The remainder of the month flew by in a flash for everyone, including Cassandra. After multiple visits to Rosalind’s house, she had finally accepted the apprenticeship. Just as Maximus had gravely warned her, apprenticeships came with a lot of work. Work they would have to figure out how to keep up with on top of their school courses once the semester officially began.
Luckily, Cassandra’s work was all surprisingly enjoyable. Rosalind had tasked her with sorting magic tools and artifacts based on their similarities and differences. This was both a task that princesses needed to do periodically, as well as an opportunity to access otherwise restricted records to learn more about the subjects in question.
As the deadline to leave got closer, Cassandra had to take more frequent breaks to pack and organize any other unfinished business in the capital. It was already strange to remember how free she had been during the entrance exam itself.
Early in the morning on the day of departure, servants came to collect everyone’s luggage. After that, everyone was gathered in the central courtyard. The courtyard was full of far more than the new students from the most recent exam. Cassandra recognized Tears from older years that she had seen at the Feast of Maidens. It was likely everyone else from all of the various courses was here as well.
Once everyone had gathered, a crowd noticeably smaller than those who had arrived for the first test, all six pillars made their appearance. King Dalton, Queen Levina, and the archmage Reginald stood to Osmond’s left. Koko, the chief royal medic and the royal steward whose name Cassandra had yet to learn stood to his right. Alois stepped forward to the right as well, placing the headmaster in the exact center of seven.
“Welcome dear students of Nobility. It is time for us to walk the Path of Dusk and begin another year in Tethia’s hidden jewel,” Osmond announced.
His announcement was followed by loud cheering from some of the older students. Cassandra, along with many others, had settled for polite clapping instead. Princess Rosalind had often reminded her that students of Nobility were always being watched.
Both cheering and clapping were drowned out by a rumbling deep beneath the earth. Osmond took a step back and the other pillars and his apprentice parted to either side as something began to break through the cobbled path. An impressive stone archway now stood before them, vines and roots still clinging to the pillars.
Then the cracks along the arch itself began to glow a bluish white, highlighting the word that they formed. Tethia. As the word glowed stronger, the archway emitted a soft hum. A purplish mist slowly crept in, blocking their view of what lay beyond it. Instead, a breathtaking view snapped into being in its place.
An endless sky shone with stars glistening in the purple hues of twilight. Below the sky a reflective surface rippled outward until it was smooth as glass. There was more than just the view to take in. A wave of powerful magic poured out from the opening. It was both impressive and overwhelming. Even the students who had seen this sight before were taken in.
“Follow my lead and step through the arch,” Osmond ordered before following his own words. When he stepped on the sleek surface, ripples flowed silently. There was no sound like one would expect from such a wet looking surface. In fact, there was no sound at all.
Even once the other students began to funnel through, the collective sounds their footsteps made vanished on the other side of the arch. It was some of the most incredible magic Cassandra had ever seen. She continued to take it in and enjoy the experience even as she crossed the endless skies. This could only be the Pavilion of Eternal Dusk. Why had the headmaster referred to it as the Path of Dusk? Was it because it seemed silly to travel through a pavilion?
Once every student had entered, the archway sunk into nothingness behind them with a sudden woosh. Almost immediately after, a second arch broke through ahead of them accompanied by the gasps of students. Cassandra was one of them. Would that gate take them to Nobility? So quickly? She recalled the journey she had taken to get to the capital and couldn’t help but feel a bit cheated.
As she had guessed, on the other side of this arch was Nobility, a school that may as well have been its own little city. The main building reminded her of a towering manor, surrounded by smaller manors. The style of each building prevented Cassandra from calling it a castle. Lining the path to these buildings were servants waiting with their luggage.
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“Today is a rest day. A day to catch your bearings and settle in. Tomorrow orientation and class selections begin,” Osmond told everyone, “These fine servants will guide each of you to the dormitories you will be staying in. These living arrangements can change over time and circumstance. Good luck.”
His speech finished, Osmond immediately turned heel and marched with purpose towards the main building. He likely had a great deal to prepare. So did Cassandra, actually. She had promised to contact both Rosalind and her parents once she had safely arrived and settled.
First things first, she found the servant waiting with her things. The maid gave her a small curtsy and guided her down the path. At first she appeared to be following the other Tears when the maid took a sudden turn towards the main manor. Barely any of the other students seemed to be heading in this direction, though she did spot Maximus and May.
“Why are we going somewhere different from the others?” Cassandra asked.
“Apprentices have special privileges in Nobility, including better living arrangements,” the maid answered, “All apprentices had the opportunity to stay on the upper floors of the main manor with the headmaster.”
Were these all living spaces? Cassandra had assumed the main manor was for classes? Then again, perhaps the lower floors were. The maid had only mentioned the upper floors. She had plenty of time to explore all of that once she had everything put away and her messages delivered.
Cassandra’s room was on the third floor of the manor, and it was even larger than her room back in the Scholar Wing of the palace. It was like a full apartment complete with living space, bedroom, and bath. There was no kitchen, but Nobility likely handled the food for all of its students. She maid sure to thank the maid and asked her about how messages were sent from Nobility.
A couple letters sent later, Cassandra took the time to explore. Like Osmond had suggested, she should use this chance to get her bearings. She was able to learn a few things. The second floor held the headmaster’s office and a few classrooms, but the majority of the classrooms were on the first floor. There were also classrooms outside the manor for things that required a specific space for learning.
With a little more digging she was able to obtain a list of available courses ahead of time, though she would not receive any recommendations until the next day. The list was both longer and shorter than she expected as there was a lot of overlapping between the six courses. It was finally starting to feel real. Right now, she was standing on the grounds of Nobility.
==========
Keane looked around his room one more time to make sure everything was in its place. Perhaps it was because of his notoriety with experiments that he had been given a room on the fifth floor of the sole tower of the main manor. The only room on the fifth floor of that tower. In other words, he had been isolated.
It was even more obnoxious because Autumn was not considered an apprentice and had to live in the regular dorms. He could only guess it was an extra precaution to prevent him from getting involved in any experiments unattended. The situation was rather annoying, but he couldn’t lose his pair because of a planted bomb. Autumn lacked the bloodlust and determination required to have actually planned to use it. Things like that didn’t change, even in a different world.
“Show yourself,” he told the seemingly empty room. He couldn’t see or hear anyone, but he could feel a strong intent focused on him.
Alois, the headmaster’s apprentice, released the stealth magic he had been using to conceal himself. “You noticed me this time,” he congratulated, “That actually works well for me. I was hoping you could help me with something.”
“No,” Keane replied instantly. Alois seemed like exactly the kind of person who attracted trouble. Keane had no intention of getting involved in someone like that. He already had to protect his pair in order to use magic.
The headmaster’s apprentice was taken aback by his immediate refusal. “You aren’t even going to hear me out?”
“No,” Keane repeated. It seemed he was the relentless type too.
“Even if I know about the bomb you disguised as a failed experiment?” Alois pressed with a wicked smile.
Keane scowled. “What do you want?” he demanded.
“Don’t worry. It should be something you find enjoyable too,” Alois told him, “I have a magic tool that I need examined. I need to know exactly what it is.”
“Why not ask for professional help with that? Surely you have connections as the headmaster’s apprentice,” Keane pointed out.
“I have reasons that I can’t let a professional know,” Alois replied, “My proposition is simple. You help me just this once and I will keep your secret. Just make sure to keep mine as well.”
This back and forth would likely go on forever, so Keane decided to relent. “Show it to me.”
Alois dug into his pocket and produced a small scrap of cloth. As he held it out, Keane was able to recognize its identity. It was an eyepatch. It seemed rather high end, but there was nothing about it that gave the impression of a magic tool. “I need to know what this is and what it does. It may not look like much, but I am confident it is a magic tool. Maybe even an artifact.”
Keane carefully took the eyepatch and his impression changed almost instantly. For one thing, the eyepatch itself was molded from a dragon scale. The soft cloth that covered it was spidersilk of some kind of magical variety Keane was not familiar with. Not only that, the magic that was imperceptible while Alois had been holding it could be clearly felt in his own hands.
“It might take me some time to figure it out,” Keane told him, “May I hold onto this for now?”
“Do what you need to,” Alois said, “But if you involve anyone else, you must swear them to secrecy.”