Woarel

((Seya))

Soft breeze blowing on Seya's face. Her hair was dancing along with the wind. The sea was blue, sparkling with the shining sun. All was well, and it was a perfect day for the beginning of a new life. Arriving to the Portuary City of Aneastor, the sea gate to the Kingdom of Trianea, Seya Raghen, was ready to enter the prestigious Akademiyi of Trianea, where she would learn everythng about life-based songs. After some days sailing the calm sea, the beautiful Azurean-crafted ship was finally arriving to the pier. Seya was glad that they hadn't met any storm that could have upset the trip. The young girl, moving along with the vessel, which was searching for a proper spot to stop, observed the busy city.

"Excuse me, miss; what is your name?" an ambassador of Trianea spoke. Apparently, lately Trianea was being very careful with the people entering the kingdom, controling who was getting in. that would make it easier for them to catch a criminal, if one would dare sneak past the tight Trianean security.

"I am Seya Raghen, graduate student from the Akademiyi in Areza. I came here to join the Trianea Akademiyi in the high hills behind Aneastor..." while she said that, Seya handed in a letter she had brought with her. She had been given this letter back in Azure. The principal of the Areza Akademiyi had told her to give the letter to the ambassador in Trianea; he would know what to do.

"Oh! A songstress, I see!" his face became brighter, as he read the letter. He gave it back to the girl, and told her to follow him. "By the way... welcome to the Kingdom of Trianea!"

Seya checked out everything she could see from the height of the ship, and she realized that the city was surprisingly busy. The streets were full of people. To think that there would be even more people once she left the docks... it made her feel sort of dizzy. Areza was quite populated as well, but it was different; more calm. She liked the atmoshphere of Areza. Actually, she was surprised about the looks of Aneastor. It was very different to the cities back home. The architecture seemed less polished, more sturdy, and definitely not as beautiful. But it had its own charm.

Seya followed the ambassador into the city, with two guards by their side. She wasn't used to such protection. It was strange to think songstresses were treated with such reverence in this kingdom.

"Thank you, ser..." Seya's voice trailed off, waiting for the man to say his name.

"I'm Gantione, lady Raghen. Mack Gantione. I will remain at your disposition if you need anything until you decide to leave the city. I assume you would not be staying here for long?" his voice showed some concern, but he seemed to want her to leave to the Akademiyi already. He didn't seem like a bad person, but surely he thought he had far more important things to do than to protect a young girl.

"Thank you, ser Gantione. I will certainly not be staying for long. Depending on the transports I find, I might even leave today. If I had not such luck, I would leave by down tomorrow, so I would only need to find a place where I could sleep tonight."

The man decided, seeing that she was actually leaving soon, to act nicely and tell her his address, just in case she needed anything. "If you do need help, come see me at any time. I will do my best to help you. Now, if you will excuse me, there is some work I have to do, and I am afraid there's not that many people who can do it...". Smiling gently, the man left, taking the two guards with him. She was finally on her own. It was a strange feeling, for the first time going to a foreign kingdom, and without her family!

As Seya walked around the city, she realized people gave her strange looks. Of course, she was indeed wearing an Akademiyi dress, but... it was not Trianea's, but Azure's. This meant she was wearing all white clothes with a single black line. People in general were probably not used to see that kind of clothes here. She should change to her new clothes as soon as possible... but where could she do that? Of course, she shouldn't call Gantione just for a place to change her clothes. She would look just like a spoiled little girl, and that was exactly what she wanted to avoid.

Maybe it would be a good idea to walk to the limit of the city, for the time being. It took quite a while for Seya to get there, as the city was quite big. In the end, she made it, and a wall was clearly showing where the city ended. In a reckless moment, she decided to go out of the city, take the Trianea Akademiyi tunic and change her clothes right there. Fortunately, since it only took her a few seconds to do it, there was nothing she should worry about.

Looking around, Seya saw a small plain in front of her, with a tight road coming out from the city and narrowly climbing the cliff. On top of it lay the Trianea Akademiyi. It was a classy building, one that was very big, too. She had seen it from the sea, when she was nearing Aneastor. And right then, she heard something behind her. A horse cart was approaching her at a slow speed.

Sitting on the cart and directing the horse was an old man. He looked really healthy and he was quite big. By the looks of it, he was taking supplies to the Akademiyi. "Excuse me, kind man. Would it be ok if this humble student asked for a ride to the Akademiyi? It seems you are going there."

The man accepted with a loud laugh. He said of course he'd help a young lady such as herself. Upon hearing that, Seya bowed to the man and sat at the back of the cart. She felt the cold breeze under her clothes, while climbing, but the magnificent view of the city from such height was making up for it. Such a big harbor, the bustling city... she was starting to believe that coming all the way there was being worth the effort. She tried to imagine all the wonders that were still left for her to see.

The road got narrower and more difficult as they kept climbing the cliff, but the man was exceptionally skilled, and he made it without more trouble. Finally, Seya had made it to her new Akademiyi. Before leaving the man, though, she reached her back and gave him a loaf of bread, as a way of thanking him. The man directed the cart to the supplies' back gate, while Seya admired the beautiful building before entering by the front door.

Some students looked at her. It was only natural, she was a new face who was already wearing their typical tunic!

((Reito))

Muffled voices echoed from the room with closed doors, just enough for Reito to catch a sentence every now and again. He was left in the main hall as the Diplomats were speaking on behalf of the Merchant Asrealtis. He would be the first Guardian used through a system of trade to further greaten the ties between Sobaya and Trianea. Asrealtis, the man who had become like a father to Reito is the one whom created this plan, thinking it would knock a portion of the debt off his shoulders. The Diplomats payed a good price on the spot, knowing this would be a way to improve both relations and trade between the nations.

As the great doors opened he was quick to stand, the great katana's sheath tapping against the bench. "You can join us now Silver Striker." Reito approached forward towards the well lit room. Windows decorated the far wall, opening a view of the port city. Reito walked before the man in the room, kneeling down and remaining in the position. The doors slammed shut from the weight of the material, breaking the silence. "To maintain trust between our nations, we offer you the services of one of our best Guardians. King Vanarael offered to pay for this man's service for the nation of Trianea." Apparently the negotiation did not go as they planned, for already they laid a back up card to make sure arrangements went by well. " This service is to prove that the nation of Sobaya will support and live in peace with the nation of Trianea."

It was easy to hear the man's footsteps walk across the hard wood floor, this may have not been the king but definitely a higher class, probably in close terms with the king. "On behalf of the king I accept your offer. I will send word to King Alomia about our friends in the nation of Sobaya." The two diplomats took a bow and walked out the door. When the door shut, the man gave a sigh. "Stand.." Reito obeyed, pushing himself up and gaining posture. It would be improper to act casual in front of any high class individual. "I am sure with your common reasoning you will understand that I can not allow you to personally guard our king, or any other high official." He nodded, showing that the man was correct. "For the main time, I will send you up to the Akademiyi of Trianea. Or do you wish to remain here until I can get word to the king and a proper location for your services?"

Reito had to think for a moment before speaking, not having any desire to be looked down upon by a man from another nation of his class. "If I go to the Akademiyi, then what exactly will I be protecting? It is impossible for one man alone to protect many songstresses or the fellow men there."

"Actually you will be sent to the principle there." The door opened as another man entered, by the look on his face slightly surprised to see Reito. A few words were exchanged between the two before the man left again. "Once you get to the Akademiyi you will meet with the principle." He walked back over to his desk, sitting down and writing a letter. "He will have to be the one to decide what to do with you, and if the king desires you elsewhere, we will send for you. This is only because of the lack of forewarning, otherwise we would be a little more organized for this." He set down his writing utensil, folding the paper and giving it to Reito. "Give this to the principle and it should explain matters. The man that just left will be preparing a carriage for you, and it should take you up to the Akademiyi."

He felt slightly rushed, but Reito did not mind at all. He held the letter firmly, making his way out the door. His dark armor made him stand out easily with the white walls of the hallways. It was obviously one of the main buildings here in the ports due to the exquisite furbishing. Exiting the building he rested against one of the walls. The sun was quite bright today, not many clouds filled the sky so rain would not be a burden.

Uncomfort did set in as he saw the carriage pull up, it was one of high class. Even Asrealtis did not allow him to ride in these. Reito slowly stepped forward, looking up at the man at coach. "Silver Striker?" The man said, leaving him no choice but to nod and climb in. He pulled the small door shut behind him, looking out the windows around him. The seats were soft, and far more comfortable then he would have originally guessed. He unstrapped the sheath and laid the katana on the seat across from him for the additional comfort.

Reito looked through the back window as the port grew smaller and all the view converged into one. "I am definitely not in Sobaya anymore.." He slightly chuckled to himself, beginning to feel at ease. Manners meant nothing when the high class people were not around, so it was pointless to keep acting proper when it was not needed. Every now and again the carriage would hit a small bump in the road, but the trip was shorter then he could have expected. Before he knew it the man was holding open the door, treating Reito like he was one of the High class. "Thanks.." He muttered, stepping outside of the carriage, fastening the sheath back onto his side.

He approached the main entrance, marveling at the structure. Never had he really been near one of the Akademiyi, let alone been inside of one. He slowly made his way through the door, knowing full well that he was going to attract attention one way or another. When a teacher came to check with him, he simply held up the letter. "Follow me, I will take you to the principle." Reito smiled slightly at the fact that he didn't need to exchange any words, it was probably the signature that caught the teacher's attention. And so he followed them, hoping to figure out whom he would be protecting for the time being.

((Sarkhan))

The land out here was beautiful to Sarkhan's eyes. He'd never seen so many living things in one place, much less plant life. The grass grew across entire fields, covering up everything in every direction, and there were hardly any rocks showing through the coverage. On his old farm, there had hardly been a patch as green as all of this, and even the fields at harvesting time never looked like these acres. Everything was barren and rocky in Jowav, a sort of grey expanse that was always cold.
Through most of the travel, he spent his time staring out over the lands here, wishing soulfully he could build a farm here on this fertile soil.
"Pay attention to where you're walking or you'll fall over." His guide and companion on this trip, Vol, didn't seem to admire the landscape as much as he did. "We're almost there. A few more hours and you'll be in class." Vol readjusted his pack and quickened the pace.

As Vol had predicted, they were navigating the streets below the Akademiyi in the timeframe he had set earlier. Once again, Sarkhan was dumbfounded. The place was huge! Far larger than anything he'd ever seen, or even heard about. The structures were large, somewhat blocky, but beautiful in a way. He'd never heard of so many people in one place, with so much color and vibrant life. His senses were overloaded by everything, and people bustled by him, knocking into him as his large form stumbled back and forth. Vol stopped to check on him, and decided upon a break. They stayed in the spot for a spell while Sarkhan asked questions about Aneastor, all of which amazed Vol in their simplicity.

"How do they feed everybody here? It must take all the farms in the land to keep everybody fed!" Sarkhan asked in wonder, watching a team of men transporting baskets of grain.
"Not really actually... Most of the farms do sell the harvest here, but a lot of it is shipped off to other countries from the port." Vol nodded a greeting to a wealthy merchant as he spoke, anxious to be going. "Now come on Sarkhan, I don't like all this quizzing and waiting around. You can ask questions while we walk." With that, Vol got up and checked his pack.
Sarkhan followed suite grumpily, working their way through Aneastor afternoon traffic with haste.

"So there are more cities this size?" Sarkhan asked as they huffed the final stretch up the hill to the gates of the Akademiyi. Vol ignored the question and took a second to catch his breath. The guards at the gate eyed them suspiciously, grasping their weapons firmly. From a distance, and from not so far, the pair looked like scruffy Jowav travelers up to no good, and both of them had a weapon slung at their side. As Vol moved closer, the guards switched into aggressive stances, just barely angling their pikes forward as if to imply they could impale them in a second.
"Hail." Vol shouted out cautiously, knowing quite well that the guards didn't like them. The guards answered similarly, two coming forward a bit.
Vol did the same,, moving forward a bit and watching them, and the process continued back and forth until they were face to face.

"I have a letter here stating that this one, Sarkhan, has gained entry to this Akademiyi." Vol handed over the somewhat grubby and crinkled letter which the guard promptly took. After reading it, the guard passed it back and signaled for Sarkhan to come over to them.
Somehow, Sarkhan felt like he was in the middle of a hostage trade.
He stepped forward regardless and was led to the gates by the guards. "You look lost, are you okay?" One of the younger guards placed a comforting hand on one of Sarkhan's large shoulders. Admittedly, he did feel lost, and overwhelmed. He caught a glance at the city spread out behind him, and at the tall, proud walls of the sturdy city.
"I'm.. fine." He said softly, advancing through the gates and towards the majestic building that was the Akademiyi.
Vol turned and walked away, not even bothering a word to the clueless giant.

((Jhera))

Although an early riser by the standards of the nobility, by the time Jhera was up the cyclopean residence of J’net Palace – towering massively in the most select district of Aneastor – was already a hive of activity. In truth, the silver-turreted labyrinth never really slept, with the Far Isle Guards on constant patrol, messengers flooding in and out – each one with a vital message – supply carts...the list was endless, all dedicated to maintaining the vast structure and the family it was home to.

Jhera’s suite of rooms, though, were far away from the bustling hum of the gatehouse, and inside the grand chambers – swathed in purple draperies that shut out all light – the loudest sound was the steady, muted ticking of the grandfather clock that reared up by the doors, ancient and dependable.

A diffident knock sounded at the entrance, and then the heavy gilt-inlaid doors swung inwards, silent on well-oiled hinges, allowing one of the Palace butlers to sail in on polished shoes, followed by various other servants. Two maids caught hold of the drapes and pulled; they rattled along their rails and blazing sunshine struck down through broad, mullioned windows that gazed down on the sprawling city.

Jhera woke, like a great cat wakes, a swamped figure amid the fantastically-carved bedposts and mounds of comforters. “Good morning, your Grace,” murmured his butler. “A momentous day for House J’net, no?”

“Hmm. Yes, yes I suppose so.” Jhera stretched lazily. “It’s good to be back home again, even so. Olson, lay out my Akademiye tunic, would you? The black and red one, if you please.”

Jhera had, after all, attended both Wisse and Grenaia’s Akademiye – and, being in possession of both a solid-black tunic and a brilliant red one, had ordered a new garment incorporating the two to be sewn up. Now, red wings of fabric adorned the shoulders and back of that tunic, with simple red lappets running down the front of the dense, black material.

Of course, the instant he was formally presented with Trianea’s Akademiye tunic, he’d change, but until then it might perhaps serve as a useful reminder to certain instructors – and other students – watching that he could sing, and sing well, at that. Well enough to burn someone’s face off or crush them in the dark.

It was some time later, after Jhera had breakfasted well in one of J’net Palace’s palatial dining rooms - on roasted tomatoes, rosemary-speared songbirds with lemon salt and a tart glaze, puff-shelled white barley rice and a sprinkle of saffron – that one of the family fleet of closed landaus, drawn by four champagne horses and with the dragon-crest of House J’net in prominence on its doors, clattered up to the steps that led to the main entrance of the colossus, surrounded by four Far Isle Guards, also mounted.

Jhera gathered his red-and-black tunic around himself – a Trianean by birth and having spent some considerable time in tropical Grenaia, he felt the cold – and hurried in as dignified a manner as possible down the long flight, a gaggle of senior House J’net servants and relatives following him in a purple wave.

“Take care, coz,” Theo J’net murmured bracingly as he handed Jhera into the landau. “We’ll hold the fort here – literally.” He smiled, wide and white, a winning beam. “Give the Akademiyi hell, hmm?”

“But of course. Try not to let House J’net sink while I’m gone, hmm? I will only be a little way away, after all.”

“Yes, yes, my lordly cousin! Now go on, get! Anyone would think you were nervous,” his cousin teased. Jhera scowled blackly and pulled the coach door shut.

Shortly, there came a terse, imperious command along the lines of: “Get a move on, man!” and the landau started off in grand style through the gates and out into the city.

Jhera stared out of the windows as the carriage rattled along the busy thoroughfares, not seeing the soaring architecture or the healthy, wealthy bustle of the marketplaces and upscale emporia. His gaze was locked on the towering hills outside his city, where the Akademiyi rested smugly in the arms of the land.

The landau’s horses were good – Jhera bought only the best, after all – and the coachman was an expert at his job, so they made good time out of the city gates – where the guards hurriedly leapt to attention as it passed – and up the causeway through the bluffs to the high gates of Trianea Akademiyi.

The Far Isle Guards, impeccably turned-out, wheeled their horses into a line with the landau at its centre, and saluted smartly as soon as Jhera stepped out. Blinking in the sunlight, he stared up at the wrought-iron and gilt, and beyond that to the sprawling complex of Akademiyi buildings, and then abruptly refocused to the guards at the gates, who were looking unsure and mildly harried.

Rings flashing in the sunlight, short and dark Jhera J’net smiled blandly up at the little soldiers. They held little fear for him – he had four of his own guards dancing attendance, after all, and nobles tended to ask expensive questions if one of their own was hurt. His eyes sought the most senior guard on duty.

“Sergeant, please inform the principal and First Mistress of the Akademiyi that the Duke of the Far Isles has returned and wishes to discuss an important matter with her. At once.”

((Seya))

After crossing the front door threshold, Seya realized she was quite lost in this place. She had never been to the Trianea Akademiyi before, and of course she didn't know how to get to anywhere, even if she was supposed to meet the principal. The first thing she thought she should do, then was to find someone who would give her some directions.

At first, Seya kept walking without really knowing where she was going, and only when she saw a group of youngest girls who were giggling she realized it was at least the third time she was walking through the same place. However, Seya wasn't troubled, and she just kept searching. After a while, she finally met someone who wasn't wearing the tunic the students had to wear, and so politely she asked for the principal's office.

The directions she was given were a bit complicated, but Seya was sure she wouold be able to follow them, and so she then went straight-ahead to the principal's office. Knocking before being allowed to open the door. Inside the room, a smiling relatively old woman. The principal, the headmistress. She was a tall woman with a thin but strong figure. She seemed very strict, but wise. Her eyes were full of strength, and her short bob was a proof of her age.

"Ah, Seya Raghen, am I right? I do not think I am mistaken, I know every student's face...!" The woman, in all her politeness, kept a certain distance, although she was wamly welcoming Seya to the Akademiyi. "I hope your trip from Areza to Aneastor was calm, and I also hope you will enjoy your time with us. As you might already imagine, we have arranged a room for you on the east wing of the buillding, as well as your schedule." Upon saying this, the headmistress handed a paper to Seya, where she could see her schedule and the classes she would be taking.

"We have decided you will be joining regular classes, even if you should already have a good knowledge over bravery and fear tactics. However, we have confidence in our "Bravery" and "Psicology" teachers, who will be able to get you to learn a lot of new things. I would also like to remind you of the all so important Purity class. That is one of the most important course on your schedule, so do not miss it."

Seya rolled her eyes at thinking of doing "Purity" classes. She had expected to be doing mostly theoretical classes, in order to learn the life-based songs. If she going to only do that, she could finish it as soon as possible and maybe move to a third Akademiyi. In a way, it was her dream to get to study at all of them, even if it took quite a lot of time. After a short conversation with the headmistress, Seya left her office, having been given they key to her room but realizing she had forgotten to ask about the whereabouts of the east wing and that room.

At least, obviously, it would be towards the east. And so Seya walked downstairs to the hall again and towards the east, where logically the east wing would be located. Once there, she would need to find a keyhole that could be opened by her key. She only hoped nobody got pissed at a new girl trying to open each and every door of the zone. When she made it to the east wing, she realized it was a beautifully ornated zone with a very neatly organised set of doors... each of one with a name on the door.

Of course, Seya giggled, realising how stupid she had been, when she saw "Seya Raghen" written on one of the doors. That had been one stupid worry she had had at that moment. Luckily, at least, that was all she had to worry about. She opened the door and went it. She didn't bother closing it, since they were just students, and all of them were protected there. She was just organising her stuff on the room, after all. And while she did so, Seya sang, softly.



She wasn't singing to anyone, only to herself. Seya rememebered with a smile the first time she sang that song. It seemed to be so far away. It was, in fact, a popular nameless song from Azure. People had called it "The Tale of the Bird", for obvious reasons. The song was longer, as this was only the beggining, but it had taken her so long to master it, because she had sang this song long before joining the Akademiyi. That was the reason that the song didn't have any particular power, besides the ones she could add to it, as a songstress.

((Reito))

Reito continued following the teacher until they finally stopped in front of a door. But along the way he could not help but realize just how large this building actually was. In any case of emergency he would have an extremely difficult time just trying to get where he was supposed to be, let alone fight in unfamiliar grounds. Even worse, if the principal told him to go somewhere leaving him absolutely no clue as to how to navigate around the place.

When he opened the door he was expecting a middle to old age man, but was instead greeted by an elder lady. "Is there something you need?" Her voice was very kind, showing that she was a polite person. Instead of speaking again he tried his luck with simply handing over the letter. The old principal read through it rather quickly, or at least quicker then one would have guessed for her age. "Oh my, it does seem you have a problem doesn't it?" She moved back to her desk, sitting down in the chair and sorting through a few papers. "On such short notice... I am sorry young man give me a moment.."

Reito tried to distract himself, looking about the room marveling at some objects he would never really be able to pay for. Even if it was the first time he entered an Akademiyi's principal office, it really did not seem that interesting to him. He began to watch the principal constantly, his foot picking up a beat as it tapped on the floor. Boredom was already striking in, the eagerness of getting out to do something becoming nerve wrecking. Could this be a test from the higher class of Trianea? What kind of cruel, sicking individual would organize some kind of torture like this as a test?

"Alright, I think I have an idea." Reito pretty much jumped forward, waiting for the idea to be pronounced. "We will send you off to work with one of the students." Reito had to pause for a moment, wondering exactly what she could have meant. "You will be working with a songstress or male of equal aptitude from this school, don't worry you won't have to do their work. Simply help them practice if they ask, and be their own personal body guard." Her smile seemed sincere, but the thought seemed somewhat lacking entertainment. " What, your expecting one of the king's men to pull you out anyways correct? May as reward one of our students with some kind of service. It may not be your level of expertise Silver Striker, but I would send good word to our king for your assistance. Since your here, we will probably give you one of our empty rooms. If we can not, then do rest in the lounge, if the partner we get for you is another male then they will probably allow you to use their room as well."

Reito accepted, there would be some announcement later about the ordeal. At least at the end of all this he will kind of be back to his original purpose of protecting someone. Until then there was no real choice but to wonder through the halls. Even with no danger in the area, every now and again his left hand would reach across and rest on the hilt of his blade. This brought a little more attention to him, but it did not really matter.

At one point he passed an open door where he could hear a song being sung, only forcing him to pause for a second before continuing. He would have to get used to hearing the different songs, he would need to become used to their voices as long as he remained here. Reito knew that he would have to keep his mind straight to avoid being pulled into one of the songs.

Eventually he came to a tall wooden double doors. He pushed it open, entering the room. Shelves filled with books, a second floor balcony. Even the libraries in these places were huge to a point it just wasn't needed. "I am going to get lost in this place.." He sighed, closing the doors and walking back out into the hall. The teachers did not bother him so much as time passed, probably because the principal sent out some word of his presence.

The whole Akademiyi looked like it was built for titans, from the oversized gates, to the monstrous lobby room just past the Akademiyi doors. Students milled about from place to place, many of them humming or singing as they did. Teachers and general staff herded them along, trying to maintain a sort of order and security in the halls. In this sea of activity, in the overwhelming wave of awe, Sarkhan found himself staring with his mouth hanging open. It didn't take long for one of the people directing traffic to notice him and promptly direct him to the principal's office.
As he left the titanic room behind, he thought he heard her murmur something about the odd number of new arrivals today. He kept his assumptions to himself and shuffled his way through the bodies towards the principal's office.
'Principal's Office' a shiny bronze plaque proclaimed, mounted on an equally shiny mahogany paneled wall. Sarkhan mentally checked over the teacher's directions again, making sure he was at the right place, and then after he assurred himself this was the right place, he poked his head in.
A kind looking elderly lady looked up from a pile of papers at him, flashing a pretty smile that died quickly on her lips. "May I help you?" She asked, the hint of caution and mistrust lingering beneath the surface.
He nodded a simple yes and stood in the doorway, filling it up with his size. For a moment, there was an akward silence in the room as Sarkhan struggled with his bashfulness and the woman tried to not make it obvious that she was prepared to dart away to the next room.
"I'm here to see the principal..." He ambled on a little, deciding to stop and wait.
"Well, I am her..." She smoothed out her shirt and smiled a little more warmly. "I'm assuming you are one of the new arrivals?"
"Yes ma'am. Sarkhan. Terleius." He said bluntly, quickly adding his last name as an afterthought.
"Oh..." She said, her smile officially vanishing. "That one..." The principal looked nervous now, arranging the papers on her desk. "You'll need to be attending the classes on time, and you'll also need to be getting your room prepared. The key is over there, along with a schedule." She gestured towards a cubby hole previously unseen, and he took the items and slipped them into a bag.
"Thank you." Sarkhan gave her a polite nod and moved quickly towards the eastern wing where his room was. The principal leafed through her papers tensely, not at ease any longer.
It will be odd living here with so many people around, and all the noise...
Left with just his thoughts, Sarkhan made his way slowly but surely to the east wing. He couldn't help but find himself singing an old tune as he went on, thinking of the days in the rocky fields when he and his father would sing as they worked.

♫♪ "Come on comrades, to arms, to arms!"♫♪
♫♪ "Pick up your spears and abandon your farms!"♫♪
♫♪ "Wave to your family and take up your charms!"♫♪
♫♪ "Because we're marching off to war!"♫♪
♫♪ "Every town and fort we'll trample and destroy!"♫♪
♫♪ "Show no mercy to noble or farm boy."♫♪
♫♪ "Yes, we're marching off to war."♫♪
♫♪ "Do what you're told, it's all your good for!"♫♪
♫♪ "Let the blood pour and cover the floor!"♫♪
♫♪ "We're marching off to war."♫♪
♫♪ "Slay a score, and you'll get a nice whore,"♫♪
♫♪ "From a town that had it all and then some more!"♫♪
♫♪ "So long as you come marching with us off to war."♫♪
♫♪ "Ravish the shore and paint the coastline red with gore!"♫♪
♫♪ "We're warriors and soldiers down to the core!"♫♪
♫♪ "Take what they adore, and their pleas we ignore!"♫♪
♫♪ "So why not come off with us to war?"♫♪

Sarkhan stopped the song short after the third or fourth person had looked at him with a mixture of horror and morbid curiousity. Just after he did so, he noticed that all the doors here had names on them. He quickly caught on that they were the names of the people in the rooms, and starting looking for the one with his name on it more as a why to avoid explainingthe song than to find his room.
As he searched further down the hall, he heard singing, and glanced into the room it came from briefly. Sarkhan saw a young woman in here and started to really realized how vastly different the numbers were from a Male vs. Female perspective. He passed another group of people before finally arriving at his room, the one farthest down the hall, just before the library doors. His name was on the door, spelled correctly and looking neat. Sarkhan rubbed at it with his sleeve and smiled, happy to have something of his own so far from home.
The interior wasn't as lavish as the rest of the building was, but it looked so much better than his room back in Jowav. A solid bed with simple cotton sheets that seemed much too thick for the already very warm weather sat in the corner, next to a dresser that was just as simple.
Sarkhan deposited his things on the floor, taking a moment to look around his little room. He was quite surprised to see a letter laying on the bed pillow sealed with very official looked wax.
He opened the letter and nearly jumped out of his skin when a little ring fell out of it and onto the bed. He took a look at letter and decided to read it before messing with the ring.

"Congratulations on reaching the Akademiyi, Sarkhan. We have faith that you will do well and reward us with a true singer when you return. The ring included in this letter is our way of saying good luck, and power to mighty Jowav."

The message was unmarked in any other way, and had no signature on it or coat of arms sealed into the wax to identify the sender. Sarkhan shrugged and set the letter aside. The ring laying on the sheets was the next item of interest, which he picked up.
The metal was oddly cold in his hands, and at first glance completely smooth and unmarked. Looking closer, there were odd symbols inscribed into the ring, barely indented into the metal it was so finely carved. Sarkhan slipped it onto his finger, the coldness it was giving off seeming to dull every second. "Odd..." He mused, unpacking the rest of his things and singing his dark, vicious song in his deep voice. The ring hummed silently as he sung, giving off a faint light as it did so.

((Jhera))

The doors to the principal’s office swung open under Jhera’s impatient gaze, dark old mahogany and shining brass flashing in the light. The guards had escorted him through the labyrinth of halls and corridors straight here, and then left him to stare haughtily at obdurate wood.

“About time,” he murmured, sotto voce, as he sailed forward, locking eyes with the rail-thin old harridan who served (in Jhera’s opinion, for far too long) as the principal and First Mistress of Trianea Akademiyi.

Looking unsettlingly like a predatory vulture behind her desk – a battle-scarred thing of many drawers and secret pockets, topped with sage-green leather and swamped beneath papers, she hunched forwards, unsmiling and grim.

“Good morning, Your Grace.” Her voice was as frigid as the Wissean icefields, with no hint of actual welcome. “What brings you to our humble Akademiyi today?”

“I am quite, quite sure you know, madam principal,” Jhera replied, icily polite. “I wish to enrol for study at the Trianea Akademiyi.”

The two locked eyes for a moment, the principal’s mouth opening to frame a demurral. Jhera got there first. “I was reading the Akademiyi Charter the other day,” he said conversationally. “On my way back from Mapeliard. Jolly interesting stuff, actually, but there was one section in particular that caught my eye. ‘The Akademiyi is required under this Charter Law to accept into their care for training any persons that show proven talent and express a desire to learn in said Akademiyi.’” He paused, and then smiled like a knife. “I believe I registered my desire to learn years ago when I applied here for the first time. I understand I was rejected because my vocal talents – the entrance examinations notwithstanding – were not considered acceptable.”

Jhera reached into his black-and-red tunic and drew out, with a flourish, two long scroll-cases with ribbons and seals streaming from them. “However. I now have letters of recommendation and fulsome accreditation from the Akademiye in Wisse and Grenaia – more than sufficient recognition of my talents, I think.”

There was absolute silence in the room for several long moments. “Under Charter law I cannot refuse you,” the principal eventually ground out. “However, the students I have under my care are often at an impressionable age and can ill-afford any distractions from their studies as it is. I will require you to uphold the very highest standards of decency and propriety in all your dealings with the other students...”

Jhera let the sea of words wash over him. It was the same thing as had been said to him at Wisse and Grenaia – uphold Purity and don’t distract the girls, essentially. It hadn’t been a problem there, and there was no reason it should be here.

In any case, the most important fact of the matter was that he had been accepted into the Akademiyi.

A key, and a sheaf of documents, were thrust under his nose with bad grace. “Here. Your acceptance into the Akademiyi and your room key. Seventh in the east wing. Your name won’t be on the door yet, I don’t think. I’ll have a schedule drawn up for you and delivered before the start of classes. That will be all, student J’net. Oh, and do change into a Trianea tunic as soon as you can. That black-and-red monstrosity won’t do in the Akademiyi.”

Jhera accepted the sheaf and key with a smile fighting to break free from his polite mask. He bowed, slightly. “Thank you, principal,” he murmured, and shimmered out, battling back an urge to shout and jump with glee, even as he began to make the way to the eastern wing of the Akademiyi. Being the Duke of the Far Isles, since it was in his fief he’d the plans to the place, and – at least on paper – sort of knew his way around the main buildings. Not to the level of detail of the classrooms, of course, but at least where each building was located on the sprawling campus.

Humming happily – not singing; he knew the effects of his voice very well – he strode with purpose through the Akademiyi grounds, ignoring with magnificent indifference the looks from other students; indeed, amid the sea of green-trimmed tunics, his solid black with red wings looked incredibly different and out-of-place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The room he’d been assigned – it was the only one that opened to his key, despite the fact that the brass plaque it bore was currently blank - was relatively small, by his standards, and almost completely bare. Jhera, who liked to see a surfeit of discreet ornaments in discreet places, frowned in mild irritation.

Fortunately, that particular deficiency was rectified easily enough; he had some decorations in the luggage his landau had come with – he hadn’t been about to take no for an answer a second time, after all – and J’net Palace was really only a short ride away in any case.

Some short while later, his heraldic tapestry hung as high as he could get it, the proud dragon of House J’net standing guard over his room, the rest of his ornaments placed as appropriately as he could manage and his jewellery piled in several boxes stacked on the bedside table, Jhera surveyed his small dominion with a satisfied smile, then set off for a small exploration of the building he found himself in.

In all honesty, he didn’t get particularly far; a door was open some little way down the hall and faint strains of song – something about a bird - echoed from it, blurred and disjointed.

Jhera raised one beringed hand and knocked loudly on the open door. “May I come in?” he enquired politely, pitching his rich, silky voice to cut through the song that twisted and turned through the air, much clearer now he was closer to its source.

((Seya))

The room was not particularly big, especially compared to what Seya used to see in Areza and her home. However, she liked small secluded places, since they made her feel safe and warm. One thing she loved was seeing how the bed sheets were blue, reminiscent of her precious blue land of Azure. They even had a traditional pattern on them, in white.

The room had a nice bed, which seemed to be comfortable enough, a small round table roughly in the middle of the room, another table at one of the corners with a few writting tools and a big wardrobe at the other corner. There also was a smaller door which led to a little bathroom. Everything was quite perfect, despite the small size of the room.

After having investigated the whole zone, it was now time to get her stuff on the right place. The first thing to do was hang a painting she had brought especially for this moment. Seya had gotten an artist to paint it for her. It was a picture that depicted what she saw from her window at her room in her home. It was hard to admit it to herself, but she was a bit homesick.

Seya had stopped singing as she was contemplating the beauty of the picture, and only continued when she proceeded to take some of her clothes and hang them on the wardrobe. Her old tunic, and one of the Trianea tunics. In Areza it was usually warm, so the same tunic was used during all the year. In Trianea, however, there were two of them. One was a "thick" version, whereas the other was the "thin" version.

As it was the last month of summer, Seya was wearing the thin version, so the thick one was hanged along with the other clothes. After the tunics, she also had one traditional Azure dress and some more standard clothes. Most of them were dresses, as Seya usually prefered that. However, she did have some more "voyage" clothes which consisted of brown-ish pants and shirt. She also had some boyish clothes. People from Areza had adviced her to take them with her. "You never know", they had said.

The next thing was her shoes. Seya didn't have as many shoes as she had clothes. She had her "Akademiyi" shoes, some comfortable shoes to wear while at her room, a couple of normal street shoes, and a couple of high boots. Those could be used either as "trip" boots or with the boyish attire.

After the clothing matters were solved, Seya left her sword, hidden in between the clothes, so that no one would know it was there. She was not supposed to have weapons, but if she was going abroad, she wouldn't feel safe without it. Seya had learnt to use a sword a few years ago. At first she had only liked their looks, but as her interest grew, she wanted to learn how to use them, and she was quite good at that.

A small crystal bottle was next. It was a standard, but quite ornated bottle, which was filled with water. A few scrolls Seya might need at some point, and some other minor items were basically left inside a drawer from the big wardrobe. Seya checked she had put everything on it's place, and after she confirmed that, she sat on the bed, confirming as well that the bed was indeed comfortable.

While sitting, and still singing, Seya began thinking of how she had almost gone to Sobaya. That was actually her first decision, since the weather there would be more similar to Azure's and because their Akademiyi teacheds water songs. However, she decided that learning life songs could be more useful, and after all, Trianea was nearer to her home. If all went well, thought, she was considering going to Sobaya in the future.

Lost in her thought was Seya, when she suddenly heard some knocking on the door, startling her for a moment. The door, of course! It was still open. She stood up and walked there, hearing some voice asking to come in. Surprisingly, it was a male voice, which made Seya be a bit wary. What would a male be doing there?

Seya was surprised to see that the man, who seemed to be around her age, was actually a bit shorter than herself. That was surprising, since she was quite short, herself. This man being also quite thin, he wore a curious-looking tunic that seemed to combine black and red. Strange clothes that however made her think of an Akademiyi tunic. There was not any Akademiyi that used such a tunic, right? At least, not that she knew of.

"Good evening." Seya bowed a little bit. "Why would you want to come in? I am afraid that, having arrived not long ago, I do not have anything to offer." Being polite to strangers was a must, but even more so when the stranger was someone who was not supposed to be there, such as a man in an Akademiyi. She had to be wary... just in case.

"By the way, I am Seya Raghen, from Areza."

((Reito))

The halls seemed to lead into one another, whether they intersect half way through the hall or at the end. Already he had been lost just wondering around to get a basic layout of things. Every student that he passed was younger then him, some by four years, others by possibly even eight. Everyone seemed to be looking more at his katana that he carried around rather then him. Forcing him to rethink back to the conversation with the principal, though each time he could not recall being told that he could not carry his blade.

One of the hallways he walked down he was greeted by a door labeled, lounge. He slowly opened the door, letting himself in. The room was actually quite large, maybe four times larger then the principles office. In the middle was a circle of furniture where groups could probably meet for discussions. The walls decorated with insignia of passing greats, paintings from well known artists. Every last priceless piece in the room made Reito cringe. "I.. Absolutely.. Hate.. These.. Rich... Children.." He turned to exit the room almost bumping into one of the students. The student immediately moved to the side seeing his blade and armor. "Can't believe I am going to have to protect one of them day and night." He gave a bow to the boy probably sending more confusion through their head.

Again, he was walking down the hallways without a destination in mind, growing bored from the repeated scenery. "You!" it was a girl's voice, and out of instinct he turned around, seeing a teacher running over to him. "She was right, pretty easy to spot you from the students, Silver Striker." The teacher bent over, breathing heavily from such a short run. Obviously see was not one that was in very good shape to already be exhausted. "When classes do start.. The principal sent word to the teachers.. To tell the students about you.. And organizing who you protect." Reito raised a brow, completely confused by the gapped sentences where information seemed to be missing.

He looked up the hall, it did seem to be rather long, he had to give the teacher that. "Your not making any sense, and I don't even mean your speaking above my terms." He patted the female on the shoulder, "Catch your breath. Now what exactly is going on?" He waited a few moments, her heavy breathing dieing down. " This time we are going to make a little more sense right?"

She let out a slight laugh, whether it be apposing to his joke or she actually found it funny he did not know. "The principal sent me to find you and tell you that she has sent word to all the teachers. When class starts up each teacher should tell them that we have a Guardian within the school, and the teachers should be working out an event for you. We are actually debating on having you hide somewhere on the grounds, and whomever finds you, shall get you." It sounded pretty chilidish to him, however that was probably to even get the younger students in interest. "This way those who are interested in having a guard can go for it, and those who don't want one simply don't partake in the event." She gave a small curtsied and walked off, still leaving Reito partially confused on the ordeal.

"What if someone who doesn't want a guardian finds me?"

The girl turned around grinning, "Rules are rules, they find you, they are stuck with you." Then she spun back around and continued on her way.

Reito stood in the hall, twitching at the information. So people were going to be searching for him after the first class began? "This is beyond troublesome..." He turned around wanting to get as big of a head start as he could. He didn't want just any stupid child coming up and grabbing him, otherwise whatever time he was to spend with that person would just be one huge annoyance. He walked through the halls until he finally found his way outside. "Can't believe I am getting pulled into such a stupid event. Might as well go somewhere i can enjoy until I learn who I must protect."

He went towards the west side of the building, grabbing onto any thing he could in order to pull himself upwards. It took a great while but eventually he managed to get to the top of the building. There probably was an easier way to get up to the roof, but following through such labyrinth halls would only get him more lost. He quietly laid down, staring up towards the sky. "If it rains... I swear.."

Jhera swept a small bow, an acknowledgement of her salutation, nothing more, as he leaned nonchalantly on the doorframe. “Good evening to you too. I don’t actually have any preference as to whether I cross into your room or not, but it seemed to be the most polite and expeditious way to get your attention and advertise my presence upon your threshold, since you seemed to be off in a world of your own.” He sighed slightly and spread his arms deprecatingly.

“In any case, I merely wished to acquaint myself with my near neighbours; I suspect I should be rather lonely were I to remain shut up in my room.”

He frowned. “Although, doubtless, some would prefer that to be my modus operandi, as it were. Where are my manners?” He swept one hand towards himself. “Jhera J’net, from Trianea and recently returned here. It’s good to be back, I have to say.”

Jhera stretched widely, lazily, and smiled. “So, Seya Raghen from Azure. If I may ask, how did you find my city, during the short period you spent in it?”

His eyes flickered around her room, quickly, discreetly, drinking it all in. Even if she had only just moved in, it still looked like a room of someone from Azure. Lots of blue, and white, and a glorious painting of a view across a city and to the sea. He smiled; the sea was a beautiful thing indeed.

Sarkhan was making great progress on his unpacking, and was almost finished with all of it. He had gotten clothes packed away, now realizing that they were far too thick to be worn in this place, even though they were his summer clothes. His supplies were put away and a simply battleaxe rested against the wall, defiantly resisting the very high class feel of the living quarters. The bed had been stripped bare of any coverings, left plain. Sarkhan rolled up the resulting mess into a thick ball of cotton sheets and covers, which somehow ended up back on the bed.
He was almost down to the bottom of his bag, when he saw the pendant, glimmering from below an empty jar. Sarkhan reached in gingerly to retrieve it, admiring the dull lettering around its perimeter. "For service to the land." It read in blocky script. A sword was proudly displayed on one side, and on the opposing side, a sickle and grain countered.
His father had handed him this before Vol had arrived to retrieve him. It was something that was passed from generation to generation in their family, a token that proved you were in charge, ready to lead your family.

"Service to the land..." Sarkhan muttered, rubbing his thumb over the worn metal. It sounded right, appropriate for him out in these alien places. A patriot abroad, doing his homeland proud.
He wrapped the black cord around his wrist, tying it in such a way that it would remain on his wrist, but dangled the pendant an inch. He took a moment to admire it's stark contrast to the tunic he wore, smiling faintly.

Sarkhan sat mesmerized by his small collection of simplistic jewelry, leaving his work completely ignored. He would have stayed like that all day if it were not for the knock at his door. He glanced up, catching sight of a man in his thirties, dressed as a teacher, yet holding a package in the crook of his arm. "Sarkhan Terleius?" He asked, reading the name off of the long, slender package, and struggling with the pronunciation.
Sarkhan nodded, curious as to the nature of the package. The teacher sat the mysterious item next to the door, looking around the room. "You'd best hurry along with your unpacking, classes start in a little bit." With that, the man was gone, down the hallways and through the gathering crowds of students.
"That's the second package in an hour... even though the first one was waiting for me..." Sarkhan thought briefly about who would have sent him something, but instead glanced at the labeling on the side of the package. "Uncle?" He asked himself, taken aback. His uncle had not been a very kind man, he was strict and stonelike, not the type to send him a package.

The package itself was nearly four feet long, but was very skinny. Sarkhan suspected a sword being inside, but thought differently when he heard jangling as he moved it. The top came off easily, and left the contents unprotected against prying eyes. Sarkhan leaned over and gazed into the package, not sure if he was expectant or not.
Inside, three coinage bags sat, looking quite full, and once removed, rolls of clothes filled the remainder of the box. At the bottom, a crumpled note read 'I knew you'd pack the wrong kind of clothes. Don't destroy these outside somewhere. -Zakani Ugroza Terleius'
"Yes Uncle..." Sarkhan found himself muttering as he did when he lived with his uncle. However, the clothes were quite nice, and they had rich dark colors that didn't have stains or marks on them. He set them aside, tossing the box away, the note still within it.

Sarkhan did as the teacher had told him, arranging the last of the items in his room, and somehow thinking of his uncle Zakani, far off in Jowav, oblivious to how nice his life in the capital was.

((Seya))

The young man bowed jusst a little bit, in a way that was no more than an acknowledgement of Seya's own salutation. He was leaning on the doorframe, looking quite relaxed, almost as if he felt superior. His speech was polite and correct, but the way he expressed himself made Seya get nervous. So clearly stating that he didn't care whether he should enter into her room or not...! Even if she didn't want him to enter, if he had been polite, she wouldn't have had any problem with that.

But no, he kept talking like that, even mocking at the fact she had been singing. "What is wrong with my singing, hm? I was in my room and I think I was in my own right to sing whatever I wanted to sing, no matter if I was in my world, your world, or someone in Yowle's world!" Seya glared at him, her eyes defying him. She only got calmer when the man stated he wanted to get acquainted with the people who had their rooms near his own.

Seya was puzzled at hearing the man saying some people would prefer him to stay in his room and not talk to anyone. He was definitely strange. But more surprised she was when she heard his name. Jhera J'net, from the J'net family in Trianea. Of course, nouble people. How could she have doubted that! She decided to go the nice way, though. "Well, the city where you live seemed nice, if also quite busy. To be honest, I am used to the calmness of my homeland, so this was a bit stressing, for me."

Seya was speaking the truth, but it was also true that she had liked the city very much. "But it's actually a very beautiful place. The big buildings are nice, the harbor is so different from Areza's, and I enjoyed seeing such a different culture." While Seya was explaining all this, her eyes caught the man eyeing something. Perhaps inside the room? She couldn't tell.

"So, I take it you are also a new student here, right?" Seya asked, curious about what a nobleman like him would do here. And that tunic was suspicious, too... "You have been to an Akademiyi, before, right? I would guess... Wisse and... Grenaia?" The last name, Seya pronounced it almost with fear. Wisse was "just" a Kingdom fallen in disgrace, but Grenaia was frightning. There were rumors in Azure that said Grenaia was attempting to prepare an army that could conquer the whole land.

For a moment, Seya pondered if she should explain that she had been at the Akademiyi in Azure, but she decided against it. After all, it wouldn't be too good for her to try making friends by saying she was considered as one of the best songstress students since the Akademiyi in Azure was founded, and the best of her generation in there. And even if there was no nobility in Azure, there were some families which were older, and important in their society.

The Raghen family was not very important in the life of the Republic, but it was an old family, whose family tree reached a point where no more names were known. Seya thought about how she was proud of her family, her home city, and Azure. "So anyway, do you have your schedule with you? We might end on the same class, since we're both new, right?"

((Jhera))

Jhera looked confused at the girl’s odd outburst, mentally reviewing what he’d said to her thus far and completely unable to find anything that could cause offence. “I’m sorry, did I suggest that I found your singing offensive in some way? I was simply attempting to convey that I doubt you’d have noticed me if I hadn’t knocked.” He smiled as he heard her response to his query about the city; pride in the place was evident in him, even if unspoken.

“Well, I am most glad it stands up to the refined sensibilities of an Azure national, although it cannot match the soaring spires of Areza and I would be foolish to try to make it so, don’t you agree?” He frowned slightly.

“I’m afraid the port’s in need of remodelling, in any case. It simply can’t handle the sheer volume of shipping that moves through Aneastor these days; we are very busy, you’re quite right about that.” He laughed, suddenly, a silvery peal. “It’s sheer bedlam when the fishing fleets come in sometimes, if I’m honest, or several trading fleets all turn up here at the same time – or heaven forbid, the two coincide! I am quite sure the Harbourmaster General will have an apoplectic fit one of these days, poor fellow.”

Jhera shook his head ruefully at that. “In any case, you’re correct in your surmise. I studied at Wisse and Grenaia before coming here. In truth, Trianea was my first choice of Akademiye to study at, but.” A flash of annoyance rippled across Jhera’s face, quickly smoothed away. “Wisse, of course, can refuse no-one, given the state the poor country’s in right now. Grenaia, well, a few strings had to be pulled. They don’t really like teaching foreigners all that much, no matter the talent – which is a shame, really. Fascinating place, really, all the same - stunning landscape, too. Well worth a visit, if you get a chance. The cities are a little gloomy, though, what with the black granite they use all over the show, but my word the views! And the rainforests! I’ve never seen anywhere so green, or with so many flowers! I’m trying to grow some of the things I brought back with me; it isn’t fair that only Grenaia gets the beauty, after all.”

A deprecating smile. “I’m afraid I’m something of a late entrant to the Akademiyi,” he explained. “Madam principal hasn’t organized my schedule yet, unfortunately. Shouldn’t be too much longer before I get one, though. Or at least I certainly hope so. Might I at least glance at yours, though? I am curious to see what the teaching style will be like."

((Seya))

When Seya heard Jhera saying how he was glad the city stood up to the refined sensibilities of an Azure national, that person being Seya herself, she wouldn't be able to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. She chose not to worry too much over that, though.

"Well, I certainly think that Areza is a more beautiful place, but I am from there, right? So my opinion is naturally biased." She smiled, charmingly, trying to appear polite yet very clear on her opinion.

After that, Jhera started to talk about how the port needed some remodelling. Apparently it was too small for the amount of ships that usually moved through the bustling city these days. Seya didn't even want to imagine what could happen if both trading fleets and fishing fleets were to actually coincide at the port at the same time.

"Well, that is something I certainly do not wish to see!" She laughed, softly. After that, the young man changed the subject to his studies. So he had been to Wisse and Grenaia before coming there. Seya was quite surprised to learn that Trianea had been his first choice, but had not been accepted in. At least that's what she guessed, seeing his annoyed face.

"Yeah, you're right, Wisse doesn't have as much money, nowadays, so I suppose being able to house in strangers, specially someone from your family is something good, for the Kingdom. As for Grenaia, I didn't know about that! Do they really hate teaching foreigners that much? What a shame, yes."

Before she even realized, Seya found herself listening carefully to what Jhera had to say about the stunningly beautiful Grenaian landscapes. She had heard a lot about those, and so she told Jhera, but she had obviously never been there. For a moment, she felt her curiosity peak, but once she remembered all the rumors she had heard about Grenaia, that curiosity began to fade a bit.

"I take it you would be kind enough to show me those flowers? I have obviously never seen any Grenaian wild life, since this is my first time away from the Republic, you see. I would honestly love to see those. You will show them to me, yes?" Smiling wide, now, a lot more relaxed. That man seemed to be nicer than what Seya had thought at the first moment.

An awkward smile from the man was followed by a short explanation. As he was a late entrant to the Akademiyi (she wasn't exactly an early one, either way), he hadn't had his schedule organized yet. "I'm sure you will get yours soon. If you wait for a second, I will show you mine, just so you can check it out... wait a moment".

Seya walked in and came back with a paper on her hand. She handed it to Jhera. "There you go... I haven't taken a very deep look at it, yet, I have to admit, since I was still organizing my stuff". Seya saw Jhera taking a look at the paper, but decided to explain what she knew.

"As far as I know, we have simple practical classes, the Singing Classes, which consist of singing. I had those back at Azure." Seya didn't even realized she had just spoiled her little secret, and kept talking. "Then there's also Voice Management, which is basically gaining control over one self's voice through some exercises. Then there's Theory Classes, which are basically about tenths of "how to's" to singing, and generally it's all about how to sing life-based songs."

Seya stopped for a moment, making sure Jhera was listening. "I also know there's the Bravery Classes, which are mental preparation for conflicts, wars, and so on. These are very closely tied with Psicological Classes, although the latter is more related to singing. Then there's the..." Seya smiled really awkwardly. "Those stupid Purity Classes. I don't even want to think about them! And finally, I do not know if you are taking Music Writting. I personally am... if you know how to write songs, you might be able to use your potential to your fullest, you know? But some people find it quite hard."

Seya smiled, glad she had been able to explain everything that was taught in Trianea, even though it was her first time there. Fortunately, her previous preparation was already paying off. "And the last bit of interesting information is that we are starting classes next week. That is, in two days. Plenty of time to get used to the place yet, right?"

((Jhera))

“I’m afraid the collection’s a little distributed,” he said with a little laugh. “I’ve a few specimens in the hothouses at J’net Palace, it’s true, but the vast majority of them are over at the Palace of Silver Dragons in the capital or on Corus island. The climate’s better there, you see.” He shrugged elegantly.

Corus was the summer retreat of the J’nets, a near-tropical crescent of brilliant white sand and glorious primeval forest, with a sprawling villa of white stucco and marble crowning a ridge and commanding glorious views of the island and the sea beyond. It also helped that the island was fairly close to the main shipyards and staging grounds of their shipping companies.

“Of course, I’d be quite happy to take a little ride into Aneastor or Rolad’ n for such an endeavour. They’re hardly far away, after all – at least, if you’ve got a well-sprung landau and thoroughbreds in the traces.” He smiled. “After all, some of the flowers have to be seen to be believed. I think taking a yacht out to Corus would need a little more time than we have right now, much as I’d like to go sailing.” A hint of longing bled into Jhera's voice; he really did love the sea in all its guises and would leap at the chance to be out on the open water.

Curious, Jhera took the offered sheet of paper, quickly scanning over the schedule. “It looks fairly similar to every other schedule I’ve had,” he remarked mildly. “I wonder if the Akademiye have a standard template or something. Should be jolly interesting, all the same; I do wonder how the life-songs use the voice to achieve their effects. I expect it’ll be completely outside of my frame of reference thus far.”

As the remark about Azure slipped out, Jhera’s eyes widened slightly. Azure Akademiyi was notorious for its difficulty; he hadn’t planned on tackling it for several years and after a few more certifications.

“We had a lot of Bravery and Psychological classes at Grenaia,” he observed, keeping his voice light on purpose. “Purity classes...they always seem to focus on me a lot in those.” Jhera sighed, annoyed. “Do they truly think I’ll throw myself at anything vaguely-female shaped? And for your good self; do they consider you so depraved as to jump any man or woman that crosses your path?” Jhera snorted in derision, and then smiled as his eyes skipped to the next section.

“Musical Writing, now there’s a useful class, though! Since you’ve tried it before at that vaunted Akademiyi of yours, I wouldn’t be surprised if you outstripped us all, even if some of us have done it before,” he said, with a gentle smile.

((Seya))

Seya looked at Jhera with an amused gaze as she heard him explain how the collection of flowers is distributed. He explained how he have some at the palace of his family, while some others are at some other palace she had never heard of. That was probably normal, since she was not from Trianea, and she would only know the most important places, such as the main J'net Palace itself. However, Seya had to admit to herself that that Palace of Silver Dragons did sound interesting.

"I imagine it must be some sort of... summer palace? At least it sounds like that, by the place you describe, I mean. I would be glad to visit your family's palace, one day soon, hopefully. Can I take your word on that?" Seya smiled kindly, hoping she could befriend someone before the classes started. It would be a good help for her, even if that young man was also new to the Akademiyi. However... what would people think of her, for befriending a male? Probably all sort of rumors would come up... and she wasn't very good at those.

"I can only imagine what beautiful flowers they can be... hmm!" Seya shook her head. "I won't imagine it. That way, it will be a bigger surprise! And of course, I understand we would not have time to sail away. At least not now, but who knows what the future has in store for us, right? We may even have to go there some day for some reason, you never know."

Seya stopped talking while she gave Jhera time to take a look at the schedule. In the meantime, she realized that, even if he was quite different from herself, they had a few similarities. Probably it was because Azure and Trianea both had sea, and they probably "created" similar people. If that was the case, maybe she needn't be worried about being away from home, right?

"So it is similar to your other schedules, hm? That is interesting... I don't think they have a template, but... I imagine that, historically speaking, there must have been a "first" Akademiyi, so the rest would have followed the ways of that first one, right? I don't think it's something official, but if their systems work, why change them? That's probably why they're similar..." She had realized it was rather similar to Azure's, but it was surprising, to see that other Akademiye had a similar schedule.

"Oh, as for the way life-songs use the voice to achieve their effects... I can not say I know that too well, but... if it helps, you are supposed to use your voice in a rather sharp way. Similar to wind-songs, as far as I know, but not as high-pitched. I know the general patterns of voice style and pitch of all the Akademiye, to be honest, since I was investigating a bit, before coming here."

"Bravery and Psychological classes at Grenaia, hm?" Seya laughed a bit. "Sounds like something you would do there, right? And don't worry about those stupid Purity classes focussing on you. Some people are just a bit old-fashioned, and are worried things could get out of hand. Although I don't think someone from such a family as yours would act on a whim without considering the consequences, right? As for me... well, I do not think I am the kind of person to throw oneself to an 'interesting' person -in my case, it would be a male-, but you never know with young people, I think."

Seya opened her eyes wide as she heard Jhera mentioning her taking classes at Azure. This meant, without a doubt, that she had done it, she had mentioned something that made reference to her time there. How hadn't she realized? What a mistake! "Oh, did I really mention I was a student at Azure...? Well, I didn't mean to say it, but... I used to do Musical Writting there, yes. However, I do not think I am that good at all, I don't think I can outstrip anyone! After all, this place has lots of people, so what are the chances of there being someone great? A lot of them, I think!"

Seya laughed softly at seeing how Jhera mentioned he had done some musical writting as well. She didnt know if he had done it at another Akademiyi, or on his own, but decided not to ask. Sometimes, people liked having secrets, and she would not like to seem like someone who would ask too many questions.

"So, I imagine you will be getting your schedule tomorrow? Because if you get it the day after, it will already be too late, hm? Hehe..."

The Jowav boy still found himself irrevocably lost in the inner machinations of his thoughts and memories of days past in the heart of Jowav, learning all that a boy should have. The memories flickered back and forth before his gaze, before he found them inseparable from the present, and was quickly drawn into the lulling mists of nostalgia. His mind wandered back to the time he spent with his stern uncle, in the capital of his homeland.

"An' where'd that be uncle Zakani?" He asked, his farmer's drawl much more noticeable then. Sarkhan drew his hand back in a flash as the reed snapped overtop of his knuckles, leaving the flesh raw and red.
"Where would that be." His uncle corrected, lifting his finger in a manner that irked Sarkhan's rebellious side to no end. "And you'll find the letter in the upper right drawer of my desk. I need it." Uncle Zakani pointed up the stairs to his shadow laced study, setting Sarkhan into a trudge up the stairs holding his abused hand. "Also, mind that accent, you know what I think of it." He added from behind his nephew, smacking the reed into his palm threateningly.
"Yes Uncle..." Sarkhan muttered dejectedly, forcing the words out without their usual accent. He could feel the grin Zakani flashed, not requiring his eyes to tell he'd pleased his Uncle.
"Make it quick, I have important matters to attend to. Tutoring you is not my only duty." The sneer stretched across the room and wormed into that spot only his uncle could get to. The boy gritted his teeth to hold in the purposefully accented retort that he wanted to release so desperately.

A few minutes later he returned with the letter, handing it to his uncle Zakani, his whole body expressing utter defeat. "Good. Now, get back to your lessons. I have matters to attend too." With that said, the man vanished into the study, where Sarkhan had just gone, and shut the door.
"Couldn't he 'ov just gotten it while 'e was up'n there?" Sarkhan clenched his fist, wanting to let loose his anger onto something nearby. Sadly, he couldn't bring himself to do it, and sat down at the table to finish his mathematics his uncle had set out for him.
"Makes my head 'urt..." He complained, rubbing his eyes as he stared at the confusing jumble of numbers that was the equation he was to solve.

Sarkhan snapped out of the memories as the school bell rang loudly, summoning the students to their classes. He grabbed his schedule, looking at it with a confused stare. This place was just as confusing as the time he spent with his uncle. On the plus side, it had almost completely erased his accent, but left a few faint scars on his hand where the accursed reed had struck.
The giant wandered out into the filling hall, ambling with the crowd.