Zypha Academy

Headmaster Dareth looked outside his office window to see the new students arriving. This marked the twenty-fifth year since Zypha Academy was established. His office was rather plain compared to his personality, just a simple desk and chair with books lining the walls on all sides. Dareth lightly touched the backside of his chair, rotating it to see the Futuran laying on the cushion, its tail gently tapping. "I see you are once again prepared for this year." He touched the Futuran on the top of her head with the tip pf his index finger, lightly stroking her. She purred and stretched out, jumping out of the chair and on to the floor. "Alright, I'll be on my way then." The Futuran slipped through the opening of the door and out into the staff hall of the Academy. Her destination was the Galia Hall, which resembled a throne room except, where the actual throne would be, there was a long table with eleven chairs on one side and nothing on the polished table itself. On the opposite side of the table was rows of chairs, numbering exactly one hundred in total. This is where the new students would sit and wait their turn for their prediction. At one hundred it was not a short process, which is why the Futuran had decided to rest up for the event.

She walked down the hall, being greeted by any staff who were there at the time. Most had already made their way down to the Galia Hall to help direct new students and prepare for the arrival of Senator Ryle. The other students were allowed to spend this time as they pleased. They could practice at the Training Grounds, get reacquainted with friends they hadn't seen since last month, or watch the ceremony provided they didn't interfere. The Futuran was walking at a brisk pace to the west door, until she hit a snag. Taking a sigh and jumping, she grabbed the door handle with her tail and pushed hard against it with her now upside down body. The door slowly opened, but the predicament forced her to let go of the door handle and flip back over to land on her feet. "I thought I told them to-" She stopped as she could now clearly see Elric Hagakure sitting at the far end of the table, his head being propped up by his arm as he smiled and waved to her.

The Futuran jumped up on the table and strutted over to him and sat right beside him on the table. "I can see your ready to get the year started." Elric yawned and sat straight. "Not really, but I couldn't resist getting here early to have fun with you this year." The Futuran raised her head and looked away from him. "I see you two are hitting it off yet again." The voice came from the open door of the east entrance, Senator Ryle standing there with a rather expensive looking suit on. He walked over and patted Elric on the shoulder, sitting down at the chair just to the right of the Head chair. He reached into his case and removed several papers, taking out a pen and beginning to write. "I didn't think you'd be here until everyone else was already seated," said Elric in a surprised tone. "I wanted to make it here before the journalists. If I have to go through another year of, 'These students are the future and I will expect nothing less than excellence from them,' again. . ." He took a deep breath and went back to his writing, obviously having to take his work with him even when not at the office. The Futuran moved to the Head Chair, laying down directly in front of it. "I wonder if there will be any surprises this year?" Elric shrugged and put his head down on the table, the sounds of various other teachers and staff taking their places began. "I hope not, it might interrupt my afternoon nap time."

"Oh," Nyomi mumbled, confused and dumbfounded by the sheer size and expanse of Zypha Academy. So much to do, so many interesting things to look at and touch. To her left were the training grounds, out of the corner of her eyes she could see some students practicing some levitation and propulsion magic. To her right was a large patch of grass where students were standing and chatting to their buddies and plopping down for a sit on the green. "How fun," she said to herself quietly. "So this is what a school's like, eh? I can't wait... but I'm so nervous." She reached over and rubbed her right arm, as she looked around slightly embarrassed. Oops, she might seem a little weird talking to herself in public.

A steady flow of students were making their way into the school's main building, a large grand structure that contributed greatly to Nyomi's previous awestruck state. She sneaked into a small group that was making its way up the stairs and through the large double doors. The long hallway in front of her lead straight to the Galia Hall, which is where Nyomi was directed to go upon arrival. The little huddle she had buried herself into made a sharp right, leaving her standing in the middle of the school entrance foyer. Um... She started walking slowly down the hallway, her shoes softly padding against the marble floors. Her eyes darted all about her, taking in the decorations and scenery. Golds, silvers, cremes, and reds. Many magnificent colors flooded her mind and tickled her pallet. It was a sensory overload, something she was unused to. When she reached the end of the main hall, she could see Galia Hall through the open doors before her. She scanned the room, as she squeezed close to the door frame and out of sight. Discrete, meek, and silent. There was nobody there yet. She frowned. It would feel strange to be the first one to arrive... maybe I should just wait. She thought to herself. With a little sigh, the tiny, blonde, elven girl hunkered to the floor, her knees bent and placed to her side for manners and because she was wearing a dress. She leaned against the wall and waited for a few more students to make their appearance.

Zenfererra Deflancy stared up at the building, her new school. She just stood there, a single bag in her hands, looking beyond the gate and past the trees, simply staring at the school. Her brown hair flowed in the wind as easily as possible, all considering it was trapped withing a high ponytail. Her bright blue eyes seemed to trace the outline of the school, windows, doors, and even the bricks themselves. All seemed right in the place it was.

Taking a soft step forward, she approached the structure, becoming more confident with each step. She might have looked strange to others, no parents or caretakers to accompany her into the building, just a simple five-foot-five girl with twitching ears, no defined hourglass shape to her body and no shoes on her feet. She wasn't one for shoes, she simply didn't enjoy feeling trapped within the simple article of clothing, though at the doors of the school, she stopped for a moment. She opened the outermost zipper of her bag and pulled out a pair of black ballet flats, sliding them on, before continuing on her merry way, a smile plastered onto her face.

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Zenfee was almost overwhelmed with how big the school seemed to be. She had grown up in a relatively small house, so the school seemed like a palace to her. Still, she continued on her way into Galia Hall, following the crowds toward it. Her ears twitched in excitement and anticipation. A million questions ran through her mind as she walked through the doorway to Galia Hall, her bag knocking into her knees the whole way.

Keeping her head up and a welcoming expression on her face, she glanced over the open chairs, looking for a possible place to sit. She decided on a chair in the second row, dead center, would be the best place for her. She had a tendency to lose patience in these kinds of situations.

With all the new students in their chairs, the ceremony was ready to begin. The eleven chairs were all full, save for the head. Headmaster Dareth slowly opened the west door, the crowd and all those at the table turning to him as he made his way down the line and in front of the head table. "Hello. My name is Osirus Dareth, and I will be your headmaster for your four years at Zypha Academy. Before we begin I would like to thank Senator Ryle for joining us yet again this year." He looked over to Senator Ryle who gave a small nod and wave. "I would like everyone to remember that though many if the States and races put a lot of faith in the Futuran's prediction, realize it is just that. A prediction. You decide your fate. Arieo Lan Rioce." Headmaster Dareth pointed up to the wall behind them, the phrase engraved, gleaming in the sunlight entering through the windows. "Always aim for what brings you closer to the Sky." Dareth sat down and looked down the line to Elric Hagakure. "We will now hear from the Advanced Magical Practices Teacher, Mr. Hagakure before we continue."

Elric looked over and sighed, standing up like he had been forced into this. "Out of the hundred of you here, twenty of you have been chosen to take the Advanced Magical Practices class, eighty of you have not. When those twenty arrive at their rooms tonight a letter will be waiting for them. Inside the letter will be where the class is taking place tonight, that's right. The first class is tonight. The class will be all four years grouped together at one time. In that classroom will be sixty other students, all older than you, all wishing they didn't have to sit through this first class again. After the first class the years will be broken up. We will discuss this further tonight. As for the rest of you, if you wish entry into the class, you will have to prove it to me. If you tell anyone where the meeting room is, you will be removed from the class." Sitting back down, he looked over to Ryle, who was simply nodding his head. Dareth stood back up, scanning the students one last time. "When your name is called please come up to the front." An older women came from the group of people watching on the side. She carried a long ledger, adjusting her glasses and moving her brown hair out of her face. "James Alexander. . ."

The list didn't seem to have an order to it. Just when someone who began with an 'A' was called, someone with a 'G' was next. Twenty students had gone up, many getting nervous and believing those were the ones selected for the Advanced Class. The women pushed her glasses up and looked up at the crowd, "Nyomi Belfast."