Hevron Academy was at the northern edge of the barrier surrounding Arkon. The Academy grounds were huge as there were several courtyards, stables, training halls and of course, the main building itself, which was nearly as large as the Inner Keep. Both Yu and Alicia had told him all about the Academy, yet Ren couldn't help but stare at the massive gates and the huge buildings beyond them in disbelief.
"Wow, this place is as big as sis told me!" A young woman's passing remark snapped him out of it.
"I actually came here once before to see my brother, but I can't believe we actually got accepted!" The person talking was another young woman, probably the same age as Ren. She was dragging her crimson haired friend along. "Look Serana, we're going to study here!"
Ren couldn't help but smile at her happiness. He felt the same way. His efforts were finally bearing fruit, he had finally reached the first step to realising his goal!
He took a deep breath and stepped through the gate. A paved road lay before him. He could see it led to the main buildings, though it seemed to twist and turn quite a lot. He started walking it. A bit ahead of him, he could see the two excited girls. Behind him, there were other students.
The path went through a small patch of trees. They were blooming, even though it was almost fall. He remembered Yu's words. He slowed his steps as he could sense faint traces of mana all around him. Someone was caring for these trees with magic. The pink flowers on the branches were beautiful. These must have been the trees Yu loved so much. He smiled and quickened his steps again. The last thing he wanted was to be late for the ceremony.
Once he left the woods, he arrived at a courtyard. He stood before the entrance of the main building. The courtyard was already filled with nearly a hundred young men and women. He and the few people behind him were the last to arrive.
As he looked around, Ren once again gasped in amazement. The main building was right there, in front of him. The massive towering marble structure seemed almost as if it was trying to reach the sky.
"Whoa!"
"Look at that, it's beautiful."
Everyone else was just as surprised as him, he could see it in their eyes, hear it in their voices. It was to be expected, even the Inner Keep wasn't this impressive. The entire exterior of the Academy was filled with engravings. The craftsmanship was exquisite and the sheer scale of it was jaw dropping.
"Welcome to Hevron Academy." A commanding voice echoed throughout the courtyard. Ren suddenly felt the air around him get colder as someone's mana spread to the whole courtyard.
A silver haired woman emerged from the massive gates of the main building. She was tall, almost as tall as Yu. She was wearing formal, dark purple robes. She had a scar on her left cheek. She hit the ground with the shaft of her spear.
"I am Auria El'liandra, the Seventh Battlemage and the principal of Hevron Academy." Her commanding voice echoed in the silence. "I welcome all of you to the Academy." She raised her spear again. Ren felt a change in the mana around them. She was using her magic to amplify her voice, while also supressing all other sounds.
"As you should know, today marks the end of the second millennia since this academy was first founded. When she built this academy, the Oracle left us a simple warning." She hit the ground again with her spear. A simple shape appeared in the air, a burning sword. The symbol of Hevron Academy.
"Be ever vigilant, as though the world is a battlefield." Principal Auria let the silence settle in. She gazed upon everyone. When their gazes met, Ren shivered. "Your lives up until now were peaceful, you were safe, protected. That ends today!"
"The path you walk from here on out will decide your lives. Will you strive to become stronger? Will you try to reach to and grasp the mysteries of magic? Will you push your bodies beyond their limit to become Guardians?" Her lips formed into a vicious smile. "Or will you hide behind those who succeed, cower behind the barrier and live in ignorance?"
"I'm looking forward to seeing where each of your paths take you. I will leave you with a warning of my own; You are the foundation upon which the future is built. Fail now, and your descendants shall suffer for it." She turned to leave, but then stopped. "Your lives are not just your own." With these words, she left as quickly as she came.
It was as if a storm had passed through the courtyard. The silence lingered as no one knew what to do. Speaking seemed inappropriate.
"Allow me to welcome you as well." The clear, yet gentle voice came from the path behind them. Startled, Ren quickly turned to face the owner of that voice. A middle-aged man stood there.
"I'm Arnold Reitz, the Vice Principal of the Academy." He bowed his head very slightly. "Please, do not let Principle Auria's words discourage you. She intended the opposite, I assure you. Now, if you'd please follow me," He walked through the large group of students, towards the entrance. Everyone quickly stepped aside to let him through.
He looked unremarkable. He was of average height, had short, wavy brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a simple white robe. But something about how he carried himself made Ren feel on edge.
They followed him through the giant doors and finally entered Hevron Academy.
"This is the main hall. Most important events will take place here." Vice Principal Arnold calmly explained as he led them through the hall. As they walked through the hallways Ren couldn't help but be stunned. The walls were decorated with tapestry and paintings. The lighting inside consisted entirely of arcane crystals.
The Vice Principal showed them around the campus. After nearly an hour of walking, they finally arrived at a lecture hall. "This is where the first-year classes are held. Be diligent with your studies and you will find your path. Now, I must be going but your teacher should arrive shortly. Wait here."
With this, Vice Principal Arnold left the hall. Ren looked around him as an awkward silence formed. Everyone was eyeing everyone else. They were gauging each others power, trying to find powerful allies -people they could use.
He massaged his temples. His senses were messed up because of all the mana lingering around. Even the damned lights were leaking mana. It was making it difficult to focus on his surroundings.
"Umm, hello." A blonde girl entered his vision. "I think I almost bumped into you earlier, I wanted to apologise about that." She was tall and slender. She carried a quarterstaff in her left hand. Her bright blue eyes were reflecting the light of the mana lamps.
"Oh, it's alright, don't worry about it." Ren forced a smile. "I'm Ren." He extended his hand. It was a good opportunity to at least learn people's names after all.
"Lena Nirei." She shook his hand, then pointed at her crimson haired friend standing a bit behind her. "She's Serana."
Serana had short, crimson hair and green eyes. She was of average height. She wore the same uniform as everyone else except for the small, silver leaf embroidery on her shoulders. She carried a spear with her.
"Serana Tesfel, second daughter of the Tesfel family." Serana bowed her head slightly. She had an air of dignity around her.
"Tesfel?" Ren asked. "Like… the bookstore?" He smiled. "I just visited there yesterday. It has quite an impressive selection."
"Yes, we've renovated just last month." She seemed unsure. "You're Ren? No last name?"
Ren lowered his gaze. "Yes." It stung, even if only a little.
"I'm sorry." Lena blurted out. "We were pretty sure you were the younger son of one of the noble families." She seemed distressed as she tried to explain herself. "We didn't mean to-"
"It's fine." Ren interrupted her. "Don't worry about it." He laughed. "I have no idea why you thought I was a noble though. I thought most nobles knew each other."
Nobility was naturally a very small portion of Arkon's population. Aside from the royal family, there were only a handful of noble families. And, according to Yu, they all kept a close eye on each other.
"Well," Serana seemed conflicted. "You do look different than everyone else. Besides, your weapon is unique as well. Usually commoners don't bother to learn anything more than the mere basics of martial arts." She gestured towards his tachi.
"We don't mean to offend you of course," Lena said while shooting an angry glance at Serana. She was desperately trying to salvage the conversation.
Ren shook his head and tried to comfort Lena. "I told you, don't worry about it. Besides- "
His words were cut short by the sound of the door flinging open and hitting the wall. A large man stood at the entrance. He was wearing a simple, dark blue uniform. He had short, black hair and dark coloured eyes. A scar extended from his left eyebrow all the way to his lips.
His muscles were clearly visible underneath the uniform. He didn't carry any weapons with him but even then, his sheer presence was overwhelming.
"Who is that?" Whispered Lena.
"The teacher, probably." Serana was unfazed by his power. No, Ren thought as his temples throbbed with pain. She couldn't sense his power yet. He glanced at Lena. She seemed to have noticed something as she involuntarily took a step back.
The man stepped forward and faced the class. Without saying a single word, his gaze swept through the classroom. When their gazes met, Ren gulped and stepped forward.
"My respects to the Tenth!" He placed his right hand on his heart and respectfully bowed. A momentary silence followed as the class processed his words. Then, Lena quickly bowed as well. The rest of the class immediately followed suit.
"Our respects to the Tenth!"
"Took you all a while." His deep voice was filled with power. "Now who do we have here?"
Ren gulped as the Tenth's footsteps drew closer. Out of all the powerful people he knew, Connor Warthorn was the only one he genuinely feared.
He felt a hand grip his shoulder. "You can stand straight now, kid."
"Thank you, sir." Ren straightened up.
Tenth Battlemage Warthorn's grip tightened as he looked at the rest of the students. He was visibly annoyed.
"I see that none of you have proper manners. That, is not how you greet one of the Ten." He pulled Ren towards the centre of the lecture hall. "Ask Ren to teach you later. Next time, I want to see all of you doing it properly."
"Our apologies, Sir." Serana stepped forward. "We weren't informed that our teacher would be the Tenth himself. It is an honour." Her voice was emotionless. She didn't seem to be worried like everyone else. It was almost as if she didn't really respect Battlemage Warthorn's position as the Tenth.
Ren felt the grip on his shoulder tighten more. Warthorn was getting more and more annoyed. He clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay silent. That was going to leave a bruise.
"You should know who I am by now, but I'll introduce myself, nonetheless. I'm the Tenth Battlemage, Connor Warthorn. Some of you might also know me as the 'Ebony Knight'." He smirked. "Now, follow me." He left the lecture hall, dragging Ren along.
"You're awfully silent, Ren." His grip loosened a little. "Scared?"
Ren shook his head. He was lying, of course. He was scared of Warthorn, terrified even. He didn't think ill of Warthorn though. He was a powerful man who carried a huge responsibility on his shoulders. He had been through a lot, just like Yu, Auria and all the other battlemages. He was a good man.
He massaged his temples. The pain was only getting worse.
"You still can't stop it, huh?"
"No." Ren said silently. "No matter how much I train, I can't not sense mana. And yours is incredibly powerful."
He stopped talking as they left the main building. It was almost noon. He shielded his eyes with his hand and glanced back. The rest of the class was following them. It seemed like Serana and Lena were leading them. As he kept walking, he could feel their gazes on his back.
"Does it hurt?" Warthorn's voice was emotionless.
Ren nodded. "No one here seems to be hiding their mana. I'm sensing too much of it from too many different sources. It's difficult to tell them apart. The lights and other magical devices aren't helping either."
"Good to know." The battlemage smirked. "That's what you'll focus on improving."
"I'll do my best, sir."
"Of course you will." Warthorn suddenly stopped. "And you'll start right now."
They had arrived at the northern courtyard. Unlike the rest of the academy, the ground here was battered. The weathered stones were cracked and broken. Even their colour was different. Ren could see weeds and flowers sprouting through the cracks. This simple courtyard felt like it was much older than the rest of the academy.
Right at the edge of the weathered stones, the air seemed distorted. Ren could feel immense mana radiating from that distortion.
"The Barrier." He whispered. "I didn't know we were allowed to get this close to it."
"Why not? It's not like a bunch of kids like you could be able to damage it." Warthorn laughed. "Even I wouldn't be able to do much."
"Well, maybe the First could slash a hole in it."
Four men and women stood near the barrier. The voice belonged to a tall, slender woman. She wore simple white clothes. Her long, black hair was tied up in a ponytail. A rapier hung from her waist.
"Not that we'll ever find out." An old man, wearing simple robes sighed. "But that's not why we have gathered here today. It's rather chilly out, so I'd like to finish this as quickly as I can." He carefully smoothed his cloak. "Cadets, do form a line please. Battlemages Silverwing and Warthorn will gauge your skills and abilities now."
"Actually," Warthorn approached them. "I'll have Ren here help us with that." He dragged Ren towards them.
"Oh?" The tall woman rested her hand on the hilt of her rapier. "You don't have a family name?"
"No, ma'am." Ren quickly bowed, placing his hand on his heart. "My respects to the eighth." He had heard of her. Fiora Silverwing, the eighth battlemage and most powerful healer in Arkon. She specialised in healing magic. It was said that there wasn't a single wound she couldn't heal.
"My apologies." Her voice was kind. "You may rise, Ren."
"Thank you, ma'am." Ren straightened up. Unsure of what to do, he just silently stood there. He could feel the gazes of the other students' gazes on his back.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves properly." Silverwing smiled and bowed her head slightly. "I'm Fiora Silverwing, the Eighth Battlemage and your instructor for the fine arts and scouting classes.
"Eron Gordin. I'll be teaching history and magic theory." A middle-aged man bowed his head. "I'm not a battlemage like Instructors Silverwing and Warthorn but that doesn't mean I'm any weaker." An almost wicked smile appeared on his face.
"Leonora Forris. I'll be your natural sciences teacher." The young, blonde woman gestured towards Silverwing. "I'm not a battlemage, wizard or witch. I'm a scientist."
"Kelvin Doran. You may call me 'Professor'." It was the old man who had spoken before. "You shall learn of the outside in my class. We shall speak of it more during class. Let us focus on the task at hand for the moment."
Ren had heard of Professor Doran before. He was one of the top researchers in his field and had already made more than a few new and groundbreaking discoveries.
"It's an honour to meet you, sir." Serana stepped forward from the crowd of students, disrupting Ren's thoughts and gathering all attention on herself. "As the representative of the first years, allow me to extend my thanks for your future guidance."
"Then do stop wasting our time and have those you represent form the line I requested just now, would you?" Professor Doran's sharp words seemed to hurt Serana's pride as her expression darkened. She stiffly nodded and urged everyone to form a proper line.
"She's not weak." Warthorn mumbled. "But that high and mighty attitude needs to go away." He nudged Ren. "Don't you think?"
"I wouldn't know, sir." Ren said silently. She was different than all other people he had met so far. She was well aware of her status as a noble and she didn't hesitate to use that influence. It reminded him of how some of the battlemages act. "But her power isn't earned…"
"You're right." Battlemage Fiora's words took him by surprise. He hadn't noticed that he spoke aloud. "Her power, the influence her family holds, is granted by the Emperor and upheld by the laws and customs of our society. On the battlefield, she is currently weaker than a simple soldier." The battlemage put her hand on Ren's shoulder. "But that doesn't mean her power is meaningless. Within the barrier, she holds more power than you do right now."
Ren nodded.
"But you already knew all that." Battlemage Fiora silently laughed. "Now then, tell me how you can help us with our duty here. Warthorn wouldn't say something like that unless you have some sort of ability."
As she spoke, she released her mana. It was bright, like a flame. Unlike Warthorn's, her mana didn't cause him pain at all. It was soothing even. He could feel the pain slowly disappear.
"Thank you." He silently said. "As for my ability, you probably already figured it out, but I'm very sensitive to mana. I…" He paused. "I'm always aware of mana around me. Even if it's just a lingering trace."
"He needs training." Warthorn chimed in. "He can't stop it."
Battlemage Fiora nodded. "He'll receive it. But for now, let's get this done before the Professor becomes impatient." She gestured towards the students. They had just finished forming a line. Serana stood closest to the instructors and she seemed awfully proud.
"Finally." Professor Doran sighed. "Now then, Battlemages, the rest is up to you."
"Now, Ren." Battlemage Fiora stepped behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Try to sense each person's power. I'll help you. Stay calm and give it a try."
"All of you, release your mana." Warthorn's command prompted everyone. As nearly a hundred students simultaneously released their mana, Ren took a sharp breath. Battlemage Fiora was protecting his mind, preventing the pain he feared.
"Follow my lead." Her soft voice calmed his nerves. "Don't try to force yourself to focus. Let your senses do their job."
He nodded. What seemed like a chaotic blob of mana slowly started to make sense. He could see the different colours and shapes more clearly. He pointed at the brightest shape.
"Good, he's the strongest." Battlemage Fiora lightly squeezed his shoulders. "Keep going.