The Portraits

Walking into the manor, Ojero and Ryan both felt themselves ripple through space. It was an uneasy feeling, causing Ojero to stumble forward.

'I hate spacial jumps…' He thought, rubbing his head.

'I can feel the headache coming on already.'

Ryan, seemingly unaffected, simply continued forward into the ostentatiously decorated front room.

It was massive, being bigger than most full houses, and full of hundreds of students with their parents. Many of the students were milling about, but there were also four large lines leading to desks that each had a pile of paperwork on it.

'Wow, this place must cost a fortune! I don't think our front room was even half as big as this one!' Ojero thought while staring around in awe.

Not skipping a beat, Ryan marched forward towards the closest desk, ignoring the long lines once again.

'Does this guy have something against waiting or something?'

Ojero muttered quiet apologies to everyone as he quickly sped up behind Ryan.

Reaching the desk, they saw a wizened old man sitting down waiting on a child no older than 15 and his parents filling out a floating scroll with their details.

Looking up slowly, the old man spoke to them in a monotone voice.

"Please wait at the end of the line, sir."

Suddenly, Ryan lifted his hand and the ticket they acquired from the All Mother appeared in it.

His eyes opening wide, the old man quickly stood up and snatched it from Ryan, pulling it close to his eyes and studying it.

"Hmm… yes… yes this looks legitimate." The old man muttered, handing it back.

Placing his right hand over his heart in a fist, the old man lowered his head.

"Welcome to the Everentile Academy of the Gifted Magi, Sir Ryan and Ojero Guestino. Please, follow the hallway to my left down to the end. There, one of my associates may assist you."

Ryan then turned and walked down the hallway without a word, Ojero wordlessly following behind.

'Did he do something to that ticket so they knew who we were?' Ojero pondered.

The hallway was long and decorated in red, gold, and tan, with large paintings and murals hanging on either side. They depicted men and women of the Everentile Empire, wielding magic fiercely and confidently.

'These must be past graduates.' Ojero thought.

Near the end of the hallway, there were 5 paintings larger than the others all side by side, with gold trim. There was even a small plaque above the middle of them.

Inscribed on it was: Five of the Thirteen are Hereby Memorialized as Graduates of the Everentile Academy of the Gifted Magi.

Beneath the plaque was a large painting of a large man in royal clothes, a small brown mustache on his upper lip. Atop his head was a golden crown adorned with rubies, diamonds, and sapphires, but the most attractive stone was the large red one that sat in the very center of it.

The figure stood tall and proud, a large phoenix splaying its wings out behind him highlighting his form. His eyes tilted upwards, looking to the horizon, a witty smile on his lips.

Beneath the painting was another small plaque that read: Retnor, King of the Everentile People, King of Central Voratia, King of Fire, The Flame King, The Burned King, Light in the Endless Night, Leader of the Thirteen, Savior of Voratia.

'Retnor? It can't be the same Retnor that I saw in my vision, right? Retnor isn't a common name, but still, are they really the same person? I know Multo was one of the Thirteen, but I didn't really care enough to learn the others, so it's possible…' Ojeros mind was racing a million miles a minute as he walked to the next painting.

This painting was of a large man in bulky brown armor, a mace the size of a young adult resting on his back. Behind him was an Earth Drake, a very rare familiar that could sunder the earth with its powerful magical abilities.

The man's head was covered with a spiked helmet, but he seemed to stare straight ahead, looking nowhere but the direct and absolute direction of ahead.

Beneath him, the plaque read: Endour, Declared Brother of Retnor, Master of Earth, Master of the Quakes, The Earthen Monster, Right Hand of Retnor, Co-Leader of the Thirteen, Savior of Voratia.

'Now that confirms it, this is definitely the bulky man I saw! So they are the same! What's with the "Savior of Voratia" title? I wonder if the others say the same.'

Moving to the one next to Endour, Ojero saw a beautiful girl he immediately recognized as Pola, even if she was much older in the painting than when he saw her in the vision.

She was standing tall with a sleek green suit of armor covering her body. Her red hair fell down perfectly behind her, and in her right hand she held an upright polearm made of hundreds of plants, ending in a sharp point. She was smiling brightly, her head cocked to the side, and her eyes slightly closed.

Behind her was a large monster made of vines and plants known as a Nature's Wrath, another very rare familiar.

Her plaque read: Pola, Wife of Endour, Master of Nature, Natures Queen, Master of Life, Master of Growth, One of the Thirteen, Savior of Voratia.

Without stopping, Ojero moved back down the hallway, passing Endour and Retnors painting and stood before the next.

This one showed a blonde man wearing a fancy blue tunic standing straight, his right hand extended in a welcoming gesture. His other arm was held behind his back. A slight smile was on his lips. He looked down towards Ojero, small galaxies in his eyes, although Ojero didn't really know what they were.

Behind him was a creature that caused Ojero to stop and gasp. It was a fully fledged dragon with shining blue scales. Stars were dotting up and down its bodies and wings, and space around it seemed to distort.

'A Space Dragon? I thought they were only myths! Even with the little that we know about them, their power is at the very least equal to a Phoenix!' Ojero started to get excited, before looking down towards the plaque.

It read: Nikolo, Master of Space, Spacial King, Dominator of the Stars, Chosen of the Eons, Sealer of the Vortex, One of the Thirteen, Savior of Voratia.

'Wow, I never thought that the blonde kid would be so strong! A talented Space mage can change a nation single handedly!' Ojero thought. 'I hope with my own Space magic I can one day be like Nikolo!'

Stepping down to the next portrait, Ojero couldn't help but gasp. There was a large gash in the wall where the painting should be, only the frame and small tatters of cloth hanging where the portrait should be.

The plaque beneath was also heavily damaged, with only a few words being legible: Boutinom, Master of Blood, Master of V

'What… happened?'