Chapter One: Welcome to the Academy
With a flap of my wings, I dodged back to avoid a mace to the head. My assailant, relentless as she was, moved with me, channeling the momentum of the missed strike into her next attack. She tried again, and this time I lunged forward past her swing. I miscalculated, not going low enough, and the mace hit me square on the shoulder.
I roared out in pain, and the girl flinched back. I used her distraction to swipe a claw across her chest. With how close I was, she was unable to bring in her mace to block the attack. The hit sent her tumbling down the arena, her enchanted combat suit protecting her from any real damage.
Giving the girl a moment to get back up, I looked around under the pretense of scanning for danger. I had to keep up the role, after all. Professor Scott stood at the sidelines with the rest of the second-year students in his class. He was lecturing them, no doubt explaining everything the girl was doing right and wrong. He was good at that.
The role I was playing was that of a juvenile gryphon. I didn’t like playing the role of a monster. I really didn’t like it, but it was really good training, and I owed Scott a favor anyway. While I didn’t particularly look like a gryphon—I had blue scales, not feathers—I was about the right size and I had wings and claws, so it was good enough. I had also hunted my fair share of them, so I knew how they behaved.
I had given the girl enough time. It was time to end this. I charged at her with full speed. It must have been a scary sight. I might not be that big, but when something the size of a small horse charged at you at over 60 kilometers per hour, anyone would be at least a little frightened, let alone an inexperienced student.
She had gotten to her knees, but quickly rolled to the side as I thundered toward her. Having somewhat recovered from her tumble, she got up quicker this time. With her mace now lying several meters behind me, well out of reach, she instead pulled out a dagger from the sheath on her belt. She brandished the dagger in front of her like a scared child might use a torch to scare off wolves.
“Stay away from me!” she yelled, the smell of her fear reaching my nose. I looked at the sidelines to Scott, who shook his head. This fight wouldn’t end here. I sighed and focused back on the fight. I didn’t like this part, and I’d aim to end it quickly.
The dagger would be of no use. Her strength had been reduced to my level—or lack thereof—so it wouldn’t be enough to pierce my scales.
I slowly stalked towards her, arcing in a half circle to get the wall, which had gotten behind me, behind her instead. She slowly stumbled back until she hit the wall and she yelped.
Once I was close enough that she wouldn’t be able to dodge, I lunged. She lashed out with the knife, but she might as well have done nothing because I hadn’t launched straight at her, but to slightly above her. She must have realized what I planned because she let out a strangled “Oh, fuck.”
As I crossed above her, my hind talons grabbed onto her shoulders and arms. Holding the girl tight in my grip, I launched myself upward, using my front talons to kick off of the wall as I went past. Beating my wings as fast and as hard as I could, I shot into the sky at an impressive speed, only coming to a stop at about three hundred meters above the ground.
All the while, the girl was screaming and hacking at my talons with the dagger. The scales on my talons were smaller and more flexible to allow for full motion, which also made them weaker, and the dagger was starting to cut through. I didn’t want to deal with stinging talons all morning, so I decided to give her what she wanted. She must have realized that too, because she stopped trying to cut her way free.
“Oh, sweet Mother, no. No, no, no!” she cried.
With an aerial front flip, I flung her down as hard as I could. She flailed through the air, trying to orient herself as she shot towards the ground. It only made her spin more.
She hit the ground with a heavy thud and laid there unmoving. She’d be okay, but sore. I couldn’t do anything to really hurt her—the level difference was too high—and she was wearing a heavily enchanted combat suit made specifically for training like this. It kept her paralyzed now that she was ‘out of the fight’. I would’ve worn it too, except they didn’t make it dragon-sized, and it wasn’t worth the expense to make me one for how little I would’ve used it. That would change when I finally joined the classes as a student, though.
I glided down to the ground, landing near professor Scott. The other students were already helping the defeated student get up. From the smell, it seemed she would need a change of clothes. I wrinkled my nose, then walked over to the professor.
“That was everyone, right?” I asked.
The fights had started early in the morning with the most capable fighters going first. It was something about giving the others an example to work off of. Where the first fight had taken almost half an hour, with me losing, the last few had only taken minutes.
“It was. Thank you for helping, Felix,” Scott replied.
“Will she be okay?” I pointed with my wing at the girl still being helped up.
He followed my gaze. “She’ll be fine but sore.”
“You know what I meant.”
He sighed. “Probably. She has a good counselor.”
I sighed as well. I really didn’t like playing the role of monster. I didn’t want to hurt people. But it helped them in the end. It helped them a lot, in fact. If they ever came face to face with a real gryphon within the training grounds, which was highly likely, they’d all be much better prepared. It was better to have some setbacks here, where it was safe, than out there. So it was very much worth it, even if l hated playing the monster.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “Alright. I’ll be off then. Busy day today. Can someone help with the saddle?”
A few students moved to help me put my saddle back on. I’d taken it off for the fights to avoid damage, even if I felt naked without it on. When I was almost done, Scott called out to me again.
“Hey Felix, you’ll be going past the Administration building, right?”
I slowly turned my head to look back at him. “...yeah. Why do you ask?”
Scott gestured to a student standing next to him. “Marlie here has forgotten that he was supposed to attend a hearing,” he said. ”Do you think you can drop him off?”
“I… okay, fine.” I didn’t want to, but it was hardly any extra effort or time to make a quick stop at the Administration building. It was on my route anyway. “Quickly get on then, and you’ll be paying the full price—Scott will make sure of that. Right?” I asked, looking at Scott.
If he wanted me to take his student, he’d better make sure I was getting paid. Honestly, he’d probably pay me from his own pockets in the end. Scott nodded. Marlie hesitated, then hurried to get on.
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“Alright, we’re here.” I lowered myself to the ground so Marlie could hop off.
He got off my back, and I stood back up again. “Thanks, Felix!”
“Have fun with the hearing!” I said with a too-wide smile.
“I probably won’t!” He jogged away, without a doubt already late.
I checked the time on a nearby clock. If I hurried, I should still be able to make it. And if not… well, I’m sure they could wait a few minutes.
I stretched my sore wings—sparring all morning long would do that to you—for a moment while taking in the view. Even after all these years, the Administration building was a sight to behold. It was large, standing in a small park and towering well beyond even the tallest tree there. It had dozens upon dozens of towers, domed roofs, and fortified walls—all in a pleasingly symmetric pattern. The sides of the building were lined with tall spires, each with a small fortification on top, manned by mages and archers, a remnant of more turbulent times.
Done stretching my wings, I took a running start and flew off toward the main entrance. Members of the Academy hardly used the main entrance, preferring to use the portal system, so it was left for the guests and visitors.
I flew over the campus, and despite giving myself a small boost using wind magic, it still took me almost four minutes to get there. Not only was the campus massive—basically a city in its own right—it was also split into hundreds of large floating islands, connected by large cables, netting, and bridges. And on top of that, the main entrance was at the very edge of the island cluster.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The entrance was on an oblong shaped island sticking out of the massive shield that guarded the campus, the only island doing so. There was a small runway, making it the only place non-members could land their various crafts. Be it a flying carriage, a tamed winged beast, or something else entirely. I hoped there weren’t any winged beasts today.
I landed near the entrance and walked the last bit, not wanting to scare the new-comers, especially since I’d be joining their classes. I wanted to make a good first impression.
The entrance itself was a large arched gate right on the edge of the shielding. The inside surface of the arch was covered in enchantments. Its primary function was to give temporary access, apply tracking magic, and apply translation magic. Not everyone spoke the same language, after all.
Personally, I spoke the Dry Tongue—a language spoken by lizardkin from the Dry Territories—because it was the only language I could comfortably speak. It was a language of hisses and harsh sounds, perfect for my maw and throat. I could speak a few other languages too, but it was very awkward and difficult to understand.
On the other side of the gate stood a group of about a hundred people, all new students. They were of all species and genders. There were mostly elves, beastkin, and humans. But there were a few dryads and other rarer species too. There was even lizardkin among them! They had black scales and looked nervous. I was too far away to make out any details, like gender or type, though.
I walked over to the gate, where several mages were stationed as guards to keep an eye out and manage the gate. I took out my identification card from my pouch. The pouch was little more than a backpack, but hanging over my chest instead.
I handed the card over to the lead guard, and he checked it. It was a formality more than anything, really. I was the only dragon here. Or anywhere really. You couldn’t really impersonate me, either. Illusion magic was good, but very few people were that good. It required a lot of different magics to make a convincing illusion able to fool a high-level guard, and then it required someone with the skill set to do real-time, reactive illusions. There were a few on campus that could do it, but well, why would they?
The guard smiled at me. “All’s good.” He handed me the card back, and I put it away. “Ready to give the tour?”
“Not really,” I answered honestly. “But let’s get this over with.” He chuckled.
“The name’s Clive.” He told me. “I’ll be helping you while you’re here, so don’t hesitate to ask any questions you have.”
I thanked him, knowing full well I wouldn’t be making use of his offer. Couldn’t have the guide asking for help, after all. Especially not one so young. I wasn’t even eighteen yet, for the stars’ sake. The only reason I was doing this was because I was the Headmaster’s son, and everyone else ‘important’ was busy. Luckily, I knew the campus well and had given tours before, though never to a group this big.
I turned to the group on the other side of the barrier. This group differed from the other groups that had been arriving over the last few days. Except for a few, they were all of royal or noble descent.
Most of them were all kitted out in over the top armor, clothes, or both—with golden filigree and gems, rings and jewelry. And despite the rules about it being made clear beforehand, some clearly had servants with them.
There was also a small group of about ten, who were wearing normal armor and clothes, standing a small distance away from the rest of the group. This included the lizardkin. They were looking at the royals with disgust, incredulity, or amusement. I couldn’t really blame them; the nobility that insisted on being part of this group each year tended to be entitled and out of touch with the world. That would change with time.
These ten were students that had been invited here to the main campus for various reasons. Most of them were invited based on talent, but others, like the lizardkin, were invited due to them being very rare at the Academy. Though they must have shown quite a bit of talent as well, or they would have been put with another group. They would probably end up wishing they had been.
Walking up to the barrier, I sat down before the group, wings folded on my back. They were all looking at me with wide eyes, and hushed whispers spread among the group. They hadn’t been informed I would be the guide.
“Good morning everyone!” I called out, and the whispering died down. “I’m Felix Sythias, and I’ll be your guide today! Please split into four queues so we can begin letting you in.” I motioned to Clive and gave him the floor. He took over and grabbed four other guards to check the new students in. Why I had to be here for this was beyond my understanding, as they could’ve just as easily handled this without me. Bureaucracy strikes again, I supposed.
The smaller group of ten were the first to break out of their trance and made their way towards a guard. This broke the rest out of their trances as well, and they formed queues too.
It wasn’t long before something went wrong. One of the royals that had servants with them was making a ruckus.
“Don’t you know my mother is, you peasant? Let me through!” the boy said, playing right into the stereotype.
“I’m sorry sir, but we don’t allow our students to have servants,” the guard said. “It wouldn’t be fair to the others.”
“Yeah? Well, if they wanted servants, they should’ve brought some with them. It isn’t fair to punish me for the ineptness of others either, is it?”
The guard frowned. Most of the Academy’s members were ‘commoners’, and a significant portion of them had been poor before they joined. Then again, this comment rubbed me the wrong way too, and I grew up with servants around. I interjected before this situation got even worse.
“What’s the problem?” I asked the guard.
“Mr. Conad here wishes to bring his servants with him into the Academy. I’ve informed him we don’t allow that. He disagreed.”
I took a good look at the noble student. He was a shadow elf and was clad in ridiculous clothing that I was sure was gaudy even by shadow elf standards.
“I’m sorry Mr. Conad, but…” I turned to the guard and asked his name. He gave me his work-issued fake one. “Dave is right. We don’t allow students to bring servants with them. They can, however, attempt to join separately if they wish to next year.”
The student looked over at me, scanning up and down my body with a frown on his face. “Why should I listen to some beast?” He spat out the last word. “Let me talk to your boss or better yet, just let me through already!”
My immediate reaction was to wipe that ugly look of his face with a well-placed talon. Instead, I took a deep breath and dug my claws into the ground in frustration. I’m not a beast, I told myself. The opinion of one asshole doesn’t matter.
It was easier to say than to believe.
“You will not call me a beast again,” I said, leaving no room for discussion in the tone of my voice. ”Now, let’s solve this peacefully. Either send them home, or let them join separately next year. Or, if you really want to persist, you can try again next year.”
He looked like he wanted to say more, to argue. But he looked around and noticed everyone, except the guards, was looking at him, and he was embarrassing himself.
“Fine,” he spat out through gritted teeth.
It was mostly a smooth process after that. Everyone with servants had listened in on my conversation with Conad. Some ended up choosing to have their servants apply too, but most just sent them back home.
After everyone was through, I had them group up on the side of the road and out of the way, and went to talk to the guards.
“That’s all of them I think. Thanks for the help, Clive. Were there any other issues?”
“Just the one. Watch out for that one, by the way. He did not seem the type to let these kinds of things go.”
I nodded. “I’ll keep an eye out, and thanks for your help!”
I waved a goodbye with my wing and walked back to the group.
“Now then,” I said, facing the group. “Let me do the introductions, and then we’ll be off. I’m Felix Sythias, I do personal transport, aerial tours, and teach basic Instinctive Magic here at the Academy. And once classes start next week, I’ll be your fellow student. But for today, I’ll be your guide. If you could all follow me, we’ll head to the first destination, the Second Grandest Library.”
I lead the group up the hill, along the best path heading towards the Academy. The island wasn’t only oblong, but also had a steep hill, the top of which gave an excellent view of the entire Academy.
There was some expected grumbling at the prospect of the steep climb, but also a lot of excited talking. Most of these people had waited for years to finally attend the Academy, and now they’d get to see the campus for the first time. I was excited too. Having spent my entire life here, I knew better than most how much of an opportunity it could be, so I was really looking forward to it.
Cresting the top of the hill, I stepped over the edge of the cliff-side and hovered there. I flew a little to the side to give the students-to-be a better view. The Academy was visible in its full glory, the hundreds of buildings shone in the sunlight—the three Grand Libraries with their straight lines, sharp angles, and many statues, the Administration building with its beautiful spires and domed roofs, the triangular Grand Arena, the docks with their large aircraft, the many dorms, houses, restaurants, bakeries, shops, blacksmiths, and not least of all, the thousands of people, some flying, most just walking—all while islands bobbed up and down ever so slightly, moved by the air currents.
Gathering all their attention, I addressed the crowd. “I welcome you all to the Academy of Adventuring, Crafting, Arts, Defense, Exploration, Magic, and Yodeling. Or, as everyone calls it, just…” I said with a bit of smirk at their gobsmacked faces. ”the Academy.”
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Felix’s notebook: notes on illusion magic
Illusion magic is a type of magic that creates false images, smells, sounds, vibrations, etc. If it can be sensed, Illusion magic is there to create false inputs. It’s a difficult and diverse branch of magic.
For instance, tricking a humanoid can be simple; a light-based illusion might be all you need. But levels make tricking someone difficult. The more stats a person has, the more likely they are to notice the flaws in the illusion. And if a person has a skill like [Tremor sense], things become even more difficult. If the illusion takes a step, but produces no vibrations in the ground, it will be easily spotted as fake. Or as someone using a stealth skill to muffle their presence. Skills are many, and there are no certainties. Always keep the species of your target in mind, too.
Animals and monsters are easier to trick, but often have sharper senses. Always research the species/type of your target before setting out.
The use of illusion magic is tricky from a practical standpoint as well. Since it requires precision, instinctive magic is out the window. But this makes it difficult to change the illusion in real-time, so they are often prepared in advance.