The Academy - Side B

Yon's First Day (Or Rather, First 10 Minutes)

Being fourteen came with its own problems. For instance, Yon Rosen was about four inches taller than his sister, had suffered a massive bout of acne two months before, and had a bad feeling his voice was about to crack any moment now. It wasn't a situation he liked to be in on the best of days, but now, facing his first day at the War School, he was regretting about fifty of his life choices.

He'd seen The Academy, his sister's school, as a kid, and his parents even lived there now, but he was not prepared for the War School at all. It was several hundred years older, and slightly bigger. And the noise. He could very well understand what Eri went through on a daily basis now.

I think I'm going to be sick, he thought, clutching his stomach.

"Yon Rosen, it's high time you got here!"

A girl with jet-black hair marched towards Yon and hugged him so hard he thought his breakfast was going to come right back up. Anna Desselia was two hours older than Yon, and she never let him forget it. Luckily for him, she was also an inch shorter. Her red eyes were very much like Kazu's - Eri's boyfriend, who had trained him in basic combat behind everyone's back. Yon did recall Anna saying something about her father once living in the Shadowland.

They had been best friends since the age of four, but he hadn't seen her in a while. In the last couple of months, he'd moved from their little farm to a slightly bigger farmhouse in the Country of Wind. Specifically, near The Academy of Magic.

"I've been here for two days, and it's been so boring without you!" She said, letting him go. "I was wondering if you'd backed out on the promise we made."

"There's no way I would break that." Yon couldn't help laughing. "I've always wanted to come here."

A loud rumble cut the discussion short. The origin of the rumble was Yon's stomach.

The two friends stared at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. "You should go eat something," Anna said, holding her sides.

"I'm not going with this suitcase!"

"Then settle in quick, I'll meet you at the dining hall."

The War School was spread over a huge valley in the western side of the Forest. The main building was located right in the center: a huge building made entirely of red bricks, kept together by regular checks by the students themselves (and the latest rumor was that magic played a part as well). There were multiple sheds, which stored not only weapons for practice, but other gardening and construction tools.

Students were expected to learn the art of war and combat, along with the political and military history of several countries. However, their education didn't end there: they were expected to contribute to the gardening and maintenance departments of the school as a part of their training. Of course, there was an entire section on ethics, which constantly reminded the students that it was important to use their skills wisely. Too many countries had fallen due to reckless use of force and violence. 

Behind the main building, there were several small houses, nicknamed the 'barracks'. The red-bricked houses could hold up to eight students at a time, encouraging several students to interact and adjust to each other within a short period of time. Perhaps this is why they say students of the War School are so adaptable, Yon thought.

An older boy walked up to him, waving. "Hey, you're Yon Rosen, right?"

"Um...yes..." Yon wasn't sure how this older boy knew him. He looked familiar, but Yon couldn't quite place why. The boy had golden hair and red eyes, with a slightly round face and a nose curving slightly upward.

"You were just a kid when I saw you...but I suppose we'll be seeing each other more even outside school, now that our siblings are dating, won't we?"

That was when it hit him. This was Jun, Kazu's younger brother. Yon had a faint memory of seeing him a few years ago, at their siblings' graduation. The brother's had a similar face, and their eyes were the same.

"I'm so happy I finally have a little brother!" Jun looked like he was going to pass out from excitement. "You know, it's not easy being the baby in a family, with three older siblings. I've always wanted a little brother or sister of my own..."

"Wait, I'm not your brother!" Yon protested.

"No, but someday, you will be." Jun winked and ran off.

Yon was extremely confused. He'd only been on campus ten minutes, and seen enough drama already, with his childhood friend trying to squeeze all the air out from his lungs, and his sister's boyfriend's brother being quite dramatic and hinting at many things.

The first barrack to Yon's left was his own. A list was taped to the door, with about eight names on it: four boys and four girls. Yon was delighted to see that Anna was in the same barracks as he was. The other names were mostly senior students: each barrack appeared to have two students per year.

With nobody in the barracks, Yon dumped his suitcases next to a few other suitcases in the small living room of the house. He'd deal with unpacking later. Right now, it's time to eat!