The portals opened again to the edge of two giant stone bridges. On the side of each one stood tall pillars covered in moss and flowers, a clear sign of how long it has stood alongside nature. The bridges stood 3000 feet over the ground and underneath you could see training fields, buildings and a big river running through. At the other end you could see what most would assume to be the majority of Arathorn. An enormous castle carved out of the whites marble. A big tower stretched taller than the ancient trees, reaching for the sun. Surrounding the main building were other houses and structures, merged with both the mountain and trees. It was hard to tell what was what at times, almost as if the forest itself had tried to hide the school from peeking eyes in the sky. The water flowed peacefully through the streets and walls of the school, creating a peaceful rippling sound. It was a sight to behold. Ishan felt a sense of pride every time he laid eyes upon it.
"The Elder Council and General Ismastis will be waiting for us, sir." Lumtor stated.
"Yes. Of course." He muttered and took the lead crossing the bridge.
The school had a wide mix of races studying there. While the vast majority was humans and elves, there was also a fair share of dwarves, bird- and lizardfolk, dragon kins, halflings, devilkins and many other fey creatures. All of which bowed as they saw Ishan and Lumtor approach.
"Master Ibarin!" A young faun, accompanied by a few other students, ran up to the old man with a smile of excitement on his face, "Will you still be holding the lecture on illusion magic today despite the starfall that happened yesterday?"
He smiled, "Why, yes, young Dex. No need to worry. I hope you have studied the books I recommended to you."
"Oh, I have, sir! I sure have! I wont be no trouble for me!"
"Run along now, little runts. The principal has other matters to attend to." Lumtor stepped up, trying to hide the tiny creature wrapped in a golden cloth in his arms. The young students giggled and skipped away, "Sorry, Master Bakur."
"Careful now, Lumtor." Ishan said silently, teasing, "You do not want to act like you are hiding something."
The tall spell-caster snorted in annoyance, "I just want us to settle this child so I can return to Rook."
"I'm sure the Kingdom can last a day or two without you."
"Their borders are expanding at a rapid pace, Master. You put me at the Citadel to make sure it doesn't get out of hand."
"I put you and Caius there to prevent a blood feud. According to him, things are under control."
Lumtor rolled his eyes, "Please."
As they reached the other end, a giant statue of a centaur greeted them, standing in the middle of the two bridges. The water ran between his hooves and fell towards the lower levels of the school. Ishan did the slightest of bow towards the statue, like he always did. The statue depicted Mikozio, another member of the Sapphire Hands and good friend to Ishan. Even though he died over a thousand years ago, the impact he had on the school still holds strong to this day. The methods he used to train his soldiers and knights during his time are still very much utilized today by other instructors of the school.
Lumtor, of course, paid no mind to the statue. He was far too young to fully understand and being brought up as a spell-caster student, he never got to hear all the stories from the lower grounds. Mages and diplomats who studied at Arathorn normally kept to the upper levels, whilst fighters and warriors studied and trained in the lower grounds. So naturally, stories from their respective sections rarely got shared with one another. It was the downside of having a school of that size but Ishan had come to accept it.
They entered a large circular hallway with Arathorn's banner hanging from the ceiling. In the middle of the hallway stood a group of five people similarly dressed like Ishan and Lumtor, in white and golden robes. There was also a female centaur standing beside them, along with a handful of soldiers. They were wearing the signature armor of Arathorn. White plate with golden engraving and a dark blue cloak hanging from their back. They carried a shield with the head of a silver dragon depicted on it and a long spear in the other hand. The centaur woman had a similar outfit but altered to fit her tall figure. Standing at nearly eight feet, she easily towered over Lumtor who was seven feet. This was General Ismastis.
The soldier stood firm as the two approached the Elder Council. A woman with red hair, carrying a golden staff similar to that of Ishan's, stepped forward.
"Master Ibarin. Lumtor. I take it the mission was successful?"
"Perhaps we should take this in the council hall, Aaliyah?" Ilpherean suggested. He'd arrived beforehand to prepare a room for the child so she'd have a place to stay upon her arrival. He was also a member of the Elder Council, which currently had seven of them. There was Ishan Ibarin, the leader of the whole school and council. Aaliyah Sharis, the vice principal. She took care of everything if Ishan wasn't present. Lumtor Baruk stood as the aggressor of the group. His intimidating presence was useful in tense circumstances, but if brawn wasn't enough, Caius Timko would step in and act as a negotiator. He was well versed and educated. Then there was Ilperean whose duty was to oversee the rise of Zeppala, a relatively new kingdom in the grand scheme of Emteria. Lastly were the two more unusual members of the council, but no less important. Vitellia Echo, a faun from the fey realm, stood as a bridge between the magical realm and this one, and Wrismow, a shade that wanders between the world of the living and the dead. They can get into places where living beings would find difficult and have great insight on the darker forces of the world.
With such diversity, combined with the knowledge Ishan and the Sapphire Hands had gathered for two millenia, the Elder Council was one of the most powerful groups in Emteria. Ishan was glad to have them by his side.
They walked through the giant halls of Arathorn. Ismastis and her soldiers cleared the way as they went on. Every teacher, guard and student stopped and greeted them respectfully.
Eventually they came to a giant double stone door. The iconic dragon head on each side, gazing at each other with calm eyes. Aaliyah touched the handle with her staff and they opened without issue.
"Guard the outside, no one is to disturb us." Ismastis ordered with a dark voice.
"Yes, General."
The centaur closed the door after her once the Elder Council had made it inside. They sat down around a big hexagon shaped table. The base was made of dark rosewood and top plated with gold. At the center of it layed a large circular plate, a bit reflective like a mirror. If you leaned in closer you'd see the tiny crystals that it was made of, glowing in a pinkish hue.
"Now then." Aaliyah sat down, "Have we confirmed our suspicions?"
"Don't be shy, Lumtor." Wrismov spoke with an otherworldly voice, it sounded like five people talking at once in a whisper, "Let us see what you've brought."
The mage unwrapped the golden cloak in his arm and placed the baby on the table. The poor child had fallen asleep and was blinking in confusion as she woke up. They all stared at her except for Vitellia, who couldn't keep her hands away and said, "She's beautiful, Lumtor!"
"Don't talk like she's one of mine." He fumed. The faun smirked back at him, "I'm sure Mathaioz would love to have a baby sister."
"Why? Are you offering?" He teased.
Ishan cleared his throat, getting back to the question at hand, "There is no denying it. All the evidence points to it. This child is of Luna'Celesia, hence why the moon of Jarxus and Lesalia has been standing so close for the past two days."
"She's a spitting image of the goddess herself." Vixellia affirmed.
"And that of her mother and father." Ilpherean corrected, "Let us not forget that this is still a child and we need to care for her in her parents absence."
"Hmmm." Wrismov hissed, "We've never taken students this young before."
"We'll have the nurses care for her until she's old enough." Caius suggested, "I can arrange for some moon elves if that would suit her."
Ilpherean sighed and leaned back, "I still do not understand why her mother could not have come with us."
"You know the rules." Caius clasped his hands together, "Only students, teachers and active servants of Arathron are allowed inside our borders."
Ishan laid a reassuring hand upon Ilpherean's shoulder, "I understand it must be difficult for you to split the Lathalas. You have watched from afar for so long. You have seen their hardships, but this is the only way, my friend. Her family chose this for her. We can only move on from here."
"There is… one problem that arises by bringing the child here, Master Ishan." Wrismov recalled.
"And what is that?"
"Are you not going to tell us what happened in Arthuria?"
There was silence in the room. Only the gurgling of baby Trisphyra echoed amongst the high pillars as Vitellia played with her.
Ishan took a deep breath, "I assume most of you know already, but shadows attacked the town the morning after the baby was born. Many of them, along with a storm elemental. It was summoned there."
"The moons have always had their enemies, it's not surprising they would act so quickly." Aaliyah rubbed her cheek. "You think they will try to find Arathorn, Wrismov?"
Lumtor burst into laughter, "They can try."
"The safety of Arathorn must come before all else." Caius snarled.
"My lords." Ismastis spoke up from her position at the door, "I could have my soldiers placed more densely alongside the border. It's about time I put some of them to use and it'll be great for my trainees to be out on the field."
"Thank you, General. That would be great." Ishan smiled.
She bowed, "The same can be said for the little one, should she need any guardians. I can have my best knights on it immediately, they won't even question it."
"Your loyalty is admirable, General. That will suffice." Aaliyah answered.
"There is also the problem with the child's magical capabilities." Ishan continued. "Because of the way she was brought into this world, her essence has been severely blocked. It is going to take some work for her to be able to access it."
"Isn't that a bit too early to say, Master Ishan?"
"For her sake, I hope I am wrong. Blocking a magical being's essence is as close to blocking the blood flowing in our veins or the air in our lungs, and if other forces are coming after her, she must be ready."
"Then we just have to keep a close eye on her. Have the nurses monitor her every step, every progress." Lumtor asserted.
Ilpherean protested, "She must also be allowed to be a child."
"Don't worry." Aaliyah smiled, "She won't start her training until she shows her first signs, but that's why we need to watch her, Ilpherean. We don't want this child to get hurt any more than you do, but we cannot forget what she is. She's a demigod. Do you understand? A demigod studying at Arathorn. It's a blessing."
He didn't answer her but kept staring at the baby. He felt sorry for her. The journey ahead wouldn't be easy, maybe Ishan could make it so but even the powerful wizard had his limitations.
"We'll have to be careful." Wrismov urged, "We cannot let the other students know what she is. There could be… a power struggle."
Aaliyah raised an eyebrow, "You don't trust our students?"
"I don't trust the ambitions and naivete of any living creatures. Like the saying goes; ``Curiosity killed the cat."
"And the council did remove some sections from the library decades ago, so it is nothing new." Ilpherean muttered, clearly not pleased about that.
Ishan stood up from his seat and everyone turned to him.
"I have always urged our students to explore on their own and I wish that for this child as well. However, I cannot ignore the elephant in the room." He looked at Ilpherean, "She is a demigod. Supervision is a must, but I hope we can do so in a subtle manner, at least for now. That means only the council and a handful of selected teachers and soldiers can know her true identity."
"How many would you need, my lord?" Ismastis asked immediately.
"Ten captains, ten lieutenants. That should cover your army of ten thousand on the lower grounds, am I right?"
She smiled, "I know the perfect candidates."
"Good." He sat back down, "As for upper levels, I think five should be enough. Our mages and academics are perhaps more invested in their own struggles than anyone else's in their younger days."
"Which ones did you have in mind, Master?"
"We previously discussed expanding the council, I believe this could be their first test."
"Dah-dah-dah!" The little baby shouted, breaking the tense air in the room.
Ishan chuckled, "Perhaps we should get this settled immediately?"
His eyes started to glow and a distant whisper echoed across the hall. After a few seconds he went back to normal and turned to the centaur, "You are dismissed, General. Go and inform your soldiers of the news."
"Yes, my lord." She bowed and turned to exit the room. The doors suddenly flung open and a tiny elderly, gnome rushed inside, "Out of my way, missy." Without so much as looking at the other council members, she hurried over to Ishan's side and bowed.
He gave her a smile, "Matilda, my dear."
"Only you can have the audacity to summon me in the middle of daycare." She grumbled, "What do you want?"
"I have a new student for you."
Vitellia walked over with the baby and handed her over to the tiny gnome, whose eyes softened immediately, "Well, hello there little one!"
As soon as she grabbed hold of the tiny elf, her eyes widened and looked up at Ishan, "Is she the one?"
"This is Trisphyra Lathalas."
"Trismyrma… T-Tripypa… Oh for god's sake, stupid highborn names! I'll call her Tris. Ain't that right, my sweet?" She tickled the baby's stomach who cooed in delight.
"Would you need any assistance, Lady Matilda?" Caius asked, "I can provide some moon elves to-"
"Oh she's far too young to care about that now, Cuzco." She blurted out, ""Right now, all she needs is love and attention. I have plenty of both."
Caius cleared his throat, slightly offended that the old gnome still got his name wrong, "Very well then."
The doors opened once more and four individuals entered. Three of them were elves and the fourth a soul-touched, whose eyes were pure white. They all bowed before the council. Ishan greeted them, "Ramena Ashgrain, Reeve Lionswift, Liluth Keyro and Yvonus Proudstride. Your actions and loyalty to Arathorn have led you here today."
He conjured three pieces of golden cloth before them, "It has been a joy to see you all thrive during your years as students but also as teachers. For a long time now, the Elder Council has considered adding new members to the court. You have all been chosen for this."
All four of them looked amongst themselves, nervous on what to say."
"I understand that this might seem sudden, but trust me, it was no hasty decision. You all display abilities unique to yourself and your classmates. Ramena and Liluth, your connections to nature and the magic around you has impressed even our dear Vitellia. Reeve, your skills in combat are admirable but even without the sword you have a sharp tongue. Yvonus, it is not often a soul-touched has come to study at Arathorn. Your bloodline has provided the school with valuable information."
"If I may ask, how did the council come by a child of the moon goddess?" Yvonus asked with a tough and raspy voice.
Ishan was a bit taken aback by his question. The other elves looked at him in shock. Yvonus was known to be blunt but this was unusual even for him.
"You sense it?" Ishan asked.
"Of course I do. I'm an half-celestial, a soul-touched. I can sense when my kin is close."
Ishan scratched his pearly white beard, "This is why I decided to add all of you to the council. You see, Arathorn has been presented with a unique opportunity."
He proceeded to explain the situation once more. Questions were raised and answered but eventually all of them accepted and wrapped the golden cloth around them. Only the highest ranking members of Arathorn got to wear gold. Normal teachers and officers wore silver and white, while students and trainees had darker outfits to choose from.
The rest of the evening was filled with designing an education plan for the child. They were all in a somewhat mutual agreement, even Ilpherean gave in eventually. As the meeting ended they all went their separate ways. Many of the council members had to return to their respective regions of Emteria to keep a watchful eye. Vitellia and Matilda took the baby to her room and made sure she was ready for the night.
As the sun set the school became calmer. Less and less students wandered the corridors and only the footsteps of the marching guards could be heard echoing through the halls. Ismastis was making her way down to the lower grounds, following a wide spiral of stairs, circling around a giant waterfall. She found a figure sitting by the edge, dangling his feet while playing with some silvery magic in his hand. She sighed and walked up to him.
"Lord Ishan called for you today."
"I know." He grunted.
"You could've become a member of the council."
"I don't care about that."
"He's going to be disappointed."
The man, a slender elf with purplish skin and white hair scoffed at her comment, "Add to the pile, General."
"I hope you don't teach your students to give up that easily, Master Lombard."
He rushed up to his feet and glared at her. She remained unfaced, "The child. You might be able to help her."
His face relaxed a bit, "The council puts too much hope into that infant."
"Like they did with you, you mean?"
He turned away, "It's not about me."
"Clearly." Ismastis rolled her eyes, "You should at least go and meet her."
"No. I have other, more important things to attend to."
Seeing that the conversation wasn't going to lead anywhere, Ismastis continued her way down, "I'm just giving you a heads up, Guprix. This could be the chance to redeem yourself."
He didn't answer her. Instead he waited for her hoofsteps to fade away so that he could relax. He would never admit it, but fighting the general was something he'd avoid if he could. Her fierceness was well heard of around the school. His eyes went down to his hand, holding the smale flare of blue light in his palm. He squeezed and quenced it. 'Damn it.' He cursed himself. The anger rose inside of him. All this excitement from Ishan and the council, once upon a time it was all for him. Him! A well educated, powerful mage. Now it was for a child who couldn't even walk yet.
He let out a scream and shot a firebolt into the water.
"It saddens me to see you so distressed, my friend." A voice spoke.
Guprix turned around and faced his master, Ishan. The elf looked away.
"The child does not diminish the efforts you have put into this school, Guprix."
"It doesn't?" He objected, "How many years has it been since you sent me out on the field? How many decades, Master?"
"We all agreed your skills would be best served here. Teaching the younger generation everything you have learned."
"No! You and the council decided. Not me!" He rushed past him and headed up to his chambers. Ishan followed him with sad eyes. It wasn't easy to let down his pupil like this, but he had to do what was best for the school.
Ismastis came down to a commotion on the training field. Five young elves, dirty and shirtless, tackling each other to the ground. A swarm of other trainees had gathered around to cheer them on. With her height she could see over them all with ease. She wasn't surprised when she saw who was fighting. The dark-elf knocked out the air from three of his comrades. The remaining two made an effort to push him down on the ground, but he was far stronger. With a fast maneuver he managed to knock the two into one another. The classmates cheered loudly until they heard the familiar steps of their general. They moved out of the way and let her approach. She stared down at the five elves. The dark one breathed heavily but with a smirk on his face. Ismastis saw the bruises on his face.
"Care to explain this one, Krisric?"
The drow shrugged and looked around him, "They jumped me first, General. I- I was just defending myself."
"With ease, as far as I can see. You're all soldiers of Arathorn. You should know better." She pulled them all up on their feet, not caring for how sore they were, "There are bigger threats out there. The last thing you need to do is fight amongst yourselves. I don't want to see this again. Understood?"
They all groaned in pain, "Yes, General."
"Good. Now get to bed. There will be double assignments for you all tomorrow."
That night and every night thereafter, the three moons would shine bright over Arathorn unlike ever before, bringing a new light into the woods. Baby Trisphyra laid still in her cradle, looking up at the moon. Matilda snored not too far away in her own bed. The small crystal her mother had placed around the baby's neck glowed subtly in the light. As it did, the child slowly went to sleep, feeling the sense of a warm embrace.