I found myself waking up in the clinic, a bandage was firmly tied around my forehead region.
I couldn't remember much of what occurred after I sent that ginormous sphere of wind flying. What I do recall was in fact how intimidating an Intermediate level spell could be.
It got me excited, I wanted to learn more of Zestrian magic. I was clearly sold.
"Where am I?"
It wasn't until a few seconds I discovered I was in the clinic, and next to me was Headmaster Polpe wearing a weirdly proud face. Wasn't he supposed to be mad that I destroyed a good portion of the boy's dorm?
"Nyx my boy, someone wants to speak with you.."
He handed me a communication crystal. A magical device for transmitting conversations and other sounds in real time across distances.
I could hear my mother's high-pitched voice, an emphatic noise of jubilation, and for reasons I did not know.
"Mother?" I spoke to her via the crystal, I was very uncomfortable with how the headmaster looked at me, like there was something amusing on my countenance.
Although this was an assumption, I still checked nonetheless.
"I heard you've been practicing Zestrian magic!"
How she knew was a mystery to me. I tried to deny this but then I started to sense a pattern here.
The headmaster must've seen the books pertaining to that branch of magic after he rushed upstairs to see me unconscious after the commotion I'd erupted.
It would explain why I was in the clinic currently. But still, why did they look so terrifyingly proud?
"Yes, but I mean... it's not a big deal."
Doing my best to be as modest as I possibly could.
The headmaster had a contrasting thought, "It is and one that might help promote our academy." there he goes again, finding new ways to further finances for the academy. Be it by advertising students or teachers.
"I'm not quite sure what you mean sir.."
My mother's voice echoed through the crystal again, "Some students get a study break where they get to go to other cities, kingdoms or continents to learn any magic-related course of their choice... but in recent times Excelsior hasn't produced students who have interest in studying Zestrian magic."
She paused wanting to catch her breath even if she'd done so in between her sentences.
"And?" I inquired.
"That's where you come in my boy... spend some weeks there and pick up some skills and it may just help our academy gain even more publicity like we did in the time of our current final years." he spoke like I understood all of what he said.
At least it meant that I'd have a better chance of studying Zestrian magic and provided this was between Polpe and my mother, this made it an indirect nondisclosure.
I told my parents I was a late bloomer and that's the lie I've been tossing around when people ask how a Cross can command that many spells.
It wasn't a properly structured lie but then again no one cared to dig into it since they found me uninteresting and unworthy of such attention.
"But don't I have a say in this?" maybe to dictate a few of my own terms.
My mom's voice sounded politely threatening, she sounded nice in the ears of other people but directed towards me it felt like she'd smack me silly had I chosen to do otherwise.
"This is a scholarship opportunity Nyxie... so don't mess it up for your father and I... okay?"
It was like a verbal stab to the chest, "Yes ma'am.." I didn't even pursue any further questions.
I knew there was a lot more to this, it was a matter of finding out what it was. My mother didn't know much about Excelsior so the headmaster surely swayed her to support sending me there with the promise of a potential scholarship.
Proceeding...
It's said that on foot it could take a total of two months to walk to the Zestrian continent.
However, thanks to the generous contribution of Polpe I completed the same journey in two days by use of train. Of course they wouldn't let a student go alone, as such I was accompanied by my personal Knight - Gallus Erso.
He'd been quiet for the past two days we'd been traveling, it was an unbelievable level of boredom.
But we did it, we arrived at our location within Zestria.
[ "The Military Nation of Elgard" ]
A beautiful nation along the border of the Shield and Cross Kingdoms, as such it served as a key in the defense against any attacks; in the older times that is.
The nation was also rich in natural resources, thus generating more interest from rival countries. It had a large wall surrounding the entire nation with several towers along its length.
A large magic barrier was raised to further protect the nation. It blocked external attacks but allowed attacks launched from inside to pass through.
The barrier also required fifty Magic Cavaliers to power and maintain it.
The nationʼs totalitarian leader was Veloa Gidez, a man greatly admired by his soldiers.
There was only one way into the nation and it was through the appraisal tower where they have to run through certifications, passports and all necessary identification before approval as a valid semicitizen. A term used for visitors or people who were yet to naturalize themselves with the nation by staying a total of 10 years.
The nation itself was a neutral zone and peace was maintained by the military forces of their leader.
No one dared commit a crime there or they'd have the military to contend with.
Their army had been undefeated for an impressive number of decades even before the time of Veloa.
We alighted the train and I took the time to soak into the new environment. The air wasn't as fresh as back at the academy but at least it was a nice change of pace.
"I have your bags, shall we proceed?" those were the only words Gallus had said to me thus far.
Clad in silvery-white armor and with his intimidating sword fixed firmly on his hip, his large stature did result in the reason why he was unapproachable.
And my relatively small stature contributed to his height as I made him seem taller than one would think. He had light brown skin and short black and curly hair with aquamarine eyes.
As for myself, I wore a dark blue vest, black long sleeve, and long shorts. Fingerless gloves and a black rubber band on my left ankle.
I had tied my bob-styled pitch black hair into a short ponytail I styled into a bun. It would certainly make studying easier.
There was a long queue we had to join and patiently await appraisal. I couldn't just stand here for what would probably be an hour or two especially not with someone as reserved as Gallus.
"The queue sure is long, security here must be strict... heh." he didn't even bat an eyebrow.
It was like I didn't exist which played a big role in encouraging me to keep shut. I stared at him with an unsatisfied look before gesturing zipping one's mouth.
Back at the Excelsior Magical Academy, Days before Nyxʼs departure...
Headmaster Polpe returned to desk and sat in silence for roughly two minutes before a dark spiraling energy surrounded him and emanating from it was the distorted figure of a humanoid.
Its voice was anything but human, it sounded like guttering sounds of an animalistic creature.
It seemed to have had Polpe under its control, the headmaster appeared to have been hypnotized and that much was clear from the vivid redness of his eyes.
"Have you succeeded in bringing The Revenant to me?" no one would feel comfortable enough to have to stay around and listen to this nightmarish voice that could fuel a child's terrors of the night.
In conclusion, it was menacing.
"Yes I have, Lord Spriggan.." this name made things clear. It was the one bestowed upon the cruelest member of the Black Trinity.
In some ways, he was worst than Zaratros.
A tyrant who had vanquished the hearts of many mighty mages, a lover of deception and voracity. And I was without the knowledge that I'd just walked straight into his trap.
Ensnared like a helpless fly in a spider's web unknowing of what would befall me.
Not once had I uttered my Revenant status to anyone and yet he was able to deduce that, whether or not it was a difficult task was known by no one.
Fortune did not smile on Nyx...