CHAPTER 1: EXCHANGE

The sun shone brightly over the bustling streets of the capital of Tasvill, casting a warm glow upon the lively scene below. People moved about, their faces alight with smiles and laughter, enjoying the fine weather.

Amidst the vibrant atmosphere, a building of majestic proportions stood tall, simple in its architecture, yet grand in its aura. This was the Haven of Seekers, a sanctuary for scholars and seekers of knowledge, where the pursuit of truth reigned supreme.

The Haven of Seekers was one of the ten great holds of Tasvill, popularly described as the bastions of Tasvill by the people of Tasvill themselves and her allies, and Tasvill's strongholds by its enemies and neutrals.

The streets of Tasvill's capital buzzed with excitement as citizens moved about, their faces alight with anticipation. Shopkeepers hurried to open their stalls, while children darted through the crowds, their laughter echoing through the streets.

Amidst the commotion, two figures made their way through the streets, their conversation carried on the wind.

"We need to hurry, Jace," one of them said, his voice tinged with urgency. "We can't afford to miss the exchange at the Haven." I really wanna see those peeps from the library, only on special occasions like this do we commoners get to see the exalted ones from the Bastions and you know I don't want to miss this, heck this special occasion occurs just once every fifty years, by the next time it comes around, I would already be a wrinkly old man."

Haha, Jace, the taller of the two, laughed at his friend's words while nodding in agreement, quickening his pace to keep up. He said, "I know, I know," his breath coming in short gasps.

"But Brian, why does it matter if we're early? It's not like we'll miss anything."

His companion shot him a reproachful look. "You know how crowded it is said to be during the exchange," he said, his tone tinged with impatience. "If we're not there early, we'll be stuck at the back, and we won't be able to see anything."

Jace sighed, resigning himself to his friend's insistence. "Fine, fine," he muttered, picking up his pace even further.

As they rounded the corner, the grand view of the majestic but simple architecture of the Haven of the seekers came into view. The building standing imposingly, was a grand sight that beckoned to all, its dome like structure soaring high into the sky, with a massive stone wall surrounding it in a perfect rounded manner with four tall watchtowers situated at each of its four entrances.

There was a lot of activity at each of the gates as lots of people jostled in an attempt to get beyond the great wall into the haven and bask in its promises of grandeur. The guards stationed at each gate were having a hard time maintaining order, but their efforts were commendable.

At the gate where Jace and Brian ended up, a banner hung above the entrance, proclaiming the start of the exchange between the Haven of Seekers and the Library of Knowledge, after going through the due process, with a bit of struggle, Jace and Brian were finally within the haven's walls. And the sight before them sent them into a wave of awe.

The gigantic dome structure that always seemed so close, but yet so far, now stood before them in all its glory and majesty. Looking around they were met with the sight of other people with equally shocked expressions as theirs, well it wasn't a surprise, as the haven of seekers was not a place that the commoners would normally have access to.

Beyond the walls of the hold, it seemed like an entirely different world, amidst it's expanse, a beautiful garden unfolded, its vibrant colors and lush greenery was a sight that was both beautiful and calming, with a waterfall situated at the center of the garden, the overall view was a sight to behold. All around them there were smaller buildings arranged in a manner reminiscent of a campus layout.

"Here we are," Brian said, a note of triumph in his voice. "Let's make sure we get a good spot for the exchange."

"And maybe get ourselves some good babes while we're at it," Jace said as he flashed a grin at his friend.

Haha, "you read my mind friend." Brian responded.

Inside the Haven, the usually quiet halls buzzed with excitement as students and scholars gathered for a special event. It was a day that only came once every fifty years, the exchange between the occupants of the Haven of Seekers and those of the Library of Knowledge.

Just like the Haven of Seekers, the Library of Knowledge was another of Tasvill's ten bastions, tales of its grand architecture that held a vast wealth of knowledge, were a testament to its popularity and importance within the kingdom.

As Jace and his friend,Brian, stepped through the threshold of the Haven of Seekers, a hushed reverence fell over them. The grandeur of the architecture, with its soaring arches and intricately carved columns, seemed to dwarf them in comparison. Their eyes widened in awe as they took in the sight of towering shelves lined with rows upon rows of ancient tomes and scrolls.

The air was alive with the hum of scholarly activity, as students and sages alike bent over tables strewn with parchment and quills, engrossed in their studies.

For Jace and Brian, the sight was nothing short of breathtaking. They exchanged awed glances, their expressions reflecting a mixture of wonder and delight.

"Say?" Jace broke their silent reverie and asked, "Who do you think will win this exchange?"

"The library," Brian said, his voice filled with reverence and longing.

"Why do you say so?" Jace asked.

"Not too big a reason" Brian responded, "I've always liked reading and the library holds the largest collection of books in the continent, possibly the whole world and one day I want to be within its walls, as one of its students." Brian said with a look mixed with reverie and longing.

Jace nodded, his gaze sweeping over the bustling interior of the Haven, he said, his voice still tinged with awe at its grand sight.

"Well I want the seekers to win, my reason isn't anything like yours though." Jace said with a smile.

"I'm just saying so because the seekers hold the home advantage in this exchange as they are the hosts, they even won the last one away at the library, so if you look at it with that logic you could say since the seekers won on the librarians ground, they'd be more comfortable to win on theirs and besides the seekers are also in our city."

Brian nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping over the bustling interior of the Haven.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. Wanna bet on it though?" Jace flashed a smile at his friend as he took his hand out for a handshake.

Haha, "you know I want to." Jace's friend said while taking his outstretched hand into a handshake.

Jace looked around again and said, "Still it's incredible you know? Just like the Haven, the job of the library is to seek knowledge, just that in their case, they are more like the keepers of knowledge, while the seekers actively move about to learn," he said, his voice still tinged with awe, seemingly not getting used to the grandeur of the environment."No wonder they hold this exchange, it's like a battle of wits between two titans of learning."

His friend grinned, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Exactly," he replied. "And today, we get to witness it firsthand."

As they made their way inside, the air was filled with the sound of hushed voices and rustling pages. Scholars and students gathered in groups, discussing theories and exchanging ideas, while priests from the Temple of Divinity looked on, their expressions solemn and reverent.

Entering the haven, Jace and Brian spotted the priests of the Temple of Divinity. At the sight of the priests, their minds couldn't help but wander to the magnificence of another of Tasvill's bastions, the temple of divinity and Its simple splendor, its walls and pillars adorned with carvings depicting scenes of prophecy and enlightenment. Though they had never set foot inside its hallowed halls, they couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence for the power that emanated from within, just at the sight of the priests.

The Temple of Divinity stood as a symbol of faith and devotion in Tasvill, its origins going way back to the time of Tasvill's Inception. Dedicated to the worship of the god of visions and truths, it was the sole deity allowed to be revered in Tasvill, its teachings guiding the lives of its citizens for generations.

For Jace and Brian, the temple was more than just a place of worship, it was a cornerstone of their society, a testament to the power of the divine.

Jace and Brian then went up to the priests as per custom. As they approached the group of priests overseeing the exchange, their eyes were drawn to the figure at the forefront.

The head priest, a very old man with wrinkly skin and pure white hair that had maintained its integrity despite his age. Despite his advanced years, there was a regal air about him, and his presence commanded respect. He was garbed in an elaborate robe of deepest indigo, adorned with shimmering jewels that caught the light with every movement. His face, weathered with age, bore the lines of a life well-lived, and his eyes, though tired, sparkled with wisdom and kindness. He flashed a warm smile at the two young boys. His smile was as kind as that of a father to his child.

The sight of the old man garbed in such an elaborate way stunned both Jayce and Brian a bit, but they quickly composed themselves and bowed in greetings at the chief priest and all the priests present.

The Chief priest gave a slight nod in acknowledgement of their gesture. He then raised his right hand and held it up. As he raised the hand in blessing, the symbols adorning his fingers glinted in the candlelight.

Then he spoke,his voice, though frail, carried the weight of centuries of devotion "May the visions guide our paths."

As he spoke the words of reverence that echoed through the hallowed halls, both Jace and Brian echoed at the same time with their hands clasped together close to their chests, with their eyes shut, "and the truth sets our spirits free." After they said so the priest looked at them with a smile and said, "Bless you young ones, go and enjoy the exchange, and make sure to learn something."

"Yes, your eminence." Both boys said simultaneously with a bow.

With that, they progressed further into the halls of the Haven till they got to a large opening, just beyond a gate.

Upon seeing so they were once again engulfed with awe at the sight before them, this time for a different reason other than the architecture and the bastion's dwellers. It was much different this time, as a large arena graced their view and it was filled with a lot of people, more than they had seen so far that day.

"Damn, you were right," Jace said. "Had we come later, this arena would have been full and we wouldn't have seen anywhere to sit at all." Jace said in relief.

"I told you so, now let's secure our seats fast." Brian said with a smug grin.

With that, both boys went around, before the finally saw where to seat, after settling down in the arena, they looked straight forward ahead of them. At the center of it all stood the grand stage where the exchange would take place, its platform adorned with banners bearing the symbols of the Haven of Seekers and the Library of Knowledge. It was here that the fate of both bastions would be decided, as its students will compete in a series of tests and competitions to prove their worth and claim the coveted title of victor.

For Jace and Brian, it was a chance to witness history in the making, as two of Tasvill's greatest bastions clashed in a battle of minds and wills. As they took their seats among the crowd, they couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for the events that were about to unfold.