-Please take your seats!- The voice carried across the hall, rising above the murmur of conversation.- Each of you has been assigned a seat. Please hurry.
Draco glanced around. He was sitting in one of the lower rows of a large lecture hall built like a Greek amphitheatre. At the very bottom of the quarter-circle-shaped room was a massive pulpit with a sloping desk. Standing next to it was an elderly wizard with completely grey hair contrasting with his dark complexion. He seemed to pay no attention to the people sitting in the benches in front of him. Behind the lecturer was a board consisting of several segments that could be swapped around.
-Silence, please! – one of the dozen or so assistants moving efficiently around the room spoke up again. – We're about to begin.
The dragon swallowed hard and looked at the tabletop, at an envelope bearing a short inscription:
Draco Ignis
Transfer
Profile: Military
Year: 3
He looked around. He was sitting in the middle of the third row, with a girl in a rich dress sitting next to him with a haughty, smug expression on her face, and a nervous red-haired boy dressed in a worn linen shirt. While the prospective student ignored everything going on around her with superiority, the young man reacted to every loud noise by jumping up and looking around anxiously.
-Attention!- The assistant standing in the middle of the hall clapped his hands, and the thunderous sound echoed through the room, causing the wooden benches to shake.- The rules of the exam are as follows. In front of each of you is a set of sheets with tasks relevant to your applications. Depending on the type of test, the time will vary. Those retaking exams after their last year have forty-five minutes for each subject, up to a maximum of five hours. If someone passed the previous semester but wants to change their profile, they have three hours for the test. Those transferring from other schools and anyone who wants to start studying from a higher year have five hours for the exam. If anyone has a technical problem, they should raise their hand and wait for someone to approach them. Questions? – He quickly scanned the room. – I don't see any.
-Let's begin.- The professor's quiet voice was like a rustle carried through the room. Draco felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
-You may open your exams.- The assistant noted the time, and the sound of seals being broken carried through the hall.
Draco reached for his package, turned it over and broke the wax seal. He pulled out a stack of signed papers. There were three tasks on the title page. The first was to describe the basic types of magic, the second was to give the dates of the historical events cited, and the third was to list and briefly characterise the neighbours of Atlantis. The only writing implement was a simple crystal pen without an alchemical crystal, which meant that one had to control the amount of mana transferred oneself. The reptile quickly got the hang of the instrument and began to solve the tasks with gusto. It turned out that the subsequent ones were not as difficult as he had expected either.
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-Time's up!- Draco jumped up reflexively, reaching for his sword.- Please stop writing.
The dragon put down his pen and looked again at his essay on the use of magic on the battlefield. He knew that his conclusions were potentially trivial, but he decided that he couldn't come up with anything better at the moment. It turned out that the devil wasn't as black as he was painted, or more precisely, as he had painted him himself. The exam was less challenging than he had expected, apart from history and a few very specific questions from other sections. Overall, he was surprised that linguistic proficiency was tested simply by adding a note to the instructions that they should be solved in a chosen foreign language.
Draco finished the exam and looked around. There weren't many people left in the hall. Only those sitting at the bottom were still seated at their desks. The dragon was so absorbed in his work that he didn't even notice when the girl next to him left the room. He glanced at the boy on the other side. The young man did not look well, his hand trembling as he put down his pen. The whole test seemed to be getting on his nerves.
-Please pack the sheets into envelopes and send them to the front of the row.- The professor's assistant did not need to use any spells, as his voice carried naturally throughout the room.
Draco put his papers away and handed them to the examinee next to him. He smiled, trying to look friendly, and he seemed to have succeeded, because the boy tried to return the gesture. When the exam papers were on one side of the benches, the assistants collected them.
-That's all for today.- The professor's weak voice was barely audible. The man left the lectern and slowly made his way to the passageway to his left.
-The exam is over, – announced the assistant who had previously explained the rules for the test. – You will find out your results next week. In the meantime, see you at the practical exams.
Everyone began to get up from their seats. The dragon took a deep breath and stood up. The boy next to him was still sitting, clenching and unclenching his fists.
-Are you alright?- Draco felt weird starting a conversation with a stranger, but he wanted to stick to his resolution to fight his Dagian habits.
-What?- The young man raised his head, not knowing what was going on. He looked around the hall. He was the only one still sitting. -I'm coming.- He said in a slightly shaky voice.
-Are you all right?- The dragon insisted.
-No, no...- The youngster leaned against the table and staggered.
-Should I call one of the professor's assistants?- It was hard not to notice that something was wrong, but the only person who took an interest in the situation was Draco.
-No, it's okay... Everything's fine...- The boy turned and walked down the now empty row. He only managed to take a few steps before tripping over his own feet. The dragon managed to jump to him before he fell, grab his arm and sit him down on the nearest seat.
-Obviously not.- The dragon easily held the young man, who wanted to get up again.- Look at me.- Draco waited for the boy to look up. It was clear that he had a little trouble focusing his eyes.
-It'll be better soon.- The boy lowered his head and rested it on his hands.- It always ends like this when I get nervous.- He muttered a little more quietly.
-Does anything help?
-It'll pass. - The youngster began to breathe deeply. It took a good while, but he finally straightened up, looking better. - Thank you for your help. - He looked at Draco and only now did he have to look at him closely, because his gaze first stopped on the coat of arms and then on the sword. The blood drained from his face a little.
-You're welcome.- The dragon pretended not to notice the sudden confusion.- Let's hurry up, or they'll lock us in here.
-The upper entrances are always open.- The boy replied almost automatically.
-Are you studying at the Academy?- The obvious statement seemed a little strange, but it was better than silence.
-Yes.- The youngster stood up, glancing every now and then at the weapon on the dragon's belt.- By the way, I'm Aiden.
-Draco, nice to meet you.- The reptile quickly grabbed the other boy's hand and shook it energetically.
-Thanks again for your help.- He didn't seem entirely comfortable talking about his recent behaviour.
-I told you, you're welcome.- The dragon shrugged.- And since everyone else has left, could you show me the way out? I'll get lost here.- He admitted this quite honestly, because the vastness of Solvein overwhelmed him. The journey from Ed'heer to the Royal Academy of Magic and Alchemy took about an hour. The entrance gate and the driveway, paved with white stone, were wide enough for four carriages and lined with tall, spreading trees. Beyond the entrance, green grounds stretched all the way to the first buildings. The centre of the complex was a large structure, with a soaring white tower in the middle that seemed to reach the vaulted ceiling of Atlantis. From it extended seven evenly spaced, elongated, four-storey buildings ending in squat towers towering just a few storeys above the roofs of the adjacent buildings. The mass of corridors, closed doors and obscure passageways made this place a veritable labyrinth, or at least that was all the master had time to say before he left the dragon alone in front of the main entrance, looking rather dissatisfied. Apart from those taking the exams, no one was allowed to enter the Academy building.
-Are you transferring?- Aiden neither stated nor asked. -It's easy to get lost the first time, but you'll figure it out with time.
—I hope so. — Draco followed the other boy towards one of the entrances at the very top of the hall. — If it weren't for the signs leading to the examination room, I wouldn't have found my way here.
—In our first year, we walked in groups with older students for almost three months. Later, we started finding our own way.
The door handle gave way easily when Aiden pressed it. They stepped out into the corridor running around one of the squat towers on the first floor. Through the windows, they could see the driveway and the carriages waiting there. It was easy to spot the one belonging to Ed'heere because it was drawn by besses.
-Fortunately, the Tower of Fire is one of the simpler ones.- The redhead also looked outside.- If we were in the Tower of Chaos, finding the exit could be problematic.
-I thought the buildings were all the same.
-Only from the outside.- The boy walked down the empty corridor towards the part of the building connected to the main spire.- Inside, they are very different from each other. Although the Towers of Fire, Earth and Energy are similar to each other. They each have eight lecture halls, above which are professors' offices, private laboratories and workshops for assistants. They only differ in the types of training rooms in the basement. Here, they are adapted to the needs of military profiles, in the Tower of Earth they are adapted for fencing and martial arts training, and in the Tower of Energy they are specially secured with magic.
-And what about the rest?- Draco kept glancing out the window, watching as more carriages drove away from the driveway.
-In the Tower of Light- Aiden pointed through the window at the central spire. - There you can find the library and the workshops of advanced students. At least in the parts that are generally accessible. Above a certain level, you cannot enter without permission. There are certainly the offices of the management, but apparently there are also secret laboratories and treasuries. As I mentioned, in the Tower of Chaos, the one opposite, you can get lost. Alchemy workshops, warehouses, handy libraries, tool storage rooms, and who knows what else. Each room is a different size and sometimes even shape. It is also difficult to find a real corridor there, and you have to move through other rooms. They have two auditoriums per level, which is unusual, because they are divided into alchemy stations. – He shook his head and opened the passageway. The straight corridor ended with double doors about a third of the way down the building. On both sides were entrances to various rooms, and the only lighting came from magical lamps emitting light through irregular crystals hanging in the air.
-Finding your way around there really seems like a challenge.- Draco didn't even want to think about why such a design had been chosen during construction. There was probably a sensible explanation for it, but it would take a ton of time to figure it out.
-Luckily, the military profile has the basics of alchemy in the fourth year. There's still plenty of time before you have to face it.
-You must have done pretty well on the exam.- The dragon couldn't bite his tongue. He didn't want to sound conceited.
-I'm pretty sure about most of the questions, so it wasn't bad.- Aiden didn't take it personally.- Unlike most of the others who are retaking the exams, I didn't fail my end-of-year ones. You saw what happened to me after the test.- He smiled crookedly. - In June, I fainted in front of the auditorium and woke up in the infirmary after the exam was over. By the way, it's worth getting to know the Tower of Water, because accidents happen during training, especially if the use of magic is allowed during skirmishes. If nothing serious has happened, you need to go to the offices on the ground floor, and in worse cases, seek help immediately on the lower floors. If someone needs longer care, they will most likely end up in one of the medical wards on the upper floors. — The boy spoke very seriously, and it was clear that he attached great importance to this. — Fortunately, all Solvein students can seek help at the Tower of Water, and there is no need to worry, as both treatment and healing are supervised by qualified personnel.
-That doesn't sound so bad.- Draco stopped when he saw that Aiden wasn't approaching the door at the end of the corridor but turning right. -Especially since the school is rather far from everything. There is nothing around but vines.
—Basically, that's part of the school too. —The boy opened a side door, behind which was a staircase. —Alchemists test fertilisers and potions for plant growth there, and earth and nature mages train their abilities on the vines. If you really don't need to, it's best not to go there. Take my advice. —Aiden closed the door behind them. —Some people get incredibly angry if you step on their patch of land.
—There are two towers left, —Draco tried to return to the previous topic, looking around the staircase. Narrow steps stretched the entire height of the building. They looked very well-used, as they were so smooth that one could slip on them. – Judging by the names, I conclude that they are all named after the main elements of magic. So, one external and one internal are missing. Darkness and air.
-Yes, that's right. Someone wanted to emphasise the magical nature of the school. – Aiden almost snorted. – On the other hand, the Tower of Darkness houses a theological centre. In addition to classrooms, there are many chapels dedicated to various gods. Devout believers visit there quite often. — He shook his head as he stood in front of the door at the bottom of the stairs. — That leaves only the Tower of Air. There, they gave up on the auditorium and converted it into classrooms. That's where they teach arithmetic, navigation, law, and everything else that can't be assigned to the other profiles.
— There must be a lot of that.
—Yes and no. —Aiden opened the door and let the dragon pass. —Contrary to what I said about all the Towers, classes for a given group tend to be held in one room, possibly in an auditorium or an appropriate training area. It is the lecturers who most often circulate around Solvein. For example, my group occupies classroom 346, here on the third floor of the building.
They found themselves on the ground floor, in the corridor where Draco had come to take his exam. The door at the end of the now empty passageway was closed. There was no trace of the other examinees, even though the test was being conducted simultaneously in five lecture halls. Aiden turned towards the Tower of Light.
-Fortunately, during the academic year, you don't have to walk through the entire Solvein, because the entrances on the ground floors of each building are open. For example, here.- The red-haired boy pointed to a side branch of the corridor.- The same is true at the base of each Tower.
-There'll be a lot to remember, - Draco muttered.
-Just stick with your group and you'll be fine.
-At least I won't get lost outside the building, - the dragon tried to joke, but he had to admit to himself that it wasn't his forte. - It's a straight path from the gate to the entrance.
-Don't be so sure.- Aiden smiled half-heartedly.- The Towers themselves are only part of the buildings. There really isn't much at the front. At least, judging by what's on the main road. — Draco listened intently. — If you go to the right behind the gate, towards Rithien, you'll find the dormitories, and on the opposite side there's a park where you can relax on hot days. As you noticed yourself, there are vineyards in front of the Academy entrance, and a little further towards the city gate leading outside the walls to Solthem, there are greenhouses. Not far behind the gate is the village of Ibran, so if you ever come back from the north of the island and don't make it before the city gates close, you can sleep there. It's relatively cheap and the conditions aren't too bad. – They moved from the building to the Tower of Light, where semicircular corridors ran around the central part of the building. – So that's what we have around us. The most interesting thing, at least for us, is what's behind the main building. There are shooting ranges, separate training arenas for combat and magic, obstacle courses and, most importantly, riding tracks. Of course, there are also stables and veterinary departments, as well as magical animal breeding and training facilities. Everything is under control.
-Riding? — The dragon had rather bad associations with his first ride. — I wasn't really expecting that.
-It starts this year and is compulsory. — Aiden beamed. — I can't wait.
—Do you know what you get to ride? — Draco dismissed besses as an impossible idea. However, there were many breeds of mounts left.
—Various ones. —The boy shrugged, but the smile remained on his face. —I snuck in a few times to watch and saw horses, Karsun does and orvangs. —He recounted excitedly. - Apparently, if someone is really good, they can try their hand at a warg or even a tarian. Some people bring their own creatures to tame them, so you can see some unusual beings. Of course, if someone lives outside the Academy, they can leave their mount in the care of the stables.
—Do a lot of people do that? —The dragon didn't even notice when they reached the main entrance.
—Quite a few. —Aiden looked a little gloomy. —As long as they can afford to keep a mount.
—I think that of all the classes, you'll care most about riding.
—Well... —The boy was a little embarrassed. —After graduating from the Academy, I want to enlist in the cavalry, —he finally said. —Besides, I've always liked animals, and they often liked me back.
—With such enthusiasm, you'll do fine. —Leaving the building, Draco patted Aiden on the back. —I think we'll see each other tomorrow.
—Yes, marksmanship and magic. —The redhead just smiled. —It shouldn't be so bad. As long as I don't lose consciousness.