Eight Intertwined

6 - Cyrus

Within the stony halls of the Atlasdam Palace, resplendent red curtains shone brightly with the morning sunshine. The city outside was buzzing with activity, but within a room on the second floor, class was being held. Two intent pupils kept their eyes locked on their professor from his place atop a pedestal at the head of the room. Sunlight highlighted his features, and Cyrus Albright smiled brightly with enthusiasm that no person could ever hope to rival. 

Cyrus' hair was a dark color, and it was tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck. It never seemed to settle properly despite the care he put into the rest of his appearance. A dark cape was draped over his shoulders over a white shirt with puffed sleeves. His shirt was a deep hue of gray, and elaborate golden swirls adorned the surface of the fabric. He wore black trousers that tucked seamlessly into his knee-high boots. Cyrus was the picture of elegance, and the smile on his face only made him seem more perfect than one would have ever anticipated. 

"And so it was that our Atlasdam was founded two centuries ago," Cyrus concluded as he reached the end of a speech regarding the creation of the town that he had known and loved his whole life. The history of Atlasdam had been the primary subject of his lecture for the day, and he had been looking forward to it from the instant he woke up that morning. If there was one thing that Cyrus loved above all else, it was history, and teaching such tales of the past to others brought joy to his heart like nothing else in existence. "Indeed, our fair city-state is among the longest standing on the continent of Orsterra. But there was another city-state with a history as long and proud as our own that came to a tragic ruin only eight short years ago."

Cyrus finished speaking and started to walk across the podium. A map was pressed against the wall behind him, and it detailed all of the smaller tidbits about Orsterra. He stepped aside and offered full display of the current view of the continent as he held up one hand to the design. "Now, who can tell me its name?" Cyrus questioned. He looked back and forth between his two students before settling his gaze on the one standing in front of him. "How about you, Therese?"

The young woman started upon being addressed, and pink flooded her cheeks as she attempted to regain her composure. Her hair was a pale color that seemed to border on being a perfect lavender, and it shone in the sunshine like the moon itself had been plucked from the sky and then given human form through Therese. She wore purple clothing to match her hair, and Therese's eyes were a crisp blue color that faltered with anxiety when she realized that Cyrus was inquiring for an answer. "I... Um... I think it was..." she began, her voice wavering with uncertainty. 

Cyrus shook his head. "Now, now. No need to get all flustered," he assured her. His smile was careful, a sign that he wasn't upset with her at all for her lack of knowledge. "There's no shame in not knowing an answer so long as you have a desire to learn. The answer is in your textbook. Go on, now. Look it up."

Cyrus remained patient as Therese began to flick through the pages of her book. She was desperate to be fast enough to keep the attention off her for a moment, though Therese seemed to be more bothered by the other student in the room than Cyrus himself. She flashed a glance out of the corner of her eye towards her peer before biting her lip and turning through a few more pages. "Yes, Professor..." Therese stammered. "Let's see... I believe it was... Hornburg?"

Cyrus' smile returned in full swing once again. "That is correct!" he chimed, not seeming to notice the way that Therese beamed upon noticing that she had earned his approval. "Hornburg was ruled over by a royal family said to be descended from priests of an ancient and long-forgotten religion. On the other hand, our fair Atlasdam was founded by one of the original claims that inhabited the Flatlands." 

Cyrus stopped speaking briefly once again as he paced across the podium to the other end of the area. "Who can tell me how many clans lived in the Flatlands at the time?" Cyrus questioned. His eyes found the other student in his classroom next. "Your Highness?"