To Come Home

Chapter 7: Royalty in Rags

*Ten years ago in Phentyllia*

After two years in Prior School, when it finally came time to join the ranks of Simple School, I couldn't have been more excited, finally I would be able to start learning how to practice actual magic, this was the moment every ten year old boy and girl lucky enough to practice looked forward to the most. And finally, instead of just reading Her texts, we'd finally get to talk about them in open discussions, put Her teachings to practice – or so I thought at least.

On my first day, my parents were away in Phentyllia's second largest region Yssande on some business, so my brother was the one who escorted me to the class grounds, unhappily of course, even though it was only a ten minute detour for him. He dropped me off on the front lawn then just left without a word. In front of the Simple School building was a large, green lawn decorated with blue and purple flowers, as well as many tall and beautiful Pink-Blossom trees in full bloom.

I had stood nervously on the grass, staring upon the large, grey stone building in front of me. In large golden letters above the big blue doors were the words: Phenra County Simple School, with the Kingdom's Crest painted large in white on the doors. The large building felt so intimidating to my tiny self, the bold golden letters above the door glaring at me. I adjusted my raggedy old pouch hanging at my side and willed myself down the stone path into the building, my first class was Historical-Religion 002 with Ms. Amiya.

The inside of the building was like a maze, it reminded of the castle. The school had the same white marble floors as in the castle, and the stone walls inside had been painted white, but the glow from the flame-lit chandeliers gave them a warmer feel. In front of every staircase, at the sides stood large stone pillars adorned with sapphires and aquamarines, as with the railings. The walls were lined with large, square, open windows, which left the hallways feeling nicely breezy.

Kids with pouches and books in hand scurried around in every direction, all seeming determined to get to where they needed to be. I couldn't help but just stand there a moment in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by children coming in from every direction, I just wanted to soak it all in. My parents hadn't let me go to public Prior School, so I was homeschooled up to then – I wasn't used to being surrounded by such high concentrations of people my own age, usually it was just servants and tutors, maybe the occasional servant's child. Stepping into this new environment was both exciting and terrifying.

As I walked past the different classrooms I saw amazing things – from water floating in one room, to dirt flying in the next, and flowers made up of color combinations and patterns I had never seen before in the others – the wonders washed away my nervousness.

The Historical-Religion class was on the third floor in a medium-sized, fifteen-person room, I had arrived before the bell and sat in the very front row; minutes after the room filled with little boys and girls in silky blue uniforms – the boys wore blue silk tops, with white cotton pants, while the girls wore silky, long blue dresses with white cotton belts. A girl with long, curly pale blonde hair and calming blue eyes sat beside me.

"Welcome to Historical-Religion 002, I am Ms. Amiya, most of you will know me from Prior School. Can anyone tell me what sorts of subjects they think we will be discussing in this class?"

The blonde girl beside me was the only one to put her hand up, "yes, Elina," the teacher said as she pointed to her.

"we will be discussing Her Holy Book and various true and false interpretations of her teachings," she said confidently.

"yes very good, that is correct, anything else?"

I hesitated then put my hand up shyly as well, "won't we learn more about the origins of witchkind too?"