Unveiling the truth, beginning the mission

A gentle breeze played with the curtains as the morning sunlight slowly pried open Arian’s eyelids.
The familiar smell of eggs was enough to tell him that, once again, Leo had woken up earlier and made breakfast.

“Good morrrning!”

He rubbed his eyes and wiped off Shadowlf’s thick drool from his face.
The noise of students filled the courtyard, while the song of the nightingales created a pleasant contrast.

“Morning to you too, our always-sleepy leader.”

Leo calmly tied his black-and-red striped tie, getting ready to leave.

“Hurry up and eat your breakfast. We’ve got plenty to do!”

“Yes, big brother!!”

While putting on his pants, Arian grabbed a huge bite of eggs, leaving almost nothing behind.

“Hey, idiot! I hadn’t even eaten yet!”

Leo sighed in frustration, not knowing how to deal with this boy. He quietly walked over to the black wolf, hugged him, and in a soft voice asked:

“What do you think I should do with your master, huh?”

“Come on, it was just breakfast!”

Arian grumbled, hugged Shadowlf again, and apologized for keeping him locked up, since companions weren’t allowed inside classrooms.

The two left the room and slowly walked down the stairs.
Arian’s eyes scanned the entire common hall over and over, searching for Frank—the fourth-year dragon he’d seen last night—but neither he nor his friends were anywhere to be found.

“Hey, don’t you think History class is gonna clash with our faction?”

Leo, also looking around for the upperclassmen, whispered quietly.

“Anyone who forgets history is an idiot. But I also think anyone who clings to the past is an idiot too.”

Arian shot back without hesitation.

Leo, as usual, reached for the hilt of his sword, but this time he wasn’t surprised by his friend’s heavy words. He just let out a small laugh in response.

Without realizing it, they had reached the entrance of the main building—the place where all theory classes were held. Wide corridors with tall ceilings, medium-sized classrooms arranged so students had a clear view of everything, and, most importantly, windows opening toward the school’s greenery.

All the students were already inside, each sitting at the seats marked with the symbol of their faction. Friends who had been separated because of this policy now sat just a few chairs apart.

In one corner, Derikaron raised his hand, waving at the two who had just arrived. On the other side, Laina, sitting with the girls, got up and walked toward them.

“Hey Arian, is what Derikaron and Maro said true??”

She brushed her blonde hair aside and looked at Arian with her big eyes.

“Yeah, but now’s not the time. By the way, where are Maro and Sairon?”

Arian’s eyes searched across the hall, looking for his other two friends.

“I don’t know, probably wandering around somewhere.”

Each of them sat down and waited for the teacher. The students chatted and laughed until the room suddenly fell silent. Finally, the teacher entered, followed by three students.

Two of them were Maro and Sairon, each carrying ten books in their arms, their faces hidden behind the piles. The other was a tall boy with cropped hair, the sides shaved down to the skin—Frank, now standing beside the teacher.

“Nice to meet you all. I’m Snow, your history teacher. And this here is Frank, your senior.”

The new teacher introduced himself. A man of average height and a less-than-fit body, his robe stretched uncomfortably around his large belly.

All the students bowed their heads slightly out of respect, while their curious eyes were enough to make Snow explain about the books.

“Alright, listen up! You all know that you’ll study here until the end of second year. After that, in your third and fourth years, you’ll mostly be sent on missions.

Frank and the rest of his party from the Vanguard faction have achieved something remarkable. After a dangerous journey to the continent of Zilanderin, they brought back truths uncovered from its ruins.”

Snow lifted the books one by one to show the students, though, as expected, most of them—especially the girls—paid more attention to Frank than to the books. Some out of admiration, others out of infatuation.

One student, wearing oversized glasses, asked nervously:

“Professor, are we really gonna read books like that from day one?”

“Don’t worry. These books have to be deciphered first. Realistically, maybe next year you’ll be able to read their contents.”

“Then… why are you showing them to us now?”

A broad smile stretched across Snow’s face as he continued:

“Well, here’s what we’ve learned: besides us four races—and the race of the Legends, which for various reasons went extinct in the last decade—there once existed another race!”

Silence swallowed the room. Even the students’ breaths seemed to freeze in their chests, afraid to escape. Everyone was in shock. A sixth race?

Arian’s eyes lit up when he heard the word Legend, the same word he’d come across unconsciously in the desert. Why did it keep appearing everywhere he went?

“Again, no need to worry. Soon enough, you’ll get to benefit from these delightful discoveries too. But unfortunately, my class will be suspended until these texts are deciphered. No further lessons will be held until then!”

The students practically burst with joy, over the moon at escaping a boring lecture. They rushed out of the room, brushing past Snow, who kept his head lowered.

“Hey, kid—you must be Arian, right?”

Frank grabbed Arian’s shoulder, his eyes shifting toward Derikaron and Maro.

“That’s right, senior. May I ask what’s going on?”

Maro quickly stepped to Arian’s side, glaring straight into Frank’s eyes.

“Well, Professor Nyos sent me. Honestly, I didn’t even need to show up for class, but he told me you three are supposed to be my successors.”

Frank’s green eyes, with their trembling vertical pupils, locked onto Arian.

A smile spread across Arian’s lips as he let out a relieved breath.

“Well, looks like we won’t need to draw up any plans for you after all. Let’s go, guys.”

These days were nothing like the ordinary first days of school—discoveries and missions kept pouring in nonstop!