Chapter Four
Everything remains still for a few stunned seconds, and I take that time to focus, studying their reactions. Molly and Xander both seem shocked, but something close to relief flashes through Molly's eyes. Maybe she thinks she won't be the biggest target here now. I doubt I'll have to worry about them, so I shift my eyes to Jackson and Devon, but both of them are standing still. Jackson glares at me suspiciously, while Devon just keeps staring at the ground blankly and uninterested.
Past them, Alex seems surprised at first, but it quickly fades away into a warm smile, ignorant of the tension in the air. Seth looks at me from underneath his black hair, almost sadly. I don't want his pity, so I shift my eyes to the final three.
Edward stares with his eyes narrowed at me and fists clenched. Elizabeth has her arms crossed and a look of disgust on her face. Cody just stands there, with wide yellow eyes and a shifting expression of surprise and anger. I breathe a sigh of relief. Most of them don't seem completely hostile about my presence, which is more than I was hoping for. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
"What is someone like her doing here?" Elizabeth asks, shifting her glare to Fairfax. He turns to her, as if to respond, but Cody interrupts with a sickly laugh. The laugh bounces off the stones, echoing in my ears, and everyone turns and stares at him in surprise. He shakes with laughter, his yellow eyes looking more unstable with every passing second. My heart begins to race.
"This must be some kind of joke," he laughs. "That Dumont guy talked like we were lucky to even be here, but I get it now! He was just saying that so we wouldn't be surprised when everyone here wasn't Noxian. I bet he was just trying to hide the fact that he couldn't get anyone else to come to this void forsaken academy." Cody puts a hand up to his face and his laughs stop abruptly a second later. His hand slides off, and all the humor is gone from his face. Cody glares at me emotionlessly with his yellow eyes.
"I didn't think he'd stoop so low as getting an Ionian to fill the final slot," he says, his voice suddenly quiet dripping with hate. I suppress a shiver from his suddenly shifting emotions, fear slithering into my belly. His words seem to have sparked something in Edward because he takes swift steps towards me, closing the distance before anyone can react.
"He probably didn't have much of a choice with all the politics attached to this," Edward says, still walking toward me. "I guess we'll just have to deal with this ourselves. Dumont can't be blamed if he tries to fill the last ten slots and then something happens, now can he?"
My eyes widen in realization, and I take a step back as he points a finger at me only a few inches from my face. I try to say something, or anything at all really, but the words catch in my throat. If he challenges me to a duel now, I'm done for. Zane isn't here to protect me, and I have no chance of beating him at unarmed combat. Think, Aria, think.
"I challenge you to a-" he begins saying, but is cut off by the rasp of steel being drawn from a scabbard, and a sudden wind blows into my eyes, making me flinch them closed.
When my eyes open back up, everything seems to have gone still. Edward stands in front of me, arm stiff and still pointing at me but now with a look of surprise and fear on his face. The blade of a pure white longsword rests just under his chin, gleaming in the sunset's orange light. Runic lettering is scrawled into the length of the blade, and the edge looks sharp enough to cut the air itself. I slowly look down the length of the familiar sword, towards the hilt, already knowing who it belongs to.
Captain Fairfax stands casually to my left side, his right arm extended to point the sword to Edward's neck. My heart pounds in the silence that follows. Fairfax never stops surprising me. I hadn't even seen him begin the motion to draw his sword, let alone notice that he had moved so close to me. The air that made me blink must have been from the sheer force of the sword moving so fast, and I am suddenly very glad he's on my side.
The white blade shivers, vibrating from being drawn so quickly and making a quiet but constant metallic humming sound. It almost seems thirsty for violence. The hum slowly fades, and only when it's completely gone does Fairfax look towards Edwards, his eyes and face completely devoid of emotion.
"First of all," he begins casually, "I don't like being interrupted. I like it even less when it's to spout idiotic theories, especially when they're about someone superior to you." His gaze drifts over to Cody as he speaks, and Cody's face turns red. He clenches his hands and says nothing, and Fairfax's eyes slide back to Edward.
"Secondly, duels against students attending the academy are strictly prohibited. If you had chosen to finish that sentence, the head of security here would have championed for her. That would be me, in case you were wondering," He says, and I feel a little disappointment flutter in my belly. Maybe he wasn't protecting me but just stopping Edward from getting himself killed.
"And finally," he says, anger seeping into his voice. "Blind loyalty to a friend is admirable. What you just demonstrated was blind stupidity. I don't know why some of you seem to have such a big problem with an Ionian being here, and I honestly don't really care. Dueling someone you just met is cowardly and a sign of weakness. Now, I suggest you back off before I consider doing something drastic," Fairfax finishes, sounding more factual than threatening.
A quiet tension settles into the air as Fairfax continues staring at Edward. Edward gives him a jerky little nod, never looking into his eyes, and backs off, walking to his original position. Fairfax stays still for a few seconds, watching him go, then his arm blurs and suddenly his sword is back in its sheath. Judging by the looks on everyone else's face, they didn't see the movement in between either. Scary.
"Wow," a voice says loudly, suddenly breaking the tension. "I mean, I guess I should expect nothing less from you, but still. Wow."
We all look to the entrance of the academy, facing the source of the voice. A man in his late twenties stands by the doors of the academy, watching us with wide eyes. He wears simple black clothes and heavy boots. Sunlight gleams off his spiky black hair and light green eyes, a lopsided smile plastered on his face. He walks over to us, and the light shifts over silver metal studs that run across his jaw line and through the bridge of his nose, giving him a sharper look to him.
"Anyways, I guess I should introduce myself," he says as he reaches the edge of our loose circle, Elizabeth and Cody moving out of his way to give him room.
"My name is Sadon, of house Ventris, and I am your third and final instructor. Just call me Sadon," he says, shifting his eyes over all of us. His gaze lingers on me for longer than I would like, and I shift uncomfortably.
"Anyway, Dumont wanted me to give you the grand tour, so if you would follow me," he says, spinning on his heel and walking towards the entrance. Everyone picks up their bags and moves to follow. Seth and I end up lagging behind in the back part of the group with only Fairfax behind us. Seth glances at me as we walk, shouldering his small sackcloth bag.
"You okay?" he asks quietly. Based on the look he gave me earlier, its out of pity, but he might just be searching for a weakness. Whatever the case, I don't want to give anything away so I just give a jerky little nod, never looking at him. He seems to take the hint and turns away, keeping his eyes on Sadon. We enter the academy through it's large mahogany doors, and I forget my anxiety for a few seconds as I look around the huge room in silent awe.
The inside is much like the outside, made of smooth stone with very little color or decoration but somehow still seeming ornate. The room we enter is a large entrance hall with a few people in dark robes loitering around. A few long bookshelves with tables and chairs near them lay in the upper left corner, a robed figure sitting at a desk next to the little library. There are two doors in the room, one in the upper right corner, and one to our left. We begin moving towards the one on our left, our steps echoing on the wooden floor as we walk.
"This academy is built like Noxus is," Sadon says as we approach the door. "Most of the academy is underground, which is where you will be staying. This door leads exclusively downstairs, and the other door opposite the library leads to the upper floors, which are mostly offices and rooms for teachers. Anything through that door is off limits to students."
Sadon opens the door, and we walk through into a large stairwell winding back and forth, leading down into darkness. We begin walking down, stopping at little landings every twenty or so steps to turn around and walk down more steps. Little lanterns with flickering flames light our path, throwing menacing shadows over everything. Sadon turns around and begins walking down the stairs backwards, his sickly green eyes watching our descent.
"Speaking of off limits, I should tell you where you'll be allowed to go when you're outside. Anything to the west of the main road belongs to the military and is strictly prohibited to students. Anything to the north leading to the beach behind the academy is fine, as is everything east. The east is mostly forest and training grounds though, and the military likes to punish their recruits by making them run along the paths. If you stay out of their way, you should be fine. Probably, anyway."
The stairs seem to go down forever, and by the time we stop a few of the others are breathing heavy. We stand on one of the landings facing a single door, the stairs continuing to wind down even further behind us. The air is cool and damp in the stairwell, and I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself.
"This is sub-level three, where you will be spending most of your time," Sadon says. "Each sub-level is reserved for twenty students, except for this one which is built for you leftover ten. Interactions with other groups should be kept to a minimum for now," Sadon says, opening the door, and we follow through.
The door opens to reveal a long hallway shaped like a sideways T, splitting the right side in half. The right wall is bare on both halves, while the left is covered in thick mahogany doors. Five evenly spaced doors lead down to the T-intersection before stopping for two door shaped openings opposite of the other hallway, an odd fountain placed against the wall between entrances. Five more doors are on the last half of the original hall, and we begin walking down towards them. The walls are made of almost black rock in a brickwork pattern, while the ceiling remains rough and rocky, like the builders wanted you to be reminded you were underground. Sadon walks until he stand in front of the drinking fountain and stops abruptly, turning to face us.
"These are your rooms," Sadon says, gesturing to each side of him. "Directly behind me are the bathrooms, both of which are state of the art. If you don't understand how to use some of the higher tech stuff, find someone to explain it to you," he says, walking towards us. The group splits around him, and he goes down the other hallway.
The hallway is wide enough that five people could walk side by side comfortably, and it's long enough that I have to squint to see the end of it. A staircase going up is placed against the back wall. Two doors are on the right and left walls, and we slow down as we approach the first two.
"The door to my left leads to a common room for you to hang out in when you aren't training. The one to my right is just a classroom that we'll use to teach you about tactics and general things about the League," Sadon says, moving towards the next two doors.
"The staircase at the end leads to sub-level two, the biggest of them all. The lunchroom, infirmary, and a few other common rooms are up there. Wandering into the students' area up there isn't allowed, so stick to the commons. You are allowed to interact with the other students up there, just try not to get too close to them," Sadon says as we reach the final two doors, a smile creeping its way onto his face.
"The one on the right is just a storage room. What we want is through here," he says, opening the door on the left and walking through. We follow. Everyone stops near the entrance, and I find myself standing on my toes to see over them.
"Welcome to the training room. Don't touch anything," Sadon says and keeps walking. We walk in, and I finally get a look at the room.
The training room is big, and it's at least twice as long as it is wide. The stone floors are covered with thick mats in certain areas, probably for some sort of hand-to-hand training. Target dummies are lined up against one part of the wall, and another has weapon racks filled with wooden practice swords and sticks. As we walk through the room, I can't help but wonder why all this is here. I mean, we're meant to be summoners, so why would they have a whole room for training? Maybe just so the Noxian students could keep their skills sharp?
We reach a door I previously hadn't seen on the back wall and go through it into a circular room with doors all along the wall. The room is completely empty, and I get an odd feeling, like something isn't quite right.
"Everyone, drop your bags off here for now," Sadon says, facing us from the center of the room. Everyone complies, and he smiles, gesturing to Fairfax. The captain walks to him and stands by his side, putting a hand on the hilt of his sword. The two of them look threatening standing like that, and I can't help but feel like something is wrong. Why did they make everyone carry their stuff here if our rooms were back there?
"Some of you probably have noticed some odd things by now," Sadon begins, folding his arms. "For instance, why we haven't actually explained what you would be doing here, or why we passed your rooms when you could have dropped your stuff off. The fact of the matter is, to become a student here, you must first take a test that proves you have the potential to become a summoner. Strictly speaking, this means none of you are actually students here," Sadon says, smiling as the others stiffen in surprise.
"Except for one," Fairfax interjects blandly, causing Sadon to frown at him. My heart stops. They're talking about the magic aptitude test that I just took. They have to be. I'm the odd one out in the group already, but this will only make the target on my back bigger. My heart starts to race, and I pray Sadon won't ask who it is. Sadon looks back to us with a shrug, and I let my breath out as he opens his mouth to speak.
"Wait a minute," Edward interupts angrily before Sadon can say anything. "What exactly are you trying to pull here? The letter you sent clearly said we were all accepted-"
"-as student candidates," Sadon interrupts, glaring at Edward. "Don't be so surprised, boy. You lot weren't even the first five choices. They took the test and ended up failing or dropping out afterward to become battlemages. Dumont wasn't just speaking to hear his own voice when he talked to you earlier. You really are the bottom of the barrel."
Edward blushes angrily but says nothing more. Elizabeth, who is standing next to him, just rolls her eyes and steps forward.
"Whatever, we get it already, alright? We just have to prove we deserve a spot here, and you'll accept us, right? Let's just get this over with then," she says, folding her arms arrogantly. Sadon just stares at her for a while, frowning in distaste.
"I agree," Jackson says in his deep voice. "We can pass whatever you throw at us."
Sadon lets out a sigh. "Very well then. Just don't be surprised when each and every one of you fails miserably. I did warn you, after all. Anyway, I'll explain the test, and then each of you will enter your own room to help you focus better."
"What about the person that already passed?" Cody blurts out. "Who is it anyway?"
"A good question," Sadon says, glancing at Fairfax. "Would the person who has already taken taken the test please stand next to us? Come now, don't be shy."
Silence follows, and everyone looks around at each other, wondering who it might be. My throat feels dry, and I can feel my hands shake slightly. I clench them into fists and take a step forward. And then another.
Seth gives me a surprised look as I walk past him, to the front of the group. Everyone steps out of my way as I make my way through them, like I'm a plague victim or something. I ignore their stares and step forward, standing in front of Fairfax and Sadon. Sadon raises his eyebrows for a second, before realization spreads across his face.
"Ahh, yes," he says, scratching his chin. "I forgot all Ionians take this test. Anyway, let's get on to explaining the test."
Fairfax beckons me to stand by him with a tilt of his head, and I walk over, facing my classmates. I stare at the ground in between us while Sadon explains how the aptitude test works. He gives the exact same explanation Zerick gave me except for a few more random details. I find it interesting when he says that the orbs are designed to record the results automatically, because if they do, then what was the point of Zerick being there to record my results? I remain quiet though, and Sadon finishes his explanation a few moments later.
"What did she get?" Xander asks curiously in the short silence that follows.
"You'll have to become a student first if you want to know," Fairfax says, and a few look like they want to argue, but he keeps going. "I suggest that you worry less about what she got and more about passing."
"I agree," Sadon says, clapping his hands together before anyone can say something else. "So how about we get this thing started."
Sadon ushers them all to individual rooms and when he's done, he turns to Fairfax and I, looking very annoyed. Fairfax just gives him a nod, and Sadon lets out a dark sounding chuckle.
"There," he says, his voice quivering with anger. "I pretended to be the nice and friendly tour guide, just like you and Dumont wanted. Void take me, if they interrupted me one more time though…"
"You would have done nothing," Fairfax says pointedly. "Because you can only discipline actual students. I'm well aware of why you are here, but using your… 'methods' this early would only cause us more headaches in the long run."
"True enough," Sadon says with a sigh. "But tomorrow is a different story, and then I'll be in charge of how these students are disciplined." he says, smiling, and I feel a shiver creep its way down my spine. Fairfax just frowns slightly at him but says nothing.
"Anyway," Sadon continues, "The real question is what we should have the girl do while we wait."
He never looks at me or even acknowledges my presence, so I stay quiet. He seems unstable, more so than the average Noxian anyway, and I don't want to be the first to experience whatever "methods" Fairfax was talking about. I think the captain would stop him from doing anything drastic, but he didn't argue when Sadon said he was going to be in charge starting tomorrow…
"You hungry?" Fairfax asks, turning to me and breaking my intense thoughts. The second he asks that, I feel my stomach gurgle, and I end up nodding, slightly embarrassed. I had forgotten how hungry using magic made me afterwards, and I guess I really haven't eaten since the test. Fairfax points to the door with a little smile on his face.
"The cooks in the lunchroom have some food ready. Go get something to eat and come back in ten minutes or so," he says, and I move to obey. Sadon says nothing, but this time I can feel his eyes on my back as I leave.
I close the door behind me and being walking down the length of the training room. My heartbeat begins to slow, and my anxiety begins to slowly dissolve. Just as I enter the hallway though, exhaustion along with a torrent of emotions hit me suddenly, and I end up leaning my side against the wall, touching my fingertips lightly to my head. I was worried about this training, but that doesn't seem to matter anymore now that I know Fairfax is going to be one of the teachers. He would protect me. I feel a laugh being to bubble inside of me. Oh how things have changed so quickly…
The laugh turns into a sob a second later, and I find myself throwing my hand over my mouth as tears begin to blur my vision. Loneliness pounds into me like a war hammer, and I end up letting out a muffled groan, sinking to my knees. My friends are all gone now, if I can even call them that in the first place. I sometimes wonder if they really were my friends, or just pitied me enough to pretend for awhile…
Then there's my family. Fairfax said I would get to see them again, but what if he was wrong? Even if I do get to see them, what will I say? Hi everyone, I know I left without saying a word, but I'm actually doing fine. Oh, and by the way, I'm training to become a summoner for Noxus. You know, the people that invaded us, killed our people, killed our father, beat us down, and… and…
I stop fighting the tears, letting them fall as I sob quietly to myself. Why am I so weak? This is what I wanted, isn't it? To learn to control my magic once and for all. To get stronger. So why am I crying? I used to be weak, but I can't be, not now. Magic is the one thing that I know I'm better than anyone else at, and this is where I can prove it. I got into this academy, which is more than any Ionian was able to do before me. I am stronger now. I have to be.
I stand up, wiping my face with my sleeves. I don't have to be afraid here. Fairfax said that it was prohibited to duel students. Not only that, but we're supposed to be training to become summoners. It wouldn't make any sense for us to do anything but train in magic. And magic is the one thing I have plenty of.
A few other things keep nagging at the back of my mind, but I ignore them and walk to the stairs going up to sub-level two. I can't afford to be distracted right now.
The stairs lead up to a small landing area with a door behind me. I push it open and enter a hallway with a few marked doors on either side. One says To Sub-level One, so I ignore that, walking down the hall. I pass two more, marked Teacher's Quarters and Infirmary, and reach the last door, looking towards its name plate. Cafeteria. I enter.
The room is huge and vaguely dome shaped, filled with with enough tables to sit around a hundred people. I walk towards a long counter, looking for for anyone, but the room appears to be entirely empty. Upon reaching what I assume to be the serving counter, I stop in my tracks, and my jaw drops to the floor.
Food. So much food.
The serving counter has little inlets for metal pots and pans, and all of them are filled to the brim with different foods. Rice, roasted chicken, pork, soups and broths of all kinds, different types of salads, fruit, bread, pastries, and everything in between. All the foods are cooked in different styles too, from traditional Ionian to the latest cuisines from Piltover. I can even see a few bottles of the alcoholic Graggy Ice at the end. I grab a plate, and move down the counter, grabbing anything that I recognize and like. It feels weird, helping myself to all this food, but Fairfax told me it was okay. My stomach seems fine with the decision too, so it doesn't bother me too much.
I eat all my food as quick as possible, half in part because of my hunger and half because I know I need to be back in ten minutes. The food is absolutely delicious, and I end up deciding to get seconds. Once I finish, I put my dishes on a tray at the end of the counter. I feel stuffed, and after taking one last look around the room, I leave, heading back to the testing room.
When I open the door to the room, everyone is waiting for me. Fairfax, Sadon, and Dumont all stand talking quietly amongst themselves while everyone else stands in a loose group on the other side of them. They all look exhausted, and Seth must have been the last to finish because he is still breathing heavy and is swaying on his feet, his eyes unfocused. A flash of sympathy shoots through my heart, but it disappears quickly. I walk over and join the loose group, standing next to Molly and Xander who seem too tired to notice me. Molly is sitting against the wall and Xander looks like he's sleeping on his feet.
After a few more seconds of whispering, the teachers seem to reach a consensus, and they turn to face us, a serious expression on their faces. I try to catch Fairfax's gaze, but he just stares blankly into our group, and worry begins gnawing at me. Why won't he look at me? Did they do better than he expected? Dumont clears his throat.
"Well now," Dumont begins, sweeping his gaze across us. "That went about as I expected. The good news is that everyone here is going to be a student. As I go through all of your results, you'll see what exactly the bad news is."
Everyone seems unsure of whether to smile or frown at his statement, so most of them just stand still and wait. I see worry flash across some of their faces, but most of the harder looking Noxians seem stubbornly proud, keeping their faces blank. Dumont points a finger, and I feel a whisper of magic brush across my senses. A small blue square appears where his finger was. I can barely make out writing on the square, but it looks backwards from where I look.
"A quick reminder," Fairfax says while Dumont squints at the writing. "Even though you only spent a few minutes taking the test, the orb is designed to slowly ramp up the magic required to power it. We will be giving you the actual time you could have powered the orb if the requirement stayed constant. The actual time makes up half of your score, while your overall potential is the second part. Overall potential measures how strong of a mage you could become by the end of your training here. Keep in mind it doesn't measure your total potential, so it's possible you could achieve a longer time by working hard."
"To become a student," Dumont says, looking up from the screen, "You must either pass both requirements in actual time and overall potential, or at least excel in one of the categories. The required times are one hour for actual, and six hours for potential. I'll let you guess as to which most of you passed by."
I begin to wonder how I got in. Ideally, I would have passed both requirements, but it's possible I only got the overall potential. It wouldn't be the first time I overestimated my own power. A tingle runs down my spine, and I shake my head. I need to focus right now.
"The order we go through these names is randomized." Dumont continues. "We'll start with Xander Declan. Your actual time was thirty-one minutes. Your potential was measured at eight hours and fifteen minutes."
Xander frowns at his time, but stays quiet as Dumont moves on.
"Devon. Actual time was forty-two minutes. Potential is eleven hours and thirty minutes."
He makes no expression either way, but somehow I have a feeling that he's surprised by the way his eyes shift.
"Elizabeth Montfort. You achieved forty-five minutes. Potential is twelve hours and fifteen minutes. Edward Montfort achieved forty minutes with a potential of eleven hours."
Elizabeth has a sour look on her face, and Edward stiffens in surprise, giving a quick glance to his sister before looking away. Is he jealous? Wait, he's Noxian, of course he's jealous.
"Jackson Garnet. Thirty-five minutes with a potential of nine hours."
He doesn't even flinch.
"Molly Rennes. You had the lowest score with a time of twenty minutes and potential of seven hours."
A few people glance at her, and she keeps staring at the floor, trying to ignore them.
"Alexander Findel. Actual time was forty-seven minutes. Potential of thirteen hours."
He smiles at this and looks visibly relieved. He is the best out of all of them so far, which makes me glad. He seems like he might be the nicest, so he might not target me first.
"Cody Kain. Actual time of forty minutes and potential of twelve hours."
He smiles arrogantly, and it isn't hard to figure out why. He got the same time as Edward but a higher potential. Noxians are always competing, even if they're friends.
"And finally, we have Seth Durandal. Actual time of fifty-five minutes and a potential of fourteen hours and thirty minutes."
I see Seth stiffen in surprise out of the corner of my eye. Out of all of them, he got the best time. I'm not sure what to think of him yet, but something about him makes me weary. A lot of the other students are giving him a second glance, but most of them don't seem too surprised. Do they all somehow know each other?
"Does anyone have questions about their scores?" Dumont asks, looking up at us. I feel a flutter of hope rise in my chest. Maybe now that everyone's tired they won't remember to ask what my score is.
"What did the Ionian get?" Cody asks, and my fluttering hope turns to a fluttering nervousness.
"Oh, yes, I had almost forgotten," Dumont says, and he flicks the blue square in front of him a few times until the writing changes.
"Yes, here we are. Aria Kessler. Your times were…" He slowly trails off, and then looks to Fairfax. "Are these times correct?"
His voice sounds darker and more serious, and I begin to panic. What if I didn't pass the test at all? What if Fairfax just used some favors to get me here. From what I've seen of Dumont so far, there's no way he would accept that. Even though he made it sound like most of the other Noxians here got in because of politics, they at least passed their test. He would loathe me if I got in and didn't pass. Not to mention what unstable Sadon might do…
Fairfax leans over to the square and squints at where Dumont points. He frowns before pulling out a small notebook, similar to the one Zerick had. He opens it up and starts flipping through pages.
"Don't worry," a voice whispers from next to me, and I stiffen in surprise as Cody continues speaking in a mocking tone. "Dumont did say we were the bottom of the barrel. I'm sure your powerful friend up there will fix things right up so you can train with the rest of us."
I don't know when he crept so close to me or how he managed to do it so quietly, and I end up flinching away from him. He smiles and takes a step closer to me, a hand hidden behind his back. I tense up, and reach out towards my magic, calling up whatever power I have. Whatever he does next, I'll be able to react first. There's no way he can move faster than the speed of thought, especially if I have my power ready for him.
"Cody," Fairfax says from across the room in a calm voice, holding up the notebook to compare something with the magic square. "I wouldn't provoke her if I were you. Or me for that matter."
"What?" Cody spits back. "I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking. It's not my fault you have to fix her results so she can stay here."
Silence echoes across the room, and I can all but touch the tension as it follows Cody's accusation. Dumont points something out to Fairfax on the screen, and Fairfax looks back between the book and screen for a second before Dumont lets the screen disappear. Fairfax closes his book and puts it back in his pocket, looking silently at Cody for a few seconds. Next to him, Sadon suddenly breaks out into laughter, and everyone stays deathly still.
"Oh dear…" Sadon says, still chuckling to himself. "You just made a huge mistake, boy. Dumont wanted to see the results Fairfax brought because the ones he had seemed too ridiculous to be true. The problem wasn't whether she passed or not, but by how much."
"Aria Kessler," Dumont says tiredly. "Your actual time was seven hours and twenty-four minutes. Your potential was too high for the orb to measure accurately, so you were given just a potential time of at least twenty-four hours."
"So you see, Fairfax was telling the truth," Sadon says, still chuckling. "You really don't want to mess with her."
Cody opens his mouth to speak, but Fairfax sweeps his cloak back, putting his hand on his sword. His eyes somehow grow even more intense, like only a Noxian's can, and Cody goes very still.
"If I remember correctly," the captain murmurs. "You also said I changed her results to get her in. Let me make something clear. There is nothing more important to me than my honor, and if any of you ever insult my honor again, then I will defend it. Violently. Are we clear?"
Cody clenches his teeth, seething in rage and embarrassment, but says nothing. Everyone else is quiet too, and I feel a fierce sense of triumph surge through me. I release the meager amount of power I called up as Dumont clears his throat, breaking the tension.
"Now that we're done with that," he begins, like nothing happened. "Let's get on to how this academy will work. Due to how weak most of you are in magic, we'll begin with a training regiment. The training will be both physical and mental and split into three phases. Each phase will last until we feel you are sufficiently trained. After the first month or so of this training, we will switch to training you in the actual arts of summoning. Questions so far?"
There are none, so he continues.
"You will be training every day except for Sundays, where you will be allowed to visit the city. Leaving the city is strictly prohibited and will be seen as a sign of quitting. Every day will start the exact same way except for your free days. Breakfast will be served at eight, and you will be expected in the training room by nine. Training will last until six with lunch served at noon, and supper will be at seven. What you do in your free time is up to you, but be warned that there is a curfew at eleven in the afternoon. Anyone caught outside of the academy after this time will be severely punished."
Dumont looks around for any questions, but everyone seems to understand so far. He takes a look at his watch before continuing.
"Good. You are now free to do as you please. There's food prepared for you up in the lunchroom. First, though, I recommend you drop your things off in your rooms. Your rooms are ordered based on how you scored, with the highest score getting the room furthest from the stairs and the lowest score getting the closest one. It's already nine-thirty, so I suggest you hurry and get to bed have a big day tomorrow."
With that, he leaves the room, Fairfax and Sadon following close behind. Once they're gone, everyone seems to relax a little. They pick up their bags and head out of the room. Elizabeth, Edward, and Cody all shoot me venomous looks as they leave, but I ignore them. Alex hurries out after them, giving me a small smile as he leaves. The rest of them exit silently, and I wait for a few seconds, letting them get a head start.
After waiting for a minute or two, I head out towards my room. I don't meet any of them in the hallway thankfully, but I'm curious how we'll be living for the next few months, so I end up hurrying to the last door. I open it and walk in, lights turning on the second I step in. I close the door behind me and look around.
The room is a decently sized rectangle separated into two parts by a wall and opening without a door. The first half is a sort of living room with a couch against the left wall and a desk and chair against the right. The second half is the sleeping area which has a simple looking bed and nightstand against the left wall with a closet on the right. I open up the closet, and am greeted by the sight of uniforms hanging on the walls. The right side has a whole bunch that look like the one I'm currently wearing except they have an intricate pattern of red lines across the whole blazer instead of just the back. The left wall has four pairs of black, loose-fitting workout clothes. They all oddly look like they fit me exactly, but when I take a step forward to inspect them, my foot hits something sturdy.
On the floor is a wooden chest with a note on it. I pick up the piece of paper and squint at the flowing handwriting.
Aria,
If you are reading this, then you have most likely passed the aptitude test and are at the new summoning school. Words cannot express how happy I am for you right now. I always knew you were destined for great things, and I am so proud that you are following your calling. I know that training at this Noxian academy will be tough for you, but stay strong and take heart. I have watched you practice magic since you were little, and I can safely say none of them will be able to give you much of a challenge as long as you are careful. I will never stop believing in you, and I pray for your safe return and inevitable success.
I have packed some clothes and other belongings of yours into this chest that I've entrusted with Captain Fairfax's guards. If you need anything else, send me a letter or come visit the house if at all possible. There are some things I need to tell you, and I'm sure your brothers would feel much better after seeing you (along with me, for that matter). Please visit quickly. I miss you already.
Love, Mom
PS: A few vials of the medicine we used to give you are packed within the chest. If you feel the symptoms come on, drink half a vial at a time. I know you haven't taken it in awhile, but I wanted to send them just in case.
A spot suddenly appears on the note, and then another as I continue staring at it. It takes me a second to realize I'm crying. I use my sleeve to wipe away the tears as I reread the note. I finally put it down after the fourth or fifth time, and sit on the bed sniffing and wiping away more tears.
How could I have lost faith in my family? Of course they understood. This wasn't how I wanted everything to play out, but I certainly wasn't going to pass up this opportunity. I was going to make the best out of this bad situation if at all possible. Not to mention, I have a feeling about this academy. It's not going to be like my school, where the threat of Noxian students was constantly looming. They couldn't duel me, so at worst they could glare at me and give some petty insults. Even if they weren't honorable and did try something, as long as I was careful and stayed within the academy Fairfax would make sure they behaved.
This is my chance to regain everything I've lost. Maybe my last.
I get up and pull the chest to the end of the bed. It's somewhat large and heavy, and it takes me a few tries, but I finally get it over and opened up. On the top is a large, black leather violin case, and I smile. I can all but hear Mom reminding me to keep up with practicing it. I take it out, and after a few second of deliberation, put it under my bed. I didn't see a lock on my door, so I need to be careful where I leave my things. The next thing in my chest really surprises me.
A cloth cover twenty-nine inches long lays on top of stacks of clothing. I pick it up carefully, and pull out my sword from the covering carefully. The sheath is wooden with a glossy black color. The guard is a circular ring with thin metal lines connecting it to the blade, creating a snowflake pattern within the outer circle. The handle is squared and long enough to easily accommodate two hands. It's also made of black wood like the sheath and has a deep blue silk wrap around it to provide better grip. I lift up the familiar weight of my katana, and stare at it for awhile.
This was one of the few things I still had of my father's. Dad died fighting in the war when I was little, but before he had left for the war, he made my brother and I weapons. He was a master smith, and my mom even admitted that she wasn't close to his masterwork. He used a rare Ionian technique called "spell-forging", where magic was infused into the blade during its creation. I was told that no matter how many times I swung my katana, it would never break or get dull so long as I continually supplied it with energy. This is easily my most valuable possessions, and whenever I look at it, I can't help but feel a mixture of pride and sorrow.
I reach out with my senses and do a quick check of how much energy is stored inside. Just brushing up against the spell's power source sends a jolt through me and I back away. For as long as I can remember, I've always put the remainder of my mana into the spell before I went to bed. I don't actually know if there's a limit to how much power can be put in, but I'm interested to find out.
The spell-forged blade was unlike normal spells. Normally, spells "feel" like a webwork of energy with little spots where the lines connect, representing things like the spell's function and power source. The sword felt completely different. The whole sword had a webwork so thick that the entire sword might as well be a spell itself. If I closed my eyes and reached out my senses, the entire sword would light up in my mind, and I could see every little detail. The whole thing had no holes like the normal pattern of a spell or any spots of concentrated energy either. The entire thing was beyond even my knowledge, which was a little scary.
I end up putting the sword on the clothes rack in the closet. I figure if anyone's snooping through my clothes, I'll have bigger problems than who took my sword. The rest of the things in the trunk are just clothes and the five finger-length vials of medicine. The medicine is a red, thick liquid that tastes… well I guess it tastes pretty good, especially compared to most medicines, but still. It's the principle of the thing.
I put the vials on the desk along with the letter, and end up moving my violin back into the chest. A quick whisper of power from me, and the chest is locked by a simple spell. Even that much magic ends up being too much though, and I find myself sitting on the bed, looking around my new room.
After a few second of catching my breath, I nod to myself and grab some comfortable night clothes from the closet. I head out towards the bathrooms. There's still no one else in the halls, probably because they're still feasting up in the lunchroom. I walk into the bathroom and take a quick look around. The bathroom has four changing rooms that lead to showers, both of which are separated by plastic curtains. There's also three huge baths that could easily fit four people, and each is separated by an actual wall and entryway. The only other thing in the room is four toilets and some sinks along one wall with a giant mirror above them.
All of this is slightly odd to me, as Ionia is mostly more traditional and uses little technology. The city-state of Piltover is the main reason for most of these technological improvements, like the advanced plumbing, but this is one of the first times I've ever seen their strange technology and magic combination they call techmaturgy. So far, I can't help but be impressed. I step into one of the changing rooms and close the curtain behind me.
It takes me a few tries to figure out the different knobs of the shower, and I end up scalding myself a few times before I get the water just hot enough. It sprays down from the faucet, and steam slowly starts forming. I take a step in and…
Oh. Wow. Like, wow. No wonder people thought Ionians were too old fashioned. It's because we totally are. Why would anyone not want to have showers? I'm pretty sure it's a crime to be deprived of something that feels this good. I mean, seriously…
I finish my shower in a quick thirty minutes and change into my night clothes, using the towel in the changing room to dry off. Inside the changing room is a little slot marked Laundry, and I put my clothes in and press the button next to it. The slot makes a whirring sound, and moves up, disappearing into the wall and being replaced by another slot. Impressive. I guess not having to do your own laundry is one of the perks of being a student in a special academy. I could definitely get used to this.
I grab my shoes and walk barefoot out of the bathroom, taking a sharp turn towards my room. Edward is in the hallway, and he stalks deliberately towards me the second he sees me. I stare straight ahead and try to ignore the cold fear prickling over my skin underneath my loose shirt and pants.
"Hey, Ionian," he calls out, but I ignore him and keep walking hurriedly towards my room. He takes a few quick steps and catches up to me though, knocking my shoes to the ground with his hand as he passes. I keep walking, deciding to ignore my shoes for the moment, but he slams an arm against the wall in front of me, blocking my path. I finally look up into a very angry looking face.
"Ignoring me isn't going to work," he says, his eyes darting across my face, looking for any kind of weakness.
My heart is pounding, but I ignore it and think rationally. He can't hurt me. We're on even ground, and I need to show him that. So I just stare right back at him, crossing my arms and raising my eyebrow questioningly.
"You stupid little… " he begins, gritting his teeth together. "Listen here. I don't know what you think you know, but your chances of succeeding here are low enough that you might as well quit, alright? You're just a weak little Ionian girl who thinks she's all that. Not to mention, only ten percent of the summoners accepted are from Noxus, and of all the summoners accepted, only ten percent are girls. You don't stand a chance, especially against all of us. So I'll give you this one chance to leave and never come back. If you don't, I promise to make it my mission to destroy you, understand?"
I stare up at him, unmoving, and the chilly air in the hallway raises goosebumps on my skin. I try to think of something witty to say, but my brain feels sluggish and exhausted. Maybe something simple would be better.
"Now that you're done trying to scare me, can I go?" I ask nonchalantly, stifling a yawn. " 'Cause I'm really, really tired."
"Fine," he spits out, his face turning a hateful red. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
With that, he stalks past me to his room, brushing past me as he leaves. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. I slowly get myself back under control, and I turn around to pick up my shoes only to be greeted by Alex, staring timidly from underneath his blond hair.
"Here," he says, looking away and holding out my shoes to me.
"Thanks," I say, grabbing them softly. I turn to go, but he coughs lightly, and I stop.
"Hey look," he says, rubbing his arm. "Not all of us Noxians are like that. I know you probably don't think very highly of us but… some of us are different, ya know? So if you ever need anything, just feel free to ask, alright? I'll talk to him and see if I can't get him to stop."
I blink at the sincerity behind his soft words. I'm not sure what to say, so I just nod at him and smile. He nods, and we both walk away to our rooms. I walk past the second room, but as I do I hear it softly click shut. I frown. That should be Seth's room according to our rankings. He seemed nice like Alex, so why was he listening in? Was he just curious about the commotion Edward caused, or was it something else?
I shake my head. I'm not going to get any answers by standing around doing nothing, and I'm too tired to do any more politicking today. I walk into my room and drop my shoes in the closet before crawling underneath my bed covers. I click a little switch on the wall, and the lights turn off except for a little glass clock on the stand next to the bed with blue glowing numbers. It takes a little bit of tinkering, but I figure out after a while how to not only turn off the light, but also set an alarm to wake me up at seven. Seriously, Piltover must be the most convenient place to live ever. This technology…
I slowly drift off into sleep, letting my mind wander. My thoughts keep coming back to the weird dream memory I had when I fainted, but eventually I give up. Whatever it was, it can wait a little longer to be figured out. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to give me a good idea of what I can expect from a normal day at this academy, and I can't help but feel a little excited.
My thoughts start blurring together, and sleep overtakes me.