Chapter 9: Orientation

Sakura

The sun had risen, I had showered and dressed for the day, and was ready outside when Rayce appeared at my elbow.

“How was your vacation yesterday?” He asked, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “Father was annoyed, but mother understood. After she finished panicking thinking you had been kidnapped by one of our new ‘countrymen.”

“It was fun. I met this old witch woman, and listened a lot to the conversations of passersbys. Did you know that the western duchy is considered to be—” I was interrupted as Vaush gently pushed us both out of the way. We had been standing on the steps watching as the crowd gathered.

My face burned as students from our dormitory rushed past us to meet up with friends or family in the courtyard. “It is impolite to stand in the corridors other people use, just to talk.” Vaush said, suppressing a laugh. “Come, your orientation group is ready.”

Vaush pointed to where a group of other first years were gathering together. One older student nearly as tall as Vaush, but built like a twig, held a small sign that showed the same relief that was plastered on our front door. A lotus in full bloom, seen from above.

“First year remedial students, over here!” The skinny older student said as he lifted his sign higher in the air.

“Remedial?” Rayce asked as we began making our way through the crowd towards our group. “We’re anything but remedial. I could probably take half these students at once, and barely break a sweat. Most haven't gotten past low Iron.”

“Remember young master you’re in remedial theory classes.” Vaush said, cutting off my brothers complaining. “Though you will have an opportunity to be tested for placement in higher practical courses, both of you were shown to need remedial instruction on western theory.”

“Why?” Rayce complained again. “Westerners don't even understand chie properly. How can we learn anything from these teachers?” I gave him a sharp look, and I found Vaush doing likewise. “I’m sure they’re adequate for their roles in western society. But I doubt they would match master Zeih Tean, or Manao.”

“Mistress Manao has already expressed an interest in teaching at this school once she finishes making the trek.” I said, annoyed. “Show respect to these teachers. They are taking the time and effort to instruct us on their culture and traditions of the dao. It is the least we can do to listen and show respect for their efforts.”

Vaush smiled. “Listen to your sister's wisdom.”

Rayce went quiet as we joined the group of remedial students. A familiar face quickly joined.

“Hi Sakura,” Landar said, an uneasy expression on his face. “Uh . . . sorry about what happened earlier. Between our companions that is.”

“Nothing happened but scuffed shells, and raised fur. Our companions' prides are the only thing that needs healing.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Still, thanks for keeping things calm. Aurora isn’t used to all this yet.” I gave him a curious expression and he continued. “Oh, that’s the name of my frost wolf spirit. Aurora.” His expression became distracted, and then pained. “Quiet down you. Sorry,” He tapped the side of his head. “Still not used to her being in here yet. She’s . . . not happy about how things went.”

“I would think not. A wolf's pride is one of the few truly dangerous things about them.” Rayce said haughty. “At least my hounds know how to heed their master.”

I nearly rolled my eyes at that. Rex barely listened to him, more often than not scolding my brother for behavior Rex thought was dishonorable.

“Yeah, let's drop it. She’s likely to start biting things and . . .” I saw a familiar feral glint in Landars eyes. His own pride, and protectiveness had reared its head. “Anyway, let's leave it there. Yeah?”

“I agree.” I gave Rayce the harshest glare I could muster. One I had nearly perfected during our time at the sect school. “You’re being rude brother.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll play nice,” he raised his hands in defeat and gave Landar his signature winning smile. “It's good to meet you.” The two clasped wrists and shook hands.

“Good to meet you too. So, you have dogs?”

The two boys began discussing canine companionship, with Rayce giving Landar as many tips as he could. Both about what he had learned about raising a spirit companion, and about dogs.

Personally, I had always been more of a cat person. The conversation bored me and quickly I found my attention elsewhere. Watching the rest of the remedial students. They were a mash up of non-traditional students. A few of them were older, nearly middle aged. While others were much younger.

“Your attention please, remedials.” The senior student said, we turned our attention to him. “My name is Tosh. Your retinues have their own orientation, and will meet you after the tour of the facility back here in the main courtyard.” Tosh gave Vaush a slight bow. “Over there, my lord.” He pointed towards where a large group of men and women, all older, some warriors some servants and other walks of life had gathered on the very far end of the courtyard.

Several other guards left their charges and made their way towards the orientation. Vaush folded his arms and remained exactly where he was.

“Let me assure you my lord, your charges are in the safest place they could be right now. We have seven archwizards, twenty five peak warriors, and half a dozen of the nations finest clerics guarding and patrolling the area. Anything short of a level twenty demi-god is going to have a nearly impossible time even getting in here, let alone threatening your charges.”

Vaush glanced at the other group, then shook his head. A sign that Tosh took to mean it was a good time for him to move on. Which he promptly did.

“First on the agenda, is the tour of all of the classrooms that will be applicable to you all. Then, we will meet back here, pick up your guards and servants, and attend the first assembly where you will all be given basic instruction in your mind spirit integration. After that, it will be lunch time, followed by a meet and greet with each of your teachers. Now. Do any of you have any questions? No? Amazing, let's get going first stop is my favorite place on campus. The library!”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

***

The library lived up to the hype. The shelves were full of scrolls and books and they reached nearly three stories tall. A second balcony floor had to be installed to allow students to reach books so high up.

“This is the main level of the library. There are nine floors, and each floor you will find greater magic texts, and more dangerous concepts to try and apply your magical might to. Right now, you all simply need to remember that when you come here, you need to bring your school identification card.” Tosh lifted a wooden card that was lacquered and magically enchanted to glow. His name was visible alongside a nearly perfectly rendered image of him smiling.

“You’ll need it in order to check out perhaps the most important thing, at least to those of you interested in magic that you can use the library for. Checking out Spell Guides.”

The second place we came to was the medical wing. It was filled with row after row of medical beds with clean white sheets. A few beds had older students in them with injuries that were still healing. But those we saw would heal with enough bedrest and time.

What intrigued me the most was the fact that the attendees were not physicians by trade, but rather were members of one of two religious organizations known as the Grey and Blue Priesthoods. Their orders were bent towards service to their people, and many of their acolytes were stationed here to learn their healing arts.

It shocked me when I saw the woman who was supposed to be the head surgeon among them with a slave collar around her neck.

They must not value their priests and priestesses very much, I thought as I examined the woman with a critical eye.

“It's not what you think,” A young woman in a gray robe said, when she caught me staring at her blue robed counterparts. The woman touched her neck, which was bare of the collar. “There was an attempted rebellion a few years ago, and the collars the blues wear are a symbol and an attempt at repentance through contrition. Don’t be afraid to ask them, they’ll happily tell you if you want to know more. But they’re not slaves.” The woman smiled at me and I found myself returning the gesture.

I bowed slightly, “Thank you for the instruction. I found it odd that so many clearly high ranking healers would heed the words of one with such a collar. But if it is a sign of faith, that makes some sense.”

Even back in the Jade Empire I hadn’t had much interaction with priests and shamans. But it wasn’t uncommon to see them wearing some pretty outlandish things. Their jobs had largely been to tame or placate the powerful natural spirits and spirit beasts that inhabited the land. Rayce for instance had studied spirit taming under the priests of the spirits that inhabited the peaks on Gamera’s shell. They had taught him how to care for his hounds, and what to expect from them.

Here it seemed, the priests and shamans held a role that involved more direct service to their people.

Next Tosh took us underground into a circular corridor surrounding a large open area where students prepared gear, mingled, ate food, read, and did other random things. “This is the common room. All dorms have access here. Along the outside of the corridor you will see metal doors leading into individual rooms. These are the testing and mana regeneration cells.” Tosh explained as he walked us around the corridor.

There were dozens of rooms with thick steel doors. The doors were reinforced with dozens of potent spells and the layout of the rooms and the central court yard made up a powerful grounding chie formation that would take any magic or chie that leaked from the rooms and shunt it deep into the earth.

“In these cells you will practice spells, learn to meditate on your studies, and practice your mana regeneration skills.” Tosh pointed towards a pair of staircases leading further down into the ground. “You will not need to go to lower floors until at least your second year, or unless given explicit instructions by a professor. The lower cells are shielded to an even greater degree, and have permanent summoning circles available for any non-first year students. Again, to use them as a first year you will need explicit permission.”

“They practice summoning here?” Rayce asked, confused. “That's somewhat obscure isn't it?”

“Our people value contracts with spirits and spirit beasts from this realm, young master.” Vaush explained. “But many who walk the dao in other lands do not place such a high value on permanent contracts. They value temporary, if inferior, relationships that are easily formed and broken. Often summoning beings from outside our realm. Crossing into our world these beings become ephemeral things. But a true master of a summoning path can conjure an army on a whim, or beings so powerful even a sliver of their true forms can shake mountains and lay cities low.”

“It's also a practice of pure mana,” I chimed in. I had looked into summoning when I had been trying to find a way to bind with a crystalline eagle before I had bonded with Sky. “So most cultivators don’t often explore it. But Mother knows a few summoning spells. I’ve seen her conjure earth elementals a few times to help the gardeners or to carry heavy things.”

“Now follow me to the Enhancement Field.” Tosh led us around to a large set of double doors opposite of the staircase we walked down initially. The doors opened, and a powerful wind hit the group. It was cold, almost as cold as the silver lord's mountain had been.

I cycled chie lazily through my body and quickly the sensation of cold vanished. Others in the group however, were far less lucky.

“Welcome to the Enhancement Field” Tosh said as he ushered us all onto a small platform with seating that overlooked the field. When he saw one of the smaller members of our tour group pulling out a cloak, he winced. “My apologize I forget sometimes that this group has yet to learn to keep themselves worm with mana. Here, let me help.”

He waived his hands, and mana swirled around his palms. After a few moments the spell released and it felt almost like a bright spring day. Save for the snow falling.

The field itself was not a single field, but in dozens of them. All organized into five sets of five fields, each separated by low stone walls. The entire Enhancement Field was located on a massive outcropping of the massive stone foundation that the rest of the academy was built on and inside of, and beyond it I could see the rooftops of the dense housing in the commoner section of the city.

While closer in were the clean wide marble like streets that cut between large walled estates of the high and mid level nobility. Some more dense row houses, made of the best materials money could buy ran along the wall, providing ample living space for the lower nobility and their families.

I turned my gaze back to the individual fields. Some of them were rock and stone, barren of life save the students who were using the fields to test new spells against breakable rocks, that were repaired by the spells and spirits of the place almost as quickly as they were broken. Others were rich with life, as mages attuned to nature mana maintained passive spells.

One that I found particularly interesting showed a young warrior dancing with wind spirits on stone pillars as thin as his footsteps that were in nearly constant motion. His sword cut through stones that the playful elementals tossed at him as if they were enemies, and even over the rest of the chaotic din I could hear the crack, crack, crack! Of the stones as he cut them to pieces.

“There are twenty five fields. Five are reserved for each year to use on a first come first serve basis. The other five, on the far end there” he pointed towards a set of five fields that were nothing but blank slate stone. “Are reservable fields. They are slightly larger and more robust then the others, and are designed for team training or if you get strong enough higher level use. Know that some classes will hold their practical exams and lessons here as well.”

Someone raised their hand. A little girl who I thought was perhaps far too young, even younger than I had been when I first started to learn cultivation, to be here. She was maybe seven or eight years old and was accompanied by someone who I assumed was an older sister.

“Yes, Lady Naga. Do you have a question?” Tosh gestured to the young girl and she nodded with more stately air than I thought an eight year old should have. It unnerved me.

“Yes young man, thank you. These fields you are showing us, I believe I detect that they are self repairing.”

Tosh bowed slightly and smiled down at the young girl. “Yes, they are meant to allow you to test new spells, abilities, and skills as well as train as a team once you have those organized. But that probably won’t take place until the second half of the year. Anyone else have any questions?”

Seeing no one else raising their hands, I decided to.

“Yes, Lady Gamera?”

“May we test it today?”

“Well, we were meant to tour the classroom building. Then we have to go to the practical rooms in the basement . . . “ He looked at the papers in his hands and shuffled through them. “But it looks like all of your classes will be on the bottom floor of the classroom building so that saves us a lot of time actually.”

Tosh’s grin grew broad. “Which means, we can! And in the best way too. For you see, the fields are also used for student duals.”