***Hyperion Empire***

***Imperial Academy***

Today was a big day for James Charmont. As the the club president and founder of the Humane Society, he was the face of the day. He had spent four years working alongside his father in attempts to further integrate this northern Empire into a more “traditional” stance on the Humane beliefs.

His father, Bishop Charmont, had been sent by the High Judge himself in an effort to expound onto the Hyperion Empire the way of the Theocracy and its teachings. Although James was born in Humana, the Theocracy capital, he had been raised in Hyperion. His father held property and citizenship in the Imperial City, so although originally an immigrant, he was just as much a Hyperion as any other student attending the Academy.

Yet while most Imperial children were taught to be open and mindful of other races, James Charmont received a different education. Raised by an often busy and single father, James grew up with a stigma for the bishop’s approval. When his father told him him to pray to the Goddess every day, he did so. When his father scolded him for making friends with beastkin, he avoided them. And when his father told him humans were meant to rule while other races were meant to follow, James chose to live by his words.

Ever since enrolling in the Academy, the Society came first while everything else came second. He was in the most opportune position to spread the Human Goddess’ teachings to an Empire that had no official religion. What better place than the Imperial Academy to sow the seed of doctrination to grow and flourish? This was the school of future mages, politicians, leaders, and especially nobles.

Although slow in the beginning and after receiving great scrutiny from some of the nobles students he attempted to recruit, James eventually created a reputable Academy club that publicly supported human rights. He employed the same method’s of his father in garnering support. Instead of denouncing other races publicly, he bolstered the image of humans and human rights. He found this pitch to be very effective to use on spoiled noble children who thought they deserved more than what they had. He promised a better and higher life for human students, and new recruits followed him willingly, commoner and noble alike.

During his second year, his father had recognized the importance of his Society and began helping James. Gifting him with money and information, James saw more of his father that year than any other before. His father also introduced him to teachers that would support his efforts, and the promise of anonymous financial donations to keep the Society strong.

Now in his last year at the Academy, James had reached the most important point in all his efforts. The nine most influential and powerful families of the Hyperion Empire were sending their heirs to the Academy, all in the same year. It was an unprecedented phenomenon but James couldn’t have asked for a more perfect opportunity. If he could get one, just one, of these heirs to join his Society, he would be creating for the Theocracy a foothold to garner support in the future.

His father had only reminded him the importance of the situation continuously, and now was the moment of truth.

James sat in a chair as he contemplated the possibilities of the day. His club, along with all other clubs, had set up a position on the enormous Planter’s Field. The green field was spotted with large trees, each providing ample cover and shade from the sun above. Though James didn’t mind the weather, it was rather cool, and it calmed his tense nerves to watch when the breeze pushed his Society’s banner along with it.

James continued to stare as the blue and gold banner depicting the Holy Goddess in white, moved with the wind.

“Lord Charmont.” A younger teacher, wearing the robes of a mage, intoned. The entire Society stood or sat alongside the banners and tables marking their reserved area. The teacher sponsors sat around James with his student senior members. There were twenty seats at James’ table, and two were empty.

James frowned. They were supposed to be presenting an organized and united front. He at least expected all of his senior members to be here. “Where are Samwise and Julien?” James asked the teacher known as Mr. Keerti, a man he knew he could trust because his father was paying him handsomely. The man held influence with a lot of other teachers and staff, and was good help to have.

“I just received word from Captain Yvel, apparently Julien, Samwise, along with six other members were sent to the infirmary and are being investigated for attacking fellow students.” The soft spoken teacher replied.

James felt a rush of anger at his subordinates stupidity and slammed his fist into the table. He ground his teeth as blood rushed to his face. Today of all days, he didn’t have time to worry about this shit.

Mr. Keerti had long black hair and black eyes, he was a smaller man, and everything about him screamed he was anything but a fighter. He shook his head as he explained to James a situation he knew would upset him.

“Yvel’s men did arrive first, but apparently a Captain Prentis appeared and took over the investigation. During initial questioning, Julien admitted to instigating the attack against two students.”

“I’m sorry. Let me see if I am understanding this so far…” James said. “Julien and Samwise, along with six others, got in a fight with two students and were all sent to the infirmary. Sometime during all of this, Julien was questioned by guards that weren’t ours, and admitted to starting the fight?”

The young teacher nodded. “Right.”

James asked an obvious question he had just realized hadn’t been explained. “How on the goddess did two students send eight of mine to the infirmary?”

Mr. Keerti took a breath and settled himself. Dealing with the Charmont’s emotions was just another reason he was being paid so well. “Well, Julien and Samwise didn’t attack just any students. In their infinite wisdom, they chose to ambush Maximus Soltain and Arthur Satele in the middle of broad daylight, a fact Julien was happy to admit repeatedly.” Mr. Keerti then abruptly stood up and gathered distance from the bishop’s son as the teen processed his words.

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Max, Kana, Arthur, and Kathryn walked together towards the club gala being held in Planter’s Field all afternoon. Kathryn observed the blood-stains on Max’s white student jacket and glanced back at the fox girl leading the group. The girl was now free of magical beast companions with Adrios resting on Max’s head and Zecarth wrapped around Arthur’s neck.

Kana’s eyes scanned the hustle and bustle of the numerous students participating in the gala and smiled. She couldn’t wait to find clubs to enjoy and meet new people. She grabbed Max’s arm and started moving forward until she heard Kathryn’s voice behind her. “Shouldn’t we have Max go change? He’s got a couple spots of blood on him.”

Kana turned and stared Max’s jacket then shrugged. “Max can you take your jacket off?”

The taller boy furrowed his eyebrows but complied to Kana’s request. It really wasn’t that much blood in his opinion. Kana took it and wrapped it around her waist, turning it inside out and hiding the blood stains. With a quick glance at his long-sleeved undershirt with no visible marks, she deemed him ready to meet people.

She then faced both boys and pointedly tapped their heads. “You heard what the captain said, no more trouble today. That means no insults, arguments, dirty looks, and especially no fights. Max don’t go looking for it and Arthur don’t be thinking of ways to pull it off without getting caught.” She eyed the two for several seconds while they stood unyieldingly under the intensity of her golden gaze. Kathryn giggled and stood beside Kana. “We’ll both be watching. Let’s just have fun.”

The girls then turned and started walking to the field together, leaving the dazed boys behind.

As the two hurried to catch up and settled into a pace behind them, Max looked towards his cousin. “That reminds me. Now that I look back at it you should have never got involved. I know you got that whole thing going on with Juliet and now you’ll have to put that on hold because I wanted to fight someone.”

Arthur waved his hand as if to dismiss Max’s concerns. “No need to fret. Things like these can’t be rushed. Besides, I’ll have ample time to catch up on sleep.”

Max grinned. Arthur was aware of the consequences beforehand and chose to help him anyways, he was as reliable a friend as they come.

The group spent an hour exploring the gala event in fervor. Kana had talked to multiple different clubs ranging from the arts, alchemy, enchanting, and warrior skills and actively invested interest in each. The group followed her quietly while stopping and looking at clubs of their own. Arthur wanted to find something engaging yet not physically exerting, while Kathryn planned to look for a club that aligned to her interests too all types of books.

By the end of the first hour, Kana had Max carrying numerous pamphlets as she couldn’t chose which to join. Arthur had joined the Strategic Board Games League, a club with over a hundred members and half a dozen teacher sponsors. It was a rather popular club, and Arthur was hoping to find a mind that could compete on his level. It also required no physical exertion of any kind, and had no mandatory meetings. All in all, it was the perfect club for Arthur.

Kathryn joined two clubs, the Literature Association and the Southern Enchanting Company. The Association would provide her with the opportunity to meet students who share her same passion for reading, while the Company would hopefully afford her with an interesting hobby. At first, she couldn’t decide between alchemy and enchanting until Max had explicitly stated the benefits of having at least some knowledge in his art. She would be a complete novice, but Max said that was okay, as everyone started somewhere.

After walking for a bit, Kana stopped towards the other end of the field where the area was much more quiet and secluded. The group followed and she pointed three fingers to the sky. “Three. That is my maximum. I will join three clubs.” She then sat down on a long wooden table where a senior girl was sitting at the end. The group sat around Kana, and Max spread the pamphlets about.

“Okay everyone, let’s help Kana figure this out now so I don’t have to carry these anymore.” Max said. As if to emphasize the importance of finishing the task sooner rather than later, Adrios dropped off his head and started chewing on one of the papers.

Max swatted the white griffin aside. “Stop it! Kana did you get to feed him?”

The golden eye girl smiled, but it looked completely forced. “Well he did eat yes.” She then bit her lip. “But when Kathryn told us about the fight, we were eating lunch and I kind of just grabbed him and left.”

Max pushed his thick hair back and sighed. “Great. I guess we’ll be going to dinner earlier then.”

“Back to the matter at hand.” Arthur reminded.

“Okay Kana, three clubs. I think you should do something constructive, something current, and then something fun. How about music? Singing and the like, they have clubs where you can learn to be a bard.” Kathryn said.

Kana put her finger to her chin. “Current?”

Kathryn twirled her long silver hair around her finger. “I can’t think of the word, like something related to today's events and policies. Pertinent maybe?”

“The matter at hand. Max and I missed lunch and now that we’ve mentioned food, it reverberates inside my mind.” Arthur reminded again.

Max acknowledged his friend’s plight and picked up the alchemy pamphlet. “How about learning alchemy? My mom is an alchemist and she’s feared across the continent.”

“Alchemy could be interesting. But I have already been taught about a lot of poisons back at home.” Kana looked skeptical.

“That’s perfect then!” Max yelled. “Poisons are just a part of alchemy so you're already ahead. Okay next.”

Kathryn hesitantly moved to pet the restless griffin, who allowed her to do so shamelessly. “That takes care of the constructive one.”

Max began listing off options. “Instruments, singing, woodcutting, runecrafting, fishing, cooking-.”

“Oh cooking! My mother has taught me some meals but I want to learn how to cook for my future husband and family.” She then took a meaningful glance at Max and he stared at her for a few seconds until everyone’s attention snapped down at the sound of Adrios chewing on another pamphlet. Max moved the cooking club paper aside and swallowed. “Right. Cooking for number two. We’re almost done.”

Arthur quickly grabbed the papers and read the rest at a much faster pace than his own cousin. “Leatherworking, crafting, sewing, smithing, farming-.”

“If I may, milord.” A junior student with unremarkably plain features interrupted. He was backed by two other students, a boy and a girl. Both of the backers were taking suspicious glances towards Kana and Kathryn, but otherwise kept their mouths closed.

“What is it?” Arthur spat. He didn’t intend to sound so hostile, but he was getting really hungry and his emotions were flaring up consequently.

“I have letters from James Charmont addressed to both Lords Soltain and Satele, he wanted to formally apologize for his subordinates rude and inhospitable behavior towards your persons.” The boy answered, lightly bowing to both Arthur and Max and presenting two folded up papers to each.

Max quickly read the contents and grinned. He was about to throw the paper back into his face when Kana kicked him in the leg under the table.

Arthur also skimmed the contents and sighed. “He requests we come to his berth so he could apologize in person? He wants us, the offended, to come to him, the offender, so he can make amends. If he thinks-” Kana then kicked Arthur and the boy grimaced.

The senior girl who had been sitting at the end of the table the entire time started giggling madly. She had brown hair and eyes, and her laugh reminded Max of bells. She was pretty enough, though nothing compared to the young beauties in Kana and Kathryn. “James always was an arrogant prick, but summoning House heirs of all people to him. The Society is just a club, not a kingdom.”

The plain boy sneered. “Why are you even here? Wasn’t your pointless club disbanded anyways Trisha?”

The girl’s smile disappeared and she stood up with a snap. The four freshman students elected to remain quiet and watch the scene like it was a play. Max observed that this Trisha girl was tall, the same height as his mother. Trisha walked over and stood in front of the three like a force of nature.

“Draconian Research is not a useless club! The Draconians were the height of everything we’ll never be! The Society are just a bunch of racist pigs, proud to fight others for mud and shit.” Max caught a chuckle at the girls verbal attacks, he thought on how perhaps she had things to share on the subject. Arthur moved to the other side of the table and pushed Max over, grabbing a place so all four first-years can watch unhindered.

The plain teen’s smug expression dropped as he pointed a finger at the girl. “You can make all the jokes you want if that makes you feel better, but in the end your entire club is gone and no one is going to want to join it.”

“I’ll join.” Max said suddenly. Not only was he interested in everything Draconian, he wanted to spite the Humane Society in anyway possible without causing ‘trouble’.

The girl turned to him with apparent shock which rapidly disappeared. “Ha! The Draconian Research League has a House member! That boy’s worth more than all of you insipid simpletons combined!” Trisha gloated.

The plain teen stuttered at the turn of events. If James found out he had led the Soltain heir to join another club that was run by a student who already hated the Society, he would be promptly punished. “I-it won’t matter. You’ll need five members and a sponsor by the end of the day for your useless club to be reinstated anyway.”

The other three first-years stared at Max in amazement until Kana raised her hand. “I’d like to join too, if you’d have me.”

“I’d also like to join the Draconian Research League, Ms. Trisha.” Kathryn supplied, following Kana’s train of thought.

All eyes turned to Arthur as he rubbed his hungry stomach in contemplation. “Are there mandatory meetings?”

Trisha grinned as she looked down towards the younger heir. “Not if you don’t want there to be.”

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Joyce Prentis stared at the five students in front of her with amusement. The Magic Training Building her class usually worked in was almost desolate at the moment. The vast majority of her students skipped class to attend the club gala, no thanks to her encouragement to do so. She had wanted to practice her spells on her own, and Joyce also felt that joining a club and socializing with other students was just as important as learning at the Academy.

The tallest one, a female senior, glanced around the group and grumbled to herself. “Why does she have to be so stunning? How is it if I want to keep my club alive I must be in a group with three House heirs, including three females who seem to have no flaws. Can’t you suggest someone a bit more ordinary?”

Maximus Soltain scratched the back of his hair sheepishly. “I don’t know what you mean. I just remembered she said she’d help me if I ask.”

The fox girl Kana Kumio scooted towards the taller girl and stroked her braided hair. “I think you’re very pretty Trisha, and I really like the way you do your hair. Maybe you could braid mine sometime?”

“You wanted me to sponsor the…” Joyce sat down on a chair against the wall and rested her leg over the other.

“Draconian Research League.” The taller girl immediately answered.

Joyce rotated her neck around, bringing her hands behind her head and leaning against the wall behind her. “Well I supposed I could… but there’s a reason I’m not a club sponsor already.”

The taller girl tilted her head to the side. “Yeah, I was wondering about that.”

“I am a Trials Judge, so I could be your sponsor but you won’t be able to participate in the Trials until next semester after I step down.” Joyce answered.

Trisha’s shoulders slumped but she nodded. “I guess that makes sense, it could be worse. At least you're not crazy or something."

The older woman glanced at Max and winked. “Who says I’m not crazy.”