Avryn quickened his steps. He saw the ship closing in in the distance. The dock was mildly busy. There were a few people waiting by. He could see they were from milder professions. Farmhands, stablehands, craftsmen, even merchants were in the small crowd. He made it in time and embarked on the ship. A last call for any last minute passengers was made. His eyes widened in awe as he saw the rest of the passengers. They were wearing a different style of clothing to what he had seen. Customs suits and dresses were in abundance. Most certainly people from well off lands, he reckoned.

  The island of Kuldrin shrunk in the horizon. It would be the last time he would see that place, at least for now. He smiled knowing the new chapter of his life had officially begun. He bid goodbye to the gilded cage of his childhood. Much of his memories there would be buried.

  He turned to the ship, to the future. The chatter was louder than he expected. He took a few glances at the other passengers. His mind wandered if he would still be here had he had their upbringing. He shuffled his way to a more quiet corner to reflect on recent events. He leaned against the rails near the bow of the ship. Strong was the scent of the sea. Wind flowed past his hair. He recalled his conversation with Sir Iver.

  “I have no family, no kin to give her to,” The knight voiced his regret.

  Worries started to creep up at the back of his mind. What if he did murder an innocent man? Maybe he was out of his mind, or maybe he was looking to frame someone for his death? Avryn looked at the gunblade, wrapped in cloth. He wondered if he had done the right thing. He felt a sensation of warmth spread onto his hands, as if being consoled.

  “Woah,” He had a double take.

  Sir Iver was a knight serving a god after all. It should’t have been surprising. A magical weapon like that meant that he had a high rank in the order. He recalled the god was Hrenvar whose domain was justice. He was known for being real close with mortals from what he read. Avryn shook his head. There was no point in worrying what will be. He decided to use the rest of this time to examine the gunblade. He would not notice how fast the time went. An announcement from the ship captain caught his attention.

  “Dear guests, please prepare your things. We should be arriving at the Thistletown Port in fifteen minutes,” The nearby speakers sounded.

  Avryn checked his map. He traced with his fingers and found the place he was referring to. He recalled once again his conversation with the knight. He suggested Avryn should enlist in the Military Academy in Ordellia. The idea of fighting for real change in the world was enticing for Avryn.

  He looked ahead as the ship reached closer to its destination. He could see several tall skyscrapers. The nation of Ordellia was bigger than he could ever imagine. He never saw architecture of the like in Kuldrin.

  The ship sounded its horn to signal its arrival. Passengers were met with a beautiful sight. The namesake of the port was in full bloom. A field of beautiful thistle flowers dotted the landscape. Audible ooh’s and ah’s escaped from the mouths of several people.

  The ship’s crew assisted them in disembarking the ship. The crowd started to split. Some headed for the city, while the other headed straight for the Academy. Another ship just arrived at the port. The dockworkers started to work double time.

  Avryn could barely hold his excitement in seeing so many new faces. The entire atmosphere was so lively. He decided to explore the city after giving some thought. He overheard from the others that the welcoming ceremony at the Academy wouldn’t start until the evening.

  He moved up near the town outskirts. Several carriages were already lined up, eager to earn their coin. It wasn’t long until Avryn found himself at the edge of the city. It was called Storia, and was the capital of Ordellia.

  So much concrete and glass, and they easily tower into the sky. It was no wonder to him why such structures are referred to as skyscrapers. Everything looked advanced to him. The streets were filled with all manner of transport.

  There were special lanes for horse carriages and smaller transports. Cars would make up for the majority of the roads. They were of simple make, perhaps even unrefined. Complete silence certainly wasn’t a main feature. Crystals powering their engines chimed and hummed every once in a while. They essentially looked like unmanned carriages if Avryn were to describe it. Perhaps in the future, the technology would advance to further optimize such a thing.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  He continued exploring the city. It boasted many sidewalks, and winding alleyways. A non-local would easily get lost. It was the way Avryn preffered. Street lamps powered by magical crystals lit the city. It was late afternoon but not quite evening yet.

  His nose was greeted by an exotic smell. Foods he had never seen before were on display in several eateries around the city. He had never seen such variety. He halted the temptation. His purse was light and he had a feeling the Academy would have prepared something.

  Night started to creep up into the sky as it chased the orange hues of the sun away. Avryn made his way to the Academy. He felt a sudden impact, as if he just walked into a wall. He looked up to see a taller, muscular man was before him.

  “Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there,” he apologized to the man.

  He then eyed a woman accompanying him. She was of a slightly darker complexion and carried a bow on her back. They were both wearing padded fur clothing. Hunters perhaps?

  “I should be the one saying sorry. I was eyeing the food, same as you,” The muscular man returned the gesture.

  “You two here for the Academy too, I hope?” Avryn asked.

  They both nodded. The man explained they were just about to head there before bumping into Avryn.

  “I don’t suppose we could head there together, can we? Safety in numbers, and all that,” Avryn smiled.

  The man looked to the woman, looking for her reponse. She shrugged and nodded. Avryn introduced himself to them. The man and woman did the same.

  “I’m Valoche, and this is my sister Tvira,” He spoke.

  “Pleasure to meet the both of you, let’s be on our way,” Avryn volunteered to take the lead.

  They made some small talk on their way back to the Thistletown port. Avryn learned the two came from the northwestern lands of Veilund. A land ripe with snow, and an alliance of tribes were its inhabitants. Hunting and fishing were their main ways of getting by.

  They walked across a great stone bridge leading to the Academy. It boasted even better architecture than the capital itself. It gave a more whimsical, storybook atmosphere. Its buildings were a fusion of metal, concrete, and marble with magical crystals serving as their light and power. The courtyard was an emerald green, with trees with varying colors of leaves such as yellow, red, pink and the normal green.

  A few statues flanked the pathways, each one with a plaque with the name of its subjects. No doubt these statues were erected in honor of key historical figures. They were crafted meticulously. The details were more amazing up close.

  The three reached a gathering of people in the center of the courtyard. Avryn took his leave and hoped to see them again. A stage and podium stood before them. They all hushed into silence when they saw a sharply dressed older gentleman made his way onto there. He began his speech.

  He introduced himself as Headmaster Aldric Shayes. He started off thanking the freshman for leaving their homes and choosing to train here. He remarked on seeing students from the different nations, and seeing greater diversity every year. He moved on to give them an overview of what they’ll be doing here: four years of grueling training. The expeditions demanded the best recruits for such a task.

  Avryn started to tune out a bit but noticed something in the corner of his eye. A tiny silhouette of a person on the roof at the far building. They were listening in on the speech. He thought that was odd and resolved on investigating that later.

  Headmaster Aldric closed off his speech by congratulating them all on making it this far. He wished them good luck for this leg of their journeys.

  “And without further ado, let the festivities commence and once again, welcome to the Academy,” He gestured with his hand.

  Music filled the air, as the energy started to ramp up. The welcoming committee had prepared a grand performance for the freshmen. Lines of tables were set up with a bountiful feast.

  “Finally,” Avryn hurried to the nearest food he could see.

  He was ecstatic to see what he considered luxury food to be so common here. He filled his plate to the brim and had his fill. His body tapped out and urged him to rest. An hour went by and the party livened up again. He turned his head to see what the commotion was about.

  A small crowd formed around two peculiar newcomers. A well dressed man and woman in white and green. They were both blonde and possessed blue eyes. Another pair of siblings, Avryn observed.

  “Sir Leifren, is it true you and Jenilah were hunting down some ursas before coming here?” A freshman asked.

  Ursa? What exactly were those, Avryn wondered. He couldn’t help but notice this Leifren character was showing off his rifle. The curiosity got the better of him,

  “That’s a custom made rifle, isn’t it?” He asked.

  Leifren’s eyes widened in recognition.

  “You could tell from looking at it?” He stepped closer.

  “I’ve worked on guns from time to time, sure,” He nodded.

  Jenilah was surprised by the interaction. She had never seen Leifren so excited talking to a person since their father. The two men had a short conversation about gunsmithing. She went to Leifren and reminded him of the ceremony. He wrapped up their conversation but not after introducing himself and her to Avryn. He hoped to continue for next time.

  Avryn made his way to the far off building. The festivities have calmed down as the night went on. He found the roof where he saw the silhouette. A blue haired woman was leaning on the guard rails. Her skin was as pale as the moonlight.

  “You a freshman, too?” Avryn approached her.

  “Yeah,” She answered.

  It was quiet here, save for the waves by the shore. He realized now he’s had his fill of groups of people. He maintained a respectable distance from her and leaned on the rails.

  “You’re not from here, aren’t you?” She turned to him.

  Avryn met her gaze. Her eyes were a bright fuchsia color. Her stare pierced through his soul. He mustered his strength to reponse,

  “No, the place I grew up was quiet most days of the year,” He told her.

  A few moments passed by between them. She thought on his answer.

  “You should head to sleep. They finished setting up the dorms,”

  Avryn turned to where she was looking. Her words rang true. She was right, he was starting to get drowsy. He turned to her one last time before he departed,

  “I’m Avryn, by the way,” He introduced.

  “Rinna. Nice to meet you,” Her monotonous voice said otherwise.

  Several sophomores guided the freshmen to the west wing of the Academy, where the dorms are. Avryn nestled into his room. The feeling of a soft and comfy bed helped ease into sleeping. He reckoned tomorrow will be a more eventful day. The trial, as the headmaster called it.

  Avryn’s thoughts wandered what’s in store for that. A night’s sleep would lead him closer to the answer.