Chapter 39: A Trial Anew

Maleki:

The majisters walked in front of us as they led us through the mountaintop of buildings and houses and the surprising amount of grass and trees. Behind us lay the large wall that protected the academy from the outside world. But before us was a massive, cohesive structure formed into the shape of an academy, which they called Label.

“From this distance you can see the academy that was once a fortress.” The Arch Majister explained. It’s harder to tell the further you get in, and the longer you’re here, the less obvious it all is. You lose the sense of scale of this place. But it is still a fortress, and with it comes the protection of one. You and everyone else here are protected from the outside world and each other, as much as possible.”

The Arch Maji was right. Label was more akin to a grand castle than an academy, and I had only seen a portion of its massive footprint. This entire mountain top was the academy, covered in stone and buildings and protected by two massive walls, with an outer layer that had grayed from the cold mountain winds and erosion, and another inner layer of the wall that led to the courtyard during testing.

“From each other? How’s that work?” I asked.

He peered down at me, with Miko trailing by my side, and Kallen lagging further behind. “Well, we keep each grade’s lodging at separate ends of the academy for one. This is to centralize the flow of each grade, but also to keep some of the personalities away from each other.”

“Personalities?” Miko asked curiously. “That sounds ominous.”

He laughed. “The kind that you meet in Quavoris, and many others. You’ll learn more about that on your own, but these types are good for stirring up the pot, and not all of them mean to be malicious. We try our best to keep the peace, but we can’t be everywhere. And it’s best to not stifle the growth of these types by letting them interact with each other outside of their grade.” “Outside of that,” He continued, “Girls and boys are kept on separate sides on other ends of the platform. For example, Solen’s daughter, if she joins the academy next year, would be on the opposite side of Miko.”

From the courtyard, we walked a good distance until we reached a wide set of stone stairs and a slope that went up several stories to another level of the fortress.

As we ascended, the old Maji continued his explanation. “The first layer of Label, we dedicate to Falkulm, who manages the facilities and grounds year-round. They live on this platform and take care of the academy. However, many of them and our existing students are out for the Prigresium, so the grounds will be rather quiet over the next week until they trickle in.”

“The Prigresium?” Miko asked.

“Your Grandfather didn’t tell you, boys, much, did he?”

“No, dangerously little,” I laughed nervously.

“He hasn’t changed much then. Thaumas always liked letting people discover things on their own. He’d always say I was babying my people, that ‘metal didn’t come out of the ground sharp, it needed to be refined.’” The man lifted his long robes up slightly off the ground to go up the steps to the next platform. “The Prigresium is one of two times a year when staff and students are allowed to leave the academy. And only once a year is Label open to select members of the public.”

We continued the ascent, though it was mild; there was a clear difference between each platform. The stone staircases were just as tall as the buildings on each level. That was until we reached the very top platform, where the buildings reached far and above, only being outdone by the mountain’s peak, which still seemed to tower over everything. The buildings here were all massive, and I had initially thought the ones on the first several platforms all seemed sufficient. It was like Quavoris all over again.

“This place is huge,” I said.

“We are grateful for it; there’s a lot that goes into an academy, but we aren’t just a military school; we have far more to offer than that. There are nearly four times as many students not in the military as there are in it. We have a wide variety of classes, so this mountain is the perfect place for us to be.”

“How do you keep track of it all?” Kallen asked from the back of the group.

“You all lived in Outer Korvast, so this might help you a little. You see, this place like a piece of farmland divided into plots of land for different crops. Our current plot we are on —“ He gestured to the left, the top of the platform — “is dedicated to our craftmanship buildings, library, a few training grounds, and the main school building, where your normal classes are held.” Miko popped up on my right, leading the pack for a moment, spinning to meet the Arch Maji’s eyes directly. “And the dark and looming tower over there?” The old maji covered a chuckle. “Yes, it does appear rather so on these gloomy overcast days. That is the Majister’s building where most of the majisters live and work.” He waited a moment to see if anyone had any questions, then continued. “Each of the four tiles on this platform has relevant structures to the type of scholarship they are providing. The top left square is dedicated to craftsmanship and engineering, where the students studying artifakts and smithing, like Miko here, attend their specific classes. The top right square is fully developed for medicine, food, and agriculture. The bottom squares were both designated for majik development. Hopefully, that will keep you from getting lost. Everything below us is housing, food, and recreational areas. Your grade year matches your platform level’s lodging.” Miko turned around, his eyes widening. “Are you saying I have to make this trek every day?”

The majis laughed, and I took the opportunity to pester my brother. “This will be good for you; you can catch up on the mountain climbing you missed out on.”

We continued down the platform, nearing the buildings that were once in the distance. They towered over us, and like I had looked at the mountains before this, I wondered what caverns were hidden within them. What rooms would become memories to us? The academy building, the library, the dorms, perhaps even the dining halls, or most of the Tower? Would any of these be the most memorable or important to us?

As we continued, a large building on the bottom left became the centerpiece of our attention. The biggest structure I had seen yet appeared into view, like a monolith. It was adorned with flags of every kingdom, though that was mostly guessing since I only recognized two of them. It was interesting that of all the structures on this mountain, the one that caught my eye the most was an overwhelmingly large stone disc that, had it not been for the intricate stone designs, would have just looked like another wall. However, standing at the top of the steps before the entrance to the Majister’s building, I could see that the disc was not just a wall, but instead, an arena with several thousand seats. The entire structure wasn’t just made of stone; it was the stone of the mountain, crafted perfectly into the natural shape and environment of the top of this mountain peak.

The Arch Majister found himself standing next to me, looking out at the arena. “Intrigued by the architecture, or is it something else?” He asked without looking at me.

“I don’t know, it feels familiar,” I said.

“The Khauloseum,” He looked on as if seeing something more vibrant than what was there. “We take great pride in training our students for conflict, and there is no better place to feel the thrill and heat of battle.”

He turned without warning and announced to the other majisters that it was time to depart back to the gates, meeting Kallen’s eyes directly before the edge of the steps and winking. “I have a meeting with a possible new staff member.”

With that, the three of us were left to explore the grounds of the academy, which encompassed everything on the second level, barring the first and third levels where the courtyard, forests, and the majister building were, as areas not to be travelled by students unless otherwise scheduled by a majister.

“So, what now?” I asked. “I had only envisioned the getting accepted part. Now that we’re actually here, I’m not sure what comes next.”

“Next?” Miko announced rhetorically, putting his hand in the air intensely, as if winning a competition. “Now we go to school!”

“Weren’t you listening? It doesn’t start for a week,” Kallen replied plainly.

“What?” Miko demanded, turning his head quickly. “Why in the hell did we come here so fast then?”

“It’s fine.” I smiled. “We need some time to prepare. And I’ve spent almost two years sleeping on stone, sand, and grass; my body would benefit from a week on an actual bed.”

Miko started walking down the steps with a depressed slump. “The grass wasn’t too bad. The bark was the worst, though. I’ll be on my side of the campus, I guess.” He waved behind him reluctantly as he walked away from us.

“Let’s meet back at the academy building in three days so we can choose our classes,” I yelled toward him.

He stretched out his good arm and raised a thumb.

“I keep forgetting you spent two years there. It’s hard to believe that that’s even possible, but when I look at you both, him especially, I can tell for just a moment until the newness of it fades.”

“I know what you mean.” I gritted my teeth. “I missed most of it, too. I was barely awake in that damned desert, barely alive, more like, for three long months, and then I was the one sleeping, stuck in a state between dead and alive for over a year. I woke up, and I saw him, just as confused as you are now. In that way, we are similar, unfortunately.”

“You aged, too, though,” he said, his head swiveled around to scan for the path to our building. “Physically, we’re the same age now, yet we were born in different years. You look different, but also the same. Your face is older, slightly, and your hair is longer, which adds a bit to the new look overall, but more than that, you feel different.”

“Yeah, Miko and Nomen said I emit some field or something.”

“Not that,” he laughed to himself. “That weight, the guilt and fear, it’s gone.”

“The same goes for you, Kallen. Your father appears in good stride these days.”

“When you left, or when I left you, I went back to him, and we had sort of a journey of our own. The school was never in the plans until you came and found me, but yes, he is trying his best, though it feels more like an imitation than the true him. Maybe that’s enough to get him on track, though.”

“Do you think your father will take the position? That was unexpected.”

“I’m not sure. His hands shake when he even thinks about majik these days, but his pride may not let him decline.”

“His pride?” I asked.

“The Arch Majister is one of the most powerful people in the kingdoms, Maleki. Didn’t you think it was weird that someone that important was out there waiting for students? He must have known he was coming, and it would be disrespectful to decline, knowing in your heart you have nowhere else to be. It’s not exactly like he’s working these days.”

“What about the carriage? He seemed comfortable.”

“You would know better than I; You’re the king of pretending for the sake of others.”

“Sometimes it still feels like I’m pretending. I should’ve seen it, sorry.”

“No need,” Kallen said as we walked down the steps to the second level of the bottom right quadrant. Conveniently, the buildings were organized alphabetically by last name, so Kallen and I ended up getting to stay in the same building. As we approached the structure, I noticed there was no door, just a large arch to section off the lobby of rooms. There was nothing complicated about the room layout; it was just a square room that held ten doors on each side. Beyond that, there was no order to the rooms inside the building; it was based simply on availability.

Kallen and I stopped at two doors a few feet from each other. His head turned, the black hair blocking his sight until it swayed to the side. “Maleki, why didn’t you stay longer at home? You could have spent another few days with your family.”

I paused; the room felt small so suddenly. “Have you had an awkward conversation with a family member you don’t see often? We hadn’t seen them in almost two years, but for them, it was six months. Their grandchildren were much different than they could have expected. They were being told things that, had they known beforehand, they never would have let us leave in the first place, and we saved them from some of the worst parts. Had I gotten comfortable there, I might not have ever left. I would have stayed in those green hills in outer Korvast, swiping away at farmland for the rest of my life. That’s what the guilt and the fear want for Miko and me, but it’s not what I want.” I paused, feeling the cold metal of the door’s knob turn in my hand. “What I really want is to see what we’ve been missing out on. I want to find out what my brother and I are capable of when we have the same chance everybody else has.”

I paused, the journey of the last two years hitting me like a wave all at once. A question prodded me that I meddled on in the Garden, that I pushed away in the forests, the mountainside, the desert, the sea, and the fiery pits. A question that all but led to my demise.

“Your question,” I said.

“Oh?” Kallen asked, almost as if knowing what I was speaking about, with no hesitation.

“You were right, back then, in Quavoris. I should’ve listened.”

I turned the knob and opened the door to my room, mirroring Kallen’s own position. “Just now, I said what we wanted. I keep saying it that way. Miko and I. We. My brother and me. You pushed me because you already had to answer that question, didn’t you?”

Kallen didn’t answer; he just nodded.

“You were taking care of your family on your own, with no real hope that anything would ever change. I hadn’t lost my hope yet, but you had. You weren’t sitting idly by, though. You kept moving forward. That delusion nearly cost me my life.”

Kallen forced a smile onto his face to hide the pain he once shared with me.

“I think you believe something great about me, because we went through those trials, but you had been in your own trials for a long time. What I did wasn’t heroic, Kal. It was selfish. And I realize that now. I guess that’s how Miko feels right now. I wouldn’t have changed anything if I could go back, but I can look forward now with a new perspective.” I felt the cold doorknob turn in my hand, as warmer air from inside the room caressed my skin. “I don’t know what I want yet, or who I want to be. But I’m going to find out, and then, then I’ll tell you proudly.”

“I’ll be waiting.” He replied softly.