Out of the thousands who he had first seen in the first test of the entrance exam, only a bit less then 300 of them stood aligned in many rows right in front of the Academy buildings, in the front the seven cloaked figures stood in a line, the new students talked with eachother as one arrived after the other, after about 10 or so minutes the figures moved, each took off their masks, pulling back their hoods, on the left end, a tall, broad aging man with a bushy grey beard and kind blue eyes, a even taller and broader man with a thick beard of deep red color and tanned skin, a serene looking pale woman with deep green kind eyes and long dirty blonde hair, a tall, sharp looking pale man with a long curved nose, the left side of his face was deeply scarred all over and his left eye was replaced by a deep black stone eye engraved with a bright crimson rune, a mature woman with a steely expression and neatly styled grey and white hair and a beauty mark above her right lip, the tallest one, baldheaded and with a thick square black beard with a few grey streaks, wearing a angered expression, and on the right end a woman with a intense feel to her, long black hair with bangs and sharp eyes.
Cassius: [I am Counselor Cassius Kayn Elwood.]
The main figure stepped up to the podium right in the center in front of the crowd, his crimson eye gleaming as he gazed upon the students.
Cassius: [Today marks the beggening of a journey which will reveal you all to be either powerful blades of the empire or brittle and useless steel.]
He began, his powerful voice and sharp tone silencing all that still spoke.
Cassius: [Where not here to test you, where her to break you. Many of you have potential, indeed, but potential is a fleeting thing, nothing more than a small ember waiting to be extinguished.]
A shiver ran through their spines as the man's cold words settled in.
Cassius: [It is not my place to soften my words or indulge in your weakness, but for those who still burn with passion, welcome to the Pallaccian Academy of Runic Studies.]
Little by little, the students began to clap, an uncertain ovation for the mans words, then he lifted his palm.
Cassius: [Silence, before we allow you to start your preparation and settling into Academy grounds, a word from the Grand Master of the Academy, the Grand-Warlock Alleryon Von Pallaccia.]
He reached his hand and pointed up, the students gazed up at the vast blue sky, a single dark figure stood above all of them, using runic to levitate almost to the point they couldn't see him, the same old man Leif had seen during the Emperor’s ball, at the time he had no idea of the mans status, but the overwhelming pressure he exuded told a tale of his power, with a long grey beard, long nose and kind eyes, this time he wore a long navy blue robe with many golden and silver decorations and details, he gazed down at the students with a smile on his face, slowly drifting down towards the podium, he stood in front of the now barefaced figures, turning to the students.
Alleryon: [Hi, hi, how are you all?]
He began with a soft voice.
Alleryon: [As our dear Counselor Cassius said, this is not an easy journey you yougins are embarking on, it's anything but easy, in fact, but it's also a journey of dreams.]
His words had a much warmer tone to contrast Cassius' sharp and judgemental one.
Alleryon: [Like your young souls, dreams are a fragile thing, but in the end they are what makes us endure and persevere, in this journey we will be here to shape the embers that will keep you going, so please, enjoy your stay.]
As he ended all of them disappeared in a flash, above the polished white steps the main entrance to the Academy was opened, a red carpet led the students through a long and wide fancy hall, decorated with all kinds of paintings and vases, all the way to a second double door that led to a huge hall, dozens of thick wood tables in a row, in front of the room there where 7 pairs of huge doors, each painted with a different color, from the left to the right they where, the first was a golden yellow, a pure white, a pale blue, a bloody red, a dark green, a bright pink and the last one a deep black the same figures stood, now without a trace of the white cloaks, the one in the middle, Cassius, now wearing a long black trench coat with golden details, a red leather vest with a white tie.
Cassius: [Now each and all of you sha'll be sorted into your houses, the houses of wich you will be part of has already been chosen, simply sit down and await for your name to be called.]
Each of them took their stand before one of the doors, pushing them open so the students could pass, Leif walked up among the others, choosing a random table and sitting down, when he looked up he recognized the face of the person sitting in front of him, big round eyes, caramel skin, freckled face and short brown hair.
Lyra: [Ah! Leif Crows!]
Leif: [You, uh.... Aira..?]
Lyra: [Lyra! Lyra Brooks! Come on, i remembered your name!]
Leif: [So you passed.]
Lyra: [All thanks to you in the end, i found a place to hide after getting my legs out of that tra-]
???: [Student Kallum Thorne, to the House of the Golden Dragon.]
The man with kind blue eyes in front of the golden door spoke up, Leif glared towards the blonde as he stood up, they exchanged glances and Kallum gave him the same kind smile before he turned his attention towards the door, as he did so another voice sounded.
???: [Student Edward Elsun, to the House of the Red Giant.]
The strong bald man spoke up, with a laugh the tall blonde young man stood up and marched towards the red door.
???: [Student Seleena Ville, to the House of the Blue Pheonix.]
She stood up, the thick mane of curly blonde hair bouncing with each step, she smirked all the way to the blue door, Leif was starting to think that was her resting face.
???: [Student Dorian Vance, to the House of the Pink Pixie.]
Spoke the woman with kind, downturned deep green eyes and thick blonde hair, a young man with deep brown skin and a head full of locks of black hair stepped up and walked towards the pink door.
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???: [Student Ellaine Northwell, to the House of the White Griffin.]
After the older woman with grey hair tied into a bun spoke up with a steely and commanding tone a young pale girl stood up, her eyes blue like yhe sky and her hair a pure silver, she strided towards the white door.
???: [Student Nyssa Draylin, to the House of the Green Basilisk.]
Spoke the broad, redheaded and tanned man with a thick beard, after a few seconds a short girl stood up meekly, her entire face being covered by her long disheveled black hair, she was deeply pale for what he could see in her hands and arms, with weak and uncertain steps she headed towards the green door.
Cassius: [Student Leif Crows, to the House of the Black Hydra.]
Once he stood he felt hundreds of eyes on him, he could hear people whispering and some even chuckling as he stepped towards the black door, as he passed by the Counselor the shine of his crimson eye seemed a bit familiar, but he had no idea why.
Cassius: [You room is numbered 13.]
He stepped throught the long corridor wich split in two by the middle, there was a sign that was split in the middle, to the right it read Males and to the left it read Females, he took the right and ended up in a huge spiral stair, he walked up and reached the first floor, there where 10 doors and none of them where the 13, so he stepped up to the next and there it was, he knocked on it and no one answered, then he pushed it in, inside the room was double the size of the one he had in Sunfort, a big window divided the room in half, there where two huge beds on both sides, the headboards of the beds touched the walls on both sides of the window, the floor was coated in thick black carpets but he could feel they where stone underneath, on the right side there was a small table with two chairs, and on the left there was a plush black couch, Leif threw his bag over the bed on the right side, the bag that carried the little clothes he had, the coins he had saved and his sword, he walked over and ploped down on the couch, his head falling back, after a few minutes he was almost falling asleep when someone knocked on the door, then pushed it in, a thin, gaunt looking young man, with dark brown medium length hair, his cheeks where sunken and he had bags under his eyes.
???: [Oh, hello there, i apologize i didn't think there was anyone here.]
Leif: [No need to apologize, i'm Leif, Leif Crows.]
Leif stood, putting his hand up and smiling just like Kat had taught him how to do when introducing himself, the young man stopped for a second, looking Leif up and down.
Ryan: [I'm Ryan, Ryan Rivers.]
He said, reaching and shaking Leif's hand, he could feel how thin, soft, and bony the young man's fingers were.
Ryan: [Your hand is... awful rough.]
Leif: [Ah... sorry...]
They separated, Ryan took his two huge bags and pushed them onto the bed on the left.
Leif: [... I used to work as a soldier... you know, digging trenches and cutting wood all day...]
He said, Kat had taught him that to be friends with someone, he'd need to let them know more about him.
Ryan: [As a soldier, you say, that is... interesting....]
Leif sat down on his bed, with his legs to the left by the window, Ryan decided to do the same on the opposite side.
Ryan: [....You're from Cithroam, i assume...]
Leif: [Yes, why?]
Ryan: [You don't know, do you? You're probably part of a group so little i can count it in its entirety in one hand.]
Leif: [Why are there no Cithroans here?]
Ryan: [Because Cithroans are the even allowed to enter New Pallac in most cases, only merchants and certain civilians with ties to the Empire, even then it's better to go to other Kingdoms in Cithroam.]
Leif: [There are Cithroam Kingdoms?]
Ryan: [Pfftt.... you don't know? Aren't you from Cithroam?]
They both chuckled.
Leif: [No way i'd know, i was in the war...]
Ryan: [Well, there are many small Kingdoms all over, since Cithroam is so huge, but the most prominent ones are Hasgart, the northernmost Kingdom, theres Jirandal, a Kingdom of merchants and theres Valcrath, probably the biggest Kingdom, since they're deeply expansionist...]
Leif: [I knew Hasgart, but i had no idea there were so many.]
Ryan: [There used to be many kingdoms all over Marrivia as well...]
Leif: [Marrivia...? I never really heard anyone talk much about it.]
Ryan seemed to take a more sullen expression.
Ryan: [Thats because books and studies about Marrivia were banned over 400 years ago, no one actually knows much about Marrivia.]
Leif: [I heard those people with animal features were originally from there...]
Ryan: [They are, Marrivians used to call them Originals, but now they're known as Demi-Human.]
Leif: [I met one that looked like a big white cat.]
Ryan: [Like a snow leopard?]
Leif: [Yeah!]
They continued to talk until light ceased to pierce throught the window, when the sun set and the darkness settled on the sky someone knocked on the door, they both got up, Leif stepped closer to one it but once he did, there was no one there, he looked around and was met with the confused faces of others students wich peeked out of their dorm room doors,as they stepped out someone chuckled as they stepped down the stairs.
???: [It's always funny to see the confused newbies' faces.]
Said one of the upperclassmen as a group of them stepped down from the upper floors.
???: [What just happened here?]
One of the other confused students asked before Leif had the chance.
Ryan: [It seems to be an engraved rune.]
Ryan mumbled to himself just behind Leif.
???: [All of the doors have engraved runes inside the wood that vibrate every morning and night, for class start and time for dinner.]
The same upper year spoke as the group passed on to the next stairway.
Leif: [They give us free dinner?!]
He asked with a surprised and excited tone, Ryan chuckled.
Ryan: [Yeah, wanna go get some?]
They both walked out, and once the door was closed, they heard a strange noise, as if it had locked on its own.
Leif: [Eh.. it locked?]
Ryan: [It's an automatic lock, it only opens to us... probably with some sort of energy signature.]
They both took on and walked down the stairs, making their way into the corridor, but once they reached the bifurcation that separated the male and female dormitories, they met with Lyra once more.
Lyra: [Hey!]
Leif: [Oh, we're on the same house?]
Ryan: [You two know eachother?]
Leif: [Yeah, she fell in my trap during the third test.]
Ryan: [Thats... interesting.]
Lyra: [You guys wanna eat together?]
The three of them walked to the dinner hall together and sat down on one of a few tables that where near empty, Leif looks around as the sat, he was still a bit amazed at how massive the hall was and how many tables where around, he'd never seen so many tables, after they sat Leif noticed that the group sitting on the table to their right was glancing their way, chuckling and whispering at eachother, after a few seconds one of then threw an small dirty bone at their table while they talked.
Lyra: [Ew! Gross!]
???: [You're gross...]
They all heard, despite the hushed tone and the chuckles and giggles after didn't help at all, Leif put his hand down on the tables surface, but before he could stand up he felt someone pull on his cloak.
Ryan: [Just ignore them.]
He did that, sitting back down and turning to him.
Lief: [Why are they doing that?]
Ryan: [Because we're not nobles. The House of the Black Hydra is called "Peasant House" since it's the only one without a connection to its Ancestral Spirit they just shove the "commoners" in it.]
Then a half eaten chicken leg smacked Leif's cheek, leaving a trail of oil as it fell on his cloak and then to the floor, Ryan seemed to panic a little, taking a red handkerchief from the pocket of his brown vest and reaching to wipe his face, but Leif gently stopped his hand.
Leif: [No need.]
He felt calm, strangely, this wasn't something he wasn't used to, fully grown drunk men had picked fights with Leif multiple times, but this wasn't a grown man, if he was correct the one who threw the chicken leg was a thin and pale looking teen boy with even paler blonde hair, he pushed himself up from the table, and stepped cloeer to them with a straight.
???: [What do you want, peasant?]
A black haired boy with green eyes spit out.
???: [Get away from us you're stinking the whole place up.]
Spoke a chubby one with long brown hair.
Leif: [Clean this.]
He pointed to the oil oozing down to his chin.
???: [Or what, mutt?]
???: [Yeah, or what?]
The both of them united.
???: [Boys, there's no need to be rude.]
The pale one with blonde hair broke his silence, he stood up with a smile on his face as he looked down on Leif, he was about a head taller.
???: [Of course i'll clean it.]
He took a tiny white handkerchief with blue strikes and patted his cheek with it, cleaning up the oil, then he pressed his left hand hard on the side of his face, his right hand quickly tightened into a fist and he swinged at Leif, but he caught the young man's arm and squeezed it tightly, the boy seemed to be surprised, a grunt of pain leaving his lips as the pain from Leif's grip around his forearm settled.
???: [Let me go you animal!]
He seinged his left hand aswell, only for Leif to do the same thing, by now he could feel the stares of others on his back, but he didnt care, he squeezed the boy's forearms tighter, a whimper of weakness came from his throat, as he fell to his knees, arms up and fave contorted into a painful expression the others on his table got up quickly, but before they could do anything a voice sounded.
Katlyn: [That is enough!]
Leif recognized it in a instant, letting go of the boy's forearms wich where a bright red, the blonde fell onto the floor and crawled away from him.
???: [Yo-you bastard!]
Katlyn: [Fights are unacceptable!]
Leif: [Sorry Ka- miss.. it will not happen again.]
Katlyn: [I know both of your names young men, if it does happen again the Counselor will know of this!]
???: [This peasant mutt just assaulted me!]
Katlyn: [Assault? I saw no assault, now get up from the floor, and did not let this happen again!]
She said before giving Leif a wink, turning around and walking away, Leif turned and walked back to his table sitting down and taking a piece of lamb from Lyra's plate.
Ryan: [What was that!?]
The pale boy screamed in whisper.
Leif: [What?]
Ryan: [You almost got in trouble!]
Lyra: [You know the Kirthian Princess, Leif?]
Leif: [You mean Kat?]
Ryan: [Kat!?]
Lyra: [How do you know her??]
Leif thought for a second, Kat told him to keep their relationship a secret but she also told him to open up about his life if he wanted friends.
Leif: [Where... umm..]
Lyra: [Come on spill it! I'll keep it a secret!]
Ryan: [Yeah!]
Leif: [You two promise?]
They both nodded their heads, then he told them to get closer, Lyra leaned over the table and Ryan got closer, then in a whisper.
Leif: [She said she's my girlfriend.]
Lyra and Ryan: [Girlfriend!?]