The rest of the ride to the Academy was in silence, Eric spending the time staring out at the passing countryside. When the carriage started to slow, he leaned over the wagon’s side to see the delay. To his surprise, they had reached the gates of a walled city, the flat grey wall extending in either direction across the plains ahead of them. Small horse and donkey-drawn wagons were pulling to the side of the roads as they passed, the serf’s driving them looking away as they gave way.

Even with their command of the road, it still took time for the animal-drawn wagons to turn off and let them through.

“What’s the name of the city?” asked Eric as he turned to Terry.

“That’s the Academy,” came the perfunctory answer.

Turning to stare at the brooding youth, Eric exclaimed, “What? The whole thing?”

Terry smiled and leaned in towards Eric, shooting a conspiratorial look to the other boys.

“The Academy is where the nobles and merchant families send their children. So they have to be protected. Can’t have some attacker killing their kids, right? Since we’re kind of near the border here, they just made it one of the major defensive forts and supply positions. So they house the Academy. Then they get a bunch of soldiers and supplies. Some of the training is building barracks and fortifications -so yeah, after a few centuries, this is what happens. Walls and barricades and what have you,” Terry said, then leaned back and crossed his arms.

While looking back at the wall Eric’s eyes bugged out as he realized that it had to be a couple of hundred feet high in places. The amount of rock and magic required to pile it up over the centuries was massive. Though as they grew closer to the large metal gates, even to Eric’s untrained eyes, he could see issues. There were places where the wall wasn’t vertical but instead sloped up to the top. While it would be a steep climb, it would be by no means impossible. Other areas had rugged outcroppings that hung over the wall as well as places where it looked like the wall had cracked.

His perusal was interrupted by the grumbling halt of the carriage at the gateway. The side opened up, and Lord EarthScorn stepped down, waving over a sweating guard who performed a quick look in the wagon and then gestured the group through. EarthScorn hopped back into this carriage moments later and then rumbled forward into the now cleared road.

Behind them, Eric could see the serf’s scrambling to return to the roadway. Their efforts were not helped by the guards who were now harassing the slower haulers. The academy grounds were as oddly grandiose as it was neglected. The main roadway was smooth and well maintained, but each offshoot they passed had cracked stones and grass growing through. The walls leading along the central boulevard were pinned with banners, which to Eric’s surprise were all of EarthScorns coat-of-arms! Turning around and looking back towards the gates, he could see people quickly pulling up the banners and positioning another in its place.

Eric shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around all the effort involved in making this one pathway to the Academy look pristine and fancy for Lord EarthScorn. It must have taken hundreds of hours of effort to clean and repair the road they would be rolling down, and tens of golds as well. Was all that effort necessary?

None of the other boys seemed to have even noticed the banners and games being played as they kept their heads lowered. Well, except for Terry, who was relaxing with his arms crossed. While he looked relaxed and carefree, it had the air of someone whistling in the dark.

They followed the central boulevard until they reached another set of gates in another large wall. This wall was better maintained and looked designed to stop people, rather than to impress. These guards also did more than take a glance into the wagon. One of them carried a leather-wrapped booklet and approached the carriage, glancing his head in when EarthScorn opened it. He then checked something off in his packet with a charcoal stick and turned to the wagon.

Looking bored, he ran his finger down his packet, then asked, “Names?”

“Eric, Sir,” Eric answered quickly.

He had seen the look of men like this before. No nonsense and busy. They would ignore you if you didn’t cause them problems. The ones that had to be watched for were the ones who puffed up their chests as they performed their duties. They were always willing to use and abuse their petty power to feel better. A couple of the town’s guards liked to crack skulls when the miners got rowdy at the inn.

Nodding, the guard checked something off on his paper and looked to Terry.

“Terry EarthScorn,” Terry said, his nose rising into the air a bit as he said his last name.

Chuckling and shaking his head, the guard checked off another name then turned to the boy that hadn’t said a word for the ride.

“Nat,” the large teen said, his head still down.

Surprising the teen with a smack to the head, the guard barked at him, “No nicks, the trainers will beat that out of you, and if they don’t, then the guards will. You answer the question you’re asked, boy.”

Sullenly the teen stared at the guard and answered in a grumble, “Nathan, sir.”

Sniffing in disdain at the large boy, he then shook his head and looked to the still shackled Rick.

“What’s this now? A fighter or a runner?” the guard asked as he moved up towards the carriage. Lord EarthScorn’s annoyed countenance poked out of the transport at the guard’s raised voice.

“There was a disciplinary issue, but it has been handled. Can we hurry this up? Or will I need to talk to someone about delays?” EarthScorn said as he stomped back into his carriage, the guard checking off the last name and then waving the gateway open.

The inner grounds of the Academy were oddly utilitarian with stone bunker-like buildings with fused quartz windows. Dirt and grass grounds were interspersed with odd structures of stone connected by ropes. One field was clearly a target range, but the backdrop lacked targets and instead had fifteen feet tall cupped stone walls.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The stone wheels slowed and ground to a noisy halt as the carriage approached a large building reminiscent of a cathedral. The side of the carriage dissolved away, and EarthScorn exited, pointing to Mallow to watch the four boys as he entered the wooden double doors.

“Do any of you know how this will work?” Terry asked the other three with a hushed voice.

Not waiting for the other three to answer Terry continued, “We are being enrolled as commoners, without supplies or support. EarthScorn isn’t going to pay for that. So we will have to work to get anything we need beyond the basics. You need to find a noble or a merchant’s kid and make friends. If you are willing to do some of their work, then they will help you out.”

Terry’s advice was cut short as the double doors opened, and EarthScorn exited, followed by a man dressed in a scholar’s robe. As Lord EarthScorn approached, the wagon below the boys dropped towards the ground, flowing like a liquid but still hard where Eric’s hands rested. As the cart lowered, the stone wrapped iron axles rolled to the back of the Lord’s carriage, where it smoothly formed into the large vehicle, smoothing out and connecting into a longer conveyance.

As the teens scrambled to stand, the hay was captured by the now cleared road and pulled under like twigs swallowed by water. The four boys were left with only their clothes and their packs as they stood in a rough jumble facing the administrator.

EarthScorn stepped lightly inside his carriage, and when it closed, the transport continued on the path.

“I am professor NorthSpear. I am a member of the Third Circle and will be in charge of the commoners. You,” he said while looking down on the boys, his glance straying to the soiled clothing of Rick.

NorthSpear was a tall man with jet black hair like most of the nobility. The grey robes he wore had three circles of color along the bottom edge, green, blue, and red. On his hand was a blocky gold ring, the jewelry his only ornamentation.

Staring at the four, he continued, “If you violate a rule, I will be in charge of your punishment. In addition to whatever punishment you receive for your violation, that is.”

“You are here as part of EarthScorn’s levy. You will be taught what is necessary for your work in the army. If your contract is purchased, then you will be transferred to your sponsor’s quarters and will no longer be my burden,” he said while staring down at the four.

“Now. Follow me,” NorthSpear said and turned to walk around the cathedral-like building.

“This is the Main Hall. This is where the administration for the school stay. You are not welcome here. If I find you here, you will be punished.”

Continuing past the building, they followed it until they cut across the short grass and reached another large grey building. This building was more utilitarian than the administration building. The outside was flat grey stone broken up only with small quartz windows and wooden doors.

“This is the female apprentice’s quarters. If you are found inside, you will be executed. There will be no questions asked or excuses accepted,” said the man as he stared at the four who visibly paled at the threat.

Continuing past, they approached a building that was a mirror of the female quarters.

“The male apprentice quarters. You are allowed inside, but if I were you, I would not do so without express permission. Many of those attending have the ear of those on the council.”

Pointing across the field, NorthSpear gestured to a multi-story stone building that was made mostly of clear quartz, the afternoon light glinting off the crystal.

“The Library of the Academy. You will be allowed to access books as class assignments require. Be grateful as it is the largest collection of magical texts except for the council’s private library. On the far side are the lecture halls and the crafting halls. You are not welcome in the crafting halls except by invitation by a sponsor.”

Finally, the group reached a building that matched the apprentice quarters, NorthSpear pulling open the doors and gesturing the group inside.

After walking in a way, Eric startled as the other three made sounds of surprise. He followed there surprised gazed to the ceiling. Running along the hallway were small glowing balls of crystal hanging from the ceiling. Eric’s Knack made the change in light levels irrelevant, so he had been the last to notice the magical lights.

“Now, since one of you has arrived in a… disgusting condition, your first punishment will start now,” NorthSpear said while stepping out the door and slamming them closed.

“In the morning, the door will unlock. Until then, you will be confined to your quarters without food or the use of the facilities. Tomorrow I will let you out. Be glad none of the others have arrived yet. I doubt they would be pleased to smell you all night,” NorthSpear said from beyond the closed doors.

Nathan reached for the doors and tried pulling on them, then shook his head as the door failed to budge. The other three turned away then opened one of the doors which lined the stone hallway. Each entry led to a small room had a ledge of stone equipped with a stuffed pad for sleeping. On one wall was a small alcove for their clothing while the foot of the bed had a shelf. Each of the rooms they checked had the same arrangement, only the last room at the end of the hall failed to open, the door fused to the stone in the same way as the entrance.

Eric tried to cheer himself up and think about how the punishment barely mattered since he had not expected to eat except in the morning. Still, somehow, Rick’s lingering smell made it hard to convince himself. Taking the room closest to the entrance, Eric threw his pack on the pad and reclined on his new bed and tried to settle in for some much-needed sleep.