The academy was built from black stone and had hundreds of red glass windows running the length of its exterior. So this was to be her new home for the foreseeable future, or until her death.  The doors were enormous and had the head of an eagle carved from black marble  for a handle.

 

The masked woman rested her hand atop the eagle’s head and poured some of her Ballum into it, making the eagle’s eyes grow a piercing a piercing purple, a shrill voice rang out as the eagle raised its head and gazed directly at them.

 

“What is the price for taking fruit from the hang mans tree?” the eagle asked.

 

“My body, my soul, my nightmares and screams”

 

“Correct! Welcome back, Miss Schwein”

 

“And friend.”

 

“Didn’t know eagles could talk that’s a neat trick.”

 

“I am no eagle, I am Thales the spirit of this academy.”

 

“You’re telling me this academy is alive?”

 

“There will be time for questions later we must make haste.”

 

“Good to see you again, Thales.”

 

“And you, Lady Schwein”

 

“This one could do with a lesson in manners.”

 

“Flock off.” Mari said entering the academy for the first time.

 

Stepping inside of a great barren hall that looked as though it might have once been teeming with life, it was spacious and the construction was impressive despite the emptiness.

 

“So what do you do you do exactly?”

 

“I’m a servant of this academy that is all you need to know.”

 

“Riveting conversation

 

 

Mari ended the conversation, and all was quiet save for the pattering of feet strolling through the winding corridors of the academy, immaculate paintings trimmed in gold and silver  lined the walls Mari had no idea who the people where but she admired the effort all the same.

She was expecting a hoard of students but then it dawned on her that they were in the middle of a war and were on the losing side, so enrollments where probably reaching an all-time low or the students that might have been here were most likely shipped off as cannon fodder.

 

 

As the girl talked about the various facilities and areas of the academy Mari’s mind wandered and rested on thoughts of the Hyogo Princess. Mei was stronger than she had ever imagined, and the fact that by all probability she isn’t even the strongest member of her family was enough to make her stomach chew on itself.

 

And the way she treated human beings like they’re playthings, reveling in their anguish and suffering.  

Mari didn’t give two shits about the lives of scum like those bandits, after all she murdered them too, so any judgement would be an exercise In hypocrisy.

 

It was her fragrant disregard for life that horrified Mari here and her brother were definitely cut from the same wretched cloth. Someday she would bring that bitch to her knees and gouge her eyes out so she can see how it feels to be helpless.  Mari wound her hands into tight fists her nails digging into her tender skin

 

“Fucking cunts.” Mari whispered.

“Come again?” the masked girl said.

“Nothing, I was talking to myself.”

“Oh, carry on than.”

“Here we are, Void Mage.”

“Where’s here?”

“The sanctum of tribulation.”

“The what of what’s?”

Before Mari stood a small empty circular room with four dark doors lit by torches above each door was a plate with an animal etched into it.  A lion, a serpent, a raven and hound.

 

“What the hell is this, some kind of game?”

“It is but a simple test.”

“Testing what?”

“You’re worth.”

“Behind each of these dies likes a personal test for you, each trial will differ and test you in a myriad of ways.”

“I’ll play. What happens when I pass this silly little game?”

“You’ll be transported to the headmistress office were the headmistress, and the rest of the teachers will be waiting.”

“And if I should fail?”

“You’ll die here cold and alone.”

“Sounds like a party.”

Mari surveyed the four doors deliberating on which one to start the trials with, the doors all looked the same and gave no indication of what trouble lay behind their unassuming exterior.

 

“Mind telling me what the animals represent?”

“They each represent a pillar of this institution.  The Gallant Lion, The Guileful Serpent, The Wise Raven and The Loyal Hound.”

 

“So what will you choose, Mari?”

 

 

I was always a loner as a kid and I was never allowed to have any pets so I always admired insects, reptiles and ocean life, the strange and the unusual, just like me.  Mari’s eyes lingered. And she had made her choice.

 

“The Guileful Serpent.”

“I pray for your success.”

"Not like I'll need it." 

 

The girl snapped her fingers, and the door opened revealing a blinding white light Mari walked through door without hesitation she had she just wanted to get this nonsense over with.

 If she couldn’t even handle this than her quest for sweet bloody retribution was forever beyond her reach.

Within the room of the guileful serpent stood a vast expanse of darkness reminiscent of Velvet’s dimensional space, a single spotlight stood in the center of emptiness beckoning Mari to step inside.  

 

“X marks the spot".” Mari said, entering the circle of the light.

 

 

Mari closed her eyes listening for a sign and like clockwork she received one: a shrill ominous hissing seemed to sprout from all around her, Mari’s instincts had grown sharper as she could almost  pinpoint the location of the sound in the darkness.

 

A mammoth sized serpent lunged at Mari from the darkness its maw gaping and its fangs bared, Mari barely managed to evade its attack.  The creature was enormous, rivaling her summons In size.  It's body was emerald with and it's eyes were a vibrant yellow. 

 

“The Guileful Serpent, huh?”

 

The snake hissed and coiled readying itself for another attack Mari smirked placing her hand on the ground.  

 

“Little on the nose, don’t ya think?”

“Void Magic Third Form: Sanguine Orthrus”

 

Mari’s great beast crawled its way from the circle, placing itself between its master and the serpent, snarling and tensing its muscles.  The two beasts eyed each over off, waiting for an opening and for the other make the first move.

 

"Let's have some fun girl."  

"Get em"