I woke up the next day with a warm fuzzy feeling in me. I had rarely experienced such a feeling. But, I had cherished every one of them. This kind of fuzzy feeling usually appeared in me when I had slept off in Granny's lap or after receiving praise from the old geezer. Which were a few and far in my books. The old geezer was stingy in his praises and Granny only visited me once or twice a year. Nevertheless, each and every such moment had stayed with me.
After talking to the guys late into the night, I had come in to sleep with a content stomach and heart. Even Santhanu's constant digs at me were not enough to sour my mood. We all had joked around till midnight before calling it a night. Being an early riser, it didn't surprise me to see that I was the first one to rise.
I looked out the window in my room to find that the sun had barely crossed the horizon. I admired the sun's orange rays splashing across the ground and cloud for a bit before making my way to the outside. The early morning breeze blew away the remaining sleep lingering in me. I breathed in the fresh air and decided to take a stroll.
Not many people were awake in the early hours of the day, making it the ideal time to take a stroll for me. I decided to walk to the Central Gardens near the auditorium which I had come across while being escorted by the senior towards the dormitory. It was a central place and I was sure that hardly any noble would decide to take a walk there in this early hours. Give it one or two hours, the place will probably be filled with people.
The Central Gardens were beautiful indeed. Not many people would appreciate this quiet beauty of nature. The plants were properly groomed to showcase the aesthetic abilities of humans. Despite their meddling, the gardens gave off a peaceful feeling. The feeling of being immersed in nature with an early morning breeze was something not many people experience frequently. The beauty of the gardens was empowered by the silent atmosphere that existed. I choose a stone bench under a canopy of plants. The bench was oddly shaped, yet had delicate carvings on them to show that it was the intended design. I didn't care about that much.
I sat down there to soak in the nature around me. I stared at nothing; my mind drifting aimlessly like a leaf in water; and a content smile on my face. It was relaxing, and the warm fuzzy feeling in me grew a little. If anyone had a scale to measure the growth, they wouldn't be impressed that much. But what I felt was something that can't be made sense by measuring. It needed to be felt. At that moment, I was content.
The things that have been plaguing my mind for the past one month were all gone. I was relaxed completely after a long time. I let the calm morning breeze to blow through my clothes and experienced the caress of the air on my body. It felt refreshing, exhilarating, and new. And I forgot the rest of the world.
Suddenly I felt hot air blow across my neck. Startled, I turned around to find a large snout tight in front of my face. I looked at the figure in front of my eyes and my face paled.
'This is bad… 'I thought to myself.
Indeed the situation was bad. In fact, the situation was much worse than what I would normally term as bad. But, I didn't dare imagine beyond bad though. I know it sounds silly. But when a freaking dragon is right in your face, your mind kind of stops working and goes blank. The hot breath I felt on my face made me tremble.
My hands subconsciously tried to grab my sword only to find my hip empty. I cursed myself mentally, before eventually consoling myself with the thought that the sword would only be a toothpick in my hands when compared to this gigantic creature. Its snout alone was enough to cover half of my body and its black scales shined brilliantly in the early morning sun. The hot air that I breathed out made me feel as if I was standing in front of a hot-air pocket. The smell that emanated from the creature made me nauseous. But, above all, what captivated me most were its eyes. They were large, mean, and had quality as if it was sizing up me for its next meal.
While these thoughts flashed through my mind in a moment, my face was frozen. In fact, my whole body was frozen in fright. The dragon eyed me for a while before letting out another hot gale of air in my face. My face blanched from the pressure I felt and I naturally flinched back from the force of the gale. But, I stood my spot. I didn't know if dragons hunted by movement like some wild animals. I wasn't ready to take the chance however.
The dragon's nose twitched and it lowered its snout to look at me. I was sure by now that it didn't need movements to see me. For a second, I contemplated turning tail and hightailing out of the garden. But the fact that it had not yet made any threatening moves made me pause. Not that it needed to make any threatening move; I was already scared witless by its mere presence.
The dragon eyed me for a few moments before sniffing me once more. It let out something akin to what I would call an annoyed huff. I didn't know whether I was in its territory. I sincerely hoped that it wasn't so. I knew for a fact that dragons were ferociously territorial. The old geezer had informed me that in passing long ago. If its huff was to anything to go by, I had somehow annoyed it. And honestly I had no idea what I had done to annoy it.
The dragon leisurely made its way to the stone bench and rested its head in front of it. Its tail coiled around the bench in a protective manner. And it settled down as if it had done this many times prior. I had a feeling that the dragon normally used this place to rest. So, I slowly started retreating taking painful measures to not touch its body or annoy it anymore with my presence.
The dragon looked at me as I was about to exit its encirclement by hopping over its tail. I stopped in my tracks. My heart thumped in its place. Its sound was so audible to me that I couldn't even hear my own hard breathing. The dragon let out a snort before carrying on with its rest. I let out a relieved sigh and hopped over its tail. The moment I was free from the encirclement, I ran like my life depended on it. In fact, in this scenario it might as well. Id didn't stop before exiting the garden.
'Who in their right mind would let a freaking dragon into the academy?' I exclaimed in my head. 'Insane! These people are mad! This academy is filled with lunatics!!!'
I breathed hard like I had run miles, but in fact I hadn't even run for a mile. When I realized that, I started walking quickly towards the dormitory. In my opinion, I hadn't put enough distance between me and the damn dragon.
'A freaking dragon…' I mumbled to myself in disbelief.
*****
The early hours rolled up quickly after my untimely and unlucky encounter with the dragon. Soon enough, we were all assembled once again in the auditorium for the Novice Initiation ceremony. After talking to Prasad and Sekar in the dormitory I had a vague grasp on what the ceremony was about. As it turned out, none of the influential nobles had been present yesterday during the welcoming address by the Mistress of Novices. It seemed as if they were exempt from attending the ceremony due to their status. Speaking of double standards, I couldn't but help chuckle.
The situation with the commoners was not as bad as I had imagined yesterday. Those with enough sense had seen through the ruse of the Mistress of Novices and they knew that reality was a lot different than what the Mistress of Novices had portrayed. Considering the fact that a commoner needed to be an exceptional genius or a talented individual to get admitted into the academy, the number of novices who had fallen far that initial speech was less in number than I had imagined. But still, the speech did its intended work. The commoners were now less guarded and were willing to mingle with nobles, that is if the nobles deemed them worthy.
The commoners who got into the academy with the influence of their family were the ones mostly trying to mingle with Lesser Nobles. The ones who got in due to their talent or hard work didn't bother with it much. The Greater Nobles were even more aloof. They only mingled among themselves. Thus, I was able to see various groups taking form in the Novice Initiation ceremony.
Santhanu and the fat boy, whose name I learned to be Pramod, were already mingling with a group of lesser nobles. Prasad and Elango were happily chatting with a few friends of their own. That left Sekar and me to sit by ourselves in the back. Sekar didn't talk much. It was clear that his nerves were acting up. He was so anxious for the ceremony to start that his anxiety even started affecting me after a few minutes.
The cacophony of noises eventually came to an end when Mistress Parimalam walked into the auditorium. Unlike yesterday, she was dressed regally for the Novice Initiation ceremony. Her hair was meticulously styled and she had adorned her neck with selective jewelry, which sparkled in the dim light. It was a show of wealth; it looked as if she had put the meticulous effort in dressing up for this ceremony.
I looked around to find most Greater Nobles and a large amount of Lesser Nobles had also gone out of their way to dress up for the ceremony. As much as I can see, there was only one person among the Greater Nobles who had not gone to any extreme lengths to impress people. It didn't look like she needed it either. Despite her plain appearance, the people surrounding her, who were incidentally dressed more gaudily than other Greater Nobles, appeared to defer to her. I concluded that she must be someone very important for even those pompous idiots to defer to her.
As if sensing my gaze, she casually turned to look at me. I averted my eyes and acted as if I was merely gazing around the crowd. From the corner of my eyes, I could see her evaluating me for a second before casually turning her gaze towards the stage where Mistress Parimalam was waiting for us to settle down.
"Welcome," Mistress Parimalam began in a warm tone that magically echoed around the auditorium making it seem like she was talking to me directly. "This is your starting point of what would become the most important journey of your lives. This is your gateway to fame and excellence. This moment here is what will turn your life upside down; for this is the moment when you all officially become the students of the prestigious Amaranthine Academy. I don't need to tell the number of legendary figures this academy had produced. Nor do I intend to ramble on the history of this academy…."
I listened half-heartedly to the speech idly wondering in a part of my mind when this all would come to an end. The Mistress of Novices talked for almost ten minutes how this academy is going to change our lives and then continued on with a rehash of yesterday's speech of equality in the academy. Beside me, Sekar was eagerly listening to the speech with repressed anticipation. I briefly wondered for a moment what he found interesting in the dull monologue the Mistress of Novices was delivering.
The speech went on for about half an hour before the Mistress of Novices announced something that made my interest piqued.
"Now, as with this academy's tradition, we will be introducing you to the Divisions of Amara. While it is not mandatory to join the Divisions of Amara, it is encouraged. Students who had joined the divisions had gone on to become very powerful mages in the nation of Panja. Why, even a few of the most talented students to enroll in the Divisions of Amara had become legends in their own right. The Divisions of Amara was their stepping stone to success. And I hope you it will be yours too."
"I am sure most of you are wondering what the Divisions of Amara exactly does. While you may have a passing knowledge of them, I am sure you will not have detailed information on them. While I can't disclose everything about the Divisions of Amara, I can surely give you an introduction about them. Rest, you will need to join the division to know their secrets."
I was immediately intrigued by the Mistress of Novices' statement. Everyone in Panja had a vague knowledge about the Divisions of Amara. They were the composition of elite mages in Panja. The mages from Divisions of Amara held enormous influence in Panja. Their status is akin to that of a Lesser Noble. While there was little more information among the people about the Divisions of Amara, everyone knew about them and their influence in Panja.
"The Divisions of Amara, as you all know, is the birthplace of the most elite mages in the history of Panja. They are first and foremost specialized groups of mages. There are five divisions in total. The Ruby Division is the most famous division in them. They mainly comprise of Battlemages who have an affinity for battle magic. The Sapphire Division is the holy ground of magic artisans. The Topaz Division produces the elite healers of the nation. The Emerald Diamond Divisions are the most secretive of them. While I have introduced these divisions to you, it is entirely up to them to accept them. They do not fall under the purview of the academy. They are an independent entity, even the Headmaster has no say in whom they recruit and whom they reject."
"But, fear not, we have Novice Representatives for each of these divisions. In order to be accepted into these divisions you need to submit your names to these representatives. They will evaluate your worthiness to join their division and let you know whether you are accepted on not. While the Ruby, Sapphire, and Topaz divisions have above-board selection process, the Emerald and Diamond divisions have a mysterious selection process that even we teachers are not aware of. Now, let me introduce you to this year's Novice Representatives of the Divisions of Amara."
I eagerly sat forward in my seat to know who the representatives of the divisions are. Chances are that these students were already been admitted into the divisions and hence will become very influential in the future. While none of the divisions apart from the Ruby Division had an allure to me, it would be prudent to know the other strong students so as to not run afoul of them. I know my talent to run afoul of people was extraordinary and it would be a pain if I run afoul of any of these individuals.
"Young Miss Nandhini, the scion of the great house Pallakar, will represent the Topaz Division. Students who are willing to join the Topaz Division should contact her to undergo the selection process." Mistress Parimalam introduced a girl dressed regally in a long flowing white dress.
The girl stepped forward to join the Mistress of Novices on the stage amidst huge applause. She had long hair reaching to her back. It was sleek and well maintained as expected of a noble. She had a kind face with warm eyes. She turned and curtsied to the novices with a happy smile on her face.
"Young Master Lokesh, from the prestigious Umapathi family, will be the representative of the Sapphire Division. As you all may know, he is the son of Master Umapathi, the famous Mage Artisan. Feel free to contact him if you want to enter the Sapphire Division."
Another novice rose from the Lesser Nobles section that was sitting right behind the Great Nobles in the auditorium rose up and walked briskly to the stage. He had a strong build and large hands that made me wonder whether he could perform the delicate works required of an artisan. Nevertheless, he carried himself with a swagger that spoke of his confidence. He joined Nandhini and Mistress Parimalam on the stage and curtsied to the novices. The applause was less this time around though.
"The Emerald Division will be represented by none other than the scion of the great house Chandrahasa. Master Kantha Chandrahasa, if you will please join us on the stage."
A young boy with arrogant bearing stood from the Great Nobles section and walked up to the stage to a generous amount of applause. I watched him puff up his chest and stare arrogantly at the novices. He didn��t curtsy like the other two. Instead, he executed a small nod acknowledging us.
He had a handsome face with a well-cut chin. His eyes were dark and cold, giving off a superior vibe which left a bad taste in my mouth. But his blond hair and blue eyes negated that effect making him look appealing to the onlookers. I saw several girls in the crowd swoon at his looks. I snorted in derision and decided to stay away from him. His arrogance rubbed me the wrong way, and it would take mere moments for me to run afoul of him. It would essentially make me a lot of novices' enemy. I was sure of it. So, why court trouble.
"Ah, the representative of Diamond Division has requested not to reveal his identity. But, if he finds you worthy he will approach you by himself. No need to worry about that. The Diamond Division has always been the most mysterious division and this is not the first time the representative had asked to abstain from the introduction."
I raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't bother to dwell much on that. There were curious mutterings in the crowd. The buzz was present for a few minutes before Mistress Parimalam spoke up once again.
"Moving on to the final division, the most approached division by the students in this academy. This year's Novice Representative for the Ruby Division is somewhat special. So, do take care in how you approach her. This year, Her Highness, Thilothama will be representing the Ruby Division."
The auditorium broke out in uproar to that declaration. The applause was deafening. The young girl with the plain dress who I had noticed earlier stood up amidst the applause regally. She had the bearing of a lady and she curtsied to the novices from her seat before walking to the stage.
Her movements were graceful and had an enthralling quality to them. The dress I had deemed plain earlier was decorated with a pattern of embroidery on both sides. She had a large ring on her left hand, but otherwise wore no jewelry but still had an angelic look to her face that defied reality. She was both cute and also elegant in a way that escaped my brain. Her hair was dark and her light brown eyes complemented her facial features well.
My mind had blanked the moment her name was mentioned. I had eyes for no one apart from her. As she curtsied on the stage, the applause reached a new crescendo I had thought to be not capable of. I shook my mind clear with great effort and looked around to find my fellow novices excitedly discussing her.
"Its Her Highness…"
"Can't believe she is my age…"
"Look at her grace…."
"She is so simple…"
As the conversations assaulted my ear, the only thing I could think was, 'So, she's here too. This is bad…. really, really bad. I have to stay away from her at all costs.'