Kingdom Rashtrakuta
If one edge of the kingdom has border camp than the academy is situated in the innermost part.
Academy, it's original name was 'GuruKul' a place where students who are thirsty for knowledge come , stay there for years, quench their thirst and leave the place for the next coming students.
Now the place has become a destination for students to learn more about their magic abilities. Maurya had made this place free for anyone who met the requirements of the academy. It had only theee requirements
1. Have a good ability
2. Be smart or strong
3. Secure a place in 1000 seats
One word, the best of the best are present here.
And this day was when children along with their parents arrive from all over the kingdom who have awakened to get accepted for the academy.
A huge gate opened with the rise of the sun. With this the view of buildings could be seen. Among all of them, one building stood out with its huge body. One had to lift their heads to see its top. And one had to tilt their heads in both directions to see its corners even from the gate. It was the main building of academy with the classrooms and training grounds. It attracted anyone's attention seeing it.The rest of the buildings were all the dorms lined up in hundreds and other buildings were for various purposes.
The road leading to academy were filled with carriages of different sizes , from the cheapest to the most expensive were all there.
This huge number of carriages when seen were like insects flocking together. The guards near the gate asked their purpose , details of the students letting them in. A barrier had been placed covering the whole academy which made it seem like a castle. Nobody was allowed to use their abilities inside unless they were the students of the academy.
Once the carriages entered they were to walk on foot to reach the testing area.Nobody spoke one bad word with all these rules in the academy.
Because the place was like a feast to the eyes. Maurya had invested so much money that it had turned out to be a tourist place.
The children who came there were spellbounded.
" I'll definitely want to study here" this was the one line that came out every child that had come there.
Even with the entrance of thousands of people the place had no noticable difference. It was that spacious even from the footpath to the corridors of the buildings.
There were academy people to guide the parents along with their children to testing centres. They were quickly given a wooden slot.
" There is a hour to begin. Your child's testing will done without leaking their results to anyone. You are allowed to roam around all the academy. Just don't cause any disturbance inside or else your child will be disqualified to enter the academy. Your wooden slot will lighten up once your child's turn comes. So you need not wait here. Please make way for the others who are entering now" a person spoke who was incharge of testing.
The parents along with their children quickly went from there to look all around.
The person in-charge did this for many times informing the people who got their wooden slot.
Meanwhile near a seperate entrance of the academy. This was for those who came through space abilities. Mostly those with wealth or in higher positions of the kingdom would enter from here.
A group of people were waiting for Ruhi.
" Princess and the queen will arrive in a minute Hari " spoke a women in her fifties. She was Meena vice principal of the academy, and wife of Hari.
" I know darling" , Hari spoke in a flirting tone to Meena. Hari was the principal of the academy.
" Stop it" , Meena said smiling.
They were the couple who ran the academy according to how Maurya wanted. Maurya had personally appointment these two as the heads of the academy as they were the smartest and knew how to handle things.
People behind them laughed seeing them joking. They too liked them as they were always immersed in the academy works since Maurya announced war. They had the responsibility of nurturing the young students. They knew when to be serious and joked around with each other when they had time .
A space tear appeared from which Maya , Amogha and Ruhi stepped out.
Everyone present there bowed their heads, " Welcome my queen and princess".
Hari came forward with Meena , " You both have the time to go travelling but none to visit our place", he said while scolding both Amogha and Maya in a soft voice.
" Teacher we didn't want to trouble you " Amogha said bowing her head.
Maya too nodded and did the same.
Meena hugged both of them and went to Ruhi lifting her up, " Your mother and Maya were both students in this academy before she met your dad. Now you are here to study in the academy , I'll make both of them visit every year".
Ruhi giggled approving her idea.
" Princess you will be staying with us for your own safety as long as you stay in the academy. Your father has made that as an order to me. But rest of the time you are free inside the academy. In home you can call me grandpa Hari but always call her Aunt Meena." Hari said pointing Meena to Ruhi.
Ruhi already started to like both them , " Ok grandpa Hari , Aunt Meena. You should call me Ruhi" ,she said happily.
Both Hari and Meena nodded seeing each other , noticing Ruhi had a good behaviour .
Meena put Ruhi back, " Amogha take this wooden slot. Once it lightens up head to the testing center. Now go take your daughter to show around the academy. You will enjoy telling your stories of this place to Ruhi. We will chat later."
Amogha nodded taking Ruhi inside the gate along with Maya. The guards present there too bowed their heads as they went past them.
The corridor in which they went quickly got connected to the academy campus. Ruhi quickly came into the view of the buildings. She too was mesmerized by the beauty of it.
Behind them the group of people started to return to their duties.
" Chanakya has delivered the kings wish to increase Ruhi's difficulty in the academy by ten times. You'll have to give her more attention, more homework and increase her training classes. Is it clear. I don't want to disappoint the king" Hari spoke to the people behind them.
They all nodded to him and left the place.
"He is even going hard on his daughter." , Meena sighed telling Hari.
" When given the best , you'll have to be best. Ruhi is a princess, and she'll have to earn it." Hari said firmly to Meena to not go easy on her.
Ruhi started exploring the academy campus running when she spotted a huge water fountain.
Beside that was a statue of Maurya and Amogha smiling together. Seeing this she quickly took out her communication device and put her aura inside it, like Chanakya had taught her.
A figure appeared on the communication device same as the one in the statue, " Ruhi you are already using the communication device. You are not allowed to use it untill you become a student there. " .
A guard had quickly come over to see who had used the device without permission as the surveillance system had alerted them.
Once seeing that it was Maurya himself on the device , he bowed his head.
" Go easy on her this time. Next time punish her if she breaks a rule" , Maurya said seriously to Ruhi indicating the same to the guard.
The guard understood Maurya's intention, " Yes my king , I'll not it allow the second time" . He bowed again to Amogha and went away happily as he was able to talk to the king himself.
Ruhi kept her head low and had become sad. Maurya and Amogha laughed quietly seeing her like this.
" Isn't the statue of your papa handsome there?" , Maurya asked Ruhi seeing his own statue to lift her mood.
Ruhi quickly regained her mood as that was the reason she had called him.
" I wanted to show you this statue, next time make mine and Mahi's too in front of yours" , Ruhi spoke and suddenly remembering Mahi,
" Papa I want to see Mahi. I didn't say goodbye to him when I left home."
" Ruhi I just returned from attending a meeting with friends of mine. Mahi was exhausted from the journey to the border camp and must still be sleeping. Once he wakes up I'll make a call to you. Ok now show me around the academy, I have forgotten how it looked." Maurya said quickly deviating Ruhi's attention from Mahi.
" Sure papa", Ruhi held Amogha's hand and went inside the huge building.
Continued
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Author you didn't tell Mahi's story in this chapter. If this is your question reader , then you got the answer from Maurya.
Mahi is still unconscious in the room. He needs quite some time to wake up. The beast inside the room has to just keep starring at him untill then.
Fun aside , I had too tell something before Mahi's story starts to make things clear and understandable in the future chapters.