Registration closed at sundown.
We made it with maybe ten minutes to spare.
The Royal Academy sat on a hill overlooking the city, its grounds surrounded by iron fencing.
It looked like a small city unto itself.
Stone buildings with tall spires. Manicured lawns. Walls that looked more decorative than defensive, though I suspected they were enchanted.
Students in uniform walked the paths, some laughing, some studying thick books as they walked.
And candidates crowded near the entrance, some with families, others alone. Everyone looked nervous.
Mira pulled the wagon to a stop at the main gate. "Alright, you two. This is as far as we go."
Kyle jumped down, then turned to help me, which I didn't need but appreciated anyway.
Mira leaned out from the driver's seat. "Kyle. Don't do anything stupid."
"I won't!"
"That wasn't a request, that was a warning."
"I know!"
She turned to me. "And you, don't die. You still owe me two favors, and I'm collecting."
"Noted," I said.
She nodded once, then snapped the reins. The wagon rolled away, leaving us standing at the Academy gates.
"Come on!" Kyle grabbed my arm the injured one and I winced. "Let's go register!"
We joined the queue leading to a desk where a stern-looking woman in Academy robes sat with a massive ledger.
The line moved slowly.
Finally, we reached the desk.
"Names," she said without looking up.
"Kyle Stoneheart," Kyle said.
She scribbled it down, then glanced up at me.
"Jin Raith."
Her quill paused, eyes flicked over me, the torn, bloodstained tunic, the bandages visible beneath the fabric, the general aura of someone who'd recently had a very bad day.
Her expression didn't change, but I caught the shift in her posture. The slight tightening around her eyes.
Suspicion. Great.
"You're... aware the exam begins tomorrow morning, yes?" she said slowly.
"Yes."
"And you're... prepared?"
Do I look prepared?
"Yes," I lied.
She stared at me for a long moment, then sighed and wrote my name down. "Registration closes in five minutes. You're lucky you made it."
Lucky. Sure. Let's go with that.
She handed us each a small bronze token stamped with a number. "Exam begins at dawn. Don't be late."
"Thank you," Kyle said brightly.
We stepped outside, tokens in hand.
Okay. Registered. That's step one.
I glanced down at myself. The tunic was beyond saving. The bandages were visible. I had no spare clothes, no money, no—
"Come on!" Kyle said, slinging his arm over my shoulder, directly onto my injured ribs.
"Ow! Fuck—!"
"Oh shit, sorry!" But he didn't let go, just adjusted his grip and started tugging me toward the Academy gates. "Come on, there's gotta be a cheap place around here!"
"Kyle, listen—"
"I saw a place on the way here! The Silver Stag, I think? Or was it the Golden Deer? Whatever, we'll find it!"
"I don't think—"
"Come on, man! We gotta get a room before they're all full!"
He dragged me along despite my protests, his enthusiasm completely overriding my attempts to explain that I had zero money.
----
The inn was called The Sleeping Griffin, and it looked exactly like what you'd expect near an Academy, clean, modest, slightly overpriced.
But Kyle walked up to the counter like he owned the place. "One room, two beds! For tonight!"
The innkeeper, a rotund man with an impressive mustache gave him the price.
Kyle slapped down the coins.
"Kyle, I can't—"
"Done!" Kyle grabbed the key and headed for the stairs. "Come on, room's on the second floor!"
I followed because I didn't have much choice.
The room was small but clean. Two narrow beds, a washbasin, a window overlooking the street. Kyle tossed his pack onto one bed and flopped down with a satisfied sigh.
"This is great!" he said. "Way better than sleeping in the wagon."
I stood in the doorway, staring at the second bed.
He just... paid for this. For both of us. Without asking.
Then suddenly, as if remembering something, he sat up, rummaging through his pack.
"Oh! I almost forgot." He pulled out a set of clothes—a simple tunic and trousers, both dark brown and well-made. He tossed them at me.
I caught them reflexively.
"You can't take the exam looking like that," he said, gesturing at my bloodstained tunic. "You'll scare the proctors. Use those."
I stared at the clothes in my hands.
He's just... giving them to me.
"Kyle—"
"Don't worry about it!" He waved me off, already pulling out his own supplies. "I packed extra. Mira always says I overpack, but see? Told her it'd come in handy."
He was just... giving them to me. No conditions. No questions. No judgment.
Who the hell is this guy?
"Kyle, I don't, I can't pay you back for any of this."
"So?" He flopped onto his bed, arms behind his head. "We're friends."
I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
Kyle didn't seem to notice. He was already moving on, talking about the exam.
I looked down at the clothes again and gripped the fabric tighter.
"Thanks," I said quietly.
Kyle grinned. "No problem, man. That's what teammates are for, right?"
Teammates.
Yeah. Sure.
Why not.