Chapter 21: Winter Blues 1

Winter started harshly. News of the front lines being broken by the Wight King of Dread made for dire news. People became sullen and things got moody. Arden could not think how such things happen so fast. He wondered why the lines fell, and as he watches the people from his class leave. Arden who was sitting in the classroom taps his books with his fingers. His eyes wandered around the four corners of the room. There is a chalkboard, the podium that the instructor uses, a table filled with apparatus and materials.

There are people dying on the front lines, and I am here sitting within a safe city, Arden thought. He was concerned by the things that are happing on the overworld. The overworld is where villagers and lone towns try to defend themselves from the monster-ridden world. The world is not only comprised of humans and the demihumans. There exist magical creatures that roam the lands. They are called monsters or only as ‘Dires’ who is a monstrosity in both name and appearance.

The High Walls of each city of the Altria Kingdom manages to fend off these creatures. They are just wandering around without any motives. Mindless creatures, they can be. But even so, there are magical dire’s that is as intelligent as a human. Beast kin they are called. People who can be sometimes savage monsters or half-beast half-human heathens that have the brute strength of the dire.

They are mostly put to place by the Emperor of Light, Ruler of the Empire of Light. They are zealous fanatics that push an ‘only human’ agenda. They have a wanting for humanity to become the only sentient beings to rule the land. They hunt the demi humans as impure and only the elves are they willing to make excuses simply because of their everlasting life.

The Empire of Light, however, is hated due to this by the Elves. Hence the Elves support the green skins that have recently broken the front lines, leaving thousands dead. The news has spread and it made Arden thinking inside his classroom. The Elvens hate the beastkins and the Orcs no doubt. But even so, they are willing to make use of them to win the war.

Arden does not care at all for however wins or loses. Arden only cares about those he could see and help. His mind right now wants to go to the front lines and help people. He could not go there at the moment with him still an apprentice of Mesh Academy. This is his last year in this Academy. He would soon say goodbye and somehow find someone that would take him to the battlefields. The front lines are in the middle of the old continent. By boat, it would take forty-five days. By carriage, it would take three months and that is not counting the weather or the obstacles on the way.

The overworld is ripped with dangers. Travel does not go smoothly and even the best swordsmen or mages fall. It was impressive even for Bell and Syr to arrive from Galzaea without being killed. Arden knew them for great fighters but still, it was great for them to arrive without harm.

To survive people usually band in caravans or follow escort armies usually lead by knights and their noble Lords. Arden’s main reason for waiting for his apprenticeship to be over in this academy was that so he can be assigned to someone’s noble escort.

Why would he stay in the City Of Mesh it wasn’t for that?

He could travel a few miles and go to some towns or villages but doing so would take him days. That is why he chooses to wait it out until someone wants to bring him in a recommendation by the Academy. Unlike Susan who is already going to be taken by the best people with her skills. Arden will be randomly chosen by any noble base on his merits. In terms of being a mage, Arden is heavily lacking. He is quite good at healing and having an imprint from his father made him a good healer, but not superior to Susan who was personally thought by his foster father. His foster father already imprinted it to Arden but never really showed him how to use them. He knows the skill but is unskilled in using it.

Susan will probably become a successful healing in the Medical Army of healers. Arden and she may be close childhood friends and even akin to brother and sisters but they have their own dreams and aspirations. Susan just won’t follow Arden to his suicidal quests. She was free as a bird, and even though she indeed likes her foster brother, it was only limited to familial love. Arden felt the same and if Susan asks he would follow her if she needs help. Susa is one of the few people that Arden would rush to save.

But even with that if he was told to choose between a hundred over Susan. He would choose the hundred unknown people rather than her without even thinking about it. Arden isn’t a saint. His convictions and ideals are warped due to it being borrowed.

Susan knows this that is why even though she could make Arden behave she doesn’t press on it. She chooses to separate rather than deal with Arden. She already tried persuading for years yet his dulled heart won’t even budge. So instead she rather reaches their dreams separately.

Arden warped views make him a good helper. But he is only a helper. He knows no sense of justice and he only helps because it derives him with joy. Whether they are good or evil, he would extend a hand tragically. Not knowing if they are using him, not knowing if they would try to kill him.

Arden would help just because he wants to.

Hence knowing the situation in the front-lines made him sat daydreaming inside the classroom. Snow has already fallen and most practices were dismissed. Arden stayed in this room while constantly tapping his index finger on his book. His eyes gazing emptily, thinking of things he shouldn’t even think at the moment.

Valera Asmara shot a nasty glance at the paper she was seeing, currently, in her room, she was given the list of possible people that would be under her after ascending. The list has quite the squires and mage apprentices, but to her they mostly disappointing. They were normal foot soldiers and only a few are worth considering. It speaks badly of her as an Asmara but still, she could only grit her teeth in anger.

The test of mettle had ended with her failure. She wasn’t able to kill a death knight, and even the most hated person she knew manages to kill a death knight unlike her. She is angered by this and knowing the ascension ritual, that Saclea lady, who she despises, would overtake her again in ranking. It has been her constant frustration, losing to the Saclea girl.

She was proud, birth by great right, her family, the Asmara held high regard and is considered equal to the Saclea in name only. So she wanted to beat the Saclea, but looking at the foul list she has, and comparing it to the news of the Saclea getting most of the best, she could only have veins popped on her forehead.

In the list lies one magus that everyone in the whole Academy knew. It would have been fine if the man was a great magus and was famous for it. But the man that was recommended to become her follower was the Foolish Magus. A man so lacking in talent, that he might as well become a fighter. She learned of the deeds of the fool and it is to her utter embarrassment that such fool would follow her by the time the ritual ends by the New Year. The fool is known for being helpful, and even though he can be a good servant, Valera only wanted the best of the best. Not a mediocre jack of all trades like him.

She grits her teeth once more, she grabs the cup of wine near her, drank it with one fell swoop. She turned to the candle burning near her, she took the parcel and let it lit up. Calling for her servant, she told the servant, who immediately appeared before her to clean it up. The servant nodded her head, went out of Valera’s room and left her alone to brood.

Valera made a bitter smile; she then remembered the haughty faces of her kins that currently serve the king of Altria. Being the youngest, she was expected to be as good as her kins, her cousins, her brothers, and sisters, yet in all despite her efforts was the weakest of them all. Her failure in the test added more shame to her. So how could not she be angry?

She lived her life expecting praises yet all her hard work has always been shat on. That is why seeing the bleakness of her followers and the fact that she could even kill a death knight increase her strength made her madder. Frustrated, all she could do was drink wine.

Sena received a paper. In the paper are the people that would be her followers after her ascension. In the paper, her squire Bruno was in. Other than that she had a good list of wonderful followers. Especially the best healer in Academy named Susan.

She smiled. Getting good followers for her escort band made her happy. Winter has come now. She was unable to wait for the ritual that would change her life. She has already abandoned all of hers to become a knight. Only the name of her house and the image of the firm back of that knight stayed in her. There is a lingering image on her head. This image was that of the tattered cloak man. She has been dreaming about that man’s eyes. But lately, she started to put such image back to her head.

Soon, I will leave this Academy, and go out to the overworld. I hope my journey would lead me to glory, Sena thought. Her eyes peeked at the snowflakes falling outside her patio doors. Ever since winter has arrived, she has been doing nothing but meditation. She would sometimes practice but only for a bit. Winter was cold this year. And the news of the Front-lines made it even colder than it should be.

Sena remembered that her father was on the Front-lines, guarding a fort. She was worried for her father but a message was sent through a bone writer. A bone writer is an arm that connects to the other arms. The pair of arms would write a copy of what the other arm would write, making for a fast way to send messages. Of course, parcels coming from other nobles would usually be delivered by dire messenger birds. These birds are composed of crows, ravens, hawks or even a dove birds. Sena wrote in her letter about her worries. Her father, however, told her not to worry and even praised her for her achievements. He was alright in the fort he was guarding. Knowing this Sena could take a breather.

She has really made her father proud. Most of the letter she got from her relatives were all kinds of praises, praising her deeds in killing a dead knight, and a fending off one of the most dangerous magus in the continent of old.

A family is a family. The Saclea has grown haughty, prideful, and arrogant over time. But even so, they would never forget family. It could be said that their greatest gifts are their ability to see through people that have fire in their eyes. And when a soldier joins them they are lectured almost brainwashed on bonds. Hence, what makes the Saclea one of the strongest houses is due to them considering a lot when it comes to family, they might face armies of green skin barbarians, but ever there house or a Saclea needs help, they wouldn’t think twice.

That is why they are strong. The Saclea can be strong with their principles with them. Hence, that is why when a Saclea succeeds, it is worth sending letters.