Chapter 12 – Guild of Elas.

We ran to lounge, Saye was waiting for us over there. She told me to go to dressing room to get new clothes for party. Professional hairdressers and representatives of some big name brand boutiques were present. I refused to wear anything but my tribal clothing, so they arranged tribal costumes but with their ‘touch’ on it.

Ricat, Saye and Elise were welcoming guest personally, and house door. Expensive look carriages with extraordinary designs brought the merchant elite of Mehn to Ricat’s manor. The lounge was packed. There was band singing the smoothest tunes which I had ever heard.

There were 20 kids around our age. All of them knew each other. Elise introduced me to all of them. For them I became the main interest of night, after I told them how I had killed wolf. The girls were more influenced than boys. Later I told them about the incident at 1st bridge, my fight with demons and how I was thrown to Devil’s Canyon. Even boys began to take interest in my stories as they began to recognize who I am. Ricat was right, my name was known all over the kingdom before we left the 3rd bridge.  Roia, the girl with red hair noticed tattoo on my left hand. She took my left hand with both her hands…

[Roia]: Does it mean woman are evil?

[Me]: No, it’s just a reference to Devil’s real and human form. Sword cutting it into two means that I have beaten Devil’s Canyon.

[Roia]: You have an interesting life.

Elise took her hands off mine.

[Elise]: It’s not proper of a lady to act like that Roia.

[Roia]: Is it proper keep him for yourself?

Both of them stared at me, I smiled and excused myself and went to bathroom. I sneaked out of bathroom to yard. I sat there to breathe a bit and later on to join the rest.

[Roia]: You are the shy guy!

She sat on my left. Our bodies touched.

[Me]: I’m just not used to these. (I raised my left arm. My fist looking up and thumb referring in lounge’s direction)

[Roia]: You are going to get used to it in time.

[Me]: I’ll stay in academy dorms.

[Roia]: I’ll invite you to parties against your will. I will send people to get you.

[Me]: You are bully! (We both laughed)

[Roia]: I’ll be attending Mehn academy too. I want to be a mage.

[Me]: Why all girls want to be a mage?

[Roia]: You expect me to wield Ulfberht and run around screaming “Come at me you demons!” ?

[Me]: Hahahaaa… How you know about Ulfberht? I haven’t shown it to you?

[Roia]: I have a network of spies collecting information about you after you emerged from Devil’s Canyon.

[Me]: Roia, I’m getting scared!

Our fingers touched. She blushed. Everything was going according to my father’s teaching until Elise emerged god know from where and kissed me on my left cheek. She was smiling.

[Elise]: I drank wine! You want some?

I do not remember what happened afterwards in details. But I did enjoy wine. Days passed by.

Early in the morning, Ricat took us to Mehn Academy. It was like a city within a city. Training grounds, buildings, dorms, small shops etc. It was made so that students living in the Mehn Academy wouldn’t need to go out and could satisfy their needs within academy grounds. There was around 2000 new students. 50 of them including me were on scholarship. The rest did pay for their tuition. Students who came from different parts of kingdom were eligible to stay in Mehn Academy dorms. Half of the students who enrolled in academy were sons, daughters or relatives of new classes which emerged with the creation of Kingdom of Kali. Those included but not limited to were merchants, traders, real estate owners, court courtesans, amirs, ministers and people who had influential posts in different ministries and so on goes the list. A human society, never fails to humor me. Those kids were never meant to go on kingdom’s frontier’s to fight to defend but it was a social status for them. Nevertheless, Mehn Academy was not just limited to teaching art of war or magic though there were only 2 options to choose from. Warrior or mage. We could study arts, philosophy, history, political science, mathematics, public administration, law etc. Having a certificate of accomplishment from

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Mehn Academy meant a lot to those who were not meant to be at war zone.

Each year before the summer holidays, there was a tournament to decide who was the strongest in school. After the tournament, ceremony was held for senior year students who graduated and few of the students (freshman, sophomore or junior) with excellent grades and/or abilities were given tasks and sent to different ministries, or bridges or provinces for summer holidays. That’s what I looked forward most.

Kali came from land of Tat’s. He didn’t come here with just warriors by his side. He had brought some customs and knowledge of the old world with him too. Until kingdom was established by Dar, most of this knowledge was used just by us and for us. After the Kingdom of Kali was found some of our knowledge and practices were used in kingdom’s daily life or as part of road map that they created for its longevity. Dating system was one of these. We had 13 months in a single year. They were named after Kali and 12 martyrs that died with him while killing the dragon. Those were 1 – Kali, 2 – Arkam, 3 – Mut, 4 – Elas, 5 – Wuey, 6 – Ram, 7 – Levi, 8 – Onylys, 9 – Lain, 10 – Scrupp, 11 – Ding, 12 – Fay, 13 – Elaisis. It was year 1508.

I parted my ways with Elise, as she going to be staying at home. She was sad for me leaving their side to stay in form. Ricat, reminded me again that I should come over to his house at least once a month to stay overnight and collect my scholarship. I thanked him and left to dorms. There were three main dorms. Sophomore and junior students of those dorms had rivalry between each other for the honor of the dorm that they were representing and I was not interested in their feud. But they had different idea about me. There were doing their best to recruit me, damned reputation. Each dorm had male and female sectors. I joined “Guild of Elas”.

Next: Chapter 13 - master it.