Olly Briggs

Even the students who were from this world seemed to be in awe of the sight before them. Something about seeing the tunnel network made him feel both very small and very prideful. It was a vast world and he had been given the chance to be apart of the exclusive group of people who could make such fast travel possible.

It boggled his mind. The scale of the distance between the cities was enormous, and yet travelling through a tunnel felt like a short stroll. He could take a tunnel between boroughs in Occaigh and it would only be a minute walk at most. But more curiously, travelling a much greater distance, such as between Occaigh and Donnol, was hardly a minute more. Comprehending the scale seemed impossible, and yet he was going to be one of those responsible for linking points together.

“As you can see, our world is vast and diverse. It’s made up of independent spheroids, linked forever through space and time through our tunnel system. And we're still expanding and finding new spheroids by the day! Without tunnels, there would be no Flexibilis, and you all will play an important part of maintaining this legacy and building the future,” Brandon explained, beckoning them onwards, “Follow me, I’ll show you to the lecture rooms first.”

He led them down one of the four hallways that joined the main atrium. From there, the hallway gave way to even more hallways. Olly didn’t know how he was supposed to figure out his way around this place, and yet Brandon led them around with such confidence and ease.

They reached the end of the hallway where several great wooden doors stood. “This is where the majority of your first year classes will take place. You’ll all be grouped together, barring a few Guild-specific courses. So you will get to know students from the other Guilds. This is to foster collaboration, which is a new process we’ve implemented recently. Since you’ll be working together in the field it’s best to establish a connection early on.”

“I wonder if that’s in response to the collapse?” Olly whispered.

Sarah set her mouth in a thin line. “Could be,” she half-heartedly agreed.

He frowned to himself, his curiosity about her situation was growing.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it as they filed into the nearest lecture room. It matched the ambience of the parts of the Academy that he had seen so far; refined and polished. It was filled with gleaming wooden desks facing the front of the classroom where a podium stood. There were murals adorning the walls, containing imagery such as tunnels connecting diverse civilizations, schematics of a tunnel, and, the one that caught his interest the most, a more lively depiction of the people represented by the two statues outside. They were seated beneath a broad tree, and seemed to be having a high-spirited discussion to a small audience of people before them.

“Were they real people?” Olly asked Brandon, gesturing to the mural with the living human likenesses of the statues.

He gave a light-hearted laugh, “Real as in you and I? Not quite, but they represent the great scholars of our past. While they’re not believed to have been real, living people, they do symbolize the collective of knowledge that we impart on students to this very day. They’re very dear to us, even if they weren’t real people per se.”

“I always liked the difference between them. The scientist seems so calculating, whereas the magician appears almost whimsical,” Sarah chimed in, “I feel on their own they are only half of what they could be, but together they represent a whole.”

“You have a mind for symbolism!” Brandon exclaimed, “You might be interested in taking mythology as an elective course. By studying the myths of the past, one can actually develop a classical way of thinking that translates into real world knowledge. I teach the first year course and I’d invite you to sign up.”

This seemed to perk up Sarah’s mood, and Olly hoped her orientation day wasn’t too dampened by the earlier exchange with the other girl.

They made their way through the building. There was a large, open hall with food being served along one end. Brandon said this was the common hall and anyone could access it at any time to study, meet up with friends, and eat meals during meal times. He also explained that it served as a place where key addresses were delivered or for hosting large celebrations, such as convocations. At the front were four chairs. One was more ornate and bought forward from the other three.

“That’s where the Headmaster sits when an address or event is in session. Currently, Grandmaster Franklin Byrne is the Headmaster, but the four Grandmasters rotate on two year terms,” Brandon explained.

After that, he brought them to the library, which, like the atrium, left Olly in awe of it's grandeur.

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The library's sheer scale, coupled with its architectural magnificence, created an environment that encapsulated the intellectual richness and heritage of the Academy. It's imposing façade displayed grand columns and a monumental entrance. The library's interior was organized around a central nave, and was lined with book shelves stacked so high that rolling ladders were needed to reach the upper levels. The nave was adorned with an ornate wooden ceiling, featuring carvings of elements of science and magic, such as navigational tools and instruments and people wielding them.

Long tables sprawled the length of the room, and older students were already present, studying and working in small clusters. A few of the students were looking at them curiously, and Olly felt very much on display. They left quietly so as not to disturb them, and, after a short walk, turned down a hallway and went up a flight of stairs.

“Finally, these are the dormitories. You’ll each be assigned a single room. We do keep incoming classes grouped together by Guild, so that you can form close pods within your Guilds during non-study hours. There are upperclassmen on each floor to help you should you need assistance, but once you make it into the Academy you are treated like adults. So there is a reasonable expectation of decorum and discretion at all times. In short, don’t do anything stupid or you may face consequences,” he said in his best serious tone.

“Now, with that said, we’re going to go back to the main atrium where you’ll complete your student registration, receive your purchase lists, be assigned to a dorm, and get to socialize with your peers and teachers,” he finished with a dazzling smile.

As they walked back, Brandon stopped and greeted a passerby. “Hello, Steven,” he said pleasantly.

The passerby, Steven, practically jumped out of his skin, dropping all his books. What would have been a normal, forgettable interaction immediately made the poor man stick out like a sore thumb. Some of the group tittered as he scrambled to pick them up, while Brandon stooped down to help him. Olly noticed that Brandon seemed to whisper something quickly to him as he handed some of the fallen books over.

“S-sorry!” the other man, Steven, stammered, before rushing off. He was very plain, with a pale face and sandy hair, and would absolutely blend into a crowd if it weren’t for his palpable nervous energy. Brandon apologized at his retreating back but he was already gone.

“Don’t worry about him, he’s just, ah, a bit flustered,” Brandon explained with a small smile, “I’ll catch up with him later to make sure he’s alright.”

“What do you suppose that was about?” Olly asked to Sarah, but she too was trained on the direction that Steven had fled to with an unreadable expression on her face.

“You still there?” Olly asked playfully.

“Yeah, yeah, all good. And not a clue,” she murmured, snapping out of it. She tried to shake it off and appear normal once again.

Once again, curious, but he supposed he’d have lots of time to get her to open up.

They made it to the atrium once more and she excitedly introduced him to her parents.

“Oh we’re so glad Sarah has found a friend in this place, we didn’t want her to be lonely,” her dad said kindly. He was very tall and gangly and would be intimidating if it weren’t for the bright smile on his face. Her mom was equally kind. All in all it seemed like she came from a warm and happy family. They seemed normal too by comparison to seemingly all the other families. A lot of the other families appeared primly and properly dressed at best, and downright ostentatious at worst. One thing was for sure, they all clustered amongst people they knew and didn't give anyone else a second glance.

“Didn't she say she had a sister?” he thought to himself, but thought better of asking out loud. Based on earlier events, he wasn’t too sure how sensitive that question might be.

He wondered where his uncle had gone off to, as he didn’t seem to be present in the crowd. After exchanging pleasantries, and expressing his excitement to start the school year with Sarah, he excused himself and decided to get through his registration. He was assigned a dorm, and given paperwork that indicated where he should buy things like books and uniforms.

Most excitingly, he was provided with a golden badge. It was shaped like a hexagon and emblazoned with "CONDUCTORS' GUILD" and “STUDENT” underneath it. He pinned it proudly to his shirt, admiring the way it shined. It was the first mark he had received to show that he belonged here, and he couldn’t help but glance down and look at it every couple of minutes, almost as if he needed to verify that it was in fact real.

Even after all that, he still hadn’t seen Eli. He decided to take his chances outside, and quickly found him leaning against one of the columns.

Eli gave him a small smile. “Hey kid. How’d it go? Is there anything you need from me inside there?” he gestured to the large wooden doors that were open into the atrium.

Olly shook his head, “I think I’ve done everything I needed to do inside.”

“Give me your shopping list then, I can get a head start before the crowd makes its way out,” he suggested, and when Olly gave him a curious look he pointed slightly down the path. “I found someone who wanted to catch up with you.”

Olly followed his directions to see Delilah reading a book on a marble bench. He did want to talk to her, that was true. Olly handed him the list and Eli scanned it quickly. “Take your time. Meet me at the very front gates when you’re done,” Eli said before practically vanishing down the path.

He supposed his uncle was never going to feel comfortable here, which was all the more interesting to Olly that he pushed so hard for it. Nonetheless, he made his way over to Delilah who looked up at him and smiled.