Within the stony halls of the Atlasdam Palace, resplendent red curtains shone brightly with the morning sunshine. The city outside was buzzing with activity, but within a room on the second floor, class was being held. Two intent pupils kept their eyes locked on their professor from his place atop a pedestal at the head of the room. Sunlight highlighted his features, and Cyrus Albright smiled brightly with enthusiasm that no person could ever hope to rival.
Cyrus' hair was a dark color, and it was tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck. It never seemed to settle properly despite the care he put into the rest of his appearance. A dark cape was draped over his shoulders over a white shirt with puffed sleeves. His shirt was a deep hue of gray, and elaborate golden swirls adorned the surface of the fabric. He wore black trousers that tucked seamlessly into his knee-high boots. Cyrus was the picture of elegance, and the smile on his face only made him seem more perfect than one would have ever anticipated.
"And so it was that our Atlasdam was founded two centuries ago," Cyrus concluded as he reached the end of a speech regarding the creation of the town that he had known and loved his whole life. The history of Atlasdam had been the primary subject of his lecture for the day, and he had been looking forward to it from the instant he woke up that morning. If there was one thing that Cyrus loved above all else, it was history, and teaching such tales of the past to others brought joy to his heart like nothing else in existence. "Indeed, our fair city-state is among the longest standing on the continent of Orsterra. But there was another city-state with a history as long and proud as our own that came to a tragic ruin only eight short years ago."
Cyrus finished speaking and started to walk across the podium. A map was pressed against the wall behind him, and it detailed all of the smaller tidbits about Orsterra. He stepped aside and offered full display of the current view of the continent as he held up one hand to the design. "Now, who can tell me its name?" Cyrus questioned. He looked back and forth between his two students before settling his gaze on the one standing in front of him. "How about you, Therese?"
The young woman started upon being addressed, and pink flooded her cheeks as she attempted to regain her composure. Her hair was a pale color that seemed to border on being a perfect lavender, and it shone in the sunshine like the moon itself had been plucked from the sky and then given human form through Therese. She wore purple clothing to match her hair, and Therese's eyes were a crisp blue color that faltered with anxiety when she realized that Cyrus was inquiring for an answer. "I... Um... I think it was..." she began, her voice wavering with uncertainty.
Cyrus shook his head. "Now, now. No need to get all flustered," he assured her. His smile was careful, a sign that he wasn't upset with her at all for her lack of knowledge. "There's no shame in not knowing an answer so long as you have a desire to learn. The answer is in your textbook. Go on, now. Look it up."
Cyrus remained patient as Therese began to flick through the pages of her book. She was desperate to be fast enough to keep the attention off her for a moment, though Therese seemed to be more bothered by the other student in the room than Cyrus himself. She flashed a glance out of the corner of her eye towards her peer before biting her lip and turning through a few more pages. "Yes, Professor..." Therese stammered. "Let's see... I believe it was... Hornburg?"
Cyrus' smile returned in full swing once again. "That is correct!" he chimed, not seeming to notice the way that Therese beamed upon noticing that she had earned his approval. "Hornburg was ruled over by a royal family said to be descended from priests of an ancient and long-forgotten religion. On the other hand, our fair Atlasdam was founded by one of the original claims that inhabited the Flatlands."
Cyrus stopped speaking briefly once again as he paced across the podium to the other end of the area. "Who can tell me how many clans lived in the Flatlands at the time?" Cyrus questioned. His eyes found the other student in his classroom next. "Your Highness?"
The other girl in the room, Mary, was the princess of Atlasdam and the next in line for the throne. If Therese was the moon, Mary was the sun, bold, bright, and unyielding. Her hair was golden in color, and it fell down to her lower back in gentle waves that defined her as the pinnacle of elegance. Her eyes were bright green emeralds that shone vibrantly. Her clothing was white and lined with gold, a sign of her royal heritage and the money that lived in her family thanks to the blood that coursed through her veins.
Mary nodded without a moment of hesitation, and a proud smile appeared on her face as she answered Cyrus' question. "The histories have it that eight clans lived in the Flatlands in those days," she replied immediately.
Cyrus nodded, his smile still bright and unyielding. "Correct you are, Your Highness! It was a time of great strife here in the Flatlands, as the eight clans waged a long and bitter war. Change would come when the armies of Grandport invaded these lands some two centuries ago. At the time, the rulers of Grandport sought to exert their influence over territories inland. Ironically, this compelled the warring tribes to put aside their differences and unite against their common foe," he explained.
Cyrus didn't realize how long he had been speaking until he saw that a man had made his way into the room while he was speaking. The man was a familiar one to Cyrus, a messenger for the royal family undoubtedly there to retrieve Mary for her afternoon duties. "Oh, but look at the time! We'll pick up where we left off next time," he said, allowing his smile to shift to one of awkwardness when he recognized just how long he had been talking for. As Mary and Therese began to pull their things together to depart, Cyrus offered one final comment. "Don't forget to read chapters three and four of your textbook before our next lecture, and be prepared to answer questions on any of the material within."
"Thank you, Professor," Therese said as both she and Mary nodded. Therese pulled her bag over her shoulders, smoothing out the wrinkles and creases of her skirt as she rose to her feet. Her eyes spoke of something hidden and shaded, but she didn't say anything beyond that.
Therese was already starting to walk towards the door when Cyrus stepped down from the podium and began to walk towards the exit of the room. Mary's voice caught his attention before he could properly depart, and Therese stopped in her tracks. "Thank you for another most stimulating lecture, Professor Albright," Mary told Cyrus in her high-pitched yet melodic voice.
"You are most welcome," Cyrus responded as he moved towards the door. Therese deflated, not bothering to follow him, as Mary smiled at his response. She continued packing her things soon afterwards, and Cyrus shut the door behind himself carefully as he excused himself in full.
Cyrus had only just rounded the corner outside of the classroom when he was stopped by a guard wearing the traditional armor of the Atlasdam knights. "Ah, Professor Albright. Mercedes from the Royal Library came by with a message for you. Seems today's your lucky day. You've been granted permission to enter the special archives," the knight explained.
Cyrus let out a gasp before a smile appeared on his face. He had been petitioning for permission to investigate the archives for quite some time, and it appeared that his wish had finally been fulfilled. "Splendid! Finally, I can begin my research," he smiled. There were many matters that Cyrus found to be intriguing, but magic was easily one of the top subjects on his list. The special archives held many one of a kind volumes about different types of magic, and since Cyrus was looking to further his arcane abilities, this was just what he had been waiting for.
The guard walked away with a brief nod, and Cyrus began to walk as quickly as he could through the halls of the palace. If he had been given the chance to enter the archives, then he had to make haste. This was a chance that he had been waiting for, and he refused to pass it up. His boots clicked against the stone ground below as he granted brief greetings to those he encountered on the way out of the building.
Cyrus was at the base of the stairs when he could have sworn that he heard someone calling out his name. It sounded like Therese, but he couldn't see any details from his position, and he was left to wonder if perhaps he had imagined it. In truth, she was hiding behind a nearby railing as she watched him cautiously, but Cyrus remained oblivious to her presence. She had slipped away while he was occupied with the knight of Atlasdam, but she was the only one to have done so.
"Professor Albright!"
The voice of Mary quickly shifted Cyrus' attention, and he glanced up to see that Mary was walking down the stairs quickly with a bright smile on her face. "Oh, thank heavens you're still here!" Mary cried out as she speedily descended the remaining stairs, gathering her skirt in one hand to keep from tripping along the way. "I thought I had missed you."
Cyrus shook his head to dismiss the thought. "What can I do for you, Your Highness?" he asked.
"If you can spare the time, I had a question about something we learned today," Mary explained. She smoothed out her skirt as she waited in eager anticipation for a response.
"But of course, Your Highness! It would be my pleasure to answer anything," Cyrus replied, a bright smile breaking out across his face once again. "After all, my role as your tutor is as important to me as any of my research. Unfortunately, I cannot spare much time. Is the question a quick one?" As glad as he was to answer her inquiries, Cyrus knew that the archives would not wait for him forever. He had been patient in waiting for the time that he would be accepted into the secret halls of the library, and he refused to allow this chance to slip away from him.
"Yes, Professor. It will not take long," Mary assured him as she took another step closer to him. "I was just wondering about the ancient religion of Hornburg. Pray tell, what did they worship?"
"A very astute question, Your Highness," Cyrus commented. "However, I fear that nearly all the texts detailing the nature of the religion were burned and lost when Hornburg fell."
Mary nodded, her expression falling from chipper to something somewhat upset. "I see... A shame, that is," she remarked under her breath.
"I do, however, have a theory of my own," Cyrus told her quickly, not at all fond of seeing Mary so crestfallen. He disliked seeing anyone upset, but given his duty to teach Mary in the ways of the world, he was particularly unhappy when he saw her grow sorrowful. It didn't fit her sunny disposition in the slightest. "I believe that the members of the royal family of Hornburg were guardians of an ancient power... Mind you, this is not idle speculation. My theory is based on the fact that..."
As Cyrus continued to explain the ins and outs of his proposal, Therese let out a small sigh from her place behind the nearby railing. She was quiet enough to keep from being heard, but her disappointment was immeasurable. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes by the time that Cyrus and Mary had finished their conversation, and she was left still as a statue as she waited for them to finish speaking about the theory regarding Hornburg's history.
Mary's voice cut through the air in a way that felt all too perfect as Therese was starting to rub the tears from her face with the heel of her hand. "Let us continue this discussion another time. My apologies for keeping you, Professor," she said, a melodic laugh pushing its way free of her lips. "I suppose that we both lost track of time when we began talking."
Cyrus shook his head. "No need for apologies! And it would be my pleasure, Your Highness," he assured her. "That such questions occur to you is a sign of a sharp and curious mind. It's lovely to see from any student."
"Your lectures on the history of the realm are fascinating to me," Mary confessed as she began to grin. "For if I do not learn of our past, how can I hope to lead my people to a bright future?"
"A most admirable philosophy," Cyrus remarked kindly. "The people of this land are truly fortunate to be led by one of such wisdom and kindness as yourself, as I am sincerely fortunate to have to have the opportunity to serve in some small way."
Pink began to tint Mary's cheeks as she shook her head, suddenly struggling to meet Cyrus' gaze under the influence of his unintentional flattery. "You are far too kind, Professor Albright. I am proud to be your student as well."
Cyrus smiled in return before a thought occurred to him. He let out a gasp as he glanced to the door. "Oh, dear, I'm running late," he murmured softly. "Pray do not forget your assignment, Your Highness."
"Of course, Professor," Mary replied. She gave him a soft wave before pivoting on her heel and starting up the nearby stairwell. She disappeared into the deeper recesses of the palace soon afterwards, and Cyrus watched her vanish from sight before turning his attention to his next destination.
As he walked towards the entrance of the palace, he saw a flash of purple and silver out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see Therese standing against the stone wall, her gaze cast forlornly on the ground below. Cyrus grinned once more before greeting her. "Oh, hello there, Therese," he said simply.
Nearby, Therese's fingers began to dig into her palms as she did her best to hide her emotions. She didn't bother looking up at Cyrus, instead concentrating on the place where her shoes met the ground below. She refused to allow him to see that she had been on the verge of tears. Luckily for her, Cyrus didn't notice, and he continued without hesitation. "Did you have a question for me as well?" he inquired.
Therese's first action was to backpedal, and she shook her head. "I... I mean... Um..." she stammered before letting out a sigh. "No. Good day, Professor." She was quick when she dashed towards the door, and she disappeared from view a moment later, leaving behind only a bewildered Cyrus in the entryway of the Atlasdam palace.
He did his best to shake off the curiosity before walking out of the palace and through the stony streets of Atlasdam. As was typical for mornings in the city, activity was plentiful, and people bustled in every direction trying to go about their daily routines. Cyrus wove in and out between the crowds before making his way to the library, and he pushed open the door before making his way to the desk at the back of the building.
"Good day, Mercedes. Cyrus Albright, here to browse the special archives," Cyrus explained, smiling to the receptionist of the library brightly.
Mercedes responded with a laugh as she shook her head, leaving her light brown hair to shift slightly from its place in a neat bun at the back of her head. "Oh, Professor Albright. You're looking quite eager today," she remarked casually.
Cyrus laughed as well, and when he spoke, his words were filled with sunshine itself. "When I heard that an original copy of The Church of the Flame: The Complete Historie had been donated to our archives, I simply had to be the first to see it," he explained.
"You're more on top of our collection than I am," Mercedes commented. She slid a piece of paper and a matching quill across the desk. "Just sign here..."
"With pleasure!" Cyrus reached out for the quill and quickly signed his name in grand, swirling characters. When he was finished, he set the pen down with a sense of strong authority that could not be rivaled. However, when he looked up, he could see that Mercedes' expression had faltered. "Hm? Is something amiss?"
"For someone known as the most brilliant mind in the Royal Academy..." Mercedes began, her voice trailing off before falling into nothingness. "When you talk about boys, you're as giddy as a schoolboy."
Cyrus laughed, and his jubilation seemed to fill the back area of the library. "When you put it that way, yes, you are correct. Much as a child is fascinated by a new toy... I am titillated by the prospect of acquiring new knowledge."
"The expression on your face says it all," Mercedes assured him. She pushed herself away from her desk and rose from her seat, flattening out the wrinkles in her skirt along the way. "Everything seems to be in order. Enjoy your quest for knowledge, Professor."
Mercedes approached the door waiting behind her desk. Cyrus had long dreamed of going beyond the barrier of wood to see what the archives had to offer him, and at long last, he was being given the chance. Mercedes was the unofficial guardian of the archives, and she was all too happy to twist the knob and gesture for Cyrus to enter.
"Many thanks, my dear! I most certainly will," Cyrus told her. He waved simply to Mercedes as he walked into the door behind her, and he was met with a lengthy set of stairs that descended into the ground below. Cyrus began his approach to the archives themselves, and his footsteps echoed in the dark yet perfectly clean space. A few candles were lit on the wall, and they were hidden within sconces along the way to the archives. Cyrus gave them a respectful smile, unable to hide his gleaming grin with the royal archives finally within his grasp. His dreams were coming true right before his eyes, and he hardly knew what to do with himself.
As soon as Cyrus reached the archives, he began his search through the area. There were a few lights illuminating the room, and the books were organized as neatly as could be. Cyrus brushed his fingers against the spines of the books, feeling the perfection of the leather bound tightly alongside parchment. He sighed to himself and began to explore in full.
The filing system was identical to the way that the library was organized, and Cyrus searched the room while looking at the covers. They were in alphabetical order as expected. He was looking for the area with books starting with 'C', and luckily for him, it didn't take long to find what he was searching for.
However, as Cyrus began to examine the spines of the books, he found that he was unable to locate the book in question. He frowned to himself and searched once again. Sure enough, his findings had come up short, and The Church of the Flame: The Complete Historie was nowhere to be found. No matter how many times he looked, he was never able to locate it, leaving Cyrus to frown deeply to himself.
"There must be a mistake..." Cyrus murmured as he continued his search. Perhaps the book had simply been returned to the wrong location. That wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility. He began to skim through the shelves once again, but he was met with the same results as before: nothing that even resembled the book in question appeared to him.
"The archives are strictly guarded and curated... Wherever could it have gone?" Cyrus asked into the silence. He placed one hand against his chin and allowed his eyes to slip closed. There had to be a logical explanation for this, and if he looked closely enough, he would be able to find it. Perhaps someone else was temporarily borrowing the book. Then again, if that was the case, Mercedes certainly would have mentioned it when he said that was what he was hoping to see. On top of that, only a select handful had access to the archives. Cyrus could count on one hand who could enter the space on a regular basis.
Knuckles rapped against the wall, and Cyrus turned to see that Mercedes had descended the stairwell into the archives. "Professor Albright, the headmaster would see you at once," she told him.
Cyrus let out a sigh, trying not to show his disappointment with his employer. It almost felt like petty targeting that the headmaster had asked to see him now of all times. "Of all the times to... Oh, well," he said softly. He took a few steps towards the door before his curiosity began to mount once again. "Might I ask of you a favor?"
Mercedes seemed to notice the weight that his words carried as she took a hesitant step forward. "What might that be?" she questioned.
"The tome I mentioned before seems to have gone missing. Might you help me to locate it, please?" Cyrus explained.
"Missing?" Mercedes echoed, her eyes wide in surprise. "Hm... I'll begin looking at once, Professor." She approached the shelves and began to examine the volumes in detail.
"Many thanks," Cyrus told Mercedes as he moved towards the door. He ascended back to the main area of the library and left the building behind. His target was the Royal Academy for better or worse. If the headmaster wished to see him, then that could only mean something upsetting was taking place. Cyrus rarely saw eye to eye with his employer, and he was admittedly concerned for what the upcoming conversation would have in store for him.
When Cyrus arrived at the academy, he moved to the second floor and approached the grand pair of doors that housed the headmaster's office. He knocked swiftly and curtly before taking a step back to wait for entry. "Cyrus Albright, by your request, sir."
"Enter."
Hearing the voice from within prompted Cyrus to push the doors open, and he walked inside slowly. The headmaster's office was just as he remembered it between the ornate desk, expensive bookshelves, and lavish curtains. Cyrus held himself with pride as he walked inside, doing his best to not make it seem as if he was as suspicious as he felt inside. Something about this felt wrong, and he pressed his lips together tightly into a line out of internalized concern.
Across the room, two people could be seen. First was Cyrus' employer, Headmaster Yvon. He had dark hair that was starting to gray, and the silver streaks could be seen in the morning sunshine that streamed in through the windows. He wore black robes lined with gold to show how prestigious his position was, and his eyes, as bright and deep as crimson rubies, stared at Cyrus with something that appeared to be passive contempt. Cyrus did his best to keep from returning the favor, and the awful feeling in his stomach only began to grow worse.
The other person in the space was Lucia, Yvon's assistant and a longtime helper at the Royal Academy. Her hair was black, but tints of purple could be seen in the same light that exposed Yvon's age. She wore a bold violet dress that contrasted its confidence with her understated aura. The cloak around her shoulders was black, and her eyes were impossible to read. Cyrus had never fully understood what was going through Lucia's mind, and that remained true as he waited for one of them to speak.
"My apologies for summoning you on such short notice," Yvon told Cyrus, but it was clear as could be from the malice that dripped off his words that he wasn't truly sorry at all. His eyes remained unreadable, but the passive anger resting beneath the surface made Cyrus nervous all over again.
He shoved the sensation aside and took a few steps closer to Yvon and Lucia. "How might I be of assistance, Headmaster?" Cyrus questioned. He was simply waiting for everything to boil over and spiral into hell.
"That treatise on arcane studies you published... What in the gods' names were you thinking?" Yvon questioned, and Cyrus' suspicions were confirmed as Yvon's gaze shifted from a mercurial glance to a hardened glare.
"Sir? I do believe I made my hypothesis perfectly clear..." Cyrus told Yvon. The thesis in question had involved Cyrus providing evidence that perhaps there were more elements of magic that could be used beyond simply the basic group of six that was known across Orsterra. He had found proof from the time of the gods to back up such a concept, and he was sure that he had shown perfectly what he thought on the matter.
"I'm not talking about your hypothesis!" Yvon shouted. The rage in his eyes certainly seemed to be adding heat to a whistling kettle, and the metaphorical boiling water began to drip over the side of Yvon's previous composure. "You went out of your way to cite one of the texts in our special archives! The knowledge housed in those tomes is the Royal Academy's greatest treasure! It is not to be divulged to the public at your whim. Laying it bare in one of your silly papers is out of the question!"
Cyrus took a step forward, his own passion beginning to steam. Perhaps this was one reason that Yvon had been so hesitant to allow him into the archives. Mercedes had allowed Cyrus to borrow individual tomes before, but he hadn't been given the chance to enter the space until that day. It seemed that in between the time of Cyrus receiving permission and his arrival in Yvon's office, his employer had come to his own conclusions about his work.
Still, Cyrus did his best to remain composed. "I am fully aware of the value of those tomes, Headmaster. It is for that very reason that I would share the knowledge with my peers-"
"You are to share nothing! That wisdom is for the academy and the academy alone!" Yvon suddenly exclaimed angrily, slamming his hand onto his desk. Cyrus flinched. Lucia remained as still as a statue, just as silent as ever.
"But that goes against everything-" Cyrus tried to protest.
"Enough, Cyrus!" Yvon screamed, bringing any objections to silence. Cyrus pressed his lips together once again. He knew that arguing wasn't going to do him any good. Yvon had always had a differing philosophy than Cyrus himself; while Cyrus viewed knowledge as something to be shared and cherished, Yvon treated it as a priceless medal, hoarding it the way that beasts of old held tightly to the shiniest of gemstones. Knowledge was power, and power was meant to be hoarded as far as Yvon was concerned. Cyrus' ideals of kindness had always brought him to clash with the headmaster, but that didn't mean their arguments were pleasant.
Instead, Cyrus let out a stiff sigh through his nose. "My apologies, Headmaster. It won't happen again. Is there anything else you need of me?" he questioned, suddenly yearning to be anywhere but there.
"That is all," Yvon said, his voice practically a snarl. "You may go." Cyrus had only taken one step towards the door, not taking his eyes off Yvon, before his employer continued. "Wait. There was one last thing."
"Sir?" Cyrus questioned carefully, understanding to not push the matter too hard.
"I heard the special archives will be closing early today. If you have research to do there, I would do so quickly," Yvon replied, his voice still a dark and irritated growl.
Cyrus knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was Yvon's way of punishing him. He hadn't heard anything of this from Mercedes earlier in the day, and Yvon was the one who decided who entered the special archives. This transgression would not go forgotten, and Cyrus doubted he would get the chance to investigate again anytime soon. Yvon had been merciful before, but such would not last much longer.
"Thank you for your concern, Headmaster," Cyrus said through the illusion of neutrality. "In that case, I'll be on my way." He walked quickly towards the door this time, and once he was gone from the room, he made his way to the royal archives. He had to enjoy this chance to investigate the archives as long as it lasted. For all he knew, this would be his first and last opportunity to do so.
A knock fell on the doors of Yvon's office once again soon after Cyrus had left the area behind. Yvon was sitting at his desk when he responded, doing his best to hold back a frustrated sigh. "Enter," he drawled.
Therese slowly walked inside, her hands trembling and her teeth clamped firmly on the skin inside of her lip. She struggled to walk straight under the influence of her nerves. "Excuse me, Headmaster..." she began softly.
Yvon rose to his full height, and Lucia watched from her place in the corner of the room where she was examining the bookshelves. "Yes? What is it, Therese?" Yvon questioned.
Therese took in a large breath before exhaling shakily. "It's... It's about Professor Albright, sir..."
I didn't think I would be releasing this tonight. Oops?
Here we are with the first part of Cyrus' story though! Hell yeah! Cyrus is one of my favorite characters in the cast, and I love writing for him. I'm especially looking forward to having him meet up with Ophilia so that we can get the character banter started.
Speaking of that, Ophilia should be showing up either next chapter or the chapter after that. I promise that I haven't forgotten about her. I know exactly how she's going to cross paths with Cyrus, so the scene is already planned out, we just need to get there and then dive into it. Woohoo!
For now, I don't have all that much left to say. I'm going to go to sleep since, as is tradition at this point, I'm writing this stupid late at night. Time for rest since I have to wake up in five hours. Whoops. Until next time, I hope you enjoyed!
-Digital