It was early morning and the sun had only rised halfway. It was a cold summer morning. Quite uncommon here in Zen. There was a single dark cloud roming in the sky, as lonely as a sheep among a pack of wolves.
Miden sat on the tabel with a quill in his hand, and a paper on the table. He dipped the quill in the ink bottle. He thought for a while in how he should begin it and after sometime, he finally started. He began describing the attack that had occurred him, the Angel and Demon he met, and what he said.
....
That was all that happened. The words he mentioned were 'The Knights' and 'Twilight'. Quite queer. I want you to find out what it could mean.
As to my knowledge, the Angel had a strong presence. He is definitely has an Anima or Altar, or maybe something over that. The Demon, may also be in the possession of an Anima, it is not sure. They are an entire army.
Tell my father if you must, but I suggest that you keep it hidden for the time being. Report as soon as you catch the information.
At last he signed the letter with the elegent flow of his pen.
Miden Abyssheart.
He folded the letter and inserted it in an envelope. He stared at the envelope for a while before he wrote,
To A.M. Blackbane.
Then he kept the letter in his coat pocket. And then sat on the chair, for a long while. He stared out of the window, the hustle of the early mornings in some students. He saw, what seemed like, masters preparing for their first lectures with the batch too soon before they started: but Miden suspected that was the case. He saw a flag rise on the building, the Flag of Union(the flag of Zen).
Miden did this for about half an hour. Then he heard a door open. It was Ariel. The door of her section slid open as with a unpleasant creaking sound and Miden looked back.
"You are up early." inquired Miden.
"How long have you been up?" asked Ariel, rubbing her eye. "You are... in the uniform?".
She pointed at his coat, he seemed ready to attend.
"It's the first day of school, isn't it?"
"We have time." she complained, still sleepy, then she was looked confused. "Or am I late?"
"Don't worry. You are not late, early even." answered Miden looking at her.
She looked at Miden wondering what he was doing. She saw the ink and quill but decided not to question it. Her hairs were open and Miden saw for the first time how long her hairs were, streching almost to her hips. Soft and elegent, blonde hairs.
"Do you braid often?" questioned Miden.
She looked puzzled by her face.
"Not that often." she answered, "Why do you ask?"
"They look quite tough to braid. Figured it might take too long."
She nodded. Here eyes glistened with a sorrow that was smiling. She yawned and then said,
"Well-"
The door burst open. Vortex came out of the door and raised her arms in the air and made a loud scream. Then she looked over at both of them.
"Your up early." she said, and this time noticing the ink and quill. "What were you doing."
"Nothing" said Miden.
"That's how you wake up?" complained Ariel.
"That's how she wakes up, alright." answered Mavros opening his door and streching.
"I you all should get ready." suggested Miden getting up. "Can't be late on the first day."
Even tough they were quite early.
__________
They found their class and entered the hall. There were not many students present, even tough they were not early, they were on time. There was Reo but he did not notice Miden, and he did not address him either. Miden and his squad took a seat right in the first row.
There were whispers going trough the crowd and discussions were happening. Then there were footsteps, mostly stopped by the chats of the students. It was a Master who walked in, in a stride in a silent way. Then he placed some books on the table and the sound made silence among the crowd.
"Now" said the Master, "be silent for a while."
He fixed up his tie and the opened a book and looked trough it carefully. He nodded his head and then glared at the students. There were only, what seemed like, half of how many there were supposed to be.
"You'll might be a bit confused." said the Master with a faint smile, "You all are divided into four sections, each comprising of 16 students each. The number of students present currently are 32. Section A and B."
He scratched his beard and romed his eyes trough the entire class agian.
"I know all about you." he said picking up the same book, "This is the list, infact. You all might not know about me." He took a deep breath.
"I am your Master of Magic and Spells." continued the Master, " Opar Flamme. That is my name."
"I am infamous for teaching many capable warriors and mages, sometimes even kings." continued the man, "I am the one who deafeated the Titans of Dephh, and then piked their heads. I got exiled from my nobel family and then lived a stray life."
They were remarkable achievements, that could be seem by the students face. Miden, however, did not have the same reaction. He did not know the values of feats. He did not him criticise for this, but he just did not understand why to mention it. He had never valued these feats and achievements, they did not matter to the ones around him at all. All they saw were flaws. Just mere flaws, and Miden decided not to make any.
"I know about you all," remarked the Master, "but you all might not about each other. I think you should introduce yourself to the class about now. Just the name will do, but I prefer you say something more about yourself, is that all right?"
How should I go?, thought Miden. It was a weak thought. Miden really did not care how it was to happen but he wanted to look good, at least in some way. He was shallow in speach as he did not talk much.
"Should we start with you?" he pointed at Mavros.
Mavros nodded and stood up. He did not think for long and then introduce himself. His introduction was the same as the did with Miden but with a more casual tone. He added a 'Nice to know you all' at the end and then sat.
It went from there to Vortex. She did just the same, with a lot more enthusiasm than the pale face that Mavros kept. Again, she did it as she had done with Miden. And from there came Ariel's turn.
"Nice to meet you all." she said, "I am Ariel Autumn."
That was all she said. Her words were empty and feeble, her eyes were beautifully sad. Her face was expressionless, which did not suit. A confident voice it was, none the less. Then it came Miden's turn.
To even his surprise, he just said his name and then sat. That left everyone surprise for his name was 'Abyssheart'. The Master stopped for a while.
"You have nothing else to say?" questioned the Master.
"No" he said with an quiet face, "I have nothing more to say."
The Master nodded. It was in a sort of appreciation, something of a smile popped up on his face. Then he asked for the others to continue. It went trough the other students. There were not much names that caught his ears but he heard some that intrested him, not on a big scale tough.
Then came a voice familiar to his ears,
"Barachiel Thunderclap. The son of great warrior Archar Thunderclap, and the third seat of the warrior and magician group of 'Thunderclaps'."
It was the same person from Reo's squad that threatened Miden the other day. Miden did not look back to where he was but he heard carefully. Then went the voice of the princess.
"Clara Ortustella" she said with a pride in her voice and with a strong talk. "The princess of Volare, a kingdom of East. I hail from the Ortustella family. That is all that I have to say."
This was what Miden thought, she was a royal after all. After her went Reo and had a formal introduction. Then was the third person, the demon. Miden wanted to pay attention to what he said but he blanked out. He only heard the last bit,
"... son of the Captain and Chief of Tremble."
It was a well know place for him. He had never visited it himself but he had heard many times of it. Never of the Captain particularly.
After all of the introduction, the Master smiled glancing over all the students.
"We indeed have a great batch this year, eh?"
said he in a small voice.
He started with the basics. All which Miden knew and maybe most of the students did as well. Master Opar mostly talked about the Core. The uses and various names give to the spells. Destructive, creative and preservative.
Time passed. The lecture was over with, and they had been filled with somewhat of a new knowledge. The thoughts in his mind became silent and then blanked out. Miden streched befor getting up and joining the joining his friends to the next class. He felt no longer like a prince, and he liked it better.
They had a total of two lectures next: Alchemy and Physical Training.
Those were the lectures of the first day. Miden enjoyed this very oddly. The sun had now started heading west and the clouds were pierced by the golden lights of the sun. Nothing important happened in this time.
"I have to go out of the campus for a while." declared Miden, "I have something to get done with. I will take my leave."
"Where-" before Mavros could finish his sentence Miden rushed out of the the gate, looking behind and waving at them before dissapereing into the hustle-bustle of the students.
Miden was again in the peaceful market. It was the golden time for them. No shop in the street looked free, especially the food stalls. The honkers cried out to the customers as they walked by. It was a beautiful time.
Miden walked to a wagon. It was a man sitting as the wagon rider. At the sight of Miden, he bowed in respect and then saluted.
"My lord!" he called, "What is it you want me for?"
"It was not you I called for." sighed Miden, "Where is he? Don't tell me he is busy with the king again."
The wagon rider nodded in response.
"Geuss there is nothing we can do." declared Miden, "Deliver this to Blackbane."
Miden handed out the letter to the wagon-rider and then asked him to leave. He bowed one last time before leaving the place and disappering in the crowd.
"What a day it was." said Miden so slightly, as he returned to the campus, to become a student once again.