Alarea leaned over the inn's bar, a plate of food half eaten before her. 

 

“Are you going to eat or not?” James asked from behind the counter, busy cleaning some mess from the previous night. 

 

“I am.. It's just..” she searched for the right words. “I’ve been thinking alot about what happened yesterday and I.. thought maybe it's best to tell you in case it brings trouble.” 

 

“Hmm?” James hummed, cleaning the inside of a mug with a damp cloth. “Who could bring trouble to the inn? With the boss still kicking no one would dare.” 

 

“I just want to tell you just in case,” she let out a breath. “When I went into the forest yesterday I was followed by Rex and his goons.” 

 

“What?” James looked up at her alarmed. “They didn’t try anything, did they?” 

 

“Heh, they didn’t live long enough to try. I killed them all.” 

 

It was very obvious to James what they wanted to do by following her into a place where no one could see. They were always very clear with their intentions even within the inn. However, hearing that they had all died surprised him more. 

 

“I don't want to seem rude, but how did you kill all six of them by yourself?” 

 

Alarea had left out the fact that her master had intervened, having heard from the man last night that he didn’t want his presence widely known. “I'm just letting you know that they’re all dead now. Because I know that their boss might not be happy when he finds out they are missing.” 

 

“If you say so,” he still didn’t quite believe that she could have handled the entire group on her own, but even then she wouldn’t bring up the fact for no reason. “But there's nothing to worry about. If it was out in the forest as you said then no one would know what happened, their boss Snake Eyes won't be able to point his finger at us even if he wanted to.” 

 

“That's good to hear then,” she picked at the hard tack of bread. “I just didn’t want to bring the inn any troubles because of what I did.” 

 

“Aye, don't worry about it. We can all handle ourselves.” 

 

The two drifted into a comfortable silence, as James went about his work and Alarea kept picking at her food, still not having adjusted her pallet to what she had once called peasant food. While she wouldn’t call herself a snob, far from it in many respects, it still was not easy for her to adjust to eating something with such little flavor as this rock hard tack of bread she was currently chipping away at.  

 

However money was a luxury she did not currently possess, even after selling all the fineries she had on her person, such as earrings and her silver necklace she only had enough money to simply get by. Although she was almost certain that she could have gotten much much more from their sale, the crook of a shop keeper must have seen her desperation and so fleeced her for as much as he could. 10 bronze coins for her silver necklace? Ha, she would not be surprised if it could go for a gold coin. But she needed the money, and so had little other choice. 

 

The hard tack she was ‘enjoying’ was an outcome of her frugality, being the cheapest item they had on their menu. 

 

“Welcome,” James said to someone behind her. “What can I get for you?” 

 

“Nothing for me,” Alarea instantly recognised the gravel like voice of her master, turning around to see his familiar long scruffy hair and beard. “Are you ready to go? 

 

“Go where?” she asked as she pushed her plate away, having no desire to eat any more of it. “If you want to go back to the Academy again don't bother. It’ll just be like last night and we’ll be turned away.” 

 

“Have some faith,” Alexander gave a small smile, however it looked forced and unnatural on his face, causing Alarea and James behind the counter to shiver. “I have something figured out.” 

 

“If you say,” she said, getting up out of her chair, throwing a copper coin on the bar. “I’ll catch up with you later then.” 

 

The two made their way back out into the busy street, the waiter giving them a wave as they exited the inn. The streets were slowly becoming more lively as the sun rose in the sky, early risers and merchants traveling to and fro. 

 

The Academy’s large gates were open now, a small trickle of uniformed students and workers constantly passing through. There were still guards present, although different from the night shift worker they had met last night, checking student IDs and the workers' equivalent before they were granted entry to the Academy grounds beyond. 

 

As the pair came before the gate a young woman approached them. The woman's blonde hair tied back in a bun as she adjusted her glasses, holding a notebook of some kind in her other hand. She was dressed the part of a secretary, which Alarea could easily figure out as she looked down her outfit, a plain white shirt tucked into a knee high black pencil skirt that matched the colour of her blazer. Her heels clicked across the stone floor as she stopped before the two of them, giving her master a quick nod before turning her attention to her. 

 

“Miss Alarea was it?” She questioned, reading her name off her notebook. “Welcome to Karaeth Academy. If you would follow me I can get you settled in, we have little time before classes are set to begin.” 

 

“Huh?” Alarea looked between the woman and her master in surprise, this being the last thing she had expected would happen. “What do you mean get settled in?” 

 

“To your dorm of course,” the woman said as if it was a simple matter. “Or would you prefer to sleep in the gardens.” 

 

“Go with her,” Alexander gave her a slight nudge with his hand. “I'm sure she can answer some of your questions but she is a busy woman, try not to waste her time.” 

 

“But how..?” She looked dumbfounded, not understanding how something like this could have happened. 

 

“Just go,” he repeated. “I will see you again at days end if you have any questions, but for now time is short.” 

 

“Indeed,” the secretary echoed his statement, pushing up her glasses with one hand. “Come along now,” she turned without paying her any mind. “We have a schedule to keep.” 

 

Alarea gave her master one last look before rushing off to catch the woman who was quickly marching away. Her eyes looked about with wonder as she passed under the gate and into the Academy grounds beyond. The rough cobblestone gave way to a polished flagstone path that cut through a large green field, the large halls of the Academy visible up ahead. Alarea’s eyes traveled up their impressive height, stopping as she took in the largest peak, a lone clock tower towering above everything else. 

 

Her guide brought her through a pair of wide open doors, into its warm mahogany interior, the flagstone floor transitioning into a luxurious carpet. The room wide corridor was tall, Alarea looking up and seeing four levels of balconies looking down on the grand entrance. 

 

“In here,” her guide opened a door for her, letting her walk inside into a neat and tidy office before closing it behind her. “Now, we just have a little bit of bookkeeping before I can send you on your way.” 

 

The woman took a seat behind the desk, motioning with hand to another chair on the other side. Alarea almost let out a soft moan as she sat, its soft leather feel being completely different from the rough wooden chairs the inn she stayed at had. 

 

“What’s going on here?” She could no longer contain her curiosity. “How come I'm in the Academy? Am I being accepted?” 

 

“While we usually restrain from letting in students while the term is in session, the Headmaster has made an exception for you,” Nina Foster explained, Alarea reading her name off a small nameplate on her desk. “And yet he has left me with the work..” 

 

Alarea barely caught the last part, Nina grumbling it under her breath. “Anyways, while your admission may be late there will be no expectations on grades. You will be expected to study and catch up in your own time.” 

 

“Im sorry,” Alarea cut in, still not quite believing the situation in which she found herself. “But why am I being let in? I'm grateful, please don’t think otherwise, however I'm just confused as to why.” 

 

“Hmm.” Nina hummed behind her desk, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other. “The headmaster has yet to fully explain to me why he has called for your acceptance, although I believe the answer may lie with the man you were with before. As with you, the headmaster has seen it fit to appoint him as a combat instructor for our graduate year students.” 

 

“Is mast-” Alarea clamped her mouth shut, Nina’s eyebrow raising as she inferred the word she had half spoken. “I mean, is he becoming an instructor here?” 

 

“Yes,” Nina thought over her words, locking onto Alarea’s eyes with a cold stare. “It seems he and our esteemed headmaster are acquainted. From where I can not say, and even if I did know I would not.” Her frosty glare hardened. “Although I'm sure you know more about that than I.” 

 

“Ah ha ha..” Alarea laughed uncomfortably, eyes darting around the room to look anywhere other than the cold blue eyes that stared back at her. “I'm not sure I know what you mean.” 

 

“I see,” Nina let off the pressure, letting Alarea release the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “Let's get back to business then shall we?” She pulled out a sheet of paper, handing it over to her. “This will be your weekly timetable. Classes begin at 7am and finish at 5, with a one hour break at mid day for lunch.” 

 

Alarea looked over the timetable, various classes penciled in over specific hours, and luckily for her, their classroom number included. “Combat Training, Combat Theory, Aura Training, History, Medicine and even a Magic Defense class?” Her head started to ache just thinking about the amount of work she would have to do to catch up on each of these classes. “I dont think I'm going to be able to sleep for a while.” 

 

“As you have turned eighteen this year you will be placed with our first year students. Classes have only been in progress for two weeks so you should be able to catch up with relative ease, however due to you having no record of previous schooling you will be placed in First Year Class C.” 

 

Alarea had in fact studied elsewhere during her childhood, however such records would obviously lead back to her family, exposing who she was. Although she hadn’t told her master any of this so he couldn’t have known. Still, even if she was glad to be admitted to the Academy, being placed in the bottom class was still a hit to her pride. 

 

“Is there any way to advance through the classes?” 

 

“Of course, our school year is broken up into four terms, at the end of each you will be quizzed and class positions will be rearranged when lessons begin the following term. Study well and you will succeed, such is our Academy’s motto.”