Keira Eriston wandered through the rows of stalls, merchants hawking their wares loudly despite the early hour. She visited her regular stops, picking up some fresh vegetables, a bag of salt, and a jar of honey, one of her few indulgences. She always winced a the cost of it, but having grown up in the Apirian Barony she could not fathom the idea of not having some on hand.
After a few exchanges of deira for wares, she set back off, using the towering facades of the caste and the church to guide her back to the square. Once there she turned away, her destination not nearly so grand. Producing a large key from her bag, she unlocked the doors to the Royal Academy, making her way to the far rear of the building, where her small apartment waited.
It was the deal of a lifetime. Teach the most elite and promising children in the kingdom alongside the greatest experts in every field. The wage was excellent, and the room was free as long as she made it her permanent residence. Her father had always insisted that she was destined for greatness, and it seemed she had reached it. After teaching for some years, she discovered two things. Not only was she good at it, but she thoroughly enjoyed it. While some aspects of her life were still lacking, they would all catch up in due time. For now, she moved through life with an immensely satisfied glow.
That day, especially, she found herself almost giddy. She would be greeting a fresh crop of young minds ready to be educated, to be prepared for the hardships of this world. She felt somewhat out of place at times, as she found children from the most prominent figures in the city in front of her, but she never let it show, and she insisted on treating every child equally. Doing anything else would make her a hypocrite, after all.
As she was putting away the items she had bought, she heard footsteps beyond her door. The first student filtering in, and more would soon follow. The new class was smaller than usual this year, with only five names on her registry. She glanced back to the paper on her dining table, recognizing some of the family names written there. It seemed as though she was in for another year of interacting with the highest members of society.
The students had been given a tour of the Academy a few days prior, but unfortunately, Keira could not be there, so she would be meeting them for the first time that day. It was not ideal, but she knew how to handle the situation. She waited patiently, keeping herself busy with absentminded work, until she counted all five sets of footsteps entering the Academy, then she waited some more, hoping the students would engage with each other before her arrival. This first day was pivotal in defining their relationships for the rest of their time together, and she hoped they would all get along.
When she felt sufficient time had passed, she left her apartment, locking the door behind her and setting off to the classroom. To her horror, as she approached, she could not hear a single voice ringing out. There would always be at least one student trying to make conversation, but this was an unfortunate possibility with the small class size. She would need to work hard to make sure they were comfortable with her and each other. Steeling herself for another adventure, she pushed open the door.
“Good morning, students,” she greeted, her voice ringing brightly through the room. “My apologies for not greeting you during your tour. I am Miss Eriston, and you will be in my care during your time here at the Academy.” She walked to the front of the room, positioning herself by the board. “Would you all mind introducing yourself, please?” She nodded to the left of the room, where a boy with scruffy hair and a broad smile sat. The boy quickly stood, beaming back at her.
“My name is Lucas Hale,” he greeted, waving politely to her. “It is a pleasure to meet everyone.” He sat back down, content with his greeting.
“Thank you, Lucas,” Keira said, nodding to the next student, a girl who appeared to be doing her best to melt into her seat, out of sight. She seemed to shiver slightly at being beckoned and rose with shaky legs and an unsure demeanour.
“Elisa Perch,” she said softly, glancing nervously around the room, her auburn hair tousling around her head.
“It is nice to meet you, Elisa, I look forward to teaching you,” Keira said, trying to instil some comfort into the girl. Elisa nodded in response, quickly retaking her seat. “Alright, next is…”
“Mary Pernelle,” another young woman called, with much more confidence. She did not stand but raised her hand to identify herself. Keira did not enjoy this kind of arrogance and made a mental note to think of a way to temper it out of the girl. When it was clear that Mary had no intention of speaking any further, Keira moved on.
“Thank you, Mary,” she said, turning to face the last two students, who bore a striking resemblance to one another. Their platinum hair made them stand out, even among a class of the elite, and Keira could not decide who it suited more.
“I am Astra Asthon,” the girl said, rising. She scanned the room with a slight scowl, then sat back down. The boy next to her sighed and stood without being prompted.
“I am Vincent Ashton,” he introduced. “Please excuse my sister’s curt greeting. She did not get enough sleep last night.” He bowed towards Keira, then continued. “I look forward to learning and growing under your tutelage, Miss Eriston.” As he sat down, Astra hit him lightly in the side, and Keira could swear she saw the faintest shadows of a smirk on Vincent’s face.
“Thank you, Vincent, and you Astra,” Keira said, returning Vincent’s bow. “I look forward to educating all of you and seeing you grow. You are all positively brimming with potential, I can tell.” Mary’s aggressive eye roll did not escape Keira’s notice, but she filed it away for later, determined not to have her first class derailed. “If you all will give me a moment, I will write your weekly schedule on the board. Please, make a copy of it, or commit it to memory.”
She began writing on the board, digging through her memories to write down the proper times, locations, and instructors for each class. She was nearly halfway done, when she heard the door open. Turning on her heel, she was ready to scold the intruder for their rudeness. Her words died on her tongue when she saw who her visitor was, and she immediately switched gears.
“Archmage!” She greeted, glancing down to make sure she was presentable. It was not unheard of for the Archmage to visit the academy, but it certainly was not a part of his daily routine either. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“I was just escorting my apprentice to the Academy,” the Archmage responded. Keira felt a part of her train of thought seize for a moment. She had heard dozens of reports that her new student, Astra, was the most likely candidate to earn that coveted position. She was about to glance back at Astra, but the Archmage held her eyes when he ushered a scrawny young boy into the room. “I do apologise for not giving you any notice, but the decision to enrol him was made with some haste.”
Keira’s mind raced. She was usually in the loop regarding new developments like this. She, of course, recognized the boy before her, but that was only because of her close relation to the church. In his uniform, cleaned up and with an official escort, he looked almost like an entirely different person from the animalistic fighter she saw in the arena.
“What?” the boy snipped, turning to the Archmage, who just prodded him forward. Keira’s heart nearly crashed through the floor. She had never met anyone outside the court with the audacity to adress the Archmage in that tone of voice. She could feel her students reacting similarly. Her eyes flitted to those of the Archmage, guaging his reaction. Instead of anger or indignation, she saw only mild annoyance.
“Introduce yourself to your peers, and then sit down, shut up, and work hard,” the Archmage said, before turning back to Keira. “He is a little rowdy, but I trust you can handle it, Miss Eriston.”
“Of course, Archmage,” she assured, already planning just how she would whip this boy into a shape deserving of his position beside the Archmage. “I will make sure he is educated properly.” She had to resist visibly swooning when the Archmage gave her a kind smile as he left the room. He had caught her eye since the first time they ran into each other. He looked so unassuming, but she could feel the unfathomable power brimming beneath the surface. Despite that, he carried himelf without any arrogance, and she found herself drawn to his aloof nature, but she could never dare actually approach him. Instead, she turned to her new charge, who was visibly uncomfortable. She pitied the boy, who seemed so out of place. “Just tell us your name, and then you can go find a seat.”
“Aldric,” he responded, already moving towards the back of the classroom.
“Aldric…” she began, hoping to get a little more out of him
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“Just Aldric,” he said over his shoulder. “I have no family name.” He sat down, a moment of silence falling over the classroom as Keira tried and promptly failed to process the implications of his words.
“Oh, I see,” she mustered, willing her tongue to move. “Well, Aldric, please read through what I have written on the board before class starts.”
“I can’t read,” Aldric said. To her horror, she could detect a hint of pride in his voice. She watched as he undid the tie on his hair, an uneven and unkempt bush of locks falling all around his head. “I can’t write either. I have no combat ability, and at the moment, I lack the ability to cast even the most rudimentary of spells.”
“This is outrageous!” Astra called out, slamming her hands on the table and standing. Part of Keira was grateful to get more interaction out of her, but she would have preferred if it was not like this. “An illiterate commoner has no place here!”
“I am illiterate, but I’m no commoner,” Aldric yelled back, an unsettling smile splitting his face. Keira could feel the control over the room slipping by her. “I am the apprentice of the Archmage. A post you failed to secure!”
“Both of you, cease this behaviour at once!” Keira insisted, begrudgingly using her most effective tool, a stern glare. Vincent came to her aid, guiding Astra back to her seat, and Aldric willingly slumped back down. “While this is highly unusual, this is at the request of the Archmage, and we will honour it.”
She quickly spun back to face the board, unwilling to let the children see her so out of sorts. This threw a wrench into her plans for a peaceful and productive year, but she refused to let it get her down. She knew she could still turn things around, and with some work she could make good, productive, and healthily socialised students of them all. With her spirits bolstered, she returned to writing, this time reaching the bottom of the board before her next interruption came.
“Miss Eriston!” A voice bellowed as the door swung open, nearly making her jump out of her skin. She quickly turned, and once again found herself standing at attention and bowing, though this time it was out of commanded respect instead of adoration. “I have another brave young mind for you!”
“Commander!” she greeted, trying to keep her voice cheerful, despite the dread draping over her shoulders. “You as well?”
“Me as well?” the Commander asked, surprisingly perplexed by her statement. He stepped further into the classroom, followed closely by a young man with kind, glimmering eyes. The young man scanned the room, spotting the anomaly moments before the Commander did.
“Aldric is here,” the young man said, prompting a bolt of recognition that nearly floored Keira. She glanced between him and Aldric, her entire body tensing slightly. This one was much more recognizable, and she mentally berated herself for not realising who he was the moment he stepped into the room.”
“So it would seem,” the Commander agreed, his mood noticably shifting. He quickly turned back to Keira. “Miss Eriston, you would need to excuse me. Please take care of my charge. I entrust his education to you.”
“I shall do my best,” Keira responded, offering a guiding hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Please, introduce yourself, lad.” This seemed to satisfy the Commander, as he stormed out of the room almost immediately.
“My name is Roland Wainwright,” the young man said. “I hail from Soldeset, in the Krystadia Barony. I hope to get along with you all, and grow swiftly together.”
“Soldeset?” Keira asked, unable to suppress her own curiosity. “You are a long way from home, are you not?”
“Indeed, I am,” Roland agreed. “I was granted this opportunity by the Commander. He has shown me a lot of kindness.” Keira noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Two hands had shot up, their owners all but waving them around to get her attention.
“Astra, you first,” Keira said, stepping back to give the students room to communicate.
“Soldeset is a peasant town, is it not?” she asked, glaring at Roland. “How does someone from there make it into this academy?”
“Astra!” Keira scolded. “You would do well to show some respect to your peers! Roland is here under the recommendation of the Commander, we will treat him fairly.” Astra grimaced at the verbal lashing, then sat back down, crossing her arms. Keira sighed, trying to keep her composure. “Vincent, do you still wish to speak?”
“If I may, Miss Eriston,” Vincent said, standing. “Roland, you appear to be familiar. Were you in the final round of the Royal Tournament?”
“I was,” Roland confirmed, shuffling awkwardly. Vincent’s eyes narrowed, and he turned his attention to Aldric. “So you were…”
“Yes, Aldric was my opponent,” Roland confirmed again, before Aldric could speak.
“Ah, I see!” Keira said, a semblance of understanding finally dawning on her. “You both were recruited because of your excellent performances in the tournament!”
“Excelent performance?!” Astra barked, her eyes blazing with fury. “What that… that mongrel did was an affront to the arcane arts! He wielded magic like drunk wields a rock!”
“And I won,” Aldric shot back.
“Was Roland not declared the champion?” Lucas asked, speaking up for the first time since his introduction. “According to the rumors I heard, you died.”
“No, the Saint and the High Priestess saved him,” Mary piped in. “Or, so my parents told me. I was not allowed to attend the tournament.”
“Children, enough,” Keira said, her tone even. “You can discuss matters of the tournament during recess.” She turned to Roland. “Please take a seat wherever you would like.” She paused, just for a moment, unsure how to ask what she now felt like she needed too. “Can you read and write?” Roland glanced to Aldric, his eyes widening slightly.
“Yes, I can read and write,” he confirmed. With a nod from Keira, he made his way to a seat, Aldric’s glare guiding him to the other side of the classroom.
“Alright, please copy or memorise what is currently on the board,” Keira repeated. “Aldric, do not worry, I will explain everything in a moment.”
She turned back to the board, determined to finish the schedule. Things had certainly taken a turn, but with every stroke on the board her confidence climbed again. Their start was shaky, but Aldric and Roland’s shared experience in the tournament would give them common ground, and something to connect to the other students with. She could tell that, if nothing else, the others were curious about the fight. She had her own share of questions, especially regarding the ending, but she saved them for later.
This was good. She could still recover and have the year she wanted to with her students. Her hopes soared as she turned back to the waiting young minds. She gestured to the schedule, explaining the various classes and instructors who would be teaching them. She made it through all of half a day’s worth of information, when there was a knock on the door.
“Come in!” she called out, her nerves already shot. Surely, this could not cause as much of a disruption as her previous two visitors. The door opened, and her spirits lifted for just a moment as she spotted Aeliana. She caught herself before a familiar greeting escaped her mouth.
“High Priestess!” she said, relief seeping from her weary soul. “What a surprise. What brings you to my class today?” Aeliana’s kind eyes darkened almost instantly as they swept over the room, and an expression that Keira knew was masked fury danced on her face.
“It seems, the same thing that brought the Commander and the Archmage,” she said, her voice lilting melodically. Keira’s legs nearly gave way as the meaning of those words set in. She hoped, pleaded in her mind that she was mistaken, that her friend was not about to saddle her with this.
“High Priestess, surely you can not mean…” she asked, trying to verbalise her desperation.
“The Saint will be attending the academy for the foreseeable future,” Aeliana said. Keila felt the apologetic tone and saw the kind smile, but it did nothing to soothe her nerves as the young girl with the world-renowned golden eyes crossed the threshold into the room. For just a moment, all was still. No one dared move a muscle. “I would love to stay and discuss the matter, but there are two severely injured men who require my attention,” Aeliana said, shattering the silence.
“Oh, I hope it is not anything too serious,” Keira responded, though her tone had a hint of venom directed to the two men in question.
“Do not worry yourself,” Aeliana assured, with an unsettling smile. “They have simply suffered severe brain damage if my eyes are to be believed. Now please, excuse me.” She left the room without another word, her steps echoing down the hall as she gained speed. Keira hesitated. In all her years she had never imagined this scenario. She had always strived to treat her students equally, but now she was charged with the Saint. The beacon of hope for the entire kingdom.
“Um, Saint, please step forward and introduce yourself,” Keira prompted, her nerves leaking into her voice.
“Her name is Seraphina,” Aldric said, causing every set of eyes save for one to instantly lock onto him. “Don’t call her something she doesn’t want to be called.”
“You know the Saint?” Elisa asked, curiosity overwhelming even her wealth of social anxiety.
“She healed him, so I suppose it makes sense,” Vincent commented.
“She is really that powerful…” Lucas mumbled.
“Do not talk about her as if she is not right there,” Roland said, standing. He turned to Seraphina, smiling. “It is a pleasure to see you again. My apologies for our interruption.”
Seraphina tried to find her footing. In a matter of seconds she had felt a crushing disappointment, a soaring hope, and now, a gentle hand reaching out to her. She grasped it, fearing she would sink if she did not.
“As Aldric said, my name is Seraphina,” she said, a slight tremor in her voice belying her lack of confidence. “I can not imagine what you all must think of me, but… I have never seen the person that you all do. My only wish is to be treated like any other student. I hope that one day I will be able to call you my friends.” She walked forward, feeling the eyes of everyone boring into her. For a moment she wavered on where to sit, but settled on the empty space next to Aldric. “Thank you,” she whispered, as she settled in by him. In response, he only shook his head.
“Alright, Seraphina, if you could please copy what is on the board, or memorise it,” Keira said, giving up on regaining any semblance of control. Her hopes for the year was lost, shattered the moment the most famous figure in the world was dropped in her lap. Now, she had a new objective in mind. Survive.