EA Chapter 13 - Welcome to the Academy

The various students enrolled at the Citadel were lodged at the myriad towers that dotted the structure. Luna would later come to find that the more accomplished and tenured students, those on the verge of graduation, were moved to the upper towers near the peak of the Citadel to reflect their station. But the youngsters and newcomers were generally mixed together in the lower towers.

Luna entered Klein Tower to find it bustling with cadets who were around her age, male and female alike. They paid little mind to her as she went about her business. Save for one young woman, who loomed over Luna by several inches. Her raven hair was swept back into a pleat that rested over her left shoulder. She bore a stern expression on her neatly-proportioned face, but there was a glint of kindness in her sapphire eyes. Her cadet uniform was distinguished by the red cloak draped over her left shoulder. Indeed, when Luna glanced at a few other cadets in passing, she could see several of them also wearing coloured capes while others went by without them.

"You're... Alcett, right?" she asked, approaching Luna.

"I am. Kurse?"

She nodded. "Syri Kurse. But, if we're to be in a party together, you can just call me Syri." She smiled, offering a hand out to shake. Luna obliged her, and tried not to grimace at the imposing strength in Syri's grasp. Her smile was sincere, so it was likely she just underestimated her own strength, as opposed to meaning anything malicious with the gesture.

"It's good to meet you. I... understand there was a dropout?"

"Yeah. Well, supposedly there are a few dropouts in every batch of cadets. Vaire was... talented, and good hearted, but she didn't have the commitment for the training. I imagine if you were handpicked, though, that you won't have that problem. C'mon, I'll show you the way to our room."

Luna followed after Syri, briefly examining the girl with her mana sense. This time the feedback wasn't too strong. In terms of raw power, they were perhaps evenly matched. Paladins, from Luna's understanding, were heavily reliant on melee. They differentiated themselves from brawlers by having a small retinue of faith-based magical abilities. It was a 'balanced' class of sorts. Still, she had to wonder how faith functioned for warriors living on Aquilonia. Did they receive patronage from the gods who supposedly tried to slaughter them? Or, perhaps, they only prayed to Zehud? Or the Quintessa?

They came to a stop beside one door that had 'Red Hawks' engraved on the nameplate. Luna looked under it, to some graffiti that had mostly been scrubbed away. She could barely make out letters that spelled out 'OSER.' Luna set her mouth in a thin frown.

"The Red Hawks is the designation our team was given. There are a set number of parties every year, each one inheriting a name from a past party dating back to the founding of the Citadel," Syri explained, motioning to the plate.

"And the graffiti?" she asked.

That made Syri stiffen, her eyes drifting shamefully to the partially erased writings. "Just a... practical joke, of sorts."

It didn't strike Luna as being particularly funny. Syri hastened through the door and motioned for Luna to follow before she could ask any more questions on the matter. Five beds were positioned around the modest room, each with a large trunk positioned at the foot. There was only one other person in the room, a towering woman lazing on the bed.

Syri was decently tall, but this russet-haired woman loomed taller still, and sported a broad, muscular shoulder span. She had removed her cadet's coat, wearing a tank top beneath that highlighted her sculpted physique. But what was most striking to Luna was that she had a pair of fluffy canine ears protruding from the sides of her head, replacing what should have been a human set. The lines of her face were sharp and harsh, her pupils a pair of vertical black slits.

"Kiharu, where are the twins? I told them we were expecting a new member," Syri said, annoyance threatening to break through her pleasant tone.

The towering young woman shrugged. "They said they wanted to get something. Some kinda... welcoming gift for the newbie. I dunno, I'm not their damn keeper."

Luna could tell at once that this woman was to be the party’s brawler. Her type were always easy to spot. Her qi would be geared solely toward her physical abilities, augmenting them beyond the norm for an arcanist. She and Kiharu could burn the same amount of energy to punch a target, and get greatly different results.

"Never seen a beastkin before," Luna admitted. Though she had, at least, heard of them in stories.

Kiharu grunted. "We mostly live in the mountains up north. Hear you're from some coastal spot, so I doubt any of my kin would be living your way." She rose to sit up on the bed, the springs and frame groaning and creaking in protest. "So, you're the newblood, huh?"

Kiharu's sharp eyes motioned toward a freshly made bed to the far left of the room. "That one belonged to Vaire. Thing's still in good shape, considerin' she barely used it." What had caused the last Arcanist of the Red Hawks to drop out? Perhaps it was simply the stress and expectations of military training at play. But if there were other factors, Luna knew she'd need to look into them.

Luna set her trunk down, but decided sorting through her things could wait until later. She also noticed the red cape resting by the pillows. It seemed the cloak was an optional part of the Citadel’s uniform. "Well," Syri said, settling her hands on her hips. "How about a tour of the grounds?" A bright smile blossomed on her face. "Because Zehud knows we could be waiting a long time for the twins to get back."

"If there's nothing else scheduled for today? I don't see why not," Luna replied, nodding at the two.

Kiharu grunted. "Fine. I could do with a chance to stretch my legs."

And so the trio set off, with Luna falling in step behind the two taller girls. Syri took the lead, pointing out the facilities they passed and explaining their functions. Kiharu was mostly silent, chiming in only once or twice. They passed by an infirmary, an archery range where the targets could be automatically moved to set distances, and an alchemy lab filled with an abundance of glass vessels and mason jars stuffed with ingredients. Luna had some interest in that one, at least.

Alchemy hadn't been her forte, the arcane art she invested the least amount of time in during her prior life. But she understood its potential all too well. It would be worth checking out, but she had to imagine many of the ingredients in her home dimension wouldn't be found in Aquilonia.

As they continued their tour, Syri pointed out the Citadel library, where ancient tomes and scrolls filled the shelves, holding secrets of the nation's magic and history. That definitely made Luna stand to attention as they passed the fortified structure. She only barely glimpsed the interior, but even she was impressed by the sheer size and grandeur of the place. Each bookshelf stretched high toward the domed ceiling, flanked by wheel ladders that could swiftly be moved from end to end.

Several of the cases and shelves, however, were warded off by metal plates that had heavy padlocks attached to them. Tomes so rare and dangerous they needed to be kept under lock and key? Luna grinned at the thought.

"Can just anyone go in there?" Luna asked.

Syri considered the question. "Well, some of the material is kept away from cadets. I'm no expert but the high end stuff is supposed to be really dangerous. But you're an Arcanist, so you're bound to get access to most things in there eventually."

"It's also a great spot to grab a nap," Kiharu said, picking her teeth with a large claw. Syri gave her an annoyed look.

"Anyway," she eventually said, "I've heard the older cadets call it the best repository of arcane knowledge in Elthreme. Definitely handy for any Arcanist looking to broaden their skills."

They turned another corner, entering a hallway which led directly to the dining hall. There, students from different age groups were already seated among the various rows of benches, chatting idly with one another. "Whenever we're not training or attending lectures, odds are you'll be spending time here. Food isn't the best, but... well, it could always be worse," said Syri.

Kiharu shrugged her broad shoulders. "I like it."

"You'd eat rocks for fun," Syri replied.

Luna took in a deep breath through her nose, taking in the strong spices. Her mother was a good cook, all things considered, but there was just... so much fish on the menu back home. At least here she could get a little variety. "Seems like a nice spot," she eventually said, sweeping a hand back through her ashen hair.

Syri opened her mouth to speak, only to stop when her gaze became affixed on two figures just across the dining hall. They, in turn, hastened over when they realised Syri was watching them. The two were near identical in height and appearance, and even had the same cherry red hair colour. At a glance, the only difference Luna could see between them was that one girl wore her hair in a pleated braid, while the other framed the left half of her face with a much shorter one

"Oh. So these are the twins?" Luna asked, glancing to Kiharu.

"Yeah, that's them. Romula and Rema Fortis," the beastkin said. She gave her companion a sideways glance. "They can be... a bit much."

"Where in blazes have you two been?" Syri said, fixing the twins with an annoyed look.

They shared a bashful smile. "We were a little hungry-" Rema said, to which Romula added, "-and we thought we'd have a little more time before the new girl arrived."

Their eyes locked on Luna, which made the Arcanist stiffen where she stood.

"Is that her?" Rema asked.

"I love her hair!" Romula replied.

"I know! So pretty!"

Luna briefly shared an uncomfortable look with Kiharu. "A bit much," the beastkin repeated. That was putting it mildly.

Syri went on to explain that Rema was a Ranger, and Romula was a Cleric. Rangers were adept at attacking opponents from a distance, their qi infusing them with a collection of abilities geared around subterfuge and trickery. Clerics were a touch similar to Paladins, using a mixture of magic and physical might. But Clerics favoured magic overall, having a greater retinue of spells to draw upon, most of which were oriented toward defence and healing.

But, looking at the two, it was hard to believe either of them were fit for combat at all.

"Luna Alcett," she replied, holding a hand out to shake. Which the twins did with gusto, threatening to dislodge her arm from the socket with how eagerly they went at it. Luna winced.

"So happy to meet you!" they said in unison.

Syri offered Luna an apologetic smile. "They're... usually like this," she admitted.

"Ah. Joy," Luna replied in a flat voice.

The twins pulled back from her in unison and exchanged a nod. "And we wanted to get a gift for our new member. We had to rush and get them, cuz we figured the dining hall would run out otherwise." Rema held up something partially wrapped in a handkerchief. A scone coated in a thick glistening layer of frosting. "It's for you!"

"Well, er..." Luna took the offered bun, gently clearing her throat. "Thank you. I appreciate your kindness." It was nice, admittedly. Even if the twins were still a bit... much.

Syri smiled, examining their fully assembled team. "Nice to have a whole party again. Welcome aboard, Luna. I'm sure you'll love it here!"