What if, at 14, you and every teen your age, are called to enter the Warden Academy to learn the basics of warriorhood, wizardry, and watchery? Would you go for it?
Tierra, who finally decides to enroll, soon finds out it won't be a walk in the p...
"Is it our bunks? Because I'm sure I left three days’ worth of dirty socks on my bed," Memphis was announcing.
Karys just shook her head and rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "She said upstairs, you dumbo," still probably fighting the urge to face him. She turned to her friends, "Will it be your room, Tierra? I think I'd want to see it though."
Tierra sideglanced their preceptor, her heart racing. "No, I don't think so," she gulped, "I certainly hope not. But I can invite you there sometime, just not today." She looked around. "Not with the class."
Miss Deci went on, "All with your partners now. Let's move out."
--
Golden braids brushed Tierra's face as they cramped the staircases. Miss Deci clearly said two lines, but the boys seemed to have been pushing each other.
"Sorry!" Salovin said, realizing his hair was smothering Tierra.
She smiled and caught a glimpse of Eros looking at them from above. He turned around quickly.
"We're heading to the third floor. Anything interesting in this floor, Tierra?" Karys was saying.
"There's the museum to the right, but Miss Deci seems to be going straight ahead."
They went through narrow hallways again, turned here and there and finally stopped in front of two large doors. The knobs looked like they were just recently replaced.
"I haven't been in this side of the castle," Tierra admitted. "It used to be so dark in here with the curtains closed before."
"Certainly not a place for a princess," Karys shrugged.
Tierra looked out the windows, the dark curtains drawn neatly to the sides. The view, still jelly-like. Miss Deci must have continued supporting the forcefield.
Their preceptor took a deep breath. She opened the doors with one sweep and the academics behind her dropped their jaws. "Woah."
"What? What is it?" Sipka pressed, being far from the door. When she wasn't replied back, she and Gafta pushed others in front to move forward, "Move aside!"
The little stampede caused some of them to tumble over. Tierra and her friends were fortunate to be at the back. They kept tiptoeing, but further in, beyond another narrow hall was what Tierra never imagined.
It was an ampitheatre.
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They passed by a heavily gated entryway to a circular arena to eight feet walls that gave in to layers and layers of step-like seats. Above them, around three stories high, were tinted glass, shaped in squares and diamonds before forming Kalos's logo at the centre in a shade of forest green. Light patterns danced on the centre of the floor arena, where Miss Deci was walking towards.
She motioned for the class, "Let us all huddle in this area please. Yes close to each other. Shoulder to shoulder."
Tierra, once again, found herself beside Salovin. Her insides churned. What if he's thinking that I'm following him? She shifted in her feet. I most certainly am not!
