"Gladius, Gladius, Gladius!"
The young noble kept screaming into my face.
"Accept my duel request, Gladius!"
Such a confrontational guy, this main character.
We were standing below the giant bronze statue of the founding Sage:
Sumer Of Akkad, The Exalted One.
He founded the Akkadian kingdom, pushed the empire all the way down toward the south and established the royal academy: Polygon in his final days.
All the finely paved roads of this academic settlement, the roughly cut spiral mosaics, the pyramid shaped houses, the square-integrated-interconnected academic communities…
It was all him: the Millenial King.
Not just a title. He actually lived for a full 1000 years.
How did he achieve all of this?
He invented the dragon riding tradition. Domesticated hundreds of dragons and selectively bred them to create four distinct dragon variants that are in use today. Red, black, turquoise and crystal.
How is this relevant to my current situation?
Well, the academy was created as a sinkhole for talent. The Akkadian royal family can't manage the whole kingdom by itself so it pulls talent from other non-dragon riding noble families with the temptation of dragon riding. Those who make it on the dragon list are trained in dragon riding and if they complete the term of apprenticeship are given their own dragons and adopted into the Akkadian Royal Family via marriage. Their family is then gifted steel armor or magic tools as a form of appeasement.
This keeps the dragon riding tradition in the hands of the Akkadians and it makes sure the family never runs out of talent.
The auxiliary branches of the academy are simply a consequence of this selection process where those who fail settle for the next best thing: becoming a sage. You specialize in a field like artillery or medicine or urban development. Then you either get to the top of your field and enter the council of sages where you are once again adopted or settle for being an inconsequential part of the managerial "aristocratic" class.
By pushing Evelyn into the dirt I managed to claw my way onto the dragon list. But my family is weaker and smaller than hers so she thinks she can make her boyfriend push me around.
I looked around the academy plaza and noticed that a small group of people had started forming around us because of the commotion James was causing. The currently empty bronze braziers reflected the evening sunlight onto the pyramid behind us.
"Even If we fight you can't push me out of the dragon list. You're ranked above me," I calmly interjected his cock-like behavior.
"You fought without honor! What type of a coward hides in the canopy and jumps on a woman. A woman!"
"If she wanted to play she could stay at home like the other noble ladies," I attacked Evelyn directly.
She stepped from behind James' back, giving up on the bunker strategy.
"Fine, I'll fight you myself. Be ready to relinquish your spot."
She was dressed provocatively in a padded leather bra and a short pleated skirt. Adorned with animal fur and a golden choker. A plethora of master crafted ankle bracelets accentuated her fair legs. Even her sandals were made out of fairer leather than normal.
She was clearly prepared to play the damsel in distress but now that I called her out she is trying to look strong in front of the crowd.
"Fighting you doesn't benefit me in any manner. Either give me a good offer or fly away. I won't fall for your provocation."
She backed away, crossed her arms, and bit her lip. Her eyes nervously scanned the bystanders for a possible reinforcement but no one fell for it.
She was about to back off when a strong voice boomed over the crowd: "Seems like you guys are having fun already!"
The other students respectfully made way for him.
"What a way to start off the year," said an average sized boy dressed in a beige linen tunic. His messy brown hair was lined with a golden headband that depicted a dragon biting its own tail. A symbol of his Akkadian lineage.
"A guy from the sticks, the prodigy of light and the Nextshape girley."
The brown haired youth smacked his lips as if there was something deeply satisfying about the last part of that sentence.
"My name is Grimar Of Akkad," the boy committed himself to a theatrical bow that the audience awkwardly went along with.
"I very much want to see this duel happen so I am prepared to finance it instead of the 'Shapely' girl."
The audience giggled at his badly constructed pun.
"If you buy me my own workshop and a suit of light armor I'll gladly stake my place on the dragon list. However, the goods come first," I grasped at the opportunity.
"The farm boy wants a workshop and a suit of armor and the girl wants to be the 'Next' dragon lord."
He repeated slowly while stroking his chin as if he was deeply pondering something.
"Well, it's done! Tomorrow evening at the arena!"
He suddenly erupted and the now sizable audience followed.
I received quite a few envious gazes. A suit of armor from the Akkadian dynasty was worth its weight in adamantium.
Well, now I just have to save my new armor from being wrecked.