The seal was cast in white wax glittering with golden flecks. A bird animating wisdom - an ibis with outspread wings - glided over the fortress of Sol, where the academy, treasury, and seat of power were located. Around it was an inscription: 'Academiae Regiae Magicae'. Ibis, the academy often used to send messages, and every self-respecting professor possessed this bird as a familiar. The golden envelope contained a folded letter with the handwritten signature of the Academy's Head Researcher. This indicated the seriousness of the situation: if it had been an ordinary message it would probably have contained only a stamp, which the Chief Secretary and her two deputies were authorised to use. From the content of the letter, it was clear that Stella was to meet the Head in person and to do so...

“Immediately,” Burbled the girl.

“What could it be about?” She wondered as she traversed the wide corridors of the Academy's west wing. To her right and left flashed tall marble columns topped with fanciful finials in the form of wind gusts and sundials. To her left were tall windows overlooking the capital. The academy was located in the Fortress of Sol - situated on the highest hill in the entire city, a complex consisting of the academy, the treasury including the Army headquarters, and the Palace of the Sun - the seat of government. It was here that meetings and debates deciding the fate of the entire kingdom was held. It was both overwhelming and also filled the inhabitants of the capital with pride. The height of the fortress and its enormity could sometimes give one a headache. It was truly a symbol of the power of the Elven Kingdom, just like Sol itself. In the tall slender windows, one could see the most beautiful central part of the capital. Thousands of white townhouses glistening in the sunlight surrounded the fortress. They looked like ranks of great tusks of a huge, majestic predator. On each of the four sides of the world, the fortress was surrounded by circular squares - these were markets. Each square had its own name and purpose. There was the northern market, known as the Aqua Forum, where a wide range of artists sold their works, from painters, sculptors, and designers to iconographers, writers, or those who offered performances of various kinds: puppets, theatre... The eastern market, known as the Terra Forum, is where craft and raw material transactions take place, where you can buy bales of wool or a clay jug, but also a new weapon or a pack of nails. The southern market, the Ignis Forum, is all sorts of magical items such as crystals, potions, amulets, magical weapons... there are also quite a few magical bookshops and a few pyrotechnic workshops using magic. The last western market - Ventum Forum - Administration and Representation - all matters related to law are dealt with here, so we have law offices, courts, embassies, also for representatives of other elven cities, various offices are located here too and even tourist information points. The Wind Garden is also located within its boundaries. The Wind Garden is a popular meeting place, a vast expanse of greenery where some of the plants are said to have been planted by the first Ventuans. Once upon a time, there was a wind worship centre on its grounds, but when the population ceased to believe in the elementals, the religious buildings, monuments, and shrines fell into disrepair, and the only remnant of the former worship at the site is the tradition of scattering the ashes of the dead here. Nowadays, it is mainly used for recreation and by officials for representation purposes. From the windows in the corridor that Stella walked along, there was a view of the Ventum Forum. One could see a large cylindrical block towering over the square, this was the Grand Court.

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

Stella was already halfway to the office of the Head Researcher when suddenly one of the doors on her right opened. Two girls in academic uniforms emerged from the classroom, both of whom were Stella's age. One of them - the taller one - was blonde, and a silver pin in the shape of an elongated wing was fastened to her long loose hair. She had a slender nose and blue irises. Her figure may have been indicative of her membership in one of the sports clubs, as she was slim and had well-defined muscles particularly visible on her exposed legs. The other girl was shorter and was a brunette. The fringe of her short straight hair almost covered the round-rimmed glasses set on her nose. It was not easy to see the dark green in her glasses-covered eyes. Apart from being distinguished from the blonde by her short height, the girl was more full-figured.

“Tifa! Nel! Hi girls!” Exclaimed Stella cheerfully.

“Oh, hello Stella!” Replied the taller of the girls, “Nel and I were just practising our theory on source location, we didn't think we'd meet you here.”

“I got a new paper from Professor Church today on an enumeration of alternative source-finding techniques, maybe you'd like to read it?” Nel said shyly, “It's really interesting!”

“Thanks, Nel, maybe I'll stop by this afternoon to pick it up. I can't right now, I have an urgent matter to attend to.”

“Huh? What's the matter? You look a bit irritated,” Tifa remarked, looking at her friend with slight concern.

“Ah. I got a call from the Head.”

“From the Head?! Uh-oh! I hope it's not about that situation in the alchemy lesson a week ago,” Tifa called out.

“Argh! Don't even remind me. Besides, it's definitely not about that! It was an accident and no one was hurt!”

“But Mr. Richard got hurt badly. He lost a wing!” Nel protested.

“Nel, do you realise that Mr. Richard is a duck and a stuffed one at that?” She said looking at her with a blank stare.

“I don't understand what difference it makes, Mrs. Evergreen, as soon as she saw him she shouted the whole time, ‘Richard! Richard! Oh my god Richard!’” Replied Nel heavily accenting Mrs. Evergreen's statement.

“Argh!” Cried Stella furiously. Well, you're right. This could have ended much worse and Mr. Richard really is a great hero - he took in all the energy of the explosion,” Nel took to her sides and nodded, Tifa covered her face with her hands and looked through her fingers at her friend amusedly.

“Who would have thought that the drake would be protected by a magic-absorbing spell?” She stated more than asked Stella.

Tiffany just shrugged her shoulders with a smile and said:

“Okay. Nel and I are going to wash up. We'll wander around Aqua for a bit. Why don't you join us later?”

“Hmm... I don't know how long it'll take me to talk to the Head, but I'll send you a plume if you need it.”

“Good. And Stella?”

“Yes?”

“Hang in there!”

“Of course!”

“I hope it's nothing serious, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!” Nel joined in.

“Thanks, Nel!” She gave her friend a sincere smile and hugged them both goodbye.

“See you, girls, later!”

“Hi, Stella!” Tifa replied

“Bye!” Added Nel and together with Tifa they set off down the corridor in the opposite direction.

Stella looked behind her friends once more, turned towards the corridor at the end of which was the headmaster's office, sighed deeply, and moved on.