Alpha Academy: Misfit's Rise

Chapter Nineteen: The Festival

Even though Lucian said he'd gotten permission for me, I stiffened when two people walked toward us on the path to Alexandria, especially since one of those people was Koya. He stopped when he reached us, but he didn't seem to notice me. He only had eyes for Lucian.

"Lucian," he said warmly. "There is someone I would like you to meet." A man with broad shoulders and rugged features stepped around Koya. "This is Kresnik Velimir. Kresnik, this is Lucian, one of the finest students to grace Alpha's halls. Certainly the most brilliant since I have been President."

The man looked Lucian up and down, taking in Lucian's pale skin and grey eyes, while his own turned cold and distant.

"Mr. Velimir," Lucian said politely, extending his hand. There was no way for Velimir to refuse the gesture without being rude. Slowly, he shook Lucian's hand, apparently trying to crush it with his grip, but Lucian didn't even flinch.

"A Sorcerer." His accent was so heavy, it was hard to understand him. "Why are they always Sorcerers?"

"Our Lucian hardly counts as a Sorcerer," Koya placed a hand on Lucian's shoulders, "what with all the good he has done." Lucian stiffened, but Koya didn't notice.

"We will be sad to see him go in a couple years, but the Realm will be lucky to have him." He gave Lucian another warm smile before dropping his hand. He looked more like a proud father than an educator, but Lucian wouldn't take his eyes off Velimir. I didn't blame him. Velimir looked like he was trying to incinerate him. He clearly did not share Koya's enthusiasm about Lucian's contribution to the Realm.

"Well, don't let us keep you." Koya clapped another hand on Lucian's shoulder, and then he and Velimir continued on toward the castle. I had to give Koya credit. He had done an excellent job pretending I wasn't there.

I glanced at Lucian's face, but it was oddly expressionless. President Koya's stab at the Sorcerers had to rattle his cage a little, even if it had been unintentional. And Velemir's coldness could only be because Lucian was a Sorcerer as well. But if he didn't want to talk about it, I wasn't going to make him.

Finally, we reached the gate of Alpha and stepped outside. White mist spilled out from the streets of Alexandria and wafted up the hill, veiling everything in a haze. Before I could stop myself, I was running down the hill toward the city. By the time I reached the outskirts I was panting, but didn't care. I was at the Spirit Festival.

The normally multi-colored buildings were draped in black and white, which somehow made them more vibrant. What really stood out though, like always, were the Magi.

Weaving through the mists were people wearing cloaks of every color. Some had capes or sleeves that brushed the ground. Many of the dresses had hoop skirts that had to be wider than I was tall. One woman wore a gown covered in green scales, with a train extending at least six feet behind her. She had charmed the train to wave back and forth, like a snake's tail. She wore a mask too, green scales covering her face with yellow slits for her eyes.

Everyone had a mask. Some changed colors. One changed shape every time its wearer moved. One looked like Medusa, with purple tentacles sticking out of the slimy green mask. One tentacle snapped in my direction and hissed, bearing tiny razor teeth.

Weaving among the elaborately dressed Magi were people wearing simple cloaks of black or white with plain full-faced masks. Everything in the Realm was so extravagant, it was weird to see something so simple. I found myself more drawn to them then the crazily dressed people.

Lucian caught up to me, though he'd somehow found time to change into a similar simple white cloak and mask.

"The garb of Sorcerers," he answered my unspoken question. "Traditionally, the masks were worn to shield one's identity from evil spirits, though Sorcerers wore their clothing to mark themselves worthy of receiving the spirits' power."