***Hyperion Empire***

***Imperial Academy***

Max leaned against a tree panting, Kana knew exactly how to keep him on his toes in a duel. He tilted his head upwards, it was hardly past dawn yet birds were chirping nonstop. The forest the three kids were currently in was quite temperate. Plants and trees were diverse, yet Max made the observation that the forest was artificially maintained. All the trees were young, most likely the Academy staff ensured that. Animal life was also abundant, an interesting choice made by the administration. The boy hadn’t seen anything larger than a deer, but was quite curious on what types of animals the staff would allow to thrive so close to children.

The fox girl slung her halberd behind her back and was also panting. Max was far stronger than she remembered, and each of his swings from his sword carried plenty of force. He could also hold the sword with one hand, which greatly shocked Kana during their spar. She looked to Arthur, who was throwing his daggers across the woods with precision. All four throwing daggers easily hit their targets at over a hundred feet away. Both of her friends had improved.

Lifting her arms behind her head, she called the training. “Well it’s too bad Reann didn’t show up, I’ll have to ask her about that.”

“She didn’t show because she likes to sleep, unlike you.” Max sarcastically commented.

Arthur walked over with a dagger spinning around his finger. “I agree with Max, no one likes to get up this early. Why must you force us to do so?”

“Oh don’t be like that. Training is important and keeps us active. Besides, it gives us three a chance to meet and talk by ourselves.” Kana said.

“If that’s the case, why did you invite Reann?” Max asked.

“Because she is so shy! I want to break that shell of hers, and I will!” She then brushed some of the dirt off her boots. “Okay that's it for today boys. Tomorrow will be Arthur versus myself while Max solo trains. It’s time for me to bathe, I will see you at homeroom.”

The two watched as Kana ran off through some bushes towards the Academy grounds. Arthur went and grabbed his daggers, wiping them clear and placing them inside his clothing. He reached out and helped his cousin up, eyeing the dirty and sweaty boy. “We should get cleaned ourselves. You look like you’ve been wrestling swine.” He said with a snigger.

They collected their partners and followed the path Kana had just taken. Reaching Gordon Hall, the duo agreed to meet at the hall’s communal bath chamber. Gordon Hall was a newly built dormitorium that held the entire male first-year population. It had over four hundred plus rooms on seven floors, yet only about two hundred and fifty of those rooms were occupied. The first floor was entirely recreational, containing a lobby, library, bathhouse, and the Dormfather’s room.

Max and Arthur met Dormfather Fraser late last night. The man was a dwarf, the first one Max had ever seen. It was hard to tell from behind the lobby front desk and the chair he was sitting in, but when he stood on a stool and leaned over the counter it became quite apparent. The dwarf handed them their room keys and that was the end of it. No introductions, no welcome, just a “Don’t lose your key.” from the man and they were dismissed.

Max recalled the dwarf’s eyebrows, the thickest he had ever seen on a person and ending in odd curls. He then reached into his favorite long-coat and pulled out his room key. Listening to the creak as the door opened, the boy was greeted with large living space as big as his previous room at Soltain Castle. The Academy’s budget was clearly expansive based off first-year student amenities. The boy had even heard living quarters only improved each year.

The most prominent luxuries were a bed that could easily hold two adults, couch, coat rack, glass windows, a desk, two cupboards, and a large dresser. There were also various paintings spread throughout the walls. It was truly a room for nobility, yet all students had the exact same accommodations.

Max removed his coat and quickly got undressed. Placing his dirty clothes in a basket, he grabbed his towel and partner. He then tied the key with a string and made a pseudo necklace with it, also leaving his dirty clothes in the hall for servants to clean. The boy moved through the dorm with only a towel wrapped around his waist and a baby griffin nestled in his dirty-blonde hair.

The corridors were relatively quiet, most students either still asleep or just waking up. Max was enjoying the relative silence until the thundering sound of bells echoed throughout campus. The boy picked up his pace, the first bell meant that it was long past sunrise and students were now recommended to start their day. Silently moving down the smooth wooden stairs, Max eventually reached the Gordon Hall bathhouse.

The large room of porcelain held one massive tub. Entering the double doors that closed behind himself, Max threw his towel over his shoulders. The chamber was filled with steam rising from the warm water, powered by a fire enchantment Max could see glowing from the center under the liquids surface. It was bizarre to the boy, if the enhancement was working throughout the day, how often would it need to be recharged with mana? And how long would it last? He supposed he could find out later if he was so inclined. Yet it’s primary function was obvious, the closer one moved to the center, the warmer the water would get.

The young Soltain spotted Arthur, inside the water and seated against the wall. Zecarth was swimming in the water around Arthur, appreciating the experience just as much as his partner. Max moved beside his cousin and dipped straight in, releasing a breath of contentment. The boys never spoke to each other, and just relished in the luxury of a warm bath after training. He then pulled Adrios off his head, who was squirming in his arms for freedom.

The griffin did not want to bathe. Yet he was still too small to contend against the boy. Max lightly dropped the beast in the water and started scrubbing him with his hands. “If I have to take a bath so do you, don’t make this so difficult.” He said to the griffin. The rest of his time in the bath was spent in a constant struggle against his partner, but both boy and beast ultimately returned to their quarters fully cleansed of any filth.

Max and Arthur quickly ate in the crowded dining hall. Breakfast time right after the first bell seemed to be the busiest time for students to go get food. Max made a mental note to eat first after training, hopefully they wouldn’t have to deal with the crowds of grumpy teenagers fighting for food and seating. The dining room could fit everyone, yet certain students liked causing trouble to get their way. Older students were pushing aside the first-years claiming they owned the seats and whole sections of tables. Some first-years fought back, and loud arguments resounded through the already loud chamber.

Max observed that the ends of the long tables were particularly popular, so both boys just sat together in the middle of one of the tables. After settling in chairs of their own, Max stuffed a huge scoop of pork down his mouth and swallowed. If he wanted to talk to Arthur, he would need to atleast make sure his hunger was sated before Adrios cleared both plates. Suffice to say, the boys could not hold a conversation before the bells reverberated through the Academy again. The second bells of the day signaled class would begin soon, and students were now recommended to move to homeroom.

The majority of students in the hall all stood up from their seats at once, turning to the south and north exits and leaving in mass. Arthur and Max both grabbed their fruit drinks and downed them simultaneously. Arthur pulled out his map while Max pushed the rest of his plate to his partner. “We are in class 1-A, and our homeroom itself is located in the Magic Theory Building towards the center of campus.”

“Right. My friend Daniel actually showed me this building yesterday. We should be able to get their with time to spare.” Max replied, placing meat in his palm and waving it in front of his griffin. The griffin took the bait, and Max snatched him up from the table. Getting up from their rather hasty breakfast, the boys followed the horde of students leaving through the south exit.

The two walked the stone path leading west at a brisk pace. All the other students were walking in the same direction, save a few who were actually running to class. Wind blew through the open fields that separated the large Academy buildings and ran past their own bodies. Arthur and Max didn’t have long hair, but that didn’t excuse the fact that wind pushed their locks to the side. Max’s hair was thick, and bangs covered his forehead. His hair also ran down the back of his head and ended mid-way on the neck. Arthur’s hair reached his shoulders. Yet it was thin to his cousin’s thick, and moved with the wind far more conspicuously.

When the two entered the Magic Theory Building, Max smiled. “Like I said, with time to spare.” The floor of the corridor was made of marble, and etched into the marble was an enormous insignia of the Royal Family. The steps of students against the marble was distinct, and idle chatter filled the area. Stairs shot up from both sides of the room, and multiple hallways spanned the walls.

“While that’s good and all, we still need to find our designated classroom.” Arthur replied, eyeing the other students moving past them, some going up the stairs and others moving to the hallways.

Max shrugged. “I said I can get us to the building with time to spare. Never said anything about the class.”

Arthur pulled a student to the side, a second year based off the red on his jacket. “Forgive me, but do you know where class 1-A is?”

The student was obviously in a rush and pointed to the first hallway beside the staircase on the left. “1-A should be down there. Now if you would excuse me.” He then moved to the stairs, rushing up and vanishing within the crowd of teenagers.

Max and Arthur followed the youth’s indicated direction. The hallway was long and held doorways to multiple classrooms. The corridor ended in an abrupt right turn, which Max had guessed connected to one of the other halls or maybe led to an exit. One of the first doors to the duo’s left was marked with a board reading 1-A.

Pushing the door open, the two heirs observed the entirety of the classroom. Neither large nor small, with an auditorium style seating with spaces for about forty students. Each row held seats for eight students, and halfway between said rows was a small staircase divider. There was also a large wooden desk that spanned in front of the seats in each row. Max recorded the students in the class recognizing a few faces.

Kana and Juliet sat in the front with a seat just between them. Neither were talking as both were currently writing on silver journals on top of the desks before them. Seeing Kana, Adrios leaped to her lap. He quickly found a comfortable spot and closed his eyes. Max shrugged and asked the fox girl for help. “Can you watch him till dinner? He appears to still be angry with me for forcing a bath on him.”

Kana giggled. “I was going to take him from you either way.” She moved one hand to pet the feathers and fur on the griffins body. “He is such a good boy, and petting him makes up for all the times your family has pet me over the years.”

Max snorted. “You act like you don’t enjoy the petting yourself.”

Kana just shooed her fiance off. “That has nothing to do with it. Now go find a seat before the teacher get’s here.”

Max ignored her words and scanned the classroom. There were a lot of seats empty, and for what he tallied there were twenty-two kids already settled. Taking a quick comparison, he made a mental note of the classroom population. Counting each one including himself and his cousin, Max recorded eleven nobility and thirteen commoners. There were two kids from both Ryzalon and Thanatos, meaning one was certainly a bloodline heir while the other was remarkably talented.

Yet Max found himself intrigued with one of the Thanatos nobles. She was an elf, and sat alone in her own row second to last. Looking out the window directly adjacent to herself, her ocean blue eyes reflected the light of the sun. The girl appeared very similar to his own master, which Max chalked up too all elves looking both attractive and androgynous. Though because of his master, the boy had a rather fondness towards elves. He had only met one, so electing to indulge his curiosity, he sat right next to her.

The girl turned to Max and sized him up. She then extended her hand and said, “Hello. My name is Kathryn. May I ask your name as well?”

Max grabbed the girl’s hand and shook. Her voice was quite calming to the boy, it was an interesting change from Kana’s usual ardent tone. “Maximus, but my parent’s only call me that when their angry with me. Most call me Max.”

The girl’s lips lifted upward. “Max then.” She soon released her grip and shifted her gaze back to back outside the glass windows. The conversation was over, yet it was enough for the boy. He looked down to his cousin, who was still talking to both Kana and the princess. The talk was meaningless, yet the three held the attention of most of the male nobles.

Arthur realised this fact, and glanced directly at the Rinehart boy sitting in the row just behind the princess. The boy looked to be writing something in his own silver notebook, yet Max could tell he was actually paying attention to the conversation between the trio. In the middle of their talk, the bells started ringing throughout the halls, signifying that class was about to begin. Arthur smirked, he then abruptly ended his conversation with the two girls. “I must say Juliet speaking to you is spellbinding. I feel like I could continue to talk with you forever, but alas, it appears class is beginning.” He then grabbed the girl’s hand gently, repeating the process from yesterday. Kissing it, instead of looking directly at her eyes, he stared right at the Rinehart boy. “I fervently wait for our next chance to talk.”

Kana rolled her eyes and Max stifled his own laughter. Arthur was obviously goading the Rinehart boy. But he wasn’t the only one visibly angry with Arthur, the two Ryzalon boys seemed to be infuriated as well. Max was trying to remember the red eye boy’s name from yesterday, yet found it illuding him. Max then glanced at the Fafnir wolfkin, and was surprised to see him completely composed. Though following his line of sight closely, Max realized the youth wasn’t glancing at the princess, and instead peeking at Kana.

Max shook his head. That wouldn’t do. Kana was his to protect.

Before either the princess or Max could properly react to their respective problems, a balding man with brown hair and glasses walked in. He was wearing a black and purple mages robes, ones imprinted with the crest of the Royal Family on the back. With his entrance, Arthur quickly moved up the rows and sat beside Max, gracefully settling in his spot and leaving none the wiser.

The man set a book down on the podium in front of the room. He turned to the chalkboard behind him, one reading: What is magic? (Please write your names on your Academy journals and answer the question on the first page). His voice was coarse, reminding Max of Knight Captain Drake. “While I call attendance I expect all journals to be passed up to the front of the class before I am finished. Ms. Granitas…” He glanced at Juliet. “...should have everyone's journals by the time I say Wickes.”

Max didn’t even notice the damn board!

So that’s what the silver journals placed in front of every chair were for. He thought.

He mentally slapped himself, both Kana and Juliet were writing when he arrived! He then quickly reached into his jacket and grabbed his pen.

The man then monotonously started reading off names from a book he had opened on the podium. “Reann Arshan.” Said girl then burst through the door, hair frazzled and with bags under her eyes. Lord Fuzzyboots was also on her head, which was a name and face combination Max could easily recall.

The teacher peeked at the girl with indifference. He then shifted back to his book. “Tardy. I will excuse you because this is the first day, but do not let it happen again.”

The girl hastily bowed. “Th-thank y-you.” She said with her usual nervous stutter. Max was hardly surprised as it was pretty embarrassing to be the only one late for the first day of class. Reann quickly took the chair between Kana and Juliet all three girls sat side by side in the front of class.

Max was now two sentences in on his own definition of magic until he heard his cousin whisper next to him. “Can I borrow your pen when you're done?”

The young Soltain was shocked. How could his lazy yet extremely intelligent cousin forget to bring a pen to class? On the first day no less! Though the boy quickly found he didn’t have to sacrifice his only pen to Arthur. Kathryn, the elf girl who had overheard the conversation and already passed her silver journal up front, reached into her leather bag and pulled out a pen for Arthur. “You can have one of mine. I have plenty.”

Arthur and Max grinned, this girl seemed pretty cool. Arthur then grabbed the pen and thanked her. He then wrote his name on the silver journal in front of him and opened the page.

“Logan Bristol.”

“Here.”

“Walter Fafnir.”

“Here.”

The teacher continued to list off names and mark each present in his book. By the time he reached Arthur’s name, both boys passed up their journals. Max took less than a glance at his cousin's response to the question and sighed. He was hopeless. Arthur had written: What isn’t magic? as an appropriate answer to the instructor’s question. Max had written more than ten sentences, how could Arthur be so apathetic?

“Arthur Satele.”

“Present.”

“Maximus Soltain.”

“Here.”

When a commoner girl named Adeline Wickes was finally called, the teacher closed the book resting on the podium. He moved in front of Juliet and grabbed the journals stacked up adjacent to her, placing them down at the desk in the corner of the room. Afterward, he picked up chalk from the tray and wrote a word on the board: Strain.

Next, the man turned around and looked at the twenty-five children seated in front of him. “Hello students, for the next four years I will be your homeroom teacher and for this first year I am also your Magic Theory instructor. I am currently an official mage serving under the Granitas Imperial Doctrine. I am a graduate of both this Academy and the College of Magic in the Union, and I am a member of the Earthshaker’s branch of the Mage’s Guild. Yet none of my achievements are necessarily relevant to you, the one thing you need to remember is my name. You may call me Mr. Strain and nothing else. If you manage to graduate I will allow you to call me Mage Strain outside of campus grounds.”

Mr. Strain took a breath and paused as bells resounded again. Max could hear more movement in the hallways, but no one in class even flinched. Mr. Strain then observed his new students. “Now I will ask again, what is magic?”

Both Juliet and Kana raised their hands simultaneously, while none of the other students bothered gathering attention to themselves. Mr. Strain looked at the girls and picked Juliet to answer. “Ms. Granitas.”

“The internal and external manipulation of the mana that exists throughout the world.” She answered.

The older man nodded. “A very safe response. Ms. Kumio?”

“Magic is the flexible powers able to be controlled through gifts of the body. Accessing the well of mana inside ourselves to affect the world around us be it physical or mental. Everyone has the ability to manipulate mana, creating miracles.”

The older man nodded again. “A correct and yet flawed response. Ms. Granitas knew she would be correct by keeping her definition broad, while you, Ms. Kumio, have chosen to explain the most common and widely seen uses of magic.” He then turned towards the children throughout the class, and looked to Arthur who had his head down and was attempting to sleep.

“Mr. Satele. You must have a thorough comprehension on the complexities that make the energy of our world. Tell me, what is magic?”

Arthur lazily lifted his head and rested it on his arms, peering straight back at Mr. Strain. He then recited his response on his journal, word for word. “What isn’t magic?” The boy said, shifting his face back behind the cover of his upper arms.

Mr. Stain chuckled and sat at his desk. For a brief period of time, the entire class was silent, watching with curiosity as the official mage opened every journal and read each student's response. Closing the last journal, he grabbed the entire stack. The man then walked around class and passed each student their correct book with no difficulty. After one call of attendance, it appeared he already recognized every student in the class.

Grabbing a stick of chalk, he began writing. “I suggest you take notes, as I have a lot to say.”