As promised, Lucy made it to the academy in a timely fashion. Thankfully it was only a block or so away from the castle. After a short brisk walk she arrived to the well-known Academy; it was the closest thing to a 'college' the city had. It was where all the boys went to train to be in the King's Army.
Upon arrival, any pleasant ideas she had about the place had quickly vanished. She was immediately given a set of men's clothes, then forced into a training room full of boys. She excused herself into the bathroom to change into the those clothes and then was expected to physically exert herself for a solid hour straight. She ran countless laps, performed limitless crunches and push-ups, then was encouraged to do an astounding amount of jumping jacks. By the end of it all she was covered in a thick layer of sweat and her muscles felt like jelly. It was the most disgusting feeling ever. And instead of getting the chance to bath, she was escorted into a classroom fully of smelly boys where they spent the afternoon studying survival tactics.
''Who here can tell me three ways to start a fire?''
''Flint and steel.'' One boy offered and the instructor nodded in approval.
''Another?'' Barked the man.
''Friction'' Someone said.
''Correct.'' The firm instructor almost smiled. ''One more.''
''What about if someone was a mage, couldn't they just ignite a fire with their mind?'' Lucy asked curiously. She was learning so many new things it was almost difficult to keep her head on straight. What kind of magic could she do? How much would she depend on it?
''Well, since no one here happens to be a mage, I don't see how that's relevant. Now stop asking stupid questions and pay attention.'' The instructor berated her then continued teaching the class. She had no ambition to argue with him so instead she just nodded and kept her head down.
For the remainder of the afternoon they solely discussed fire. How to built one, the differences between a cooking fire and one for warmth, and even the conditions that could cause a wildfire to start. They had discussed the topic so much so that Lucy didn't even want to look at a fire. Matter of fact all she wanted was a warm bath to soak in. She was both physically and mentally sore.
It was starting to get dark when she was finally released from her lessons. Before she was allowed to escape she was stopped by the instructor who she had come to know as Sargeant Edward.
''Miss Lucy? May I speak to you for a moment?" He asked formally.
She nodded and stepped to the side to speak with him privately while all of the other boys gathered their things and went home for the night.
''I was hesitant about having a woman joining my class, but Arthur assured me that you'd be up to the task. I can see that you have potential, surprisingly, but I will not stand any talk of mages while you are on my premises. Do you understand?'' He said quite seriiusly with an hint of inflection.
''Why?'' He glared at her for even asking. ''I mean, yes sir.'' She nodded in agreement. She didnt understand why is was such a big deal, but he seemingly didnt feel the need to explain himself.
''You are dismissed. Please arrive dressed in the appropriate attire next time.'' He scowled at her. She turned her head down and looked at her clothes. She had never worn trousers before, but they were strangely comfortable. It was a request that she thought she could handle.
''Yes sir. Thank you sir.'' She replied quickly with a nod of her head, more than excited to get back to her room and clean up before bed. He nodded in return, and she dashed out of the building and back to the castle.
After a nice hot meal and bath, Lucy was ready to sleep. Her day had been busier than she was used to, she barely had time think about her sister, or Arthur, or even herself. She was growing increasingly worried about her sister, especially since learning that she was warded against Mága's sight. Did Mary know about their heritage? That she was capable of becoming a mage too. That alone could open a whole new box of worms.
Her thoughts circled endlessly as her realities continued to shatter her world. She willed herself to think of anything else. The only thing, or rather, person, who could hold her attention was Arthur, or Art, as Blue had called him. She smiled, wondering what he was doing right now. Was he already asleep or up drinking with his buddies? Was he thinking about her too? Did he miss her like she missed him?
Author's Note: I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has read my story! So glad you guys are enjoying it! I will update again on Sunday otherwise expect updates every Friday and Sunday!-Surviving