The room where the welcome party was held was in the most secluded part of the institute, close to the exit from the outdoor training grounds. Since Orpheion was located on a small island and was guarded by two towers acting as watchtowers, the best view of the academy was accessible from this huge room.
The corridors were extremely hectic, with everyone rushing about in a chaos that made Mr. Blaese's hair stand on end as he tried to keep the excited youngsters in line. The teacher, Sian Robertson, tried to help him by showing the way for all the first years who didn't yet know Orpheion very well.
Professor Robertson was a beautiful young woman with long brown hair and deep green eyes. Devion thought she reminded him of someone, but he couldn't put his finger on who she reminded him of. Surely someone he'd met, but he couldn't remember exactly who.
Devion and Sol entered the huge hall where the party would be held. The place was breathtakingly huge, with a long central staircase towering over the room, crowning the shiny floor and the many luxurious decorations.
"Oh who's that, aren't they the new guys?" A young man with bright red hair and clear eyes stood opposite them. Devion remembered him; he was the one who'd answered the professor's question during his morning class.
"You're new too." Devion barely turned his head to answer, his hands still anchored in his pockets, somewhat at odds with the classiness of his suit pants.
"Listen to me, dark-haired boy." The red-haired man stepped forward with a threatening air, but Dev didn't seem to be paying the slightest attention.
"Are you hungry?" Devion turned to Sol, completely ignoring his comrade who was boiling with rage beside him. "Looks pretty good. I'm so hungry!"
"You!" Herras snarled, reaching for Devion and rushing at him, an aura of wind enveloped the dark-haired man. Nothing really seemed to attract the attention of the assembly, much to the astonishment of Sol, who didn't dare do anything.
Devion smiled, his scar took on an even darker color and his powers of fire and ice began to fly around him. A spear of ice came crashing down around him, chasing away the wind particles. Herras fell to the ground and Devion approached him, crouching down.
"I don't like to draw attention to myself, but obviously you do. We're going to have a hard time getting along."
Herras was boiling with rage. With a flick of his hand, Devion melted the spear he'd summoned and took off further away. Sol followed him, still as bewildered as ever.
A little further down the hall, the academy's professors were gathered, each quite busy with their own activities. Cristael and Sian, however, were chatting away, watching from a distance the scene that had just unfolded before their eyes. Neither of them was really surprised.
"Don't you wish to intervene?" Professor Robertson asked Cristael.
"You know Sian, this evening is always entitled to a great many displays of strength."
"I hope no one gets hurt!"
"Devion won't hurt anyone, don't worry."
Sian nodded and looked away from Cristael, searching for her son. The latter was further away, it must be said, having built up a more than important reputation in Orpheion. Caspian Robertson had been an exceptional child since his earliest childhood.
Although Sian wished her husband could have seen how their son had grown up and was already in his third year at the most prestigious academy in all Thepra. As the young man stood further back next to the other members of the Scholar Assembly, Sian felt, for a moment, as if she were seeing her late husband.
We miss you, Adrian.
It must have been eight o'clock in the evening when the most important figures of the evening made their entrance. Lazarus Morwynn and Nymeris Morwynn, the King and Queen of Kaelor, entered and everyone stopped their activities to greet them respectfully.
Their son followed close behind, looking rather peaceful and determined. His long, light-green hair contrasted with the red and gray of his mother and father. Galahad Morwynn was reputed to be a very respectful and sociable prince, and this entrance only confirmed it. With a big smile on his face, he followed his parents up the stairs to the podium.
Lazarus adjusted his stance, as his presence and aura were even more important at a higher level.
Devion immediately realized that he was hiding most of his power. The King of Kaelor was an absolutely phenomenally powerful magician.
"Ah, so cool!" Devion huffed in admiration. Sol turned his gaze but didn't answer, waiting impatiently for the King of Kaelor's speech.
"My dear students of the Orpheion Institute, I'm delighted to see you here at the start of the new year, as I like to do." The assembly reacted positively, each one murmuring thanks as signs of gratitude. "However, this year is a very special one for our kingdoms of Kaelor and Parvana." Silence returned, this time absolute. "As you know, the war between our two nations ended over fifteen years ago, soon sixteen. However, Kaelor and Thepra are not the only kingdoms of Thepra."
The king paused for a moment, lifting his chin to sweep the assembly with a new glance. Galahad, standing just behind at his mother's side, gritted his teeth. The silence in the room was almost frightening.
"Erebus is the third kingdom that makes up Thepra. Up until now, we've maintained peaceful but rather distant relations with its rulers, but we lost all contact with them three months ago." He caught his breath. "You'll understand that this is very worrying given the isolated nature of Erebus, which is only accessible by boat." Lazarus raised his head even higher, puffed out his chest and finished his tirade. "We sent men, first soldiers then magicians. No one has returned. So you can understand, children, that we absolutely must go to Erebus to find out what's going on, but to do so we need powerful magicianswho can carry out this mission."
Lazarus paused and stepped back to let Queen Nymeris finish.
"Dear future mages, you also understand what this entails. We have decided to select a handful of elite student magicians in Orpheion to carry out this mission. This mission will be dangerous and will only be launched once preparations are complete." Nymeris straightened her head. "Before long, you'll be the best mages in all of Thepra, just as you'll make us proud. We need you. That's why we're asking you to give your best and be ready for any call that may come your way."
A student raised a hand in the assembly and Nymeris gestured for her to speak.
"May I ask what the selection criterias will be?" Lyra asked, her long, flaming blond hair covered her entire back, while the Scholar Assembly president asked the question no one dared to ask.
"Miss Locke, thank you for your question. There will be no age or year criteria at Orpheion; any student with the talent can be called."
Silence returned to the room. Slight murmurs took courage to come out of the students' mouths.
"Wait." Devion raised his voice and the entire room froze with a jolt.
"Dev, it's not very polite to ask like that, you should..." Sol began to speak but was interrupted.
"Mr. Boëlthorn, your reputation already precedes you. I'm listening." Lazarus replied.
"Will we be able to refuse?"
"No, it will be impossible for you to refuse. In your hands will rest the future and stability of Thepra."
Soon after Devion's much-publicized intervention, the young man's name began to be remembered. Students couldn't get the cheeky first-year out of their minds, who'd dared to cut off Kaelor's ruler's speech to ask to refuse a merger of vital importance.
But then again, Devion didn't care, he cared less but he still didn't care, what interested him was this mission itself, its ins and outs, and above all whether he would ever be able to do it.
"Devion Boëlthorn?" The prince with his long green hair pulled back into a ponytail approached Devion with a polite smile on his face and dressed very classily in the emblems of the kingdom. "I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, I'm Galahad Morwynn, we'll be in the same class this year."
Galahad held out his hand, inviting Devion to shake it. Devion noticed the scar along the prince's nose started to glow and his mist powers activated.
"Nice to meet you Galahad, nice to meet another double element user."
Frostfire sprang from Dev's body surrounding him as if to ally himself a second time with the prince facing him. So that was what this party was all about, a true demonstration of strength and power. As each of them released their handshake, their powers diminished until they were slowly extinguished.
Galahad then greeted Sol, but the exchange was so quick and yet so friendly that Dev found it a little strange. When Galahad left them to greet others, Devion instantly turned his head to his friend.
"Do you know him?"
"We were childhood friends."
"With a prince?"
"My parents served his family. That's how we met." Sol smiled in the direction of his friend already a little further away. "Galahad really is a great person. You can trust him."
"If you say so." He paused. "Let's talk about that later. Come on, let's go and eat some of this delicious buffet."
The evening went on, and no one dared speak of the announcement the king and queen had made, and everyone diligently followed the festivities. Finally, everyone went about their business and relaxed a little.
Devion and Sol had spent most of the evening together, gorging themselves on the sumptuous meal before them. Sol had finally wandered off a little to chat with Galahad, with whom he had only been able to speak in passing.
Devion had then decided to get some fresh air outside, feeling a little suffocated in this atmosphere where it was imperative to behave well, to show off one's strength, to be as perfect as possible in the eyes of others. He wasn't really like that; he saw himself more as a lone wolf and often needed to recharge his batteries.
The rear of Orpheion overlooked the gardens, the training area and one of the two watchtowers at the front and rear of the academy. On exiting, he found himself directly in the gardens. These were surrounded by a fence that separated everything from the training area, all the bushes were meticulously trimmed and the trees all majestic.
The boy let his hand pass through all this superb greenery and advanced a little further into the gardens. A little further on, a young girl sat with her eyes closed and her head resting on a bench, facing the sky. Her hair was a strange combination of purple and fuchsia.
Before he knew who she was, Devion thought she was, honestly, rather pretty. He soon realized that sitting here alone was none other than Carla Artheimer. He bent his head over her.
"Hi! Aren't you cold sitting here?"
Carla jumped to her feet and moved away from Devion. She readjusted her top and dusted off the bottom of her dress. Devion let out a little laugh.
"You don't have to play me, I don't care if you're a princess".
"Ah, but it was you who addressed His Majesty the King that way. You should be ashamed to speak to a king like that, frankly-"
A huge noise rang out, stirring the gardens and castle of Orpheion.
"Look out!"
Dark roots sprang up from the ground, creating a cage enclosing Devion and Carla. A colossal magical force emerged from the dark cage. Dark, purplish-black smoke surrounded the two teenagers.
Devion regained his composure. His scar began to glow.
"Carla, activate your magic. We'll have to fight."