| FJǪRLAND

***

"Halt," a sentry, one who looked to be in his youthful twenties, declared as the carriage approached.

With a thrust, the coachman stopped the carriage from moving. Before Leonidas jumped off from the carriage, he leaned in, and in a low whisper, he said: 

"Consider yourself fortunate that I'm not taking your life. This is my way of thanking you for getting me to my destination. But if you ever think about coming back with vengeance, I promise you will leave here with much more than a limp leg."

And with that, Leonidas jumped off the carriage, leaving the coachman shuddering in fear, whilst letting out a sigh of relief.

"State which village you come from," the same soldier said, as both Leonidas and Leo walked in front of the guarded, concealed gate.

"I come from Thyrandor," answered Leonidas.

"As do I," said Leo.

Leonidas gave Leo a startled glance, silently questioning why he suddenly lied. But Leo quickly conveyed an expression begging him not to say anything, leaving Leonidas to remain silent.

A soldier on the right, one who seemed to be in his thirties, pulled out a piece of parchment. He scrutinized it for a few moments, before declaring: "It is said only one hails from Thyrandor. They lie."

Suddenly, all the soldiers unsheathed their swords, pointing them at both Leonidas and Leo. "State your business here," one soldier demanded. "Otherwise you will be arrested for trespassing. If you resist in any way, you will be subjected to…" His voice trailed off as he gestured menacingly with his sword. "Make the right ch—"

"Halt!" A middle-aged soldier, placed in the rear back, shouted, interrupting his comrade. Upon doing so, the soldiers surrendered their weapons.

"Do you not know who this boy is?" He continued, turning toward Leo. "This is an Al'Gustus! He is the son of—!"

"Yes, absolutely," Leo interrupted, a fake grin adorning his face. "I can confirm I am the son of that man! Huzzah! Now may we proceed?"

"My apologies for any disrespect shown, these soldiers are new to this job," the same soldier said, bowing formally. He then tapped on the long-sword emblem on his chest plate and corresponding with his touch, the gates began to creak open. "I wish you luck, Mr. Al'Gustus." He hovered two fingers over his heart. "Glory be to the Maleficars; Glory be to Skygard; Glory be to the King."

"Glory be to the human race," finished Leo, a smile plastered on his lips, continuing to uphold his false facade as he slowly walked into the now, unconcealed doors.

"What was that about," Leonidas whispered under his breath, not wanting to capture any unwanted attention from the nearby soldiers. He knew Leo was a noble, but he didn't know how influential he was.

"Don't worry about it," Leo grumbled.

Leonidas blinked. "But they clearly said—"

"I said, don't worry about it," Leo repeated, his voice becoming harsh. Quickly, he recovered, adding in a joking manner: "Besides, I don't swing that way. Sorry to let you down, but I'm off to charm the lovely women blessed by Venus."

Leonidas couldn't help but roll his eyes. He knew something was amiss, but decided not to pursue it further. After all, he was too distracted by the metropolis in front of him.

The streets were carved of an enigmatic, intricate material laced with golden linen. The polished buildings were huge, honing plenty of colorful hues that seemed to radiate under the glaring sunlight. Far in the distance, stood a tall clock tower, piercing through the very sky itself. And to its life, lay stationed a wide, purple-colored building, taking over thousands of miles of land.

From atop the building, the words, 'Valhalla' were plastered in huge, gleaming, violet font. Its walls were carved of multiple materials— yellow-stone here, silver material there— yet they all matched together. Despite the allure it oozed out into the atmosphere, a potent aura of power could be felt, reverberating through the sky.

The building before him was constantly shifting and changing, morphing into new shapes and forms. At one point, it had a flat facade - then suddenly it became vertical in structure, a triangle in the blink of an eye. Leonidas couldn't believe his eyes; he had never seen anything like it before. He was at the school of Celestia after all - a place where magic ruled supreme - so who could say what was possible here? A sense of eagerness took course throughout his body.

As they walked, Leonidas couldn't help but stare in awe at the myriad of storefronts around him. "Gaius Al'zak's Potion Store,' he read off; "Brokkr's Blacksmith,"; "Aloas Celestia Shop Of Candy;" the stores seemed never-ending.

The majestic walkway was a bustling hive of activity, with countless women and men bedecked in luxurious robes, which hung from their necks and draped down to their knees. Leonidas felt amazed; the small village of Thyrandor, and even, as much as it hurt to admit; the city of Sparta from his past life, paled in comparison.

As Leonidas walked, he could feel the piercing gaze of wandering citizens, judging his attire, but he could hardly muster up any care; his attention was captivated by the vibrating and intricate buildings surrounding him on opposite sides.

Leo whistled. "This town truly gets more beautiful every time I visit." He turned to Leonidas. "What Academy are you interested in?"

"The Academy of the East?" Leonidas said, but it sounded more of a question.

"Valhalla? Doesn't sound like a good choice," Leo commented. "Recently, compared to the other Academies, they have been falling behind in the rankings. It is to the point, they can't find any students for the Skygard Quadmagus Tournament!"

"Skygard… Quad… Magus Tournament?" Leonidas repeated, the word rolling off his tongue oddly. "What is that?"

Leo's eyes widened. "You don't know what that is? It is an event that happens once every decade! Where all four of the Academies in the Skygard Kingdom participate! The winner of the tournament is granted riches, and an opportunity to be granted early access to a job of their choice!"

"And when will this tournament take place?" Leonidas asked.

"Next year," Leo answered. "I'm hoping to apply for any Academy, as long as it isn't Skygard."

Leonidas merely nodded, not knowing what to say.

The gigantic Academy of Valhalla loomed before them, now a few miles away from their reach. Its immense size created a chill that ran across their skin. Leonidas took a step closer and reality began to unravel around him. His heart raced, his vision blurred, and a faint ringing filled his ears. It was as if an invisible portal had opened before him, beckoning him to enter another world entirely.

After a few interminable moments, everything stopped. Leonidas' head ceased spinning and he fell to his knees, stunned. Leo followed suit and dropped head-first to the ground, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Leonidas rubbed his head, attempting to recompose himself as his vision began to clear. What lay before, was astounding, to the point his mouth was left agape in astonishment.

In front of him, stood a large chamber. The ceiling was high atop, having no limit, as stars sparkled above, casting a glow in the large room. Chandeliers floated in the air, honing candles whose flames seemed impossible to disperse. Violet-colored walls adorned the room, filled with multiple portraits, consisting of both men and women.

Far in the distance, he could see a huge podium, where a man stood. A silver-colored beard adorned his face, pierced by electric, blue-colored pupils. In his hands lay dormant an orb with a misty shade, similar to that of cumulonimbus clouds.

In front of the podium, was stationed a single-file line of teenagers. Some looked nervous, whilst others appeared confident. On opposite sides, towards the far rear of the room, stood a multitude of adults; presumably Recruiters, stood examining the students with a profound interest.

In the center of the room, three tables glowed with an enchanting luminescence. The left was a soft white, the middle was a deep sea blue, and the right was a rich, ink-black.

At the back of the tables, one stood out from all the rest to Leonidas. It was drenched in a deep and sinister red, radiating an unsettling light. Leonidas felt like it had chosen him specifically, its eerie glow almost seductive in its intensity. It took most of his willpower not to embark on it.

Behind the crimsoned table, now stood a scattered array of tables, filled with a multitude of students. They wore vibrant robes, proportional to the table they sat at. Multiple colors were present, some hues that Leonidas hadn't an idea even existed.

"These are the last two," a deep voice declared.

"Thank you, Brokkr," a feminine voice responded; Brokkr replied with a grunt.

Leonidas blinked. Before him, stood a tall, slender, elderly woman with gray-colored curls, and orange glasses which befitted her robe.

To her left, stood a male, though much shorter than Leonidas had ever seen. He had a large, black-colored beard, and his eyes were brown. His skin complex was bronze, similar to his robes.

"Pleasure to meet you both," the woman with the glasses said with a smile. "My name is Minea Ver'Az, esteemed professor of Valhalla. And today begins your Recruitment!"