5. Advancement

Cheria's studies took less time to complete than Kiro's, and her graduation date was fast approaching, even while Kiro had a year left. Fortunately, Kiro thought, this would not necessarily mean their separation. The academy at Corneria was one of the largest on the continent, and had its own chemistry and alchemy laboratories for actual commercial production in addition to those it reserved for the use of students.

However, as Cheria's graduation day approached, Kiro could not help but feel a little wistful. The commercial laboratory was far away on the north end of the campus, and it would be difficult for him and Cheria to meet up. Also, she would be keeping longer hours at work, needing less time to study. She would not need him as much anymore, nor could she be bothered to give up as much of her valuable time to him. Kiro knew that he could always contact other students in his advanced courses to help with his studies. In fact, from a logical perspective, it was about time he got to know his fellow mental expert acolytes better. The perspective of others sharing his major field should be more insightful and relevant than someone else, should it not? Yet, despite all of these reasons, and despite Kiro's happiness for Cheria's accomplishment, some part of him was still weakening his happiness at her graduation.

Kiro dutifully waited as Dromnir called out what seemed like a few hundred names. One by one, the other members of Cheria's graduating class rose, walked to the stage, and accepted the symbols of their new roles as full fledged White mages. Kiro could sense that, for many of his fellow students, watching their friends ascend and change to a new stage of life, this was something of an ordeal. It was also quite an ordeal for those who knew no one graduating, yet were required to attend anyway. There is little that induces boredom like listening to a few hundred names of strangers read in a slow-going ceremony. There were only a few of these cases, as it was generally difficult to keep entirely to oneself in the academy. The dorms were packed four to a room, the study halls and libraries were well populated, even late at night. So, it was easy to get to know people outside one's own class, if one tried.

Kiro did not feel much boredom, however. His mind kept going back and forth over what this graduation would mean to him and to Cheria. The more he thought of it, the more it seemed that it would, indeed, require both of them to go quite out of their way to see each other after she accepted her new post. It might be nice to make time for her, but Kiro's studies were only going to get more rigorous in his final year, and he would probably need all his time for study, especially if he wanted to excel, which he would have to do in order to make it in a questing party, as he wished to do.

Kiro found himself so lost in thought, in fact, that he nearly missed the calling of Cheria's name. He snapped back to reality and to the present just in time to notice that those in the Alchemy major field had started being called up. Kiro felt his heart flutter a bit as he watched Cheria slowly move up in line. And then, the moment came. Mage Cheria accepted her new mage's hood, ceremonial staff, and official personalized book of potions. Kiro continued to gaze at her, almost as if to see if the new state had any effect on her appearance. Kiro went back to meditating on his upcoming challenge, making new friends late in the game, trying to find a new study partner or group, until the ceremony finally came to an end. It closed with a speech by Dromnir, encouraging all members of the graduating class to go forth and exemplify everything for which White mages were meant to stand. He told them how each one of them would reflect on all of us, that as part of the responsibility of their new titles, they must maintain a purity of heart and soul, maintaining the highest ethical standard in all of their experiences, whether as potion-makers, scribes of scrolls and books, instructors, sanctuary healing staff, or as questing companions. It was not a bad speech, though there was nothing particularly surprising or gripping about it, not that there needed to be. It was appropriate to the order into which these mages had just been inducted.

After the students and mages were released and began to disperse, Cheria came back to the stands, gave Kiro a friendly hug goodbye, and she was off to start her new life.

The next few days were strange to Kiro, having lost his study partner, but he knew how important it was to continue striving for excellence in his field. He provided belated introductions to his fellow students, and after chatting with a few of them, he joined the study group that best fit his schedule.

It was surprising to Kiro how different it was opening the minds and hearts of new people. Somehow, it had been so simple and natural to enter Cheria's energetic field and feel the powers that emanated from her and through her. Balam and Arial, the two other students in Kiro's study group, were skilled in mental magic, but entering their minds, though they opened them freely to Kiro, were different, somehow. Kiro understood this to be a symptom of his lack of variety earlier on in reading hearts. Had he done this with more people, it would surely feel more natural, now.

Balam's mind held more ambition than Kiro had expected. Balam was fully ready to join a questing party, ready to face the dangers, partly for the thrill of new experiences. He had chosen the right path for his personality. Arial, on the other hand, was more cool-headed and logical than Kiro was used to. Arial's mind was filled with calculations, her ambition replaced by logical evaluations. Assisting with a sanctuary was one of her first goals, as it would be the reasonable place to build experience before entering the field.

After more practice of this nature, however, Kiro began to grow more interested in the variety he felt inside each person whom he examined. Each person's soul was different, and each pleased him in its own way; each was worthy of its own unique respect. Kiro felt privileged to have been taught these skills that would allow him deeper knowledge of so many people.

Kiro's graduation day had finally arrived, yet he slept peacefully the night before, confident that someday soon, he would be paired up with noble fighters, serving to protect and comfort his companions from the ravages of war, both the physical blows dealt by ravaging beastmen as well as the mental anguish and weariness that accompanies long campaigns. He dreamed of the good that his party would accomplish, and the effect they might have on the world.

Please review. I am somewhat inexperienced publishing fanfiction, and if you have suggestions regarding how I may improve, I would always appreciate it.

So, I jumped ahead again another couple of years. I never meant to focus the entire story on Kiro's "High School" experience. Rather, I wanted it to be a rather long exposition giving Kiro some background so that the events of his adult life have more context and insight into his heart and mind. So, we are almost there. This whole story is based around a daydream I had of a single event that has not yet occurred in the story. We are going to do some more jumping before this story is over. Kiro has a long life ahead of him, and the world outside the academy is going to start becoming a bit more interesting.