I don’t think we’re in Kauven anymore
The days before the four left for the Capital was filled with crying. Mostly from the new kids who have grown fond of the grants. The two oldest kids, Micah and Chiara, had taken a liking to Althea and seems to be having a tough time with her departure. Althea left them notes and promised to send them messages. The little girls helped Ellie pack her bag while a couple of the older kids are furiously taking notes as Terrick teaches them how to cook. None of the younger kids seemed to have bonded with Bryce so he kept angrily chopping firewood. He has accumulated so much in fact that it could probably last them till the end of winter. This was his way of saying goodbye and thank you to Mistress Juliette.
On the day of their departure, Wentlas arrived in a blue ion-powered shuttle ship. It landed vertically into the driveway of the orphanage. Mistress Juliette and the kids were lined-up outside ready to say their goodbyes to the four adventurers. The bags were light. Most of their personal effects have been stored in their crystals, whose inventory capacity grows as they level up. Not that they had a lot of personal items to begin with. Orphanage living has taught them to need very little.
The trip to the Capital usually takes 6 hours driving highspeed in the royal highway. But since this was their first time leaving Kauven, they will be taking the long way and plan to arrive at the Capital tomorrow night. They stopped by two touristy cities and a handful of towns to take pictures and have meal breaks. Wentlas was surprisingly a knowledgeable tour guide to many of the places they visited. They explored the great cliffs of Kahlran, where they did a short hike and explored some caves. They also spent some time driving through the Balnarg valley to see some sheepbison. Bryce and Terrick successfully rode them. Terrick's mount balked him after 3 minutes. Ellie caught the moment on her camera. They also checked out two artisan towns where they got some decorative pieces for their new home.
The head druid had already helped them find a house just outside of the Grand Magical Academy grounds. It was already fully furnished as it was part of the student housing. The rent, food, tuition fees, and school supplies will be provided for by the royal family as part of their reward.
The security went smoothly as all of them, including Wentlas, had a Royal Merit badge. The Grant Magical Academy was in the outskirts of the Capital but it had a direct path to the Royal Castle. In the twilight, the castle and the magic school were lit and stood apart from the other buildings. They found the house quickly as it was situated quite strategically between all the important buildings.
The four walked in and their jaws dropped immediately. Sure, they saw pictures but those did not do justice to how amazing this place was. It was a two-story, open concept house that even had a courtyard in the middle. It was also boasts of a swimming pool, several practice rooms, and six ensuite bedrooms. The house also had the option of coming with a chef, housecleaner, and gardener but the grants voted against it immediately. Terrick claimed the cooking duties, Ellie and Althea will share the house chores and Bryce will do the gardening. They fought over who gets which room but they quickly learned that they were all identical in size. Once they have put their things away, Wentlas ushered them into a nearby restaurant. The four enjoyed grilling BBQ while a ruckus seems to be happening outside. A teenage boy with green hair can be seen running away. They order more kimchi and marinated meats.
On the walk home, Wentlas excuses himself. He mentions that he needs to stop by an old friend's place and reminds them that he will come tomorrow morning to show them around the Capital. The house was nearby so finding their way back way not an issue.
About a block from the house, someone runs into Ellie and she falls hard to the ground. Terrick catches her and screams at the guy who is now a significant distance away. A loud apology can be heard fading out into the night. Four knights stop by huffing and asked them if they saw a green haired boy run this direction. They quickly pointed to where the rude guy ran off to. The knights clanking armor broke up the quiet.
They got home and spent some time talking in the courtyard. The sky glittered with stars and the three moons of Uwi. No one wanted to turn in for the night. There was a lot of nervous anticipation in the air, yet not a word of it was said. Finally, sleep refused to be denied and one by one they each stumble into their rooms. It will take time for this beautiful house to fill like home. Still, they were home as long as they had each other. Althea looked around her room. As nice as this place is, it was missing something. Before going to bed, Althea takes a picture frame from her crystal. It had 5 smiling faces on it. They are proudly pointing at two badges pinned to their chests. She touches the face of the tall girl with brown hair and tries to get some sleep.
"Good night, Tasha." She mumbles as she fades into slumber.