4 House Ward

The Academy of Crestfallen, the largest school for practitioners of mana in the kingdom, a place where noble and common unite in their search for knowledge and power.

A splendid and pristine white exterior had been given to all of the Academy's buildings, providing it a dazzling, seemingly out of reach, and pure aesthetic.

The main building was a massive tower, void of decorations, simply a flat cylindrical surface rising into the sky above. It lay at the direct center of all the lands owned by the Academy. Four auxiliary sections branched out from the tower, each representing their own factions and each designed to look like their own small cities.

Standing in front of the main building Dante could now fully appreciate the true scope and beauty before him, the view from his room had not held a candle to what he now saw.

Completely smooth rock of the purest white, a tower that inhabited a larger plot of land than his father's entire estate, a calming mana pervading the air, the bustling crowd of students and teachers around him. He nearly lost himself in the peaceful scene, content as a bystander witnessing such peace in this world, but he was there for so much more and he knew all too well that this world was anything but peaceful.

Classes at the Academy are divided by age groups with a separation of three years in between each. Only three groupings of students attend the Academy at the same time, giving each student a span of nine years to make the most of their studies.

Regardless of the level of one's practice, the classes they could attend were determined by their age grouping. The first three years of attendance they would be Newlings, then Intermediates, and finally the Risen.

Dante was barely of age to qualify for a chance at attendance, and he was lucky enough to have arrived during a registration year.

As he passed beneath the threshold and entered the tower his gaze was drawn to a large crowd of youths gathered in the immediate center and he could faintly hear someone's voice above all other noises inside.

"All those present who wish to attend this year's registration ceremony shall gather here. Please note that one must be between the ages of twelve and fourteen to be granted a chance. The tests will commence shortly, so be at ease and try to remain patient."

Most of those gathered had been chatting in small groups, their demeanors carefree and nonchalant, however at the mention of the registration the crowd fell quiet. All noise that remained came from the nervous shuffling of feet.

Dante was one of the few that maintained their composures. While his mother had never deluded him with grandiose praise, he had earned his recommendation and chance this day through his own hard work. He would put forth his all and fight until their was nothing left, he would not waste the chance his mother had long hoped he would attain.

Just then, five people came stepped forward, the power of their auras alone demanding respect and attention.

The man in front walked forward tall and proud, his elegant blue robe and staff was proof that he was a mage, but the Songbird Pendant placed over his heart meant that he was not just a that, he was the Academy Dean, Lawrence Castile. His appearance was that of a man in his late twenties, however in truth he was closer to eighty years old. He had sharp features framed by long brown hair that fell beneath his shoulders and bright golden eyes that seemed to glow even inside of the well lit tower.

Those beside him would be representatives sent from each house of the Academy, and the people who would decide the fates of those that had gathered.

"Hello everyone, allow me to first welcome you to the Academy." The Dean spoke in a soft and gentle voice, yet his words seemed to travel throughout the entire building. "Today is the day many of you have been training your entire lives for, and for many of you today will decide your entire futures. Whether you are of noble or common birth means nothing to you now, if you are to join this Academy you will cast aside these petty social statuses and simply become what you truly are, students. The tests today will be conducted by the four behind me and will be observed by your upperclassmen and various teachers. Work hard and persevere if you wish to succeed. Everything to come is now up to you."

And with that he turned and left, leaving the representatives behind to divide the group by their factions.

Everyone present would have long since been trained upon the path that best suited their mana and natural traits, there was no place at such an Academy for someone that had not yet decided what kind of practitioner they would become.

After the crowd had been divided, the candidates all followed their representatives toward their respective sections of the Academy. Small semicircles at various points along the base of the tower allowed them to exit onto direct paths toward each section, rather than having them all exit from the main entrance.

The representatives for the mages was a short man that looked to be in his early forties. He donned a simple blue robe that fell to the floor, with a simple white shirt and breeches underneath. He had kind blue eyes and a simple, homey face that was not necessarily attractive, yet it would hold one's gaze for a time. The most extravagant things about him were the rings that adorned his fingers and the pendant around his neck, it was likely that they were all magic tools.

"The first test will be a simple written test, mainly covering magic theory and basic history. The second will be an element aptitude test, and the third will be a practical exam. I hope you all ate well before you arrived, because you won't be getting another chance to for quite some time. Ah, and you can all call me Master Rodrick."

A gentle smile was plastered on Master Rodrick's face as he led the mage candidates toward their section of the Academy. The group was by far the smallest of those that had left the tower, with only roughly twenty or so candidates whereas the other factions had all had no less than one hundred candidates each.

The paths that separated the tower and their destination were all wide cobbled streets surrounded by grass, trees, and flowers on either side. The sign above the arched entrance at the end of this path read "House Ward."

"Well then, I suppose I should welcome you all to your possible home for the next nine years, should you pass the tests of course. Anyway, welcome to House Ward, the house of mages."

Dante had been traveling at the back of the group, his gaze downcast the whole time, but when they stopped he finally looked up once more. His attention was immediately drawn to the golden words on the sign. A small part of him couldn't help but grow excited before a voice broke into his thoughts.

"Excuse me, Master Rodrick." The voice belonged to a small boy at the front of the group. "Why is the mage house referred to as House Ward?"

"Excellent question. As you know, the Academy is home to practitioners of every faction, and it was established by ten great heroes eons ago. Four main figures rose up from their ranks and became legends in Callian. They were Lance Vain, Beatrice Rune, Tarius Bertold, and Bam Ward, and each House is named after them. House Vain for the Knights, House Rune for the Assassins, House Bertold for the Crafters, and of course House Ward for us, the Mages." Master Rodrick turned away from the small city before him to look at the small group gathered behind him, his hands outstretched. "Come now all of you. Let us honor this history and provide House Ward with some new members today."