Aziel tugged his cloak tighter as he left the forge.
Emberreach was already awake, smoke curling from chimneys and the clangor of hammers filling the air. Streets bustled with people transporting goods and running errands of their own.
To reach the academy, Aziel had to leave Emberreach behind and cross Duskwarren before reaching Virellan Heights, where the academy was located. The other option was Marrowgate, but Aziel's chest tightened just from the thought of its narrow streets, crawling with cutthroats and petty thieves.
He left those thoughts behind as he started walking.
Damn the sun!
Aziel was quite happy with the weather in the morning, but now he had changed his mind. It would have been better if it were cloudy — hell — even rain was better than this furnace.
Not even fifteen minutes had passed, and he looked as if he had just taken a bath.
Aziel yanked off his cloak and knotted it at his waist. Normally, he would never have done it — hair like his always attracted attention, though he didn't know why. Thankfully, he had recently dyed it from white to black.
Aziel continued through the buzzing streets filled with people from all walks of life. There were merchants selling cloth and spices, street vendors shouting out their wares, and performers juggling and tumbling for coins.
The houses here were made of bricks and tightly packed together. They were tall and leaning slightly over the cobblestones, casting shadows on the people below. Upper stories jutted out so far that it seemed as if the buildings on either side might touch across the street.
Urgh!
Aziel grimaced with every breath he took. The air was suffocating. It was full of smoke from the forges and mixed with the foul stench of tanneries. The odor clung to his clothes and hair, seeping into his skin until he felt like he might carry it with him forever.
After an hour's slog through the choking streets of Duskwarren, Aziel reached the towering wall of Virellan Heights.
The nobles wanted nothing to do with commoners, so they walled themselves off and monitored incoming visitors.
In front of Aziel was a long line of people that spanned the entire way to the gates. He had no choice but to step in line and wait.
After fifty long minutes, it was finally his turn.
A broad-shouldered officer in a green-blue uniform, Dravenor's crest on his chest, threw him a glance and asked: "What brings you to Virellan Heights?"
"I'm here to take the entrance exam to enroll in Eldermyst Academy."
The guard looked at him with pity and said, "Judging by your clothes, you are a commoner, right?"
"Yes, that's right," answered Aziel.
The guard sighed.
"Listen, kid."
"Spare yourself the time and go back to your family. I know you think your life will improve if you get enrolled, and it will — that's for sure."
"But that's only if you get into the academy, and realistically, you have no chance. So give up, you will end up saving a lot of time."
Aziel only shrugged.
"I know what I'm getting myself into."
The guard looked at him with concern.
"No, you don't. It's hard even for nobles, let alone people like you, with no education whatsoever."
The guard spoke the truth. No commoner had ever become a mage. One could only become a mage after attending a magic academy, and that demanded lots of resources such as tutors, money, and years of preparation, which commoners simply didn't have. Thus, Aziel spent years preparing.
The guard gave him one last look, performed a body search, and let him go.
Before Aziel could pass, however, he turned to him once more and said, "Good luck, kid, you will need it."
It was only when he was this close did Aziel truly see how enormous the gates were. They easily dwarfed even the largest of the trees that surrounded Grimm's forge.
After arriving on the other side of the wall, Aziel took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air.
Damn!
The air here was far better than in all other districts, free of the acrid smell of smoke that clung to Duskwarren and second only to the forest where Aziel spent most of his time.
Looking around, Aziel only got more astonished.
The streets shimmered, paved in polished white stone. On the edges stood black street lamps stretching along the road like long serpents.
However, what surprised him most were the houses — if you could even call them that.
Castles were standing on the side of the streets, made of polished white bricks with a series of windows with beautiful, wooden carved window frames. Their facades were adorned with carved motifs and painted designs, displaying the wealth of their owners.
Sadly, Aziel didn't have the time to admire all the houses since he had spent a large amount of time at the border inspection. It was nearly noon, and the academy was at the heart of the district, so he still had quite a long way to go.
After walking for a bit more, Aziel noticed that all the people here had their own carriages. They also had multiple servants who were in charge of all kinds of things, such as opening doors, carrying their master's belongings, and even polishing their shoes.
As Aziel continued, the houses grew even more majestic. He started realizing just how luxuriously nobles lived and how much influence they held.
Deep in thought, he kept on walking until a tall fence made out of black steel, and behind it a building unlike any he had ever seen before, came into view.
In the center stood a grand building of white marble, crowned with a glass dome shimmering in the sunlight.
At its sides stood four ancient spires, seemingly taller than anything in this world, so tall that it seemed like they could reach the heavens.
In front of the building stretched a garden, lavish with white and pink blossoms, a stone fountain at its center.
Behind the building, a never-ending forest fraught with danger.
So this is it…
Eldermyst Academy - the greatest magic academy in the whole world.