The sun rose upon Phoenix academy, showing a splendid building reminiscent of a castle. Along with the giant courtyard, it took a huge chunk out of its city, but since the academy ruled the place, who could object?
This is where teens and young adults gathered from every nook and cranny of the empire to study under the best. This is where heroes and legends were formed. And as was tradition, on this glorious day, these future legends and heroes looked exhausted as heck.
Minus a few nobles and those with some serious backing, the vast majority of applicants looked like they hadn't slept in a week. There were countless guards within the city, so they could finally relax. But, there had been little time to do so and the fancy rings they had received upon entry did nothing to lift their mood.
‘Around 5000 people,’ Finn estimated. ‘Perhaps we were lucky to have arrived late.’
Finn remembered the last group they fought and how many more there could have been if they came earlier.
“Natalie honey, drop the rake please,” pleaded Michael.
“Why?” the girl snorted. “After all we’ve been through, I’m keeping this as a souvenir.”
In the crowd of martial artists, potential mages, and scholars, to say their tattered group stood out was an understatement. Most teens found the time to wash themselves before showing up. It was also customary to leave your weapons in the dorm for the ceremony, except...
“She brought a rake,” people giggled, “a freaking rake.”
“Peasants,” the nobles scoffed while the clergy took one look at their blood-covered clothes and immediately despised them.
Finally, the doors of a large balcony opened on the castle’s third floor, and a woman in her 80s made her grand entrance. She was hunched over and used a cane to keep steady. She wore a red robe with flowing patterns, had a red parrot on her shoulders, and hid what was left of her gray hair behind a kerchief.
“Welcome,” she muttered while grabbing the balcony for support.
Immediately, the entire crowd became silent.
“Do you hear her too?” asked a puffy eyed Tommy.
“Yes.” Annie, who had been resting on his back, woke up.
“I am Madam Isabella, and you will address me as such.” The old woman’s voice was crooked and she coughed often, but somehow, everyone could hear her clearly as if she was talking near their ears. “This is Phoenix,” she pointed at her parrot. “You will treat him with respect."
The careless bird jumped onto the balcony. It squawked like only a parrot can, and Madam Isabella passed the noises into the crowd’s mind. Some chuckled and some girls said “Awww.”
Then suddenly, the bird burst into flames. A pillar of fire rose out of its body, so thick it engulfed the entire balcony and so tall it surpassed the academy’s tallest tower. It then disappeared just as abruptly, revealing the unscathed old woman and the red parrot scratching its beak.
‘So that’s why most walls looked charred,’ Finn raised an eyebrow.
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“You will treat him with respect,” the old woman repeated, “or he will eat you.”
Murmurs spread around the crowd like wildfire. Wizard apprentices had looks of awe while the fighters looked terrified.
“Silence!” a man shouted from a tower far away to Madam Isabella’s right. He was dressed in a black suit and sported a massive mustache.
‘Most likely a teacher.’
“Ha, he didn’t have the balls to share a balcony,” Michael laughed.
“Keep quiet,” whispered Annie, looking unusually serious. Her eyes were fixed on Madam Isabella and her parrot, and a deep frown was forming between them.
“Ahem,” the old lady swallowed some spit. “We will now begin the first test.”
The crowd exploded with objections.
“Silence!” the mustached teacher repeated.
Suddenly, the parrot caught fire once more and the crowd stilled. The unusual bird took flight, becoming larger and larger until a giant flaming dragon took form. Even though it was more than 300 feet above Finn’s head, it was like the sun had descended upon the academy.
Some of the students got instant heat stroke and collapsed while the mustached teacher retreated into his tower. Fortunately, the creature landed peacefully on the academy, embracing the entire castle with its giant body.
“Do not interrupt me again.” The message was loud and clear. Finn and even Annie were sweating profusely. Looking at the palace that was somehow not melting, the boy could only conclude that even its bricks were magical.
“The first test will be individual combat,” Madam Isabella explained. “You will compete against each other in one of the many disciplines this academy offers.
You will be paired together at random, and you can duel as many times as you want until you lose. Once you lose, the competition is over. At the end of the examination, the ones with at least 10 victories, signified by the 10 rings you will have gathered, will move on to the next round.”
‘So, others can earn the rings for you,’ Finn deducted immediately. He had expected and prepared for such a system ever since Miss Martha mentioned teamwork. ‘So, is it a free for all, or...’
“We will start with the fighting classes since they are the most numerous. Today, we will test the spearmen and the archers. Everyone else may retreat to their dorms. A pamphlet with your exam date will be delivered by evening.”
“Yes!” Michael and Natalie hugged each other. “We get to rest.”
“Let’s go,” sighed Finn. “We need to sign up.” ‘With our luck, we may not find any rooms.’
However, as Finn raised his eyes, he realized that no one was walking, and they were all looking at him.
“Finn, you’re an archer, aren’t you?”
The boy paused for a second before shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it,” he tapped Tommy’s shoulder. “I have a plan.”
The dorms were within Phoenix city, and they were mostly occupied. The group spent hours crossing each block only to hear: “We’re full, but come back tomorrow, and there will definitely be some vacancies.”
“Shit, crap, piss,” Michael cursed something new with every step he took.
“We’ll sleep on the streets...” Natalie cried on Annie’s shoulder.
Tommy walked in silence, and Finn took note of the open stores and merchants. ‘Money, money, money, mooney...’
With a newfound song and skip in his step, Finn led the group to the final dorm in the city.
“We have one room with one bed and one bathroom.”
“We’ll take it!” the teens almost blew the receptionist's ears off.
It took ages for all of them to wash, and there was still the matter of their bloodied clothes. But, for a few precious hours, for one blissful night, they were safe.
Early next morning, the receptionist dropped by and handed them a pamphlet. Seeing it, Finn’s eyes glowed, Annie shrugged, and the other three clenched their fists.
[Day two: Swords and Hand to Hand]
“We’re first,” said Tommy. He showed Annie a determined expression, but the girl seemed confused.
“Want to bet on who gathers more rings?” Natalie grinned.
Last night’s sleep had done wonders for everyone’s vitality. All three fighters left in a cheerful state, while Finn stayed behind and made plans.
“What are you thinking?” Annie asked, noticing he was fidgeting while grinning to himself. Startled, the boy averted his eyes.
“What?” Annie insisted. “What’s going on?”
Finn looked at her and then at the ceiling, then at her and then at the door. Eventually, he couldn’t help it anymore, and with a child’s excitement, he said:
“I’m just putting it out there, but... how much do you think one of those rings could sell for?”