The Academy of Valdrath

It smelled of death, smoke, and wet earth.

Below the foothills, the plains churned with mud and blood.

At dawn, the Yashari had launched their assault, confident of an easy victory, only to find Tiberun’s Fist Legion waiting.

Steel and lances tore through their ranks; cavalry struck like an axe into rotted timber.

Panic spread, men and horses fell, and even the blood-and-shadow spells of the Yashari mages’ could only buy them time to regroup.

The battle was far from over.

Lucius stood apart on a rocky hill and gazed upon the chaos.

From here, the clash was a blur of smoke and movement, but he saw enough to know Marcthain’s plan was unfolding.

A plan for which his own party had paid dearly to enable.

"I hope it was worth it," Lucius whispered into the wind, wondering whether the commander himself was down there.

He hadn’t seen him since the arrest, not since Hecate revealed her true form and freed him from the cell.

"You are my tool," she had said, "and your task begins now."

Lucius clenched his fists. 

He hadn’t forgotten what he was fighting for. 

Not gods, not war, but for Melissa.

Yet the road to her was blocked, the way back to Yashar closed by fire and steel. 

And his new mission was a different one, it led him away from the front.

He cast one last glance at the battlefield, where screams were swallowed by the mist.

The wind shifted and the scent of blood was suddenly close as Lucius pulled the hood of his cloak deeper over his face and turned away.

The faster I complete Hecate’s task, the sooner she will reveal Melissas whereabouts to me. 

Or at least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

But Valdrath was still a day’s journey away, two, if he stayed off the roads.

And that was exactly what he did. 

---

He wandered through golden fields and sun-dappled forests, along brooks and small valleys, always alert, keeping out of sight.

Technically he was a fugitive, though whether anyone was actively hunting him, he didn’t know. 

Still, he chose not to take chances.

To avoid the main road, Lucius took a trail across the northeastern hills. 

By early evening, he found a small clearing at the edge of the woods and made camp.

As he sat with his back against a tree, closing his eyes, trying to sleep, as a sound broke the silence.

Twigs snapped, then came a grunt, heavy and bestial.

Three dark shapes emerged from the shadows, two meters tall, maybe more.

Broad shoulders, mottled gray flesh, massive wooden clubs in hand.

Ogres.

They bared their teeth and let out a deep, guttural roar that rolled through the night and only one word escaped the first one’s lips:

"Mmmh... meat."

Lucius rose slowly, took a small iron orb from his pocket, poured an Essence over it, and whispered:

"Mutaglavior atharraigh."

The orb shimmered and reshaped into a long, slender blade, which he raised toward the ogres in warning.

The first charged, clumsy but powerful, but Lucius ducked the blow as if it were second nature.

The next strike came and he sidestepped, his sword arcing in a smooth motion while flesh and muscle gave way, blood splattered.

The ogre staggered, and Lucius spun gracefully, leaped over a root, and let the blade dance once again.

He struck a leg, then an arm, then the neck, until the first ogre collapsed dead to the ground.

The other two ogres exchanged astonished glances, then turned and fled clumsily into the dark.

"No... meat..." one of them called before vanishing into the trees.

The blade returned to its orb form, Lucius pocketed it and sat back by the fire.

You’ll know how to wield a blade. 

That’s what Hecate had said when she gave him the shimmering blue Essence.

The movement will come to you like a word you never learned, but always knew.

The Essence of the Swordmaster, she had called it.

A permanent Essence.

He wasn’t a swordmaster, not a trained fighter, but ever since drinking from that vial, he could fence like no other.

The Essence was not a reward, but a tool to shape him, make him more useful. 

And he knew that.

In the end, I’m just her instrument, he thought.

What if she lies? What if all of this won’t bring me closer to her?

But he had no choice, since he needed her power.

---

By the afternoon of the next day, he reached his destination.

Valdrath.

It smelled of salt, fish, and sea.

Even from afar, Lucius had seen its walls, light gray stone with bronze-tipped battlements, some already green with age, glimmering in the afternoon sun.

Sails and masts rose above the rooftops to the east, hinting at the large trading port.

When he passed through the western gate, the guards watched him but did not stop him.

The streets teemed with people.

Merchants shouted, children ran through narrow alleys, and soldiers in blue cloaks patrolled the city.

Hecate's words echoed in his mind:

Find the Academy. And retrieve the book for me.

It lay above the city, perched on a rocky cliff overlooking the sea. 

Towers and domes shimmered green in the sun, linked by arcades and narrow bridges.

Mages in long robes of all ages, genders, and races came and went, focused and hurried, scrolls and books often in hand.

At the entrance, Lucius was stopped as a young mage stepped in his way:

"You are?"

Lucius paused, then replied calmly:

"I’m here to enroll in the Academy. My name is Lucan di Almarath."

The mage scrutinized him, then stepped aside and pointed to the left stairway.

"New applicants are registered in the southern wing. I think the entrance exam is starting soon. If you hurry, you can still sign up."

Lucius nodded, thanked him, and entered.

The hallway was huge and stained-glass windows cast narrow beams of colored light on the cold stone floor, each of his footsteps echoing.

In the southern wing, a long desk stood against the wall.

Behind it sat a young elven woman with a tight bun and narrow glasses, leafing meticulously through a thick book.

She didn’t look up until he stood directly in front of her.

"You here for the entrance exam?"

Lucius cleared his throat.

"Uh, yes. My name is Lu..."

She cut him off with a curt gesture.

"Write your name here. Hurry. The exam is about to start."

He filled in the form, handed it back. 

She glanced at him briefly, a mix of suspicion and indifference, then pointed down a narrow hallway.

"Room Three. Third door on the right."

When he opened the door, the examination room was almost full.

Stone benches stood in a semicircle beneath a high vaulted ceiling, a floating light orb bathed the space in soft, even light.

At a raised lectern stood an older mage with a long white beard and sharp eyes. 

His gaze was serious, as though he could smell every wrong answer in advance.

Lucius's eyes scanned the room and he saw a diverse mix of applicants:

At the front, some elves with silver hair and smug expressions, clearly expecting to pass.

In the middle two Selvarin with wolfish features, grey fur and alert eyes, another with scaly skin and reptilian eyes, motionless as a statue.

Off to the side, sat a massive orc with three golden earrings.

A handful of humans in varied age and attire completed the scene.

Only one seat remained, in the back row, beside a fidgety goblin girl.

She wore a large round pair of glasses, wild red hair, and a robe at least two sizes too big.

In her green hands, she clutched what looked like a squashed notebook.

Lucius sat next to her.

She turned to him immediately, her giant yellow eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Hi! Haven’t seen you before, first exam? I’m Glizzy! Fourth try for me. I always bomb the practical. Totally nuts, right?”

Lucius blinked. 

"Uh... yeah. Pretty crazy. I’m Lucan"

"But this time I’ll make it! I practiced a lot! Well, in theory. Practically..."

She tugged nervously at her oversized robe.

"I’ll just try not to blow anything up this time."

Lucius wasn’t sure if that was a joke and shifted a bit away from her. 

Then the mage at the front raised his hand, and the room fell silent.

"Welcome to the entrance examination of the Academy of Valdrath," he said in a firm but not unkind voice.

"There will be three phases: First, theory. Second, Essence knowledge. Third, applied demonstration. Those who pass will be given a room today. Class starting tomorrow."

Lucius sighed.

I always hated school...