TBATE - Strings of Fate

6 - The Academy

--TESSIA--

Majestic.

That's the word that invaded my mind as I took in the sights of Xyrus city. Its multi-story stone buildings, numerous shops, and wide, paved roads were a testament to the city's wealth and pride. There was almost no nature to be seen, a stark contrast to the city I had spent my whole life in. Whereas Elenoir had integrated itself into nature, Humanity seemed to have conquered it and made it their own.

I quietly followed Cynthia Goodsky, my new master, to her office inside Xyrus academy. On the way, my gaze swept left and right, taking in every detail I could. I thought about what Gramps had told me; Our races truly have evolved in different directions.

We eventually stepped into her office. She sat down at her desk and motioned for me to sit opposite her. As I did this, she said, "You've been gawking at your surroundings this whole time, so I must know. What do you think of Xyrus?"

I blushed a bit as she pointed out my previous blatant naivety and the lack of manners. Normally, when I was in public, I firmly controlled my mannerisms and maintained a calm and cold appearance and personality. It was my defense against anyone who might try to take advantage of my position or talents.

I took a moment to collect myself before responding, "I was simply curious. This place is very different from Elenoir."

She nodded. "I'm sure it was surprising. Don't tell anyone I told you this, but Virion has snuck me into the elven kingdom once or twice, so I know firsthand that there is a world of difference between our two kingdoms, at least on the surface."

I raised my eyebrow, amused but not surprised by Gramp's clear disregard for Elven law and tradition. Despite having fought a war against the humans, he had let one, a powerful silver-cored mage, into the kingdom.

She chuckled for a second, clearly reminiscing on her time in Elenoir for a second before continuing.

"Now, while I would love to discuss the key differences between Sapin and Elenoir, I'm sure that we would both be more interested in getting to know each other. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cynthia Goodsky, and I am a conjurer of wind and sound."

I quickly followed with my own introduction. "My name is Tessia Eralith, but you can call me Tess. I'm a conjurer of wood and wind. It's an honor to meet a prestigious mage such as yourself." After saying this, I bowed.

"It's an honor to meet you as well, Princess Tess. You can call me Cynthia, Director, Master, or any related title or name, within reason of course. I'm sure we will be getting very close over the next few years."

Hearing this, I decided to go with the politest option to make up for my previous mistake.

"Alright, Master."

She nodded. "You can take the rest of the day off to explore the academy and rest, as I am sure you are tired after your journey. Before I let you go, however, I wanted to invite you to join the student council. This council is meant to be the shields of the student body, and by joining it you would task yourself with fighting for the wellness of the student body as a whole."

"We are going to be receiving many elven and dwarven students, and it is going to take a large effort to keep the clashes between them and the human students from becoming too large. Your main role would be to represent the wants and needs of the incoming elves, and ideally even the dwarves. I won't force you to take this role, but I sincerely hope you will accept."

I thought about this for a while. Accepting this role would take time away from training and would hinder my path to becoming stronger. However, the pros outweighed the cons.