In all the Known History, there have always been four Training Grounds in the Land of Man: one for each of the Cornerstone City-Fortresses built on the borders of the Kingdom of Alvalar.
These ancient institutions were constructed and raised upon the four winds that governed the Second Realm: Bassine from the north; Trissine from the west; Exine from the east; and Cessine from the south.
All were a critical part of Man's traditions and history.
As mandated, children all throughout the Cessine City-Fortress had to attend the basics of the Training Grounds the very moment they acquired their first mana contract. This was more imposed strictly during the times of war.
Mainly because of the ladderized system of level acquisition; discrimination of age, gender or social distinction from classes to lectures were never observed. This was also due to the strict metronomic standards of each grounds. A person's ability measures one’s standing inside the curricula, with no exceptions.
However it was a known reality that all bearers of Higher Bloods possess an undeniable edge compared to the Common Houses, hence the privileges were still mostly handed to the upper societal strata despite the almost unbiased rankings practiced within the Training Grounds.
Because of this, competitive spirit became instilled into the trainees. This was even more apparent at the common houses and shades who wanted to catch the eyes of the Banner Nobility.
The color of banner was not merely a hierarchical, but also showed the role of each houses:
The Honorary Banner of White, the Knighthood Banner of Bronze, the Fiefdom Banner of Silver, and the most sought after---the High Banners of Gold.
----------------------------------------
Deep azure eyes studied the combat field. There were still plenty of time before the start of the Test of Affinity, and Simos could already feel himself slowly relax at the familiar place.
Built in an open clustered dome of Runsaerine metalwork and stone masonry, the Battle Ground's First Arena could already be said to be the biggest and most lavished stadium in the Cessine Training Grounds.
Red carpets stretched towards the railings, and the walls were decorated with predominantly crimson tapestries, masterfully embroidered with various hunting scenes and artistic depictions of man's triumph over mythic manabeasts, orkans and demons.
As if drawn, his gaze ventured to the circular rim, floored with black pristine granite. The tiles must be newly shipped from the vulcan regions. He would know. Afterall, he himself had personally broken some of them, accidentally of course.
“It's been a long time since I've used this place for my sword practice,” the young novice muttered to himself. Simos began to wonder if he could ask Sir Elivor for a practice match after the event. No trainee could use the First Arena during the Blaze Vacation and Simos couldn't wait to hear from the Knight Order Paladin again.
Or he could just bring President Aryan with him. Afterall, the President of the Battle Ground's Squires had the jurisdiction over all training facilities under this ground, though that would end up with him fighting a third-circle Sudrine Swordmage.
Before he knew it, his mind was already daydreaming of strategies to beat or to avoid getting beaten by strong people and a smile appeared on his face.
Simos lithely moved across the guard railing to find his seat on a corner not yet crowded by novices. The growing conversations and lively chatters drifted across the crowding trainees.
There was no predetermined seating arrangement; yet for some reason, the audience stand had been divided into two groups.
The closest to the guard railings had all been occupied by the beginners and novices batch. Only the trimmed crest shows their difference where the beginners have none.
Apprentices, on the other hand, seated themselves on the uppermost deck for the Scholars Grounds, the Artisans, and the Crafters. But for some reason, the more luxurious gallery boxes had all been occupied by the smallest of the groups and clearly the most intimidating--the apprentices belonging to the Holy Grounds, the Maegus and the notorious Battle Grounds.
This was a common arrangement, partly since the young ones were the most excitable bunch and were anxiously looking forward to the Test of Affinity, which could also be considered as the novice entrance examination. But somehow the place where Simos was sitting has all been hushed.
Every single one of them was staring at the golden-haired boy. And those that didn't would still offer a fleeting glance every now and then.
Simos was still very much a novice, barely thirteen moons, but the atmosphere around him was already vastly different from the children his own age.
Tall, even compared to the apprentices, Simos looked back to check if he was hindering anyone's sight, and was surprised to see that several empty seats had already accumulated all around him.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
He scanned the faces of the children around him and was greeted by averting eyes. And those that didn't would still offer a fleeting glance every now and then.
They can't even look at me? Simos almost choked back the tears, not realizing the blushing cheeks and flustered eyes of the girls that he has looked at seconds ago.
His ramrod straight back became more prominent as he stiffened, and his ever-present smile became forced. As far as Simos could remember, he had never bothered with how his peers (novices) have viewed him. He was never been approached casually by any of his batchmates before. And after he began receiving his accelerated mentorship, the occurrences where he spoke with them became nil. He hardly remembered their faces.
Even so, Simos had never really been alone either. Invitations from different Grounds came commonly. He was, afterall, taking advance-level classes so it was unavoidable to be more acllimated with the apprentices instead, even with the level gap. Just this morning, the head of Battle Grounds requested his presence to the gallery boxes, but Simos declined.
He has yet to accept the rights to enter the Battle Grounds, and he felt it would be disrespectful for his fellow students who work hard for their position. Despite the obvious advantage, Simos has always been a stickler to protocol and propriety.
Dismissing the sting of being an outcast to his own batch, Simos resumed his survey to the arena hoping his sister and Aiven would not get lost.
Being surrounded by unoccupied seats when the whole place was packed to the brim was straining his mental fortitude.
The sudden change on his expression as he adopted a brave face only made him look mature and composed. And the sound of admiration soon followed. Whenever someone tried to approach him, a considerable pressure could be felt. Pressure from his admiring fans, and pressure from the reality that Simos was on a level that they could never ever reach.
That was the consensus the children have shared from the very beginning. Even the normal seed of jealousy would be immediately eradicated from the overwhelming brightness that the young lord and heir of Canary Gold possessed.
----------------------------------------
This time, when Simos tried to look over his shoulder, it was because of the sudden shift in the air. Frowning, it took a second before he saw a mana circle, glowing with mana, suddenly crisscrossing under his feet.
Someone activated magic outside the Maegus Grounds, and the bewildered look on Simos’s own face showed that he was not the spellcaster.
The alarming confusion spread instantaneously and those that were fast enough were starting to run. As quickly as it manifested, the circle dissipated and the air space on top of the boy warped.
Delica and Aiven, clearly disoriented from the teleportation spell, anticlimactically popped out of thin air.
Seeing the profile of his sister, Simos reflexively reached out his arms and smoothly caught the falling lady. He did so without further embarrassing herself and in a way that none of her more private articles were seen. It was executed so cleanly, one would have thought Simos has done it before--which actually he had, on all too many occasions.
Aiven however was not that fortunate. When the ground beneath him was gone and the pull of gravity indicated that he would face plant himself at the stand's cold hard floor, he made a second late adjustment in mid-air and tried to at least be able to somersault and see himself seated at the soft padding of a chair.
However, Aiven's rotation was off. He did at least find himself at the one of the empty chairs, only in a comically backwards position with his legs flailing in the air.
"Great timing brother! I knew you would be able to save us some seats. Did it start yet?” Delica asked, giving her brother a pat before she slowly moved to her feet. She smoothed her dress and was casually starting a conversation as if she didn't just made a huge commotion at the audience's stand.
“No, the participants should be at the reception. I haven't seen Miss Leian though.” Simos answered, just as calm without even commenting on the flashy and unorthodox entrance of his sister. Still, he did follow up with a simple question, “anyway Delica, last time I checked it was against the grounds' rules to use magic.”
“Ehhh?" she pouted adorably, her face defiant, "but it's just a teleportation circle, everyone use them all the time so I'm clear!" she justified.
Not that magic was prohibited, it’s just the use of magic was strictly implemented only within lecture and combat areas, that was aside from teleportation magic (the teachers had demanded its use, and those more adept would scare the students out of habit).
But to use a specific-trace-location teleportation magic would be tremendously draining. Not to mention linking a moving object as a destination point and with two loads congruent, huge mana reserve was needed and the magic circle needed to be memorized was convoluted with runes.
Compared to it the use of Teleportation Gates streamed all over the Training Grounds as a way of transport was preferable. By the time of activation, you could use [Flight] or [Haste] if one was really in a rush and brave enough to ignore the regulations.
But looking at Delica, it was clear that there was no sign of mana exhaustion or even a tiny drop of sweat from her pleased face.
Simos' concern must have shown on his face since she waved her hand lazily, "Don't worry, it's Aiven's scroll so it's fine, it's fine," said Delica and she excitedly motioned for her brother to sit beside her.
Seeing Aiven already occupying the one on her left, Simos politely overlooked his friend and simply took the other side. They continued discussing the disadvantages of warping the spatial planes.
The novices and beginners resumed their own conversations, albeit with pair’s names included.
“Isn't that Lady Delica and Lord Simos of Canary Gold? I thought they would be at the Squire's or the Neophyte's quarters?”
“Wait, so it was young lady Delica. Isn't she a genius who could pronounce the entire spells at the Basic Compedium of Aetherial Runes?”
“The girl? You serious? That was more than three hundred rune spells!”
“Oh lucky! I didn't know they would be here! He was the prodigy who produced a
“Did you see his fight during the Banner Tourney? Second tier swordsmanship, I tell you! He is the youngest in the participants!”
“He even dueled with the Commander of the Royal Guards during our field visit!”
“Too bad he was born late. He could have made a grand career at the last Demon War.”
The growing chatter turned to gossips. Aiven must have been listening since his head was turned a little from the stand.
Simos saw him dusted a few leaves from his uniform and no one commented on the boy's blunder and simply ignored his existence, which doesn't seem to bother his friend.
“Hey Aiven. It's been a long time. How's vacation?”
“Yo...Simos,” Aiven replied in a flat emotionless voice.
Simos felt a massive change in the atmosphere, but couldn't pinpoint the cause.