Arden stared out of the window of the enchanted carriage, he was entranced by the amazing and breathtaking view of the commercial area of Vespera. With it being his first real time venturing out of the Gloam, the contrast between the two was astonishing to say the least.
The buildings here were pristine with sleek and modern architecture, and shining glass facades that reflected the sunlight. The stores and shops were luxurious, their interiors immaculate and inviting.
However, what was the most striking of all were the people, their faces were lit up with smiles, and their laughter echoed throughout the streets. A far cry from the usual gloominess he had grown used to.
"We're here, sir!" The carriage operator called out enthusiastically. Arden was Jolted out of his thoughts, realizing that the carriage had already come to a stop a while ago.
He opened the garage door and stepped outside, pausing at the edge of the carriage when his feet met the smooth concrete floor. For a few moments, he just stood there with his eyes closed, letting the warmth of the sun wash over him. In the Gloam, sunlight rarely made it through the smog, and even the times it did were never like this.
Arden inhaled deeply, savoring the clean and crisp air. It was the greatest thing that had ever graced his nostrils, a hard contrast to the probably poisonous, musty stench that was ever present in his place of birth.
Arden turned towards the carriage operator, who was engrossed in his map, looking for his next destination, preparing to depart at moment's notice. "Sorry to interrupt, but could you tell where the airship bay is?" he asked.
The operator chuckled, realizing that he had forgotten about Arden's unfamiliarity in the city. "Oh, right, first time topside," he said, at the same time scratching his chin. "Just follow the signs, lad."
He pointed with his index finger towards the numerous street signs scattered all around the city, the design on the signs were pointed at various directions with glowing texts that indicated key locations.
"Got it. Thanks a lot," Arden replied with a trace of urgency in his voice. A few of it came from his excitement, and most of it from the nagging awareness that he had exactly 20 minutes to reach the airship bay.
As Arden turned to leave, the operator called out to him with a grin. "Good luck on your journey, future spellcaster," he teased, tipping his hat in a show of goodwill.
The words caught Arden off guard and he was left there stunned momentarily. He had never once in his whole life dreamed of becoming a mage, nor did he ever want to, but hearing the title of spellcaster directed at him made something hidden deep within very happy. It felt natural… it felt right.
A smile crept across his face, wide and unrestrained, as he gave a casual two finger salute back to the operator as a farewell.
Arden began walking along the sidewalk, his eyes focusing between the signs pointing to the airship bay and where he was walking.
As he followed the directions, making his way through a park, he was suddenly bumped into by a group of children who were playing with a magic bubble maker. One of the really really big shimmering bubbles popped against his shoulder, showering his cloak in glittery soapy water.
He laughed at the childrens' antics and even blew a couple of bubbles for them. Soon after, he stepped aside to let the children continue their game.
Further along the way, a caramel apple was thrusted into his hands by a persistent street vendor who chased him down. "Free of charge! You look like a guy in need of something sweet!" the vender exclaimed happily. It was the best thing he had eaten in years, and he savored every bite as he continued the walk.
Just as Arden thought he was starting to get the hang of the city life, a rogue enchanted pillow zipped past his head, just about missing him. In disbelief, Arden stared as a flustered man in pajamas ran past him, shouting apologies and unsuccessfully chasing after the sack of cotton.
After what felt like an eternity, although it was only 15 minutes. Arden finally stood in front of the towering terminal of the airship bay. He began to brush glitter off his cloak, and wiping away the caramel still clinging to his fingers in an effort to look slightly decent.
As Arden neared the entrance, his attention was drawn to a young man near the doors. He had slicked-back brown hair, a crisp white shirt with a red tie tucked professionally under a dark gray vest, and oddly enough, a pair of goggles were rested on his head.
The young man embraced a woman who Arden assumed to be his mother, it was a hug that spoke of goodbyes and well-wishes. Arden stopped in his tracks, a feeling of yearning hitting him like a sudden wave. Maybe if… he thought. If his mother were still alive, would she be here seeing him off like that?
Arden's chest tightened, but the feeling really didn't last long. The melancholic moment shattered when the young man turned away from his mother and began wheeling around a comically large, and I mean really large luggage bag behind him.
It was almost as tall as the young man himself, and had peculiar and strange objects poking out of of its seams that we're holding on for dear life. One particularly precarious contraption poked out of the top bursting through the zippers, looking like it was ready to fall at any moment.
Arden covered his mouth with his hand, suppressing his chuckle. "What in the world…? he muttered, the absurdity of the whole thing lifting his mood.
He took a deep breath and stepped closer to the entrance, unaware that he was heading toward the same path as the young man.
.
.
Tesric pulled away from Madame Lestair's warm embrace, adjusting his collar and tie as he prepared to depart. His morning had started with a surprise farewell party organized by the mansion staff. It was heartfelt and touching, in fact, Tesric almost teared up, but at the same time, it was also overwhelming.
He appreciated the effort, truly, however, the lengths they went to were a bit… excessive to say the least. The highlight had to be when Elowen brought out the cake that was sculpted into a perfect replica of Tesric's face.
He could still hear the staff's laughter as they cut into it. Shudder
Tesric swaggered toward the entrance of the airship bay terminal, the oversized luggage rattling behind him. Every step was a battle for control between the bag and him.
Madame Lestair watched the spectacle unfold before her, a mixture of fondness and secondhand embarrassment plastered on her face.
The entrance of the airship bay was no ordinary door, it was a pair of massive stone slabs, smooth as can be and sealed tightly together. Hovering over the slabs was a glowing ward that scanned every approaching visitor.
Tesric stood in front of the ward, standing still to allow it to do its work. As the eye of the ward scanned him, he noticed a young man in a purple cloak trying his damnedest to push the stone doors open. After a few seconds of trying and failing, the man glanced at Tesric and mimicked what he was doing, realizing his mistake.
After the ward was finished scanning, the doors finally split apart, revealing the passage ahead. Tesric took a deep breath and stepped through, closing his eyes as his foot went over the threshold.
When he opened his eyes once again, he was now on the rooftop of the airship bay terminal, which was a skyscraper that overlooked the city. He saw the sunlight bouncing off shiny buildings, and the spires of others piercing the heavens.
It wasn't his first rodeo with the elevator enchantment, but it was something he would never get tired of.
Near him, the young man in the purple cloak looked around his surroundings with wide eyes, clearly disoriented by the unanticipated change in elevation. Tesric couldn't help but smirk, "First time buddy?" he teased, but the windy air masked the sound, and the man didn't hear him.
Continuing on, Tesric walked through the open-air hangar. On a regular day, this place would have been bustling with hundreds of travelers and workers. However, on this day, the hangar was surprisingly quiet, with only a couple of people boarding airships.
"Pinkrose must have picked a good date," he said, saying his thoughts outloud. A bad habit that Madame Lestair gave him a lot of lectures about, so he stopped doing it around her. Keyword: "Around her"
His eyes scanned the hangar, looking for the academy's airship.
Commercial airships followed a pretty simple design, a wooden hull similar to any other water-based ship, but without masts and sails. They hovered above swirling clouds of magical energy, the color of the clouds depending on the enchanter's preference.
Thankfully, spotting the Pinkrose airship wasn't any particular challenge. It was humongous compared to the rest of the smaller private and commercial airships present on the bay. The exterior of the vessel was decorated with carvings of blooming roses, and as the name of the academy suggested, it was overwhelmingly pink.
"Of course," Tesric sighed at the sight, "just had to stay on theme huh."
The airship looked relatively clean and new, with no signs of use whatsoever, which he deduced to mean that he was the first to be picked up. That also meant that he would have the ship to himself for a little while.
Pinkrose Academy's rule of inviting only one student per city ensured that he wouldn't have to share this part of the journey with other students. Not that he minded. After all a little solitude would give him time to improve his inventions and refine them before arriving at the Academy.
Tesric pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. Precisely 30 seconds remained until the agreed-upon time of meeting.
Without any hesitation, he began to run towards the docking area, or as close to running as one could get while dragging an impractically large luggage case.
Ahead of him, a mustachioed man with a monocle in pilot attire stood next to the airship, holding up a wand that projected above him floating numbers that were counting down the seconds.
0:10
Tesric unleashed a burst of speed, his heart pounding as he quickened his pace.
0:01
The pilot, his voice amplified by magic, shouted, "Pinkrose students!?"
"Here!" Tesric yelled out breathlessly at the same time as another, more calm voice beside him.
"Right here."
Tesric whipped around to see the same young man he saw earlier in the purple cloak. He was slimmer than Tesric, his frame carrying an aura of quiet confidence, and his face was strikingly handsome especially when framed by his long messy purple hair that matched the hue of his eyes.
Their gazes met each other in a mix of curiosity and surprise at the presence of the other.
The pilot raised his eyebrow in bewilderment, stroking his mustache as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "How peculiar," he muttered while scanning the list of names. "Two students from the same region… That's a first!"
He straightened up and cleared his throat, "All right, attendance time!"
He began reading the names. "Arden Solwyn?"
Arden raised his hand.
"Next is… Tesric Lestair."
"Present and accounted for!" Tesric said with confidence, also raising his hand.
The pilot nodded and put the paper back in his pocket. "Right, how about you boys get to know each other while I prep the ship." he said, before disappearing through a small door in the side of the airship. Leaving the two boys standing awkwardly at the dock.
Tesric wasted no time, his confidence shining through. He extended a hand toward Arden. "Arden, huh? Nice meeting you."
Arden stared at the hand stretched toward him, hesitating for a moment before returning the gesture by shaking it. "Likewise."