"For those of you who do not yet know me, my name is Elvina Axeash, the school's headmaster.
As we gather here today, at the dawn of another academic year, I am filled with a sense of pride and anticipation for the journey that lies ahead of you. Our school stands as a beacon of pride and strength, knowledge and skill. Where the art of being a Beast Handler is not just taught, but revered.
During the years to come, you will each be guided on finding both your personal and academic goals, as well as the best way for you to contribute to society, whether it be by using your prowess in battle, your innate talent for the magic arts or your intellectual capacities. As your headmaster, it is important for me to remind each of you of your role here. Becoming a Hedal Beast Handler is not merely a skill; it is a responsibility – a bond forged between human and creature. It requires patience, empathy, and a deep understanding of the world in which we live. Throughout this year, each of you will face trials that will test your resolve and strengthen your abilities. But remember, you are not alone. Our faculty and staff are here to guide you, support you, and impart the wisdom that generations before have left behind. Beast Handlers hold a unique responsibility – to foster harmony between humanity and the Beasts we share our world with. So as we embark on this new chapter of your lives together, let us embrace the challenges, celebrate the victories, and always strive for excellence in all that we endeavor.
To our third-year students, I have but one thing left to say; You are about to start one of, if not THE, most important year of your life – one filled with challenges, discoveries and triumphs, but also defeat, and suffering.
Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.
If you do these things, I promise you that whatever happens, your life will not be one you regret.
Thank you."
Headmaster Elvina Axeash. Damn does she know how to give a motivational speech. I'm all fired up and ready to start the year and, based on the look on her face, Lysa feels the same way. Even Ronnie and Sophia seem a little more cheery than before. Our headmaster turns around and enters the building behind her, followed by Rusty and the other professors. I wonder what Beast she has. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any Beasts around except for Aello when he landed on top of the building where headmaster Axeash gave her speech.
Three of the professors stay outside and one of them immediately catches my attention. He has a long, brown, leather coat that matches his hair color – not counting the grey hairs – and a black eyepatch over his right eye. His good eye matches my gaze and I don't know why but I quickly look away in response. He steps forward and his intimidating presence is felt by everyone in the courtyard.
"You may address me as Sergeant Evander, I will be your Battle tactics professor. I have also been assigned as steward for the third year students. As I understand it, there are three students among you who did not spend their first two schoolyears at this academy. While this is highly unusual, professor Lin and I agree that it is in the best interest of these three students that they join the first-years' tour around campus this morning."
All the other students in the courtyard start murmuring and looking around, some spot Lysa and me pretty quickly, staring at us like we're some kind of strange beings they've never seen before. Their gaze quickly turn away when meeting ours.
Jake is still nowhere to be seen.
"In the afternoon, these three students will take part in some tests in order to determine their current capabilities. The other third-years should most definitely come and see, if they want to know what there three students are capable of, especially with the academy's challenges in mind."
I whisper to Lysa, "Did you know there were going to be tests? And what's this he's saying about challenges? My parents never told me anything about it."
"I have no idea what they're talking about." She whispers back. "Dad hasn't told me anything about any of it. He must have known though, he's a professor."
"Guess we'll have to wait and see."
Doubt starts creeping into my mind. Maybe the headmaster told Rusty not to tell us anything. Do the other professors even know she's his daughter?
The professor to Sergeant Evander's right steps forward. She has blonde, curled hair and a calming effect about her that kind of reminds me of my own mother. The moment she starts speaking, I seem to feel more at ease.
"Hello students, my name is professor Lin. I will be your history teacher and I have been the steward of the first-years for quite some time now. If there's anything you guys need, you should not hesitate to ask me for help or advice. First-years, please follow me and I will show you around campus."
She turns and starts walking toward the building on our left. "If you have any questions, please raise your hand and I will answer them if I can."
Lysa, Ronnie, Sophia and myself follow professor Lin and the other first-years on a tour of the academy. She starts with the building on the left. She guides us through and into a wide hallway. To our left are a couple sets of double doors that have a sign on them that says 'Always keep closed'. On the other side of the white, spacious hallway, is another set of brown doors with the letters 'History' engraved in them. At the far end of the hallway are the stairs to the next floor. Our history professor guides us through the doors on our left first, and when we enter, every students' mouth falls wide open in amazement. There is no way to accurately describe how enormous this space is. Huge bookcases line the walls from floor to ceiling. I can't even imagine how much time and effort must have gone into collecting such an impressive amount of books. At the center of the room are big, oak tables that can easily seat 20 people at once, as well as some oak coffee tables with brown, leather couches around them.
Along the edge of the bookcases are stairs positioned every twenty feet, that lead up to walkways going as high as the ceiling. The room smells like aging paper and ink, but there's also a subtle aroma of wood, probably from the shelves and furniture. The two combine to create a unique and nostalgic scent which feels inviting.
"This is our Library. We have one of the largest collection of books on the continent, with topics ranging from history, to magic and Beast knowledge, or even our kingdom's myths and legends. To take a book with you out of the library, the code on its back needs to be given to the librarian. There are no fees involved in checking out our books, so you can keep them however long you like. However, if a book is not cleared for checkout, or its checkout is not renewed after seven days, it will automatically be teleported back to its rightful place on the library's shelves."
She leads us back through the double doors from before, back into the hallway and through the doors that have 'HISTORY' engraved on them. Inside is a classroom big enough to hold more than fifty students at once. Small cupboards and lockers line the right side of the room and on the left are a couple of windows looking out at the sea.
"The north side of the building has five floors above this one." The professor continues.
"To spare you the effort of having to take five flights of stairs, I will just show you the one on this floor, since they're all pretty much the same anyways. Every floor has only one classroom, with a specific class assigned to it. You could probably tell from the engraving on the doors that this is where you'll be taught about the history of the Hedal kingdom, and our continent. Beast anatomy and Beast Nurture are taught on the second and third floors respectively. The fourth floor is where you will learn about the theoretical aspects of magic and the fifth is where proper etiquette will be taught. This building is entirely preserved for theoretical classes, so practicing magic or combat in here is most definitely not allowed."
We exit the building and Professor Lin escorts us back across the courtyard, passing by the fountain in its center. I get a better look at it and realize that this fountain is exactly the same as the one in Vinyar, from the flow of the water to the positioning and pose of each Beast. Lysa's eyes are fixated on the stone Beasts. It must be nice to have a little reminder of home so close by.
"Missing home already? You just got here." I say jokingly.
"No it's not that. Something feels different about this fountain, though I can't quite put my finger on it. I do miss home though, I've never been away from Vinyar for longer than a couple of hours, and it's already been a full day."
"It looks exactly the same to me, but I guess if anyone would notice a difference, it would be the person who's been around it all her life. Besides, you're not alone here, remember."
"I know, I'm not too worried about it. It's just that every detail I seem to remember is exactly the same both here and in Vinyar, yet there is something in the back of my head saying that they aren't the same.
Maybe it's one of those things where it only comes to you when you stop thinking about it."
The group of first-years is now at the other end of the courtyard, and the twins are waving us over. We join the rest of the group and continue the tour.
Professor Lin opens the doors and inside is a huge room, which I think must be almost the size of the entire building. On the left we see targets, both wooden and stone. Beside the wooden ones are quivers filled with arrows, ready to be used and fired. I can vaguely make out some dark scorch marks and cuts on the stone targets. They must have been used for practicing magic. I don't know what else could make that type of marks on stone slabs. The rest of the room is covered in square training mats, wood weapons on racks lining the walls everywhere. I've never seen so many weapons in a single room.
"This is where your practical classes will be held, like hand-to-hand combat, as well as magic practice. This building is quite well-equipped to handle anything you want to try, be it experimenting with a new spell, or testing your own weapon skills."
On the other side of the room are double doors leading back outside. We walk through them and on the other side is a road that leads toward the edge of the cliffside. This entire school was built on the edge of the city, on the cliffs along the shoreline. The salty sea breeze blows through our hair and I look out at the calm sea, beautifully glistening in the morning sunlight. It's an amazing view that I can't get enough of. To the left, I see a cluster of lush, green islands in the distance. In just a couple of weeks, that's where the third-years will be going to search for a Beast egg. The thought that we're so close makes me so utterly excited for what's to come.
I see something that looks like a grey Beast running around on the edge of one of the islands, but decide to focus on professor Lin who, with the other students at a fair distance behind her, has kept following the road, right to the very edge of the cliff. The professor stops for a second and turns around, beckoning us to follow. She takes a step forward and I feel the entire years' collective hearts drop. What is going on, is she trying to kill herself? Why would she willingly walk off the cliffside?
She starts falling and my body's reflexes automatically kick in, launching my body forward in an attempt to catch her. All I can think of is that I'm going to be too slow, too late to save her life.
To my shock, she seems to have found something to step on and then keeps walking, getting lower and lower with each step until her head disappears completely behind the cliffside. I look to the other students, trying to find anyone who knows what the hell is going on, but they are just as baffled and confused as I am. I inch closer and closer to the edge of the cliff, and a staircase is revealed, carved into the side of the cliff. Professor Lin looks back with a big smile on her face.
"Gets them every year" I hear her say. "Come along students, don't stay too far behind now."
I let the other first-years take the lead and join Lysa, Ronnie and Sophia at the back.
"She seems nice but dude, she has a really twisted sense of humor." Lysa says.
I nod in agreement.
At the bottom of the stairs, close to the water level, there is a huge open space that doesn't look like it was made by humans. The sides and back wall of the cave looks like someone carved seats into them, and left a flat, open space in the middle. The floor is wet from the many waves that slam into the side of the cliff, and small splashes of water occasionally hit us while we listen to the professor explain where we are.
"Here at Beast Handler academy, we have a ranking system that allows us to discern a student's capabilities. It is a system where points are awarded to you, your friends or perhaps even your entire year upon successfully completing training courses or winning sparring matches, getting good scores on written exams and, occasionally, a professor may choose to reward you for exceptionally good behavior. The 8 highest-ranking students of every year are known as the 'Top Rankers'. These 8 students, and ONLY these 8 students who qualify as Top Rankers in their fifth year, will be allowed to enter the Ascension Tournament, where, as you most likely already know, they will compete for the honor of challenging any of the current Ascensori they want to."
"Ah damn, our written exam scores too? I'm so fucked already." Lysa sighs.
"You'll be fine. In any case, even if you don't become an Ascensori and I do, I'll let you be my sidekick."
"As if. If anyone's going to be the other's sidekick, it's you who'll be mine, 'Eli'" She says mockingly.
"It's on then. Whoever becomes an Ascensori first wins. Good luck. You're going to need it."
"You're the one who's going to need luck on his side. After all," She starts whispering, "I can always ask my father, a professor and former Ascensori for some tips and tricks, and maybe the occasional extra point." She winks at me.
"Cheater." I mumble begrudgingly.
"There is however, one way to get into the top 8 students without getting good grades." Professor Lin continues and immediately piques both our interests.
"On three occasions throughout your school year, at the start, at the middle and at the end, the school allows any student, of any ranking, to challenge a Top Ranker of their choosing, so long as the challenge happens within their own year. This fight will occur right here, in this cove. Any Top Ranker who is challenged by multiple other students at once, will be given the choice of who he or she will face. If the Top Ranker loses, his or her points will be deducted, until they are at ninth place. After which you will take their previous place in the leaderboard. The Top Ranker who lost will still be allowed to make challenges to others, except to the student who beat them. However, there is also no rule that prohibits them from challenging you back in the following year, so don't think you are safe from revenge just because you won a single fight. The challenge cove is off-limits except for during the challenges. Challenging a Top Ranker is not for those light of heart. Magic, weapons, tricks. Anything you can think of is allowed in this challenge in order to win. So be sure not to challenge anyone you're not sure you could win against."
"Excuse me, professor? I have a question." Someone from behind me says. I turn around and who I see surprises me. His white hair and calm demeanor is unmistakable. Where did he suddenly come from?
"Yes of course, can you tell me your name please?"
"My name is Jake. Who decides whether a challenge is won or lost?"
"Well Jake, challenges made to top rankers follow universal rules. A challenge is won when one of the students loses consciousness or when one of you yields."
"Has anyone ever died in these challenges of yours?" It's subtle but there is a certain hostility in his voice.
The professor waits a moment before replying.
"Unfortunately, in the past some students did not survive their challenges. Since then, the school has ensured the presence of multiple professors at every challenge and instructed them to intervene if they think the students are going too far."
While everyone was in awe of this large, hollowed-out cave underneath the academy at first, the mood has now become very tense, and an awkward silence resonates among the other students. I wonder what must have happened to Jake for him to ask professor Lin such a question.
"The Ascensori are protectors, sworn to obey the king so long as the king's orders are not in the disinterest of the people. Even if that means laying down their life. Any student unwilling to make that sacrifice for the sake of their country is incapable and therefore unworthy of becoming an Ascensori. The reason we hold these challenges here, underneath the academy, is because the challenge cove forces the students to take their environment into account whilst fighting. The constant noise, crashing waves and high-speed winds teach them to always keep a close eye on their surroundings. The harder the environment our students are taught to fight in, the tougher it will be for them to be distracted during battle, when their life is most on the line."
It doesn't seem like that answer appeased Jake's frustration, but he doesn't ask any more questions after that. Professor Lin tries to change the subject by telling the students to return and take the stairs. I look back and see her looking at the arena, deep in thought. The professor realizes I'm watching her and quickly offers a heartening and comforting smile before continuing the tour. "Be careful on the stairs." She shouts to the other students.
Once everyone is back on the courtyard, professor Lin takes us inside the building that's across from the academy's entrance, the only one we haven't had a tour of.
"This is the final stop on our tour. To your left, as you can see through the windows, is our school's cafeteria."
The smell of freshly cooked food emanates through the cafeteria doors. It's quite appetizing and reminds me of the meals my mom used to cook for me.
"First-years will be having their meals here, while second-years and third-years are allowed the privilege of eating their meals anywhere on campus. To your right is the professors' lounge, which you are not allowed inside. Now, starting on the floor above us, are your dorms, with each year having their own floor. The first-years are on the first floor, the second-years on the floor above that and so on, all the way up to the fifth floor. For most of the year, the top 2 floors will be empty though, since our fourth-years and fifth-years will be away on training assignments, meaning you won't see them around campus very much. Those of you who have parents that attended this academy will probably already be aware that our dorms are co-ed. Every student is free to choose who they share a room with, meaning close friends or brothers and sisters that don't wish to separate are allowed to share a room."
After hearing that, Ronnie and Sophia's faces glow with relief and excitement. These two really are inseparable, aren't they.
Lysa suddenly looks a bit sheepish, her fingers twiddling around each other. I don't know her very well, but this seems unlike her.
"Uhm, professor Lin?" I say
"Hello there, what's your name?"
All the other students' eyes turn to me. Every time any of the other students looks at me funny, it reminds me of how unusual it is for someone to be admitted to the Beast Handler academy in their third year, let alone there being three of us this year.
"My name is Elliot Kaga." The other students start murmuring when they hear my name, though I have no clue why.
"I was just wondering whether we, as third-year newcomers, still get a choice of who we will share a room with?"
"In his capacity as steward of the third-years, Sergeant Evander has asked me to refrain from giving you three students any more information about where you will be staying, at least until after your tests this afternoon."
"Yo what gives? Why are you all so secretive about these tests? " Jake says with more than a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"All will be made clear to you later today. After lunch, at around 1 o'clock, you are expected in the challenge cove where Sergeant Evander will explain everything to you."
Before Jake gets a chance to continue expressing his obvious discontent, a bell rings around campus, signaling lunchtime.
"It seems we finished our tour just in time for lunch. Until the next bell rings, you are free to roam around and explore campus. Please remember to only eat your meals in the cafeteria, or else there will be a deduction of your points."
Lysa, Ronnie, Sophia and myself head to the cafeteria and are, quite surprisingly, joined by Jake. We open the doors and an aroma of freshly cooked food hits my nose. It immediately makes my mouth water and I instinctively just start walking towards the serving counters. There's a long line of trays with delicious-looking food, and I don't know where to even start. If this is how the food's going to be every single day, I don't think I'll ever go anywhere else to eat. Given the large amount of options, we all end up getting something different and, despite the noise and activity coming from the other tables, there's a sense of familiarity and comfort in the air as a lot of the other first-years gather to try and make some friends. Just as we sit down, the cafeteria doors swing open and in walks a group of students, led by a huge, bald guy who looks like he has to be at least seven feet tall. The self-confidence he exudes is off the charts and the look on his face is quite serious. I don't know who he is but he doesn't look like the guy you'd want to mess with.
Following closely behind him is a bunch of other students, among who I see Aerith. Lysa waves her over, trying to invite her to sit with us, but the moment our eyes meet hers, she turns her head and looks the other way.
"What's her deal? Does she think she's too good to eat with us?" Lysa asks
"No clue, but maybe she just wants to sit with that guy she's following." I've noticed she tends to look at the big guy in front of her and then quickly look away sheepishly. She might just like that boy and be embarrassed about it.
"Whatever, I was going to ask her if she knew anything about our tests this afternoon. Any guesses as to what they might be?"
"No clue. Maybe they just want to see what we're capable of." I say. I'm quite worried about the tests too. If anything like this has happened before, surely my dad or Rusty would have told us something about it.
Lunch flies by quickly, and we notice a lot of the students heading behind our practical classes building.
"Wow. Are all of these headed for the challenge cove?"
The nerves are starting to get to me, and all of the unanswered questions start swirling around in my head. Why haven't they told us anything about where we'll be staying? What exactly are we going to have to do down there and why do we have to do it? What will happen if we fail the test?
"You're not getting nervous are you, Eli?" Lysa asks me
"I told you to stop calling me that already." This is really not a good time to be annoying me, I'm worried enough as it is.
"Are you getting mad at me, Eli?"
"A little bit, yeah."
"Good, that means you have something else to focus on other than that weird expression that was on your face just now."
By getting me mad at her, Lysa's managed to strip away all of the nerves I was feeling just a moment ago.
We head around the building and see a professor standing at the top of the stairs by the challenge cove, looking out at the islands in the distance. I immediately recognize his black, silver-streaked hair, bound tightly together in a top knot. It's Rusty.