~Alliances and Animosities~ - {CyNari}

Enrollment [Ch 1]

My ears were ringing. My hands kept them down and soon enough the ringing stopped being replaced by muffled voices all around me. The whole forecourt of the Akademiya was filled with students, teachers, matras and family members. All of them talking at the same time gave me a massive headache. Archons, I miss my calm forest…

A hand rested on my shoulder. "Nari, are you okay?" I looked at him and smiled slightly still not letting go of my ears. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine Cyno. Just a little loud in here, but I'll manage!" Behind me stood Cyno, the General Mahamatra and my husband. We smiled at each other for a moment but snapped out of it soon enough, reminding us that we are not alone. We've been married for over a year now but we have to keep a low profile. Cyno's got many enemies and being his weakness would definitely put not just me but also Collei on the radar and we don't want that. Only our friends Kaveh, Alhaitham, Amir, Cyno's father Cyrus and of course Collei know about us but we are completely fine with it.

Cyno saw the sages walking to the front. "Shit, I gotta go to the front. Stay safe." He wispered to me and walked to the front too. The court went silent as the Grand Sage stepped up to the podium. I have never seen this man before but I also don't care enough to give a shit.

"Welcome dear students, teachers and relatives! The sages are thrilled to welcome you all to a new year at the Sumeru Akademiya. You can be proud to get the chance to study at our facilities and fill the world with wisdom."

Cyno went on high alert as Lesser Lord Kussanali walked up to the Grand Sage and spoke to the students. "As the Grand Sage said, you'll be able to grand wisdom by interacting with different environments, opinions and your own consciousness. But like a caterpillar that wants to be a butterfly you need to be patient with yourself. Keep looking for answers and get to the bottom of things and you will gain wisdom!" The Dendro Archon retreated and the Grand Sage spoke again. "Every student will now be required to meet with the Great Sage of their Darshan and will get their curriculum for the coming year. After that you have all the free time to explore the Akademiya with your relatives and get to know your surroundings. Teachers and Akademiya subordinates are free to talk to in case you need help. I hope you all have a successful year!"

The crowd dissolved and the families gathered again to chat. Cyno stood by the side, watching the crowd intensely. "Always on duty I see", I said as I walked up and stood next to him. "Of course, gatherings like the enrollment ceremony with the Archon and Sages present always attract the attention of hitmen and enemies of the Akademiya.", he answered me and his gaze wandered through the crowd once again. 

My eyes went straight ahead when I heard fast footsteps rushing towards us. Collei ran up to me and showed me her curriculum with proud eyes. I smiled and looked through it. She had many Spantamad courses, no surprises there, a little less Amurta classes and few Ksharewar classes. I was surprised as to how many free periods and breaks there were. I guess a lot has changed since the old sages 'retired'.

I rolled the paper and gave it back to her with an aproving nod. "I think this curriculum is no big deal for you. If you should struggle however don't be afraid to ask for help.-" I looked over to Cyno for a moment but he didn't notice. "-Remember, it's all part of the learning process. Regardless I'm proud of you. You finished your studies in no time, and look at you now…", she flashed a big smile at my words and looked over to Cyno who had a stern look plastered on his face, which worried Collei a little bit. "He's in work mode now but I'm sure he's proud of you too!", I wispered at her knowing that only us three could hear it. Cyno noticed that we were talking about him, took a quick glance at us, smiled for himself and nodded proudly. "Of course I am. Always will be."

Colleis face lit up and she pulled me into a long embrace. "Thanks, Master Tighnari and Cyno" I hugged her back and quickly glanced over to Cyno. His face would always scrunch up as he could not be part of this but he wouldn't miss it for long. "Now, Mister General Mahamatra, would you mind joining us at our trip through Sumeru Akademiya? Or is watching over nothing more important?" Cyno snapped back into reality, noticing that all the people were already somewhere in the building. He scratched his neck and said: "Uhm… yeah, I'll come with…" I chuckled and made my way to the front doors.