《Starsky Academy》2.
Advertisement
My heart thumped in my chest as my eyes strained to take in the words. The Starsky Academy for the Education of Dragon Riders? It was the most prestigious school in the world. It was unthinkable for an average kid like me to get in. Then again, nobody knew what SAEDR was like. It was all just myths.
Like the letter mentioned, a golden amulet was held onto the letter by a thin strip of metal tied around it. I fiddled with it, being careful not to press the button. My finger brushed against its metallic surface, and I carefully took it off the scroll by unfastening the metal buckle.
I lifted up the amulet. Words on it read "STARSKY ACADEMY FOR THE EDUCATION OF DRAGON RIDERS." Those too were the only words running through my mind.
My first reaction was heck yes. Everybody knew that if you were offered a place in Starsky, you didn't refuse. It just wasn't a thing. Students at Starsky were able to bond with and train their own dragon. It was the biggest opportunity ever. And it was free. No tuition fees, no dorm room fees (were there even dorms?), no meal or clothing fees. It was perfect for poorer families too.
My second reaction was one of guilt.
How could I leave my mom, who had already been through so much when she had gone through the divorce with my dad, all alone here? She didn't have any friends in Aerilon - she just had me. She worked hard every day to feed us. She loved me with all her heart. How could I be so cruel to walk off and leave her alone?
Suddenly, my eyelids felt like they were being weighed down by stones. A yawn escaped through my teeth. I rubbed at my eyes.
Advertisement
"I can't do this," I murmured to myself, setting down the amulet back onto the scroll, which had folded itself back up. "I can't put my mom through this." I ignored the wrenching dismay in my stomach as I gripped the scroll tightly in my fist and retreated to the serenity of my room.
A lamp was on, the light flickering. I sighed as my eyes landed on a small, grey photo of my mom holding baby me. There was another figure in the picture, but it had been cut out. I knew it was my dad.
I took the scroll and dropped it on my bedside table next to my lamp. Tomorrow was a Saturday. I'd talk to my mom about Starsky in the morning, when I was fully rested and had a clear mind.
Clicking off the lamp, I fell asleep within minutes.
--------------------------------
A gentle ray of sunlight woke me. I yawned, turning over, and stuffed my face into the welcoming softness of my pillow. My mind still hadn't begun to churn.
Within a few minutes I had sat up, stretching my arms with a great yawn. I still didn't recall the events of last night until my eyes focused on the yellowed scroll sitting next to my lamp. My mouth dried. Excitement and confusion whirled inside my chest.
I heard the clinking of pots and pans from the kitchen outside my room. Shaking my head, I reached for the scroll and then carried it out to the dining table, leaving the amulet glinting in the sunlight next to my bed.
"Mom," I spoke, my voice still rasping with what I called morning syndrome. She glanced at me, warm eyes bright.
"Yes?" She replied, turning back to what she was doing, which I saw was making oatmeal for us both.
Advertisement
"Remember the letter from last night?" I inquired, keeping the scroll in my fist as I sat down at the table. I yawned again.
"Oh certainly, dear. What did it say?" By now she had finished with the oatmeal and brought two steaming bowls over. She took a second trip for brown sugar to have with the oatmeal.
"Well, I know it's hard to believe, but..." I lost my voice for a minute, pondering how to finish my sentence. I took my spoon and swirled around the oatmeal.
"Well?"
"Mom, it's from Starsky Academy."
I didn't even have to explain what that was. My mom, who had been tearing open the bag of brown sugar, stopped. She didn't look at me. Her eyes just froze as she stared at the wall, blinking slowly.
"Pardon?" She turned and looked at me after half a minute of silence.
"You heard me, mom." I scratched my cheek as I felt a sudden itch. "I was invited to Starsky Academy for the Education of Dragon Riders."
"Starsky Academy for the... No... Not that Starsky, surely?" She seemed shocked.
"Yeah. Read the letter." I pushed it towards her as she joined me at the table, the brown sugar forgotten.
She read it.
"Well honey, this is great!" Her reaction was not one that I expected. Her eyes became brighter than I've ever seen them. "I'm very proud of you!"
"Mom... don't you realize what this means?" I pursued, looking for a disappointed reaction from her. "I have to leave you."
For a moment her eyes dimmed. They even teared up, but she quickly wiped away the moisture and resumed her smile. "I know, honey. But this must be so important to you. I wouldn't stand in between that. As a parent I have to recognize when to let my child go." She sniffed. "I just didn't know it would be now."
"Mom, I won't go if you don't want me to." My voice was soft and quiet. Her eyes were tinted red from tears.
"Honey." She reached over the table to put her hands on my shoulders.
"This is huge."
There was a long silence. I let a smile grow on my face.
"You're right, mom. I never expected I of all people would get in." I couldn't hide my excitement now.
"I always knew you were special." She giggled to herself and wrapped me in a hug. I laughed along with her.
"I'll still write you. Whenever I can." I told her, and she sniffled into my shoulder.
"I love you." She murmured.
"I love you too, mom." I responded.
After another long silence, she leaned back. "You have a time limit, honey. Let's eat breakfast and then I think you should pack."
"I'm really leaving, aren't I?" I breathed.
"It's the adventure you've always wanted."
I smiled briefly, taking a scoop of oatmeal onto my spoon.
The adventure I've always wanted.
Advertisement
- In Serial52 Chapters
Infigeas Online
Kyle signed the contract because he wanted to join an exciting pre-release eSports tournament. But now, he’s stuck in an immersive virtual reality world, fighting against hundreds of other players in a competition that might take years to complete. At least, it would take years unless the players unite to tackle the game together... A rules-light VRMMO fiction. The mechanics have a strong survivalcraft influence. The protagonist is far less powerful than in most VRMMO stories, and must exhibit heroism despite weakness. Its themes include the social dynamics of a VR world, a game world's effect on identity, and the influence one person can have on the culture around them.Releases every other M/W/F. Written without prior knowledge of the RPG-Lit genre; I was surpised to find out it was even a thing.
8 148 - In Serial35 Chapters
Biomancer: Songs of Sirens
The year 3187. Human society has moved past earth and into the stars, but they find their are greater evils than just the void of space. Pyrex, a soldier graduated the top of his class, escapes The Fog only to be ensnared by the clutches of a siren he names Allure. But is she a bastille stealing his soul, or is she nirvana cloaked in the lies of history? Expect high octane action and pulp in this story. There is also sex in this story, though I try to keep it tasteful. Here is my other stories if you like this one! Monsters Dwell in Men and it's sequal, Jehovah's Harmony
8 243 - In Serial60 Chapters
Truck-Kun's Adventures in Isekai-land
When a truck gets run over by a random man, it was reincarnated into another world with the power to send anything it runs over to earth. There's going to be a lot of chaos... ------ https://discord.gg/PstJTKM (Release schedule: never) The story is mostly in 1st pov, but it switches to 3rd pov occasionally, mostly for scenes taking place on Earth.
8 198 - In Serial78 Chapters
Defiant [Epic Fantasy]
"Everything that I am is a gift as well as a curse." Rumors about an infamous Mage-sprout - Azalea "The Bewitched"- have been circling around the Hunter's Council. Such rumors tend to attract the attention of various organizations. It's easy to tell with the uncanny similarities the men inquiring often possess. These malicious gossips have produced troublesome situations for Azalea's demon hunting job. Most hunters are afraid to team-up with her and some people are reluctant to make a hunting request with her involved. During her solo hunt in Dimatagpuan Region, four students from the renowned school, AB Academy, appears before her with an odd offer. This academy's Headmaster had grown a sudden interest in her skills as a Mage and he wants her to enroll as one of his scholars. It is the most unexpected offer which might as well bring the greatest change in her current lifestyle. Is she prepared to leave behind her normal daily life of hunting and fighting, to turn it around into an unusual daily life of socializing and schooling? How will she respond to her new environment as she learns more about who she really is? TLDR: Infamous Demon Hunter enrolls in a renowned academy and struggles to keep a normal peaceful school life.
8 124 - In Serial10 Chapters
Changement : Version Pile [French]
Notice: This story is in French, not in english, mainly because of my poor english. I may translate it later if I get better, and hopefully I will. _ Les cris de souffrance résonnent dans ses oreilles, dans sa tête et dans son coeur. Cette dernière image, ces derniers instants, ces morts incompréhensible, rien ne sera plus jamais pareil pour Nils Nocquat. Il sombre, et dans les ténèbres, découvre la fache cachée de son monde. Qui est coupable? Démon, Ange et autres Sonen, tous se renvoient la faute, et maintenant, Nils Change, il doit faire un choix. Indécis, il lance une pièce. Pile. Il a choisi son camp. Il deviendra un Démon, le meilleur ou le pire de tous, ce n'est qu'une question de point de vue. - Author's note: this story is a concept. During the first chapter, the main character is faced with a major decision, which will change his life forever, and, not knowing what to do, he decide to play heads or tails, and let fate choose for him. And so there will be two versions of this story, one for each of the result, and their consequences for the main character, as well as all those around him. Here, he got tails. Note de l'auteur: Comme dit plus haut, cette histoire sera en français, car je ne suis pas assez bon en anglais. De plus, cette histoire est un concept un peu particulier, le personnage principal va se retrouver face à un choix décisif qui va changer sa vie pour toujours, et, ne savant pas que faire, il va jouer à pile-ou-face, en laissant le destin décider pour lui. Il y a donc deux versions de cette histoire, une pour chacun des résultats de son lancer. Lien de l'autre version : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/28318/changement-version-face-french Je vous encourage à ne pas lire les deux versions, ou en tout cas, à ne pas les lire en même temps. Elle sont assez peu similaires, mais des choses vont, logiquement, être répétées, et les confusions risquent d'être rapides, surtout au début des histoires. Dans tout les cas, ces deux histoires vont s'éloigner assez rapidement, tout en restant intrinsèquement liées par leurs personnage principal. Libre à vous de choisir la version qui vous plaît le plus, sachant que vous n'aurez pas besoin de lire les deux pour comprendre toutes les intrigues, elles sont absolument indépendantes l'une de l'autre. Le seul chapitre identique dans les deux versions est le prologue. C'est la deuxième fois maintenant que je publie quelque chose que j'ai écrit, mais ça ne me rends pas meilleur en terme d'orthographe et de grammaire, donc si vous relevez une erreur, où même si vous remarquez des incohérences, n'hésitez surtout pas à me le faire remarquer. Toute critique, qu'elle soit positive ou négative, est appréciée. En terme de rythme de publication, je pense sortir un chapitre par semaine dans chacune des deux histoires.
8 127 - In Serial6 Chapters
SF - toruka
8 193
Prev Chap
Next Chap
Chap List
Boy
Girl
