasant than the prior week had been.
Reyna broke away from Celica’s hug, sweeping Senna off her feet to give her quite the bear hug. Turning toward Senna, Reyna put a hand atop her beret. Her smile had already faded, confirming the girl’s suspicions that her mood wasn’t quite as cheerful as it’d normally be.
“This is a big day, but it’s bittersweet for us adults,” she gestured with a nod towards Celica. “Defying all logic, your body grew while you were asleep, and your mom… your family, we all missed getting to see the rest of your childhood. And look at you, it’s only been four months and you’ve already gotten yourself ready to attend Brydelgard.”
Senna was unable to hide the wide eyed look of realization, while Celica forced a somewhat pained smile. Panicking, Reyna immediately threw up her hands.
“Sorry, sorry! I don’t wanna dampen the occasion, this is supposed to be a happy day! It’s just…” Her words trailed off for a moment as she scratched the back of her head, trying to find the right words to say. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, we’re still just trying to cope with everything we’ve lost.”
Celica, who had been silent thus far, finally spoke.
“It’s something I try not to say but it pains my heart daily. It’s why your father is missing out on this day. Gods, it’s why your sister is too, truthfully.”
Senna said nothing, merely looking between Reyna who was avoiding eye contact, and Celica, who was staring thoughtfully at her daughter.
I’m not great with these kinda moments, I need to reassure them!
“It’s not healthy to bottle these things up. These scars are suffocating beneath the armor y’all donned the day you went to war, and you’ve never fully taken any of it off. I know I[‘m a living reminder of what’s happened and what has been lost, but I’m awake again and we can move forward. We can move forward.. and maybe learn to heal. Together.”\
Although hearing Senna express such thoughtful sentiments was a bit jarring for Reyna, Celica had made a couple trips alone to see her and had explained their situation beforehand. Even after years, very little was known about the sleepers, providing a shock to many clerics and families alike. Not only did the children age into teens or teens into adults, but nearly everyone who awoke was changed, even if their memories were seemingly gone.
Squeezing Celica’s hand with a reassuring grip, Senna smiled, her auric eyes shining beneath the thin shadow her beret cast on her face. She couldn’t deny that she was suffering from culture shock; not only the nature of this world, but also learning to open her heart towards others. Yet, the more time passed, the more she earnestly saw this woman as her mother.
“Someday soon I want to talk about this. With both of you. But today, today I get to see my school!” Her tone held a sincere cheer, as she took Reyna’s hand with her free hand.
Together, the now trio set off towards Brydelgard, taking the northern path away from the plaza towards Lunen district, where most schools, churches, and administrative organizations resided. This was Senna’s very first time seeing the area, taking mental notes of the path there since she would be commuting to school daily.
Passing through a gateway that led out of the square, Senna stepped foot into Lunen district for the first time. The stone walls that met on either side and formed the allure above were clearly from a past age of Enzen’s history, as well as the gateway itself showed signs of once having had massive doors affixed to the hinges that were now laid bare. She couldn’t help but wonder if this had been an interior sanctum to protect against invaders that had breached the outer walls of the city.
Carved into the latticework on either side were elaborate designs of a dragon emitting a beacon of light from its mouth. The ball of light’s rays were shining down on what appeared to be monsters and marauders, all of whom were shielding their eyes or retreating in fear. She felt safe in hazarding a guess it was either some mythical origin story or symbolism of Enzen as a light in the darkness.
Making out faint runes on the top sliver of stonework that remained, she could roughly make out “-OU- F—A- JUDG---- L-E- -HEA-“
On the other side of the gate, Senna shot a glance back to see if the same relief was carved into the opposite side. Instead, on the left-hand side were scholars of varying sizes examining written materials. On the right-hand side, was a maiden handing out bread and fruits to what seemed to be a starving, weary audience.
“Was that an origin story of Enzen?” Senna muttered aloud, to no one in particular.
“Yeah, somethin’ like that I suppose.” Reyna halfheartedly responded.
“An origin story and a warning. According to the origin myths of Enzen, an ancient elven summoner entombed one of the seven legendary draconic aethos beneath our city. To paraphrase the legend, ‘A life and soul were sacrificed to bind Kazuryu, legendary dragon, to protect this inner sanctum. Enter ye who would embrace the kiss of annihilation, your final judgment lies ahead.’”
“Celica you’re still such a dork…” Trying to sheepishly hide a smirk, Reyna turned to admire a row of trees that resembled figs, their verdant leaves dancing in the breeze. “Your mom is a sucker for myths and legends.”
“That’s funny coming from the scaredy cat who refused to patrol the sewers because a ‘dragon ghost’ might eat her.” Celica retorted, a somewhat smug smile on her face. Both women began laughing, clearly having shared quite a long history together.
Senna was about to ask how long the pair had been friends, but her curiosity was cut short, as she was awestruck by the beauty of Lunen district. The campus that lay out before them felt more akin to a forest than a city; grassy lawns were lined with various flora amidst a sea of trees. Moss covered buildings towered between the lanes, somehow blending naturally with the environment around them.
The entire space felt surreal; plucked out of someone’s ethereal imagination and planted into reality. Somehow the buildings felt simultaneously modern and archaic, but somehow there was a tangible sense that this space was being borrowed from nature, on loan so long as it was respected. Intersection lanes were only broken up by a fountain or seating area for pedestrians.
Snapping out of her daze, Senna realized that dozens of people were moving between the lanes, most of them heading out of sight at the end of a far lane. A number of teenagers that looked to be around her own age were walking with their family or parents, most of them in a uniform that was nearly identical to her own. Conversations filled the air like music as the crowd swelled the further down the path they traveled.
Their path converged alongside several others onto a large avenue that rounded a corner. At the end, Brydelgard Academy loomed. Massive wrought iron doors connected to brick walls, covered in ivy and vibes swung open. The gates themselves each held a half of a dragon in the ironwork, one not unlike the archway their group had passed by earlier.
On either side of the road, adults wearing crimson jackets over a white button up shirts, black slacks, and wearing berets lined the path. The design of the uniform was identical to Senna’s and the other students, but she could assume that the colors indicated that these were staff or teachers. Multiple families nodded or waved to many of them, in return receiving equally warm greetings.
After passing the first pair, a voice rang out in the crowd towards the trio.
“Ravager Lorenz! Nightstalker Bristlethorn!”
A wide-eyed staff member rushed over to the trio and gave a deep bow to them.
“Please, please! The formalities aren’t necessary!” Celica’s cheeks flushed at the attention, waving her hands quickly to avoid attention to herself. Reyna shot a look over her shoulder, feigning ignorance as if it was a case of mistaken identity. Several bystanders looked over, eyes bright at the mention of the names.
As the faculty member rose from their bow, they extended a hand towards a mildly shell-shocked Senna who was still standing between the pair. He was an elven man with much of his hair pulled up into a long ponytail, the left side braided elaborately. His eyes were the most brilliant azure blue she had ever witnessed, their gaze somewhat mesmerizing.
“And I presume you’re Senna, daughter of the Iron Rose ravagers Celica and Petrus?” Beaming at Senna, who by now looked like a deer in headlights.
Her thoughts screaming to remind her of some of the formal etiquette she had been learning, she took his hand with both hands.
“Yes, I am Senna Lorenz, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Giving a small bow in return.
“Let us personally escort the three of you onto the grounds, if you would allow us the opportunity!”
Mother and daughter alike paled at the attention, while the tawny haired catgirl let out a laugh and nudged Celica forward.