High rises of muted and pastel color schemes peppered with the occasional brilliant splash of electric color; smooth obsidian streets teeming with ethic diversity and canopied sidewalk stalls; the gong of heavy bells and clack-chip-pop of hustle and bustle; the smell of dry musk and something fragrantly savory––all these sights and sensations struck the trio as they roamed the city of Byar’non.

“Essairyn, how are we supposed to find the Academy in these crowds? Should we just ask someone?” Darren rose up on the front soles of his boots in an attempt to survey the area above everyone’s heads. Taller than Essairyn by five inches, he was able to see in front of them better. But even at five ten plus the boot heels, he saw nothing but people.

“Yeah, that’s…probably best.” Although she was amazed by the crowds and felt like they had truly entered civilization as they knew it, Essairyn was beginning to get annoyed from being jostled around.

“It’s not yet even noon, and the roads are this packed! Now I’m starting to appreciate the invention of cars. At least then we could walk around on the street lanes to get somewhere,” muttered Essairyn loudly.

At her remark, Darren guffawed. She wasn’t at all troubled by the possibility of being hit by a car in that kind of situation. Or even held accountable for jaywalking if that was prohibited here. He wondered what she was like on Earth with this kind of frank attitude.

“Hey, let’s ask someone standing in line at one of the stalls. I don’t think anyone is going to stop for us in this crowd…” Darren suggested as he began elbowing a path for them toward the closest stand. Reaching the middle of the line, he asked an amiable-looking woman for directions. Since the Academy was widely known, he received an sufficient answer without having to ask anyone else.

“So, apparently it’s near the center of the city by the plaza.” Due to the ambient racket, Darren bent down near Essairyn as he recited the information. “If we go straight north for a hundred or so blocks we’ll reach it.”

“A hundred blocks?!” She exclaimed incredulously. Based on the size of blocks in Reisparte, it took about two minutes to walk one side unhindered. But with these droves of people, it would take at least twice as long.

“No way, it’ll take us the whole day even when the crowds start dispersing! There has to be some quicker way…” Essairyn carefully deliberated. The common means of transportation was walking followed by animal-drawn vehicles. But the wagons on the narrow path weren’t much faster than the pedestrians. So that left one option: the air instead of the ground.

However, flying would draw too much attention. Additionally, it was risky. They were still newcomers to this world and had to proceed with more caution. Lachlan had also warned them about some group targeting mages. Thus, this option was immediately erased.

“Darren…” Essairyn began as an idea began formulating in her head. “How comfortable are you with jumping over roofs?”

The boy blinked at her with wide eyes. “Over roofs? You’re thinking about crossing over all these people by running on top of the buildings?” He peered up at the imposing edifices. They weren’t skyscrapers, but it was still absurd considering some were ten stories or higher. And jumping stealthily from a tall to short building or vice versa was bound to be difficult even with improved physical abilities.

“Yup! I think we can do it!” Essairyn determinedly smacked her palm with a fist.

Darren was still getting used to his improved body and being in an unfamiliar world, so he wasn’t too thrilled about engaging in rooftop parkour and potentially injuring himself. Unlike Essairyn, he couldn’t self-heal. Even if they were in a magical world, that didn’t mean he had to take every risk that presented itself.

Akari, too, expressed her demurral.“I can just feel the nausea now…” She mocked-gagged and held her white belly. The fox was all too used to being thrown back and forth like a rag doll while clinging onto Essairyn’s shoulder as she jumped through the trees. She expected the buildings to provide no less of an unpleasant experience.

“Ay, you guys…it’ll be fun!” Essairyn hooked an arm around the retreating fox while dragging Darren with the other inside an alley. Releasing his arm, Essairyn sprinted a few paces to the end of the passage and sprung onto the roof of a building. Completely upright, she then spun around on her heel and looked encouragingly at Darren while Akari drooped over on the girl’s shoulder in defeat.

Darren shook his head in reluctant awe. Essairyn was egging him on while casually standing on top of a three story building. With an amused sigh, he copied her movements and hoisted himself over the roof edge. He didn’t quite make the leap as successfully as she did, but he managed to catch the ledge with his arms. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this… He rubbed his sore elbows that had taken the brunt of the impact.

Looking back at the streets below, Darren inhaled a sharp, profound breath. Whether I like it or not, this is how it’s going to be from now on… So, I need to get my act together and make the most of it. He fleetingly recalled his childhood filled with fantastical aspirations. After all, it’s like you’re reenacting your childhood for real…living in this fantasy world. He sensed the magic of his early youth coming alive again after petering into oblivion during his young adult years. He truly missed his old life on Earth, but at the same time, a strange feeling crept into his heart as he stood above the people. Release? Anticipation? He wasn’t exactly sure what it was. But, Darren knew that something had unlocked in him—a burning desire to chase after the extraordinary. Perhaps, he mused, this was what the first explorers had felt in a new land.

In leaving behind his loved ones, a part of him was forever lost. But the cavity was welling up into an unfathomable spring of exhilaration. Whether that spring would muddy, freeze, or congeal the wounds that were not fully realized was vastly yet to be seen. Darren shut his eyes momentarily before opening them with renewed resolve. Let’s just take it by the day. He turned to Essairyn who had started calculating their route out loud.

“If we skirt around the especially tall buildings, we can conserve our energy. It should take us…no more than an hour,” stated Essairyn, confident that their stamina would last.

Darren nodded his head, and they began their rooftop exploits. By the middle of their trip, they had both fallen into a harmonious rhythm, matching each other pace for pace. The city scenery flew by, and they soon arrived at the plaza. Kaleidoscope blossoms encircled its center mosaic while artfully pruned shrubs and trees were scattered across the enormous square. From their elevated vantage point, it was easy to appreciate the landscaper and artist. The gorgeous mosaic depicted a story of a woman with flowing hair and garments above a castle tower. Lacking in time to decipher its meaning, they furtively descended to the ground.

“Thank gods we’re finally here,” grumbled Akari who looked completely wiped. “I think I need to feel the ground underneath my paws for a moment…” She lethargically shimmied down Essairyn and sunk to the tile floor with her legs spread. Feeling the cool, steady ground beneath her, Akari smiled doltishly in satisfaction.

“You look like a pancake.”

Essairyn’s comment made Akari jerk her head up. “Wat?” The fox blurted, confounded at what exited Essairyn’s mouth sometimes.

“A pancake! Lying flat on your stomach like that with your coloring and fluffy fur…you look like a cute pancake.” A mirthful grin sneaked freely onto the girl’s face.

“…” Akari plopped her chin back down and closed her eyes. …Someone please take me away. Essairyn’s eyes winked a smile at the thoroughly done fox before she tilted her head up to scan the surroundings at Darren’s words.

“The lady said it was on the left side of the plaza and that we should see an indigo spire.” Sure enough, they spotted the customary blue tip of the Academy building on the left and began moving toward it. Seeing them leave, Akari scrambled up and chased after the duo.

Upon reaching the school, they immediately noticed various students milling about while guards were stationed at the front. It was in complete contrast to the quaintly quiet atmosphere of the Reisparte branch school.

“I’ll wait out here,” informed Akari before they approached the guards. Grateful for her voluntary caution, Essairyn nodded as the fox retreated to some bushes.

“Hello there! Are you here to see the Academy?” One of the guards promptly queried as they approached the entrance.

“Yes,” Essairyn replied before adding as an afterthought, “Lachlan sent us here.”

The guard’s eyes widened in brief shock before regaining his professional composure. While most people did not know Lachlan’s true identity, the guard could never be sure of who might exploit his name upon discovery. “Do you have any proof?”

“Ah, we have a letter of recommendation from him…” Essairyn hastily presented Lachlan’s letter to the guard.

After confirming the wax emblem sealing the letter and recognizing that Essairyn was a mage through her magic cache retrieval, he felt assured to let them pass onto the campus. “Welcome to the Knight Mage Academy Regional Campus of Byar’non! I hope you find your stay here pleasant! Please let us know if you need anything!” The guard handed back the letter and saluted with a crisp clack of his armor as his legs bunched together in a stiff, proper form.

Reassured by the guard’s response, Essairyn mentally noted that Lachlan was a well-respected professor at the Academy. “Thank you.” She returned the letter in her cache and decided to push Lachlan’s authority a little. “We’re actually new to this whole Academy thing. He said that we could train here for free?” Lachlan had informed that training would be free if they joined the Knight’s Order, but it didn’t hurt to test out their limits with ambiguous phrasing.

The guard bobbed his head at Essairyn. “Yes! All aspiring Knights receive free training before becoming official Knight cadets! For especially excellent students, they can continue studying at the main campus in Neu’arth!”

“Hmm…” No matter one’s circumstances or relationships, one had to join the Knight’s Order in order to receive the free training. “Then, how do you join the Order?”

The guard proudly thumped his chest. “Anyone can become a Knight! You simply must swear to serve the people and help all those in need of your services! The Knight’s Oath encourages furthering one’s education, pushing their personal limits, and giving back to the community!”

“Errr…” One of Essairyn’s eyebrows winced at the guard’s passionate statements. Talk about a good spokesperson for the Knight’s Order and Academy… But, Essairyn did pause to consider the appealing offer of free education. A Knight’s Oath and Order does sound cool but also restrictive… While she applauded their integrity and mission, Essairyn felt it best to be not affiliated with any organization until she better understood the world and the implications the Knight's Order brought.

On the other hand, Essairyn’s concerns largely flew over the head of Darren. The guard was almost comically impassioned in his eyes, but the idea of joining a Knight’s Order and taking on an oath enticed him.

“What kind of training and education? Do we get to live in dormitories or something?” He asked the guard with repressed anticipation.

“Yes, you get free room and board if you reach middle-upper D rank after taking the entrance ranking exam! But we offer discounted rooms and food for other trainees and official Knight cadets.”

“Sweet!” Darren grinned. He was positive that was a doable feat for him. With this, he could live a life close to what he was used to while figuring out the world and his next course of action. He also wouldn’t have to rely on Essairyn anymore by being part of a larger group.

At his enthusiastic response, Essairyn couldn’t help feeling strangely disappointed. While they had both agreed to become students, he had instantly decided on becoming a Knight without her input. It felt as if the distance that had been slowly decreasing was now suddenly widening. Although the time spent with Darren was short, Essairyn had enjoyed his company more than she realized. So while she still had Akari, a solitary journey without another human now seemed daunting.

Additionally, he also had the same Earth experiences as her, so they could relate. Or at least, that’s what she had presumed. She had gotten used to his presence, just like with Akari before him. But perhaps he wasn’t so keen as she was on staying together. Then again, they hadn’t communicated about future plans besides being a student. And as Essairyn experienced more of the world, she felt a ballooning desire to explore the world like the adventurers she had heard about. So, the possibility of their chosen paths soon splitting was high.

Seeing the quiet girl, Darren prodded her gently with the back of his hand. “How about you? It sounds pretty cool, right? And we won’t have to be too worried about expenses or anything. It’ll be like attending school, but even better, probably.”

The arrangement was ideal. He would be safe from any demon disturbances like the wolf encounter back at the Welforts’ farm. And he could live easily while improving himself. We were both college students, so we know the importance of preparing to live independently. In this unfamiliar world, we better off remaining as students and living at the Academy.

Despite his zealous resolution on the rooftops, he would still opt to live securely at a pace he could control rather than at the whims of the world or even Essairyn. Between her and Akari, Darren felt like the oddball out. Disregarding his lacking abilities compared to Essairyn, he also wasn’t certain how the fox felt about him. While she seemed innocuous enough, her history said otherwise. If even ghosts were hazardous through possession, then it wouldn’t be far fetched for Akari to be a significant threat too.

So, coupled with this faint suspicion, he was starting to despise the feeling of losing control and not knowing what the day would bring. The known world had capsized into an unknown abyss. This sinking realization that had been partially hindered by Essairyn’s calm presence was slinking into the recesses of his mind the more time he had to think. And now, he believed that the Academy and Order would give him that grounded sense of purpose and security that he lacked while with Essairyn and Akari.

Essairyn’s eyes narrowed slightly at his encouragement. She did want to train and learn more about the world, but she was adamant on not losing the one boon she had regained from arriving in Sol’h’meyr––her freedom. So, instead of responding to him, she turned to the guard. “What if I don’t join the Order, how do I receive the training and education then?”

“You must pay the tuition in order to train and study at the Academy. The dormitories and food are also an added expense. In total, for one year, it’s one hundred plus fifty eleuars.” The guard was well-rehearsed in such questions. He was a Knight himself, like the majority of the staff and teachers were at the Academy. Although he wasn’t ranked much higher than cadets, he still took pride in welcoming newcomers.

“Hm, that’s expensive…for now at least.” Essairyn could barely pay half for the tuition, even with all her gifts and sold items. The only safe income she could make was through crafts and hunting beasts for their potential drops, but both were too inefficient for the amount she needed to cover.

Although, with Akari around, beast demons crossed Essairyn’s path like moths to a light. She felt a smidgen of gratitude toward the apparent danger which was actually advantageous in ways.

“You’re not going to accept the offer?” Darren pursed his lips in a frown. He hadn’t expected her to ignore his earlier suggestion, but Essairyn was being herself again and doing what she pleased. His words were ineffectual.

“I haven’t decided, so I’ll observe for now,” replied Essairyn, not wanting to set a divide between them just yet.

Darren’s gut twisted slightly. While he resolved to act according to his own wishes now, it was Essairyn who had helped him forge a new path. Because of her, he was no longer clueless nor alone in this forbidding world. Conflicted, he could only force a smile in reply before they headed inside the Academy.

The marble floored lobby was spacious and fluctuated with indistinct wavelengths of magical illumination. Surprisingly, lamps and other lighting were scattered across the lobby. She assumed they were turned on during nighttime. Essairyn had not yet seen electricity because the air was naturally lit by magic from the atmosphere. Both the Andelrins and Welforts had used candlelight. So, electricity appeared to be restricted to towns.

Before she could ponder how electricity was created in a magical world not bound by Earth’s natural laws, Darren was being escorted by a lightly armored man to the entrance exam location. She instinctively started after him but then halted. Noticing Essairyn’s hesitance, the escorting knight asked, “Do you want to come along? You can still watch even if you’re not taking the exam.” She instantly brightened, nodded, and hurried after them.

The ivory colored corridor led to a rotunda filled with aspiring young trainees, knight personnel, and curious spectators. An engraved ring painted in gold encircled the sparring area, and the examinees watched the matches on the sidelines while waiting for their names to be called. After Darren registered, they too joined the small crowd.

A trio of knights were the main examiners. They rotated the task of testing a trainee by fighting one-on-one with wooden weapons, and then together they would evaluate the trainee’s skills. Afterwards, a magical device embedded into the wall would read each trainees’ regular m’u amount when they placed their hand on its glassy surface. The knights’ evaluation and the regular m’u reading were evenly weighed and comprised the final rank of the trainee.

“Which weapon are you going to chose?” Essairyn gestured toward the weapon piles outside of the ring. The majority were various types of swords and blades. Other weapons included spears, clubs, axes, and hammers. Long distance weapons like bow and arrows were not permitted as spars were strictly close combat.

“Longsword,” he instantly answered. Due to the familiarity of swords from video games and movies, he was the most confident in being able to maneuver it over any other weapon. After they watched several trainees finish their spars, Darren was up next.

“I am Chief Knight Bodraig Hannsfel, your examiner for today’s aptitude test.” Seeing Darren’s determined gaze, the brawny knight with ash-auburn hair was pleased. He felt a slight pressure in the boy’s aura that signaled underlying potential and readied his stance. “So, your name is Darren? A fine name. I hope you can live up to it.”

Darren momentarily was puzzled. What does he mean by a fine name? But he had no time to think as the knight struck first. Barely able to parry the immediate strike, Darren staggered back a few steps from the middle-aged man’s unexpected force. A glint sparked from the corners of the older man’s orbs as he stepped forward to close the distance. In a flurry of strikes that Darren increasingly struggled to defend, it dawned on the knight that perhaps his intuition was mistaken this time.

“Is this all that you’ve got, boy?” The knight goaded with a minute sneer.

“Wha—?” An expression of surprise at the knight’s incitement filled Darren’s face. None of the examiners had talked to the recruits like this in the previous evaluations. Darren’s brief moment of disconcertion cost him. In a swift chain of intricate swordsmanship, the knight disarmed Darren, his wooden sword flying sharply into the air toward the spectators. At the front of the crowd was Essairyn. Seeing the sword about to hit the girl, the knight rushed forward to block the blow.

Inwardly, he cursed himself for going too harsh on the boy. Although he was able to effectively gauge the boy’s skill level, Bodraig had effectively let the day’s frustration agitate him. Upon seeing a promising trainee, he had resolved to thoroughly test the boy with more power than usual. But to his disappointment, the boy was one of the least skilled trainees yet that day.

Just as the sword reached halfway through its descent, Essairyn reflexively deflected the sword straight down onto the floor. Since she was caught off guard, the deflection was more forceful than necessary. The wooden sword splintered as it plummeted to the ground. For a transitory moment, everyone froze. Then, returning to their senses, all eyes flashed toward Essairyn.

“A mage…?” Bodraig began in excited astonishment as his mind registered the lavender light that struck the sword. “Are you here for the entrance exam too?” The Knight’s Order accepted both physical and magical fighters. Everyone who joined was called a ‘knight,’ including mages. But usually, the Order received mostly physical-based knights. This was due to the rarity of human mages and the small percentage of those who decided to join the Order. Most human mages studied at the Academy on partial or full scholarship as per the school’s mission to support the human race in Sol’h’meyr. The rest of the in-house mages were elementals studying abroad. For even outside of As’pyze, the Knight Mage Academy retained the highest prestige in comprehensive education.

Thus, if this girl was entering their ranks, she would be a significant addition to the Knight’s Order. Recently, mages were scarce due to their mysterious kidnappings and homicides across the southwestern region of As’pyze. Using only physical force to carry out missions against the perpetrators proved to be immensely more difficult than imagined in the last few months.

Essairyn opened her mouth to answer the knight’s question, but before a single sound was uttered, Bodraig felt a sharp wind hurtling toward his side. His well-trained senses and reflexes enabled the man to dodge the incoming blow. It was Darren.

“Your eyes should be on me. This fight isn’t over.” A glare of humiliation layered with indignation and tenacity bore into the knight’s eyes.

Yes, this is what I saw in you. Your hidden spirit. Bodraig’s mouth quirked upwards in a provoking smile. The boy had retrieved another sword. Since Bodraig had never said that the evaluation was over, and the piles of weapons were directly outside of the sparring ring, Darren could reclaim another weapon as long as the majority of his body was still inside the circle.

With renewed vigor, they clashed swords once again. This time, Bodraig took more careful notice of the boy’s swordsmanship, footwork, and overall physical capabilities. He reaffirmed that the boy was a rookie swordsman, but Darren was rather light and stable on his feet. The condition of his body was also well above-average compared to the typical examinee. Okay, this is enough. You still have a lot to work on, boy. But my intuition was right yet again. You have the potential to grow enormously. Bodraig smirked at his accurate ability to judge new trainees’ talent before verbalizing the signal that the test was over. He easily disarmed Darren once again and then strolled over to the other knights to discuss the boy’s score.

Darren immediately hunched over and supported himself with his hands on his thighs. It had only been a few minutes, but he already worked up a sweat. Thinking about the ending move, Darren grimaced. This man was playing with me the entire time. Yet again, even in this improved body, I’m still weak. Why am I—?! Darren’s forehead wrinkled in aggravation, and he straightened his body. With eyes like knives, he pierced the knight’s back. Just you watch, one day, I’ll beat you, old man.

“Darren?” He turned toward the hesitant, concerned voice. Essairyn was walking over to him.

“Yes?” His voice was dull and insipid, his mind turbulent with mixed emotions. No matter what he did, this girl always stole the spotlight. He couldn’t win against her.

“Are you okay? I feel like he went harder on you than the other trainees.” Unlike most of the spectators who couldn’t follow the knight’s swordsmanship, Essairyn’s keen eyes traced every movement. But despite being able to see the sword’s motions, she knew that her current weapon mastery was far from coming close to this knight’s expertise.

In fights, Essairyn relied on her enhanced physical body’s abilities and natural skill of imitating what she visualized in her mind. But mimicking moves from movies and games were nothing compared to Bodraig, a true swordsman in the flesh. Countless years of real life experience and practice trumped a beginner’s talent and instinct. Bodraig was no young man, but his age didn’t detract from his body’s peak condition. Essairyn supposed it was another effect of magic in this world, just like how mages could live longer. Those who trained extensively had an increased amount of regular m’u. Thus, older people with more experience could upstage robust youths.

Darren merely nodded unemotionally in response and busied himself by continuing to stare at the trio of knights. Realizing that Darren was avoiding her gaze, Essairyn pursed her lips in confused disgruntlement. What’s this sour mood again? He’s more moody than a girl! She turned her head away and started to leave the ring. But before she took another step, Bodraig called out to her.

“Excuse me! You there! I couldn’t hear your answer before, so are you here for the exam, too?” The girl had entered with Darren, so he was sure that with those abilities, she wasn’t here to simply spectate and support her friend. Although, he felt that they weren’t close. Maybe they had just met up recently after both coming to the Academy to join the Knight’s Order. Bodraig didn’t know that his suspicions were correct, but to his arrant disappointment, Essairyn replied she wasn’t joining.

“That’s a shame…the Knight Mage Academy could use a magical talent like you.” Bodraig furrowed his forehead, trying to brainstorm a way to convince her otherwise. Suddenly, he was reminded of the Farinheld mission. A small village town on the outskirts of Byar’non was the target of the suspicious group ensnaring mages and random people alike. The scouting group which had been sent to uncover the group’s identity returned with only one member, heavily wounded. In order to prevent further disappearances of the villagers and better confront the group, the Academy joined hands with the Order to form a high-class, investigative team that could also combat the perpetrators on the spot. Bodraig succinctly explained the situation to her and offered free knight’s training if she joined the mission.

Intrigued and tempted by the proposition of both adventure and excitement, Essairyn was eager to agree. In a team, danger diminished, and in the worst case scenario, she could always flee. Essairyn was confident that she would be able to escape any entrapment if she was preemptive and cautious about her surroundings and attackers. Perhaps this was cowardly and shameful, but survival triumphed over pride and curiosity in the end. Not to mention, she would learn useful skills in the two week, intense training period for recruits.

However, this proposal reminded her of Lachlan’s letter. She didn’t know the specific contents, but she had a hunch that it might help her in the issue of free training. And unlike the front guard, this knight appeared to have adequate status to process the letter. So, she presented it to Bodraig who gave a swift nod at the seal before opening.

As the chief knight read, a satisfied smile crept onto his stern mien. “I see…that sly Lachlan, withholding such a discovery without so much as a magigram for prior notice. What a surprise indeed.” He turned to the two young adults and imparted the letter’s contents.

“Both you and Darren are allowed to partake in the two week-training without acceptance into the Academy or Knight's Order. So, you can take your time deciding what to do until the training is finished. But, if you chose to continue studying or join the Order, accommodations will be more than favorable, given that you demonstrate appropriate growth to reach Lachlan’s expectations.”

Bodraig heartily chuckled before continuing, “To think that he would even anticipate the knights requesting Essairyn’s help in the Farinheld mission and advise against such an offer for concern of your safety due to being a newly arrived mage… Young lady, young man, you are lucky to have encountered such an elusive man so genuinely interested. And based on where we are…I shall guess that you met him in that shabby Reisparte school of a regional campus? I don’t understand why he hasn’t renovated that dump with all the time that he spends there hiding away.”

Darren and Essairyn shared a glance, unsure how to respond with the knight answering his own questions. “So then, are we good to go?” asked Essairyn.

“Ah yes, we’ll deliberate Darren’s rank and then you are free to leave.” Bodraig smirked as he added, “Welcome to Sol’h’meyr, travelers, and we’ll see you both tomorrow when training begins.”

After Darren received his upper-middle D rank score, they left the Academy, reunited with Akari, and explored the town before resting in their temporary dorms. The crowds had subsided, and as they meandered through the streets, Darren fiddled with the knight’s badge in his fingers. A simple, but sturdy dark gray sword with a leather grip in a lightweight, silver scabbard hung on a new, brown belt. All these items were provided by the Academy to all knight cadets.

“Finally, I have a weapon of my own,” remarked Darren with a buoyant grin. “I know we have two weeks to decide, but after hearing the terms of being a knight, I was all the more convinced to join. Now, I have something to practice fighting. And even though the sword is standard, it’s still fair quality. But, I suppose I’m no expert, haha!”

Essairyn listened and smiled quietly at his delight. She didn’t want to rain on his joy with nagging about taking advantage of their given time to decide. If he was set on becoming a knight, then she had no reason to dissuade him otherwise.

“Essairyn…” Darren suddenly looked at her seriously. “About this mission tomorrow, I think that—”

His words were abruptly cut off by a stranger who knocked into him. Darren stumbled backward but was able to maintain his balance along with the stranger, a scarlet-haired, lanky man with fulvous, piercing eyes.

The stranger quickly apologized, and Darren waved it off saying, “It’s okay, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

The redhead inclined his head with a slight smile in acknowledgement. When his eyes turned toward Essairyn, they widened ever so vaguely. Noticing the man’s gaze, she looked directly back at him. The man trembled inwardly a little at the latent intensity that eddied in the depths of her sienna-lavender orbs. Her aura, which was radiant yet darkly formidable, mystified the stranger. Who…? He quickly took in the girl’s appearance and noticed that both she and the boy wore incongruous clothes. Visitors from that miserable city all the way out here? That was the likely reason based on their attire, and yet the strong magical presence emanating from the girl threw him off.

“Excuse me, are you visiting here from Neu’arth?” He asked as politely and friendly as possible before they continued past him. Darren and Essairyn glanced at one another in hesitation. They didn’t expect the stranger to strike up a conversation.

“No,” replied Essairyn tersely as she discreetly brushed the back of Darren’s hands with her fingertips, indicating for them to leave. He got the message and bobbed his head at the stranger while walking away. Akari followed them at their heels. Due to her small frame, the redhead didn’t notice the spirit fox until now. Astonishment shadowed his face when he realized that the spirit animal was actually their companion. His amber eyes narrowed as he watched them go. What a peculiar bunch…

Once they were out of earshot from the man, Essairyn furtively mumbled to Darren. “Well, that was weird… I wonder why that man spoke to us like that. He didn’t steal anything when he bumped into you, right?” She felt something was off and wanted to verify her suspicions.

Darren checked his gear before lightly shaking his head. “No, I still have everything. Although, it would be pretty noticeable if he took my sword, haha, my one item besides the badge in my pocket.”

“That’s good. But, it still seems odd… Maybe I’m just being too cautious? He didn’t seem like a bad sort of fellow.” Essairyn pursed her lips in deliberation. Although the man stood out boldly with his long, red hair and striking orange-brown eyes, his mannerisms and tone of voice were courteous. He was also quite good-looking and wore rather fine apparel. Perhaps he’s some rich guy? A nobleman? Would a town as large as this have one; even though, it’s not the capital city nor a real kingdom ruled by a royal family?

For a moment, she considered heading back toward the man to make his acquaintance. Essairyn was very curious about the royals of Sol’h’meyr. No one had specifically told her about royalty, so she was left to her own imaginations. The thought of kings, queens, princes, princesses, lords, dukes, barons and such excited her. Since knights exist here, and the lands are called kingdoms, then it’s possible, right?

But Essairyn shook those notions aside. For now, she wanted to stay focused on the tasks at hand. She would receive the training she desired from the Academy, and then she would hopefully find out about the group abducting mages. And from there, they could travel a little safer and wiser to Neu’arth. That is, if they stayed together.

“So, about what I was saying before, do you think that it’s a good idea to join that mission? It sounds too dangerous to me. Why would you put yourself at risk like that when we just arrived in this world?” Darren was disturbed by the knight’s proposal and Essairyn’s apparent interest. The whole mission screamed more danger than anything they had experienced or what Essairyn had told him about in the Spirit-Demon Forest. This was an intelligent group that had gotten away with murder and kidnapping on multiple occasions in various locations. No matter how strong Essairyn was, she was only putting herself directly at risk as a mage, the group’s key target. But since he knew she wouldn’t listen to him, he kept quiet at the time until now.

“Because I’m curious." She shrugged. "Lachlan had mentioned this group too, so I feel like as a mage I ought to be aware, and maybe I can possibly stop them too.” She then paused and added as an after-thought, “Besides, I think it’ll be an interesting experience working with others.”

“Really? That’s it?” Darren challenged with a bitter tone, disappointed at her not too unexpected reply. “You want to fight against something like with the wolves? Why don’t you just join the Knight's Order if you’re going to be helping people again like this?” He really couldn’t fathom her insatiable appetite for adventure and apparently danger too.

“Because I can choose who to help when I want to,” responded Essairyn simply. “And it’s not like you’ll be any better off by joining the Order. You might be assigned to dangerous missions too.”

“Yeah, but they won’t give me anything I can’t handle according to my rank,” he countered.

“You don’t know that for sure. They could have underestimated just like with the scouting team in this mission.”

He curtly sighed. “Fine, fine, it’s just that I have a bad feeling about it. Anyway, I won’t be sent on missions until after my second year.” The knights had explained all about how the Academy education system worked. The founders strove to create both a safe environment for the common people as well as the knights.

“Yup, you’ll be helping grannies in the meantime instead.”

Darren snorted and elbowed the cheeky girl at her sarcastic joke. “I’m probably worrying about nothing. If human mages are as rare as they said, then I’m sure you’d blow anyone away in surprise with your magic.”

Essairyn chortled. “Yes, it’ll be fine. No worries!” She winked and gave a thumbs-up, making Darren shake his head with an wry, amused smile.

They returned back to the campus dorms after getting a lay of the city and went into their respective rooms next to one another. As Darren unlocked the door and entered, he immediately noticed another person standing inside.