A pale, glowing sun was over the coastal city of Caio. Causing the crystal carved houses and structures to gleam, as the civilians made way on brick paved streets, pure blue skies were infested by tiny manta-rays, feathered reptiles, and enormous insects.
"Ahh! Sorry! Excuse me! Pardon me! Qin! Get back here!" A tall, brawny young man sporting fine silken robes bolted through a crowd of proud parents, anxious young adults. His face red, heart pounding from a mix of the shame of his current situation along with the heat of the pale overhead.
"RAAR!" Pushing through the multi-dressed crowd of students and parents like an unstoppable monster was a small four-legged, lapis-coloured canine. Comprehending all the fresh fragrances and visions with its coral nose and big, shining, black eyes. With the worries of its master being a long-forgotten afterthought, Qin's stroll came to an abrupt end. A three-clawed foot landed on the neck of the canine creature. Surrounding observers took notice. "Oops, sorry! She's mi—"
The words of Qin's master remained in his throat. What caught his adorable companion was an alabaster owl, its ruby red eyes bore down on the lapis canine. Tucking away its wings,darting its large ruby eyes from side to side as if it were a guard surveying the surroundings.
"She's yours? Well then, since you're a foreigner, it's only right for me to help you out. Linlin let her go." Pulling his eyes away from the animal towards the casual voice. A young man the height of Qin's master's shoulder with caramel skin, enduring yet sharp brown eyes, with onyx hair done in the typical shoulder-length dreadlocks of the Riquel Republic.
The avian Linlin's release of Qin was unconventional, flying up a meter then throwing hound into his arms. With a cheerful voice, "Amazing! How long did it take you to train her like that?! Qin barely listens to me if you couldn't tell-oh my name is Yujin de Nishu. Xian Quan native." Yujin held out his hand awaiting the response of the friendly local. His response was immediate.
A friendly smile crossed the local's face as his snow-white companion perched atop his shoulder. "Auro Mascate-"
"Mascate?"
"It is him."
"So the rumors were right? Adamantine is here?"
The young men and women began to whisper and gossip about it. Yujin seemed perplexed by the whispering of the student body; he could feel the grip of his latest friend tighten around his hand.
"Oh, all of you buzz off! Gossip over there with your worthless parents, who couldn't teach you any manners!"
"Ahh! This old lady is crazy!"
A hunched old woman flailed her wooden cane about. Drawing long arcs into the air, her bangles and jewelry clattering against one another like warning trumpets. The sight amused Yujin, but appearing on her shoulder, a crow allowed him to guess her reasoning why.
"No respect these days, I tell you. Not from the children or their parents!" Strolling towards them, the woman mumbled on, Auro snickered then went to go meet with the older woman. "Oh, this a friend of yours Auro? Good on you boy! First day and you're already making friends. Oh, if only your parents were here."
Yujin cupped his hands before the granny, "Yujin de Nishu greats granny Mascate."
Ganny Mascate waved off his greeting, "No need for that now. You're going to make this old hag feel even older. I don't even know what I would be considered as after that, would I be an ancient witch? Aah, beside that. How did you guess that I was this wild haired boy's granny?" The older Mascate pointed her cane at Yujin, while her crow was pointing its wing at Qin.
Qin retracted into her master more, while he was chuckling, a finger extended to both Mascate family members."Your penchant for birds. Purely airborne creatures aren't as popular as the hybrids but that was just a guess honestly." Nodding with her eyes closed, Granny Mascate seemed satisfied by the foreigner's answer.
"Oh no she likes you." A mortified Auro said.
"Hmm?! Is that bad?" Yujin asked fretfully.
"Yes, very. Now she'll guilt-trip you into going out and buying sweets that the doctor has chastised her for eating. Your soul will be drained by the wei-"
"Stop talking about me like that!" Granny Mascate swung her cane at her grandson, who effortlessly evaded.
"They're opening the gates!" A series of excited screams rolled through the crowd, heartfelt goodbyes were exchanged. Many of the students gathered their luggage before piling into the academy grounds.
"That's it, Grandma. We'll see you later." With a quick final hug, Auro began to make his way through the towering bronze gates. Yujin waved to the older woman as he followed behind his latest friend.
"What a good boy. I hope things turn out well for him." Granny Mascate muttered as the gates of Estrel Academy shut. The institution could be described as a miniature island nation, connected to the mainland by an onyx bridge similar to the central structure itself.
Students walked through the garden, some tall, others short, others burly and others scrawny. Each of the students here was a combination of individuals from the three empires participating in a foreign exchange program. Yujin looked over his attire, he had worn some of his best clothing, he had scarlet trousers alongside long sleeves as well. He readjusted the pin that held his raven hair together, which seemed to elicit a chuckle from Auro.
Perhaps it was due to his lack of knowledge, but Yujin always found the manner of dress of the people of Riquel odd. Their clothing was inspired heavily by their military, making even casual attire seem formal. Sharp, minimalist and lacking colour for the men, the women were the same, yet were allowed more in terms of variety via the jewellery available to them.
Auro himself, in contrast to Yujin, only wore a dark grey distinguished by dull gold trims.
"Stop your daydreaming, we're here."
His friend's words brought Yujin back to reality alongside the pain from harsh jab to his side.
Before them was a massive structure that seemed to have been masterfully carved straight from a single onyx gem. Walls were etched to resemble the scales of the winged serpents that soared through the skies, yet the regal nature of the academy could be seen in the silver. Towers were decorated in the valuable metal visible even from the main land at noon.
Peeking at the new students was a semi-circle constructed from a type of glass found in the land across the sea. Stars seemed to have been captured in that glass, preserving them.
A set of large shimmering steel opened as if the onyx building was inviting them inside. No one was present to welcome the students, the only sound they could hear was that of shifting book cases, and the smell of dusty books. Many of the more well dressed students ushered themselves inside confidence and bravado oozing off of them.
The dark-haired duo exchanged looks before deciding to walk past the crowd of indecisive students.
"Wow."
"Even you can get surprised?" A coy smile played on Yujin's lips.
Linlin had grabbed Qin. Taking her and himself into the air, what stood before the duo of humans and their pets was a complex arrangement of stairs that seemed to follow no apparent logic. Some were upside down, some seemed to spawn from the walls and carry on forever.
Flying books and scrolls whizzed through the air, entering and exiting double doors throughout the space. As the area inside was illuminated by the large dome of stars and several lanterns of luminous gems.
Paintings of influential figures from Riquel hung on the walls, with eyes that seemed to follow the students as they passed.
Auro and Yujin stood by the entrance, several staircases lined up before them. Yujin placed a hand to his chest, calming himself. With clenched fists, he turned to Auro, who seemed drawn to the star-speckled dome that hung above them.
"What set of stairs do you think we should take?" With a pleased expression, the foreigner asked, as he saw their pets fly off, evading the flying scrolls and books.
Auro paused before answering, "Lets take the ones growing? Yes, growing from left." Yujin chuckled as they made their way to the stairs. As soon as either of them placed a foot on the first step they felt nothing.
"Feel anything different?" Auro piped up.
Shaking his head, Yujin continued walking behind his friend. "This place is weirder in person than the stories make it out to be. Hard to believe this place was made from the remains of a Calamity." Yujin's dark eyes glanced at the pets who seemed to fly upside down from his perspective. "Okay maybe not too hard to believe."
"Ha, that's true the first Headmaster was part of the royal family after all. And I'm pretty sure you've heard the stories of the gaudy giant skull by the castle?"
A sly grin spread on Yujin's face, "Of course! Highlight of the region. And I wasn't expecting to find someone who dislikes the powers that be so early. I was hoping to spare with a self indulgent noble first." The two finally reached the end of the stairs, their perspectives aligning with their normal one again.
"Sorry for not being pompous. But I am always ready to beat you into the ground if you desire it." A familiar warm sensation was present on Auro's shoulder. Linlin had returned with a scroll in his beak.
Yujin walked past Auro Qin atop his head and book in hand. He began inspecting the doors that resided on this level, the luminous lapis gems caged within the hanging chandeliers lit their way. All of the doors were simple, with sparse decorations or engravings; the doors, like the staircases, were made from a dark red wood.
Each door had a plaque with faint lines and dots glowing above it to indicate the number, "This one over here, number fifty-nine is mine." Jabbing a thumb to the door in question.
Auro rolled his eyes, "Don't be too excited, you still have to meet your roommate."
The look of joy in Yujin's eyes did not falter, "That's nothing to me, I come from a renowned Sect in the far East after all. Sharing accommodations is normal to me."
"You're an odd one Yujin, but I like that. The norm here is just wealthy, spoilt boys and girls falling on the names of their families and their inherent abilities." Auro unfurled his scroll while leaning on the railing of the hallway. Yujin looked over to the other side of his current place, other young men and women in their late teens conversed. Some in the same silks that he wore, others in colourful cottons.
"Auro, what was all that earlier with the others and how they treated you? You don't strike me as a full social pariah from what I've seen. Or perhaps I have a unique position on things and I'm just ignorant." Placing his elbows on the railing and staring into the winding halls absent-mindedly, he asked.
The local man folded up his scroll and left it to his feathered companion to hold. "Well, it's a boring story of how a wide-eyed family of three left their home for a holiday, only for them to be struck by tragedy. Leaving their darling son to be raised by his only grandmother." Yujin could hear how he spoke of the event with a worrying detachment, as if he were telling him the colour of the sky!
A sad smile crossed the foreigner's face, "Ah, this must truly be fate, then. I won't bore you with my story. I lost one of my parents as well. An assassin snuck into our home during the middle of the night, struck and then vanished." Auro's eyes widened, then returned, finally falling into the same melancholic smile as Yujin.
"Two orphans meeting one another bound by a similar experiance. I believe there are a few novels I've read that begin like this, going on to become an epic tale." Auro looked to the hallway illuminated by pure white gemstones, seeing a figure walking the hall clad in full plate. "Do you think, Yujin, that this is the beginning of such a story where the two heroes will overcome what united them?"
Taking a moment to think, he replied, "No, unlike a story book, the impossible cannot be overcome. There is a price to be paid for everything; for the strong, it is to lose something weak." Standing straight, he looked Auro in his brown eyes, seeing a reflection of his own raven ones. "That is also something that can be false; stories are formed from the experiences of the individual. So perhaps with enough strength, such things can be disregarded."
Yujin pet Qin, who seemed to doze off, Auro and Linlin exchanged looks before he smiled. "I believe that you're right in the way you think, my clumsy friend. I should be heading off to my room, who knows who I've been saddled with." With a wave of his hand, Auro and Yujin parted, their pets barking and hooting as well.
After climbing two stairs that both disregarded standard logic, Auro was on a new floor, standing beneath a golden light before a door inscribed seventy-seven.
Taking in a deep breath, Auro walked in. As the door opened, he caught a glimpse of two beds, one cupboard by the head of each bed. With a chest by the foot, a window overlooked the area, brightening the room.
As soon as he walked in, he 'felt' the presence of the other inhabitant before he saw him. He had wheat blond hair, fair skin and cotton clothing; his other facial features were hidden by his hair.
Auro felt a strange aura come from the other man. Clearing his throat, greeting. "Hello there, my name is-"
"Killer." No emotion came from the blond man's voice. He got off of his bed slowly. Before revealing his glowing ruby eyes. 'He's using-' The sound of splitting wood rang out as a flash of unbearable pain and warmth had struck Auro. A metallic taste sprouted from his mouth, as his voice became hitched, a heavy thump hit the floor.
Auro analysed his situation as the world seemed to get colder by the passing second, his arms, legs and torso had become immobile, the tips of spiral metal spears poked through.
How? He asked himself how he could have been found out?
"Take this tip with you to the afterlife for all your friends." The blond man spat in a grave tone, revealing a set of purple petals. Nightshade. "Don't go around carrying stuff that criminals use." A twisted smile spread across Auro's face as he felt the last vestiges of his life fade out.