They sat opposite each other on benches outside the door to the principal's office. Silent. Inoua, Ala, Naell, Jua and Sefu sat on one side while Usi and Zaed sat on the other.
Jua and Ala murmured quietly to each other while Sefu silently held Naell's hand. Somehow, staring at the spattering of blood on her sleeve, Inoua felt even more cross. She shot a glance across the aisle to where Zaed was helping Usi wipe away her tears while comforting her in a low voice. Her suppressed whimpers grated on Inoua's nerves and she let out a small snort and looked away.
With the innate healing of the chimaera, the wound had already closed without leaving a scar behind. Zaed shot her a glare, wanting to retort, before the door opened and a short middle-aged man stood before them. The principal, like most members of staff, was part of the clergy. An archbishop to be exact.
He had large pointed ears and the hint of grey feathers from beneath his gold cassock.
"Come on in then," he said in a soft brass tone.
They filed into the large airy room, decorated with holy relics and a statue of the goddess standing silent judgement from behind the desk. He waddled over and sat down, shifting some papers around while they gathered in trepidation at the front. Finally, he spoke.
"I've reviewed your case and all of you, except Ala and Naell, are punished to collect four crystal rose vines before the next full moon. You are also banned from visiting the village for one month. Any questions?"
The office was immediately filled with consternation and protests. Principal Baax allowed them to go on for a moment before holding up a hand. The office immediately fell silent
"It seems you have some objections to this judgement?"
"Yes. It was instigated by them," Inoua said, pointing at an aghast Usi shrinking behind Zaed. "They provoked us."
"I agree. Which is why they are being punished for failing to follow the rules of challenging another." He looked at her over the top of his glasses.
"You too are being punished for the same reason. Attacking another student outside of a legitimate challenge. As for the boys, they aided and abetted so they can join you too."
Everyone shifted awkwardly in place.
" I hope this won't happen again. We are fifteen months away from the start of the examination. You ought to focus more on your training. Now go back to class."
Inoua was silent on the walk back to the classroom. She was running through a list of items she needed to pack in preparation for the venture into Balavu. They were only allowed into the outermost layer of the Balavu which surrounded the western region of the continent. It was the safest part, extending to the shallows of the water and often used to train them in outdoor survival and the different types of flora and fauna to be expected in the examination. Safe was relative.
The conditions were harsh and dangerous even for experienced explorers. Add to that the finicky nature of crystal rose vines and the difficulty went up another notch. She had to be careful.
"Are you okay?" Naell had sidled up beside her.
"Yeah, just thinking about what to pack for this trip."
"Are you going tomorrow?" Ala asked.
"Mhmm. I want to get it done as quickly as possible."
"Are you going to go with Zaed?"
Inoua turned to glance back at the couple who were trailing the pack. Zaed was still comforting Usi whose face looked miserable at the thought of going into Balavu.
"No. Most likely he will choose to go with her. I don't want to be the third wheel."
"Then go with Jua and Sefu. Strength in numbers," Naell chimed in. Ala nodded in agreement. Inoua glanced at the two silent figures walking beside her friends and smiled.
"Thank you guys for the offer but no. I want to go in alone. Think of it as advance training for the examination. Goddess knows I cannot rely on Zaed then. And we will probably be separated then. It is better to get used to being alone now."
"Okay then. As long as you're sure." Ala said.
They made their way to class. Another lesson on the history of the world. The teacher, Lady Awingu, was mid speech when they knocked on the door and walked in. There was an awkward silence as they shuffled to their seats and sat down.
After they were settled in, Lady Awingu continued her lesson.
"According to various sources it has been assumed that where the goddess fell was the Kivyu Sea. It was the massive release of power that caused the flora and fauna to change and the Balavu to settle over it permanently. Very little of the Sea has been explored, with only the outer section being safe to traverse. Most of the relics, plants and animals found there are from various time periods indicating that the Balavu has existed for as far back as the formation of the Uvyali continent.
The excavation and curation of these items fall under the jurisdiction of the church although there exists a black market of unregulated items floating around."
The bell ringing to mark the end of the lesson interrupted the teacher's lecture. Immediately the class became lively, packing their books into bags.
"Remember to read the paper by M.Dakari and chapters six and seven of your text books by the next class,"Lady Awingu said as she gathered her materials and walked out.
Immediately the classroom broke out into loud chatter.
Inoua got up, waved goodbye to her friends and walked out with her bag over her shoulder. They had one class on Fridays so the rest of the time was free. She made her way toward the infirmary where she put in a request for an emergency kit. With that item checked off her list she went to the kitchen, training room and shop to place an order for the rations, weapons and outdoor equipment she needed.
She couldn't help but feel a thrum of excitement at the prospect of exploring the unchartered Balavu.