As the teleportation ended, Rahdin saw the swirling light around him begin to dissipate, showing the first hints of the academy. They were standing in a great hall, tall and curved at the top. On the sides were statues that seemed to have lights and essence flickering and flowing around them. One statue was hooded, as essence flowed around the waist. It had its hands outstretched, blue fires burning respectively in both hands. Another had a sword, with strange markings not unlike the ones seen on the obelisk. It was a woman, clad in armor with her face in the motion of a yell, sword and hand diagonally slanted in front as if she were slashing.

Rahdin immediately felt a sense of awe; they defied his conception of size and space in some unexplainable way. He had never thought stone could be so intricately melded and molded; indeed, it was as if someone had merely turned marble into putty and made a sculpture, then returned it back to its original composition. He looked back into his hands, some expectations and excitement growing toward essence itself.

His and the group’s attention were drawn back to reality, as a voice decreed, “From now until the end of your service, you are Vadoran mages. Here, you will learn, grow, and improve until one day, your efforts will be placed on the battlefield. Remember your homes; where you were birthed, and the academy. Follow the ascent knight, as they will show you the way.”

The statement had done nothing for his nerves; there were many thoughts running through his head, unclear but flowing fast like a river. A familiar sense of stomach pain and blood rushing to his head caused his breathing to quicken, as he grasped his stomach with his free hand. Biting his tongue, he tried to reassure himself, thinking, “Breathe, Rahdin. Focus on the now”

The ascent knight walked forward briskly, the metal frame seemingly out of place among the architecture and the group. As they moved forward, Rahdin felt his body begin to return to a normal state, his body finally releasing him from surges he sometimes felt in himself. After a moment, he realized he’d been too focused on himself and certain aspects of the surrounding, so he began to look around more carefully before turning his gaze towards Sheia.

She’d been dressed in brown pants, soft as they seemed to be made of some expensive material. She wore boots to deal with the snow, though the laces seemingly ready to fall apart would make one question whether she’d wanted to wear them. Unlike Rahdin, who still adorned the shirt and cloak he’d worn the day of the essence trial, she now had changed into a more fashionable getup. The shirt was a button up, seemingly out of place from more rugged clothing Rahdin meant to wear, as well as a coat with fur adorned around the neck. Her hair, short as it was, still hung loosely at the side, telling of rapid hair growth. It did not curl, straight and guided as it was. He found himself wondering whether she was some noble, before chuckling softly and reassuring himself that his friend certainly would have told him.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Though the group had been silent, the time they spent walking was long. Though the different arrays of statues certainly caught silent intrigue, eventually others began talking until a comfortable buzz of conversation began again. Even Rahdin turned towards certain others, joining in their ideas and observations. Inwardly, he was slightly surprised that the normally confident and charming Sheia did not converse at all, but eventually continued the small talk.

Eventually, the walk had come to an end, as two doors marked the end of their journey. The ascent knight, which had walked calmly amongst the group swayed forward in a quick burst of speed, catching a kid off guard as he dived away. Some small laughter accompanied his fall, but quickly subsided when the knight placed their hands against the doors, then pushed.

Immediately, they were struck by sunlight, beaming inside with an intensity that many had never seen before. Coming from the more rural, northern village that was enshrouded in snow and ice most of the year, they were taken aback as gasps of slight pain could be heard. Rahdin too closed his eyes quickly, bringing the fur cloak up to his eyes as he wiped away the tears that welled to his eyes.

A moment passed, as Rahdin gradually let his eyes grow more accustomed. He walked forward, finding some steps and walking down. HEre, the intensity of the light was much more relaxed as the world finally seemed normal. As he walked, his gaze gradually began to grow wide and a grin slowly drew itself upon his face, excitement flooding his being.

Beyond his gaze was a long green field of grass, leading to a fountain that spewed water high into the air. On each side, he saw buildings, each one similar to the last. There was rough pavement that made up the sidewalks; one could assume a fight had occurred on the grounds. In the distance, smoke billowed into the hair, thick and oddly colored at points. In his mind, Rahdin definitely believed they were at a military academy; the whole area reminded him of the pictures of war and carnage he’d seen in textbooks.

Sheia took a glance over, shocked slightly by the evident smile on his face. “What a liar! He sounded so sad before coming, but now he’s smiling like this is the best place in the world!” Unlike him, Sheia felt nervous and slight betrayal, even. She’d seen the marble of the building they’d just exited, but the outside was almost forlorn. Considering their home was always surrounded by nature and color, the scent of home, the distinction immediately drove a wedge into her mind, though she hadn’t noticed.

The ascent knight had moved forward quite a bit before she came back to reality. Rahdin, walking steadily forward, cast a look back. Though she smiled and came bounding down the steps, Rahdin already felt the difference in demeanor and stature, deigning not to mention to her the changes. He could not know that among Sheai and the other children, his difference in reaction was already affecting their subconscious perceptions.

The ascent knight finally ceased walking, stopping in front of an unassuming building. Though no mouth could be seen, the essence around the knight pulsed in accordance as it said, “This will be your home. Rooms have already been chosen for each student. Find it, then set up quickly so you may be ready for orientation.”