The Aerofloat has flew for more than six hours when Kayrus finished about half of his backlogs of books he has to read. He now understands the basics of Magus Society, and what being a Magus is. At least, he felt he understood now. The Magus Society is an organization that encompasses the entire world that governs all of business that relates to being a Magus, directly and indirectly. If a group or government would need help from a Magus, they would dispatch a Magus if requested. Those help might range from simply being a doctor, or help fighting in a war.

There are also differences in ranks and powers between Magus. For example, Maximilian is a Magus Princeps, two whole ranks below Charleone as an Archmagus. But that doesn’t mean Charleone isn’t someone that special, there are only 32 people in total that can hold the rank of an Archmagus among all Magus in the world, four for each Collegiate-four for each Element with eight Elements in total. And there are thousands upon thousands of Magus all across the world.

Then there's the matter of Elements and Collegiate. The young man has finished reading about them, and yet he still can’t wrap his head around the concepts. It feels strange to him, something that needs time to fully understand. He didn't even fully understand what a Gardes is besides being a non-Magus counterpart of a Magus, the elite of soldiers.

“You should have saved studying that hard once you’re in the school.” said a voice.

Kayrus turned towards the voice's owner, it was the Magus Princeps himself, Maximilian Nelsy. After delving into the books, the former thief now learned that he is a Magus from the Water Collegiate, Bea, shown with the blue armband he wears. Currently, besides the pilot, only he and Kayrus are the ones still awake in the Float.

“Have you finished reading it all?” asked the blonde man with, for Kayrus, a surprisingly friendly tone and expression.

“Only four books to go.”

“Do you know that they’re still gonna teach all of them again in school?”

Kayrus immediately threw the book he’s reading to his side.

“Well, that’s hours of my time I just wasted.”

The Magus smiled. “I wouldn’t call it a waste. After all, it’s still for your cover.”

“Cover huh?” Kayrus took a glance at the dossier that contains his new identity. He has read and remembered all of its content, front and back. “I’m still worried it's not going to be enough. I’m a thief, well a former thief, but I’m not a Faceman.”

“Faceman?”

“Swindler, impersonator, conman.” explain Kayrus of the criminal lingo. “You know, people who robbed others using lies and deceptions.”

“Ah…I see…” nodded the Magus. “Well, if the Archmagus have faith in you, I’m sure that you’re going to be just fine.”

“I still don’t understand what’s the ultimate goal here, you know?”

The blonde man smiled again. “Neither do I. But I’m sure the Archmagus will explain it to you.” he said before walking away. “Get some rest while you can, we should arrive soon.”

“One last question,” said Kayrus looking over his back. “Why are you suddenly being nice to me? You don’t exactly look like a nice guy two days ago, especially with that spell of yours.”

Maximilian smiled again. “I was on duty, that’s my duty face. And let’s just say you remind me of someone at our destination. A girl.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“She’s a student too?”

“You’ll find out sooner or later.” He said before returning to his seat.

Still filled with questions, but nothing to gain answers from, the young man decided to wait for the remaining travel by looking at the scenery outside through the window. The Aeorfloats are flying through a sea of clouds, and occasionally Kayrus can gaze down to the terrains below. Shapes of fields, towns, rivers, and hills he didn’t recognize are passing by. He never thought he could get a chance to have such an experience like this, especially with the life expectancy for people in his career.

Could he one day take everyone back home to places like that? Or flying through the sky in luxurious Floats like this? Kara would have loved going to the lush green hills he saw, thought Kayrus, away from the dirty and crowded city they call home.

His mind is wandering through a lot of things when suddenly, he notices something strange among the clouds in the distance. Between the irregular white shapes of the clouds, he began to see a regular elongated black shape of something, a shape that very slowly became larger as they flew closer.

“What is that thing…” muttered the young man.

Suddenly, a voice is heard through the Float, the pilot’s voice.

“Gentlemen, we will reach our destination shortly. Please stand-by on your seats for the docking process,thank you.” said the pilot through a comm device.

Kayrus looked down through the window again, trying to see the Magus School they’re heading into. But there was nothing down below except for a vast forest and a river beside it.

“Where is it?”

“The what now?” said a voice from behind, Charleone’s. The man had just woken up right after the pilot’s announcement.

“The school. There’s nothing down there.”

Charleone looked through the window that Kayrus just used.

“Oh, the school’s not down there kid.”

“Then where?”

The Archmagus points straight at the sea of clouds.

“Up there.”

When Kayrus looked out to the sky again, he finally understood what the Archmagus said, something that blew his mind when he first saw it. The black flying object among the clouds, as it turns out, is their destination, the Magus School.

*****

It is an engineering and magical marvel, something that the young man’s wildest imagination couldn’t even think of. Stretching for miles, that flying object has the size of a small city, made from a group of eight gigantic Aeroships dozens of stories tall connected together.

That is the Magus School, the Zennardi Magi Academia, and Kayrus is going to spend years in that place.

“Amazing right? That’s everyone’s first reaction seeing that damn thing.” Charleone comments on the look of amazement on Kayrus’ face. “Come on, get to your seat, we’re landing soon.”

The Aerofloat finally reached that fleet of gigantic Aeroships, and maneuvered itself to head to the port side of the Magus School, where on the lower portion of its wall is a large opening, the dockyard where Aerofloats and Aeroships can dock on the fleet itself. The Float they’re on moved slowly as it got closer, and Kayrus saw there are about dozens or so of other Aerofloats and Aeroships already docked in that place. He began to wonder just how big the entire thing is as a whole.

Finally, the Aerofloat landed on the flat metallic surface of the dockyard and the engines were shut down one by one. The pilot makes another announcement.

“We have arrived at our destination, please check your belongings before disembarking.”

The first one to stand up is the Archmagus. “You hear the pilot, let’s get ready everyone.”

He then turns to face Kayrus.

“Have you finished your dossier yet?”

Kayrus grabbed the dossier, gave it one last look, and said, “Yeah, I’ve memorized all of it.” He then handed that dossier to Charleone.

“Good, just as I expected,” he said before burning the dossier with magic, just like he did outside the Aerodrome. “So, you know what name you should use from now on?”

“Yes,” the young man said, “From now on my name is Neumann, Kayrus Neumann.”

“Good, and you are?”

“The son of a man you felt indebted to, who died along with his wife in a tragic drowning accident.”

“Right, an orphan, the more it resembles your real self the easier the role. And you are here because?”

“Because you feel sorry for me and decided to take care of me, who happened to be a Hatchling, starting by enrolling me in this school to be a Magus just like yours truly.”

A wide grin is formed on Charleone’s face. “Great, you’re ready. Come on then, we still have lots of things to do.” he ordered. “But bring the books as well, you’re still gonna need it."